review – News on Shuffle

Sleeping With Ghosts – The Hotel Avira Haunting #1

The following is a review of the first chapter in a new series by Damian Simankowicz. Anyone who followed my writing over at Nerds in Babeland might recognize that name from the series of reviews I did for another project of his: Sage Escape. This one is quite different stylistically, but definitely worth a try if you like ghost stories. Now, without further ado, I present the first chapter of Sleeping Ghosts (albeit a little late).

PS- Normally I would give you a spoiler warning before continuing, but for once I did pretty good at not being too specific. Enjoy this rare treat! And now, on with the show…

Sleeping With Ghosts

The Hotel Avira Haunting #1

Chapter 1: Sebastian

The first impression with any comic is going to be the artwork, and this one does not disappoint. I was immediately impressed with the coloring on this one. Next impression is going to be whether the story catches you immediately. Right from the opening panels you immediately get that this is a supernatural themed story, which I am all about. My two favorite genres for comic books are superheroes and the supernatural. (Put them in a story together and you get Doctor Strange, one of my current favorite comics running now. Honestly, I could write a whole other article about the current story they have going, but that’s not what we’re here for now.)

Sorry for the tangent, folks. My brain doesn’t always like to focus (which is maybe why I’m writing this a good 3-4 months later than I should’ve). I am so very good at life… (but that’s a different article as well).

As I was saying, the story is a supernatural tale of a haunted hotel and the debunker who actually finds some ghosts. In fact, he finds more than he bargained for, and ends up in unexpected places because of it. I know the story has been out for awhile, but I still don’t want to give too much away. I definitely recommend you check this piece of the story out, if you haven’t already. My only warning is there is one scene that is on the mature side, which was fine for me but may not be right for younger readers.

You can find part one of The Hotel Avira Haunting online at ComiXology and on iBooks.

Creative team:

Damian Simankowicz – writer/creator
Marcelo Salaza – Art
Mike Stefan – colorist/ cover artist

Publisher: Primal Archetype

The Flash Zips Into Viewers Hearts

Warning: this review of the series premiere of The Flash has mild spoilers that would be more enjoyable if left unexpected. You might want to wait until after you’ve watched before you continue reading. Thank you.

The Flash premiere was last night on CW, and I have to say that it impressed me right from the start. You’d think the beginning would be boring for those who watched the same events on Arrow (where they first introduced the character) but Barry is so lovable that it’s hard to picture ever being bored watching him. Side note: who else loved the fact Jesse L. Martin from Law & Order is currently playing the main cop on Flash now. Guess he just fits the type. All jokes aside, it’s great to see him again after L&O was canceled just shy of making it to longest running show. I’m also enjoying that The Flash feels like it’s own show while hinting at its connection to the Arrow universe without simply feeling like a spinoff series. There are enjoyable references to Barry’s time on Arrow, but overall the show has it’s own flavor that I quite enjoy (and certainly has piqued my interest more than Gotham has so far). Even the conversation he has with Arrow feels like a respectful nod more than a push to connect it to an already established winner. I definitely think this is going to be high on the list of new series to stay tuned with this season.

Sherlock Keeps Us Guessing

Editor’s note: This post would’ve gone up on Monday, but I used this space to say goodbye to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away the day before. Having said that, the Sherlock season finale was a great mental distraction from all the terrible realities life throws at us occasionally. I hope the show and this post give you a nice mental boost to get you through the rest of the week.

Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog should know that I am a huge fan of the series Sherlock and it’s writer Stephan Moffat. The series 3 finale, which aired this past Sunday in the U.S., definitely did not let me down. I’m not going to spoil too much of the show since I believe half the fun is in the surprise, but if even my hinting at things will ruin it for you then you should wait until you have watched before you continue reading.

If you’re still with us then you know the finale had a LOT of surprises. The theme of the episode was secrets, both the power they have and what people will do to keep them. Discoveries were made about key characters, and there was the usual Holmes & Watson’s lives being endangered, as tends to happen in the finale. What was different was the ending. Yes, it was a cliff hanger, but not in the way you expected it to be. While I loved ever minute of the episode (and pretty much stopped breathing for an hour and thirty minutes) my favorite part was how the episode seemed to be over and the credits about to roll, but suddenly the rug was pulled out from under us. It was as if Moffat had yelled “PSYCH!” and completely fooled us. I’ve never been so excited to be tricked in my life.

I’m sure we’re all eagerly awaiting the return of our favorite detective. Good news: It seems that the BBC is making a push for a Christmas episode this year. Possibly bad news: Moffat has looked at the ratings for each season and took notice to the fact each season has been better than the last. That in itself is actually great news, but he takes it into account that there was a large break in between each series. So, while we might be getting a new adventure soon, it seems we also might be looking at a bit of a wait for a full new season. Mixed messages to be sure, but it’s also understandable considering the major players in the series all have other projects they are working on as well. However long we have to wait, I’m sure Moffat will make it worth our while.

Matt Lowell EP Release @ Mercury Lounge

Matt Lowell is someone who makes an impression. My first review of him was also the first I had heard of him. Even with the limited knowledge I had though, his music stayed with me and memories resurfaced as I stood front and center for his EP release last night at Mercury Lounge. That first show I saw him perform solo, but this one had him with a full band. While the band does change the sound to some extent, there was still something there that was uniquely his own. I knew Lowell was special when I first saw him and was glad to see a room full of supportive people dancing with as much energy as the performers themselves offered. I think it is safe to say we will be hearing more from this artist in the future. Stay tuned.

Doctor Who 6×7 – A Good Man Goes To War

As River would say: Spoilers!

Demon’s run… when a good man goes to war.

The Doctor is a legend that is known throughout time and space. All who know of him, know what he is capable of. Now one of his best friends is in trouble, and he is determined to do everything in his power to save her and her newborn child, Melody.

We find out a lot of things in the midseason finale of Doctor Who. First, we learn that the baby shows traces of Time Lord DNA, even though the father is Rory. This is explained as being due to the fact that she was exposed to energy from the time vortex while on the TARDIS.

The other big reveal comes at the end when we finally learn that River Song is really Amy’s daughter. I had heard this theory before, but I never gave it much credence. I guess this just goes to show that no theory is too crazy when dealing with Doctor Who and their madly brilliant writing team.

When I did my review of the first two episodes I had a bit of a mad theory myself. I believed that River was the one who killed the Doctor. When we saw that it was the girl in the spacesuit, however, it seemed to end that as a plausible idea. I am now resurrecting it based on the new evidence we have collected tonight. Assuming that the girl in the spacesuit is Amy’s daughter (which we seem to be), and knowing that River is the adult version of the child, I now feel I can confidently say that River does indeed kill the Doctor on that lakeshore. She said once that she killed “a very good man,” and I would argue that it doesn’t get much better than the Doctor.

That’s it for all the major reveals. The only thing you really need to know about the episode itself is that the Doctor and Rory gather an army to rescue Amy and her child, which partially succeeds. At the end of the episode, Amy is safe but the baby has been taken. We know everything will be alright because of River’s existence. We just don’t know how it all plays out. The next new episode is scheduled for September, so we’re going to have to keep busy this summer by watching the new season of Torchwood, which begins July 8th on Starz.

Doctor Who 6×6 – The Almost People

Caution: Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

When last we left off, the copies were ready to go to war with the originals, and the Doctor found a copy of himself. This week we got the conclusion, plus an introduction to the mid-season finale.

Before I begin with the actual episode recap, I have to take a minute to say how excited I was for Matt Smith to get the chance to play two different versions of the Doctor in this one. One Doctor is crazy enough. Two of them had the potential to be hilarious and mind-blowing, and did not disappoint. It was great watching them finish each other’s sentences, like real twins might. It was also cool getting the behind the scenes look at how they do scenes where one person is playing two characters. I have always thought Smith was a good actor, but I have a new level of respect for him after this episode.

As fascinating as it was watching the Doctor interact with his copy, it was just as interesting watching Amy’s relationship with the real Doctor versus the copy. She was obviously more affectionate towards the real Doctor (or who she thought was the real one) and clearly only trusted “her Doctor”. They also touched on the question if the copy is the one we see die at the lakeshore, but based on the ending I would say that is a negative. Personally I’m not sure how I would have felt if they had gone that route. On one hand it could have been seen as clever, but on the other hand it could have been seen as a bit of a cheat. It’s probably best they give us another explanation for how he gets to that point.

With all the interactions between people and their copies, we got to continue our look from last week at what makes us human. Jen’s copy asks the question, “Who are the real monsters?” after showing Rory how the Flesh are discarded. While I agree that humans discarding the Flesh like they’re things is not right, I also think that starting a war is the wrong response. Even one of the copies recognizes that revenge is not the answer. That anyone (human or copy) who chooses violence as a solution is the real monster. It is great seeing the copies work with the originals in the end to fight the only real monster left. It is especially great how the Doctor proves what prejudice does to us by switching with his copy. It shows how perception changes how we view things, and that once you eliminate that prejudice you become more open to an idea or person you may previously had viewed as different.

