SNL Highlights: Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm hosted for the second time, and again brought the funny. The episode definitely had some low points - the court stenographer for example, but Jon Hamm used his sex appeal in the best way, to be hilarious. Below are a few my favorite bits from last night.


SNL Digital Short: Sergio

Finally a digital short that isn't some funny rap! I loved when the therapist turns into him and especially when his wife gives birth.

New Senator


Weekend Update: Snooki

Oh no, we're in quite the predicament!

Hamm & Buble

I wish they'd used Buble more. I loved him singing his plea for help.

Overall, it was uneven but had more really funny moments than most of this season.

The Rundown Drinking Game

I love a good movie drinking game. You get to watch a fun movie, hang out with friends, and make a game of it so it's not just idly sipping your drink. Last week, my friends and I wanted to watch The Rundown, a highly underrated action film, but couldn't find a drinking game for it. So we made our own! I really recommend the movie, so check it out if you can and enjoy a few beers in the process!

Take a sip when:
There's a cameo (athlete, notable actor, govenator, etc)
They show a gun
Say "gatto"
There are wrestling moves
The Rock is awesome and Sean William Scott acts like an idiot
Walken is being clever
There are explosions
Cows show up
They use whips
When there's slow motion


Chug When:
The Rock shoots a gun
Sean William Scott does his "thunder and lightening" move

Finish Your Drink When:
Bagpipes show up

Dollhouse: Epitaph Two

I know not many people are still watching the show, but for those of us left, the series finale is tonight! Be sure you tune in to FOX tonight at 8 PM EST/PST.

Linkulous: Sex, Lost, Caprica, and more!

This was a pretty great week for me, lifewise. I hope you guys all had a great week! Check out some of the articles that caught my eye:


Why Sex Is Giving you Carpal Tunnel

Four Things to Remember From The Season 5 Finale of Lost - the last season starts Tuesday!

Chuck inspired Etsy Crafts - awesome

Did Preferential System Hurt 'Avatar' at the PGAs? - I think it will definitely hurt their chances at Oscar glory.

Caprica: 12 Reasons We're There!

9 Secrets from the set of Caprica

NBC's Jeff Gaspin on emotions and late-night TV - another perspective on the Jaypocalpyse.

All The City's A Stage - I want to go on one! And, it was endorsed by NPH.

In Praise of Online Obscurity

Unattainable Beauty: The Decades Biggest Airbrushing Scandals

Kayak.com Lets You Book the "LOST" Flight

ABDC: South Regional Crews

America's Best Dance Crew is back! It's got a new format, a new judge, and I'm really digging it. Omarion was a good judge, but I definitely need to see more to see if he can live up to Shane Sparks' level of excitement and level handed criticism. So let's see what the South had to offer:

Jungle Boogie - Cranking
Stone Mountain, GA
Bounce by Busta Rhymes
I loved the full body snake type motion, but it did get clumsy towards the end. The floor bounce in the beginning was a great opening move. They had great energy and I loved the ending. i still don't quite get what cranking is, but I really enjoyed their performance.

Ghost - Smooth
Houston, TX
Android Porn by Crady
Very creepy with the smooth moves and the contacts. They did a great fan type motion. I agree with JC that it was a dramatic performance, but slow at times.

X-Treme Motion - Bucking
Houston, TX
Wow, those outfits...
They were very high energy, but it seemed a bit frantic at times. I could definitely see their dance team background.

Swagger Crew
Atlanta, GA
Ice Cream Paint Job
There was a really poor camera angle on a cool trick. The beginning of the routine didn't engross me, but they killed it after it went into the Ice Cream Paint Job song. The random white girl was really good! Loved the ending gag. Overall, the best routine of the night.

Royal Flush
Atlanta, GA
Wasted by Plies
The tricks were awesome! The back flips straight into the forward flip, the double person forward filp (flying flush), the 360 around flip - all very memorable moments. However, the dancing was just alright; their choreography definitely needs work.

Swagger Crew and Jungle Boogie make it through to the finals! Swaggar Crew was definitely the best. I thought Ghost and Jungle Boogie were both up there, but Jungle Boogie definitely had more presence and energy.

Sudden Death to Outta Control by Pit Bull
I love the fast pace of Sudden Death - very exciting and fluid instead of stopping and going to give each crew a whole dance. I liked this format last season too. Royal Flush's tricks were stand outs, but again their choreography leaves something to be desired. I hope they learn to step it up a notch now that they've made it through.

