C.M. Selbrede's Blog, page 9

The Entire First Season of the 100% Student-Produced SciFi Epic “two” is now bingeable!

Well, that was a mouthful but it’s all true. Through dedication and sheer force of will a group of friends and strangers came together with zero experience or budget to produce a thrilling, hilarious 10 episode scifi comedy.

[image error]

A brief synopsis of the show:

Scout Stevens (C.J. Selbrede), a cynical and selfish stoner, and Angelica Cooper (Cristin Von Schlag), a compassionate and dedicated AP student, find their lives irrevocably altered when they awaken to a mysteriously changed world– One where they share their lives with fraternal twins, Sawyer Stevens (Jordan Lowman) and Andrew Cooper (Joey Heitzmann). Aided by the mysterious Kayden Cooper (Emily O’Keefe), Scout and Angelica attempt to unravel an age-old conspiracy while avoiding the clutches of the violent Knife Man (Matthew Island) hunting them.

Watch Now!



[image error]

The Entire First Season of the No-Budget, 100% Student-Produced SciFi Epic “two” is available to stream now!

Well, that was a mouthful but it’s all true. Through dedication and sheer force of will a group of friends and strangers came together with zero experience or budget to produce a thrilling, hilarious 10 episode scifi comedy.

[image error]

A brief synopsis of the show:

Scout Stevens (C.J. Selbrede), a cynical and selfish stoner, and Angelica Cooper (Cristin Von Schlag), a compassionate and dedicated AP student, find their lives irrevocably altered when they awaken to a mysteriously changed world– One where they share their lives with fraternal twins, Sawyer Stevens (Jordan Lowman) and Andrew Cooper (Joey Heitzmann). Aided by the mysterious Kayden Cooper (Emily O’Keefe), Scout and Angelica attempt to unravel an age-old conspiracy while avoiding the clutches of the violent Knife Man (Matthew Island) hunting them.

Watch Now!



[image error]

25 Favorite Shows of All-Time (Updated!)

Though books hold a special place in my heart, over the past few years I’ve come to realize that my absolute favorite storytelling medium has to be television. Because of this, I decided to share the 25 TV shows which hold special places in my heart, and why!

I have updated these ranks to include shows which I had either forgotten to include or not seen yet! 

Honorable Mentions

The following shows were pushed out of the Top 25 by new entries:

Degrassi: Season 12Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23Parks & RecreationSabrina the Teenage WitchThe 100



#25 – 19

For detailed explanations on the preexisting entries, see the original list.

#25. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland#24. Scream Queens#23. Sense8#22. Daredevil#21. EastSiders#20. Skam



19. The Man in the High Castle (2015-Present)



[image error]

Favorite Episode: —

A dense and depressing, sci-fi-oriented alternate history, The Man in the High Castle is sprawling and utterly unique. In fact, it currently stands as one of the only shows I’ve seen I cannot pull a favorite episode from due to the extremely serialized nature of the show.

While the plot can sometime be frustratingly dense, decompressed, slow, and sprawling (yes, all of those things at once) The Man in the High Castle‘s greatest strength is its eye for character. From the powerful but fallible protagonist Juliana Crain, to the antagonistic yet understandable John Smith, to the smaller but integral Ed, MitHC keeps its characters on their toes through countless plot twists which always catch the viewer off guard but never seem outlandish.

The dour nature of this series, along with the two-year gap between the last few seasons, can interfere with its power, but at its best, The Man in the High Castle is an inspiring and unique look at humanity.

18. Future Man

Favorite Episode: The Brain Job (2×12)

I was hesitant to put this show on my list because it is very, very raunchy… unnecessarily show, and to its detriment, which is why despite its moments of total brilliance, it cannot rank any higher on this list. Future Man follows Josh Futterman, an unassuming custodian chosen by future revolutionaries Wolf and Tiger to help prevent the apocalypse by killing his boss. Unwilling to resort to this violence, Josh convinces them to instead travel back in time to attempt to nudge history in the right direction… but these ripples cause irreparable, nasty consequences that permanently change the future.

