What is On Jeffs' Mind

I missed 2010, but thought that it would be fun to list my top Movies and TV shows for 2011.

Movies 2011

Due to a few different factors this year, the amount of movies I saw were much less then I had in the previous years. In the past, I would go to a movie every week, and I would see good movies, and ones that were not as good. But over the past few years, I have gotten much more selective on what I see, I think a lot of it has to do with the cost of Movies in general, and that I am married now, so I would be paying for 2 instead of one. But here is my list for the year 2011

1. Super 8

I have to say, I really love this movie. When I saw it in the theatre, it just really grabbed me, and gave me a real good feeling. I think a lot of it has to do with it being such a nostalgic movie with it being set in the late 70′s. The kids were right around my age, and I could really relate to them. At times it felt like I was traveling through a time machine back to a time when things just seemed a bit more simple. The story as well was very much a throw back to some of those great Steven Speilberg movies of the 80′s, but as well felt very fresh compared to the movies we have to day. Not saying there is anything wrong with today’s movies, but it was nice break. All the actors in the movie were top notch, the Alien creature was cool, and the story for me left me with something to think about. This movie is a movie that I feel I can watch again and again, just because of the nice feelings it gives me.

2. Thor

I have to admit, that  going into the summer movie season, I was starting to wear down on Super Hero movies, as we had gotten so many the past few years, and this summer there were going to be a lot. But I think of all the Super Hero movies, this was the one I was looking the most forward to. I know nothing of Thor as I have never read the comic, but I liked the idea that he was sort of tied to the past, and also that he was from a different planet. I think maybe for me, it added something a bit different to the genre that some of the other Super Hero movies did not have. I saw this movie, and I have to say, I enjoyed it from start to finish. I saw it again on Blu-Ray and enjoyed just as much and maybe even more. I found the story moved very well, and that it took place in a few different locations, that were both very different, Asgard and Earth. There is something about this movie, just like Super 8 that left me with a very comfortable feeling. There was a post on the Treks in Sci-Fi forum about comfort movies, and if I was to add movies to that list, This one and Super 8 would be added to that list.  This movie I can watch over and over, and always find some enjoyment out of it.

3. The Adventures of TinTin

I normally don’t like movies that are a mix between life action and cartoon, so when I heard that TinTin was going to be that, I was a bit let down as I was hoping for live action.  I have to say after watching this movie, I was very pleased with the result. I felt they did a Fantastic job and it matched up with my idea of him from the comics. The story was action packed and a lot of fun, the 3D was awesome in this, and I was really pulled into the story. This movie was based off some of the comics, and I recalled parts of the stories. It has been years since I had read the comics, but after watching this movie, it has made me want to read the comics again. I really hope they make another, as this movie was really great.

4. Cowboys and Aliens

This was the movie I was most anticipating for the summer. Just the concept of a Western mixed with Sci-Fi had me really intrigued, and I could not wait for this to come out. I was pretty pleased with this movie, I thought it caught the wild west pretty well. Sort of left me wishing they would do more westerns, as they just don’t make many of those anymore. The Sci-Fi element was pretty good as well, and it was fun to see how the Cowboys took on the Aliens at the end. I will say I was hoping for maybe a larger Alien presence, but I guess from a story aspect, if there is to much Alien technology, then it would have been to much for the Cowboys to over come. But I have to say, this is two thumbs up from me, and a nice change from movies we might normally see.

5. Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon

I was never a big Transformers fan when I was younger, as it sort of got popular when I was getting into my teens, so I guess you could say I was a bit to old at the time . But the 3 movies so far I have really enjoyed. I know a lot of people have a lot of complaints about them, as they find that they are not as true as they could be to the cartoons, I can’t really argue with those comments, since I never really grew up with Transformers. This movie I really enjoyed, and I found that it was very well filmed, the 3D was awesome, the movie had bright and vivid colors. I really like the full out carnage that happens in this move, and really enjoyed nearly every piece of it. I also did not miss Megan Fox at all and found Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to be a good replacement. I guess the complaint is that the female leads might be sexualized to much, and maybe that is so, but I thought for what the movie was about, she did a great job. My one complaint about this movie, which is weird, is I really disliked the NASCAR tie in, as the scenes they had just really threw me out of the movie, but besides that, really enjoyed the movie.

