JD Podcast: WUN2K W/ Erin Biglow Year End Wrap-Up! (Ep. 6)

December 31, 2010 by Erin Biglow
Filed under feature overlay, Movies, podcast

Midseason Shakeup: The 2011 Lineups

December 31, 2010 by Bilal Mian
Filed under Feature, feature overlay, Television

The winter hiatus is in full force with all of our favorite television shows off the air until the new year. However, all won’t be the same once the television season returns in 2011 as viewers will come across quite a few major changes to network lineups, including new dates, new timeslots, and yes, even new shows.

FOX

Among all the midseason schedule alterations, the most crucial comes from Fox with the decision to move American Idol from Tuesday-Wednesday to Wednesday-Thursday. This causes the 8 PM timeslot to become a ratings showdown across all networks. Take a second to think about it, The Vampire Diaries (CW), Community and Perfect Couples (NBC), The Big Bang Theory and Rules of Engagement (CBS). All these shows air between 8PM to 9PM. Such a move can possibly bring cancellations to some shows.

Another unfavorable move to fans of Fringe is the show’s shift to Friday, a.k.a. The Place TV Shows Go To Die. Fringe will premiere at 9 PM on Friday nights.

Check out the Fox Schedule below.

MONDAY

Monday, Jan. 10:

8:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME (Two-Hour Episode)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 17:

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME (All-New Episodes)

Mondays, beginning Feb. 7

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM THE CHICAGO CODE (Series Premiere)

TUESDAY

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 4:

8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (Encore Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP (All-New Episodes)

Tuesdays, beginning Feb. 8:

8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (All-New Episodes)

9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (All-New Episodes)

9:30-10:00 PM MIXED SIGNALS (Series Premiere)

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, Jan. 5 and 12:

8:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (All-New, Two-Hour Episode)

Wednesday, Jan. 19:

8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Season Premiere, Part One)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 26:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (All-New Episodes)

Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 16:

8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Episodes)

Wednesdays, beginning April 6:

8:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL (90-Minute Episodes)

9:30-10:00 PM BREAKING IN (Series Premiere)

THURSDAY

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 6:

8:00-9:00 PM MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Encore Episodes)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 20:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two)

9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere)

FRIDAY

Friday, Jan. 21:

8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Encore)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 28:

8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE (Time Period Premiere)

SUNDAY

Sunday, Jan. 9:

8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episode)

8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (Series Premiere)

9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (All-New Episode)

9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere/All-New Episode)

Sunday, Jan. 16 and 23:

7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (Encore Episodes)

7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (Time Period Premiere)

8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episodes)

8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (All-New Episodes)

9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (All-New Episodes)

9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (All-New Episodes)

Sunday, Feb. 6:

6:00 PM-CC ET SUPER BOWL XLV (Live)

10:30 PM ET/7:30 PT GLEE (All-New Special Episode; Approximate Start Time)

Sundays, beginning Feb. 13 (no change to lineup):

7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS

7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS

8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS

9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY

9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW

NBC

NBC’s return will partially be marked by the introduction of a handful of new shows to the network’s lineup alongside a shake-up to its Thursday night schedule. Monday nights will become home to new shows The Cape and Harry’s Law. Starting March, Wednesday nights will be the home of new reality show America’s Next Great Restaurant.

The comfortable two-hour comedy block we’ve all come to love on Thursday nights has been extended another hour to add room for Perfect Couples and Parks and Recreation. 30 Rock and Outsourced have been moved to 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM respectively to make room for the midseason shows.

MONDAYS

8:00-9:00 PM CHUCK

9:00-10:00 PM THE CAPE will premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, January 9 (9-11 p.m.). New episodes start in its regular time period on January 17 (9-10 p.m.)

10:00-11:00 PM HARRY’S LAW (beginning January 17)

9:00-10:00 PM THE EVENT (returns on February 28, 9-11 p.m.; resumes in its regular time slot March 7)

10:00-11:00 PM PARENTHOOD (debuts in this slot March 7 with all originals)

TUESDAYS

8:00-10:00 PM THE BIGGEST LOSERS: COUPLES (beginning January 4)

10:00-11:00 PM PARENTHOOD (beginning January 4 for four episodes)

10:00-11:00 PM LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES (beginning February 8 )

WEDNESDAYS

8:00-9:00 PM MINUTE TO WIN IT (beginning January 5)

9:00-10:00 PM CHASE (beginning January 12)

10:00-11:00 PM LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (originals beginning January 5 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. ET)

9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT (beginning March 16)

THURSDAYS (all beginning January 20)

8:00-8:30 PM COMMUNITY

8:30-9:00 PM PERFECT COUPLES

9:00-9:30 PM THE OFFICE

9:30-10:00 PM PARKS AND RECREATION

10:00-10:30 PM 30 ROCK

10:30-11:00 PM OUTSOURCED

FRIDAYS

8:00-9:00 PM WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE (beginning January 21)

9:00-11:00 PM DATELINE NBC (beginning January 7)

SUNDAYS

7:00-8:00 PM DATELINE NBC

8:00-9:00 PM THE MARRIAGE REF (beginning March 6)

9:00-11:00 PM THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE (beginning March 6)

ABC

ABC plans to enliven its Wednesday Night Schedule with the addition of Off The Map, a new medical drama from Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice) and new comedy Mr. Sunshine, featuring Matthew Perry’s return to television.

After April 6th, ABC will extend the Wednesday night comedy block by an hour by bringing on new show Happy Endings and fan favorite episodes of Modern Family.

The Wednesday schedule for February 9 through April 6, 2011, is as follows (all times ET):

8:00 PM    THE MIDDLE
8:30 PM    BETTER WITH YOU
9:00 PM    MODERN FAMILY
9:30 PM    MR. SUNSHINE
10:00 PM OFF THE MAP

The Wednesday schedule beginning Wednesday, April 13, 2011, is as follows:

8:00 PM    THE MIDDLE
8:30 PM BETTER WITH YOU
9:00 PM    MODERN FAMILY
9:30 PM    COUGAR TOWN
10:00 PM    HAPPY ENDINGS
10:30 PM    MODERN FAMILY Fan Favorites

CBS

CBS’ schedule can be expected to undergo massive shifts starting with Blue Bloods airing on Wednesday nights for four weeks. Fans of Criminal Minds can look forward to the show’s spinoff series Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, which will air in February along with CBS’ new comedy Mad Love.

Wednesdays, Effective Jan. 19
8:00-9:00 PM LIVE TO DANCE
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (new time period)

Fridays, Effective Feb. 4
8:00-9:00 PM THE DEFENDERS (new time period)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY

Fridays, Effective Feb. 11
8:00-9:00 PM THE DEFENDERS
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS

Wednesday, Effective Feb. 16
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND (Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR (Series Debut)

Monday, Effective Feb. 21
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM MAD LOVE (Series Debut)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY
10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0

Thursday, Effective Feb. 24
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (new time period)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST

Friday, Effective April 1
8:00-9:00 PM CHAOS (Series Debut)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS

For television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy of CBS, Fox, NBC, and IMDbPro.

Tags: 30 Rock, ABC, America's Next Great Restaurant, American Idol, Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods, CBS, Community, criminal minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, fox, Fringe, grey's anatomy, happy endings, Harry's Law, Modern Family, Mr. Sunshine, NBC, Off the Map, Outsourced, Parks and Recreation, Perfect Couples, private practice, Rules of Engagement, the cape, vampire diaries

2010 Year in TV: The Good, The Bad, The Unwatchable

December 30, 2010 by Erin Biglow
Filed under Feature, feature overlay, Television

1 Comment

As we television loyalists bid adieu to 2010 and welcome a brand new year of moments both jaw dropping and eye rolling into our living rooms, it’s appropriate to reflect on such noteworthy instances the preceding 12 months have wrought. As society evolves into a more and more frightening conglomerate of delusionally entitled fame-seekers and their equally untalented counterparts, knowing that the world of television still provides a means of fantastical escape for some of us is comforting. However, the towering Big Brother glare of mind-numbing reality shows still permeates the landscape, and quality programming is becoming harder and harder to find. As the line between the stupefying and the stupendous continues to blur, the most significant events in the world of television prove equally difficult to pinpoint among the dizzying, constant flow of information.

Therefore, the following list documenting ten of the most talked-about television moments in 2010 includes a wide range of mediums: awards shows, Emmy-winning dramas, high school musicals, late night talk shows, reality juggernauts, and even a soapy, survivalist zombie thriller (no, I’m not talking about The Real Housewives) are all up for discussion. Most importantly, not every moment worth mentioning involves a forehead slap or audible groan. Despite plenty of examples of such disheartening drivel, 2010 also delivered enough televised triumphs to keep me tuned in for 2011.

1. One particular success occurred midway through True Blood’s meandering, inconsistent third season. The introduction of Denis O’Hare as the flamboyantly, decadently evil Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, provided a, ahem, biting presence that ironically injected life into a cast of mostly undead characters. O’Hare stole every scene he was in, and fans of the HBO series (myself included) are still talking about his infamous monologue that echoed the socially satirical sentiments of Network. As King Russell interrupted a live evening newscast by literally ripping out the anchor’s vertebrae (spineless humans, ha ha) and addressing the airwaves himself, the chilling statement about his intent to exterminate the human race was perfectly balanced with a winking sendoff to the off-camera weathergirl. “We will eat you. And we will eat your children,” a deliriously devilish Russell promised the surely shuddering viewership. Without missing a beat, his quivering stare switched to his more trademark flippant smirk as he drawled, “And now for the weather. Tiffany?” As the rest of the season lurched its way to a marginally satisfying finale, I personally found myself wishing Russell’s now-legendary diatribe had played a more significant role.

2. The final season of Lost was a highly anticipated television event that wrenched its fans into a frenzy of suspense as the series drew to a close in May. After six years of successfully blending character-driven drama with science fiction undertones, the Pandora’s box of questions revolving around the mystery of The Island ultimately proved unanswered in the quizzical cop-out of a finale. While showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof insisted they had known What It All Means from the inception of the series, the litany of plotlines and characters introduced from season to season seemed to echo the exact opposite. By the time fans were preparing to finally hear the answers they were promised, so many loose ends had been created that it seemed as though Lost had painted itself into the corner of a very large room. With no mention of key events and people from the first couple of seasons, the groundbreaking series chose to circumvent earlier purgatory theories by instead making the entire final season a “sideways-universe” limbo in itself before neatly sending off the cast to the afterlife. The fact some of my fellow Losties still can’t acknowledge this as a colossal slap in the face only solidifies the finale as a disappointment of nearly insulting proportions.

3. Someone in particular who should feel one of 2010’s biggest slaps in the face, however, is the phenomenally talented Mondo Guerra, the frontrunner for Project Runway’s eighth season crown. After winning three challenges in a row and consistently producing compelling, fashion-forward work week after week while maintaining a captivating camera persona, Mondo seemed to have Bryant Park in the bag. However, his whimsical aesthetic and boisterous color palette drew occasional criticism from the judges for bordering on childish and unwearable. After deciding to keep a floor-length polka-dot evening sheath as his final look despite judge Michael Kors’ vocal disdain for the garment, Mondo’s Fashion Week collection instigated a heated discussion among the judges. Host Heidi Klum and guest judge Jessica Simpson vehemently represented Team Mondo, while Kors and Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia opted to vote instead for the universally disliked Gretchen Jones and her peculiar collection of 70s beachwear and granny panties. GRANNY PANTIES, people. In the show’s biggest coup to date, Gretchen was ultimately proclaimed the winner and the blogosphere promptly erupted with protest. The beloved Tim Gunn even let his usually infallible composure disintegrate in order to declare his belief the judges were surely “smoking crack” to have reached such a blatantly improper decision. I certainly can’t come up with a more appropriate theory.

4. One reality star who didn’t capture an unworthy victory but came close enough to spawn a cavalry of conspiracy theories is Bristol Palin, de facto spokeswoman for all things mundane and mediocre. The consistent disagreement between Dancing with the Stars’ title and its cast of reliably D-list hoofers is unintentional parody in itself, but the fact the 2010 season’s eventual third-place finalist managed to dance on national television in a gorilla suit while her mother, the most arguably polarizing “politician” in recent memory, slaughtered an animal for sport on her own show makes me wonder if the joke is actually on the people who watch this crap on purpose. Sigh.

5. The program that seemed to spawn the talent show craze of the last decade reached its own level of ho-hum mediocrity this year, despite its shameless tactic of capitalizing on hopeful, albeit untalented, contestants who seem to relish in embarrassing themselves on camera. American Idol’s ninth season began in the same banal fashion as always, with hopelessly tone-deaf masochists unleashing vocal punishment on anyone within earshot, but peculiarly evolved into a showcase of finalists who surprisingly couldn’t sing too well themselves. With the exception of runner-up Crystal Bowersox, this season of Idol failed to produce any truly intriguing potential singing star and crowned the most uninspiring winner since Taylor Hicks. For a reality competition program that launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert and Jennifer Hudson, trying to imagine American Idol’s reigning champ, Lee DeWyze, performing anywhere but county fairs and Midwest casinos in comparison seems futile. No wonder Simon Cowell abandoned ship.

6. While American Idol frantically tries to reinvent itself in the hopes of regaining its former glory, America has shifted its focus to another group of singers. The cast of Glee has enjoyed a parade of fame and notoriety since the FOX musical dramedy exploded onto the airwaves in 2009, but the series’ second season premiere this fall seemed to showcase a shift in focus. Instead of reveling in the cheeky satire of high school caste systems and the stereotypical characters within them – exactly the approach that made the show a hit with critics and audiences in the first place – Glee has now become the Homecoming Queen of primetime television and sadly believes its own hype. Glee initially succeeded because it zoned in on the troubles of talented misfits within the horrifying confines of high school and the ingenious narrative of music. However, the popularity of the show has skewed its perspective and it has now become a platform for iTunes sales and celebrities in need of a career boost. Already-middling storylines and character development have taken a backseat to episodes dedicated to the entire repertoire of certain pop stars, and Glee’s grades are plummeting as a result. When the best way to reason the cast’s performances of Britney Spears’ biggest hits is through drug-induced hallucinations at the dentists’ office, methinks Ryan Murphy had better revamp his priorities.

7. Interestingly enough, Glee’s best performance of the season wasn’t included during an episode of the show, but rather in Jimmy Fallon’s opening Emmys number that incorporated personalities from all walks of televised life. Donning his best jeans-and-a-t-shirt Bruce Springsteen getup, Fallon engaged the audience in a faux-impromptu rendition of “Born to Run” while welcoming backup from Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Jorge Garcia (that’s Hurley for you Losties), Betty White, Nina Dobrev, Joel McHale, and Glee clubbers Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch (unwelcome backup from Kate Gosselin at least proved the woman is able to make fun of herself). While the rest of Fallon’s hosting duties received a mixed reception, this good-natured, unexpected and genuinely funny send-up provided a musical showcase more successful than anything Glee’s second season has had to offer.

8. Jimmy Fallon’s stint as host of Late Night has proved one of the more surprisingly stable institutions in the talk show circuit in 2010. One of the year’s biggest controversies erupted when Conan O’Brien was forced to sign off as host of The Tonight Show in January after a mere seven months on the job. Jay Leno’s hour-long primetime venture ended up nothing short of disaster, and NBC’s decision to hand the Tonight Show reins back to their reliable ratings procurer in spite of this spawned a legion of stalwart O’Brien fans who insisted, “I’m With Coco.” The campaign to support O’Brien while he transitioned from the Tonight Show snafu to his new post at TBS reached levels of political fanaticism, and the accompanying poster seeped with similarity to Shepard Fairey’s now-iconic image of President Obama. Although the dust seems to have settled, 2010 undoubtedly left a new war for late night in its wake.

9. The growing trend of successful drama series finding refuge in basic cable has left one particular network on top of the heap. Although the war for dominance in basic cable isn’t nearly as dogged as the late night talk show circuit’s, AMC’s continuing trend of producing one breakthrough show after another has to leave competing channels scrambling to bring their A game. As Mad Men’s fourth season closed with the shocking engagement of Don Draper and his secretary, Megan, fans of the show were left aghast at the characters’ seemingly sudden courtship. After the divorced Don’s bottom-reaching alcoholic tendencies and humiliating escapades with prostitutes throughout the season, his whirlwind romance with an initially peripheral character would appear out of the blue to the fair-weather viewer. However, Mad Men is a series that celebrates and requires attention to detail. Megan’s gradually increasing presence in the latter half of the season provided many foreshadowing opportunities for the audience to pick up on, not to mention the exiled Faye’s proclamation in the premiere that she thought Don would be remarried within a year of his divorce. While the engagement may not have elicited the same thrilling sequence of events that the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce did in the third season finale, it nonetheless roused a host of conversation and debate among Mad Men fans who can’t wait to witness the consequences of Don’s rash decision in season five.

10. AMC executed another product of its winning formula in October with the premiere of The Walking Dead, which garnered more viewers than any premiere of any other AMC series. The overwhelming commercial success of the show likely has creator Frank Darabont (whose award winning film career includes directing The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) and killer word of mouth to thank, although the idea of a post-apocalyptic drama about the survivors of a zombie epidemic doesn’t exactly scream Nielsen success. Despite boasting incredible special effects and a promising concept, Walking Dead struck me as rather static and perfunctory in the dialogue department, and surprisingly stereotypical in its portrayal of gender roles. A fleeting six-episode first season and the firing of the entire writing staff may leave the future of Walking Dead as unknown as the barren landscape of its story, but with the second season not airing until October 2011, Darabont should have plenty of time to appease both fans and skeptics.

It’s certainly difficult to narrow down a year’s worth of television events and milestones to a list of ten noteworthy moments, especially in the midst of the communication-driven Information Age. What do you think should be mentioned in 2010’s list of most noteworthy TV moments? As the scope of television’s capabilities and influence evolves with the exponential increase in technology, the potential for 2011 is limitless within both positive and negative connotations. While I fear for the alarming rate of society’s increasing idiocy and the television industry’s partial responsibility, there are still quality options available if one takes the time to look. For every cluster of blasphemous horrorshows like Bridalplasty or Skating With the Stars, a diamond in the rough like Breaking Bad is begging for viewers. What are you looking forward to watching next year? Here’s hoping 2011 will curb the growing trend of encouraging mindless vapidity and keep such garbage as the Kardashians and Teen Moms to a minimum and perhaps even put Kate Gosselin out of her misery and back in rural Pennsylvania where she belongs.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy of ABC, HBO, and AMC.

Tags: 2010, Adam Lambert, Amber Riley, American Idol, Betty White, Bridalplasty, Carrie Underwood, Chris Colfer, Conan O'Brien, Cory Monteith, Crystal Bowersox, Dancing with the Stars, Emmys, Glee, Gretchen Jones, Heidi Klum, Jay Leno, Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Simpson, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Hamm, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kelly Clarkson, Lea Michele, Lee Dewyze., Lost, Mad Men, Michael Kors, Mondo, Nina Dobrev, Project Runway, Simon Cowell, Skating With The Stars, Taylor Hicks, Television, The Real Housewives, The Walking Dead, Tim Gunn, Tina Fey, True Blood, Year in TV

Win Passes for The Mechanic Advance Screening! (DC)

December 30, 2010 by Contests Manager
Filed under feature overlay, Movies

2 Comments

Poptimal.com and CBS Films are teaming up to give thirty (30) of you a chance to win two (2) free tickets to see an advanced screening of The Mechanic.

THE MECHANIC
Promo Screening
Monday, January 24
7:30 PM
Regal Majestic
Silver Spring, MD

Please note, tickets do not guarantee admittance. Seating is first come, first served.

Here’s How to Win (No Purchase Necessary)

1. Post your comments about at least one (1) of our front page articles

2. Email your name, email address and name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com. Put “The Mechanic” in the subject line.

3. Wait. Winners will be notified starting Friday, January 21st.

*** If you’re on Twitter. you will have an additional chance to win courtesy of our popular podcast, The Jone Dome. After you enter as stated above, follow us at @Poptimal and send the following tweet: “Check out Poptimal.com for chances to win tickets to an Advance Screening of “THE MECHANIC” @Poptimal“ You will receive additional entries (limit one per day) to win the above prize.

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a ‘mechanic’ – an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It’s a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can’t turn his back on Harry’s son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

THE MECHANIC opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, January 28

Tags: advance screening, Ben Foster, CBS Films', contest, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham, Poptimal, The Mechanic

In Memoriam: Brujito’s Favorite Cancelled Shows of 2010

December 29, 2010 by Brujito Forlan
Filed under feature overlay, podcast, Poptimal-pinions, Television

2 Comments

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to give one last longing glance at some of my favorite shows to get cancelled in the last year or so and to share why I’ve decided that might not be such a bad thing. We lost a lot of good men out there this year. They were brave soldiers with new and challenging ideas. But they were unceremoniously discharged by networks whose ranks are already swollen with safe and predictable courtroom dramas, police procedurals, and reality programming. It always hurts to lose these shows. When I was 6, I loved a show called Misfits of Science that featured a young Courtney Cox. I shook my tiny fists with rage when it was cancelled, but I never forgot it. I think therein lies some of the bittersweet beauty of television loss.

Eliza Dushku, Fox's Dollhouse

Dollhouse (and to a lesser degree Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) came in like a lion with a combination of a Joss Whedon-sized fanbase and a tantalizingly rich backstory that could have provided years of compelling intrigue. Unfortunately, both went out in a blur of schedule juggling, flaccid network support, and episodes that failed to capitalize on the richness the shows’ premises. Still, both shows delivered inventive sci-fi storylines without the suffocatingly nerdy dialogue that plagued Caprica, the campy mugging of Eureka, or the low production value of almost everything else on basic cable.

Party Down (and to a lesser degree Flight of the Conchords) reminded us that you could find smart comedy that wasn’t filtered through the theater-geek baggage of Tina Fey or the scatological cruelty of Seth MacFarlane. These shows found a perfect blend of subtle, sarcastic characters (Martin Starr and Jemaine Clement) to complement blatant and hapless goofballs (Ken Marino and Kristen Schaal). In between, there were enough micro and macro-plots to make you really care about these people.

And then there was AMC’s Rubicon. That one hurt the most. Here was a show that offered the inventive storytelling and fecund premise of Dollhouse and delivered it with the smart subtlety of Party Down. Sure, its pacing was a little slow at times, but this almost seemed like a deliberate thumbing of the nose at a current crop of shows that have bastardized the genre. Espionage is supposed to be mysterious and cerebral, not an orgy of yelling and explosions like 24, Human Target, or even Chuck.

Jessica Collins and James Badge Dale, AMC's Rubicon

As news of Rubicon‘s cancellation broke, I brooded. Sure, it reaffirmed my belief that the American television viewer is generally pretty vapid and that programming aims toward the lowest common denominator. But that wasn’t anything new. It wasn’t just because I felt a personal connection for all the reasons listed above. That cancellation bothered me most because in my opinion, Rubicon had a perfect season finale. Without getting into any great detail, let’s just say that all the right storylines were brought to a neat and tidy close. Other loose ends were left alluringly undone. And the cliffhanger was juicy enough to stoke the flames for next year without making me want to uppercut the Vizio.

So I mourned these great shows that ended too soon, but then I came to a realization. Nearly all great shows must end too soon or they will cease to be great. The sad fact is that American TV shows stay on way too long. A winning formula is too often bled dry. The British version of The Office was only on for two seasons. I’m no snobby Anglophile, but the American version has been on for seven seasons (!) and nobody seems to know where to go with it. Maybe I don’t need to see Jim and Pam scoping out daycare centers. Maybe they could have just gotten married under a waterfall and sailed off into the sunset. As much as I will miss these cancelled shows, I also don’t want them to drag on forever just to see their plots meander aimlessly.

The other sad fact is that ending a show is rarely pleasant. Even acclaimed series finales like Seinfeld and The Sopranos had their detractors. Even when writers know the end is coming, they struggle. So maybe a quick and unexpected death is the way to go. Like the massive nocturnal aneurysm that leaves a handsome corpse, there is no lingering, no descent, and no long goodbyes. There’s a reason that people still mention My So Called Life, Freaks and Geeks (Poptimal writer Alana D.’s pick as the best show of the 00′s), or Veronica Mars with the same reverence as Tupac Shakur, Len Bias, or Kurt Cobain. They were young, full of promise, and tragically taken too soon.

Maybe it’s not such a bad thing when any of us lose our favorite shows. So we lost the ability to see their once taut storylines become soft and bloated. So what? I saw it happen to Lost and it wasn’t pleasant. Instead we got a season or two of greatness. If they ended abruptly and there was no closure, that’s okay. We don’t need to know what Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation, because the beauty is not knowing. The characters and plots in these shows can go anywhere we want, because the shows ended while we still cared. They left us wanting more and that’s a rare and wonderful thing in entertainment.

Tags: AMC, cancelled shows of 2010, Caprica, Dollhouse, Eureka, Flight of the Conchords, Jemaine Clement, Joss Whedon, Lost in Translation, Martin Starr, Misfits of Science, Party Down, Rubicon, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Merlin: Katie McGrath Interview

December 27, 2010 by Keshaunta Moton
Filed under Feature, feature overlay, Television

Review: Family Guy + Return of the Jedi = Run! It’s A Trap!

December 27, 2010 by Nicole C
Filed under Feature, feature overlay, Television

2 Comments

I’ll admit that I’m a glutton for Star Wars spoofs, even the bad ones. Family Guy continues this tradition for a third time with It’s A Trap! The title comes from a line by Admiral Akbar in Return of the Jedi as the rebels come out of hyperspace and come to face an Imperial armada with a fully functional Death Star. See, I’ve seen it one too many times.

The episode opens with the Griffin family seated on their couch watching TV when the power goes off. Stewie comments that they are going to do Jedi aren’t they, and then the opening sequence begins. The story picks up with Vader (Stewie) landing on the unfinished Death Star and is greeted by Roger from American Dad. In It’s a Trap many characters from Seth MacFarlane’s other shows make appearances.

