December 31, 2015 by heather7180

Heather’s Favorite Pop Culture of 2015

I think all bloggers are contractually obligated to do some sort of year end post and New Year’s Eve is as good a day as any to pause to take a moment and reflect on the pop culture that I consumed in 2015 (and I consumed a lot). Overall, I think that pop culture 2015 was pretty strong; there were lots of great movies, TV shows, concerts and Broadway shows out there if you knew where to look. I’ve developed a pretty good sense of what I’m going to like – and what I’m not – so while there were fewer pop culture items in 2015 that just blew me away, what I did consume was consistently enjoyable.

So in a year when I watched, listened and experienced a lot, these were my personal highlights for 2015.

Top movies of 2015 (in no particular order):

Mad Max: Fury Road

I had no previous experience with the Mad Max franchise, so I was slow to get around to seeing this. I’m sorry that I waited so long, as I really dug this movie. It was smarter and more enjoyable than I expected and I was a big fan of the film’s feminist tone. Most important – I couldn’t take my eye off the action. Plus how many other movies this year featured a guy shredding a guitar that spit out flames?

That’s reason alone to crack my best of list.

Ex Machina

This one was another pleasant surprise that I didn’t get around to seeing until it was available on demand. I’m a little skiddish when it comes to the sci-fi genre and more often than not, I just don’t like movies of this ilk. So I was a little wary when I read the description of Ex Machina as robots and artificial intelligence aren’t necessarily in my wheelhouse. But despite the sci-fi elements, Ex Machina was grounded enough in reality that I was instantly drawn in. Excellent performances from Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander kept me fully invested and the film took me in an unexpected direction. The dance sequence is just the icing on the cake:

Spotlight

This film about the team that uncovered the sex abuse scandal of the archdiocese of Boston boasts an incredible ensemble that created a story that stayed with me long after the movie was over. Even though everyone knows the ultimate outcome of their investigation, they told it in such a compelling way that you are totally invested. An emotional and important movie.

Creed

Thanks to fantastic performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, Creed completely reinvigorated the Rocky franchise. Smart writing and directing found interesting new facets to what could have been a retread of previous movies. Even though we’ve seen elements of Creed before, it somehow felt completely new and fresh.

The Hateful Eight

I plan to post a full review of the latest Quentin Tarantino film next week, but suffice to say that since I’ve seen it I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s perhaps his most violent and profane movie, yet also his simplest and most constrained. It clocks in at just under three hours, yet I can’t wait to watch it again.

Honorable mention: The Big Short, Brooklyn

Top Television Picks

Mad Men

All good things must come to an end and this year we said goodbye to Donald Draper and company in memorable fashion. I could have spent time with these characters for the rest of my life and probably wouldn’t have tired of them, but Matthew Weiner brought his series to an end in a fitting and satisfying manner. I’m sad that I don’t have Jon Hamm as a part of my life on a regular basis, but that’s what the DVDs are far. Easily one of the best shows not only this year, but in the history of television. Plus it gave us what is easily the greatest GIF of the year:

#Likeaboss

Inside Amy Schumer

There’s no doubt that 2015 was Schumer’s year, but while the success of Trainwreck has certainly dominated the narrative I think her Comedy Central sketch show really found its stride in its third season. The show is not only hilarious but offers some pretty spot on social commentary. The standalone episode that is a parody of 12 Angry Men is nothing short of brilliant and was a risk to undertake. I’m guessing the days of this show are numbered, given the success she’s enjoyed on the big screen, but I’ll savor this show while we have it. So smart and so freaking funny at the same time.

Jessica Jones

I never got around to blogging about Netflix’s newest Marvel inspired show when I watched it, but I may still write about it as there was just so much about this series that I loved. This is easily the most adult treatment of Marvel characters that I’ve seen to date and it has a distinctively noir vibe. Jessica Jones dealt with some interesting issues, such as PTSD after domestic abuse. This is a superhero show for people who don’t really care about superheroes; Krysten Ritter is amazing and David Tennant’s Kilgrave is easily the most charismatic and terrifying villain to date in any Marvel property. And not for nothing – it’s nice to see women in the leads of these shows. Jessica Jones also did a nice job or piquing my interest for the forthcoming Luke Cage.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

John Oliver and his staff continue to put out one of the most intelligent comedy shows about current events. Because his show is only once week, rather than daily, they have the luxury of deliberating on news stories rather than quickly reacting to them. The show’s decision to focus on one issue in depth per episode has also been a smart one; this show has provided a public service in education its viewers on issues that are often overlooked by the mainstream news – especially issues that involve criminal justice reform – while also making you laugh. That’s a powerful combination and John Oliver is doing very strong work.

