Episode 199.75 - The 2024 Tobie Awards (8th Annual)

Julian Meush January 27, 2025

It is once again that special time, where we come together to celebrate our favourite films and shows from the last year. As part of the ceremony, your hosts look back at some of the concerns worrying Hollywood about 2024 to see if any progress had been made (the answer is mostly no). When it comes to the awards themselves, as is tradition, Jeremy refused to do a list. Which really means he has the privilege of a front row seat as Julian delivers his selections. Plus enjoy an unexpected side tangent celebrating the 20th anniversary of 'Resident Evil 4' (do you feel old yet?).

ToB Interlude - Best of 2016

Julian Meush December 29, 2016

Just like that another year has come and gone and with it came some amazing entertainment. So with the New Year only a few days away the ToB Crew sit down to discuss the best and worst of the years offerings. Julian, Daniel and Jeremy each pick their top three favourite television shows, video games and movies from 2016 and reflect on the year that was.

Episode 71 - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Julian Meush May 28, 2016

This week the ToB Crew reviews Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. The latest title from arguably the most talented game studio in the business, Naughty Dog. The development was wrought with drama, including the exit of Amy Hennig from the studio and The Last of Us directors Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann taking over at the helm. That's without even mentioning several delays, including one only weeks before launch. But after playing it, I'm hard pressed to even remember that turmoil. It's no spoiler to say we all absolutely adored this game and the three of us discuss every amazing detail.

Before any of that however, we of course start by discussing the latest in geek news. We kicked it off with Nintendo, who decided to jump into the movie business and we speculate on which of their properties would make for great cinema. We then touch on a few Marvel stories before moving onto a whole slew of DC news, not the least of which of being Supergirl's move to the CW and the planned four-way crossover planned for next season. All of this and much more in this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 70 - Captain America: Civil War

Julian Meush May 12, 2016

We took some time off but we're back with a big show this week. Captain America: Civil War has been blowing up the box office and the ToB crew is here to throw in their opinion on the latest Marvel blockbuster. But since it's been so long, we also needed to check in with some of the biggest geek news stories we had missed. We give our take on some of the movie trailers that dropped over the last few weeks. Including; Dr. Strange, Jason Bourne, The Killing Joke and of course Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We also touch on the latest at DC/Warner Brothers after BvS and look forward to whats coming from Marvel. We finish of the news with a chat about the two biggest shooter franchises in gaming, Battlefield and Call of Duty, who both announced their fall games for this year; Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite War. Finally, stick around after the show for a new/trial segment thats a bit less structured and allows us to cover some of the smaller stories that didn't quite make the cut for the news feed.

Episode 68 - Berlanti's TV Conquest

Julian Meush March 26, 2016

This week in the Tower we cover all the big comic book show renewals. Specifically what we've been loving about the CW's DC slate. Greg Berlanti, the mastermind behind Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and even Supergirl on CBS had ALL of his shows renewed for new seasons. Something I dont think anyone really thought could happen. We also discuss the future of Star Trek on TV and look forward to Daredevil (which hadn't yet premiered at the time of the recording). On the film front we discuss the announcement of Indiana Jones 5 for 2019, with both Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg returning. We then move onto breaking down the latest Captain America: Civil War trailer that featured our first look at the MCU Spider-Man. Of course there's always a little Star Wars news and this week we take a look at the "short list" of actors up for the role of a young Han Solo. DC had a few topics for us as well, with the big news being the casting of J.K. Simmons as the new Commissioner Gordon. We wrap up by discussing Sony's big VR announcement for the PS4 and what it might mean for the future of gaming. It's all that and so much more in this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 64 - Civil War Trailer and NX Rumours

Julian Meush December 11, 2015

Once again the ToB Crew sit down to discuss the biggest news in geek culture. Not the least of which including Marvel's Captain America: Civil War trailer, featuring our first look at Black Panther. We also take a minute to look back on the Hunger Games series now that the m final film has been released. We ask why it was so successful and more importantly why we mostly hated it. And of course it wouldn't be a ToB Podcast if we didn't have some Star Wars news to discuss. Tis' the season for all things Star Wars after all. We also look forward to SyFy channels attempt at "Game of Thrones in space": The Expanse, new rumours about the Nintendo NX, and what we've been watching, including Creed. All this and much more in this weeks Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 61 - You Don't Love The Mist

Julian Meush October 6, 2015

With Julian returning to the island the guys get together one last time before he leaves. We recap all the superhero TV news including Gotham, Arrow and The Flash while we theorize over how the CW Universe and Supergirl might crossover. We touch on what's going on with Nintendo and discuss the success of Amiibo, Mario Maker, Pokemon and their console future. Of course we cover the latest film news and rumours, including Wonder Woman, Dr Strange, BvS, Civil War and we add more evidence to support Julian's "Cap is going to Die" theory. It wouldn't be a ToB without a couple Star Wars discussion and we don't disappoint as we talk rumours, the best sequence to watch the films and more. We have really great discussions about the future of VR (again), whats next for Naughty Dog and Uncharted as well as why Dan and Jeremy love The Wire so much. Finally, The Emmys also happened while we were away and we debate the merits of the winners, particularly Mad Men vs Game of Thrones. Of course none of this is in any particular order but we hope you enjoy it all the same.

Episode 60 - Sweet Star Wars Lego

Julian Meush September 10, 2015

The gangs back together! Julian hopped on a plane and is back in Winnipeg with the rest of the ToB Crew for the next few weeks. With everyone together again in the same room the guys have a blast discussing the latest geek news. Starting with an in depth conversation about the latest on Batman v. Superman and Cap 3: Civil War. They move on to some TV news and examin (make fun of) Diggle’s new costume and the trailer for Arrow season 4 and Flash season 2. The guys also talk about how their taste in games and movies have tended to change over time and what the future holds for Patrick Stewart and Star Trek. They ask what they think is the attraction of licensed Lego sets and why network TV is the same as the baseball season. Finally, the guys discuss what they’ve been watching/playing/reading and Julian makes a plea to get people watching Mr Robot as well as bids farewell to Falling Skies. All this and so much more on this reunited episode of the Tower of Babble Podcast!

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May 22, 2025

SSSW/ToB Film Club - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

May 22, 2025

It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.

May 22, 2025

May 15, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

May 15, 2025

After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.

May 15, 2025

May 9, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

May 9, 2025

When dealing in the world of prequels, it’s impossible to escape the inevitable - Anakin will fall, Han will win the Falcon, Cassian will die on Scarif. Somehow, in the midst of some of the most thrilling episodes of television ever put to screen, Tony Gilroy and his team found a way to address that impending doom and weaponize it against the audience to induce some of the most gut wrenching and heart breaking moments we’ve yet to see on ‘Andor’ - “There’s some place he needs to be”. At a larger scale, the show continues to outdo itself on a weekly basis, proving that the Star Wars galaxy provides a colour pallet of some of the richest hues from which to paint bold and personal stories. Proving you can go beyond the larger than life stories of heroics and grandeur to human stories of loss and pain and everything in between. That’s without mentioning the deft touch in pulling in themes that resonates with the contemporary while remaining timeless - a feeling that is a staple of Star Wars. Every detail is considered, every character is deep and interesting. There isn’t much more that can be said about such a powerful piece of art, except that not even the audience can escape the inevitable - only one week remains of this masterpiece.

May 9, 2025

May 2, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E4 - 6

May 2, 2025

I'm sorry to tell you all, but we're already halfway through this final season of 'Andor'. Fortunately, the quality hasn't dipped one bit as we accelerate into the finish. Join Julian and Rachel as they savour every minute of this 3-episode arch that takes us to Ghorman for the first time on screen. Tony Gilroy and the team at Lucasfilm outdid themselves yet again in crafting every detail. The size of the set alone is impressive, but they take it a step further by developing a unique culture and even language different from anything we've seen in Star Wars before. It all fits seamlessly into this next chapter of the story that has a heavy emphasis on spycraft as the pressure ramps up for both the Rebellion and the Empire.

May 2, 2025