My Sports History

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to include sports on this blog. I’m a big sports fan, hockey especially. Let’s rewind a bit to my younger days as a boy. I grew up playing hockey since six or seven and learned to skate even before that. I loved hockey, but also participated in many other sports in my town such as soccer and baseball. I also really liked gym class at school, which I participated in every year from grades 1-12. I love trying new sports and fun twists on games, it’s a good time and gets you some exercise. I don’t look like your typical sports guy either, I think I indulged too much on food (lol) and was never in top shape or took practising super seriously. I did finish with the top mark in gym class a few times, a feat I’m particularly proud of. My dad was also a coach in basically every sport I played and I really enjoyed that growing up. We made the provincials in hockey a few times but never won (we came close once) but I was on a some soccer teams that won the provincials on three separate occasions.

Florida Panthers

Anyway, I’m obviously a big sport fan and have my favourite teams to cheer for. My favourite team is the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Not your typical choice for a favourite team, especially coming from a guy living in a maritime province. I have been a fan of the panthers since 1996, the one and only year they made the Stanley Cup finals. They were a cinderella team that year and something about them caught my eye. I would follow their highlights on sportscentre and play with them on my NHL video games (which I was a huge fan of). As I grew older I started following them online and learning more about their history, prospects and the team in general. I’ve even seen them a few times live. One time their camp came to P.E.I. for their preseason, which was nice because I didn’t have to go far. Years later I saw them again in New York against the Islanders who are my dad’s favourite team (his team won). Then finally I traveled down to Florida one year and caught a game at their arena. It was an awesome experience, I bought so much at their apparel store that day. They lost again, but I was too swept up to care that much. Ever since that magical run, the team has been mediocre to bad (mostly bad). They did have some exiting years (Pavel Bure era) but usually bad luck, bad management and injuries did them in. I’m optimistic though, the team does have a bright future with their young players and I think in a few years they can become an annual playoff team.

Toronto Blue Jays

As for other sports, I like to follow baseball and basketball mostly. I used to be heavy into baseball when I was younger. I watched games, played the games and knew the players fairly well. I’ve gotten away from that recently and mostly read the scores and check the standings and stats every once in a while. My favourite team used to be the Marlins (I used to like every Florida team by association) but now I go for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are a frustrating team some years, it always seems like it’s their year and then they collapse. Granted, they are in a tough division with teams that can spend like crazy (Yankees, Red Sox) and teams on the rise (Orioles, Rays).

Toronto Raptors

This past year I really got into basketball though. In the past I would sort of pay attention to it, mostly to the Toronto Raptors (my favourite team). This year though, I was hooked into how well the Raptors were doing. You see, they were playing well for once and actually made the playoffs with a great record. Unfortunately, they lost to the Nets (grr) in an exciting seven game series. I can’t wait for the season to start and I hope the raps can perform well again.

Those are the sports I focus on the most. I also follow the Panthers affiliation team, the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL. For those who don’t know, an affiliation team is the team an NHL team lends their prospects and other players who the team signs. The AHL is second tier to the NHL and in a way both develops prospects and creates competition for older players or those who just can’t make the NHL. I also cheer for a local team where I live, the Charlottetown Islanders. They haven’t been the best team since they arrived here (used to be the Rockets) but apparently they should be good this year and have some awesome draft eligible players. My interest in tennis has also risen, mostly because of Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard. It has been a long time since Canadian tennis players have been playing so well and making names for themselves. Other than that, besides idle curiosity on the standings of other sports, these are the teams I follow.

Charlottetown Islanders

Checkemout

Sometimes I just can’t decide what to write about next. One moment I feel like writing about movies and then decide maybe television instead. I think when I don’t have a clearcut idea, I’ll try something else. Since things like to happen in threes, I’m going to list off a few recommendations from different mediums. I figure that will cover my bases and let me focus on something I really want to write about.

Movies

Boyhood (2014) – Directed by Richard Linklater

The life of a young man, Mason, from age 5 to age 18.

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Boyhood was a great joy to watch. While the plot is nothing crazy, the growth and change that happens to the characters and surroundings is fun to watch unfold. I felt the movie resonated a lot with me as well. Since I was close in age with the “boy” of the movie, I myself remember certain music or popular styles being showcased over the years. I felt as though I could watch this boy’s whole life if the movie played long enough. A risky project for the director that turned out great.

Mean Girls (2004) – Directed by Mark Waters

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

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Mean Girls is hilarious and never gets old. This is a perfect teen comedy for both guys and girls (don’t let the title fool you). So many memorable characters and a who’s who of actors and actresses (many have gone on to be more famous). The jokes are great and come from each character, the comedy is spread out thick. If I had to choose a favourite, it would probably be Damien, he delivers on every line. A lot of people think the “teen” comedy movie genre is in bad shape these days, but Mean Girls is a terrific example on how to nail it.

