Pop Culture Vortex

Satisfying Finale For 'The Office'

2013-05-16T22:50:00.001-04:00

The Office has now shut its doors with a satisfying series finale that picked up one year after the penultimate episode, "A.A.R.M". The Finale was directed by Ken Kwapis, who directed the pilot episode and last directed the Season 5 episode "Company Picnic".

It all started out with a one hour retrospective featuring a look back at the history of the Emmy Award winning show since development in 2004 (premiering in 2005) as well as interviews with the cast & crew, and a look at the series finale party that was held in Scranton, PA. NBC also did this with another hit show, Friends, in 2004 before that series finale.

Then came the emotional series finale. With the help of fansite OfficeTally (major props to the great Jennie Tan!), the episode was thankfully extended an extra 15 minutes in order to incorporate as much as possible into such a well done episode. Angela (Angela Kinsey) & Dwight (Rainn Wilson) have their anticipated wedding that stands up along with Jim & Pam's (John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer) and Phyllis' (Phillis Smith) wedding episodes. Dwight & Angela, or Dwangela, first started their back & forth relationship way back in Season 2's "E-mail Surveillance" when Pam suspects they have a secret relationship. We've come a long way since then, and it was great to see them finally have their big moment together. The highlights include:

- Michael Scott (Steve Carell) returned and gave the best, most joyous, "That's What She Said!" yet. Dwight: "Michael! I can't believe you came!" Michael: "That's what she said!"
Jim was Dwight's best man, but concocted a typical Jim scheme to surprise Dwight and make Michael his best man at the last minute.

- Kelly (Mindy Kaling) & Ryan (BJ Novak) returned and finally hooked up at the reception, in typical Kelly & Ryan fashion. Ryan left his baby with Kelly's boyfriend and the two ran off together. Nellie (Catherine Tate) got the baby, so it all worked out.

-There were a few other fun cameos that recalled the early seasons. It's revealed Dwight re-hired Devon, who was fired in the Season 2 episode "Halloween". Elizabeth the stripper (Jackie Debatin) from Season 3's "Ben Franklin" was the stripper hired for Dwight's bachelor party. And the stripper hired for Angela's? In one of the funniest moments from the episode, it was Meredith's (Kate Flannery) now adult son Jake (Spencer Daniels)! Carol (Nancy Carell) was also back to sell Jim & Pam's house.

- Everyone brings a cat for wedding gifts. Sprinkles may be gone, but Angela will always have some new cats for her collection. And throughout the years we've seen Angela berate and get frustrated with Phyllis, but as the show has done so well, the two showed they still have a bond. As Angela's feet hurt, Phyllis carried her down the aisle piggyback style to the tune of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine".

- We find out that Pam has secretly been showing the house to people to sell it so Jim can move to Austin, TX to join Athlead (now Athleap). She figured he bought it without telling her, so she could sell it without telling him. She wanted Jim to live his dream now as they finish this chapter of their life. Dwight fires them before they could quit, but he does that so they can get their severance pay.

- The characters give their final talking head interviews, and this is the moment that made the tears start flowing big time for me, especially when Dwight talks about what each one of them means to him, calling Pam his best friend.

- After a post-wedding celebration in the warehouse, and after Pam unveils her mural that features the entire cast (which they take a picture in front of with the actual real life crew from The Office), our favorites return to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office one last time together. Pam answers the reception phone for the first time in years, with her famous "Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam" before telling whoever it is that Jim no longer works there. They all celebrate and then head outside, with Pam taking the picture of the building she drew with her.

- Erin (Ellie Kemper) finally met her birth parents at the PBS documentary fan Q&A earlier in the episode, played by Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr. This is another moment that brought the tears, and it was fun watching the rest of the cast realize who they were with Erin finally doing so in the end.

-Favorite line of the night, besides "That's what she said" goes to Andy (Ed Helms) for: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

There are just so many more that writing about them can't do it justice. If you for some reason missed this series finale, which was one of the best of all time, go and watch it OnDemand, iTunes, Amazon, NBC's website. However you can do it, just watch it.

John Lennon & Paul McCartney: "Imagine The Band"

2013-05-15T18:30:00.002-04:00

While there can never be a Beatles reunion, there are ways you can fill an appetite for some new-ish material. "Imagine" by John Lennon from 1971 & "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney & Wings from 1974 have been mashed together to create an interesting new take on both songs by Go Home Productions, called "Imagine the Band". And yes, you can imagine if this is what The Beatles may have sounded like had they continued past 1970.

John Lennon's piano playing on "Imagine" is sped up with the vocals removed, while Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run" is slowed down to match the two classic songs together as one quite nicely. It goes to show that even when the two former Beatles were writing completely different songs, they can sound so absolutely perfect together.

Angelina Jolie Gets Mastectomy; Writes a Powerful Message

2013-05-14T01:13:00.000-04:00

Angelina Jolie wrote a piece for the New York Times opening up about having a double mastectomy as a preventive measure, since she carried the "faulty" BRCA1 gene, which can increase the risk of breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer in some women. She had the surgeries over three months time, keeping it all a close secret until now. Her mother also died of cancer, which was obviously a factor in this tough decision.

Her piece is very moving and also very informative, and I would urge people to read it, which you can find here. This was an outstanding way to help raise awareness and hopefully encourage others to not have any fear. If you're curious what Jolie is up to film-wise, she can next be seen in the anticipated film Maleficent, due out summer 2014.

Here are some excerpts from the op-ed piece:
Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.

On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.

But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

'Gravity' Trailer & Poster Released

2013-05-10T19:36:00.001-04:00

Gravity, the new film from Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban) starring Sandra Bullock & George Clooney, is one of my most anticipated movies of 2013. Its been in development for years, and now we finally have some footage and a poster to take in. Its expected that the visuals and special effects will be breathtaking. The film will be released in both IMAX & 3D, and based on Cuarón's previous films' attention to details, we should expect it to be worthy of those formats.

The teaser poster does a wonderful job showing off a cool image that makes you want to know what happened right before this to cause the destruction of the shuttle. Its exactly what a teaser should be. It gives little away yet draws you in. The teaser trailer has also been released, and it is safe to say the IMAX format was made for a movie like this. The visuals are breathtaking, & it looks as though it will live up to the hype. The Earth looks stunning in the footage, and if they do the 3D correctly, it will all really pop out. Then of course, the asteroids or whatever it is that destroys the shuttle will be enough to make the toughest person squirm in their seat. I got chills watching it, and seeing Bullock's character seemingly drift off into the eerie calm of space is proof that this entire film will be quite the ride. Watch it here:

Here is the official synopsis: Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone–tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth... and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.. The film will be released on October 4, 2013.

Sandra Bullock is in for another big year as her return to comedy with Melissa McCarthy, The Heat, is out on June 28, 2013.

'The Office' Series Finale Guaranteed To Deliver

2013-05-09T23:06:00.000-04:00

I think I need a box of tissues ready from now, because if tonight's second-to-last episode is any indication, I will be crying like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert during The Office Series Finale next week.

Tonight's episode had Jim and Pam's storyline come full circle. After watching clips of their moments together on a computer, Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally received the love note Jim (John Krasinski) had left with her tea pot from the season 2 Christmas episode ("Christmas Party") back in 2005. Yes, the one where they played "yankee swap"! I'm really going to especially miss getting new Christmas episodes of The Office. Anyway, the moment tonight solidified Jim & Pam's status as one of the greatest TV couples of all time. The song played during their video montage was "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol, so add that to your Jim & Pam playlist along with "Sing" by Travis.

The entire office also gathered to watch the premiere episode of the documentary at the end, and we see them taking in the first episode as we hear Michael (Steve Carell) talking to Jim. The show has really done an outstanding job bringing the fictional documentary to the surface this season.

Finally, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) proposed to Angela (Angela Kinsey) and we found out Phillip really is his son. This is what set up the series finale next week. It picks up a few months after tonight's episode, with the documentary crew catching up one final time with Dunder Mifflin. Its confirmed that many old faces will be back for the finale, including Mindy Kaling & BJ Novak. And though they've denied it, I am almost positive we will be seeing Steve Carell return as Michael Scott at Dwight & Angela's wedding.

We'll see who else might return in cameo appearances. A preview showed the stripper from the famous "Ben Franklin" episode, so anyone is possible. Maybe Jan (Melora Hardin) and Karen (Rashida Jones)? Don't forget to watch the series finale of The Office May 16 on NBC to find out. It starts with a retrospective at 8pm, and the finale following from 9pm-10:15pm.

Jodi Arias Verdict - GUILTY

2013-05-08T16:49:00.001-04:00

Travis Alexander & Jodi Arias

Jodi Arias has been found guilty of murdering Travis Alexander in the first degree.

The Jodi Arias trial has taken the public by storm on a level with the Casey Anthony, OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson trials and it is finally over. Part of that is thanks to HLN for giving daily coverage, and of course Nancy Grace devoting most of her show to the long trail. Another is just how wild and strange the trial has been, seemingly going through every aspect of Jodi Arias' life. The passionate Nancy Grace famously stated that she didn't care about Arias "giving blow jobs behind a 7-eleven" when the defense was bringing up her past relationships during the trial.

Thankfully, the obviously guilty Arias didn't get off like OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony. She admitted to killing him (after numerous lies), but the defense tried to play it as "self defense", which is a slap in the face to people who actually have been victims of abuse, unlike the lying sociopath Arias.

Arias barely shed any tears when the verdict was announced, which is odd for someone up for the death penalty. Its as if she didn't even care, as if she's in her own little universe. She reportedly argued with her lawyers following the verdict, presumably about the interview she wanted to give to a reporter, which she later did before heading off to jail. She claimed she would rather receive death than life in prison, stating "death is the ultimate freedom." You wonder if she is just saying that to try and influence the jury not to give her the death penalty, pretending to want it so they'll give her the opposite.

Diagon Alley Heading To Universal Orlando

2013-05-08T11:11:00.001-04:00

Save up your galleons from now and get ready to apparate to Orlando, Florida in Summer 2014. Diagon Alley has been announced as the newest addition to Universal Studios Florida, and expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I wrote about this happening back in 2011 when the park announced they were removing the Jaws section, but now Universal has officially released all the details on this magical expansion that will once again pack every hotel in Orlando.

As expected, both Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure will be connected for the first time with the Hogwarts Express train. Guests who have tickets to both parks will be able to take this train back and forth between the two. Hopefully they keep the dementors away. In addition to the Hogwarts Express as well as new shops and restaurants in Diagon Alley, the main attraction will be be based on Gringotts Bank. You can see in the concept art that Gringotts towers over the rest of the park. It will no doubt be the most state of the art amusement park ride in the world.

And you can guarantee that the Hogwarts Express ride itself won't just be a typical theme park transport system. The on-board experience will be completely innovative and authentic to give Harry Potter fans what they've dreamed of since reading the very first book, entering the train at a replica King's Cross Station in the Universal Studios section or at Hogsmeade in the Islands of Adventure section. JK Rowling & Warner Bros have been involved with the project since the original Wizarding World was developed.

Universal Creative President Mark Woodbury had this to say, "Those meetings are fascinating and wonderful opportunities to have, to be able to talk and collaborate directly with J K Rowling and the Warner Bros. film-makers. This was a big idea. And everybody immediately saw that when we initially laid it all out. And the fact that we wanted to continue to tell the Harry Potter story, the places that we had chosen to develop -- Diagon Alley & London & Gringotts & Hogwarts Express -- were really big ideas and bold moves, I think that the ambition behind that was very much appreciated."

Universal Studios Florida has been quite busy. Transformers: The Ride 3D opens up in June, and the park is also adding to The Simpsons/Springfield section with a Kang & Kodos themed spinning ride, various games, Duff Brewery, Moe's Tavern, Kentucky Fried Panda and Krusty Burger. There have also been various rumors of whats next with Islands of Adventure. Another Jurassic Park ride, a King Kong ride, and a Lord of the Rings section have all been floated around. For now, just enjoy the excitement of Transformers, The Simpsons and of course the big one, the giant Harry Potter expansion.

The Avengers Get New Members

2013-05-02T18:37:00.001-04:00

Comic Version of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver

The Avengers 2 is slated for release on May 1, 2015, and the group will have at least two new members. The brother/sister duo of Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch will be in the film, most likely as new members of The Avengers. Although they could play around with the material and make them villains, but that seems unlikely.

Joss Whedon was at a premiere for Iron Man 3 when he said that his draft of the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster movie contained a "brother/sister act", which has turned out to be Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Those two characters were also used in the X-Men universe, so it has many wondering if there could at some point be a crossover between the X-Men films and The Avengers films. There would be some hurdles, since the X-Men films are produced by FOX and The Avengers is produced by Disney. However, a ton of money would obviously be made, so its certainly possible those hurdles could be cleared in the future.

'The Office' Going Out On Top

2013-04-25T23:46:00.000-04:00

The Office is quickly approaching the end of its 9th and final season. And ever since Steve Carell left as lead character Michael Scott, people have been saying the quality of the show has gone down, which we've heard plenty of times with other shows. However, they've clearly changed those attitudes as the series hits the home stretch. Ever since the episode "Promos" aired on April 4th, The Office has churned out some of its strongest episodes in years that can stand with all of the classics.

"Paper Airplanes" continued this trend by giving fans a little bit of everything. Laugh out loud moments such as Angela (Angela Kinsey) showing off her new tiny studio apartment filled with all of her cats and Erin (Ellie Kemper) showing off her competitive side by absolutely flipping out during the paper airplane competition. The end of the episode was what really has fans talking though. Jim (John Krasinski) & Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally resolved their issues they've been having all season, and it happened with just a simple hug and "I love you". During this they flashed back to a clip from Jim & Pam's wedding in Season 6, which really put the exclamation point on it all. It was without a doubt the best Jim & Pam moment we've had on the office since the Niagara wedding in Season 6, so it was only fitting.

Anyone who abandoned The Office the past two seasons needs to quickly jump back on board, because the series is headed towards what should be a satisfying finale.

Unintentionally Funny 90s Moments: 'Full House' vs 'Saved By The Bell'

2013-04-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

We have a 90s smackdown today between two unintentionally funny Television moments. In one corner, the episode of Full House where DJ (Candace Cameron) develops an eating disorder and faints in the gym. In the other corner, the episode of Saved By The Bell where Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) becomes addicted to caffeine pills. Both of these episodes aired in November 1990, perhaps they were trying to one-up each other?

Full House: "Shape Up" (Season 4). Full House is known for having many episodes where a valuable lesson is learned. By the end of the episode, everything is back in order along with the same corny background music to put an emphasis on what we all learned. And in this episode, we learned: Starving yourself is bad. Its even worse when your snot-faced little sister is there to tattle on you. And you'll partially faint after using a StairMaster. (Really though people, don't starve yourself, food tastes so damn good.)
Best Line: "Doesn't anybody care about dental hygiene around here?!?"

Saved By The Bell: "Jessie's Song" (Season 2). Between midterms and the demands of her singing group, Jessie was really feeling the pressure. So she turns to...caffeine pills! Instead of passing out like DJ, she has a hyper-nervous breakdown in front of Zach (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) that has become the stuff of legend. Once YouTube started to take off, this was one of the first sitcom videos to go viral.
Best Line: "I'm so excited!...I'm SO EXCITED...I'M SO...scared."

The winner: Jessie Spano! The clip has been remixed into various forms on YouTube, and has become one of the most quoted moments from any 80s/90s sitcom. You can even buy t-shirts that reference this classic TV scene. I'll never understand how it was ignored by the Emmy Awards.

NWSL: Portland Sets A Record

2013-04-21T23:43:00.003-04:00

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) kicked off last week, but the game everyone was waiting to see was Seattle Reign FC vs Portland Thorns FC, in the Thorns' home opener this weekend. Portland had confirmed they sold 7,000 season tickets (which is more than some NHL, NBA & MLB teams like the Marlins & A's), so people knew the crowd would be big. They ended up getting 16,479 fans in attendance at JELD-WEN Field, which is a record for the new league and an impressive number. The fans were able to leave happy, with the Thorns picking up a hard fought 2-1 victory, where US Women's National Team star Alex Morgan netted Portland's second goal. The game was fantastic, and the Reign played well even without Hope Solo & Megan Rapinoe, who will be back later in the season. Canadian star Christine Sinclair plays up front for the Thorns, creating quite the dynamic duo with Morgan.

The crowd was electric, with chants filling the stadium that could also be picked up well on the online stream, which used the radio broadcast for sound. The crowd was not mic'd up (which they need to do for future games), yet we could still hear some through the announcers' booth and get a taste of what it was like. Portland Timbers fans have really showed their support, so hopefully it spurs other MLS teams (such as Vancouver Whitecaps) to pursue an NWSL team. Let's also hope other NWSL teams will be able to learn from the Thorns and grow their fanbases as well.

The supporters' group, the Rose City Riveters, deserve a ton of credit for helping to create such an involved environment that every team in the NWSL should strive to get. I don't live in Portland, but the energy of the fans have spurred me to become a Thorns (and Timbers) fan. I have no doubt in my mind that 16,469 is only a benchmark. I fully expect the Thorns to eclipse that number should they make and host a playoff game.

Boston Bombing Suspect Update

2013-04-19T13:13:00.000-04:00

Suspect still at large in Watertown

*UPDATE* He's been captured alive! Let the questioning begin. I'm not sure how I got much sleep last night after watching all of this craziness unfold in Watertown related to the Boston Marathon Bombing. (Side note: Twitter was so much better than CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC). Their names are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, brothers born in Kyrgyzstan, who once lived in the Chechnya region of Russia, and may have come to sympathize with the rebel terrorists who live there. Dzhokhar is still on the loose, so Watertown is on lockdown. One odd note is the brothers carjacked a man for his Black Mercedes. While the man was in the car, they told him they were the bombers. Eventually they let him free...which seems strange. Here in New York, a bunch of big military helicopters flew overhead on the way towards Watertown/Boston. The last time I saw so many military helicopters fly by was on 9/11.

Chechnya is a place that has produced many nutjob terrorists, and have been carrying out attacks in Russia for many years, with a group of "rebels" wanting to achieve independence from Russia. This is why many people were worried about the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, and obviously now there will be a much larger security presence at the Sochi games next year. Chechen terrorists have been strongly associated with Al Qaeda. Its not 100% confirmed how much time they spent there. Its looking more and more like they are "lone wolves" probably not affiliated with any specific groups. More information will obviously come out soon.

An uncle of the two said, "I just wish they never existed" and he called them "losers".

The New York Post has apparently confirmed that both Big Foot & Godzilla have been caught, while running a picture of Lindsay Lohan as the prime suspect.

Help Find the Boston Bombing Suspects

2013-04-18T17:50:00.000-04:00

The FBI has released video (watch below) and pictures of two male suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings. Two males were captured walking near each other with backpacks. There is video of one of them placing his bag down near the area of the explosion. The FBI would not have released these images if they weren't sure these guys were extremely likely to be behind it. Plus, apparently one of the injured civilians saw one of these men place the bag down near him, and this was the bag that exploded. 1-800-CALL-FBI is where you can report any helpful information. The website for information as well as more pictures is www.fbi.gov.

So people around the world, please help find these fuckers. CNN can't call these bastards "fuckers", but I can, so be on the lookout for these terrorist cowards. A marathon is an international charity event, its disgusting that anyone would attack one. You don't have to be in Boston to be on the lookout, because they could have gone anywhere. And remember, if you ever see a bag lying someplace public, or see someone leave a bag somewhere, report it to police or nearby security. Better to be safe.

Three innocent people were killed in the blast. Two Americans, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell & 8-year-old Martin Richard and one Chinese citizen, 23-year-old Lu Lingzi. Thoughts go out to their families and all the injured. Hopefully justice will be found soon.

Suspect #1

Suspect #2

Movies That Should Be Re-Released in 3D

2013-04-12T12:18:00.001-04:00

First of all, I'm generally against 3D re-releases since it seems like a big cash-grab, but I do think it makes sense for some films. Jurassic Park was a no-brainer, being one of the biggest films of all time and dinosaurs are pretty much the coolest thing you could see in 3D. Titanic made sense considering the time that went into it to make it perfect, as well as being a massive phenomenon. Animated movies make sense because it is much easier to convert them. The Phantom Menace? No Thanks. Here are a few where I think a 3D conversion could be pretty great, assuming they take the time to do it right.

Twister (1996) - Twister fits the mold of a big-budget blockbuster that was also a pretty great movie you'd want to watch multiple times. The special effects have also stood the test of time much like Jurassic Park. Watching the scene when the cows fly by, or when they drive through the house, or actually get a peek on the inside of the tornado when hanging on the pipes? Yes, please. These scenes are totally implausible in real life, but that is what makes them something you'd want in 3D.

King Kong (2005) - Giant bugs. Dinosaurs. Fighter planes. And let's not forget Kong himself. The details in this film seem like they would really pop out in 3D, King Kong has some of the best CGI you'll see in a film on both Skull Island and in 1930s New York City, which make an obvious candidate. I'm sure the scene with Kong on top of the Empire State Building would make many people get sweaty palms as they watched everything unfold, with Naomi Watts clinging to a falling ladder thousands of feet in the air. And how about when Kong snaps the T-Rex jaw in half? And the whole scene where everyone is surrounded by those giant bugs will make anyone squirm in their seats.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) - Zombies are all the rage right now with The Walking Dead dominating television, so it only makes sense. The earlier films were very low budget, but the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead managed to have a solid budget and a lot of critical praise. Extra tidbit: Ty Burrell has a role in it pre-Modern Family, bringing some much needed comedy to a film that takes place in the zombie apocalypse. Phil Dunphy would certainly approve.

