ABC’s new paranormal adventure series “The River” premieres tonight on ABC. We weigh in on the first two hours for TV Tuesday. Created by Oren Peli of “Paranormal Activities” fame, the show stars Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson, Paul Blackthorne, Paulina Gaitan, Leslie Hope, Eloise Mumford, Shaun Parkes, Thomas Kretschmann, and Daniel Zacapa.

We go back to the multiplex to check out a recent release for Movie Monday. Jen wanted to see the new Daniel Radcliffe film, but Ryan’s a big chicken, so we went to see “Chronicle” instead. We didn’t know anything going in, but coming out, we were thoroughly entertained.

“Chronicle” comes from the relatively new team of director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis (son of director John Landis) and stars Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, and Alex Russell as a group of Seattle teens who suddenly find themselves with special powers, and the problems that come with them.

We kick off Feedback Friday focusing on the written word, with your thoughts on books like “Ready Player One” and “Hunger Games.” Then it’s onto movie talk, touching on “Midnight in Paris” and “Mission Impossible.” Listeners also send in reports of movie theater innovations across the country. Finally, we get to your top songs from 1992.

Today’s guest only moved to New York two months ago, but she manages to share some of the ambiance of city life along with her picks: “30 Rock” on NBC, “Revenge” on ABC, and “Breaking Bad” on AMC. Andrea Zuniga (@iandrea) once had us on her podcast, so we get to turn the tables with music trivia.

As we roll into February, we figured it was time we went back to the books. Today Jen reviews “An Education,” a memoir by Lynn Barber, and “John Dies at the End,” a web serial by John Wong of Cracked.com fame that became a book (and has now become a movie).

“An Education” was the inspiration for the 2009 film starring Carey Mulligan, but the story told on screen was but one chapter in Barber’s life. As the memoir explains, that naive young girl would go on to work for Penthouse magazine. As for “John Dies at the End,” it’s a story that defies categorization, but overflows with colorful, pop culture-savvy storytelling (and the occasional poop joke).

Today for TV Tuesday we focus on FOX, starting with the preview broadcast of “Touch” starring Kiefer Sutherland, and moving on to the long-awaited broadcast premiere of “Alcatraz” starring Sam Neill, Jorge Garcia and Sarah Jones.

“Touch” was created by Tim Kring, he of “Heroes” fame (or infamy), and stars Kiefer Sutherland as Martin, single dad to troubled son Jacob, played by David Mazouz. In last week’s “preview event,” airing well ahead of the show’s official premiere on March 19, we also met Danny Glover as all-knowing professor Arthur and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as skeptical social worker Clea. It was an ambitious pilot, but can the conceit be sustained over an entire series?

Also, while we saw the first hour of “Alcatraz” at Comic-Con last July, it was a long wait before it finally hit the airwaves two weeks ago. Created by former “LOST” scribe Elizabeth Sarnoff (along with Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt) and backed by executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jack Bender and Bryan Burk, the show follows the history and new misdeeds of escaped Alcatraz inmates. What’s the real reason for their return? And do we have the patience to wait for the next big reveal?

This British sci-fi flick charmed nearly everyone who saw it. Alas, too few people saw it. “Attack the Block” came out last May, but apart from making a small splash at SXSW in Austin and getting a very limited North American release, it has relied on word of mouth and DVD/Blu-Ray rentals and sales to find an audience. Thanks to Matt and other Popspotting listeners, you can count us among its fans as well. Written and directed by Joe Cornish, “Attack the Block” stars John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard and Nick Frost.

Our 200th show is a completely arbitrary milestone (since we didn’t relaunch with our daily format until Episode #53), but it feels good, nonetheless. And fittingly, it’s you that provide today’s conversation topics, from your own “Best of 2011″ picks for movies, TV, music and books, to the brilliance of “Downton Abbey.”

Popspotting wouldn’t exist without your suggestions, reactions, and conversations, so we again thank you for sticking with us. And we hope you’ll never hesitate to reach out and speak out on anything under the vast pop culture umbrella.

“Downton Abbey” fans shouldn’t miss “Uptown Downstairs Abbey” on YouTube, as mentioned on this week’s show. You can find both Part 1 and Part 2 online, courtesy the BBC.

Today’s PopTalk & Trivia Guest is Ms. Wright (@TheRealMsWright) from behind the “Lost Mirror Moments” podcast. She grew up and still lives in the Austin, Texas area. She’s a cubicle slave during the week and a photographer on the weekend, She loves reality TV and sci-fi, and is perfectly capable of being into “So You Think You Can Dance” and “LOST” at the same time.

We’ve covered Hawaiian music and local food. We’ve given virtual tours of the Big Island and Hilo Town. And we’ve got other Hawaii shows in the works. But today, we focused on your questions about the Aloha State.

What are the different islands? How do people travel among them? What are the best places to visit with kids? It’s “Hawaii 101,” a general introduction to the 50th state, plus travel advice for first-time visitors. And it’s just the start. We have more listener questions to get to, and we welcome new ones, should you find us to be reasonably amusing guides to the islands.

For TV Tuesday, it’s another single series showcase, as we explore the short-lived “Terriers.” It lasted only one season on FX, and for all its brilliance, it was the network’s lowest-rated new show ever. So even though it made dozens of “Best Show of 2010″ lists, almost nobody saw it, and that’s a crime. Now “Terriers” can be found on Netflix, and we explain why it’s worth checking out.

“Terriers” was created by Ted Griffin and starred Donal Logue as ex-cop and recovering alcoholic Hank Dolworth and Michael Raymond-James as former criminal Britt Pollack. The pair are partners in an unlicensed private investigation firm in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California.

It’s not a new film, but it’s one we missed and really wanted to see. “Midnight In Paris” is Woody Allen’s 41st film, and by some accounts, one of his best. Even Quentin Tarantino picked it as his favorite film of 2011. It stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, along with Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, and Michael Sheen.

We also got to see the re-release of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in 3-D, which includes a new animated short, “Tangled Ever After.” More than 20 years later, does the animated classic hold up? And does 3-D add anything to the experience?

Most of today’s show focuses on David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” We get thumbs up almost all the way around, whether from newcomers to the story or from people who’ve read and seen the rest. But we’ve also got a little bit of TV talk, from “Once Upon a Time” to “Homeland.” And Geoff chimes in with another music pick, covering a genre we most definitely don’t know very well.

He runs the Galactic Netcasts podcast network, which is home tothree shows: the Alien Invasion Podcast, the Sci-Fi Film School podcast, and the Time-Traveling Robots in Space podcast.

Today he shares his love of the “Prophets of Science Fiction” series on the Science Channel, the “Top Five Podcast,” and the “Life In A Day” documentary project on YouTube.

Got your own picks to share? Want to be a guest on Popspotting? Just drop us a line!

A high school reunion invitation prompts us to recall where we were and what we were listening to twenty years ago. This Wildcard Wednesday features five favorite songs each from 1992. That year, NASA’s space shuttle Endeavor saw its first flight, Apple released the the Newton PDA, and Disney’s “Aladdin” was tops at the box office. Jen’s picks include tracks by U2, Sade, and the Black Crowes, and Ryan highlights songs from the Indigo Girls, Sublime, and The Cure.

It’s a British period drama that’s one of the biggest hits on PBS. But don’t let that discourage you from visiting “Downton Abbey.” Recommended to us by several listeners, most passionately by Greg Marriotti of PixarTalk, we dove into the first season of this series and devoured every minute in time to catch the U.S. premiere of season two on Sunday. We were surprised at how compelling this super stylish and slightly soapy show turned out to be, following the lives of a noble family and the large staff that serves them.

The ensemble cast of”Downton Abbey” includes Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Maggie Smith, Dan Stevens, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Siobhan Finneran, Rob James-Collier, Thomas Howes, Joanne Froggatt, and Sophie McShera.

Is this new affection for “Masterpiece” one of the biggest indicators yet of our advancing age? Are you a fan of the Earl and Countess of Grantham? Or put out by the sibling rivalry among Mary, Edith and Sybil? Who can’t be charmed by John Bates, or grandma Violet?

We weren’t quite sure what to tackle for Movie Monday this week, but we picked up a strong signal from our listeners that the latest “Mission: Impossible” film was worth a look (including thumbs up from Matt on Facebook and Jeffrey on Twitter). So even though Tom Cruise and friends have been dominating the box office for more than four weeks, we headed out to the nearest multiplex to check out “Ghost Protocol.”

This fourth installment in the series finds IMF Agent Ethan Hunt in a dark place, as he’s joined by Benji (Simon Pegg), Jane (Paula Patton), and William (Jeremy Renner). The team must face off against Russian baddie Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), without the considerable resources of the Impossible Missions Force.

“Ghost Protocol” was directed by Brad Bird, and is his first live-action film. It was produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, both “LOST” alums. Does this impressive pedigree deliver a worthwhile action spy caper?

The San Francisco Chronicle crowned “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” as the worst film of 2011. Would Jen have been more likely to agree were it not for her meddling husband? Also on the movie front, a thumbs up for “The Help,” up for several Golden Globe awards. This Feedback Friday also brings a few book reviews, from Bill Bryson to Stephanie Meyer. Then, the last word on musicals… for now.

A resident of Jen’s home state of Florida, Jason highlights hometown musician J.J. Grey, the independent thriller flick “Midnight Son,” and “The Tobolowsky Files.”

Jason’s day job is as a business trainer, a job that makes surprisingly effective use of his degrees in Anthropology and Primatology. But when at home and out and about, he blogs about his adventures with his family at DadQuest.com. He also writes the “Deep Fried Cheese” column.

You can find him on Twitter at @flixsidekick and @dadquest.

Before charging into the new year, we take a look back at the year that was. A “year in review” show is, perhaps, cliche, but 2011 was a good year for pop culture, and most certainly a special year for Popspotting. We saw more movies, watched more TV, tried more new music than ever before, as a result of having the pleasure of putting out this podcast, and the benefit of many wonderful and thoughtful listeners.

Today we recount the best movies and new television shows of 2011 (and touch on the upcoming Golden Globes), as well as share our favorite music, book, and app picks. And we’d really like to hear what you would crown as the “Best of 2011″!

In November, we gave our first impressions of several new fantasy shows, including ABC’s fairytale drama “Once Upon a Time.” We liked it, but didn’t love it… but many of our listeners urged us to give it more time. We’re happy to say that we stuck with the series, and now, we’re pretty smitten. We update our review as we await the next new episode this Sunday.

Then, we discuss the season finale of “American Horror Story” on FX. The last time we checked in on the Harmons and the Murder House, we were looking forward to how the show would wrap up its deliciously dark first year. Did the last chapter, cut down from two hours to 90 minutes, bring a satisfying close as well as set the stage for season two?

Our first podcast of the New Year takes us back to Stieg Larsson’s tale of murder and intrigue with American director David Fincher’s remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” The story was already capably depicted by Larsson’s fellow Swedes, so can Fincher’s distinct style bring something new and compelling to the big screen? This time, Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network) portray the embattled journalist and mysterious hacker. The film also features Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Robin Wright.

The greatest gift we receive each week is listener feedback. We love hearing from you, and this week you sound off on the Swedish “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” movie matchups from Flickchart, and the mid-season finale of “The Walking Dead.” Finally, we feature some recommendations for new television shows, from the critically acclaimed “Homeland” to coming attractions like “Touch,” “The Firm,” and “Longmire.”

Today’s guest is Chris Weddle (@chrisweddle), head of a geeky household in Franklin, Indiana. This married father of two knows his LEGO, knows his gadgets, and enjoys a rich library of media without having to suffer the indignity of cable television service. He brings us up to speed on “Farscape,” adds his endorsement of “Farscape,” and introduces the board game “Puerto Rico.” Then, in trivia, we test his knowledge of island-born actors and silly walks.

Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we? Yes, it’s the first Popspotting holiday special. While Jimmy in Georgia suggested we count down our favorite Christmas movies or TV specials, we decided to go down the musical route with five picks each of holiday songs that don’t drive us crazy. These aren’t our all-time favorites (and could very well be on your musical blacklist), but as we wrap presents and wrap up 2011, these ten songs are in high rotation in our household.

What Christmas songs make you jolly? And which ones make you want to run someone over with a reindeer?

For TV Tuesday, we first visit with our old friends at Carmichael Industries. We’ve been watching “Chuck” on NBC since the beginning, and the geek-positive show’s Comic-Con panels are always a high point. But this season will be its last. Is the series making the most of the time it has left? Then we jump over to FX, and weigh in on the season finale of “Sons of Anarchy.” This fourth season is one of the strongest yet, but how well did Kurt Sutter and friends both wrap things up, and set the stage for next year?

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their big-screen turns as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this second Guy Ritchie-helmed outing, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Once again, this classic, brainy crime-fighting pair are dropped into a noisy world of fistfights, explosions, and slo-mo bullet-time shots. There’s no intellectual pretense in this winter blockbuster, but this sequel at least delivers a smarter story and a better bad guy: Dr. Moriarty, played by Jarred Harris.

Many of you still have musicals on your mind, and we’re glad to feature your voices as you share more favorites. We get schooled on “the letters” on “Sons of Anarchy,” we get more measured reactions to “The Descendants,” and we get our first video game review from Al, who introduces us to “Skyrim.” Still to come, your take on “The Walking Dead,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and new (or at least new to us) TV shows.

Lesson of the day? It’s never too late to send in feedback. Whatever you’re watching, reading, playing, or listening to, we want to hear about it! Leave a voicemail at (815) 310-0808, send an email or audio file to feedback@popspotting.net, comment here on the blog, or post on our Facebook page.

Updated Dec. 15, 2011, 5:30 a.m. HST | Today’s guest is Joel Robertson, producer and co-host of The Forgotten Flix Podcast (along with Jason Grooms). Joel spent most of his youth as an aspiring movie maker, idolizing folks like Raimi, Carpenter, Dante, Spielberg, Craven, et al. He loves talking movies with other movie fans, supporting indie filmmakers, and, when the time is right, will once again subject the world to one of his movie making endeavors. (Yes, he too has a page on IMDB.) He lives in central Florida with his amazing (and amazingly patient) wife, who was also his high school sweetheart, and their three beautiful, young sons.

Want more Joel? You can find him on Twitter @forgottenflix. He’s also on Facebook at the Forgotten Flix page, and in the Forgotten Flix Podcast Group.

About a month ago, we counted down our favorite ways to waste time online. One of Jen’s picks was Flickchart, a virtual battleground for movie lovers. The concept is simple: pit two movies against each other, and choose the one you like best (or dislike the least). So today, we decided to the Flickchart challenge together.

Not an original idea, perhaps, but a fun idea for sure. Disagree with any of our picks? Horrified that we haven’t seen a must-see movie? We want to hear from you!

Snarky food writer Anthony Bourdain often mocks colleagues like Samantha Brown and Rachael Ray. So how will he fare in a new Travel Channel series where he must also provide a practical, accessible foodie guide to international destinations? While “No Reservations” was a travelogue of his distinctly Tony-flavored adventures, “The Layover” tries to highlight things everyday people could experience.

Then, we weigh in on the fall half-season finale of “The Walking Dead” on AMC. We’re still fans (or, at least, Ryan still is), but we’re worried, especially compared to where we were after the six episodes of seasone one. While the last few seconds of episode seven earned a resounding “holy freakin’ crap,” was it enough to make up for the decidedly slower pace and limited character development we saw for most of season two?

As excited as we are to see David Fincher’s adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” we know the Swedes did it first. Before seeing what Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara do with Stieg Larsson’s international bestseller, we decided to take in Niels Arden Oplev’s interpretation, starring Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace. Although we’ve not read the books (we plan to!), we were curious whether the well-received Swedish version leaves any room for an American remake.

Our show about musicals stirred up some great memories among you. The Broadway shows loved by listeners include “Wicked,” “Oklahoma,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Love Never Dies,” “Into the Woods,” and “Dr. Horrible.” We’re not the only ones worried about where “Fringe” is headed. And both kids and kids at heart affirm the draw of “The Muppets.”

Joining us to kick off the month of December is Greg Mariotti, owner and editor of Pixar Talk and the geek behind The Uncool, the official site of acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe.

We first heard from Greg nearly four years ago when we were still doing our primordial HawaiiUP podcast, and he’s stayed in touch through The Transmission and now Popspotting, and he continues to enlighten us on Pixar and other media. You can find him on Twitter at @gregmariotti and @pixartalk.

Before tackling the trivia, Greg shares his love of “Downton Abbey,” a British television period drama, the 2008 Australian thriller “The Square” from the Edgerton brothers, and Blu-Ray, the successor to the trusty DVD.

Even though his island vacation rental home was burglarized, and his laptop stolen, he hadn’t lost his wry, witty, self-depreciating and surprisingly dirty sense of humor. He read a few short stories and shared entries from his travel diary, commenting on everything from socialized medicine to potty practices to kids these days. A hapless, drowned gecko had a front row seat.

So inspired, this week we review his body of work, including six collections of largely autobiographical short stories. After recounting some of our favorite Sedaris tales, we also review the two books published by his sister, Amy Sedaris, perhaps best known as the star of the Comedy Central series “Strangers with Candy.”

Are you a Sedaris fan? Have you a favorite Sedaris story? Any other humor writers you think we need to check out? Please don’t hold back!

Back in October, we took a quick look at four new fantasy shows, including “American Horror Story” on FX. Now that we’re eight episodes in, we take a deeper look at one of the darker shows on television. The series managed to make a strong first impression, but have co-creators and producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk been able to sustain a solid story? Does “American Horror Story” strike the right balance between mind-bending mysteries and satisfying answers?

While Connie Britton continues to impress, Dylan McDermott seems to be taking a back seat to other members of the large and growing ensemble. Can we expect more out of Alexandra Breckenridge? And what’s the deal with that Realtor?

Today for Movie Monday, we explore an unusual family tie. We start with “Moon,” the feature directorial debut of Duncan Jones. Then, we revisit “The Prestige,” a magical film that features the acting talents of Jones’ dad, David Bowie. Both movies may have you questioning reality as you revel in some outstanding performances. Sam Rockwell shines in a part created just for him, while Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman face off in a battle to rule the stage.

It’s Black Friday, and Feedback Friday! At least here on Popspotting, there are no lines, and the fun is free. Our listeners chime in on the music of 1974 (and 1972 and 1987 and 1988), and share their guilty pleasures, including “Top Chef” and “The Sing-Off.” We’ve got some TV and book talk as well. Finally, Al reminds us that video games are distressingly underrepresented on our podcast. It’s going to be up to Al and other gamers out there to keep us up-to-date!

Nicole shared her love of “Raising Sand,” a musical collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, which yielded gems like “Battle of Evermore” and, embedded here, “Your Long Journey”:

Popspotting is powered by you, so help keep the show going by sharing your own picks for movies, TV, music, books, apps, and any other topic that strikes your fancy. Whether you agree or disagree with our reviews, the more voices the better. You can leave a voicemail at (815) 310-0808, email us at feedback@popspotting.net, or comment here on the blog.

We can also be found on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Google+.

Before being subjected to our trivia challenge, she shares her love of Pinterest (find her here), the show “Revenge” on NBC, and “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS.

Music is once again the focus of Wildcard Wednesday, but thanks to a suggestion from Daniel in Boston, there’s a twist: He challenges us to name our favorite Broadway shows. While we’re not experts in the world of musicals, we do love showtunes, and give the topic our best shot. A lot of obvious picks, perhaps, but with stories that illustrate why we feel a personal connection to each.

Do you know Broadway? Are you embarrassed for us, choosing such pedestrian fare? Well, we urge you to enlighten us! We probably won’t make it out to New York or London any time soon, but we’d still love to know what shows you think we need to know.

In the past week, “Fringe” on FOX saw its fall finale, not to return until January 13, 2012, and the FX biker gang series “Sons of Anarchy” gave us a 90-minute episode to set the stage for the last three episodes of Season 4.

For better and worse, “Fringe” has given us more of the “monster of the week” format we saw in Season 1. And the question that kicked off this fourth season — “Where’s Peter?” — may still be a valid one. Will the second half of the story next year bring us back into the larger arc and bigger battle between universes?

And Jen declares this latest season of “Sons of Anarchy” her favorite, as everything comes to a head and threatens to fly apart. Did we ever really know Clay? Is there no way out for Tara? And Kurt Sutter reveals himself to be both a great showrunner and a great actor, as this latest season explores many of the SAMCRO members that started off as mere background.

For Movie Monday, we preview a Thanksgiving release we’re not ashamed to admit that we were really looking forward to, movie critic cred be damned. After a 12 year break, “The Muppets” return to the big screen, led by Jason Segel and Amy Adams.

