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Dear 2016, Fuck You. Love, Twitter.
Well, let’s see. We’ve lost, in no particular order and among MANY others…
- Richard Adams
- Alan Rickman
- Alan Thicke
- Prince
- Carrie Fisher
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
- Gene Wilder
- Leonard Cohen
- David Bowie
- John Glenn
- Harper Lee
- George Michael
- Muhammad Ali
- Anton Yelchin
- Kenny Baker
- Elie Wiesel
…Also, an idiot got elected President of the United States, and, on a more personal note to me, my mother had to spend close to a month in the hospital. And I’m sure a bunch of other horrible shit that’s gone down… … …Yeah, this is deserved. If I could maybe have some appropriate music, though?
Got a message for 2016 of your own, or perhaps want to share something positive that happened to you this year? Leave it in the comments below, and let’s all hope and pray with all of our souls that 2017 will be better. Ja nĂ©!
What’s Wrong With The Nostalgia Critic’s Recent ‘Reviews’?
So, I just got finished watching the most recent episode of the Nostalgia Critic, wherein he talked about Mad Max: Fury Road. For the most part, I really liked it. Sure, I find myself using the term ‘review’ somewhat loosely, but I still liked it. But, when I scrolled down to the comments section, I couldn’t help but see comment after comment talking about how much it sucked strictly because of that fact: That there’s no footage of the movie present, that it’s just Doug Walker and his friends acting out scenes, and that this is now the third time he’s done this instead of his usual style of reviewing movies. It just feels like a lot of people are reacting negatively to these kinds of videos, and want to see more of the kind they originally liked. And, after thinking about it for a bit, I think I know how best to respond to this.
…I don’t have a joke or reason for this, I just really like this picture. XD
Now, first off, I should admit that me and the people who dislike these videos are probably getting off on the wrong foot right away. Why? Because at least a few complaints I’ve seen about these videos compare them in a negative fashion to another show that Doug did for a while called Demo Reel. The problem is…I really liked Demo Reel. Like, a lot. I was really sad when I found out he was discontinuing the series, and more than a little concerned when I found out he was bringing back the Nostalgia Critic. But, after finding out that Malcolm and Rachel were gonna be sticking around, and after seeing a few episodes of the new Nostalgia Critic, I mellowed out a bit… … …Unfortunately, for the same reasons I calmed down, a lot of people seemingly lost their fucking minds, ranting about how different the show was now with them acting out skits and showing Critic on adventures. Hell, I remember one episode where he made a joke about fan comments and complaints regarding the fact that the wall behind him was a different colour. I don’t know if that was actually a thing or not, but it honest to God would not shock me in the slightest if it was. And as for the skits…do you even remember the pre-To Boldly Flee episodes of the Nostalgia Critic? He did skits all the time back then, too. The only differences are that, aside from Rob and the occasional fellow reviewer or friend he could get into the video, he did them by himself, and they were usually a little bit shorter. So really, the only reason people complain about them is because they’re more apparent to your eye and your mind.
With that said, it occurs to me that likely a big part of the reason people don’t like the episodes talking about Jurassic World, Pixels, and now Fury Road is simply because they’re different from what they’re used to. However, here’s where I think you’re being unfair: After so many years of doing the same thing over and over, where videos can be taken down for the slightest thing, what did you think was going to happen? Of course things changed. They had to in order for the show to survive. Really, think back to the first episode of the show. Not the Transformers one, mind you, since that was more him fangasming over the movie, but his review of Cartoon All-Stars. Imagine him in that room, in those clothes, on that camera, in that level of quality, and the exact tones of voice used for EIGHT YEARS. You’d probably be sick to death of it within four years. And even if you weren’t, there’s one other reason it wouldn’t continue to survive.
Look, let’s just call a spade a spade: YouTube’s copyright claim system is inherently broken and easily exploited, which you can learn more about HERE. This has been a problem practically since day one of the show, and is the reason why it and so many other internet reviewers moved their content to Blip. Unfortunately, Blip shut down this year, and it was something a lot of people knew was coming, so they had to either move to less user-friendly sites or back to YouTube. And even if YouTube’s system wasn’t the problem, let’s again be honest with ourselves: Hollywood, for the most part, does not give a damn about free use. They and others have pulled videos featuring content they created, regardless of if the video was bashing their work or praising it. Hell, it’s a known fact that videos by internet reviewers, even negative ones, have increased the rate in which certain movies, TV shows, video games, comics, and so on have been sought after and viewed/played/read/etc., but that has not been enough to convince some people. That’s why Jurassic World, Pixels, and Fury Road didn’t have any footage from the movies present, and why I wouldn’t be surprised if more of the Nostalgia Critic’s reviews might end up taking on this style.
So, where does that leave us? Well, unfortunately for the people who dislike recent Nostalgia Critic videos, I don’t think you’re gonna like what’s to come. I’m sorry, and I sincerely I wish there was a way to make this easier for you all, because of course many of us tend to react to change negatively. We all want things to stay the same, and oftentimes become nostalgic for how things were before. People can make arguments for how or why that is, but it’s pretty clear that most, if not all, of us tend to behave in such a manner, and nowhere is that more evident than on the internet. At the same time, though, you have to understand why these changes happen, and try to at least give things a chance to turn you around on how it is. And, if you’re not convinced by the end, then maybe it’s time for you to move on and find something else to be passionate about.
…Because CHANGE. lol
And yes, before anyone brings it up, of course I’ve complained about stuff changing before. There’s proof of that right here on my blog in my various rants about comics. However, I like to think that I at least TRY to give change a chance, and a lot of the changes I’ve done angry rants about were in regards to things that conflicted with my views of right and wrong, like the Amazons in Wonder Woman being changed into rapists and child traders. One example of a change I was unwilling to give much of a chance to, though, is the whole Jim Gordon-becoming-Batman scenario. And yeah, you can make the argument that doing so was a bit childish of me, but I at least gave my reasons for why I didn’t like the idea and moved on, rather than sticking with it and ranting about it 24/7. Really, the only time I got angry about the arrangement was when I uncovered a massive plot hole in the story, and found out about some of the stuff Alfred was doing, which FYI has actually gotten WORSE if you can believe it, but I digress. The point is, while this blog is called Jyger’s Rant, I don’t necessarily want to only bitch and complain about stuff I don’t like ALL THE TIME, and I understand that some people actually DO like this storyline. I may not understand how or why, but I don’t necessarily wanna rain on their parade either. So, in the end, all I can ask is that the people going through the same thing with the Nostalgia Critic keep that in mind, that even if you don’t like the recent episodes, others do. Also, for those on the opposite side of the fence, remember that not everybody voicing their negative opinions are necessarily doing it to troll you or anyone else, and try not to get into heated debates and arguments over it. It may be a fine line on the internet between voicing opinions and arguing, but it’s nonetheless a line we can all choose to cross or not cross.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the matter. Have a counterpoint to all of this, or anything else you’d like to add? Lemme know in the comments below…just, try not to get too aggressive with one another. Ja nĂ©!
History of Power Rangers Jungle Fury – Unofficial Companion Piece
Merry Christmas, one and all!…Okay, I don’t normally do this. I feel as though doing companion pieces to reviews is kinda stepping on the toes of the reviewer. However, something odd happened after watching today’s History of Power Rangers. For those uninitiated, History of Power Rangers is a show done by Atop The Fourth Wall host, Linkara, that talks about…well, the history of Power Rangers, season by season. It’s generally a broad overview of each season, keeping only the important details in. And, in that sense, today’s HOPR, which focused on Jungle Fury, did exactly that, and I really enjoyed it…With that said, for some weird reason, a lot of details to the show that I felt were overlooked kept popping up in my head. It was made worse when, after I was done watching, I brought up Netflix and decided to watch some episodes, and these details seemingly increased in number. Now, admittedly, a lot of this could be seen as pointless trivia, but I really like it. So, I thought I’d get it all out by compiling a list of details that either weren’t covered for whatever reason, or just helped explain them when they were. Obviously, though, you’ll wanna watch HOPR FIRST before reading this, in case you haven’t done so already. And I figure we might as well start off with the first thing we saw in the review…
#1 – The Strike Rider
While the Strike Rider IS shown in the beginning of the video, primarily so Lewis could make a snarky comment, there was one thing about it that I wish he’d talked about. See, up until now, every season since In Space had a Battlizer, an American-made powered-up form for the Red Ranger, usually in the form of some advanced armour. However, Jungle Fury doesn’t really have a traditional Battlizer. Instead, the Strike Rider, and the armour that comes with it, are often considered by many to be the Jungle Fury Battlizer. Now, not everybody is in agreement over that point, and anyone reading this is free to make their own call, but personally…yeah, in my opinion, it kinda is. It gives Casey an advanced form, it’s unique to him, and he’s even seen using it at times after the team gains access to Jungle Master Mode. It’s not really anything vital to go over, but I thought it still could’ve been brought up.
#2 – The Wolf Ranger Costume
Okay, I’m not gonna debate costume fashion sense here, but I think there’s a theme present in RJ’s morphed form that I think Linkara may have overlooked: He’s supposed to look like a Muay Thai kick-boxer. Even the Wolf Morpher itself has a little ring bell switch to it. Why? Because in his morphed fights, he’s constantly employing that style of martial art. Granted, I would’ve preferred if he used that style a bit more unmorphed, so it was more clear when the time came that the suit was made with that combat style in mind (having kick-pads and whatnot), so I suppose I can see where Lewis didn’t recognize that.
#3 – The Shark Sabers
Alright, admittedly, this is probably one of the lesser points to bring up, but I just find it kinda neat. If you watch the show (and if you don’t, I don’t know why you’re reading this), you probably noticed that the Shark Sabers look kinda…flimsy. In that, they’re VERY flimsy, resembling HORRIBLE props. However, and I admittedly only know this because I watched Gekiranger, where this point was actually specifically covered, that’s actually part of the design. Think of the blades like if the edges of rubber were sharp. They can bend and flop around, but they’ll still cut. This way, while swinging them around, anything that gets close to them is getting sliced, and they’re also harder to get around, making them every bit as good as defensive weapons as they are offensive. Again, kinda pointless trivia that only the most geeky of people would care about, but…well, what can I say? I excel at being a geek. lol
#4 – The Wolf Zord
Getting back to RJ for a sec, I thought I should bring up how his Wolf Zord works with the others. Basically, it replaces the Cheetah Zord as a new right leg for the Jungle Pride Megazord, and uses its bladed tail to improve kicking power. Again, RJ mostly uses kick-boxing in the field. However, the Wolf can’t combine with the Zords that form the Jungle Master Megazord (or, if it can, it was never shown to be able to in either Jungle Fury OR Gekiranger). Instead, when the others are piloting the Jungle Master Megazord, RJ can project copies of the Tiger and Jaguar Zords to form the Wolf Pride Megazord, which functions exactly like the Jungle Pride Megazord with Wolf Power, only usually piloted by RJ on his own. Although, one cool thing about having the two Megazords usually working together that they never fully took advantage of was the fact that the Elephant, Bat, or Shark Zords could each combine with one of the two, so they could power up even further, although that could require them splitting up between the Megazords, so not sure if that would work or not. Whatever, still cool to think about…at least more-so than the last thing I need to talk about…
#5 – The Pai Zhua Masters’ Spirit Forms
Okay, this one is actually more about confirming a suspicion Lewis had. Yeah, the spirit forms of the Pai Zhua Masters were from Gekiranger. In fact, it’s what their Sentai counterparts each looked like. I’d say that it makes more sense in the Sentai, and it does, but rather, I’ll instead just say that, after a while of watching, you kinda got used to them. HERE, however, I have NO idea why they used them. It’s not even a thing where they were used so that certain shots from the Sentai could be adapted either, since their appearance in Jungle Fury was ALL original footage. So…Yeah, I don’t know. lol
Anyway, that’s all I really wanna talk about. I hope that Lewis Lovhaug understands that I don’t necessarily want to step in on his show. It’s just…I dunno, I guess Jungle Fury, and Gekiranger for that matter, left a pretty big impact on me. As such, I’m gonna NEED to reel this in, because as anyone who knows me personally can tell you, I LOVE Power Rangers RPM and Engine Sentai Go-onger, which are next. Hopefully, I’ll keep a better thumb over my need to exposit more needless details and trivia. In the meantime, though, here’s one Ranger fanatic who can’t wait til March. Ja nĂ©, and Merry Christmas. đ
Lewis Lovhaug’s Funniest Moments Vol 2
Well, since we’re coming up on the 5 Year Anniversary of Atop The Fourth Wall, I thought I’d post some more of my favourite moments from the star himself. This is Lewis Lovhaug’s Funniest Moments Vol 2.
Footage belongs to AT4W and Channel Awesome. Music is The Ballad of Linkara by Vincent E.L.
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My Apology To JesuOtaku
…Ooookay, I need to make a HUGE apology here. Admittedly, part of me would like to hide behind the fact that I can be socially awkward at times. However, that doesn’t justify what I’ve done here, which was pretty much to shoot off at the mouth about something when I didn’t have all the facts. Anyone following my Tumblr knows exactly what happened, and if you don’t, I suggest you go read it now.
The truth is, I DO understand that relationships are tough. I’ve been in plenty, and they didn’t always end all that well. I understand that both parties are hurting right now, though for different reasons. I’m not going to take sides in this matter, and as of this posting, this is the last I will be speaking on this subject.
I should make clear, though, that I wasn’t the one who suggested that JO cheated. That’s not why I said I was disappointed in her. Where I was disappointed in her was due to my pre-conceived, and apparently mistaken, notion that she had taken a great relationship and thrown it away, made no better by what’s happened since in Nash’s personal life as of late and the mass drama that’s ensued from their break-up, which I have ironically helped to spread in my misguided attempt to vent my own feelings on the subject.
Looking back on my decision, I wonder if just needing to vent was the reason I did it. After all, I mentioned how everyone else had added their two cents on the matter, at least from what I’d seen. I wonder, honestly, did some part of me just want the attention? Did I just want my opinion out there so people could discuss it with me? Or was I hoping that with enough incentive JO would come out and tell her side of events?
Either way, when JO finally decided to speak on the matter, an argument ensued between herself, the man who shared the initial post, and one of my close friends who works at TGWTG Secrets and had originally turned down the post there but then commented on it once it was shared elsewhere. Seeing this happening, I made it clear to JO that, out of the three of us, I was the only one to make a snap-judgement of her. So, if it IS true that some part of me actually WAS looking for attention, it would appear as though I have it, much as I wish I hadn’t gained it in such a despicable manner.
So, to JO, to my friends, to anyone that was hurt by what I said, I’m sorry. To anyone still going on about this subject, I think it’s wise that we close the book on this. It’s not our business, and I should have realised that before saying what I said. I almost feel as though as I should be putting this in Tales of Dumbassery, but with those, I generally try to find humour in whatever happened, and there just isn’t anything funny about this.
Sincerely,
Jeffery Adam Phillips
‘Jyger’
Some Channel Awesome Related News – Linkara Says “Please Let Ads Play”, Welshy Leaves Internet
So there’s been some news related to TGWTG and Channel Awesome, so I thought I’d give my two cents on them both. First up, let’s talk about an issue that’s come up with Lewis Lovhaug, AKA Linkara, and a number of people who post on Blip. If any of these people mean anything to you, PLEASE watch the video.
…Yeah, first off, I’d just like to thank Lewis for basically saying the same thing I’ve been saying to people who complain about ads in videos. Guys, most ads are what, 30 seconds? Sure, maybe you’ll come across one of those really obnoxious ones that’s like three minutes long, but seriously, you could just mute it and read a comic or something. It’s still LEAGUES better than what we have to deal with on TV. Deal with it. Second, as I brought up on Tumblr, was definitely a good idea of Lewis to post this video on YouTube. While I get that he has his reasons for not posting his videos on YouTube and respect his decision to not do so, messages like this definitely work well by being posted there. They reach a wider audience. The other thing I’d like to note is that, while I don’t have a PayPal account, you can be sure that when I get one, the DVD will likely be among the first things I use it for, and I encourage others to do the same.
The second thing I’d like to talk about is that Welshy recently noted on his Tumblr that he will be leaving TGWTG, as well as the entire flipping internet entirely. He didn’t really wanna talk about why, but some of us already know and understand why it would be necessary for him. Now, this is admittedly kind of awkward for me to comment on as I was never really a big fan of Welshy’s work. However, I do understand his contributions to the site, and I most certainly understand why this is a big loss for them, especially considering that a number of people have left within the past few months (Spoony, Iron Liz, PushingUpRoses, and JewWario). I will say though that this could be an opportunity for other internet reviewers to possibly get in, like SF Debris or Confused Matthew. Still, big shoes to fill.
Anyway, that’s all I really wanted to talk about. Leave your comments below, and I’ll see y’all later. Ja nĂ©!
No “What I Bought Today” Today + The Review Must Go On
Well, there is no “What I Bought Today” today on account of the fact that I didn’t buy anything today. Why? Because I didn’t leave the house. Why? Because it’s FUCKING FREEZING OUT THERE!!! One of the downsides of living in a port city in Canada, you see. It gets really, REALLY cold here in January. Don’t worry though, I WILL eventually pick up Nightwing #16 to give my thoughts on it.
In the meantime, I thought I’d give my thoughts on a little mini-movie released by Doug Walker yesterday called The Review Must Go On. For those who haven’t seen it, The Review Must Go On tells how Doug Walker receives a movie in the mail so horrible that he rants on it, finding himself feeling like he did when he first started writing the Nostalgia Critic. After going back and forth on it in his head, arguing with a subconscious projection of the Critic, he finally admits to himself that he really does want to bring him back and goes through with it. Meanwhile, in the world of Demo Reel, Donnie DuPre finds his friends disappearing one by one until he’s confronted by a bright flash of light, revealing itself to be the Plot Hole. His friends return to tell Donnie that the world he’s been living in is a sort of purgatory and that he needs to return to his former life. The Plot Hole returns his former memories to him, revealing that he is, in fact, the Nostalgia Critic. Critic is furious at first, having been a terrible child actor whose mother was destroyed by the Hollywood system and leaving him to grow up embittered and making horrible movies with no one understanding his intentions. However, the Plot Hole reveals to him that this was all a lesson for him, as now everyone he criticizes from now on has a face, and that while he’s free to criticize, he now knows what it’s like to be on that side. Critic’s friends from Demo Reel see him off as they can’t go with him, but tell him they’ll be there if he needs them, and he finds himself in a room designed to look like his old review table, his old clothes there as he suits up and prepares to start again, a little wiser from his experiences.
So, my thoughts…I will say that I understood why Doug ended the Nostalgia Critic before. However, the points brought up in this movie, that Doug had so many things going on in his life that of course he would get sick of it and that there are ways around it all, they make sense and I can understand why Doug would go back on his decision. I actually really enjoyed Demo Reel, but I’ll be fine with it being gone so long as Doug can keep Nostalgia Critic fresh. My only issue, really, is that Tacoma and Rebecca and the others really grew on me, and I’m hoping that I’ll see them again someday.
The fallout since The Review Must Go On from the fans has been HILARIOUS. No really, I’ve been laughing my ass off. I haven’t seen fan fallout this funny since the first few episodes of Power Rangers Samurai aired. First they were upset that Critic was done, then they were upset about Demo Reel, NOW they’re upset that Demo Reel is done and Critic’s coming back. Okay, I suppose that IS a generalization, but it still sorta feels like that’s what’s happening. This is one of those occasions where I’m kinda glad I’m NOT Doug Walker, because I get the feeling the guy feels like he just can’t win sometimes.
I think my favourite parts of this movie were the cameos by the other producers, from Lewis Lovhaug believing that Pollo and Harvey are real, to Lindsay Ellis sending Nella to stop Doug, only for that to backfire when Nella misunderstands what she wants her to do, to Brad Jones basically not giving a shit one way or the other. It really does show that these guys can do a movie without having to use the characters from their shows and still have it be hilarious. Oh, and one other awesome moment, we see that Douchey McNitpick has taken Critic’s place in the Plot Hole. That is both awesomely hilarious and makes TOTAL sense, given the character. Plus, it creates new ways to get him involved in videos in the future.
Now, I should address that there are gonna be some changes to Nostalgia Critic, as shown in a scene where Doug, after admitting he wants Critic to come back, lays out some ground rules. The first, and probably most important one, is that reviews will come out every two weeks. Perfectly understandable, given that Doug is a married man now and his personal life is more important to him than ever, plus he still wants to do a bunch of other new things like Sibling Rivalry (which has been AWESOME, btw). The second is that there will be no more cut-off dates, though he’s assured that he won’t review anything currently in theatres. Again, makes sense, given that nostalgia and bad movies aren’t limited to a specific time period and that he’s ventured outside of it before. The last condition listed is that Critic will be reviewing the movie that inspired Doug to bring him back: The Odd Life of Timothy Green. Basically, to prove that even something forgettable and horrible can still inspire something creative.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts on the matter. Post a comment to let me know what you think, if you agree, if you disagree, though PLEASE no arguments. Ja nĂ©!
My 70th Post! Channel Awesome Time Force
Requested by my friend GracefulWitch. Footage and audio obviously belong to Saban, Channel Awesome, and Cinemassacre.
Oh, and Happy 70th Post to ME! LOL XD
Sonic 5D’s Fanfic + Uchuuuu…KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
First up, thought I’d let everybody know where they can find the fanfiction I’ve been doing on deviantArt. http://jyger85.deviantart.com/gallery/36755931
And second, thought I’d share something I made a little while ago. It’s just another short video that was inspired by news that Channel Awesome Year 4 was going to be in space.
Channel Awesome Year 5 Idea
So yeah, as you know, PinkRangerWannabe and I are gigantic fans of Channel Awesome. Well, with Year 4’s motif having been announced, a lot of people have wondered what Year 5 will be like, and so she and I have come up with a great idea for it.
Picture this: Instead of everyone being together in one place though, circumstances keep them apart, only able to communicate over various social networking sites and whatnot…all except for the Nostalgia Critic, who has disappeared. As they search for him, they find clues and recordings left by him suggesting that he went into hiding because someone or something is trying to kill him. As they search the internet for more clues, they discover that Critic’s been discovered by whatever is trying to kill him and it becomes a race against time to find him before it’s too late.
The best part of this idea is that no one would have to be excluded since they could all film their own scenes independently and then send the footage in to be put all together, there could be more or less equal on-screen time for everybody involved, and it would be cheap and easy to do. Plus, having the characters apart would create a sense of dread, as just when they need each other the most they’re split up. Finally, and possibly most importantly, while Critic would technically still be the centre of attention, his lack of actually being on-screen would make more room for everybody else involved.
So there’s our thoughts on the subject. Let me know what you think and what your own ideas for what could work for Year 5 are.
Jyger's Rant 