The new film The Crazies debuts tomorrow in theaters, and I have a giveaway to accompany the release!

I am going to try to provide a weekly list of links to shows, films and general pop culture that I think you would enjoy. Let me know if this is something that you’d be interested in!

Television: Series Recommendations & Reminders

At Comic-Con earlier this summer, I recorded a personal FlashForward video, and had the opportunity to interview the cast after the panel.

I highly recommend that you visit and bookmark the official FlashForward websites, JoinTheMosaic and TruthHack (which are confirmed to be canon), as well as the official message board with both cast and creative team participation and interaction.

Grey’s Anatomy
ABC, returns Thursday (9/24)

Here is my spoiler-free preview/review of the two-hour season premiere. 

House
FOX, returns tonight (9/21/09)

TiVO/DVR alert: the season premiere runs 2 hours and 1 minute long.

I am giving away House S5 on DVD; if you haven’t entered already, click here for a chance to win! The contest has been extended through tomorrow.

Medium
CBS, returns Friday (9/25/09)

New network and night alert: Fridays on CBS.

Modern Family
ABC, premieres Wednesday (9/23/09)

My favorite new comedy series of 2009 (aside from Glee, which is more of a variety comedy show). Original premise, very likable cast and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments in the pilot alone.

Fall Film Recommendations, Part 1

Bright Star
Written & directed by Jane Campion. Starring Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw.
In wide release: 9/25/09

A beautiful film about the secret affair between poet John Keats and his outspoken neighbor Fanny Brawne, in early 1800′s London.

The Informant
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Scott Z. Burns
Starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey
In wide release: now

You can’t go wrong with Soderbergh and Damon, and it’s nice to see McHale both on the new NBC series Community and on the big screen. And of course Lynskey, whom I have enjoyed since her film debut with Kate Winslet in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (1994).

The Invention of Lying
Written & directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Starring Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe and Tina Fey
In wide release: 10/2/09

Great cast and very funny trailer; I may be attending a screening next week and will then post a review.

Precious (Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire)
Directed by Lee Daniels, screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
Starring Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe
In wide release: 11/13/09

There is early Oscar buzz about a potential Best Actress nomination for Mo’Nique in this film, which is Executive Produced by the powerhouse combination of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

DVD Release of the Week

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital Download
9/22/09

Some people love Jennifer Aniston; to each their own. I simply prefer another Jennifer (Garner), given the choice, when buying or renting romantic/relationship films. 

Have a great week!

At WonderCon in San Francisco recently, I was thrilled to
find out that Jasika Nicole (Astrid Farnsworth on Fringe) was going to be there. She was
delightful, outgoing and warm; with an infectious laugh and very friendly
smile, I felt like we were old friends after only a few minutes of
conversation. Jasika was kind enough to answer a few questions for an interview, and I also obtained both an autographed photo and poster for two
of YOU to win (see details at the end of the post)!

1. In addition to Fringe, you caught my attention last year
when you were featured in the New York Times article “Out in Hollywood.” And then I was thrilled to discover your very sweet and
autobiographical comic (via a link on your blog). What has been the response to that
article and from fans in general?

Jasika: After the article came out, I got a few incredibly supportive
and sincere emails from some fans, but there wasn’t really an onslaught of
extra attention that I noticed. My comic High Yella Magic has inspired more
people to write to me and offer their opinions and encouragement than that
article did. I really enjoyed being a part of the Times piece, but, in regards
to my story, it was mostly factual and barely personal – it let the world know
that I was queer, out and proud without delving very much beneath the surface. My comic offers a pretty personal
look into who I am and what my experiences have been, and I think that people
tend to connect with and respond to that in kind.

2. A few years ago, you had the opportunity to work with
the late Natasha Richardson (on The Mastersons of Manhattan). Did you share many scenes with her, and would you mind sharing
your memories of her?

Jasika: I did a sitcom pilot with Natasha Richardson in which I
played the seemingly sweet live-in nurse to her ailing father who was also
sleeping with her husband and her nephew. I had a couple of big scenes with
Natasha, but when I wasn’t on the set, I spent all my time just watching her
and Brian Benben and Molly Shannon create really dynamic comedy with each other
in rehearsal. James Burrows was the director for that show, and watching him
and Natasha work together, him coming up with an idea on the fly and her being
able to take that and give him something even better than he asked for – it was
just remarkable.

