What Are The Most Pirated TV Shows of 2010?

Posted on Friday, December 31st, 2010 by Peter Sciretta

Earlier this month we published the list of the most pirated movies of 2010. Today we bring you the listing of the most pirated television series of 2010.  The number one show seems pretty obvious to me…  Any guesses? See the full list after the jump.

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Cool Stuff: Albert Exergian’s Minimalistic Posters for Television Shows

Posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta

If you’ve been reading /Film for a while, then you know my obsession with minimalistic movie poster design. We’ve featured many of these simple 2-4 color streamlined posters on the site in the past, but never anything having to do with television. Graphic artist Albert Exergian has created a bunch of minimalistic posters for some of television’s most popular shows. And while these aren’t as conceptually clever as what I’m used to, I can still appreciate many of these. I’ve included a sample after the jump. You can buy prints of many of these posters for £50.00 on Blanka.

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This Week in DVD & Blu-ray: State of Play, Heroes (Season 3), and More

Posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD & Blu-ray is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD and Blu-ray releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the films at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

STATE OF PLAY
A love note to newspapers and old-school reporting, State of Play overcomes its more conventional aspects–most of which relate to the overall murder mystery/conspiracy plotline–with a fascinating (if not altogether realistic) look at investigative journalism and one man’s attempts to discover the truth. If that too sounds at all familiar to dozens of other thrillers following the lone-protagonist-trying-to-unravel-a-conspiracy story arc, that’s understandable, as even those aspects of the film tread familiar waters. In this particular respect though, the similarities are mostly superficial. Rarely before has the process of finding out information been handled so thoughtfully as in State of Play, and with such great pacing and intelligence. This movie is popcorn entertainment at its finest. On the surface, it’s a thoroughly engaging thriller that’s both well-written and directed, but look past the glossy veneer, and it also addresses a number of thought-provoking issues such as how people consume news and the current state of journalism. It’s well worth a watch.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: DVD & Blu-ray – Making-of featurette and deleted scenes.

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Mystery Team, Richard Kelly, Ninjas and More Invade Comic-Con 2009

Posted on Sunday, June 14th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

As Comic Con approaches, we’ll be learning more and more about what we can expect at this year’s geek fest.

First up, I’ve learned that Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team will not only have a booth on the convention floor, but will be holding a panel and a special sneak preview screening at the con. No word on the exact dates.  Writers/stars Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, producer Meggie McFadden, and director/editor Dan Eckman will be on hand at the panel debuting an all-new Mystery Team short film. On the convention floor:

Come bust kid criminals with Oakdale’s best eighteen-year-old kid detectives the Mystery Team in their storefront slash crime lab.  Meet the filmmakers, take pictures with actual setpieces, and submit a mystery of your own for solving.

Next up, Donnie Darko/Southland Tales director Richard Kelly says he will be making an appearance at the con to promote his upcoming sci-fi thriller The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella. The panel will take place on Friday, July 24th as part of the Warner Bros presentation. Cameron, James and Richard will be in attendance to present a first look at the trailer and “other cool stuff.”

More after the jump.

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Bryan Fuller Tells All About His Return to Heroes

Posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 by Devindra Hardawar

It looks like television mastermind Bryan Fuller is following through with his previously-rumored return to Heroes now that Pushing Daisies has been canceled. And judging from this awesome interview with Michael Ausiello, something tells me we can expect Heroes to get a lot better come the second half of season three. While he has to build off a plotline begun by certain former producers, it’s clear that Fuller has a good sense of Heroes’ current narrative failures and what it takes to remedy them.

On the problems that arose in seasons two and three:

It became too dense and fell into certain sci-fi trappings. For instance, in the “Villains” arc, when you talk about formulas and catalysts, it takes the face off the drama. And I think the goal for everybody is to put a face back on the drama. You have to save something with a face; otherwise you don’t understand what you’re caring about. I thought the “Villains” arc started out very interestingly, and then became sort of muddy and dense and I couldn’t get my hooks into the characters to understand their motivations.

I also started to feel confused about what people’s abilities were. One of the great things about the first season is that the metaphor for their abilities was very clear. Those metaphors seem to have gotten complicated in the past two seasons. I share that concern with everybody on the writing staff. It’s not like I’m coming in and saying, “This is what you need to do to fix it!” Everybody knows what needs to be fixed and everybody is sort of rowing in that direction.

As someone who loved Heroes up until the sucktastic season one finale, I’m glad to hear that somebody on its staff is finally admitting to the show’s problems, and that he has the full support of the other writers to change course. Something also tells me he couldn’t speak as freely about these issues if former producers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander were still involved. I’m fairly certain that their departure, coupled with Fuller’s return, could bring Heroes back to greatness—or at least make it watchable again.

Fuller’s first episode is 3×19, which is the sixth episode of the Fugitives arc set to begin airing early next year. He goes on to mention in the interview that the main characters will finally return to normal, non-super-powered, lives (Peter Patrelli is a paramedic! Claire is college-bound!). Given that I don’t even recognize the characters anymore from their season one counterparts, this is change for the better. We can also expect the show’s narrative to become more focused, with fewer plotlines per-episode.

