If I ran an architectural firm, I'd make it a point that my conference room and break room would both have a healthy supply of LEGO brick. And maybe many of them do. I know that the most basic of the blocks fuel creativity, and frequently come home amazed at the complexity (and height) of some of my son's creations using just the Duplo brick that he prefers.

Jacob & the Good People create a velvety mixture of hip-hop and electronica on their newest EP, Rotten.

Recorded in Charlotte, NC at 3in1 studios, this EP brings to life what it means to live in Atlanta. “This disc has a faux urban/electronic vice that the previous EP didn’t have,” singer Blazer, says. “It’s a little goofy and intentional.” After moving to Atlanta and spending countless days and nights touring and playing the city, Blazer came to realize that the city had changed him and consequently, his music as well. “This EP in comparison to the last has a very ‘I moved to Atlanta’ vibe,” he says.

This contest has ended.

The winner is Lakwanza W. of Beaumont, TX.

A long time ago, in a theater far (but not too far) away, a ten-year-old future movie reviewer fired imaginary lasers from the armrests of his fold-down crush-velvet seat, while the Millenium Falcon evaded the forces of the Empire. (Best. Birthday. Ever.) That little boy was disheartened years later to encounter Jar-Jar Binks, but is giddy once again after seeing this very brief teaser for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.

As enticing as the sands of Tatooine are in the opening sequence, as chuckle-worthy as the runaway droid is during the middle, and as cool as it is to see X-Wing fighters skimming along the surface of some body of water, it's the final scene of this trailer that is going to have STAR WARS fans from here all the way back to May 25, 1977 cheering in anticipation.

Check out the teaser below and let us know your comments!

It may or may not have been officially declared as such in Zenescope's GRIMM FAIRY TALES UNIVERSE, but I believe there's a fifth realm (perhaps even more) in Zenescope's multiverse: The Realm of Kipling. That seems to be supported by Zenescope's adventure series based on the Rudyard Kipling novels. Mark L. Miller pens the third miniseries installment of THE JUNGLE BOOK, THE FALL OF THE WILD, where Mowglii (female in this version) lives among talking animals who segregate into species-based factions to war against each other. (It's sort of like LEGENDS OF CHIMA, with blood and revealing outfits.)

It's not enough to use genetic engineering to bring back to life the dinosaurs of the past. Now the good doctors at the dinosaur theme park have managed to create a "genetically modified hybrid." Let me agree with generic action hero on this: "Probably not a good idea."

While the story may seem more than familiar, there's no denying the special effects give JURASSIC WORLD a visual appeal. The long distance shots, the "riding my giant hamster ball with dinosaurs" scene, the pregnant silent pause during the use of a shark as bait... even the telegraphed foreshadowing from another Spielberg mom that bookends the trailer, as simple as it is, makes me want to see this film on a big screen. Even the music is just the right kind of haunting pianissimo to understate the suspense while building it.

Check out the trailer for JURASSIC WORLD below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

In 1963, the U.S. took the lead in the space race with the launch of the Ascension -- a monstrous rocket propelled by nuclear blasts, carrying a crew of over 300 people in a self-sustaining environment not unlike a cruise ship. Their goal: to travel 100 years through deep space to Proxima Centauri. The crew would not survive the trip. Their children would likely not reach the destination. The grandchildren were the ones destined to be those who be the first humans from Earth to set foot on another planet.

Americana artist Sarah Lou Richards released her third album, The Woman Behind the Curtain, on November 18th. It marks her first time recording with a full band. The basic elements of her 2010 debut (produced by Henry Paul, frontman for the '90s multi-platinum country band BlackHawk), Ruby Red Shoes — an album that combined sharp, observational songwriting with the hooks of pop music and the twang of country — are still intact, but they've become part of a larger, louder puzzle.

"One of my favorite songs here is a track called 'Nothing Left,' which is about giving all you have until there's nothing left to give," says Richards, a road warrior who's spent the past four years touring. "That's where I'm at in my career right now. I'm stretching the rubber band as far as it'll go. With this new album, I knew it was time to make a bigger sound."

This contest has ended.

A few months back, when the St. Louis Cardinals were in the thick of the pennant race when the steamy St. Louis summer was still going strong, I was on Delmar Boulevard with some friends in the local theatre community, helping pack up after a fundraiser. I walked along the street in front of the Big Shark Bicycle Company, towards the Pageant concert venue, and my waiting car behind it. That night, nothing happened. Just a few short hours later, in the full light of day, a group of punks walked up on an unsuspecting bystander and beat him down hard, just past the Big Shark building where I'd been the night before. How do I know this? The punks videotaped the whole thing and posted it on the Internet. I would point out that both the victim and these punks were African Americans. This wasn't a crime with racial overtones. It was simply violence for the sake of violence. Along with this shocking video were reports of several murders in St. Louis that previous evening.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. THE THREE RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNERS ARE...

Seong P. of Lucerne Valley, CA

Stephanie M of Milwaukee, WI

Doug B of Plymouth, MN

Congratulations to all our winners!

So, I'm barely getting used to not writing 2013 on my checks, and now 2015 is barreling in on me like that asteroid in ARMAGEDDON.

So, if you're days are numbered already, you may as well enjoy the numbering as much as you can. And what better way than with the gorgeous pin-up art stylings of Jamie Tyndall and his representations of the Grimm Girls of Zenescope Entertainment?

Recently, I had the privilege of reviewing one of the most impacting documentaries I've seen in years. You may be surprised to learn that it was about Batman. You also may already be dismissing the film, because of that. That would be your great mistake -- because the film is about so much more than a superhero. It's about identity, and the power that stories have on people -- and the power those people in turn gain over their environment and their lives because of a story.

We spoke with the film's director, Brett Culp, about what drove him toward this project, and some of the many benefits that are still coming out of the film.

Everyone in LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT has a Batman story to tell, but there was one that was missing, and I'd like to get that one. What's your Batman story?

By the time Nicholas David was a finalist on the third season of NBC’s “The Voice,” he had already recorded five critically acclaimed albums. The singer-songwriter is based in St. Paul, Minnesota and presents his newest six-song EP, Make Hope.

This contest has ended.

The winner is ROBERT B. of Nicholasville, KY.

It's hard to explain where fanaticism develops, but for anybody who has experienced it, they can commiserate on how it feels. They understand the planting of this seed and how it grows, burns, and consumes, driving people to follow something. When most people think of extremely passionate people, they automatically think of “nerds” or “geeks”. But, frankly speaking, everybody experiences fanaticism, whether it's being a football fan and buying a player's jersey or going to the shoe store three times a week for just “one more pair” of boots.

MOCKINGJAY PART 1 is the continuing story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and is the 3^rd movie adaptation of THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. The film picks up where CATCHING FIRE left off, without very much time lapse in between. Katniss wakes up in District 13 (the district below ground that was always thought to exist, and which no one -- not even President Snow -- knew where) after surviving the Quarter Quell, saving the life of her partner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and seemingly putting an end to the Hunger Games for good.

Jell-O Pudding. Fat Albert. Rape allegations. One of these things is not like the other -- one of these things just doesn't belong.

It might seem that these last few weeks have seen an outpouring of allegations against America's favorite dad, Bill Cosby. It might seem that way, but in truth this has been a rumor that's been simmering for a long time.

The fuse to these flare-ups appears to trace back to stand-up comic, Hannibal Buress. Well, not directly, because he picked it up from your average Google search, but he does bring up the allegations in his stand-up routine when he attacks Cosby's "smug old man" attitude toward modern black society. From that point on, one alleged victim after another has begun popping up like mushrooms after a spring rain.

