5x5 (Part 2)
part one is here. ready for more lists?
top five songs used in tv/movies for
shah_of_blah
"start walking!'"
5. "these boots were made for walking" (blackpool)
blackpool is the coolest thing ever- a murder-mystery with karaoke-style choreographed musical numbers. and if it doesn't sound like the coolest thing ever, then i'm explaining it wrong. "these boots" makes my top 5 list in particular because there is tangoing between david tennant (the doctor) and david morrisey (the "next" doctor), and because the song is the perfect musicalization of their old western-style standoff. it's definitely what sold me on the miniseries.
"no one condemning / you lined up like lemmings / you lead to the water"
4. "slipping" (dr. horrible's sing-along blog)
it's a whedon song that sounds like sondheim sung by nph. it doesn't get better than this. i also love that this song is so dark compared to the two preceeding it ("so they say" and "everyone's a hero"), but that it still has comic moments of its own.
"i’m not just wild, I’m trained / domesticated / i was raised by a rapper and rhino that dated"
3."hiphopopotamus vs. rhymenocerous" (flight of the conchords)
bret and jemaine rapping makes me giggle every time. the song is great in concert, but perhaps better on tv - "there ain't no party like my nana's tea party" just begs for a visual.
"but came the dawn / the show goes on and i don't want to say goodnight!"
2. "good morning" (singin' in the rain)
this movie was my childhood, and this was my favorite song in it. it's catchy, the dancing is cute, and it's nice to see all three leads singing together... other than that i'm not sure why i loved it so much, but it means more to me than disney lyrics ever will.
"and the sign said 'the words of the prophets / are written on the subway walls and tenement halls'"
1. "sound of silence" (the graduate)
i love this song, plain and simple. it's gorgeous. but more than that, it epitomizes the loneliness, detachment and confusion that permeates the graduate, as well as the seach for belonging.
top 5 buffy episodes for lavastar
"and i think i'm kinda gay!"
5. doppelgandland
this episode contains three of my all-time favorite funny buffy moments: when the scoobies think willow is dead, willow's "could a vampire do this?" scream, and undercover willow waving at oz to let him know she's okay. well, maybe that last part isn't an all-time funny moment, but it's adorable and i love it. plus we get more anya and vamp!willow? count me in.
"It's a perfectly perfect word as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes"
4. fool for love
i would love this episode even if i wasn't a fan of spuffy. we get to see the transformation of spike from "bad poet" to "bad man," and that is fascinatng. but the episode goes beyond that to connect the flashbacks to the present by breaking the fourth wall (or perhaps the third? hm.) so flashback!spike speaks to current buffy. it's entirely chilling. then there's the whole back porch scene, and just that moment where spike abandons anger for compassion in a (metaphorical) heartbeat, in some ways bringing his characterization full circle.
"me."
3. becoming part two
many important plot moments happen in this episode- willow does her first big magic spell, xander realizes he loves willow, buffy and spike have a truce, joyce learns that buffy's a slayer. but all of that pales to a single moment, when angel asks what buffy is without family and friends- and she answers "me." it's such a kick-ass moment, and one of the reasons i love this show.
"Quiet, you'll miss the humorous conclusion!"
2. restless
singing!giles. the cheese man. tara as spirit guide. the first slayer. new-car flavored popcorn. coffemakers that think. sophmore!willow.
...i love everything about this episode, and then i love it some more.
"so give me something to sing about"
1. once more with feeling
it didn't make my list for top 5 episodes, but i still think it's the best episode of buffy. i might argue it's not as creative as restless (though you could put up a strong fight for either side), but what it comes down to is where restless obscures the storyline, omwf uses it to make the episode whole. the cheerful lyrics and bright colors mask the characters darker worries and flaws, and subtext is key. not to mention the nice mix of musical genres, various bits of hilarity, and a score buffy fans can sing at the whedon equivalent of the rocky horror picture show. this is an episode even non-fans remember, and it will always stand as a hallmark of the show.
top 5 dollhouse epsiodes, also for lavastar
"hey, I woke up in a five-star floor coffin just like you, pal."
5. needs
this episode explores another possibility in the show's discussion of human beings, memory and conciousness- without memories, are you still you? the answer comes out with a resounding yes, but many of the actives still hunt down their pasts. we learn why november and sierra came to the dollhouse. the ending was the first time dollhouse made me tear up, because i connected to the characters more strongly than ever before.
"i may not know who i am, but i know who i'm not. i'm not your girlfriend."
4. omega
i'm not sure this episode was as well-structured as briar rose, but it did a wonderful job of developing key characters. we learn dr. saunder's past and see her begin to move forward, and echo FINALLY gets her kick-ass, feminist moment. add in superb acting by alan tudyk (as always), and you've got a great episode.
...and if the bounty-hunter scenes had been kept in, this might have earned the #2 spot.
"there are 3 flowers in a vase. the third flower is green."
3. man on the street
this was hailed as "the episode that changed everything," and boy it did not disappoint. dollhouse changed from a mediocre adventure-of-the-week show to a dramatic and engaging serial. the episode was all about the action, but it still managed a funny beginning ("porn!") that transformed into a compelling ending.
"this is like one of those buddy cop movies where you're the hard-nosed FBI agent and I'm the guy who hates buddy cop movies!"
2. briar rose
firstly, alan tudyk is brilliant. absolutely brilliant. but there are more things to love about this episode. ballard goes head-to-head with boyd, and i didn't know who to cheer for. i don't think anyone (who wasn't already spoiled) saw the end coming, and the contrast of the sleeping beauty tale with echo's entrapment was clever and compelling. the perfect second-to-last episode, it left you needing more.
"i am priya tsetsung"
1. epitaph one
this choice really shouldn't come as a shock. i can't say enough good things about the episode. the storyline involving felicia day is unexpected and clever. the whole modern world is well-constructed. whiskey is creepy and perfect. but more than that, it makes you care about regular characters you never had before. i love adelle where i never had, and topher became
shah_of_blah 's favorite character. like once more with feeling, the episode is creative and revealing without sacraficing the genre story.
top 5 musicals for clockwork_jo
5. follies (by stephen sondheim)
this musical is brilliant. it's about four people who meet up at a last reunion before their theatre gets torn down. ghosts and younger versions of the characters move about the stage, reopening old wounds.eventually they dissolve into flashbacks, and the four elderly leads each get a performance number that subtly explains why they can't move past the mistakes of their youth.
here's one of these 4 songs being performed: "ah, but underneath" (*this song isn't actually in the original musical, but it's in this revival and it's one of my favorites.
4. south pacific (by rodgers + hammerstein)
this is new on my list, because i just saw it on broaway this summer. the show is one of r+h's bests: it challenges racism, and it has wonderful music. the production was also great, to the extent that i hunted down a pic of my cast rather than the original revival cast, because i grew so attached to them during the performance.
here's the tony award performance of the revival: south pacific medley
3. ragtime (by Ahrens + Flaherty)
this is for my inner history buff- the epic musical follows three main intertwining plotlines from the different races and classes comingling in new york in the early 1900s. key cultural and political figures are brought in without damanging the story's flow. it addresses racism, feminism, tradition, baseball and more. plus it's coming to broadway again!
some clips from the show: ragtime
2. west side story (berlin + sondheim)
four of musical theatres greatest people created west side story- sondheim, berlin, laurents and robbins. the result is a show with complex music but simple character-driven lyrics, snappy dialogue and lovable characters, and some of the most genius choreography ever. i don't know how much i like the revival cast, but their anita is amazing, as evidinced by this performance of "america."
1. cabaret (kander + ebb)
this musical is, at the expense of sounding cliche, life-changing. it charges the audience to act when they see their world turning into something they hate. the show is set in a german cabarets shortly before WWII, where people were embracing every kind of sexuality and everything risque. how this open world turns into nazi germany is the story of the play. even though it's set in the past it will never become outdated. every time the show is revived (on stage or screen) it becomes more controversial (and even better).
the revival cast at the tonys: wilkomen
top 5 crack!ships, also for clockwork_jo
...this was harder than expected.
5. the cheese man/the first slayer (buffy)
...they probably get bored when people aren't dreaming about them.
4. book/god (firefly)
book <3s god. does god <3 book? drama!
3. captain jack/captain john (torchwood)
the crackiest cannon i've ever seen. and super-hot! but perhaps not as hot as...
2. captain jack/captain jack (and i mean himself, not the other captain jack... or the other other one...) (doctor who/torchwood)
NOT EVEN MY IDEA.
THE DOCTOR: You may be out there somewhere.
JACK: I could go meet myself.
THE DOCTOR: Well, the only man you’re ever gonna be happy with.
~utopia
1. cybermen/daleks (doctor who)
my crack!otp. cybermen/daleks/cylons is my crack!ot3.
one more of these posts left (and it'll probably be shorter than this one, too.)
top five songs used in tv/movies for
shah_of_blah
"start walking!'"
5. "these boots were made for walking" (blackpool)
blackpool is the coolest thing ever- a murder-mystery with karaoke-style choreographed musical numbers. and if it doesn't sound like the coolest thing ever, then i'm explaining it wrong. "these boots" makes my top 5 list in particular because there is tangoing between david tennant (the doctor) and david morrisey (the "next" doctor), and because the song is the perfect musicalization of their old western-style standoff. it's definitely what sold me on the miniseries.
"no one condemning / you lined up like lemmings / you lead to the water"
4. "slipping" (dr. horrible's sing-along blog)
it's a whedon song that sounds like sondheim sung by nph. it doesn't get better than this. i also love that this song is so dark compared to the two preceeding it ("so they say" and "everyone's a hero"), but that it still has comic moments of its own.
"i’m not just wild, I’m trained / domesticated / i was raised by a rapper and rhino that dated"
3."hiphopopotamus vs. rhymenocerous" (flight of the conchords)
bret and jemaine rapping makes me giggle every time. the song is great in concert, but perhaps better on tv - "there ain't no party like my nana's tea party" just begs for a visual.
"but came the dawn / the show goes on and i don't want to say goodnight!"
2. "good morning" (singin' in the rain)
this movie was my childhood, and this was my favorite song in it. it's catchy, the dancing is cute, and it's nice to see all three leads singing together... other than that i'm not sure why i loved it so much, but it means more to me than disney lyrics ever will.
"and the sign said 'the words of the prophets / are written on the subway walls and tenement halls'"
1. "sound of silence" (the graduate)
i love this song, plain and simple. it's gorgeous. but more than that, it epitomizes the loneliness, detachment and confusion that permeates the graduate, as well as the seach for belonging.
top 5 buffy episodes for lavastar
"and i think i'm kinda gay!"
5. doppelgandland
this episode contains three of my all-time favorite funny buffy moments: when the scoobies think willow is dead, willow's "could a vampire do this?" scream, and undercover willow waving at oz to let him know she's okay. well, maybe that last part isn't an all-time funny moment, but it's adorable and i love it. plus we get more anya and vamp!willow? count me in.
"It's a perfectly perfect word as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes"
4. fool for love
i would love this episode even if i wasn't a fan of spuffy. we get to see the transformation of spike from "bad poet" to "bad man," and that is fascinatng. but the episode goes beyond that to connect the flashbacks to the present by breaking the fourth wall (or perhaps the third? hm.) so flashback!spike speaks to current buffy. it's entirely chilling. then there's the whole back porch scene, and just that moment where spike abandons anger for compassion in a (metaphorical) heartbeat, in some ways bringing his characterization full circle.
"me."
3. becoming part two
many important plot moments happen in this episode- willow does her first big magic spell, xander realizes he loves willow, buffy and spike have a truce, joyce learns that buffy's a slayer. but all of that pales to a single moment, when angel asks what buffy is without family and friends- and she answers "me." it's such a kick-ass moment, and one of the reasons i love this show.
"Quiet, you'll miss the humorous conclusion!"
2. restless
singing!giles. the cheese man. tara as spirit guide. the first slayer. new-car flavored popcorn. coffemakers that think. sophmore!willow.
...i love everything about this episode, and then i love it some more.
"so give me something to sing about"
1. once more with feeling
it didn't make my list for top 5 episodes, but i still think it's the best episode of buffy. i might argue it's not as creative as restless (though you could put up a strong fight for either side), but what it comes down to is where restless obscures the storyline, omwf uses it to make the episode whole. the cheerful lyrics and bright colors mask the characters darker worries and flaws, and subtext is key. not to mention the nice mix of musical genres, various bits of hilarity, and a score buffy fans can sing at the whedon equivalent of the rocky horror picture show. this is an episode even non-fans remember, and it will always stand as a hallmark of the show.
top 5 dollhouse epsiodes, also for lavastar
"hey, I woke up in a five-star floor coffin just like you, pal."
5. needs
this episode explores another possibility in the show's discussion of human beings, memory and conciousness- without memories, are you still you? the answer comes out with a resounding yes, but many of the actives still hunt down their pasts. we learn why november and sierra came to the dollhouse. the ending was the first time dollhouse made me tear up, because i connected to the characters more strongly than ever before.
"i may not know who i am, but i know who i'm not. i'm not your girlfriend."
4. omega
i'm not sure this episode was as well-structured as briar rose, but it did a wonderful job of developing key characters. we learn dr. saunder's past and see her begin to move forward, and echo FINALLY gets her kick-ass, feminist moment. add in superb acting by alan tudyk (as always), and you've got a great episode.
...and if the bounty-hunter scenes had been kept in, this might have earned the #2 spot.
"there are 3 flowers in a vase. the third flower is green."
3. man on the street
this was hailed as "the episode that changed everything," and boy it did not disappoint. dollhouse changed from a mediocre adventure-of-the-week show to a dramatic and engaging serial. the episode was all about the action, but it still managed a funny beginning ("porn!") that transformed into a compelling ending.
"this is like one of those buddy cop movies where you're the hard-nosed FBI agent and I'm the guy who hates buddy cop movies!"
2. briar rose
firstly, alan tudyk is brilliant. absolutely brilliant. but there are more things to love about this episode. ballard goes head-to-head with boyd, and i didn't know who to cheer for. i don't think anyone (who wasn't already spoiled) saw the end coming, and the contrast of the sleeping beauty tale with echo's entrapment was clever and compelling. the perfect second-to-last episode, it left you needing more.
"i am priya tsetsung"
1. epitaph one
this choice really shouldn't come as a shock. i can't say enough good things about the episode. the storyline involving felicia day is unexpected and clever. the whole modern world is well-constructed. whiskey is creepy and perfect. but more than that, it makes you care about regular characters you never had before. i love adelle where i never had, and topher became
shah_of_blah 's favorite character. like once more with feeling, the episode is creative and revealing without sacraficing the genre story.
top 5 musicals for clockwork_jo
5. follies (by stephen sondheim)
this musical is brilliant. it's about four people who meet up at a last reunion before their theatre gets torn down. ghosts and younger versions of the characters move about the stage, reopening old wounds.eventually they dissolve into flashbacks, and the four elderly leads each get a performance number that subtly explains why they can't move past the mistakes of their youth.
here's one of these 4 songs being performed: "ah, but underneath" (*this song isn't actually in the original musical, but it's in this revival and it's one of my favorites.
4. south pacific (by rodgers + hammerstein)
this is new on my list, because i just saw it on broaway this summer. the show is one of r+h's bests: it challenges racism, and it has wonderful music. the production was also great, to the extent that i hunted down a pic of my cast rather than the original revival cast, because i grew so attached to them during the performance.
here's the tony award performance of the revival: south pacific medley
3. ragtime (by Ahrens + Flaherty)
this is for my inner history buff- the epic musical follows three main intertwining plotlines from the different races and classes comingling in new york in the early 1900s. key cultural and political figures are brought in without damanging the story's flow. it addresses racism, feminism, tradition, baseball and more. plus it's coming to broadway again!
some clips from the show: ragtime
2. west side story (berlin + sondheim)
four of musical theatres greatest people created west side story- sondheim, berlin, laurents and robbins. the result is a show with complex music but simple character-driven lyrics, snappy dialogue and lovable characters, and some of the most genius choreography ever. i don't know how much i like the revival cast, but their anita is amazing, as evidinced by this performance of "america."
1. cabaret (kander + ebb)
this musical is, at the expense of sounding cliche, life-changing. it charges the audience to act when they see their world turning into something they hate. the show is set in a german cabarets shortly before WWII, where people were embracing every kind of sexuality and everything risque. how this open world turns into nazi germany is the story of the play. even though it's set in the past it will never become outdated. every time the show is revived (on stage or screen) it becomes more controversial (and even better).
the revival cast at the tonys: wilkomen
top 5 crack!ships, also for clockwork_jo
...this was harder than expected.
5. the cheese man/the first slayer (buffy)
...they probably get bored when people aren't dreaming about them.
4. book/god (firefly)
book <3s god. does god <3 book? drama!
3. captain jack/captain john (torchwood)
the crackiest cannon i've ever seen. and super-hot! but perhaps not as hot as...
2. captain jack/captain jack (and i mean himself, not the other captain jack... or the other other one...) (doctor who/torchwood)
NOT EVEN MY IDEA.
THE DOCTOR: You may be out there somewhere.
JACK: I could go meet myself.
THE DOCTOR: Well, the only man you’re ever gonna be happy with.
~utopia
1. cybermen/daleks (doctor who)
my crack!otp. cybermen/daleks/cylons is my crack!ot3.
one more of these posts left (and it'll probably be shorter than this one, too.)