9-9-09

Having been a fan of The Beatles since infancy, The Beatles: Rock Band is is such a cool concept and the game does not disappoint at all. Even if you are a moderate fan of videogames, this is such a cool experience and not to be missed.

I can't get over how awesome and accurate the character models are and how believably they age as you jump from venue to venue following the career of the Fab Four. Granted, there are some liberties taken and some minor historical changes needed to adapt their story to a videogame, but there's nothing that doesn't make justifiable sense. And the way they handle the Abbey Road recordings are something to be seen to be believed. In addition to the 45 songs on the disc, there are also full album downloads to come.

Plus, it's the freakin' BEATLES!

Farewell, old friend [UPDATED]

UPDATED 5.30.09: So apparently ABC has resigned Scrubs to a 9th season despite the amazing finale, which is mentioned at length below. As of now, Zach Braff & Sarah Chalke have signed on for 6 episodes and it's rumored that the show will be treated as a "Frasier" to Scrubs' "Cheers," by either focusing on a different character than J.D. or by being solely about the new interns introduced over the past season.

Personally, I'm not too sure how I feel about this because, as a fan, I'll watch the new show at the beginning for the curiousity of what they're going to do with it, but am very nervous for them as they'll have a LONG way to go to match the pay-off of the 8th season/series finale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, Scrubs.

I didn't really enjoy this show the first few times I watched, but it eventually started to creep into my regular viewing thanks to syndication. The rapid-fire cutaways, the obnoxious situations, the relatable characters, & the emotional sentiment that subtly reverberated through each episode was hard not to feel connected to. The series finale saw characters from the past make cameos, long-forgotten story references, and the use of Peter Gabriel's "The Book of Love" in the final moments was an amazingly placed gracenote.

There's talk that the show went a season or two too long & I can see that point, but the finale this week was really well done & a fitting way to send the beloved series out. There's also talk of them trying to work out a Season 9 since ABC was treating them so well, but I think that would be a mistake. It ended in such a great way that anything more would be taking away from what creator Bill Lawrence (who finally had a cameo this season & shared the very last scene of the series with Zach Braff) & the rest of the cast & crew has accomplished.

The Boston Red Sox set an MLB record by scoring 12 runs in one inning before recording a single out. They're really hitting on all cylinders right now.

Walking In Memphis....Literally

Returned from a trip to Nashville & Memphis to see Jason Mraz open for Dave Matthews Band.

On the way down, we made a brief pit stop in Metropolis, IL, to see the infamous Superman statue. It was as advertised & not so ironically placed in front of city hall & the police station. There was a tribute comic store next door that we didn't have time to go into, but it looked massive. I've been past Metropolis several times on various ComedySportz trips and always wanted to stop here, but never have so this was really cool.

Nashville was such an awesome town & well worth the 9 hour drive! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed being down there. Obviously, the weather helped a ton, but the attitude & feel of the place was just really cool. The concert itself was awesome as Mraz played highlights & then DMB played for 3 hours & the set list was tight. They played 3 songs off the new album & just made me more jacked to pick it up in early June.

Our 2nd day down there, we toured the Grand Ole Opry. Granted, I am not a country music fan in the slightest, but it felt like it was one of those do-it-once-&-you-never-have-to-do-it-again things. I'm so glad we went though because the history of the Opry was fascinating and the tour itself was really cool because we got to go on the actual stage. Even if you're not a country fan, I can't recommend the tour enough. That evening, we went to eat at a place called Amerigo & I had the greatest chicken parmesan ever.

Following that "do-it-once" mentality, we traveled to Memphis the next day and took in the grandeur & spectacle that is Graceland. Again, the tour itself was cool and I recommend doing it once, but there's no real reason to ever go back. The Jungle Room is intense, the car collection is massive, and being able to walk through the King's private jets was really cool. It's easy to get wrapped up in the ambiance, but just let yourself go for a few hours and you'll enjoy it. That night, we crashed at my step-brothers house & treated him to his favorite restaurant, Amerigo - where I had the 2nd greatest chicken parmesan ever.

The next day we stopped by the legendary Sun Records and the place just reaked of old school cool. This is the studio that Elvis recorded his first record and Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis (collectively known as the "Million Dollar Quartet"), and many others followed suit. Again, you get to go through the actual studio & stand where they stood, and the tour guide was very personable. Although the tour is brief, it's more than worth it.

We wrapped up our time in Memphis with a visit to the Rock N' Soul Museum which was in the FedEx Forum - home to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was so worth the price of admission. Not counting Graceland, this was the longest tour & was absolutely loaded with memorabilia. There was history dripping off the walls and since it was self-guided, you could really take everything in at your own pace.

On the trek back to the Quad Cities, we ended up stopping at the infamous Lambert's Cafe: Home of the Throwed Rolls. The portions were family-sized and the ambiance was great...and yes, they tossed rolls all over the dining room. People just raised their hands and a surprisingly accurate waiter would chuck a roll clear across the room. It was really fun & the food was great - can't ask for more than that.

Every tour we went on was well worth it. We missed out on the Gibson Guitar Factory Tour, The Pyramid, & Beale Street, unfortunately, but that just gives me more reason to head back down there sometime.

Caved and went to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine last night with some friends of mine. I thought it was a solid popcorn summer action flick - and it's not being advertised as anything different. The fan boys are all in an up-roar because they now expect every film to be The Dark Knight or Iron Man, but the X-Men franchise has never been 100% accurate to the comic - and I don't know how it ever could be. Hugh Jackman was great, but Liev Schriever really impressed me as Sabretooth. There's a lot left to be desired in character development, but the over-the-top action makes up for most of it. Go see it.

Later.

So good

Best new show on TV. Period.

If you're not watching this, you're a dummy-head.

Funny The Way It Is

Lying in the park on a beautiful day
Sunshine in the grass
And the children play
Sirens pass and fire engine red
Someone's house is burning down
On a day like this

The evening comes and we're hangin' out
On a front step and a car goes by
With the windows rolled down
And that War song is playing
"Why Can't We Be Friends?"
Someone is screaming and crying
In the apartment upstairs

Funny the way it is
Makes you think about it
Somebody's going hungry
And someone else is eatin' out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
Somebody's heart is broken
And it becomes your favorite song

The way your mouth feels in your lover's kiss
Like a pretty bird on the breeze
Or water to a fish
The bomb blast brings the building crashing to the floor
Hear the laughter
While the children play war

Funny the way it is
Make you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school
Another's droppin' out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath
His baby's being born

Standing on a bridge
Watch the water passing underneath
It must have been much harder
When there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small
Compared to how it used to be
With mountains and oceans
And winters and rivers and stars

Watch the sky
A jet plane so far out of my reach
Is there someone up there
Looking down on me?
A boy chase a bird
So close but every time
He never catch her
But he can't stop tryin'

Funny the way it is
Make you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school
Another's droppin' out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath
His baby's being born

Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
Somebody's broken heart
Becomes your favorite song
Funny the way it is (Funny the way it is)
Make you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school
Another's droppin' out

Standing on a bridge
Watch the water passing underneath
It must have been much harder
When there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small
Compared to how it use to be
With mountains and oceans
And winters and rivers and stars
-------------------------
Funny The Way It Is
Dave Matthews Band
Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King

iSick [UPDATED]

UPDATE (April 5, 09): Turns out I've been diagnosed with having acute bronchitis. Some friends had been sick & I'm guessing I either contracted it from them or from high-fiving folks at CSz. Never had bronchitis before...not a good time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sick as a dog. Haven't been this bad in a long time & for such a lengthy period of time. Trying to avoid going to the doctors, but am out of options.

Finished filming, editing, and have the Chicago cut of our new pilot, The Adventures of Brad & Chet. It's funny, but definitely appeals to a certain demographic and is not as accessible as Reality Check was. Curious to see how it's received...

