By: Tara Chang,
on 4/8/2013
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/3/2013
As I suggested in my early con impressions, WonderCon had a reasonable amount of space and handled the numbers of attendees pretty well. It was no surprise that Saturday brought bigger numbers than Friday, and the crowding was more obvious, but still never reached that feeling of pushing and shoving that can easily erupt at crowded cons. The floor occasionally got backed up, particularly around the constantly slammed DC Comics booth, where big names like Scott Snyder appeared frequently for signings and the DC booth’s location, at the very front of the con entrance, contributed to some difficulty getting onto the floor. I noticed that the retail side of things was fairly busy, too, with some crowding and difficulty navigating, suggesting that plenty of fans were there to buy back issues and memorabilia, as well. The artists alley at WonderCon was a little on the scanty side in terms of size and numbers of tables, but those artists who were present were very engaging and passionate about their work. They seemed to have regular followers who were coming in to buy their artwork and there was a strong representation of the fine art side of fantasy prints and original work, as well as handmade arts and crafts.
Open areas like the food court and outside atrium were a welcome oasis, but it also continued to be easy to exit the con into the outdoor plaza areas for a rest and there was no difficulty with re-entry. Though the floor only allowed a couple of doors for access, the many exterior doors were open for comings and goings, with several food trucks outside, far enough from the entrance not to cause back ups. One other surprise was that Sunday seemed just as busy as Saturday, as I heard retailers commenting. They were turning over sales at just as high a rate that day. This feeling may be due to the fact that there were slightly fewer panels on Sunday, making the floor more of a feature, or simply that people waited to do their shopping on the floor on Sunday. When I stumbled into the Arena, a venue I hadn’t seen before, I was impressed with the numbers it could hold, and also that it was completely full for a Joss Whedon Shakespeare film adaptation event. This suggested to me that the con was handling numbers well, since I generally had no idea that so many people were even at the con on top of the numbers moving in the open spaces of the con. It was Easter Sunday the last day of the con, and it closed a little early, at 5PM, perhaps for this reason, but fans still had a sense that they would have been happy for the con to go on a little longer, a good sign regarding WonderCon’s appeal.
One final follow up: I suggested initially in my coverage that people might find WonderCon in Anaheim appealing due to Disneyland access, and that this would appeal to people will kids particularly. Though this turned out to be true, I also underestimated the appeal of Disneyland to singles and younger congoers. I went to Disneyland the following Monday and found that quite a number of WonderCon attendees were there too, from a younger demographic than I expected. You could tell from their conversations and generally less pastel clothing what guests were in town for the con, and I’d say about 1 in 10 were from the con in the massive crowds Disney drew on that post-Easter day.
Final thoughts: it was a well run and appealing con, offering plenty of choice in terms of panels, keeping up with what’s going on in comics and pop culture right now. Marvel were a little under represented, though Dan Slott was participating in panels, and several pros who were there for DC panels were formal Marvel people. Marvel didn’t have a booth on the floor, driving up the demand for DC variants and signings, which they happily accommodated. I was also impressed by the energetic presence of the mid-sized presses like Dark Horse, Archaia, Image, IDW, and ComiXology, for taking the opportunity to flourish and interact with fans when given a little more space to do so. The mid-sized presses really shone in their engagement with fans on the floor, their foresight in bringing new and upcoming books to purchase and get a sneak-peak at, and also through their involvement on panels. This gave the general impression that mid-sized presses are on the rise and taking on the role, collectively, as contenders for the Big Two. Good for them!
Whether WonderCon is in Anaheim again or back in San Francisco in the future, the planning and structure of the con should continue to hold up to make it a comfortable as well as enjoyable, exciting event for fans. This won’t be one of the cons where you have to sacrifice personal amenities just to see your favorite artists speak or get the variant your collection is calling for. They have a sense of putting the customer first at WonderCon and let’s hope that continues; it sets a good model for the growing con industry, and there are some bigger cons who could learn a thing or two from this.
Without further ado, some highlights of the con in photos from my trusty partner in crime Michele Brittany who proved her moxie as a pop culture photographer at WonderCon 2013 in spades. Thanks Michele!
