PeteMC is given the reigns of the BingeCast this week as he brings in Valley and Supka, the latter of which calls in live from his annual Christmas Party. After Supka leaves, Ammon shows up. TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Rolling Stone Stories From The Edge, Happy, The Challenge, The Punisher and Hells Kitchen are discussed. Then, the boys talk The Foreigner, Stronger, Detroit, Logan Lucky, Hired Gun, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and The Disaster Artist. Christmas prep, Star Wars hype and site stuff galore. Here you go, get to work.
0:01:53-PeteMC is piloting the show tonight!! Seated with him in the Bingeium Falcon is Kupka (temporarily) and Jack. Ammon is late. Surprise surprise. Kupka details his crazy Christmas party. He gives a brief review of the Disaster Artist. How is everyone doing present wise? Jack details his day (#bingeventures) but is sorely interrupted by Kupka’s party. Smash continues his tale, Kupka bails shortly after. BMFML stuff. Gamecast stuff. Ammon pops in. Moviepass experiment has been done and follow-up is presented. More hypothesisessesss are discussed regarding the card.
0:54:00-QUOTE WHORES: CHRISTMAS EDITION
1:12:00-TV ROUND UP. Ammon finished Godless. Pete finished Punisher. Jack and Pete finished Curb your Enthusiasm. Pete’s watching Hell’s Kitchen, The Challenge and his self-proclaimed favorite show, Happy. Jack started watching Vice Principals and he also checked out Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge. Jack questions the boys about Disney acquiring Fox at the end of the segment.
1:47:29-WHAT DID YOU WATCH (with new sounder!). Ammon only watched The Foreigner (Pete checked that shit out too). Jack did some revisits with The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Dunkirk. He also viewed Jim and Andy, then followed that up with Man on the Moon. He also revisited The Room, checked out Score, Stronger, Logan Lucky, and Detroit. He wanted to see The Disaster Artist but he fucking didn’t. Fucking furnace. Small tangent to see what everyone is drinking after a pee break. Pete watched The Circle, Hired Gun, The Big Sick, The Disaster Artist, and then him and Jack team up for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Pete talks about how he’s a fucking cry baby. He also plugs stuff on the Binge network. Star Wars: The Last Jedi discussion.
Law, Ammon, and Pete MC review Rogue One, The BFG, 31, Santa Conquers the Martians, Saving Christmas, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Shut Eye, The Affair, and Divorce. A shitload of Google Voice, live call ins from Moreno and Art Cali, and a special holiday presentation called Twas the Nate Before BingeMas.
0:00:00-Pour some whiskey in that hot cocoa; it’s time for the Christmas Bingecast, bitches.
0:01:30-Law and Pete MC are on the mics, ready to stuff your stockings. What? Law is still coughing like a motherfucker. Moreno and Denny Luis have collaborated to bring the listeners a nice little Christmas treat, which will be played later in the show. Also, that Tacocksucker Moreno did some shit at Moe’s Tavern that gets airtime as well. PeteMC details his modest nature while playing with The Kicks. Ammon shows up. More bullshit.
0:26:33-GOOGLE VOICE
1:15:51-Surprise Call in. Google voice continues
1:24:44-Twas The Night Before Bingemas, as told by OH HAI DENNY LOUIE
1:31:00-TV ROUND UP. New Christmas sounder by Pete MC! Ash vs. Evil Dead takes precedence over everything else, as Law and Pete dig deep into it. They go deep and hard. Yup. Law is gonna check out the OA. Planet Garrett: What’s it Like? Wait, this isn’t fucking tv. Goddamnit. Law brings up his This is Us prediction and sees what Ammon thinks about it. Divorce is still good. Gilmore Girls gets discussed even though GC isn’t on. The Path is back, Pete is watching a show but he needs two hours to find the title…wait it is called Shut Eye. Emmanuelle Chriqui is still super hot. Tangents.
2:29:48-MOVIE HOMEWORK. PeteMC actually did last week’s and this week’s so he gets a gold fucking star. MH was Santa Claus Conquers (cockers?) the Martians. Some point after this Mrs. MC shows up to party.
2:49:07-Moreno’s set from Moe’s Tavern.
2:55:48-WHAT DID YOU WATCH? Ammon saw The Magnificent Seven (Pete did as well), The BFG, and Rob Zombie’s 31. Law watched Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. PeteMC revisited Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special. ROGUE ONE. Moreno calls in. MORE ROGUE ONE.
SHOW’S FUCKING ROGUE DONE.
Twas the Night Before Bingemas gets played one more time to send the show out.
Have a Merry Cocksucking Christmas and a Happy New Year, you babadicks!!!
Everybody is in good cheer as the year comes to an end. Ammon and Law get drunk and argue about The Leftovers for a while, answer a shit-ton of voicemails, and look back on the newest Christmas classic, ELF for Movie Homework.
Kupka, Moreno, and Luke call in from the annual Kupka Christmas spectacular (thanks for the invite, again) and talk some massive shit while hiding from their wives in a closet.
Ammon catches up on some Summer films such as PIXELS, TOMORROWLAND, and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., and start the new season of Serial.
There’s a new (incredible) Pee Break Sounder, Law and Ammon discuss some books, and everybody’s STAR WARS plan is put into effect.
It’s here people. Starting today, you have 24 days to get all your shopping done. Here you will find ten great gifts from all different prices for the special people on your list. Hell, maybe you’ll even ask the fat man to deliver these to you come Christmas morning! Check em out below:
Playing cards are something that any worldly individual needs. Nothing says “I’ve seen some shit” than a cadre of well-worn playing cards. Personally, I have a poker set that houses cards ranging from Showgirls to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Star Wars and I’d love to add this deck to the collection. What sets this apart from other collections is the art style for the cards is particularly cool with a painted-flair that really sells the set well. As a stocking stuffer you can do a lot worse.
When you talk about great movie poster artists there are a few names that should come to mind immediately. Right up there with Drew Struzan is Saul Bass, known mostly for his work on Vertigo, The Man With The Golden Arm and West Wide Story. Bass’ minimalism created a genre of poster art unto itself that is still being imitated to this day. This coffee table book is a must have for the more seasoned movie buffs.
Movie art is big in my house. I have a small collection of Mondo originals as well as some autographs and classic movie posters hanging all around the apartment. They help define my living space and let anyone who enters know exactly what I’m about. I usually like to add the stranger stuff and pepper it throughout the place, and I can totally see this weird Wheel of Fortune/Edward Scissorhands/Pee Wee/Goonies print being right at home here. For the more eclectic looking for a half-gag gift, this could be the best available this season for the price.
Sideshow Collectibles always knocks it out of the park with their figurines but the Predator seen here is a step above their usual level of talent. Predator is one of the absolute great movie monsters of all time, and the detail in this figure justifies (almost) the $150 price tag. If you’re in the market to expand your collection with a showcase piece, this may be just the thing.
This is easily the toy of the century. This toy represents the possibility of Star Wars actually bleeding over into the real world. Do you think that 40 years ago George Lucas ever thought we would have a computer in our pocket that could control our own personal droid? The jury is out on whether or not The Force Awakens will be better than the prequels, but this droid is truly something special. With the hefty price tag being the only deterrent, this toy will be in my future.
One unforeseen aspect of the smartphone is the decline of the wristwatch. In what has become a cultural shift, the ability to see what time it is on your phone has made many to ignore the classic piece of gear. With tan lines being the only downside, it’s a shame that the wristwatch is moving towards obsolescence, but the CUCOL Bamboo Wooden Watch is an inexpensive talkpiece that makes telling the time an event. Any machinery created utilizing wood rather than metal or plastic is already impressive, but add the bamboo finish and this watch is a fantastic buy.
With a film version on the way courtesy of James Franco and Seth Rogen, now is the time to catch Greg Sestero’s infamous behind the scenes tell-all detailing his experience filming The Room. Something tells me the Franco/Rogen version is going to take some liberties, so it is probably best to digest this now, fresh, without any influence. At just under ten bucks this is another fine steal.
In my family, my Grandad started a tradition when I was young of gifting everyone with a new Pez dispenser each Christmas as a little bonus stocking stuffer. The quality of the dispensers has been pretty wide, ranging from 5 different Santa Claus dispensers to Wolverine and Batman. As such, I have a collection now and this Star Trek set is definitely one of the nicer ones. Granted, Pez candy sucks, but I have a nostalgic connection to the things so this is definitely something I’ll want to add to the collection some day.
Another book being adapted by Seth Rogen (what a weird coincidence), Preacher is coming to AMC soon. Now is the time to check it out and see what all the fuss is about. In all honesty, I have yet to read this so I can’t tell you much about it other than it’s one of the most highly regarded comic book series of the past thirty years and may be the hottest thing since The Walking Dead come next year. Get ahead of the hype and give this a shot.
