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Holy Shit! Hank Williams Jr. is lazy. I mean, I’m not questioning his actual work ethic or anything (judging from the inclusion of a private jet on the cover of “High Notes”, he probably flies around a lot), no, I’m aiming square at the shit he writes about. Before we took on “High Notes” this week, most of my exposure to Hank Williams had come from his damn NFL stuff, and his penning of the line I consider to be one of the greatest in music EVER:

“I’d like to spit some Beech-Nut in that dude’s eye”

There has to be some more gems like that one out there right? Not that I can dig up. In fact, that’s pretty much what this week’s show amounts to, us discussing how lazy these songs are. Check the box of just about any requisite country song topic circa 1980 and Williams has got a paint by numbers version of it ready for you here.

So I thought when I was writing this, I would go online and pull up some more hilarious examples of his lyrics. But the thing is, they are all pretty much just as lazy and imagination deprived as anything on “High Notes” (which by the way, title not withstanding these are not greatest hits or a high water mark of songwriting excellence, just a way for some label execs to dress up an even more mediocre record than he usually turned in). Surely there had to be something good on “If The South Woulda Won” or even “McCain-Palin Tradition”? Nope.

BUT! There is a cover of “Norwegian Wood”.

Next week…we take on Ronnie James Dio and Holy Diver. And I know for a FACT I can dig up some good lyrics from that one, so we’ll take n amusing lyrical raincheck then.
See you in 7, Shane

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Director Shawn Levy isn’t exactly known for nuanced character driven comedies but he surprised us with “This is Where I Leave You” starring a big ensemble cast led by Jason Bateman and featuring Corey Stoll, Jane Fonda, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, and more. The story follows a disconnected family who have to come honor the last request of their father who asked that they sit Shiva for seven days and they try not to kill each other. The Suspects (in this case, Elliott, Chris, JC and Beau) found themselves more or less in agreement on this one. Check it out.

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If you had to think of the most under-appreciated people in the entertainment industry, writers are typically the first to come to mind. In a world where actors and directors earn the lion’s share of the credit for the success of a film or television show, viewers tend to forget that the show would not even exist without the people who took the time to write it. It’s frustrating and pretty sad that an industry that is filled with so much creativity tends to rarely honor the people responsible for that creativity.

With all that in mind, it comes as no surprise at all to learn that TV companies have been implementing a new practice that makes writers’ lives even more difficult. Television companies have found a way to hire two writers for the price of one. In an effort to take advantage of young, often desperate writers, television companies have created “paper teams.” To put it simply, paper teams force two writers to work together as a team for half the pay.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) has been investigating paper teams, stating that it is a clear violation of the WGA contract. Sadly, they have still not been able to prove that the practice is being implemented by companies. Trying to prove what is voluntary and what is not has been a difficult process in WGAW’s investigations.

WGA contracts state that a team of two writers may voluntarily choose to work together, but it is a violation for an employer to force them to work together .The guild provides a more in-depth statement on writing teams on their website:

“You should recognize that you have a choice in accepting work as part of a writing team. If you question the validity of the team collaboration, it is strongly recommended that you do so by contacting the guild’s credits department at the time the writing is being performed. The guild will not divulge your objection to the other person in the claimed team, or to the employer, without your consent.”

Throughout WGAW’s investigations, they have been interviewing writers who have supposedly been forced to work under the stressful conditions of paper teams. Conducting their interviews with writers since 2012, WGAW is hopeful it will be able to file a group claim against companies using paper teams. However, there is a general concern from writers that taking legal action against their former employers can create a backlash against them, and make it difficult to find work from companies who are weary of WGAW’s regulations and investigations into their practices.

According to the WGA, television companies, concerned about the investigation, have supposedly been cutting back on paper teams, hoping to avoid scrutiny and legal action.

So, as a writer, I completely sympathize with the people struggling to find work in a industry that is quick to forget the involvement of the writer. Paper teams, to me, are a despicable practice used to not only force writers to work together against their will for low pay, but to keep writers fearful of retribution from companies quick to fire them for voicing concern. With few options available, it seems that WGAW’s investigation is the only way this problem can possibly be solved at this time.

What about you reader? What do you think of “paper teams” and WGAW’s investigation into them? What methods do you think the Guild might implement to fight back? Let us know in the comments below.

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The clouds darken, a rumbling is heard from the horizon. A storm is approaching. A tempest that will carve its path of destruction through town and leave your favorite digital warriors broken and weary to the brink of eternal slumber. That tempest bears an ancient moniker: Fantastic Fest.

Before this hurricane of genre film makes landfall, the guys stave off total exhaustion long enough to bring you a fresh batch of Blu-ray and DVD reviews. The guys dress up for Prom Night, suit up for Any Given Sunday, and get all wibbly wobbly with the new Doctor.

Open your umbrellas for this downpour of Digital Noise!

HOW TO WIN THE 14 Blades GIVEAWAY:

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4) We’ll select our favorite answer and contact that winner via Twitter (open to U.S. residents only).

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Howdy-doo everybody, and welcome to Big Finishing Move. This is my own little slice of One of Us where they let me review the releases of big deal audio drama studio, Big Finish and let you know if they are worth your money or not. Today, we’re looking at one of the biggest and most hyped releases in Big Finish’s calendar, the Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set.

Hinchcliffe produced the first couple seasons of the Fourth Doctor era, an era considered by many to be the best in Tom Baker’s run as well all of Who in general. The Hinchcliffe era was one of gothic horror. The old castles, haunted halls, and remote outposts were littered throughout all of time and space. Perversions of science and unspeakable monsters became the norm for the show and the audience ate it up. This set sees two never before seen tales by Hinchcliffe adapted for audio by Big Finish staple and classic Who writer in his own right, Marc Platt. Is the Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set a return to this grand era or does it fall as flat as a drunken vampire bat, let us take a look at these two terrifying tales and find out!

TARDIS Team: Fourth Doctor and Leela

While there does appear to be a clear chronological order to these tales they are very much stand alone affairs and as such I will be looking at each story individually and then the set as a whole.

The Ghosts of Gralstead:

The Doctor and Leela decide to drop by Victorian London again, only this time they’re hitting up the upper class and are arriving a full 40 some years before the events of the classic The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Taking in the local color, they decide to attend a local freak show, but one of the acts proves to be real as a man is able to cure people. Before the Doctor can investigate further, a young black man is attacked by hunters with Leela jumping to the man’s aid with the Doctor in tow. To keep their new friend from getting into trouble with his master given the hour and being slightly beat up, the Doctor and Leela choose to accompany the young man home to corroborate his story. Once arriving at Gralstead manor, the Doctor is pulled into a twisted tale of powerful creatures vying for ultimate power that stretches across time, a family, and all the way from the streets of London to the jungles of Africa.

If ever there was a story in need of a mighty editor, it is this one. This sucker is bloated out to six parts, large sections of which could hit the cutting room floor with little to no change to the overall story. Even worse is once they receive an item able to restore people back from the dead, all of a sudden it seems like every character is busy doing their best Lazarus impression. When death has no meaning, it also loses any dramatic effect. The story is full of resurrections that are meant to delight an dazzle, but instead only get in the way of moving the plot forward.

Now I’m a big fan of voice acting, it is more complex and challenging then a majority of people think it is. I also understand that no matter how talented an actor is, they only have finite number of voices they can do. I’m usually the first to forgive any doubling up that may occur, but this story would have benefited from having a few more actors on board to keep some of the smaller roles more distinct.

On the plus side, the story does hit perfectly upon the vibe of Hinchcliffe era Who. The setting, the story, and the characters all fit perfectly, so it is a shame they couldn’t figure out a better way to spin this yarn. The workings of a great Who episode are woven in here, but on its own, The Ghosts of Gralstead simply isn’t worth your money.

The Devil’s Armada:

Traveling to Sixteenth Century England, the TARDIS lands the Doctor and Leela smack dab into a web of religious persecution of Catholics, witch hunts, other worldly devil creatures trying to conquer the world, and just for additional laughs, the Spanish navy is on its way seeking to invade. Can the Doctor juggle all this nonsense and still manage to stop the Vituperon from creating a literal hell on earth?

One thing I really like about this story is although a great deal about this story is dealing with religion, the story never makes the mistake of promoting the religion instead of the characters. Sir Robert Harney and his family may be practicing Catholics, but the story never rewards them for it. This is a story about how persecution and looking down on those different from you is wrong not about which position is correct.

