I've finally gotten around to uploading my Android app for you guys. It's not much special, but is an app that links out to some of my favorite resources and some I anticipated others to request. If you have any recommendations for links to add in, let me know!
LINK
Monday, July 2, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Power Rangers MegaForce - What does this mean?
There has been a lot of debate about which sentai series will be adapted next. Goseiger or Gokaiger? Well, the long rumored MegaForce is confirmed to be Goseiger. Obviously very little of the CGI effects will be used since America is afraid of using angels in anything that's not of the "touched by" variety.
So, with Goseiger celebrating the 20th anniversary, and getting the movie, how will this impact our Gokaiger adaptation (if we even get one). I mean, passing on Goseiger would have been preferable, as the themes in the show were a bit too preachy for my tastes and I've never been big on their costumes, but if we get the pirates, will they have the same powers? It seems like they'll be a little late to the party if Power Rangers Space Pirates gets to transform into past rangers. The impact will be cheapened without the anniversary gimmick.
We really need more info before there'll be much more to say, but for the time being, I just worry that the epicness of a Gokaiger adaptation is in jeopardy.
So, with Goseiger celebrating the 20th anniversary, and getting the movie, how will this impact our Gokaiger adaptation (if we even get one). I mean, passing on Goseiger would have been preferable, as the themes in the show were a bit too preachy for my tastes and I've never been big on their costumes, but if we get the pirates, will they have the same powers? It seems like they'll be a little late to the party if Power Rangers Space Pirates gets to transform into past rangers. The impact will be cheapened without the anniversary gimmick.
We really need more info before there'll be much more to say, but for the time being, I just worry that the epicness of a Gokaiger adaptation is in jeopardy.
Friday, June 15, 2012
The first 7 season Pre-Order
Shout! Factory and Time Life are teaming up to bring us the first 7 seasons in the Power Rangers franchise in one ginormous boxed set. That's MMPR - Lost Galaxy. No word if this includes the specials, but those we can really live without.
Check out the link
Also, as a pre-order bonus, you get the shielded Red Ranger figure from MMPR 2010. Which is kinda awesome.
As expected, this set isn't going to be easily affordable. Weighing in at a hefty $220, it's not going to be an easy purchase.
Check out the link
Also, as a pre-order bonus, you get the shielded Red Ranger figure from MMPR 2010. Which is kinda awesome.
As expected, this set isn't going to be easily affordable. Weighing in at a hefty $220, it's not going to be an easy purchase.
Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad - Back on Jaroo
Well, the show is back to Episode 1 right now. Currently airing is episodes 1-5, and next Wednesday episode 1 will be removed and 2-6 will air. If you want to start rewatching this series back from the very start, now is the time!
Check it out!
Check it out!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Top 10 shows that should have survived cancellation
First off, it seems like Fox just won't let Joss Whedon's shows survive for long. Poor marketing, bad timeslots, and being too eager to pull the plug on shows that hadn't found themselves led to two of his shows meeting an unfortunate end. Any show with the gorgeous Eliza Dushku gets the same fate. What earns these titles a place on my list is that there is no good reason their stories didn't continue even after the TV show was killed off. So, here we are, in no particular order, the Top 10 shows that should have survived cancellation.
FireFly: Oh, Firefly, you appear on everyone's list. Sure, you got a deeply depressing movie as a special favor to the fans, and a few comics that amounted to very little. The downside is that your creator was so saddened by how little money you earned production companies, that he's sworn off your universe forever. While a network revival is out of the cards, like Buffy and Angel before you, a full comic book continuation would have been divine.
Dollhouse: Dollhouse, another entry in the Whedonverse which was actually given 2 chances by Fox to survive the axe. Originally going to be pulled midseason, and again after the first season concluded, fans got loud enough to give the show a shot. However, the writers were trying to not leave loose ends so they could leave the show at a satisfactory point whenever the hammer fell, that the overall story suffered. I loved the first season a lot, and the second season wasn't too bad, but the cloud of doom hanging over the show made the viewership dwindle and Fox pulled the plug. However, why in the hell wasn't this turned into a series of 10-15 minute webisodes? Comics don't seem like the proper medium for a show as surreal as this, but some shorter webisodes a la Mortal Kombat Legacy would have been a good move for Dolllhouse.
Reaper: Reaper is the best show that never was. It had an excellent cast, excellent story, and was so ridiculously honest, that it could have lived on for another 4 seasons past the two we got. This was a show with an expiration date from the start. Like a book series, there was no way to carry this story on and on, but rather I see it as a six year narration of a young adult's life with the Devil. Plans for a comic or animated series were mentioned once, and then never again. Unfortunately, the demographic for this show was so limited, the CW really wasn't the right place for this show to begin with. It just had the wrong kind of drama. ABC or SyFy would have been much better suited for this chessgame's moving pieces. Instead, all we have are a dustbuster and a pile of ashes from the dove who thought it was a phoenix. While an cartoon show would have been cool, I doubt it would have lasted long, but Dark Horse and/or IDW execs, if you're reading this post, I only have this to say. "TAKE MY MONEY AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN!"
Freaks and Geeks: Like the title, this show was just awkward. It's cult-status worthy dialogue-heavy episodes doomed it from the start, and network television was never a good home for this show, but I do honestly believe a revival as a cartoon (released on Netflix or Hulu) would be absolutely perfect.
FlashForward: This show was another one with a short shelf-life, and the writers should have known that. Unfortunately, this show really should have been one or two movies, or a series of novels, or even a radio play. While I enjoyed watching this show, I kept telling myself at the end of each episode, "This show is never gonna last". Sadly, I was right. I would love to read a novelization of it though.
Heroes: Simply put, if this show was too expensive, but still had a relatively high viewership, WHY DID THE COMICS HAVE TO END WITH THE SHOW!? Not much else to say. The 2008 writer's strike, and the removal of Peter's powers (while Sylar still remained all-powerful, though for a short while was reset to zero) ruined the dynamic of the show, made for sloppy writing, and left some pretty big plot holes that now will never be filled. Seriously, who decided to end the companion comic series when the show was cancelled? It could have became a staple of any comic reader's subscription list!
Kyle XY: This show just got so weird towards the end with the inclusion of Jessie XX, that fans were turned off and tuning out by the hundreds. However, in the grand scheme of things, the character was really quite good, though only in hindsight. This teen drama could have grown up with the characters, but you could tell that the cast was becomming less enthusiastic about coming to work with each episode of the final season. This show really should have continued in novel format. Hey, Animorphs survived it's show (granted it was a book series first), why not Kyle XY?
My Own Worst Enemy: Christian Slater's psychological drama just didn't meet its audience, which is a shame. I rather enjoyed it. Since TV didn't seem like a right fit, I think a FireFly-eque movie wrap-up or a handful of webisodes would have nicely concluded this story. It deserved at least that much.
The Unit: This military action/drama/thriller show delivered such a mishmash of emotions, that the clusterfuck of season 4 was inevitable. I'm not at all surprised this show eventually failed, but I still enjoyed the first few seasons immensly. However, the turn the show took in the final season opened up a possibility that was never explored. A whole film franchise. Seriesly, if the Bourne book series made it past one movie, there is no way this couldn't be successful.
Tru Calling: Okay, this show should never have been cancelled to start with. But it was...which was stupid. This story was SO brilliant, it should have crossed mediums. We should have gotten games, book, movies, comics, a web series, the whole nine yards. It's well suited for all of them. Well, maybe the movies are a bit of a stretch, but I'd still like to see it happen. Tru Davies' story should have continued past the show just like Star Trek. While, I make no comparison between the two shows, both have tales to tell inbetween the episodes, both have the possibility for silver screen greatness, and while video game adaptations usually suck, it's always worth a shot.
FireFly: Oh, Firefly, you appear on everyone's list. Sure, you got a deeply depressing movie as a special favor to the fans, and a few comics that amounted to very little. The downside is that your creator was so saddened by how little money you earned production companies, that he's sworn off your universe forever. While a network revival is out of the cards, like Buffy and Angel before you, a full comic book continuation would have been divine.
