Not Retro?

This is officially my 25th Retrojunk article. In honor of that, I've got a special topic for you. No, I'm not gonna recap my past articles again. This article is sort of my response to Spongerocks' article on his opinion on the "TV Sucks Now" articles. I am aware that we get tons of articles like that on this site, and to be honest, I'm not really sick of it. I agree mostly with what these people are saying. Toon Disney was made to be a retro-type station, but now that JETIX has taken up about 60% of the network, it really shouldn't be worthy of the name: "Toon Disney". Cartoon Network, I miss the good times, but since they canceled "The Powerpuff Girls" and all the other great Cartoon Cartoons and replaced them with all these crappy shows and live action shows, it's just not worth it. Nickelodeon I don't really care about anymore. I stopped watching it about the time "CatDog" got canceled and "Spongebob" got so popular.

One thing I am really sick of is the way people are treating the people who make those articles. I don't know how to describe these people, but I find it to be unacceptable. This is a "retro" website, which means that people should be talking about things they loved from the past. But every time someone makes a talk about something like how they don't like TV these days, they always get the same damn responses! It's not just here, but all over the Internet, people always respond like this:
[align=center]"Shut the f**k up!
Quit your whining!
Things change all the time!
Live with it!"[/align]
That's what I'm sick of hearing! Shouldn't we have a right to express our nostalgia?

Something else that kinda disturbs me are the time frames people have. There were a few articles I've witnessed that got sent to the back page because a lot of people thought they weren't retro enough. A good example is another article by Spongerocks that talked about the show, "Ed, Edd n Eddy". To me, anything from the 90's or earlier is retro. That show came out in early 1999, and it's canceled now, so it's retro in my book.

Most people say that everythng from the late 90's on sucked. Not everything recent is bad. I'm gonna prove it to you. I'm going to show you some of the things we've had in the world of entertainment in the past 10 years that were actually really good. I'm not gonna list any tragic events that happened in that period like Chris Farley's death, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or the Wild Fires; these are all positive moments in the world of entertainment.




Star Wars: Special Edition
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Wars, George Lucas decided to digitally remaster the Star Wars Trilogy with brand new footage, new sounds, deleted scenes and new special effects that he couldn't afford to make back in the days. Fans were blown away to see these movies back on the big screen and to see all the new stuff. When I first heard about this, I thought I was going to be seeing Star Wars - Episodes 7, 8 and 9, but no, just updates of 4, 5 and 6. But this was a good way to get me worked up for Episodes 1, 2 and 3, which came out a few years later (all of which were released 3 years apart). Lucas still amazes people with the Star Wars movies, but to be honest, I really don't think there is going to be another Star Wars Trilogy. This collection of movies should be left alone.


Men in Black
Sci-fi movies are usually shocking, gross, or even boring, but this movie proved that sci-fi had it's comedic moments too. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith star in this sci-fi parody with a good blend of action and comedy mixed together. If they could do that with Ghostbusters, I don't see why they can't do it again. It sucks that we had to wait another 5 years for a sequel, but it was worth it.


Titanic
This 3-hour academy-award-winning movie was such a huge hit. A retelling of a famous story about an unsinkable ship that actually did sink (they didn't think about icebergs), and lots of lives lost. There are numerous things that made this movie so good: Leonardo Decaprio's acting, James Horner's composing, and of course, Celine Dion's hit song.


The Matrix
This 1999 action thriller turned out to be a favorite to many teenagers since the time of its released. So much action and special effects that no one would believe. This movie has been parodied numerous times since it's released, for it's that freeze in the air effect that makes people want to see it.


The Sixth Sense
Not only is "The Sixth Sense" one of the greatest horror films ever made, but it's also one of the best movies of all time. A movie about a kid who has another sense: he can see the dead. One of the greatest movie quotes of all time is included in this movie as well, the ever-so-popular "I see dead people."


Shrek
If you thought fairy tales were just the same old boring story over and over again, "Shrek" proved that there was a humorous side to it. This award winning 2001 animated movie led to a sequel in 2004, which, according to reviews I've heard, was actually better than the original. The third movie, 2007's "Shrek the Third", is thought to be the best Shrek movie yet. It's amazing that these movies keep gradually getting better. I guarantee you that there's going to be another "Shrek" movie.


