I'm sensitive, but not too sensitive as to drive away men. This face says it all.

Two questions:

Karla: I think Jonah Hill definitely falls into this category.  I think he’s capable of more but it would be really hard for him to make the crossover into a more dramatic role.  Maybe he’s not even interested in something more serious.  He’s younger and probably having a lot of fun working on his comedies and voice overs.  I sort of have Jason Schwartzman-sized hopes for him and I wouldn’t want to see him get pigeon-holed into being the funny, humorously awkward kid in every film he does.

Jim: Don’t all fat actors get typecast as the buddy in the buddy comedy, no matter how hard they try?

Also, in order to be typecasted, you have to demonstrate that you have some sort of range that is not being exploited by the industry for whatever reason (probably money…).  Not hating on Jonah Hill, but he hasn’t made Wet Hot American Summer yet. (and as an aside, I think there are actually very few comedians who AREN’T typecasted)

Wath this movie now!

If I had to go with someone I think I’d take on one of Seth’s man-crushes, Joseph Gordon Levitt.  He just stepped out of his typical sensitive dude in off beat indie comedy and seemed to be stuck somewhere between Zach Braff and Jon Krasinsky on the charming but ultimately forgettable scale.  He was great in Inception, and if he really is going to play the Riddler in the next Batman, then my argument is pretty much moot, but I think he’s on the precipice of either sliding back into “make the chicks swoon and not much else mode” or over-capitalizing on Inception‘s success and taking on a series of inferior sidekick roles morphing into poor man’s Edward Norton…

Caroline: “Poor man’s Edward Norton”…love it.

Lets apply that to some ladies. Leslie Man is the poor woman’s Joan Cusack…albeit a hotter version.

As for the A-listers, Cate Blanchett needs to grab a crack whore roll fast because while admittedly an amazing actress, she always carries with her the same air of dignified grace. It is as if her characters are always inner queens…even when shes not Elizabeth. I just want to see if she can lose the inherent cultivation and get a little crude.

Patrick: Michael Cera seems to play the same awkward-nerdy leading man over and over again.  He definitely looks the part but I would love to see him in something that’s not funny.

Mumblecore Hero

Seth: I have to pick at Jim’s “man-crush” statement. I wouldn’t consider him a man-crush personally, it’s just weird to have a famous doppelganger. And I’d gather that his roles have been pretty varied throughout his career actually. In fact, a quick glance at this credits shows only ONE (MAYBE two if you count 10 Things, but they were made several years apart) “make the chicks swoon and not much else mode”. He’s been a High school noir detective (Brick), a broken-down bank robber-turned-hero (The Lookout, excellent if you haven’t seen it), an archvillian (GI Joe), a misanthrope (Hesher), an Iraq war veteran (Stop-Loss), and the future holds more variety with nothing resembling one of these roles. Just scan his IMDB page, he’s had a pretty varied career. Which is one of the reasons I don’t mind sharing a face with him.

So while I may have done nothing to disprove Jim’s claim of a man-crush (for me that’s Matt Damon or the aforementioned Ed Norton) I think I’ve safely defended my Doppelganger.

Patrick: Jim was on the money with the fat actor’s always being the buddy, never getting the girl, and being the nice guy etc… Although I think a recent trend, in most of the movies you’ve just named, busts the fat guy type cast. The chubby guy actually gets the girl in King of Queens, Forty Year Old Virgin, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall as well.

Comedic actors not branching out doesn’t seem like type casting because the actors named seemingly have a choice of movie projects and choose to swing in their wheel house and make butt loads of cash, Hollywood if nothing else is formulaic.  If these guys are victims of anything it’s that. They might not get too many acting roles outside of comedy because of the way they look or their acting history. For example Jason Statham won’t be playing any geeky high school guys any time soon, but actors like Rudd, Hill and others are big enough to have a choice.  Actor’s ability to choose probably has a place in the definition as well.

Type cast as double edge sword hypothetical role play: Me -Movie producer Sandra Bullock- as Danny Trejo

Movie Producer: Hey Danny Trejo you’d be perfect for this new role as Mexican inmate # 5 in the remake of The Great Escape.

Danny Trejo: Well I guess if I want to eat and keep doing what I love I have to play this role again, but next time I swear I’m holding out for the role of Wall Street exec!

Sorry Dan-o that role’s not coming around the bend anytime soon.  No tatted Latinos on the Forbes list means no tatted Gordon Geko’s, (although he could actually play the Mexican inmate in the Wall Street sequel and I can’t even talk about lebuff right now an actor who I hate but consistently like his movies.)

So my answer is Danny Trejo eternally the Mexican former/future/current inmate when I feel he has the potential for more but not the choice.

It's almost unsettling to see him smile.

Sherman: Not a comedic typecast, but it would be nice to see Morgan Freeman play a perverted serial killer or anything other than “black mentor” (today’s version of “magical negro”, which Freeman also used to play all the time).  And as a sub-typecast as “black mentor” he’s also typecast as “God”.  Which is a lot cooler.

Kevin: My answer is Paul Rudd’s companion in Role Models-Sean William Scott

The StifMeister Forever

Think about it, name a movie when he wasn’t an updated version of Stifler. Sure, American Pie was the teen movie of our generation and that may have cemented him. But to his credit, he fucking nails the duchey-yet funny dude role better than anyone. I stand by that he’s a funny actor, who can mix in classic physical comedy, stupid frat guy jokes, but still work in some heart. I enjoyed him in American Pies (really the only reedeming part of the sequels), Road Trip, The Rundown (yeah, I said it). Sure he has some crappy movies, i.e. Dukes of Hazzard, but it’s the last example of Role Models that made me think there was more to this SWS character. By all accounts he plays an updated, more adult version of Stifler in that film, but he showed some restraint and somehow makes that character likeable against all odds, and really seemed to add some subtly to the role. Also, showed he could really bring in the emotional life lesson part of the storyline. Maybe he’s typecast thats all he can do, but I really think he can do a lot more as an actor and comedic role outside of douchy athlete in high school. I wan to see him get a shot at something different, at least to see how it goes. More SWS in my life I say!

What say you Ramblers? Are there other actors who you care for who are in danger of being typecast or are !GASP! already?  I think this is really a function of kinda stock characters being tweaked in a small way and people being set-up to take certain roles. Somebody write some new characters!

TV

The guy from GLEE loves Sbarro. That’s definitely what this show is about. (via AMC)

Rubicon- AMC, Sundays- Those of us who pay attention to AMC have already seen half of the pilot (it’s a full two hours) and it was a subtly done, gripping start. I know I’ll be setting my watch to these episodes in expectation. I hope the series lives up to the AMC standard and if it does, we’re in for a great ride. Rubicon follows a government employee as he traces a secret arm of the government. Here we go rabbit hole!

MUSIC

The Burbs never sounded so good.

The Suburbs by Arcade Fire- August 2- Can’t wait for this. Their releases have been epic in scope and sound and The Suburbs looks to be another in the line of hits.  So far we’ve heard a few tracks and I think it’s safe to say that we are getting more of the awesome from Arcade Fire. AHHHH. I haven’t been this excited about singles from an upcoming album in a LONG time and if there’s one thing AF does really well it’s composing a whole album.
Also look for: Land of Talk’s Cloak and Cipher

MOVIES
The Expendables and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- Looks like August 13th is gonna be pretty epic.
The Expendables is every guy my age’s dream movie. All of our favorite action stars from our youth coming together for one epic body-counting, compound-detonating, gun-playing romp. Just get ready for everything over the top. It’s the third film this year featuring a group of specialized commandos. We’ll see what happens and if this group can pull it off any better than the previous two. My vote’s on YES.


Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- I’ll admit I haven’t read this comic and have had literally every intention of doing so since I first read about it about 2 years ago. It for some reason has slipped through my cracks. But I think I’m going to pick it up and read it before I see the film.  There is so much going for this film, the cast and director alone are enough to get me in the mix. Combine that with the way people are talking about it and I can’t even contain myself. Looks fun, funny, and COMPLETELY unique. I may just have to have a double feature on August 13th.

