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I'm the worst. I couldn't keep my resolution for the year. Not even a week after proclaiming I would write 52 blog posts in 52 days straight, I stopped blogging and became preoccupied again. I really did try! I had the motivation, the determination, and the urge to prove myself wrong. What went wrong?! I think I just get too tired when I get home.

My time away hasn't been wasted. I did start writing again, but this time it was solely about TV shows. As of Monday, I started contributing to Entertainment Weekly's EW Community page. Two of my posts have already gone up: a piece exploring the relationship status of Revenge's Nolan Ross and Louise Ellis, and a recap of MTV's cyber drama Eye Candy. I love chatting about TV shows and I can't wait to cover more topics. Check them out and stay tuned for more to come!

Don't worry all, I won't be going away. This website is still near and dear to my heart. I will still be creating consistent content on entertainment news, video games, movies, and of course, TV. I'll try and come on here soon! I'm in the mood for writing a post about video games next.
Fox Renews 'Gotham', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and 'Empire'

Quick entertainment news of the day. The future Dark Knight will be back to walk the streets of Gotham City on your television screen for another year! Revealed today at the Television Critics Association (and reported by TV Line), Fox has given early renewals to three of their TV shows. Two freshman dramas, Batman comic book origin story Gotham and hip-hop drama Empire, have both been renewed for a second season while sophomore comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine will return for a third season.

So far 2015 has been a great year for renewals on the TV front - and my TV show schedule thanks you! Though, as it's still early in the year, anything can really change and I probably just jinxed myself with that last line. (Oh no...must delete later...)

Did your TV show get the renewal treatment? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Movie Review: The Imitation Game

Historical adaptations can be a hit-or-miss for movies. Details can change, accuracy is questionable and the entertainment value may not be at its strongest. Not all historical events are really worthy of a big screen setting. That's not to say it's the case for all historical movies. With the right story, the right cast and the right source material, a movie can come together to pleasantly exceed someone's expectations...even my own.

One of the latest movies I watched in theatres is more of the latter. It earned plenty of buzz at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and looks to be an ongoing contender at this season's award shows. The movie I will be reviewing today is the British historical adaption: The Imitation Game.

The Premise: Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is a mathematician, cryptanalyst and a pioneering computer scientist. During World World II as Britain was engaged in war against Germany, the British Government secretly recruited Turing, along with a team of other code-breakers, to solve the secret Nazi code program known as "Enigma" to help stop the war and defeat the Nazis. The Imitation Game follows the story of the team working to the break the Enigma code, as well as Turing's early life as a student and his life as a professor following his work with the team.

The Results: 3/5!
The Imitation Game was a surprisingly intriguing film. Benedict Cumberbatch performed amazingly in the lead role, perfecting all of Turing's little quirks and habits. There was a real sense of urgency with the plot and the way it was presented in the final film, I found myself captivated in wanting to know the answer to Enigma's code. Going into the movie I was not familiar with the story of Alan Turing or had read the biography that chronicled the historical events. I was a little unsure of how I would like the movie since this is normally not the type of film genre I tend to watch. I'm more of a horror, science fiction, action and comedy type of guy. I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself enjoying most of the film. The Imitation Game is a good film for anyone who likes historical thrillers or...let's face it...Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie may not be for everyone so keep that in mind if historical pieces are not your thing.
The CW Renews 'Jane The Virgin', 'Flash', 'Arrow', And Five More

Alright everyone...let's take a minute and brace ourselves for potentially the best entertainment news of the week! The 2015-2016 television season is going to be a big year for The CW with their incredible, and early, renewal news. Announced today at the Television Critics Association (TCAs), The CW is ready to bring back eight (yes, eight!) TV shows for another year. It might be January 11th but it's already feeling like Christmas to me.

As a TV buff and fan of The CW's programming, I'm excited to hear that many of my favourite TV shows are returning. Which of the lucky TV shows are coming back? Established hits like Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and Arrow will be returning for a Season 11, Season 7 and Season 4 respectively. Sophomore shows The Originals, Reign and The 100 will be getting their third seasons while freshman newbies Jane The Virgin and The Flash have scored a second season each.

It's not uncommon for The CW to dole out early group renewals, as the network did renew five TV shows last February. However, as the network only has 10 hours of programming to fill on their schedule per week, eight TV shows seems like a lot to hear in January no less. With Jane The Virgin and The 100 not pulling in the best ratings at the moment, and Reign and The Originals feeling the sophomore slump, I'm glad to hear that fans of the eight shows can breathe a sigh of relief - myself included. It's no guarantee that all will appear on the Fall Schedule; some may be relegated to midseason.

Speaking of the scripted midseason shows, no word yet on the current renewal status of Hart of Dixie, Beauty and the Beast or the two new freshman shows, iZombie and The Messengers. A decision will most likely be revealed this May. Hart of Dixie is currently airing on Fridays but fans can be prepared for the premiere of iZombie on March 17th and The Messengers on April 10th. Beast is potentially set for sometime either April or May (nothing confirmed yet).

Are you excited for the return of your show? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Trailer Madness: Until Dawn

Survival-horror is my favourite video game genre. I love the atmosphere, the tension, the horror and the sense of urgency of someone (or something) chasing you. It keeps me at the edge of my seat! If a game can master this mix of horror just right, I consider it a success. For those of you familiar with this blog, I tend to cover and review many survival-horror video games. Resident Evil 6, The Evil Within and TellTale's The Walking Dead are perfect examples of this. For 2015, there is a new game I'm eagerly anticipating...and it's one for a console I don't own. This video game is a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Until Dawn is an upcoming survival-horror video game that is inspired by many teen slasher movies. The plot follows eight friends heading to a cabin in the snowy mountains for a weekend of drinks and fun. Unbeknownst to the clueless teenagers, a killer is stalking their every move. Similar to The Walking Dead, players will get to have the chance to make choices for how this horror movie plays out. Apparently there are hundreds of different actions and endings where each choice and movement of the eight teens ultimately affects who lives, who dies and how the movie will end. As a lover of horror movies and video games, I'm excited to say the least.

The video game is set for a release this Summer 2015. No doubt I'll be writing a blog post and a new review for you all once I get to play it. My brother has a PlayStation 4 and I've given him the heads-up. Until the warmer months arrive, you can check out a closer look of the game with the Until Dawn announcement trailer below.

A New Challenge For The New Year

My blogging habits aren't the same as most writers. Occasionally I will create a post every few days or weeks; potentially a few posts back-to-back if there is something I really want to talk about. It gives me time to have a breather and work at my own pace. In the worst case scenario, real life just becomes too busy with other priorities that sometimes I don't create a new post for a while. I hate when that happens and 2014 was a perfect example. It's time for a change and a little motivation to get me started. Cue the montage music...

Fifty-two. That is the number of posts and articles I wrote last year alone just for this site. It's a good number, it's basically one post a week. Though, I think I can beat that number. I want to keep writing more geeky content for you all - like TV shows, video games, movies, music and the occasional bits about my life. But nobody really cares about that last one, it's all about the good stuff!

Starting today I'm going to set a 52-day challenge. Every day for 52 days straight I will create a new post or article for this blog. It can be anything really: lists, recaps for TV shows, reviews for video games and movies, articles, editorials, music videos, pictures of cute animals... the skies the limit. However, I will try to add a little variety in the mix beyond just the same-old-same-old.

I'll be sharing the second post in the series beginning tomorrow and should hopefully meet my goal by March 1st, 2015. If there's anything you want me to cover, definitely let me know. I can't wait to start and see if I can actually pull this off. Winter is not my best-friend so I will try my hardest to do this.

Stay tuned! 
Top 25 Favourite Musicians Of 2014
At the start of a new year, I'm always certain about a few things. My short staycation of sleeping in is over. I need to brace for the colder weather to come. My television schedule will be starting up again in a few weeks. And that I need to start writing my yearly blog posts to end off the previous year. I wouldn't call it clockwork, but it's a nice reminder that I haven't forgotten after the many years writing this blog.

Music posts come few and far between. Tuesday Tunes is something I enjoy spreading out and surprising every once in a while. It's not a major focus but I've kept it going. Similar to that yearly series, I've kept my Top 25 ranking of favourite yearly musicians. If you're unfamiliar with the series, I rank the top songs, artists and groups who made a big impact on my playlists for the current year. I've done this for four years now: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. This year will be no different.

Note: I only include new songs that haven't been featured in past lists. I still listen to the older hits! If some of the artists are listed on the same song, I may only reference the song once. Also, this is my personal list, you may disagree with your own choices.

Let's start the ranking for the 25th spot...

25. Tokyo Police Club
Songs: Hot Tonight
LYR (Last Year's Ranking): NEW

24. Troye Sivan
Songs: Happy Little Pill
LYR: NEW

23. Beyonce
Songs: Drunk In Love
LYR: NEW

22. Coldplay
Songs: A Sky Full of Stars
LYR: NEW

21. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
Songs: Rather Be
LYR : NEW

20. Tegan & Sara
Songs: I'm Not Your Hero
LYR: #3

19. Iggy Azalea
Songs: Black Widow, Fancy
LYR : NEW

18. The Naked And Famous
Songs: Hearts Like Ours
LYR: NEW

17. Metric
Songs: Breathing Underwater
LYR: #15

16. Selena Gomez
Songs: The Heart Wants What It Wants
LYR: NEW

15. Katy Perry
Songs: This Is How We Do, Dark Horse
LYR: NEW

14. Virginia To Vegas
Songs: Don't Fight The Music
LYR: NEW

13. Ariana Grande
Songs: Love Me Harder, Problem, Break Free
LYR: NEW

12. Twin Forks
Songs: And She Was, Cross My Mind
LYR: #19

11. OneRepublic
Songs: Counting Stars, Love Runs Out
LYR: NEW


10. Charli XCX
Songs: Boom Clap
LYR: NEW

Charli XCX arguably became popular after her collaboration with Iggy Azalea. It's nothing against her - I just wasn't familiar with her work before. It wasn't until her song was featured in The Fault in Our Stars that I became familiar with her songs. Boom Clap isn't just a catchy tune, it's now become a loveable joke between my friends and I. It's so catchy that it gets stuck in our heads for the entire day. Whenever I need a little laugh, I just mention Boom Clap.


9. Tove Lo
Songs: Habits (Stay High)
LYR: NEW

Is Tove Lo a one-hit wonder? I always ask this question to myself when an artist with arguably one big hit makes it to the Top 10 of this list. Her song earned heavy rotation on the radio and the remixed version is apparently a big hit in the club and bar scene. I'm a tad unsure of what 2015 holds for Tove Lo. I would hope that her next single finds success but it's a question that might be answered once the 2015 list comes out.


8. Echosmith
Songs: Cool Kids, Come Together, Talking Dreams
LYR: NEW

Another case of the one-hit wonder question. I like Echosmith. I enjoyed their song Cool Kids enough to actually search for a few of their other tracks to add to my playlist. But this could be a case of the song sensation. There's a turning point for indie bands who find mainstream success with one of their tunes: their next song continues the trend or it could've just been a one time occurrence. I guess I'll have to wait and see.


7. Sia
Songs: Chandelier
LYR: NEW

For a while Sia's song was everywhere. The incredibly catchy tune and the memorable video dominated 2014, appearing in heavy rotation for many months. I initially watched the music video when I heard the dancing girl in the video was a cast member from Dance Moms. As someone who embarrassingly has seen the show in the past, I was curious. The song, and the dance-heavy video, did not disappoint.


6. Maroon 5
Songs: Maps, Animals
LYR: NEW

My appreciation for Maroon 5 grew in 2014. I've liked their music videos in the past, but they never made it onto any of my lists. Call it the songs, my taste that year or the competition of other talent, the band has floated around in consideration for a while now. Animals and Maps were such good hits that I couldn't help but add them this year.


5. Meghan Trainor
Songs: All About That Base, Lips Are Moving
LYR: NEW

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Meghan Trainor won't be this year's Carly Rae Jepsen. Her first track was such a global success that it had me worried. Though, I think she could pull it off with her next song. I like her pop songs and she seems like a quirky artist that's bit different.


4. Two Door Cinema Club
Songs: Come Back Home, Not In This Town, This Is The Life
LYR: #2

Two Door Cinema Club hasn't released any new music since 2013. Their position on this list is merely as a result of me catching up with some of their past work. I still like the band a lot and I'm eagerly excited for any new music that may hopeful be revealed in 2015.

 
3. Arctic Monkeys
Songs: Snap Out Of It, Do I Wanna Know?
LYR: NEW

Arctic Monkeys have been around for a while now. I've heard a few of their tracks before in movies and television but I never really followed the band. When I heard they were one of the headliners for a music festival in Canada, I decided to research more of their tracks. I loved Snap Out Of It. It became one of the songs I would listen to on repeat while I was sitting at my desk working. It's no surprise I placed them as high on this list.

 
2. Ellie Goulding
Songs: Goodness Gracious, Beating Heart, Outside
LYR: #4

Sometimes not much changes with who appears in these articles. When there is an artist I really like and they consistently create great music, I'll continue to listen. Ellie Goulding so far has been featured three times, all of which were in the Top 4. I like pop music and her songs have a nice mix of pop and dance while sounding different from the standard pop songs. I saw her perform once at Osheaga and she sounded amazing. If there was another concert I'd hope to see again, she would probably be one of them.


1. Taylor Swift
Songs: Style, Blank Space, Shake It Off
LYR: NEW

I'm shocked. Well not really shocked but really surprised. I didn't go into 2014 a big Taylor Swift fan. She's had some catchy hits and I can't deny that I've listened to them in the past. However, near the end of 2014, I found myself excited for the release of her newest album. It may have to do with how addictive Shake It Off was or that I liked the Target commercials with her song, Style. Whatever the reason may be, she won me over. With that being said, Taylor Swift earned the top spot as favourite musician of 2014.


Which musicians were on your 2014 list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

*Images provided by Pop Justice, Billboard, Last.fm, Vanyland, OysterMag, and various artists' pages (1)(2)(3)*