I do love to write, and the book that helps me is: Crafting Novels & Short Stories. This book has several valuable tips on not only becoming a better writer, but also tips on making your book better. The tips come from writers such as Nancy Kress, David Corbett, Elizabeth Sims, Charles Atkins, and the list goes on.
There's a valuable tip that is shown early on, and that tip would be: write every day; it's a tip that I had heard before reading this book, and seeing it written in this book helps the importance of that valuable piece of advice.
Every single chapter is useful to the learning experience of the writer. My personal favorites are chapter 2 (emotion-driven characters), chapter 3 (depicting convincing relationships, chapter 4 (create the perfect (im)perfect heroic couple), chapter 5 (choosing your character's profession), chapter 6 (three techniques for crafting your villain), and finally chapter 7 (create vicious villains).
All in all, I feel this book is a must-have for any aspiring writer.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
Reason Why I Chose To Take Creative Writing For School
I
chose Creative Writing for this school semester, and one of the
reasons for my choice can be traced back to when I was a kid. See,
when I was in the fifth grade, there were a few Mondays that were
dedicated to creative writing. I enjoyed these periods immensely—so
much that I even remember being excited the night prior because I
knew what was going to happen the next day.
Now,
this class period lasted for only a few weeks, but what came out of
it was my love for writing; I love to create things that I, as a
writer, can be proud of. It's like my own little world.
I owe
my love for writing to those few weeks in 1998. I've been writing on
and off since then, the first few years were dedicated to fanfiction,
whether it was based on a video game or an anime. It was only until
2006 that I attempted to write something of my own.
We
are now at the end of 2015, and I can safely say that while
fanfiction is fun to write, my preference lies in creating my own
material; I find that there's more freedom in it for me, and I just
enjoy it more as I enjoy the thrill of writing my own characters, my
own story lines, and so on.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man Wish List
The accompanying video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF1UmNk3ECM) for those of you that are interested in watching it.
I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man, and I always have been. I remember watching the cartoon from the 90's, and I fell in love with the character, and his universe, because of it.
I remember watching my first trailer on Super Bowl Sunday, and I was glued to the screen. I was so excited for this movie. I'm really looking forward to watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in the future. I enjoyed the first one, and I think Marc Webb is doing a really good job with his trilogy. He's really making things his own, and I respect that immensely. We either have new things such as villains like Rhino, Electro, and The Lizard. They get the chance to shine. We also get re-imaginings of characters like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Flash Thompson, Aunt May, Harry Osborn, and Uncle Ben. And last but not least, we get a new love interest in Gwen Stacy. I liked her a lot in the first Amazing Spider-Man movie.
The purpose of this blog, and the video that I attached to it, is a wish-list of sorts. I'm excited about the sheer possibility of being able to get these things.
1. Mary Jane Watson being a better character. I thought she was okay in Sam Raimi's version, but she got annoying and petty. She was jealous of Spider-Man's fame for some reason. And all of her complaining came off as a way to make Peter/MJ "exciting" to the fans. And to me, it would have been exciting to see Peter and MJ have a good relationship.
I also want M.J. to look like a drop-dead gorgeous woman. Peter was in awe at her beauty in the comics, and I think she should look the part. That might sound shallow, but that's just the way I remember Mary Jane in terms of looks.
2. The costume from Spider-Man Unlimited. The show itself was mediocre, and I disliked a ton of things from it, but the suit itself was awesome. I loved everything about it from the colors to the cape that was attached to his costume. I think it would look really cool on the big screen. That, and it would be a very useful costume for Peter to use.
3. J. Jonah Jameson coming back on the big screen. He was fantastic last time he was on the big screen, and that's why I want him back. He's just so entertaining with his antics and "rivalry" with Spider-Man. I've always been a fan of his character, and I think that adding him to the next movie (or movies) would make the movies even better.
4. Last, but not least, Felicia Hardy a.k.a. The Black Cat (https://marvel.com/universe/Black_Cat). I remember seeing The Black Cat in the 90's Spider-Man cartoon, and I loved her. I instantly became a huge fan of the character. Great design. Great voice actress, as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Hale). I love her relationship with Spider-Man. I love it when she teams up with Spider-Man.
I'm looking forward to the possibilities with The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man, and I always have been. I remember watching the cartoon from the 90's, and I fell in love with the character, and his universe, because of it.
I remember watching my first trailer on Super Bowl Sunday, and I was glued to the screen. I was so excited for this movie. I'm really looking forward to watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in the future. I enjoyed the first one, and I think Marc Webb is doing a really good job with his trilogy. He's really making things his own, and I respect that immensely. We either have new things such as villains like Rhino, Electro, and The Lizard. They get the chance to shine. We also get re-imaginings of characters like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Flash Thompson, Aunt May, Harry Osborn, and Uncle Ben. And last but not least, we get a new love interest in Gwen Stacy. I liked her a lot in the first Amazing Spider-Man movie.
The purpose of this blog, and the video that I attached to it, is a wish-list of sorts. I'm excited about the sheer possibility of being able to get these things.
1. Mary Jane Watson being a better character. I thought she was okay in Sam Raimi's version, but she got annoying and petty. She was jealous of Spider-Man's fame for some reason. And all of her complaining came off as a way to make Peter/MJ "exciting" to the fans. And to me, it would have been exciting to see Peter and MJ have a good relationship.
I also want M.J. to look like a drop-dead gorgeous woman. Peter was in awe at her beauty in the comics, and I think she should look the part. That might sound shallow, but that's just the way I remember Mary Jane in terms of looks.
2. The costume from Spider-Man Unlimited. The show itself was mediocre, and I disliked a ton of things from it, but the suit itself was awesome. I loved everything about it from the colors to the cape that was attached to his costume. I think it would look really cool on the big screen. That, and it would be a very useful costume for Peter to use.
3. J. Jonah Jameson coming back on the big screen. He was fantastic last time he was on the big screen, and that's why I want him back. He's just so entertaining with his antics and "rivalry" with Spider-Man. I've always been a fan of his character, and I think that adding him to the next movie (or movies) would make the movies even better.
4. Last, but not least, Felicia Hardy a.k.a. The Black Cat (https://marvel.com/universe/Black_Cat). I remember seeing The Black Cat in the 90's Spider-Man cartoon, and I loved her. I instantly became a huge fan of the character. Great design. Great voice actress, as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Hale). I love her relationship with Spider-Man. I love it when she teams up with Spider-Man.
I'm looking forward to the possibilities with The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 2014 Revival
I remember being a fan of the TMNT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles) when I was a little kid. Back in the late 80's, and for most of the 90's, the TMNT were a huge part of the lives of little kids everywhere. You couldn't go anywhere and not see the turtles. They were on everything: video games that spanned several consoles, several upon several toys, board games, coloring books, and last but not least, the TV show that aired on Saturday mornings.
I don't really remember much from the cartoon. The only thing that I remember was that I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. Turtles mania was everywhere, and I was hooked. I watched the Saturday morning cartoon. But it didn't stop there, no. I collected a good amount of the action figures. I had Super Shredder from Secret of the Ooze, a Michelangelo karate/footballer hybrid of some sorts, a Raphael toy that was like a Mecha, Raphael as a magician, Donatello from the third TMNT movie, and a TMNT playset. The toys were great, and the selection was unbelievable. And how could you not have a great selection? The show had a huge roster of characters: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter, April O' Neal, Casey Jones, Shredder, Krang, and there's plenty of more characters that I purposely left out. The point is: it made sense to have this many toys. It made a lot of money for them. And it brought so much joy to us fans. So the way I see it, everyone wins.
Turtles In Time is one of my all-time favorite video games based off of our heroes. I remember renting this game from the video store on a Friday afternoon. My cousin and I both played it, and I had an absolute blast. Back then, my favorite turtle to use was Donatello. He was my favorite. But nowadays, I prefer to use Mikey, who has been my favorite since about 2003. This game has aged very well, and my love for this game is simple: I love Beat 'Em Ups. It's an absolute blast to play, whether it be by yourself or with a friend and or family member.
