Doo-doo-doo-doo-dee-dooooo....

[icepixie]

Today, for some reason lost in the mists of my short attention span, I went looking for X-Files music vids. One site also had Farscape vids, which of course I had to peek at. And naturally, now I want to rewatch both shows from the beginning. Well, minus most of S8 for XF...and some chunks of S7...maybe a couple episodes from S6 as well... (Nearly ten years later and I am still pissed off about that "children of starlight" crap. BOO, CHRIS CARTER, BOOOOOOOOOOO.) There are a few S4 episodes of Farscape I could skip as well...Lobster of Truth, anyone?

Yeah, now I'm wishing I hadn't canceled my Netflix subscription. Although if I watch TV, then there's less time to write and read books... Decisions, decisions.

(I think I would get twice as much out of TXF now that I've got both an academic education, courtesy of college, and an innuendo education, courtesy of fandom and ballroom.)

Anyway, I realized three things while watching said vids:

1. First-season M&S are so young OMG. They both look like kids. Gillian Anderson was only 24 when she took the job. SHE WAS ONLY A YEAR OLDER THAN ME. I...what?

2. M&S really spent quite a bit of time touching each others' faces, especially in the later years. And the Doctor and his various companions have been given a run for their money on the hand-holding front.

3. Either there are very few good vids out there, which I find exceedingly hard to believe for a fandom of this size, or I'm no good at Googling today. Anyone got recs? I'm partial to humor, Mulder/Scully, character study, and--should there actually be any beyond the three I've seen--Doggett/Reyes vids, but anything well-done good.

Comments

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

Gillian Anderson was seriously 24? Dude, I just turned 23 . . .

This info is not helping my crisis of confidence weekend.

[nickless.livejournal.com]

(Nearly ten years later and I am still pissed off about that "children of starlight" crap.

Well, as that was perhaps the absolute most craptastic excuse for a resolution as GoldenBoy EVER came up with (and considering some of his other plot twists, that's saying something), I feel the frustration is justified.

Personally, I've chosen to deal with it by refusing to admit that particular episode ever existed. Beams of starlight, my ass...

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

I have tons of XF vids if you want them. By tons, I think it's 2-3 CD-Rs worth. Yes, I am a digital packrat. I'd be glad to mail them to you.

First-season M&S are so young OMG. They both look like kids. Gillian Anderson was only 24 when she took the job. SHE WAS ONLY A YEAR OLDER THAN ME. I...what?

...I had forgotten that. *feels old* Wasn't Claudia Black something like 25 when she started Farscape too?

Yes, M&S are so darn wee in the first few seasons. Awwww!

M&S really spent quite a bit of time touching each others' faces, especially in the later years. And the Doctor and his various companions have been given a run for their money on the hand-holding front.

Hahaha, yes. I like that you can keep going back and think "Okay, there! That's when they totally started doing it" many, many times. I think I was back as far as right before Melissa died on that one.

Yes, I am all about the porn.

Anyway, yay for wee Mulder and Scully!

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I've recently turned 25, and your reminder of Gillian Anderson's age in XF S1 makes me feel ancient now. I remember so clearly that I was 14 and discovered online fandom for the first time and wanted to be Scully when I grew up...

And here's my vid rec: Science-Fiction Double Feature (http://katycat.net/xfiles/videos.html) (just scroll down a little). By no means technically flawless, but joyful and cheesy and self-ironic and sweet. It reminds me of the reasons why I used to love this show.

[icepixie]

If it helps at all, she lied to Chris Carter and told him she was 27 so she would be more believable playing a woman who'd graduated from medical school and the FBI academy...

[icepixie]

Heh, we have excised it from our personal canons. (I've had to do that a lot with Doctor Who, especially the new stuff. Many episodes of that are not part of my personal canon...)

And yes, it was really, really stupid. Although the show got stupider after that, which is sad. Ugh, Baby William.

[icepixie]

I have tons of XF vids if you want them. By tons, I think it's 2-3 CD-Rs worth. Yes, I am a digital packrat. I'd be glad to mail them to you.

Ooh. Oooooh. Yes, please! That would be awesome. :)

...I had forgotten that. *feels old* Wasn't Claudia Black something like 25 when she started Farscape too?

Oh, god, was she? Ack.

Yes, M&S are so darn wee in the first few seasons. Awwww!

So cute. Although it's weird in those episodes where Scully kind of looks like Mulder's daughter. I'm thinking "Darkness Falls" in particular (this shot especially). Ooof. I'm glad they started dressing her better after that season.

Hahaha, yes. I like that you can keep going back and think "Okay, there! That's when they totally started doing it" many, many times. I think I was back as far as right before Melissa died on that one.

Yes, I am all about the porn.

Yes. Yes, you are. *g* (I'd have to watch the episodes again, but I think my earliest bet was on "sometime right before she got abducted." Of course, one could make a case for the pilot if one wanted, really, since she was half-naked in his hotel room...)

Anyway, yay for wee Mulder and Scully!

I have a great fondness for fic set during S1. They're so wary of each other and USTful and wee and cute and not so damn angsty yet!

[icepixie]

Awww.

Thanks for the rec! Hee, cheesy goofiness. I've been watching clips from the episodes on YouTube as well as vids...I'd forgotten how very goofy and strange both M & S were. Great characters.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Awww, I haven't seen the X-Files in *years*... It was the first show I was really emotionally invested in, I think. Meeeemorieeeeeees...

(I think I would get twice as much out of TXF now that I've got both an academic education, courtesy of college, and an innuendo education, courtesy of fandom and ballroom.)

Ha, I know! Now I wish I hadn't tossed all my tapes a few years back. I haven't really watched any since freshman year of high school, and I'm sure they'd look different, um... has it really been eight years since then? WHY MUST YOU MAKE ME WANT NETFLIX??

First-season M&S are so young OMG.

I KNOW! Isn't it sad that we're starting to get to the point where everyone else our age is blatantly succeeding at crap?

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Oooooh. Yes, please! That would be awesome. :)

Sure, no problem! Would you like any other stuff?

As a slight warning, I haven't looked at many of the vids in quite a while. I know there are some awesome ones in there, but definitely can't speak for all of them. Hopefully many more gems than icky.

Also, All 4 U? Hilarious, but sooo not for general viewers. Duchovny did a lot of soft-core porn. Hehe.

Oh, god, was she? Ack.

"Mid-twenties" is the quote I heard. So, somewhere in there, yep.

So cute. Although it's weird in those episodes where Scully kind of looks like Mulder's daughter. I'm thinking "Darkness Falls" in particular (this shot especially). Ooof. I'm glad they started dressing her better after that season.

*blinks* Wow, she does. That is kinda creepy.

Yeah, I'm very glad that the outfits got much better. Remember that red and green suit back in, I think it was, Jersey Devil? So awful!

I'm still very amused at how low her shirts were buttoned in seasons 6 or 7. They were modest when seen from a normal distance, but if someone, say Mulder, were completely in her personal space, he could see completely down her shirt.

Yes. Yes, you are. *g* (I'd have to watch the episodes again, but I think my earliest bet was on "sometime right before she got abducted." Of course, one could make a case for the pilot if one wanted, really, since she was half-naked in his hotel room...)

Hehe. Now I want to go back and look!

I have a great fondness for fic set during S1. They're so wary of each other and USTful and wee and cute and not so damn angsty yet!

Awwww. Let me know if you find some good stuff, hey?

[icepixie]

Sure, no problem! Would you like any other stuff?

You rule. Other stuff? Well, what do you have? (Or would the better question be "what do you NOT have"?)

As a slight warning, I haven't looked at many of the vids in quite a while. I know there are some awesome ones in there, but definitely can't speak for all of them. Hopefully many more gems than icky.

I'll take that under advisement.

Also, All 4 U? Hilarious, but sooo not for general viewers. Duchovny did a lot of soft-core porn. Hehe.

UM. Okay then!

"Mid-twenties" is the quote I heard. So, somewhere in there, yep.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Craziness.

*blinks* Wow, she does. That is kinda creepy.

*shudder*

Yeah, I'm very glad that the outfits got much better. Remember that red and green suit back in, I think it was, Jersey Devil? So awful!

I didn't before, but you made me go look up screencaps, and now I hate you. (I assume you're referring to this monstrosity.) That episode had to be the height of bad fashion for Scully, surely; there's not only that suit, but an awful cherry red one, and a mid-90s suede vest o' awfulness, and a lacy white dress that's straight out of the 80s. If there's a worse episode for clothing, I don't want to know about it.

I'm still very amused at how low her shirts were buttoned in seasons 6 or 7. They were modest when seen from a normal distance, but if someone, say Mulder, were completely in her personal space, he could see completely down her shirt.

Oh, my. I'll have to go look for this, too...

Hehe. Now I want to go back and look!

I'm totally contemplating buying a season set or three. Maybe I can find them for ultra cheap somewhere...

Awwww. Let me know if you find some good stuff, hey?

Sure. :) I feel like, once upon a time, there was actually an archive dedicated to that kind of thing. I'm sure it's long gone now, but I could swear it existed once...

[icepixie]

I think XF was the fourth show I really got into. (Well, second, if you count TNG/DS9/VOY, which I discovered within a year of each other, as one blob o' Trek...)

Ha, I know! Now I wish I hadn't tossed all my tapes a few years back. I haven't really watched any since freshman year of high school, and I'm sure they'd look different, um... has it really been eight years since then?

Eight years? So I take it you stopped watching in season...six?

I still have tapes sitting on my bookshelf. They're pretty much all of random S6 and S7 episodes. (And by "random" I mean "shippy"--Arcadia, all things, Hollywood AD, Triangle, Rain King, The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas...)

WHY MUST YOU MAKE ME WANT NETFLIX??

I have special powers.

I KNOW! Isn't it sad that we're starting to get to the point where everyone else our age is blatantly succeeding at crap?

Er. I was trying not to think about it in quite that way, but...yeah, pretty much.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Heh, Trek. I think I actually started watching DS9 because Fox had it on right after X-Files...

So I take it you stopped watching in season...six?

Or... maybe seven years? Me and math are not like *this*. I think I stopped watching around the end of S7 - whichever one it was where Doggett and Rayes came on. Ugh.

Ha, Triangle! That was awesome like an awesome thing. Split screens and Nazis and dopplegangers, oh my!

Er. I was trying not to think about it in quite that way, but...yeah, pretty much.

See, I have special powers too!

[icepixie]

Or... maybe seven years? Me and math are not like *this*.

Riiiight...

I think I stopped watching around the end of S7 - whichever one it was where Doggett and Rayes came on. Ugh.

They both showed up in S8, although Reyes didn't get added to the cast full-time until S9. S8 was horrifying; I had to quit after...whatever the episode was that had the giant slug trying to crawl into the neck(?) of a very pregnant Scully, who was screaming her head off for about ten minutes straight. S9 was actually pretty good, though. Carter finally realized that the old magic was gone, and started giving Doggett and Reyes a chance. I liked them together; not as well as the good old days of M&S, but they had their own thing, and it was pretty fun to watch.

"Triangle" was freakin' awesome. Love.

See, I have special powers too!

And yet I use mine for good, while you use yours for evil...

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

You rule. Other stuff? Well, what do you have? (Or would the better question be "what do you NOT have"?)

Heh, I think I have to take inventory. Anything in particular you're looking for? Oooh, hey, have you ever seen Remember WENN? It's about a radio station in Pittsburgh in the 40's and is absolutely hilarious.

I didn't before, but you made me go look up screencaps, and now I hate you.

Haha. Aww, I can feel the love from here. Kinda tickles.

Yep, that monstrosity. I really like the episode, but it's often better to listen to it than watch the wardrobe horror.

Oh, my. I'll have to go look for this, too...

Here's (http://xfroadrunners.com/epimages/season7/rush/cap025.jpg) sort of what I'm talking about. You can see where the shirt's actually buttoned, anyway. This (http://www.xfroadrunners.com/epimages/season7/maleeni/maleeni151.jpg) and this (http://www.xfroadrunners.com/epimages/season7/maleeni/maleeni177.jpg) are more like it. Again, fine from the front, but if you are kinda towering over Scully and right up close...

I'm totally contemplating buying a season set or three. Maybe I can find them for ultra cheap somewhere...

I know I've found a season set for no more than $20 recently. Used place, I think. I'm not sure if you can get much lower. Sarah has a great place near her that she might be able to check.


Sure. :) I feel like, once upon a time, there was actually an archive dedicated to that kind of thing. I'm sure it's long gone now, but I could swear it existed once...

Thanks. :) Probably. There is/was an archive for nearly everything.

[serendipityxxi.livejournal.com]

I completely agree! All the XF reruns I've watched lately I've been getting the references! and on top of that geeking out over the psych stuff b/c half of s2 is straight out of my intro to psych class! Although Scully explaining the psych stuff to Mulder irks so much more now b/c OMG HE KNOWS THIS ALREADY!!! *beats Chris Carter!!*
Gillian was only 24!! Jesus! I turn 24 in October!!!!!!!

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

Ack, I am a very bad direct-linker! The screen caps are from "Rush" and "The Amazing Maleeni," but I know there should be more of the same in much of season 7.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

S8 was horrifying; I had to quit after...whatever the episode was that had the giant slug trying to crawl into the neck(?) of a very pregnant Scully, who was screaming her head off for about ten minutes straight.

UM. I either stopped before that, or else I have purged it from my brain entirely. I'm happy with either situation. I was offended by D&R as bad imitations of M&S. I think they would've been tolerable, if they weren't presented as, "here, this is your new Mulder and Scully! They're just the same, we promise!" I watched the last few episodes of the series, to see how it ended, but... a My Personal Canon was edited into existence.

And yet I use mine for good, while you use yours for evil...

MUAH! HA! HA!!

[icepixie]

Anything in particular you're looking for?

I don't think I can think of anything in particular...um...whatever you think I'd like that'll fit on the remaining CD space?

Oooh, hey, have you ever seen Remember WENN? It's about a radio station in Pittsburgh in the 40's and is absolutely hilarious.

I've heard of it, but never seen it. I'd be game to try it, though!

Aaha. Aww, I can feel the love from here. Kinda tickles.

*mutters*

Yep, that monstrosity. I really like the episode, but it's often better to listen to it than watch the wardrobe horror.

Indeed...

Here's sort of what I'm talking about. You can see where the shirt's actually buttoned, anyway. This and this are more like it. Again, fine from the front, but if you are kinda towering over Scully and right up close...

Bwah! Yeah, the links didn't work, but I went to the episode pages and looked for myself, and, um, yeah.

I know I've found a season set for no more than $20 recently. Used place, I think. I'm not sure if you can get much lower. Sarah has a great place near her that she might be able to check.

Hmmm. $20 isn't a lot. I should look into this... (Or maybe I'll just get Netflix again and watch them that way. Or record the reruns that come on at 3 in the morning or whenever...)

[icepixie]

Yay for being older and wiser!

(Except not so much yay because OMG GA WAS ONLY 24 WHEN SHE GOT THE JOB WHY HAVEN'T I BEEN THAT SUCCESSFUL YET?!?!?)

[icepixie]

UM. I either stopped before that, or else I have purged it from my brain entirely. I'm happy with either situation.

If only I could do the same.

I was offended by D&R as bad imitations of M&S.

Awww. Well, they were, but...not exactly? They got more differentiated as S9 went on. Seriously, check out "Audrey Pauley" or "4D." They're quite different.

I think they would've been tolerable, if they weren't presented as, "here, this is your new Mulder and Scully! They're just the same, we promise!"

Well...yeah... I liked that Doggett's personal loss didn't make him batshit insane like Mulder, and Reyes, while she was kooky, had yet to be angstified like Scully, with the death of half her family and cancer and whatnot. They were much less creepily codependent than M&S as well, which was a something of a relief.

I watched the last few episodes of the series, to see how it ended, but... a My Personal Canon was edited into existence.

Well, yes. My personal canon gets rid of many episodes as well. (Chiefly "Closure." ARGH, I HATE YOU AND ALL YOUR "BEAMS OF STARLIGHT," CHRIS CARTER.) It also essentially breaks the show up into two shows, one with Moose & Squirrell, and the other with Doggett & Reyes.

[serendipityxxi.livejournal.com]

LOL Amen to that!!!! Makes a regular girl feel lacking it does. :)

Hey, random question, can you recommend a contemporary american poet? Someone whose stuff isn't trying so hard to be poetry it's practically got a flashing light that says Poetry!!!!!1 over the title?

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

don't think I can think of anything in particular...um...whatever you think I'd like that'll fit on the remaining CD space?

Cool, will do. I'll plan to look through stuff this weekend.

I've heard of it, but never seen it. I'd be game to try it, though!

*cackles evilly* Yay!

Bwah! Yeah, the links didn't work, but I went to the episode pages and looked for myself, and, um, yeah.

Haha, yes. I wish I could find the fic tht brought it to my attention in the first place.

Hmmm. $20 isn't a lot. I should look into this... (Or maybe I'll just get Netflix again and watch them that way. Or record the reruns that come on at 3 in the morning or whenever...)

They repackaged the sets at some point, so they're generally cheaper. I've found that the Campus Y has SciFi, so I've caught a couple reruns in the later afternoon. "Pine Bluff Variant" was nice blast from the past.

Oh, I do have some old (official) tapes of XF if you want them. It'd be late May before I could send them, but you're certainly welcome to them.

[icepixie]

Well, my first thought is Billy Collins, about whom I have a big ol' love-and-quotes post here (and I see you commented on it, so probably you remember him).

Linda Pastan is excellent, and I got really into her towards the end of high school. I was really struck by one of her sestinas, the title of which I unfortunately forget, although I'm 99% sure it's in the Carnival Evening collection. It's kind of a creepy one, about a shadowy house and a shadowy family (house and shadows were two of the repeating words, I remember).

I also quite like Li-Young Lee. He has a very delicate touch to his writing. Not a word is out of place.

Marilyn Hacker is more hit-or-miss, but has some good stuff.

This is a great place to get a sampling of many, many contemporary American poets. Definitely browse through.

(If only you had asked about contemporary Irish poets, then I could help you out a bit more. Or the old stuff. I'm good witht he old stuff too. *g*)

[icepixie]

Cool, will do. I'll plan to look through stuff this weekend.

You rule. :)

*cackles evilly* Yay!

Oh, my...what am I getting myself into?

Oh, I do have some old (official) tapes of XF if you want them. It'd be late May before I could send them, but you're certainly welcome to them.

Thanks! I think it would probably be easier to stick with reruns and/or the library, though. But I do appreciate the offer. :)

[serendipityxxi.livejournal.com]

I had forgotten all about Billy Collins! Thanks for reminding me of him and I like Linda Pastan too "To a daughter leaving home" is my favourite of the 10 or so I've read of her so far :)

Alas, my class (and 20-25 page paper) is on Contemporary American Poets :) The sampling we had in our text was so atrocious I promptly forgot there were any GOOD contemporary american poets! We had to read Sharon Olds, and Mary Jo Salter who tries so hard to wite poetry she might as well have a great big flashing sign saying "Hello!!! Poem!" pointing at the page and an entire book from Komunyaaka who granted is a good poet but one can only read about war and blowing shit up and seeing whores for so long!

[icepixie]

Hmmm. Mary Jo Salter is all right--not my favorite, but okay--and I know I've read some Sharon Olds, but I have absolutely no memory of the poems themselves.

One suggestion I have: got to the library and check out some current or back issues of literary magazines. I really like Tin House and The Paris Review for poetry, and the monthly Poetry has some good stuff as well. And, not showing favoritism or anything ;), but The Kenyon Review usually prints interesting poems. (And that's just the ones they print...I saw some great stuff I had to reject because it wasn't quite great enough, if you know what I mean.) The fiction is impossible, but the poetry's good.

Out of those, Poetry prints more new and emerging poets, so for a 20-page paper, you're probably going to need to go to the famous, established journals that print lots of famous, established poets. Unless you're tracing a particular theme or motif through the work of several poets, or something like that...