Double Disney

maleficent-2014I’m joined in the reaction chamber by Petra and we take on a double dose of Disney films. Maleficent is the box office darling right now, but our reaction to the film is less than enthusiastic. By the same token we finally get around to watching The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer – a film that was nearly universally panned. And we got really excited about it. The short version of the podcast is: skip Maleficent and go see The Lone Ranger.

Don’t forget, this is the final week to get in on the Opposing Forces Kickstarter, so jump in! read more

Sunstones and Shadowguard

10970782Every so often, I come across a book series that really intrigues me with elements of the setting. Because I really enjoyed his “Keys to the Kingdom” series, I put some faith in Garth Nix and picked up “The Seventh Tower” series.

The six books of the series describe a world in perpetual darkness, where a magical Veil surrounds the planet, forever blocking the sun from the earth below. Above the Veil, the world continues as it has always been. Below the Veil, the planet is shrouded in perpetual ice, cut off from the heat and light of the sun. Bridging the two worlds is the ancient Castle, home of the Chosen, and the foundation of the seven Towers. read more

Asgardian Box Office

Curtis and I gather round the coffee table to kick around Thor. Not harshly, mind, but we do feel that it needs to be kicked a bit. I really wanted to like this movie in the same way that I like Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk. Unfortunately, the result was somewhat lackluster – with a story that just didn’t live up to the potential of its characters. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of good stuff going on in this movie, and we found it to be an acceptable offering, if not a particularly outstanding one. read more

Corporate Oppressors

Released now, calculated to bring as little benefit or press to the film as possible, Curtis and I break down as much of “Avatar” as we can stomach. We lay the entirety of the blame at James Cameron’s doorstep – he really ought to know better. We do some side trails into the fad that is the current generation of 3D movies, “Prince of Persia” – which we both really enjoyed, in spite of my frustrated rant about the ending, and then plug upcoming RPG projects here at Critical Press Media. Hey, it’s worth repeating: look for OpenD6: Agents to hit digital download and POD before the end of the summer! read more

Violent Chick-Lit

If you’ve missed the media hype surrounding Suzanne Collins’ dystopian sci-fi trilogy “The Hunger Games”, then you may in fact consider yourself fortunate. The guys and I sit around the round table and break down the trilogy of novels, including spoiling the plot and determining that the target audience is in fact – chicks. You’ll get plenty of warning and the magic of podcasting so that you can actually read the books if you still desire to do so. If not, check out the full scoop on this violently dystopian sci-fi beststeller. Also, head over to the Two-Fisted Blogger and check out my review on his site, as well as other articles about dude-lit. read more

Censorship and Ratings

Gather round the coffee table while Curtis and I discuss our reactions to the documentary “This Film is Not Yet Rated”. Topics of the show include censorship, the ratings system, the rights of artistes, and what makes a film age or content appropriate. Just because something reflects real behavior does not make it art.

Find out more about:

  • This Film is Not Yet Rated – the movie under review
  • The MPAA – the industry tyrants
  • Screenit – independent movie reviewers
  • Plugged In – media reviews from Focus on the Family
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    Elements of Setting

    Some quick reviews on the Horseclans stories by Robert Adams, How to Train Your Dragon follows. After that, the guys and I sit down and discuss elements of rpg settings and what makes a good one.

    Those Horseclan books are hard to find, check the Amazon store to make the job a bit easier!

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    Titans 9

    We share a pair of movie discussions this week, as I cursorily examine the new Clash of the Titans as well as District 9. In summation – I’m not horribly impressed with either movie. The brightest spot in my week is the fact that Chris and Kathy VanderKaay are back in the podworld with a new show …. The Anatomy of Fear.

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    The Getaway Special

    Today, on a special episode of Critical Mass Podcast….. ::knock – knock:: just a second, folks, there’s someone at the door……………

    John Wilkerson of the Jesus Geek reviews the book The Getaway Special by Jerry Oltion!


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    Olympian Wonderland

    I take a crack at some movies and books, casting my observations on Tim Burton’s treatment of Alice in Wonderland, and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Tune in to see if my mental notes jive with yours, and don’t forget to tell me what you think!

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