Indie Game: The Movie (2012) – Directed by James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot

A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

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I love watching a good documentary, especially one about video games. This is a great video game documentary because it focuses on independent video game creators (if that wasn’t obvious in the title) and the struggle they go through to make games near and dear to their heart. I also like the movie because it gives the viewer a behind the scenes experience of how these games are made and advertised to the public. You can tell the guys behind these games are truly passionate in what they do and treat their games like a child. Check it out and play the games!

Television

Sherlock (2010) – BBC

A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.

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Took me a while, but I finally took the plunge on this terrific television series. What took me so long? Well, I’ve seen my fair share of Sherlock Holmes adaptations and I wasn’t in the mood for another. Finally, my girlfriend convinced me one night and I haven’t looked back. First of all, the modern day retelling is crafted very well. Both Sherlock and Watson are portrayed by terrific actors and shine with the writing (which is great as well). The relationship between the pair is ever growing and quite charming. The show is just oozing with fun moments, like when Sherlock is using deduction on someone or when they have a true mystery on their hands. The comedic elements are aplenty and hilarious too.

Lost (2004) – ABC

The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.

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You could say this was my first “mature adult” show. Before watching lost, I was still kicking around the usual kid channels and couldn’t look away when I saw my parents watching this new show one night. I decided to watch it too and I ended up loving every minute of it and didn’t miss a new episode until its’ conclusion six seasons later. There is a lot to like about “Lost”, starting with the cast of characters. It’s an expansive cast, that’s for sure, but there’s so many interesting characters that we learn about (or lose). The show was naturally mysterious and full of intrigue and action, and taking place on a (somewhat) deserted island added to these elements. The show was also famous for its’ use of flashbacks for the characters and elements of time (past and future). It’s no surprise why the show became so huge and I can’t wait to watch it all again in a few years once I start to forget the specifics.

Freaks and Geeks (1999) – NBC

A television show about two unique groups of teenagers dealing with life in high school during the 80’s.

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Talk about a show that ended too soon. Freaks and Geeks is one of best shows about teenagers. The show excels at being both a drama and a comedy. The acting is very well done and the cast is full of future stars, such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini and just about everyone else. Freaks and Geeks took place in the early 80s and does a great representation of the time period in numerous ways (clothing, pop culture, music). The music in this show is terrific and includes some awesome tunes in each episode that fits the period exactly. The greatest moments in the show feel truly genuine and as if it could happen to you. The comedy moments are hysterical, especially from the geeks. It’s too bad the show didn’t get more seasons, but the cast and crew (Apatow, Feig) did some even better work afterwards.

Music

Some songs I’m listening to a bunch lately

Love me some Billy Joel! He has some great songs and you can really feel the energy in this song in particular.

Usually I prefer The Beatles over The Stones, but I am a fan of both. This is one of my favourites by the Stones that I can always jam too.

New Order is an amazing band, with lots of little gems. This is probably one of their better known tracks, but is still a beauty.

Such a different song that I come back to every once in a while. The opening is classic.

That’s it for now, until next time!

Weird Canadian Kids Shows

Growing up in Canada in the 90’s and 2000’s has allowed me plenty of access to Canadian television. Usually there is more bad than good, but Canadian kid shows are a different beast entirely. Sure there were some great shows such as: ReBoot, Arthur, Degrassi, and Are You Afraid of the Dark. There were some truly weird and “out there” shows too. I’m going to list ten Canadian kid shows that stuck with me over the years. Now, just because these shows may be weird, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad (though some definitely are).

1. Yvon of the Yukon

Yvon of the Yukon is about a French explorer, Yvon Ducharme, who embarks on a voyage to North America on behalf of “King Louis” (Louis XIV of France). He goes far off his intended course, into the frigid waters off Canada’s northern coast, and is knocked overboard when his boat rams an iceberg. Yvon is cryogenically frozen in a block of ice for 300 years, until a sled dog owned by Inuk teenager Tommy Tukyuk urinates on it and thaws him out. He settles in the town of Upyer Mukluk,Yukon (“the hottest cold town in the Arctic, midway between Shivermetimbers and Frostbottom Falls”) and attempts to adjust to life in the Yukon alongside his unusual new neighbors.

Wikipedia

Let’s get this stinker out of the way first. This was a show I absolutely despised, but yet have probably seen every episode of. As a kid, the quality didn’t really matter, you watched whatever was on, no matter how good or bad it was (which I did a lot). The trailer and description alone should be enough of a sign to stay away. I mean, just look at the guy!

