Pop Report

Movies:
Eagle vs. Shark; I've been a fan of the cute indie romantic comedy since I can remember. Perhaps it's my inner romantic poking it's head out from inside the dark hearted soul that is my being, or maybe I just like the characters which are usually given some quick witted, quirky lines in all these movies. In Eagle vs. Shark most of your standard plot lines apply. Girl crushed on boy, boy ignores girl for prettier girl, boy wants sex sleeps with girl, hilarity and plot ensue. As much as it's straight forward I really did enjoy Eagle vs. Shark, Jemaine was excellent in it (did you expect anything less from a Conchord???) and the rest of the cast played their roles superbly. I also like it when geeks find love, maybe it's because I'm pretty much a geek and I like being in love.
The Phoenix Foundation - "Going Fishing"

The Savages; I missed the last fifteen minutes of The Savages when I watched it this weekend, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that the father dies. No, it's a fairly simple plot to follow along with, but it's the performances by Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney that set this movie apart from others. They are absolutely stunning in their roles as brother and sister throughout the movie. Both with their flaws and both trying to do the right thing by their dementia ladened father. It's a touching movie and it all but convinced me that if my parents lose their marbles they'll wind up in homes. Hey I love my Mom and Dad, but I don't think I could put up with them if they were that fucked up.

Casion Royale; After watching two independent films this weekend with Rachael I decided my brain needed a quick break with a blockbuster action film, so I hit play when I saw Casino Royalewas on demand on Showtime or HBO. I've always been a huge fan of the band films, super awesome spy dude, hot girls, evil villains, crazy plots to destroy the world, awesome chases, what's not to like about these movies??? Casion Royale assuaged all of my apprehensions within the first few minutes of the movie. It starts with a quick introductory to how Bond earned his 007, and then goes off on one of the greatest foot chases in the history of cinema. That thing was spectacular but it doesn't slow down there either. Daniel Craig was one of the best Bonds I have seen so far, up their with Sean Connery for sure, and the babes were certainly looking good throughout the movie. The villain was a little weak this time around, but I'm sure they'll make up for it in the next one. Nice flick, and certainly a merited reprieve from more thoughtful movies.
Chris Cornell - "You Know My Name"

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Television:
The Simpsons (Season 19, Episode 20); The series finale of The Simpsons was one of the weakest in the series' history. It had the second lowest ratings in the show's history and also reused one of it's plot lines. When Lisa becomes Krusty's intern she steps up and quickly replaces Krusty as the star of the show. The same thing happened years ago except to Bart! It's crazy how similar the shows were to each other and it just goes to show that the writers of The Simpsons are seriously lacking for ideas right now. Sure, a show that's been on for 19-years deserves to have it's ups and downs, but recycling plots should not be accepted in any form. I really hope the 20th year is a little better then this one was, because if not it may just be it's last.

The Office (Season 4, Episode 18); The Office ended it's season with a bang this past week as a shit load of stuff went down on the hour long episode. Sure, I chided the hour long episodes at points during the year, but this one was done perfectly and packed with a lot of funny bits. Of course nothing in the episode was funnier then the new girl (hello chick from The Wire!) thinking Kevin was mentally retarded. It was a beautiful thing and it went so well with Kevin's personality. Everything else worked beautifully and I could break this episode down piece by piece but I won't bore with anything like that. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next year though!

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Sports:
- The NBA proved once again that it doesn't know what it's doing by giving the Chicago Bulls the first overall pick in the 2008 draft. You all know this shit is rigged!!! The Knicks get stuck with the #6 pick and an infinite amount of ways in which to fuck it up. God save the New York Knickerbockers!
- This just in the Yankees suck balls. Moose finally pitched like we expected him to this season and handed the Orioles a huge lead that they capped off with a 12-2 victory. So basically a recap of where the Yankees are right now. They can't hit, they can't pitch, they're five games under .500, and starring way up at the Boston Red Sox from last place. Oh, and cancer survivor Jon Lester threw a no hitter for Boston on Monday night. It's all going swimmingly here in New York.
- The NHL couldn't have hoped for a better Stanley Cup Finals matchup then Detroit vs. Pittsburgh when the season began. You have one of the greatest teams in the history of the sport going up against the young Pens and all their star power. This is gonna be an amazing series, but I'll say Wings in 6.
- Spurs over Hornets that sucked.
- Boston vs. LA, probably. God I can't root for anyone in that debacle!

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Music Links:
- Sound of the City interviewed Exene Cervenka of X!
- Drowned in Sound interviews Jeffery Schmidt of Black Mountain fame.
- Port O'Brien did a Take Away Show!
- Pitchfork.tv has a Juan's Basement show from Blood on the Wall!
- My Old Kentucky Blog and Gorilla vs. Bear are giving away that awesome new No Age hat from Fader and New Era!