Popspotting - Pop Culture Podcast
By Jen and Ryan
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Podcast Description
Popspotting is a pop-culture blog and show by Jen and Ryan, long-time podcasters based in Hawaii. Popspotting covers movies, television, music, books, art, tech, and pop culture news. Reader and listener participation are a key part of the show, with regular and special segments, including contests and trivia.
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Josva in Norway | We're thrilled to have another Popspotting Listener Edition come in from overseas. Today, Josva in Norway recommendations three beloved European films. His picks are "District B13," "troubledWATER," and "Troll Hunter." They should be available for American listeners through Amazon.com. | 30 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Listener Edition: The Geek Generation | This week's Popspotting Listener Edition comes from Rob Valois and Bryan Lipsitz of "The Geek Generation." | 22 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Paul Fox & Kevin Ma | Paul Fox and Kevin Ma of "East Screen / West Screen" bring us our first international Popspotting Listener Edition, in which they each highlight two of their favorite Asian films from 2011 that are now available video in some form that will work in the U.S. | 15 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Faith McQuinn | She's a mom of twins. A teacher of film students. An editor of videos. And a blogger of lots of stuff. She's Faith McQuinn (@fbeemcee), the latest generous contributor to the "Popspotting Listener Edition" series of shows. Her topic for this Easter Sunday? "Top Five Lost Gems of the '80s." | 7 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Geek Girl Soup Em City | This week, the second Popspotting Listener Edition comes from Susan, Amelia and Chris of the Geek Girl Soup Em City podcast. While they usually focus on the TV show "Oz," for this special show they focus on comic book recommendations. | 31 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Geoff Gentry | Longtime listener and regular contributor Geoff Gentry (@xforce11 on Twitter) proposed the "Popspotting Listener Edition." For those with the time and energy to share, it would be a fun way to give Popspotting listeners something to listen to: each other. We were touched by his gesture. And we were thrilled when he came through with our very first "Listener Edition" episode. So while Jen and I get cozy in the back seat, here's Geoff taking the wheel, sharing some great music (as usual) he discovered... on YouTube. | 24 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #220: “Mermaid House” (March 9, 2012) | We kick off Feedback Friday with lots of great movie talk, including "Red Tails," a solid rebuttal of Jen's critique of "The Little Mermaid," and "Leon the Professional." Then we move on to some great book recommendations (including a solid endorsement of Chris Van Allsburg's work), and finally a few TV thoughts, from "Manor House" to "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace." | 8 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #219: “American Potter Story” (March 8, 2012) | Today's PopTalk & Trivia Thursday guest is our youngest yet. Sierra (@writergirl2101) hails from Charleston, South Carolina, where she attends Academic Magnet High School, and is working on her senior thesis on supporting students with Asperger syndrome in schools. She's an advocate for LBGT issues and is active in other social causes, but she also indulges her more whimsical side on Tumblr. | 8 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #218: “Coverspotting” (March 7, 2012) | We're long overdue for another music show. And it's been over five months since we've shared some of our favorite cover songs. So for Wildcard Wednesday, we count down five more great examples of talented artists reinterpreting the work of their fellow musicmakers. | 6 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #217: “Awake at the End” (March 6, 2012) | For TV Tuesday we talk about two shows with unique twists. First, we review the pilot of "Awake," the new NBC series starring Jason Isaacs and created by Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver). Then we confess our love for "The Booth at the End," a web video serial by Christopher Kubasik. | 5 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #216: “John Carter” (March 5, 2012) | We're back after an extra week off with a look at Disney's "John Carter," which opens March 9. It was one of the movies we said we were looking forward to in 2012... but one we were also a little worried about, given how ridiculous the trailers were. But with Edgar Rice Burroughs' sci-fi classic as a guide, and with Andrew Stanton at the helm, we were still on board. Add the handsome Taylor Kitsch on screen and the talented Michael Giacchino behind the score, and we simply couldn't miss it. | 4 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #215: “Breaking Games” (Feb. 17, 2012) | We wrap up the week with your takes on "Justified," "The River," and "Breaking Bad" on the tube, and "John Carter," "Hunger Games" and "Chronicle" on the big screen. | 16 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #214: “Jayhawks on The Wall” (Feb. 16, 2012) | Today's PopTalk & Trivia guest is Mike from Virginia, a long-time "LOST" fan (his license plate is "STILOST") and Transmission listener (since October 2005) and a huge TV and music fan. His picks included Roger Waters' "The Wall Live" tour for 2012, "Music From the North Country: Jayhawks Anthology," and several female singer-songwriters: Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, Tift Merritt, Brandi Carlile, and Susan Greenbaum, a personal friend who just released her new album, "This Life." | 15 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #213: “Flickchart 2: Electric Boogaloo” (Feb. 15, 2012) | For every good movie, a sequel is soon to follow. (For every bad movie, too, it seems.) So we revisit one of our favorite "Wildcard Wednesday" topics from last year. It's another "Flickchart Faceoff," in which we turn to everyone's favorite dangerously addictive movie site (made in Florida!) to set us up with a series of movie matchups. We then judge which is more worthy, likely revealing more of our ignorance and bad taste in the process. But that's okay. The best part is hearing from you exactly why we picked the wrong ones! | 14 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #212: “Justified Archer” (Feb. 14, 2012) | Today for TV Tuesday, we focus on the FX Network. First, we catch up on "Justified," a show we only started watching because of your strong recommendations. We focus on the second season, which we marathoned to be ready for Season 3 (now underway). Then we shift gears to share our love of "Archer," described as "James Bond meets Arrested Development." | 13 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #211: “Meek’s Copy” (Feb. 13, 2012) | We shift gears and go a little art house this week as we check out a pair of films that took the film festival circuit by storm. First, "Meek's Cutoff," a sparse exploration of trust and survival off the Oregon Trail in the 1800s, based on a true story. Then, "Certified Copy," a day in the life of a man and a woman who may or may not have a history together. | 12 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #210: “The Katzenjammer Touch” (Feb. 10, 2012) | We start Feedback Friday with thoughts on "Touch" on FOX, created by Tim Kring of "Heroes" and starring Kiefer Sutherland. At least a couple of listeners liked it much more than we did. We also touch on "Alcatraz," "Terriers," and "Misfits." And our "Downton Abbey" love prompts a recommendation of the BBC's 2004 miniseries "North & South." We also share feedback on our "Hawaii 101" show, and a pair of music recommendations that could not be more different. | 9 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #209: “Wresting Mildred” (Feb. 9, 2012) | Today brings an especially memorable entry in our PopTalk & Trivia Thursday series, as guest Megan from Pennsylvania kicks things off with an award-winning rooster crow. Her recommendations range from a book to a television miniseries to a wacky game app. Then we put her top-ranked trivia night talents to the test... with a special guest appearance by our daughter, Katie! | 8 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #208: “Coming Attractions 2012″ (Feb. 8, 2012) | For Wildcard Wednesday, we survey the year ahead, and share our most-anticipated movies of 2012. Ryan and Jen both share their top five picks, plus a few runners up. They include "The Dark Knight Rises," "Moonrise Kingdom," "Cloud Atlas," "The Hobbit" and "The Master" for Ryan, and "Magic Mike," "Dark Shadows," "Looper," "The Hunger Games" and "Django Unchained" for Jen. | 7 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #207: “The River” (Feb. 7, 2012) | ABC's new paranormal adventure series "The River" premieres tonight on ABC. We weigh in on the first two hours for TV Tuesday. Created by Oren Peli of "Paranormal Activities" fame, the show stars Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson, Paul Blackthorne, Paulina Gaitan, Leslie Hope, Eloise Mumford, Shaun Parkes, Thomas Kretschmann, and Daniel Zacapa. | 6 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #206: “Chronicle” (Feb. 6, 2012) | We go back to the multiplex to check out a recent release for Movie Monday. We didn't know anything going in, but coming out, we were thoroughly entertained. "Chronicle" comes from the relatively new team of director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis (son of director John Landis) and stars Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, and Alex Russell as a group of Seattle teens who suddenly find themselves with special powers, and the problems that come with them. | 5 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #205: “Hunger Giants” (Feb. 3, 2012) | We kick off Feedback Friday focusing on the written word, with your thoughts on books like "Ready Player One" and "Hunger Games." Then it's onto movie talk, touching on "Midnight in Paris" and "Mission Impossible." Listeners also send in reports of movie theater innovations across the country. Finally, we get to your top songs from 1992. | 3 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #204: “Breaking Rock Revenge” (Feb. 2, 2012) | Today's guest only moved to New York two months ago, but she manages to share some of the ambiance of city life along with her picks: "30 Rock" on NBC, "Revenge" on ABC, and "Breaking Bad" on AMC. Andrea Zuniga (@iandrea) once had us on her podcast, so we get to turn the tables with music trivia. | 1 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #203: “An Education at the End” (Feb. 1, 2012) | As we roll into February, we figured it was time we went back to the books. Today Jen reviews "An Education," a memoir by Lynn Barber, and "John Dies at the End," a web serial by John Wong of Cracked.com fame that became a book and has now become a movie. | 31 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #202: “Touch of Alcatraz” (Jan. 31, 2012) | Today for TV Tuesday we focus on FOX, starting with the preview broadcast of "Touch" starring Kiefer Sutherland, and moving on to the long-awaited broadcast premiere of "Alcatraz" starring Sam Neill, Jorge Garcia and Sarah Jones. | 30 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #201: “Attack the Block” (Jan. 30, 2012) | This British sci-fi flick charmed nearly everyone who saw it. Alas, too few people saw it. "Attack the Block" came out last May, but apart from making a small splash at SXSW in Austin and getting a very limited North American release, it has relied on word of mouth and DVD/Blu-Ray rentals and sales to find an audience. Thanks to Matt and other Popspotting listeners, you can count us among its fans as well. Written and directed by Joe Cornish, "Attack the Block" stars John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard and Nick Frost. | 29 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #200: “2011 and 1912″ (Jan. 20, 2012) | Our 200th show is a completely arbitrary milestone (since we didn't relaunch with our daily format until Episode #53), but it feels good, nonetheless. And fittingly, it's you that provide today's conversation topics, from your own "Best of 2011" picks for movies, TV, music and books, to the brilliance of "Downton Abbey." Popspotting wouldn't