3. After the show The Return on Jezebel James was canceled,
were you looking for another television series?

Jasika: No, not at all. I just wanted to be working! After my
Jezebel dreams were crushed, the effects of the Writers’ Strike hit full force.
There were hardly any auditions at all, so I tried to prepare myself for the
worst, which, in my head, was not screen testing or being cast in any projects
at all during pilot season. Fringe ended up being a complete shock
for everyone on my end.

4. How did the opportunity to audition for Fringe arise, and
what was that process like?

Jasika: I was submitted for the role of Astrid, and all I knew was
that she was supposed to be a young, tech-savvy FBI agent. I remember thinking
“uh uh, not with MY hair,” and I didn’t put very much energy into the
audition. I figured that it was such a long shot that I didn’t even need to get
my hopes up for her. I had about 3 callbacks before I screen-tested, and at
this point I still had not read a script or anything, so I was excited about
the prospect, but not sure exactly what I was excited about. My manager and
agent put me on a three-way phone call to tell me the news that I was cast,
where we all proceeded to scream in each other’s ears for several minutes, and
I was on a plane to Toronto to film the pilot a few weeks later.

5. Who makes you laugh on set; is there a practical jokester
among the cast?

Jasika: John (Noble) and Josh (Jackson)and I are always in fierce competition to make
each other laugh, but Josh probably wins since he is able to make himself laugh
as much as anyone else. We have such a natural, easy rapport with each other
that it’s almost impossible not to have a good time when we are in the lab. I
refer to them as “the Damn Bishops” and they call me “Agent
Funsworth.”

6. I’m sure you’ve heard or read about the frustration that
some Fringe fans have about the lack of action and story for Astrid…both in and
out of the lab. Will we see more of or about Astrid before the end of Season 1?

Jasika: Astrid gets out of the lab again in the second half of the
season! WOO HOOO! Hopefully the fans will feel validated…but if they don’t,
there’s always Season 2.

7. Given that you live in New York (where Season 1 was
filmed), how do you feel about the production move to Vancouver for Season 2?

Jasika: Initially I was very frustrated. I hated the thought that
this giant crew of people who put so much blood, sweat and tears into the show
was not going to be able to continue to build onto what they helped create.
It’s so hard to say goodbye because we have become a family over the past 10
months of working together. But eventually I had to realize that this is the
nature of the business and that I just needed to be happy that our hard work
had paid off. I’m still not looking forward to parting ways, but I plan on
adding all the friends I made from the Fringe crew to my Facebook.

8. I see that you’re still involved with the theater,
appearing in various charitable events such as the Our Time Theatre Company
gala next week. Do you foresee a return to Broadway someday, or in between
films and seasons of Fringe?

Jasika: I would absolutely LOVE to get back onstage again for a
show. I miss the theatre so much! I used to think that I preferred theatre over
film and TV, but eventually I realized that they are two completely separate
art forms, like apples and…bacon. I like them both for such different
reasons, but I have been away from theatre for a really long time and that’s
why I miss it so – I’ve forgotten what it’s like to stand on stage and sing to
people! It’s amazing – you become so aware of your body when you’re under those
stage lights that you start to notice how your breath reaches all the way down
to your feet!

9. What can you tell us about your next film, She’s
Out of My League?

Jasika: I hope my scenes didn’t get deleted.

I would like to thank Jasika for taking the time to answer these questions, and wish her an early Happy Birthday (April 10)!  She is quite talented, as well as a personable and sweet human being. I look forward to more Astrid on the small screen, and new comics as well!

If you are a Fringe fan and would like to win a Jasika-autographed photo of her and Walter Bishop in the lab or an autographed small poster of the cast, simply leave a comment for Jasika below and your name will be entered! The winners will be announced on April 17.

My good friend, fellow blogger and logo designer Brian went to see Watchmen on Friday night. He was kind enough to provide a review as a guest blogger below. I saw the film today, and will be posting my thoughts and a response to his review in another post later this week.

Watchmen was often considered
a movie that could never be made. But after Zack Snyder (300) took the
helm and his Watchmen trailers caused fanboys, fangirls and the general
population to unite with shared excitement…there was reason to believe it had
been done.

