CliqueClack » Keith McDuffee https://cliqueclack.com/p Big voices. Little censors. Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:00:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 Goodbye CliqueClack. Hello Hotchka. https://cliqueclack.com/p/goodbye-cliqueclack-hotchka/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/goodbye-cliqueclack-hotchka/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:00:20 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=18866 cliqueclack oldHello, everyone! It has come time for for us to say goodbye.]]> cliqueclack old
Hello, everyone! It has come time for for us to say goodbye.

It’s hard to believe that it was over six years ago that I and some ex-TV-Squaders started CliqueClack. We had some pretty high hopes at the time, that we could go out on our own and show AOL what it really meant to be writer-fans of television. It was an incredibly ambitious goal that we never came close to, but we quickly learned that that didn’t matter to us. What did matter was that we had an outlet to write what we wanted, when we wanted, for people who continued to engage in discussion with us.

It’s pained me all these years to never have earned enough with ads and Amazon referrals to pay our writers regularly. We’ve certainly lost some great folks because of it, and I don’t blame them at all. Some have gone on to continue writing for paying gigs, full-time, and that’s been awesome. With the declining frequency of posts comes declining traffic, which results in declining ad revenue … you get the picture. Maybe that’s a bit TMI, but I thought being up-front about where we were at was something I owed you.

This will likely be the final post here at CliqueClack, but there is a silver lining.

For quite some time now, Chuck Duncan and Ivey West had been heading up editing duties for the site. Chuck, I know, very much wants to continue writing. I didn’t want to simply hand over CliqueClack to someone else, though, partly because I’m just not ready to give it away and, primarily, I thought it made more sense to let Chuck have something that was truly his own. That’s just what he’s done.

Friday, April 3, Chuck launches his own site, Hotchka.com, to continue where CliqueClack left off. You’ll see some new and familiar faces there, writing about movies, TV, pop culture, and anything else Chuck might want to throw into the mix. He and his partner, Carl, have already done a fantastic job putting the site together, and I think you’re really going to dig it.

As for CliqueClack, my plan is to keep all of our 11,000+ posts around for as long as I’m possibly able, even if they are thrown in straight HTML and image files in a searchable archive somewhere. I think it’s criminal when sites decide to completely wipe away all traces of past content when they shutter, and dammit I’m going to do my best to make sure that never happens here.

Thank you so much to the writers and, of course, to all of you readers who’ve stuck with us all these years.

Photo Credit: Keith McDuffee
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/goodbye-cliqueclack-hotchka/feed/ 8 You can thank Jay Black for ION’s Meet My Valentine https://cliqueclack.com/p/jay-black-ion-meet-my-valentine/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/jay-black-ion-meet-my-valentine/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2015 03:56:18 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=18462 Meet My Valentine_4_{363f2065-c296-e411-9d31-d4ae527c3b65}_lgCliqueClack's own Jay Black wrote and starred in ION's upcoming valentine's day special, 'Meet My Valentine', and I got a chance to see it. And now I don't know if I know Jay anymore.]]> Meet My Valentine_4_{363f2065-c296-e411-9d31-d4ae527c3b65}_lg
CliqueClack’s own Jay Black wrote and starred in ION’s upcoming valentine’s day special, ‘Meet My Valentine’, and I got a chance to see it. And now I don’t know if I know Jay anymore.

Some of you may remember Jay Black from the old days of TV Squad, or maybe from the PodClack and Hungry Trolls podcasts he did for us, along with a brilliant post thrown in here and there. Or maybe you just know him as stand-up comedian Jay Black, showing up in a town near you, or even Vegas (baby)! I’ve even caught his act a couple of times, when he’s been in my neck of the woods — he’s damn funny! I love him! He’s gotten funnier every time!

And then there’s Meet My Valentine.

Airing on the ION Network Friday, February 6th — a week before Valentine’s Day — Meet My Valentine stars Scott Wolf (V, Party of Five) as artist Tom Bishop, Courtney Ford (Revenge, True Blood) as his wife, chef Valentine Bishop, and, of course, Jay Black as Tom’s best friend, stand-up comedian Mac Brown.

Now, you’re thinking, “Hey, this title sounds like it’ll be a great date movie; perfect for Valentine’s Day! I’ll cozy on up by the fire with my lady/man/cat friend and have a swell ol’ time. I mean, hey, it was written by — and stars — a comedian! What joy!” I wouldn’t blame you one bit for thinking that. Deb and I sure thought something along those lines, minus the fire part, because we’re lazy and the fireplace has books stacked in front of it.

But we’re all DEAD WRONG!

First of all, remember that good looking dude I mentioned as the main character of the movie? Right, Mac Brown — we’ll get back to him in a bit. But the other dude, Tom Bishop: it turns out he has terminal cancer, with only months to live. Still, it’s gonna be funny a funny movie, right? Because my friend Jay Black wouldn’t steer me wrong, making me think funny Jay Black would put a sad, sad movie in front of me and MY WIFE after years of convincing me he was a funny-as-hell comedian.

Alright, so what’s next? Oh yes, Mr. Bishop has an eight-year-old daughter, Phoebe, who he’d be leaving behind after he’s dead and gone. And the realization hits Tom: Valentine’s hot, and his best friend is essentially Jay Black in the flesh, except this Jay Black is single. So, “shit,” he thinks. “I’d better get a say who shacks up with my soon-to-be-widowed Valentine NOW!”

And that all sounds like it could be funny, right? Because we’ve seen Jay Black, and he’s funny. Well, it doesn’t quite go down like that. As Deb put it, this was a “five tissue-er” of a movie. At first I raised an eyebrow to this term, but then was quickly reminded that tissues were for wiping away tears sometimes.

As you begin to watch Meet My Valentine, you might be thinking this Tom is somewhat of a dick, because he barely has anything to do with his wife as it is, and now he’s muscling in to take further control of her by sneaking some new guy into her life that HE pre-approves of. Then Jay Black hits you across the face with the side effect of this: Tom — in trying to learn more about his wife that he’s since forgotten over the years — starts to pay more attention to her, causing both of them to fall back in love with each other again. Damn you, Jay Black! We were ready to just sorta despise this guy and watch him die, and now we have to care about him? That’s not funny! Crap!

I don’t want to get too much more into the plot of the movie, but you can see it for yourself Friday night (I’m told it’ll also be available on Amazon, GooglePlay, iTunes, VHX.TV, Vimeo and VUDU beginning February 7th). It’s even got part of Jay’s act, so there’s that bit of no-tissues-needed comedy to look forward to, and makes it so it’s only 99.9% of a cry-fest.

There is definitely a demographic that this movie is going to appeal to: those who LOVE a cry-fest and will not be so lazy as to keep those books stacked up in front of the fireplace, and WILL light that fire, and WILL cozy up to it with their cat friend(s). Anyone with a family and kids, though — like Deb and I — might walk away from this one wondering the same damn thing:

Mr. comedian Jay Black, why are you liking to make us cry?

Meet My Valentine_14_{907671b4-c296-e411-9d31-d4ae527c3b65}_lg

Photo Credit: ION Network
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/jay-black-ion-meet-my-valentine/feed/ 0 The Snugg iPad Mini case is solid but imperfect https://cliqueclack.com/p/snugg-ipad-mini-review/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/snugg-ipad-mini-review/#comments Fri, 27 Dec 2013 17:05:08 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13615 snuggIs the The Snugg's impressive lifetime warranty a blessing or just asking for more inconvenience than it's worth?]]> snugg
Is the The Snugg’s impressive lifetime warranty a blessing or just asking for more inconvenience than it’s worth?

I made the leap recently from a full-sized iPad to one of the new Retina display iPad Minis. For what I use the iPad for, the smaller size is definitely a better choice, and the added display improvement was just what I was waiting for. So far it’s been worth it, but that’s for a different story.

With the larger iPad, I didn’t want to bulk it down further with a case that wrapped around the entire thing, so I stuck with the Apple Smart Cover, which only protects the screen when closed and serves as a means for propping the device up on flat surfaces for reading. With the iPad Mini, though, I was willing to give a full-wrap cover a shot, and The Snugg looked like a decent option.

