Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Game of Thrones is Coming Edition

I can’t believe it – a new season of Game of Thrones finally debuts this weekend. I’ve been waiting forever and it felt like a lifetime since I’ve last been spending some time in Westeros.  I had lofty plans of re-watching the first six season to help pass the time, but that somehow never happened. But I am so freaking excited to have this show back in my life, even if it is for a shortened season. Lately I have kind of dreaded Sunday nights because that meant mentally preparing myself for facing another week of work, so I’m glad to have something that will make my end of weekend transition more enjoyable. Whatever fresh hell my co-workers have cooked up will pale in comparison to the pending encroachment of White Walkers.

So while I quickly refresh my memory on where we left everyone last season, you can refresh your pop culture knowledge with this week’s roundup.

Television

• George R.R. Martin will produce a fantasy drama for HBO.
• The season 7 Game of Thrones death odds are here – and things don’t look good for my favorite character.
• For your Game of Thrones viewing party, learn how to make foods from the show (including Dothraki Blood Pie).
• Someone did the math on how much it would actually cost to ship redacted’s army on Game of Thrones.
• There will be a Game of Thrones touring exhibition.
• A Game of Thrones cast member was almost fired for revealing her role on the show.
• This is not a drill – Curb Your Enthusiasm returns October 1^st.
• Christina Hendricks will star alongside Retta and Mae Whitman in Good Girls for NBC.
• Not a good sign – the Sons of Anarchy spinoff is being reshot and recast.
• American Horror Story season 7 will see the return of a villain from an earlier season.
• Ava DuVernay will team up with Netflix for a limited series on The Central Park Five.
• Netflix has ordered a series based on The Umbrella Academy graphic novels.
• Outlander will return September 10.
• Michael C. Hall is set to star in Netflix’s eight-part drama, Safe.
• Erica Durance will replace Laura Benanti on Supergirl.
• Erinn Hayes will star in Bryan Cranston’s Amazon comedy, The Dangerous Book for Boys.
• A The L Word sequel series is in development at Showtime.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving will play Benedict Cumberbatch’s parents on Showtime’s Melrose.
• Bill Skarsgard can’t get enough of Stephen King and joins the cast of the Hulu series Castle Rock. Skarsgard will star as Pennywise in the upcoming film adaptation of King’s It.
• Natalie Zea joins the cast of Jay Pharoah’s Showtime comedy.
• Selma Blair joins the cast of the Heathers TV series in a recurring role.
• Stranger Things 2 will be influenced by the CIA’s mind control program.
• Milana Vayntrub has been cast as Squirrel Girl in the New Warriors series.
• Lucy Liu will direct the season 2 premiere of Luke Cage.
• The second season of Luke Cage will feature a new vigilante and a new villain.
• BoJack Horseman returns in September.
• UPROXX ranks the worst times the gang screwed over Rickety Cricket on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
• Olivia Munn signs on for the second season of History’s SIX.
• Michael Kosta is the newest correspondent for The Daily Show.
• CBS will air the animated special Michael Jackson’s Halloween this year.
• John Cho joins that cast of The Exorcists for the second season.
• Empire and Star will crossover this Fall.
• A new Friends fan theory questions if it was all dream.
• SyFy announced their Sharknado week movie schedule.
• The Oxygen channel will become all true crime, all the time.
• Steven Soderbergh reveals what a third season of The Knick would have looked like.
• Hulu will now offer HBO and Cinemax as add-on subscriptions.
• Andy Garcia will play Ricardo Montaban in HBO’s My Dinner With Herve.

