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It’s Scoobynatural! Reviews and Thoughts

15 Apr

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The CW’s Supernatural is a strange beast. I once truly loved the show, especially the super early years. When it decided to go meta, my interest faltered. I accepted the idea of their story being chronicled by a third party and the episode, “Changing Channels” was cute. However, the later seasons lacked a certain je ne sais quoi which original creator/producer Kripke imbued into the series. He remained as a producer, but with the control in other hands, the foundations were shaky. Not every mythological figure was nicely adapted for pop culture appropriation.

When the series went too crazy meta with “The French Mistake (season six),” I did not know if I should always tune in for the next episode. Some ideas were terrific, but others, like season ten’s “Fan Fiction” just went too far; enter the Scooby-pocalypse. Originally, I just did not know about this crossover with Scooby Doo, a beloved property from my youth. Mystery Incorporated easily rivals Supernatural for its grande scheme and does it right. With a nervous finger, I finally triggered the play on the PVR with this episode.

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It’s Supernatural! (Highlights from Creation Con in Bellevue)

13 Apr

By Sandy Sheehan (Guest Post)
(Photos used with Permission and are copyright)

Creation Entertainment is best known for hosting and having exclusive guests from certain television shows, namely Xena, Warrior Princess and Star Trek. I have been to a handful of The Next Generation events back when they were young and they have come a long way from simply spotlighting one or two stars and showing a blooper reel. These days, they are focussing on Supernatural, Riverdale and Stranger (to name a few). This for-profit company differs from most other similar events and non-profit conventions such that it tours. Most casual fans are turned off by the high price of a pass, and it is tiered (the more you pay, the better access you get). Unlike non-profit conventions, the vendor area (at least at the Seattle conventions) are minuscule, except, for the huge tables full of photos to be signed and some fandom related items.

Since they currently have the monopoly on Sam and Dean Winchester from The CW’s Supernatural, I have been to the last two they had in Seattle, WA (technically it was Bellevue). Plenty of fans go this show multiple times, and the consensus is that Seattle was the best, mostly due to the smaller size.

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Video

Is the Time Right for a Disney’s Gargoyles Reboot?

3 Apr

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The past few years have shown fond properties remade for a new generation. Duck Tales was one which started broadcasting last year. Now into its second season, Ben10 is going strong. Over the long weekend, ReBoot started streaming on Netflix (USA & other regions other than Canada). Coming later this year is yet another iteration of Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Also on the list is Invader Zim, Muppet Babies and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

In a random conversation with fellow older geeks, one pal suggested TailSpin ought to be next. I feel not every show from Disney Afternoon can make that comeback. If Darkwing Duck can appear in Duck Tales, could a spin-off be coming? My show was Rescue Rangers and it was the reason why I never got any homework done (until much later in the day). Gargoyles was also part, and the team behind crafting this fantastic series did a wonderful job. Not only did it tug at many literary allusions but it also pulled from various mythologies to craft a world that was steeped in folklore. Some were in plain sight, watching the ongoing trials of man, and others preferred to remain in secrecy.

Released over the holiday weekend is a fan trailer recreating a few moments from the opening sequence of Gargoyles. This CGI treatment shows the technology is here to bring this show to the next level. Some shots are from New York City proper, and others are digital. The blend worked very well. However, to nail the perfect voice-over is hard; I kept on wanting to hear Keith David’s voice instead of this poor man’s version. This product is a fan film. I had to disengage some filters. This tease ultimately worked. I pulled out my DVDs and started watching the series again .

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The Continuity is Askew with Stitch and Ai, and that’s OK…

12 Mar

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Blink, and not every fan of Disney‘s Lilo & Stitch series will realize this spunky alien is still lurking about in Asia! His adventures in Japan started in 2008 and lasted for three seasons. One-off specials continued his adventures and Stitch! Perfect Memory (2015) suggests there are more adventures to come in space.

Since then, instead of going forward, a look back puts this cuddly alien in China. Central to this series is the importance of family. This latest entry nicely looks at it through a different cultural lens. According to online information, Stitch & Ai (安玲与史迪奇) takes place before he landed in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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