Honorable Mention: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

I just went to this recently, more so because my wife wanted to see it. But I have to say, it was really good, maybe almost good enough to make my top 5. I find Tom Cruise the person a bit weird, but as an actor he is top notch. This movie was really stunning and all the tech gadgets really cool as well. Every time I see a Mission Impossible movie, it feels like it is better then the last one. So I have to say, I thank my wife for making me go with her.

Regrets

I think my main regret was the amount of movies I missed this year, as I saw way less then I normally would. Top of the list would be X-Men first class, as for some reason, when it came out, I was either busy or something about it was holding me back from seeing it. I picked it up on Blu-Ray and will be watching it soon, but I am thinking that I might regret not seeing this one in the theatre. I also regret that I fell behind on the Harry Potter movies, as I missed the last one, since I had not seen the one previous. So it is another I will have to wait and see later. I missed a few others like Conan that I wanted to see in the theatre, and really wanted to see more movies this year.

Television – 2011

These were my favorite TV shows for 2011. Was hard to come up with a list as liked a lot of shows and found a lot of them really close in how I felt.

1. Fringe

Great show, I really love it. It is a show both my Wife and I can watch, which is rare as we don’t watch many of the same shows. The past season has been awesome, with Episodes occurring in different universes with the same characters, but slightly different. The 4th season started off with Peter missing, and leading up to him coming back. They have really taken this show in a direction I never dreamed of. They have a good mix of episodes that tie into the mythology of the series, as well stand alone episodes. Just a really great show, that I enjoy a lot.

2. Hawaii 5.0

This reboot I really like a lot. Normally I like more of the shows with a bit of a Sci-Fi angle to them, but this show is just a lot of fun, with a lot of action. I like all the actors on the show, I like the cool sets and scenery, makes me really want to go to Hawaii. I find as well they have a good mix of stand alone shows and ones that tie into a larger plot of the series. This is one show that I make a habit to watch pretty quickly each week.

3. How I met Your Mother

I really enjoy this show a lot, it is very funny, but also has some deeper themes to it as well. I think as well this show has a lot of hidden geek cred to it, which they pull off so well. It sort of comes off much more real then a show like the Big Bang Theory. Every time I watch this show, I get some good laughs, as the comedy they do in it is something I really like. They had some deeper episodes last year as well, like when Marshall’s Dad died, it was so unexpected and just very well done. Another show that I try and watch as quickly as I can.

4. The Office

I still really enjoying this show, even with Michael Scott leaving. I found his replacement Robert California to be just as funny and given the series a bit of a different feel. Some of the episodes still feel very close to what it is like to work in an office, so at times it is fun to laugh at things that might be very true.

5. Person of Interest

This was a new show in the Fall, and I have to say, I am really enjoying it. I like the idea of being able to predict crimes that will happen, and then having a pair of vigilantes working to prevent them. It has a bit of a loose sci-fi twist in how they are able to predict what will happen, and they are just starting to get into deeper elements of the story, which I feel are going to get real interesting in the second half of the season. I like Michael Emerson in this show, I feel it is a great followup from his work on LOST.

Honorable Mention: Castle/The Mentalist/Terra Nova

I could not decide between these 3, and truthfully, these could have all hit my top 5 list as well. Terra Nova I felt got better as the season progressed, but it started out very weak. I have been enjoying Castle and the Mentalist as well, they are always very solid, but for me, from a strict crime based show, I will give Hawaii 5.0 the nod. But with that said, both Castle and The Mentalist are great shows that I look forward to watching every week. Again, any 3 of these shows could have easily been put on my top 5.

