The Varients Ep. 1

The Variants Web Series Pilot Episode. Joe misses out on a limited hardcover and can’t recover a copy for himself.

Watch more of this web series comedy about life at a comic book shop at our site http://www.thevariants.com
and twitter @variants

4 Swirlies

“Yeah. Like I’m gonna go back into Deliverance land and ask Stockroom Guy for his copy? No.”

Here’s a fun little discovery.

Sure, it’s rough around the edges and is a little long for the amount of story in the pilot, but it does tell a nice little story. We get a sense of all the characters without feeling like it is simply informing us about them, like we see in a lot of first episodes. This one is actually about something – a guy wants a new, limited edition comic book badly and, being tricked out of it, has to try to con someone else’s.

Sure, the part in the middle in this episode is a long stall, as all our guy can do to get a copy is ask various customers to give up theirs. But there’s a fun rant about midway, and the ending is a touching twist that I didn’t see coming which, hopefully, points to some heart in this show. I am a little uncertain about where it is going (I don’t want to spoil the reveal by giving too much away) but that’s a pleasant surprise to me. There’s also a few funny bits of dialogue.

So, give it a chance. Stick it out until the end. Now that I told you to expect a surprise, you may see it coming a long time before I did. If you hate me for making you watch this, you can tell me off in the comments.

Break-ups: The Series “Katy & Ted”

View our latest episode at www.breakups.us

4 Swirlies

“I don’t like you anymore. At all.”

I’m excited to be returning to posting after the past week or so of simply not being able to cram it into my day. Luckily J-Two pitched in with some reviews – thanks, J-Two!

I’ve had this series on my “to Watch” list for a while now. I love the idea for a series – each episode is a break-up scene, each time with different characters. In this one, at least, it’s two people, one shot. A little bit claustrophobic, but that’s the point.

I really like how we come to know these characters and their relationship as the break-up continues. I think it might be improvised, as details come out and are built on through the scene. I also thought the dynamic was very vivid and real – yes, sometimes the person doing the dumping has a harder time of it than the one being dumped.

When I hit play, I thought this was going to be a comedy. Now, I’m not so sure. It is a kind of black comedy – maybe even a dramedy. There are only a few laugh out loud lines (which is more than many webseries than I could mention). I suppose different people will engage with the scene on different levels – some my find it hysterical, and some may find it heart wrenching.

How ever you feel about it, I think we can agree that the scene rings pretty much true from beginning to end.

Dead End Days – Ep. 7 “Something’s rotten at Monopoly Video”

Something is afoot at Monopoly video, something sinister, and underhanded, or at the very least something involving underground zombie movies.

4 swirlies

“We here at Monopoly Video don’t believe the content of such films is appropriate in today’s tumultuous sociopolitical climate.”

Dead End Days shows us a slice of life in a society where zombies are integrated into the culture and respected.

But would you expect any changes in your local video store? I like how this series examines this society through small scenes of the daily grind – here, Zombie movies are now considered politically incorrect. Eric takes on a role, not unlike your local drug dealer, hustling these illegal movies to private customers. Don’t expect any gory zombie attacks or feasts on brains from this series, but instead, a look at how your life might change if the ‘undead’ were living peacefully as your neighbour. Would you live in suspicion and fear, or embrace this new demographic and find a way to make money off them?

More episodes at www.deadenddays.com

Team Leader | Episode 6 – Last One Out

Team Leader Skip Recap | Ep 3 – Uncle Reggie Saves The Day

Team Leader Skip Recap | Episode 2 – Kitchen Confidential

Team Leader | Episode 4 – The Spill, Scrapbooks, and Sally

Team Leader | Episode 3 – Uncle Reggie Saves The Day

Team Leader | Episode 2 – Kitchen Confidential

Team Leader | Episode 1 – The Discovery