astri13 | Recent Entries

In the interest of being truly OCD, I present:

My Supernatural Fanfic

( Drabbles and One Shots )

( Flashfics )

( Multiparter )

My Merlin Fanfic

( One Shots )

Current Mood: accomplished

I`m such a pessimistic person that back when he was announced as candidate, I thought to myself "if it`s gone this far, it`ll go all the way". But a shred of hope remained. Last night when they called Ohio - isn`t that like a sign for whoever is gonna win? - my heart sank completely.

So I`m not really shocked so much as quite sad. And I live in a country miles away.

I don`t even know what to say to the fact that something the Simpsons once used as a spoof became reality.

Current Mood: sad

Wow, haven`t posted anything in quite a while but I have to say this year`s renewals and cancellations are actually interesting. Not shocking per se but at least they rate more for me than a "whatever".

Supergirl is moving to the CW for its 2nd Season. That makes sense and I`m happy for the show but with a full 22-ep-order, that network has too many shows for too few slots. They should consider renaming themselves the Comic Book Network, though.

Agent Carter has been cancelled. Still very expected though I liked the show. Marvel`s Most Wanted will not go to series. I like the characters but Shield is already struggling in the ratings so business-wise I didn`t even get the spin-off idea.

Castle has been cancelled as well. Considering the huge kerfluffle that went along with it the last few weeks, I think this is a good decision. End the show as Castle and not as whathefuckever you were planning it to be in the future. If need be, make that need idea a spin-off.

No news yet on Sleepy Hollow, right? I`m undecided about it.

In general I can say two things about the 2015/16 fall Season: female characters died and male characters left. Like, WTF? Was it one big coincidence that it happened across the board?

Current Mood: contemplative

I`m still watching way too much shows but since about the new Seasons are about a third-to-half done, my impressions on some:

Supergirl - didn`t really like the Pilot but it got better, popcorn-TV for me

Flash - got held hostage by trying to build up Legends of Tomorrow too much (same goes for Arrow) but I like the Zoom mystery

Arrow - see above pretty much, too much backdoor-Piloting but a strong Bad Guy in Damian Darkh for the overall Season arc

Grimm - don`t know why people aren`t liking the Season so far, I think it`s stronger than last year

The Originals - also stronger than last Season so far

Sleepy Hollow - the spark seems gone somewhat, though also stronger than Season 2

Agents of Shield - I don`t know, it seems the show just never really finds its footing, sigh

Teen Wolf 5.B - not sure where it`s going right now

100 and Agent Carter only just started but I liked the debuts well enough. Legends of Tomorrow itself? Could be a bit too wacky for me but I like the characters.
Several shows, especially procedurals, I`ve fallen behind on. And I can`t just muster up the interest to get back into Gotham. I like dark but not sour.

Current Mood: contemplative

Since Star Wars: The Force Awakens is poised to overtake Avatar`s domestic box office record today or tomorrow, I stumbled upon an interesting question earlier. Why does Avatar, as the highest-grossing movie of all time (at this point and I think it will keep the global record) have little to no pop-cultural impact?

Personally, I saw it pretty late in theaters and was pretty disappointed the first time around. I knew it was an "event movie" because of the visuals basically but because it was so hyped during that time, I expected it to be like other "event movie" where beyond the technical gimmick there would be a story/character(s)/mythos to really move and grab me. This didn`t. Like, at all. In a subsequent viewing, where I didn`t expected to be woo-ed, I liked the movie much, much better. Basically, like a fun popcorn flick.

It`s not a problem of simplistic stories and/or somewhat clichéd characters can never work because some of the most iconic movies/stories of all time basically have just that, if you get down to it. The storyteller just has to find a way to make them connect with people in a lasting way. This is an area where I think Avatar fell down. It works okay when I watch the movie but afterwards it`s done and gone. I had to actually look up the lead character`s name just now. Gone with the Wind is decades old and I know the lead is named "Scarlett O`Hara". My genre-hating Mom will happily hum the Imperial march from Star Wars. If I lower my voice and attempt a bad Italian accent, most people get the Godfather reference.

As such, I can totally understand why Avatar didn`t really seep into pop-culture. Beyond remembering the visuals that is. They were stunning for their time.

I only just learned there is a trilogy (seriously?) of sequels planned. Which, I will certainly see those movies and am open to them being good but this ain`t 2009. If Avatar did have an impact it was studios forcing 3D onto everything under the sun, to the point where people now go "I`m sick of 3D". So, that gimmick will no longer fly. And technology hasn`t advanced to the point where something is really new and groundbreaking. If a movie comes out in 4D or in interactive holodeck form or something, I believe then we`re talking again. That day has not yet come. So, Cameron has his work cut out for him.

Current Mood: contemplative

Even if I didn`t manage to make it into a midnight shooting, I did see Star Wars The Force Awakens on opening weekend.

I really liked it but didn`t love it as much as the original trilogy. Which is actually not that much of a negative because the original trilogy has years and years of fannishness and nostalgia to it now. I watched it when I was 13. No movie will ever be like it for me. It`s unfair of me to even expect them to be. That said, there was tons of nostalgia here too.

In the end, TFA was lots of fun. I was surprised how much I liked the new cast and wasn`t just focused on the old characters. I was completely spoiled and came to the movie with certain preconceptions and also disappointments, focused only on the characters I already knew but the new ones did manage to endear themselves to me. I thought the actors were likeable and charismatic.

( Few specifics on the movie )

Something that did disappoint me for the first time in a Star Wars movie ever was the score. Everytime the music gave me goosebumps was when a beloved old theme came on. Of the new stuff, nothing stood out however. Even Episode 1 had fantastic themes. This was just...hm.

Current Mood: bouncy

Having recently gone back into a very, very old, maybe my first fandom ever which is Star Wars, this is a strange time to be a spoiler nut. The final trailer is supposed to drop today and maybe it will clarify some things because so far every day there seems to be a "secret new legit spoiler" coming out.

This being J.J.Abrams, the guy who swore up and down, it wasn`t Kahn in the last Star Trek movie, I am inclined to believe, the most commonly held theories will turn out to be true. Which would be deeply ironic because anyone familiar with the Legends stuff will surely go: WTF???

I read the novels for roughly twenty years and there was some great and some awful stuff but at least they kept the sense of accomplishment the original Trilogy finished on intact. If nothing else, I want the same from the new movie.

Current Mood: contemplative

Forgot one show in my last write-up:

Zoo - um...well...um...animal attacks? I don`t even know.

Current Mood: awake

My summer shows have come or are coming to a close so couple thoughts on them:

Teen Wolf Season 5.A Started out good but fizzled towards the end. Again. And it cemented something for me. If this were Team Arrow, Scott would be the Felicity of the group. So ( general story spoilers if you will )

Dark Matter I kept with it because it is Sci-fi and it got kinda better once I learned the character`s number-names but it never bowled me over.

Killjoys Ditto with the watching on the Sci-fi effect and it legitimately had better character work than Dark Matter but it also failed to grab me.

Defiance The same odd mixture as previous Seasons. My favourite relationship has always been Nolan/Irisa father/daughter and they continue to mine this. Albeit often in annoying ways but at least it gets a lot of play in the story. Second-fave are the Tarrs and they always get a lot of play.

Beauty and the Beast I often don`t know whether I should laugh or cry but I made a pact with myself to watch this till the bitter end. Thing is, the Beast mythology they developed could be decent but the romantic dialogue is apparently ghost-written by George Lucas himself. No, strike that, both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith had better and more believable romantic dialogues so I don`t know who is writing this one.

Current Mood: complacent

Wow, I haven`t posted in a long time. Time just flies on by, even though nothing spectacular has been happening.

I was planning on using the TV summer hiatus to catch up on some shows but so far can`t bring myself to even start. Instead, I`m on a super-nostalgia trip where old DVDs come off the shelves again. Currently, I`m watching some "Scarecrow and Mrs.King" (Germans know it as "Agentin mit Herz"), a show I watched back in the 80s with my mom. I used to have such a crush on Lee Stetson back then and even today, I know why. He is totally the kind of guy I find attractive. Guess my tastes haven`t changed much from a ten-year-old to today. *g*

And if you think about it having a sweet. wholesome housewife as your female lead, incorporating her in the cloak-and-dagger-world of spies, having her stand on her own there while not completely changing who she is is pretty progressive. She didn`t turn into a kung-fu-fighting sharpshooter.

What`s hilarious about the show is that it is both ridiculously dated in the 80s - cold war spy plots, helmet hair, the clothing etc - and at the same time has aged rather well because the cutesy "will they, won`t they" couple dynamic is the same it has been in the 90s or 2000s or now. Take "Castle" which is probably the inverse of the dynamic of "civilian and professional team-up" and it has more or less the same formula for the romance.

Such shows always hinge on the depiction of the characters and the couple chemistry. If it works, it worked back then and it works now. As for the 80s, that`s the time-period I grew up on so I`ll always have a soft spot for it. Just imagine what generations twenty or so years down the line think when they watch shows from today. :)

What`s significant about Scarecrow & Mrs.King is that while it ran for 4 Seasons and it successfully ran in Germany as well, 18!!! whole episodes have never been shown here. Like, are you fucking kidding me? That is nearly a complete Season. And it`s not all random episodes either, it`s the Season 4 two-part Opener and stuff. It concentrates more on the romance aspect and leaving them out means you miss the couple getting together and the marriage proposal. Gee, that was not confusing at all for people who wondered why the main characters were suddenly married. I just can`t figure out why they were never shown here. And no, they don`t feature Nazi plots which is the premiere reason every US show from the 60s, 70s and 80s ever has at least ONE episode that has never made it onto German TV.

Current Mood: nostalgic

*dusts off lj*

Posted a couple of new vacation pics over here

( Little peak behind cut )

As always, feel free to guess where. :)

Current Mood: accomplished

Fall Season 14/15 officially kicked off and I watched a couple of Pilots this week:

Scorpion - I was reasonably entertained by the Pilot but am not sure how much the source material can be milked in terms of a weekly show.

Gotham - wasn`t aware this was gonna revolve around Gordon as the protagonist and figured it would be Smallville for Batman, however I did like the Pilot and enjoyed all the little comic book gimmicks and references. Problem I see is in the premise itself since you know where these characters end up and how long it`s gonna take so for the time span that - I believe - the show will cover, there can be hardly any longterm victories. Which can get pretty depressing.

Forever - if you`ve seen Sherlock/Elementary, Castle and maybe a dash of Highlander, you`ve basically seen this show. Since I happen to like those shows and think Ioan Gruffud does a charming and likeable lead in this, I`ll keep it for now. In the end, it`s an innocent little crime procedural, neither spectacularly good nor bad.

NCIS New Orleans - hated the backdoor Pilot but gave this one a try pretty much solely because the NOLA backdrop fascinates me. Also, I like Scott Bakula back from his time leaper days and don`t blame him (unduly) much for Captain Furrow. The show stays with the NCIS formula, for good or ill. The funniest thing to me was that it both starred a grown up Lucas Black aka Caleb Temple from Amercian Gothic as well as Steven Weber who was in the same show. I will say the actual Pilot was better than the backdoor one.

As for returning shows, I didn`t hate anything I watched this week. Was pleasantly surprised by Person of Interest which pulled off the new circumstances better than I expected. Shieldis still a mixed bag for me, some good scenes, some boring ones and upgrade!badass!Skye? Le Sigh.

Oh, I did hate one, what in the everloving fuck is currently going on with Haven? A super-hammy, one-note "villain", a super-pathetic, creepy "hero" and in the midsts of this poor Duke and Dwight who deserve to live in a better town that hosts a better show. Also, whoever was responsible for that boob thing, both idea and special effect, can kiss me where MY laser beams come out. Urgh.

Current Mood: chipper

So, the Teen Wolf Season 4 Finale rolled around and how did S4 fare overall?

I will say that I didn`t per se dislike any of the storylines introduced and thought each on its own had potential. Problem was a) there were too many of them and b) as a result they didn`t give any single one real weight. Not even the "main" ones, not in hindsight.

Like, Season 1 had the search for the Alpha and as silly as the show could be back then, that was a tight enough plot. Season 2 had the Kanima, Derek`s pack and Gerard with all coming together somewhat. Season 3.A may have sucked but it focused on the Alpha Pack and Scott`s Sue-Alpha-dom. Season 3.B had the tightest plot with Nogitsune!Stiles which was ONE focus.

You could Season 4 the Benefactor but in hindsight even that, the most heavily-featured storyline drowned as one among many. Scott had a beta, Lydia`s banshee-powers, Derek`s "it`s like the Fight Club, we don`t talk about it" arc of losing his powers, Peter wanting power back, Kate wanting God knows what, Chris being kind of lost after Allison`s death (hey, at least someone mourned her), weird Mexican hunters randomely showing up, more trouble at Eichen House, Malia learns to be a human, the buddhist pack etc.

It`s not unworkeable to do many storylines or quickly resolve them. Vampire Diaries used to do it reasonably well years back. However, Teen Wolf never did and never should attempt to. And maybe the Season was supposed to be centered on Scott, Lydia and Derek on paper but not on screen. 3.B showed how they can do focus well, 4 showed the opposite.

That said, I did like parts of the Finale: ( some spoilers )

Current Mood: contemplative

So. many. spoilers. If you follow lots of shows, like I do, and don`t mind being spoiled, which I don`t, Comic Con is like an overdose. And the press junkets will only be coming out in the next week or so.

I will say the promo reels for Originals, Teen Wolf and Arrow look really good. Person of Interest looked kick-ass, too, but a bit dark for me.

Current Mood: busy

Binge-watched the first three episodes of Season 4 Teen Wolf today. So far, I like it but I had hoped after Season 3.B, they have somehow learned how to build and pace an exciting plot. Alas... ( slight spoilers )

Current Mood: contemplative

I...I just saw honest-to-God tentacle sex on a live action US tv show. My life might never be the same again. *g*

Current Mood: crazy

Back from vacation (and almost back to health) so lets play another round of: where did I go? :)

Clue 1:

Clue 2: (yup, it looks like THAT *g*)

Clue 3:

( More pics behind cut )

Current Mood: awake

Saw X-Men: Days of Future Past again and liked it a lot more than the first time around. Which is strange for me. But I think after letting go of some expectations I had for the movie, I could enjoy it for what it was. Also in retrospect I really like that First Class was more Erik`s movie while this one was more Charles`. That leaves room for Apocalypse to be both their stories as writer Simon Kinberg said. And James MacAvoy killed it in the role.

Also, as an avid fan of soundtracks, it`s fitting that the standout piece from First Class was Magneto`s theme whereas for DOFP it`s Xavier`s Hope theme. Which I love. And it was used really well in some hauntingly beautiful future scenes.

So at this point, I`m quite happy with the movie.

Current Mood: cheerful

Finally saw X-Men: Days of Future Past which I enjoyed but wasn`t everything I hoped it would be. At least not after the halfway point. ( Spoilers )

Current Mood: accomplished

Seeing as there are already a sizeable chunk of people who have watched X-Men: Days of Future Past, spoiler hound that I am, I went looking. And immediately hit a snag.

Oh, it`s no problem having the plot spoiled. Or mutants in it. Or cameos. Or action scenes. Any of it. And everyone was very, very positive. But for the life of me I couldn`t find reviews/spoilers from someone who appeared to view the movie through the same lens as I know I will. I mean my expectations are very simplistic in their own way: how well will the Charles/Erik relationship be handled? If it`s good, I can forgive a lot of other stuff. And while I could glean some things from general spoilers that I`m all over the place about because I lack context, I`m basically as knowledgeable about the movie as I was before I started looking.

In other words: hurry up, movie. And please, please be good. *fingers crossed*

Current Mood: bouncy

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If you want something really, really bad...

you'll get it...really, really bad.

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