That Guy with the Glasses
Encyclopedia
That Guy with the Glasses is a website that mostly showcases satirical reviews of movies and video games. It primarily stars Chicago
native Douglas Darien "Doug" Walker (born November 17, 1981) as "That Guy with the Glasses". The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel Awesome
. The site was launched in April 2008 after the original videos were removed from YouTube
following complaints of copyright infringement.
The website is home to several episodic series, starring Douglas Walker and others. The main Walker series are 5 Second Movies (hyper-edited feature films), The Nostalgia Critic
(reviews of 1980-90s films and television), Ask That Guy with the Glasses (comedy question and answer show) and Bum Reviews (plot summaries of current feature films). Other videos and written articles are hosted on the site, including some minor series and sketches starring Walker. Videos are now hosted by blip.tv
after problems with earlier provider Revver
.
, in which he created satirical video reviews of films and other media entertainment of the past and present. The series drew complaints from major studios like 20th Century Fox
and Lionsgate over alleged copyright infringement. This led to his video content being taken off the website. Walker attempted to re-upload his content by assigning each video a new, separate channel so that if one were deleted, the others would be left intact. However, due to continuing issues with YouTube, Walker decided to leave the website altogether and create the website That Guy with the Glasses with Internet webmaster Mike Michaud. Michaud had created the sites' parent company, Channel Awesome
, after he and two others were laid off from Circuit City in 2007. Michaud has stated, "If we didn't lose our jobs, [the business] wouldn't have happened anytime soon."
The site was re-launched in April 2008, and all of Walker's future videos would only be posted there. The site later expanded to feature content from various other contributors. In December 2008, Walker appeared in a commercial for the PBS
documentary Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, performing a series of brief imitations of famous comedians, from Charlie Chaplin
to Stephen Colbert
. In 2009, Doug and Rob Walker and Brian Heinz produced an iRiff of The Lion King
for RiffTrax
. In March 2009, the iRiff was chosen as the winner of the website's RiffTrax Presents contest. The performers received $1,000 and, with instruction from Michael J. Nelson
, Kevin Murphy
and Bill Corbett
, recorded a commentary for the film Batman Forever
.
The Nostalgia Critic show averages 100,000 to 300,000 viewers per week, and the site as a whole receives 1 million page views per month. This is expected to increase following content-provider Blip.tv's deal with YouTube in July 2009. As of July 2009, the site earns more than $10,000 per month in advertising revenue and has received more than $11,000 in online donations, with the company expecting to earn $150,000 by the end of the year. In the third quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year, Walker's shows earned $53,000, including $32,000 from the Nostalgia Critic alone. This revenue was generated by run of network
from Puma and Starburst
. The success of his shows has allowed Walker to make a living performing and to quit his previous job as an illustrator, as well as pay the salary of co-founder/COO
Mike Ellis.
Channel Awesome has plans to build on the success of That Guy with the Glasses with a network of new websites including Bar Fiesta (covering Chicago entertainment and nightlife), Blistered Thumbs (a spin off incorporating the current site's video game content) and InkedReality (anime, manga, and comic books). Michaud told the Chicago Sun-Times
that he has 300 new show ideas in the works, intends to discover more performers like Walker, and has plans to increase revenue through sponsorships and merchandising.
' "Coming Out of their Shells" concert.
, accepting donations through PayPal
and offering incentives on the site such as premium memberships on the site, along with a phone call from Doug and company for any donations over $300. The drive started at 7:00 CST, and had raised over $20,000 by midnight. The drive ran for over 7 hours and ended with a grand total of $26,400. The second donation drive was held on December 5, 2010, ending with a grand total of $50,025.
, Nevada
on April 9 through April 11, 2010. In addition to the site contributors, the video also features Molossia's President Kevin Baugh and his family playing parodies of themselves. The plot involves the site members invading Molossia, under the leadership of the Nostalgia Critic, renaming the micronation
Kickassia, before infighting caused by the previous ruler leads to the collapse of the new state and restoration of the previous government. A DVD of the special was released in October 2010.
while dressed as famous characters from fantasy films and video games, including The Nostalgia Critic dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda
, Spoony as Gandalf
, Linkara as King Arthur
, Todd in the Shadows as the Dread Pirate Roberts, and the Cinema Snob as Indiana Jones
(when told that Indiana Jones was not a fantasy film he retorted that "if surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge isn't fantasy, I don't know what is"). While they are on their quest, they are opposed by a force of guardians who protect the gauntlet from the unworthy, and are pursued by Malachite, an ancient sorcerer who seeks the gauntlet to restore his powers and destroy the world of technology forever. Part 5 of the special marked the return of former TGWTG member That Dude in the Suede. Malachite overpowers the reviewers with his magic, and briefly reclaims the gauntlet (which had been refashioned into a nintendo power glove) but is defeated by Ma-Ti through the power of heart. Ma-Ti is destroyed along with Malachite and the reviewers hold a funeral for Ma-Ti that is nearly identical to that of Spock
in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
.
's "Leave Britney Alone!" video, entitled "Leave 5 Second Movies Alone!" Today, 5 Second Movies is something of an internet phenomenon with several fan-made videos on YouTube. On TGWTG, Doug finished the series and several other contributors have made their versions and have made spin offs such as Comics in 5 Panels and 5 Second Video Games.
The Nostalgia Critic is the most popular video series created by Walker, in which he plays the titular reviewer. The show is written by Doug and Rob Walker (born May 6, 1979) . The series was initially launched on YouTube
before moving to this site. It is the flagship show for Channel Awesome, which has since built on it with additional content, additional websites and the spin-off show The Nostalgia Chick.
The show involves the Nostalgia Critic, often referred to as simply the Critic, reviewing nostalgic media, being mostly negative. This mostly concerns movies and television series from the 1980s to 1990s, but he has made exceptions for movies that came out after 2000. These include The Room
, Titanic: The Legend Goes On
, Battlefield Earth
, Dungeons & Dragons
, TMNT, Cloverfield
and Alone In The Dark
. Not all reviews are negative, such as those of Double Dare, Sonic The Hedgehog
(The SatAM version), X-Men (TV series)
, DuckTales
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
, Commando
, Hook
, Gargoyles
, Superman: The Animated Series
, Follow That Bird and Animaniacs
.
The series and character gained increased fame from a fictional feud between the Critic and fellow web revewier-comedian The Angry Video Game Nerd
(played by James Rolfe). This began with the Critic launching a satirical attack in an early episode. The feud took place over many episodes in 2008-09.
Walker featured a "Let's Play" video, with him narrating his playing of Bart's Nightmare
, which was a significant change in style of his usual reviews. The video has become infamous among fans, which the Nostalgia Critic acknowledged on his subsequent review as being the most unfunny review he has ever done. Other fans defended Walker for the video, but Walker explained that he also didn't like the way it turned out, so the apology made in the following video was just as much him making fun of himself.
s. This was initially started a textbased review blog until Lovhaug created a video for an "Ask That Guy with the Glasses" contest, followed by Atop the Fourth Wall premiering on November 29, 2008. In addition, Lovhaug hosts a video series detailing the history of the Power Rangers
series. Unlike other review series, Lovhaug has a running storyline on his show, and rarely swears in his videos.
. Walker loved his impersonation of Hud from the film so much, that he gave Chester it, though the origins of the character came from Doug's review of Transformers. His first review was released in early May 2008 on the movie Speed Racer
. He typically begins an episode by exclaiming that the movie he's reviewing is "the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life," and ends the review with his final verdict and a plea for some change in his Styrofoam cup. Walker's actual opinion of the film is presented in the end credits for most of the episodes. However, starting with Thor
, Walker now makes separate videos next to his Bum reviews and gives his opinion on the film he reviews.
), Krissy Diggs (who reviewed Sailor Moon
), and Kaylyn Dicksion (who reviewed The Last Unicorn
). The competition was won by Lindsay Ellis (born 1984) , then using the name "The Dudette", as announced on the site in "Nostalgia Chick Winner!" (September 15, 2008). During the competition, Ellis actually believed that the winner would be Krissy Diggs. The runners-up were rewarded by adding them to the site as contributors: Krissy Diggs (born February 22, 1988) under the name That Chick with the Goggles and Kaylyn Dicksion (born January 27, 1986) under the name MarzGurl.
The costume of the Nostalgia Chick initially included a pair of glasses and a bow tie worn as a choker. Ellis wore the glasses to disguise the tired appearance of her eyes in her submission. They were never real and their appearances diminished due to losing them. The glasses were eventually stolen from Ellis' car in Brooklyn and no longer appear in the show. The bow tie was left over from Ellis' appearance in a production of Cabaret
while studying at New York University
(she played the accordion
). Early episodes include the closing catchphrase "I remember it because the dudes don't" (based on the Nostalgia Critic's "I remember it so you don't have to"). Ellis eventually dropped this as it seemed anti-feminist; it gave the impression that the subject was being reviewed by a woman because it was not important enough to be reviewed by a man. After requesting submissions for a new catchphrase, Ellis decided against using any catchphrase in her work. Early reviews initially mirrored Walker's linear playthrough, noting memorable or infamous scenes with humorous commentary, but beginning with a video entitled "The Smurfette Principle" noting her status as the Critic's female counterpart, she started a more broad analytical style of review, discussing the movies more as a whole than from beginning to end.
Some later episodes have been delayed by Ellis' enrollment in a master's degree program at the University of Southern California
and her subsequent traveling between New York and Los Angeles. At the time of the competition for a Nostalgia Chick, Ellis was unemployed and had not received confirmation of a place at USC. She has stated that, due to the work load, she would not have entered the competition if she had known she would be going to USC.
Ellis comes from Tennessee
and moved to New York
when she was 18. She now lives in Los Angeles
(during term time) and New York. Despite the subject and tone of the series, Ellis has stated that she likes some of the films, such as Labyrinth
, although she honestly does not like Disney's Pocahontas
, the subject of her initial submission.
's earnings from July 2008 onwards were still "pending", meaning that Revver had delayed payments to unspecified date. On December 9, 2008, Revver sent a message to all its users saying that earnings from June were transferred, and the other earnings would be transferred as soon as possible. However, many people still have yet to receive these payments.
Several of their most popular content providers, including ScrewAttack
and That Guy with the Glasses, have also publicly posted complaints of Revver owing them vast amounts of money on their websites and began moving their content over to blip.tv
.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
native Douglas Darien "Doug" Walker (born November 17, 1981) as "That Guy with the Glasses". The founder and administrator of the site is Michael Michaud, CEO of the parent company Channel Awesome
Channel Awesome
Channel Awesome is an online media production company based in Naperville, Illinois. The company was created in 2008 by Mike Michaud , Mike Ellis and Bhargav Dronamraju...
. The site was launched in April 2008 after the original videos were removed from YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
following complaints of copyright infringement.
The website is home to several episodic series, starring Douglas Walker and others. The main Walker series are 5 Second Movies (hyper-edited feature films), The Nostalgia Critic
The Nostalgia Critic
The Nostalgia Critic is a web television series starring Doug Walker as the eponymous reviewer. The series was initially launched on YouTube before moving to an independent site, That Guy with the Glasses, run by production company Channel Awesome...
(reviews of 1980-90s films and television), Ask That Guy with the Glasses (comedy question and answer show) and Bum Reviews (plot summaries of current feature films). Other videos and written articles are hosted on the site, including some minor series and sketches starring Walker. Videos are now hosted by blip.tv
Blip.tv
The website Blip.tv is a platform for web series. The company offers a for the "best in original web series" and also offers a dashboard for producers of original web series to distribute and monetize their productions....
after problems with earlier provider Revver
Revver
Revver is a video sharing website that hosts user-generated content. Revver attaches advertising to user-submitted video clips and originally offered to share ad revenue with the video creators. Videos could be displayed, downloaded and shared across the web in either Apple QuickTime or FLV format...
.
History
Doug Walker's first appearance on the web was on the video website YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, in which he created satirical video reviews of films and other media entertainment of the past and present. The series drew complaints from major studios like 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Lionsgate over alleged copyright infringement. This led to his video content being taken off the website. Walker attempted to re-upload his content by assigning each video a new, separate channel so that if one were deleted, the others would be left intact. However, due to continuing issues with YouTube, Walker decided to leave the website altogether and create the website That Guy with the Glasses with Internet webmaster Mike Michaud. Michaud had created the sites' parent company, Channel Awesome
Channel Awesome
Channel Awesome is an online media production company based in Naperville, Illinois. The company was created in 2008 by Mike Michaud , Mike Ellis and Bhargav Dronamraju...
, after he and two others were laid off from Circuit City in 2007. Michaud has stated, "If we didn't lose our jobs, [the business] wouldn't have happened anytime soon."
The site was re-launched in April 2008, and all of Walker's future videos would only be posted there. The site later expanded to feature content from various other contributors. In December 2008, Walker appeared in a commercial for the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
documentary Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, performing a series of brief imitations of famous comedians, from Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
to Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
. In 2009, Doug and Rob Walker and Brian Heinz produced an iRiff of The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
for RiffTrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
. In March 2009, the iRiff was chosen as the winner of the website's RiffTrax Presents contest. The performers received $1,000 and, with instruction from Michael J. Nelson
Michael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
, Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
and Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 , for which he voiced the robot Crow T. Robot during the show's later seasons on the Sci Fi Channel and played the character...
, recorded a commentary for the film Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
.
The Nostalgia Critic show averages 100,000 to 300,000 viewers per week, and the site as a whole receives 1 million page views per month. This is expected to increase following content-provider Blip.tv's deal with YouTube in July 2009. As of July 2009, the site earns more than $10,000 per month in advertising revenue and has received more than $11,000 in online donations, with the company expecting to earn $150,000 by the end of the year. In the third quarter of the 2009 Fiscal year, Walker's shows earned $53,000, including $32,000 from the Nostalgia Critic alone. This revenue was generated by run of network
Run of network
Run of Network advertising is a form of marketing which lets an advertiser post an online advertisement on a wide collection of websites without the ability to choose specific sites. Networks represent the banner advertising on many sites and might be focused only on one type of site such as Games...
from Puma and Starburst
Starburst (confectionery)
Starburst is the brand name of a cuboid-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated...
. The success of his shows has allowed Walker to make a living performing and to quit his previous job as an illustrator, as well as pay the salary of co-founder/COO
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
Mike Ellis.
Channel Awesome has plans to build on the success of That Guy with the Glasses with a network of new websites including Bar Fiesta (covering Chicago entertainment and nightlife), Blistered Thumbs (a spin off incorporating the current site's video game content) and InkedReality (anime, manga, and comic books). Michaud told the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
that he has 300 new show ideas in the works, intends to discover more performers like Walker, and has plans to increase revenue through sponsorships and merchandising.
First Anniversary: That Guy With The Glasses Team Brawl
On May 10, 2009, The Nostalgia Critic and the Angry Video Game Nerd starred in "TGWTG Team Brawl", which was filmed in Chicago, IL, and celebrated That Guy With the Glasses' one-year anniversary. Various personalities from both the Critic and Nerd's sites participated in a battle between the "Reviewers", led by the Critic, and "Gamers", led by the Nerd. "The Final Brawl" was created not only as a major cross-over video, but as a meet up for the contributors. One notable crossover video was a joint review with the Nostalgia Critic and Angry Video Game Nerd who reviewed a documentary about the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
TGWTG Charity Donation Drive
On December 5, 2009, Doug and Rob Walker, Noah Antwiler, Joe Vargas, Ed Glaser, Brian Heinz, Bhargav Dronamraju, Bennett White, and Victoria Turner hosted a live charity drive to raise money for the Ronald McDonald house charity. The drive was hosted on UStreamUstream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
, accepting donations through PayPal
PayPal
PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
and offering incentives on the site such as premium memberships on the site, along with a phone call from Doug and company for any donations over $300. The drive started at 7:00 CST, and had raised over $20,000 by midnight. The drive ran for over 7 hours and ended with a grand total of $26,400. The second donation drive was held on December 5, 2010, ending with a grand total of $50,025.
Second Anniversary: Kickassia
A special marking the second anniversary of the site was filmed in the Republic of MolossiaRepublic of Molossia
The Republic of Molossia is an unrecognized micronation, founded by Kevin Baugh semi-humorously as a "dictatorial banana-republic" and headquartered solely from a tiny home near Dayton, Nevada....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
on April 9 through April 11, 2010. In addition to the site contributors, the video also features Molossia's President Kevin Baugh and his family playing parodies of themselves. The plot involves the site members invading Molossia, under the leadership of the Nostalgia Critic, renaming the micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
Kickassia, before infighting caused by the previous ruler leads to the collapse of the new state and restoration of the previous government. A DVD of the special was released in October 2010.
Third Anniversary: Suburban Knights
The third year anniversary special of the site, entitled Suburban Knights, aired in seven parts from June 27th to July 2nd in 2011. The plot involves the reviewers going after "Malachite's Hand", a magic gauntlet hidden in suburban IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
while dressed as famous characters from fantasy films and video games, including The Nostalgia Critic dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, Spoony as Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
, Linkara as King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, Todd in the Shadows as the Dread Pirate Roberts, and the Cinema Snob as Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
(when told that Indiana Jones was not a fantasy film he retorted that "if surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge isn't fantasy, I don't know what is"). While they are on their quest, they are opposed by a force of guardians who protect the gauntlet from the unworthy, and are pursued by Malachite, an ancient sorcerer who seeks the gauntlet to restore his powers and destroy the world of technology forever. Part 5 of the special marked the return of former TGWTG member That Dude in the Suede. Malachite overpowers the reviewers with his magic, and briefly reclaims the gauntlet (which had been refashioned into a nintendo power glove) but is defeated by Ma-Ti through the power of heart. Ma-Ti is destroyed along with Malachite and the reviewers hold a funeral for Ma-Ti that is nearly identical to that of Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
.
5 Second Movies
Walker is a figure in the "hyperediting" trend. Currently, 5 Second Movies has had a total of 131 episodes. After the 101st episode, Walker said he will only make them if he thinks of a very funny idea, because he has almost run out of ideas and he does not want to run the series into the ground and grow stale. The link on the front page was removed during the site's January 2010 renovation. After his videos were taken down from YouTube, Walker made a video that parodied Chris CrockerChris Crocker (Internet celebrity)
Chris Crocker is an American Internet celebrity, songwriter, blogger, and recording artist...
's "Leave Britney Alone!" video, entitled "Leave 5 Second Movies Alone!" Today, 5 Second Movies is something of an internet phenomenon with several fan-made videos on YouTube. On TGWTG, Doug finished the series and several other contributors have made their versions and have made spin offs such as Comics in 5 Panels and 5 Second Video Games.
Nostalgia Critic
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
before moving to this site. It is the flagship show for Channel Awesome, which has since built on it with additional content, additional websites and the spin-off show The Nostalgia Chick.
The show involves the Nostalgia Critic, often referred to as simply the Critic, reviewing nostalgic media, being mostly negative. This mostly concerns movies and television series from the 1980s to 1990s, but he has made exceptions for movies that came out after 2000. These include The Room
The Room (film)
The Room is a 2003 independent drama film starring Tommy Wiseau, who also wrote, directed, and produced the feature. In addition to Wiseau, the principal cast includes Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero, Philip Haldiman, Kyle Vogt, Carolyn Minnott, and Robyn Paris...
, Titanic: The Legend Goes On
Titanic: The Legend Goes On
Titanic: The Legend Goes On is a 2001 Italian animated film about the sinking of the RMS Titanic.-Plot:The movie begins on a White Star Line chartered boat train, boarding passengers to the RMS Titanic...
, Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth (film)
Battlefield Earth is a 2000 American science fiction film adapted from L. Ron Hubbard's novel of the same name. It was directed by Roger Christian, and stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
, Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (film)
Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, TMNT, Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
and Alone In The Dark
Alone in the Dark (2005 film)
Alone in the Dark is a 2005 horror film, loosely based on Infogrames' popular video game series of the same name. It is directed by Uwe Boll, and stars Christian Slater as supernatural detective Edward Carnby and Tara Reid as the scientist assisting him...
. Not all reviews are negative, such as those of Double Dare, Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the...
(The SatAM version), X-Men (TV series)
X-Men (TV series)
X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
, DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
, Commando
Commando (film)
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
, Hook
Hook (film)
Hook is a 1991 American fantasy film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, and features Maggie Smith, Caroline Goodall, Charlie Korsmo, Amber Scott, and Dante Basco. Hook acts as a sequel to Peter Pan's original adventures, focusing...
, Gargoyles
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
, Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
, Follow That Bird and Animaniacs
Animaniacs
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
.
The series and character gained increased fame from a fictional feud between the Critic and fellow web revewier-comedian The Angry Video Game Nerd
The Angry Video Game Nerd
The Angry Video Game Nerd , is the main character and title of a series of farcical retrogaming video reviews created by and starring James Rolfe...
(played by James Rolfe). This began with the Critic launching a satirical attack in an early episode. The feud took place over many episodes in 2008-09.
Walker featured a "Let's Play" video, with him narrating his playing of Bart's Nightmare
Bart's Nightmare
Bart's Nightmare is a 1992 video game developed by American company Sculptured Software based on the television show The Simpsons. It was released to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.-Plot:...
, which was a significant change in style of his usual reviews. The video has become infamous among fans, which the Nostalgia Critic acknowledged on his subsequent review as being the most unfunny review he has ever done. Other fans defended Walker for the video, but Walker explained that he also didn't like the way it turned out, so the apology made in the following video was just as much him making fun of himself.
Ask That Guy with the Glasses
The series Ask That Guy with the Glasses involves Walker, wearing a blue robe, red ascot and carrying a pipe and drink, answering questions. The narrator reads each question and Walker responds with a comedic answer, sometimes commenting on the person who asked it, although he has a strong dislike of being asked "Can I borrow a cup of sugar?". "That Guy" is portrayed as an upper-class, perverted and disturbed person.Atop the Fourth Wall
This series, hosted by Lewis Lovhaug (born August 19, 1987) as "Linkara", involves him reviewing bad comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s. This was initially started a textbased review blog until Lovhaug created a video for an "Ask That Guy with the Glasses" contest, followed by Atop the Fourth Wall premiering on November 29, 2008. In addition, Lovhaug hosts a video series detailing the history of the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
series. Unlike other review series, Lovhaug has a running storyline on his show, and rarely swears in his videos.
Bum Reviews with Chester A. Bum
The series Bum Reviews with Chester A. Bum features Walker reviewing films in the character Chester Alfred Bum (often referred to as 'the Bum'). The character was created by Walker to review current and new film releases. The character is portrayed as a hyperactive, drug-addicted tramp and cinemagoer who appears with an orange and black woolly hat over a long, dark wig. He was created after the Nostalgia Critic's review of CloverfieldCloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
. Walker loved his impersonation of Hud from the film so much, that he gave Chester it, though the origins of the character came from Doug's review of Transformers. His first review was released in early May 2008 on the movie Speed Racer
Speed Racer (film)
Speed Racer is a 2008 American live action film adaptation of Tatsuo Yoshida's 1960s Japanese anime series of the same name, produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The film is written and directed by the Wachowskis...
. He typically begins an episode by exclaiming that the movie he's reviewing is "the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life," and ends the review with his final verdict and a plea for some change in his Styrofoam cup. Walker's actual opinion of the film is presented in the end credits for most of the episodes. However, starting with Thor
Thor (film)
Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, Walker now makes separate videos next to his Bum reviews and gives his opinion on the film he reviews.
Nostalgia Chick
The idea of a "Nostalgia Chick" to complement the existing "Nostalgia Critic" (Douglas Walker) was announced on the That Guy with the Glasses website in "The Search for the Nostalgia Chick" (August 10, 2008). The idea was for a female host to review female-targeted nostalgic films and television. The contest ended in a three-way tie between Lindsay Ellis (who reviewed Disney's PocahontasPocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
), Krissy Diggs (who reviewed Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
), and Kaylyn Dicksion (who reviewed The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel written by Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968. It has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its original publication, and has been translated into at least twenty languages....
). The competition was won by Lindsay Ellis (born 1984) , then using the name "The Dudette", as announced on the site in "Nostalgia Chick Winner!" (September 15, 2008). During the competition, Ellis actually believed that the winner would be Krissy Diggs. The runners-up were rewarded by adding them to the site as contributors: Krissy Diggs (born February 22, 1988) under the name That Chick with the Goggles and Kaylyn Dicksion (born January 27, 1986) under the name MarzGurl.
The costume of the Nostalgia Chick initially included a pair of glasses and a bow tie worn as a choker. Ellis wore the glasses to disguise the tired appearance of her eyes in her submission. They were never real and their appearances diminished due to losing them. The glasses were eventually stolen from Ellis' car in Brooklyn and no longer appear in the show. The bow tie was left over from Ellis' appearance in a production of Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
while studying at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(she played the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
). Early episodes include the closing catchphrase "I remember it because the dudes don't" (based on the Nostalgia Critic's "I remember it so you don't have to"). Ellis eventually dropped this as it seemed anti-feminist; it gave the impression that the subject was being reviewed by a woman because it was not important enough to be reviewed by a man. After requesting submissions for a new catchphrase, Ellis decided against using any catchphrase in her work. Early reviews initially mirrored Walker's linear playthrough, noting memorable or infamous scenes with humorous commentary, but beginning with a video entitled "The Smurfette Principle" noting her status as the Critic's female counterpart, she started a more broad analytical style of review, discussing the movies more as a whole than from beginning to end.
Some later episodes have been delayed by Ellis' enrollment in a master's degree program at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and her subsequent traveling between New York and Los Angeles. At the time of the competition for a Nostalgia Chick, Ellis was unemployed and had not received confirmation of a place at USC. She has stated that, due to the work load, she would not have entered the competition if she had known she would be going to USC.
Ellis comes from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when she was 18. She now lives in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
(during term time) and New York. Despite the subject and tone of the series, Ellis has stated that she likes some of the films, such as Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
, although she honestly does not like Disney's Pocahontas
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
, the subject of her initial submission.
The Spoony Experiment
The Spoony Experiment (TSE) is series starring by Noah Antwiler (born December 27, 1980) as "The Spoony One" or "Spoony". The series is hosted on both its own site of the same name, and That Guy with the Glasses. The primary format of the series is humorous reviews of video games and movies. From 2010, it has also incorporated some games journalism at trade shows such as the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The mascot of the series is "Burton the Robot", a robot puppet made by Antwiler.Awards
On January 6, 2011, Doug was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in Las Vegas at the 4th Annual Mashable Awards, Mashable Awards 2010.Revver issues
After contracting with Live Universe, RevverRevver
Revver is a video sharing website that hosts user-generated content. Revver attaches advertising to user-submitted video clips and originally offered to share ad revenue with the video creators. Videos could be displayed, downloaded and shared across the web in either Apple QuickTime or FLV format...
's earnings from July 2008 onwards were still "pending", meaning that Revver had delayed payments to unspecified date. On December 9, 2008, Revver sent a message to all its users saying that earnings from June were transferred, and the other earnings would be transferred as soon as possible. However, many people still have yet to receive these payments.
Several of their most popular content providers, including ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
and That Guy with the Glasses, have also publicly posted complaints of Revver owing them vast amounts of money on their websites and began moving their content over to blip.tv
Blip.tv
The website Blip.tv is a platform for web series. The company offers a for the "best in original web series" and also offers a dashboard for producers of original web series to distribute and monetize their productions....
.