I'm definitely looking forward to this season, the crews we've seen so far are great! I hope the East is just as strong.

Hitler Responds to the iPad

Could Mega Shark Take Down a Plane?

Did you guys watch Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus? You should have! There's some great destruction, with the best being when Mega Shark jumps out of the ocean to take down a plane! I know it seems crazy, but is it possible? Check out this graphic about it:


[via @SyFy]
[for the larger image: http://i.imgur.com/EVF94.jpg]

iPad: Woman's Best Friend

It's too bad MADtv isn't around to reap the benefits of all this publicity for their sketch. Oh wait, you mean the iPad is a REAL Apple product? Well then.

[via Mediabistro]

ABDC is Back Jan. 28!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Lost: Posters

The final season of Lost is only days away! Check out these great posters:


More on Mattson Creative

Coca-Cola: Happiness Machine

This commercial makes me happy.

Funny Game Show Moment

I love Wheel of Fortune and grew up watching it along with Price is Right and Jeopardy. Are you guys big game show fans? Can you think of other great game show moments?

That's Some Strong Cheese

Captain Awesome

The highlight of last week's amazing episode of Chuck was definitely Captain Awesome trying to lie. You can watch the clip here:



If you're on the East Coast, Chuck is starting NOW on NBC. For those of us on the left coast, we've still got to wait 3 more hours.

LOST: 24 Style

Very cool new way to look at the plane crash that started the mystery that is LOST.

Related Link:
The 100 Questions Lost Better Answer or We'll Be Pissed

Buried

I don't know how this movie isn't dreadfully boring. It all takes place inside this coffin and is a one man show of just Ryan Reynolds. Don't get me wrong, I love Ryan Reynolds but that is a lot to ask of any actor. But this is getting great reviews from those who saw it debut this weekend.

The film screened at Sundance and is the first major deal from the festival. Lionsgate just bought distribution rights for $3.2 million dollars, more than it cost to produce the film! My interest is definitely piqued, and I'll be on the look out for when it comes to theaters. Watch the teaser trailer below.



Related Links:
Lionsgate gets "Buried" at Sundance
"Buried" lands first big deal

New Midseason Shows

Most of the regular season shows are back, but my TV schedule has suddenly opened up now that So You Think You Can Dance (Summer 2010), America's Next Top Model (March 3), Flash Forward (March 18), Glee (April 13), and V (March) are all on break for at least a couple more months. And Dollhouse's series finale airs Friday too! That's 6 hours of TV that are suddenly free! So, of course I have to check out the new shows to see if anything is worth picking up to fill the voids.

Caprica

The prequel to one of my favorite shows, Battlestar Galactica, so I had to give it a chance. The two hour pilot has been on DVD and online for ages, but I waited until the broadcast premiere and the official start of the season to watch it. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be watching next week. The monotheist vs. polytheist debate is going to be front and center this time around, and I'm intrigued to see how it plays out. Plus, it's going to be very topical with religious terrorism at the forefront. If you missed it and want to check it out, you can get the pilot for free from iTunes. You can also catch the first half of the two hour pilot embedded below:



Life Unexpected



I grew up watching The WB shows like Dawson's Creek, Roswell, Gilmore Girls, etc. Life Unexpected and The Vampire Diaries show that The CW is going back to their WB roots and I love it! These are strong dramas about characters I already care about in their short runs. I'm hooked on The Vampire Diaries, and enjoyed the pilot for Life Unexpected. I'll definitely be watching next week. The only problem is that it airs Mondays at 9pm, opposite The Big Bang Theory. It's filling Gossip Girl's time slot, so I'm not sure if it's going to stay there or where it would move to. If you missed it and want to check it out, you can get the pilot for free from iTunes.

Human Target


It's got a great cast from shows I've loved: Chi McBride from Pushing Daisies, Tricia Helfer from Battlestar Galactica, and Mark Valley from Keen Eddie. The plot also seems right up my alley - action/comedy with maybe a kindling romance between the protector and the protected? I'm there! However, I actually didn't get to watch this one because I spaced on when it was premiering. Did anyone watch and what did you think?

Linkulous: Broadcast Television, Green Lantern, Football, and more

For being a short week, it felt a lot longer. Oh well, price of being busy busy busy I guess. Here are some articles I enjoyed this week. Check 'em out!

