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Vidder: Astarte Musical artist: Imogen Heap Pairing: Mulder/Scully Vidder on LJ: astartexxVidder's website: her live journal Why this vid kicks ass:I guess I need to come clean. I am not a shipper and I don't watch many shippy vids. This may be the best Scully POV vid I have ever seen. Just as with the best fan fiction, the best vids can open up something for the viewer, show them something new, and allow them to see the show from another fan's POV. When I watched this, I could see the special quality of the Mulder/Scully relationship, through the stunning montage of Scully's experiences, in a way that had been closed off to me before. To me, there is nothing conventionally romantic about their story, and yet the Romance comes through here too, in a vivid and emotionally powerful way. There is no better show than The X-Files for beautiful imagery and Astarte has chosen well. Go and watch and fall in love. The link is to the entry on livejournal, with options for viewing/saving/downloading. Clear the Area | | |
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Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Pairing: Giles/Xander/Buffy/Willow Author on LJ: drsquidloveAuthor Website: The Lecherous Tentacles of Dr SquidloveWhy this must be read:I'm shit at this reccing thing, but i just finished this story, and my mind is so overwhelmed I had to share it with the world. AU of "Restless": what if, instead of having an amazing episod of beautifully written and foreshadowing dreams, the Scooby gang just had lots and lots of sex. Still beautifully written, but in a very, very...very different way. Dr Squidlove so easily and fluently portrays the strong friendship of these four that we so love and know, showing a side of them we have never really canonically seen, but one that seems so realistic and believable and down-right sexy. Split up into three-parts, each from Giles perspective as he takes on each member of the gang, each one more meaningful and beautiful and HOT. And excerpt: ( Sex! )So there ya go, all you cool cats out there on the inter-web. Heat up with this fic some warm, late night. You won't regret a thing. Reckless | | |
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Vidder: Sacrilicious Musical artist: Bob Seger Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, John Winchester, supporting cast from Seasons 1 and 2 Vidder on LJ: sacriliciousVidder's website: Master List of Vids by Sacrilicious Why this vid kicks ass:How subtly and perfectly this vid flows and builds and makes its point. Sacrilicious has identified a Supernatural leitmotif and she presents the events of the first two seasons in that context. Decoding the theme of The Famous Final Scene is a satisfying exercise. The melancholy music and foreboding lyrics are an ideal accompaniment to the carefully selected images. The concluding scenes bring home the emotional payoff. The Famous Final Scene uses clips of some of Jensen Ackles’s best acting on the show, scenes in which he lets his eyes and face say it all for Dean. These scenes were strung out over 44 episodes and frankly the impact was lost on me. But when viewed as a thematic collection, wow. I’ve gone from thinking of Jensen as a wooden actor to thinking of him as an actor who does an outstanding job of conveying a stoic character’s emotions. Like a guest who stayed too long Now it's finally time to leave Take it calmly and serene It's the famous final scene The Famous Final Scene by Sacrilicious | | |
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Fandom: SMALLVILLE Pairing: Chloe Sullivan/Clark Kent Length: one-shot Author on LJ: paperbkryterAuthor Website: WordsWhy this must be read:Paperbkryter often gets recced here but with good reason. She's one of the best Smallville fanfic writers. These days she doesn't write much Smallville stuff, but occasionally she posts something new. This is a fairly recent story (posted about two weeks ago) and it's details the aftermath of Smallville's seventh season finale. Her Chloe is strong and patient and I can't say a lot more without giving the story away. There's an unexpected twist and it just makes the reader in awe of Chloe. Waiting | | |
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Vidder: Aruna Musical artist: Sheryl Crow Pairing: canon pairings, but really, it’s a gen vid Vidder on LJ: aruna7Vidder's website: Beyond HopeWhy this vid kicks ass: This is a gorgeous vid to Sheryl Crow’s Redemption Day and I really can’t describe the journey illustrated by it any better than Aruna herself: This video is heavily season 4 centric, though clips from earlier are also used. This is a vid focusing on how the line between humans and cylons is getting thinner as time goes by. All of them are seeking redemption, in one way or the other, even sometimes unconsciously, for all the things they have done since the war had started. Time has come for change, and both humans and cylons are concerned.Filled with both pain and hope, devastation and yes, redemption, this video shows us all that Galactica has been and all that it could be. Aruna is a master of her craft, having created more than 200 videos in many fandoms. She knows what she’s doing and it shows. Her use of effects and overlays enhance the points she wants to make rather than distract from the narrative, and she uses the song itself beautifully. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did and please, as she’s relatively new to vidding BSG, let her know that you like what you see and that you hope to see more. With that, I give you: May We Find Forgiveness (the link will take you to the original post in aruna7’s journal) | | |
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Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003 Pairing: Gaius Baltar; Karl Agathon/Sharon Valerii; Bill Adama Length: 3,200 words Author on LJ: infiticusAuthor website: none listed Why this must be read:One of the many unanswered questions of BSG is What happened during that missing year to make Adama release Sharon from her cell? This fic answers that question so believably and so well that it almost surprises me to remember that it’s not actually canon. Gaius Baltar is a selfish man, but even in his selfishness, he has the capacity to see beyond himself, if only briefly, and do something for someone else, something that has no immediate benefit to himself. We saw it with Gina; we see it here with Sharon. ( excerpt under the cut )The voices in this are spot on, all of them. The characterization, to my mind, flawless. It feels like a missing scene, one I wish that we could have on the DVDs, but alas, not only was it never filmed, it was never even envisioned by the writers in their writers’ room. And that makes me kinda sad. Prisoners to the DarkEnjoy! :) | | |