2. Katie and Orbie

A young girl, Katie, discovers an alien, Orbie, in her backyard and her family adopts him. They have adventures and learn valuable life lessons in the process.

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The animation for this show was very odd. It was basically filmed like a picture book and nobody really moved in an animated way. There were no character voices (other than laughs and shouts) and was narrated by none other then Leslie Nielsen. I enjoyed the show enough as a kid but I always thought it was put together weirdly. Oh yeah, and Orbie looked ridiculous.

3. Stickin’ Around

two children named Stacy and Bradley, their hand-drawn adventures with their friends and family, and their fantasies. Stacy and Bradley, best friends, encounter many problems they must face as they continue to grow up – if it is with school, bullies, friends, and parents. They always come up with imaginative ideas to eliminate these obstacles, such as becoming a superhero, and putting themselves in a different environment where they have no trouble in defeating their enemies.

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I actually loved this show, but boy was it weird. The animation is strange, the characters are even stranger (girl dragging a dead dog around??) and the dialogue, well it’s hilarious. There was a lot of fun to be had watching the show, Stacey and Bradley were fun characters. I will always remember the little messages they had between commercials.

4. Caillou

Caillou lives in a blue house on 17 Pine Street (as mentioned in the episode “Where I Live”) with his mother, father, and his 2-year-old sister, Rosie. He has many adventures with his family and friends and uses his imagination in every episode.

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God this kid was insufferable. Caillou has to be one the whiniest kid characters to grace the TV screen. Why is this kid bald anyway? It is never explained and neither is his father’s terrible clothing style. Caillou was such a lame character that his funny looking cat was more interesting. Definitely another one of those shows I watched even though I really didn’t like it.

5. Uh Oh!

The game was played with three colour-based teams that would be battled against with each other in each game. The goal of the game was to have more points than the other two teams to take home the grand prize. Teams would consist of two players each and would be either Blue, Green, or Red. Audience members would also pick sides and wear clothes of the colour they supported. Each team member would either spin the wheel for half of the game or participate in whichever activity the wheel lands on. The team members would participate in games which would nearly always involve goo and would be silly. If won, games would provide points for the respective team.

Wikipedia

I loved me a good kid’s game show as a kid, but this show was crazy. First of all, the host is named “Wink Yahoo”, think about that, Wink Yahoo?!? He looked and acted crazy but didn’t hold a candle to “The Punisher”. The Punisher literally was dressed in an S&M costume and threw kids in pools and dumped goo on them. The best moment of each episode would be when Wink would command “Punisher, controoool”. Uh Oh had to be seen to believed, I think I was in awe watching each episode.

6. A Miss Mallard Mystery

The famous “ducktective”, Miss Mallard, from the children’s books, stars in her own TV series solving mysteries all over the world with her nephew, Willard. No matter where Miss Mallard and her nephew travel, they are inevitably caught up in the most intriguing investigations. Creative and… More endlessly resourceful, Miss Mallard’s capable wings can transform a hairpin, a parasol, or a handkerchief into the most unconventional crime-fighting tools. Uncovering clues while escaping suspicious accidents and avoiding mysterious disasters can be tough work, but Miss Mallard always catches her duck! Filled with clues and “hidden evidence”, each mystery encourages its viewers to follow the clues and solve the mystery with Miss Mallard.

Wikipedia

Honestly, I only remember watching this show a few times and apparently it didn’t last very long. What I will never forget is how funny every character looked. Ducks are naturally funny looking animals and I just couldn’t even handle this show.

7. Nanalan’

The show’s main protagonist is a 3-year-old girl named Mona. In each episode, Mona’s mom drops her daughter off at her Nana’s house in the morning and picks her up at the end of the episode. Mona, Nana, and Nana’s pet dog Russell (aka Russer) spend the day exploring, learning, visiting Nana’s next door neighbour Mr. Wooka and playing. Mona also loves to be outside looking at things, talking to animals, and playing with Russell.

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Wow, did I never understand what was going on in this show. Things in the background were always moving, the main characters I always assumed were aliens, and I Nanalan’ had the strangest voice ever. She kinda freaked me out whenever she talked, though I did like when she would bellow, “Russer!!!”.

8. The Odyssey

Following an accident, young Jay Ziegler falls into a coma. While his family and friends must continue their lives in the Real World, Jay finds himself in the magical Downworld on a quest to return home.

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I found this show very fun and intriguing growing up. A kid falling into a coma and ends up living in a world with no parents and alternate versions of kids back home was very interesting. The main characters quest to find his father in this alternate world was fun to watch unfold, especially in later seasons when new characters and duel story lines are introduced. It was a bit different than your typical kids show.

9. Rocket Robin Hood

Rocket Robin Hood leads his “Merry Men“, including the strong, dimwitted, and likeable Little John, consummate overeaterFriar Tuck (who designs all the Merry Men’s weaponry), Robin’s two-fisted, red-headed cousin Will Scarlet, Robin’s plucky girlfriend Maid Marian, his sharp-witted right-hand man Alan-a-Dale, the scrawny, feisty camp cook Giles (a reformed crook and Gabby Hayes type), and other characters from the classic story of Robin Hood. They live in “the astonishing year 3000” on New Sherwood Forest Asteroid, and are determined to foil the despotic plans of Prince John and his bumbling lackey, the Sheriff of N.O.T.T. (National Outer-space Terrestrial Territories), and other villains such as Dr. Medulla, Manta, Nocturne, and the Warlord of Saturn. Rocket Robin Hood and his people fly in spaceships and use weapons such as “electro-quarterstaffs.”

Wikipedia

Sounds pretty cool, eh? Nope, it’s beyond ridiculous and the animation looks extremely cheap (though hilarious). When I found out this show was Canadian made, I couldn’t believe it. To be fair, it was made back in the 60’s.

10. Angela Anaconda

A rambunctious girl and her friends adventures in school and in her community.

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What wasn’t weird about this show? The animation was so bizarre and made most people look freaky, Angela had such a grading voice, and Anaconda is definitely her last lame for alliteration reasons only. I still dream of the weird way the character’s heads and face moved, nightmare fuel.

Believe or not, there’s plenty more shows than these. Perhaps I’ll add a few more someday, the world needs to know of these weird shows! Some of these shows were enjoyable as a kid, but their strange qualities cannot be denied.

10 movies I would recommend anyone!

Ah, movies. Who doesn’t love a good movie? Taking the time to sit down at home or venturing to the nearest movie theatre to watch a great film is amazing. Like many avid movie fans, I have some of my favourites or “must-sees”. I am going to list ten movies I personally enjoy and want to recommend to others.

1. Back to the Future (1985) – Directed by Robert Zemeckis

A young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

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I am a real sucker for time travel movies and this film is definitely one of the best. There’s comedy, drama, science fiction, adventure, romance and even a bit of cheesiness. The movie has elements of so many genres and works so well. This is helped by a great cast of characters in Doc Brown and Marty McFly who are such an awesome duo, you can’t help but cheer for them. The effects still look great and the music is so 80’s that it hurts in a good way. Another thing I love about the movie are the callbacks and easter eggs of how time has been altered. The two sequels are also great fun and expand the story to fun places (the future and wild west).

2. Jurassic Park (1993) – Directed by Steven Spielberg

During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

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As I kid, I was both in love and terrified of dinosaurs. When I first saw footage of Jurassic Park, I was scared beyond belief. It wasn’t until I got older that I was able to watch the entire movie. Jurassic Park is an amazing movie for so many reasons. The adventure is both thrilling and horrifying, the effects were revolutionary, the music presents awe is numerous ways and of course the great cast of characters (the wisecracking Ian Malcolm in particular). I think any movie that can be both beautiful and terrifying is something special. The movie made me afraid of being attacked by raptors, who don’t even exist anymore! The sequels are hit and miss but I am very excited about the upcoming instalment, “Jurassic World“. I would also recommend reading the original novel “Jurassic Park“, it’s a good read and just different enough than the movie.

3. Poltergeist (1982) – Directed by Tobe Hooper

A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorise the family before they “kidnap” the youngest daughter.

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Horror movies are one of my favourite genres and “Poltergeist” tops the list for me. There’s a sense of dread throughout the entire film that always leaves the viewer guessing. Just when you think things are safe, it isn’t! Just when you think something scary will happen, it won’t! That tree looks safe, nope! There’s almost an excitement of what will happen next, even if it’s terrifying. I like how some of the horror elements are downright “holy shit!” moments while other times they are more subtle and eerie. There were two mediocre sequels made (2 & 3) that I haven’t watched yet, and apparently a remake is on the way for 2015 (hmm). There is also a curse surrounding the films (cast members dying around filming/release) that makes the movie even more freaky.

4. District 9 (2009) – Directed by Neill Blomkamp

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.

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Talk about a movie that surpassed all expectations. This was the first movie I saw at a midnight showing and kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The alien story is something I haven’t seen before and the effects make everything look so real (on a “smaller” budget too). The movie starts out filmed as a documentary (shaky cam) and suddenly shifts gears into your normal filming once shit gets real, and it gets very real. The main character is a selfish goof who must team with one of the aliens (Christopher Johnson) after an accident, and eventually learns about friendship and himself. The action elements are hit and miss (but always thrilling) and there is real humanity to be found in a movie centred around aliens. I was shocked and extremely proud when District 9 was nominated for best picture at the Oscars that year.

5. Aladdin (1992) – Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

Aladdin, a street urchin, accidentally meets Princess Jasmine, who is in the city undercover. They love each other, but she can only marry a prince.

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I was a huge Disney kid growing up (most kids seem to be). I was a fan of many of their movies, but I always liked Aladdin best. There was something about it that kept me coming back. Aladdin was released during the Disney renaissance of the 90’s and the quality really shows. The underdog story, the desert setting, the magic involved and of course Genie (RIP Robin Williams) were some of my favourite aspects. The villain actually seemed terrifying and had one of the more memorable cronies. Who could forget the music too? I even loved the direct-to-video sequels (2 & 3) and the animated show! I’m buying the blu-ray on day 1 once it gets released.

6. Garden State (2004) – Directed by Zack Braff

A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.

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When I first watched this movie, I believed in many things afterwards. I believed you could go and find a quirky girl and fall in love with her. I believed you can leave your small town to become someone else. I believed you could return to your small town and discover its true beauty, and I believed in the power of a good tune. You could say the film really spoke to me when I first watched it. The plot is nothing crazy, but is packed with memorable characters and moves at a pleasant, slower pace. The soundtrack is great and definitely elevates select scenes in the film. I seriously fell in love with Natalie Portman too, she was so cute and funny. In hindsight, I think some people have turned on this film. The impact of a rewatch does lessen each time, but it truly nails it on a first time watch.

7. Almost Famous (2000) – Directed by Cameron Crowe

A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour.

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I was blown away after seeing this movie for the first time. As a teenager just getting into classic rock music, this was the perfect movie to watch. I thought it would be so awesome to be the main character in this movie. He gets to travel with a rock band, meet other rockers and unique people, write about the music and of course meet a beautiful girl. It’s the perfect package and gets even better on each additional viewing. The soundtrack is phenomenal (as it should be) and is the perfect accompaniment to the story. There’s a bootleg cut by the director that adds additional scenes and length that is apparently very good and I will definitely seek out someday.

“I’m a golden God!”

8. Princess Mononoke (1997) – Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami’s curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

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I had to include by film by Studio Ghibli on this list. For those unaware, Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio responsible for truly magnificent movies. While I have many favourites made by this studio, I think Princess Mononoke takes the cake. It has adventure, battles, beauty, stillness, love, fantasy and more. I couldn’t look away during my first watch and learn more each time I view it again. I am a big fan of Japanese animation and storytelling and I would recommend Princess Mononoke to anyone with those same interests. I was very close to choosing “Spirited Away” instead, but I think PM influenced me more.

9. Rear Window (1954) – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

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Hitchcock is the master of thriller movies, an awesome genre is done right. The beauty of this film is that is takes place basically in one location. While that seems small, the world built around this location seems grand in scale. The simple story of a bored journalist trying to find anything interesting during his days stuck at home and stumbling onto a murder plot, is done perfectly. James Stewart and Grace Kelly really strut their stuff in their roles and sell everything they are doing. The movie is so tense, one scene in particular had me bouncing in my seat in anticipation. It really must be seen to believed.

10. Rec (2007) – Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza

A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.

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I debated what to put in the last spot, and decided to choose a crowd favourite. Rec is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. I first watched is with a friend and we were spooked! We proceeded to show it to multiple friends over the years and it has yet to fail at freaking them out. The film is shot like a documentary (shaky cam, adds realism) and is also in Spanish. The first half of the film isn’t as scary as it is thrilling. That quickly changes at the halfway point and soon becomes terrifying AND thrilling. The last five minutes truly takes your breath away in fear and anticipation. If you’re ever looking for a new horror movie to watch, please check it out. Please don’t let the language or shaky cam dissuade you either, stick with it and you’ll truly be rewarded. There has been two sequels released too. The second movie takes place the same night but from different character perspectives and the third I haven’t seen yet (just added to Netflix so I will soon!).

Like I said, I really love a good movie. These are ten movies that have stuck with me over the years and would recommend to any movie fan. I realize there is nothing crazy or too out there on my list, but not every list needs to be obscure or full of classics. I hope to do more movie recommendations in the future too. I hope to help others in finding a great film and express my thoughts on something I truly love.

This is my music post

Alrighty, I am in a music mood and feel like sharing some music I like. I have been told that I have an eclectic taste in music. If you glance at my most played on iTunes, it would look random indeed. The songs are not too obscure or anything, it is the genres and styles that suddenly change. I will give most music a chance and if I think it sounds pleasing to the ear, I am good to go. I think I will share five bands I really enjoy and a few sample songs from each. Then I will share five songs from my most played list to give an example of what else I listen to.

5 Bands:

1. Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire are not as indie as they used to be (winning the grammy award for album of the year will do that to you), but they never fail to impress me. Arcade Fire is a Canadian band and I remember as a teen liking some of their songs after hearing them on Much Music (Canadian music channel for those unaware). It was not until a few years later that I saw them open before U2, that I really fell in love with them. The band puts on an awesome live show and the band members (which are many) switch around instruments every song (someone playing guitar one song would play the drums on the next). I find they are one of those bands where you need to listen to the whole album to really appreciate their work. Their latest album “Reflektor” just released last year and though it took a while to grow on me, is still a treat for any music fan.

Album- Funeral

Album- Neon Bible

Album- The Suburbs

Album- Reflektor

2. Daft Punk

Man, who doesn’t love Daft Punk? The kings of electronic/techno music are revolutionary at their craft. They created so many catchy and layered music tracks and opened my eyes to that style of music. Not only that, but they look like futuristic robots from the future! Things really exploded for them recently with their latest album and its’ success, and I couldn’t be more happier for them. These guys also have some of the coolest music videos around.

Such an awesome music video

My favourite

Recent Album- Random Access Memories

Have to include one with music only

3. The Killers

This is a band that burst onto the scene with their debut album. You could say I grew up with the band, because I got into music right around their debut and have stayed with the band since. I think most people know them for their hits off “Hot Fuss” with songs such as: “Somebody told me”, “Mr. Brightside” and “All these things that I’ve done”. The Killers released three albums since their debut (also a compilation album and greatest hits) and each album has something new and different to offer. Another thing about the band, they are utterly terrific live. I have been lucky to see them twice now (they came to PEI this past summer!) and they sound just like they do on the record.

Album- Hot Fuss

Album- Sam’s Town (Favourite album)

Album- Day & Age

Album- Battle Born

4. The Beatles

Definitely not the most original choice, but the band has so much great music and appeal, it’s hard not to love them. The band revolutionized music in numerous ways. I went through my Beatles phase around grade 12 (I own most of their albums) and still periodically listen to them today. Each album is so different than the other and each song sounds like a classic. I don’t think I can even name a favourite album or song by the band because there is so much to like. I’ll list a few of my favourites.

Album- Rubber Soul

Album- Revolver

Album- White Album

Album- Rubber Soul

Album- Help!

I’ll stop there because I could keep going forever.

5. Muse

I’ll give the last spot to a fairly unique band. The first time I heard of Muse was on a video game, Guitar Hero 3. I thought the song featured on the game was awesome and I instantly checked the band out. I own three of their albums (Black Holes and Revelations, The Resistance and The 2nd Law) so I am familiar with those albums the most. I like Muse a lot, because for three guys they sure do make music that sounds like ten guys. Each album has a unique sound and rhythm and their hit songs sound so much different than other rock bands. They aren’t afraid to experiment either, even during their peak of stardom. I have been meaning to go back and listen to their early albums and give those more of a listen, because I like what I’ve heard off them too.

Album- Black Holes and Revelations

Album- Black Holes and Revelations

Album- The Resistance

Album- Absolution

It has only been within the last 5/6 years that I started listening to multiple albums by the same band. I’m mostly an individual song kinda guy, which is where my eclectic taste comes from. I’ll quickly list five songs I listen to regularly.

Marvin Gaye- Sexual Healing

I love Motown music and Marvin Gaye ranks among the top for me. I own a greatest hits of his number 1’s that gets a lot of play.

Roy Orbison- Crying

Roy has one of the best singing voices I’ve ever heard. This song in particular is so emotional that you can’t help but hang onto every lyric.

David Bowie- Modern Love

Bowie is awesome. His music covers many genres and is so unique. He is another artist where my favourite song constantly changes. Modern Love has always been a song I go to for him so I’ll choose it.

Metric- Gimme Sympathy

Metric just missed out of the list above. Metric is another popular Canadian band who puts out killer material. This song is always a joy to listen to.

Mulan Soundtrack- I’ll Make a Man Out of You

This is seriously one of my favourite songs. It is my most listened song on iTunes and almost everyone I know loves it. I grew up with Disney and of course am a fan of many of their songs. There is something about this song that is so irresistible and charming to me. It is so good and I will never get tired of it.

This was a long post wasn’t it! I really love music and could write and share links for days. I’m sure I will continue with other posts along the way, but I wanted those reading to get an idea of who I am and what I like.

Mysterious as the dark side of the mooooooon!

Cartoon Recommendation – ReBoot

If you read my earlier post, I mentioned I was a big fan of cartoons as a kid. Growing up in Canada, my best options for cartoons were The Family Channel, Teletoon, YTV and Fox (saturday mornings) and a few others (PBS, The WB). Since most of these channels featured Canadian content, I was exposed to a show I deeply fell in love with. 

That show, is ReBoot

Reboot was a very unique show at the time (first aired in 1994). The plot took place inside a computer or what the characters called “mainframe”. The cast was lead by Bob, who was known as a “guardian” and protected mainframe (get to that soon). Bob was followed by brother and sister duo Dot and Enzo Matrix. Dot owns a local diner and Enzo idolizes Bob. The rest of the cast is filled out by Enzo’s dog Frisket, the guru and leader figure of Mainframe Phong and the annoying Mike the TV, who is exactly what he sounds like. Most of the minor characters are 1’s and 0’s (barcode, computer code). 

Bob, Dot, Enzo and Frisket

Who was Bob protecting Mainframe from? There were two main baddies in the show who appeared regularly. The first being Megabyte. Megabyte is the big bad for most of the series. He is known as a “virus” and is constantly trying to take over and destroy Mainframe. He also has a twin sister and the other main villain, Hexadecimal. She is very strange and terrifying (as least as a kid). While Megabyte is your typical deep voice, controlling villain (his robotic cronies Hack and Slash are a source of comic relief and usually always failed), Hexadecimal’s ambitions weren’t always clear (that and she seemed to have multiple personalities). These two weren’t the only source of drama in Mainframe, there were also the “games”.

Hexadecimal and Megabyte

The games were giant purple cubes that would descend form the sky (accompanied by a voice alerting the inhabitants of its arrival) and were sent by the “user”. The people of mainframe would have to rush to these games before they landed and play against the user in an attempt to beat them. If they didn’t play the game, the user would win and Mainframe would experience some sort of destruction (so losing multiple games would eventually destroy the whole city). If someone from Mainframe played the game and lost, they would turn into a sort of worm creature for life. So basically, the people of Mainframe had to play the game and always win! Pretty heavy stuff when you think about it. Usually these games were played by Bob, Enzo and Dot (and sometimes minor characters) and would feature a variety of game types. This is where “ReBoot” comes in. ReBoot is what the characters do when they enter the game to become a game character. They tap an emblem on their body (everyone has one), yell “ReBoot!” and turn into a game character. I loved when they entered the games as a kid. Usually it spiced things up in the episode, always provided a sense of thrill and urgency and usually the games parodied something from the real world. 

Game Cube

Typically, the first season revolves around the Bob and the good guys defeating these threats. The show really opens up the world after season 1, and leads to some awesome new stories and characters. I should mention the animation of the show was computer generated and was the first of its kind. Mind you, this was very early computer generated graphics and looks kinda clunky today. Don’t let that distract you though, because it is really the story and characters that make the show awesome (and the animation does improve over the years). The humour is excellent, there are so many references to both computer lingo and pop culture and the opening theme is very memorable and sets the tone instantly. The show was also Canadian! It was made by Mainframe Entertainment, who also made another show I adored as a kid in Beast Wars (transformers spinoff and another topic I may write about someday). 

Game styled around Pokemon is an example of the type of games they fought in.

There is so much to like about this unique show and I can’t recommend it enough. The good thing is, the whole show is out on DVD and can be easily bought. The one disappointing thing about the show is that it never got a solid conclusion. It ends with a HUGE cliffhanger and didn’t get resolved because of cancellation. Ever since the show ended, there have been comics made (I haven’t read them yet) and lots of comments/rumours about the show coming back in either movie or T.V form. Whatever the case, I fully recommend anyone to check it out and experience a wholly unique kids show. 

The Future of ReBoot?!?

Links for more ReBoot content:

Official Fan Site

Cool feature written about the show

Purchase Season 1&2

Purchase Season 3&4

Purchase the complete collection

How I came to enjoy writing

Before I go any further with the blog, I want to flashback to how I came to like writing.

As a kid I wasn’t keen on reading. I read when I needed to for school, but very rarely for fun. I didn’t like getting read too (and still don’t really), mostly because I find it hard to focus on the reader. What I did like was television, aka cartoons. I really enjoyed watching numerous (and I mean numerous) cartoon shows growing up. I eventually moved onto live action shows and “mature” shows as I grew older and still love television today. I enjoyed movies too, but it wasn’t until I was 13 that I got into watching/collecting films. As for writing, I didn’t mind it as a kid. I definitely would rather a writing assignment than a reading assignment (depending on the subject). What I really liked was a good story. Television gave me those good stories more easily than taking the time to read a book (at the time), or write one myself. I have always been more of a visual learner and I attribute some of that to all the shows I watched as a kid (which did teach me a lot). So how does a kid who kinda likes to write and detests reading come to love it?

Two words, Harry Potter. Now, my mother and aunts bought me some of the books over the years in an attempt to get me to read more, but to no avail. Heck, I attempted to read the Prisoner of Azkaban many a time, but of course never knew what was going on since it was the third book. One day something magical happened, I was extremely bored. I was so bored I thought “hey, let’s give the first Harry Potter book a try, I did like the movie after all”, and things were never the same. Well they were for the most part, I just started to really enjoy reading after finishing the first book. Luckily for me, five of the Harry Potter books were already out to read, so I quickly blazed through them and dreaded the wait for the rest. I quickly moved onto other series (Lord of the Rings, A series of unfortunate events, His Dark Materials, Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, etc) and loved every minute of them. I would say fantasy is my favourite genre, but there really isn’t any genre I won’t read. I also fell in love with Michael Crichton (RIP) novels during that time, and still try to read books of his I missed to this day. So I was set, I loved to read and my writing was getting better because I read so much. I quickly discovered I was getting better grades in English courses, and on any tests or assignments in other courses that required writing sections (I learned that becoming a decent writer meant you could bluff your way through a question you don’t know just by writing fancy). 

So I graduated high school and didn’t quite know what I wanted to do next in life (that and I had no money). I took a year off to try and decide (and make money) and by the end of that year decided to try journalism. I should mention that after my reading love explosion came to fruition, I discovered the internet has many cool articles to read (everywhere!!) and learned to love those too. I got into UPEI journalism (which was a two and two with the local college, so four years/two schools) and was ready to go. Journalism required more than just English classes I found out, I had to take classes such as politics, philosophy and accounting (my all time most hated class) too. I guess this was to give me an understating of different topics a journalist might cover. I didn’t really enjoy these classes however, and decided to switch to English. I could always take journalism later if I wanted to anyway (I still might!). Once I switched I started enjoying University more and had many English classes I enjoyed and learned from. I also became more of a movie fan during these years (a friend and roommate movie fanatic helped with this) and of course was still a huge television fan. I learned that University gave me the option to use movies/television as a topic if I wanted, for class assignments or research papers. As long as the topic made sense I was good to go. I wrote so many papers that tied film and television to numerous subjects and had a great time doing so. 

Some examples:

History of Canadian Film 

Disney and Globalization 

Film Tourism

The role of a mystical island in literature/film/television

A social psychology paper on film reviews

A research paper on Steven Spielberg 

Movies to do with psychology

The role of music in movies/television

ALL the papers in my film studies class

and more!

So if you are reading this, don’t be afraid to go off the board and write about something different from the list the professor offers you. I found all the papers and classes more fun just by writing on what I like. If you think it may be a bit risky of a topic, just talk to the professor and get their take. 

Anyway, I graduated with an English degree and now stand at that point in life where I try to make a living with it. I realize it will be hard and I may even abandon it if things get too bad, but for now this blog will suffice. I hope by sharing my background, those reading will get a better understanding on where I came from, and how I came to love reading and writing. Go find your Harry Potter. 

What I hope to achieve with this blog.

Hello internet, my name is Jeremy Arthur Doyle. I am a recent graduate from the University of Prince Edward Island (located on Canada’s smallest Province and my homeland). My major was in English, because I am another crazy person who loves reading and writing and thought that maybe a career could be made from it! This isn’t my first blogging rodeo, I have attempted many in the past. Usually I didn’t give them the attention they needed and updated few and far between. I want to change that with this blog and use it as a testing ground and as a learning experience. Being able to write competently is a useful skill in my opinion, and I hope to use my writings on the internet to help build a career in writing. For this blog, I don’t have a specific focus on what I want to discuss, so I’ll stick to my guns and write on what I like/know. I want to try and write on topics such as television, movies, music, video games, books, sports (hockey mostly) and whatever thoughts and opinions cross my mind. Entries around these topics will probably be in review form or just general commentary (perhaps a list or two). I’m not trying to break new grounds here, just attempting to write what is familiar to me. I hope to grow as a writer and hopefully find a focus on something I like to write about, and am good at writing about. I also hope to improve my grammar on this blog, I always seem to forget something (here’s hoping my lovely likes-to-edit girlfriend will help me at times). So hopefully this blog attracts some sort of attention and I’m not writing to internet thin air. I hope someone will find something they like in my writings, and there’s always the comment section if they don’t!.