The Best of the Promotional Tour for 

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' PART II

This past Thursday I wrote about some of my favorite video clips of the promotional tour for 'Star Wars: Episode VII.' I found a few more memorable TV spots that fans of the science fiction series might enjoy.

'Star Wars' Toy Commercial

Jordan Schlansky Asks for an Autograph from Harrison Ford

Carrie Fisher and Ellen Degeneres Sell Tickets for 'Star Wars'

Free Redbox Rental

If all the showings of 'Star Wars' are sold out near you but you still want to watch a movie, here is a code for one free DVD rental at Redbox: LYP638PL
Please be advised that that code is good for today only! Have a good weekend!

The Best of the Promotional Tour for 

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Unless you live under a rock, you are probably aware that the new 'Star Wars' movie is now in theaters. Disney really went all out with the advertising, marketing and promotion for the film. Look what this person posted to Twitter recently:

It seems like Disney really plastered 'Star Wars' over every product they could find. Look what a friend of mine posted to Instagram. Yes, the sequel is being shoved down our throats a little bit, but some of the publicity for the movie has been fun to watch. Below are some of my favorite video clips of the promotional tour for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens':

Carrie Fisher Talks 'Star Wars' on 'Good Morning America'

'Star Wars' or Florida?

A Cappella of 'Star Wars' Medley on 'The Tonight Show'

How does Redbox make money? They are constantly releasing promo codes for free movie rentals! Here is a code for one blu-ray rental or two free DVDs: GAMEON

This code expires tonight at 11:59pm CT and can only be used online. I just reserved 'Woman in Gold' starring Helen Mirren. I hope it's good!

How to Watch (some of) the Nominated 
Movies & TV Shows for  Free!

The SAG and Golden Globe nominations that were announced recently were a reminder that I have a lot of catching up to do. Luckily there are several ways to check out some of the nominated movies and television shows without spending any money:

Hulu received its first ever Golden Globe nomination last week for its original show 'Casual.' You can watch the pilot for free on the streaming website, but in order to watch the rest of the first season you need to purchase a Hulu subscription that costs $7.99 a month. However, Hulu allows you to sign up for a free two week trial.

In that time period you can also watch season 7 of 'Modern Family,' which received two SAG nominations. Another way to watch Hulu programming for free is to sign up for Bing rewards. If you register for Bing rewards, you get rewarded points for using the Microsoft search engine. I usually redeem my points for Amazon gift cards, but there is currently a Hulu option that gives you access to the streaming service for a full month.

Netflix made Golden Globe history last week when its feature film 'Beasts of No Nation' received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Idris Elba.

A streaming membership to Netflix currently costs $7.99 a month. However, you can sign up for a free trial and then cancel your membership after you've finished watching what you want. In that period you can also check out season three of 'Orange is the New Black,' which received two Golden Globe nominations.

Renting a DVD or a Blu-ray from a Redbox kiosk is already quite cheap. But it's really easy to find codes for free rentals online. The blog Hip2Save  regularly posts codes for free movie rentals. You can use a promo code to rent the Disney movie 'Inside Out,' which got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Film.

Another way to earn Redbox codes is to sign up for Kelloggs Family Rewards. If you purchase a lot of Kelloggs products, this rewards program might be great for you. Inside Kelloggs cereal boxes are codes that you can redeem online for various rewards, including free Redbox rentals. In addition to renting 'Inside Out,' you can check out the comedy 'Trainwreck,' which received two Golden Globe nominations.

Golden Globes Snubs

The Golden Globe nominations were finally announced this morning. Before I start complaining, let's talk about some of the nominations that I really agreed with. I loved that 'Trainwreck' got nominated for best motion picture in the comedy category. I saw the movie in theaters and it was hilarious. The crowd was laughing so loudly throughout the entire showing.  Although the sophomore season of 'The Affair' has been a bit disappointing, Maura Tierney deserved her nomination for her work on the drama series. But it's more fun to talk about the people and shows that did not get any recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press this morning. Let's take a look at a few of them:

Kyle Chandler for 'Bloodline'

Yesterday I wrote about how I thought Kyle Chandler deserved a SAG nomination for his work on the freshman series 'Bloodline.' Well, I'm writing about him again today! It's so nuts that after all these years he's never received a single Golden Globe nomination. Did those voters never watch 'Friday Night Lights'? I admit that the 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series' category tends to be quite competitive every year. Did you catch Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos'? It's really hard to compete against that kind of mesmerizing performance. Oh well, maybe Chandler will get nominated next year since 'Mad Men' will finally be out of the competition.

'Bloodline' for Best Drama Series

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little behind on certain television shows in the drama category. It looks like I need to check out 'Outlander.' I don't think I even know what channel that show airs on. However, I was still rooting for 'Bloodline' to get nominated this morning. Is the premise of the show the most original thing ever? No. But I still enjoyed the crap out of it and thought it was well made. I look forward to watching season two in 2016.

Nicholas Hoult for 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

It's really incredible that the Hollywood Foreign Press nominated so much science fiction this year. 'Outlander' received three nominations this morning. I was also pleasantly surprised that Alicia Vikander got recognized for her work in the drama 'Ex Machina.' Science fiction movies generally don't get enough love during awards season. There wasn't much of a chance, but I was hoping that Nicholas Hoult was going to get nominated for 'Mad Max: Fury Road.' The action sequences and visual effects in the movie were incredible. But I also thought that his performance as Nux was quite memorable.

SAG Snubs

The SAG nominations are always a little hit or miss every year. They regularly ignore key players in the industry like Taylor Schilling from 'Orange is the New Black.' She has yet to be nominated in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor' category for the Netflix show. SAG also seems to ignore the performances in the Showtime series 'The Affair.' That being said, there have been some gutsy nominations throughout the years. Remember when they nominated Javier Bardem for his work in 'Skyfall'? Anyway, here are a few notable snubs from this year's announcement:

Oscar Isaac for 'Show Me A Hero'

For me, this is the biggest snub. Oscar Isaac's performance was heartbreaking in this HBO miniseries. However, I am going to assume he'll get some love from the Golden Globes for his work on 'Show Me A Hero,' so I'm not too concerned for the actor.

Kyle Chandler for 'Bloodline'

If you need a show to binge-watch, I highly recommend checking out 'Bloodline.' It was surprising to me that Kyle Chandler got snubbed in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor' category for the Netflix series. Was Jon Hamm's acting in six episodes of 'Mad Men' really more deserving than Kyle Chandler's work in thirteen episodes of 'Bloodline'?

Lena Headey in 'Game of Thrones'

Lena Headey has never received a SAG nomination in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series' category for her role as Cersei Lannister. Do these SAG people not have HBO? Did they not watch season five? I really thought she was finally going to get nominated this year. Maybe her time on screen is considered too much of a supporting role to qualify.

Free Redbox Rental

If you're looking to watch a movie this weekend, you are in luck because here is a code for a free rental at Redbox: 22Y6LH49. The promo code will give you one free Blu-ray or two free DVD rentals. It should work through December 6.

I just used the code on 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' It was a pretty fun movie to watch. I also recommend 'Ex Machina.' Coincidentally, both movies star Swedish actress Alicia Vikander.