Posts Tagged Fangirl Friday
August 19, 2011 at 10:00 am	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged Avengers, Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Entertainment, Fangirl Friday, Film, Gigi Salem, Movie, movie review
Last week I saw Captain America in the theater. It did one of my very favorite things a period film can do. It remained true to the mind-set of the time in which it was set. I get really frustrated with period pieces that feature anachronistic sexuality **cough**Titanic**cough**. Heck, Cap didn't even get to first base in this movie! Which, I must say, was a breath of fresh air. He was sexy (even as a 90 pound weakling, Chris Evans is gorgeous, but I might have a thing for skinny guys) and brave and honorable. I loved that the only kiss was actually stolen by a woman.
Respect meant something real and tangible once upon a time, as did honor and loyalty. Of course, that's what Captain America as a character is all about, right? So it would have been extremely out of character to have him shag the woman he loved before they had even had a first date. Sorta like Superman getting drunk in a bar. Ahem.
The whole film was beautifully done from the beginning to the sneak peek at the end of the credits. The colors were lush and vivid. The acting was solid, consistent, and elegant. The script was tight, and flowed well. What? Superhero movies aren't allowed to be great cinema? Look, critics can moan and bluster all they want about their elitist view of what makes for a good film. Nine times out of ten, I won't want to see what they see as "great art" because it doesn't entertain me. If I want stories of unrequited love, emotional abuse, or people muddling through a series of horrible life choices then I have my own memories to look at, okay?
To me, good movies help me escape, give me hope that better is out there. They affirm that good guys DO win and bad guys are obliterated. This film did that. Not because Cap was the paragon, but because there was someone out there who believes his virtues and morals are valid and showed that on the screen. Real life is crappy enough without being force-fed "realistic" films. Plus, the fight scenes and explosions were really cool.
So, what about y'all? What do you want in your entertainment? What movies get your motor revved? Is there a movie you think I should review?
August 12, 2011 at 12:37 pm	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged Entertainment, fandom, Fangirl Friday, Gigi Salem, Harry Potter, Hogwarts, JK Rowling, Justin Timberlake, Muggle, Nick Rhodes, reading, Writer, Writing
I blame Nick Rhodes. Honestly, almost all my fandoms can be blamed on a member of Duran Duran. I started reading the books when Mr. Rhodes made a (seemingly) offhand remark about Muggles.
Now, with the series at a close, I look back at one of the most influential series of our time. Reading had been on the wane until J.K. Rowling made it fun again. Make no mistake, there are lessons to be learned in the series. Things like friendship, loyalty, hope, and a score or more other virtues were woven into the seven books chronicling a young wizard's growth.
Each book was darker than the last, which some folk complained about. I agreed with it. Our world gets darker as we grow older and accept more responsibility. Things get harder. We have to make more and more sacrifices. Even so, Rowling handed us Pandora's box, with hope still fluttering around inside it. Hope that good will triumph over evil, that there are still honorable, kind people in the world.
I love those books for many reasons. First, they are an escape. Even if we don't pay mind to the broader meanings, dragons and goblins and magic transport us out of our mundane existences to a more exciting place. Second, as stated before, they bring hope, a desperately needed commodity in this world. Third, they brought reading back. Justin Timberlake may have brought sexy back, which is all well and good, but bringing reading back in this age of instant gratification was nothing short of a miracle, yes?
People learned patience as they waited for each new book or film in the series. And even though there were those jerks who bootlegged things and put them up on the internet days before release, we still had to wait while they were being created. No matter what else she does in the future, J.K. Rowling has gifted the world with wonder, inspired new generations, and for that I will always admire her.
How did you all feel about the Harry Potter series? What did you learn (or just enjoy) while reading? If you've never read them, then why? Please share your thoughts here!
Warped at Three – My First Fandom
August 5, 2011 at 3:01 pm	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged C-3PO, Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, Fangirl Friday, Gigi Salem, Princess Leia, Princess Leia Organa, Sith, Star Wars
You wouldn't think that a three-year-old could be a fangirl, but I was. Not too long after my third birthday (July, 1977) I was forever changed. I became a fangirl and my fate was sealed. Why? My parents took me to see Star Wars: A New Hope in the theater.
My first memory is of Darth Vader. No, seriously, the Dark Lord of the Sith is the first thing I actively, clearly remember. My mom says that when he came onscreen, I stood up in my seat and didn't sit down for the rest of the film.
Everything flows from that frozen moment in time, from that movie as a whole, really. I always wanted to be Princess Leia. However, the character I think with whom I most identify is probably C-3PO. Although… thinking about it, I can see pieces of my personality in all of the main characters.
Is that because the movie, the story and the people, were so powerful that they imprinted on my psyche? Or is it because the seeds were there and on some level I recognized them, even at such a young age? I tend to believe it to have been a combination of the two.
If solely the first option, why would I have gleaned my strongest traits from the least desirable direction? If the second, why would my strongest initial reaction not be to the character with whom I have the strongest resonance? Of course, with the release of Episodes I-III, we find out that Vader created C-3Po… but that was something my three-year-old self could not have known.
What about you? What fandom has shaped you in a profound way? What characters seem to mirror your strongest traits?
Fangirl Friday – The A-Team
July 8, 2011 at 12:40 pm	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged Bradley Cooper, Fangirl Friday, Gigi Salem, Liam Neeson, movies, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Television
When I was growing up, one of the shows my family watched together was The A-Team. We loved it. I was half in love with Face. With the way they ruined The Dukes of Hazzard movie, you can see how I was a little gun-shy about one of my other favorite shows making the upgrade.
I shouldn't have worried. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Sharlto Copley did an outstanding job of breathing new life into the beloved characters as they brought them to the screen. I fangirl-squealed (a sound that only other fangirls and some dogs can hear) five minutes in and didn't stop. The most rewarding part? So did my mom. My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to see it in the theater. Those explosions would have been WAY cooler on one of those giant screens!
Now the actors, while integral, weren't the only reason the movie was satisfying. The whole team involved did a brilliant job, from screenwriter to producer to key grip. The storytelling was solid, the camera work was magnificent, and the CGI was so well done you almost didn't notice it.
What about you? What tv show turned movie twisted your twizzler the most?
What Is Fandom?
April 8, 2011 at 6:07 pm	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Castle, David Bowie, Duran Duran, fandom, Fangirl Friday, Gigi Salem, Harry Potter, James Bond, Jim Butcher, John Taylor, Nathan Fillion, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Spike, Television, Twitter, Wikipedia
We've spent some time talking about fandom, and I figured it was time to talk about the phenomenon itself rather than aspects. For starters, here's the Wikipedia definition:
Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, freedom, etc.) is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices (a fandom); this is what differentiates "fannish" (fandom-affiliated) fans from those with only a casual interest.
Well, that's a fairly accurate explanation, if a bit bloodless. The thing is, as Spike said in the season 3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Lover's Walk, "Love isn't brains, children. It's blood. Blood screamin' inside you to work its will." Fandom, above all else, is about love. Sometimes it's a sick, deluded love that leads crazy people to become stalkers, but it's still love.
The brilliant thing about it, is that it's constantly evolving as we (the fans) do the same. With the advent of social networking and Twitter, fandom has exploded, and the lines have gotten blurred. When I was growing up, the people I was a fan of were untouchable. Now, I follow people on Twitter and sometimes, when I mention them in my tweets, they tweet back! The first time it happened, I was in a tizzy for days. I'm still pretty jazzed.
Fandom is quoting lines or lyrics, and spending hours listening to them to get them right. Fandom is reading and re-reading. Fandom is going to concerts. Fandom is studying interviews for someone's "tells" so we know when they're lying or when they're accidentally telling on themselves. Most of all, fandom is sharing your love with someone else.
I've been a fan of Duran Duran since the spring of 1985. I wasn't a part of that fandom until the internet led me to John Taylor's (now defunct) website TTP and its chat room. Before then, I hadn't known other fans. Now, I am part of a group of wonderful people who share my love for the band named after Barbarella's evil sex fiend.
Fandom is, like the internet, a web. I fell in love with Duran, and from that I became a fan of David Bowie, James Bond, and the Harry Potter series, just to name a few. Being a fan of BtVS led me to my favorite author, Jim Butcher and to my current favorite television show, Castle. When we connect with other fans, find out what they like, we look into it. Fandom spreads its tendrils out, connecting along points of commonality like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
What is fandom to you? What is (are) your fandom(-s)? Do you have a favorite quote or lyric you'd like to share?
Anticipation (or, Why Not To Order Online)
March 25, 2011 at 8:57 am	· Filed under Fangirl Friday	·Tagged All You Need Is Now, Amazon, Best Buy, Duran Duran, fandom, Fangirl Friday, Gigi Salem, iTunes, John Taylor, Music, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon
I'm going bonkers. Usually ordering stuff online isn't a big deal. It's so easy and user-friendly over at Amazon.com that I have a great time. Well, when waiting on a new release, it's horrible.
I didn't have much of a choice, though. If I wanted the new Duran Duran album All You Need Is Now, I had to use my coupon and the free super-saver shipping. Believe me, if I'd had the cash, I would have been at Best Buy when the store opened to get my hot little hands on a copy.
But these are hard times.
We're all tightening our belts and making do as we can. So when I found I'd accrued enough points from research.fm surveys to pick up the album for free, I jumped at the chance. Otherwise, I would have had to wait who knows how long until I could buy it. When you think about it, I really lucked out.
I'm still going bonkers, though. All the other Duranies have their copies and are happily listening to and chatting about it.
Image by Cameron Bennett via Flickr
My copy will come some time next week. We will review it. There will be much rejoicing.
Until then, there will be frustrated, giddy waiting. Hoping the album will be better than the iTunes download, breathlessly anticipating the liner notes and artwork, I will sit on my hands and try not to whine too much.
What about you guys? What have you had to wait for that made you jump every time the postman went by? Have you ever waited outside a store for it to open on new release day? Please, please tell me now, is there something I should know?