Bob and Andrew S02E02 “The Meeting” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Comedy Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I’ve been seeing this guy, Spenser. He lacks facial hair but he’s a pretty nice fellow.”

YAY!

At the risk of a spoiler alert: Bob and Andrew reconcile!

The second episode from the second season of web series Bob and Andrew really brings it. It is set entirely at a coffee shop, as they try to convince each other, and themselves, that their lives are going great.

My one, minor complaint about this episode is the super narrow depth of field that they use in the close ups (foreground sharp, background fuzzy) made it a little too self consciously filmy for me.

What slams it out of the park, as always, is the writing and the chemistry between them. The quick cuts revealing the truth about their lives are hilarious, and I love the confident one liners that snap back and forth. Some of my favourite moments are the subtle taps at the fourth wall, like Andrew commenting on his imagined cut scene.

I feel like the previous episode was sort of a prologue to this season. Now that the boys are back together, will they be able to get their lives back on the rails? Structurally, the creators of Bob and Andrew, Bob and Andrew, just might have done something brilliant to refresh the stories they tell this season. I wonder if they will take advantage of it? Only episode three will tell.

From YouTube Description:

Bob and Andrew meet up to discuss their lives apart from each other.

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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Radiance Ep.8 | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Science Fiction Drama Web Series

5 Swirlies

“I wanna die on a full stomach.”

Whoa. Suddenly, a lot happens in this minute and a half episode.

More mystery. More deaths. A new character. Probably if you have been following this show, you’ve been intrigued enough to finish watch the rest on your own. If this is your first time coming across this series, this isn’t a bad entry 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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Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden S01E04 “Yasmine’s House” | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Drama Webseries

4 Swirlies

“It’s like the Circle of Hell that Dante forgot.”

I love this webseries.

My only complaint is that some of the acting is… not great. And for all of its rough edges, everything else about it is so amazing. The storylines are original, sharp and more character than plot. I love the chemistry between the two main girls - I love that feel like outsiders even while doing everything with the same group of girls. The writing is top notch, and some of the framing and the way it is shot is really nice. Sure. there’s a couple of shots, especially covering the dialogue, where it kinda feels like the camera was just plunked down, but then there’s many shots, like the one with the girls looking at the house, that are rich with drama and emotion. The shots of the girls swimming were so natural that I started to feel creepy, like I was intruding on their privacy.

I like this episode like I liked the first one. Well, okay - almost as much. For some reason, the scenes in Bishop’s Garden don’t seem to work as well as scenes set somewhere else. I dunno why that is.

I’d like to come back to the acting for a second. I shouldn’t just leave a blanket statement like my earlier one lie, because the truth is that the two main girls (at least the two I think of as the main girls) are actually quite good. There’s four seasons of this show, which is an amazing accomplishment right there. I’m eager to watch each episode, but I’m also excited to see how the cast and crew improve during all those episodes!

Thanks to Otessa Ghadar for making such a wonderful show!

From YouTube Description:

While the parents are away, the kids will play. Yasmine’s parental units go out of town and a party ensues at her ridiculously fancy house, complete with Olympic-size pool and some stealing of beer from her college-guy-neighbors… *Plus* things are looking up for Sarah & Jake…

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

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Out With Dad S02E02 ”Asking Out Alicia” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Family Drama Web Series

4 Swirlies

“I have to puke. Hold my bag. Watch my board!”

Every now and then we like to have one of the creators behind a series do a sort of guest review of their own show. Actually, we only did it once before, with Tyranny, but I thought it worked out nicely. I asked the creator of Our With Dad, Jason Leaver, if he’d like to do one for the first episode of his second season. He said no. But he did agree to do it for his second episode! And we’re glad he did, because there’s a lot of interesting behind the scenes stuff in here…

The Watch List asked me to post a review of my own episode two weeks ago. A filmmaker reviewing his own work? An interesting concept! I declined however, because felt it would be too presumptuous of myself for 2×01 “Out with Dad”. It’s a different for 2×02 “Asking Out Alicia”, with this one I can sit back and enjoy just like any other audience member. This was true when we were filming and while I was editing. So ya, I can review this episode.

First a bit of background, this one was written after production began for season two. I’d already filmed scenes with Laura Jabalee, which you’ll see later. Often when working with actors I find I’m inspired to write more for them; this was no exception. Plus, I wanted to write more scenes for Corey Lof – this guy is hilarious. I’ve come to know Corey and Kate very well, and I know they understand comedy.

However, our three leads were faced with a challenge: our location.

We filmed this episode entirely in front of The 519 Community Centre on Church Street, who allowed us to use their facility to stand in as our high school. Church Street is the centre of LGBT life, vibrance and pride in Toronto. It’s the friendliest street. There is a fantastic energy. There also happens to be a lot of traffic with heavy trucks! There must have been a construction site nearby. Each time one of those trucks drove by we had to stop recording. It was LOUD. The actors quickly caught on to what audio level was acceptable. Instinctively they would pause their performance when a truck approached, when they got the nod from me they’d continue with the scene. What astounds me is their performances never suffered. They kept their energy up, they stayed in the moment. This is especially remarkable for Corey, whose character is the driving force of this episode. In comedy timing is everything. Yet some how his timing was unaffected! The pauses and restarts by the cast were no challenge for me as the editor to work with. Which reminds me, I was sitting on a train editing this episode, laughing out loud most of the time. I hope my fellow passengers didn’t mind!

You also have to pay attention to “Alicia’s pack of girlfriends”, played by Shailene Garnett, Carolyn Nettleton and Lizzie Stuart-Morris. I love them in every frame they’re on screen, they’re hilarious! I never offered them any direction, which I probably shouldn’t admit… but I didn’t need to! Each of them took it upon themselves to have a different reaction to the conversation unfolding before them. Watch for more of them in Out With Dad.

Next up, is the Adrian Ellis’s score. He went with a highly percussive, almost jungle-inspired track, as if saying Kenny is “on the hunt”. The first draft of the score suggested a 1970’s swagger. It fun, but given that our characters were born in the 90’s, it didn’t fit right. In the version you hear, all Adrian did was modify his bass track making it feel a little more modern – it kind of has a reggae vibe to it. I pushed him to have fun with the score. He included some hilarious hits to certain story beats, my favourite: the ding as the metaphorical light bulb turns on for Kenny at 3:05, and the way the music practically says “ooooh…” as Rose learns Alicia asked about her at 2:46.

I had fun making this episode, I can sit back as part of the audience and I enjoy what the cast and composer give us. I’m sure you will too!

P.S. I love the music! Thanks, Jason!

From Blip.tv Description:

Kenny finally finds the courage to ask out Alicia Van Harren, well, eventually.

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Tyranny Ep.13 “Y2K” | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

4 Swirlies

“The love of money is the root of all tyranny.”

This is one of those episodes that leaves you with a real sense of… huh.

Huh. It’s not exactly a cliffhanger, but it did leave me wondering what would happen next. There’s a weird effect at the end, but we know that the world doesn’t end, cause we have seen scenes from the future. It’s a sweet episode, that feels like we’re taking a breather before the fit hits the shan.

From YouTube Description:

Episode 13 of Tyranny the Web Series:
“Y2K”
As the clock ticks down to the end of the millennium, Daniel realizes he must know for certain whether Isabelle can accept not only his eccentric view on life, but his possible hallucinations.

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Casual S02E04 “Fragments” | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Romance Drama Web Series

5 Swirlies

Casual 2.4: Fragments from Altermotion Pictures on Vimeo.

“It doesn’t work. Whatever you’re running away from comes back.”

Another great episode – with lots of back and forthing in time.

I’ve gushed over this show so many times. Let me just say – everything is at the same high quality as ever. We get to see a bit more into the main characters’ work lives, and get teases of the things that I assume caused them to break up. Lot’s of great lines and moments in this episode, again – as always.

There’s two more episodes left in Chapter Two. I hoping that the cliffhangery ending of this episode drives us to the end of the series and some answers about why they’re no longer together, and whether they’ll try again. I also noticed that season 3 of Casual has just been released! Go guys go! I’ll keep posting and hopefully catch up to you in four weeks or so.

From Vimeo Description:

Casual Episode 2.4: Fragments
Starring Lauren Marini & Brian Thomas Smith
Guest Starring Mary Jo Deschanel
Featuring Regina Saldivar, Victoria Brianne Ramirez and Jon Lewis
facebook.com/​casualseries

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Night of the Zombie King Ep.5 “Thoughts of Darkness” | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Drama Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Back then, it was the last time that I felt like I was good, you know?”

Okay then.

If I could split up my review, I’d give the first half of this episode of Night of the Zombie King a 1 and the second half a five.

I don’t get it. How can one scene make me want to just skip posting it, and the next scene make me want to sing its praises from the hilltops? When it is the real world, drama stuff it is at once cheesy and artificial. When it is the game stuff… the series soars. Is it just the music that gets me? Maybe, but I don’t think so.

When it comes to the real world stuff, I keep wanting someone to shrug and say, “We were kids. Now we’re adults. Let’s deal with some adult stuff.” I got nothing against adults playing games, I do have a problem with adults obsessing over some poor choices they made in high school and crying because they wanted to recapture the magic of sleep overs.

And when it comes to the game play stuff, I’m surprised and delighted, despite the fact that I’m struggling with myself not to turn it off. It grabs me, it drags me back in to the fiction, it makes me like it. It works, it feels more real than the drama scenes. But then, you couldn’t really have a show that was just a group of people playing the game? You have to have the game resonate with what’s going on the actual lives of the characters. That’s where the game play adds a strong dramatic value.

From Blip Description:

Jaz pursues Hicks, trying to coax him back into the game. Hicks explains his difficulty in coming to terms with the past, and they stumble upon a plan to salvage the adventure. Featuring music from Bellavista – www.thevue.com/bellavista

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Vampire Mob S01E05 “You Can’t Choose Your Family” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Vampire Hitman Comedy Web Series

3 Swirlies

“I’m selling all my sunglasses online. I won’t even tell you how many pairs have.”

Living with his mother-in-law is about as bad as Don thought it was going to be. And it turned out that his “business” isn’t as recession proof as he had hoped.

From YouTube Description:

Closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired.

Episode Five - “You can’t choose your family” Starring: John Colella, Reamy Hall, Marcia Wallace, Chris Mulkey.

Support Season Two! http://www.VampireMob.com

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Throwing Stones Ep.6 “Death Beds” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Teen Horror Web Series.

2 Swirlies

“He knew he was dead. You could just tell.”

Okay, there’s only two episodes left in this series, and I’m still kinda at a loss as to what, exactly is going on. How did they go from the detention to running screaming and bloody down the hallways? It’s not like it is a mystery, cause the characters certainly know what happened. But I feel cheated as a viewer because the creators are deliberately just not telling me, in favour of the characters sitting in the dark telling me how hard their lives are.

There’s also some confusion for me during one of the character’s stories when she saw someone die. He stuck his watering pipe in the ground… and started to shake… and what? I’m assuming he was electrocuted in some way. If that’s the case, how? Was there some wiring buried in the field? Or did he have a seizure?

I get it that this is supposed to be The Breakfast Club, but I feel like we barely had time to get to know these characters, and now we’re supposed to be bonding with them. Plus, they shoved that girl out of the room, and we’re not even told what happened to her. (At least, not yet.) In the Breakfast Club, we come to understand that each of them, in their own way, is struggling with their role in the world. And together they help each other to overcome the limits of those roles. But here, they just take turns telling hard done by stories. Sure, your parents hating you for being gay and seeing a guy die before your eyes are terrible things to experience… but then as a film maker/web series creator, show us those stories. Show us their struggles, don’t just tell us bad things that happened to them.

Throwing Stones started so cool, I was so into those first three or four episodes. But since we got stuck in this room… I’m the one who wants to escape.

From YouTube Description:

Throwing Stones is a horror story about a group of high schoolers who have to attend Saturday School and find they must work together to overcome their differences in over to survive when students end up missing. As if, high school wasn’t scary enough! The series stars Lindsay Seidel (Lionsgate hit The Final), Cherami Leigh (The Mist, Fast Food Nation, HBO’s Temple Grandin), Rebekah Kennedy (upcoming horror features Blood is Blood, House Hunting, and Season of the Witch w/ Nic Cage), Chad Cox (Powder, ER, Spin City, The Good Guys), and Kayla Carlyle (From the Dark), Lynn Andrews III (MTV’s: High School Stories). Writers Bart D. Van Bemmel and Jason A. Wheeler have five feature-length screenplays in production including their dark comedies BUTTERSCOTCH, SWISHER, ANGELS AND DUST, their teen comedy RUSHED, and their teen horror THROWING STONES (which this web series if based on).

Watch this web series at KoldKast.TV or Mingle Media TV.

Win SWAG while Watching the “Throwing Stones” LIVE beginning Wednesday January 5, 2011 8 PM EST from CCS.com, Eastbay.com, Creative Labs and ComfyGirl.com at http://www.minglemediatv.com/ThrowingStonesWebSeries.html. The eight episodes that make up the series will be released on a regular schedule and available on-demand.

To find out more about “Throwing Stones” visit: http://www.throwingstoneswebseries.com.
Follow on Twitter @StonesWebSeries or LIKE us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/throwingstoneswebseries

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Vampire Zombie Werewolf Ep.9 “Meta-Morphosis” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Comedy Horror Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Half vampire, half werewolf and one third zombie?”

There’s a really cool special effect at the end of this final episode, I honestly have no idea how they did that.

There’s a few really funny jokes in this episode, especially with the Vampires justifying their existence to the producer. My favourtie parts of this series was the producer dealing with the blood thirsty vampires, especially finding out his buddy was a vampire.

Where this series didn’t connect with me was all the stuff about web series. I can’t even really say why, except that I felt like it was out of place with everything else that was going on, and it was only kind of a MacGuffin to get the plot in gear… but the story never really evolved beyond it, like a typical MacGuffin. I never cared if they came up with a web series concept, but I did care if the producer got eaten by the vampires. On the same thought, I didn’t care if he got eaten by Tad and Bunny, because then the story would be over, and also the producer did very little to avoid being eaten by Tad and Bunny, while with the vampires it felt like a very present danger that he was struggling to avoid.

But KATR Productions did make it look and sound nice - a very slick and well produced project. I haven’t gone back and watched their previous effort yet, Life From the Inside, which is spoken about very highly from web series fans.

If someone from KATR Productions is reading this, we’d love it if you could leave a comment talking a little about “the head shot” and how you achieved it, or maybe just a hint about what your next series might be?

From YouTube Description:

Teeth are bared, hackles rise, and everything comes to a head. The thrilling conclusion of Vampire Zombie Werewolf Season 1.

Watch the Entire series! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXiK_2JhBxw&feature=li…

Watch Vampire Zombie Werewolf at http://www.vampirezombiewerewolf.com/

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