With the year 2020 now firmly behind us, it's time to look back at the year that was and pick the best of the best. The ToB Crew gathers for their yearly tradition to pick their top three movies and TV shows from the last year. Now of course, 2020 is a year that many of us would like to forget, but that doesn't mean there wasn't great entertainment to enjoy. In fact, it likely helped much of us get us through what was a VERY challenging time. That being said, things aren't the same. The movie industry in particular was hit hard in 2020. So with that in mind, there's been a few adjustments made to the rules. Most notably, any movie or show that was new to the viewer, regardless of the year of its original release, is eligible for a Tobie this year. This opens the door to some exciting surprises in this year's picks! Now grab your champagne, get dressed up in your finest attire, and enjoy a celebration of the best of 2020 (and sometimes other years too).
Read More
ToB Film Club - Holiday Special - A Christmas Story
For those who may not be aware, we do a monthly film club here at ToB. It’s an exclusive bonus episode for those who support us on Patreon. It’s a lot of fun and we encourage you to join! But in the spirit of giving, we decided to do a holiday special edition for everyone! Julian, Dan, and Jeremy sit down and talk about the greatest Christmas movie of all time, ‘A Christmas Story’. It’s essentially a perfect movie, which may not generate a lot of debate, but in stark contrast to last months film club ‘Coherence’, it was a ton of fun. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it, and we wish you a happy holidays and a joyous new year. Stay tuned for our Tobie Awards coming soon!
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E8 "The Rescue"
Wow, what a season. It really felt like ‘The Mandalorian’ came into its own as a show this year, and it never once felt like they needed to water down Star Wars to make it fit on the small screen. To be treated to the introductions/reintroductions of so many iconic characters was worth the price of admission alone, but the way each of these new, or returning, characters was treated felt like something you’d see in a blockbuster movie, let alone a streaming service. Which brings us to the finale, and what a finale it was! It jumps right into the action and never slows down, only taking a breath to acknowledge a well deserved goodbye (hopefully Din keeps his promise!). The inclusion of almost every new character we met this season (sorry Cobb!) added to the spectacle but the surprise inclusion of [redacted] was really the cherry on top. With all that said, there remains many lingering questions, and with you-know-who now watching over Baby Yoda, where does Din go next?
Read More
Episode 159 - HBO Max-pocalypse + Disney Investor Day
In a world where really only two studios can make the biggest blockbuster movies, it’s no surprise that when they decide to make a major shift into streaming, that it MAY have an affect on the theatrical experience. The guys discuss the repercussions of Warner Bros. decision to release their 2021 film slate on HBO Max the same day they premiere in theatres. Spoilers, it’s mostly bad news. Though it’s not all doom and gloom, over on the other side of the isle, Disney had their “Investors Day”, where they proceeded to vomit up a years worth of news all in one afternoon. Star Wars isn’t dead as they announced 10 new projects! On the Marvel front we got a closer look at the, soon to be released, Disney+ shows as well as a look at the future of their film slate (which surprisingly won’t be coming to Disney+ day and date). All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E7 "The Believer"
After the return of none other than fan favourite/original Mandalorian himself, Boba Fett last week, we are treated to a classic Star Wars infiltration mission to retrieve the whereabouts of Moff Gideon’s cruiser. The episode is written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who also directed last season’s prison break episode, so it’s not surprising to see Bill Burr’s Mayfeld character return. Although traditionally a standup comedian, and with his appearance last season raising some eyebrows, we’re glad to report that Burr’s performance in this episode is top notch. His karisma is a breath of fresh air for a show that now has two stoic Mandalorians under helmets. The episode also does some great character building. Not just for Mayfeld, but also for Mando and Cara as well. Although having a relatively short runtime again, the pacing was spot on, and laid the groundwork for next week’s unpredictable season finale, where it feels like almost anything can happen!
