Archive for the ‘Television’ Category

Joss is boss with The Avengers

Monday, October 17th, 2011

They're assembliiiiing.... *Eee!*

I know this trailer’s been out for almost a week, but I blame not responding sooner purely on the keyboard’s lack of handling drooling situations such as this:

It’s the first glimpse of The Avengers film, directed by none other than comic book writer/film and TV director extraordinaire Joss Whedon.

Joss is known more for his TV work, most notably Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly (my favourite). Considering he is also a huge comic book geek (enough to create his own with great acclaim), chances are this film is going to be the best we’ll ever get when it comes to franchises coming together.

You’ve got your Iron Man, your Captain America and Thor, but you’ve also got the other characters that haven’t been in the limelight (or more than 3 seconds on the trailer).

Sure, we’ve already had two Hulk films recently that have soon after been snubbed right off the radar of ever existing, but Black Widow and Hawkeye are still unknowns to the general public. Fingers crossed they get to shine as well.

This one trailer isn’t enough to get the jist of the film, which I find releiving. Of course it’s an action film. You’ve got the hyperactive cuts with editing, the thumping rock music and such, but I have high hopes that Whedon’s witty banter between any two characters he writes will be just as good as the special effects attached.

If Joss can make something like Firefly with such little cash, imagine the goodies to come out of this?

Come back to this blog once it comes out. I may also be quivering in the corner like a baby.


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Blood and gore, or just a bore?

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Rarr!

A lot of the time when movies are announced to be made the fans of the original (whether it be comic book, video game or TV show) will start to cringe. It boils down to the medium they are being moved to.

For example, when you think of a video game like Mortal Kombat, those who know it will most likely reference the violence first. It was extremely violent for those times when games were still gaining traction for having more than 256 colours. But when the movie was announced to be made, fans started to worry.

Well, let me rephrase that: A young, obsessed Doogs was super excited to see the film adaptation. I was expecting blood, gore and fatalities galore. And what we all got instead was a tame, limp version that became more of a joke than a jolly.

The reason for this softening in terms of adult content was to cater for a mass market. This downgrading of what made the game a hit in the first place takes away the most important part, and leaves with it a shell that looks nothing like the original.

But now there’s rumours about the next Wolverine movie about to be made having a PG rated version and an R rated version. The filmmakers must be totally aware of the limitations of movie-making in Hollywood these days, and even Hugh Jackman when being interviewed by MTV mentioned how “there’s such great temptation to make an R-rated Wolverine. I’ve always felt that. I know a lot of fans would like that. I totally get it. If there was ever a superhero that was going to be R-rated, it’s Wolverine.”

But he goes on to say that he’s also come across many young fans of the character. While that’s not a deal-breaker (yet), he goes on:

“There’s even a talk of us doing two versions, as in finding a way for us to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool. But you need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans.”

It’s the idea of having two versions which is interesting. On the one hand you have films that are made, then edited down to access a lower rating. Then you have films edited from the beginning to make sure everything is A-OK.

Knowing how smart kids are these days to see things they shouldn’t, I personally rather they made the film that (let’s face it) everyone wants to see.

A man can dream though…a man can dream.


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Embracing creativity

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Remember how you felt after watching Jurassic Park?

You may know his name very well, or have heard it for the first time, but Steve Jobs, the face of Apple and all its iProducts, passed away.

This is not going to be an eulogy of the man, but rather of what the man did very well: to inspire.

A lot of the time, we’re consumed with critique when it comes to innovation. When a world is offered everything nowadays, nothing can be the next big thing.

Steve Jobs loved to talk a lot about being ‘revolutionary’, and as much as it felt overused and a little too much for what he was talking about, it was that passion that got people so interested in every Apple product.

Thinking about creativity within any category brings up the ability to imagine, or to think outside of the boundaries. A lot of film and television directors have been given great acclaim for this, as well as scriptwriters.

It’s not often enough that we celebrate the act of being creative. You must have heard it a million times before at work by your boss demanding that whatever you’re doing, double that with a dash of ingenuity, which is unfair to say the least.

