Fangirly Oscars Roundup!

Oscars-2013I’m feeling pretty good, gang.  Not only did I handily beat Whitney in our predictions, but I also won the Oscar pool at the party I went to last night, correctly guessing 15 of the winners.  Christoph Waltz and Ang Lee threw me, but I was able to pull it off in the end.

There are going to be naysayers out there (because there always are), but I thought this was a pretty good Oscars. Really, the only locks going in were Anne Hathaway and Daniel Day-Lewis, so it was refreshing to have actual anticipation as the winners were announced.

I have yet to read the reviews on Seth MacFarlane’s performance as host, but I thought he did quite well.  As I predicted, he paid much more reverence to the ceremony then people were expecting and possibly hoping.  Yeah, sure.  He had a song about boobs on film, but that is pretty reverent for Seth MacFarlane.  If anything, I was wishing for a smidge more edginess.  Knowing how big of a musical geek he is, I loved the Sound of Music bit.

I am going to give best speech of the night to Daniel Day-Lewis.  This may be unfair because was undoubtedly well-prepared, but he was eloquence and humility aided by a British accent that makes everything sound better.  Ben Affleck gets the runner-up because I am sucker for people saying sweet things about their spouses, which both he and DDL did with great aplomb.

What did you think of the big show?  How was Seth MacFarlane?  Too tame?  Too raunchy?  Any disappointments or surprises?

-Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Seth MacFarlane

seth-macfarlane-tuxThis one comes as a special request from Whitney’s mom and because we are such dutiful daughters and nieces, we could never neglect orders from our mothers.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I too jones for Seth MacFarlane. Also, he seemed quite the apropos pick for this week given his hosting duties at this Sunday’s Oscar Ceremony.

I think I can account for my first lusting after Mr. MacFarlane upon seeing him at Comic Con during the Family Guy panel.  I had seen pictures of him and thought him quite handsome, but there was something about seeing him in flesh and blood that really got to me.  I am also ashamed to admit that he seemed like a bit of a jackass and that kind of got me, too.  Yeah, I guess I’m one of those girls.  On the opposite side of the spectrum, the good girl in me likes that he sings like an angel (See below).

I, for one, am quite excited to see what he will bring to the Oscars this year.  He will certainly rock the boat a bit, but you can tell from his myriad of pop culture-related jokes on Family Guy, etc.  that he loves the movies and I think we will see more of that than people are expecting.

Ellen

Fangirly Investigates: Oscar Predictions!

Oscar StatueWe’ve had Golden Globes, SAG, PGA, DGA, WGA, and all those other G’s and A’s, but now it’s time for the mack daddy, the big one.  Yep, it’s Oscar, biotches.  All other awards kneel before him. I’m still not a hundred percent sure how he got all the clout, but he did.  Don’t ask stupid questions!

With the big show looming over us this weekend, we thought we would give you our picks for the big five categories.  And the Oscars will go to…

Best Picture

  • Amour
  • Argo
  • Beast of the Southern Wild
  • Django
  • Les Misérables
  • Life of Pi
  • Lincoln
  • Silver Linings Playbook
  • Zero Dark Thirty

Ellen’s Pick:  Argo – I got a chance to see all of the best picture nominees with the exception of Amour, and I’ve got to say, it’s a fairly tight race this year.  Silver Linings Playbook seems to be gaining some ground, but I think that that after Ben Affleck’s snub in the Best Director category, the voters are going to give it to Argo.

Whitney’s Pick:  Beasts of the Southern Wild – Ok, I get that this one is a long shot, but for me is stood out among all the other nominations. The award will probably go to Amour, or Argo, or Zero Dark Thirty, but the last time I checked, none of those other films managed to produce a star half as adorable as Quvenzhané Wallis. That includes you, Ben Affleck!

Best Actor

  • Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
  • Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
  • Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
  • Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
  • Denzel Washington, Flight

Ellen’s Pick: Daniel Day-Lewis – Had Lincoln not come out this year, I would like to think that Bradley Cooper could have taken it this year because he does a really great job at being funny and sympathetic.  But alas, Daniel Day-Lewis reigns supreme and he is THE guaranteed pick of the night.

Whitney’s Pick:  Daniel Day-Lewis – After five nominations and two wins, you would think DDL would give somebody else a chance. We get it, you were beyond awesome in Lincoln, and totally deserved that Golden Globe. I, however, would be more impressed if your character wasn’t the most beloved American president of all time. If you get nominated for playing, say, Lyndon B. Johnson then we’ll talk.

Best Actress

  • Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
  • Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
  • Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
  • Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild
  • Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Ellen’s Pick: Jennifer Lawrence – Gotta give it to my girl, JLaw.  Homegirl’s got a solid chance of winning and rightly so.  Chastain and Watts could prove to be dark horses, but the voters seem to be digging the year’s only quasi-light fare this year.

Whitney’s Pick: Jessica Chastain – Honestly, this is more of a guess then anything else. Wallis and Watts seems pretty unlikely, and of the three remaining nominees, I think Jessica Chastain is all over it.

Best Supporting Actor

  • Alan Arkin, Argo
  • Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
  • Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
  • Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Ellen’s Pick: Robert De Niro – In what I see as the closest race of the night, I’m going to go with who I think the Academy likes the most, which leaves me with ol’ Bobby De Niro.  But, really, don’t hold me to this one because it is anyone’s game at this point.

Whitney’s Pick:  Tommy Lee Jones – Again, this is a wishful thinking pick. In Lincoln, Tommy Lee knew how to steal and scene and wear a wig, two qualities I look for in a man (ask anybody).

Best Supporting Actress

  • Amy Adams, The Master
  • Sally Field, Lincoln
  • Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
  • Helen Hunt, The Sessions
  • Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Ellen’s Pick: Anne Hathaway – This one is hers to lose.  I will be SHOCKED if she doesn’t get it.  Some people are saying Sally Field could prove to be an upset because… she’s Sally Field, but it’s going to Anne Hathaway.

Whitney’s Pick: (Duh) Anne Hathaway- I would be lying if I said I didn’t love ALL of the Supporting Actress noms, but it’s totally going to be Anne. She absolutely deserves it, after the Academy snubbed her twelve years ago for The Princess Diaries. This is your year, girlfriend!

There you have it?  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Who do you WANT to win? Let us know in the comments! And Happy Oscars, everybody!

Ellen and Whitney

Fanmanly: Archer

Archer 3Just to clarify, we don’t think of this “Fanmanly” feature as focusing on entertainment that only appeals to bros, but more focuses on entertainment that is more bro-friendly. That being said, let’s dig into one of my favorite dude-favored shows right now: Archer!

What can I say about Archer other than it is hilarious? As it progresses, I love that this show is similar to Arrested Development in that it totally caters to the fans. “Phrasing” (see below), the danger zone, Archer’s fear of robots, his love for Burt Reynolds, “yuup” and “nooope“, and anything Pam says are all a hundred times funnier when you have watched and loved all of this show.

The voice talent alone should be enough to convince you to watch this show. You have H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers) as Archer (who I am ashamedly attracted to and on a related note does anyone else find Benjamin’s voice super sexy?), Jessica Walters (Arrested Development) as his cold but overbearing mother, Aisha Tyler (I remember her from Friends) as the more competent agent at ISIS, Judy Greer (another Arrested alum) as the ditzy, kinky receptionist, Chris Parnell (SNL) as their brainy accountant turned agent, and the unknown to me Amber Nash as the worst HR Director out there.

I will recommend this show with the caveat that it is not for the faint of heart. It is filthy and has its fair share of animated violence, but all that just adds to its…charm? Well, it at least makes for a pretty rollicking, shocking, hilarious, stylistic, spy comedy. Those exist, don’t they?

Ellen

Archer is available on Netflix Instant

Fan-Rants: [Spoilers] WHAT THE HECK JULIAN FELLOWS?!?

julian-fellowes_custom-c48719149534279f38f23f2324ea101b13cf605a-s6-c10I would like to start off by saying that this post is fraught with spoilers. Fraught. So if you haven’t seen the finale of Downton Abbey you should probably 1) get your act together and 2) don’t read any further, because this is about to get REAL.
I am fully aware that Mr. Fellows, creator of DA and Oscar-winning writer of Gosford Park, probably had very little to do with Dan Stevens’ decision to leave the show. Stevens is a star, baby, and if he wants to head off in search of bigger and better parts, more power to him. (This is me being diplomatic; in actuality I am super pissed). What I can’t condone, however, is the emotional roller coaster Fellows forced us to ride, like a cinematic Splash Mountain. I mean, killing someone off minutes after the birth of their on-screen son? A joyous event that has been three seasons in the making, followed by a fatal, and dare I say totally avoidable, car crash? Not cool. Also, why are we trying to vilify babies? Killing off a lead character every time there is a birth in the family seems a little unfair to the infants in question.
Matthew melodrama aside, I loved this episode. It was nice to see Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) getting some well deserved extra screen time, and watching the reconciliation between Jimmy (Ed Speleers) and Thomas (Rob James-Collier) was pretty satisfying. Oh, and then there was this…

allen leech shirtless
Good. Grief. We at Fangirly try really hard not to objectify our favorite stars (false) but I think the award for Best 20th Century TV Bod goes to Mr. Allen Leech. I don’t know about you, but I’m suddenly much more optimistic about series four.
-Whitney

Web Bytes: Season 2 of Burning Love

video.burninglove.com@8dc4cdc0-fbd9-39f6-aad5-aad6dba7a8a9_FULLIf you watch The Bachelor franchise, as I do, you are well aware that it is ripe for some ribbing.  Enter Burning Love, a web series from Ken Marino and the rest of my favorite comedy personalities.  The first season focused on a fireman who asked they ladies if they would “accept his hose”.  It hit the mark so perfectly that it was scary.

This season looks like it will be no different.  You have the musician who is just there to up his profile, the single dad who constantly bring up his son, the rich jack weed, the hot guy who “isn’t there for the right reasons”, and the guy who is still trying to get over a medical trauma (in this case, being born three months premature).  Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.

Go see for yourself.

Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Chris Hardwick!

nerdist_promo_yir_04_web.0_cinema_640.0This weeks crush Chris Hardwick, or as I like to call him, Lord Protector of the Nerd Commonwealth, has been rocking my world pretty consistently for the last few years. It started with Web Soup, and then his hilarious podcast The Nerdist, which was recently adapted into a TV show for BBC America and now has a place of honor in my DVR. Not sold? Well then, watch him charm the Scottish pants off Craig Ferguson in this clip.

I told you! Now do yourself a favor and watch The Nerdist on BBC America on March 30!

-Whitney

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Beautiful Creatures

-Beautiful-Creatures-2013-Stills-alice-englert-32920346-1300-866I should start off by saying that I read the book so I was predisposed to like the movie to certain extent and I thought it was pretty good even though the lead guy grated on me in the beginning but he eventually endeared himself to me even though him and the girl kiss a LOT verging on uncomfortable but I still thought both of them were WAY better actors than KStew and RPattz  and it actually ended up being a lot funnier than I expected and that’s intentionally funny.

Verdict: As long as you go in fully aware that it is a supernatural teen drama, I say, sure, go see it.

Grade A, Choice Picks: Top Overrated Chick Flicks

Happy Valentine’s Day, boys and girls!  Let’s slam some chick flicks!

This girl loves love.  Most of my books have pink covers, I seek out TV shows with good ships, and my favorite author is Jane Austen.  Yeah.  I’m one of those girls.

The one thing you are going to notice about this list of, in my opinion, overrated chick flicks is that I don’t like my romances to be bogged down with drama.  Isn’t love supposed to be happy and fun? I realize that there are sometimes complications, but come on, people.

