VOD will keep you entertained this holiday season

Not sure what to do with all these days off and out of the office in December? You could go outside, play in the snow/rain/sunshine....OR you could watch some sweet films on Video on Demand and never have to leave your couch! I've posted about some great Netflix Instant watches before, but for those who don't or no longer subscribe, here's some recommendations for you! 


For the Sci-Fi/Action/Horror Fans: 


“Cowboys & Aliens” – Premieres December 6, (Same day as DVD), PG-13/Extended Edition, Action, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig


“Fright Night” – Premieres December 13, (Same day as DVD, Available in 3D**), R, Horror, Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin


“Colombiana” – Premieres December 20, (Same day as DVD), PG-13/NR, Action, Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan


For the Entire Family: 

“Mr. Popper’s Penguins” – Premieres December 13, PG, Comedy, Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino

“The Smurfs” – Premieres December 16, PG, Family, Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris

“Glee: The Concert” – Premieres December 20, (Same day as DVD, Available in 3D**), PG, Concert, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer

Award Season Catch-Up: 


“The Debt” – Premieres December 6, (Same day as DVD), R, Drama, Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington


“Midnight in Paris” – Premieres December 20, (Same day as DVD), PG-13, Comedy, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams


“Warrior” – Premieres December 20, (Same day as DVD), PG-13, Drama, Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton


Catch the full list of films that'll be available from IN DEMAND after the break.

Sundance Channel's The Mortified Sessions premieres in December

Sundance Channel's newest show The Mortified Sessions is premiering soon! Check out the official blurb: 

Did you rock a fanny pack in the 90's? Could you have passed for a Chia Pet with your 80's hair do? Remember those days when MC hammer pants were cool? 

Well Sundance does, and on December 5th, hilarious Office actor Ed Helms, Oscar winner Mo'Nique, and star of Modern Family Eric Stonestreet will be recounting those days during the premiere of Sundance Channel's new show The Mortified Sessions. Get to know how your favorite celebrities became who they are by taking an entertaining look at who they were.  From awkward childhood photos to embarrassing poetry, this is one trip down memory lane you have to see!   The Mortified Sessions will premiere in a back to back stacked TV event on December 5th starting at 8PM ET on Sundance Channel!   

Visit http://on.fb.me/SDMortifiedSessions or http://www.sundancechannel.com/the-mortified-sessions/ for more info.

Ed Helms is now the best part of The Office so I'm already interested just because of his involvement!  I'll have to track down what channel is The Sundance Channel on my cable box, just so I can check this baby out. Will you tune in?

SNEAK PEEK: Watch the first 9 minutes of Once Upon a Time

There's one show left to premiere that I'm super excited - Once Upon a Time! While Jennifer Morrison still leaves a bad taste in my mouth thanks to her stint on How I Met Your Mother, the premise and talent behind the camera places this show right in my wheelhouse of entertainment.

While the show premieres on Sunday, October 23 on ABC, you can catch the first 9 minutes right here. Watch it after the break!

SDCC: THE DARKEST HOUR was my favorite footage from the entire con

THE DARKEST HOUR was that hidden gem in the coal mine that is San Diego Comic-Con. In a weekend filled with KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, and of course THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, the trailer and production talk stood out the most for me. You can check out my full thoughts on their private presentation on Gordon and the Whale, but watch the trailer right here:

TV Upfronts: "The Secret Circle" may bewitch me

Huge surprise this year: The CW may have and the best slate of new shows out of all the networks. While they didn't pick up the most shows (I believe that goes to ABC with 13 new shows) all their scripted drama pick-ups seem right up my alley. I'll be doing a series of TV Uprfronts posts now that they've wrapped up in NYC, so stay tuned for more!

The Secret Circle will air after The Vampire Diaries, and makes for a perfect time slot companion. Both are based on books by young adult novelist L.J. Smith and created by Executive Producer Kevin Williamson (also known for Dawson's Creek and the SCREAM franchise).

Read the full show synopsis and catch a few clips after the break.

Tina Fey is "swearing for two" on SNL this weekend

Tina Fey is one of my favorite cast members from SNL's history, so whenever she makes a host or guest appearance, you know it'll be a great episode. Check out the promos for her episode this Saturday, where she'll be swearing for two and a whole lot more.

My TV Heroines' (Potential) Returns to the Small Screen

I am a huge, and I mean HUGE, fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I rewatched the entire series with my roommate last year, and continue to watch the reruns when they come up on LOGO or Chiller or TNT. It is one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

So the news that Sarah Michelle Gellar is starring in a pilot, and therefore potentially going to be invading my living room once a week again, I couldn't be happier! She's set to star in the pilot for THE RINGER.
The details of the show were just revealed last week, in a interview with the creator:

'The Ringer,' says Traugott, is "an edgy thriller about redemption and about revenge. There's a point of view of two twin sisters [Bridget and Siobhan] who grew apart over a tragedy in their past. And one seeks redemption and the other one seeks revenge."

Bridget is seeking redemption, and has had a troubled life. When her "fancy pants" twin sister, Siobhan, dies in a boating accident she takes over her life, only to discover that there's a hit out on her sibling. Gellar will play both parts and Traugott says viewers will get to see "a lot of different layers" to her character(s).

That definitely doesn't sound your average Lawyer/Doctor/Cop drama! I can see why she would be attracted to the project, and with writing talent from the critically loved yet hardly watched CW hit, Supernatural, it should be a strong contender to air during next season's line up

Now, SMG's return to TV would be enough to satisfy my genre loving heart, but Kristen Bell was cast in a pilot too! Veronica Mars will be at it again! While SMG has just been MIA since the end of Buffy, choosing to focus on her family, Kristen Bell has been in awful movie after awful movie with no hope in sight of a quality role worthy of her talents. Until now!

Cast in the Showtime pilot HOUSE OF LIES, which is a dark comedy about "dueling corporate management consulting firms" it already sounds like it has more promise than her last few movie roles combined. She has always excelled on the small screen from her starring role in Veronica Mars to even her guest spots on Heroes and Party Down. While not many details are out, it's already fairly certain it'll get picked up.

And lastly, while she isn't from a genre show or a crime/demon fighting heroine, I do have a soft spot for Rachel Bilson, The OC's Summer. She didn't fight baddies, but she had sass, class, and knew what she wanted. While I didn't stick with The OC through its entire run, it's first season was a mild obsession of mine when it started. Rachel has also suffered from not getting great movie roles, like the upcoming dreadful WAITING FOR FOREVER.

Well, the smalls screen has been much kinder to her with The OC and a guest spots on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and CHUCK. It's through her spot on Chuck, that she's now a part of Josh Schwartz' new project, HART OF DIXIE. Hart Of Dixie is a comedic drama centered on a young New York City doctor (Bilson) who inherits a medical practice in a small Southern town inhabited by an eclectic and eccentric group of characters. While it doesn't sound like my cup of tea right away, since it's by Josh Schwartz I'm keeping an open mind. If it's more CHUCK than GOSSIP GIRL, it's golden.

I'm so excited to see some of my favorite TV actresses return to the medium that made them famous. Here's hoping their pilots go through and we get a strong TV season in Fall 2011!

The BRIDESMAIDS are coming!

I'm really looking forward to this flick. With amazing comedy talent both in front of (Kristen Wiig) and behind (Judd Apatow!) the camera, this is looking to be the best female comedy in years.

For more on the flick, check out Gordon and the Whale.

TV is back in full swing tonight!

It looks like my Monday nights are going to be very busy this TV season. After the winter hiatus, all the returning shows are starting tonight and all the new shows are on too. Here's what I'll be watching. Don't forget to tune in to your favorite returning shows!

How I Met Your Mother, CBS 8pm


Chuck, NBC 8pm

Also, while it's not in the trailer, I hear Jeffster will have another signature performance! Definitely don't want to miss this.

Being Human, Syfy 9pm


The Cape, NBC 9pm

I'm giving it a few episodes, then I'll decide if I'm going to keep watching or not. I enjoyed the first hour of the pilot (Carnival of Crime!), but it fizzled out in the 2nd hour. So we'll see how this episode fares.

Jim Carrey on SNL, Saturday 1/8/11

Jim Carrey hasn't hosted since the mid 1990s and I'm stoked to see him back in his sketch/live/improv-y roots!



The Black Keys will be performing as well, so it should be a great show.

Tune in on Saturday, January 8 at 11:30pm.

Midseason Preview: Being Human

From SyFy:

Meet vampire "Aidan" (Sam Witwer), werewolf "Josh" (Sam Huntington) and ghost "Sally" (Meaghan Rath), three paranormal, 20-something roommates living in Boston and struggling with living double lives as they try to be human.

Being Human debuts on Syfy Monday, Jan. 17, at 9/8C.

This is quickly becoming my most anticipated January premiere! It's got everything I love (vampires, werewolves, 20-something drama, alter egos/double lives!) all in one place. Will you guys be tuning in?

MIdseason Preview: Mr. Sunshine

Here's the official plot synopsis from ABC:

Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal—attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice—the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben's friend with benefits; Alonzo—a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben's assistant, Heather—pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal's son, Roman—sweet-faced, clueless and Ben's newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the "Steves."

I'm hoping that this show will end up better than Matthew Perry's last show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I'm also glad to see Allison Janney (The West Wing) and James Lesure (Las Vegas) back on TV!

Mr. Sunshine premieres on ABC Wednesday, February 9 at 9:30pm, after Modern Family. It's bumping Cougar Town off the schedule, but it will be back on April 13.

Midseason Preview: The Killing

AMC likely has another critical hit on their hands. Here's more information on the show, from the official website:

AMC has begun production on the network’s next original series, The Killing. From writer, executive producer and series showrunner Veena Sud (Cold Case), The Killing is based on the wildly successful Danish television series Forbrydelsen and tells the story of the murder of a young girl in Seattle and the subsequent police investigation. Season one will consist of thirteen one-hour episodes and is slated to premiere in March 2011.

"The Killing marks the first foray into a crime mystery genre for AMC. We were drawn to the project immediately after viewing the original format. Veena's adaptation has everything we loved about the original and more -- it is compelling and addictive storytelling,” said Susie Fitzgerald, AMC’s SVP of scripted development and current programming. “We could also not be more impressed with the level of talent that we have working on it from our amazing cast and crew to our dedicated partners at FTVS and Fuse."

Mad Men and The Walking Dead are a couple of my favorite shows, and along with Breaking Bad are among the best shows on television. I have high hopes this will be joining their ranks come March.

Will you be tuning in?

First Look: Falling Skies

This looks very promising! Debuting in June on TNT, Falling Skies is Steven Spielberg's latest foray into sci fi television. As a fan of his previous work on Taken and Amazing Stories, I will definitely be checking this out.

Could this be what V promised to be but never lived up to? Following Earth after an alien invasion that turns violent, they even share the same tagline, "Join the Resistance."

I know I'll be watching, will you?

[TV Squad]

Movie Trailers of the Day: Rango, Take Me Home Tonight, and more!

Today has been a huge day for movie trailers! Instead of doing a post for each, I've grouped the best of today's together for your easy viewing pleasure.

Rango

Of these trailers, this is the film I'm most looking forward to. I'm a sucker for quality animated features.


Fast Five


The fifth (and final?) installment in The Fast & The Furious series looks to bringing more of the same to the table, and I for one can't get enough.


Take Me Home Tonight



With a four year delay in this hitting theaters, I'm very skeptical on the quality of this film. I mean, for it to be delayed this long means they didn't deem it worthy to come out during the quality drought that hit after the writer's strike. Even still though, I like Topher Grace and this seems like a story that most post-grads can relate to.

From yesterday: Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Do I need to give a better reason as to why I'll be trekking to the theatre for this?

The Vampire Diaries: Week Long Marathon!

Starting tonight, The CW will be re-airing the first 10 episodes of season 2 every weeknight 8-10pm. Did you miss any episodes this season? Never seen the show before? Well now's your chance to get all caught up!

New Trailer: Thor

This is mostly what was screened at Comic-Con this year, but there's enough new footage to make it worth the watch. I'm still not completely sold on this film, but I'm sure I'll end up seeing it given the awesomeness that is Marvel films so far and the beauty that is Chris Helmsworth.

Midseason Preview: The Cape

The original Zap2it article describes the show as:

The show is about a cop (David Lyons of "ER") who's framed for murder, then presumed dead in a shootout, after which he goes underground and takes on the persona of The Cape, his son's favorite comic-book hero. He joins forces with a young woman (Summer Glau, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") to try to wrest control from the corrupt forces that run his city.

All I needed to hear was "Summer Glau" and "comic-book hero" and I'm already invested in this show for at least 3 episodes to see if it'll hold my interest. NBC needs a hit like no other network, could this be their savior? Will you guys be watching?

The Cape has a two-hour premiere at 9 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 9 and moves to Mondays the following night.

Midseason Preview: Off the Map

Shonda Rhimes is at it again with this medical drama, which proves that hot doctors plus interesting cases equals a sexy hit show. 'Off the Map' (premieres Wed., Jan. 12, 10PM ET on ABC) adds an exotic locale to the mix, with a Doctors Without Borders-style program taking these medical professionals to a remote South American jungle.

For more on the show, visit the original article on AOL TV.

Robert De Niro on SNL this Saturday

I'm not sure how funny this will be, but I'm definitely going to be tuning in to see if he can pull of the live humor.