Good Call: Interstellar Edition

Welcome to our shiny new segment where we try and slip pass the zeitgeist to discuss and explore the truly important elements of recent films. We're talking about stuff that takes true courage to talk about. Stuff that gets us shouting "good call" in no particular direction, and at people who can't actually hear us. But perhaps, if we shout at the right wavelength and through the fifth dimension, they'll go "hey, what the hell was that?"

Noop: Mr. Two For, if you could pick only one thing you absolutely loved about Nolan's Interstellar, why would it be Topher Grace?

Two For Grace: Funny thing, you'd think with my namesake being what it is I'd be a huge fan of The Topher. But the truth is mama and papa Grace bestowed the name on me a good decade and a half before Topher came to fame. Any similarities are entirely coincidental (and legally food).

What nightmares are made of for all the wrong reasons

If I'm being completely honest I've never been a big fan of the guy. Rarely could I sit through more than 5 minutes of "That 70s Show" without getting completely annoyed, and I'm pretty sure when Sony was making Spiderman 3 they told casting "hey, ahhh, finda guy dats da least like Eddie Brock in dose comic books. Nobody reads dose tings anyways." I'll let you try and figure that accent out on your own time.

That said, Topher was actually pretty excellent in Interstellar. That isn't to say he couldn't have been substituted with many other actors, the character was pretty background- to the extend he could have probably not existed and the story wouldn't have changed, nor my high regard of the film. But he didn't take away from the film in any way either. It was very pleasant not having a movie use romantic love as a central focus, but does use it in the background, mostly off camera. It adds humanity to the characters. They have real lives off screen, falling in love and paying taxes and brushing teeth between ears of corn.

Great job, Nolan, for including Topher Grace in a film and not it any way making me cringe! That man (Nolan, that is) can really do no wrong!

What's your "good call," Noop? Was it the solidified clouds? Or perhaps when that rectangle turned into an asterisk? 

Noop: All this Topher Grace talk makes me want to make like an elephant in the savanna and go watch Predators. 

Sean Bean 2.0?

While that asterisk was beyond dope, my shout out goes to Wes Bentley. First those poison berries in Hunger Games, now death by Waterworld? At this rate and with that kind of deathversity the guy might be the new Sean Bean. On top of that, Nolan is apparently working his way through the cast of the vastly under appreciated film, The Four Feathers. We already had Ledger as the Joker. Now there's Bentley. And my knee caps are telling me that Matthew McConaughy was only cast because Kate Hudson was unavailable, after all, they are only one degree removed (I'm talkin' How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, people). As the old saying goes, share a rom com lead, you basically have the same pee. 

I'm on to you Nolan. Although casting Djimon Hounsou or Michael Sheen in your next film wouldn't exactly be a bad thing. Good call, Topher (Nolan, not Grace.) 

Favorite Thing of Last Week (1/2/14- 11/8/14)

NOOP!: No Flash this week, Supernatural is building up tension for their 200th, and Agents of Shield is off so I've chosen the wrong week to quit not watching TV.

First off. Shout out to Gotham for having a spectacularly cathartic sequence for Jim Gordon this week. That scene of him and Harvey on the attack and finally on the same team was uber refreshing. It's that point where two seemingly opposite people realize they work great together (a la The Heat, Hot Fuzz, and literally every other buddy cop comedy.) "Penguin's Umbrella" had the culmination of all those tasty crumbs the show's first few episodes laid out. Det. Jim Gordon out for blood. Totally awesome. Last week had their best individual case with Spirit of the Goat which shot right into this monster of an episode.  However it is not my number one. 

(Two Four Grace: Forewarning for our readers (we know you're out there)- When we speak of "Winston's World" we are referring to the show commonly known as "New Girl." The show that pulled us in with Zooey Deschanel, hooked us with Schmidt, and keeps us watching because Winston is one of the most brilliantly written characters in comedic television history. Seriously Deschanel could leave the show for all I care.)

NoOp: Next up is indeed this week's Winston's World. My favorite thing this week goes to Duquan Feldman lighting it up at the end. "Big Brother Wimston's World" (that's a double change, New Girl became Winston's World which was adapted to Duquan's monologue commencing exclamation) slamming home joke after joke this week. Every single male character was absolutely incredible. Really putting the HA into BackgrHAound Checks.

Winston Bishop- Favorite Thing of Our Lives

TFG:  It truly was a great week for Winston humor, with lines like:

"I'm pretty sure they call her the fish because she's tough, but fair. Just like most fish I've interacted with."

-and-

"You guys are like rubbing alcohol. You sting me in the now but you save me in the later."

-plus-

"Like I always say you can't put peanut butter and jelly on the same shelf and expect them not to mix, heh heh. Because somebody gotta eat a sandwich."

Of course out of context line reading it does no justice to Lamorne Morris' expert delivery, so you should really just go ahead and watch the episode. This would probably be a good place for a clip but there is a severe lack of "Best of Winston Bishop" videos on the Youtube and, well, I'm not very adept to making video compilations.

NOop: BOOM! (I think)

Still nOOp: I'm also really glad they are giving Winston a respectable story line. He's insane, yet the other character's lives are the ones that are pathetic. Homeboy's gonna be a cop!

He puts the POINT in GRACEPOINT.
As in, you know, he's the whole point
of watching that show.