Dollhouse: (Briefly) The Best Show on Television - since its cancellation was announced, it's like the show's been on steroids! So much is happening in each episode, it's firing in all cylinders, and throwing surprises at us left and right. I LOVE IT.

Pushing Daisies Rises From The Dead. Sort Of.

"Green Lantern" will have a "Flash Gordon" element - I'm definitely looking forward to this movie. Ryan Reynolds will make a great superhero.

NBC's Slide From TV Heights to Troubled Nightly Punch Line

More Than a Rough Patch - A graph showing the decline in broadcast networks. It's definitely not just a recent trend.

Football Has 11 Minutes of Action - no wonder the advertising for football games is so expensive!

Get a Mac: Mashable's 5 Favorite Ads

TCA Set Visit Highlights: Chuck Q&A

New Spider-Man Director - really? I'm surprised by the choice. I'm intrigued to see how this pans out.

Burton to Direct Sleeping Beauty Tale for Disney?

24 Free iPhone Apps for Job Hunting

Red-faced from drinking? It could be an evolutionary advantage - I don't get red from drinking (yay, half-white! lol), but it's interesting that it could actually be a good thing.

Top 100 Funniest Google Street View Images - thanks, Ashley!

Joss Whedon to be awarded the Vanguard Award from the Producers Guild - now if he could just get a show on the air that networks didn't meddle with!

Open Letter from OK Go

Top 25 "Lost" Moments

How to Disappear on Facebook and Twitter - but why would you want to?

How NBC Gave Conan His Groove Back

Late Night Shift 2: The Rolling Thunder of Revenge

I would totally watch this!

Japan Loves "Glee"

Fox may have failed at marketing Dollhouse (and a plethora of other brilliant-but-cancelled shows like Arrested Development, Firefly, Keen Eddie, etc), but they are doing a great job on Glee. Check out this Japanese promo for the show:

IN-N-OUT Shoes!?

Wow, these shoes are awesome and ridiculous. I found them via @IN_N_OUT_burger on twitter. Apparently, he got them custom made through NikeID.com. If you're a big fan, I guess it's worth it!

The Chinese Explain Late Night

Watch and learn.



This just proves that failure is understood in all languages.

100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All time

MacGruber: Red Band Trailer

Chuck Partners with Honda

Now, this is how you do commercials.



I haven't seen marketing like this during the other shows I watch. It's such a smart idea since it makes me actually want to watch the commercials - they star the characters I care about. Now, I DVR/Tivo most of my shows, but even though I was watching Chuck time-shifted, I still stopped to watch these.

Vampire Diaries Returns: Jan. 21

Vampire Diaries is coming back this week! I'm excited to see where this show goes.

The cliffhanger from the fall finale left Elena in a car wreck, watching as some dark and creepy otherwordly creature walked toward her. Now, we know she won't die since she's the female lead, but I still can't wait to see what twist and being is in store!

Interested in spoilers? Read this: What's Going To Happen When Vampire Diaries Returns?

Robert Downey Jr. is Selfish

RDJ was the highlight of the Golden Globe's 3 hour ceremony.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Disney's next installment of Pirates of the Caribbean drops May 20, 2011.

I loved the first Pirates and severely disliked the other two for being drawn out, unnecessary, and pointless. However, I can't help but be excited for this!

So far, Johnny Depp is the only one attached (and it's rumored it took $55 million to nab him!) No word on if Kiera Knightly or Orlando Bloom will be returning, but I think it would be better if they didn't come back. They're storyline wrapped up nicely at the end of the 3rd one. I think it'd be better if Captain Jack goes off on his own adventure and meets a new band of miscreants.

There's not much news out yet, but the one thing I find interesting is that it's going to be directed by Rob Marshall. Maybe it'll be a musical? Johnny has done it before with Sweeney Todd, so it's not totally out of the question. I just don't see why they'd pick the director of Nine and Chicago if they weren't going to use that talent somehow. Maybe just one crazy drug/magic induced number? That's all I ask! I'm kidding...kind of.

What do you guys think? Are you still interested in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?

Update: Pirates 4 to Begin Shooting in Hawaii

Jersey Shore Parody

Normally, I wouldn't acknowledge this show's existence, but this is just too good.

Golden Globe Winners

Overall, the show was solid, even though some of Gervais's jokes didn't have the timing that he needed. However, I am pleased with how most of the awards were handed out. For my predictions, check out my blog post from earlier today.