When
turning (arguably) the greatest graphic novel into a movie, it raises the bar
to almost unattainable heights and results in an all-too common problem: stay
true to the book, or use it as a platform for inspiration? Snyder is able to
walk a very fine line doing both, and deliver a movie that true fans and newcomers
can appreciate. But here is the twist: it’s Watchmen, a twelve-issue
comic that first appeared for DC Comics in 1986-87, has since been released in
its complete form and placed on TIME’s list of 100 Best Novels. If it were
translated word-for-word from the book to the screen, it would be unwatchable
(pun totally intended). If it strayed too much from the book, it would be
criticized on every blog and article until nothing remained.

In
almost 3 hours (yes, it’s that long, and sadly feels so), the film is able to
translate the visual style, excitement and pulse of the graphic novel. Although
it may be critiqued for jumping back and forth too much, it is important to
acknowledge that the ground-breaking graphic novel had the same feel. The film
does have peaks and valleys, which may be due to the original platform being
told over twelve issues, but the astonishing imagery makes up for it. With the
close-up shots panning back to show the full frame, it is as if the actual
panels in the comic are coming to life. The film makers are also able to
include several nods throughout the film that the true fans will notice: from
Nostalgia Perfume to the Gunga Diner, from the snow globe atop the TV to Hooded
Justice’s German accent — those that read the book should feel pleased
that the film remembers its roots and fans (hopefully enough to forgive them
for certain exclusions, which I am intentionally leaving out to avoid potential
spoilers).

Overall,
Watchmen is done well. It may fail to meet the hype we all placed on it,
but it shouldn’t leave you feeling disappointed. It stays true to the novel
(with a few exceptions) and brings to life a great book we all loved. The
characters are well cast (notably Jackie Earl Haley’s Rorschach) and it
contains possibly one of the best opening sequences and opening credits to
date. There may be scenes that come across as unintentionally humorous, but
those are the scenes that are the most similar to the novel. I guess some
things just translate better on the page. Although it may not be a film that
holds up 10 years from now, after 22 years of thinking it could never be made…
I’m happy it was.

We’d love to hear what YOU
thought of the film (good or bad) in the comments below. For those true fans up
for a challenge, there will be a give-away for the best review left in the
style of Rorschach’s journal. If there are several impressive entries, multiple
prizes will be sent out, with a single grand prize. So leave your entry as a comment, and stay tuned for further details!

On Saturday we spent the day in San Francisco at WonderCon with our good friend Brian, who shares my sci-fi and pop culture enthusiasm and then some. He is a great graphic artist (who created the logos for both of my blogs), and he took the excellent photos and video below. If you are an athlete, you must check out his blog, Pavement Runner.

Video of J.J. Abrams at Star Trek panel [note to Lost fans, it is 1:08 long]

I am not a Trekkie by any means, and The Wrath of Khan is my favorite among the many previous Star Trek films. Abrams treated us to a longer, unreleased trailer…and I watched it with wide eyes and goosebumps. He has more than reinvigorated the franchise. I look forward to this film more than just about any other this year.

I have a few small but very cool collectible items from both Watchmen and Star Trek that I’d love to give away to my readers. Interested? Simply leave a comment below, telling me why you’re a huge fan of either and what your expectations are for the films. I will put all of your names in a hat and pull random winners by March 15. Make sure to fill in your name and email so that I can contact you.

On Friday night (September 5, 2008), the big three networks are joining together to host a televised Stand Up To Cancer benefit show.

I really enjoyed the wide variety of styles that all six designers applied to their creations, and appreciated the time and effort that each took to participate in this contest!

The competition was fierce, but ultimately I had to choose just one logo. 

Brian did his homework and discovered that I am a huge Oakland A’s fan; thus, the green and yellow backdrops on subsequent submissions. I also like that his design includes a contemporary upgrade of two of the pop culture graphics that I currently feature (music & film), while the old-school television represents and reminds me of how I began this journey (in the 70′s, for hours in front of the small screen before remotes or VCRs/DVRs). In addition, it is important that he placed the name prominently, as it is a brand I am trying to expand, and that the font is crisp yet playful.