My Role In Dr. Horrible Screening

I always wanted to know what it was like to help out in a charity screening of something I have on DVD.
Well, since I had a free one-way Southwest trip and lots of points to burn, I decided to do just that. I was security (sort-of) and part of the clean-up crew at the Dr. Horrible screening last weekend at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater. Actually, being a go-fer and spotter for celebrity cars wasn't too bad. I also escorted Shawna Trpcic (designer of clothes for Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. H) to her seat, and spoke briefly with Greg Aronowitz (propmaster genius), Doug Jones, and Georges Jeanty of Dark Horse Comics. Whedonopolis' video review can be found here. I'd present the whole video, but it's PG-13 in one certain moment. This is the PG version:



Fran Kranz as Walter White, the early years. If Breaking Bad wants a prequel, I think we've found your man. The Whedonopolis link has the complete Fran, you might say. I saw him three times in the lobby and never figured it was him.

These two, though were easy to spot...



Jane Espenson and Cheeks (Brad Bell), the couple who made Husbands the best sitcom TV doesn't air. They showed season 2 on the big screen, and it was a big hit. You don't see Joss Whedon as an actor every day, but after seeing him as a snarky agent that would be a good idea. Jon Cryer, though, is the real star towards the end as the Anderson Cooper-ish talk show host who actually surprises us. To see that show click this Husbands link, plus my review of it.

There was also season five of The Guild, which I enjoyed more with a bigger screen. It included Doug Jones, namely this guy...



Remember, he's part of a classic foreign horror movie that almost won Best Foreign Film at the Oscars (but still picked up a couple). Also, gotta say, they should cast Amy Okuda as a super-heroine somewhere. Someone like Tink could fit into Arrow, for example.

The big event, of course, was Dr. Horrible. A lot of people took pictures of this couple...



That's the look of a girl who is happy an evil doctor game her the keys to a shiny new Australia, although this is also shiny: Australias you can eat!



Looking at it on a big screen for the first time in four years, I actually noticed something I hadn't before. In the tragic but inevitable scene where Penny's about to die after being impaled by collateral damage from the latest Hammer-Horrible tussle, Dr. H tries to help her, but then she says "Captain Hammer will save us". Even in death, Penny has betrayed our poor evil Doctor. THAT is why he embraces evil, folks. He couldn't get the girl no matter what.

Of course, a sequel is still in the works. I wonder if this time Dr. H is so horrible, the Evil League of Evil decides he should be, how you say, expelled quietly but also in a million pieces? Maybe he'll find salvation in an Angelic Penny. Maybe Captain Hammer will have to ask H for (ugh) help. It would be a bit too Megamind-ish, but what the heck? Most likely I'll be surprised if he get an angelic Penny at least. We'll just keep waiting.

Some other sights of the screening:



Greg Aronowitz with the Underwater castle that may or may not be the future of The Game this season on The Guild



An autographed poster that will be sold for charity.
I hear next year Dr. H will be part of a web film fest. No doubt more Guild episodes will be part of it.

Dr. Horrible Stops the World With Emmy Win

When it was announced last July that Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was up for an Emmy Award last July, I said this was history in the making. It would be the first time that internet-only content would compete with webisodes made for established shows, and a Super Bowl halftime show.
On September 12th, 2009, Dr. Horrible stopped the world, not with his freeze-ray but with a song. The musical won the Emmy for Special Class, Short-Form, Live-Action Entertainment Program. This also marks the day Joss Whedon won his first Emmy Award.

So what happens now?

Will the Emmys add more categories for internet shows, including Felicia Day's The Guild? Her show started season three with a bang thanks to a popular video that became an instant hit on YouTube and iTunes. From there, thousands of fans are embedding episodes into their blogs, as they worry about how the Knights of Good will defeat their latest enemy, the Axis of Anarchy.


However, it doesn't stop there. Lisa Kudrow, who won an Emmy for Friends, is making her mark on the net thanks to a sitcom called Web Therapy. Jon Heder, best known for Napoleon Dynamite, will be part of a zombie comedy called Woke Up Dead for Crackle.com in October. Along with classic shows, theWB.com has a number of original shows for the net including Children's Hospital, Rockville, CA and The Lake (directed by 90210's Jason Priestley).


There's a growing number of people who are weary of reality shows, too many spinoffs, and shows that all look the same. They are turning to the internet for original programming that may be edgier or quirkier than what HBO, Showtime or basic cable may provide. Once the internet gets a loyal audience, the Emmys will have to recognize that form of entertainment. It took years to allow cable TV shows to compete for Emmys, and it may not be long before internet programs will be welcome, too. While it may be years away before an internet drama may compete against Mad Men or 24, giving web-only shows their own categories is a start, and something the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences should consider in the near future.

As Dr. Horrible would say, "it's a brand new day," and he's the one who brought it to the Emmys.
Or to recycle an old show biz quote, we can all relax, because Joss has got his Emmy. There better be more where that came from, Emmy!
Too bad the songs from the musical weren't nominated. They were a lot better than what has won in the past two years, and he and Jed could have picked one up, too.

Comic-Con: A Tale of Two Sing-A-Longs

It looks like Comic-Con has created new traditions, thanks to Joss Whedon and his fans.

Along with the Saturday Masquerade, the Eisner Awards and the Preview Night that has become the real start of the annual event, Whedonopolis has established itself with the annual showing of the classic Buffy musical, "Once More With Feeling" as the official closing event. It's also the closer for Wondercon in San Francisco.
However, Joss Whedon's other musical extravaganza, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog", is also becoming a tradition. It was a big hit last year, and filled up one of the bigger rooms this year.

I was barely able to sneak into the Doc H showing after hundreds were turned away, but I noticed the California Browncoats, who set up the screening, had a different idea on how to show the musical. They gave everyone cardboard goggles, and a book that had the lyrics.



That's a look inside. Anyway, they added a dash of MST3K to the viewing. Some examples:

During Freeze Ray song: Hand gesture "stop every time he says "stop". Shoulder jam along with the horrible doctor.

Opening shot of episode 2, where he wonder why Penny would consider dating Captain Hammer: crowd says "awwww, poor baby"

Dr Horrible: "Captain Hammer threw a car at my head": crowd says "only a Yugo"

And...when we see Penny die, the crowd says "Dammit Joss, not again".

There were also plenty of Dr. Horrible Captain Hammer minions, dressing like him and liking the weird stuff...







That was followed by the Commentary musical. If you have one of the songbooks, use it while you listen to the DVD sometime. It's the best way to get the words right, and have an interesting experience. Better yet, do this as close to any Emmy voter as possible. Nothing like a little electioneering to help the doc win an Emmy for the Evil League of Evil, and every other internet-based show out there. Fake Thomas Jefferson can only stuff so many ballot boxes.

Compare that to what happened when "Once More With Feeling" was shown on Sunday afternoon. No songbooks are needed here. People just read the words on the screen,



Or they jump up and dance crazy...



These two sang along with Buffy and Spike's parts...



In any case, this event filled up Ballroom 20 again. The WB.com should also be thanked for sponsoring this event now, and in the future. Maybe this event will be the new Rocky Horror of the 21st Century. We should know if people jump up and dance at San Francisco next year.

During the Dollhouse panel, Joss pointed out that there is an interesting connection between sci-fi and musicals. Both exist a step away from reality, and a bit bigger than life. Can we expect real guys dressed in lab coats and goggles fighting with muscle-bound jerks over a woman's love? Can we expect to burst into song, and then into flames? They can only happen in musicals, even those that are really our deepest nightmares. They also also exist in sci-fi, which can also be a fantasy. Joss Whedon has proven that with his two musicals, which are traditions at Comic-Con.

Of course, fans of Xena may point out her musical episode, "Bitter Suite", predates them both. Maybe we should make room for her, too.

Why Dr. Horrible Made History At the Emmys

Here lies everything
The world I wanted at my feet
My victory’s complete
So hail to the king

Fans of Dr. Horrible recognize those lines as the musical climax to the Sing-A-Long Blog, where the doc finally achieves his goal to become part of the Evil League of Evil....but at a very high price.

However, you can take those words and give them new meaning. This time, you can picture him singing those words after finding out that his story has made history as the first original web show to earn an Emmy nomination.

In the past couple of years, the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences has recognized internet content, mainly webisodes. Now, Dr. Horrible has stopped the world not with his freeze ray, but his own musical. When you think about it, the Emmys couldn't ignore the Doctor. He's been a hit on the internet, iTunes, and even his own DVD. No one else has gone that far.

However, some may think the "victory" isn't complete: Dr. Horrible is under "Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs". It's competing against the Super Bowl Half-Time show, and webisodes linked to 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica and The Daily Show. Some may wonder why a half-time show would compete with web content. Maybe it's because they tried to come up with a category that almost fits the nominees. In this case, guys, not quite. Besides, Super Bowls win Emmys in sports production and announcing, not for entertainment. The last Super Bowl half-time show I liked was Super Bowl XXXVII,when Sting sang "Message in a Bottle" with Gwen Stefani.

Also, since Dr. Horrible did get an Emmy nomination, why didn't its songs get nods for "Original Music and Lyrics"? Yes, the Emmys have that category, which has been won recently by "I'm F*cking Matt Damon" and "D*ck in a box". Surely, "It's a Brand New Day", "My Eyes", "Everyone's a Hero" or even "Bad Horse" could have competed with songs that did make the cut...like Hugh Jackman's song that opened the Oscars, Stephen Colbert's Christmas song, or Flight of the Conchords' "Unnatural Love.".
And...I think Hugh could win because his production number did more with less, and even plugged his movie. (Take that, Colbert!) Still, the Whedons' and Maurissa's songs should have been considered.

That being said, let's recognize the real victory: an original web series, unconnected with established TV shows, won an Emmy nomination. Once the precedent is made, the Emmys will have to change with the times, and make new categories specifically for web content. One could be for webisodes connected with regular shows, another for original shows. Maybe other categories like Best Actor in an Internet Drama are a few years off, but you have to start somewhere. Dr. Horrible's nomination is good news for web shows like The Guild, Web Therapy, Cell Fulldose, Childrens' Hospital, Rockville CA, and many other original web shows out there. It shows the Emmys are starting to recognize web-based original shows as a true genre. Full recognition will take a few more years, but it will happen.

Dr. Horrible may see himself as a super-villain, but he is now a hero to those who make original web shows. They know that getting an Emmy, or even being considered, is no longer an impossible dream.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Horrible

To most people, this is the day we see the latest Harry Potter movie, and some people say it is the best one yet.

However, this day is important for one less magical reason....
it was the day the world met Dr. Horrible, and sang along with his blog.

A lot has happened since the first part of the legendary musical was broadcast on the internet on July 15th, 2008. It became it hit on the Internet, iTunes, and DVD. Its first big-screen showing at Comic-Con last year was a big triumph. The soundtrack charted on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums. It won a People's Choice Award, and lots of Streamy Awards. Even today, it does brisk business at Amazon, and can be found at the local Best Buy.

That's impressive for a little musical where we root for the bad guy for a change. After all, he just wants to join the cool Evil League of Evil and the heart of a crusading girl named Penny. However, he has to battle Captain Hammer, the finest hero and the perfect role model. Just ask him.
But this is also a Joss Whedon production. Thus, expect catchy tunes, a chuckle here and there, and a very sad ending that turns into a dark beginning.

The cast is surprising, too: Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. H, Nathan Fillion as Capt. Hammer, and Felicia Day, the gal behind the Guild, as Penny.

Joss made this project because he wanted to prove that it's possible to produce entertaining shows that exist on the internet rather than traditional TV, and also make money. Dr. Horrible is an ambitious effort that proves his point.

While Dr. Horrible hasn't led to more internet musicals, except maybe that Prop. 8 musical sketch from funnyordie.com, it did draw attention to other web shows. Many fans are enjoying shows like The Guild, Web Therapy, created by Lisa Kudrow, and Angel of Death, a ten-part film noir that is about to become a DVD. It also helps if you have sponsors like Sprint, Lexus and Sony Pictures.

This year, fans of Dr. Horrible and the ELE are preparing for the return of Dr. Horrible to Comic-Con. Some will be dressed as the Doc, while others will be Captain Hammers. No matter what, they'll be singing the same tune, and it's one that will last a long time.

Besides, Dr. Horrible should get a gift for his "birthday". I can think of the perfect gift, something that pleases a Slayer, or a Vampire with a soul.

It's called an Emmy.

Now, I admit that's a real long shot, unless the TV Academy has found religion, and creates a special category for web series. That also means Codex and the Gang would have a chance.

But if not Dr. Horrible or Codex, then the future stars of Web TV should be recognized sooner or later. It took years for the Emmys to admit cable TV is just as important as the traditional networks. They have to give the same respect to web TV shows, or as Kevin Pollack calls it, "intervision"

So Happy Birthday, Dr. Horrible. Remember, today the Emmys, tomorrow the world...or maybe the Grammys.