Girl Gone Wild for MDNA

Madonna has a new album out! It seems like forever since she did the Super Bowl. Here I will go track by track and report to you my findings about her new album, "MDNA" upon my first listen.

Track 1: "Girl Gone Wild" Whoa! More like MDMA! This is a highly danceable song that reminds me of her techno-ish songs from "Confessions." It sounds great, probably because it's produced by Benny Benassi. Lyrically, Madonna never really has had me thinking really deep thoughts, or up in arms about her "sacrilege" She opens the song with an Act of Contrition, I guess to either honor or piss off her Catholic roots. I really can't ever tell with her. This is a great single, but I feel like even though I don't expect her to grow up and become Celine Dion, it feels a little fakey to hear her say "I'm a bad girl" at this point in her career.

Episode 52 - Post-Con Energy Depleted

The cast of Beaucoup Pop is back, bringing you everything you need to know about whats going on in the pop culture world...and maybe some things that you didn't need to know, BUT WE GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY!!!

Kerry and Matt man the BCP table with Justin, Tressa, Kentucky Geek Girl
and Jenny Stead holding down the rest of the row!

Lexington Comic and Toy Con was a HUGE success, and the BCP gang is giving you the low down on what went down.  We're exhausted from the overwhelming amount of awesome, but artist Mark Rudolph (Requiem Podcast, CV Comics) joins us to help bring you the coverage you're looking for!!!

New Releases for 03/27/12

SECKMANS SELECTIONS

Not a lot of new releases this week. It looks like Amazon released our friend Sara Richard's book Kitty & Dino early, so be sure to order your copy!!! There are some new releases for fans of South Park, Fassbender, 90's music and Jay Brannan (I AM!). Here's a look at some of the things coming out the week of March 27, 2012!

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03/27/2012 UPDATE

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Madonna's new album MDNA also came out this week! ^_^

MOVIES

South Park: The Complete Fifteenth Season

Board Game Spotlight: Dominion

Oh Dominion, how I love thee. Let me count the ways, 1 Province, 3 Duchys, 5 Estates and....damn 8 Curses!

Domion is not technically a board game, it's a card game for 2-4 players (and up to 8 players, if you have both 2 base games). I was introduced to it by my friend Evan about 3 years ago. Since then, I have tried to share this awesome game with anyone who will play it. My friend Nikki is now hooked as well and we've spent many an evening playing cards and drink wine and eating Cheez-its...it's our things.

The brilliant thing about Domion is that the play time is pretty short, usually under an hour, it's quick to set up/clean up and with all the cards available, the replay value is practically limitless. But I get ahead of myself. I should probably tell you WHAT Dominion is!

Episode 51 - LCTC Final Countdown!!!

The cast of Beaucoup Pop is back, bringing you everything you need to know about whats going on in the pop culture world...and maybe some things that you didn't need to know, BUT WE GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY!!!

That's right Poppers we are mere DAYS away from the first EVER Lexington Comic and Toy Con! We're wrapping up the countdown with more special guests who will have tables at LCTC. We talk with Ray Coffman (Ninja vs Samurai), Shawn Pryor (Action Lab Comics), and Billy Boyd (Breakfast Impossible). For more information on these guys, check out their bios in the show notes!

As promised, here is the layout and table assignments for the LCTC

New Releases for 03/20/12

SECKMANS SELECTIONS

Late but great! Here's another week with some pretty sweet releases all over the place, including a new Resident Evil game: Operation Racoon City, Girl with the Dragon Tatoo (US version), Muppets!! music from the new group Tanlines and finally, Battle Royal The Complete Collection on Blu-ray bitches! Oh yeah!! Here you go, a look at some of the things coming out the week of March 20, 2012!

MOVIES

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Three-Disc Combo Blu-ray / DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy)

What Will It Take For Us To Finaly Get a Great Superman Movie?

As you can see I've been a Superman fan for a very long time. He was my absolute favorite superhero growing up. The 1978 film with Christopher Reeve was released the year before I was born, so it was always on television as I got older. I loved the Super Friends cartoon and I had every action figure from the Super Powers toy line, a set I still consider to be the greatest toy line of all time. No matter where I was, or what I was doing, you would likely see me with a Superman action figure in hand or in Superman pajamas with the detachable cape. He was perfect. He was unstoppable. And above all, he could fly! How could you not love him?

Superman has been around since 1938. He is easily the most recognizable pop culture icon no matter where you go in the world. His symbol has appeared on everything from clothing, lunch boxes, and hats to jewelery and body art. He has been the subject of countless radio serials, television series, cartoons and live-action films. He's an icon. A symbol of strength and self-sacrifice. He's faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and can leap tall building in a single bound. Yet the poor bastard hasn't had a decent movie made about him in over 30 years!!

Superman and Superman II are great movies, and in spite of their lackluster special effects, they still hold up after all these years. With the success of the first two films, it was impossible to think that the studio wouldn't make a few more. Unfortunately those few more turned out to be Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. After these monumental disappointments it should have come as no surprise that it was a good long while before we were given any more, but that was not for lack of trying. If you are unfamiliar with the storied history of the fifth Superman movie I recommend you jump over to Wikipedia if you need a good cry. It's enough to make you rip your hair out. Some people don't know how close we came to getting a Superman movie where he wore an all black suit, didn't fly and fought a giant spider during the film's climax. I shit you not!

Episode 50 - Geeks! Ninjas! G.O.T. soap? OH MY!!!

The cast of Beaucoup Pop is back, bringing you everything you need to know about whats going on in the pop culture world...and maybe some things that you didn't need to know, BUT WE GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY!!!

Holy chinchillas BATMAN, it’s our 50th episode!!!! 

It’s a milestone Poppers and we’re doing it up right. We are growing ever so close to the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention, and the Beaucoup Pop crew is once again bringing you one-on-one interviews with some of the creators who will be filling it’s floors. This week we’ve got Michael Kotora (Lone), Jenny Stead (Ninja’d), Brett Hatfield (Mimics), and Natasha Collier (Kentucky Geek Girl) stopping by to give us the skinny on what they’re offering at this year’s con. Check out their bio's and links in the show notes below. 

We also review Disney's new John Carter of Mars film. Thanks to Mark Weaver from the Generation Mouse Podcast, Tressa, Kerry and Matt were able to see the regional premiere in Louisville!! And, it wouldn't be an episode of Beaucoup Pop with awkward conversations about sex. Let's do this!!

New Releases for 03/13/12

SECKMANS SELECTIONS

Boy, what a week! Ton of awesome new releases here. I think my Amazon wishlist just increased (if possible) by a page or two. There are some sweet video games coming out, including the higly anticipated Journey by the company who brought us Flower. And there's plenty to listen to in the music word...we go everything from The Ting Tings to some surprising new artists who have stolen my heart. And in movies...well pretty much every good movie from this fall came out...My Week With Marolyn, TinTin, The Three Musketeers, etc. Anyway, here's a look at some of the things that came out this week, March 13, 2012!

VIDEO GAMES

Silent Hill: Downpour

Staying true to the franchise's original roots, this eighth installment of the Silent Hill franchise returns with an all new thought-provoking horror storyline. Players will once again find themselves face to face with their deepest sins and fears in the strange world of Silent Hill. The survival horror experience begins after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. Gamers will encounter mind-bending puzzles, as well as horrific creatures and other world terrors using everyday objects from wooden chairs to glass bottles to fend off their enemies. The natural response, fight or flight is left to the player as they unravel a dark, thought-provoking storyline which will appeal to fans of the early, classic Silent Hill series, as well as anyone who enjoys a deep, psychological horror experience. In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests along the way that can change depending on their play style, revealing unknown evils within the town.

I Think Amalur With You

I really like video games...especially RPGs. If I had my way, I would play every RPG I could get my hands on. I'm a sucker for a game that tells an awesome story. Admittedly, I don't get to play video games as often as I'd like. I miss the days of college, when I could come home from class at 4:00, kill 5 hours of Final Fantasy VIII and still have time for homework. :) Or the wonderful 3 month summer vacations where I once had a fling with Final Fantasy X. But as an adult with a full-time day job, I find that I either don't have time to log the hours needed make progress in an RPG, or the task seems daunting because I have SO MANY just sitting on my game shelf begging to be played.

Because of this, my tastes in games has evolved. I usually stick with the 8-10 hour Action games or FPS like Tomb Raider, Uncharted, BioShock, Heavy Rain, God of War, etc. But recently, I've found myself locking the front door, putting my phone on vibrate and snuggling under a blanket to play the hell out of some RPGs. It started with Final Fantasy XIII (which, despite mixed reviews, revitalized my faith in Square-Enix's ability to make a playable RPG) and has picked up again with Final Fantasy XIII-2. But fear not...this is not an article where I, once again, express my love for the Final Fantasy XIII line. No, I'm here to express my love and admiration for a wonderful not so little game called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning!!

This Week's Disappointments

I admit it-I listen to pop radio in my car. I am terrible about having the same stack of CD's crammed in my Honda's little spot for them under the radio console for weeks on end. Eventually, I have to take out the same 10 CD's I've had on repeat and start fresh. In the mean time, I scan the local stations for some jams to listen to on my drives to and from work, to the grocery store, to the movie theater, etc. because I don't have an ipod jack in my car, and I'm much too lazy to get a transmitter kit.

Anyhoo, sometimes I come across some real gems, but this week I almost crashed the car in what can only be classified as an allergic reaction to 2 truly horrifying moments brought to me courtesy of pop radio.

Why Creator-Owned Superhero Comics are the Best: A Review of Dynamo 5

My wife and I were talking about romantic comedies one day and I mentioned that I never really enjoyed that particular genre because it is, by nature, extremely derivative. Boy meets girl, they court, they finally get together, boy or girl breaks the other person's heart, their partner leaves 3/4 of the way through the movie, then they make-up following an overly-dramatic display of affection and penance. Credits. You always know where the story is headed, and when watching the movie you feel as though you're just going through the motions.

Now I'm supposed to be writing about a comic book, so why the hell am I am talking about romantic comedies?! I mention them because superhero comics, specifically corporate-owned superhero comics, often suffer from the same plot issues as romantic comedies. When you pick up an issue of your favorite masked vigilante you rarely see something new, and the climax of their adventures is a foregone conclusion. And that's not always a bad thing, but we all like to be surprised and want to follow a story where we don't already know where things are headed. You rarely gets this with books that include capes and tights. But if superheroes are your thing, imagine picking up a book and not knowing what's going to happen. Imagine a book where characters could be killed off, I mean, really killed off with no warning never to return. A book where there are real stakes. Dynamo 5 from Image Comics was the perfect example of how a writer and artist can take the superhero convention and make it feel fresh and exciting, all the while delivering surprise after surprise in an effort to keep their readers guessing.

The Missing Episode!

You may be asking yourself...what happened to episode 48?

Episode 48 - THE LOST EPISODE will be a listener EXCLUSIVE!!! You'll have to listen to 49-51 to find out details on how to obtain you copy of our super SECRET episode! We may also drop a hint or two on future episodes. You'll have to listen to get your mission. ^_^

Episode 49 - Convention Kick Off
Episode 50 - Episode 50 - Geeks! Ninjas! G.O.T. soap? OH MY!!!

Episode 49 - Convention Kick Off

The cast of Beaucoup Pop is back, bringing you everything you need to know about whats going on in the pop culture world...and maybe some things that you didn't need to know, BUT WE GIVE IT TO YOU ANYWAY!!!

Gather round Poppers young and old!!!!  We’ve hit our ONE YEAR mark people!  We honestly and truly could not have gotten to this point without you, the listeners.  So first off...THANK YOU!!!

March kicks off the convention season for the BCP gang and this week's episode marks PART ONE of our One Year/50th Episode Convention Countdown!!! We’re starting it off right with a slew of amazing guests who will be at the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention on March 24th. Stopping by this week we’ve got Sara Turner (Cricket Press), Kenn Minter (Tales of the Emerald Yeti) and Jason Sizemore (Apex Publications)!

I know I know...it’s a lot of awesomeness for one week, but you’re going to have to get use to it.  It’s the March Hullabaloo, Beaucoup Pop has caught the Con bug and the only cure is kick ass guests!

New Releases for 03/06/12

SECKMANS SELECTIONS

So I hope everyone has ravaged your couches for lost change, hoarded those gift cards and have no plans for your 'thank god March has 3 week so I get an extra paycheck this month' cause this week is a doozy!! All I have to say is Game of Fucking Thrones and Mass E...wait, no...I save that one for later. I hope you have an emergency savings fund...cause here's some of what coming out the week of March 06, 2012!

MOVIES

Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

Is Prequel the New Black?

Amid all the reimaginings and reboots that seem to be taking hold across movies, television, games, and comics these days, one particular type of work has been slowly, but surely rearing it's head more and more.  That of the prequel.  What is a prequel you may ask?  Well, basically a prequel is work that supplements a previously completed work set in an earlier time period before the already completed work.  Are they suddenly taking over and taking a bigger part of the media market than they deserve?  Maybe...maybe not.

With watching Star Wars: The Phantom Menace a few weeks ago with my kids, it got me thinking about all the current and near future prequels that are on the horizon.  With the release of the first Star Wars prequels, it really seemed to cement the idea of what they can be in the minds of both movie goers and movie executives and that movie and it's two follow-ups seemed the catalyst for such works as The Thing (2011), Fast and Furious, and X-Men: First Class as well as the upcoming Prometheus, Sex in the City prequel, Xerxes, Monster University, and The Hobbit.  Those God-awful, abominations set within the Star Wars universe seemed to really set something in motion that in all reality was already there, we just seem to have short memories for that sort of thing.  Godfather: Part 2 was a prequel to the original Godfather, Mallrats was a prequel to Clerks, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was a prequel to A Fistful of Dollars, almost all of the Planet of the Apes movies have been prequels to the original Planet of the Apes; even good ole George Lucas himself made a prequel before the Star Wars prequels in the form of Temple of Doom being set before the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The whole idea of prequels is not exclusive to movies.  Though not as prevalent on television,  we have gotten shows like Star Trek: Enterprise, Caprica, and Sparticus: Gods of the Arena.

BCP Artist of the Month - RYAN CODY

This month here at Beaucoup Pop, we're spotlighting Mr. Ryan Cody. He is a comic book creator based in Flagstaff, Arizona. His credits include; the creator-owned super-powered adventure series ICARUS, contributing to the Eisner-Award winning Popgun Vol.3 and Outlaw Territory Vol. 3 for Image Comics, a Sparrow story for Red 5 Comics, Villains for Viper Comics, art chores on Jesus Christ: In the Name of the Gun Vol.2 and multiple original art covers for Marvel Comics & The Hero Initiative. His current project is an unannounced 5-issue superhero tale set in New Orleans. For more information and updates please visit super75comics.wordpress.com

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***

Hey Everybody!!! Our Libsyn RSS feed has been submitted and approved by iTunes. YAY!

iTunes does not let you update your current RSS feed, so we had to basically submit our podcast to them again. Now there’s TWO podcasts on iTunes called Beaucoup Pop!! @_@ Ahhh!

So, what does this mean for you, our listeners? Well, you’ll need to do TWO things:

1. You’ll need to make sure you subscribe to the correct Beaucoup Pop feed in iTunes (I’ve provided a link below). If you notice that there are no new episodes after #47, then you’re not subscribed to the right one. Our next episode will be #49…#48 is a “Lost Episode” and will not be published. More on that another time. Please do this before next Wednesday (03/07/12), so you’re not behind.

2. Because of this change we’re going to LOSE ALL OUR CURRENT RATINGS AND REVIEWS in iTunes. Reviews and ratings are some of the best ways to promote our show, so PLEASE HEAD OVER TO ITUNES AND RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW!! ^_^

You can use this link (even if you're viewing this on your smartphone) to pull up our new show feed in the iTunes Store.  As always we <3 you and appreciate you taking the time to spread the word. Peace!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beaucoup-pop/id506212082

Movie Review: Chronicle

Sometimes you see a trailer and think, "This looks interesting, but I feel like I've seen it before." Except this new movie doesn't have an A-list cast, a huge budget, or a ubiquitous marketing campaign. You're not sure what the film has to offer, but you like the concept and decide to check it out. You then find yourself sitting in a theater eating a gigantic bag of popcorn and drinking an irresponsibly large soda when it hits you: This movie puts all the others to shame. The writers, the director, the cast, and everyone associated with this project nailed it. Chronicle is that type of movie.