This video combines one of the most intelligent animated shows with one of the dumbest. The words are from "Death Note," an anime show about a boy who finds Death's notebook, which basically gives him the power to kill anyone just by writing their name in the book. But in this video, the ultimate power belongs to SpongeBob SquarePants.
Now that's scary. And disturbing. And hilarious.
Monday, May 26, 2008
DeathSponge NotePants
Moonlight update!!
So, the diehard "Moonlight" fans organized a CONVENTION this weekend in LA to support the cast and writers of the show...apparently there is a chance (not sure how big it is, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed) that the show will be picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel!!
...which I can't watch either at home (with no cable) or at school (basic cable only) but we're not going to worry about that right now. We're going to concentrate on getting the show picked up for another season and then worry about how I'm going to watch it...thanks to the Internet, I'll be able to find it SOMEWHERE. Or beg my parents to get cable TV. Which hasn't worked yet, but whatever.
Two other notes: Go see Speed Racer. Now. That movie is fan-frickin-tastic, and Johnny and I will have a full review up soon.
Also, check out my new favorite Twilight site: www.twilightguy.com Yes, it's all about a guy reading Twilight. He is awesome, and he just proves my point that Twilight isn't just for 13-year-0ld fangirls (not that there's anything wrong with being a teenage fangirl). He does commentary on each chapter and includes stories from other "Twilight guys." Also, he's my age and not only has his own syndicated radio show, but a publishing deal! *decides to be admiring rather than jealous* His first book is coming out next year...something to look forward to after Breaking Dawn and TtM. And season 2 of "Moonlight."
Oooh! Today I saw an ad in the window of my local Borders for their Breaking Dawn release party, right after we came out of "Speed Racer." I was quite excited.
...which I can't watch either at home (with no cable) or at school (basic cable only) but we're not going to worry about that right now. We're going to concentrate on getting the show picked up for another season and then worry about how I'm going to watch it...thanks to the Internet, I'll be able to find it SOMEWHERE. Or beg my parents to get cable TV. Which hasn't worked yet, but whatever.
Two other notes: Go see Speed Racer. Now. That movie is fan-frickin-tastic, and Johnny and I will have a full review up soon.
Also, check out my new favorite Twilight site: www.twilightguy.com Yes, it's all about a guy reading Twilight. He is awesome, and he just proves my point that Twilight isn't just for 13-year-0ld fangirls (not that there's anything wrong with being a teenage fangirl). He does commentary on each chapter and includes stories from other "Twilight guys." Also, he's my age and not only has his own syndicated radio show, but a publishing deal! *decides to be admiring rather than jealous* His first book is coming out next year...something to look forward to after Breaking Dawn and TtM. And season 2 of "Moonlight."
Oooh! Today I saw an ad in the window of my local Borders for their Breaking Dawn release party, right after we came out of "Speed Racer." I was quite excited.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Discovery Channel: I Love the World
I love DSC!! Mythbusters and Cash Cab are two of my favorite shows. Yeah, Discovery Channel is just awesome.
Fare thee well, cable television! I shall miss you over the summer! (and my friends, too...)
My weekend in revue...
So Friday night was the finale of Moonlight. There is a possibility that the CW will pick it up to continue the series. Please do! The fans will thank you forever (and ever and ever...). Anyway, the finale was AMAZING. Alas, there are open storylines that will never be explored (unless the show gets picked up again!) but all in all, it was not as depressing as I thought it would be. I was very sad to see Moonlight go. Hopefully if the show doesn't get picked up, the actors will all be back in other roles. Mick finally said "I love you" to Beth. Not gonna lie, that part made me squeal.
I remember when the show first started last fall, I wasn't that excited about it. Of course, I watched it anyway because it's about vampires. The first few eps were okay, nothing special, but then the fourth episode BLEW ME AWAY and from then on I watched every week without fail. Oh, and I also got Johnny hooked around episode 5 or 6, and my awesome friend Ryan started watching with us when it came back in April.
Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight saga, is being re-released on May 31st with the first chapter of Breaking Dawn (book 4) which comes out August 2nd!! Normally I would be the first in line to buy it, but we have a dilemma here. I already have a copy of Eclipse, purchased last summer when it was released the first time.
I have officially gotten one person addicted to Twilight! I talked about it constantly and made my roommate read the book. She then read the entire series in less than a week (which also happened to be right before finals week!). She had to buy New Moon because I still don't have a copy of that one. Ryan has also promised to read the books over the summer, which just proves how awesome he is.
I'm finishing up my finals this week, and Johnny graduates from 8th grade on June 4th (congrats in advance!) so VR will probably be back that week or the week after.
I remember when the show first started last fall, I wasn't that excited about it. Of course, I watched it anyway because it's about vampires. The first few eps were okay, nothing special, but then the fourth episode BLEW ME AWAY and from then on I watched every week without fail. Oh, and I also got Johnny hooked around episode 5 or 6, and my awesome friend Ryan started watching with us when it came back in April.
Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight saga, is being re-released on May 31st with the first chapter of Breaking Dawn (book 4) which comes out August 2nd!! Normally I would be the first in line to buy it, but we have a dilemma here. I already have a copy of Eclipse, purchased last summer when it was released the first time.
I have officially gotten one person addicted to Twilight! I talked about it constantly and made my roommate read the book. She then read the entire series in less than a week (which also happened to be right before finals week!). She had to buy New Moon because I still don't have a copy of that one. Ryan has also promised to read the books over the summer, which just proves how awesome he is.
I'm finishing up my finals this week, and Johnny graduates from 8th grade on June 4th (congrats in advance!) so VR will probably be back that week or the week after.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
And once again, an original concept is shot down...
CBS is canceling "Moonlight"! How dare they? Seriously, Moonlight won the People's Choice Award for Best New Drama. Apparently the ratings are "too low." Well, gee, ya think the five months without ANY new episodes for ANY show had something to do with that? Honestly. And it doesn't matter how many fans are PO'd about this. I don't think networks like "odd" shows. Why gamble on an original concept when you can crank out another CSI spinoff and seven new reality shows? Oooh, look! "Farmer Wants a Wife!" And the networks are satisfied. Because there is always an audience. It doesn't have to be good.
I think that's the real problem. It's exactly what gets me so mad at Disney with their constant sequels: quality is overlooked because enough people will be (somewhat) satisfied with the same old stuff we've seen a thousand times already (I'm trying very hard to keep my language clean here!). The same thing is happening on TV. The cookie-cutter dramas and "un-reality" shows are the status quo. You know exactly what you're getting into. The networks can bank on it. They're reliable. Predictable. Boring.
Then you have a show like Moonlight--fantastic acting, great production, the best soundtrack I've EVER heard in a TV show--but no built-in fan base. In fact, before the show aired you had the invariable skeptics comparing it unfavorably to Angel (and Forever Knight). It is hard to get a new vampire show up and running. In the past couple years they've tried it twice, and both times it's been shot down after only one season (Blood Ties supposedly had 2 seasons, but apparently all 22 episodes were supposed to be Season 1). But we did everything we could for Moonlight, and CBS won't give them another chance.
Sigh. I think the previous success of shows like Buffy and Angel actually can work against new vampire dramas, because you do have people who think only one show can be good and none of the rest can ever compare. Then you have the genre fans (like me) who can see the good (and, yes, bad) in each show.
For your reading pleasure, I will give you my 3-sentence analysis of all of the vampire dramas that I've seen, to date.
Forever Knight (1992-1995): Follows Officer Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire, in Toronto.
I love it because: It's the original "vampire-as-crimefighter" show. And I giggle every time I hear Nick's partner's name (Schanke, pronounced "skanky.")
If I could change one thing, I would...give it some humor. Seriously, this show is almost as melodramatic as "Interview."
