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Friday, July 26, 2013

1990s pop culture is the best

In case you're not an avid follower of The N-H Book Club, I wanted to let you know you should head over that way to read my review of "Did I Do That? The Best (And Worst) of the '90s" (Abrams Image, 2013). I mean, if you need more reason to read about this book:

author's description of Vanilla Ice

-- Cheryl Sadler | | @nhcheryl


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

#nh140 Animation Domination T-shirt winner

Congratulations to Charity Herb Katz, whose tweet was selected as the winner in our #nh140 contest to get an Animation Domination T-shirt:

Follow @newsheraldinoh to stay tuned for our next @nh140 contest.

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Monday, July 22, 2013

Dennis Farina: The 'Oh that guy!'

It's a sad day for the movie world as popular character actor Dennis Farina passed away at the age of 69 on Monday.

Farina played numerous roles in movies and TV. Some of my favorites were as Detective Joe Fontana on "Law & Order" and as Jennifer Lopez's father in the 1998 film "Out of Sight."

He was one of the great character actors of all-time. An actor when you saw him on TV or in a movie, you said, "Oh, that guy!"

For me, Farina will always be remembered as Jimmy Serrano, the gangster in the hilarious Robert DeNiro film "Midnight Run." If you've never seen it - it hit the big screen 25 years ago last weekend in 1988 - check it out immediately.

It's easily one of the hidden gems of 1980 films, and Farina is a big reason why. His one-liners aren't fit for publication here, but they are classic and hilarious.

Somewhere, Moron No. 1 and Moron No. 2 are in mourning.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo

Thursday, July 18, 2013

What I've been watching

Summer isn't usually a hot time for TV, and the summer movie season has a been a downright disappointment. (That means you Man of Steel).

Still, there's plenty out there to watch and be entertained, if you look hard enough. Here's what caught my eye lately:

"BEWARE THE BATMAN": The newest take on the Dark Knight debuted on Cartoon Network last week, and it didn't disappoint. The TV show is computer generated, which had many fans outraged, but the look is something different and sleek. Two things I really liked: Alfred is a former MI-6 agent and a tough guy, and this Batman takes a beating, like he's learning on the fly to a superhero. It's been reported the normal line of villains won't be in this Batman universe, which is refreshing. Let's see if these new baddies hold a candle to the Joker, Catwoman and the Riddler.

TRAILER FOR "SAVING MR. BANKS": I stumbled across this, mostly because I'm a big Tom Hanks fans. "Saving Mr. Banks" is set for a Dec. 13 release, and the film is the back story of how Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" came to the big screen. Hanks looks magical as Walt Disney and the film looks like a possible Oscar favorite. Check out the trailer below:

"THE IMPOSSIBLE": This gut-wreching film starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor tells the story of a family caught in the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. If you have children this one might be tough to get through but the pay-off comes at the end.

"THE INTOUCHABLES": No, not "The Untouchables" with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. "The Intouchables" is a heart-warming French film about two lost souls who forge an unlikely friendship. The 2011 film stars Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy, and reminds me a lot of "Rain Man." You won't be disappointed.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Heat wave songs playlist

In need of a soundtrack for today's scorching weather?

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Monday, July 15, 2013

#nh140: Win an Animation Domination T-shirt

The folks over at Fox's Animation Domination sent us a press kit that included a T-shirt we'd like to give away:

News-Herald model/Staff Writer Simon Husted

It's a baseball-style, three-quarter length T that's primarily white with blue sleeves. The design on the front is a pizza with faces on it (I don't get that, but if you watch the network's block of animated shows, maybe it makes sense to you). It's size large 50 50 shirt from American Apparel, so it's super soft and machine washable. And it's pretty easy to win!

To enter the contest:

  1. Sign up for a Twitter account
  2. Follow @newsheraldinoh
  3. Tweet a favorite (short) quote from one of the shows in the Animation Domination block, and include the hashtag #nh140. (Credit the show/character if you have enough room in your tweet!)
  4. Do this as many times as you'd like between now and 5 p.m. July 22. That's when we'll pick our favorite quote as the winning tweet.
  5. Tell your friends! (optional, but encouraged!)
Yes, this contest coincides with Comic-Con in San Diego, which is July 18-21, with a preview night July 17. Fox has some of its own panels and events going on related to Animation Domination, so fans should be sure to check out for schedules, breaking news, photos, videos and more information on tweets and live coverage.

-- Cheryl Sadler | | @nhcheryl

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