All posts filed under: TV Shows

Oh So Bewitching! – WandaVision (Episodes One and Two) – Humble Opinions

Published by Luke Halliday

After an eighteen-month-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic—which felt like an infinity, to be sure—the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back with the Disney+ series WandaVision. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that was definitely the case when it came to the MCU. I watched the debut of WandaVision with the biggest, goofiest of smiles etched across my face. It was good to be back in the world of Marvel again, although things aren’t quite as they seem in WandaVision. The first episode opens in the style of golden-age sitcoms and television of a bygone era. The entire episode is in black and white, and we are introduced to the familiar faces of Wanda Maximoff and Vision, albeit styled as husband and housewife of the 1950s. It is immediately clear that things are not as they seem, with countless curious moments that highlight the surreal reality that Wanda and Vision now inhabit, but the series does not yet stray too far from it’s sitcom genre framing. Rather brilliantly, the show actually plays …

Not That Nirvana – Nirvanna The Band The Show (Season One) – Humble Opinions

Published by Luke Halliday

Nirvanna the Band the Show is the most innovative and genre redefining comedy series in recent history, but you probably don’t know that; you probably wouldn’t have guessed it was even a comedy series. You probably don’t know that because it also has one of the worst titles for a comedy series ever, likely by design. The show, which is named after the titular Nirvanna the Band (which in turn is named after the band Nirvana), is an uproariously hilarious romp that feels unlike any other show on television. It follows life-long best friends Jay McCarroll and Matt Johnson as they concoct increasingly elaborate plans to get their band, Nirvanna the Band, booked at a bar restaurant in Toronto called The Rivoli. The show is filmed in mockumentary style; however, it blends that style together with candid footage and improv, featuring people unaware that the show is even filming. Ultimately, it comes off as a bizarre Canadian hybrid of The Office and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat. The show frequently features references—and even straight up recreations—of …

A New Hero For A New Generation: Introducing “Ultraman Orb”

Published by Frank Inglese

The year is 2016, and it marks the 50th anniversary of the long-running Tokusatsu television series Ultraman. Considering there’s a new iteration of Ultraman every few years (give or take), it only makes sense that the powers at be would be gearing up for a huge reveal specifically for that of the series’ half-century anniversary. Coming from the same director as last year’s Ultraman X is the latest reincarnation of the shining Tokusatsu hero, this time called “Ultraman Orb“. The story behind this series revolves around a human being called Gai Kurenai, played by Hideo Ishiguro, who is in possession of a mysterious object that allows him to tap into the power of past Ultraman iterations, borrowing their powers and using them to thwart the forces of evil. Somewhat like in Ultraman X, wherein which Ultraman had the ability to use the abilities of defeated Kaiju, this Ultraman will be able to harness the raw force of his descendants; fusing abilities together to create an even more powerful Ultraman being.   Reminiscent of Jayden Yuki’s Hero …

The Original Kamen Rider Returns for ‘Superhero Year’, Takeshi Hongo Rides Again In New Movie!

Published by Luke Halliday

It has been 45 years since Takeshi Hongo first became a cyborg after an experiement gone wrong, he then set out in order to combat the evil organization known as Shocker that made him the Kamen Rider. The iconic motorcycle riding cyborg hero in a grasshopper suit ‘rider kicked’ his way into fans hearts and remains ingrained in the Japanese Pop Culture all these years later. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Kamen Rider and the 40th anniversary of Super Sentai, in order to celebrate Toei is releasing a new Kamen Rider film which will see the return of Takeshi Hongo as Kamen Rider 1 for the first time in roughly 40 years! The film is titled Kamen Rider 1 – Go and will be the first of many anniversary celebrations throughout the year. There will be more news posted on those when they come to light. You can check out the trailer for the upcoming 45th anniversary special below. I for one am absolutely stoked to see Kamen Rider 1 ride again and …

Exploring The History of Kamen Rider – Showa Era (1971-1989)

Published by Luke Halliday

Kamen Rider is one of the most popular tokusatsu series in history. It goes without saying that Kamer Rider 1 is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters in Japanese pop culture in general, with his distinctive grasshopper-like costume. However the series has never really made a dent in the Western world, with Saban attempting to cash in on the success of Power Rangers in the 90’s with the cheap imitation of the real deal, a series they called Masked Rider failing to capture an audience and quickly getting cancelled. That said the recent adaptation Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight did fair far better in the West, even winning an Emmy award for its stunt work, but it still failed to capture audience’s imaginations in the way that the series did in Japan. Looking in from the outside, Kamen Rider can be a difficult series to get into for a number of reasons. First and foremost there is no real legal channels in which the series is available however there are those dedicated fan groups who …