This movie is the story of a girl who reluctantly moves to a new town and discovers that there are hidden dangers and a deadly secret...on a completely unrelated note, the Twilight DVD hits stores this Saturday.
After her parents move her across the country, Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) thinks her life couldn't be worse: her friends are hundreds of miles away, her new neighbors can't get her name right (they all call her Caroline), and her parents have no time for her. Everything changes when she discovers the tiny door hidden behind some wallpaper. Late at night, the door opens into a passage into an alternate reality, where life is just like Coraline wishes it would be...at first. It's populated by Other versions of her family and neighbors, who all have buttons for eyes and aren't as benign as they first appear.
This movie is based on a book by Neil Gaiman, who is known for writing creepy, disturbing children's literature. He's fantastic. The movie stayed fairly close to the book, though Coraline's new neighbor Wybie was added in to the mix. I absolutely loved the movie. First off, the animation was phenomenal. I've been a fan of the Real-D animation since it was first used, and "Coraline" is a prime example of how it can make a great movie excellent. I knew enough about the story that I could focus on the details a little. For example,the passage between the real world and the Other world changes. The first few times when Coraline goes through, it's colorful and bright and looks...squishy, almost. Once she discovers the horrible secret, the passage is hard and gray and filled with spiderwebs and bones. The voicework is fantastic, and the story kept Johnny guessing (I'd already read the book, which kept me guessing, but then I knew how the movie would end).
Overall: 5/5 stars!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
I'm Not Edward Cullen: A Song
The Nerdfighters strike again! I do believe they've just written the Twihard theme song. And upon listening to the song, I have determined that they have actually read the books (and not just seen the movie). I have to give them props for that--there's a difference between a parody from a fan and a parody from a non-fan. I love fan parodies, because we all need to be able to laugh at ourselves. Parodies done by non-fans come off as mocking and belittling, but fan parodies are more, "Yes, I know it's stupid, but don't we love it anyway?"
So watch the video, and DFTBA!
(For all you non-Nerdfighters, that stands for "Don't Forget To Be Awesome").
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I Know (A Song in Ten Words)
This song is made of awesome. Hank Green sings a song that contains only ten words, in various combinations. If you like this, check out his CD on iTunes. Unfortunately, this song is NOT on the CD, but many others are, including the "Obama Llama" song. I must find this video and post it also.
Last week, I became a Nerdfighter. Nerdfighters, for those of you who don't know, are followers of Hank and John Green, two brothers who decided to spend an entire year communicating only through video blogs. Their experiment ended a year ago, but they're still vlogging away.
Subscribe to them: www.youtube.com/users/vlogbrothers
Monday, March 9, 2009
TV show revue: Castle
Anybody who's been reading this blog for a while knows the kind of shows I like: anything involving a supernatural element. Unfortunately, unless the ratings are through the roof, those kinds of shows tend to get canceled (see "Moonlight" or "Pushing Daisies" or "Kyle XY"). They're full of expensive special effects and aimed at a core of dedicated, borderline-psychotic fans.
So I have tried branching out and finding shows that are more realistic than fantasy. From this, I have decided that I like the "crime" genre. You get crime-solving doctors (Diagnosis Murder), crime-solving psychics (Medium), crime-solving fake psychics (Psych!), crime-solving former cops with OCD (Monk), and, of course, crime-solving vampires (Forever Knight, Angel, Blood Ties, AND Moonlight). And now, ABC has a new crime drama called "Castle" about a crime-solving mystery novelist.
I read about this show in the TV guide, and decided to watch it for one reason: Nathan Fillion. Also known as "Captain Hammer" from last summer's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." It's kind of sad that almost every show I watch, I began watching because of some actor connected to Joss Whedon (Evil Genius).
But, as it turns out, "Castle" is a good show. The pilot episode was tonight, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It begins with two murders that appear to be copied from the mystery novels of Rick Castle (Fillion). He is called by the police as a consultant, and teams up with Detective Beckett. She happens to be a (closet) fan of Castle's books, but she can't stand him in person. Which, of course, means they will probably hook up before the first season ends.
Anyway, it appears that the killer wasn't very smooth: they find a fan letter with his prints all over it, and evidence in his apartment. But something doesn't seem right to Castle, who insists that it wouldn't make a very good story. And, as the prime suspect was arrested before the show was half over, you can guess who's right.
The writing in this show is excellent, and Castle and Becket have a great chemistry. Other highlights include Castle's mother, who walks off with every scene she's in, and his teenage daughter. I will definitely be tuning in next week!
Oh, and my other favorite non-fantasy show: "Leverage." It has officially been granted a second season! The first season finished a couple weeks ago, and I cannot WAIT for season 2...which happens to be this summer (when I will be in my cable-less house, and not my college dorm). But that's what iTunes is for. Or Hulu (which will forever be known in my house as "eat-your-brain-dot-com").
One final note: I heart Stephen Colbert.
So I have tried branching out and finding shows that are more realistic than fantasy. From this, I have decided that I like the "crime" genre. You get crime-solving doctors (Diagnosis Murder), crime-solving psychics (Medium), crime-solving fake psychics (Psych!), crime-solving former cops with OCD (Monk), and, of course, crime-solving vampires (Forever Knight, Angel, Blood Ties, AND Moonlight). And now, ABC has a new crime drama called "Castle" about a crime-solving mystery novelist.
I read about this show in the TV guide, and decided to watch it for one reason: Nathan Fillion. Also known as "Captain Hammer" from last summer's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." It's kind of sad that almost every show I watch, I began watching because of some actor connected to Joss Whedon (Evil Genius).
But, as it turns out, "Castle" is a good show. The pilot episode was tonight, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It begins with two murders that appear to be copied from the mystery novels of Rick Castle (Fillion). He is called by the police as a consultant, and teams up with Detective Beckett. She happens to be a (closet) fan of Castle's books, but she can't stand him in person. Which, of course, means they will probably hook up before the first season ends.
Anyway, it appears that the killer wasn't very smooth: they find a fan letter with his prints all over it, and evidence in his apartment. But something doesn't seem right to Castle, who insists that it wouldn't make a very good story. And, as the prime suspect was arrested before the show was half over, you can guess who's right.
The writing in this show is excellent, and Castle and Becket have a great chemistry. Other highlights include Castle's mother, who walks off with every scene she's in, and his teenage daughter. I will definitely be tuning in next week!
Oh, and my other favorite non-fantasy show: "Leverage." It has officially been granted a second season! The first season finished a couple weeks ago, and I cannot WAIT for season 2...which happens to be this summer (when I will be in my cable-less house, and not my college dorm). But that's what iTunes is for. Or Hulu (which will forever be known in my house as "eat-your-brain-dot-com").
One final note: I heart Stephen Colbert.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Star Trek Initiation: "The Enemy Within"
Wow, almost 2 weeks without any posting! I would like to apologize to my readers (all 3 of you) for the lack of updates. My life has kind of exploded, and I'm trying very hard not to fall behind in any of my classes. Which also explains the lack of podcasts. We recorded a show, we really did. Then we have to edit it. And then there was a thing with my computer and I think I lost the file, so we're just going to re-record the show. Whenever we have time.
I did manage to watch the next episode of Star Trek, however. This was an interesting episode. I've noticed that there's sort of a formula: each episode presents two problems simultaneously, and one problem prevents the other from being solved. Also, the piece of equipment that is most needed will undoubtedly be broken or malfunctioning.
This episode begins as the crew is visiting a planet that becomes terribly cold once its sun sets. They beam aboard a little animal; the species is never identified, but it was clearly played by a dog who could handle a costume. Once the dog beams aboard, another identical dog appears a few minutes later. They figure out that the dog wasn't so much duplicated as split, into a "good" half and an "evil" half. Unfortunately, they don't figure this out until after the same thing happens to Kirk.
It is immediately obvious that Evil Kirk should not be allowed to run around; he attempts to rape Yeoman Janice in a scene that was incredibly uncomfortable for me, as a woman, to watch. She manages to get away from him by scratching his face. I was hoping she'd get a good kick in, or punch him in the face, but she did manage to escape without physical harm.
Unfortunately, Good Kirk is not much help. It turns out that the decision-making skills that make him such a good captain ended up with Evil Kirk. It's an interesting idea, that we need both halves to make us complete, and that what is "evil" if left unchecked can also be very beneficial. Also, Good Kirk ended up with all of the bravery, while Evil Kirk was almost a coward. Which, I suppose, makes sense.
After the doctor and Spock figure out what happened, they decide that it is unsafe to beam up Sulu and the rest of the crew still down on the planet's surface. Unfortunately, the transporter must be repaired before nightfall, or Sulu and Co. will freeze to death.
Understatement of the week:
"Tonight it gets down to 120 degrees below zero."
"That's nippy."
They figure out just in time how to fix things (beam both halves down together, and then when they beam back up they should recombine--I forget how that was supposed to work). They test it out on the dog-creature thing. Good news: one dog beams back. Bad news: it's dead. Good Kirk can't decide whether he should make the attempt or not. He finally does, and of course it works, just in time to save Sulu and Co. from the icy jaws of death.
Notes:
-Evil dog-thing: If I had to wear that fuzzy, one-horned getup, I'd be mad too.
-I wonder how long it takes Yeoman Janice to do her hair in the morning. It looks great, but that is one complicated hairdo.
-For a man, Evil Kirk is surprisingly adept at applying concealer...
-Sulu asks more than once for some coffee to try and keep warm. Why didn't they beam any down? Or at least hats and mittens!
-Sulu is surprisingly good-natured for a man with real danger of freezing to death.
I did manage to watch the next episode of Star Trek, however. This was an interesting episode. I've noticed that there's sort of a formula: each episode presents two problems simultaneously, and one problem prevents the other from being solved. Also, the piece of equipment that is most needed will undoubtedly be broken or malfunctioning.
This episode begins as the crew is visiting a planet that becomes terribly cold once its sun sets. They beam aboard a little animal; the species is never identified, but it was clearly played by a dog who could handle a costume. Once the dog beams aboard, another identical dog appears a few minutes later. They figure out that the dog wasn't so much duplicated as split, into a "good" half and an "evil" half. Unfortunately, they don't figure this out until after the same thing happens to Kirk.
It is immediately obvious that Evil Kirk should not be allowed to run around; he attempts to rape Yeoman Janice in a scene that was incredibly uncomfortable for me, as a woman, to watch. She manages to get away from him by scratching his face. I was hoping she'd get a good kick in, or punch him in the face, but she did manage to escape without physical harm.
Unfortunately, Good Kirk is not much help. It turns out that the decision-making skills that make him such a good captain ended up with Evil Kirk. It's an interesting idea, that we need both halves to make us complete, and that what is "evil" if left unchecked can also be very beneficial. Also, Good Kirk ended up with all of the bravery, while Evil Kirk was almost a coward. Which, I suppose, makes sense.
After the doctor and Spock figure out what happened, they decide that it is unsafe to beam up Sulu and the rest of the crew still down on the planet's surface. Unfortunately, the transporter must be repaired before nightfall, or Sulu and Co. will freeze to death.
Understatement of the week:
"Tonight it gets down to 120 degrees below zero."
"That's nippy."
They figure out just in time how to fix things (beam both halves down together, and then when they beam back up they should recombine--I forget how that was supposed to work). They test it out on the dog-creature thing. Good news: one dog beams back. Bad news: it's dead. Good Kirk can't decide whether he should make the attempt or not. He finally does, and of course it works, just in time to save Sulu and Co. from the icy jaws of death.
Notes:
-Evil dog-thing: If I had to wear that fuzzy, one-horned getup, I'd be mad too.
-I wonder how long it takes Yeoman Janice to do her hair in the morning. It looks great, but that is one complicated hairdo.
-For a man, Evil Kirk is surprisingly adept at applying concealer...
-Sulu asks more than once for some coffee to try and keep warm. Why didn't they beam any down? Or at least hats and mittens!
-Sulu is surprisingly good-natured for a man with real danger of freezing to death.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Star Trek Initiation: "The Naked Time" (episode 104)
Alas, this episode does not include a cameo from Professor Dumbledore...though it does include almost everything else. This week begins as the crew of the Enterprise is sent to watch a planet explode. Sounds exciting, right? But also, obviously, dangerous. Everyone needs to be as competent as possible or the ship will be pulled into the planet's shifting gravitational field and explode.
Two crewmen are sent down to retrieve the scientists who are still living on the doomed planet, only to find them all inexplicably dead. It soon becomes apparent that the scientists were killed by a disease that is spread by human contact, and even more apparent that said virus has made its way onboard the ship. The physical symptoms include excessive sweating--which is how the disease is spread--and reduced inhibitions. This usually leads to excessive laughter. Sulu begins challenging everyone to fencing matches. A crewman takes over the control room and serenades the crew with Irish songs. Oh, and Spock has a nervous breakdown. It all ends with the crew imploding their own engines and discovering they can travel back in time.
There was a lot going on in this episode. I was trying to figure out all of the ways the crew was screwed. First, they are lost when their communication system is compromised. They have twenty minutes to hack into the hijacked control room. It's interesting how the doors have become a hindrance in almost every episode. When they're supposed to be keeping someone in, they fail. When people are supposed to be able to access a room, they're locked out.
Of course, once they cut a Texas-shaped hole in the wall and get back into the control room, we find out that there isn't enough time to get the engines warmed up before they spiral down to doom. So they decide to try this formula--which only has a 1 in 10,000 shot of not blowing them all to kingdom come--and the man behind the plan (Spock) is crying for his mommy. Although, to be fair, the doctor has come up with a cure by this time. So they get better just in time to implode the engines.
And then there was the time-travel bit. They only traveled back in time three days. Does this mean there's another Enterprise now for the next three days? Are they going to meet themselves in the next episode? There was some foreshadowing about using the time-travel formula at some point. Now they can also boldly go WHEN no man has gone before!
Favorite character this week: Sulu. I laughed out loud when he appeared dressed to fence and challenging everyone. Incidentally, where people surprised when George Takei came out of the closet?
The 3-D chess made a brief appearance, along with what I believe was 3-D checkers.
Don't forget to comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on Star Trek, the blog, or anything else. Or e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com
Two crewmen are sent down to retrieve the scientists who are still living on the doomed planet, only to find them all inexplicably dead. It soon becomes apparent that the scientists were killed by a disease that is spread by human contact, and even more apparent that said virus has made its way onboard the ship. The physical symptoms include excessive sweating--which is how the disease is spread--and reduced inhibitions. This usually leads to excessive laughter. Sulu begins challenging everyone to fencing matches. A crewman takes over the control room and serenades the crew with Irish songs. Oh, and Spock has a nervous breakdown. It all ends with the crew imploding their own engines and discovering they can travel back in time.
There was a lot going on in this episode. I was trying to figure out all of the ways the crew was screwed. First, they are lost when their communication system is compromised. They have twenty minutes to hack into the hijacked control room. It's interesting how the doors have become a hindrance in almost every episode. When they're supposed to be keeping someone in, they fail. When people are supposed to be able to access a room, they're locked out.
Of course, once they cut a Texas-shaped hole in the wall and get back into the control room, we find out that there isn't enough time to get the engines warmed up before they spiral down to doom. So they decide to try this formula--which only has a 1 in 10,000 shot of not blowing them all to kingdom come--and the man behind the plan (Spock) is crying for his mommy. Although, to be fair, the doctor has come up with a cure by this time. So they get better just in time to implode the engines.
And then there was the time-travel bit. They only traveled back in time three days. Does this mean there's another Enterprise now for the next three days? Are they going to meet themselves in the next episode? There was some foreshadowing about using the time-travel formula at some point. Now they can also boldly go WHEN no man has gone before!
Favorite character this week: Sulu. I laughed out loud when he appeared dressed to fence and challenging everyone. Incidentally, where people surprised when George Takei came out of the closet?
The 3-D chess made a brief appearance, along with what I believe was 3-D checkers.
Don't forget to comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on Star Trek, the blog, or anything else. Or e-mail us at videorevue@gmail.com
Sunday, February 8, 2009
"Star Trek" clip--hilarious!
In lieu of an actual episode review this week, please enjoy the funniest "Star Trek" clip I've ever seen (courtesy of the Carol Burnett show).
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Must-See TV
The best of what's on television right now, in my humble opinion:
-Heroes. Season 4 debuted on Monday night and it kicked butt. I can't wait to see what's going to happen this time around. Though I have to say I like Hiro better as Batman than as Alfred. Poor Ando...
-Leverage. The new show on TNT follows a group of criminals out to rob the bad guys and return the money to the people who've been wronged by the giant corporations. Oh, and one of the characters is played by Christian Kane, who in a past life worked for Wolfram and Hart (the evil law firm from "Angel").
-Mythbusters. Adam and Jamie continue to blow stuff up in the name of science. This week they proved that ninjas are ALMOST as awesome as the myths say they are.
-DOLLHOUSE!! The latest show from Joss Whedon, Evil Genius. Why does he have the title "Evil Genius"? Simple. He creates brilliant, dynamic characters that the viewers can relate to and care about. That's genius. Then he makes their lives a living hell. That's evil. Therefore, he shall be known from now on as Joss Whedon, Evil Genius. Anyway, his new show stars Eliza Dushku. The basic plot is that there is a secret organization where people can basically rent people called "Actives" to do whatever they want, anything from international espionage to sex. Once their job is done, the Actives forget their missions entirely...or at least, that's how it's supposed to work. If only it weren't in the Timeslot of Death (Fridays from 8-9). At least it's not on CBS...
(Who, me? Still upset that Moonlight was canceled? What ever gave you THAT idea??)
Side note: I may have to take a break from the Star Trek postings for a week or two while I wrap my head around all of the work I need to do this semester. And there will be another podcast at some point in the future.
-Heroes. Season 4 debuted on Monday night and it kicked butt. I can't wait to see what's going to happen this time around. Though I have to say I like Hiro better as Batman than as Alfred. Poor Ando...
-Leverage. The new show on TNT follows a group of criminals out to rob the bad guys and return the money to the people who've been wronged by the giant corporations. Oh, and one of the characters is played by Christian Kane, who in a past life worked for Wolfram and Hart (the evil law firm from "Angel").
-Mythbusters. Adam and Jamie continue to blow stuff up in the name of science. This week they proved that ninjas are ALMOST as awesome as the myths say they are.
-DOLLHOUSE!! The latest show from Joss Whedon, Evil Genius. Why does he have the title "Evil Genius"? Simple. He creates brilliant, dynamic characters that the viewers can relate to and care about. That's genius. Then he makes their lives a living hell. That's evil. Therefore, he shall be known from now on as Joss Whedon, Evil Genius. Anyway, his new show stars Eliza Dushku. The basic plot is that there is a secret organization where people can basically rent people called "Actives" to do whatever they want, anything from international espionage to sex. Once their job is done, the Actives forget their missions entirely...or at least, that's how it's supposed to work. If only it weren't in the Timeslot of Death (Fridays from 8-9). At least it's not on CBS...
(Who, me? Still upset that Moonlight was canceled? What ever gave you THAT idea??)
Side note: I may have to take a break from the Star Trek postings for a week or two while I wrap my head around all of the work I need to do this semester. And there will be another podcast at some point in the future.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
RANDOMNESS FROM JOHNNY IN FORM OF VIDEO
A highly addictive, yet also extremely random music video (YTP) based off of Japanese McDonald's commercials. I love this, but who else??
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hulu's Superbowl Commercial
Definitely one of the best Superbowl commercials this year. Can't say any more without giving away the ending...
Enjoy!
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