What to Watch: The Krystle Starr Show

Written by Stuart Cooper

I promised you guys I would bring you more youtube recommendations, and this week we've got a goodie. When I first started cosplaying at conventions it didn't take long until I met a young lady by the name of Krystle Starr. Krystle is a regular attendee at conventions in the Texas area. She cosplays as various wonderful characters, and does so with great pride and enthusiasm. How is she different from the thousands of other girls who make a name from cosplaying? Well she is a true fan and her heart is in it. Cosplaying and the nerd community are a huge part of her life. She is featured in not one, but two different shows. One is a live in studio talk show every Sunday afternoon called "Fan girls: Dames of the Round Table". While she is not on every episode, she is a regular. The other girls featured on the show are all great as well, so it's worth a listen. Then there is her new Youtube show. I think she has the right attitude and the creative drive to make a fun channel. Hope to see it evolve into a really amazing foreground for nerd discussion, it has the right tools to be successful. A beautiful woman talking about all of your favorite nerdy things, what more could you ask for?

Your Moment of Zen for the Week of 9/30/2013

This week's Moment of Zen is from the newly released Grand Theft Auto 5. The game may not be for everyone but this video shows just how fun it can be to wreak havoc. If you're not a fan of authority, you might like this.

Breaking Bad Finale Review

Written by Stu Cooper

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Well it's over. The Heisenberg saga has come to an end. Unless you live under a rock you've probably heard about “Breaking Bad” , especially over the past week. Thanks to syndication, Netflix, and DVD's, the show itself has become a binging favorite. I know a lot of people who only got into the show over the past couple months and binged watched their way all the way to the current season. Along with “The Wire” and “Battlestar Galactica” I'd say it's the most recommended show of this generation. The story itself revolves around a former chemistry teacher named Walter White who turns to a life of meth cooking in order to raise money for his cancer treatments, and to give his family something to hang onto after he passes. During this venture he meets one of the most lovable screw-ups in T.V. History Jessie Pinkman. Jessie is an addict who dabbles in the drug trade world. Once Walter and Jessie team-up they become the odd couple of the show and tons of adventure, murder, crime, and madness ensue. The show finally came to a close tonight. Unlike Dexter and The Sopranos, we got some serious resolution.

Going into the final episode Walt had very little left to live for. His entire family has exiled him, he is a wanted criminal, his legacy is in shambles, all of his business partners are dead, and his protege Jessie Pinkman is being enslaved and forced to make meth for a bunch of skinheads and an awkward Matt Damon look-alike named Todd. Walt using what is left of his genius finds a way to exact revenge on all those who have wronged him that remain in the picture. We see Walt rigging various devices and showing hints at what is to come later in the episode. Walt also threatens a rich couple he had previously been associated with and talks them into holding onto money that will be issued to his family. There is some nice shots of Walt watching Flynn from a distance. You can tell he is saying goodbye in his mind, and trying to get a few more mental snapshots of his son before it's all over. As much as I hated the Walter White character by this point, this episode made the audience sympathize with Walters final days. Soon after this we see Walt confront Lydia and Todd during one of their weekly meetings. At this point we see the camera emphasize the fact that Lydia is putting something in her tea as usual. We find out later that this is Walt's last little Ricin trick (which he had apparently been keeping in the electrical socket in case of emergencies). This was a fitting death for Lydia considering her obsession with getting her tea. I always kind of assumed that would play a role later on. Unlike Dexter, this show seems to remember little details from prior episodes.

One of the most beautiful moments of the episode came when we see Jessie woodworking and making a wooden box, unfortunately it's a daydream and Jessie awakes from his trance and realizes he is still shackled up to the meth lab, a slave to the lab. Vince Gillian (the director) does a great job conveying the sadness in Jessie and his terrible life. You can't help but root for Jessie and pray that he makes it out of the episode alive. Good news is, if you made that wish, you got it. Walt soon comes to the rescue, using a brilliant rigged automatic machine gun to take out the gang. During this fire fight, Walt dives onto Jessie, covering his body, essentially shielding him from any bullets. This results in Jessie and Walt surviving.

The only enemy that survived the gun attack happens to be...Todd! The smug bastard that kept Jessie chained up, survives the onslaught. But before Todd can piece together what happened Jessie grabs him and wraps the handcuff chain around his throat, then proceeds to brutally choke Todd to death, complete with a neck snapping noise. The audience had been waiting for Todd to finally get what he had coming, and boy was it glorious! It was so fulfilling to see Jessie get a break (pun intended). After this, Walt throws Jessie a gun and gives him the opportunity to finally put Walt down and end his pain. Jessie having witnessed and endured so much violence and death, opts not to kill Walt. His pain would not be cured by Walt's death and he realized that. We see Jessie ride off into the night, free and happy to no longer be enslaved. My guess is that he will now live out his life taking care of Brock. As a viewer I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing he made it out alive. I've never seen a character suffer so much in a story, so he deserved a chance at a new life. Walt however was not as fortunate. It's revealed soon after that Walt was wounded in the gun fight and is bleeding out. Walt goes over to the meth lab and has a moment of happiness as he thinks about the joy he got from his skills in the field of chemistry. While Walt did commit terrible crimes, he did find a sense of purpose he didn't have prior to his chef days. This was emphasized by Walt rubbing one of the chemical tanks...breathing a sigh of relief. Soon after Walt collapses and the police arrive to a euphoric Walt, gazing into death.

An absolute roller coaster of a finale. Walt finally admits he did all of this for himself, Jessie finally achieves freedom, and every door is shut. As the credit hits, I felt like I was looking at the shattered remains of a city after a tornado struck. So much death and heartbreak took place in the last season. You know you felt a connection with all of that when you feel a weight lifted off your shoulders when things are wrapped up. I don't know if the show is one of the greatest of all-time, as many people seem to think, but there are certainly some beautiful moments in the show that prove it's a great piece of television. They say chemistry is the study of change, so it's appropriate that the audience sees Walter White evolve from a deluded family to a dying megalomaniac. The show itself truly deserves praise, and i'm glad the Emmys recently acknowledged the show's quality as well. We are in an era where TV is on par with most hollywood filmmaking, and this show proves that. The team of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul was truly remarkable and I hope to see more work from both of them. If this show was any indication of their talent, we have a lot to look forward to. Overall it was a hell of a ride and it was the perfect amount of storytelling...BITCH!

Dexter "Remember The Monsters" Finale Review

Written by Stu Cooper

For years “Dexter” has been one of my favorite television shows. Season 4 of Dexter is really when the show peaked. The chemistry Michael C. Hall had with John Lithgow was unparalleled and hard to top. Unfortunately the show never seemed to pick up that kind of steam for the remainder of the seasons. Season 5 showed promise when Quinn began getting onto Dexter's trail, but by Season 6 it had been completely forgotten. Last season ended on a major note with Dexter's sister Deb helping Dexter by shooting and killing La Guerta. Which resulted in one of the most emotional scenes in the history of the show. At the end of Season 7, prior to La Guerta being killed we found out that she was onto Dexter and had proof of his involvement in the bay harbor butcher killings. When La Guerta was killed, you would think that her ex-husband Angel, the now head of the department, would pick up where she left off right? Wrong. Just like previous serious matters on the show, this issue is simply swept under the rug and by the 3rd episode of Season 8, La Guerta is but a distant memory. That is the main issue I had with this show, and with the lackluster final season that we got.

This season introduced several characters, the biggest of which would be Dr.Vogel, Dexter's surrogate psychiatrist mother. The relationship between the two would be the basis of the season. Throughout the season Dexter encounters former patients of Dr.Vogel's and they end up being the bulk of his victims. Also Dexter is developing a serious relationship with Hanna Mckay, the fugitive. The first half of the season focuses on Dexter's childhood, and his relationship with Debra being damaged. The dynamic introduced with the Deb/Dexter conflict was intense and could have led to some great TV. At one point we see Debra actually try to kill both her and Dexter by driving their car off a bridge! But by the end of the following episode...they are totally cool with each other! The writers really insulted the viewers at this point. It was cookie cutter by the numbers TV. No risks, no balls, just predictable resolution. Also throughout the season the characters we are introduced to...Elway, Masuka's Daughter, The brain surgeon, Zack (aka Dexter Jr.)...all amount to nothing when it comes to the final “storm”. So many elements that could have led to a huge intense finale...wasted. Without getting into too much detail about the season, let's just get right into the finale itself.

The finale started with Deb being rushed to the hospital after Saxon the Brain surgeon escaped. We are told by the doctor at the hospital that Deb will be totally fine and should be back on her feet in no time. Glad we can trust doctors! Elway tracks Deb and Hannah to the airport and there is a great little bit where Dexter convinces TSA that Elway is a possible terrorist and that provides them with a lot of time. Unfortunately this stunt results in all the flights getting canceled and Hannah,Dexter, and Harrison are forced to stay in Miami a little bit longer. Elway gives Dexter a cryptic message “A storm is coming Dexter”, little do we know this will be the first of many “Dark Knight Rises” similarities in the episode.

After Dex returns to the hospital he has a heart to heart with Deb, an incredibly lackluster confrontation with Saxon, and before we know it Saxon is in custody yet again. This is where the episode begins to take a turn for the dramatic. For no reason at all, Deb begins to slip into a coma and the doctor explains to Dexter and Quinn (Deb's now Fiance) that she is a vegetable and it would take a miracle for her to breath on her own again. Even tho 5 minutes prior the same doctor had high hopes for her. This was a pretty dumb moment and at this point I started to feel a lack of faith in this episode.

Soon after this, Dexter snaps and goes to where Saxon is being kept. Dexter pretends to perform some type of criminal test for the department and this results in him baiting Saxon into attacking him, which he reacts to by stabbing Saxon in the throat with a pen. After this, there was a scene that I actually really liked where Angel and Quinn sit in a room and watch the security footage of Dexter killing Saxon, with Dexter in the room. It's clear in the video that it was not an accident, but since everyone is totally shattered at this point in the episode, they let it go as self defense, and embrace Dexter's dark-side, if only for a second. Unfortunately, that's the closest we would get to anyone having the slightest clue about Dexter's Dark Passenger. Which is perhaps the most frustrating part of the series. After 8 seasons the entire Miami metro department is completely clueless, all their heads up their asses, even Quinn who discovered Dexter was possibly a killer almost 3 years prior!

Soon after this we would be treated to probably the most awkward 15 minutes in Dexter history. I'm sure the last 15 minutes of the show will become notorious considering how goofy it is. Dexter decides to end Debra's life by unplugging her (even tho there was still a slight chance of her coming out of it), and in front of hundreds of people, drags her body out of the hospital and onto his boat. Of course no one notices or says a word. Then Dexter proceeds to treat Debra like his final victim, dumping her in the ocean. In some weird way, serving as his “final kill” but in another way, I considered it to be one of the lamest things he could have possibly done. I mean how disrespectful! Her family, her friends, her fiance, none of them get a say in this matter, or her burial? They are left to figure out what the hell happened to her body?! Not a cool move Dex, not cool at all. Then Dexter makes the second “Dark Knight Rises” tribute of the night and rides his boat into the ocean of certain death (a giant storm). At this point Dexter is presumed dead after his boat is discovered. The entire department gives a slight reaction, and that's it. In the final scene it's revealed that Dexter faked his death and is now...A LUMBERJACK! That's right. Full beard, lumberyard, life of solitude and seriousness. And that's all folks. It felt like a giant punch to the stomach.

All the brutality, all the heartbreak, all the emotional evolution Dexter has endured over 8 years...all for nothing. Dexter gives up a life with his son, kills his sister, and gives up on everything the show was building towards. He is now going to sit in a void of humanity, faking enjoyment as a lumberjack for all eternity. Certainly not the ending I would have written. It seems most people are pretty unhappy with this ending, but what can ya do? The show itself has been disappointing for several years now, so I prepared myself for the possibility that the finale would be uneventful, and it was. The final season was full of plot holes, plots that led to nowhere (Masuka's daughter, Zack, Elway) and possibly the dumbest police department in history. It's a shame because Dexter himself is an amazing character that could have been explored in some truly remarkable and dark ways. I suppose that means I should read the books now. I've heard they steer more towards that direction. So overall a pretty disappointing finale. If they were going to go the goofy route, why not just have Cybernetic Doakes show up at the end? Sadly this show ended up becoming a pseudo-CSI show and lost the edge it had in the first 4 seasons. The show itself had some great cameos, sadistic intense kills, and a truly compelling main character. That is why the finale deserved better. At the end of the day, at least we have Trinity.

A Great Example of Dexter at it's best:

Your Moment of Zen for the Week of September 24th, 2013

Ladies and Gentleman, the sequel in the making "Dumb and Dumber To" presents this week's "Moment of Zen":

The World's End (2013) Review

Written By Stu Cooper

It’s been almost 9 years since I first discovered Simon Pegg in “Shaun of the Dead”. Soon after that he immediately became one of my favorite actors, and you can bet I was one of the people who showed up to see “Hot Fuzz” opening weekend! For years to come I found myself quoting both films, and then I discovered “SPACED”. This was Pegg’s British comedy show he had prior to both films. Since the episodes were hard to find until the DVD release, it took me awhile to see it, but once I did…I loved it! There is really nothing Pegg hasn’t been involved in that I didn’t love. When you combine Pegg with his best friend Nick Frost and Writer/Director Edgar Wright you have a team that is certain to impress. Wright wrote “The World’s End” along with Pegg to serve as the final installment in Wright’s “Blood and Ice Cream” series, which consists of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. The films themselves have little to do with each other aside from the actors and the comedy style. I was very excited when I heard these guys were teaming up again, and I was not disappointed. So let’s get right into the film.

“The World’s End” tells the story of man by the name of Gary King who grew up in a small town in England with his 5 best friends. One night the group decides to attempt a local challenge called “The Golden Mile” in which you must visit 12 pubs and have at least a pint at each pub. The final pub is called “The World’s End”, which sadly the boys never made it to (in 1990). After a failed attempt at the pub challenge, the boys seem to have grown up and gone their separate ways. The film picks up some 23 years later (the original challenge took place in 1990, which is obvious by the clothing and music during the time). Every member of the group has moved on to some type of mature adult oriented life, while Gary is still stuck in 1990. Gary wears the same clothes, listens to the same music, and is still obsessed over the feat that fell through his grasps…The Golden Mile. While living as a functioning alcoholic Gary makes it his mission to reunite the old gang and give the pub challenge one last attempt. After lying his way through each of his friends, he somehow convinces all of them participate. The other members of the group are Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman) (begrudgingly known as “O-Man” due to a birth mark he has on his face that makes look like “The Omen”), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine), and of course Andy Knightley (Nick Frost). In a nice little role reversal, Pegg actually plays the crazy one and Nick Frost actually plays the straight laced one. It’s nice to see the roles changing up a bit. The group as a whole is just superb though. Every actor is good in their own right, and of course fans of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “The Hobbit” will be thrilled to see Martin Freeman. It’s a win-win as soon as you see this cast. Also for fans of Pegg and Wright's other projects there are several cameos from actors featured on "SPACED" and the other films as well. I verbally yelled "YES!" when the "SPACED" cameos took place.

After all 5 men agree to meet-up in their old hometown, they begin “The Golden Mile”. Gary makes it clear that he has not forgotten all the good times the boys used to have, in fact it’s all he ever talks about. There is a great sequence where it shows each man preparing to leave on their journey. Some are wrapping things up at work, some are saying goodbye to their wife and kids, but Gary is sitting in a ratty little apartment, getting wasted, and putting on the same clothes he wore in 1990. There is also a great bit where the group is all carpooling and they realize Gary is still listening to the exact same cassette tape he was listening to in 1990. They make it clear he is not ready to move on with his life, and this adventure is all that he has. The group begins the “Golden Mile” and quickly realizes that some of the pubs they grew up loving have been altered and turned into corporate chains, which puts a damper on the originality of the bars. As an added problem, Andy no longer drinks, so he keeps ordering water while Gary is trying to get everyone pumped up over the prospect of drinking all night. You find out later in the film that Andy has some serious issues with Gary, and part of that is the reason why he no longer drinks.

As the film progresses from bar to bar, funny bit to funny bit it is easy to get immersed into the film and pretend you’re right along with the group. I often found myself jealous that I could not actually participate in the challenge with them! About half-way through the film you are introduced to a science fiction element of the film. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say the film gets kicked up a notch and it kind of becomes Shaun of the Dead meets Doctor Who. I was concerned about this element of the film but it is executed perfectly. Throughout the film the theme of “maturity” and “growing up” was addressed. It seems the whole world besides Gary has moved on with life and found some type of contentment, so it’s heartbreaking to see Gary desperately latching on to his nostalgia. This is a feeling I can certainly relate to, and maybe that’s why it hit me so hard. He loves his friends, but he loves the memories more. One might say he is trapped in his own personal hell, looping his memories without introducing new ones.

As the film winds down you see Gary realize that no matter how hard he tries, he won’t be time traveling, and he won’t be that young handsome fun guy from 1990 again. He realizes he needs to be something more than that. That’s where the whole moral of the film comes in. It really feels like the message of the film is…Don’t live for the past, live for your future. If you live for the past, it will ultimately destroy your future prospects, because you are blinded by it and not prepared for what lies ahead. This is a feeling that almost every human being deals with I think. The older you get, the more you reflect on “the good ole days” and you either resent time, or you embrace it. You either wish you could go back to being a kid, or you use your new found knowledge and maturity to explore a new future. Gary’s friends were able to move on, he was not. So you get to see him tragically realize this throughout the film. I think that is the part that actually makes this a trilogy. In Shaun of the Dead, Shaun was like a young dumb boy who was experiencing life for the first time, experiencing love and friendship for the first time. In Hot Fuzz, Nicholas Angel was a stern lonesome man who was learning to lighten up and let people in, and then In “The World’s End” we have a Gary King. A shell of a man, washed up and burnt out, aged, and tired, but still looking for that last adventure, the adventure that gives me a sense of purpose. That’s precisely what he finds. The cycle is complete. There is also a final confrontation that reminds me a lot of Star Trek/Doctor Who in which King must battle the villain using wit and attitude. This film is a fun comedy, intense action sequences, and a great overall deep meaning. I absolutely loved this film and I can’t wait to watch it again. Truly entertaining stuff. I highly recommend it.

Your moment of Zen for the Week of September 2nd, 2013

Moment of Zen:

Retro Game Review: Ecco The Dolphin (Genesis)

Written by: Jenny Foxx

Easily one of my favorite games from the Genesis generation, Ecco the Dolphin stands the test of time. I played this little side-scroller so much as a teenager, that I had no trouble remembering the ins and outs of its sometimes daunting puzzles when I put the cartridge in and gave the dolphin a run for his money this afternoon. Being that I’m not a first timer, I had her shut down after a mere 3.5 hours of gameplay, but it is no easy task. Ecco boasts some of the more frustrating enemies and levels I have ever encountered in games of similar nature.

The game follows a dolphin named Ecco (as the title suggests) who has lost his pod to a mysterious wind in the sky. Ecco fights his way through the ocean to uncover the secrets behind the disappearance of his family. Along the way, he gets help from crystal glyphs, whose cryptic, albeit helpful, messages guide you through the plot and help to unveil the evil Vortex –an alien race from a distant planet who feed on the sea life of Earth once every 500 years. As Ecco, you must traverse the ocean, and time, to find and defeat the Vortex queen and return your pod to safe waters. Ecco runs into a variety of ocean favorites in his travels, including orca whales and giant octopi. Some are friendly, and some are downright a pain in the ass. Ecco is fairly easy to maneuver, though there are some jumps that do require a modicum of patience to achieve. The health mechanics of the game are built around the necessity for air, and schools of fish that you can dash into and eat to revive your dying dolphin. The game is broken down into six environments, each with between two and four levels, and each with varying degrees of difficulty. To put it nicely, the easy levels are amazingly simple puzzles or mazes, with plenty of air pockets and fish to replenish you along the way. The medium levels are just slightly more challenging. They added a few more enemies and longer stretches without air, but not made them any more troublesome to solve. The hardest levels however, will unquestionably make you want to pull your hair out. There are virtually no air pockets, frustrating currents, and a heavy smattering of nuisance enemies to knock your life down when you need it the least. Oh, and no to mention the fish are all scared of these levels too. They are nowhere to be seen. There are no checkpoints, so with every death you will start the level over. This becomes increasingly frustrating during some of the more challenging areas. Ecco also does not offer lives or continues, instead working on the level password system, allowing you to return to the start of the level you last played, you know, for the times when you feel like shooting someone in the face.

