Tom Lenk's Newest Instant Classic

Our very favorite Tom Lenk went with his buddy Andrew Putschoegl to Whistler, British Columbia, to take part in the Olympus 72 Hour Filmmaker Challenge. They had to handle the concept, writing, shooting, and editing a 5-minute short film in less than three days.  Take a look at their newest opus, Ladybeast.

Review: Being Human (US Series)

SyFy is at it again with a reimagining of the popular British drama, Being Human. This show is about the lives of three roommates, all dealing with surviving and thriving while they learn about being good people. Also, they are a vampire, werewolf and ghost.

The US version is starring Sam Witwer as Aiden, Sam Huntington as Josh and Meaghan Rath as Sally. It premiered on Monday night and I did enjoy it. I probably would be writing only glowing, happy thoughts if I didn't have the original to compare it to. I have only seen a few episodes from the British one, but you can see the differences. The pilot for both shows has the same basic premise but starts off with differences. In the British one, you jump right in to the story, feeling almost that this show has been on for seasons and you had been left behind. The US version provides more of an intro to the characters, even showing how the guys, Aiden and Josh, meet Sally. The US version also adds more emotion and suspense, like the episode cliffhanger.

Aiden, the vampire, and Josh, the werewolf, are a great duo. These guys play off each other really well, especially in the moving in montage. Throughout the episode, they provide each other with great stability and a family setting. They are similar in a lot of ways to their British counterparts. Aiden is a calm, cool guy that has a dark past we get a glimpse at. Witwer really brings the struggles of addiction to light when we see him deal with killing Rebecca and then facing Marcus in the hospital. Josh is a nervous, scared guy who seems awkward around everyone. He needs to learn to accept who he is and I think he will be entertaining to watch through this process. I like the addition of Josh's sister, who is a new addition from the British show. She adds a new element to his character, plus a lot of new story lines.

Sally is the only one that seems different from her predecessor, Annie. Annie is more independent and sassy than Sally, not to mention she can touch things and leave the house. However, we are seeing Sally at the beginning of her journey, so hopefully her character will grow into a stronger force. All the characters show more emotion, which is decidedly American.

I'm excited to see where they head with this series. The best part of the original series is the character development, and I feel they have really captured that. I do hope that they move away sooner than later from the original story and create something great that stands on its own, without comparison.

Halloween Premiere Weekend: Werewolves and Zombies and Internet Sensations, Oh My!

Last weekend was a great time for some geek-tastic TV premieres.  The Syfy channel premiered Red: Werewolf Hunter and AMC finally premiered the Walking Dead series.  Any card-carrying nerd can tell you why these two premieres have been hotly anticipated since their initial announcements, but if you have been under a rock or failed your official Nerd-License Exam (keep trying, you can do it!), I'll tell you why.  First, Felicia Day.  The Guild writer and star has been on fire over the past few years, with her own show and prominent guest spots on hit shows like Fox's House and Lie to Me.  Second, The Walking F'ing Dead.  The multi-Eisner award winning comic series by Robert Kirkman being made into a live-action series by the station that brought us Breaking Bad & Mad Men?  No brainer.  So, lets get down to the details.  How did each of these shows live up to the hype?  Read on...

Red: Werewolf Hunter

All of the camp, none of the guilt!

Couresty of SyFy

This is a Syfy Original Film...

Normally that'd be enough to end any credible review, but in this case we have a unique exception.  Sure, Syfy has a long-standing reputation of quality films like Sharktopus & Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus, but we won't let their record (and apparent sea-creature fetish) taint our judgment. The main attraction for this gem is its red-headed star, Felicia Day.  As I've mentioned, Felicia has recently been putting out an impressive collection of work, but this film is different for a few reasons.  First, it's a leap into the world of science-fiction action, which is not necessarily new to her, but definitely out of her niche of awkward comedy.  Second, she's taking the lead in a full length (for TV) feature.  Her most note-worthy roles are in web-based short episodes, and I mentioned her guest spot on House; however, we all know that all the sick person ever gets to do is fall over, then convulse after a wrong-guess diagnosis.

The plot of the film is a spin on the Red Riding Hood tale, and promises to be the first in a line of fairy-tale exploitation films from Syfy.  It starts with Red (Day) introducing her fiance to her family and eventually their family tradition of hunting werewolves.  What starts out as a fun weekend with the folks turns hairy (sorry) when Red's man gets himself snacked on by a werewolf and begins to manifest his own transformation.  From there it becomes a Romeo & Juliet tale of love versus family loyalty.

Any movie that starts with "Syfy Original" is going to have some issues with writing, but despite that, the cast was able to deliver some decent performances and some memorable moments.  I particularly enjoyed Rosemary Dunsmore's performance as the rifle packing Grandmother.  All-in-all the movie lived up to the hype by delivering a fun experience.  The IGH crew actually had a lot of fun playing our own little Riff-Trax session while watching.  Let's face it, we all watch the awful Syfy channel movies anyway, at least this time we can say it was to support Felicia (my love!).  So in closing, I'd give Red: Werewolf Hunter an IGH rating of 7 lycanthropes.

The Walking Dead

In a perfect world all apocalypses would look like this.

Courtesy of AMC

To start, I'm a huge fan of the Walking Dead comic series.  I first picked it up when they were around issue #50 and I've been a steady reader ever since.  If you haven't looked at it yet you owe it to yourself to pick up the first trade.  Robert Kirkman's epic "horror movie that never ends" has set the new standard in horror/suspense books and garnered an immense fan following as a result.

The story begins with our protagonist, Sheriff Rick, waking from a gunshot-induced coma in an abandoned hospital.  Confusion turns to cold-blooded panic when he finds he's not alone in the world, but instead there are hordes of walking undead dying to invite him to dinner (I really can't help it!  Sorry!). After meeting some warm bodies, Rick sets off to search for his missing family, and from here the series will lead us through the story of Rick and the many survivors he meets along the way.

The series is being directed by Frank Darabont, who also brought us classics like The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.  It's obvious from the first episode that he has studied the source material and has a deep respect for Robert Kirkman's original vision.  So many scenes were ripped right from the book and the direction and acting made it seem completely natural.  I was fortunate enough to be at the Walking Dead AMC panel at San Diego Comic Con and got a first-hand account of how Robert and Frank have been working together.  The collaboration has clearly paid off big time.  We all know the pitfalls of comic book adaptation, especially to a TV series, but what the Walking Dead has pulled off is nothing short of perfection.  I personally cannot wait to see how the rest of the series plays out, and how far they'll get this season.

When it comes to living up to hype, this show not only lives up to, but surpasses expectations.  I would, with confidence, give AMC's The Walking Dead the patented IGH rating of 18.9 head shots.

I hope you've enjoyed these shows as much as I did.  I also hope you enjoy my review.  Let us know what you thought on the comments, or send a tweet our way @IGHInsider.

Mata atode aimashou!