Friday, January 31, 2014

Great Scott! A Back to the Future Musical?! This is heavy.


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

2015 is the year Marty traveled to the future in the first sequel of the Back to the Future trilogy. It is a year filled with self-lacing sneakers, hoverboards, and… a Back to the Future musical?

Last night news broke and was soon confirmed by the official Back to the Future website that the hit 1985 movie starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Llyod is headed to the Broadway stage! 30 years after the Universal film mesmerized audiences in the movie theater, now the story will be told on the London stage before it (time) travels to America.

Both Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (director/co-writer and producer/co-writer respectively) are working with Universal Stage Productions, Colin Ingram (a London based producer) and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment for this production. While new music will be added, original composer Alan Silvestri is back and iconic songs like Huey Lewis & The News’ “The Power of Love” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” will be incorporated.

For me personally, I cannot wait to see the Biff Tannen musical number involving his hatred of manure and how you can create a whole song rhyming the phrase "1.21 jiggawatts!" As for how they will accomplish this just remember, “if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Podcast Episode 49: Winding Down: The 2014 Grammys "Parenthood" "HIMYM" & "Looking"



You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we recap the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (1:39). We also discuss the new co-host named for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update (17:20). Finally, we wind down Parenthood's "You Got Mold" (22:48), How I Met Your Mother's "How Your Mother Met Me" (33:05), and the first three episodes of Looking (47:30).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

TV News: HBO Axes “Family Tree” and Says Goodbye “Ladies”


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

A week after HBO announced that the next season of The Newsroom would be its last, HBO decided to keep cleaning house by canceling two of its first-year comedies.

Family Tree starring Chris O’Dowd and Hello Ladies starring Stephen Merchant have both been cancelled after eight episode first seasons. Family Tree was created by Christopher Guest and ended its season back in May while Hello Ladies was created by Merchant and finished up last November.

Currently HBO has four sitcoms under “current programming” including Girls, Veep, Getting On, Looking, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Podcast Episode 48: Winding Down: "Sherlock" "Community" & "True Detective"


You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we preview the 2014 Oscar race by discussing recent award shows including the Critics' Choice, SAG, and PGA (1:44). We also discuss the latest from the Television Critics Association Press Tour for NBC (11:52) and a lawsuit regarding FOX's New Girl (19:55). Finally, we wind down Sherlock's "The Empty Hearse" (26:17), Community's season five (36:16), and True Detective's "The Long Bright Dark" and "Seeing Things" (49:41).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Podcast Episode 47: Winding Down: "Archer" "Girls" & "Enlisted"


You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we recap the 2014 Golden Globes (1:57) and discuss the latest from the Television Critics Association Press Tour for both FOX (14:16) and FX (21:37). This includes FOX's plan to bypass pilot season and new FX pilots from Louis C.K. and Charlie Kaufman. We also wind down Archer's "White Elephant" (27:19), Girls' "Females Only" & "Truth or Dare" (36:49) and Enlisted's "Pilot" (47:42).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

TV News: So Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Larry David Walk Into A Diner...

Photo By: Ali Philippides
By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

Yes, supposedly this picture is both real and spectacular. 

Yesterday Ali Philippides spotted two very familiar faces around one famous Upper West Side diner. Tom’s Restaurant was the exterior shot (since all sets and stages were located in Los Angeles) for Monk’s diner in Seinfeld

While many first thought this meeting between Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, who played Jerry’s best friend George Costanza, was for Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, there are several clues that may prove otherwise.

For one, Jason Alexander now has a full head of hair and in the picture Jason has the famous bald head of his character from the show (meaning he is playing George and not getting interviewed as Jason). Second, Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and the inspiration for the George character, was also seen at the restaurant. David has already appeared on season one of Comedians in Cars. Finally, in a recent Reddit AMA Seinfeld said he is working with David on a “big, huge, gigantic” project. While it has been reported that supposedly David has said it was a play starring Seinfeld, perhaps it was just a way to throw people off the scent of whatever this is.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? A Superbowl commercial? Let the speculation about nothing begin!

Monday, January 13, 2014

TV News: The Newsroom's Final Broadcast


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

While many may say the newspaper industry is dying, one thing we do know for sure is that HBO’s The Newsroom is now dead.

Earlier today HBO announced that The Newsroom, starring Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy, has been renewed for a third and final season, four months since the season two finale. Back in September Daniels prematurely announced via Twitter that the show was renewed but later had to retract this announcement.  As for how Aaron Sorkin and the team will wrap up the series remains to be seen but HBO President of Programming Michael Lombardo is positive that “this farewell season will be one to remember.”

Along with the final season, Sorkin is currently working on a Steve Jobs biopic for Sony and Daniels (who surprisingly won an Emmy for Will McAvoy in September) is wrapping up production of Dumb and Dumber To (the sequel to the 1994 film).

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Movie News: Meryl Streep vs. Walt Disney


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

While most eyes and ears were on the winners last night at the National Board of Review dinner, many will remember the taste Meryl Streep’s speech left in their mouths regarding Walt Disney and Saving Mr. Banks.

Streep was not a winner last night but her speech honoring Emma Thompson who plays author P.L. Travers in Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks is certainly the talk of last night’s ceremony. Rumored to be in the running herself to play Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins, Streep had some remarks about Walt Disney and the sugarcoated version of him Tom Hanks plays that makes it clear why she might not have signed on to the film.

After praising the “beautiful artist” Thompson is and how she is “practically a saint”, Streep remarked how it was reported Walt Disney “didn’t really like women” or trust them. She also went on to say how Disney was a “gender bigot” and “supported an anti-Semitic industry lobbying group.” Hanks, who plays Disney in the film, has said that Saving Mr. Banks is more about Travers (which may be why the film does not focus on his past problems and background).

Besides from Streep’s memorable speech, there were awards presented last night. Her won top honors by winning best picture and best director for Spike Jonze. Besides from Thompson winning best actress, Bruce Dern and Will Forte won best actor and best supporting actor, respectively, for Nebraska. The other big winner was Fruitvale Station where three main awards were handed out. These include best supporting actress for Octavia Spencer, best directorial debut for Ryan Coogler, and best breakthrough performance for Michael B. Jordan.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Oscar Race 2014: Your Guild Nomination Cheat Sheet


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

Earlier today the Directors Guild of America announced their nominees for this year's DGA award. However, the DGA is just one of many guilds with nominations currently out there. What are the other guilds and what films do they have nominated? Here is a cheat sheet with the main guilds (DGA, PGA, SAG, and WGA) with what films they have nominated this year.


DGA (Directors Guild of America) - Winners Announced on January 25th
Award for Outstanding Directional Achievement in Feature Film for 2013

David O. Russell; American Hustle
Paul Greengrass; Captain Phillips
Alfonso Cuarón; Gravity
Steve McQueen; 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese; The Wolf of Wall Street

*Fun Fact: This is the eleventh nomination for Scorsese and the first for Cuarón, Greengrass, and McQueen.


PGA (Producers Guild of America) – Winners Announced January 19th
Daryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award 2013

Megan Ellison, Jon Gordon, Charles Roven & Richard Suckle; American Hustle
Letty Aronson & Stephen Tenenbaum; Blue Jasmine
Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca & Scott Rudin; Captain Phillips
Robbie Brenner & Rachel Winter; Dallas Buyers Club
Alfonso Cuarón & David Heyman; Gravity
Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze & Vincent Landay; Her

Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa; Nebraska
Ian Collie, Alison Owen & Philip Steuer; Saving Mr. Banks
Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt & Dede Gardner; 12 Years a Slave
Riza Aziz, Emma Koskoff & Joey McFarland; The Wolf of Wall Street

*Fun Fact: The last six winners of this award have won the best picture Oscar.


SAG (Screen Actors Guild) – Winners Announced January 18th
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 2013

American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyers Club
Lee Daniels’ The Butler 
12 Years a Slave

*For a full list of individual achievement nominations: http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/20th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards


WGA (Writers Guild of America) - Winners Announced on February 1st
Writers Guild America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2013

Eric Warrn Singer & David O. Russell; American Hustle
Woody Allen; Blue Jasmine
Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Dallas Buyers Club
Spike Jonze; Her
Bob Nelson; Nebraska

Writers Guild America Award Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2013

Tracy Letts; August: Osage County
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Before Midnight
Billy Ray; Captain Phillips
Peter Berg; Lone Survivor
Terence Winter; The Wolf of Wall Street

*Fun Fact: "Nebraska" was the first feature script written by Bob Nelson.


Guild Nomination Summary:
Film with all four guild nominations: American Hustle
Films with three guild nominations: Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave & The Wolf of Wall Street
Films with two guild nominations: August: Osage County, Blue Jasmine, Gravity, Her & Nebraska
Films with one guild nomination: Before Midnight, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Lone Survivor & Saving Mr. Banks

If all of this was not enough be sure to hear our thoughts on the nominees for this weekend's Golden Globe Awards.

Monday, January 6, 2014

TV News: SNL Hires New Featured Player


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

Finally! After months of controversy and almost one month since a “secret” audition was held with two dozen black female performers, Saturday Night Live has its first black female cast member since 2007.

Sasheer Zamata, a performer at New York’s UCB Theatre, has been added to the cast and will join the sketch comedy show when it returns January 18th with host/musical guest Drake. Zamata, who auditioned back in December, will be the first black female cast member since Maya Rudolph left the program in 2007. SNL came under fire this season when it hired six new featured players, all of whom were white. Five of the six were also male.

After Drake hosts the first episode of 2014 it was also announced today that Jonah Hill, fresh off of The Wolf of Wall Street, will head back to studio 8H with musical guest Bastille on January 25th.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Podcast Episode 46: Predicting the Unpredictable 2014 Golden Globe Awards


Every year David and Mike try to predict the very unpredictable Golden Globe Awards in a very special episode of Dual Redundancy. This year they try and forecast who will take home the globe in all the major television (4:53) and film (31:35) categories for the 71st Golden Globes.

The 2014 Golden Globe Awards are on Sunday, January 12th on NBC and will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Friday, January 3, 2014

TV Review: Community 501/502: "Repilot" & "Introduction to Teaching"


By: David Allen (@eastwoodmcfly)

We thought it wasn’t possible. Why would a network re-hire a self-professed “rude asshole” after he was fired for a television show that receives no love from the Emmys and is easily beaten by CBS reruns? In the small off chance that this did happen there is no way he would be able to recreate the magic spark of the show with most of his original crew on other projects. Right? You are forgetting that this is Greendale Community College! The number two community college according to GreendaleCommunityCollege.com!

While I could go on for pages about how David Guarascio and Moses Port messed up season four, we do have to thank them for somehow keeping this show on the air. Without them we may not have season five and these back-to-back episodes to talk about. However, what Guarascio and Port both failed to do when they were at the helm is easily seen between these two new episodes. Dan Harmon can somehow take this absurd world and keep it grounded. He can easily blend the sometimes dark and evil nature of a character like Jeff Winger and mix it with heart and comedy. However most importantly, he can make believable characters sound real and not like happy fun time cartoons.

Season five’s premiere “Repilot” is very similar to the original pilot of the show. Between Jeff’s mischievous intentions for forming the study group to Abed calling back the pilot’s dialogue (and then calling back to how callbacks is a reference to…) it was clearly Harmon intent to ground the show and fix up some of the problems and storylines from the “gas leak” year. But don’t worry “grounded” by Community standards still includes holograms, inner-monologues in French, and a criminology teacher/Breaking Bad alum who draws cartoon ducks. Don’t judge! It’s one duck, his name is Jim and publishers are interested!

After a somewhat exposition heavy premiere (which was needed but at the same time hilarious) we were all caught up on the Greendale Seven (well six without Pierce or eight if we count Chang and the Dean…whatever).  In the second episode “Introduction to Teaching” we are introduced to professor Buzz Hickey played by Jonathan Banks. Originally when I saw promotional pictures for this season with Hickey in Pierce’s old seat at the study table, I was worried we could just get a Pierce 2.0; another man with the similar characteristics.  So far that is not the case. Mixed in with a little bit of Mike Ehrmantraut, Banks can intimidate as well as make you laugh.

While Jeff enjoys the “perks” of being a Greendale educator and has to deal with Annie who soon joins his Fundamentals of Law class, the B-story was dealing with one of the biggest enigmas in our history. Who really shot JFK? Was the moon landing staged? Nope! Nicholas Cage: Good or bad? Kevin Corrigan returns as Professor Garrity for a mini-course exploring the actor’s “abilities.” After Abed watches a few too many Cage films trying to answer the question, we are treated to an impression that easily makes this episode Danny Pudi Emmy’s submission tape, if the day/miracle ever came that he was nominated.

After Annie learns that her A- for a witness intimidation project is due to Hickey’s dislike for her and him trying to get her to drop Jeff’s class, a full on riot ensues. Even though Jeff tries to calm the storm with a typical Jeff Winger closing-speech (much like how Zach Braff closes every Scrubs episode with a voiceover wrap-up) it doesn’t work. The dean realizes what Greendale now needs is a “Save Greendale Committee” and after Jeff created a fake one with his former study group, the group sits around the familiar table in hopes of saving Greendale (and Community in general).


In and Out Points:

- Get those conspiracy theories ready. A Reddit user already found differences between the Dan Harmon opening credit image. No glasses because Pierce left? A broken pencil to symbolize “Steve” from the original pilot? Harmon’s name now in ink over pencil meaning his mark is permanent and not temporary? If we are going to be changing anything, why can’t that pen be purple?

- One of my favorite visual gags after Annie’s witness intimidation project? Humphries' thesis project which soon after this breaks in two.

- I am glad Chevy Chase and Dan Harmon settled any differences they may have for that great surprise cameo tonight. Never in a million years was I expecting that. It was a fun way to help transition to his absence and motivate Jeff, whom he has always had a special relationship with.

- Finally some of my favorite lines/interactions from Jeff and the gang:
  • “That's like me blaming owls for how much I suck at analogies.” –Britta
  • “Re-piloting can be intense. Season nine of Scrubs, Zach Braff was only in the first six episodes.” - Abed “Son of a bitch! After everything Scrubs did for him!” – Troy
  • “…and when I asked you to explain the sixth amendment, you plead the fifth!” – Annie “I know my rights.” – Jeff “No, you don’t! That’s the problem!” - Annie
  • “I don't know. If I was in 70 films over 30 years and I spent each one talking at random volumes, I might accidentally win an Oscar.” - Shirley
  • "The whole world is watching this! Oh, wait. I'm out of data minutes. The whole world will be watching this on the first of next month!" – Britta


Episode Grades: B+/A- (See what I did there?)
Episode MVPs: Dan Harmon/Danny Pudi
Original Airdate: 1/2/14

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Dual Redundancy is now on Stitcher Radio!


Don't like YouTube or iTunes but still want to listen to the podcast? You are in luck! As of today Dual Redundancy is now on Stitcher Radio!

Stitcher is a great way to stream all the latest in news, sports, talk, and entertainment radio anywhere, on demand! There are already 20,000+ radio shows and podcasts on Stitcher and now Dual Redundancy is one of them!

Every single episode of the podcast is available right on the Stitcher DR show page. You can also download the Stitcher app to listen on the go. Links are available on the show page as well.

Here is a direct link to our Stitcher page: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/dual-redundancy?refid=stpr