Everything Else That's Happening on December 18th

The big day is almost here.  It's so close you can almost taste it.  The most anticipated movie of all time except for that other one is coming.  At this point it's just a game of waiting and yelling "I'm already going to see it!" whenever you reach your limit of tolerable promotion, at which point the meter resets.  However, Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn't the only exciting thing that's happening on that day.  There's a lot more taking place on December 18th, some of which is pretty niche but still very meaningful for some people.  It definitely kind of means something to me and like three other people.

'Tell Me I'm Pretty'

You may recognize the name Cage the Elephant from their 2008 hit song "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," but they're no one hit wonder.  What they are is my favorite band in the world.  Their entire self-titled album was a fantastic debut that established CtE as one of rock's greatest and most actually rock and roll bands.  Their next two albums were even better with the band coming into their own as a fuzzy, melodic, vaguely vintage force of nature.  Thank You, Happy Birthday is my personal favorite.  I've listened to more times than I could count, each time it's more beautiful than the last.  On the 18th they're releasing Tell Me I'm Pretty with producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.  Auerbach seems to be bringing his blunt force blues to the band's neo-grunge sound.  Together they promise something extraordinary.

The End of 'The Soup'

There was a brief time in my young life when I watched a lot of E! for no respectable reason.  I never saw anything good with one exception.  When I happened upon The Soup I was surprised to find that it was sharp and hilarious and that it could get away with so relentlessly mocking everything else on the channel.  Every time I've seen it since I've been pleasantly surprised that it still exists.  It's a simple set up, just comedian Joel McHale standing in front of a green screen with a TV set over his shoulder.  McHale sets up a clip, the clip shows, then he makes the punchlines.  It couldn't be less complicated which is why it's been done over and over again but never as well as The Soup.  No one else could balance sardonic bite with charmingly under-produced silliness as well as McHale.  On the 18th it all goes away.  All of it.  Joel McHale will spend the rest of his existence in a storage locker quipping at reality shows that only exist in his head.

'Sisters'

If Sisters weren't the only other movie coming out the same day as the biggest movie of the decade it would be a massive deal.  It stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, two of the biggest names in comedy who just happen to have amazing chemistry together.  It's also written by a veteran rock star of the Saturday Night Live writer's room, Paula Pell.  That name probably doesn't mean much to you, but it might if you check out some of her favorite sketches that she shared with Vulture and even more so after Sisters.  Look, you're going to the movie theater anyway.  If you have the time and resources I highly recommend checking it out.