Category: Reviews

Off the Charts: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

On By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, Reviews, TV ShowsLeave a comment

Off The Charts Header

I was an avid TV-watcher as a kid.  Between Saturday morning cartoons, after-school afternoon shows, all-day Nickelodeon-a-thons, and NES my young life revolved around the Television.  Well that and action figures.

Despite all the TV-ing I did there was only ever ONE show I remember being excited about the premiere: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  Honestly I don’t know how I heard about it, what the promotion for the show was, and even if I was a huge Fresh Prince fan before the show (I knew several of the songs but I was deep into Guns N Roses love at this point…) but for some reason I have a distinct memory of my sister and I ending playing outside early (unheard of!) to run inside and crowd around the second TV in my parents’ room (sitting on a giant desk and occasionally requiring a SMACK on the side to work properly) to watch the very first episode.

As part of my 90s nostalgia I bought and re-watched the entire show from start to finish over the last couple of weeks.  There was a lot I’d forgotten, a lot that I remembered (and couldn’t WAIT to get to!), and some changing opinions on the show itself.  Here are my thoughts:

The show starts, as many shows do, with a cliché premise.  This one is “fish out of water.”  Will Smith, from West Philadelphia (born and raised), moves in with his rich relatives and their clash of cultures causes hilarity.  I remember as a kid only seeing the Will-side of things and reveling in his bucking of the establishment.  Watching as an adult I realize it’s more complex than that.  In the very first episode Uncle Phil (James Avery) sets Will straight, he might be a kid from the streets now, but being an adult on the streets isn’t appealing, Phil worked hard to get where he is and while Will’s revolutionary spirit is often the white hat of the show, you see the value of the Banks’ ethics too.  Similarly in another episode Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) comments that Will mocks him for being the “bourgie” guy he is, but in doing so he’s being as unaccepting of Carlton’s personality and much as he (Will) claims the Bel Air society is unaccepting of him.  It’s much deeper than just watching wild-Will run amok as I thought as a kid.

The show is full of lots of running themes; Will’s “look to camera,” cartoon effects, Jazz being thrown out.  A lot of common threads that are undoubtedly “Fresh Prince.”  It’s like watching live-action Looney Tunes in a way.  Even the serious moments I hated as a kid are effective now.  Try watching Will respond to his father leaving and not be affected!

The show also has some of the best bloopers I’ve ever seen.  The only unusual aspect of the show is the high number of clip shows they do.  Even in the early season.  I learned from audio commentaries on The Simpsons that this is something networks do to save money and this may be the case here.  It’s not a complaint as the clips are always the best of the show, just strange to have a second season clip show.

Another strange thing that hit me while watching it is how much has changed in the intervening time between the show’s original run and now.  The stars they mention who we lost way before their time (specifically Heavy D, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson), and the fickle nature of the trends as celebrities on the show who received raucous cheers who are now in the midst of relative obscurity.

My favorite aspect of the show is Jazz.  DJ Jazzy Jeff, in addition to being one hell of a DJ (a REAL DJ.  Ya know…with records…) is absolutely a riot every time he’s on screen.  You can tell he’s not a trained actor, but his part is so funny it doesn’t matter.

Here are some of my personal favorite moments:

If it’s been a while since you’ve visited Bel Air I say pick it up.  It’s one of the rare shows from the 90s that, while it does have its dated moments, is as funny now as when it was made.

Below is the REAL FULL theme song of the Fresh Prince.  As far as I know it never aired.  Only an extended version during the first two episodes.  It’s still missing two sections in the middle.  But to answer a long standing question, no the Prince didn’t take a cab from West Philly to Bel Air!

If You Want to Write: How to Handle Rejection

On By R. PettyIn Books, Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

Unless you have never left your house, you know what rejection feels like. It’s gut wrenching. Your heart hurts. There’s a lump in your throat. And when you’ve poured yourself into a manuscript, only to receive a rejection letter, how do you pick up the pieces and move on?

In this chapter, Ueland shows the difference between what she considers ‘good’ writing and ‘better’ writing. In her opinion, it’s all about the way in which you tell your story. I learned it’s purely subjective. What one thinks is compelling and well-written another may find boring and mediocre.

