Journal of Mistress Kat

Hey all,

Am starting to panic about the gazillion things I need to sort before the end of the month, RL and FL wise both. I have ntohing exciting to tell except that I’ve finally caught up with some movie viewing (this where I would normally provide a warning for some vague spoilers but because everyone else in the world has probably already seen these…)

• Pirates of the Caribbean 3: The World’s End: Good film, though way too long (the last half an hour was painful for both my ass and my bladder). Johnny Depp is still the funniest (and prettiest) and somehow Orlando Bloom became 3798894574 times sexier when he was all heartless and wearing a black bandanna. Oh, and he’s clearly been taking some acting lessons from Johnny… aaaaaand this is where I resist searching for the RPS for this. Really, really hard.
• Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix: Very enjoyable. Gary Oldman pwns my unmentionables though there was a sad, sad lack of Remus. Casting Helena Bonham-Carter as Bellatrix was a stroke of genius though she too was on screen less than I had hoped for. All the kids, sorry, teenagers, were good, though the girl who played Luna (no idea who she is, too lazy to find out) outshined everyone. I especially liked the scene in the end where Voldemort tries to possess Harry and much kudos for Daniel Radcliffe for making what could have been cringe-worthy in fact genuinely intense and almost painful to watch. I also have to confess spending much of the movie seeing subtext everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. It’s dreadful what fandom has done to me. Truly.

 ***

Oh, I have two recs too! Both Supernatural, both Gen (yes yes, shock horror, laugh it up kids). Remember to leave feedback if you enjoy!

Fic: Secure the Blessing
Author: rahmi
Why you should read this: Because the plot is brilliant and heart-wrenching. To save Dean’s life Sam makes a wish for everyone to be ‘normal’ and happy and for himself to be elsewhere so he won’t draw evil things to his family and to remember everything so he can protect them. But things don’t go quite as planned and Dean remembers too, so when he wakes up, adult mind in a four-year-old’s body and Sammy is nowhere to be found… Hooked yet? I was. The world the author builds here is vivid and layered, and absolutely fascinating. Minor characters are handles well, and the sections with John had me bawling my eyes out every single time. The fic is about 21,000 words long and all I wanted to do at the end was to read more, to find out what happened next, so caught up was I in the story. Packs one hell of an emotional punch, and gives a thoroughly satisfying happy ending. Go read now.

Vid: The Bitter End
Vidder: brighette
Why you should watch this: Placebo and Supernatural are a match made in… um. Well, not Heaven. I have at least four SPN fanvids from Placebo songs and they are all top notch. There’s clearly something about that band that lends itself well for incest family dysfunction. Anyway, this vid… I may be slightly biased since it was done for my tiny evil!Sam challenge, but repeated viewings have yet to convince me that this video is anything short of excellent. There’s an AU plot here that splits open like a bloodied lip after a fight, thanks to some very measured and clever editing. The lyric to clip matching is inspired at times, catering for my little “literal interpretation” kink beautifully. The vid is chillingly convincing in its portrayal of abusive relationship that can only end one way. And as ruthless and possessed and downright scary Sam is in this, my sympathies still lie with him. Highly recommended.

Oh my god, I have finally recovered from Saturday’s party… Which was awesome, by the way, thanks for asking :-) The weather could not have been better, the last guest left around midnight, the food or drink didn’t run out (far from it), and for some inexplicable reason people came in with gifts (it was just a random garden party so I felt slightly weirded out by the money filled envelopes but it’s not like it isn’t needed so…)

Anyway, I believe I promised some sort of mini-report of my Supernatural meet-up which took place 4-5 August. There are some truly illustrious pictures in existence (most of them feature some pretty impressive cleavage) though unfortunately not in here, because downloading and uploading them would kill my pitiful modem connection. For those interested I can share some of them later, just nag me in September once I’m back abusing university’s broadband.

It’s that time again folks. The time to relax, and let the amazing power of fanvids crest over you mind and seduce you into whole new fandoms. Oh what wonders await you just a few mouse-taps away. Just click that download button and be ready fall in love…

Listen to me good now people. Every single one of these of videos is fucking brilliant. Do not continue your existence without seeing them. You owe it to the fandom. You owe it to yourself.

ZOMG Watch Mah Show! Part 2

REMEMBER TO LEAVE FEEDBACK TO THE VIDDERS!

Vid: Feeling Good
Vidder:

j_quadrifrons
Fandom: Life on Mars
Genre/pairing: Season 1 overview, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Because it’s just so pretty. Well, it is. The video is incredibly slick and professional looking. It could be an official promo video for the show, if it wasn’t better than anything I can imagine the BBC putting together. The song is just perfect for Sam Tyler and the show in general. If I wanted to seduce people into watching Life on Mars (which, um, I do) this is the video I would show to convince them of the brilliance of the show. The video gives you a chronological overview of the first season, with excellent clip choices and editing. Do yourself a favour and download it immediately.
Download link and info: From the vidder's original LJ post.

Vid: Two Words
Vidder:

sisabet
Fandom: Angel the Series
Genre/pairing: Show overview, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: The music choice here will make you blink for all of two seconds, after which it becomes stupefyingly clear that despite all laws of the universe, the song works with the source material so amazingly well I’m half-way convinced it was written for the sole purpose of the video. The editing here is something else, giving brilliant clip-lyric matching, but never losing the beat and feel of the underlying music. Every viewing of the video, another clip opens up and I’m awed anew by the detail and talent with which it is put together. More than that, there is a distinctive tightness in my chest every time I watch this vid. It is, in a word, epic. It’s about the constant struggle, fighting even when you’ll never win, the friends you gain and lose as a consequence. If you’re familiar with the canon, you’ll most likely cry. If you’re not, you might anyway.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s original LJ post.

Vid: Right Here Right Now
Vidder: Hollywood aka

hollywoodgrrl
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre/pairing: Show overview, Action, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: You’re looking at the title and thinking “Fatboy Slim wtf?” – a perfectly understandable first reaction. But oh my god does it work ever. This is hands down one of my top ten SGA fanvids of all time. You need to watch this vid several times to appreciate the full brilliance of it, because guaranteed the first few times you’ll be too busy just gaping with your mouth open. I know nothing of the technical side of vidding, but that thing with repetitions? Awesome. That other thing with fast forwards and quick rewinds? Also awesome. And the fast cuts, and the clip choices, and how the editing keeps to the rhythm of the music exactly? Awesome, awesome, and awesome. The bit with the machine gun (you’ll know what I mean) probably qualifies as divine inspiration. The Wraith sequence gives me chills. And the ending? Just… I can’t even. If you only watch one SGA vid in your entire life, let it be this one. If you know nothing about the show and hate it on the principle, watch the vid anyway. It really is just that good.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s original LJ post.

Vid: Sweetest Perfection
Vidder: Hope aka

angstslashhope
Fandom: Supernatural
Genre/pairing: Season 1 overview, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: You may have noticed that instrumental pieces lend themselves well for these types of “show overview” vids. I’ve mentioned before my affection for lyrics, so for me to rec all these vids with minimum reliance on them, should tell you something already. Anyway, this video right here? I’m running out of adjectives, but ‘amazing’ comes to mind. Writing these reviews I usually split the screen so that the word file is on one side, while the vid plays on the other, so I can jot down notes while I watch. That approach simply doesn’t work for this one, because I’m always completely drawn in, barely breathing and incapable of multitasking. Never mind that I’ve seen it maybe two dozen times before. The editing and clip choices are first-grade, and doubled with the music, the video is like a runaway train, going faster and faster, and even when you know where it’s going to stop, it doesn’t make the end any less shattering.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s original LJ post.

Vid: Injection
Vidder: Fox Estacado
Fandom: The X-Files
Genre/pairing: Myth-arc overview, some Mulder/Scully moments
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: If it wasn’t for The X-Files, I wouldn’t be here, neck-deep in fannish things, reccing you these vids. This was the show that introduced me to fandom, and I haven’t looked back since. This video… I don’t think I can do it justice with words. Firstly, using dialogue in a fanvid almost never works well. Even if it does, it rarely adds anything to the experience. This video here does both, and the end result is devastating. This is epic at its best, just like the show at its best was. It captures that feel of inevitability, of destiny, when the world is burning and you can do nothing but try to outrun the flames. It was always the main strength of the show: two extraordinary ordinary people clinging to each other when everything else fell apart. I loved this show so much it hurt. Still do, thanks to vids like this.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s website.

REMEMBER TO LEAVE FEEDBACK TO THE VIDDERS!

Miss an edition? I live to serve:
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 1 (weepy angst)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 2 (humour and crack)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 3 (hard-hitting angst)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 4 (sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll violence)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 5 (show overview and recruited vids part 1)

Next edition: Would Do Him Anyway (aka five guys I would totally jump even though they're not exactly perfect)

From the Heavens a bright ligh shone down and on the field the shepperds covered their faces with rags and keened in fear. For lo, the 5th Edition of Kat's Vid Recs of Doom was upon them, and it was portentous.