Keeping with the idea of a monthly subscription service, Moviepass is here to make the Summer movie season even crazier. Here’s the concept: pay Moviepass $30 a month and go to the theater as much as you want (limit once per day). Granted, some months are slower than others, but buying a subscription at the start of the summer may actually save you money in the long run. A great gift for anyone who loves movies.
So what do you think, Binge readers? Anything else I missed that you’re looking forward to? Comment below with your wishlist items and, as always, Binge On!
I write this with a liver that is audibly yelling at me. Does anyone have a spare? This week I briefly recap my Christmas holiday, then detail some of my favorite things from 2014. It is not a definitive list, as there’s still albums to listen to, movies to watch and books to read. I forgot to mention Banshee, blame the bourbon.
What are you favorites of the year? Write em below or call 708-406-9546 and leave a voicemail.
I Am Santa Claus, Black Mirror White Christmas and Too Many Cooks
As I write this, I’m on my absolute last leg here people. Last week, I logged 73 hours at work on top of school. I am spent. If I have to print another fucking photo of a kid on Santa’s lap I will go on a murderous rampage. All that being said, the finish line draws near and glorious Christmas is finally arriving. Despite the insanity of the season for me, I hit three solid films. Well, it’s more like two films and a short film…or comedy short…or surrealist short…I’m not sure what to classify it as to be honest with you, but I’ve watched it at least 5 times so far. Anyways, here goes…
This time of year I’m always on the hunt for a new classic Christmas film to add to my annual rotation. Make no mistake, I Am Santa Claus is a film made for adults, but it is probably the most wholesome and unique perspective on Christmas I’ve seen in a long time. I love hitting Bad Santa, It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story yearly, but this is getting added to the rotation. The doc basically follows around a group of real-life Santas-for-hire and their lives outside of Christmas. While it does run a tad short, it taps into one of the most primal, pure and genuine feelings the Christmas season is all about, and that is what it means to truly connect with someone. I’ve gotta tell you, this was one of the more touching documentaries I’ve seen in a long time, and the fact that Mick Foley, aka Mankind, is at the center of this is also really cool. It was also pretty cool to see Santa’s Village in New Hampshire featured in the film, as I’ve been there a few times as a kid. 9 on 10 all day, see this before the season is over, it’s on Netflix now.
The Black Mirror White Christmas delivered in a big way. I’m all caught up with it now, having gotten through both series and the special, and I have to say these showrunners are incredibly clever. I don’t know what’s in the water over the pond, but I want some. Actually, this has made me want to finally start up Mad Men as it’s been on my shortlist for a long time now. Hamm is incredibly likable and charismatic, but Rafe Spall does a great job in his role as well. I love where this series goes and I can’t wait for more. Here’s looking forward to Series 3.
So here’s the thing, I was introduced to Too Many Cooks this week. What is Too Many Cooks, you ask? It’s…unique. Basically, Too Many Cooks is a show on TV about a wacky family in the mid-80’s. It’s also a comedy centered around a puppet that kind of looks like Alf, seen below.
It’s also a sci-fi Battlestar Galactica ripoff with cheesy effects and an even worse opening. It’s also a boy-meets-girl-comedy, a shitty cop show, a superhero drama and a slasher movie. Too Many Cooks is a short film that aired on Adult Swim that…well…kind of defies my explaining it to you. I can’t really put it into words other than say that David Lynch is probably all about this shit. I’ve watched the 11-minute video at least 5 times now and I still have trouble describing it. It’s sort of like the Matrix in that you just have to see it for yourself. So I encourage any and all to give it a watch and allow your brain to melt.
I want to wish everyone an extremely Happy Kwanzaa and look for my end of the year review, coming next week! Binge On!
It’s hard to believe that after today, there’s only one Sunday left in 2014. I’m not quite sure what it’ll be just yet, but I’m looking for next week’s column to be something really special, so stay tuned for that. As for this week, I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet as I am just crazy exhausted from hosting family Christmas last night, but I welcome you anyway to the December 21st edition of Working the Weekend with Luke.
Now I know the big topic in entertainment this week has been the Sony decision to yank The Interview. While I do have thoughts on the matter which I may or may not get to at some point, I had bigger fish to fry this weekend: hosting family Christmas. And I must say that it could not have gone any better. So many of my favorite people in the world enjoyed good food, good wine, and an overall great night, highlighted by the joy that Christmas brings to children, namely my two daughters and my two nephews. As the host, it’s my job to play Santa and hand out the gifts and there were some great ones for everyone, children and adults alike. As the “grownups” enjoyed new clothes or new artwork, the real joy is watching the youngsters open their presents. My twin daughters are 4 and my nephews are 3 and 1, so we all knew this was going to be a blast and we certainly weren’t disappointed. We marveled as they opened gift after gift, whether it be new pajamas, new Ninja Turtle stuff for the boys, or new Frozen stuff for the girls. But with all of the presents that were thrown around last night and with all the tech toys that are out there, a classic emerged victorious over all others.
That’s right. Freaking Hungry Hungry Hippos was the star of the night as all four kids gathered around and had at it. And yes, it’s still as cool as I remembered it to be. I don’t know if it’s just the simplicity of the game or what, but watching my four favorite children play a game that I spent hours upon hours playing as a kid myself was really a cool thing for me.
I wasn’t sure if the weekend could get any better after last night, but I was wrong. As I said earlier, I’m just wiped after last night, and with another dreary day here in the heart of Illinois, I figured it would be a fairly low-key day around the house watching movies with the girls, which was completely okay with me. But another new addition from last night only added to it.
The girls have really been into building recently, so it only seemed natural to tell the family to buy them some new Lego sets. And with their love for the whole Disney princess thing (I know, shocking for two 4-year-old girls), this was a good choice. And they’ve been building for the better part of the day. But the really cool thing is them building with Legos while we were watching this:
Watching The Lego Movie with my girls as they build a pretty new princess castle. Priceless. And it’s so great to watch them when their favorite scene comes on.
And the day just keeps getting better and better. We followed that up by watching another of their new favorites:
Admittedly, I didn’t watch the first one until this summer and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the girls. But I gotta tell you, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is even better. I won’t get into too much here for those who haven’t seen it, but break out the Kleenex. Set five years after the original, Hiccup and Toothless embark on a new set of adventures as their homeland is now dragon-friendly. Our young hero gets the surprise of a lifetime in a special reunion, but tragedy strikes later on in a scene that really pulls at the heartstrings. And that’s seriously not a joke. If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about. I’m going to stop before I do a full writeup, but kids or not, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Okay, my short and sweet post ran a little long, but I’m okay with it. To make things even better, the girls and I just built the castle all over again while the Dallas Cowboys are beating down the Colts in the background to secure a playoff spot, and after they go to bed, I’ve got plans to eat junk food and get my first taste of Guardians of the Galaxy, so it better be as good as all the rest of the boys say it is. With the weekend that I’ve had, there’s really only one more thing to say: Everything is awesome.
As usual, you can leave any comments about this week’s edition below, or follow me and tweet @THElukenorris. I wish all of you the happiest of holiday seasons and as always, I’ve got one more gift for you with the Beverly Hills, 90210 clip of the week. David gives himself the ultimate Christmas gift by breaking up with Donna, because let’s face it, she’s just the worst. Merry Christmas everyone.
Christmastime, for those that celebrate it, tends to mean a few key things to people. For some, Christmas is about spending time with the family, drinking egg nog and watching Christmas Vacation. I’m not saying I don’t do those things, but they aren’t the key things that make the holiday what it is. As such, here’s a list of the things that have to happen every year for me to get into the Christmas spirit.
The Leg Lamp
Simply put, this is the first things that gets set up every year. My leg lamp is a source of pride as, when I was younger, I went through an obsessive A Christmas Story phase. I know some think the film is overblown and cliched these days, considering the fact that TBS plays it for 24 hours every year on Christmas, but I always maintain the flick as one of the absolute greatest films for the holiday. There were certain years, call them the “awkward teenage” years, where family members had no idea what to get me for Christmas, so I’d get A Christmas Story memorabilia. One year, gloriously, I got my own leg lamp, and it’s been a staple ever since. Hell, it was the centerpiece of my kitchen table at my first apartment for the entire first year I had it. It ain’t Christmas without the leg lamp.
Hallmark Ornaments
I don’t know if it’s a popular thing, but since I can remember my family has been collecting Hallmark ornaments. Every year, Hallmark puts out a bunch of new ones and luckily they’ve been getting better and more detailed as the years have gone on. Due to this product line, I’ve got Chewbacca carrying a broken C-3Po, Gandalf, several Batman versions, Captain Kirk, Spider Man, Indiana Jones and a ton of others. Putting up these ornaments on the tree is my own personal way to make my tree more badass every year. It makes the sentimental “Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments from when I was born way more tolerable. Again, without these, it ain’t Christmas.
It’s A Wonderful Life
While I have a special affinity for A Christmas Story, I’ll never argue against It’s A Wonderful Life being the pinnacle of Christmas movies. For a flick that’s over 75 years old, you really can’t do any better than this. The story of George Bailey losing faith in his humanity and being visited by a guardian angel after contemplating ending his life is deeply affecting and an incredibly wholesome and endearing story. If you aren’t at least fighting back tears by the end of the flick you are probably an atheist (seriously). Jimmy Stewart is one of the greats and he is pitch-perfect here. What makes this movie an even higher quality is the fact that the film works outside of it being just another Christmas film. I try to watch this early in the season to get into the spirit of things, and most Christmas nights I try to throw this on to fall asleep to. Great film, doesn’t diminish with age, an essential annual watch.
Alex Stevens Ugly Christmas Sweaters
I’m not very creative when it comes to DIY shit. Simply put, if you ask me to draw a stick figure I’ll routinely fuck it up. A few years back, I switched from my holiday-themed movie t-shirts for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to designer Ugly Christmas sweaters. Cue Alex Stevens, a designer I found through a little Amazon searching. The above photo was one of the contenders I had on the docket when I purchased my sweater last year, but I ended up going with one featuring a polar bear doing hula hoop awkwardly with a circular candy cane. It always spawns quality conversation for people who are new to it, and the sweaters featured range from mildly random to straight up x-rated. I highly recommend these for the coordination-challenged among us who fear what they may come up with when making their own sweater.
Christmas Cocktails
Perspective is important here at Binge Media, and as a representative of the brand I feel responsible to let everyone know what I’ll be drinking over the next few weeks. I’ll definitely sprinkle in some beers here and there, but for the most part I will be making a large amount of cranberry flavored drinks throughout the season. I’m a big cranberry juice fan (no, it ain’t my period you fucking child) and the concept of mixing various vodkas and rums to it is enticing and wonderful. From here on out, any podcasts I am a part of until the end of the year will be aided by some cranberry goodness, in one form or several.
Christmas Morning
This may seem like a given but I absolutely love Christmas morning. Whatever time my brothers and I would wake up, we would come out into the living room to see a similar setup to the one above. Part of the fun of the holiday, for me at least, was that truly unique moment when you first see the presents under the tree. A combination of excitement, happiness and mystery came with that moment, something that happens each and every year, no matter how old I get. There is something about that image that is, in my opinion, far better than actually opening the presents. When you first see this mound, the possibilities are endless, one of the few times throughout the year where that is actually a great thing. I love Christmas morning. Of course, there is one other tradition we have for Christmas morning. See, in my house, many Christmas mornings in recent memory have been with my two brothers and my Dad, so we have an appropriate film that gets thrown on while digging through the gifts. That film is…
Die Hard
This is the cherry on top. Christmas morning isn’t complete without Die Hard. Is it always a little awkward when that topless chick gets ripped out of the office by the terrorists? It used to be, but at this point, we all love Die Hard so much that it doesn’t fucking matter. John McClane absolutely wrecking the assholes at Nakatomi Plaza, Hans Gruber doing the old helpless-office-worker routine to get on McClane’s good side, and F-bombs galore are a welcome, wholesome and fantastic piece of the season’s festivities. Other families might put on Charlie Brown or the aforementioned It’s A Wonderful Life, but I feel as though the themes in Die Hard, such as Bruce Willis being a fucking boss, Hans Gruber proving villains are just as good as heroes, the fact that Reginald Vel Johnson “shot a kid, man”, and ‘Murica are great lessons to be reminded of.
My Christmas is probably a little different than yours, but I would also argue it’s probably significantly better. If you haven’t before, try out some of these things this season for yourself and enjoy the season even more. Check out the video below of my personal favorite Christmas song. Until next week, Binge On!
If you’ve ever wanted to hear six Binge Media employees get together and be drunk as drunk can be make sure you stay tuned for the end of this show when Moreno, Kupka, and Luke call in to talk with Law, Ammon, and Jack about things that are stupid.
Before that though, your regularly scheduled hosts have tons to talk about. We discuss, in no particular order, Christopher Nolan possibly directing READY PLAYER ONE, high Santa Claus pissing in a garbage pail, Serial, our best/worst spoiler experiences, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and play an exciting game of Stupid Comments.
Even then, after that barrage of awesome, we head into What Did You Watch with reviews of TUSK, THE GUEST, INTERSTELLAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT, KILL BILL: VOL II, BANKSY DOES NEW YORK, and NIGHTCRAWLER.
It’s as epic as they get, people. Don’t forget about the last Sons of Anarchy commentary ever this week. Out.