Review: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour
Deepwater Horizon Suits Hit Courts Across the Gulf States
Prince "Adam Ant!" Charming Returns!
Twitter's @BreakingNews Has Killed the Meaning of "Breaking News"
Earlier this morning, the 2010 Emmy nominations, honoring achievements into television over the past season, were announced. As usual, the nominations range from thrilling to horrifying. Go below the cut for the list of major category nominations, and this writer’s pick for best, worst, and strangest nominations: Read More
TV’s Top Team Techies
The season two premiere of Syfy’s hit Warehouse 13 is upon us, and with it, awesome Warehouse hacker Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti.) Though she joined the W13 team a few eps into the first season, Claudia has rapidly become indispensible—much like her counterparts on other shows.
Pre-internet-age, TV’s tech geeks were few and far between, but these days, any crime-busting (or alien-fighting, dinosaur-wrangling…) team with any hope of success needs to have its own resident computer nerd, or the whole team is sunk. Yeah, yeah, the butt-kickers and power players do still lead the team most of the time, but even the most heroic of TV heroes needs a little tech help from time to time from one of these fine folks.
Before we get to the list, a few notes on criteria for inclusion, so y’all don’t get up in my interface for forgetting your fave. What I’m going for here is true team tech geeks: Whip-smart sidekicks with circuit boards for brains who are essential to the team’s success, and who are often heroes in their own right, instead of just the dude who does the thing so the real dudes can save the day. That eliminates team leaders (Chuck); specialists in bio or mechanics rather than electronics (Firefly‘s Kaylee, NCIS‘s Abby); and incidental characters that get little screentime (CSI‘s Archie).
So with those rules in mind, here’s a rundown (in no particular order) of some of the best team techies from recent shows. Read More
Futurama Season 7, Ep. 3: “Attack of the Killer Apps”
Since its beginning, Futurama has always had fun gently satirizing Apple. Tonight’s episode, “Attack of the Killer Apps,” certainly continued that tradition, as the crew discovered the eyePhone – a videophone that is literally installed in your eye. Of course, it goes without saying that the eyePhone is part of an evil plot, but only on Futurama would that evil plot just be a marketing scam to sell more eyePhones. Read More
Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man
It’s official: Andrew Garfield will replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in the new Spider-Man reboot.
Sony made the official announcement just minutes ago on their
Twitter account.
While Garfield is not yet a household name, he is an up-and-coming English actor, soon to appear in David Fincher’s “The Social Network” and Mark Romanek’s “Never Let Me Go”. In a press conference, which will be put online later tonight, director Marc Webb praised Garfield’s “wit, intelligence, and humanity,” while producer Laura Ziskin said that Garfield had the right mix of “humor, youth, and pathos” to bring Peter Parker to life.
The film has been regarded as controversial since its announcement earlier this year, due to the very public dispute with former franchise director Sam Raimi, and due to what some observers consider unseemly haste by Sony to reboot an extremely successful franchise. Spider-Man is due to be released on July 2rd, 2012.
(Source: Sony Twitter, SuperheroHype!.Com)
The Three Lions are skinned alive
Dear America,
A nation in mourning is not a pretty sight. In case you missed it, the Germans knocked us out of the World Cup and the Brits take football (soccer) very seriously, and losing very badly – especially at the hands of Fritz himself.
So we took a right hammering – 4-1 to be precise – and crashed out of the tournament with tails between legs. The boys arrived back home today and the press has had a field day lambasting their pathetic performance. The best headline came from the infamous Daily Mail, with the quote: “Thank Heaven The Few didn’t defend as badly as England’s footballers… otherwise we’d all be speaking German.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom over here. As the fans lick their wounds, others are presently nursing their sunburn after a scorching Glastonbury music festival. It usually rains, you see, and punters squelch through fields of mud and watch Radiohead from under an umbrella. But this year was different – and Snoop, the Pet Shop Boys and Stevie Wonder all performed under a cloudless sky.
I wasn’t tempted, I’ll be honest, because the one time I went, the rain was so incessant that trudging from stage to stage through mud that looked no different from the stinking mess down the long drops was just a little too gruelling.
Call me boring, but events like last week’s Sonar Festival in Barcelona are far more enticing to me these days – which explains my radio silence last week. Sorry about that. If you ever find yourself this side of the pond in late June, and have a penchant for electronic music, Sonar is the place to be.
So there we have it. Until next week, my friend.
TV on the Internet, Episode 40: Emmys by the Truckload
See this? You're never gonna win one of these. So stop trying.
The Emmy Award nominations are announced July 8, and that means that Todd and Libby have grudgingly decided to admit that, yes, the Emmys exist for another year (at least). They’re joined by friends of the podcast Erik Dean Anderson of Awards Daily’s forums and this here Media Elites site and Big Ted of Culturish and For Your Speculation to talk about why it’s unlikely Party Down will be nominated, how nice it would be to hear Katey Sagal’s name called, and just why Supporting Actor in a Drama could be all Breaking Bad or Lost actors.
Thanks for all your comments and criticism. They’re helping make the show better. If you like TVOTI, please review or rate it on iTunes.
The show is available on iTunes, or you can check it out at Podcast Alley, Podcast Pickle or the TV on the Internet libsyn page.
Look after the jump for complete details. Read More
Futurama Returns
It was always considered Matt Groening’s second-best animated show, an also-ran behind the juggernaut that was The SImpsons. Yet, despite being canceled in 2003, Futurama has become a cult favorite. And, after four financially successful yet not-as-good-as-the-series DVD films, Comedy Central has taken up the reins where Fox failed: last night, Futurama returned. And it was welcome. Read More
Prop 8 Closing Arguments Today
Today closes a huge and important case in California (and for the country, depending on its outcome) in the lawsuit against 2008′s Proposition 8 in California outlawing gay marriage.
In an aggressive final filing in the federal case which wraps up today, backers of Proposition 8 late yesterday asked Judge Vaughn Walker to revoke state recognition of the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place while it was legal in California, mine included.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Such an order would honor ‘the expressed will of the people,’ backers of the November 2008 ballot measure said Tuesday in their final written filing before Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker. Andrew Pugno, an attorney for Prop. 8′s backers, said in an interview that the sponsors aren’t asking Walker to nullify the 18,000 marriages, but only to rule that government agencies, courts and businesses no longer have to recognize the couples as married. Lawyers for two same-sex couples who sued to overturn Prop. 8, on the other hand, are asking Walker to lift the marriage ban permanently. The measure violates the constitutional guarantee of equality, they argued, and must be struck down ‘regardless of its level of public support.’”
Random Fandom, June 15, 2010
Today’s roundup of news and other tidbits from the world of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and related entertainment.
HP director doing The Hobbit?
Slashfilm says that industry buzz is surrounding Deathly Hallows director David Yates. Could be just at the rumor stage, however. Yates has considerable work left to do on the DH project, and all buzz for a Hobbit shooting start points at November. Assuming, of course, MGM finally fixes its money issues by then.
The Doctor’s… Ehm… Sonic Screwdriver?
The nutters over at ONTD think so. BBC claims Matt Smith’s wearing a… Let’s be slightly more delicate about this… Todger Stocking. Of course, they should know by now that with obsessive fans going frame-by-frame through their fave shows, something’s gonna come out eventually. Ehm. So to speak.
Patrick Stewart goes off on James Corden
Set acid tongue to stun, Cap’n. Or, most likely: Tempest meet (Earl Grey) Teapot.
HBO teases Game of Thrones
And Sean Bean looks fantastic, as usual. OK, I admit, I was just watching it impatiently while waiting for True Blood to start, but it does look pretty good. Should be interesting to see what HBO can do with high fantasy.
Microsoft debuts Kinect at E3
Formerly code named Project Natal, the hands-free, body-scanning controller will be compatible with existing Xbox 360s and is due out in November.
“Being There” Comes To Life
- South Carolina is breaking new ground by having a (by all appearances) mentally challenged man run for Senate. The estate of Peter Sellers will be suing for copyright infringement.
- Representative Bob Etheridge (D-NC) manhandled a college kid asking too many questions. Everyone knows you don’t startle congressmen, look them in the eye or get between them and their young.
- Jimmy Dean, of grotesque sausage/crimes against nature fame, has passed away at 81. His legacy ensures you will never live to be that old.
- A man was arrested for trying to swap weed for an ipad on craigslist. I’ll wait a year when the price drops and the weed 2.o comes out with Verizon support.
Time…and the Batman!
This week, Batman celebrated its 700th issue, a milestone in comics history. Though Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, he did not obtain his own self-titled series until the spring of 1940, in an issue that famously introduced his two most important villains: Catwoman and the Joker.
The 700th issue of Batman marks a special anniversary month for DC, as Superman will have his own 700th issue in two weeks and Wonder Woman her 600th the week after that. However, while both the Superman and Wonder Woman issues will have multiple stories by different creators, the Batman issue is one large tale divided into three sections, all written by Grant Morrison. Read More
Those Pelicans Were Just Begging For It
- Michael Bloomberg says we shouldn’t rush to blame BP for the oil spill. Personal responsibility only applies to single mothers and ex-cons.
- The Pope has promised to do everything possible to get rid of pedophile priests, short of turning them in to the proper authorities.
- Conservative bloggers are in an uproar over the idea that Americans should pay attention to soccer. Ya see it’s a game for lazy immigrants, and they don’t even use steroids or beat their wives.
- Two badass nuns in Uganda were arrested for growing marijuana, which they said was for the farm animals. When questioned, the animals started listing all the things you can do with hemp, and why it was total bullshit that there was a law against it.
Can we still be friends?
Dear America,
After Saturday , if you beat us in our first football (soccer, to you) World Cup match, we might not be friends anymore. Over here, football’s like religion. It’s a really big deal. And I’d hazard a guess that you wouldn’t be averse to wiping the floor with us and showing us just why David Beckham came over to your side of the pond and left us all behind.
Even thought sport’s not really my thing – I was always the last one to be picked for teams at school and developed an acute complex about my hand-eye co-ordination – I must admit I’m getting caught up in the World Cup hype. I’ll even go as far as to say that I’m intrigued to see if your Landon Donovan is all he’s cracked up to be.
Some of my English brethren are taking this World Cup business very seriously and just today I saw a girl on the Tube (subway, to you) who’d painted her nails in the style of the England flag. It looked awful. I managed to neatly sidestep the office sweepstake after being reprimanded by a pack of red-faced uber-fans when I suggested South Africa had a chance. Hey, they’re the hosts – and I used to live there – so give me a break, OK?
Speaking of getting all hot under the collar, there’s another reason we might have a fall out, dear America. This BP oil leak fiasco is escalating and some over-sensitive souls over here have taken umbrage to your government’s strong words to BP, and have accused the administration of jingoism. When Obama referred to BP’s full name – British Petroleum – which it hasn’t called itself in more than 10 years, it really put some noses out of joint. London’s Evening Standard newspaper then made a point of printing Obama’s full name. It’s a cheap shot and I find it utterly depressing.
The thing is, lots of UK pensions are bound up in BP stock, which is why they’re getting all jittery. But all this posturing and name-calling is just irrelevant – just fix the leak, you idiots.
And in a hat trick of US/UK beef, news this week was that singer Chris Brown has been forced to postpone his UK tour after being denied a visa to enter the country. It’s because he’s guilty of a serious criminal offence – beating up Rihanna – and I’m quite pleased he can’t come in. His fans may have let him off lightly but what he did was reprehensible.
There we have it. An impassioned missive this week, America. I’d love to hear what you’re saying. Do let me know how you are.
BP Wants To Pet The Rabbits
- BP has no idea why its stock value continues to drop. They’re apparently going for the PR strategy of being so preposterously stupid that no one could get mad at them.
- Some states are considering linking teachers’ raises to test scores. Tests will now include sections on “how many fingers am I holding up” and “write down colors you see in the room.”
- Carly Fiorina was caught criticizing Barbara Boxer’s hair style. Tuesday sure was a proud day for women everywhere.
- A drunk driver hit the judge who let him off the hook for drunk driving 11 years earlier. The irony police were unamused, as usual.
Futurama, Season 7, Episode 4: “Proposition Infinity”
Many authors have used science fiction to comment on the events of the day. From communism to the Vietnam War, the classics of the genre have often reflected the times’ major issues. Certainly, Futurama has gone topical before (primarily on environmental issues in numerous episodes and two of the four DVD movies), but this time, it has decided to comment on, with the news that a Massachusetts court has overturned DOMA, an extremely timely subject indeed: robosexual marriage. Read More »