Friday, September 30, 2011

The Vampire Diaries: Season 3 Episode 3 Recap

Putting the “Dairies” back in “The Vampire Diaries”
Tonight the diaries trope finally came back! For a show based around the diaries of Elena and Stefan, it’s a trope that is rarely used and was last season in the first few episodes. I didn’t miss it at all, but this week it was used perfectly. Elena’s reading of Stefan’s diary and the flashbacks to the 20s provided two different views of the same events. Throw in Klaus’ retelling and we get the full picture of just who The Ripper was during the roaring ‘20s. 

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Small Screen Podcast: Episode 5 (The MEAT of the Fall Season)


We're two weeks of premieres in and there is a LOT to talk about! After editing out 3 shows, our show still came in a little long. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to follow us on twitter (@kristal_bailey and @poppas2cents) for more TV talk!



Download it and subscribe on iTunes. 


Here's this week's breakdown:
Intros - Start - 1:13

TV News: 1:13 - 13:15

  • New Girl’s monster ratings (Is premiering shows on iTunes the new go-to move?): 1:13 - 6:03
  • The Rise of the Sitcom (How I Met Your Mother, 2 and Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, Modern Family, etc.) 6:03 - 8:49
  • NBC’s Continued Struggle: 8:49 - 13:15

What We’re Watching: 13:15 - 49:46

  • Glee: 13:50 - 23:37
  • Nikita: 23:37 - 26:14
  • How I Met Your Mother: 26:15 - 32:43
  • 2 Broke Girls: 32:43 - 36:24
  • Modern Family: 36:24 - 42:25
  • Saturday Night Live (Alec Baldwin, Radiohead): 42:25 - 44:56
  • Revenge: 44:56 - 49:46

What We’re Looking Forward To: 44:46 - 57:23

  • Happy Endings: 44:46 - 54:01
  • Suburgatory and ABC Wednesday Nights: 54:01 - 57:23


Closing: 57:23 - End

Let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter! Also, feel free to email any questions, shows, or news you'd like addressed on the show!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Music Monday: A Real Hero by College featuring Electric Youth (from the DRIVE soundtrack)


Last night I finally got around to seeing the new Ryan Gosling, Nicolas Refn flick DRIVE. This movie has been super hyped since it hit the festival circuit, and then really impressed at their San Diego Comic-Con panel with FilmDistrict.

While I enjoyed the movie, it definitely suffered a bit from all the endless praise it's been getting. With the bar set so high, it's hard for any film to reach that level. I do definitely recommend it, as it is a film that needs to be seen, but don't let the praise get ahead of you.

I won't go too much into the film here (maybe I'll get around to reviewing it here later), but you do need to hear the main song from the film. It's a fantastic soundtrack that's so unique and just fits with the film so well.

Listen to A Real Hero by College after the break and if you saw DRIVE, let me know what you thought of it in the comments.

SNL Highlight: Red Flag Fragrance



Have you seen the latest Dior commercial? That's hilarious in a completely unsetting way thanks to the digital recreation/colorization of Marilyn Monroe.

This Red Flag commercial from SNL is hilarious in all the right ways. Check out Kristen Wiig as she continually puts up emotional/personality "red flags" the guys in the room after the break.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

SNL Highlight: The 7th or 8th GOP Debate


Saturday Night Live returned with Alec Baldwin breaking the hosting record and it took some great jabs at the GOP. This summer, so many crazy political debates occurred and I was just wishing that SNL would be on to mock and make me laugh at the insanity. Jon Stewart and Colbert are great, but they are limited to just commentary, while SNL can impersonate them to bring the humor to a whole new level.

With its return, they wasted no time taking the GOP debates to task! Watch the cold open after the break.

Friday, September 23, 2011

BEING ELMO's First Trailer Melts Your Heart


Everyone grew up watching Sesame Street, but only a handful of people grow up to not only be on the show, but truly impact its direction and characters. BEING ELMO has already melted my heart with just the trailer, so I can only imagine the joy I'll get from watching it in theaters.

It got rave reviews across the board after it's debut at Sundance and has been crushing it at all the subsequent film festivals. It's won too many Jury Awards for me to list here!

Watch the trailer and see the official synopsis after the break.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Small Screen Podcast: Episode 4 (Fall Season Begins!)


With the 2011-2012 fall season getting underway, Marcos and I talked about some of the new shows we've had the chance to check out and about some of the upcoming premieres this week that we're excited for. We also shared our reaction to the the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start-1:24


Emmy Reaction: 1:24-7:51


What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERT)

    • Up All Night/Free Agents: 7:51-15:00
    • Ringer: 15:00-19:37
    • The Secret Circle: 19:38-23:47
    • The Vampire Diaries: 23:48-33:20
    • Archer: 33:21-35:47


What We're Looking Forward To:35:47-Close

    • Glee: 35:47-41:06
    • Whitney: 41:07-45:02
    • SNL: 45:02-46:15
    • Revenge: 46:15-47:59
    • Hart of Dixie: 48:00-End
As always, you can download the latest episode of "The Small Screen Podcast" over at iTunes.

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

Monday, September 19, 2011

Music Monday: I Know That Dream by Icewater



A few of my USC friends made this great music video for the relatively unknown band Icewater. They're based out in Brooklyn, and if you like what you hear below, you can download their album for free from their bandcamp website. 

Enjoy the video!


Icewater "I Know That Dream" from Dennis Roberts on Vimeo.

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Small Screen Podcast: Episode 3 (The Emmys)

This week we explore the Emmy nominees, spouting out our picks for who will win and who should win! Please excuse the clicks and sound glitches, we're still working out the kinks as we go. Let us know your picks on twitter: @kristal_bailey and @poppas2cents! We'll also be live-tweeting the Emmy's, using our hashtag #SSPEmmys for Small Screen Podcast talk. Join us by @ replying us or using the hashtag #SSPEmmys!



Download episode at iTunes.

Here's the full breakdown of the episode:


Intros: Start - 1:22

TV News:
Spartacus, R.I.P. Andrew Whitfield: 1:22 - 4:02

Emmys: 4:02 - 48:50
#SSPEmmys
Best Supporting Actress - Drama: 4:02 - 9:00
Best Supporting Actor - Drama: 9:00 - 13:03
Best Supporting Actor - Comedy: 13:04 - 17:38
Best Supporting Actress - Comedy: 17:39 - 22:54
Best Lead Actor - Drama: 22:55 - 27:29
Best Lead Actress - Drama: 27:30 - 31:03
Best Lead Actress - Comedy: 31:04 - 34:44
Best Lead Actor - Comedy: 34:45 - 40:50
Outstanding Comedy Series: 40:51 - 43:31
Outstanding Drama Series: 43:32 - 48:50

Closing: Next week we talk about first impressions on season premieres!

Let me know your Emmy picks in the comments!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Vampire Diaries: Season 3 Episode 1 "The Birthday" Episode Recap


Last we saw Mystic Falls, Stefan had turned into a blood drug-addict, completely changed from the nice guy we’ve seen up until now. Damon was on death’s door, but luckily Katherine brought him Klaus’s blood to save him - just as Elena was literally kissing Damon goodbye!


This season promises to be “the season of the originals” but I know I can’t wait to see how Stefan’s transformation plays out with Klaus and especially how Elena and Damons friendship could turn into something more in his absence. Read the full recap after the break!

The Vampire Diaries is back!!


Season 3 premieres tonight and I am SO EXCITED. Really, it's hard to think about anything else. Just watch this  trailer and try to tell me you're not pumped.



Will you be watching tonight? Thursdays are PACKED with TVD, The Secret Circle, It's Always Sunny, and Archer - just to name a few! Let me know what you'll be watching in the comments.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ringer Premieres Tonight, Will You Watch?


I'm still totally on the fence about Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show, Ringer. If it starred anyone else, I don't think I'd be interested, but it stars Buffy! SMG's big return to TV wouldn't be for a mediocre project. At least, I would hope so.

Read the full synopsis and watch the trailer after the break.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Music Monday: Arms by Christina Perri


I first heard about Cristina Perri because of So You Think You Can Dance. Her heartbreaking and soulful Jar of Hearts was used in Season 7 when Billy and All Star Kathryn did a beautifully danced Stacey Tookey routine. After that number, that song immediately made it on to my So You Think You Can Dance Playlist for that season and then I never heard anything from her again. This summer, she released a new single and it's just now starting to get more radio play and I am hooked! Her voice is beautiful and she's proving herself to be a talented songwriter. I hope she keeps it up! Watch the official video for Arms after the break.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Small Screen Podcast: Episode 2



It's like a real podcast now that there's more than just the one episode! 