Regrets

I think my largest regret for 2011 is the lack of Sci-Fi shows. I really enjoy Sci-Fi, but there just was not much on for me to watch. I am hoping in the new year with Space Channel being broadcast in HD on my cable provider that I might find a Sci-Fi series I have been missing out. People talk about a few, but I have never seen them since they were never on HD, so hopefully I can go back and catch up.

Tags: Castle, Cowboys and Aliens, Fringe, Hawaii 5.0, How I met your Mother, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Super 8, Terra Nova, The Adventures of Tintin, The Mentalist, The Office, Thor, Transformers

Here is my brief review of Super 8. It is an awesome movie. I went with Tao Tao today to see it, and we both really liked it. I think a lot of what made this movie click for me, was that it was very nostalgic. It was set in the late 70′s, the cast were roughly the same age I was, and it made it very relatable for me. Part of the plot were that over the summer, the kids were making a film they wanted to submit to a local film festival. Those scenes between the kids, really reminded me of the excitement I felt at that time. I was not a film maker like they were, but it reminded me what those times were like at that age, when you had an imagination, and at times felt like it could take you anywhere.

The pacing in the movie was great, typical of JJ Abrams, plenty of scenes to keep you guessing, as at times, the answer felt like it was just out of reach. The Action sequences were fantastic, especially near the start of the movie involving a train, stunning scene that I thought would never end, as it kept going and going. As well, it had the signature Abrams camera glare in a few scenes.

Watching this movie, gave me the feeling of watching movies from when I was a kid, it felt so big, and exciting. I enjoy a lot of movies these days, and they are all well done, but this one just felt like it had a little extra, that sort of sticks with you after, and gives you that special feeling well you walk out of the theatre.

Tags: Super 8, Tao tao

This weekend was a first for me for 2011. I went to my first movie for the year. I have to admit I am a bit surprised I have not gone to a movie since last year, but it took me 5 months into the year to go. On Saturday Tao tao and I went and saw Thor over at West Edmonton Mall, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. For me, it is a bit odd that it has taken so long to see a movie in the theatre, as the last one I saw was Tron Legacy just before Christmas.  I used to go every week to see a movie, and sometimes multiple times, but I guess I have really slowed down. There are probably a few reason. The first is probably the most obvious, there has not been any movies that I have wanted to see, or maybe more correctly enough to see in the movie theatre. The second is probably the cost, as to see a movie at the theatre is expensive, and the 3D movies even more so. Another reason is maybe since I am getting older, the excitement of going to the theatre to see a movie is not a great as it was a few years ago. Probably the last reason, is that I am married now, and we go to movies we both like, so that cuts out some of them, as either I don’t want to see them (Horror) or Tao tao does not want to see (Comedies). I guess for me, I really don’t want to make someone go see a movie they might not want to see. When I was single, I used to see all different types of movies, as more often then not, I would go by myself. But now it is the two of us who go, so we have to agree on the movie. The last movie that Tao tao saw without me was a Resident Evil movie, she really wanted to go, but that was not a movie I had any interest in seeing. I went to see Tron without Tao tao, but that was more of the late night viewing, before that, I think the last movie I saw on my own was the last Trailer Park Boys movie.

I really liked Thor, thought it was excellent. I have to admit I don’t know much about Thor at all, so I went to the movie without really knowing much more then he was a Comic Book Superhero. I have to say I really liked the blend of Viking/Norse mythology and a Sci-Fi element, it felt very unique to me. The story I really liked as well, in that it happened it two different worlds. On Thor’s home world of Asgard there was a war between his people and another group called the Frost Giants. Then on Earth, which Thor was sent to, they followed his story there and his encounter with S.H.E.I.L.D. I have to say the visuals of Thor’s home world were stunning, the effects were great. I also thought the actor Chris Hemsworth did an awesome job as Thor, especially with the transformation from a arrogant character to one with humility and compassion. I saw this movie in 3D, and happy I did, as originally I was thinking of seeing it in 2D. I thought the way they did the 3D was great, and I was very impressed, as in the past, other 3D movies I was not really excited about the technology. I have to admit, I spent some time at the start of the movie making sure to position the glasses on my face so that the screen looked the best, and that may have made the difference. I wear glasses, and I was thinking that I may have had the 3D glasses sitting to close to my face in the past, so it sort of nullified the 3D effect, and maybe made the screen look a bit blurry, but this time, the visuals looked awesome. I was so impressed with this movie, that I am thinking of maybe searching out some Thor comics to read more.

