Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture

Midseason TV 2013

For a couple of years, I thought that the networks were taking a genius new direction in developing a year-long TV schedule, where ultimately there would be great new shows premiering throughout the year. Instead, midseason seems to have reverted to its old ways of being a dumping ground for shows that were not good…

Oscar Schmoscar 2013

Each year I write this post for two reasons: 1) to show how much I don’t really care about the nominees (not really true) and 2) do quickie reviews of the nominated movies that I haven’t already reviewed separately. Back when there were fewer Best Picture noms, I tried to watch all of them by…

40 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films for 2013 (part 2)

Despite the fact that Hollywood seems more interested in sequels and franchise films (especially in the sci-fi/fantasy market), there are a few 2013 movies which bring a new story to the big screen. However, I can’t promise that they won’t be the first in a franchise (in fact, some of the book adaptations already have…

40 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films for 2013 (part 1)

As I mentioned previously, 2013 is chock full of sci-fi and fantasy movies. Many of last year’s trends are continuing, including fairy tale retelling or reinventions, vampires and supernatural romance, those ubiquitous super-hero movies, and even a new category in the mix: the scorched Earth movie. There are many many 2013 movie lists that you…

Alvin’s 10 Favourite Movies of 2012

In years past, I would post year-end faves from the big and small screens, but 2012 marked the sad continuation of a dry spell on tv. Of the new shows that debuted in 2012, not a single one would I consider “must-see”, and even the ones that I enjoyed in the past have all begun…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Movie Review

I have to say, it’s nice to be back in Middle Earth. While The Lord of the Rings trilogy definitely left me craving more of Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s magical realm, I was worried that The Hobbit would be an epic letdown. Then there was all the talk about how they were going to…

2012 TV Characters: Love and Hate

Characters I Love Topping the list of beloved characters this year is one that I am so enamoured with that I was eager to compose this list just so I could put her on top of it. Anna (Downton Abbey) is the epitome of a woman who loves quietly, deeply and genuinely. Ever since she…

The Life of Pi – Movie Review

The Life of Pi has often been considered an “unfilmable” book, and I’m not sure if that’s because the bulk of the story is given by the protagonist’s monologue and has almost no interaction with other human characters, or because it’s an ocean-bound tale with animals playing major roles. In either case, director Ang Lee…

Rise of the Guardians – Movie Review

Just when you think that animated holiday films had run out of ideas, turning childhood imaginary icons like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost into magical super-heroes is kind of a surprisingly imaginative twist. That’s not to say that Rise of the Guardians doesn’t have its share of…