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

- 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 Night of the Zombie King

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

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/

- 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 Vampire Zombie Werewolf

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Vampire Zombie Werewolf Ep.7 “The Great Vampsby” | A Web Series Review on The Watch List

A Comedy Horror Web Series

3 Swirlies

“Just because some asshole bit me, I gotta like blood?”

This show is picking up nicely.

The main body of the episode had a nice pacing, with the Vampire/Zombie/Werewolf darting in and out of the scene and the producer having a chat with an old buddy. And then the ending had the turn that I was waiting for, that should really push the story through the rest of the series.

I haven’t had a chance to watch this series in a while, and what struck me was how well lit it is. It has always been a well produced series; the opening and closing titles are nicely done. My favourite character so far was the vampire hating vampire that the producer meets. He comes across as earthy, but he’s still talking about vampire myths - debunking them with total disdain.

Oh, I’m starting to think they had me fooled - the character Balthazane the vampire has his own blog reviewing vampire web series. I thought he was a real reviewer who focused on vampire shows, and they hired him to be in their show. Now I’m starting to think that he was a character and they made his blog up as a promotional platform for the show. If that’s true, it is kinda brilliant. Not only to help increase the show’s discoverability, but as a marketing gimmick. I’ve written about it twice now. It’s Lonely Girl 15 all over again!

From YouTube Description:

Watch ALL of our Episodes HERE: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E259CBF1BECE072A

With the vampire-impressing party in full swing, Tad and Bunny learn that people can change when you least expect them to.

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

- 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 Vampire Zombie Werewolf

Back to The Watch List’s Main Page

Vampire Zombie Werewolf Ep.6 “Wolves of Endearment” | A Web Series on the Watch List

A loaf of brain, a jug of blood and thou.

VZW is a new Webseries from KATR Pictures.

4 Swirlies

“Something about the microwave interacts with our lycanthropy”

I had to pause and check back to make sure I didn’t miss an episode. Very bold and dramatic start to this episode, if a bit confusing for me.

This was strong episode for a couple of reasons. One, finally the web producer has some nice lines, instead of just looking terrified - and he actually tries to do something to get out of his predictament. Two, the vampires arrive. There’s a nice gag where there’s a room full of vampires, all of whom are dressed in black capes with high collars like a bad Dracula, like a vampire from Scooby Doo.

I also liked that Tad, the Vampire Zombie Werewolf, gets to talk about why this night is so important to him. He wants the vampires to like the vampire part of him, not look down on him for the werewolf and zombie parts.

It also seems like this is the last episode of Vampire zombie Werewolf that has been released. It seems that the series is planned as nine episodes, so that leaves (mental math… wait for it…) three episodes left. It looks like they just finished shooting the rest. I don’t see any information as to when they are scheduled to come out.

Vampire zombie Werewolf Ep.4 “Please Feed the Vampires.”

Tad’s pursuit to get into the vampire set really has him sticking his neck out.

VZW is a new webseries from KATR Pictures.

3 Swirlies

“Don’t you think there’s just a little too much Zombie Werewolf in these?”

Time is running out for our web series producer, caught in the grasp of our suburban Vampire Zombie Werewolves.

Again the funniest scene is the flashback, in this case to how our host became a vampire in the first place. There’s also a shout out to fellow web series reviewer Balthazane. Actually, you know what? I think that that’s Balthazane himself playing the vampire in this show! Could that be true?

I think this show is well done, but it could use more funny. If it were just the flashback scenes, I’d probably love it. As it is…

This is one of those series that I don’t really get. It gets heaps of praise from other web series creators and fans, but all of us here at The Watch List who watch it don’t really go for it.

Vampire Zombie Werewolf: Ep. 3 “Vampwardly Mobile”

Tad has a plan to win friends and influence Vampires.

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

Twitter: @VZWshow

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/KATR-Pi…

VZW is a new Webseries from KATR Pictures.

3 Swirlies

“If you exist… does God?