Photo Credits: All photos in this article were taken by semi-professional photographer and pop culture scholar Michele Brittany. She’s an avid photographer of pop culture events. You can learn more about her photography and pop culture scholarship here.
Hannah Means-Shannon writes and blogs about comics for TRIP CITY and Sequart.org and is currently working on books about Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore for Sequart. She is @hannahmenzies on Twitter and hannahmenziesblog on WordPress.
By: Mark Miller,
on 3/20/2013
At least, in my writing.
My new story is available now.
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By: Jason Boog,
on 3/8/2013
The Avengers director Joss Whedon adapted William Shakespeare‘s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, as a modern-day retelling. The trailer is embedded above–what do you think?
A limited release date has been set for June 07, 2013. The film has already screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Glasgow Film Festival. As we previously reported, Whedon shot the entire movie at his own home in 12 days. Here’s more about the film from NPR:
As I watched Much Ado About Nothing, I had the distinct thought, “I wonder whether this is the future.” Not the future, of course — I don’t believe we’re anywhere close to the end of the blockbuster, nor do I believe we’re necessarily entering a new age of Shakespeare — but a big piece of the future. Big films have gotten so big, expensive films so expensive, that all of the risk has to be drained out of them, which often leaves behind a dried-out version of whatever was originally intended.
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By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/4/2013
Marvel have been teasing a new project called #1, which has been suggested to be a weekly comic, or some kind of compendium, or… well, who knows. At any rate, a new teaser has surfaced, revealing the creative people who will be featured in the project, as well as the news that the announcement for #1 will come next weekend, at South By Southwest. There are plenty of names involved –
Some of the most notable names on there are Warren Ellis, Ed Brubaker and Joss Whedon, all of whom seem somewhat unlikely at this point to be releasing new work for Marvel. Especially Whedon, whose involvement would surely come with a teaser in itself – despite apparently only being able to write one comic script every seventeen months or so, he’s a big name, and would bring a lot of attention to Marvel comics.
So what is this? It looks to be some kind of reprint, or some way of celebrating the books Marvel perceives to be the most important they’ve done. The presence of John Cassaday on the teaser probably connects to his work with Whedon on Astonishing X-Men, and you can also pair together several other creative teams, such as Rick Remender and Jerome Opena, or Matt Fraction and David Aja.
But at the same time, all these creators listed here are fairly contemporary – if you’re going to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the X-Men, there’s no way you should be allowed to exclude Chris Claremont. So what the devil (as Claremont would no doubt write in his 50th Anniversary X-Men Comic, which by the way I WANT TO READ) is this meant to be?
By: Maryann Yin,
on 9/17/2012
After the blockbuster success of The Avengers, Joss Whedon is now promoting his “micro-studio” film adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing.
The modern-day retelling of the Shakespearean comedy screened at the Toronto Film Festival. NPR reports that Whedon shot the entire movie at his own home in just 12 days. He also wrote the screenplay and oversaw the music.
The cast includes many actors he has worked with in the past. NPR listed them all: “Amy Acker (Angel, The Cabin In The Woods) as Beatrice, Alexis Denisof (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse) as Benedick, Fran Kranz (The Cabin In The Woods, Dollhouse) as Claudio, Clark Gregg (The Avengers) as Leonato, Reed Diamond (Dollhouse) as Don Pedro, and — bless his heart — Nathan ”Joey Buchanan” Fillion (Firefly, Dr. Horrible, Buffy) as Dogberry the bumbling constable.”
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By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/8/2012
Realizing it is never too soon to start a preemptive strike, the Outhousers website has already started a much-needed campaign to save Joss Whedon’s unknown Avengers-related TV show from cancellation:
The Outhouse hates to see fans suffer like the Browncoats, fanatical fans of Whedon’s popular Firefly, also known as Firebronies, have for the past decade since their beloved space western was canceled, after only one season, by Fox. The network appears to have a personal vendetta against Mr. Whedon, as it also canceled Dollhouse in 2010. Some rumors even suggest that the only reason the new Whedon show is being produced by Disney is so that it can later be canceled as a show of good faith to Fox in their Daredevil movie right negotiations. Fox might be more inclined to return the movie rights to the characters Silver Surfer and Galactus to Disney if they can experience the delight of seeing another Whedon show canceled too soon as part of the deal. In any case, it is clear that drastic action must be taken if fans want to see the show last longer than its ill-fated predecessors.
By: Jason Boog,
on 7/19/2012
Do the kids in your life love to tell stories? The new Geek & Sundry YouTube show Written by a Kid takes a story told by a kid and animates it with a funny cast of adults.
It’s a wonderful way to encourage children to tell stories and remind adults to let their imaginations run free. io9 has more:
Possibly the most adorable thing you will see all day, this is the first episode of ‘Written By A Kid’ in which awesome folks like Dave Foley, Kate Micucci and Joss Whedon recreate kids stories. The results are priceless, we just about lost it when Joss showed how his character Gerald from the ‘SQUAT’ team was ‘fun.’
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By: Jason Boog,
on 6/19/2012
The Wall Street Journal featured a number of fan fiction authors in a long story called “The Weird World of Fan Fiction.”
The dispatch explored a number of interesting corners of the fan fiction universe where dedicated readers continue the stories they love the most. However, the piece didn’t link to any of the fan fiction works mentioned in the story.
Below, we’ve shared some links to help you read the stories mentioned in the article.
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Over at the fan blog dedicated to his work, director Joss Whedon wrote a letter thanking his fans for their dedication.
His powerful community of fans delivered last weekend, as Whedon’s The Avengers shattered box office records and earned $207 million during its opening week. The director’s message to his fans was an inspiring tribute to the creative life. Check it out:
When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I’ve had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y’all. A lot of stories have come out about my “dark years”, and how I’m “unrecognized”… I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I’m ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I’ve yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I’ve thought, “maybe I’m over; maybe I’ve said my piece”. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y’all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you’re probably new here.
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By: Jason Boog,
on 5/10/2012
Over at the fan blog dedicated to his work, director Joss Whedon wrote a letter thanking his fans for their dedication.
His powerful community of fans delivered last weekend, as Whedon’s The Avengers shattered box office records and earned $207 million during its opening week. The director’s message to his fans was an inspiring tribute to the creative life. Check it out:
When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I’ve had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y’all. A lot of stories have come out about my “dark years”, and how I’m “unrecognized”… I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I’m ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I’ve yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I’ve thought, “maybe I’m over; maybe I’ve said my piece”. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y’all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you’re probably new here.
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"And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest director and actors found themselves united against a common threat: the sagging box office. On that day, the Avengers were born--to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Heed the call, then--for this Friday, the Avengers Assemble!"
Today really is a day unlike any other--it’s practically a nerd holiday: The Avengers, a superhero team comprised of the biggest names in the Marvel universe (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor), hits the big screen as portrayed by some of the biggest names in the box office (Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson), directed and written by geek god Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I say thee yay!
What follows below is a primer for before and after the film, or a refresher for fans who’ve fallen out of the habit. It’s by no means comprehensive, so please suggest your favorite Avengers tales in the comments below.
The Ultimates Vol. 1 by Mark Millar and Brian Hitch: Purists, I apologize. The Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comics are the rightful classics, but Whedon’s film seems to draw heavily from the tone and costumes (and origins) of Millar’s re-imagining. Here, the heroes are presented as government operatives, each with plenty of emotional baggage and secrets. It’s an adult take on a previously kid-friendly concept, told in a very contemporary, decompressed manner, and this first volume caused plenty of ripples throughput the industry.
The Avengers Vol. 1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: The book that started it all. Bright adventures, crackling energy, and plenty of exclamation points keep these early stories alive. There’s a sense of true wonder at work and new readers should be prepared for the overflow of enthusiasm.
The Korvac Saga, The Kree/Skrull War, and Under Siege by various industry legends: 1970s and 80s tales as told by Roy Thomas, George Perez, Sal Buscema, Jim Shooter, Neal Adams, and more. Travel the cosmos, the future, and a who’s who of Avengers villains in the stories that many cite as the team in its prime.
Avengers Assemble and Avengers Forever by Kurt Busiek, George Perez, and Carlos Pacheco: These late 1990s stories are the last “classic” Avengers collections, featuring pages stuffed with big costumes and bigger dialogue balloons. Perez’s artwork never ages, lending a timeless appeal to these nos
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By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 4/19/2012
Tumblr is testing the waters of paid advertising (according to CEO David Karp. The site had been strictly opposed to advertising in the past, but it’s turning its dashboard Radar feature — which was previously a curated space to highlight... Read the rest of this post
By: Jason Boog,
on 10/11/2011
The first official trailer for Marvel’s The Avengers has arrived. What do you think?
Directed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, the star-studded cast includes Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Evans as Captain America, , Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
The Huffington Post talked to Evans about the film. He explained: “It’s not easy trying to bring all those characters together and find a story, but the best thing about Joss is that Joss is a fan, Joss is a comic book guy … the people I am trying to please is Joss. Joss is one of those dudes. And if Joss is happy with the dialog, if Joss is happy with the wardrobe, if Joss is happy, then I’m happy. Because he’s Comic-Con, he’s one of these dudes who would be in the audience geeking out, so if he’s happy, I’m happy.”
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Posted on 8/13/2011
The other day, someone asked me why, whenever I interview someone, I always end with the question 'Who do you think would win in a fight, astronauts or cavemen?'
As any true Joss Whedon fan could teIl you, I took the question from an episode of Joss Whedon's excellent TV show, Angel, in which the main characters carry on a running (often heated) debate as to who would win.
(Read more ...)
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/24/2011
.
Well, another Comic-Con is drawing to a close, with the traditional annual Buffy sing-along, this time in Hall H. (Perhaps they could also add a “Mayhem of the Music Meister!” event as well?)
So, here’s some more interesting tidbits from Comic-Con…
Rock it To The Bang Bang Boogie Dept.:
ComicsAlliance reports that Superman gets depowered, but not deflowered, in the next volume of “Superman: Earth One”. J. Michael Straczynski states that Superman will be temporarily depowered, and tries to hook up with his sexy neighbor, but fails.
Holy SNOT, Batman! Dept.
Alex Schranz creates an amazing Batcave out of Lego bricks, to minifig scale!
(Here are some other Bat-Lego creations! Click on the photos to be taken to the websites for even more amazing creations!)
1 Comments on The Watchtower: Comic-Con — Superman, Batman, Archie, William Shatner, Joss Whedon, and Other Sexy Topics, last added: 7/27/2011
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By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 4/15/2010
MySpace launches a social calendar (with concert listings, links to buy tix and more features coming soon. TechCrunch calls the revamped MySpace Events platform "an elegant weaving of products that plays to a core strength of MySpace." Watch this... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 3/17/2010
Today's Ypulse Youth Advisory Board post comes from Lauren Williams on the rise of watchable web series and her personal favorite, Felicia Day's "The Guild," which tied with "The Bannen Way" in leading Streamy Award nominations this year. Remember,... Read the rest of this post
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By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/28/2009
Dollhouse: Season One
The Plot: Echo (Caroline) is a "doll" in the "dollhouse." High paying clients pay to hire a doll to be anything the client wants. This isn't acting or pretending; the "dolls" original personality has been removed, and depending on the assignment, a new personality is downloaded into the doll and the doll becomes -- the perfect girlfriend. Hostage negotiator. A singer. Whatever you want.
It's not exactly legal; so FBI Agent Paul Ballard is investigating, looking to find Caroline with only a photograph, a first name, and rumors as a lead. How far will the Dollhouse go to stop Ballard? And does the Dollhouse have any limits in what it will -- and won't -- do to fulfill a client's wishes?
The Good: As you know, I began watching this last season with some reservations. I'll address them in a bit; first, what I liked about this show.
Dollhouse works great as a "sit down and watch all 12 episodes over 4 days" TV show. In many ways, it's stronger when you can see one episode after the other, the character development, the multi-episode story arc. Each Dollhouse episode works as a standalone; but there is also a season-long question (Who is the mysterious Alpha doll who went crazy and killed or mutilated several people before escaping the Dollhouse?) and a series question (What is the Dollhouse, really?)
As a viewer, it can be a bit hard to connect with the dolls who are a different person each week, reverting to a child-like state between jobs. For this reason, perhaps, the Dollhouse staff, despite the fact that they, well, treat people like dolls, are more sympathetic -- or at least easier to know -- than the dolls. If a person changes every week, how can I get to know them? How can I like them? Despite this limitation, or maybe because of this, Enver Gjokaj (doll Victor) and Dichen Lachman (doll Sierra) give stunning performances and show an incredible range of character. You actually look forward to them being someone different each week because they bring their A game each time.
If you read my prior posts, you'll see I'm a bit pissy at Joss for saying these shows are about yadda yadda yadda. What is the Dollhouse metaphor? Is this show about feminism? About employers wanting an unquestioning workforce? About acting, with "meat puppet" actors manipulated by directors and producers and writers? I've flirted with all ideas (well, except for the feminism one. That is Joss's idea and I don't agree). Ultimately, I think its a reflection of today's world wanting only to talk; never to listen; to say they want communication and relationships, but the truth is they only want that when it's one-sided, convenient, and easy; and ultimately, to always be in control and not have to compromise.
What didn't I like? Joss's talk before hand about the show yadda yadda yadda was a bit turn off; I much prefer discovering the truths about the show by myself, not for it to be hammered at me. Also, I'm a bit tired of Joss having his cake and eating it, too. He says he is a feminist; but the amount of short skirts and skin shown actually gets tiresome. I also have an inherent distrust of a show with a built-in rewind/eraser; i.e., when in doubt, say it's programming and a doll! It gets a bit tiring knowing that nothing can truly be trusted. But please note that sometimes I do like that type of storytelling, such as with Justine Larbalestier's Liar.
DVD Extras: there are two bonus episodes. One is an epilogue, of sorts, set ten years in the future (or, at least, one possible future). I LOVED the epilogue; and truthfully? Would have loved to see more storytelling like that. The other is the pilot that was deemed not a good pilot. What's funny is that some scenes from the pilot made it into other episodes; and an actress who was featured returned in a different role for a different episode. I do admire Joss's loyalty to actors and staff and crew.
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© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 10/20/2009
Meez Nation moves into MySpace (integrating the teen virtual world, which has been profitable since April (!), into the social networking platform. Interesting development in the cool comeback strategy. Plus Denny's expands its Allnighter program... Read the rest of this post
EVERNIGHT, by Claudia Gray (the pen name, evidently, of someone named Amy Vincent), was highly disappointing.
For starters, it opened with exactly the kind of prologue I find most off-putting, namely, one that seems to exist only because otherwise the first several chapters will be too boring, so the author wants to assure us that something suspenseful is going to happen later on. The problem? I don’t usually feel any suspense during action sequences unless I’m already invested in the characters, which, almost by definition, I’m not by the time of a prologue. I gathered from EVERNIGHT’s prologue that someone would wind up in some danger and feeling some guilty anguish, but nothing made me really care.
But I’d heard good things, so on I went to the actual book. Throughout the early chapters, I kept trying to like it, and almost managing. I thought the premise — a school for vampires suddenly opens itself to human students — had definite potential. Character-wise, Gray did something I really liked:
It’s funny–when people call you “shy,” they usually smile. Like it’s cute, some funny little habit you’ll grow out of when you’re older, like the gaps in your grin when your baby teeth fall out. If they knew how it felt–really being shy, not just unsure at first–they wouldn’t smile. Not if they knew how the feeling knots up your stomach or makes your palms sweat or robs you of the ability to say anything that makes sense. It’s not cute at all.
–but then undermined it by never having her character actually think or act like a shy person, just telling us a lot of times that she was. I felt like I would’ve wanted to read the book Gray told us she was writing.
On a sentence level, EVERNIGHT vacillated between incredibly pedestrian, generic prose and the sort of quintessentially young adult cadence I really like, where really long and really short clauses mix together; you can see all of this in this short paragraph from early on:
Until that moment, I hadn’t known what fear was. Shock jolted through me, cold as ice water, and I found out just how fast I could really run. I didn’t scream–there was no point, none, because I’d gone off into the woods so nobody could find me, which was the dumbest thing I’d ever done and looked like it would be the last. [...] I had to run like hell.
There was also a lot of sloppiness on little details (like, no one in high school is old enough to drink legally!), which was distracting, but I dutifully moved along in the book, waiting for the plot to develop. And then it did, and I was sorry.
(Vague but important spoilers below.)
The entire first half of the book is playing an absurd trick on the reader, which is then revealed. It’s a trick in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, which I thought was very clever when I read it as an eleven-year-old; it here has the effect of just undoing any investment I had in the character I thought I was reading about. Seriously, there was absolutely no reason to have kept the crucial information from readers except for the author to revel in how “clever” the trick was, except it… really wasn’t. EVERNIGHT is trying to be “Enemies” from Season 3 of BUFFY, and ending up more in the territory of “And it was all a dream!”
And speaking of gratuitous choices, here’s my fan letter to the author:
Dear Claudia Gray,
Please don’t spoil Hitchcock movies I haven’t seen since I was a small child and don’t remember the big plot twists in, just so you can have the characters discuss them to establish that they both like old movies. Thank you,
Love,
Elizabeth
As blog readers will know, though, I can overlook a lot when I really get into a teen romance. Which is why the final straw for me was that the protagonist and her love interest are the most codependent creeps since Meyer set the trend in this genre. Seriously, our heroine Bianca goes on, and on, and on about how much the sniveling hero Lucas just wants to protect her. If I could’ve believed in these characters and their allegedly undying love for one another, I would’ve been really frightened for them.
My last complaint, I swear: EVERNIGHT flagrantly violates the Chekov Rule (”If there’s a gun in the first act…”) with the most blatantly dropped plot point this side of BUFFY’s seventh season. (And by that, I do mean every damn week of season 7, but that’s no excuse; if it was real bad when Joss did it, it’s certainly no good when this lady follows suit.) It’s possible this is just setup for some sequel, but I’m sure as hell not reading any more to find out.
TWILIGHT, VAMPIRE ACADEMY, now this… Why can’t I find a damn vampire romance that’s any good? In book form, that is.
Posted in Evernight, Flawed, however, can indeed coincide with uninteresting, Gray, Claudia, I learned it from Joss Whedon, Mead, Richelle, Meyer, Stephenie, Twilight series, Vampire Academy series
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 3/22/2009
I'm still reserving final judgment on Dollhouse. Meaning, I watch, complain about it on Twitter, yet hope that something happens to pull it all together to make me go "wow."
There have been some good moments.
I enjoyed Eliza Dushku doing comedy in the last episode (and wish that Joss had realized that was one of Eliza's talents and concentrated on that for a series.)
Some of the conversation with widower-man. I liked how creepy the widower-man was about his dead wife. I wonder what she would think about the new! improved! Echo! Stepford! version her husband created. And I wonder whose memories/ download they used to create her.
Agent Ballard, Boyd & his investigation and apparent loyalty to Dollhouse, all good (tho it's a bit weird that we'll end up with two men fighting over what is best for a woman, Echo/Caroline).
I'm a bit surprised that some people thought that KickAssEcho was Caroline; it clear to me that she's no more than a Doll for the InsideDollhouse person.
I had predicted Mellie being a Doll; but good storytelling isn't about being "surprised", it's about how well told (and shown) that story is. What intrigues me is that I'm unsure whether Mellie was used to execute someone; or whether it was all done to set up Ballard; and if to set up Ballard, to what extent? Simply for him to trust the InsideDollhouse person, or to have him realize Mellie is a Doll (who does Ballard think killed Intruder Guy), in which case Madeline (er DeWitt) is the InsideDollhouse person.
But here is the thing with Mellie and the Bad Guy: this type of "we could discuss in circles all day long" annoys me as a reader/watcher. Oh, I'm not saying I want it handed to me on a silver platter, all spelled out. I like arguments about what a story means or what happened. I'm good with loose threads and red herrings. I'm not good with obvious manipulation by the storyteller; and sadly, right now, that's what I'm feeling.
I can see and full the puppet strings as Joss manipulates his story and his audience. The man on the street interviews? Joss telling us what he thinks we are thinking and should be thinking; ditto with half of widower-man's conversation with Ballard. To much of the "is this or is this not Dollhouse activity / game playing" falls into the same type of manipulation.
I'm still bothered by some lacks of logic that I hope get examined. Why are all the dolls so cute and fit and purty? Rich men and women have fetishes and odd desires, just like the rest of us. And isn't the burglar/spy doll who no ones remembers because they are average better than the one who should be on a cover of a magazine? I don't believe that no one wants to pay for someone beyond the Hollywood ideal of beauty.
Ah, the Hollywood ideal of beauty. That is what this show is really about, isn't it? Not about feminism (despite the Joss interviews I've stopped listening to because I don't like feeling like I'm a college freshman being lectured by a grad student). It's about industries like TV that would love if their talent (actors, directors, etc.) were Dolls who did exactly what the studio wanted them to do; and Joss's anger at Fox about this. Anyway, that's my theory.
Tho about that theory and the last episode...it could also mean that the Dollhouse is really about employers (especially the military, always the bad guy of choice for some) creating a perfect, unquestioning workforce. Hey, publishers, imagine the author who churns out bestsellers without missing a deadline or wanting to write outside their genre? Who never complains about a booksigning? This works a lot better for me than the feminism metaphor Joss tells me. (And makes me wonder what Joss really thinks about what his show is about; and what is marketing.)
Which, by the way, leads me to another point for any author. If you have to tell me what your book/movie/TV show is really about? Instead of letting me discover it on my own? You're doing it wrong.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 2/14/2009
Dear Joss Whedon,
I watched the first episode of Dollhouse last night.
Joss, we've been together since 1997; I did watch the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie
So, I will continue watching Dollhouse. Despite my misgivings, which remain after last night's episode.
The good? Well, there is you, Joss; and because of that, I'll stick around to see what Big Backstory is going on, to watch characters develop and stories deepen. You've assembled a great cast: Amy Acker, Reed Diamond, Olivia Williams, and be still my heart, Tahmoh Penikett (I love you, Helo!)
But... man. A dollhouse? Really? Humans with no memories, who get personalities downloaded into their brains, then rented out to fulfill whatever dream or need or want they have?
I know you've written some great roles for women: Buffy Summers and Zoe Washburne to name two. But the space prostitute, er, companion storyline of Firefly was always one of the weak spots of that series.
And Dollhouse... sorry, Joss. I don't see the humor nor adventure in a storyline where rich guys make human girls into their playthings -- their dolls -- to fulfill their emotional and physical needs, as we saw in the first few minutes of the show.
It's especially troubling when, unlike Inara, the women are not in on it, but rather empty vessels to be filled with the type of super-women the men want. The BuffyBot was at least a robot, not a real person; the same goes for the robots of Westworld
Oh, I know; the main story in the episode had nothing to do with sex. Instead, it went very Nikita
I understand that this is being done in part to highlight the acting range of Eliza Dushku. One of the things I've always liked about good science fiction TV is the ability for actors to stretch and show multiple talents and faces. Perhaps if I were a bigger fan of Eliza, I'd be more excited about the show. But I want to watch a Joss show; not an Eliza showcase.
Will I DVR this show? Yes. Am I in love with it, the way I was with Buffy? No. Will I give it time, it case things turn out to be something other than what they seem? Yes.
Take care,
Liz
By: Sophie Brookover,
on 3/10/2007
Okay, this tidbit, more than anything else I've heard or seen recently, makes me feel a teensy bit old: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV iteration) is 10 years old today. TEN. Thanks to PopWatch for pointing it out, and big, big thanks to this excellent article in Flak for laying out Buffy's legacy so well. Buffy is a major cultural touchstone for so many of us in teen librarianship, and not just because of geeky hunk Giles. For me, it's that Buffy was deeply invested in strong girls coming of age, and as a strong girl who was coming of age while it was on the air, I was deeply invested in it. Even though the show had run its course by the time it went off the air, I was really sad to see it go, and it's a great comfort to me to see how many production & writing alumni of Buffy have graduated to many of my current favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica, 24, The O.C. (of blessed memory), Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy. Share your favorite Buffyverse moments, quotes, and reminiscences in the comments!
I discovered this sci-fi gem when the movie came out. Didn't even know about the series when it aired on tv. I have since delighted in the series. I remember this end and how shocked I was at the death of one of it's beloved characters.