Culture Clique

We've moved!

2008-07-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Culture Clique blog is now on wordpress.com!

Check us out here.

Lyrics I Love

2008-07-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

So it goes...someone denies you the object of your devotion so the only course of action is to become completely obsessed.

I have to admit that as much time as I spend online, if it isn't on iTunes I find myself at a loss. Such is the state I'm in lately, relegating my sincere love of '60s girl groups and their sugary pop confections to meager playlists on Finetune and Pandora.

One song, in particular, just kills me. And because I'm denied the pleasure of blasting it for the neighbors on loop, I'm forced to swoon here over a centered, italicized ode to the lyrics of Keep on Dancing by The Ronettes.

Little girl, you know that I've been watching you
Trying hard to catch my baby's eye
Since the party started you've been after him
And I can see you wanna steal my guy
And this guy of mine knows what you'll try

So keep on dancin', little girl
Keep on dancin', little girl
Around and around now, little girl
Aeep on dancin', little girl
You're only wastin' time, he's all mine
He loves me
Keep on dancin'
Little girl

If you're gonna take his love away from me
Just because you dance the way you do
Don't you see he hasn't even looked your way
Though you can try until the night is through
But baby, he ain't goin' home with you

So keep on dancin', little girl
Keep on dancin', little girl
Around and around now, little girl
Keep on dancin', little girl
You're only wastin' time, he's all mine
He loves me
Keep on dancin'
Little girl

(Just keep on dancin', c'mon)
ohhhh
(Just keep on dancin', little girl)
oh oh ohhhh
(Just keep on dancin', c'mon)
oh oh ohhh
(Just keep on dancin', little girl)
oh oh ohhh...

I can't believe I've been relegated to actually buying a CD. This is madness.

New Frontiers

2008-07-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, this is new. And just the latest proof that the Interweb is the next go-to place for original programming. After cable, of course. Check it:

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

During the WGA strike Joss Whedon started writing a three part musical series for the internet. Each of the three episodes will be approximately ten minutes each.

Co-writers for the internet feature are Joss’ brothers Zack and Jed and Jed’s Fiancé Maurissa Tancharoen . The writing and shooting have been completed and the series is now in post-production.

“It’s the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.” says Whedon.

“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” will star Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny and a cast of dozens.”

The first webisode is set to premiere tomorrow. You can find out more info and watch the trailer here at this very handy fan site. People, in case you were unaware, are very, very dedicated to Joss Whedon. Never forget that.

I Don't Care What It Takes or what it's called... Save Scrabulous!

2008-07-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Monday, July 7th 2008, 6:20 PM

Scrabulous, an unauthorized version of Scabble, is very popular among Facebook users.

As Facebook has blossomed into a hot Internet hangout, its users have passed countless hours playing Scrabble with friends - or at least, an unauthorized version of the word game that Scrabble's owners have tried to shut down.

Now a video game maker will try to legitimize the activity.

Electronic Arts Inc. said Monday that this month it will release a Scrabble application, a Web program that Facebook members can plug into their profile pages.

EA hopes to capitalize on the success of an unauthorized version called Scrabulous, which was created by two brothers in India and has nearly a half-million daily users, despite efforts by Scrabble's owners to squish it.

EA spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the video game maker's offering would be "an authorized, licensed Scrabble game experience that people familiar with Scrabble can instantly recognize as Scrabble."

It's unclear whether legality will be enough to lure Facebook members - and their friends - already familiar with the unauthorized version. Muller said she could not comment on any differences in features.

One key limitation is that EA's Facebook game will be available only to U.S. and Canadian users, as determined by the numeric Internet address of their computers.

EA is producing Scrabble under a year-old licensing deal with Hasbro Inc., which owns the game's North American rights. RealNetworks Inc. already has made a version available elsewhere under a deal with Mattel Inc., holder of the rights outside the United States and Canada. That version has fewer than 6,000 daily users, compared with Scrabulous' 450,000.

The split in rights means that Facebook users in, say, San Francisco won't be able to play the authorized version with friends in London, so they might still turn to the unauthorized Scrabulous.

Hasbro officials played down the restrictions, however, saying players tend to reside in the same country, given the world's linguistic differences.

More than six months in development, the EA game will be free and won't carry any ads for now.

EA is trying to generate interest for Scrabble on other computing platforms. EA recently made it available on its ad-supported Pogo.com site, and it sells versions for Apple Inc.'s iPods for about $5 and for various mobile devices starting at $4. EA has rights to offer it on digital devices like Nintendo Co.'s Wii game console as well.

Mark Blecher, general manager for digital media and gaming at Hasbro, said his company has been working with EA to make the look and feel consistent across platforms, giving the authorized version what he called an advantage over Scrabulous. Blecher said the backing of major companies also means better reliability, technical support and production values.