That’s it for August, should be a pretty great month guys, so buckle up. Now I’m going to watch Children of Men again after I get some WaWa. Go on be jealous.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen Pixar expand and challenge us in different ways and their hard work and creativity has paid off in beaucoup bucks for then and beaucoup enjoyment for us. The most recent achievement for the venerable animation wizards is their first trilogy. Fifteen years ago Toy Story graced our silver screens and this past weekend, they released Toy Story 3 to the largest animated film opening ever. In a lot of ways, it makes sense that Pixar’s first trilogy would come from this franchise. It’s their oldest franchise, it’s the film that changed the way we all think about animation and certainly changed the way we think about animated films. And that is where my point of contention lies. The Toy Story trilogy is easily the best animated trilogy of all time (Sorry, Shrek!). But the quality of their films leads me to wonder another question: Where does the Toy Story trilogy land in the pantheon of great trilogies?

The list of great trilogies usually includes some or all of the following: Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, The Bourne Trilogy, The Man With No Name Trilogy, Star Wars (Episodes IV-VI), The Godfather Trilogy, and  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Well, this weekend I say another trilogy entered the fray and has fought itself if not to the top, certainly very near it. Let’s take a look at what makes a good trilogy and see where Toy Story falls.

Cohesion/Variety
By cohesion I really mean, can you tell these movies are of the same trilogy? And of course you can with Toy Story, you know all of the characters, the style changes very little, and the tone of the films remains the same. Recreating the style here wasn’t difficult as they have complete control over the creation of the entire world in which the characters live.  But that’s not to say it’s not difficult to create 3 films starring regularly inanimate objects that often surpass achievements in live action films, which is precisely what makes their effort all the more impressive. The Toy Story films follow the Indiana Jones in that they are self-contained episodes of the overall Toy Story.

As opposed to the idea of one cohesive unit, there is also that of the variety that Toy Story brings. In one film you get a children’s film, an adult film, a drama, a thriller, an action-adventure, and of course, a comedy. The tone of the movies is always one that people of all ages can enjoy and Pixar never talks down to its audience, instead packing a film with all of the various genres that they do makes it a more demanding process in truth. But Pixar does such an incredible job of weaving these altogether it’s absolutely effortless to watch as a movie and you come out feeling as if you’ve experienced something epic in storytelling scope because of how daringly they’ve approached and how creatively they’ve paid off things. It’s a rare film, let alone trilogy, that can keep things sane (let alone make them AWESOME) while incorporating all of the above elements.

Development
Another thing that I look for in trilogies is character development, something that these movies have done really, really well both within films, but also in the trilogy as a whole. Woody starts as Andy’s Golden Toy and then Buzz shows up and we see Woody’s casual, easygoing leadership turn into grumpy spite. And then we see their friendship blossom as Woody and Buzz recognize the good in each other.  Then we see in the next film, a true friendship forms and you can sense a growth between them. It’s handled very subtly and the third film continues to show Woody’s arc as a leader, but pinpoints his still-a-little-selfish ways. And that’s where we see him grow, he puts his best interests aside for the good of the gang. But wait, that’s what he always does. Not really. Woody’s always got a selfish streak, but in the third film Woody grows up and is a full-time leader. It’s great the way we see him finally realize his full potential because it’s due to the actions of his former enemy-turned-best friend Buzz Lightyear.

Emotion
At the end of the day, the story is about toys, ya know those things you broke the arms off and threw across the room and boxed up and put away to make room for your shiny new boombox. So why do I care so much about them? The Toy Story movies play with emotion in very strong ways, the most obvious being nostalgia. Nostalgia is powerful and these films work it into every corner by isolating simple memories from childhood and isolating their poignance in your life. They also delve into general relationship emotions, there are love stories of all types from budding romances (Woody and Bo Peep) to old married couples (The Potato Heads), so one can identify themselves with these characters even more. For me the third film displayed what these films have almost always been about in the grand scheme and that’s the idea of friendship and the old adage that it’s now where you are, but who you’re with that really matters. The last 30 minutes of the film really display these two ideas very plainly. There is a scene where the toys think they are at the end of the road and they simply join hands in quiet solitude and it is GRIPPING and emotional and heavy. Maybe the best single scene in any of the three movies and one of Pixar’s best overall.  One thing’s for sure, they made me think twice about tossing Donatello into a box.

