Things to get off my chest before bed

[shadowkat]

1. Mariah Hargay, co-editor of the IDW Angel comics, has managed to do the impossible, talk me into trying Willingham (who I despise) Angel comics again. Which up until now, I thought was impossible. But her posts on Spike and the comics - have me intrigued, I'm actually really curious about their story-arc now. Scott Allie, of Dark Horse, on the other hand, has not only managed to persuade me to give up on the Buffy Comics entirely but to possibly throw out the ones I currently own - as misogynistic twaddle. Interesting. I don't know what I'm going to do at the moment. But if I was in a comic book store right this second - that's what I would do. Not really sure what the lesson is here? Except that maybe Dark Horse - should leave the fan interviews/interaction to their head writer/producer - Whedon (also, see if they can snag Mariah from IDW and fire Allie's ass while their at it), and IDW should keep their writers as far away from the fans as possible. Whedon and Mariah know how to talk to fans, Willingham, Allie, and Williams really don't.

2. There was a question this week that peaked my interest and I meant to answer last night in a post but got sidetracked and wrote about Wonder Woman and feminism - blame flist for that one.
Anyhow - the question was - what would it take for you to stop watching a tv series?

I want to extend that question to what would it take for you to stop reading or watching a fictional series - book, comics, television, or film?

For me, it depends. Can be a variety of things. But usually - it's just plain boredom. I've lost interest. There are situations...rare ones, that I stop reading or watching because I'm offended or find it the content unreadable or unwatchable. As there are also rare instances in which the characters are well, no longer recognizable.

The last two situations apply to tv shows or books I was fannish about or loved then gave up on out of abject disappointment.

There are also situations in which I realize the writer has run out ideas and is basically repeating themselves and the story is more or less going around and around in the same endless circle and nothing is progressing. And well, I'm bored and frustrated and writing a better story about the characters in my head. If I can predict what they will do next, or what they do next annoys or frustrates or offends or just, well doesn't work for me, I give up on the story and hunt for a story that does entertain.

I'm not positive, but I'm guessing this is most likely true of most people? What do you think?
I won't bore you with tv series and books given up on.

3. Five Moments of Buffy (series) and Angel (series) that I loved:

Buffy
1. The scene between Buffy and Spike in Intervention, when she pretends to be the robot to get information from him.
2. The sex scene between Spike and Buffy in Smashed.
3. Buffy killing Angel in Becoming Part II - this is an amazingly good sequence, he is about to kill her, and tells her that she has nothing left, but him. He has broken her. But she turns the tables on him and says...no, I have me, and you don't have any power here. Then, just before she kills him, he gets his soul back, but she kills him anyway, drives it home.
4. Buffy's Speech to Spike in Never Leave ME - where she tells him she believes in him.
5. Spike's speech to Buffy in Beneath Me - where he tells her that he got his soul.

Angel
1. Cordelia taking charge and fighting the ghost in Room with A View
2. Wesley and Lilah - the scene between them in Home
3. the fight sequence between Spike and Angel, where Spike lifts up the cross and tells Angel - "You can't bear the sight of me, because every time you look at me, you see all the horrible things you did, and are, you tried to make me into you. But you failed. I'm not you! I'll never be you." (or something to that effect)
4. The last scene in Damage - between Spike and Angel, where Spike states..."who am I to complain, I did horrible things..." And Angel says,"she's a victim, an innocent" and Spike replies..."so were we", both say in unison - "once upon at time".
5. When Wes breaks Faith out of jail in order to save Angel from himself.

4. Five Positive Things:

1. Bugs appear to be gone, even if the apartment still sort of smells like floral raid...but it is getting better.
2. It's Friday.
3. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm and sunny
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox is sitting on my tv stand courtesy of netflix
5. Bronchitis is getting better...and did I just say, Friday? Which means tomorrow is Sat, my favorite day of the week. Never been much of a Sunday person - goes back to school, I suppose.
Like every other kid on the planet - I found myself stressing over last minute homework that I'd put off until Sunday, in order to enjoy Friday and Saturday.

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I also quit reading the IDW Angel books... and I'm not curious enough about the Spike teaser to go try it again... but if YOU love it then I might! lol

I read them in the book store today. Or rather scanned. Not really worth your time, money, or energy - not worth anyone's. They are basically male romance novels. I coined the term after watching Frank Miller's Sin City - which was definitely a male romance novel. And in some respects they remind me a lot of Frank Miller's comics, also Raymond Chandler - although they are far better writers. So if you want to read something along those lines? Check those guys out. These are sort of the bargain basement version. Not all that different than 85% of the other comics in the store.

I ended up, via your recommendation, buying Felicia Day's The Guild instead, along with Terry Moore's Echo. And a free comic - b/c you know, free comic book day.

I admittedly enjoyed Avatar more than you did, ;-). But I can't say it was memorable. The best bits were the floating seed thingies. Also 3D makes human actors look funky. It's not a medium I enjoy. I agree with Downey Jr. - 3D is ruining movies.

With movies: I hate walking out and wasting the money, so I'm usually wary about doing to movies in the first place. I would rather see something I'll love on DVD than pay good money at the theater for something I'm bored by. Normally I'll sit through the entire film and then make fun of it to all of my friends and family later.

Oh god, yes. So agree. Also movie theaters have become uncomfortable - what with the cell phones, and the commericals. Much better to rent via netflix. That way - if you hate it - you can just send it back.
No worries. I think I've only walked out of one movie in my lifetime, not that there weren't numerous films that I wanted to walk out of.
Transformers - I came very very close to leaving in the middle of.
That and Moulin Rouge - which gave me a splitting head-ache. But Superman IV the Quest for Peace - I think may have been the one I walked out on? Can't remember. Was with four other people at the time and they wanted to leave as badly as I did. It was in England, we were in a small town, with nothing to do one evening.

I usually won't quit reading a book because if I'm bored I have speed reading skills I'll employ to just plow through to the ending. I think there have only been a few times I've been so totally bored and disconnected that I didn't even want to find out the ending.

A few years back, I gave myself permission to stop reading a book in the middle if I got bored. Of course, I probably should add - that when I get bored or frustrated with a book - I skip ahead to see if it gets better. I'll often read the end. If it's good, I'll keep going. If it sucks or I find myself not intrigued? I give up. Often it is just my mood. I'm very moody reader. I've been known to give up on books and then pick them up again a year or so later, and love them to death.
I remember reading a Lymond Book by Dorothy Dunnett ( a series that taliamama got me obsessed with. I was really bored and aggravated in the middle, Dunnett tends to overwrite, and I would skip ahead, read the good bits, jump back and speed read the boring bits and re-read the good bits in context with the boring bits. (Unfortunately you can't do this with tv shows, movies, or comic books that come out once a month...which may be why books are my favorite medium - I've got the most control - well except for the Kindle reader, which seems to hamper that ability somewhat.)

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm glad you are giving The Guild and Echo a try... I think you'll like them, but I hope you'll post what you think whether you do or not. Terry Moore is an interesting author/artist (I love his artwork!) and I think Echo is his best work to date, but Felicia Day is the one who amazes me, she is writing a comic as easily as if it was the easiest thing in the world....
I can't wait to hear what you think!