the list of now

I went to this website yesterday and it was a one-page, static image of Eliza Dushku, some teeny little videos and some links.  I went back today and it is totally different.  More information, more pages, more videos (bigger this time) yay!

It’s lovely.  And the videos are great.  I always love behind-the-scenes clips of Joss, but there is a really precious one of Joss “teaching” Eliza how to walk sexy.  (Listen to Eliza laugh!! Her laugh alone is crush-worthy.  Sigh.)

There is a promo on there that is new (or at least fairly new, because I hadn’t seen it or heard news of it yet.)  And the highlighted video in the top right-hand corner gives a really great introduction to the basic premise and characters of the show!

I. Can’t. Wait.

It premieres on February 13th, right after the new slot for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  Yes.  On a Friday. (where television shows go to die).

Fingers crossed that it won’t happen for either of these shows, because I’m invested.

I might do recaps.  Other blogs do recaps, why can’t I?

What do you say, loyal 5 readers, recaps?  I will pretend that you will weigh-in in the comments and I will have to take it into consideration.   Most likely it will come down to whether or not I have time every week.  We shall see.

Hulu has the promo reel:

Yay!

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog won a People’s Choice Award last night, for “Favorite Online Sensation”.

I thought it was a brilliant and fun short piece.  I am pleased to see something written and produced exclusively for the internet get recognized by a national award.  (even if I think the People’s Choice Awards are kind of silly.  and actually… I tend to think all awards shows are kind of silly).

If you didn’t catch it the first time around in serial form, you can get it on dvd now or still watch online at Hulu.

Can someone please get me a playdate with Joss Whedon for Christmas?   (and I mean that in a totally innocent way, he is the kind of guy I want to go bowling with.  For realz.  I just want him to be my new BFF.  Is that too much to ask?)

Joss Whedon reviewed the dvd of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog for Amazon.com

I’m just gonna go ahead and quote the whole damn thing, because I can’t pick a favorite part.

When Amazon asked me to review this movie, I was hesitant, as I’m not too familiar with the genre, and also I made it.  But I found Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog quite rewarding, which is to say, if you buy it, I will be rewarded with a small sum of money.  But what’s in it for you?  A few surprises, I won’t lie.  THE SECRET OF ETERNAL YOUTH.  The Dark Knight doesn’t have that, does it?  A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN EUROPE.  Not available with Mama Mia! BEES.  Deadly, hideous bees are contained in certain shipments, sorry.  We’re trying to control that.  But already, a pretty extraordinary disc.
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The film itself I didn’t really get.  Apparently young people today think it’s okay to make fun of supervillains.  In my day we treated them with respect and fear, especially when they were singing.  I did like the jokes, except when one man mentioned his secret love appendage to another, which I find crass.  But the tunes are very hummable, and many of them ran through my head as I fell asleep before the ending, which I’ll bet was a humdinger.  In fact, the whole movie humdinged.  I give it forty eight billion stars.
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The extras (Eternal life, Europe, Bees) were mostly exciting.  There is a whole second musical, called “Commentary!”, which harkens back to the days of Radio and of writing things really poorly.  I can’t recommend it enough.  (That should read “I can’t recommend it.  Enough!”  Sorry.)  Seriousfully, it’s not so much a commentary as chance for the cast and writers to make fun of each other in every musical style possible.  I give it forty eight billion stars.
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The extra extras are all solid fun, especially the many applications to the Evil League of Evil, sent by people who know how to show a supervillain the proper respect.  I was promised eggs, but did not find any eggs, only horrible, stinging bees, but I am told the eggs are good.  That is my review.  I think you should buy the DVD every day forever, and I am totally unbiased.  Happy Holidays! –Joss Whedon

Joss – I love you.

Everyone else – if you are unable to get him to be my new BFF for Christmas, can someone at least buy me this dvd?

Thank you.

At New Scientist magazine, in preparation for a special November 15th issue about sci-fi, they polled their entire staff to list their favorite sci-fi books and movies.  I look forward to reading this issue for full details, but this post on their website revealed the top choices in film:

Favourite sci-fi film:

Blade Runner, the 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott (based loosely on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick), was the clear favourite, with its human androids and robotic humans. “It’s a great story, emotionally involving and well acted – and still has a mystery. Was Harrison Ford’s cop really a cyborg?” wrote one of our editors.

Runners-up:

Three films tied for second place:

• 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 epic based on a story by Arthur C Clarke, was popular despite (or perhaps because of) its notoriously enigmatic finale.
• Solaris, Andrei Tarkovsky’s languorous 1972 film about mysterious visitations on an alien world. “Very haunting,” noted one editor.
• Serenity, the 2005 space opera from Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) that topped a previous New Scientist poll. “A relatively grown-up plot: the imperial enemy may be in the wrong, but aren’t actually evil,” noted one of our writers.

Yay Joss!  Yay Serenity.  Aside from my love of all things Joss, I really think Firefly (and Serenity as an extension of it) is his best work that we have seen yet.   I think it’s a nearly perfect project in writing, design and all aspects of production.   The greatest strength of Serenity is that it works as a complete feature film AND as an extension of the series.   I actually know someone who has seen the film several times and loved it, and still hasn’t “gotten around” to watching the series.  (I know, he’s crazy)  But it is proof that it works that way.  It created and delivers on it’s world in a roughly two-hour frame.

Even though I fully think it deserves the honor, I am kind of delightfully surprised to see it recognized here.

They also voted on their worst, the most gratuitously scantily-clad female characters, the most incomprehensible and my favorite category – “the most ardently loved AND fervently hated” -  in which one of my favorite-favorites, The Matrix is noted.  I can understand that, because I am of two minds about it myself.  I love that film, but am easily annoyed by Keanu Reeves and now have a bit of trouble divorcing it from the second and third installments, which I found very disappointing.

They have also opened up the voting to the fans. Results will be revealed in the November 15th issue.

Go here to vote for your favorite sci-fi films!

You can also vote for books and in case you are curious, here is the post about their favorite sci-fi books.  Douglas Adams’ A Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was their top pick.  I am ashamed to admit that I have never read it.*  (Although I always intend to, it’s on the list I promise! I just ((cringe)) never “get around to it”.

*If anyone needs me, I will be hiding from the stealth squad that has now been dispatched to remove me of my geek card and credentials.