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(02/28/11 11:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Oscar broadcast was so dull on Sunday night, we had to do something to keep ourselves busy. So members of the WEEKEND staff and former editor Cory Barker participated in a live chat throughout the ceremony.We racked up over 500 comments and an additional 100 reader comments throughout the agonizing four hour broadcast.For those of you who missed it, enjoy this sampling of some of the Greatest Hits of our live chat a la AV Club.As Scarlet Johannson is being interviewed on the red carpet:
Cory Barker: ScarJo's date is walking around daring someone to ask him who the hell he is.
As Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway enter the stage
following a pretty lame pre-recorded segment of them being included in
all the Best Picture nominees:
Matt Lyles : Franco smoked a joint while they were playing that. That's what all the smoke was.As the first award of the evening, art direction, goes to "Alice in Wonderland" over BWelk's pick in the category for the Outguess Ebert competition, "The King's Speech:" Brian Welk: WHAT ALREADY LOST MY $100,000!?As Kirk Douglas presents (eventually) the award for Best Supporting Actress:Cory Barker: Wasn't the goal of hiring the younger hosts to appeal to younger viewers? As the nominees for Best Supporting Actress are announced:Cory Barker: If you saw Animal Kingdom, I'll PayPal you a dollar. (Brian did)As BWelk goes 0-4 early on after "The Lost Thing" upsets Pixar's "Day and Night:"Brian Welk: How did the Academy not choose the one short
film that EVERYONE has seen? I'm not saying that based on quality but
simple technicality and logic. As Lee Unkrich gives his acceptance speech for "Toy Story 3" winning Best Animated Feature:Cory Barker: Hey Lee, you don't have to sell ANYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD about the awesomeness of Pixar. As Aaron Sorkin is announced as the winner for Best Adapted Screenplay:Cory Barker: [Enter Sorkin cocaine joke here.] As the music attempts to play Aaron Sorkin off stage:Mikel Kjell: Play him off keyboard cat.As Aaron Sorkin finally concludes his speech:Brian Welk: Good speech Sorkin. But Paddy Chayefsky's movie doesn't have Network in the title. The title IS Network. As they announce the nominees for Best Original Score and prepare to perform them live:Matt Lyles: How is a symphony going to play Trent Reznor?As "Inception" gets its first of three technical awards of the evening:Cory Barker: First thing I thought of when the INCEPTION title card hit at the end: That's some good fucking sound mixing. As the presenters continue to trudge through Sound Editing and Mixing:Cory Barker: Were all presenters required to take and subsequently fail a drug test? As the "Inception" train kept rolling:Cory Barker: I love how the last two winners have made sure to point out Nolan's awesomeness as to tell the Academy to go fuck themselves. After an awful auto-tuned version of "Harry Potter 7," "The Social Network" and "Twilight: Eclipse."Cory Barker: So that was this year's Ben Stiller in a terrible costume, right? As a certain African American female media mogul announces the Best Documentary nominees: Brian Welk: Oprah's Banksy. As the cast of "Sherlock Holmes" presents the next category:Brian Marks: Is Jude Law still relevant?And the Instant Poll results: 40% Yes 40% No20% Who's Jude Law?As Billy Crystal makes the one slightly funny appearance of the evening:Cory Barker: Jesus, has Bill Crystal aged since 1992?Brian Marks: He runs on a nuclear powered core.As Jude Law continues to prove his relevance: Cory Barker: And apparently, Jude Law when makes jokes about RJD's past it's cool. When Gervais does it, it's awful. On "Inception" getting snubbed from the Film Editing category:Cory Barker: How stupid is it that Inception wasn't even nominated in this category? Brian Welk: The time shifts and perspective shifts in Social
Network are totally Rashomon. As riveting as 127 Hours was, this
deserves it. Although I am surprised the big action movie didn't get a
nod. Cory Barker: But Inception doesn't work without the editing. (of course, apparently I'm the only person in this chat that likes Inception.) Brian Welk: Well, no movie "works" without the editing.Cory Barker: I HATE YOUFollowing a user comment that claimed "127 Hours" was the "BASIS of Film Editing:"Brian Marks: Yes, the best editing category was created decades ago in anticipation of 127 Hours As Jennifer Hudson introduced the third of four Original Song nominees:Mikel Kjell: Rock man is how hudson pronouced A. R Rahman's name, he should win this just because he is actually mega man I guess. As Gwyneth Paltrow, "Country music's newest star," starts to perform a song from "Country Strong:"Matt Lyles: The minute I come back I have to watch Gwyneth Paltrow singing country music? Fuck you, Academy. On Randy Newman's Best Original Song victory for "We Belong Together:"Mikel Kjell: Randy Numan is terrible Brian Marks: He used to be important. Before he sold his soul to Pixar. Mikel Kjell: Sing more about stuff you see Brian Welk: I thought he was exaggerating, but he really has been nominated 20 times. Matt Lyles: Randy Newman sounds too much like Christopher Walken for comfort right now. Cory Barker: There is no awards show that requires a full
calendar year of distance from it as soon as it's over like the Oscars.
Jesus this makes me want to drink heavily. As 11:00 rolled around:Matt Lyles: We've been doing this for 3 hours. Kirk Douglas took up half that time. As Celine Dion sings Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" over the In Memoriam segment:Cory Barker: Celine is thinking to herself: "I will never be in this montage. I will live forever."As the montage wraps: Matt Lyles: Corey Haim for the snub. Cory Barker: Thank god for the Internet and its ability to make Corey Haim not making the Necrology feel like a big deal. Matt Lyles: Corey Haim left a will. "I do not want to be in the In Memoriam segment if Celine Dion sings." Cory Barker: Matt Lyles, way to steal Tim Goodman's joke right off Twitter! As Tom Hooper accepts his Oscar for Best Director:Brian Welk: One of my friends pointed out that I look like Tom Hooper. Cory Barker: I mean loved The King's Speech, but fuck. C'mon. In 20 years, what movie gets remembered? Mikel Kjell: the damned
united is one of the best sports movies ever made but the direction was
just beautiful image after beautiful image, not a lot more than that. Cory Barker: Twitter hates Tom Hooper. As the Dude presents Best Actress:Cory Barker: Hey, it's TRON LEGACY's Jeff Bridges. As we near the end:
Cory Barker: Also when Dane Cook is making fun of your hosting through TwitPic, something might be wrong.Mikel Kjell: I dont think franco is high, I just think he doesnt give a shit about this anymoreAdam Lukach: I mean he's been hosting for 3 hours now. He's definitely come down if he was high. Cory Barker: I have to imagine that Franco is both high and trying something completely new with his performance. As Natalie Portman wins her Oscar for Best Actress:Cory Barker: Please don't laugh. Please don't laugh. As Sandra Bullock presents the award for Best Actor:Cory Barker: Sandra Bullock is awesome. I don't care. Judge me. Brian Marks: DoneAdam Lukach: Lots of judgment @ Cory As the clip from "The Social Network" plays in which Jesse Eisenberg recites, "You have the minimum amount of my attention:"Brian Welk: His speech is like an analogy for this broadcast. As Colin Firth claims his Best Actor Oscar for "The King's Speech:"Cory Barker: He's totally stuttering his way through this. Is this some sort of performance art? As we begin to make sickening realizations:Cory Barker: True Grit - 0, The Wolfman - 1, Alice - 2As "King's Speech" is declared The Best Picture of 2010:Mikel Kjell: Knew king's speech was going to win when they used it for the fucking narration of the nomineesCory Barker: I hope there's outcry on Twitter like the Grammys. "WHO THE FUCK IS THE KING AND WHAT IS HIS SPEECH." Adam Lukach: whatisakingsspeech.tumblr.com (not a real site) As the PS22 Choir performs "Over the Rainbow" as part of an Oscar finale:Adam Lukach: I hope Roman Polanski isn't there.
(12/08/10 11:35pm)
The show must go on
(11/07/10 9:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Conan O’Brien has defined the odds time and time again. I mean look at his ridiculous haircut and pale skin: How does someone like that succeed in Hollywood? In Conan’s case, a boat-load of talent, that includes much more than hosting late night television and doing embarrassing dances in which he looks like a puppet on strings. As Coco begins the next chapter in his glorious career, it’s time to take a quick look back at some of the best moments that helped get him here, in chronological order. “Mr. Short-Term Memory” and “Girl Watchers” “Saturday Night Live” sketches (1988): Conan’s first huge break came when he was hired as a write for “SNL” during one of its glory periods in the late ‘80s. There, he was responsible for a number of great sketches, but most notably these two Tom Hanks-starring bits. Both exemplify Conan’s off-kilter, self-deprecating humor and helped strike up a relationship with one of Hollywood’s most popular players, one that still exists today. “Marge versus the Monorail” “Simpsons” episode (1993): After “SNL,” Conan made his way to another seminal American comedy in the FOX animated phenomenon and this 1993 episode is one of the most well-regarded in the series’ run. Sting helps with your heart (1994): The early run of “Late Night” is mostly forgettable, but this 1994 Live-Aid parody with Sting suggested great things that eventually came to pass. Feeling the love in Houston (1994): It was rough-going early for Conan and when he found out Houston was airing his program at 2:30 a.m. after reruns of things like Ricki Lake, he had to find out why people in Houston hated him. Turns out, they had many reasons. The Governator meets his Syncro-Vox’ed self (1999): One of Conan’s go-to bits on “Late Night” involved interviewing folks through a remote location that helped them appear on a television right in front of him. Of course, their mouths were replaced by someone else and they often said outrageous things. The most-used victim of this gag was Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in 1999 the real Arnie came face-to-face with the fake one in a great moment. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the Masturbating Bear (Various): It’s hard to leave off the two most-popular characters from Conan’s time at NBC, both of which are wildly offensive animals that never seem to get old. “Walker, Texas Ranger” Lever (2004): When NBCU obtained the rights to the glorious ‘90s action drama, Conan made the best of it with a lever that would fire up random 15-second clips of awesome (read: horribleness). Conan visits Martha Stewart’s ranch (2005): Conan and the queen of domesticity always had a weirdly intriguing relationship and his visit to her home in 2005 is the seminal moment of that. Opening bit to his second Emmy hosting gig (2006): O’Brien found himself trapped in various series, most notably “Lost” where he asked Hurley (Jorge Garcia) how the series didn’t even get nominated the year after winning a number of big awards. Conan meets his female doppleganger (2006): As part of the “Conan hates my homeland” gags, Conan got into something of a faux-fight with Finland and the network that aired his program there. It quickly escalated when a fan pointed out that O’Brien and the Finnish president shared an uncanny resemblance and ultimately, Conan made a few wonderful episodes out of going over to Finland to meet her. Horny Manatee blows up the internet (2006): After randomly mentioning a fake web site during a fairly goofy fake college mascots sketch, HornyManatee.com became a reality and Conan urged fans to submit weird manatee pornography. Little did he know that the world really wanted manatee porn, as the web site became overwhelmingly popular late in 2006. The Writers Guild of America Strike period (2008): Unable to employ his writers, Conan reminded America that his true talents lie in just being absolutely ridiculous. From the traveling guitar playing, ring-spinning and zip-lining, this is perhaps Conan’s best stretch on “Late Night” ever and the time he cemented himself as the late night host of a generation. “Who Made Huckabee?” (2008): Similarly, the WGA strike spurred late night’s cool kids Conan, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart to create a mock rivalry where they tried to determine who actually helped Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee become a legitimate force. The three gamely appeared on the others’ programs multiple times and ended on a ridiculously awesome note. The final week at “The Tonight Show” (2010): After news broke that Conan was likely to be pushed back to 12:30 a.m. so Jay Leno could return to his old timeslot and subsequently that Conan wouldn’t agree to this, the whole country became enchanted by the newest late night controversy. Conan embraced his probable departure from NBC in his final handful of episodes, which were biting, freeing and of course, hilarious in the way he hadn’t been since making the hour jump forward. Conan joins Twitter, follows one person (2010): At the height of his internet stardom Conan triumphantly joined Twitter to provide hilarious, sarcastic 140-character anecdotes to his swelling fan base.
(07/15/10 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a (literally) explosive finale to a charming and sometimes even thrilling first season, USA’s first major fall-launched series settles into the network’s typical cozy summer schedule with a cast member returning and major questions about the ongoing story arcs.But for the most part, people probably only care about “White Collar” star Matthew Bomer’s pearly whites and baby blues.In case you have forgotten, Season 1 ended with Bomer’s thief-turned-FBI-liaison Neal watching the love of his life, Kate, blow up in an airplane after a series of story beats that involved random artifacts, dirty FBI agents and one terrible mid-season cliffhanger.Wishful thinking wants the series’ mythology to go boom with Kate once Season 2 arrives because it was both more boring than the weekly procedural case and often muddled with unnecessary turns. Oddly, while most major USA series are light on mythology and have fans craving for more, Season 1 of “White Collar” spent almost too much time on the conspiracies that kept Neal from his thieving gal.The series deserves props for aiming a little higher, but the chemistry between Bomer and Tim DeKay is enough to keep most episodes afloat, and for once, I find myself crying for more simple, procedural fare.No matter what kind of stories we’ll see this summer, expect much more of Marsha Thomason’s Agent Lancing, who appeared in the pilot episode, randomly disappeared thereafter before suddenly appearing in the finale. After all that nonsense, Thomason’s a regular this year.Meanwhile, the Bomer-DeKay boys club is getting even more shots of feminine charm, as “One Tree Hill”’s Hilarie Burton will have a recurring role as an insurance adjuster with a little bit of a grudge against Bomer’s Neal.Of course, expect tons of skinny ties, flashy suits and situations that allow for Bomer to look really damn cool. And that’s just fine with me.
(07/07/10 7:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Summer used to be a wasteland for television, full of reruns and burnoffs that nobody wanted to watch. No longer. And even though the improved landscape might still be full of reality dreck and ridiculous competition programming — hello, ABC’s “Downfall” — there are a number of quality scripted series out there to enjoy.Consider this a handy guide full of summer TV picks. You’re welcome in advance. I’ve decided to organize the guide into four tiers based on how good the series are and how often you should spend your summertime actually watching them.CAN’T MISS “Louie” (11 p.m. Tuesdays on FX): Louis C.K. is generally thought of as the best standup comic around. He brings that title with him to cable for his second lead television series — his “Lucky Louie” flamed out on HBO in 2006 — and it’s depressingly stellar.“Mad Men” (premieres 10 p.m. July 25 on AMC): Critical opinion has swung toward its AMC brother “Breaking Bad,” but “Men” is still the apex of televisual quality.“Burn Notice” (9 p.m. Thursdays on USA): USA’s brand of fluffy procedurals with tight stories and nice locations are generally appealing, but this one’s still the best. “White Collar” (premieres 9 p.m. July 13 on USA): Actually, another season like “Collar”’s first will be the best.“Psych” (premieres 10 p.m. July 14 on USA): Not to keep praising USA, but this is the most underrated program on television, in my opinion.“So You Think You Can Dance” (8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on FOX): Summer’s best reality competition series.“True Blood” (9 p.m. Sundays on HBO): It’s off to a really rocky start, but this is the series everyone will be talking about until fall.TRY TO KEEP UP “Big Brother” (premieres 8 p.m. July 9 on CBS): The summer reality stalwart requires its contestants to have no skills but to be generally horrible human beings. If it weren’t on three times a week, it’d be in the can’t-miss group.“Leverage” (9 p.m. Sundays on TNT): The only TNT procedural worth your full attention.“The Good Guys” (9 p.m. Mondays on FOX): You’ll come for broad comedy that parodies cop series tropes and stay for Bradley Whitford’s mustache.“Lie to Me” (9 p.m. Mondays on FOX): A nice, solid procedural with a fun lead character. “Warehouse 13” (premieres 9 p.m. July 6 on Syfy): The cable channel’s biggest hit since the awkward name change is a fun mix of “The X-Files” and “Bones.”“Design Star” (10 p.m. Sundays on HGTV) and “Next Food Network Star” (9 p.m. Sundays on Food Network): These two straightforward but entertaining competition programs actually offer a legitimate prize (the winner gets his or her own show).“Huge” (9 p.m. Mondays on ABC Family): Surprisingly solid and meaty. No pun intended. Okay, yes it was.I MEAN, IF YOU’RE BORED“Royal Pains” (10 p.m. Thursdays on USA): USA doesn’t knock it out of the park every time.“Pretty Little Liars” (8 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC Family): I’m not in the target demographic, but people seem to like this one.“Hung” (10 p.m. Sundays on HBO): It’s offensive to call this stuck-in-neutral series a comedy — but it’s HBO.“The Gates” (10 p.m. Sundays on ABC): It’s a derivative mix of 10 different series you like better, but hey — more vamps!“The Closer” and “Rizzoli & Isles” (Premiere at 9 and 10 p.m. July 12 on TNT): Meh.“Hawthorne”and “Memphis Beat” (9 and 10 p.m. Tuesdays on TNT): Jason Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith deserve better.PLEASE DON’T DO THIS TO YOURSELF “Entourage” (10:30 p.m. Sundays on HBO): This one’s in a tier of suckitude all on its own.
(06/23/10 7:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hip-hop needs a new superstar. Eminem is washed up, Weezy is locked up and Jay-Z isn’t taking many chances. Enter Drake, who has had the rap game buzzing since his “So Far Gone” mixtape hit and is now trying to capitalize on the hype with his first full-length album, “Thank Me Later.”And for the most part, he nails it.Oddly, for the most anticipated hip-hop album of 2010, “Thank Me Later” features exactly zero songs that would qualify as singles in today’s radio landscape. Instead, most of the tracks slowly build and sometimes even linger on, giving the album an expanded, open feeling that doesn’t often come from the genre. “Shut It Down” is a seven-minute slow jam meant for dark bedrooms and tussles between the sheets as Drake once again proves he can flow just as well as he can sing. However, the length and style here doesn’t mean “Later” is without standout tracks, thanks to Drake’s honest lyrics that sketch out his transition from acknowledging his fame (“Over”) to accepting it (“Light Up” featuring Jigga), to finally letting us know he’s here to stay (“Thank Me Now”).While his lyrics sometimes feel like “a rapper whining about his great life,” Drake sells it honestly. He’s not the most obvious choice, but after a few listens of “Thank Me Later,” it’s apparent that Drake is the star hip-hop needs.
(05/13/10 4:59pm)
Cory Barker previews "Inception."
(05/06/10 10:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For those of us graduating this weekend, the last four years — or five or six — have surely been eventful, both personally and educationally. But as we depart, let’s not forget the third most important facet of all our lives: television. Considering this issue is supposed to serve as a makeshift time capsule commemorating our time on campus (I think), I want you to remember all the watershed moments in television just as you remember all the glorious two-dollar Tuesdays. And so, from August 2006 until today, here are the most important things to remember about television during your time at IU. September 25, 2006: “Heroes” debuts and at first convinces people that it knows how to tell serialized stories better than “LOST.” Seriously. No series gets made fun of more in WEEKEND between 2008 and 2010.October 3 and October 11, 2006: “Friday Night Lights” and “30 Rock” debut and exist as NBC’s only good new series developed during our time at IU until 2009’s “Parks and Recreation.”February 22, 2007: “The O.C.” airs its final episode after a four-year meteoric rise and fall. Your high school self just cried a little on the inside.May 6, 2007: ABC and “LOST” showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof announce the series will end in 2010, allowing it to go out on its own terms. The results of this decision have yet to be seen, but no series kept fans online and away from the red Solo cup like this one.June 10, 2007: “The Sopranos,” one of television’s most-celebrated series ever, fades to black, enraging viewers and cable providers who received countless calls for faulty signals after the fact.July 19, 2007: “Mad Men” debuts on AMC, triggering a shift of cable power to the then-unknown network that allows them to follow “Men” with the also freaking amazing “Breaking Bad” in January of 2008.November 5, 2007: The Writers Guild of America strike begins and lasts for 100 days, halting production, disrupting episode orders and de-railing development for subsequent years. Was anything really accomplished? Nope. March 9, 2008: “The Wire” departs after five seasons with overwhelming hoopla. Oh, wait. March 12, 2008: Video streaming website Hulu goes live, offering new episodes of series from NewsCorp and NBC Universal partners. Though not mainstream-successful for another year or so, Hulu is surely bookmarked by most of us at this point. November 4, 2008: Barack Obama is elected president, which unfortunately overshadows CNN’s groundbreaking use of holographic technology that beamed Will.i.am to Wolf Blitzer.June 1, 2009: Conan O’Brien begins his sure-to-be-successful stint as the host of “The Tonight Show.” Glad that’s still going well.June 25, 2009: Michael Jackson passes away, allowing Wolf Blitzer to shed the last bit of his dignity during live coverage and creating the biggest tabloid-“real” news crossover story since O.J.December 3, 2009: “Jersey Shore” premieres, revolutionizing both television as a storytelling medium and depictions of Italian-Americans on cable TV.December 26, 2009: The “Power Rangers” saga comes to an end after 17 breathtaking seasons. Or, this is just the time they finally ran out of repurposed footage from Japan. January 22, 2010: Conan’s last day at “The Tonight Show” comes to pass. That went well.February 7, 2010: 106.5 million people help make Super Bowl XLIV the most-watched telecast in the history of the medium.February 8, 2010: After more than 28 years, MTV drops the “Music Television” moniker from its logo — about six years too late. Congrats, grads, and don’t forget about your television, because economic conditions suggest you’ll be spending lots of time with it in the coming years.
