Season 1, Episode 13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Commentary, Part Two

And, as I promised, here is the final part of my commentary on the special extended version of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.  I’m still so very excited that I got to do this, and I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it.

I’ll be updating the podcasting schedule by the end of the week (99.999999% sure I’ll have it up Friday afternoon), and I think you’ll all find it pretty interesting.

As for the HoloNet, you can expect updates every other day (starting today) around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Central Time.  I’ve got every part of my life scheduled out, so we should be good from here on out.  If, however, you don’t see me posting for days on end and I seem to have dropped off of the face of the planet again, I give you all permission to spam my e-mail, Facebook page, Twitter page, and in any other way you can possibly spam me to get me back on track.  I would really love it if you guys would be my accountability partners in this way, especially since procrastination is a terrible habit that I need to break like a flimsy twig.

Otherwise, I hope you guys enjoy this podcast, the amazing new social networking buttons that Robyn created for me (thank you so much again, Robyn!  They’re beautiful!), and the regular posting schedule.  Let’s go into a new era of HNED, shall we?

 - Eddy

Season 1, Episode 12 - The Fellowship of the Ring, Part One Commentary

It's been a long wait for a new podcast episode, I know, but I thank you guys for your patience.  I'm sure that I've driven everyone I know absolutely crazy this summer because my Internet updating has been extremely sporadic, but with school starting tomorrow - GAHHHHHHHHH! - I'll be on a tight calendar with scheduled slots for both blogging and podcasting.

That means more normalcy and consistency.  And this time, I mean it.

But now onto more fun things... like The Lord of the Rings!

LOTR is my absolute most favorite book (after The Bible) and film, as most of you probably know (and if you didn't, you'll definitely know by the time you're done with this commentary).  Because of that, it just kind of made sense for me to do a commentary on the first movie.

What you need to know before playing this episode is that I'm not using the version of the movie that most people have.  Most people own the theatrical version, which (duh) was shown in theaters and has a cover that looks like this:

I'm using the Special Extended Version, the one that's so long that the movie had to be split over two discs and the other three discs in the case are chock full of the most wonderful behind-the-scenes content ever imaginable (the case is the first picture in this post).  So if you're holding the theatrical version, please put it back.  It's not that I don't like the theatrical version - ok, yes, it is, but that's beside the point - but the extended is so much better simply because it's longer.

I explain all of this stuff in the episode introduction, but still...

Put the theatrical version back on the shelf.  Thank you.  Now go to your library and get the extended version, or borrow it from one of your friends, or bribe a sibling with chocolate to use theirs, or steal it.  No, don't actually steal it.  Stealing is wrong.  Got it now?  You're awesome!

Part One of this commentary (which is in this post) will cover all of disc one of the film, while Part Two (which is in the next post) will cover all of the second disc.  Overall it's an almost four hour long epic, but the handy part about having two separate parts is that you don't have to watch the whole movie straight through if you don't want to (but, really, who wouldn't want to experience the awesomeness that is LOTR in one uber-long sitting?).

So, without further ado, I'll let my audible voice take over for my written voice.  I hope you guys enjoy this!








 - Eddy

Season 1, Episode 11 - Blogiversary Q&A

So this is rather embarrassing, but I just realized that I completely forgot to post this episode of The Holocron.

Ah, well.  The point of mistakes is to learn from them, right?

This particular episode was done to commemorate HNED's first blogiversary.  My Followers sent in a lot of great questions - and I mean a lot - and I responded to all of them in this episode.  Most of you probably heard it on HNED about a month ago, but for those of you who didn't here it is!





Since I'm finally done with college for this year, I'll have more time to do blogging and podcasting.  So expect the conclusion of the Star Wars Original Trilogy commentaries, my list of things I want to see in the next Star Wars movies, and a lot of other things.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this (kinda late) blogiversary celebration, and I'll see you all again soon!




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 10 - Star Trek: First Contact Commentary

Do you ever suddenly get in the mood to see or do or even just geek out about something?  I get fangirl attacks like that all the time, and this week it's been all about RPGs and Borg.  I have no idea how I get random attacks like this, but their spontaneous-ness doesn't bother me anymore.  If anything, I greatly look forward to whatever this week's particular fandom is going to be.