Like the unauthorized version, EA's Scrabble on Facebook is designed to let two people play without being online simultaneously. One player makes a move, then waits until the next time his or her rival logs on.

Scrabulous came from Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, brothers from Calcutta, India, who said they created the game after they could not find an online version of Scrabble that they liked. While there are authorized Scrabble games online, Scrabulous became one of Facebook's most popular activities because it is free, easy to play and simple to access on Facebook.

Hasbro and Mattel have jointly issued cease-and-desist notices to four unnamed parties involved in the development, hosting and marketing of Scrabulous, prompting its fans to start a "Save Scrabulous" group on Facebook and lodge protests.

Blecher said there were early discussions with Scrabulous' developers about a possible collaboration or acquisition, but EA and Hasbro decided to do their own version from scratch. Hasbro still considers Scrabulous a violation of its intellectual property, Blecher said, and "we're still evaluating our legal options."

The Agarwalla brothers did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment made after business hours in India.

Culture Clique on Thrillist!!!

2008-07-08T08:59:00.001-07:00

This is the perfect time to be checking out Culture Clique. We'll be launching a new "face" in just a few short days. For now, revel as I am in the mention from the dude's version of Daily Candy.

Update

2008-05-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Indiana Jones tops the box office charts at $150 million...

The radio and online media is abuzz with excitement for Weezer's latest CD, due out Tuesday (so am I)

And Culture Clique staffers are hard at work on the new interface. Look for a brighter, easier, user-friendly model coming soon! (We're all very excited.)

Death Cab

2008-05-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Death Cab for Cutie! You can hear the new CD, Narrow Stairs, for free this week on Spinner.com's CD Listening Party.

As for the delightful, professional review from The Gazette below, be a player- not a spectator. Submit your own review at CultureClique.com

CD review: Narrow Stairs, Death Cab For Cutie

Songs still pretty, but now with bite

T'CHA DUNLEVY, Gazette Music Critic

Published: 8 hours ago

Death Cab for Cutie
Narrow Stairs
Atlantic/Warner
Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Ben Gibbard has one of the purest voices in indie-pop. And it was put to the prettiest of uses on Death Cab for Cutie's sixth album, and major label debut, 2005's Plans. Those songs were spiritual hymns, deeply stirring and life-affirming in their weightless expanse.

This follow-up starts with a trick. The first song, Bixby Canyon Bridge, finds Gibbard singing with characteristic innocence over a lilting backdrop of shimmering and plucked guitars, before the power chords and drums kick in.

Not content to rest on its laurels, the Seattle band goes for grit here, both musical and lyrical. There is menace in the bleeding distortion at song's end. It is at once a relief and the breaking of a spell - a reminder to one and all that this is a rock group, and sometimes life is messy.

There is no about-face. Gibbard remains a poet; but his heart is heavy. These tales of miscommunications, failed relationships and abandoned dreams are given appropriate layers of nuance. Even in the darkest moments, there is a familiar, soaring grace. Yet at strategic intervals, the band lets 'er rip. And therein lies the difference.

The 81/2-minute first single, I Will Possess Your Heart, begins with a five-minute instrumental passage, a slow-building, drifting expanse that gives way to a soft-sung stalker anthem, with the opening lines: "How I wish you could see the potential / The potential of you and me. ... You gotta spend some time, love / You gotta spend some time with me."

He could be speaking about the very song on which he's singing, and the album it accompanies. Traditional pop formats are resisted, but kept within reach as the band flexes its intuitive muscle. These songs were recorded live off the floor. They are alive and unpredictable, in contrast to Plans' post-production perfection.

There are up-tempo numbers. The backbeat-driven No Sunlight, the breakup song Long Division and the second half of Pity and Fear all forge ahead on crests of energy, and provide rough-and-tumble rebuttal to any O.C.-assisted sellout accusations.

This disc is not a knee-jerk reaction, but rather an awakening. It is uplifting, despite its solemn subject matter; but its real strength - like the band's - resides between the lines. There is no black and white. There are beautiful sad songs with jagged edges, soft landings, swelling surges and intimate asides. It's pretty as ever, but with more bite.

Podworthy: Your New Twin Sized Bed

Just This Once...

2008-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Was sitting on a plane last night, minding my own business, waiting for takeoff when the music overhead switched on. To my delight, they were playing "Falling Slowly" from the independent film Once, which I'm sure you've heard of by now.

One of the great things about Culture Clique is when you love something and other people love it too and you all get to talk about it ad nauseaum until it turns into a disgusting love fest. It reinstates your faith in humanity.

Doritt Diamond wrote:
I thought this movie was near perfect... it showed the true power of music and what the belief in that power can create. The characters and story were wonderful and the genuine beauty of the devotion to the art was incredible. The fact that it did not deteriote into a romance made it better and stronger. it was really just about the music... and the story of the actor, writer and director of the film is a story in itself.

Ryan Downe wrote:

Crazy good. Saw last night and now added to one of my favorite movies. Lead singer/songwriter also in band The Frames. If you haven't heard of them they are worth checking out as well.

Nicole Tisue wrote:

A must see! I LOVED IT and I want to buy the sound track. Great songs!

Craig Diamond wrote:

I really liked this one too! Musical, artsy, inde. A really raw, authentic vibe and inspiring music to boot. Definitely worth checking out!

Meara Demko wrote:

A love story between I rogue Irish street musician/hoover repairman & a Czechoslovakian immigrant. The film is kind of one long music video of their fabulous musical collaboration...Amazing lyrics, empassioned singing...quirky frienship that is so moving and inspiring...Loved it!

Four Stars for Grand Theft Auto IV

2008-05-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

See more real reviews and submit your own on Culture Clique!

Grand Theft Auto IV
M. Berkz writes:

Grand Theft Auto IV (which is really GTA IX if you count all the GTA games for all the platforms) is a blast!

The best thing about the game is the attention to detail, everything from the radio DJs blathering between songs, the fake ads, the television shows, references to other games and movies, and secret stuff to discover.

Some of the cut scenes are entertaining, and the character development overall is interesting, but there are some huge leaps in logic. For example, one of the first bosses you have to kill in the game is depicted as gay, yet you kill him for dating your cousin's girlfriend?!

There's bound to be something offensive to everyone in this game, but it's so over the top that it's laughable.

The gameplay itself is enjoyable. The driving takes a little getting used to in the congested streets of Liberty City. There's a little bit of fantasy physics at play which makes it fun, as well as the detailed damage models. Death animations are brutally entertaining too!

Hand to hand combat is an exercise in button mashing, and even though the weapon targetting system is quite comprehensive, it's easy to get overwhelmed in a shoot-out when the un-intuitive camera conspires against you too.

I picked the 360 version over the PS3's mainly because of XBox Live Achievement Points, and the episodic downloadable content.

What the "Experts" are saying:

WIRED: Online Play Kicks Grand Theft Auto IV into Overdrive
Chicago Tribune: Gamemaker sues to lift CTA's ban on ads for GTA IV
Seattle PI: Grand Theft Auto IV XBox 360 vs Playstation

Baby Mama

2008-05-05T11:48:00.001-07:00

Meh. "Baby Mama" is cute and fun to watch but definitely not the gutbuster it's so desperately trying to be. Now does this mean when Oxygen plays it seven times a day, I will not watch it while folding my laundry? No, I will. I mean I've seen "What a Girl Wants" so many times on cable now that I know better than that.

TIna Fey places Kate, a VP of a natural foods company who wants a baby. The PC guy tells her it's impossible for her to conceive naturally, landing her on Sigourney Weaver's doorstep and with a trashy surrogate named Angie, played by Amy Poehler.

There are some cute moments here, some genuinely funny moments but the movie feels a bit amateurish, a little flat. In more important news, when did I start thinking Greg Kinnear is so attractive? That's the real story. Talk about a surprise ending.

Great Review

2008-05-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

See more great, real reviews from people like you on www.cultureclique.com!

Call Me Irresponsible (2007)

Michael's champagne like voice takes you back to a more simpler time. While Everything tends to be the popular favorite on this album, The Best is Yet to Come, offers a surprising twist on this old standard.

I suggest putting this CD on the stereo, dimming the lights, and sipping a nice glass of wine. Let his voice melt the stresses of everyday life away.

What is Going On?

2008-05-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Mariah Carey reportedly engaged to new beau

Friend of music diva confirms news to Access Hollywood

	Mariah Carey is engaged to new boyfriend, Nick Cannon, a friend of the singer's has confirmed to Access Hollywood. View related photos
Peter Foley / EPA; Scott Gries /

Access Hollywood

updated 11:34 a.m. PT, Wed., April. 30, 2008

NEW YORK - It appears Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon are ready to make beautiful music together.

A source close to Carey has confirmed to Access Hollywood that the music diva is engaged to Nick Cannon.

Reps for both singers were unavailable for comment.

The couple sent the rumor mill into overdrive when 38-year-old Carey (with Cannon on her arm) was seen sporting a dazzling new piece of bling on her ring finger at the after party for her Tribeca film, “Tennessee,” in New York.

When asked at the party what he loved about Mariah, 27-year-old Cannon gave a one-word answer.

“Everything,” he told People.

