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

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Throwing Stones

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Throwing Stones Ep.5 “Pawn Stars” | A Web Series on The Watch List

A Teen Horror Web Series.

3 Swirlies

“Friday night lights. I’m the reason they come.”

Writing for this blog, I have to watch a lot of web series. Like any reviewer, there are times when if I didn’t have to be watching a web series I’d be doing something else. So I think sometimes I can be a little impatient with some episodes. Episodes like this one.

I like this series. I was looking forward to seeing it. I was waiting to see what happened to the girl that got thrown out of the room last episode. Instead, what we got in this episode is a back story to the three remaining characters in the room, back story that could have been delivered with a little less exposition.

I’m beginning to chaff at the fact that I don’t really know what these kids are scared of. What happened to them? Who attacked them? How did it start? I thought that the series would cut between the present and the beginning of the assault, but it hasn’t. At least, not yet. So while I get that they are scared, and I get why they are scared I have a hard time being scared for them. I like them, and I want to see them come out okay - kudos to the script writers - but I don’t feel the jeopardy. Is someone looking for them? Has the killer gone home? Are they being attacked with a knife or a gun or what? All of that matters to make me care if they stay in that room or not.

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.

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

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Throwing Stones

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Throwing Stones Ep.4 “Sticks and Stones” | A Web Series on The Watch List

Throwing Stones - Teen Horror Web Series.

4 Swirlies

“Either you go, or I’ll shove you out there myself.”

The opening teaser of this episode is a lot of gross fun - as the teacher tries to wash blood off his hands with one of those sinks that only runs for a split second before you have to pump the handle again.

The rest of the episode was good… if a little melodramatic. One the strong points of this web series is the acting of the teens. They really connect with me. It’s not an easy feat to sustain that level of emotion over multiple episodes, as short as they may be.

And this is a very short episode. I like where they ended it, a very dramatic break, but I wonder if the creators could have rolled this episode in with the previous one? Given us a slightly longer single episode with a little more time to tell their story.

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).

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

- If you like what we do, please subscribe! You’ll get every web series episode sent right to your inbox! -

More from the web series Throwing Stones

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Throwing Stones Ep.3 “The Broken Window Theory”

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).

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

4 Swirlies

“We’re the broken windows.”

While the aftermath part is way better shot and produced, I really like the way the timelines – before and after – are intercut and interwoven.

One of the trapped students has a theory about what’s happening to them and why, but it only leads the small group trapped in the classroom to turn on one of their own.

Another strong episode, but one that is too short, I think. It’s like they decided they needed to stop for a second, explain what had happened, and set up what was going to happen next. A little expository interlude. In a movie, this might be a good thing, but in a web series it makes this 3 and half minute episode feel a little on the unsatisfying side.

Which is not to say I didn’t enjoy it! A very well done series.

Throwing Stones Ep.2 “Can you Hear Me Now?”

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).

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/Throwing… 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/throwingstone…

4 Swirlies

“They totally know we’re in here.”

After the “drop you in the middle of things” intensity of the first episode, this one gives us a breather and gives us some set up.

We’re treated to a monologue by the teacher or principal in charge of “Saturday School.” Meanwhile, something is going to go horribly, horribly wrong.

I’m glad this wasn’t the first episode, because even with the flash forward that ends the episode, there’s little in the way of story of character here. It’s always tough balancing the needs of a serialized story and crafting a strong, individual episode. Here they are creating a set up to explain why the student are in class, but it all essentially exposition.

However, I think this series is actually going somewhere, and the tense moments are well done, so I’ll give them 4 Swirlies and see what comes next.

As an added bonus, I exchanged some emails with Brad, one of the creators of Throwing Stones. He gave me a little bit more info about how the series was made, and was kind enough to give me permission to share it with all of you…

From Brad Van Bemmel:

[Throwing Stones] was originally a feature that was optioned a while back. Then the writer’s strike hit, it fell through the cracks, and welcome to Hollywood. So we took matters into our hands with zero money and made Stones which is LOOSELY based on the feature. There hadn’t been many teen horror web series out there so we decided to give it a shot. This is just season one – which is getting to know the characters, why they are at Saturday School, and them overcoming their differences in order to survive. We set up video yearbook diaries on our site to help get to know the characters a bit before the season began or even if you are catching on late. Not sure if there will be a season two or not, but it has been a great ride so far.

You can also read an interview with Brad and Co-creator Jason on Elize Morgan’s blog.

There’s one thing I’d like to point out from their interview with Elize as something we totally agree with, and is one of the guiding principals behind The Watch List:

We think the web series format is such a new medium, people often think it is similar to television where there is a set time to watch and if you miss that then you are out of luck. It just takes some time to educate the audience on how things work.

We couldn’t agree more. That’s why, on The Watch List, we don’t concentrate on only bringing you the newest, most current series or episodes. We just bring you stuff that’s new to us, and that we hope you’ll like.

(Thanks Brad and Elize!)

Throwing Stones: Ep. 1

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).

More info below…

4 Swirlies

“Do you think they’re coming back?”

This first episode actually had me scared for the teen characters.  Not an easy thing to accomplish.  It begins fast and furious—with a girl running (for her life).  Classic horror genre stuff.  But it’s done well.  The episode is shot well.  The “horror” music fits the tense situation.  It never feels corny or campy.

Most of that credit goes to the young actors, who give convincing performances (kudos to casting).  We really believe that their lives are in danger, and that some mysterious killer named “Beckett” is after them.

But this episode definitely is in the “tease” camp.  There’s just enough here to hook us, and keep us watching.  We don’t learn anything about the characters or why they’re in this situation—we’re thrown into the middle of the action, which is great for a change.  We’re trusting that this promising start will lead to a worthwhile story.  Fingers crossed.

On a side note, I’m intrigued that this web series announces itself as being based on a feature screenplay written by the two creators.  I wonder if they adapted it to fit the web series format, or if they simply filmed scenes directly from the script.

Either way, I’m hooked.  Can’t wait to see if these teens make it out alive or not.

More info:

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/Throwing… 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/throwingstone…