Top 3 Crime TV Reviews

Criminal Minds Review

Image Source

 Criminal minds is a TV show that revolves around a team of FBI agents who set out to solve and analyze the word’s most twisted criminal cases.  They call themselves the Behavioral Analysis Unit or BAU.  This is one of my favorite crime shows on TV.  I love the characters as well.  Not only does this show keep you on the edge of your seat, but it also is very informative.  You get to see all the different types of cases that the BAU solves, and the tools and processes they go through to catch them.  They have to deal with so many insane cases, and because of this you get to see the psychological effects and the toll it takes on each character.  Not only do you get to see the effects it takes on the characters, but you also get to see a sense of family in the show also, which keeps the show very real and relatable.  I think the creator’s intent is to keep you on the edge of your seat with nerve wrecking cases. The intensity keeps you wanting to come back for more each week.  Criminal Minds is the type of show that you never want to see go off the air.  It’s also the kind of show that might keep you up at night!  It’s definitely not a show for young children to watch.  I recommend Criminal Minds for every adult who loves the thrill of the hunt and the who did it storylines.  It is a must see!

Law and Order SVU

Image Source

Law and Order SVU is an emotional and hard-hitting TV series that dives into the lives of the detectives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City police department. They are a squad of detectives who investigate sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cases. The fact that this show is now in its 20th season says a lot about how great this show is. I’ve watched this show for many years and have watched the characters evolve. You almost get a little attached. I love that each episode is completely different also. You can watch the shows in order or you can skip around on Netflix and still love each one! Many of the episodes are similar to real events that have taken place. They are not “true” stories, but are simply based off true events. I believe the creators intent is to give viewers a sense of the reality of the world we live in, not to instill a sense of fear, but a reminder to be aware. This show also keeps you on the edge of your seat. The mystery and case solving keeps you excited about the next weeks episode. This TV series, in my opinion, shouldn’t be watched by young children due to the nature of the cases. I do, however, recommend it to those that love mystery, suspense, crime solving, and the feeling of being on the edge of your seat. It’s a great show with great characters. They will also often feature some big-time actors as guests from time to time. Definitely a must watch!

NCIS

Image Source

NCIS is an action-packed crime show. It features a special team who is forced to work together on some really intense cases and crimes committed against Navy and Marine Corps personnel. I love that each character brings their own personality and set of skills to the team. They portray a great chemistry together, which makes for an amazing show. This show also has a quirky balance between the drama and comedy. The cases are intense but not as creepy or violent as shows such as Criminal Minds or SVU. The team also travels all over the world to solved cases involving things like murder, espionage, and terrorism. For me, that makes the show so much more interesting. It’s a well plotted show, with awesome characters. There’s nothing flashy or special about this series but it’s really great and impressive in an almost old fashion way. The main character, Mark Harmon, makes the show for me. I feel like he’s essentially playing himself, a cowboy just doing his job and goes home to his boat every day, and he plays it well. The creator’s intent, in my opinion, is to bring a crime show to the table that’s different from the rest. With the military angle, you get something completely different. Each episode will keep you on the edge of your seat, but I think this show is somewhat of a breath of fresh air in the world of crime tv drama. I think it’s also a great show for the whole family. NCIS is a must watch in my home!

Vintage Arcade Game Reviews

Q*bert is an arcade game that was released in 1982. The objective of the game is to change the color of every cube in a pyramid by making Q*bert, which is the character, hop on top of the cube while avoiding the bad guys or bad characters. There were a few sequels, but none were as successful as the original. I actually thought the game was fun, and can remember playing it as a kid. I was not as good at it as I was as a kid! It seemed more difficult to play on the computer than it is to play with a joystick.

Image Source

 

Astro Blaster is a shooting arcade game hat was released in 1981. In this game, the player controls the ship and moves from left to right and shoots at the other ships hat are attacking it. If you get, you explode. I was able to complete a couple of levels. At the end of a sector, a mother ship appears and is able to give you fuel. I was not able to find any sequels to this game. It’s a fun game regardless of the comparison to graphics to newer games. These older action-packed shooting games just can’t compete to up to date video games. 

Image source

Congo Bongo is an arcade game that was released by Sega in 1983. In this game you play a safari hunter and your trying to catch the ape, name Bongo. In the first of the four levels, which is the only one that I completed. Bongo is throwing coconuts at you, and you’re supposed to climb up a mountain to reach him while dodging monkeys that are after you. I wasn’t a fan of this game. It was frustrating and confusing to me. I was just not that great at it. This game wouldn’t make it in today's video game era. Too much repetition, and super boring! This is probably the reason there were no sequels. 

Image source

 

The Bride Of Frankenstein

The film was made in 1935, and is a sequel to the 1931 famous film, Frankenstein. The Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale, and stars Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, and Ernest Thesiger. The movie is a sequel to the original Frankenstein. The Dr. and the monster force Henry Frankenstein to create a bride for the monster. She ends up being afraid of him like everyone else, so the monster allows Henry and Elizabeth to escape, and he destroys the laboratory killing himself, the Dr., and his bride.

Per Wikipedia, the movie was somewhat praised at the time of it’s release. Wikipedia quoted many Newspaper reviews. For example, The New York World-Telegram called the film "good entertainment of its kind.”

The Bride of Frankenstein was one of the best Horror films of it’s time. It was the first sequel to Frankenstein, and was one of the few sequels that was actually better than its original film. I thought the sequel was a masterpiece, but the original is definitely the better of the two in my opinion. It was pretty awesome that the director went on to really humanize the monster, allow him to learn to talk, and also have feelings of emotion including love and the yearning for a companion. I don’t believe the audacity of the film will ever dim. This film was truly one of Whales greatest achievements, and I loved Karloff as the monster. I thought it was really great from start to finish.

Image Source

The Boom of The 8 Track

The Boom of The 8 Track

Image Source : No changes were made to this photo

The popularity of the 8-track tape doesn’t seem that long ago! It sure makes me feel old! The popularity of the 8-track tape boomed from the 1960s through the early 1980s. The automobile industry began booming around the same time when Ford Motor Company came out with 8 track players in its 1966 Lincoln, Mustang and Thunderbird. By the following year they were offering the players in all their cars as an upgrade option.

Image Source: No changes were made to this photo

The 8 track influenced the music industry when it became more popular than the vinyl records. The sound they put out blew its comparable out of the water. It was literally music to peoples ears. Can you imagine the happiness of people when they were able to jam out to the beach boys while riding down the road in their cars? Being able to listen in their cars is a big reason for the popularity. They were also smaller, more convenient, durable and also portable. The automobile industry really benefited from the tapes because before then people weren’t able to listen in the cars. Bentley and Rolls Royce offered the players as part of the package. 

I remember as a child having a huge stereo in our home with an 8-track player. I sure wish I still had it. Dolly Pardon was my favorite to listen to at the time. The 8-track sadly fizzled as quickly as they became popular, when the cassette tape was introduced. The music industry will probably always be a slave to technology, and the advancements of it.

TV Guide: A Legacy Transitioning

TV Guide is one of the most popular magazines in the country. It’s also one of the only TV magazines devoted strictly to TV shows and the entertainment industry. This is the magazine targets tv watchers tells them what’s worth watching and has for many years. Some of the perks that caught my eye online was the option to download TV Guide to kindle. You can increase the font size and this will allow certain people with special needs to view the articles. Also, online you can manage your subscription, give a gift subscription, and search the archive for your favorites dated from 1953 to today.

One of the main differences between digital media consumers and print media consumers are age. Older adults tend to lean more towards printed media. Younger generations are more consumed in digital media. Digital media users tend to see articles via social media, they hit the maximum amount of content they can get for free then purchase the online magazine. Digital subscribers are also more likely to share content. People who tend to purchase the print version save copies of the magazine for later use. Although they are different, they are also similar in that both digital users and print users know how important it is that the magazine is covering what’s important to them.

Printed versions will continue to be popular among certain individuals, but I do believe that as time goes on, the printed versions will phase out. The younger generation already knows nothing but the digital version, and soon the printed version will be gone for good.

About Me

I’m not sure when I became a fan of criminal television shows. On any given night, you can turn on the tv and have your pick from several different criminal shows. Some of my favorites include Criminal Minds, Law and Order SVU, NCIS (in all of its locations), Chicago PD, Investigation Discovery, and last but not least.. Forensic Files.

I love crime stories because they are questions? Who did it? Why did they do it? How did they do it? Are they going to get caught? Who will be the hero? I like seeing criminals caught and brought to justice. I also love the detective work. My husband and I will often make bets on who the “killer” is. It’s fun to connect the dots, and play detective. It’s a mystery and the problem solving is just intriguing.

There’s also a fascination with good versus evil. I want to figure out what drove these people to such extreme acts. I like to take a look into the psychology of the criminal’s mind. Possibly as a way to protect my own family! Also, because I’m curious of their behavior. I think it’s a bonus for women because maybe seeing these shows will help some increase their chance of survival if we’re ever placed in a dangerous situation! As a runner I’ve seen so many women attacked lately while out running. So why not do what you can to help prevent yourself from being a victim? Even if that means watching a little TV.