...

You know that feeling when you get excited and fannish about a TV-show and you want to squee and point and make absolutely everyone watch it, because it’s just that awesome? Well, that’s what this and the next set of vid recs are all about. These are the some of the best “recruiter videos” I’ve come across; the ones that somehow manage to distill what’s best about the show into just few minutes that’s everything you love about it and everything everyone else should too.

ZOMG Watch Mah Show! Part 1

REMEMBER TO LEAVE FEEDBACK TO THE VIDDERS!

Vid: Church
Vidder: Gianduja Kiss aka giandujakiss
Fandom: Buffy The Vampire Slayer & The Angel
Genre/pairing: Show overview, action, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Oh Jossverse, how I miss you so. This is one of the best ensemble vids I’ve seen, showcasing the good guys, the bad guys, and everyone in between Despite the epic feel and clever, clever use of imagery and metaphors and other deep shit like that (no really, there are profound things about authority, higher power, unity, rebellion, and how the generational war really doesn’t have anything to do with age), the video is highly entertaining. It also fills me with strong urge to spend money that I don’t have on purchasing full DVD boxsets of both Buffy and Angel, because it reminds me of how totally awesome those shows were.
Download link and info: From the vidder's website here.   Or view at IMEEM here.

Vid: What About Everything
Vidder: calapine
Fandom: Doctor Who (all incarnations)
Genre/pairing: Show overview, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Ships and aliens, friends and enemies. Companions gained and left behind. And always the Doctor, at the centre or in the sidelines, but always there; apart and helplessly, hopefully connected. The amount of source material the vidder has had to shift through is staggering, even more so because every single clip feels just right and perfect. There is love here, not just for this show, but for the whole (Brit) sci-fi genre, and it filters through. The video is great in every sense of the word: not larger-than-life, but just-like-life, Doctor Who style.
Download link and info: From vidder's original LJ post.   Or view at youtube here.

Vid: Midnights and Cups of Coffee
Vidder: Miruku Koohii 05 aka miruku_koohii
Fandom: Due South
Genre/pairing: Show love letter (the best way to describe it), ensemble, Fraser/Kowalski (could be friendship)
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: This video is here for the benefit of the younger F-listers, most of whom, I presume, may have never seen the awesomeness that was Due South. This thought makes me very sad. *shakes head despondently* The show had it all: culture clashes, deaf wolves, judgemental ghosts, fantasy sequences, action, friendship, domesticity… a repressed, exiled mountie and twitchy cop with experimental hair finding love together. (And Callum Keith Rennie who I would jump in a second even if he is a Cylon nowadays…). Anyway, I was supposed to talk about the vid, wasn’t I? Well, the best word to describe it is… heart-warming. Really and truly, this vid fills me with the kind of nostalgic love that burns like slow embers inside, warming me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. The clips, like the show, are sweet but not cloying, and the song choice equally so. This is one of my guaranteed feel-good videos, that I indulge in every now and then, usually when I need the good kind of cry. Watch the video people. Then buy the DVDs. Then hit me for some fic recs.
Download link and info: From the vidder's website. Scroll down half-way.

Vid: Anodyne
Vidder: sdwolfpup
Fandom: Scrubs
Genre/pairing: Character-centric (JD plus the ensemble), Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: You should watch the video so that you know why you should watch the show itself. I haven’t a clue how they do it, but Scrubs manages to be both stomach-crampingly hilarious and genuinely touching at the same time. Seriously, this is the show the proved to me that it is, in fact, possible (but not pleasant) to laugh and cry simultaneously. The video is wonderfully upbeat, absurd, sweet and poignant, and maintains the feel of the show perfectly (especially the part about JD’s and Turk’s friendship makes me aaawww all over the place). Excellent introduction to the wacky world of Scrubs.
Download link and info: From the vidder's original LJ post.

Vid: Setting Sun
Vidder: Martouf Marty aka martoufmarty
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre/pairing: Action, show overview, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: I’m a pretty wordy gal. By that I mean that when it comes to music, it’s the lyrics that usually clinch the deal for me. Which is why I’m always utterly awed when someone can make a video work so spectacularly for a song like this. Well, yes, there are some lyrics here (and pretty fitting and interesting ones at that), but really, it’s mostly about the sound rather than words, and the vidder knows this to the last beat, the last wail of synthesizer. This video is doped up on pure adrenaline (or probably Wraith-enzyme), and the action is just relentless. The editing and clip-choice… I can’t even begin to describe how fabulous those are (the flip-and-reverse scenes fill me with glee, and every time I watch the part with the explosion from Trinity I stop breathing). Everything is somehow very physical and raw and beautiful. Really, it’s like good sex. And with that endorsement I really have to wonder why you’re not downloading the vid already?
Download link and info: From the vidder’s website. Go to TV Vid > Stargate Atlantis.

Miss an edition? Oh-ho my pretties, let me provide:
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 1 (weepy angst)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 2 (humour and crack)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 3 (hard-hitting angst)
Themed Vid Recs of Doom - Edition 4 (sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll violence)

Next edition: ZOMG Watch Mah Show! - Part 2

I hope you find these vid recs useful and not just unnecessary clutter on you F-list. If you have any suggestions for improvement, or requests for particular themes (yes, yes, more angst will come later) or fandoms, please let me know.

Five Fanvids about Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll Violence

Vid: Roseability
Vidder: Luminosity aka sockkpuppett
Fandom: Angel the Series
Genre/pairing: Angel/Spike
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Angel/Spike is canon and don’t try to tell me otherwise. The shows did everything but say it out loud, and you could feel the tension whenever the two of them were in the same state. First there was Drusilla, then Buffy, but it takes absolutely no stretch of an imagination to see that somewhere along the line there was just Angel and Spike, with no one between them to soften the blows. This video captures perfectly a relationship that constantly teeters on the edge of sex and violence. It’s a connection so strong, so undeniable (though they do try), that it’s not strictly speaking love, but it is something. The video skilfully juxtaposes the flashbacks scenes of their shared history with the events from the shows’ timeline; revealing a relationship conducted with hard fists and long looks, tinged with blood and sexual tension sharp enough to draw it. But like the song says: They’ll always be dissatisfied. Brilliant, brilliant video that stays interesting even after several viewings. Highly recommended.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s website. Scroll down to about half-way down the page.

Vid: Oh My God
Vidder: XoF aka xof1013
Fandom: Queer As Folk UK
Genre/pairing: Stuart/Vince
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Reccing this video admittedly has more to do with the footage and song than any particular genius by the vidder. But, when it comes to an open-shirted Stuart dancing (God bless the DVD extras) to Pink (ft. Peaches) whilst yearning for Vince, and my sheer love for this series (oh Russell T. Davis, I want to marry your brain), I’m powerless to resist. Plus it fits the theme perfectly; here we have sex and drugs aplenty, if not the violence. So watch, wallow in nostalgia, lust after Aidan Gillen (one of the sexiest men alive), then come for a visit and we’ll grab a drink on the Canal Street.
Download link and info: Here is the vidder’s original LJ post.  The download links have expired but she says she will happily re-upload. Alternatively, you can find the vid on youtube here.

Vid: Closer – the Remix
Vidder: mkitty_03
Fandom: Smallville
Genre/pairing: Constructed reality, deconstructed relationship, porn sex, Clark/Lex
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: So, remember that Smallville episode where Clark got some Red Kryptonite, went all psycho, and fucked Lex like an animal? No? Well okay, maybe only the first two out of the three things happened in the show (had it been all, I might have actually, you know, watched the series), but that’s okay because the vidder makes me believe the last part did too. Repeatedly. To the music of NIN. If you got a kink for dubious/non-con, this video will hit it hard and make it its bitch. If you like good boys going bad, the video will show you how it’s done. Amazing use and editing of footage to create a completely believable alternate version of the events. The black-and-white sequences are almost painful to watch and the fast-rewind thing at the end is very, very cool. Sex, drugs and violence, all alive and present.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s original LJ post

Vid: Sex, Violence, and Cylons
Vidder: Martouf Marty aka martoufmarty
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica (new)
Genre/pairing: Sex & Violence. Canon pairings and several implied ones… In fact, consider everyone a fair game.
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: You do know that the new BSG is the best sci-fi, nay, drama, on TV at the moment? Good. Just checking. This video, however, doesn’t showcase the intelligent writing, or the edge-of-your-seat plot twists that make the show so very great. Instead it reveals BSG to be nothing but “violent pornography, choking chicks and sodomy”. And, uh, as such, it’s brilliant. Absolutely spot-on editing and inspired choice of clips and music result in a video that’s raw, hard-hitting, obscene, funny, violent, addictive, and definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s website. Go to TV Vid > Other TV.

Vid: Too Much Light In This Bar
Vidder: Absolute Destiny aka absolutedestiny
Fandom: Life on Mars
Genre/pairing: Sam/Gene
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: I’ve recced this video before in the lifein1973 community so I’ll just repeat what I said then: It took me good two minutes to a) start breathing and b) stop shaking, after seeing this video. The matching of clips to the song lyrics is spot-on and the effects add to the jarring, unbalanced feel of it. The vidder has managed to distil the essence of Gene into a 30 second sequence that is laugh-out-loud funny yet leaves you with a deep sense of unease. Alternatively funny, violent, desperate, self-deprecating and just so damn pretty to look at, this video shows you the upside, the downside and the inside of being Sam Tyler.
Download link and info: From the vidder’s original LJ post

F-list, prepare to ANGST.

Five Fanvids That Will Break You And Then Stomp On The Pieces

Vid: Counting Bodies
Vidder: Milly aka millylicious
Fandom: Angel the Series
Genre/pairing: Myth-angst, Angel&Connor father-son relationship (which was never that conventional so interpret it as you please)
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: So yeah. The Angel was frequently funny and gay and sweet. The appeal was that just as frequently the show was violent, raw and downright disturbing. Despite its occasional lapses into silliness, the Connor-arch was a prime example of the last trend and the vid distils the storyline into five hard-hitting minutes. The vid is mainly black&white, which makes the judicious use of colour all the more effective. The song-choice is perfect for Angel and Connor, and the editing is sharp like a knife and just as lethal.
Download link and info: From the vidder's website

Vid: Post Blue
Vidder: obsessive24
Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Genre/pairing: Angsty relationship vid, Simon/River (which is brother/sister in case you’re without any canon knowledge like me)
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: I’ve never seen even one episode of Firefly and my knowledge of canon is weak to say the least (uhm, they’re in space, there are some nasty guys who look like Nazis, and some dubious looking medical testing). I downloaded this video for precisely two reasons: 1) it uses Placebo’s Post Blue which is one of my favourite songs ever, and 2) it promised me hetcest, which, after losing my incest-cherry for SPN, I was feeling curious about. I kept the vid for the simple reason that it’s freaking awesome. The sheer technical skill (layers, stills coming to life and vice versa, divided screen, zooming, use of text) of this is remarkable but the real beauty comes from the fact that all of it is used to bring the story into focus, not drown it in unnecessary gimmicks. Definitely worth watching even if you don’t know anything about the canon. Trust me on this.
Download link and info: From the vidder's original LJ post
 

Vid: Hello
Vidder: Merry aka merryish
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre/pairing: Angsty actionvid, John-centric (maaaybe a bit mcsheppy if you are so inclined)
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: This is one of the earlier Atlantis vids I saw, but it has lost nothing of its impact. The matching of music to the clips is just inspired, especially the use of images of Atlantis, wormholes, space, and explosions. It’s somehow grittier than the show has ever managed to be, conveying a feeling of danger, desperation and destiny, and how John is just swept away with it all. One of the must-have vids of SGA. Highly recommended.
Download link and info: From Merry’s vids at anyroad.org

Vid: Without You I’m Nothing
Vidder: sisabet
Fandom: Smallville
Genre/pairing: Myth-angst, Clark/Lex
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: Despite never really watching the show, I’m fairly familiar with the fandom, and have trawled through tons of fanfic and several vids. What can I say, I’m a fandom whore. This video though… It shows what true obsession looks like, and it ain’t pretty. The vid is steeped deep in the myth of hero/arch villain; a relationship that tears the rest of the world apart in consummation of love, hate and mutual need. Gorgeous use of the show’s own imagery, excellent editing, and a “larger than life” feel that lifts this vid above the masses.
Download link and info: From vidder's original LJ post
 

Vid: Hemorrhage
Vidder: Fabella aka wistful_fever
Fandom: Supernatural
Genre/pairing: Angst out of the wazoo, Dean-centric, Gen
Rambling reason why you should watch this vid: It’s difficult to say anything coherent about this vid (my main reaction is a whimpery Oh Dean uttered repeatedly as I rock back and forth on the sofa), but for you I will try. The video doesn’t pull any punches and you’ll feel achy and bruised for hours afterwards. Watch out for a jaw-dropping opening, sepia-toned scenes to break your heart, use of a truly amazing blurring effect, which especially in the last scene kills me and (living up to the vid’s name) leaves me bleeding. It doesn’t get any angstier than this.
Download link and info: From vidder's original LJ post