The big surprise for me is Avatar's win for Best Picture. It seems only James Cameron can have both a box office smash and an award winner. It makes me wonder if some of the bigger movies were nominated/won in a small way to boost ratings for these ratings starved shows.

Up in the Air was nominated for the most awards, but ended up only taking home Best Screenplay, which even they didn't think they deserved and were still waiting to hear Quentin's name to correct the error. I really thought Quentin was going to win it, and Up in the Air to be shut out. I was not far off.

I'm happily surprised I was wrong about Glee! I thought Modern Family, that critical darling, would be the one to take down 30 Rock and win the globe. While Glee is one of my favorite shows this year, it has been uneven. The baby storylines alone were huge detractors overall. But, Glee won out in the end and I'm glad this show is getting awards and ratings to keep it around! Let's just hope it doesn't jump the shark the way Ryan Murphy's other show (Nip/Tuck) has.

What did you guys think of the show and winners?

Here's the full winner's list:
Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical):
* "Glee"

Best Actor in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical):
* Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Best Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical):
* Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara"

Best Television Series (Drama):
* "Mad Men"

Best Actress in a Television Series (Drama):
* Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama):
* Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"

Best Director for a Motion Picture:
* James Cameron, "Avatar"

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture:
* Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"


Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical):
* "The Hangover"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical):
* Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical):
* Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"


Best Motion Picture (Drama):
* "Avatar"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama):
* Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama):
* Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:
* Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
* Mo'Nique, "Precious"

Best Animated Movie:
* "Up"

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
* "The Weary Kind (Theme from 'Crazy Heart')," "Crazy Heart"

Best Original Score for a Motion Picture
* Micahel Giacchino, "Up"

Best Miniseries or Made-for-Television Movie:
* "Grey Gardens"

Best Actor in a Miniseries/Made-for-Television Movie:
* Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"

Best Actress in a Miniseries/Made-for-Television Movie:
* Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"

Best Supporting Actor (Television):
* John Lithgow, "Dexter"

Best Supporting Actress (Television):
* Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love"

Best Foreign-Language Film:
* "The White Ribbon"

SNL Highlights: Sigourney Weaver

Last night, Sigourney Weaver did her best with some lackluster material. Here are the best sketches from the night:



This recurring Keenan sketch is hit or miss, but The Brandy Snifter was great. Plus, damn Sigourney is HOT.



The opening sketch was a whole drawn out Larry King/Conan/Leno sketch, but I didn't find that very funny. Seth Meyers did an excellent sum up of the whole situation. Plus, the Meryl Streep bit was great. Speaking of, check out my predictions for tonight's Golden Globes.

And lastly, Laser Cats added another chapter to the story with the help of James Cameron.

Lady Gaga on Oprah

Lady Gaga talks with Oprah about her rise through "Shock Art" and the origin of her stage name.



I love her so much!

Golden Globe Predictions

Tonight are the Golden Globes, the most fun of the award shows. I'm looking forward to Ricky Gervais's hosting skills, he's always pretty quick-witted and hilarious. He veers towards the "almost-too-awkward-to-be-funny" humor, but most of the time it toes the line just right. Below are my Golden Globe predictions in bold.

Best Motion Picture, Drama
'Avatar'
'The Hurt Locker'
'Inglourious Basterds'
'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire'
'Up in the Air'

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
'(500) Days of Summer'
'The Hangover'
'It's Complicated'
'Julie & Julia'
'Nine'

Best Director - Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow - 'The Hurt Locker'
James Cameron - 'Avatar'
Clint Eastwood - 'Invictus'
Jason Reitman- 'Up in the Air'
Quentin Tarantino- 'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jeff Bridges - 'Crazy Heart'
George Clooney- 'Up in the Air'
Colin Firth- 'A Single Man'
Morgan Freeman - 'Invictus'
Tobey Maguire - 'Brothers'

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Emily Blunt- 'The Young Victoria'
Sandra Bullock - 'The Blind Side'
Helen Mirren - 'The Last Station'
Carey Mulligan - 'An Education'
Gabourey Sidibe - 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire'

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon - 'Invictus'
Woody Harrelson - 'The Messenger'
Christopher Plummer - 'The Last Station'
Stanley Tucci - 'The Lovely Bones'
Christoph Waltz - 'Inglourious Basterds'

