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Sites I Frequent Outside of tv.com: DaizEX l DaizEX Forums l Kanzentai l DeviantArt l Avatar Spirit l Animation Revelation Forums l Animation Revelation Reviews l DragonBall Movie Blog l DB Movie Blog

Wednesday, Oct 1, 2008

Top 5 Changes

Well, to help out the cause, here's my own top 5 changes that I would like to see on tv.com:

1. Fix the Bugs
What is the point of the site if I can barely navigate through it without facing one bug or another? I'm not even sure if the major bugs have been dealt with and am afraid to do any of my editing at the moment, unsure if my submissions will get in or not.

2. The Level Bars
One thing that I think represented TV.com were its level bars. Not just in the guide entries, but for the profile pages as well. Seeing the level bar on my profile page quickly fill up to my current percentage is one of the simple joys I get from this site, and I was a bit disappointed to see the level bar completely removed.

On the same subject as level bars, the current ones for the episode, show and person pages are a bit too packed. The score is ultimately based on a number ranking, yet while we drag the little arrow across the bar, we instead get little pictures representing the level of enjoyment. While this is not exactly a bad thing, since middle scores like 5 through 7 seriously need a strict definition of whether you're saying it's "meh" or "pretty bad," I would much appreciate the number rankings also coming back alongside the pictures when giving rankings.

3. HTML and BBCode
Merely trying to comment, I noticed that HTML tags have now been removed. Considering that HTML is a major part of the site, what with it being in heavy use when making submissions, this is definitely one of the more major features on the site that should be brought back.

4. Picture Sizes
Upon first logging into the new TV.com, I immediately noticed that main pictures on my profile (banner, avatar, personal image) were either stretched to 200X150 pixels or given an oddly thick border around it, suggesting that we have been given more space for those pictures. However, upon skimming through the forum and blog comments, I noticed that we are still limited to 80X80 pixels for our avatars, but may be able to see more of the picture (if it's bigger than 80X80, that is) when we go to our profile page. And let's not forget our avatar's image in the upper left corner not being appropriately resized as well. The same goes for our banner image. While its size is still theoriginal 760X140, we are now presented with a large border around it, suggesting that we have more room for a bigger banner even though we do not.In short, just remove the banners, and you're golden.

5. Profile Pages
What I enjoyed about TV.com was that our profile pages were focused mainly on our blogs, which are more than likely more efficient ways to learn about users than simply glazing through their About Me section. With that said, I would like the profile home page to be set back to the same format as the original blog-centric format. However, other aspects of the profile page are fine enough. The tags shifted to the left are definitely better than having everything scrunched to the top with the billion or so other tags.

Posted by petewrigley, 12:37pm

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Friday, Sep 26, 2008

PeteWrigley Approves!

Well, I would go off on an explanation for the sudden change in my banner and avatar on TV.com (I don't really post that much, so didn't bother changing my sig), but I think this link should prove enough of an explanation. Just check out Glen11523's latest blog entries and you should be all caught up.

So what are you waiting for? PeteWrigley approves of Blackout Day and so should you!

Posted by petewrigley, 12:31pm

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Monday, Sep 22, 2008

Mind Control!

Well first off, thanks to y'all for the good wishes about college. In short, stuff's doing fine so far. Still waking up at six; still being a studious student and getting homework and such done; still brainwashing people to follow my ideals...

Honestly, it wasn't until recently that I realized that I pretty much ended up shaping one of my old cIassmates during high school to my image. It was my still cIassmate that brought it up a day or so ago. It all started when I made my roomie uncomfortable while I was watching one of my Boondocks DVDs. After an ever-so brief burst of anger that could barely even be sensed (I'm good at that kind of tone) when my roomie was surprised that "someone like me" watched such a show, my friend tells me that The Boondocks was one of the many things that I've imprinted into another of my friends. Thinking about it, I never really noticed just how much like me he's become. And to think that if it weren't for me, he'd more than likely just be exactly like his twin right now...

Now that I'm aware that I have such god-like abilities, I think I should take advantage of it.

One thing I absolutely hate doing is being judged. While I can go off in another blog entirely on that topic, I'll try to limit things. In my second (and final!) cIass of the day, as the teacher lectured, I overheard one of the blondies (yes, I know I'm judging myself; sue me ) whispering to the next to her, saying how she'll probably end up borrowing my notes because she had to leave early for one reason or another that day. Still pissed that people like this still exist, I figured I'd take advantage of the situation. In the chance that the chica does call me out for notes, I'm planning on slowly getting into her head, eventually turning her into my next... project.

Twisted? Maybe. But as Rambo said: "They drew first blood!!!" Wow, and to think I only remember that line from watching it on VH1.

Posted by petewrigley, 8:08pm

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My Recent Reviews

petewrigley has written 8 reviews.

