tbs Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Look, this has nothing to do with films that air on cable television without commercial interruption. And it's even hard for me to rant against films that air on television with commercial interruption because this is the way it's been done for many years now. I can deal with that. I have a DVR, I can record films that air on, say, NBC, and fast forward through the commercials. Sure, from time to time I'll stumble across a flick like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on TNT HD, become sucked in because Peter Jackson created three awesome movies, and have to deal with commercials since I never recorded it. This happened to me yesterday.

But what I didn't sign up for was to watch some stupid character from whatever random television show drop down the middle of my television screen and start waving at me during a key scene in the film. Oh yes, from out of nowhere this guy swings right down the middle of the screen where he meets some girl and -- whaddya know -- it's an advertisement for another TNT show airing later in the week. Thanks. Because it's bad enough they have to interrupt these films with five-or-so minutes of advertisements, but now they're advertising things DURING THE FREAKING MOVIE.

I got over the watermark in the lower corner because they've since made them a bit more translucent (though MTV is notorious for covering up dialogue on the bottom of the screen with their stupid watermark). But this ... I simply cannot get over. I've noticed these little miniature characters walk on the screen during films and TV shows on both TNT and TBS, and I'm not sure who else is at fault but it needs to stop now. It's literally so irritating that I've banned TNT and TBS in my apartment. Not watching either station until they lose the stupid ads. Please join me.

Ok, this is awesome -- TBS just officially became my favorite TV network (as long as that doesn't mean I have to watch all 403 Friends reruns every day). Instead of reminding us that they're celebrating Easter by flooding the network with hobbits with traditional, incredibly boring TV spots, they instead put together six ads that gently mock the series, in the style of those crazy fake trailers the kids are so into these days.

Not surprisingly, by far the best is the one entitled secret lovers: as you might expect, it's about Sam and Frodo, and their less-than-hidden passion. What makes it great, however, is the combination of the soundtrack (That's right, they bust out some Atlantic Starr) and Gandalf, rolling his eyes in disgust at the hobbity love. So, so fantastic. Slightly less alluring, meanwhile, is white horse, which features Gandalf rapping, and dancing in a way that's deeply unsettling. But wait, there's more!

Jeez, these are so good they almost make me want to watch the movies.

[via Kottke]