Mobilizing a Fan Base: The Campaign to Renew Forever

MOBILIZING A FAN BASE: THE CAMPAIGN TO #RENEWFOREVER
By Courtney Lockhart

It’s an all too common tale these days: The unique, entertaining program that got cancelled before it’s time.  Search “Best Cancelled TV Shows” and you will retrieve dozens of lists and comment sections full of fans still grieving.   One fandom isn’t taking any chances. Even though their show is still currently in production they want to make sure things stay that way and so they are taking to social media with a single message #renewforever. 

Cast L-R: Joel David Moore as Lucas, Judd Hirsch as Abe, Ioan Gruffudd as Henry, Alana De La Garza as Detective Jo Martinez, Donnie Keshawarz as Detective Hanson and Lorraine Touissant as Lt. Joanne Reece. (ABC/Bob D'Amico)

Forever is a procedural crime drama with a twist. Dr Henry Morgan works in the New York City Medical Examiner’s office. He has an uncanny ability to read the bodies that come into his morgue and as such has struck up a partnership with Detective Jo Martinez of the 11th precinct homicide division. There is one mystery Henry can’t figure out however- his immortality.  I reviewed the first four episodes  for this site back in October and since then, my enthusiasm has only grown. 

However, despite a wonderful supporting cast, great writing and a People’s Choice Award nomination for Favourite New TV Drama, the show is a common target for cancel/renew scorecards and has been listed by sites such as TVLine as unlikely to reach the second season. Forever regularly draws over 5 million viewers live. It has always increased, and occasionally doubled, those numbers by the time DVR figures are available.  However, the critics believe that for a show on a major network those numbers aren't promising even though they surpass those of other freshman hits. 

This is where our intrepid fans comes in. A group of Foreverists have decided to let the network know exactly how loud 5 million voices can be. An old fashioned letter writing campaign has been organized with the goal of flooding the ABC mailroom with notes and calendars telling the network it’s time to renew.  

Photo Credit: Emma Reed

Deb Survey and Lin Blank co-admin both The Official Ioan Gruffudd Group on Facebook as well as a second group specifically dedicated to the show called Foreverist Group for Forever Fans. “We’re doing our best to keep Forever around for a long time,” they said. “We find the writing clever and spot on, and the characters are drawn in a rich and human way. Seeing the fans unite in support of this show is amazing.”  

On top of the letter writing campaign the fan community around Forever is extremely active. There is a weekly live tweet event during the show’s Tuesday night airings where cast and crew have been known to pop in as schedules allow. Tumblr is full of fan art prompt games, discussions and gif builders highlighting some of the quintessential moments of the first half of the season. If you pop on the Facebook pages, you are greeted with reminders to vote for Forever in the People’s Choice Awards as well as lists of all the ways you can get in contact with ABC to show your support.  They are a loyal and vocal team. Hopefully by showing exactly how much they love their show, they will be able to help secure it’s future and keep it off the “Best Cancelled Shows” list for… a very long time. 

Forever airs Monday night at 9pm on CTV, Tuesdays at 10pm on ABC and is available to stream at ctv.ca on Wednesdays. 

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy

John Barrowman Live at Ottawa Pop Expo

JOHN BARROWMAN LIVE AT OTTAWA POP EXPO

Source: Ottawa Pop Expo facebook
Credit:Petra Hudakova

There are three things you can expect from every John Barrowman panel: insanity, innuendo and inspiration.  It was no different this past Saturday when he took the stage in Hall 4 at Ottawa Pop Expo as this year’s Guest of Honour.  After shooing away the moderator and making sure he had plenty of room to wander around the stage, the Scottish-born actor best known as Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood, led the crowd in a Q&A that touched all aspects of his career on stage, screen and page. 

Starting with his current role as principled villain Malcolm Merlyn on The CW’s Arrow, John expressed his gratitude for “whatever you put in the water up here” that resulted in Stephen Amell.  While Amell has often stated that he asks Barrowman for advice on how to be the leading man on a popular TV show, he may be picking up some of John’s bad habits as well.  During the previous week’s filming, he explained that Stephen began to use a comedic limp  when the camera was strictly on John in an effort to make him crack up.  He also explained that if you are in the make-up trailer when Amell is getting Oliver’s extensive scarring and tattoos applied, the special chair he has to sit in leaves little to the imagination- and he’s not complaining. 

When asked about what he thought of both Captain Jack’s immortality and his future as The Face of Boe, Barrowman told a charming pair of stories that both involved John not reading his scripts soon or carefully enough.  When he received the scripts for the end of series one of Doctor Who, he was so devastated at Jack’s death that he didn’t bother finishing reading the episode. It wasn’t until the table read that he finished the script and was elated to find out the good Captain didn’t stay dead. By series three, he left poor David Tennant  practically bursting to tell him about the Face of Boe when the good Doctor finished reading the script two days ahead of John.  Both stories were accompanied by impersonations and theatrics that had the audience howling with laughter. John said he loves that omni-sexual Jack had inspired people and made them comfortable in their own skin. He said he didn’t know if being open about his own sexuality had lost him any roles or garnered any negative feedback, and that if it had he really didn’t care. 

Source: Ottawa Pop Expo facebook
Credit:Petra Hudakova

As for whether he would be back on Doctor Who anytime soon John answered that he honestly didn’t know. He would love to return but it was in the hands of the current show runners. In the meantime, on top of his work with Arrow, John and his sister Carole Barrowman have been commissioned to continue their popular children’s fantasy series Hollow Earth. The next series will take place several years after the end of Book of Beasts and be more grown up to accommodate the aged characters.  

After running over time to make sure that several children who had patiently waited in line got to ask their questions, John thanked the crowd for not only their attention during the panel, but for their ongoing love and support which provides him with the life he always dreamed of.  He then went back to his autographs booth for an impromptu signing session just because he was having too much fun. 

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Fall Frosh: Forever, Selfie, The Flash

FALL FROSH
By Courtney Lockhart

We are a few weeks into the new TV season and I'm already behind.  I haven't seen Gotham or caught up with old friends like Bones or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D  but that's what long weekends and random mid season breaks are for.  However, I have managed to check out  three of this year's freshman class. One was a sure bet confirmed, another a pleasant surprise, the third has potential but I'm reserving judgement.

SURE BET: THE FLASH

Barry Allen is a nerdy, clumsy, awkward forensics expert. That is, until the day he is struck by lighting caused by the STAR labs particle accelerator blowing up. He wakes up from a coma nine months later with killer abs, fast healing and super speed. With these new abilities will he become the hero he wants to be?

I've been counting down to premiere day since the first trailers came out.  As a spin off from Arrow  this show had a lot to live up to and it did. The new cast  featuring familiar faces like Grant Gustin, Jesse L Martin, and Tom Cavanaugh  gels well right from the start. The origin story wasn't rushed passed for the new people, nor did it drag on for the well-versed.  The pilot sets up the possibility of good old fashioned 'bad guy of the week' stories  alongside the larger story arcs. With excellent writing and a last scene twist that had me talking back to the television, I'm looking forward to seeing if lightning will strike twice for executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisburg.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: FOREVER

I checked this one out purely on a whim, and I have to say it was a very good whim.  Forever follows the new rulebook of network cop shows: sensible police officer plus off-beat but brilliant expert solve crimes while trying not to flirt with each other too much  for the first few seasons.  However, as with most storytelling it is the nuances that make it unique.  Dr Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd) works in the New York medical examiner's office and is very good at his job. He strikes up a working partnership with Detective Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza) thanks to his Sherlock Holmes worthy deduction abilities.  But Henry has a secret- he's been alive over 200 years and can't die. 

This is another show that thrives on good writing. The cases presented are interesting but it is the dialogue between Henry, Jo and the rest of the cast that charms viewers to keep watching. The first four episodes offer glimpses into Henry's past, particularly a lost love named Abigail who left Henry and their adopted son Abe (portrayed in modern times by Judd Hirsch) for reasons that have yet to be explained. There is also the promise of a Big Bad in the form of a mysterious caller who not only knows Henry's secret, but claims to have the same condition.  There is a lot of potential in this series and I truly hope that ABC gives it the chance it deserves. 

UNDECIDED: SELFIE

There were two things that peaked my interest in checking out  this modern manners sitcom. The first is my inner theatre geek was intrigued by the idea of a Pygmalion/ My Fair Lady modernisation. The second, I adore Karen Gillan and wanted to support her. Gillan  plays Eliza Dooley, a successful sales rep who realises she has thousands of online followers, but no one to check on her when she gets food poisoning.  She asks her company's new marketing and branding guru Henry, a delightfully bitter and grumpy John Cho,  to help revamp her image and her life.

I'm not sure however that actor loyalty and a familiar premise will be enough for this show.  The awkwardness and humour based on annoyance can be grating at times but on the plus side Cho and Gillan have great chemistry. If the show doesn't get on it's feet quickly it may not get a chance.

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Why Youtube is Mad at Sam Pepper

WHY YOUTUBE IS MAD AT SAM PEPPER
By Courtney Lockhart


On an unsuspecting Sunday afternoon cruising Youtube and Tumblr,  I saw something that bothered me. However, it was quickly followed by something that gave me hope.

Sam Pepper

Sam Pepper is a Youtube vlogger with over two million subscribers to his channel. He originally reached notoriety as a contestant on Big Brother U.K, however he is better known these days for his questionable prank videos. Past ‘pranks’ have included licking random strangers and trapping women with a lasso as a pick-up manoeuvre.  This weekend Pepper uploaded a video where he proceeded to stuff his sweatshirt with a fake arm and pinch women’s bums with his real hand while they were distracted.  People were quick to point out that this wasn’t a prank- this was assault.  

“We are really tired of people conflating 'offensive' with ‘edgy’." Julie Lalonde, director of Hollaback! Ottawa lamented when asked about this particular brand of humour.  “The idea that harassing women in public is somehow 'new' and 'cutting edge humour' is incredibly misguided. Harassment and sexual assault by strange men against women in public space is far too common for someone to make a profit from such ‘pranks.' It's not about needing to loosen up or not having a sense of humour. We love a good laugh and there is no shortage of amazing Youtube videos out there. Sam Pepper, and others like him, think they are performing edgy humour when in fact, they are perpetuating the same old tired tropes that make every women the punchline. It's tired, it's sexist and it's definitely not funny.”

Via Youtube

Someone posting horrible things on the internet is nothing new. There is a whole section of the population that believes that is in fact the web’s primary purpose. What was different this time is that the protests and outrage on the video didn’t just come from the viewers, but from fellow Youtube creators.

Laci Green, host of Sex +, took to Tumblr with an open letter demanding that Pepper take down the video.  She asked Sam to “Please stop violating women and making them uncomfortable on the street

Laci Green

for views.  Please stop physically restraining them and pressuring them to be sexual when they are uncomfortable.”  The letter was co-signed by over 60 prominent Youtubers including Wil Wheaton, John and Hank Green, Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig and Tyler Oakley. As a direct result of the video, Pepper’s planned appearance at Playlist Live! was cancelled. He’s will no longer appear on the Fine Brothers’ Youtubers React series, and has been banned from the two biggest Youtube gatherings on either side of the atlantic: Vidcon and Summer in the City.  The video was eventually pulled after a massive campaign under the tag #reportsampepper

Seeing the creative powers of YouTube take a stand made me incredibly happy. It proved that this serious issue is being given the consideration it deserves. It is one thing to see an audience up in arms about content but for his peers to do likewise elevates the whole discussion. The Youtube community prides itself on being safe and welcoming to everyone. Sam Pepper harassing and assaulting women put that in jeopardy. 

As for the man himself? This is his only statement so far:  

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Kill Shakespeare: A Geek Girl Review

KILL SHAKESPEARE: A GEEK GIRL REVIEW
By Courtney Lockhart

The weekend before last I attended Montreal Comiccon. While my main goal for the weekend was to stalk meet Stephen Amell, I was also on the lookout for something new and exciting to recharge the nerd batteries.

While my primary goal was completed  Saturday thanks to the Q&A, Photo Op and  Meet and Greet opportunities, by Sunday afternoon I was starting to think my secondary goal was not going to be accomplished. There was tons of beautiful art and the vendors were well stocked with interesting wares, but I wasn’t getting that ‘zing’.  I define the zing as that feeling  where your radar has been pinged and you are now hyper-aware of the presence of something awesome.  I was just about to turn to my con-buddy and tell him I was going to call it a day when I saw it:

ZING!

This shirt literally stopped me in my tracks. I’ve been a Shakespeare nut since I was about 12 years old. I spend more time at the movie theatre watching National Theatre Live performances than I do actual films and I was gifted a lovely Complete Works of Shakespeare from my aunt and uncle  when I was in university.   The shirt was so genius I didn’t even notice the rest of the table until the gentleman behind the table asked “Have you heard of Kill Shakespeare?” 

That gentleman was Connor McCreery co-creator of  the Kill Shakespeare comic series.  He walked me through the basics: Hamlet is transported to a mythical land which is either cursed or protected, depending on what side of the argument you side with, by a wizard named Will Shakespeare.  The lord of the land, Richard III wants Hamlet to find and kill the powerful wizard. However a rebellion, lead by Juliet Capulet, is calling Richard a tyrant and asking for Hamlet’s help to find Shakespeare and overthrow the king.  The T-shirts were a tie-in and even more clever once you understood the context.  I picked up the first volume of the graphic novel, A Sea of Troubles, and resolved to read it on the bus back to Ottawa.

You don’t have to be a Shakespeare fan to like this book. While there are winks, and references, the authors make sure that the uninitiated have enough information to not be lost. The story is epic in every sense of the word with twists and turns that keep the audiences guessing just as much as the characters. I honestly have no idea what will happen next and I love that.  

With great art by , well rounded characters and an excellent story I’m looking forward to picking up the next instalment.  Of course by next instalment I mean everything that’s currently published. Once I pick it up I know I’m not going to want to put it down until it’s done. 

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Doctor Who Series 8 premiere: The Doctor is In

THE DOCTOR IS IN
By Courtney Lockhart

I have to admit- this time last year I was a very disappointed Whovian.

I was at a friend's cottage desperately checking my twitter to discover who was going to replace Matt Smith in the iconic roll of The Doctor.  When they announced Peter Capaldi- I was upset.  Because of my obsession familiarity with Torchwood, where Capaldi had portrayed major series 3 antagonist John Frobisher,  I felt it would be impossible for an actor already strongly associated with a signifigant character to  shift to being the main character of the universe.  In my mind it was  like Tom Hardy being named the next Batman.  I was predicting a series 8 that I would suffer through to support the show but not necessarily enjoy.

Today I am happy to admit that I was completely wrong.

The series 8 premiere, written by show runner Steven Moffat, was moving, entertaining and action packed.  Regeneration has temporarily fried The Doctor's brain. Not only is he trying to figure out his new body and personality, but he can't decide whether to trust his friends to help him. The regeneration confusion leads to a great deal of the episode's humour and amuses in a way that doesn't distract from the main conflict.

Capaldi's doctor is finding a place in my heart. I'm a 10th doctor girl and the introduction to Twelve strongly reminded me of how I felt after watching The Christmas Invasion.  He's a complete 180 from Matt Smith with the exception of still being able to  rock those amazing speeches that Moffat gives The Doctor.  I'm also wondering if " Shut up!" is going to be the new Geronimo?

The supporting crew in this episode, Strax, Vastra, Jenny and Clara- or as the doctor refers to them at first: Grumpy, the green one, the not green one and the one that asks all the questions- were a joy to watch. The 'give Team Vastra their own show'  contingent in the fandom will be louder than ever after this one. They  handle both sides of the regeneration angst argument brilliantly. This episode also gave me a very Sherlock vibe in that a lot of the supporting dialogue seemed to be the writers attempt to verify that they are listening to the fans.

The episode passes the group viewing test with flying colours. We all had  different levels of familiarity with the Whoniverse and were all highly entertained. There are easter eggs galore and little things that I'm sure will mean more in the future, but for those watching who aren't as fluent in Who it is still a great introductory piece.  The best part is, for the first time since series 5 we will get all twelve episodes in one go, no breaks!

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9pm on Space, You'll be able to meet previous Who stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvil  at Fan Expo this month. Matt Smith and a special mystery Whovian guest will be appearing at Montreal Comiccon in September.

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Pemberley Digital and Interactive Storytelling

PEMBERLEY DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING
By Courtney Lockhart

For the past couple of weekends I have indulged in one of the universal vices of the digital age: Binge Watching.  I made my way through approximately 300 episodes of three different series in less than 96 hours and before you ask: yes I did eat, sleep, shower and occasionally leave the house.  It helped that the episodes were less than 15 minutes each.

So what had me so enthralled? Four words: Jane Austen on Youtube.  

It started with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modernized version of Pride and Prejudice told through vlogging and social media.  The transmedia approach means that in addition to Lizzie's point of view, the audience can follow other characters, like trouble wild child Lydia or supportive best friend Charlotte through the story.  There are no one dimensional  characters. Even if there isn't enough time in the videos to flush everyone out, they can keep developing through Twitter and Tumblr.  For example, during the first week of the story when Lizzie and her sisters are being introduced to us on the main channel, over on Twitter you can read along as Bing Lee surprises his sister Caroline and best friend William Darcy with the news that he bought a house called Netherfield.

However, all the cross platform promotion would mean nothing if there wasn't a quality program to go with it. The writing is wonderful and the performances are enthralling.  The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

won a 2013 Creative Arts Emmy for Best Original Interactive Program and I have rarely seen a show deserve an award more.

Thanks to DVD sales and an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign Pemberley Digital, the production team  behind LBD, has created two more equally addictive series. In Welcome to Sanditon  the viewers become a part of the story. Based  on Austen's unfinished manuscript Sanditon, Georgina "Gigi" Darcy moves to a small California beach town to beta test her brother's latest technological marvel. Written story arcs are combined with fan made videos to show a town in the middle of a social civil war. They followed up with their take on Emma called Emma Approved. Emma Woodhouse is a lifestyle guru documenting everything that goes on in her office for the eventual lifetime achievement award she expects to receive- much to the chagrin of her business partner Alex Knightley.

This week Pemberley Digital will premiere it's first non-Austen series. Frankenstein MD starts on PBS Idea Channel August 19th.  Set in a modern university, Victoria Frankenstein  is determined to prove herself through her unorthodox experiments. This will be the first time I will be following a Pemberley production live and I'm pretty excited to play along.

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

In Defense of Fan Fiction

IN DEFENSE OF FAN FICTION
By Courtney Lockhart

Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed an increase in the media attention given to Fan Fiction. For the uninitiated, Fan Fiction is unsanctioned original stories written by fans of a particular tv show, book, game, movie, band etc that takes place in that fandom and uses its characters, sometimes mixed with original ones as well.  What I’ve taken away from the articles I’ve read  is that most people believe three things about what is commonly called Fanfic:

1)     It’s all written by lonely teenagers  

2)     It’s all badly written

3)     It’s all porn

Reading these articles generally resulted in a high level of frustration  and ranting to friends as to how these writers just don’t get it  and it’s not all like that. I would sit there perplexed as to how someone could get it wrong again.  Most of the fan fiction that I came across were well written, intelligent pieces by people looking to improve their skills or contribute to a community they adore.  It eventually dawned on me that  the reason these articles had it wrong is that these well-adjusted, determined writers weren’t talking about it. They were afraid of being labeled crazy fans with little knowledge of the outside world and even less talent.

I should know, I’m one of them.

Credit: Fan Fic Flamingo

I’ve been writing and reading fanfic on and off since I was about 12 years old.  My most recent stint started a couple of years ago when I decided four series of Torchwood were just not enough. I started reading, and eventually I started writing. It was a great way to work on the areas of my storytelling I felt needed development, while expelling the extra energy that comes from being really into something. The feedback was also incredibly helpful.  I was getting dozens of people from all around the world giving me constructive criticism and tips on how I could improve.  Some of my stories were so well received that people offered to translate them into different languages.  It eventually gave me the confidence to consider myself a 'real' writer and offer my services to this blog. 

Even though I felt complete comfort in the Fan Fiction community, in real life I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. They just knew I was 'writing stories' and that I shared them on an 'authors website.'  Over time I’ve started letting people in on the secret. Usually either because I find out they are also writers/readers, I'm at a convention so it feels safe, or because they have said something so atrocious about the art form that I feel the need to defend it from a first person perspective.

Because above all, that’s what it is, an art form. Like all art there is good, bad and not your taste. If you don’t like the really sexy stuff, don’t read it. If you find a story isn’t going the way you like, move on. You wouldn’t go into a Chapters and expect every book to be a masterpiece created strictly for you.  I won’t deny that the badly written stories of legend exist. But for every one of them there is a story out there that is so good you would swear the person worked on the original it was based off.  With the joys of the anonymous internet, some of them just might.  

Emily Bett Rickards A.K.A Felicity Smoak on Arrow

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Remembering Robin Williams

We here at Capital Geek Girls  were greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Robin Williams. A few of the writers were able to put that sadness into words to share.

Credit: Eva Rinaldi 

MARIE VICTORIA ROBERTSON

A good friend of mine posted a very apropos quote when the news broke about Robin Williams’ passing:

“A clown needn’t be the same out of the ring as he has to be when he’s in it. If you look at photographs of clowns when they’re just being ordinary men, they’ve got quite sad faces.” –Enid Blyton, Five Go Off in a Caravan

I think that sums up exactly why this death is such a shock. My favourite Robin Williams movies were always the funny (or at least, light-hearted) ones—Hook, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, etc. While I was never a huge fan of his stand-up, I know so many people who just loved his manic onstage energy and I can see why. 

He was funny, and he made so, so many people happy. There is something incredibly sad about a comedy icon fighting such severe depression that he felt suicide was his only way to find peace. How could someone who so easily brightened everyone’s lives be feeling so much darkness himself?

We can only hope he finally found his peace. His memory and his movies will always be with us.

LEE A FARRUGA

I had just spent an enjoyable evening with my girls and husband watching mindless television. I decided to check my computer for emails and updates. What I found was the news about Robin Williams – and I cried – a lot.

I grew up with his comedy and his quick wit. He made me laugh so very much. Mork and Mindy was one of my absolute favorite shows growing up. I was 13 years old. It had a huge impact on me. I have always stuck to his comedic roles likes Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage. I have never been able to watch any of his serious work. Why? Because I knew he battled demons that I didn't want to see in his serious face.

Because I see it every time my husband has a dark day due to the same demon or my youngest has a down time because she's inherited her dad's depression. I know the constant fight that's involved. I know Robin Williams fought the good fight for all his 63 years. I cried because he lost the fight. Depression won.

 

I don't generally swear but... Fuck Depression!

COURTNEY LOCKHART

In her official statement, Susan Schneider asked that we not focus on her late husband’s death. Instead, we should focus on “the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.” 

So here goes: 

When I was a kid, It was Aladdin sing-a-longs in the car, Hook screenings with my cousins, and learning the Batty Rap at recess with my best friend- I still remember most of the words to all of these to this day.