(05/05/10 6:42pm)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker is joined by Adam Lukach for some headlines. Topics include: Allison Mack's return to "Smallville," "LOST" finale going longer and Joel McHale's movie career.
(05/05/10 5:52pm)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker is joined by Brian Welk and Brian Marks for a pre-release discussion about "Iron Man 2."
(05/05/10 4:59pm)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker is joined by Brett Eppley for a discussion about the last few weeks of "Idol" and predict the final two.
(05/05/10 4:49pm)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker is joined by John Barnett for a discussion about the last three weeks of "Survivor." Apologies for the weird audio issues.
(04/29/10 12:33am)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker is joined by Adam Lukach for some headlines. Topics include: Gervais' Globe repeat, Carell leaving "The Office" and a movie based on the magic 8 ball.
(04/28/10 10:43pm)
In this episode of the podcast, host Cory Barker discusses the best and worst comic book films with Brad Sanders, Brian Marks and Mikel Kjell.
(04/28/10 8:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After much speculation, reports surfaced this week that Hulu will begin beta-testing Hulu Plus, a $9.95 monthly subscription at the end of next month. Some critics think the move is too late, others just in time. Some suggest $10 is too expensive, others too cheap. In a way, they are all correct.On one hand, convincing users to pay for something they could use just last week for free is a dicey plan and could lead to a backlash against, and migration from, Hulu. Plus, $10 is a steep price to start with, even in testing. As I suggested a few months back, various tiers — $5, $10 and more — with different levels of content access might be smarter economically and regarding brand loyalty. And without any iPad or iPhone application and any non-computer-related delivery system period, paying for content most people already received through their cable service is not that appealing. On the other hand, the content most people seemingly access Hulu for — watching last night’s or last week’s episode they missed — will still be free under this new pay system. That means the Hulu Plus subscription could open up entire series archives to a user, and perhaps people could find value in $120 per year for access to all seasons of popular series such as “24,” “Lost,” “The Office” and maybe even some old, not-currently-on-the-site series. However, it’s still unknown what will be offered behind the Hulu Plus wall, making this all speculation. But if Hulu Plus gets off the ground successfully, perhaps with an iPad application, the game will be changed. At that point, Hulu would then surely introduce different tiered and even bundled models as an attempt to bring in more revenue and users. It wouldn’t be a shock to see them offer two distinctive services based on users’ access to cable, maybe $5 to $10 for those who pay for cable, $25 or more for those who do not. Or even two distinct models for people who can stand 30-second ads and those who cannot. Throw in bundles and some a la carte options and Hulu could suddenly turn into this decade’s iTunes store.Those moves could lead to an intense competition between Hulu, iTunes and Netflix because Hulu could start to offer a combination of the services the other two already do. Hell, the cable companies might want in on the fight as well.For the television and film industries, there will be more desire to produce Hulu-only content thanks to the additional revenue coming in. Networks and companies currently on the outside of the Hulu reach such as Viacom and Time Warner might join in. It wouldn’t be shocking to see some sort of views counter introduced either, to give studios and fans more of an idea of what’s hot and what’s not. Finally, there would surely be more legal battles over online streaming fees and royalties. For fans, it will be a time of transition but will ultimately lead to a better user experience. Once the application comes along, users will be able to access their Hulu accounts from their computers, smart phones, iPads and definitely televisions. We can also expect more customization — playlists, better search tools, recommendations and more — once Hulu grows in stature. Hulu’s introductory move could serve as a watershed moment for the monetization of online video streaming. Or it could be a substantial failure. But no matter what the results are, Hulu’s play has crucial implications for viewers and industries alike.
(04/28/10 7:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With his former band Mayday Parade moving further into the mainstream with a watered-down version of the sound he helped craft, Jason Lancaster is ready for his second chance at stardom with his new band, Go Radio, and a new EP, “Do Overs and Second Chances.” The seven-track effort is full of what any fans of Lancaster should expect: intense, emotional vocals and heartfelt lyrics that straddle the line between sincere and cliché. With nearly every other act in the genre following the same pattern, Go Radio’s ability to diversify the three-minute pop song makes for an enjoyable listen. The melodic, soaring “Thanks for Nothing” and “Letters and Love Notes” work perfectly as summer-playlist jams, but little touches like a piano intro on the former and building rolling-drum progression on the latter place them a cut above the normal pop-punk dreck.But as Lancaster fans know, his strongest suit is the piano-driven ballad, and “Do Overs” features his best yet. “Goodnight Moon” builds to an explosive, goosebump-inducing bridge and finalé with Lancaster throwing himself into the words as if they are his last. His former band might be more popular, but Lancaster’s do over ended up much better for him — and us.
(04/27/10 9:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Over the past decade or so, the comic book film has become big business for the media industries and sometimes big fun for audiences. And some times, big, steaming piles of garbage in the case of “adaptations” like “Ghost Rider.” Thus, for our final staff list of the semester, WEEKEND contributors discuss the best and worst comic book films of all time. The worst“The Phantom” (1996): Back before comic book and superhero films were not big business, a few would trickle each year and be generally awful. The Billy Zane – seriously – vehicle “The Phantom” lugged into theaters with the beautiful tag-line “Slam evil!” and served two purposes: 1.) Billy Zane should never wear purple and 2.) the comic book film movement would be set back a few years. – Cory Barker“Batman and Robin” (1997): One word: nipples. Of all the abominations this film created, bat suit nipples are by far the worst. George Clooney is one of the greatest living actors, but he wasn’t meant to play Batman. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman should kick themselves for being in this movie. – Brian Marks“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003): It is completely beyond me what would compel the people producing this movie to add even more characters to what is already an insanely large cast in the comic. Terrible acting, laughable special effects,and a strange shift in focus from the literary to straight up action with literary characters made for not just a terrible adaptation but a terrible movie as well. – Mikel Kjell“Hulk” (2003): Ang Lee’s version of this story is the worst comic book movie ever made. The story has no relation to the great comic book on which it was based nor the formidably entertaining television show starring Lou Farigno. Nick Nolte’s character is completely out of place and I still don’t understand why he was even in the movie. – Doug Evans“Catwoman” (2004): This one triggers a gag reflex. Where historically Selena Kyle had gone whipping through Gotham, Patience who-the-hell-ever struts around New York in a story about as smart as my bichon frisé. What really hurts is the squandered potential – with a better plot and script, the re-imagining could’ve worked. – Vanessa Torline“Elektra” (2005): I can see the logic from 20th Century Fox when pitching “Elektra,” considering the title character comes from the tremendously successful and celebrated “Daredevil.” How could people NOT want to see this? Oh wait. – CB“Superman Returns” (2006): I respect Bryan Singer’s urge to create an loosely-veiled indirect sequel to Richard Donner’s first two Supes films, except that post- “Spider-Man,” we expect more – more character development, more action, more intrigue. Despite Brandon Routh and James Marsden’s best efforts, this is the most boring mainstream comic book film ever. – CB“30 Days of Night” (2007): Although this movie might not have had the most nuanced leading man in Josh Hartnett, it did treat us to some of the goriest and least-sexy vampire imagery we’re likely to see on the big screen in a long time. – Megan Clayton“The Spirit” (2008): Though he succeeded with the black-and-white-that’s-really-just-greenscreen approach with “Sin City” under Robert Rodriguez’s tutelage, Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” was over-the-top awful in very conceivable way. No one should ever let Frank Miller direct a film again. Ever. – CB“Watchmen” (2009): Although worse movies have been made even within the genre, “Watchmen” is the biggest fanboy exploitation film ever made. It’s dark, noir style and its horribly allegorical and poetic tone was just a flimsy cover for every fan’s wet dream. With an absurd plot, overrated visuals and a completely unnecessary level of violence, the film still managed to set the trend for the mind-set that all comic book and superhero movies should concede to the desires of the fanboys. – Brian WelkDishonorable mention: Any Threequel or Quadquel; X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman, you name it. Something about the third and fourth installment of Superhero movies compounds their level of suck. Why were there five villains in “Spider-Man 3?” Sandman seemed like an afterthought, and Topher Grace’s Venom was facepalm worthy. “X3” suffered from a director exchange, and all the social commentary went with Bryan Singer (but did not follow him, somehow, to “Superman Returns”) and lets not even go into the abortion that was “X-Men: Origins.” – Kaleb Havens Click to the right of this story to find out our picks for best!
(04/27/10 9:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Over the past decade or so, the comic book film has become big business for the media industries and sometimes big fun for audiences. And some times, big, steaming piles of garbage in the case of “adaptations” like “Ghost Rider.” Thus, for our final staff list of the semester, WEEKEND contributors discuss the best and worst comic book films of all time. The best“Ghost World” (2001): Terry Zwigoff’s adaptation of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel is the gold standard for literary comic book films. The characters are realistic and sympathetic, while the dialogue is sharp and witty. You probably won’t even realize it’s based on a comic. – Brian Marks“X2: X-Men United” (2003): Before “Spider-Man 2” and “The Dark Knight” convinced everyone that the comic book movie could be a place for legitimate storytelling and character analysis, “X2” did the same things to a lesser extent and lesser fan-fare. But just like those that came after, this film proved that sequels can be better than the original, especially when character is serviced above set pieces. – Cory Barker“Spider-Man 2” (2004): While the groundbreaking “Spider-Man” was a fun popcorn movie, the sequel proved to be a riveting, fairly awesome and actually real-world rooted film without losing any of the tone that made the original so indicative of the comic. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is one of those all time iconic movie villains, and although I never read a bunch of the comics, even I knew J.K. Simmons was the absolute best casting choice for Jonah Jameson. – Brian Welk“A History of Violence” (2005): Yeah it was based on a comic! It took what was a pretty standard and straight forward “former criminal made good” comic and turned into a haunting story of violence coming to a small town. It smartly tells the story on a far more realistic and serious note than the comic, with a great performance from Viggo Mortensen. – Mikel Kjell“V For Vendetta” (2006): Though it doesn’t keep such a dark, depressing and aggressive voice as Alan Moore intended with his graphic novel, the Wachowski Brothers know how to write about oppressed civilizations. And thankfully, the film isn’t stuffed with celebratory action sequences, but instead emphasizes the intriguing relationship between V and Evey. – CB “300” (2007): I found it hard to justify the vicious level of gratuitous violence and sex “300” had to offer, but I was enchanted by what felt like such an artful and visceral experience of sheer male testosterone. – BW“Persepolis” (2007): Marjane Satrapi’s movie adaptation of her classic comic gave us all the quirky animation and political commentary we would expect from this story about the Islamic revolution in Iran. – Megan Clayton“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008): Guillermo Del Toro’s first foray into the big red devil’s child was a solid exercise in world-building, but with the “Pan’s Labyrinth” glow on his work, he was able to combine the great elements of the first Hellboy film with his love of cool-looking monsters to make the second journey much improved. – CB “Iron Man” (2008): This one deserves mad props. People who don’t read comics had never heard of Tony Stark, but suddenly his accessibility is on-par with Batman’s. The guy has no powers; his vast intellect (and fortune) make him a superhero, while Robert Downey Jr.’s fantastic performance made him the perfect sympathetic smart-ass. This one compelled an immediate second viewing. – Vanessa Torline“The Dark Knight” (2008): Had Batman, the Joker, and Two Face never existed before “The Dark Knight,” the characters still would’ve completely worked. As it is, the film serves as the best example of how to do an original take on pre-existing characters that stays true to their essence in a compelling, modern context. Who doesn’t get chills when from the pencil trick? Who doesn’t feel dread when the clown puts the gun in Harvey’s hand? – Kaleb HavensHonorable mention: “Sin City” (2005), “Batman Begins” (2005), “Road to Perdition” (2002), "American Splendor" (2003)Check out the worst by clicking on the link to the right of this story!
(04/26/10 11:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The final WEEKEND of the semester tackles the comic book film and more specifically, the evolution of the genre over the past 20 years. And while those stories won't hit until Thursday, we have a little sample for you via the WEEKEND Watchers podcast. In the latest episode, host Cory Barker is joined by Brad Sanders, Mikel Kjell and Brian Marks for a discussion about said evolution and the issues and implications surrounding it. Check out the episode on the WEEKEND Multimedia page. AND: Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes!
(04/26/10 10:11pm)
In this episode of the pod, host Cory Barker is joined by Brad Sanders, Brian Marks and Mikel Kjell for a discussion about the evolution of comic book films.
