Sophie's Stupidly Enormous Review of 2008

[sophieisgod]

Since I am sadly separated from my laptop, and thus unable to do any of the mix-y, upload-y stuff I had planned for the end of the year, and since after tomorrow I might not have access to LJ for a while (WOE), I'm flinging this at you now. Basically, since I fail at aesthetically pleasing picspams, it is one big random clusterfuck of a linkspam, because that is how I roll. GOOD TIMES.

January
+ I fell utterly in love with the Beeb's new Sense & Sensibility, because Hattie Morahan is delightful and David Morrissey is a northern beast. Thus, enjoy this really rather gorgeous picspam, of pretty people being pretty in pretty clothes.
An Edward/Elinor fanvid to "Switching Off" by Elbow. Ohh, Elbow. And another, to "Nature's Law" by Embrace.
+ Torchwood, baby! I had so much fun with this series. Sexings! Banter! Corpse!Owen! MARTHA FUCKING JONES! IANTO FUCKING JONES! Bryan Dick being an evil ginger! Anyway, have you ever noticed that Ianto Jones and Simon Tam are basically the same person?
Also, all other fandoms (*coughMERLINcough*) please take note: THIS is how you do fanservice.
Also also, Ianto feels pretty.
+ Harry Lloyd! Being all theatrical in The Sea! And here, have a picspam of Harry in The Devil's Whore (SALMON-COLOURED VELVET, AHAHAHA)! Also, this deserves an embedding, because it is undeniably a CLASSIC PIECE OF VIDEO:

February
+ I read Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy for the first time, and was blown away by its epic empowering awesome. I still think every teenage girl ever should be reading this instead of Twilight. This is why:

Felicity ignores us. She walks out to the, an apparition in white and blue velvet, her head held high as they stare in awe at her, the goddess. I don't know yet what power feels like. But this is surely what it looks like, and I think I'm beginning to understand why those ancient women had to hide in caves. Why our parents and teachers and suitors want us to behave properly and predictably. It's not that they want to protect us; it's that they fear us.

+ Othello at the Donmar has definitely been one of my theatrical highlights of this year. Chiwetel! Ewan! Kelly! Also, I don't even care about the watermark, this is a thing of wonder:



... as is the prettiness of that cast.
+ Also awesome? Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova winning the Oscar for "Falling Slowly". Alas, the video of their gorgeous Oscars performance has all been taken down so instead, have an Atonement fanvid! Ohh, James McAvoy.

March
+ Skins series 2 came along and wrecked my soul, which was nice. Look how pretty the credits are!
S1 picspam with ridiculous levels of gorgeousness on the part of the maker
CHRIS MILES, MAN
How It Never Happened; a gorgeous series of vignettes about ways the story didn't go
Have you seen the new kids? I'm actually really excited for S3; it's going to be different, but Effy is kind of miraculous, so I'd watch it just for her.
This fanvid? Pretty fucking perfect.

April/May
April and May kind of got consumed by the madness that was SCI-FI SATURDAY, because I got to see new episodes of Doctor Who and BSG at the same time and it made my head go mushy with joy.
+ BSG, BSG IS MY FAVOURITE SHOW OF ALL TIME EVER, YES IT IS. This is my favourite thing I made this year. Starbuck is my hero, guys. And shipping Kara/Leoben is dirty, filthy fun. Plus, y'know, Sackhoff ships it:

I think I said earlier if there was anyone she’d be happy with, and be with…it’d probably be Leoben. Anders is too weak for her emotionally. Lee’s too much of a boy scout, he makes her feel guilty for her anger and her faults just by being who he is. If there’s ever any person she can let her guard down with, and be happy with, [it’s] probably Leoben.

and the stream flows red (with the blood of all those left behind); Kara/Leoben
The obligatory why-am-I-always-drawn-to-this-lame-song? fanvid to Dare You To Move. The heart wants what it wants, guys.
Where it all began: a miniseries picspam
Roslin and Adama are amazing and I love their old-person love, and you should too.
HANDS UP WHO STILL MISSES BILLY?
Things I Am Not Allowed To Do Aboard Galactica
Ohhh, Gaius Baltar, what are we going to do with you?

+ Doctor Who! Have some awesome Martha meta, because I luff her.
Nine/Rose picspam of joy! Where the devil has Eccleston got to recently, by the by? I miss his ears.
Ten/Rose; we return for our kingdom
+ OTHER THINGS HAPPENED DURING THESE MONTHS! Look, a beatonna comic about Pope John Paul II!

Also, our entire house kind of got a bit obsessed with The Prince of Egypt. You know what's fun? The German version of "Plagues".

June
+ Ahhh, June was the month I got completely obsessed with Penelope, and I love it still. The Mac! Indie fable! The heroine saving herself! Kissing to Sigur Ros!
Here, have a picspam to refresh your memory.
THE KISSING SCENE OF WIN AND JOY AND LOVE
Aaaand, another Dare You To Move vid, but this one is legitimately lovely and wonderful and fits Penelope perfectly, so I REFUSE TO BE ASHAMED.

+ Since we've got onto a Sigur Ros track, this is them playing MOMA. And also, the video for Glósóli, because it is righteous. And a photoblog.
+ And while we're near the subject, how's about that James McAvoy fellow? He is a handsome devil, is he not? Also, Wanted was many different kinds of glorious.
James and Anne-Marie, guys. Is there any other couple with that much concentrated win?

July
+ In July I spent a lot of time getting excited about Angus, Thongs & Perfect Full-Frontal Snogging, and rediscovering my boundless adoration for Dave the Laugh. I may have referred to Georgia/Dave as "The Love Story Of Our Time". So, for old times' sake, trailer! Also, I feel you should know that the girl and I are now in the habit of putting on Robbie's gormless voice and saying "I really like you Georgia... even if you are mad" and then laughing to an extent that is not reasonable.
+ Also exciting in July? CUPCAKES. I finally got to sample Lola's Cupcakes cupcakes, and it was a little bit orgasmic.
A recipe for Oreos cupcakes
An article about America's crazy cupcake love
+ WATCHMEN HOMG. To say I was excited about this would be a grotesque understatement, therefore trailer picspam! Hi-res posters from Comic-Con!
+ Hey, remember that week in July when I was in love with Andrew Garfield? I really need The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to come out sharpish.

August
+ THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY THING I CARED ABOUT DURING AUGUST

September
+ September! September was full of sexy promotional things for Brideshead Revisited! We had Matthew Goode running his charming mouth off and being hilarious in interviews, while lovely Ben Whishaw went off and did some wonderful theatrestuffs. IT WAS GOOD TIMES.
If you only watch one video today, make it this one.
Everyone looking jazzy at the premiere!
Matthew, Ben and Hayley in British Vogue
ONTD vidspam of the boys being adorable (and awkward, if you're Ben) ♥
+ Something else marvellous that happened in September? Tess of the D'Urbervilles, oh my days. Eddie Redmayne is utterly delectable.

Also, he interviews rather well. I'll just be over here, trying to stop my head exploding at the thought of Eddie and Dan Stevens and MY ALL-TIME NUMBER ONE FOREVER GIRL CRUSH REBECCA HALL BFFing around at Cambridge practising their acting skillz. In fact, sod it, I'm going to repost the Dan & Rebecca As You Like It pictures, because I DO SO LOVE THEM BOTH.






October
+ Still being a little bit in love with Gemma Arterton in the post-Tess afterglow, I finally got around to seeing St Trinian's! Ohh, man, that is a lot of fun with a Girls Aloud theme song, yes it is.
+ And, Gemma was delightful in James Bond! Strawberry Fields, oh my days. Go and read this, it is amazing: Desdemona's Handkerchief Was A White Flag Too
+ High School Musical 3! I will not hear a word against it, it is a work of beauty and sincerity. Zefron picspam!
+ THE 30TH OF OCTOBER WAS THE FIRST TIME I MADE A MERLIN POST, BUT, JESUS, IF I WENT INTO THAT NOW I WOULD NEVER, EVER GET TO THE END OF THIS THING, SO. I'll leave it a little while, until the hiatus starts to sting a bit more. I'll also take this opportunity to apologise profusely to all the people *not* watching, because, damn, this has basically just been six weeks of flailing and spam. Um, Robin Hood starts in January?

November
+ Ohhhh, November, you led me so very far astray. THE JONAS BROTHERS. You guys, I don't even know anymore. This is just a part of myself that I have accepted. This is how it started: Camp Rock, man. It is not in any way good, yet strangely bewitching. And then, once you've been sucked in, there is no hope for you, none at all, and you start seeking out things like this and this. It's not pretty, but it is necessary. And then you slide into that whole world of 'do not share' and by this point I can't even feel shame about it any more. Happy holidays!
+ Less shameful is my rekindled love for Band of Brothers, so let's talk about that instead! Here is Katherine Jenkins singing Requiem for a Soldier! That's not embarassing, not even a little bit.
Over here we have a series of extremely detailed and lulzy picspams, organised by character. THEY ARE DELICIOUS.
Apparently, everybody smoked in WW2, and looked DAMN FINE whilst doing so. Luz!
A picspam of THE GREATEST DVD EXTRA OF ALL TIME, AKA Ron Livingston's BoB video diaries. Hoo boy.
You know, before and after Band of Brothers, the cast have made some... interesting decisions.
Oh shit! Easy Company woke up day!
Seriously, don't you just want to smoosh them all?

(LOL COLIN HANKS)
Aaaaaand, this video always makes me cry, because, well, Liebgott.

December
Yeah, December has been pretty Merlin-centric, so I'm just going to rake through my del.icio.us and find some random and neglected gems to fling your way, mmmkay?
+ Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is kind of insanely fantastic, am I right? Well, imagine if Harry Lockhart hooked up with Tony Stark. AMAZINGNESS ENSUES.
+ Wide Sargasso Sea picspam. WHY SO SEXY, EVERYONE INVOLVED?
+ HOW TO SPEAK NEW ZULANDER
+ You know what's slashy and magical? BLACKPOOL.

DAMN THAT TOOK A LONG TIME. How are you? ♥

Comments

[acciobatman.livejournal.com]

So much to comment on in this post. So much. I am choosing to start with my agreement that David Morrissey is a northern beast. Mmm. Beast.

And secondly I'm with you, all kisses should happen to Sigur Ros. It should just be a rule. Possibly devotchka if it's getting kinky.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

All I can say is I REALLY LOVE YOU FOR THIS, and will be carefully be combing through this once I have my "top eights of oh-eight" picspam all set up.

♥

[artemislives.livejournal.com]

GYAR I LOFF THIS POST &hearts And you are entirely correct, the thought of Eddie + Dan + Rebeca gallivanting theatrically together sends my fantasies into overdrrive.

AND GEMMA, BLESS HER. What a good year this was for fandomites :D

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

OMG, so much good stuff here! I'll just stick to the Harry goodness! :)

Love, love, love that embedded interview, and especially at the end. Because Harry giggles. Heh.

[tirwen-star03.livejournal.com]

Eeeee, this post wins so much. The kissing scene in Penelope is ;jfgh;ajfhgg! And I love that quote from AGATB. Did you get to read The Sweet Far Thing yet?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_faeriequeen/]

OMG that Matthew Goode screentest interview is bloody hilarious! Love that man! :D

I share the glee at many of these things, so thanks for this.

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

I loved the Torchwood fan service picspam. It always makes me grin to see the whole cast snog each other and goof around. It made up for the horribly sad series finale.

[erture.livejournal.com]

Man, that was epic.

Someday I swear I will finally catch up with Doctor Who and start watching Torchwood and it will be good.

[curlybeach.livejournal.com]

Oh, Sophie ♥ This is fucking glorious, and must have taken about a year to compile. I'm in awe! Any chance I could copy the idea and do one myself (it will be greatly, greatly inferior, I promise)?

HOW HAVE I STILL NOT SEEN ANGUS, THONGS... ? Fail, Hannah. I wonder if it's hovering about online somewhere ...

[mo-shmoe.livejournal.com]

Why must you post pictures of Dan Stevens kissing people who aren't me?

And lol I don't have time now but I will be back to click all these wondrous links later.

[templa-otmena.livejournal.com]

I love you like I love Beijing, Beijing! :D

So much win, my lovely xXx

[agguss.livejournal.com]

I found the How to speak New Zulander link hilarious ^^

[tigers-bedtime.livejournal.com]

Ohhh my god, this post is glorious. I would like to especially thank you for "Plagues" in German; I just watched that about 8 times in a row and LAUGHED. Rameses sounds like one of the King's Singers.

[lovestories.livejournal.com]

THIS POST IS ♥.

(Skins! BSG (which I still have only seen the first 15 minutes of)! MARTHA JONES! A link to attractive photos of Michael Phelps!)

[dollsome.livejournal.com]

THIS IS GREAT! A year of awesomeness compressed into one decently sized post!

Also, I will be jealous of you foreeever that you got to see KReilly as Desdemona. I just studied that play for the first time in my Shakespeare class like a month ago, and it would be a lie to claim that I didn't think "Sigh, sophieisgod got to SEE KREILLY AS DESDEMONA. (And Ewan as Iago is also not bad. But KReilly is SERIOUS BUSINESS.)"

And your As You Like It might have Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens, but ... I got to see a somewhat okay version put on by our university's theatre department? So? Ha?

I WANT TO MOVE TO WHERE YOU ARE AND GO TO PLAYS ALL THE TIME.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Grrrr. I like it when he shouts. *choses not to ponder psychological implications of this*

Yesss, soundtrack is muy importante. I should know; my first kiss was to "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Oooh, looking forward to it! ♥

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

AND I LOFF YOU ♥

Ach, it was a very good year. DAMN THEATRE AND ITS TRANSITORY NATURE, I WANT TO SEE ANDROGYNOUS!REBECCA AND FLOWY!SHIRT!DAN, DAMMIT.

*our icons match; they should make out, methinks*

[acciobatman.livejournal.com]

I think my first kiss was outdoors and thus lacking in any diegetic music, but I lost my virginity to 'Roses in the Hospital' by the manic street preachers. Love MSP but that's bleak.

[comraich.livejournal.com]

This is an awesome post :) It reminded me of the good times there have been in what has essentially been a horrible shitty year, so thank you for that. Even though I don't post here often I always enjoy reading your entries :)

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Heee, I was properly obsesed with that interview for longer than is really appropriate :) It's just, jigsaws! The impression of Joe! HARRY AND HIS FACE AND HIS NECK, IT IS ALL GOOD AND ADORABLE STUFF.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

♥ Penelope so effing much. THE MAC AND HIS EYES OF ANGUISH, I AM RUINED.

Yesss, I read it and it broke me with the sad and the awesome. Felicity/Pippa! KARTIKKKK, OH MY DAYS. See, that is another reason why these are infintely > than FUCKING TWILIGTHT: people actually make sacrifices in these, and it hurts, and the fact that you care so much is how you know it's amazing.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

THE WIIIIINE, DUDE. I cannot get over how magnificent and drawling and inappropriate and wonderful he is.

SOGGY!AXE-WIELDING!DAN STEVENS, I APPROVE MUCHLY.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

I feel like somebody should make a video montage of the cast snogging to "Nobody Does It Better", or something. I WOULD BUY TICKETS TO THAT SHOW.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Hee, I just got distracted scrolling back through it :)

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Many, many pleasantly distracting hours, my friend. And definitely, go for it! LINKSPAMS ARE MY FAVOURITE ♥

I DO NOT KNOW, THIS IS A TRAVESTY. The DVD's out now, so there should be some rips floating around, maybe?

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

I AM SORRY BUT HIS HAIR WAS SO FABULOUS IT HAD TO BE DONE. Also, it was Rebecca Hall; I have judgement issues when she's involved.

THAT IS A MIGHTY FABULOUS MARTHA ICON.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

THIS ICON HOMG

OHH, SHOW.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Heee, I know. Kiwi vowels, man! ♥

Ooh, your icon is so pretty!

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it! :) Ahaha, clearly it is tricky trying to find the German equivalent of Ralph Fiennes. A+ for effort, though, Germany.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

WHY THANK YOU ♥

Skins, man. I don't know how it goes to such extreme places in every possible direction (CHRIS, meeep), and yet the overwhelming feeling I am left with at the end of S2 is yes, I believe this, I've felt like this. God, the proper representation of the end-of-high-school-melancholy is, like, one of my favourite things to see done right, WHICH IS WHY I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 SO EFFING MUCH. And also why that Skins fanvid makes me tear up like a mutha.

DUDE. BSG. IT IS MY FAVOURITE EVERRRRR. WATCH IT. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR SOUL.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, KReilly and her sexy pale tragedy.

Ohh, man, I didn't actually see the Dan/Rebecca AYLI, that's just Google-fu - IF I HAD ACTUALLY SEEN IT I THINK MY HEAD WOULD JUST HAVE FALLEN OFF. The only version I've seen is the Ken!Bran version with Bryce Dallas Howard and Romola "AWESOME" Garai, which was delightful, but live is generally a whole different kind of magnificent.

DO IT. IT IS FUNTIMES.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Awww, I'm glad it made you feel a bit better ♥

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, I can't respond to this. I am too busy exploding with glee over the fact that YOU USED A JONAS BROTHERS ICON ON A COMMENT ABOUT LOSING YOUR VIRGINITY.

THE PURITY RINGS DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS SHIT.

[fallsintoplace.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so many things to comment on here! :P I may even get some recs off you, cause everything sounds awesome! :D

I just had to say: OMG YES OSCAR FOR "FALLING SLOWLY". The first time I heard it (which was very recently), I was instantly gripped. Eee, I kept replaying it on my iPod for a good many days after that. I still have yet to finish watching Once, though, but I'm sure it's amazing!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_faeriequeen/]

I love the bit where he randomly goes a bit cockney too...oh Matthew, so not you!

SOGGY!DAN STEVENS APPROVES MUCHLY OF YOU TOO AND WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU THESE NAKED SPIES IN EXCHANGE ;)

[acciobatman.livejournal.com]

I'd like to claim that I am actually that stunningly witty but that was a total (BUT GENIUS) accident

[alkhoon.livejournal.com]

WOW. This post is just filled with fabulous things!! Your 2008 was fun! :)

(I am continually distracted by your Merlin Moodtheme! Lol)

[memoryfloodsin.livejournal.com]

Sorry I don't normally randomly comment on people's journals but I found this entry through a series of clicking links from a scrapbook somewhere and I had to comment because the Dan Stevens/Rebecca Hall As You Like It pics make my face ache with grinning, I adore them both, Dan is so adorable and brilliant! So, yeah just had to say that.