Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture

Summer TV 2011 – Part 2

The summer is so packed with new TV that I had to split my post into two long pieces! The summer is so packed that there are actually two shows about teenagers who find out that they are part of a secret world of animal beings. Teen Wolf is a relatively serious take on the…

Summer TV 2011 – Part 1

I’m pretty excited that these days there is actually something that can be called “the summer tv season”. It’s mainly courtesy of US cable networks such as USA, ABC Family, etc. who seem to be taking the opportunity of the summer gap to introduce lighter fare, quirkier stuff, and shows that might not find as…

Midnight In Paris – Movie Review

Paris being famous as a city of romance, it’s no surprise that Woody Allen would set his latest romantic film there. However, Midnight In Paris holds a number of surprises, including the casting of lead actor, Owen Wilson. The blondest of the Wilson brothers, Owen’s typical role is that of the goofy-yet-good-looking man-child (or cocky…

Green Lantern – Movie Review

What made the character of Green Lantern so interesting to fans like myself when we were growing up? Was it his ring which could materialize anything he could imagine (albeit made of emerald green)? Was it the heroic destiny bequeathed to him by his dying alien predecessor? Was it his membership in an intergalactic police…

Super 8 – Movie Review

I have really missed those “family” sci-fi films of the 80s–the kind that put Steven Spielberg on the map–and it’s like a warm cup of Nestle’s Quik to be enjoying the nostalgic comfort and thrill again in JJ Abrams’s new movie, inspired by those films. It’s virtually impossible to watch Super 8 without thinking of…

X-Men: First Class – Movie Review

I didn’t really know what to expect from this prequel to the X-Men movies. I had heard good things, and the director Matthew Vaughn did a great job with Kick-Ass (one of my favourite movies of last year). However, I didn’t want them to rehash old stories (though we hadn’t really seen the origins of…

Kung Fu Panda 2 – Movie Review

As much as I loved the first Kung Fu panda movie, I was always a little bothered by the fact that it wasn’t really a very Chinese story. The theme of finding one’s destiny and believing in yourself is more of a western idea. One other thing that irked me was that it made no…

Fall TV Sneak Peek 2011

I know it seems odd to be talking about fall tv already. The spring tv season (with its cliffhangers and surprises) isn’t even cold in the ground yet, and summer tv (with its fluffy lightness) is still on the way. However, because all the major US networks have their upfront presentations to advertisers in May,…

TV season 2011: So long, cancelled shows

I don’t know if things are worse this year, but there seems to be a lot of buzz around all the shows that aren’t coming back next season. I thought I’d take a few bytes to say “Good riddance” or “I’ll miss you” to the best and worst of them. (BTW, I might not mention…