Matt's Top 5 Cable TV Series

This list was featured in The Deucecast Episode 3. Enjoy.


5)) STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Cartoon Network)
I am a HUGE Star Wars fan. I mean I love Star Wars, not the 1970's chic of A New Hope, not because I had the toys when I was a kid, but because this is an awesome, deep, and well-imagined universe. I know the prequels had their faults, but I see Star Wars as everything George Lucas releases and creates, I don't pick and choose. This series fills in the blanks between eps 2 and 3. The animation is improving every season. Most importantly, this thing is created and pieced together by people who LOVE Star Wars.


4)) SONS OF ANARCHY (FX)
FX is a network that no one even heard of a decade ago. Today, its home to some of TV's best programming. Sons of Anarchy is one of their current flagship series. This is a series about a biker gang in northern California. Seems simple enough, a bunch of crazy violence and law-breaking.... but this is so much more. This show has amazing actors like Ron Pearlman, Charlie Hunnam, and Katey Sagal (recent Emmy winner for her role in the series). This show is not for the timid, but its amazing if you can take it.


3)) THE WIRE (HBO)
If you have heard of this series, you've most likely already heard how amazing it is. The praise is true, for once. I am always skeptical of the critics. But this series is incredible, and incredibly complex. So make sure you really pay attention and don't watch this while doing something else. You can thank me later. This is also a very mature series, be warned.


2)) THE SHIELD (FX)
Some may disagree, but this show put FX on the map. This is the story of Detective Vick Mackey, a tough cop with a family to support and every rule to bend. This thing went seven seasons and came to an awesome end a couple years back. Lets just say I shed a tear or two in the finale. Watch and find out why. Also a mature series.


1)) BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SciFi, not Syfy, that name is dumb)
Few series can take something as crazy as a space robot war and make it into something that teaches you things about your life, but Ron Moore and his team truly brought this classic sci-fi series back as a masterpiece. Amazing characters, surprising twists (some you will NOT see coming), state of the art visual effects, and real-world parallels (like religion, politics, labor disputes, and tons more) make this a series not to be soon forgotten. Again, like the last few mentions, this is a mature series, so be warned. This will knock your socks off!

Matt's Top Netflix Instant View Movies

As discussed in The Deucecast Episode 2, here are my top 5 Netflix Instant View movies, at least for the past couple weeks...


SHORT CIRCUIT
This 1986 classic contains the perfect 80's formula for success. Steve Guttenberg, CHECK. Hit pop single by El De Barge, CHECK. White actor in an ethnic role that would never be allowed on screen today (Tropic Thunder excluded), CHECK. Robots and Lasers, DOUBLE CHECK.


HOT SHOTS: PART DEUX
One of my favorite Charlie Sheen roles of all time. This was a golden age when spoofs were funny. With spoofs of classic action flicks and lots of Saddam/gulf war jokes, this one really holds up if you were around in he 90's.


BATMAN (1989)
This movie still loves on in my house. Lots of people refer to the epic achievement of Donner Superman films. Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Jack Nicholson made me believe comic books could truly exist on screen. I still have a Keaton Batman trash can to this day.


MONSTERS
This is a newer film from director Gareth Edwards. This low-budget thriller tries to pull a District 9 crossed with Children of Men, but ends up with something different. The dialogue may be a bit lame, and it may seem bring at times, but this low-budget flick is beautiful to look at. Its an awesome achievement considering the shoestring financing. Oh yeah, and the star is names Scoot McNairy! Need I say more?


UHF
Weird Al is awesome! I went to see this 1989 classic for my buddy Kenny's birthday party when it was released in theaters. It changed my life. Conan the Librarian, Spatula City, Gandhi 2! WATCH IT!

Lego Star Wars III The Clone Wars review

Every once in a while, a game comes along that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. This is highly uncommon in the age of Call Of Duty, Gears Of War, and Grand Theft Auto. But I can definitively say, uncommon as it may be, such a game does exist. That game is called Lego Star Wars III The Clone Wars.

Developer Traveler's Tales has been cranking away and refining the "Lego plus famous licence" series for several years now. I personally thought they had really outdone themselves with last year's Lego Harry Potter. It added a huge hub-world in the form of a Lego-ized replica of Hogwarts Castle, complete with all of the locations made famous in the films. This and several other new features set a new standard for the Lego game franchise.

As a Star Wars fan, it pleases me to say that Lego Star Wars III blows Harry out of the water!

The game begins with a prologue chapter taken from the event which kicked off the fabled Clone Wars, the Geonosis arena from the 2nd prequel film. After the wars kicks off, you are given the option to follow 3 separate paths, one for each major clone wars villain: General Grievous, Count Dooku, and Asajj Ventress. These paths take the player through several season 1 and 2 episodes of the acclaimed animated series.

Some Standouts include the Yoda-rich "Ambush!", fan favorite "Rookies", and even the monster "Zillo Beast". These memorable episodes are portrayed through a variety of level types. There are, of course, the classic "smash everything in sight" action/brawl style sections. There are vehicle segments, which, with the aid of a totally overhauled game engine, include HUGE environments complete with in and out of cockpit segments which seamlessly transition from one to the other. The third major level type, a new addition, is a tower defense/RTS battlefield stage. The strategy-type levels are a mixed bag, seeming to take sometimes too long to complete the goals needed. That is, honestly, my only complaint with the game thus far.

Outside of these storylines, there is a TON to discover and unlock. Taking from the Lego Harry Potter playbook, the developers have included a full Republic Cruiser hub world. This Cruiser is HUGE. As you unlock gold bricks, you expand the area you can explore. There are more than 130 characters to unlock and discover. You will be busy with this game for a LOOOOONG time.

Fans of the series will recognize the voice talent from the animated show have even provided voicework, which actually is just mostly grunts and moans. This may seem trivial, but when considering the presence of characters like Yoda and Obi-Wan, that level of authenticity goes a long way.

Now, to the verdict.... as a Star Wars fan, this one is a definite must-buy. It will keep you busy for hours and hours even after you have completed the main story mode. If you have kids (especially boys), grab this game and have a blast playing co-op.

For Star Wars fans, this is a title that is not to be missed.