What Separates the Real Fans from the Fakes

But whether they are cat or woman, one thing remains the same.

Let reading cats lie.

For more on Harry Potter, go to The Ultimate Torture

For more on Cats, go to Cat Lovers All Know This

For more book-filled posts, go to Six Degrees of Separation

I Don’t Care What You Think, She’s My Girl: A Trip to the Dentist, Veronica Mars (2005)

Most Romantic Moment #2

Romantic Moment #2

So we haven’t reached the point in my fangirl posts on which I am going to discuss my love of the TV show, Veronica Mars or else you would know how much I love this show.

So the moment I chose, and feel is the most romantic in the whole series, comes from the last episode in the first season. So if you haven’t watched the show and am planning to:

**Spoiler Alert**

So Veronica Mars used to be a popular student, part of the in-crowd, but that all changed when her boyfriend, Duncan Kane, dumped her;

and then his sister, and Veronica’s best friend, Lily Kane died.

Noooooooooo!!!!!!!

Everything further changed when her father, Sheriff Keith Mars started investigating the Kane family, and found himself not only ousted out of office but public enemy number one.

Instead of leaving the town of Neptune, CA; Keith to open a P.I. office, which is aided by Veronica. The mom had some issues with the changes (and her life threatened) and left, making it just Keith and Veronica.

Besides assisting her dad on his cases, and looking into who killed Lily, Veronica has her own bustling business at school; picking up various cases from students. Veonica is friends with the PCH biker gang, and a couple of the other “unpopular” kids; but her old friends in the 09er “in crowd” dislike her, particularly Logan Echolls (Lily’s boyfriend).

Ever since Lily’s death, Logan has been acting mean, cruel, and being a big ol’ bully.

However, at this point in the series, Veronica has been helping Logan look for his mom, as he believes that she didn’t commit suicide but faked her own death to flee her marriage. When they discover the truth that she really is dead and it was Logan’s sister who was using her credit cards, it sparked feelings between Logan & Veronica; along with bringing back the pre-grief stricken Logan.

Things come to a head when Logan saves her from gunpoint, them making out, and later dating. However, they’ve been keeping their dating a secret as Duncan has gone M.I.A., and they want to tell him first instead of him just finding out; along with not sure how to break it the two crowds each hang out in.

This could get ugly

Most Romantic Moment: My Status has Nothing on You

So this romantic moment comes in the middle of this particular episode, A Trip to the Dentist. Logan and Veronica have been dating secretly; and while Logan hasn’t been snarky or mean to Veronica, he still hasn’t done anything overt yet to show that he has changed and truly cares about her.

At least not yet

And he has done a few things for her; such as pick her car up from the shop, promising to stay out of any future Mexico drinking & cheerleading trips, and even planning a romantic boat ride. But Veronica is still not fully ready to trust him, especially since the last boy she was completely crazy about (not Deputy Leo but Troy) turned out to be a class A jerk.

So the romantic moment? Well I’m getting there. It comes when Logan and Veronica head back to Logan’s house, only to discover that Logan’s dad has decided to throw him a surprise birthday party…and invited the who school.

So Veronica is trying to figure out a way to explain why they are together, come up with some snappy remark but with everyone talking smack about her, it is kind of putting her off ideas.

But Logan does something that completely surprises her and everyone else in the room. He announces to the group that Veronica is his girlfriend and if anyone has a problem with it they can leave and no longer be his friend.

Logan Echolls: That’s kind of a general invitation. If you don’t like my girlfriend-then just start heading toward the rectangle with a knob.

This is a huge moment for Logan and Veronica. For Logan we’ve seen him from horrible jerk, bereaved, drifting, thorny, wounded-to brave, heroic, and back to the man he used to be. But even more so, we see that Logan has decided that the things he cared about before; popularity and status, aren’t nearly as important as the girl he loves.

For Veronica, it shows that Logan really cares for her, and isn’t playing her like her last boyfriend Troy, as he is willing to risk all for her.

Veronica + Logan Forever!

To start Romance is in the Air: Part IV from the beginning, go to I Can’t Pretend, I Have to Be: Casual Sex? (1988)

To Kill a Fangirl

AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you kill a fangirl? Well there are quite a few ways: Let’s see…1) Kill off their favorite characters/have them leave the series

Noooooooooo!!!!!!!

2) Have the wrong people end up together.

3) Stop writing/take show off the air, especially if it ends without a finale

4)When the character changes, does things they never would do

5) When they start repeating the same things over and over

6) Season Finale/Last book that just ends, without tying everything up

I could go on, but that’s not what this post is really about. Instead it is one of my fandom posts, about the fandoms I am in.

So here we go!

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers

POWER RANGERS!!!! HECK YEAH!

Growing up the Power Rangers were awesome! Regular kids chosen to fight aliens and protect the earth, transforming into the Power Rangers and riding in robots called Zords.

My friends and I used to act out the adventures in the TV show, along with creating our own. My favorite was Kimberly, the pink ranger.

And I loved Tommy the Green Ranger/Gold Ranger. He first starts off as bad, recruited to destroy the Rangers, but then redeems himself. He ends up losing his powers, and the Green Ranger is gone, coming back as the extremely awesome Gold Ranger. Not only was Tommy the best fighter, with the coolest weapons (eventually becoming the leader) but he was also super hot. I had such a crush on him.

They made a movie, The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie, were they had to fight a creature so terrible, Ivan Ooze, he takes down Zordon. I just loved that movie so much as a kid. I used to watch it over and over again.

I had the whole film memorized and we used to act it out all the time. In fact I remember getting in trouble once with a parent for dismantling the brooms so that one of us could have the noise sticks that Dulcea uses.

I watched Power Rangers up until Power Rangers: Mystic Force. When Kimberly and Jason left and they brought in Cat, it went down hill for me. The other seasons were alright, but the only one that was any good being Dino Thunder because they brought Tommy back.

I heard they are doing a movie reuniting most of the original cast and I hope they do!

The Partridge Family

So if you just read these fandom posts, you probably think I am some immortal being a teen in the ’70s as well as the ’90s; from all these ’70s shows I used to watch. Nope, I’m not a time traveler or vampire, I loved TV LAND, yep I used to watch it back when they showed old TV shows.

This show stared Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge, widowed mother of five. When her kids want to try a record deal, she goes along and before you know it, they are a hit. They get a manager, a bus, and go touring all over the country.

This show also starred David Cassidy, Jones’ stepson, as the eldest child and heartthrob.

I used to watch it every day and knew all the songs by The Partridge Family by heart. In fact this show had such a huge impact on me, that when I saw David Cassidy was going to be in a new musical series, Ruby & The Rockits. It was horrible writing, but I suffered through for my childhood nostalgia.

 The Rocky Series

Aw Rocky. How I love you, and all your films. Well, except Creed as I have yet to see it. I started watching these films one 4th of July weekend when AMC had a marathon. I watched one, then another and another and another.

And I loved them. Sylvester Stallone did a great job with this series.

Rocky (1976)

So let my start by wishing this film a very happy anniversary as it will be turning 40 on November 21st.

So the film Rocky was Slyvester Stallone’s first film. He was struggling as an actor, homeless, only having $106, and had even sold his dog. When the company was interested he wouldn’t give the script up until they agreed to have him as the star. They declined, but when they couldn’t get the script, they finally agreed.

It was shot in 28 days and had an extremely little budget. Stars had to share rooms, they filmed the street scenes guerilla style and with no permits or extras. Most of the wardrobe was furnished by the actors, and ones purchased were wrong. The lack of money for extras, caused them to rewrite some scenes and make due.

But not only was it nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, & Best Original Song; and won Best Picture, Best Director, & Best Film Editing: but it was the highest grossing film of the year. Not bad Stallone, not bad.

So Rocky is the story of Robert “Rocky” Balboa, a man who dreams of becoming a boxer star, going the distance, but has yet to get his chance. He works as an enforcer for a loan shark, but is too nice a guy to actually “enforce”. Everything changes when boxing star Apollo Creed decides that he wants to box an ordinary joe, giving a nobody the chance to be a somebody, and choosing Rocky. While Rocky works out for the chance of a lifetime, he dates his best friend’s sister, Adrian, becoming one of the sweetest couples in film history.

This story is not only amazing uplifting, as everyone can connect to a man trying to achieve his dreams, it has some truly poetic and realistic scenes. Besides the ice-skating with Adrian, and running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum (so great it gets parodied again and again), but the fact that Stallone choose to have Rocky loose the fight; showing his achievements in trying to be the true victory is truly poignant and fantastic.

This also had the incredible song, Gonna Fly Now written by Bill Conti as it’s theme. How can you not be inspired when listening to that?

Rocky II

After the first film, Apollo is angry at the way that Rocky held his own against him in the match. Apollo demands a rematch, as he wants to peove that he is the true champ, Rocky just a fluke. Meanwhile, since the fight Rocky has been boosted in popularity. He doesn’t want to fight Apollo again, but due to his goading and Rocky’s lack of money, he agrees. Can he truly go the distance? Can he be a contender?

Rocky III

This is the first of the film series to have a Survivor song in it, this one of course having the amazing Eye of the Tiger.

So it has been three years since Rocky II. Since then Rocky has had successful fights and an increase in wealth for him and his family. As they are unveiling a statue of him, he gets called out by Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T. When Rocky questions Mickey, he discovers that Clubber Lang’s accusations were correct. His fights were handpicked to protect him. Rocky doesn’t want to fight Lang, but when he pushes Mickey and causes him to have a heart attack, dying, Rocky knows he has no other chance then to avenge Mickey’s death. He asks Apollo Creed to train him, and the two team up to get that “eye of the tiger” back.

Rocky IV

Ivan Drago (Dolph Lungren) is a 6’5 Russian Boxer brought to America to promote the U.S.S.R.’s superiority. They throw out a challenge that he can beat anyone, and Apollo agrees to an exhibition match. Apollo arrives with a huge show stopping number done by James Brown. Drago doesn’t take this match as “just an exhibition” and kills Creed. With his best friend dead, Rocky decides he must avenge his death, traveling to Russia to fight Drago there.

Rocky V

After the fight with Drago, Rocky decides to retire from boxing. He had some permanent damage from the fight, and to add to the bad news he lost all his money due to a bad accountant. Rocky turns to training boxers, taking in a young guy off the street, Tommy Gunn. He helps him, and as Gunn starts moving up the ranks he catches the eye of another manager and leaves Rocky behind. Rocky is upset at the betryal, but Adraian tells him that Gunn is not worth it, as he doesn’t have any real heart. Gunn decides the only way to prove his true mettle is to take down Rocky. He tries to get him to fight, but Rocky won’t. When Gunn takes a sock at Paulie, Rocky changes his mind and starts training to cut him down.

Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI)

The sixth film takes place 20 years after the fifth film. One of the reasons Stallone decided to make this film, was that many people were dissatisfied with the ending of Rocky V, as it didn’t have a true wrap up to the series. In this Rocky is a widower, with an Italian resturant. He is in deep grief over the death of Adrian and has a struggling relationship with his son who wishes to be not known as Rocky’s son or have any connection to boxing. He reunites with grown up “Little Marie” from Rocky (1976).  Meanwhile ESPN has done a Deadliest Warrior type show in which they analyze boxers from past, running the stats, victories, and teaming them up with present boxers. When Rocky wins against Mason “The Line” Dixon, Dixon gets enraged and Rocky decides to take up boxing again. This prompts the fight of fights as the two head off.

A lot of people didn’t like this film, but I thought it was a cute shout out to the fans. I loved the way they decided to conclude it. If Rocky had lost the fight, it would have been horrible as no one wants to see an older man get beat up. And if Rocky had won, it would have been unbelievable. Having a tie was not only a call back to the first film’s idea that victory was in trying to achieve your dreams, but also a way to appease all.

As I wrote before I have yet to watch Creed, but I will hit on that when I watch it.

Scooby-Doo

I LOVED SCOOBY-DOO

I used to watch Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The New Scooby-Doo Movies (in which Scooby-Doo meets the Harlarm Globetrotters, Cher, Sonny Bono, Batman, Robin, Josie & the Pussycats, etc.), The New Scooby-Doo, & What’s New Scooby-Doo.

My favorite of course was Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?. I used to watch the show all the time and had four birthday parties be Scooby-Doo themed. I had a huge collection of Scooby-Doo toys, from my own mystery machine and multiple Scooby-Doos; to a clock, clothes, books, and almost anything else you can think of.

I also was a fan of the Scooby-Doo films. I loved Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders, Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase, etc.

I saw the two Scooby-Doo theatrical films and thought they were okay. The first had an alright storyline, but I didn’t like the thought of “real monsters” and felt they didn’t capture the heart of the show. Besides Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred Jones and Sarah Michelle Geller as Daphne, I was sorely disappointed.

So let’s talk about the characters:

Fred Jones

Fred Jones was the leader of the teen group. He was always eager to get involved in a mystery and was a keen observer. His take charge attitude always made him be the one to figure out a plan to catch the cause of the crime, although Scooby or Shaggy’s antics would usually mess them up. He was the “straight man of the group” the one who complimented the crazy antics of Scooby and Shaggy, along with being the rock of the group.

Daphne Blake

Daphne Blake is often thought of as the beautiful socialite who was only interested in looks and getting kidnapped. That is not true! While Daphne tends to be the one that got captured, if anyone gets kidnapped, it didn’t happen in every episode. She was also ntelligent, proving her worth in solving the crimes, alongside Fred and Velma.

*Fun Fact*-The Mystery Machine was actually Daphne’s 16th Birthday present. Why Fred is the one driving, I don’t know.

Velma Dinkley

Velma is the brain of the group, being the researcher and the one to find the final clue that ties everything together. Unlike Daphne, she is a more comedic character; having puns and great sarcastic wit. She also was always losing her glasses, struggling to see; they usually found by whatever creature they are hunting or her searching for them causing that creature to trip over her.

Norville “Shaggy” Rogers

Now contrary to popular belief, Shaggy is not a drug addict. The creators of the show were trying to hit every group when they made the show; Fred the jock, Daphne the princess, Velma the brain, etc. As Shaggy can’t be the criminal, because they are solving crimes, they wanted him to be the type of new culture coming out that “surfer-“hey man”-hippieish-type-dude”. Shaggy is a sweet guy that is interested in food and music. He is a scaredy-cat, never wanting to get involved with monsters or criminals, but always there in the final stretch. He and Scooby played the comedic roles, always accidentally getting involved with something, accidentally bringing new evidence to light, or accidentally catching the criminals.

Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo was adopted by Shaggy and is “his” dog, but in reality Scooby doesn’t even consider himself a dog as he is so advanced. Scooby can talk, think, and loves to eat. He often steals somebody’s meal, typically Shaggy. Scooby is a total coward, but in the end will come through for his friends, as long as he is given a Scooby snack. He assists Shaggy with the comedy, helping them accidentally foil any plans made by the criminals. He and Shaggy are the only characters to appear in every TV show & film.

For more on Scooby-Doo, go to A Monster Race: Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988)

For the previous post, go to Portrait of a Fangirl

And Stay tuned for part 19

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Objectify Me!

 

I was…er…um…what was I going to talk about again? This image of Jensen Ackles/Dean Winchester has caused that train of thought to go right out the door. I mean how can you think of anything else but his gorgeousness?

Mmm, mmm, mmm. It’s hard not to look upon him and objectify him. For those of you who are not Supernatural fans, this is Dean Winchester. Dean is the hot, caring, charming, older brother played by the hot, caring, charming, actor Jensen Ackles. Sorry, but as all of you know, a fangirl can never qualm the urge to objectify and adore one of her favorite characters. 😉

For more Dean Winchester/Jensen Ackles, go to Hmm…Never Sure

For more Supernatural, go to Paging Dr. Sexy

For more on being a fangirl, go to Old Fandoms and New Fancies

Paging Dr. Sexy

So last week I was at a wedding, when I noticed this guy sitting on the side of the groom. He looked exactly like Dr. Sexy (except with a bit shorter hair)!

Now who is Dr. Sexy? Well he is a character from Supernatural. The episode from season five, and is called “Changing Channels”. In this episode Dean and Sam find themselves pulled into TV shows that parody CSI, Grey’s Anatomy, Three’s Company, Knight Rider, etc. The first show they find themselves pulled into was Dr. Sexy, M.D. A show that Dean is a major fan of.

But who was the guy I saw at the wedding? He turned out to be the boyfriend of the daughter of the groom, and a chef instead of a doctor. I tried to get a picture of him, but no luck.

But still, I was able to see Dr. Sexy!

For more on Supernatural, go to The Best Medicine

For more on Dean Winchester, go to I Before E, Especially After P