PRESS: Pop Candy is sweet

Joshua Ligairi » 3.3.11 »

The lovely and amazing Whitney Matheson (Pop Candy) over at USA Today just wrote up her "Top 10 Film Podcasts" and we at The Documentary Blog Podcast somehow slipped in under the radar at the number 10 spot.

It is a huge honor to be listed among the giants of filmmaker interviewers like Creative Screenwriting's Jeff Goldsmith (now hosting The Q&A) and the undisputed master, Elvis Mitchell of The Treatment. These two guys directly inspired the creation of our podcast.

We were also listed with super-popular podcasts like Kevin Smith's Hollywood Babble-On and guys who have the movie podcasting thing down to a science like Filmspotting and The /Filmcast. Stephen Tobolowsky (and his quirky, personal essay of a show, The Tobolowsky Files), while the oddball on this list and maybe more fitting with a list that includes The Moth or This American Life, is a raconteur in the truest sense of the word and his podcast is a great listen.

Anyway, if it wasn't obvious, we're really excited to be mentioned here after only 10 episodes and, buoyed by this achievement (of sorts), I personally vow to make the podcast increasingly better from now on. Check out Whitney Matheson's original article at Pop Candy for some great recommendations and, if you are as big a film geek as me, subscribe to these other great podcasts on iTunes. I subscribe to over half of them myself.

I'd also recommend checking out Mark Maron and RadioWest for awesome interviews, Film Junk and A Damn Movie Podcast for some laid-back but knowledgeable chat, The Business and On the Media for industry insider stories, and Film Week for professional critic reviews. So many more but these and those on the Pop Candy list are a good place to start.

BLOG: Avatar-ized avatars

Joshua Ligairi » 03.04.10 »

You are probably familiar with the image of Dwight Schrute from The Office photo-shopped to look like a Navi. At least, I was. Actor Rainn Wilson had it posted as his Twitter "avatar" (get it?) for quite a while.


Blue, beets, Battlestar Gallactica.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty great (I'm a sucker for this movie geek stuff) and so was excited when I stumbled across the Flickr Photostream of Navi Dwight's creator, Avatizer. This guy has created a bunch of these Avatar-ized images, presumably for celebrities to use as their online avatars. Kevin Smith has already joined Rainn Wilson in posting his Avatar-ized avatar on Twitter.

I assume it is only a matter of time before there is an online application that will make me into a Navi so I can have a geeky thumbnail too (the crazy thing is, I didn't even really like the movie!), but until then, check out Avitizer's Flickr Photostream to see a whole lot more. I've posted my favorites below.



My absolute favorite is Pee Wee Herman. Love the detail of only four fingers.



If only Avatar had had the writing and performances of Inglourious Basterds.




My favorite characters from Lost are even cooler blue.




The Navi get religion.



My interest in a Navi Audrey Hepburn is second only to a blue Grace Kelly.



They wouldn't have so much trouble flying that Buckbeak if they'd just plug in their braids.



The King of Pop is even more 80s when he's electric blue.


Tobias from Arrested Development finally lives his dream.



Navi Kevin Smith, too fat to fly a dragon.



Once again, check out the originals and a lot more at Avitizer's Flickr Photostream.