I know that most (if not all) of you were expecting my next episode to be a commentary of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back since I promised to commentate through the whole Original Trilogy, but I've been in such a need-to-watch-Borg-assimilating-people mood (and that's only as weird as you want it to be) that I couldn't help but do a commentary on the film Star Trek: First Contact.  So I apologize in advance to those of you who were looking forward to an ESB commentary this week.  HOWEVER!  My commentary on ESB and on The Return of the Jedi will be coming soon as promised, so you can all continue to look forward for that.

In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this commentary on First Contact.  Since I'm a very big fan of Borg, I had a whole lot of fun discussing and commenting randomly through this movie, which is one of my most favorite films of all time.





As I said at the end of this episode, you can find out what the upcoming Holocron episodes are by looking under the Schedule tab above.  I've got a lot of fun stuff planned, but I'm also totally open to suggestions, comments, concerns, whatever.  So if there is a topic you would like to hear me talk about or if there's a particular movie you would like a commentary on, just shoot me an e-mail or comment below or message the official HNED Facebook page and I will most definitely consider your suggestions and other comments.

Also, be sure to check out the HNED Pinterest page.  I've got a few boards with more in the works, so check it out and (hopefully) consider following the page, too.

And (finally) if you have any ideas of something I could do to celebrate HNED's first anniversary next month, totally let me know via any of the contact options I mentioned above.  At the moment I literally have no idea what to do for it, so I'm definitely open to all ideas and suggestions!

*whew*  Well, I'll be quiet now so you guys can watch the movie and listen to my more random side in the commentary.  I hope you guys have a great weekend!  God bless!




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 9 - A New Hope Commentary

Midterms are now complete, which means I am completely free! ...At least for a week of Spring Break, anyway.

So continuing on with the film commentary series, I would like to present you with my commentary of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.  The next two Holocron episodes will cover the other two parts of the Original Trilogy (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), and then we'll be switching gears to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Speaking of The Hobbit, it releases this month on the 19th, so totally consider pre-ordering your copy, or streaming it from Netflix, or however you like to get your movies.  Just like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, an Extended Version will be released... in December...

Ah, well.  At least we'll be able to watch The Desolation of Smaug in theaters and then run back home to watch the extended Unexpected Journey. =)

Until then, though, here's the New Hope commentary that (hopefully) will be both interesting and entertaining for you all.





With this commentary, though, please make sure that you're watching the same version of the film that I did.  Since Mr. Lucas has made a few tweaks to the series, the 90s VHS version is not the same as the 2004 DVD release (its cover is the main photo on this post, plus it's the one I'm using) which is not the same as the Blu-ray re-release in 2012.  Slightly annoying, I know, but just thought I'd throw that out there just in case.  Commentaries that don't sync with the visuals are even more annoying than continually edited re-releases, as far as I'm concerned.

Like always, if there's a movie you'd like to hear me commentate (that's a word, right?) about, then please comment below with your suggestions!  Please be aware, though, that I won't accept R-rated films nor will I accept PG-13 films that are not mostly clean.  It's just my policy to keep everything on here clean and family appropriate.  If your suggestion doesn't fit into either one of those disqualifications, then by all means let me hear it and I'll most likely do it. =)

You can also check my topic schedule by clicking on the Schedule tab up there, and you can access previous episodes by category under the Archive tab.

I hope you all enjoy this episode and that you all are having a wonderfully blessed weekend!



 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 8 - The Avengers Commentary

Two podcasts in one week.  I do believe I'm on a roll here.

This one is a request from two friends of mine - Buruk Drade and James the Movie Reviewer - and it was probably the most fun commentary I've done so far (especially when I was talking about a bug zapper...but I'll let you listen to that part yourself =P).  I also tried to up the volume on this recording so I don't sound like I'm mumbling, and I think it sounds quite a bit better.  Fingers crossed that it works.

Here's a look at my tentative podcasting schedule, for those of you who are interested:

 - Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope

 - Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

 - Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

If there's a movie you'd like to hear me comment on, then totally send me your requests either through the comment boxes here or through e-mail (edessacarrick@gmail.com).  I do ask, though, that all requests be basically clean and appropriate for virtually everyone to watch (so that means nothing rated R, very little language, no sexual content, etc.).  Basically if you wouldn't be comfortable with your eight year old sister or brother watching it, then don't request it.  Otherwise, anything else is totally fair game, and I'd totally love to hear your requests!

So, long story short, I hope you guys enjoy this, and I look forward to any requests you guys send my way.  God bless!

 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 7 - Captain America: First Avenger Commentary

So since I got some pretty good reviews about my Batman Begins commentary (see previous post), I've decided to keep going with these commentaries.

A friend of mine - Captain Crispus - requested that I do a commentary to the Captain America: First Avenger movie, so this episode is exactly that.  I will warn you that for some bizarre reason, Audacity decided to record part of the film's audio during the begining (you'll know it when you hear it), and then suddenly dropped it after about a minute.  I still have no idea why it did that, but I just thought I'd give you a head's up beforehand.

Like the last commentary, I talk about a whole range of stuff in this one: lighting, acting, the story, and some random quips of randomness every so often, along with some other stuff.  It will likely make the most sense if you listen to the commentary while watching the actual film, but you can totally listen to it sans-film as well.





Thank you, again, for the request, Captain Crispus!  I hope that you really enjoy it.  And if any of you have a movie that you would like to hear me talk through, just comment below or shoot me an e-mail (edessacarrick@gmail.com) and I'll try to get 'er done.  Please be aware that if the movie you suggest is rated R or NC-17, contains a lot of swearing, and/or contains very obvious sexual content, I will not use it. However, if your suggested film is basically clean and is appropriate for basically everybody on the plant to watch, then you can be 99.99999999% sure that I will accept it.

So, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this commentary!  Captain America, FTW!




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 6 - Batman Begins Commentary

So this week I'm also doing something a little bit different than what I normally 'cast about, but I hope you guys will still like it! =)

Basically what I did for this episode was watch Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins film on my laptop and recorded my audio commentary of it. So, yep, this is me talking for a little over two hours about every aspect of the film, which I hope will be as entertaining for you to listen to as it was for me to record.

I tried to get my audio recording program (Audacity) to also record the film's audio, but I couldn't get that to work. But if you guys would like to (and I totally encourage you to do this if you're a visual person or if you've never seen Batman Begins or if you're just bored) you can totally play your own copy of the movie to sync what I'm saying with what's going on on-screen. I let you know in the episode when to press play, so if it's not completely synced it will at least be only three or four seconds off.

So, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this. And like I say at the end, if you liked hearing me comment about this movie and would like for me to do it again, please let me know and I'll definitely do it. Or if you thought I should just stop while I'm ahead, feel free to let me know that, too.




Before I go, I will also be trying to get back to a fairly normal blogging routine again. I was not expecting that all of my teachers would chuck every available piece of homework at me in the first two weeks, so that's why I dropped off the map so suddenly. School, unfortunately, has to take precedence, but I hope it won't be slicing into my blog time too much any more.

So, until tomorrow, then! I hope you all had an awesome weekend!




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 5 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

And here we go, the long awaited Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey review!

Thank you so much to all of my followers who sent in questions for me to answer in this review, and I hope I answered them all well. =)

Just two quick warnings (which I also reiterate in the podcast, but repetition isn't usually a bad thing):

1. This episode does contain spoilers, so proceed with caution if you have not seen the movie or at least read the original book yet.

2. Except for the intro and conclusion, this episode is completely unscripted. That means that I go off on tangents, I say "um," there are occasional pauses as I try to gather my thoughts, and I may repeat myself every so often. I did it this way so it (hopefully) feels more "authentic," like how it would if we were standing face-to-face and you were asking me those questions (though I think in real life I'm a bit more hyper, but I didn't get my sugar spike until after I recorded this, sooooo.... =P).

And that's about it, I guess. Just click on the player below, and I hope you guys enjoy!





P.S. If you have any ideas about how I should go about my post on the Oscar ceremony on February 24th, then I'd love to hear them! Just comment below, shoot me an e-mail at edessacarrick@gmail.com, or comment on the HNED Facebook page, whichever way floats your speeder.




 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 4 - SWTOR Tribute

I am soooooo insanely excited because Star Wars: The Old Republic goes Free-to-Play tomorrow! So to celebrate this new road for SWTOR - and also as an outlet for my excitement - today's podcast is my tribute to that very amazing online game!





If you would like to know more about SWTOR, visit the official website at http://www.swtor.com. And if you would like to take part in the Play-Free-to-Level-15 trial, then head on over to this link for more information and to sign-up: https://account.swtor.com/trial

As I stated somewhere near the middle of this episode, here are the screenshots I took of each of my SWTOR characters (I'll post a pic of the Jedi Knight as soon as she's created).

MAINS (Main Characters):

 

Name: Breesam ("Bree")

Species: Iridonian Zabrak

Faction: Republic

Class: Trooper

Advanced Class: Commando

Combat Role: Medic

 

 

Name: Ki'saam ("Ki")

Species: Sith Pureblood

Faction: Empire

Class: Sith Warrior

Advanced Class: Juggernaut

Combat Role: Tank

 

 

ALTS (Alternative Characters):

 

Name: Sintare

Species: Twi'Lek

Faction: Republic

Class: Smuggler

Advanced Class: Scoundrel

Combat Role: Medic

 

Name: Brial

Species: Chiss

Faction: Empire

Class: Imperial Agent

Advanced Class: Operative

Combat Role: Medic

 

 

Name: Chasmain

Species: Rattataki

Faction: Empire

Class: Bounty Hunter

Advanced Class: Powertech

Combat Role: Tank

 

 

All of my toons (aka, characters) are on the Ebon Hawk server, so remember to look them up if you're on that server. Also feel free to let me know the name, class, and faction of your toons, and we can totally play together sometime! You can let me know either below in the comment box or shoot me an e-mail at edessacarrick@gmail.com.

 

See you in SWTOR! =D

Season 1, Episode 3 - "Mercy Kill" Review

This third Holocron episode is all about the new X-Wing novel - Mercy Kill - by Aaron Allston that came out in August. There aren't too many spoilers, and I think I only had to say "Spoiler Alert!" once over the course of the whole 'cast.

Oh, and please ignore the part at the very beginning when I talk about this being Episode 2. I actually recorded the Mercy Kill review long before the "Revival" one, but I ended up posting the latter first because it was more pertinent. And I suppose that I could have gone back and edited that part, but then I would have had to save the whole thing over again and re-upload it on Internet Archive and then get rid of the previous files, and I really didn't feel like doing that.

So, long story short, this is really Episode 3, not 2. Just thought I'd clarify that there. =)







 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 2 - Revival

In Episode 2, I review the Clone Wars Season 5 premiere, "Revival," discussing the characters, plot, cinematography, some of my favorite quotes, and other such stuff.

And I am so excited that so many of you have said that you like the podcast so far! Your encouragement means so much to me! You guys rock! =D







 - Edessa, signing off

Season 1, Episode 1 - Welcome to the Holocron!

Welcome to The Holocron, the new Star Wars-themed podcast series from HoloNet Entertainment Daily!

This first episode is the introductory-type, introducing you to the point of The Holocron, how the podcast came about, and how I first became a Star Wars fan. So click on the player below to hear the first 'Cron episode, and I hope you enjoy!

Please also check out Jacob's blog, if you would. He did an awesome job designing this site, and he also takes a lot of great photographs! Here's the link: http://3rdruleproductions.wordpress.com/photography-films/

Also a big thank you to helpusobi1 for making the holocron skin in the logo! If you haven't already, you should also check out his blog, too: http://outlanderclub.blogspot.com/

Well, I think that's all I had to say for now. I hope you guys enjoy this new podcast series and have an awesome rest of the week!







 - Edessa, signing off