The Video Revue Podcast

New blog!

2010-06-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

The new podcast now has a blog! From now on, all updates will be at the TMI Chicago blog. Please update your bookmarks accordingly. Daily posts will continue over there.

If you're reading my blog on Facebook, you can ignore this one.

A Commencement Speech I'd Like To Hear

2010-06-01T06:36:00.002-05:00

In addition to Memorial Day, this was a big weekend for me as I graduated from college on Sunday. When I graduated from high school, it was quite chilly. At my high school, the men wear suits and the women wear white for graduation (instead of caps and gowns), and I was glad that I had decided to go with a white pantsuit instead of a sleeveless dress like a lot of the other girls did. On Sunday, I had the opposite problem. The temperature hovered around 90 degrees, and we were all in black graduation robes. I did have a water bottle, but I didn't want to drink too much because there was no way to take a bathroom break while they read all of the names.

We didn't get anyone exciting as our commencement speaker; it was an alumna of the college who was being honored with an honorary doctorate. Hers was the last speech in a long line of speeches I'd heard during the pre-graduation baccalaureate and the graduation ceremony itself. It struck me that the people who write commencement speeches don't remember their own commencement and how much they wished the speaker would be DONE already. With that in mind, here is the type of speech I think many graduates would like to hear.

"Class of (insert year here), congratulations! As you sit here on this (hot/cold/rainy/sunny/etc) afternoon, there is one quote that I believe we should all keep in mind, from William Shakespeare: Brevity is the soul of wit. Rather than giving advice you will not remember, or share personal stories that you cannot relate to, or attempt to pass on some profound message, I shall simply say a few words. Here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."

In other news, I'll have a review of Iron Man 2 up either tomorrow night or Thursday morning.

Trailer: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-05-31T16:09:00.004-05:00

I had never heard of this movie until I found the trailer posted on Kung Fu Monkey. It looks...really different. And amazing.

In other news, happy Memorial Day! Take a minute to think of all of the brave men and women who gave their lives fighting for our country, and those who are currently serving in the military. To the veterans past and present: Thank you for your service.

Meta-post: A blog about blogging

2010-05-30T06:52:00.002-05:00

So the new podcast will debut in the next couple of weeks. One of my goals is to have a good number of people who listen. I'm doing the daily blog posts as part of getting more listeners and followers. But I'm not really sure how to draw more people in.

I looked at the blogs that I read regularly, and they fall into 2 broad categories: blogs I started reading because of the content, and blogs I started reading because of the person writing them. Of course, they all fit both categories to a certain degree, but it follows that if I want people to read this blog I need to fit those categories for other people.

The author-oriented blogs are mostly from well-known people (like Stephan Pastis or Neil Gaiman). They write about what's going on in their lives. They're interesting and funny. But, to be honest, if I had never heard of Stephan Pastis, I probably wouldn't have started following him online.

The content-oriented blogs can be summed up pretty easily. Cake Wrecks, for example, shows what happens when cake decorators fail. The Comics Curmudgeon has daily snark about newspaper comics. It doesn't matter if I've never heard of the person writing the blog, because I like what they write about.

I'm not well-known enough to sell the blog because of who I am. I need a gimmick. Still trying to think of one (suggestions are welcome).

News + Blind Date Hoedown!

2010-05-29T14:09:00.002-05:00

Here's something different: I'm doing a blog today! Monica and I have been busy at school, plus I have finals coming up soon, so major bummer there. However, we hope to get our new show up and running after that... except I'll be taking summer school also... but whenever we get it running, expect something exciting!

And no, we won't be doing an exciting finale like we were hoping for, because frankly, we couldn't think of any darned thing to talk about.

In other news: Gary Coleman died in the hospital at age 42. He will be missed majorly and, like Michael Jackson, jokes made about him are not really all that funny after Coleman's death. However, certainly they'll at least be a little funny in about a year or so (I'm sorry, but jokes about MJ just aren't funny yet).

In comedy today, a hoedown from Whose Line is playing in my head: one about a blind date. Just hilarious (that's what the video is).

Instant streaming from Netflix rocks!

2010-05-28T05:25:00.005-05:00

This is not meant to be an ad for Netflix; I'm not getting anything from them for promoting their service. They just took a great idea and made it work really well.

All right, so I was re-reading some of my older entries and I found one from last summer about watching TV shows online. I concluded at the time that none of them were perfect, but I liked iTunes the best because of their selection. The thing that I didn't like about iTunes (and still don't) was that you have to buy the episode before you watch it, and if it turns out you don't like it you can't get your money back. Also, the files take up a lot of space. I envisioned a service where you could pay a monthly fee and watch anything you wanted...which sounds exactly like what Netflix does. I dismissed their online streaming at the time for not having a very wide selection of TV shows.

Well, my friends, that has all changed now. The Netflix instant streaming selection has grown EXPONENTIALLY, and now there's more TV than I can watch. It all started when I decided to start watching Doctor Who, after multiple recommendations. They have all three seasons with David Tennant (who is ridiculously talented...and I have a TV crush on him) as well as some of the classic Who serials. Tom Baker is hilarious, and now I want to knit a twelve-foot scarf. Anyway, from there I decided to see what else they had to offer, TV-wise. I discovered that now you can stream Mythbusters and Heroes and Leverage and Dexter. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All seven seasons.

Pardon me while I go and do my happy dance. Seriously, you can't find anything from BtVS past season 2 online unless you're shelling out $50 for a DVD box set. And now I can watch any episode, any time, for free. Well, not exactly free, since I have to pay the monthly subscription fee. But there's no extra charge, so it feels like it's free.

Oh, and to top it all off now I can even watch it on my TV instead of my computer, and I didn't have to buy the hundred-dollar box. The latest way to stream movies is through the Wii, with a (free) disc that I requested in the mail. I'm constantly amazed by how easy to use everything from Netflix is.

My one complaint is that the video quality isn't that great when I'm watching on my computer, but that's probably the fault of my Internet connection more than anything else. It looks great on the TV.

In conclusion: It's good I have a life, because otherwise I'd sit and watch Netflix movies all day.

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody [Original Version]

2010-05-27T06:02:00.000-05:00

I found this on YouTube the other day, and I couldn't stop laughing. It's hilarious! Just watch.

So if the Muppets are awesome, and Queen is awesome, then this video must be awesome SQUARED.

Leverage update!

2010-05-26T06:32:00.002-05:00

Leverage is one of the best shows currently on TV. I cannot say enough good things about it.

Never heard of it? Read all about it here (on the TNT website) or here (CAUTION: This is a link to TV Tropes. TV Tropes is highly addictive and may lead to a significant decrease in productivity. Viewer discretion is advised).

Also, read the Kung Fu Monkey blog (by one of the show's writers himself) for behind-the-scenes info!

Thoughts on horror.

2010-05-24T22:33:00.004-05:00

My mom and I are alike in a lot of ways, but when it comes to taste in books we're basically polar opposites. She will happily read a history of post-millenial religions, or the importance of salt in international sea trade, or an account of the early 20th century flu epidemic. And I'm not making any of those up.

I, on the other hand, tend towards lighter and less realistic fare. Something like a story about a possessed car, or an angel and devil working together to prevent the Apocalypse, or a vampire-turned-rock-star. And I'm not making any of those up, either.*

*For the curious: Christine by Stephen King; Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett; and The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.

Occasionally, however, our interests will overlap. I loaned her memoir from a woman named Carolyn who escaped from the FLDS (the offshoot-Mormon polygamist cult) with her eight children. It's a fascinating read, but reading about some of the things this woman went through made me sick to my stomach. For example: Carolyn's husband wanted her to manage a hotel he owned in another town. This continued even after a shady-looking man came around and began stalking her. The husband refused to call the cops on the stalker. It's like he wanted her to end up getting raped or killed. And the worst part of this is that it actually happened. That is terrifying, and not in a fun way.

I do like to scare myself sometimes by watching something creepy on TV or reading a horror novel. But the horror is self-contained, and I know that no matter how creepy the monsters are, when I turn off the television or close the book, they're gone. I also tend towards media where the monsters are limited by clearly defined rules and weaknesses. One of the things that makes vampires so fascinating is the paradox that they are powerful (super speed and strength, immortality, near-invulnerability) and, at the same time, powerless (depending on the author, they will run away from crosses, mirrors, or seasonings, plus the whole deal with sunlight). Sure, they can tear your throat open to drink your blood, and turn you into a soulless demon, but only at night and only if you're not wearing protection (in the form of a cross necklace).

In my mind, the most effective horror takes something familiar and makes the audience look at it with new, suspicious eyes. That's one of the things that makes Doctor Who so creepy: previous episodes have managed to make viewers terrified of broken clocks, statues, and shadows.*

*For the curious: Girl in the Fireplace; Blink; and Silence in the Library.

It's Too Hot

2010-05-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this song for several reasons:
1. Spent 6 hours on the second floor of a building with no air conditioning, and found a new appreciation for the sentiment of this song.
2. The song includes the lyrics "endothermic organism." Find another song with THAT phrase. I dare you.
3. Hank Green is just generally awesome.

DFTBA (which, if you didn't know already, stands for "Don't Forget To Be Awesome." As coined by Hank and his brother John over on their channel).

Whose Line: Greatest Hits, Wayne/Jeff's Opera Songs

2010-05-23T06:16:00.000-05:00

Today's post is from one of my favorite shows: Whose Line is it Anyway? Give these guys a topic, and they'll make up a sketch for you on the spot. Hilarious!

This video combines the two times when Jeff and Wayne (the most frequent singers among the group of rotating comedians) were asked to sing opera. The first is from "Songs of the Motorcycle" and the second is from "Songs of Norway" (the basic idea in the game is that they need to create an infomercial for a Greatest Hits CD, based on a topic from an audience member). I just love their expressions and how much they get into character, in addition to how good the songs are. I could not stop laughing the first time I saw this video.

Ten-word summer 2010 movie preview

2010-05-22T06:05:00.007-05:00

Some of the hot movies coming out this summer, and which ones I'm most excited for (in exactly 10 words):

Shrek Forever After (this weekend): Major sequelitis, though alternate universe premise shows promise. Overall: Maybe.

Sex and the City 2 (May 27): Never watched the show or first movie. No plans here.

Marmaduke (June 4): Unnecessary movie for unfunny comic. Waste of George Lopez's talent.

The Karate Kid (June 11): Will watch the original and this one, then compare them.

Toy Story 3 (June 18): Toy Story rocks. Pixar rules. Cannot wait for this movie!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30): Probably going to suck. Probably going to see it anyway.

Despicable Me (July 9): Annoying yellow henchman...things...in commercials killed any potential interest.

Ramona and Beezus (July 23): Loved the books. Trailer looks cute, fluffy. Maybe too fluffy.

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30): Loved the first one. Should be good, clean, stupid fun.

Wow. Out of all those movies, the only original concept is "Despicable Me." Of course, these are just the movies that I know something about. I haven't been to the theater since Johnny and I saw "Avatar" so I haven't seen any previews aside from the ones I decided to track down on YouTube.

What movies are you most excited for? Leave a comment or e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com.

Daily posts starting today!

2010-05-21T06:01:00.002-05:00

That's right. Beginning today, start looking for something posted here every day. Post lengths will vary; today's is pretty brief. With that in mind, here are some quick laughs.

Today's Pearls Before Swine. I love PBS. Don't we all feel like Rat sometimes?

Today's Irregular Webcomic! Little bit of background info: IWC has about 20 different story lines going at once. This is from the "Shakespeare" theme. Shakespeare lives in modern times and works in an office. He's currently writing a fanfiction prequel to Lord of the Rings. Also, here is the first appearance of the time machine. Expect it to pop up in a bunch of stories and possibly destroy the universe.

One more: What happens when nerd guys don't remember the words to lullabies? They make up their own! Here's John Green singing an incredibly creative version of "Hush, Little Baby" to his son.

The blog is not dead!

2010-05-20T20:34:00.002-05:00

Last post published on March 9? Yikes. What can I say? Stuff happened. Life. School. Existential crisis (just kidding). Still, though, I can't believe it's been more than two months.

The school stuff will be over for me soon. I am officially one week and three days away from my college graduation! Once school is officially behind me, I will try and post something every day (possibly taking one day a week off).

The podcast will be returning in June, once my brilliant and talented co-host has finished school for the year. We've got big things planned, including a name change, a new format, and of course no more three-month breaks.

Stay tuned!

Video Revue returns...briefly

2010-03-09T07:36:00.002-06:00

We've ducked out of our hiatus to discuss some TV shows that were canceled shortly after they premiered. I count down my ten favorite short-lived shows; Johnny discusses five that should have gone longer and five that...shouldn't have. Our original idea was to limit our list to shows that had less than 22 episodes, but a few ended up having more.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

This is the penultimate episode of Video Revue (for those of you not in the know, "penultimate" means "second-to-last"). Our updating schedule has basically been: One month with shows every week; skip two weeks; make another episode; go on hiatus. Lather, rinse, repeat. For two and a half years. So we are going to do a grand finale for Video Revue and then return this summer with a brand-new show we're tentatively calling "TMI Chicago" (TMI standing for, naturally, Television, Movies, and Internet).

Have comments or questions about this week's show, or anything else? Email us! You can contact Monica and Johnny at videorevue@gmail.com.

On hiatus. Again.

2010-02-03T23:05:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I'm going to explain this one this time: my dad locked my computer for a while (that is, he changed my password), then put it in the basement (no detail here, so don't ask). Shortly after, Monica started student teaching, which she heard is going to make her really, really tired. So far, so good, but... we don't want to take any chances. And therefore, we are on hiatus again.

That's also why we haven't been doing any episodes of the podcast recently (our dad said we could use his computer if we wanted; Monica didn't want to). So, be patient; we will be off hiatus by March, at the earliest (I hope). So, hang in there!

-Johnny

Resolution Revue: X-Men

2010-01-19T18:12:00.002-06:00

I am not a comic book geek by any stretch of the imagination. However, I love the Spider-Man films (well, loved the first 2; liked the third) and I'm a fan of superheroes in general. I added the X-Men movies to my resolution list for three basic reasons:
1. RandomGuy's videos feature a ton of X-Men characters and I'd like to be able to identify them all.
2. Hugh Jackman. Shirtless.
3. Patrick Stewart.

The first X-Men movie introduces us to some of the most important characters, including Wolverine, Rogue, Professor Xavier, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey. On the bad guys' team, we have Magneto, Mystique, Toad, and Sabretooth. The movie revolves around Wolverine (Logan) and Rogue being found and taken to the Professor's school/high-tech undergound lab as Magneto plans to turn all of the world's leaders into mutants.

Overall, I really liked this movie. The acting was fantastic all around. When looking at the cast list on IMDB, I was surprised by (a) how many names I recognized and (b) that it had taken me so long to finally see this movie. Halle Berry is fantastic as Storm, if a bit underused. Though the scene where she comes out of the elevator, floating in midair, hair whipping around her, was almost cool enough to make up for her lack of screen time. Almost. Anna Paquin, whose name I recognize now because of her starring role on HBO's True Blood, does a fine job as Rogue. Johnny thought she spent all of her time whining. While I will concede that she's not the most calm and collected of the heroes, she is just a teenage girl who hasn't learned to control her powers yet. And her power is pretty freaky.

On the X-Men team, I liked everyone, but especially Storm and Professor Xavier (and not just because he's played by Patrick Stewart). Personality-wise, he reminds me a lot of Professor Dumbledore: always looking for the good in people, optimistic (to a fault?), and powerful enough that you REALLY don't want to be on his bad side.

Magneto is an interesting villain; if you look at his arguments the right way, you might almost agree with him. And Mystique is a good villainess, because you never know where she'll turn up or who she'll be. And she appears to be pretty unkillable, so I hope to see more of her (or her pretending to be someone else) in the next movies. I was glad to see Sabretooth and Toad go. Especially Toad. They were both just kind of gross, and not all that interesting.

Overall, I'd give X-Men 4.5 stars/5.

Video Revue: Providing "Leverage"

2010-01-17T18:05:00.002-06:00

January is Geek Month as we welcome in the Age of the Geek! This week, we discuss one of our favorite geeky shows: Leverage!

"Leverage?" you might ask. "What is Leverage, and what makes it geeky?"

"Well," I would answer, "First of all, Leverage is a show on TNT that combines the heists and intrigue of Ocean's Eleven with the techno-geek gadgets of Mission: Impossible and the steal-from-the-rich ethics of Robin Hood. If that's not geeky enough, a recent episode had Wil Wheaton guest-starring as a hacker referred to by the US government as the Kobayashi Maru."*

Also, Leverage was the show that gave us the line "Age of the Geek."

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

For all the insider Leverage info, be sure to check out the Kung Fu Monkey blog.

Questions, comments, and spam forwards should be sent to videorevue@gmail.com.

*"Are you sure Kobayashi Maru is spelled correctly?" you might ask.

"No, I'm not. You are therefore geekier than me," I would reply.

"Thank you. Wait, what?"

Leonard Nimoy on the Spock "Star Trek" Vulcan Salute

2010-01-14T08:15:00.001-06:00

The real origin of the "Vulcan" salute. I think this is the coolest thing ever.

What Would Captain Picard Do

2010-01-14T08:08:00.001-06:00

Hank of the Vlogbrothers wrote this song about Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is fantastic.

Oddly enough, I think I've seen most of the episodes he references in the song.

Video Revue: The Final Frontier

2010-01-12T06:24:00.003-06:00

It's the Age of the Geek! All month long, Video Revue delves in to some topics to appeal to the geeks and nerds (which is kind of what we do already, but what the hey). This week, Johnny and I take a somewhat long-winded look at Star Trek as we discuss the original series, Next Gen, and movies 2, 3, 4, and 11.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

For a more in-depth discussion of the 2009 Star Trek movie, here is our review from last May.

Questions, comments about the show, and spam forwards should be directed to videorevue@gmail.com.

Coming next week: Leverage! If you haven't yet familiarized yourself with this fantastic show, you can check it out on the TNT website.

Resolution Revue: Star Trek IV--The Voyage Home

2010-01-11T11:19:00.002-06:00

Monica here with my first movie review from my New Year's resolution list! The Voyage Home finishes off the movie "trilogy" started with Wrath of Khan and continued in The Search for Spock as the Enterprise travels from the 23rd century back to the 20th. It's like Back to the Future with starships! And whales. And minus Christopher Lloyd (who, oddly enough, was in ST3 as the Klingon leader).

The movie begins with Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew about to head back to Earth to face court martial in a Klingon ship for all the crazy stuff they pulled in Search for Spock as they attempted to reunite Spock's body with his "katra." The Enterprise has been destroyed, Spock still isn't his old self, and they're all in deep trouble. However, their problems pale in comparison to what is happening at the Starfleet headquarters on Earth, where a mysterious alien probe is vaporizing all of the Earth's oceans. The probe appears to be sending a message, which the Enterprise crew determines is aimed, not at humans, but at humpback whales. The only problem here is that humpback whales have been extinct in the Trek 'verse since the 21st century, so the Enterprise crew heads back in time to find some. Despite all of the advancements in technology that humanity has made in 300-odd years, apparently time travel is still an inexact science. The time travel involves some complicated equations and launching themselves at the sun, only to turn right before they vaporize. Or something like that.

All of this is a complicated excuse for answering the question, "What if the Enterprise crew could walk around San Francisco in 1986?" Not that I mind. One of the things I enjoy the most about the original Trek was their focus on placing the characters in all sorts of odd situations just to see how they would react (and, oddly enough, that is also one of the things I like about Pinky and the Brain). Anyway, this movie does not disappoint. Kirk and Spock go to find the whales being held at an aquarium, Uhura and Chekov go to find some "nuclear wessels" which they can use to power the Klingon ship back to the future, and Scotty and McCoy find supplies to build a tank to house the whales.

I really liked this movie. For once, I thought the story between Kirk and his love interest was pretty good. Usually, I think Shatner comes off as pompous but here he was kind of adorable. Maybe because he was telling the marine biologist the absolute truth and she still didn't believe him. Maybe it was because he wasn't hitting on someone who could have been half his age (squick). I loved Spock, as always, especially the ridiculous robe he was wearing. And the headband to cover his Vulcan ears. He did, indeed, look like someone who had done a little too much "LDS" in the sixties. Other favorite scenes included Kirk and Spock on the bus (especially Spock giving the Vulcan nerve pinch to the obnoxious teenager) and McCoy in the "modern" hospital ("The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!"). And, of course, Scotty's attempt to talk to the computer in the scientist's office (a similar gag was used in an episode of 3rd Rock--but, as usual, Star Trek did it first). All in all, it was fun and exciting and a great time.

Overall: 4.5/5

Spock's White and Nerdy

2010-01-11T09:27:00.001-06:00

Because he is.

Our Star Trek episode is coming soon!

Star Trek episodes guide song

2010-01-11T09:21:00.002-06:00

This song has the title of every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. And it rhymes.

And I thought "Nations of the World" was impressive. Watch this and be amazed.

Video Revue: New Year's Movie Resolutions!

2010-01-06T06:51:00.004-06:00

This year, we here at Video Revue resolve not to take two weeks off without any updates...sorry 'bout that.

We also resolve to WATCH MORE MOVIES! Specifically, Johnny and I have each made a list of ten movies we resolve to watch in 2010. Surprisingly, as much as we sometimes overlap, this time we only had one movie in common...sort of.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Oh, and this year we also resolve to post every episode here to the blog...here is our Christmas special. Whoops.

Incidentally, if you subscribe to us on iTunes, you'll get the show every week whether it's posted here or not.

Comments, questions, and spam forwards should be sent to videorevue@gmail.com.

Coming up next week: Our "Age of the Geek" month kicks off with an overview of Star Trek!

My new blog!

2010-01-03T16:27:00.004-06:00

I have a new blog, everyone! Yay! Isn't it exciting?

What's it about? Well, I'll tell you: it's where I blog-ify about all of the books that I am working on. Currently, that would be one, but hey!

It can be found here.

Be safe, have fun, and spoil your dinner!

-Johnny Swanson

Movie Revue: New Moon

2009-12-15T17:06:00.003-06:00

Yes, I finally the time AND money to see New Moon. Incidentally, why is it $6 for a matinee showing of a movie that's been out for a month? Prices at our local theater just went up from $5.50 to $6, and it bugs me.

New Moon stars Taylor Lautner, who spends most of the movie shirtless; Kristen Stewart, who spends most of the movie looking constipated; and Robert Pattinson, who spends most of the movie about to burst into tears. Seriously, for two people who are supposed to be madly in love, Edward and Bella sure don't smile a lot. So, thirty-second recap: After her true love (and vampire) Edward leaves her alone in the woods, painfully normal human Bella sinks into a deep depression. The only one who can bring her out of it is her friend Jacob, who like likes Bella, but Bella doesn't like him that way. Then it turns out that Jacob is a werewolf. Then Bella has to go to Italy to stop Edward from committing vampire suicide.

As I mentioned on last week's show, I am a fan of Twilight, but I am not a screaming Twilight fangirl. As such, I was able to enjoy this movie as a guilty pleasure. The movie seemed to drag at times; as in Twilight, there were scenes where the characters spent most of their screen time staring at each other. I started calling "Line?" whenever the pauses got too long (there were maybe 5 other people in the theater besides me, and I'm sure they couldn't hear my commentary). I'm honestly not sure whether this movie is good, or so bad it's good. I suppose it's some of both; the scenes with the Volturi were genuinely tense, and I liked a lot of the scenes with Bella and Jacob.

Something that bugs me about Twilight, especially now that I know how it all ends, is that Bella ends up with Edward. One of the biggest complaints the Twi-haters like to raise is that Bella and Edward's relationship doesn't seem to be based on anything. They just have passionate true love, for reasons which are never fully explored. Bella and Jacob, on the other hand, have a strong friendship based on things like common interests and even have some inside jokes. And in any other movie, the girl would've dumped the hot-guy-who-leaves-her for the friend-who's-always-been-there.

The special effects were pretty good--better than Twilight--and for the most part, I thought the werewolves looked great. The only part they couldn't get quite right was the eyes. They should have narrowed more when the wolves were trying to be menacing.

Overall: New Moon gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Video Revue: Best and Worst of Disney

2009-12-14T17:09:00.004-06:00

Johnny here, "blog-ifying" the latest episode of Video Revue! This week, Monica and I are taking a look at the movies that are, in our opinions, the worst and the best. WHY would they make a sequel to "The Little Mermaid"? For that matter, what about "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"?

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow

Oh, and one more thing: our inbox has been looking really empty lately. Like, really empty, so much so that even our spam isn't good enough to be read on the air. So please, don't forget to send those e-mails to videorevue@gmail.com.

Video Revue: Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

2009-12-06T20:30:00.004-06:00

This week, Johnny and I discuss ten different things that only one of us likes, and debate them a la Siskel and Ebert (in theory, anyway). Which blockbuster movie nearly put Johnny to sleep? Which popular website is full of videos I can't stand? Listen and find out!

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow

If you'd like to weigh in on any of the things we discussed, e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com.

Next week: our top 5 best and worst Disney movies!

Video Revue: Top Eleven Cartoon Comedies

2009-11-30T08:29:00.003-06:00

Johnny and I finish off LOL-vember by counting down our top 11 favorite animated comedy shows. Why top eleven? Because we like to rip off the Nostalgia Critic...

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Comments, hate mail, and spam forwards to videorevue@gmail.com.

Tune in next week as Johnny and I calmly discuss things which only one of us likes, a la Siskel and Ebert. We're calling it "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down."

Video Revue: Garfield

2009-11-23T07:49:00.002-06:00

In honor of our comedy month, and in honor of everyone's favorite food-related holiday, Johnny and I look at our favorite funny fat cat, Garfield! From his early days in the comics (and creator Jim Davis' earlier flop!) to his current incarnation on Cartoon Network, Johnny and I discuss them all.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Show comments, hate mail, and spam forwards can be sent to videorevue@gmail.com. Question for the week: Do you like Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield, or do you agree that Lorenzo Music is irreplaceable?

For those who've been counting: This is episode 50! And it only took us 2 years and change...

Marvel/DC Twilight and New Moon Parody

2009-11-21T08:35:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted a RandomGuy video in a while...

New Moon review coming, y'know, whenever. If I see it.

Video Revue: Director's Chair--Mel Brooks

2009-11-16T06:09:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's right! As LOL-vember continues, Johnny and I take a look at one of comedy's greatest directors. From 1968's "The Producers" to 1995's "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," we discuss them all. Special guest: our dad joins us for an in-depth analysis of "Blazing Saddles" and "Silent Movie."

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

One note I wanted to bring up on the podcast: "Silent Movie" should not be confused with the "Scary Movie" franchise or those other gawd-awful "Fill-in-the-blank Movie" films like "Date Movie," "Epic Movie," or "Superhero Movie." Seriously, it seems like there's a new one of those every year, each more half-assed than the last.

Question for the week: What's your favorite Mel Brooks movie?

Video Revue: Top Ten LOL Moments

2009-11-08T23:28:00.002-06:00

November is comedy month on Video Revue! This week, Johnny and I discuss our top ten moments from movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos that made us laugh out loud...but if you ask us next week, the list will probably be completely different!

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Coming up next week: a Director's Chair look at the great Mel Brooks.

If you have comments about this week's show, or any other shows, e-mail us!

Video Revue: The Addams Family

2009-10-31T19:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween! Be safe, have fun, and spoil your dinner (as Johnny likes to say)...Fun fact: the bite-size Butterfinger bars are 100 calories EACH.

Eh, whatever. Halloween is only one day a year, right?

This week, Johnny and I discuss the Addams Family, from the original 60s show to the two cartoon versions to the movies from the 1990s. As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Also, be sure to listen to Subject:Cinema's Halloween show!

Coming next week: our theme for November is comedy. Johnny and I kick off "LOL-vember" with our Top Ten Laugh Out Loud Moments!

Cool Optical Illusion

2009-10-31T07:27:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share with you guys this really cool optical illusion. Now, this guy talks kinda soft, so turn the volume up.
Thanks a million!

Son of Svengoolie - "Vampire Carpets" (1980?)

2009-10-29T06:09:00.001-05:00

Here's the "Vampire Carpets" commercial we mentioned on this week's show.

Svengoolie Street

2009-10-29T06:08:00.001-05:00

Featuring Jerry G. Bishop, the original Svengoolie, as another friendly kid's show host.

Mr. Robber's Neighborhood (1979)

2009-10-26T11:47:00.001-05:00

Here's the "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" parody we mentioned on this week's show. It's hilarious!

This video comes from graveyardtheatre.

Video Revue: Chicago Horror Movie Hosts

2009-10-26T11:22:00.004-05:00

This week, Johnny and I take a look back at some of the fabulous and funny people who have hosted the weekly horror movies on TV in Chicago. We discuss the first horror host, who was on in 1957, up through the fabulous Svengoolie, who can still be seen on Saturday nights from 9-11 on WCIU. This Saturday, as a special Halloween treat, Sven will be hosting Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman's wig!

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

This week's featured YouTube channel is FuzzyMemoriesTV, also known as The Museum of Chicago Classic Television. They have a ton of old commercials and bumpers that aired on Chicago TV, as well as clips from Jerry G. Bishop's "Screaming Yellow Theater" and Rich Koz on "Son of Svengoolie" and "The Koz Zone."

All of our information for this week's show comes from this book, available on Amazon or from Horrorbles.

Look for more posts this week, including video clips, pictures of the Berwyn car kabob, and photos from our meeting with Svengoolie!

Next week's show: The Addams Family.

Surprise! Video Revue from Deep 13 TODAY!

2009-10-17T17:28:00.005-05:00

Yes, that's right, your weekly dose of Video Revue is available a full day early! This week, Johnny and I discuss the groundbreaking cult sci-fi hit Mystery Science Theater 3000. From their early days on local KTMA to the aftermath of the show's cancellation, we've got it covered.

If you've found our site through Satellite News, welcome! Thanks for listening and checking out the blog, and I hope you'll tune in again.

As always, you can listen to us directly on Podshow, or, if you like what you hear, you can subscribe to us on iTunes! Just search for "Video Revue."

YouTube channel of the week: romeorhino. Click for more of his great MST-style commentary!

Also, check out what the MST crew is up to these days: RiffTrax features Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy. Cinematic Titanic features basically everyone else: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beauleiu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, and J. Elvis Weinstein.

And one final note: This episode, and this show, would not be possible without this episode of Subject:Cinema (the first episode I ever listened to, from way back in June 2006). I listened, I wrote, I listened some more, and eventually Johnny and I decided to give this podcasting thing a try ourselves. And the rest, as they say, is history.

There's only so much of MST3K's history that we can cover in an hour, so we'd love to hear your feedback! What's your favorite episode? Best season? Did we get some facts mixed up? Let us know! Our email address is videorevue@gmail.com.

Coming next week: Svengoolie and other horror movie hosts! For a while, I contemplated dedicating half of the show to MST and the other half to Sven, but I decided it would be better to give each show its own episode. I don't want to inadvertently pit fans of one show against fans of the other. They're both great shows and I want to give them both their due.

And remember: Watch out for snakes!

YouTube Channel of the Week: romeorhino

2009-10-17T08:55:00.001-05:00

Yes, in honor of our MST3K show, Johnny and I have awarded our increasingly intermittent "YouTube Channel of the Week" award to romeorhino, AKA Josh Way, creator of this and other hilarious MST-style riffs on "educational" videos circa 1950s.

MST3K podcast coming this weekend!

2009-10-17T08:24:00.001-05:00

Yes, that's right! Instead of splitting this week's show between Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Svengoolie, we decided to do two different shows. Look for the MST show tomorrow and Svengoolie next weekend.

On a side note, be nice to your boss...especially if he happens to be a mad scientist.

Toy Story 3 - Official Trailer (Higher Quality)

2009-10-15T18:09:00.001-05:00

This version of the trailer is higher quality than the one Monica posted, even without pressing the HD button.
I still crack up to this very moment!

Son of Svengoolie - "The 3-D Movie" (Opening, 1982)

2009-10-14T05:11:00.001-05:00

...and this is why 3-D is only for movie theaters. Apparently this was a colossal disappointment.

For more Svengoolie trivia, be sure to tune in to our next show!

Movie Revue: Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3-D!

2009-10-13T07:41:00.002-05:00

One ticket. Two movies. Three dimensions.

Johnny and I are huge Pixar fans (if you'll remember from our Pixar show) so we were very excited to hear that Toy Story and TS2 were returning to theaters in 3-D. I'm a big fan of the new 3-D techniques, having seen several movies in the old blue-and-red-glasses 3-D. The new way is way better, although I do think they use it as a gimmick sometimes.

But that didn't happen here. They simply re-worked the movies so that everything looks a little bit more real. The effects are pretty subtle, but everything has more depth and detail. Or maybe it's just seeing Toy Story on the big screen again after thirteen years of watching the VHS copy on my 22-inch TV screen. The colors popped, the backgrounds looked real, and it was just a ton of fun. I've seen both movies so many times I could probably recite entire scenes from memory, so I just sat back and tried to find details I hadn't noticed before.

I could, of course. Which reminded me again how mind-blowingly awesome Pixar is. Their attention to detail is just amazing. Here's a really nerdy example: when Buzz and Woody are trapped in Sid's room, and Buzz is trying to push the toolbox off of his desk, I noticed that the toolbox said Binford. Binford Tools was the name of the tool company that sponsored "Tool Time" on "Home Improvement," which (along with Toy Story) starred Tim Allen.

Along with two great movies, we got a preview for Toy Story 3, which looks like it's going to be hilarious. You can watch the video below (until it is inevitably deleted) but I would really recommend finding some time to go and see the movies in theaters. Unfortunately, it's only in theaters for two weeks, and this is week 2. But if you have a chance, definitely check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Toy Story 3 2010 New Trailer Leaked (Official)

2009-10-13T07:40:00.001-05:00

Johnny and I went to see the Toy Story 3-D double feature yesterday. This was one of the trailers that played before the movie.

I am SO excited! I cannot WAIT for June 18 now! This movie is going to be amazing.

Video Revue: Podcast From Another Dimension!

2009-10-12T07:11:00.003-05:00

You're listening to a podcast. A podcast not only of sight and sound, but of mind...

Hmm. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. This week, Johnny and I (along with a special guest!) discuss some of our favorite episodes of the iconic science fiction show The Twilight Zone. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the show's premiere, and it's amazing how well the show has held up. Even today, you can start humming the theme song when something weird happens and people know what it means.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

There were 156 episodes in the series' five-year run; we discuss just 18. If we forgot one of your favorites, let us know! Also, next week is our discussion on horror movie hosts. We're going to discuss MST3K and some of the Chicago horror hosts. If you'd like us to talk about your favorite, just let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Our email address is videorevue@gmail.com.

Question for the week: Why do you think the show is still so popular, half a century after it first appeared?

Video Revue: Heroes (To Be Continued)

2009-10-04T18:38:00.002-05:00

This week, Johnny and I try to untangle the complicated television web that is Heroes. From the good guys, to the bad guys, to some of the dead guys (who are still around??) we give you the up-to-date info on the supernatural soap opera.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Next week, we celebrate our third anniversary, along with the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic sci-fi shows ever: The Twilight Zone.
(doo-do-do-do...see? You can hear the music in your head right now!)

If you have comments about this episode or anything else, email us at videorevue@gmail.com.

John Astin goes to hell

2009-10-03T10:01:00.001-05:00

What is hell? A hippie finds out in this segment from "Night Gallery."

Apparently, it's a real bummer.

Defy authority! Read banned books!!

2009-09-28T18:01:00.004-05:00

Quiz time: What do the following books have in common?

-The Giver by Lois Lowry
-Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
-Looking for Alaska by John Green
-The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
-Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
-Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
-1984 by George Orwell
-Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
-Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
-Forever by Judy Blume
-Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
-The Witches by Roald Dahl
-A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
-Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The answer: In addition to being excellent books, every book on this list has been challenged or banned for some reason. For a comprehensive list of commonly banned and challenged books, you can visit the ALA website. I included just a few here because they are all books that I've read and enjoyed. Some were assigned by my English teachers; some I picked up on my own. The odd thing is that looking over the list I recognize A LOT of the titles.

Why are these books banned? There are various reasons given, usually that the subject matter is not age-appropriate, or that the book includes sex or violence (though sex is listed more often than violence). But the real reason is that someone is afraid of the book. Or, more specifically, someone is afraid of what will happen when people (usually children) read the book. They are afraid of the messages it contains, the characters it portrays, or the situations they are placed in. These books make people uncomfortable.

Which follows that a book must be really good if it is banned. If someone was so afraid of an author's message that they tried to keep other people from reading the book, that book is powerful. The more people read, the more knowledge they will have. Reading should challenge your views on the world. If you read something that makes you feel uncomfortable, good for you. The world is a big place, and everyone sees it differently. We could all stand to step out of our comfort zones more often. I don't exactly want to congratulate these authors for having written banned books, but I would like to encourage everyone reading this blog to go out and pick up a book that someone else thinks you shouldn't read.

And you can laugh evilly in their general direction.

Video Revue: Dollhouse

2009-09-28T13:47:00.004-05:00

Johnny and I wrap up Joss-tember with a look at his latest (and still currently running) show, "Dollhouse." It's more of a brief overview than a really in-depth look, because we just had a really busy weekend. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed our look at Joss Whedon as much as we did. As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Coming up next week, we try and unravel the exciting, in-depth world of "Heroes," and then it's time for our Halloween shows! The third week in October will be devoted to horror movie hosts. If you remember a local or national show that you'd like us to talk about, please let us know! Our email address is videorevue@gmail.com.

Question for the week: What's your favorite show from Joss Whedon?

Fist of the North Star - Japanese Opening

2009-09-27T21:55:00.001-05:00

A random video for the blog! This rocks, at least in my opinion.
No, this has nothing to do with Joss-Tember, it's just awesome.
It may get removed eventually, because it's from a DVD, which I am SO going to Netflix soon.
I want MP3 for this so badly!

Joss-tember: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog!

2009-09-26T20:11:00.003-05:00

Fire up the webcam! Cue the music! Everyone's favorite mad scientist is on the loose. In the first half of our two-part weekend Johnny and I discuss Joss Whedon's internet musical. The Dollhouse show, which was originally going to go up tomorrow, will probably be late because we just finished recording it half an hour ago. But for now you'll just have to be satisfied with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion singing about heroism.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email us! Question for the week: Would you like to see the continuing adventures of Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer? Or has Joss messed with their lives enough for you?

Dr. Horrible Mocks the interwebs.

2009-09-22T13:18:00.001-05:00

OMG. Now I wish I'd watched the Emmys.

Ah well, the Internet brings it here to us now! And we can watch it any time we want! Mwahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!

(For more on Dr. Horrible, listen to Video Revue's special Saturday show coming this weekend!)

Video Revue: Firefly

2009-09-20T19:11:00.003-05:00

Joss-tember continues as Johnny and I discuss the world's greatest sci-fi western: Firefly! From the fantastic two-hour premiere to the heartrending final episode, we discuss them all. As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Here's the link to the Lego "Serenity" project we discussed towards the end of the show (just scroll down to "Browncoat Central"--he's got 6 different versions!). It's amazing what this guy can do with Legos.

MST3k fans: click here to see his life-sized Lego versions of Crow and Servo!

I'm thinking we should do a future podcast about those great TV shows that have everything going for them but still only last one season. Unfortunately, I seem to discover a lot of them...right before they're canceled. But that's another story for another day.

We'd love to hear from our listeners! To comment on this show, past episodes, future episodes, or anything else, email us at videorevue@gmail.com.

Also, don't forget to listen to this week's Subject:Cinema! Johnny and I chime in with our thoughts on the Harry Potter books vs. movies, along with TC, Kim, and some of their friends (including Eric and Amber from Cavebabble).

This week's question: If Firefly had lasted beyond the first 15 episodes, what do you think would've happened? Who would have been the first to die? (My vote is on either Kaylee or Simon, shortly after their first kiss)

New from Popcorn 'N' Roses: Mirrorball Mayhem

2009-09-14T17:26:00.002-05:00

Do you like "Dancing With the Stars"? Do you know someone who does? If so, you should check out the new podcast from the PNR networks: Mirrorball Mayhem, the first and only podcast devoted to DWTS. It's hosted by TC and Kim, our "pod people" friends in Boston and the hosts of Subject:Cinema.

If you like our show, definitely give Subject:Cinema a listen because they're awesome.

That having been said...I really don't like reality TV. I am apparently in the minority in this regard--even in my own house. But in my mind, every reality show has 3 main components:
1. The gimmick (celebrities dancing; people losing weight; living on a desert island; etc). The gimmicks either work for me or they don't.
2. The competition (a million dollars; a job with Donald Trump; fame; love; whatever). Basically why these carefully chosen people are on the television show in the first place.
3. The drama. I don't think I even have to define this--but it's all the scenes where one person talks directly to the viewers about why he/she hates so-and-so. This also includes the inordinate amount of time devoted to telling people they're fired/kicked out/sent home/losers. Seriously, almost half of the show is devoted to building up who the loser is this week. Even though they're called "reality" shows the drama always seems so contrived. I just don't like the idea of watching people talk behind each other's backs. Basically, even when I like the gimmick, I can't stand the drama.

Having said that, if you like Dancing With the Stars, you'll probably like Mirrorball Mayhem. And if you're like me, I can guarantee that TC and Kim won't be talking about DWTS during Subject:Cinema this year.

NEW MOON Trailer 2 [HD OFFICIAL]

2009-09-14T17:10:00.001-05:00

ZOMG. Countdown begins...now.

This trailer courtesy of Kaleb "Twilight Guy" Nation. Read his book! It's amazing! (Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse)

Video Revue: Angel

2009-09-13T21:29:00.003-05:00

Joss-tember continues as we take a long, long look at "Angel," the spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." We discuss some of our favorite episodes from all 5 seasons. We're having a lot of fun talking about Joss Whedon, and we'd love to have some more listener input! Coming next week: the ultimate in cult classic shows, "Firefly."

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

I mentioned at the end of this week's episode that we're planning an episode in October on horror movie shows. We'd love to have some input on what you remember growing up, or if there are local shows you watch now. If not, we've got more than enough material to do a whole show on Svengoolie...but it probably won't be that interesting to people not from Chicago. So if you'd like us to talk about your favorite horror host or horror show, please send us an e-mail! Our address is videorevue@gmail.com.

This week's question: Who's your favorite character from Angel? Favorite episode or season? Is the spin-off as good as the original series?

TV Show Revue: The Vampire Diaries

2009-09-10T22:18:00.003-05:00

From the network that brought you "Gossip Girl"...

Yeah.

The CW's new high school romance/vampire drama premiered tonight. It's based on a (fantastic) series of books by LJ Smith. There are obvious comparisons to "Twilight." We have the hot, mysterious guy who turns out to be a vampire. Said vampire no longer drinks human blood. We have the quiet girl who falls for the mysterious, brooding guy. Oh, and both series are set in high school.

But that's where the comparisons end. "Vampire Diaries" follows Elena, the quiet girl whose parents died in a car accident; Stefan, the Mysterious Brooding Vampire; Bonnie, Elena's psychic best friend; Damon, Stefan's Evil Vampire Brother; Matt, Elena's ex-boyfriend; and Carolyn, Elena's "frenemy." They're all basically the same characters as in the books. Then, just to shake things up, the writers invented a teenage pothead brother for Elena (fans of the books will remember that she originally had a much younger sister) and a teenage sister for Matt and some other characters who are there basically to complicate the relationships and/or die. Oh, and some guy who Stefan claims is his uncle but obviously isn't because he's human and several centuries younger than his "nephew." He knows what Stefan is, though.

As first episodes go, it wasn't too bad. It wasn't spectacular, though. The dialog was kind of flat--except for Damon. He was probably my favorite character. I wish we'd seen more of him. There was way too much of an emphasis on the relationship junk for my taste. I'll watch again next week, and I'll probably stick through the whole season, but so far I'm not overly impressed.

My main criticism is the way they portray the high school. Who provided all that beer for the "back-to-school" party? I find it disturbing that all of the sex and the drinking and the drugs are just assumed as a given. What message are they trying to convey? "This is what high school is like?" Or: "This is how high school SHOULD be?" Neither of those sounds like a good option to me.

When I think of vampire TV shows, the first one that comes to mind is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", which also had the mysterious brooding vampire and high school setting. Even from the first episode, these characters seemed real. They had distinct personalities. The characters in Vampire Diaries, especially the girls, seemed pretty much interchangeable. I don't really feel like I know any of the characters yet--except for Damon. Maybe I'm just biased towards Buffy--the first episode wasn't the first one that I saw--but it is, in my mind, a much better pilot.

And here's the four-sentence summary!
The Vampire Diaries (new series; premiered fall 2009)
The Premise: Hottie brooding vampire moves to small town, followed by hottie evil vampire.
Why I love it: Damon is pretty hot.
If I could change one thing, I'd: get rid of a subplot or two, probably the "drug-dealing-younger-brother" one.
Girl power rating: Too early to tell. Initial score 2/5 for not really developing any of the female characters and making 2 girls vampire victims in the first episode already.

BTVS: Season 6 finale

2009-09-08T21:32:00.001-05:00

Willow really wants to end the world...Xander talks her out of it.

Video Revue: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2009-09-07T15:04:00.004-05:00

It's finally here! The first of five different shows devoted to Joss Whedon (evil genius), this week's episode focuses on the iconic 90s show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Johnny and I attempt to condense all seven season into an hour and a half...with mixed results. We'll probably have a slightly different format for next week's show (Angel) and the others.

One note: towards the end of the show, I accidentally mixed up two of the characters' names: in "Conversations with Dead People" it's Willow who is haunted by "Cassie" and Dawn who sees her "mother's" body. Sorry for the confusion--it was a long week and a long show and my brain was kind of fried.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

For reference, here's our schedule for the rest of "Joss-tember":
Sunday, Sep. 13: Angel
Sunday, Sep. 20: Firefly
Saturday, Sep. 26: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (special Saturday show!)
Sunday, Sep. 27: Dollhouse

And coming in October, we have a whole months of Halloween-related shows. This is going to be a big season for Video Revue, so be sure to listen every week!

We'd LOVE to hear from other Whedon fans! Please send your feedback to videorevue@gmail.com

This week's question: What's your favorite character or episode from Buffy?

Video Revue: Actor's Studio--John Lithgow

2009-08-31T05:59:00.002-05:00

It's all about John Lithgow this week! Johnny and I discuss some of his films, look back (again) at 3rd Rock from the Sun, and look forward to his new TV role (which is almost the opposite of a fun-loving alien...) along with the opportunity we had to meet him! You'll never guess where.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Questions for the week: What's your favorite Lithgow role? Do you like him better as a hero or a villain?

Send your feedback on this episode or any others to videorevue@gmail.com.

Coming next week: the start of Joss Whedon September! We're going to talk about the cult classic and personal favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Coming after that is Angel, Firefly, and a double-play weekend with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Dollhouse to finish out the month. Stay tuned, because it's going to be a ton of fun!

Happy dance time: "Leverage" has been renewed!

2009-08-27T22:20:00.002-05:00

I was on Twitter a few minutes ago and came across an unexpected announcement: TNT has renewed "Leverage" for a third season! I was happily surprised that they renewed it already, because the second season is still being aired. If you've never watched Leverage before, do yourself a favor and start watching. Now. (It airs Wednesday evenings on TNT; cable-impaired viewers can catch some recent episodes on TNT's website or download 'em all from iTunes or Amazon).

So many networks have a reputation for developing a show, attracting viewers, and then canning the whole thing after one season (see: Pushing Daisies, Moonlight, Firefly, Blood Ties, Jericho, Back To You, etc). It's enough to make anyone wary of watching a new show. But when TNT started running ads for a new show called "Leverage" last November, I was hooked from the first promo ("Hey, look! It's Lindsey from "Angel"!). I tuned to the first episode, hoping for some decent entertainment.

I was blown away. This show is AMAZING. The premise: four criminals and an ex-insurance agent team up to steal from the undeserving, greedy SOBs who screw people over. They then give said money to the people who've been wronged. Or, as the leader Nate (Timothy Hutton) puts it: "The rich and powerful take what they want. We steal it back for you." As odd as it seems, this show always leaves me with a smile on my face. It's total schadenfreude. But they have it coming to them. Honestly.

The weekly stories are always fascinating. I love trying to figure out how they're going to rip off the bad guys. They always seem to be one step ahead of everyone else. The writers are fantastic, and the cast is simply phenomenal. In addition to Hutton's ex-insurance agent Nate Ford, we have Christian Kane (the aforementioned "Angel" alum) as Eliot, who kicks ass and takes names; Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison, hacker extraordinaire; Gina Bellman as grifter/con artist Sophie Devereaux; and Beth Riesgraf as Parker, the world's greatest thief. The characters are all rich and complex, and the actors are all up to the task of bringing them to life on screen. They have great chemistry. The dynamic is as real as the characters themselves are. Some of my favorite lines in the show come from the little "throw-away" side conversations the team has with each other when they're not on the job. These people all have back stories, and it's fascinating to see them grow closer together over the course of the first season.

Season two is proving to be just as good, if not even better. This time they're taking down bigger, badder guys, protecting more people, taking more risks, and getting closer and closer to being discovered (actually, I take that back. They've been discovered, and managed to turn that into an even bigger win). They seem to be unstoppable (though this means I'm naturally waiting for the other shoe to drop). I can only imagine what they'll be getting up to in the third season.

One final note: Whoever came up with the idea of putting TV shows on iTunes and having new episodes up the day after they air is a genius. I've bought the Season Pass for both S1 and S2 of Leverage (making it one of only 2 shows where I own every episode; the other is Angel) because the only time I've ever had cable TV is when I lived in the dorms on my college campus. Now, I can get every episode of my favorite show without having to shell out $40 a month for cable.

Video Revue: Memory Lane

2009-08-26T07:41:00.002-05:00

Sorry the show is late this week. We ran into technical difficulties--but now you can finally listen to our brand new intro!

*crickets*

Anyway, this week Johnny and I discuss both shows we watched as young children and kids' TV shows we still enjoy--some we've only discovered recently. We also have our coverage of the terrific, hilarious live riffing of Plan 9 From Outer Space!

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Comments about this week's show? Want to suggest a new topic? Our email address is videorevue@gmail.com. Question for the week: What's your earliest TV memory?

We'll be back next week with a look at the career of John Lithgow, and then it's on to our Whedon-tastic September!

