shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
IT'S OUT!!!!!!!!!!! Hillywood is a Youtube channel that does mind-boggling parody videos of different fandoms, and this Sherlock one is a must-see. The sets and the lighting and just sheer attention to detail are amazing. Also you may recognize some of the actors! Like Harry Potter's Percy Weasley plays Mycroft!



Moffat and his son even show up at the end!!
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
There looks like so many things going on! So excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Mrs. Hudson, whoaaa!

shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
I've really been enjoying this Youtube video series by Sherlock fan Rebekah (johnlockpining.co.vu on tumblr) and highly recommend for anyone who loves shipping John and Sherlock in the show!

Rebekah TJLC Explained Channel

The videos are also very handy for showing to people outside the fandom who don't want to read long meta explanations of The JohnLock Conspiracy (TJLC) but are still interested in the show--I can vouch that my husband has been enjoying them as well and is excited to see where the show will go. :)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
I've seen it now!!!

No spoilers version: saw it, loved it, can't wait for season 4!!!!!!!!!!

Spoilers version:

Spoilery version )
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
THIS IS GLORIOUS AND EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY!!!

A fantastically well-made triple-crossover between London Spy, Skyfall, and Sherlock. Be sure to watch to the end.



You're welcome in advance. :)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Fanvid rec for anyone who hasn't seen it yet!

It’s such a wonderfully done fanvid! A must-see for Sherlock fans AND Hamilton musical fans, the perfect crossover that shows that “maniacal but fun” edge in both Moriarty and King George from Hamilton.

You’ll Be Back by [livejournal.com profile] daasgrrl

Title: You’ll Be Back (from Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, sung by Jonathan Groff)
By: daasgrrl
Length: 3:18
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Characters and/or pairings: Sherlock/Moriarty
Warnings, kinks & contents: Slash, canonical violence
Notes: I blame shadowfireflame, who first said “hey, have you heard about Hamilton”? and clevermanka, who followed up with, “I love this song, check it out”.
Summary: The madness of King Jim.

shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)


AAAAAAAAAH THIS LOOKS SO AMAZING AND INTENSE!!!!! The hat scene!!!

Is it Christmas yet?!?!
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Right off the bat, let me say that I blame [livejournal.com profile] daasgrrl and her fantastic Sherlock Mycroft/John/Sherlock threesome crossover with League of Gentlemen, No Place Like Home (or, Return to Royston Vasey) for everything that happened next. In that story, Mycroft and Sherlock are originally from Royston Vasey and take John on a very surprising (and sexy!) trip home for Mummy’s birthday, where they interact with all sorts of strange characters.

Curious about the in-jokes in the story that I’d missed, I decided to check out the show League of Gentlemen, quickly devoured it all, and became a bit obsessed with the creators, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (and Mark Gatiss, obviously). (Jeremy Dyson is also one of the League but is a writer instead of a writer/performer, so I don’t feel like I know him as well.)

How to describe shows these men produce? To quote [livejournal.com profile] daasgrrl, “While notionally a comedy, The League of Gentlemen is dark, twisted, and frequently tasteless…” Psychoville, which just stars Pemberton and Reece, is very similar. At its most basic, The League of Gentlemen reminded me frequently of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, except with more of an emphasis on the horrific than the comedic, though it is supernatural horror-comedy with three actors playing recurring characters, frequently in drag. There are a lot of LGBTQ themes, as well, which I enjoyed—though, warning: like all their themes, they are handled deliberately tastelessly. I originally enjoyed this because of Mark Gatiss’ involvement, but I ended up staying because once you can get over a knee-jerk reaction to the grotesque characters, I found their stories addicting. So here are some reviews:

League of Gentlemen—Royston Vasey is a small British town populated, it seems, almost entirely with people who are insane or sociopathic, and generally who have very bad personal hygiene standards. But something happened as I continued to watch: for some of those characters I initially found despicable, by the end of the third season, I was actually starting to be on their side and actively rooting for their happiness. It’s like the writers turned the tables on me every time.

Psychoville—This show is quite similar to League of Gentlemen, except with more of an overarching storyline. I suppose it’s most similar to the third season of LoG. Mark Gatiss even has a lovely Sherlock Holmes-themed cameo in episode 4! Also, for you Sherlock fans playing along, Amanda Abbington has a cameo (I think in episode 2?) as a mother trying to organize a fun birthday party who has to deal with a mentally disturbed clown.

Inside No. 9—the newest series written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, each of these twelve 30-minute episodes is an unsettling standalone story with a twist at the end, each taking place in a location called No. 9 (a house, an apartment, a dressing room, etc.). Unlike LoG and Psychoville, there is less comedy in these stories, as well as much less drag or LGBTQ themes (except for one notable episode!). Some episodes are much better than others—I like “Sardines” and “Tom & Gerri” best. The quality ranges from mildly distressing to flat-out disturbing, but all had me thinking about them for days afterwards. I’d say of all of them, I liked this series (two seasons) the best because of its sheer capacity to surprise me.

If you like this sort of British comedy, I enjoyed the work of another comedy troupe, the people who made Little Britain (though on my first try, I couldn’t get into that one), Matt Lucas and David Williams. Their sitcom Come Fly With Me, about the hapless employees of an airport, reminded me very much of Cabin Pressure. Lots of tastelessness and characters in drag.

I also liked the creepy seven-episode series Black Mirror, which has standalone stories that reminded me of Inside No. 9. If you want to watch that one, people suggest skipping the first episode and coming back to it later since it has an implied scene in which the Prime Minister is coerced into bestiality to appease terrorists. I found this episode to be one of the most harrowing of the series, though. But of them all, by far the best is the seventh episode, the Christmas special “White Christmas,” starring Jon Hamm. There are so many twists and turns and shocking developments, all leading to a profound message.
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Another story that unexpectedly blew me away:

Breakable (117,629 words) by MissDavis (missdaviswrites on tumblr)

John/Sherlock. In this epic story, John ends up paralyzed from his lower torso down after a random falling accident during a case. But while technically, John is the one who is injured here, truly this is hurt/comfort of the best kind for both of them, but especially for Sherlock.

Oh, man, this story was amazing. I’m in love with Sherlock’s characterization here and how John’s paralysis affects him emotionally as well as John. The angst is fantastic.

There are some hauntingly beautiful scenes and images here: Sherlock sitting on the floor of the hospital while John’s speaking to his doctors, Sherlock’s relationship with Mycroft, how Mycroft, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson stage an intervention to get Sherlock to take his meds, everything with the airbed situation. And Donovan! I loved the way she was presented here. But then there are fun things like all the wheelchair sex.

Insta-favorite!
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Ooooommmmmggggg, the deleted scene from Sherlock: His Last Vow has been posted online, and it's great. Cut for the spoiler-phobic:

Clip and discussion )
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
I like this Digital Spy article ranking the Sherlock episodes from the author's least favorite to favorite. While I slightly disagree with her rankings of the middle episodes, her explanations are right on for what worked and what didn't in each one.

Recognizing that all the episodes have some fantastic moments and that ranking them is ultimately futile (as I feel that each builds on the previous), it's still pretty fun. Here's my list and, briefly, what I loved and didn't:

  • #9: "The Blind Banker" (episode #2, written by Steve Thompson)—I liked the relationship parts, but the China element just does not work.

  • #8: "The Hounds of Baskerville" (episode #5, written by Mark Gatiss)—I still am not sure how to successfully do a modern adaptation of a giant dog with fluorescent paint on it. But I loved the idea of Sherlock, John, and Lestrade taking a little vacation on the moor!

  • #7: "The Great Game" (episode #3, written by Mark Gatiss)—too much frenetic running around. Improves drastically with Moriarty's entrance, though.

  • #6: "His Last Vow" (episode #9, written by Steven Moffat)—Magnussen is fantastic, but damn, this was unnecessarily complicated. I hope our questions about Mary will eventually be answered!

  • #5: "A Scandal in Belgravia" (episode #4, written by Steven Moffat)—I adore the character moments, but something about the solution still doesn't quite sit right.

  • #4: "The Empty Hearse" (episode #7, written by Mark Gatiss)—hysterical, unexpected, and so rewatchable. Made me love Mary so much. I still don't like the tube carriage scene, though.

  • #3: "The Sign of Three" (episode #8, written by all three writers)—I think this episode may actually be perfect. And two words: stag night.

  • #2: "A Study in Pink" (episode #1, written by Steven Moffat)—Could there be a better way to introduce a character than looking up at him, upside down, from the inside of a body bag? This episode sold me forever on this show and everyone involved with it.

  • #1: "The Reichenbach Fall" (episode #6, written by Steve Thompson)—this brilliant, twisty episode riveted me instantly and then kept me speculating over hundreds of re-watches for two years, guys. Watching Sherlock deal with the noose slowly tightening around his neck as everything he has worked for crumbles is so heartbreaking.


How would you rank them? :)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Movie Review: Locke with Tom Hardy, Andrew Scott, Olivia Coleman, and Ruth Wilson

Construction director Ivan Locke is having a very important day, but unfortunately everything is happening at once. All coinciding in one night are the birth of his illegitimate son (to a woman whom his wife does not know about), the culmination of a massive construction project with tons of little details he’s supposed to be overseeing, and a big football game he’s supposed to be watching with his sons. Despite trying to micro-manage each of them as he drives from Birmingham to London to be there for the baby’s birth, he finds his life spiraling out of control.

This is a very strange movie in which Tom Hardy is the only actor we actually see onscreen. He is brilliant at portraying a man trying so hard to hold everything together—his career, his personal life, and above all his own emotions and sense of duty—when it’s all falling apart. Although the story itself and Tom Hardy’s emotions are very effective, his creepily calm Welsh accent is so weird, making him sound stilted and unnatural, especially in comparison to the other actors, who feel much more realistic.

There’s also a part in which Locke talks in the rearview mirror to his dead father, a conceit which truly does not work. I think I get what they were going for—making him seem like a usually calm control freak who’s losing it—but instead, it just makes him seem like a theater actor monologuing in a one-man play instead of a real person.

Andrew Scott plays Donal, Locke’s coworker who finds himself unexpectedly in charge of pouring concrete for a $100 million project when Locke can’t be there. Naturally, he’s freaking out about it, drinking, slowly losing it as things get more and more desperate. Andrew brings a ton of energy to the role, and it was always a pleasure to hear his distinctive voice.

I suppose I went into the movie thinking it would be about a guy on the run from gangsters (you know, your typical stuck-in-a-car situation), but it was a bit refreshing to see that it was actually quite a deep character study, even if certain elements didn’t entirely gel for me.

More Andrew Scott reviews here.
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Movie Review: The Stag (The Bachelor Weekend in the U.S.)

In this Irish comedy, Andrew Scott plays Davin, a Best Man forced to take his friend, Fionnan, on a stag weekend before his wedding. They end up taking along Fionnan’s gay brother (played by the super hot Michael Legge) and his lover, as well as another friend (played by Brian Gleeson), and the ultra-hardcore brother-in-law (nicknamed “The Machine”). All sorts of shenanigans ensue, starting with the guys getting stuck in a tent…in the forest display of a sporting goods store. And Andrew has a hilarious phone call scene in which he tries to dissuade The Machine from coming: “This weekend, we are embarking on a silent walking retreat with some transsexual friends of ours in the rain….It will be wet and silent and boring and weird.”

The premise is the same as the Hangover films, but there the similarities end. Instead of exploring Vegas, in this movie six men unsuited to the outdoors go on a wilderness adventure and explore hidden secrets and what it means to be alive and in love. It actually reminds me much more strongly of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Third Star, just without the tragic terminal cancer element. The Machine teaches the other guys about being more “manly,” but what makes this movie really stand out is that the other five end up educating him on the softer side of being a man.

Plus, you get to hear Andrew Scott sing a lovely Irish ballad (“Raglan Road”) and get naked in the woods, hell yeah!

More Andrew Scott reviews here.
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Ah, this is glorious. Sherlock: "His Last Vow" has won seven Emmys, including 3 Primetime ones and 4 creative ones. To put this into perspective, Sherlock won more awards than any other show (the runner-up was Breaking Bad). And Benedict finally gets an Emmy for this show, after being a three-time nominee for Sherlock. :)

Primetime:

Lead Actor in a TV Miniseries or Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch (one of the other nominees in this category was Martin Freeman for Fargo!)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Miniseries or Movie
Martin Freeman (yay!!!)

Outstanding Writing in a TV Miniseries or Movie
Steven Moffat (finally!)

Creative ones included: Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie; Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special; Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special; and Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie.

(The episode was also nominated for Outstanding TV Movie and Outstanding Directing in a TV Miniseries or Movie in the Primetimes.)

It's a crying shame the categories don't work for the entire show or series to be nominated and that it instead has to pick just one episode in the TV Movie Category. This is especially crazy because this one episode is occasionally nominated against entire series (like Fargo or Luther or American Horror Story: Coven). And I probably would have put "The Sign of Three" up instead of "His Last Vow" this year (especially since all three of the writers worked on it), but I think they just always submit Moffat's episode.

However, it's always nice when what I consider the best thing on television I have ever seen—a show that has brought me at this point years of joy and intrigue and speculation (I have read meta after meta and the onion still has more layers)—finally gets its due. Well done, team Sherlock.
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Just finished this epic story, and it instantly became a new favorite of mine:

The Frost is All Over (148,518 words) by Chryse

John/Sherlock. As the author puts it, this story contains “John and Sherlock in a Dickensian orphanage (with sex!)”!

It hooked me hard from the beginning and was utterly impossible to put down after. This story has everything: from blissful pastoral scenes to dank, grimy prison cells, we are taken on a journey through England in the 19th century.

This author is an absolute master at pacing: the story never drags and is always tugging at you to read more. The action scenes are so exciting and fun, the political intrigue is fascinating, the details of the world are engrossing, there are hurt/comfort scenes aplenty (yay, Sherlock whump)—and best of all, at the heart is always the beautiful blossoming relationship between John and Sherlock.

The boys grow up together and have wild, dangerous adventures, and slowly their relationship becomes more intimate, and it’s all just a joy to be along there for the ride. Their utter devotion to each other through all the hardships of life…ah, what a delight.

Warnings for period-typical homophobia, child abuse, implied offscreen rape, attempted rape, minor character deaths.

So go enjoy and give the author some love. :)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
...HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED!!! And not only that, there will be some kind of special as well!!! *runs around screaming* Very pleased by this news. :)

Meta Rec!

May. 9th, 2014 02:11 pm
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Oh my Goddddd, this was incredible. A long and brilliant Sherlock meta that I really hope everyone in fandom will read and enjoy:

M-Theory: Mycroft, Moriarty, and Magnussen’s shared motifs, James Bond’s “M,” Mary and Janine, and the big gay long game or here on AO3 (85,989 words) by Loudest-Subtext-In-Television

This author is my hero. This is such a transformative and persuasive piece, particularly if you like Mycroft or Moriarty. It covers everyone’s motivation and background dealings in a gripping, fascinating, and very easily readable way, explaining pretty much everything that may have been confusing about the show (including perplexing elements in “The Blind Banker” and “His Last Vow,” and also the identity of “theimprobableone”!).

I’ll never be able to watch the show in the same way; this meta has added so much more depth to it. I’m desperate for a fic author to lay out some or all of these ideas in a story now. :)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
Oops, this became too long for one post. What can I say, I adore the Sherlock whump. :)

This list has part 2 of my John/Sherlock recs with this theme; go here for part 1 and here for Gen and Other Pairings recs.

John/Sherlock, Part 2 )

<— (Back to John/Sherlock, Part 1)


Back to the Sherlock Recs Masterpost: (Taxi!)
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
More hurt!Sherlock recs! This list has Gen and Other Pairings recs. For John/Sherlock recs, go here: part 1 and part 2. And please feel free to rec me your favorites, as always.

Click for recs! )
shadowfireflame: (Sherlock in Molly's lab)
My runaway favorite trope: Sherlock being hurt or ill, preferably with doctor!John taking care of him. I think I will read pretty much any story with this theme that exists (also known as Sherlock whump). Lots of stories have some elements of this (yay! See my recs masterpost for more, particularly the post-Reichenbach list), but here are some of my favorites where the hurt/comfort is a major part of the plot. Sometimes John is hurt as well, but my focus here is on Sherlock. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the brilliant [livejournal.com profile] missilemuse’s phenomenal Sherlock Whump Rec List (yesss) on tumblr in putting these together, so check that out for more delicious stories! Enjoy! And please feel free to rec me your favorites, as always.

This list has part 1 of my John/Sherlock recs with this theme; go here for part 2 and here for Gen and Other Pairings recs.

John/Sherlock, Part 1 )

(On to John/Sherlock, Part 2) —>


Back to the Sherlock Recs Masterpost: (Taxi!)

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