Popspotting

Back in October, we took a quick look at four new fantasy shows, including “American Horror Story” on FX. Now that we’re eight episodes in, we take a deeper look at one of the darker shows on television. The series managed to make a strong first impression, but have co-creators and producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk been able to sustain a solid story? Does “American Horror Story” strike the right balance between mind-bending mysteries and satisfying answers?

While Connie Britton continues to impress, Dylan McDermott seems to be taking a back seat to other members of the large and growing ensemble. Can we expect more out of Alexandra Breckenridge? And what’s the deal with that Realtor?

Today for Movie Monday, we explore an unusual family tie. We start with “Moon,” the feature directorial debut of Duncan Jones. Then, we revisit “The Prestige,” a magical film that features the acting talents of Jones’ dad, David Bowie. Both movies may have you questioning reality as you revel in some outstanding performances. Sam Rockwell shines in a part created just for him, while Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman face off in a battle to rule the stage.

It’s Black Friday, and Feedback Friday! At least here on Popspotting, there are no lines, and the fun is free. Our listeners chime in on the music of 1974 (and 1972 and 1987 and 1988), and share their guilty pleasures, including “Top Chef” and “The Sing-Off.” We’ve got some TV and book talk as well. Finally, Al reminds us that video games are distressingly underrepresented on our podcast. It’s going to be up to Al and other gamers out there to keep us up-to-date!

Nicole shared her love of “Raising Sand,” a musical collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, which yielded gems like “Battle of Evermore” and, embedded here, “Your Long Journey”:

Popspotting is powered by you, so help keep the show going by sharing your own picks for movies, TV, music, books, apps, and any other topic that strikes your fancy. Whether you agree or disagree with our reviews, the more voices the better. You can leave a voicemail at (815) 310-0808, email us at [email protected], or comment here on the blog.

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Forget the Great Pumpkin. We’ve got the great Maggie Mack (@ilea02) joining us for our Thanksgiving episode. Maggie is the host of Maggie’s World, and co-host of both Girls Night In Radio and The West Wing Podcast. She’s a pop culture fan (who loves Harry Potter in particular) and a preschool teacher.

Before being subjected to our trivia challenge, she shares her love of Pinterest (find her here), the show “Revenge” on NBC, and “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS.

Music is once again the focus of Wildcard Wednesday, but thanks to a suggestion from Daniel in Boston, there’s a twist: He challenges us to name our favorite Broadway shows. While we’re not experts in the world of musicals, we do love showtunes, and give the topic our best shot. A lot of obvious picks, perhaps, but with stories that illustrate why we feel a personal connection to each.

Do you know Broadway? Are you embarrassed for us, choosing such pedestrian fare? Well, we urge you to enlighten us! We probably won’t make it out to New York or London any time soon, but we’d still love to know what shows you think we need to know.

In the past week, “Fringe” on FOX saw its fall finale, not to return until January 13, 2012, and the FX biker gang series “Sons of Anarchy” gave us a 90-minute episode to set the stage for the last three episodes of Season 4.

For better and worse, “Fringe” has given us more of the “monster of the week” format we saw in Season 1. And the question that kicked off this fourth season â€” “Where’s Peter?” â€” may still be a valid one. Will the second half of the story next year bring us back into the larger arc and bigger battle between universes?

And Jen declares this latest season of “Sons of Anarchy” her favorite, as everything comes to a head and threatens to fly apart. Did we ever really know Clay? Is there no way out for Tara? And Kurt Sutter reveals himself to be both a great showrunner and a great actor, as this latest season explores many of the SAMCRO members that started off as mere background.

The Popspotting voicemail line saves the day for Feedback Friday. First, two unlikely shining stars from “The Descendants.” While George Clooney and Hawaii shine, two listeners remind us where else we might have seen Shailene Woodley and Matthew Lillard. Then a solid defense of “Once Upon a Time” and the second season of “The Walking Dead.” NBC, however, gets no love. On the musical side, we get an impromptu serenade from Daniel, and another solid music recommendation from dear Geoff.

We say it every day, but we’re not kidding. It’s hearing from you that keeps us going. If you’re out there and have yet to share a thought, retort, or suggestion, please don’t be shy! Note that the comments on our site are acting up, so your best bet would be to leave a message at 815-310-0808, or find us on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.

Joining us today for PopTalk & Trivia Thursday is podcaster, actor, and all-around supergeek Heath Solo (@HeathActor), a.k.a. Heath Centazzo.

Heath is the host of “The Film List” podcast, a graduate of Syracuse University, and a big fan of Steve McQueen.

He tells us about Cameron Crowe’s documentary “Pearl Jam Twenty,” “Prime Suspect” (before NBC announced it was dropping the show midseason), and the new-and-improved Blu-Ray release of the “Star Wars” movies. Then he’s targeted with an unusual set of trivia categories. Which will he choose?

Turnabout is fair play. After celebrating Jen’s tenth 29th birthday in August with a countdown of her favorite songs of 1972, this week we both share five picks each for great songs of 1974.

Jen’s picks:

Ryan’s list: