POP! TRAILERS 11/12/13

Newer Trailers for y'all to enjoy! X-MEN: Days of Future Past; Saving Mr. Banks; Robocop; The Day of
the Doctor; The Wolf of Wall Street; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

TYLER'S TV TEN: November 10th

Here are my top ten television shows for the week of November 3-9.

I'm sorry for not posting last week, I was watching too much Doctor Who to get around to other viewing. Also of note is my pick up of "Trophy Wife" to my www.episodecalendar.com viewing schedule. So far it is incredibly funny, particularly if you love Bradley Whitford as much as I do. As always, let me know if there is a show you feel I should be watching.

POP JOURNAL! THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Review: THOR: The Dark World (MOVIE / 2013)

The second "Marvel Phase 2" movie hit theaters this last weekend and like Iron Man 3 before it, we are treated to an amazingly fun film. Everything that you have come to expect from Marvel's films is here, and even though it met all of my expectations I was still surprised by what they were able to do.

Where I felt the first Thor did a serviceable job of introducing us to this unique universe, it was a very disjointed film. Like many sequels before it, The Dark World thrives on the fact that we do not have to have so many heavy handed moments of exposition to explain what's happening. Instead we are treated to a well paced, clever and much more technically sound movie (the increased budget is very noticeable). Even more surprising is the amount of laughs to be found in a movie called "The Dark World".

TYLER'S TRAILERS

Here are some new trailers for the week of October 26th.

TYLER'S TV TEN: October 27th

Here are my top ten television shows for the week of October 20-26.

POP JOURNAL: THE CROODS

THE CROODS (MOVIE / 2013)

When I first saw the trailer for The Croods, I was mighty unimpressed. I've seen so many Dreamworks films that have promise, but strive to be so commercially acceptable that they fall flat. I also felt that this idea had already been mined to death by Ice Age and it's numerous sequels... but I was wrong on all accounts. The Croods is a wonderful film with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.

For the first time in a while, it feels like this Dreamworks film cast the voices to fit characters, not the other way around. Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and Nicolas Cage give fantastic performances that really ground the film. With the basic idea of the film being "What if a family goes on a road trip... in the stone age?" you really have to rely on that family being likable and relatable, and they pull it off. We really haven't had a lot of movies recently that deal with daddy-daughter

TYLER'S TV TEN: OCTOBER 20th

Another great week of television is in the books, and the votes have been tallied. I've expanded my list to include my top ten shows of the week from the 18 I am currently following. Believe it or not, I'm doing this as part of my Pathway Program, using my time to pursue a vocation I am interested in. I figured I like TV and judging things, so here I am. If you enjoy TV, I'd encourage you to sign up for a free account at www.episodecalendar.com, it's a great way of keeping track of your favorite shows.

TYLER'S TV TEN: OCTOBER 13TH

I'm currently following 15 shows on Television right now, and here are the top five episodes from last week. If you like TV but you watch all of your shows online, I would recommend signing up for a free account at episodecalendar.com. It has made keeping up with the shows I watch on Hulu and Network sites a whole lot easier!

Tyler's Take: Emmy's Nom Nom on Parks and Rec

With the recent announcement of the Emmy noms I really wanted to put my thoughts down on paper. There are so many different things that I could talk about: Netflix making serious runs; Downton Abbey's growing power; FOX only getting 5 noms. None of these things compare to the colossal mistake of not giving Parks and Recreation more love.

I will not take the argument  to five of the nominees, instead choosing to stay in the family and take notice with 30 Rock. Really!? Really? You're trying to tell me that 30 Rock limping to the finish line somehow beats out a fantastic comedy that is only getting better every year? I watched every episode of both shows and there is absolutely no way that Parks wouldn't beat 30 Rock head to head 90% of the time.

Pop Journal: Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim (MOVIE / 2013)

This is a movie that is all about execution. Not the killing kind, but the kind of execution that will make something that you've already seen before seem like new. This movie hits all of the beats that you would expect a summer tentpole feature to hit, and yet I was enjoying myself the entire time.



Pacific Rim is the latest in a line of Guillermo Del Toro films that show he has a better understanding of what his audience wants than any other director. There is absolutely not one ounce of self importance in this movie, it is meant to be a work of enjoyment.

TMIX 40: SUMMER 2013

Pop Journal: Arrested Development; Season 4

Arrested Development; Season 4 (TV / 2003)

The moment that many have dreamed of, and for some dreaded, has finally arrived. We were treated to 15 new episodes of what I consider to be one of the greatest comedies to show on TV, and season 4 did nothing to raise or lower it's reputation.

First off there is the jarring narrative break from the previous 3 episodes, due to the scheduling problems of the very busy actors. It is a testament
to the writers and Ron Howards narration that we are able to make any sense of the story in front of us. I do take issue with the need to fill in so many breaks in the last seven years, with many of the stories falling flat until we arrive at the here and now.

