So the year is drawing to a close, the calendars are ready to turn over, and people around the world are refunding their portable generators and digging into their rations from the apocalypse that never happened. 2012 was a huge year in the worlds of pop culture, media, and politics. So step into the wayback machine for a look at some of the top things that happened this year. Continue reading
The Evolution of Sci-Fi Film Over A Decade
Science fiction was once quoted by Pamela Sargent as being “the literature of ideas.” However, from the 90s onward, these “ideas” were thin, bland, and unmemorable. However, from the year 2000 onward the genre has evolved, matured even. With most genres, there is a clear divide between mainstream crowd-pleasers and heady thinkers. As sci-fi evolved throughout the twenty-first century, we have seen the emergence of sci-fi films that have successfully combined the two. What makes sci-fi unique as a genre is that it is the only genre that can continually succeed in doing so. Continue reading
My phone is an Android, my computer is a PC, my mp3 player is an iPod Touch, but I’ll give credit where credit is due: the iPhone was nothing short of a revolution. The iPhone transformed the smartphone from a luxury item to our lifeline in this always-connected world. With sleek curves, a svelte black shimmer, and that single, multi-use home button, it’s no surprise that Samsung—and every other cell phone maker–have tried to imitate the look and feel of the iPhone. It’s a phone you can enjoy just by holding in your hands. And so after months of rumour and speculation, and last year’s uninspiring iPhone 4S, Apple released with great gusto its latest iPhone, the inspiringly named iPhone 5 (even though it’s actually the sixth model). Retailers have sold out across North America, as cell phone enthusiasts eagerly await getting their hands on Apple’s thinner, taller, sexier new iPhone. Continue reading
There’s something about those old black and white classics, from the silent films of Charlie Chaplin to the encore performances from the greats like Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn. What these films lacked in sex and profanity they made up for in charm and wit. These were the days when cinema was still in its youth and innocence, when film makers experimenting with film as a story-telling medium and film studios were churning out hundreds of movies a year. Continue reading
The most common argument people raise against religion is that if they cannot see God, then they cannot believe in Him. However, the “Seeing is believing” argument has lost its clout, despite our numerous scientific advances. We can’t see gravity, but we observe its effects; similarly, scientists can’t see dark matter, but they propose its existence based on the expanding nature of the universe.
In my life I, too, have asked this question. And I found a very convincing answer in the most unlikely place: a Japanese fighting game. Continue reading
Out of every religion on the planet, Islam seems to be the one that mainstream media is too shy to feature in a positive light. It seems like each of the three monotheistic religions has its own stereotype in television and film: Judaism is seen as a quirky character trait, often used for comic relief (Howard from The Big Bang Theory for example), we pretty much assume that everyone else is Christian, and Islam is usually seen as something foreign and alien, regardless of whether or not the character is good or bad. Continue reading
Spoiler alert: Ocarina of Time is #1. If that surprises you, it’s probably because you haven’t played it yet. I’ll gush on that masterpiece later, but there’s still 14 other games to go through in this list. Now, I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I grew up with an NES controller in my hand and a monthly Nintendo Power issue in my mailbox. I can’t count how many times princesses I’ve saved or how many aliens I’ve killed or haunted houses I’ve survived and the list goes on and on. Yet I never tire of it. Video games are portals to new worlds, new experiences. And in my many years of gaming, these are the best of the best. Continue reading
Castle in the Sky is my favourite Miyazaki movie. It’s just a big, sprawling, classical adventure story. So I decided to make my own fan trailer for it!
Enjoy!
Anime is big. It is an art form that has grown and changed dynamically over the past several decades. While older generations of North Americans were mainly exposed to Astro Boy, those from my generation witnessed a surge in the popularity of anime. Today, anime is steadily pouring out of its niche market and flowing into new territories. It’s understandable that it would be daunting to even try and wade through the shallow mainstream areas of the great sea of anime. So I wrote these five rules to keep in mind when you decide to take your first plunge. Continue reading
