Staff Picks of the Week - January 6th, 2017 ⋆

Staff Picks of the Week – January 6th, 2017

The first Friday of the year is upon us and it is time for the first Staff Picks of the Week for the new year! We hope that you had a safe and happy holiday. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the Staff Picks of the Week, let me tell you how things work! Each week, a select few of our staff shares with you something that has kept them entertained recently. But before we move on to the staff picks, let me tell you what we have going on at Rogues Portal this week. First off as most of you know, we lost the great and talented Carrie Fisher. We have many posts discussing her and how much she means to us, you can check them out here. We know you love comics! Check out reviews for Hulk #1, The Spill Zone, A.D. After Death Book Two, Jem: The Misfits #1, and The Unstoppable Wasp #1 just to name a few. Don’t forget the latest issue of our own web comic: Sunny and Owl Girl! Love podcasts? Well we have plenty of them! Check out the latest episodes of Comicsbound, Scooby Dos or Scooby Don’ts, The Missfits, The Comics Agenda, and a special podcast discussing our 2016 Game of the Year. We always have a lot going on, hang around and check it all out! Now on to the Staff Picks of the Week for January 6th, 2017!

Anelise’s Pick of the Week – One of my goals over Christmas break was to catch up on my ridiculously long list of shows to watch on Netflix. Like a responsible person, I was going to start with those farther back on the list. However, when I saw Crazyhead get added to Netflix mid-December, I couldn’t resist. Crazyhead is a six-episode series created by Howard Overman (who also created the fantastic show Misfits), and this is British comedy-horror at its best! The show is about two demon hunters, Raquel and Amy, who are out to save the world from a mass possession. While an intriguing story line in itself, what really sets this show apart is the crude, laugh-out-loud humor, the fantastic acting, and the depth it delivers as it is as much about facing our inner demons as it is about physical ones. And while I could not be happier that I started my break with Crazyhead, I’ve had trouble starting anything else because it is just that good!

John’s Pick of the Week – It’s the start of a new year, which for a lot of people means making resolutions for the next twelve months. One of mine for 2017 is to finally run a 5K. Rather than wait until the last few months to do it, I’ve actually committed to doing it this month, and part of what convinced me to do it so soon was finding one that spoke to my not-so-secret nerd proclivities: The Super Run 5K. This is a run that happens in cities all over North America and not only does it help benefit a cavalcade of different charities, but you get a freaking cape to wear while running (as well as a superhero themed medal for completion). If there’s anything that’s going to motivate me to run outside it’s getting to wear a cape while I do it, let me tell you. If you’re reading this and are interested in checking out the various events, don’t wait! Many of the races have already happened but there’s still plenty more to come. Check out The Super Run 5K’s website (www.thesuperrun.com) for all the details and here’s a little tip for you if you’re thinking about joining: I got a discounted admission ticket through Groupon, so check there first before putting down any entry fee. But if you’re looking to make your 2017 active and want to look awesome while doing it, this might be for you.

Adrian’s Pick of the Week – This week my pick is the movie David Brent: Life on the Road. With its recent release on DVD and Blu-Ray, Life on the road was an extremely popular Christmas gift, even if I did buy it for myself! Despite the mixed reviews and mediocre box office return, I gave this movie a go. I was a huge fan of The Office and the character is one of my favourite comedy creations of all time. Fans of The Office might be disappointed by the fact that Brent is the only returning character here but he is assisted by some stand out supporting performances. Notably from wannabe rapper and side kick Dom played by Doc Brown and the band he takes on tour, played by real life session musicians including former Razorlight drummer Andy. If cringing and laughing are things you enjoy then this movie is for you as Gervais plumbs new depths of awkward cringfestery with real aplomb. There are ridiculous songs, inappropriate jokes as well as slices of life and drudgery to enjoy/endure. Rotten Tomatoes etc may rank this somewhere between 6 and 7 out of ten, but for me Brent will always be a favourite, even if the cringing has been turned up to 11.

Hafsa’s Pick of the Week – My pick this week is Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. This is an interesting story that works as a biography, memoir and an exploration of self story. The narrative revolves around Alison’s childhood, youth, and self-discovery. It pertains mainly to her relationship with her father and how she lived with him and overcame who he was to her. The story includes themes like sexual orientation, abuse, dysfunction, hypocrisy, and rural lifestyle. It all begins and ends with the perfect house. It was restored by her father to represent a time gone by and his attachment to how things look rather than what is hidden behind the perfection. As she discovers more about her father, she discovers more about herself and how memories could change as a more rounded understanding forms. The experience emphasizes how our childhood perception of people and moments can be very one dimensional and adulthood introduces complications of motives and human tendency of making mistakes and being unpredictable. The art and style of the story is rudimentary in the sense that it looks more like an animated show then a realistic portrayal of the scenery. However, the style gives the story a spirit of childishness and innocence the narrative itself is lacking. It’s a parallel that turns an interesting familial story of love and obsession into an even more intricate experience that manipulates both visual and intellectual sensors.

David’s Pick of the Week – My pick of the week is the original Star Wars Trilogy and The Force Awakens. I grew up with Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and as I got older, I discovered what a remarkable writer she truly was. However, she will always be Princess Leia to me. I tried a couple of times to write a piece for the site expressing what Carrie Fisher meant to me but I felt like I kept leaving something out to the point where I just scrapped my article. So here is my little piece dedicated to her, small and simple. I have been watching all the Star Wars movies this past week, as well as The Burbs, and I even watched Under the Rainbow! But like I said, Carrie Fisher will always be Princess Leia to me. RIP Carrie Fisher.