Usually when we skew off into unplanned topics we eat up too much time and end up skipping one or more stories on the rundown. That’s not the case with this week’s show. In fact, not only do we go into an impromptu review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, but we actually squeeze in all of the stories planned for the show… and there’s a lot this week.
First, we get things rolling with our thoughts on the season premiere of THE BOONDOCKS. Yes, for those of you not following the show, they ARE still making it, albeit with a four year gap between the third and fourth seasons. This one will be the last. Not surprising given the struggle it took to make it. Aaron McGruder, the creator of the comic strip and the series wasn’t even a part of it as he was shit-canned from the show for reasons unknown. Although we have our suspicions. The episode chosen for the season premiere was a bit odd. The three main characters, Huey, Riley and Robert (Grandad) were barely in it! The episode focused on their neighbor Thomas DuBois, the dorky attorney, defending rapper Pretty Boy Flizzy on robbery charges. The dialogue felt a little different. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t have the same feel we’re used to with the show. It also didn’t make me laugh as much as previous episodes. In fact, this was probably the least amount I’ve laughed at one. Not every episode in previous seasons were perfect. And this is only the first of this season, so we’ll give it a little more time. However, I think we’ll definitely see the absence of McGruder’s influence for sure.
JURASSIC WORLD has begun production and along with that news comes word that director, Colin Treverrow wants to make sequels. The dreaded S-word came up during an interview with Empire Magazine. Treverrow says he’d like to create a story arc that could carry over into multiple films… and action figures, lunch boxes, video games, T-Shirts, etc. The cast includes Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio and BD Wong as JP alumni, Dr. Wu just to name a few. It’ll be out the summer of next year.
While JP, err… JW is starting principal photography, STAR WARS: EPISODE VII has finished second unit photography. They have yet to start major filming as the casting isn’t complete and a budget isn’t even set. But it’s Disney doing STAR WARS directed by JJ Abrams. Bob Iger might as well hand Abrams a blank check and tell him to “have fun”. We ponder which director’s style Abrams will borrow from this time around given he doesn’t have one of his own. Except for those annoying lens flares. There you go, the only signature element that identifies an Abrams movie is an obnoxious one.
Finally, a reboot we’re onboard with! Joel Hodgeson says he’d like to reincarnate MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000. He says so many fans still love the show after all these years, so why not bring it back? This time around it’d be online and would feature a new host with rotating guest stars that would include those who were on MST3K. You might wonder, do we really need this given we have RiffTrax? While Mike, Kevin and Bill do good work, RiffTrax is different in that they’re riffing more mainstream movies. I think Joel wants to get back into tearing apart the B, C and D-grade flicks he Tom Servo and Crow were so fond of… hating. It sounds like we won’t see those guys as regular hosts, and it doesn’t sound like Joel will be on-camera either. But, there’s no reason Gypsy, Pearl or even TV’s Frank couldn’t pop in from time to time. And we’ll be first in line to check it out!
Amazon has cut a deal with HBO in which the premium cable channel will FINALLY share some of its original programming library for streaming to Prime customers. HBO has been notoriously stingy with their content only allowing pay-TV customers who subscribe to their channel access to the shows via the HBO Go app or by buying them on-demand via iTunes and other services. The new deal will NOT include GAME OF THRONES, no surprise there. It will include a majority of past series like THE SAPRANOS, THE WIRE, DEADWOOD, ROME and more as well as mini-series and a number of documentaries and original films.
It’s at this point in the show Dennis grabs the wheel and we veer off into an in-depth review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. We tread carefully as not to spoil anything since the film is still fairly new in theaters and Charlie has yet to see it. But we get into what was great about it and tell you which other big Marvel movie we felt it was better than. Tune in and let us know if you agree.
If you’ve been online this past week, which we know you have, you’ve probably seen the headlines about Palcohol. It’s a new powdered alcohol you can mix with water or juice to instantly create cocktails, margaritas or even a shot of vodka or rum. Or put yourself in the hospital by mixing it with existing alcohol per Jabari’s suggestion. Its creator, Mark Phillips had already received approval to sell Palcohol from the federal government, but it turns out that was in error. A discrepancy on the packaging needs to be corrected and then Palcohol can be resubmitted for approval again. And we all know how bureaucracy works in the USA. It’ll be a looong time before we see this product at our local liquor stores. But given recent death-defying incidents with products like Four Loco where grown adults are incapable of consuming alcohol responsibly… maybe this is a good thing?
Facebook wants to let you know when your Facebook friends are nearby. The new ‘Nearby Friends’ feature being rolled out by the social media giant is just one step away from making its users, by definition: stalkers. Using the GPS in your phone, the feature will alert you when a friend is within a reasonable distance of your location. It doesn’t give out their exact position and the distance only goes as low as a half-mile, but nevertheless, this is a little creepy. You can then send those nearby friends an invite to lunch at a nearby eatery or to meet up at the park. Nevermind they’re a half-mile away getting their teeth cleaned or standing in line at the DMV. We’re Facebook friends dammit! Don’t ignore my invites!
A New York cardiologist isn’t getting invited back to Scores, a New York City strip club. He apparently, on four different visits, swiped and re-swiped his American Express corporate credit card to the tune of over $135,000. When he was presented with the bill, he claimed he’d never been to the club, and if he had, the staff there must’ve drugged him. If we were dropping $135,000 at a strip club, it’d be pandemonium! There’d be the construction of an entire private wing, whore pits and stripper construction workers building these things. Charlie would be directing a porno too. And like JJ Abrams, he would borrow from other movies to shoot his. Only in this case, it’d be from CALIGULA. CHARLIGULA, if you will.
