169: The Feeling's Like a Sunshiny Day

[thefourthvine]

I had kind of a hard morning, what with one thing and another - or, okay, technically it's just been the last hour that's been difficult. But it was really not a pleasant hour.

So I think it's time to trot out some recommendations of things that make me smile. (Seriously, I should just have a separate folder on my computer. It should probably be called something like Oh Hai, Did You Has Bad Dayz? It would save a lot of time when I need to turn to the safety net part of fandom, and I could also store lolcats in there for emergency cheer-up snacks.) In this case, I'm posting about vids that make me smile. This is so that I can subtley segue to a poll.

Because, see, I am going to Vividcon. They gave me a scholarship! I know, I don't understand it either, and I did ask if there'd been a mistake, but apparently not. So I am totally going, and I am deeply excited about this. Also kind of scared. I have never been to a con before. (At least, okay, not a fan con. I've been to the kind of convention where there are poster sessions and bitter arguments over keynote speakers, but it's really not the same, I'm guessing.) And here I am, going to a con with all these rock stars of the fannish world. It is deeply exciting (YAY) and moderately confusing (Why did they pick me?) and slightly scary (OMG ROCK STARS).

So. Poll time!


[Poll #1003291]


And now, the actual smile-inducing recommendations.

The One with the One. Man in Motion, by renenet. Matrix trilogy.

Availability: off-click, save as, right at the announcement page. Easy peasey.

This one is labeled as a Lord King Bad Vid, in the sense of "Something that speaks to your inner 12-year-old maybe a little more than you want it to. Okay, maybe a lot more than you want it to. Okay, maybe she's crying on the floor from the sheer love of this concept, and frankly you would disown her except you love it, too." And I will admit that there is a component of that, here. Neo is a man in motion! All he needs is a pair of wheels! But it is the definitional opposite of an actual bad vid.

And here's something cool: I have actually seen all the source for this vid. You have no idea how rare that is. Even with movie vids, I often find myself trying to guess what the movie is, usually while muttering unhappily about vidders who apparently have a lot of extra hours in their days, judging by the fact that they routinely do all these awesome things AND watch more source than seems humanly possible. It is unfair for them not to share their magical day-stretching technology with the rest of us.

But here we have an actual vid I've seen all the source for. All of it! In the theaters, too, which was in retrospect not the wisest of choices, for all kinds of unfortunate reasons. You know what, though? I totally don't care that seeing all three of the movies was an agonizing experience for someone. This vid made it all worthwhile. Why, you ask? Well. Did I mention that Neo is a man in motion? Did I mention that he can feel the St. Elmo's fire burning in him?

Okay. If that won't convince you, how's this: remember that We Are Humans; Watch Us Party Down scene? The one that took approximately 14 hours of your life? This vid will make you love that scene, and I bet you thought that was impossible.

Oh my god, I just can't emphasize this strongly enough, people: watch this. You will be in love by the time the second verse is over if you are even remotely capable of love, because, because - Neo! Only he can do what must be done!

Sorry. I can't talk coherently about this vid. It makes me giddy just thinking about it. But if ever there was a vid to make my inner 12-year-old go YAY, this is the one. On her behalf, then, I give you this message: <3! (You might think she'd throw in extra exclamation points, but in fact she would not; my 12-year-old self was such a prim little pedant that she makes me look like the loose floozy of the grammar world.)

The One with a Castrating Laser. No, Really. I Find That Deeply Wonderful. Der Kommissar, by giandujakiss. James Bond series.

Availability: download link or IMEEM available from announcement page.

Can I just admit that - look. Technically, I've seen almost all the old Bond movies. But, sadly, that was in the era before I comprehended movies, so mostly I just made up stories that went with the dialog. (There's not a lot of dialog in a Bond movie, either. It's very restful. Just anything can happen in the space between when the villain explains his cunning plot and when Bond throws out a one-liner that is probably a lot more witty if you're processing what you see on the screen in front of you.) I remembered quite enjoying the Bond movies.

Some years later, I made Best Beloved rent one with me. It was - look, it was just not as good when all the action was happening on screen and not in my head, okay? And since then, I've been an unashamed fan of the more recent Bonds. I'm sorry. I know I'm a bad person for liking Daniel Craig better than Sean Connery.

But my point is: the thing that sent Best Beloved and me off into fits of giggles while watching the old Bond movie was, well, the cheese. I mean, I like cheese, but not when Sean Connery is coated in it. Except this vid taught me that okay, maybe I do like cheese, even on Sean Connery, provided it is compressed and carefully edited and set to Der Kommissar. Because this vid - it takes all the things that really do not work in your actual serious action-adventure movies (patently fake snakes, a man wearing what appears to be the collar of a spacesuit and pretending not to be embarrassed about it, a woman with a shoe that has a knife in the toe), and distills them down to the essence of cheese, which somehow makes them work.

Admittedly, this vid does not make me actually want to see any Bond movie particularly. No. But, whenever I watch it, I squeak with glee on several occasions (at the awesome suggestion of Bond guys along with Bond girls, for example - is that one scene seriously as gay as it looks in this vid?), I giggle helplessly on too many occasions to count (For example: FAKE SNAKE. I am a woman easily swayed by a suspenseful battle to the death with a really large, obviously plastic snake.) This vid makes me smile and fulfills my entire recommended daily allowance of spy-related cheese.

The One with Sartorial Choices That Will Haunt Your Dreams Forever. I Only Want to Be with You, by keiko_kirin.* The Persuaders.

IMEEM: I Only Want to Be with You. (Streaming will start when you click; hit pause until it's done loading if you have a slow connection.)**

Availability: the download is on a password-protected page. This link takes you to the announcement, which explains how you can get the password. And it is so worth it, so please don't let that whole password thing dissuade you. For one thing, I'm going to be recommending another vid from this site in a couple weeks, and you won't want to miss that one, either. Save time! Get the password now!

I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what the source for this vid is about; I had never even heard of it prior to watching this. If I had to guess, though, I would say it was about two men who have found their calling, and it involves dressing up in ridiculous outfits, swanning around in high style, driving fabulously ludicrous cars, and being completely and totally gay for each other. I'm prepared to hear I'm wrong on all the points but that last one; this vid has convinced me that these guys are so doing it, and it would likely take decades of brainwashing to unconvince me. ("You...see...no...slashiness." "I...see...no - wait a minute, wait a minute, you can't tell me they weren't about to kiss right there. I totally see slash! In bucketfuls!" "You...see...no...slashiness." "But I think that one guy's about to give the other one a blowjob. That's - you know, kinda slashy.")

But I'm pretty sure I'm right on the other points, too. Especially the ridiculous outfits; in this vid, we see - just as examples - an aqua toga (yes, it is pretty painful, but it's also very brief - have courage!), what I swear is a lavender paisley shirt (yes, on a guy, who is apparently secure in his masculinity or secure in his total gayness - or, as I suspect is the case, both), and some deeply unfortunate royalesque robes. Either outfits are key to this source, or the costumer designer had access to drugs of unparalleled and certainly illegal awesomeness. (Or, again, could be both. If I had to guess, I'd say both.)

...Um. I totally did not mean to go on a digression about clothes. (AQUA. TOGA. I am quite serious.) I meant to talk about the vid. Which is - wow. It's just fun, people. It's the romping, rollicking, unfortunately attired adventures of two men in love, and it never fails to make me a happy, bouncy person.

I also really admire this vid because it uses an editing style that I am totally sure shouldn't work, and yet it does. See, this vid is mostly really short clips with really fast cuts. And the song does not seem to cry out for that editing style, and, you know, fast cuts, they can get wearisome. But here, they so totally do not - instead, they create sort of a skipping-through-the-park-hand-in-hand mood. I think maybe part of the reason it works so well is that Kay keeps the thematic content of each clip similar (two men, frequently wearing unfortunate clothing, in as close proximity as it is possible to get without warping space), so the short clips are really easy to follow, and it's just - bouncy. Cheery. Fun. Again, this vid never fails to make me smile. (Well, smile and mutter, "Who are these gay men?")

The One with an Enormous Penis. Oh, Don't Even Pretend You're Not Going to Download It Now. Enormous Penis, by Hank Shiffman. (Anyone know if he's on LJ?) Farscape.

Availability: It's at the bottom of the list on this page. I tried to find a link to a vid announcement, but couldn't; if anyone knows of a preferable link, I'd be pleased to hear about it.

Okay. So. I am sure there are many people reading this who are above sophomoric humor, who do not find penis jokes especially funny, who have dignity and poise and sophistication. Those people will wish to skip this recommendation entirely, as they may find it distasteful. (Or it may undermine their commitment to higher thinking, which would be tragic. Someone has to produce the great thoughts of our time! And it won't be me, as I will be busy with porn and juvenile humor for - pretty much ever, as far as I can tell.)

The rest of us, though - well, let me put it this way. We started with a vid that makes my inner 12-year-old squeak with joy, and we're ending with one that makes her die with laugher. I mean, really, I cannot speak for your inner child, but mine finds this video consistently hysterical. Because it's D'Argo! And he has an enormous penis!

Yes, that's really the whole vid. It's wonderful.

I remember the first time I watched this vid. It was long before I had seen any Farscape, and I was like: *snicker*. (Yes, just like the way people used to snicker during sex ed in 7th grade - and note that I did not do any snickering then; I was too grown-up. This whole maturity thing seems to be working in reverse for me.) I thought it was amusing. Big guns = enormous penis! This is an inherently funny equation.

And then I actually watched some episodes of Farscape. The next time I saw this vid, I died. Because while it is inherently funny that guns = enormous penises, it is much, much, much funnier when it's D'Argo - who just has to be well-endowed, if his species swings that way - waving around the big guns and having a giant dick.

Basically, this vid has the same effect on me as an enormous penis apparently has on men: it's got the cure to all of my blues. (And in particular, there is a shot of John Crichton in here - well, let me put it this way. When I don't smile at that, please view it as a cry for help.) (Also, there's a bonus cookie thing at the end that just...HEE. Oh, I love Claudia Black so much.)

* Thanks, terrio and par_avion!

** Thanks, anonymous!

Comments

[lapillus]

If you really wish to hide tell Shoshanna and you can come hide with me and help do tech setup :-) One of the joys of doing tech setup is that one can hide and look busy and important at the same time. Bonus points if you are actually able to crawl on the floor and tape things down!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

It's one of the things I'm planning to volunteer for, actually. That and the vid show door thing. I can wrangle cables with the best of them, and I am totally willing to crawl around with a roll of tape. (Although, I warn you, sometimes I lose fights with tape. Not often, but I'd be lying if I said it had never happened.)

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I pull out Man in Motion every time I've had a bad day, and watch the first two seconds as I feel *sheer glee* fill every pore of my being. In fact, I think I need to watch it right now.

It is too perfect for words.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

You should totally go re-watch it. I've had to re-watch it twice just while responding to comments, because sometimes you NEED Man in Motion, and, frankly, there are very few times when you couldn't at least benefit from it.

As I said to someone else, I suspect that vid may be laced with an illicit, addictive substance. And if it is, I suspect that substance causes the user to feel PURE JOY, because that's what I feel when I watch it. (Well, there's that, and also a lot of giggling and squeaking noises.)

[elynross.livejournal.com]

Hi! You're welcome to hide behind me at VVC, but while that's not really where the party is, it's... Look, I'm probably just not a good person for hiding behind at VVC, I'm sure you can figure out why! *g*

And I adore that you're reccing Man in Motion, because this is MY vid, made for ME, or as good as, partly because I bullied and betaed, and mostly just because my love for this vid is completely unbounded by sanity or proportion. It induces such heights of sheer glee in me that it can be seen FOREVER. I go completely incoherent when I watch it, and when we hit the ORGASMS OMG. I go completely incandescent!!!!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I had already identified you as the person least suited for hiding behind in all of fandom, basically all the time. flambeau tried to convince me otherwise, I suspect because she is EVIL. I was not swayed by her wiles, though. Unusual for me.

And I adore that you're reccing Man in Motion, because this is MY vid, made for ME, or as good as, partly because I bullied and betaed, and mostly just because my love for this vid is completely unbounded by sanity or proportion.

Okay, first: if this is the kind of vid you inspire in and bully out of people, please to be inspiring and bullying at a much faster pace. I will gladly buy you a whip if that will help.

Second: I'm not sure there's a level of glee that is too high to be appropriate for this vid. But then, I can barely speak when I try to describe it; basically I make a lot of flaily hand gestures and squeaking noises. So maybe I am not one to judge.

Third: SERIOUSLY. MAKE MORE VIDS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.

Fourth: I honestly cannot pick out my favorite moment in the vid. It's like it starts with my favorite moment, and then somehow each successive moment is more favorite. It's one of those logical impossibilities. Xeno would probably have liked it a lot.

Fifth: I mean it about the whip.

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

OK thank you for the Matrix rec. I squeed through it. It made me laugh.....

[elishavah.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're coming! It's my first VVC, too, and okay, I do already know in-person people who are going to be there, but I've informed them that there will be clinging going on. See, I'm too tall to usually hide behind people. I'm quite willing to serve as a shield for others, though. :)

And you should have been in the room when I first saw Man In Motion. OMG. Four fangirls, mouths and eyes so very wide open, stunned to absolute silence...until the hysterical laughter started and never stopped. It IS happiness!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

(Okay, first: is your icon from that one commercial that was making the internet rounds a while back? Because if so, LOVE. I have long wished I'd saved that commercial; it was that awesome. Although, sadly, I no longer remember what it was for.)

