2012: The Year of The Web Show?

When the internet started way back in the 90s, they had one goal in mind: to connect people. Plain and simple. Now, fast forward almost 20 years, and that goal has been surpassed in every way possible. I need not remind you all the ways in which this happens, because we live it everyday, nearly every moment of our lives, thanks to the implications of Internet technology.

     And every so often, it evolves, absorbing elements of physical being and rebooting them with far greater capabilities. Radio Shows became Podcasts, allowing anyone with a mic and PC to make their own, Journals and Articles became Blogs, enabling an easy way to get writing and get your name heard (believe me, I know), and now our good friend TV, having served for 8 decades, is slowly succumbing to the ways of the Web.

The Guild's even moved on
 to it's very own
line of comic books

  But I'm not talking about streaming sites like Hulu, iPlayer or Netflix, although they do dabble in the creative aspect of which this is focused. For my point here is that this year just may well see a real overhaul in terms of the way shows get made, produced and distributed among the masses (that's us!). Sure, plenty of web series' have been made and released up until this point, such as The Guild (which I'll be coming back to) and animated comedy/sadistic slaughter show, Happy Tree Friends, to name but a mere ounce of their slice in the internet market

 Because what's really happening now is individual platforms are being created for the sole purpose of providing original web content - like networks and studios in their own, un-messed-with right. Basically, it's what every creative type dreams of, finally coming to a reality near you.

   Specifically, this comes on the news that two giant geek personalities, made famous largely thanks to the web, are launching such platforms. Felicia Day, creator and star of The Guild as well as tons of other internetty stuff, has lifted the veil on the much anticipated Geek & Sundry, which will play host to a number of indie-geek-culture shows, ranging from Felicia and her buds doing awesome things in "The Flog", to the one and only Wil Wheaton doing his own show where he and special guests play classic board and card games in "TableTop", and there's even kids ad libbing their own stories to get brought to life by a slew of directors in "Written by a Kid". Here's a trailerific overview:



Meanwhile, stand-up comedian and founder of The Nerdist site and podcast-network, Chris Hardwick, has announced The Nerdist Channel - taking his nerd-branded sensibilities to the next level with the proposed menagerie of crazawesome shows on offer. Want Chris bowling with famous people? Check. Want an entire Weird Al show? Check. Want Neil Patrick Harris playing with puppets? Check. Whatever your unearthly desire, it's sure to be addressed in what these guys have in store:




But this is not just a bunch of new shows coming. This is not just an exercise in the entertainment business "branching out". And although awesome, this is not just  Nerd culture being fully realised and implemented. Because this is more. This an opportunity. And this, my friends, is the future.

  Imagine it; a world where the majority of the things we love to watch exist purely on the web - made exclusively for the web with platforms like this to get it out there. Originality levels are going to sky-rocket, as we get to see things just as the creators intended, as well as tsunami of newbies emerging who've never had the big-budget chances of network and production institutes.

A Brand New Day for Dr Horrible

  And even those who have made it big realise the potential, and I mean REALLY BIG. Take Joss Whedon, who's work on Dr Horrible 2 begins tantalisingly soon, with a possible release of this Summer. Would you ever see a Superhero musical, with the villain as protagonist, featuring stars like Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion AND Felicia Day on traditional network schedules? And further more, would you see a sequel of that there? Plus remember that Joss is literally going to be fresh off The Avengers; possibly the biggest superhero movie to date, and yet he goes straight back into a humbling, low budget web project.

   Or how about a show about Gay Marriage Equality in Brad Bell and Jane Espenson's Husbands, also heading toward a second outing for a season 2 later this year. I need not remind how I've supported the show before, and now they even have their own KickStarter to help fund the new episodes, which in itself is extraordinary seeing how they've reached the $50,000 goal in merely a week. You can still donate yourself here (regardless of location) and walk away with some nifty incentive rewards and the feeling that you've just contributed to the world of tomorrow (and we may even see some of these come to fruition) . Because the world is ready for this stuff, even laying down money for external web-content to feed their needs of innovation and revitalisation.

  In years to come we could see that the greatest actors/writers/directors of that future generation did in fact have a breakthrough via the web, a la Neill Blomkamp of District 9 fame. What does this mean? More deserving talents coming forward, previously unheard and unnoticed stars getting an opportunity to break in and become something amazing. And it all starts here, 2012, where the web-ground will be pushed to new heights and be recognised as being just as big a market for entertainment as TV and Film.

So, are you ready?

