Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture

Tangled – Movie Review

Whenever Disney releases an animated movie, I wonder whether they’ve finally abandoned their classic formula. Last year’s The Princess and the Frog was probably their last foray into hand-drawn animation, but Tangled clearly suggests that they’re staying true to the kinds of movies that brought them success in the past. It’s definitely the successor of…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 – Movie Review

It’s definitely the beginning of the end. When the final Harry potter book came out, fans like me felt sad that this enjoyable adventure with beloved characters was coming to a close. Now, the same is happening on the big screen. It doesn’t help the melancholy that this movie opens with scenes of Hermione casting…

TV: Red Light, Green Light (Fall 2010)

I wanted to do a TV: Red Light, Green Light post for this TV season to think through all the shows that are up in the air in terms of whether I will keep watching them. This fall season has not been great on TV. New shows are not catching on and even long-running shows…

Let Me In – Movie Review

Cloverfield director Matt Reeves’s Let Me In (a remake of Swedish film Let The Right One In) tells the coming-of-age story of a withdrawn young boy, neglected by his mother and bullied by his peers. The boy’s name is Owen and he makes a connection with an equally reserved young girl who moves in next…

The Social Network – Movie Review

We are living in a time when Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest men in the world, and one of the hottest tv shows is The Big Bang Theory. Nerds and geeks are not only cool, they rule. The phenomenon is less true in the movie world, but The Social Network fixes that. Its…

Fall TV 2010 – Returning Drama

If you’ve read my blog, you know that even though I’m posting about returning dramas, you’re not going to read about House or Mad Men or Grey’s Anatomy. My tastes tend towards genre shows, though I do watch the occasional melodramedy… Desperate Housewives … Let’s get that one out of the way first. Even after…

Fall TV 2010 – New Drama

In a year with so many simultaneous premieres, and new series going up against old favourites for survival, there’s bound to be some quick casualties. In fact, there have already been two series gone after only two episodes. I can’t say that I’m in love with any yet, but I guess it’s still early. The…

Fall TV 2010 – Comedy

For some reason, this year all the networks decided on a concentrated premiere period. Where shows used to debut and return over the span of weeks, even months, this year the majority are airing their premieres in mid September. So, for TV fans there’s lots to squeeze in, so I’m going to have to make…

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole – Movie Review

Can they really produce an epic fantasy featuring owls? I was amazed that the answer is a resounding Yes. There were so many things that turned me off watching this movie (and I think a lot of people are in the same prejudicial boat). First, the title is ridiculously impossible to say without quizzical looks:…