exist without your suggestions, reactions, and conversations, so we again thank you for sticking with us. And we hope you'll never hesitate to reach out and speak out on anything under the vast pop culture umbrella. | 19 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #199: “Wars Love Once” (Jan. 19, 2012) | Today's PopTalk & Trivia Guest is Ms. Wright (@TheRealMsWright) from behind the "Lost Mirror Moments" podcast. She grew up and still lives in the Austin, Texas area. She's a cubicle slave during the week and a photographer on the weekend, She loves reality TV and sci-fi, and is perfectly capable of being into "So You Think You Can Dance" and "LOST" at the same time. | 18 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #198: “Hawaii 101″ (Jan. 18, 2012) | today, we focused on your questions about the Aloha State. What are the different islands? How do people travel among them? What are the best places to visit with kids? It's "Hawaii 101," a general introduction to the 50th state, plus travel advice for first-time visitors. And it's just the start. | 17 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #197: “Terriers” (Jan. 17, 2012) | For TV Tuesday, it's another single series showcase, as we explore the short-lived "Terriers." It lasted only one season on FX, and for all its brilliance, it was the network's lowest-rated new show ever. So even though it made dozens of "Best Show of 2010" lists, almost nobody saw it, and that's a crime. Now "Terriers" can be found on Netflix, and we explain why it's worth checking out. | 16 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #196: “Midnight In Paris” (Jan. 16, 2012) | It's not a new film, but it's one we missed and really wanted to see. "Midnight In Paris" is Woody Allen's 41st film, and by some accounts, one of his best. Even Quentin Tarantino picked it as his favorite film of 2011. We also got to see the re-release of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in 3-D, which includes a new animated short, "Tangled Ever After." | 15 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #195: “Once Upon the Dragon Tattoo” (Jan. 13, 2012) | Most of today's show focuses on David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." We get thumbs up almost all the way around, whether from newcomers to the story or from people who've read and seen the rest. But we've also got a little bit of TV talk, from "Once Upon a Time" to "Homeland." And Geoff chimes in with another music pick, covering a genre we most definitely don't know very well. | 12 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #194: “Five Prophets a Day” (Jan. 12, 2012) | Today’s guest is radio DJ, blogger, and podcaster Dave “The InterDave” Nelson. Originally from Minneapolis/St. Paul, he now lives in Wausau, Wisconsin. You can find him on Twitter as @TheInterDave and on Google+. He runs the Galactic Netcasts podcast network, which is home tothree shows: the Alien Invasion Podcast, the Sci-Fi Film School podcast, and the Time-Traveling Robots in Space podcast. Today he shares his love of the “Prophets of Science Fiction” series on the Science Channel, the “Top Five Podcast,” and the “Life In A Day” documentary project on YouTube. Got your own picks to share? Want to be a guest on Popspotting? Just drop us a line! | 11 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #193: “Songs of 1992″ (Jan. 11, 2012) | A high school reunion invitation prompts us to recall where we were and what we were listening to twenty years ago. This Wildcard Wednesday features five favorite songs each from 1992. That year, NASA's space shuttle Endeavor saw its first flight, Apple released the the Newton PDA, and Disney's "Aladdin" was tops at the box office. Jen's picks include tracks by U2, Sade, and the Black Crowes, and Ryan highlights songs from the Indigo Girls, Sublime, and The Cure. | 10 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #192: “Downton Abbey” (Jan. 10, 2012) | It's a British period drama that's one of the biggest hits on PBS. But don't let that discourage you from visiting "Downton Abbey." Recommended to us by several listeners, most passionately by Greg Marriotti of PixarTalk, we dove into the first season of this series and devoured every minute in time to catch the U.S. premiere of season two on Sunday. We were surprised at how compelling this super stylish and slightly soapy show turned out to be, following the lives of a noble family and the large staff that serves them. | 9 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #191: “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” (Jan. 9, 2012) | This fourth installment in the series finds IMF Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in a dark place, as he's joined by Benji (Simon Pegg), Jane (Paula Patton), and William (Jeremy Renner). The team must face off against Russian baddie Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), without the considerable resources of the Impossible Missions Force. "Ghost Protocol" was directed by Brad Bird, and is his first live-action film. It was produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, both "LOST" alums. Does this impressive pedigree deliver a worthwhile action spy caper? | 8 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #190: “Sherlock Sedaris” (Jan. 6, 2012) | The San Francisco Chronicle crowned "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" as the worst film of 2011. Would Jen have been more likely to agree were it not for her meddling husband? Also on the movie front, a thumbs up for "The Help," up for several Golden Globe awards. This Feedback Friday also brings a few book reviews, from Bill Bryson to Stephanie Meyer. Then, the last word on musicals... for now. | 5 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #189: “J.J. Midnight Tobolowsky” (Jan. 5, 2012) | Today’s PopTalk & Trivia guest is Jason, the other half of “The Forgotten Flix Podcast.” (His co-host Joel was our guest last month.) A resident of Jen’s home state of Florida, Jason highlights hometown musician J.J. Grey, the independent thriller flick “Midnight Son,” and “The Tobolowsky Files.” Jason’s day job is as a business trainer, a job that makes surprisingly effective use of his degrees in Anthropology and Primatology. But when at home and out and about, he blogs about his adventures with his family at DadQuest.com. He also writes the “Deep Fried Cheese” column. You can find him on Twitter at @flixsidekick and @dadquest. | 4 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #188: “Best of 2011” (Jan. 4, 2012) | Before charging into the new year, we take a look back at the year that was. A "year in review" show is, perhaps, cliche, but 2011 was a good year for pop culture, and most certainly a special year for Popspotting. We recount the best movies and new television shows of 2011 (and touch on the upcoming Golden Globes), as well as share our favorite music, book, and app picks. And we'd really like to hear what you would crown as the "Best of 2011"! | 3 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #187: “Once Upon a Horror Story” (Jan. 3, 2011) | In November, we gave our first impressions of several new fantasy shows, including ABC's fairytale drama "Once Upon a Time." We liked it, but didn't love it... but many of our listeners urged us to give it more time. We're happy to say that we stuck with the series, and now, we're pretty smitten. Then, we discuss the season finale of "American Horror Story" on FX. The last time we checked in on the Harmons and the Murder House, we were looking forward to how the show would wrap up its deliciously dark first year. | 2 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #186: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Jan. 2, 2012) | Our first podcast of the New Year takes us back to Stieg Larsson's tale of murder and intrigue with American director David Fincher's remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The story was already capably depicted by Larsson's fellow Swedes, so can Fincher's distinct style bring something new and compelling to the big screen? This time, Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network) portray the embattled journalist and mysterious hacker. The film also features Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Robin Wright. | 1 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #185: “New Tube” (Dec. 23, 2011) | The greatest gift we receive each week is listener feedback. We love hearing from you, and this week you sound off on the Swedish "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," movie matchups from Flickchart, and the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead." Finally, we feature some recommendations for new television shows, from the critically acclaimed "Homeland" to coming attractions like "Touch," "The Firm," and "Longmire." | 22 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #184: “Lego Rico” (Dec. 22, 2011) | Today's guest is Chris Weddle, head of a geeky household in Franklin, Indiana. This married father of two knows his LEGO, knows his gadgets, and enjoys a rich library of media without having to suffer the indignity of cable television service. He brings us up to speed on "Farscape," adds his endorsement of "Farscape," and introduces the board game "Puerto Rico." Then, in trivia, we test his knowledge of island-born actors and silly walks. | 22 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #183: “Favorite Holiday Tunes” (Dec. 21, 2011) | Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? Yes, it's the first Popspotting holiday special. While Jimmy in Georgia suggested we count down our favorite Christmas movies or TV specials, we decided to go down the musical route with five picks each of holiday songs that don't drive us crazy. These aren't our all-time favorites (and could very well be on your musical blacklist), but as we wrap presents and wrap up 2011, these ten songs are in high rotation in our household. | 20 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #182: “Sons of Chuck” (Dec. 20, 2011) | For TV Tuesday, we first visit with our old friends at Carmichael Industries. We've been watching "Chuck" on NBC since the beginning, and the geek-positive show's Comic-Con panels are always a high point. But this season will be its last. Is the series making the most of the time it has left? Then we jump over to FX, and weigh in on the season finale of "Sons of Anarchy." This fourth season is one of the strongest yet, but how well did Kurt Sutter and friends both wrap things up, and set the stage for next year? | 19 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #181: “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” (Dec. 19, 2011) | Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their big-screen turns as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this second Guy Ritchie-helmed outing, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Once again, this classic, brainy crime-fighting pair are dropped into a noisy world of fistfights, explosions, and slo-mo bullet-time shots. There’s no intellectual pretense in this winter blockbuster, but this sequel at least delivers a smarter story and a better bad guy: Dr. Moriarty, played by Jarred Harris. | 18 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #180: “Musical Descendants” (Dec. 16, 2011) | Many of you still have musicals on your mind, and we're glad to feature your voices as you share more favorites. We get schooled on "the letters" on "Sons of Anarchy," we get more measured reactions to "The Descendants," and we get our first video game review from Al, who introduces us to "Skyrim." Still to come, your take on "The Walking Dead," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and new (or at least new to us) TV shows. | 16 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #179: “Making Of: And Joel Spoke” (Dec. 15, 2011) | Today’s guest is Joel Robertson, producer and co-host of The Forgotten Flix Podcast (along with Jason Grooms). Joel spent most of his youth as an aspiring movie maker, idolizing folks like Raimi, Carpenter, Dante, Spielberg, Craven, et al. He loves talking movies with other movie fans, supporting indie filmmakers, and, when the time is right, will once again subject the world to one of his movie making endeavors. | 15 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #178: “Flickchart Face-Off” (Dec. 14, 2011) | About a month ago, we counted down our favorite ways to waste time online. One of Jen's