Neverland [SyFy mini series]

There may be some mild spoilers in this review. Do not continue if you want to be surprised when watching. You have been warned...

YouTube + Video Games = Many hours wasted

Recently, I've become kind of a youtube junkie... Particularly for guys and gals playing video games. Maybe it's my way of playing the games vicariously through others. I only own my laptop and a PS2 [with a handful of games]. And since I don't own a memory card, I haven't felt encouraged to start any of my games.

Here are some youtube channels focused on video game playing that I have subscribed to:

Hank Games
For anyone familiar with the vlogbrothers, you have probably heard about this channel. It originally started with Hank Green playing video games by himself. I subscribed to this channel when he began playing Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4. I have always liked watching other people play video games... Given they have amusing commentary to go with it. I'd also recommend watching him play Assassins Creed... But start from the first one he played! He's currently on Revelations.

But right now, the first thing I check out is to see if his brother, John Green, has put up a new episode of The Miracle of Swindon Town. Basically, he plays FIFA 2011 as the Swindon Town Swoodilypoopers [not the real name of the Swindon Town F.C. btw] and provides interesting and random commentary. I don't know why it fascinates me so but it does. Maybe it's just the listener in me. I like listening to people and John Green has a lot to say.

Below is the latest episode of The Miracle of Swindon Town

Luke's Arcade

This is a really new channel from a youtuber that I was following before hand, Luke Conard. What I like about the channel is that there are a bunch of different people playing a bunch of different games. There really is something for everyone and I'm excited to see this channel flourish. Not only that, I haven't played most of the games they are taking on.

I have been watching all the videos so far but the ones I guess I'm most excited for are:

Little Big Planet with Luke and Ingrid [missglamorazzi]

and Alex plays Batman: Arkham Asylum [which did a live showing but hasn't been posted yet on the channel].

... Yeah. That's all.

A change from your irregularly scheduled program...

Like I kind of mentioned in my post about Once Upon A Time,  fairy tales are up on the rise with media today.  Really, I think it comes with off the tailcoats of the vampires/werewolves revolution we've been having with the Twilight saga and The Vampire Diaries. By that, I mean that writers and directors and producers are taking a concept that has been around for a while and revamping it for a modern audience.

Which gets to my main point: I'm really excited for the Snow White movies that are coming out next year. Like, really really really excited. Like, I may actually want to see these movies in theaters... Which doesn't really happen for me with a lot of movies.

So the following is my take on the movies so far along with the trailers.

Snow White & The Huntsman

This is the one with the tough Snow White, played by Kristen Stewart. We have the typical part of the story:

- Queen wants to be fairest in the land

- Snow White is gonna beat her

- Queen wants Snow White dead

- Queen sends Huntsman to kill Snow White

And then we get a change. The Huntsman [AKA Eric] is apparently reluctant to work for the Queen from the start. He appears to have been captured and is to either kill Snow White or be killed. From there, he apparently starts to train Snow White to fight in a battle against the Queen. Definitely pretty exciting in my opinion.

Kristen Stewart is the Snow White in this version and that hasn't deterred me from this movie yet. But I'll have to see another trailer because we haven't actually heard her speak, which could be a deal breaker for me. I've seen her in the Twilight saga and have noticed... Her acting has not evolved much through the series. I'm hoping that maybe in the strong female role, Stewart will flourish.

Mirror Mirror

This version of the Snow White tale seems like it will definitely be very different from the other. It may have been the impression from the trailer, but this story seems to focus more on the Queen then Snow White. And with Julia Roberts playing the Evil Queen, it's a no wonder. However, I don't know if I'd call her evil so much as self-absorbed. The trailer has her coming off as insecure and less scary. She almost comes off as comical in the trailer.

Something you do get from this movie that doesn't seem to appear in the other? The dwarves. You get a glimpse of them and Snow White training [again with the strong female who previously wasn't] for her fight against the Queen.

Also, the music in the trailer at the beginning actually makes me think Bollywood. It's really weird but exciting at the same time.

Bones [SPOILERS]

I've been on and off with this show for a few years now. I usually catch old episodes on TNT [though I think I've seen most of them by this point]. I've never been committed to watching it once a week even though I really like Bones.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Bones/Booth couple with a bun in the oven. It just seems kind of strange after so long for them to finally be together.

Even still, Brennan and Booth are two very different people. Tonight's new episode ["The Memories in the Shallow Grave"] seems to be showing us a lot of the obstacles that they are going to face not only as a couple, but a couple with a child on the way.

Brennan is very factual and scientific. Her way of thinking has not changed much since the first season give or take a smidgen. She has no belief in a God and has never really had a functioning family or anyone else to depend on.

Booth is a very emotional and bases his decisions on gut instinct. He is as open to ideas as he can be. Family and friends have always been #1 in his life and he is a bit more in touch with people than Brennan. And while he didn't grow up with the conventional family [his grandfather raised him], he still understands the functions of a family.

We can already tell that the following topics will need to be discussed/resolved this season:
- Finding a new place
- Religious upbringing
- Brennan working far into her pregnancy [because I can't imagine she'll be able to sit or whatever]
- Picking a name [which I think will be hilarious]
  ~ In relation, deciding on the child's last name
- Dealing with Parker [Hopefully this will be addressed because I feel like Booth's son is so easy to forget]
- Brennan's hormones [which I'm sure will come up the entire season]
- Money [which will probably come up more than once]

I'm sure there are more but those are what are coming to mind right at the moment. Any other ideas are welcomed.

First episode back was pretty good. We got to see Brennan have a few awkward moments and the kissing between Booth and Brennan were cute as oppose to weird.

The murder was so strange that it was kind of boring. I was more interested in the relationship aspect then the murder aspect. It is usually the other way around with me. I'm excited for what is to come and I'm going to try and keep up with the show, which will probably be difficult once Vampire Diaries goes on hiatus.

Once Upon a Time

I know, this is a little late but whatever...

I cannot express how excited I was for Once Upon A Time. Of course, I've kind of been excited for all the fairy tale story line shows that are coming out [Grimm] but this one especially. It is just such a new and different take on the tales. I've always been a lover of the fairy tales, whether Grimm or Disney.

Here is a link to the ABC website where you can watch the first episode of Once Upon A Time. If you don't want to be spoiled to the first episode, don't keep reading... You've been warned.

Sherlock

So, I've always been a Sherlock Holmes fan myself. I love the stories and have seen 2-3 of the adaptations. And this has got to be the most brilliant one!

Sherlock has taken the old school tales and given them a modern twist. And it is completely fabulous and I want the next series to come out. 

Basically, we start off with Dr. John Watson, who has just returned from Afghanistan and has had a rather traumatic experience. He visits a therapist and has a psychosomatic limp [which means trauma causes the limp]. Either way, he runs into a friend whom he says that he doesn't know who would be able to live with him... And it turns out that this friend is also friends with Sherlock Holmes. Who is also looking for a roommate and also wondered who would be able to live with him.

And so our dynamic duo is formed. And they are absolutely fantastic together. Sherlock is exactly what he calls himself in the show: "high functioning sociopath."  He has little regard for other people, doesn't seem to have too much in the way of feelings, and lives for the thrill of the chase. You could also say he is a little needy/dependent. He constantly has Watson do little things such as text someone or fetch his phone.

Watson is pretty level headed and a good counterpart to Holmes. He does cater to some of Sherlock's craziness and does a lot of listening. He is as close to a "friend" as Holmes could ever had.

Either way, this show is fantastic! I love Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock... And he comes off as strangely attractive. Which is weird for me because I usually don't care for the curly hair look at all. Maybe it's the impartial-ness of the character. Or maybe it's because it's freaking Sherlock Holmes... I don't really know or care to explain it.

Unfortunately, there are only three 90-minute episodes, which is incredibly depressing. Supposedly there are going to be three new 90-minute episodes early next year. Hopefully it will be done through PBS again so I can actually watch it when it comes out.

New Girl

I have a few shows this season that I'm interested in watching but I've always been bad about watching the first episode.


Hence, why I only just watched New Girl today.
Turns out it's a comcast ondemand thing. The show doesn't really premiere until Tuesday... So if you have Comcast ondemand, go check it out New Girl now!

And it was pretty awesome and I already have reminders plugged into my phone. I was kind of excited for this show just from the previews.

Jess Day [Zooey Deschanel] just found out her model boyfriend is cheating on her [the wikipedia page calls in a "surprise breakup"] and she needs to find a new place to live. She happens upon a craigslist ad [craigslist killer anyone?] for a place with 3 guys... And we see just how quirky Jess really is. That isn't to say that the guys are completely normal.

What to know about Jess:

1. She likes to sing... this includes occasionally making up songs as well
2. She is friends with models
3. She is quirky... Veeeeery quirky
4. She doesn't understand some social interacts... Especially when it comes to guys

And there are her 3 roommates: Nick, Schmidt, and Coach.

What to know about Nick:

1. I don't know if this will be reemerging but he's kind of obsess with his ex-girlfriend. This is kind of resolved in the episode but who knows
2. Bartender
3. When he is drunk, he calls his ex-girlfriend and speaks in an Australian accent [again, don't know if this will continue in the series]

What to know about Schmidt:

1. He's definitely Jersey Shore like [save for the tanning]
2. He has his own swear-word-esque jars. Except he puts money in whenever the other roommates decide he is being douchey. It is called the Douchebag Jar
3. He is the reason Jess is living with the guys. He was interested in her model friends.
4. He takes off his shirt even if everyone wants him to keep it on.

What to know about Coach

1. No interaction skills with the ladies [he yells a little too much]
2. Personal trainer
3. He's gone after the pilot due to Damon Wayans, Jr.'s obligations to Happy Endings
4. His character will be replaced with Winston [who we don't meet until the 2nd episode]. Apparently he was only subletting the apartment.

We also meet Cece, who is one of Jess' model friends. I can't really say much outside of the fact that she is a very loyal friend to Jess. And she appears to be fairly intelligent. But I can't make much more of her than that yet. Hopefully we'll see more of her in the future.

Either way, I'm definitely excited about this show.