TFG: A lot of the shows I watch took a break this week, so I guess this would be a good one to bring up some Gracepoint. Still not what I'd call spectacular, but interesting enough (and Tennant enough)...
(Noop: Tennant to the max!)
TFG: ...to keep me watching. My favorite thing of this week is going to go the awkward failed sexual passes seen on Gracepoint this week. Starting with co-star Anna Gunn's character (Detective Miller) getting a drink request from unnoticed background character- crime scene investigator Hugo ("I'm happily married" "lots of people are... happily married, though"). Followed soon after Detective Carver (Tennant) asking Gemma Fisher (Sarah-Jane Potts) if she wanted to "relax... in bed with me here tonight." Is this show about a small town murder investigation or my failed attempts at relationships in high school?

NoOP: Hugo was actually a bearable character until that hilarious massacre of a scene, one of the few left as nearly every character is stupidly and detrimentally hiding something. Guess he's hiding his nature as a total creep. 

Carver's supremely awkward and out of nowhere pass at Gemma (who, by the way, after seeming oddly familiar, was learned to be the sister of Primeval's Andrew Lee Potts), I'd say that's a slightly less off putting situation as neither really seemed to be too affected by it or into it after both acknowledged their mistakes. Also I keep thinking they are great for each other as they're both British until I remember that Tennant is doing a phenomenal job as an American.

Was it me or did both of those scenes seem like none of the actors wanted to be a part of them?

My stab at determining the killer is that I no longer care as every character is a jagbag, but I do hate that crazy, friends-with-rapist lady the most. I don't hate Carver yet and Tennant is still enough to keep me fully invested in this passable The Killing-esqe drama. 

Did you notice Nick Nolte quoting King Theoden while looking like the Maine version of King Theoden. What do you call people from The Pine Tree State? Mayonnaise? A Mayonnaise King Theoden. 

TFG: Wicked beard: ☑ Tragic loss of son: ☑. Okay I'll give you that one. If this show accomplished anything it's the first time I've ever truly mourned the end of a Nick Nolte role. His was a very interesting and well executed story line. Now we only have to look forward to how the whole crazy lady story pans out (or, if we're lucky, she dies and embarrassingly horrible death next episode).

TFG final thought: One more thing I wanted to address before posting this already late Favorite Thing of (last) Week: Constantine. It's the Doctor (as in Doctor Who) of the supernatural world, amiright? Okay time to take out the nifty check marks again-
whimsical and lovable brit ☑ genius in the world the show takes place (Supernatural as opposed to DW's Time and Space sci-fi) ☑ female companion joins as newcomer to said world to provide a compass for the audience ☑ AND NEW FROM THIS PREVIOUS EPISODE: Has psychic paper (or Tarot Card to fit the nature of the show) that appears to viewer whatever they need to see so the Doct... er... Constantine can get where ever he needs to go to progess the story ☑

Noop: Lets take it one step further and one show deeper. Not only does Constantine deal with the supernatural, it might as well BE Supernatual, as in the show. It not only looks like the same world, they say the same Latin demon banishing spells. Constantine is not only the Doctor, he is both Winchester brothers. 

TFG: Oh and I can't forget, Constantine is in the possession of Doctor Fate's helmet. Doctor Fate.

Geronimo

Adaptations (Not featuring Nicholas Cage)

Two For Grace: Noop! For the sake of spiting all the annoying people who have to interject that "the book was better" every time you speak of a movie adaptation (I've been one of those annoying people, to be honest), tell me- what is an adaptation you enjoy more than the source material?

Noop Gingrich: Excluding tentpole comicbook films, there's still so many! To oppose those annoying people, I've been able to deem a bunch of films better than the source material. I try to stand on a massive horse if possible when making these proclamations. 

Noop: Stardust, Wanted, all the Harry Potters, Scott Pilgrim. Keeping in mind that the order someone takes the material in can change the way they perceive it, I'll look at Hitchhikers Guide with a bit of depth. I love the film version. It's basically the genesys of my sense of humor. That franchise started as a radio series, became a book, was then a TV show, then a movie (then a remade radio show). But the way I was introduced to it was with the film first. Because of that, I love the movie more than the other forms even though the movie may not have all the cogs turning in the same way as its predecessors. With that franchise it's like eating frosted Cheerios before honey nut and never even really bothering with regular Cheerios. I freakin love frosted Cheerios. Too much actually, I had to cut myself off.

Come on, Hollywood! How did this not make
it to the silver screen?

TFG: I think the only true disagreement I have with those choices (other than the use of the non-word "genesys") is Wanted, but I probably need to see Wanted again. The only thing I remember is that it lacks any super villain made entirely of poop.

Noopjection: [as in "Noop interjection," not to be confused with Nooprection which stands for Noop rejection and surprisingly not what you were thinking, I should probably change that one.] The medium of film is truly ripe for a poop super villain. I actually will do a flip on Wanted now that you mention that. Totally forgot how strange that comic was. Really that whole story is like Harry Potter with tons of violence and for that, the movie may have been more apt.

Noop: And let's not forget the big potato in the room. I enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies more than the books and a big part of that has to do with Fellowship being my gateway to every single other interest I've ever had since.

TFG: I would never fully agree that The Lord of the Rings films are better than the books, but definitely a different experience. I have read those books a few times now and each time enjoy the journey it takes me on, but sometimes it is nice to take an express pass into that world in the form of film, skipping excruciatingly detailed accounts of Longbottom leaf and Gamgee cooking habits that Tolkein loved to indulge in. Though the movies have a severe lack of addressing such charming characters as "Fatty Bolger" and fanciful beasts such as "Fatty Lumpkin." Honestly, fiction these days doesn't have enough characters named "Fatty."

Aragorn: "You have my sword"
Legolas: "And my bow"
Fatty (pictured above): "*huff* and my *wheeze* one month free trial of Weight Watchers if you want it"

Noopjection: The phrase "express pass" to describe adaptations is spot on. Sometimes you want to spend an hour and a half in a world rather than a week to a month. Now that I've taken the obvious answers, your move. 

TFG: My superior film adaptation pic goes to Big Fish. Not only was it one of Tim Burton's last great films, it is the only reason I finished what I felt was a painful book I would liken to playing with an unwelcome canker sore. It was as if John August and Tim Burton said "Hey, crazy idea, what if we turned the characters in this book into likable people." It also was my introduction to Billy Crudup before seeing his big blue wang in Watchmen. Oh and speaking of, while I will always hold the Watchmen comic book series in the highest regard, the movie did do a good job capturing the essence of Dr. Manhattan's big blue wang.

Noop: I've never read Big Fish but that is a great movie. And I doubt the book has Pearl Jam playing as you read the back cover. Glad you brought up Watchmen, I thought about peppering it in but, and I think you may agree, it wasn't exactly better as it was just as good for one key reason. The small story alterations the film brought about, along with the big blue wang, are all canceled out by just how perfect Rorschach was. Speaking of story changes, the film version of Stardust, which is a movie I can watch on repeat, made quite a few and they all cohesively felt like they made the story better than the one in the book. That may also be the case for Wanted. Can you think of any movies that made crazy changes from the story in the books and came across better to you? 

TFG: I know The Hobbit movies get a lot of grief from bookies (as in book lovers and not the people I owe $3000 to. I promise, Freddy, you'll get your money soon. You will. Please let me keep my fingers), but truthfully I am enjoying a lot of the big changes. Between giving screen time  to the book's only-mentioned-here-or-there Radagast, creating the cohesive pale orc (the driving force that Darth Maul should have been in Star Wars ep. 1 - 3), and a change I absolutely love: giving the dwarves a dramatic history and and noble drive more than just "we want gold." I'm not saying that I like these changes more than the book, but I am glad they were made. I mean The Hobbit is on my bookshelf and I can indulge in it's greatness anytime. I like having a different story in the film, or else, you know, what's the point?

Any film adaptations you like more than the source material? Any of our opinions too bold for your liking? Feel free to comment below. Be as cross as you like, we probably deserve it.

Favorite thing (10/26/14-11/1/14)

Two For Grace: Hey Noop. Anything tickle your fancy (or tickle anything else for that matter) on the television this week?

Noop Gingrich: Didn't see much tickling on TV this week, another disappointing seven days for borderline inappropriate physical contact. But I'll tell you what, it's a great time to be a slow motion aficionado.  (That's Spanish for "tornado of affection.") My favorite thing of this week is just that. There was a ton of great television the past few days but this week had copious amounts of slow-mo. 

Wentworth Miller: Only slightly less
absurd a name than Leonard Snart?

The Flash's fourth episode "Going Rogue" was easily the best yet and the only reason it's not the FTAW is because I'm connecting dots here!

For "Going Rogue," the hour was robust with slapstick humor ("wanna see how fast I can run backwards,"), launching subtle joke after subtle joke (The bit with Leonard Snart's name, "nobody goes through the tour twice," "really bad diarrhea."), there was splendid character development, a crossover, and more frames per second than Peter Jackson's butt hole! Slow Motion showed up right away in the initial heist, again in the first showdown with Captain Cold, and then tastefully one last time in the attack on the train. 

Quick shout out to Wentworth Miller as Captain Cold. He may barely have a forehead but man was he menacing, brutal, and made a lasting impact. I also like the goofy way they name the villains. The cherry on top was how Iris and her boyfriend are scolded at and made fun of the entire time. 

TFG Interjects Himself: Flash's rogue gallery is one of, if not the best. In the comics there is a very interesting comradery where these villains actually care for each other (as opposed to rogues in different titles who form only shaky alliances at best), with Captain Cold being a "mother hen" of sorts.

Noop: Then we had Agents of Shield. Another solid episode as their now compelling story rumbles on, but the moment that stood out was Adrienne Palicki's Mockingbird spin moving through the dust of a disintegrating Hydra agent to smack the crap out of another Hydra agent. 

There was also Broadchurch aka Tennant in America! A serious crime drama about a town falling apart. Serious but not enough for me to ignore the pointless slow motion they snuck into the episode this week. It was just a family kicking a soccer ball but damn was it slowed down. 

I may have cheated but I can't help but love overused slowmotion! Ok, Two For Grace, you're up. Where is your plus-one landing?

Rope Dart Knife: You might have better luck winning the
 lottery than not stabbing yourself with one of these.

TFG: Oh we haven't talked about Gracepoint yet (a.k.a. Broadchurch USA). The show that gets better as the characters get worse. Runners up for my favorite moment of the week are Walking Dead, which featured the "tainted meat" scene, one of my favorite moments in the comic and presented very nicely on television. SHIELD, continuing to be my favorite show of the season, didn't make my #1 this week, though it did include a knife-rope (also known as the "Rope Dart Knife", apparently). You know, a rope that has a knife at the end of it that no one in real life could actually use without instantly stabbing themselves. As ridiculous as it was, very fun to watch in action.

Noop: 100% agree with you on knife-ropes. They're the real life equivalent of lightsabers. Not only can they actually exist (a kindergartner with access to a kitchen could muster one up accidentally) but also that it will most definitely be landing in an eye socket.

TFG: My pick of the week, though, goes with this clip on the daily show in which Danny Trejo portrays (in traditional Danny Trejo fashion) the threat Latino immigrants present to our nation starting at the 4:20 mark in the following video:

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Noop: That  Daily Show segment was fantastic. Madrigal might be the best correspondent they have at the moment. I'd also like to point out that there is a healthy load of slow motion in that hilarious clip as well. All in all, a truly spectacular week for television!

Time for a list! Illusion and/or Treat Edition

Let's put down 10 horror/thriller comedies that are essential viewing. (5 each, alternating, no rank) In addition, give the least memorable part of the film. Remember, these are highly recommended, must-watch films.

Noop Gingrich: Cabin in the Woods

Least remembered for explaining how elevators work.

Two For Grace: Army of Darkness
Least Remembered for actually being called "Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness"

Noop: Shaun of the Dead
Least remembered for momentarily reminding you about sheep. 

TFG: Zombieland
Least remembered for the dude who played Ned Schneebly in School of Rock getting eaten while taking a dump.

Noop: Beetlejuice 

Least remembered by its other name Alpha Orionis. 

TFG: Ghostbusters

Least remembered for not featuring a song by Huey Lewis and the News

Noop: Slither 

Least remembered for helping stop the spread of slug lovers. 

TFG: Bubba Hotep

Least remembered for being a movie. Seriously, it's a damn shame more people don't remember it.

Noop: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Least remembered for also starring Tyler Labine. All the glory always goes to Tudyk and really, we can't blame people for that.

TFG: Young Frankenstein
Least Remembered for being a visual account of the progression from Gene Wild to Gene Wilder and ultimately Gene Wildest (unaccredited).

Guess Who? Asking the right questions

Is your person white?

Two For Grace: Noop! Ever play the game Guess who? What are some uncommon but essential questions one should be asking their opponent?

Example: Does your person look like a worn out, single mother?

Noop Gingrich: Would your person be miscast as Beast from X-Men?

TFG: Is your guy racist?

Noop: Can your person be classified as currently "detoxing?"

TFG: Does your person like The Black Eyed Peas? Be honest.

Noop: How is your person? Like, no, really, how are they?

TFG: Do she got the booty?

Noop: I can't tell, the picture ends at the...no, yeah you right, that's mostly booty.
Will your person be randomly selected at an airport? 

TFG: If I saw your person right now, would I be able to fight the urge to punch them in the face?

Noop
Would your person qualify as obese?

TFG: Does your dude watch Glee?

Noop: Can your person tell the difference between Zathura and Jumanji? 

TFG: Do they still quote Austin Powers? Yeah, baby, yeah. Oh behave.

Noop: Is your person ice cream? Before you blatantly lie to my face, I already know that they are, the real question is what flavor of ice cream are they?

Have they personally insulted Angela Merkel?

TFG: Does s/he look like s/he was a completely silent character in a Wes Anderson film?

Noop: Would your person be best describled as quarantinable?

Favorite Thing of the Week! (10.18.14 - 10.25.14)

Two For Grace: What was your favorite thing on the TV this week?

Noop: I have yet to watch the full slate for the past few days but its turning out to be a tough choice this week. There was a stellar Key and Peele skit about a massage, Jensen Ackles in Supernatural's third episode was zoned in, and Flash had the line "It's been a while since I watched you sleep" delivered in possibly the only context where it's not creepy. 

Constantine also premiered and as I had hoped, it was visually like the movie but without Keanu. (We'll discuss the sames and unsames of the two in an upcoming post. Let's let the show get some more eps in.)

Out of all of those Ill anoint the look-both-ways-slam-dunk of a line from the Flash as my favorite thing of the week. 

TFG: It was a fine week. Flash is certainly turning out to be a good choice for favorite things. I love/hate this previous episode's wonderful portrayal of Dr. Snow's (Danielle Panabaker) tragic backstory with added relationship development between her and Barry. Love because it was so well done, hate because I realized how much I don't care for the show's actual love interest, Iris West.

(Noop: Barry should man up and realize that Iris is basically his sister. You can't call her dad your dad, Barry! Also, like the rest of the world, I've been in love with Danielle Panabaker since Sky High.)

TFG: But my favee thing from this past week was from Doctor Who- Flatline (not the episode that just aired due to late bloggeria). I just want to highlight a character who defeated the Doctor's classic psychic paper (blank paper that portrays what the viewer thinks they should be seeing) by simply being not creative enough. That's right, the Doctor experienced a slight defeat because someone was literally too boring. Oh that episode also featured the doctor sticking his regular sized hand out of a miniature TARDIS, causing Adams Family cousin Thing hilarity.

Noop: I'm only all Capaldi episodes behind in Doctor Who. So much shame I'm bringing unto my family that doesn't realize all the shame they've been untooed. 

TFG: Good stuff. To close this week: list some other contexts you might hear the line "It's been a while since I watched you sleep", good or bad.

Noop: Good - Telling it to your insomniac family member whose bed is in the living room.

Bad - Telling it to literally any nonrelative. For example, a librarian saying it to an avid but often tired homeless man who may have not come by the library in a while. Actually that might be good. 

The Fame Monster (But not the Lady Gaga one)

Noop Gingrich: TooFourGrace! Is there an actor and/or actress or/and actors /andor actresses that you feel deserve to be more famous? (For example, and we can discuss the merits later on, I feel that Karl Urban is underused by Hollywood and criminally under appreciated by the masses.)

Two Four Grace: My immediate gut response to your question was "the dude who played Eomer in The Lord of the Rings," and then I realized that that's Karl Urban. I guess that goes to show you that he's unjustly not famous enough considering I should know his name by now. But for the sake of being different I'll pick someone else. Nathan Fillian seems like a natural choice for this one, but I think I will go with Sam Rockwell. After his performance in Moon it leaves me downhearted that when he comes up in a conversation I usually have to explain who he is. Usually having to resort to "the douchey business man in Iron Man 2 that isn't Tony Stark" (although, he was excellent in that role), I would much rather say "you know, Zaphod Beeblebrox" and have other people actually know what I am talking about.

Noop: OOF, good choice. As great as he was in Iron Man 2, like a cheese cake in a campus gym, they wasted Rockwell on that role. He'd have made a great actual hero who could legitimately lead a film. If I could go back in time (and have executive powers for Marvel), I'd put Zach Braff as Justin Hammer and hold off on Rockwell for, I don't know, Doctor Strange. Although, I know very little about Doctor Strange other than off beat actors who are rather great are rumored to be cast as him and his first name is Stephen. My favorite Rockwell film is also Moon, but his star quality dawned on me with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind aka that movie that led us to believe Clooney was a better director than he actually is. Having to explain who Sam Rockwell is to people is worse than having to eat a regular stuffed Oreo when there's a pack of double stuffed sitting near by. It's funny how the cast of Hitchhiker's Guide slowly became the most impressive cast ever put together.

How about any lady thespians? I'd like o give a little appreciation to Eliza Coupe. She's was in that one season of Scrubs that we pretend never happened and the three seasons of Happy Endings which few people saw. She has top notch comedic timing that not even Zooey Deschanel could touch. Mindy Kaling is probably the only one who is on TV right now and is funnier.

DA PROOF!
 

TFG: Coupe was in more than one season of Scrubs, to be fair. She just became main cast in that season that never happened. Also an episode of Community, playing an Abed love interest that I always hoped we'd see again. But for my part, that's a tough question. Mainly because I want to say Anna Friel, whom I fell in love with on Pushing Daisies and, well, I desperately miss Pushing Daisies (by the way I didn't literally fall in love with her ON Pushing Daisies- I'm not Lee Pace). The only problem is that I really haven't seen her other work, so I can't truly say whether or not she was any good elsewhere meriting the underrated status. But I'll be damned if that wasn't a great show. You know what? Yeah. Anna Friel. She needs to be in more things I watch. Then people need to know who she is.

Noop: I need to rewatch Scrubs. I need to rewatch Pushing Daisies, too. And lets not forget the obligatory Lee Pace should be in everything...oh wait he is! Lee Pace is at the appropriate level of fame now. That's a victory for us all.  

TFG: It's like for a while he was PACING himself, and now it's paying off. Nah, I regret that one. If you had asked me this same series of questions in 2008-2009 I would have put Lee Pace as my choice for most not-famous-enough actor, as I would have very recently seen "The Fall."

Noop: As always, a friendly reminder  to all, if you haven't seen The Fall, what the hell are you doing with your pathetic life?!

Let's end with a quick mention of the actor who is supremely under appreciated. Karl Urban. He's gritty. He's got style, he's got grace. He's the acting equivalent of Nair but instead of being ideal for short shorts, he's ideal for everything. He's constantly cast in stuff and is very prominently featured in those things so this is a failure of the American people. How dare they refuse to watch his gorgeous body...of work.

Movie Trailers Getting Us Excited

Two For Grace: Just a well done trailer. Any thoughts, ya big pile of Noop? Anything coming out you are excited for by trailer alone?

Noop: Outstanding trailer, that is, and it has just the right amount of Josh Brolin for a movie that doesn't have Josh Brolin. Everything being said about that movie makes it more and more enticing. And everyone knows putting slowed down Gnarls Barkley on a video really accentuates the funk. Lord knows I like some funk.

Recently I've been trying to watch trailers as little as possible to keep the scenes fresh upon full viewing but some are so out of this world that you can't help but watch it 50 times. For me that happened with both The Interview and Kingsman: The Secret Service. The redband for The Interview is worth a watch, too.

TFG: This is the first I've seen or heard of Kingsman. With a trailer like that I can't not see it. 

Noop: While we're talking trailers, I'd like to refer back to my recent praise of Marvel trailers and how they purposefully mislead you. I hope these follow that practice. 