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(icon courtesy of Starfox and fits this rec perfectly!) Welcome to Friday Night Drive-in with The Sentinel. Got your popcorn and Junior Mints? Vidder: Jamie Ritchey Musical artist: Daniel Powter Pairing: none - gen Vidder on LJ: unknown Vidder’s Website: Jamie’s Sentinel Songvids Why this vid kicks ass: The way Jamie pairs up the lyrics with the scenes is awesome. And, if you’re a Blair babe, he’s the focal point in this clever fanvid. Watching vids is always fun – so much eye candy; yowza! It’s like reading PWPs. Sometimes a vid will tell a story and that’s even sweeter. What makes this one rock is Jamie’s coupling of clips to lyrics. It’s obvious how much thought (and work) went into it. Example: As you listen to the line “you tell me don’t lie”, the scene is from Blind Man’s Bluff where Jim is blind but they are keeping that fact from Simon. Jim accidentally clocks Blair and the clip shows Blair holding his head *just* as Simon catches on. Skillfully done. She also uses a wide variety of clips – I counted at least 25 episodes. Blair’s had some *really* bad days. ::snickers:: Jamie delivered the same excellence with “Unwell”, a vid that’s all Jim. In fact, I consider these a matched set – like salt and pepper shakers. I’ve seen several vids done to the Matchbox 20 song, but this one is really special. I’m limited to one vid rec, so all I’ll say is look at the scene she uses for the lyrics “…I know they’ve all been talking ‘bout me, I can hear them whisper…” As Blair would say, “Beautiful”. Since all her vids are at the same site, give yourself a treat. Download both Bad Day and Unwell and watch them as a “double feature”. I think they go together brilliantly. Jamie’s Sentinel Songvids (don't forget to send feedback -- vidders love it as much as authors!) | | |
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Vidder: ShannonGeorgia Musical artist: Jennifer Saunders Pairing: N/A Vidder on LJ: Unknown Vidder's website: Her Youtube profileWhy this vid kicks ass:This video is set to 'Holding Out for a Hero' - specifically the version Jennifer Saunders sings in Shrek 2. And what better heroes could one want than our boys? Like fandom as a whole, the vid concentrates mainly on Chris, Vin, and Ezra; but we also get some nice moments with Buck and JD. Fans of Nathan and Josiah may be a little disappointed but I'm sure the excellent editing of clips to the music will make up for it. The choice for the 'wildest fantasies' line in particular never fails to crack me up. Holding Out For A Hero | | |
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Fandom: STARGATE SG-1 Pairing: Daniel/Jack Length: ~ 1,280 words Author on LJ: janedavittAuthor Website: http://www.janedavitt.com/Why this must be read:Beside the fact that this is a very hot story, it offers a very interesting look into Jack's head. I love the dichotomy between Jack's fantasies and reality. Even though he has Daniel it isn't the Daniel in his head. Great characterization, and Jack's problem is very realistic. ( Snippet. )
Choices.
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Fandom: THE X-FILES Pairing: Mulder/Scully Length: 297K in total Author on LJ: n/a Author Website: waybacked: Joann's Fanfic or at Gossamer Why this must be read:The Insight Series is an alternative universe that spins off from "Folie à Deux." This series of stories starts from the premise that Scully arrived two minutes too late to visit Mulder in the locked ward. Two years have passed. Mulder is now a Section Chief. Scully is still with the FBI, on restricted duty, as a result of the injuries she suffered at the hands of Pincus. She has been living and working in New York City. She has a life. Mulder has asked her to come back to Washington D.C. to take over running the X-Files division. I found these stories nearly impossible to put down. What happened to Scully? What happened to Mulder? Why did they separate? Why won't he tell her the truth about why he needs her back? Why did he let he go in the first place? This is a well-written, tightly plotted mystery wrapped around an X-File. Fox Mulder is the mystery that Scully is now determined to solve. If the web archive link doesn't work, these stories are available at Gossamer. The link is to her Profiler Mulder page. The Insight Series is the second entry. Insight Series | | |
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Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING Pairing: Gen/canon Length: 17,279 words Author on LJ: tech_headAuthor Website: Fanfiction.net, old Geocities pageWhy this must be read:This fic takes on the Problem of Random Virus--in a manner that's original and results in character development. During a battle, Kilobyte does some interesting things with Random's evil... It's nicely characterized, well written, and contains some excellent evilness. Click on! The Other Side | | |
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Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING Pairing: Unconventional Length: 757 Author on LJ: lightningflash8Author Website: Fanfiction.netWhy this must be read:Somewhat-strange pairing, delightfully written. Though early in the writer's experience with fanfiction, completely adorable. I promised to rec this one in the fandom overview as a rarepair, because it's awesome. Sparx sneaks away to the Carnival...A Romantic Moment | | |
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Fandom: ACE LIGHTNING Pairing: Ace and Lady Illusion are mentioned Length: 3021 words; 2368 words Author on LJ: scarab_dynastyAuthor Website: Fanfiction.net, dynasty_ficWhy this must be read:Pastfics exploring the Sixth Dimension as a world tend to make my toes curl. In these two companion fics, scarab_dynasty does this spinning from a throwaway line from the fourth episode, and does it with storytelling skill. Rough and strong on imagery, description, and imagination. A wild-growing House of Illusion; Knighthood; a strange and changing world. Playmates: As a child, she knew things were coming undone. Her world slowly changing beyond recognition. Now in adulthood, he remains constant. But does their past?Adversary of Ideals: She was fifteen years old the last time she saw him. Roughly thirty Kyrilian cycles and he, twenty-odd.Playmates; Adversary of Ideals(Note: I happen to be credited as beta for the second fic, but irrespective of bias I think they're good fics.) | | |
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