Movies

• Quentin Tarantino’s next movie will allegedly be about the Manson Family murders.
• John Oliver joined the cast of the live-action Lion King.
• Barry Jenkins will direct an adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk.
• Daniel Craig will reportedly return as James Bond.
• HBO will debut a documentary this fall about Steve Spielberg.
• Charlize Theron would be down to star in a Mad Max: Fury Road prequel movie. Let’s make this happen!
• The Wonder Woman sequel will reportedly find Diana squaring off with the Soviets during the Cold War.
• Renee Zellweger and Common will join Sarah Jessica Parker in the romantic drama Best Day of My Life.
• Marvel has released a new look at Evangeline Lilly’s costume for Ant-Man and The Wasp.
• Randall Park has joined the cast of Ant-Man and The Wasp.
• Samuel L. Jackson will appear in Captain Marvel.
• Edgar Wright and James Gunn coordinated the soundtracks to their respective movies so there would be no overlap.
• A Wayne’s World 25^th anniversary event was held in Aurora, Illinois.
• Judy Greer joins Clint Eastwood’s new film, the biopic The 15:17 To Paris.
• Could Ivan Drago appear in Creed 2?
• Jeremy Renner broke both his arms while filming Tag.
• Taran Killam’s film Killing Gunther will debut in October.
• Johnny Depp passed on Face/Off because he was bummed it wasn’t a hockey movie. I have no idea why that amuses me so much, but it does.

Trailers

• Ozark:

 

• The Deuce:

 

• The Dark Tower:

 

• Dunkirk:

 

• Fun Mom Dinner:

 

• Bella Appétit:

 

• Will & Grace:

 

• California Typewriter:

 

• The final season of Episodes:

 

• Vice Principals, season 2:

 

• Kidnap:

 

• Goon: Last of the Enforcers:

 

• Lemon:

 

• Final Portrait:

 

• What Would Diplo Do:

 

• Icarus:

 

Music

• JAY-Z is going out on tour in support of 4:44.
• Chance The Rapper did a Tiny Desk Concert.
• Dr. Dre dropped a new song.
• Waka Flocka Flame danced with his sign language interpreter.
• Brittany Howard has a new band – Bermuda Triangle.
• Wiz Khalifa has taken the title for most watched YouTube video of all time from Psy.
• Tyler, the Creator has a very interesting name for his new album.

Books

• Actor Curtis Armstrong is writing a memoir, Revenge of the Nerd.

Theater

• Cirque du Soliel has merged with Blue Man Group.
• Listen to the full cast album of The Lightning Thief: The Perry Jackson Musical.
• The Seattle Repertory Theatre is doing a grunge musical.

Odds and Ends

• The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) has actually registered to run for president.
• Rooney Mara had her first slice of pie at 31 years old. How is that possible?!?
• Gavin Russom of LCD Soundsystem has come out as transgender.
• The man who has voiced Kermit The Frog since Jim Henson’s death has left the Muppets family.
• Donal Logue’s daughter has returned home safely after going missing for two weeks.
• Bill Murray and his brothers are opening a Caddyshack­-themed restaurant near Chicago.
• Lauren Conrad and husband William Tell welcomed a baby boy.
• Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger are engaged.
• Shia LaBeouf has been arrested. Again.
• Blac Chyna has been granted a restraining order against Rob Kardashian.
• Bill Cosby’s new sexual-assault trial will start in November.
• Migos was kicked of a Delta flight, but there is no consensus on why.
• Billie Lourd and Taylor Lautner have split.
• Joan Lee, wife of Stan Lee, has died. She was 95.
• Actor Nelsan Ellis, best known as Lafayette on True Blood, died from heart failure related to complications from alcohol withdrawal. He was 39 years old.

Mashups and Supercuts

• Kit Harrington auditions for other Game of Thrones characters:

 

• The Muppets cover “Sabotage”:

 

• What if Jared from Silicon Valley was a serial killer:

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – On the DL Edition

http://waterfrontpgh.com/tag/pop-culture/

We’re now on day 4 of my stint on the disabled list due to a sprained ankle and I’m really pretty much over this injury. I am a pretty terrible patient and if I wasn’t trying to get myself healed up for my big weekend plans I probably wouldn’t be taking it as easy as I currently am. Of course, my idea of “taking it easy” is actually following instructions and even going so far as to take a sick day from work to rest up, but there seems to be progress in my recovery. I even let my mom bring me some groceries yesterday, which was a pretty big concession since I really don’t like having to ask for help. I’m also feeling well enough to overanalyze who has and has not been quick to check in on me and how I’m doing; that’s a good sign – that means I’m not in as much pain if I can read way too much into things.

