In all seriousness......

An open letter for all to read.
Dear TGWTG,
As we bring this year to a close I had to take a minute and express my gratitude to this site. I know Doug Walker and co do not read these blogs, but this partly goes out to the blogging community so here we go. When I discovered this site back around March, it was an accident. I was on YouTube when I came across the video the NC did for cliche's, and that got me interested. I wanted to see what else was on here, and the first review I think I watched was Independance Day. I laughed my ass off. I hardly really laugh, and that review made me LAUGH. What I didn't mention yet was that at this point in my life, things were bad. I was just unceremoniously released from a job (will spare you the details) and was very low. NC gave me some much needed, and very real, laughs. At first I confined myself to the NC. I laughed at all his stuff, I remember one night I was up until after 1:00 because I couldn't stop watching. However, I still only watched his. Then was until in July. A little movie came out called Suburban Knights. I loved it, it was just so well made. Good story, interesting characters, and decent action. The cool thing is that I suddenly wanted to know more about the other reviewers. I watched Linkara, Film Brain, and all of them. After NC, Linkara is my favorite, what Lewis does on that show is amazing. I am not trying to sound like a stalker fan when I say I think if we knew each other somehow, we would be friends. Ok, some of the reviewers I don't like as much. However, I am a loyal fan to ATFW, Nostaligia Chick, Film Brain, and Obscurus Lupa even though I don't care for everything she revierws. I appreciate Brad Jones, but he reveiws such trash (though he does do it well). I hate horror movies so while Phelous is funny I don't watch regularly. Iron Liz is great,, Paw's videos are very gpod,  and I enjoy Marzgurl. There are a couple I hate, but will not mention names. I also discovered some of Doug Walker's other characters, like Bum Reviews which I love. I spent a lot of time catching up on what I'd missed, I love the reviews so much I watched them whether or not I had ever seen what they were reviewing. That's how well they do their reviews. After watching and catching up on all of this I watched Suburban Knights again, and it was even better this time now that I knew everyone. The jokes made more sense. I was now a loyal fan of anything that came out of the site. Then around August, I discovered the blogging community. To my surprise, I was welcomed! Now I get to do something I always loved, write, about stuff I have always loved but never been able to really share. This site kept a hard year from being even worst, and makes me feel like I am part of a community. I hope that this site goes on for many years, and maybe someday I will get to express my gratitude in person. Thanks for a great year filled big laughs and new discoveries, looking forward to what lies ahead. Happy New Year 2012!!!!
With warmest regards,
Richtv

The Episodes of Star Trek I Personally Hate

There’s a difference between a bad episode, and one which you just can’t stand. Star Trek had a lot of bad episodes, but many of them are still watchable. I wanted to talk about those episodes from the series which I hate. So much so that I won’t even watch it when it comes on. The thing is some of these episodes are regarded by people.

The Original Series :

We all know the bad episodes of this show. But a lot of them are still watchable for me. “Spock’s Brain” is good for a laugh. Others like “The Alternative Factor” and “And the Children Shall Lead” I still watch, even if the quality sucks. So, what is the one episode I can’t stand and never watch?

There are two. One is just bad; the other is good but damn depressing.

“A Private Little War”-This episode is a great look at the conflict which was going in Vietnam at that time. The war even gets a reference in the dialogue. However, it’s almost too dark and to depressing. How depressing? Spock is shot, Kirk is mauled, and McCoy even takes a knife by the end of the episode. That’s a depressing episode! This is not considered a bad episode by most, and I am not saying that I think it’s bad either; I just don’t enjoy watching it.

Top 5 Sitcoms Cherished By Everyone....Except Me!

Why is it a show can be loved by millions of people, but there's always a group who hates it?

I'll always remember one day seeing a message board somewhere, and someone wondering why Seinfeld was so highly regarded. This person had only seen a few episodes and didn't get it, calling it overrated. I commented back saying that you had to see the show when it was on to appreciate its significance. That show literally changed sitcoms; there was nothing else like it. Of course people have every right to not like it if they want, and I can understand how someone looking at the show now could be confused, and wonder what the big deal is.

The point to this ramble is that sometimes you have to experience a show first hand to truly appreciate it. The same goes for me, there are a few shows which are considered classics because they are so cherished. However, I was never really a fan mostly because the show was either gone or almost gone by the time I finally got around to it. They're brilliant shows and I appreciate them and their place in TV history, but I don't have that love for them.

Today I am going to look at five examples of this. As always, this just opinion. Millions of people love these programs, but that doesn't mean I have to be one of them. Before someone rants about why I should love one of them, remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have heard people hate Friends which is a show I love, and totally respect that. Here we go:

Five Things I Hated In "White Christmas"

This film was released in 1954, and has become a Christmas classic. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as version of Gilbert & Sullivan named Bob Wallace & Phil Davis. Also starred Rosemary Clooney as Betty and Vera-Ellen as Judy. This film always had a special place in my heart, for all the wrong reasons. For years my main complaint was that this was not a good Christmas movie. I concede, I was wrong about that. True, lots of the Irving Berlin songs don't have anything to do with Christmas but the plot sure does. This movie is most famous for the "Sisters" number that Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen perform. It is a tradition to watch this; however I still have a few problems with this movie. I used to irritate my ex by nitpicking this film. Since it is Christmas, I thought tonight I would share with everyone else as I poke a little fun at this classic which I do watch every year.

#5.Ok Vera, you can dance-we get it! As much fun as it is to look at her legs, Judy's endless dance numbers do get kind of tiring

Random Thoughts - Another ABC Family Rant

Recently I have had a chance to watch a few of these ABC Family movies, and I just had to rant a bit about them. They are just so corny! Why is the moral of these movies if you're single you're a loser? Every singlee movie, the woman winds up with some guy whether she loved him or not. I'm not a woman and I feel this way.

I had to discuss a few of these that I have seen, and if you haven't consider yourself lucky. Spoilers ahead!

Three Days-This was came out ten years ago, and was unique twist on It's a Wonderful Life. This move the guy has the nerve to be a successful businessman who doesn't give his wife enough attention. When she is killed on Christmas Eve, and angel gives him a chance to relive the prior three days so that his wife will die knowing he loved her. They forget work and play in the snow, there is a plot thread stuck in to lengthen the movie about the guy patching things up with his father. In the end, he learns that work is meaningless and you should shower your wife with attention. Well, something like that. He saves her so she doesn't die, and of course he lives also. At the end we see they have a baby.
The Christmas List-In this movie a woman is stuck in life. She has a boring boyfriend and a dead end job. She fills out a wish list for Santa and put in his mailbox (in a mall display) and suddenly all her wishes start coming true. She winds up dumping her boyfriend and realizing she needs to shake up her life. Of course, she meets a guy and falls in love with him within a matter of days. I stopped paying attention to this one. It ends with her and the guy together and having a baby (again).
Santa Baby-Jenny McCarthy is cute but the script is, meh. We learn that Santa has a daughter who is, once again, a career minded type. When Santa has a heart attack (cheery) she has to fill in. Her attempts to modernize the workshop are a disaster, and of course she falls for the local boy. There is an antagonist who tries to sell out the North Pole for an amusement park. It fails, and Mary learns....I'm not real sure what she learns. To lighten up I guess. To be honest, I kind of like this one.

Chasing Christmas-This movie is horrible! Tom Arnold stars in this film which begins as A Christmas Carol knockoff. However, Christmas past (a guy)is disgruntled and abandons the mission, leaving Tom's character trapped in the past. Christmas Present (a girl) steps in to find Past and fix the mess. Christmas Present then proceeds to flirt with guys, get drunk, and sit in a hot tub with Tom Arnold. (Serious!) They turn A Christmas Carol into a bad Back to the Future knock off, even including a few jokes refering to that movie. The worst thing is that with all the time travel stuff, and they do change things in the past, when Tom finally get sent home NOTHING HAS CHANGED except he is happy now. I mean, if you're going to do a movie about time travel do it right!

Snow Globe-Sigh! A woman has an overbearing family who bosses her around and even tries to fix her up with a guy she barely knows. Inside a snow globe she experiences a perfect Christmas. By the end of the movie, she learns that a "perfect" Christmas is relative. She realizes her family isn't so bad, and winds up falling for the guy her family sets her up with. I was on the main character's side through this, only to have it end with her realizing she was wrong and her family was right. This movie lost me when two characters from the globe escape, and live as normal people. So what is the snow globe, some kind of alternate reality? What are these people, are they really trapped there? Answering these questions would have helped this movie, but they don't bother.

12 Dates of Christmas-This one premiered this year and has a woman reliving Christmas Eve 12 times. She isn't a bad person, she just has the nerve to be single and career driven. NO! Why is this the moral of these? At the end she falls in love with a guy she just met that day (this is understandable from her point of view, but for this guy to fall for her after only knowing her for a few hours is pushing it)The worst thing is that this the third version of this type of story ABC Family has produced.


There are others. The Dog Who Saved Christmas is a blatant Home Alone rip off. Christmas Cupid, another Christmas Carol knock off where a woman learns having a job and being a single maker her a loser, she hooks up with an old boyfriend at the end, and Christmas in Boston which I still haven't really seen.

I think I have made my point. These are ok to put on as background noise, but these movies just suck. As a single person who is not in a relationship, I resent the implications in them. Now you may be asking, why watch these movie if they're so bad? Boredom, mostly.
Merry Christmas everyone!!

A Look at Superman

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! ("Look! Up in the sky!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's Superman!")... Yes, it's Superman ... strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Superman ... who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!

Superman is THE man. I always said that Green Lantern brought me to comic books, but it was Superman that made me fall in love with them. It's not just because he can fly and has really cool powers. It’s his whole attitude that makes him likable. With his powers he could rule the world, but does he? Of course not, he helps people and does so expecting nothing in return. This time of year we talk about Santa Claus, and he and Superman have a lot in common. So much so they actually met once in a comic book, who knew that? It was a great issue to. Besides having a home base in the North Pole, Superman and Santa have a love for people which is remarkable. Where Santa expresses that love by giving of himself with no expectations, Superman does it by helping them. They are both symbols of hope, which we desperately need at times.

So, I thought I would list off some of the people who have made this character come to life. But first, let's discuss my favorite comic book version. Superman has been brought to life by some legendary people including Curt Swan, Marv Wolfman, and Jerry Ordway. However, this is my favorite: