Comic-Con 2012: Day Four

We had to get up early again, because even though I only wanted to see the Fringe panel at 10:00, there were Supernatural and Doctor Who panels scheduled after it, and never underestimate those fandoms.  I was geared up for what would surely be a bittersweet Fringe panel, as they were saying goodbye and are always soooo appreciative of the fans.

Tragically, I missed nearly the first half of the panel because those damn Comic-Con idiots didn’t open Hall H early enough.  Nerd rage!!!  So although I got a seat, it wasn’t until after the first video presentation, the Season 5 preview.  Though of course that’s online now.  But I got to see Lance Reddick cry and that was amazing.  He, Anna Torv, and Jasika Nicole were blubbering messes at one point; it was adorable.  Joshua Jackson and John Noble were their normal adorable, funny selves.  Noble said that a movie was a possibility, but I suppose it’s a possibility just like aliens are a possibility.  But I hope it happens!  They had a nice retrospective video thanking the fans too.  They all took a bow at the end.  Love it.  Excited for season 5!

After that, it was trolling the Exhibit Hall, snapping a photo of Nathan Fillion at the Marvel booth, and closing the place down at 5.  Below are some of my favorite cosplay pictures.  We had a great Comic-Con and looking forward to next year!



 

Mike’s Two Cents (the stuff he saw that I didn’t, while I was making sure to get into the Breaking Bad panel):  Total Recall was awesome as crap and looked really good.  Colin Farrell is always good on a panel.  The hover cars and the way the city is built are cool.  No Schwarzenegger one-liners, more like serious sci-fi.  Looper was awesome; it looks really fast-paced, interesting concept.  It’s not heavily focused on the time travel.  Emily Blunt is funny as shit.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cool and funny and grateful to be working.  Elysium footage was still rough but looks pretty good.  Matt Damon is jacked-up and Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley were there too.  Resident Evil 127 - Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez were having fun and made for a really good panel.  They both enjoy being at Comic-Con and know how to work the crowd.

Finally, some photos of the happy nerds and their swag, including the much-coveted Django Unchained tee shirts.

Comic-Con 2012: Day Two

Friday’s line was freaking nuts, as there is apparently a TV show called The Big Bang Theory, and it is apparently very popular.  We didn’t make it in to see the first couple panels, but we got in for The Walking Dead.  It was a really cool panel and we saw awesome footage from Season 3.  It holds a lot of promise, but that show tends to shit all over promise, so that remains to be seen.  On a related note, on Preview Night, Robert Kirkman (creator of the comic and show) was unveiling a Walking Dead-themed car and I got a picture with him.  He’s so adorable and super nice!!

Game of Thrones is a great show.  George R.R. Martin must be a genius for thinking all of that up.  But he’s boring as shit.  And he moderated the panel.  OMG he’s awkward and painfully unfunny – so he’s a typical socially-awkward nerd then.  They didn’t have new footage and I could tell that it was going to be dull, so I headed upstairs to hopefully not miss Breaking Bad.

And I got right in to Ballroom 20.  I saw an Entertainment Weekly panel about “Women Who Kick Ass” featuring Anna Torv, who does indeed kick ass.  Plus Lucy Lawless!  It was cool. Joss Whedon was up next, and he’s pretty much a Comic-Con god.  It was just him and a microphone on stage, answering questions from the audience.  He’s hysterical and I love him.

The panel I was really there for was Breaking Bad.  And I got way up front!! They didn’t show the premiere like I had heard they would, but really that’s OK because we got to hear the cast talk for an hour – Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, Dean Norris (in a warrior princess costume), Jonathan Banks and creator/god Vince Gilligan.  And they are A. May. Zing.  And they were very appreciate and awesome about the fans.  So cool to have them at Comic-Con!!!

Here’s what I learned from the Breaking Bad panel:
•    The season premiere will be one of the funniest episodes, and not violent like last year’s
•    The opening segment will say a lot and yet leave you with a lot of questions.  Have patience – all will be revealed.  From the teaser we saw, it looks like Future!Walt putting something in a trunk.
•    You will likely lose any remaining sympathy you might have had for Walt – full bad guy mode now
•    The season feels “creepy” with Aaron Paul comparing it to the Crawl Space episode in tone
•    We’ll have some more Skinny Pete and Badger and Grey Matter
•    Madrigal Electromotive and Germany will be featured this season
•    Episode 5 is the opposite of a bottle episode, with them actually filming outside of Albuquerque.

Comic-Con 2012: Day One

This past-its-prime, no-longer-relevant report on Comic-Con 2012 is brought to you by Hilton Hotels, and the fact that our otherwise-awesome, expensive-ass hotel room didn't have wireless.  And I didn't feel like going down to the lobby every night just to blog.  FAIL.


Thursday we trolled the Exhibit Hall for swag we didn't get on Preview Night. After, we saw panels on Oz the Great and Powerful (looks cool) and Wreck-It Ralph (looks funny and geeky).  Jackie Chan showed up to promote some movie no one will watch, but it’s Jackie Chan and it was awesome to see him.  He’s hysterical and really adorable.  Next up was The Expendables 2 – because how can you resist seeing Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren all at once?  Pretty epic.  The only thing missing was Jean-Claude Van Damme.  Lundgren hasn't aged a day.  Schwarzenegger did Kindergarten Cop schtick.  Gotta love it.

We closed out the night at the Walking Dead Escape zombiepocalypse obstacle course they put on at Petco Park.  It was epic and everything I wanted it to be.  We ran through the park chased by zombies, and had to climb, crawl, run, and balance to escape.  I did my usual laugh-screaming and by the end I had red on me.

TV News

So I'm too drunk to watch Fringe.  I mean, I'm OK - like, I can still catch most of my typos - but I'm too drunk to watch a show I love and want to pay attention to, especially for a season finale. So my babies will have to wait until tomorrow.

Instead I watch Grimm whilst blogging about the latest TV news because I don't seem to blog anymore.  Let's see -- Alcatraz got canceled.  Which is bullshit mostly because I love me some Sam Neill on TV.  And I love prison.  Awake got canned today.  Duh.  I gave up on that piece of crap after like 4 episodes.  A great concept that was just boring as shit and godawful.  Ringer got canceled and I only watched 2 of those before giving up.

And then we have our comedies.  The Office sucks big time, but is renewed with no problem.  Community and 30 Rock get picked up for final, 13-episode seasons.  Final seasons?  That's some BS.  They join Fringe on the boo-hoo-but-at-least-we-get-final-seasons list.  On the bright side?  Parks & Recreation got picked up for a full season.  Yesssss.

You know what'll be back in about 2 months?  Breaking Bad.  Booyah.

Baloney & Cereal Twenty-Eleven Sillies: TV

As always, I'm waiting til the last minute to try to catch a couple more movies before I can give my Top Whatever list.  But TV is my live-in boyfriend, and I can safely give my list now.  Though I'm still worried I've forgotten something....

1. Breaking Bad.  There's TV, and then there's Breaking Bad.  Honestly, it's in a class by itself in terms of writing, acting, and visuals.  2011 was awesome solely because it's the year I finally caught up on this show.  There's a reason it's on everyone's Best Of All-Time TV Ever Ever Ever lists.  If you haven't watched it yet, there's plenty of time to catch up.  Do it.  I've already seen the first 3 seasons 3 times and the most recent one twice.  Is that wrong?  No.  And if you catch up now, you get to watch them all in a row without having to wait a week to a year between episodes; it's the best way to do it.  Do it.

2. Justified.  So excited this is coming back in a matter of days!!  It is some badass, cool TV, and Timothy Olyphant is wonderful.  Looking forward to hearing the awesome dialogue again!

3. Parks & Recreation.  You know what this list has going for it so far?  The best casts - and characters - on television.  Every single character on Parks & Rec is awesome and I want to hug them all every week.  This is the only show guaranteed to leave me smiling every week.  Yes, it is literally funnier than Community.

4. Homeland.  Holy crap, this was some awesome TV.  Think 24 in terms of the terrorism angle, but it's different.  Week to week you're not sure who the good guys and bad guys are.  Claire Danes is so amazing on this show and if she doesn't win an Emmy, the world sucks.  She gets crazier as the season goes on and it's wonderful to watch.  Mandy Patinkin is also awesome -- and those are words I never thought I'd say.