We also review “Small Fry,” the latest Pixar short that further extends the world of “Toy Story.”

The Popspotting voicemail line saves the day for Feedback Friday. First, two unlikely shining stars from “The Descendants.” While George Clooney and Hawaii shine, two listeners remind us where else we might have seen Shailene Woodley and Matthew Lillard. Then a solid defense of “Once Upon a Time” and the second season of “The Walking Dead.” NBC, however, gets no love. On the musical side, we get an impromptu serenade from Daniel, and another solid music recommendation from dear Geoff.

We say it every day, but we’re not kidding. It’s hearing from you that keeps us going. If you’re out there and have yet to share a thought, retort, or suggestion, please don’t be shy! Note that the comments on our site are acting up, so your best bet would be to leave a message at 815-310-0808, or find us on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.

Joining us today for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday is podcaster, actor, and all-around supergeek Heath Solo (@HeathActor), a.k.a. Heath Centazzo.

Heath is the host of “The Film List” podcast, a graduate of Syracuse University, and a big fan of Steve McQueen.

He tells us about Cameron Crowe’s documentary “Pearl Jam Twenty,” “Prime Suspect” (before NBC announced it was dropping the show midseason), and the new-and-improved Blu-Ray release of the “Star Wars” movies. Then he’s targeted with an unusual set of trivia categories. Which will he choose?

Turnabout is fair play. After celebrating Jen’s tenth 29th birthday in August with a countdown of her favorite songs of 1972, this week we both share five picks each for great songs of 1974.

Jen’s picks:

• “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & The Pips
• “Killer Queen” by Queen. Album Sheer Heart Attack
• “Rock Your Baby” by George McRae
• “Return of the Grievous Angel” by Gram Parsons
• “Show and Tell” by Al Wilson

Ryan’s list:

• “The Air that I Breathe” by The Hollies
• “Rock the Boat” by Hues Corporation
• “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Steely Dan
• “Feel Like Makin’ Love” by Roberta Flack
• “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield

For TV Tuesday, we take a look at the pilot of AMC’s latest original series, “Hell On Wheels.” Then, Jen brings us up to speed on the Food Network reality cooking show, “The Next Iron Chef.”

“Hell on Wheels” is AMC’s new original Western series that centers on former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, portrayed by Anson Mount, whose quest for vengeance has led him to Union Pacific’s westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Other stars include rapper Common, Colm Meaney, Dominique McElligott, Phil Burke, and Eddie Spears.

“The Next Iron Chef” is now in its fourth season, a reality cooking competition show that will pick the next culinary star to preside over Kitchen Stadium. Competitors this year are Anne Burrell, Michael Chiarello, Elizabeth Falkner, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chuck Hughes, Robert Irvine, Beau MacMillan, Spike Mendelsohn, Marcus Sameulsson, and Geoffrey Zakarian.

Leonardo DiCaprio takes on yet another larger-than-life historical figure in Clint Eastwood’s new biopic, “J. Edgar.” The film follows the career of the FBI’s first and most infamous director, J. Edgar Hoover, who held his position and influence through several presidents, from 1935 through his death in 1972. He built the agency into an investigative powerhouse, but burned many bridges along the way, surviving largely through the shrewd collection and use of secret files he kept on every powerful person in the country.

In addition to DiCaprio, “J. Edgar” stars Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, and Judi Dench. The film is also full of cameos portraying famous figures from history, including Jeffrey Donovan as Bobby Kennedy, Josh Lucas as Charles Lindbergh, Christopher Shyer as Richard Nixon, and Emily Alyn Lind as Shirley Temple.

Ambitious in scope, with clear Oscar intentions, does “J. Edgar” bring history alive? Is the combination of political intrigue with a forbidden love story a compelling one? Or is the film brought down by its a winding narrative, drab settings, and distracting old-age makeup?

This week’s Feedback Friday finds a number of fans for ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” We also touch on “Chuck,” back with what may be its final season on NBC. From BBC, “The Fades” gets a thumbs up, and “Sons of Anarchy” hooks another addict. And from Switzerland, our friend Anna introduces a podcast devoted to “The West Wing.”

Then we move on to more favorite cover songs, from Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You” covered by Prince, Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” covered by Wyclef Jean, and James Taylor’s “Carolina In My Mind” covered by Alison Krauss & Union Station.

We’ll be back after a week off with more Popspotting! But the show goes on only with your help. Got a suggestion for “Wildcard Wednesday”? A strong difference of opinion on a new TV show? We really want to hear from you!

Axel works at non-profit public access TV station in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he shoots and edits video and teaches podcasting and video production. He has directed numerous documentaries, commercials, concerts and music videos, and he even has feature film out that is available on Netflix called “Smokers.”

Today, Axel shares his love of “The Best Show” with Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster, a reality TV show on the Bravo network called “Work of Art,” and Arthur C. Clarke‘s “Childhood’s End.” Then, it’s trivia time!

Jen’s list ranges from food blogs to online trivia. Probably no surprise there. Beyond some geeky sites, Ryan goes with the web’s ubiquitous LOLcats… but has a good excuse.

Do these picks seem too obvious to you? Enlighten us! We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to get our money’s worth out of our ISP.

For lovers of fantasy and horror, these are boom times on the boob tube. We’ve got everything from ghosts to zombies to wolves to wicked witches to talk about for TV Tuesday. Today we share our early takes on “American Horror Story” on FX, “Once Upon a Time” on ABC, “Grimm” on NBC, and the much-anticipated second season of “The Walking Dead” on AMC.

“The Descendants” is the latest film from director Alex Payne (who last brought us “Sideways” in 2004, as well as “About Schmidt” and “Election”), and stars George Clooney (who has already garnered Oscar buzz for his turn in “Ides of March,” which we reviewed earlier this month). On those two points alone, this movie has a lot going for it.

But “The Descendants” is also a film set in, and a film about, Hawaii, based on the novel of the same name by local author Kaui Hart Hemmings. And that’s why we were especially eager to see it.

“The Descendants” doesn’t go into wide release until November 18, but it has already played to much acclaim at film festivals in London, New York, and Colorado. Fortunately, the Hawaii International Film Festival also made the cut (as it should). So with the help of our good friend Chris, we were able to score the hottest ticket at HIFF, and get an early look.

We won’t often review a film before it comes out (it’s a small miracle we get to see movies while they’re still in theaters), but this one was too special to wait. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve been spoiled more than you would be with our discussion.

While we had notably different takes on “The Descendants,” it’s safe to say we both recommend it… especially up against “Twilight” and “Happy Feet 2,” which sadly share the same release date.

How does the Aloha State fare on the big screen? How well can Clooney play a regular guy? Listen for our take!

We wrap up the week talking about movies and books, and close with another song pick, all from your feedback. We revisit the “Ides of March,” Ryan Gosling, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura gives thumbs up to Mira Nair, Al makes a John Cusack confession, Stella covers Cameron Crowe, and both propose their own double features. The early returns on “Ready Player One” look good, Daniel gets high-fives for the “Wheel of Time,” and Kris gets us dancing to some punk-infused bluegrass.

You can find Greg on Twitter at @NemesisVex, and his original music at Eponymous 4. He’s even posted some music videos to YouTube.

Today we’ll cover Hilo’s museums, natural sights, and of course, its cuisine. Highlights include the Imiloa Astronomy Center, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, Rainbow Falls, Richardson Beach, and Kaumana Cave.

When it comes to dining, beyond Ken’s House of Pancakes, there’s Blane’s Drive Inn, Cafe Pesto, and Two Ladies Kitchen.

We hope you enjoy our Hawaii-themed podcasts, and if there’s anything you want to know about the Aloha State, please don’t hesitate to ask! Next on our travel to-do list will probably be a food tour of Honolulu… unless you’ve got an even better idea!

The fourth season of “Fringe” is well underway, while the fourth season of “Breaking Bad” has ended with a bang. Both are among our favorite shows on television right now. This week, after a quick check-in with other freshman series (rest in peace, “Free Agents,” but is “2 Broke Girls” back from the dead?), we focus in depth on the worlds of two Walts: Walter Bishop, and Walter White.

In the not-too-distant future, the sport of boxing swaps robots in for humans. And a young boy’s junkyard find sees an unlikely rise to stardom, as he reconnects with the father he never had. We admit, the setup for “Real Steel” seemed cliche, and the trailers suggested a potential bomb. But while our expectations were low, this family-friendly movie easily exceeded them, and gave us something we might even watch again.

“Real Steel” stars Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, and “LOST” alums Evangeline Lilly and Kevin Durand. It also stars a dazzling array of animatronic and computer-generated robots. We didn’t even get to talk about the score by Danny Elfman, which seemed to draw from a million other “sport champ” themes but still do something interesting.

Did you see “Real Steel”? Did we capture why the flick is so charming? Or have our tastes been corrupted by the unavoidable chemical changes that come with parenthood?

For “Feedback Friday,” your recommendations for great podcasts, and your favorite cover songs. On the podcast front, we get a wholehearted “hear hear” for our love of “The Moth,” and we share our “We Were (Almost) on Car Talk” story. And when it comes to cover songs, we talk about some winners, from Anthony and the Johnsons to Marilyn Manson.

Today he brings us two great musical acts (Owl City and Shanghai Restoration Project), and two great book series. He then takes on Jen’s infamous trivia questions, going for a TV and music category.

Daniel is a blogging poet at “Talking to Myself,” a contributor to “The 4th Age Podcast,” and the tech-savvy executive director of a synagogue. He was born in the Panama Canal Zone and attended high school in South Carolina. He has a passion for singing, reading, cooking, and raising his two beautiful daughters, Caroline and Rachel, with his wife Rebekah.

She also pays tribute to Anthony Bourdain, one of our favorite writers, celebrity chefs, and all-round curmudgeonly commentator. From his breakout bestseller “Kitchen Confidential” to his more philosophical later works, Jen explains why it’s worth listening to what Tony has to say.

Got a favorite book or author for us to check out? Let us know! And thanks to Daniel for the recommendation. We’ll find out tomorrow what else he’s got to share!

This week’s “TV Tuesday” brings our first takes on two more new fall shows: “Suburgatory” on ABC and “A Gifted Man” on CBS. One fares well, one does not. Then we update our reviews of “Free Agents,” “Pan Am,” and “Person of Interest,” for which Jen has already cast a replacement for Jim Caviezel.

Finally, prompted by our listeners, we dive into “Modern Family” as the third season of this family mockumentary series gets underway. How’d we like spending time with Claire and Phil, Gloria and Jay, and Cameron and Mitchell? Listen and find out. (Though we will say we’re even more charmed by their kids!)

For next week, we’ll focus on two of our favorite shows: “Fringe,” in the midst of its fourth season, and “Breaking Bad” and its unforgettable fourth season finale.

After a much-needed week off, we return to “Movie Monday” with “Ides of March.” With a spectacular leading cast and a setup made for the big screen, do we endorse and pledge our delegates to the ticket, or vote it down as mere Oscar bait?

“Ides of March” stars Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, and Marisa Tomei.

We kick off this feedback show with a call from Angela in Missouri, who was as happy to find us podcasting again as we were to have her back in the family. She shares some of her favorite Asian dishes, then on the entertainment front, suggests we take a look at “Being Human.” How does it compare to the original U.K. series? Shelley in Oklahoma has an opinion on that. Then Geoff shares his love of “Band of Brothers,” with a vote of support from Faith in Tennessee.

Also today, more judgments on new fall TV shows, from “2 Broke Girls” to “Suburgatory” to “Prime Suspect.” We get schooled on Bollywood, and we get six app recommendations to help us get in shape.

Finally, we’d like to ask for your feedback on the Popspotting show schedule.

We’ve posted 85 daily episodes (with a break for Comic-Con) since relaunching in May. We love the Monday-through-Friday scheme we’ve got going, and it seems listeners do, too. But we also know (both from your feedback and from our stats) that a daily show is tough to keep up with. Many people fall behind, week to week, and from Monday through Friday. And honestly, we’re struggling to keep up with all the great stuff we need to watch, hear, and read in order to talk about it.

So as we’ve mentioned before, we’d like to build in breaks into our schedule.

We were thinking we could go to a “three one, one off” monthly cycle, or do “seasons” (eight to ten weeks, with longer breaks). We could even alternate weeks, for the most conservative setup… and there are probably other schedule ideas we’ve not thought of. We’d really appreciate it if you’d tell us what you prefer, and what works best for your listening schedule.

You all everybody are the reason we do this show. Thanks for helping us make it the best it can be.

We’ve been blessed to be able to showcase a number of our fellow podcasters in our Thursday “PopTalk & Trivia” shows, but today’s guest is a first. Rob Valois is not only behind three podcasts over at “The Geek Generation,” but he’s also the man behind the mask of “The Knight Angel Berzerker,” a professional wrestler for Northeast Championship Wrestling.

Rob joins us to share his love of the new “Thundercats,” “Warehouse 13″ on SyFy, and (of course) “Doctor Who.” Then, unable to challenge his brawn, we instead challenge his brain with obscure trivia. What does a wrestler know about Michael Jackson? Listen to find out!

You can find Rob on Twitter at @TheKnightAngel or @GeekGeneration.

Jen’s list:

1. “Bizarre Love Triangle” by Frente (orig. New Order)
2. “Wild Horses” by The Sundays (orig. Rolling Stones)
3. “Hyperballad” by Twilight Singers (orig. Bjork)
4. “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles (orig. The Top Notes)
5. “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan (orig. Prince)

Ryan’s list:

1. “Baby Can I Hold You” by Ale’a (orig. Tracy Chapman)
2. “Like Someone In Love” by Bjork (orig. Jimmy van Heusen)
3. “Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm (orig. Michael Jackson)
4. “Where is My Mind: by The Toadies (orig. Pixies)
5. “Dear God” by Sarah McLachlan (orig. XTC)

These great takes on favorite songs by other favorite performers are just the tip of the iceberg, of course, and we’ll probably feature more great covers on a future music show. We’d love to hear about your favorite cover songs!

This week we tackle another batch of new fall shows, including “Pan Am” (starring Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Margot Robbie, Karine Vanasse, Mike Vogel and Michael Mosley, Sundays on ABC), “Terra Nova” (Mondays on FOX), “Person of Interest” (Thursdays on CBS), and “Up All Night” (starring Wil Arnett and Christina Applegate, Thursdays on NBC).

We also pay tribute to our favorite half-hour comedy sitcoms on NBC, including “The Office,” “Parks & Recreation,” and “Community.” Alas, no “30 Rock” until next year!

“Say Anything” was released in 1989, and was written and directed by Cameron Crowe. We meet aspiring kickboxer Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), who romances valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye). This is Jen’s all-time favorite movie (although she’ll tell you it’s “The Godfather Part II” to save face), and one that we both have seen over a hundred times.

Released in 2000, “High Fidelity” is based on the Nick Hornby novel of the same name (published in 1995). Directed by Stephen Frears, who’s only other notable credit is probably “Dangerous Liaisons” two years earlier), the film is a snapshot of a generation… or at least a generation of men. Cusack plays Rob, who gets dumped by yet another girlfriend, and decides to take a trip down memory lane to figure out what’s wrong with him.

The possibilities are endless for John Cusack features, and John Hughes films for that matter. Got a suggestion for a future film pairing? Speak up!

It’s a jam packed feedback show, from “Drive” to more soundtracks worthy of mention, including “Juno,” “Tank Girl,” ”Friday Night Lights,” “Valley Girl,” “Next Stop Wonderland,” “Jackie Brown” and “Go.” Then we move over to the small screen for early takes on now shows, including “Ringer,” “Person of Interest,” and “New Girl.”

Paul is also a podcaster, co-hosting “East Screen West Screen” with Kevin Ma and other guests to cover news, rumors and reviews for cinema from Hong Kong, China, Asia and the West.

Paul’s recommendations were “Wu Xia,” a martial arts film starring Donnie Yen, “Three Idiots,” an Indian “Bollywood” film, and “Alphas” on SyFy.

If you want more movie talk, Paul interviewed us on the Sept. 24 episode of East Screen West Screen. You can listen to Episode #84 here.

Jen’s top five are Vlix (video clips), Fruit Ninja (arcade game), GetGlue and GoMiso (media checkins), Foodspotting (food photos) and Shazam (song identification).

Ryan is a fan of Autostitch Panorama (panoramic photos), RunKeeper (fitness tracking), Glympse (live location sharing), Evernote (notekeeping), and Remember The Milk (task management).

Honorable mentions include Pandora, Tweetbot, and Google+.

And we should mention that if we had put this list together a month ago, we may have also included Photovine and Gowalla. But Google killed Photovine a couple of weeks ago, and Gowalla has completely changed direction from location checkins to local guides.

Of course, there are thousands of apps out there, and many gems we’ve probably never heard of. If there’s a killer app you use every day, please tell us about it!

With the new fall TV season underway, and several of our favorite returning shows chugging along, we adopt the “what we’re watching” format for our Tuesday podcast. We share quick takes and premature judgments on “2 Broke Girls,” “Free Agents,” “New Girl,” and “Prime Suspect.” Then we finally catch up with programs we love: “Fringe,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “Breaking Bad.”

Our next TV Tuesday will cover another slate of new shows, and another batch of favorites, including NBC comedies. We know everyone has different tastes when it comes to TV, but we hopefully cover enough to keep things interesting.

And if not? Tell us what we should be watching!

We kick off the week with another new release. “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, is based on a true story and a book of the same name by Michael Lewis. Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A’s, changes the game by adopting a new way to build a competitive baseball team.

The movie was directed by Bennett Miller and features a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian.

With Sorkin’s hand behind this material, it’s hard to avoid comparisons to “The Social Network.” Jen loved “The Social Network,” even though she’s not an Internet geek. And while she’s not a big baseball fan, she loved “Moneyball” even more.

Once again we celebrate the brilliance of our listeners in Feedback Friday. On tap, your needledrop movie soundtrack picks (including “Dirty Dancing,” “Reality Bites,” “The Jackal,” “Forrest Gump,” and “2001″). And Lauren chimes in with a spirited defense of “Hackers.” Also, some different takes on “Battlestar Galactica” and its finale, from “loved it” to “couldn’t stick with it.” And we close with quick takes on “Sherlock” and “White Collar.” I think we’re going to have to set aside the time to give “White Collar” a fair shake.

Her trivia category choices were “Pulp Fictional,” “Rock Star Real Names,” and “Doogie Grows Up.” Which two did she choose? How did she do? You’ll have to listen to find out!

It was over five years ago when Jen last shared her “Top Five Favorite Podcasts.” Suffice it to say, a lot has changed since then… but some things haven’t! Today, we send shoutouts to a few of our fellow media makers… with the prominent caveat that we probably could never mention or list everyone we should. Both Jen and Ryan share separate lists, bringing you at least ten other podcasts you might want to check out. From tech shows to personal stories to public radio, there’s something for everyone.

Here were Jen’s picks:

• ForgottenFlix
• Coverville
• The Sporkful
• The Splendid Table
• WTF with Marc Maron

And here were Ryan’s favorites:

• MacOSKen
• This Week in Google
• Judge John Hodgeman
• The Moth
• Radiolab

The new fall television season is upon us! And from Daniel B. in Boston comes the suggestion to take a day-by-day look at what’s coming up on the tube. Today we run through the Fall 2011 TV programming grid and make snap judgments about brand new shows on the major networks.

Some, like “Terra Nova” and “Person of Interest,” we saw at Comic-Con in July. Most we only know through press releases and great websites like TheFutonCritic.com” and EPGuides.com.” With little more than a one-line setup and the names of the leading cast, we weigh in on whether we’re likely to tune in.

Next week we’ll start to cover returning shows and share our first impressions on some new stuff. But we really want to talk about the shows you want to talk about, so be sure to let us know what you’re watching this fall!

For Movie Monday, we take in an unusual, unforgettable, riveting and sometimes shocking new film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. An unabashed throwback to an earlier time, “Drive” takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride through the darker streets of Los Angeles.

It’s not so much an action film, nor a psychological thriller, nor a heist film nor a western, but a mix of all those things. “Drive” stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, and Oscar Isaac. Gosling carries the film, but Mulligan makes it shine.

Next week, “Moneyball”! If you’ve seen either of these films, we’d love to hear your review.

For Feedback Friday, a fun mix. Movie music and filming locations, television, and suggestions for future double features.

Joining us today from Wisconsin is Barry Laabs (@brewerfan71), a long-suffering Green Bay Packers fan, proud Brewers fan, and total Disney and Lost fanatic.

