Jay Van Beveren
(13 comments, 36 posts)
This user hasn't shared any profile information
Home page: http://www.facebook.com/skittlesdfw
Posts by Jay Van Beveren
Remember When – Episode 44
0
Pew Pew…. Gotcha!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… two young, wide-eyed children came across a science-fiction piece that would forever change their lives. It was called Star Wars: A New Hope. Those two boys, Jay and Parris, would have no idea what wonders this movie might have in store for them, but little did they know that it would also change their lives.
This podcast takes an exclusive focus on Episode IV. We start by talking about how we each were introduced to the series, the ways it shaped our childhood, and how it turned us into die-hard fans. Our conversation rolls through the entire progression of the movie, with each of us talking about our favorite scene from the original, and how the movie has held up over time.
Towards the end of the podcast, we talk about the “evolution” of A New Hope (and we use the term as loosely as possible) as it has been through wave after wave of changes. We look at the Special Edition update and how it actually manages to serve a good purpose for A New Hope in particular, and lament the loss of Han Solo’s backbone. We also talk about our disappointment in the recent Blu-ray releases, and how George Lucas might just be one of the most brilliant business men of all time.
If you’re an RSS subscriber, either through a Feed Reader or through iTunes, Zune, or some other podcast downloader, you’ll find a special bonus download waiting for you! Episode 44B was recorded immediately after our A New Hope episode, and talks exclusively about “new” stuff. Jay talks about his adventures and disappointments working through a back log of Breaking Bad, we talk about the fourth season of True Blood, the miasma of disappointment that was Torchwood: Miracle Day, and how Optimus Prime is now a heartless assassin as a result of Transformers 3. This bonus podcast comes out to roughly 30 minutes of material, produced exclusively for our fans. Thank you so much for your patience during our hiatuses.
As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast. It’s because of your kind words and well wishes that we continue to do this podcast as a labor of love. If you’d like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply). You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener.
Remember When – Episode 43
1
Torchwood Changes Everything
Fresh from the archives of Cardiff, Remember When dusts itself off for a brand new episode. We’re returning to the Doctor Who-niverse for one more round, with Episode 43 focusing on Torchwood.
Parris and Jay talk about how they were introduced to the show, their impressions of the show’s content during their first viewing, and how the show has held up in our respective opinions since then. We talk about the good fortune that led us through the muck of Series 1, why we like Series 2 despite its failings, and go into a deep dive on which characters and storylines we enjoyed. You might be surprised to find that one of us actually even enjoyed Tosh by the end of the show!
We also hold a very deep dive into Children of Earth, the miniseries that served as our last look into the Special Forces branch. This five episode series came about after a series of budget cuts, casting issues, and story problems, and we each offer commentary on how Children of Earth changed our ever-shaping opinions of Torchwood… for better or worse.
At the end, we have an unscheduled (but welcome) tangent into the state of sitcoms on TV on the current schedule. Spoilers for Parks & Recreation are pretty heavy, along with a few minor ones for Modern Family, so be warned. We also talk about our upcoming plans for the Original Trilogy episodes of Star Wars, how we’ll be approaching them, and some of the TLC we’re spreading on those recordings in order to make sure we provide you with some of the best episodes of Remember When.
As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast. It’s because of your kind words and well wishes that we continue to do this podcast as a labor of love. If you’d like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply). You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener.
Time stamps:
0:00 to 5:04 – Show intro
5:04 to 33:00 – Series 1 discussion – With Spoilers
33:00 to 53:00 - Series 2 discussion (with a tangent on our preferred Time Travel destination) – With Spoilers
53:00 to 1:28:53 – Children of Earth discussion – With Spoilers
1:28:53 to end – Current TV show discussions – Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, True Blood, Modern Family, The Office, Community (with spoilers for The Office, Modern Family, and Parks & Rec)
Radio silence ends… tomorrow!
0
After a long, unintended, and unfortunate period without a show, the Remember When podcast returns tomorrow!
We’re kicking off a live show at 1pm Pacific tomorrow afternoon, and we invite you to join us as we record the latest episode in the Remember When lineup. We’ll be covering both seasons of Torchwood, have the long-awaited discussion on Children of Earth, and talk about our hopes for the upcoming Miracle Day miniseries on the Starz network.
We’re hoping to have the final edit of the podcast on our RSS Feed later this week.
