If we lived in a world where we could only watch five TV networks on our televisions (I don't know what type of world that would be but it sounds like one of those bleak futures you often see in sci-fi movies), I would definitely choose Turner Classic Movies as one of those networks. That's a no-brainer. I think I'd have a harder time choosing which major networks(s) I'd want on that list too.
It's the season for scary movies - bad scary movies, good scary movies, campy scary movies, any kind of scary movie. And depending on what cable company you subscribe to, there are plenty of free offerings right now on demand.
FearNet is the obvious go-to place for freebies, although it has its detractors hanging around this blog. One of the best choices available now is Return of the Living Dead III. Unless you're a hardcore horror geek, you may not know this one. And the plot -- a young couple near a military base are torn apart when she becomes one of the living dead -- may not sound exciting. But the first zombie onscreen is convincingly freaky, and the surprise ending is actually kind of a surprise.
It looks like the new crew at Disney's At the Movies is turning the ship around.
The new series run with fresh hosts (New York Times film critic, A.O. Scott (left), and Chicago Tribune film critic, Michael Phillips (right)) has gone 180 degrees in the other direction from the lighter, more sensationalized previous season.
Last year's host combination of Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons often came off more glib than informative -- leaving both critics and fans wondering what happened to the more measured, analytical tone of former hosts Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper and the late Gene Siskel.
Between the two of them, Scott and Phillips bring decades of entertainment writing and critiquing experience -- combining a love of movies with a willingness to tick off the Hollywood powers that be when necessary.
Movies are great, and Encore Western has feasted on showing lots of theatrical features and shorts. However, the premium channel has wisely veered from its bread and butter, by mixing in TV shows. The channel will soon be adding to the TV fare when Gunsmoke, Rawhide, and Have Gun Will Travel join Encore Westerns.
These are three classic TV westerns that had significant long runs and big name stars. They'll be a nice addition to shows like Cheyenne and Maverick currently on the net, as well as the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry programmers that run through the day.
Matt Damon was on The Late Show last night to promote his new film The Informant! As usual, he did his Matthew McConaughey impersonation for Dave and they also talked about a recent web rumor that Damon had died (really? I guess I missed that one).
This led to Damon telling another story about the Venice Film Festival involving George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and a stripping journalist.
Army Archerd wrote for Variety since 1953, when he replaced columnist Sheilah Graham. That's not a typo. That's 1953, as in 56 years ago. That means he talked to everyone, saw everything, and wrote about just about everything that happened in Hollywood for more than five decades.
I'm glad that At The Movies has new hosts. The two Bens just didn't work out. The new hosts in the reviewing chairs are A.O. Scott from The New York Times and Michael Phillips from The Chicago Tribune, both of whom filled in for Roger Ebert several times. Here's a preview where the two critics tell us about themselves.
Funny how the announcer says that there will be "serious reviews" by "serious journalists." I'm taking that as a dig at Ben and Ben. It premieres this weekend.
Disney Family Movies, the new video on demand subscription service offering animated and live action titles from the studios' voluminous vaults, will offer a free trial Sept. 3-7 for viewers to get a feel of The Magic Kingdom's latest offering.
Subscribers to the service get access to a rotating selection of Disney's classic and contemporary films and animated shorts. Obviously, the on demand lineup is put together with the emphasis on family friendly. Each title in the selection menu remains in rotation for about a month, with new movies added weekly.
While this looks like a great thing for parents looking to have a steady inventory of safe video babysitters, the only concern is how this service might gut the programming on Disney's other cable entities -- or how it might affect the availability of DVDs.
At the Movies, the long-running cinema review show that once starred well-respected critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, is going back to the idea of employing experienced reviewers as hosts.
Disney and ABC film-canned Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz this week. The show's now-dismissed young, hipster critics never really showed any particular cinema savvy besides the ability to unfurl sarcastic reviews. And their writing credentials won't be mistaken for the bylines Ebert and Siskel piled up in their careers.
To reverse course in hope of saving At the Movies, executives are turning to two guys with established chops.
Michael Chiklis is regularly hinting that a feature film version of The Shield is in the offing, while official news of any such production is still under wraps.
The problem is it's difficult to find any other media coverage on the possibility of The Shield heading to theaters. In fact, Chiklis' favorite article above is pretty much it. So, is Chiklis leaking something producers would just as soon keep quiet for now?
In Hollywood's never-ending quest to locate every single piece of pre-existing intellectual property to make into a movie without actually purchasing an original screenplay, they'll be turning to flying saucers and shiny women with purple hair.
The iconic 1960s British sci-fi series UFO (right) will be brought to the big screen by an even more iconic producer -- Robert Evans. According to Variety, Evans will team with ITV Global to update the Earth vs. aliens premise.
The original UFO featured a secret team of elite Earthlings (SHADO: Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) fending off a mysterious collection of invading creatures.
Are you ready for 2011? Not the first part, the latter part. That's when FX is going to have all of your favorite blockbuster movies from the past few months. According to Variety, FX has secured rights to show X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Taken, The Wrestler, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Marley and Me. Variety also points out that it takes about 30 months for films to go from the big screen to television in these kinds of deals.
So, if you can keep from seeing them in the theater, or on DVD, or on demand from whichever cable system you subscribe to, on Netflix or Blockbuster, or from one of the torrents these scofflaw kids are into these days, you can see it for free on FX!
Did you like Just Shoot Me? It was one of those shows I didn't really watch when it was on NBC but later caught in syndicated reruns, and it was really an underrated sitcom. It was actually quite funny and had a great cast. When people talk about the great NBC sitcoms over the years they always talk about Seinfeld, NewsRadio, and Friends, and while Just Shoot Me wasn't up to the greatness of those shows, it was good and funny. Now one of the stars is joining HBO's Entourage.
George Segal will play a veteran manager/agent who Kevin Connolly's character looks up to and seeks for advice. It doesn't look like a permanent gig (The Hollywood Reporter describes his stint as a "multi-episode arc"), but I think he'll be a great addition. It might even make me get back to the show. I loved the first few seasons but it kinda lost me a couple of seasons ago.
But isn't that great casting? You can just picture Segal getting all loud and chomping on a cigar.
As much as there have been movies about the theater and movies about movies, the films that have been made about television are some of the best ever. This year alone, there are two movies nominated for Best Picture of the year by the Academy Awards that are all about television -- Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon. Without TV, neither of these films would exist. Looking back, here are the films about TV that set the standards by which Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon are measured.
Nothing tests ethics like a recession. To prove this, the Academy Awards ceremony broadcast is now accepting spots for films and has cut the price of an advertisement to $1.4 million.
I could understand the concern. If someone sees an advertisement for the latest Adam Sandler flick, they could confuse it for an Academy Award nominee. The Academy has put some restrictions on the types of ads that can be used which will hopefully prevent such a mix-up. Sadly, these restrictions have only permitted for one studio advertisement so far: Disney-Pixar's Up.
It does seem a bit of a conflict of interest from getting advertising revenue from organizations to whom you are giving awards. At least Hollywood will not be confused for a society of principle. Studios big and small have always used their bank accounts and marketing campaigns to purchase an Academy Award nomination anyway. This just makes the process more obvious.
How do you feel about watching an Academy Awards broadcast with movie ads?
If we lived in a world where we could only watch five TV networks on our televisions (I don't know what type of world that would be but it sounds like one of those bleak futures you often see in sci-fi movies), I would definitely choose Turner Classic Movies as one of those networks. That's a no-brainer. I think I'd have a harder time choosing which major networks(s) I'd want on that list too.
It's the season for scary movies - bad scary movies, good scary movies, campy scary movies, any kind of scary movie. And depending on what cable company you subscribe to, there are plenty of free offerings right now on demand. 
It looks like the new crew at Disney's At the Movies is turning the ship around.
Movies are great, and Encore Western has feasted on showing lots of theatrical features and shorts. However, the premium channel has wisely veered from its bread and butter, by mixing in TV shows. The channel will soon be adding to the TV fare when Gunsmoke, Rawhide, and Have Gun Will Travel join Encore Westerns. 
A little bit of Hollywood died yesterday.
Disney Family Movies, the new video on demand subscription service offering animated and live action titles from the studios' voluminous vaults, will offer a free trial Sept. 3-7 for viewers to get a feel of The Magic Kingdom's latest offering.
At the Movies, the long-running cinema review show that once starred well-respected critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, is going back to the idea of employing experienced reviewers as hosts.
Michael Chiklis is regularly hinting that a feature film version of The Shield is in the offing, while official news of any such production is still under wraps.
In Hollywood's never-ending quest to locate every single piece of pre-existing intellectual property to make into a movie without actually purchasing an original screenplay, they'll be turning to flying saucers and shiny women with purple hair.
Are you ready for 2011? Not the first part, the latter part. That's when FX is going to have all of your favorite blockbuster movies from the past few months. According to Variety, FX has secured rights to show X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Taken, The Wrestler, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Marley and Me. Variety also points out that it takes about 30 months for films to go from the big screen to television in these kinds of deals. 
Did you like Just Shoot Me? It was one of those shows I didn't really watch when it was on NBC but later caught in syndicated reruns, and it was really an underrated sitcom. It was actually quite funny and had a great cast. When people talk about the great NBC sitcoms over the years they always talk about Seinfeld, NewsRadio, and Friends, and while Just Shoot Me wasn't up to the greatness of those shows, it was good and funny. Now one of the stars is joining HBO's Entourage.
Nothing tests ethics like a recession. To prove this, the Academy Awards ceremony broadcast is now accepting spots for films and has cut the price of an advertisement to $1.4 million.
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
The Prisoner -- An early look
