Popspotting
Pop Culture Podcast
Popspotting Listener Edition: Geoff Gentry
A few weeks ago, our show schedule was unexpectedly interrupted by some bad news. Though we rallied in the midst of it all to post one more week of episodes, it soon became clear that we’d need to take some time off to focus on health and family.
We knew everyone would understand. Indeed, the support we’ve received over the last month has been humbling and inspiring. But we nonetheless lamented the fact that we wouldn’t be able to keep Popspotting going.
Enter longtime listener and regular contributor Geoff Gentry (@xforce11 on Twitter). In addition to sending his prayers and support, already more than we could have asked for, he proposed the “Popspotting Listener Edition.” For those with the time and energy to share, it would be a fun way to give Popspotting listeners something to listen to: each other.
We were touched by his gesture. And we were thrilled when he came through with our very first “Listener Edition” episode. So while Jen and I get cozy in the back seat, here’s Geoff taking the wheel, sharing some great music (as usual) he discovered on YouTube.
Thanks, Geoff. And thanks to everyone for having our back. It helps, more than we could ever say.
Popspotting #220: “Mermaid House” (March 9, 2012)
We kick off Feedback Friday with lots of great movie talk, including “Red Tails,” a solid rebuttal of Jen’s critique of “The Little Mermaid,” and “Leon the Professional.” Then we move on to some great book recommendations (including a solid endorsement of Chris Van Allsburg‘s work), and finally a few TV thoughts, from “Manor House” to “Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.”
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Popspotting #219: “American Potter Story” (March 8, 2012)
Today’s PopTalk & Trivia Thursday guest is our youngest yet. Sierra (@writergirl2101) hails from Charleston, South Carolina, where she attends Academic Magnet High School, and is working on her senior thesis on supporting students with Asperger syndrome in schools. She’s an advocate for LBGT issues and is active in other social causes, but she also indulges her more whimsical side on Tumblr.
We power through some audio issues as she shares her love of “Harry Potter,” “American Horror Story,” and “Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s,” a book by John Elder Robinson. Then, we subject her to trivia questions about topics that greatly predate her existence on Earth. Fortunately, she was a good sport!
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Popspotting #218: “Coverspotting†(March 7, 2012)
We’re long overdue for another music show. And it’s been over five months since we’ve shared some of our favorite cover songs. So for Wildcard Wednesday, we count down five more great examples of talented artists reinterpreting the work of their fellow musicmakers.
Jen’s Picks:
- “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Antony and the Johnsons (orig. Bob Dylan)
- “I Want You Back” by The Civil Wars (orig. Jackson Five)
- “Sea of Love” by Cat Power (orig. Phil Phillips)
- “Summer Breeze” by The Isley Brothers (orig. Seals and Crofts)
- “Rolling In the Deep” by Linkin Park (orig. Adele)
Ryan’s Picks:
- “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by David Byrne (orig. Whitney Houston)
- “Zoo Station” by Nine Inch Nails (orig. U2)
- “The Scientist” by Natasha Bedingfield (orig. Coldplay)
- “Simple Twist of Fate” by Concrete Blonde (orig. Bob Dylan)
- “Lovesong” by Adele (orig. The Cure)
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Popspotting #217: “Awake at the End†(March 6, 2012)
For TV Tuesday we talk about two shows with unique twists. First, we review the pilot of “Awake,” the new NBC series starring Jason Isaacs and created by Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver). Then we confess our love for “The Booth at the End,” a web video serial by Christopher Kubasik.
In “Awake,” Isaacs plays Michael Britten, a police detective who survives a tragic car accident with his family. But it seems as if he’s now split between two worlds, one in which his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) survives, and the other where it’s his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) who lives. And he has a psychiatrist on both sides trying to help him sort it all out, played by B.D. Wong and Cherry Jones.
In “The Booth at the End,” Xander Berkeley plays an unnamed mysterious man who takes up residence in a L.A. diner and makes deals with people who want something. Whether it’s money or true love, he can help make it happen, if you agree to do as he asks. But they’re not always simple tasks. Familiar faces include Sarah Clarke (24) and Timothy Omundson (Psych).
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Popspotting #216: “John Carter” (March 5, 2012)
We’re back after an extra week off with a look at Disney’s “John Carter,” which opens March 9. It was one of the movies we said we were looking forward to in 2012… but one we were also a little worried about, given how ridiculous the trailers were. But with Edgar Rice Burroughs’ sci-fi classic as a guide, and with Andrew Stanton at the helm, we were still on board. Add the handsome Taylor Kitsch on screen and the talented Michael Giacchino behind the score, and we simply couldn’t miss it.
Is “John Carter” going to be the disaster the trade press is predicting? Or is it the big, fun sci-fi adventure that’s worthy of the great names attached to it?
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Popspotting #215: “Breaking Games” (Feb. 17, 2012)
We wrap up the week with your takes on “Justified,” “The River,” and “Breaking Bad” on the tube, and “John Carter,” “Hunger Games” and “Chronicle” on the big screen.
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Popspotting #214: “Jayhawks on The Wall” (Feb. 16, 2012)
Today’s PopTalk & Trivia guest is Mike from Virginia, a long-time “LOST” fan (his license plate is “STILOST”) and Transmission listener (since October 2005) and a huge TV and music fan. His picks included Roger Waters’ “The Wall Live” tour for 2012, “Music From the North Country: Jayhawks Anthology,” and several female singer-songwriters: Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, Tift Merritt, Brandi Carlile, and Susan Greenbaum, a personal friend who just released her new album, “This Life.”
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Popspotting #213: “Flickchart 2: Electric Boogaloo†(Feb. 15, 2012)
For every good movie, a sequel is soon to follow. (For every bad movie, too, it seems. خطط الدومينو ) So we revisit one of our favorite “Wildcard Wednesday” topics from last year. It’s another “Flickchart Faceoff,” in which we turn to everyone’s favorite dangerously addictive movie site (made in Florida!) to set us up with a series of movie matchups. اشهر الالعاب الاونلاين We then judge which is more worthy, likely revealing more of our ignorance and bad taste in the process. انواع البوكر But that’s okay. The best part is hearing from you exactly why we picked the wrong ones!
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Popspotting #212: “Justified Archer” (Feb. 14, 2012)
Today for TV Tuesday, we focus on the FX Network. First, we catch up on “Justified,” a show we only started watching because of your strong recommendations. We focus on the second season, which we marathoned to be ready for Season 3 (now underway). لعبة الفواكه Then we shift gears to share our love of “Archer,” described as “James Bond meets Arrested Development.”