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003): Follows Buffy Summers, the Chosen One who must slay the demons/vampires/random creepy crawlies along with her band of supernatural sidekicks.
I love it because: Joss Whedon is a master genius, Buffy kicks serious butt, and it has some good eye candy (I still think Oz is the perfect boyfriend! I love him!). And the musical episode.
If I could change one thing, I would...give at least one love story a happy ending, or at least a semi-happy one. Whedon must've had some serious heartbreak in his life.
Angel (2000-2004): The Buffy spinoff follows her undead love interest, Angel, the vampire with a soul.
I love it because: it's the first vampire show I ever watched, it has Charisma Carpenter (who also kicks butt!) and I just think all of the characters are fantastic. I even love the bad guys (in a 'l0ve-to-hate-them' sort of way)
If I could change one thing, I would...resolve the ending. Could we be a little more open-ended, please? And also not kill off half of the main characters in the last season.
Blood Ties (2007-2008): This underrated Lifetime drama follows Vicki Nelson, a human PI, and her undead assistant Henry Fitzroy.
I love it because: it has Kyle Schmid, Christina Cox is awesome, Kyle Schmid, Vicki kicks butt, Kyle Schmid, some really funny episodes...and did I mention how hot Kyle Schmid is? Mmm, he can seduce me any time!
If I could change one thing, I would...make it more consistent. The show was actually pretty hit-or-miss; I loved a lot of the episodes, but some of them had awful storylines. At least the acting (and eye candy!) was always top-notch.
Moonlight (2oo7-2008): Mick St. John, an undead PI, solves cases with the help of his possible-girlfriend Beth ("It's complicated")
I love it because: Alex O'Loughlin is an awesome actor (and nearly as hot as Kyle...seriously, very close second...Kyle's closer to my age), the music rocks, it has Jason Dohring as Mick's old buddy (seriously, like 400 years old!) Josef, they're finally going somewhere with Mick and Beth's relationship
If I could change one thing, I would...NOT CANCEL IT!!! Arrrrrgh! Oh, and also have some women kicking butt. Come on, step into the 21st century. Women can slay the dragons too, you know.
In happier news, happy birthday to Twilight star Robert Pattinson! Yay Edward!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Twilight Lexicon Interviews Catherine Hardwicke
From my favorite Twilight fan site, Twilight Lexicon, comes this EXCLUSIVE interview with the director of the TTM, Catherine Hardwicke! Catherine addresses the issue of pleasing the fans. She likes the book. Major bonus points, Catherine! She knows how important the movie is to the fans because she's a fan herself. We have exactly 7 months until the movie comes out...consider the buzz generated! But give us MORE. Thank you!
Also this week, the final word on whether "Moonlight" will be renewed for a 2nd season (*crosses fingers hopefully*). I need my Mick fix!
Oh, and although this isn't really movie related, read The Host! It is amazingly fantastic. Stephenie Meyer pwns JK Rowling...although after watching some interviews with JKR I think I may have been a bit harsh in my rant. I think she just got sick of all of the fame--before Deathly Hallows came out she was more famous than Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus combined. Dateline devoted an entire show to the 7th book, she was appearing on TV shows every day...I think Harry Potter got more coverage last summer than any other story. She wouldn't be the first author to get sick of her characters--Douglas Adams, author of the 5-book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, killed off his entire character base in the fifth book (probably so the fans wouldn't beg him to make it a 6-book trilogy). I hope Stephenie never becomes so famous that she loses touch with her fans.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Twilight in HD- official teaser trailer
And with...let's see...7 months and 7 days until the movie comes out, the trailer is released. Within hours, tens of thousands of people watch it. Continuously. And I am one of them.
Reading the comments on YouTube and the Twilight Lexicon (ooh! I should link to them!) I saw more "OMG"s and exclamation marks than anywhere else in my life. The fangirls have spoken, and they want MORE.