The story moves along at a nice clip with only one head scratching moment. Early on the Doctor decides to stay behind in one of the villains’ torture chamber because he wishes to confront this person about his abominable practices. The listener is led to believe some sort of epic confrontation is nigh. Instead, the Doctor is quickly captured and stretched upon a rack. This does lead the Doctor to finally come in contact with the true villain behind the scenes and one could believe that the Doctor’s actions were intentional so that he could force the big baddie to show his face, but this point is never made clear.

While everyone does a fine job in this, I’d be lying if I said Tom Baker didn’t run away with the show. The story focuses on the two things Tom does best: hamming it up and thundering away with a voice that could move mountains. You can tell that Baker is having a ball with this one, and his enjoyment as always, is infectious.

This is a fun story that knows how to get in and out perfectly. The story is engaging and has more depth then it lets on which may inspire multiple listens.

The Final Breakdown:

With a hefty price tag of $45 for the download version alone and despite a second story I really enjoy, I can’t in good conscience recommend the Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set by itself. However, right now the set is bundled with the upcoming season of the Fourth Doctor Adventures for $100, a deal that saves you about $20 off what it would cost to buy the box set and each of the episodes separately. I bought the bundle and suggest anyone looking to pick this up do the same as I don’t feel the box set has enough value on its own to justify what Big Finish is asking for it.

Purchase Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set Here:

May I also note, distinguished readers, we here at One of Us have our own audio drama series which goes by the name of Infinite Variations as well as being home to Jason Neulander’s new spin-off series from The Intergalactic Nemesis entitled Salt!

Big Finishing Move will be shifting down a gear for the remainder of the year. I’ve been giving you guys two full reviews a month since just before the end of last year and while I have enjoyed every second of it, for personal and professional reasons I need to slow down a bit. Let’s be clear here though, this is just a breather. Come the new year, Big Finishing Move will be back in full swing and I will be still be writing regularly here at One Of Us, so there will be no shortage of output out of me. Hell, I might sneak an installment of Big Finishing Move into the mix during the break, but only if I have the time to do it right and I have something to say.

Next month marks the one year anniversary for both Big Finishing Move and being picked up to write for One Of Us and I just would like to take a moment to say thank you to some people. Thanks to Brian and Chris for giving me the gig, promoting me where and when they could, and just being generally cool dudes. Thanks to my editors, Chris Harrison and Dimitry Pompee, who have the unenviable task of turning my ramblings into something readable. They have both saved articles I thought had no chance of salvaging and for that, I am eternally grateful. To any and all who have read my stuff and passed it along, especially Jordan Cobb, who has been a huge supporter and friend all through this crazy ride I’ve been on. I owe you a beer sir. Finally, to my family for always supporting me and never once making me feel shame for the things I love. Without their love and understanding, I never would have been able to achieve any of this.

So until it is that magic time again, happy listening!

Check out my previous reviews:

Phantasmagoria

The Fearmonger

The Light At The End

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

Storm Warning

Blood of the Daleks

The Chimes of Midnight

The Last Of The Colophon

The Council Of Nicaea

Destroy The Infinite

Afterlife

The Abandoned

Zygon Hunt

Revenge Of The Swarm

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This week Wes and Steve are showing off their softer sides as they discuss being very busy, boxer brief problems, and their Top 5 Cutest Animals in Movies! Enjoy!

What are your Top 5 Cutest Animals in Movies? E-mail us at fiveplaynet@gmail.com!

If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!

In the few short weeks since word got out that Spike TV opted out of renewing its television contract with TNA Wrestling, there’s been what adds up to a laundry list of reasons for TNA’s pending demise. Personally, I saw the writing on the wall for quite a while. The list is short and sweet. Many Battlestar Galactica fans have heard this one before, this has all happened before and this will all happen again.

TNA had many issues that, with time, could have been resolved with some savvy business decisions, tight scripting by creative and the consistently hard work of the wrestlers on the roster. But Dixie Carter put her chips on three men who, quite possibly, were major contributors to the downfall of another wrestling promotion. You might remember three familiar letters, W-C-W (World Championship Wrestling). You might also remember three other familiar names: Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, and Vince Russo.

Four years ago, Eric Bischoff was brought into TNA creative. He is usually one known for his superior business acumen. I couldn’t fathom what he was thinking when, for his first decision in management, was to move TNA to Monday nights to try to compete with Monday Night Raw. If the ratings alone weren’t disgraceful enough, the amount of money that was spent in luring “legends” to the promotion like Ric Flair, The Nasty Boys, Booker T, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and the infamous Hulk Hogan, was enough to bleed Panda Energy (the parent company of TNA) dry. But Bischoff’s meddling was only the beginning of a sordid and baffling era of mismanagement.

Hulk Hogan, a way past his prime Hulk Hogan, who cannot wrestle anymore, had to be one of the biggest wastes of money I have seen by a wrestling promotion. The long term contract that he was signed to meant that his claws were sunk into the company for a while. And in his infinite wisdom, he interfered with existing storylines to catastrophic effect, got rid of the six sided ring (a unique quality that quite frankly would encourage someone new to wrestling to at least watch a match). Furthermore, many of the performers who were considered to be at the “top of the food chain,” like the Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, just languished in creative hell with abruptly aborted storyline after abruptly aborted storyline.

The big one though, was Hogan convincing upper management to stop filming their weekly broadcast from the Impact Zone at Universal Orlando (even though they were allowed to film there rent free) and to do weekly shows on the road, like the WWE. This was the decision that put TNA in the red and they’ve never been able to recover. But he isn’t even the worst of the problems afflicting the promotion.

Vince Russo, a name that is synonymous with the WWF Attitude Era of the late 90s, is not liked by many diehard wrestling fans. His habits in creative remind one of a reality TV show runner or a shock jock radio DJ. Russo might have garnered high ratings for McMahon over 15 years ago, but it’s obvious that he peaked at that point and every subsequent attempt at creative control was a train wreck. Russo was working, on and off, as writer for Dixie Carter since the Spike TV deal started in 2006. His stale storytelling, pushing of oddball characters at very questionable times, and his obsession with long running storylines about dominant factions just wore out the patience of the viewing audience. Russo ruffles feathers, be it the guys in the locker room, higher ups in the company, or in TNA’s case, executives for Spike TV. In 2011 Russo was let go for this very reason. But about a year ago, Dixie hired Russo back. This was kept secret to everyone else in the company, until an e-mail got leaked. Once Spike TV got wind of this, it was the proverbial nail in the coffin as far as a TV deal renewal was concerned.

TNA was a great alternative promotion to the kid-focused WWE. I, for one, am saddened by the thought of the company closing up shop in the near future. The wrestlers cannot be blamed, because from top to bottom, the roster was loaded with solid ring and microphone workers who loved that company. Spike TV cannot be blamed, as they have given TNA every chance, despite its low ratings. No, the blame for the fall of TNA must be placed at the foot of creative, upper management and ultimately Dixie Carter and her bad decision making.

What are some of your most, and least, enjoyable moments from TNA during its twelve year existence?

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I really had no idea what I was expecting to see when I was sent a screener for 20,000 Days on Earth, a documentary about Australian musician and songwriter Nick Cave. I assumed it was going to be the sort of film that looks at the life of a musician, and the typical rise to stardom that usually goes along with the ones who are successful. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, 20,000 Days on Earth is anything but your typical music documentary. Set during a fictional 24-hour period, the film explores Cave’s process of song writing.

For those that don’t know, Cave has been an influential figure in alternative rock for decades. Probably best known as the lead singer for the band The Bad Seeds, Cave’s music is influenced by blues, post-punk and free jazz. Before his time spent as the frontman for The Bad Seeds, Cave was a member of the band The Birthday Party, a group he was with since the early 1970s. Most of his music covers topics such as love, violence and death.

One probably expects to see a series of past performances of a musician in a documentary, but this film does something so unique instead of just creating a typical montage of Cave’s greatest hits. No, 20,000 Days on Earth not only provides performances by Cave, but the nitty-gritty formulations of the earliest concepts of his music. Sometimes focusing on a specific part of a song, Cave treats every line like it’s a larger part of a poem or story that can be re-told in different ways.

