Scream 4: Probably Not Your Favorite Scary Movie

Fifteen years ago, the first Scream film struck a chord with the public with its ability to knowingly comment on the very genre it occupied. When it’s done correctly, this balancing act makes a very successful movie—altogether the original Scream trilogy grossed over $500 million—but it’s very hard to do correctly. When you don’t do [...]

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Monday Medley

What we read while wondering what the original Holy Saturday was like… As fans of Ron Swanson and baseball, we very much approve of this attempt to bridge the two. For anyone who doesn’t understand Passover, this extended version of the Four Questions pretty much explains it all. Tom Scocca v. Chris Jones! Writer feud! [...]

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Monday Medley

What we read while they were walking with their feet ten feet off of Beale… Bob Dylan stirred some controversy by playing in China despite censorship of his set list. Maureen Dowd accused him of selling out, but many, including Sean Wilentz, rushed to his defense, essentially calling Dowd “Mr. Jones.” The case is obviously complicated, [...]

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Nine Types of Light: Review

Here’s a question I hadn’t really considered until just now: Does TV on the Radio constitute a supergroup? There’s some obvious evidence to the contrary, specifically that none of its members were famous before the band. And the term “supergroup” is so loaded that it shouldn’t be applied liberally. But all of its members have robust [...]

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NPI Comes Alive!: Introducing….TV on the Radio!

With the end of the college basketball season, NPI Comes Alive! is back in a new form. Today, Tim and John S are breaking down Survivor in their first TV-oriented podcast. They’re discussing Boston Rob, Redemption Island, Russell, Former Federal Agent Phillip, and the presence or absence of Survivor Gods. Click here to listen to [...]

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Monday Medley

What we read while narrowly avoiding an NPI shutdown… Even Yankee fan John S was a little sad to hear about Manny Ramirez’s retirement. It’s depressing to see so much vitriol directed at one of the best hitters of all-time (whose Hall of Fame candidacy really requires no “debate”). He was enigmatic, but he was [...]

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The Double Bonus: NCAA Championship Review

You’ve heard the podcasts; you’ve read the liveblogs (if you haven’t read the liveblogs, do so now). Now listen as John S and Tim break down the final game of the 2011 college basketball season. Today they’re discussing the atrocious title game, the disappointments of 2011, the permanence of parity, and the gradual effects of [...]

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The Double Bonus: Championship Monday

To join the live chat that kicks off at 9 p.m. Monday night, just click here! This is it, folks: the culmination of five thrilling months that began way back in November with Tim’s interminable 2011 College Basketball Preview Palooza. Even though Tim and John’s beloved Blue Devils aren’t involved in the action tonight, this is [...]

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MLB Preview: American League

We’re a full weekend into the baseball season, and NPI still hasn’t previewed the most important league! Don’t fret, though, John S is here to break it all down for you, and to make sure you don’t get fooled by Baltimore’s 3-0 start. AL West 1. Oakland Athletics 2. Texas Rangers 3. Los Angeles Angels [...]

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Monday Medley

What we read while the Indians were mathematically eliminated… We couldn’t let Opening Day go by without a link to Joe Posnanski, could we? Here he breaks down the 32 best players in baseball. And a uniform roundup from Paul Lukas! The best longish piece about baseball we read this week, though, comes from Andy [...]

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