This week, we dive in to the Nick at Nite Friends marathon, FX's quality television programming, the upcoming new shows we're excited about, and the strange decision to have Eddie Murphy host the Oscars. Listen to the episode below, and check out the full breakdown in case you want to fastforward past any potential spoilers. 

What is The Small Screen Podcast? Miss the first episode? You can listen to it here or on iTunes


All TV, all the time! This 45 minute(ish) podcast goes through what we're watching, what we're looking forward to, and any other general TV happenings.
Who are we? Kristal Bailey, pop culture blogger atTooInterestingForTwitter.Blogspot.com andGeekTyrant.com, and Marcos Canales fromPoppas2Cents.com and TheTelevixen.com. We watch way too much TV and just have to talk about it!
For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey 
Marcos: @poppas2cents

Introductions: Start - 1:39
What We’re Watching: 1:39 - 18:04

  • The Best of FRIENDS Week on Nick at Nite: 1:39 - 4:37
  • FX Show Block: 4:37 - 16:09
    • Wilfred 4:39 - 9:08
    • Archer 9:08 - 10:19
    • Louie 10:19 - 11:49
    • Sons of Anarchy 11:49 - 14:19
    • Justified 14:19 - 16:09
  • ThunderCats (2011) 16:09 - 18:04

Most Anticipated New Fall Shows: 18:04 - 39:07

  • Once Upon a Time (ABC) 18:04 - 20:49
  • The New Girl (Fox) 20:49 - 24:44
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) 24:44 - 26:21
  • Apartment 23 (ABC) 26:21 - 28:54
  • The Secret Circle (The CW) 28:54 - 30:54
  • Homeland (Showtime) 30:54 - 33:01
  • Suburgatory (ABC) 33:01 - 36:35
  • Pan Am (ABC) and The Playboy Club (NBC) 36:35 - 39:07

TV News:
Eddie Murphy hosting the Oscars: 38:38 - 46:10

Closing: 46:10 - 46:59

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you think of the podcast or the TV shows discussed in the comments.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Nikita Season 1 on DVD/Blu-Ray now!

I've been talking about this for a while, but finally this week the Nikita Season 1 DVD and Blu-Ray are out in stores! Have you seen it yet? Be sure you catch up before Season 2 starts on September 23!

Nikita and Alex grow and become a team as the show progresses, but aiding Nikita could mean death for Alex if she’s ever found out. What is the strangest request that you’ve ever done for a friend and given the choice now would you do it again?

Personally, my friends are pretty tame with their requests - definitely nothing compared to Nikita and Alex! I think the strangest thing I've done is watch some pretty terrible movies because they wanted to - like OLD DOGS. That film will live on in infamy in my circle of friends.

Let me know your strange request stories in the comments!

And don't forget you can buy Nikita Season 1 right here: http://bit.ly/qLjOxO

Disclaimer: I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote Nikita Season 1 on DVD. 

Monday, September 5, 2011

Music Monday: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen


In honor of Freddie Mercury's birthday today, here's one of my favorite tracks by Queen, Don't Stop Me Now. If you aren't a Queen fan, you might recognize this from SHAUN OF THE DEAD. One of my favorite scenes was when they were in the Winchester, barracaded against the coming hordes of zombies, and they start beating them up to the beat of the song on the juke box - Don't Stop Me Now! Seriously, one of the best musical moments in a nonmusical.



Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Labor Day TV Marathons - Buffy, Wilfred, and more!



Not sure what to do with your extra day off? Well, thankfully the TV programming gods have prescribed just the thing! With so many marathons on this Monday, there's really no reason to leave your couch. Here are the Top 5 that I recommend. Happy Labor Day!


Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Chiller, 12 am – 8 pm) | At this point in my blog, do I even need to explain why you should watch this? 

My So-Called Life (Sundance, 11 am – 7 pm) | The teen drama that kind of started it all.


How I Met Your Mother (FX, noon – midnight) To kick off HIMYM's run on FX, they've got an all day marathon featuring some great episodes like "Subway Wars" and "Bad News." 


Wilfred (IFC, 1 – 4 pm) | I've really been enjoying this show on FX, so if you've missed it there you can catch up on Monday on IFC. This absurd comedy about a man and his dog truly is something different from what else is out there in TVland. 


Friends (Nickelodeon, 8 pm – Tuesday, 5:30 am) | A classic! It's always a good idea to watch. 


Don't see anything of interest? Visit TVLine for the full list of marathons.