That’s the trick to overcoming rejection letters. It’s a matter of opinion. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or that your manuscript sucks; it just means your work is not what that publisher is looking for.

“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.”

― Barbara Kingsolver

So, what can you do to keep looking? Here are a 10 tips:

  • Never give up. Keep sending, writing, and sending.
  • Remember that a lot of crap and awesome stuff gets published. I bet you’ve come across a book and thought, “I could have done better than this.”
  • Be yourself. Let your natural gifts shine and show passion in what you do. If you’re excited, others will be too.
  • Blog/write about it. Writing about your submission experiences can be therapeutic and help others get through their own obstacles. Be open and honest.
  • Be realistic. Ever heard “Don’t quit your day job”? Follow that advice and don’t expect to become a star overnight.
  • Do your research and get creative. Send it to lesser-known publishers, too. Follow all the rules and guidelines per submission, and have fun. It doesn’t matter who publishes it as long as it’s available.
  • Release it in parts on a blog and build an audience and followers. Readers are loyal, and if they love the story, they’ll stop and read it.
  • Self publish an e-book. Amazon is a well-respected rite. You never know what will happen.
  • Set up a Kickstarter campaign and get the word out. People love contributing to these projects, and I was a small contributor to this one: Apocalypse Now. It was a cool experience and works!
  • If you’re set on going the traditional route, then save some money and contact a publisher. For a fee, they may publish and distribute the book for you.

With these in mind, I’d like to give a shout out to my good pal Kevin who recently published his first novel, Crazy Lucky Dead. It was a great project to work on, and I hope you all will check it out!

Read about how to start your own blog, and share any tips you have below!

Off the Top of My Head #9: Warhammer and Dreamlike Gaming

On By James CastroIn Games, Random Fun3 Comments

Off The Top of My Head

As I’ve posted recently I’ve gotten into tabletop wargaming.  Mostly Warhammer 40k.  I love building the models, I love painting them, and as I’ve found out recently I truly enjoy playing the game.  I had been putting off working on my armies and playing the game until recently when, while searching for some battle tutorials I came across “Dreamlike Gaming” on Youtube.

DLGming

I watched a series of Dark Vengeance unboxing and battle reports and became addicted to their videos.  I’ve seen lots of videos recently as I’ve tried to get up to speed with 40k and tabletop wargaming but these are by far my favorite.  Many videos like these are made by reviewers or wannabe reviewers and one thing I’ve noted about “critics” recently is they tend to only know how to be critical.  It could be the snarkiness inherent in the internet culture but you never hear glowing reviews anymore, I think because people find it easier or trendier to dislike things.  What appealed to me about the Dreamlike videos I watched, most of them from Tom, Mark, and Stu (good luck with your future projects!), were these are guys who really enjoy playing the games they play.  They aren’t critics with another company, these guys are the company (or at least a big part of it) and the reason they’re in the business is they love to play.  Win or lose, they truly capture the experience of playing games with your friends in a perfect way.

They also aren’t experts.  They’ll stop and review the rules.  They get some of them wrong and let you know about their mistakes in conclusions or in following videos.  As a starting out player this makes the games feel less intimidating.  Everyone can get the complex rules to these games wrong, or sometimes forget to roll their “gets hot” when firing plasma guns!

The videos are simple, raw, and surprisingly hilarious.  From Stu’s absolute domination during his first swing with High Elves against Tom’s poor Ogre Army, to Tom’s dealing with the “shenanigans” of the Grey Knights against his doomed Chaos forces (that report is full of terrific moments, his description of Abbadon’s Talon of Horus as a “space marine killy claw,” his declaration that his ONE remaining chaos terminator “fancied himself next warmaster,” and the endless combat between said terminator and the Grey Knight Justicar).  These guys love to play games and it shows, and they also have great video personas.

Black Legion vs Grey Knights.  I love this one!

Just watching their battle reports got me excited about playing with my new armies and even has me looking into Warhammer fantasy as well, something I never thought I’d do.

The above video is a whole playlist.  Hit play when the next vid pops up for lots of fantasy battle report videos!

They aren’t slick, expensively produced videos but they ARE remarkably effective at showing you how to play, not just with the rules but with the attitude of a gamer having fun, letting friendly opponents correct mistakes, always shaking hands, and having a good laugh whether you got the victory points or not.  If you’re a beginner like me or just a gamer looking to see some fun battle reports and watch some gamers having fun I say check them out.  They’ve got a store too, and if you live in the UK (I don’t so you guys have reached across the pond all the way to Tennessee!) check that out too.

I’ve recently completed the first incarnation of my two 40k armies and I’ll be posting pics of their newly constructed, unpainted masses soon and will do updates of my painted versions as I complete them.

I’m glad that REAL social gaming seems to be coming back and is a growing community.  As Wil Wheaton would say, “Play more games!” and as Tom would say, “Keep it dreamlike!”

http://www.dreamlikegaming.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DreamlikeGaming

Also, check out my other Warhammer-related posts!

Illustrator Blood Angels

Balrog Painting

Black Reach Orks

Warhammer Fantasy Presents

Freeway Review: Red Riding Hood Isn’t for Kids Anymore

On By R. PettyIn MoviesLeave a comment

What do you get when you cross an angry foul-mouthed teenager, a classic children’s tale, and a psychopath? Freeway.

In short, Freeway is a deliciously dark spin on Little Red Riding Hood. Vanessa Lutz (Reese Witherspoon) runs away from her dysfunctional home life to get to her grandmother’s house. Along the way, Bob Wolverton (Kiefer Sutherland) picks her up, and little does Vanessa know he is a serial killer. Sounds interesting, right?

I caught this movie on T.V. one day, and I realized after rewatching it this week, it’s my second-favorite movie of all time, following Pulp Fiction. It’s violent, controversial, and funny. So, if you think this is your kind of flick, here are my top five reasons why it’s a must-see and own.

1. Reese Witherspoon: You may know the star from films such as Legally Blonde and sequel, Walk the Line, and Sweet Home Alabama, but I guarantee you’ve never truly seen her talent until you see Freeway. She is ruthless. She will eff you up and never feel a shred of remorse. And that’s what makes her character so memorable.

2. Kiefer Sutherland: He is a great co-star and perfect complement to Witherspoon. He defines creepy. I still shiver at any close-up shots, and his character makes you uncomfortable. He is a perfect big bad wolf.

3. The stereotypes: This movie insults a lot of people. It takes stereotypes and amps them up to an ear shattering volume. You’ll see drug-addict parents, good/bad cops, rebellious teenagers, thugs, trophy wives, psychological professionals, inmates, and it slaps the court system in the face.

4. It’s controversial: This movie premiered in 1996, when several of these topics were making headlines, and some still do. This movie was not afraid to go there. Beware of offensive language, prostitution, murder, racist remarks/slang, child molestation, interracial relationships, and drug use. If you are easily offended, this movie is not for you.

5. Originality: I give five gold stars for a good premise. At a time when Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Jack and the Beanstalk have been CGId and “made dark”, Freeway is a refreshing reminder that Hollywood can make a good movie from a classic story without computer enhancements and popular stars (who were in other movies that made a profit). Major kudos to writer and director Matthew Bright.

These reasons mixed with a number of notable actors/actresses including the late Brittany Murphy, Brooke Shields, Bokeem Woodbine, Dan Hedaya, and Amanda Plummer, create a star-studded thriller you won’t forget.

Here’s a scene from the movie that contains spoilers and language. If you’ve seen the movie, I’d love to know what you think!

Off the Charts: An Idiot Abroad Series 3

On By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, ReviewsLeave a comment

Off The Charts Header

Karl Pilkington has been around the world twice.  Once to see the seven wonders of the world and again to check things off the bucket list of someone more adventurous than he.  A viewer could tell Karl had about had it with his travels at the end of the second season.  Actually this was apparent at the end of the FIRST season, but thankfully he agreed to go on more adventures.

Season three of Idiot Abroad just finished broadcasting in the US.  It was, no pun intended, a mini-season, consisting of only three episodes and features a constant travelling companion for Karl, film star and friend of Ricky Gervais (who also appeared on the phone in the second season of Idiot Abroad when Karl visited the Chinese dwarf village at the end of the Trans-Siberian railway) Warwick Davis.

As a fan the concept was concerning to me.  We like to see Karl exploring on his own and hear his random, yet always honest, reflections about his experiences.  When I heard he would have “a little company” for season three, and it would consist of only three episodes, I thought it might prove to be disastrous.  After seeing it I’m happy to say it was a great conclusion (I REALLY don’t think Karl will be up for any more of this…) to the series and still loaded with Karl fun.

This season was billed as Karl, who hates doing new things, and Warwick, who’s up for anything as they trace the Marco Polo route from Venice to China.  This turned out not to be the case.  In a few ways:

  • First: They didn’t do the whole Marco Polo route.  Obviously in 3 episodes that journey wouldn’t be possible.  Unlike previous seasons, you got brief looks into each place they stopped, usually punctuated by one or two big events per episode.
  • Second: Karl was as up for doing new things, and looking back, he really always has been.  From using a water jetpack, to eating Chinese street delicacies (something he was totally against in series 1!).  There remains ONE thing Karl abjectly refuses to do though!
  • Third: Warwick was as apprehensive as Karl about some of the activities.  Including ones he tried to get Karl to do (like being lifted in the air by helium balloons) and enjoying a Venetian “Pleasure Machine” during a masquerade party.

Overall this season was filled with the same Karl blunt hilarity as the others.  Some viewers complained about the “shock” value of it, the inclusion of Warwick in general, the “Spider Sisters” event, but to me this was just more of the same.  Anyone who’s familiar with Karl knows he’s fascinated by “different” people, including the very tall Steve Merchant who produced the first two seasons and appears on the Ricky Gervais Show.  And it was no more shocking than bird fetus-eating and lady boy-visiting that appeared in previous seasons.  These inclusions always feel like Karl doing what Karl does.  Here are some of the highlights of season 3 for me:

  • Karl’s failure to use the water jetpack and Ricky Gervais’ very correct theory on why he chose to do it (essentially to try to find something Warwick would hate but he wound up hating it himself)
  • Flying Warwick on helium balloons in Macedonia (to quote Karl, “I’ve never had a kite…”)
  • Karl dressed as the slouchiest panda in genetic history. Also his plan on how to fend off an attacking panda.
  • The results of Karl and Warwick in a Bollywood film and how they both reviewed the experience.  Surprisingly the roles reversed in this case!
  • Random Karl quips and quotes about Warwick (comparing him to a leech, saying he’d trade him for a cat, constant references to his playing a “bear” in Star Wars, and his utter shock that Warwick was in ALL the Harry Potter films)
  • A favorite moment, that might seem uncomfortable to some, was Karl’s tough love to Warwick climbing the steps to a Buddhist temple.  Warwick wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to continue.  Karl’s blunt, seemingly vicious, criticisms eventually got Warwick to walk the entire length of the stairs.  Though to add to the comedy, Karl ended up taking a palanquin!
  • And my personal favorite moment, perhaps in the history of the show, what makes Karl laugh:

The only negatives in this series to me are; it can feel uncomfortable as you watch the two of them interact and interact with those around them at times, until you get used to what is going on.  Karl was right to be angry that Warwick had better lodging than him.  He was right that he got a different experience, eating the local food and getting sick, than Warwick.  It doesn’t detract from the show, but the tension makes it a little more “reality show” than the others. The other negative is there was no “Karl Comes Home” this season.  Obviously with only three episodes a clip show would be a waste, but I always enjoyed Karl’s final thoughts on his travels.  Warwick’s as well as he could review where they had been and what it’s like to travel with Karl.

I highly recommend the entire show, and this season was no exception.  It’s not for the easily-offended, but Karl never is.  If you’re looking for comedy and pure honesty on TV Idiot Abroad is the way to go!  Thanks to Karl for going through all this for our entertainment!