With that, let’s dive in.

notting hill5. Notting Hill – I like this one, I do. But… “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”  It ruins it for me.  It really does.  The mood will often strike where I can overlook it, but not as often as it does for others.  Try this instead: Love Actually.  Always Love Actually.  Or Muriel’s Wedding, from across a different pond.

bat4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Let it be widely known: I love Audrey Hepburn.  She does an amazing job and I do enjoy this movie.  I just feel like it gets more attention than it is due because Holly Golightly is such an iconic character.  In my opinion, Audrey has done better in better movies.   Try this insteadRoman Holiday or Sabrina.  Superior performances and  love stories without the weird racist stuff.

SteelMagnolias_19893. Steel Magnolias – Ugh, why do we always have to resort to cancer?  It happens and it is sad, I get it.  Believe me.  There is a lot to love here: Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, etc.  I just don’t enjoy being emotionally manipulated in a blatant manner.  Does this make me a bad person?  I don’t really care.    Try this instead: Fried Green Tomatoes

dirty2. Dirty Dancing – I know what you’re going to say.  “Nobody puts baby, and therefore Dirty Dancing, in a corner.”   Well, I just did.  This is coming from the girl who listened to the soundtrack on repeat from the age of 11 to 13.  This movie needs more “Stay” and “Be My Baby” and less abortion, sickness, and misogyny.  I am a sucker for climatic dance routines, though.   Try this instead: Strictly Ballroom and/or American Graffiti.  The dancing and soundtrack in two movies that are more palatable.

notebook1. The Notebook – Here’s the big one.  I get it, everyone.  You love this movie.  My history with The Notebook is as follows:  I never saw it in theatres and then it was a solid five years before I got around to seeing it on DVD.  Everyone always made SUCH a huge deal when they heard I hadn’t seen it.  “YOU, of all people haven’t seen The Notebook?”  You don’t know my life!  Maybe I went in with the wrong attitude, but I just didn’t get what everyone was getting all in a tizzy about.  The sex scene is hot, I’ll grant you that, but there are other movies to see a shirtless Ryan Gosling.    Try this instead: The Painted Veil or Cocoon.

Agree?  Disagree?  Did I grossly offend you with any of my picks?  Because that’s kind of what I was going for.  Let me know in the comments.

Ellen

Run-On Sentence Reviews: Warm Bodies

WarmbodiesIn what I am pretty sure is the first zom-rom-com, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet pairs zombie and human girl and they try to save the human race and it is pretty funny while still maintaining a sweet love story and and it has a really great soundtrack that I have become obsessed with and I’ve seen it twice so…

Verdict: Go See It!

Ellen

Shows I Can’t Wait to Watch in 2013

Orphan Black (BBC America): I have absolutely no idea what this show is supposed to be about, but you know that if they are showing it on BBC America, it had to do reasonably well in the UK. Actually, it looks a little like Ringer, minus the Sarah Michelle Gellar and crappy dialogue. (March 30th)

 

Bates Motel (A & E): Love Psycho. Love Vera Farmiga. Love Freddy Highmore. If I hate this show, it won’t be for lack of trying! (March 18th)

 

Mr Selfridge (PBS): Like all my other favorite shows, this one originally aired on ITV. If for no other reason, you should watch this just to see Jeremy Piven in a period costume. (March 31)

-Whitney

Mixin’ it Up: February’s Playlist

justin-timberlake-grammys-2013-performance-watch-video-jay-z-jpg_105011I love my car, I really do.  It is practical and in pretty good condition.  If I had to have one complaint it would be that it came out the year before they started putting iPod jacks in cars, but after they stopped installing tape decks.  This puts me in quite the pickle for what to do about music, because I can’t do radio.

My solution to this quandry has been to make a mix CD (or two, or three) every month, just to keep things fresh.  The mixes are usually a mix of new songs and old favorites that I want to listen to that month.  While it can sometimes be a pain, it is also kind of fun to sit down and reflect on what is jiving with me.  It also ends up being like a sort of musical journal entry, because I can go back to my May 2012 playlist and be taken right back to that month.