I was still a fan of the TMNT by the time I bought my very own VHS copy of the first TMNT movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_(film_series). This movie was darker than anything I have seen, but I loved it regardless. It provided a different take on the TMNT, and I do appreciate the mature tone that the movie had. You had the turtles curse every now and then. The movie was also pretty violent, at least compared to the TV show. The fight scenes were also well done.
One of the things that I loved was the way that they portrayed Splinter's relationship with the TMNT a.k.a. his sons. He was their teacher, their superior. But he was also their father, and they looked up to him with that kind of respect.
And last but not least, I loved the fight scene between Shredder vs all four turtles. As good as they were, they were no match for the Shredder and his experience.
The movie was really good back then, and it still holds up well. In fact, I'm still impressed by what they were able to do back then with the technology
Bottom line: I was a huge fan back in the day, and I'm still a fan. I have respect for what the TMNT did for me (and fans alike) back then, and what they continue to do for the fans of today. So it's with that love that I watched the trailer for the new TMNT movie, and I'm pretty disappointed.
April doesn't look much like April at all. Shredder may not be Japanese. The TMNT themselves are huge and have a lot of stuff going on with their outfits. They have a lot of stuff on them that's just not needed.
I'm not trying to be a hater or anything. In fact, I want this movie to be good. It's been an awful long time since the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and I honestly want this movie to be a success in every single way. That way, we'll continue to get more live action movies in the future.
I don't really remember much from the cartoon. The only thing that I remember was that I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. Turtles mania was everywhere, and I was hooked. I watched the Saturday morning cartoon. But it didn't stop there, no. I collected a good amount of the action figures. I had Super Shredder from Secret of the Ooze, a Michelangelo karate/footballer hybrid of some sorts, a Raphael toy that was like a Mecha, Raphael as a magician, Donatello from the third TMNT movie, and a TMNT playset. The toys were great, and the selection was unbelievable. And how could you not have a great selection? The show had a huge roster of characters: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter, April O' Neal, Casey Jones, Shredder, Krang, and there's plenty of more characters that I purposely left out. The point is: it made sense to have this many toys. It made a lot of money for them. And it brought so much joy to us fans. So the way I see it, everyone wins.
Turtles In Time is one of my all-time favorite video games based off of our heroes. I remember renting this game from the video store on a Friday afternoon. My cousin and I both played it, and I had an absolute blast. Back then, my favorite turtle to use was Donatello. He was my favorite. But nowadays, I prefer to use Mikey, who has been my favorite since about 2003. This game has aged very well, and my love for this game is simple: I love Beat 'Em Ups. It's an absolute blast to play, whether it be by yourself or with a friend and or family member.
I was still a fan of the TMNT by the time I bought my very own VHS copy of the first TMNT movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_(film_series). This movie was darker than anything I have seen, but I loved it regardless. It provided a different take on the TMNT, and I do appreciate the mature tone that the movie had. You had the turtles curse every now and then. The movie was also pretty violent, at least compared to the TV show. The fight scenes were also well done.
One of the things that I loved was the way that they portrayed Splinter's relationship with the TMNT a.k.a. his sons. He was their teacher, their superior. But he was also their father, and they looked up to him with that kind of respect.
And last but not least, I loved the fight scene between Shredder vs all four turtles. As good as they were, they were no match for the Shredder and his experience.
The movie was really good back then, and it still holds up well. In fact, I'm still impressed by what they were able to do back then with the technology
Bottom line: I was a huge fan back in the day, and I'm still a fan. I have respect for what the TMNT did for me (and fans alike) back then, and what they continue to do for the fans of today. So it's with that love that I watched the trailer for the new TMNT movie, and I'm pretty disappointed.
April doesn't look much like April at all. Shredder may not be Japanese. The TMNT themselves are huge and have a lot of stuff going on with their outfits. They have a lot of stuff on them that's just not needed.
I'm not trying to be a hater or anything. In fact, I want this movie to be good. It's been an awful long time since the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and I honestly want this movie to be a success in every single way. That way, we'll continue to get more live action movies in the future.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Spectacular Spider-Man
I remember seeing the previews for this show back in 2008, and I wasn't as impressed as I should be--as a huge fan of Spider-Man, a new cartoon should have me feeling excited-- for the sole reason that I wasn't too big on the animation. My first exposure to Spider-Man was the cartoon from the 90's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_(1994_TV_series) and I feel it spoiled me a little bit, as that show had really good animation, and it set the bar high in terms of that.
I did the right thing when I gave this new show a fair chance. After all, it's a new cartoon based on one of my favorite superheroes, so I feel that I should give it a chance. And I'm really glad I did. The show ended up being one of the best superhero cartoons that I have ever seen.
The Spectacular Spider-Man does a lot of different things with the hero, and I really do respect and appreciate that kind of boldness and that kind of effort.
Peter Parker (voiced by Josh Keaton) is a good kid and has a close relationship with both Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn.
Peter and Gwen are both very intelligent and get offered an internship at Empire State University, and that's the place that Eddie Brock works at. It's a nice setup for several things in the future.
I love the way that they did Harry Osborn in this series, and I love the way that they did the Norman/Harry relationship. I felt bad for the way that Harry was neglected by his own dad. He's a good kid and has good intentions, and that's what makes the bad stuff that happens to him even worse.
The show features several different Spider-Man enemies such as: The Shocker, The Vulture, The Lizard, Electro, The Sandman, Hammerhead, Doctor Octopus, The Green Goblin, Tombstone, Rhino, and the list goes on. Overall, I think the villains are done exceptionally well. And I also like the fact that several different people get the chance to shine as the bad guy. We even see a version of the Sinister Six.
The fight scenes are well done. They remind me of the fight scenes from the movies by Sam Raimi. Really creative choreography that gets done with the acrobatics and with the environment. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the show, and that's saying a lot.
One of the parts I loved was the way that they did Eddie Brock and the relationship that he had with Peter in particular. Eddie was a good man, and a man with a bright future. He was Peter's friend, and I felt that that made the whole thing more tragic and more personal. Eddie Brock slowly turns to the dark side and eventually becomes Venom. And when he becomes Venom, the whole Spider-Man vs Venom thing felt better and more personal. I also love the fact that Venom was treated as a big deal. He was a threat to Spider-Man in every way.
J. Jonah Jameson is once again a highlight. Seriously, the guy is just entertaining whenever he's on the screen. Daran Norris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daran_Norris) did an amazing job as the publisher/editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. He's so much fun to watch, and while he does have his bad points, he does have a good heart deep down. There was a scene in which Robbie told Jonah that an elderly woman had a heart attack. And when he reveals who it is, Jonah shows a human side and tells Betty (who was going to call Peter on the phone) that he'll call Peter himself. The way that he said it made me appreciate the character even more.
The show was well done, and it is an absolute treat to watch from start to finish. My only complaint is that this show was cancelled before a third season could begin, and that is an absolute shame because I would have loved to see a third season.
I recommend buying the blu-ray release of this show.
I did the right thing when I gave this new show a fair chance. After all, it's a new cartoon based on one of my favorite superheroes, so I feel that I should give it a chance. And I'm really glad I did. The show ended up being one of the best superhero cartoons that I have ever seen.
The Spectacular Spider-Man does a lot of different things with the hero, and I really do respect and appreciate that kind of boldness and that kind of effort.
Peter Parker (voiced by Josh Keaton) is a good kid and has a close relationship with both Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn.
Peter and Gwen are both very intelligent and get offered an internship at Empire State University, and that's the place that Eddie Brock works at. It's a nice setup for several things in the future.
I love the way that they did Harry Osborn in this series, and I love the way that they did the Norman/Harry relationship. I felt bad for the way that Harry was neglected by his own dad. He's a good kid and has good intentions, and that's what makes the bad stuff that happens to him even worse.
