Take Me Back Ep.8 | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

Take Me Back – Chapter 8 from Joe and Seth on Vimeo.

Click here if you don’t see a link to the video.

“Stop saying ‘we.’”

The two Al’s (Al and Allen) finally meet face to face. The scenes with the two of them are cleverly constructed so that the one actor can play both parts. It might be easy for big budget Hollywood films, but when you’re doing an indie web series, it can be challenging. And Joe and Seth pull it off flawlessly.

The problem was, for me, that the moment lacked any emotional punch – because we know that they’re two versions on the same guy. Well, the original, Al, already knows too but this is first time seeing the other, Allan. Still, there wasn’t any impact for us beyond imagining what Al is feeling and looking to see if we can tell how they pulled off the scene. The actor, Seth Mendelson, does a really good job of being in the moment and in both sides of the conversation. Technically and from a craft stand point, this series sets a high standard for other web series to follow.

It’s the story I’m struggling with. I kinda stopped caring a few episodes ago. There’s barely been a hint of why what has happened / will happen is so important that Allan travels back in time to fix it. I’ll be watching for the last two episodes to find out, but I remember how jazzed I was when I first started watching. I’d back in time if I could get to do that all over again.

From Vimeo Description:

With Neil on his side, Al tries to turn the tables on Allan and take control of the situation. Will his plan work? Will the mask finally come off?

This is the eighth of 10 chapters in the original web series, Take Me Back. New chapters air every Monday. Check the series out and leave your comments in its proper home at TMBtheseries.com

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Heather’s Vlog “Heather checks out getfanged.com and Grampires?” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Vampire Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I got this new leather jacket. The guy who was wearing it was delicious.”

This is the second episode in a row from the web series Heather’s Vlog that is Heather and her Dad talking about internet stuff.

There’s about half or three quarters of a minute at the end that’s vintage Heather’s Vlog, and is hilarious. The first half, they’re checking out getfanged.com, which, it turns out, is a real thing. And it is more a chance to rehash jokes about Facebook than anything really fresh. Once they start getting rolling on confusing Tony Danza for Billy Crystal, it takes off into the types of laughs that this series is capable of.

I think both the previous video and this are designed to bring in new views by connecting with other popular stuff. It can be a smart of promoting yourself online, but I don’t think it makes the best fodder from story or comedy.

From YouTube Description:

Heather shows her dad some more stuff online. Should you friend your dad on Facebook?

Please, nothing too creepy. She is deadly

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Bob and Andrew S02E04 “The Advice ” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I don’t read a lot into Christian medicine.”

Andrew misses the signals, and Bob runs up on the limits of rainbows, in this new episode of the Vancouver web series, Bob and Andrew.

This one feels a little less broad and sitcomy than many previous episodes, much more like a cable dramedy than the almost-network sitcom it usually is. It is good, just in a slightly different way. Both the guys are having relationship troubles, but I suspect that Andrew has more troubles to come from Lauren.

From YouTube Description:

Andrew seeks relationship advice from Lauren while Bob helps Spencer and his friend James design a Pride float.

You can find us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwbobandandrewcom/30448589791

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Radiance Ep.10 | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Science Fiction Drama Web Series

5 Swirlies

“You’re dying, we’re not dying!”

Another suspenseful episode of the creepy “what if” web series, Radiance.

As the body count rises, We are finally left with few enough characters that I can tell who is who while only watching a single minute a week.

You know, I was talking to someone recently about one minute long web series, and I mentioned this one as a great example of what you can do in short episodes. But then I remembered Prom Queen. Remember Prom Queen? It wasn’t a show that we covered, I think it was just before we first started The Watch List many moons and lifetimes ago. Prom Queen was Michael Eisner, of Disney fame. He started a giant company, Vuguru, and this was his attempt to make a big web series splash. A series told in one minute episodes.

I try not to be cruel or reductive when I write these reviews, but in so many words, Prom Queen sucked. It’s been a while since I have seen it, so I won’t get into it’s many shortcomings here, but essentially it didn’t tell stories in one minute intervals, it showed a minute of a scene, and then the next episode was another minute. It wasn’t engaging and it was annoying because everything had the same rhythm, every minute, exactly, the episode ended.

Radiance succeeds where Prom Queen failed, in my opinion, in having most of the episodes feel like they had some sort of narrative arc for them, and by letting each episode find its own length in order to break up the rhythm of the short episodes.

Prom Queen cost a lot to make, maybe even a million or more. Radiance, it would appear, was done for fun. Neither made a profit. But I hope that you would agree with me that Radiance is the better show, and a role model for those looking to make very short episodes.

From YouTube Description:

Ten friends in Los Angeles experience an unusual event together- and try to survive.
Starring:
Brian Gattas
Jade Gordon
Tom Lenk
Chad Lindsey
Alisa Mcronald
Sam Pancake
Jack Plotnick
Christos Prevezanos
Chris Shea
Doug Stockstill
and
Rachel Stolte

Written and directed by Jim Hansen

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Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden S01E06 “Midnight, Hunter’s Moon, Pt. 1″ | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Drama Webseries

5 Swirlies

“Water the plants, do the dishes, and no parties.”

What a fun, focused episode of the web series Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden.

I really like the storyline of Beth, her sister and her sister’s too-old boyfriend. I like the other storylines, too, but for the most part, Beth just quietly loathes her sister and crushes in the boyfriend, creating lots of subtle tension. The other storylines are more direct in the characters problems, like Sara being more or less a social outcast for sleeping with the guy that Maggie liked.

This is part one of a two parter three parter, and feels like it. I hope the next one is as fun as this one. (Thanks for the correction, Otessa!)

This series reminds me very much of the UK Skins at its best. As much as the drunken teen antics are played up for laughs and drama, there’s an honesty about it that sets it far, far apart from the almost unconscious moralizing that accompanies teen stories in mainstream fiction.

From YouTube Description:

Sarah is a hot mess after the fallout (ahem, being caught red-handed with Jake). She tries talking to Beth — but Beth’s just useless! However, Beth does have a parental-free house for the weekend. Score! Unfortunately, older-sister Hunter has some serious plans for a party without Beth. And, Hunter-the-Effortlessly-Cool-and-Scary… is used to getting her way. Totally pissed at the prospect of being kicked out of her own house — and the epic party — Beth plots revenge on Hunter (*and hocks something nasty in Hunter’s beloved CK-one perfume*). Then, Sarah and Beth decide to tag along + party-crash regardless and… well, just take a look and see!!

—

“Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden” (OJBG) is a fiercely local and independent web series set in Washington, D.C. about the lives of a group of teenagers growing up and getting down in the 90′s.

Visit us at http://OJinBG.com/ to check out our episodes, blog, news updates, character bios, and more!

Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/OJBishopsGarden/

Find us on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/OJBishopsGarden

“The bad things we do. The things we get caught for-and how they are never the same.”

French Subtitles by: http://www.univers-l.com/

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Tyranny Ep.15 “Who’s Chasing Whom?” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

5 Swirlies

“I feel and see these guys inside my head telling me to do things I don’t want to do.”

Here’s a crazy new episode from conspiracy thriller web series Tyranny.

This episode goes from being a very realistic, domestic argument on the streets (don’t you hate that?) to a tense, action movie, Bourne Identity surveillance scene to a raw, intense foot chase, with a coincidental encounter with the FBI thrown in.

Sometimes, in the past, I haven’t been exactly sure about where this series was, what genre it was trying to be. After this episode, I don’t have to wonder anymore - Daniel’s not crazy. He is being followed and watched.

Both the conversation and the chase scene were beautifully shot. The sound work in the conversational scene is very crisp, so much so, in fact, that I suspect that the original location sound wasn’t useable and what we’re hearing is all ADR and Foley.

The chase scene is shot in such tight close ups, that it starts to feel like an experimental film. I think it is shot with an extreme fish eye lens, with some shots feeling like they are mounted on the body of the actor as they run. Both scenes must have taken for-freakin-ever to shot and to post. And there’s a shot that goes past some cops looking like they’re about to do a serious take down - was that just taken as they drove past some cops?

This episode, for all of its excitement, is short on story but that’s okay. It certainly makes up for it by being giant is scope. There’s a massive protests, helicopters, aerial shots… all of it (I’m assuming) done on a shoestring budget. It just goes to show you the short of thing that web series are capable of; so much for two people sitting in a room talking.

From YouTube Description:

The much anticipated EP: 15 of TYRANNY the web series.
It’s September of the year 2000 and Daniel and Isabelle get caught in a pre-election protest filled with police, which erupts into a chaotic foot chase.

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Casual S02E06 “A Fork/Road” | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Romance Drama Web Series

5 Swirlies

Casual 2.6: A Fork/Road from Altermotion Pictures on Vimeo.

“I thought I wanted this.”

A devastating season two finale of the killer web series, Casual.

I wouldn’t say there was anything in the way of plot twists or surprises – okay, there’s one – but you certainly feel like writer/director Jay Diaz is effortlessly weaving plot threads back and forth until they come together in a thematic flurry at the end. I must admit, I did lose sense of a couple of things, I found myself wondering which timeline I was in for one or two scenes. And didn’t The Girl meet the new boyfriend guy in the past, before they broke up? I’m a little confused, but it is still very rewarding, and for me, none of those confusions got in the way of enjoying the story.

What I did like was the sharp writing and portrayal of a person who struggles to please everybody, and feels like she’s trapped between competing demands. I think it quite easy in relationships for someone like that to deprioritize the one thing that give you the least guilt, which is often your significant other. Your boss might have unreasonable demands and your family gives your grief if you don’t do what they want, and the person who is the most easy going is the one who ends up getting the least of your attention. Plenty of relationships break up because of that. The break up in Casual isn’t really that straight forward, just like in life, but I would say it comes down to the lives they wanted diverged, and neither were willing to be the one who sacrifices other parts of their lives to make it. It’s the old ultimatum, “It’s me or the band,” in more a subtle, non-band form. (You’ll always lose that one, either way it works out.) He’s not willing to turn down a big opportunity in his career, and she’s not willing to set boundaries on her responsibilities in order to give him what he wants.

In all aspects of life, whether it is our careers or our romances or our family lives, we rise to a level of… for want of a better word I’ll say success, until we a not willing to sacrifice some other part for continued success. Do we take that big promotion, knowing our kids will see even less of us? Do I piss off my family because my fiance wants a small wedding? I think many people go through life feeling like these choices are made for them – because they don’t consciously understand their values that shape the choices they make.And I guess that’s what it comes down to Casual, and in real life relationships, are your values similar enough to make the relationship work in the long term?

That’s the stuff that’s flapping around my head after watching the second season of Casual, a web series that manages to capture all the subtleties and drama of life without slipping into melodrama. You can contrast it to Untitled Fiction Project, which in many ways is similar, but that show is much more in-your-face dramatic (while still grounded in the characters and their choices). They’re both among my favourite web series dramas, but for different reasons.

Technically, Casual is incredibly strong. It is polished, tight, and knows exactly what emotional beats it is playing at what moments. A stand out series, and one that is best enjoyed from the beginning.

From Vimeo Description:

Casual 2.6: A Fork/Road
The much anticipated Season 2 Finale
Starring Lauren Marini & Brian Thomas Smith
Guest Starring Mary Jo Deschanel
Featuring Janna Vanheertum, Derek Reckley, Michael Hobert, Jamie Stout, Jessica Rich, Jonathan Mariande, David Goryl and Alyshia Ochse

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The Cell Ep. 4 | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Psychological Thriller Web Series

2 Swirlies

“We have to be cleansed of our past before we can see our future.”

