Christmas Loot 2013

Joe shows off his Christmas Loot for 2013 and gives his upcoming plans and videos.

Brony Critic

The Gallifreyan: A Shade of War Pilot

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who as well as the Season 4 premiere of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Phoenix 8 Productions has created a pilot for a Doctor Whooves audio play inspired by SqueakAnon and PierceSmoulder. Reaction and response will be used to determine whether the project is continued.

BRONY CRITIC TUMBLR:
http://bronycritic.tumblr.com/

To contact Phoenix 8 Productions, email:
phoenix8productions@ymail.com

Joe's Vlogs - Legend of Korra Book 2, Episodes 1-4

Joe begins his look at the Legend of Korra series once again with Book 2's season opener 2-parters.

Episodes 3 & 4 - Civil War, part 1 & 2

Brony Critic - Overanalyzing MLP

Full recording of my "Overanalyzing MLP" panel from Day 2-3 of TrotCon 2013. I had a blast at this panel and am seriously considering doing something similar next year.



BRONY CRITIC ON TUMBLR: http://bronycritic.tumblr.com/

Brony Critic - Slice of Life

The Brony Critic's first tumblr takes a peek at the Cake family/Pinkie Pie comedy page "Slice of Life". Re-uploaded to attempt better video quality. Didn't work.

LINK TO SLICE OF LIFE: http://sliceofponylife.tumblr.com/
BRONY CRITIC TUMBLR: http://bronycritic.tumblr.com/

TrotCon 2013, Part I

The Brony Critic covers TrotCon 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. Part 1 covers the first day of events. Opening Ceremonies, a Q&A Panel, and a Dramatic Reading.

BRONY CRITIC ON TUMBLR: http://bronycritic.tumblr.com/

Brony Critic - How to Woo Your Lady in Nine Easy Steps

The Brony Critic's very first fanfiction review covers paleowriter's romantic comedy "How to Woo Your Lady in Nine Easy Steps".

LINK TO FANFICTION

BRONY CRITIC TUMBLR

Brony Critic - SDCC Season 4 Reveal

The Brony Critic gives his take on the unfinished animatics of Season 4 revealed during San Diego Comic Con.

Brony Critic - Evening Star

In his very first review/analysis, The Brony Critic takes a look at the orchestral brony, Evening Star.

Title Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3DBMhI3pFY

Check out Evening Star's page for all of his work:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PonyEveningStar

Joe's Vlogs - Episode 21: Q&A #1

Joe is heading to TrotCon this weekend and wants to get a vlog out of the way before he heads out. So here for your entertainment is a look at two vinyls and five questions.

Jeremy Jahns: http://www.youtube.com/user/JeremyJahns

TrotCon Update

TrotCon 2013 website here.

Hope to see you there!

J & Pinkie Update

J & Pinkie will continue its existence...on DeviantArt only. You will still be able to access the comic through the Comic page, but there will be more devotion to other creations beyond just the comics. Now if I have a non J & Pinkie comic, I will still post it here.

J & Pinkie #17

And now its Twilight's turn.

J & Pinkie #16

J's story now comes to an end.

Written Review - Epic

While an aspect of this film did intrigue me, I can honestly say that I was reluctant to watch Epic. Not for anything inherently bad I saw in the film, as the trailer revealed almost nothing about the plot (outside of the standard shrinking human trope), but rather the fact that I have become fed up with the Ferngully-Ant Bully style story. However upon seeing the film, I am surprisingly pleased.

Epic is based William Joyce's children's book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. It is the story of M.K., a 17 year old who is estranged from her father. Through a series of events, she finds herself drawn into the middle of a war between the guardians of the forest, the Leafmen, and their mortal enemies, Boggans.

As stated previously, I had very low expectations for this movie. It seemed like the usual "humans are evil/protect the environment" story that has become cliche in modern entertainment. But surprisingly  there are only two humans in the entire story, M.K. and her father. Instead the film goes out of its way to state that the forest is able to protect itself through the Leafmen, which is a nice change of pace.

Almost all the voice actors do a marvelous job, in particular Christoph Waltz as Mandrake, the Boggan leader, and Colin Farrell as the commander of the Leafmen, Ronin.  In fact Ronin and Queen Tara are so good in this movie that I found myself more interested in their story than that of M.K.. I honestly would prefer a prequel to this movie focusing on Ronin, Tara, and Nod's father.

Nod's father, however, brings up a major problem with this movie. There are a lot of things going on and we are (like M.K.) thrown right in the middle of it all. The problem is that much of the background information is oftentimes either far more interesting than the actual narrative, like Nod's father or Professor Bomba's past, or too vague or quickly glossed to be effective, like M.K. and Nod's "romance", if you can call it that.