picks was Flickchart, a virtual battleground for movie lovers. The concept is simple: pit two movies against each other, and choose the one you like best (or dislike the least). So today, we decided to the Flickchart challenge together. | 13 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #177: “The Layover Dead” (Dec. 13, 2011) | While “No Reservations” was a travelogue of his distinctly Tony-flavored adventures, “The Layover” tries to highlight things everyday people could experience. Then, we weigh in on the fall half-season finale of "The Walking Dead" on AMC. We're still fans... but we're worried | 12 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #176: “The 2009 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Dec. 12, 2011) | As excited as we are to see David Fincher's adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," we know the Swedes did it first. Before seeing what Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara do with Stieg Larsson's international bestseller, we decided to take in Niels Arden Oplev's interpretation, starring Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace. Although we've not read the books (we plan to!), we were curious whether the well-received Swedish version leaves any room for an American remake. | 11 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #175: “Wicked Muppets” (Dec. 2, 2011) | Our show about musicals stirred up some great memories among you. We're not the only ones worried about where "Fringe" is headed. And both kids and kids at heart affirm the draw of "The Muppets." | 1 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #174: “High Def Greg” (Dec. 1, 2011) | Joining us to kick off the month of December is Greg Mariotti, owner and editor of Pixar Talk and the geek behind The Uncool, the official site of acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe. Before tackling the trivia, Greg shares his love of “Downton Abbey,” a British television period drama, the 2008 Australian thriller “The Square” from the Edgerton brothers, and Blu-Ray, the successor to the trusty DVD. | 30 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #173: “David & Amy Sedaris” (Nov. 30, 2011) | Author and humorist David Sedaris was in Honolulu last week, wrapping up his latest book tour. His live performance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall left us in stitches. We review his body of work, as well as the two books published by his sister, Amy Sedaris. | 29 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #172: “American Horror Story” (Nov. 29, 2011) | Back in October, we took a quick look at four new fantasy shows, including "American Horror Story" on FX. Now that we're eight episodes in, we take a deeper look at one of the darker shows on television. The series managed to make a strong first impression, but have co-creators and producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk been able to sustain a solid story? Does "American Horror Story" strike the right balance between mind-bending mysteries and satisfying answers? | 28 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #171: “Bowie Family Duo” (Nov. 28, 2011) | Today for Movie Monday, we explore an unusual family tie. We start with "Moon," the feature directorial debut of Duncan Jones. Then, we revisit "The Prestige," a magical film that features the acting talents of Jones' dad, David Bowie. Both movies may have you questioning reality as you revel in some outstanding performances. Sam Rockwell shines in a part created just for him, while Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman face off in a battle to rule the stage. | 27 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #170: “1974 Chef Off” (Nov. 25, 2011) | It’s Black Friday, and Feedback Friday! At least here on Popspotting, there are no lines, and the fun is free. Our listeners chime in on the music of 1974 (and 1972 and 1987 and 1988), and share their guilty pleasures, including “Top Chef” and “The Sing-Off.” We’ve got some TV and book talk as well. Finally, Al reminds us that video games are distressingly underrepresented on our podcast. It’s going to be up to Al and other gamers out there to keep us up-to-date! | 24 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #169: “How I Met Pinterest” (Nov. 24, 2011) | Forget the Great Pumpkin. We've got the great Maggie Mack (@ilea02) joining us for our Thanksgiving episode. Maggie is the host of Maggie's World, and co-host of both Girls Night In Radio and The West Wing Podcast. She's a pop culture fan (who loves Harry Potter in particular) and a preschool teacher. | 23 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #168: “Favorite Musicals” (Nov. 23, 2011) | Music is once again the focus of Wildcard Wednesday, but thanks to a suggestion from Daniel in Boston, there's a twist: He challenges us to name our favorite Broadway shows. While we're not experts in the world of musicals, we do love showtunes, and give the topic our best shot. A lot of obvious picks, perhaps, but with stories that illustrate why we feel a personal connection to each. | 22 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #167: “Fringe of Anarchy” (Nov. 22, 2011) | In the past week, "Fringe" on FOX saw its fall finale, not to return until January 13, 2012, and the FX biker gang series "Sons of Anarchy" gave us a 90-minute episode to set the stage for the last three episodes of Season 4. | 21 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #166: “The Muppets” (Nov. 21, 2011) | For Movie Monday, we preview a Thanksgiving release we're not ashamed to admit that we were really looking forward to, movie critic cred be damned. After a 12 year break, "The Muppets" return to the big screen, led by Jason Segel and Amy Adams. | 20 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #165: “Secret Life of Bison” (Nov. 18, 2011) | The Popspotting voicemail line saves the day for Feedback Friday. First, two unlikely shining stars from "The Descendants." While George Clooney and Hawaii shine, two listeners remind us where else we might have seen Shailene Woodley and Matthew Lillard. Then a solid defense of "Once Upon a Time" and the second season of "The Walking Dead." NBC, however, gets no love. On the musical side, we get an impromptu serenade from Daniel, and another solid music recommendation from dear Geoff. | 17 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #164: “Star Suspect” (Nov. 17, 2011) | Joining us today for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday is podcaster, actor, and all-around supergeek Heath Solo (@HeathActor), a.k.a. Heath Centazzo. Heath is the host of The Film List podcast, a graduate of Syracuse University, and a big fan of Steve McQueen. He tells us about Cameron Crowe's documentary "Pearl Jam Twenty," "Prime Suspect" (before NBC announced it was dropping the show midseason), and the new-and-improved Blu-Ray release of the "Star Wars" movies. | 16 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #163: Songs of 1974 (Nov. 16, 2011) | Turnabout is fair play. After celebrating Jen's tenth 29th birthday in August with a countdown of her favorite songs of 1972, this week we both share five picks each for great songs of 1974. | 15 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #162: “Hell on Wheels” (Nov. 15, 2011) | For TV Tuesday, we take a look at the pilot of AMC's latest original series, "Hell On Wheels." Then, Jen brings us up to speed on the Food Network reality cooking show, "The Next Iron Chef." | 14 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #161: “J. Edgar” (Nov. 14, 2011) | Leonardo DiCaprio takes on yet another larger-than-life historical figure in Clint Eastwood's new biopic, "J. Edgar." The film follows the career of the FBI's first and most infamous director, J. Edgar Hoover, who held his position and influence through several presidents, from 1935 through his death in 1972. He built the agency into an investigative powerhouse, but burned many bridges along the way, surviving largely through the shrewd collection and use of secret files he kept on every powerful person in the country. | 13 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #160: “Covers Upon a Time” (Nov. 4, 2011) | This week's Feedback Friday finds a number of fans for ABC's "Once Upon a Time." We also touch on "Chuck," back with what may be its final season on NBC. From BBC, "The Fades" gets a thumbs up, and "Sons of Anarchy" hooks another addict. And from Switzerland, our friend Anna introduces a podcast devoted to "The West Wing." | 3 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #159: “The Best Work of Art” (Nov. 3, 2011) | Today's guest is W. Axel Foley (@WAxelFoley), a filmmaker, podcaster and educator. He is a frequent co-host on "The Film List" with Heath Solo, and one of the four (or more) hosts of "Podtourage." | 2 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #158: “Wasting Time Online” (Nov. 2, 2011) | On the rare occasion Facebook goes down, global productivity goes up. (This is not a proven fact, but it sounds right.) The Internet is a wonderful, nearly magical tool, but its primary use seems to be to waste time. So in honor of procrastinators everywhere, we both share our five favorite online time wasters. And to make things interesting, we excluded social networking sites. | 1 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #157: “Walking Upon a Grimm Story” (Nov. 1, 2011) | For lovers of fantasy and horror, these are boom times on the boob tube. We've got everything from ghosts to zombies to wolves to wicked witches to talk about for TV Tuesday. Today we share our early takes on "American Horror Story" on FX, "Once Upon a Time" on ABC, "Grimm" on NBC, and the much-anticipated second season of "The Walking Dead" on AMC. | 31 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #156: “The Descendants” (Oct. 31, 2011) | This movie has a lot going for it already, with Alexander Payne at the helm and George Clooney in the spotlight. But “The Descendants” is also a film set in, and a film about, Hawaii, based on the novel of the same name by local author Kaui Hart Hemmings. And that’s why we were especially eager to see it. | 30 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #155: “Ides of Avett Brothers” (Oct. 28, 2011) | We wrap up the week talking about movies and books, and close with another song pick, all from your feedback. We revisit the "Ides of March," Ryan Gosling, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura gives thumbs up to Mira Nair, Al makes a John Cusack confession, Stella covers Cameron Crowe, and both propose their own double features. The early returns on "Ready Player One" look good, Daniel gets high-fives for the "Wheel of Time," and Kris gets us dancing to some punk-infused bluegrass. | 28 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #154: “Kronos Duran” (Oct. 27, 2011) | Joining us this week from the live music Mecca of Austin, Texas, is our long-time friend Greg Bueno. Ryan and Greg began their friendship as cranky muckrakers at the daily student paper at the University of Hawaii over 17 years ago. Jen quickly adopted him as her primary "gay guy friend." Always insightful, often wryly entertaining, and sometimes provocative, we're grateful to have Greg in our lives... and today, on our podcast. | 26 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #153: Exploring Hilo Town | The sleepy East Hawaii town of Hilo is where we met, and is among our favorite places on Earth. With a population of 40,000, it’s the third largest city in the state, but it feels much, much smaller. Back in September, when we took everyone on a tour of the Big Island, we promised that we’d focus on Hilo Town in a future show. Now that a listener is planning a visit, we figured it was time to show you around. | 25 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #152: “Fringe” & “Breaking Bad” | The fourth season of "Fringe" is well underway, while the fourth season of "Breaking Bad" has ended with a bang. Both are among our favorite shows on television right now. This week, after a quick check-in with other freshman series, we focus in depth on the worlds of two Walts: Walter Bishop, and Walter White. | 24 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #151: “Real Steel” (Oct. 24, 2011) | In the not-too-distant future, the sport of boxing swaps robots in for humans. And a young boy's junkyard find sees an unlikely rise to stardom, as he reconnects with the father he never had. We