Remember the last time you truly went “Wow!”? Was it when you saw Avatar because of the amount of detail it had? Was it a twist in a story you never saw coming?

I remember watching Jurassic Park with such jaw-dropping awe that I instantly wanted to become a movie maker. The details of the dinosaurs, the amazing work of digital technology andsheer excitement of it all was amazing.

Far too often we are consumed with embarassment for acknowledging we could not forsee an event coming, and thus throw away any ingenuity as a simple shrug and a passing, when really we should be amazed by it.

We often watch television shows without wondering why we reach for that remote at the same time every week, or search for the link online.

Some movies inspire us in such a powerful way, that the bright lights of the outside world feels like a new beginning as the cinema doors shut behind you.

Video games encapsulate long periods of time with their stories, keeping our attention just as it starts to wane. Entertaining someone for 40 hours is no easy task.

We do love our entertainment here at CDWOW!, and we love to share that passion with you because at the end of the day, it’s more enjoyable to feel like someone else out there appreciates the same details in everyday enjoyments that sometimes are left out of the Oscars speech.

If you feel like giving a shout out to anything you’ve recently been absorbed in, whether it be an album that makes you close your eyes and daydream, or a simple line of a television show that kept you in stitches simply because they were able to reference something you hold dear to you.

I’ve watched and listened to some fantastic albums and seen some great flicks lately, and I will go in detail about them, because frankly we want to hear your thoughts.

Let us know what’s on your mind, and what’s recently inspired you. We’d love to know what we can do to make your entertainment needs better than you expected (a “wow” would be perfect, in fact).


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Oh, the warm glow of new TV shows

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

AMC's Breaking Bad

It’s been a joyous couple of weeks. And no, it isn’t because I’ve discovered the amazing wonders of Oktoberfest (in fact, that’s only made things better having an excuse to drink litres of beer and singing out loud).

No! It’s because September was the month of TV shows coming back to treat us after being so obedient and patient (not like we had any say over it). TV RETURNS! HOO-RAH!

The flux of TV shows back to entertain us is actually overwhelming for the first time. Breaking Bad’s back, and almost incinerating our minds from the get-go. Chemistry’s never been so bad-ass.

The Big Bang Theory’s right on track with the same ol’, but it’s the good same ol’ that made us watch in the first place. Though every time I watch this show I just miss Futurama, and think back to a time where nerdy jokes didn’t have to be spelt out and laid out in front of you.

Of course Glee’s back. They’ll be in high school until you’re retired, so get used to it. Bah-bah-baa-dum! Wait, let me tell you something from a future episode: They win something. Or lose something. Honestly, I’ve got a 50/50 chance of guessing how that show goes (unless they break it off into a spin-off with Rachel and Kurt called ‘Brokenhearted on Broadway’). I jest…yet point my finger at Ryan Murphy!

Gossip Girl’ll be doing the rounds of making you jealous you weren’t born into a ridiculously well-off and in-the-know family (though inheriting the drama could be just the right amount of pesticide to that dream).

Speaking of gossip, America’s Next Top Model is back (again), this time throwing all the loud-mouthed girls from the previous seasons together. Considering Alexandria was the best at being a personality without being expletive about it, if she doesn’t win, it’s a travesty.

Two and a Half Men have still trucked on, but that’s not a big surprise considering 2/5 of the total men on that show walked off, and the producers shrugged their shoulders and added a dude.

See how I went from the great shows all the way down to Two and a Half Men? I’m trying to be nice to those who love these shows, but…there’s no Charlie Sheen! I watched the Comedy Central Roast of Sheen and it made me want to see him act!

What is WRONG with me…? *sobs in corner*

Oooh, Phineas and Ferb season 3′s on!


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Ready, Eddie?

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Go on, raise the eyebrow.

The year was 1987. A suave charmer of a man walks on stage with a shiny blue suit, gloves and his trademark smile. Eddie Murphy spent an hour an a half making the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden keel over with laughter. This was ‘Raw‘ – the first time I saw Eddie Murphy (on video).

Come next February, you’ll be seeing that same man walk on stage to host the 84th annual Oscar Awards. This has caused quite a stirring to the public, considering there’s a whole lot more to consider than Eddie’s best.

