People Underestimate the Value of a Good Ramble

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Remaking Star Wars

We've been watching, or I guess I should say re-watching, all the Star Wars films in order.  It all started when we inexplicably sat one Saturday and watched all four Die Hard films, back to back. I don't remember why or what the reasoning was, but we did it. So then we started to think about what other series we could stand to watch that way. 

With all the Star Wars talk, it seemed like a good place to start. But since we didn't have another day to do it in, we've just been watching about one a week.  It's been harder than I thought. Mostly cause we had to start with Episode I, which is, unarguably (so don't even try to argue with me), the worst of the six movies. So since we started there, it was almost difficult to make ourselves watch the second one. But we did it. Fortunately, we eventually got to Episode IV and it got better. Mostly because we've also been watching the corresponding Family Guy ep (we only have Episode VI and It's a Trap left to watch). 

Anyway, I've been thinking about the new Star Wars films. I'm still slightly bummed that it's JJ Abrams and not Joss Whedon at the helm, but really mostly cause I'm still sore about Lost (and will be forever more). But the good news is that I heard Mark Hamill is in talks to return as Luke Skywalker and he basically said he didn't want to do it unless everyone else came back, too. That would be awesome. One assumes that they will be older versions of themselves, with their children or whatever in main roles. But honestly I'd like it just as well if it was just Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in the leads. I don't subscribe to the theory that you have inordinately pretty twenty-somethings in the lead roles to sell tickets. 

In any case, all this talk made me think about who could play their children or maybe even them in flashbacks and I remembered a picture I put together once of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones matched up to Matt Davis ("The Vampire Diaries," "Cult") and I went out and found another one of Han Solo and Matt.  

I think he's a pretty good match. I mean, they're even dressed alike! (Which seriously makes me wonder if Matt actually realizes he looks like Harrison Ford and has been trying to make it even more obvious, but...no, that's probably not what's happening. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.)

What do you think?  

Friday, February 22, 2013

Buffy Innocence Podcast



So here it is, the link to the start of my podcasting career:  Rogue Demon Hunters, #28 Innocence. Which is also quite possibly a link to the end of my podcasting career.

Please go listen...it's only an hour long. And I promise if you hate it, you will get that hour back. Next Fall.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Still Being Human

So while I was recording that podcast with Nicole and Selina...I told you about my new career as a podcast star, right??...we got to talking about another one of my little obsessions, Being Human. Not the US SyFy version, cause that's rubbish, but the original UK version, which is the best thing ever.

As a matter of fact, I hated the SyFy version so much, I wrote an entire post about it, a long one, with pictures, explaining exactly why it was so absolutely terrible, cause I felt the need to tell everyone I'd ever met that they should not watch that one, but see the UK version instead.

I'm highly recommending that you do what you have to do to see this show. The UK version. Not the US version. Got it?

I'm going to seriously consider (once I've actually heard myself speaking on said podcast and determine whether or not I sound scary or acceptable) finding a Being Human podcast I can crash. Cause I have way more than a lot to say about it. Especially now that it's ending after this series.

I still want to cry a little when I think about that. I know people say, wouldn't you rather it went out on top, when it still has the best ratings on it's network and it's good, rather than have it hang around long after it should be off the air. And to that I say, NO.

Well, OK, maybe there is something in that argument, but couldn't we at least have waited until it wasn't getting even more awesome than it has been?

The first season was really, really good. The second season was mostly good. The third season was in a very dark place and at the time seemed not as good, but when you watch them all together, you can see the way it all fits together and kind of spirals down, but in a good way, like it was supposed to happen like that.  Then the third season ended with a huge bang and people were in shock, didn't want to watch any more, and cried themselves to sleep every night for months. (Not that I would know anything about that.)

That wasn't over, cause then the fourth season started and it was terrible. I mean that in the best way possible. Talk about Joss Whedon ripping your heart out and stomping on it, Toby Whithouse is cornering that market now. He literally tried to kill us all with the start of series four. I know people stopped watching, I know they did. But then an amazing thing happened. Turns out old Toby wasn't just ripping things apart for fun, he had an actual plan. And it worked. The fourth series went on to be really awesome.

Now we are up the series five and it's good, almost better than I had hoped for. But it's all over. Over.

Toby really is trying to kill us.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

TV Lazy

I think I figured out my problem.

I'm lazy.

Not in a I-don't-ever-do-anything way, cause somehow I'm always busy. But more in a I-wish-I-didn't-have-to-do-anything-ever, way. And also in a that's-too-much-trouble-and-I-just-don't-care-enough-to-be-bothered way.

As a result, I watch way too much TV.

TV is like my plan. It's seriously how I decide what I'm going to do and when I'm going to do it. I even have an Excel spreadsheet so I can keep track of everything. I may have mentioned that before.

So we had just upgraded to this awesome whole house DVR thing with Time Warner, so I could watch and re-watch all my shows from everywhere.

It helped, cause it allowed me to watch stuff while cooking in the kitchen, something I couldn't do before. I'd be so frustrated, cause I wanted to finish watching whatever that was on the DVR upstairs cause I had more shows coming on that night and it all started to pile up and since there were more new shows every night, I constantly felt behind the eight ball. Like watching TV was my job. Honestly, I gave it even more value than my job.

And then we moved.

We moved to a place where they have their own cable network. Seriously. As a result of that, they don't even have DVRs. If you want something like that you have to buy it. So I bought one. But it's like an old VCR in that you can only record one thing at a time and you have to be watching that channel to record on it. Which basically negates the point of recording a show at all.  Cause, you know, I need to record the shows on the other channels. The channels I'm not watching right now.

We've been living like this for more than a year now and I learned something. I don't have to watch that much TV. I really had to make some choices, I had to eliminate shows. It was hard, but less hard than I thought it would be.

All of which brings me to the point here, and that  is why I stopped watching American Idol this year. I just can't fit it in.

And also Steven Tyler is gone.

Oh, and also, they've ripped my heart out just one too many times.



Saturday, February 16, 2013

I'm a Podcaster...Who Knew?

So I just had the most fun ever.

Seriously.

Through a weird series of circumstances, I was able to guest host (co-host?) on a podcast. I tried to tell my family about it, but they were all like, um, sure, whatever, have fun casting pods.  *sigh*  I don't even know them.

Anyway, it all started on Twitter. Which, when you think about it, is where most things seem to happen these days. I don't remember exactly, but it was when Laura and I were starting our re-watch of Buffy (well, my annual re-watch, her first watch), and either I happened to notice that Rogue Demon Hunters (@RDHPodcast) had just done their review of the same ep we were watching or she noticed me talking about it or something.

We spoke. It was just a thing, but it happened. So then I started listening to the podcast. I liked it. Big surprise.

I mean, it's people talking about episodes of Buffy. In what universe wouldn't I like that?

So then a few weeks ago, another one of my invisible internet friends and I were chatting on Twitter. Jo (@Pussinabox) and I were lamenting those people who call themselves Whedon fans and yet aren't really "in the know," if you will. If you really want to be a Whedonite, people, you have to know a little bit more than just the names of the shows he's written. In this particular instance, it was someone who was, unbelievably, unfamiliar with Jane Espenson.

See? Unbelievable.

Anyway, Nicole (playing the part of RDHPodcast) happened to overhear us chatting, as we went on to comment that maybe the most scary part was how much about Whedon stuff we did know. She then proceeded to invite us both to guest on their podcast and lots of other people jumped in expressing a wish to host and it got a little crazy for a bit.

I was mostly wondering how all of us would fit in one pod.

Unfortunately, Jo couldn't make it, but I could, so the show went on without her. This time.

I plan to tell her what a blast I had so that she can come join me the next time. And I really hope there will be a next time. Mostly cause I have lots and lots and lots to say about Buffy, but I can rarely find an interested audience.

We reviewed what is probably one of the most pivotal episodes in the entire Buffy the Slayer series, Innocence (S02E14). This is the ep that changes everything. And I mean that.

It will probably be up in a couple of weeks, so you should totally, definitely and absolutely look out for it and listen to me ramble on and on and on. I'll bet I sound awesome!  

But either way, remember, it was my first time, so be gentle with me.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wasting Time and Taking Names

Sometimes it feels like I should apologize, or at least feel guilty, for not posting more often. But since I just keep this blog for myself and since most of what I share here is pointless anyway, you should be be thanking me for not wasting your time.

Seriously, I read a lot of blogs where people just feel like they have to blog every day or whatever, and then just post lots of nothingness, which I read, expecting that it will mean something at some point.  But it never does and then my time has been wasted. I hate wasting time. So I'm really doing you a favor by only posting my own bits of nothingness once or twice a month.

Of course, if I had chosen to watch American Idol this year, I'd be driving (all ten of) you insane with my twice weekly absurd recaps that you almost have to be watching the show at the same time to understand.

So, you're welcome.