Fuller plans to stick around for season four, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumps ship to work on another series of his own that will ultimately die because it’s “too good for TV”. Until then, Heroes fans should strap in for a treat. I just hope they remember what good Heroes is like.

Discuss: Are you a Heroes apologist or hater? Do you think Fuller could help bring the show back from the brink of suck? What sort of God cancels Pushing Daisies anyway? Sigh.

Source: EW via Aint It Cool News

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Pushing Daisies Creator Bryan Fuller to Return to Heroes?

Posted on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 by Devindra Hardawar

When Heroes writers/producers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander were ousted from the show, it was clear that series creator Tim Kring was looking to change things up. I personally stopped watching Heroes because it became needlessly confusing and overstuffed—a far cry from what it was throughout most of its first season.

Now Kristin dos Santos is reporting that Kring may be aiming to repeat the golden days of that first season by bringing back Bryan Fuller, an acclaimed television writer who has made a habit of creating cult shows. Fuller created Dead Like Me (though he left due to disagreements with the show’s drection), Wonderfalls (unjustifiably cancelled by Fox), and most recently, the sweetly morbid Pushing Daisies. He was a producer throughout most of season one of Heroes, wrote two of the best episodes of the series (most notably, “Company Man”), and was also responsible for much of Claire’s plotline.

While still unconfirmed, Fuller’s return could be exactly what the show needs right now. It may be difficult to recall today, but season one of Heroes was a refreshingly tight narrative experience (until the finale at least). At the time Lost was muddled in its own convoluted plot machinations, and Heroes served as a sort of anti-Lost for genre television. It’s ironic that today the situation is almost exactly reversed now that Lost is back to kicking ass.

The only issue with Fuller’s return is that he’ll have to spend less time with his current baby, Pushing Daisies. He could balance his time between both shows—it’s certainly not unheard of—but his potential availability may also hint that Pushing Daisies may not return next season, which is something I’m not quite prepared to think about just yet.

Discuss: How do you feel about the state of Heroes? Do you think firing Loeb and Alexander was wise? Do you think Bryan Fuller could restore the show’s former greatness?

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/Filmcast Ep. 24 – Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 by Devindra Hardawar

Dave, Devindra, and Adam fly guest-less in this episode of the /Filmcast, as they cut through the B.S. of Mark Millar’s Superman trilogy pitch, reflect on the career of Sam Mendes, and cry over the lost potential of Joaquin Phoenix’s abruptly terminated acting career.

Have any questions, comments, concerns, feedback, or praise? E-mail us at slashfilmcast@gmail.com or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next next week as we review Role Models.

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[audio:http://bitcast-a.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/filmcast/Slashfilmcastep24.mp3]

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This Week in DVD: Heroes, Entourage, The Shield, What Happens in Vegas, and More

Posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, and Fry’s.

HEROES (SEASON 2)
There’s no question about it, Volume 2 of Heroes offered a major decline in quality compared to the show’s kickass first season. Combining weak new characters (Maya & Alejandro spring to mind) and lackluster plot progressions (such as Sylar losing his powers), the series seemed to be losing its touch all too quickly. Luckily, creator Tim Kring and company took notice of all of the internet backlash, and the second half of the season managed to bring back the show’s A-game. It doesn’t make up for the dull, poorly written earlier episodes, but it’s at least enough to convince audiences to keep watching. Season 2 of the show offers 11 episodes.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Commentaries with cast and crew, deleted scenes, NBC.com featurettes, a ‘Generations’ alternate ending, untold stories, 4 featurettes (‘A New Beginning’, ‘Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint’, ‘Inside The Alternate Ending of Generations’, ‘Genetics of a Scene’), Tim Sale gallery of screen art, and a Season 3 sneak peek.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Deluxe Edition ($32.99) includes 30 minutes of footage and a collectible sketchbook.
Where? Target

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free Limited Edition Kensei Mask with purschase of Exclusive Gift Set ($34.99).
Where? Best Buy

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free film cell.
Where? Circuit City

ENTOURAGE (SEASON 4)
Entourage is a show I love without ever really feeling any deep connection to. Like Hollywood itself, it’s enjoyable to look at and admire but eventually you realize it’s all artificial glitz and glamour and not much actual depth. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because with characters like the hilarious asshole agent Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven), sometimes you just want to kick back, relax, and not have to think too much. Season 4 of the show offers 12 episodes.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Commentary on select episodes, Medellín trailer, US Comedy Arts Festival Panel, and two featurettes (‘The Making of Medellín’, ‘Meet The Newest Member Of Entourage!’).

