The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:
Did you know that back in 1983, Disney attempted to do their own version of Where The Wild Things Are? It's classic Disney animation and Cinematical has a clip of it here.
I'm not even going to pretend that this clip is particularly funny (though I did laugh at some of the inane names of magic spells that Jimmy Fallon comes up with), but I think it's worth watching to see some of the bizarre stuff that Fallon is doing on Late Night. I've seen some of the Harry Potter movies but I haven't seen Twilight, so I'm not sure if Fallon is making references to the movie or what ("bothered?").
So...who watched Merlin last night? Is it fair or unfair to say that this was a Harry Potter-ish version of the classic tale (or, at the very least, the reason this ran on BBC and now on NBC is because of the success of the Potter books)? It's the younger years of Merlin. What did everyone think of it?
The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:
Dreamworks Animation has a rather spotty history, but it's been looking up lately, with the success of Kung Fu Panda. See how Monsters vs. Aliens stacks up.
(S02E03) Army Wives is the kind of show that's not afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, metaphorically speaking. That's what this episode was in essence. The writers weren't afraid to deal with some core themes like faith, courage, fear and bravery.
Time has passed since Amanda's death, but life is not returning to normal for the Holdens. Until Claudia Joy is able to begin to heal, Michael and Emmalin will be suffering, a point driven home in this episode by the messenger. In the guise of guest star Bill Cobbs, he's not real.
At least not real in human form; he's imaginary and only Claudia Joy can see and speak with him. This is very much a dramatic device to help her see that life goes on.
ABC has cast some familiar television faces in an ambitious family-oriented pilot called Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas. The West Wing's Janel Moloney (yes, she's done other stuff, too, but to me she's still Donna) and Patrick Breen (who's been on lots of shows like Eli Stone and The West Wing, too), will play the adopted parents of Gwen Malloy, the star of Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas. Jodelle Ferland, a 13-year-old veteran has landed the Gwen role, and the show will revolve around her. Ferland is a vet, having appeared in features like Tideland, a Terry Gilliam film, Dark Angel and The Collector. On TV, she was in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital.
Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas is being talked up as a Harry Potter meets Pan's Labyrinth, although the plot also has elements of Nim's Island in there, if you ask me. Gwen is an adventurous kid who discovers a magic atlas. The atlas is the key to a secret world beneath our own reality.
The world of primetime TV are primarily set in the real world. The real world based on the fiction they create. So, Law and Order -- in all its incarnations -- is set in New York City, but it's not the real five boroughs. The newspapers they read are not The New York Times, the Post or the Daily News. For contemporary TV fiction, reality is on the margins of the storytelling because you can't really set those characters in a real world. However, when the two worlds intersect, the results can be magic. Here's 8 big-time, primetime examples:
1) Cowboy Up Time Remember the episode of Lost when Ben wanted to convince Jack that he was in communication with the world outside the island? To prove that he was telling the truth, he showed Jack a video of the Boston Red Sox winning the world series in 2004. You can't get more real than that, right? And yet it was used in one of the most out of this world shows on the air. In fact, using Lost's own terminology, the Red Sox video is a constant truth in a universe that's a complete fiction.
First of all, a big congratulations to both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for their multiple Emmy nods! Comedy Central must be very, very proud. I don't know if Jon will bring up the nominations any time in the near future, but I think Stephen will do a bit of boasting soon.
"Harry Potter and the Endless Build Up": Senior Literary Correspondent John Oliver chimed in on the Harry situation (Haha, I just made that up, right now. I'm so good. So very, very good) regarding spoilers. His spoiler joke, "Harry is decapitated by Ron, who is actually Voldemort's robot son", got a good laugh from me, but judging from the mild response from the audience, there weren't too many fans in the crowd. Oh, I just remembered... Back when the sixth book was about to be released, Rob Corddry filed an absolutely hysterical report about spoilers. For once, Comedy Central's website has a clip I want, so check it out.
We've already seen Survivor and Big Brother go the all-star route. And The Amazing Race is getting set to kick off their own version. Heck, it seems like every time I click by MTV there is another show filled with past Road Rules and Real World cast members. So why not American Idol?