The documentary’s approach to interviewing also sets itself a part from other films in the genre. Cave’s creative process, interactions with his audience and relationship with past musicians are all explored through conversations with his friends, who suddenly appear as apparitions in the back seat of his Jaguar. Actor Ray Winstone, Bad Seeds guitarist Blixa Bargled and Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue all make appearances and act as the film’s additional interviewees.

The most biographical that the film gets is when British author Darian Leader plays Cave’s inquisitive shrink. Throughout the documentary, Leader asks Cave a number of questions about his personal philosophies and career as a musician. Topics covered include his childhood in Australia, his first sexual experiences, drug abuse during the early years of his career, religious beliefs, marriage and fears of memory loss. The therapy sessions, though already in a fictional setting, probably reveal Cave at his most candid and humorous.

On a technical level, the documentary succeeds in spades in regards to its editing and cinematography. Jonathan Amos on editing presents an interesting take on following the story by cutting back and forth between the more fantastical elements of the film to the typical sit-down interviews and discussions among Cave’s band mates. Cinematographer Erik Wilson is able to set the mood almost immediately with the opening shot of Cave getting out of bed and opening the windows to the stunningly bright light outside his beach-side home. He even incorporates shots reminiscent of old school noire films when Cave is talking with the apparitions of his colleagues and friends in the backseat of his car.

The documentary, while certainly unusual, is a great film to see for die-hard Nick Cave fans interested in the musician’s process of song writing, and those with a love experimental filmmaking. 20,000 Days on Earth will be released in theatres on Sept. 17.

If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!

With two films under its belt, The Hunger Games has proven itself to be one of the most lucrative film franchises in history. With the imminent release of the third film in the promised film quadrilogy in the next two months, excitement is at an all-time high.

After the release of a teaser a few months before, the first official trailer from Lionsgate has finally been revealed, and it includes a ton of new footage.

Right off the bat, it’s pretty obvious that Mockingjay is going to be a war film. Numerous shots of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and the other members of the resistance forces opposed to the tyrannical dictatorship of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) can be seen fighting against the Capital’s faceless legions of stormtroopers. Explosions, burning buildings and people scared shitless covers the majority of what is seen in the collection of clips. If the trailer’s money shot of Katniss and Gale’s face-off against two militarized hover-jets doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does.

In addition to the visually impressive footage, you have a very dramatic and chilling score to go along with the chaos and deaths occurring on-screen. Lawrence’s narration also provides additional gravitas to the action. Her brief, yet very poignant conversation with Snow reveals what fans of the movies and books already knew. Protecting the ones you love most always seems to destroy us.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens November 21, 2014.

What do you think of this latest trailer? How can the last two movies in the franchise improve upon the success of the first two? Let us know in the comments below! No spoilers, please!

If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!

What do a guy from New Zealand and a dude from America hanging out on a couch in Germany have in common? Nope, this isn’t going to be the most awkward porn ever — it’s Nostalgia Destroyers, where NZ-native Marc and US-born Dustin put their mutual love of old school games to the test. Do their favorite games from their youth stand the test of time?

This week, M and D take on Karate Champ. Is the awesome still there, or will it roundhouse kick their hearts?

Like the new show? Have suggestions for future episodes? What games from your own past have not stood the test of time? Comment like mad!

If you have a few extra dimes to spare, please help us help a fan in need. Thank you!

Somebody Likes It Ep 10 – Hank Williams Jr: “High Notes”

Highly Suspect Reviews: This is Where I Leave You

TV Companies Hiring Double the Writers for Half the Pay

Digital Noise Episode 60: The Storm Approaches

HOW TO WIN THE 14 Blades GIVEAWAY:

1) Follow @oneofusnet on Twitter

2) Tweet at us with the title of your grandiose title for a movie about a minor era in American history or the history of pop culture.

3) Add #14BladesGiveaway

4) We’ll select our favorite answer and contact that winner via Twitter (open to U.S. residents only).

Big Finishing Move: ‘Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set’

Five and Out 071: Cutest Animals in Movies

SMARK COUNTRY: Dixie Carter and the Three Headed Serpent, or The Rise and Fall of TNA Wrestling

‘20,000 Days on Earth’ Review

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay’ Trailer Reaction

Nostalgia Destroyers: Karate Champ