The show features several different Spider-Man enemies such as: The Shocker, The Vulture, The Lizard, Electro, The Sandman, Hammerhead, Doctor Octopus, The Green Goblin, Tombstone, Rhino, and the list goes on. Overall, I think the villains are done exceptionally well. And I also like the fact that several different people get the chance to shine as the bad guy. We even see a version of the Sinister Six.
The fight scenes are well done. They remind me of the fight scenes from the movies by Sam Raimi. Really creative choreography that gets done with the acrobatics and with the environment. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the show, and that's saying a lot.
One of the parts I loved was the way that they did Eddie Brock and the relationship that he had with Peter in particular. Eddie was a good man, and a man with a bright future. He was Peter's friend, and I felt that that made the whole thing more tragic and more personal. Eddie Brock slowly turns to the dark side and eventually becomes Venom. And when he becomes Venom, the whole Spider-Man vs Venom thing felt better and more personal. I also love the fact that Venom was treated as a big deal. He was a threat to Spider-Man in every way.
J. Jonah Jameson is once again a highlight. Seriously, the guy is just entertaining whenever he's on the screen. Daran Norris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daran_Norris) did an amazing job as the publisher/editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. He's so much fun to watch, and while he does have his bad points, he does have a good heart deep down. There was a scene in which Robbie told Jonah that an elderly woman had a heart attack. And when he reveals who it is, Jonah shows a human side and tells Betty (who was going to call Peter on the phone) that he'll call Peter himself. The way that he said it made me appreciate the character even more.
The show was well done, and it is an absolute treat to watch from start to finish. My only complaint is that this show was cancelled before a third season could begin, and that is an absolute shame because I would have loved to see a third season.
I recommend buying the blu-ray release of this show.
The Critic
I started watching this show again after I remembered the show vaguely from my childhood. I remember the show for the way that the title character looked. I also remembered that said character appeared on an episode of The Simpsons.
I randomly decided to watch this show again, and I am glad that I did. The Critic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Critic) is about a 36 year old film critic named Jay Prescott Sherman (played by the talented Jon Lovitz). He hosts the show within a show called Coming Attractions, a show where he talks about and reviews movies--something that I didn't truly appreciate until I re-watched the show. He often puts the movies that he watches down with his surly and sarcastic put downs.
The show features parodies of movies like The Lion King (The Cockroach King) and celebrities like Marlon Brando. As a big fan of movies, I really did enjoy seeing all of the creative things that they came up with in terms of celebrity appearances and the absurd movies that never happened. The humor also has to do with Jay being fat and pathetic, and I do like how they made those jokes. A lot of thought went into the entire show as a whole, and that's one of the many things that I love about it.
Jay is not the only memorable character in the show. This show is full of great characters that make this show more entertaining. In fact, I love most of the supporting cast on the show.
His adoptive parents, Frank and Eleanor, are both rich and have a butler named Shackleford. Jay often goes to visit them, which always leads to hilarity.
Eleanor is very prim and proper, but she can be mean and under-handed when it benefits her, such as threatening to shoot Margo's horse if she doesn't go to the debutante ball. She's often embarrassed by her family and their accompanied eccentricities. One of my favorite things about her is that she truly does love Jay, although she doesn't always show it.
Franklin is one of the weirdest characters on the show, and does a lot of things to show that--such as gluing the silverware and the dog to the ceiling, dressing up as the Energizer bunny, getting stuck to an ice sculpture, among other things. But despite his erratic behavior, he does prove to be competent, such as the time he trained Jay to run the marathon.
He's a former Governor of New York, a former ambassador, a Rhodes Scholar, a Cabinet member, and a heavy contributor to the Republicans.
Margo Sherman (the biological daughter of Franklin and Eleanor Sherman) is one of my favorite characters (voiced by Nancy Cartwright). She's 16 years old and attends the Miss Hathaway's School for Untouched Girls as a junior. I like her because she's normal. It balances out the strange behavior of her dad, and I think that's important. And last but not least, my favorite quality about her: she cares deeply for her brother, Jay, even going as far as to take a horse ride with Jay's girlfriend to make sure that she isn't using him for a good review.
