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Zeke’s 2013 Year in Review – Movies and Television

Posted on by Zeke

Zeke’s 2013 Year in Review – Movies and Television

Last year I did a year in review, and this year I almost forgot to do it! It’s a few weeks late, but I’ve found myself with a bit of time on my hands, so it’s once again time to look back fondly on the year 2013, and examine the best that it had to offer! Today we shall be looking at Movies and Television!

2013 Movie of the Year – Frozen

If last year you told me that my favorite movie from 2013 was a Disney movie, I probably would have laughed. And if you told me that said movie would cause me to get countless songs stuck in my head, causea princess to potential uproot Ariel as my favorite, and be seen in theaters multiple times, I would have called you crazy. But no doubt, Frozen was my absolute favorite movie this past year. It had everything you would want in a movie: great character development, characters you cared about and cheered for, compelling story, shocking twists, an amazing soundtrack…it had it all. If you haven’t seen this movie you really need to step it up and make it out to see it. Frozen broke a lot of age-old Disney molds, and the fact that it has become my favorite Disney movie by-far is a testament to it’s success.

2013 TV Series of the Year – Game of Thrones

I have a sad confession. I did not watch the first two seaons of Game of Thrones. One of the biggest reasons was because I’m lazy and didn’t pirate it, since I didn’t have HBO. But when Kerby got a job at Comcast, thus gaining us access to HBO, I was able to marathon it the weekend of the premier, just it time to catch Season 3 and be up to speed. And I was completely blown away. It was an insanely mind blowing experience. I was ashamed that I hadn’t watched it up until now. Season 3 had a ton of twists and turns in a series that already was well known for coming out of left field (for those who haven’t read the books, of course). The mere fact that two of my most hated characters made me like them, mostly out of pity, and don’t even get me started on the Red Wedding. Wow. I can’t wait until Season 4, and I hope everyone out that has had a chance to watch this amazing piece of television history.

2013 Episode of the Year – Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

Is it any surprise? The 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who was simply spectacular. I’ve watched it at least 5 times since it aired, including twice the day it came out (so that Kerby and his girl could see it). It had just about everything you could ask for (outside of Eccelston coming back). 10 and 11 worked amazingly together, and John Hurt was commanding in his role as The War Doctor. To top it all off, The Night of the Doctor, a short prequel webisode, brought back Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor, and it was so great to see him once again take over the screen. The story was twisty and turny (or would that be Wibbly Wobbly?) as one might expect from a Moffat written Doctor Who episode, but the added time it was given made it all flow out so well. From start to finish I was grinning from cheek to cheek. This was the Doctor Who I had been demanding for months, and it was very satisfying.
Well, that’s all for today. Tune in tomorrow when I’ll be discussing Music, and reveal my Song and Album of the year!

Zeke’s Year in Review – Movies and Television

Posted on by Zeke

Zeke’s Year in Review – Movies and Television

In 2010, I did what I hoped would become an annual event of the year in review, where I went over some of my favorite movie, music, and gaming best-ofs. Unfortunately, 2011 became rather hectic towards the end of the year, but I’m proud to announce that Zeke’s Year In Review is back! Today I’d like to discuss some of my best-ofs in Movies & TV. Remember, these are merely one man’s opinions, if you have a different one, post it in the comments!

2012 Movie of the Year – The Avengers

It’s hard to name any other movie than this spectacular blockbuster as my 2012 Movie of the Year. A lot of really good flicks came out this year, but only one made me want to see it several times. The Avengers took all your favorite Marvel Movie characters and jammed them together in this epic story. Joss Whedon, known for his brilliance in ensemble casts, managed to weave a tale that gave everyone ample screen time, and showed off each member of the super-team’s highs and lows. From Hawkeye’s surprise villain twist, to Black Widow’s acrobatic combat style, to Iron Man’s witty smarm, each character was able to shine and show of their personality. Well, maybe not Hawkeye…but there’s always Avengers 2! The dialog was witty and refreshing, and the humor was subtle but full of impact. As with most things Joss Whedon, there was no feed-line/punchline setup to the jokes, it was all well written in the dialog to make it seem natural, and it all came out of left-field. There were things I heard in my second, third, and beyond viewings of the movie that I had missed in prior showings because of all the laughter in the theater. The whole crowd got behind the film and you really felt like you were experiencing magic. So there’s no other movie that I could give this two. If you haven’t seen it, shame on you.

2012 TV Series of the Year – Sherlock

I’ll be the first to admit that, outside of Wrestling and Doctor Who, I don’t watch a whole lot of TV. So when a series comes out that I go out of my way to make sure I catch, you know it’s gotta be good. While I would have loved to pick something like Game of Thrones or even Breaking Bad, the fact of the matter is, I haven’t taken the time to properly experience those shows to the fullest. But one show that I definitely have is the BBC’s Sherlock. With Steven Moffat of Doctor Who fame at the helm, this show is more like a series of made for TV movies, and the added length compared to a standard television program definitely goes to it’s advantage. These shows are witty, clever, and have enough twists and turns to always keep you guessing. Many shows have tried to do a “modern day take” on Sherlock Holmes, from House to CBS’s Elementary. Even shows like Monk and Psyche have taken the Sherlock formula and done their own twist to it. But when it comes to Sherlock Holmes, it’s hard to beat the series helmed by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. If you haven’t had a chance, definitely give this series a watch.