The 90s: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Movie

On By James CastroIn Movies, Opinions, Random Fun, ReviewsLeave a comment

I don’t know when and where I first heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I do know I joined the majority of my generation in becoming obsessed with all things mean, lean, and green for the better part of four years.  I’ve always loved turtles, I wanted to keep a giant water turtle that I found outside my house when I was about 8 and my sister and I used to make paper bowl turtle toys (turn the bowl over, make it paper feet and head, color it!) at my grandmother’s house, so when a cartoon about anthropomorphic turtles came out it must have felt like a perfect fit.

The Ninja Turtles movie was the first film I remember being truly excited about.  There had been The Land before Time when I was even younger, Ghostbusters II, and Batman the year before, but Ninja Turtles ramped up to be the event of my youth.  I remember TONS of pre-release promotional material I collected, including the awesome poster (Lean, Mean, and on the Screen!) that hung on my green-painted wall for years.  And yes it was painted green because of my TMNT love…

Despite all of this I don’t remember having any expectations for the film.  I didn’t expect it to be a continuation of the cartoon, or the re-telling of the show in live-action format.  I may have been too young for such concepts.  I was expecting to see live-action Ninja Turtles and that’s just what I got.

For me, this movie was the perfect introduction to the 1990s.  Though it was made in the late 80s and based on an 80s cartoon, the film is far more 90s than 80s.  The costumes, from April’s street gear and Danny’s slacker outfit, looks like 90s clothes, even Shredder’s MC Hammer red jump suit (complete with giant, square shoulders) looks more like early 90s than late 80s.  The musical score, with a killer synth theme, didn’t have the distinctive “Final Countdown” sound that marred synth in the 80s.  In fact this is the first movie I can recall that heavily featured rap music, not just as a soundtrack item (though there was an awesome credit scroll rap track that still gets stuck in my head…) but in the background as what was on the radio that we, the kids seeing the movie, were listening to.

This song plays right after “Cowabunga!” at the end of the film.  It still plays periodically in my mental soundtrack…

I recently rewatched the film and, objectively, I can say it was a fantastic herald for the decade and is still a terrific movie.  While some might consider the background dated, to me it speaks so clearly of the time it was made and it never detracts from its effectiveness.  Yeah the foot soldiers steal 10-inch tube TVs and VCRs but in 1990 something like that would have been a kind of luxury item.  As well as something a ninja could conceivably flee on foot carrying.

Even the turtles themselves, essentially man-sized muppet outfits, are surprisingly emotional.  You believe their animatronic faces.  This is aided by the voice acting, which, in most cases (Raph’s Brooklyn accent being the outlier) came close to matching what we were used to hearing on the cartoon show.  Even Splinter’s voice became the model used for later TMNT features…though never close to as well…

The action sequences are remarkable, which is surprising as the stunt guys are wearing massive foam-rubber suits and I attribute THIS movie to sparking my interest in martial arts, which extends to this day (not the cartoon, which I’ve also seen recently and it has very little fighting I’ve realized!)

The non-turtle actors led by Judith Hoag, the best live-action April, and Elias Koteas, the quintessential Casey Jones, never seem out of place or make the very weird subject matter seem as odd as it is.  They play it believable so you believe them.  They are enhanced by a score of excellent secondary characters, Danny, Charles Pennington (April’s Boss), Tatsu (one of my favorites, “Ninja! Vanish!”), and an incredible live action Shredder.

It doesn’t just “hold up” as a good movie, it actually is a good movie.  It never has a dated cringe-worthy moment that references some long-lost, time-stamped, disposable concept.  In many ways the humor and references are more like Looney Tunes, in that they have a timeless feel or harken back to already-established icons, such as the old-school surfing terms, Three Stooges, Rocky, or the famous James Cagney “you dirty rat” misquote.

I wonder if newer generations of kind can appreciate this film for what it is. Or if music-video-style film making, flashing light imagery, and over-shiny CGI has altered the fundamental image of what an action movie should be.  To me, this is the Raiders of the Lost Ark of cartoon pop culture, a great marriage of subject, style, and execution.  And, to me, a memorable way to open the decade.

Interesting to note, this is the official trailer from the film, I actually remember seeing scenes from it, but the voices were not the same as the finished film.  Nearly every “masked” character has a different voice in the theatrical release!