A fairly topical matter- 2014 ain't over yet

We are now in the autumn. So many people have written the year off already. You fools. We still have much to come this year in the world of entertainment. So here's me, telling you what's still to come and what you should be watching out for. Also, if I haven't mentioned something it's going to be because it either doesn't interest me, there wasn't enough room or I simply forgot it. So don't hate in the comments.

Movies
Gone Girl

This film only really appeared on my radar recently but became a must see instantly for the fact that it was an adaptation of a  brilliant book (I'm told, but I'm to read it soon) and it's a David Fincher film. David Fincher is my one of my favourite directors and one who has proved he can do thrillers. Or any other genre for that matter, but thriller is a specialty. If the quality of the trailer is anything to go by, this will be a film that once the intensity begins, it will build and build and build until the final moments where all will be revealed. Gone Girl was a book phenomenon that I and many others adored and I have little doubt this film will do the same. And Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay for the film with a different ending to the books to avoid the film being ruined and to keep those who had read the book guessing. All the right steps for a good adaptation. And yes, David Fincher isn't immune to mistakes (doesn't mean we'll talk about Benjamin Button) but those are rare and this is his genre. I can't wait for it.

The Maze Runner

The book version of The Maze Runner was a pleasant (or rather unpleasant) surprise. It was a gripping and twist filled journey through a very interesting world. And while the later books weren't quite to the standard of the first, they were nevertheless good books. So I with the book as the template and Young Adult book to film adaptations being pretty good at the moment, there is a lot of reasons that this film could be really good. Of course, it could be utter drivel. And there is cause for worry with the trailers already showing deviation from the books occasionally. But, let's not nitpick before the film is even out. I'll still go see this. I can only hope it holds up to the book. And with October being the month of choice for this and the aforementioned Gone Girl, October is a good month for films.

Birdman

Another film that, until recently, I had not even heard of. Now, it's probably my single most anticipated film this year. It's a film where Michael Keaton, a washed up actor at the tail end of his career who is going mad, stars as a washed up actor at the tail end of his career who is going mad. Yup. Michael Keaton is essentially playing an exaggerated version of himself in this star studded black comedy. It's also been nominated for the Golden Lion in the Venice Film Festival, which is a pretty big deal. It's a film that could help break down the barrier between arty films and more typical, commercially successful ones, like Her did earlier in the year. With a cast consisting of Batman, Spiderman's girlfriend, the fat one from The Hangover and the Hulk, we are looking at a winner from the start. Bring it on

TV
Selfie

I proudly despise the word and the ideas of selfies. They really piss me off to a degree that can't be expressed in it's truest form into words. But let me try anyway; if the word selfie was a person, I'd blow paprika into it's orifices. All of them. But this show still makes the list. This show was kind of mocked by the internet when it's title was released but having looked into this, it really doesn't look bad. For a start, Karen Gillian. I'm already sold. She is a social media obsessed girl (hence the title) who ends up being forced to pay attention to the actual world and get real friends instead of Facebook friends, instead of living on her phone. Now we're talking. This is something that is a legitimate problem these days. As someone who frequents the internet, I will be the first to admit I use it too much. This addresses that. It's also describing itself as a modern day re-telling of My Fair Lady which I'm sure is a good thing. From the trailer, it looks promising. It has a sense of humour, some heart and this concept that I really like the sound of. I'm thinking that this could be a real surprise that has a great run ahead of it. Fingers crossed for this one.

Constantine

I have not read the Hellblazer series of comic books that this show is based off. I have not seen the 2005 version that upset many fans of the comic book. But this looks really good and from what I've heard, John Constantine sounds like my kind of protagonist. He's a cynical, foul mouthed and disillusioned Brit with magical powers. He's also famed for being a quite humourous character in the comic books. And I'm in. He's also one of few characters who ages in real time (i.e. on the thirtieth anniversary if his first comic book, he was thirty years older than he was back then). That kind of decision impress' me. Anyway, it's unsure how much of this will make it into the series but having not read the comics, my opinions on the show will be entirely based on the show. He also seems to be an anti-hero which is something I like in a TV show. Most of the great shows of today have antiheroes because it means there is no clear line between good and evil. But that's a discussion for another day. Anyway, while today's films and (to a lesser extent) TV shows are clogged with comic book adaptations, this looks like one that is more mature and with a deep and incredibly complex character.

Community season 6

I make no secret of my love for Community. It is my favourite show ever and I relish every episode. However, in the early summer this year, my heart broke. NBC cancelled it, one season and a movie away from it's goal of six seasons and a movie. Community had never been a show that was certain to make it through each season but it had always done so. Still, it was a shock and led to a painful month of waiting. You see, rumours had been floating about that Hulu might want to purchase it's rights and make a new series online, exclusive to Hulu (similar to what netflix did with Arrested Development). This seemed like a likely idea. Hulu have the rights to stream the other seasons of Community already and the die hard fans would get Hulu just for Community. And the deal fell through. The clock ticked away until, hours before the actor's contracts would expire, Yahoo saved it. This was out of the blue but could not have been better news. And it was losing nothing from before. All the actors will be back, Dan Harmon is still on board, the budget will remain. Sure, filming has barely begun. But I trust Dan Harmon. And what's more, many of the creative minds behind Community have said that now we're getting a sixth season, a movie is almost inevitable. So yahoo for that.

Video Games
Super Smash Bros

I'm a huge Nintendo fan. For a very long time, I've played, watched and loved most things Nintendo. I also love playing fighting games with my friends. So the Smash Bros series was always going to be good for me. From the first time I picked up Smash Bros on the N64 in a waiting room in Addenbrookes hospital, I was in love with it. It was silly and fun and shouldn't even have existed really. Over time it has grown and I still play Brawl with my friends regularly, despite it being a six year old game. And when the new, fully HD Smash Bros was announced, I could barely believe it. And we are now at a point where we can expect both the 3DS and WiiU versions in the next few months. Nintendo has masterfully executed coverage by slowly teasing characters, stages and general info about the game over the last year. And it still feels like we have so much left to find out. Nintendo haven't done so well this console generation, but I think that this will be the game to make WiiU sales skyrocket. I'm looking forward to seeing Pac Man, Villager from Animal Crossing, Mario and the trainer from Wii Fit beating the ever living shit out of each other.

Sunset Overdrive

I've been looking forward to this game since the initial announcement. It looked crazy, stupid and not grey and gritty like every other AAA game these days. It stood out and looked fun. Beyond all else, it looked fun. Which is something that many AAA games forget to be after being gritty and realistic and primed for YouTube montage fame. Sure, I don't currently own an Xbox One but when I do, this will be the first game I get for it. For those of you who don't know, it's a third person, apocalyptic shooter with a large focus on stupid and crazy weapon customization. It's a game injected with a healthy dose of colour, energy and probably some heavy duty drugs, judging by the decisions that caused this game to exist. It's just nice to see games stop taking themselves so seriously for once and remembering one thing that games have always been about: fun.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Tomb Raider is probably one of the most famous video game series ever made. But very few people have heard of or played Tomb Raider and the Guardian of Light. While all the media attention was going towards the gritty, intense new reboot, this fun, top down, co-op adventure got left behind. Which is a damn shame. Because this was a surprise in the fact that it existed and that it was so great. But like I say, no one noticed it. As such, a sequel was not even slightly expected. And then the sequel was announced at E3. Literally tens of people around the globe cried out in joy and everyone else sat there, hoping we'd see some more Dance Central gameplay instead. Still, this game exists now and it's out soon. It'll now have four player madness, the puzzles will still adapt to the number of players in the game and the crazier side is still there, as that giant beetle will attest. Look, it's good to see actual games coming out on the next-gen consoles and I hope this will be a big success. Because then we get another one. And more fun. And maybe eight players! Even though that will never happen. But I'm allowed to dream big. Especially in an industry that keeps surprising us in ways good and EA