When I was a teenager, It was watching Live on Broadway for the 23rd time in my buddy’s basement. We threatened to hold an intervention to get him to watch something else, but never did.

When I was in school it was watching Awakenings to discuss ethics, What Dreams May Come in philosophy class and Flubber on the field trip coach bus. 

As an adult, it was listening to him discuss his humanity, flaws and struggles on various podcasts and talk shows, then watching my young nieces and nephew discover the magic of his movies for the first time. 

Unlike most artists that I have mourned, Robin Williams didn’t represent a singular phase of my life. His talent and brilliance were a constant. The idea that he is gone is difficult to process and it just doesn’t seem fair. 

EMILY PLUNKETT

This one hurts.

Beyond the fact that it’s Robin Williams that passed – like, THE Robin Williams who has made us piss our pants laughing for the past 40 odd years – I cannot get over the fact that we lost another soul to depression. 

As much as we didn’t know him personally, we knew his work.  For children of the ‘90’s and beyond, he is Mrs. Doubtfire, Alan Parrish, Peter Banning and the Genie. Mork, Adrian Cronauer, Patch, Sean Maguire to fans of his generation and his plethora of critically acclaimed awards.  When an artist encompasses so much of our pop culture spectrum, we feel the loss.  The world is crying right now.  I know this because my social media feeds have exploded with tributes from fans and personal friends of the actor.  

What I noticed immediately is that all the posts I’ve read are filled with reminders that we should never take depression for granted.  And I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve been there.  I know that pain and have come back from the brink; and now the whole world is reminded on such a deeply personal level that the pain of depression is so powerful and encompassing.  Williams probably knew what he had as a husband and a loving father, whose last post to Instagram was a photo of himself and his daughter as a child.  But when you’re in that much pain, it all flies out the window, and internal lies of depression takes over. 

It’s so real for so many of us, and yet it takes the death of an international superstar for us to have this conversation. 

Let us hope that this heartbreak will lead to more who suffer from mental illness and depression to seek help and for the discussion of suicide to break free of its taboo so that we don’t have to lose another beautiful spirit.  After all, the next spirit the world loses won’t be famous, but someone will have loved it as much as the world loved Robin Williams; and the cycle of heartbreak will repeat

THEA NIKOLIC

I am deeply saddened by this loss of a great talent. He was a man a tremendous abilities that the world will sorely miss.

If you, or someone you know, are battling depression or anxiety you can call the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region at 613-238-3311.

Geek Girl Review: Hercules

HERCULES: 21ST CENTURY EDITION
By Courtney Lockhart 

It’s been awhile since a team has attempted to bring the legend of Hercules to the big screen. Even longer since a live action version. The last live action Hercules most of us remember  involves Kevin Sorbo running around Greece with  Bruce Campbell. It is a tricky prospect that needs the right effects, the right cast and the right story.  Brett Ratner didn’t manage a perfect score in any category, but definitely tried to strike a balance.

When it comes to the story, there is one aspect that is sure to divide the audience: There are NO gods. This Hercules ( Dwayne Johnson)  is a mercenary. The legends surrounding him are all the work of either the hero’s storyteller nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) , or misconceptions he never bothered correcting since they were good for business.   So how does he actually get things done if he isn’t a demi-god? Hercules has a scooby gang!  The see-er Amphiaraus ( Ian McShane), amazonian archer Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), spartan thief Autolycus (Rufus Sewell) and mute warrior Tydeus. (Aksel Hennie)  The film follows the team as they embark on the classic trope of ‘one last job before retirement’: protecting Trace  and it’s royal family (John Hurt, Rebecca Ferguson and Isaac Andrews)  from a bloodthirsty warlord names Rhesus. (Tobias Santelmann) I found the plot, loosely based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore, moderately predictable. I could see the complications and problems coming a mile away, but couldn’t figure out the solutions quite as easily.  

Ian McShane absolutely steals the show and provides much needed lightness to the piece.  The rest of the cast, similar to the audience I was watching with, seemed to forget that action movies are allowed to have humour in them. Dwayne Johnson, who is known for being a extremely charismatic performer, confuses stoicism with stilted delivery until the film’s climax.

I rarely find a film that has used 3D as well as this one did. It was not merely added depth as it was in Captain America: The Winter Solider and there were no cheap ‘reaching into the audience’ gags.  The extra effects were used to swirl the action around you and made the battles visually stunning. Extra points for not using shaky cam. The action sweeps smoothly from one point of view to another without going so fast to upset movie-goers with motion sensitivity.  

In the era of the deconstructed fairy tale, this Hercules is another case of trying to make the mythical manageable.  The result is a film that is a bit lacklustre but still an enjoyable way to spend 98 minutes.

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

Geek Girl Review: Rifftrax Live!

SHE SAID, SHE SAID REVIEWS: RIFFTRAX LIVE! SHARKNADO

By Jordan Danger and Courtney Lockhart

JORDAN: 

Seeing Sharknado was my first experience was RiffTrax. I was already very familiar with Mystery Science Theatre 3000, of course, but I hadn’t watched anything from these guys in many years. What I enjoyed about the theatre experience was that the RiffTrax crew was broadcasting and commentating live. What a neat concept for a theatre experience! It felt like we were really there in the room with them, and I think experiences like this are how movie houses will stay in business even when it’s so much cheaper to stream a movie onto a massive TV in your living room.

Their commentary throughout the movie was funny as always, but what made it even better was the crowd. Laughter is contagious, so witty quips that might have only garnered a chuckle from me often had me in giggling because my seatmates were roaring with delight. 

If you’re familiar with Sharknado, I can tell you that any addition to the movie could only be an improvement; but having seasoned Stadtler & Waldorf-esque commentators sarcastically dissing the movie for the entire time was truly delicious. 

RiffTrax is doing more of these theatre experiences in the coming months, so I encourage you to get out and give it a try. We often joke about what movie theatres will do next to make us feel like we’re a part of the film—will there be smell-o-vision? Water misting? Wind machines?—but I think this is a much more elegant answer. 

 Cast of Rifftrax: Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, Michael J Nelson

COURTNEY: 

I’ve been a fan of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 since I was barely in double digit ages. Half of the hidden language of my teen years is quotes from the show. So when I first discovered Rifftrax Live! last summer  I was incredibly excited that this cornerstone of my twisted sense of humour lived on. The problem with trying to convince people to watch a show like Rifftraxlies not in getting them to leave the house, but more explaining what exactly they are leaving the house for.

“They’re three comedians and they make jokes about the movie while it’s playing.” 

“ No, they don’t pause the movie- they talk over it. It’s like a commentary track but funny.” 

“ Well  you don’t have to worry about missing the plot because the movies are generally really bad.” 

It can be a bit of a hard sell, until you get there.  From the minute you set foot in the theatre you know you’re in for a different kind of night. The usual carbonated beverage shilling and three month old trivia of the movie theatre pre-show is replaced with songs by Jonathan Coulton, The Doubleclicks and Weird Al.  Fake producer quotes and 'coming soon' notices pepper the screen.

The show itself usually consists of an old PSA short and a feature length film.  At the showing we attended the short warned of the importance of springs  and why you don't piss off magical talking objects by wishing they never existed.  We were then treated to a plethora of fish puns before heading into the feature presentation Sharknado. 

I would not have made it through the movie without Rifftrax.  I'm all for a cheesy movie  but there is  a limit to the continuity errors and blatant disregard of logic that I can take- and don't forget, I'm a fan of The Vampire Diaries.  The  humour dulled my cringing and the repeated refrain of " Um... science? No? Ok then."  still makes me smile and giggle when I think about it. 

Rifftrax Live! will be back at Cineplex theatres  August 14th as they take on the infamous 1998 version of Godzilla. 

Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford commas.

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.