Sunday morning I went to a local toy show called the Pop Culture fair. It is a smaller show then the Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic show that I sell at, but still look forward to going. I did not really have anything that I was really looking for, and was going more so out of interest for my side business of toy reselling. I wanted to get an idea of what other people were selling things for, so I sort of knew what I could resell things for, and what I should be paying for things. It was good to have a look at the tables, and found myself looking more closely at the tables and what people were selling. I also got a chance to talk with a few people I know. I had a good chat with my friend Ryan from Red 5 Collectibles, and learned a few things from him that I was not aware of. Also I was able to pickup a Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader figure that I had been looking for. I don’t collect many action figures anymore, but I wanted to get the Anakin with Darth Vader on the card in the throw back to the vintage packaging. I had looked around for a few shows, and was happy Ryan had one, also it was not even punched, so when I got home I had to find a Star Case for it, since I did not want to hang it up since it was not punched. I also picked up a few items that I feel I can resell, so it was a good show.

Also this weekend Tao tao and I watched the season finale of Fringe, and I have to say wow. I am so happy that it is coming back for another season, as there is so much more to tell. The way they left it, I really have no idea where they are going with the story. This season was a wild ride, with some really cool episodes. I think the one that stands out the most for me, was the episode where half of it was animated, as it was so unique. I wish the ratings were stronger for Fringe, as I would like to know that there could be many more years of it, but I am guessing we will be lucky to get 4.

Tags: Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, Fringe, Pop Culture Fair, Ryan from Red 5 Collectibles, Tao tao, Thor

Just thought I would do a top list for the year in Movies and Television for me. Inspired by Rico’s recent Treks in Sci-Fi podcast in which he listed his top movies and and TV shows for the year.

Movies – 2009

I was looking over the list of movies for the year, and I think this year may have been the year I had seen the least amount of movies in recent memory. Looking over the list, there just was not a lot of big blockbuster movies that are usually my favorites. I suspect a big reason for that might be the fallout from the writers strike a year or two ago, and also the bad economy. Looking through the list, saw about 14 movies for the year (two on DVD), so not much to choose from for my top 5 list, but still a bit tough to choose. There were some great movies this year, but overall disappointed with 2009 for movies. So here is my List of my favorites for 2009

1. Star Trek

I only saw this movie once, and will admit I left the movie theatre feeling a little uncertain about my feelings, but with more reflection and reading what others had said, this was a great movie, and most likely my favorite for the year. I was so excited for this movie to come out, and for the most part it delivered for me. The casting was very well done, with only a role or two that for me did not work. The story was fast paced, and the way they fit this into the Star Trek time line was very novel, though left a bit of a tear in my eye. This movie I was anticipating a lot for it’s release to DVD and actually was a catalyst for me to get Blu-Ray. For as big of a Star Trek fan I am, I am surprised I have only watched this the one time, but that will be remedied very soon.

2. Terminator Salvation

For the longest time, my idea of the Terminator was really just limited to Arnold Schwarzenegger, but after watching the TV series, I was really opened up to the potential of this series. I was really anticipating this movie, and a lot, almost as much as Star Trek. This movie really delivered for me, I went into this movie really pumped and I left the theatre very excited as well. I really liked the idea of going to a time when Judgment Day had happened, and when the Terminators ruled the world. Christian Bale was fantastic as John Connor, he brought so much intensity to the role. I was also very impressed with Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese as well. His role of Chekov in the Star Trek movie was limited, but he really had a large part in this one, and he delivered. I know some have panned this movie, but I really cannot find any weaknesses in it to me, just a real solid movie to me.

3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

I felt that this was a very solid followup to the first Transformers movie. Plenty of action, great story, and brought back all the characters from the first movie. I found the action sequences between the Autobots and Decepticons much easier to follow in this movie from the previous. The humour elements were still there as well, and not over board, and the story moved along pretty well.

4. Trailer Park Boys countdown to Liquor Day

The Trailer Park Boys is a real guilty pleasure for me. I really enjoyed this movies, and carried on the Story really well. I had missed the last TV movie they had, but I was able to catch up pretty fast with this movie. The way the filmed this one felt different from how the series had been filmed, and even the first movie, but it gave the movie a feeling of a more  theatrical release. I always enjoy comedies such as this, and always like to laugh a bit at this form of humour. Certainly this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I had plenty of laughs the whole way through, and ranked as a memorable movie for me this year.

5. Avatar

I just saw this movie, so it was fresh in my mind. This was the most expensive movie ever made, and it certainly shows it. I saw the Digital 3D release of it, and it was stunning. It was the first 3D movie I had ever seen, and must say I was impressed with the technology. I must admit, I was not blown away by this movie as some were, and took a bit of back and forth for it to get on my top 5 list. After some debating in my head, I had to include it, as for the most part I enjoyed this movie, and probably my only real complaint on it was that I felt it was a bit long. The story was simple, but the message was powerful, in how we treat earth. I had seen some previews, and was worried that the Na’Vi might look to animated, but they really fit in the movie. I suspect that this movie will be around for a long time, and will be a bench mark for other movies, and probably a staple in a lot of peoples video collections.

Honorable Mention: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

A lot of people really disliked this movie, but for me, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I really only know about Wolverine and the X-Men from the movies, so I don’t know all the back story in the comics, so a lot of the hangups others had, I did not. I might get in trouble for saying this, but I felt it was better then some of the X-Men movies. It met my expectations and had a good time watching it.

Regrets

My regret for 2009 in terms of movies, was that I missed the latest Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I am not really a Potter fan, but had seen all the movies up to this last one. I was in the middle of moving at the time, so my schedule just never allowed for me to get to the theatre for this one. Hopefully I can see this one before the next one comes out.

Television 2009

For my complaints on the lack of big 2009 Movies, I found the 2009 TV season to be really great, and much more difficult to come up with my top 5 for the year.

1. LOST

All I can say is wow. Season 5 was incredible. They took the series in a direction that I really enjoyed, and every episode was solid. I can’t recall how many times I was left with my mouth hanging open after an episode. The writers and producers of this program are very creative, and did things I could never imagine. Season 6 will be the final season, and it will be so bittersweet. When this series comes to an end, I will miss it a lot, as everything about it is top notch. What they did with season 5 and how they handled the Losties who are on the island and the ones who were not was fantastic. This show is great, one of my all time favorites.

2. Terminator:  The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The second season of this series in one word was awesome. So how are we rewarded, it is canceled. I must admit I was really disappointed when it came to an end, as another great show, ended well before it’s time. It took me a bit to really warm up to the characters in the first season, but I really came to accept them in their roles. The Addition of Bryan Austin Green to the series in season 1 was great, and I found he had a strong character in season 2, which led to the most shocking scene of season 2. The second season was non stop, and left me waiting with much anticipation for the next episode. The Arc about the mysterious Terminator working for the corporation left me fascinated, as really never knew what to think of her. Sarah s search into Skynet was awesome as well, with her uncovering clues here and their. The really chilling John Henry Terminator was fantastic as well, and the clash for Johns attention between Cameron and Riley was great as well. This was a great series, sorry to see it go, but at least I have both seasons on DVD.