Up until recently, Carey had been romantically linked to music executive Mark Sudack. However, she never confirmed the romance.

Carey was previously married to record executive Tommy Mottola from 1993 to 1998.

Cannon was previously engaged to Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks in 2007. However, the couple called off the engagement that same year.

This will be the first marriage for the “Drumline” star.

Imitation

2008-04-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok so I stole this from another blog. Whaddya gonna do? Report me?

Dreams Sometimes Do Come True

2008-04-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Do you know of my love of The Ausiello Report? Well, you do now. You also know that I think Jessica Walter is a dagdum genius and while I'm scratching my head over Aunt Becky as the new Cindy Walsh, a part of my sweet little Full House heart is praying that John Stamos will somehow become involved now.

Jessica Walter by Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

It isn't Kelly Bishop, but this will do rather nicely: Sources confirm to me exclusively that Arrested Development's grande dame, Jessica Walter, has been cast as hard-drinkin', faded, '70s-movie-star Tabitha Mills on the CW's fast-tracked-for-fall 90210 update.

To recap: Tabitha is the grandmother of the show's central teens, siblings ~~Brenda~~ Annie (Shenae Grimes) and ~~Brandon Walsh~~ Dixon Mills. As I reported yesterday, Lori Loughlin will play the pair's mother. The role of the dad (and Tabitha's son) has yet to be cast.

I don't know about you, by my excitement about this show just swelled tenfold.

This Just In: Dirt's Ryan Eggold has snagged the role of Ryan "the teacher."

Related:
• Hilary Duff Out, Degrassi Teen In at New 90210
• Exclusive: Lori Loughlin Is 90210's New Cindy Walsh

Run, Don't Walk

2008-04-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

Marty, where are you when I need you?!

Lil Mama's debut album YVP free this week on AOL Free CD Listening Party. Listen HERE.

Oh, I'm sorry. Have you forgotten how much you love Lil Mama? Shhh, it's ok, my babies- JC is here.

Click here for Lip Gloss.

And here for Girlfriend, that Avril Lavigne song. Everything made instantly better with a Lil Mama.

A Little Validation for Your Feelings

2008-04-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

This sums up how I felt about the trailer for "Wanted" pretty perfectly.

Angelina Jolie Is Very Believable As Angelina Jolie

(Courtesy of The Hater blog on AV Club)
posted by: Amelie Gillette

April 23, 2008 - 11:37am

In the trailer for Wanted, the following things take place:

--Someone uses a gun that bends like a bendy straw

--Bullets swerve in mid-air

--A passenger is scooped into a speeding car, instead of struck by it.

--The "fraternity" of the world's most secret assassins meets in a gigantic, decidedly non-secret castle.

--A guy is literally cut into a million, perfectly cubed pieces when he bursts through a glass window

But despite all of these things, the most unbelievable, highly ridiculous, patently absurd thing about Wanted is that Angelina Jolie is supposed to be playing an assassin, and not Angelina Jolie.

You can continue reading Amelie's take here as well as watch the trailer for yourself. Personally, I'm just going to sit here and continue to feel relieved that I'm not the only one who's started seeing Angie as incapable of playing anything but herself. Even the other day, I happened to catch Original Sin on Lifetime or Oxygen, one of those (and depressing in of itself), and I thought "Oh, look Angelina's in Cuba!"

People talk ad nauseam about the damage of the paparazzi, the invasion of privacy, "think about the children!" and "there's a war in Iraq too!"- all that. My personal beef can best be summed up by Scarlet Johansson from a magazine interview I read years ago, and this is purely from memory so I apologize for any inaccuracy, which was that she was mostly sorry that the mystery surrounding Hollywood had pretty much dissipated. And it's true- we attribute so much glamour to old Hollywood, Hayworth and Hepburn and Grant, but how much of that is the power of black and white and some soft lighting? The truth is these stars didn't give us much beyond what they granted us on screen. And the result? When we saw Garbo in Grand Hotel, we believed who she purported to be. We got in lost in Hepburn and Tracy's repartee on screen but what if we had watched, knowing full well because of a dogged press that they were having an affair? Something great would've been lost. It would be difficult to separate the couple on screen from the illicit romance they shared in real life.

So, yes, it's hard to buy Angelina Jolie the actress these days. And this character especially seems to be phoned in more than her most- indeed the badass assassin is mostly an anagram of her previous roles. Scramble the backgrounds and we're right back to Lara Croft and Jane Smith, with a little bit of that chick from Hackers thrown in for good measure. It's a shame too because it really isn't her fault. And James McAvoy is seriously cute even if this looks more like a job for Shia.

What To Read, What to Write and How to Do Both

2008-04-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, having a Creative Writing degree has its benefits. Since it doesn't guarantee you employment and costs thousands upon thousands of dollars to acquire, we cannot take said benefits for granted.

My classes at school (and don't bother looking for the Creative Writing major if you actually click on that link to find out my alma mater. Because it doesn't exist. I'm one of those wily students who figured out the joys of the Interdisciplinary Studies program) gave me the following:

- A short story by Brady Udall that's only one page, a handout for a class, and I loved it so much that I framed the thing and hung it up in my bedroom. I loved it so much that it survived my 3,000 mile move across the country. I still read it occasionally and get goosebumps. It's called "The Wig" and if you've taken a writing class, you've probably seen it as proof that you can get a lot across in only 300 words. Then you spend the next hour trying to write a whole short story in a page, cursing Brady Udall, until you're so frustrated you contemplate throwing the damn thing in the trash. If you're smart though, you keep it hanging around.

- Two short stories I wrote for homework that I've kept with me for almost six years. They'll be whole novels someday, you watch (whether or not you'll read them is another matter)

- Really good books to read. Because you can't really learn to write until you fully appreciate how to steal. Possibly, the best gem is the Best American Series or, as I like to call it, the gift that keeps on giving... They come out every year and I highly recommend both Short Stories and Essays, which pulls the best stories from the country's leading magazines in the given year.

Reviews I Like

2008-04-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

The best part about this blog is that when I have nothing to say, I can totally cheat by posting reviews I like from the site.

Sometimes, it's especially handy when the subject is a very, very popular one that yours truly could not care less about. Simply put, if I wanted to see pimply, long-haired dudes sing cringe-inducing KC & The Sunshine Band covers, I'd go to my local karaoke bar and mock them in person. But it seems I'm in a teeny tiny minority about that, especially when it comes to the rabid popularity of American Idol (question- when does it get to the point where we realize we're scraping the bottom of the talent barrel? In terms of America's Next Top Model, we came to that sad epiphany around Cycle 9. There are no potential models left in America. Period)

American Idol
by Scott Campbell (check out more of Scott's reviews at www.cultureclique.com)

Idol Thoughts: Volume 3, No. 7

Today's Idol Thoughts focuses on last night's performances celebrating the music of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber (who, in my humble opinion, was delightful, insightful and encouraging).

The Top Performances: I once again loved Syesha Mercado. She worked the stage and interacted with the band in a way few contestants have all season. Although she is still not my fave (that has to be rocker, David Cook), Syesha can sing and, if there was justice, she would make the final three. But despite her showstopping performance that was oozing with sass and sex appeal, America did not hear one word from the judges implying that she's in any way a threat to crack the top three--only the nagging implication that she'd be better off pursuing a career in musical theater. I also thought that David Cook would be in trouble last night with the Webber-inspired theme, but he shocked me with his fantastic, vocally strong performance. Sure, he could've put a rocker twist on ''The Music of the Night'' or some other Lloyd Webber number, but after weeks of unexpected arrangements and heartfelt deliveries, he needed to show America that he could sing by delivering straightforward, spot-on vocals--which he did.

Middle of the Road: Little David Archuletta only gave a fair performance. Not only did he forget the lyrics (but muddled his way through), but it was forgettable. I thought that this would be David A's night--the kid is so ready for Broadway shows. Nevertheless Paula used the phrase ''absolutely perfect,'' and Randy dubbed David ''the one to beat''. I speculate that the judges and producers are grooming America for a David & David finale with these favorable comments on an okay performance. Only Simon got it right ... He agreed with me. David's performance was forgettable but still enough to get him to next week. Carly Smithson's performance was better this week. She belted out an up-tempo rock number from Jesus Christ Superstar, but I still felt that she screamed parts of the song (Simon felt the same). I appreciate that this girl has a powerful voice but she just hasn't picked the best songs to show the beauty of her instrument in weeks.

Bottom Three: Jason Castro, a fave of mine, was just outsung last night. Jason has an incredible voice but the dreadlocks and soft spoken demeanor will leave him in jeopardy. His performance was nothing like the last two weeks where his soft voice coupled well with those song choices but not in last night's Broadway theme. But the train wreck of the night was made by Brooke White. She started over (for the second time this season) and from there, she seemed shaken to the core, and it made the performance uncomfortably tense. It's clear that Brooke's escalating nerves over the last few weeks seem to indicate that the Idol stage isn't the right venue for her. And although I hate to admit it, Syesha may round out the bottom three. For some reason, people don't like her, but, if it were up to me, the last spot in the bottom would go to Carly.

Going Home: Brooke should have gone home last week, so her time on Idol is done.

Free music rocks this week

2008-04-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

Flight of the Concords on Spinner.com!

Fans of the HBO series can listen to the debut CD on Spinner's own CD Free Listening Party. (Note to Mac users, the player is a little finicky so you might have to refresh a few times. You'll get there, don't worry.)

The songs are hilarious. Enjoy.

Anyone Else

2008-04-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Trying to work and pretending to not freak out about the new X-Files movie?

Just me? I'm ok with that. Interview with the creator, courtesy of the AV Club.

Chris Carter

Interviewed by Keith Phipps April 22nd, 2008

Chris Carter spent the '80s working as a writer and editor for Surfing magazine and developing TV shows for Disney before creating the TV series that made his name. Debuting in the fall of 1993 on Fox, The X-Files became one of the defining television series of the '90s. Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, two FBI agents charged with investigating strange cases, The X-Files mixed hard science and fringe beliefs into stories that were alternately comedic, terrifying, and philosophical. Playing Scully's skepticism against Mulder's credulity, it used pre-millennium tension, post-Watergate paranoia, UFO lore, and long-simmering sexual tension to create an atmosphere all its own.

It proved tough to imitate. Other Carter projects, like Harsh Realm and the X-Files spin-off The Lone Gunmen, faded quickly. The high-profile Millennium developed a cult following, but died after three seasons. Meanwhile, the 1998 release of the feature film The X-Files: Fight The Future signaled a high-water mark for the show's grip on the pop-culture imagination, coinciding with a move of operations from Vancouver to Los Angeles after The X-Files' fifth season. Later seasons were notable for declining ratings and Duchovny's limited participation.

But the cult never really went away, and this June will see the debut of the new film X-Files: I Want To Believe, which reunites Carter, Duchovny, and Anderson. Carter has remained tight-lipped about the plot, beyond revealing that it will be a standalone, not tied to the series' overarching story about a long-in-the-making alien invasion. But in a recent conversation with The A.V. Club, Carter had plenty to say about changing times and the reasons for doing a movie now.

Enjoy the Q and A here.

Do Yourself a Favor Today

2008-04-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

and start the week off right. Monday won't seem so blue with this wailing on your computer.

You can listen to it free this week on AOL CD Listening Party.

AMC Polls are "da Bomb"

2008-04-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

And yes. I just used a phrase not seen in these parts since Special K got locked in the bathroom.

Movies lovers will appreciate AMC Blog's nifty poll system. Users can vote for such movie-geek candy as "Best Hollywood Hero" using a very cool drag and drop feature- see below:

AMC this ALMOST makes up for my eternal disappointment that you've evolved from classic movie house to playing Kevin Costner marathons. Almost.

Weezer single is UP, kittens

2008-04-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

You can listen to it here. You should because it's Weezer and I'm pretty sure if YOU put up a single, they'd listen to it.

Ok, that's probably not accurate. At all. But still. It's Weezer. And let's be honest, the majority of us were terrified that a new Weezer might not happen at all, ever again, and instead Rivers would retreat into his Japanese hermit hole forever, occasionally releasing homemade tracks that sound like a beaver is wailing in the background and walking around town in a windbreaker and a pubescent stash.

Oh, wait. That did happen. He did do all that. But hey, at least he's back right?

In celebration, the video to my all-time favorite Weezer song ever in the history of the world.

"Hello, Class. I'm Ms. Taylor"

2008-04-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

As one might imagine, there are few things that start my heart beating faster than a rumor pertaining to anything involving Beverly Hills 90210. So, yes, there was definitely fanning of the face when I heard that Rob Thomas (who created Veronica Mars, a series I lurved) was going to make a 90210 spin-off for CW.

The latest news, fresh off the online press pages this morning, is that our own Kelly Taylor (aka She Who Was Kind of Raped/Paralyzed/Held at Gunpoint/Set on Fire/Raped Again aka Jennie Garth) is rumored to be hightailing it back to West Bev to play a high school fashion design teacher. Hilarious. And quite frankly, too good to be true. I'm going to keep my hopes and dreams in check until I hear that familiar theme song play on my TV again- back in primetime where it belongs.

Things That Are Awesome

2008-04-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Especially at 5:33 on a Wednesday...

Reviews I Love

2008-04-16T12:50:00.001-07:00

Find out more about Mac on CultureClique.com!

George Truong wrote:

After severely lusting for a Mac for the past couple of months, I’ve finally dove in and decided to purchase an iMac. The price was a real hurdle initially. It was about $1750 — no CA sales tax on Amazon with shipping and a mail-in rebate. But it has proven to be a great investment.

One of the things that drew me to the Mac and particularly OS X Leopard, is the perfect blend of brains and beauty. People rave about the beautiful design of the machine, the intuitive user interface, and the eye-candy of the OS.

I must stay I am absolutely in love with the display. The colors are very rich and vibrant. It is great for surfing the web or manipulating graphics for work. Watching movies on the 24inch monitor is amazing! I absolutely love Front Row and the Apple remote. I don’t have a reason to turn on the TV anymore. Bravo Apple! Bravo!

But underneath all that beauty lies a beast of an operating system. Mac OS X has UNIX. Coming from a Linux and web development background, UNIX and Linux are very important aspects of my day to day routine. It is great to know that I can rely on the proven security record of UNIX on my new machine.

I definitely recommend OS X over Vista anyday.

WWMAS

2008-04-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

What would Mary Alice say about this?

Courtesy of Michael and myself via IM:

Abuse...

We often mistake neediness for love...

And groping for affection...

Tenderness for pain...

And erections for affection...

But in the end...

It's the people we love...and anal penetration

The ones who touch us...

Where it matters most...

What a Pill

2008-04-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Does anyone actually go to the events listed on Flavorpill?

Here's a few gems going on this week in LA. I would rather have someone shoot jelly into my eye than attend any of them.

Is it Music?

This evening's installment of Dangerous Curve's aptly named Is it Music? series outdoes itself with a lineup featuring collaborative and solo "musical" experiments. The evening is built around the gentle earthquakes of David Chiesa's double and electric basses, the Rimbaud-esque violin improvisations of fellow Frenchman Mathieu Werchowski, the anything-can-be-a-drum percussion of Marcos Fernandes, the micro-minimal electronic trances of Robert Montoya, and Anna Homler, who sings jazzy, mesmerizing love songs in made-up languages.

"Gentle earthquakes". Ok, in all fairness, maybe I have more of a problem with Flavorpill's descriptions than the actual event in question. For one thing, at least this guy is posing the question I wonder every time you throw this nonsensical art nouveau "free jazz" shit at my head. But gentle earthquakes? Unless FP starts pulling all of their descriptives from the pages of Harlequin Romance Novels, this has got to stop. Although do I really want to hear a German art house flick described as a quivering member of excitement and fluidity? I take it back.

Masami Teraoka

Cheeky artist Masami Teraoka is most famous for his ukiyo-e woodblock paintings, which combine Japanese imagery, themes from American culture, and a mischievous sense of humor. His most recent work continues his exploration of global culture clashes — from Viagra to the sex crimes committed by the Catholic Church, and from global warming to fast-food culture, Teraoka's art acts as a barometer for hot-button issues, tackling each of his subjects with unrestrained aesthetic gusto.

"A mischievous sense of humor?" Something tells me this guy and I are not sharing many, many things in common and a sense of humor is definitely one of them. Unless he thinks pretentious art is as hilarious as I do.

KCRW Sessions feat. Sia

Although Sia's recent announcement about her sexuality didn't end up causing much of a stir (hint: it rhymes with "she's a thespian"), the Aussie songbird has more interesting tricks up her sleeve, anyway. The former Zero 7 contributor's latest disc, Some People Have Real Problems, sports sophisticated segues from electronica-tinged rock to jazzy torch tunes, including what may be rock's first lesbian coke anthem ("The Girl You Lost to Cocaine"), as well as a slew of surprise collaborations, including Beck, Giovanni Ribisi, and Furler's dog, Pantera, on backup vocals.

I was actually a little excited when I first saw this picture because I thought that was a pink scrunchie in her eye. But an inexplicable, tiny pink pillow is almost better. Almost.

And so, in the end...

2008-04-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

she decided to make the second Monday of every month- Mary Alice Bashing Day.

Who is Mary Alice? You can't be serious. Even if you still don't partake in the pleasure every Sunday night, you cannot have survived 2005 without seeing at least one episode of Desperate Housewives- when it became a smash hit and we all thought it was the second coming of Dynasty complete with complementary Chanel bag (I mean, who can blame us, especially when Marcia Cross uttered "Rex cries when he ejaculates" at their dinner party and I had to clutch my Joan Collins doll to my chest, stroking her white turban with sheer joy).

Sadly, I gave up the habit way back after Season 2-Episode 2 and haven't been able to drag myself back since. I blame this on Mary Alice. And a little bit on Teri Hatcher. And let's throw in Nicollette Sheridan's plastic surgeon for good measure.

Here's a little something you might have suspected but did not know for sure until right now. Narrators turn writers into lazy bastards. Or is it, lazy bastards use narrators and then call themselves writers? Irregardless, narration in television is dumb. It's dumb because it is the very essence of tell, don't show and dude, we can SEE you. Is it really necessary to give me the heartrending revelation that Lynette has cancer with some moron blathering on from the heavens about "faith and obstacles and love and fear", the world's most banal commentary from the cheap seats interfering at every opportunity? Seriously.

To prove my case, I've selected a few examples.

Here we learn about our reasons for "rewriting history." Which basically means, lying to other people's faces. And then a bunch of examples of people who lie. How convenient that they're all lying right at this moment, in all very different ways.

This one is lovely. Let's learn about passion, shall we? And then let's use all this talkety talk talk to ruin what otherwise would've been a pretty awesome reveal. But instead just becomes something else that proves Mary Alice's point (and when you talk with such blanket vagueness about all sorts of vague subjects, you tend to hit the point EVERY TIME).

And finally, my gift to you. I was delighted to discover that the Behind the Scenes footage of the Voice Over is as ridiculous and obvious as the voice overs themselves. Don't you just love it when it all makes sense?

Major Show Shift Happening

2008-04-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

SNL to move to Thursdays.
Project Runway to move to Lifetime.

Dogs and Cats Living Together...

Can I just say something about Youtube? As soon as I heard the thing about SNL moving to Thursdays (just a 30 minute political spin-off, which makes sense given the Daily Show/Corbert Report climate we find ourselves in), this was the clip I wanted to show. I went to Youtube, snorting to myself that it would be impossible to find. So of course it was the second clip under the search "Ghostbusters." Go figure.

NKOTB

2008-04-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here's to all the girls around the age of 25-35 who became shriveled masses of shrieking joy when they saw this:

Hilarious. First of all, may I just say that they actually all look really good (as it was when I was eight, my god this was a long time ago, I still only have eyes for Joey. I could not take my eyes off him. Where did I put my scrunchie?!). Second, I was watching this morning and just could not stop laughing at how these women were SCREAMING. They're all roughly my age, a little older maybe, but the fact that we're all adults and have jobs and husbands and children has fully disappeared into 16 year old hysteria at the sight of Donny Walherg. These women brought their NKOTB buttons for God's sake. I don't even know what to say.

Donny just looked so relieved at the reception. As my sister pointed out on the phone this morning, you just know they were having serious misgivings behind that curtain. The same feeling you get in those fifteen minutes right before you throw a party that no one will come and you'll be stuck with four bottles of seltzer and cranberry juice, a reminder you'll have for months of what a friendless loser you are.

I mean, some of these guys have jobs by now- for serious jobs, the kinds of jobs that require conference calls and sales quarters and golf outings. Not to mention new kids of their own. The equivalent might be if my father disappeared into the city one day and instead of going to the office, my mother tells me oh, so casually that he was a member of Wham! back in the day and they were getting together for some limited appearances, some gyrating dance moves and bringing middle-aged women on stage to sing to them, maybe give them a rose. What?! How do you recover from that kind of shift in reality?

And how must these guys feel? I mean, you cannot look back at the NKOTB days and not cringe inwardly a little. Think about what it means to them- it's like when you did that talent show in middle school and at the time you thought you were a badass for dancing to Motown Philly with your girlfriends on stage in front of every single 11-12-13 year old peer but NOW, oh my god, you just never want to think about it ever again. And what if some producer approached you now, today, and goes, "Hey, we really loved your act- what do you think about bringing it on the road?" What? Are you kidding? And they throw you millions of dollars and hold up a chart of the Spice Girls 2008 tour revenue? There's really only one thing to do.

Motown Philly, back again.

One of the Greatest Things I've Ever Done

2008-04-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

Is sign up for the Deven Green listserve. Who is Deven Green, you might ask? Oh, silly child. What a world of education you have in store for yourself when it comes to information and entertainment (That's right- I just kept going)

First, you have to enjoy this:

And then, of course, this:

And now for the latest:

The best part about this whole affair is that my mother totally owned this Donna Mills video being mocked here by an outraged (faux) Brenda Dickson. I remember sitting in her room, cross-legged on the floor in absolute rapture, watching Mills do such glamorous things as endlessly brushing on blue eyeshadow. Must make mental note to ask my mom what possessed her to purchase that video.

This is Awesome

2008-04-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

And not just because Marty and I sometimes have Running Man breaks in the hallway. (What? It gets the heart rate up, clears your head, promotes healthy arm-leg coordination. I highly recommend it).

I need to explain something

2008-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

I love all of the songs playing in the music player. I love every single one. Yes, even 'Footloose'. Someone more cool than I would pretend that the people at Blogger or Finetune snuck that in there but that isn't the case. I hand-picked each and every one.

I guess I could've spent several hours picking songs that reveal how underground and awesome I am. Songs that I picked from a Spin hit list, that you haven't heard of and thus, are beyond reproach. I did not do that. Instead, I went the direction of Songs You Hear at 1am at a New Jersey Wedding Reception.

And yes, that's all I'm going to say in this, my first post.