Jaaakkkeee

On 6/23/2017 at 11:48 AM, Soda Jerk said:

I don't know much about Dan Harmon, but Chevy Chase sounds like a bit of a wanker, just in general. From reading about Chevy, it sounds like he's as racist and sexist as Pierce Hawthorne.

I like to think they didn't even need to script him.

Basically Chevy didn't like how Pierce was written. And it shows. Mostly Pierce is an old racist but with a heart of gold. Slowly but surely we saw more racist/sexists moments than heart of gold moments. And while all the characters were 3 dimensional, Chevy felt his character was losing his 3rd and most redeeming dimension. Dan Harmon (going by Harmontown) was/is a severe alcoholic. And for all his smart ideas, I feel like a day on set would have been pretty close to the Dean directing the commercial. They had always butted heads. They never really liked each other. Chevy felt the work days were too long (to be fair, he was the oldest of the main cast, by a fair gap too) and to top it all off he began to dislike his character and resent Dan's writing. Dan and chevy not getting on (as well as Dan butting heads with studio execs all the time) lead to Dan's firing. Dan would even leave drunken voicemails on Chevy's phone and during a live podcast played one of Chevy's replies to get a laugh from the crowd. Pretty shit way to treat someone, especially if he's part of the main ensemble of your most successful shows.
One day during a take Chevy fucked up a line and shouted the N-word in frustration. One could see his side of it, he was so annoyed he blurted out the worst word he could. But when 2/7 of the main cast are black, it wasn't in any way appropriate. So he was sacked. Chevy did come back when Harmon came back for the hologram sequence in Season 5 Episode 1, meaning the must have at least partly squashed their beef and by all accounts, although they're not bosom buddies, they're definitely not enemies anymore.

Harmontown is a great watch. But besides all the little talking heads about what a visionary he is, you get to see the real Dan Harmon. Not some Kubrick/Lynch style genius, but an aggressive, abusive drunk who is an absolute horror to work with. I mean Sarah Silverman quit one of his earlier shows because of how hard he is to work with. For all of Chevy's faults (and there's a few) I firmly believe the whole falling out was mainly Dan's fault. And although Season 4 was shit, if one had to go between Dan and Chevy, I'd say Dan was the one who deserved the sack. Until, y'know, chevy blurted out a racist slur during a blooper. 

There's a weird smell of onions wafting about. I've just showered, put on clean clothes, got on clean trainers. I haven't done any cooking in the past couple of days so it's not my fingernails. I smelled my clothes and they're fine. I sprayed extra deodorant on myself. I'm not sweating. Still, onions. 

Watch Dogs 2. I absolutely hated the original. The new one is streets ahead. But it does make all other Ubisoft franchises look shit. If they can overhaul and make Watch Dogs better, then why have Far Cry and Assassins Creed basically became Call Of Duty. Same shit, different setting, every single time.

Tempted to buy Rocksmith for ps4 if it ever goes on sale. Surprisingly really good for learning guitar. I can play, if making noise and power chords is playing. I find myself wanting to play "proper" chords when I've got my acoustic out and I just can't do it.

On 6/19/2017 at 9:25 AM, Soda Jerk said:

True. It was a standard "this is all the characters" script, but still better than most. Especially as none of the characters dramatically changed after 6 episodes, like a lot of sitcoms.

They jump right into the weirdness in Episode 2. The Jeff/Pierce montage in Spanish class is probably in my top 5 favourite bits from the whole show.

It makes me sad that Chevy and Dan fell out. Some of my favourite moments included Pierce. But if you watch Harmontown it's quite obvious who was really to blame. Dan Harmon looks like an absolute bastard to work for. Especially when he has a network to answer to. 

On 6/20/2017 at 5:47 PM, ca_gere said:

 It's unlike any show i've ever watched really - you've got to let it wash over you in a way, rather than look for characters or storylines to hook onto. 

Twin Peaks: The Return has been really good.

On 6/17/2017 at 3:37 PM, Soda Jerk said:

Agree on the Office. Parks & Rec 1st season is awful too. Leslie is just Michael Scott in the first few episodes. They seemed to have a "hang on, this is shit, let's do it totally different" moment around the start of S2.

However, I think Community gets off to a solid start, and does it better than most sitcoms. Definitely one of my favourite 1st episodes, along with Scrubs. Solid pilots.

It just seemed too generic, especially compared to the rest of the series. Which I understand, with a program like Community you've got to have a bit of bait and switch going on. Can't be bunging in full episodes dedicated to D&D from the off. But on rewatch I do tend to skip the pilot. 

On 6/14/2017 at 2:32 PM, Teabags said:

I'm a huge Bill burr fan, but the first episod eof F is for Family completely put me off attempting to watch any more of it. Shite.

I didn't like it when I first watched it. I try to never judge a show by it's first episode though. More often than not it's just the pilot and things inevitably change. Hell, even stuff like Community has a shaky first episode. The Office US has a shaky first season.

I loved season 2 of F is for Family. A lot better than the first. I was laughing constantly and I'm not even a big Bill Burr fan.

