Episode 90 - James Cameron's Opinion

Julian Meush February 8, 2017

Its just Julian and Dan this week as the two of them cover some of the latest in geek news. Including: Ben Affleck stepping down from directing Batman and who's on the short list to replace him, CW's Riverdale, James Cameron's opinion on some of his old franchises and much more.

Episode 89 - DCEU and Nintendo Switch

Julian Meush January 27, 2017

Its been awhile since everyone has sat down and really drilled into the latest in geek news. But with Julian now settled (somewhat) back onto the island, the ToB Crew can return to their old routine. Starting with a whole pile of stories and rumours coming from WB about seemingly every one of their upcoming superhero projects. The Oscars also released their list of nominees for the upcoming ceremony so of course the big categories are discussed. On the TV side, news comes out that the Coen brothers will be trying their hand at the small screen for the first time and that Fox has ordered another X-Men series with Brian Singer attached. Over with video games, the guys talk about some rumours about the next Batman game as well as the future of Marvel in the games space now that they've inked a deal with Square Enix. Finally, the big Nintendo Switch conference was only a short time ago so every detail from price to the launch game lineup are covered.

A Fireside Chat

Julian Meush January 11, 2017

Julian and Daniel sit down for a free-flow discussion that starts with a brief review of Life Itself, the Roger Ebert documentary, but doesn't end until the two had talked about Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, the Bechdel test, the definition of a Space Opera and much more

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.

ToB Interlude - Rogue One Review

Julian Meush December 21, 2016

'Tis the season. Star Wars season. Rogue One is here and the ToB Crew are here to talk all about it. Pitched as "A Star Wars Story", Rogue One is the first film in the franchise to step outside the Skywalker saga. Following Jyn Erso and her mission to steal the plans for the dreaded Death Star this movie really puts the "war" in Star Wars. With its release a few days ago and with time to gather their thoughts, the guys discuss the films strengths and weaknesses before geeking out over all of the fun easter eggs and references that spatter the movie. They also take some time to discuss the impact of the Michael Giacchino score and the impressive visuals that brought the galaxy far far away to life on the big screen.

ToB Interlude - The Traditional Sitcom

Julian Meush December 14, 2016

To fill the void between now and the review of Rogue One early next week we have a new ToB Interlude for you. In a segment cut from last week's Episode 88 for time, the guys discuss the 90's sitcom Friends. But more to the point, what happened to the traditional television sitcom that was the staple for many people growing up. The Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends of the world seem to be gone. Why? They also chat about Star Wars and debate the merits of reading over listening to an audio book.

Episode 88 - Game Awards and PSX 2016

Julian Meush December 8, 2016

With a whole pile of video game news to discuss the ToB Crew returns ready to talk all about the news that came out of The Video Game Awards 2016 and Playstation Experience in Anaheim. Not the least of which being the surprise announcement of The Last of Us: Part Two. But before getting to any of that the guys break down the new Transformers 5: The Last Knight and The Mummy trailers as well as discuss Jimmy Kimmel's promotion from Emmy host to Oscar host and some Rogue One tidbits before moving on to some TV talk. Which included: CW's big Arrow, Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow crossover, Netflix introducing offline viewing for select titles and a Sons of Anarchy spinoff. Finally, beyond all the major gaming announcements, Julian, Daniel and Jeremy also dissect the rumour that suggests Gamecube games will be coming to the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console and debate which games should make the list. All this and so much more in this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Westworld S1E10 "The Bicameral Mind": ToB Breakdown

Julian Meush December 7, 2016

Season one of Westworld has come to an end and Julian and Daniel are here to talk all about it. "The Bicameral Mind" acted as both the finish line for some of our favourite characters and mysteries but it was also the beginning of a new adventure that will continue into Westworld's second season. The guys look back at all the theories and mysteries now that all the puzzle pieces have fallen into place and ask whether they were revealed effectively. Were the answers satisfying? Were the twists believable? Every detail is dissected and examined to help unpack what was a tightly woven season long yarn.

Westworld S1E9 "The Well-Tempered Clavier": ToB Breakdown

Julian Meush November 29, 2016

Julian and Daniel are back to discuss the next big reveal on HBO's Westworld. On the menu this week is season one's penultimate episode; "The Well-Tempered Clavier". The guys get into the nitty gritty of this week's revelations. Plus what the new information means for any ongoing fan theories and then look forward at next week's finale.

Episode 87 - Wii U-logy

Julian Meush November 27, 2016

After a week off the ToB Crew returns refreshed and ready to break down all the latest geek news. They jump right in by discussing the latest movie trailers, including the highly anticipated Scarlett Johansson film Ghost in the Shell. Every week brings new comic book movie news so Julian Meush, Daniel D'Souza and Jeremy Kozier examine the rumour of Green Lantern possibly making an appearance in next years Justice League film, David Leitch taking over Deadpool 2 and why we may never see the X-Men in the same movie as the Avengers. Over with Star Wars, it was revealed that Josh Trank's Star Wars anthology film was going to centre around Boba Fett, Emilia Clark joins the cast of the Han Solo film and early tracking numbers are looking good for Rogue One. Before moving onto the news of the big Inhumans TV/IMAX deal the guys discuss the potential future of "variable ticket pricing" at the movie theatre and why it might not be the worst thing in the world. In terms of gaming news, the Wii U has reached the end of its life so its time for its eulogy and then to look forward to the Switch and a possible price point for the hybrid handheld/home console. A brief spoiler review of Arrival wraps up the show along with a brief discussion on The Master, The Theory of Everything, The Edge and The Accountant.

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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.

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Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Constantine (2005) + Special Announcement

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