Pop Culture Curmudgeon Friday Night Lights

Revelations at the midnight movie

So, after a rough week at work, K. and I decided to go see the midnight showing of the new Sherlock Holmes flick, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I mean, who couldn’t use a little Robert Downey Jr. to cheer them up?

Was it the best movie ever? No, of course not. Was it entertaining and fun? Absolutely. If you enjoyed RDJ’s last outing as Sherlock, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Here’s the trailer:

And now for the more interesting part of our excursion… During the trailers, we were treated to a trailer for Bryan Singer’s Jack & the Giant Killer with Nicholas Hoult. You may remember Nicholas from About a Boy or the BBC’s Skins. I think this is supposed to be his first serious, grown-up role. Judging from the crowd’s reaction to the trailer, the studio that is releasing it needs to be VERY concerned. There was laughter and jeering, some booing and a few were even so disgusted that they walked out. See for yourself and tell me what you think in the comments below:

Unfortunately for Jack, it was followed immediately by a trailer for Batman: the Dark Knight Rises which was watched in a theater so still and quiet, you could have a heard a pin drop if not for the noise of the trailer itself. When it was over, there was a second of silence and then a thunder of cheers and applause. It was really kind of eye-opening.

The exact trailer that I saw wasn’t available online, so I’m posting this one instead.

There were also trailers for John Carter and Battleship, both of which star Taylor Kitsch, my beloved Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights. Both looked to be on the fairly cheesy side, but entertaining. Besides, what’s not to love about Tim Riggins in a loin cloth, or Tim Riggins serving in the Navy with Landry Clarke? I’m not embedding the trailers, but you view John Carter here and Battleship here.
Do you plan to see any of these movies? What do you think about the trailers?

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No more excuses!

All right, y’all, the last excuse you could possibly have is gone. All five seasons of Friday Night Lights are now available to stream on Netflix. If you haven’t already experienced the awesomeness, go watch it now. Take the day off sick if you have to. It’s that good.

Texas Forever.

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Some random thoughts

*Y’all. Red Riding Hood may be the worst movie I’ve ever seen. It was that bad – and I’ve seen some real stinkers (Howard the Duck, anyone?). I don’t really have anything else to say about it.

*During a week when I’ve been composing a really fabulous blog post in my head regarding politics and the media, I find out that I’m not allowed to share any political views via social media or otherwise because it might be interpreted as the view point of my employer and not the balanced, unbiased news they share. Needless to say, it’s very frustrating.

*I’m really struggling trying to come up with the perfect Father’s Day gift for my father. He’s turning 60 this year and is harder to shop for than ever before. Got any suggestions?

*White Collar is off to a great start this summer – I can’t wait to see more. True Blood starts in a few, and I’m really excited to see where they’re going with the whole faery thing. What summer t.v. are you watching and/or excited about?

*I’ve been watching season 5 of Friday Night Lights even though I’ve already seen the whole thing. It is so amazing – there are no words. Do yourself a favor and stream it on Netflix. You won’t regret it. And I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – It’s not about football. It’s about relationships… I want to be Tami Taylor when I grow up, fyi.

UPDATE: I also wish that I was the reporter who did this piece with Chris Evans! It sounds like an amazing adventure!

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This Is the End

I am feeling quite maudlin today. Tomorrow is the series finale of Friday Night Lights, and I’m not ready to say goodbye.

I first turned to the movie because it brought together Mr. PCC’s love of football with my love of a good drama. I think Billy Bob Thornton is one of the most gifted actors out there. (Don’t believe me? Watch the special features on Monster’s Ball to see him shift on a dime from his character in that film to Sling Blade’s Karl. It is truly amazing.)

I was excited when they announced the TV show, but I didn’t like it at first. I don’t know what it was, but something didn’t resonate immediately. I had to be lured back in by TV Gal, who I also miss, FWIW.

I was an instant convert once I gave it another chance. I was involved in the efforts to keep it on the air over these seasons, and I am grateful to NBC for being creative in seeking co-funding and to DirecTV for stepping up to provide that funding.

I am grateful that Peter Berg stuck to his vision and didn’t do too much damage to try to appeal to the masses. (I forgive you for season 2 and the Swede.)

I am glad they are showing us how some of the early characters are doing now, but I wish it weren’t time for it all to end.

What about you? How are you handling the end of FNL? Are there other TV shows that nearly killed you by ending before you were ready?

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Pop Culture Roundup, February 11

So, my laptop spent some time in limbo these past few days, deciding whether it would die or whether it just needed a good reformat. The reformat worked, but I still need to do some work to get it to recognize that it does, indeed, have a DVD drive installed. The joy of technology!

Movie Stuff
TV Stories
Supernatural
Random 80s Flashback

Movie Stuff

Dune Film Finds a New Writer
I haven’t decided if I want to see the new Dune movie. I was such a fan of David Lynch’s version (and, yes, I would sit through the entire 13 hour director’s cut) that I am afraid to read the books because they may ruin my perceptions of that movie. I love Lynchs style, and Dune was a great early example of the director who would create my favorite TV show of all time. But, I really enjoyed Taken, so I think this writer has a good chance of making a film I could enjoy. That Sci Fi Channel adaptation was booooooooring.

TV Stories

Why I Caved, Bought Cable TV, and Gave Up on My “Hulu Household”
We’re not there yet, but man, when we can get all of our television content over the Internet, I am so there.

Women Can’t Create, White Men Can’t Jump: Worst Network Pilot Season for Women Pt. 2
Nikki Finke looked at the dearth of female writers in this season’s pilot pickups in this post. Neely Swanson posted an interesting response/further research on the issue. It’s a nice look at the realities of the Hollywood system and the fear that women are not reliable at bringing in audiences.

Dancing with the Scars
Leave it to Chelsea Handler to make me want to read a story about a washed-up Playboy bunny and her stint on a reality show I have never and will never watch.

Friday Night Lights: 10 Reasons Why Season 4 Is the Series’ Best
I know that not everyone agrees with me (and that’s okay, Katie), but I think season 4 has been a return to what makes FNL great. It has felt like season 1 to me, with the depth of storylines and the great acting. I hope all of you who haven’t been watching this show on DirecTV catch it when it premieres on NBC this April. Last night, we said goodbye to some favorite characters and saw others get hurt, get punished, and play some football.

Supernatural

Let’s Talk Supernatural, The Song Remains the Same
Maureen Ryan’s recap and review of last week’s episode. She also includes information about a charity auction to benefit the relief efforts in Haiti.

Supernatural: The Song Remains the Same
Another recap/review of last week’s episode, this one from the San Diego Tribune blog.

Supernatural: The Song Remains the Same
Suzanne has our final recap over at Damsel Undistressed. She loved the episode, but I think she might have been basking in the afterglow of the amazing season premiere of Last last week.

Supernatural and Vampire Diaries Taking a 5-Week Hiatus
Sadly, My Bloody Valentine is our last episode of Supernatural for a while. They had best come back from this hiatus with an episode in which we get to see Death. That was my biggest disappointment with this set of episodes. They didn’t resolve the cliffhanger.

Two Previews of Supernatural’s My Bloody Valentine
Need to get the scoop on tonight’s episode? Here are two clips to whet your appetite.

From Smallville to Capain America
More rumors that Jensen Ackles might be Captain America. Make of it what you will.

Supernatural: Preview of Episode 5.13 “The Song Remains the Same”Get ready for tonight’s episode with a synopsis and a clip.

Random 80s Flashback

Secret Admirer
Most movies from the 80s just don’t hold up. The humor was too steeped in the time frame, and the jokes no longer work. The exceptions, though, are great. All of the John Hughes teen films remain awesome. And Secret Admirer, starring a very young Lori Loughlin, Kelly Preston, and C. Thomas Howell (we called him Tommy and looked at his dreamy photos in Bop and Tiger Beat back then), is another timeless comedy. It centers around misplaced love letters, and the stellar cast of adults and teens help keep it from being too formulaic. Rent it from Netflix or catch it on the Reelz Channel.

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If You Like Friday Night Lights, You’ll Love Homefront

I’m a huge fan of Friday Night Lights. There are myriad reasons for this, but one of the big ones is Kyle Chandler.

I first saw Chandler on a little show about a family growing and changing after World War II. Homefront ran for two seasons in the early 90s. In addition to Chandler, the show starred Wendy Phillips, Harry O’Reilly, Jessica Steen, and John Slattery (who you may remember as the /senator into water sports on Sex and the City).

Unfortunately, Warner Bros. has not yet released this gem on DVD. I had hoped that the success of period drama Mad Men would reignite studios’ desire to capitalize on our love of earlier times by releasing Homefront. But nothing so far. Thankfully, there is a website to help channel fan focus: Homefront on DVD has info about the show and suggestions for how to let WB know we would buy these DVDs.

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Emmy Noms

In case you didn’t feel like getting up early (5:30 am Pacific? Really?) to watch the Primetime Emmy nominations announced this morning, here is a link to the nominations from the major categories.

I’m excited to see a few drops of new blood in there. (Way to go, Flight of the Conchords!) But still nothing for Friday Night Lights. I wouldn’t even dare to dream of anything for Supernatural.

The most interesting thing about these nominations is how many are for shows that are no longer on the air. Would a nomination for Kristen Chenowith last year have helped save Pushing Daisies? Did William Shatner really deserve another nomination for Boston Legal?

What do you think? Did the new rules lead to a better slate of nominees, or just a bigger one?

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My Fall TV Viewing Schedule

[digg=http://digg.com/television/My_Fall_TV_Viewing_Schedule]Now that the fall lineups have been announced, my viewing plans are falling into place. Mondays and Thursdays are still full, especially now that NBC has announced that they will not move Chuck to Fridays.

Mondays, I’ll be on CBS, watching How I Met Your Mother at 8 and giving Accidentally on Purpose a Chance at 8:30. I’ll be recording Gossip Girl and most likely watching it at 9. Then to ABC for Castle. I am okay with the thought that I am breaking up with Heroes, but we’ll see if Mr. PCC records it on his DVR.

Tuesdays, it appears that no one has given me a reason to break up with 90210, so I’ll be all CW, all the time, watching 90210 at 8 and Melrose Place at 9.

Wednesdays are free until 9, when I visit Fox for Glee and then move to ABC for Eastwick.

Thursdays are pretty standard. Watch Vampire Diaries on the CW at 8 and DVR Flash Forward. Stick with the CW for Supernatural at 9 (obviously) and record The Office and Community/30 Rock. [Edited to add: Thanks to Rainn Wilson and Twitter, I realized that Joel McHale has a show coming out this fall: Community. I watched the preview at Zap2it, and it looks pretty funny.]

Fridays, I’ll be watching Dollhouse, but that is pretty much it. Thanks, Fox, for picking up this show for a second season.

My weekends look free. When DirecTV announces when it will play Friday Night Lights, I’ll update the spreadsheet I keep so that I won’t miss out on a new show I am interested in. (Yes, I’m that much of a TV geek. I make a spreadsheet each May and use it when the new shows premiere in the fall.)

Most of my favorite shows and ideas are slated for midseason: Chuck (NBC), Lost (ABC), Better Off Ted (ABC), The Body Politic (CW), Happy Town (ABC), V (ABC). I haven’t decided if I will follow Tyler Labine to Sons of Tucson.

Here are links to night-by-night grids to help you do your own fall TV planning, spreadsheet suggested but not required.

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