I Can't Keep Up with Fandoms

[gothrockrulz]

I would very much like to just take a break from real life and devote myself exclusively to fandom. It's getting way too crazy here. Just to summarize:



-Thor 2 BLEW MY MIND. All the brotherly moments killed me. Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth have wonderful chemistry, on and off screen. It's breathtaking, really. And when I revived, I died all over again at the hysterical fight scenes. How do you make fighting that funny without killing the drama? Genius, pure genius.

-Catching Fire ALSO BLEW MY MIND. For the most part, it was true to the book, and any changes made were forgivable for the sake of movie formatting. BUT, I am NOT OKAY with showing Plutarch Heavensbee dancing with Katniss, and then omitting the mockingjay on the watch. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SCENE. Sure, they wanted to make you think Heavensbee was not favorable towards the rebellion, but the watch was IMPORTANT.

I'm almost willing to forgive that, though, just because the elevator scene with Johanna was PERFECTION. And that's not just because we get to see Jennifer make one of her iconic crazy faces while in character as Katniss. It's also because those of us with asexual/demisexual mentalities finally have a mockingjay of our own to help others understand us. I'm uncomfortable with sex/nudity in books and movies, because I'm demisexual (thanks to rhoda_rants for introducing me to the term), and so it just grosses me out. It's not my thing, and I can't relate, so I skip or fast-forward. And if I want to explain to people what that feels like, all I have to do now is refer to Katniss' face in the elevator scene, and tell them that's me. And now they might actually get it.

Also, I'm still mad Garrett Hedlund was not cast as Finnick. That was my dream casting, right there. To his credit, Sam Claflin was really good at showing Finnick as both devoted and deadly, much better than I'd expected, and I found myself liking him anyway. But still, he lacked the striking sex appeal that was, even for this demisexual, a very important aspect of his character. This guy is supposed to be a freaking sex god, the Poseidon of Panem, if you will. He's supposed to be obnoxiously provocative, and to my mind, he wasn't. They purposely toned him down, and I'm not cool with that.

My brother says he thinks it's because they didn't want him stealing all the thunder from Peeta and Gale. (As if a Hemsworth isn't perfectly capable of generating his own thunder, and keeping it. XD) And my best friend thinks it's because the film-makers wanted the audience to take Finnick seriously as a lethal killer. I think they're both right. But I'll still maintain a guy can be all the more lethal a killer BECAUSE he is provocative. Loki, anyone?

-Doctor Who 50th Anniversary was a great experience in a mixed bag. I still haven't seen enough Rose episodes to understand the Bad Wolf references in full, but I have an inkling, thanks to more invested fans. I didn't like the whole Elizabeth subplot at all, since this iconic queen was more like a impetuous fangirl in a fancy frock than the leader of the British Empire. But I loved watching the chemistry between Ten and Eleven--that made the show, for me. Still not cool that, even though All The Doctors teamed up to freeze Gallifrey instead of fully destroy it, the Doctor still had to live with the same guilt. There are good things and bad things about both scenarios. The idea of The Great Hunt for Gallifrey is appealing, but I'm holding judgment until I see how it pans out. There are ways to execute an idea right, and then there are ways to kill it. We'll see.

Comments

[asthenie-vd.livejournal.com]

I didn't like the whole Elizabeth subplot at all, since this iconic queen was more like a impetuous fangirl in a fancy frock than the leader of the British Empire.

I'm so glad you mentioned it, because so far no one else on my flist did, and her portrayal really bothered me. She was the stereotypical lovestruck, screaming Doctor Who Companion. Even if they subverted the stereotype by having her stab her duplicate it still makes me uncomfortable. What else to du with the Virgin Queen who overcame the boundaries of her sex at her time, by having her lose that Virginity to the Doctor. How tasteful!

I didn't hate the special or anything but I wish they hadn't done that. They often portray historical characters as less than three-dimensional, but they're usually going for idealised images (see Churchill, or Shakespeare), so using Elizabeth just so we could laugh at the Tenth Doctor getting it on with yet another companion was simply not an okay thing to do.

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

What else to du with the Virgin Queen who overcame the boundaries of her sex at her time, by having her lose that Virginity to the Doctor. How tasteful!

Hear, hear!

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

I was content in thinking that the DW 50th was boring, until those last 15 minutes kicked in. Then I was in a quiet rage and I absolutely detest how things turned out. (It was a good thing I just sat my drink down when it took that dark turn; otherwise I probably would've thrown my glass at the wall.)

You're a bit more optimistic than me; I don't think--especially under Moffat's rule--how The Great Hunt for Gallifrey could make up for Moffat basically stripping away the emotional weight of RTD's era.

And yes, Moffat needs to keep his hands off of historically strong, independent women and stop rewriting them as simpering maidens soooo in love with the Doctor. Barf.

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

I'm still not sure how to feel about Moffat making all the pathos surrounding Gallifrey suddenly null and void. The more I think about it, the harder it is to process. I haven't seen very many RTD era episodes (still catching up on Nine and Ten), so maybe I'll feel differently after watching them all.

Barf, indeed! Elizabeth I was so much more than a girl that occasionally reminded you she could chop off your head.

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen very many RTD era episodes (still catching up on Nine and Ten), so maybe I'll feel differently after watching them all.

Yeah. Certainly if you were a fan of RTD's era, then I don't blame anyone who is angry following the 50th diabolical. Honestly, I think I'm more angry that Moffat had the arrogance to rewrite all his predecessor's work over Gallifrey coming back. (Although, canonically the Doctor has never liked the other Time Lords, and the other Time Lords have always hated the Doctor. So I'm at a lost as to why the Doctor is even happy to go back to Gallifrey in the first place.)

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

I did get the vibe he had little love for or from other Time Lords. Maybe he's romanticized Gallifrey so much, he's anxious to have another go and see if he can feel at home on his homeworld? I don't know.

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's romanticized Gallifrey so much, he's anxious to have another go and see if he can feel at home on his homeworld?

Well, that's all Moffat's doing because since the beginning the Doctor's home wasn't Gallifrey--it's Earth. The only reason why the Doctor (and his granddaughter, Susan) end up on Earth is because the Time Lords banished him from Gallifrey. Maybe having a 400 year distance has romanticized Gallifrey...but the romanticizing of Gallifrey is a huge retcon of the Doctor's attitude about the other Time Lords in "The End of Time." So I could understand thinking about Gallifrey in a good way--in a wistful way because it's gone now. But being gung-ho about bringing it back--jerky Time Lords included--and wanting to go home just doesn't jive with what has previously been shown on the show in terms of the Doctor's relations with other Time Lords.

(I hate being so pessimistic; but I just don't trust Moffat that he's going to keep the tension between the Doctor and other Time Lords based on the white-washing of them he did in the 50th.)

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

Well, that's all Moffat's doing because since the beginning the Doctor's home wasn't Gallifrey--it's Earth.

I never thought of it that way, but now I realize you're right! Why else would pretty much every single one of his companions be from Earth?

I don't blame you one bit for not trusting Moffat--from what I've heard, he seems to take sadistic pleasure in messing with fans on all scores. Maybe they'll get Neil Gaiman to write more episodes, even if it's just a guest write-in here and there.

[dunderklumpen.livejournal.com]

I liked Catching Fire very much as well but have no problem either with the dancing scene nor with Finnick. It's interesting how different perceptions can be because IMO he was quite over the top and an arrogant sod which fits the charcter well. That he redeemed himself later on in the arena didn't numb this aspect in my view.

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

That he redeemed himself later on in the arena didn't numb this aspect in my view.

Oh, yes, he was AWESOME in the arena!

[rizbef.livejournal.com]

Late comment is late... But I completely agree that the Elizabeth plot part of DW50 was unnecessary and ridiculous.

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

That's okay, late comments make my day! Besides, a wizard is never late. ;)