If you have some time tomorrow, stop by and say Hello, listen in, and enjoy the show!
Remember When – Episode 42
5
It’s the TARDIS’ fault. She kept us from recording a podcast earlier by trapping us in an alternate dimension. Thanks to a little Time Lord ingenuity and a paper clip, Remember When is back on course with our long awaited, often discussed Doctor Who episode.
Dedicated entirely to the Man From Gallifrey, Episode 42 talks about Doctor Who as it’s existed in the past 7 years. We look back at the eras of Eccleston and Tennant and talk about their respective runs, why we love Tennant, and why Eccleston pales in comparison. Jay and Parris both discuss their respective introductions to the show, and how they came to regard it as they binged on some of the better sci-fi from across the pond.
Covering Series 1 through 4 and the final specials of David Tennant, this podcast is spoiler-laden and covers a wide range of topics. We look back at the definitive moments when we loved the Doctor, rank the companions in terms of most awesome to least awesome (and hottest to Rose), give each season a score, and talk about what it was like to come into this show. The joy that is Donna Noble is extolled to no end. After a legacy that’s run nearly half a century long, our only regret is that we wish we’d had more time to talk about Doctor Who. There are dozens of other topics we’d love to have discussed.
As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast. If you’d like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply). You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener.
Allons-y! Remember When returns on 4/1 with our Doctor Who episode
4
No, this isn’t some kind of advanced April Fool’s Day prank. After being off the air for two months due to the cruelties of having day jobs and families, we’d be terrible people if the first thing out of our mouths was a joke.
It’s finally happening, folks. After a year’s worth of discussions, multiple episode viewings, and two scheduled attempts that went awry because of real life concerns, we’re incredibly pleased to announce that the Doctor Who episode of Remember When is finally about to happen.
Tomorrow, April 1st, Parris and I will finally be getting behind our respective microphones once again to bring you a brand new episode of Remember When. Our discussions will cover the Eccleston and Tennant era of Doctor Who. This will be the first time either of us have discussed our deep thoughts on the show with one another. That’s right. For an entire year, Parris and I have avoided talking about what we think about our favorite episodes, which companion we loved the most, or our favorite lines from the show. If you know the two of us, you’ll know that this is a Herculean feat for us.
We won’t be talking about Torchwood in this show, aside from its brief appearances during the Tennant era. We’re actually saving up our next episode to dedicate it exclusively to the adventures of Captain Jack and his crew.
Our Doctor Who episode will be recording live at 6pm Pacific tomorrow night, and you can listen in for free at our Ustream channel. If you can’t make it to the live recording session, the downloadable podcast will hit the RSS feed early next week. Either way, we hope you enjoy the show. It’s been in the making for a while, and we’ve got a lot to talk about!
Remember When – Episode 41
7
After a long winter’s night, Remember When is back again for more retro-style goodness.
Since our hiatus lasted a little longer than we would have liked, we’re temporarily tabling the Doctor Who / Torchwood episodes to get back into some of the original Remember When formula. We start off with a look back at TRON. The original 1982 Disney film is a cult classic, and serves as the latest “Great Movie Jay Has Never Seen”. With fresh eyes and an open mind, Jay sits down and talks about what he liked about the movie, why he thinks TRON sucks, and his thoughts behind what a 7 year old version of himself would have thought about TRON.
Then we jump into our discussion on TRON: Legacy. As the big budget follow-up approaches the 300 million dollar mark at the box office, Parris and Jay sit down at their microphones and roll up their sleeves as they go head-to-head with their opinions on the sequel. Can a huge marketing budget and crazy special effects work save this movie? We talk about what works, what fails, and why Disney should never force a TRON movie to be a Big Lebowski sequel.
The last half of the show is a catch-up on all of our film and TV related tangents, with chatter about the mid-season TV schedule. Parris admits he was wrong about a TV show, Jay admits that Parris was right about a TV show, and we rave about the brilliance of Ricky Gervais. Maybe a little too much.
There’s a detailed look at the roster of shows coming in the first half of 2011. If you’ve been complaining that we haven’t done enough “Remember When” stuff in our podcast, then you’re in for a treat. We’re preparing some MAJOR shows that will dive deep into some of the best movies of the 70′s and 80′s. Of course, we then tangent off into yet another direction. Hey, it’s what we do.
As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast. If you’d like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply). You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener
SHOW NOTES
0:00 to 5:54 – Introduction, explanation of the show’s hiatus
5:54 to 19:01 – Discussion of the original TRON (Great Movies Jay Has Never Seen) – SPOILERS
19:01 to 49:50 – Discussion of TRON: Legacy – SPOILERS
49:50 to 50:21 – Intermission
50:21 to 1:15:38 – Tangent Central, Part 1 (TV talk, Jay Hulks Parris, Cowboy Bebop)
1:15:38 to 1:22:28 – The Remember When schedule for the first half of 2011
1:22:28 to End – Tangent Central, Part 2 (Ricky Gervais love, the Bill Murray appreciation segment, and more)
Jay’s spoiler-free take on TRON Legacy, in less than 400 words
4
TRON Legacy isn’t Shakespeare.
The reviews for the latest take on the legacy of Flynn and his electronic grid are less than kind. Reading some of them, you’d expect this movie to be on par with one of the worst movies ever. Even my companion to the midnight launch last night compared the movie’s suckitude to The Matrix Revolutions, a declaration which kind of surprised me.
So let me just say, TRON Legacy isn’t Shakespeare. It’s not a Movie of the Year contender. Instead, it’s just fun.
If you go into the movie only expecting a 2 hour piece of entertainment, you’ll probably walk out very happy. That’s how I approached the movie, and I left the theater pleased. TRON Legacy is fun. It’s loud, it’s shiny, and it’s one of the best uses of your movie theater’s subwoofer since the Inception soundtrack. The writing isn’t the best, and the acting has some issues.
TRON Legacy is like the Michael Bay film for geeks. The explosions are big and beautiful, the sound effects are well crafted, the set work will impress you, and the special effects are a work of art. Daft Punk’s soundtrack is like sex for your ears. I’d even go so far as to say that TRON Legacy is one of the best uses of 3D in a while. And although the script work is questionable at best, the writers at least deserve credit for ditching the PC acronyms as character names.
It’s not perfect and it has its problems, CLU being the biggest of them. I also think the trailers have painted a terrible picture of Legacy being this massively epic sci-fi piece on a similar scale as The Matrix, which is a woefully inaccurate comparison and an unattainable bar for any movie.
If you’re a TRON fan, you’ll see lots of background references to the original film (Space Paranoids, anyone?). If you’ve never seen the original, go see Legacy anyway, because it gives you a great synopsis of the events from its predecesor. But whoever you are, if you go see Legacy, just go with a good time in mind, and make no heavy demands of it. You’ll probably find the right level of entertainment. Then again, I’m the guy who liked The A-Team. 
Oh, and biggest surprise of the night? I kinda loved the trailer for Cars 2. No joke.
Remember When – Episode 40
8Remember When returns with another Special Edition episode that’s aimed squarely at your brain… your plump, delicious brain.
Episode 40 is a one-off release that we’re doing to discuss the latest in AMC’s original programming. The Walking Dead premieres on Halloween night this year, and AMC was gracious enough to provide us with screener copies of the first two episodes before they aired. So we’re here with a special release to talk about this series, what it means, and why you should watch it.
Because The Walking Dead hasn’t aired yet, we’ve divided the show into three separate segments. First, we give you a spoiler-free look at the initial pair of episodes, giving you a detailed look at why we love the first two hours of The Walking Dead without ruining any of the story details for you.
After that, we jump into a spoiler-filled discussion on Days Gone By, the pilot episode of The Walking Dead. We talk about our reactions to the initial offering, what we think worked well, and what could have improved.
Then we end the show talking about Guts, the second hour of The Walking Dead. This is an amazing piece of television and one of the best hours of TV we’ve seen this year. Listen in for all the spoiler-filled details.
We want to thank AMC for giving us this unique opportunity to preview The Walking Dead before its official air date. It’s through their support that we were able to present an episode like this.
Don’t forget to join our Facebook group! It lets you keep up to date with the show in between our podcast releases, gives you the first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and allows you to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
As always, Remember When continues to grow and thrive thanks to the joy, love, appreciation, and comments we get from our fans. If you enjoy our show, please leave us positive feedback on iTunes. We really appreciate it, plus it helps us reach people that have never heard of us! And if you’d like to share your thoughts with us, you can send us an email at or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732. Please note, long distance charges may apply.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener
SHOW NOTES
0:00 to 15:36 – Spoiler-free discussion of The Walking Dead and our impressions of the first two episodes
15:59 to 35:36 – Spoiler-heavy discussion of “Days Gone By”, the pilot for The Walking Dead
35:36 to end – Spoiler-heavy discussion of “Guts”, the second episode of The Walking Dead
Jay’s spoiler-free take on the first two episodes of “The Walking Dead”
4
I’ll let you in on a little secret: When AMC sent us a screener disc with the first two episodes of The Walking Dead, I was a little concerned.
Part of that trepidation was because I’d built up this incredibly high expectation for the show. How could I not? It has the AMC tag on it, and their original programming has become a model for other networks on cable. There’s high profile Hollywood talent like Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd attached to the series. And ever since the early clips at Comic-Con and the initial trailer, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the invasion of the zombies.
Plus, it’s a show about zombies, which poses a whole new set of problems. What are the limits for a network, even a Cable TV channel, when you’re dealing with an Undead creature that feasts on human entrails and can only be killed by destroying its brain? Will they suck it up and show you as much as possible, or will they cave and play it the easy route?
I entered The Walking Dead with fingers crossed and raised hopes. Two hours later, when I left it, I was impressed. AMC presents The Walking Dead as a no-holds barred TV show that’s easily on par with the rest of their original programming, and stands above the majority of other shows on TV. It’s vivid, it’s visceral, and it’s violent, and as someone that’s squeamish, I found myself cringing more than once. But in the end, I walked away with such a high appreciation for the show that I feel comfortable calling The Walking Dead my favorite new TV offering of 2010.
I’ve got more, spoiler-free thoughts after the break.
Remember When – Episode 39
3
After an unintentional hiatus due to real life, we’re pleased to bring you the glorious return of the Remember When podcast!
Although we promised you a Doctor Who & Torchwood episode, we’re pushing that off slightly. At the top of the show, we explain why we’re postponing our venture into the realm of British sci-fi, and why the delay means better things for our listeners.
We spend the rest of Episode 40 talking about our views on other TV shows, both spectacular and spectacularly bad. First up, we cover the third season of True Blood. With the series finale airing last month, we look back at the season overall and discuss the elements we loved, the pieces that failed miserably, and what we think needs to be fixed before Alan Ball and the cast and crew start working on the fourth season.
Then we take a long awaited dive into the deep end of Mad Men. Jay’s finally caught up with the show, and as AMC puts the fourth season to bed, we take a comprehensive look into the first few years of the show, talk about Jay’s experiences with getting invested in this AMC marvel, and Parris’ viewpoints on the complexities of the Draper family, and why they’re so fascinating to watch. We talk about some of the unsung heroes of the show, our favorite moments, and why this can be a tough sell for new viewers.
We spend the last 30 minutes of the show working our way through the Fall season. It’s been a lamentable slate of releases over the past few months, with early cancellations and very few stand out shows. We talk about why this Fall TV season seems like one of the worst in recent history, some of the early standouts for us, and more. We also discuss the remainder of episodes for Remember When in 2010, and the Big Movies we’re tackling at the start of 2011.
It’s a show filled with loads of tangents, as you’ve come to expect. The audio quality may be slightly off at points. We apologize for that, and will work to have that fixed for our upcoming Doctor Who episodes.
Don’t forget to join our Facebook group! It lets you keep up to date with the show in between our podcast releases, gives you the first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and allows you to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows. Check it out at this link. You can also follow us on Twitter.
As always, Remember When continues to grow and thrive thanks to the joy, love, appreciation, and comments we get from our fans. If you enjoy our show, please leave us positive feedback on iTunes. We really appreciate it, plus it helps us reach people that have never heard of us! And if you’d like to share your thoughts with us, you can send us an email at or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732. Please note, long distance charges may apply.
AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener
SHOW NOTES
Start to 8:45 – Show intro, explanation of Doctor Who & Torchwood delay
8:45 to 16:07 – True Blood Season 3 (filled with spoilers)
16:07 to 23:08 – Recent stinkers on TV, looking back on Heroes and The Shield, as well as some Rubicon chat (almost no spoilers)
23:08 to 48:57 – Mad Men (filled with spoilers through all seasons)
48:57 to 1:22:35 – The Fall TV season (minimal spoilers, though we call them out ahead of time)
1:22:35 to End – Upcoming schedule for Remember When, Toy Story talk, and wrap up