Back during the writer's strike, Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, co-author of Toy Story, and so on, and so on) had an idea for a new vehicle for entertainment. A story, shot on the cheap and released on the internet, testing out a new model that might -- just might -- bypass the existing studio models of entertainment and give him more creative control over the whole shebang.
He also had an idea for a story, and access to some really, really good actors, and a devoted (some might say slavish) fanbase he could use for resources.
The result? A three-part story called "Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog."
Start off with a low-rent wannabe supervillain, an evil genius, played by the incredibly talented and versatile Neil Patrick Harris.
Toss in his nemesis, the incredibly arrogant and thuggish hero Captain Hammer, brought to larger than life by Nathan Fillion.
Top it off with the nerdy, neurotic, lovely, red-headed love interest Penny, absolutely embodied in the amazingly adorable (and about as big a nerd goddess icon as Jewel Staite) Felicia Day.
Mix it all together with Joss Whedon (and family)'s wit, sensibilities, genius, and sheer unmitigated brilliance, and you get the masterpiece that is:
Just be warned: while it's funny as hell, it's still a Joss Whedon product.
Anyone who has EVER seen his work will know what that means.
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Comments (23)
Just be warned: w... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Anon Y. Mous | July 19, 2008 12:42 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The series will end too soon, leaving us wanting more?!
1. Posted by Anon Y. Mous | July 19, 2008 12:42 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 12:42
2. Posted by Jon | July 19, 2008 12:44 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
I'm a leaf on the wind... SMASH!
2. Posted by Jon | July 19, 2008 12:44 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 12:44
3. Posted by Lledowyn | July 19, 2008 1:10 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Anon Y. Mous said:
More like the series will end and seriously piss you off. :p
3. Posted by Lledowyn | July 19, 2008 1:10 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 13:10
4. Posted by epador | July 19, 2008 2:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Still, the iTunes "season pass" is probably worth it for at least the first three episodes.
4. Posted by epador | July 19, 2008 2:28 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 14:28
5. Posted by Matt Lutze | July 19, 2008 3:06 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
And here I thought it was the cowboys...
5. Posted by Matt Lutze | July 19, 2008 3:06 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 15:06
6. Posted by Timmer | July 19, 2008 3:25 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
You'll become addicted to it and find yourself wondering how to ask your daughter if you can borrow her BTVS Disks again without letting them know that you're a complete Whedon Fanboy?
6. Posted by Timmer | July 19, 2008 3:25 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 15:25
7. Posted by Paul Hooson | July 19, 2008 4:43 PM | Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
Jay you surprise me how much you love SciFi. I'm a huge SciFi and horror movie fan myself as well. But I manage to escape the geek image somewhat by being known as a "wildman" for being so into motorcycles and motor scooters and driving bikes that scare some of my friends silly, but encourage other guys to beg their wives to own one. I'm also a former lead singer of a punk rock band from that late 70's, which helped my SciFi geek image a little as well.
By the way, has anyone here checked out your new advertiser, MyDirtyBookstore.com. Damn, they've got some crazy stuff on that website. Wild stuff indeed. Not your typical Wizbang advertiser. I hope Kevin doesn't take this advertiser down. This is real funny.
7. Posted by Paul Hooson | July 19, 2008 4:43 PM |
Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 16:43
8. Posted by hyperbolist | July 19, 2008 5:09 PM | Score: -7 (9 votes cast)
Paul, what has good sci-fi got to do with being a geek? Or, if that's off base, then what's wrong with being a geek for cool things? Geek is less pejorative than nerd. Nerds are like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. I'm a geek, for indie music. You're a motorcycle geek. The word means something more akin to "unabashed enthusiast" than to "nerd". Or am I wrong? And more to the point, who cares?
Happy Saturday, ya'll:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XiFrfeJ8dKM
You're welcome.
8. Posted by hyperbolist | July 19, 2008 5:09 PM |
Score: -7 (9 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 17:09
9. Posted by jp2 | July 19, 2008 5:18 PM | Score: -6 (6 votes cast)
"...played by the incredibly talented and versatile Neil Patrick Harris."
More insight. Interesting.
9. Posted by jp2 | July 19, 2008 5:18 PM |
Score: -6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 17:18
10. Posted by hyperbolist | July 19, 2008 5:29 PM | Score: -3 (7 votes cast)
jp2, go see the first Harold and Kumar movie, and you'll have to agree.
Does everything on a blog have to be profound, or insightful? Can't some of it just be for fun?
10. Posted by hyperbolist | July 19, 2008 5:29 PM |
Score: -3 (7 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 17:29
11. Posted by epador | July 19, 2008 5:38 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
White and Nerdy
or Ridin' DIrty?
I PREFER W. AL'S VERSION.
11. Posted by epador | July 19, 2008 5:38 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 17:38
12. Posted by joe | July 19, 2008 5:52 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Absolute shite!
12. Posted by joe | July 19, 2008 5:52 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 17:52
13. Posted by jp2 | July 19, 2008 7:08 PM | Score: -7 (7 votes cast)
Hyperbolist - funny comment based on your name...
It actually was insightful - Jay Tea is a Neil Patrick Harris fan. It explains a little bit more about this complicated blogger.
13. Posted by jp2 | July 19, 2008 7:08 PM |
Score: -7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 19:08
14. Posted by bryanD | July 19, 2008 7:28 PM | Score: -16 (18 votes cast)
"I Hate Joss Whedon"-jt
All I know is that J W decided to cut off Allyson Hannigan's hair in BTVS Season 4, dressed her in "fat clothes", and made her obsessed with a fat stuttering carpet cow whom he killed off but not quick enough to save the show from immediately jumping the shark. So I agree. Though it was getting rickety before then: Suddenly New Sister for Buffy (Michelle Trachtenberg) produced in me Brady Bunch "Orville" flashbacks.*
*1972, 4 channels, one mean sister, SHADDUP!
14. Posted by bryanD | July 19, 2008 7:28 PM |
Score: -16 (18 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 19:28
15. Posted by Oyster | July 19, 2008 10:40 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Sheesh, some people sure know how to take the fun out of something. For once I agree with Hyper. Some things don't need to be freakin analyzed. Some things are just fun.
15. Posted by Oyster | July 19, 2008 10:40 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 22:40
16. Posted by Baggi | July 19, 2008 11:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I just finished watching the series tonight and signed up for email updates.
Imagine my surprise when you've seen it also and posted a link.
Was pretty good but I didn't care for the ending.
Maybe this can be the vehicle for Joss Whedon to continue with Firefly?
16. Posted by Baggi | July 19, 2008 11:53 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 19, 2008 23:53
17. Posted by Mad | July 20, 2008 1:08 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
This is great right up to the stupid and mean spirited ending. And now I hate Joss Whedon. Because he's a jerk.
17. Posted by Mad | July 20, 2008 1:08 AM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 01:08
18. Posted by Jay Tea | July 20, 2008 1:14 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Oh, hell, jp2, why don't you throw in my repeated support for gay marriage while you're at it? If you're gonna project your homophobia and think you're making some snide insults at me, go whole hog.
J.
18. Posted by Jay Tea | July 20, 2008 1:14 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 01:14
19. Posted by Nick | July 20, 2008 7:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'm actually a big fan of Whedon, but wasn't too keen on this project. I thought it paled in comparison to the Buffy musical, where the songs were so much more catchy and they really felt more personal. It did improve with each act though, and I did quite like the poignant moment in Act III where Penny says "Don't worry, Captain Hammer will save us" - but overall I just thought it was good, but not great (a standard I usually associate with Whedon's work).
19. Posted by Nick | July 20, 2008 7:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 07:23
20. Posted by OhioVoter | July 20, 2008 9:20 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Actually much of what is posted on this blog is just for fun. Some just can't see that.
The rest of us have a life. :-)
The Whedon piece was terrific although I, too, hated the ending. (But that's Whedon....)
And Paul, tell us all the stories you want about your youth. What speaks to your credibility today is the fact that you post at a location where dissenting opinion is deleted, opposing posters banned, and, if the political allegiance is not the *right* one, it is considered license of some of the worst homophobia and misogyny seen anywhere.
20. Posted by OhioVoter | July 20, 2008 9:20 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 09:20
21. Posted by WildWillie | July 20, 2008 10:32 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Funny stuff. Even Hyper's. Still laughing. ww
21. Posted by WildWillie | July 20, 2008 10:32 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 10:32
22. Posted by Jim Treacher | July 20, 2008 12:26 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Well put! I loved it, but yeah. Maybe it's because this is the first thing we've seen from him in so long (besides his comics), but I wasn't quite prepared for... the thing I really should have been prepared for. So then I watched it again, and "No way" became "How could it have been any other way?"
22. Posted by Jim Treacher | July 20, 2008 12:26 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 20, 2008 12:26
23. Posted by david | July 21, 2008 2:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
lol! i like the warning. i had to tell people that myself "it's very joss whedon by the way so yeah, when you get to the end you'll know what i mean."
23. Posted by david | July 21, 2008 2:03 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 21, 2008 14:03