Tyranny Ep.16 “The Great Collapse” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

4 Swirlies

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“There is no profit in peace, only in war.”

The web series Tyranny has moved from YouTube to Koldcast. And I know Koldcast is trying to do their thing and pay the bills, just like everyone else… but I don’t like thier site or their player. There, I said it. Sorry guys. But that’s just me. I like how they are supporting web series, but I find their technology clumsy and hard to use. And, like other ad serving platforms, I hate that I have to watch the ad over in order to rewatch the video to pick up on some detail or other.

Okay, on with the show.

This episode of Tyranny had me confused. I mean, holy crap does it look great. Creator/director/star John Beck Hoffman really pushes the visual envelope, and while having the one visual effect for 11 minutes is a little… intense, there’s creative and artistic reasons for it. And there’s some other things going on with the editing that I really love. As always, the production is incredible.

Now, I’m going to try to talk about the story without giving way too much in terms of spoilers. I was so lost at the start that I double checked to see if I had skipped an episode. Yes, when we get to the end it is all explained, but I think that you have to be careful going into an episode in which your audience (at least I was) spending much of the time trying to connect the dots from the previous episode to this one, instead of just soaking in the story. This is a serialized show, with an evolving narrative, so I found myself trying to fit together what had come before and what was going on now. It made it very difficult to enjoy the story, at it meant that a large chunk of the second half of the episode was Daniel explaining things. This was a sort of bridge episode, keeping the audience up to date, but in the end not at all, really. More of a political/conspiracy theory rant.

I still liked the episode. I mean… seriously – did they really go to Egypt to shoot it? Cause it really freakin’ looks like they did. Besides how well put together this series is, and as I mentioned last time, Tyranny really sets the standards for what it doable in a web series format. This isn’t an urban apartment or guys in steampunk costumes running through the woods. This is going to Egypt (or doing a truly excellent job of making it look like we went to Egypt) street protest scenes, explosions, fight scenes, street chases… I know most of that stuff was in the last couple of episodes, but still. The scope of this series is kinda shocking. Sure, there’s other series, like Broken Toy, that have lots of action and fighting and special effects, but they still feel small in scope – even a little claustrophobic.

From YouTube Description:

Picking up right where we left off on episode 15 – Just as Daniel was catching up with the stranger that was following him, he gets knocked on the head and is left laying at the bottom of a staircase, unconscious. Now he awakens to find himself blindfolded, interrogated and tortured by a foreign man with a oddly familiar voice.

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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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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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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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Radiance Ep.7 | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Science Fiction Drama Web Series

4 Swirlies

“Why do you all look guilty?”

As the realization sets in that they are in this for the long haul, it is time for someone to try to take charge.

It’s an interesting twist, just as I was thinking, ‘okay… now what?’ I find this little series, with its super-short episodes, incredibly interesting. Of course, in hindsight it is obvious that someone’s gonna step up and demand some sort of pecking order. Usually with them at the top. Maybe it is the short episodes, not giving me any time to predict what’s gonna happen, but this show manages to surprise me and entertain me.

I do feel like the end of this episode is a little soap opera-y, as in as soon as the story inches forward we move on. It’s not like there’s much in the of a story arc in 1 minute and 19 seconds. Some of the acting is a little stiff, and the natural lighting, and the handicam cinematography still feels a little too amateurish for me, but creator Jim Hansen has created an intelligent, claustrophobic thriller.

This series is a real diamond in the rough, and I do suggest that you’ll like it best if you go back and watch it from the start.

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.12 “Losing It” | A Webseries Review on The Watch List

A Sci-Fi Web Series

4 Swirlies

“Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve?”

A frenetic, intense episode that really puts you inside the emotional state of a guy coming apart at the seams.

There’s a cool montage in the middle, some found footage (at least it feels that way) and some original material, all mashed together as Daniel’s thoughts spiral out of control.

I really enjoyed the clash of source images through out - grainy video, sharp film looking shots, some somewhere in between.

And then a moment of normalcy, a phone call, makes it all seem like a weird fantasy. Is Daniel really losing his mind? Or is Isabella calling a lifeline that he’s clinging to for a lucid moment? And what happens New Years Eve?

With some shows, you feel like they’re coming to the end of their run or their season and the writer or creators are like, “Oh yeah, I need to get the plot going.” And instead of focusing on the characters that have lead you to stick around, they throw in plot twists that feel artificial. And you end up feeling like the end just sucked all the life and fun from the series. I’m not feeling that with Tyranny. There’s only three episodes after this one, so yes, granted we’re not at the end yet, but I feel like each episode is keeping the focus on Daniel but still ramping up the tension.

From YouTube Description:

Episode 12 of Tyranny the Web Series:
“Losing it”
After having been called into the FBI, Daniel McCarthy turns the camera on himself, as he documents his now heightened paranoia in a video journal.

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Broken Toy Ep.3 | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Thriller Web Series

2 Swirlies

“You are a sweet little monkey. NOW GIVE ME A HUG!”

I don’t know.

The production, especially the special effects, is really strong. Some of the explosions towards the end look CGI-y, but a lot of it is awesome. The fights scenes are pretty well choreographed, and the acting on the part of the main guy is good. But the script… the script…

That first episode was so well written. Now each episode is just a drawn out fight scene and special effects showpiece. Especially since this guy is a psycho superhero that can’t be contained, but he’s the main character… well, we’re kinda just waiting for him to escape. Even when the twists come, such as they are, we don’t care because we’re not invested in anything or genuinely surprised. Nor do they particularly make sense.

A lot of work by a lot of people must have gone into making this web series. It has to be way more than the four people listed on the website under team. (Who did the make-up? And all that blood effects?) I wish that I liked it more. I’m going to keep watching, if only to see what happens now that we’re not in that same building.

From YouTube Description:

Bigger. Badder. Better. Don’t call him Frankenstein.

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The Cell Ep. 3 | A Web Series Review on the Watch List

A Psychological Thriller Web Series

3 Swirlies

“I learned my place.”

There are things I like and admire about The Cell. One of them is the slow, deliberate, unhurried pace - it shows a confidence in the editing. Sometimes in post production, you watch your footage over and over and you really feel the slow moments and the pauses and it can be hard to resist the urge to tighten the pacing beyond what the mood of the scene requires. As an editor, no matter how many times you watch some footage, you have to put yourself in the pace of a viewer watching it for the first time. And that’s one of the many reasons why I could never be a picture editor. I get bored way before the thing is done.

And the production quality is high, the sound is nice, the music is great. The acting on the part of the woman is great. What I can’t get past is that I don’t buy how easily Brian seems to give up trying to resist or escape. I know - it is fiction, it’s a character thing. It’s not real and it’s not me there, but still… I spend the whole time thinking to myself, “Scream, shout, resist!” And I kinda can’t buy into the whole series - I can’t suspend my disbelief.

And that girl creeps me out. I know she’s supposed to - it is artfully done. But it is just not for me, in the same way the torture porn of the Saw movie series isn’t for me.

I think the ideas behind this series could be great - it raises the question, “How fragile is our sense of self?” But I feel like this series has already skipped over that, that Brian isn’t struggling to maintain his sense of self or fighting back against his captor. Again, that’s just me and it doesn’t really effect how successful this series is at meeting its goal. I guess maybe it comes down to how optimistic you are about the nature of our sense of self.

If you like being creeped out, you’ll probably like this series more than I do.

I did notice it is moving on to Chapter 2. I wonder how the mythology of it will evolve? Will there be a new person in the cage?

From YouTube Description:

Cracks appear in Brian’s defenses as the pressure of the situation reaches its breaking point.

Join the community and follow the latest news on our site at http://www.cellthewebseries.com

The award winning original series continues as Brian searches for more answers while the truth of his situation bears down on him.

Make sure to check us out on Facebook as well http://www.facebook.com/CELLwebseries

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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

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Hard Drive 13 Ep.3 “Classified Steganography” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Conspiracy Thriller Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Classified. Yeah, that’s what Dad always used to say.”

This is one series that gets right to the action. You gotta admire that. And I finally get to see some of the shooting guns out of moving cars clips that we were teased with at the beginning of the series.

If you like your web series with lots of on the run, it is all a conspiracy, ‘watched the Matrix again last night’, you’ll love Hard Drive 13. If you’re looking for something nuanced and character driven, you should probably stick with something else.

Another Vancouver series, and this is very well made. Those green screen shots are hard to pull off - and while they’re not perfect, they are pretty good. And having guns on set, well… that’s either expensive (as far as web series are concerned) and you gotta call in a lot of favours. If you want to find a load of talented people looking for a fun side project to stretch their creative skills, I doubt there’s a better place for it in the world than Vancouver right now.

Where I think this series loses me is the story. I know, I’m watching some very interconnected episodes months apart, but I’m still not really sure about what it is about. I’m sure we’re meant to be intrigued by the mystery, and I’m not saying that I don’t want to discover things about the series as it develops, but I do want to know why I am watching. What makes this hacker so special? Is he looking for his father, or is he on the run from the government goons? The motivations of the characters are pretty vague.

And can I just say, what paranoid hacker on the run keeps using his cell phone?

From YouTube Description:

Nomad receives a cryptic message from an old friend; a strained reunion is abruptly cut short.

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