ATR

The Obligatory "What I Got For Christmas" Post

Ah Christmas, that annual time where most people celebrate that snowballing mish-mash of traditions and joy, and get given a bunch of stuff from friends and family, as well as giving back to them in a gracious show of love. Now, of course, the question on everyone's lips is obviously, "What did you get, Arnold?", because that's how god-damn inspirational I am to the world. Well alright, if you insist then... Don't worry though, I'm not going to start talking about all the pairs of socks I was given, no matter how awesome they were. Just significant, perhaps more exciting gifts, the majority with a hint of my absolute nerdiness.

Here are some awesome tile coasters, via my lovely Sister, each with a nice little nod to certain pop-cult entities. Left: Castle reference, Right: Superman/Smallville reference. 

A tidy set of Blu-Rays, featuring the coveted Star Wars set.

Some shiny brown work boots, just 'cause. 

Halo: Anniversary, and Assassins Creed: Revelations: Because no Holiday is complete without a fair share of video games.

A couple books, both with the Comic book industry in mind. On the left we have Grant Morrison's documentation of the world through superheroes and panels (signed, of course), and on the right, a visual commentary on the timeline of Marvel. 

A very pretty letter opener (because I suck at doing it with my hands), with an awesome Limited Edition Supes theme going on. 

Another sweet Superman thing: This huge canvas will look epic on my wall.

Writer/Actor/Comedian Alan Davies' new part auto-biography, part "talk about people he is inspired by" book. 

3 Graphic Novels, 2 of which changed the face of the industry forever (The Dark Knight Returns and The Sandman), while Old Man Logan is just too awesome. The quilt cover they rest on was also a present.

My highly-anticipated Jayne Hat, straight outta Firefly, complete with replica box and letter. "How's it sit?  Pretty cunning, don't you think?"

And the "I wonder what this could be used for" Blue Yeti USB microphone, for all my vocal and musical needs. Seen here accompanied by my new "We're not fancy, but we still rock" JVC headphones. Unlike me, who's always fancy. (Each gifted separately)

'Course, this is just a taster of all the awesome shizzle I got this year, because I don't think it's safe to expose your minds to the actual level of generosity that I was granted by my family. So thanks to all of you who were silly enough to spend unheard of riches on my humbled, yet grateful self. 'Tis a kindness, truly. Most of what you see here is from my Mum, Sister and Dad, so big, big props to them, and I hope you too were gifted such nice products of materialistic properties. "And a Happy New Year".

ATR

RE:Commend: Qwertee.com

This is one I'm holding out for: Mal Solo!

Qwertee.com is a fresh new take on a traditional T-Shirt web-store, combining community choice with shirts designed by the community itself. It's simple. First, people can submit a T-Shirt design (based on Pop-Culture and Geekdom, generally) using the on-site creator, with a 4-colour limit in mind. Next these get approved and put on the site, for the whole world to see. People with a free-account can then vote on shirts, and the ones with the most will get printed. However, it's not always the shirt with the highest votes that get printed, but instead they are chosen by a team who make sure to mix it up in terms of what's on the shirts. One day it could be Dr Who related, the next a Game of Thrones reference, and the next a Star Wars icon.

   But, of course, there's a catch.  The selected shirt will only be available for 48 hours, after which it will be gone... Forever! But at only £8 a tee, you really can't complain with this time limit, and it gives a certain level of exclusivity to the proud owners, such as moi, in my very suave "Infant Mutant Ninja Turtles" tee from Qwertee:

Yep, I've got arms. Just.

 The best part though, is that Qwertee is primarily a UK store, providing a handy alternative for the humourous pop-cult shirts seen on US store, thinkgeek.com. If you're quick enough, that is. There's also tons of chances to win free tees through their newsletter and Facebook, and once in a while they'll do a bundle sale for all the unsold shirts, where for £6 you'll get a random one from the weeks before. So next time you're looking for that killer, yet subtle tee of geekery, look no further than qwertee.com, and if you're creative enough, why not try designing some for yourself.

ATR

RE:View: The Big Bang Theory: Season 4

Even before coming into its fourth season, The Big Bang Theory had really hit its stride, pulling in massive ratings and marvellous reviews consistently each week. However, this obviously wasn't enough for series creator and sitcom tycoon Chuck Lorre, as Season 4 changes up the formula with an altered equation and varied results.

Should I be here?

   This change comes in the shape of Amy Farrah Fowler, the female counterpart to Sheldon's braniacal quirk of a character. At first, the flow felt broken, like she didn't really fit properly within the gang and broke up the dynamic that the guys had going on. Her lines fell flat, sounding like remade mismatches of Sheldon quotes with a boring execution, as is the fatal trap that Jim Parsons manages to never slip in to (his multiple Emmy's acting as a testament to that).

Yes I should!

My preconceptions, however, were misjudged, with Amy's character slowly beginning to grow on me episode by episode, as she broke more and more away from the "Sheldon with a Vagina" mould, carrying some more substantial plot lines on her own and mixing with the girls' crowd (Penny and Bernadette). And it is with this "Girls Crowd" that the second major change for the series comes in. As before the show has focused primarily on the boys and their misadventures in geeksville, this season we see the spotlight being shifted slightly to share the laughs with the female side of things.

Penny's Leonard issues are pondered upon, acting as the slow burner of the season arch, Bernadette deals with trying to get serious with Mummy's Boy Howard, while Raj's sister Priya turns up in the latter half of the season to mix things up with Leonard's love life. Luckily, Priya's character is meant to be disliked, at least that's the way I felt, as her stuck up approach to controlling our boy Leonard sends Penny and the newly formed Gals into a tension fuelled hate party against her - with some hilarious outcomes.

The Raj vs Howard battle surely is a season highlight

Of course, the four guys, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj, are still the central theme of the show, and still go all out in the comedy field. The gang's Justice League team-up is unmissable, with a little help from Penny-Ex Zach (who really deserves more eps!), and their quest to retrieve Sheldon's stolen World of Warcraft account from a sleezeball hacker reminds us all of what the show is really about; honest, nerdy, laugh-filled fun. Plus, the Indiana Jones homage featuring Sheldon, Wil Wheaton and a heck load of angry fan boys is just pure hilarity-ensued awesome.

Raj on the Rise

Raj is fleshed out substantially this time around, and is quickly becoming possibly my favourite character, as he tackles his girl issues with surprisingly unexpected results (especially with that series finale!). He just seems more unique from the other guys, with a USP of romance novel/movie addiction and a tendency to call out hilariously geek-cum-"home boy" phrases during card games. His character has really developed into a cute, rootable underdog of the guys, that's just crying out for some more Raj-centric episodes.

Overall, the series starts to feel more cohesive and connected, with relationships playing a more vital role than ever before, and episodes linking into each other with a more structured season story arch. For the majority of the time, the show retains its smart and sassy humour that keeps the wit intelligible and the laughs worthwhile, such as it has been loved for thus far. For any misstep in this regard, my faith is restored by a magnitude of Sheldon quotes or Howard puns, Penny put-downs or ingeniously planted pop-cult references (everyone's favourite Gorn makes an appearance).

It may have changed, but it's still going strong.

4/5 Stars.

ATR

  MORE RE:VIEWS            MORE TV STUFF

P.S. This:

Trailer Tuesday: Green Lantern

The new extended trailer for DC's Green Lantern dropped today, showing off some awesome and exciting new tid-bits. As always, I'm here to break it down and explain some of the things included. Enjoy:

"In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all." - Rather Lengthy Wiki Plot Synopsis

Click here for the full-size, full-epic version, with 1080p included!

• 0:10 - Enter Sinestro (played by Kick-Ass and Sherlock Holmes villainous actor Mark Strong) , floating down in front of the glistening Green Lantern monument. Now Sinestro is actually the biggest enemy of the Green Lantern Corps, but obviously he isn't here. At this moment he's still one of the Green Lanterns, and appears to have taken up some place of leadership as he tells the other Lanterns of their greatest threat yet; Parallax. 
• 0:26 - Seen here is two other Lanterns, known as (left to right) Kilowog and Tomar-Re. Kilowog is a Bolovaxian, a race predominantly known for their strength and endurance. After his sector's Lantern died, Kilowog was chosen to be the new member of the Corps because of his skills in machinery and genetics. He is also considered to be one of the Corps' best trainers and recruiters. Tomar-Re I'll talk about later.
• 0:30-1:02 - Now, as Sinestro tells you, Abin Sur (who's on the screen at this point) was the Corps' finest warrior. However, he gets his butt kicked here by the mighty Parallax and narrowly escapes in his awesome space ship. Knowing that death is impending, he commands his ring of power (the Lanterns source of power) to find a new Lantern. Which leads to...
• 1:03-1:15 - First look at Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, the cocky test pilot. After seeing Abin crash, he goes to investigate.
• 1:16-1:27 - Abin gives Hal the ring, as he's been chosen by it. Now this ring (seen at 1:18 and 1:20) is not to be messed with, as it gives the wearer the ability to turn thought into reality. 
• 1:30-2:02 - Reciting the oath to become a Lantern is very important stuff. However, looks like the problem's sorted for Hal as he does it almost subconsciously. 

