Monthly Archives: February 2014

Feb 15 2014

DirecTV Previewing HD Package Lineup Until Feb. 19

If you  have DirecTV, you should check out your Messages for the free preview of their HD Channel package running until February 19. This starts at Channel 565 with the Hallmark Movie Channel, HD Net Movies (566), MGM HD (567), Sony HD (568), Universal HD (569), Smithsonian Channel HD (570), Crime & Investigation (571), Palladia (572) and Shorts HD (573).

Palladia shows concerts, music videos, episodes of Live From Daryl’s House and some music award shows.

Arnel Pineda ©Michael Stewart/WireImage

Arnel Pineda
©Michael Stewart/WireImage

I just finished watching Journey: Love in Manila. This was a recent concert with their newest lead singer, Arnel Pineda. You should check out the 2012 documentary about Journey (Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey) and how they found Arnel and incorporated him into Journey as their lead singer. Pineda didn’t just get lucky and fall into Journey as some people think. He definitely paid his dues. He’s been singing most of his life and won several competitions.

He recorded a self titled album for Warner Bros. in 1999. Hearing him tonight with Journey playing with him is a tribute to how good a shape his voice is in and how flexible his range is. He’s definitely his own person, not just a follow up to Steve Perry.

Rush, Elton John, the CMT Music Awards (2013), the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards and tons of other stuff is going to be shown on Palladia between now and when the free preview is over on Feb. 19.

So there’s a great excuse for  you to get your remote control fingers in shape, clean all that old crap off your DVR and check out what’s worth taping in the next couple of days. That’s what I’m going to do.

Enjoy.

Feb 15 2014

Jesse Stone Marathon Sunday Feb. 16

Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone

Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone

Hallmark Movie Channel will be celebrating everything Jesse Stone starting at 8am CST on Sunday, Feb. 16 with a marathon of Tom Selleck’s favorite character (mine too).

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice kicks off the all day marathon which ends with a premiere of Jesse Stone: No Remorse.

Robert B. Parker initially wrote a series of detective novels using Jesse Stone as the lead character. These were among his last works and the first series in which the he used the third-person narrative.

CBS adapted the Jesse Stone novels into a series with Tom Selleck in the title role. They began out of sequence from the books but remained true to storylines. Starting with the fifth film, Selleck and Michael Brandman took over writing duties based on Parker’s novels (who had died while working on another novel at his home in Boston).

To date there are 8 Jesse Stone films. The last one, “Benefit of the Doubt” attracted nearly 13 million viewers when CBS aired it on May 20, 2012. Brandman told Variety a few days later that he and Tom Selleck had been notified by CBS that they wouldn’t be ordering any more episodes because (here it comes people) they mainly attract older viewers and because CBS wanted to move away from movies and specials in favor of shorter duration TV series.

Feb 15 2014

Think You Know Your Walkers? Prove It!

Think You Know Your Walkers? Prove It With Three The Walking Dead Photo Quizzes.

Here’s a fun test to take at http://www.amctv.com site. I took it and probably would have got 100% if I wouldn’t have been in such a hurry. Truly the story of my life – in many things, always rushing.

It’s on the same order as one of those Brain Games only for Walker fans. You really need to have been paying attention through the last three seasons to get a good score.

Have fun and challenge your friends and see who gets the highest score.

Feb 14 2014

A Decade of The Walking Dead

No … not The Walking Dead, AMC’s soap opera about zombies … I’m talking about the comic book.

Do you get TWDM (The Walking Dead Magazine)? It’s like a perfect seque of comic and television show. If you’re not a comic person then it’s a perfect publication for you.

If you don’t want to subscribe to TWDM you could get it at http://www.TFAW.com. That’s where I get mine for $2 off the cover price and it’s the Previews Exclusive Edition. Or you could get it at any newsstand. However, the newsstand edition has a different cover.

It was during my first initial read of Issue #7 that I came across the youtube video The Walking Dead: A Decade of Dead. It’s a documentary detailing the history of The Walking Dead. It runs a little over 22 minutes. Trust me, there’s so much to learn, you won’t be sorry.

In Issue #7 there are interviews with Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Robert Kirkman and Stefano Gaudiano. Stefano is the new comic book inker, and I’m sure you know who Robert Kirkman is, don’t you? (Watch the video.)

Plus the usual Favorites, Head Shots and a regular fun column called, what else, “Body Parts.”

Chris Hardwick hosts The Talking Dead

Chris Hardwick hosts The Talking Dead

Now that The Walking Dead television show is into the back 8 episodes of Season 4, The Talking Dead has returned. If you’re not watching The Talking Dead, you just don’t know what you’re missing. Humor, interviews, insight into the actor’s craft as they take you through the process of the episode that just aired.

Chris Hardwick mentioned that he was happy to be back after the mid-season break. Greg Nicotero and Danai Gurira were the featured guests and pudding was on the set. That’s about all I’m willing to say, because I don’t like to “spoil” in my blog posts.

I’ll spoil this though – The Walking Dead will be back for a fifth season.

Feb 2 2014

Zombie Bowl – Walking Dead Marathon Sunday Feb. 2, 9am

Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) - The Walking Dead - Season 2. Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) – The Walking Dead – Season 2. Credit: Gene Page/AMC

The Walking Dead Zombie Bowl | Which Walker Scares You Most?.

Watch Sunday’s Walking Dead marathon and you can vote in the “Which Zombie Scares You the Most”  Tournament?

The Well Walker is one my personal favorites, followed by the two Michonne had as pets.

Next Sunday, The Walking Dead is back with new episodes. It’s about time, though I have been enjoying the array of games and articles at the AMC website.

They have this great game where they want you to guess which zombie goes with which season. I did pretty good when I was concentrating and not trying to show off to Eddie, my UPC man. I think I got 100% in Season 1 and then I got cocky.

You can find that feature under Games, Polls and Quizzes at the AMC site. If you’re not already getting the Walking Dead newsletter, you should sign up for that and possibly win some swag.

If you don’t feel like watching zombies on Sunday, there’s always Kittens, Puppies and of course, football. You choose.