Dr. Tran Mail – S01E03 “The Specials”

Virtually Harass Dr. Tran at TranLetters@gmail.com
Your letter might sort of get answered in a manner of speaking!

3 Swirlies

“Chocolate is forbidden”

I’d like to take a shit out of a helicopter.

Shane in San Diego writes to ask Dr. Tran about the breakfast specials. But do you know what’s really special… Dr. Tran. (And this is where helicopters and relieving yourself come into play.)

Good episode, even if it feels like the narrator is crowding out Dr. Tran from his own show.

Heather’s Vlog – [Episode 1]

http://liamshow.com Kelly’s friend Heather started a vlog to get the bloody truth out there about vampires…because she is one. Happy Friday the 13th!!!

4 Swirlies

“Yes, once and for all, vampires celebrate Christmas.”

Heather Begins…

This is the first episode of Heather’s Vlog and the second one I’ve seen, and it is already something of a guilty pleasure. I’m kinda embarrassed how much I like it. Unlike a lot of stuff I watch (web or TV) Heather and her Dad surprise me and actually make me laugh out loud.

In this introductory episode, Heather explains what her Vampire family does to celebrate Christmas, while Dad tries to watch the skating he TIVOed.

It’s charming and feels honest. It doesn’t feel like they are trying too hard. I’m not sure if it is improvised, semi-improvised, or scripted but the characters are more strongly drawn in a short time than most anything else out there. All without sacrificing the gags needed to make a short online comedy episode work. I wish I could strap Fred down and make him watch it until he gets it. And, yes I know, the guy’s name isn’t actually Fred.

In going back to find the start of this series, I figured a little more out about how it came to be. It is some sort of spin off from something called Kelly Shoes – that’s where the clips from the nano-second long opening is from. And after watching it for the tenth time, the line, “Kelly rocks” makes more sense. But I have no idea who or what this Kelly Shoes person or show is. Why is it presented as if we all know it? I can’t even find any videos of it on Youtube! (If you do, put your links in the comments section.)

Heather’s Vlog is my current favourite comedy web series, and one of my favourite shows, period. Get ready to see a lot more of them posted as I go through the back catalog!

So, would this the first web series spin off? And if not, what would? I have a vague idea that lonelygirl15 had some sort of spin off…

Dr. Tran Mail – S01E02 “AIDS”

Send Dr. Tran questions at TranLetters@gmail.com
Your letter might get answered in an offensive cartoon!

3 Swrilies

“Black as the night you got cancer!”

Secret Agents Don’t Care!

Nancy writes to ask Dr. Tran if we would help her and the other kids in the Pediatric AIDS ward. Of course, Mr. Dramatic Narrator has others ideas.

Not the funniest Dr. Tran Mail, but it has a few good laughs. Poor Dr. Tran, all he wants to do is finish his chore wheel.

It strikes me that there’s an interesting element of Dr. Tran that seems to run through most successful stuff on the internet – the blending of real and not real. The conflict that drives Dr. Tran Mail is the two realities fighting it out, Dr. Tran’s reality that he’s a normal boy who wants to be left alone, and the narrator who insists he’s a secret agent and doctor, fighting America’s enemies.

Thoughts? Want me to shut up and just watch the videos? Yeah, I thought so…

Karma Kula – Episode 2 “THE FROG IN THE WELL”

Karma Kula Mystic Warrior is an original live action/adventure martial arts web series independently created by the Ninjai Gang. Official Website http://karmakula.ign.com

4 Swirlies

“Mind if I finish my drink first?”

Karma Kula continues to deliver… and confuse.

Okay, so it seems at least one of my questions has been answered – this episode suggests they’re in India, and talks about “the assassins from the islands of the Japans.” If our hero is actually Indian, and not white as I thought last time, I can be forgiven because everything is tinted so red.

In this installment, he helps a woman with a well, and fighting ensues. For the first half or so, the style takes over the story and lets it drag a little too much. And then the sword play starts. As our hero himself points out – we have no idea why, or who this new attacker is. I’m sure it won’t be the last time they meet!

If you haven’t already added this series to your must watch list (and you don’t hate fighting sequences) I advise you to consider doing so.

It seems to me that this series makes extensive use of green screen. Does it bother you when you notice green screen use in movies and web series?

Dr. Tran Mail – S01E01 “Murder List”

Send Dr. Tran a thoughtful email at tranletters@gmail.com
Your letter might get answered!

3 Swirlies

“Dr. Tran will kill all of your mothers!”

This is the very first Dr. Tran Mail, and it sets up the structure for all the rest to follow.

