red_satin_doll | I've posted a second vid rec list to Buffyverse Top 5

Entry tags:

I've posted a second vid rec list to Buffyverse Top 5

Once again, it took me all damn day (because I'm slow, badly organized and indecisive) - and once again it was worth it. TBT5 is one of the very best ways I know of in this fandom to discover works I've missed otherwise. And it's fun to see what other people come up with! F.ex.

snogged posted a recs list of "remix" fanfics - how cool and clever is that?

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record: the range of work that is rec'd there - hell, the sheer volume of material I'm having to sift through just to cut down to "top 5" this or that in any medium - is proof-positive that this fandom is not dying. I know I wasn't there "back in the day", or back when everyone was scratchin' and fightin' over the comics. But I've participated in a "dying fandom", i.e. dead and flatlined within five years: no more vids, fics, no discussion or creativity. I know from a dead fandom, and the Buffyverse, darlings, ain't it.

Now go and share some love, pretty please.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I love a good video - they say so much don't they?

It's not something I will aver attempt as there is just so much emotion that could go so wrong! (And I never get time to do the things I want to do already!!)

I must try to do a Top 5 post of something - sometimes it's hard to "just" do 5!

I would love to make vids, because I loved doing film editing in college and actually considered it as a profession, but then editing switched to video(VHS) from film; and I ended up having a couple of seizures. (I think it would be different now with digital editing - the pixels are much smaller, the imagery higher quality. early VHS video editing was terribly crude.)

In some ways I envy videos - ONE shot of a person's expression can be so powerful, more visceral than I can achieve with pages and pages of writing; but as a writer I have a "blank page" to take anywhere, vidders are constrained by the pre-existing material.

I must try to do a Top 5 post of something - sometimes it's hard to "just" do 5!

You can do as many "top 5" posts as you like; a lot of people do five of one type of genre (as I did with vids) or very something very specific, like in Oct when

rebcake did five stories that were about therapy in the Buffyverse. Or mix it up.

That said - I am HORRIBLE at list making. I have over 20 metas on a list next to me for possible inclusion and I have to winnow it down somehow.

I had also been thinking about "top 5 icons" or icon makers for the year but - that's weirdly subjective; I actually had your Buffy S7 icons in mind. I'm rather hoping that people who do more art/icons/manips/gifs etc might jump in with recs because I really don't "live" in that corner of fandom creativity.

Hadn't realised editing was something you could do ... wow, such skills! I think the combinations seen on some fan video of a shot from the series linked with a poignant line in a song is truly sensational.

I did do a Top 5 of someone else's art work, although ended up doing 10 as I couldn't decide which ones to pick. I tend to find it hard to decide on a favourite, so picking a set is impossible!

I have been hopelessly disorganised recently and the bugs I am fighting have made things worse.

I haven't done any actual editing in a couple of decades. Back in college (a million years ago, *lol*) I started with 8mm film, a crude, handcranked roller system with very small viewscreen, a hot blade and glue at my dormroom desk in the wee hours. And I LOVED it. It reminded me of quilting (which I've admittedly never done) on one level; but I loved the craft of it, crude as it was, and I loved choosing and putting together the pieces and creating meaning through that. That's where the film really takes shape because before you edit, you may have a story on paper or even a concept, but the rough footage doesn't tell a story on it's own.

I think maybe the closest thing in my life right now to editing is, oddly enough, cooking, which I also love. You have a lot of separate ingredients but I have to chose what might go well with what to create something entirely new.

I did do a Top 5 of someone else's art work, although ended up doing 10 as I couldn't decide which ones to pick.

You mean comlodge</>'s? Yes I saw those posts, excellent choices! I know we can post as many "top five" posts here as we wish but whittling her's down is quite the task (and near impossible, I'd guess.)

I had thought about posting her top 5 IMO female-centric art (as opposed to Spuffy, Spike, or Spangel etc); but you've shone the spotlight on her so it only seems fair to shine it on others. Someone else posted artwork but that's an area of fandom I'm not really familiar with. I wouldn't know who else to recommend. (I've seen some excellent fanart on deviant art but i tend to forget to bookmark what I like.) I've started to bookmark artwork and gifsets on tumblr, mostly ones that have a "meta" quality that compare different episodes etc.

the bugs I am fighting have made things worse.

I'm so sorry about that! I'd have hoped you'd be better by now. (I'm not sure again what this bug is?) I hope it's warmer where you are than where I am - in the teens here in southern New England (below zero in Vermont according to my landlord who just got back from there) and terribly harsh winds.

Edited 2014-01-07 18:51 (UTC)

I am right there with you, because my other fandom is dying, so, like you, I know the difference.

I love Buffyverse Top 5... and the Buffverse.

Gabrielle

May I ask which other fandom you're referring to?

Profiler. Nobody writes in it regularly at all. I think there are - maybe - five people even marginally active in it worldwide?

Gabrielle

Never heard of it to be honest - that's a tv show?

I can tell you that Crossing Jordan has a fandom that consists of two people - me and

bone_dry1013 basically; a lot of stuff in Bones is stolen from CJ, and it's a much better show than Bones. I don't get the huge Bones fandom at all.

Yes it was, and a damn good one. It ran from 1996-2000. The first three seasons (and first two episodes of Season 4) are about a slightly psychic FBI Profiler named Samantha Waters working with the Violent Crimes Task Force. They solve many different cases, but their main focus is an elusive, brilliant serial killer called Jack of All Trades who has a fixation on Samantha. He has already killed her husband and she, her daughter Chloe, and her best friend Angel (who is an artist) have to live under 24 hour guard. The show also features the other members of the VCTF, like Bailey Malone (the head of the VCTF, who has a daughter named Frannie who appears sometimes) John Grant (a womanizing agent who has a bit of a thing for Sam), George Fraley(the computer wizard, who is gay and has a boyfriend who sometimes appears), and Grace Alvarez, the pathologist (who I ship with Jack - please don't judge). Jack also acquires a protege named Jill (played by Traci Lords... yes, that Traci Lords).

I watched two episodes of Bones. That's two more than I wish I had.

Gabrielle

Edited 2014-01-04 01:12 (UTC)

I just looked up Profiler on Netflix and OF COURSE they don't have it in instant streaming (again); my sweetie and I are thinking of switching to Hulu Plus.

Iwatched two episodes of Bones. That's two more than I wish I had.

Proving once again that you are a much, MUCH wiser woman than I. I'm curious what season those two eps were from. The first two seasons had a lot to recommend them as a fun series with likable characters and a female protagonist I enjoyed (I really liked Booth and Brennan as partners/friends and even sort of surrogate brother-sister); and then mid S3 it started to spiral downhill rapidly, right at the same time DB and ED became executive producers.

Now I barely recognize the Brennan I once was fond of in this idiot changeling replacement version they have now, and the "teacheable moments" are so heavy-handed and saccharine they make my head and my teeth ache at the same time.

It's so bad even my sweetie gave up on it.

Sadly, Profiler is not available on HuluPlus either, or Amazon Prime. GRRR!

Gabrielle

Sadly, Profiler is not available on HuluPlus either, or Amazon Prime.

Wow! Thank you so much for plugging my remix rec lists!

Also...I agree with you that the Buffyverse isn't dead and isn't dying.

There are fandoms with the shows still on the air that have less participation than the Buffyverse (*cough cough* How I Met Your Mother *cough cough*)

*cough cough* How I Met Your Mother *cough cough*

*SNORFLE*

I'm shocked the show has lasted as long as it has - we found out Robin isn't the mother in episode one. I just finished S8 and they're still doing the Barney/Robin/Ted dance yadda yadda? That got boring years ago. Dude, move on already!

I'm a diehard HIMYM fan and can assure you the show does return to it's awesome roots in Season 9.

What made me sad is there used to be a huge RPG (that I was part of), fandom awards, and active participation in the LJ communities. There is still a decent chunk of activity at the

barneyrobin comm, but it's not like it used to be.

Oh good to hear. Who is your favorite character btw? "Robin Sherbatsky" is the best name in the history of fictional character names ever (don't ask me why I just love the sound of it. It rolls trippingly off the tongue.) And I love me some Marshall and Lily awesomeness, although I think of the core group Lily on her own is the least interesting to me.

I actually liked the first few episodes of S8 a LOT - it felt like it was it was getting it's groove back. For one thing Cobie Smulders wasn't as terribly thin as last season (yes, I notice that stuff) and best of all Robin wasn't so mopey and depressed (over Barney of all people). I LOVED the interaction of the core group and their partners, not only as couples but especially as a group - the gals ganging up on the guys in the "marriage contract" episode for instance. I liked Victoria as a partner for Ted more than any other woman he'd been with except Robin, the two seemed like a good fit.

And then they elimated all the partners within a few episodes very quickly; I particularly disliked that we're suddenly told that Robin's boyfriend was incredibly dumb when in fact he is a chef with a successful (if cheesy) cooking show (you don't become a chef or get your own tv show) as well as extremely thoughtful and patient when he'd cooked her a special dinner and she blew him off to help out Barney. But then they had to make him dumb as an excuse to write him off? Ugh. And in fact they made Robin, one of my favorite characters, incredibly unlikeable that season - the way she blew off her boyfriend for Barney and especially the constantly screamed at Patrice made her not only seem crazy and irrational but mean and bitchy, and thoroughly unlikeable, none of which I'd ever associated with Robin before. I ask for so little in life - don't ruin my favorite characters, is that too much to ask? *LMAO*

When they took away the gang's new partners, the air went out of the show for a little while and the new few eps were much less funny because the freshness that the other people added to the interactions and dynamics was gone. (Imagine btvs without anyone in the series except Buffy and the core four. No Anya, Oz, Cordy, Tara, Joyce, Dawn, Angel, Spike, Jenny, Faith etc.)

But as long as it amuses me I'll stick with it - my sweetie was disappointed when we finished S8 and realized we'd have to wait almost a year for the next season on Netlix. (Netflix has so few really good tv series - or at least ones that appeal to her - that we're thinking of switching to Hulu Plus and trying that out. A lot of series people have rec'd to me here on LJ are not available, and I never got to finish watching Nurse Jackie when they split the DVD/streaming options.)

There is still a decent chunk of activity at the barneyrobin comm, but it's not like it used to be.

Is that because the series is winding down?

I always confuse the acronym RPG (role playing game) with RPF (real person fic) btw. *lol*

I think each character has been my favorite at one point or another. I would probably have to say Robin because she can be pretty damn hardcore. I adore LAME. They're easily my most favorite canon couple ever.

I've always been a big fan of Ted/Victoria.

I do agree that it helps to have characters outside of the Core Five. It definitely keeps things interesting.

Actually...the BarneyRobin comm hit a big snag in Season 5 and hasn't really recovered from it. A lot of people seemed to lose interest in writing for prompts and discussing the show after Barney and Robin first broke-up.

*lol*

Well..RPG does involve real people, aka "The Usual Suspects" (yes, our group coined a name for itself. But mostly it was just like one giant fanfic series written by multiple authors. :)

I think the best thing to come out of my love affair with HIMYM though is my friendship with

secondmezzanine. She lives about four hours away from me and we have made a point to see each other about once a year!

Lily and Marshall have an acronym? Of course they are anything but lame. "the only argument Marshall and I have is whether Tommy-boy is awesome or super-awesome. That's LOVE, bitches." (*overhead high-five*) They're one of my favorite married couples on tv, ever. I think in American tv it's hard to find married couples who are realistic (or as realistic as HIMYM can be): they fight and have difficulties, they're not always happy, but they are also still attracted to each, still in love and still working on the relationship.

I've always been a big fan of Ted/Victoria.

the actress handled the comedy and the quiet drama equally well; and that she was a good visual match for Ted: attractive but not impossibly pretty. I saw the actress who is going to be the mother at the end of S8 and WHY does it have to be someone who's conventionally "model pretty"? WHY???

the BarneyRobin comm hit a big snag in Season 5

I think maybe part of it had to do with the fact that they made their last break-up so visually repugnant? via the magic of make-up Barney and Robin became horribly fat, their complexions were hideous etc. (Which is actually a sort of gross assumption about "fat people" - plus-sized folks can still be very attractive. Not that Hollywood would ever know that.) They brought out the worst in each other but the show went WAY over the top to make the point. I think that's hard to shake from the mind's eye (I know it is for me.)

The other problem for me personally is that I had expected more growth from Barney by this point, and I think I'd want that to be convinced that they are good for each other. The ep where he proposes, she's mad at the way he's manipulated her, the subterfuge and says "This is why we can never be together!" (Cobie was great in that scene.) I was thinking YES, exactly! And then he proposes and her objections magically go away? Doesn't work for me.

I think I've finally figured out that they made a mistake by telling us in the very first episode that Robin was NOT the mother. They basically clanged the gate shut on that entire storyline. So when they're attracted to each other, when they've gotten together for brief periods or Ted is silently pining for her, my reaction is, "whatever. You're not ending up together so there's no suspense there and I have no reason to care."

this is pretty much the same reason I hate the movie trope that I've seen quite frequently in the last 20 years: starting a film at the end with a significant event and then working backwards. I'm talking about purely fictional stories, and not biographies or ones based on real events. (f.ex.We know the Titantic was going to sink, etc) One I saw a couple years ago had Miranda Richards (one of my favorite actresses) as a wife and mother to three daughters in the 1960's in Canada; the very FIRST scene of the movie is her funeral. Then the movie goes backwards from the POV of one of her daughters. I see that a lot nowadays and if I already know that this major thing is going to happen, this person is going to die, etc, then it takes the surprise (and most of the emotional weight) out of it, and it actually makes me a little antsy, like, I know you're going to die, more on already.

I think Moulin Rouge was an exception - somehow I began to care so much for the characters and got so invested in them (and so pulled in by the great chemistry between Nicole and Ewan, not to mention the visuals) that I hoped against hope that Satine wouldn't die. And at the same time I was waiting for her to die and fearing the ending, the way I knew beforehand Joyce and Tara were going to die but didn't know when or how.

Remember when Kennedy guesses correctly that Willow turns off Moulin Rouge before Satine dies to preserve the happy ending? I've done that. And WHY did it only just now occur to me that OF COURSE Willow would turn off before the last scene - Tara died in her arms, she wouldn't want to watch the same thing happen onscreen; she'd want to preserve the fantasy of the happy ending, what "should have been". (I am dense.)

I agree with you on Marshall and Lily's relationship. It's nice to see a married couple portrayed so well on TV.

I'm not going to lie....I watch the show when it airs so I know a lot more about the "Mother" and I pretty much adore her. I also don't view her as "model pretty." I view her more as "bohemian pretty."

I agree that the break-up was "visually repugnant." But the biggest complaints I see on the BarneyRobin comm is how out-of-character they became and that's pretty much the rant ever since. I actually tend to avoid the community because I want to enjoy the show for what it is, instead of watching every episode get picked apart by petty commentary.

I'm with you on Moulin Rouge. I've turned it off before it ends too.

I appreciate you enduring my criticisms then! I'll say no more and wait for S9 with anticipation of the funny! (I hate the long time lags but thems the breaks.)

Re: MR, then I would feel guilty about "subverting" the director's intentions and would watch that dying scene anyway and cry. It was Ewan's cry of anguish that sent me into tears EVERY single time.

I haven't watched MR in years but I did literally "gorge" on it - watched it countless times, actually wrote one fanfic on ff.et that I still think is pretty good;made tons of icons; LOVED LOVED LOVED the costumes (my favorite is the Come What May rehearsal dress that buttons down the front and is worn with the heart-shaped "indian" headdress.) And I have the collectors red curtain box set with the extras disk. That DVD was probably the gold standard along with the LoTR special editions in terms of extras. (I have no idea about DVD's nowadays.)

I think the best thing to come out of my love affair with HIMYM though is my friendship with secondmezzanine. She lives about four hours away from me and we have made a point to see each other about once a year!

I met my friend Kendra Saunders through a Nicole Kidman fanboard over ten years ago. We were both MR fans.
http://kendralsaunders.com

Yay for not dead yet! I know I'm not ready to quit.

I know I'm not ready to quit.

Coolness. And I just got here a year and a half ago so, still a newbie here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've posted a second vid rec list to Buffyverse Top 5

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

This always gets too long (it's a sickness)

Re: This always gets too long (it's a sickness)

Re: This always gets too long (it's a sickness)

no subject

no subject

no subject