Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros, Sports Editor Mark Podolski and Community Engagement Editor Cheryl Sadler sat down to talk about a new movie, some new TV shows and some returning TV shows.

Some of the stuff we talked about this week:

• The Hunger Games
• Mad Men
• Game of Thrones
• Smash
• Fashion Star
• the new iPad
• The Shins, "Port of Morrow"
• The Green Lantern

Follow us on Twitter @nhfeatures, @mpodo and @nhcheryl.

It's February, which means it's Academy Awards season.

Community Engagement Editor Cheryl Sadler, Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski talk about the nominees in the six major categories, and some films that the Academy missed with its nominations.

Think you know who will win? Enter our Academy Awards contest for a chance to win a Blu-ray player and movie tickets package.

Follow us on Twitter: @nhcheryl, @nhfeatures and @mpodo.

Signs you made a bad movie: You fall to third place behind the movie with which you tied for first in the previous week, and that movie wasn't screened even for critics to review. Yes, I'm talking about you, "Cowboys & Aliens."

If you're reading this, you must like movies. If you haven't listened to this month's PopCultured audiocast, you should check it out. I moderate for the first time, and our topic is summer movies. Give it a listen.


From The Associated Press:

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” $54 million ($23.4 million international). (Review by The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros; "Movie simians rise to next level in new 'Apes' prequel" by The AP's David Germain)
2. “The Smurfs,” $21 million ($45.2 million international).
3. “Cowboys & Aliens,” $15.8 million. (Review by Germain)
4. “The Change-Up,” $13.5 million. (Review by The AP's Christy Lemire)
5. “Captain America: The First Avenger,” $13 million ($27.5 million international). (Review by Meszoros; "Evans apprehensive about clutching shield in 'Captain America'" by The AP's Derrik J. Lang; "Captain America's co-creator proud of patriotic hero" by The AP's Matt Moore)
6. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” $12.2 million ($61.8 million international). (Review by Meszoros; "But what if the 'Harry Potter' stars had never been cast?" by Germain)
7. “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” $12.1 million. (Review by Lemire)
8. “Friends with Benefits,” $4.7 million. (Review by The AP's Jake Coyle)
9. “Horrible Bosses,” $4.6 million ($7.7 million international). (Review by Meszoros)
10. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” $3 million ($17.5 million international). (Review by Meszoros)

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl