Do You Even Comic: Challengers of the Unknown Must Die!

This month's Do You Even Comic with Logan Naugle is "Challengers of the Unknown Must Die," graphic novel by the dream team of character books Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.

The History

The DC comics property 'Challengers of the Unknown' was created in 1957 by non other than Jack Kirby. The comic is about a quartet of adventurers who survive a plane crash and decide to do something more with there lives while living on "borrowed time." The series itself would go off in one-shot adventures in a very 1960's style of comic book  fashion. The team would often face paranormal cases and fantastical enemies.  They would often face unknown challenges from time to space and creatures from out of this world.

Please note: This was created before the Fantastic Four (1961) and Jack Kirby admits to using some concepts from The Challengers when he and Stan Lee created the Fantastic Four.

The Sory

The book got a soft relaunch (1991) by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. This was the first book for the team who went on to do Batman: The Long Halloween along with several other acclaimed titles. 

This run sees the four man team as middle aged and retired, following a tragic and mysterious accident. The four main characters are Ace, Red, Rocky and Prof. It takes place years after their glory days of adventuring. Some still live in their mountain side headquarters called Challenge Mountain.  What set this story in motion is the reemergence of a former foe and what proceeds is unknown.

Why this book?

Let me admit that this book won't be for everyone, it has flaws, it was also intended to be ongoing and the end of the book will feel rushed. But I love the artwork and what made me love the story was the concept of living on borrowed time. This idea that you owe the world because you got lucky and survived a plane crash, and the way they play with that concept of time catching up, really stuck with me. Jeph Loeb doesn't hit his stride in this first book but it is one of his and Sale's most experimental, and I love the story of one last adventure.

It was my brother that recommended Challengers to me, I was already a huge fan of Tim Sale's artwork. My brother Introduced me to many books I would inevitably recommend and I still look to him for the next great book to read. Now I had already read  "Long Halloween", A book by this same team and one of the greatest Batman stories out there but when I picked this book something clicked and I was hooked.

If this sounded like a book for you then get it here:

Book: Challengers of the Unknown Must Die!

All Hail Rocket League

Rocket League. Have you heard of it? It's the sequel to Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. Have you heard of that? No? Well, the premise is pretty simple. You have a rocket car and you're using that rocket car to play soccer but a way better version of soccer that includes boosts, driving on walls, and insanely cool looking aerobatic flips and it's really fucking fun.

Rocket League trailer

When I first heard Jeremy Dunham, VP of Psyonix, talk about their game Rocket League on a podcast I thought it sounded immensely dull, lackluster, and something I would never want to touch.  Maybe I was a bit of an asshole about it - as I now own it on both PS4 & PC. I simply can't get enough.

What Makes It Great

Rocket League clicks because of how simple it is. There are a few game modes Online (ranked and unranked), Exhibition, and Season and within those modes you can select your team size. Matches go from 1v1 up to 4v4 (I tend to enjoy the sweet spot of 3v3). There are a variety of cars to choose from ranging from high performance race cars to box vans but the beauty of Rocket League is there are no changes in performance between the cars ensuring the the playing field is always level and that someone who has unlocked more cars won't have an advantage over someone who has just gotten started.

Once in a match almost anyone can catch on quickly. The goal of the game is simple - get the ball into the opponent's net - but doing it is a whole different story when all hell breaks out. All the arenas are pretty much the same aside from visual differences (which is a good thing) and are littered with glowing gold orbs. These orbs allow the player to refill their boost level that they can use to shoot across the arena at a faster pace to attack/block the ball or use in tandem with a jump to fly through the air.  The controls feel tight and expertly mapped for intense rocket car battles. As mentioned before the users can boost, jump (and double jump), focus their camera on the ball, power slide (functions as an e-brake), and of course move forward, and in reverse and using all of these is extremely important.

The best part about Rocket League is that no one has an advantage based on equipment. The only way to win is with skill... or luck.

The Cherries On Top

The charm Rocket League possesses is almost hard to put into words. The arenas are visually stunning and the extra detail Psyonix has put into it just make it even more astounding. There'll be a time as you break away with the ball on a dead path for the goal and in the background you can hear the crowd singing that one awesome 'Olay' sports song and it makes you actually feel like a professional athlete performing on a grand stage and you start to actually feel the pressure mounting on you to perform at your highest level.

Car customization is also a great touch and often over hilarious. Adding top hats, devil horns, or taxi toppers to your newly customized car always puts a smile on my face and the ability to add antenna balls/flags adds a layer of customization that can make playing and unlocking items feel fresh and addicting. They have even created custom 'Community' flags for Twitch and other content creators recognizing the community for their efforts which in my opinion is a humble nod to the people who have gotten them to the success they are at now.

Screenshot from Psyonix

Screenshot from Psyonix

The Season Has Just Started

The future of Rocket League looks bright. The Rocket League team has already made several updates to the game improving upon the experience (they've added a new arena for free and have vowed that all arenas will always be free), and added affordable DLC to expand upon your car and item collection. While PS4 and PC users can play each other in matchmaking Psyonix has stated that they soon hope to add the ability to invite cross-platform party members which would be an extremely exciting feature. Tournaments have already begun popping up in the E-Sports world and with a game so simple to play and fun to watch its no wonder the gaming community is flocking to this game.

Do yourself a favor and buy Rocket League. Right fucking now.

Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1J3ozlV

Eric Stout is a web developer who is way too into video games. You can follow him on Twitter and tune in every Thursday @ 7:30 PM (MST) to his Twitch stream for Thirsty Thursday where he drinks too much on camera while (badly) playing video games. This week's game, of course, is Rocket League.

Podcastage Ep. 70: Idaho is for Bears

Greetings Everyone. It is Wednesday which means that it is time for another episode of Podcastage. On this episode, I attempt a new segment...but before that, I go on a bit of a diatribe about apartments and how useless a certain apartment that I am very familiar with is horrible. 

Then I discuss a few absurd realizations that I have made about youtube, which happen relatively often. Then for the new segment. I tell you all the important and relevant information about the state of Idaho because I am trying to gain listeners from the great gem state. Lastly I answer a question from @HCeniceros regarding the current state of art, and I answer a question that I have posed to podcasters on other podcasts. Welp. I have told you everything that happens, so you don't really need to listen to the episode, but I recommend you do so anyways! Also, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe in iTunes, share the podcast around, and also, follow me on twitter and youtube! See y'all tomorrow.

Sades A60 Gaming Headphones Review/Test

Ladies and Gents. It's Tuesday, meaning it's time for another product review/test video. Today I am testing out a set of Sades A60 gaming headphones. You may be wondering, why I am testing out a set of gaming headphones when I focus mainly on podcasting gear. Well, you raise a good point. The reason I was testing out this set of headphones was for people who are guests on podcasts, but do not have podcasting gear. Rather than having to go out and purchase $150 in gear, you could just buy $30 gaming headphones and be good to go. 

I was hoping that my first test would be amazing, however, these headphones are not right for what I was looking for. The headphone audio sounds great. They have a very wide range and allow for great audio, and even allow for a 7.1 surround sound effect (that I did not test out). However, they do not fit tightly on your ears and they feel as though they will fall off your head constantly. The loose fit also means that there is minimal to no sound dampening. You hear everything that's going on in the room around you which is no good.

The microphone is the most important aspect when it comes to podcasting, and this mic is garbage. It is a unidirectional mic which is a good quality to have, but other than that, this provides unusable audio. The audio sounds thin, and lacks any presence and you can't adjust the location of the mic to get better audio. 

If you're looking for a pair of gaming headphones, I think that these headphones would work just fine. They are comfortable, the mic is decent enough for gaming, and they are cheap! Now if you're looking for a pair of gaming headphones to podcast with, these are not them. My hunt will continue. Let me know if you have any questions about the mic in the comments below and I will see you with another review on Tuesday.

Buy it on Amazon:

Podcastage Ep. 69: Politicians on Playgrounds

Greetings and Hello my esteemed colleagues and friends. Today I am releasing episode 69 of podcastage.

Much like you will have to forgive my actions and absurdity on the podcast, you will have to excuse my absurdity on here as well. No matter how tired I was during the recording of the podcast, I am writing up the complementary blog even later. So...apologies.

Anyways, on this episode I discuss my personal routine for overcoming the crippling depression / pessimism that is accompanied with following or reading news with any sort of regularity. It seems that news outlets only pump out a series of negative articles because they know that the worse a story is, the better the ratings will be. Little do the know that there are serious mental health implications of their actions (this statement is completely untested, and a statement made purely on my own mental health). But I have a way of staving off this bad news monkey that's constantly crawling on your back, and I discuss it on this podcast (as well as the VLOG coming out tomorrow).