It’s been a little while since I checked out this series, so I thought I’d see what’s what with it.

The fourth episode of this tense, methodical web series is long - just over 11 minutes. And it seems to meander. The Girl starts off trying to teach Brian about how to be saved, but then gets him talking about his past.

I found myself watching the editing and the framing very closely. I guess I felt the same about that stuff as I do about the story - it is like the creator wants us to forget about the bars holding the characters in. Very intense close ups - cutting back to the same, tight shots… but there’s not really much going on. I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to glean from this episode. The music is as moody as ever, but Brian seems to have accepted his imprisonment as fully as The Girl has. So… what’s next? I’m not feeling like there’s any deep character moments coming. Nor does it seem like some epic battle of wits with his captor, like I guess I expected it to turn into when I started watching. Brian isn’t being tortured, or broken down. He’s just… left there.

I think the Girl is a good actresses, but I’m sorry to say that I don’t think Brian is very convincing. I dunno, maybe it is just the role he’s given. He doesn’t really sell me on his bit about being a drummer, it feels like a line from a script.

What it comes down to is I don’t feel like this show is headed anywhere.

From YouTube Description:

Brian lashes out at his captivity, but at the wrong person, as the connection between the captives grows stronger

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Moolt “Computer Love” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Cartoon Comedy Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Who says laziness is a bad thing? It keeps families together.”

If you follow my reviews as The Watcher, you may have figured out that I tend to cheer for the little guys. Case in point: the cartoon web series Moolt.

I really like this series. I think the writing, voice work and animation is really great - especially for what I assume is some guy working alone in his room. This episode has 25,000 views at the time of this writing; hardly a complete unknown. Space Hospital, on the other hand, still has most of its episodes under a thousand. But still, Moolt’s the underdog compared to Happy Tree Friends. Everyone talks about Happy Tree Friends, despite Moolt being, in my opinion, the much funnier, fresher show.

Well, except maybe this episode. There’s some funny bits in there, but the main joke is the wife cleans up things and the husband doesn’t know where they are, and blames her when his computer goes missing. Not exactly breaking new comedic ground. Their other episodes are much funnier, and much more original. At least, to me.

From YouTube Description:

My facebook
http://www.facebook.com/Haykmanukyan

An Armenian man named Harut, has lost his computer and is out to find it. His number one suspect? His wife Sophik.

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Space Hospital S02E07 “The Egg and I” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“Barbara, however, is a patient, and should not be relaxing.”

Trippy.

To be clear - this cliffhanger episode of the science fiction comedy web series Space Hospital is NOT the season finale. I guess it is the mid-season hiatus. More episodes are coming down the pipeline.

I’ve talked a lot about this series, which leaves me with very little to say. I love it - it just makes me happy. Nurse Barbara gets a lot of screen time, which is great. Her reaction to the egg, part connection and part revulsion, is spot on. The android valet looks awesome. The nun’s prayer is hilarious. I love the props and the set dressings. The openning shot, the way they worked in the title, is a lot of fun.

I have to say, the sequence with Lindsey, the half android, was confusing to me - but I don’t really remember the events in the first season that led to her creation in the first place. Maybe I missed an episode? I remember the bionic tennis player…

This is a funny episode, more plotty than gaggy, and it moves pretty fast. It adds some surprising twists to the Space Hospital story - not to missed if you’re a fan of the show!

From YouTube Description:

Re: Giant Easter Egg, minus Easter…

Space Hospital gets religion in the form of a sexy nun and her cyborg valet, just as Nurse Barbara battles depression over her recent maternal disaster. Meanwhile, Yeoman Long ponders the true meaning of her death, resurrection and return to the hospital and the unsettling secrets hidden deep in her own programming.

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