Take Me Back Ep.7 | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

3 Swirlies

Take Me Back – Chapter 7 from Joe and Seth on Vimeo.

“Okay, but then who the fuck is that in the kitchen?”

This series started so strong, but I feel like it’s been running in place for the past three or four episodes.

I think the problem is that this show has an interesting plot, but not particularly interesting characters. For many screenwriters who have read Sid Field, (or even ones that haven’t, it has become something of a screenwriter clutch) the story is divided into 3 acts, which is really just a pretentious, ‘How To book’ selling way to say beginning, middle and end. The middle, the act 2 of movies, is the hard part because it is easy to fall into the trap of having your characters spin their wheels until enough has happened that they can head for the ending you have planned. And that’s kinda what’s happening here – the middle of the story isn’t the interesting part but the writers need certain things to happen in order to get to the ending… only those certain things aren’t particularly surprising or interesting.

In the case of this episode, we’ve kinda seen much of this happening already. In fact, we kinda could have skipped from episode… 4 maybe to this one without anyone feeling like they’ve missed much (with a little tweaking of the writing, perhaps.) I mean, I get it – plot wise you could argue that stuff has happened, we haven’t been staring at a blank screen, but has enough information been revealed, either of the plot or the characters, in the past three or so episodes?

Well, there’s only three episodes left, so I hope we’re headed into the Act Three, the end, and that some cool, surprising stuff will happen like it did in the first four or so episodes.

From Vimeo Description:

Allan tries to make amends with Emma, while Al waits patiently for the results of his last phone call.

This is the seventh 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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Naomi The Show Ep.6 | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“It’s a magic book.”

This episode of the always reliably funny Vancouver web series Naomi The Show is a tiny bit of a departure from the normal format of the series - maybe not intentionally - by having the funniest bits be in the body of the episode and the button by less of a punch line than normal. At least, that’s how I found it.

Despite the somewhat cartoony character of the guy Naomi meets, this episode may not be THE funniest of the series, but it has the most funny moments through out. Noami Dayneswood has some particularly subtlety funny lines. Not that she doesn’t in other episodes, but here she seems less like she’s doing less of the straight set up work than she does in other scenes. She plays her lines to politely annoyed perfection.

From YouTube Description:

In Episode 6, Naomi meets a fellow book lover.

Created by Naomi Dayneswood & Jennica Harper
Director: Nicholas Humphries
Writer: Jennica Harper
Producers: Robert Woolsey & Naomi Dayneswood
Starring: Naomi Dayneswood & Stephen LeBail
Director of Photography: Christopher Charles Kempinski
Editor: Chad Galloway
Sound Design: Michael Scott Schrum
Makeup Design: Alyssa Satow & Katie Satow
Title Credit Design: Christopher Preksta
Music Composer: Chris King

Proudly Supported by Vancouver Film School - http://www.vfs.com

See full crew listings at http://www.naomitheshow.com/cast-crew

Find out more about Naomi: The Show at http://www.naomitheshow.com

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Aidan5 Ep.7 “The Life of Riley” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

5 Swirlies

“In the illegal world, we’re born in a sewer.”

This episode of the unique, mixed media science fiction web series Aidan5 takes a break from the high octane action of the previous few and gives us a little backstory into Riley.

One of the things that this series does well is to take a look at cloning from various angles, and how it impacts our society; even if some of the angle they choose to examine are a little obvious. In this one, they tackle a few things, including clone discrimination. My favourite bit - and a very nice, interesting touch, is how vilely Riley’s original reacts to her clone, who then goes to the original’s funeral.

One the parts I liked the least is seeing Aidan as heroic (and thus, presenting him as heroic to the audience) for brutally beating a bad guy unconscious for threatening to hit Riley. Sure, the guy was a bad guy, but Aidan is a cop - we’re supposed to cheer on this behaviour? It is a small beef, more of a pet peeve about how the U.S. cop mythology is handled in general rather than a complain about this episode. Oh, I also cringed a bit when Riley was portrayed as a damsel in distress that needed to be saved by a strong man handing out savage beatings to those he disagreed with. I’m not saying every woman in every novel, TV, web series whatever needs to be portrayed as being as tough if not tougher than a man, it just felt very… thoughtless on the part of the writers, not coming so much from the character and on the cliche side.

I like that they’re willing to take a break and do something a little more introspective. And writing wise, it was interesting that Riley choose not to remind Aidan that they had met before - like she was making a clean break from the past. I also like that they fast forwarded a bit from the end of the previous episode - not that there couldn’t have been some great episodes in that period, but they chose to take a different route. For me, every evidence that the writers and creators are making choices about their story makes me respect them more.

I also really like seeing some new locations - man, I don’t how how the artist doing the backdrops can keep up with this show. They must be drawing all the time. One thing that I don’t think I mentioned before is the trouble they must have in matching the POV between the drawings and the live action material. How do they make sure the perspective isn’t off?

From YouTube Description:

Episode 7: A look back at Riley’s cloning and troubled past.

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Camera Obscura Ep.4 “The Hollow Mask” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Horror Webseries

3 Swirlies

Episode 4: The Hollow Mask by Camera_Obscura

“As long as this book remains intact…”

Whoops. Clara watches a video tape made by her grandfather… but a little bit too late. You’d think he’s put a big sticker or something on the magic book… “DO NOT BURN.” But he didn’t. And she did.

This episode sets the rest of the series in motion. Most of it is simply explaining to us what the grandfather was up to. There’s no scares or shocks like in the previous ones. I’m also a little worried that it has taken the wind out of the rest of the series by explaining the mystery.

Certainly worth watching if you’re following the series.

From Daily Motion Description:

A message in a bottle from a dead man…

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Bob and Andrew S02E03 “The Meeting” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“You could get raped. That would make your day worse. Getting raped.”

Another hilarious episode of Bob and Andrew, the Vancouver based web series in it’s second season.

Now reconciled, Andrew helps Bob with a job interview with a scheme. Not a plan, a scheme.

This episode is a little more broad than the usual Bob and Andrew fair, but still has some very funny bits – and the three actors of “The Cincinnati Five” are really strong and they do feel like they come from Andrew’s world, who really is the zany one to Bob’s straight man.

It is beautifully shot, too. Last episode I mentioned the narrow depth of field as distracting to me, but in this episode it really works – it’s the “dirty” over the shoulder type shooting, soft in the foreground, sharp on the subject, soft on the background, that really makes the style shine. So, the same thing I didn’t love about the previous episode I do love here. It’s great to be an anonymous, faceless, critic on the internet.

From YouTube Description:

In this episode Bob has reached the end of his unemployment and needs to find a job. Feeling a bit nervous about his impending interview, Andrew decides to enlist some of his most trusted confidants to help.

You can find us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwbobandandrewcom/30448589791 And you can also find us on Twitter @bobandandrew

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Heather’s Vlog “Heather and Her Dad Watch Rebecca Black Video” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Vampire Comedy Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Back in the day, you had to work to be famous. Like Aretha Franklin and Pee Wee Herman.”

We’ve been so focused on keeping on top of the current shows that we are following, that I forgot to keep an eye on one of my favourite series, Heather the Vampire! I see there’s been a few posts since Heather’s return, and here’s the first one.

I gotta say, maybe I’m in a bad mood today, because I wasn’t blown away, despite how excited I was to see it. There’s some funny bits, but really they’re just making fund of Rebecca Black and not doing their usual shtick. I think maybe that was the point, I get the feeling this is a micro-episode, not a full on episode. It is kinda of my fault – I’m sure when the video was first posted was much closer to the debut of Rebecca Black’s video than it is today.

Anyway, the world still hasn’t gotten over Rebecca Black, so do yourself a favour and watch Heather and her dad’s take on it. Like I say, there’s some funny bits.

And I look forward to Heather’s next video.

From YouTube Description:

Heather decides to show her dad what all the fuss is about with Rebecca Black’s Friday video. Do you think they’ll like it?

get Heather’s “Bite Me” T-shirt at http://liamshow.com

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Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden S01E05 “Misery in McMansion” | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Drama Webseries

4 Swirlies

“I’m dying and you’re cheating on me?”

Last episode I was still gushing over this series like it had Hello Kitty in it, and this episode… well, I keep going back and forth.

In some ways, it is awesome. It is more dramatic than most episodes of Orange Juice In Bishop’s Garden, with blood and sex and what looks like a half-hearted attempted suicide. And while it it mostly works, I kinda feel like the impact of the accident undermines the other scenes with the two main girls, who otherwise I want to get more screen time with.

We pick up where the previous episode left off, and everything seems to be going great - but then the accident comes. And it is bloody and gross and pretty well done - it looked painful and scary. I’m yelling at the screen, call an ambulance, but the drunken teens do what all drunken teens do; they tried to fix it themselves. In fact, there wasn’t one suggestion to call an ambulance. It made me frustrated as a viewer, but that’s probably exactly what would happen in that situation. Those moments are some great writing.

Where it really lost me is while poor Maggie is bleeding into the sink, we go off and follow Sarah who feels bad because she was caught fooling around with the guy that Maggie likes. And there’s what seems to be a poor attempt at suicide - which I kinda don’t understand. Was she seriously trying to slit her wrists with a safety razor? Was she just trying to cut herself to feel better? Was she just being dramatic? I didn’t get it, and her friend didn’t seem overly concerned about it either way. And while we didn’t know what was happening with Maggy, we got a scene where Sarah hoped Maggy would forgive her.

I feel like this episode really tried to push the melodrama without really dealing with the consequences, which I suppose is part of what makes it melodrama. What I do like, is how the accident leads to the discovery, dove tailing the two plots nicely and naturally. There may be some missteps, but there’s still plenty of good storytelling.

So yeah, parts of it are great, parts are not great. It is still a really amazing, unique web series.

From YouTube Description:

The party kicks it up fierce at Yasmine’s house, sans parents and full of top shelf liquor. Maggie’s got that not-so-fresh-feeling after downing an entire decanter of creme de menthe — and when a MAJOR accident ensues, it threatens to bring down the whole house of cards. The stars finally align for Sarah and Jake… but then Maggie walks in on the “lovebirds.” Is it the final nail in the coffin of their (ex)best friendship?

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

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Radiance Ep.9 | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Science Fiction Drama Web Series

5 Swirlies

“Guys, I saw something.”

Oh no! After the discovery of yet another pair of bodies, the housemates get a clue about what they’re dealing with… and what might happen next.

A nice, tense little episode. The web series Radiance has very short episodes in a serialized format, and it is one of the few series that manages to keep the atmosphere tense in just about every one. There’s a total of 19 parts, which means we’re only at the halfway point.

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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Tyranny Ep.14 “Out of Ideas” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

5 Swirlies

“It’s my dream.”

Whoa.

This web series always leaves my mind whirling. This one even more so.

To say much about what happens would be to spoil it for you. Rest assured that the way it is presented is nothing short of brilliance, so that when the final twist comes - well, I didn’t see it coming.

Tyranny is back on its thriller A game, after so many episodes that were more… moody and character driven than out and out thrillers. Which only serves to give this episode that much more punch.

The camera work is gorgeous - the choice of colours and tint for the exteriors is amazing. Even the simple shot of a tape being put in a handicam is beautiful, with rich colours and a full contrast range. (That’s my camera geek side coming out.) The sound is great, the tense music is exactly what the scene needs.

In short, wow.

From YouTube Description:

episode 14 of Tyranny the Web Series-
“Out of Ideas”
Daniel has been frustratingly conducting sensory deprivation experiments in his loft, failing to make any headway into revealing anything hidden deep within his subconscious. He is ready to give up when a mysterious man, Dr. Ethan Chambers, enters center stage.

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Casual S02E05 “A Planted Seed” | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Romance Drama Web Series

4 Swirlies

Casual 2.5: A Planted Seed from Altermotion Pictures on Vimeo.

“She’s only happy on the outside.”

Another episode that leaves you with hints – is that why they’re no longer together?

I gotta say, this is the first episode of the L.A. web series Casual that I can remember not being blown away from by. And that, in and of itself, is an accomplishment, but the other shoe had to drop some time.

I felt like there was something just slightly off about the production. I found myself noticing the actors’ make-up. Was it just that so much of this series takes place at night and most of this episode takes place during the day? I also found some of the scenes too quiet – not the dialogue, but the background and room tone – which, for me, creates an “unreal” feeling that this series has managed to avoid until now.

This is the second last episode in the second season, and I wonder if creator Jay Diaz felt the need to shuffle the story along, since this is one of what I would call a bridge episode. I feel like it is all set up for the last episode.

All that being said, this is still one of my top five favourite series on the web right now. I mean, just because it is slightly less awesome than the previous episodes still makes it awesome. The final moments really hit home, both in the present day time-line and the past time-line. Has he moved on? Did she cheat? All questions that – I hope – will be answered in the next episode.

From Vimeo Description:

Casual Episode 2.5: A Planted Seed
Starring Lauren Marini and Brian Thomas Smith

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