What's the protocol for a bad haircut? I've always awkwardly said it's fine then walked out with a hat on. I don't go to hairdressers/barbers anymore. My sister is a hairdresser so she just does it in the house. But can you walk out and not pay if they've fucked it up? Could you do the same with a manicure, or make-up artist, or even tattooist? I mean if youre food is shite you can refuse to pay (although I've never done that. and in fact a friend took me out for lunch. there was something wrong with both our dishes and they still went and paid. I said they shouldn't have, but if it was me paying, i wouldn't have had the gaul to refuse payment)

23 hours ago, Scubby said:

Archer I think, isnt that on 7? 

8th season just finished airing in the states.

The setting and goal in the season has continuously changed since season 4. But Season 8 completely changed things up.
Spoilers:

12 minutes ago, Soda Jerk said:

I'm not big in to Family Guy but I do like how they've made Brian a total douchebag. I don't think he was originally, but it's definitely very obvious in later seasons. It works because I don't think you're not really supposed to like Brian as a total poseur, where as I don't think that is the case with Lisa.  Brian/Stewie episodes are generally very good, but I can do without the rest.

American Dad has aged well. It's generally gotten a lot better as they moved away from the very rigid original premise. They took that as far as it could go, and now it's just anything-goes whilst not really being about what it used to be about. Characters who were very unlikeable have been developed and made very good, Steve especially. It's significantly better than Family Guy.

Bobs Burgers is great too. No noticeable dip in quality yet. 

yeah, the first couple of seasons of Family Guy have a completely different set of characters to be honest. 

I haven't actually seen any new American Dad, but I do agree once it found its footing it surpassed it.

Bob's Burgers is great. But that hasn't been on as long as American Dad/Family Guy/Simpsons, so I didn't count it. I mean I also love Archer. But that too hasn't been around as long. A lot of Archer Fans say the series could never be as good as the original 4 seasons were, but the newest season really was a return to form. I think the idea of completely changing the structure for every season has worked in their favour. And if it weren't for that Adam Reed would probably have been burnt out and stopped writing it a while ago. I mean, it's went from Spy Agency for S1-4. 80's drug dealer for S5. Spies again (with certain aspects changed) for S6. 70's Private Eye for S7. Then Noir 20's(?) Private Eye for S8. It's really kept it fresh. You don't get repetitive storylines. Also the episode orders have went down as production costs have went up. So it never overstays its welcome. Why have 24 episodes of middle of the road cartoons (simpsons/fg) when you can have 8-10 episodes of well crafted cartoons?

22 hours ago, Soda Jerk said:

They paint her as the liberal voice of reason, but she often ends up being a whiny poseur who sometimes sells herself out. I don't know if that's intentional.

I kind of feel like Brian from Family Guy was created (or at least changed) to make fun of characters like Lisa. But then again, Family Guy isn't exactly held up as a standard in excellence. 

Are there any long running cartoons that are still actually good? I liked the last couple of seasons of South Park. I know a lot of people didn't, but at least they're trying something new with the story telling. Simpsons/Family Guy seem to have been in a rut and instead of doing something to climb out, they just dug deeper and deeper. Makes me think of that "definition of insanity" quote. 

Oh yeah definitely. The newest season is a lot LOT better. Still not as good as the original run, but it's a lot better than the first few Netflix ones.

Really cut it thin, but I managed to release this in time. JUST. 53 minutes, you better have voted ye bams.
 

Aye a lot of people will say trades for reading, omnibus for displaying. 

14 hours ago, ca_gere said:

2) Also been watching Trailer Park Boys. I watched it years ago but not since the Netflix takeover. Up to season 10 now. On the whole I've really enjoyed it but... HOLY SHIT the Snoop Dogg/Doug Benson episodes! Possibly the biggest shark jump i've ever seen. There's no effort to even bother writing them into the show, they literally just turn up out of nowhere. Got to be one of the laziest bits of writing imaginable.

Although it's definitely a shark jumping moment, I think how they turn up is pretty inkeeping with the show. I mean they do a podcast and do tours. They are "famous" because of the "documentary". They've been on snoop's podcast while in character. So They're gonna have fans. It doesn't mean the storyline was any good. But it did make sense.

On 6/5/2017 at 6:35 PM, Soda Jerk said:

I never really did individual issues, but they're definitely more practical than trades. Double page spreads don't work in thicker trades (and that's probably when they split and break, trying to open it right out to see the whole spread). Individual issues look and feel better, but they're not great value for money, and I have nowhere to really store comics. My trades/graphic novels already takes up a ridiculous amount of space. I should probably downsize.

I just read the first couple of issues of the new Cage on MU. I read it is drawn by the same guys who did Dexters Lab, and you can definitely tell. Fun as fuck.

I keep meaning to give the She Hulk stuff a go. Mainly because I love how butthurt it is making all the white boys on the internet who think its a disgrace and is ruining their childhood, or some self entitled bullshit. Seems worth it just for that.

Brexit fucked it all up. Comic prices shot up. I keep meaning to downsize, then an event happens, and there's tie ins. I wanted to read a spiderman comic, so I picked up clone conspiracy. with all the tie ins I was about 20 issues deep in to a 6 issue arc. Same with Civil War and Inhumans vs X-Men.

My trades take up one massive shelf, smaller books (scott pilgrim and death note) take up half of another shelf. All my issues are in two of the large long boxes. They hold 300 each. I've almost filled two. I got in to collecting issues late last year. 

6 hours ago, Soda Jerk said:

I ditched Marvel Unlimited for a while as I just didn't have the time. I've gone back and totally hooked again. 70's Luke Cage - Hero for Hire is a right laugh. Silly insults and over-egged dialogue to make sure you know the characters are black. Marvel seems to make an assumption that black people do not speak very well. Might be a tad racist. But then it's all okay, because Luke Cage says something like "quit yo' jive, pork belly" and facepunches a bad guy over the horizon.

 

I'm still on the side of Data > Possessions. I got Punisher MAX for my birthday, about a third of the way in, the pages split from the glue on the spine and it fell apart. Not the first Marvel trade to do that to me either. Marvel trades are made like crap, and Waterstones agree. I was in there on Saturday looking at what other MAX stuff they had (cos it's not on MU). They said they're not stocking up on as much Marvel because so much of it gets returned. Their Marvel section was bare, which happens in no comic section ever.

You should check out Cage from last year then. Was a short (5 or 6 issues maybe) run. Drawn very stylistically. Full of jive turkeys and sweet christmases.

I'm the opposite. My pal tried to get me in to MU, but I can't. I'll end up really enjoying an old run and bankrupt myself compulsively trying to collect it. 
I don't touch many marvel trades though. So wouldn't know about glue problems. Only ones I've got is the first Civil War run in trades, but that isn't Max stuff. All my issues get bagged and boarded too. And they need it. I got lazy over the past month. About 50 out of the 100 i bagged and boarded were damaged from lying around waiting to be bagged and boarded. And some fell over in the long box, meaning they're bent. 

Runs i've been enjoying recently:

Batman Rebirth - It's up to issue 24 or something now. It's been really good. The Catwoman and I Am Bane arcs were fantastic. The Button, for all the hype, amounted to nothing more than a 4 issue teaser for Superman Doomsday in November.

Old Man Logan - Jeff Lemire's final 4 issues were amazing. I'm not anticipating a writer being able to get this run as right as Lemire did. I want to get the nice looking variants to frame. The standard issues are a bit shite looking, but this comic reduced me to tears. I want to feel sad whenever I look at the wall 'cause of what happened to Logan and the fact that Marvel have lost a fantastic writer.

Powerman and Iron Fist - I started reading this after Civil War II, so I finally caught up and bought issues 1-9. Really great. I think Netflix really did get Danny Rand wrong. He's a lot more sympathetic in the comics since he's a fucking idiot. 

Jessica Jones - This has been great too. Just some real good drama, not much use of super powers.

Hulk - Not Bruce, not the other one, the girl one. Really enjoying this too. It's all fall out from Civil War II.

Civil War II - So I started getting in to collecting issues late last year. Around the time that Civil War II was kicking off. I dodged it and decided to wait for the trade paperback, then didn't bother with that as a lot of the reviews were bad. But since almost every Marvel comic i collected was all reeling from the fallout of Civil War II, I finally decided to get it. But I got it in Issues. Really liked it. Not as good as Civil War I, but good nonetheless.

On 6/2/2017 at 6:15 PM, ca_gere said:

Thought this was a really good movie. I can't remember what it was but there was a nice gimmick in it with the camera/editing? Maybe something when they're on the phone? Like they made it seem like the two characters were in the same room or something? I remember thinking at the time it was a fantastic way to keep your attention during what is pretty 'boring' stuff on paper (talking about sub prime mortgages and such).

The celebs explaining stuff maybe? Like Margot Robbie in the bath or Selena Gomez losing at blackjack.

On 6/2/2017 at 2:11 PM, Soda Jerk said:

 

Aye but not by Davey G and Fighty Foos. 


Been listening to this a lot, the gig was amazing, and this has been playing before and after:
 

Twin Peaks: The Return has been great TV. Thank god Lynch put his foot down and demanded 18 hours. The original 9 hours he was offered wouldn't be enough. We made home-made cherry pie and brewed some Death Wish Inc coffee and stayed up to watch the first two episodes at 2am. Well worth it. Episodes 3&4 were also amazing. (HELLOOOOOOOO) Can't wait for this week's episodes.

Dat riff. Dat stagedive. Dem titties. Dem dancemoves. 

The Big Short - Movie about the 2008 mortgage crisis/financial crash. Really great performances by all involved (Brad Pitt, Steve Carrel, Christian Bale and Ryan Goslings are the big stars attached to it). Really interesting and had some proper funny moments. I still don't quite get what happened in 2008, but I know everyone involved was a shitebag. 

On 9 May 2017 at 7:46 PM, Soda Jerk said:

Save up for a year and then do it.

Ive been thinking about doing this if I can't get funding from somewhere else. its just if I was getting funding it would mean college, then if my health is good then get a job. I don't want to be in the same position I am now, in a year, because I took too much on too soon.