Win Win
Directed by Tom McCarthy
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey, Alex Shaffer
Release: March 18, 2011

Reciprocity is what we find in all of director Tom McCarthy‘s films and very rarely found in others’ films. He is a filmmaker who recognizes and spotlights individuals who are of two molds: caretakers and people who need taken care of. What defines a film by McCarthy, though, is his ability to make a character both caretaker and one who needs to be taken care of. His two previous films, The Station Agent and The Visitor, displayed individuals who were emotionally destroyed and in shameful situations. But yet there still remained in them a spark of life that has the ability to make the necessary preparations for getting themselves and others whose lives have been stifling out of a grievous situation. Win Win is no different. The film doesn’t see the human spirit as triumphant, and while that may sound bleak it is the foundation in which McCarthy constructs his films on. He evaluates his characters in a burdensome state only to find in them qualities that may allow them to rise against adversity.

Win Win, a comedy-drama that takes into consideration the fragility of the human spirit, is a small film with, sad to say, small ambitions. It plays it safe with the material it has while room for expansion is evident and much encouraged. McCarthy doesn’t magnify his material but rather keeps it subdued while we want more emotion, especially when we have actors capable of exploiting their internal and external frustrations.

The most wonderful time of the year is once again upon us. The Christmas season is here and with that comes Christmas TV episodes!

For the 25 days leading up til Christmas Day this month, we spotlighted some of the best Christmas-themed episodes from some of Geek culture’s greatest shows, covering different shows and episodes and encouraging you to watch along with us. We’re on our final day of our countdown – Christmas Day!

So come one, come all, to the 25 Days of Geek TV Christmas!

Saturday, December 25th, 2010 – Day 25: Arrested Development

Season 2, Episode 6: “Afternoon Delight”
Directed by: Jason Bateman
Written by: Abraham Higginbotham and Chuck Martin
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Mae Whitman, Charlie Hartsock, Tom Saunders, Jim Gaines Sullivan, Al Eisenmann, and J.J. Wall
Original Air Date: December 19, 2004

You can stream the episode over at Hulu or watch it right here below! You can also purchase a copy of the episode at Amazon or iTunes.

The most wonderful time of the year is once again upon us. The Christmas season is here and with that comes Christmas TV episodes!

For the 25 days leading up til Christmas Day this month, we’ll be spotlighting some of the best Christmas-themed episodes from some of Geek culture’s greatest shows. Each day we’ll cover different shows and episodes and encourage you to watch along with us. So come one, come all, to the 25 Days of Geek TV Christmas!

Friday, December 24th, 2010 – Day 24: Arrested Development

Season 1, Episode 8: “In God We Trust”
Directed by: Joe Russo
Written by: Abraham Higgenbotham
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Liza Minnelli, Patricia Velasquez, Sam Pancake, Blaine Pate, B.W. Gonzalez, John Michael Higgins, and Henry Winkler
Original Air Date: December 14, 2003

You can also purchase a copy of the episode at Amazon or iTunes.

Today’s Gold Box spotlight deal of the day over at Amazon is Arrested Development – The Complete Series on DVD for $27.99 (that’s 69% off the list price of of $82.49.)

Note, this sale is valid only for today, Wednesday, December 8, 2010 until midnight PST, while supplies last.

This is all three seasons on 8 discs of the Fox television comedy shot mockumentary-style and narrated by Ron Howard. The show stars Jason Bateman as the only normal seed in his dysfunctional family of Jeffrey Tambor, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, David Cross, Jessica Walter, and Michael Cera.

Each season comes separately in its own case and all seasons include commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, and blooper reels. Additionally, Season 1 contains the never-aired extended pilot, Ron Howard’s inside look at Arrested Development, and a Making Of featurette; Season 2 has a video over of Season 1 and “The Immaculate Election” campaign videos; and Season 3 has a “The Last Day on Location” featurette.

The cast of Paul, the upcoming sci-fi comedy by Superbad director Greg Mottola and written by the film’s stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, took to the stage at 2010 San Diego Comic-Con to debut a special clip reel made specifically for the fans in attendance. This can be somewhat verified by the fact that it wasn’t censored for the general viewing audience due to the few instances of well-timed cursing.

The video opened with a loud pop from the crowd as they showed fanboys Clive Gollings (Frost) and Graeme Willy (Pegg) in the San Diego Convention Center for Comic-Con. The two are on a journey to Roswell, New Mexico, where they encounter a classic-style gray alien named Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen. The trio are being chased by Special Agent Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman) and Agent Haggard (Bill Hader) and accidentally kidnap Ruth Buggs, played by Kristen Wiig.

With the exception of Wiig, the aforementioned actors sat on the panel along with Sigourney Weaver, Jeffrey Tambor, and Joe Lo Truglio — who actually stood in during the portions of the film that contained the CGI Paul.