raincitygirl

12_12_12 has extremely interesting thoughts on Orphan Black. Spoilers for the whole first season at the link. In related news, I successfully convinced the brother to watch the show (Space, the Canadian channel which shows it, has all eps up on its website, although only available to Canadian URLs). He watched 1.01 last night, then burned through 1.02 through 1.04 today (he didn't have to go to work today), and he loves it. Just goes to show, not every TV show or movie has to be all about the menz. Guys will still watch it even if it's got icky girl germs everywhere.

I am thrilled, partly because I now have someone offline to squee with, and partly just the delight of sharing something I enjoyed and having someone else enjoy it as well. Plus, the last female-centred show I tried to introduce him to was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He watched the pilot and just didn't care for it. Maybe because the pilot was fairly weak, compared with the rest of the show. I also thought Orphan Black's pilot ep was fairly weak compared with what came next, so I was a little worried it would be a repeat of what happened with T:SCC, but no, he loved the pilot. I think part of why the pilot felt weak to me was (cutting for spoilers):( Read more... )

I am reminded of Captive Prince, the original fic novel by freece, in which the first five or so chapters are not that interesting, comparatively speaking. freece's viewpoint character is Damen, and everything we learn is what Damen sees for himself and interprets for himself. That tight POV comes in really handy in later parts of the story, and makes for fabulously complex prose. Freece writes like a detective novelist, writing not only what her viewpoint character observes, but also scattering in little clues in conversation that Damen doesn't pick up on but the reader does.

But in the earliest chapters, Damen's POV is much more limited (necessarily so), and the reader has to plough through some bog-standard plot stuff in order to get to the fabulous stuff later on. But it's tough to convince someone to read a fic (or watch a show) if they need to plough through. People (and I include myself here) like things to snap right from the first scene. I always find it awkward reccing something and having to say, "But the pilot ep's not that good. You need to keep watching," or, "But the first few chapters aren't that good. You need to keep reading." People are busy. Which is not to say that either freece or Orphan Black are hurting for readers/viewers. But it's interesting all the same.

I suspect part of my discomfort with reccing something that doesn't POP right from the start is because I'm putting my reputation on the line when I rec something. If someone clicks through and reads/watches because of my rec, and doesn't like it, they're probably less likely to click through the next time I rec something. Eeek! RESPONSIBILITY! Or that could just be me.

I’m still obsessed with Orphan Black, and probably anybody who doesn’t watch the show is bored to tears by now. Whatever, my show’s awesome. And UK-based people, apparently BBC Three is picking it up. No word yet on air dates, though. Cutting for rambling, stream-of-consciousness spoilers for the whole season:( Read more... )

Incidentally, I suck. In my last post, the link *did* have spoilers in it. Vague ones but spoilers nonetheless. Cosmic irony: in a post complaining about someone else spoiling people, I did it as well.

So, I finished Season 1 of Orphan Black, and I am so glad it’s been renewed for a second season. I’ve also pre-ordered the Blu-Ray, as it comes out in July. Disjointed spoilery thoughts below:( Read more... )

So, does anybody have any links to good discussion posts, or comms about Orphan Black? Thanks in advance.

Couple sitting outside Starbucks laughing indulgently as your tied-up German Shepherd lunges at passers-by in a frenzy: you are the problem. And if your dog actually does serious damage to someone some day, it's going to be the dog who pays, not you. Which is not fair. Teach your damn dog right from wrong.

I say all the above as someone who loves German Shepherds. But I detoured across the street to avoid that particular specimen. No, there wasn't enough length on the leash for it to actually reach someone, but it got a little closer than I'm comfortable with. Keeping your dog under control isn't just about physically preventing them from harming someone, it's about teaching them not to lunge and bark and snap willy nilly. This is not frelling rocket science! It was a beautiful dog, too.

We had monsoon conditions this morning, but now it's hot outside. Go figure. I have no plans for tonight, save to finish my sushi and maybe watch 1.04 of Orphan Black. Possibly I will take the laptop out on the deck to watch in the sunshine. I should take advantage of this early summer window of opportunity when it's warm and sunny, but not oppressively hot. Ah, my exciting Friday night. But after the week I've had, I'm grateful I don't have to do anything tonight. Not a bad week, just busy.

Just watched the pilot episode of Orphan Black and it suffered from a middling case of pilotitis, but I was intrigued in spite of its many rough spots. Will watch more episodes. Cutting for spoilers for Episode 1.01 ( Read more... )

musesfool has a very interesting collection of links to analysis (analyses?) of Elementary. Which is handy, because I can just point you at her post, instead of having to copy-paste each link myself.

Musesfool also has a killer set of Avengers/Iron Man 3 fic recs.

Today was a much better day than yesterday, which isn't saying a whole lot because yesterday was a frelling terrible day, but yay for small victories. In probably-related news, I slept great last night, because I took a double dose of sleeping pills. It means I'm short for the rest of the week, but I don't even care, it was that good to get such a sound night's sleep.

Apparently Yahoo! used this GIF to announce their purchase of Tumblr. Marissa Mayer or someone who works for her has a sense of humour. Hat tip to shezan for linking to it in the first place.

katie_m has a great explanation for why (cutting for teeny tiny Iron Man 3 spoiler)( Read more... )

Encountered elsewhere is this alternate explanation.

I went to Iron Man 3 last night. Non-spoilery reaction: I liked it. I thought it was a little long, but I liked it a lot.

Non-spoilery observation: we sat through the credits to get to the easter egg. Most of the theatre also sat through the credits, so I’m guessing they mostly knew that Marvel movies always have a final scene at the end of the credits. They were very LONG credits, though. I counted eight minutes. Marvel are sadists.

Have just had a tummy bug, threw up nine times in fifteen hours. Not fun. I haven't thrown up yet today, but I still feel like death warmed over. Also, my abdominal muscles ache from all the contracting. This must be what it feels like to do 200 sit-ups.

Fic rec: the Affair of the Asphyxiated Acafan, is a hilarious and suspenseful BBC Sherlock story focused primarily on Sherlock's female characters. It also contains a multitude of in-jokes about fandom, as Sherlock has to delve into fannish subculture to solve a murder.

Having seen this trailer, I must admit I'm getting a little excited for Man of Steel to come out. It may be terrible, of course. Terrible movies manage to come out with good trailers all the time. Nonetheless, my cynicism is temporarily in abeyance and I'm looking forward to mid-June. If it's terrible, though, look forward to a SAVAGE review. Disappointed hopes always make me judge bad movies more harshly.

That said, between Henry Cavill (Superman), Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man), and Christian Bale (Batman), I'm starting to wonder if they even bother auditioning American actors to headline movies about iconic American superheroes anymore, or if they just go straight across the pond. Realistically, it's probably because semi-obscure British actors are significantly cheaper than big American names, but it still amuses me.

Chris Evans is American, and he plays Captain America in the eponymous movie and The Avengers, so I guess studios DO still audition American actors occasionally. Semi-obscure cheap ones, anyway. And I don't know how much Bale got to make the Batman movies, but he was hardly obscure when he became Batman, so I guess he doesn't count. I'm arguing my point away.

When did they start using antibiotics to cure TB? Mid-40's, I think, but my google-fu is not helping me especially. I don't need to know, I'm just vaguely curious. I've been reading an Agatha Christie which features a tubercular Russian ballerina who's convinced she's going to die of her illness, although Hercule Poirot is less convinced. The book was first published in 1939, so if the character can hold out for a few years, antibiotics are at hand.