Bottom Line: In a world where everyone is a super hero, what is a normal guy to do? Defenders of Stan is a quirky exploration of what it would be like to try to live a normal life in a world where everyone can lift cars with their minds and fly faster than the speed of sound.

Stan is frustrated with being an everyman in a world full of supermen.

Details

Cast: Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg, Hunter Christy
Website: The Defender of Stan (RSS)

YouTube: Watch Them On YouTube
Channel 101: Watch Them On Channel 101
Vote For It: The Defenders of Stan

Ratings

The super power effects are a treat to watch. They manage to be silly enough to match the theme without being so silly that they become unbelievable. (Style 5)

This is a very well edited show. At 5 minutes there isn’t a second the passes that feels wasted. (Pacing 4.5)

Defenders of Stan is funny, smart and maybe even a little bit deeper than it might first appear. It’s an entertaining look at dating, sibling rivalry, and how we deal with our insecurities. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 3.5

Watchability 4.5

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Boy is this a fun show to watch. This wins the award for shortest series that still manages to keep your attention. Even if you aren’t married (and maybe especially if you aren’t) you’ll find something to laugh at here.

Real Life With Married People is a series of very short web videos about a couch, and the two people who sit on it a lot.

The two people are married to each other, and if you happen to be married, in a relationship, or at least familiar with the general concepts, you just might find their exploits hilarious mildly amusing depressingly relatable.

People who enjoy describing things by comparing things to other things describe Real Life With Married People as “Mad About You meets Beavis and Butthead.” Not literally, of course, though such a crossover would be hilarious to watch for the obvious tension between co-stars Helen Hunt and Butthead, who are now divorced.

Details

Cast: Celia Finkelstein, Destin Berthelot
YouTube Channel: Real Life With Married People
Website: Real Life With Married People
Support the Show: Play Some Shuffle Tennis

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Facebook Page Real Life With Married People

Ratings

No sets, no scenes no problems. Each episode is shot with the married couple sitting on or around the couch. Normally, this might get stale after a while but in this case it adds to the overall understated nature of the humor. We’re left feeling that their life is the same, humdrum back and forth day in and day out punctuated by the clever little scenes that we see every episode. (Style 3.5)

Pacing 5

Storytelling 3.5

Polish 4

Some of these come in at under 1 minute but it’s so tightly scripted that I never felt short changed. The actors really own their parts. This show is also incredibly easy to watch, and you’ll find yourself burning through the snappy episodes in no time. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Super heroes, government conspiracies, and angst all wrapped up in a cocoon of solid writing and directing. While the story sometimes moves more slowly than you would like, this character driven super hero series rises way above most everything else in the genre.

A Community of young people with extraordinary abilities live in hiding, trying to lead normal lives.

A black-ops government Agency is searching endlessly for them, hoping to utilize their gifts for the good of the nation.

As the Agency draws ever closer, this Community must come together in order to preserve their way of life- no matter what the cost.

Told from the perspective of both the Community and the Agency, g14 productions presents “Reservation”, a new dramatic science fiction web series that explores how far people will go to protect their families and their country.

To learn more about the history and the people of the Community and the Agency, investigate the site and share your thoughts in our forum.

Details

Creators: Matthew Balthrop, David White
Blip.tv Channel: Reservation
Website: Reservation
Support the Show: Watch G14’s Other Videos

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Feed: Feed
Twitter Page G14 Productions

Ratings

It’s a super hero series that actually has some pretty great special effects. They don’t pull any punches in Reservation and the show is better for it. Instead of sticking to powers that would have been easy to shoot, they have a wide range of interesting abilities and characters willing to use them. (Style 5)

While the overall speed of the story is brisk, they run into the problem that you often see with ensemble casts — there is this tendency to underdevelop characters. While they tend to base episodes around the actions of one or two of the characters, it’s still sometimes difficult to get a feeling for everyone’s motivations. (Pacing 4)

It’s hard to do a super hero web series for a variety of reasons. It’s hard to do a series with an ensemble cast for a variety of reasons. The fact that the creators decided to do an ensemble series about super heroes deserves a few points by itself. What they have managed to pull off, however, is even better — they’ve done this kind of series well. Certainly there are parts that could be tighter, especially with the interplay between the heroes and the government agency chasing them but in sum it is an absolutely enjoyable ride. (Storytelling 4.5)

Polish 4.5

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Combining hand drawn animation with live action, Drawn By Pain delivers one of the most unique experiences you’ll have the pleasure of seeing on or off the Internet.