The Snugg has a couple of neat things going for it. It has a handy spot to stick a pen (whether it’s a real one or a stylus), a spot in back to anchor the front flap for propping the device up, and a large elastic band for either storing papers or wrapping your hand through to ensure you don’t drop it while flailing your arms about as you yell at a board meeting. The front cover does function just as a Smart Cover does, in that the screen turns off when you close it (it has a magnetic switch that interacts with the device.) And, of course, there’s the lifetime warranty, which is said to cover manufacturing defects.

And, of course, there’s the lifetime warranty, which is said to cover manufacturing defects.

The first thing that I will say worried me about The Snugg was that it was put together with stitching. Past experience has shown me that this stitching doesn’t last very long, often getting pulled out over the course of normal use. However, this is the very thing I consider to be relatable to a manufacturing defect, unless of course you very obviously cause the stitching to pull out.

While the iPad fit very “snugly” in the Snugg — and it’s very well secured in it via strong velcro that discretely curves around the side of the device — it’s not quite perfect in how everything gets placed inside. Take for example this photo of the volume controls:

IMG_1984-2

As you can see from the yellow arrow, the lower volume button is almost covered by the case, which makes it awkward to reach. I’ve tried numerous times to readjust the case to improve this positioning, but it’s just not happening. It’s not the end of the world, but it can be pretty distracting. The sound toggle switch is also somewhat difficult to get to, but unless you’re using it very often, it may not matter to you.

The other thing to note in that photo is the red arrow, which is pointing to … loose stitching. Yes, it already has stitching pulling out, and this was only after a few days of light use. I feel as though it’s only a matter of time before more of these appear.

Yes, it already has stitching pulling out, and this was only after a few days of light use.

One other negative I’d have to give The Snugg is how the front cover folds under the device and into the slot that allows you to prop it up. As you can see in the two photos below, the first shows how the device should be propped up, while the second shows you how the small fold in the cover can make it awkward or confusing to a user as to whether the entire thing is folded down all the way or not. I know it seems like you’d have to be a dum-dum to not figure that out, but when you forget about it the first time, you’ll find it annoying.

IMG_1986-3 IMG_1985-4

The Snuggs are available for all types of iPads and even iPhones, and they’re pretty reasonably priced and available in many different styles and colors. My biggest question now is how well the company fulfills warranty issues and whether, over time, any stitching that comes loose will be covered as a fault of theirs and not considered “normal wear and tear.” If they’re willing to replace it, how many times will it take before it’s just not worth the hassle anymore?

[NOTE: The reviewed device was provided for free by The Snugg.com to CliqueClack for the purposes for review.]

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B00EYDTA3W” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ADUeBDt0L._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0092PZZLS” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YgKN3Tj9L._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0091THDOM” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418Ln5lMKTL._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″]

Photo Credit: The Snugg
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/snugg-ipad-mini-review/feed/ 2 Crackle’s second season of Chosen brings it again https://cliqueclack.com/p/crackle-chosen-season-2/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/crackle-chosen-season-2/#comments Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:20:41 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13735 The original mini-series ‘Chosen’ is back for a second season on Crackle.com, and it’s more of the same great suspense as we saw in the first.

In January of this year I posted a short review of the first season of Chosen (or CH:OS:EN, if you want to get all technical about it), where I gave it high marks. The web series has definite high production value, with the acting chops to accompany it. The series is back for a second season, premiering tomorrow on Crackle.com, and so far it has more of the same level of quality or more.

Back this season are the main characters from the last. Milo Ventimiglia is back as Ian Mitchell, as well as Nicki Whelan as his wife, Laura, and Caitlin Carmichael as their daughter, Ellie. While the season doesn’t exactly pick up where it left off in season one — and the Mitchells not being the front-and-center main characters this season — we do get a sense of what they’ve been up to early on.

The main point of focus this season seems to be newcomer to the Chosen game, Jacob Orr (Chad Michael Murray), who comes upon a familiar looking box and all of the craziness that follows along with it.

The main point of focus this season seems to be newcomer to the Chosen game, Jacob Orr (Chad Michael Murray), who comes upon a familiar looking box and all of the craziness that follows along with it. While Jacob’s life is quite a different one than led by Ian, he’s still keen on figuring out what the hell this all means, who’s behind it and how to get out of it. There’s a definite sense that Jacob’s not one to take any of this lying down, and he’s going to eventually get to a point where he gets very close to those who’re putting him — and others — through this mess. But will he have what it takes to stop it once and for all?

This is the kind of series I just love to see these days. They’re all completely compelling webisodes, which you can swallow down in one big bite or nibble at in chunks as your time allows. Overall, though, there are no “throwaway” episodes — it’s all connected, and you want to see every single one of them play out. The seasons are short and sweet, and they deliver. I caught the first two episodes of this new season, and they do not disappoint.

Check out the first season now and catch up (quickly — they’re not long) before the second season on December 12th!

UPDATE: Also, some other good news … a third season of Chosen has already been greenlit!

Photo Credit: Crackle
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/crackle-chosen-season-2/feed/ 0 2013 Amazon holiday deals in TV and movies on DVD & Blu-ray (Days 5-9) https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-holiday-deals-tv-movies-dvd-bluray-days-59/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-holiday-deals-tv-movies-dvd-bluray-days-59/#comments Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:00:10 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13656 Sherlock Holmes movieIt's that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD and Blu-ray deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). This should be the last of them for a while. ...]]> Sherlock Holmes movie
It’s that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD and Blu-ray deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). This should be the last of them for a while. …

Here are the TV and Movie DVD deals at Amazon.com for the rest of the week. Make sure you head over when the deal starts, or you could miss out. The below list is clickable. Come back and let us know what you get yourself your loved ones:

Tuesday, December 3

Wednesday, December 4

Thursday, December 5

Friday, December 6

Saturday, December 7

Photo Credit: Warner Home Video
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-holiday-deals-tv-movies-dvd-bluray-days-59/feed/ 0 2013 Cyber Monday Amazon deals in TV and movies on DVD (Day 4) https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-cyber-monday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-4/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-cyber-monday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-4/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:17:52 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13631 Twin PeaksIt's that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We'll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!]]> Twin Peaks
It’s that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We’ll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!

Here are the TV and Movie DVD deals at Amazon.com for Monday, December 2, 2013. Make sure you head over when the deal starts, or you could miss out. The below list is clickable. Come back and let us know what you get yourself your loved ones:

Photo Credit: Paramount
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-cyber-monday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-4/feed/ 0 The Hobbit Extended Edition provides some insights, yet even more to sit through https://cliqueclack.com/p/hobbit-extended-dvd-review/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/hobbit-extended-dvd-review/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:05:03 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13447 the-hobbit-dvd'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' wasn't long enough for you? Well, there are two more films on the way. If you can't wait for those, there's a bit more this set can offer.]]> the-hobbit-dvd
‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ wasn’t long enough for you? Well, there are two more films on the way. If you can’t wait for those, there’s a bit more this set can offer.

I’m not quite sure why I keep doing this to myself. Maybe it’s because I really, really want to love The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Maybe I just want to further understand why — oh, why — the beloved source material needs to extend to three movies instead of one. Whatever the reason, I’ve once again put myself through a viewing of the film, though this time it’s extended to, well, the extended version.

First let me note that I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy, both the books and the movies. Admittedly, I know the movies took some liberties and strayed some from the books, but it’s safe to say the majority of Tolkien fans were pretty OK with that. For me, I was really OK with it, and in fact I was all over watching extended footage when it came out. Three books, covering three enormous books — of course there’s going to be extra stuff that may not have made it into the films. Totally understandable.

When the news came out that writer/director Peter Jackson was splitting The Hobbit into three films, I know I wasn’t alone in wondering “W in T ever-loving F is he doing?!” How can ONE book need three films to cover (and let’s not get into the appendices and The Silmarillion material — this movie series is called “The Hobbit,” so why is it anything more?). Yet Jackson is doing this in three movies, and on top of that he wasn’t given enough time to add all he wanted in the first film. I wouldn’t call myself a purist to the source material at all, but there’s a point where the liberties taken are just too freakin’ much.

I wouldn’t call myself a purist to the source material at all, but there’s a point where the liberties taken are just too freakin’ much.

All of that complaining aside, the extended footage here is worthwhile material to watch, though there is not much of it. Within the disc menus it’s clear which scenes are completely new ones and which were modified or appended to with new material. Three of the new scenes in particular stood out from anything else:

  • More details into the Fall of Erabor, which isn’t part of the original book at all really but was fun to watch.
  • A scene in Rivendell that is actually rather important to framing Thorin’s fall into an almost madness for gold, and a deep discussion with  Saruman regarding the one ring and the Necromancer.
  • A heck of a lot more Goblin King, including a lengthy song.
The extra features are aplenty, including the commentary tracks you’d expect from the filmmakers.

The extra features are aplenty, including the commentary tracks you’d expect from the filmmakers. Then there are quite a few making-of featurettes that will keep you busy for hours, from the early days of drawing up the ideas for the film(s) through the final days of shooting. I found the one regarding Radagast the Brown to be most interesting, since this is one character so outside of The Hobbit story that I had to know why he was thrown in. Peter Jackson telling the crew of his idea of Radagast being pulled with giant rabbits was somewhat comical, as the looks on their faces seemed to say, “I better keep my mouth shut or be out of a job.” Also, seeing the various ideas for the other not-in-The-Hobbit character Azog was worth a watch for sure.

Overall I’d say the extended version of The Hobbit is only worthwhile to those who found the movie incredible enough that you simply have to see what more they cut from the already-long film. Even then, I’d wait for the trilogy to come out in a few years and get the extent of all that footage in one fell swoop.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition is now available in stores.

[The above review was made possible by a distributor-provided review copy of the media.]

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B00GGEVKYO” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51L9Y2MZtaL._SL160_.jpg” width=”110″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B00E8S2JZ4″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5110IK4qnbL._SL160_.jpg” width=”127″]

Photo Credit: New Line Cinema
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/hobbit-extended-dvd-review/feed/ 0 2013 Black Friday Amazon deals in TV and movies on DVD (Day 3) https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-movies-dvd-3/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-movies-dvd-3/#comments Sun, 01 Dec 2013 04:39:42 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13625 Chuck complete series Blu-rayIt's that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We'll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!]]> Chuck complete series Blu-ray
It’s that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We’ll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!

Here are the TV and Movie DVD deals at Amazon.com for Sunday, December 1, 2013 and at what times the deals start. Make sure you head over when the deal starts, or you could miss out. The below list is clickable. Come back and let us know what you get yourself your loved ones:

Photo Credit: Warner Home Video
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-movies-dvd-3/feed/ 0 2013 Black Friday Amazon deals in TV and movies on DVD (Day 2) https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-2/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-2/#comments Sat, 30 Nov 2013 02:44:14 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13612 borgiasIt's that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We'll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!]]> borgias
It’s that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We’ll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!

Here are the TV and Movie DVD deals at Amazon.com for Saturday, November 30, 2013 and at what times the deals start. Make sure you head over when the deal starts, or you could miss out. The below list is clickable. Come back and let us know what you get yourself your loved ones:

Photo Credit: Showtime Entertainment
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-black-friday-amazon-deals-tv-movies-dvd-day-2/feed/ 0 2013 Black Friday Amazon deals in TV and movies on DVD (Day 1) https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-black-friday/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-black-friday/#comments Thu, 28 Nov 2013 22:00:59 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=13599 Dark Shadows DVDIt's that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We'll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!]]> Dark Shadows DVD
It’s that time of year again for getting in on some great DVD deals over at Amazon (and elsewhere). We’ll highlight a bunch throughout the next week, so check back later!

Here are the TV and Movie DVD deals at Amazon.com for Friday, November 29, 2013 and at what times the deals start. Make sure you head over when the deal starts, or you could miss out. The below list is clickable. Come back and let us know what you get yourself your loved ones:

Photo Credit: MPI HOME VIDEO
]]> https://cliqueclack.com/p/2013-amazon-black-friday/feed/ 0