Cloverfield

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Regardless of whether it's well done or not, practically everyone can enjoy a monster movie. It can either be one of those movies where "it's so good that it's bad" or it can be a genuinely good movie all around. Thank goodness "Cloverfield" is the latter.

Without spoiling too much, "Cloverfield" is your typical monster movie but slightly updated to be on par with everyone's expectations of a "good movie." As everyone escapes from the madness caused by an unknown monster, one man makes the stupid decision to go back and rescue his ex-girlfriend who's stuck in another building. Not wanting him to go it alone, his friends and brother accompany him. If it weren't for the crazy Blair Witch"-ey perspective of the entire movie, I would say that this was a horrible movie.

Normally, I would say that giving the plot the back seat in favor for some kind of movie quirk would be a bad choice, but take in mind that this is a monster movie - it's allowed to do that kind of stuff. With the movie composed entirely of footage from a camera carried around by one of the main characters (the Napoleon Dynamite-esque character from ABC's B rate sitcom "Carpoolers"), it allows for a more intimate feel, letting you literally follow the characters around and form a close bond with at least a few of them even though you know their demise is inevitable. It also serves as a good excuse to leave the audience in the dark about the monster. Though really, I think the less we know about a monster, the better it is - fearing the unknown makes for a different feeling entirely from fearing something that has a complete back story.

One slight downside with the camera perspective quirk, though, is that it may make some viewers a bit queasy, as one movie worker mentioned to the audience I was in before the movie started. I personally got used to it after a while, though.

The movie also does a good job of pacing, balancing all the devastation done by the monster with scenes where the main characters are taking shelter and trying to figure out what to do next. They even go as far as bringing some comic relief into these scenes, courtesy of the cowardly camera man. The best comic relief scene for me was when the characters hint at the type of world this monster attack is taking place in, acknowledging two other movies (and in turn, two cultural icons) that took place in New York.

Like all devastation movies, though, this movie has some things that are just so out there even when considering the type of movie it is. In particular, I'm talking about when one of the main characters' legs gets crushed, yet upon being freed, she can run even faster than the portly camera man. Also, the general concept of the characters being able to run pretty well regardless of all the wear and tear they've gone through is a bit out there. I would have liked at least a short scene where one of the characters breaks down, tired of running for so long. But I guess one could say that the movie stretching the limits of its human characters and not delving that deeply into the psyche of its characters is expected (and maybe even welcome) in a monster movie.

All in all, "Cloverfield" actually lives up to all its hype, putting monster movies back into the limelight. A definite watch and a definite buy once it comes out on DVD.

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Posted jan 19, 2008 3:28 am pt

Juno

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"Juno" is an incredibly awkward movie, though considering what the movie's plot is, it's definitely fitting.

As I'm sure all the hype for the movie has already mentioned, "Juno" is centered on a sixteen year old struggling with the difficulties of being pregnant. With that in mind, one would assume that the movie would focus on predictable plot points: choosing whether abortion should be considered, taking in mind the two teenagers involved with the birth, the reactions of their parents... stuff like that. But like all "mainstream indie"Â movies, "Juno"Â decides to give all those the backseat in favor of something unexpected.

I think that's when "Juno" went from "the best movie of 2007" to "just pretty good" for me.

The movie tends to jump between the major plot of making sure that the adoptive parents are living up to what they are expected to be to what I expected to be the major plot of Juno trying to deal with her relationship with her casual friend (and father of the to be born child) Bleaker. The first plot makes a point of showing how different the goals of both parents are and how that will change how Juno's child will be raised. On the other hand, there's the campy little story between Juno and Bleaker, the two hormonal teenagers whose rash decision was what started the movie in the first place. While both little story arcs are interesting enough, the first ends rather strangely, as if the writer was telling the audience "That's life. Accept it!" while the second seems to compensate for that by trying to create the cheesy ending that everyone was expecting. Maybe if they were to stick to one theme or the other, I would have liked it better.

As for the actual character for whom the movie is named after, imagine the one overly surly kid in your class... except cuter. Some may think that her lines are way too "mature" and overly witty when considering her age, but I don't find a problem with it. I mean, haven't cartoons featuring kids as the main characters been doing the same thing for years?

In conclusion, "Juno" is a pretty decent movie, but don't let the trailers and other hype out there mislead you. It's definitely nothing you would have imagined it to be.

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Posted jan 5, 2008 9:27 am pt

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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"Order of the Phoenix," although an enjoyable enough movie, could have been much better if they fleshed out the scenes more instead of providing a quick glimpse of something without much supporting background information or commentary. To make an analogy, this fifth HP movie is like comparing a paragraph to bullet points; both share the same information, but the latter does not go into as much depth, only providing a general idea.

