Episode 8.06: Lower Levels Love Me

A new week is here, and that means another episode of U62: The Targ U62: The Targto tickle your earbuds!  Not much tickling, though, as there’s a lot of complaining and grousing in Episode 8.06: Lower Levels Love Me.  What do I complain about today?

  • Blu-rays that won’t play!  Darn you, technology, for not working!
  • A Spider-Man animated film franchise!  Are we going to get Spider-Man oversaturation?

But then, the complaining ends!  What good stuff do I applaud?

  • Marvel’s Daredevil series on Netflix is so good, you guys.
  • West Edmonton Mall has brought back the whale!

All this and more on the latest Targ!

Download here!

And here’s iTunes!

Episode 8.05: 7 Days in the Making

U62: The TargA brand new week means a brand new episode of U62: The Targ!  And I needed to do an episode this week, because there’s lots of good stuff to talk about.  Especially the trailers!  So many good trailers!

  • Hear my thoughts about the trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batman v Superman, Ant-Man, and Terminator Genisys!
  • We’ve got another installment of Mark Tastes Random Things.  This time, hear me chow down on Tim Hortons Nutella donut, and I extoll the joys of Nutella!
  • And, because unboxing videos are all the rage, I even do an unboxing.  A friend of mine bought me a present online from China, so I tear open the package and find out what he sent me.

All this and more in Episode 8.05: 7 Days in the Making!

Download here!

And subscribe on iTunes!

And if you want to watch all the trailers I geek out about, they’re right here!



And I talk about how embarrassing my original Episode I review is because of how much I loved it.  That’s right here.

Movie Review – Cinderella

Cinderella

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Starring Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgard,  Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, and Helena Bonham Carter

Backstory

Yeah, I’ve always been a bit of a Disney geek.  I was kind of entranced with the teaser materials for Cinderella, focusing on the icons of the original Disney animated film.  Then, when it hit theatres, it got phenomenally good reviews, and applause for not going dark and gritty, like so many fairy tale reboots these days.  The next town over had a good ol’ fashioned one-screen small-town movie theatre that I’d been dying to try, and when I saw that Cinderella was this week’s offering, I said, “Why not?”

Plot

Really?  Do I have to?  Are one of the few who never read the fairy tale as a kid or seen one of the countless movie adaptations?  OK.  Ella is a young girl with a loving mother and a loving father.  Her mother dies, and her father re-marries to the wicked Lady Tremaine.  The Lady Tremaine and her two spoiled and vain daughters move in.  Ella’s father soon dies, too, and Ella is treated as little more than servant girl by her step-family.  One day, the Prince hosts a ball in the kingdom, and Ella’s stepmother forbids her to go.  However, Ella’s Fairy Godmother intervenes, and with a little magic, Ella gets to go.  Will she find true love with the Prince?

What I Liked

Blanchett really plays up the “wicked” part of the Wicked Stepmother, and it really makes her more evil and cruel to see how scheming and manipulative she is.  We even get some proper hints at what made her so cruel.  Lily James is an angelic Cinderella, who manages to be so kind and pure no matter the dire circumstances.  And Helena Bonham Carter is just the perfect blend of flighty and magical for the Fairy Godmother.

What I Didn’t Like

Well, it is Cinderella.  It doesn’t deviate too far from the source material, so the familiarity can leave you checking your watch.

Final Verdict

A truly magical film and a wonderful retelling of the classic tale.

3 Nibs

Bonus Features

And I should mention that the film did open with Frozen Fever, a new animated short featuring the characters from Frozen.  Now that Elsa has her new found confidence and mastery of her powers, she’s dedicate to giving Anna the perfect birthday party.  But, Elsa comes down with a cold, threatening the whole affair.  It’s cute.  It’s almost a music video, as at least 90% of the film revolves around an original song.  But it was a fun little expansion of the Frozen universe.  3 Nibs.

Episode 8.04: Only a Tribute

And we’re back!  After a week off for Easter, and we’re here and U62: The Targpodcasting once again!  This time, I bring you Episode 8.04: Only a Tribute.  What are this week’s rambles?

  • Star Wars has been released on digital platforms!  Is it worth buying again?  Will I buy it again?
  • The Doctor Who speech!  Whenever someone points to the Doctor Who button on my parka, and asks, “Who’s that?” I launch into this speech about Doctor Who
  • And upon the passing of James Best, some reminiscing about watching The Dukes of Hazzard when I was a kid.

All this, and more, on this week’s episode of U62: The Targ!

Download here!

And on iTunes!