No, seriously, give us more. NOW.
Maybe I should start rebuilding that time machine...anyone know where I can find a flux capacitor?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Fangirl rant!
Video Revue will return this summer, probably some time in June. One of our first topics will be books turned into movies. Here's a little preview of my thoughts (and I have a LOT to say on the subject). Specifically, why I think the Twilight movie will be better than the Harry Potter mega-multi-million monstrosity.
Let me start by saying that I love the Harry Potter books. I adore them. I remember when I was in fifth grade, my mom told me about this woman in England, an single mother who'd come up with this idea for a book about a boy who discovers he's a wizard. That same year, I had an amazing teacher who would read to our class out loud, one chapter a day right after lunch. Lo and behold, she'd heard of this little book too. Before she'd gotten halfway, I was hooked, and I begged my parents to buy the book for me so I could see how Harry's story ended. I was calling people "muggles" years before the word was added to the dictionary.
I went to three of the midnight release parties (for Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows) and I own all seven books in hardcover. But for some reason, the movies never really interested me. I went to see the first one with a friend of mine, and then avoided them until last summer, when I took my brother to OotP. I have a horrible tendency to nit-pick. The danger with turning books into movies is that everyone who reads a book has their own view of how the characters, scenes, etc. should look and it's inevitable that the movie director is going to get it "wrong" according to at least some of the fans. For a long time I just thought that they'd gotten it "wrong" with the HP movies. I remember sitting in the theater, watching "Sorcerer's Stone" come to life on the big screen, and actually seeing Quidditch for the first time. Instead of being dazzled by the special effects, I was thinking, "They're trying to actually KILL each other! Why hasn't Madam Hooch called 'foul' yet? That's, like, twenty fouls! This would NEVER happen in 'real' life" (aka the book). The problem is not that they've gotten the details wrong; they've lost the essence of the books. The special effects are fantastic, but I still find it cheap and overdone.
Then I see first-graders walking around with Harry Potter pencil cases, and it hits me: J.K. Rowling is a sellout. Granted, she was still able to sell me all seven books. But with all the hype and the merchandising and the worldwide renown...okay, it would probably go to my head too. On the one hand, it is incredibly cool that a book can get so many people so excited. But at the same time, it's become less about the books and the fantastic world she's created and more about "Ooh! Let's see if we can get people to buy Harry Potter toothpaste!" Which, of course, they can.
It's entirely possible that "Twilight" will end up the same way, but I don't think so. Stephenie Meyer, the brilliant creator of the Twilight saga, seems much more...the only word I can think of is "accessible." I don't know how to explain exactly. But she's written about her writing experience, and she seems very connected to the fans and still surprised that she's become so successful. She can reveal information about the book without needing to make the evening news. Oh, and she's done something that JKR has yet to do (shocking, I know): she's branched out from the characters that made her famous. Stephenie's newest book, The Host, contains none of the Twilight characters and isn't even in the same genre. It comes out a week from today (squee!) and I can't wait to read it. She'll certainly have a good number of Twilight fans reading it, and draw in new ones as well. It's a test to see if the fans like her books for the writing, or simply because of the characters. But she's not afraid to see if people still like her books if she's not writing about Edward. Personally, I think The Host is going to be AMAZING.
"Twilight" the movie comes out shortly after "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits theaters. I think Twilight is going to kick HBP in the butt. It's probably just wishful thinking. Still, even with all of the hype, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was only at the top of the NY Times bestseller list for a few weeks. Guess who knocked the mighty Harry Potter out of the top spot: Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight saga. I anxiously awaited both books last summer; I devoted an entire day to each of them. There was no record-breaking crowd standing in front of the bookstores at midnight for Stephenie's book, but I honestly enjoyed Eclipse more.
Yowch. That was a long rant. Sorry. I did warn you that I had a lot to say.
Let me start by saying that I love the Harry Potter books. I adore them. I remember when I was in fifth grade, my mom told me about this woman in England, an single mother who'd come up with this idea for a book about a boy who discovers he's a wizard. That same year, I had an amazing teacher who would read to our class out loud, one chapter a day right after lunch. Lo and behold, she'd heard of this little book too. Before she'd gotten halfway, I was hooked, and I begged my parents to buy the book for me so I could see how Harry's story ended. I was calling people "muggles" years before the word was added to the dictionary.
I went to three of the midnight release parties (for Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows) and I own all seven books in hardcover. But for some reason, the movies never really interested me. I went to see the first one with a friend of mine, and then avoided them until last summer, when I took my brother to OotP. I have a horrible tendency to nit-pick. The danger with turning books into movies is that everyone who reads a book has their own view of how the characters, scenes, etc. should look and it's inevitable that the movie director is going to get it "wrong" according to at least some of the fans. For a long time I just thought that they'd gotten it "wrong" with the HP movies. I remember sitting in the theater, watching "Sorcerer's Stone" come to life on the big screen, and actually seeing Quidditch for the first time. Instead of being dazzled by the special effects, I was thinking, "They're trying to actually KILL each other! Why hasn't Madam Hooch called 'foul' yet? That's, like, twenty fouls! This would NEVER happen in 'real' life" (aka the book). The problem is not that they've gotten the details wrong; they've lost the essence of the books. The special effects are fantastic, but I still find it cheap and overdone.
Then I see first-graders walking around with Harry Potter pencil cases, and it hits me: J.K. Rowling is a sellout. Granted, she was still able to sell me all seven books. But with all the hype and the merchandising and the worldwide renown...okay, it would probably go to my head too. On the one hand, it is incredibly cool that a book can get so many people so excited. But at the same time, it's become less about the books and the fantastic world she's created and more about "Ooh! Let's see if we can get people to buy Harry Potter toothpaste!" Which, of course, they can.
It's entirely possible that "Twilight" will end up the same way, but I don't think so. Stephenie Meyer, the brilliant creator of the Twilight saga, seems much more...the only word I can think of is "accessible." I don't know how to explain exactly. But she's written about her writing experience, and she seems very connected to the fans and still surprised that she's become so successful. She can reveal information about the book without needing to make the evening news. Oh, and she's done something that JKR has yet to do (shocking, I know): she's branched out from the characters that made her famous. Stephenie's newest book, The Host, contains none of the Twilight characters and isn't even in the same genre. It comes out a week from today (squee!) and I can't wait to read it. She'll certainly have a good number of Twilight fans reading it, and draw in new ones as well. It's a test to see if the fans like her books for the writing, or simply because of the characters. But she's not afraid to see if people still like her books if she's not writing about Edward. Personally, I think The Host is going to be AMAZING.
"Twilight" the movie comes out shortly after "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits theaters. I think Twilight is going to kick HBP in the butt. It's probably just wishful thinking. Still, even with all of the hype, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was only at the top of the NY Times bestseller list for a few weeks. Guess who knocked the mighty Harry Potter out of the top spot: Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight saga. I anxiously awaited both books last summer; I devoted an entire day to each of them. There was no record-breaking crowd standing in front of the bookstores at midnight for Stephenie's book, but I honestly enjoyed Eclipse more.
Yowch. That was a long rant. Sorry. I did warn you that I had a lot to say.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
And so begins my Twilight campaign...
MTV.com visits the set of "Twilight" and talks with the cast and crew. I am SO psyched for this movie!! If you haven't read the books, go! Now! Mmm, Robert Pattinson...this movie's gonna ROCK!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
10-Word Movie Review Time!
As promised, Johnny and I will be updating the blog as time permits--Johnny posted the hilarious "Peanut Butter Jelly Time!" video below. It's stupid, pointless, and one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Anyway, I decided to do my famous snappy reviews of the stuff I've been watching recently.
DVDs
The Tingler: Old, funny-bad movie about creatures in your spine. Vincent Price!