The episode begins with a quirky, intentionally-lame Vampire Zombie Werewolf theme song that Tad pitches to the frightened producer as the opening to their web series.  In very meta fashion, his wife worries about it being too long (Tad has looped it to last 5 minutes).

I have to hand it to the series creators for making fun of web series clichés.  Though, it begs the question: If you know enough to hang a lantern on the problem (draw attention to it), does that excuse you from making that same mistake?

As Tad tells the producer: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned watching web shows is that if you have an episode without much dramatic action, the key is to keep it short.”

And that’s exactly what this episode doesn’t do.  Tad spends the entire five minute episode talking and building up this Vampire “coming out” party for him and his wife.  But where’s the action?

The “funny” innuendo about the couple and guests eating the producer gets repetitive fast.  After that, there really are no more jokes.

At the end of the episode, there is a nice hook as we hard cut into the title card: “The Vampires are coming.”  Then, there is a trailer snippet—a quick shot of bats flying towards the house.  Nice suspense there.  Still, wished we got to this moment sooner.

But a web series needs to be more than just a sum of its cliff-hanger hooks.  I really hope this one can get to the story faster, because the production values really are out of this world, and the actors are trying hard to make us laugh with what they’ve got.

But at the end of the day, all the audience is going to care about is: Where is this all going?

I’m still not sure… but hey, a vampire party sounds like it might be fun.  Let’s see how next week’s episode fares.

Night of the Zombie King Ep. 2 ‘When Black Roses Bloom’

As the game gets underway, the old friends fall into familiar patterns, Martin’s adventure tests the players’ skills, tension emerges between Jaz and Brian, Hicks exhibits his old-school roleplaying chops, and Jaz attempts to reconnect with Danny, featuring when “When We Closed Our Eyes” by Andrew Ross Gregory.

3 swirlies

[Sorry for the autoplay commercial. That's gonna get annoying real fast. The Watcher]

For those who haven’t yet checked out Episode 1 “From the Shadows,” and our review, can do so here.

So Episode kicks off with– what else?– our team of friends playing an intense game of Goblins and Gold.  The score really added a lot of the needed tension and sense of stakes here, and also goes to show you, music does matter.  Especially when your characters are strategizing and joking in cryptic game talk that we don’t necessarily understand.

Note to the writers: It would help out the audience a lot if the series set up some of the rules of the game for us.  How do you even win Goblins and Gold?   Who’s even winning this game between friends?  Because we jump right into gameplay, there are a lot of in-jokes that are funny to the characters, but not necessarily, to a clueless audience.

Though, you have to admire the dedication of the actors who really buy into their lines and gamer characters.  Jaz is quite believable as a General of sorts, doling out tactics and strategy, leading his team to victory.  Kudos as well to the actor the bringing the gameplay to life with his impassioned campfire story voice.

As with the first episode, the prologue of game-play is long.  We don’t get to the opening credits until at least a minute and a half into the episode.  Then, we get a nice moment of unrequited love tension between Jaz and the one lady player in the kitchen, which is very Everwood– if I did watch Everwood– which I don’t.

It’s sweet and opens the door for us to care about this group of friends, though we still don’t get a good sense of where the story is going.  There is a lot of references to their past history, but not a lot of forward movement to the plot.

We know Jaz has run away from his problems in L.A.  But what does Jaz want from his friends?   Is he looking for redemption?

The filmmakers have hooked me enough that I’m willing to be patient and watch another episode.  But what do you all think?

More Info:

Featuring “Silver Cities” by the amazing Los Angeles band, The Monolators: www.themonolators.com

other viewing options

written by: David Nett, Rick Robinson & Andrew R. Deutsch
directed by: David Nett
cinematography by: Andrew R. Deutsch
edited by: David Nett & Frederick Snyder
featuring: James Ellis Lane, Jonathan Nail, Maxwell Glick, Stephanie Thorpe, Brian Majestic
production staff & crew: Matthew Arevalo, Jamie Blair, Maria Deutsch, Rob Gokee, Joey Harris, Mike Horton, Ashley F. Miller, Shannon Nelson, Sean Oakley, Ed Robinson, Chad Schnaible, Justin Waggle, James Paul Xavier

Night of the Zombie King Ep.1 “From the Shadows”

Jamison “Jaz” Colier is captain of a Goblins & Gold team which has been recently removed from the pro rankings. Frustrated and disappointed, he flees his troubles by traveling from Los Angeles to his hometown of San Jose, where he has not visited for over fifteen years. When he arrives, he is hi-jacked by a group of old friends for a surprise night of gaming.

3 Swirlies

“I know. It’s like looking into the Guardian of Forever.”

The opening titles are amazing – really nicely done. With lots of info without being too long. Awesome.

Old friends get together to pick up the game they were playing 15 years ago.

The production is good (especially the lighting!) but not stellar. The episode, like almost all first episodes, is long on backstory and set up and light on actual story. It’s more prologue than story. We meet the characters, but we don’t really get much a sense of who they are. I’m also not sure of where this show is going – what happens next episode now that the adventure has started.

What does work is the sweetness and sense of nostalgia the characters feel for each other and the game. There’s a hint that the last session went wrong, fifteen years ago, but I’m not sure if the guy they’re talking about hasn’t shown up yet, or if one of the very happy group we meet has a secret grudge.

I guess time, and subsequent episodes, will tell.

We’ll also have to make a note to check out Gold. It appears to be made by the same people who are behind Night of the Zombie King.

More Info:

written by: David Nett, Rick Robinson & Andrew R. Deutsch
directed by: David Nett
cinematography by: Andrew R. Deutsch
edited by: David Nett & Frederick Snyder
featuring: James Ellis Lane, Jonathan Nail, Maxwell Glick, Stephanie Thorpe, Brian Majestic
production staff & crew: Matthew Arevalo, Jamie Blair, Maria Deutsch, Rob Gokee, Joey Harris, Mike Horton, Ashley F. Miller, Shannon Nelson, Sean Oakley, Ed Robinson, Chad Schnaible, Justin Waggle, James Paul Xavier

Vampire Zombie Werewolf Ep.2 “An American Zombie in London”

What does it take to create a Vampire Zombie Werewolf? Some say less, some say moors.

4 Swirlies

“Look, I’m a werewolf and you’re gonna be one soon. So get used to it, dickhead.”

We find out how the producer’s clients became Vampire Zombie Werewolves.

The origin story is actually pretty funny, and the guy who plays the werewolf who bites the husband is absolutely hysterical – and worth watching for that scene alone.

The flashbacks are by far my favourite parts. The body of the episode – and the series – is the suburban couple trying to sell the story of their lives to a terrified web series producer. I’m not entirely sure where that’s going. Is it simply a framing structure for the flashbacks? The idea of a Vampire Zombie Werewolf is original, but the characters of the uptight suburbanites are ones we’re seen many times before. I feel like these scenes don’t have much in the way of story or gags. At least, not yet.

But, as I said, more than worth watching for the scenes on the moor. They’re pretty hilarious.

Vampire Zombie Werewolf Ep. 1

There are at least three things more terrifying than trying to finance a webseries in Hollywood.

VZW is a new Webseries from KATR Pictures. Episode 2 coming next week!

2 Swirlies

“You know, food that you serve to people.”

Before we get going, let me just mention it is always risky having a long opening sequence. Many people are gone after 20 seconds.

What I first noticed and admired about this show is the use of bright, bold colours. The product is very nicely done. The music is good, if a little intrusive and jokey. The editing and sound editing is tight, which is something that is a lot harder than the average person would ever think.

I wish it was funnier off the bat. There’s a few chuckles through out, but it feels like the whole thing is one big stall until the reveal at the end – a reveal that is sorta given away by the title. (I don’t think I’m ruining the surprise for anyone.)

But, as I have said in these pages before, pilots are very hard. I’ll being you their next episode when they post it and see what you think then.