His early career on television and film showed Eddie Murphy at his prime. He never missed a beat, and if he did, could get away with being a charming and witty fellow. Little Buckwheat was awesome, the fifth Beatle was a classic, and Mr Robinson had to be one of my all-time favourites.

Sure, there were moments where he stepped a little out of line, but he held such a good image to the people that it was ignored. Richard Pryor was in some bad flicks, but that never changed the man.

But how could we say anything to defend the man for some of the choices made? The first Nutty Professor was enjoyable. Bowfinger was average, but Eddie wasn’t in a fat suit again. But then Eddie went into a fat suit again.

The Shrek series seems to be the only thing that has kept his head barely above water, and somewhat contain that same sass we fell in love with.

With that said, I’m looking forward to seeing him come on stage, but there’s just that gut feeling that they’re going to push him out on stage in a fat suit.

And that would hurt me more than Norbit ever could (and did).

Doogs’ Top 5 Eddie Murphy moments

1. Delirious
2. Raw
3. Beverly Hills Cop
4. Saturday Night Live – Best of Eddie Murphy
5. Coming to America


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The fountain of youth isn’t squeaky clean

Monday, September 5th, 2011

"I just want a little nibble..."

It may be that I’m trying to keep up to date with TV shows and am currently neck-deep (is that even a saying?) in True Blood, but there’s a little bit of news that has just caught my attention.

Stanford University, known for its upper-class persona and upper-lipped stiffness, has gone mythical. Not one to shy away from being pioneers of science breakthroughs, researchers have apparently found a way to slow the aging process in the brain (read the story here).

Though most of these experiments aren’t for human testing, hence the mice being used as test subjects, but apparently injecting an older mouse with young mice blood causes what is written as the “rejuvenation effect”, making more neurons, encouraging more activity across synapses, and less inflammation.

The opposite happens in reverse. While this sounds completely out of a film (which I bet the idea was originated from), I’m also shocked it hasn’t been tried before.

This is all too much considering the last week I’ve been spending playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and the concept ofaltering the human body. Not to mention that woman who injected horse blood into her several times. Could anyone be seeing this going all horribly wrong?

Kids! Don’t bite your older siblings!


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Neigh, do not try this at home

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Mrs. Ed?

I went to see Captain America on the weekend. Late, I know, but I’ve been plowing through Mad Men and Community episodes for the last month (which I totally recommend you take up as your two new television projects).

It’s amazing how a film can inspire those few viewers who feel that some parts of a fantasy could actually be reality.

The first is a simple, straightforward attempt at a teenager who feels his Captain America-inspired (but not-so-inspired costume) shield can deflect an “artillery shell firework”.

The second is more concerning, but also makes me think how Charlie Sheen got his powers. In the name of art (which is a blanket to hide the ‘crazy’ in all of us), a French woman’s art project ‘May the Horse Live In Me’ involved injecting horse blood into her system.

This wasn’t a one-off kind of thing, as the human body isn’t made for this kind of interspecies blood transfusions (Keith Richards is different). She had to inject herself with “horse immunoglobulins and glycoproteins over several months”. You can read the rest of the story at WIRED (or wierd in this instance) here.

Apparently she was feeling superhuman (and a little bit horse), but I figure if you’re doing life-threatening procedures, and you survive, you’re more likely going “Holy sh** I’m not dead” all day.

I’d rather get shot at by fireworks, myself. Less work.


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I want what he’s eating on TV

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I'm a people person, myself.

How many shows and movies have you watched that made you start salivating? Beerfest comes to mind, but I’m talking about the products you see that you’ve always wondered “Man, I’d sure love one of those right now”.

I’ve only recently discovered a cracker unlike any other. Some say it’s made from high energy plankton, but I know the truth.

Sure, it’s just crackers with spinach and a hefty price tag, but man it’d be cool to chow down on one of these at film school. Freak out old people for eating Charlton Heston’s buddy, and freak out the kids eating anything green.

So I present to you:

Doogs’ Top 5 Favourite (and now real) Entertainmeals

1. Tru Blood (True Blood) - The sweet, sweet taste of O positive blood just sounds delightful…for a vampire. It’s possibly tomato juice with tobasco, but put a bit of liquor in it, and you’ve got yourself a drunk vamp (depending on the party, you’ll be sucking necks in no time).

2. Duff beer (The Simpsons) - If blood doesn’t settle your stomach, low-class suds’ll do the trick. There was always a wish inside to visit Duff Gardens. Though not sold in the US for copyright reasons, there’s a happy bunch of people living in Mexico glugging down the lovely bubbly.

3. Cheesy Poofs (South Park) - How Cartman got so fat was a result of dining. This dining came from green boxes of cheese-flavoured snacks that Eric couldn’t keep his hands off of. Hell yeah I want Cheesy Poofs!

4. Scooby Snacks (Scooby Doo) – I once ate dog buscuits when I was young. Heck, why lie about it, I ate them a few times. The dog just made them look like they tasted something amazing. So why not put together buscuits that would give supernatural confidence boosts? Though for more plausible confidence boosts, see (1) and (2) above.

5. Stay Puft marshmellows (Ghostbusters) – How awesome it would be to have a full-size marshmellow man? Pretty awesome, until, you know, you were finished gnawing on his toe and the rest of him got dirty and stale. Packs of marshmellows infused with caffeine will do the trick while you’re doing the Ghostbusters marathon.

But you know what, there are two foods that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to try, and they’re both from Seinfeld. Tell me which two foods I’m thinking about.


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Thrones and bones

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Two and two half men? Three men?

I’ve got some good news and bad news. Well, it depends on what you do or don’t like.

The good (or bad) news is that HBO’s medieval fantasy TV show Game of Thrones has been given the green light for a second season. “The Sopranos in Middle-earth” must have been a hard sell, but with an HBO-endorsed show being successful, chances are this show’s going to be given a good run. How people were drawn to swords, scandals and sex is beyond me…

Moving on! The bad (or…good?) news is that the TV series of Two and a Half Men will start off their first episode with the funeral of Charlie Harper (AKA Charlie Sheen). Say what you will about the tiger blood fighter who couldn’t stop himself from digging career holes (or “winning” as he put it) all the time, but in this case I was saddened to hear the only character on Two and a Half Men that kept it running is going to be in a (self-made) coffin.

Ashton Kutcher’s taken the reins as the new recruit to keep the series we all thought was going to end to keep on, and considering the amount of That 70′s Show episodes we got out of Kelso, who knows what may happen (for the record, that’s the bad news for me).

Sometimes we just have to hear both sides of the spectrum to see what will prevail as successful television. I will say this, however: Ashton Kutcher was amazing in Dude, Where’s My Car?.


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Napoleon returns in shades

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

"Uhh....idiots!"

Comic-Con’s just finished the rounds of releasing the most scrumptious goodies for what’s to come.

For those lucky enough to actually be there, I shake my fist with jealousy. Of course we can expect hordes of people to blog about what they saw, but it’s the experience of being there yourself, in the room, with countless other body odour-affected geeks that sets it apart from simply reading about the upcoming things that make us go “Woohoo!”.

I know that there are too many awesome news releases that’ve come from Comic Con, and I do want to more deeply into them, but for this next bit, it’s going to need your attention.

Napoleon Dynamite, the 2004 flick about the loveable dweeb with crazy-mad nunchuck skills, now has an upcoming animated series. The first thought I had was that of exacerbation towards humanity.

Watching the trailer gave off some little chuckles though, and knowing the original cast are behind the voices, I warmed up to the idea. Here’s a funny game though: imagine Napoleon as any other outcast from an animated series (eh: Daria) and you’ll see a fair amount of similarites.

A lot of times we can forget that young minds need shows like this to relate to. Sounds absolutely crazy, sure, but I remember watching Daria, and to a lesser extent Beavis & Butthead, and they were all strange characters not socially adept, but still made others laugh.

I don’t think the younger generation know of Metallica (unless their parents forbid to play nothing but), but as much as a refreshed look at teenage issues doesn’t seem important, look on the bright side: At least there’s no Justin Bieber cartoon……………yet.


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