There was a lot of problems with this film, but it is better than I expected. With a complex mythology that is honestly more interesting than the actual film narrative, I feel that if a sequel or prequel better used the unique atmosphere, there could be something really great here.

That being said, I do think that Epic is worth a watch. But I would wait until the price goes down before I bought a ticket.

MOVIE RATING: Check It Out

J & Pinkie #15

 J gets a little existential on this page.

Written Reviews - Star Trek into Darkness

To ensure continued and unique content for both It’s Tail Time and Phoenix 8 Productions, I have decided to do written reviews of new theatrical releases that I see. Cinema in Review will be reserved for older films available on DVD.

            I can think of no better film to start my written reviews with than Star Trek into Darkness. J.J. Abrams has hit it out of the park with this science-fiction spectacle that may in time even rival the classic Star Trek films.

            The film follows the adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they go on the hunt for a dangerous Federation terrorist. Their adventure takes them deep into Klingon space, and into the middle of a conspiracy that could destroy them all.

            The story is well-written and expertly paced. The plot creates the right amounts of tension and nostalgia to please both Trekkies and non-Trekkies. It assists in the character arcs of both Spock and Kirk, who have come a long way since the first Star Trek. There are plenty of references and nods to the original series, and while one is very heavy-handed, they work very well and feel natural. They manage to give this a feel all its own while still honoring the legacy of this nearly half-century institution.

There is a twist in this movie that I will dare not reveal, but I honestly could see it coming from a mile away. Regardless of that fact, it is perfectly executed and makes this film so much better for it. You will not be disappointed.

All of the characters are great. Kirk and Spock are spectacular and gain a great deal of character growth, with a friendship that feels real and natural. Uhuru and Sulu both get amazing and surprising development in ways I couldn’t possibly have seen coming. Scotty and Chekov are incredibly funny; while Carol Marcus joins the crew in a strong, yet heartfelt performance.

But of all the characters, Benedict Cumberbath as Harrison steals the show. He just owns the damn thing and I would recommend this film just for his performance alone. He manages to come across as vicious and bloodthirsty, while also possessing a charm and emotionality that makes it hard not to root for him.

You will not be disappointed. See this movie in theatres if you can, and buy it on DVD at your earliest capability.

The Rating: MUST BUY!!!

J & Pinkie #14

So the story continues...

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of MLP

After a 2 month hiatus, Joe finally gets around to reviewing the Brony Documentary. But in truth, all he has is revenge on the mind.

Short Review: Very well done. If the scope of the documentary was wider, I think it would be better. But regardless, this is well done and well-crafted.

Video Review:


What you will Like:

1. Well made.
2. The fact that this was fan-funded and fan-made.
3. The animated segments.
4. The fan-made content.

What you will Hate:

1. It seems a little off focus at times.
2. The haters.
3. The wasted potential.

Final Score: Check It Out.

Check Out Phoenix 8 Productions Youtube channel...
http://www.youtube.com/user/PhoenixEntertain

J & Pinkie #13

Spike gives his take on today's peculiar situation.

J & Pinkie #12

J begins his tale...but doesn't get very far.

J & Pinkie #11

Twilight finally gets some answers from the mysterious human in their midst.

100 Subscribers!!!

Finally, Phoenix 8 Productions has reached 100 subscribers. This calls for a victory dance. Also I announce my 100 subscribers special review.

J & Pinkie #10

 J and Rainbow get off to a great start.

J & Pinkie #9

 Twilight introduces herself and her friends to their guest.

J & Pinkie #8

Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie's guest is awake...and has a very important question.

Top 8 Favorite Animated Films

It's done! Finished and complete! After a year of planning and delay, it's finally out of my hair.

J & Pinkie # 7

...and he takes it fairly well, considering.

Episode 20: GloryCon 2013

Joe covers Wright State University's 2013 GloryCon. With all its panels, gaming, and model painting; its going to be a fun day.

Included is my hour long panel on world-building. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do many more such panels in the future.

J & Pinkie #6

Dash, Pinkie, and Twilight's mysterious guest finally wakes up...

J & Pinkie #5

Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow discuss the nature of their mysterious guest.

J & Pinkie #4

Twilight's beautiful start to the day is interrupted by an...unexpected guest.

Wise Words #2

I had planned to do this comic for a while now. After what happened today...I felt it was necessary to do it now.

J & Pinkie #3

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow decide what to do with their mysterious discovery.