"In Brightest Day,

In Blackest Night,

No evil shall, escape my sight

Let those who worship, evil's might,

Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

• 2:06-2:11 - Hal's first flight by the looks of it. Bit wobbly, but some sweet CGI space scenes.
• 2:19 - Hal arrives at the Corps' base planet, Oa. Note the almost entirely CGI'd costume here.
• 2:23-2:40 - Return of the bird-like Lantern from earlier, Tomar-Re. He, like Kilowog, was a scientist before joining the Corps (on his home planet of Xudar)  and went on to become an Honor Guard for them. Oh, and he's voiced by Geoffrey Rush (The Kings Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean).
• 2:41 - Tomar-Re introduces Hal to Oa in all it's greatness.
• 2:57 - Fancy flying to that monument mentioned earlier.
• 3:03-3:22 - You may wish to pause in parts here, just to take in the variety of crazy looking aliens that are all part of the Corps and listening to Sinestro's speech.
• 3:24-3:29 - The Lanterns all raise their rings in an astounding stream of green light. 
• 3:30 - Uh oh. Looks like someone found Abin Sur (the crashed Lantern from earlier) and his ship...
• 3:32 - And there is that man. Hector Hammond, and as he tries to find out what Abin Sur is, he gets infected by a piece of something, which will give him some extraordinary new abilities.
• 3:39-3:42 - As you can see, the thing he touched has caused his brain to increase in size and now has the powers of Telepathy, Mind Control and Telekinesis, not to mention he can block some of the power rings power. So naturally, a fight occurs between him and Hal.
• 3:44 - That's right; Super green Gatling gun!
• 3:45-3:55 - A series of pretty nifty action snips involving Hal, Hector and the evil Parallax.
• 3:58 - June 17th -Can't freakin' wait. Ooh, 3D too!

Hope you enjoyed that awesome and lengthy trailer, and I hope you enjoyed that potentially awesome and lengthy breakdown. I do prefer analysing superhero movie trailers, because not only do they interest me the most, but it's easy to dig up information on the vast comic history it has. So maybe you learnt stuff from it. Anyway, come back next week for another trailer and another breakdown. 


Want to buy Green Lantern Stuff? Here's the full Forbidden Planet Listing. 

RE:View: Paul

As voted by you.

With previous commendations such as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg's latest Hollywood outing has got a lot to live up to. And with the classic Edgar Wright being replaced for Superbad's Greg Mottola in the directors chair, I'm sure I wasn't the only one with a few worries. But thankfully, Paul delivers, and in more ways than one...

  Now, for Pegg and Frost, geek culture is literally second to none for them, both having confessed their love of all things sci-fi. However, as much as this relays over to the first 20 minutes or so, (where their characters (Graeme Willy and "The Writer", Clive Gollings, respectively) are lapping up the illustrious Comic-Con) you'd be forgiven if you lost some matter of interest. Those unfamiliar with such nerdy traditions and culture may get lost within this short intro section, unawares of the various in-jokes and references being thrown out. Fortunately for those affected by this ailment (certainly not me!), this part doesn't drag on too long, and you'll be back laughing before you know it, no matter how many chuckle-some references you're missing out on.

  Luckily, things start to pick up with the introduction of Paul, the recently escaped, obnoxious alien, (perfectly voiced by the equally obnoxious Seth Rogen) who needs the guys help to escape the feds and return home after 50 years held captive. With a third party member aboard the nerd's RV (they were planning, in true nerd style, to visit all of Americas UFO hot-spots), there's a much better group dynamic in place, especially with the straight talking Paul creating tension between Graeme and Clive, as he befriends one and aggravates the other. And, being the movie's title, Paul is the source of a lot of the comedy throughout, as he accommodates himself to home comforts such as booze, bongs and bagels.

 And Seth Rogen carries this burden of the comedy gold mine very well throughout, with both his voice acting and motion capture, where he manages to pull off the slacker stance and feel to the character. Meanwhile, Pegg and Frost play their parts well, but as genuine nerds themselves, it's not an over demanding challenge. Love interest Kristen Wiig troupers through as the one-eyed, bible-bashing romance element for Pegg and Jason Bateman is the well played, if stereotypical, head agent chasing after the gang along with his two slapstick buffoon lackies. Plus, Glee's Jane Lynch and the legendary Sigourney Weaver drop by...

 Plot wise, there's really not that much to say. Being somewhat of a predictable narrative setup, Pegg and Frost combine genres to keep it innovative and to stop it from becoming stale. Road trip meets cop-chase, and comedy sees action as the tight script unfolds around the audience. But the characters are where the script really shines, with each being given an eventual arc, that sees each personality transform as Paul influences them personally along the journey.

  But all this character developing doesn't mean that Paul misses out on some hilarious hi-jinks and set-pieces, such as Kristen Wiig's newfound ability to curse, the curious interest in Paul's "spaceballs" held by certain characters or the various car chases, to name but a few highlights. 

  The numerous references to the likes of E.T., Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek and everything else just make it that more special for those who can find them and shows a real dedication to the fans who, in turn, have shown real dedication. And, why this may seem odd, it makes you feel good recognizing a certain quote or action from a past sci-fi classic, especially if those around you don't -  it's a rewarding experience that you can wring so much out of.

 By the end, you'll come out of the cinema (or computer, for all you pirates out there...) feeling happy and, surprisingly, somewhat moved by the final scenes. And although he hasn't exactly put his own stamp on, director Mottola manages to pull off a neat, enjoyable package with the fantastic script from Pegg & Frost that left me smiling for some time after. It may be more mainstream and "Hollywood" than Shaun and Fuzz, but that doesn't make it any less sweeter.

4/5 Stars

So that's your RE:View of Paul, just like 44% of you asked for. I hope it was what you wanted from it, and it felt good knowing I was writing it because people wanted it. Sort of a motivation/incentive kind of thing. Anyway, I'm assuming you all noted the use of a double bracket (a bracket within a bracket) and hopefully that Inception-shit I pulled with it didn't confuse you too much... That's it for now though, but a new trailer tomorrow! Stay tuned.

Trollers: Anonymous Comedians or Desperate Losers?

What's commonly known as the 'Trollface', associated with almost every Troll going.

Trolling: The act of purposefully antagonizing people on the internet, generally on message boards, to garner a reaction from the site's community.

The art of internet trolling is often that of complex integrity. But what is it that makes people want to log on to various websites, usually those they are the most uninterested in, and just piss people off? An unloved childhood? A constant need for attention? Or maybe just for some sought after laughs?

But before I delve deep into the inner minds of the modern day Troller, just imagine this: Something has gone wrong with your computer and you desperately need this (insert computer feature) that's stopped working . Unable to solve the problem yourself, you turn to the internet for answers. Naturally, your first stop is Yahoo Answers. Eager to fix the harrowing issue, you tap the question in with alarming speed and hit the enter button like there's no tomorrow. Then, with your question published you rapidly press F5 to refresh your page. 5 minutes pass, then 10... Your finger begins to ache when finally an answer appears. Sweat dripping across your brow, you read the fine samaritan's answer with increased anticipation. But this is no good samaritan, as your hope turns to anger when your mind makes the connection: I've just been trolled. More and more answers pop up, some linking you to the torturous Rick Roll vids, others making sarcy comments about your accidental misspelling. In the end, your question is never answered and your problem never rectified. Turning to violence you track down these Trolls and go on a murderous killing spree before turning your ( insert preferred weapon of choice) on yourself...

Okay, so maybe you're not going to go that far (kudos if you do though), but you get the idea of how infuriating these web-pests can be. Everyday, normal people looking for healthy discussion on the WWW are harassed and bugged by these people for no apparent reason other than simply existing. Do they seriously not have anything better to do? The truth of the matter is, if you ever do get Trolled, you've just got to picture the sweaty, greasy haired, wank-a-lot loner behind the screen, and think just how pathetic that loser is.

True 'Dat

I am, however, perhaps being a little naive about the subject. I mean, it's only a certain type of Troller I am describing above, not the whole Troller community. They're not all disgusting, asthmatic men, living in their Mum's basement playing World of Warcraft all day. Some of these guys can actually be quite funny when their sights are set on the right people. Uptight, internet know-it-alls deserve to be taken down a peg once in a while and as for those perves prowling Chat Roulette and Omegle: Yeah, they should get a Micheal Jackson GIF shoved in their faces when stroking their man parts.

Mayhap these cyberspace peeves are just looking for some justice: the nerd way. People who want to right a few wrongs of the internet, without resorting to the flimsy 'Report' button to get it done. Their methods are unorthodox and their reasons rather weak, but if  they can knock a few unlicensed cars off of the electronic highway, while adding comedy into the mix, then maybe these types of Trolls are worthwhile.

So whether it's the Greasy Loser or The Vigilante Geek you're dealing with, just take a minute to think of who's behind the keyboard and whether it's really worth the argument... Remember, the best way to deal with a Troll is to ignore them, no reaction=no satisfaction. Either that or summon Gandalf to turn them stone. Just personal preference, really. So stay safe out there while surfing and browsing, and teach those mean Trolls a lesson! And so to sing us out:

If you need some extra help with how to deal with Trolls, here's an in depth guide: Yeah here.