2012 Episode of the Year – Doctor Who: The Snowmen

Despite being a giant Doctor Who fan, I spent a good portion of 2012 dreading the show. Whether it was Steven Moffat’s show-running, or Matt Smith’s portrayal of The Doctor, Amy Pond’s continued mary-sueing, to the gradual grinding down of the mystique of River Song, the 6th and beginning of the 7th season of the premier time-traveling show from the BBC left a sour taste in my mouth. So when the announcement came of Amy and Rory’s departure, as well as the premier of a new companion for the 2012 Christmas Special was announced, I didn’t hold my breath. I was excited, but anxious. I didn’t want to be let down again, as I had felt so often in the past few years. Let me take this opportunity to wash away your fears: The Snowmen is one of the best episodes of the Matt Smith / Steven Moffat years. It ranks right up there with The Eleventh Hour and even the amazing episode The Doctor’s Wife (written by Neil Gaiman, who is set to return in the second half of Season 7). This episode refreshed the entire series for me, and seemed to breath new life into not only the series, but Matt Smith’s The Doctor as well. Before this episode, I would approach 2013 for Doctor Who hesitantly, with much reserve. But after this episode, I’m rejuvenated once again. I’m happy to be a Doctor Who fan, and if you haven’t been able to catch this episode, find some way to do it. You won’t be disappointed!
Well, that’s all for today. Tune in tomorrow when I’ll be discussing Music, and reveal my Song and Album of the year!

aniRAGE! Year in review: Miroku’s Favorites list

Posted on by Miroku

Greetings and Salutations, Everybody! As most of you well know, today is the very last day of the year 2K10! Having seen Zeke list his favorite albums/Soundtracks made me want to take a moment to list some of my favorites of this year as well! So, without further adieu, I’m going to list a few of my favorites (From songs to Cons to moments shared) from this year:

Favorite Song of this year:

I probabaly have to say that my absolute favorite song from this year has got to be “Monster” by Skillet. It’s an amazing song from start to end, chaulk full of great rifts, an awesome beat, and enough energy to match a 12 pack of Red-Bull! Can’t tell you how many times I found myself jamming to this song during the year… Whether it was in going places or trying to psyche myself up during excercise or even when I was feeling a bit down. It’s just WAY to awesome of a song and I recommend checking it out, if you haven’t already.

Favorite Movie of this year:

I haven’t seen “Tron” or “Voyage of the DawnTreader” yet, but I figure that I can safely say that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1” was probably the BEST movie I have seen! I’m not a huge fan of the illustrious “Mr. Potter” but, I have always enjoyed the movies. This last one, however, really blew me away and I loved the fact that they played back on events and conversations that were had back from a few movies ago and how this transformation of Harry from “Young Innocence” to “Dark Messiah” is coming to it’s fruition here. Not to mention that the telling of the ‘Deathly Hallows” story is and AMAZING treat in the midst of the story. Hands down, the BEST of the “Harry Potter” chronicles that has yet to been released… Still looking forward to Part 2 ^_^!

Favorite VideoGame of this year:

Call of Duty: Black Ops….What can I say about this game that hasn’t been already stated? It TRULY is an AMAZING gaming experience! I really, REALLY have loved playing this game and with it’s multiple play modes, customizations, Zombies, and the “Easter Egg” at it’s ending…. I have to say this has been and continues to be one of the funnest games I have yet to play!

Favorite Manga of this year:

I’ve enjoyed and am still enjoying quite a few manga’s this year… But, I feel that the best I have read or, rather, completed this year was probably “Full Metal Alchemist”… I mean, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY!!! Hiromu Arakawa is a brilliant manga writer (if I do say so myself) and the series, with it’s many twists and turns and epic battles, really earned a place in my heart. I can say with sincerity and fondness that the story and its characters were truely A-list material and just stunning both in the reading and in the art! A must read if you haven’t already or aren’t already reading it!

Favorite Convention of this year:

Good gravy! We’ve been to QUITE a few in this year. It’s hard to say which one i liked the most because I really, REALLY liked them all! But, If I had to throw out just one convention that, in my mind, just stood an inch taller then all the rest… I think I would have to say that Metro-Con probably was my favorite again… True, we didn’t perform much there, but that may be just some of the charm that places it above the others. I’ve had a blast EVERYWHERE we went AND being able to do our improve with the likes of “the Nostalgia Critic” and “Ego-Raptor” or Hosting a Ball with “Anime Belle” are events that I shall NEVER EVER forget! But, there is something about Metro-Con that really puts a smile on my face and alot of joy in my heart. I always meet new and interestig people there and deeply enjoy the events and all the folks I’ve met… And, HEY! I’ve did something I never thought I’d be able to do. I was able to give blood to help people whom need it to live. Honestly, I’m scared of needles and the fact thta I worked up the courage for this has been a SUPREME accomplishment for me this year! It really was an amazing con and I’m TOTALLY looking forward to go back again this year… But,it better watch out. Exp and ShadoCon were REALLY, REALLY high up there!

And, there ya go! These are my favorites for the year! There is alot more I could post here, but I think I’ll hang back a little. However, I sincerely hope that you all had a WONDERFUL year and an even better year here in the next! God Bless you all and a very Happy New Year from myself and all of us here at aniRAGE.com!

~Miroku