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E6 "The Tragedy"
It was teased all the way back in season 1, and then again, more directly, in this season’s premier episode. There was a chance that the showrunners were taking it slow. Maybe we wouldnt get the big reveal until next season? But this show has been anything but shy when it comes to fan service, and this episode does nothing to change that. Like last week’s introduction to Ahsoka, that took place within the first few minutes of the episode, Chapter 14 wasted no time before giving us a hint as to what was to come. Notbaly, this episode was directed by none other than renowned action director, Robert Rodriguez. A great fit to finally show off you-know-who’s combat chops (that until now we’ve only ever heard about)! With only two episodes left this season, and two major reveals under our belt, the stage is set for what could be a very thrilling finale. A finale that may yet bring more surprises. Time will tell!
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E5 "The Jedi"
Rumours have been flying about a certain Jedi (ahem Citizen) making their appearance this season for a long time, and though those rumours may have spoiled the surprise for some, seeing that character brought to live-action was absolutely worth the wait! Besides the obvious excitement about seeing live action lightsabers on the small screen (and who is wielding them), this episode brought several other reveals that are arguably just as exciting. Not the least of which being the reveal of Baby Yoda/The Child’s actual name! Hard to believe it took a season and a half to get the name of one of the most popular characters on screen today! But wait there’s more! We haven’t even started talking about the craftsmanship of this episode or the homages to Akira Kurosawa’s work. It’s truly something special and I’m sure this episode will likely be a favourite of Star Wars fans for some time. Yes there’s a lot to unpack, but don’t let your fear (or anger) at missing everything turn you to the darkside. Julian, Dan, and Rachel break down every detail for your benefit. Enjoy!
Read More
Episode 158 - Fincher Unleashed
As the pandemic rages on, and we adjust to the new normal, so does Hollywood. With news that Wonder Woman 1984 will be coming to HBO Max on Christmas, the future of the theatre going experience becomes even more clouded. Meanwhile, David Fincher is in the press, promoting his latest streaming endeavor ‘Mank’, (and dropping some spicy takes!) fresh off signing a 4-year exclusive deal with Netflix of his own. We watch as the Hollywood landscape is remapped on the fly. But it’s not all doom and gloom! I mean, there’s a ‘Wedding Crashers’ sequel in the works, and a new Predator film coming from Dan Trachtenberg. So there’s SOME hope is all I’m saying. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy also touch on the latest from the Snyder Cut, and weigh in on the pressing subject of whether streaming services should let credits play uninterrupted (you know, the important stuff). All that, and so much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E4 "The Siege"
The Mandalorian hits the halfway point of the season with a return to a familiar setting. Mando returns to Nevarro to reconnect with some old friends, and though not particularly plot heavy, it’s certainly a fun ride. Grief and Cara need Mando’s help to take out the last remaining Imperial stronghold on the planet, but they get more than they bargained for when they discover the true nature of the base. This action packed episode drops some interesting hints to the larger Star Wars galaxy (including a reference to The Phantom Menace!), setting up an interesting mystery for the rest of the season. The show has seemingly set the groundwork for things to really start moving next week. The Razor Crest is repaired, the bad guys are mobilizing, and all signs point towards a particular Jedi/citizen making an appearance next week. Exciting!
Read More
SSSW - The Mandalorian S2E3 "The Heiress"
This week’s Mandalorian brings us the shortest episode of the season but boy is it dense! Julian, Daniel, and Rachel, spend arguably too much time breaking down every minute detail, and major reveal. And this episode definitely brings it on when it comes to reveals. Without burying the lead, we are introduced to the titular heiress, Bo-Katan Kryze, for the first time in live action. Something long time Clone Wars and Rebels fans will be sure to be excited about. That’s without even mentioning the major name drop that comes at the end. These reveals create ripples throughout Star Wars, and pose a lot of additional questions . Which only makes us hope that we start getting answers soon. In the meantime, there’s certainly a lot to discuss.
Read More