Duke Phillips is one of the best characters on the show. He's the boss of Jay Sherman and runs Phillips Broadcasting. He's able to do impressive things such as walking through walls like nothing, and being able to pick Jay up and use him as a weight for his workout. He's also looking for more ways to improve the ratings and maximize the profits. He has his own news network, PNN (Phillip News Network), has his own amusement park (Phillips Land), which is dubbed "The Happiest Place in Jersey," and built his own preschool on a dare, among other things that are a treat to witness. Duke can be selfish, but he has a good heart deep down, and I think that's what makes him a great character.
Dorris is Jay's makeup lady, and is a chain smoker. She has been through a lot with Jay, and was there for him when his liposuction backfired. They also had an episode in which it was believed that she was Jay's real mother. All in all, a good character.
Jeremy Hawke (Maurice LaMarche) is an Australian actor that became Jay's friend after Jay gave his movie its only positive review. He has been in several action movies such as The Crocodile Gandhi movies. He's a fun character to watch whenever he's on screen. He's a good guy that truly does care for Jay, often giving him advice. He's easily one of my favorite characters.
Last but not least, Alice Tompkins (Park Overall). She, along with her daughter, Penny, were introduced in the first episode of season 2. Alice and her daughter moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to New York when she suspects her then husband, Cyrus, of cheating on her. This was later proven to be true due to his album: "I'm Being Unfaithful to My Wife, Alice Tompkins. You heard me, Alice Tompkins." She moved to New York to prove that she could make it without a man. She used to wait tables and is a talented painter--being able to replicate popular masterpieces on the walls of her apartment.
She pepper sprays Jay upon meeting him, and he actually didn't mind it because it was Jalapeno flavored. Alice eventually takes a liking to him and they date. Their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the show because of their great chemistry together. One of the things that I liked was that their relationship wasn't rushed. Their affection towards each other felt genuine. And not only that, but they're fun together. They're a great match.
The show's art differed from season to season, which really did emphasize the change from networks--as the show was originally on ABC but then moved over to Fox. Overall, though, I prefer the second season with the introduction of Alice to the show. She quickly became one of my favorite characters. I also liked the fact that Jay was less pathetic and actually ended up in a meaningful relationship with a great character.
This show is very good, maybe even great, but one of the things that takes a few points off for me are the webisodes that were released in 2000. Most of the characters were dropped except for Jay Sherman, and a single appearance from Vlada. These episodes are animated using Adobe Shockwave. They're very short, around 3 to 5 and it's 10 webisodes. These shorts have Jay is talking about films while trying to get with his new make up lady, Jennifer. I was disappointed that Alice never made an appearance.
The webisodes do drag it down, but I still think this show is very enjoyable. They do cut away gags that would be popularized by Family Guy. The humor is smart and the jokes are well done. I'm definitely glad that I gave this show a chance.
I randomly decided to watch this show again, and I am glad that I did. The Critic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Critic) is about a 36 year old film critic named Jay Prescott Sherman (played by the talented Jon Lovitz). He hosts the show within a show called Coming Attractions, a show where he talks about and reviews movies--something that I didn't truly appreciate until I re-watched the show. He often puts the movies that he watches down with his surly and sarcastic put downs.
The show features parodies of movies like The Lion King (The Cockroach King) and celebrities like Marlon Brando. As a big fan of movies, I really did enjoy seeing all of the creative things that they came up with in terms of celebrity appearances and the absurd movies that never happened. The humor also has to do with Jay being fat and pathetic, and I do like how they made those jokes. A lot of thought went into the entire show as a whole, and that's one of the many things that I love about it.
Jay is not the only memorable character in the show. This show is full of great characters that make this show more entertaining. In fact, I love most of the supporting cast on the show.
His adoptive parents, Frank and Eleanor, are both rich and have a butler named Shackleford. Jay often goes to visit them, which always leads to hilarity.
Eleanor is very prim and proper, but she can be mean and under-handed when it benefits her, such as threatening to shoot Margo's horse if she doesn't go to the debutante ball. She's often embarrassed by her family and their accompanied eccentricities. One of my favorite things about her is that she truly does love Jay, although she doesn't always show it.
Franklin is one of the weirdest characters on the show, and does a lot of things to show that--such as gluing the silverware and the dog to the ceiling, dressing up as the Energizer bunny, getting stuck to an ice sculpture, among other things. But despite his erratic behavior, he does prove to be competent, such as the time he trained Jay to run the marathon.
He's a former Governor of New York, a former ambassador, a Rhodes Scholar, a Cabinet member, and a heavy contributor to the Republicans.
Margo Sherman (the biological daughter of Franklin and Eleanor Sherman) is one of my favorite characters (voiced by Nancy Cartwright). She's 16 years old and attends the Miss Hathaway's School for Untouched Girls as a junior. I like her because she's normal. It balances out the strange behavior of her dad, and I think that's important. And last but not least, my favorite quality about her: she cares deeply for her brother, Jay, even going as far as to take a horse ride with Jay's girlfriend to make sure that she isn't using him for a good review.
Duke Phillips is one of the best characters on the show. He's the boss of Jay Sherman and runs Phillips Broadcasting. He's able to do impressive things such as walking through walls like nothing, and being able to pick Jay up and use him as a weight for his workout. He's also looking for more ways to improve the ratings and maximize the profits. He has his own news network, PNN (Phillip News Network), has his own amusement park (Phillips Land), which is dubbed "The Happiest Place in Jersey," and built his own preschool on a dare, among other things that are a treat to witness. Duke can be selfish, but he has a good heart deep down, and I think that's what makes him a great character.
Dorris is Jay's makeup lady, and is a chain smoker. She has been through a lot with Jay, and was there for him when his liposuction backfired. They also had an episode in which it was believed that she was Jay's real mother. All in all, a good character.
Jeremy Hawke (Maurice LaMarche) is an Australian actor that became Jay's friend after Jay gave his movie its only positive review. He has been in several action movies such as The Crocodile Gandhi movies. He's a fun character to watch whenever he's on screen. He's a good guy that truly does care for Jay, often giving him advice. He's easily one of my favorite characters.
Last but not least, Alice Tompkins (Park Overall). She, along with her daughter, Penny, were introduced in the first episode of season 2. Alice and her daughter moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to New York when she suspects her then husband, Cyrus, of cheating on her. This was later proven to be true due to his album: "I'm Being Unfaithful to My Wife, Alice Tompkins. You heard me, Alice Tompkins." She moved to New York to prove that she could make it without a man. She used to wait tables and is a talented painter--being able to replicate popular masterpieces on the walls of her apartment.
She pepper sprays Jay upon meeting him, and he actually didn't mind it because it was Jalapeno flavored. Alice eventually takes a liking to him and they date. Their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the show because of their great chemistry together. One of the things that I liked was that their relationship wasn't rushed. Their affection towards each other felt genuine. And not only that, but they're fun together. They're a great match.
The show's art differed from season to season, which really did emphasize the change from networks--as the show was originally on ABC but then moved over to Fox. Overall, though, I prefer the second season with the introduction of Alice to the show. She quickly became one of my favorite characters. I also liked the fact that Jay was less pathetic and actually ended up in a meaningful relationship with a great character.
This show is very good, maybe even great, but one of the things that takes a few points off for me are the webisodes that were released in 2000. Most of the characters were dropped except for Jay Sherman, and a single appearance from Vlada. These episodes are animated using Adobe Shockwave. They're very short, around 3 to 5 and it's 10 webisodes. These shorts have Jay is talking about films while trying to get with his new make up lady, Jennifer. I was disappointed that Alice never made an appearance.
The webisodes do drag it down, but I still think this show is very enjoyable. They do cut away gags that would be popularized by Family Guy. The humor is smart and the jokes are well done. I'm definitely glad that I gave this show a chance.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Closure (Video Games, Movies/TV Shows)
I did a video last night about this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XaKjIt6eo8), and it's been a while in the making. I've thought about this for a while now, and it has been bugging me for that long. See, when I play a video game, when I watch a movie or TV show, I get invested in it. And I want a good ending to the product that I feel satisfied with. I want to have that feeling of watching something, or playing something epic. And with my list, I didn't get that type of ending.
Family Matters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Matters) was a sitcom that starred the Winslow Family, and it was a spin-off of the show Perfect Strangers. During the 1st season, we're introduced to this rather clumsy individual who went by the name of Steve Urkel, who would go on to become a fan favorite and the main focus of the TV show. The show was 9 seasons long, and I remember watching them all when I was a kid. I saw Steve Urkel go through so much pain and struggle to get the girl of his dreams, Laura Winslow. In the final season, he finally gets the girl. He finally wins, and it's a great moment--one of my favorite moments of the entire 9 seasons. Then in the final episode, they kiss, and...that's it. It's not a bad ending, but it's not the ending that I would have wanted for them and for the show as a whole. As a fan, I would have liked to see them get married. Maybe have kids in the future. I would want them to make an hour-long episode in which it's a wedding and also a reunion of sorts.
Spider-Man Unlimited (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_Unlimited) was a series that I never watched as a kid, which is weird since I loved Spider-Man back then, and I even watched the cartoon that came before it, and I also played the games. I watched it on Netflix in 2011, and it started off really good. Mary Jane Watson came back somehow. Spider-Man ends up going to counter-earth to help John Jameson. The show unfortunately ended on a cliff-hanger. What makes things worse is that the show was getting really good. I would have liked to see our hero save the day and then go back to Earth to spend more time with Mary Jane Watson.
Last but not least, we have Mega Man Legends 3. I talked about this one in one of my earlier blogs, and I know it's a touchy subject of sorts because I know that the fans, myself included, really want the third installment in the trilogy. Mega Man Legends 2 was the only one that I played, and I liked it a lot. I would love to have the sequel. That way, not only can we play a great game, but we can also get the conclusion to the story--as the ending left room for said sequel. I'm hoping that Capcom will end up releasing the 3rd game down the road.
Family Matters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Matters) was a sitcom that starred the Winslow Family, and it was a spin-off of the show Perfect Strangers. During the 1st season, we're introduced to this rather clumsy individual who went by the name of Steve Urkel, who would go on to become a fan favorite and the main focus of the TV show. The show was 9 seasons long, and I remember watching them all when I was a kid. I saw Steve Urkel go through so much pain and struggle to get the girl of his dreams, Laura Winslow. In the final season, he finally gets the girl. He finally wins, and it's a great moment--one of my favorite moments of the entire 9 seasons. Then in the final episode, they kiss, and...that's it. It's not a bad ending, but it's not the ending that I would have wanted for them and for the show as a whole. As a fan, I would have liked to see them get married. Maybe have kids in the future. I would want them to make an hour-long episode in which it's a wedding and also a reunion of sorts.
Spider-Man Unlimited (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_Unlimited) was a series that I never watched as a kid, which is weird since I loved Spider-Man back then, and I even watched the cartoon that came before it, and I also played the games. I watched it on Netflix in 2011, and it started off really good. Mary Jane Watson came back somehow. Spider-Man ends up going to counter-earth to help John Jameson. The show unfortunately ended on a cliff-hanger. What makes things worse is that the show was getting really good. I would have liked to see our hero save the day and then go back to Earth to spend more time with Mary Jane Watson.
Last but not least, we have Mega Man Legends 3. I talked about this one in one of my earlier blogs, and I know it's a touchy subject of sorts because I know that the fans, myself included, really want the third installment in the trilogy. Mega Man Legends 2 was the only one that I played, and I liked it a lot. I would love to have the sequel. That way, not only can we play a great game, but we can also get the conclusion to the story--as the ending left room for said sequel. I'm hoping that Capcom will end up releasing the 3rd game down the road.
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