the river heights gazette

Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale

Favorite ship - I seriously have an OTP for every show I watch, and my favorite ship at any given time is usually from my favorite show at the time. (Although my ultimate OTP is Nancy/Ned.) Usually they're canon, although Mad Men usually defies that.

So:

Alias: Sydney/Vaughn
Arrested Development: George-Michael/Maeby
Buffy: Buffy/Angel
Carnivalè: Ben/Sofie
Chuck: Chuck/Sarah
Community: Jeff/Annie
Damages: Ellen/David, Ellen/Wes
Daria: Daria/Tom
Get Smart: Max/99
Justified: Raylan/Winona
Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Goren/Eames (only offscreen, which works canonically), Logan/Barek
Lois & Clark: Lois/Clark
Mad Men: Peggy/Father Gill, Don/Betty, Don/Rachel, Pete/Trudy
Pushing Daisies: Ned/Chuck
Veronica Mars: Veronica/Duncan
X-Files: Mulder/Scully


Favorite series finale is Mystery Science Theater 3000, Diabolik.




( previous days )

Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

When I really like an episode of MST3K, I tend to watch it a lot. Practically any episode from Season 10, Puma Man, Space Children, Tormented, Pod People, Warrior of the Lost World, Secret Agent Super Dragon, Mitchell, The Brain that Wouldn't Die, The Thing that Couldn't Die ("you're evil and i hope you all have snacks!"), Riding With Death, Agent for H.A.R.M. (or is it from H.A.R.M.? I never can remember), Eegah!, Catalina Caper, Prince of Space, Final Sacrifice... oh there are so many.

When I need some background noise that is actually interesting I'll turn on Arrested Development, usually Season 1. I've seen most early episodes of The X-Files a lot.

It's been a lot easier now that they've put out DVD sets of shows, but it used to be that I'd have so many VHS tapes, especially when it came to X-Files and MST3K. I've cut that collection down significantly, but, whew. Watching that waver through the parts I used to fast-forward through, the nauseating roll of the tracking at the beginning, the increasingly ancient commercials (10-10-321, anyone?)... oh, memories.

( previous days )

Day 08 - A show everyone should watch

I think everyone should try out two episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Why two? Because on first viewing, the newbies try to watch the movie instead of listening to the riffs. They can't help it. They tune them out or get irritated by them. And then suddenly they get it, or don't. By the second episode they're watching correctly. Shorts are a good way to ease into it.

( robot rumpus )

The thing is, though, that some people just don't like MST3K; and it's like that with all my favorite shows. I didn't click with Mad Men until about five episodes in. Arrested Development got me right away, though.

So, some shows you should at least try:
-Community
-Mad Men
-Veronica Mars
-The Adventures of Pete & Pete (which, it seems, everyone has either seen or never heard of)
-Arrested Development
-Archer (again, definitely not for everyone, although it seems quite polarizing. either you love it or you dislike it to some strong degree.)
-Carnivale
-Lost (although with this one you HAVE TO start at the beginning)
-Legend of the Seeker (OH EPIC HAIR)
-Chuck
-Justified

I know I'll think of more.

( previous days )

Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show

I'm going to cheat

("now she says she's going to cheat?" you exclaim irritably at the computer screen. "like she ever does anything else?")

and say favorite episodes of 5 TV shows. And then probably embed video/explanation behind the cut because it always slows this blanking computer down/could spoil you.

01. The X-Files: Memento Mori
02. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Soultaker
03. Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Wee Small Hours
04. Mad Men: Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency/Shut the Door. Have a Seat
05. Chuck: Chuck vs the Colonel

( explanation )

( previous days )

Borrowed from leobrat, the 30 Days of TV meme.

Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled

( hmm. )

01. i saw revolutionary road this weekend. i was struck by:

-how much it felt like a play. closer was a play that really worked as a movie; revolutionary road is apparently based on a book but i was watching it with subtitles, and kate and leo's line deliveries and dramatic gestures did make it feel really play-like.
-how much leo's character was like pete campbell from mad men, only slightly less of a sociopath.

i'm of the opinion that if you like the movie, you'll love mad men. it has a lot of the same elements, the same ambiguity, but i feel that it's done better.

02. damages has really kicked it up a few notches, especially with last night's episode.

( and all that crap about your family )

03. in fact, maybe it's time for us to talk justified. i've really enjoyed it so far, and the preview for tonight's ep looks like it is also going to be great. now i want to read some elmore leonard.

04. chuck! ( on to the spoilers! )

05. on sunday i just watched an old episode of community for the hell of it (it was the phys ed one). i do love that show, and i wish it would come back on, but apparently it's coming back the same week chuck is, which makes me sad. i can't wait until the DVD set comes out so i can get more people watching. =D

06. i would be so happy if scifi would air reruns of mst3k once a week like they used to. even on saturday mornings, like they used to. *sigh*

07. part 2 of the law & order: criminal intent season premiere tonight. i hope everyone currently alive stays alive and that there is more hugging and marriage-feigning tonight.

*peter graves has apparently died. i would watch the mst3k version of parts: the clonus horror as i tried to fall asleep tonight, but i think that's among the vhs episodes my exboyfriend lost. OH WAIT, NOW I HAVE IT ON DVD. i think, yes, i even have beginning of the end on DVD, but i think it's one of the ones i find it hard to get through. i'm saving those for when i'm under house arrest for either my prolific fanfiction authorship/when i declare publicly my undying contempt for shannyn sossamon.

where was i.

*i have now written, in the space of this rather busy weekend, not one but two legend of the seeker fics: one is appropriate for the kiddies, the other definitely not. argh.

*i just finished book 4 of the sword of truth series. OH THE CATHARSIS. mmmmm.

*i really enjoyed monday night's chuck episode, chuck vs the beard. from the previews i think i'll really enjoy the next episode, too.

however, on a related note, if you've witnessed my general s3 dissatisfaction here, and/or are following me on twitter: some other chuck authors (including mikki13 are tossing around the idea of writing an alternate season 3. it's pretty exciting. and it doesn't involve my au s3. speaking of, when i don't have a thousand other things to do, i really need to look at writing the next installment of that.

*four words: HOT TUB TIME MACHINE.

So I got in late on this whole help_haiti bandwagon, because by the time I went to check it out, signups were over. I kind of like the idea of getting you guys to vote below, bid on what you want and if the story gets written, you're on your honor to donate to Doctors Without Borders/American Red Cross/Oxfam, or something. The higher the bid amount, the quicker it would theoretically get written.

Or I'm crazy.

Anyway, I've had some odd plot bunnies recently, so, go for those checkboxes and leave a comment with how much each prompt is worth to you. (So if you really want to see prompt #3, for example, you'll bid more for it.) Something like that. We'll see how it goes. I'll guarantee 1500 words for each story, at least, and your bid has to be at least $1. You can also vote without bidding, but I'll give preference to the prompts that are bid on.

* If you pick wild card, it must involve a show that I've already written for. Again, unless you want bizarre OOC crackfic.

NOTE: If for some reason you can't vote in the poll below, feel free to vote in the comments. (If you do vote, tell me if/how much you'll donate and if you pick wild card, you have to comment to tell me what you want!)


[Poll #1521918]


Have we talked about Archer, flist? Archer is like this bizarre animated spy cousin of Arrested Development (in that Jessica Walter, who played Lucille Bluth, and Judy Greer, who played Kitty Sanchez, are regular cast, and the guy voicing Archer makes him sound a bit like a more suave GOB). Is anyone else watching it? It's insanely funny and crazy and not at ALL politically correct. Anyway, yeah, if you can get your hands on the pilot and like the humor, you'll like the rest of the series, so far at least; if you don't, you won't.

I have a feeling I'll have MST3K: The Movie on repeat all weekend. Unless I watch the Eddie Izzard biopic. Oh, and I get to potentially break some stuff by installing a new shower head since i hate the one I have now.

trying to finish a story before the porn battle opens.

yesterday i went to IKEA (the closest one is a bit over 3 hours away from my house!) and SWEET JESUS. it was enormous. so enormous, in fact, that about halfway through the furniture showroom, i wanted to claw my way to the roof just so i could see sunlight again. not that i didn't really love the furniture. if i could've, i would've transported entire rooms to my house.

i walked out with... a plastic bag holder, four mugs (that look either purple or brown, depending on whether you are me or someone else), two table lamps with paper shades, a vase in case anyone ever gives me flowers, and two effing enormous 6'x6' bookshelves. in three boxes each. i'll need help to put them together, i'm sure. oh, also the most enormous blue IKEA bag ever, which will be perfect in the event of a beach trip or a sudden need to abduct a small to medium toddler.

i really wanted this particular duvet cover, but it didn't match the current decor of my guest bedroom... so i'll have to check into that. maybe new curtains are in order.

watching mst3k merlin's shop of mystical wonders. good times.

halloween movie marathon time! some of these i think are just for me, but i can watch these all weekend and save those for when i'm by myself.

28 days later
28 weeks later
addams family
addams family values
casper
corpse bride*
death proof*
the faculty
from hell
identity
shaun of the dead
sleepy hollow
sunshine*
underworld

and then there's the mst3k episodes:
horror of party beach
devil doll
tormented
soultaker
werewolf
merlin's shop of mystical wonders*
the thing that wouldn't die
monster a-go-go
the screaming skull
the touch of satan
zombie nightmare

and... the halloween episodes of buffy and pete & pete.

i won't get through all this but it'll be fun to try. :)

i have a lot more "halloween"ish movies than Christmas -- so far i think i have elf, home alone, kiss kiss bang bang, and just friends, and better off dead could kind of count. ice harvest is slightly too bleak.