July 26, 2015

[Short-Lived Showcase] Cybersix, episode 11 "The Greatest Show in Meridiana"

"I have no problems with this episode. There isn't much to it beyond wild action, robotic animals, and circus motifs, but all of it is played well. The fights are great, especially as Cybersix is spearing herself straight through her enemies. The whole setting of the circus is played well with the cheering, then confused, then running in horror crowd, and muscle-bound Fixed Ideas slumping about in clown outfits. José's schtick is actually a great fit for the setting, him stromping about as a dictatorial ringmaster in a big fake mustache, and I love how it's another episode where everything spirals out of his control, to the point where he's even ducking behind Cybersix for protection. Love how she just stands there as the flying monkeys make off with him."

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July 24, 2015

[Masters of Carpentry] Black Moon Rising

"I did enjoy the movie, I did find it kinda fun and slickly put together at times, and the cast is great. But it's not very good, it is kinda clunky, and poorly structured and paced. And it's not a very smart movie. That said, it does actually have a kind of Carpenter-ish vibe to it that I found interesting, given how little of his actual script is on screen."

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July 19, 2015

[Short-Lived Showcase] Cybersix, episode 10 "Full Moon Fascination"

"A quibble I have is that I don't entirely get Elaine's endgame. There's the werewolf dude in the opening, but then we never see him again. Where'd he go? Why is she focusing all her time on Lucas instead of spreading around and building an entire pack under her thrall which he gradually falls into. We catch occasionally news reports of wolf attacks all over Meridiana, so maybe there is something broader going on in the background, but the focus is purely on Lucas. It's great from a character standpoint, but it does also lead the climactic battle to drag on a bit when it could have used a bit more variety and momentum, like what you'd get with a larger pack of wolves."

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July 16, 2015

Xanadu Cinema Pleasure Dome, episode 75: Alpacalyptic

Another "off topic" collection of outtakes from various episodes, including some more snippets of me! Check it out here.

July 12, 2015

[Short-Lived Showcase] Cybersix, episode 9 "The Eye"

"Even José's involvement is well utilized because of his interactions with his father, showing how the boy and his maker clash over their mutual machinations and their unspooling control over the creature. Plus, I love the scale of the episode, with José quickly growing from petty crimes to enthralling entire neighborhoods, then a rather significant amount of the city. I'm surprised the people in the sports arena were such a huge deal because you'd think turnout would be low given how many people have already been hit. Still, it's a great moment, as is José marching into the mayor's office and claiming it for himself, complete with a portrait of himself in his Enemy Ace cap."

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July 5, 2015

[Short-Lived Showcase] Cybersix, episode 8 "Gone with the Wings"

"We never find out a point for Von Reichter's own people being surprised to learn of the goblins, with no reveal or explanation within those ranks. There's no real motive for what the goblins are there to do beyond somehow conquering the city through their breeding. There's a string of bizarre structuring where Julian stumbles across their lair randomly, doesn't notice massive creatures hanging literally in front of his face in a fully lit room until he bumps into them, then when he's trapped, Data 7 goes for help, then goes off with Cybersix for a different action scene, then returns on his own to save the boy, then Cybersix decides to go find the boy herself right in the middle of her action, but by then her friends are already gone. The script feels very sloppily organized, like they were rushing some sequences together in a story they hadn't fully figured out."

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