A quick one this week, as I’m not sure how much time I have. My 12-year old Dell that still runs on Windows Vista is giving me new, weird error messages, so I share my quest for a new computer. I tell you how my latest attempt to read The Lord of the Rings is going. Over on The Streaming Report, I give my reaction to the season premiere of The Mandalorian, and I take a minute to remember Sean Connery.
All in Episode 10.27: Borrowed Time!
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The world has become the kind of place where we’re scrambling to find the good in the world, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Scored two little victories this week: I’ve gotten the furthest I ever have in reading The Lord of the Rings, and I made my most successful blood donation ever. So I talk about it. We’ve got another Mark Tastes Random Things, where I sample A&W’s Bison Burger. Over on The Streaming Report, I’m pre-gaming for The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special by watching the other LEGO Star Wars shows. And in Nerd News Headlines, we say goodbye to The Fast and the Furious.
(And please ignore that I say the wrong date at the start. Didn’t notice until after I’d uploaded)
All in Episode 10.26: Little Victories!
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October keeps plugging along, and I keep plugging along with my podcast! Not much going on in this week’s episode. With Thanksgiving behind us, it turns out you can cook a turkey in the microwave. Pixar’s Soul is now going straight to Disney+, so we chat about that and look at the new trailer. Over in The Streaming Report, Star Trek: Lower Decks has wrapped up, and I give my thoughts. And in The Nerd News Headlines, we’ve got news on Doctor Strange, Dexter, and Buck Rogers.
All in Episode 10.25: The Multiverse of Meh!
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Gonna keep this one brief, because it’s the Thanksgiving weekend, so you no doubt want to get back to your turkey dinner. I finally shelled out for a home premiere, so I give you my thoughts on Bill & Ted Face the Music. I’ve got another installment of Mark Tastes Random Things where I sample the Dairy Queen Loaded Steakhouse burger. Over in The Streaming Report, I catch the Jurassic World animated series, Camp Cretaceous, and I wrap things up by rattling off some of the entertainment headlines that have been piling up on my desk.
All in Episode 10.24: Turkey Time!
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Oh, and as has become my thing, I’ve started filming Mark Tastes Random Things. Here’s the latest!
Directed by Dean Parisot
Starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Kid Cudi, and William Sadler
At the tender age of 12, I got to go to the theatre to see Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and I loved it. As soon as I discovered the Internet and started googling movie rumours, whispers of a third film abounded. The idea of catching up with a middle aged Bill & Ted really started picking up steam about five years ago, and when they announced it was happening, I was thrilled. In these pandemic times, the home premiere has caught on for films. So rather than go out to the theatre and see it, I decided to drop the $20 to rent it digitally. So how are Bill & Ted in middle age?
After the events of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Wyld Stallyns went on to have great success as rock stars. But, Bill & Ted have yet to write “The Song,” the one that will unite the world in peace and harmony. Over the next 25 years, their attempts to write The Song grow more and more desperate, alienating their fans and putting a strain on their marriages. About the only bright spot in their lives are their daughters, Billie and Thea, who adore their fathers. Just as Bill & Ted are about to give up and go get real jobs, an emissary from the future arrives. Because Bill & Ted haven’t written The Song yet, the timeline is starting to collapse. If they don’t write and perform The Song in the next 75 minutes, all of reality will be undone. So, Bill & Ted hop in their ol’ time traveling phone booth and decide to get the song from their future selves, when they’ve already written it. While this goes on, Billie and Thea have their own excellent adventure, as they round up history’s greatest musicians to form their dads’ new band. Will Bill & Ted find the song in the time stream? Can they save all of reality?
Oh, it’s just a nostalgic joy to see these characters back at it. It’s almost shocking how little they’ve aged. And bringing them to middle-age and dealing with all that comes with it was just the most logical place to go. The casting is top notch, too. The kid playing Billie — Ted’s daughter — has young Keanu Reeves’ mannerisms down pat. And there’s some great laugh out loud moments as we see the future Bills and Teds. And you can’t help but cheer when old friends like Death show up to be part of the ride.
I think Keanu Reeves has been playing John Wick for too long, as he seems to be taking this far too seriously. I don’t think Ted cracks a smile once in the film. And I was almost taken aback at how small scale it is. Aside from some big set pieces in the Future and Hell, it’s mostly smaller character stuff. I don’t know what I’m putting that under “What I Didn’t Like,” as it allows for great character growth. I guess, after 25 years, I was just expecting it to be bigger.
A fantastic return for Bill & Ted. Give us a the spinoff about Billie and Thea now, please.
Fall is in full swing, as I look out my window at all the trees changing colour. So it’s time to bring you a new episode!
Last week, I ventured out to the movies to see The Empires Strikes Back, so I tell you how that went. We’ve got our Ms. Marvel, so I take a minute to tell you who she is. Over on The Streaming Report, I finish up Cobra Kai and revisit Disney’s Mr. Boogedy franchise. And I lament that the latest James Bond movie has been delayed again.
All on Episode 10.23: The Golden Leaves!
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