Entertainment Link-Off: Avengers Assemble

The Avengers are here! That’s pretty much the wide release of significance this weekend. While it might be an obvious choice to kick start this with Scarlett Johansson, but let’s do a bit of Can-Con and kick off the ELO with Cobie Smulders.

After the jump, new trailers galore, some more Avengers stuff, Community marathon is on the way, and imagine this summer’s blockbusters as indie flicks. Continue reading

Wednesday Link-Off: Mind Over Matter

I don’t know if you’ve heard but Kate Upton is kind of a big deal. I think that’s a case of matter over mind, actually.

North Korean media thinks the President of South Korea has a brain capacity of 2 MB. They’ve misunderestimated him a bit. Scientists believe that the human brain is capable of capacity in the terabytes. (Slate)

Want to ramp up your processing power? In your head, I mean. I’m still not done with your brain. Here are nine ways to make yourself smarter. (Gizmodo)

Looking for a real-life spy thriller? An inquest into the death of an MI6 agent has all the elements you would expect from a classic British spy novel. (New York Times)

After the jump, Deadspin exposes another ESPN employee, stories about the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the stories of some of most famous hackers of today. Continue reading

Sunday Link-Off: Missing The Mark

Around here, we like to keep you apprised of the latest Canadian talent. The latest up-and-comer is Michea Crawford. And it’s pretty easy to see that she’s going to be in our 2013 Hottest Canadian bracket.

As a robot, Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper has trouble grasping such things as distasteful comments and facts. He accused the NDP of being pro-Hitler in 1939. That was a fabrication because the NDP didn’t exist until 1961. Anyway, the Canadian people weren’t willing to let him get away with such a ridiculous statement. (CBC News)

Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream is up for sale this week. It’s estimated auction value is over $80 million. (Wall Street Journal)

ESPN is so busy trying to seem like a proper bunch of journalists that they’re forgetting basic journalistic principles. A recent report suggests that ESPN has no actual evidence that the New Orleans Saints wiretapped other teams. (Awful Announcing)

After the jump, how the NBA and WWE are similar, how husbands/wives feel about movie sex scenes and a Star Wars lip dub. Continue reading

Entertainment Link-Off: Worth the Wait

So I was away last week and Steve took over the Entertainment Link-Off once again in my absence. Anyway, I’m back with your weekly edition of the ELO. In theatres this weekend… well… there’s The Avengers! Oh wait, it’s not out in North America yet. Tough. In the meantime, I suppose you could go watch The Five Year Engagement featuring Emily Blunt.

After the jump a red band trailer for The Five Year Engagement, MTV Movie Awards getting a reboot, news on the development of Arrested Development, moviegoers like 3D, new look at Prometheus and a special interview with Jayesslee courtesy of comedian David So. Continue reading

Wednesday Link-Off: It’s Not Unusual

It’s the middle of the week so we bring you the usual at this day and time. It’s another set of Wednesday links. Let’s start off with one of the new Victoria’s Secret models, Behati Prinsloo.

Facts had a good run. Facts had been around for some 2,400 years but couldn’t overcome a good story. (Chicago Tribune)

We all know that Fenway Park turned 100 years old this weekend. Did you know that Tiger Stadium would have turned 100 if it was still standing? (Deadspin)

Is it possible to make yourself smarter? One author investigates. (New York Times)

After the jump, the Canseco crisis, Limbaugh’s hypocrisy and CARLTON DANCE! Continue reading

Sunday Link-Off: The Aftermath

Back to back days with me? Bonus! Okay, nobody else is excited about back-to-back Steve. Maybe I can make up for it with Lindsay Ellingson. If there was such a thing as an underrated Victoria’s Secret angel, it would be her.

The NFL schedule came out last week. Since the NFL has a pretty rigid scheduling protocol, you’d think it would be pretty easy to put together a schedule. However, scheduling a 16-game schedule for 32 teams is a total nightmare. (New York Times)

Buzz Bissinger, one of my favourite sports writers, is allowed to cash in every now and then. He’s doing a follow-up book called “After Friday Night Lights.” Here’s an excerpt. (Grantland)

WWE announcers often like to refer to crowds who don’t follow the script as “bizarre.” However, crowds cheering and booing against the WWE’s wishes are becoming more the norm than the exception. (The Classical)

After the jump, ESPN thinks pot is destroying college athletics, the new look of KFC Japan and blowing random shit up in super slow mo. Continue reading

Entertainment Link-Off: Under The Influence

EVERYBODY PANIC! I’m covering for Jackie on this week’s Entertainment Link-Off and will once again bring my oddly bizarre twist on pop culture. God help you all. At least you get to experience my outstanding taste in post opening photos. For example, here’s Brooklyn Decker who stars in the upcoming summer blockbuster Battleship.

Let’s kick things off in a Jackie-esque way. Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz talks about the return of his cult favourite show. (Vulture)

After the jump, TV’s nostalgia kick, why Nicholas Sparks and Hollywood are going to ruin any chance you have of having a proper relationship and a Parks and Rec gag reel. Continue reading

Wednesday Link-Off: Media Matters

It’s the middle of the week which means it’s time for another set of links. To switch things up, let’s go with Nina Agdal who I think might just make a run for next year’s SI Swimsuit cover.

So what’s really life backstage at the Final Four for the media? It’s full of drama and intrigue. Yes, I said that about the sports media. (Salon)

Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman reunited The Big Show on stage to mark the 20th anniversary of their first SportsCenter together. It was, as expected, awesome. (Fang’s Bites)

What’s the latest trend in pay cable channels? Sexposition. And, yes, this link is safe for work. Just don’t Google the word. (The Star-Ledger)

After the jump, where will Beadle go, Chris Jones quits the internet and how to quit a job… that you don’t actually have. Continue reading

Sunday Link-Off: Blinded Me With Science

We’ve reached the end of another week at Lowdown HQ. For the last week, I haven’t known which day of the week it was but I always know when it’s Sunday. And as a special treat to kickoff today’s links, here’s the blog debut of Marloes Horst.

With the new Three Stooges movie coming out this weekend (which I’m terrified to actually watch), I think now’s a good time to look back on the history of the original Three Stooges. (Neatorama)

Some movie lines are more quotable than other but did you know there’s a science behind which quotes are the most memorable. Researchers at Cornell have cracked the code. (The Independent)

And just for fun, here’s a behind the scenes look at Jeopardy with a Jeopardy champion. (Warming Glow)

After the jump, both sides of The Masters duel, the Better Business Bureau looks at ME3 and Russia’s version of a customer complaint department. Continue reading

Entertainment Link-Off: Twists and Turns

In theatres this weekend, there’s the long awaited twisty sci-fi flick Cabin in the Woods. Also there’s the sci-fi action vehicle Lockout starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace. Let’s just try to forget that The Three Stooges remake is floating around somewhere as well. In the meantime, let’s just kick off this entry with Lockout’s leading lady.

After the jump, teasers of movie trailers seem quite pointless, the real story behind the return of Ron Burgundy, some Prometheus related news, the real location of Springfield and a few fun faux trailers to look out for. Continue reading