I thought I may as well write about some of my top picks for each month, because I like to think I have somewhat good taste and it is certainly eclectic enough to strike a chord with a wide range of people.

Thrift Shop”  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Wanz – Yeah, I know.  Me and everyone else on planet earth.  But just in case, this one hasn’t ended up on your radar yet, you need to change that.  I have been listening to this while walking to my office from our parking garage and I have a really hard time not dancing.  I sneak in some moves and let people think I am moving to fight off the cold.

All For You”  Sister Hazel – Whatever, don’t hate the playa, hate the fact that 90’s music is awesome.  This one came on my Pandora last week and I went and downloaded it right away.  It’s happy.  If you don’t end up singing and/or bouncing along to this song, you need to get over yourself.

Boys and Buses”   Hayden Panettiere – Something you will quickly learn about me is that my TV/movie viewing dictates a lot of my music discoveries.  If you told me last year that I would be downloading a whole lot of country music, I would have laughed in your face, but that’s just what happens when you watch a whole lot of Nashville.  I enjoy the lyrical simplicity of this one.  Yeah, Juliette.  Boys and buses, DO have a lot in common.

Brooklyn We Go Hard”   Jay-Z Feat. Santogold – Another download that came about after hearing it on TV, this one coming from the trailer for the upcoming 42 (the Jackie Robinson movie).  Side note:  As an extremely white girl, do I need to feel weird about blasting this in my car and bopping my head like I’m gangsta?

Silver Springs”   Fleetwood Mac – Confession: this song was a blind spot in my Fleetwood Mac listening until it popped up on the recent covers album, Just Tell Me That You Want Me, being covered by Lykke Li.  While I discovered the song through that cover, nothing is going to compare to Stevie, right?  Right.

How Come You Don’t Want Me”   Tegan and Sara – I just got this album (Heartthrob) and I am liking it quite a bit. I picked this song specifically because haven’t we all thought this at one point?  (It’s also a really good song).

I’d Rather Go Blind”   Etta James – I may be weird, but there is nothing sexier to me than old school R&B.  There’s something about it that just…  just… just watch this dance to see what I mean without making things awkward.  This is a perfect of that languid, sexy, vibe that I’m talking about.  I’d rather go deaf than never get to listen to Etta James again.  (See also “Sunday Kind of Love”)

Shelter From the Storm”   Bob Dylan – Let the record state that I do not like Bob Dylan.  His voice and general attitude usually annoy me, but when I heard this song in Warm Bodies I reluctantly fell in love with it.  There was just something about a zombie playing it to express to his human crush that he would protect her that really got to me.  (Another reason to not like Bob Dylan is that apparently he won’t allow YouTube play his music, but Vimeo got him somehow even if it isn’t the version I like).

Suit & Tie”  Justin Timberlake Feat. Jay-Z – You guys, I love Justin.  Did you see him at the Grammys?  He is just so… cool!  Then Jay-Z just ambles up and does his thing and then goes and sits back in the audience with Beyonce.  No biggie.  I know that a lot of people are disappointed with this song, but let’s respect it for what it is: a pretty dang infectious hook with JT’s swagger.  I’m all in.

Yer So Bad”  Tom Petty – I’ve been on a Tom Petty kick lately.  Well, really, for my whole life, but I’ve been digging into some of the B-Sides and this one is my current jam.  That strum in the chorus gets me rocking out every time and I love “Yer so bad, best that I ever had.”  Once you get past all the divorce and suicide, it’s a pretty sweet song.

Whew.  Click on the links and watch some videos (official and fan made).  What is your current jam?  I’m also interested in recommendations.  Aside from all those I have just listed, I am downloaded every song that is featured in Warm Bodies and I am loving all of them.  Check out the music and the movie.

Ellen

Fangirl Poetry: Dealbreaker

30rock_0We’re still reeling from the loss of 30 Rock here at Fangirly and in a effort to aid others in the grief process, I’ve decided to post an original poem I wrote for my 12th grade AP English class. I feel like I should mention that this poem only earned me a B. Moral of the story: when your teacher asks for a poem that expresses your inner self, don’t write about your favorite prime time sitcom. He will not be amused.

Dealbreaker

Single woman, loves her cheese

Won’t you come and date her please?

Goes to work every day at NBC

Deals with kooks named Jenna and Tracy

She figured out the Rural Juror

At first she was sure, but now she is surer

Dated a Beeper King, dogonit

Floyd also tried to put a ring on it

Jon Ham was stuck inside his bubble

Dating caused her nothin’ but trouble

Then at the dentist with a mouth full of drool

Wesley Snipes told her, “To settle is cool”

Tracy’s goal is to get his first EGOT

All Lemon wants is her own little tot

She just wants a man who isn’t a faker

Phony fellas are a real Deal-Breaker

But what every one knows and she cannot see

Is that Lemon belongs with Jacky D

-Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Jacob Pitts

jacob-pitts_127112Look, no one can deny that Timothy Olyphant is a fine specimen of a man.  He wears that cowboy hat like nobody’s business and has swagger to boot.

While I still love me some Raylan Givens, my heart belongs to another on Justified, and that is none other than the grossly underused Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Gutterson, played by Jacob Pitts.  Every time he says something on the show, it’s gold and watching him and Raylan work a sting is particularly titillating.  His snarky retorts and mad sniper skills are working in all sorts of ways for this girl.

An maybe, just maybe, if we write about our love for him enough, the showrunners will give him more to do.  I know I speak for both Whitney and myself when I say, Jacob Pitts, we salute you.

Scha-wing.

Ellen

Get with the Program: Community

community_papersIt’s here!  October 19th is here!  And you know what that means, fellow Greendale peers, Community is back! Whether it will be better than ever is yet to be determined.  This show really is the “little engine that could” of network television.  It has faced management changes, behind the scenes drama, and scheduling snafus, but still it prevails, raising that Greendale anus flag high on Thursday nights once more.

I think it is safe to say that Community is the weirdest little gem on television.  What other shows have episodes in 8 bit and stop motion?  Or alternative timelines and dreamatoriums (besides Fringe)?  But all of that weirdness, self-referential humor, and Joel McHale’s face are what make me love this show so much.

Although, Troy and Abed are perhaps my MOST favorite thing of this show and definitely my favorite friendship on TV.  Individually, their characters are hilarious and deliver my favorite lines, but they deliver pure gold.  Having seen Danny Pudi and Donald Glover together at Comic Con, I think that this is aided by the fact that are actually friends who are great at riffing off each other.

To elaborate my point, I have included one of my favorite scenes from the show below, but before you click that, are you excited for the return of Community? Worried about the lack of Dan Harmon?  Let us know in the comments!

Ellen

Top Five Things I Miss about the 90’s

areyouafraidofthedark25) Are you Afraid of the Dark– I had a classic love/hate relationship with this show. Love, because it was the scariest thing my mom would let me watch at the time. Hate, because those tweenage jerks swiped the coolest club name in recorded history. What am I supposed to do, the next time I want to start a secret society where all the cool kids get together and swap creepy stories around a non-regulation camp fire? How am I ever going to top “The Midnight Society”?! I really don’t think “Middle of the Night Society” has the same ring to it. Jerks.gagme

4) Gag me with a spoon– How is a modern lady supposed to express her derision for a particular person, place, or thing without pretending to stick a finger down her throat? With her words? As if! Careful articulation is for squares.

3) 90’s Music Videos- They even had a whole TV network dedicated to them. Now that’s what I call innovation. My favorite had to be the classic Chumbawamba hit “Tubthumping”. So. Awesome. I can’t count how many times my brother and I stared at each other from across the dinner table and, over our glasses of kool aid, sang “pissing the night away”. We were so cool.

1263522254625_f2) Tom Everett Scott- Even six year old me knew your boffability was off the charts. SCHAAAWING.

1) Good Disney Movies– Yeah, I went there. Remember when Disney movies used to be funny and smart and scary and, occasionally, a little too sexy for our impressionable brain-sponges? Case and point: there is an ENTIRE song in The Hunchback of Notre Dame where Frollo wails about his lust for Esmeralda. It’s probably been a while for most of us, so here’s a clip to refresh your memory. Note the sexy dancing chick in the fire. Even as a seven year old I knew there was only one way to interpret that.

What do you miss about the best decade of the 20th century? Let us know in our comment section!

-Whitney

Get with the Program: Lost Girl

S1E02-lost-girl-29699085-1280-720Gratuitous TV sex is not super high on my list of favorite things. In fact, it sits somewhere between dangling participles and getting paper cuts under a fingernail. That being said, I decided to give Syfy’s Lost Girl a try, even though I was fully aware of its… um… saucy reputation. And while I wasn’t exactly wrong (there is a pretty disproportionate amount of boot knocking going on in this show), this series actually has a lot going for it.

At its heart, Lost Girl is about the struggle for identity and community. Bo (Anna Silk), a mysterious bartender with a troubled past, learns that the reason all her lovers wind up dead is because she’s actually a succubus. As in, a crazy-killing-sex-machine of legend. Luckily, she has her adorable best friend Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) to help her navigate the not so sexy parts of her new supernatural lifestyle (such as monster slaying and uncovering the mystery of her birth parents).

On paper, this show sounds pretty stupid, like any other hyper-sexualized sci-fi drama out there, but the writing is actually pretty good. In fact, it’s better that pretty good. Anna silk and Ksenia Solo have insane on-screen chemistry, and admittedly it is pretty nice seeing a TV relationship between two women that feels realistic and supportive.
So if you’re looking for a show with a fresh take on the supernatural drama (a.k.a. a show that goes beyond the vampire-witch-werewolf trifecta) the give Lost Girl a try. It has some hokey moments, but I think you’ll find it more than makes up for it in wit, charm, and girl power.

-Whitney

Fangirly Exposed: The Bachelor

reg_600.TheBachelor2.mh.011413Yep, I’m a Rose Lover.

This hasn’t always been the case.  In fact, I used to be one of those that would see clips of The Bachelor featured on The Soup and think, “Who is watching this garbage?!”  While I still think that this is pure, unfiltered garbage, I can no longer look away.

The thing with The Bachelor/ette/ Pad franchise is that it is the closest you can get to stopping to watch a train wreck without clogging traffic and loss of human life.  It is also a somewhat fascinating experiment in human behavior.  How stupid can one person be?  How easy is it to manipulate a dumb jock?  What happens to the female brain when she hasn’t consumed anything but vodka for a week in preparation for the first rose ceremony?  All of these questions are bound to be answered in an episode of The Bachelor!

I can’t be alone, right?  Do you prefer The Bachelor or The Bachelorette?  (I find a group of women more entertaining, but I get more invested in the relationships on The Bachelorette)

(Side Note: If you watch the these shows and you enjoy a saltier take, I strongly suggest checking out the recaps at Lost Angeles.  It has become the main reason I rush to catch the latest episode.)

Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Allen Leech

0127_SAGs_117

Allen Leech arriving at the 2013 SAG Awards, proving once and for all that bow ties ARE cool.

I feel like I spend so much of my time and energy trying really, really hard not to be weird. This week was particularly challenging in that regard because last Sundays episode of Downton Abbey sent me down a crazy celebrity crush spiral. The foxy object of my affection? Allen Leech, who plays the chauffer-turned-son-in-law Tom Branson. Of course, after watching his weep-worthy performance on Sunday I was obligated to spend an hour on youtube looking up interviews with Mr. Leech. Turns out, not only is he cute AND Irish AND an awesome actor, he’s also hysterical. I present exhibit A. He doesn’t say much but check out his perfectly executed eye-roll around 00:53.

Adorable, right? In this next clip Allen does a pretty hilarious Julian Fellows impression.

Believe me, I could go on. If you need an Allen Leech fix, be sure to watch Downton Abbey, Sundays on PBS!

-Whitney