admit, the setup for "Real Steel" seemed cliche, and the trailers suggested a potential bomb. But while our expectations were low, this family-friendly movie easily exceeded them, and gave us something we might even watch again. | 23 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #150: “Podcastville” (Oct. 21, 2011) | For "Feedback Friday," your recommendations for great podcasts, and your favorite cover songs. On the podcast front, we get a wholehearted "hear hear" for our love of "The Moth," and we share our "We Were (Almost) on Car Talk" story. And when it comes to cover songs, we talk about some winners, from Anthony and the Johnsons to Marilyn Manson. | 21 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #149: “Owl City of Time” (Oct. 20, 2011) | Yesterday’s discussion of “Ready Player One” was sparked by Daniel in Boston (@barkowitz), a long-time listener and generous contributor. After that winner of a recommendation, we knew we had to get him on the show to share more great picks. | 19 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #148: “Ready Player One” & Anthony Bourdain (Oct. 19, 2011) | Ernest Cline’s first novel, “Ready Player One,” has been described as a “nerd-gasm.” Popspotting listener Daniel in Boston shared a glowing review on our show in August, and Jen and I were sold. So were many of our listeners. Indeed, the book has earned an avalanche of accolades, and the film rights were sold in record time. But does this celebration of ’80s pop culture include more than a string of in-jokes and nostalgia porn? Jen has made it all the way to this novel’s kill screen, and today shares her review. She also pays tribute to Anthony Bourdain, one of our favorite writers, celebrity chefs, and all-round curmudgeonly commentator. From his breakout bestseller “Kitchen Confidential” to his more philosophical later works, Jen explains why it’s worth listening to what Tony has to say. Got a favorite book or author for us to check out? Let us know! And thanks to Daniel for the recommendation. We’ll find out tomorrow what else he’s got to share! | 18 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #147: “Suburgatory” & “Modern Family” (Oct. 18, 2011) | This week's "TV Tuesday" brings our first takes on two more new fall shows: "Suburgatory" on ABC and "A Gifted Man" on CBS. One fares well, one does not. Then we update our reviews of "Free Agents," "Pan Am," and "Person of Interest," for which Jen has already cast a replacement for Jim Caviezel. Finally, prompted by our listeners, we dive into "Modern Family" as the third season gets under way. How'd we like spending time with Claire and Phil, Gloria and Jay, and Cameron and Mitchell? | 17 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #146: “Ides of March” (Oct. 17, 2011) | After a much-needed week off, we return to "Movie Monday" with "Ides of March." With a spectacular leading cast and a setup made for the big screen, do we endorse and pledge our delegates to the ticket, or vote it down as mere Oscar bait? | 16 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #145: “You Want It When?” (Oct. 7, 2011) | We kick off this feedback show with a call from Angela in Missouri, who was as happy to find us podcasting again as we were to have her back in the family. She shares some of her favorite Asian dishes, then on the entertainment front, suggests we take a look at "Being Human." How does it compare to the original U.K. series? Shelley in Oklahoma has an opinion on that. Then Geoff shares his love of "Band of Brothers," with a vote of support from Faith in Tennessee. | 7 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #144: “Thundercats Berzerker” (Oct. 6, 2011) | We’ve been blessed to be able to showcase a number of our fellow podcasters in our Thursday “PopTalk & Trivia” shows, but today’s guest is a first. Rob Valois is not only behind three podcasts over at “The Geek Generation,” but he’s also the man behind the mask of “The Knight Angel Berzerker,” a professional wrestler for Northeast Championship Wrestling. Rob joins us to share his love of the new “Thundercats,” “Warehouse 13″ on SyFy, and (of course) “Doctor Who.” Then, unable to challenge his brawn, we instead challenge his brain with obscure trivia. What does a wrestler know about Michael Jackson? Listen to find out! You can find Rob on Twitter at @TheKnightAngel or @GeekGeneration. | 5 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #143: “Favorite Covers” (Oct. 5, 2011) | It's back to music for "Wildcard Wednesday," as we count down five of our favorite covers. | 4 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #142: “Pan Am & NBC Comedies” (Oct. 4, 2011) | This week we tackle another batch of new fall shows, including "Pan Am" (starring Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Margot Robbie, Karine Vanasse, Mike Vogel and Michael Mosley, Sundays on ABC), "Terra Nova" (Mondays on FOX), "Person of Interest" (Thursdays on CBS), "Up All Night" (starring Wil Arnett and Christina Applegate, Thursdays on NBC). We also pay tribute to our favorite half-hour comedy sitcoms on NBC, including "The Office," "Parks & Recreation," and "Community." Alas, no "30 Rock" until next year! | 3 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #141: “Dumping Lloyd Dobler” (Oct. 3, 2011) | This "Movie Monday" brings another double feature, this week highlighting two of Jen's favorite John Cusack films. Although he's plays a teenager in one and a directionless twenty-something in the other, Cusack delivers memorable performances in both as men dealing with love and heartbreak. Tune in as we talk "Say Anything" and "High Fidelity." | 2 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #140: “2 Tank Girls of Interest” (Sept. 30, 2011) | It's a jam packed feedback show, from "Drive" to more soundtracks worthy of mention, including "Juno," "Tank Girl," "Friday Night Lights," "Valley Girl," "Next Stop Wonderland," “Jackie Brown” and “Go.” Then we move over to the small screen for early takes on now shows, including "Ringer," "Person of Interest," and "New Girl." | 29 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #139: “East Meets West” (Sept. 29, 2011) | Joining us today for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday is Paul Fox (@Foxlore on Twitter). Originally from Palm Beach County in Florida, he moved to Asia in the year 2000, and he’s now a college lecturer in Hong Kong in the field of Media Studies and Asian Studies. Paul is also a podcaster, co-hosting “East Screen West Screen” with Kevin Ma and other guests to cover news, rumors and reviews for cinema from Hong Kong, China, Asia and the West. | 28 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #138: Great Apps (Sept. 28, 2011) | As a follow-up to our June show highlighting Jen’s favorite photo apps, both of us share five apps that we can’t live without. While we’re iPhone users, almost all of these apps are available for Android smartphones, and most have web interfaces as well. Of course, there are thousands of apps out there, and many gems we've probably never heard of. If there's a killer app you use every day, tell us about it! | 27 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #137: “Tube Talk” (Sept. 27, 2011) | With the new fall TV season underway, and several of our favorite returning shows chugging along, we adopt the "what we're watching" format for our Tuesday podcast. We share quick takes and premature judgments on "2 Broke Girls," "Free Agents," "New Girl," and "Prime Suspect." Then we finally catch up with programs we love: "Fringe," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Breaking Bad." | 26 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #136: “Moneyball” (Sept. 26, 2011) | We kick off the week with another new release. "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, is based on a true story and a book of the same name by Michael Lewis. Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, changes the game by adopting a new way to build a competitive baseball team. The movie was directed by Bennett Miller and features a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. | 25 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #135: “Battlestar Dancing” (Sept. 23, 2011) | Once again we celebrate the brilliance of our listeners in Feedback Friday. On tap, your needledrop movie soundtrack picks (including "Dirty Dancing," "Reality Bites," "The Jackal," "Forrest Gump," and "2001." And Lauren chimes in with a spirited defense of "Hackers." Also, some different takes on "Battlestar Galactica" and its finale, from "loved it" to "couldn't stick with it." And we close with quick takes on "Sherlock" and "White Collar." I think we're going to have to set aside the time to give "White Collar" a fair shake. | 22 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #134: “My So Called Doogie” (Sept. 22, 2011) | At long last, the great Steph Smith (@stephsmith) joins us for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday. She’s a TV lover, movie snob, and internet addict, and you can hear her on several podcasts, including “What’s On with Steph & Des” and “PotentialCast.” | 21 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #133: “Top Five Podcasts Revisited” (Sept. 21, 2011) | It was over five years ago when Jen last shared her "Top Five Favorite Podcasts." Suffice it to say, a lot has changed since then... but some things haven't! Today, we send shoutouts to a few of our fellow media makers... with the prominent caveat that we probably could never mention or list everyone we should. Both Jen and Ryan share separate lists, bringing you at least ten other podcasts you might want to check out. From tech shows to personal stories to public radio, there's something for everyone. | 20 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #132: “New Fall TV Shows” (Sept. 20, 2011) | The new fall television season is upon us! And from Daniel B. in Boston comes the suggestion to take a day-by-day look at what’s coming up on the tube. Today we run through the Fall 2011 TV programming grid and make snap judgments about brand new shows on the major networks. Next week we’ll start to cover returning shows and share our first impressions on some new stuff. But we really want to talk about the shows you want to talk about, so be sure to let us know what you’re watching this fall! | 19 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #131: “Drive” (Sept. 19, 2011) | For Movie Monday, we take in an unusual, unforgettable, riveting and sometimes shocking new film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. An unabashed throwback to an earlier time, "Drive" takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride through the darker streets of Los Angeles. Next week, "Moneyball"! If you've seen either of these films, we'd love to hear your review. | 18 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #130: “O Brother DeNiro” (Sept. 16, 2011) | For Feedback Friday, a fun mix. Movie music and filming locations, television, and suggestions for future double features. | 15 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #129: “Phineas and Opus” (Sept. 14, 2011) | Joining us today from Wisconsin is Barry Laabs (@brewerfan71), a long-suffering Green Bay Packers fan, proud Brewers fan, and total Disney and Lost fanatic. He shares his love of Happy Mondays,” Disney kids shows (“Phineas & Ferb” and “Good Luck Charlie“), and “Bloom County: The Complete Collection.” | 14 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #128: “Needledrop Soundtracks” (Sept. 14, 2011) | We love movies. We love music. Why not combine the two? For Wildcard Wednesday, we start with your suggestion for a "favorite soundtracks" show, but with a slight twist. Today both of us share our "Top 5 Needledrop Soundtracks," movie soundtracks that use popular music to set the scene. | 13 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #127: “Battlestar Galactica” (Sept. 13, 2011) | Before TV Tuesday shifts gears to track returning and new television shows, there’s one beloved series to which we had to pay tribute: “Battlestar Galactica.” Ronald D. Moore’s fantastic reimagining of the 1970s show debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003 with a three-hour miniseries. It was a huge hit, serving as a backdoor pilot to inspire four seasons and over 70 episodes. | 12 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #126: “Fun at the Amusement Park” (Sept. 12, 2011) | We might not be able to send you home with a Giant Ass Panda, but we hope today's double feature helps grow your appreciation for a couple of great films set in or near classic amusement parks. First up, "The Lost Boys," a classic teen horror comedy film by Joel Schumacher starring starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, and Alex "Ted" Winter. Then, "Adventureland," written and directed by Greg Mottola, and starring film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig. | 11 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #125: “Dragon Player One” | Feedback Friday is jam packed with lots of great music and book talk. Nancy shares the soundtrack of her globetrotting youth, Des shares Jen's love of Guns N' Roses (and lobbies for some top five lists from Ryan). Celia introduces us to Ann McAffery's "Dragon Riders of Pern" series, Daniel endorses the "nerdgasm" of Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One," and David and Cari extend our young adult reading list with William Sleator and Adam Bradley. Finally, who is hotter: Matt Passmore or Simon Baker? | 8 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #124: “Stargate Pains” (Sept. 8, 2011) | This week, joining us all the way from Long Island, New York, is long-time listener Fred Firestine. This Canadian-born husband, dad, and technology professional loves sci fi, Weird Al, and P90X. Formerly @ffluvssg1 on Twitter, you can now find him at @ffirestine. He also blogs now and then about his health and fitness journey. | 7 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #123: “Around the Big Island” (Sept. 7, 2011) | We're fortunate to call Hawaii our home. And as residents of a place that represents a great getaway for much of the world, we're often asked for advice on places to go and things to see in the Aloha State. And as we start planning for our own regular "getaway" to the Big Island, we figured we'd take you along for the ride. | 6 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #122: “Sons of Anarchy” (Sept. 6, 2011) | "Sons of Anarchy" sees its fourth season premiere tonight on FX. Created by Kurt Sutter, former executive producer of "The Shield," this series follows a biker gang based in the fictional Northern California town of Charming. Jen is a big fan of this gritty series, that's often described as "Hamlet on Harleys." | 5 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #121: “The Debt” (Sept. 5, 2011) | "The Debt" was a film festival hit last year, and was scheduled for a December 2010 release. But studio shenanigans delayed its debut until last week. But even though it hit theaters in the doldrums of late summer, it is a solid espionage thriller. Hear our take, which adds up to a Popspotting score of 8 out of 10. | 4 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #120: “Bogart, Dexter & Dude” (Sept. 2, 2011) | We start off Feedback Friday with movie talk: a classic noir suggestion, a Lebowski virgin, and a crazy, stupid review. Then it's on to your favorite books, and a shared love of a serial killer. We can't say it enough: we're powered primarily by your comments here, on Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail and voicemail. Whether you're recommending something, responding to something, or just checking in, we love it. | 1 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #119: “Musical Matt” (Sept. 1, 2011) | This week’s “PopTalk & Trivia” guest is Matt Murdick. A renown St. Louis musician and long-time podcaster (from the “Keys to LOST” and “U.S. Whocast” podcasts), he’s now the host of the “Musical Concepts” podcast. You can also find him answering questions and riffing on life over at Vyou.com where he’s posted over 1,300 video responses. As a perfect followup to yesterday’s life-changing albums, Matt shares three recent musical picks. He then achieves a milestone never before achieved by any previous trivia guest. You can find Matt on Twitter at @musicalconcepts. | 31 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #118: “Life-Changing Albums” (Aug. 31, 2011) | Though not quite ready to commit to naming her top five albums of all time (a followup to last week's list on the book side), Jen shares the five albums that changed her life, and a little of the story behind each. And there's a wide range of sounds, from classic crooner to hard rock to lush Hawaiian. | 30 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #117: “The Sopranos” (Aug. 30, 2011) | After yesterday's discussion of "Goodfellas," the only natural choice for TV Tuesday had to be HBO's original series "The Sopranos." The film shares several actors with the Martin Scorsese masterpiece. Created by David Chase, the show follows New Jersey Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he tries to balance his criminal empire and his personal life. | 29 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #116: “Super-Size DeNiro” (Aug. 29, 2011) | It's another movie double feature for Movie Monday, as Jen lines up a couple of three-hour films that star Robert DeNiro. First up is "Heat," written and directed by Michael Mann, which also stars Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, and Ashley Judd. Then it's on to "Goodfellas," a Martin Scorsese masterpiece which stars Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and a dozen other great actors. We follow Liotta's Henry Hill, who says up front, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." | 28 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #115: “Modern Thrones of 1972″ | Many new voices are heard in this week's "Feedback Friday" podcast, covering "Modern Family," and "Game of Thrones." And a couple of listeners share their own top songs of 1972. We hope more of you make the leap to the voicemail line, helping give everyone a break from our voices! Again, the number to call is 815-310-0808. | 25 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #114: “Game Room” (Aug. 25, 2011) | Our guest for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday is John Norton (@johnnorton. He’s an actor, director, host of “Zero Hour with John Norton” and co-host of “The Tribe: A Survivor Podcast.” The title of today’s podcast comes from John himself, who noticed that we had a Thursday naming convention before we did. | 24 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #113: “Favorite Books” (Aug. 24, 2011) | For Wildcard Wednesday, it's back to books, as Jen shares her top five books of all time (for now, subject to change). She also shares an update on what she's reading now... including a wildly popular young adult fantasy series that she's perhaps the last person on Earth to read. | 23 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #112: “Dexter” (Aug. 23, 2011) | Dexter Morgan, Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, leads a double life. When he's not helping the homicide division solve murders, he satisfies his dark desires by hunting and killing bad guys who slip through the justice system, all the while following a strict code established for him by his father. | 22 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #111: “The Big Lebowski” & “Brick” (Aug. 22, 2011) | For Movie Monday, a “Neo Pseudo Noir” double feature pairing “The Big Lebowski” and “Brick.” Both bring unique, contemporary takes on the classic noir genre, whether it’s following “The Dude” through Los Angeles or untangling a high school conspiracy. | 21 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #110: “Captain Riggins” (Aug. 19, 2011) | Our take on “Captain America” raised a few hackles, with listeners sharing some of what we missed in the Marvel backstory. But our love for “Friday Night Lights” was definitely well received. Despite some “sad realism,” the lives of the people in Dillon, Texas won our hearts. And the five-season run was satisfying enough that a new movie is not necessarily a good thing. Also on tap, a “Breaking Bad” podcast connection, questions about the future of “The Walking Dead,” and two thumbs up for “Misfits.” Finally, “The Glades” makes a play for Jen’s attention by appealing to her Florida roots. Your feedback is what keeps us going, so if anything we say (or fail to say) makes you laugh (or cry), please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can comment here on the blog, post over on Facebook, hit us up on Twitter, or send us an email at feedback@popspotting.net. | 18 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #109: “The Buffy Rush” (Aug. 18, 2011) | We love Canada. We love Canadians. And one of the main reasons why we’re so resolute in our affection for the Great White North is Alirio. He's a fellow podcaster, one of the voices behind “PotentialCast,” “Yip! Yip!” and PauseCast." | 17 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #108: “Songs of 1972″ (Aug. 17, 2011) | You want more music shows? You'll get more music shows! As Jen celebrates yet another 29th birthday, we arbitrarily choose the year 1972 to highlight with a top five list. Then, we share some music recommendations from our listeners. | 16 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #107: “Game of Thrones” (Aug. 16, 2011) | or TV Tuesday, we finally get around to "Game of Thrones," a medieval fantasy series on HBO that many of you declared a must-see show. Based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series, "Game of Thrones" is an ambitious series that encompasses a sprawling, complex world. It takes some time to get a handle on who, what, and where, but it's totally worth it. Beyond the sets, costumes, and effects, the characters and performances are really where this show shines. | 15 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #106: “Crazy Stupid Love” (Aug. 15, 2011) | "Crazy Stupid Love," directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, focuses mostly on "Love." This was a surprisingly smart but still comedic exploration of adult relationships (and those that aspire to adulthood). This Movie Monday podcast also includes a bonus review of "Glee in 3-D." | 14 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #105: “Rewire” (Aug. 12, 2011) | After our break, we start to dive into some of the great feedback we got while we were in San Diego, starting with Swedish romantic horror films. There's a lot of love out there for "The Wire," at least one tiny shred of love for "The Killing." | 12 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #104: “Falling Flags” (Aug. 11, 2011) | Our first post-Comic-Con PopTalk & Trivia guest is Jimmy, a.k.a. @JimmyinGA, who is behind “Falling Skies Cast,” a podcast devoted to TNT’s new original sci-fi series starring Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood. Of course “Falling Skies” is his first recommendation (a show that was also the first pick of our last guest, Des), but he also tells us about “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and last year’s “Black Death.” | 10 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #103: “San Diego Comic-Con Flashback” (Aug. 10, 2011) | It's impossible to cover nearly a week of travel and pop culture craziness in fifteen minutes. Turns out it's also impossible to do it in half an hour. Even so, our longest podcast yet still doesn't completely convey our glee (no pun intended) as we look back at our fourth Comic-Con, and at our first family vacation to San Diego. | 9 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #102: “Friday Night Lights” (Aug. 9, 2011) | Today we tackle one of our favorite shows, "Friday Night Lights," an NBC/DirecTV-backed series that survived five seasons despite shaky marketing and disappointing ratings. Just last week, the Television Critics Association honored "Friday Night Lights" as "Program of the Year." Jen goes as far as to say that this is the one show, out of the many shows we love, that you absolutely must watch. | 8 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #101: “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Aug. 8, 2011) | Today we tackle "Captain America: The First Avenger," the origin story of the most unflinchingly patriotic of Marvel superheroes. The film is set in a plausible but still fantastic period in American history, as the "Star-Spangled Man" takes on the most classic of baddies: power-hungry Nazis. The film stars Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Hayley Atwell. | 7 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #100: “Glee” at Comic-Con 2011 | Today's featured panel is "Glee," which kicked off the Hall H program on Sunday. My