26 January 2009 @ 03:00 am
Too Many Subjects for an All-Encompassing Title  
I kind of went crazy and decided to do a bunch of icons on some movies/fandoms I haven't really attempted yet. I haven't been feeling terribly creative (unless you count my super-ingenious center cropping), but I wanted to get these out anyway before the new semester starts (today, boo!). I wanted to do BSG especially, because I've been watching forever and it's almost over. There was a lot of ground to cover, so I decided to stick with one episode (Of course, it's the one in which their environment is completely washed out, so most ended up B&W). For reference to the other show I iconed (a completely rambling Merlin wank), see end of post.

And of course, girly movies. The novel of Atonement is better than the movie, which is true in most cases (except maybe Fight Club), but the movie was very pretty regardless. A Little Princess and Strictly Ballroom are old-school loves of mine, and I couldn't not make icons of all the pretty, pretty dancing. (I do apologize in advance for #44. He was just so ridiculous and sparkly.) /End looong ramble. So anyway, icons!

001-022 . Atonement
023-040 . A Little Princess
041-074 . Strictly Ballroom
075-088 . Battlestar Galactica
089-108 . Merlin

Teasers:




Atonement:
01-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
21-22

A Little Princess (1995):
23-27
28-32
33-37
38-40

Strictly Ballroom:
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-70
71-74

Battlestar Galactica: (From "Sometimes a Great Notion")
75-79
80-84
85-88

Merlin:
89-92
93-96
97-100
101-104
105-108

In which I try to figure out why I watch this show:
OMG. I'm not entirely sure why I enjoy Merlin so much. It's...not a terribly good show. Every episode is like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure/Mad Libs. Literally every episode goes like this: (1)Someone is mortally ill and/or enchanted/(2)suspected of witchcraft and arrested/(3)has to fight someone to the death (choose one), so one of the cast members must (a)go on a quest to find the magic ingredient to save said ill person/(b)break arrested party out of the castle dungeon/(c)find/create the magical object/spell that will assist the person with their fight.
And in every episode, each character will do exactly this: Uther will be an ass and will be outsmarted by the not-terribly-intelligent people around him, Gaius will be very concerned about someone's well being, Arthur will be a bitch, but will learn his lesson by the end (until next episode), Morgana will be outraged by something, Gwen will be adorable but pretty pointless, and Merlin will be awesomely dorky but will simultaneously struggle with not being "out" as a warlock.

Maybe that's why I enjoy it. It's awfully campy, which is always a plus. And it's kind of the gayest show on television without actually (canonically) gay characters, to the point where there's almost nothing "sub" about the subtext. If it weren't for this and Merlin's unrelenting dorkiness, I would have given up on it a while ago. But anyway, it's basically just crack, though here's hoping they raise the game a bit next season.
tired
Current Mood tired
Current Music Rufus Wainwright - Rebel Prince
 
 
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( 99 illusions — Post a new comment )
♦ MARIDO | camelot queen.: • ARTHUR / Do I dazzle you ?[info]saving_catwalk on January 26th, 2009 11:16 am (UTC)
OMG I'm in love with merlin icons ♥ *_*
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:45 pm (UTC)
Thank you! ♥
that blonde girl (she looks much too innocent): [movie] so sad[info]oregonblondie on January 26th, 2009 11:22 am (UTC)
Snagging #s 25 and 34, which are stunning.

