SDCC 2013 -- Marvel Rules (Part 2): Captain America Winter Soldier; Thor Dark World; Tom Hiddleston Wins Cosplay as Loki; Avengers Age of Ultron

Earlier on Marvel took the stage at Hall H and revealed more than I am hoping for. I was secretly hoping Marvel to announce the cast of Avengers 2 (aka Avengers: Age of Ultron), but seeing they have a few things to release before they wrap phase II with Avengers, I completely understand and still in love with Marvel. Don't announce anything else until I get to SDCC next year!

I cannot think of a better way to start this. Marvel has a history of blowing Hall H's roof off the planet -- the announcement of the cast of Avengers, RDJ danced his way in to Hall H with the Iron Man hand, and now Tom Hiddleston's appearance in character. There is something different and something to talk about every year!

Tom Hiddleston has shown us THIS IS HOW YOU DO COSPLAY! I thought Andrew Garfield's in full Spidey costume yesterday was admirable, but Tom took this to the next level! Can anyone top that? No! The crowd went nuts! LOKI LOKI LOKI LOKI!!!!!! 



I didn't want to have dinner and chant all night! He's turned me! LOKI LOKI LOKI LOKI LOKI LOKI!!!!!! Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman weren't there, which to me was disappointing. But Tom Hiddleston's introduction as Loki was more than enough for me to forgive the cast for not being there! I know Thor the Dark World will be good. It can't go wrong! 

Then, it was the Captain America Winter Soldier panel. While there weren't any major spoilers that I didn't know about, I am impressed by the cast's commitment for being there. I make no apology when I say I need more Chris Evans and Scarlett Johannson now! They are so adorable and pretty. It isn't the first time they work together. Happiness!!! 

Tom is like.. what's wrong with you people? You came unprepared?

I NEED THIS!

There are a number of [SPOILER] photos from the set. I NEED TO WATCH THIS MOVIE NOW!!! More wrap up can be read at ComicBookMovie.

And of course, the next big news is the announcement of the title of the next Avengers movie! it's not Avengers 2, technically it is, but it has been named AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. IGN has this really good reaction piece with a bit of history of Ultron. The guys always talk about Cap, Thor and Guardians. 



There is no announcement of cast for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, but I think with Thor and Cap are waiting in the wing to take off, to announce the cast will be a bit premature.  

 

SDCC 2013 -- Marvel Rules (Part 1)

Fans have completely lost it! I know I would if I was in the audience. I would loose my voice, my soul, my integrity, my shit.  

Marvel knows what they are doing and how to do it. There are many things I want to cover, but let's do this chronologically and start with Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Carter and Guardians of the Galaxy. I'll have the Thor and Cap stuff in Part 2. 

The S.H.I.E.L.D panel took place on Friday. Seeing all the tweets is enough to get my to cloud eleven, I can't imagine what I'd do if I was in the audience. Joss Whedon announced to the audience during the panel that they were to see the entire pilot of the TV series. Why wouldn't anyone loose their shit?

The TV series premieres on September 24 on ABC. As expected, no one was allowed to film anything during the panel, or a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would take them out. Here are a few reactions from Twitter. 

Buzzfeed has a comprehensive analysis on the pilot. If you don't want spoilers, don't read it. My reaction from watching the TV promo alone is that the show looks expansive to produce. If Marvel does this right, this can go on for years! We will see familiar faces -- Coulson and Hill. With How I Met Your Mother coming to an end, I hope Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill) will become a regular on S.H.I.E.L.D. She is a familiar face on TV and Hill was pretty good in Avengers and convincing as an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Put Samuel L Jackson on and I will kneel before the TV every week!

It is a Marvel thing, we can expect characters and stories integration. It's only logical and it's a smart move. I think it is a big challenge to have RDJ, Chris Evens and Chris Hemsworth or Scarlett Johannson to guest star on the TV series, but they aren't the only heroes, there are so many superheros in the Marvel universe, why wouldn't you want to expand and build the future of pop culture?

Marvel isn't falling into the trap of writing only a few characters, like Superman and Batman to DC, otherwise things will eventually grow tired and will be done to death. What I am saying is, you won't see two Supermans running separately on the big screen and on TV at the same time, you won't see disintegration in the franchise. I hope they will somehow integrate Spiderman into Avengers. Everything is being as well planned as possible. Marvel has the same guy heading the whole initiative -- Joss Whedon. Enough said!

I am even more excited Channel Seven -- an Australian TV network -- is fast-tracking the TV series in September!!

When I got home last night, Batman Forever was on TV. I used to love the Batman franchise, but as I become more and more aware of characters and stories in pop culture, the more I grow tired of characters who are the cliche love interests in superheroes or James Bond movies. I hate them. Oh save me. Oh shut up! I was watching Chase Meridian in Batman Forever and I couldn't stand her! I guess it wasn't forever after all!

Female as love interests are so poorly written in pop culture sometimes and it reflects how our society operates. But if you look at strong female characters like Peggy Carter, Black Widow, Sarah Walker (Chuck), Dana Scully, Buffy and Hillary Clinton (wait.. what?)... I immediately look at the world differently. You don't have to fit in and do what everyone else does. Kick it in the ass babes!

What was I going say? Oh yes, Agent Carter is not gone, in fact she is still very much integrated into the story of Captain America. The Marvel One Shot: Agent Carter will focus on the tracking down the mysterious 'Zodiac'. You will see Dominic Cooper (aka Howard Stark) reprising his role. This can be seen in the Iron Man III DVD and Blu-ray. I think Hayley Atwell should reprise her role in a Peggy Carter spin-off. There's at least 70 years of material there! Will we finally get to see Howard and Peggy have fondue? There should totally be a spin off on THAT!

Guardians of the Galaxy is not something I think about all the time. In fact, this is the first time I talk about it. I know zero about this team of interstellar heroes that protect the galaxy. That's pretty big, right? I think the idea sounds so big, I need to make this as a side project. Cast include Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly and Glenn Close. You can read more about the panel at IGN. The cast flew in from London just for this panel. 

With Thor The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron coming up, my blogging schedule is pretty full on, but I am still very interested in seeing Guardians and where the story goes. It looks like pretty bad ass!

Star Wars Into Filming As Early As 2014 -- The Pop Culture Explodes With Excitement

If the wait for the Avengers was a torture, Star Wars VII is worst. It's like Game-of-Thrones worst -- you get a ten episode season, and you spent the next ten months waiting for the next season. In another word, it's enough time to have a baby, if you are into this kind of stuff. The media doesn't waste a second to ask him about the project, and there are already fan wishlists and rumors everywhere. You bet your ass there is hype! But this is not Transformer or Fast and Furious 12. This is not a movie with Oscar buzz. This is not about superheroes. This is Star Wars -- a culture that is as powerful and influential as Star Trek. This is sacred and intergalactically epic. If you put JEDI as a religion on the censor form, you are not alone. And we all have a lightsaber...in our iPhone. 

Rick Bentley of The Fresco Bee couldn't have put this better when he wrote about J.J Abrams and Joss Whedon, "The last time two filmmakers had such an influence on pop culture was when directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas rolled out blockbusters like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. They not only dominated the box office, but they branched out to find success in TV, merchandising and theme parks." The next few decades definitely belong to Abrams and Whedon. 

There are countless fans and aliens across multiple generations waiting to see what J.J Abrams will do to continue the Star Wars saga. J.J Abrams is the magician, the idea dude, the face of the up-coming Star Wars. I swear watching his stuff is like being hypnotized by his Jedi mind-trick. There is a lot of pressure to do justice -- which is my favorite word right now. If the new Star Trek was big, I think Star Wars is equally big if not bigger. He has talked about Star Wars as a fan and there was a few interviews during the Star Trek press junket referenced Star Wars too. The creative process of the new franchise of Star Trek has considerable trepidation, What can we learn from Star Wars? How can we make this cool?

How will J.J Abrams handle Star Wars? “It is so massive and so important to people...I think the key to moving forward on something like this is honoring but not revering what came before.” said J.J Abrams during the Produced by Conference on the weekend. I know Star Wars so much more than Star Trek. I will finally get to feel what Trekkers felt when they saw what J.J Abrams did to their franchise.

In order to do this probably, and to do BETTER than the previous Star Wars movies, I think J.J Abrams aside, it's all on the story and dialogues. Everyone is focusing on J.J Abrams and the casting. Hey, me too! But I am also looking forward to the story. If I am taking my friends who are not Star Wars fans to watch this movie, I need to convince them it's great fun with a great story, a great script and great performance that modern fans are accustomed to. I'll watch it even if Nicholas Cage is cast. But I hate to see it fails. And to be honest, Star Wars has never failed me, even Clones has its moment. 

George Lucas is the Master Jedi himself. He revolutionised movie magic and genre movies. He has referenced Joseph Campbell's work in ways no Hollywood filmmakers had done before. After all these years, fans, writers and filmmakers are still referencing Star Wars. But let's face it, modern audience and long time fans would welcome a bit of upgrade in the dialogue department. I think it's a bold move to hire Michael Arndt to write the script. The studio knows this has to be Nolan-good! Arndt has written Little Miss Sunshine, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Oblivion. After what Chris Nolan did to reboot Batman, people are increasing referencing this approach -- how genre movies can be more 'Nolan', rather than 'Bay'. Michael Bay's movies are fun, but Nolan's movies are deeper but at the same time it doesn't take the fun away. And on the other side of the universe, you have Joss Whedon, who writes for the fanboy moments, he writes to explore all the things he is afraid of and characters that he is not. If J.J Abrams is the Spielberg of our generation, Joss Whedon is our Shakespeare.

I think Abrams and Whedon are creating a bigger impact to the pop culture than what Lucas and Spielberg have done. Abrams is more old school but he is very good at selling his visions and ideas, and Joss writes from a very dark place and put strong female characters on the pop culture landscape.

Genre shows are slowly taking over our TV (if networks don't kill them off like they did to Dollhouse and Firefly), we have Almost Human, Tomorrow's People, The 100, Falling Sky, OUAT, Revolution, Supernatural, Arrow and all those vampire stuff. The genre may or may not becomes mainstream the way procedural sitcoms, cop shows, medical and legal dramas did, but I am cool with it. Genre shows rarely get an Oscar or Emmys or Golden Globe nod, but I am cool with that too. Joss Whedon uses dialogues and J.J Abrams uses visuals and movie tricks to grab our attentions.

When people say to me, "I thought you like sci-fi and fantasy stuff". I will say no. It is not 'sci-fi' that I like. It is drama consists of the darkness, mysteries, character development and twists. I just hate categorisation, I hate labels. Like Supernatural is not sci-fi and fantasy! To me, yes you can call classify something as sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal, because they are. But the moment we put a label over it, you immediately identify it as spaceship, wormholes, ghosts, vampires, weird head pieces and make up. To me, it is so much more than that.

So... the wait is killing me! Are you nervous? I am nervous too! But super excited!! I am dying for information about the story and casting, but I don't want fans' wishlists and rumors to ruin the experience for me. I know speculation is part of the business. You need to create publicity and see fans' reaction, but part of me want them to just do it and announce it! Do you have any idea how painful the casting process and rumors were for Captain America? It killed me! And when it comes to spoilers, we can be best of friends and enemies. I don't know what I will do when I get an email from Hoyts about pre-purchasing tickets for Star Wars VIII.

How do you enjoy this experience as a Star Wars fan now? We live in a very different age now than when Star Wars first came out in 1977. I've heard how people used to go to the cinema to watch this movie and how they became fans. Back in the days, there was no highspeed internet, fansites, blogs, podcasts, social media, YouTube and conventions -- I don't know how people survived, I could barely remember what life was like before iTune and iPhone! Technology has changed the way information is travelled, shared and used. When we can't get what we want, we create our own version of things. Google search 'Star Wars mashup' and stuff you find will entertain you for hours, and may even inspire you to create a few things yourself. Fans don't ever get bored and ran out of things to do or buy. I played Revenge of the Sith LEGO game before I watched the movie. I want a Stormtrooper bobble head on my desk instead of something from Tiffany and co (ok, that's a lie). If someone has a Kickstarter project to replace J.A.R.V.I.S with Siri, I will so donate the very little left in my pocket.

How do I as a fan and as a blogger enjoy this moment with all the fun stuff that weren't even invented or popularised back in the 70s and 80s? I wasn't there as a fan, but I am here now. What do I do to have a complete fan experience? The geek calender is packed with excitement, I won't run out of materials to blog about. The next few decades belong to the geeks.  

Source: Geektyrant

If everything goes well according to plan, J.J Abrams will move his family to London, Star Wars VII will begin filming as early as 2014 and I shall start planning on meeting J.J. Abrams on a red carpet. Please Sir, can I have a picture? I must remind myself not to use the Vulcan salute.

May the force be with you.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D - First Trailer

I think we are all pretty excited about Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The first promo trailer was aired during Once Upon A Time. Like..you've never been so excited for TV ads.

Coulson indeed lives! 

My first impression is that, from what I can see on the promo, it looks completely like a movie! I am really impressed with the quality and also there were enough Coulson stuff in it. And he is totally adorable! 

The highly anticipated series by Joss Whedon, is coming to fans on ABC Tuesdays at 8pm this fall! There were speculations on whether ABC will put this show on Wednesday night. But seeing a DC based TV show, Arrow, is on Wednesday on the CW at 8pm, guess we won't be seeing a DC/Marvel showdown. Though, that'll be pretty funny and impressive!


 
I really hope Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will be really impressive, it knocks our socks off the planet!

Review: Iron Man 3

[This review contains spoilers.]

Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark, and Tony Stark is…well, you know who he is.

And that's pretty much the story. I cannot think of a better actor to play Tony Stark/ Iron Man. He brought awesomeness to the role, he was born to play Tony Stark! Iron Man is a superhero movie, but unlike some, the humanity and emotions are very well written. I think that's why I like it so much. It isn't just another action blockbuster. It's about people, why they do what they do, and what makes a hero. I think Marvel is doing a great job in giving its superheroes an opportunity to rise to the challenge. Captain America, Thor and Iron Man all share the common theme -- things are personal, it's heroic, it's about their humanity and rising to the challenge.

So, phase II has commenced with Iron Man 3. I don't even know where to begin, but I'll start by saying this, his armours are awesome! The multiple suits of remote-controlled armours, I think that's what it's called, was mind-blowing. The special effect and the idea behind were very cool! Tony Stark didn't just make them for fun, he made them because he has become so paranoid. He was scared to loose the one person he loved the most, Pepper Potts. He has anxiety problems and he hasn't been sleeping since his encounter with the aliens and wormhole in New York. I think this was a great angle, it gave the story a focus. Because he was paranoid, he build and hid his back-up suits. Because he was paranoid, he upgraded the technology including the way the suits were coded to him (and I think Pepper).

What I love about this movie is that we saw Tony Stark going to the field without the armour. We saw him making things, investigating a case, doing recon and interrogating the bad guys. In the 'party protocol' battle scene at the end (which was my favourite scene of the movie), we saw Tony Stark in multiple armours and we also saw Tony Stark fighting without the armours. This concept itself was awesome and I love it! It showed us he was capable in fighting with or without his armours. He used his armours whenever he saw fit. His house was destroyed and his army of Iron Man was blown up, but he could always rebuild them whenever he wanted to. You can take away his mask, his armours and his gadgets, but he is still the Iron Man! To me, this part of the story is extreme well written. Tony Stark wasn't the only on wearing a Iron Man armour in this movie, the story went a bit further into showing why Tony Stark is Iron Man.

I think it's good that people know Tony Stark is Iron Man. Like that guy in the media van, he was obviously the biggest fanboy of Iron Man -- Tony needed Gary, and Gary needed Tony! (Nice shot of the Oracle logo in that scene! Oracle people will be very happy! I mean, did you see their corporate website?) Anyway... What about the kid Harley? If anyone wants to make Teen version of Avengers or Iron Man, this kid has to be in it! Harley was awesome! I love about the chemistry between Harley and Tony. The dialogues and the interactions were pretty amazing. What I love about them is that Tony speaks to Harley as an equal. I think kids like respect from adult more than adult can realise. Potato Gun Mark II FTW!

I haven't given Pepper Potts enough credit. I didn't think her character had much impact on the movie in the first Iron Man movie. The second one was a bit better. Iron Man 3 upgraded a lot of things such as the technology and the armours, but the movie also upgraded emotions, people relationships and Pepper Potts! I am really happy to see Pepper played an integral role this time. I love the fact that she got a giant bunny (ha!), she got the Extremis upgrade, she got to wear Mark 42, and she kicked some serious butt! Sometimes it annoys me to see different 'girls' in different movies of the same series such in 007 -- they have different 'Bond girls'. I personally like to see drama and character growth, even in superhero movies. I would hate to see someone like Pepper absent from the movie because she was so important in Tony Stark's life. It was totally obvious in Iron Man 3 that she was the reasons for all the back-ups and upgrades in Iron Man 3. He didn't do it to protect himself.

Let's talk about the villains. I gotta say, I was a little uncomfortable to see the terrorist stuff, because they were so real to me. The whole Mandarin on the TV was a bit creepy than it should. Once it was revealed that Ben Kingsley's character was nothing but a stoned British actor call Trevor, I was having a laugh! Ben Kingsley's performance definitely one of the highlights of the movie. Guy Pearce's Killian was a bad ass. I wouldn't say he was a highlight, but his character brought enough to the table to make that part of the story worked. Extremis was a great but creepy idea, very Terminator like. I am quite intrigued by the science behind it. Is Killian or Mandarin my favourite villain in Iron Man? No, and I don't have one. Loki all the way! One thing though, Rebecca Hall's character just didn't work for me at all. None of her previous roles worked for me -- Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Prestige. Sorry, love!

I haven't said this enough in the past, but you know who else is a hero of the story? JARVIS! I am in love with JARVIS! I want one! I think JARVIS is definitely the invisible sidekick that kicks ass! I love the underwater scene where JARVIS saved Iron Man. I love that JARVIS was like running field ops. JARVIS is always reliable, he is so funny he doesn't know it! I believer the original JARVIS is an old butler like Alfred in Batman. But I am glad in the movies, JARVIS is more and he is totally awesome!

And then there were Happy and Rhodey. I love Happy. I love that Happy went off working on a case. I have always loved Happy as the bodyguard in Iron Man! I love that he was worried about Tony, especially after all the superhero stuff happened in New York. Rhodey was great and the idea of Iron Patriot was pretty good. I like the inside jokes about Iron Patriot and War Machine between Tony and Rhodey. There were a few brilliant bromance moments!

There wasn't a single dull moment in Iron Man 3. The dialogues, the pace, the action, the music and the jokes were amazingly integrated. There were so very good stunts such as the Airforce One rescue scene. I can't say I know Shane Black well as a writer and director, but I thought he did a fantastic job! I was worried when Jon Favreau wasn't going to direct Iron Man 3, but I am extremely happy to see the result! I can't get the music out of my head! I downloaded the soundtrack the moment it was released. The bonus scene of Tony Stark talking to Bruce Banner was brilliant! I laughed so hard! I really think Tony and Bruce had a bromance thing going on there. The end credit didn't say Iron Man will return, but instead it said Tony Stark will return. So I guess Marvel is leaving it as flexible as possible. Joss Whedon did say he didn't quite know what to do after he saw the ending of Iron Man 3. But I am hopeful, I will see Tony Stark again.

Sequels can be tricky, look at Spiderman or Fantastic Four. Iron Man still manages to surprise me. I am impressed with story and character growth, especially with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, and I just love the tech upgrades across the board! I've seen Iron Man 3 twice now, and probably will watch it again on a cheap-ass Tuesday. Iron Man 3 is simply 'spectacular' (I did change it to 'Starktacular' later).

So, what do you think of Iron Man 3? 

PS: If you can skip the 3D version, skip it. I watched both versions, they were the same to me. Except I have two pairs of glasses to wear during the 3D session, which was always annoying.

My other reviews:
The Avengers
Captain America: The First Avenger 
Thor

Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D - The Pilot, Setting & Cast

"I live, bitches"

Joss Whedon is one of the busiest and in-demand geniuses in showbiz, not only now, but for the next few years. Not many writers/ directors/ producers are in demand in both movie and TV land, J.J Abram is one, and Joss is the other. One thing that separates them? Joss has directed musical projects before.

Anyway, I am a busy TV fan and blogger. I know I have heaps to watch and blog. But I do not forget what I need to watch. S.H.I.E.L.D is happening and it's gonna happen real fast! according to The Hollywood Reporter, The Pilot is likely to begin filming in March and ABC Boss, Paul Lee, is optimistic that the Pilot will land a series order. If The Pilot is picked up, we could see S.H.I.E.L.D this fall. AH!!!! If, and I stress IF, the TV series is a huge success, there is no reason why Iron Man and friends won't make a guest appearance. Just saying!

It's been reported that the story of S.H.I.E.L.D will take place after The Avengers. No major characters from The Avengers will be in the TV series except Agent Coulson. Coulson lives! How? Who cares! As long as he is back! He is awesome! 

Joss has cast his team for the ABC series -- Clark Gregg (as Coulson); Brett Dalton (as Agent Grant Ward); Iain De Caestecker (as Agent Leo Fitz); Elizabeth Henstridge (as Agent Gemma Simmons); Ming-Na Wen (as Agent Melinda May); and Chloe Bennet (Skye). 

This is the one show I will definitely be blogging about! 

Thank You 2012, I Was Entertained This Year

If you are reading this feature, it means the world didn't end on the 21st December and I have recovered from the family Christmas madness. I know some of you are disappointed about the end of the world -- especially one super X-Files fan who believes in Chris Carter for the past 20 years. The truth is most of us are happier to see other people saving the world from the apocalypse or living in one or killing zombies on TV shows and movies. I don't know about you, but my entertainment is set for the next few years! The world is not perfect, but at least we are giving the opportunity to escape into another dimension the moment we turn on our entertainment devices.

An affogato isn't the same without ice cream. When it's Supernatural, if there is no angst no drama, it isn't fun. 

One of the biggest changes that we saw this year was the changing of the guard from previous showrunner Sera Gamble to Jeremy Carver. I was very sad and worried to see Sera go but the announcement of the return of Jeremy Carver at the same time was comforting. Apart from Ben Edlund, I cannot think of anyone else but Jeremy Carver to helm the show I love so much.

I am very happy with the direction of season eight. The core of the show still remains the same -- it is about the brothers saving people hunting things, the family business! But Jeremy and the writing team are putting details under the microscope. We are digging deeper into details within details, just like when we write academic papers -- we dig, we research, we focus on different aspects, but the paper is still the same subject matter. On Supernatural, we are seeing our heroes -- Dean, Sam and Castiel -- gaining different perspectives about each other, family, life, friendship, hunting and monsters. These new perspectives are hovering over the core theme of the show -- the brother relationship. 

Off the set, the cast has a very busy and fun year too -- Jensen's Angeles is like one of the best songs I've heard all year; Jared and Gen became first time parents; Misha, Vicky and West welcomed a new family to the family; Supernatural was in Hall H once again at Comic Con; and I am proud to be an attendee at one of the conventions this year in Chicago. The magnitude and charisma of Supernatural is unbelievable. As Eric Kripke said, Supernatural is like seeing his kids growing up and going to colleague. We are proud to be fans of Supernatural. 

In terms of other shows, I was really sad to see the end of Lost, 24 and Smallville. I asked myself: what am I going to watch and blog about now? I was desperately looking for good new shows to watch and I was concerned that I won't find any. But time has changed! We live in the beginning of the golden era of the genre shows!

We are seeing a wave of awesome genre shows in recent years and most of them are worthy to stick around -- Arrow, A Game of Thrones, Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diary, Grimm, True Blood, Revolution, Dr Who, Falling Skies, Being Human and Warehouse 13. With S.H.I.E.L.D is in development, television is going to be better! And I hope we will see medical dramas and procedural cop shows to die down a little, because I think TV viewers have enough of them! They are all the friggin same! And if anyone is looking for a new reality show idea, STOP! JUST STOP! Unless it involves the Ghost Facers or Derren Brown, I don't want to know! 

Eric Kripke's new show, Revolution, is kicking ass! Comparing the show with Lost and Supernatural is not unheard of, but Revolution is the new Lost in terms of the scale and epicness. I told myself, this show cannot fail! Kripke's work deserves to be seen by more people and people need to know he is very good at what he does! Now we have to wait until March to see the second half of season one of Revolution.

Apart from Revolution, I most look forward to the return of A Game of Thrones. I love a HBO show and I hate a HBO show. The hiatus of A Game of Thrones is as long as a season of Supernatural being on air. How is that NOT insanity? I am currently reading A Dance With Dragons, I probably will revisit A Storm of Swords soon to get ready for season three of A Game of Thrones. The TV series is known that the TV series will not follow the book chapter by chapter, in fact I am a little disappointed how little Dany's prophecies were covered in season two, but it is still more than acceptable for television. A Game of Thrones is a great show! The book series is much bigger than Lord of the Rings. It is the most epic thing I've read. I hope season three will be really epic. Mr GRRM, please hurry up and finish writing The Wind of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

Once Upon A Time is becoming a favorite show of mine. I really look forward to the arrival of Hook and Cora, and how things will develop with Emma. I hope we get to see Baelfire. Please! Please let Nail be Baelfire! I am rewatching season one now, and I want to get up to speed so that I can blog about theories and my wishlist.

2012 has been a game-changing year for Joss Whedon and Marvel going forward. The battle between DC and Marvel intensifies in 2013 as Superman, Iron Man III and Thor 2, and more to follow in 2014 and 2015 with Captain America II, The Avengers II and (hopefully) Justice League. Marvel's phase II is in place, and DC is playing catch up. But this battle will set the trend and define the entertainment business for the next decade. It will also be the decade that belongs to the geeks!

But who will come out as the winner? Let's not kid ourselves, it is war! Fans love Whedon, it was the best decision from Marvel to involve him for The Avengers and other projects such as S.H.I.E.L.D. What would the complacent DC do to compete? We will compare them, we will criticize them, we will see Comic Con as the main PR battle ground for the studios. This is exciting for fans! I cannot wait to see Twilight to get out of the way (and I wish the 50 Shades movie will never see the living daylight). I want more superheroes movies.

What do you most look forward to in 2013 and beyond? 

As this is the last post of the year, I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for sharing and caring this year. I wish you all a wondering New Year and a very awesome 2013.

My Favorite Things of 2012

I blog about Supernatural and everything else relating to the show a lot! However, there are many other things that make me happy and appreciate life more. I wanted to dedicate this feature to other things I love that are not Supernatural related. I have named the year's best dress, photo, actors, person of the year etc. So, here they are, my version of something like a 'best of...' according to yours truly.

Photo of the year is...

Can you guess where this photo was taken? Don't peak!

This was taken in October this year when I was at the bottom of the staircase of Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York. I love this shot so much because it fits the definition of a great 'Kodak moment.' This is the background of my other travel and food blog -- Sunny Tiny.

Apart from Supernatural, my second favorite TV series of the year is...

Between Arrow, A Game of Thrones, Revolution, Homeland, Once Upon A Time, New Girl, The Walking Dead.. it is a very hard decision to make, but I have decided. 

The winner is Once Upon A Time. It's just growing on me and I am really into the show and the mythology now! Arrow or Revolution could have been the winner, but I found the last few episodes of Arrow a bit repetitive, but they always reveal something in each episode and I do like what I saw in the mid-season finale. Revolution lost to OUAT by a hair. I just know OUAT a bit more than Revolution. Bottomline is, I can explain OUAT better and in great details to my brother than other shows. And that's the sign right there.

Apart from Jensen Ackles, the second best performance from an actor is...

Robert Carlyle! Surprise? Yes dearie, even I find my decision a little surprising! Carlyle's performance as Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold really make the show for me. His performance is.. well.. gold! Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold holds the key to everything that happens on the show. Mysterious Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold is mysterious!

I want to grow up just like her -- most inspiring female actress of the year is...

Hands down Zooey Deschanel! She is awesome as Jess in New Girl. She is a super cool chic. She is not your Miss Universe beauty, she is not the cliche Hollywood drop dead gorgeous hot chic with a hot body. This is a compliment, Zooey! Hehe. 

Zooey is quirky, funny and nerdy. She is not the sexy lady type. She is one of a kind and she makes wearing glasses hot! Zooey is inspirational! I want to grow up just like her! I love WWZDW! Check this out my fellow quirky ladies.. This is a website called What Would Zooey Deschanel Wear. This is OMG awesome! 

And I want a pair Oliver Peoples glasses! The closest I can find is one from Agnes B, which is what I am wearing now. 

Biggest disappointment of the year is...

Apart from Instagram? It's Smash.. it could've been a great show, but it just lacks a lot of things. But still, I'll tune in for season two and see how it plays out. 

The best burger of the year is...


Shake Stack from Shake Shack!! This, THIS, IS happiness! As I my teeth sank into the burger, a smile appeared from my face. OMFG... This burger is amazing!! Just amazing!! I went to New York for this!

Best dress of the year is...

Tangerine Tango is the color of the year in 2012. Emerald Green is the color of 2013, in case you ask. Anyway. This year at the Emmy Awards, Ginnifer Goodwin wore this STUNNING dress. I cannot get over how beautiful this is! OMG! Move over Miss Universe! 

Apart from Dean Winchester, my second favorite hero of the year is...

Apart from Dean Winchester, the green guy makes the list this year.

I've been Ruffalised. Hulk is misunderstood by me. I never get it. And what's with the pants? Joss Whedon's take on the Hulk in The Avengers changed the way I look at the character. And I think Mark Ruffalo is awesome. Although I still don't get the pants thing. 

  
Favorite villain of the year is...

I could make another Facebook or Instagram joke, but even I won't find it funny.

My favorite villain of the year is Loki!! Thank you Tom Hiddleston for making Loki so enjoyable to watch. I can listen to his voice all day!!

 
Movie of the year is...

Two words: The Avengers! 

Person of the year is...

Apart from Jensen Ackles, it comes down to this: between Joss Whedon and Barack Obama. 

Really? OK. It's Joss! 2012 is a payoff year for Joss. After Firefly, I don't think Joss has recovered from such stupid brutality from the MAN. Joss totally deserves the success and his works deserve to be seen as a driving force behind the cultural movement of this generation. The Avengers may not be the best thing ever for many, but it is one of the best things ever. The Avengers is the shape of things to come. Look out! Joss will be Person of the Decade!

This year's most played song according to my iTune playlist is...

No! It's not Gangnam Style!

According to my playlist, it's a race between Zooey Deschanel's Hey Girl and Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass's Spanish Flea. I don't know how it happened, but Hey Girl was played 1544 times, and Spanish Flea was played 396 times.
 
The best goodbye from a TV series is...

CHUCK! I cried from the moment Casey gave Chuck a hug! Don't judge me but I think 007 is lame. I dislike the whole "I am Bond, James Bond. I am so hot, it's your lost if you don't fall into my arms and let me kiss you right now" thing. What is he? Fabio?

Chuck changed my perception towards spy things. It rocks! And I even like Tim Dalton and the twist about his character!

Convention of the year is...

I've only been to one convention this year but the winner is Salute to Supernatural, Chicago
How bias is that? I've had a stressful year, this is hands down the best weekend of the year. I wish I could stop time and never leave Chicago.

Project of the year

You have your mining booms and dooms, and I got my LEGO project!

Best people I met this year is...

Taxi drivers. I know! I know cabbies are not loved by many, especially my mother. But when you are engaged in a conversation with them, you will discover stories of the city. Only by engaging in a conversation with people, you will find out more about a culture. It's an enriching experience.

 Best city of the year is...

New York! This city really inspires me and I would do anything to go there again! New Yorkers want you to love their city. It has a rich culture, it inspires you to do better things. It's great for walking, eating, shopping, reading, writing and taking photos. I return home with new attitude and new ideas. LOVE!

 Jensen's best look of the year is...

You know I can't help it! Jensen's appearance at the CW Up-Front in NYC this year is epic! He looks like the man in charge! Give him the Godfather role and he can nail it! HOT HOT HOT HOT! 

This is hands down the hottest look of Jensen in a public appearance.

Don Jensen.

So, there you do. What are your favorite things in 2012? What makes you happy?