50 Things You Must Do by the End of the Year at Hollywood.com

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50 Things You Must Do by the End of the Year

By Lien Ta, Hollywood.com Staff | Friday, October 03, 2008

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Movies, TV, DVDs, music and games ... in chronological order.

Brad Leland and Jesse Plemons star in NBC's 'Friday Night Lights: Season 2'
1. Friday Night Lights, DirecTV (Season 3)
Oh God, yes, thank the football-lovin' deities you have DirecTV. Because if you're not one of the 17.1 million awesome households with it, then you'll have to wait till Feb, when brand-new episodes of the intrepid Texan high-school gridders finally come to NBC. Of course, same cast, though less screen time for Smash and Jason. And oh, yeah, last season's murder subplot is gone. What's in is more tube-time on the riveting tug-of-war relationship between Lyla and Tim. (Oct. 1)

2. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack
Please retire your scratched-up Garden State soundtrack. Please. Way cooler than Zach Braff is Nick (Michael Cera), who's nursing his broken teenage heart with the kind of indie rock that will (ultimately) get him laid. Evidence: track two, "Lover," is sung by Devendra Banhart, who in real life has bagged Natalie Portman. Plus, Band of Horses, Shout Out Louds, We Are Scientists, Bishop Allen and Vampire Weekend, declared the "whitest band" by the revered blogger behind Stuff White People Like. (It’s out now, but best enjoyed Oct. 3, the film's release date)

3. Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour
If you're a virgin to Madge in concert (you're not, of course), it's most pressing that you get thee ass wigglin' to the $300 seat nearest you. You'll be privy to abundant (but scant) wardrobe changes, lots of political innuendo (McCain/Hilter and Obama/Ghandi comparisons) and four musical sets plump with plenty of classics like "Vogue," "La Isla Bonita" and "Borderline." She’ll open with "Candy Shop" and lots and lots of neon pink. (in North America, Oct. 4-Nov. 26)

4. Samantha Who?, ABC (Season 2)
Because of Christina Applegate's recent double-mastectomy triumph, the adorably powerful sitcom will likely gain new fans. Samantha, afflicted with retrograde amnesia, is still grappling with her former oh-so-vain self, as well as the still-alive sexual tension with former love, Todd (Barry Watson), who is now Sam's roommate (somehow, it seemed like a good idea. But things get awkward when Sam brings home the Perfect Guy (Men in Trees' James Tupper). Mary-Kate Olsen pops up as an allusion to "Bad Sam," and while clocking in community-service hours with the real-life bad girl, Sam finds herself in handcuffs. (Oct. 6)

5. Ray Harryhausen Collectible DVD Gift Set
The unmatched force behind stop-animation gets three of his top classics commemorated in the form of six DVDs (brilliant color and black & white): It Came From Beneath the Sea, Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers and 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition. Plus! In this collectible 80-dollar gift set, a Ymir figurine is tossed in, based on Harryhausen's 1957 hand-crafted design and signed by the legend himself. But if it's Blu-ray that you want and, in addition to the aforementioned three features in color, you want a color disc of your real favorite, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: 50th Anniversary Edition, this far more contemporary four-disc set will be available, too. (Oct. 7)

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