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Exclusive Cards
Where? Target

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free Skullcandy earbuds on-pack.
Where? Best Buy

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free t-shirt.
Where? Circuit City

THE SHIELD (SEASON 6)
If you listen to the /Filmcast, you’re probably aware of the ongoing debate regarding The Shield’s greatness. While David and Devindra seem to think it’s one of the greatest shows next to The Wire and Battlestar Gallactica, I’ve been slowly and forcefully working my way through the first season with a constantly diminishing amount of interest. Does it get better as it goes on? Or am I just not seeing what everybody else seems to be? Season 6 of the show offers 10 episodes.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Commentary on select episodes, 33 deleted scenes, and 3 featurettes (‘Saturn’s Sons’, ‘Two Directors’, ‘Full Circle: Franka Potente’).

REDBELT
A curious departure from the usual films he makes, writer/director David Mamet’s Redbelt is a martial arts film that follows a self-defense instructor who finds himself the victim of a con and is pressed to enter the ring for pride and profit. Critics have said the movie interweaves action and intelligence in a way that’s not always smooth but is effective overall. It currently holds a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2 on IMDB.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Commentary with David Mamet and Randy Couture, 3 featurettes (‘Behind-the-Scenes of Redbelt’, ‘Inside Mixed Martial Arts’, ‘The Magic of Cyril Takayama’), a Q&A with Mamet, an interview with Dana White (President of the UFC), and Fighter Profiles.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (2-DISC COLLECTOR’S EDITION)
Anybody else suffering from Nightmare Before Christmas overload? It was bad enough when the Hot Topic crowd essentially crowned the film as its holy grail, but recently we’ve been having theatrical 3-D re-releases and video games and all sorts of crap. Don’t get me wrong; the film is one of my childhood favorites, and I love it dearly, but seriously now, let’s tone it down a bit.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Commentary (with producer/writer Tim Burton, director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman), deleted scenes, a storyboard-to-film comparison, a Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour, Burton’s original poem narrated by Christopher Lee, two featurettes, original trailers/posters, the complete short film Vincent, and a digital copy of the film.

Also check out the…

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Extended Jackpot Edition w/ digital copy)
Wacky hijinks ensue when two down on their luck people (a precise neat freak and a messy slacker – what a wacky combo!) get drunk together in Vegas and wake up the next morning married. How wacky! Things only get wackier from there when one of them wins 3 million dollars on a slot machine and they endure all sorts of wacky scenarios fighting over the money. It’s so wacky, the judge even sentences the pair to six months marriage. Good god that is some wacky stuff! Wacky wacky wacky!
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Extras on the 2-disc include a director commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, trailers, and a digital copy of the film.

*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Deluxe Edition ($22.99) – includes exclusive conversation date cards.
Where? Target

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?
Morgan Spurlock’s ill-conceived and simple-minded look at the war on terror spends more time trying to make audiences laugh than educating them, and in the end his schtick overwhelms the film. If all you’re looking to do is chuckle at Spurlock’s antics though, it makes for a decent rental.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Deleted interviews, an alternate ending, and ‘The Animated History of Afghanistan’.

POSTAL
Uwe Boll’s much talked about and debated (by Uwe Boll himself, mostly) new film is finally seeing the light of day after hilariously losing out on its theatrical release alongside Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Critics and audiences are in agreement, Postal is by far Boll’s best film yet. And with a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and 3.6 on IMDB, that just goes to show you how bad his other films really are.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: A director commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes (‘Raging Bull’, ‘Verne Troyer as Indiana Jones’), and a free Postal 2 PC game.

Other noteworthy DVDs available this week…
August – Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Criterion Collection) – Brotherhood of the Wolf (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) – One Tree Hill (Season 5) – NCIS (Season 5) – Everybody Hates Chris (Season 3) – The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning – My Sassy Girl – Purple Violets – Chicago 10 – Virgin Territory

Discuss: What are you planning to rent or buy this week?

NOTE: Some deals may be in-store only.

Exclusive: Free $5 Target GiftCard with purchase of NCIS (Season 5) ($39.99).

Exclusive: Free $5 Target GiftCard with purchase of both The Little Mermaid ($16.99) and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning ($16.99).

EXCLUSIVE RETAIL: Son of Rambow ($19.99) is now available for purchase exclusively at Best Buy.

Exclusive: Free E-Movie Money for Righteous Kill or Traitor with ANY DVD purchase.

Exclusive: Free collectible 3-D cup with purchase of The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning ($15.99).

Exclusive: Free True Blood sampler disc/1st episode with the purchase of any HBO title.

$3.99 – Bottle Rocket, American Psycho (Killer Collector’s Edition), Go, Panic Room, Waiting, Crank, Crash, The Devil’s Rejects, Reservoir Dogs (Special Edition), and more…

$4.99 – The Island, Natural Born Killers, Any Given Sunday, The Italian Job, Training Day, Ace Venture: Pet Detective, Cellular, Blade, The NeverEnding Story, Pleasantville, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Warriors (Director’s Cut), Minority Report, Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, and more…

$3.99 – Spaceballs, The Birdcage, and more…

$6.99 – Fight Club, Little Miss Sunshine, X-Men 1.5, The Fly, Office Space, The French Connection, and more…

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