Game of Thrones

The fastest ten weeks of the year are when Game of Thrones is on; waiting for the show to return is excruciating.

Making a Murderer

If you know me personally and have run into me in the last two weeks, you are more than aware that I’m obsessed with this Netflix docu-series. Like, I won’t shut up about it until you promise to watch it. This investigation of a man who was wrongly convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, only to be accused of murder under questionable circumstances shortly after his release is compelling and infuriating. I devoured all ten episodes in two days and then hounded everyone I knew to watch it so we could talk about it. If you’re a fan of Serial, this is right up your alley; Making a Murderer raises a lot of important questions about a criminal justice system that is obviously flawed. I consider this a must-watch series. Netflix brought their A-game this year.

Honorable mention: Mr. Robot, Master of None, The Americans, Spotless

Top Pop Culture Experiences

Hamilton

If I did nothing else this year but see Hamilton on Broadway, I think I still would have been happy. This has transformed what I thought a Broadway show could be and is easily the best pop culture moment that I had all year. I am so glad that I opted to tackle New York City with my sprained ankle to be able to see this show – and I can’t wait to see it again in 2016.

Madame Tussauds

Sometimes it is fun to do some cheesy touristy stuff and I had a blast spending the afternoon at the famous wax museum in New York City. Once you embrace the silliness of the whole endeavor, getting your picture taken with replicas of famous people is actually a fun way to kill some time. Plus it’s pretty amusing to see the figures that don’t quite do justice to the person that they are representing.

Comics Come Home XXI

Being on crutches knocked me out of commission for six long weeks; the only thing remotely fun that I attempted was the road trip to Boston to see Comics Come Home and it was totally worth all the anxiety that I had about it. A great night of comedy for a great cause; it’s now officially an annual tradition.

Foo Fighters Concert

Dave Grohl and I were finally breathing the same air. Enough said.

Seinfeld pop-up apartment

You wouldn’t think seeing the replica of a TV set would have been such an amazing day, but when you are as big a Seinfeld fan as I am it was sort of a spiritual experience. I fulfilled a dream that I didn’t even know I had. And I got to meet the Soup Nazi!

What are your picks for the best of 2015? Sound off in the comments below…..and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2016!

February 18, 2015 by heather7180

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Baby It’s Cold Outside Edition

image from http://www.waterfrontpgh.com/tag/pop-culture/

I was lucky enough to have a three day weekend last weekend and I spent almost all of it, with the exception of one hour, in my apartment because the thought of going outside was too much for me to handle. With the temperature dipping into the negative and the wind chill adding insult to injury, it seemed easier to just hibernate for as long as possible. Even the thought of going to the movies to continue my Oscar death race seemed like too much trouble. My DVR had filled up during my vacation, so I curled up on the couch and powered through 8 hours of The Tonight Show while listening to the heat running non-stop for 72 hours. Thank the dear Lord that I don’t live in Boston – not only would I be surrounded by Sox and Pats fans *shudder* but I do not think I could handle all the snow that they have. Boston Strong has taken on a whole new meaning. I tip my winter hat to New England – you are better people than I (only when it comes to weather).

Being under self-imposed house arrest also allowed me plenty of time to seek out pop culture nuggets for this week’s roundup. There’s something in here for everyone, so warm yourself with the pop culture goodness that I’ve uncovered.

You know why it’s so damn cold out? Hell has frozen over – Kanye West and Taylor Swift may record a song together.

George R.R. Martin warns that book readers of Game of Thrones aren’t going to like season 5 of the TV series, which will derivate from who lives and dies in the books.

HBO has wisely renewed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for two more seasons. Outstanding show.

Proof of Oliver’s power – he’s upset the Ecuadorian president and the tobacco industry. Well done.

Well Jessica Williams has dashed my hopes that she’d take over for Jon Stewart:

https://twitter.com/msjwilly/status/567145287916204032

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought Eddie Murphy’s appearance on SNL 40 was weird.

I’m also glad that I wasn’t imagining something weird about Kanye’s eyes during his appearance.

While everyone else was at the SNL 40 event, Conan was taping a segment for his show in Cuba.

The SNL 40 after-party sounds crazy (I’m assuming my invite got lost in the mail):

Dave Grohl is this year’s Record Store Day ambassador.

James Franco will star in Hulu’s adaptation of 11/22/63.

Here’s New York Magazine’s original review of Saturday Night Live from 1975.

Jon Stewart’s retirement announcement cost Viacom $350 million in one day.

Macauly Culkin still greets Catherine O’Hara, his Home Alone mom, by calling her mommy.

The new cast of Ghostbusters hung out at the SNL 40^th anniversary event:

Tom Hanks and Justin Bieber are appearing in a Carly Rae Jepson music video.

Many museum events are planned to celebrate the final season of Mad Men.

Joel Kinnaman may replace Tom Hardy in Suicide Squad.

Bieber also picked up the check for a bunch of NYPD officers. The rehabilitation campaign has begun.

A Game of Thrones version of Monopoly is coming.

Drake pulled a Beyoncé and dropped a surprise album – perhaps to get out of his contract.

Watch Beyonce’s killer tribute to Stevie Wonder:

https://vimeo.com/119815910

Miles Teller has joined Jonah Hill in Arms and The Dudes.

Jack White has written an open letter about “the guacamole incident.”

Jake Gyllenhaal to play “the Cocaine Cowboy” Max Mermelstein in an upcoming biopic.

LEGO unveils their Jurassic Park play set.

Next week’s episode of Modern Family was shot entirely on iPhones and IPads.

Time for some trailers:

Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone in Aloha:

Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in The Man from U.N.C.L.E:

A red band trailer for Amy Schumer’s movie, Trainwreck:

Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in Hot Pursuit:

A new trailer for House of Cards:

Tom Hiddleston in Crimson Peak:

Insurgent:

A teaser for Justin Bieber’s Comedy Central roast:

A trailer for Bjork’s MOMA exhibit:

A trailer for the new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians:

Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke in Regression:

A teaser for Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens:

Billy Crystal and Josh Gad in The Comedians:

Billy Bob Thornton and Alfred Molina have joined Tina Fey’s comedy based on the memoir The Taliban Shuffle.

A Philadelphia Café created a Broad City inspired brunch menu. Road Trip!

American Horror Story’s Jamie Brewer became the first woman with Down syndrome to walk the New York Fashion Week runway.

AC/DC are going out on tour.

To celebrate his first year as host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon is getting a new Ben and Jerry’s flavor:

TBS has canceled Ground Floor.

Don’t worry about Skylar Astin – he’s already found a new gig.

Hellboy is getting his own beer.

Jeff Bridges will star in The Emperor’s Children adaptation.

There’s an online petition for Nicolas Cage to host SNL.

Drea de Matteo is headed to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In other S.H.I.E.L.D. news, Adrianne Palicki is promoted to series regular.

Bill Murray tells the sad story of the last time he saw Gilda Radner.

This Up fan received a pretty sweet dog house:

Cinemax has renewed Banshee for a 4^th season.

Rob Lowe will star in Fox’s comedy The Grinder. I assume they don’t mean the app, though that would be an interesting show.

A brief history of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Marion Cotillard has joined the Assassin’s Creed movie.

The Hallmark Channel plans to air the Kitten Summer Games.

Chris Martin will curate the Global Citizen Festival for the next 15 years.

Pharrell Willians to write a children’s book based on the song “Happy.”

Disney is incorporating Star Wars days on their cruises.

There is a conspiracy theory about The Simpsons involving Homer being in a coma the last 20 years:

An oral history of the summer Bill Murray played minor league baseball.

Darren Criss (Glee) will take over the lead in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in April.

You can now buy Millennium Falcon guitars on Etsy.

One of the actors from Minority Report (the movie) that is not named Tom Cruise will appear on Minority Report (the TV series).

Good news – Margo Martindale will return to The Americans during season 3.

Comedy Central is bringing The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail back for a 2^nd season.

Jorge Garcia (Lost) has joined the cast of Adam Sandler’s Ridiculous Six.

NBC has ordered a pilot for Ken Jeon’s medical comedy.

Dave Bautista in talks to play Kurgan in the Highlander reboot.

Robert Downey Jr. almost starred in the 90s movie Wild Things (yup – the one with Neve Campbell and Denise Richards)

Laverne Cox has been cast in a legal drama pilot for CBS. I wonder what this means for Orange is the New Black.

Scarface as an 8-bit video game:

Betsey Brandy (Marie, Breaking Bad) has joined a CBS pilot.

Passion Pit released not one, but two new singles last week.

Nick Hornby is writing his first TV show for BBC One.

Ever wonder what happened to Marcel the monkey from Friends? He’s modeling with Kendall Jenner.

Mark Wahlberg is collaborating with the execs from Entourage on a new comedy for HBO.

Someone has released four previously unheard Spice Girl demos.

A deleted scene from The Interview featured Guy Fieri solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Jimmy Kimmel fires Cookie Monster:

TNT has renewed The Librarians for another season.

Interstellar is returning to select theaters this weekend with new behind-the-scenes footage.

A Wimpy Kid musical will premiere in Minneapolis.

An oral history of the evolution of The Upright Citizens Brigade.

Charlie McDermott (The Middle) has joined a CBS pilot.

Tony Hale to appear in Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip. Tony Hale needs to fire his agent.

ABC is considering an Uncle Buck remake with an all-black cast.

Weird Al videobombed Gwen Stefani on the Grammy red carpet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by “Weird Al” Yankovic (@alfredyankovic)

Sky Ferreira, Nicholas Cage and Elijah Wood to appear in an indie crime thriller.

A new comedy, Schitt’s Creek, on Pop network is a reboot of Green Acres.

John Carroll Lynch and Annie Potts will star in a pilot for ABC Family.

Instagram of the week: Hot Dudes Reading.

Terry Crews dropped by Sesame Street:

Mickey Rourke once shushed Anna Faris’ baby on a plane.

NBC has renewed Celebrity Apprentice.

Pink got naked for a PETA billboard.

#AlexFromTarget is no longer a Target employee.

Is Rock Band making a comeback?

Amber Rose and Khloe Kardashian are having a Twitter fight.

Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) is pregnant with her first child.

Jimmy Fallon shares a photo of new daughter Franny:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon)

Sad week for journalists: Bob Simon (60 Minutes) and David Carr (The New York Times) both passed away.

Bond villain and Gigi star Louis Jourdan passed away at 93.

Leslie Gore, singer of “It’s My Party” and “You Don’t Own Me” has died.

Gary Owens, the announcer on Laugh-In, passed away.

Pamela Anderson will divorce Rick Salomon for a third time.

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney are engaged.

Lena Headey is pregnant.

Benedict Cumberbatch got Cumberhitched on Valentine’s Day.

As always we end with the supercuts and mashups…

Here’s a supercut of Daffy Duck laughing:

All the kills from the Keanu Reeves movie John Wick:

Y’all knew it was going to happen – Beck mashed up with Kanye:

And just to round things out – Beck mashed up with Beyoncé:

A reggae Whiplash parody:

Spider-Man and The Avengers hang out in this mashup:

Sam Smith’s “I’m Not The Only One” mashed up with Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”

A supercut of the early roles of 2015 Oscar nominees:

Every “Kane” from Citizen Kane:

Dr. Phil with just the reaction shots:

And finally, in honor of The Breakfast Club’s 30^th anniversary, a montage of 80s teen movies:

February 19, 2014 by heather7180

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Jimmy Took Over The Tonight Show Edition

It finally happened – Jay Leno (hopefully) went off into the sunset and blog favorite Jimmy Fallon took over the reins of The Tonight Show. I’ve only been able to see one show so far, but I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen. He seems to be keeping the same general show that he had when he was doing Late Night, which I think is a good thing. I’ll just be happy when he finally takes over his real time slot – starting the show at midnight to accommodate the Olympics is just late enough that I can’t justify staying up to watch it live. I cannot tell you how nervous I was watching the first show of his Tonight Show tenure; I think I would have been less nervous if I was up there telling jokes.

But the succession in late night isn’t the only thing that has been going on in the world of pop culture; despite the long shadow that the Olympics has shined over the landscape, a lot has been happening in the last two weeks. While you’ve been busy watching curling, I’ve been compiling all the links that you might have missed. So here’s your biweekly cheat sheet on some of the stories that you might have missed:

In honor of the man of the hour, here are 39 facts about Fallon. Please note the mention of College of St. Rose, which I drive by every day on my way to work.

See a 17 year old Jimmy in his first stand up performance:

Here’s Jimmy’s Saturday Night Live audition:

The Tonight Show is off to a good start with 7.1 rating.

Joan Rivers broke her decades long ban by appearing on The Tonight Show during Jimmy’s first show.

What does Conan think of all this? Classy as always:

Showtime has renewed Shameless and House of Lies.

This perk alone is worth becoming president – Obama has requested advance episodes of True Detective and Game of Thrones.

Jon Heder will play Jane Kaczmarek’s son in a FOX pilot.

A Fraggle Rock spinoff is coming to Hulu.

This has real potential: Gillian Flynn and David Fincher are teaming up for an HBO series.

I love this profile of Mr. Rogers from Esquire.

Indy darling Greta Gerwig has signed on to star in the HIMYM spinoff.

Cee Lo Green will not be returning to The Voice.

Ellen Page gave a moving coming out speech at the Human Rights Campaign conference.

Well this will be awesome – The Simpsons are doing an all-LEGO episode in May.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon are fans of Mean Girls.

Chris Pratt and Danny McBride are rumored to be in talks for a Knight Rider movie.

Could HBO’s Rome return from the dead?

The Rock’s football series at HBO has been picked up to series. HOORAY!

Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) wrote a movie for Kanye West. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

I did surprisingly terrible on this Oscar quiz.

A start date and a title for John Oliver’s new show at HBO have been announced.

Stephen Colbert is now the First Lady of France:

His logic is flawless.

Revenge is getting a graphic novel prequel.

For those about to rock, AC/DC are working on a new album.

There is an Adventure Time cookbook.

FOX’s Gotham just got a hell of a lot more interesting with the addition of Donal Logue and Benjamin McKenzie.

Topher Grace has launched a blog.

Romany Malco will star in Kevin Hart’s ABC pilot.

What would a Sons of Anarchy video game look like?

HBO has renewed Getting On.

Of course, I love this infographic guide to dating Seinfeld:

There will be a mini-Seinfeld reunion on TV Land’s Kirstie, which is still not enough to get me to watch Kirstie.

Y’all know I love Jerry, but his claiming that The LEGO Movie stole one of his jokes is some pretty weak sauce. Twitter landed some good burns however.

Check out Walter White’s Facebook Look Back video:

A woman was jailed for failing to return a VHS copy of Monster-in-Law nine years ago. That is not a movie worth going to jail for.

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester allegedly pulled off a secret wedding.

TBS ordered a pilot from Conan, starring comic Jimmy Pardo.

Will there be a surprise villain in the new Captain America movie?

Will Ferrell launches a female-focused film and TV production company.

This is a potentially fascinating development – are Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o dating?

ABC has cancelled Ravenswood.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s “atrocious singing voice” cost him a role in Moulin Rouge.

There is just so much to love in the Kraft mac and cheese ad:

Vanilla Ice as a stock boy? TOTALLY believable.

Stevie Nicks has written some Game of Thrones inspired poetry.

Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) will star in the ABC pilot Selfie.

Rose McIver will replace Kiernan Shipka in Lifetime’s follow up to Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind.

Richard E. Grant and Anna Chancellor will appear on the next season of Downton Abbey.

Jim Parsons will host SNL.

Fred Armisen will be the band leader on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Here’s a look at Meyers’ first week of guests. The revamped Late Night debuts next week.

Haley Joel Osment will be in the Entourage movie.

John Travolta has allegedly had meetings about playing a Bond villain in the future.

Berlin has a Big Lebowski themed bar.

Prepare to have your mind blown: The mom of the creator of the show Terriers (R.I.P. – gone too soon) owns the terrier that won the Westminster Dog Show.

Lots of people will return for Pitch Perfect 2.

Cristin Milioti has landed a pilot at NBC.

Comedy legend Sid Caesar passed away. See Conan and Mel Brooks pay tribute:

We also lost Shirley Temple when she died at the age of 85. I had to laugh at her (unexpected) response to being asked to appear on The Simpsons.

Alyson Hannigan has already line up her post HIMYM project.

I don’t think that the reboot did that well at the theater, but here’s 26 things that you might not have known about the original Robocop.

I’m bummed that this Sherlock exhibit isn’t coming to the area.