Doctor Who is no stranger to discussions of humanity. When they talk about an “act of weakness” vs an “act of humanity” it goes back to what the Doctor always sees as an essential part of humanity – the ability to feel. Our emotions (love, joy, sadness, anger) are what separate us from everything else and make us human. I have always loved that the Doctor takes us through all of time and space and introduces us to countless different species just to teach us silly humans what the best and worst parts of ourselves are.

In true Doctor Who fashion, we save the biggest surprise for the end. Surprise 1: Amy isn’t really our Amy – she’s another Flesh copy. Surprise 2: Our Amy is extremely pregnant and about to give birth in an unknown facility. The woman we have been seeing appear throughout the season is guarding our Amy in said facility. The copy still had a connection to the original, and was thus able to see this at times. This means that our Amy has been missing for essentially all of season 6 up to this point. One would normally ask how Rory was unable to recognize his own wife for so long, but after seeing Amy make the same mistake with the Doctor it is easier to understand. We needed to experience the Flesh for ourselves to fully appreciate this.

Next week will be the possible conclusion to this story. I say “possible” because we might find where Amy is hidden, but we’ve already been told this one ends in a horrible cliffhanger. We’re also supposed to (finally!) find out who River is. I realize our friends in the UK have already seen this one (and some of you were impatient and streamed it). I ask when you leave comments to please not spoil for those who are waiting till it airs in their area. Otherwise, I look forward to your commentary.

Doctor Who 6×2 – Day of the Moon

Before I begin this review, I just want to say I’m sorry for the delay in posting. I’m finishing my last couple weeks of school, and trying to balance keeping everything up to date here. This is my review of the conclusion of the 2-part season premiere of Doctor Who. As usual, there are massive spoilers included. Read at your own risk.

The last thing we see in part 1 is Amy shooting at the astronaut. We start this episode 3 months later. The Doctor has been taken to Area 51 and everyone else is running from Canton. It’s all very confusing until we realize it’s part of a plan Canton has worked out with the Doctor and everyone.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor comes up with another brilliant idea and implants things in each of their hands that will record what goes on around them to remind them when they encounter a creature and warn them of past incidents they will have forgotten. Between the jump in time and all the issues characters have with memory loss, this episode does a fantastic job at making the viewer question what is real and what is an illusion. One is never sure if they can trust what their senses are telling them.

One thing we can trust in this episode is in Rory and Amy consistently making me cheer for them. When Rory says that Amy can always hear him and knows that he is coming for her, it reinforced my belief that they are the best couple EVER. Rory is especially great now that he’s lived all that time as the “last centurion”. It gives him something in common with the Doctor, which is an extra long past trailing behind him. The difference is that Rory did that all for the love of a woman. How can you not love someone for making that big a sacrifice?!

Speaking of couples, Matt Smith and Alex Kingston have fantastic chemistry in this episode! Their banter when they drop in on the Silence and Amy is absolutely priceless. This is the first time I can really picture the two of them becoming a couple, as is suspected will be the case eventually.

Going back to the actual episode, how the Doctor solves the problem of defeating the Silence and the memory issues is one of the most brilliant yet simple ideas ever. Canton records a Silent saying that humans should kill their kind on sight, and the Doctor inserts it into the broadcast of the moon landing. This is a brilliant idea, and also brilliant on the part of the writers. For one thing, the entire world was watching this broadcast, so there is no worry about someone missing this. The other bit of brilliance is that it “explains” the gap that the broadcast we are familiar with had.

The “end” of this episode isn’t really the end though. We are still left with many questions. First up – Amy’s pregnancy. She thinks it was a false alarm, but the Doctor’s scans are confusing. At times it showed positive, at other times it was negative. What’s up with that? We also seem to be hinting that the little girl in the space suit might be Amy’s daughter. There is a lot of mystery here, because she also seems to be a Timelord, based on the fact she regenerates at the end of the episode. My best guess is that traveling in the TARDIS for so long will have had some effect on the pregnancy. I highly doubt we’re going to try to say Amy had a child with the Doctor, not after all the work they’ve done making Amy and Rory into the strong couple they are now.

The other two mysteries left unsolved involve the Doctor. One is that River obviously remembers a timeline that has been altered some. This is based on the fact that the Doctor was surprised when they kissed because it never happened before, even though River seems to believe this should not have been a first occurrence. The other mystery revolves around the Doctor’s death at the beginning of the season. It looks like my theory was off and it was really the girl in the space suit that did it. What was her motive though? And is this event still going to happen after all the other changes that have been made to the timeline?

