Thursday, June 2, 2016

While The Cat's Away, We Play... YouTube Videos

By: Selina

Cat’s out of town this weekend, suffering in the sweltering heat of Texas. I suppose that’s not much different than her hometown in Louisiana, but I’m from New York so I’m gonna stick by my comment.

Since she’s joined Trust the Dice’s Random Review, Cat has been trying to catch up on all of the movies that were watched before her time. It’s a big job, so I didn’t want to make it even more difficult by watching another movie on my own in her absence.

This entry will be different.

In the relatively near future, I intend to start a YouTube gaming channel under my universal handle: Angelic Ardour. I know, it’s a weird handle. It started as an RPG screen name that related to my main table-top character and just kind of stuck. I was going to change it for YouTube, but several of my friends advised against it. So, fine.

There are going to be so many jokes about my initials being AA.

Sigh.

Moving on.

In honor of my decision, and to justify my shameless plug, I’ve decided to give a glimpse into my list of awesome YouTube channels. And, since we’re so fond of lists here at Trust the Dice, let’s make it a top 20, shall we?

They won’t all be gaming, movie, or even geek related but, hey, I can have outside interests! 


20 – CarlSagan42


There’s very little consistency in CarlSagan42’s videos. Sometimes the sound is crap. Sometimes the videos are only a few minutes long, while other times they can go on for up to an hour. He also not one of the more memorable gamers. You’re not going to see rage-outs or hear many jokes… but he’s got one thing definitely going for him.

CarlSagan42 is super fucking skilled. Seriously, I’ve seen him beat some ridiculous shit that no human should ever be able to beat.

He’s a GAMER. All caps are important here because… I’m a gamer, but I’m relatively mediocre at something like Super Mario Maker (2015) while I’m very skilled at Mario Kart or RPGs and absolutely awful at anything FPS ever made. Example? I’m playing Doom (2016) now and it took me two days to get to the fucking title screen, but I’ve made walkthroughs for FF8 (1999) and my friends rarely ever expect to beat me at Mario Kart 8 (2014).

He’s been concentrating on Super Mario Maker recently, but so have I so… it works out. I feel like just watching him play makes me a better player.

19 – rhoboat


This person makes music videos out of clips from movies and TV shows.

There are a billion people on YouTube that do the same thing. I’m not saying this person is the best, but they are really good. I find the sync-up of music/lyrics and scene to be on point. The videos are interesting and tug at the appropriate emotions.

Really, the videos are a treat to watch, even if you’re not overly fond of the song choice.

Above, you can find the video created by rhoboat in honor of Snowpiercer (2013), a movie Trust the Dice reviewed a while back, starring Chris Evans (Before We Go, The Losers, Captain America).

18 – Tasty


I started seeing these videos circulate on Facebook a few months ago and I found them really useful.

The dishes are yummy and the video makes gathering the ingredients and actually making the food easy. Plus, the videos are super short, easy to follow, and pleasant to watch.

I enjoy them.

17 – Bad Lip Reading


These videos tend to vary in quality from funny to not so funny to completely ridiculous. The ones that are funny, though, are outstanding.

I’m particularly enjoying the political series.

The current election is just bringing out the worst in everyone, regardless of which candidate they’re hoping will win. It’s great to be able to see something like this where you can laugh at all the candidates equally and not come away with negative feelings.

16 – Slim Kirby


This guy isn’t nearly as charismatic as the other gamers I watch, but I still watch him. Mostly out of nostalgia.

He does play older games, but that’s not where the nostalgia comes in. He was actually the first gamer I started following on YouTube. He’s not terrible at all, but don’t expect a boisterous or overly comedic personality.

He’s still a very informative gamer and I tend to enjoy his videos.

15 – Jenna Marbles


There is a shocking lack of female presence in my YouTube subscriptions. I’m working on that. In the meantime, Jenna Marbles is one of the few, but she’s a huge presence.

Jenna uses her YouTube channel to talk about pretty much everything that goes through a woman’s mind, an adult’s mind, a dog owner’s mind, etc. More funny stuff. Plus, her dogs are adorable.

14 – BatDad Blake


Alright, this guy is super viral, and for a good reason. His shtick is extremely funny.

The big issue is that he really doesn’t update his YouTube much. Word has it he’s got a Vine page that he edits more often…. but I never really got into Vine so… yeah.

13 – Dead Gentlemen Productions


A while back, long before Cat was a part of the blog, I did a review on The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (2008). Well, The Gamers series was created by Dead Gentlemen Productions. There are links to that series in the ‘Playlist’ area.

The Dead Gentlemen Productions channel is where you can find other, similar, series’ to sink your teeth into.

Funny, geek-centric, and entertaining. Good stuff.

12 – REACT/Fine Brothers Entertainment


These two channels interlock with Teens React, Kids React, Adults React, and Elderly React videos. If you’re my age, the Teens and Kids React videos will make you feel old as fuck while the Elderly React videos will make you feel young as fuck.

I was particularly amused by the above video. JNCOs were my thing back when I was a young teen.

The video missed the grunge scene when they were rattling off people who used to wear JNCOs, though. That’s what I was considered back then.

11 – Screen Junkies


You may know Screen Junkies by another name: Honest Trailers.

There’s never anything not funny about the Honest Trailer videos. Basically, the videos are versions of the official trailers of various popular movies (some new, some old). However, instead of the original dialog and sound, there’s a voice-over with a hilarious and overly-honest, sarcastic description of the film in question.

I highly recommend this channel.


10 – WatchMojo


WatchMojo does lists. Top 10 Movie Murders, Top 10 Stupidest Lyrics, etc. I don’t always agree with their lists, but they make some convincing arguments for each of their entries. A lot of thought goes into their videos. Some are funny, others are informative… there are even some horrifying ones.

There’s a lot of versatility in the WatchMojo videos, which makes the channel great for binge-watching. The narrator isn’t even always the same. It’s like the YouTube version of the Cracked web page.

I know Cracked has a YouTube page, too. Shut up.

9 – TearofGrace


This guy is a little different than most of the gamers I follow. He doesn’t just show his gameplay and a little square with him in the corner. He has little cut-aways, music, extra commentary, zooming, camera movements…. Etc. Not to mention, he’s one of the most skilled of the gamers I watch. I never have to yell at the screen asking him why he won’t PUT THE FUCKING HELMET ON or HIT THE FUCKING SHOULDER BUTTON, like I do with Jack… or Martyn…

I’ll introduce you to those guys later in this list.

Anyway.

He’s funny, entertaining, and pretty damn good at editing. I added a Super Mario Maker video, but you should check out his Dark Souls III (2016) videos. Those are as good, or better, than his Super Mario Maker stuff. Also, look up his video called “SuperMario Maker – MARIO MAKING A MURDERER (P is for Pain).” Hardest level ever. I’ve tried it.

I did not complete it.

8 – jacksepticeye


This guy is new to my subscriptions list. I tripped over him while I was going through YouTube Gaming (gaming.youtube.com) where I’m subscribed to Super Mario Maker and it lets me know whenever someone posts a new video in that game. (I have subscriptions to other games, but Jack came up for that one).

I instantly loved him. That awesome accent coupled with his super green hair and outstanding rage is a real treat to watch. He does some challenges here and there, but in general, he’s just an entertaining guy.

I’ve been binge watching his channel for the past two weeks now. I don’t see myself stopping in the near future.

7 – Markiplier


It’s the hair. No other reason.

Ok, seriously now.

My husband and I greatly disagree on the awesomeness that is Markiplier. As in, I think he’s awesome, but I can’t watch his videos around John because Markiplier’s voice annoys him.

I get where John is coming from, Markiplier’s voice can be a touch on the high pitched side when he gets frustrated… but that doesn’t matter too much to me. I have fun watching him. Sometimes he’s funny, sometimes he’s just entertaining and that’s what matters in a YouTuber.

I was also kind of impressed when he did a challenge where he donated a certain amount of money to charity based on how much he cursed during his videos. That was hella cool.

6 – Geek and Sundry

Now, Geek and Sundry isn’t a single channel. It’s more like a conglomerate of channels.

There are a ton of shows that form Geek and Sundry. Like any TV channel, however, I have my favorites.


Sword & Laser is an awesome book review show. It’s hosted by Veronica Belmont (We’re Alive, Fallout: New Vegas, Armikrog) and Tom Merritt (NSFW Show, Night Attack, The Screen Savers) and tends to stick to books in the geekier genres, like fantasy and science fiction. As an avid reader, the show is informative. As a YouTube viewer, the hosts are endearing and interesting.


The Flog is basically a show about Felicia Day (Supernatural, Con Man, Outlands) being Felicia Day. I adore her.

I loved her book, I love her acting work. Seriously, what’s not to like about Felicia Day. She’s awkward and loveable and an inspiration. Everyone should read her book: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost). It’s a great read.


Vaginal Fantasy is another book show that’s covered on the channel. This one is hosted by Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont, Bonnie Burton (Geek DIY, Ask Bonnie, The Guild), Kiala Kazabee (Merry Holidays Please Hold, The Guild, The Flog), and wine. The reviews stick to the romantic, often smutty, genres that I partake in occasionally – both for reading and writing purposes.


Co-Optitude is a show featuring Felicia Day and her brother, Ryon Day (The Guild, TableTop, The Flog), playing video games, a lot of them old-school. This particular show speaks to me deeper than most.

I had a Sega Genesis when I was young. By young, I actually mean: before I was seventeen, which was when I got a Playstation. As a result, I didn’t grow up playing a lot of the games that everyone else had. I’ve beaten Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) about 600 times, but I’ve never played Legend of Zelda (1986).

Watching Felicia and Ryon try those old games is pretty interesting.


Finally, there’s Tabletop.

Tabletop is undoubtedly my favorite show on Geek and Sundry. It’s hosted by Wil Wheaton (The Big Bang Theory, Eureka, Teen Titans) and often has well-known guest stars.

On the show, Wheaton and bunch of recognizable faces, play board games. It sounds less interesting than it is. In the video above is the episode where Wil Wheaton, Anne Wheaton (Sharknado 2: The Second One, Tweet Out, The Wil Wheaton Project), Colin Ferguson (Eureka, The Vampire Diaries, Haven), and Amy Dallen (Baker, Future Girl, Muzzled the Musical) play Ticket to Ride. The game is awesome, but the video is better and gets even funnier at the end.

It’s one of the more memorable episodes, I’ll tell you that much.

5 – Epic Rap Battles of History


I had to include the rap video involving directors in this entry because… hilarious. It says it’s Steven Spielberg (War of the Worlds, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) vs. Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, The Birds, To Catch a Thief), but it’s also got Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut, Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange), Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill), and Michael Bay (Transformers, Bad Boys, The Island) in it. It’s pretty amusing. Not my favorite, but still.

That being said, although I don’t believe the current season of ERB is the greatest, I’m still relatively in love with the channel. I’d say at least 1/8 of my playlist involves past ERBs.

My husband and I even considered rapping the Adam vs. Eve battle at our wedding, but decided against it at nearly the last minute. It just didn’t fit the gaming theme.

4 – Movieclips Trailers


Ok, it wouldn’t be a movie blog if I didn’t mention trailers.

You might notice that when we do our ‘Top 20 Movies to Look Out For’ blogs at the end/beginning of the month, that we tend to use as many trailers as possible from Movieclips Trailers. There is a reason for this.

First of all, the trailers are all official. Nothing cut and pasted together or of bad quality. Secondly, there’s no one babbling before or after the trailer. If I wanted to look up a review, I’d look up a review. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when trailer-based YouTube channels add movie news or reviews to the end or the beginning of a trailer.

If I’m looking up a trailer, I just want two minutes, or so, of fucking trailer. I don’t need, or want, the extra.

Movieclips Trailers gives you the official trailer(s), with no ridiculous commentary, relatively regularly. Most of the time, they have new trailers up before you can find them anywhere else, too.

3 – YOGSCAST Martyn


YOGSCAST Martyn, also known as InTheLittlewood, is less about funny and more about information and adorableness.

Martyn was one of the first YouTube channels I found that had a series dedicated to Super Mario Maker. He’s got a pleasant voice and is interestingly not crude at all. I’m so used to crude that it was almost shocking to find a mostly kid-friendly channel.

Like many others I follow, he’s not the most amazing at some of the games, though he’s a beast with some of them. He’s like the king of Minecraft, it’s ridiculous.

It’s adorable when he rage quits. It just doesn’t fit the personality he’s portraying in his videos.

Martyn is supremely likeable and I have been known to binge watch him for hours on end, happily. He’s the reason I picked up Minecraft.

2 – Joe Santagato


Santagato is another funny mother fucker. I don’t just adore him because he’s a fellow New Yorker with a very discernable New York attitude, either.

He’s not in the gaming category at all, but he’s still hilarious. He puts out a video every Tuesday and he has other channels including: Extra Joe and a Podcast channel. He has series of videos including: Idiots of the Internet, Mad Libs Madness, and People of Walmart.

Mostly he does about five minutes per video of simple stand-up comedy. Sometimes alone, sometimes with family members. For instance, Mad Libs Madness is a series he does with his brother Keith. They play Mad Libs and have to hold water in their mouth while trying not to laugh. Super simple, but you wouldn’t believe how funny it gets.

Keith used milk once and I nearly fell off the couch.

1 – DashieGames


I’m currently completely obsessed with Super Mario Maker, as you’ve probably noticed. Naturally, I’ve been searching for any YouTuber that happens to have gameplay videos. There are plenty out there, but Dashie? Well, there’s a story behind Mr. Dashie.

Well, Super Mario Maker users have been making levels for him in droves. They’re all over the place. All of them seem to have his name in it. My best friend, Mike, and I play this stupid game constantly and we’ve commented on the titles to each other. We both thought Dashie was a dev working with the company because of how many boards there were dedicated to him.

Then I found my first Dashie video and it all clicked into place.

I got the interest in him immediately.

Dashie reminds me of a modern gaming version of Sam Kinison (Charlie Hoover, Back to School, Savage Dawn). He’s angry, vulgar, and funny as all hell. He sounds just like me and my friends when we game. He’s cursing at the screen, he’s working the puzzles out loud… he’s not necessarily the most amazing gamer I’ve ever seen play the games, but there’s no one more hilarious to watch.

Seriously, where gaming is concerned, no one beats Dashie in sheer entertainment value.

No comments:

Post a Comment