Pop Journal: Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (Movie / 2013)

This is a movie that is difficult to talk about without acknowledging its place in movie history, namely being the first direct sequel that is not a direct sequel. If you were to sit down and watch Iron Man 1, 2 and 3 you would be missing a big piece of the puzzle. As such this movie is a stunning piece of entertainment, with a few nagging oddities that keep it from being truly great.

Pop Journal: Tomb Raider (2013)

Tomb Raider (Game / 2013)

I played this game directly after Bioshock Infinite and had a wonderful time. After the pain and confusion of Infinite I was treated to a game that really understood that it was a video game meant to entertain. The "Open" world aspect of this game felt a lot like Far Cry 3 and Assassins Creed, in the best possible way. I do believe that this is the first Tomb Raider I have ever completed, and I loved every minute of it. There was exploring, gathering, leveling up and great puzzles. As far as rebooting the franchise it succeeds on all fronts, making the other games feel like Batman & Robin to Tomb Raiders Batman Begins. If there is a mistake with the game, it would be coming out so close to many other AAA games that will take some wind out of it's sales, literally.

TMIX 39: DOMINION 2013

Pop Journal: Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite (Game / 2013)

I've been putting off writing this journal entry, as I am still very conflicted with this game. On the one hand it is a work of genius that puts other games to shame. On the other hand it is fairly heavy handed and has an ending that I cannot wrap my head around, but more on that later.

First and foremost to this game is Elizabeth. She will go down as one of the most memorable video game characters of all time. Her AI and design is something to be studied like the Mona Lisa.

Pop Journal: Rise of the Guardians

Rise of the Guardians (Movie / 2012)

Okay, I really enjoyed this movie but take issues with some choices that may alienate other people and take away from what should be a great franchise.

It's sad when things that really set apart a film are the same things that may turn people away, and here it is simply the art direction of the film. It has such a distinct feel to it, that it doesn't really look like anything out there. Nothing about the "Guardians" are necessarily... well I can't think of anything to describe it as except for UN-Disney like. You take well known characters, namely Santa, and turn him into a buff dual sword wielding Russian. In addition the tooth fairy comes across as, well a little off putting.

Pop Journal: Argo

Argo (Movie / 2013)

This movie deserved to win the Academy Award. It was intriguing from beginning to end, delivering one of the most suspenseful scenes I have ever seen on film. It goes without saying that I am a big fan of Affleck here, both in his portrayal on screen and his direction. John Goodman and Alan Arkin stand out as 2 Hollywood insiders lending the film much of the lighter comedic moments. The rest of the cast , namely the hostages, do such a great job that none of them stand out, which is exactly the thing you want in this type of movie. The 2 acts of the film are a little disconnected, but it is based on actual events so it can be overlooked. I was glued to my seat the entire time, and thought about it long after the credits rolled. High Praise.

Pop Journal: Dark Legacy of Shanarra: Wards of Faerie

Dark Legacy of Shanarra: Wards of Faerie (2012 / Book)

Terry Brooks takes me once again into the world of Shannarra with the first proper sequel in years. Here we are treated to many of the same themes that Brooks has evoked before, but I loved every minute of the read. There is something about this world that I love and the way Brooks brings these characters to life is wonderful. In everyone of his novels he handles love in a new way, here dealing with the loss felt by the main character of Khyber the real focus. We are also treated to a young rivalry from the young Ohmsford twins for the hand of a close friend. This is the first in a planned trilogy of books and it sets up the other 2 novels very nicely. I can't wait to see where the adventure takes me.

30 Rock: Season 7

30 Rock: Season 7 (TV / 2012)

So, it has all come down to this, and how will I remember 30 Rock? I will remember one of the funniest comedies that has aired on television that was taken down by the ever growing focus of Jenna. Really, did it all come crumbling down and become hard to watch at times? No, it's nowhere close to the absurd difficulties "HIMYM" has given me, but it definitely faltered.

Looking at this season on it's own merits there were a lot of brave choices with mid season wedding and adoption taking front stage.

Pop Journal: Fringe; Season 5

Fringe: Season 5 (TV / 2012)

Here we are at the end of an adventure and with Fringe we are treated to, well, a throw away season that did nothing to raise or lower my admiration of the previous 5 seasons. What we do have is a truly sci fi romp through a distopian future in which the team works to end an invasion of Observers. It was often times fun, a little uneven and maybe a little overly dramatic but it was more Fringe, which is never a bad thing.

At the forefront of the season is a time jump to the future. Remember, this is a future of an alternate timeline that only exsisted in season 5. With me still? Good.

Borderlands 2

Borderlands 2 (Game / 2012)

Borderlands 2 is exactly what I want out of a game. It has big open worlds, hilarious dialogue, tons of things to loot and fantastic action. Really, it's like they saw all of the games that I like and put this one together just for me

This is a rare game that accomplishes or exceeds what it wants to do on all fronts. I played the first Borderlands, but for some reason or another I fell out of love with it pretty quickly.