I was so sad to hear about the passing of John Henson, puppeteer and son of Jim Henson.

CBS is considering another CSI spinoff.

James Franco is making a movie about the making of The Room.

Norman Reedus will star in a sci fi thriller Air, produced by Robert Kirkman.

The six degrees of Quentin Tarantino.

EW rounds up the references in The LEGO Movie.

If you enjoyed the movie as much as I did, you’ll get a kick out of The LEGO Movie “blooper” reel:

Ride Along 2 is happening.

Alec Baldwin will guest star on Law & Order: SVU.

Aaron Paul momentarily was laying low, but now he’s back to his awesome self, hanging out at the Cheers bar in Boston.

David Crosby underwent heart surgery and has postponed his tour.

The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be on Netflix.

John Leguizamo joins The Good Wife.

Karen O will perform at the Oscars.

They are going to reboot Stephen King’s IT.

CBS has announced the midseason premiere dates for new shows Bad Teacher and Unforgettable.

See Will Arnett read school closings as Batman:

The metal band And Still I Rise features two actors that were on Days of Our Lives.

Pushing Daisies may become a musical.

Scrubs may also head to Broadway. TV shows aren’t cancelled – they just become fodder for musicals.

You can stream Beck’s new album over at NPR.

After a lot of hullabaloo and speculation, Vanity Fair has decided not to run their Gwyneth Paltrow article.

Amazon has renewed Alpha House for a second season.

A visual guide to who owns the movie rights to various Marvel characters:

The star of the National Geographic reality show, Snake Salvation, died from a snake bite. That’s some M. Night Shyamalan stuff right there – who saw THAT coming?

A full list of the BAFTA winners (aka the British Oscars).

Someone created a YouTube channel where they remove Michelle from episodes of Full House.

See Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Ryu from Street Fighter in this clip from The Pete Holmes Show:

In a desperate attempt to stay relevant, VH-1 has ordered a naked dating show.

Chicago’s WGN is developing a series about the later years of Eliot Ness.

TNT has cancelled Mob City.

Channing Tatum has a bust of Matthew McConaughey. I absolutely need one of these for my living room.

If you are caught up on Game of Thrones (or don’t mind spoilers), check out this wedding cake inspired by the show.

Elaine Stritch dropped a F-bomb on The Today Show.

Mary-Louise Parker may be returning to the small screen.

The guys behind Catfish are adapting the YA novel Nerve.

Nike will make the power laces featured in Back to the Future.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon make fun of each other for charity.

I still can’t decide how I feel about Drake, but his temper tantrum about the cover of Rolling Stone doesn’t add to the plus column.

Conan O’Brien is bringing his show to Dallas in April. Might be time to plan a visit to the Big D.

Michael Keaton confirms that he is in talks for Beetlejuice 2.

30 Rock’s Katrina Bowden has joined TNT’s crime drama Public Morals.

Check out this Parenthood/Friday Night Lights crossover on this NBC webseries:

A movie about the Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy romance is in the works.

I think my desk needs some of these new action figures from The Goonies, Pulp Fiction and Back to the Future.

Cameron Crowe’s next movie will be released at Christmas.

Stephen King will release a new book in November.

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias will bring The Fluffy Movie to theaters this summer.

An interview with the creators of the video game featured in Her.

Esquire has a story on The Warriors.

While I’m still very bummed about Derek Jeter’s retirement, you have to admit that his dating history is pretty dang impressive:

Even I am not immune to the charms of the Jamaican bobsled team and their theme song.

Wait – it THIS what I’m missing by not watching the Olympics? A Swedish skier paid tribute to ODB by yelling “Wu-Tang is for the children.” I may have to reconsider my hardnosed stance.

If for some reason you want to learn the dance from the beach episode of Girls, there’s a tutorial for that.

Ron Howard is in talks to direct The Jungle Book.

Tumblrs of the week: 90s Figure Skating and Shoshi Games.

Will Forte’s pilot has been picked up to series by FOX.

J.K. Rowling is writing another book as Robert Galbraith. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

The Murder, She Wrote reboot may be dead (ha!), but Octavia Spencer already landed another pilot.

If at first you don’t succeed……Charlie Sheen is engaged to a porn star. What could possibly go wrong? For those playing along at home, this will be Sheen’s 4^th trip down the aisle.