Did you see the 3.0 upgrade for the iPhone, by the way? Rumors are the iPhone 3G Pro is coming in June alongside the upgrade and will have video capabilities, etc. I'm content with the 3G and am not planning on getting a new device until my contract expires, but this 3.0 update is really awesome - some stuff is long overdue, but as a complete upgrade, it's pretty sweet.

And I think this is the greatest DVD packaging I've seen all year:

Who Broke The Mirror?

On Friday, at CSz we had:

• our ref get into a car accident and miss the show (he's o.k.)
• our bartender go to the hospital with heart flutters
• a cast member simply just not show up
  
• our cash register break after completing the first transaction
• our judging paddles break
• someone almost get fired
  
• our sister theatres' computers freeze up
• our rear access door magically unlock itself
• and a toilet back up
  

I'm not that superstitious, but it was Friday the 13th.Oooooo!

I Want To Go To There

from TheChicagoTheatre.com

Actors/Directors/Musicians and comedy icons Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are doing something they have never done before; performing a six week, 30 city multi-media acoustic tour without wigs and electric instruments.

UNWIGGED & UNPLUGGED are the guys behind Spinal Tap and The Folksmen (from A Mighty Wind) coming out from behind the hair, the facial hair, and the absence of hair, to perform as themselves songs from both films, and more, in a rare acoustic setting. You'll never hear Tap songs less loud!

UNWIGGED & UNPLUGGED will feature songs from the original soundtrack This Is Spinal Tap (1984), the studio album Break Like The Wind (1992), and A Mighty Wind (2003) along with some special surprises and rarities thrown in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just got tickets for that concert. SO pumped as This Is Spinal Tap is my favorite film of all time! Between DMB, Jason Mraz, & The Travoltas, it's going to be a busy summer of shows this year...and I'm not complaining.

Saw Watchmen last night at the midnight screening.

Believe the hype. It's really well done.

Now they're naturally going to be haters out there (regardless of if they actually enjoyed any part of it or not) as I'm sure it'll be the cool thing to bash the film because it's popular right now. To this vain attempt to gain some sort of 'cred' in between getting another piercing or tattoo so that you can stand out and be so different - just like everyone else - I offer the following: it's a popcorn blockbuster film & doesn't runaway or try to hide from that. Enjoy it for what it is or don't pay the money to go see it because you should know by now what you're getting into.

I'm not saying you're not entitled to your opinion, but those people that are already going in with the mindset that they're going to hate it and have already passed judgement (graphic novel purists and film snobs alike), your pre-bias is unwarranted and not needed.

What Watch Would A Watchmen Watch If A Watchmens' Watch Wouldn't Work?

The Jason Mraz concert @ NIU was surprisingly short, but very fun - & it was great to get a chance to reconnect with B-Lo.

The real surprise was the opening act called Vedera. They were AWESOME & I can't recommend them enough. They're based out of Kansas City so I'm wondering if Pete and rest of the K.C. crew has ever heard of them before. You can find them on MySpace and on iTunes.

Religulous is out on DVD. Buy/Rent it. Watch it. Discuss.

We finished principal photography on The Adventures of Brad & Chet, our follow-up pilot to Reality Check, last weekend & now it's off to editing. It was great to be a part of the filming this time and getting to meet and hang out the cast. We're hoping to duplicate and exceed the success from last year as promoting and traveling cross-country with the pilot was a blast.

Now, I tried to steer clear of the Watchmen craze, but also admit that the graphic novel has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for about 4 years. One of those things I always was going to get to, but never did. So I pulled it down, dusted it off, and proceeded to read it cover-to-cover a day or so ago & now I get what all the hub-bub is about. It's an amazing read and really was one of the forefront "anti-hero" comics. It presents super-heros with human flaws and I couldn't put it down.

Who watches the Watchmen? Well, I can tell you it will be myself and millions more when it drops this Friday (midnight showing on Thursday, if you're a hardcore fan).

Knight rides again

Whole. Lee. Crap.

Through some friends of mine, I was able to get comped tickets to see The Dark Knight at our local IMAX Theatre.

Granted, I already own it on Blu-ray, it was like a whole different experience and I can't recommend seeing it in this format enough. Almost vertigo inducing at times, the performances seem even more intense and I was actually more impressed with it than I was on previous viewings.

Just stop reading & go see it.

You're welcome.

Going to see Jason Mraz (for the 6th time) in concert next week at Northern Illinois University, and also got tickets to see Dave Matthews Band (for the 35th time) in Nashville, TN, with Mraz opening for them. Woot!

Now get off my lawn, you crazy kids.

The real MVP wasn't on NBC

Sorry, Santonio Holmes.

You all may have won the Super Bowl, but the action was equally exciting over at Puppy Bowl V on Animal Planet, where Madeline the beagle whooped up on everyone with 3 touchdowns ON ONE PLAY finishing with 4 on the day. You had, what, 1 touchdown on Sunday there, Santonio?

It's clear who the real winner was on Sunday.

Better luck next time, Holmes.

P.S. - I can't believe FU, Penguin hasn't had a field day with the Puppy Bowl's yet...

Arriving a little late to this party, but...

This might be the greatest blog ever.

Enjoy.

P.S. - Seeing certain people finally reap what they've been sowing is cathartic.

An Apple A Day...

Happy Birthday, Mac.

5 Best Movies of 08

1) The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger's take on The Joker is absolutely incredible. Yes, he deserves an Oscar nod for it - I'm not saying a win, I'm just saying a nomination. It's pretty amazing that a "super-hero" movie is the strongest outing from Hollywood this year, but the script is so solid, it's set in a believable world, and the supporting cast is stellar. You can't help but get sucked in to The Joker's schemes and can't wait for him to be back on the screen. Add to that the introduction of Two-Face, and this is the most solid rogue's gallery in any Batman film. This film makes the loss of Ledger even harder to take, but stands as a lingering testiment to his talent.

2) Wall E
This is the best Pixar film ever made. Better than Toy Story. Better than Toy Story 2. Even better than Ratatouille. The titular character is one of only three characters on screen for about the first hour or so and I could've just watched them together the whole film. Granted, there was a not-to-subtle message about the Earth and the environment, but the rest of the story is great and the character animation is flawless. As a friend pointed out, it's really a shame that this film can't get a Best Picture nod (it has it's own catagory for Animated Feature) as it's much more enjoyable then The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

3) Iron Man
What a role for Robert Downey, Jr. to make a return with. Reportedly having to fight very hard to land the role, it's now hard to imagine any one else in it. With a sequel already announced, it's going to be exciting to see where director Jon Faverau decides to take the franchise as he and the leads are committed through a trilogy. (Don Cheadale is replacing Terrance Howard, but the rest of the cast remains in place) The effects were fantastic too. It's pretty amazing that two "super-hero" movies have cracked the top 5 in the same year.

4) Marley & Me
Every pet owner should see this movie - regardless if you're a dog person or not. Based off the best-selling book by John Grogan, the adaptation takes some liberties, but doesn't stray too far from the source material. The cast works as Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are a believable couple, plus the welcome addition of Alan Arkin as John's boss was a nice surprise. The multiple dogs playing Marley steal the show as the casting of them were perfectly done showing how the lab aged as the family grew and relocated. The story itself is really about a new family coming together and the dog is a nice device to accentuate it.

5) Religulous
To say Bill Maher is outspoken is like saying J-Lo has a ridiculous ego: it's an obvious fact thrown into our faces every week. (Maher via his TV show; J-Lo via US Weekly, InTouch, etc.) However, Maher tends to reel it in a bit - until the very end of the film - as he takes an honest ...and sometimes uncomfortable look at religion, but this film is also something that is well overdue. And while most people wouldn't tag Maher as the one they wanted to hear from on the issue, he's also one of the few to finally stand up and bring the issue of religion to life and does so in a comedic yet meaningful way. Everyone should see this film at least once as it's guaranteed to create a discussion.

Honorable Mention (tie): Wanted
I honestly had no clue who James McAvoy was until the credits rolled on this film. His earnest take on patsy-turned-hitman Wesley Gibson was very believable and I was pleased to hear that a sequel is reportedly in the works. (I'm also curious to see if the clever introduction of bending bullets makes it's way into every action film moving forward) Angelina Jolie is the cover girl for the film and does a good job as a femme fatale, but Morgan Freeman was the biggest casting surprise as the deceptive brains behind the whole operation. After reading the graphic novel it's based on, I was glad to see that they took the story in a more realistic way and I'm looking forward to where the franchise goes in the future.

Honorable Mention (tie): Hamlet 2
While not a box office success, I think anyone that has ever been in or appreciates theatre should see this hysterical film. It's done by the producers of South Park so expect the style of humor going in, but all the tolerant folk out there will love this absolute gem...and I defy you to get "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" out of your head after seeing it. Steve Coogan (also in Tropic Thunder) shines as a failing drama teacher who puts all his struggles into a musical that is a sequel to Hamlet - and the rest pretty much speaks for itself. Elisabeth Shue cameos as herself and I'm convinced the movie world is a better place with more Elisaberth Shue in it. I saw this in an unfortunately empty theater the night that I went, but I laughed until my sides hurt and was inspired when I walked out. You can't really ask for much more than that out of a theatrical experience.

5 Best TV Shows of 08

1) LOST

Whatever mojo the series lost with its much maligned second and third seasons, it certainly dug in and went back to what worked because this season was as compelling and intriguing as the first - when none of us knew what was going on or what a Dharma was. Perhaps it was the strike shortened season that caused the writers to hunker down and really give us meaty episodes, but whatever it was worked as a lot of the side stories were all cast away and secondary characters back stories were quickly established rather than drawn out over multiple episodes. Plus, the Oceanic 6 storyline was the best story on TV this year as everyone was guessing, theories abounded, and the element that made the show so great initially had finally returned. Anyone else already have their DVR's set for January 21st?

2) Mad Men
I finally started watching this show based on a friends' recommendation and what an amazing series to get caught up in. Reaching back to an era when smoking was the norm, women's roles were clearly defined, and decadence ruled. The world of Don Draper is a fascinating place to observe. The writing in the second season was so solid and the only frustration that crept in was having to wait another week to find out what would happen next. The acting and character development is astounding and the show is more than deserving of it's Emmy and Golden Globe nods.

3) 30 Rock
It's a little disconcerting that it took Tina Fey's dead-on portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live to draw viewers over to the funniest show on television. Once people tuned in, they were hooked into the crazy world of Liz Lemon, but those viewers should've already been there as the first two seasons of this show are hysterical - and, not surprisingly, those seasons are now the most requested/downloaded comedy series online. I'm glad that they are now getting the respect they deserve as the Emmy wins yet low viewership had an eerie echo to another incredible show that suffered a similar fate, but was canceled well ahead of its time. (*ahem* Arrested Development *ahem*) Alec Baldwin shines, Tina Fey is the "Elaine May of our time," and Tracy Morgan just makes everything funnier.

4) Extras
While it didn't technically have a full season this year, the tail end of season 2 and the Extra Special Series Finale both aired this year - the latter of which is arguably Ricky Gervais best acting performance to date. Still the master of the awkward moment, Gervais actually took the series in a much more dramatic direction as we grew frustrated with Andy's ever-increasing ego, annoyed with yet sympathetic to Stephen Merchant's Darren Lamb, and our hearts broke for Ashley Jensen's Maggie as she came to grips with her place in show business and her steadfast friendship to Andy despite his treatment of her. The last 20 minutes of the finale are just amazing to watch.

5) The Office

While the writer's strike was unfortunate yet very warranted, it sure seemed to bring out the best in some of these shows. It was like the writers said, "Oh yeah?! Well, here's some awesome scripts right before we go on strike so that everyone will miss us." Which then begs the question - why aren't the rest of the episodes during the season as strong as the ones in the strike-shortened season of The Office? That's not to say that the writing is generally poor or anything like that, but all of a sudden the relationships all started to finally pay off (Jim & Pam, Michael & Jan, etc.), great characters started to shine (Andrew Bernard), and the oddities just grew more odd (Dwight Schrute). I hope that the writers can keep that momentum going - and that the creators of the show pull whatever strings necessary to bring Amy Ryan's Holly back into Michael's love life.

Honorable Mention: Flight of the Conchords

Our favorite kiwis made their debut on HBO this year and the world was finally introduced to the musical stylings of Bret and Jemaine. I was fortunate enough to have received a copy of their album, Folk The World, as well as purchase their audiobook on iTunes (that no one seemed to know about) a year or so ago and I was ecstatic to find out they were filming their own show. Initially branded as a folk version of Tenacious D, Bret & Jemaine proved themselves to be much more as their wit, humbleness, and approachability endeared them to everyone. With a best selling album and another season premiering in February, here's hoping 2009 will be an even better year for the breakout duo.

5 Best Videogames of 08

1) Fallout 3

Running hot off of past Game of the Year honoree Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda earned the rights to bring back the long dormant Fallout franchise and did not disappoint. Using the solid gameplay elements introduced in their previous titles alongside honoring the established mythology of the world of Fallout, but feeling free to take us in a whole new direction, the game more than met expectations of loyalists and new players alike. With immersive environements, a compelling story, and a unique take on combat (including reintroducing the VATS system), Fallout 3 hit on every level and won many Game of the Year awards - making Bethesda even hotter than it ever has been.

2) Metal Gear Solid 4
One main reason that this is not in the 3rd position is that, if creator Hideo Kojima is not misleading us, this is the final chapter in the Solid Snake era of MGS - a storyline that reaches all the way back to the original 8-bit Nintendo system. Many MGS titles that followed were Gane of the Year winners and fans clamored to find out where Snake was going next. While criticized that his products had become more movies than games, Kojima Productions more than answered that charge with a lengthy game that had it's beautifully rendered cinematic moments for sure, but also solid hours of gameplay to back it up. If this is truly Snake's final bow, then he's gone out in style.

3) Grand Theft Auto 4
You could playfully call GTA IV, 'caffine free.' That's because Rockstar Games has seemed to do away with the childishness of it's previous GTA title (Google "Hot Coffee" to see what I mean) and created a very dramatic story that some have even compared to The Departed. Inside jokes and puns are to be found for sure, but they're not as blantant or comical as in the past. Saddle that gritty story with a very believable rendering of Liberty City (a blatant recreation of New York City), tighter mechanics, and the best voice acting in any game ever and it's easy to see that pulling the reigns in a bit on their flagship title has Rockstar heading in the right direction again.

4) Rock Band 2
Harmonix took the music gaming business by storm the past two years and this year especially showed perrenial rival Guitar Hero who's boss. While not all the instrument upgrades were worth it (drums = good, guitar = not so much), the fact that at launch there were already over 300 songs available for the game is a feat unmatched. Add to that the option to port 98% of your favorite songs from the original Rock Band into the sequel and you've got an incredible set list just out of the box with nothing downloaded. Giving the Wii a run for its money as the best party game available, Harmonix also recently announced that they'll be bring a long awaited Beatles title in the next year or so - which only further cements them as the best music game in town.

5) Fable II
This was the game that Peter Molyneaux wanted to make with the original Fable as that game fell WAY short of it's lofty expectations. Does Fable II fall short as well? Yes, but not to the extreme of its predecessor. Mr. Molyneaux could sell ice to an eskimo with his genuine enthusiasm for what his Lionhead Studios produces and what they try to achieve, but they're also getting the unfortunate tag of not coming through on promises. The introduction of the dog sidekick was a novel one, but not as riveting as it was billed. However, the storyline is great, the gameplay and combat are so much easier to handle now, and the . I'm not knocking the game for what's there because what is there is solid, but what was promised to be there and fails to make an appearance is annoying and a dangerous pattern for Lionhead to fall into.

Honorable Mention: Gears of War 2
In what was truly the year of the sequel, GOW2 did not disappoint as it retook the title of best first person shooter. Advancing the storyline established in the first Gears, this story saw Marcus Fenix take the fight to the Locust in a very offensive minded strategy rather than the defend your turf mentality of the original. The cover aspect of the game continues to impress as it evolves and the new weapons and continued innovation of gameplay should make Gears a front runner in the future. Plus, you get to ride a brumak - how cool is that?

5 Pleasant Surprises in Entertainment 08

1) Official Announcement of an 'Arrested Development' Film
I'm what some parents would call a 'late bloomer' to this series as all of my friends that knew of this show kept telling me that I would love it. Finally discovering it on Hulu, I actually was angry at myself for not getting in to this show earlier & have since obtained the entire series on DVD thanks to Amazon. I've also turned many a friend onto it since then. A few months back, I was so excited to hear that a film version was formally going into pre-production despite a potential actor holding out (the consistently over-estimating his sense of worth, Michael Cera) and am overjoyed at seeing what the Bluth Family has been up to since last being seen on the Queen Mary.

2) The Triumphant Return of Robert Downey, Jr.
With Iron Man receiving film of the year mentions due to his take on Tony Stark and now a potential Oscar nomination to alongside his Golden Globe nomination for his role in Tropic Thunder, you could say that Robert Downey, Jr. has had himself a pretty good year. His well documented run-ins with the law and drug addiction while coming up through the Brat Pack days often trump any accolades that came along with his great performances (see Chaplin), but it appears that he's gotten his life back together and is now reaping the benefits of his natural talent.

3) Mystery Science Theater 3000 Celebrates 20th Anniversary
The "cowtown puppet show" that went on to enjoy a 10 year run over two networks and whose cult following is still growing celebrated it's 20th anniversary in style. A featured sold out event at ComicCon 2008 featured the entire cast - past and present - on a panel answering fan questions hosted by admitted MSTie Patton Oswalt. It was also announced that Shout! Factory would now release their shows on DVD (taking over a former partnership with Rhino) and to herald the event, there was a 20th Anniversay Collector's Edition featuring a maquette of Crow and four classic movies bundled together. In an afterlife that has spawned two off-shoots of the format (RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic), the show continues to receive the love it so richly deserves.

4) "Angels & Demons" Trailer
Being one of seven people in the U.S. that actually enjoyed the film adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller The DaVinci Code, I was so excited to see an unexpected trailer for the follow up film, Angels & Demons. In my opinion, ithe story lends itself better to being a film and, in an artistic choice, Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment has made this a film sequel to DaVinci whereas in the novels, DaVinci comes second chronologically. Already causing concerns and outrage in the Catholic church over the films content and location shoots in both Rome and Vatican City, this much anticipated film should cause some waves in 2009.

5) J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" Trailer Debuts
I am not a Trekkie, by any stretch of the the imagination. I enjoyed Wrath of Kahn and even liked First Contact, but I've never invested myself in the Trek mythos nor ever really cared to. However, I must say I am very intrigued following viewing the first theatrical trailer of J.J. Abrams update of the franchise. It's looking to usher in a whole new breed of Trekkies (or "Trekkers," as some die hards refer to themselves as) while still paying an homage to the established fan base. With a very public mud slinging spectacle of William Shatner's frustration not being included in the flim where some of the original cast is (Leonard Nimoy supposedly cameos as an older Spock), the franchise definitely has the attention of the public - here's hoping J.J. delivers with a more solid effort than on Cloverfield.

Honorable Mention: EA Announces Release of The Sims 3
The greatest selling PC franchise of all time returns in 2009 with the third iteration of The Sims series. Every Sims game generates multiple spin-off titles and extra chapters, but when the series itself is overhauled and the next one is released, there's often so much more than just graphical upgrades as new gameplay elements, themes, and concepts are introduced. Here's to many upcoming hours lost in the wonderful world of The Sims.