Next, I talk randomly about something that I forget, and then discuss some more ridiculousness. Politics. Mainly, the absurdity of the political debate process. I don't want to go too deep into my analysis of the process, but go ahead and listen to it and let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below! See you tomorrow and talk to you on Wednesday!

New Demetri Martin Stand Up!

Hello Friends. I know I don't typically post anything on Saturdays, but I have to talk about this and share the news. There's a new Demetri Martin stand up on Netflix. It came out yesterday. Friday, August 14th! 

This is the follow up to his 2012 comedy central special "Standup Comedian". Demetri is at the top of his game...and he has been since forever, so that's no surprise. 

If you don't know who or what a Demetri Martin is, allow me to explain. A Demetri Martin is a juggling poem writer who graduates from Yale, gets a scholarship for Harvard law, but goes to NYU instead, gets bored with law school and drops out to become a stand up comedian. Now that you know what a Demetri Martin is, you know that you want to experience it.

I am just sharing the news that this is out and that you need to watch it now! 

Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser

It's Friday. That means FNAMBC! Today I thought I would wing it and commit to reviewing a movie prior to watching or reading anything about the film. So that's what I did with Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. 

David Spade is back, and he put the band back together for the sequel to the awesome 2001 film, Joe Dirt. Spade was able to track down Brittany Daniel, Dennis Miller, Adam Beach, and of course...Christopher Walken.  

Unfortunately, having the original cast, doesn't mean that lightning will strike a second time. Overall, the film was watchable, but the story and theme were unoriginal; realize that someone who loves you, doesn't want you to become rich and famous. They love you for you.

I guess I will come right out and say it. On first viewing, I wasn't the biggest fan. It seemed like some business person got their hands on the script and made suggestions to "make it more marketable" ... (they did a "thug life" video reference in the middle of the film!) ... but can't that be said about the majority of films? I can't fault this film for attempting to reach a new generation. I will just say that I was not as big a fan this trip around the Joe Dirt Lot. 

I will cap it off with a summary. If you want 1 hour and 45 minutes of Joe Dirt, than this movie will quench that thirst. It will make you laugh at points, and sigh at others. It is your typical revisitation of a film nearly a decade and a half after the original release. I think that just like the original Joe Dirt, the film will be funnier, more enjoyable and more quotable the second time around. So I plan on watching it again. However, I am just one person with one opinion. All I will tell you with any amount of certainty is that you should watch it for yourself and draw your own conclusions about it!!! Oh, and best of all. It's free! Just head over to www.crackle.com and watch it to your hearts content...

And remember. Life's a garden. Dig it.

A Brief History of Coffee & Starbucks

It's Thursday and that means Vlog Time. What it really means is spending 3 hours poorly researching a single topic and jamming the only information I could retain into 3.5 minutes. I know what you're thinking; "Bandrew. That seems like such a great way to spend your time", and to be honest I think you're right! 

This week I decided to add on to the mythos of coffee that I began to develop last Thursday. I provide a very brief history on how coffee got to the states and cool stuff like that. I also give you a very very brief history of starbucks. I hope y'all enjoy! Don't forget to subscribe to the youtube channel to get my videos 4 hours before they are posted here!

 

Podcastage Ep. 68: Children's Genitals & Children's Toys

Hey everyone. On this episode I get serious again. I talk a bit more about societal expectations on each other to perpetuate the idea of bliss. I also discuss my theory on motivations behind certain (seemingly kind) actions. Then I discuss the announcement by Target, stating that they will be removing gender labels on their toy Aisles. Well, I guess I discuss the reactions to this announcement. 

I find it absurd that anyone thinks that the the removal of a sign will do anything other than allow children to feel more comfortable expressing themselves how they truly feel; or play with a toy that they just find to be more fun. The fact that certain groups of people are offended by this notion, just goes to show that just like Race, there is still a long way to go with Gender Equality, especially shaming those who fall outside those predefined social constructs of appropriate sexual identities. End rant. Enjoy the podcast. 

SF-920 Condenser Microphone Review/Test

Bandrew Here. Tuesday means, another Microphone review. One of our youtube viewers BlasianGamin requested I test out the SF-920, so that's what I'm doing.

This is another one of those cheap mass produced microphones for sale on amazon under a bunch of different names; Tonor, KSSFire, Neewer, XHorizon, Fotga...You get the idea. Being that it comes from the same family of microphones, and I haven't been terribly impressed with the other mass produced mics, I had low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

First. This package comes with the microphone, an XLR - 1/8" (3.5mm) cable, and the mic stand. I tried to use my own XLR cable to go from XLR to XLR, but it wouldn't fit. It might be a defective unit, or it might mean that you can only use the provided cable. 

Second. This thing has gain control on the mic! This may not seem like a big deal to a lot of folks that use interfaces or mixers, but after my horrible experience with the CAD U37, this is a feature that I want on all of my USB / 3.5mm Mics...basically any mic that's going directly into my computer, I want to be able to manage the gain before it is recorded. This mic provides that option.

Third. This thing sounds pretty good. I know that I have said that about the SF-922, but this one blows that mic out of the water. It just sounds better and more natural. The mic didn't come with any specs, but it's freq response is 50hz - 16khz, and it is omni-directional. I didn't mess with the gain at all when testing the distance of the mic, so I'm sure you can get a better audio during that scenario, I just wanted to keep the settings consistent. 

Overall, I think this is a great mic if you're looking for a cheap $15-$20 starting kit. It will get the job done. It is definitely not the greatest mic you'll ever hear, but look at the dang price tag. Hope this review and video helps. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll get back to them ASAP.

Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TiyXbS

Superhero Sunday(villain): Sinestro

It's August 9th and that means Superhero Sunday. This sunday I chose Thaal Sinestro, that's right! Everybody's favorite pinkish purple skinned, yellow onesie wearing villain. Sinestro is one of the more interesting and well developed DC villains in my opinion.

The Character

Sinestro an alien anthropologist  from the planet Korugar. Before he led the self proclaimed Sinestro Corps he was one of the best Green Lanterns to wield a green ring. He became a Green Lantern by rescuing a member of the corps and it was his belief in order and strong will to fight that made him so powerful.

There was an alien weaponer of planet Qward, in the antimatter universe, that was hunting Green Lanterns. Sinestro kills the weaponer and keeps the ring of the dying green lantern. The ring jumped to Sinestro since it's owner was dying . (This is the current origin and is similar to the original)

As a Green Lantern, Sinestro had the power to eliminate crime on his home planet. He quickly became know as one of the toughest lanterns, and a hero to his people. He even trained Hal Jordan. It was at this time that Hal Jordan saw the totalitarian methods of SInestro, who used his ring to strike fear in the people rather than use the power as a tool to help. Even his home planet grew to fear him and his militant control. Sinestro's corruption and misuse of the ring's power leads to him being banished from the core and sent to the Qward.

Qward is full of the weaponers, a race of warriors and scientist with hatred of the Green Lanterns. The Guardians thought this might humble Sinestro but it would only push him further. On Qward, Sinestro felt wronged, and he teamed with the weaponers to make a ring of yellow light as a counterpart to the green.  Sinestro then returns the to regular universe now on a path to revenge and becoming on of the Lantern's greatest nemesis.

The yellow light of Sinestro's ring is fueled by fear, and is opposite to that of the green ring, which is fueled by will. In the past, when yellow was the only other ring, it was a direct counter to the green, but now it works more as just a weapon. The yellow also posses a entity known as parallax; a being of pure fear energy. This plays into the history of the lanterns but isn't needed to enjoy the reading.

Over the years and throughout DC history, Sinestro has flipped sides and teamed up with the Green Lanterns. Sinestro is the "enemy of my enemy" type of villain and one of the brightest villains out there. But it is his ego that corrupts him and drives him.  Sinestro is to Hal Jordan what Two Face is to Batman and I love that dynamic.

Why this hero (villian)?

Geoff Johns set a high bar for what the Green Lantern universe could be for DC Comics. It is during his run that we get all the colors and emotional spectrum of the lanterns. Also the Sinestro Corps war, where Sinestro has a full team of yellow lanterns and battles are fought. This all leads into a giant fun event, " Blackest Night." Then in the New 52 (relaunch of DC) Sinestro gets his own book and we dive more into him as a character.  For me the Lantern books stand alone and can be read without the rest of DC if you so choose, and I recommend reading all the books as each has some really great stories.

