The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom
Warner Bros. Pictures
Rated PG-13 | 144 Minutes
Release Date: December 17, 2014

“In all the mountains there was a forging and an arming. Then they marched and gathered by hill and valley, going ever by tunnel or under dark, until around and beneath the great mountain Gundabad of the North, where was their capital, a vast host was assembled ready to sweep down in time of storm unawares upon the South.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Co-written and directed by Peter Jackson, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final chapter in a trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel, The Hobbit.

At the conclusion of 2013’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), and the Dwarves reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, but failed to kill the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). Unable to reclaim his precious treasure, the dragon fled the mountain and set his sights on laying waste to Lake-town.

The Battle of the Five Armies picks up only moments after, with Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) defending his home against the “Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities.” Meanwhile, Sauron sends forth legions of Orcs to the Lonely Mountain to attack Bilbo and the Dwarves. With Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) at their side, the races of Men, Elves, and Dwarves must unite to save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord and his minions.

Back in 2012 we found out about a movie that would reunite the comedy group Monty Python (with Terry Jones leading the project as both writer and director) titled Absolutely Anything. The movie was to be a combination of live-action and CGI, following a teacher who’s given the ability to do absolutely anything he wants by aliens (voiced by Python members) so they can see how badly the human messes things up with this newfound power.

Way back then, apart from knowing that Monty Python members were involved, the only actor who was attached to the project was Robin Williams, who plays a talking dog named Dennis in what looks like will be his final role. The lead role was eventually cast with the great Simon Pegg. A new clip from the movie has been released of Pegg using his helpful ability, including having a chat with Dennis. You can watch it below.

With the debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens still far, far away (December 18, 2015), there are a few ways to get your Star Wars fix; however, this little holiday item may just shine the brightest of all.

This 12-inch Star Wars Yoda with LED Lightsaber Tree Topper by Kurt Adler has been tested and approved. It all started with a Geeks of Doom Holiday Gift Guide. These are not just for our readers, folks. My interest was immediately piqued when I stumbled upon this Christmas Tree Topper on Amazon. And when I added it on a whim to my Amazon wishlist, I had no idea that this little piece of Christmas magic would change my life.

I was lucky enough to receive this topper in the mail as a Christmas gift, and when I opened the box, I was stunned. There is no other way to put it (okay, I have a few more ways). This is Yoda as you have never seen him before. His beautiful, handpainted face is almost as impressive as his bright green, shining lightsaber. My living room has changed from a cute decorated room to a magical land of wonder and amusement where the Force is extremely strong (I may be exaggerating a little bit). But really, when I beheld this Yoda at the top of my Christmas tree, my jaw dropped.

It’s that annual time again for either Cause Celebre or teeth-gritting derision depending on one’s taste, as the latest roster of inductees into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been announced. And as par for its course, the list spans the semantics and even transcends it, of the rock and roll idiom. For 2015, the inductees include Joan Jett, Green Day, Lou Reed, and Ringo Starr, amongst others.

The true backbeat to The Beatles, with his nasal-inflected voice, puckish charm, and one of the most underrated drummers of all time, Ringo Starr leads the pack of the Class of 2015 with the Award For Musical Excellence. Having drummed on the entire Beatles catalog (save for a few tracks where Paul McCartney took the drum seat) and sporting a solo career that was varied at best, but chock full of top ten and even number one hits during the early 1970s (“Photograph,” “You’re Sixteen,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” etc.), Starr, who still feverishly tours and keeps active well into his 70s, rounds out the last of the solo Beatles to be inducted, and while some may cry default that he got in as a solo artist just because of his prior pedigree, there’s no way one Richard Starkey (his real name) could have been left out, standing near the cold harbor outside the hall. Favoritism seems to be the order of the day in terms of the Hall’s voting committee and their strangely stringent tenets of what garners inclusion to its walls of fame, Ringo Starr notwithstanding.

Flash Gordon Annual 2014
Written by Chris Eliopoulos, Ben Acker, Ben Blacker, Jeff Parker and Nate Crosby
Art by Chris Eliopoulos, Faith Erin Hicks, Lee Ferguson, Jeremy Treece, Craig Rousseau
Colors by Jeremy Treece, Marissa Louise, Omi Remalante
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos, Simon Bowland,
Cover art by Marc Laming & Jordan Boyd
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 26, 2014
Cover Price: $7.99

Flash Gordon Annual 2014 is a really more than just an annual. It’s a love letter to the franchise from the creators that all had their work published in it. And, boy, there sure were a lot of them. With five different stories covering the whole Flash Gordon universe, almost nothing goes untouched. But, is it worth the $7.99 price tag and your time?