Pop Culture Podcast
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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!
Nicole shared her love of “Raising Sand,” a musical collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, which yielded gems like “Battle of Evermore” and, embedded here, “Your Long Journey”:
Popspotting is powered by you, so help keep the show going by sharing your own picks for movies, TV, music, books, apps, and any other topic that strikes your fancy. Whether you agree or disagree with our reviews, the more voices the better. You can leave a voicemail at (815) 310-0808, email us at feedback@popspotting.net, or comment here on the blog.
We can also be found on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Google+.
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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.
Before being subjected to our trivia challenge, she shares her love of Pinterest (find her here), the show “Revenge” on NBC, and “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS.
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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.
Do you know Broadway? Are you embarrassed for us, choosing such pedestrian fare? Well, we urge you to enlighten us! We probably won’t make it out to New York or London any time soon, but we’d still love to know what shows you think we need to know.
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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.
For better and worse, “Fringe” has given us more of the “monster of the week” format we saw in Season 1. And the question that kicked off this fourth season — “Where’s Peter?” — may still be a valid one. Will the second half of the story next year bring us back into the larger arc and bigger battle between universes?
And Jen declares this latest season of “Sons of Anarchy” her favorite, as everything comes to a head and threatens to fly apart. Did we ever really know Clay? Is there no way out for Tara? And Kurt Sutter reveals himself to be both a great showrunner and a great actor, as this latest season explores many of the SAMCRO members that started off as mere background.
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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.
We also review “Small Fry,” the latest Pixar short that further extends the world of “Toy Story. متى تاسس مانشستر سيتي “
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.
We say it every day, but we’re not kidding. It’s hearing from you that keeps us going. If you’re out there and have yet to share a thought, retort, or suggestion, please don’t be shy! Note that the comments on our site are acting up, so your best bet would be to leave a message at 815-310-0808, or find us on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.
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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. Then he’s targeted with an unusual set of trivia categories. Which will he choose?
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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.
Jen’s picks:
- “Midnight Train to Georgia†by Gladys Knight & The Pips
- “Killer Queen†by Queen. Album Sheer Heart Attack
- “Rock Your Baby†by George McRae
- “Return of the Grievous Angel†by Gram Parsons
- “Show and Tell†by Al Wilson
Ryan’s list:
- “The Air that I Breathe†by The Hollies
- “Rock the Boat” by Hues Corporation
- “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Steely Dan
- “Feel Like Makin’ Love†by Roberta Flack
- “Tubular Bells†by Mike Oldfield
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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.”
“Hell on Wheels” is AMC’s new original Western series that centers on former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, portrayed by Anson Mount, whose quest for vengeance has led him to Union Pacific’s westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Other stars include rapper Common, Colm Meaney, Dominique McElligott, Phil Burke, and Eddie Spears.
“The Next Iron Chef” is now in its fourth season, a reality cooking competition show that will pick the next culinary star to preside over Kitchen Stadium. كلاب سلوقي Competitors this year are Anne Burrell, Michael Chiarello, Elizabeth Falkner, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chuck Hughes, Robert Irvine, Beau MacMillan, Spike Mendelsohn, Marcus Sameulsson, and Geoffrey Zakarian.
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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.
In addition to DiCaprio, “J. Edgar” stars Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, and Judi Dench. The film is also full of cameos portraying famous figures from history, including Jeffrey Donovan as Bobby Kennedy, Josh Lucas as Charles Lindbergh, Christopher Shyer as Richard Nixon, and Emily Alyn Lind as Shirley Temple.
Ambitious in scope, with clear Oscar intentions, does “J. Edgar” bring history alive? Is the combination of political intrigue with a forbidden love story a compelling one? Or is the film brought down by its a winding narrative, drab settings, and distracting old-age makeup?
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