Podcast changes and end of summer

2009-08-21T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry there was no show last week--Johnny and I suddenly found ourselves with all kinds of back-to-school stuff we needed to do. Oddly enough, neither of us actually went back to school THIS week. Johnny starts next week and my classes don't start until the week after that. But Johnny had some homework to finish (no, I don't know why they've started giving out homework over summer vacation) and I had to buy all of my textbooks. Anyway, to make up for it we've put some extras into this week's show. We're debuting a brand new intro and outro, and we have a review of last night's live riffing of "Plan 9 From Outer Space"! I don't remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did last night. We had a GREAT time!

And don't forget: in two weeks we're starting our first ever month-long series of shows as we devote the month of September to the evil genius who is Joss Whedon!

A classic!

2009-08-20T12:24:00.001-05:00

Would you BELIEVE that this thing has been viewed almost 18,000 times since 2007??

TV on the Internet

2009-08-13T20:03:00.002-05:00

Note: This is another one of those blog posts that's probably going to go on for a while without really saying anything important. I haven't done one of those for a while.

One of the great things about the Internet is that it gives people the opportunity to watch television shows and movies without a television, VCR, or DVD player. For someone like me, who watches a lot more television than I'd like to admit, it's exciting. However, it can also frequently be annoying. Why is that, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you why. Because, with instant access to certain shows, I come to expect any episode of any television show to be just a few clicks away--and it definitely is not. Granted, a lot of the new shows are available in various places online, often just a day after they air on TV. But older shows are a lot harder to track down. Or they can be.

Anyway, there are basically 3 different ways to find TV shows on the Internet: free with commercials, free without commercials, and paid.

Free with commercials: This includes sites such as Hulu, Fancast, and the "Shows" section on YouTube. This also includes the network websites. If you're looking for a specific, current show, chances are good you can watch it on the network's web site. Some of the video players are easier to use than others. The other sites have the rights to certain shows from various networks (and, in some cases, only certain episodes from those shows). You can watch them for free, but the videos are interrupted periodically to show a commercial (sometimes the same commercial during every break). They're always adding new stuff when they get the rights to it, so the selection is expanding. They have old shows, new shows, network shows, and even some cable shows--but nothing rated TV-MA (sorry, True Blood fans who don't have HBO!).

Free without commercials: These are usually found on websites with user-generated content, where kind souls have decided to upload shows that they, technically, may or may not have the rights to. Aside from the legal issues, this can be both good and bad. The main advantage here is selection. If you can't find it on Hulu, chances are someone else has it uploaded somewhere. This includes shows you would normally only be able to find on premium cable channels. Websites like Surf the Channel try to collect all of the links into one easy-to-search place. The disadvantages here are that these links are much more unreliable--if YouTube is purging copyrighted content, every episode of a certain show could disappear...for a while. They're constantly being deleted and re-uploaded. Also, Surf the Channel is vulnerable to hackers. My antivirus program doesn't like it.

Paid: This includes websites like iTunes and Amazon, where you can pay to own a favorite episode or show. This is good if it's something you know you'd like to watch over and over again--and if you have the space for it. It's not so good if you've never seen a show before and don't feel like paying $2 an episode only to find out you don't like it--or if you don't happen to have an extra 30 gigabytes on your hard drive. I will say that iTunes has an insane selection, especially with new shows, including premium cable and shows in HD. Netflix also has videos you can watch online (or stream through the Internet to your TV with a special box) but their selection of TV shows isn't nearly as wide as iTunes.

What I'd really like to see is a site that has a wider selection than the free-with-ad sites without having to purchase the episode. Here's my vision: For a monthly subscription fee, you get unlimited access to thousands of shows (more than the free-with-commercials) which you can watch at any time over the Internet. You could even have different levels: a free version would let you watch, say, five hours per month. Or maybe certain shows would only be available with a paid plan. Paid subscribers could have unlimited viewing, and for an additional fee could download episodes to their computers. I like the streaming-to-TV idea that Netflix has--I think the box is from a company called Roku--so I'd make my website compatible with the box as well (no additional charge). There could be an extra fee for HD format. You could even charge extra for shows like Dexter or True Blood or The Sopranos. Personally, I'd make it compatible with iTunes and other portable video players. I doubt Apple would agree to that, but this is all hypothetical anyway...

I'd be willing to pay for a subscription like that. Normally I only use the Internet to pay for items, not services (Netflix being my one exception). But let's say a website like the one I envision would cost $20 a month. First of all, that's cheaper than cable by a wide margin. If it had a wide enough selection of shows, it could actually replace cable TV altogether. And if you'd watch more than 10 shows in a month, it's cheaper than iTunes. Personally, I think the flat rate is better than paying per episode or per viewing, because if I purchase a video and don't like it I feel it was a waste of money. And while I do love being able to carry around my favorite TV shows on my iPod, they take up A LOT of space on my laptop.

Question for the comments: What do you think of my idea? Would you pay for a website like the one I've described? What, if anything, would you change?

(Additional question: who wants to bet this post will be spammed with at least 5 ads for video sites? Should I add a spam filter?)

RiffTrax LIVE: Plan 9 from Outer Space

2009-08-10T06:52:00.001-05:00

Yes, in case you haven't heard about THIS, it's going to be awesome! Johnny and I bought tickets as soon as we found out. We're going to have a full review on our podcast (the August 23rd show). If you haven't bought tickets yet, GO! Before they sell out!

Video Revue: Attack of the 80s Movies!

2009-08-10T06:30:00.002-05:00

We're back! This week, Johnny and I travel back to the 1980s to discuss the top 10 grossing films from each year, particularly those we've seen. From "Witness" to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," from "The Empire Strikes Back" to "The Little Mermaid," we discuss everything eighties. This idea was suggested by our long-time listener Rob in Oregon (thanks, Rob!). If you have an idea for Video Revue, we'd love to hear it! You can e-mail us any time at videorevue@gmail.com.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Question for the week: What should we watch next? Also, what's your favorite eighties movie?

Video Revue: Tim Burton

2009-08-09T16:44:00.004-05:00

We're home from vacation! This show has been up for a while, but now that we're home I can finally post it here. Johnny and I take a look at the weird and wonderful world of Tim Burton in this show. As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Our next episode should be up soon, as Johnny and I talk about some of the best movies of the 1980s.

The next Video Revue

2009-07-29T19:48:00.002-05:00

The next episode of Video Revue will be up this weekend, but we WILL NOT have a blog link to it right away. Hey, now is a great time to subscribe to us on iTunes if you haven't already! Or, you can just go to our Mevio page to listen to the latest episode (and back episodes, too).

Johnny and I will be on vacation, which is why we won't be here to blog about the show, but we will have a show up this weekend (which was actually recorded LAST week) and another show next weekend (which we will actually record THIS week). So when the new Video Revue goes up, ignore the mention at the end about Subject:Cinema taking a break, because that was LAST weekend, and we decided to schedule things so that we would have a break during the same week they did. Got that? Good.

Also, if you found us through the Nerdfighter ning, welcome!
DFTBA.

No Video Revue...yet...

2009-07-29T07:47:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay on the new Video Revue. Subject:Cinema took the weekend off from their show, so I guess that means that VR is taking a week off too. Our new show should be up this weekend.

And now, on a completely unrelated note, this video:

Remember The Club? And incidentally, MST3K fans may recognize the movie clips from Eegah! Svengoolie doesn't do commentary like the MST guys did, but he always has some funny skits to tie in with the movie.

Toy Story 3 - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

2009-07-20T09:26:00.001-05:00

As promised, the Toy Story 3 trailer!

Thoughts? Personally, I think this is going to be awesome. Johnny is already counting down the days.

Video Revue: Monsters in the Closet, Rats in the Kitchen

2009-07-19T19:51:00.003-05:00

...it's kind of a long title, but then again, it's kind of a long show. Honestly, this is probably the longest show we've ever done.

This week, Johnny and I look at the ten AMAZING films from the Pixar animation studios, from Toy Story through Up, and our thoughts on next year's Toy Story 3.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

I didn't realize until after we'd finished recording that we completely forgot to mention next week's topic. It's probably gonna be another long one, as we look at the films of Tim Burton.

Thanks for listening! If you have any comments about the show, e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com. Question for the week: What's your favorite Pixar movie?

Video Revue: Hidden Movie Gems

2009-07-13T16:37:00.003-05:00

This week, we return with movies you need to check out. We've upped our lists from five apiece to ten apiece, so be sure to listen in! As always, you can listen to us on iTunes or Podshow.

We're always looking for more good movies, so let us know what's on your list!

As promised, click HERE to watch the "My Favorite Martian" movie on YouTube. Or just watch it right here on the blog!

Video Revue: Hidden TV Gems

2009-07-05T18:22:00.002-05:00

We're back! After a one-week hiatus, Johnny and I have returned to our podcast studios (read: basement) to bring you another show. This time around, we're talking about some TV shows which you've probably never heard of--but they're definitely worth checking out. From a cartoon about the American Revolution to a drama about hackers and thugs working to take down The Man, and everything in between, tune in and find some new ways to turn your brain to mush.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or on Podshow.

Marvel/DC: Tribute to Captain America (Happy 4th of July!)

2009-07-04T07:15:00.001-05:00

Like the title says, a 4th of July video that also happens to be in memory of Captain America. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Look for a new Video Revue this weekend, including our review of "Up"!

The Fathers of the Founding Fathers

2009-06-21T20:18:00.001-05:00

As promised, here's the Vlogbrothers song for Father's Day. It's genius!

Contains 100% pure awesome.

Happy Father's Day to all you great dads out there!

New Video Revue and Other Announcements

2009-06-21T20:01:00.003-05:00

This week, Johnny and I discuss one of our favorite '90s sitcoms: Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Think "Bewitched" set in high school, with a talking cat. But seriously, it was an awesome show.

As always, you can find Video Revue on iTunes or Podshow

Neither of the bumpers was from an episode we mentioned. The opening bumper was from Season 2's "Rumor Mill," where Sabrina starts working for a tabloid because she thinks it counts as "community service." Her job is to create rumors...which then all come true (including her cat becoming a mob boss, her aunts getting abducted by aliens, and her boyfriend getting pregnant). The other bumper was from a Season 7 episode, where Sabrina meets her fiance's family for the first time. She tries a "harmony spell" in the hopes that it will ease the discord.

Other announcements:
1. Happy Father's Day!
2. Subject:Cinema is back, after a 3-week medical leave...they've got two shows up now, including their anniversary show! Congratulations on 3 great years, and here's to many more!
3. Speaking of anniversaries: happy "Svenniversary" to the great Rich Koz, who has been dressing up as Chicagoland's favorite horror host, Svengoolie, for THIRTY years! Johnny and I watched the special 30th anniversary episode last night...HILARIOUS! We even taped it...we might try posting some of the Sven bits up on YouTube. If we do, you'll be the first to know!

Video Revue: YouTube Countdown!

2009-06-13T18:18:00.003-05:00

On this week's show, Johnny and I count down our five favorite YouTubers. I've gotta say, this was a fun topic. We both spend an inordinate amount of time rotting our brains on YouTube, so it was great to talk about some of the best sets of videos out there.

Topics include:
-Marvel vs. DC!
-Golf balls vs. a blender!
-Stoner unicorns!
-A...Nintoaster??

And more! Keep watching this space for links to our playlists of our very favorite videos.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Have comments about this week's show? E-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com!

Video Revue: Legends of Anime

2009-06-07T08:31:00.005-05:00

And we're back (already)! This week, Johnny and I discuss some of our favorite anime TV shows and movies. Johnny knows how to say "Legends of Anime" in Japanese but I don't know how to spell it with either English characters or katakana (one of the 3 sets of characters which make up the Japanese language). As always, you can subscribe to us through iTunes or listen through Podshow.

Have comments about this week’s show? Send us an email at videorevue@gmail.com

Death Note "Potato Chip" scene

2009-06-06T09:28:00.001-05:00

A freakin' creepy, freakin' hilarious scene from the anime "Death Note", which is one of the best anime shows out there. This is the only good scene from the English dub.

Video Revue: School's Out!

2009-06-04T08:14:00.006-05:00

Sorry this episode is up late! As I mentioned in that last post, our webmaster had a lot to deal with this last weekend. But now we're up, and we should have a new show this weekend. As always, you can download our podcast on iTunes or listen through Podshow.

Have comments about this week’s show? Send us an email at videorevue@gmail.com

New Video Revue coming soon (to a computer near you!)

2009-05-31T17:22:00.002-05:00

I know our shows usually go up on Sunday mornings, but we've hit a glitch. Our webmaster (TC from Subject:Cinema) has been busy all week taking care of Kim, who came down with the chicken pox! Fortunately she's feeling better but he hasn't had time to do much else. I'll let you know as soon as our latest episode is available.

Video Revue: Creative Works #1--Jim Henson

2009-05-25T05:47:00.002-05:00

Hello everybody! This week, Johnny and I discuss Jim Henson. "Creative Works" is our newest recurring feature, like "Laff Track" and "Actor's Studio." The Creative Works shows focus on the creators of different characters (in this case, the Muppets). We mention some of our favorite Muppet moments and also talk about some of his other projects.

Our show has actually been up since yesterday morning, but I haven't had time to post it here. Of course, if you subscribe to us on iTunes, the shows download automatically (hint, hint). As always, you can also find us on Podshow.

There were a couple Jim Henson facts I forgot to mention on the show. He was also involved in the creation of Yoda, my favorite Star Wars character, and also recommended his long-time friend Frank Oz to voice the Jedi master (Oz did the voice in all 5 Star Wars movies). One of his companies was also behind the '90s show "Dinosaurs." Henson was developing the concept before he died in 1990.

Keep watching the blog, because I'm going to create a YouTube playlist with some Muppet videos and post a link here.

Happy Memorial Day!

Congratulations, Svengoolie!

2009-05-23T01:10:00.001-05:00

Svengoolie (Rich Koz), who I met a couple weeks ago, received a Rondo award, which is a fan award given every year in various categories related to sci-fi and horror. He wasn't there to pick up the award in person, so he sent a DVD with an acceptance speech and had a friend pick up the award for him.

Congratulations!

Star Trek Initiation: The Menagerie Part 1

2009-05-21T15:49:00.003-05:00

Well folks, I'm back with another episode of the original Star Trek to review for you! According to the good folks at Wikipedia, this was the only 2-part episode in the original series. It was also a way to use some of the footage from the original unaired pilot episode, but I'll get to that later on.

The episode begins with Spock, Kirk, and McCoy beaming down somewhere because Spock claims he received a message from Captain Pike, the former captain of the Enterprise. The other commander, Commodore Mendez, states that this is impossible, because something has happened to Captain Pike.

Ooh, ooh, I know this one! He was captured by vengeful Romulans as part of an intricate plot involving time travel and a device that can create black holes, right? No, that was somewhere else...

Anyway, Captain Pike was actually exposed to high levels of delta rays. This means that his face has become disfigured, and he is also now confined to a washing machine-like wheelchair. It operates on his brainwaves. With his mind, he can send it forwards or backwards, turn it, and make a little light blink. One blink means yes, and two blinks means no. That's all he can say. If they have the technology to create a brainwave-powered chair, why can't they give poor Captain Pike a larger vocabulary? Or a voice-output system? This is one of the inherent problems with old sci-fi, because we have different ideas of how technology will operate in the future. Back in the sixties, many people thought we'd all have flying cars by now. Or that we'd have blown ourselves up with nukes. But none of them ever imagined the Internet or iPods or TiVo. Going off on a bit of a tangent: you know those annoying walkie-talkie cell phones? I wonder if there's a way to get them to make the Star Trek communicator sound...

Okay, so Captain Pike refuses to see anyone besides Spock. Spock tells Pike that "it" is six days away at warp speed, and he's going "there." Pike keeps on blinking "no" at him, but Spock respectfully, stoically tells Pike he's going to do it anyway. Of course, we have no idea what "it" is yet. Spock then proceeds to hack into the ship's computer and send a message to the Enterprise that they are being sent on a classified mission and the course is being programmed into the computer. He runs into a couple guards, but they're quickly disabled by his nerve pinch. I wish I could do that; it would save me a lot of trouble if I ever find myself in a fight. And it's mutiny on the Enterprise as Spock manages to get both McCoy and Pike onto the ship, leaving Kirk and Commodore Mendez behind. They take off in another ship, and once Spock realizes they're not going to turn back, he turns himself in for mutiny. I failed to see his logic, but I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Did I mention I think Spock is awesome?

There are three main reasons Spock was able to pull off his plan (and, yes, getting caught was part of his plan all along). The first was that he simply has the knowledge of the technology and the ship (the geek shall inherit!). Second was that he had the trust of everyone onboard; even when Kirk suspected Spock, he didn't act on it. Third, it was completely unexpected, so he had the element of surprise. It's always the quiet ones...

We find out that Spock has programmed the computer to take the Enterprise to Talos-IV, the only planet which ships are forbidden, under punishment of death, to visit. During his tribunal, Spock points out that three officers must be present. This works out to be Kirk, Mendez, and Pike, which is why Spock kidnapped the former captain of the Enterprise. Spock submits a video log from thirteen years ago as evidence for why he's taking the ship to Talos-IV. This leads to a long flashback, which is actually from the unaired pilot. I saw it some months ago, and I thought it looked familiar. Anyway, the episode ends with flashback-Pike being captured by the Talosians, who are able to create powerful illusions with their oversized brains. The court has recessed and Spock's fate will be decided in the next episode.

I know how the flashback part ends, because I've seen the pilot, but I don't know what will happen with Spock (aside from the obvious fact that he won't be executed).

I'll be back with Part 2 soon! It was really weird, but cool, to see Spock act as the "bad guy": hacking into the computer, sending false transmissions, knocking out the guards. If it was anybody other than Spock, I'd be convinced that the Enterprise was being led into a trap. But Spock knows what he's doing.

Star Trek revue!

2009-05-20T06:32:00.004-05:00

Not to be confused with my written review, posted on Monday, this is our podcast review of the new Star Trek movie. This is sort of a bonus episode--we'll be back this weekend with our normal show--so it's about 10 minutes long. There are some spoilers, so I would suggest not listening if you haven't seen the movie yet.

You should. Whether you're a die-hard Trekkie or someone who knows nothing about Star Trek.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow. If you've seen the new Trek, let us know what you think! You can e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com.

Live long and prosper.
\\//_
(Does that look anything like the Vulcan salute? It's supposed to.)

I've been writing an awful lot lately, haven't I?

2009-05-18T20:43:00.003-05:00

But it's time for one more post! Unless I watch another episode of Star Trek tomorrow, that is...

Anyway, to make a long story short, I have uncovered something that I just had to post here: a webcomic called Irregular Webcomic! IWC is done almost entirely with Lego characters, in addition to some D&D minifigures and the comic's creator himself, David Morgan-Mar. He's got about twenty different storylines going on at once, with various crossovers as well. And they're hilarious. Some of my favorites are Harry Potter, Mythbusters, and Death. Yes, there is a plotline involving not just Death, but multiple Deaths. Apparently there is a different collector of souls for each cause of death. For example, Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs. He's always in trouble with Head Death and being demoted to more obscure methods, such as Death of Being Sat On By A Giant Frog. There's also Death of Inhaling Hatmaking Chemicals. And you can bet Death has run into the Mythbusters multiple times. If only there wasn't that pesky clause that allowed the departed to challenge Death...I don't think a single soul has ever been successfully collected.

David has been doing the strips since 2003, so there's over 2000 of them now. If you want to start reading, you've got several options:
1. Just jump right in! It might take a while before you understand what's going on, though...
2. Go to the cast page and find a storyline that interests you. You can read all of the strips in that storyline, and by the time you reach the latest ones you'll probably have met most of his characters.
3. Pick a date and start reading from there. I wouldn't suggest going all the way back to 2003 unless you (A) have a lot of time on your hands and (B) understand RPG jokes. They were kinda lost on me.

Some quick tips to help new readers:
-The president, in this universe, is a dinosaur. Apparently he was elected in 2004.
-One of his storylines involves Shakespeare. He works in an office with other people named after Shakespearean characters and writes Harry Potter fanfiction.
-Expect lots of pop culture references. These are explained in the annotations.
-Also expect a physics lesson fairly often. These are explained too.
-One of the older storylines involves Steve Irwin. I'm not sure how often he's shown up since the real Steve died, but I would suggest avoiding his storyline if you're still upset about his death.
-The universe was destroyed in December 2008, and they spent most of January 2009 trying to fix it. As a result, I think he's re-starting all of the storylines.

Some of my favorite lines:
"I find you lack of face disturbing." (Darth Vader to Death)
"We need finesse...hand me that jackhammer." (a Martian. There are 3 of them, all unnamed)
"We need to create another Big Bang as a control sample." (Jamie from the Mythbusters)
"Stand back. I'm going to destroy the afterlife!" (somebody from the RPG storyline)
"Humanity will pay for this. Especially the one known as Steve." (Cthulhu)
This entire comic featuring McGonnogal and Dumbledore
"We are Nazis! We do not make anachronistic references here!" (Hitler's Brain, who was brought back to life by the Mythbusters as their challenge from Head Death)

Oddly enough, I find this web comic much easier to understand than some of the others I've read...

Movie Revue: Star Trek

2009-05-18T14:49:00.004-05:00

I saw the Star Trek movie last night. Wow. It was amazing. Johnny and I even recorded a special episode of the podcast--look for it tonight or tomorrow--but I'm going to post something here too.

This review is spoiler-free, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, no worries. We do get into some plot details in our podcast review.

First of all, I love Spock. Even from watching less than half of the first season of Star Trek: TOS, I have decided that Spock is my favorite character. And the entire reason I wanted to see the movie in the first place is that Spock is played by Zachary Quinto, also known as my favorite TV villain of all time. I would like to say that Zachary is a PHENOMENAL actor, and I LOVED him as Spock. Plus, with the return of Leonard Nimoy, you get two Spocks for the price of one!

Chris Pine does a great job as James Kirk. It was interesting to see Kirk as a teenager; plus, now I actually have an image of Kirk not associated with the Priceline ads. Also loved Sulu--he's probably my favorite minor character on TOS, and he was played in this movie by John Cho...also known as Harold from the "Harold and Kumar" movies. I thought he looked familiar. Oh, and Uhura is now a "xeno-linguist" instead of just the token black lady.

It's weird to say that the characters have grown a lot since the original series, because they're all supposed to be younger than they were on the show, but they have grown. I thought all of the character development was excellent. Scotty and McCoy were HILARIOUS. Honestly, even though the movie was over two hours long, I wish I could've seen more. Maybe they should make a TV show with the movie cast! Honestly, I would watch it. Every week. Especially if Sylar has been written out of Heroes completely...but I digress.

I loved the movie. I thought the acting was fantastic, the special effects were amazing, the plot was...secondary...and I hope they all come back for another!

Overall: 5 stars/5

Marvel and DC Keep on Trekkin' (Marvel/DC/Star Trek Parody)

2009-05-18T14:49:00.001-05:00

The latest offering from YouTube's "ItsJustSomeRandomGuy." With the only superhero movies this summer come and gone, Spider-Man has an idea for their new gig...

As always, RandomGuy cracks me up.

1990 Crest Toothpaste Commercial

2009-05-17T16:18:00.001-05:00

I have been looking for this commercial FOREVER! This was the "apple in a blender" PSA we mentioned in this week's episode.

Please brush your teeth.

Commercials!

2009-05-17T15:33:00.004-05:00

A new idea this week: I've created a YouTube playlist for this week's episode. It includes most of the commercials we mentioned, and some we didn't. Click here to view them all!

Also: our blog is at 150 posts!! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments.

SWIFFER!

2009-05-17T15:31:00.001-05:00

A fake commercial for Swiffer, animated by SecretAgentBob, better known as the creator of "Charlie the Unicorn." As promised, posted to the blog!

Back to our show...MAYBE...

2009-05-17T14:51:00.004-05:00

This week, Johnny and I take a look at commercials! From good ones to bad ones, long ones and short ones, and even some fake commercials, this week, it's all about the ads!

Brought to you by Spatula City and Yakko Warner's Head-Shaving Spray-Painting Emporium.

As always, you can find us on iTunes or Podshow.

Keep watching for a review of the new Star Trek movie coming soon!

My brush with fame!

2009-05-14T18:45:00.003-05:00

Longtime readers of the blog, and people from Chicagoland, will recognize the name Svengoolie (also known as local celebrity Rich Koz). He hosts the late-night movie on Saturday nights on WCIU (Channel 26) from 9-11, and also occasionally makes guest appearances at various places. Johnny and I both had the chance to meet him last Saturday!

Sven was at the grand re-opening of a movie memorabilia and collectibles store called Horrorbles. I'd been to their old location once or twice. Their new location, which is right next door, is much roomier and nicer. I was only able to look around for a few minutes while I was waiting in line for my photo with Sven, but I'm definitely going to go back. They have collectible action figures and old movie posters and an entire wall with shelves of DVDs. It's basically a little piece of geek heaven.

Sven was there from 6:30 to 8:30, but he said on his blog that people should get there early. I was there around 5:45, and Johnny joined me with our dad about half an hour later. My original plan was to show up around 6. I was glad I'd given myself the extra 15 minutes because there was a HUGE crowd, and a lot of people showed up after I did. Dad and Johnny were glad I'd saved them a spot in line. I was surprised by the mix of people there--I saw a lot of families with young kids. Now, granted, most of the movies Svengoolie shows aren't scary, even when they're supposed to be, but I wouldn't have watched them when I was six.

Anyway, I only had a minute with Svengoolie, but he was just as nice and funny in person as he is on TV. My dad took some photos of me and my brother with Svengoolie. We also both got his signature--he signed a photo for me, and then we bought a rubber chicken and Sven signed that for Johnny. Why a rubber chicken, you ask? It's a running joke on the show. Whenever Svengoolie cracks a really bad joke, he gets rubber chickens thrown at him. Why rubber chickens? They're funny.

Here are the photos! I had such a great time.

Star Trek Initiation: The Corbomite Maneuver

2009-05-11T15:49:00.005-05:00

Hello fellow Star Trek followers. Unfortunately, I do not have a review of the new Star Trek movie yet. This weekend was crazy busy, and I've got finals next week, but if all goes well I'll have a chance to see it Memorial Day weekend (or possibly before). I have to say, all of my Trek-fan friends have seen it and raved about it, so I'm very excited. This week, I'm reviewing Episode 10 of the original series, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

The episode begins in the middle of an uncharted territory, as the Enterprise is mapping a new star system. I believe this is the first time they've literally gone "where no man has gone before." They are about ready to wrap things up when they encounter the Spinning Cube of Doom. Well, they don't actually call it that. But it blocks their path, and it follows them, and nobody knows what it is or what it's for. It also spins, and it's cube-shaped. Hence, Spinning Cube of Doom (or SCoD). Kirk tells the crew to start approaching the cube. The SCoD, it turns out, is also radioactive. It continues to chase the Enterprise even when they try backing away. It continues to emit higher and higher levels of radiation until Kirk orders the crew to blow it up.

Now in my mind, the last thing you want to do with something emitting radiation is make it explode, but apparently it's not a problem for the Enterprise. After the SCoD is defeated, Kirk orders the crew to practice emergency procedures. I noticed he was extremely short-tempered with everyone, especially Dr. McCoy. I assumed at first that the SCoD had some sort of mind-control power, but I think it was just the stress of escaping a potentially dangerous situation. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the danger is far from over.

Shortly after blowing up the SCoD, they are contacted by an alien ship who informs them that the Enterprise has blown up their warning beacon. The alien, who calls himself Baalok (isn't that an antacid?), is incredibly pissed at the Enterprise for destroying the SCoD. At one point, he tells the crew, "I assume you have a deity...or deities..."

That right there is number one on my list of Signs that Really Bad News is Coming.

Anyway, Baalok gives the Enterprise "ten of your Earth units known as minutes" to prepare for their annihilation. Kirk makes several attempts to reason with Baalok's ship, all of which are ignored. Spock's advice at this point is to surrender. He likens their situation to a game of chess and suggests that Kirk has been checkmated. Kirk's idea is that, rather than a chess game, they should look at the situation as though it is a poker game and raise the stakes.

From what I've gathered about the Vulcans, I would assume that (A) they would be very good at poker and (B) they would have very little interest in playing it. But I don't know. The poker idea is, after all, a metaphor. Kirk's idea of raising the stakes is to inform Baalok that his ship is armed with "corbomite," a mysterious substance that will destroy any ship that attempts to harm the Enterprise (hence the name of the episode). Baalok buys it enough to delay the destruction of the ship, but he insists on seeing proof of the corbomite. When Kirk refuses, Baalok captures their ship and starts towing it to another planet. His plan is to remove all of the crew and then destroy the ship.

If you've never seen The Corbomite Maneuver, go watch it now, and stop reading this review, because Here There Be Spoilers.

Kirk manages to escape from Baalok's power, but not without nearly burning out the engines. Unfortunately, it appears that Baalok's ship is in even worse shape: Uhura picks up a very faint distress signal. Kirk decides to go and help, so they beam over to the ship to meet the Great And Terrible Baalok. It was obvious that they found some five-year-old kid to play the real Baalok and then dubbed in an adult's voice. At one point Baalok says that nobody would have found him frightening in his real form, but I thought he was pretty creepy. Anyway, once again Star Trek managed to surprise me with the ending. Everything made sense once I realized that Baalok had been bluffing as well. I do wonder if he'd ever been intending to actually blow up the Enterprise, or if his ship even had the capacity to do so. Overall, I loved this episode. One of the best I've seen so far. I'd love to watch the remastered version sometime.

Episode notes:
-Why is Uhura's uniform yellow instead of red? That bugged me through the whole episode. Mustard yellow really isn't her color.
-The doctor puts Kirk on a diet because his weight is up a couple of pounds. I found that hilarious, considering how William Shatner looks today.
-When Baalok's ship appeared, I thought, "Oh shit, the Spinning Cube of Doom has a mommy." I also dubbed his ship the Spinning Disco Ball of Doom.
-If an alien threatened to blow me up and then offered me a drink, I wouldn't take it. Sorry.

Sesame Street 1993 Intro

2009-05-10T18:31:00.001-05:00

Because of our "Sunny DAZE!" podcast, I decided to post my two favorite intros to the show. First there's this one (absolutely love it to this day)...

New Sesame Street intro

2009-05-10T18:30:00.001-05:00

...and then there's this one. I absolutely love this one, too!