Pardon the grandiose title of this post, but as the year comes to a close, I like to take a look back at high points (and maybe a few lows) at the movies and on TV. The Silver Screen This year was a pretty average year for me at the movies. I watched about 30…
Category: Fantasy
Hobbit’s in good hands
Jackson to Produce The Hobbit After the legal issues between New Line Cinema and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson cast a Sauron-worthy darkness over the possibility of his involvement in the prequel story of Bilbo Baggins’s Ring quest, I am relieved to read that not only have the two sides settled their differences,…
The Golden Compass – Movie Review
I first picked up Philip Pullman’s novel, The Golden Compass, for the typical reason: I was looking for something to fill the void between Harry Potter books. This movie adaptation was likely made with similar motives, but I think viewers expecting a Potter-esque fun-ride might be a bit disappointed or confused by Compass’s extra complexity….
Enchanted – Movie Review
When you see how easily an animated fairy tale morphs into a contemporary romantic comedy, you’ll wonder why it’s taken so long for Disney to come up with this movie. Most romantic comedies are essentially tales of storybook love dressed in modern clothing anyway. Enchanted is just a whimsically literal take on that connection. Animated…
Beowulf – Movie Review
What can we expect from a fully-computer-animated movie without Pixar in the credits or a green ogre in the lead? With Beowulf, hit director Robert Zemekis improves upon the motion-capture techniques used in his Polar Express to bring an ancient, legendary monster-slayer to vivid, digital life. Seeing it in IMAX 3-D, I was subjected to…
Chan, Li, and Yuen: A Martial Arts Dream Team
Empire: Movie News – First Footage From Forbidden Kingdom I didn’t know anything about Forbidden Kingdom, this new project from Jackie Chan, Jet Li and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, until today — now it’s one of my most anticipated films of next year! I grew up listening to the Chinese folk tale of the…
New Abrams Series; Future Plans for Narnia
New Abrams series in the works – Fringe (future-Yay!) This story is being reported all over: JJ Abrams is at it again (ManiaTV) Fox scares up J.J. Abrams’ ‘Fringe’ (Variety) J.J. Abrams, the tv and movie wunderkind behind such shows as Alias, Lost, and such movies as M:I III and the new Star Trek has…
Alvin’s 50 Favourite Shows
Welcome to my 100th post. To honour this auspicious milestone, I’ve decided to do what many web sites seem to be doing — come up with my top 50 TV shows of all time (I started with 100, but it was just too much — and even with 50, I hope you’ll stick with me)….
Stardust – Movie Review
The story of Stardust begins when an Englishman crosses over a wall that separates his village from the mysterious, magical kingdom of Stormhold. Years later, his son Tristran (in an attempt to win the heart of Victoria, the beautiful but indifferent object of his affection) promises to bring her the falling star that passes over…
Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture 