Slayerfest round-up
May. 28th, 2008 12:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
k8cre8I think this is likely to be counted as one of the best Slayerfests, despite the, uh, propane debaucle.
I started the day with breakfast, and we had a crowd of 18, with "special guests," and it was a very good way to start the day. I ran home, and put some finishing touches on things, and soon had guests.
For each episode, those present talked about each episode, and what they liked, and it was a good discussion, not only of the stuff shown, but, of TV in general. For those that weren't there, I'm going to mention each of the choices I made, and why I made them,
On the trivia front, Kevin and Rhiannon were the big winners. For third place,arwensouthand de_gonzactake the honors. (The prize fairy will be visiting).
Anyway, all-in-all, a good day.
Oh! BTW: I'm considering moving the event-commonly-known-as-Slayerfest to, well, November. Any thoughts on this?
I started the day with breakfast, and we had a crowd of 18, with "special guests," and it was a very good way to start the day. I ran home, and put some finishing touches on things, and soon had guests.
For each episode, those present talked about each episode, and what they liked, and it was a good discussion, not only of the stuff shown, but, of TV in general. For those that weren't there, I'm going to mention each of the choices I made, and why I made them,
behind the cut.
The first choice on the list was ST:TNG episode "The Inner Light." ST:TNG used to be my favorite show. It was also the first show about which I knew anything about the writers, and was the first time I'd even considered being a TV writer. (Since ST:TNG, under the great Michael Piller, accepted unsolicited scripts from unagented writers. Many of my current favorite writers got into the business this way. It was a great way to support talent. Certainly, those folks were in the minority, and I know they were swamped with pretty awful stuff, but, It also meant writers like Ronald D Moore got in the industry.
Anyway, even before I knew what was meant by "character-driven," this was my favorite episode. It won the Hugo that year, deservedly so. Even now, when I'll admit I rarely watch ST:TNG anymore, this is a terrific episode.
Next episode was ER's "Love's Labor Lost." Of those present, only my sister had seen this one. I wasn't that surprised. It's on TV Guide's list of the 100 greatest episodes of TV. It was the first episode I'd ever seen, and I was glued to my seat the entire hour. That had never happened to me before. ER is no longer the show it was, and it should've quit ages ago, but, this hour of TV is among its best, and really is a great example of what TV can do. It's a pretty powerful punch.
We then moved on to the one Buffy episode, "Earshot." Many of you know that this is the reason I became a Buffy fanatic. This was the first episode I saw from beginning to end, and it's what made Buffy appointment television to me. On the strength of this episode alone, I watched Angel from the first episode. My entire passion for TV grew out of this episode. I've known Columbine survivors, victims, and those related to the shooters, and this episode was the first thing I've ever seen that understood the complexities of the issue. Thank goodness for Buffy.
We moved up to watch "Out of Gas," which, I'm pretty sure was the only listed episode everyone present had seen, which was something of a surprise to me. I picked it both because it's my favorite Firefly episode, but, it has got an especially unique structure, and is brilliantly directed and written.
Gilmore Girls "The Deer Hunters" was next. No one (except my sister, again) had ever seen the Gilmore Girls, so, picking a season 1 episode was the right choice. I picked it since it was the first episode I saw, and has some of the most famous Gilmore Girls moments. I also couldn't resist, and showed the cold open from "The Real Paul Anka," since it's awesome.
At this point, since we were a bit off schedule, we started into dinner. And, after I set the grill on to pre-heat, we ran out of propane. I sent my sister to get more, and was on the embarrassed side of life. But, it meant visiting with the strange invaders from out of state (Kevin and Rhiannon), and everyone else, so, that's a win. Also, Liam played in my yard, which I have to say, was a dream come true, watching him doing pretty much what I've dreamed small children would be doing in my yard, and it was pretty awesome to me.
Most people left after dinner. Given that it was later than expected, I put out the remaining episodes for people to choose which to watch, and the vote came for the Pushing Daisies "Pie-let." That was a pleasant surprise for those that hadn't seen it. After that, everyone left.
The show I'd come to most want to share with folks was Joan of Arcadia. Most people wrote this one off as a new "7th Heaven," and I'm sure most people assumed it would be full of trecle-y characters, and simple solutions, and not worth watching. It's not. It's a very challenging show. There aren't always easy answers, even if God talks to you on a regular basis. God doesn't provide easy answers. He doesn't ask easy things. The Girardi family is just about the most realistic family I've ever seen protrayed. Teenagers act like teenagers. They love each other, even if sometimes they don't particularly like each other, or they disappoint and confuse each other.
When I made my final selection, "Double Dutch," I picked one of the episodes where you seen no real resolution regarding the task God has set Joan. Not only is it not internally resolved in the episode, the audience is never told what happens. This is just as likely to happen in real life. You sometimes never know the effects your actions have on the people around you. Anyway, this great little show really put important questions of faith in the air, never answering them, and never hiding the fact that these aren't easy questions. Also, God, as dipicted in Joan of Arcadia, is just about the best representation of God I've ever seen. It's the closest I've ever seen anything come to making God bigger than religion, and getting at the fundamentals of a human's relationship with a powerful, inscrutible, ultimately beneviolent, higher power. I love this show not only for what it is, but, for how it makes me think, feel, and be a better person.
We also missed out on Alias, "Truth Be Told," which I picked since it's the start of a complicated show, which is about the only place to start with that show. I like Alias mostly for Jennifer Garner, but, it's got an all 'round good cast. Alias suffered some inconsistencies, but, was usually a fun ride.
We didn't watch "Smile Time," which I picked for it's relative-stand-aloneness, and it's unique blend of horror and humor, and, well, Wes/Fred moments of happy.
"Walkabout" was on the list as well, I picked it since it's early in Lost's dense story, and has about the best surprise revelation I've ever seen. Plus, David Fury. ;) It should'a won the Emmy that year. It was what really finally cemented Lost for me, and it remains a standout, pun not entirely intended...
And, the final choice "33" is, in someways, the "Love's Labor Lost" of BSG. It's taut, riveting, dark, and, also early enough in BSG not to be too obscure for the new viewer. I had to include the best show currently on TV, and one of my favorites on the list, and this is as good a place to start as can be done in an hour.
The first choice on the list was ST:TNG episode "The Inner Light." ST:TNG used to be my favorite show. It was also the first show about which I knew anything about the writers, and was the first time I'd even considered being a TV writer. (Since ST:TNG, under the great Michael Piller, accepted unsolicited scripts from unagented writers. Many of my current favorite writers got into the business this way. It was a great way to support talent. Certainly, those folks were in the minority, and I know they were swamped with pretty awful stuff, but, It also meant writers like Ronald D Moore got in the industry.
Anyway, even before I knew what was meant by "character-driven," this was my favorite episode. It won the Hugo that year, deservedly so. Even now, when I'll admit I rarely watch ST:TNG anymore, this is a terrific episode.
Next episode was ER's "Love's Labor Lost." Of those present, only my sister had seen this one. I wasn't that surprised. It's on TV Guide's list of the 100 greatest episodes of TV. It was the first episode I'd ever seen, and I was glued to my seat the entire hour. That had never happened to me before. ER is no longer the show it was, and it should've quit ages ago, but, this hour of TV is among its best, and really is a great example of what TV can do. It's a pretty powerful punch.
We then moved on to the one Buffy episode, "Earshot." Many of you know that this is the reason I became a Buffy fanatic. This was the first episode I saw from beginning to end, and it's what made Buffy appointment television to me. On the strength of this episode alone, I watched Angel from the first episode. My entire passion for TV grew out of this episode. I've known Columbine survivors, victims, and those related to the shooters, and this episode was the first thing I've ever seen that understood the complexities of the issue. Thank goodness for Buffy.
We moved up to watch "Out of Gas," which, I'm pretty sure was the only listed episode everyone present had seen, which was something of a surprise to me. I picked it both because it's my favorite Firefly episode, but, it has got an especially unique structure, and is brilliantly directed and written.
Gilmore Girls "The Deer Hunters" was next. No one (except my sister, again) had ever seen the Gilmore Girls, so, picking a season 1 episode was the right choice. I picked it since it was the first episode I saw, and has some of the most famous Gilmore Girls moments. I also couldn't resist, and showed the cold open from "The Real Paul Anka," since it's awesome.
At this point, since we were a bit off schedule, we started into dinner. And, after I set the grill on to pre-heat, we ran out of propane. I sent my sister to get more, and was on the embarrassed side of life. But, it meant visiting with the strange invaders from out of state (Kevin and Rhiannon), and everyone else, so, that's a win. Also, Liam played in my yard, which I have to say, was a dream come true, watching him doing pretty much what I've dreamed small children would be doing in my yard, and it was pretty awesome to me.
Most people left after dinner. Given that it was later than expected, I put out the remaining episodes for people to choose which to watch, and the vote came for the Pushing Daisies "Pie-let." That was a pleasant surprise for those that hadn't seen it. After that, everyone left.
The show I'd come to most want to share with folks was Joan of Arcadia. Most people wrote this one off as a new "7th Heaven," and I'm sure most people assumed it would be full of trecle-y characters, and simple solutions, and not worth watching. It's not. It's a very challenging show. There aren't always easy answers, even if God talks to you on a regular basis. God doesn't provide easy answers. He doesn't ask easy things. The Girardi family is just about the most realistic family I've ever seen protrayed. Teenagers act like teenagers. They love each other, even if sometimes they don't particularly like each other, or they disappoint and confuse each other.
When I made my final selection, "Double Dutch," I picked one of the episodes where you seen no real resolution regarding the task God has set Joan. Not only is it not internally resolved in the episode, the audience is never told what happens. This is just as likely to happen in real life. You sometimes never know the effects your actions have on the people around you. Anyway, this great little show really put important questions of faith in the air, never answering them, and never hiding the fact that these aren't easy questions. Also, God, as dipicted in Joan of Arcadia, is just about the best representation of God I've ever seen. It's the closest I've ever seen anything come to making God bigger than religion, and getting at the fundamentals of a human's relationship with a powerful, inscrutible, ultimately beneviolent, higher power. I love this show not only for what it is, but, for how it makes me think, feel, and be a better person.
We also missed out on Alias, "Truth Be Told," which I picked since it's the start of a complicated show, which is about the only place to start with that show. I like Alias mostly for Jennifer Garner, but, it's got an all 'round good cast. Alias suffered some inconsistencies, but, was usually a fun ride.
We didn't watch "Smile Time," which I picked for it's relative-stand-aloneness, and it's unique blend of horror and humor, and, well, Wes/Fred moments of happy.
"Walkabout" was on the list as well, I picked it since it's early in Lost's dense story, and has about the best surprise revelation I've ever seen. Plus, David Fury. ;) It should'a won the Emmy that year. It was what really finally cemented Lost for me, and it remains a standout, pun not entirely intended...
And, the final choice "33" is, in someways, the "Love's Labor Lost" of BSG. It's taut, riveting, dark, and, also early enough in BSG not to be too obscure for the new viewer. I had to include the best show currently on TV, and one of my favorites on the list, and this is as good a place to start as can be done in an hour.
On the trivia front, Kevin and Rhiannon were the big winners. For third place,
arwensouthand de_gonzactake the honors. (The prize fairy will be visiting).Anyway, all-in-all, a good day.
Oh! BTW: I'm considering moving the event-commonly-known-as-Slayerfest to, well, November. Any thoughts on this?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2008-05-30 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-30 03:25 pm (UTC)I suppose it's pronounced "EKE - AS$"
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Date: 2008-05-30 03:29 pm (UTC)