The 2016 Amateur Podcast Championships was a huge success, so many great podcasts entered the competition. The judging was extremely tough, with several shows making a solid case to be the winner of the first annual contest. Furthermore, only a few votes separated first and second place in the People’s Choice category.
We thank you for being part of this great competition and hope you return in the fall for the 2017 edition.
And The Winner Is…
The Awesome Hour
Honorable Mention:
Aussie and The Pom
The Something Something Cast
Loco Gringo Mexico
The Officially Street Podcast
The Dan & Kody Podcast
Me Myself and I Radio
Armchair Ninja Podcast
Make it a Double!
Based on a True Story
Dan LeFebvre
Honorable Mention:
A Night of Horror
Dinner In Hell
Make it a Double!
Morbid Curiosity
PPR STOCK REPORT
The Back Stories
The Dave Bullis Podcast
The Morbid Curiosity Podcast
The Officially Street Podcast
Thank you again to everyone that entered the competition and to all the fans who voted. Check out every podcast here.
In theaters next weekend, The Lego Batman Movie mixes the fun of The Lego Movie while spoofing the superhero genre resulting in a film that will entrance all comers.
Summary
Our hero’s journey begins with a pitch black screen because as The Dark Knight explains all great movies start that way. Batman (Will Arnett) is a self-center vigilante with narcissistic tendencies who prefers to work alone. During the opening fight sequence, he tells the Joker “Batman doesn’t do ships.. as in relationships” which immediately breaks the Joker (Zack Galifianakis), heart. After defeating the Joker for about the millionth time in a row, Batman heads home to celebrate alone. Back in the Bat-Cave, he treats himself to some microwave lobster and a viewing of Jerry Maguire.
His life of solitude faces challenges, at first by his butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) who urges him to take an active role in his adopted son Dick Grayson’s (Micheal Cera) life. After much pouting, he relents and allows him to come on one of his missions as he believes that Dick is expendable.He’s pushed further by brand new police commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) to consider working in a collaborative manner with the Gotham police department instead of working “outside” the law. While this is going on, The Joker hatches a plan that he hopes will elevate his standing in Batman’s eyes so that he’s considered his greatest enemy. The film ultimately becomes a tale of whether or not Bruce Wayne/Batman will accept help from his friends as he faces his biggest test yet.
What I Didn’t Like
I do think the film could have been around 80 minutes. There were moments where the film did tend to drag a little, but it wasn’t enough to completely derail what was happening on screen. However, had they tighten the movie up slightly, it might have raised the overall impact of the gags on screen.
Seth Grahame-Smith and the writing team on The Lego Batman movie attempt to construct a story that has a heart just like its predecessor, The Lego Movie. They hammer the theme of “we are a family” repeatedly throughout the film to the point where it borders on being excessive. Why did they even attempt to insert any heart into this narrative? This movie was meant to be simply a spoof of the superhero genre and nothing more.
What I did Like
I thought the film was cleverly written. It has plenty of gags mixed in with a ton of callbacks to any number of the Batman movies and even the TV series. The writers found plenty of comedy in Batman’s background, even exploiting the idea of how big your ego must be to finance your burning desire to become a vigilante. They had plenty of lines in which Batman was talking about his nine pack of abs, and he even has a song (that he plays) while kicking bad guy butt around Gotham City. Alfred even reminds Batman of how many times he has an identity crisis dating back to an episode of the television series back in 1966, to which Batman replies “I have aged beautifully.”
The use of many of the characters in the DC universe was a welcomed addition as well. It made me giggle that Justice League didn’t want anything to do with Batman. The use of the super villains was a nice touch as well. What sold me on their use of characters was how they used Batman and Superman as the launching pad for Joker being heartbroken by the Dark Knight. I guess the Joker couldn’t handle the idea of The Dark Knight liking to “fight around.”
The voice acting in this film was bright and energetic. It’s easy to hear how much fun they were having when they were making this picture. Director Chris Mckay made some brilliant decision during this making of this film and that one comes to mind was him allowing Will Arnett riff. There are times during the movie when you know Arnett is just reading the jokes that were written and others seemed improvised. For Example, the one where Batman is throwing a temper because he doesn’t want to go to Jim Gordon’s retirement party and immediately breaks into beatboxing. Hearing Batman beat box at that moment didn’t seem to fit, but it sure as hell was funny.
Final Thoughts
While The Lego Batman doesn’t reach the lofty standards set forth by The Lego Movie, this film is a highly entertaining spoof of an ever growing genre. The animation is surprisingly crisp during the film (especially during the fight scenes). Is this movie perfect? No, I think in parts of it tries too hard to be relevant and the film could have easily been 80 minutes long. That being said, I can not remember the last time I’ve laughed that much in a movie. The Lego Batman movie isn’t going to win any awards, but it will certainly delight fans of all ages. Can’t ask for much more than that.
20th Century Fox has revealed an awesome new look at Logan during this year’s Super Bowl. The short TV Spot features mostly seen footage however, there are some really cool shots that haven’t appeared in previous trailers.
Titled ‘Grace’ the new teaser brings home the emotional tone of Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie. If you didn’t think this would be a sad film before, you certainly will after watching this.It also becomes pretty clear that the third solo Wolverine movie will see the passing of the torch from Hugh Jackman to Dafne Keen’s X-23. This looks like a father/daughter relationship, but with more violence and severed limbs.
In the near future, a weary Wolverine cares for an ailing Professor X in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Wolverine’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
Logan stars Hugh Jackman (Logan), Boyd Holbrook (Donald Pierce), Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Dafne Keen (Laura Kinney/X-23), Doris Morgado (Maria), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Gabriela), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice). James Mangold is directing and helped on the screenplay along with Scott Frank and Michael Green.
Marvel Studios just dropped an awesome new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, and while the short trailer teased various new characters, the most notable addition is a possible villain in the film, Ayesha.
Portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki (The Man From U.N.C.L.E), Ayesha is often referred to as “Her” in Marvel Comics. The character was a creation of The Enclave who also created “Him” known to Marvel fans as Adam Warlock. According to director James Gunn, Warlock won’t appear in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel but it’s interesting to see that Ayesha is being introduced in a major role.
Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their new-found family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 Lands In theaters May 2017.
Superbowl LI came and went. And, though fans of teams long since eliminated didn’t get to watch their teams compete, The Patriots, the Falcons, and Lady Gaga put on a show. I watched the Superbowl with a Patriots fan who appreciated the team’s astonishing comeback. My Superbowl LI Sunday beer review is on Hop City Brewing Company‘s 8th Sin Black Lager.
From Brampton, Ontario, Hop City Brewing Company has won several awards in both the Ontario and Canada Brewing Awards. In fact, 8th Sin Black Lager won Gold in the Dark Lager category in the 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards, beating out Sidelaunch Dark Lager—a beer I recently reviewed. Now, it’s time to kick off my tasting.
Hop City Brewing Company: 8th Sin Black Lager – First Sip
8th Sin Black Lager pours an impenetrable dark brown with barely any foam. I taste chocolate as I take my first sip. Its relatively low carbonation level gives 8th Sin Black Lager a smooth mouthfeel that gives way to a semi-sweet aftertaste.
Hop City Brewing Company: 8th Sin Black Lager – Last Sip
Because of its malty taste, 8th Sin Black Lager is a great beer to enjoy with something salty, spicy, or savoury. And, if you’re at a Superbowl party, I’m sure there won’t be any shortage of these. I’ve started the night out with some lime and black pepper chips, and I’m finding their combination with 8th Sin a winning one. But with its sweet taste, this brew also goes well with chili and a long list of other dishes.
I recommend pouring 8th Sin into a pint glass before drinking. This brew has a great chocolatey smell that shouldn’t be missed. And, if you drink this brew directly from its 473-mL can, you’re likely to miss it. With a 5% ABV rating, this is a good beer to start your Superbowl or other any festivities off with.
The Guardians are back and better than ever. An epic new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 just dropped alongside this year’s Super Bowl and it’s everything you could ask for from the rag-tag team of misfits.
With just a few months until the film is released, this latest trailer gives us our best look yet at Marvel’s follow-up to With just a few months until the film is released, this latest trailer gives us our best look yet at Marvel’s follow up to Guardians of the Galaxy. We get to see each returning member of the team as well as a decent look at newbies like Mantis. Of course, we also get an awesome new track from the soundtrack and a look at James Gunn’s insane visuals.
Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 lands in theaters on May 5, 2017!
GamesRadar(Total Film Magazine) recently published an article titled “The 24 best upcoming movies of 2017”, and offered a new look at Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The magazine revealed an awesome new image, showing Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) as they prepare for battle in the upcoming DC Comics movie.
Unlike previously released images, this gives us a better look at Jason Momoa’s Aquaman fighting alongside the League. It also looks a lot like the team will board an alien ship at one point in the movie, even possibly a Kryptonian ship. Did someone say, Superman?
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Directed by Zack Snyder, Justice League stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amber Heard, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Amy Adams, Connie Nielson, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg.
Justice League lands in theaters on November 16, 2017.
In a cinema culture awash with sequels, reboots and franchise movies, another hugely popular trend, in both film and TV, is origin stories. The most recent example of this was premiered at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last weekend. This summer, TNT will broadcast a new show called ‘Will’ which tells the “wild story” of a young William Shakespeare’s arrival onto “the punk rock theater scene in 16th Century London”, according to Entertainment Weekly. We’ve seen Bruce Wayne’s parents murdered and Peter Parker bitten by a radioactive spider on countless occasions, but it’s clearly not just superheroes who get the origin story treatment. Alongside Shakespeare, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Charlie Chaplin, and recently, Barack Obama, have all had their early lives rendered in film.
What makes the lives of all these superheroes and public figures so attractive for dramatization is a background of adversity or a life-changing event that influenced their future. Charlie Chaplin’s childhood in poverty, Stephen Hawking’s struggle with motor neurone disease, and Nelson Mandela’s experience of revolution and prejudice; the harrowing tale of Wolverine’s early trauma, Dr Strange’s career-ending car-wreck, and Tony Stark’s life-threatening injury are all defining moments in the lives of the superheroes we know and love. The moments that took our heroes, real and fictional, from ordinary to extraordinary.
So, what other real-world icons have lived lives worthy of the big screen? The list is endless and it’s incredibly difficult to narrow it down, but here are five celebrities with extraordinary lives who deserve their own origin story.
1Stan Lee
Any self-respecting follower of popular culture will know the name Stan Lee. We have this man to thank for almost everything that defines Hollywood today. Quite why his life hasn’t yet been gifted to the screen is frankly a mystery.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York in 1922, he and his family experienced financial difficulties during and after the Depression, forcing them to live in a one-bedroom apartment and Stan to balance his schooling and reading with any employment he could get. He was hired by Timely Comics as a teenager and soon graduated from menial tasks to a more creative role as interim editor. He returned to the company, now Atlas Comics, after a short stint in the military and in the late 1950s, his publisher asked him and colleague Jack Kirby to create a new superhero team to compete with DC Comics. Then came the birth of many of the most famous superheroes ever created, including the ‘X-Men’, ‘Hulk’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘Thor’, ‘Spider Man’, ‘Doctor Strange’, etc. By 1975, Lee had become the public face of Marvel Comics, a position he inhabits to this day.
Perhaps one of the most influential contributors to popular culture of his generation, Stan Lee is a character with huge charisma and creative drive who continues to be heavily involved in the exploits of his creations even as he approaches 100 years of age. Acting, writing, producing, his energy is incredible and his story inspiring.
So there we have it, a short list of just a few of the celebrities whose lives have been so dramatic and influential that they are more than worthy of the screen, big or small.
Which other public figures do you think should have their lives dramatized for film or TV? Let us know in the comments.
Musicals and Superheroes? ‘Supergirl’ and ‘The Flash’ take on musical episode!
The CW can handle the crossover episodes like a champ, and we are lucky enough to get another one! This time, it’s a musical. The two-part crossover will feature Supergirl, Flash, and both of their teams going up against none other than Music Meister. His first appearance was in the animated Batman series, ‘The Brave and the Bold’, voiced by Neil Patrick Harris. The Music Meister will be giving the heroes a reason to be all of a sudden breaking out in song and dance.
This time, we get Darren Criss of ‘Glee’ to croon us with the songs of the Meister. We have had a couple musical surprises on the shows, seeing a very drunk Caitlin Snow and Barry sing Summer Nights from ‘Grease’, or when we got to see Earth 2 Joe as a lounge singer. The thoughts of a musical, we never gave a second thought to, until now.
Filming has just wrapped, and even though we must wait until March 20th for the airing, photos are popping up over on the Instagram.
Yesterday, we posted the shorter TV spot for Transformers: The Last Knight. Now, we have the extended Super Bowl spot, which has quite a bit of new footage. Watch it below.
Are you looking forward to Michael Bay’s final installment in the controversial Transformers franchise? Let us know in the comments section below.
“The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.”
