Saturday, March 29, 2014

SADLY, NOT ALONGSIDE CASEY MCCALL: Josh Charles co-hosted Keith Olbermann's ESPN2 show last night.  Yes, there are references to Sports Night.

Friday, March 28, 2014

GENE KRUPA OUT, LIBERTY DEVITTO IN:  There has been a backlash to SiriusXM's decision to replace its Music of the 1940s station with an All-Billy Joel Station.
WE HAVE ORSON WELLS SIGN THE LIKE OF WHICH EVEN GOD HIMSELF HASN'T SEEN:  I've been a fan of Dune since I was 13 years old.  As much as science fiction as I read, I've probably read Dune more than any other SF novel, fifteen times at least.  It's said that you can no sooner read the same book as you can visit the same river.  Dune is quite different each time to me and I trust it's as different on each of the tens of millions of times it's been read.

Yet I'm not sure any reading created the same image as this.  David Carradine as Leto, Orson Wells as Baron Harkonnen, soundtrack by Pink Floyd.  Art by Geiger.  It would have been a glorious mess.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

TSATHOGGUA WILL NOW BE UNLEASHED ON THE WORLD: The formerly much-beloved Television Without Pity will be shut down by its current owners at NBCUniversalComcastKabletown, with recaps ending in the immediate future and forums closing at the end of May.  Of course, most of "classic" TWOP left in connection with the NBCU/Bravo acquisition in 2007, but it's still sad to see something that was so formative to my life on the Internet (and which gave us so many great writers that have moved on to other exciting things) go dark.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

RON SWANSON APPROVED:  Among the new concession items the Texas Rangers are rolling out this season?  Bacon on a stick, dipped in a fresh maple glaze just before serving.  There's also a two foot long hot dog (called the "Boomstick") and frozen beer, which is 8 ounces of cold beer "topped with 20-degree frozen beer that's swirled on top as if it were soft-serve ice cream."  (Opening day in Arlington is March 31.)
STILL A BETTER IDEA THAN SHIA LABEOUF:  So, rumors are flying that Disney (which now owns all future rights to the franchise) wants to reboot Indiana Jones, with a new actor playing Jones in future movies and Bradley Cooper on the wishlist.  How terrible an idea is this?  And if they do it, should Indiana Jones remain a period piece (set in the 40s-50s), or does an "Indiana Jones" in the contemporary world of smartphones and GPS work?
OR JEFF DANIELS JUST WINS AGAIN FOR THE NEWSROOM:**  Rather than submit itself (as expected) as a miniseries for Emmys consideration, True Detective has opted to compete in the Drama category. This significantly affects the odds of Matthew McConaughey earning a [we're still working on the catchy name] for winning an Oscar and Emmy in a single calendar year, as did Liza Minnelli, Helen Hunt, and Helen Mirren before him, but the likely alternative is that Bryan Cranston wins a [we don't have a name for that either] for earning both Tony and Emmy in the same year.

** I blame Randy for alerting me to this possibility.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN: Because of hopes for money and in order to prevent rights to reverting to Marvel/Disney, Sony has said we can expect a new Spider-Man universe film every year.  Because of the post-production schedule and Andrew Garfield's desire to do something other than play Peter Parker in his life, the current plan is to fill it out with villain-centric films in the off-years.  However, news that Marvel is planning a massive crossover in which all Spider-Men from all continuities will have to unite (apparently including Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham) gives me an alternate idea--why not do different "universes" in different years, with even numbered years giving us Peter Parker films, and odd numbered years giving us a different Spider-Man (the logical choice is current Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales)?  Would audiences accept this sort of thing, or would it just be confusing? 
LET'S GO ALL THE WAY (INTO MUSIC THEORY) TONIGHT:  Slate attempts to explain why Teenage Dream is a great song by breaking down the chords and pieces used to create it.

Monday, March 24, 2014

A BRAIN, AN ATHLETE, A BASKET CASE, A PRINCESS AND A CRIMINAL:  Thirty years ago today, according to the movie, The Breakfast Club met for Saturday detention at Shermer (Ill.) High School.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

THE SHOE DROPPED:  Why that thing happened on The Good Wife tonight.  I'm still collecting my thoughts.

added: The Kings explain, and I don't like it, because I don't want the show to be about what they want it to now be about.  And Linda Holmes doesn't care for it either: