all five horizons

I watched the final act of Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on Saturday and was not disappointed.  Surprised?  Yes.  Moved? Yes.  Entertained?  Absolutely.  I just read Stephanie’s post about this piece of filmaking history and she hit the nail on the head. I won’t even try to say it better myself so I encourage you to click on through to her fantastic post.  Here is a taster and something which rang completely true for me:

Joss Whedon is the only director I know who can have you rolling on the floor in laughter until he decides the laughter should die. And then it’s gone. Just like that.

The Deltoids of Compassion « Dube’s World.

ps I never really got the Nathan Fillion thing until I saw Firefly in full and now I am smitten.  Even when he is playing a vain, arrogant douche of a super-hero.

It is true that there were few technical difficulties which meant that anyone outside the US was not able to IMMEDIATELY view part 1 of the FREE mini-film ’sing-a-long blog’ written by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel and Firefly), his two brothers Jed and Zach and Jed’s fiancée Maruissa Tancharoen.  The fact that these problems were sorted in a matter of hours is nothing short of heroic (well, I guess not compared to fighting fires and shit but you know what I mean) and all those people moaning about US bias should really put a sock in it because, um hello?  IT’S FREE!

So once the Hulu streaming worked for me,  I was able to sit down and joy 13 plus minutes of soft-centred goodness.  Dr Horrible, played by Neil Patrick Harris, is a super-villain who is trying to earn his stripes.  As well as trying to take over the world, he also happens to be in love with a girl in his laundrette called Penny (played by Felicia Day).

His arch-nemesis is Captain Hammer  a.k.a. him of the cute southern twang, impressive torso but questionable hair, Nathan Fillion (he’s so shiny).  Dr Horrible also has a rather soggy friend called Moist (played by Simon Helberg) whose superpower ostensibly seems to be making things erm, well, moist.

This is what the Dr Horrible MySpace page says about it (totally worth a look for the behind-the-scenes photos, BTW):

The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to. Featuring Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny and a cast of dozens. Written by Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, and Zack Whedon. Directed by Joss Whedon. Produced by David Burns, Michael Boretz, and Joss Whedon. Music by Joss Whedon and Jed Whedon. Lyrics by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen. Score and Orchestration by Jed Whedon.

The songs are great as are the performances and I am planning on watching this a few more times until Act II is available sometime on Thursday.

I am really enjoying watching Angel Season 5 again.  The Angel / Spike dynamic really made this season and the most recent episode I watched, Damaged, also had a favourite Buffy Alum, Tom Lenk as the hilarious Andrew: the upgraded version!

I also just watch David Boreanaz’s dictorial debut and listened to the commentary (I am a bit of a commentary geek - I can’t get enough of them!).

Bones Season 3 premiered on Sky last night AT LAST so I can get my Booth and Brennan fix on a weekly basis once again without having to trawl YouTube for inferior quality video.

It is the start of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Postin Month) and I will endeavour to make it further than I did last year.

I have recently been getting a daily dose of Dawson’s Creek (season 3) and Angel (Season 4) which are some of my favourite seasons of TV.  HOWEVER.  About Dawsons:

• Why oh why is Joey’s love interest (the one that isn’t Pacey) so wet and unappealing.  It is really annoying and insulting to think that she would even bother to look at him when he so very BLAH.
• Is the whole fish restaurant storyline meant to be exciting and interesting?  I cannot FF fast enough through that shit.

And about Angel:

• What happened between Charisma Carpenter and Joss Whedon for him to so royally screw up the whole Cordelia character and evil plotline (even though it isn’t really her, it meant that Charisma had to be a bitch which is not nice to see) and then comatose her until one single episode in Season 5?  I would love to be a fly on the wall when she read that script.
• At what point exactly did Wes go from being an irritating but quite funny geekoid to a rather ruggedly handsome but humourless stud muffin?
• Why was I sad that Lyla died?
• Am I meant to be creeped out by Gina Torres?  I will only ever see her as Anna Espinosa, I’m afraid.  Roll on Spike and season 5.

Discovering and really liking:

Looking forward to watching every week:

Still watching avidly:

Still enjoying very much indeed even though it’s been cancelled:

Still not 100% sure about:

Persevering with even though it is past it’s best mainly because Tom Welling is hot:

Given up on:

Watching for the gagillionth time:

Looking forward to contining to watch for the gazillionth time:

Going to try to watch the whole series this time:

Waiting for the DVDs back before starting the whole series again:

Waiting for the DVDs to be returned so I can watch the good seasons again:

Trying find time to watch Season 5 again as I have the DVDs:

Planning to watch very soon:

created by The Countess at www.fireflyfans.net

Wishing I had Seasons 4, 5, 6 and 7:

And finally, eagerly anticpating the return…:

I watched the first episode of Dirt last night and dug it.  I thought Courtney Cox’s portrayal of a ruthless magazine was spot on and all the more intriguing given Cox’s own brushes with the paparazzi and trashy magazines.  It was bold, quirky and took no prisoners.  I am struggling to see how I will be able to relate to Lucy, Cox’x character.  I am hoping that she was develop into having more sides to her than the uber-ambitious super-bitch.  It is not that I have anything against a strong woman in a position of power but it is not someone I would like to spend time with.  When I watch programmes, it is like I am hanging out with the characters so I end up only really enjoying shows which have likeable people who do not infuriate constantly, no matter how entertaining or interesting that may be for other people.

It is for this very reason that I am not really enjoying the part of Season 2 of Angel that I am watching now (I think I have just remembered why I have not seen is that much).  Angel has fired his scoobies and is acting like a total jerk on a mission.  I like my Angel brooding yet lovable.  Not acting like a self-righteous prick.  I must perservere because the episodes are actually pretty exciting.  I was watching last night and ended up FFing through the many Wolfram and Hart scenes - much as I like a bit of Lindsay and Lilah, scene after scene of their scheming and machinataions is a bit dull.  But let’s be clear on something.  I still LOVE Angel.  The man and the show.

Big Brother’s fake eviction on Friday was a big disappointment.  Charley was meant to be completely humiliated but instead, her ego was massaged and she was completely untouched by the attempt at a rude awkening to her abhorrent behaviour.

I am looking forward to her real eviction because she is not going to win.  That is 100% certain.

I have been watching the first few epidoses of Angel Season 2 following my recent purchase of the DVDs.  I forgot how much I really love this series.  Buffy will always be my favourite of the two (in fact, Buffy could be my favouite series full stop) but Angel is a worthy spin-off.  Season 2 is also the season I have seen the least so it is nice watching it not quite remembering what happens next.  Wes is really coming into his own, Cordelia is becoming a real champion in her own right and Angel is, of course, brooding and sexy and nobel and a little flawed and all that good stuff that makes him pretty cool.  Gunn is not my favourite character - I never really warmed to him even at the end but at least he has gotten over himslf even to be tolerable.

I am still digging:

What About Brian - a guilty pleasure
Dexter - it was cracking again last night - I am still very much a fan of this show albeit only two episodes in. 
Scrubs - Season 6 has just started on E4 so we are watching that - it is weird that Turk is a dad and JD will be one but I still love the show.
My Name is Earl - We had stopped watching My Name is Earl but now the third season is back on E4, we watched a couple of episodes over the weekend - it makes perfect filler - light and funny with likeable characters.

Things ready to watch:

NCIS (episodes from Season 1 and 4)
Dirt - I have the first episode to watch and the second is tonight - not sure if I will like this or not.
The Simpsons - random episodes

We watched You, Me and Dupree which was enjoyable and funny.  And had Owen Wilson (although he is definitely not on my list - I made the right call there).  We also watched Aeon Flux which was much better than expected.  I had fairly low expectations since it did not get great reviews but I really liked it.  I am a bit of a sucker for a film that looks beautiful.  Plus I have pretty low standards when it comes to films.  I liked Doom.

It’s been a while, I know, but I am thinking I will start writing on this blog again.  My love for TV has never wavered, you will be pleased to learn and I have been watching plenty so should have lots to talk about.

I recently discovered Dark Angel (why do I always get really into these programmes AFTER they have been cancelled!?).  The SciFi Channel has just finished showing the whole series.  There are flaws in it, to be sure, but I am a sucker for a sci-fi heroine and the show had a good mix of romance and action.  HOWEVER.  Why on earth did they continue with the whole ‘Max can’t touch Logan without killing him’ thing?  I can only assume they were hoping for a thrid series to sort it all out.  Or that they are cynical and loveless fools.  I really am a hopeless romantic so I like it when the lead girl and the lead boy actually GET IT ON at some point.

I have also got myself a new crush - fairly inevitable when I watch a TV show with a good looking man - Michael Weatherly.  He played Logan in Dark Angel and now stars in NCIS.  Naturally, this means I have started watching this.  In fact, I am watching two different seasons since it is being shown on FX and Five.  You gotta love Sky +!  I really like me a detective type show and this one is pretty cool.  The investigations are quirky, the characters’ chemistry really works and, well, Michael Weatherly is in it, like I said.  His character, Tony Dinozzo, is either a loveable rogue or complete misogynist.  Since MW is so cute, I am going with loveable rogue.  Because I have no shame.

I have also just purchased Angel Season 2  boxset and the Firefly series.  I am totally in love with Joss Whedon.  I have never really watched Firefly - I gave it a shot a while back but after watching (and liking) Serenity, I am looking forward to seeing the whole series.

In other Whedon news, I am just about to watch the final episode of Buffy for the gagillionth time.   I have also subscribed to the new Buffy Season 8 comic, written by Joss, which makes me officially a bone fide Buffy-nerd.  The comic is fantastic - great art work and and dialogue.  The Whedon touch makes it very authentic.  The comic is a ‘what happened next’ for all the die-hard fans who have suffered a great loss since the series finished: Dawn’s a giant!  Xander’s a Watcher!  Amy is evil!  Warren is ‘alive’ (sans skin)!

Another new programme I have discovered is What About Brian.  I watched an episode mid-season and noticed that Jabrams (JJ Abrams of Alias and Lost fame) is the executive producer.  I was not disappointed.  Perfect light entertainment.

I was starting to worry I wasn’t going to have anything to watch after the season finales of ER, Ugly Betty, Lost, and 24 but what with all this viewing and Big Brother 8 (I know, I know but I can’t help it), it looks like I will survive after all!

My recent lack of regular or substantial posting is not due to the fact that I have renounced TV and all it stands for.  I have been watching more than my fair share as usual but I have not been watching anything worth talking about.  I am not having the best time of it at the moment, so I am watching anything to take my mind off things and nothing that requires me to think too hard.  And if I have to post on here, then some thought about what I am watching is required.  To tide things over,  here are my impressions of my TV-watching week:

• That 70s Show is still keeping me entertained.  Hyde is still pretty sexy and Eric is still cute.  Kelso is still dumb but entertaining and Fez the same.  Donna is pretty and kicks ass and Jackie is annoying but sweet too.  It is like friends only they are all younger, and you have fantastic clothes and music and references.  Plus they all smoke dope, which whilst I do not find it in itself to be particularly clever (Just Say No to drugs, kids), it is fugging hilarious when it’s done on primetime TV.  I am now picturing Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Joey sitting the The Circle getting stoned.  It would probably be called The One where They Get Stoned.  Or something.
• I have finally finished watching Jane Eyre after getting confused with the BBCs scheduling and not realising I could have watched the final episode last week.  In any case, it was good.  Not great but good, and I still want to read the book as I am intrigued to know if Charlotte Bronte was as racy as it seems from the adaptation.  Jane Austen never has people kissing who aren’t married and yet Jane and Mr Rochester kiss.  A lot.  Not that I am a prude but I am just interested to see if times had really changed that much in 30-odd years.  Actually thinking about how things were in 1972, times probably had changed that much.
• I have watched the first episode of Robin Hood which I thought was great fun.  The characters seem to be well-rounded (for example the comic foil, Much, was the archetypal side-kick but also showed a vunerable and emotional side when asked about the violent crusades from where he and Robin had just come.  Robin is quite charming and handsome enough to get away with it but not too much to be unbelievable in the role.  I still have a couple of episodes to catch up on and given the good start, I think I will persevere.
• I tried to watch Firefly because it came from the great Joss Whedon but  just couldn’t get into it.  It doesn’t help that I can’t help thinking that the Sci-Fi Channel missed the very beginning of the first episode because when I tried to read the TWoP recaps, they didn’t seem to match what I had just watched.  We have borrowed the spin-off film Serenity so I will give that a go, and if I like it, maybe try the DVDs of Firefly.  I want to like this so much because anyone who can make Buffy and Angel, is a TV-genius.
• This season of Extras has now come to an end and it didn’t disappoint.  De Niro was good but the scene with the sexy pen was just priceless.  Stephen Merchant is just brilliant.  I read that the actress who plays Maggie, Ashley Jensen, has a part in Ugly Betty, a new show in the US.  The show sounds fab and I am hoping that her appearance will mean some interest over here so that they pick it up on one of our channels.  Jessica from TWoP (who recapped the final couple seasons of Dawson’s Creek) is recapping it so reading those would enhance my enjoyment I am sure.

Another show I would like to see over here is Heroes.  The review of this show were mixed when it first came out but things seem to be improving and I am hearing more and more good things.  The fact that Erin is recapping also means I would like to watch/read - its just not the same reading the recaps if you haven’t seen it.  The laughing-through-the-nose-in-recognition is the main reason I read TWoP recaps.

Until yesterday, I have been in Italy since Friday and so have been without TV for five days.  It is probably exactly what I needed because I was getting just a little bit obsessed with the whole Pacey and Joey storyline in Season 6 of DC.  In fact, even being in this beautiful Alpine village, I am still mulling it over in my mind.  And I must admit I was more than just a little bit excited about getting back so that I can watch Season 6 properly, which I started last night!  I was doing so well - I had watched nearly the whole of Season 5 without skipping anything but I just found it impossible not to skip to the Jacey bits meaning I missed the vast majority of the last season - a season I have never actually seen.  Still now that I have got that (nearly) out of my system, I started watching it again last night and have got back to the part when Eddie returns so I have to watch again poor Pacey get his heart ripped out , which is not that fun to be honest.

I have had to start thinking ahead to my next TV project because, lets face it, I only have 5 hours (or 7 episodes) of DC left to watch so except for rewatching my favourite bits, I must make a plan!!!   I am thinking, Angel.  I bought the first season but didnt get round to watching it all and have since lent it out to friends.  So I think that is the perfect place to start since I already have the DVDs - I just need to get them back from friends.  We also have some Family Guys DVDs we still haven’t watched and also the first season of Scrubs, which we borrowed from the same friends that borrowed Angel.  Add to that all the That 70s Show episode to catch up on, I am quite sure I wont have to worry too much about filling my Dawson void.

One last thing…  Alias Season 5 countdown: 75 days!