Recommended Reading:

Black Swan

If you don't know what Black Swan is, let me tell you. It is the story of a young woman who has the dream of becoming the lead in the ballet. This honor is eventually granted to her. She plays the Swan Queen in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. She practices. She performs. Now that is the top level exactly what happens story. That's not the interesting part.  

To put it bluntly, the thing that I really appreciate about this film is the dynamic lead role played by Natalie Portman. We see this young woman that society might call uptight, or perfect. We see her mind and body go through such a dramatic change through this film that you can't help but feel an emotional connection to her. You are taken on this journey; no longer a spectator. 

Something that I found to be one of the most engaging tools used is the fact that this film follows the libretto of Swan Lake perfectly. It's just modernized. It's very meta. A telling of Swan Lake about Ballerinas fighting for the role of the Swan Queen in a performance of Swan Lake. It's so meta that I feel like Dan Harmon came up with the idea. But seriously, read the synopsis of the libretto and then watch the film. I want to do an in depth analysis and comparison of this, but I feel like that might bore you, so I will just move on and provide a link the the synopsis at the bottom.

The music in the film is amazing as well, but I don't know what else you would expect when the source material is Tchaikovsky! I guess what I should be saying is the selections were perfect. This score does exactly what it's supposed to do. Accompany the film and complement the story by almost becoming one of the characters in the film, and that's what this score does. The music grows and transforms along with the Natalie Portman. And lastly, the choreography. I am in no way a ballet expert, but I have watched a few ballets and appreciate good choreography, and this is incredibly well done (if you're looking for a really good ballet, look up The Rite of Spring Nijinsky Choreography. That's my favorite). 

I guess if I want to boil it down, It's a beautiful movie, with beautiful acting, beautiful sets, beautiful costumes, beautiful music, and a beautiful story. Watch it and enjoy it. 

Libretto Synopsis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Lake#Synopsis
Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1K4xilA

What Does Coffee Actually Do To Your Body?

Hey everyone. Vlog Time! This time I figured I would look into the chemical effects of caffeine on the body. I wanted to do this because I love coffee. It tastes great, makes you feel awesome, but if you stop drinking it, you brain decides it wants to jump out of your body.

With the minimal reading I did, I was unable to draw any concrete conclusions about the cause of Caffeine headaches, but I have a theory. Coffee has a very similar effect on our brain chemistry as Heroin, just a much milder version. When people are quitting heroin, I hear they get headaches along with a lot of other horrible physical manifestations. I think that caffeine withdrawal headaches have to do with this chemistry part of our brain. 

Well, enjoy the Vlog and let me know what your thoughts and theories are on caffeine. (Below are the citations of the readings I used for this information).

www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/other-healthy-beverage-options/
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501162805.htm
www.science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine3.htm

Podcastage Ep. 66: John Titor & The Mandela Effect

Hey everyone. It's that time of week. It's Wednesday. Podcastage time. I will admit, I am still using a back up computer because my damn DAW is messed up and I can't find a way to force the software to rescan for plugins, so I'm out of luck unless I want to reinstall the whole program.

Anyways. On this episode, I talk a bit about my last weekend, and taking my friends around town and a bit about the UFC fight and a bit about feminism. I then cover a brief overview of John Titor and The Mandela Effect. If you know of any really cool readings on any of these, or the theory that we are in the matrix. Please send them my way so I can nerd out over them. Thank you.

The Deadpool Red Band Trailer is Here

I know. I know. I'm not the comic book guy here, but I have to write about this because I love Deadpool most of the time. First off, I have to say that Deadpool is one of the reasons I started reading comics again. Brian Posehn writing and making allusions to Scott Aukerman while make really dumb jokes. That's my kind of book. 

But that's not why I'm writing about this. I'm writing because the official trailer is finally out! I've heard a couple of my friends say "He curses too much" or "He makes too many jokes" in the trailer, and maybe they're right. But I am excited as anybodies business. I think the film studio simply threw in the parts that they think will catch the comic book readers attention. 

Based on the trailer it definitely looks like they catch the essence of the character. Constantly making bad jokes while smashing heads. And if we're being honest with each other, this is the superhero / antihero that Ryan Reynolds was meant to play. Based on all his previous comedic roles, you can tell. I almost forgot to mention the best part of the trailer. T.J. Miller. Nailing it! This thing is going to be amazing. Enjoy the trailer. I know I have about 6 times already.

