Month: May 2016

Super Recaps: My Little Pony season 6 (The Saddle Row Review)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 3 Comments

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all the images you see in this recap are owned by Hasbro.

Episode directed by Denny Lu and Tim Stuby

Welcome back to another episode of Rasho-Pony!  So far, season 6 has been a somewhat more successful version of the underwhelming fifth season.  While last season promised change and exploration but failed to deliver on it, this season feels a bit more assured of itself and has tried some new ideas here and there to keep things fresh.  Does that work for this episode where it’s essentially one big flashback to piece together the story up to now, or will this be a gimmick that wears out its welcome all too quickly?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with five of the Mane6 frantically racing towards Rarity’s house in the hopes of stopping her from reading a review of the opening night at her Manehattan Boutique.  The reason why is not clear yet, but it has something to do with information that they apparently divulged to the fashion critic which is presumably NEGATIVE information based on how they’re rushing to stop her from reading it.  Unfortunately they are too late as Rarity has the newspaper in hand and is merely waiting for her friends to arrive so she can read it with them.  For the sake of conflict, she refuses to listen to anything they say and proceeds to read it out loud; the others deciding to start hiding behind heavy objects while she does so.

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“If you want to kill me, you’ll have to go through these outfits first!!”     “DAMN!  My one weakness!”

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Cinema Dispatch: The Angry Birds Movie

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 2 Comments

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The Angry Birds Movie and all the images you see in this review are owned by Columbia Pictures

Directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

After the disaster that was Ratchet & Clank, this COULDN’T be worse… right?  Honestly, with the track record that video game adaptations have, it’s not like a shitty movie based on a mobile game can tarnish their legacy any more than Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li did, which isn’t to say that I have any hope for this movie; just that it’s not in a position to do much damage.  Does this turn out to be an unexpectedly competent surprise, or just another awful adaptation to add to the pile?  Let’s find out!!

The movie follows the angriest bird in Birdville, or whatever this place is called, named Red (Jason Sudeikis) who has finally pushed the citizens of Bird-opolis to the breaking point!  After an “incident” gets out of hand involving a slightly messed up cake and cracked egg, Red is assigned to mandatory Anger Management which is led by Matilda (Maya Rudolph) and is attended by Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Terence (Sean Penn); none of whom are particularly well adjusted.  That’s only the first half of the movie though.  Eventually, a ship chock full of pigs arrives at the Island of Birds and come offering friendship and gifts of the outside world!  Only Red can see that they’re up to no good though, but no one wants to listen to him because… well he’s an asshole.  Still, he manages to get Bomb and Chuck on his side enough so that they agree to go with him to find the LEGENDARY MIGHTY EAGLE who is said to watch over Bird-sylvania and aid it in its time of need.  Can red get over his anger issues long enough to do some real good for his fellow birds?  Can the LEGENDARY MIGHTY EAGLE save the town before the pigs enact their nefarious plan?  Have these birds never bothered to go off of their island!?  How have they never heard of pigs before!?

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“Whatever it is, I think we should worship it.”     “Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?”     “HERETIC!!”     “Don’t you mean… HAM-etic?”

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Super Recaps: Sailor Moon Episode 23 (Wish Upon a Star: Naru’s First Love)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 3 Comments

Sailor Moon and all the images you see in this recap are owned by Toei Animation and licensed by Viz Media

Episode directed by Harume Kosaka

We’re back with another episode of The Naru Diaries!  Before we ran off to the beach, visited an animation studio, and attended a fancy ball, there was a subplot brewing about Naru loving Masato Sanjoin and Nephrite planning to use that to his nefarious advantage!  While it was brought up a bit in the last episode, this is the first time that that will be the focus of its own episode!  Will the fact that Usagi has to protect someone she cares about change up the formula and give us a fresh look at the series, or was this story dead on arrival three episodes ago?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with Naru who is still pining for Masato Sanjoin and is not in the least bit deterred that, in her short time knowing him, he accused her of being Sailor Moon while wearing a stupid outfit and then following that up with possessing her to assault an international figure head.  It MUST be true love!

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“Who DOESN’T love a bad boy?”

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Super Recaps: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 32 (Infinity 6: Three Guardians)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 3 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Quantum Pluto!  When we had left our heroes, the latest member of Team Outer Senshi had fully awakened to their powers and is ready to help them save the world!  The last episode suffered from having no real direction and continuing to hammer home points that had already been addressed in prior episodes with no real advancement; bringing the show to a standstill as none of the subplots were ready to move forward just yet.    Hopefully now that everything is starting to be out in the open, the show can finally give us something new.  Do we get it this time, or are we still gonna have to deal with problems we saw the solution to several episodes ago?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with Chibi-Usa running to greet the apparently reincarnated Sailor Pluto who showed up at the end of the last episode to finish off the witch who was about to chop the young Scout’s head off.  Pluto remembers Chibi-Usa and explains that she was reborn by Neo Queen Serenity to fulfill some important mission.  It’s not clear whether or not she had lost her memories up to this point, but I think the more pertinent point is that NEO QUEEN SEREINTY CAN RAISE THE DEAD!!  They don’t explain how she was able to do it, but that seems like a pretty useful power to have at your beck and call; especially to use on a Sailor Guardian who can go to whatever time they want.  Presumably the “bring back to life” process is a form of reincarnation like it was for the other Sailor Scouts which means it takes a good fifteen years to get going (or more like twenty in Pluto’s case) so it’s not something she can use as a plan B, but it’s still pretty useful!  Wait… now I’m confused.  Can Neo Queen Serenity go back in time too without the aid of Pluto to… I guess imbue an unborn baby with Pluto’s genetic code?  How does bringing her back to life in the past affect the events in the future?  Why didn’t she send a message to her younger self letting her know to keep an eye out for the reincarnation!?

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“You probably have a lot of questions.  The answer to all of them is MAGIC.”

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Super Recaps: The Twilight Zone (The Lineman)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 4 Comments

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The Twilight Zone and all the images you see in this recap are owned by Warner Bros Television and based on the series created by Rod Serling

Episode directed by Jonathan Frakes

Welcome back to our look at the 2002 Twilight Zone reboot!  Now the show’s air dates and production dates are completely different, but we’re gonna go with the latter which means this first episode (the pilot) didn’t actually air until six weeks into the series run; something that makes it even MORE confusing when you find out that this is the ONLY episode of the series that is one hour long story instead of two episodes put together.  As confusing as that must have been to whoever was watching this series as it aired (someone SURELY had to have been doing so, right?), this can sometimes happen.  You needn’t look any further than The Menagerie from the original Star Trek series which was the original pilot but then later retrofitted into a two parter in the series proper.  So what do we have to look forward to from the first episode of this series?  Well it has Jeremy Piven in it from before he was on Entourage but since that’s a show I’ve never seen, my reference pool for the guy is basically Smokin’ Aces and The Good: Live Hard Sell hard.  Not only is he in this episode, but he’s the STAR and it’s all about him developing the power to read minds!  Neato!  So does this episode prove that the series was worth bring back a second time, or is it all too clear right from the beginning that we’re on a ship that’s sinking fast?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with our hero Tyler (Jeremy Piven) and his two work buddies, Buddy and Shannon (seriously, his best friend is named Buddy, I guess so we don’t get confused), who are at the site of a recently downed telephone line.  Tyler has a crush on Shannon but he doesn’t have any confidence in himself and uses being poor as an excuse to not ask her out.  I guess telecom repair people don’t get paid a lot, but then again this is the guy who buys scratcher tickets hoping to win it big, so maybe his idea of success is a bit on the unrealistic side.  Not only that, but the person he’s pining over seems like an irresponsible jerk considering she goads the guy into going to the top of the line to fix it mere moments after the storm ended.  Gee… I wonder if anything is gonna go wrong…

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“I hate Mondays!!”     “It’s actually Tuesday.”     “WHY ARE YOU CORRECTING HIM!?  CALL AN AMBULANCE!!”

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Super Recaps: My Little Pony season 6 (A Hearth’s Warming Tail)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 1 Comment

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all the images you see in this recap are owned by Hasbro.

Episode directed by Denny Lu and Tim Stuby

We’re back with another episode of The Taming of the Starlight!  After last week’s respite from the newest member of Twilight’s inner circle to focus on Rainbow Dash, it’s time to check back in with our not-quite-yet reformed former dictator.  Not only that, but it’s SOMEHOW Hearth’s Warming Eve time already which is odd considering it looked very much like Spring in the last episode, so maybe the show is trying to make up for lost time or something.  Anyway!  Will Starlight learn about the magic of Hearth’s Warming Eve, or will they let her be a Grumpy Gus until the ornaments are put away?  Well you can probably guess which one it is, but let’s find out!!

The episode begins with everypony singing a Hearth’s Warming Eve carol throughout the town and leading into Twilight’s Doom fortress where the main festivities are happening; presumably leaving the chosen people of Pony-rael to their own devices as they celebrate Horse-anukah in the privacy of their own homes.

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“Can I go home now?  It’s the last night and we’ve got to light the mare-norah.”     “Oh quit being a spoil sport!”

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Cinema Dispatch: Money Monster

~ Matt Vetrano ~ Leave a comment

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Money Monster and all the images you see in this review are owned by TriStar Pictures

Directed by Jodie Foster

Once again, George Clooney is trying to save America’s soul through his world class acting skills!  Not too long ago he directed and co-starred in The Ides of March which was a vicious take down of the electoral process and the idea of there ever being a perfect candidate and then just last year he was in Tomorrowland which, from what I understand, is damn close to a Randian take on a Save the Future kids movie where the best and brightest separated themselves from the rest of the world to form a Utopian society that is no doubt run on renewable energy and good vibes.  Now we’ve got Money Monster; a movie he didn’t direct but seems to be right in his wheelhouse as it takes the finical system and investment culture head on.  Does this movie manage to make an intelligent statement on capitalism and Wall Street, or is this simply an angry and half-thought out screed that just shows how little the filmmakers and writers know about what they’re railing against?  Let’s find out!!

The movie begins with douche bag television personality Lee Gates (George Clooney) going about his normal everyday routine of giving financial advice on his show Money Monster with his trusty director Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) in the booth making sure it all comes together instead of just being a big cacophony of egotistical noise radiating from the self-centered host.  Today is not going to be a normal day for anyone however as a complete stranger Kyle Budwell (Jack O’Connell) manages to sneak his way into the studio with not only a gun but a bomb vest.  He takes everyone hostage, puts the vest on Lee, and begins his own personal broadcast to spout off about the ills of Wall Street and their hype men like Lee.  Specifically, the guy lost A LOT of money when a company called IBIS suspiciously lost eight hundred million dollars in a single day due to a supposed computer glitch and he wants answers for it; especially after Lee said on national television that the company was a sure thing for any investor.  Can Lee talk his way out of a bullet in the head?  What really DID happen to the money that IBIS claims to have lost?  How amazing are the ratings gonna be for THIS show?  Maybe he can get another desperate asshole to break in during sweeps…

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“On today’s episode, we see who wants to get shot in the face!  Any takers?”     …     “Come on people!  If you can’t decide amongst yourselves, then  I’m gonna choose for you!”

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Super Recaps: The Twilight Zone (PROLOGUE)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ Leave a comment

You are about to enter another recap series.  A series not of anime or ponies, but of network television at the start of the twenty-first century.  A journey into the early roles of well-known actors today.  Next stop, something super cheesy and firmly a product of its time!  You are about to enter…

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Don’t know what this is?  Well it’s something I haven’t seen in a REALLY long time and yet has still left an impression on me.  I figure it was time to share the joy (or pain depending on how it holds up) that this show has brought me!  But first, we could use a little history lesson.

Portrait of a man who’s amazing hair and clipped speaking pattern somehow changed the world

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Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 and is still one of the most important and ingeniously clever television shows of all time.  Before Serling got his big break on that series, he was already a legendary writer in television; having been nominated for four Emmys and winning three within a four year period.  Still, the idea of a television network investing in a science fiction series was neigh unheard of, and even with Serling’s massive clout it still took some doing before the series made it to television.  The show found its audience but was never a huge hit for the network and was cancelled after five seasons.  The impact of that show is STILL felt to this very day, and has influenced everyone from Gene Roddenberry, Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick; hell, ANYONE who makes science fiction television and movies owes something to this show and the legacy it left behind.  That’s not the show I’m going to recap though.

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Super Recaps: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 31 (Infinity 5: Setsuna Meioh – Sailor Pluto)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 1 Comment

We’re back with another episode of The M-Files!  Unexplained and terrifying things keep happening at this school, and yet no one seems to have dropped out yet. I guess despite the numerous horrors to befall its students, it still gets them a kick ass reference!  Still, the strange stuff only got stranger last week when the formerly dead Scout (Sailor Pluto) showed up in what I can only assume is a reincarnated form; similar to what happened with the rest of the Scouts.  Does this episode manage to explore the true nature of Sailor Pluto’s return in a satisfying and compelling fashion, or is her reappearance merely a stab at fan service to keep the fans’ collective attention span from waning?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with Not Sailor Pluto (Setsuna Meioh), or at least Not YET Sailor Pluto, working in one of Mugen Academy’s science labs that also looks like a greenhouse.  Actually, it looks a bit more like an office than anything else, but she said in the LAST episode that she’s a student.  If that’s the case, then how did she manage to get her own office!?

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“I swear, if this is leading to ANOTHER joke about my plants…”

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Super Recaps: My Little Pony season 6 (Newbie Dash)

~ Matt Vetrano ~ 2 Comments

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all the images you see in this recap are owned by Hasbro.

Episode directed by Denny Lu and Tim Stuby

We’re back with another episode of The Wonderbolt Years!  Rainbow Dash’s ongoing quest to become a member of the prestigious group might be reaching its ultimate conclusion with this episode that puts her among their ranks once and for all!  Will this manage to be just as good as the LAST time a major series long plot line had gotten a resolution which was Crusaders of the Lost Marks or is this a hasty conclusion that doesn’t adequately capture the magnitude of this event?  Let’s find out!!

The episode begins with Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash expositing to each other about an upcoming Wonderbolts event in Ponyville that Rainbow Dash will be a part of.  Rainbow Dash corrects her about one thing which is, as you know, she’s actually a RESERVE member which means she’ll be there but not in the main event.  Well that’s too bad.  If only there was a way for her to get a chance to fly with them, or if the Wonderbolts finally gave her a shot in their ranks.  If only something like that were to happen…

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“That’s right Rainbow Dash!  We’ve got your wife!”     “But I’m not married!”     “You are now!  TO THE WONDERBOLTS!!”

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