Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Think seven Saw films are enough? The filmmakers think you are WRONG!

• Star Wars: Episode One candy? Your taste buds can’t repel flavor of this magnitude. Or can they when Jar Jar is involved?

• Don’t understand Inception? Don’t worry, perhaps this Scrooge McDuck comic will help you.

• We can’t tell if the episode is going to be painful or hilarious, but this new image from Jusin Beiber’s appearance on CSI may say it all.

• It’s the 25th Anniversary of both Real Genius and Weird Science, so of course it begs the question “Who would win in a fight?”

• Tired of worrying if some stranger will take your seat because you got up for 5 seconds? These guys have you covered.

• Because we love lists almost as much as you do, here’s the 10 Songs That Movies Need To Stop Using.

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Way back in October of 2009 I wrote an article entitled “Is Twitter the New Film Critic?“  I now know the answer to that question is “yes.” My theory was that with so many people talking about movies on Twitter it may be possible to assess the success or failure of a film based on film-goers opinions. Twitter commentary could feasibly act as a barometer for new releases and be the best movie critic to date.

I’m kicking myself for not acting on that idea because now someone beat me to the punch. TechCrunch brings word of a new site called fflick; a movie “review” site that taps into Twitter and determines how well films are trending on the social site by analyzing how often the film is mentioned:

“…you’ll find the Positive and Negative tweets, which display a list of tweets that the site has automatically categorized using its sentiment engine. After looking through a handful of movies, I found that the system was pretty good at identifying both negative and positive tweets, though there were occasionally some tweets that were only mentioning a film in passing or were mis-categorized.”

Having gone through some of the current film ratings myself on fflick I have to say the site reflected what I would consider to be the true sentiment regarding a particular film.  The way in which this process works is not unlike movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• The Fantastic Four reboot is still happening, and now with a completely CG Thing.

• We can’t wait for Stone’s Social Network, but these parody posters are pretty damned entertaining as well.

• Because we love lists, Adult Swim brings us a list of the Most Invasive Surgeries on the network. Mind you, this is before Children’s Hospital aired.

• Leonardo DiCaprio has passed on Mel Gibson’s viking picture. We can only imagine what that phone call sounded like.

• Want do get women like Don Draper? The Mad Men School of Seduction can help.

• The second half of Caprica‘s first season gets a trailer, and it looks pretty cool.

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Are you a Star Wars nerd? Do we need to ask? Here’s 19 Things You Didn’t Know about Star Wars.

• Here’s the opening to Transformers 3. Yeah, not impressed either.

• The Betty White conquest of Hollywood continues. Next stop: Community.

• Thinking about a DROID X? Here’s some first impressions on the device.

• See, Peter Jackson was just like you and made movies when he was a kid. Of course, his were way better.

• In case you missed it, the Harvey Award nominees were announced.

• Like hot chicks in leather with guns? Obviously, director Zack Snyder does.

• Here’s some photos from the vampire movie Priest. It doesn’t look all that great but at least there’s no Rpat.

• Like Star Wars? How about Princess Leia? How about hot models pretending to be Princess Leia in a modernized “Slave Leia” outfit? Yep.

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• A fan-made alternate ending to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has surfaced. Michael Bay would love this one.

• Of course there is a real life Kick-Ass, and he prefers to be called “The Viper”.

• Kevin Bacon is allegedly in talks to be the main villain in X-Men: First Class. No word on who he’ll play, we just hope it’s not the same character he played in The Woodsman.

• Just in case you weren’t excited enough for The Expendables, here’s an 8-bit video game to keep you occupied.

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Watch any regular television show these days and you’ll probably find the sets become as important as the characters themselves.  There’s comfort in knowing you’ll be returning to a familiar place from week-to-week.  Covert Affairs is no different and has crafted a number of unique locales viewers will certainly enjoy seeing each week.

Whether it’s something as innocent as Annie Walker’s (Piper Perabo) bedroom or the technology laden operations center of the Domestic Protection Division (DPD) the attention to detail is nothing short of spectacular.  While the sets we walked through are different from the locations used in the pilot episode, the modifications and “upgrades” are impressive.  Did I mention how awesome the DPD set is?  Even if I did let me say again, it’s awesome!

There doesn’t seem to be much to it all looking from the outside in.  I whole lot of wooden beams and plastic backdrops beneath dozens of lights where a ceiling should be.  Turn a corner, however, and you suddenly find yourself walking through the foyer of the Central Intelligence Agency.  It’s quite an experience and credit has to be given to the set designers and trades people that put these sets together.

On a side note, while they were not available the day of our visit I wanted to mention some of the other great actors that round out the Covert Affairs cast: Peter Gallagher (Californication, The O.C.), Kari Matchett (Leverage, Criminal Minds) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes) all bring great talent to this new series.

So, in conclusion to our coverage of Covert Affairs here are some pictures of the sets after the jump you’re sure to enjoy when the series premiers.  Also, thanks to NBC, USA Network, New Media Strategies, and the cast and crew of Covert Affairs for making our visit possible.  We look forward to the premiere Tuesday, July 13.  Make sure to check it out!

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During The Flickcast’s set visit to USA Network’s new series Covert Affairs we spoke with Executive Producer Doug Liman about the origins of the show.  Following that we had the opportunity to speak with three of the show’s regulars, Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Harper’s Island), Anne Dudek (House, Mad Men) and Piper Perabo (The Prestige, Coyote Ugly).  All the interviews took place on the Covert Affairs sets in Toronto, Canada.

One thing every good television show needs is a lead character that can be relatable to viewers yet embrace the hyper-real world of fiction.  Piper Perabo, as Annie Walker, on Covert Affairs blends these two elements seamlessly.  While thoroughly convincing as a rookie CIA Officer she’s equally well-rounded as a down-to-Earth friend to Christopher Gorham’s Auggie and sister to Anne Dudek’s Danielle.  In short, Perabo effortlessly draws the audience into her world of intrigue, action and drama on Covert Affairs.

As easy as Perabo makes her performance on the series look there is a significant amount of reality behind the character of Annie Walker.  While the scripts themselves carry with them a healthy dose of real world exposition, Perabo was fortunate enough to actually do her own research for the role at the Central Intelligence Agency itself in Langley, Virginia.

Interestingly enough, it was the day-to-day details of the people that worked for the CIA that became more relevant than work specifics as Perabo explained:

“…I went and I met agents who are my age who work in the field, women, and got to talk to them.  Not just about—the funny thing is the things that they can’t talk about aren’t really the things that I, you know, I don’t need to know where your stationed or what you’re doing.  But my questions were more like, ‘What kind of car do you drive?  Does your boyfriend know what you do? Do your parents?’

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During The Flickcast’s set visit to USA Network’s new series Covert Affairs we spoke with Executive Producer Doug Liman about the origins of the show. Following that we had the opportunity to speak with three of the show’s regulars, Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Harper’s Island), Anne Dudek (House, Mad Men) and Piper Perabo (The Prestige, Coyote Ugly).  All the interviews took place on the Covert Affairs sets in Toronto, Canada.

Playing to the extreme opposite of Christopher Gorham’s CIA Officer, Auggie Anderson, is Anne Dudek as Danielle.  Older sister to Piper Perabo’s lead character of Annie Walker, Dudek balances the intense CIA action with a life in which the biggest challenge is getting her kids to school on time.

Don’t let the pedestrian existence of domestic bliss fool you, Dudek explains the critical part she plays in the world of Covert Affairs:

“I mean you know the sisterly relationship that, it’s a little more than that because Danielle sort of feels motherly in a way that’s a little inappropriate towards Annie.

But then also, Annie really needs Danielle and they really do need each other.  And so I think it’s sort of like well, there’s this huge lie in the middle of this really vital relationship.

And what would happen if that really came out?  But everything Danielle knows about her sister is like a complete lie and that’s what’s being built is this web of lies.  And so it is a support system that if it breaks down, I mean, it’s going to be really, really bad news.”

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During The Flickcast’s set visit to USA Network’s new series Covert Affairs we spoke with Exec. Producer Doug Liman about the origins of the show.  Following that we had the opportunity to speak with three of the show’s regulars, Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Harper’s Island), Anne Dudek (House, Mad Men) and Piper Perabo (The Prestige, Coyote Ugly).  All the interviews took place on the Covert Affairs sets in Toronto, Canada.

