Blacklist: Not Everything Is As It Seems

Greetings cadets! Today I would like to do a quick update and review of the Blacklist. I have been going to several prescreenings for movies and TV shows so there will be a lot of early reviews on here. Enjoy!

The Blacklist is a new TV show that turns crime dramas on their head. It follows James Spader as Raymond "Red" Reddington, a brilliant criminal who, until now, has evaded all law enforcement. He suddenly allows the FBI to catch him but for a price. He draws their attention to a criminal who they had no idea was a threat. Of the conditions he sets for his help and cooperation is that he only speak to one agent, Rookie Agent Elizabeth Keen played by Megan Boone.

Overall this show is very well written and executed, there are twists and turns throughout the episode that leave you guessing. There are two arcs, the episodic arc and the series arc, both of which are thoroughly explained by the end of the episode. The episodic arc is the current criminal for the episode. The series arc, which is a little predictable but not overly so. There are shocking moments that leave you stunned and very few lulls in the story, the slow periods are just long enough for you to catch your breath before taking off into the action again.

Overall I think this series has a lot of potential and the first episode definitely leaves you wanting more. James Spader expertly pulls off the sly conman persona and each smirk makes you think he's up to something. Megan Boone brings an intensity rarely seen and holds her own as a tough yet damaged FBI profiler. The majority of the main cast is relatively unknown but effectively pull their weight consistently to create what is sure to be a great show. Overall I feel it is a must see this season. Blacklist premieres tonight on NBC at 9:00 p.m central time after the Voice.

Did you like this review? Please let me know in the comments below or on twitter @WarKittenRevue. There are also new videos up on YouTube on my channel War Kitten TV. Until next time, this is War Kitten signing off!

Breaking News from Marvel!

Hello Cadets, this is a short report on some awesome news from Marvel. Starting today and continuing until Tuesday, March 12th, 2013 Marvel is releasing over 700 first issues for free of old and new publication to promote their digital store. There are all types from Avengers to Hawkeye to Sigil and everything in between. Here are my recommendations from the ones released today:

• Hawkeye by Matt Fraction
• Ultimates by Jeph Loeb
• Any of the Noir series (various writers)
• A-Babies Vs X-Babies by Skottie Young
• Deadpool Killistrated by Cullen Bunn

Here is a link for the article from Marvel with the full details.

www.marvel.com/news

Until next time this is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that you can break the fourth wall if you try hard enough then you, too, can hit someone with your life bar.

Yippee Ki-Yay

Hello, Cadets! I am back with a new movie review for you all! This time around it's everyone's favorite modern cowboy in "A Good Day to Die Hard." Where do I begin?

I suppose let's start with the writing. In the beginning I will admit it felt a little rushed, there was a bit of story overload as they tried to establish a new existing character in John McClane's son, Jack. Unlike his daughter this introduction required a little more set-up beyond the same "absentee father" premise. Despite the lack of screen time for Bruce Willis in the beginning the rest of the movie makes up for it. The story was a roller coaster ride of one liners, quips, and a slight twist ending that'll keep you guessing.

The action was a bit inconsistent, there were some well choreographed fights that were impressive but a few fell victim to the same thing a lot of action films have been utilizing. You can tell when a fight didn't look right in practice or if the actors couldn't execute it in a believable manner when there are many cutaways in a short sequence. It is unfortunate as the last film did not suffer from this as much but despite the lackluster cinematography during these sequences there were a lot of scenes that were brilliant including when the CGI took over the effects. They didn't utilize computer graphics nearly as much this time around but what little was used looked incredible and wasn't too overdone (especially for a shoot 'em up film).

Overall I liked the movie for what it was, a fun action film complete with witty one liners and lots of shooting. If you go into this movie looking for an Oscar-worthy story that will give you the meaning of life then you are definitely going to be disappointed. I would definitely recommend it for a night at the movies for mindless fun!

If you would like to hear some awesome local gamers talk about the latest gaming news please tune in to Rushdown Radio on iTunes or visit their facebook page for the latest news and contests. They are a hilarious group of local Chicagoans that will make you laugh, cry, and like the Devil May Cry reboot. This is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that ignorance is not an excuse, but it's a pretty good diversion.

They're Coming to Get You With Super Soakers

Hello Cadets! It's been much too long and I have missed you all but this time I am back. Unfortunately I will only be able to post weekly due to my schedule but I haven't forgotten you, oh no. I have a very special surprise for you, and it's called Musical of the Living Dead.

This musical is amazing, superb, raunchy and the the most fun you'll have all year, and this is putting it lightly. I went to the first show two years ago with a friend and it blew my mind with it's unique brand of humor and wonderful singing. Even now I am writing this as I listen to the soundtrack and reliving the whole thing in my head. One of the best parts is that there is a lot of improv so no two shows are the same. I went opening weekend then again the weekend after with my family (no kids, this is a 14+ recommended show) and the shows were very different. There are tons of zombie pop culture references and there isn't a dull moment.

The venue is the Charnal House which is an old funeral home converted to a theater which is too perfect. It's a small building which makes it a very intimate experience which is part of the charm of the show. There is also a splatter zone, which I have to say you'll want to get there early enough to get seats for because there is nothing like starting out like this:

and ending up like this:

and no, the guy in the top photo didn't suddenly turn into a girl. That's my boyfriend and the girl is one of my best friends. We were there with 13 other people including my mom. The cast is awesome, there is a ton of blood and you just really need to see it for yourself. You can learn more and get tickets here:
Musical of the Living Dead

Take care and please remember that the simplest solution can be simplified further with duct tape and C-4.

A Letter To My Readers

Dear Cadets,

I want to make a serious post for a change. This has nothing to do with movies or games or goofy happenings. This has everything to do with my absence and the reason I’m writing this letter is because I am hoping, in a way, to help others. I had a lot of things happen earlier this year that cost me two people I considered to be family and strained some of my other relationships. I live alone and I have very few friends in the area. I’m only home about two nights a week and I currently work no less than 74 hours a week between two jobs. It’s been a bad run this year, my car broke down and cost nearly $2000 to repair, I lost my dog, nearly lost my job, and just last week we lost my step-cousin to cancer. These things are terrible, and at times it feels like life is getting it’s jollies kicking people around just to see if they snap. I nearly did. I felt like I was forcing myself onto people, almost like I was inviting myself and no one wanted to say no. It seemed like I finally reached the end of my rope. I was so lost in the darkness I had nearly forgotten what the light looked like, until now.

Through the beginning of the year I have really reconnected with my family, something that had been somewhat difficult before. My sister and a few friends helped me repaint my apartment while my mom took it upon herself to clean the kitchen. Visit after visit with my mom, sister, and brother to get things for the apartment, they wouldn’t let me turn them down. Friends coming over to help me move furniture and put my living room together. My office is still not a thing yet but when I can take time off I’ll get it sorted out. This was all in two months.

In that time I met a man who after six months I can say without hesitation that I love dearly In the beginning when my feeling really fully formed I honestly had thought about leaving because I felt it was unfair to subject him to the ongoing drama that my life had become. When I admitted to him that this was going on he said it wasn’t an issue to him. He unblinkingly accepted me and my many faults without a second thought. Even more he was being honest, and to this day his patience with my messy apartment and crazy schedule still amazes me, how does he stay sane around me when I can’t stand to be around me?

It was in June, I, who never had an ongoing high anxiety issue, was having panic attacks every day, multiple times a day. They could be caused by everything from the thought of a meeting to standing at my register doing nothing. They came like a wave, built up suddenly then just as fast they would be gone. I finally hit such a high stress level I even had high blood pressure. After a few weeks I decided that I’d had enough and called my insurance to see what I could do to go into therapy. I didn’t want this to be me anymore, I wanted to be myself again. I can say that was one of the most important calls I had made, I was calling for help. I have been in therapy since the end of June and I can say in the last two months I am finally feeling better. I still have a lot of things to work out but I have started to lose weight, I sleep a little more when I can, and I even have a vacation in October.

The point of this whole letter is to show you that you can fix your life, you hear about how it starts and how it ends, I wanted to show you the middle. I have a long road but I decided my life needed to change and instead of whining about what could have been and how things should be I have worked hard to try and mold my life into what I want it to be. If you have a job you don’t like then look for a new one. If you need a job then look constantly and when you are not applying volunteer because it shows you are still trying to be productive even if it doesn’t benefit you monetarily. I knew I was beyond helping myself and instead of crying and throwing a tantrum I finally decided to get the outside help I needed with the love and support of my friends and family. I didn’t like who I’d become so I am changing and hopefully I’ll come out of this a little better instead of bitter. So please take care and if you are having problems please don’t hide them, talk to the people whom you care about and care about you and be proactive. Take care of yourselves, and I promise regular programming will resume.


Sincerely,

Alexis A.K.A War Kitten

P.S- When things get rough just keep reminding yourself, "this doesn't make me a different person, this doesn't define me, it's going to be okay."

Comic Review: Stale N Mate

Hello Cadets, I know it's no excuse but I have been working a lot (just under 80 hours this week!) and I just don't get the time to sit and read right now. That being said I am going to keep my promise and release the first of a series of reviews of the various comics I've read the last few weeks. The first review heading your way is Stale N Mate from actor Shia LaBeouf.

First I would like to preface this with the fact that there are very few times, if ever, that I'll read or watch something and just rip it apart, aside from Munger Road (I'm still bitter about that one). I am a firm believer in constructive criticism because everyone has to start somewhere and there is nothing more heartbreaking than someone telling you that you are rubbish at something you love to do. That being said I would like to encourage anyone who really wants to succeed in their craft to take what people are telling you and run with it, use it to improve yourself and never give up.

That being said let's begin. Stale N Mate was a good first attempt and had a very interesting premise. The writing had a few flaws. When writing your story for the comic by hand always type it first and use spell check that way you haven't committed to run on sentences and spelling errors. Also never use shorthand such as w/, b/c, and so on because while you are working hard on this page it will come across as sloppy or lazy. Also try to avoid unnecessary jargon when dealing with laws, we all start out doing that sort of thing but as you go try to paraphrase, keep it simple without losing the meaning to keep it from losing the tone of the story because it will detract from what you are trying to do. Lastly there were some quirky things in the story that definitely were attention-getting and it's bold to not put it as a background easter egg of sorts. Personally I'm for it, do something different (if you read the comic you know I'm talking about the cat).

On to the artwork and again, everyone begins somewhere. The truth is I can tell you are using markers, more than likely Prismacolor because of the lines in the larger drawings. An easy way to get rid of that effect is to color in a circular motion, start from one edge and work your way across the area to make it a bit smoother looking. If you want to do subtle shading you can wait for it to dry and go over the shadowy areas again, the markers layer and it will make it have a little more depth. Lastly practice practice practice. There were some issues with proportion and poses and that's okay. Start out trying to draw poses mimicking other drawings in your own style to learn a bit more about how they should look, more natural looking positions for certain actions, et cetera. Lastly don't leave too much white space, even if it's a Minecraft-esque background you'll want to fill that space. I hear a lot of people do well with the grid system of drawing, there are hundreds of methods, try some out and see what works for you.

Overall this is a tough read but everyone has to work at their craft to get to the level they would like to be at. I look forward to seeing more books and seeing how he improves. Just to be clear, I do draw, I'm by no means a great artist but to all the artists out there, help others out, share words of wisdom or how you learned to draw the way you do because sometimes "try harder" isn't specific enough. I give kudos to anyone who at least tries, no matter the outcome.

That's all for today, please feel free to visit me on facebook at War Kitten Revue or twitter @WarKittenRevue. Also you can visit my youtube channel at War Kitten TV. I know this turned into a critique session but what can you do? Thanks for visiting, this is War Kitten signing off and informing you that "because I'm awesome" is not a valid answer to any question asked in an interview, even if it's totally true.

Movie Review Monday: Nerds Assemble!

Hello Cadets! It was a beautiful rainy weekend and unless you've been hiding all week you know what highly anticipated movie came out this weekend. I was one of the crazies that went to the midnight premiere and may I just say it was worth the long day that I had just to be there. Without further ado, may I present my review of Marvel's The Avengers!

Let me start out with the fact that this movie was impossible to watch without bias, there were high expectations all around from the cast to the director to the fight choreographers. I never in a million years thought every expectation for this movie would be met then exceeded beyond what I thought was possible. This will be the first time I will be using an A-E rating system A being the highest mark and E being the lowest. We are going to break it down in three catagories this time because the scale of this movie requires that much review.

First let's start with the story and directing as both were done by Joss Whedon (with additional writing credit to Zack Pen). Joss has a very distinctive style of writing that puts him on a different level from the other comic book movie writers. He likes to break tension from very intense scenes with unexpected verbal or physical comedy. The story was extremely engaging and is almost abrupt at times. He can create this tension that feels like it's at a breaking point then make it completely dissipate with a single joke or action that catches the audience off guard. The trick is that every so often there will be a very heartfelt scene and we wait for the punchline, but it never comes. I imagine this is an attempt to add gravity to the overall story and let me tell you, it works. Overall I give it an A.

Next is the cast, and boy, what a cast. There are two big risks in getting this many amazing actors and actresses in one film and that's balanced, adequate screentime and a consistent performance. Both of these aspects can be tricky but each character had their role in keeping the movie going all while staying in character. There is the brute, the soldier, the joker, the brain, and the cold, calculating informers (you can guess who I mean by each). Each actor and actress played a large role in moving the story, no single character was the sole focus for more than a short amount of time. The drama, quick wit and pure, terrifying rage was clearly emoted with enough force to get the point across without becoming campy or overdone. Overall I have a hard time defining who was the best hero but by far Loki is my new favorite villain of any movie I've seen. He is insane and it shows every minute you see him. I wish I could give a rating higher than an A but it'll have to suffice.

Last but not least is the production of the film. The camerawork and editing were something to behold, there was not a scene wasted, the pan shot of the heroes finally united for the final battle was awe inspiring and the action sequences were fast but lacked that quick cut-away choppy editing that is so popular in poorly filmed action scenes. The fights were choreographed with amazing fluidity and such brute force that you didn't want to look away for even a second. The sound was perfect, background noise did not distract the viewer from what was going on and the music was extremely well done in matching the emotion of the scene and overall tone. Overall I give the production an A.

This movie is fantastic, I saw it in regular 2D and still plan on going back two more times before the theater run ends. This film has something for everyone and is a definite must see. I give it an overall A and encourage and implore everyone to check it out.

I do have one additional announcement before signing off, I have officially launched my youtube channel and posted a promo video of what's to come. You can view it at War Kitten TV. Until then this is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that some assembly may be required, batteries not included. I'm going to go play with Legos...