Diverse things

[bop_radar]

Drive-by post from moi, as I am shortly off to see The Dark Knight at IMAX (having finally convinced their booking system to give up a seat).

Dr Horrible was kinda fun, yes? I find Joss's shows at their best when he keeps the comedy in the forefront as the main focus, with the darker material as twists/unexpected punches in the gut. That's why BtVS worked so well for me, and why AtS was a bit dull to begin with while it took itself so earnestly. It's also why Firefly didn't work so well for me: it just wasn't funny enough. It's central raison d'etre was not to be a comedy--the comedy was just topping. Serenity levelled up for me largely because Joss brought his A-game comedy writing.

What Dr Horrible made me realise was that I find the darker elements of Joss-works far more interesting and moving when they are a contrast to the usually light comedic tone. *shrugs* I'm probably alone in that, but that's how it works for me. It makes me somewhat worried about whether I'll actually like Dollhouse, because the central premise is not comedic.

Also, Captain Hammer is the best role for Nathan Fillion ever. *giggles* Thanks, Joss, for taking the piss out of all those hero characters I hate. :D Penny was a write-off from the start, but the fact she died makes her role meta-y enough that I don't care.

And while I'm opin-ing, I loved that Bad Horse was actually a horse. *hearts*

What else is news? I watched an anime so boring/mad that I started shipping one character with a duck. (Don't ask!) I downloaded Middleman but am hesitating to watch it because it seems like it's about to get canned (feel free to persuade me otherwise!).

And it's that time of year again... the Melbourne International Film Festival started yesterday. This year, I just got a mini-pass (10 flicks) so it won't be as manic as last year and my first session is not until the weekend. I teamed up with a friend to slice through the impenetrably long program and come up with some priority viewing material... it got easier to be decisive after a few glasses of wine, but the results could be ... interesting. I'll report back. :p



I feel like saying that SO OFTEN in my chosen profession. :)

And finally, a shoutout/invitation to any BSG fans interested in running challenges during this here hiatus we're in. bsg_hiatusthon is yours for the co-opting!

Comments

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Finally got to see Dr. Horrible. It's funny, because I was spoiled accidentally for the ending, and saw lots of feminist rage saying don't watch act 3, but act 3 was actually the only part I thought was really funny. (Nathan Fillion was just absolutely hilarious, as were his groupies). I mean, I can see why people were made at Penny's death, but I don't know--it didn't actually seem gratuitous to me. I probably would have been expecting it even without spoilers--this *is* Joss we're talking about.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found her death FINE. To me, I had more feminist issues with Penny before she was killed, than after. At least being killed she served a narrative function! And no, I didn't find it gratuitous at all. TBH, I found the feminist grumblings very simplistic and to me they kind of missed the point... but I never seem to be on the same page as fandom, so there you go. Act III made it for me--without Act III it was tepid at best.

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with you that the real feminist argument about Penny was that she was just there to be the (extremely tepid) love interest. Though she didn't bother me so much because she actually seemed to be Josh's deliberate parody of one of his own character types--Anne/Lilly/whatever-her-name ended up being, the former goth chick from Buffy who ended up running the homeless shelter in Angel, though much more spineless? In fact, I almost saw Penny as a deliberate sendup of the helpless self-sacrificing heroine role, *especially* with the headlines afterward ("Heroes Girlfriend Dead," "Whats-her-Name Killed by Horrible"), showing how absurd it was just as Captain Hammer was a beautiful parody of a superhero and Dr Horrible was a remarkable send-up not only of mad scientists in general but specifically of the evil Trio from Buffy.

OMG, typing that I just remembered that I thought the absolute funniest bits were Captain Hammer explicitly stating that yes, by his hammer he meant his penis, and also explicitly saying he'd had sex with Penny when receiving that award.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I almost saw Penny as a deliberate sendup of the helpless self-sacrificing heroine role, *especially* with the headlines afterward
SAME. Exactly! I really read her that way as well--complete with thinking she referenced Anne/Lily. And as 'Hero's Girlfriend' she totally WAS a great parody. And given how many issues I have with Superheros' girlfriends in contemporary works (Spiderman, Superman, Batman, etc.), I felt it was appropriate. I thought her role was meta-y. If she'd been given some 'oh and then she became great and lived happily ever after ending' I'd have been way more annoyed.

'The hammer is my penis' was my favourite line.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Yikes! How did I log myself out? That comment above was me, if you couldn't tell.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I could tell. :)

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

We share a brain, it is confirmed!!!! (At least when it comes to the Jossverse).

I hope you are enjoying the film festival, by the way.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's actually felt a bit below-par this year TBH. I'm still enjoying it but there haven't been any really brilliant movies yet and there's a bit of chat about it being a flat year for films.