Archive for September, 2013

Boy Meets Nostalgia

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Observances, Reviews, Television on September 30, 2013

When I first heard that Disney was looking to resurrect (as opposed to spinning-off or rebooting) Boy Meets World as Boy Meets Girl and follow Cory and Topanga’s daughter through the challenges of adolescent life, I was instantly excited and intrigued. I’ve been a longtime fan of the show (even though I was in high school when it premiered—man I feel old!), even going so far as referencing it in my film Secrets of the Desert Nymph. My first thought upon the announcement was as long as they bring back Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel, I’ll be a happy camper. Lo and behold, they both signed on shortly after, as did William Daniels (Feeeheee-heee-neeey) for a cameo appearance in the pilot (at the very least). But as the news settled, I began to wonder… can this resurrection truly bring back the magic that was Boy Meets World, or can it only be a decent generic copy (as most reboots, re-imaginings and spin-offs inevitably are)… a show that looks like the original but can’t hold up to the predecessor’s special quality and appeal? Judging by the original, it’s going to be a long, hard-fought road. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Movie Mayhem – Don Jon/Thanks For Sharing

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Film, Reviews on September 29, 2013

Usually when two movies with similar themes hit theaters, they are scheduled at least two to three months apart (see Olympus Has Fallen/White House Down, Deep Impact/Armageddon… Antz/A Bug’s Life). However, just one week after the film Thanks For Sharing hit theaters, Don Jon sauntered into theaters like it owned the place (which is quite reasonable, since many of you probably have never heard of the former… while the latter has gotten at least a modicum of publicity). If you haven’t heard of either of these films, the theme they share isn’t about destroying the earth or taking over the white house—it’s about a primal (and usually very private) urge: sex addiction. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Rocky Balboa vs Jake La Motta

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Film on September 28, 2013

Now this is a Grudge Match I can’t wait to see.

See Trailer

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Win a Copy of My New Book

Posted by Bryan Caron in Books, Entertainment, Novel, Writing on September 27, 2013

WIN an autographed copy of Bryan Caron’s new young adult novel.

All you need to do is guess the title of his new book, scheduled for release in November of 2013.

See Complete Rules

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Novel Mayhem – The Hand That Feeds

Posted by Bryan Caron in Books, Entertainment, Reviews on September 24, 2013

I received this book free from the author in return for an honest review.

From the very beginning, stories about the living dead have been more about exploring the human experience (how one deals emotionally and psychologically with this type of “outbreak”) than they have the actual walking dead themselves. In that way, it’s hard to find fresh, new themes for the genre or alter the zombie lore enough that it feels like a natural progression, yet doesn’t go too far to alienate hardcore fans. Michael W. Garza attempts to do a little of both in his novel The Hand That Feeds: A Horror Novel, but the book ultimately falls short of capturing the originality inherent in the very intriguing premise. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Can I Just Say…

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Observances, Television on September 23, 2013

Shemar Moore may be good on Criminal Minds, but he is not at all a commentator, host or journalist (as clearly evidenced by his excruciating turn in the green room at the this year’s Emmy Awards). To Mr. Moore I ask (no, I beg) that you stick with your day job and leave the hosting gigs to those who are comfortable at schilling celebrity.

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Movie Mayhem – Prisoners

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Film, Reviews on September 22, 2013

Desperation can make any man do the impossible, but more to the point, it reveals a man’s character to the deepest reaches of his soul. What one person is capable of doing in the most unthinkable of situations crates a portrait of who they are as a human, and how they interact with those around them. This idea is the theme behind Prisoners, a dour revenge thriller that is as much intense character study as it is suspenseful drama. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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Chaos Television Awards

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Television on September 21, 2013

On the eve of the 65th Emmy Awards, Chaos breeds Chaos is presenting it’s own awards, the Chaos Television Awards, for the best of the best of TV in 2012-2013. These awards follow the same timeline guidelines as the regular Emmy awards (so The Bridge will not be included as it began after May 31, which is the cutoff for the Emmys), and include a majority of the same categories, such as Best Actress in a Drama, Best Actor in a Comedy and Best Reality Competition. However, here at Chaos breeds Chaos, I believe everyone should get their due, thus I have given Science Fiction/Fantasy their own separate categories and added a few just for the heck of it, simply because I was otherwise impressed (or confused) by a performance, show or visual. Oh, and to be completely transparent, these awards are based only on shows that I have personally watched, so if you don’t see your favorite here, I must not like the show. Sorry, but those are the breaks. So, without further ado, The Chaos Television Awards! Check Out the Awards

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Reading should be encouraged, not condemned

Posted by Bryan Caron in Books, Miscellaneous Stuff, Observances, Politics on September 19, 2013

What have we come to as a society when we look down on kids who love to read?

According to several reports (some going back to August… wish I wasn’t so late to this party), that’s exactly what happened in Hudson Falls, New York, where a local librarian was fired, supposedly over defending, and wanting to applaud, a young boy who read 63 books over the course of a six week period to help solidify his win (for the fifth(!) year in a row) in a reading contest held by the Hudson Falls Free Library. Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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So Much For Originality

Posted by Bryan Caron in Entertainment, Observances, Television on September 17, 2013

Could the producers of Dancing With the Stars have been more unoriginal? As the opening routine to their brand new season, producers chose to steal a page from So You Think You Can Dance and copy almost everything from the latter shows amazing opening dance routine, from starting in the parking lot, to showing them in front of faux-makeup chairs, right down to the seamless tracking shot of all of their dancers through the studio. Did they want to show homage to a much better dance show (in terms of talent, from whence several Dancing pros have originated), or did they think, just because they have a much larger audience, that no one would notice? Don’t Stop — There’s Plenty More

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