Ever since I was a kid, I've loved the Nick shows by Dan Schneider, from Drake and Josh all the way to Victorious. Yeah, I'm pretty old to be into these shows at this point, but I can't help it. I will go to my grave proclaiming that iCarly was one of the most fun shows on TV during its run. My favorite two Dan Schneider characters are by far the brash, loudmouthed, but loveable Sam Pucket from iCarly, portrayed by Jennette McCurdy, and the naive and adorable Cat Valentine from Victorious, portrayed by Ariana Grande, so when Sam and Cat got a spinoff, aptly named Sam & Cat, I could not have been happier.
Then the most recent episode of Sam & Cat turned out to be a Laverne & Shirley tribute, complete with a remake of the "skipping scene" in the episode's opening, and appearances by both Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall, including a fantasic ending scene where the two sitcom legends proved that they can still deliver on the physical comedy, even at their ages, and suddenly I was happier. It was wonderful! I squeed. More than once. And I'm proud of that.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Check Out This Eighth Grade Exam from 1912!
Found this randomly while surfing the web. Actually take this exam straight out of the past and see how you stack up.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Musings, Thursday 11/14/13
So I'm coming up on the end of my periodic, unscheduled rewatch-Buffy-athon, which happens maybe every three to five months, and once again I am left with a bittersweet feeling, because, as Q from Star Trek: TNG tells us (he was probably quoting somebody, but oh well), "all good things must come to an end". Every time I rewatch this show, which is probably my favorite show ever ever, I remember this...
...And then I remember that the story is still ongoing in comic book form, and the sense of joy returns unencumbered :D
...And then I remember that the story is still ongoing in comic book form, and the sense of joy returns unencumbered :D
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
AwesomeJohn22's Guide to Skyrim Mods
I haven't done a whole lot of Skyrim content on the blog, but that certainly doesn't mean I don't want to do more. I've covered a couple of really great quest mods, reviewing them, but Skyrim is probably my favorite game ever because of the mods, so I figured that I should give the mods a little more love. Skyrim wasn't the first Elder Scrolls game that I ever played, but it was the first that I played with mods, and now I simply can't imagine the franchise without them. So here is my list of the ten (ish, I haven't decided on the number for sure) Skyrim mods that I find essential for anyone's playthrough. Note that this list will not include things like the Unofficial Patches, as they are no-brainers. Another no-brainer is the fact that, because Skyrim needed to be viable on many different gaming systems, it doesn't look as good as it could, and a PC gamer should consider downloading some texture mods.
Also of note is the fact that this isn't a top whatever list. I don't consider any one of these mods better than any others on this list. They are all equally essential in my book.
Also of note is the fact that this isn't a top whatever list. I don't consider any one of these mods better than any others on this list. They are all equally essential in my book.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Movie Reviews - Thor: The Dark World
I was one of the few moviegoers who not only really enjoyed the first Thor movie, but thought it was right up there with the rest or its Marvel movie counterparts, including Iron Man. Sure it was simple and predictable, but so was Iron Man in many ways. Did anyone watching that movie not know who the villain was after ten minutes, really? In terms of predictable movies, yeah Thor was moreso, and Thor: The Dark World followed in the footsteps of its predecessor in that regard. There was literally nothing in this movie which surprised me. Nothing. This doesn't mean, however, that I didn't really love seeing these very predictable things happening on screen (bar one or two, but we aren't supposed to like those).
Monday, October 28, 2013
TV Reviews - Dads
So Dads is the other sitcom to begin this season that I've paid regular attention to (I sadly haven't seen more than the pilot of The Crazy Ones, but I do intend to catch up). From the people who brought us Family Guy, Dad's is a live action sitcom marketed as the funny interactions between two young men and their oddball fathers. This is really well set up in the Pilot, where one of our lead characters, Seth Green (I know he has a name, but he's Seth Green to me now and always) has to deal with his lazy, too-open father coming to town and eventually moving in with him. Meanwhile our other lead, Phoebe from Friends' Brother (I genuinely don't remember this character's name, or the actor's for that matter), has to put up with his quirky wannabe businessman father who already lives with him and his wife.
I wanna say first off: I don't like the Pilot much at all. Yeah it follows the premise of the show to a t, but it just isn't very good. Seth Green's father ruins it for me. He is just too unlikeable in this episode. The best thing about this episode is the best thing about the series so far by a wide margin: our third lead, Brenda Song, who has probably been in other stuff, but who I know as London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, where she was also usually the best thing. Whereas I often find the father's unremarkable and unmemorable (Phoebe's Brother's father being worlds better than his counterpart), Brenda Song, and her interactions with Seth and Phoebe's Brother are memorable and enjoyable. Seth Green and Brenda Song are both great deadpan actors with really good comedic timing, and their obvious future potential romantic relationship is credibly set up.
The two characters are both very cynical, but despite the similarities between the two, there are enough differences that their interactions are always very interesting. This is the kind of show that I like, but that I don't like enough to give my full attention to in every scene. It's the kind of show that I put on in the background while surfing the web, or writing, or building a deck for one of the Trading Card Games I enjoy, but I always pay attention to the scenes where Seth Green and Phoebe's Brother are being irresponsible at their video game creation job, and Brenda Song steps in the put things back on track, or where Seth Green says something horribly inappropriate, and Brenda Song steps in to put him in his place. These scenes are great, with plenty of variation. In fact, I really wish that the show were about these three, and kept the fathers in reserve for guest roles, like other sitcoms do. The interactions between the fathers and their sons aren't bad, but they aren't great either, and I really question if the show can even survive under it's original premise. Still, I think it is decent overall, with some great dialogues, and deserves a shot. I give Dad's 6 out of 10.
I wanna say first off: I don't like the Pilot much at all. Yeah it follows the premise of the show to a t, but it just isn't very good. Seth Green's father ruins it for me. He is just too unlikeable in this episode. The best thing about this episode is the best thing about the series so far by a wide margin: our third lead, Brenda Song, who has probably been in other stuff, but who I know as London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, where she was also usually the best thing. Whereas I often find the father's unremarkable and unmemorable (Phoebe's Brother's father being worlds better than his counterpart), Brenda Song, and her interactions with Seth and Phoebe's Brother are memorable and enjoyable. Seth Green and Brenda Song are both great deadpan actors with really good comedic timing, and their obvious future potential romantic relationship is credibly set up.
The two characters are both very cynical, but despite the similarities between the two, there are enough differences that their interactions are always very interesting. This is the kind of show that I like, but that I don't like enough to give my full attention to in every scene. It's the kind of show that I put on in the background while surfing the web, or writing, or building a deck for one of the Trading Card Games I enjoy, but I always pay attention to the scenes where Seth Green and Phoebe's Brother are being irresponsible at their video game creation job, and Brenda Song steps in the put things back on track, or where Seth Green says something horribly inappropriate, and Brenda Song steps in to put him in his place. These scenes are great, with plenty of variation. In fact, I really wish that the show were about these three, and kept the fathers in reserve for guest roles, like other sitcoms do. The interactions between the fathers and their sons aren't bad, but they aren't great either, and I really question if the show can even survive under it's original premise. Still, I think it is decent overall, with some great dialogues, and deserves a shot. I give Dad's 6 out of 10.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
TV Reviews - The Goldbergs
Been a while since I've posted here, again *sigh*.
Anyway, The Goldbergs. When I talk about the classic sitcoms from my past that I really love, this is what I'm talking about. The single-camera series based on the youth of series creator Adam F. Goldberg, pulling inspiration from the video he took of his family as a boy (the way the Adam character does in the show) is a classic sitcom masquerading as a modern sitcom. It reminds me of several family sitcoms of the '80's and '90's (as it is clearly designed to do) with a splash of The Wonder Years (which is not a sitcom as far as I'm concerned, but a dramedy) thrown in for good measure, in that it takes a look at a time one generation behind today, and is narrated by the main character. There is not a character in this show that I don't like. The mother, Beverly, is an evil genius with a heart of gold, meddling in the lives of her family, married to Murray, an outwardly loud and uncaring but inwardly loving working man who does everything for his kids, just not so intrusively as his wife. Adam's sister Erica is just like her mother, in a more reserved way, always playing a part in events from the background. Adam's brother Barry is delightfully odd. Adam's grandfather (Beverly's father) is an aged ladies man with so much style and some of the best lines on the show. Adam himself is the perfect narrator, always watching the world around him and taking stock of everything in it, while still growing and dealing with the issues of youth, his perspective still changing and evolving before the viewer's very eyes.
The elements of this show come together astonishingly well. I have been thoroughly entertained, tickled, and touched by every episode of the show so far. The acting is impeccable (Wendi McLendon-Covey has never been better as Beverly), and the chemistry between these on-screen family members feels real. Absolutely nothing is forced. There has hardly been a scene which felt unnecessary, from Pilot to present. I love this show more than I can find the words to describe here. In fact, after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., this is my top pick for best new show of the season. Could this show be better? Yeah, there are still a few elements which need to be refined. While I like Erica, I often feel she could be even more involved in things. Yes she's always there, playing a part, but she has gotten far less screen time devoted to her character than I feel anyone else has, despite the second episode focusing on her pretty heavily. Also some of Barry's antics are less funny and more awkward. These, however, are barely complaints, and based on the quality of the show so far, I expect these issues to be hammered out pretty fast. I award The Goldbergs a well-deserved 8.5 out of 10, and recommend that anyone with a love of the situation comedy check it out before they fall too far behind.
I know, I know, this was a short review, but don't be so sad! I'll be posting a review of either Dad's or Sleepy Hollow within the next few days, maybe even tomorrow!
Anyway, The Goldbergs. When I talk about the classic sitcoms from my past that I really love, this is what I'm talking about. The single-camera series based on the youth of series creator Adam F. Goldberg, pulling inspiration from the video he took of his family as a boy (the way the Adam character does in the show) is a classic sitcom masquerading as a modern sitcom. It reminds me of several family sitcoms of the '80's and '90's (as it is clearly designed to do) with a splash of The Wonder Years (which is not a sitcom as far as I'm concerned, but a dramedy) thrown in for good measure, in that it takes a look at a time one generation behind today, and is narrated by the main character. There is not a character in this show that I don't like. The mother, Beverly, is an evil genius with a heart of gold, meddling in the lives of her family, married to Murray, an outwardly loud and uncaring but inwardly loving working man who does everything for his kids, just not so intrusively as his wife. Adam's sister Erica is just like her mother, in a more reserved way, always playing a part in events from the background. Adam's brother Barry is delightfully odd. Adam's grandfather (Beverly's father) is an aged ladies man with so much style and some of the best lines on the show. Adam himself is the perfect narrator, always watching the world around him and taking stock of everything in it, while still growing and dealing with the issues of youth, his perspective still changing and evolving before the viewer's very eyes.
The elements of this show come together astonishingly well. I have been thoroughly entertained, tickled, and touched by every episode of the show so far. The acting is impeccable (Wendi McLendon-Covey has never been better as Beverly), and the chemistry between these on-screen family members feels real. Absolutely nothing is forced. There has hardly been a scene which felt unnecessary, from Pilot to present. I love this show more than I can find the words to describe here. In fact, after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., this is my top pick for best new show of the season. Could this show be better? Yeah, there are still a few elements which need to be refined. While I like Erica, I often feel she could be even more involved in things. Yes she's always there, playing a part, but she has gotten far less screen time devoted to her character than I feel anyone else has, despite the second episode focusing on her pretty heavily. Also some of Barry's antics are less funny and more awkward. These, however, are barely complaints, and based on the quality of the show so far, I expect these issues to be hammered out pretty fast. I award The Goldbergs a well-deserved 8.5 out of 10, and recommend that anyone with a love of the situation comedy check it out before they fall too far behind.
I know, I know, this was a short review, but don't be so sad! I'll be posting a review of either Dad's or Sleepy Hollow within the next few days, maybe even tomorrow!
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