There’s nothing particularly sophisticated or deep about Get Smart, which makes the mistake of substituting excessive amounts of wince-inducing physical comedy for the the brilliant scripts and razor-sharp satire of the 1960s TV series. Still, as EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum notes in her review, it does a creditable job of getting close to the spirit of the original. What really makes the movie worth seeing, though is the comic timing and chemistry between tech geek Bruce (Masi Oka, right) and analyst Lloyd (Nate Torrence, left).
Which is why "Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control", due out on July 1, unexpectedly figures on this week’s Must List. Unexpectedly, because this straight-to-DVD release had slipped straight under my radar. I can only presume a reluctance by the producers to divert attention by promoting a second Get Smart project on the go, yet the notion of an insta-spinoff does reek of cashing in while the iron is hot. Still, if the performances of Oka and Torrence in the feature are anything to go by, the DVD could prove a surprise success. Keep an eye out as well for Patrick Warburton as Hymie, an android agent familiar to viewers of the original series, who pops up briefly in the feature and, being Warburton, is the undisputed star any time he’s on screen.
Your turn, PopWatchers: Which three picks from the world of current movies/TV/music/books/games/online make your Must List this week? Please include your e-mail address in case we choose your submission for the magazine. You’ll need to list your choices by 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 26, or they’ll forever remain in the PopWatch cone of silence.
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1. book: “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex” by Mary Roach. Takes a look at the history of sexual research in a very funny and illuminating manner (but not like that, you pervert!).
2. music: new album from the Veronicas called “Hook Me Up.” Pure dance pop fun!
3. tv: So You Think You Can Dance: the only reason to turn on my tv in the summertime!
Oops, posting to include email.
1. Book: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, by Joshilyn Jackson. Utterly compelling as a mystery and a family drama…I inhaled it in less than two days (and I have a full-time job!).
Two picks for TV:
2. So You Think You Can Dance: the talent and versatility displayed by these performers never ceases to thrill, delight and amaze me.
3. Jon & Kate Plus 8: a recent discovery of mine. Fascinating dynamics and personalities–and the kids are absolutely adorable.
I usually write three things in each week, praying and hoping I make publication. But this week, I’ve been raving left and right about one thing, so I might as well throw that in the running.
Girl Talk – Feed the Animals.
It’s been two year’s since Girl Talk’s last album (2006’s Night Ripper) and believe me – the wait was well worth it. Gregg Gillis’ genius runs through each track, blending what seems like hundreds of familiar beats and lyrics to create the ultimate mixtape. Who would have thought Dexy’s Midnight Runners and DJ Kool would make so much sense together? Fun, smart, sassy, and available now at a “pay what you want” policy of Illegal Art’s website until the official September release, Girl Talk has made my summer!
Laurie Notaro’s new book “The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death.” Another hilarious collection of tales from the queen of the Idiot Girls.
The Middleman – clever tv show to curb the summer doldrums.
Like the shows before them(e.g. Bones-Booth and Brennen, X-Files-Mulder and Scully, or even L&O:SVU-Stabler and Benson) the chemistry between Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon and Fred Weller as Marshall Mann is genuine, and is one of the many reasons why I love In Plain Sight. EW could you do a T.V. watch for In Plain Sight?
watching Burn Notice on Hulu.com!
1. Amos Lee’s Last Days at the Lodge – The most richly textured of the soul-folk artists.
2. Reaper reruns on The CW – Summer heats up with the fiendlishly funny.
3. Antonio Sabato Jr.’s “comeback” on Celebrity Circus and GH: Night Shift – Still shirtless after all these years.
1) Going back to the beginning of BSG and watching it all come together.
2) Skins Series 2
3) The F Word Series 4
Must See Movie: The Hulk. Finally, a Marvel movie that can mix style and substance into an easy to watch and perfectly paced piece of popcorn fare. Well worth watching.
Must eat Food: Good Stuff Eatery in DC. Now that Spike from Top Chef has moved to the nation’s Capitol, we’re only a few weeks away from watching the nation’s fat cats get a little fatter.
Must follow trend: Scooters! Classic Vespas and maxi scooters are at the top of the hierarchy, but now that summer’s hot and gas is $4 a gallon, it seems buzzy two wheelers are everywhere!
music – A Guide to Love, Loss, and Depression by The Wombats. LOVE this album! Catchy, pop-y fun with some pretty funny lyrics. Fun album all around.
tv – WIPEOUT!! Watching people willingly compete in a giant obstacle course and then, well, wipeout, is too funny for words.
I’m kinda disappointed that someone mentioned it below, but Burn Notice on hulu.com! The best 12 hours I’ve spent in a day all summer! Another thing: all the Arrested Development’s are also on hulu.com and I’m very angry at myself that I didn’t pitch in and help try to get it back on the air. I’ve never laughed out loud in every episode of a television show before A.D.!!
I’m kinda disappointed that someone else mentioned this below, but Burn Notice on hulu.com! The best 12 hours I’ve spent in a day all summer! And I got to give a shout out to Arrested Development (which is also available on hulu) and how angry I am that I didn’t pitch in back in the day and help try getting it back on the air. Never has a television show made me laugh out loud during every episode! Thanks to EW for the lowdown on hulu!
Is Shant Fabricatorian an actual person? I shant believe it. It must be fabricated.
OK, I don’t have any Must List suggestions, but I had no idea Patrick Warburton was cast as Hymie. PERFECT!
Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series. Book five! July 8! [/incoherent squeeing]
Best Summer Promo- the gents from Psych singing Ebony and Ivory. The clip can be found on the USA website.
I second the Psych ‘Ebony and Ivory’ promo. It’s a clever commercial and Psych is a hilarious, goofy show. I can’t wait for July!
Music: Sigur Ros’s new cd: Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly–in English)and may they play endlessly for all eternity, the cd, like all their previous, its simply breathtaking.
Eye Candy; Madonna’s “Give 2 Me” video, the song is insanely catchy and the video is hot, I can only hope my girlfriends ages quite as good.
TV: rewatching the whole BSG Series looking for clues.
Has anyone mentioned Rihanna and Maroon 5’s “If I Ever See Your Face Again”? Hottest single of the summer, or at least MY summer. That Adam Levine is a nice-looking guy.
And Arrested Development re-runs. All these Hancock plugs with Jason Bateman make me miss the sweet and sour family comedy all the more (2009 Movie, oh yeah!)
and Get Smart was awesome. Carell + Hathaway = comedy gold. and I like physical comedy. Steve Carell is awesome at it, and Get Smart was the most entertaining 1 hr and 50 min I’ve spent in a theater in a long, long while.
Mary on I Survived a Japanese Game Show – so adorable – you HAVE to like her. But you don’t have to admit to watching it.
I love the new millenium! Where else can you have so much nostalgia about items like the iPod you are listening to right now? And long live Bushisms!
I third the Psych promo! There are three people now; it has to go on the list. : )
Best webseries ever: Take Me Back http://www.tmbtheseries.com
‘Greek’ – I came to it late, because, well…it’s on ABC Family! But don’t make the same mistake. Other people can have ‘Gossip Girl’. I’ll stick to this show with it’s witty banter, keg parties, and entertaining characters.
Jennifer Hudson’s Spotlight. Great hook, catchy, and not to mention J Hud’s amazing voice. She looks fierce in the video too.
– The Garden of Last Days, by Andre Dubus III – The ‘Beach read for the intellectual’ from the author of House of Sand and Fog comes highly recommended by EW’s own Stephen King.
– Wanted, by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones – Now that you’ve seen the movie, delve into the graphic novel from which it is based on to see how completely different — but still, to borrow from another one of Millar’s comic books, ‘Kick-ass’ — it really is.
– The “Wall-E” soundtrack, by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman – Newman, the ‘Finding Nemo’ composer, continues to uphold the high quality standards of Pixar’s music.
1) I’ll third Burn Notice, but for me it was the DVDs. Not only did I watch the episodes for a third (fourth for some of them) time, but a lot of the commentary is really funny. The cast is great with amazing chemistry.
2. I agree about the Psych promo, but I’d expand it to cover all of the USA promos. They always do a great job with them, like the cross-over promo between Law & Order: CI and In Plain Sight. I actually stop fast-forwarding on my TiVo to watch their promos (and find myself viewing old ones on YouTube). In this technological age, that is a sign of good advertising!
Film: Blue State- because even this moderate Republican fell in love with its honesty and charm.
Music: Jon McLaughlin, “Beating My Heart”- as a pianist, he is in a league of his own, and his songs never fail to highlight both his compositional and vocal abilities
Book: “Grill It,” Bobby Flay- because who doesn’t need a fantastic summer cookbook filled with tasty and creative grilled dishes
1. The new teaser for Joss Whedon’s webmusical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog – THE event of the summer!
2. “Way Back When” by Nathan Leigh Jones.