daughter Katie was so eager to attend, we slept overnight outside the San Diego Convention Center. You may, in fact, periodically hear her voice on this recording (and my shushing!) | 4 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #99: “Alcatraz” at Comic-Con 2011 | Today’s featured panel is “Alcatraz,” on FOX, starring "LOST" alum Jorge Garcia. Alas, the show doesn't air until next year. The Q-and-A portion, and thus this podcast, is only ten minutes long, because the Comic-Con session included a screening of the pilot episode. | 2 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #98: “Fringe” at Comic-Con 2011 | As Jen struggles with late-onset nerd flu, we kick off this off week with more audio from the San Diego Comic-Con. Today's featured panel is "Fringe," on FOX. Fringe returns to Comic-Con with series stars Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. | 1 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #97: “Chuck” at Comic-Con 2011 | Today's featured panel is NBC's "Chuck," entering its fifth and final season. The show kicked off the Saturday program in Ballroom 20. | 27 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #96: “LOST” at Comic-Con 2011 | Once again, we’re happy to bring you audio from the San Diego Comic-Con. As always, the sound quality isn’t perfect, and audio levels can only be tweaked so far. Nonetheless, we hope it helps you feel a little closer to the wonder and chaos of this incredible annual event. Today’s feature is the Entertainment Weekly panel for “LOST,” which brought in surprise guests Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Here’s the (misleading) official synopsis: Entertainment Weekly Presents…Totally LOST: One Year Later— EW’s Lost gurus Jeff “Doc” Jensen and Dan “Dan” Snierson wax nostalgic about the past, perhaps with a surprise guest or two, and discuss how they’re “moving on” in the wake of Lost’s departure from the air a year ago. The duo will look to the future by previewing promising TV obsessions. Watch the ‘deleted scene’ here. | 25 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #95: “Torchwood” at Comic-Con 2011 | Torchwood: Miracle Day— John Barrowman (Doctor Who) and Eve Myles (Doctor Who) join cast members Mekhi Phifer (ER), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Alexa Havins (All My Children), and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), along with writer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica), to discuss the fourth installment of the hit BBC Worldwide show. | 25 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #94: “The Big Bang Theory” at Comic-Con 2011 | We continue our series with "The Big Bang Theory," a show that in many ways epitomizes the geek-positive ethos of SDCC. | 23 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #93: “The Walking Dead” at Comic-Con 2011 | Once again, we're happy to bring you audio from the San Diego Comic-Con. We hope it helps you feel a little closer to the wonder and chaos of this incredible annual event. We kick things off with the panel many of you said you were most excited to hear: "The Walking Dead." | 22 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #92: “Wailin’ Brave” (July 15, 2011) | This week’s Feedback Friday opens with a couple of musical gems (The Wailin’ Jennys and The Swell Season), then races through books (Sarah Vowell and “Robopocalypse“), TV (“Shameless“), movies (“Highlander,” “Cars 2” and “Brave“) and yes, once again, “Firefly.” Next week is Comic-Con, and we’re bringing the whole family out to San Diego! While that means we’ll be soaking in all kinds of news and stories to tell on our podcast, we may not be putting out our regular set of daily shows. We hope you’ll stick with us, though! In the mean time, we encourage you to catch up on any shows you might have missed… and more importantly, maybe take a moment to send us an email. What topics would you like us to tackle? Are our shows still too short, or getting too long? Is a daily podcast a treat, or a challenge to keep up with? We make Popspotting for you, so we’d love to know what you want! Need more awesomeness? Watch The Swell Season cover “Two Headed Boy” by Neutral Milk Hotel on AV Udercover! The Swell Season covers Neutral Milk Hotel | 14 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #91: Falling Luther (July 14, 2011) | Our guest this week is Desiree (@sitakatherine), or "Des," who joins us from Jen's home state of Florida. She's a podcaster herself, with the proudly not-safe-for-work NonsenseCast, as well as the TV-centric "What's On With Steph and Des." She shares her love of "Falling Skies," "Luther," and "Firefly," then is subjected to our most awkward trivia segment yet, wherein we can't quite decide how many answers count as a win. Nonetheless, Des was a great sport, her long resume of podcast guest stints clearly shining through as she makes us feel like we knew what we were doing, even when it's painfully obvious we don't. | 13 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #90: Hawaiian Music Artists (July 13, 2011) | You want more music? You've got more music. This week, Jen highlights five Hawaiian music artists that have caught her ear lately. Fresh from the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's version of the Grammy Awards), we look at some younger acts with a bright future in Hawaiian music. | 12 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #89: “The Wire” (July 12, 2011) | No less than the leader of the free world has declared "The Wire" on HBO to be his favorite show. This series, which ran for five seasons, pretty much appears in most dictionaries next to the entry for "critically acclaimed." Written by author and one-time police reporter David Simon, "The Wire" explores every facet of urban life in Baltimore, from top-level civil servants to lost children on the streets. | 11 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #88: Horrible Bosses (July 11, 2011) | As our last week before Comic-Con begins, we check out "Horrible Bosses," a raunchy, dark comedy starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis. They have horrible bosses played by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell. And there are quite a few other familiar faces, including Donald Sutherland, Julie Bowen, and Isiah Mustafa. | 10 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #87: Too Much Information (July 8, 2011) | Once again, our Feedback Friday show serves up a grand buffet of topics. From "L.A. Woman" to "Foxy Brown," from "Toy Story" to the Muppets, and who hasn't heard of the "Wilhelm Scream"? The call goes out for a spoiler show on "The Hunger Games" trilogy, more share their "Firefly" fandom, and we hear from a fan of Laura Linney. (We need more convincing.) Finally, as a follow-up to our food show, Jen and I decide to share the story of how we met. We promise we kept the mushy stuff to a minimum. | 7 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #86: Hip Hop Off the Couch (July 7, 2011) | This week we check in with Ryan Drake (@rayke) in Oklahoma, who took a break between late-night parties to share his love of Donald "Childish Gambino" Glover, the C25K running program, and "Shameless" on Showtime, starring William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Justin Chatwin. | 6 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #85: Sarah Vowell (July 6, 2011) | It's back to the bookshelves for Wildcard Wednesday, as Jen gives a whirlwind tour through the bibliography of Sarah Vowell, whom most know as a contributor to "This American Life" on National Public Radio (and a few know as the voice of young Violet in Pixar's "The Incredibles"). Jen has read every single one of her books, and loves how she mixes solid history, personal anecdotes, wit, and snark. | 5 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #84: “Justified” (July 5, 2011) | When we first launched Popspotting and asked for your recommendations on TV shows to watch, "Justified" was one of the most popular suggestions. So this week, after working our way through most of the first season, we share our first take on this FX series. Created by Graham Yost, "Justified" stars Timothy Olyphant as deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a character from stories by Elmore Leonard. Set in Harlan in Eastern Kentucky, Raylan enforces his own brand of justice while coming to terms with the people and problems from his past. | 4 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #83: “Highlander” and “Gladiator” (July 4, 2011) | On this 4th of July holiday, we celebrate two films in which veteran warriors battle for their own kind of independence. (Okay, we tried.) Jen dubs this the "Ancient Warriors with Sketchy Accents" double feature, and we take a look at a cult classic and a bonafide blockbuster: "Highlander," from 1984, and "Gladiator," from 2000. Admittedly, Christopher Lambert and Russell Crowe have very little in common in these two films... except, perhaps, in not delivering the most memorable performances in each. Nonetheless, even if you've seen them before, they're certainly worth a rewatch. | 3 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #82: California Killing (July 1, 2011) | “I want to get back to my city by the bay…” We have a great Feedback Friday show, thanks to you! We’re so glad you enjoyed our last music show, and today we talk about some great songs about California that didn’t make Jen’s list last week, and get a couple of listening recommendations. We turn to TV to talk the ill-fated NBC show “The Event,” the shortlived Joss Whedon show “Dollhouse,” and the controversial season finale of “The Killing.” Finally, we can confirm that the official “Breaking Bad” podcast will return with the upcoming fourth season, premiering July 17. Subscribe in iTunes today! | 30 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #81: PopTalk with Colleen Glatfelter (June 30, 2011) | Joining us this week for "PopTalk & Trivia Thursday" is Colleen Glatfelter, a long-time friend, blogger, and veteran podcaster. A New Yorker at heart, she's now in North Carolina thanks to true geek love, having recently married podcasting powerhouse Jay of "The LOST Podcast with Jay & Jack." | 29 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #80: Favorite Hawaii Foods (June 29, 2011) | We hope you're not hungry when you listen to today's show... and we're not even sure if our topic will make your stomach growl, or turn! Jen, born and raised in a small Florida town, shares the five foods she discovered in Hawaii that she says changed her life. The menu includes Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and of course, Hawaiian. | 28 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #79: Firefly (June 28, 2011) | It's been over a decade since the crew of the Serenity first took flight on FOX. The short, sporadic, eleven-episode run of Joss Whedon's "Firefly" is now the poster child for all smart television that's prematurely killed by stupid networks. A "space western" may have been impossible to categorize, but the show is impossible to resist, with colorful, fleshed-out characters, brisk and brilliant writing, and a tragically huge sense of potential that sadly was never realized. The 2005 movie "Serenity" helped to continue the story, but fans are still eternally left wanting more. | 27 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #78: Cars 2 (June 27, 2011) | It's been five years since we've heard from Lightning McQueen and his friends from Radiator Springs. The original "Cars" wasn't the strongest Pixar film, but still a favorite of our family. "Cars 2" picks up the pace and takes us around the world, and into the world of international intrigue, with a spy plot that director John Lasseter says was inspired in part by the Jason Bourne movies. Tow Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) takes a more central role, and we meet new characters (including a British pair voiced by Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer). There's car geek trivia and movie references, and like "Wall-E," there's even a subplot of social commentary. Even a so-so Pixar flick is a good flick by any other measure, so this sequel offers a pretty good ride. | 26 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #77: “Raising Lady Justified” (June 24, 2011) | It's Feedback Friday! As usual, the show is packed with great stuff today. You tell us about "Raising Hope" on Fox, seeing Lady Gaga live (rest in peace, Clarence Clemons), iPhone camera app hoarding, "Justified," "Terriers," "Torchwood," "The Hunger Games," "Jennifer Government," and the official "Breaking Bad" podcast. You got us thinking... what musicians or bands do you most want to see live? | 23 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #76: Astronauts and Zombies (June 23, 2011) | For today's PopTalk & Trivia Thursday, we check in with Albert Ross in Charlotte, North Carolina. He shares his love of "Moon," a 2009 gem by Duncan Jones starring Sam Rockwell, "Bar Karma," a choose-your-own-adventure series on Current, and "Walking Dead," AMC's smash hit from earlier this year. Then, it's time for trivia! | 23 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #75: California Songs (June 22, 2011) | With less than a month to go until Comic-Con in San Diego, Jen is in a California state of mind. So going back to our "Pith of Pop" roots, we explore a musical Top Five for today's "Wildcard Wednesday." She shares her top five songs about the Golden State | 21 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #74: Weeds (June 21, 2011) | Last week we talked about a series in which a devoted parent turns to illegal drug sales to make ends meet for the family. Why not continue the theme? For TV Tuesday, we discuss “Weeds,” a series on Showtime created by Jenji Kohan. While the setup is similar, “Weeds” is almost the opposite of “Breaking Bad.” Whimsical, hilarious, shiny and sexy. | 20 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #73: Ray Nicolette Double Feature (June 20, 2011) | This week, we take a break from the multiplex and dig into our movie collection to share our love for two great films: "Jackie Brown" and "Out of Sight." | 19 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #72: “Hockey and Parenthood” (June 17, 2011) | For this “Feedback Friday,” Jen issues a big mea culpa for her hockey faux pas, we hear from yet another fan of NBC’s “Parenthood,” we’re encouraged to read some Jeannette Walls, and fellow geek Steve Bryson shares a list of his favorite iPhone apps. It was a relatively quiet week, and listener Amber notes that it can be tricky to keep up with a daily podcast. To help, we’ve set up the ability to subscribe to our show via email. Using the form on the right, you can get each new Popspotting episode emailed to you, so you can easily see what’s on tap or catch up if you’ve missed a few days. We also want to thank our listeners who are checking into “Popspotting” on GetGlue, and to send our deepest gratitude to those who’ve written reviews of our show in the iTunes music store. Hard to believe this episode already marks four weeks of daily shows. And so far, it’s been a fun and rewarding experiment. But we rely on you and your feedback to know how we’re doing, to know what we should be doing, and to keep going. We appreciate every comment, tweet, like, email, and call. Thank you for all your support! | 16 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #71: PopTalk with Catherine Parkinson (June 16, 2011) | It’s our first international PopTalk & Trivia Thursday! Joining us all the way from Huntingdon near Cambridge in the United Kingdom, Catherine Parkinson (@catparky on Twitter). It’s great to hear the perspective of someone outside the American bubble, and she shares her favorite TV shows with UK roots… but can she hold her own in our very America-centric trivia round? | 15 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #70: Photo Apps (June 15, 2011) | And now for something completely different. Finally pushing the envelope for our "Wildcard Wednesday" show, we go geeky with a look at our favorite smartphone photography apps. As iPhone users, these picks are iPhone centric, but several of them are also available on Android. | 14 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #69: “Breaking Bad” (June 14, 2011) | When it comes to solid drama and knockout performances, our absolute favorite show right now is “Breaking Bad” on AMC. It was the series most often recommended to us when we were wallowing in a post-”LOST” fugue state, and it deserves all the acclaim it gets. No, there’s no science fiction, and just a smattering of science. But “Breaking Bad” is intense, gripping, mesmerizing television. Some of its lightest moments are also its darkest, and some of the humor is beautifully painful. We can’t recommend it enough. The Season 3 DVD just came out last week, and Season 4 premieres on July 17. So if you’re not yet aboard, you’ve got just enough time to catch up. And if you love “Breaking Bad” as much as we do, Gavin here in Honolulu points out that you can’t miss the “Breaking Bad Insider Podcast.” If you’re not watching, why not? And if you are, how much do you love the show? Jen suggests that Aaron Paul (as Jesse) has an even tougher job than Bryan Cranston (as Walter)… and given where Season 3 left off (no spoilers!), I think things will only get more amazing for both of them this year. | 13 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #68: “Super 8″ (June 13, 2011) | As "slobbering fanboys" of J.J. Abrams, we've been looking forward to "Super 8" since the moment we first heard about it last year. Written and directed by Abrams, and with Steven Spielberg aboard as executive producer, the movie has been shrouded in secrecy and promoted with an air of mystery. Now that "Super 8" has finally hit the big screen, was it worth the wait? | 12 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #67: Feedback Friday (June 10, 2011) | If you missed the awesomeness that was the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot, you've got another chance. BBC America is going to start running the show as part of its "Supernatural Saturday" lineup beginning tomorrow, June 11. That's just one of the things we learned today from our listeners during "Feedback Friday." Also mentioned, "Galaxy Quest" and "Justified," and more love for Lady Gaga, the Foo Fighters, "Modern Family" and "Sons of Anarchy." | 9 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #66: Robin Burdge of Media Junkyard (June 9, 2011) | For our third "PopTalk & Trivia Thursday" outing, we welcome Robin Burdge, co-host of Media Junkyard" and "Movie Snobbery." He is also the host of Vermont's most popular trivia gatherings (or, at least, it should be), making him the strongest candidate yet to face Jen's tough questions. | 8 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #65: Catching Fire & Extremely Loud (June 8, 2011) | Book talk returns for "Wildcard Wednesday"! As promised, Jen returns with her report on "Catching Fire," the second book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy. She also shares her thoughts on "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a post-9/11 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. | 7 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #64: Dead Like Me & Pushing Daisies (June 7, 2011) | This week we shift from current shows to long-lost shows, focusing on a pair of quirky death-centric stories created by Bryan Fuller. "Dead Like Me" saw two solid seasons on Showtime and a less-than-solid straight-to-DVD movie a few years later. "Pushing Daisies" couldn't catch a break, stumbling through only two partial seasons on ABC. But both are worth checking out today, on DVD or via Netflix streaming. | 6 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #63: X-Men: First Class (June 6, 2011) | Against all odds, we make it out to another new release: "X-Men: First Class," a prequel to the previous four "X-Men" films. For a superhero movie, this movie doesn't forget that character counts, and that the conflict within is just as important as the conflict between characters and people. | 5 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #62: “Feedback Friday” (June 2, 2011) | The KillingIn this fresh batch of listener comments, AMC's "The Killing" gets a lot of love, "Pirates 4" finds a defender, and we take another look at Zooey Deschanel. We also hear from a number of book lovers, which is wonderful. | 2 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #61: PopTalk & Trivia with Jopinionated (June 2, 2011) | Jo got an advance look at several upcoming series starring former "LOST" stars, and gives a quick, spoiler-free take on each. | 1 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #60: Foo Fighters & Lady Gaga (June 1, 2011) | For our first music show, we get Jen's take on two big recent releases: "Wasting Light," the seventh studio album from the Foo Fighters, and "Born This Way," the omnipresent second album from Lady Gaga. | 31 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #59: “Hawaii Five-0″ & “Chuck” (May 31, 2011) | Today we catch up on a couple of our weekly watches: "Hawaii Five-0," the reboot of the classic cop show on CBS, and "Chuck" on NBC, one of the geekiest shows on television. | 30 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #58: “Kung Fu Panda 2″ & “Fast Five” (May 30, 2011) | It seems every summer is the summer of sequels, but both of today's featured pair of films were a pleasant surprise. "Kung Fu Panda 2" from Dreamworks delivers a surprisingly solid plot on top of kid-friendly fun and sharp animation. And while "Fast Five" was a great big noisy ball of ridiculousness, it wore its big-budget blockbuster genes well. | 29 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #57: 500 Days, TV Picks Feedback (May 27, 2011) | For our first Feedback Friday, Carl asks if we've seen "500 Days of Summer," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel. Next, Lauren suggests four TV shows she thinks we should watch, and names two we still have to check out. | 26 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #56: PopTalk & Trivia with Burt Lum (May 26, 2011) | Ever since we first planned to launch Popspotting, we knew we wanted to have guests join us now and then... both to feature voices and ideas other than our own, and to try our hands as trivia game show hosts. Of course, after years of recording as a couple, we knew it would be a bit of an adjustment to bring new people into the conversation. | 25 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #55: “Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me” (May 25, 2011) | Jen has a husband, but she also has a boyfriend: her Amazon Kindle. She's a voracious reader, and finally gets to share her love of the written word with the world. But her first pick isn't exactly high-brow literature. It's "Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me." | 24 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #54: “Fringe” on FOX (May 24, 2011) | It's no "LOST," but after "LOST," J.J. Abams' "Fringe" was and remains our favorite network show. Unabashed sci-fi with decent plots, strong characters, and great actors, on FOX. | 23 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting #53: “Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides” (May 23, 2011) | The latest installment of Disney's most lucrative franchise, "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides," is a bit of a mess. Frankly, so are we. After nine months off, we're a bit rusty, a bit punchy, but still eager to get back to podcasting. This episode is a beta test of a new format, switching from longer shows a few times a month to shorter, simpler episodes a few times a week. Will it work? Only time and our listeners will tell. So do tell what you think, but please be gentle. It gets better. Probably. | 22 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Preview: “Composing for Sci-Fi TV & Movies” at Comic-Con (Aug. 10, 2010) | From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the "Behind the Music with CW3PR: Composing for Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy Film & TV" panel, featuring Michael Giacchino, Wendy & Lisa Coleman, Nathan Barr, Jim Dooley, John Ottman, and Jeremy Zuckerman. | 10 8 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Preview: “Chuck″ at Comic-Con (July 31, 2010) | From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the "Chuck" panel. The session began with a highlight reel, a big reveal, and a "Jeffster" music video. It also ended abruptly, without any Q&A, much to the dismay of the audience. The panel featured Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, March Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, and Adam Baldwin. | 31 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Preview: “Fringe″ at Comic-Con (July 29, 2010) | From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the "Fringe" panel featuring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick and Blair Brown, as well as executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman. | 29 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Popspotting Preview: “Hawaii Five-0″ at Comic-Con (July 27, 2010) | From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the "Hawaii Five-0" panel featuring Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Peter M. Lenkov (24), and director Len Wiseman (Underworld). | 27 7 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prehistoric Pop: Donnie Darko (June 17, 2007) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 54 of "HawaiiUP" for June 17, 2006. We discuss “Grindhouse” (2007) with Eli Roth, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Rose McGowan; “Knocked Up” (2007) with Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, and Paul Rudd; and “Donnie Darko” (2001) with Jake Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Maggie Gyllenhaal. | 6 6 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prehistoric Pop: The Illusionist (Feb. 18, 2007) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 52 of "HawaiiUP" for Feb. 18, 2007. We discuss “This Film is Not Yet Rated” (2006) with Kimberly Peirce, Jon Lewis, and David Ansen; “Thank You For Smoking" (2005) with Joan Lunden, Eric Haberman, and Aaron Eckhart; and “The Illusionist” (2006) with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel. | 18 2 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prehistoric Pop: Firefly (Feb. 3, 2007) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 51 of "HawaiiUP" for Feb. 3, 2007. We discuss “Happy Feet” (2006) with Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, and Nicole Kidman; “Children of Men” (2006) with Michael Caine, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Pam Ferris, and Peter Mullan; and “Firefly." | 3 2 07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prehistoric Pop: Stranger Than Fiction (Nov. 19, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 50 of "HawaiiUP" for Nov. 19, 2006. We discuss “X-Men III: The Last Stand” (2006) with Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart; “Flushed Away” (2006) with Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Ian McKellen; and “Stranger Than Fiction” (2006) with Will Ferrell, William Dick, and Guy Massey. | 19 11 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prehistoric Pop: MommyCast (Nov. 4, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 49 of "HawaiiUP" for Nov. 4, 2006. We discuss Jen's podcast discoveries: American Cliche, Podquiz (and Music iQuiz), MommyCast. | 4 11 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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184 |
Prehistoric Pop: Battlestar Galactica (Oct. 21, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 48 of "HawaiiUP" for Oct. 21, 2006. We discussed TV shows: “Smith” on CBS, “Heroes” on NBC, “Battlestar Galactica” on SciFi, and “LOST” Season Three. | 21 10 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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185 |
Prehistoric Pop: Brother Love (Oct. 8, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 47 of "HawaiiUP" for Oct. 8, 2006. We talked about Jen's recent music buys: “Summertime” by Brother Love, “Greased Lightnin’” from Grease, “Ku’u Home o Kahalu’u” by Hui Ohana, “Love Comes Tumbling” by U2, “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones, Straight Outta Lynwood by “Weird Al” Yankovic. | 8 10 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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186 |
Prehistoric Pop: Sin City (Sept. 24, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 46 of "HawaiiUP" for Sept. 24, 2006. We discuss “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005) with Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan; “Midnight Run” (1988) with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, and Yaphet Kotto; and “Sin City” (2005) with Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, and Alexis Bledel. | 24 9 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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187 |
Prehistoric Pop: Music Picks (Sept. 2, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 44 of "HawaiiUP" for Sept. 2, 2006. We discuss Jen's recent music purchases: “Hyperballad” by The Twilight Singers, “66″ by The Afghan Whigs, “Back of Your Car” by Ryan Starr, “Remember” by “Black Lab,” and “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode. | 2 9 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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188 |
Prehistoric Pop: Brick (Aug. 27, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 43 of "HawaiiUP" from Aug. 27, 2006. "Talladega Nights" (2006) with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly; "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006) with Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, and Paul Dano; and "Brick" (2005) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matt O'Leary, Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss, and Lukas Haas. | 27 8 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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189 |
Prehistoric Pop: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset (Aug. 19, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 42 of "HawaiiUP" for Aug. 19, 2006. We discussed "Before Sunrise" (1995) with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Andrea Eckert; and "Before Sunset" (2004) with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Vernon Dobtcheff. | 19 8 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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190 |
Prehistoric Pop: Podcast Picks (Aug. 12, 2006) | From the archives. Jen’s appearance on Episode 41 of “HawaiiUP” for Aug. 12, 2006. We discussed Jen’s favorite podcasts: The Bitterest Pill, The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack, The Word Nerds, Coverville, and Filmspotting. Download audio file (pop20060812.mp3) | 12 8 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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191 |
Prehistoric Pop: No Reservations (July 29, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 39 of "HawaiiUP" for July 29, 2006. We discussed “Rock Star: Supernova,” “Psych,” and “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." | 29 7 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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192 |
Prehistoric Pop: Cash Cab (March 18, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 38 of "HawaiiUP" for March 18, 2006. We discuss “Ham On The Street,” “Stranded with Cash Peters,” and “Cash Cab." | 18 3 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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193 |
Prehistoric Pop: Shambala (March 11, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 53 of "HawaiiUP" for March 11, 2006. “Shambala” by Three Dog Night, “Help” by Julian Coryell, “Summer in the City” by Lovin’ Spoonful, “Mama” by Country Comfort, “Whiplash” by Cake or Death. | 11 3 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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194 |
Prehistoric Pop: Three Colors Trilogy (Jan. 14, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 37 of "HawaiiUP" for Jan. 14, 2006. We discussed Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors” Trilogy. | 14 1 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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195 |
Prehistoric Pop: Four Concerts (Jan. 1, 2006) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 36 of "HawaiiUP" for Jan. 1, 2006. We discuss concerts that Jen's attended: AC/DC and King’s X, The Big Mele, Tony Bennett, and Motley Crue. | 1 1 06 | Free | View In iTunes |
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196 |
Prehistoric Pop: The Aviator (Dec. 10, 2005) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 34 of "HawaiiUP" on Dec. 10, 2005. We discussed "Chicken Little" (2005) with Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, and Don Knotts; "Bleu" (1993) with Juliette Binoche and Benoît Régent; and "The Aviator" (2004) with Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, and Kate Beckinsale. | 10 12 05 | Free | View In iTunes |
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197 |
Prehistoric Pop: Bottom Five Movies (Dec. 4, 2005) | From the archives, Jen's appearance on Episode 33 of "HawaiiUP" on Dec. 4, 2005. Jen's Top Five Movies She Loves to Hate. | 4 12 05 | Free | View In iTunes |
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198 |
Prehistoric Pop: Big Island Spots (Nov. 27, 2005) | From the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode X of "HawaiiUP" from Nov. 27, 2005. We discuss Jen's Top Five Things to do on the Big Island. | 27 11 05 | Free | View In iTunes |
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199 |
Prehistoric Pop: TV Shows That Aren’t LOST (Nov. 6, 2005) | From the archives: Jen's appearance on Episode 31 of "HawaiiUP" from Nov. 6, 2005. We discuss Jen's Top Five TV Shows that Aren't LOST. | 6 11 05 | Free | View In iTunes |
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200 |
Prehistoric Pop: New York Movies (Oct. 22, 2005) | From the archives. Jen’s appearance on Episode 29 of “HawaiiUP” on Oct. 22, 2005. We discuss Jen’s Top Five New York Movies: “Working Girl” (1988) with Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, and Melanie Griffith; “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) with Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon; “Taxi Driver” (1976) with Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, and Jodie Foster; “Ghostbusters” (1984) with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver; and “When Harry Met Sally” (1989) with Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, and Carrie Fisher. Download audio file (pop20051022.mp3) | 22 10 05 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 200 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Such an entertaining show
I've been a fan of Ryan and Jen since the fantastic Transmission (Lost Podcast) and was so excited when they started another show.
Popspotting is a multi-topic show covering popular music, tv shows, books and movies. Currently in a bite size 20 minutes or so a day it's an ideal size to catch up on when you need a quick hit of entertainment.
The show centres on Ryan and Jen's opinion and review of various subjects and they are very encouraging of feedback and suggestions.
The show is still in 'beta' mode, so why not give it listen and feedback !!!
Aloha !
Bite-Size!
Exactly as "CatParky" says: these are handy twentyish minute shows. It's not always easy to dedicate 40/60/75 or more minutes to a show in one go.
And there's a great range of relevant topics covered: TV & film, books, etc... Jen and Ryan are a nice happy couple who are also very willing to check out fans' suggestions.
The archived pocasts from 2005 are even shorter (circa 10 mins) and it's great to go through those because it reminds us of stuff that was happening at the time (films for example) that we may well have forgotten about - but aren't totally out of fashion.
Delightful Daily Dose of Pop Culture
I've been listening to Ryan and Jen since c. 2005, when I started following their Lost podcast ("The Transmission"). In fact, theirs was the only Lost podcast I faithfully followed till the show ended. I did feel a great loss when The Transmission ended so am glad I can continue to listen to Ryan and Jen regardless.
This podcast is varied (each day covers a different media, eg Film, TV, Music, Books, Phone Apps, etc) and on Fridays we get to hear other listeners' comments on previous podcasts. Ryan and Jen have an easy-flowing, relaxed but precise conversational style. Their enthusiasm for the stuff they review is often very infectious and I have more than once checked out various TV shows, or books etc previously unknown to me because of this podcast. I also love how they have weekly guests, sometimes hosts of other podcasts, who also make recommendations worth following up.
If, like me, you are a bit of a pop culture geek, this podcast is an absolute must! Well recommended!
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