Dollhouse: Dollhouse, another entry in the Whedonverse which was actually given 2 chances by Fox to survive the axe. Originally going to be pulled midseason, and again after the first season concluded, fans got loud enough to give the show a shot. However, the writers were trying to not leave loose ends so they could leave the show at a satisfactory point whenever the hammer fell, that the overall story suffered. I loved the first season a lot, and the second season wasn't too bad, but the cloud of doom hanging over the show made the viewership dwindle and Fox pulled the plug. However, why in the hell wasn't this turned into a series of 10-15 minute webisodes? Comics don't seem like the proper medium for a show as surreal as this, but some shorter webisodes a la Mortal Kombat Legacy would have been a good move for Dolllhouse.
Reaper: Reaper is the best show that never was. It had an excellent cast, excellent story, and was so ridiculously honest, that it could have lived on for another 4 seasons past the two we got. This was a show with an expiration date from the start. Like a book series, there was no way to carry this story on and on, but rather I see it as a six year narration of a young adult's life with the Devil. Plans for a comic or animated series were mentioned once, and then never again. Unfortunately, the demographic for this show was so limited, the CW really wasn't the right place for this show to begin with. It just had the wrong kind of drama. ABC or SyFy would have been much better suited for this chessgame's moving pieces. Instead, all we have are a dustbuster and a pile of ashes from the dove who thought it was a phoenix. While an cartoon show would have been cool, I doubt it would have lasted long, but Dark Horse and/or IDW execs, if you're reading this post, I only have this to say. "TAKE MY MONEY AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN!"
Freaks and Geeks: Like the title, this show was just awkward. It's cult-status worthy dialogue-heavy episodes doomed it from the start, and network television was never a good home for this show, but I do honestly believe a revival as a cartoon (released on Netflix or Hulu) would be absolutely perfect.
Heroes: Simply put, if this show was too expensive, but still had a relatively high viewership, WHY DID THE COMICS HAVE TO END WITH THE SHOW!? Not much else to say. The 2008 writer's strike, and the removal of Peter's powers (while Sylar still remained all-powerful, though for a short while was reset to zero) ruined the dynamic of the show, made for sloppy writing, and left some pretty big plot holes that now will never be filled. Seriously, who decided to end the companion comic series when the show was cancelled? It could have became a staple of any comic reader's subscription list!
My Own Worst Enemy: Christian Slater's psychological drama just didn't meet its audience, which is a shame. I rather enjoyed it. Since TV didn't seem like a right fit, I think a FireFly-eque movie wrap-up or a handful of webisodes would have nicely concluded this story. It deserved at least that much.
The Unit: This military action/drama/thriller show delivered such a mishmash of emotions, that the clusterfuck of season 4 was inevitable. I'm not at all surprised this show eventually failed, but I still enjoyed the first few seasons immensly. However, the turn the show took in the final season opened up a possibility that was never explored. A whole film franchise. Seriesly, if the Bourne book series made it past one movie, there is no way this couldn't be successful.
Tru Calling: Okay, this show should never have been cancelled to start with. But it was...which was stupid. This story was SO brilliant, it should have crossed mediums. We should have gotten games, book, movies, comics, a web series, the whole nine yards. It's well suited for all of them. Well, maybe the movies are a bit of a stretch, but I'd still like to see it happen. Tru Davies' story should have continued past the show just like Star Trek. While, I make no comparison between the two shows, both have tales to tell inbetween the episodes, both have the possibility for silver screen greatness, and while video game adaptations usually suck, it's always worth a shot.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Forthcoming App!
If you're an Android user, you've probably noticed that on every UI, the browser is a little bit different. The one problem that I have, is that there is no bookmarking mechanic I actually like to use. I tried using the built in bookmark scheme, but the bookmarks don't transfer from one phone to another. Web2Go recently updated and got rid of all my bookmarks, and Motoblur is just a total mess. Sense UI is probably the nicest with the desktop widget, but that takes up so much space, it's unwieldy. So, I decided to make my own link repository. At first, I just wanted to make a link launcher for RangerBoard, but Omega told me he wouldn't approve of it. I gave it a shot anyway and decided it wasn't enough.
So, I introduce to you readers, the Power Rangers Resources app for Android! A small collection of links to some of my favorite databases and review blogs, as well as a couple that I anticipated would be frequent asks.
Before I officially launch it, I'd like to get a gauge for who would prefer it to be in the Android Market (Google Play), and who would prefer to sideload the app? Leave a comment, message me on Facebook or YouTube, or email me.
Before anyone asks, here's the basic rundown. It will work with OS2 for the BlackBerry Playbook, I am totally unsure about blackberry phones, I can get it to work for Windows Phone 7.5, it should run on most (if not all) versions of Android, though it might look a little funny on a tablet at this current stage. No, it will not work on pre-Mango versions WP7, nor will it work on iOS. I have no intention of making it work for these platforms.
So, I introduce to you readers, the Power Rangers Resources app for Android! A small collection of links to some of my favorite databases and review blogs, as well as a couple that I anticipated would be frequent asks.
Before I officially launch it, I'd like to get a gauge for who would prefer it to be in the Android Market (Google Play), and who would prefer to sideload the app? Leave a comment, message me on Facebook or YouTube, or email me.
Before anyone asks, here's the basic rundown. It will work with OS2 for the BlackBerry Playbook, I am totally unsure about blackberry phones, I can get it to work for Windows Phone 7.5, it should run on most (if not all) versions of Android, though it might look a little funny on a tablet at this current stage. No, it will not work on pre-Mango versions WP7, nor will it work on iOS. I have no intention of making it work for these platforms.
Friday, April 20, 2012
"What went wrong with Power Rangers Samurai" or "AR trying to rationalize spectacle"
I think we all recognize that there's a whole lot wrong with the Power Ranger's franchise adaptation of Shinkenger. However, I've been thinking about WHY some of the choices made it into the show. Sure, for the most part, it closely follows the Japanese source material, but the sense of urgency, the dark undertones, and a good bit of the fighting have all been stripped away. Replacing these elements with filler and the "emPOWERED" was done on purpose. Thought went into this. While I don't mind the producers trying to get kids up and moving again so they aren't prone to a sedentary lifestyle that many of us from the mid-to-late eighties were, I do mind being forced to suffer the current cast any longer than I have to.
\RANT TIME/
Jayden is wholly unconvincing as a leader, authority figure, or experienced fighter. He seems more like a varsity football player rather than a natural born leader bred to take charge of a long line of warriors to fight the forces of darkness. Kevin and Emily are just bland. There's absolutely nothing to them. They shows nothing on their face, and can't vocally express emotion (surprise, confusion, displeasure, et al) with any degree of accuracy.
Mike and Antonio, to their benefit, are touch and go. Sometimes they can be convincing, sometimes not. Overall, I don't mind their arcs, and look forward to further developments to their characters. This leaves us with Mia, the pink ranger. Being the least discussed of the six rangers, Mia's actress is in my opinion the single most talented performer of the lot (which admittedly, isn't hard to do). When she says a line, I can believe it most of the time.
\END RANT/
So, other than the obvious problems with the writing and the desire to stand as far apart from the Sentai as they can while keeping those purse strings as tight as they can, what is it about this show that causes so much derision among fans of the franchise older than 10 years old? Well, let's take a very brief look at international reception. Countries like New Zealand and Canada banned the franchise from airing due to complaints of violence to their respective censorship boards, and TV stations pulled the original MMPR before the end of its second season (some much, much sooner). Currently, as far as I've been able to find, all of the countries that formerly banned the show, currently allow Power Rangers Samurai to air, as it's the first season to adhere to their rather script censorship policies regarding violent imagery and adult themes. By cutting out a great deal of the action and tension, and by extension the wind down and resolution (and lessons learned), Saban has sacrificed over-all quality and family appeal in exchange for an international release and the resulting revenue.
Now, don't get me wrong, I totally understand this. By making compromises to reach a wider audience, you open your product up to a greater turn on investment. I just wish that they didn't make the compromises they did, and try lobbying for a closer look at network censorship (which would cost more money, so naturally that option is out). I get that there's a bottom line to keep in consideration, however I think we can all agree the product being offered to us has greatly suffered.
Why do we keep coming back and buying merchandise? Well, there are several possible reasons. My personal reasoning, is that Even though I don't care for the current direction, I know well enough that every year the franchise is given an opportunity to go back to basics and try again, and buying merchandise helps to fund the next year of shows; more money coming in typically means more care goes into production. Also, I really liked Shinkenger and buy merchandise to show that (even though Bandai of Japan probably doesn't get much of the BoA profits) in hopes it encourages further quality Sentai shows and by extension better Power Rangers shows. Granted, my logic is flawed considering how good Shinkenger was, and how abysmal Samurai is. Other reasons may be the most common one. Fans by and large are hoarders; we tend tend collect things. Regardless of how much sense it makes, we throw money at things related to something that makes us feel good, filling some kind of hole in our lives to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and live these characters' lives vicariously. Whatever the reason, Saban has us firmly held by the short hairs.
While they have us, what can we do to make sure we're actually HAPPY about giving up our money? It's simple. We get involved. We can get involved in the industry as writers, effects artists, producers, directors, maybe even actors. It's not impossible for us to have a stake in the development of something we love to ensure its longevity for the coming generation.
\RANT TIME/
Jayden is wholly unconvincing as a leader, authority figure, or experienced fighter. He seems more like a varsity football player rather than a natural born leader bred to take charge of a long line of warriors to fight the forces of darkness. Kevin and Emily are just bland. There's absolutely nothing to them. They shows nothing on their face, and can't vocally express emotion (surprise, confusion, displeasure, et al) with any degree of accuracy.
Mike and Antonio, to their benefit, are touch and go. Sometimes they can be convincing, sometimes not. Overall, I don't mind their arcs, and look forward to further developments to their characters. This leaves us with Mia, the pink ranger. Being the least discussed of the six rangers, Mia's actress is in my opinion the single most talented performer of the lot (which admittedly, isn't hard to do). When she says a line, I can believe it most of the time.
\END RANT/
So, other than the obvious problems with the writing and the desire to stand as far apart from the Sentai as they can while keeping those purse strings as tight as they can, what is it about this show that causes so much derision among fans of the franchise older than 10 years old? Well, let's take a very brief look at international reception. Countries like New Zealand and Canada banned the franchise from airing due to complaints of violence to their respective censorship boards, and TV stations pulled the original MMPR before the end of its second season (some much, much sooner). Currently, as far as I've been able to find, all of the countries that formerly banned the show, currently allow Power Rangers Samurai to air, as it's the first season to adhere to their rather script censorship policies regarding violent imagery and adult themes. By cutting out a great deal of the action and tension, and by extension the wind down and resolution (and lessons learned), Saban has sacrificed over-all quality and family appeal in exchange for an international release and the resulting revenue.
Now, don't get me wrong, I totally understand this. By making compromises to reach a wider audience, you open your product up to a greater turn on investment. I just wish that they didn't make the compromises they did, and try lobbying for a closer look at network censorship (which would cost more money, so naturally that option is out). I get that there's a bottom line to keep in consideration, however I think we can all agree the product being offered to us has greatly suffered.
Why do we keep coming back and buying merchandise? Well, there are several possible reasons. My personal reasoning, is that Even though I don't care for the current direction, I know well enough that every year the franchise is given an opportunity to go back to basics and try again, and buying merchandise helps to fund the next year of shows; more money coming in typically means more care goes into production. Also, I really liked Shinkenger and buy merchandise to show that (even though Bandai of Japan probably doesn't get much of the BoA profits) in hopes it encourages further quality Sentai shows and by extension better Power Rangers shows. Granted, my logic is flawed considering how good Shinkenger was, and how abysmal Samurai is. Other reasons may be the most common one. Fans by and large are hoarders; we tend tend collect things. Regardless of how much sense it makes, we throw money at things related to something that makes us feel good, filling some kind of hole in our lives to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and live these characters' lives vicariously. Whatever the reason, Saban has us firmly held by the short hairs.
While they have us, what can we do to make sure we're actually HAPPY about giving up our money? It's simple. We get involved. We can get involved in the industry as writers, effects artists, producers, directors, maybe even actors. It's not impossible for us to have a stake in the development of something we love to ensure its longevity for the coming generation.
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