Meanwhile R2-D2 (Cleveland) and C3-PO (Quagmire) are in Tatooine to deliver a message to Jabba the Hut (Joe). After tricking a guard droid (played by the Hispanic cleaning lady Consuela) by saying the cat got away and it jumped out into the desert trying to find it. R2 and Threepio give Jabba the message from Luke and are surprised to find themselves donated to the gangster. Jabba says he will never give up his prized possession which is Han Solo (Peter) encased in carbonite mooning everyone.

That night, Leia (Lois) infiltrates Jabba’s palace dressed up as a bounty hunter and releases Han from his prison. Jabba catches them and Han is thrown into prison where he reunites with Chewie (Brian) while Leia becomes his newest slave girl (she dons the famous golden bikini).

Soon Luke shows up at Jabba’s palace where he threatens the gangster to release his friends or else. Threepio tries to warn Luke that he’s standing on top of a trap door but he refuses to listen. Jabba presses a release button and Luke falls into the pit of the monster, Rush Limbaugh (playing the Rancor). Limbaugh actually lends his voice for the part! Luke manages to kill it and Jabba decrees that Han, Chewie and he will be fed to the Sarlacc (Meg).

Luke gives Jabba one more chance to release them or else but the gangster laughs it off. What follows is a series of nods from Luke to Lando (Mort) to R2 to Leia to Threepio to Jabba back to Leia to R2 to Lando to Luke and well you get the picture. They do this for a little while.

Eventually Luke jumps off the plank and does a flip back onto the ship where he catches his lightsaber from R2. He proceeds to start hacking off body parts while inside Jabba’s sail barge Leia chokes the gangster with her chains. She kills him then joins Luke as they swing off the ship before it explodes, picking up R2 and Threepio along the way.

Luke on his X-Wing prepares to separate from everyone else on board the Millenium Falcon. He tries to tell Han that he’s heading to Dagobah to see Yoda but gets an annoying phone message from him instead.

At Dagobah, Yoda tells Luke that he’s dying and that he fought Vader too soon and that he must face him again before he can become a Jedi and that he will be the last of the Jedi when he passes and that there’s another and that he has a sister. Yes, it actually went like that.

Outside, Luke sees the force essence of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Herbert) who confirms that he does have a sister and it’s the only woman in the entire galaxy, which of course is Leia. Before Luke leaves Obi-Wan asks him if he wants to take a dump in Yoda’s toilet so they can pretend that it’s a giant piece of poop.

Back on the rebel command ship, Han, Luke, Chewie, Lando and other members of the Rebel Alliance listen to Mon Mothma (voiced by Carrie Fisher) as she tells them that the time has come for them to attack the second Death Star because they’ve learned the Emperor himself will be inside the space station. Admiral Ackbar, played by Klaus from American Dad , appears to help lead the attack.

Inside the Death Star, the Emperor (Carter Pewterschmidt) arrives and is welcomed by Vader and a young boy in a wheelchair. Vader informs him that his room isn’t going to be ready till 4pm but he’s free to use the business center.

Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Threepio and R2 are on the Imperial shuttle making their way towards Endor. They request the deflector shield to be brought down so they can land on the forest moon. On Vader’s command ship, an Imperial officer tells Vader that the shuttle has an older code but it checks out. Vader then says that Luke is on that ship, not because he senses him through the force but because Luke is clearly visible from the window.

The rebels land on Endor and see two stormtroopers. A high-speed bike chase ensues. Instead of speeders they are on bicycles and the sequence is nearly identical to Jedi. Though Leia gets knocked out by a hurling chunk of Alderaan from Blue Harvest.

An Ewok (Tim the bear from The Cleveland Show) finds an unconscious Leia and takes her back to his tree village.

Luke makes his way back to Han and the others only to find that Leia never made it back. They go in search of her and are trapped by the Ewoks. They see Threepio and believe that he is a god. The group is taken back to the Ewok village as dinner until Luke shows them a card trick, believing that Threepio really does have magical powers. They are reunited with Leia! Threepio then breaks into a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rhyme as he tells the rebellion’s story.

Before Luke leaves to go find Vader, he tells her that she’s his sister. Leia responds that she knew, even when she kissed him back on Hoth. Icky much?

Luke and Vader are reunited where Luke is excited to go to the Death Star because it’s Friday and that means tacos.

Leia, Han, Chewie and the others locate the deflector shield bunker where Han forces the few guards to dig their own graves using their helmets because we’ve had too much cute in this episode. Soon though Imperial backup shows up and for a moment the rebels are screwed. The Ewoks come to their rescue and they begin to violently attack the stormtroopers with rocks, arrows, and other projectiles. These Ewoks though are vicious and cannibalistic!

They defeat the Imperials and the rebels destroy the deflector shield base.

Inside the Death Star, the emperor tries to goad Luke into the dark side by telling him how his friends will all die on Endor as well as the rebel fleet attacking the space station. When that doesn’t work, he starts insulting Seth Green (who voices Chris Griffin). This of course works and Luke tries to strike down the Emperor only to be met by Vader’s lightsaber. They battle it out and Luke refuses to kill his father. The Emperor having no other choice begins to electrocute young Skywalker. Luke pleads with Vader to help him and with the power of please, Vader helps his son by hurling the Emperor down into the shaft where he disintegrates.

Outside the epic space battle continues with Lando and Rallo as Nien Numb inside the Falcon. Patrick Stewart lends his voice as Captain Jean-Luc Picard as the cast of Star Trek: Next Generation makes a cameo appearance, refusing to help the rebels because they are on their tea break. Lando and Wedge Antilles inside an X-Wing makes it into the Death Star’s core where they destroy the power source, a band whose name I can’t remember for the life of me.

Luke drags Vader onto the shuttle as the havoc is ensuing inside the Death Star when he accidentally kills his father while trying to get his mask off.

Lando and Wedge make it out of the Death Star just as it explodes with Luke and Vader’s body getting out through the Imperial shuttle as well.

They all celebrate back on Endor where Anakin Skywalker appears with the other Jedi masters telling Luke to screw off because he killed him.

The spoof ends with power returning to the Griffin family house and Chris asks Peter what he has against Seth Green. Chris retorts back that Seth MacFarlane only produces ten new episodes of Family Guy per season and even then has a team of writers to do the actual writing but he cashes in the check from FOX.

There were mediocre jokes and lots of cultural references littered throughout the episode. I enjoyed it anyways but I’m heavily biased, so unless you’re a big Star Wars or Family Guy fan, you might want to skip this one. While the entire story was only so-so on the humor scale, I am glad that they ended it with the original Return of the Jedi sequence rather than the digitally re-mastered one, aka they used the original Ewok celebration song.

So folks, go see it if you feel like seeing something mildly amusing, but keep your expectations low.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy of Fox Television and IMDbPro.

Tags: American Dad, Family Guy, It's A Trap, Mila Kunis, Patrick Stewart, Return of the Jedi, Review, Seth Green, Seth MacFarlane, Spoofs, The Cleveland Show

Hawaii Five-0 Review: Aloha Hawaii Five-0

December 25, 2010 by Allison Toner
Filed under Feature, feature overlay, Television

5 Comments

As the temperature drops outside, things are continuing to heat up onscreen with one of TV’s best new dramas—Hawaii Five-0. The remake of the classic show, which ran for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, has reemerged this Fall with the catchy theme song, strong acting, likeable characters, quick-witted dialogue and, of course, plenty of catching bad guys. Here are my reasons to watch Hawaii Five-0.

1. Hawaii

Part of the attraction, for myself and I’m sure others, that comes with the show is the beautiful scenery of the island of Hawaii. The cinematography—the panning scenes of the beaches and cities—are gorgeous and really show off the exotic island. As a travel enthusiast, these scenes are always breathtaking and make me want to travel to Hawaii.

2. The Good-Looking Cast

This reason is an absolute no brainer. Have you seen the ensemble cast of Hawaii Five-0? Grace Park. Daniel Dae Kim. Scott Caan. Alex O’Loughlin. They are all gorgeous! Who wouldn’t tune in each week to see the gang of Five-0 take down the criminals? I know I do!

3. Scott Caan!

Scott Caan who plays Danny “Danno” Williams was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for Supporting Actor. He definitely deserves the recognition—the show wouldn’t be the same without him. The wise-cracking Danno, the NJ cop transplant, who doesn’t like the beach or swimming and won’t lose the tie, played by Caan, brings an extra spark or snarky comment to whatever scene he is in.

4. Bromance

This unlikely duo of Steve McGarrett and Danno Williams has become a new favorite of mine. Some verbal sparring by the pair…

McGarrett: Do you realize how much of your life revolves around food?

Danny: Do you realize how much of your life revolves around armed conflict?

McGarrett: You don’t think I am a happy person?

Danny: I am sure you have your moments, like when Guns and Ammo puts out its gift guide, or a Rambo retrospective comes on TV.

McGarrett: Book em’ Danno.

Danny: Really? Is that gonna be a thing now?

McGarrett: You don’t like it?

Danny: Don’t like it.

McGarrett: I think it’s catchy.

The partnership of Scott Caan and Alex O’Loughlin is fantastic—they bring the perfect balance to the brawny Steve McGarrett and the sharp-witted Danny “Danno” Williams. This bromance has plenty of chemistry plus the typical love and hate feistiness that comes with these types of partnerships.

5. Loads of action!

You name it, it’s been on Hawaii Five-0, from gunfights to explosions to hand to hand combat. It’s almost like a mini-movie each week. I’ve been extremely impressed with the fight scenes and stunts. Who knew Alex O’Loughlin had such skills? But not only the guys, Grace Park as Kono can really take care of herself.

6. Mythology

There are a bunch of continuous storylines that have been woven throughout the episodes so far: Chin’s false corruption charges from the police department and loss of his fiancée. What was Steve’s father investigating before he was killed? We learned that Steve’s mother was murdered and covered up. Plus, in the last episode we were introduced to a new nemesis for the Five-0 team, Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos).

According to CBS, Hawaii Five-0 will pick up with the mythology and what sounds like an intense episode—McGarrett’s sister is kidnapped, his father’s Champ box is stolen and he may find some clues about his mother’s murder. Hawaii Five-0 returns on January 3^rd at 10 PM on CBS. I can’t wait to catch up with the Five-0 gang but until then Mele Kalikimaka.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy CBS, Mario Perez, Art Streiber, and Neil Jacobs.

Tags: Alex O'Loughlin, CBS, Daniel Dae Kim, Golden Globe, Grace Park, Hawaii Five-0, Mark Dacascos, Scott Caan

Let’s Do It Again: The 10 Best Movies of 2010

December 24, 2010 by Keshaunta Moton & Matt DeGroot
Filed under Feature Must See, feature overlay, Movies, Poptimal-pinions

6 Comments

Now that Keshaunta and Matt have told you everything that Hollywood did wrong this year, they have come back to talk the studio heads down from the ledge. Hopefully 2011 will follow the lead of these ten films, as Keshaunta and Matt reveal ten movies this year that left them saying, “I’ll have another PLEASE!!!”

10. Let Me In : Let Me In manages to do what very few horror films can: chill you to the very core with its frank reality. It doesn’t rely on such easy means of shock and gore to bring a thrill, yet this subtly nuanced film brings its own brand of terror to human nature. Boasting a great cast and excellent characters, this film can’t help but pull you in to their young protagonists’ lives. Let Me In is both horrifying and heartbreakingly sweet as it questions how far you would go to be loved.

9. Kick-Ass: You’ve got to admire Kick Ass for its sheer audacity: crime fighting superheroes all under drinking age. The fact that this movie introduces a stellar cast and focuses on the empowering of the ordinary man is just icing on top of a very delicious cake. Kick-Ass is funny, packed with action and at its core endearing. It embraces the part of all of us that longs to right every injustice in the world and makes us think, at the end of the day, we have the power to change the world.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 had a lot riding on its shoulders, not only did it have the monumental chore of setting up for the series finale but Part 1 of film 7 had to wash the foul stench of film 6 from the collective conscious of the world at large. Deathly Hallows succeeded admirably at both tasks. With excellent pacing and great performances by the principal cast (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint,) Deathly Hallows builds the audience to a breathless pause… that will not be resolved until July of next year.

7. The Social Network: Aaron Sorkin is a god among men when it comes to writing so the combination of his skills with director David Fincher to tell the almost Shakespearean rise of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook is too hard to resist. Jesse Eisenberg succeeds in creating a character that you love to hate thanks to his fascinating motivations and questionable morals. Look for this to take the top prize at this year’s Oscars.

6. How to Train Your Dragon: How to Train Your Dragon is one of those films that manage to be as entertaining for children as it is for adults. And the fact that Dragon has an overwhelming message of friendship and acceptance of who you are that makes it a automatic must see. Charming and sweet, Dragon is part comedy, part fantasy mixed with action, but all over entertaining. This film is sure to please even the most cynical heart.

5. The King’s Speech: If I had to label a film as the most charming film of the year – there would be no question of that title going to The King’s Speech. Director Tom Hooper leads a stellar cast in telling the tale of stuttering king struggling to find his voice but making a great friend in the process. Watching this play out is an utterly pleasant experience and with top notch production values in almost every category, this film deserves every accolade sent its way.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: Every year there are great movies that somehow just seem to get ignored by the populace at large and this year one of the most maddening examples of that is Scott Pilgrim vs The World. How this movie did not catch on like wildfire will always evade me. Every single shot is bursting with style and humor. It is hilarious and at times heartfelt. The action scenes are fantastic and the music is infectious. This is pure cinematic joy on display and to dislike it is to be without a pulse.

3. The Kids Are All Right: Annette Bening and Julianne Moore have quite simply never been better on screen and to say that their story of an unconventional family touched me would be an understatement. The script is both hilarious and sweet and applicable to relationships of every shape and kind. Watching this family, you can’t help but be enthralled in their lives and the events unfold piece by piece, before you know it you’re waiting for the tension to break.

2. Inception: ‘Christopher Nolan can do no wrong’ is a statement that I believe in wholeheartedly and am willing to fight anyone who says otherwise. Inception, a film that was completely his brainchild, is the closest thing to Hitchcock we’ve seen since the great master of movies laid down his camera. The story and screenplay are so intricate that even thinking about it writing it and keeping it all sensible, would enroll me years of study, therapy, and anti-anxiety pills. Yet with Nolan at the helm, this film breaks into the fantastic world of what movie-making could and should be.

1. Black Swan: Black Swan is far and away my favorite film of the year. Watching what Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman created on screen is to witness a terrifying descent into madness that will make you flinch, laugh, scream, cry, and worry all at once. It will likely put you in a dark place after viewing it but it is perfect and well worth your time.

If you want to know what they didn’t like check out: I Want My Money Back by Keshaunta Moton and Matt DeGroot. And don’t forget to have a safe and Happy New Year.

Tags:

Video: Muppets (Ringing the Bells)

December 23, 2010 by Editor-in-Chief
Filed under feature overlay, Movies, podcast

JD Podcast: WUN2K W/ Erin Biglow Year End Wrap-Up! (Ep. 6)

Midseason Shakeup: The 2011 Lineups

FOX

NBC

ABC

CBS

2010 Year in TV: The Good, The Bad, The Unwatchable

Win Passes for The Mechanic Advance Screening! (DC)

In Memoriam: Brujito’s Favorite Cancelled Shows of 2010

Merlin: Katie McGrath Interview

Review: Family Guy + Return of the Jedi = Run! It’s A Trap!

Hawaii Five-0 Review: Aloha Hawaii Five-0

Let’s Do It Again: The 10 Best Movies of 2010

Video: Muppets (Ringing the Bells)

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