Some villainy to brighten your day
Where would we be without villains? Well probably happier, and healthier … maybe safer. But perhaps a little more ignorant when it comes to matters of the human soul….
On Saturday I went to see a performance of Zastrozzi: Master of Discipline by a local amateur theatre group as a fundraiser for their local Belegarth guild. The play consists of an insane artist on the run from Zastrozzi, master criminal of all Europe (apparently set in 1893). Zastrozzi finally corners Verezzi only to face Verezzi’s tutor and guardian, Victor. As the play progresses, Zastrozzi and Verezzi both show signs of insanity while they separately investigate the nature of good and evil. Zastrozzi is a misanthrope and an atheist who believes his only purpose is to hold people accountable for their actions. Verezzi believes he is a servant, then a messenger of God, then a visionary, and finally a saint. Whether or not these men are sane is open to interpretation (what is sane anyway)? The play ends on a depressing minor chord, as such plays are wont to do.
The performance was excellent, especially the two actors who played Zastrozzi and Verezzi; they really threw themselves into the part and were enjoyable—sometimes terrifying—to watch. Since it’s the first play done by an amateur group, there were some wrinkles that still need to be worked out—the scene changes were horribly slow, for one—but all things considered, I was pretty impressed. Plus it reminded me that I need to go to the theatre more often.
Today I saw The Dark Knight. OMG another Batman movie!!! 
Or, as I like to call it, “A well done sequel to a well done movie that puts the Superman movie franchise to shame.” I really liked Batman Begins; it removed any campy elements of the previous Batman movies and presented Batman from a new, grittier perspective. As a sequel, The Dark Knight does not disappoint. It’s loaded with action scenes and fun Batman gizmos. All that praise for Heath Ledger’s performance? Deserved. Of course, I‘m in for Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, whom I believe are excellent in their roles in this film.
It’s kind of long, and it’s pretty predictable. But it’s fulfilling. The movie sets Batman up to take the fall for the events at the end, and it does not disappoint us. Yes, I know: I’m a sucker for tragedy. If the hero gets set up for tragedy, though, I darn well expect him or her to be subject to the tragedy and not find a loophole! That just makes me angry … and you wouldn’t like me when I’m—wait, wrong franchise. Wrong company!
I‘m looking forward to Watchmen. The graphic novel is the graphic novel. So of course there’s a chance that the movie will be utterly horrible. Comic book companies are getting better at bringing their characters to the big screen, however (case in point, The Dark Knight!). If you haven’t read Watchmen, check it out.
Speaking of villains, our old friend Dr. Horrible is back! Yes, that’s right: you can watch Joss Whedon’s awesome supervillain musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, for free again. The full episode is available on Hulu as well as the three individual acts, so if you missed it the first time, this is your chance to see it for free.
Now I‘m going to go watch Felicia Day’s webseries The Guild, which I learned about through her interview with Lifehacker.
It’s all fun and games until your death ray explodes
Act three of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is up. You can watch all three acts until midnight July 20. Go do it. Right now.
I‘ve got mixed feelings about act three. As I write this, it’s only been up for about an hour and a half, so fan reaction is still formulating. A lot of people are angry. I can see how act three seems like a let down after the first two acts. Now, this may just be major denial on my part, but I think Joss planned it that way.
A supervillain musical isn’t something you see every day. Instead of casting Dr. Horrible as the straight antagonist and villain, he has made him a villainous protagonist. We actually root for him; we want him to get the girl. But having him succeed in his evil plans and getting the girl would blow our suspension of disbelief out of the water—Penny’s character doesn’t allow that. So the ending is the only natural way for the plot to conclude (if it is a conclusion).
The saddest scene for me, however, was not the one at the climax after the explosion of the death ray causes you-know-what (if you don’t know what, I won’t spoil it for you—go watch!). Instead, it was when Penny was sitting in the laundromat, with two frozen yogurts … alone. It just said so much. She missed Billy too. She had come to enjoy his companionship. Later, we get the sense she’s becoming disillusioned with Captain Hammer’s act. Billy (not Dr. Horrible) was a real guy, with weaknesses and charming traits. He liked frozen yogurt.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is an amazing technical accomplishment. Produced independently, funded privately by Whedon himself, and through the efforts of very dedicated people, we’ve got a great quality production. It won’t appeal to everyone,1 but what does?2 Plus, Joss has a legion of sleeper fans out there, ready to eagerly partake in his latest creations. He’s like some sort of television chef, preparing succulent dishes. Each one is unique, but they all carry a certain flavour that is Joss’ trademark style.3
Joss Whedon’s next big project will be Dollhouse on Fox (hopefully they won’t cancel this one after 12 episodes…), including Buffy and Angel actors Eliza Dushku and Amy Acker. I‘m excited. It’ll be a new premise, with new stories and stakes, but the writing style will be Joss’, which means lots of humour and lots of action-packed fun.
Why yes, that is Joss Whedon in my pocket…
For those of you who haven’t watched Buffy, Angel, or Firefly, (I hear you exist, apparently) let me give you a quick rundown on who Joss Whedon is. Those familiar with his oeuvre, please skip to the third paragraph.
Joss Whedon is an amazing writer. He is the creator of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, along with a western science-fiction (yes, it’s that cool) series called Firefly. Once upon a time, a big bad network cancelled Firefly after airing 12 of the 14 episodes (out of order), much to the consternation of the fans the show had already acquired. It seemed like there was no hope for resurrecting the series, and an Age of Terrible Darkness ensued. Then, a glimmer of hope: thanks, in part, to fan demands, Universal Studios bought the movie rights to the series, and Joss Whedon made a feature film called Serenity, which may very well be one of the best science fiction films of our time.
With me? Good. During the Writers’ Strike, Joss Whedon decided to get together with some family and friends to write a fun musical. Specifically, a supervillain musical. This week he is releasing the three episodes online, where they will be available until July 20, after which you’ll need to buy them from iTunes or when they come out on DVD. The show stars Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. It is made of win.
Why are you still reading? What more do you need to know? Go watch it now.
Serenity
Spoiler warning.
The movie was paced very well, there was plenty of action in the beginning and end, although the middle dragged just a little. Each character also got their bit of the action, and of course, River gets a lot of action. I’m rather disappointed with the smaller parts that Inara and the Shepard get, especially the latter fellow, but at least he had some great lines. The characterisation was good too, all the actors slid back into their roles very naturally.
The “Mr. Universe” character seemed a bit of a gimmick to me, perhaps even a deus ex machina, which is uncharacteristic of the Firefly motif. He’s a little too sudden and a little too pivotal to the plot for my tastes.
Wash’s death was quite dramatic and meaningful. Apparently, he’s the character with whom I identify the most, and I do love his dinosaurs. The people at the theatre (and it was pretty crowded) literally gasped when he died, because it came out of nowhere. I was so saddened that I had to go to the washroom. When I came back, they were getting ready for the dramatic fight scene where Simon and Kaylee would get to be romantic and then River could save the day.
As usually, it’s the actors and the characters who drive this movie. I can’t complain, the dialogue and the delivery is pure Firefly and great to see. My dad, who has not seen an episode of Firefly, said the movie was “great,” and he is very critical of movies. I was surprised by the turnout, but one of the unique things about Firefly is that, even though it’s science fiction, it doesn’t focus on the science part of the fiction, it focuses on the humanity (similar in the way that the new BSG does), which helps it draw in a much larger audience.
Now I hope they just don’t make a sequel… . .
