Brix's Feedback-athon post

So here's my contribution to the great feedback-athon of 2005 that graphophobia so joyfully organized for those who stumbled upon the post. After a short funny coinkydink in which I was initially assigned to fleshlycherry, graphophobia switched with me since I had so recently completed the "why your writing rocks" meme fleshlycherry.

So here is my feedback for valarltd whose fanfic can be found here and vids here (the ones by angel are hers.)

Now then, first I went ahead and did feedback for the vids:) I rarely venture out of the firefly fandom on my flist so I've had little exposure to vids outside it. And lookee -- harrison ford. Who could pass that up?? So without further ado, my feedback:)

The Highwayman
My first comment applies to all of these vids actually -- I love it when someone uses songs that I only faintly recall listening to in the past or even great classics (you'll see what I mean in a sec). The Highwaymen was probably my all time favorite country song back when I had to listen to it on a regular basis (hello, lived in OK, restaurants/stores never played any thing else). Not only does it have 4 great singers, but the lyrics always got to me.

Now then, I know I can't remember all of the movies she has used clips from, mostly because I've forgotten the name of the one with dam in it --- I know I saw it, but can't remember it. I looked on imdb.com but it still isn't coming to me. And I've never seen that western that I know of...a little before my time I guess. Despite that, I really loved the continuity and timing of this vid. The parts merged seamlessly and fit well with the lyrics. Of course, the "sailor" portion could be updated to include K19 now but that's quibbles right:) But the shots from (i believe) 6 days, 7 nights worked just as well if not better. I particularly like how during each lyric she managed to find clips showing peril for the times that they said "they said I got killed, but I am living still". It changes slightly with each stanza, but you know what I mean if you know the song. Of course, I am greatly amused by the irony of the fact that Ford is actually destroying the dam during the "dam-builder" stanza...that and young Ford in a uniform *drools*

Of course we can't forget the starship pilot stanza now can we? Han Solo, must be included in every retrospective Ford piece after all. Not to mention perfectly fitting the idea of "maybe I'll become a highwayman again". The clips of all the missed movies like Indiana Jones at the end are a nice touch as well. Really, I love this vid alot. I think it does what every great vid should -- makes you believe that the artist wrote the song specifically for this purpose. *wild applause*

Get around
The Beach Boys and the original Star Wars....is there any more unlikely or fun combination (actually yes there are, and Angel vids them, but I digress)? And to see Obi Wan in the midst of this song....well I like it when vids unsettle my notions with images that suddenly seem to fit even though I may never have been able to imagine them on my own. This one does just that. And then I love the expressions on Han's face during his shots. Angel picked incredibly well for this vid. The only bad thing I found in it was the sudden interuption of dialogue right after the shot of Millenium falcon during the lyrics "we always take my car cause its never been beat". I'm not sure if it was on purpose or simply a mistake on the part of the program or what (i was also watching the small versions so maybe that had something to do with it). Other than that it was a great fun look at the band from the original (and should have arguabley been the only) Star Wars trilogy. Now I wanna go watch the dvds again :)

One Hundred Years
Another vid from Star Wars..this time from Anakin's perspective from all the movies. I really enjoyed how Angel portrayed his growth from the little boy everyone loves to hate (although I actually was one of the few that liked the kid's performance) to the teen with horrible dialogue to the one and only Darth Vader. Luke and Han/Leia are also thrown in in portions, but I almost seet his inclusion as the possibilities that could have been had Anakin not gone to the dark side. Honestly this vid actually made me enjoy the scenes from Star Wars II more than I did the first time. I really find it hard to pick a favorite scene from this vid because they all work so well in the context of the lyrics. And I loved the song--I hadn't heard it before but it took me no time at all to enjoy it and be able to relate it to the images.

Good Run of Bad Luck
Again, I love this song by Clint Black so I couldn't resist it even though I don't know the movie. I know that it is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I never saw it and only vaguely remember what I read of the book. The song certainly goes along with the theme though. The last 20 sec or so were my favorite though. I definitely recommend it to any HGG fan.

What I did for love
Not a song I was familiar with, but it works well. The star trek scene of spock's death was well orchestrated. It then transitions to other fandoms - Star Wars, some movie I have no clue about, flash gordon??, buffy, another movie I am completely unfamiliar with, and then LOTR. I loved the buffy sequence. The star trek and star wars were touching, but the buffy sequence was the best. Maybe because its a fandom I lurk more in, *shrugs* I can't say anymore about it without spoiling it. We all know she could have chosen any number of relationships to portray, but I love the one she chose. To me it fits perfectly. LoTR runs a close second. Ahh that gay hobbit love:) LOL

Anyway, got take a peak at her vid page. Ohhh so many fandoms and so little time! This is why I only allow myself one obsession *i will resist the cupid torrent

Well...it's something I suppose

Another incredibly unproductive weekend. I managed to unclog my drains somewhat, cook soup, and finish my feedbackathon and that's pretty much it. All saturday spent playing a little bit of Fable (I really don't care for it much, oh well) and then speedreading the third book of Robin Hobbes's Assassin trilogy. Not as good as the first two but then they rarely are. Still need to do dishes, laundry, and general cleaning. Wavering on whether to go to work tomorrow or not truly. I probably will. Am telling myself I'll do laundry tomorrow morning first though (and I'll regret not having it done this weekend since I won't have my facemask. May really go buy another).

Fic recs

Hello all. I just had the biggest surprise .. somehow I had missed a large chunk of inlovewithnight's firefly stories. I don't know how, but now I'm caught up. Now then, your assignment if you choose to accept it is to go http://inlovewithnight.tripod.com/id55.html and read Untitled and then feed her bunnies until she continues it. It has such deliciously dark angsty possibilities that we must simply get her to write more of it especially since she is trying her hand at longer stories. So go feed those Jayne angsty bunnies for me k?

(no subject)

Meme gakked from inlovewithnight:

So, my challenge to you is, pick any fic I've written and comment here with something you don't like about it. Even if you have to grasp at straws because you worship the ground I walk on, say something mean about my fic. ("I don't like your use of the word "the." "Your sentences are too long." "You have no grasp of basic math." "The Earth isn't flat, you moron." etc. etc. You get the idea.)

Keep in mind that calling me a fat, lazy, no-talent hack does NOT count as fic criticism. Unless, of course, it comes immediately after "You spelled 'cat' wrong, dude."

Okay, I love all the shiny happy good positive feedback I get from folks, but I really would like to know if y'all think that there is something I continue to do wrong or not (other than the obvious of not finishing my WIPs faster that is). My work and links to it are found http://intheblack.geministar.org/. And I apologize in advance if some of the formatting is off --- that is my fault not cassiee.

In other news, not going to work today since I had a bad nosebleed right after waking up. Never a good idea to go outside in the cold after that if I don't want to be holding a kleenex after two blocks. Sigh, I know it's just getting close to that time of the month but I really wish that I could find something to do so that nosebleeds didn't come in tandem with it. Ah well, at least it clots faster now taht I'm not taking too many anti-coagulants like I was last year during my bayer asprin induced pains:)

You know...I really hate the news

If you are strongly and completely pro-life, you may not want to read the following:

( same ol' same ol' )

Oh yeah, one more spam request

sooo...I've decided what to use my hastings gift card for --- I know I want more classical music cds but I am woefully undereducated about it, so I figure if I get them w/ this, I won't be upset if I don't love them. Right now all I have is two Baroque cds I got ages ago w/ a mix of different composers (the one I'm currently ripping has handel, bach, teleman, and boccerni). So if any of you are classical buffs, any suggestions of specific cds or composers I should look for?

Thanks for the help:)