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.
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.
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!
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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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...
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Freeman and Cumberbatch |
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.
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