3. Fringe

This show started up last year in the fall, and I really enjoyed it. It has some great elements to it, with a heavy nod to the X-Files. Just like LOST, it is a JJ Abrams show, so there is plenty to watch in each episode, and plenty to think about after. The ongoing story arc is that the FBI agent Olivia Dunham is investigating weird Fringe Science cases that are linked by something called the pattern. She is getting help from Peter and Walter Bishop, a father and son team so to say. Walter is sort of a mad scientist, who had come up with a lot of the science they see in some of the cases they are investigating. All the major Characters have interesting pasts, which makes the show all the more deep. Walter was in a psyche ward for a number of years, and not all there, Peter has a checkered past with some real mystery to him, and Olivia seems to have a very close link to the pattern from her childhood. Great series, hoping it will be around for a long time.

4. Flash Forward

Started in the fall, this quickly became a real favorite of mine. Sort of similar to LOST in that we are introduced to a large cast of characters, and a big series wide mystery that drives the show. Basically at the start of the show, everyone has blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and had a flash forward to May of 2010 where they saw a glimpse of what their life would be like at that time. An FBI task force was setup to investigate this and was dubbed Mosaic, and so far have been investigation leads and people in hopes to solving the mystery. The cast is fantastic, they story line is great and keeps me wanting to come back for more. Hoping the ratings stay strong for this one, as need a replacement for LOST when it signs off later in the season.

5. The Office

I really like The Office, and this past year has been great. Last season they went through a whole storyline of Michael Scott leaving Dunder Mifflin to start up his own paper company the Michael Scott Paper Company, the episodes were so great. This season we pickup with Dunder Mifflin going through some tough times due to the economy, and the series really does mimic what happens in the corporate world. The cast is always great, with Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute being my favorites, but I am really liking Andy Bernard as well. They have the show well cast, as you can see these characters in the places we work, they really do have a good read on the business and working world.

Honorable Mentions: The Mentalist/Castle

Two crime dramas with cool twists on them. With the Mentalist, the lead character Patrick Jane is a lot of fun to watch. He has a great skill of observation, and how he goes about helping the team solves the cases each week is great. The Mentalist also has a really awesome supporting cast that plays off well against Patrick Jane, great series. Castle is another new favorite of mine, and another crime Drama. Richard Castle is a Crime Novelist and his unique perspective he brings makes each episode a lot of fun to watch. Both shows are similar but different

Regrets

Cancellations, I really hate them, especially shows that I enjoyed. Two NBC shows jump out at me as being very disappointed at being canceled. The first one was a show called Life, another quirky police drama, that had a two season run. Fortunately they were able to bring the show to a conclusion and answer the questions. The other show was called Crusoe and was about Robinson Crusoe. It was a really fun action adventure show, with great sets and lite stories that most anyone could enjoy. Those with Sarah Connor Chronicles and the a lesser extent Knight Rider made me feel a little down about the 2009 TV season when it came to canceling shows I watched.

My other regret was the ending of Battlestar Galactica. Not so much that it ended, but that I felt it sort of limped out and don’t really miss it. I know some of the final episodes were very dramatic, but I found the answers to the over all arc and theme of the show to be a bit of a let down.  The second part of the series seemed to get wrapped up in its myth, and sort of tossed all the action oriented and stand alone episodes to the side.  I missed those elements as the series seemed aimed more at the non sci-fi viewers in this last season. The final season episodes at times came across very dramatic to the point of elitist, in the sense that they were determined not to tell a story with some action elements or even in a sci-fi manner. I will probably not be popular for saying this, but the final episode had some great moments, but other parts the story wrapped up very predictably and pedestrian. Caprica is to come, but what I have seen of it so far from the DVD sneak peek, it is heavy on the elements I did not enjoy much in BSG.

Tags: Avatar, BSG, Castle, Crusoe, Flash Forward, Fringe, Harry Potter, Knight Rider, Life, LOST, Star Trek, Terminator 4, Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Mentalist, The Office, The Trailer Park Boys, Transformers, Treks in Sci-Fi, X-Men: Wolverine