In the mean time, I am assigning this reading to you. My favorite Deadpool story arc: http://amzn.to/1IoGMb9

And don't forget to let us know what you thought of the trailer in the comments down below.

Excelvan BM-700 Condenser Mic Test / Review

Hey everyone. This weeks mic test was requested by a viewer and it is the Excelvan BM-700. The sister model to the BM-800 that I tested out last week. If I am being honest with all of you, I have no idea what the difference between the two mics are. The specs are the exact same and they sound incredibly similar without an apparent winner between the two in audio quality. 

The thing that is strange about these mics is that they are mass produced, and then sold to companies who slap their name on them, so you end up with multiple companies selling the exact same mic. And there isn't much consistency or control over the product. Apparently, there are version of the BM-700 and BM-800 out there that actually require a 9-volt battery. But I wasn't able to find a way to request an active or passive mic on amazon. So it may be a craps shoot. But it sounds great, and it's $30. If you want more information, check out the BM-800 test that I did last week.

Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1KK9GIv

 

Why Do People Like UFC? (and a Brief Gladiator History)

Hey Friends. It's Monday and that means it's VLOG time. I had some friends come to town and we went and watched a UFC fight which made me think about the motivation behind watching people punch each other in the face? I understand the work that goes into the sport, but I still don't understand the appeal. So...I explore that in the video and try to draw a conclusion from gladiator history. 

By the way, this is the first video where I did a bit of research on history and tried to tie to something that I had a question about. I don't think I successfully got an answer, but I think that the format is something I'd like to explore more in the future. What do y'all think of this? Me trying to learn from history, in video format? Let me know in the comments. See you guys on Thursday!

Podcastage Ep. 65: Go Out & Change the World

Okay folks. Episode 65 is out and available. This one is more of a call to action than anything. I talk a lot about how we spend our energy incorrectly and inefficiently. I then challenge you to change that and spend that energy in a more constructive WORLD CHANGING way. I also talk a bit about bullying. So check it out and I let me know your thoughts are on the questions I pose. Hope to hear from ya.

Reading Rainbow Returns

GUYS! OH MY GOD! Reading Rainbow is coming back! ON Netflix! IN ONE DAY! August 1st, 2015! There is also a bunch of awesome stuff over at www.readingrainbow.com that you need to check out.

I can't tell you that this iteration of RR will be as amazing as when I was a kid, but I can tell you that I am going to watch it for one reason. Levar Burton once got me excited to read awesome books, and if Levar wants to make the next generation excited about reading and get them into the library, then I will support the heck out of it and watch every episode so they will make more. Maybe during this series, I can learn how to fix my issue of run on sentences.

And now here's a video of one of the awesome feature's that is available on the Reading Rainbow. If only Levar would read me Game of Thrones...LEVAR! PLEASE DO THIS!

Unfriended

It's Friday and that means FNAMBC (Friday Night Action Movie Book Club). Today I'm talking about a film called Unfriended. It is available on iTunes for $14.99 and it's a fun movie.  

In this film, we follow a group of friends who are on Skype one night and a random person keeps crashing their chat room. They can't get rid of the person, but they slowly realize (or at least imagine) that it is a fellow student who had committed suicide a year before. The reason the student took her own life was cyber bullying. 

First off. This film is in no way original or innovative. The only thing that could be considered partially ground breaking is that the entire thing takes place online on skype. I know you're thinking that sounds ridiculously boring, but they did a really good job and I found it very engaging...This could be telling us something deep down. Maybe it's telling us that we are far too comfortable with being on a computer. That we can watch a simulated computer screen for an hour and twenty minutes and be okay with it. Or maybe I'm just over analyzing it.

Second. The film really is trying to convey a good message. They are trying to stop cyber bullying, and hopefully along the way that will stop bullying IRL as well. They stray off the path and I think at points the message may get lost, but over all it's a good message, and I'll support almost any film that does try to help the perpetually bullied. 

Third. It was just a fun hour and twenty minutes. I didn't develop feelings for any characters. I didn't necessarily see any personal growth from any characters, but I was entertained for the time I was watching and if you are looking for something to entertain you for an hour and a half, this will do just that. Just keep your expectations low and eat some popcorn.