Signs: Like "The Birds" with aliens, kinda. Seriously creepy and awesome.
The Blair Witch Project: Stupid movie. I wasn't scared...*sleeps with lights on*
Blade: Wesley Snipes: badass vampire assassin. Like "Buffy" with gratuitous violence.
TV shows
Dexter: Disturbingly delightful. Sociopath kills killers, has really awkward sex scenes.
Breaking Bad: Chemistry teacher starts meth lab! He's dying of lung cancer.
Mythbusters: Blowing sh!t up for science!! Yay! They test urban legends.
Also in my free time, I've been writing fanfiction! You can check my FF account here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1498371/
I've written stuff for Moonlight (which returns NEXT FRIDAY!!) and Dexter, along with 3 for my FAVORITE book series: Twilight. Which is going to be turned into a movie! It's funny how much the Internet has changed the movie-making process. For example, instead of finding out about the movie maybe a month before it opens, I knew about it before they even started filming. I can get the latest news on Stephenie Meyer's (the author) blog, and I'm sure the trailer will be up on YouTube approximately 7 seconds after it appears in theaters. It's fascinating to read about the process of turning a book into a movie. As usual, fans are divided. I'm usually pretty wary about "book-to-movie" projects, but this time I'm firmly in the "completely excited" camp. Probably because they've involved Stephenie in the whole process, and she's just as excited as the fans. She got to go to the set, and meet the actors. And they gave her a CAMEO!!!
That was a really smart marketing decision. Oh well. I don't care why they did it. I'm optimistic right now that this is going to be a faithful adaptation of the book.
Vital stats: "Twilight" is directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown...now I'm going to HAVE to Netflix that one) and stars Robert Pattinson (AKA Cedric Diggory) and Kristen Stewart as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. And I only have to wait until...December 12. They haven't even finished FILMING yet, and I'm already looking forward to it.
Anyway, I decided to do my famous snappy reviews of the stuff I've been watching recently.
DVDs
The Tingler: Old, funny-bad movie about creatures in your spine. Vincent Price!
Signs: Like "The Birds" with aliens, kinda. Seriously creepy and awesome.
The Blair Witch Project: Stupid movie. I wasn't scared...*sleeps with lights on*
Blade: Wesley Snipes: badass vampire assassin. Like "Buffy" with gratuitous violence.
TV shows
Dexter: Disturbingly delightful. Sociopath kills killers, has really awkward sex scenes.
Breaking Bad: Chemistry teacher starts meth lab! He's dying of lung cancer.
Mythbusters: Blowing sh!t up for science!! Yay! They test urban legends.
Also in my free time, I've been writing fanfiction! You can check my FF account here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1498371/
I've written stuff for Moonlight (which returns NEXT FRIDAY!!) and Dexter, along with 3 for my FAVORITE book series: Twilight. Which is going to be turned into a movie! It's funny how much the Internet has changed the movie-making process. For example, instead of finding out about the movie maybe a month before it opens, I knew about it before they even started filming. I can get the latest news on Stephenie Meyer's (the author) blog, and I'm sure the trailer will be up on YouTube approximately 7 seconds after it appears in theaters. It's fascinating to read about the process of turning a book into a movie. As usual, fans are divided. I'm usually pretty wary about "book-to-movie" projects, but this time I'm firmly in the "completely excited" camp. Probably because they've involved Stephenie in the whole process, and she's just as excited as the fans. She got to go to the set, and meet the actors. And they gave her a CAMEO!!!
That was a really smart marketing decision. Oh well. I don't care why they did it. I'm optimistic right now that this is going to be a faithful adaptation of the book.
Vital stats: "Twilight" is directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown...now I'm going to HAVE to Netflix that one) and stars Robert Pattinson (AKA Cedric Diggory) and Kristen Stewart as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. And I only have to wait until...December 12. They haven't even finished FILMING yet, and I'm already looking forward to it.
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