But even a sprained ankle couldn’t keep me from getting you the pop culture roundup. Since I’ve had a lot of downtime, I was able to spend most of my recovery time searching high and low on the internet for stories that you might have missed in the last seven days. So while I remember to keep my leg elevated and iced throughout the day, enjoy the fruits of my labors with this week’s roundup.

• OMG you guys….HBO says that they are in early talks for a Deadwood movie!!!!

• More good news – NBC has extended Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show contract for six more years.

• Even MORE good news – Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are writing a Flight of the Conchords movie.

• Sesame Street is headed to HBO – but read about the deal before you freak out.

• Stephen Colbert penned a feminist – and funny – op-ed for Glamour.

• James Earl Jones will voice Mufasa in a new Lion King series. Rob Lowe and Gabrielle Union are also involved.

• Zach Galifianakis will play the Joker in LEGO Batman.

• Jon Stewart’s first post-Daily Show gig is hosting SummerSlam for the WWE.

• Stephen Colbert appeared on Howard Stern this week.

• Anne Hathaway is headed to TV.

• Evangeline Lilly increases speculation by revealing that she was fitted for The Wasp’s supersuit.

• Amy Schumer may team with 50/50 director Jonathan Levine for her next comedy.

• Rihanna will be joining The Voice as a key advisor.

• Tracy Morgan will return to host SNL on October 17^th. Miley Cyrus (Oct. 3) and Amy Schumer (Oct. 10) will also host.

• Benicio Del Toro confirms that he’s in consideration to play a villain in Star Wars: Episode VII.

• George R.R. Martin says that Game of Thrones will have a “bittersweet” ending, which I guess means figuring out what Martin’s idea of bittersweet is.

• Someone has assembled all the ways that Kenny was killed on South Park.

• Jimmy Fallon and Taraji P. Henson play “Fast Family Feud”:

 

• A Kurt Cobain solo album will drop in November.

• Common and Ne-Yo will also appear in NBC’s The Wiz Live!

• NBC is developing an Office-style workplace comedy set in the DC Comics universe.

• @midnight will air at 11 pm for two weeks in September. Adjust DVRs accordingly.

• CBS has landed the pilot for the Training Day TV series.

• IFC has renewed Documentary Now! before it has even debuted.

• Everyone seems to be getting along in late night, so of course Jay Leno has to come along and say Jimmy Kimmel has a mean streak.

• Cary Fukunaga explains why he left the It remake.

• NBC has comedies in the works from Tina Fey and Mike Schur, which they will then promptly ignore.

Time for some trailers……

• Bradley Cooper in Burnt:

 

• Matt Damon in The Martian:

 

• The first teaser for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah:

 

• Robert Pattison as James Dean in Life:

 

• Bryan Cranston in Trumbo:

 

• Doctor Who: Series 9:

 

• New promos for The Muppets:

 

 

• Manhattan season two:

 

• Sundance hit The Witch reveals its first trailer:

 

• The Flash, season 2:

 

• ABC’s Wicked City:

 

• Daniel Radcliffe in Victor Frankenstein:

 

• Netflix’s Narcos:

 

• Reese Witherspoon to produce and star in a supernatural thriller.

• London is having a Friends festival.

• Ellen is getting a new theme song courtesy of Pink.

• Dave Franco will return for Neighbors 2.

• Two librarians created the fictional dishes from the Harry Potter series.

• An early work of J.R.R. Tolkien will be published.

• A new animated short, Riley’s First Date, will accompany the October release on Inside Out on DVD and Blu-ray.

• This woman has turned her kitchen into a spot on recreation of The Simpsons.

• MTV’s Moonman Statue received a makeover:

• Han Solo will be a young adult in the upcoming spin-off movie.

• NBC insists that a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot is indeed happening.

• The Big Bang Theory is introducing yet another potential roadblock for Leonard and Penny.

• Jack Reacher 2 is likely happening. Colbie Smuthers in talks to co-star.

• Mission: Impossible 6 is also getting fast-tracked.

• Max Landis posted part of his Fantastic Four script.

• Ha-ha – people petitioned the White House to make Kanye West release his new album. Democracy in action.

• Rebecca Ferguson is in talks to star in The Girl on the Train film adaptation.

• David Oyelowo is the new James Bond……in an audiobook.

• Here’s a first look at Chris Hemsworth in the Ghostbusters reboot:

 

IF

• So many people were taking inappropriate photos with the Nicki Minaj figure at Madame Tussauds that it now has its own security guard.

• Maya Rudolph’s NBC variety show will return with a new co-host – Martin Short.

• Patrick Stewart confirms that he’ll be in Wolverine 3.

• The Steven Spielberg-produced Halo series is still happening.

• Here are the winners at the Teen Choice Awards.

• Parker Young is headed to Arrow.

• Downton Abbey fans will like this reunion on Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

Reunited. @thatdanstevens I've missed this face #bafta #LastDaysOfDownton #matthewandmary

A post shared by Michelle Dockery (@michelledockery) on Aug 12, 2015 at 6:04am PDT

 

• Is there a connection between Frozen and Tarzan?

• Meet your new favorite band: a Ned Flanders-themed metal band.

• Stephen Colbert and Kerry Washington will host the Global Citizen Festival.

• Tom Hardy is producing, and may star in, 100 Bullets.

• Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is now a beekeeper.

• Will Sasso will guest star on Shameless.

• Ariana Grande, Fall Out Boy and Kacey Musgraves will cover Disney hits for a new album.

• CBS is developing a single-cam comedy inspired by Facebook.

• Sounds like there will be a lot of villains appearing on Gotham this season.

• Watch Foo Fighter’s drummer Taylor Hawkins play in his 9^th grade battle of the bands.

• The Foo Fighters invited a fan on stage to sing “Tom Sawyer” and the dude totally killed it.

• Josh Groban sang Donald Trump tweets on Jimmy Kimmel Live!:

 

• A familiar face is interested in making an appearance on Kurt Sutter’s The Bastard Executioner.

• This post charts the numerous permutations of screenwriters who worked on The Flintstones film.

• E! is developing a The Jinx mockumentary starring Brian Dunkleman.

• His former American Idol co-host Ryan Seacrest will host NBC’s late night Olympics coverage.

• Michael Vartan will star in an E! series that sounds a lot like the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes romance.

• Hedwig and the Angry Inch will close on Broadway on September 13^th.

• Wired has mapped out all the time-defying road trips in the second season of True Detective.

• A first look at Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams:

• Bon Iver’s first live set in three years is available to watch online.

• Julia Roberts and Joan Baez are the latest members of Taylor Swift’s squad.

• Here’s a foolproof way to increase the size of your Chipotle burrito size by 86%.

• Comedy Central renewed Another Period for a second season.

• Adult Swim has renewed Rick and Morty for a third season.

• NBC’s next Dolly Parton project will be based on “Jolene.”

• Will Dolly reunite with her 9 to 5 co-stars on Grace and Frankie?

• Brad Pitt’s non-profit built 109 homes in post-Katrina New Orleans.

• The musical Waitress – based on the movie – will hit Broadway next spring.

• Bob Odenkirk has an idea for a series about a minor league baseball team. I’d watch that.

• Time to dust off my resume – NBC is looking for a new host of Celebrity Apprentice.

• Rumors of a Jay Z diss track of Tupac are apparently true.

• Rolling Stone crowns Bob Dylan the greatest songwriter of all time.

• J.K. Simmons and Terry Bradshaw will join the comedy Bastards.

• The Bill Nye movie is now the most funded documentary ever on Kickstarter.

• Amy Schumer, Bill Hader and I all have something in common – Sitting in clogs:

 

 

• Repeats of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show are returning to TV.

• Aaron Eckhart has joined the cast of the Captain Sully movie.

• All the times NFL players dropped by The League.

• Dolph Lundgren is filming a sequel to Kindergarten Cop.

• Patrick Fischler will play Paget Brewster’s brother on Grandfathered.

• Laurie Holden has quit NBC’s Chicago Med.

• This week in pop culture real estate: Buffalo Bill’s house from Silence of the Lambs is on the market.

• Mike Rowe almost was the original host of The Daily Show.

• Eater looks at “the boozy underbelly of Saturday morning cartoons.”

• Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl sign up for Unforgettable.

• The days of free Spotify may be numbered.

• Here’s some facts about Metallica that you might not have known.

• Beyoncé is on the cover of the September issue of Vogue:

View this post on Instagram

There’s only one September Issue, and there’s only one @beyonce. Click the link in our bio to see more from inside the cover. Photographed by @mariotestino, styled by @tonnegood.

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Aug 13, 2015 at 3:21am PDT

 

• Michael Bolton (yup – THAT Michael Bolton) is going to star in a “Three’s Company-style sitcom” pilot for ABC.

• The upcoming off-Broadway Dexter musical will cover all 8 seasons of the show.

• The creator of Rectify – the best show you are not watching – says the drama may end its run sooner rather than later.

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen reboot will actually focus on women.

• Brit Morgan will play Livewire on Supergirl.

• Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ethan Embry are efforting a Can’t Hardly Wait reunion movie.

• Amy Poehler’s stand-in on Parks and Recreation has written about the experience.

• The chairman of NBC says that if the Coach reboot does well, an ALF reboot might be next.

• Sense8 actor Alfonso Herrera will star in the Urban Cowboy TV series.

• Syfy has announced premiere dates for Childhood’s End and The Expanse.

• Syfy has also cancelled Haven.

•  This is an actual video released by the Philadelphia police department; it might seem familiar:

 

• Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has written some songs for a Broadway play.

• Snoop Dogg’s son Cordell has quit the UCLA football team.

• Congrats to Billy Joel and wife Alexis on the birth of their baby girl.

• A happy belated 70^th birthday to the great Steve Martin.

• Julianne Hough is engaged to NHL player Brooks Laich.

• Morgan Freeman’s step-granddaughter died after a stabbing in NYC.

• Harry Connick Jr.’s oldest daughter got arrested over the weekend.

• Ex-Subway ptichman Jared Fogle is somehow even grosser than originally rumored.

• R.I.P. Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl.

• Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green are allegedly the latest celebrity couple to split.

As always, we end with the mashups and supercuts….

• District 9 gets the 8-bit treatment:

 

• What if Werner Herzong directed Ant-Man?:

 

• Bern Your Enthusiasm:

 

• “Seven Nation Army” gets a vintage New Orleans dirge cover:

 

• Another cover –Jane Lynch covers “Anaconda”:

 

• 100 TV theme songs on guitar:

 

• The Hateful Eight vs The Thing:

 

• What if True Detective was a sitcom?

 

• Game of Thrones will the Sesame Street theme song:

 

• And finally, The Muppets cover N.W.A:

 

 

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Happy Thanksgiving Edition

Hooray – it’s almost Thanksgiving, though honestly I am more excited about the 4 day weekend than the actual holiday. I’ve been running around way too much in the last week and I really just need a few days to relax and get myself back on track. I’m looking forward to just sleeping in and taking it easy and watching a shameful number of movies. I’ll enjoy the turkey dinner and the moment to reflect on all that I’m thankful for (which is a lot), but I’m really ready for some R&R. The last two weeks have kicked my butt.

Before you head off to spend some time with your loved ones and eat some stuffing, get yourself up to speed on the world of pop culture with your biweekly pop culture roundup. It’s on the long side this week, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied over the long weekend. Plus you never know when you’ll have to make small talk with a relative and there is a little bit of something for everyone in this roundup. So pour over this collection of links before the tryptophan kicks in.

• GQ has a great interview with Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad.

• Someone indexed every death in the Game of Thrones books (so far):

• Whew – Paramount will block the proposed It’s a Wonderful Life sequel. There is a God

• NOOOOOO!!!!!!!! They are remaking Road House. It has better include the line “I used to f*ck guys like you in prison” or it will be complete sacrilege.

This week in Ron Burgundy news:

• Great news – Paramount has moved up the release date for the film by two days.

• Will Ferrell will host the 6pm episode of SportsCenter on ESPN December 6^th – in character.

• The Channel 4 gang sang “Afternoon Delight” at the Australian premiere:

 

• 12 fun facts from a visit to the Anchorman 2 edit bay.

• Hot Topic is turning Black Friday into Burgundy Friday.

• I’m actually super bummed that I won’t see this – Burgundy will call a pro curling event in Winnipeg.

• Emerson University renamed their communication school after Burgundy – for one day.

• Burgundy took over Conan last week and sang a campaign song for Toronto Mayor and crack enthusiast Rob Ford:

 

• Ron Burgundy tries to understand Doctor Who.

• There was a live reading of the original Anchorman to raise money for charity.

• Baxter got his own movie poster:

 

• I wrote earlier this week about an unexpected death on Family Guy; fans didn’t take the development well and 40,000 of them have signed a petition demanding the character be brought back.

• The new Britney Spears album is streaming on iTunes.

• This article looks at how Friends decided to pair off Monica and Chandler.

• The Mindy Project is going on hiatus due to low ratings. Other shakeups at FOX – Dads has been removed from the schedule despite receiving a full season order and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is moving to 9:30 (in The Mindy Project’s old slot).

• The Monty Python reunion show sold out in 43 seconds. The gang is now doing 5 shows instead of just one.

• The actor that plays King Joffrey says he’s retiring from acting once he’s done on Game of Thrones.

• Bruce Springsteen is releasing a new album in January 2014. Happy day!

• EW looks at 12 big changes made in the film adaptation of Catching Fire.

• The forthcoming The Walking Dead spinoff may be a prequel.

• Netflix is bringing back The Killing for one more season. This show has nine lives!

• FXX has struck a deal that will allow episodes of The Simpsons from the first 24 seasons to be streamed on-line.

• This isn’t a pairing I would have come up with: Oprah and Diablo Cody are working on a new HBO comedy.

• This one is for my mom: FOX Japan is going to air the first 10 season of NCIS non-stop and in order over 10 days.

• Stevie Nicks is apparently having a good time over on American Horror Story: Coven since she is sticking around for another week.

• Sadly, Jessica Lange will be leaving the series after next season.

• Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will go on hiatus.

• Jeopardy! recently poked some fun at the Houston Astros’ terrible season in one of their answers.

• Chris Hemsworth and his wife are expecting baby number 2.

• Kelly Clarkson is pregnant.

• James Franco and Seth Rogan did a parody of Kanye’s video for “Bound 2”:

Surprisingly, Kim and Kanye (neither known for their killer sense of humor) apparently found it funny.

• The Hollywood Reporter did a lengthy eye-opening feature on the treatment of animals in Hollywood.

• George Takei is now in the fragrance game.

• The Heat may not be getting a sequel, but two minor characters will get a spinoff.

• Sigh…..CBS is going forward with How I Met Your Dad. That horse is dead – stop beating it.

• Winona Ryder indicated Beetlejuice 2 might happen.

• Anjelica Houston wants to be on Downton Abbey.

• Lauren Hill will perform her first show since being released from prison.

• Orphan Black returns in the US on April 19^th.

• FX has picked up The Strain for series.

• Arcade Fire is asking their fans to dress up for their new tour.

• Chris Brown has been sent to rehab.

• Outkast may reunite at Coachella this summer.

• Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are starring in a new special on E!

• Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA taught a class at the University of Toronto.

• Scarlett Johannsson’s voice work in the upcoming Spike Jonze film Her cannot be considered for a Golden Globe.

• An Underground Railroad miniseries is coming to FX.

• In a Q&A with Chef Mario Batali, he revealed that he ordered 200 pairs of orange Crocs when he heard that they were retiring his signature footwear.

• The person behind the Seinfeld 2000 Twitter account made a music video for Arcade Fire’s song “Here Comes the Night Time.”

• AMC has ordered two new drama pilots.

• The Purge 2 will be released June 2014.

• Zach Braff may have pulled off the greatest photobomb of all time:

• A Star Wars burlesque show now exists.

• Sutton Foster and Amy Sherman-Palladino are reuniting for a Broadway show. (R.I.P. Bunheads)

• Once Upon a Time has cast an actor from Covert Affairs for a guest role.

• Watch Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul read the Breaking Bad finale for the first time (spoilers if you aren’t current):

 

• Wilmer Valderrama has joined the cast of the From Dusk Till Dawn TV show.

• Dave Chappelle sat down for a rare interview with a local news station in Minneapolis.

• You can watch the pilots of HBO’s new comedies Ja’mie: Private School Girl and Getting On online.

• A&E has officially renewed Longmire for a third season, which makes me happy.

• You can explore Middle Earth in Google Maps.

• For those of you that can’t get enough of Jennifer Lawrence (and who can?), here’s a photo of her in junior high.

• Mad Max: Fury Road will be released in 2015.

• Adam Brody (The O.C.) and Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) are engaged.

• I wish this is had happened when I was just there – a kid dressed up like Harry Potter and tried to find the Hogwarts Express in Penn Station.

• Wait….George Brett had something to do with Lorde’s hit song “Royals?”

• Batkid is back on the case, this time rescuing Pitbull from the Joker on Good Morning America.

• Tori Amos is releasing a new album and going out on tour in 2014.

• U2 has released a new song for the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

• Kanye West may have another album by next summer.

• Something to buy your favorite Game of Thrones fan for the holidays: A Dragon Egg Cookie Jar.

• Well here’s a headline you don’t see every day: “Photo of Rick Springfield’s Buttocks Shown to Jury, Which Start Deliberating Today in Injury Lawsuit.”

• I’m not a Doctor Who fan, but the series was honored with a Google Doodle last week in honor of its fiftieth anniversary.

• The Doctor Who 50^th anniversary special drew 10 million viewers in the UK.  The special also had plenty of Easter eggs for the die-hard fans.

• USA network has cancelled Necessary Roughness.

• More Doctor Who: The BBC created an interactive map that allows fans to explore the time travel adventures of all 11 Doctors.

• The surviving members of the Beastie Boys penned an open letter explain their dispute with toymaker GoldieBlox. Their song “Girls” has since been pulled from the commercial.

• Willie Nelson’s tour has been put on hold after a bus accident involving his band.

• James Franco and Chris O’Dowd are on their way to Broadway.

• Wiz Khalifa and Adele are collaborating? Interesting.

• According to this graphic, many Sesame Street character have mental disorders.

• Once Upon a Time co-stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas are expecting a baby.

• Jon Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift and Prince William performed “Livin’ on a Prayer” at a gala.

• Anna Gunn and Jacki Weaver will appear in the U.S. adaptation of Broadchurch.

• You can now watch a short film, Aningaaq, which sheds light on the other side of Sandra Bullock’s call in Gravity.

• I like The Vampire Diaries, but all the relationships can be confusing. TV Guide has a relationship roadmap for the show to help keep everything straight.

• Watch Robert DeNiro’s audition for the role of Sonny in The Godfather:

 

• Empire has a Q&A with George R.R. Martin, who should spend less time giving interviews and more time finishing the damn book series.

• Well….that was short lived – MSNBC fired Alec Baldwin.

• Lifetime has renewed Witches of East End.

• Comedy Central has picked up @midnight for 40 more weeks.

• The Friday the 13^th franchise will release a new film in 2015. True story – though I am a horror fan, I’ve never seen any of these movies.

• Kevin Spacey gave Woody Allen a Netflix subscription.

• Pitbull and Ke$ha co-star in a new music video:

 

• Sadly, Angelina Jolie did not buy Brad Pitt a heart shaped island for his 50^th birthday.

• Tumblrs of the week: Upworthy: Springfield and Histagrams

• The Broadway musical Matilda is headed to the big screen.

• Patton Oswalt’s new comedy special will air in January on Epix.

• Javier Bardem offered Blackbeard role in Peter Pan origin movie.

• This is fantastic – a guy live tweeted a couple breaking up.

• Jennifer Love Hewitt got married and gave birth to a baby girl.

• Journey guitarist Neil Schon and White House crasher Michaele Salahi are getting married on pay-per-view. Don’t be giving Kimye ideas.

• Vulture has a roundup of all of Ruxin’s putdowns on The League.

• Frankie Munitz has suffered a second mini-stroke. The actor is 27 years old.

• Michael Chiklis is developing a TV show based on his comic book Pantheon. Show of hands – who knew Chiklis had a comic book? Me neither.

• I’m not one to tell people how to spend their money, but $27,000 for a Magic: The Gathering card seems like a bad investment.

• A J.R.R. Tolkien biopic is in development.

• Jimmy Fallon will host SNL in December with musical guest Justin Timberlake (shocker!)

• SyFy has bought the horror project The Woods from the co-creator of Chuck.

• Mad Men has a Christmas album, available only at Target.

• Flavorwire interviews Joel Hodgson on 25 years of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are developing the DC Comic’s Sleeper.

• Baz Luhrmann may direct a Napoleon miniseries for HBO.

• The A.V. Club looks at what it is like to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser.

Trailers:

• Every new trailer for HBO’s True Detective makes me more and more excited for this show:

 

• A teaser for the new Chicago Fire spin-off, Chicago PD:

 

• Sherlock Season 3:

 

• The obviously NSFW trailer has arrived from Lars von Trier’s upcoming film Nymphomaniac

 

• Season 3 trailer for HBO’s Girls:

 

• A trailer for Devil’s Knot – yet another film about the West Memphis Three:

 

• Another trailer for one of the movies I am most looking forward to this winter, American Hustle:

 

• Kellen Lutz stars in Hercules: The Legend Begins:

 

• A new trailer for Muppets Most Wanted:

 

• Wait….we’re getting another A Haunted House movie? Who asked for this?

• Norman Reedus (Daryl, The Walking Dead) will have a supporting role in The Crow reboot.

• ABC Family has released its 25 Days of Christmas schedule.

• An actor from Smash will be making a guest appearance on The Good Wife.

• Rolling Stone has a list of 50 things Millennials have never heard of.

• HBO is developing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon for series.

• Cary Elwes is writing a Princess Bride memoir. I’ll be reserving my copy ASAP.

• Some deleted scenes from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption:

 

• I always knew It’s Sunny in Philadelphia was ahead of its time. Does this mean kitten mittens are next?

• Whoa – Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle album was released 20 years ago. I am feeling old.

• The Wolverine sequel will be based on an existing comic book plotline.

• Mia Waskiowska and Johnny Depp are both returning for Alice in Wonderland 2.

• Sundance Channel may adapt A Visit From the Goon Squad.

• Aaron Paul has joined the cast of Fathers and Daughters (also starring Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried).

• Kevin Bacon’s daughter is Miss Golden Globes 2014.

• Clint Eastwood’s daughter married Jonah Hill’s brother and immediately wants an annulment.

• Boogie Nights almost went directly to video.

As always, we end with the mashups and supercuts:

• Mad Men without the smoking:

 

• Reaping Ball – a Hunger Games/Miley Cryrus mashup:

 

• The Wolf of Bedford Falls (It’s a Wonderful Life re-cut to look like The Wolf of Wall Street):

 

• A Rob Ford/New Jack City remix:

 

• A Rob Ford/Chris Farley mashup (Farley would have been amazing playing Ford on SNL):

 

• Team Coco put together a supercut of season 3 of Conan:

 

• The Sesame Street gang did a Hunger Games parody:

 

• And finally……a Dawson’s Creek/The Walking Dead mashup, Governor’s Creek:

 

The blog is probably going to take a few days off for the holidays, unless I just can’t help myself. Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!!!!