He shares his love of Happy Mondays,” Disney kids shows (“Phineas & Ferb” and “Good Luck Charlie“), and “Bloom County: The Complete Collection.”

We love movies. We love music. Why not combine the two? For Wildcard Wednesday, we start with your suggestion for a “favorite soundtracks” show, but with a slight twist. Instead of film scores (which we’re saving for later), today both of us share our “Top 5 Needledrop Soundtracks,” movie soundtracks that use popular music to set the scene.

We also covered a few runners-up that didn’t make the top five, but had to cut them from the podcast. They included “Romeo + Juliet,” “500 Days of Summer,” and “Forest Gump.” Of course, several other Tarantino films could have made the list, including “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill.”

Before TV Tuesday shifts gears to track returning and new television shows, there’s one beloved series to which we had to pay tribute: “Battlestar Galactica.” Ronald D. Moore’s fantastic reimagining of the 1970s show debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003 with a three-hour miniseries. It was a huge hit, serving as a backdoor pilot to inspire four seasons and over 70 episodes.

Jen was hesitant to dive into such deep science fiction waters, leaving Ryan to follow “Battlestar Galactica” in secret for almost a year. But finally, Jen, too, came to appreciate the brilliance of the series: universally human stories with fantastic characters and performances, merely in a science fiction wrapper.

It seems everyone has seen and loved “Battlestar Galactica,” and if you’re among its many fans, we’d love to hear what got you hooked. But if you’ve never watched the show, we urge you to at least start with the 2003 miniseries. We think you’ll be hooked.

First up, “The Lost Boys,” a classic teen horror comedy film by Joel Schumacher starring starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, and Alex “Ted” Winter.

Then it’s over to “Adventureland,” an often overlooked and understated gem directed by Greg Mottola, and starring film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig.

Though released in 2009, “Adventureland” was set in 1987, the same year “The Lost Boys” came out.

Sure, “Zombieland” was an obvious pairing with “Adventureland,” but let’s just say we’re saving that one for a future zombie double feature. If that’s not your style, then speak up and share your idea for a better theme!

Feedback Friday is jam packed with lots of great music and book talk. Nancy shares the soundtrack of her globetrotting youth, Des shares Jen’s love of Guns N’ Roses (and lobbies for some top five lists from Ryan). Celia introduces us to Ann McAffery’s “Dragon Riders of Pern” series, Daniel endorses the “nerdgasm” of Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One,” and David and Cari extend our young adult reading list with William Sleator and Adam Bradley. Finally, who is hotter: Matt Passmore or Simon Baker?

Formerly @ffluvssg1 on Twitter, you can now find him at @ffirestine. He also blogs now and then about his health and fitness journey.

For PopTalk & Trivia Thursday, he shares his deep and long-standing love for “Stargate,” the delightfully geeky “IT Crowd,” and the Hamptons-based USA series “Royal Pains.” He then takes on our trivia challenge, taking on Jen’s music and movie prowess.

For today’s podcast, we start in the cool, lush rainforest neighborhood of Volcano Village. After taking you through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we make our way down to Hilo Town, then head north along the Hamakua Coast. Finally it’s up through Waimea, skipping Kona to head north to Hawi on the northern end of the island.

If you want to see photos from our last trip, including several spots we mention on our show, check out our gallery on Flickr.

As hard as it was, we didn’t spend any time in Hilo for today’s audio tour. We could easily dedicate a separate episode (or two) to our favorite “city by the bay.” And we might, provided you enjoyed taking this trip with us!

“Sons of Anarchy” sees its fourth season premiere tonight on FX. Created by Kurt Sutter, former executive producer of “The Shield,” this series follows a biker gang based in the fictional Northern California town of Charming. Jen is a big fan of this gritty series, that’s often described as “Hamlet on Harleys.”

“Sons of Anarchy” stars Charlie Hunnam as Jax, Ron Perlman as Clay, and Katey Sagal as Gemma. The ensemble cast also includes Mark Boone Jr. as Bobby, Kim Coates as Tig, Tommy Flanagan as Chibs, and Ryan Hurst as Opie.

In today’s podcast, we introduce the show, run through our favorite characters, and finally, take a quick look back on the last three seasons. Suffice it to say, we can’t wait to rejoin the club tonight.

“The Debt” was a film festival hit last year, and was scheduled for a December 2010 release. But studio shenanigans delayed its debut until last week. But even though it hit theaters in the doldrums of late summer, it is a solid espionage thriller. Hear our Labor Day take, which adds up to a Popspotting score of 8 out of 10.

Even the best secret agents carry a debt from a past mission. Filmed on location in Tel Aviv, the U.K., and Budapest, “The Debt” stars Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain as Rachel, Tom Wilkinson and Marton Csokas as Stefan, and Ciarán Hinds and Sam Worthington as David. All three face off against Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, played by Jesper Christensen.

The film is directed by Academy Award nominee John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”), and the screenplay is by Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, and Peter Straughan. It’s adapted from the 2007 Israeli film “Ha Hov” (The Debt).

We can’t say it enough: we’re powered primarily by your comments here, on Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail and voicemail. Whether you’re recommending something, responding to something, or just checking in, we love it.

Got something to say? Give us a call at (815) 310-0808. Don’t worry, it’s Google Voice, you won’t be waking us in the middle of the night! It’s great to hear your voices, and it’s better for everyone to offer something besides our own droning tones!

This week’s “PopTalk & Trivia” guest is Matt Murdick. A renown St. Louis musician and long-time podcaster (from the “Keys to LOST” and “U.S. Whocast” podcasts), he’s now the host of the “Musical Concepts” podcast. You can also find him answering questions and riffing on life over at Vyou.com where he’s posted over 1,300 video responses.

As a perfect followup to yesterday’s life-changing albums, Matt shares three recent musical picks. He then achieves a milestone never before achieved by any previous trivia guest.

You can find Matt on Twitter at @musicalconcepts.

Though not quite ready to commit to naming her top five albums of all time (a followup to last week’s list on the book side), she shares the five albums that changed her life, and a little of the story behind each. And there’s a wide range of sounds, from classic crooner to hard rock to lush Hawaiian.

We’d love to hear what albums served as the soundtrack to the greatest moments and epiphanies in your life, and of course any embarrassing stories that go with them.

Jen’s picks are:

• “Starfish” by The Church
• “Appetite for Destruction” By Guns ‘N’ Roses
• “Hapa” by Hapa
• “The Doors” by The Doors
• “MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett” by Tony Bennett

After yesterday’s discussion of “Goodfellas,” the only natural choice for TV Tuesday had to be HBO’s original series “The Sopranos.” The film shares several actors with the Martin Scorsese masterpiece.

Created by David Chase, the show follows New Jersey Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he tries to balance his criminal empire and his personal life. “The Sopranos,” which ran for six seasons and 86 episodes from 1999 through 2007. The ensemble cast included Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Dominic Chianese, Tony Sirico, Steve Van Zandt, and many more.

First up is “Heat,” written and directed by Michael Mann, which also stars Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, and Ashley Judd. (We don’t even get around to Danny Trejo or Natalie Portman, and many other stars.) This stylish cat-and-mouse thriller follows DeNiro’s Neil McCauley, a professional thief, and Pacino’s Lt. Vincent Hanna, veteran LAPD homicide detective.

Then it’s on to “Goodfellas,” a Martin Scorsese masterpiece which stars Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and a dozen other great actors. We follow Liotta’s Henry Hill, who says up front, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” He’s taken into the Lucchese crime family by Sorvino’s “Paulie” Cicero, Pesci’s Tommy DeVito, and DeNiro’s Jimmy “The Gent” Conway.

Would you have picked a different pair of epic DeNiro films? Is there another iconic actor that should get some Popspotting love? Let us know!

Many new voices are heard in this week’s “Feedback Friday” podcast, covering “Modern Family,” and “Game of Thrones.” And a couple of listeners share their own top songs of 1972. (Alas, we can’t listen to “Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel without getting an earache.) We hope more of you make the leap to the voicemail line, helping give everyone a break from our voices! Again, the number to call is 815-310-0808.

John — who is preparing for a cross-country journey from New York to California — shares his love of the miniseries “The Lost Room,” the book “Game Change,” and the many comedies of the FX Network.

The title of today’s podcast comes from John himself, who noticed that we had a Thursday naming convention before we did.

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)
• Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (1961)
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1847)
• Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (2000)
• A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving (1989)

Jen is always hungry for book recommendations, so please do tell… what is your favorite novel of all time?

“Dexter” follows the exploits of Dexter Morgan, a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst who leads a double life. When he’s not solving murders, he satisfies his “dark passenger” by executing his own brand of justice.

The fifth season just came out on DVD, and season six begins in October. “Dexter” stars Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, C.S. Lee, Julie Benz, James Remar, and Desmond Harrington.

“The Big Lebowski” (1998), the work of Joel and Ethan Coen, stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, and Julianne Moore. A certified cult classic, it’s the inspiration behind the annual “Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Brick” (2005) was written and directed by Rian Johnson, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss, Lukas Haas, and Emilie de Ravin. It was championed by the guys at Filmspotting, one of our favorite podcasts and one of the inspirations for Popspotting.

Not bowled over by this double feature? Then suggest your own film pairing, or share some ideas for a theme!

Also on tap, a “Breaking Bad” podcast connection, questions about the future of “The Walking Dead,” and two thumbs up for “Misfits.” Finally, “The Glades” makes a play for Jen’s attention by appealing to her Florida roots.

Your feedback is what keeps us going, so if anything we say (or fail to say) makes you laugh (or cry), please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can comment here on the blog, post over on Facebook, hit us up on Twitter, or send us an email at feedback@popspotting.net.

Alirio is also a fellow podcaster, one of the voices behind “PotentialCast” (devoted to his first pick, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), as well as “Yip! Yip!” (devoted to “The Last Airbender”), and PauseCast” (devoted to everything, but now on hiatus).

Jealous as we are of his home country’s reasonable sanity, we made sure his trivia challenge was solidly America-centric. What does a Canuck know about “The Simpsons,” right?

You want more music shows? You’ll get more music shows! As Jen celebrates yet another 29th birthday, we arbitrarily choose the year 1972 to highlight with a top five list. Then, we share some music recommendations from our listeners. Here’s the playlist:

• Sylvia’s Mother (Dr. Hook)
• I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren)
• Coconut (Harry Nilsson)
• School’s Out (Alice Cooper)
• Still In Love With You (Al Green)

Plus:

• Barton Hollow (The Civil Wars)
• John Prine (Illegal Smile)
• Dark Blue (Jack’s Mannequin)

We’d love to feature more picks from our listeners, so please don’t hesitate to share your favorite tunes and artists! Just keep sending them in… we’ll figure out a theme later.

Photo by Neokrisys.

Based on author George R. R. Martin’s best-selling “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series, “Game of Thrones” is an ambitious series that encompasses a sprawling, complex world. It takes some time to get a handle on who, what, and where, but it’s totally worth it. Beyond the sets, costumes, and effects, the characters and performances are really where this show shines.

The first season of ten episodes aired a few months ago. Although it was renewed for a second season only three days after it premiered, we won’t see more of “Game of Thrones” until next year.

“Crazy Stupid Love” stars Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon, plus Jonah Bobo and a noteworthy turn by model-turned-actress Analeigh Tipton.

This Movie Monday podcast also includes a bonus review by Jen of “Glee in 3-D,” a movie she saw opening weekend with Katie, our teen “gleek” daughter.

After our break, we start to dive into some of the great feedback we got while we were in San Diego, starting with Swedish romantic horror films. Perhaps a future Movie Monday double feature? There’s a lot of love out there for “The Wire,” at least one tiny shred of love for “The Killing.”

Of course “Falling Skies” is his first recommendation (a show that was also the first pick of our last guest, Des), but he also tells us about “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and last year’s “Black Death.”

Jimmy gets off to a strong start in our trivia segment, but can his knowledge of U.S. state symbols carry him through to victory?

It’s impossible to cover nearly a week of travel and pop culture craziness in fifteen minutes. Turns out it’s also impossible to do it in half an hour. Our longest podcast yet still doesn’t completely convey our glee (no pun intended) as we look back at our fourth Comic-Con, and at our first family vacation to San Diego.

Ryan shares some of the adventures he and eldest daughter Katie had at the San Diego Convention Center, and Jen recounts the kid-friendly sights and sounds of the surrounding city. We talk about where we went, what we ate, and what we saw, touching briefly on the preview screenings for “Alcatraz,” “Person of Interest,” and “Terra Nova” (and snickering at “The Secret Circle”).

If you’ve never been, we encourage you to consider attending your first “Geek Prom.” Thanks to the trainwreck that was this year’s advance registration setup, you have a better chance at 2012 passes than anyone’s had in a long time.

Just last week, the Television Critics Association named “Friday Night Lights” the “Program of the Year.” Today, Jen goes as far as to say that this is the one show, out of the many shows we love, that you absolutely must watch.

The final episode just aired on network TV, and every episode is available on DVD or via online streaming. And with talk of a movie that might continue the story next year (making it a movie based on a TV series based on a movie based on a book), there’s more than enough time to catch up.

Today we tackle “Captain America: The First Avenger,” the origin story of the most unflinchingly patriotic of Marvel superheroes. The film is set in a plausible but still fantastic period in American history, as the “Star-Spangled Man” takes on the most classic of baddies: power-hungry Nazis. The film stars Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Hayley Atwell.

Grievously omitted from our discussion was the character of Howard Stark, played by Dominic Cooper, who provided a great and necessary link between the world of “Captain America” and the contemporary Marvel superheroes (and superhero movies). Of course, we’re not well versed in the comic book world, which we amply demonstrate in our review.

So what else did we miss? What did “Captain America” get right, or wrong, in this fifth installment in the Marvel cinematic universe?

Today’s featured panel is “Glee,” which kicked off the Hall H program on Sunday. My daughter Katie was so eager to attend, we slept overnight outside the San Diego Convention Center. You may, in fact, periodically hear her voice on this recording (and my shushing!).

Here’s the official synopsis:

Creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy, creator/executive producer Brad Falchuk, and stars of Glee present a sneak peek at Glee The 3D Concert Movie featuring never-before-seen footage, behind-the-scenes secrets, and Q&A session.

We continue our series featuring audio from San Diego Comic-Con panels. As always, the sound quality isn’t perfect, and audio levels can only be tweaked so far. Nonetheless, we hope it helps you feel a little closer to the wonder and chaos of this incredible annual event.

Today’s featured panel is “Alcatraz,” on FOX, starring “LOST” alum Jorge Garcia. Alas, the show doesn’t air until next year. The Q&A portion, and thus this podcast, is only ten minutes long, because the Comic-Con session included a screening of the pilot episode. Here’s the official synopsis:

Catch a special pilot screening of Alcatraz, a chilling new thriller centering on America’s most infamous prison and the mysterious return of its most notorious criminals. When an Alcatraz inmate is discovered walking the streets of present-day San Francisco — not having aged a bit since the 1960s — a sinister threat begins to unravel. Where have these prisoners been? Why are they back? After the screening, there will be a special Q&A with Alcatraz writer and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost) and series stars Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy) and Jorge Garcia (Lost). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Alcatraz will air midseason on FOX.

As Jen struggles with late-onset nerd flu, we kick off this off week with more audio from the San Diego Comic-Con. As always, the sound quality isn’t perfect (and this one was a doozy), and audio levels can only be tweaked so far. Nonetheless, we hope it helps you feel a little closer to the wonder and chaos of this incredible annual event.

Today’s featured panel is “Fringe,” on FOX. Here’s the official synopsis:

Fringe returns to Comic-Con with series stars Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Delve into parallel universes and alternate doppelgangers and join the discussion about this critically acclaimed thriller as Fringe continues to explore otherworldly cases with endless impossibilities. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on FOX, and Fringe: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 6.

Once again, we’re happy to bring you audio from the San Diego Comic-Con. As always, the sound quality isn’t perfect, and audio levels can only be tweaked so far. Nonetheless, we hope it helps you feel a little closer to the wonder and chaos of this incredible annual event.

Today’s featured panel is NBC’s “Chuck,” entering its fifth and final season. The show kicked off the Saturday program in Ballroom 20. Here’s the official synopsis:

Comic-Con fan-favorite Chuck returns with a bang for its farewell panel to celebrate its fifth and final season. Executive producer and co-creator Chris Fedak, along with series stars Zachary Levi (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming My Mother’s Curse), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Vik Sahay (Good Will Hunting), Scott Krinsky (The O.C.) with Sarah Lancaster (The Good Doctor), and Adam Baldwin (Serenity), offer a Q&A with fans and an unforgettable video presentation. Produced by Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Chuck airs Friday at 8:00 ET/PT on NBC, and Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD this fall.

Today’s feature is the Entertainment Weekly panel for “LOST,” which brought in surprise guests Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

Here’s the (misleading) official synopsis:

Entertainment Weekly Presents…Totally LOST: One Year Later— EW’s Lost gurus Jeff “Doc” Jensen and Dan “Dan” Snierson wax nostalgic about the past, perhaps with a surprise guest or two, and discuss how they’re “moving on” in the wake of Lost’s departure from the air a year ago. The duo will look to the future by previewing promising TV obsessions.

Watch the ‘deleted scene’ here.

Today’s feature is the “Torchwood: Miracle Day” panel in Ballroom 20. Here’s the official synopsis:

Torchwood: Miracle Day— John Barrowman (Doctor Who) and Eve Myles (Doctor Who) join cast members Mekhi Phifer (ER), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Alexa Havins (All My Children), and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), along with writer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica), to discuss the fourth installment of the hit BBC Worldwide show, a Starz Originals co-production, currently airing Friday nights at 10 ET/PT on Starz.

From the official synopsis:

The Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A— Dr., Dr., Dr., Dr., Dr., Mr., Miss…See everyone’s favorite scientists (and engineer and waitress) from The Big Bang Theory as the show’s producers and stars return to San Diego with a special screening and Q&A. Executive producers Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men), Bill Prady (Dharma & Greg), and Steve Molaro (iCarly) join stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Garden State), Kaley Cuoco (Charmed), Simon Helberg (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Kunal Nayyar (NCIS), Mayim Bialik (Blossom), and Melissa Rauch (True Blood) for a fun and lively discussion. From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS, and The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13.

AMC’s The Walking Dead— Stars Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The Pacific), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints), Steven Yeun (The Big Bang Theory), Jeffrey DeMunn (The Green Mile); series creator/writer/director/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption); executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator); executive producer Robert Kirkman (creator/writer of The Walking Dead comic book series); and makeup artist and consulting producer Greg Nicotero discuss the success of season one of AMC’s series The Walking Dead and reveal what to look forward to in season two, which will air on AMC this fall.

This week’s Feedback Friday opens with a couple of musical gems (The Wailin’ Jennys and The Swell Season), then races through books (Sarah Vowell and “Robopocalypse“), TV (“Shameless“), movies (“Highlander,” “Cars 2” and “Brave“) and yes, once again, “Firefly.”

Next week is Comic-Con, and we’re bringing the whole family out to San Diego! While that means we’ll be soaking in all kinds of news and stories to tell on our podcast, we may not be putting out our regular set of daily shows. We hope you’ll stick with us, though!

In the mean time, we encourage you to catch up on any shows you might have missed… and more importantly, maybe take a moment to send us an email. What topics would you like us to tackle? Are our shows still too short, or getting too long? Is a daily podcast a treat, or a challenge to keep up with? We make Popspotting for you, so we’d love to know what you want!

Need more awesomeness? Watch The Swell Season cover “Two Headed Boy” by Neutral Milk Hotel on AV Udercover!

The Swell Season covers Neutral Milk Hotel

She shares her love of “Falling Skies” on TNT, “Luther” on the BBC, and perennial favorite “Firefly.” Then, Des is subjected to our most awkward trivia segment yet, wherein we can’t quite decide how many answers count as a win. Nonetheless, Des was a great sport, her long resume of podcast guest stints clearly shining through as she makes us feel like we knew what we were doing, even when it’s painfully obvious we didn’t.

• Manoa DNA with Hualalai
• Natalie A‘i Kamau‘u with Ke Aloha
• Napua (Grieg) Makua with Nani ‘Ohala
• Mark Yamanaka with Lei Pua Kenikeni
• Kainani Kahaunaele with ‘Ohai ‘Ula

Of course, there are as many different kinds of Hawaiian music as there are colors in a rainbow. And the local music scene is always changing and evolving. It probably won’t be long until our next Hawaiian music show… but we’re betting you won’t mind.

There are so many characters with so many stories, our brains practically exploded trying to cover everything we loved in one short podcast. And we’re not even done watching the entire series.