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Penelope Cruz- 'Nine'
Vera Farmiga - 'Up in the Air'
Anna Kendrick - 'Up in the Air' (close 2nd)
Mo'Nique - 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire'
Julianne Moore - 'A Single Man'

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Matt Damon - 'The Informant!'
Daniel Day-Lewis - 'Nine'
Robert Downey, Jr. - 'Sherlock Holmes'
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - '(500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg - 'A Serious Man'

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Sandra Bullock - 'The Proposal'
Marion Cotillard - 'Nine'
Julia Roberts - 'Duplicity'
Meryl Streep - 'It's Complicated'
Meryl Streep - 'Julie and Julia'

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
'The Hurt Locker' - Mark Boal
'District 9' - Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
'Inglourious Basterds' - Quentin Tarantino
'It's Complicated' - Nancy Meyers
'Up in the Air' - Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Animated Feature Film
'Coraline'
'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'
'The Princess and the Frog'
'Up'

Best Television Series, Drama
'Big Love'
'Dexter'
'House'
'Mad Men'
'True Blood'

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical
'30 Rock'
'Entourage'
'Glee'
'Modern Family'
'The Office'

Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Simon Baker - 'The Mentalist'
Michael C. Hall - 'Dexter'
Jon Hamm - 'Mad Men'
Hugh Laurie - 'House'
Bill Paxton - 'Big Love'

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Julianna Margulies - 'The Good Wife'
Glenn Close - 'Damages'
January Jones - 'Mad Men'
Anna Paquin - 'True Blood' (my personal choice, but I don't think they'll pick a sci fi/fantasy show to win it)
Kyra Sedgwick - 'The Closer'

Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin - '30 Rock'
Steve Carell - 'The Office'
Thomas Jane - 'Hung'
David Duchovny - 'Californication'
Matthew Morrison - 'Glee'

Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette - 'United States of Tara'
Courteney Cox - 'Cougar Town'
Tina Fey - '30 Rock'
Edie Falco - 'Nurse Jackie'
Lea Michele - 'Glee'

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Neil Patrick Harris - 'How I Met Your Mother'
Michael Emerson - 'Lost'
Jeremy Piven - 'Entourage'
William Hurt - 'Damages'
John Lithgow - 'Dexter'

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Adams - 'Hung'
Rose Byrne - 'Damages'
Jane Lynch - 'Glee'
Janet McTeer - 'Into the Storm'
Chloe Sevigny - 'Big Love'


"Up in the Air" may have the most nominations, but I don't think it's going to win the most. I think "Inglorious Basterds" could take the most home - Best Screenplay, Best Supporting, and I even think it has a shot at Best Picture. It's just such a well done movie, and impressive that it seamlessly weaves through 3 languages. Who do you guys think will be taking home the awards?

Gatekeeper Cover

I love Fiest, but I love Victor Kim (and Quest) more. He's just so damn talented. Why isn't he a star already?

Linkulous: Gary Oldman, Channing Tatum, Sci Fi Moments, and more...

This week's been pretty crazy! Check out these interesting articles I've read over the past few days.

LOST Characters Explain How To Make a Sandwich

Gary Oldman's Ranks of Villiany

Channing Tatum is Proud of His Package - this made me like him even more, which I didn't think was possible!

Gambling Study: How Winning at Poker Causes Greater Risk

Netflix Coming Soon to the Wii - FINALLY something cool is coming to the Wii. I'm tired of hearing about the Playstation and Blu-Ray.

Tips for Single Ladies (from 1939) - my how times have changed...

10 Fun iPhone Apps for Beer Lovers

SyFy's 12 Favorite Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Moments - Loved a majority of these moments!

Bear Attacks Plane, Fixed with Duct Tape - further proof that Duct tape is awesome.

Ryan McPartlin is more Awesome than You -- Literally - speaking of awesome, Captain Awesome talked with LATimes. I'm glad his role is getting stepped up in this new season!

NBC's Post-Leno Schedule - wow, such fail NBC. Such fail.

150 Geeky Media People You Should Follow on Twitter

Paper Mario

Need a Laugh?

This week seems to be going by so slowly. Here's a comic to make you smile :)

Ted Leo Covers Nick Lowe

I love Ted Leo. He recorded a cover of Nick Lowe's "And So It Goes". You can listen to it HERE. If you right click and pick "save as" you should be able to download it. In theory. Oh well, either way, check it out!