TFG: "They call themselves "Guardians of the Galaxy..." but really they don't, nor are they officially any sort of team(until the very end of the movie). Or how 'bout the life and death of Helicarrier 42?

Noop: Preceisely. Although, there was that small quinnjet (or whatever they are called) that had number 42 on it. Either way, I'm hoping its all one big call back to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. And for good measure let's include the teaser from that movie too. 

TFG: I had never heard of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy before seeing that trailer. What an awesome introduction. I went out and bought the book series soon after seeing that trailer alone.

Either the Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser was just leaked or Disney is making a live action Pinicchio

Two For Grace: Well this is making its way around the internet now.

Noop: Way to go world wide net, now next week's Agents of SHIELD just lost the little ratings bump it would have had all so we can see Tony Stark suffocating as the Invincible Iron Russian Doll one week early. 

TFG: There's actually a cute, baby iron man underneath that armor. Also, how much ballet should we be looking forward to in this movie (as seen in the 1:35 mark)? Perhaps Natalie Portman will be reprising her Black Swan role?

Avengers: Step Up

Noop: The crossover we've always dreamed of but been too ashamed to express. On a different point, can't believe Ruffalo is back after that train wreck job he did in Iron Man 3. Was hoping for Norton or Bana to return. I mean, I know the film will be solid but the dialogue is going to be capitalism at full throttle with a Disney reference here and a Star Wars joke there. This is less exciting than John Carter of Mars Needs Moms. And right at the top, we're just gonna ignore the blatant Terminator hand in lava while a noncommittal Bane voice gives a typical villain monologue? Buh. I bet the Avengers win. 

Seen at the 0:18 mark

TFG: Oh and how about this white haired speedster? Look familiar?

Fox's X-Men franchise called. They want their characters back.

Noop: Is that Flash? I'd rather go eat a quiche at a DMV than watch yet another slow moed quickster be the most underused part of a bloated plot. The most disappointing part is that there will be more climactic city destruction. I can only hope Marvel finds the courage to make Marvel One Shot: Disgruntled Construction Crew. Wonder who gets avenged this time, I mean, they could kill Coulson again. (Spoiler alert for those mythical few who've yet to see the first Avengers.)

TFG: I'm going to see this movie 14 1/2 times in theaters when it comes out.

Noop: 10:00 am opening duhay please. 

Favorite Thing of the Week (10.11.14 - 10.18.14)

Be Advised: The following may contain spoilers of all sorts. We are a diversified pair of watchers and we are up to date. 

Noop Gingrich: Hey ToothFurGrapes, what was your favorite thing you saw on tv this week?

Toothfur, I mean, Two For Grace: Well SHIELD hasn't lost any steam for me and Flash is already making its way up the ranks, but my favorite thing of the week has to go with the Walking Dead Season 5 premiere.

Noop: I did enjoy this week's Flash, their villain was quite well portrayed. I know you havent seen Fringe too much but that story was very Fringesque. On to your favorite thing! Walking Dead Premiere. Hold on a second while I go watch it... (2:39 PM)

Noop: Aaaand we're back! (4;00 PM) After having skipped virtually the entire fourth season, I'll agree with you that this was a solid episode. I did have a problem with how Rick, Daryl, and Glenn got lucky by that bat dude halting his swing two or three times just as he got to Glenn, (Quick shout out to blond Oswald Cobblepot there dying first) but aside from that, really good episode. Last I remember, Carol was separated and the baby was presumed dead. As far as I can tell, they done resolved that plot swiftly within two episodes. I was a bit lost with the whole Terminus thing and to be honest, it felt a lot like the Woodbury situation. My question to you, do you mind that there is no discernible end to this chaotic show, i know they mention a cure but come on, you really think that's gonna happen?  As good as the premiere is, are you not weary of the same old same old? It's like sports, all I need are the highlights and I'll be satisfied.

TFG: You know the formula for The Walking Dead seems to be great premiere, followed by a major slow down in pace, a shock in the mid-season, more drull, then a great finale to keep me from leaving. My hope for season 5 comes from being rid of the annoying characters. You know, Lori, Andrea, Dale, Hershel- all the characters that were great in the comics and unfortunately made everyone cringe when they had screen time (okay Hershel wasn't that bad). Even Carl took a seat so far in the background of this episode that I blissfully forgot he existed. Best of all Tyrese finally makes his debut as awesome. He was my favorite in the comic and I have been sad until now at his whiney paranoia in the show. But in regards to your "will it ever end" point- I think you're out of luck there. Robert Kirkman's whole idea behind the source material was "you know what I hate about zombie movies? They end. I want to tell a story that keeps going." Not a direct quote, but that's the jist of it. Of course the series will end eventually, but I'd be surprised if there's any true resolution to it.

Noop: Yeah, but how do you feel about that? Knowing that this is the type of show whose ending will piss people off regardless of what it is. 

TFG: That's the nature of the beast, right? Ever since Roseanne completely effed with my mind I realized I need to just enjoy the ride and not worry about the destination. I could see this show successfully ending the personal drama (of course Rick is going to somehow die saving everyone), with hints at humanities salvation in the future, well after the series actually ends. But how do I feel? I don't. Thanks Roseanne.