I can’t really offer much commentary in the ways of graphics, given that this gem was released in 1992. I don’t recall if I was amazed by it back then, or whether I thought it of no importance. I will say that the areas are rich in color and offer vibrant renditions of life on the sea floor, but most of the time you are looking at rock and water. In the Atlantis areas there are more distinct and detailed backgrounds, which makes up for the completely bland ice zones that are nothing but chunks of white all over the screen. I feel I can offer, however, a valid opinion on some of the sound. The level tracks themselves are genuinely catchy. In certain areas, they are almost strategically relaxing. I find them all to be a solid fit for the environments and goings on of the levels they are featured in. My favorite among them all happens in the Jurassic levels. It reminds me of a percussion ensemble; precise and rhythmical, yet delicate. That aside, this is one game where I would kill for a volume option and the ability to filter out sound effects. Ecco makes some of the most obnoxious sounds when he is hurt, it almost forces me to play with the sound off completely. Overall, you will hear me say that this is one of my favorites when I talk about classic games, but what you should hear is that this is a game I can play once every few years. I love it on the outside, but it doesn’t take long before I remember why this game gets set down easily. It is definitely one of the games people are referring to when they say things like “do you remember when games were hard?” Cause it is. Incredibly so, at times.

Jenny’s Bottom Line:

Story: Interesting concept. Dolphins v. Aliens. Who would have thought?

Graphics: Often times you get lost in the water/rock combo and lose your sense of direction. Appears as though some levels got more attention than others.

Sound: Super music, horrible effects. For best results, unleash the ipod.

Mechanics: There is really only one memorable spot where you will curse the dolphin rather than the baddies. And believe me, you’ll do that a lot.

Replay: It’s good for nostalgia, but the ever frustrating death count leaves much to be desired. Hooray for cheat codes!

Score: 8.5/10

What You Should Watch: CONTINUE?

Written by Stu Cooper

In the age of the internet it is becoming common that people are now getting entertainment from certain Youtube channels as opposed to Television. This allows for a special type of programming that might not be available on television due to tricky copyrights or budgeting. I try to catch these special channels as often as I can, but one gem just recently came up on my radar, despite being around for the past couple years. That Youtube Channel is known as "ContinueShow". The premise of the channel is that 3 guys host a show called "Continue?" in which they choose a game every week to sit and play, and after about 10-15 minutes of gameplay, they decide whether or not they would enjoy continuing the game or not. Sounds pretty bland when I say it like that, but rest assured it's anything but. It's kind of like those old Beavis and Butthead segments where they would watch music videos and make fun of them. It's a similar vibe here.

The 3 guys are named Nick, Paul, and Josh. They all sit side by side on a couch, and clearly share a on/off-screen friendship that helps create a fun chemistry in the videos. You really feel like you are just hanging out with these guys, gaming like you would with your friends. They are constantly busting each other's balls and being competitive while playing, which gives you another sign that they are actually friends. The humor is top notch and really cracks me up. It's definitely not for people who are easily offended tho. There is definitely some crude humor, but that is my favorite kind, so I don't mind. Also they do not look up anything about the games prior to playing them, so you may get frustrated with them at times if they don't know how to properly play the game. It's suppose to enhance the idea of them going into the game totally blind.

These guys really are funny and from what I've seen they are very humble and thankful for all the fans they've gotten. They reply to almost every comment on twitter/youtube, and they often play games on the show that are submitted by the viewers themselves. This channel and their selection of games actually make me miss those SURGE and 3-D dorito filled sleepovers I had as a child, staying up all-night trying to defeat Shao Kahn with a group of 3-4 other friends. Those were the days indeed. So if you're into gaming, nerd culture, riffing, or nostalgia, there is something on this channel for you to enjoy. It's a really fun channel worth checking out, and if you enjoy one, then I suggest you free up some time because you have about 100 more to go through. So take a look at some of the videos and decide yourself whether or not you would CONTINUE...CONTINUE?

Some of my favorite episodes: