“And away we go!”

In 2013 when Rick and Morty first appeared on the Adult Swim block on the Cartoon Network, I don’t think anyone was ready for just how much of a pop-culture impact the show would have. Five seasons and 52 episodes later, the animated series about Rick, a half-drunk scientist, his grandson Morty, and their over-the-top adventures have continued to entertain us. Now you can get all five seasons in one excellent little package. If that doesn’t make you go, “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!” I don’t know what will. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to review the show; you can go search the site and find out my thoughts on the seasons, but here I’m going to give a quick overview of the show and why if you haven’t checked the show out before, going ahead and buying this set is one of the best things you can do for yourself. The show, for those who may be unfamiliar, is a fun concoction between Back to the Future and more than a sprinkle of Futurama. If that sounds like a fun ride, well, then this may be the animated series for you.

"Where there's life ... there's hope. Bob Hope, that is."

Few American entertainers have had a career to match that of Bob Hope. He lived 100 years and spent over 80 of those years in the entertainment industry. He appeared in over 70 films, wrote various books, and has over 300 appearance credits to his name on television and radio. He cut out a niche for himself during World War II that carried him through the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. He conducted literally hundreds of appearances for GI's out in the field, performing sometimes for audiences at the front. He brought a ton of his celebrity friends and was Mr. USO for decades. An honest look at his career is impossible here. Thanks to the folks over at Kino, we have the opportunity to explore a couple of his films from the 1940's. You can pick up each of them on Blu-ray now, and we'll give you an idea of what you're going to get for your money

I’m going to go ahead and say that this limited series is only meant for the diehard fans of the original series. Those are the only people that I can see enjoying the show, based on the lack of context provided for newcomers. You are kind of just thrown into the mix without a real frame of reference for the characters or the central premise unless you already have some familiarity with the universe. Given that Adventure Time: Distant Lands was intended as a continuation of said series, that is fine. In fact, it is completely understandable. Barring extreme circumstances, there would be no reason for you jump to this four-episode limited series unless you were fond of the original format. However, I find myself in that said extreme circumstance, and as such without familiarity with the other series, I was pretty lost coming out of the gate. I am also not the intended audience for the show, but even my daughter failed to resonate with the series, as she walked out during the first episode.

Who would have thought that a movie that features the apocalypse and mass suicide would have moments of charm and levity? I mean, when you think of those type of themes, you don’t expect that you are going to have some laughs. And yet somehow Silent Night pulls it off. Part of that probably had to do with high-class talent that took part of the film, which featured Matthew Goode, Keira Knightly, Annabelle Wallis, Lily Rose Depp, and Lucy Punch. The film lulls you into a bit of a false sense of security; I initially thought that Goode’s and Knightly’s characters were going to turn homicidal and murder all their dear friends. I figured that was the central premise of the film. All in all I think I prefer the film as it is instead of that idea. While that might have been interesting to see, it would have made the film more of a one-trick pony. As it is, Silent Night is witty, funny, and still manages to tackle complex philosophical views in an easily comprehensible manner. That is a feat not easily accomplished.