Film and television

What’s with this year’s tidal wave of fucked-up-outcast-teen-boy-gets-the-super-cute-girl indie flicks?

As someone who approaches only well-vetted shows, I guess I need a Pan Am once in awhile to remember how shitty the rest of TV is.

I’m not much of a celebrity hater, but Big Miracle’s trailer really makes me want to push Drew Barrymore down the stairs. trailers.apple.com/trailers/unive…

If Greedo did shoot first, how the hell did he miss?

Upon hearing that Morgan Spurlock interviewed Greg Gillis, I mistakenly assumed there would be a documentary about IP law. Sad I was wrong.

A bit mawkish for my taste, but this is some great visual storytelling, and I love the look of it. Also, I refuse to believe that Chipotle doesn’t rely heavily on industrial agriculture.

How perfect is it that Explosions in the Sky are essentially the Michael Bay of indie rock?

We are now thirty minutes into an exact replica of Seinfeld’s “The Parking Space” on my block. Squad car number two just arrived. #adulthood

Alas, I had but one chance to live-tweet @ChamberMonster’s first viewing of Sleepaway Camp.

“Give ’im a penny, boys!” feeds.theonion.com/~r/avclub/dail…

Behold, the only time I will ever link to a clip from Lopez Tonight: lopeztonight.com/episode_recaps…

Treme makes me feel like every second of my life spent doing anything other than learning and playing music has been completely wasted.

Wheel of Fortune was so much cooler when the game board was mechanical.

The “…if it weren’t for those snooping kids” part of Scooby Doo always confused me as a kid, because the gang sure looked like adults to me.

A queue makes sense for @netflix’s DVD service, but not for Instant, and both of them are seriously hurting for good browsing functionality.

You know what? In the war of What Sucks Less, I’m publicly drawing the battle lines. Crystal Skull. Better than Temple of Doom. Fuck you.

Your daily reminder that intellectual property law is fucked.

Rest in peace, Macho Man Randy Savage. My youth would have been far less colorful without you and your compatriots.

If the first season of The Twilight Zone is any indication, Rod Serling was terrified of being alone.

I saw this at SXSW. It’s fantastic.

Watching Basic Instinct 2. As far as I can tell, the entirety of the script goes, “What’s up, motherfuckers?! Basic Instinct, bitch!”

Just hit @netflix’s arbitrary Instant Queue cap of 500 titles. That’ll teach those paying customers to use their service so goddamned much.

The Netflix movies that were mistakenly delivered to my neighbors just had to be Gummo and I Spit on Your Grave, didn’t they?

Remember when I lamented the Wire cast’s lack of good post-Wire work, and some of you recommended the BBC’s Luther? You’re all on notice.

Puzzled as to why musicians with taste are willing to subject their music to the established filmic conventions of the music video.

On paper, this would make me roll my eyes, but I have to admit the trailer makes me want to see it.

How did it take me this long to find out about Bob’s Burgers? So nice to have Loren Bouchard back in my life. Thanks, @PaulDobry!

Trying to decide on the right analogy for what history will have to say about reality television. Any suggestions?

Dogtooth is excellent, but somehow the best description I can muster is “Michael Haneke’s Human Centipede”, which just doesn’t seem fair.

Of course there was nowhere to go but down after The Wire, but it still kills me that the cast’s work since has been so largely innocuous.

Wrapped up my SXSW by joining in a well-deserved standing ovation for a moving screening of Buck. See you next time, Austin.

Watched Odd Future’s Fallon performance like five times today. Just fucking fantastic. youtu.be/XlGWRPnp0ok

Bollywood’s share of the American film market is inversely proportionate to the amount of aggravation it causes me.

First SNL episode I’ve seen in ages. Surprising number of laughs, and not just the Dana Carvey throwback stuff. Funniest part? Linkin Park.

I’m not sure there has ever been a subject more deserving of a documentary probe than this one.

Remember when Homer resorted to fishing after being ejected from the Frying Dutchman? That’s me on 3G when the internet goes down.

Finally watched Jackie Brown. Pam Grier was a no-brainer for the title role, but damn, what a genius bit of casting Robert Forster was.

If your film’s trailer uses “In the Hall of the Mountain King” or “Baba O’Riley”, go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Khoi does a pretty fantastic job of encapsulating Mad Men’s virtues.

The family sitcom that never was (but should have been), circa 2003: flic.kr/p/9a8iP6

I wish I could find a way to adequately express how awesome and important Don Hertzfeldt is.

Subject matter wise, this is timely for me, but I think I’d have found it just as affecting even if that weren’t the case. Wonderful textures, beautifully told story.

Wish I could have watched True Grit with my dad.

Twin Peaks marathon with @ChamberMonster, @jasonsantamaria, and @meganborn. Assigning each other roles in our forthcoming series remake.

Modern Family is surprisingly solid, but it’s hard not to dream of how much better it would be if Gloria never spoke.

How did all these starry-eyed critics miss the irony that This Is Spın̈al Tap is about a million times more honest than Almost Famous?

My attempts to expunge this fly from my apartment are about to take a turn for the Tom and Jerry.

May Cowboys & Aliens and The Beaver be the final nails in the coffin of Hollywood’s self-awareness. Let the giants fall spectacularly.

A thousand times, yeesh.

I am so confused. How/why did this happen? Who the fuck are those three doofuses that keep popping up?