Popspotting
243 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 11 years ago - ★★★★★ - 65 ratingsPop Culture Podcast
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Episodes
Popspotting #92: “Wailin’ Brave” (July 15, 2011)
July 15, 2011 00:30 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBThis 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 […]
Popspotting #91: Falling Luther (July 14, 2011)
July 14, 2011 01:41 - 18 minutes - 17 MBOur guest this week is Desiree (@sitakatherine), or "Des," who joins us from Jen's home state of Florida. She's a podcaster herself, with the proudly not-safe-for-work NonsenseCast, as well as the TV-centric "What's On With Steph and Des." She shares her love of "Falling Skies," "Luther," and "Firefly," then 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 st...
Popspotting #90: Hawaiian Music Artists (July 13, 2011)
July 13, 2011 01:56 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBYou want more music? You've got more music. This week, Jen highlights five Hawaiian music artists that have caught her ear lately. Fresh from the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's version of the Grammy Awards), we look at some younger acts with a bright future in Hawaiian music.
Popspotting #89: “The Wire” (July 12, 2011)
July 11, 2011 13:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBNo less than the leader of the free world has declared "The Wire" on HBO to be his favorite show. This series, which ran for five seasons, pretty much appears in most dictionaries next to the entry for "critically acclaimed." Written by author and one-time police reporter David Simon, "The Wire" explores every facet of urban life in Baltimore, from top-level civil servants to lost children on the streets.
Popspotting #88: Horrible Bosses (July 11, 2011)
July 11, 2011 01:33 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBAs 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.
Popspotting #87: Too Much Information (July 8, 2011)
July 08, 2011 02:00 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBOnce 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.
Popspotting #86: Hip Hop Off the Couch (July 7, 2011)
July 07, 2011 00:21 - 16 minutes - 15 MBThis week we check in with Ryan Drake (@rayke) in Oklahoma, who 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.
Popspotting #85: Sarah Vowell (July 6, 2011)
July 06, 2011 01:30 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBIt's back to the bookshelves for Wildcard Wednesday, as Jen gives a whirlwind tour through the bibliography of Sarah Vowell, whom most know as a contributor to "This American Life" on National Public Radio (and a few know as the voice of young Violet in Pixar's "The Incredibles"). Jen has read every single one of her books, and loves how she mixes solid history, personal anecdotes, wit, and snark.
Popspotting #84: “Justified” (July 5, 2011)
July 05, 2011 03:14 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBWhen we first launched Popspotting and asked for your recommendations on TV shows to watch, "Justified" was one of the most popular suggestions. So this week, after working our way through most of the first season, we share our first take on this FX series. 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 ...
Popspotting #83: “Highlander” and “Gladiator” (July 4, 2011)
July 03, 2011 17:51 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBOn this 4th of July holiday, we celebrate two films in which veteran warriors battle for their own kind of independence. (Okay, we tried.) Jen dubs this the "Ancient Warriors with Sketchy Accents" double feature, and we take a look at a cult classic and a bonafide blockbuster: "Highlander," from 1984, and "Gladiator," from 2000. Admittedly, Christopher Lambert and Russell Crowe have very little in common in these two films... except, perhaps, in not delivering the most memorable performances ...
Popspotting #82: California Killing (July 1, 2011)
July 01, 2011 01:32 - 19 minutes - 1 Byte“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 […]
Popspotting #81: PopTalk with Colleen Glatfelter (June 30, 2011)
June 30, 2011 06:16 - 18 minutes - 17 MBJoining us this week for "PopTalk & Trivia Thursday" is Colleen Glatfelter, a long-time friend, blogger, and veteran podcaster. A New Yorker at heart, she's now in North Carolina thanks to true geek love, having recently married podcasting powerhouse Jay of "The LOST Podcast with Jay & Jack."
Popspotting #80: Favorite Hawaii Foods (June 29, 2011)
June 29, 2011 01:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBWe hope you're not hungry when you listen to today's show... and we're not even sure if our topic will make your stomach growl, or turn! Jen, born and raised in a small Florida town, shares the five foods she discovered in Hawaii that she says changed her life. The menu includes Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and of course, Hawaiian.
Popspotting #79: Firefly (June 28, 2011)
June 27, 2011 13:00 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBIt'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 "Se...
