Oh So Geeky

When a new season of Once Upon A Time whirls around, there's promising adventures to behold. Savior Emma Swan and her charming parents and son, swash-buckling boyfriend Hook, and Evil-Queen-turned-Hero Regina face off against 'fictional characters' re-imagined for the real world. And, the series' ability to plant powerful messages of hope , courage, and love is refreshing compared to darker-themed shows. However, there is no doubt the fandom has been struggling. As much love as there is for Once Upon A Time,  the storytelling  often falls down a rabbit hole of messy writing and confusing world-building. Off-screen, the show dropped in ratings and stars like  Robert Carlyle  and Jennifer Morrison are considering not returning. When rumors swirled over the holiday break that the series might be canceled , it wasn't surprising to ONCERS despite what a rotten apple the news was. But as the show has taught us over the years: there is always hope - we just have ...

Photo Credit: Jackie / Fox Searchlight Pictures Ask anyone of the Baby Boomer generation, and chances are they'll recall the day President John F. Kennedy was killed and how the news reverberated around the U.S. Even though history has cemented the family's legacy, as well as Jackie as a style icon, time itself, has rarely scratched the surface of the former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's experience. That's where the intimate, poignant biopic Jackie steps in. On November 22nd, 1963, Jack Kennedy and his wife Jackie were on a political tour through Texas when he was violently assassinated. Following Jackie through this horrendous ordeal, arthouse director Pablo Larraín dismisses the blind patriotism many biopics have taken before and dives into a non-traditional portrait of Mrs. Kennedy with a beautiful existential approach to trauma. Swinging back and forth between the past and present, Jackie (Natalie Portman) dictates her memory of what happened on that fate...

Photo Credit: Christine / The Orchard Based on a true story, Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall) is an ambitious journalist for a local Sarasota tv station. Her immense dedication to simple yet meaningful human interest pieces is compromised when upper management intends to increase ratings for sensationalist news. 'If it bleeds, it leads' becomes the new standard, and Chubbuck struggles to match the style going as far as killing herself on-air. Despite knowing the outcome of Chubbuck's life for this biopic, Christine intensely and thoughtfully delves into her mindset and struggles, especially mental health. Just shy of her 30th birthday, Chubbuck is a person unto herself. She's never been involved with someone romantically, closes off from potential friendships, and has a complicated relationship with her mother. Getting married and having children is on her future itinerary, but it's sideswiped by plaguing health issues both physical and emotional. A linger...

Photo Credit: Fences / Paramount Pictures Sometimes we build fences to keep people out, but those same barriers can keep their loved ones locked in. In Fences, this gripping realization chips away for the Maxson family. Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Pittsburgh, Troy's (Denzel Washington) marriage to wife Rose (Viola Davis), lost potential and responsibilities of as a father, husband, and man buckle under his own personal demons and the limitations of the times. Like most theatrical adaptations, the performances and script deliver all of the emotional action to give a wildly complex study of characters. This is completely true of Washington's adaptation of the August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. At the center of this complicated drama is Washington and Davis bursting with restless energy. Imprisoned by the nature of the era, Troy and Rose have raised a family together but their compromises have kept them coiled to each other for good and bad reaso...

Starting a new year usually inspires us to take chances, make mistakes, try new things, believe in ourselves more. As geeks we often turn to books, movies, or tv shows for advice and comfort. In sticking with our resolutions for the next twelve months, here are some inspirational quotes from 2016 to make our world a little brighter. What quotes are motivating you this year? Feel free to share in the comments!

2016 was one hell of a year - a spectacle we couldn't help but watch in slow motion no matter how much we tried to avoid it. Many events will make it memorable: cinematic disappointments ( Suicide Squad ), nostalgic surprises ( Stranger Things ), political train wrecks, protests, the loss of icons - to name a few. If I ever have kids and they ask me what 2016 was like, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enough words to describe it - confusing, bombastic, heated, inspiring, one for the ages. To keep the chaos a little controllable and sobering, I had a wee list of things to do:  matched my reading goal , committed to daily walking routine, drank more water, post more on instagram, survived  the   Captain America marathon , and perhaps the big one of all - dress up as  Matt the Radar Technician for Halloween . Like all good, bad, and the ugly things the world endured, they have to come to an end. Or at least roll over into a new start. 2016 put us through a lot and ...

2016 was a strange year for movies - so many landed on my to-watch list for 2017 because of their limited releases, and what memorable movies I did see felt few and far between. In all, I  watched about 50 flicks  which beats last year's total but I plan on seeing a lot more next year. Below are my favorites and picks for Best Of from what I've seen so far. When a movie is pretty bad, I tend to forget about it pretty easily - so there's no worst category here (unlike  my 2016 tv post ).  I hope you enjoy my picks of characters, couples, and genres.  What were your favorite movies? What movie surprised or disappointed you?  Let me know your favorite movies of 2016 in the comments!