Random, but another case where movie > book, imo, is The Painted Veil. The most recent adaptation was so stunning that I wanted to read the novel, but was very disappointed by it.
Heather: Anne . Books + Nature = Awesome[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:50 pm (UTC)
Oooh, I've been meaning to see that movie. Thanks for the rec, I definitely need to check it out!
If I had my own world, I'd build you an empire: merlin- you can't escape your destiny[info]cloudsaboveme on January 26th, 2009 11:24 am (UTC)
I just love the Merlin icons!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:50 pm (UTC)
Thank you!
i see you shiver with antici: do i dazzle you?[info]linguology on January 26th, 2009 11:33 am (UTC)
Strictly Ballroom! <3 So much love for that movie. You rock, taking a whole bunch!
Heather: Strictly . perhaps perhaps[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:51 pm (UTC)
Thank you! I got tired of looking around for SB icons and just made them myself.
ღ spooky.angel ღ: cuddy[info]spooky_window on January 26th, 2009 11:36 am (UTC)
beautiful icons ! i love the Little Princess ones !!
also 1, 77, 84, 107 are gorgeous =)
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:56 pm (UTC)
Thank you so much! :D
A universe is trapped inside a tear: sixty eight[info]skydawnjade on January 26th, 2009 11:37 am (UTC)
Your BSG and Merlin icons are made of win !!!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 10:59 pm (UTC)
Aw, thank you!
february song: SV | Ollie | Golden Boy[info]psychme on January 26th, 2009 11:56 am (UTC)
Lovely Merlin icons! Saving several of those and one of Tigh. Thanks!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:03 pm (UTC)
Thank you! And yay, Tigh, my favorite!
[info]electroscope on January 26th, 2009 12:15 pm (UTC)
oh ho ho your merlin icons amuse me endlessly.

plus! strictly ballroom FTW!
Heather: Strictly . perhaps perhaps[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:06 pm (UTC)
Thank you! Colin Morgan makes such funny faces :D And yay, just knowing that other people have actually seen Strictly Ballroom is awesome!
brandy alexander: Luna Closeup[info]equalupstairs on January 26th, 2009 01:03 pm (UTC)
ALP... I now idolize you.
Just for the record.
Taking a lot of those, I think- will credit (:
Brilliant work!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:08 pm (UTC)
Thank you! :D
talkofcake: {bsg} t/6 | extraordinary[info]talkofcake on January 26th, 2009 01:10 pm (UTC)
omg, gorgeous! love the bsg!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:08 pm (UTC)
Thank you!
Scarlett: [bsg]earth[info]me_scarlett on January 26th, 2009 01:30 pm (UTC)
these are beautiful!

snagged #85, will credit, thanks :)
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:08 pm (UTC)
Thanks :D
Simona: ♦ Merlin - Arthur[info]zimona on January 26th, 2009 01:43 pm (UTC)
Awww lovely icons! Merlin YAY!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:09 pm (UTC)
Thank you!
dvornik deluxe: sometimes the fool[info]kriski on January 26th, 2009 01:59 pm (UTC)
i like your summary of merlin. can i copy and paste it to my journal? ;-) seriously, though, i'm having the same troubles/concerns and basically i have come to the same conclusion: it's so fluffy and camp and not-sub, that i simply don't care. it's a good contrast to bsg, which has been making me ache and cry for years. it's good, yes, but oh, so dark, i feel so sorry for them all! so... merlin, go fluff!

oh, will snag #107 because my icons definitely lack yellow so far. thank you for sharing.
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:14 pm (UTC)
Sure, go for it! Glad you like it. Yes, it's definitely good fluffy fun, unless you try to analyze it. I just need to turn that function in my brain off (then again, I did try to analyze Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer when I worked in daycare. I wouldn't recommend it. Headaches will ensue). :D
Rossella[info]sallyna_smile on January 26th, 2009 02:11 pm (UTC)
lovely batch :D
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:15 pm (UTC)
Thank you :D
Dorna: pleasure chest[info]crimsonskyx on January 26th, 2009 02:16 pm (UTC)
*yay* pretty icons ^^
I'm glad that you posted them ^^ Am taking a few for future use with credits ♥

I really want to watch Merlin because most of the people on my flist watch it ~ but i've never had the courage to DL and episode & see what its all about because there are soo many different comments about the show ^^;

Just two quick questions for you~
Is it comedic or serious?
What other shows does it resemble?

Thanks a lot for the pretty icons ♥
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:30 pm (UTC)
Thank you! Tonally, Merlin falls more toward the comedic end of the spectrum, almost to the point that it's a little on the campy side. Of course, there are some very srs moments, but all is resolved by the end of each episode. It's more of an adventure show than anything else, I'd say, with a very modern sensibility. Overall, it's kind of just good fluffy fun.

As for other shows, I'm not super sure. I've heard it compared to early Smallville, which I kind of agree with, in that it takes a cultural legend/mythos and plays around with its origins and is generally pretty light hearted (with lots of Ho!Yay). I really can't think of any other show to compare it to though.

I'd say give it a few episodes. The format doesn't really change throughout the season, so you'll have an idea of what you'd be getting with the rest of the episodes. Hope this helps!
Michelle: so give me something to believe[info]jadesunsets on January 26th, 2009 02:31 pm (UTC)
the atonement ones are so beautiful♥.
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:33 pm (UTC)
Thank you ♥
k.: (thirty) sparrows[info]charmingnotion on January 26th, 2009 02:45 pm (UTC)
Gah, A Little Princess! I absolutely LOVE that movie. Thank you! These are so gorgeous, well done. You make me want to start watching BSG just because these icons are so pretty. Haha
Heather: 30Rock . Wintery Lemon[info]dallowayward on January 26th, 2009 11:38 pm (UTC)
Thank you so much! And you totally should start watching BSG, it's a gorgeous show! Although, it's really depressing, but gloriously so. Like, Shakespearean even.
David: mov.hp.face[info]mrgentlemanman on January 26th, 2009 03:20 pm (UTC)
Great icons, but I have to say, I adore your summary of Merlin! SO TRUE!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 06:32 am (UTC)
Thank you! And it's good to know some people feel the same way. I feel like I've been taking crazy pills.
Julia: alp : find comfort in imagination[info]delullielchoc on January 26th, 2009 03:56 pm (UTC)
i am in love with the a little princess icons, i saved them all, THANK YOU SO MUCH for making some of that film , to lovely ♥
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:00 am (UTC)
Aw, thank you! I love it when people like the more obscure subjects ♥
she came in through the bathroom window: a little princess: snow[info]marycontraire on January 26th, 2009 04:20 pm (UTC)
OMG you made A Little Princes icons! I love you forever. That movie is my comfort food. Snagged some of them, and also some Merlin because I, too, am inexplicably in love.

Although one other thing I've noticed about this show (in addition to Merlin's dorkiness and the general campiness) is that all of the jokes that really amuse me are clearly directed at the children in the audience. Like, Merlin having rotten vegetables thrown at him? HILARIOUS. Merlin tripping over anything and falling? Especially if he makes a lot of noise? SO FUNNY. And that bit where Merlin stole a key from Arthur and it was jangling behind his head and he could hear it but not see it? I ALMOST DIED LAUGHING.

Yay, immaturity and campy BBC family shows.
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:02 am (UTC)
Hee! I must admit, the vegetables kind of got me every time. Mostly because he was grinning like the huge dork he is the entire time.
Alice: 11[info]snowlullaby on January 26th, 2009 04:30 pm (UTC)
Beautiful icons! :)
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:02 am (UTC)
Thank you!
tokenblkgirl[info]tokenblkgirl on January 26th, 2009 04:43 pm (UTC)
Very excited about the Little Princess icons! Snagged 32, 33, and 37. Will credit when used. :)
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:02 am (UTC)
Thank you! :D
one of them: BSG LeeFrak!Naked[info]burnutica on January 26th, 2009 04:44 pm (UTC)
Snagging some BSG. Beautiful job!
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:03 am (UTC)
Thank you! And thanks for the naked Lee ♥
Elizabeth: Arthur/Gwen[info]lillie_poo_pod on January 26th, 2009 05:04 pm (UTC)
A Little Princess, Strictly Ballroom, and Merlin! *flails* Snagging some from each one of those. Will credit when used.
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:16 am (UTC)
Hee! Glad to know I incited flailing :D Thanks!
Margareth: BSG Gaius my penis will save us all[info]maharet83 on January 26th, 2009 05:22 pm (UTC)
Great batch! Snagged #88 :)
Heather[info]dallowayward on January 27th, 2009 07:17 am (UTC)
Thank you!