Harry Potter
Based off of J.K. Rowling's hit book series, the Harry Potter movies turned out to be an awesome series of movies for the new millenium. Each movie seems to evolve in some way. As the kids grow older, the stories get darker. There are a total of seven books, and there will be no more (I'm sure you all know how the last one ends since the whole world is revealing the ending!). We should hope for the upcoming last two movies to be incredible.


Spider-Man
In 2002, Spider-Man's first live-action movie turned out to be a huge hit. The funny thing is that all the other Marvel Superhero movies flopped, but not the Spider-Man movies. This is mostly because Spider-Man is a more recognizable character; in fact, I don't know a single person who doesn't like Spider-Man! The 2004 sequel, like the sequel to "Shrek", turned out to be better than the original, and for some reason, everyone I've heard rant about that movie could not stop saying "Doc Oc". The 2007 third installment turned out to be incredible. A lot of people think there shouldn't be another Spider-Man movie, even though there is already a fourth one in the works.


Lilo & Stitch
This 2002 Disney Animated Classic was loved by a lot but hated by some people who hated Disney's downfall period. It's an original story about a Hawaiian girl who loves Elvis encounters an experiment from another planet who she thinks is a dog and names it Stitch. Stitch turned out to be a very beloved Disney character, and today, he ranks up as one of the most beloved characters along with Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.


Finding Nemo
This work of Disney and Pixar's turned out to be one of the highest-grossing animated films ever made. It's very enjoyable with a lot of lovable characters and amazing computer animation.


Pirates of the Carribean
Here's a film of Disney's that revealed a different side of the company. Based off of the classic attraction in the Disney theme parks, the "Pirates of the Carribean" movies blew people away. Released in 2003, this became Disney's very first movie to receive a PG-13 rating! This trilogy of movies is well-written and perfectly casted.


School of Rock
Did you ever think that 5th grade kids would become rock n roll stars? Well, thanks to Jack Black, it happened! Accept no substitutes, because the "School of Rock" is a fitting movie to all rock fans and comedy fans.


Napoleon Dynamite
This 2004 movie may seem like a simple movie, but it surprisingly turned out to be one of the greatest comedies of all time. This is the movie that launched John Heider's career, and I consider it to be the movie that time threw up on. Even if you're not a big fan of comedies, this is a must see movie!


The Incredibles
So much effort was put into this movie. Due to amazing reviews, I was tempted to see "The Incredibles" theatrically, and it is indeed incredible! All the action that goes on in this movie will blow you away, and clocking in at 121 minutes, it's one of the longest animated films of all time!


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
While Johnny Depp had it strong for a while, he was brought in to play Willy Wonka in this Tim Burton revision of Roald Dahl's popular novel. A lot of people find this movie to be way better than the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", because this one follows the book while the original (which Dahl hated) didn't. To me, this is a great movie, but it felt rather unnecessary.


Happy Feet
I'm not a huge fan of CG, and I'm not big on all the different penguin movies that were coming out recently, but this is a movie that's worth checking out.


Ratatouille
Disney and Pixar does it again. I haven't seen this movie yet, but I heard it got amazing reviews. If you haven't seen this movie yet, then check it out just to see what all the fuss is all about.


Across the Universe
This recent movie is basically a musical that consists of songs all written by the Beatles. This is a must see for all hard core Beatles fans! Now, after seeing this movie, do you think they'll make something like that for other bands? Most likely not, because there really aren't any other bands out there that hold as many memorable songs as the Beatles did. Oh, those Beatles have done so much for us these past 45 years!




Star Fox 64
Many gamers claim this flight simulation game to be one of the best games ever on the Nintendo 64. Flight simulation games filled with all sorts of action, always fun. But to me, the best part of this game is the comical dialogue.


Pokemon
This 1998 Game Boy game launched a new series of games and a whole new fad that kids got into. A game where you can capture and train hundreds of different monsters and gain so much experience and knowledge. With Pokemon, how can you go wrong?


Spyro the Dragon
This small purple dragon made his way onto the Sony Playstation in 1998. He's a cool guy, the games are pretty fun and challenging to play (even though each one sucks harder and harder). And you've gotta love that epic music that plays in these games!


Mario Party
In 1999, this game was released and started a series of these awesome party games. Yeah, having the Mario characters go around a board game, collecting coins, collecting stars, and playing a bunch of mini games. What more can you ask for? The "Mario Party" games are definately some of the best games to play with a bunch of people!


Super Smash Bros.
Here's another series of games that became a smash hit. A fighting game where you can play as some of Nintendo's most popular characters. The first game was amazing for it's time. The second game (Melee) was even more mind-blowing than the first. The upcoming third game (Brawl) I guarantee you is going to be incredible!


Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
The legendary Tony Hawk as well as other professional skateboarders get their own video game from Neversoft in 1999. How cool is it to ride around on a skateboard performing wild stunts while listening to your favorite mainstream rock songs? This also started a series of games, and each one introduced a new feature, plus new skaters.


Dance Dance Revolution
You think kids need to exercise more instead of playing video games? Well, this game will give them quite a workout! Let me tell you, I've always worn myself out playing the "DDR" games! While this seems to be a popular series, these games are tough. You try dancing to the beat in the right place at the right time by trying to follow two arrows at the same time!


Paper Mario
When I first heard about "Paper Mario", I thought it was going to be a combination of Mario and Paperboy, but no. Paper Mario is an RPG game where everyone is flat as paper. Each Paper Mario game is fun to play and offers plenty of laughs. Definately a reccomendation to Mario fans.


Kingdom Hearts
Squaresoft may have had it big with the "Final Fantasy" games, but "Kingdom Hearts" opened a door for a new audience. I wonder how many video game lovers have always dreamed of playing an RPG game with their favorite Disney characters. These games are dark too. "Kingdom Hearts II" showed us a bunch of other cool stuff from other Disney films that the first one didn't cover. Will we expect a "Kingdom Hearts III" in the near future?


Halo
"Halo" is by all means the X-Box's most popular series. Not being a hardcore fan, I'll attempt to talk about it at the best of my knowledge. From what I understand, there are these things from another galaxy destroying the earth, and this team known as the Elites are trying to get rid of them by collecting these ring-like weapons known as halos. Of course, I could be wrong. I don't have an X-Box, so I can't really say much about the "Halo" series.


Guitar Hero
This brand new game series has become so popular that there is already a third game out, and it hasn't even been a year since the first one came out! For the first time ever, players get to shred some guitar licks to their favorite rock songs in a video game! To this very day, "Sweet Child O' Mine" still stands as the most popular song in the series.




The Angry Beavers
One of Nickelodeon's better Nicktoons. This is a show about two beaver brothers who just drive each other crazy. The younger one, Dagget, seems to get more laughs, especially at all the things he does to prove he's better than his older brother, Norbert. This show deserved to have a longer run, not Spongebob!


101 Dalmatians: The Series
Probably one of the most underrated cartoons ever made. I've said this in numerous articles of mine already, but this 1997 Disney animated series should have gotten more respect than it got. If you want a fun cartoon, then how can you go wrong with having tons of fun with these adorable dalmatians? If you'd like to know more about this show, then check out the article I wrote on it a while back.


South Park
"South Park" went beyond the limits for TV shows and introduced a new type of comedy. It's one of the gorriest cartoons ever made, and it's also the first animated series I head of to recieve a mature rating (regardless, kids still watched it). This show, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is a Comedy Central classic, and has introduced a bunch of new famous catchphrases like "I'm not fat, I'm big-boned!", "Respect my authority!", and of course, "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" Yeah, Kenny was a pretty famous character for dying in every single episode, but that stopped happening later on in the series. Really, what this show is all about is the fat kid himself, the new age Archie Bunker, Eric Cartman.


Pokemon
Though it was introduced in Japan some time earlier, when we Americans got this anime show in 1998, kids have been watching it religiously. This series is still pretty cool to watch, but a lot of Pokemon fans have stopped watching it when certain seasons began. It's a corny show, but it's forgivable.


The Powerpuff Girls
You can be a fan or a hater all you want, but the Powerpuff Girls are nothing less than awesome! There's nothing I like to see more than Kindergarten girls beating the crap out of people, and this opens a door to some lovable and memorable scenes. Some of the show's aspects remind me a little of the Care Bears; fun times.


Ed, Edd n Eddy
A plain and simple show, but it's surprisingly enjoyable. If it weren't for the character, Ed, this creation of Danny Antanoucci would be just flat out boring. Due to the amount of comedy he offers, Ed has become the most lovable character on "Ed, Edd n Eddy", which makes this show worthy of viewing.


Family Guy
"Family Guy" showed that cartoons can still be as funny as today's sit-coms. There are tons of people who love this show, as it shows a lot of comedy that nobody has ever expected from anything else. The only people who hate this show are pervert haters who don't accept a little sex now and then. Every time you watch "Family Guy", you'll always find something new to laugh at. Every episode takes in a fresh idea always giving you something new to laugh at, but the fresher it is, the funnier it is.


Whose Line Is It Anyway?
A show where four actors play improv games and make idiots out of themselves. It's comic gold!


Digimon
Digimon is not a rip-off on Pokemon! In fact, I think it's even better than Pokemon! It's a very memorable series with lovable characters and stories that leave a happy feeling in your heart. Some of it reminds me of the Care Bears in some ways, except not as childish.


Aqua Teen Hunger Force
This is a pretty memorable show for adults. I'm not really sure what it's about, but I don't care, as long as it makes me laugh. Of the three characters of this show, Meatwad seems to be the most memorable character, while Frylock and Master Shake just seem to be used as extras.


Beat the Geeks
A short-lived quiz show that played on Comedy Central in 2001 and 2002. In this game, contestants go for a chance to win valuable prizes by challenging the masterminds of pop culture, a.k.a. "The Geeks". The three main geeks are the Movie Geek, the Music Geek and the TV Geek, and there have been guest geeks of media such as Star Wars, Michael Jackson, Simpsons, Hip Hop, Horror, Playboy, Comic Books, South Park, Friends, Star Trek, James Bond, Wrestling, Kiss, Beatles, Planet of the Apes and Harry Potter. I'm sure everybody's a geek at something. Who are you the geek of?


American Idol
This famous annual limited series is where people sing in front of crowds in hopes to win their own music career. If you're into reality shows, then this is a show for you. However, if you dispise Simon Cowell, then stay away from it.


Codename: Kids Next Door
This is an awesome action cartoon. In my opinion, it's the last good series that Cartoon Network ever made. It's cool and funny at the same time. Codename: Kids Next Door offers the same charm of TMNT in some ways.


Lilo & Stitch: The Series
All I can say is that if you loved the movie, you'll love this show.


Mythbusters
Two guys go out of their ways on this Discovery Channel series to try to solve mysterious myths that people have been trying to solve for ages. They solved tons of myths over the years. The only myth I don't think they'll ever be able to solve is if the Lochness Monster exists.


Robot Chicken
This show is insanely bad, but awesome. This 15-minute stop-motion animated show is famous for poking fun at pop culture and doing it in a very violent and mature way. If you're a fan of "Family Guy", "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" or "Space Ghost Coast to Coast", then you'll love this show.


Cash Cab
Let's take a cab ride to Rockafeller Center...SURPRISE! You're in the Cash Cab! Ben Bailey hosts this game show that takes place in his taxi. Anyone who comes into his cab will be asked general knowledge questions on the way to their destination and win money on the way. Sound fun?


Don't Forget the Lyrics
Former "Whose Line" performer, Wayne Brady, hosts this game show. Contestants on this show go for one million dollars by singing ten of the biggest hits songs, but only if they can give the correct lyrics. Few people know about this show, but it's still an exciting show, and I'm willing to be on it!




Radiohead
While Radiohead already blew the world away in 1993, with their hit song, "Creep", their third album, 1997's "OK Computer", really defined their true sound. Radiohead has a sound that is very unique from most bands of the 90's and today. If you take this album and listen to "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises", you'll see what I mean.


Santana
This was very amazing. Carlos Santana launched his career in 1969 with his debut album and hit songs like "Evil Ways", and "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" would come out the next year. Thirty years later, he would release "Supernatural", with the huge hit song, "Smooth". That song was such a huge hit, it got tons of radio play, and even high school kids were getting into it, which is unusual for an artist who's been around for over 30 years. Stick it to the man!


