Malcolm McDowell to appear on Community and other stories

There’s more news about Community, there’s more news about Community! Following Dan Harmon’s exit from this kickass show, we have actively tried to repress our fear of what Season 4 will bring. But with October 19^th looming pretty close, it’s time to scan the interwebs and look, Malcolm McDowell is coming in for two episodes as a history professor, Cornwallis.  If the previous proffessors are anything to go by (Michael K Williams aka Omar), this might just turn out to be community-level of epic. And lest you’ve forgotten how awesome the actors are, here’s a video of all of Alison Brie’s raps.

We love Jennifer Garner for Juno, Ty Burrell for Modern Family and Olivia Wilde for House MD. And as if to make our dreams come true, they are coming together along with some butter for a new movie. Called Butter. Yup. With so many of our favorite things in one movie, we can’t wait for this movie about butter sculpting and the trailer is absolutely kooky.

This month, with Curiosity sending us pictures of Mars and Neil Armstrong’s death had us thinking of what marvelous space exploration will see in our lifetime. Not being great fans of space technology (or even fiction of that kind), to me, it is amazing in the most basic stupid way, like it would be to a child. We sent real human beings on the moon. The moon. A satellite with no gravity that we can see from Earth. Men have been there. The thought puts so many things in perspective. As Armstrong said, “I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” As a bonus, here’s NBC News declaring ‘Neil Young’ the first man on the moon, dead. RIP Neil Armstrong. And of course, tributes are also in order for AK Hangal, the man who gave us ‘itna sannata kyun hai bhai’ and the ‘he’s still alive?’ jokes. RIP.

If like us you’ve been excited (read jumping up and down like a bunny on crack) about Season 4 of Arrested Development, you must have already seen the pictures from the set and have already started re-watching Season 1 like a true fan.  And you’ve also probably seen these 53 Arrested Development jokes you probably missed, but we are going to share it anyway. Talk about an eye for detail.

– Sharanya

Why you should watch Bunheads

Bunheads, a show on ABC Family had its season 1 finale this week and if you haven’t watched it yet, you definitely should. Michelle Simms, a Las Vegas showgirl finally gives in and marries Hubbell, a somewhat boring man, madly in love with her. She moves to his sleepy town called Paradise and starts off sparring with his mother, Fanny who he lives with. As a testament to her terrible luck, Hubbell dies in an accident and Michelle is left to adapt to a whole new life with Fanny, who runs a dance studio and the residents of Paradise.

Come for the dance performances, stay for the writing. Written by Amy Sherman-Palladino of Gilmore Girls, Bunheads has all the charm and humour of the GG. With long-winded dialogues full of pop culture references (including an episode called No one takes the Khaleesi’s dragons), this show is an example of absolutely perfect casting. Broadway star, Sutton Foster plays the unbelievably clumsy and cute Michelle and Kelly Bishop plays the sarcastic Fanny. The incredible chemistry and banter between the two is enough to keep the show running.

When Michelle starts taking dance lessons along with Fanny and becoming friends with the ballet students, all who battle teenage problems (boys, body issues, parental issues) reminiscent of Rory from Gilmore Girls, the show tackles teenage angst with a level of understated brilliance and a sense of humour.

The season finale has a performance of nutcracker that is by far the most ridiculously funny performance I’ve ever seen (a close second is the plastic vs paper performance). Bunheads has a great poise and I love that it isn’t overtly emotional. The characters are still layered but don’t give in to being annoying weepy people but still manage to make me feel for them.

With a season of just 10 episodes, I say, take the weekend off and catch up on Bunheads, you won’t regret it. And tell me if you don’t fall in love with Sutton Foster.

Movie-ception

How great is the show within a show format? I know you think I’m going to start another I love Studio 60 post, but this time it’s something else. It’s an awestruck love letter to Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singing in the rain. I skedaddled from Bombay this weekend and the moment I touched the green, green grass of home (don’t groan. I’m engineered to reference country western music. I was raised on it) I knew I owed myself a great classic favourite. I chose Singing in the rain and within minutes I was lost in the slapstick comedy, the singing, the tap dances and the genius of Donald O’Connor. I also found myself enthralled by the lengthy musical number from The dueling cavalier.

For those of you who haven’t had the immense pleasure of watching Singing in the rain, it’s plot is set in the time when silent films were just making the transition to the talking picture format. Screen legends Don Lockwood and Nina Lamont find themselves having to convert the film they’re acting in (The dueling cavalier) into a musical with modern dance numbers (for that era, this meant lots of fringe trimmed flapper dresses and those sexy cigarette holders). But how to make a film set in 16^th century France more 1920’s and less balcony swordfight-ish? Easy. Just make it about a Broadway aspirant who happens to be reading A tale of two cities and call it The dancing cavalier. It’s genius. I tell you, if The Dancing Cavalier were an actual film, I’d watch that shit in a heartbeat.

It’s the same with all the other stuff I’ve seen on films about films or television series about films. I found everything in Studio 60, (with the exception of that biopic that Harriet was supposed to star in) hilarious and that includes peripheral vision man. In the King and I, the Siam dance drama of Uncle Toms cabin was just amazing and since we’re on the subject what was that movie with Lindsay Lohan where she stars in a play about a modern day Eliza Doolittle? Who cares, but I remember she stars in play about a modern day Eliza Doolittle! They should have given that more screen time. It would have made Lohan’s presence bearable.

Old timey stuff from pop culture we wish we still had

A slim cigarette holder: The kind “Janet Snakehole” uses in Parks and Rec. And the kind we’ve seen in Mad Men and Breakfast at Tiffanys.

A telephone that has a separate earpiece and a separate mouth piece: Imagine not having to be “available” all the time. People would have to keep all their appointments and be punctual because hey, I’ve already left and there is absolutely no way to reach me.

Typewriters: The ultimate writer fantasy. You aren’t getting distracted by the Internet and then there is the satisfying banging of the keys as you produce that masterpiece and pretend to be Hank Moody.

Iceboxes: Every time I watch Kora Kagaz, I miss the icebox. Sure, we have way better technology now to make ice but imagine how useful an icebox would be in the hot and crowded ladies compartment. Need an immediate brain freeze? Try the icebox! It’s  ice you can use anytime, anywhere.

A village belle that drives horse-drawn tonga: Name of village belle: Basanti. Name of horse: Dhanno. Why? Because why not?