The Matrix (1999) - "Bullet time" would make for quite the experience moving past you in the theatre, not to mention all the green code falling around you. Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) performing her famous jumping kick in the opening, coming right at your face. Or how about the helicopter crashing into the side of a building in slow-mo? Keanu Reeves looking stoned a lot is an added bonus as well.

And finally, Batman & Robin (1997). "Let's kick some ice!" Okay, I'm joking about this one. I hope...

'Mad Men' Season 6 Premiere

2013-04-07T23:59:00.001-04:00

The Two-Hour Season 6 premiere of AMC's Mad Men, 'The Doorway', has come and gone, bringing us to Christmas 1967 & New Year's Eve, leaving us in January 1968. The tumultuous year will be the focus this season, no doubt creating quite the backdrop for what should be an explosive season. Here are some musings:

1 . Sally Draper (Kieran Shipka) had the line of the night, "She acts like she's 25 because she uses tampons." Teenage Sally is just as fun as pre-teen brat Sally. And I'm now fully convinced she'll be on her way to Woodstock next season.

2. Sideburns have exploded since the Summer of '67. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) wins the award for the best ones. We're also seeing more and more moustaches & beards. Just wait until The Beatles' "White Album" comes out!

3. Nobody turns their Christmas trees off no matter how late at night is is. And this was way before LED lights, so they must have great smoke detectors. But they look nice, so I don't mind.

4. January Jones still has a fat suit, though its slightly smaller. So I guess "Fat Betty" is still around! By the end of the episode she dyes her hair black after a visit to some sketchy community apartment in an increasingly dangerous Manhattan. She's there looking for Sally's runaway friend, and gets an earful from a homeless guy about her bottled up existence in Rye, NY. So basically this is her version of turning goth. "Fat Betty" is now "Goth Betty". Earlier in the episode she gave us some seriously psycho humor, teasing Henry (Christopher Stanley) that if he wanted Sally's 15-year-old friend, she would hold her down for him. Maybe the new "Goth Betty" will stop being jealous of teenage girls?

5. Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is basically the Don Draper (Jon Hamm) of her new office. Quite the workaholic, she expertly solves a crisis for their upcoming Super Bowl ad. Yet she is also a hard ass, making people work on New Year's Eve.

6. Roger Sterling (John Slattery) can't shed a tear when his 91-year-old mother dies, but balls like a baby when his shoeshine-guy dies. Don't ever change, Roger.

7. Megan (Jessica Pare) is now a soap opera star, and Don is now obsessed with death and finds heaven morbid. Megan has gotten him into smoking marijuana, but he is still the opposite of Roger, who took LSD and became more of a free spirit with it. Oh, and the question from the end of last season has been answered. Don has begun to cheat on her, and with the wife of his new doctor friend. She is Sylvia Rosen, and is played by Linda Cardellini, who you know from "ER", "Freaks & Geeks" and "Grandma's Boy". Between this and in Season 3 when he slept with Sally's teacher, he sure likes to pick dangerous ones. We do see regret though, which we didn't see when he cheated on Betty. Baby steps. He is clearly in a crappy state right now though.

8. Alex Mack (Larisa Oleynik) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) were not in this episode. I can't remember their characters' names so we'll go with those. And its more fun that way.

9. We didn't see much of Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) apart from when they had to take portraits. Fear not though, now that she is a partner our favorite wisecracking redhead will be featured more soon.

10. Vietnam is starting to become heavily referenced, as it should now that they've entered 1968.

'Mad Men' Season 6

2013-04-05T19:15:00.003-04:00

The sixth and penultimate season of Mad Men begins this Sunday, April 7th, a week after the season finale of The Walking Dead. Yes, AMC gets to follow up one hit show with another. Good decision to have it begin a week after The Walking Dead, and a sincere thank you to AMC because it will help hold us over until our favorite zombies/walkers return in the fall.

One of the big questions is always "what time-frame will Mad Men pick up in?" Season 5 ended in 1967, and we famously got a dose of an actual Beatles song, "Tomorrow Never Knows" from their 1966 album Revolver. In a video interview with Jon Hamm posted on the Rolling Stone website, Hamm explains he prefers The Rolling Stones to The Beatles. Mad Men also featured The Rolling Stones' "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)" in Season 4. Maybe this time we'll get a song from both bands at the same time? Other musicians who could start to be played in episodes are Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, and Aretha Franklin.

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris

AMC also just released 10 photos from Sunday's two-hour premiere, and some of the photos feature Christmas decorations and a tree, so we can assume Season 6 picks up in November/December 1967. Most of the season will take place in 1968 that means, and should be heavily influenced by the civil rights movement and the escalating protests of the Vietnam War.

The seventh and final season should take us into 1969, with the moon landing and Woodstock. I'm looking for an episode called "Sally Goes to Woodstock". Just hopes she stays away from the brown acid. I was hoping that we'd get a few seasons that take place in the 1970s, for some leisure suit and bell-bottom fun, but it looks like that may not happen. Unless the end of Season 7 takes us there.

Pixar Announces 'Finding Dory'

2013-04-02T12:23:00.000-04:00

Finding Nemo 2 has a new name: Finding Dory. I remember joking that this would be the title, and now it actually is! It didn't take rocket science to figure that might be the idea of the sequel, since they have to find someone. The original Finding Nemo crew is back together. Andrew Stanton will once again direct the sequel, Ellen DeGeneres will be back as Dory, and Albert Brooks will return as Marlin. One can assume the plot will focus on Dory getting lost. Stanton also said the film will take place a year after the first and take place on the California coast. Our favorite characters are back, as well as new ones who are part of Dory's life.

"I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” said DeGeneres. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating ‘Toy Story 16.’ But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory."

Finding Dory will hit theaters on November 25, 2015 in time for Thanksgiving.

'This Is The End' Red Band Trailer

2013-04-02T01:17:00.000-04:00

"Hermione just stole all our shit." That's all you need to hear to know that This Is The End will be a great film. Seth Rogen created this apocalypse comedy, and everyone in the film actually plays themselves. It takes place in Los Angeles, during a party at James Franco's house when the apocalypse hits and causes havoc. The movie also features Emma Watson (wielding an axe!), Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Mindy Kaling, Michael Cera, Jason Segel, Rihanna, Kevin Hart, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Paul Rudd, and Aziz Andari. Phew. I'm sure there will be more cameos as well.

Anyway, here is the second Red Band trailer, which was released first after releasing a Pineapple Express 2 April Fool's prank trailer, and everyone must watch. All I have to say is don't fuck with Emma Watson!

The Walking Dead Season 3 Finale

2013-03-31T22:59:00.001-04:00

Another season of The Walking Dead is in the books. Season 3 went out with a bang, though it was not quite as good as the season 2 finale which gave us a Michonne (Danai Gurira) tease when she rescued Andrea (Laurie Holden) in the forest and the beginning of the "Ricktatorship".

A week after the emotional death of Merle (Michael Rooker), we have another sad goodbye of an original character with the death of Andrea. It was played out well and had a very powerful build. Even though I don't like her death, I understand her story came full circle, and ever since the death of her sister in season 1 she hated seeing others meet a similar fate. She tried to save everyone at the prison & Woodbury, including The Governor (David Morrissey), but it didn't work out. Seeing Milton (Dallas Roberts) stand up to The Governor before being stabbed and left locked with Andrea to turn also brought his story to a close.

It was pretty well done, aside from making Andrea take FOREVER to pick the pliers up with her toes. It should have taken a few seconds, maybe one minute. The main reason I hated seeing Andrea die is because it feels like too many of the original cast has been killed off. We're down to Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Carol (Melissa McBride), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Carl (Chandler Riggs). Of course it keeps you on your toes, but I hope it doesn't come to a point where its overkill. After watching Merle and Andrea die in back to back weeks, we've now lost well over half of the original cast members. Dale, Andrea, Shane, Sophia, Merle, Lori, & T-Dog have all died since the middle of Season 2. Though I'm sure we will see Andrea some more through Michonne flashbacks.

We saw Carl basically turning into Shane II. That will clearly become a storyline, as Rick will attempt to handle Carl becoming affected by the awful world around them. The Governor escaped, which leaves him at large and sure to pop up again. I guess we'll find out this summer when the show begins filming again if he'll be back in Season 4, or sometime after. Talking Dead also got prank called by some creep who breathed heavy then said something about the end coming and the graves being full, which was odd yet funny.

The 4th season of The Walking Dead on AMC begins in October. To help hold us over, Mad Men returns next week!

The Rolling Stones Headlining Glastonbury 2013

2013-03-28T13:15:00.001-04:00

The rumors have been confirmed, as The Rolling Stones will headline the 2013 Glastonbury festival along with Mumford & Sons and the Arctic Monkeys. The festival was not held in 2012 due to the London 2012 Olympics, as well as to let the fields heal. The 2011 festival was headlined by U2, Coldplay and Beyonce.

The Rolling Stones haven't played an outdoor music festival since the infamous Altamont 1969 concert that was fraught with violence when the Hell's Angels were hired as "security", which led to the stabbing death of a fan. After the huge success of a peaceful Woodstock, Altamont signaled the end of the idea of a peaceful free music festival. It shook the Rolling Stones up enough that they stopped appearing at outdoor music festivals, until now.

Some rumors have said this would be their last performance as a group, but I have doubts about that. Come on...its the Rolling Stones. How many times have we heard rumors about a final performance? Get yer ya-ya's out and get ready for what should be a great show. Glastonbury will be one stop on their tour, other dates have yet to be announced. Rumors currently say that the tour could have 18 or more dates in North America, with some in Australia a possibility as well. AEG Live is expected to announce the dates sometime in April.

What songs would you like to see them play in a set list? I hope they break out some that haven't been performed much or at all lately. "Lady Jane", "She's a Rainbow", "Look What The Cat Dragged In", "Saint of Me", "As Tears Go By", "Highwire" and "Till the Next Goodbye" would be on my wishlist. I also hope they continue to play their two new songs from GRRR!, "Doom & Gloom" and "One More Shot". "Doom & Gloom" would easily make my top 10 favorite Stones songs, I love the energy of it.

Sign The Petition To Save Enlightened!

2013-03-21T16:18:00.000-04:00

I started a petition to Save Enlightened, which was recently canceled by HBO. Don't blame HBO though, they gave the show a second season after a low rated first. But don't let this outstanding and quirky show go the way of Freaks & Geeks and My So-Called Life, let it get a new life through a new outlet like Arrested Development by signing the petition in addition to tweeting Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and DirecTV. Drumming up interest and talk could potentially cause one of them to pick up the show. Here are some reasons you should sign:

1. Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) would do it. She would want you to become an "Agent of Change". Much like Tyler (Mike White), you can't say no to her unique charm.

2. Even if Netflix passes on it, maybe Amazon or Hulu will see that a critically acclaimed show like this with passionate fans could help them compete with Netflix.

3. Signing petitions is fun. And while you're on Change.org, be sure to check out some other petitions and help some good causes. Even if we don't save our beloved show, maybe we can help people in need at the same time.

'Enlightened' Canceled by HBO; Will It Be Saved?

2013-03-20T19:55:00.000-04:00

HBO officially canceled the acclaimed, yet low-rated (you people were missing out!) show Enlightened that starred Laura Dern, Mike White, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, Timm Sharp, Sarah Burns as well as SNL alums Michaela Watkins & Molly Shannon. The passionate fan base has already begun asking Netflix to save the show. Natalie Maines, Jenny Slate, Patton Oswalt, Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer have jumped on board through twitter to help the cause. I created a petition for fans to sign, so hopefully it works! After all, its what Amy would do ;). I'd urge more fans of the show to do the same, and anyone who has yet to watch, do yourselves a favor and go buy the first season of this beautifully told show on DVD, and catch up with the second season OnDemand.

The second season managed to be even more thought provoking and developed than the first, the characters being fleshed out as well as any show on television. Not many pure Dramedy's can so seamlessly blend both their Comedy & Drama aspects, but Enlightened was one of them. Shows have been saved before by other outlets. Arrested Development through Netflix, and Damages through DirecTV. The passionate cast, crew and fans deserve to at least see the story wrapped up after such a powerful season two finale.

Amy got her corporate revenge, but it was only just the beginning. So please Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or DirecTV...save Enlightened! The show was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Laura Dern won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her role as Amy Jellicoe. How could you pass that up?

Enlightened made us laugh, disturbed us at times, soothed us, made us think, take a look our lives & society, and kept us guessing. Hopefully we will be able to continue that wild ride. Here are Twitter handles for you to get in touch with, ask for the show to be picked up: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, DirecTV.

New Miami Dolphins Logo Leaked?

2013-03-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

Since their inception in 1966, the Miami Dolphins have kept the same style of logo pretty much through the NFL (timeline above). Aside from their incredibly successful history loaded with hall of famers and many playoff appearances (before hitting their rough times in 2004), having a popular mascot has probably helped bring in a lot of fans who don't even live in Miami. They've had one of the more anticipated and much debated upon logo updates, and the team announced that on April 18, they will finally be unveiling their new logo and jerseys to the masses.

Is this the new Dolphins Logo?

UniWatch has potentially leaked the new Miami Dolphins logo early. Some like it, some don't. I'm in the "like it" category, though I like the current one as well and really could care less what the logo is as long as they start winning and making the playoffs again. The original versions of the logo had the dolphin look like it was jumping over a pole at Sea World. This new version looks a bit more realistic. When dolphins are swimming and darting out of the ocean, they're in more of a horizontal position instead of a vertical one, like this new logo shows. I also like the way the lines look, and the new sunburst is an improvement over the current one.

Another positive is the Aqua color has been lightened to look more like it was during the 1970s-early 1990s. And rumor has it the new jerseys will look more like the original jerseys. Gone will be that ugly navy blue drop shadow behind the numbers. Hopefully the giant stripes return to the sleeves as well. I guess we'll find out if this really is the new logo on April 18th. I think at the end of the day though, all fans want is for the franchise to return to the glory days of the Perfect Season, No Name Defense, and Dan Marino, and it wouldn't matter if they had a shrimp or crusty old clam for the logo. The Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys will open up the NFL pre-season in the annual Hall of Fame game in Primetime on Sunday August 4th. Or as I'm calling it, the "Shit, we never should've signed Bill Parcells Bowl".

As a side note, this leaked logo is about 50 times better than last year's updated Miami Marlins MLB logo.

The Walking Dead: Andrea Chooses a Side

2013-03-18T11:26:00.001-04:00

The Walking Dead ramped up the intensity in the episode titled "Prey", with a #PreyForAndrea hashtag being hyped up on The Walking Dead twitter. We found out why in a big way.

The episode was mainly about Andrea (Laurie Holden) and The Governor (David Morrissey). Andrea, by the way, returned to the Season Two badass Andrea finally. She also finally chose a side, opting to return to the prison once she'd seen what The Governor was planning to do with Michonne (Danai Gurira) in his dungeon. Milton (Dallas Roberts) shows it to her, and has seemingly lost his trust of The Governor as well. Its assumed he burned the walkers they were planning to unleash on the prison.

Back to the Andrea/Governor scene though, which filled most of the episode. The game of cat and mouse was absolutely perfect, and created what was perhaps the most intense, edge-of-your-seat episode of the entire series. The Governor turned into the full-on evil Governor they'd been building up to as he made his way through the warehouse searching for Andrea. He even pulled a little Freddy Kruger move, taunting her with whistles as he dragged hit metal shovel against the fences. I like that both characters were able to use the resources to get a leg up on the other. When Andrea found the stairway full of zombies, then entered and hid behind the open door as the zombies streamed out towards the Governor was one of the most exciting scenes they've had.

Then when she finally arrived at the prison, about to wave for Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) attention, he grabs her from behind and ends up taking her away. Just seconds from a happy reunion, she ends up in the worst possible spot. You have to wonder why she didn't just take his truck back at the warehouse, but then I guess that messes with the plot.