That concludes my review/recap of this episode. Feel free to comment on anything here, or ask your own questions that I may have overlooked.

Edit: I was reading the review of this episode over at Nerdist, and we both have the same thoughts about Amy and Rory as a couple, so I decided to share.

“A lot of attention was paid this episode to Rory still feeling inadequate when compared to the Doctor and believing still that Amy would rather be with the Doctor than him. By the end of the episode, Amy proves twice that she loves Rory and Rory alone and THAT, my friends, had better be the end of it. I suppose it was necessary that Moffat address the issue, but I’ll be very happy to not have to deal with a perceived love triangle anymore. Rory is awesome and has more than earned a place in both the TARDIS and Amy’s life. So there.” – Kyle Anderson, Nerdist.com

I agree that it was good to address this issue in the beginning, but this really needs to be the end of it. I would add that when Rory and Amy finally leave the show, it needs to be them going off to some countryside together and living happily ever after. No more love triangles, and NO MORE DYING. That is all.

Eight in Eight

Eight in Eight is a project where Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman, Ben Folds, and Damian of Ok Go pulled together for what was supposed to be 8 songs in 8 hours (but ended up taking slightly longer). While the group may have underestimated how long the project would take to finish, it still is amazing to me that they did have the finished project within the same day (if you define “day” as “24 hours,” since they ended after midnight). Not only is the amount of time spent on the project impressive, it is also amazing that the work actually sounds good. The songs are definitely not mainstream, but when you look at the contributors this detail shouldn’t surprise you. The album includes a song about Nikola Tesla, and another about Joan of Arc. That last one, called “The Problem With Saints” is performed by Neil Gaiman, who is much better known for his writing than his musical abilities. Neil carries the song fine though, and the subject is so interesting you’re inclined not to judge too harshly.

The whole project is surrounded by a ton of mad, wonderful, creative energy. It was essentially a brainstorming session made public for the world to see (and even contribute). This was made possible by video feeds and Twitter. I have spoken before about the power of the social media tool that Twitter has become, but for all it’s uses this is definitely the most creative I have seen yet. This is the kind of experiment I could only imagine AFP and the rest of the people involved would be able to make work as effectively as they did. The finished product is definitely worth the $1 minimum donation they are asking for (if not more). Plus the money goes to charity, which is also nice. It’s great to see something really big and beautiful come from such a short amount of time. I’m sure the actual process must have been really intense (I know the collective Twitter feeds gave a picture of an intense music-writing workshop). If anyone actually watched the webcast, I would love to hear your comments. (And if any of the artists involved want to comment, I am completely OK with that as well). I will close with a thank you to those involved for being creative and trying something different. I think that is what art is all about, and when the internet and technology get involved it makes it all the better.

*The album can be downloaded on Bandcamp, and more information on the project can be found here.

Jersey Boys – Oh What A Night

Last night I was lucky enough to score last minute tickets to see Jersey Boys on Broadway. As your blogger waited for her train back to her own corner of Jersey, this review started to form:

Most musicals, admittedly, are about love. More specifically, they are usually at least partially (if not completely) about romance. The couple meets, there is some conflict, but ultimately the couple (or couples) get together and everyone sings. Every once in awhile we get introduced to a different kind of love story, a story where the focus is on the music more than anything. That is what you will get when you go see Jersey Boys. The play is a musical history lesson, where the members of the Four Seasons share their experiences in forming the group and how it changed their lives forever. The play is perfect for those interested in music history or music in general. It is especially fun seeing the personal connection certain members had with specific songs. A love of the Four Seasons’ music is a must, as the show features their songs almost exclusively. If you are not a fan of their music or the time period then this show is probably not for you. Otherwise, this is probably one of the most entertaining history lessons you will ever get. Below is their performance at the 2006 Tony Awards to give you a taste (although the cast has changed since then):

Desperate Housewives – A Little Night Music

*blah blah blah SPOILERS blah blah*

Tonight’s intro gave us the lowdown on events leading up to the present with the Bolen family. It told the tale of two eco-terrorists who planned to set off a bomb, except people got hurt and our friend Angie didn’t like that. She didn’t want to go to jail, especially since she was pregnant, so she ran away with Nick’s help and they all became a family.

If this made you think that they would be the focus of the night then you were as disappointed as I was probably. Their story did progress somewhat, but it either happened at the very beginning or very end. Don’t get me wrong, what did happen was great. I just wish there had been more! I’ll save the best for last though and take a look at the rest of the residents of the lovely ladies of Fairview.

Lynette had invited Eddie the psycho into her home, thinking he was helping him out of a bad situation. Little did she know she was inviting a troubled killer into her house. She starts to see signs of this when he goes off on Porter and Tom in two separate instances of them disrespecting her. After the incident with Tom, the two parents discuss kicking Eddie out of the house. Lynette eventually convinces Tom that they should try getting the kid some therapy first before they leave him to fend for himself. The therapist says it will take time to deal with Eddie’s issues but it would go faster if they had his mother present. Lynette volunteers to get her to agree to it. When she goes to the house to look for her, however, a neighbor reports she has not been seen for days now. This is where we left things with Lynette, but she is one step closer to figuring out the truth about this kid. I’m just scared about what happens if he feels threatened in any way by her or her family.

Gabi and Susan kinda had their stories intertwine tonight. Last week we saw Mike ask Carlos for money, because he is too proud (and stupid) to accept help from his wife. I already told you how I felt about this last week, so I won’t bore you with that rant again. This week we saw Mike start paying Carlos back what he owes, but neither of them has told their wives the situation. Carlos covers by claiming to Gabi that the money is tied up in a business deal. He won’t tell her any more details though, so she goes to investigate and finds out about the money that he gave to Mike. She goes to Susan and when she sees the new piano in the house, demands she get her money back. This is how Susan finds out about what Mike did. They then conspire together a way to get back at their husbands and make them realize how it feels to not be told everything. They make Carlos think Mike has spent the money on the piano, while simultaneously making Mike think Carlos and Susan are having an affair. Eventually it comes out that the girls are just screwing with their men, but it was still fun while it lasted. Susan’s part of the story did end on a serious note, however: with her making Mike promise to never keep something like this from her again, then looking through all their finances to see where they stand.

Bree and Sam start their day with a bit of grocery shopping, but things turn serious when Sam runs into someone he recognizes (and obviously didn’t want to see). Bree goes back to talk to the woman later and finds out that she is actually Sam’s mother (who is supposed to be dead, according to him). When asked how he could go around telling people his mother is dead, she answers, “He’s a complicated boy.” That seems to be an understatement, to say the least. Apparently Rex tried to get full custody of Sam when he was a boy, but the mother wouldn’t allow it. Sam found out about this a few months ago and became furious. We see just how angry he can get later, when Bree confronts him about it. He claims he said his mother was dead because she is dead to him. He also gets very angry about the lifestyle he grew up with because his mother wouldn’t let him live with his father who was better off than they were. Bree apologizes to Andrew for not listening to him sooner, but after seeing Sam’s temper, she is scared to make any attempts to get rid of him.

That brings us back to the Bolen family drama. Early in the episode we see Patrick run over Nick while he is jogging in the street. Nick survives but is significantly injured. Nick tells Angie he thinks they should run but she wants them to stand their ground. They do send Danny someplace safe though (albeit grudgingly). When Nick is told he has to be placed in a coma to reduce swelling in his brain from the injuries, he wants Angie to go stay with Danny for a few days. She agrees, but comes home to find Patrick waiting for her – and he has a gun. At first she thinks he will kill her, but he says he needs her alive to “do her a favor”. He won’t say what it is until the next morning though. He is all packed and plans to spend the night in the guest room. “Can’t she just kill him in his sleep?” you might be asking. I wondered the same thing. And apparently Angie did too, as she asks him how he knows she won’t do just that. His answer: “If the past 20 years have taught us anything it’s that you’re not comfortable killing anyone.” He also says that if she tries to run then he will kill Nick in the hospital. My argument for all of this: maybe she had problems hurting people before, but this guy has threatened her family for 20 years now. Not only does that change a person, it gives them a pretty good motive. The more her family feels threatened, the stronger her “mother bear” instinct is going to kick in and she is going to want to protect them. All I’m saying is this guy might want to sleep with one eye open tonight.

My only complaint about this episode was wanting to see more of the Bolen story. I know they have always played a backseat to the rest of the cast, but we are coming down to the wire here and have lots more we can do. Also, don’t make the intro about them and then not show them again until the last five minutes. That’s just cruel. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this week. I especially liked seeing Gabi and Susan working together instead of competing with each other like they usual do. When they put their minds together, they make an unstoppable duo.

Things I want to see next week: MORE PATRICK LOGAN, PLEASE. I love this story and the actor playing him and want him on the screen as much as possible before it all ends. Also, can we please see Lynette finally realize this kid is more troubled than she can help and that he should be getting some special care – preferably in a room with padded walls and happy pills?! Thanks!

What about the rest of you? Did you like tonight’s episode? What do you look forward to most about next week? And what do you think Patrick is going to ask Angie to do? I look forward to all of your responses.