ToB Interlude - Alan Moore and Watchmen

Julian Meush September 23, 2016

He is the visionary mind behind critically acclaimed books such as "The Killing Joke" and "Watchmen" and has helped shape the comic book medium into what it is today. But over the last few years he has spoken out against the seemingly never ending retelling, rehashing and recycling of the same stories that have become the staple of modern comics. Alan Moore, the enigmatic genius writer, recently announced his official retirement from comic book writing and in this very special ToB Interlude we take a look back at his long career. We reexamine "Watchmen", which may be his most enduring creation, as well as address his stance on today's comic book industry.

Episode 80 - Emmy Awards 2016

Julian Meush September 20, 2016

On this episode of The ToB Podcast the guys recap the last two weeks of geek news. Including: all the new images from the set of Justice League, the possibility of Mr. Sinister being the big bad of Wolverine 3, the change of composers for Star Wars: Rogue One and what we would like to see from a Star Wars live action TV series. In addition to that, the 2016 Emmy Awards were this past weekend so the ToB Crew recaps the winners and losers of the big TV event. All this, and so much more on this weeks Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 79 - Campfire Union

Julian Meush September 14, 2016

This week on the show Julian sits down with Lesley Klassen and Rachael Hosein of The Campfire Union, a local VR development studio here in Winnipeg. The discussion moves from the founding of the studio and what they've been working on to a conversation about the challenges of VR development and what it means for the technology when massive companies like Facebook, Google and HTC get involved. They also shine some light on the local game dev scene and give their take on why they believe Canada has become such a hotbed for amazing game development. All this and so much more on this weeks episode of the Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 78 - Stranger Things and PS4 Pro

Julian Meush September 8, 2016

After spending the last month with a rotating cast of co-hosts the whole gang is back together and ready to talk geek news. Julian, Dan and Jeremy sit down to discuss the latest in genre movie and television as well as the biggest stories in gaming and comics. This week the guys cover Ben Affleck's Deathstroke tease, the dump-truck of money Sony is backing up to Daniel Craig's house, the whereabouts of some Community alum and the the Battlefield 1 open BETA. Of course it doesn't end there as the conversation then leads a discussion on Netflix's Stranger Things and the big Sony announcement of the new PS4 "Slim" and PS4 Pro. All this and so much more in this weeks Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 77 - Caffeine and Comics

Julian Meush August 28, 2016

With Jeremy and Dan nowhere to be seen, Julian had to enlist the help of fellow nerd and owner of CaffeineandComics.com, Jordan Adam, to record this weeks episode. The two discuss Justice League Dark's new director, Doug Liman, and what that means for the future of the Gambit film, the real reason Rogue One got its name, look forward to Arrow season five and examine the leaked PS4 Slim info. Of course Julian also takes some time to ask Jordan about his business and talk about the current state of comic book retailers. All that and so much more in this weeks ToB Podcast!

Episode 76 - Playstation VR Impressions

Julian Meush August 18, 2016

Its another two man show this week as Daniel is still on vacation, but the news doesn't stop so the show must go on! We start off, like we always do, by discussing the latest movie news, which in this case, means going over some of the Suicide Squad aftermath. There's a sentiment out there that the DCEU is in real trouble and we try to examine what that really means. We then move into some TV talk and we couldn't avoid another brief discussion on Stranger Things. But that's not all! There's always DC CW news as we move closer to their fall premiers, and this week is no different, as rumours of non other than Joss Whedon potentially directing an episode of Supergirl began to swirl. We end the news segment discussing a few gaming stories including a coming PS4 Firmware update and a new Metal Gear game from Konami. We then cap off the show with Julian's impressions of Playstation VR, as he had a chance to demo a few of the launch games coming to the platform in October. No one in the ToB Crew had yet to try VR so we went into detail talking about the comfort of the headset, motion sickness, the level of immersion, the types of experiences you can expect at launch and much more.

Episode 75 - Suicide Squad

Julian Meush August 9, 2016

Dan is off on ANOTHER wedding so it's just Julian and Jeremy this week as we review DC’s latest blockbuster; Suicide Squad. Writer/director David Ayer helms this “Dirty Dozen” take on the DCEU which has been completely lambasted by critics since its premiere. But it's not all bad news as the movie managed to rake in a ton of cash at the box office over its opening weekend. Since the rest of the film press seems to have already covered what's wrong with the movie (which, given, there is plenty), we try and concentrate on its few positive qualities. But before we get to any of that, we cover the week's geek news and briefly touch on Geoff Johns’ promotion at DC, The Rocketeer sequel, the new CW Superman, more Nintendo NX rumours and so much more!

ToB Interlude - Car-cast

Julian Meush August 1, 2016

Its a ToB bonus episode! Julian and Dan were driving out to a wedding and figured why waste a perfectly good conversation? So out came the microphone as the guys briefly reviewed Matt Damon's latest, Jason Bourne, discuss Schindler's List decades after its initial release then began a trip down memory lane. The announcement of the NES Classic has brought the nostalgia of that era to the forefront as we look at where Nintendo has come from. While at the same time we look forward to where they're going as some significant rumours about the Nintendo NX have come to light.

Episode 74 - Comicon 2016

Julian Meush July 27, 2016

This week the ToB Crew gathered to discuss all things San Diego Comicon. SDCC was this past weekend and there's almost too much to cover in one show. But before we get into all the nerdy news from the con we wanted to try out a new segment. We're pitting host against host in a word association challenge. After the game we moved into the deluge that is Comicon 2016 coverage. Starting with movies we break down the Justice League and Wonder Woman footage plus everything else from DC and Marvel. We then move into some leftover Star Wars news from last weeks Star Wars Celebrations in London. There was also a whole slew of TV shows to cover as we discussed another heaping amount of trailers, including: CW's The Flash Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, Marvel's Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Defenders and even DC's new animated series Justice League Action. We wrap things up talking about a few gaming related stories, not the least of which being Pokemon GO and Nintendo's NES Classic.

Episode 73 - Post E3 Catch-up

Julian Meush July 18, 2016

Its been a slow couple of weeks after E3 stole the show. But we've managed to scrape together stories from across the internets and put together another great ToB Podcast for you. Julian Daniel and Jeremy sit down and discuss all things nerdy, starting with the "mea culpa" set visit that WB put together for DC's upcoming blockbuster; Justice League. After that, there'salways some Star Wars news so we breakdown some of the news that came out of EW's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story exposé before moving on to a whole slew of DC CW news. Not the least of which being the casting of Tyler Hoechlin as Superman and the confirmation of Flash Point. We also breakdown all the latest renewals and cancellations across the TV landscape before wrapping up with a chat about the worldwide phenomenon that is Pokemon Go!

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November 5, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Almost Famous (2000)

November 5, 2026

I learned after seeing this movie that Cameron Crow, the writer/director, describes this movie as semi-biographical, and to be honest it sort of reframes the whole picture. Because, one might ask themselves, not knowing any better, why this movie stars a 15-year old rock reporter, as opposed to, you know, an adult? But given that Mr. Crowe was writing this about himself, well... I guess congrats? You've lived a pretty cool life. That all being said, I did enjoy 'Almost Famous' quite a bit. It has a lot to say; commentary on cultural/artistic criticism, uniqueness of sub-cultures, the power of music, what defines a genuine connection, etc. Largely it feels like a hang-out movie, meaning none of those concepts are explored in great depth, but it shows you enough of everything to feel like a complete idea. Aiding in this are the the well drawn characters (again, probably because they're based on real people) portrayed by a big-name cast all performing at or near the top of their game. I mean, it's hard to be upset with a movie with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing a jaded music journalist with a penchant for 'The Who' (Winnipeg represent!). It drags a bit near the end, but the pseudo-epilogue, which puts a finer point on the story, is worth the wait.

November 5, 2026

October 8, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Office Space (1999)

October 8, 2026

Every so often a piece of media comes around that speaks to the truth of our modern society in such an astute way that it just simply cannot be denied. Mike Judge's 'Office Space' might be THE exemplar of this. Despite being almost 30 years old, it still captures the reality of office work in such painful clarity that it still resonates as powerfully today, if not even more powerfully (god knows, Corporations have only seemingly gotten worse since Y2k). Amazingly, despite the low-hanging, cringe humour, fruit that was perfectly captured by 'The Office' just 6 years later (2005), this movie plays it much more like a straight comedy, and yet it's manages to capture the soul-deadening nature of office work the endures for many to this day. While not perfect, there are moments so enduring that this movie will continue to resonate as long as people continue to work in an office. No notes. Eat the rich - Burn it all down!

October 8, 2026

August 21, 2026

ToB Interlude - The Odyssey

August 21, 2026

Despite being over 3000 years old, Homer's 'The Odyssey' has remained an enduring work of fiction. It's hard to conceive how many times this story has been told and retold. For this reason it's all the more compelling to have one of our generations greatest visual storytellers reinterpret this foundational work for modern audiences. In fact, you could argue this may be the richest interpretations, while understanding the limitations of the filmic medium, given the wonders of modern technology (imagine what the ancient Greeks would think of this!). That's without even mentioning that this film was shot entirely on 70 mm IMAX film (a first of it's kind), and while it may very well be a dying medium, it remains one of the grandest forms of visual storytelling available still today. A beautiful marriage of subject and medium. That is all to say that Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is a remarkable film. The job of pulling an ancient text into the modern world in way that still captures the imagination is no easy task, but I can safely say accomplished with style by Nolan. While certainly not perfect, the film's ability to leverage the story of Odysseus to deliver a message profoundly relevant to our current time speaks both to the timeless nature of the story but also to Nolan's craftsmanship to shape his telling in such a way as to be pointed in the parable. Which may end up being the film's enduring legacy.

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July 30, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - The Warriors (1979)

July 30, 2026

Another cult classic, 'The Warriors' brings a distinctly unique sense of style and grittiness that feels right at home on the grimy streets of 1970's New York City. The gang-centered heightened reality of the film feels almost Shakespearian in nature, as if you're watching an mythological journey fraught with peril of all kinds - violence, temptation, and the law. This movie was selected as a double-feature of sorts with Nolan's recently released 'The Odyssey' and the comparisons between these stories feels apt. At the end of the day it's just people trying to get home and doing their best to overcome the challenges the world throws at them. The stakes are clear, and while the nature of good guys vs bad guys is more than a bit muddied here (Ajax... dude, wtf?) the thrilling chases, bombastic action sequences and the long awaited final confrontation are all working at a high level (despite some pretty flat performances and lackluster dialogue). While there are certain elements of the movie that DO NOT age well (looking at you gender politics), the core of the film remains strong and executed well. Plus, as an added bonus, the soundtrack for this movie absolutely slaps! This is a fun ride and it's easy to see why it's endured over these many years.

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