Noop: What would you say was the best kill this week. My vote goes to a dookie-faced Carol exploding a gas tank with a firework. That was the pyramid's tip. 

TFG: Smaller scale, but I'm going to repeat myself and say Tyrese is awesome. He took out a whole zombie horde like a champ. Sure it was off camera, but that was part of the glory of the sequence. Just being stuck outside and slowly the zombie pounding turning to silence. Beautifully done. Oh and then that tackle. He's the MVP of the episode for me.

Noop: That was pretty sweet. It has shades of River Tam's Reaver massacre. 

TFG: Time to watch Serenity again.

Noop: As River would say, "My turn." My favorite thing of the week was from Supernatural. I don't think you watch the show but it was from the second episode of their tenth season called "Reichenbach." Not the entire episode, which was good, but the part where Dean, who is now a demon, lets a guy live not because it was merciful but because it was a fate worse than death. I love me some proper evil. 

TFG: Dean's a demon? As in an evil hellspawn? Man, I have some catching up to do. Well I can at least watch the newest episode and try and figure out what's going on...

TFG: Okay, watched. The beginning was a bit confusing for someone who is still making their way through season 3, but I'll be damned if that fight at the end wasn't one of the greatest things I've seen on TV in a while. Well filmed and the music fit just right, unlike my prom date's dress (who am I kidding, I never went to prom). The stakes seem pretty high with demon Dean, huh?

Noop: Nice vampire pun? That is pretty funny how you just skipped 7 seasons. FAVORITE THING OF THE WEEK!

Weekend Roundup #1!

TFG: Noop! It's time for our first ever "Weekend Roundup!" I have no idea what we're rounding up though.

Noop: Friggin Numbers! 7 rounds up to 15!

I think we're done here. 

TFG: How about satisfying gifs?

Noop: Thats the sexiest thing I ever seent. That couch slide is smoother than Pepe Le Pew.  

DC Announces Butt-ton of Movies. Should We Care?

Two For Grace: DC just announced the titles of a bunch of movies I'm going to rent while I wait for Marvel movies to come out!

Noop Gingrich: Looks like somebody is forgetting the cookie cutter mediocrity of everything Marvel put out between Iron Man and The Avengers. Yeah I said it! 

Don't get me wrong, good movies, sure, but it was rushed and standardized. 

Say what you will about the botched story details of Man of Steel, the movie was gorgeous, more cinematic, and had a more memorable score than any Marvel film other than Guardians.

TFG: I'm not going to argue that any of the "Avengers Phase 1" films were the Citizen Kane of comic book films. Heck, if it weren't for the 5 seconds of post credit glory that defined Iron Man when it came out I probably would have left the theater only barely satisfied. But those movies were an important step in saving the comic book film world. I mean the years leading up to Iron Man we saw a pretty sad downward spiral in the industry. Fantastic Fours and Wolverine Origins and Ghostriders were being thrown at us while we clutched our copies of Spiderman 2, weeping for a world full of potential lost. Marvel Studios produced an entertaining, but more important, a sobering series of films that built up a mythology that is 6 years later still gaining steam rather than losing it. Don't get me wrong, DC movie adaptations could end up raising the bar and giving Marvel a run for their money, but they are really going to have to impress me if I'm going to be convinced that this is more than Warner Brothers desperately trying to grab onto any of Marvel's leftovers and shout "Hey! Our characters are relevant too!" And making statements like "No jokes in the DCU" isn't really sucking me in.

Noop: Yeah Marvel did save the mainstream comic genre but I like to believe that those smaller films like Scott Pilgrim and Kick A** would still have happened. 

And to your last point there, whatchu sayin is you want fart jokes in Dawn of Justice. Yeah, DC definitely needs more intelligent humor. 

It's all gonna come down to who DC hires other than Snyder to helm their cinematic onslaught. As far as the casting goes, there are few Chrises left to hire so DC needs to continue their crazy casting choices. We've already got Jason Momoa as Aquaman and the recent announcing of Ezra Miller as Flash. Those are huge risks but if the film's look Snyderesque, how can you not want to watch a Flash film that will probably have revolutionary slow motion prowess (now audiences may have gotten bored of slow mo because by then, the other Quicksilver will have already debuted and...who am kidding people will never tire of slow mo.)

TFG: Zack Snyder is like the pomegranate of directors. I really want to like it. A bunch of my cool friends like it, but I find myself getting sick of it really fast. I mean he piques so many of my interests in his movies, yet I can't ever quite seem to leave saying "I really liked that!" The Man of Steel was no exception. Would fart jokes have swayed my opinion in a more positive direction? Yes. Fart jokes are always a crowd-pleaser.

Noop: They've just announced the cast they're going after for Suicide Squad. Will Smith, Margot Robby, Bane, and Ryan Gosling. If they get that, hoo wee! The question then becomes do we have another The Losers on our hands or will it go Guardians of the Galaxy. Again, I doubt Snyder is going to do it so it's a wait and see deal. That said, I will easily concede that without the Marvel Universe triumph, there would be no shared universe anywhere else. DC would never have amped up their production to this level. My opinion, more comic book movies at a high production value, made by good film makers, that can only be a welcomed future. As much as I love Bring it On, Marvel still has to earn some forgiveness for the Edgar Wright debacle. Let's also keep in mind that at the moment, the directors on one side include Favreau, Branagh, the Russos, and, best of all James Gunn, while on the flip, DC just has Snyder. This is a game of patience. Let's give DC a fun size twizzler before we decide they hog up too many God damn Twizzlers and deserve no more twizzlers. (I'm actually not that big a fan of Twizzlers.)

TFG: I've always been more of a Red Vine kind of guy.

Noop: Red Vines can suck a butt!

Word Bubble Squared: Comic Book TV Shows 2014

You ever watched a TV show and think: "Hey, this a comic book?" Here we begin to unravel the mysteries of the ever expanding dweebanomically powered audible word bubbles that populate our eventually watched screens. This begins our weekly conversations on the topic of superpowers on tv as we shout hesitantly into an iPhone and vigorously yet minimally edit the conversation for your bipartisan viewing pleasure.

Two For Grace: Noop! Rank the following TV shows based on season premiere- Agents of SHIELD, Gotham, Arrow, The Flash.

Noop Gingrich: I'm gonna put SHIELD first, then The Flash, followed by Gotham, then Arrow. Arrow continues it streak of being a garbage show.

TFG: I can't defend the Arrow. I've never seen it.

Noop: Let's not forget we also have to add Constantine and Agent Carter when they come out.

TFG: Constantine. Is that about the 40 year old that's stuck in a teenage body?

Noop: What's the joke here aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand [TFG: constant teen]. Got it. This conversation would work better as a Google chat and less dictation and pausing for their further dictation and more pausing and editing and more pausing 

TFG: True but I hate my voice. My order is the same. Arrow last, but that's also because I haven't seen it and it looks like it's probably garbage. But it is CW.

Noop: CW as in good or bad? Because Supernatural is CW and that show is phenomenal, but then again that was WB.

TFG: Gilmore Girls was a WB show. Was there ever a Gilmore Girls/Supernatural crossover?

Noop: Actually Supernatual is basically a Gilmore Girls spinoff. Supernatual is the result of smashing Smallville and Gilmore Girls into one show.

TFG: CW has a target audience. I've never figured out what that target is.

Noop: Probably puberty. What CWness did you see from the Flash? Was it how there was a clear love quadrangle that they ever so obviously constructed?

TFG: That a CW thing?

Noop: Yup. It's what skunked up Arrow when I first watched it. Everyone has a secret relationship. That megacrap Supernatural spinoff was ripe with love affairs that we should "care" about. While I did enjoy a lot of what the Flash brought, they clearly had that love dependence flowing through the main characters. I'll say this about Arrow, it's generally well cast and the story has potential but the obnoxious flashbacks, the looking off into widows expressing all sorts of emotions and most importantly, the lack of an arrow cam are offensive and I hate it.

TFG: What the hell is an arrow cam?

Noop: You use it when you pull the arrow back and then you fire it but the camera follows the arrow either from the tail going to the target or from the head going away from the shooter into the target, kind a like how they do for Hawkeye in The Avengers and in Wimbledon, that movie about love and tennis with Paul Bettany. 

TFG: Maybe we should be making a podcast... I agree Avengers really grabbed everything that Wimbledon established and just took off with it.

Noop: I'm glad to see the trend continue with Avengers 2. And they'll finally get Paul Bettany on screen too. Now, they didn't have Arrow cam in the Arrow pilot and that's sad but it's season 3 now and those punks still haven't realized it should be the number one camera trick they use non stop in a freaking show called Arrow. With the Flash however, they did good. They had slow mo ready to go. If there was one thing the Flash had to have, it's that sweet sweet nonsensical slow mo. Now, what would you say that Gotham does that is not CW-like? Its on FOX and while they do cancel great shows, they still get them on air and they allow great stories to be written.

TFG: Well with any luck Gotham will be just not great enough to cancel. I don't even know how to describe it yet. I'm not quite sure what the mood was they were trying to capture. It's, like, dark and gritty but also goofy. It's like the Haunted Mansion of comic television adaptations.

Noop: I did get a Batman The Animated Series vibe coming from it.

TFG: Great point. I've always been a Harvey Bullock fan. He is probably my favorite part of the show so far.

Noop: I actually really dig the casting. Ben McKenzie [Det. Gordon] will be great. Lemme add one thing that irked me about the pilot and it was a holdover from the Nolan Movies. Gordon never put his coat around little Bruce's shoulders. I'm so pissed about that.

TFG: In the movie Gordon wasn't a detective yet, right? He also was already sportting the 'stache?

Noop: Yeah. Wonder if Gordon's 'stache will be treated like Clark Kent wearing the suit and flying in Smallville. Saving it for the last minute of the last episode.

TFG: I'm sure that is what everyone will be waiting for while watching the series.

Noop: Has to be, Bruce cant go Batmaning until, like, 20 years from now and it's just unfeasible for a genre show to last that long. Last up, we both agree that Agents of SHIELD was the top premiere, yes?

TFG: Yeah. It's still running off the glorious steam it gained by the end of Season 1,

Noop: -hot damn such steamy steam.

TFG:  ...and I will say, I am already liking the additions to the cast.

Noop: Good show.

TFG:  Great show.

Noop: Yeah. When do the second episodes come out for all these shows?

TFG: Like 2 weeks ago I think.

Noop: You're right. I've already seen them.