Christopher Gorham plays Auggie Anderson on Covert Affairs.  The resident technology expert, the role lends itself to being the bridge between the audience and how the tech on the show works.  Based on this, one would think Gorham was a natural geek, but according to him that’s not the case:

The Flickcast: Being surrounded by that, being that kind of character on the show, how well versed are you in technology?  Like, are you anywhere near what Auggie is, or are you-

Chris Gorham: Nowhere-first of all, nowhere near.

TF: No?

CG: Second of all, nowhere near what I wish I knew.  Thirdly, nowhere near where I need to be, because my kids are getting older quick.

One would think getting your head around hi-tech gadgets would be a challenge but that pales in comparison to one important element of Gorham’s character-the fact that he’s blind.  In preparation for the role Gorham worked extensively with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB):

“I was working on a film in Michigan right before the pilot, and literally came straight here from there. So I hadn’t had any time at home to really do the research that I would normally do. So I called ahead and found the – well, I found the CNIB on the Internet, and called ahead to the production office and asked them if they could hook me up with somebody over there.

And they did – a lovely woman named Leslie McDonald who came out. And we had two sessions during the pilot, where the first one she came out and just went over things like sighted lead, and working with the cane, and a lot of just behavioural things about how to get around.”

Having seen a number of actors take on roles in which they portray blind characters I can tell you Gorham is exceptional.  Be that as it may, Gorham is quick to emphasise that while Auggie is blind that does not diminish him in contrast to other characters:

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Mel Gibson is, apparently, still a racist. Who knew? Oh yeah, we did.

• You will not see any more Sex and the City movies. Yes, try to console yourself.

• Do you like Toy Story? How about porn? If so, this is for you.

• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens bigger than The Dark Knight. Suck it nerds.

• In other movie news, people really hate The Last Airbender.

• Here’s a preview of that show where people act stupid and have stupid nicknames. Which one? Take you’re pick.

• Apparently, men are attracted to women with small feet. Really, it’s science and stuff.

• Apple is apparently reworking the Apple TV yet again. When do we abandon this device and move on?

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USA Networks’ new series Covert Affairs doesn’t premiere until July 13, but The Flickcast was invited to Toronto to check out the set and talk to some of the cast.  There’s too much content to put in one post so we thought it was best to break this up over several articles.  Getting things started is this interview with Covert Affairs Executive Producer Doug Liman.

Even if you haven’t heard of Liman but are into the spy genre there’s a high probability you’ve seen one of his films.  Liman directed the first of the Bourne trilogy films and produced the other two.  He also produced Mr. and Mrs. Smith and is currently working on Fair Game; the true story of CIA spy Valerie Plame Wilson whose identity was revealed by the White House to allegedly discredit her husband.

With all that on Liman’s film resume it’s no surprise he was drawn to a TV series about spies.  Ultimately, however, it was working on Fair Game that became the driving force behind Covert Affairs. According to Liman:

“…in doing the research for Fair Game, we got access to a lot of current and former covert officers with the CIA. And most of the material that we were learning about had no place in the movie, unless I wanted the movie to be 10 hours long. And so we had this huge treasure trove of just sort of cool factoids.

And you know, that stuff is, you know, it was just like the perfect timing to be developing a TV show in the same arena at the same time, because we’ve just taken all the research that, you know, wasn’t appropriate for Fair Game and just channeled it right into Covert Affairs.”

While at their core Covert Affairs and Fair Game are about the CIA both spin the material in completely different directions. While Covert Affairs plays to the strengths of the CIA and what they do to protect the nation, Fair Game definitely represents the Agency in a moment of weakness.

This distinction was not lost on Liman as he explained the differences:

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

Jimmy Kimmel brings us a phenomenon of pop icons clashing in The Jersey Shore Saga: Friggin’ Twilight.

We’ve been to Comic-Con, so our standards for costumes are pretty high. This General Grevious costume still takes the cake.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone Magazine has seen Inception, and he says you’ll love it.

The Food Network can be pretty boring for non-foodies, but unnecessarily censoring parts of it can make it fun in a whole new way.

Megan Fox is campaigning to play Rainmaker in a Gen 13 movie. Considering how Jonah Hex went, shouldn’t she just stop?

The world of independent film keeps growing in quality and professionalism, and the newest film The 3rd Letter is proof of just that.

What if Nintendo made Halo 3? Only hilarity, that’s what.

In other Twilight news, Robert Pattinson is allegedly a descendant of Dracula. With that brow, our first guess would’ve been Frankenstein’s Monster.

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