Does anybody remember the 80s movie CAN'T BUY ME LOVE that launched nerdy Patrick Dempsey into becoming a sex symbol?

Don't worry if you missed it, because with CBS Films' and Lionsgate's THE DUFF you'll get another shot at the plot. Mae Whitman plays Bianca, a high school student who learns by accident that she is the DUFF of her group -- the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, whose job it is to make all the others look better by comparison. Determined to make herself over, she recruits the popular athlete (Robbie Amell), offering to tutor him into passing his science exams if he will teach her how to de-DUFF herself. But she runs into opposition from the school's Queen Bee (Bella Thorne) who doesn't like it when people try to bust out of the labels she's slapped on them.

The BBC series AFTERLIFE starring Lesley Sharp and Andrew Lincoln comes to a full stop after only two seasons, leaving behind a number of questions that will never be answered -- which, for a series dealing with the eternal questions, is just how it ought to be. Maybe.

In this continuation of the story of medium Alison Mundy (Sharp) and the psychology professor Robert Bridge (Lincoln) who takes an interest in her -- first to debunk her then to help her come to terms with her own ghosts -- we are told right up front that things aren't going to go on forever for these two. Robert is diagnosed early on with an inoperable brain tumor, which he keeps secret from everyone, even his ex-wife as he attempts reconciliation with her. Meanwhile, Alison -- who briefly died at the end of the first season -- has brought back a haunter of her own: her mother.

It would be an easy, predictable thing for the folks at Zenescope to make a mythical character like Santa Claus the focus of their holiday issue. Which is probably why they did exactly the opposite, and chose a more obscure holiday-related icon to weave a story around: Krampus!

What's that you say? You've never heard of Krampus? (Why do I feel like an animated Burl Ives should start singing an introduction here?)

You can do your own googling of the puckish little imp who leaves coins in the shoes of good children on Christmas, while shoving the naughty ones into a bag and beating them with a stick. Zenescope, of course, is going to have their own modified take on the legend, beginning with an origin story out of Myst. It's a tale told to the next generation of guardians-in-training, who meet it with their usual cynicism -- but it's one with far too much current relevance to one of our heroes, who must face off with Krampus in the here-and-now.

Melissa McCarthy's titular character, Tammy, is having a rough day. She hits a deer, is late for work, gets fired, goes home to find her husband at the table with another woman, and moves back to her mother two doors over, where she promptly announces she's shaking the dirt off her feet from this nowhere town -- again. This culminates in a wild, mouthy road trip with her grandmother (played by Susan Sarandon) to Niagara Falls, with no map, no plan, and no filters.

This contest has completed. The randomly selected winner is LORI W. of RESTON, VA.

SESAME STREET has always embraced cultural inclusion, with versions of the show appearing in several countries, in many languages, around the globe.

With SHALOM SESAME, children learn about Jewish customs and traditions through the eyes of Grover, who travels to Israel in this unique series. Critical Blast is proud to present this opportunity to win a copy of SHALOM SESAME: THE COMPLETE SERIES, perfect for your classroom or home, or for a special Hanukkah gift.

To enter for your chance to win this DVD set, complete and submit the form below. You may want to check out our complete rules. Critical Blast does not sell or make available any personal information, and all entries are destroyed upon confirmation of product delivery to the randomly selected winner.

When I sat down to watch LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT, I confess my expectations were low. I elected to review it because I'm a lifelong Batman fan. At 6, I had converted the top bunk into Wayne Manor, with a hand-drawn picture of George Washington tacked to the wall that, when trouble arose (as it inevitably did) I would turn around so that it displayed the convenient sign "To the Batcave -->" after which I would then slide down the bedpost and prepare to save the world. (My youthful impressions of Batman were obviously informed by the Adam West / Burt Ward television adventures.)

I knew, at its most basic level, that LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT was going to focus on individuals who were also Batman fans, and I assumed I would be meeting up with some kindred spirits divided among collectors and obsessors.