Ted Leo was my first concert in college. He always puts on a great show and picks an interesting song to cover. At the show I was at, he did a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone".

Short Film: Validation

I don't know what this was created for - if it was a student film or what - but it's so cute and well done. It definitely made me smile.

The Biggest Opening Weekends of 2009

I found this in an article wondering "Did File-Sharing Make Wolverine a Hit?" Interesting article, but this chart had some big surprises for me. I had no idea Wolverine was the #3 opening weekend of the year! Also, very surprised Night at the Museum 2 made the list. I'm also glad to see that two of the movies are animated. This was definitely a strong year for animated films - with the return of Disney 2D with "The Princess and the Frog" and one of the best Pixar films yet. The Best Animated Feature Oscar Race will definitely be one to watch.

How I Met Your Mother: Musical Number

The obvious highlight of the 100th episode:


And now it feels like we're so close to meeting the mother! Too bad it wasn't Rachel Bilson, she's a cutie.

Vampire Weekend on Conan

There's a whole lot of Conan/Leno/NBC drama-rama going on and I'll post more on that whole debacle later. But for now, enjoy this performance of Vampire Weekend on last night's Conan:

Vampire Weekend's CONTRA

You can listen to the whole thing here:

Nirvana vs. Lady Gaga

I have to admit that I'm growing tired of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. Well, now I have a new way of enjoying it!

Kick-Ass: New Trailer

After seeing the trailers for "Kick-Ass" how can anyone not be interested? April 16th is so far away!

Lost: 5 Seasons in 8 minutes

Need to catch up before the new season? Check it out:

Linkulous: SyFy, Superbowl, Music and more

Here are some random articles I found interesting this week. Due to some stuff going on in real life, expect less posting next week. Just a heads up. Enjoy!

Sci Fi to SyFy Made All the Difference

Will Superbowl Sponsors Stay in the Game?

Just how high is "Avatar" going in the box-office pantheon?

Zac Efron's "Orson Welles": The 2009 Movie That Got Away

Top 50 Albums of 2009 - now streaming!

5 Theories That Explain Why Avatar Is Such a Huge Hit

Joss Whedon is My Master Now

What Wines Go Best With a Double Double - if only I had the money to burn. This seems right up my alley!

China Blocks Access to Movie Site - wow, I don't know why they'd want to block it. I don't see how it could be subversive or a threat to them. Maybe just the vast information on nearly every movie, most of them being made in the Western World is enough of a threat?

Pulling Out All The Stops to Rescue Chuck

Top 10 Reasons to Watch Chuck

As I'm sure you could have figured out from previous posts, I'm a big Chuck fan. If this week weren't so packed with real world deadlines and such, this would be my own personal Chuck week. Over the holiday break, KT and I watched most of season 2 thanks to hulu.com and it just reignited my love even more. I had seen it before, but KT had only seen a few snippets here and there so didn't know much of it before. Season 1 of Chuck was fun, but season 2 knew exactly what it was doing and did it well the entire time. This is one of the few shows that actually excelled after the Writers Strike. It seems like the the writers took that time and thought about the show and what they wanted to do. So, what I've been getting at, is that I love Chuck and so should you. Here are my Top 10 reasons to watch the show:

1. The nerd humor.

The 2000s is the time of the geek. With all the superhero films, comic book franchises, and such, the geeks have inherited to the earth. If you like Big Bang Theory, which many people do given that it's one of the most watched sitcoms on air right now, you'll love Chuck. It takes the nerd humor, and seamlessly blends it with that action hero vibe that geeks stereotypically can't attain.



2. The soundtrack.

Last season, Chuck used 80's classics perfectly matched to the situations on screen. From Chuck vs. Tom Sawyer, where Rush was the music of the gods to unlock the Kill Screen, to the wedding performance by Jeffster, I know no other show that makes music such a huge support to the plot. The songs aren't just background, they're a major part of what sets the mood, atmosphere, and sometimes plot of the show.



3. The romance.

Every good show needs a couple to root for. In addition to the Chuck/Sarah will they/won't they, we get see a healthy, constant relationship like Captain Awesome and Ellie. They have their fights and their make ups, and they just seem so real. This gives the show something most others don't - a stable relationship that isn't used to play for laughs. We don't laugh at the married man tied down, we see their relationship mature like one would in real life.

