MIXED BAG. PRESENTS LOOT CRATE APRIL 2015: "FANTASY" REVIEW!

MIXED BAG. PRESENTS

LOOT CRATE APRIL 2015

"FANTASY" REVIEW: "AS YOU WISH."

A little earlier this time around but hey, like a good wizard, Loot Crates are never late nor early, they arrive precisely when they mean to.

And it has been a big month:

• Easter saw an unexpected reunion between our family and my uncles (who I hadn't seen in a few years) who came with my Grandpa.
• I finally got my King Dedede Amiibo and a lot of Star Wars figures, a couple books, and a special item I'll feature tomorrow.
• I beat Super Mario Bros. 3 (finally) and started working on Far Cry 4, watching The Arrow, and played more Vampire the Masquerade.
• I watched Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Watch it.
• I finally got my driver's license!

2015 has been pretty interesting, so far.

Now, let's talk about Loot Crate:

EX. (LOOT CRATE OCTOBER 2014 "FEAR")

Loot Crate is a subscription based service where members pay a fee (based on their subscription plan) to receive a themed mystery box every month in the mail (last month's theme, pictured above, was "Villains") filled with nerdy products from companies like Nintendo, DC, Marvel, Capcom and much more. The contents of the box usually contain things like exclusive figures, a t-shirt, a magnet, pin/s, posters, comics, books, toys, and pretty much everything you can think of from "dragon-flavored" Jerky in April's "Dragon" Loot Crate to Deadpool socks (pictured above).

This is the perfect surprise for self-professed nerds that love cool stuff and weird stuff alike.

If you're lucky, you might even be the lucky member to get the monthly Mega Crate which always has a value of $750 or more!

And so, for as low as $11.67 + $6 SH, you can become a Looter too! Plus, if you use any of the various codes you can find online, you can get discounts. 

This is my eighth Loot Crate review. If you wanna check out last month's review for MARCH 2015 "Covert" Loot Crate, check out the link HERE.

 This month's Loot Crate has a theme of "Fantasy" and so, if you know anything about me, my expectations were high and, with the promise of Dungeons and Dragons, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Princess Bride items (and a T-Shirt), I couldn't wait to open my box!

WORD OF THE DAY! 11/18/14!

YOUTUBE POOP: HARRY POTTER AND THE FLESH-EATING SLUG REPELLENT! PT. 1!

YOUTUBE POOP: HARRY POTTER AND THE FLESH-EATING SLUG REPELLENT! PT. 2!

youtube poop [yoo-toob-poop]
noun
1. A name used for a subtle internet-only art form posted to youtube in the form of a series of chosen clips, usually from a cartoon or movie, clipped, looped, and remixed in an almost random and nonsensical pattern to produce really offbeat but often humorous content by relying on a mix of clever editing and repetition.

EX. Every now and then I find youtube poop that transcends the usually crappy and amateurish format and earns itself a status that I refer to as "golden poo". The bizarre and often violent parody of the second Harry Potter film, The Chamber of Secrets, is an example of such a "golden poo" with some rather purposeful editing. Check it out.

Oh and if you know of another piece of "golden poo" feel free to share it.

If you like this, make sure to check out BOBBY HILL'S DESCENT.

WORD OF THE DAY! 11/4/14!

ANI: A STARKID PARODY!

podracing [pawd-rey-sing]
noun
1. Star Wars. A popular sport in the less-developed parts of the galaxy and one of the most dangerous sports ever invented.

EX. Podracing is the only thing Anakin Skywalker was ever good at.

That is the thesis behind ANI, the latest parody from Starkid, and today's subject of the Word of the Day.

Taking place between Star Wars Episode III and Star Wars Episode IV, ANI is a tale of following one's dreams, taking last chances, and redemption wrapped up in a musical parody of Star Wars & sports films. Lord Vader, or "Ani" as he likes to be called, is an over the hill, over weight and overly disliked overseer of the Deathstar project. When his position is challenged, he finds an opportunity to recapture his greatest moment of success-- winning the Boonta Eve podrace! But with little time to get ready and a lot of opposition in his way, its gonna take friendship and a little bit of the force to carry him over that finish line in one piece.

It isn't my very favorite Starkid musical but I still recommend it to Star Wars fans.

You can check out the whole show at the link at the top of the page or check out the first part HERE.

And remember to check out the incredible Sci-Fi film parody, filled with bits from Starship Troopers to Bug's Life, from Starkid:

STARSHIP!

Also, make sure to check out the definite must-see for fans of Batman, fans of Starkid, or fans of musicals is "Holy Musical B@man!" their latest and most awesome show. You can watch the whole thing by clicking the link below.

HOLY MUSICAL B@MAN!

But my favorite is probably the amazing Disney parody, with a focus on Aladdin, that they wowed their fans with last year:

TWISTED!

Or if you want to go back to the original hits and some Harry Potter, check out A Very Potter Musical and/or its Sequel. They have a number of other productions that are definitely worth seeking out, as well.

A VERY POTTER MUSICAL!

 A VERY POTTER SEQUEL!

 A link to Starkids: TEAM STAR KIDS!

WTF WED! HARRY POTTER AND THE SEXY WIDDLE CYBER PUNK JELLYFISH!

HARRY POTTER CYBERPUNK ADVENTURE

Seriously, the animator and comedian collective that makes up the Nacho Punch channel produces some of the funniest videos online, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the views on some of their videos. This love letter to the Harry Potter and Cyberpunk film genre is both simultaneously cool and silly. And the worst part? It's not real. Seriously, who wouldn't want to watch a hardcore anime re-imagining of Harry Potter or an anime set in the Potter-verse?

GAME GRUMPS ANIMATED: SEXY WIDDLE BABY

GAME GRUMPS ANIMATED: HEAVY PETTING

The recent Grumpisodes, especially in the Pokémon Fire Red series, have had a lot of sexual tension between our hosts, Danny and Arin. Between Arin's senseless and never ceasing sexual advances and Danny being a "sexy widdle baby", there is more sexual tension between these two than all of the monotheistic religious leaders being trapped in a giant elevator between Heaven & Hell after the apocalypse.

JELLYFISH EYES TRAILER!

It has been a hot minute since I've seen a trailer for a Japanese film that both made me say "What the fuck did I just watch?" and "I need to watch it again!" The CGI animation on the monsters is both weird, funny, and blazingly well-integrated into the world the director has created. I dunno about you guys, but I kinda wanna see the end result.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! SEP. 16- SEP. 22 2013!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP PRESENTS

AMAZING MIYAZAKI FANART WEEK!

7. WORD OF THE DAY! 9/20/13! Terrible lizard.

Last week we got a look at these dinosaurs and, tomorrow, we should expect more Pokénews!

6. WORD OF THE DAY! 9/18/13! Roulette.

On the subject of amorphous pink blob Pokémon, what abominably boring "adorable" creatures do you expect to see in X & Y?

5. WORD OF THE DAY! 9/16/13! Textbook.

Made-up on the spot fan theory #387: J. K. Rowling will reveal she is a witch-- just like Anne Rice is probably a vampire and George R R Martin is the true king of Westeros.

4. WORD OF THE DAY! 9/19/13! Vizier.

Who is your favorite Disney villain? The one from my childhood is probably Jafar, Frollo is probably the most interesting, and the one I find most amusing/unique is Gaston.

3. WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS FEDORAS, FILM NOIR, & STARFOX 64!

I dunno why, exactly, but I've been getting these awful gut pains, nausea, etc. for weeks. I think it's a mixture of stress and bad dietary habits. It's been a stressful year...

2. MUSIC MON! MIAMI CONNECT YOUR EAR TO KOREAN LEAGUE OF LEGENDS SCIENCE REMIXES!

Seriously, if you haven't watched Miami Connection yet, do yourself a favor; get some friends together, watch it, riff on it, etc.

1. WORD OF THE DAY! 9/22/13! Count to 10 in Japanese.

Ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyuu, juu! DATTEBAYO!

WORD OF THE DAY! 9/17/13!

Ginger [jin-jer]
noun
1. A red-haired or red-headed individual.

EX. I've heard Gingers don't have souls. Then again, I'm not really sure the rest of us do either.

WORD OF THE DAY! 9/16/13!

textbook [tekst-book]
noun
1. A standard or assigned book used by students for study on a particular subject.
adjective
2. Typical; classic; seemingly typical of an example found in a textbook of a situation.

EX. If you didn't already know, J.K. Rowling admitted that she is working on a new film set in the Harry Potter Universe. The Harry Potter film franchise was an unstoppable juggernaut and it does make sense that Warner Bros. would want more material to merchandise. Furthermore, I can't blame Rowling for wanting to return to the world she created. It is a fantastic world that has inspired millions. Perhaps no fantasy franchise has taken such a hold of a popular culture since George Lucas's Star Wars (yes, technically it is fantasy). Yet, rather than getting a sequel, prequel, or a retread of similar tropes, this won't be the most obvious sort of follow-up to the chronicles of the Boy Who Lived.

The new film is based on J.K. Rowling's rather slim children's book for charity, Fantastic Beasts & Where to the Find Them, based on the textbook of the same name from the original Harry Potter series. There is some potential in a book that follows some fantastic adventure, presumably Newt Scamander, as he documents creatures in the wild. Or perhaps it is something completely different and completely awesome. We'll just have to see what Rowling's magic can produce.

WORD OF THE DAY! 12/2/12.

procrastination [pro-krah-stuh-nay-shun]
noun
1. The act or habit of putting or delaying a task, especially something requiring immediate attention or with a quickly arriving deadline.

EX. Procrastination? Well, blogging is something I've gotta do every day more or less....so what if I gotta read about 340 more pages on Henry VIII before tomorrow, study for an exam tomorrow and two on Tuesday, and have a 10 page paper to work on....I gotta take breaks....right?

WORD OF THE DAY! 11/4/12.

mix-up [miks-uhp]
noun
1. A confused state of things;  a muddle; a tangle.
2. A fight.

EX. I really don't see how this mix-up could happen...

WORD OF THE DAY! 10/4/12.

red herring [red-her-ing]
noun
1. Something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand; a misleading clue.

EX. I don't think there has been a more overused red herring in a series of fiction or entertainment...well, except for a Pup Named Scooby Doo's Red Herring.

WORD OF THE DAY! 10/3/12.

patronus [puh-troh-nuhs]
noun
1. Harry Potter. A charm that evokes a partially-tangible, positive energy force, also known by the same name. Also, called a spirit guardian, it is the only counter to Dementors and has other more mysterious properties.

EX. My patronus is Bill Cosby.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 6/18-6/24/12.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP PRESENTS

LAZY LAZY LAZY WEEK!

Where I put more effort into this article than I did with half of these articles combined....

7. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/24/12. Chopper.

I hate the "Attack Dogs" killstreak, but I have to admit that if they made a "Call of Duty: War Dogs" game where everybody plays as dogs....that would be hilarious and fun. Your move Activision.

6. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/21/12. Smashing.

Despite my laziness (mind you I was working on several projects simultaneously last week), I did have a smashing good time.

5. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/23/12. Overlord.

Fun fact: While working on my projects last week, I began a Simpsons marathon and am currently on Season 12. Despite a dip in quality after about Season 10, I have still enjoyed the marathon and kinda want to complete my set...

4. MAGIKARP MONDAY!

Last Monday's Magikarp Monday dump was a long time coming. Few pokemon are more humor-worthy and have endeared their way into our hearts than the affably pathetic Magikarp.

3. MIXED BAG. SMALL TALK #1

And this week saw the beginning of the sister series to the Mixed Bag. Podcast, "Mixed Bag. Small Talk". Small Talk is basically the warm-up that Zach and I have before each podcast. We take a single subject and talk about it for about ten minutes. The first official one was probably Podcast #0, but this discussion about the Mister Rogers Remix was pretty engaging.

2. WTF WED. UNAIRED NORTH AMERICAN SAILOR MOON LIVE ACTION TV SHOW!


Last week's WTF Wed was a special treat and something so bizarre and weird that I could not even find any information about it with a quick google search. Maybe I'll do a full detailed article on it if more information and a better video arise.

1. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/19/12. Glitch.

 And I really gave it some passion for one article last week; my little essay on the mysterious and maligned Missingno. I do have a small confession to make; I never actually tried the glitch, a) I didn't have a lot of friends to show me it, b) My parents didn't subscribe to any game magazines, and c) I wouldn't want to risk my save file.

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/15/12.

exterminate [ik-stur-mehn-eyt]
verb
1. To get rid of by destroying; to destroy totally; to annihilate.

EX.Click below to watch every time that the Daleks of Doctor Who have said, "EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!!"

EXTERMINATE! EVERY "EXTERMINATE" from Doctor Who!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 2/6-2/12 2012

WEEKLY ROUND-UP:

COMMISERATION WEEK!

7. WORD OF THE DAY! 2/9/12. Druthers.

Choosing your first pokemon is one of the most difficult parts of turning 10. You may be tempting to take the easy route and go with Bulbasaur or the medium route and go with Squirtle, or the harder but ultimately most rewarding route and go with Charmander. Either way you're gonna have to take the route out of Pallet town.

6. WORD OF THE DAY! 2/10/12. Commiserate.

Look on the bright side: tomorrow is the year's first Discount Candy day.

5. WORD OF THE DAY! 2/11/12. Conspiracist.

" A bit. But all my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect the Nargles are behind it." -Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

4. WORD OF THE DAY! 2/12/12. Rapt.

Odds are that if you look anything like this you are a stereotypical uber nerd or a grandma with poor skin.

3. WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS LEGEND OF THE EXCELLENT HEROES! EPISODE #1 BEES!

"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation." -Walt Disney


And thus I pretend to understand the artist's intentions.

2.  MUSICAL MONDAY PRESENTS VOLTAIRE's WHEN YOU'RE EVIL

"To the Gentlemen I'm Miss Fortune
To the Ladies I'm Sir Prize."

1. MIXED BAG. TABLETOP TALES: WURMWOOD DECK 

 "They come with fire, they come with axes... gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning. Destroyers and usurpers, curse them." -Treebeard, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers