Stephanie’s Pick
Bandette Vol 1.
Bandette was recommended to me after I expressed my fondness for heist stories. And it did not disappoint. Written by Paul Tobin and drawn by Colleen Coover, Bandette is the story of a young, costumed, and delightful thief running around Paris doing anything she feels like doing; from stealing precious valuables to helping out the police in a bank robbery.
The story is a fun adventure that keeps on delivering throughout as we get introduced to a variety of colourful characters such as members of Bandette’s crew (street urchins), arch-rival and fellow thief, and the disgruntled police detective who has to deal with Bandette’s antics at every turn. This is a book easily enjoyed by all ages. I found it refreshing to be able to read a comic that was lively and joyful for all the right reasons. Bandette is such an animated character one can’t help but fall in love with the way Bandette deals with any situations; it’s always with a playful laugh and quick-witted solution.
Published first digitally on Comixology with compiled volumes later printed by Dark Horse it’s a must-have for this Christmas season.
Josh’s Pick
Robin Hood
Disney’s 1973 Robin Hood has always been one of my favourite Disney films. It is one of the contributors to my love of history, myths & legends, and gave me a desire to see the world, the United Kingdom in particular.
In my opinion, it is the best Robin Hood film to date. The Errol Flynn was an early cinematic campy flick. Kevin Costner’s Prince of Thieves was just a mess. Russell Crowe’s Hood was probably the most accurate historically ignoring the Magna Carta detail. And Mel Brook’s Men in Tights, despite being a spoof of Prince of Thieves and the Errol Flynn movie, is a much better Robin Hood film but cannot be taken seriously.
Disney’s Robin Hood, while starring animated anthropomorphic animals, captures the core of the character and inspired my imagination much more than any of the other films did when I first watched them. Its what made Young Josh want to be Robin Hood. So that’s what I watched this week.
Michael’s Pick
Catch Me If You Can
While everyone is busy debating whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is), I’d like to submit another movie for your consideration: Catch Me If You Can.
Released on Christmas Day in 2002, this Spielberg film tells the true story of serial con-artist Frank Abagnale, Jr., (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the FBI agent tasked with bringing him in (Tom Hanks). The script is a tremendous balance of humor, heartbreak, and drama that ensures this movie will stand the test of time.
Additionally, the themes of broken families, finding your place in this world as you come of age, and obsession with one’s profession create beautifully compelling characters that you can’t help but root for no matter what side of the law they’re on.
Some of the film’s most touching moments come from DiCaprio and Hanks’s interactions on Christmas Day. If you’re looking for a Christmas movie outside the obvious choices, get your hands on Catch Me If You Can.
Insha’s Pick
I’ve been obsessed with the Defunctland Youtube channel for such a long time. Kevin Perjurer created the Youtube series Defunctland devoted to talking about the history of past theme parks, rides, and other attractions. It started out with him trying to build a park called Defunctland for himself. But Perjurer slowly and steadily ended up building an empire. Perjurer has blossomed Defunctland to other avenues of defunct history. He has a podcast talking with people who used to be apart of those parks and attractions. He has spin-offs like DefunctTV, featuring television shows that have long past gone, and Debunkedland, debunking the truth behind the myths and legends of parks and rides.
Perjurer recently wrote a book called Defunctland: A Guide to the Magic Kingdom. This book acts as a guide through the past and present of Magic Kingdom so you can plan your future trip to the parks. I actually have this book. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve had my hands on. It makes me want to go to Disney so bad… if I had the money.
Watch this Youtube series. You’ll lose yourself in the episodes and learn a little bit more about Disney, Universal Studies and parks and rides that you probably didn’t know existed. It’s entertaining and funny with some quality information and research that you’ll awe at.
