'K-9 : Regeneration' review

Did you know that K-9 was getting his own show? Yep, that's why he's not on the Sarah Jane Adventures. It's an Australian show made for Disney XD or whatever that channel is called.

At a non-specific time in the future, London is filled with robot police and young men willing to 'rebel against the system'. A young hacker gentleman and young lady trying to join him sneak into a house to avoid the cops after some cyber graffiti. There they accidentally interrupt a professor's experiment into time. He's trying to bring his family back and the young man interrupts the flow by tripping over the massive power plug for the machinery and pulling it from the wall. Plugging it back in doesn't get the professor's family but does get some weird hulking aliens as well as a robot dog, K-9. In the process of fighting off the aliens, K-9 self-destructs but then rebuilds himself as K-9 mark two. There's some conflict with the professor's young assistant, the company funding the professor's experiments, and the robot cops. It ends on a 'joke'.

It's really bad. It's not even 'I don't care for it but I can see how kids might like it', it's just bad. To be fair, it's only the first episode and it might get better, but this episode was just a bunch of things happening. I go no understanding of how the characters know each other or why the ones apparently just meeting each other bother to put up with each other. Is the cyber graffiti kid just rebelling as kids do or is the 'system' really sinister? I know you can't develop everything in one half-hour episode but this really felt like a lack of trying.

The redesigned K-9 is fine but he switches between an actual prop and a clearly CGI version. Not cool. At least the weird aliens appeared to be suits but nothing was made of their weird shimmer. I decided it had something to do with being in the time stream. I don't think they were even given names.

I was not impressed. At all.

Feeling Rewarded

I belong to a number of 'reward' type programs for different companies or stores. There's the grocery one, the toy store one, the Best Buy one, all programs that say 'spend more money here and we'll cut you a slightly better deal'. At least that's the incentive to sign up. Rack up some sort of points from spending money and it'll work out for you. Or buy ten cans of soup instead of the two you wanted and it'll be slightly cheaper in the long run. That sort of thing.

I've joked about the love that Best Buy had for me in the past. How I spent so much money there at one point in time that they just gave me a Rewards Zone card back when there used to be an annual fee to have one. It was nice and I appreciated it but someone else has done better.

Last year in the haze of reuniting with the now-less-evil Disney, I realized that I was going to be engaging my Film History Geek mode more often as regards their movies. Disney has their own rewards program where you rack up points via the purchase of Blu-Rays and DVDs and movie tickets that can be turned into prizes at different levels of achievement. There are a number of movies that are only available on DVD via this rewards club. I realized that I had a number of codes in my collection from previous Muppet purchases and soon racked up a number of points just by looking around what I already owned.

For the past couple months I've been very close to a reward, a two pack of DVDs that I had an interest in moreso that the rest: the 'Donald in Mathmagic Land' short that I remembered watching in school and the 'Ducktales' movie. The club is active on Facebook and sends emails with bonus codes so I was whittling away at the gap, ten points here, fifteen there, while waiting to get a deal on a disk that would put my into reward completion land.

Earlier this month was my birthday. Still tired, I checked my email right away in the morning as I always do and here was a note from the rewards club: Congrats on getting old, want a free Blu-Ray? I followed the link to the club website and was offered one of five Blu-Rays for 'free', apart from paying for shipping and handling, a whole $3.17. Sure, what the heck! It might take 6-8 weeks to arrive.

Four days later, I had the disk as it came all the way from the Reward Club headquarters in Neenah, Wisconsin. I've never been that interested in moving up north before finding that out (they were hiring for awhile too!). The best part is that this almost free disk came with a code that gave me enough points to earn my reward!

I ordered the two disk pack, expecting to have to pay for shipping and handling again. Nope. When they say 'free reward', they mean it! No cost, here you go, they arrived yesterday.

I felt the love. The old opening for the Wonderful World of Disney show, packed full of old park footage, that played before the Donald short didn't hurt any either.

Thumbs up! Thank you!

http://www.disneymovierewards.com

Yes I understand that talking about this gag will not be as fun as watching it

Today I watched the new episode of the Simpsons that aired this past Sunday. On the whole, not a bad episode, with some entertaining parts.

Early on there was a moment (I'll try to not spoil the whole thing) when Principal Skinner had reason to pretend to be Bart. He's on the auditorium stage acting as Bart but Homer's not buying it. Then Skinner snaps at him, calling him fat and such. Without hesitation, Homer cried out 'why you little!' and starts choking Skinner as if he were Bart.

I don't laugh out loud much when I watch TV by myself but this broke me up. The comedy of Homer becoming invested enough in that moment where Skinner became Bart to him was great. The gag built up perfectly. It was a logical event for the character that still had a comedic impact.

Off the wall wacky is all fun for awhile but character based buffoonery will win out in the end.

Music Monday - Material Issue

Last week's talk of 'pop' music made me think of a more recent band that followed in the footsteps of the Hollies in that regard. In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a band that worked a catchy, guitar driven style with harmonies and were considered 'alternative'. Ah, useless, useless labels. They were Material Issue!

Valerie Loves Me



'Valerie Loves Me' is the video/song that I first remember hearing from the band and it was perfect for getting my attention. It sounded like music I already liked without specifically referencing a band's style. The story of the song, a young man in love with a woman who pays him no mind until it's too late, fit well into my still adolescent mindset. It was something I felt I had lived, apart perhaps from the 'now that you want me you can't have me' phase. I was hooked. The band also gave me hope that they could help me figure out 'What Girls Want'.



This video annoyed me. Show those cars more! Still, this song has a much happier ending, it's not all gloom and doom for our pop heroes! Except, of course, when it is.



The band ceases to exist in 1996 when lead singer Jim Ellison is sadly found dead in his garage of carbon monoxide poisoning at his own hand. While gone, this music is not forgotten. It's just too good for that to happen.