Scope
Often critics mention The Lord of the Rings Trilogy as the best trilogy of all time and it’s amazing. Part of what makes it so grand is the epic scale and scope of the films. Spanning lands, peoples, time, etc. that are seemingly incomprehensible in a pure quest to do the right thing is definitely GRAND. But I say Toy  Story‘s got it too. In 1 they travel to Pizza Planet, we can call that our Gondor. In 2, they travel to Big Al’s Toy Barn in the big city, let’s make that Rohan. And finally in 3, they travel all over the place, but let’s call it Mordor. The toys change locales and quest for each other like those hobbits did the precious. It’s funny to think of the word epic and use it in a relative term. Because for us, LOTR is epic. But for our action figures and dolls of the past, TS is epic. So we must take into consideration Epic Relativity (that sounds smart!), the idea that what is epic to one, may not be epic to all.

Conclusion
I have NO idea where these films will end up in the pantheon of cinema history, only that when considered as a trilogy, they are a force to be reckoned with. Films in 3s are an unlikely and difficult pursuit, but there have been some excellent sets (obviously) and this one, to me, is the best of the best. I am a Pixar fanboy through and through and I think with good reason. Their missteps (if you can call them that) have been bigger hits and better films than many other studios’ best efforts. It’s difficult for me to think of any set which has a fantastic film as #1, a better film as #2, and the best #3 of all time except for these three. Just do me a favor Pixar and don’t make a 4.

Synopsis
A young boy is pleasantly haunted by the specter of his grandfather who tells him a story about goblins on the eve of a family trip. The next morning the young boy, his sister, and their parents set out for a rustic town called Nilbog. Once they arrive there things are not as they seem and the young boy’s grandfather continually warns them they should leave town as the residents of the town were planning on eating them because they were shape-shifting goblins. No one in the family believes him until one of the townsfolk is revealed to be a goblin and now the family must fight to not become the goblin’s next meal.

Selected Scenes (Selected for awesomeness and availability on YouTube):

And here is a larger clip selection, which honestly, you SHOULD watch if you have time:

A Litany of the Issues With Troll 2 (SPOILERS ENSUE, but you won’t be able to understand them anyway):
- The acting
- The writing
- The directing
- The production values
- Total number of trolls in the film: 0
- Relation to Troll: 0
- Unnecessary characters: 6-10
- Unnecessary Plot Devices/Points: Seemingly all of them
- Communication between cast and crew: 0 (Crew mostly Italian, cast entirely American)
- The music score is from a pet commercial, not a suspenseful horror film.
- Bologna is a weapon of choice
- Vegetables are evil
- Cool ideas: 4-5, cool ideas executed well: 0
- Clever town names: 0
- Inexplicable Dance Sequences: 1
- Number of times a corn cob is used for seductive purposes: 1

Dissection of the Plot
The Plot is bizarre, but not outside the realm of things we’ve seen in horror movies. In fact the isolation/townsfolk turn on newcomers is almost cliche. What’s really WRONG with the plot is that they overload it with devices. Like where the goblins come from has something to do with a magical Stonehenge rock which is located in some with-like goblin’s house. And it’s never explained why the Goblins can’t just grow veggies instead they have to turn humans into vegetables. It just seems mean. There are some cool ideas, but there is so much nonsense, that those ideas get lost in the shuffle, QUITE easily.

Dissection of the Acting
The movie had a small budget and to cut costs they used unknowns as actors. This is a method which has worked really well in some cases, like the recent Paranormal Activity, which by all accounts was scary and well-made on the cheap with unknowns starring. But then there are movies like Troll 2 which remind movie fans why actors get (over)paid.  Rail on Nic Cage as much as you want, against these characters, he is the pudding on the pie. Sometimes you should save money on other things so that your movie isn’t completely lost in the ridiculous shuffle of overacting and confusion. Adding inexperience to communication issues with your Italian director and you have an epic calamity in the making. It’s not so much that everyone involved was a terrible actor, it’s that, no wait that is part of it. They all only have one speed.

Dissection of Themes
Themes, themes, themes. So we know it’ s bad, very bad, in fact. But what can we take away from this film? Well besides tons of belly laughs and more quotes that were never supposed to be quotable, vegetables are evil? I think. I don’t know but when our hero uses a Bologna sandwich as the weapon of necessity to defeat the goblins who are vegetarians.  So they turn humans into veggies to eat and are defeated by the foulest of deli meats. I think that says it all Meat=Good, Veg=Bad. Now while I can’t completely disagree with this message because I do love a steak, I have to think it’s the only move of its kind and in that way it’s kind of twistedly genius. Like the Talking Heads’ almost anti-environmental song “(Nothing But) Flowers”, there’s something to value in a dissenting opinion. Or am I full of it because for me food math goes like this Steak>Lettuce.
Conclusion
A thorough dissection my biology teacher would be proud of. The hard thing about attacking a movie like this is that it’s all too easy. But I promise you if you watch it, you will be enriched. At the very least you will be well aware that ANYONE can make a movie that makes it to a DVD release. Between The Room and Troll 2, I’ve become inspired! I think I heard a script for Troll 3 is out there, I might just take a stab at it. Seriously though, this film is currently up for FREE on Hulu. I encourage everyone to watch it for some strange sense of fascination. I mean let’s be honest, if you sat through Four Christmases or Surfer, Dude, you’ve pretty much reached the dregs, so why not go full force and scrape the bottom of the barrel? And when you’re done, be sure to check out the documentary that came out of the catastrophe, Best Worst Movie.

Have you seen Troll 2? Are you intrigued? For 90 minutes you will be as confused as humanly possible, and unlike in Memento, you’ll never know why.

1. Jackboots on Whitehall- What if Team America were Team England? Well, this film aims to find out. And it’s vs. Nazis. Guys it’s puppet war. And can we ever get enough puppet war? I don’t think so. Here’s to less puppet mating and more Puppet Churchhilling. I mean the one thing I thought when I finished watching Team America: World Police was I need more Team America: World Police. However, I think the trademark song should be changed to “England, Bollocks to Everyone Else!” or something like that. (via Hulu)

2. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice- Nic Cage. He means a lot of things (maybe 3 at the most) to a lot of people. For me I side with Roger Ebert, who thinks Cage is one of the more daring acting talents of our current generation. Unfortunately his recent daring has often led him astray into roles which are beneath him (although there was an apparent return to form in the recent Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans). Anyways, this is a movie about Nic Cage being a sorcerer and taking on an apprentice. Should carry you HP fans over until Deathly Hallows hits. (via Hulu)

3. Norwegian Ninja- NOT A TYPO. And apparently based on a true story. I don’t even know what else to say. I think the title gets it done. (via Twitch)

So which of those three looks most awesome to you? Least awesome? And be sure that ALL OF THESE look awesome, we’re just talking about varying degrees.

Making Sweat sexy: Me and this guy!

What’s not gross is what Hollywood/New York/Parts Unknown have cooked up for you in the coming month! NAILED IT.

Review Snippets from April’s Entries:

Movies

Iron Man 2- Haven’t seen it. Fire me now.

Music

Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene- Really good, not great. Probably listened to the least of all the music this month, but that is in no way a marker on its quality! Check it out for yourself, what do I know? 7/10

Together by The New Pornographers- If you like this band, you’ll like this record. Things haven’t changed much, which is actually a good thing with this crew. 7/10

Heaven Is Whenever by The Hold Steady- I like this record! It’s good, they have yet to live up to Boys and Girls in America but when you set the bar THAT high it’s easy to miss. Definitely grab “Hurricane J” and “The Weekenders,” both of which have made it into my like top 6-7 fave THS songs. 7.5/10

High Violet by The National- GOOD GOOD album. Just not right for this time of the year, if this had been released 5 months ago I would be gushing about it. I still am kinda gushing about it because it’s real good, but it’s just a really broody album it’s like the Ryan Atwood of indie rock albums.8.5/10

The High Violet of Teen Heartthrobs

Infinite Arms by Band of Horses- K, I love this band, but I think this is their worst record, the more I listen to it, the less it sticks with me. Don’t get me wrong, some good tracks, but it lacks the punch of the first two albums, that being said “Blue Beard” is one of their best songs. 6/10

This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem- Destined for the upper reaches of many end-of-the-year lists, this is a good album, one that I’m sure will be pumping in my backyard all summer. Fun dancy jams. 8/10

So Runs The World Away by Josh Ritter- My fave of the month actually. Something old and familiar and new and expansive about this album, it has grown on me from day one and “The Curse” is my favorite song released this month. Really pretty stuff. Highly recommended to those of you who like their troubadours clever, soulful, and cocky. 8.5/10

TV

The end of LOST- While I let my younger, smarter sister do the legwork for LOST on the site, I love it almost as much. Here’s my thoughts on the finale, it ended the way it had to. Personally I was satisfied, in fact about 3/4 or more of the way through I thought I was watching what was potentially one of the best finales ever filmed. The END didn’t really tickle me but then again I am notoriously difficult to tickle. I will ardently disagree with anyone who says the show was a waste of time and that it’s legacy is tainted by not answering questions. Actually I will simply say “DID YOU ACTUALLY watch!?  They never answered questions. What exactly would have been a fitting end to the show for you!?” They made a habit of not answering anything, so why expect answers to come marching out two by two Noah’s Ark-style in the final 2.5 hours? I was satisfied. I found the end to the people I was wrapped up in and for me that was enough. I respect your opinion if you feel differently, but I was happy.

On to JUNESIES!

Movies
Toy Story 3- HANDS DOWN. I’m not going to rave about Pixar again. Just read someone else’s take on how great they are. I literally just had several to choose from by googling “why pixar rules.” That says it all. Our favorite characters are back and here Pixar tries something new in going for their first trilogy. I, for one, will be there with 3D glasses on.

I miss these. They made me feel like I was in Back to the Future.

Music
American Slang by The Gaslight Anthem- If they’re good enough for The Boss, they’re good enough for me. For some reason I’m avoiding listening spoilers for this album. I have high hopes that they will blow me away as they did with  The ’59 Sound. And if they don’t then I won’t have to go to another concert where I’m the oldest person there by a solid 5 or 6 years.

Destroyer of the Void By Blitzen Trapper- One of my favorite albums of the last few years was this group’s effort, Furr. A nonstop wild ride of neo southern rock/folk/electronics (?), yeah I think I’ll take another dose of that. Also isn’t the title suppppppppppper cool. That was pronounced like SUPER not SUPPER. That title is Dinner Cool, RIGHT?

TV
Season finale of Breaking Bad- Well, if you haven’t started watching this show yet, you have now missed out on three season’s worth of EPIC TV-making. The beginning of this third season started with a slow, creeping burn and has accelerated into a full-on conflagration. The writing and acting on this show are probably the best on basic cable and while the show is crazy, it never seems too far out there. Bryan Cranston has again given an impeccable performance, but I’ve been really floored by his TV wife, Anna Gunn’s performance and his partner in crime, Aaron Paul. Paul has really come into his own this year and has been on a tough road of his own warped brand of redemption turned revenge. I honestly think that Breaking Bad is the best show on television right now and the end of the season will surely be a doozie. It’s so good it ALMOST makes me want to take up meth. Or drive around in an RV. Or open up a chicken joint. You would understand all of these references if you watched!

Potential Future Employer

Guilty Pleasure
Entourage- (returns 6/27 to HBO)- I don’t know what bugs me more, how good this show used to be or that I still watch it. I’m married to these clowns for no discernible reason. I honestly can’t give you a solid why. But I’m okay with that if they turn it around. The show has been less funny and more aggressive every season for the last 3 seasons. Yet I’ve continued to watch in hopes that they would turn it around. I’m not delusional about what this show offers it is like GUY porn. 4 dudes living the “dream.” I get it, but it also used to be funny and insightful, where now it just seems like they are lazy and really went with the guy porn idea completely. Here’s to hoping that my once beloved can turn it around.

Unlike Jon Moxon, I DO WANT. YOUR LIFE.

Anything special you’re looking forward to in June? I know there is a lot coming down the pipe, so share with Rambling nation what’s on your agenda!

So what’s your major and why?

Sherman: Have we done spin-offs?  Because I would love to see one of Brother Mouzone and Lamar (from The Wire) driving from town to town, solving mysteries and settling old scores.

Brad: I don’t know. That first one is pretty good. I don’t know if I can do any better. Can they have a Scobby Doo-esque theme song?

Sherman: Yes.  And wacky sound effects, with a laugh track.  I’m thinking Disney Channel.

Seth: OK yes, I want this.

Chase: The current most obvious and rumored to be coming is a prequel to Spartacus….  The Rise of Crixus: Champion of Capua.

Seth: For me the most obvious recent one is from LOST: Jacob and MIB: The Early Years.

Sherman: Please let it be animated with them as toddlers, like Muppet Babies.

This IS actually a lot like something from LOST

Seth: Question for Lostie Babies: Do they retain 5 o’ clock shadows?

Sherman: Of course, and every time they open a door the smoke monster gets them via a clip from an episode of LOST.

Seth:I also think Gilmore Girls could have easily semi-spun off a show about the Inn that Lorelai and Sookie ran. It would have been likeNewhart just much wittier. And yeah, I said Gilmore Girls.

Brad: I think Gilmore Girls tried to spin off a show about Jess once and FAILED. I need equal parts Lorelai and Rory to make that show watchable. Though, with that being said, a spinoff show where Rory and I spend our life together traveling Europe and spending Old Yale money would be pretty on point.

Sherman: Sorry, Chase, I missed your Spartacus: Blood and Sand spin-off earlier.  I think Rise of Crixus would be good, but perhaps better… Lucy Lawless: Boobs.

Jim: So far as I understand it, isn’t that pretty much what Spartacus: Blood and Sand is in the first place?

Seth: Chase mentioned Jesse and the Rippers show from Full House fame. And that would be great and all, but even better would be to seethe Zack Attack story from Saved By The Bell played out over a season of glorious television. It would be like Behind The Music. that would kill.

Jim:As great as The Wrestler was, I think it would be 10x edgier if there were a spin off that told the story from the perspective of The Ayatollah.  I’m imagining a mix between WWE Smackdown and an Iranian themed Bend it Like Beckham.  Who’s with me?

For the April Win!

Top Chef Masters- ERRR. Incomplete grade. I’ve only seen like 15 minutes of one episode. Whoops. Maybe that speaks for itself though, Masters lacks the drama of the original and often times the chefs come off rather pompous. Regardless, incomplete grade.

The Hold Steady- Heaven is Whenever (5/4)- listened to a few of these jams so far and I can tell you that “The Weekenders” is already vying for my favorite THS song and that’s saying something.

Josh Ritter-  So Runs the World Away (5/4)- If you haven’t been a Josh Ritter fan yet, this one can push you over the edge. I have been waiting for this album with bated breath and the first listen through was lovely, quiet, and spacious.

Band of Horses-  Infinite Arms (5/18)- I just love this band, if you don’t love them well then sorry. But I’ve listened to this album a bit and I know that “Older”, which I’ve heard in concert several times and loved,  is on there and it’s a great, great tune. It has a kind of wistfulness and whimsy that BOH sometimes lack.

The Wizards in their Words Lair