From Childhood to Childish Plotlines

Jump Cuts starts off with a trip down memory lane as the Screeners spend some time reminiscing about their favorite childhood TV shows - but not before Josh spoils the fun by pointing out the ulterior motive for the question itself before everyone has time to figure it out for themselves. We also begin to wonder what Melody is hiding, as her “favorite show” may or may not have existed...

Meanwhile, in the almost-present, The Place Beyond the Pines was released on March 29. With such a unique film, the Screeners couldn’t resist taking some time to talk about nuance—well, nuance, and those who avoid it at all costs (not that any of our hosts fall into the second category, of course).

Inching ever closer to current events, our third question makes a brief stop in April to visit the annual National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas. None of the Screeners made it out there this year, but they still have their eyes on some new gear, most notably the Movi stabilization system and the BlackMagic 4K Cinema Camera. All that beautiful footage needs to be watched on something, though, and that’s where Sony’s 4K media player and the über-cheap Seiki 4K TV come in.

To finally catch up with the week they’re recording in, our intrepid hosts brave the wilds of Amazon’s new original series. Much more than a bookstore now, Amazon’s released a stable of pilots for 6 children’s shows and 8 comedies onto the reviewing public to let the shows fight it out for supremacy. Is there a clear winner in the pack, or will the unnatural selection of Internet democracy annihilate the lot of them?

Something That Happened Already, and Something That Just Feels Like It Did

To continue the trend of playing with time, our main event takes us to both past and future, with 42 and Oblivion taking center stage. 

Fans of science fiction know that 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but even before humanity discovered that little bit of trivia, Jackie Robinson’s jersey number held a special place in people’s hearts.

Three of the Screeners have made it to the theater to see Robinson’s struggle portrayed on the big screen so far—can you guess who hasn’t seen it yet? You might be surprised...OK, you probably won’t be surprised at all. Anyway, the three responsible American history students in the group have some interesting takeaways from their experience of the movie. We won’t tell you what they are, though, because we don’t want to, um, spoil the story for you.

OK, so we lied. They just ruined the ending in that spoilers section, didn’t they? Oh well; on to Oblivion.

Word on the street* is that Joseph Kosinski put so much effort into Oblivion’s storyline that he simply had no creative juice left, so he just named Tom Cruise’s character Jack and started shooting.

But we digress. There’s much more to this futuristic sci-fi shoot-em-up than Tom Cruise’s name (Seriously, though? Jack? It’s been done. More than once.).

Earth has been devastated by invaders, and one man patrols the wasteland alone, the only hope for a species that has all but abandoned its home. 

Or is he? Do they? Will she?

These questions and many more, along with several other exciting pronouns we haven’t even mentioned here, will all be addressed in due time. But first, sit back and take a nap as Josh pontificates on the true purpose of science fiction, and Chris tells us why none of that artsy-schmartsy stuff really matters.

How Randomness Rules Our Queues*

The Cutting Room Floor brings a new game to the table, as the Screeners log in to their Netflix Instant Queues and pull out some gems at random to explain and/or defend their presence in the list. Sadly, there is no defense for Chad’s queue. Oh well; you can’t win them all, right? You know what they say about happy lives and what causes them...

Before We Go...

That about does it for episode 6; as always, thanks for stopping by. And just a reminder, like they mentioned in the show, the Screeners are looking for feedback for an upcoming fan-driven segment. If you’ve got an idea for a review, a reaction to a review we’ve already aired, or something media-related you just have to get off your chest, send it our way! E-mails and audio clips (right around the 60 sec. mark, please; too much longer, and we may have to edit) can be sent to screenerscast AT gmail DOT com (subject: “Mailbag” if you’re one of those organized types), and we’ll also be checking comments here and on Facebook/Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you!

*Ed. note: This street is fictitious. But not in the fun way, like Sesame Street. More gloomy, like the street Gilbert Grape lived on. Unless you liked Gilbert Grape, in which case...Fleet Street? No, wait; that one’s real. Oh, we give up.

*Sorry for the two-percenter joke. This is a reference to a book only Josh would recommend.