Popspotting #78: Cars 2 (June 27, 2011)
June 27, 2011 02:10 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBIt's been five years since we've heard from Lightning McQueen and his friends from Radiator Springs. The original "Cars" wasn't the strongest Pixar film, but still a favorite of our family. "Cars 2" picks up the pace and takes us around the world, and into the world of international intrigue, with a spy plot that director John Lasseter says was inspired in part by the Jason Bourne movies. Tow Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) takes a more central role, and we meet new characters (includin...
Popspotting #77: “Raising Lady Justified” (June 24, 2011)
June 24, 2011 00:37 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBIt's Feedback Friday! As usual, the show is packed with great stuff today. You tell us about "Raising Hope" on Fox, seeing Lady Gaga live (rest in peace, Clarence Clemons), iPhone camera app hoarding, "Justified," "Terriers," "Torchwood," "The Hunger Games," "Jennifer Government," and the official "Breaking Bad" podcast. You got us thinking... what musicians or bands do you most want to see live?
Popspotting #76: Astronauts and Zombies (June 23, 2011)
June 23, 2011 07:55 - 17 minutes - 16 MBFor today's PopTalk & Trivia Thursday, we check in with Albert Ross in Charlotte, North Carolina. He shares his love of "Moon," a 2009 gem by Duncan Jones starring Sam Rockwell, "Bar Karma," a choose-your-own-adventure series on Current, and "Walking Dead," AMC's smash hit from earlier this year. Then, it's time for trivia!
Popspotting #75: California Songs (June 22, 2011)
June 22, 2011 00:55 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBWith less than a month to go until Comic-Con in San Diego, Jen is in a California state of mind. So going back to our "Pith of Pop" roots, we explore a musical Top Five for today's "Wildcard Wednesday." She shares her top five songs about the Golden State
Popspotting #74: Weeds (June 21, 2011)
June 21, 2011 01:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBLast week we talked about a series in which a devoted parent turns to illegal drug sales to make ends meet for the family. Why not continue the theme? For TV Tuesday, we discuss “Weeds,” a series on Showtime created by Jenji Kohan. While the setup is similar, “Weeds” is almost the opposite of “Breaking Bad.” Whimsical, hilarious, shiny and sexy.
Popspotting #73: Ray Nicolette Double Feature (June 20, 2011)
June 20, 2011 01:44 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBThis week, we take a break from the multiplex and dig into our movie collection to share our love for two great films: "Jackie Brown" and "Out of Sight."
Popspotting #72: “Hockey and Parenthood” (June 17, 2011)
June 17, 2011 01:06 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBFor this “Feedback Friday,” Jen issues a big mea culpa for her hockey faux pas, we hear from yet another fan of NBC’s “Parenthood,” we’re encouraged to read some Jeannette Walls, and fellow geek Steve Bryson shares a list of his favorite iPhone apps. It was a relatively quiet week, and listener Amber notes that […]
Popspotting #71: PopTalk with Catherine Parkinson (June 16, 2011)
June 16, 2011 05:52 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBIt’s our first international PopTalk & Trivia Thursday! Joining us all the way from Huntingdon near Cambridge in the United Kingdom, Catherine Parkinson (@catparky on Twitter). It’s great to hear the perspective of someone outside the American bubble, and she shares her favorite TV shows with UK roots… but can she hold her own in […]
Popspotting #70: Photo Apps (June 15, 2011)
June 15, 2011 02:00 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBAnd now for something completely different. Finally pushing the envelope for our "Wildcard Wednesday" show, we go geeky with a look at our favorite smartphone photography apps. As iPhone users, these picks are iPhone centric, but several of them are also available on Android.
Popspotting #69: “Breaking Bad” (June 14, 2011)
June 14, 2011 01:26 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBWhen it comes to solid drama and knockout performances, our absolute favorite show right now is “Breaking Bad” on AMC. 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 […]
Popspotting #68: “Super 8” (June 13, 2011)
June 13, 2011 01:11 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBAs "slobbering fanboys" of J.J. Abrams, we've been looking forward to "Super 8" since the moment we first heard about it last year. Written and directed by Abrams, and with Steven Spielberg aboard as executive producer, the movie has been shrouded in secrecy and promoted with an air of mystery. Now that "Super 8" has finally hit the big screen, was it worth the wait?
Popspotting #67: Feedback Friday (June 10, 2011)
June 10, 2011 01:31 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBIf you missed the awesomeness that was the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot, you've got another chance. BBC America is going to start running the show as part of its "Supernatural Saturday" lineup beginning tomorrow, June 11. That's just one of the things we learned today from our listeners during "Feedback Friday." Also mentioned, "Galaxy Quest" and "Justified," and more love for Lady Gaga, the Foo Fighters, "Modern Family" and "Sons of Anarchy."
Popspotting #66: Robin Burdge of Media Junkyard (June 9, 2011)
June 09, 2011 00:59 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBFor our third "PopTalk & Trivia Thursday" outing, we welcome Robin Burdge, co-host of Media Junkyard" and "Movie Snobbery." He is also the host of Vermont's most popular trivia gatherings (or, at least, it should be), making him the strongest candidate yet to face Jen's tough questions.
Popspotting #65: Catching Fire & Extremely Loud (June 8, 2011)
June 08, 2011 01:39 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBBook talk returns for "Wildcard Wednesday"! As promised, Jen returns with her report on "Catching Fire," the second book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy. She also shares her thoughts on "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a post-9/11 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Popspotting #64: Dead Like Me & Pushing Daisies (June 7, 2011)
June 07, 2011 01:27 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBThis week we shift from current shows to long-lost shows, focusing on a pair of quirky death-centric stories created by Bryan Fuller. "Dead Like Me" saw two solid seasons on Showtime and a less-than-solid straight-to-DVD movie a few years later. "Pushing Daisies" couldn't catch a break, stumbling through only two partial seasons on ABC. But both are worth checking out today, on DVD or via Netflix streaming.
Popspotting #63: X-Men: First Class (June 6, 2011)
June 06, 2011 06:31 - 15 minutes - 14 MBAgainst all odds, we make it out to another new release: "X-Men: First Class," a prequel to the previous four "X-Men" films. For a superhero movie, this movie doesn't forget that character counts, and that the conflict within is just as important as the conflict between characters and people.
Popspotting #62: “Feedback Friday” (June 2, 2011)
June 03, 2011 00:32 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBThe KillingIn this fresh batch of listener comments, AMC's "The Killing" gets a lot of love, "Pirates 4" finds a defender, and we take another look at Zooey Deschanel. We also hear from a number of book lovers, which is wonderful.
Popspotting #61: PopTalk & Trivia with Jopinionated (June 2, 2011)
June 02, 2011 00:34 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBJo got an advance look at several upcoming series starring former "LOST" stars, and gives a quick, spoiler-free take on each.
Popspotting #60: Foo Fighters & Lady Gaga (June 1, 2011)
June 01, 2011 00:06 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBFor our first music show, we get Jen's take on two big recent releases: "Wasting Light," the seventh studio album from the Foo Fighters, and "Born This Way," the omnipresent second album from Lady Gaga.
Popspotting #59: “Hawaii Five-0″ & “Chuck” (May 31, 2011)
May 31, 2011 01:04 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBToday we catch up on a couple of our weekly watches: "Hawaii Five-0," the reboot of the classic cop show on CBS, and "Chuck" on NBC, one of the geekiest shows on television.
Popspotting #58: “Kung Fu Panda 2” & “Fast Five” (May 30, 2011)
May 30, 2011 01:53 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBIt seems every summer is the summer of sequels, but both of today's featured pair of films were a pleasant surprise. "Kung Fu Panda 2" from Dreamworks delivers a surprisingly solid plot on top of kid-friendly fun and sharp animation. And while "Fast Five" was a great big noisy ball of ridiculousness, it wore its big-budget blockbuster genes well.
Popspotting #57: 500 Days, TV Picks Feedback (May 27, 2011)
May 27, 2011 00:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBFor our first Feedback Friday, Carl asks if we've seen "500 Days of Summer," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel. Next, Lauren suggests four TV shows she thinks we should watch, and names two we still have to check out.
Popspotting #56: PopTalk & Trivia with Burt Lum (May 26, 2011)
May 26, 2011 00:30 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBEver since we first planned to launch 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.
