Jo-Link

The AV Club holds it’s third annual film poll.

We love Ellen Page here and indeed, it seems The Guardian has also fallen pray to her cheeky charms.

I also love rotund Spanish genius Guillermo Del Toro and he has been linked to yet more projects.

Now I know you’re all sat there wondering, ‘what will Slate writers be reading this winter?’ Well folks, by clicking on the highlighted portion of this very sentence, you can instantly find out.

PopMatters also picks out some books, this time the finest they experienced throughout the previous twelve month period we oh so love to know as a year.

Microsoft has bid $44.6bn for Yahoo. Which seems like quite a lot doesn’t it? Isn’t Yahoo rubbish now? Hmm…

Entertainment Weekly selects a few choice action movie one liners. To be honest, it’s a little rubbish because not once is Arnie noted for his Commando, Running Man or Batman and Robin work. Poor show EW, poor show.

To background this, Jimmy Kimmel had a running joke on his show about inviting on Matt Damon and then running out of time. Probably the funniest gags ever done involving that fat lump of idiocy. Until now, although this doesn’t really involve him. This one is all about Sarah Silverman, Matt Damon and coming clean. Enjoy.

Here’s a very good list of the twenty meanest love songs. Despite this, REM’s ‘One I Love’ used to be among the most played songs at weddings despite being an exploration of love as a throwaway commodity. People are great.

M Ward discusses his working with doe-eyed indie siren Zooey Deschanel on a very anticipated album for E&L.

Newsweek is calling for finality to come to the Oscars. I agree, it’s time to put that golden fool down once and for all.

Cracked.com theorises on what might get nominated for the Oscars next year if the strike fails to be resolved. A couple of them sound great.

Lupe, Lil Wayne, MadLib; all good practitioners in the hip hop game. Better though, Bill Cosby.

The Washington Post adds its name to the list of publications which loved 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

Barack versus Hillary played out calmly with no blows truly landed. The International Herald Tribune discusses.

Here’s a clip of Les Savy Fav playing ‘Patty Lee’ on Conan. They rule.

Josh Hartnett in a martial arts movie, you say? Tell me more.

Milk, Gus Van Sant’s new movie about Harvey Milk, is looking very cool and CHUD has some pics of Emile Hirsch sporting a wig for his role.

Marc Jacobs, Betty’s fashion Jesus, played out an homage to himself in NY last night.

Deerhunter and the Black Lips have had their respective frontmen unite to deliver collaborative tuneage.

TV – 08/10 – 14/10

First off a shout out to something that’s on tonight – Louis Theroux: Under The Knife is on at 9pm on BBC 2 and should be an interesting look at plastic surgery… I can’t believe he went and got liposuction himself thought. It’s a little insane…

Anyway, here’s Beth’s choices for the upcoming week:

The second part of Stephen Fry: HIV and Me Tuesday, 9pm, BBC2, should be as good as the first part. He takes in a trip to Uganda to find out about the many issues that are making the battle with the disease so hard over there. I’d read or watch or listen to everything he has to say…

Skins, Tuesday, 10pm, Channel4.

This episode is a fantastic end to the first series of the best British show for teenagers on telly. The distinctly annoying Tony finally gets the comeuppance he’s deserved throughout the entire series, Sid and Cassie are adorable, and the musical number right at the end is BRILLIANT! See it here if you can’t wait…

Sam thinks:

Californication, Thursday, 10pm, Five

Channel Five continues its tradition of purchasing decent if unspectacular US imports with this sex-dramedy starring David Duchovny. From the eight episodes I’ve already seen, it’s never heartstopping stuff but its consistently watchable, very funny and, at times, quite sweet. Kudos too for making Natasha McElhone less annoying than she normally is. Be warned though, the first episode will not make you fall in love.

30 Rock, Thursday, 10.45pm, Five

SNL-alum Tiny Fey, who wrote Mean Girls, creates a succinct comedy about a comedy show. It takes some time to find it’s feet but its all propelled during the tough times by Alec Baldwin’s titanic performance as Jack Donaghy, the new station boss.

Emmylou Harris Night, Friday, from 8pm, BBC4

A niche one really but if you love to hear countrified, crystalline beauty in song, check out this night worth of performances. The stuff from the 90s should be most interesting, when she worked with U2-associate Daniel Lanois and produced some breathtaking, career-topping music. Sample her on YouTube to for a taster before the main event.

Also deemed worthy of recommendation:

Charlie Brooker’s Screen Wipe 10pm, BBC4 – anger, sarcasm, piss-taking and bile, always funny. Check out some of his latest columns here.

Give The Sarah Silverman Programme 9pm, Paramount Comedy a try and see if her humour hits your giggle button, there’s songs!

P.S. If you’re still watching and loving Ugly Betty then check out this interview with Michael Urie and Becki Newton (aka Marc and Amanda) as they play up to their on-screen alter-egos…