Pads & Panels

Interview with WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes

WWE Extreme Rules Preview

Interview by Bill Jones – Images courtesy of WWE

Cody Runnels, better known by his ring name Cody Rhodes, is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, a fact he played into with the multi-generational stable The Legacy. Cody Rhodes cut his teeth in the WWE in tag team competition with Ted DiBiase, but in recent years, Rhodes has made a name for himself as a singles competitor poised to be a main eventer. He has had great feuds and even better matches with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton and Booker T. But his current feud sees him up against the 7-foot 441-pound Big Show, upholding the time-honored pro wrestling tradition of fighting a giant, in this case a giant who beat him Sunday, April 1, for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania.

Rhodes will get his rematch Sunday, April 29, at the Extreme Rules pay per view, held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (Chicago). Rhodes was kind enough to take 15 minutes out of his busy travel schedule Thursday, April 26, to chat on the phone about the upcoming show and his career, delving into his mask, video games, his father, Chicago, twitter, the return of Attitude Era Superstars, dream matches, mystery stipulations and, of course, the Big Show. (more…)

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Title: Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention

Format: Blu-ray

Created by: Nick Park

Starring: Peter Sallis, Ashley Jensen, Jem Stansfield

Studio: Lionsgate, Aardman

Series Rating:

Blu-ray Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Series

Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention saw a six-episode run in 2010 that brought together Aardman Animations’ flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit, and live video coverage of inventors and their wild inventions from around the world. The result is a show hosted by Nick Park’s fantastic clay characters and their special brand of humor, rolling to clips of fascinating people in the vein of classic educational shows using cartoon characters to draw in the kids.

The episodes come themed, from nature to space, home inventions to the senses, safety to transportation. The jokes are on par with what Wallace & Gromit fans have come to expect, while the clips find some insanely interesting people and stories to put on display. The show is ultimately fascinating, and it’s just a shame that it didn’t last longer. (more…)

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No matter what happens at MITB, Punk rant was brilliant

How WWE is playing a hometown, the internet and more

By Bill Jones

No matter what happens at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in Chicago this Sunday, there’s no denying that the already infamous June 27 Monday Night Raw rant was an absolutely brilliant move. And its impact is already readily apparent. More people are buzzing about the world of professional wrestling than they have in years; WWE is likely to get great buyrates for a PPV that otherwise might have been considered second-rate and gone largely under the radar; people were chanting CM Punk’s name on Raw tonight; and there is the setup for some great shock value in Punk’s hometown.

For those coming to this story unfamiliar with the situation, CM Punk came out at the end of Monday Night Raw June 27, cost John Cena a tables match against R Truth, and proceeded to sit at the top of the ramp and cut a promo that had many wondering whether it was scripted or whether CM Punk had really just gone off the hinges. (more…)

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Title: Metalocalypse Season 3: The Dead Man

Format: DVD

Created by: Tommy  Blacha, Brendan Small

Directed by: Jon Schnepp and Mark Brooks

Written by: Brendan Small, Tommy Blacha and Krostofor Brown

Studio: Adult Swim

Season Rating:

DVD Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

The Season

The third season of the irreverent heavy metal Adult Swim program Metalocalypse sees the show expand its episode length from the first two seasons’ length of 11 minutes (without commercials) to 21, and while it’s only ten minutes extra, the show is better for it. The longer show length does mean, however, that there are fewer episodes, but I’d rather see the ideas introduced be more fleshed out and thought through than rushed, as some of them tended to be in the past. (more…)

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Title: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Sixth Season

Format: 3-Disc DVD

Studio: Warner Bros. Television

Created by: Andy Barowitz, Susan Barowitz

Starring: Will Smith, James Avery, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell, Ross Bagley

Season Rating:

DVD Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Film

The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air was many things. A launching pad to the career of Will Smith. A popular comedy in the age of sitcoms with a six-season run, and a long-loved program in syndication. It also opened with one of the most memorable theme songs on any television show.

But so many of these success stories long outlive their creativity before finally going off the air for good. Luckily, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wasn’t one of those shows. Its sixth and final season originally aired on NBC in 1995-96, and offered the same brand of humor the show was known for in its first five years. (more…)

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The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Warriors Vols. 1 & 2 DVD

By Bill Jones

Marvel and Walt Disney Studios couldn’t have timed the release of an Avengers animated television show much better than they did with The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Season 1 aired last year, and hits DVD just in time for the release of Thor in theaters. With Captain America coming this summer and The Avengers’ big-screen debut planned for 2012, the animated version offers viewers a nice primer into the world of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The first two volumes of the show comprises 13 episodes over two, individually released discs, each in shiny slipcase covers. The first volume features seven episodes, using the first five to introduce the characters one at a time – Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Ant-Man – followed by the two-part “Breakout” story. The second volume introduces a few more characters over six episodes, and features battles with Klaw, Baron Zemo, The Enchantress and some Gamma-Mutated Monsters, ending with the two part “Gamma World” story.

Both volumes offer a sneak peak at Season 2 of the series, which has yet to air on Disney XD. The first volume also contains the bonus feature, “New Looks, New Heroes,” with the show’s creators taking a look at the evolving characters and storylines of Season 2. The second volume offers a companion featurette in “New Stories, New Threats,” with a look from the same creative team at what makes the Marvel heroes and villains unique.

Frankly, I’m not a huge fan of the volume releases, as opposed to full seasons. I’d rather have one box with several discs than smaller installments. But for what it’s worth, I like the direction of the show thus far. The individual character introductions work well, and the whole thing has the vibe of the X-Men animated cartoon we all grew up loving. The first two discs are a nice introduction to the series, and a great look into the background of The Avengers for noobs looking to get caught up before summer’s other big comic-movie event hits.

For more info, http://disney.go.com/xd/avengers

Pads & Panels received copies of the DVDs courtesy of the studio for review purposes.

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Title: The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume Five

Format: DVD

Studio: ABC Family

Story Arc Rating:

DVD Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a fictional, yet educational show slated for the 14 and older crowd. It is certainly a good family show that could get issues about teen relationships and sex out into the open for further discussion. In the very first episode of the series, viewers meet Amy Juergens and learn that she is 15 and pregnant. The show portrays how the unexpected pregnancy affects Amy, her family, friends and the father of her baby.

Volume Five of The Secret Life begins with Adrian telling Ben that she is not pregnant (even though she is and it is his), Ashley trying to start a relationship with the father of her sister’s baby, Ricky, and Amy and Ben getting back together. It seems that after a trying first year of being a mother, Amy is finally getting her life back on track, even working things out with Ricky about visitation for their son. Then, while she’s in New York on a trip for teen mothers, the truth comes out about Adrian’s pregnancy, and she’s the only one who doesn’t know. (more…)

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The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 1 “Days Gone By” Review

By Bill Jones

The hype was there for The Walking Dead. AMC has been running promos incessantly leading up to the premiere Sunday evening, which by no coincidence was Halloween. A countdown timer ran at the top of the screen while AMC played a “Fear Fest” marathon to get people in the mood. Just days before, zombies roamed in cities around the world to get the attention of potential viewers.

And that’s all on the promotion side, not even touching on the hype from the comic community about Robert Kirkman’s phenomenal series finally getting the live-action treatment. It is, after all, probably the best zombie comic series ever written. It is filled with gory action, great characters, big moments and has lasted the test of time as its 13th trade is about to be released. So cutting to the chase, did the show’s premiere live up to the hype? (more…)

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Title: Marvel Super Hero Squad Show Vol. 1 Quest for the Infinity Sword

Format: DVD

Directed by: Michael Gerard, Patty Shinagawa, Mitch Schauer

Producer: Marvel, Shout! Factory

Rating:

Review by: Jason King

Disney’s buyout of Marvel was deeply canny for both parties – Marvel gains Disney’s shadow of distribution to provide what should be a more effective core competency (selling comic books to the young) – and Disney gains some famous names that, fears aside, will probably be used effectively.

The Marvel Super Hero Squad Show, within that framework, is a very odd show that addresses none of the potential benefits, but it is a show that I love and look forward to watching more. In many ways, it is a video successor to Twisted Toyfare Theatre that Robot Chicken has never been for me. (more…)

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