Popspotting #55: “Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me” (May 25, 2011)
May 25, 2011 01:30 - 10 minutes - 9.54 MBJen has a husband, but she also has a boyfriend: her Amazon Kindle. She's a voracious reader, and finally gets to share her love of the written word with the world. But her first pick isn't exactly high-brow literature. It's "Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me."
Popspotting #54: “Fringe” on FOX (May 24, 2011)
May 23, 2011 23:45 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBIt's no "LOST," but after "LOST," J.J. Abams' "Fringe" was and remains our favorite network show. Unabashed sci-fi with decent plots, strong characters, and great actors, on FOX.
Popspotting #53: “Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides” (May 23, 2011)
May 23, 2011 01:21 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBThe latest installment of Disney's most lucrative franchise, "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides," is a bit of a mess. Frankly, so are we. After nine months off, we're a bit rusty, a bit punchy, but still eager to get back to podcasting. 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 tell what you think, but please be gentle. It get...
Popspotting Preview: “Composing for Sci-Fi TV & Movies” at Comic-Con (Aug. 10, 2010)
August 10, 2010 19:28 - 1 second - 42.7 MBFrom the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, audio from the "Behind the Music with CW3PR: Composing for Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy Film & TV" panel, featuring Michael Giacchino, Wendy & Lisa Coleman, Nathan Barr, Jim Dooley, John Ottman, and Jeremy Zuckerman.
Popspotting Preview: “Chuck″ at Comic-Con (July 31, 2010)
August 01, 2010 06:34 - 29 minutes - 27 MBFrom 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.
Popspotting Preview: “Fringe″ at Comic-Con (July 29, 2010)
July 29, 2010 07:09 - 15 minutes - 38 MBFrom 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.
Popspotting Preview: “Hawaii Five-0” at Comic-Con (July 27, 2010)
July 27, 2010 07:54 - 59 minutes - 55 MBFrom 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).
Prehistoric Pop: Donnie Darko (June 17, 2007)
June 07, 2007 06:05 - 1 second - 11.8 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 54 of "HawaiiUP" for June 17, 2006. We discuss “Grindhouse” (2007) with Eli Roth, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Rose McGowan; “Knocked Up” (2007) with Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, and Paul Rudd; and “Donnie Darko” (2001) with Jake Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Prehistoric Pop: The Illusionist (Feb. 18, 2007)
February 19, 2007 05:54 - 5 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 52 of "HawaiiUP" for Feb. 18, 2007. We discuss “This Film is Not Yet Rated†(2006) with Kimberly Peirce, Jon Lewis, and David Ansen; “Thank You For Smoking" (2005) with Joan Lunden, Eric Haberman, and Aaron Eckhart; and “The Illusionist†(2006) with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel.
Prehistoric Pop: Firefly (Feb. 3, 2007)
February 04, 2007 05:49 - 5 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 51 of "HawaiiUP" for Feb. 3, 2007. We discuss “Happy Feet†(2006) with Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, and Nicole Kidman; “Children of Men†(2006) with Michael Caine, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Pam Ferris, and Peter Mullan; and “Firefly."
Prehistoric Pop: Stranger Than Fiction (Nov. 19, 2006)
November 20, 2006 05:44 - 9.86 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 50 of "HawaiiUP" for Nov. 19, 2006. We discuss “X-Men III: The Last Stand†(2006) with Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart; “Flushed Away†(2006) with Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Ian McKellen; and “Stranger Than Fiction†(2006) with Will Ferrell, William Dick, and Guy Massey.
Prehistoric Pop: MommyCast (Nov. 4, 2006)
November 05, 2006 05:41 - 6.24 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 49 of "HawaiiUP" for Nov. 4, 2006. We discuss Jen's podcast discoveries: American Cliche, Podquiz (and Music iQuiz), MommyCast.
Prehistoric Pop: Battlestar Galactica (Oct. 21, 2006)
October 22, 2006 05:38 - 10.3 MBFrom the archives. Jen's appearance on Episode 48 of "HawaiiUP" for Oct. 21, 2006. We discussed TV shows: “Smith†on CBS, “Heroes†on NBC, “Battlestar Galactica†on SciFi, and “LOST†Season Three.