Bruce Springsteen
Okay, Springsteen has been a mega superstar in rock & roll for quite a long time. He made tons of timeless albums in the 70's and 80's, but in the 90's, he seemed to lack success. In 2002, he managed to make a huge comeback with his album, "The Rising". He's still going pretty strong today as well. Since I'm such a huge Springsteen fan, he has my support.


Green Day
In 2004, Green Day's "American Idiot" album became a huge hit, and I actually remember hearing a news report saying that the album was a masterpiece and was going down in history as one of the greatest rock albums ever made. Although, it did win a grammy for best rock album, ever since the summer of 2005, it seemed like the whole world was hating Green Day. I always wondered why. Eventually, I found out that it was because lead singer, Billy Joe Armstrong started wearing eyeliner. I learned to accept these guys, because sound is often more important than looks.


Gorillaz
This virtual hip hop band has been an interest to me since their debut album in 2001. The lead singer of this group happens to be Damon Albarn (lead singer of Blur). This is actually a very unique band, and they had a lot of quite interesting songs. When I first head the song, "Clint Eastwood", I thought at first that there is no way they'd be able to top that; 2005's "Demon Days" proved me wrong, since "Feel Good Inc." became an outstanding radio hit. It sucks that there won't be any more Gorillaz albums...or will there be?


Weezer
Weezer had two masterpiece albums in the mid 90's, but after their hiatus, they made a big comeback offering a few strong hits. Their fifth album, 2005's "Make Believe" turned out to be actually the best album they did in a long time. I have a lot of favorite Weezer songs, and I can only hope that they will continue.


Tally Hall
There's a new band in town! These guys introduced themselves to the world in early 2005, when they released their music video to their song, "Bannanna Man", on Albino Black Sheep. It won't be until later that year when they release their debut album, and that album is quite a mind-blower! I hope their next album will be as good as that one!




Yu-Gi-Oh!
I don't know much about this game, but throughout the 2000's, a lot of kids have been getting into this. It's a popular trading card game and is also a Japanese cartoon. It's similar to Pokemon only more intense.


Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a popular web site created by Matt and Mike Chapman. There's really no plot to it at all, but it gives plenty of laughs regardless. Everything on this site is very original and well-made, and so many fans could not resist Homestar's stupidity, Strong Bad's imagination, the Cheat's many skills, the surprise appearances of Homsar, and the character who's name says it all, TROGDOR!!!


iTunes
Downloading music had become popular in the 2000's. Many hooligans have been using programs to download music for free, but that turned out to be illegal. Thankfully, iTunes came around. This is a special online music library where people can download songs for a dollar each. You won't find everything on iTunes, but it is a nice thing to have.


MySpace
A new site for people to come on, chat with their friends, and make new friends. MySpace has become quite popular since 2004, and it's still popular today, and still, millions of people use it. This is really a great place to communicate with people and find others with the same interests as you.


YouTube
This is another popular site where a lot of people visit. It's mainly made for people to show videos they've made as well as other stuff. A lot of things get removed from YouTube due to violation and copywright infringement, and that's the only thing that sucks about it, but other than that, it's great.


The Angry Video Game Nerd
Since he began his career in the spring of 2006, the Angry Video Game Nerd has changed the way people have reviewed video games that they hate. He's also done a lot of other stuff like movie reviews and other video series' on YouTube and Cinnemassacre, but reviewing bad video games is his top priority. He's played some of the worst games ever made, and he has such a filthy mouth that he actually makes up his own words. Ever since he was introduced, people all over the world have been immitating him and making their own game reviews. And if I hear one more person accuse me of ripping off this guy (even though there are already tons of people who do), I'm going to start taking some serious action!

Phew! Man! That was a lot of stuff I talked about! I'm just glad I'm finally finnished! Well, that's a bunch of stuff we got in the past 10 years that aren't too bad. I know most of it is not retro, but that's beside the point; the point is that I'm just showing you that not everything we have in modern times sucks; there are still lots of good things out there. I know there's a lot of stuff I left out, but I didn't want to make this article too long. Anyways, good night, everybody!