Anthony from Ohio accuses Dr. Tran a killing his own mother with a lawn chair (which Dr. Tran denies) but then our dramatic narrator discloses Dr. Tran’s death list containing the names of the mothers he will kill.

It’s funny, fun, and under 2 minutes long.

Are there any fans out there who have watched Dr. Tran since his Lone Sausage days? I haven’t had a chance to watch any of them yet. How do these Mail versions stand up to the originalsof

With the Angels – EP 2 “Sunset Sunrise”

Things look better in the morning.

3 Swirlies

“I thought I’d watch the sun rise over the ocean for the first time. Only the sun doesn’t rise over this ocean.”

We learn we a little more about Taffy, and get to see her try to bond with her roommate.

This one has a little less pathos than the first one, and little less in the way of overwrought voice over.

This is the real pilot – a lot of exposition (which is mostly well delivered) and a good grounding in what the characters are looking for. Taffy came to L.A. looking for a new life, and while she feels disconnected from the big city life all around her her trust in God allows her to have faith that she’ll figure it out.

Any series that can make me feel sympathetic to a character that talks about God and Jesus is pretty well done.

Still not sure about that accent, though.

This is still the only series I’ve come across that’s all drama. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Happy Tree Friends Break – Seize The Day

Find out why Lumpy doesnt play well with others.

4 Swirlies

34 seconds!

Back in my sketch comedy days, this is what we used to call a blackout, one short gag and then you’re out.

Happy Tree Friends Break is a shorter version of the internet staple series, Happy Tree Friends. And this one is a good one.

If you want a quick laugh, watch this. If you’re prone to seizures, you can view it as a cautionary tale…

Raising Kayn – Ep. 1 The Puzzle of the Coin

The first episode of the popular web series “Raising Kayn”. Vampires, were creatures, ninjas and mad scientists, the Kayn family deals with them all in their search for the source of a mysterious coin.

2 Swirlies

This is an attempt to make a supernatural show for a family audience. Because there’s so many parents and kids watching online videos together?

This series is about The Kayn family and its involvement in supernatural mysteries. The mom is some sort of expert on everything whose biggest challenge in life is getting all her children to sit down for dinner together. The son is a sort of mad scientist who doesn’t like to come out of his lab (insert comic relief here). The older daughter fights things (that’s all we know so far) and the younger daughter is a teenage girl. They’re trying to solve mysteries and be home in time for prayers and bedtime.

This is the first part of the story, we don’t get very far into what’s going on except for a strange coin. Then the Ninjas show up. The production isn’t terrible, but the acting could be a lot better (like most webseries). It reminds me of syndicated series from the 80’s – the kind you’d watch on Sunday afternoon when nothing else was on.

This has that same feel as a tween comedy like Wizards of Waverly Place or iCarly, but not anywhere as clever or funny. (I should point out it is not a comedy). If you’re looking for something to watch with your children for family time, you might want to give this a chance. Me, I’m giving it two swirlies for now and waiting to see if it picks up next episode.

Baman Piderman – Tell the Joke

Baman has a joke to tell Piderman so he tells him it!

3 Swirlies

Whaaaat?

I’ve never seen an episode of Baman Piderman before. (By MondoMedia, the folks behind Happy Tree Friends and Dr. Tran Mail) I knew going in that there would be some child’s logic going on. I was not expecting this.

I suppose that this could be very funny, but I spent too much time trying to figure it out to laugh. Maybe I just didn’t get it. Why don’t you check it out and get back to me, cause I don’t even know what to say.

What was that screaming face thing on the couch?

The Vetala – The Sydicate

The Vetala Web Series – Season 1/ Starring Candace Chase, Paul Mendel, Marina Pasqua, Leslie Mildiner, James Tyce/ Written & Directed by Damon Vignale http://www.TheVetala.com

4 Swirlies

This opens nice and suspenseful. A guy packing a crate with guns. A student tacking down a story. Her boyfriend looking for her. Something’s gotta happen… right?

And then it does.

While this first installment doesn’t give us much insight into what’s going on, it does give us one thrill ride of a five minute episode – honestly I was a little surprised it was so long, it felt much shorter.

The only reason it missed five Swirlies is the acting is little stilted, and it was essentially all set up. Also the series seems to be about supernatural stuff, at least according to their Youtube tags, and there’s not even a hint of that in this episode. But those are trivial complaints, perhaps, and I’m quite excited to see where this series is going.

The closing tag (thankfully, there’s not 2 minutes of end credits pumping up the length) reads, “No longer a myth.” Count me intrigued.

Does the title make anyone else think of cheese? No? So it’s just me, then.