Friday, January 24, 2014

You're Probably in a Fandom.

Think really hard. What's you favorite show? Movie? Book? Video game? Anything. There are so many things that are fandoms. It's not just for specifically geeky things. Sure, geeks are more likely to be in a fandom, and we have bigger and more connected fandoms, but that's only because geeks are incredibly enthusiastic about everything. We watch shows, and rather than just discuss with our friends, we have to go online and read everything about the show, draw pictures of the characters, make up stories about them, etc. I'm under the impression that normal people don't do this, but I wouldn't really know. But anyway, when you watch a show (or read a book, or watch a movie, or do almost anything else that involves human consciousness), just know that there are people out there who love the same thing that you do. That's what a fandom is: being part of something bigger, with people like yourself. Just because you don't know it's there doesn't mean that there isn't a fandom for what you love. 
So what fandoms are you in? Because I bet that you're in at least one. Shows like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Downton Abbey... Books like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars... Even if there's a band or a YouTuber you really like. The lists go on and on. It's all about what you love, and finding connections with other people who love the same things.

Movie Reveiw: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

       

What's better than Neil Patrick Harris? When he sings. Which is (partially) why I love Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Created by Joss Whedon and starring Harris alongside Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, this is less of a movie and more of a miniseries in three acts, but they run together. The whole thing is only 42 minutes but is labeled as a TV season on iTunes, where it was #1 for five weeks in a row. What makes it even more ironic is that is only appeared on the internet; it was created specifically as a web series and didn't air on TV. It's available on Netflix. And did I mention, it's a musical? That's right, everyone break into song for no apparent reason!
The story is about Billy, an aspiring super villain (alter ego: Dr. Horrible) trying to join the Evil League of Evil, while also trying to win over his laundry buddy Penny and fighting his nemesis Captain Hammer. He narrates the story through his video blog at the beginning of each act. Billy inadvertently introduces Penny to Captain Hammer, who recognizes his nemesis. (Penny doesn't know that Billy is actually evil.) And of course, Captain Hammer and Penny start dating, which leads Dr. horrible to create a scheme to get rid of him and steal Penny back. Video blog posts, montages, and evilness ensue. 
 Like anything Joss Whedon makes, Dr. Horrible is hilarious and sad at the same time. He is notorious for killing off main characters. Consider yourself warned. The character development is amazing; by the end Dr. Horrible gets what he wants, but you have to ask yourself if Billy really does. Captain Hammer and Penny are both deeply changed by the end as well. In fact, the ending is rather painful and abrupt, but that's Whedon for you. He was actually slated to write Dr. Horrible 2, but he was pulled into directing The Avengers, and the project was dropped. 
Despite how sad it is, the ending is actually my favorite part. All the action has built up, and now you get to see how Dr. Horrible's plan turns out, what will happen to Captain Hammer, and who will win over Penny's love. When all's said and done, I felt closer to Billy at the very end. The very last scene/song is so haunting. It ends so abruptly, almost mid-song, and you can clearly see how Billy feels about what he's done. I especially love the line "So you think justice has a voice, and we all have a choice" from the last song, because, in the end, Billy didn't get a choice. 
Although it's a sad ending, it is a very good ending. I highly recommend seeing this short film. I honestly love everything about it. It is a pile of happy contradictions. It is whimsical and serious; painful and hilarious; musical, but not corny. Even the characters contradict tradition: it is from the 'villain's' point of view, and the 'hero' is made out to be the bad guy. So go watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, because yes, there will be sadness, but there will also be joy, laughter, singing, and a lot of fun.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Series Three, OMG!


Oh my god guys, I can't even right now. I'm barely containing myself here. It's currently  taking all my self control to not flip out and start bashing my fingers on the keyboard. Excessive fangirling! aaaaahahhhhhhhhahhhhhhahahhahah he jko wqijoAW23 PREMNKL C3 ORK
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         Sorry about that. If you can't tell, I'm a bit excited. Series Three of Sherlock is finally here! If you don't know (you probably don't), the Sherlock fandom is widely regarded as the craziest one out there. The show is amazing, but the tragedy is that it has two series (British speak for seasons), each of which are three episodes long. That's right; the whole show is only six episodes. (And to be fair, they are 88 min each, but still, it's only SIX EPISODES!) To make matters worse, the show is written by the biggest trolls in the world, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Moffat also writes Doctor Who, and he has a habit of killing main caracters only to bring them back. He is known for making us afraid of ordinary objects such as a crack in the wall or a stone statue, and fans have been known to shout his name in distress when bad things happen. 
          But I digress. As I was saying, these trolls have tortured the entire fandom by ending Series Two with and insane cliffhanger. (Spoiler) In a battle of wits with Moriarty, Sherlock was forced to kill himself in order to save the lives of everyone he loves (admittedly, not many people.) So he jumps off a building, in front of his best friend John Watson. The final scene was John, in the graveyard, pleading with Sherlock's grave. ("Please, there's just one more thing. One more thing. One more miracle, Sherlock, for me. Don't be... dead.") At which point, everyone everywhere is not crying, we just have something in our eye, and we feel so bad for poor John Watson because of reasons. That is, until the camera pans around to show Sherlock, standing all mysterious with his cheekbones and his coat collar popped up, watching John from a distance and very much alive. Which is precisely when the entire fandom exploded, and when those great trolls decided it would be a perfect time for a two year hiatus. 
           So there have been no new episodes of Sherlock for two years, and in that time the fandom has been trying to figure out how Sherlock managed to fake his own death, creating gifs, analyzing every single detail of the show, drawing amazing fanart, and collectively losing their minds. But it's back now, and hopefully the fandom will regain some of it's sanity! Hopefully...


Freeman and Cumberbatch
          The show really is amazing. In case you hadn't deduced it, it's based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, but it takes place in modern-day London. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch (the most British and ridiculous name, though the actor himself is amazing) as Sherlock and Martin Freeman (also amazing) as John. Now, I feel like I'm overusing the word amazing, but that's the only way I can describe the acting on this show. Cumberbatch and Freeman really bring these characters to life in such a creative way that makes them both (at least in my opinion) much more interesting than in the original books. Their offscreen friendship mirrors Sherlock and John's friendship, and you truly get the sense that they're are a perfect team. The writing on the show is spectacular, and the cinematography is breathtaking. (There. I found some other adjectives.) The way it is filmed, there are times when it feels like you are looking into Sherlock's brilliant mind as he solves the case. 
          Currently, as I write this, the second episode of Series Three is airing in the UK. Because of reasons, I have to wait to see it online, but it's better than waiting until the 19th for episode one to air on TV in the US. The first episode was completely crazy, and the fandom all agrees that the writers spent the last two years on Tumblr, reading fanfics and theories about how Sherlock faked his death and incorporating them into the show. The sad news is that by tomorrow Series Three will be 2/3 over, and soon we'll be back to waiting. Whatever is left in store for Series Three, I'm sure it will be awesome, just as I'm sure it will end in another cliffhanger and year-and-a-half hiatus.