TV: The Office "Inner Circle"

The Office episode “The Inner Circle”, premiering this Thursday, was the first episode of the award-winning series that did not include head boss and main man Michael Scott, and boy was it different. Will Farrell stepped in to complete his episode arc as temporary office boss Deangelo, in the writer’s attempt to settle the transition period between the changing dynamics.

Within the episode, Deangelo’s maniacal self was let loose, and his true colours came out to the dismay of the office. By creating the inner circle of office workers, and attempting to psych out his underlings, Deangelo feeds his need to have total acceptance, something that Dwight denies.

This episode also included the first of three new possible characters, Jordan, and according to reports, each new character’s future on the show will depend on audience favourability. The other two casts will be a new male accountant, and Stanley’s daughter. Mhmm, interesting. Does this hint at a departure of one of the current accountants, as well as a possible internship with Stanley’s daughter? 

In an interesting turn of events, Dwight will become the next temporary manager in next week’s episode, holding the fort after Deangelo’s departure and the season finale’s description of “Deangelo’s new replacement is sought out”.

I personally felt it was a decent episode, with the knowledge that the majority of the lacking involved Will Farrell’s departing character. To get a good gauge of the future quality of the show, I am holding my judgement until the finale next week, and will at least watch next season’s premiere.

• What did everyone think about the episode?
• Will you continue to watch the show even after Michael Scott's departure?

Let me know!

Other: Slight Delay!

Hey, I just wanted to let you all know that my real blog for today will be posted slightly later then normal.

I plan on doing a complete review of the first post-Michael Scott episode of The Office, and I have to watch it first. So hopefully I can get this up shortly after the episode airs.

All I know is that I am really excited to see it.

Movies: CFotW - Rock N Roll High School

Hey guys! 

          Before I begin, I would also like to remind people that the only way I know if someone specifically has viewed my blog is if they please post a comment. Therefore, please make sure to post one when you visit so that I can make sure I put you at the top of my list!
          This week I will be starting up the previously proposed section Cult Film of the Week. Let me know in the comments if this is something you would like to continue seeing on my blog.

Rock N Roll High School (1979)

Set in the, then-present of 1979, Rock N Roll High School follows a set of teenagers trying to make sense of their typical, confusing, boring, and imprisoned high school lives. You get all the stereotypes in this film, the geeky girl, the rocker chick, the good looking shy boy, the sinister hall monitors, and an evil new principle. 

Okay, so far this sounds like any other high school film of the time. 

What makes this a cult film? 

The Ramones. And not just their songs. The ACTUAL Ramones. 

On top of the zaniness of the members of the Ramones attempting to say lines and not laugh, the film also takes the approach of what could now be called the "parody" movie, in the sense that, unlike some movies of its genre like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, it contains many elements that separate it from "reality". If you watch it you'll know what I mean. 

All in all, this is a great film, Ramones fan or not, and I would definitely suggest you check it out. To end it off, here's the trailer.

• Had anyone ever heard of this film before today?
• Do you like hearing about cult films?
• Any suggestions for future editions of Cult Film of the Week?

Thanks!

TV: Game of Thrones

EDIT: To those who are viewing my map from google, please check out my blog, you just might like it! Thanks, Jonny.

Today I will be discussing the new HBO series Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones, a medieval fantasy set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, revolves around the seven ruling families, and their fight to hold the Iron Throne, and control of the whole land. 

While the world of GoT has many aspects seen in reality, its world is more akin to worlds like Middle Earth, containing Dragons, Zombies aptly called the White Walkers, intelligent animals, among other architectural and cultural oddities. 

The first season of the TV series is a direct adaptation of the stories within the book series by George R. R. Martin, and the show has already, after showing just the first episode, been bought for at least a second season.

Starring such actors as Sean Bean as Ned Stark, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones takes the epic film style of Lord of the Rings, the quality of some of the more recent successful adaptations such as The Walking Dead, and combines them into a unique and thrilling series that definitely will be here for years to come.

Sunday 9PM ET

• Anyone watching Game of Thrones?
• Any other new series that I should check out?

Let me know!

Movies: New Trailers, Oh Yeah!

Today I have complied a collection of recently released trailers for the upcoming summer movie season.

Oscar-nominated Jesse Eisenberg of The Social Network fame, alongside funny-men Aziz Ansari  and Danny McBride, star in the upcoming comedy 30 Minutes or Less; a film about a pizza-delivery boy (Eisenberg) who gets captured by criminals and told to rob a bank within 9 hours or else the bomb strapped to his chest will blow. 

         From the director of Zombieland Ruben Fleischer, this film has the potential to be comedy-gold, providing the actor-to-actor chemistry is strong and the plot remains fresh and interesting.

Out August 12th, 2011

The blockbuster series Transformers returns with its third installment Dark of the Moon, and the first in the series that does not include the lovely Megan Fox.  

         Not much of the actual plot has been revealed, but from what one can tell from the few scenes provided, is that during the space race, the Americans found a space vessel on the dark side of the moon, and have kept this a secret for decades. Fast forward to present-day, the Autobots, building upon the second movie’s continuing distrust of the American government, have finally had enough of the way they have been lied to by their keepers. At the same time, the moon vessel and its inhabitants, have been awoke (possibly from the aid of the Decepticons?), and intend to wipe mankind off the face of the Earth. 

          Heavy stuff, eh? The prospects for this installment are shaky at best, but one thing is for sure, it will definitely be a blockbuster, like its predecessors. All I can say is that hopefully the makers have learned from the failures of the second, Revenge of the Fallen.

Out July 1st, 2011

Finally, the trailer has been released for the second half of JK Rowling’s successful Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. 

          I will assume everyone already knows, or does not want to be spoiled, about the plot, so I will keep this simple.  I was displeased on the editing and pacing of Part 1, and my opinion has always stood that the final film should have been one large piece instead of two halves released almost a year apart. I would think that since the series has a massive worldwide audience, the makers could've afforded to take the risk of a theatrical release with extended past the usual maximum length of 3 hours. Instead, they went for profit, making the fans pay twice as much. 

          Well, it’s done, so my complaining solves nothing. Haha. I just hope they found a reasonably paced formula that does speed through scene to scene like it’s a nauseating un-enjoyable roller-coaster that many have come to see some of the later installments in the series. 

Out July 15th, 2011

• Well, Anyone interested in these films? 
• Are you liking what you see? 
• Any other good movies coming out soon? 

Let me know!

Music: Lollapalooza Line-up, Revealed!

Last Tuesday, Lollapalooza, the final summer musical festival stop held annually at Grant Park, Chicago, revealed the much anticipated line-up for the 20^th anniversary, 2011 event. Expectations were high following the success of last year’s stellar line-up consisting of headliners Lady Gaga, Green Day, Sound Garden, the Strokes and Arcade Fire. 

It is no surprise then, that the organizers kept the bar high when they announced what may become one of the best collection of artists in recent times. Headlining 2011 will be:         

• The ever popular Eminem, riding off the success of his latest chart topping album Relapse. 
• Rock revelers The Foo Fighters, touring in support of their new album Wasting Light.
• Coldplay, in the midst of their globe-trotting tour and potentially an upcoming album TBD.
• The Grammy-winning band Muse, who have recently broken into the mainstream  in America.
• My Morning Jacket, one of the most respected and inventive bands of recent years.
• DeadMau5, recently popularized Canadian Electronic superstar known for his iconic mouse mask.                 

Along with these big names, there are numerous other festival favourites stuffed into the three day spectacle - Cee Lo Green, The Kills, Skrillix, Girl Talk, an Lykke Li to name a few.

Unfortunately, with good always comes bad, so  here’s a few artists that sadly were not chosen to perform, which many might find disappointing:

• MGMT, Lollapalooza attendees in the past, might be feeling the aftereffect resulting from their less mainstream second album Congratulations.  
• Arcade Fire, alas, after headlining Coachella, the band is taking a break after their Grammy winning album of the year The Suburbs.  
• Oddly, festival veterans Yeah Yeah Yeahs are nowhere to be seen.   
• Personal favourites Metric are also not to be found - new album in the works?

I will actually be attending Lollapalooza this year, and I’m ecstatic! So has anyone else experienced any surprises this festival season? Is anyone attending any music events this year?

Personal: Back!

Been a while, eh?

After a long university exam period, I am finally able to declare my year of schooling over! I prepared for these finals to my fullest possible extent, and I feel that I met my exam goals. However, one thing that I did learn from this experience is that I need to work on my multi-tasking abilities for the future.

With this in mind, I plan to reactivate my blog as of today, and hope that those who once followed it will return with fresh eyes and that I am able to reach a wider audience then ever before.

My manifesto, per say, is to explore new paths of discussion over the vast spectrum of entertainment within this upcoming summer season, namely Music, Movies, and TV, as well as expand on other interesting topics as they may appear.

All in all, I thank you for your time here today, and hopefully I am able to spark interest in the many topics that will follow.

Thanks, Jonny.