Again, the complex characters and unique take on time travel (along with several other immensely creative moves, make this show really special… but not quite special enough to justify the gross humor, sex, and poop jokes which profane almost every moment of the show.

#17- 12

For detailed explanations on the preexisting entries, see the original list.

#17. The GiftedMoved back due to an unfocused second season.#16. The Good PlaceMoved forward due to a strong third season.#15. Jessica Jones#14. Legion#13. Buffy the Vampire Slayer#12. The Defenders



11. Runaways (2017- Present)



[image error]

Favorite Episode: Last Waltz (2×11)

An utterly unique tale within the oft-ignored pantheon of Marvel Cinematic Universe television tie-ins, Runaways is a complex, colorful, poorly paced exploration of adolescence and family which is a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona’s Runaways comic is much loved amongst comic fans, which is why it is so impressive that Hulu was able to produce such a unique take on the mythos that feels like the Runaways while still carving its own path. One of the most stylish Marvel properties, Runaways is notable for having an extensive cast of characters so complex that nearly all of them drive the viewer crazy at some point; but all are understandable, and for the most part, likable.

Runaways started off disconnected from the MCU at large but it has found clever ways of tying into the larger universe and yet doing its own thing in recent episodes. Diverse, funny, and heart-wrenching, Runaways is a unique Marvel story in every sense of the word.

#10-6



#10. Doctor Who / Class#9. Angel#8. Cloak & Dagger Moved back as the glory of its recent season has faded into retrospect.#7. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend#6. iZombie



5. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018- Present)



[image error]

Favorite Episode: The Trial of Sabrina Spellman (1×03)

I don’t like horror. But, gosh darn it, CAoS is just way too much fun.

Unlike the 90’s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, based on the same Archie Comics character (which I am in the process of watching right now and enjoying a lot in my own way), CAoS is dark, stylish, and muddled in a complex morality. Shipka’s Sabrina is stubborn and good-natured, intensely curious but also individualistic, constantly questioning the nature of witchcraft and its frightening connection to Satan even as she continues to practice the magic that is a part of her. Her struggle to balance both sides of her biracial (basically) identity without succumbing to either is riveting and relatable, and strengthened by a diverse and likable cast of characters.

Every actor in CAoS pulls their weight, as do the impeccable SFX, set and costume designers, and intensely talented writers. CAoS isn’t perfect but its darn close, weaving an utterly unique and (to reiterate) stylish story that practically demands to be binged.

#4-1



#4. Agents of SHIELD#3. Legends of Tomorrow#2. A Series of Unfortunate Events#1. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

ACC in 2019: February

As we roll along into February, the majority of my projects continue to be on hiatus! Therefore, this month will be a light one, featuring a spattering of small bits and pieces from various projects as we lead into the final month of hiatus (March) and prepare for new seasons to begin. This month you can expect:

Friday, February 1- “Kayden Coates / Emily O’Keefe” (two Featurette) Monday, February 4- “My Top 25 TV Shows, Updated” (Opinion)Sunday, February 17- “Tempest: Introducing Portland” (AC3 Video)Thursday, February 21- “Lament” (Short Story)Monday, February 25- “Vacation” (Squirrel Academy)Thursday, February 28- March ’19 (ACC in 2019 Inventory)

Short Story: Look & Listen

The following was written as a quick exercise in my Modern Short Stories class.

[image error]
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“You’re right,” Jack said, breathless, as Ryan’s fingertips touched the grille of the poolside. “You’re out of shape.”

Ryan was panting, his fingers clutching the plastic and metal as though they were all that stood between him and further agony. With a withering look, he raised his right hand and extended the middle finger.

“Dude,” Jack snickered, splashing at his friend with a playful intensity.

“It’s easy for you to stay in shape,” Ryan’s reaction to this burst of water was very restrained. Disappointingly so. “You’ve always been an athlete.”

Jack frowned, running a hand through his soaking hair. It darkened when wet. “Have I?”

“I mean, basically,” Ryan puffed. “Soccer. Lax. And you swim in the Summer.”

Jack shrugged. “Eh.”

“I’m not saying it’s easy,” Ryan frowned. “Really.”

Ryan and Jack floated next to each other, only inches apart. Jack was beginning to get cold. He wanted to resume swimming soon. Nobody really liked treading water.

“I remember last year your time trial blew everyone out of the water,” Jack said abruptly, not entirely sure if he knew why this detail was relevant.

“It wasn’t as loud as it is today. So many screaming kids, I can hardly think. Let alone swim.”

“Since when does hearing have shit to do with swimming?”

“I used to think every voice I heard was my dad,” Ryan mumbled. “He never has anything nice to say about my backstroke.”

Unconsciously, Jack’s gaze flicked up to the grey swim cap wrapped around Ryan’s head. It looked slimy and uncomfortable. Jack had never worn one.

“How do you think this season is gonna go?” Jack didn’t really want to talk about Ryan’s family. He didn’t know him well enough for that.

Ryan shrugged, unconsciously reaching up to draw up the swim cap just enough that a dash of water trickled down his face.

“Do you remember the time two years ago when we were in the C relay together?” Jack blurted suddenly. “And we thought we were going to get trounced, but we managed to–”

“I do remember,” Ryan cut him off, dropped back under the water, and began to swim. Jack shivered. The hairs on his legs had begun to stand up straight from the cold.

ACC in 2019: January

Hey! If you’ve read my last post you know the blog is going on break. However, now through the end of January, I still have a slate of fun programming for you to check out featuring a short story to tide you over and the end of two‘s freshman run.

Friday, December 28- two Midseason Panel (two Special Feature)Sunday, December 30- “Andrew / Joey” (two Featurette)Friday, January 4- “Out of the Woods” (two ep 1×07)Sunday, January 6- “The End of the Universe” (two Featurette) Friday, January 11- “The End of the Universe” (two eps 1×08 & 1×09)Sunday, January 13- “Blood & Water” (two Featurette) Friday, January 18- “Blood & Water” (two ep 1×10)Thursday, January 24- “Look & Listen” (Short Story)Friday, January 25 – “Kayden / Emily” (two Featurette) Sunday, January 31- February ’19 (ACC in 2019 Inventory)


Advertisements

Announcement: End of an Era

Adjusting to college has been, well, a thing. As mentioned earlier, my attempts to juggle working on schoolwork, The Valley Chronicles: Tempest, two, rugby, hockey, Electric/Eccentric, AC3, and all my other self-inflicted projects has been driving me insane.

[image error]two returns Friday, January 4th.

College has been a very different experience, so it is only natural that I find different ways to tackle my projects. I really enjoy this blog, and I’ve endeavored to keep it running consistently since I launched it in August of 2017, but quality is more important than quality, and so I have decided to place Electric/Eccentric on an indefinite hiatus, similar to Squirrel Academy and Self-Shame are currently experiencing.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up– the fact is that it is a better use of time to focus on completing my webseries and trilogy rather than force myself to churn out poetry and short stories I don’t have time for. Therefore I am going to experiment with a “Seasonal” model for the blog that, if successful, I will apply to AC3 and Squirrel Academy.

What this means is that I am retroactively classifying the past 16 months of Electric/Eccentric under two “Seasons”, and scheduling to resume the blog for a period of three-six months in the future for a third season. Basically:

Season 1 covered August ’17 to March ’18. This period had Squirrel Academy besides the usual poetry and short stories. Season 2 covered April ’18 to December ’18. This period had several opinion pieces in addition to fiction and poetry. Season 3 will begin sometime in 2019 and will feature the remainder of Anna Farmer besides the usual content.

Actual dates for Season 3 of Electric/Eccentric, along with potential continuations of my other projects, will be forthcoming. To anyone who takes the time to follow my stuff, if such a person exists, thanks so much for your patience and I’ll see you in the new year.

-Craig

Advertisements

Poem: Pressure

In and out and back 

again, And again the days  begin, they

pile, And pummel, and push push push and you

can’t see an end in sight, It clutches your bones in the dead of night

and heart is tangled, heart’s on mend, it skips and skips there is no end.

Breathe breathe breathe you are okay although it doesn’t feel that way.

Stop.

Breathe.

You will falter and fail and die but today,

Today is not that day.

Ranking Every Season of Joss Whedon’s “Buffyverse”

Though it hasn’t aged quite as well as one would hope, Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse saga– consisting of seven seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and five seasons of “Angel”– still marks a turning point in serialized television, expertly juggling modern themes and a complex mythology with well-developed characters and fascinating inversions of horror tropes. The following represents my personal rankings of all twelve vastly different seasons.

#12. Buffy, Season 7

Buffy Season 7 had some great ideas but everything, from the actors to the sets to the plots, seemed kind of tired.  The return of Sunnydale High and the villainy of the First Evil were tons of fun undercut by the decision to cram everybody into Buffy’s house– a symptom of Buffy’s unwillingness to disrupt their set of core characters and plot elements for more than a few episodes. Meanwhile, the somewhat repetitive redemption arc for Spike and now-annoying Xander/Anya romance dragged the season down further. The season in general felt like it would’ve been much more effective in shorter form, with less filler episodes treading water while providing stilted drama beween the Slayers. And don’t get me started on Anya’s final moments of the season.

But hey– at least Faith was cool?

#11. Buffy, Season 4

I was pretty torn on this season, because it genuinely has some great episodes going for it. This season was faced with the impossible task of continuing a series built around the concept “High School is Hell” without high school, and did an admirable enough, if uneven job trying things out.

For example, there were a lot of fun aspects of the overarching Initiative plotline (especially when Buffy tried joining up) and Riley was a decent love interest, but the show didn’t spend nearly enough time developing him. This same plotline petered out with a jarringly scifi Big Bad named Adam who didn’t even last into the Season finale… and let’s not even talk about the episodes with the magic beer and the Buffy/Faith body swap (which I know was fairly popular but I just found heavy handed).

However, “Hush” was a masterpiece. We can all agree on that. Also, Tara and Willow? Good.

#10. Angel, Season 4

Where do I even start with Angel Season 4?

There were some wonderfully complex aspects of this season, including the continued development of Fred and the wonderfully chaotic return of Angelus, but we can all agree that the season was permanently soured by the whiney nature of Connor and his disgusting relationship with his father’s love interest, Cordelia, who spends the whole season as a possessed antagonist due to Whedon’s decision to punish Charisma Carpenter for her real life pregnancy.  This move was as misogynistic and sleazy as they come and irreparably damaged the character of Cordelia who had experienced so much growth throughout her last seven years in the Buffyverse.

However, the final arc was satisfying enough, and the season’s proclivity for suspenseful and unexpected twists elevates it from a lower position on this list.

#9. Buffy, Season 1

This season was simple, and formulaic, but it was a ton of fun.

Without this monster-of-the-week and character-heavy 13-episode season, the rest of the Buffyverse wouldn’t have been possible: and while the Master was easily the weakest villain in the franchise, the threat he posed to Buffy was very, very real. The gradual reveal of Angel’s intention was a welcome distraction from the admittedly fun case-by-case episodes, and the finale, despite cheating somewhat, was very satisfying.

#8. Buffy, Season 3

This season is ranked a lot higher for a lot of people, and I get it, I really do. In fact, I have no rational explanation for why this season ranks so low for me overall: it has an extremely compelling Big Bad, introduced the wonderfully complex Faith, and had such strong episodes as: “Anne”, “The Wish”, “The Zeppo”, “Amends”, “Doppelgangland”, “The Prom”, and “Graduation”… I could go on. Maybe the Xander/Willow romance got on my nerves, or the fact that there were so many not good, not bad, but average episodes swayed me; Or maybe its the fact that for whatever reason I got bored in the middle of this season and stopped watching for over a year. I wish I could explain this, but as it is with opinions, sometimes they just are.

#7. Buffy, Season 6

Yes, this season was unncessarily angsty and lacked the sense of fun which defined previous seasons, and sure, the treatment of Tara and Anya this season were appalling, and, y’know, “Doublemeat Palace” (need I say more)? It’s not surprise this season ranks so low for so many fans.

However, the choices of villains (both the disgusting Trio and the sympathetic Dark Willow”) raised the stakes for this season immensely, and of course, “Once More, With Feeling” alone raises this season several slots for me.

#6. Angel, Season 2

Angel Season 2 was a strong character affair, developing the Angel Investigations team very well while introducing the one-in-a-million Fred, but while the overarching plot was solid and provided genuine menace without being too dour, Angel’s whiny behavior and the lack of individually strong episodes (besides the final episodes in Pylea) kept the season from reaching its full potential. It’s for this reason that I don’t have a ton to say about Angel Season 2, except that for all its flaws it was a ton of fun to watch.

#5. Angel, Season 3

Speaking of unnecessarily dour…

Angel Season 3 exists in a similar vein to its preceding season; though it is slightly weaker in terms of tone and much stronger in terms of individual episodes. “Dad” and “Birthday”, along with the ever-stronger threads of Cordelia’s development and Fred’s integration into the team were high points; while the unpleasantly dark turn in Wesley and Angel’s relationship plus the dour and frustrating final episodes prevent it from being significantly better than Season 2.

#4. Angel, Season 1

Angel Season 1 was a surprisingly strong debut considering that so much of the Buffyverse’s appeal was built on enduring character arcs; but then again, maybe not, because the lack of a strong, cohesive serial plotline allowed the series to experiment with genres and characters more creatively and give us strong one-offs like “Rm w/a Vu”, “I Will Remember You”, “Hero”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, and “Sanctuary”.

The small, intimate nature of the cast (and the more restrained settings of LA and Angel Investigations) made Angel and Cordelia more enjoyable and allowed the brief run of Glenn Doyle to carry more weight. If all of Angel had been like this season, it might have gotten dry quickly, but the series’ capacity to reinvent itself consistently made this season a welcome start to the spinoff.

#3. Buffy, Season 2

It is my opinion that no other season of Buffy balanced the high school drama, dark themes, and compelling mythology as well as Season 2.  Despite some of the Monster-of-the-Week’s characteristic off-episodes (“Inca Mummy Girl”, “Reptile Boy”, “Ted”, and “Go Fish”), the villainy of Spike, Drusilla, and Angelus is untouched in its gothic giddiness, and the Xander/Cordelia romance, Willow’s beginnings with magic, and the Jenny/Giles connection made the series feel fresh.

Like Season 1, Buffy Season 2 was somewhat simplistic, but in this case that simplicity played to its advantage. And the moments when Angel and Buffy face each other in “Innocence” and “Becoming”? Unforgettable.

#2. Buffy, Season 5

I know people found Dawn tedious, and to a degree, she was, but if you thought she was any more annoying than Xander or Spike, you’re tripping.

Indeed, the clever nature of Dawn’s existence and the unique threat of Glory (you can be feminine and badass! What a thought!) drove a compelling season aided by the new “Magic Box” shop set (a moody and delightful location which did wonders to enhance Anya’s character), and capped with the showstopping 100th Episode “The Gift”. Almost every character really came into their own this season, which was just the right mix of fun and drama.

Also, “The Body”. Incredibly powerful stuff.

#1. Angel, Season 5

Nothing exemplified the evolving, risk-taking nature of Angel more than its fifth season, which saw the team move in with their mortal enemies, recruit two more Buffy alumni, and touch back on threads dating back to the very first season! Cordelia got a proper farewell, the showstopping Illyria debuted, tragically ending one phase of the show while reinvigorating the next, and Angel turned into a gosh-darn muppet!

Even the cliffhanger of this show was satisfying in its own way, and I’m so happy that this imaginative, fun season was the one to close out the Buffyverse.

Poem: Voyager

[image error]

Exhaustion echoes as I sing dark sighs

Divided by an ocean, communication compromised

Heart bursts back into my stinging eyes

Such sadness seen as I salvage sunrise

Blue moods and black days keep warmth away

I shiver and I shudder and sweat though I stay

No matter what happens, I will find a way

It is okay to be not and to not be okay