I'm quite willing to serve as a shield for others, though.

Excellent. *makes note*

It IS happiness!

YES. I was in the supermarket a while back when the song came on the in-house music thing, and suddenly I was beaming at tomatoes and other random shoppers. That is the power of this vid: even the thought of it can bring lasting joy. (Actual exposure can sometimes overwhelm the weak with pure, concentrated JOY, but fortunately we fangirls are a tough lot.)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yay for Vividcon! It's tons of fun.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I get to go!

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

I am not going to VVC at all, not being in the country or a vidder, but were I going, I would totally be your VVC friend, were I even worthy of it, because I think I would actually have to be in YOUR entourage (which will spring into being the moment you get off the plane), and there was no option in your poll after the initial 'no' for 'OMG WOE I WOULD BUT I WILL NOT BE THERE', so I just ticked the others as if I *would* be there. And there you have it: the longest sentence ever, in honour of VVC.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

(Your icon is terrifying to me. Who is that, and what the hell is he licking?)

I would totally be your VVC friend, were I even worthy of it, because I think I would actually have to be in YOUR entourage

*patient voice*

Remember, we have a mutual flamewar going? With wank and stuff? It's hard for anyone to take us seriously when you say things like this. (Although, for the record, come on - I would totally be in your entourage. I would be your VVC personal assistant or car-parker or whatever. And, hey, does this mean you will be going when you're on the same continent as VVC? I would remind you that Chicago is very near Toronto, relatively speaking.)

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

OK so now I will get to remember your face in person!!!

hey do you ever make it to San Jose? I'd love to visit.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Yay! Although I must warn you that even after you can remember what my face looks like, the odds are very good that I won't remember what you look like. I bring a whole new level to "bad with faces," and am secretly kind of sad when people change clothes, thus taking away my main hope of recognizing them. I am really hoping that everyone wears name tags at VVC all weekend long.

hey do you ever make it to San Jose? I'd love to visit.

Sometimes I do; I visit MMWD, mostly. And next time I do, I will see if you're up for a visit.

Sometimes I think all the cool fangirls live in Northern California. So close and yet so far. *whines*

[barkley.livejournal.com]

I am so excited you will be there. If our first conversation goes like this:

Me: Yay, so glad to meet you in person!
You: Something suitable in reply!
Me: Uhm, How about that weather/Was your trip nice/Look, a plant I must go look at

This is my never ending suckitude at small talk and not a reflection upon you. *g* I'm just warning you upfront. Signed, a dork.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I am working on a Secret Plan to get around this, because I am horrible at small talk, too. So our first conversation may actually go like this:

You: Hi! I'm barkley.
Me: Hi! I'm TFV! It's good to meet you!
[There is a pause while we smile at each other, sort of desperately hoping that one of us will think of something suitable to say.]
Me, speaking very quickly and thrusting a book towards you: Will you sign my official Disneyland autograph collection book? I'm collecting fan signatures. Look, you can even pick what page you sign on.

I think either that will start conversations or cause everyone to spend the weekend avoiding me. I'm really hoping for the former.

He *IS* a man in motion, trufax!

[delurker.livejournal.com]

omg, Man in Motion! I downloaded that ages ago, and loved it, but then my hard drive ate it and I couldn't find it again, and I've been pathetically googling for it without success for a while now. But here it is! *twirls, skips off to download*

He really is. Oh, Neo - take me where the eagle's flying!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I am so happy to have reunited you with this vid, because NO ONE SHOULD BE WITHOUT IT EVER. (Also, you know, vidfinders exists for PRECISELY THAT SITUATION. As do fannish friends. You don't have to suffer separation from your favorite vids!)

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

Every word you said about The Persuaders is correct (except I think that toga may be a towel, or a bedsheet? I haven't watched that vid in a while.) An important thing to note: Roger Moore designed all his clothes himself. It says so in the credits. He WANTS YOU TO KNOW.

I love this show to death, and I've had a half-finished pimp post sitting on the shelf for several months. I was hoping to rec The Persuaders on crack_van, only then the main fic community got deleted, and I didn't feel like tracking down the links (there are only about six fics extant anyway, unfortunately.)

That's the bad news -- the good news is Dorinda said she's pondering writing something for it. At which point I would die. Die. Just die.

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an awesome D'Argo vid - thanks for the link! I hadn't seen that one before.

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

Have an awesome time. I'm so envious!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*bounces nervously*

Thank you! I hope to. VVC YAY!

[frostfire-17.livejournal.com]

Oh God, the Persuaders. I just--I have no words. Forget brainwashing; Jedi couldn't convince me there was no slashiness in that show. I mean, even discounting the clothes entirely, you still have two guys who touch each other and fall on each other and hang out in each others' rooms and become Distraught when the other one is hurt--though they try to hide it behind a layer of clever sarcasm; don't be fooled! They are Distraught--and just generally are gayer than anyone ever. *hearts*

[frostfire-17.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah--and the scene with Roger Moore in his royalesque robes--House of Lords getup, maybe?--well, in the scene where Tony Curtis is holding the hat, I believe his line--the tail end of his general making-fun of the costume--is something like, "We're getting married." True story.

[narcolepsy-slds.livejournal.com]

Farscape!!!!
IMO the Scapers make the best videos, maybe due to the pretty awesome cast.
I think I either go hunting for FS vids tonight, or watch the DVD.
probably both.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Farscape really does lend itself to some wonderful vids. (And if you found any new and wonderful ones during your hunt, I'd love to know about it.) Plus, the producers were remarkably cool about the concept, from what I've heard, which makes me love them dearly.

[lknomad.livejournal.com]

You mean to tell me that you are going to this con with a bunch of people you don't even know after refusing to take your own 8 year old nephew to the Star Wars Celebration last month. How could you!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Trust me when I tell you that there is a huge difference between a con that's capped at 110 people and a Star Wars con.

Fewer Darth Vaders, for one thing.

[brownbetty]

So, I played the vid before I read what you said about it, (see how I trust you) and said, somewhat stunned to the person I was chatting with:

[21:55] brown betty: …man, I don't know what The Persuaders was, but I am forced to conclude by this vid that it's about two lovers who vacation in exotic locations and get themselves into strange predicaments.

And then I read what you said, and yes. Very much yes.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*beams*

You trust me! You really trust me! I am all choked up with emotion. (Hence the very late comment response. Well, that and also LJ has been somewhat hoard-y with the comment notifications of late.)

man, I don't know what The Persuaders was, but I am forced to conclude by this vid that it's about two lovers who vacation in exotic locations and get themselves into strange predicaments.

The fabulous part is that, as far as I can tell, that's actually what it WAS about. Oh, there was also some trifling crime-related plot, but really - I think that may well be an accurate summary, and people who have seen the canon swear it is actually GAYER than this vid. Which, wow, you would not think it possible, would you? I am still reeling from the concept.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

>>at the awesome suggestion of Bond guys along with Bond girls, for example - is that one scene seriously as gay as it looks in this vid?), <<

Do you mean the bits with Robert Davi (guy in pink shirt, who is mostly manhandling Bond)? Cause in context no, but in this vid, yes.

Thanks for recommending the vid, or else I never would have found giandujakiss's brilliant La Femme Nikita vid. And I am so very happy that I did.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Do you mean the bits with Robert Davi (guy in pink shirt, who is mostly manhandling Bond)? Cause in context no, but in this vid, yes.

Yup, that's what I meant. And if it's not that slashy in context, then I am just going to pretend it doesn't have any context, because Bond really needs a Bond boy or two. I mean, how else to make him a well-rounded character?

giandujakiss's brilliant La Femme Nikita vid.

Ooo, yes. (You've seen gwyn_r's LFN vids, yup? She has an awesome BtVS x XF x LFN vid that I just adore.)

[renenet.livejournal.com]

Oh! Eeeeee! Look, a vid rec! For my vid! Thank you so much! ::twirls and twirls:: I'm so glad you enjoy it and find it happy-making!

And, yay, you're coming to VividCon! We're a comfy bunch, really!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you enjoy it and find it happy-making!

Indeed I do. That vid does a better job of cheering me up than any religion you care to name. I love it so much that I mentally draw sparkly pink hearts on the screen each time I watch it. (And it really works with pink hearts, I find.)

...And I can't even believe I get to say this, but: see you at VVC!

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

very late to the party here, but YAY VVC! My invisible friend and I are going, and there really are quite a few people besides us who go who would never ever vid and who would never ever be rock stars. You don't need to hide, and you don't need to grovel or anything!!

I should know. I dropped down to my knees in an elevator and grovelled at elyn & killa once... They, um, politely asked me not to do that anymore. :->

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

We aren't allowed to GROVEL? But, but - that was my whole VVC plan. I had clothes picked out for it and everything. I was going to bring kneepads!

Ah, well. It's best I know now, so I can revert to the emergency back-up plan: lurking. (Advantage: no kneepads required.) Possibly I will pack camouflage, instead. Although what does one wear to blend in at VVC? A llama costume?