The general plot is that the Ministry of Magic is preventing the public from believing the horrible turn of events that happened in the previous movie, in particular the death of student Cedric Diggory. However, the movie chooses to bundle this entire plot into one person, Dolores Umbridge, and focused exclusively on her and her various decrees passed in order to keep the peace. While one could say that that is the major plot of the story, it seemed like a bad move to shove all the other side plots aside for the sake of the major one, especially since even the main plot wasn't that well supported and molded. It would have been better if they were to keep with the same template of the other movies: portraying the school year at the wizarding school of Hogwarts and eventually delve further and further into the plot.

Others, me included, also mention that the movie seemed much shorter than the previous ones, or at the least, that they wanted to see more developed. The numerous uses of flashbacks further illustrates how short the movie was (if said flashbacks weren't there). Instead of providing smooth transitions into each scene, "Order of the Phoenix" tends to jump from scene to scene, without taking much down time in the form of school classes, or fire-side chats in the dorm rooms. The film seemed almost as eager to move to the next scene as HP fans were to see this film. Some additional scenes to at least flesh out everything that has happened so far would have been appreciated.

Another point I must bring up is Kreacher the house elf. Word on the street says that he was kept on Rowling's suggestion, who said that his not being there would make it pretty difficult for some loose ends to be fully tied when the seventh and final movie finally comes about. But the way he was treated in the movie was such that it seemed like he was merely inserted there at the last minute and not given any role of any importance but to just be there. As for Dobby, the other house elf, his role in the movie of discovering the Room of Requirement has again been taken over by Neville. Apparently the two are interchangeable in that sense. And as long as I'm talking about characters, newcomer to the series Luna "Loony" Lovegood could have done so much more, but like the movies plot was merely okay with what she was given to work with.

In a nutshell, "Order of the Phoenix" could have used more plot development and "down time" to serve as transitions between every action oriented scene. Sure, it's an enjoyable movie, but I've grown to expect more than "enjoyable" from the HP movie series.

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Posted jul 11, 2007 6:19 am pt

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

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I gave into all the hype of this movie and decided to see it opening day. I just saw the previous movie only a few hours beforehand, and was expecting something epic. And I guess I was not let down in terms of that. But in comparison to the second (and even the first) Pirates movie, this third installment was only okay.

The movie opens with a dramatic scene showing all the people (innocents mostly) being hanged for crimes of helping a pirate, or being one themselves. They even went as far as hanging a child. With such a sad tone set, I would have expected the ending to be just as sad. I mean, isn't this movie supposed to explain why all the pirates died out? By the end of the movie, you were given the impression that there were still some pirates out there and that they would continue existing in this world for some time. But the movie does not even do a good job of making a point of that and instead focuses more on the relationship between Will and Elizabeth. Most say the end of the movie is sad because of what happens between those two, but I really don't see what is so sad about that. I mean sure, it's sad, but it was not the same sad I was looking for when the movie began.

As for all you Jack fangirls, don't worry, he gets quite the amount of screen time as well as some random scenes with only him in them. I didn't particularly enjoy (much less get) those scenes, but I'm sure the Jack fanbase was pleased.

The movie also relies on some elements of magic and legend, which went way over my head and only felt that it dragged the movie on. It also tends to divide the entire movie into smaller stories, each with a little objective of their own, dragging the movie even longer. The hour-ish long fight also took away from the movie. That is one of the bigger factors I do not like about some action movies. Their fight scenes take up close to a third of the movie. Was it really that necessary to include the entire battle into the movie? I say they should have put it in the DVD release as an extended scene to save the rest of us the time.

Did I say this movies' plot was to explain why the pirates died out? I do not even think the movie did that. And if they did, I must have blinked during the fight scene or something. I'm sure a fan of the movies can find and explain the movie's plot much better than I could. The movie is more of a string of fight scenes put together with some dialogue inserted at some points to transition between each one.

One thing I actually enjoyed from the movie was that each of the three protagonists had a clear objective of their own to finish by the end of the movie. So, you won't be disappointed in terms of character development, I guess.

If you are a fan of the past two series, then I'm sure you will not be disappointed with this movie. It is the casual fans that I am most worried about. If you fall in that category and have seen the past two movies, then I suggest this as a rental only. That way, you can at least do something else in the comfort of your own home while watching this near three hour long film.

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Posted jun 9, 2007 5:15 am pt

Disturbia

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As a modern day version of the movie Hitchcock's Rear Window, Disturbia does a good job of balancing the elements of thriller and some bits of comedy. Not having seen that many thrillers myself, I'm not sure how the movie stands against other thriller movies. Regardless, the movie is at least worth seeing once.

Not knowing the entire story, I figured the movie would go in one of two directions: 1) the idea of a killer being in the neighborhood was nothing more than a figment of the main character's imagination (being cooped up in your house will do that to you) or 2) the threat is real, but nobody will believe the main character due to his reputation which he put upon himself. The movie does a good job of leaving you in the dark about which path it will take until the very end. Though, at one point, the movie does try to persuade you into thinking it's the first option, when the expected killer talks about how a heightened sense of paranoia has came about in this post 9/11 world. Then again, he's the bad guy, so that's what you'd expect him to say.

The slight pinch of introducing some teenage drama and mischief serves well in keeping the movie from being too serious and gives a small window into Kale's life. Though I'm on the fence as to whether the whole romantic thing was really necessary or not. I guess it gives some kind of hope that the ending will end happily. Aaron Yoo also does a good job as the comic relief guy, and as another user has said, steals every scene he's in. I mean once the movie ended, his character was the only name I remembered without looking at a list online.

As for how scary the movie is, the way the scenes were put makes the viewer aware of anything that's going to happen a couple seconds before it actually happens. For example, when the expected killer isn't seen for some time, chances are he'll pop out sooner than later. It doesn't really take away from the movie, though.

My only major problem with the movie was the amount of blatant product placement (Coke, Xbox 360, PSP, Apple/iTunes...). To me, it just makes the movie that much less timeless.

I'd probably buy (or at least rent) this movie once it comes to DVD, even though I'm aware of all its twists and turns. Though I'm skeptical as to whether this movie will be timeless and make a name for itself among the other famous movies out there.

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Posted jun 9, 2007 4:07 am pt

All My Reviews (8) »

My Ratings

1.	The Truman Show
2.	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3.	Tropic Thunder
4.	Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
5.	Star Wars: The Clone Wars
6.	Batman: Gotham Knight
7.	The Dark Knight
8.	Kung Fu Panda
9.	Wall-E
10.	Get Smart

All My Ratings »

petewrigley
Level: 6 (52%)
Rank: Face Hugger
Forum Posts: 871
Messages Read: 139

This is a little long, so prepare yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After some minutes of research, I found out that this profile description is the same for tv.com, mp3.com, gamespot.com, and filmspot.com, so I might as well cover all the bases. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TV-wise, I'm mainly into classic Nickelodeon/Disney shows, like "Pete and Pete" and "Flash Forward." I'm also a hardcore DB/Z/GT fan. But since those shows aren't on TV nowadays, I mostly just watch Naruto and Avatar. Aside from those two, I casually watch anything else that happens to be on at the time, like Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends or Drake & Josh. I’m also into the mainstream sitcoms/comedies that you’d find on TBS nowadays as well as Heroes on NBC. So... I range from kiddie cartoons to action series to sitcoms. I guess you could say I’m pretty well-rounded in terms of TV. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music-wise, I used to not like much until I got my iPod nano (we had some store credit and figured it was the best thing to get at the time). I guess you would categorize most of my songs under “Alternative,” “90s Pop,” and “Anime BGMs.” I also keep up with the current music via VH1 (and not bad, bad MTV). They're kinda mainstream, but they’re okay, I guess :P. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Videogame-wise, I'm mostly into brain-teaser games like Tetris and Big Brain Academy. Otherwise, I mostly have Mario Bros. games for the GBA, since I like to keep it reasonably cheap and portable. Currently, the most recent gaming "hardware" I have is a DS Lite which I'm lovin'! Along with my latest games: Brain Age 2 and Pokemon Leaf Green. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Movie-wise, I don’t go out to see movies that much. But when I do, it’s usually for something in the action/adventure, or family genre. I’m a big fan of the older Disney movies, from stuff like Toy Story to their adaptation of Robin Hood. There are also the Harry Potter movies, which I follow with a passion (though the books always come first). My favorite movie of all time would have to be Heavyweights. There’s just something funny about a bunch of misfit fat guys fighting against Ben Stiller. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for my personal life, I just graduated an all boys high school. There, I formed a club (ReRunners' Club) where we watch... well, reruns. 'course, it didn't really come out the way I've planned, so I gave it up... though I’ve always had thoughts about mending that problem. In my free time, I read anything from newspaper comics and manga to full on novels (usually Harry Potter). Occasionally, I'll draw, too, but most of the time I just watch tv, check out tv.com, or chat on the daizEX forums (one of the only "sophisticated" forums I've ever seen). And what kind of nineties kid would I be if I didn’t spend some time reminiscing about the good ol’ days of cartoons on (more specifically) Nick and Disney? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I’m known through most of the profiles I’ve got online as DaemonCorps, but you can find me here as petewrigley (:ahem: not my real name, but based on the character/s from Pete & Pete if you didn’t already know), and SaiyalinGoku on narutofan.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ::whew:: You may now feel free to peruse my profile.