bop_radar's Journal

Vid recs: BSG
It really is vid-watcher heaven at the moment--I can't keep up! Waah! So many vids to rec! It's hard to avoid watching just one more before posting... but I've already accumulated a considerable number of BSG vids to rec. Some of these are new, some older ones I uncovered in the quiet hiatus. All of these contain S3 spoilers unless otherwise mentioned.

First and foremost, you've all seen God is a DJ. Well now there's a sequel! Cuz I can. It's Starbuck, it's Pink, what more can you say? Apart from 'Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!' Go! Watch! Oh, and download the big version if you can: you'll want it. ;)

canadiangirl_86's Don't Forget Me
is an ensemble vid with a particular focus on Kara, Baltar, Six, Tigh. It explores the idea of destiny and the way these different lives are interconnected.

Another spectacular series overview vid is

tallullah71's Sunday Bloody Sunday. It explores the way that both Cylons and humans are caught up in a cycle of conflict. Action vid love!

Also in the action vid field is

brokenmnemonic's Just Like You Imagined--again, this is a wide-scale overview piece with lots of shiny explosions.

cherryice's Only is a sophisticated exploration of the Final Four and their internal psychology. It's both gorgeously edited and satisfyingly thinky.

anr's In the Worst Way is a pretty, heart-warming Lee/Kara vid from a Lee perspective. It's an unusual vid and one I greatly enjoyed.

And a Lee vid! \o/ Signal to Noise had me riveted. Lee character studies are rare and as someone struggling to make one myself, I'm fascinated to see how someone else approaches it.

At the lighter end of the spectrum is Let's Go Crazy, a collaboration between

sdwolfpup and

laurashapiro. It's a Gaius-focussed gigglefest.

And my other amusing find recently is

jo_siris's Teenagers. I've been kind of watching out for someone to make a vid to this track, and it definitely fits with all that piloty misbehaviour--my favourite aspect of this vid is Laura's reactions. Hee!

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7:28 pm

Vid recs: Vividcon vids
Recently I've been plagued by some computer problems that have made vidding an impossibility. I think I've got on top of them now, but in the interim, my vidding 'hiatus' conveniently coincided with the release of vids post-

vividcon. Things may be quiet fannishly in general in the hiatus, but it's felt like there's been a vid explosion in the last week--and not just from VVC. I've seen some fabulous non-VVC vids as well and will rec them soon too. I still have heaps more to watch, but in the meanwhile, here's some preliminary recs of VVC vids I have enjoyed so far:

My Filthy Mind by

sol_se (multifandom vid)

sol_se describes this vid as 'a multi-fandom free association, stream of consciousness. With dancing.' However, I like to think of it as 'Faith Lehane holds a dance party... and all the cool people come. :D Of course!' It's energetic, mesmerising and upbeat--a really unique treat!

Vogue by Luminosity (300 vid, to--yes, you read right--'Vogue' by Madonna)
Luminosity's awesome vid-editing shines in this, er, spectacularly indescribable vid. I'm pretty sure it could safely be described as 'crack'. Of the highest quality, of course. ;) Seriously. Watch it. It has to be seen to be believed.

The Trouble with Poets by

anoel (Highlander, Duncan/Methos vid)
I know I have a few Highlander fans on my f'list, and for you guys I highly recommend this vid--it was a great trip down memory lane for me. (Oh, Methos!) The song choice is fabulous for them and the editing's great. This is one of the strongest Highlander vids I've seen.

Quantum theory by

aycheb (Children of Men)
I cannot even begin to convey my excitement that

aycheb has made a Children of Men vid... and to a Jarvis song, no less! *dies happy* The movie blew me away, and I'd been toying with my own CoM vid until my computer issues... well I no longer need to do so because this vid captures the spirit of the movie perfectly. Gorgeous imagery, great editing.

Meet me on the other side by

obsessive24 (House, Chase character study)
Again, my squee levels were through the roof with this one. I love Chase (despite/because of the strange character construction) and this vid actually takes him seriously as a character, capturing his internal struggle perfectly. That makes it sound terribly earnest, but don't let that put you off--if you're a House fan at all curious about Chase, I'd recommend this vid as an insightful, reflective and fascinating character study. It looks gorgeous too.

obsessive24 has also made a Carnivale vid: Jesus for the Jugular. I don't know the show but this vid was very powerful. Definitely heed the warning for disturbing content, though.

I'll have more vid recs soon soon, including fandom-specific recs for Smallville and BSG, since there have been some brilliant vids coming out of those fandoms recently, as always.

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Sunday, August 12th, 2007

10:21 pm

Still here (er, LJ, but insanejournal too *g*)
It's a funny time on LiveJournal right now. I've been watching fandom explode/implode over the recent TOS issues, and haven't felt like speaking up. While I understand why it's shaken a lot of people, I've found the frenzy at times... well, embarrassing is probably the best way to put it. I guess one of the reasons I don't have much to say is because I'm not particularly surprised by the behaviour from LJ/6A.

While I've read many well measured responses to the whole thing, the three posts on the matter that I have most enjoy are as follows:
-

rivkat pointed out the hypocrisy in mainstream American culture (with reference to Smallville specifically)
-

mskatej talked sense as usual.
-

cesperanza called people on their bullying tactics.

Am I going to migrate elsewhere? Not if I can help it. However, I have backed up the contents of my LJ at insanejournal. I'm going to try cross-posting there for a while. I have a greatestjournal too but I don't use it. It's just for emergencies. :) I can't honestly imagine keeping up with multiple f'lists so I really hope we settle down somewhere--preferably here--sooner rather than later.

For me, the most important thing is to keep on enjoying what we do and the relationships we've built here. I've found myself disinclined to post recently because everyone is in such high angst, but if we stop posting fun fannish stuff, we'll only be defined by the screaming, the in-fighting, the bullying and the hysteria. That's not what I'm here for. So this is my little pledge to start posting more regularly again.

( now for some completely random girlish squee about clothes-buying )

Note: I will probably do a little clean-up of my friendslist in the next couple of days. I'll only defriend where interests have diverged or we don't interact, and if you want back on, as always, pipe up.

Current Mood: calm

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Thursday, August 9th, 2007

6:52 pm

Vid rec: Everybody needs somebody...
It's not very happyful out there on LJ at the moment, or at least that's the impression I've had since I got back from leave. (Haha, yeah, I do think of 'leave' from LJ that formally!) It's not just this new SixApart/LJ business; a lot of folks on my f'list are experiencing bad news or difficult times. And this week has had its share of emotional shocks for me as well.

So what better time than to share one of those things that fandom does well: making us smile at the cute and funny. This vid has probably already been recced to death while I was gone, but it made me so joyful, it demanded to be pimped.

makesmewannadie won

lithiumdoll in the Sweet Charity auction earlier this year, and Everybody needs somebody to love (by the Blues Brothers) is the result. It's multifandom, and spans an amazing number of fandoms. There's something in there for everyone! My own biggest *squeeee* moments were for the inclusion of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Jeeves & Wooster, Highlander and The West Wing, and also for the choice of clip for BSG. But the due South bit was damn cute too. *nudges

kristiinthedark* In the interests of full disclosure (shuddup! I've been interviewing all day, k?) I should warn you that there's no Smallville, but do not let this stop you watching this! It is MADE OF HAPPY. Go watch this great tribute to fannish love and put a grin on your face!

Current Mood: cheerful

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Saturday, August 4th, 2007

8:12 pm

MIFF day 4 (for me)
This week's been pretty frantic for me, getting the house back in order and returning to work, so I only managed three movies. Got more lined up tomorrow though--just one week of the festival to go. My early luck with movies seems to have worn off somewhat, but there's still a few to come that I'm looking forward to.

Grace is gone
( John Cusack plays a military husband whose wife dies in Iraq )

Azur et Asmar
( animated French inter-cultural fable with an Arabian Nights aesthetic )

Wolfsbergen
( appallingly dull Dutch movie made worse by projection failure )

Current Mood: blah

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Monday, July 30th, 2007

9:12 pm

MIFF day 3
By Day 3 I was getting kinda tired (late night drinkies the day before hadn't helped) but still had lots of stamina. Alas, it was to be my last full day at the festival for a couple of days as I got word that we could move back into our renovated home and the following day was spent moving and cleaning.

The Mourning Forest
( winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes this year--a melancholy, introspective Japanese mood piece about mourning )

The War Tapes
( three US soldiers film their year in Iraq--incredible documentary )

A Mighty Heart
( Michael Winterbottom directs Angelina Jolie in the true story of an American journalist kidnapped by terrorists )

Black Sheep
( New Zealand comedy-horror in which genetically engineered mutant sheep turn on humans )

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: cat purring

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Sunday, July 29th, 2007

9:47 pm

MIFF day 2
Day 2 proved more sociable, since I caught up with friends between movies and went out for drinks after the last movie--alcohol was definitely required after that one. *g*

Your Mommy Kills Animals
( complex documentary about animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates in the US )

My best friend and his wife
( Korean observational drama )

My Kid Could Paint That
( intelligent and funny documentary about a four-year-old heralded as an artistic prodigy )

A Savage Grace
( Julianne Moore stars in a society murder story based on real life )

Current Mood: tired

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Saturday, July 28th, 2007

10:56 am

MIFF Day One
Hello LJ! I missed you! :-) This is the first of my film festival posts, hurriedly uploaded from an internet cafe. ;-) I managed to do five consecutive sessions on Day One. I think that'll be my daily record for the festival. As it was, I wound up with a headache. (Note to self: don't forget to pack nurofen tomorrow!) Met up with a couple of friends for Once and Scott Walker and heading off to meet them again today. So far mental health relatively intact. *g* I've tried not to be too spoilery in these reviews.

Tuya's marriage
( quirky and poignant Mongolian romantic comedy )

Behind the Veil / Eve and Marilyn
( Magnum Photos documentary focusing on Eve Arnold )

Ghosts
( reconstructed narrative of the death of Chinese illegal immigrants in the cockle industry in the UK in 2004 )

Once
( superlatively awesome modern Irish musical )

Scott Walker: 30th century man
( definitive documentary about the enigmatic musician )

Current Mood: busy

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Monday, July 16th, 2007

10:22 pm

Quick rec: So-called feminists
Here for five minutes. Kate was awesome again. :D She says everything that I would say, but with less words and more punch. *nods*

Current Mood: rushed

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Sunday, July 15th, 2007

4:26 pm

Temporarily homeless
( cut for personal chatter )

Several of my LJ friends are having a really tough time right now, so I just wanted to say I'm thinking of you and hoping for the best for all of you. *hugs*

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Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

8:26 pm

Creativity and depression
I would usually write about this on my books filter, but I thought this book--or my thoughts on it--might be of interest to a wider fannish audience as well.

The Van Gogh Blues by Eric Maisel is not a book I would have considered buying, but it was in a bundle of books being thrown away and the subtitle: 'The creative person's path through depression' caught my attention. I believe the book's somewhat badly packaged/marketed; I expected it to be pretty wanky. I certainly didn't expect it to be so resonant for me personally. Maisel's definition of creativity is an inclusive one--he isn't just talking about those that make money from art/music/writing, etc, but also hobbyists or professionals who use creative thinking in their work (eg. research scientists).

Here I've attempted to give a brief summary of the main premise of the book, then a discussion of its meaning to me personally, and finally some notes on ideas it through up for me about fannish creativity specifically.

Summary
( Read more... )

Personal resonance
( Read more... )

Fannish creativity
( Read more... )

There is much more that I could comment on, but I've gone on for long enough. I'd love to hear from other people--is that something that anyone else connects with? is it just me? ;) What have your own experiences with creativity in fandom been--positive, negative or in between?

Current Mood: curious
Current Music: Star Guitar--Chemical Brothers

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Friday, July 6th, 2007

3:55 pm

Remedy for recovery from fainting
Today I lived up to my rep as a fainter. Despite the pathology nurse lying me down to have my blood test, I still fainted. *facepalm* My shame reaches new levels! She was left plaintively asking if at least I felt a bit better than when I sit up and then faint. I told her yes, but truthfully? No. The same sickening nausea and dizziness came over me, I lost all colour and flaked out on her while she was trying to hold a conversation with me. The nurse was very reassuring--she claims she has people of all ages and sizes fainting on her regularly.

I retired to a cafe after that and got my caffeine shot for the day with a truly wondrous cappucino.

I'm now snuggled under a blankie on my sofa and have been reading my f'list in leisurely fashion as I have a rare day off work . \o/ I decided cheerifying things were in order due to the faint, so I'm sharing some of the standouts:
-

wisteria_ posted picspam of Kara Thrace's natural beauty.
-

pandora_576 has made two beautifully uplifting BSG vids. You can find both of them here.
Free is a glorious ensemble piece--Lola is wonderful at selecting emotionally resonant clips and this vid is full of them. It's moving and mood-lifting.
Faith Alive is a Kara vid, which delves into her dark areas but which has a beautifully hopeful message despite that--and the clips match they lyrics so seemlessly you'd swear they'd been written for each other in places. *g*
I still need to leave proper feedback for these--but I recommend both of them to fellow BSG-viewers suffering the hiatus drought.
-

brokenmnemonic wrote a post-Crossroads drabble that he claims is just a rough draft, and which is rather angsty, but which made me happyful anyway since it was pitch-perfect Lee.
- These were posted some time ago but they made me so happy they need pimping again:

alissabobissa posted picspam of Lee facial expressions with adorable captioning, appreciative of Lee in all his many guises: part one, part 2A and part 2B.
-

indigo419 has cute Kara/Lee exhibitionism ficlets.

SV fandom is quiet at the moment. *pokes it disconsolately* But THIS is gold:
- Snagged from several people on my f'list: The Gayest Superman/Batman comic EVA. This amused me endlessly and cannot be pimped enough. Firstly, the writer gets points for coining the term 'whine-spree'--I'm going to have to adopt that one. ;-) Secondly, this: every time something like this happens in this comic, you think that it cannot possibly get any more gay. But brother, we've got thirteen pages left on this trolley ride, and it just gets better from here sounds EXACTLY like Smallville to me. Every time we think it cannot get more gay, or the gay has died, WHAM! they pull out a slash classic like 'Nemesis' with its fanfictastic premise ('trapped in a cave-in'). Never, ever think it can't get gayer in the DC universe...
- and

mahaliem is hosting a badfic drabble-a-thon--always amusing! :-)

Oh, and don't feel too sorry for me with the fainting. I got hot dreams to compenstate. :-p

Current Music: Interpol--PDA

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Monday, July 2nd, 2007

4:21 pm

Vid rec: Short skirt/long jacket
IT's FOR ME!!!!! *cartwheels*

The most awesome-est

talitha78 made me a vid! *cries of happy* For any of you who don't know her,

talitha78 is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in fandom. She was so kind to newbie!Bop when I started in SV fandom. Her vids have always inspired me--particularly because they are so inventive, show so much heart and show off her quirky sense of humour as well--something that's hard to display in vidding. She's also masterful at AUs, which again I find very very hard. Not only is she an incredible vidder, but

talitha78 is also incredibly generous with her feedback and support for other vidders, and she has listened to my newbie vidder fears with great patience. Her encouragement and belief in me (even when I sooo didn't have it myself) are a big part of what led to me taking the plunge into vidding myself and for that I'll always be immensely grateful. It should be ME making HER presents, dammit!

OK, ok, vid! She made me a LOIS VID!! Eeeeee!!! This makes me ten types of happy. Firstly they're rare--there are plenty of shipper vids, but not so many of Lois on her own being awesome, and also, it's a

talitha78 vid so that means that it looks frakking fantastic, has great cutting and also made me burst out laughing in my office. The humour is so spot on for Lois and she's managed to capture so much of what makes her both genuinely brilliant and also hilariously, loveably daft. I can't wait to go home and watch it over and over. But in the meanwhile you should.

Lois vid! Lois vid! Lois vid! Please, please check it out! :D It is so happy-making! \o/

Current Mood: grateful

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Thursday, June 28th, 2007

8:28 pm

Randomly fangirling Kate
Temporarily emerging from my self-imposed posting hiatus (hahaha--I lasted one day!) to fangirl

mskatej. It's an important cause! Kate is one of my closest friends in fandom and one of only three people on my f'list who I've met in person. (And yes, she is even more awesome in person!)

Earlier this week, Kate posted an awesome Lana-centric fic: Seule et Amoureuse. Lana is a character who is reviled by many, ignored by most, but Kate created a thoroughly engaging and sympathetic character study of Lana which was both convincingly consistent with canon and porny as hell (well, it's Kate... *g*).

Now, she's made my week a little brighter by posting this excellent post on sexism in fandom. It covers many issues that get me particularly growly and I'm glad to see someone tackling it. There's some great discussion in the comments as well.

Kate, you are happy making! *g*

Current Mood: angry

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Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

10:16 am

Here but not here
I'm experiencing a convergence of personal issues that I need to deal with, so there may be a little hiatus in my posting. (Sorry, Lois picspam readers/viewers!) Hopefully not too long. :-) I'm still around though--which means I may be commenting but not posting, and if you need me, sing out.

Current Mood: confused

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Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

3:20 pm

Lois picspam #3
More Lois-y awesome... ( some spoilers for Season 5 eps )

Current Mood: content

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Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

6:41 pm

Lois picspam #2
The Lois!spam was popular--so much so that I'm still working through comments. But meanwhile, here's Day 2.

( more Lois awesome this way )

Current Mood: cheerful

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Monday, June 18th, 2007

9:16 pm

Lois picspam #1
So I decided it was ridiculous that I'd never made a Lois picspam post. After all, I adore her, and she's purty, and I don't really need any excuse to natter away about how great she is. So I went off to collect some pics... that was two weeks' ago. *headdesk* Now I have 200 caps and don't know where to start. *lol*

So I'm cutting this down to size and I'm going to post 10 reasons Lois rocks every day for a week. Let's see if that'll get me through it... feel free to come with me on this journey, or not, as you wish. I'm just being self-indulgent. ;-)

( image and squee heavy )

Current Mood: silly

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