In our obviously not very humble opinion, you should be watching “The Wire.” If you are, or are not, we’d love to hear what you think about what many say is the best television drama there ever was.

As our last week before Comic-Con begins, we check out “Horrible Bosses,” a raunchy, dark comedy starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis. They have horrible bosses played by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell. And there are quite a few other familiar faces, including Donald Sutherland, Julie Bowen, and Isiah Mustafa.

You just have to trust these three smart, capable hard workers when they say they can’t possibly seek employment elsewhere, leaving murder as the only way out.

Once again, our Feedback Friday show serves up a grand buffet of topics. From “L.A. Woman” to “Foxy Brown,” from “Toy Story” to the Muppets, and who hasn’t heard of the “Wilhelm Scream“? The call goes out for a spoiler show on “The Hunger Games” trilogy, more share their “Firefly” fandom, and we hear from a fan of Laura Linney. (We need more convincing.) Finally, as a follow-up to our food show, Jen and I decide to share the story of how we met. We promise we kept the mushy stuff to a minimum.

Should we go full “book club” and plan ahead for a “Hunger Games” podcast where we go all-out in talking about what happens and what we thought? Should we avoid the temptation to tell random personal stories about ourselves? Only you can answer these questions!

Ryan took a break between late-night parties to share his love of Donald “Childish Gambino” Glover, the C25K running program, and “Shameless” on Showtime, starring William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Justin Chatwin.

The young whippersnapper struggled with Jen’s trivia, but he’s still young, so in a way, he wins automatically.

From “The Godfather” to John Wilkes Booth to Carlsbad Caverns, Vowell’s interests, travels, and writing style fly all over the place.

Vowell’s most recent book is “Unfamiliar Fishes,” in which she looks into the history of Hawaii, and the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

Created by Graham Yost, “Justified” stars Timothy Olyphant as deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a character from stories by Elmore Leonard. Set in Harlan in Eastern Kentucky, Raylan enforces his own brand of justice while coming to terms with the people and problems from his past. The series also stars Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder, Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins, Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder and Nick Searcy as Art Mullen.

As of this podcast, we’re four episodes away from the Season 1 finale, and looking to pick up Season 2. The series has been renewed for a third season, which won’t air until next year.

So, “Justified” fans, have we done “Justified” justice? Is there anything great we’re still missing?

We’d love to hear your take on “Highlander,” or “Gladiator,” or your suggestions as to other “double feature” pairings or themes we could tackle!

This episode of Popspotting is brought to you in part by “The Film List,” a great movie and TV podcast by Heath Solo (@HeathActor). Check it out in iTunes!

“I want to get back to my city by the bay…” We have a great Feedback Friday show, thanks to you! We’re so glad you enjoyed our last music show, and today we talk about some great songs about California that didn’t make Jen’s list last week, and get a couple of listening recommendations. We turn to TV to talk the ill-fated NBC show “The Event,” the shortlived Joss Whedon show “Dollhouse,” and the controversial season finale of “The Killing.” Finally, we can confirm that the official “Breaking Bad” podcast will return with the upcoming fourth season, premiering July 17. Subscribe in iTunes today!

Today she shares her love of celebrity gossip (but not really mean celebrity gossip), “Game of Thrones,” and Rick Riordan. Then, the trivia.

We had a blast talking with Colleen (only half of our free-flowing conversation made the podcast), and we can’t wait to see her again in person at Comic-Con next month. If you want to connect with her, check out her blog (CollWrites.com), follow her on Twitter (@Colleen84), or look for her on Instagram!

Want to join us on Popspotting and school us on what’s cool? Drop us a line!

This episode is dedicated in part to “The Sporkful,” a great food podcast by Dan Pashman and Mark Garrison. Dan is the composer behind the Popspotting theme song, a creation that played a pivotal role in pushing us to get our show off the ground.

What counts as exotic food where you live? Any dishes or cuisines you think we’re missing out on? If you think food makes for a good “Wildcard Wednesday” theme (or if you don’t), please let us know!

It’s been over a decade since the crew of the Serenity first took flight on FOX. The short, sporadic, eleven-episode run of Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” is now the poster child for all smart television that’s prematurely killed by stupid networks. A “space western” may have been impossible to categorize, but the show is impossible to resist, with colorful, fleshed-out characters, brisk and brilliant writing, and a tragically huge sense of potential that sadly was never realized. The 2005 movie “Serenity” helped to continue the story, but fans are still eternally left wanting more.

Helping to keep the spirit of “Firefly” alive are annual charity screenings of “Serenity” called “Can’t Stop the Serenity.” They’re staged all around the world, most recently in Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, even Vancouver, Canada, and Newcastle, UK. (Next stop, Pittsburgh, PA and Madison, WI.)

You got us thinking… what musicians or bands do you most want to see live?

Special thanks to Anne-Sophie Reinhardt of Zurich, Switzerland, who’s blogging at My Intercontinental Life, and has started podcasting herself!

You can follow Al on Twitter at @albatros69, or find him on Facebook.

Interested in joining us on Popspotting? Drop us a line!

Today she shares her top five songs about the Golden State. Her picks include Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and The Runaways. She’s even got a couple of runner ups!

Wikipedia lists hundreds of songs about California, so we know we’ve missed a few great ones in our list. Have you got your own favorites? And have you got a suggestion for our next top five theme?

While the setup is similar, “Weeds” is almost the opposite of “Breaking Bad.” Whimsical, hilarious, shiny and sexy. It stars Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Hunter Parrish, and Alexander Gould. The seventh season begins June 27, 2011.

We’re only caught up through season five, with season six on our to-do list. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we know what’s ahead. But we’re enjoying ourselves enough to continue. Are you watching “Weeds”? Did you give up on it? What other shows could fill the same “wickedly fun adult comedy” slot on our TiVo?

“Jackie Brown” (1997) stars Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton. “Out of Sight” (1998) stars George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, along with Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn, and Don Cheadle (and, yes, Keaton).

For “Movie Monday,” we hope to cover a mix of new releases and past favorites, but we’d love to know if you have a preference. And as far as diving into older films, if you’ve got a pick or two to share, or even a complementary “double feature,” we’d love to hear it!

It was a relatively quiet week, and listener Amber notes that it can be tricky to keep up with a daily podcast. To help, we’ve set up the ability to subscribe to our show via email. Using the form on the right, you can get each new Popspotting episode emailed to you, so you can easily see what’s on tap or catch up if you’ve missed a few days.

We also want to thank our listeners who are checking into “Popspotting” on GetGlue, and to send our deepest gratitude to those who’ve written reviews of our show in the iTunes music store.

Hard to believe this episode already marks four weeks of daily shows. And so far, it’s been a fun and rewarding experiment. But we rely on you and your feedback to know how we’re doing, to know what we should be doing, and to keep going.

We appreciate every comment, tweet, like, email, and call. Thank you for all your support!

Jen is an iPhone camera app junkie, and has tried over a hundred of them. (Of course, there are thousands out there.) Among the apps making the cut are Hipstamatic, Instagram, PicPlz, Burstn, and Camera+,

Do you use any of these photo apps? Are there any you’d recommend? And if we do another app show, what sorts of apps would you suggest we check out?

And if apps are not your thing, nor music nor books… what else should we do for our Wednesday shows? Anything goes!

It was the series most often recommended to us when we were wallowing in a post-”LOST” fugue state, and it deserves all the acclaim it gets. No, there’s no science fiction, and just a smattering of science. But “Breaking Bad” is intense, gripping, mesmerizing television. Some of its lightest moments are also its darkest, and some of the humor is beautifully painful. We can’t recommend it enough.

The Season 3 DVD just came out last week, and Season 4 premieres on July 17. So if you’re not yet aboard, you’ve got just enough time to catch up.

And if you love “Breaking Bad” as much as we do, Gavin here in Honolulu points out that you can’t miss the “Breaking Bad Insider Podcast.”

If you’re not watching, why not? And if you are, how much do you love the show? Jen suggests that Aaron Paul (as Jesse) has an even tougher job than Bryan Cranston (as Walter)… and given where Season 3 left off (no spoilers!), I think things will only get more amazing for both of them this year.

We think so. “Super 8″ is at once an unapologetic tribute to classic Spielberg films like “E.T.,” “The Goonies,” and “Close Encounters,” as well as a straight-up, full-bore alien-slash-monster flick. It’s a touching coming-of-age story, fortified with a healthy serving of explosions and gotcha moments. Although the alien-slash-monster plot fell just a little short, the spectacular young cast made up for it with more than enough heart.

Also mentioned, “Galaxy Quest” and “Justified,” plus more love for Lady Gaga, the Foo Fighters, “Modern Family” and “Sons of Anarchy.”

We thrive on feedback, so please don’t hold back. Share your thoughts on movies, TV, music, books, or anything else, and we’ll try to include it in the show! You can leave a voicemail at 815-310-0808, email us at feedback@popspotting.net, or comment here on the blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Before the battle, however, he shares his love for the movie trailer for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (coming in December), “Bridesmaids,” and “Game of Thrones.”

We’ve known Robin for years, and have been lucky enough to hang out with him and the Media Junkyard crew at Comic-Con. It was a distinct pleasure having him on the show.

And yes, this is our longest show yet.

Would you have done better with our Ferris Bueller trivia questions? Want to be a guest on Popspotting? Drop us a line! We may even be able to schedule it so you don’t have to be up at one in the morning.

It’s hopefully not much of a spoiler to say that Katniss Everdeen makes it out of the first “Hunger Games” book alive, and the second novel explores what her successful survival means to her and her people. While she remains front and center, other characters are given a chance to shine. And while this young-adult novel heads where you might expect early on, there are still surprises.

As for “Extremely Loud,” a story told from the point of view of a 9-year-old can be a bit over precious, but the novel nonetheless strikes a chord and is the first to really make Jen cry in some time.

There’s more book talk to come, but for next Wednesday, Jen’s thinking of mixing it up by sharing some of her favorite iPhone apps. Got your own suggestions? Let us know!

“Dead Like Me” follows the post-death life of Georgia “George” Lass (Ellen Muth), who becomes a Grim Reaper and receives regular assignments to collect the souls of the soon-to-be dead.

“Pushing Daisies” is described as a “forensic fairy-tale,” in which a pie-maker with a magical touch (Ned, played by Lee Pace) and a murdered childhood love (Charlotte, played by Anna Friel) join forces with a private investigator to solve crimes while uncovering secrets in their own lives.

“Pushing Daisies” is described as a spinoff of “Dead Like Me.” We love to imagine on our own how the two worlds might intersect.

Are you a fan of either or both of these shows? Any other Fuller projects (Wonderfalls, Star Trek: DS9) we should check out?

James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne… almost the whole ensemble brings their best to the screen. Almost.

With a strong plot, great performances, and nearly flawless effects, our expectations were beyond met. In Matthew Vaughn’s capable hands, this summer blockbusters sets the stage for a solid reboot of a well-established franchise. Even though we’ve seen a lot of where they end up, want to see what comes next for these young mutants.

Should there be a Popspotting book club? We can pick a book most of us haven’t read, and be prepared with thoughts and comments for a monthly spotlight?

Thanks so much for the reviews in iTunes, and for the thumbs up in GetGlue! iTunes reviews in particular are great ways to introduce Popspotting to new listeners.

On one hand, she’s a great person and a good friend, and someone we knew would be okay with being served a giant bowl of awkwardsauce. On the other hand, she’s a bona fide entertainment guru, a respected writer and reviewer with much-deserved advance access to some of the coolest stuff coming down the pike.

And she quickly shakes things up, shooting past our three topic template to preview four new shows worth watching. She got an advance look at several upcoming series starring former “LOST” stars, and gives a quick, spoiler-free take on each.

As for trivia, she tackles one of the first categories Jen ever thought up when we conceived Popspotting: “Florida Town or Infectious Disease?”

For more of Jo’s take on TV, movies, and pop culture, check out Jopinionated.com, or follow her on Twitter at @jopinionated.

Jen also shares two singles that have been getting heavy play on her iPod, both tied to the similarly omnipresent phenomenon known as “Glee.”

Next week brings back the book talk, which generated an impressive proportion of the feedback we’ve received here on Popspotting. But if you’d like to hear us talk about something you like hearing, please make your music recommendations today!

We harbor no illusions that “Five-0″ is a gripping, original cop show, and Jen only watches when she’s in the mood for its particular brand of melodrama. Scott Caan is the standout star, and his chemistry with both Alex O’Loughlin and Claire van der Boom makes for some great scenes. We only wish Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park had more interesting things to do. Still, we’re having fun, and we loved the first season finale.

As for “Chuck,” once a reliable laugh-out-loud pop-savvy comedy, we lament the developments of the latest season, in which a colorful ensemble has taken a back seat to a fairly weak romantic pairing that was far more interesting before they were a couple. The series has fought for its life before, and we hope the writers fight to bring it back from the brink of boring.

Where will the second season of “Five-0″ pick up? And what truly original plot twist could save “Chuck” next fall?

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ from Dreamworks delivers a surprisingly solid plot on top of kid-friendly fun and sharp animation, with more to offer than the first outing. While animated, the movie demonstrated a great sense of physics, and many of the visual pieces were as dazzling as anything conjured by “real” action movie directors. It almost made us wish we’d seen the movie in 3D.

And while “Fast Five” was a great big noisy ball of ridiculousness, it wore its big-budget blockbuster genes well. We loved and saw the first “The Fast and the Furious” film… then missed all the ones that followed. But this most recent outing was still a great ride, good enough to make us not mind early talk of a sixth sequel. I don’t know if you’d call what Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are doing in this movie “acting,” but it’s fun to watch.

Thanks to The Projection Room podcast for their support of Popspotting!

As this is our first week, the Popspotting inbox is a bit bare, but hopefully that’ll change next time. Of course, that’s entirely up to you!

Ever since we first started planning Popspotting, we knew we wanted to have guests join us now and then… both to feature voices and ideas other than our own, and to try our hands as trivia game show hosts.

Of course, after years of recording as a couple, we knew it would be a bit of an adjustment to bring new people into the conversation. So for our first attempt at “PopTalk & Trivia,” we asked Burt Lum to be our guinea pig.

Burt is a friend and fellow media-maker in Honolulu, who (along with Ryan) co-hosts an old-fashioned weekly, live FM radio talk show on Hawaii Public Radio. He also blogs at Bytemarks.org. You can follow him on Twitter at @bytemarks.

We asked Burt to tell us about three things he was currently watching (we guarantee you’ve never heard of one of them), and then subjected him to a pop quiz. He did incredibly well… in the first round.

Not surprisingly, this inaugural outing was a little rough and awkward, but we thought it was a decent start. We hope you get a sense for what we’re doing, and hopefully consider volunteering to be a future guest!

Jen has read all of her books, and liked this one just as much as the rest, even though it’s told from the perspective of Handler’s friends (and other victims).

We also talk about “Catching Fire,” the second book in the “Hunger Games” trilogy, which Jen is still working on but which will soon be a major motion picture. Is Jennifer Lawrence, previously of “Winter’s Bone,” the right star to play Katniss Everdeen?

Are you a bookworm too? What are you reading? Jen is always looking for recommendations on what to read next!

Do you love “Fringe”? What the heck do you think that season finale means, and where do you think we’ll go next season?

We’re aiming for short chats of ten minutes or so. But is that too short, even if we post an episode more often? Note that things might get more substantial as we have more feedback to incorporate. But as we’re still feeling our way, your early thoughts on how things are going is very important to us. Thank you for listening!

Johnny Depp and crew head off in search of the Fountain of Youth, barreling through the streets of London, storming across the sea, and heading deep into an oddly familiar tropical jungle. (Tikka tikka tikka…) The flick didn’t float Jen’s boat, but Ryan enjoyed the ride, for a Popspotting score of 5/10. If you saw it, and it seems like most of America did, we’d love to hear what you thought!

This episode is a beta test of a new format, switching from longer shows a few times a month to shorter, simpler episodes a few times a week. Will it work? Only time and our listeners will tell. So do let us know what you think, but please be gentle. It’s rough, but it’ll get better. Probably.

The official synopsis:

Award-winning composers Michael Giacchino (Lost), Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Heroes), Nathan Barr (True Blood), Jim Dooley (Pushing Daisies), John Ottman (Superman Returns), and Jeremy Zuckerman (Avatar: The Last Airbender) have all composed for Comic-Con’s fan-favorite movies and TV series and are here to share a behind-the-scenes perspective on creating music for television and film. Together they will discuss their respective projects and how they got their big break into the music composing industry. Q&A following the panel plus exclusive giveaways for attendees. Moderated by BMI executive Anne Cecere, director of film/television relations and CW3PR vice-president Chandler Poling.

From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the “Chuck” panel. The session began with a highlight reel, a big reveal, and a “Jeffster” music video. It also ended abruptly, without any Q&A, much to the dismay of the audience. The panel featured Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, March Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, and Adam Baldwin.

The official synopsis:

Chuck executive producers and co-creators Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl) and Chris Fedak appear along with series stars Zachary Levi (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming The Killer Elite), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Vik Sahay (Good Will Hunting), Scott Krinsky (The O.C.), Sarah Lancaster (upcoming The Good Doctor) and Adam Baldwin (Serenity) for their usual hijinks — a Q&A to discuss the upcoming season four (made possible by the devoted fanbase) and a special video presentation.

From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the “Fringe” panel featuring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick and Blair Brown, as well as executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman.

The official synopsis:

Fringe returns to Comic-Con as Lance Reddick and Blair Brown make their first appearance at the convention, joining fellow series stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, and Jasika Nicole plus executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on FOX, and Fringe: The Complete Second Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September.

From the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the “Hawaii Five-0″ panel featuring Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Peter M. Lenkov (24), and director Len Wiseman (Underworld).

The official synopsis:

Aloha, Earth!— Lost castaway found! Battlestar Cylon becomes human! Star Trek writers return from space! A supernatural force has drawn some of sci-fi’s giants back to Earth — and they’re all gathering on a beautiful and mysterious island in the Pacific. It’s Hawaii Five-0, a modern-day reimagining of one of television’s most beloved and iconic classics. The epic series, one of the most anticipated new shows of the season, will explore the origins of the Five-0 team and build on an already rich mythology. Executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Peter M. Lenkov (24), director Len Wiseman (Underworld), and stars Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) present an exclusive sneak peek at the series and an in depth discussion on how they plan to marry their genre sensibilities with a classic police procedural.

Not surprisingly, our path forward finds its roots in our past.

For Jen, before there was a podcast, there was a blog: “The Pith of Pop.” I’d been awed by her vast pop-culture knowledge since we first met (she’s like a walking IMDB, but more reliable), and nagged her to flex that greymatter. So as far back as 2003, she’d share her take on all flavors of movies, TV shows, music, and books.  Her first taste of podcasting was actually a regular “Pith of Pop” segment on my Hawaii show, “HawaiiUP.” That segment was where “The Transmission” was born. And now, in a way, that segment is also the root of our new show: Popspotting.

After the final thud of “LOST” in May 2010, Jen and I will surely cry, and collapse in grief. But soon enough, we’ll take a deep breath, get back up, and begin unleashing Popspotting unto the world.

For our new show, Jen will shift into the driver’s seat. She is, after all, the pop-culture genius between us. I’m just the fast-talking producer.  Our scope will be purposefully broad. Movies, television, music, and books, of course, plus perhaps some art, some tech, and pop-culture news. There will also be regular segments, which Jen is furiously developing right now.

But most importantly, we’ll continue to invite — no, beg for — comments and contributions from our listeners. Our friends. You. The people we’ve truly grown to love and enjoyed chatting with over the past half decade.  Perhaps “LOST” was how we first connected. Or Hawaiiana, or photography, or Facebook or Twitter. Together, we hope Popspotting can become our new hub for rich, fun, wide-ranging conversation.

Watch this space. And if you have any suggestions, ideas, questions or even random thoughts to share, we’d love to hear them. Popspotting is us. Let’s get to it.

Though Popspotting isn’t set to debut until Summer 2010, you can take a trip down memory lane today by subscribing to Popspotting in iTunes. We’ve added over 40 clips of the “Pith of Pop” segments we recorded for HawaiiUP. Fair warning, though… this is a flashback to the early days of podcasting, and our early days behind the mic. Revel in the low-bitrate rambling, but rest assured, Popspotting will be a completely different experience.

And a better one, hopefully!

We may also slip some extras into the feed over the next few months. As an added benefit, of course, you’ll be the first to get Popspotting when it launches!

Subscribe now with this iTunes link:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=349861385

Or, as long as j.mp is around as a link shortener:

http://j.mp/popsub

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