5. Community.  Whereas I find Parks & Rec to be laugh-out-loud funnier, this show is crazy-funny.  I can't believe the stuff they get away with.  An episode devoted to several different possible timelines?  Craziness!  It's the kind of bold comedy that is not destined to last long, but at least we'll have a few seasons to rewatch once it's gone.

6.  Game of Thrones.  A series I was not expecting to like as much as I did.  It's not normally the kind of thing I'd go for, but it's another collection of awesome characters and stories.  I really loved this show, and was surprised by it.

7. Tosh.0.  OK, this is actually the most laugh-out-loud-funny show on TV.

8. Fringe.  I miss my show; it's still both bold and good fun.  Multiple universes, timelines, versions of characters - gotta love it.  This season added Lincoln Lee to the cast of characters and I couldn't be happier.  Unless they brought back Charlie.

9. Sons of Anarchy.  I finally caught up on this show this year, and loved it.  This year's season wasn't the best, but it's still better than most of the crap on TV.  It's ambitious and ballsy and badass.  I really loved the second season and hope the white supremacists make their way back to the show.  Here again we have a lot of great characters; I especially love Opie and Tig.

10. Sherlock.  This was a quick little 3-part British mini-series, but it's coming back in 2012 too.  It's a modern-day retelling of the Sherlock Holmes characters and it's excellent.  And who doesn't love Martin Freeman in anything?  I'll tell you who - Communists.

These Shows Really Suck But I Used To Love Them And So Help Me God The Shows Listed Above Better Not End Up Like Them: Chuck and The Office.  They are mostly painful to watch now, and I don't know why I'm sticking with them, other than I never surrender!

TV Is Kind Of Ruined For Me Now

It's funny how quickly Breaking Bad can turn you off from the rest of television.  Those characters, those stories, and that writing is unreal, and I'll never find anything like it. I miss it already and I'm going through withdrawals. I'm hoping that the return of Justified and Mad Men in the new year will help, but until then it's looking like slim pickings. 

I've been watching Person of Interest, but it sucks so badly.  Picture Jack Bauer with no personality and the most ham-fisted dialogue ever.  It's really awful, but I keep watching it to make fun of it.  Same with Terra Nova.  Ugh.  Those characters are laaaaame.

At least things are marginally better over at The Walking Dead.  I really want to love a show that features zombies, but when the living people are too stupid to root for, you end up hoping the zombies win.  The storytelling on that show has been atrocious since mid-season last season, but I'll keep watching because every so often they kill someone off in a cool way.  And also there are zombies.  Looks like I'll be watching for a while more....

"Today we are pleased to announce that the ‘dead’ shall live as we proudly renew ‘The Walking Dead’ for a third season on AMC and, globally, with our terrific partners at Fox International Channels," said Charlie Collier, AMC’s President. “We are thankful for everyone’s contribution in front of and behind the camera as we continue to make ‘The Walking Dead’ a unique television experience. And, we are so proud as it continues to set viewership records around the world.”

Please Make This Happen

On Sunday afternoon, Mitchell Hurwitz tossed a few more crumbs to the Arrested Development faithful at a New Yorker Festival event that reunited him with the show’s ensemble cast, telling the audience that a movie was still in the works, along with a new set of television episodes that would serve as a prelude to the film.
Asked by the event’s moderator, Nancy Franklin, for an update on the movie, Mr. Hurwitz said, “We’re 80 percent of the way to an answer,” which was understandably greeted by some laughter. Mr. Hurwitz went on to say that he and Ron Howard, the director and producer who was the Arrested Development narrator, “had been talking about this for ages and trying to get this going.” Mr. Hurwitz continued: “We don’t completely own the property, there are business people involved and studios and that kind of thing. Just creatively, I have been working on the screenplay for a long time and found that as time went by, there was so much more to the story. In fact, where everyone’s been for five years became a big part of the story. So in working on the screenplay, I found even if I just gave five minutes per character to that back story, we were halfway through the movie before the characters got together.”
So, Mr. Hurwitz said: “We’re trying to do a limited-run series into the movie.” After a wave of excited applause died down, he continued: “We’re basically hoping to do 9 or 10 episodes, with almost one character per episode.” 

This is amazing.  Please be on AMC or FX or somewhere where you can get away with stuff!!

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YES!!

Margo Martindale and Peter Dinklage won Emmys!

And yes, OK, I'll freaking start watching Modern Family....

OK Fine

I'm going to start watching Modern Family. Just give me a few months or something.

Jesus

Is everyone wearing red at the Emmys tonight!?

I Heart Andy Dwyer

And these are just some of the reasons why....

Emmy Nominations

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I was excited for the Emmy Nominations.

There aren't a hell of a lot of surprises, really. (Fringe being snubbed is no shock any more, but I wish Community had gotten some love.)

But let's celebrate the nominations for Justified!!! YAYYYY!

Outstanding Lead Actor: Timothy Olyphant
Supporting Actress: Margo Martindale
Supporting Actor: Walton Goggins (BOYD!!!!)
Outstanding Guest Actor: Jeremy Davies

Other notes:

Jesus Christ, I think the whole cast of Modern Family was nominated. I clearly have to give in and watch it.

I've finally started watching Game of Thrones and I'm all-in when I didn't expect to be. It's amazing. Yay Peter Dinklage.

CAT DEELEY!!!!

And also yay for Louis C.K.!

Full list here

NBC Generally Sucks

But I'll give these 2 shows a shot and see how badly they can screw them up....

First, Grimm - which kind of does look like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, minus Buffy and the high school, but with the same kind of demon-next-door vibe.



And then Awake which looks troubling, depressing, and hella intriguing. The trailer kind of blew my mind a little. But I know there's got to be some way they'll screw it up. Looking forward to finding out how they do it.

Alcatraz: I'm In

I don't know what this show is about, or how it can sustain itself. But I'm obsessed with Alcatraz -- it's literally my Favorite Place on Earth. So I'll watch it. Plus Sam Neill! I'm in for the Fall!

Link here cuz the embed's acting wonky.

Happy Faces of the Day

It's a rough weekend for my husband, as V and The Event have been canceled. AHAHAHAHAHAHA TheEventSucks.

TV News

If you consider casting for a TV show a spoiler, I don't want to know you and you can move on. They just announced an addition to next season on Fringe and I couldn't be happier!!!

Sources confirm to TVLine exclusively that Seth Gabel — who has recurred the last two seasons as Bolivia’s “Over There” colleague, Lincoln Lee — will return in Season 4 as a full-fledged series regular.

I am soooo happy about this, because I love Lincoln Lee. Now the question is which Lincoln Lee we get, but whatever - I'll take him in any form.

And in news I'm not happy about?

Escape artist Chuck, which has successfully cheated cancellation for the past two years, will be coming back to fight again next season. I hear a deal is being finalized for a 13-episode order to the NBC spy dramedy.

This show is 2 years past its expiration date, at least at the rate it's been going. If they can switch back to the way Seasons 1 and 2 were, that'd be fabulous. More Buy More, more Morgan, more funny, less relationshippy. I assume Chuck and Sarah are getting married next week - that'll make for interesting TV next year. Not. I loved Chuck more than anything in the beginning. But that show has disappointed me for too long. It's joyless.

source1 and source2

NOOOOOOOOOOO

God, I hate this smug bitch. Thanks for guaranteeing I never watch The Today Show again.

Ann Curry is going to be replacing Meredith Vieira on The Today Show. It was an announcement that was expected, and it has been made official today. After five years, Vieira is leaving the popular morning show, and leaving her post to Curry, who has been an NBC correspondent for fourteen years.

Instead of hiring someone new, The Today Show is going to play musical chairs with their already talented reporters. "Natalie Morales, 38, is set to step into Ann's role, and MSNBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, 39, will be the 9 AM anchor," Hollywood Life reports.

On the plus side? Even more Brangelina coverage!

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Good TV Exists and Stuff

I always feel like an asshole when I'm slow to catch on to shows. Then I feel like even more of an asshole when I'm blogging about crap like The Event when there's amazing TV out there. So I will now admit that I love Justified and Damages.

In the case of Damages, I've only seen through the first 2 episodes of Season 3, but it's great, in a crazy way. Damages really plays out like a 13-hour-long movie -- the plot flashes back and forth from future to present and lasts all season. It's over-the-top in the way that everyone is a liar or out to kill someone, and nothing is as it seems, but that's what makes it fun - its insanity.

In the case of Justified, it is the Greatest Show on Television. Period. Raylan Givens is an iconic character in the same way that Jack Bauer was. The first season was great, but this season has been criminally great. This week's penultimate episode just solidified that. I think it was the best one yet, and that's saying a lot, because I tend to say that every week. The show just continually one-ups itself. It was one of the quieter episodes, action-wise, and maybe that's what made it amazing. It was a master class is great television. Maybe the best episode of TV ever ever ever.

The dialogue in the show is amazing, it's like poetry. And there's always a wry sense of humor that I love. The good guys are amazing, the bad guys (Boyd!) are amazing. It's not unusual for me to rewind a scene simply to listen to it again, and I've seen every episode at least twice (the advantage of 13-episode seasons). Next week is the season finale and I don't know what I'll do without it. (Besides catch up on Damages and Breaking Bad.)

If Emmy season comes around and Justified doesn't get nods for writing, directing, best drama, and Timothy Olyphant, that will be me, jumping off a bridge.

And P.S.: I'm Team Winona.

P.P.S.: My brother-in-law has good taste.

Baloney & Cereal Twenty-Ten Sillies: TV

I still have a few movies to see before I make a Best Of list for 2010. But I can start with my true love, television. Do I watch a lot of crappy TV or something? Because I can only think of 6 stand-outs. And yes, I realize I need to start watching Breaking Bad. It's building up on my DVR, promise.

Best Shows:

6. Lost. With my lack of long-term memory, it's hard to believe this show was still on in 2010. But May 2010 brought us an amazing season finale. It was all I could have asked for - I thought it was perfect for this show. And I cried my balls off.

5. Being Human. I picked this last year too and begged America not to remake it. America ignored me, and an American version is set for 2011. I'll give it a chance, but no way can it be as amazing as the British version. You really have to do yourself a favor and check it out.

4. The Walking Dead. I watched it for the zombies - and there were plenty - but it was also this great study of different characters, and what happens to people when the world falls apart around them.

3. Community. Team Troy. This show is always hysterical, sometimes genuinely touching, and does meta jokes better than any show ever. It's just a good time. Watch the paintball episode immediately.

2. Mad Men. 2010 was The Year of Mad Men for me, as I finally got caught up. It's just so amazing. I view it as a comedy most of the time, because the things they got away with in the '60s are hysterical. I laugh at everything inappropriate. And I really loved this season -- especially the Peggy/Don-centric episode and the finale. The writing on this show is like poetry. P.S.: Betty Draper is a giant C. Team Sally.

1. Fringe. Sigh. This year brought us the Great Peter Reveal and episodes that alternated between Universes. The show is about bizarre things while still being focused on real (and tragic) family relationships. I. Love. It.

Worst Show I Can't Stop Watching: The Event. I watch it solely to make fun of it now, and to yell at my television whenever That Annoying Prick Sean and His Dumb Girlfriend take up space. I still swear it could have potential, but it tries to prove me wrong on a weekly basis.

Worst Show That Pisses Me Off: I loved Chuck so much back in the day, but I just have not been vibing with it this last half of the year at all. I still watch it for the brief moments of happiness it contains (read: Morgan and Lester), and in the hopes it gets better. I think the whole Chuck/Sarah relationship is a bust. I hate the relationshippy show it has become.

Worst Show I Don't Watch: Glee. I haven't watched a second of it since the series premiere, and I still hate that show more than any other. Die.

Oooo wait. If I add Tosh.0 to the Best Of list, then I'll have a list of 10 shows, which is pretty close to those accepted-by-society Top 10 lists. And Tosh.0 is the funniest show on TV. Huzzah!

I Love Random Stuff

The Under Underground series is always good on Saturday Night Live. Holy crap - this one had me on the floor crying. Literally!

Between this and some kickass Eminem performances, this is shaping up to be a good episode!