Young Emily once watched the world through blinders so the only thing she saw was the page on which she drew. Isolated, she tried to look away as her father gave her mother lessons in brutality from which she could only hide in her mind. But that rage, that fear growing deep within her would surface and once unleashed – could never be re-contained. Ten years older, the demons of old fuel her, empower her and push her to be the very thing she once feared: A monster in her own right.

A dramatic action packed 12-part series in a sea of comedic web content, “Drawn By Pain” engages its audience by leading them through an episodic spiral into one woman’s search for salvation as her animated madness fights for her sanity in the real world.

Details

Cast: Jesse Cowell, Erica Langworthy, Marissa Parness, Elizabeth Plevy, Guy Rader
Blip.tv Channel: Drawn By Pain
Website: Drawn By Pain
Support the Show: Visit The Drawn By Pain Store

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Feed: Feed
Twitter Page Jeskid

Ratings

This is a series you have to see to believe. The way they blend live action with animation is absolutely stunning and my only qualm is I wish they had the time to do more of it. Also, the interplay between the main character’s younger and older self and the demons she faces down is the sort of thing you would expect out of a much higher budget production. In all, this is a brilliant piece of work. (Style 5)

Overall the story is fantastic but some episodes seemed to drift, this is especially apparent near the middle of the series when we start to question the protagonists sanity. While I understand what they were trying to accomplish, and they did a good job of doing so, if they had added more exposition it would have helped to flesh out the themes. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 5

Polish 4

This is a complete story in every sense of the word, you’ll find yourself stuck to your seat from beginning to end. Why the 4 then? Well, it’s also one of the darkest web series I’ve seen to date. It deals with issues of abuse, sanity and identity that wil make it difficult to swallow for some more sensitive viewers. If you can get past this you are in for a ride, I couldn’t give a stronger recommendation if I tried (Watchability 4)

Novelty 5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Oh the wonders of torture-porn. This one comes with a nice big dollop of Troma on the side. The Morning After is the story of a woman who wakes up to find herself in a rather awkward situation after a less than fortuitous sexual romp.

To make matters worse, she soon finds that her arm is stuck under a man sporting just a little too much leather.

What is a girl to do? Saw of your arm, of course! What follows is several minutes of hilariously gruesome dismemberment comedy that will give the squeamish reason to close their eyes and the rest of us a few good belly laughs.

Is the story deep and meaningful? Well, I guess it really depends on how you look at it but what I will say is that this is incredibly entertaining and well worth the time it will take to watch it.

Creator’s Description

Emily has just awoken to discover that last nights activities, have – by far – exceeded her usual exploits in sexual depravity. So much so in fact, she’s now going to have to sever her right arm which happens to be firmly wedged under the slumbering behemoth beside her.

Will she escape without disturbing her sleeping captive? Will she discover the true meaning of sacrifice? And will she find a means of tearing off the last remnants of muscle from her splintering arm bone? All is answered in this latest art-house entry, into the splatter / comedy / torture-porn genre.

Details

Cast: Aldiana Sterjova, Ange Galati, Michael Traurig
Vimeo Channel: The Morning After
Website: Snowgum Films

Ratings

Fake blood, fake bone, fake shattered muscle tissue, this is a makeup artists dream and for something so over the top the effects are actually pretty solid. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

Like I said before, this movie falls deeply into the Troma territory. If you are expecting to understand the mayhem you are looking in the wrong place. You would be much better off just sitting back and enjoying the carnage.(Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

This is not for the squemish, if you have never been a big fan of dismemberment then you should probably look elsewhere. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: If you own or have ever owned an NES this is one of the best things you’ll ever watch. I always knew the mushroom kingdom had some skeletons in its closet.

“There Will Be Brawl” is a non-profit web series designed as a dark, dramatic parody of the popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl video game for the Nintendo Wii. The Creators of the project are avid fans of Nintendo, and this series has been developed as an homage to the colorful characters of SSBB that we all know and love. Through the hard work of a talented cast and crew, and the support of our fans, we hope to continue to produce a story you will all enjoy.

Details

Creators: Matthew Mercer, Zach Grafton
Escapist Magazine Channel: There Will Be Brawl
Website: There Will Be Brawl
Support the Show: Watch The Episodes At Escapist Magazine

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Forum: Forum
Facebook Page There Will Be Brawl

Ratings

I never thought I’d be calling an NES parody “darkly stylish,” but this one is. Between Luigi’s gritty monologues, the strip clubs and the violence this is about as dramatic as the Nintendo universe has ever been. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

Storytelling 4.5

Great costumes, great script, great direction I couldn’t ask for more. (Polish 5)

Insidery isn’t the half of it. This is a series designed for people who know enough about video games to be dangerous. If you don’t, most of the jokes will make no sense and really all you are left with are a bunch of people running around in weird costumes occasionally hitting each other. If you understand the source material this is a dark, edgy parody of the worlds we all grew up with. Each episode is about 10 minutes so save this for when you have a little time to enjoy it. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Condition:Human is one of the most visually stunning and well executed Sci Fi dramas I’ve seen on the web. Once you get over how beautiful it is, you’ll still be drawn in by a story that strays away from the camp that marks many science fiction series’ on the web.

In the near future, man has begun to address the economic and environmental issues plaguing the early 21st century. Rapid technological advancements have changed life dramatically, especially the creation of advanced humanoid robots who have begun to play an integral part in everyday life. Takumi Kenji, the reclusive CEO of Kenji Electronics, and father of all things A.I. has announced the first ever ‘companion’ bots. A model of humanoid who’s interactive capabilities are remarkably natural. As robots continue to evolve their place amongst us we must evolve as well, and as we do society carries the responsibility of answering moral questions that come.

Details

Cast: Kristian Bakstad, Leah Tassey, Arnica Skulstad-Brown, Kasey Ryne Mazak, Josephine Savoldelli, Lloyd Davis, Lani Claxton, Pat Barker, Raymond Wey-Ming Ho, Rob Carpenter
Vimeo Channel: Condition:Human
Website: Condition:Human
Support the Show: Join The Facebook Page

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Twitter Feed: Condition Human
Facebook Page Condition Human

Ratings

I really can’t get over how beautifully the effects are done in this show. They are dark, crisp and absolutely seamless. I don’t know what type of budget they had for this show but I haven’t seen a more fully realized world. If you plan to shoot a web series even partially on green screen, you should take notes from Condition:Human. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

Storytelling 4.5

The video quality and effects are absolutely top notch for a web series, however, the audio was a little low and muffled. Considering how interesting the show concept is, it’s frustrating to have to strain to hear it. Let me point out that none of this detracts from the fact that this is one of the most visually stunning web shows I have ever seen. The physical sets are fantastic and the digital ones are close to seamless. I wouldn’t ask for more if this was on network television. (Polish 4.5)

This is a deeply philosophical exploration of humanities obsession with technology and what it means to be human. It moves at a slow, deliberate pace and for some people that might make it difficult to sit through especially since each episode clocks in at over 10 minutes in length. That being the case, if you are looking for some tasty SciFi in the vein of Gattaca this is for you. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

This is a movie about a killer Bra. It comes it at 20 minutes which would normally be a death sentence but let me tell you, if you have ever watched a Troma film you will sit through this entire thing with a smile on your face.

First let me explain that this is a film written and directed by Yakov Levi, who also wrote and directed the Baba Alla series of movies which you honestly need to Google to truly understand.

This film can only be described as “high camp,” which is about the only descriptor you can give when the driving plot element is a bra that has been possessed by the spirit of a woman who the main character kills in an unfortunate shopping accident.

If you don’t like your humor ridiculous or can’t stand the fact that this has a modest amount of nudity (it is about a bra), stay away. In all other cases, this is one of the silliest and most entertaining short films I’ve seen.

One more time: this film contains nudity, viewer discretion is advised.

Details

Cast: Emily Dix, Gergana Zabunova, Miranda Calderon, Nick Smith
Vimeo Channel: The Killer Bra
Website: Yakov Levi

Ratings

B-movie special effect galore, if you squint really hard you might not even see the strings. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 5

Some of the acting is a little over the top, especially the male lead’s first scene. I know all of the acting is supposed to be over the top, but sometimes it’s a little much even for me. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

A 20 minute movie on the web that was fun to watch the entire way through, I didn’t even think that was possible. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

We haven’t seen a really good revenge movie since Ai, I was waiting for something great to come along and Wrath is it. It was written and directed by Sam Hendi, the same person who brought us Gone. Unlike Gone which holds its plot elements close to its chest, Wrath goes straight for the jugular.

Hyette Duffy plays a scorned lover who has kidnapped the woman (Tracy Villiers) who she believes seduced her partner and “forced” him to cheat. The action builds steam as it segues from a low-key monologue to full out verbal assault as Hyette tears into her “rival” and we start to see that maybe, just maybe this woman has a few more problems than a cheating spouse.

This film skirts the line between a character sketch and torture porn, and it chooses the right side, side-stepping violence and replacing it with a carefully crafted look at Hyette’s rapid descent into madness.

Once again, Sam leaves us with answered questions but much like in Gone it’s better that way.

Creator’s Description

Lisa remembers the good times she had with her partner but is there a dark side to their relationship…

Details

Cast: Hyette Duffy, Tracy Villiers
Vimeo Channel: Wrath
Website: Sam Hendi

Ratings

Style 3.5

It’s fast paced without being frenzied, a stunningly well made interpretation of the classic “interrogation” scene. (Pacing 4.5)

Storytelling 4.5

Polish 4

Hyette is incredibly good in her role as the scorned lover, it’s a performance worth watching even if there wasn’t any movie around it. (Watchability 5)

It’s the acting and script that brings this film up, the plot elements have been seen a thousand times before but very rarely executed this well. (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 4.16 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: This is up there with the Guild as one of the best “Gamer Lifestyle” web series ever to be created. If you have a single geek bone in your body you owe it to yourself to give this series a chance.

Pure Pwnage is a globally popular online TV series that documents the life of Jeremy (teh_pwnerer), a pro gamer. Kyle, a filmmaker, also manages to capture the antics of Jeremy’s friends: FPS_Doug, Dave (Dawei), T-Bag and Anastasia.

Details

Cast: Jarett Cale, Geoff Lapaire, Joel Gardiner, Miranda Plant, Dawei, Troy Dixon
Blip.tv Channel: Pure Pwnage
Website: Pure Pwnage
Support the Show: Buy Something From The Pure Pwnage Store

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Feed: Feed
Facebook Page Pure Pwnage

Ratings

Style 4.5

For a lot comedy series I talk about the “joke ratio” I’d like to change it up a little for Pure Pwnage and mention the “awkward ratio.” What makes this series work is the sheer number of cringe worthy moments in it. It’s long, it’s dense but every 30 seconds or so you find yourself brought back into it by the sheer majesty of the geekiness. (Pacing 4)

This is the quintessential “life of a pro gamer” story on the Internet today. Brilliant parody that touches on just about every cliche you can think of. Once they start building out the meta-story involving Jeremy’s training it starts shifting into territory usually reserved for the best TV. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 4

Each of these episodes are television length and sometimes longer. Most clock in at over 20 minutes and a few at 40. That being said, I only wish there was a way of watching this without being in front of the monitor because it’s fun in that awkward, mockumentary sort of way. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Usually I use “low budget” as a justification for bad production values, campy execution or generally forgivable silliness in film-making but movies like Ai prove that even when you are working with a shoestring if you aren’t afraid to obsess a little over the details you can create something spectacular.
Plot-wise it is a pretty standard story, it’s an Asian-themed revenge story with a woman whose parents are killed who then trains under a sensei so that she can get revenge on the people who murdered her family. While it won’t win any awards for originality in script writing, it is one of the most well executed movies of this kind I’ve ever seen on the small screen.

Everything from the costumes to the choreography drips style and it looks like some serious time was put in to squeeze every bit of class out of what they had at their disposal. There were moments I forgot I wasn’t watching a scene from a feature film and that’s probably the best compliment I can give a made-for-the-web video.

If there is any downside at all to this film it’s exactly what I mentioned earlier, for all the time and effort that went into making this beautiful, a little more could have been done with the plot. This, however, is only the most minor of gripes and I cannot recommend this more.

Creator’s Description

A young woman, haunted by the memories of her parents being murdered, discovers the truth about herself and her sensei. Inspired by the great tradition of Japanese cinema, Ai is an exploration of themes that stem from the era of the fearless warriors, the samurai.

Details

Cast: Yoshi Amao, Kuwayama “Bob” Yoshihisa
Youtube Channel: Zaffi Pictures
Website: Raffi Asdourian

Ratings

The visual effects are stunning, the action is well scripted and the overall feel of the setting is extraordinarily well captured. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

While it is a classic revenge story is tightly scripted and well executed. (Storytelling 5)

This is a film quality experience, if it was fleshed out a little more I could imagine seeing a very similar movie in theaters. (Polish 4.5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

It was hard writing this review because I can’t quite put a finger on why I like this film so much. The animation is stunning and has a kind of visual richness that is missing from many short animations that believe that technical flourishes can make up for good visual storytelling.

The music is also wonderful and it drives the story forward in a way that might have been impossible with dialogue.

While those are reasons for the good review, they aren’t why I like it so much.

When it comes down to it, there is just something sweet about this film. It’s a story of loneliness, friendship and hope told in less than ten minutes and with cartoon sensibilities. It’s like a bedtime story and I love it for the same reasons, it shows how magical and tenuous friendship can be.

It’s a story I wish was told this well more often.

Creator’s Description

Harmony is a young girl living on a cold and desolate Earth, alone and longing for friendship. While trying to tune into a station on her home radio one night, she picks up a melody that leads her to the moon.

Entropy is an emotional and dreamlike short that articulates feelings of loneliness, hope, and love.

Details

Creator: Dane Jacobs, Jeremy Hay
Youtube Channel: Rhubarb Zoo
Website: Entropy

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 3.5

Fantastic visual storytelling. (Storytelling 4)

This is an absolutely beautiful film, from the animation to the ending theme. (Polish 5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: It’s not too often that you get a dramatic web series that manages to touch on complex social issues without devolving into a heavy-handed mess. Anyone But Me is surprisingly sharp and intensely engaging, easily one of my favorite dramatic series.

When 16 year old Vivian McMillan has to move from New York City to the suburbs, her relationships, past and present, are tested. And her identity goes through seismic changes. The daughter of a NYC firefighter, Vivian has no choice but to leave the city with her dad after health problems he suffered trying to save people on September 11th force him to retire. This moving, funny, and relevant new drama speaks to all ages and hearts as it follows the journey of six teenagers and the adults who try to understand them.

Details

Cast: Rachael Hip-Flores, Nicole Pacent, Joshua Holland, Alexis Slade, Jessy Hodges, Mitchell Adams, Dan Via, Barbara Pitts
Strike.tv Channel: Anyone But Me
Website: Anyone But Me
Support the Show: Visit The Anyone But Me Store

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RSS Feed: Feed
Facebook Page Anyone But Me

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 4

Anyone But Me tackles issues of displacement, sexuality and growing up at a steady pace and with an even hand. It’s one of the most profoundly interesting web series dramas I’ve come across and this is coming from someone who loves to hate the genre. The characters are believable, the directing is solid and Rachel Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent sells their roles (Vivian and Aster) beautifully. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 4.5

This show has built on controversy. The main character is a teenage lesbian trying to come to terms with her identity. As such, it’s not for everyone. That being said, the writers of this series manage to cover a lot of complex social issues without the heavy-handed moralizing that might otherwise alienate wider audiences. If you can keep an open mind, this show will get you thinking. (Watchability 5)

They manage to take the tired old teen “coming of age” story and add enough twists to it to make it watchable again. (Novelty 4)

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: I hope they make more of these, a lot more. I rarely make it through an entire run of a web series but I found myself watching 664 compulsively. Even the opening theme is catchy. Do yourself a favor and start watching this today.

Tracy and George got married. Awwwww.

Around then, George started making his own short films. Gary and Alex had already been making films. Tony wanted to make films, too. So, they all started making films. Sometimes together, sometimes apart. Awwwww.

A few years later, Arthur started appearing in some of these films. Mostly because he had access to an actual police uniform. Then we said, “He’s very funny. Maybe we should do other, non-police things with him?” We agreed. We started doing non-police things with Arthur. He was very funny. Awwwwww.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Details

Cast: Arthur Laurie, Tracy O’ Connor, Tony DeMauro
YouTube Channel: Neighbor of the Beast
Website: Lazyhorde
Support the Show: Buy The Season One DVD

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RSS Feed: Feed
Contact: Neighbor of the Beast

Ratings

I really dig the costume for “Lou” the Devil. Nothing spectacular but it works in the sense that you could almost imagine him walking around like that in this neighborhood without raising too many eyebrows. (Style 3.5)

Pacing 4.5

What struck me about this show is that by the end of every episode I had at least one line stuck in my head. The writing is strong and the characters are really fun to be around. (Storytelling 4.5)

The background music can get a little grating, especially if you watch multiple episodes in a row. Otherwise it is a well put together low budget series. (Polish 3)

Watchability 5

It’s a show about a couple moving in next door to a rather pleasant Lucifer. Can’t get much more novel. (Novelty 4.5)

Overall Rating: 4.16 out of 5 stars

ARK is a visually breath-taking look at life, disease and society. When I say breath-taking I mean that in every possible way, the detail and depth of the animation can almost make you miss the strength of the storytelling.

That’s what really strikes me though, the storytelling. Without a word of dialogue director Grzegorz Jonkajtys drags you into this world of desperation, disease and madness. Even though there is almost no action until the final act, you can feel the tension as the protagonist circles around his final decision.

In the world of web animations this is a masterpiece. In fact, any world where this would not be considered a masterpiece leaves much to be desired.

Creator’s Description

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.

Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man…

Details

Creator: Grzegorz Jonkajtys
Openfilm Channel: ARK
Website: Grzegorz Jonkajtys

Ratings

Remember when I said it was breath-taking? Yea. (Style 5)

Pacing 3.5

This is a cast study in strong visual storytelling. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 5

It’s very, very dark and it only gets darker as it enters the third act. If you are looking for hope and redemption, this is probably not your film. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: If you have the slightest inkling what Yu-Gi-Oh is then you are doing yourself a disservice by not watching this series.

Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series (often abbreviated to Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged or simply YGOTAS) is a popular fan parody of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime as dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment. It is created by Martin Billany, better known by his screen name LittleKuriboh, who originally strived to update the series weekly, although this has not always been possible.[8] The series has become incredibly popular with the number of visits to the main site ranking over 30 million. The show’s increasing popularity has shown, with several new Abridged Series’ being created for other shows, following the precedent set by LittleKuriboh.

Each “episode” of the Abridged Series parodies the original Yu-Gi-Oh! equivalent and is typically four to six minutes per episode (though episode length has steadily increased with time). The series is made using clips from the original series while voicing most of the characters and placing in sound effects, music clips, and other references to popular culture. LittleKuriboh voices all of the Abridged Series characters with the exception of Rebecca Hawkins and various other bit characters, who are voiced by his wife Abigail (”Abi”), better known by her screen name Safty.

Details

Cast: Martin Billany
YouTube Channel: Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series
Website: Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series
Support the Show: Visit The Store

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Revver Page: YGOTAS

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 4.5

I’ve never seen a television parody this well executed. Every single episode manages to hit the mark, which is almost unheard of in the uneven world of web series. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 4

This series is geektastic, in fact, it is even more insidery than that it is anime geektastic. If you don’t care enough about anime to sit around laughing at it for a while then you probably won’t be able to sit through more than a few episodes of this. However, if you do this is an absolute masterpiece and you should probably be watching this right now. (Watchability 4.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: I don’t review Tube-famous entertainers very often. Mostly because I don’t find their stuff particularly entertaining, but NigaHiga is a notable exception. He mixes music videos, movie spoofs and original sketches in a way that keeps his channel fresh and his wit is over the top without being cloying. I only wish that other YouTube creators would take a few notes from his playbook.

Ryan Higa and Sean Fujiyoshi are Japanese-American comedians from Hilo, Hawaii. They are known for their YouTube comedy videos, which have been viewed over 230 million times. Their YouTube channel nigahiga is currently the most subscribed of all time.

Details

Creators: Ryan Higa and Sean Fujiyoshi
YouTube Channel: NigaHiga
Website: Ryan and Sean’s Movie
Support the Show: Buy The Ryan and Sean’s Not So Excellent Adventure DVD

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Twitter Feed: Feed
MySpace Page: NigaHiga

Ratings

Style 4.5

The real reason I like this show so much is that they consistently maintain the “joke ratio.” They aren’t beating you over the head with so much funny that it becomes cloying but they also don’t drag things out so long you lose track of the plot. (Pacing 4)

Storytelling 4

Polish 4

Watchability 5

NigaHiga has a good mix of rants, “music videos,” and parodies to put it a cut above your average YouTube series. Add to that their feature length stuff and you can see why they are YouTube’s most subscribed channel (Novelty 4)

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Jed and Mona pull off something that is nearly impossible in Internet land, they combine sex and comedy without either being too lurid or too prudish. Add to that Mona’s acting chops and Jed’s writing talent and what you end up with is a funny, sexy romp through sketch comedy.

On the strength of such international hits as “The Miracle Beer Diet”, Liv Films– founded by writer/director Jed Gillen and actress/editor Mona Gillen in the summer of 2007– has rapidly become one of the most popular producers of short, scripted entertainment in the world. Recognized for their unique brand of sexy– often politically-incorrect– comedy, Liv Films videos attract approximately 100,000 online viewers each day. With the release of their Brushing Teeth in Undies DVD in 2008, Liv Films has staked its claim as one of the very first Internet sensations to successfully transition to the mainstream.

Details

Cast: Jed Gillen, Mona Gillen
YouTube Channel: Liv Films
Website: Liv Films
Support the Show: Buy Their Uncensored DVD

Subscribe

Twitter Feed: Jed’s Feed

Twitter Feed: Mona’s Feed

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 4

For a sketch show that comes in at under 4 minutes in length the writing is stellar. It’s fun to watch and once you start watching you want to see more. Jed and Mona know how to play their characters and once you get sucked into their world you won’t want to leave. (Storytelling 4.5)

Solid cuts, convincing acting and appropriately ironic use of effects make this a really well put together show for the low to no budget sketch genre. (Polish 4)

The only thing that would make this better is if they came out with videos more than once a month. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Cart is a Jesse Rosten film which at 10:00 is more or less feature length for the Internet. It tells the story of a shopping cart and it’s journey to return a little boy’s sweater.

This is solid storytelling.

Even without a single word of dialogue, you start to feel for the cart. It reminded me a lot of why I liked Wall-E, every bump and shake as it travels across town makes the cart feel less like steel and plastic and more like a living, breathing creature. In a lot of ways the cart feels more real, more sympathetic than the human characters.

The musical score by Peter Lance is also great, while it doesn’t do anything spectacular, it helps the story keep pace and it adds a much needed sense of drama.

Without spoiling too much, I would say my least favorite part of this film was the ending. It’s exactly because the characterization of the cart is so well done that I think the ending falls flat. You want to see the cart rewarded for its hard work (how often do shopping carts travel across town on cloths retrieval missions?) instead what you get is a rather dark, abrupt climax that leaves a lot of questions that you want answered out in the open.

That small criticism aside, this is an utterly fantastic film that is a must see for anyone who likes children stories or has a soft spot in their heart for shopping carts.

Details

Creator: Jesse Rosten
Vimeo Channel: Cart – The Film
Website: Jesse Rosten

Ratings

The Cart animation is seamless and the visual storytelling is utterly engaging. (Style 4)

It feels much shorter than 10 minutes (Pacing 4)

I have personal issues with the ending, but that doesn’t stop this from being an amazingly well done story. (Storytelling 4.5)

Polish 4

Watchability 4

Really unique protagonist in an otherwise familiar story (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: There are a lot of film critic shows out there today, a lot of them are good but Brad wins the dark horse competition hands down. He has a near encyclopedic knowledge of exploitation film culture and manages to convey it with enough bite to be funny without so much bile that he alienates his audience.

The Cinema Snob LOVES himself some classics of arthouse cinema and goes to sleep at night dreaming of the films of Fellini, Kurosawa, Godard, and Bergman. But what happens when this pretentious snob is given the task of reviewing low budget exploitation flicks of the past?

Details

Cast: Brad Jones
Blip.tv Channel: The Cinema Snob
Website: The Cinema Snob
Support the Show: Support Brad’s Feature Films

Subscribe

RSS Feed: Feed
iTunes Feed: The Cinema Snob

Ratings

Style 2.5

When you’re doing movie reviews your gut often tells you to make them way, way too long. Brad manages to edit himself really well, cutting the videos down to “Internet length” without losing any of the wit. (Pacing 4)

Exploitation films make great source material, and the snob makes good use of it. Even when he covers modern films as he started to do recently, he does so with a strong flair for storytelling. (Storytelling 4.5)

All the polish a camcorder and some solid editing skills can buy (Polish 3)

Almost every movie Brad reviews I want to go out and see. He always gets the highest honor I can bestow, I’ve watched every single one of his videos. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 3.66 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: A lot of great things have been said about the Guild, but so few people point out just how well written it is. The acting is great, the directing and pacing are well thought out but what really shines about this series is one of the mostly tightly written and entertaining scripts in web TV land. In case you need more encouragement, go watch a few episodes now.

The Guild is a independent sitcom web series about a group of online gamers. The show started in the late summer of 2007, and for the first season was financed solely by Paypal donations from LOYAL FANS. Since season 2, The Guild has been distributed by Xbox Live and Microsoft and sponsored by Sprint.

Episodes vary from 3-8 minutes in length, and follow the Guild members’ lives online and offline.

“The Guild” has won numerous awards, including the SXSW, YouTube and Yahoo Web Series Awards in 2008, and 3 Streamy Awards in 2009: Best Comedy Web Series, Best Ensemble, and Best Actress for Felicia Day.

Details

Cast: Felicia Day, Amy Okuda, Jeff Lewis, Robin Thorsen, Sandeep Parikh, Vincent Caso
MSN Channel: The Guild
Website: The Guild
Support the Show: Buy The Season Two DVD

Subscribe

RSS Feed: Feed
Latest Episodes: Watch Season Three

Ratings

It’s a solid, straightforward story without a huge number of distracting bells and whistles. Even so, it takes itself just seriously enough to make it hard not to love. (Style 4)

Pacing 4

The word entertaining doesn’t do this show justice, it’s a pleasure to watch the story unfold. Fantastic writing, great premise, superb execution. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 4.5

Watchability 5

There are a lot of different ways you could have done a show about MMOs, but focusing on the players lives — or lack thereof — put this in a territory all its own. (Novelty 4.5)

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Break a Leg is one of the best web sitcoms out there today and is a must see for people who consider themselves web content completists.

DAVID PENN just got his first sitcom, Groommates, picked up — the problem is, he may not live long enough to see it succeed.

That’s right, aside from the regular trials and tribulations that come with shooting a sitcom, David has one other problem — he’s going to die at the end of the season. How? That remains to be seen. Why? That’s another important piece of information that David has yet to figure out. But as he narrates his story from beginning to end, one fact remains — he will die, in the storage room, with a gun to his head and the sounds of a fake laugh track in his ears.

A show not only about show business, but relationships, fame, entertainment, and death — BREAK A LEG is a mix of The Office and Arrested Development with a bit of murder thrown in, just for good measure.

Details

Creators: Vlad and Yuri Baranovsky
Blip.tv Channel: Break A Leg
Website: Break A Leg
Support the Show: Break A Leg Cafe Press Store

More Episodes

• The Pilot – Part Two
• The Pilot – Part Three
• See More Episodes

Ratings

Great cut aways, good editing, solid direction all around. (Style 3.5)

They manage a really good “joke ratio” throughout. (Pacing 4)

This is incredibly fun to watch, and even though it is long by web series standards you never once feel like it’s dragging. (Storytelling 4.5)

One of the most highly polished comedic web series I’ve seen. (Polish 5)

Watchability 4

It feels like you’re watching a television sitcom, which works for it, but it feels like you’re watching a television sitcom and because of that it can be predictable in places. (Novelty 3)

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars