Vid Recs

Metavids

(Metavids are vids about vids, or vids about fandom.)

Both Sides Now by Kandy Fong (Kirk/Spock, imeem)
Review: Not really a metavid, but the firstest ever fanvid, they say! Which is the most exciting thing about it - still, that's pretty exciting!
Favorite bits: Imeem doesn't like me, so I've only been able to get this to play once, *hands*.
Destiny Calling (a tribute to vidding) by counteragent (multifandom, 55MB, .wmv, imeem)
Review: A vid of vids! Very cool. Makes you want to go check out the ones you don't know.
Favorite bits: "So we may be famous"/the article on Luminosity, "Clone us in a test-tube, sell us to the multitude"/Buffy-vids on YouTube.
The Glass by thingswithwings (multifandom, 44MB, .avi, imeem)
Review: This is a visualization of Henry Jenkins' short definition of slash, referring to the famous scene at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: slash is what happens when you take away the glass.
Favorite bits: Glass breaking at 0:44. Fraser/RayK <3 ! Goodness, John Barrowman is a pretty, pretty man, isn't he. The dedication at the end of the vid.
I Put You There by Laura Shapiro and lithiumdoll (Rupert Giles/Fangirl, 30MB, .avi, imeem) !
Review: Well, this is just brilliant. Plays with several aspects of fictional-character crushes, self-insertion, and artist manipulation. It's tied with Us below as the best meta-vid I have seen, but is definitely the more accessible of the two.
Favorite bits: Mixed media vid! Fangirl: She loved Giles a lot. Fangirl uses the LJ pencil to draw a cage for Giles!! Ending: literal-virtual self-insertion!
[Offline :o(] Pressure by California Crew (fen and VCR vidding anno 1990, imbedded imeem at page) !
Review: Metavid, I love this so much! I could never even imagine how much time and effort must go into VCR vidding, but always admired VCR vidders on thought alone - now that I know a tiny bit more, I have even more admiration! So I love how it showcases the VCR vidding process, but for someone like me, who didn't discover fandom until 2003 (!), it's SO AWESOME to see a piece of fannish history, not just read about it: VCR vidding, fanzines, fangirls anno 1990 (Star Wars t-shirt way before geek became cool = 1000 points)! I'm also really impressed with the vid as vid: the song is pretty perfect (and very catchy), and the narration is just awesome - love the progression of time as shown by the digital clock! And the constructed reality: all the soda cans, the cat in the cupboard, hee! (Though of course now I wonder how much else is constructed reality?)
Favorite bits: See above.
Us by lim (multifandom, 19MB/22MB, .mp4/.mov, imeem) !
Review: OMG, there's so much going on in this vid, and so many possible interpretations, I couldn't begin to explain all of it. It is very well-crafted, and fills me with such love for fandom, it leaves me practically speechless.
Favorite bits: I find it really hard to single out anything - it's a virtual avalanche (get it) of metaphors and tropes and clichés and love for fandom and our canon sources.
Wouldn't It Be Nice by Laura Shapiro (multifandom, 4MB/7MB, .rm/.mov, imeem)
Review: A history of slash, moving from canon where homosexuality is [mis]interpretation only, over canon with homosexual subtext, to canon with homosexual text! Then a "regression" to those non-subtextual/subtextual slash couples that keep fandom turning. Despite the low-res quality, lovely fluffy clips that always leave me with a big smile on my face :o)
Favorite bits: Q, *g*! The kissing sequence!

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Multifandom

Canadian Actor Bingo by barkley (multifandom, 31MB, .avi)
Review: It's funny, because it's Canadian Actor Bingo!!
Favorite bits: CKR, duh. And the guy from SPN "Bugs". I like that guy. ETA: And now that I know SG-1/SGA a whole lot better, the vid is even more fun.
[Offline :o(] The Chosen by Cheryll (crossover: BtVS/SV, 14MB, .wmv) !
Review: I am blown away by this vid. I could not stop watching when I first discovered it. In many vids, lyrics play a relatively large part for theming, literalism, or lip-synching - this is all about the intensity of the music and the images. Science, and the timing: fucking amazing! That clip of Clark in the hospital? Has never been put to such good use. This vid kickstarted/renewed my Buffy obsession. Damn, she kicks ass. As does Clark, of course. And the ending - the converging: brilliant!
Favorite bits: Buffy running up that wall. Buffy jumping those saw-blades. Clark swinging his jacket to put out the fire. Clark (Lex??) taking Buffy's (Cassandra's) hand. Clark kicking the door in. Buffy throwing/Clark flying!
Destiny Calling by Charmax (Superhero multifandom, 45MB/70MB, .avi, imeem)
Review: It took me a little while to warm to this (I still think the pace is a little slow/lagging compared to what I would prefer in a couple of places), but then I did, and now I love it!
Favorite bits: Vid being encased in a comic panel! Luthor kicking Superman on the beat at 01:55. Train-stopping sequence from 03:00 onwards.
A Fannish Taxonomy of Hotness aka hothothot by Clucking Belles (multifandom, 36MB, .wmv) !
Review: FUNNY and HOT, this is the most excellent multifandom vid EVER! More fandoms than you can shake a stick at, and all those metaphor- and metonymy-linked sequences BLOW ME AWAY. And make me squee with happy. If you watch just one of these vids, make it this one: I promise this will make your moment every time you watch :o)
Favorite bits: Sword sequence! Hat-salute sequence! Jumping/swinging sequence! Who the hell is the HOT blonde winking at 02:55?! [ETA: Peta Wilson!] Bathtub sequence! Torture sequence! Red-K!Clark/"Hot!" at 3:41! Putting-on-sunglasses sequence! Ending: posse!walk sequence!
A Little Less Conversation by giandujakiss (multifandom, 7MB/17MB/41MB, .wmv, imeem)
Review: Omg, haven't watched X-Files in years. One day I'll sit down and watch this show again. And I've never seen Highlander the Series, but this vid is giving me an inkling as to why it is/was such a big fandom! Lots of fun.
Favorite bits: RayK greeting Fraser as RayV and Fraser being all, "uhm, wtf??" will never get old, ever. Mulder petting the bed, hee! One of those Higlander guys slamming the other Highlander guy into a car, mmm… Mmm, and again with the swords… Bruce Willis being goofy, heh.
One-Night Fandoms: A Tribute to Yuletide by eruthros and thingswithwings (Multifandom, 59MB, .avi)
Review: I am not a Yuletider - not even a consumer. That is, except for the rare instances that I am, after all. But I still like the concept, and am in awe of the outpouring of fics and recs every year. The diversity and love of Yuletide comes across clearly in this vid. I can't really pick out favourite bits - every time I recognize a fandom, I squee :oD
Strip by Ferd (multifandom, 32MB, .divx, YouTube)
Review: I love vids that get better and better with subsequent viewings. Good timing and good - what do you call it when movement in one clip is carried through to/in the next? I love how many fandoms/sources are represented, and I love the joy for movies and vidding that comes across. I find this utterly charming.
Favorite bits: All the pretty dresses <3 ! Appearences by Disney characters and muppets - and Yoda! Twirling sequences!!

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Smallville

All I Want For Christmas Is You by Marina (Clex, 16MB, .wmv)
Review: Yay, happy and clex! Really, it just puts me in a good mood instantly.
Favorite bits: Lex smiling at the end of the intro, *melt*. Every clip of Lex smiling, basically.
Baby by sisabet (Clark/Various, 23MB .avi/22MB .wmv)
Review: A very well-edited vid, which would score higher if not for all the ew, het ;o)
Favorite bits: Every perfectly timed clip; in other words, pretty much all of them!
Cobrastyle by Talitha (Lex, various file-sizes/-types, imeem)
Review: Lex character-study, very well edited (fast cuts = my favourite)! And great soundtrack.
Favorite bits: All of 'em.
Eyes by Talitha (Clex, 9MB/19MB, .wmv)
Review: So. Much. Pretty. In one vid. Damn, they have beautiful eyes, those two. As soon as you get past the Lana intro, this is one lovely vid, asjksdkj.
Favorite bits: All the eyes. "Someone took the birds and the bees, and put them in your…[pants]", *snicker*! Reversed Cassandra-vision clip, very nice.
Feeling This by Marina (Clex, PG-13, 50MB, .wmv)
Review: I'm admittedly biased: I helped beta this vid. It was my first vid-beta, and it was very scary and very exciting, and I hope I did it justice. Love the pace and fast editing of this - love the smiles and happy! The constructed reality concerning Clark and Lex in a sexual relationship is OMG, SO HOT.
Favorite bits: Lex/water-bottles. Smiles! Hugging! Touching, asjhasljksa. Shower-scene. Eyes. Split-screen > barnyard hugging. Happy ending, yay :o) !
Lex Is Your Villain by Adri (Lex~Clex implied, 13MB/36MB, .wmv) !
Review: I just love this vid - perfect villain!Lex! The clips taken out of context worked particularly well for me, who hadn't (still haven't) seen all the clips in their original environments. Adri mentions the torture scene in her notes, and boy, is it good. However, my favorite scene will have to be the previous one where Lionel!Clark walks Lex around the desk by the throat, looking all tall and manly, dskljsadlkhads, *is goo*! That doesn't stop Lex from being sex in this vid, too, though, phooar.
Favorite bits, apart from the aforementioned: Opening clip! Staccato-editing of Lex lifting the glass! "If I could laugh, I'd love you. If I could smile at anything you said"! "You're so serious" at 2:41, and Lex smiling, but Clark just walking away, *sob*! Perfectly timed punch at the end.
Never Be the Same Again by Marina (Clex, 22MB, wmv.)
Review: My first Clex vid! I couldn't believe how slashy all those canon clips were. Very nice editing!
Favorite bits: Lex lip-synching the beginning of the rap, heh.
Not an Addict by Shannon (Clark, 18MB, .avi)
Review: I'm a sucker for theme-vids. Red!K!Clark. Lots of Clark on red K. Mmm…
Favorite bits: Intro. Clark cocking his eyebrow at "cool". Clark breaking the stone on the beat towards the end.
Pump It by Becca (S4 gen, 33MB, .wmv)
Review: Science, I love good timing and fast editing! I've heard much badness about S4, but obviously there are some things to look forward to, too. Song is no "Hey Ya!", but pretty damn good!
Favorite bits: Opening titles! Every repeated "And say, oh oh oh oh"! Clark lip-synching "Come on, baby, do it". Every perfectly timed clip, i.e. all of them.
Secretly by Adri (Clex, 7MB/21MB, wmv.)
Review: Ahahaha, I love the use of the song! No-one takes clips out of context like Adri. Perfectly Clex.
Favorite bits: "Why must we steal away" and the tickets :o) ! Jonathan looking out the window at Clark and Lex hugging!! Lex receiving the envelope with pics of him and Clark. Clark lip-synching "open?". The end, *sniffle*.
So Damn Hot by Clucking Belles (Clark/Lex, 11MB, .wmv)
Review: Oh, yes, fantastic energy and fast editing! And, mmm, hot boys! Great vid.
Favorite bits: First "You don't love me at all" and Clark smiling and nodding in response, phooar. Every clip of Clark/TW knowing he is so damn hot. Lex lip-synching "I coulda swore" and Clark "for sure", and a little later Clark "but, you're"! All the fast-cut sequences.
'Til the Day I Die by Roses (Clex, 13MB, .wmv) !
Review: Weirdly enough I didn't like this the first time I tried watching - it was so loud and flashy and mini-movies and ahhhh! But I gave it a second try, and a third, and suddenly realized, OMG. Best. Vid. Ever! Some of the fastest editing I have seen, and it's fucking brilliant: just look at the intro, the editing and perfect timing at the crescendo of the bridge - and again at 2:38, sajksadjkd, *headdesk*!
Favorite bits: Opening credits!! The cross-cutting (wtf, I don't have the vocabulary for this!) at 2:14+, culminating at 2:17, and then the just-delayed beat and perfectly in-sync delayed hit at 2:22, holy fuck. I already mentioned 2:38, which is just, wah!
We Need a Little Christmas by mkitty (5.09 "Lexmas", 28MB, .wmv)
Review: Great song, *g*. Great pace, and, that song…! Also, after Jonathan wipes lipstick off Lex, he pulls him in for a kiss. He does.
Favorite bits: The *cringe* opening. Lex = "the fruitcake", *snort*! Lionel "Grown a little colder", and Lex and Lillian "And I need a little angel, sitting on my shoulder" :o( ! The slowed-down clip of Clark putting on the santa hat. The dog, gahaha!
Your Body Is A Wonderland by philtre (Clex, 7MB, .wmv)
Review: A slow vid that I actually like! I'm not sure about the sex scenes inserts (and the effects), but I guess they do lend something to all the gazes between those two boys :o)
Favorite bits: Zooming in on "On pair of candy lips". All the clips of Clark and Lex looking at each other; holy shit, they're so doing it!

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Stargateverse

Absolutely Cuckoo by zoetrope (Rodney/John, 5MB, .wmv, YouTube)
Review: Whoa, have I fallen behind? Are all fandoms producing kick-ass brilliant multimedia vids the way SGA is??
Favorite bits: The animation! "Think about John", "Miss John", hee. Dictionary definitions! Mmm, Rodney's ass in boxer briefs. "Alright, alright, I'm going!", "Good riddance!", hahaha.
Another Sunday by jescaflowne (Stargate: Atlantis!, 41MB, .avi) !
Review: I love this vid. I love every last one of its cheesy and deliberately over-the-top effects. Which aren't cheesy or over-the-top at all, they're perfect. My, John and Ronon are pretty men. Great, awesome timing.
Favorite bits: The intro! Carson slapping Rodney's arm on the beat at 0:49. John being kick-ass. Teyla being kick-ass. Ronon being kick-ass. Rodney/pointing sequence at 2:13. John's face and the effect at 3:53 - and wraithqueen lip-synching! Repeated Ronon-sequence at 4:00. Posse!walk makes me HAPPY IN MY BRAIN <3 !!

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