Now, the romance more of the fandom cares about: Chuck/Sarah aka Charah. The co-workers who have a forbidden love, of sorts. Zachary Levi and Yvonne have such great chemistry! In the beginning, Chuck pines for Sarah like a cute puppy. But eventually, you see her start to care for him more than the job allows. I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but I'm very interested to see what direction season 3 takes.

4. The bromance.

Chuck and Morgan have a great bromance but the real bromantic highlight are Jeff and Lester. They have no one else to rely on and you can tell that they are the loves of each others lives. The invention of Jeffster may just be my favorite part of the show. They must be a favorite among many fans though, since they opened the Comic Con panel this year with a rockin' performance.

5. The guest stars.

Last season they brought some great actors back to television. Scott Bakula played Chuck's dad so well, and they even look alike! And to go along with stars from years past making a comeback, Chevy Chase was a genius villian. Chuck could be credited with why both these actors have their own shows this season - Community and Men of a Certain Age. I'm excited to see how they incorporate Brandon Routh (Superman!) and Kristen Kreuk (Lana Lane!) in Season 3.

6. Casey.

A big reason why I checked out the show to begin with was because of the cast and crew on board. And by cast and crew, I mean Josh Schwartz (creator of The OC) and Adam Baldwin (Jayne from Firefly). On that show, Adam Baldwin was the silent mercenary and you weren't sure what side he was on. On Chuck, he's very similar but I think he's allowed to show his deadpan humor more. Casey is such a badass - in season 2 alone he lost a toe, broke his thumb, and nearly died. We'll see what other hijinks he and the rest of the team get into this season.



7. Captain Awesome.

What started as a one note joke turned in to a great secondary character. Captain Awesome became the go-to guy for real life advice and has become more integral to plot. He's also really easy on the eyes. Plus, the end of season 2 promised that he would become even more important!



8. The action/stunts.

The fighting scenes are so exciting and well put together. They also work in tandem with #2 - the soundtrack. Just watch this great clip of Sarah fighting Nicole Ritchie fighting to "Smack My Bitch Up":



9. The Buy Morons.

Chuck thrives because of its depth in all the secondary characters. The Buy More consists of a group of crazy characters, but they're not one note shells used just for laughs. They are each distinctive personalities and all of their crazy antics fall within the realm of believability for the characters. I don't know how much of a part of it they'll be in Season 3 given how Season 2 ended, but I hope they'll find someway to incorporate them.



10. The opening credits.

I'm a big advocate for opening credits. It's a dying art, since the popularity of Lost's mysterious black screen. I'm sure it also allows for more advertising time, too. Well, I think opening credits are a vital part of a show - setting the tone for the show while providing a bit of backstory.



You can catch a marathon of the "must see" episodes on SyFy tomorrow or watch the end of season 2 on hulu.com. The season premiere is this Sunday on NBC at 8 pm ET/PT, then the next episodes are on at the normal time on Mondays at 8 pm.

Related links:
Chuck: A Word with Captain Awesome
Chuck: Brandon Routh knows you might not like him

New Year's Resolutions

What are your guys new years resolutions? I believe telling people your goals makes you more driven to achieve them so here are a few of mine:

1. Watch The Wire. It was #1 on nearly every "Best Television of the Decade" list, so I have to give it another shot. It was also pretty much the only show on the lists that I hadn't seen. Well, and The Sopranos.
2. The requisite "lose 10 lbs" resolution that pretty much everyone has.
3. Get a puppy.
4. Save up to visit Australia (or England/Europe, South America, Micronesia, etc) by Christmas 2010.
5. Learn how to make my money make money - 401k, stocks, money markets, etc.
6. Get KT to watch Firefly. Gotta spread the Browncoat love!
7. Write more in depth blog posts, instead of relying on funny videos so much.
8. Sell my old text books - anyone interested in reading about the upcoming apocalypse in 2012?
9. Cook at home more. Anyone got some good recipes? I really gotta use my crockpot and magic bullet.
10. Try to be a cleaner housemate.

I think that about covers it. Maybe I'll post updates as things get accomplished. We shall see. I hope you all had fabulous holidays and vacations (if applicable). I'm back to work on Monday, so expect more regular updates now that I'll be back in to my old schedule!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a rockin' New Year's Eve and a fabulous start to the year 2010!

For a laugh, check on these cute grandmas having fun with a green screen:


I hope I'm having that much fun when I'm their age!