According to TV Guide, Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe is trying to sell Fox on the concept. It's part of the planned songwriting competition. Lythgoe's idea is to narrow those entries down to ten songs and then bring in ten former Idol contestants to sing the songs on the show.
I'm not an Idol fan, but I have to say, that's a solid idea. I'm guessing they won't be able to get Kelly Clarkson, and chances are Jennifer Hudson won't be involved. But assuming that they can manage to get ten of the more popular contestants, this should make for another huge week of ratings. And an American Idol All-Stars CD... And an American Idol All-Stars Special Edition DVD... And... good grief, Idol is just a machine. At this point it's rivaled only by the power of Harry Potter.
You are not a true tabloid celebrity unless all of your roads lead towards a one way ticket to rehab. Celebrities wear their Chanel sunglasses and hats low, like a badge of courage, as they are driven in their chauffeured SUV's through the Mojave Desert on their way to places with names more appropriate for a nursery school than to a place for those down the downward spiral of celebrity excess.
Common pre-requisites for rehab include an undying love for cocaine, a struggle with food or a co-dependency on the bottle.
But say you don't have a problem with any of the above and find yourself being publicly scrutinized by society who seek a social remedy for your reprehensible behavior on national television?
Unfortunately for Washington, one of the side effects of going to rehab for foul language is being the butt of many jokes, from Wanda Sykes on Ellen to even your own co-worker at The SAG Awards.
It's only a matter of time before we find Harry Potter in rehab. Let me be the first to make this prediction after his...
Of course, this is an entire new usage of the word "reality." You know, the kind of reality where kids have magical powers and can fly around on broomsticks? My dictionary needs some serious updating. Apparently a new series coming to the BBC entitled The Sorcerer's Apprentice (no, we aren't kidding) will enroll fourteen kids into a Hogwarts-esque school where they "will be schooled in magic history and folklore, told the latin terms for casting spells, and taught how to look after resident magic animals. As their knowledge and skills progress they will also be taught the art of illusion."
Apparently they'll basically be taught magic by lesser known David Copperfields and Lance Burtons, thereby making this potentially one of the greatest must see train wreck shows in television history. Yes, kids are adorable, but watching them try to learn sleight of hand so they don't get voted off a TV show? Ouch-tastic. Stay tuned for more as the secrets are revealed. You might also brace yourself for a lot of magical puns, because I just can't help myself.
1. Monday Night Football (ESPN) 2. The Librarian: Return To King Solomon's Mines (TNT) 3. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA) 4. The Santa Clause (ABC) 5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA) 6. The Christmas Card (Hallmark) 7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (ABC Family) 8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon) 9. Avatar: The Guru (Nickelodeon) 10. A Dad For Christmas (Lifetime)
The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:
At 8, ABC has J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life.
The folks at our sister site 
(S02E03) Army Wives is the kind of show that's not afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, metaphorically speaking. That's what this episode was in essence. The writers weren't afraid to deal with some core themes like faith, courage, fear and bravery.
ABC has cast some familiar television faces 
The world of primetime TV are primarily set in the real world. The real world based on the fiction they create. So, 
First of all, a big congratulations to both 
Charlie Rose: Christian Bale and authors Dov Seidman and Jessie Gruman 
Charlie Rose: Don Cheadle, Zahi Hawass, and Catharine Roehrig
We've already seen Survivor and Big Brother go the all-star route. And The Amazing Race is getting set to kick off their own version. Heck, it seems like every time I click by MTV there is another show filled with past Road Rules and Real World cast members. So why not American Idol?
Of course, this is an entire new usage of the word "reality." You know, the kind of reality where kids have magical powers and can fly around on broomsticks? My dictionary needs some serious updating. Apparently a new series coming to the BBC entitled The Sorcerer's Apprentice (no, we aren't kidding) will enroll fourteen kids into a Hogwarts-esque school where they "will be schooled in magic history and folklore, told the latin terms for casting spells, and taught how to look after resident magic animals. As their knowledge and skills progress they will also be taught the art of illusion."
1. Monday Night Football (ESPN)
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
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