It is Black Friday and we are preparing for a huge snowstorm on Saturday. I have seen any number of projections from 8-9 inches to 11-17 inches for Saturday. That sounds like I’m not going anywhere on Saturday, so……
The 2025 EYG post-Thanksgiving, Snowpocalypse Weekend is here! Here is a chance to catch up on some of the films that I have not seen yet for 2025 on streaming.
Saturday night will also feature the 2025 Survivor Series: War Games that I am hoping to be able to watch.
Here’s to the snow…
In Your Dreams
Eleanor the Great
Twinless
Splitsville
Wildcat
Jingle Bell Heist
I did not get to Stitch Head, which is included on the heading for this article, over the weekend, but I do have a plan to watch it some time this week.
The third TV series among the Top 100 starring Nathan Fillion is at #13. Castle came after the cancelation of Firefly and before The Rookie. The ABC crime/romance/mystery/comedy series lasted for eight seasons.
Nathan Fillion was the titular character Richard Castle and he starred opposite Stana Katic, as the tough-as-nails police detective Kate Beckett. Castle, a best selling author, was bored with life and was in search of inspiration. After a series of murders that were inspired by his own mystery books, the NYPD approached Castle for any info he could give them. Castle took this over the edge by convincing the mayor that he should be a consultant to the NYPD, specifically Beckett, who he used as the inspiration for his new series of books.
The Castle-Beckett dynamic was what carried the show, but there were some other wonderful traits of this show. Castle was extremely intelligent, though he hid that with his special brand of goofiness. The dialogue and writing of the show was on par with some of the best on TV, clever and funny while informing the characters.
Castle’s family which included his daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) and his diva mother Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan) was vital to keeping Castle humanized.
A fun bit of casting included real life mystery authors Stephen J. Cannell, James Patterson, Dennis Lehane, and Michael Connelly as poker buddies for Castle. Castle would, at times, bounce ideas off of the writers, looking for how they would write the story, if the case were fictionalized.
Castle was a fun TV show with an amazing cast, including two charismatic leads. It was funny, exciting, dramatic and well written.
Based on a 2011 novella, Train Dreams is a drama directed by Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton. The film just started streaming on Netflix.
According to IMDB, “…Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century.“
The film featured a stunning performance from Joel Edgerton, while ripping the heart out of the viewer’s chest with some of the most painful scenes of the year.
It is an emotional tale of Robert Grainier’s life and the losses that tugged at his soul. The pain of his loss was tempered by his consistent search for life. There are some scenes that are just remarkably rough for the character, yet one of the final scenes of the film brings about a feeling of joyous freedom.
Great performances littered this movie. Add to Edgerton the strong work from Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon and William H. Macy.
The cinematography of the land is fantastic and the film is a beautiful one to watch.
I found this to be a lovely film that was difficult to watch with the emotional moments being powerful. It is available on Netflix.
Today was Thanksgiving and it is always around Thanksgiving time here at EYG that I start compiling the Year in Review awards. We do awards for movies, TV, Music, Comics, WWE, YouTube, as well as some other categories. I love putting together the lists through the month of December, which leads us to our Best and Worst movies of the year lists.
I should say that all of these lists are formed from my opinions. If you disagree, that is absolutely fine. I respect all people’s opinions. All of these topics are subjective, meaning what I love, you may not like at all. That is the way it should be. We at EYG believe that everyone has a right to their own opinions and we will never put someone down for their thoughts.
I will be including the records for these awards. Some have been here since day one of these awards that we have been giving out for 15 years. Some awards included the The EYG Stan Lee Movie Cameo Award, The Strangelove (Best Actor), The Liz (Best Actress), The Batman and Robin Award for Rottenness, The Avengers: Endgame Ensemble Cast of the Year Award, The Logan “Hurt” Trailer of the Year Award and a bunch more.
We are up to episode five already of Pluribus on Apple TV +. I have to say that number surprised me. It is moving right along.
Carol finds herself completely alone as the others in her city left, needing time apart from her. I guess even the hive mind grew tired of Carol’s shenanigans.
However, they were still available for things that Carol needed, though she had to leave a message on an answering machine to get any response. Then, she would have service from a drone.
Carol was making videos to send to the other survivors, and she had them delivered (and transcribed in whatever language the other survivors may speak) by the hive mind. I find it funny that she could send videos specifically designed to bring down the hivemind and they would just deliver it, no questions asked. Perhaps the nicest invading force ever.
However, Carol had other troubles, including hungry coyotes. Carol made a discovery of what the Others drink… some substance mixed together and placed in milk cartons like are served in schools. She also broadcast this info out to the other survivors via drone delivery.
This led her to a warehouse where she found something that made her gasp… leaving us with a very epic cliffhanger… one that was extremely annoying because I don’t want to have to wait until next week to know what it was.
This was a fun episode, with a lot of funny moments while Carol showed her capabilities for this investigation.
Will has discovered how he is connected to Vecna and the Upside Down.
There was a great final scene of episode four and an unbelievable cliffhanger. It is clear that the Duffers had planned on this being the break between chunks of episodes. That throwdown with Vecna and the demogorgons destroying the military was brutal and intense.
We get a bunch of exposition from Max, convincing Holly that they were in a prison. Holly has become a major player in this first part of the final season, and I do like this actor they have playing her.
Speaking of the acting, it is really nice to see some of these actors be provided some solid individual scenes to show off their abilities. In particular, Finn Wolfhard’s Mike, who has not had much to do over the last couple of seasons, feels like he has been rejuvenated in this season so far.
Vecna has the kids that he wanted. The military took some serious damage. Eleven and Hopper confronted Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and the weird tentacle. And what was behind that special door? Eleven’s sister from season two.
Next set of episodes are out at Christmas and it will be awesome.
Kiefer Sutherland was Jack Bauer, an agent with the Counter Terrorist Unit Los Angeles Division (CTU). Jack had to deal with terrorists and dangerous situations to help his country. And every minute counted.
24 had a special gimmick. Every season, there were 24 episodes and each episode was told in real time. So the story unfolded over a 24 hour period and we saw how Jack Bauer and the other agents of CTU responded to these terrorist events.
The gimmick was really cool, but would never have lasted for the length of time that it did without that first season of 24. In the final scene of the first season, Jack discovered that his wife, Teri Bauer, who had been a major role in the season, had been killed by a mole inside CTU. The season ended with Jack cradling the dead body of his wife.
You do not end a season of TV in that manner. The hero does not face this level of anguish in the final scene. It proved to the viewers that absolutely anything was possible during these 24-hour days and that you could not afford to miss anything on the show.
Admittedly, as the show grew older, the show became more played out, and the show did seem to focus too much on Middle Eastern terrorists (accusations of Islamophobia were leveled at the show), but Jack would do absolutely ANYTHING in order to accomplish his goal. There were times when what Jack did was as shocking as anything the terrorist would do.A TV show protagonist just would not do what Jack Bauer did.
24 ran for eight seasons on FOX, which included a TV movie between season six and seven. There was also a new series called Live Another Day, which cut the season in half from 24 hours to 12 (episodes).
Major pair of episodes. The crew still is attempting to find Vecna. Meanwhile, Vecna has Holly, Mike’s little sister, and is readying a plan to continue to grab other kids.
It seems as if Will has been having some insights on Vecna, but truthfully, I wonder if Vecna is seeing though Will’s eyes just like Will believes that he is seeing what Vecna is seeing.
Hopper and Eleven are trapped in the Upside Down, and they found a giant wall. The army had a weapon that affected Eleven… seemed like a sonic weapon of some sort.
I love how the kids are working together, setting up plans and doing what they can. Their plans have not been incredibly successful, but that is beside the point. The idea is that they are together. In past seasons, the group has been split apart multiple times. I like that they are basically together.
I am not sure if the town has been isolated or not. The town seems to be in denial about what is going on in Hawkins.
Max showing up with Holly is wild. It was great to see Sadie Sink out and about and not just stuck in a hospital bed.
I loved the scene of Eleven inside the mind of the soldier, and the mystery behind the door.
Last week was a big week. This week is another big week of covers. While I was able to narrow it down to just three, there are several books that could have medaled if I had adjusted it. I sure hope this is the rule moving forward. I could get used to having to make these tough decisions every week.
Two foil covers this week. All of them are variants.
Also-Rans: Department of Truth #34 (virgin variant), Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #3 (virgin variant), Absolute Batman #14 (C cover), The Undead Iron Fist #3, Cloak or Dagger #2, Mortal Thor #4, Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #4 (Cover B), DC KO #2 (cover E), Justice League Unlimited #13 (cover C), and Black Cat #4
Bronze Medalist
Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #1
Virgin Variant Cover D Foil
Cover art by Denys Cowan & Bill Sienkiewicz
It is a beautiful foil cover for this new DC series and it is awesome to give a medal to a legend as Bill Sienkiewicz.
Silver Medalist
Infernal Hulk #1
Foil variant
Cover art done by Dan Panosian
A stunning foil cover with the new version of the Hulk. It is very distinctive with this grey creature and the green glowing around it. Loved it.
Gold Medalist
Detective Comics #1103
Variant Cover C
Cover art by Lee Garbett
I love the Black and white contrast with the shadowy Batman in the middle of the cover. The bats flying out of Batman’s cape gives that a creepy look as well. Another great variant cover this week.
We have been waiting for the final season of Stranger Things for what has seemed like forever. Season four was shown in 2022, and we are just now beginning to prepare for the last season of shows for the Netflix hit.
Four episodes dropped on Thanksgiving eve on Netflix. Episode One was 71 minutes.
It was intense.
The town of Hawkins, Indiana is under quarantine by the military because of the events at the end of season four. The gang is using the military (unbeknownst to them) to carry out their own covert searches of the Upside Down in an attempt to find Vecna and finally put an end to it.
Things do not go well.
Holy cow. What a final few scenes.
Plus, Dustin gets the crap kicked out of him by the basketball punks. Dustin was bringing the Hellfire back around in honor of Eddie. Dustin was having some real problems, poking the bear.
The episode started slowly, but man did it kick into gear.
Zootopia was a giant surprise hit in 2016 when it broke one billion dollars worldwide. With that much box office success, one would wonder why it took nearly ten years to have a sequel.
Zootopia 2 is an excellent new animated movie that does a great job of providing a new story and continuing the awesome partnership between Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.
According to IMDB, “Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.“
Ginnifer Godwin and Jason Bateman are the voices of Judy and Nick respectfully. They do a fantastic job with these characters and their voice work is part of the reason this pair is so good together. They are also written well as any friendship you’ll find in the movies.
There is a great voice cast along with Godwin and Bateman. This included Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Dasvid Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Danny Trejo, Quinta Brunson, and Bonnie Hunt. In a fun bit of casting, the Zebros were voiced by pro wrestlers, Joe Anoa’i (aka Roman Reigns) and Phil Brooks (aka C.M. Punk).
I liked the story of the film as well. It was nicely developed without succumbing to the sequel-itis where the sequel tried to do way too much, cramming it in. However, this felt very well constructed and worked well. I was worried at first that there would be too much here and make the story feel convoluted, but it came together nicely as it progressed.
The character design is amazing, and the creativity is off the charts. The animation looked fantastic and you could tell that they were having a lot of fun with the film as it translated to the screen.
It had real emotion and some wonderful character moments. It was also hilarious and filled with some great animated action. It was worth the wait to see a sequel.
General Hospital has been on ABC since April 1, 1963. That is 62 years, easily the longest running show in the Top 100.
My mother watched the soap opera General Hospital and I would watch it with her when I was young. I can say that, along with my love of comic books, General Hospital helped to embolden my creativity and my own storytelling skills.
Watching the Luke and Laura love story developing from an ugly rape, the mystery of the Ice Princess and the Cassadines, the arrival of super spy Robert Scorpio, Casey the Alien, the awesome ass kicker Anna Devane, probably my first crush in Holly Sutton (played by the gorgeous Emma Samms), the quarrelsome Quartermaines, Frisco and Felicia, mob kingpin Sonny Corinthos all brought out the best in me.
The show has featured countless actors that have become major stars in other projects that I love. Demi Moore, John Stamos, Rick Springfield, Ricky Martin, Mark Hamill, Jonathan Jackson, Antonio Sabato Jr., Vanessa Marcil, Tia Carrere, Jack Wagner. There were guest appearances from Elizabeth Taylor, Roseanne Barr, Richard Simmons, James Franco, among others.
My favorite characters over the years included:
Luke Spencer
Anna Devane
Robert Scorpio
Frisco Jones
Laura Webber
Lucy Coe
Kevin Collins and his evil twin Ryan Chamberlain
Holly Sutton
Robin Scorpio
Bobbie Spencer
The show had a ton of classic villains too including Mikkos Cassadine, Helena Cassadine, Cesar Faison, Heather Webber, Jerry Jacks, Franco, Stavros Cassadine, Caleb Morley, Ava Jerome, Grant Putnam, Frank Smith, and the spy organization DVX.
The show had both the crazy world of spies and mobsters, but also featured serious storylines involving AIDS, breast cancer, natural disasters, mental illness, depression, and substance abuse.
The show gave us one of the saddest storylines you could give: the death of a child. Little Barbara Jean Jones died in a bus accident, and her heart was transplanted into her cousin Maxie Jones, saving her life. The acting performances in this story were spectacularly powerful and painful.
The show would do a yearly talent show called the Nurses’ Ball where the cast members would put on musical and dance numbers. The Nurses’ Ball was always one of my most anticipated episode of the year.
General Hospital influenced me more than just about any show of my youth and it belongs on this list. I do not watch GH regularly any more, but I am aware of things that happen on the show, and my mom still watches it daily.
One of the funniest, most controversial show on TV was All in the Family, which ran for nine seasons on CBS.
Featuring the Bunker family, the show was led by bigot, loud-mouthed, abrasive Archie Bunker. Played by Carol O’Connor, Archie said things that you never thought he could get away with, and yet, he was a beloved character. Married to the essential airhead Edith, Archie was a husband from the old days. His daughter Gloria and her new husband Mike, aka “Meathead,” lived with Archie and Edith too. Archie and Mike collided constantly over their differing political values.
Archie was never short on opinions and it drove the show. Archie’s thoughts on President Nixon, the war in Vietnam, homosexuality, feminists as well as many other topics of the day.
Based on a British TV Show called Till Death Us Do Part, All in the Family was a huge success.
Carol O’Conno rplayed Archie. Edith was played by Jean Stapleton. Gloria was played by Sally Struthers and Mike was played by Rob Reiner.
There were two huge spin offs of All in the Family: Maude and The Jeffersons. You could mention that the show continued on after season nine by transforming it into Archie Bunker’s Place, where Archie bought his bar hangout, Kelsey’s, after the death of Edith.
Personally, I related to All in the Family because Archie and Edith were very much like my own parents, only with the volume turned way up. Mom and Dad were never as over-the-top as the Bunkers, but they defintiely shared traits.
All in the Family was a groundbreaking TV show that was controversial, topical, challenging and… above all else…hilarious.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 