Category Archives: Industry

We Finally Get to Hear ‘How He Met Their Mother’

How I Met Your Mother started out great. I was super into it for several seasons, but it gradually lost its appeal as we all realized–hey, they aren’t actually going to tell us how he met his kids’ mother until the very frakking end. Gratefully, the show has been picked up for it’s ninth and final season, so we will finally hear the end of that story. Now, I can appreciate formulating a show based on where’ it is going, but that doesn’t mean you just twiddle your thumbs for eight freaking seasons until you are about to get cancelled and then finally tell us your point. If anything, it would have been more interesting to see how Ted met “the one” and then show us the ups and downs of the relationship before ending it with, say, having a kid, showing that this is in fact the mother of his children and not just another girlfriend or fiancée or even wife (because wife does not necessarily equal mother of one’s children).

Yet despite my qualms with the show, I have kept up with watching it for a few key reasons. Reason #1: Neal Patrick Harris. I love that man so much. And it is a severe detriment to womankind that he loves men, and at the same time a great tribute to humankind for being such a fine example of a happy gay man with beautiful children and a lovely, happy family. I also love the fact that his partner plays Scooter in HIMYM.

Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof join in the Halloween fun as they dress up as seahorses with their daughters Satyana and Keeva, in Los AngelesWhich brings me to my next favorite thing about the show: all of the cameos from my favorites, especially those from Whedon shows. Not only is Alyson Hannigan a brilliant member of the regular cast, they have also brought in her husband Alexis Denisof  and former on-screen lover Seth Green, and many more Whedon alums (plus Cobie Smulders is now participating in the Whedonverse–what a lucky gal with all her connections). I’m seriously waiting for the day they bring in Amber Benson and finally let Lilly indulge in her overt lesbian fantasies.

Also, reason #3: Jason Segel. Need I say more?

But most of all I am looking forward to finally getting this shit wrapped up. No matter ho much I love the show, it needs to stop stringing us a long, and finally give a conclusive answer to the question of “How I Met Your Mother.” It’s unfortunate that they won’t keep going after this final 9th season, because I’m sure there’s much more they could do without still avoiding that question, but at least they will (hopefully) conclude with a solid resolution that satisfies us all.

What do you think? Are you glad HIMYM is finally coming to an end? Or do you think they should keep going with it, even after Ted meets his “soul mate”? Tell me in the comments!

‘How I Met Your Mother’ officially renewed for FINAL season

The Magician's Code Part One

It’s official! After extensive negotiations, CBS has renewed How I Met Your Mother for a ninth season.

And this rumor is now confirmed too: Next season will mark the long-running comedy’s final outing.

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Are TV Watchers Distracted Viewers?

The way we watch TV has changed drastically, and will probably continue to change as we see more and more convergence between media devices. For example, I do not have cable, and instead I use a web-ready TV to stream TV shows and movies directly from Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant. While I watch I always find myself either on my phone or my tablet, usually browsing reddit or playing bubble shooter games. I also often watch shows directly on my computer, but I use my second monitor to – you guessed it – browse reddit or play bubble shooter games.

When I realized that I have this compulsion to do two things at once, I was actually very surprised. Why can’t I give even my favorite TV shows my undivided attention? Am I multitasking, or do I just have a short attention span? What kinds of subtleties am I missing when I look away from the screen, even for a moment?

130201-supernaturalAccording to this study I’m not the only one with this problem – or is it even a problem? I don’t know. I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to not let myself get distracted while I continue to watch Supernatural with my husband over the next couple of days (almost done with season 4!) and see if I really notice that big of a difference. I’ll report back to you with my findings.

This article talks about the “multitasking” that many TV viewers are engaging in and comes to the conclusion that smart TV’s are the next big thing–I’m sorry, but isn’t that already a thing? Sure not everyone has a web-ready TV, but I don’t feel like it’s this huge advancement in the way we conceive of television. We’ve been using convergent devices to watch TV and movies for a while already. To me, the most interesting thing about the findings of the study in the article is that it has implications for network programmers, directors, and even TV writers, who have to adapt to the fact that viewers may not always keep their eyes on the screen.

How do you normally watch TV? On your computer or another device? Do you have cable or stream media using services like Netflix and Hulu? Do you ever find yourself distracted by other screens while watching TV? Do you think it hinders your enjoyment of what you watch?

Study: Majority of consumers watch TV and surf Web simultaneously
Dawn C. Chmielewski @ LA Times

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A new study from KPMG suggests that the majority of Americans now watch TV and access the Web simultaneously. However, consumers say they still prefer to watch video on the TV — suggesting the next big disruptive technology in the living room may be the Internet-connected “smart TV,” like these on display at the recent Consumer Electronics Show.

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Eagerly Awaiting Gatsby

I read The Great Gatsby in high school English class, and honestly I unfortunately don’t remember a whole lot of it. I remember that it was intriguing, but I was probably too caught up with silly highschooler things to pay too much attention to it, something that I sorely regret now that I’ve seen the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of it, starring the incomparable Leonardo DiCaprio.


I’m so glad I had the chance to experience this trailer in a movie theater, where the raw emotion rumbles the seats. After the first time I saw it I realized that I had been holding my breath for the entire second half of it. Honestly, I feel like the trailer is a movie in itself. It deserves a gorram award. The pain in Richard Patrick’s voice in Filter‘s gritty cover version of the Turtles’ upbeat song “Happy Together” is visceral. The menacing way it builds from almost a whisper into a full on scream, paired with the growing intensity of the images flashing on the screen, is both unnerving and stimulating.

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It actually reminds me a lot of El Tango de Roxanne, my absolute favorite scene in Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge (click the image at the right to watch it). When this film first came out, I was smitten. The richness and extravagance of the images as well as the brutal reality of sickness, prostitution, and the separation of lovers come together to produce a classic tragedy. It was the first movie to ever really make me cry. So imagine my delight upon seeing that same visual luxury and raw emotion in just the two and a half minutes of the trailer for The Great Gatsby. I seriously can’t wait to see what Luhrmann does with this classic novel.

But what is most exciting about the upcoming film is the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby himself. Not only will it be interesting to see DiCaprio working with Luhrmann again now that he’s grown up, 17 years after Romeo + Juliet, but also especially in the wake of his stunningly heinous performance in Django Unchained, I can’t wait to more from him as another man of leisure with dark secrets. It’s truly astonishing how much DiCaprio has grown over the years, from a teen heartthrob to one of the most respected and talented actors in the business. This is also why it is so sad to hear of his upcoming “long, long break” from acting. Although with Django, Gatsby, and The Wolf of Wall Street all being released within a year of each other, I suppose this leading man really does deserve some time off, even if I selfishly want to see more of him.

What do you think of the trailer for The Great Gatsby? What about DiCaprio’s decision to take time off? Let me know in the comments!

Leonardo DiCaprio: I’m Taking a “Long, Long Break” From Movies
Josh Grossberg @ E!

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Leonardo DiCaprio is eyeing a much-needed breather from the big screen.

The A-list actor announced to a German media outlet that he’s taking a significant sabbatical from acting to live life a little bit and focus on his environmental activism.

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