In a preview for next week on Talking Dead, we saw Merle (Michael Rooker) actually trying to convince Rick not to give up Michonne, knowing how The Governor operates and that it wouldn't make a difference. The two factions will have their war, and The Governor may use Andrea as bait to separate Michonne from the rest of the group. Or will Milton save Andrea and then die for doing so? With just two episodes left this season, the intensity is sure to continue at the high level of "Prey". Fear not though, as The Walking Dead ends, Mad Men returns a week later. Two very different shows, yet both fit well together because of the excellent storytelling and passionate cast & crew.

Response to 10 Great U2 Guitar Songs

2013-03-07T19:53:00.001-05:00

Bono & The Edge

Gibson recently posted an article that attempted to bring together the 10 greatest U2 guitar songs. Tough task because the iconic rock band has so many great songs and with that comes a variety of opinions. However, I noticed that all the songs in this list were hit singles. While there is nothing wrong with that, as all those songs are outstanding, when it comes to a band like U2 you can really dig into their catalog and find so much more. So here are more songs, in no particular order, that have some of the best guitar we've heard from The Edge. Mostly sticking to non-singles with a few exceptions.

1. New York (All That You Can't Leave Behind, 2000) - Bono provides some interesting lyrics as he describes New York City, however the real star of this song is The Edge. His guitar really comes blistering into the song around 2:10 into this underrated track. It has some of my favorite guitar work from The Edge, and considering it wasn't released as a single and hasn't been played live in a while, you should probably give it another listen. Check out this fantastic unofficial fan-made video for the song:

2. The Fly (Achtung Baby, 1991) - One of the singles I'm including, it tends to be a bit forgotten considering the popularity of the other singles from Achtung Baby ('One', 'Mysterious Ways', 'Even Better Than The Real Thing'). The distorted guitar hits you right away and carries you through one of the best songs in U2's rich history. This was the lead single from Achtung Baby, and the was the perfect choice to signal the band's new alternative rock/electronic/experimental direction of the 90s after their more serious output of the late 80s. I bet when many people first heard this song, their initial thought may have been, "Wait, this is the same band that made 'With or Without You'?!?" 'The Fly' helped signal U2 as a band with many tricks up their musical sleeves.

3. I Threw a Brick Through a Window (October, 1981) - Here's another example of the guitar taking the stage ahead of Bono's vocals/lyrics. That is no easy feat considering Bono is one of the strongest singers of all time. October is their least popular album, though still a great listen, so many of the songs remain unknown to the masses. Many of the songs on October are powered by the instruments. Bono's lyrics were stolen, so they had to be re-written quickly, which is part of the reason. That inadvertantly allows The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton to shine and take a larger focus than on other albums.

4. Vertigo (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, 2004) - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb contains some of U2's most powerful and heavy guitar work. However, 'Vertigo' stands out and another hit single I just can't ignore. The "iPod" song will forever be a live favorite and staple thanks to the ear blasting guitar heard throughout in addition to the catchy lyrics. It gets people on their feet.

5. Surrender (War, 1983) - The guitar provides much variety throughout the 5 1/2 minutes of 'Surrender', going along with some of the chanting as I call it heard here. The length gives Edge plenty of opportunities to stand out. War, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Boy are chock full of heavy, loud guitar for those who like harder rock.

6. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (Zooropa, 1993) One of the greatest songs they've ever made. It was a single, though it should have charted much higher on the Hot 100 than its peak of 61. It makes for a great alternative ballad, and is mostly played acoustic in concert now. The guitar moves the outstanding vocals along nicely, and its the definition of what a ballad should be.

7. Breathe (No Line on the Horizon, 2009) Most people agree that this should have been a single, and probably the lead. However it opened many shows on the U2360 tour. The song soars and lifts you up, a U2 specialty. Mainly crafted by The Edge himself, he took influence from Jack White & Jimmy Page, whom he worked with in the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud.

8. Bullet the Blue Sky (The Joshua Tree, 1987) The guitar slides are used expertly in 'Bullet the Blue Sky', and the song carries a lot of power especially when performed live. The studio track has a great distorted solo towards the end, which was nice considering most of the album is a mellower affair.

9. The Electric Co. (Boy, 1980) From their very first album, the young Edge gets to unleash his powerful guitar throughout the album, but my favorite is on 'The Electric Co.' Electric would clearly be the best word to describe it, as his guitar travels through your speakers like lightning.

10. Until the End of the World (Achtung Baby, 1991) The song is dark and exciting, with The Edge bringing his shimmering guitar along for the ride. Another non-single that has become a live favorite of many fans. The song is perfect in every way, and The Edge delivers one of his best guitar solos. The entire song was born of a guitar riff, so its only fitting.

11. Electrical Storm (Best of 1990-2000, 2002) The "William Orbit Mix" lacks the powerful guitar intro, but you can find the guitar "Band Version" as a B-Side with the 2-disc version of the hits album, which features 'Electrical Storm' as a new song.

Guitar lovers should check out these as well: 'Elevation' (All That You Can't Leave Behind), 'Wake Up Dead Man' (Pop, 1997), 'Desire' (Rattle & Hum, 1988), 'Window in the Skies' (U218 Singles, 2006), 'A Sort of Homecoming' (The Unforgettable Fire, 1984), 'Love Comes Tumbling' (Wide Awake in America, 1985), 'Crumbs From Your Table' (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb), 'Fez - Being Born' (No Line on the Horizon).