It’s About the Story

One of the commenters on my Top Ten Fanvids indirectly highlighted what I look for in the fan videos and to a larger degree why I’m a fan of Richard Armitage. I only have one montage video of RA, and that one is listed because of its comic brilliance. Mostly I’m drawn to the videos that are about the characters he portrays and more importantly, their part in telling their stories rather than the videos that are just RA eye candy. The fact RA can portray so many different characters so well does make me curious about him, but initially and ultimately, it’s about his characters and their stories. The videos enhance that, and it’s nice indeed that the videos can redeem a poorly written script or a script I just don’t like. LOL! But I would be lying if I said I don’t watch some of the eye candy montages.

What it always boils down to for me is curiosity about someone who is very adept at portraying characters whether by writing them or dramatizing them. I want to know their story and how exactly they came to understand someone else’s story. So it’s impossible for me to refrain from examining RA the person as well as his characters. But I’d rather hear from him about his approach to characters and stories instead of watching montage videos. As much as they are fun to watch, they don’t usually highlight anything further about a character’s story or about RA. Again, that doesn’t mean I don’t watch some eye candy montages. Far from it. If you remember, I did say the 4 minutes video inspired this blog. Oh, yeah, I’ve watched it a time or two, and Sexy Back and some others, and yes, yes, his ass looks good when he walks. LOL!

But back to the story. One of the earliest North and South videos I watched and still consider a great favorite was posted by a commenter on that same blog entry. This one:

PoleStar00 is a great vidder, and I adore the music. I already liked Mike Oldfield, but this piece is one of my favorites. Too bad I didn’t buy it several years ago when it wasn’t considered collector’s item. The piece has all the elements that we find in North and South — contemplative introduction, a plaintiff tone, a slow building to the crescendo to the point it almost hurts physically, and finally a soothing coda. Now that I’m thinking about this, I wonder how much Martin Phipps may have been influenced by Mike Oldfield. No, I’m not going to chase that rabbit, but I do wonder.

I have several more North and South videos I love. Some I’ve put below, and the others I’m saving for a future post or two. These can border on the prosaic, but hey, I’m a prosaic kind of gal:

These last two are kind of quirky and aren’t for everyone, but I love ’em! See if you can spot an interesting manipulation in one of them.

Unfortunately, my all-time favorite North and South video is no longer on YouTube nor is it anywhere else I’m aware of. Dang it! It was a video to the Coldplay tune X & Y. That song is far from prosaic. I’m not sure much of what Coldplay has done could ever be considered prosaic. Chris Martin is a poet, and his background definitely shows in his writing. Yep, count me as another one who loves Coldplay! By the way, if anyone remembers who did that video, I would love to know. Maybe they’ll put up a download link if asked. ;-) Oh, and if I were ever to make a fanvid, I would definitely do it to a Coldplay song, and there is one in particular I would do. May have to break down and do that sometime soon.

June 16, 2010
Categories: Fanvids, North and South . Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 4 Comments

Top Ten Fanvids

Okay, I should say these are MY top ten fanvids.

For anyone who’s been following this blog, you already know I lamented the difficulty of making this post and mainly because there are so many RA videos out there. But I had such a good time trying to watch as many as I could to be fair. These things are almost like my children. I didn’t realize I had it in me to love so many. All the more to make it difficult to highlight only ten. But what a great problem to have! And I scrapped my in-depth criteria. The post would have been too long, and it may be already! Quite simply the ones selected are the videos I find myself going back to again and again.

I put them in an order, but hey, this order could change tomorrow or maybe later today. LOL!

I’ve embedded all of them below which shouldn’t be a problem, but if enough people experience problems, I may change how I’ve configured this post.

#10 — the ethereal quality of the song and the editing make me accept this AU (Alternate Universe) story as canon! Very soothing on a lot of levels. LOL!

#9 — considering it’s Thornton’s longing we mostly see in North and South, I love this take on Margaret pining.

edit: this video is no longer on YouTube, so the creator of the video, ATFrancis, has given me permission to upload here, and if you would like your own copy, you can download at FoolishPassion, one of Elvira’s sites.

#8 — this was one of my first Guy videos, and it captures his angst over Marian perfectly. At one point it disappeared from YouTube, but then it came back. Yea! I’ve never gotten tired of watching it. I love the editing, and it was my introduction to Shinedown.

#7 — too much to write about why I love this one; maybe it should move up. No, I’ve got to stop somewhere. Thank you, DB for editing MJ’s song. It was way too long. Your timing is perfect.

#6 — this is a masterpiece and probably should be #1. It’s the shortest video on the list, but the impact of it is enormous. I’ll stop there or this post will be so long it won’t load.

#5 — the quality of this video is stunning. Please, please, please if you like it, download it in the 1080 format. It’s RA like you’ve never seen him. Oh, and it’s Shinedown again. Love it!

#4 — whatever “it” is, Nat has it. I’ll sum up this video in a word: brilliant. Also, great thanks to Heather for her wonderful inspiration!

#3 — this is one slick video. DB just gets better and better and she’s already great. Oh, I would love to go back and completely rewrite the post I did on this one!

#2 — it’s scary how many times I’ve watched this and not just at the normal speed but slowed down as well. I notice something new every time, so I can’t seem to stop analyzing it. The video is a feast.

#1 This video may be a 10.

Most of these are available for download. Check their YouTube descriptions to find out how.

June 14, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Fanvids, North and South, PHWOAR!, Robin Hood, Spoilers, Spooks, Strike Back . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 27 Comments

Crossing Over

And fanvids are just a part of it. More good stuff about being an RA fan coming up. See how far my public service extends. ;-)

If you are new to the RA fandom (gee I think I’ve said that a time or two, but really I don’t know if anyone new would be reading this blog), and you have not heard of crinkles, or if you have heard of them but haven’t had the unction to find out what they’re really about, you are so missing out.

There is a sort of magical place on the web called C19: The Crinkle Zone:

1) You must unlock the power of the Zone with the key of your imagination.

2) Beyond the entrance is another dimension. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind.

3) It’s a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas.

One more thing before you cross over into the Crinkle Zone:

It’s not okay to drink (alcohol or anything) while you’re in there — not if you want your computer’s keyboard to survive. Drink before you get there. Or better yet, just get high while you’re in there. :D If you’re blue or hacked or just about anything negative you can be, head there immediately.

Oh, and be sure to read “The Joy of Crinkles” thread before you really begin, and there’s a “Part Deux” thread as well. No, they’re not necessary, but they’re more than worth the price of admission (your time) and will help you understand. What exactly I’m not sure. That’s up to you. But remember no drinking!

Note: you must become a member of C19 to get in on this good thing!

And to get you started, one of the more famous crinkles:

Be sure to check out Nat’s blog, and the Cute Crinkles she has over there. That was the catalyst for this entry by the way. I just couldn’t help myself. :D

edit: If you do make your way over to the Crinkle Zone, be sure to say hello to Manda, who is the “high priestess” of the Fankles and head of The Cult of the Crinkle.

second edit: below is the interview from which the screencap was taken.

Screencap courtesy of the “Quaddy Waddy Do Da” thread, and before that probably courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com or TheArmitageArmy.co.uk.

I’m pretty sure I also got the video clip from RichardArmitageNet.com, but if I’m wrong about that, someone please correct me.

June 11, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 20 Comments

This is Hard

What was I saying about not wanting to wait to get at the writing? Well, I hit a bit of a wall. Not a huge one, but enough to slow me down and say to myself, “Hmmm, maybe that storage room downstairs really does need a thorough cleaning.” I’m staying on the job for all of you. See how good I am to you? Remember it’s my nutty behavior that makes a lot of the rest of you look sane. You know in case RA or any of “his people” happen to see our little enclaves of discussion, they can conclude, “Thank God most of those people aren’t like that RAFrenzy nut.” So again, this is really a public service. ;-)

All of that aside, I’m trying to draft this post about my top ten videos. Is it too late to make it my top 20 or 50? Phew! I had no idea this was going to be so difficult or that I would actually feel pressure. Yes, I read the notes from those of you who want me to post my list. Most of these posts I write by the seat of my pants, as it were of course, but this time I couldn’t. Ironically, I figured this would be nothing but fun since I love the videos, and for the most part it is fun. But as SO reminds me sometimes, I tend to make things much harder than they should be. I’m really trying not to do that.

One thing that’s made it so hard is trying to find out how many RA vids there are on YouTube or getting a pretty good idea and then watching the ones I’d missed or trying to watch as many as I could. Oh my gosh! Forget it. There are too many. Can I just tell you that there are loads of them? That you probably will never run out of something to watch? Yes, this is a good problem unless you have an anal streak. Suffice to say I’ve watched quite a few the last couple of weeks that have been on YT for a while, but I had never seen them. This is coming from someone who watches lots of videos. Should I admit I’m that addicted? I’ve already admitted this RA addiction, what’s another one?

As if the sheer number is not daunting enough, I’ve come up with a criteria to explain my selections, which I had never thought about let alone articulated since I just go with my gut most of the time. However, articulating a criteria is a must in the pursuit of not looking like I play favorites and not hurting anyone’s feelings. But hey, I’m not going to get around that anyway. What makes that laughable is who am I to hurt anyone’s feelings with my choices? I’m just one person, and for all anyone knows, I have really lousy taste. In fact, for those vidders I don’t acknowledge, please consider me to have lousy taste. It will not hurt my feelings. Wow. Who knew there was this much passion about fan videos?

So why this post before the post? I guess I really want to be understood. This whole blog is a big digression into being understood even if you and I will never meet. I’ve got a fixation on being understood. Oh yeah, it’s a blessing and a curse, and it bores the dog out of me but hopefully, it won’t bore you. At least not today.

Yes, I really do have a post on the videos. I’m just not ready to post it but felt like I had to post something, and I guess I need to remember that tired old adage (maybe it’s not really tired) that if it’s worth doing, it’s probably going to be hard (or something to that effect). So you hear that, Elvira, I realize that videos take some work to be done right, i.e., at the very least be willing to read a tutorial, and for the rest of you, writing about them takes some work too — if it’s to be done right.

I’m not only going to throw in a gratuitous pic but a video as well. This was a video I had never seen. Shocked me I tell you. That I had never seen it I mean, and yes, I like it or it wouldn’t be embedded here. See what I mean about being understood. Why do you think I haven’t written much until now — I can’t stop. LOL!

Love the expressions Elvira captured.

And the pic:

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com

Top ten post hopefully coming up next week. Then after that I’ll get my top ten fan fics posted. Already started on it. LOL!

June 11, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Fanvids, SO, Spooks . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

Two Months of Insanity?

I have a confession to make. This blog was my bright idea to burn myself out on all things RA. I wanted to have fun while I was doing that and hoped all of you would have fun as well. But I was pretty sure I wouldn’t want to do this after a few weeks and figured when I got into my third month, it would begin to lose its appeal. Usually things begin to bore me pretty quickly, and I detest being bored. I refuse to be bored. But there’s no sign of that for me. That’s one of the things that’s fascinating about RA. He has never bored me. But then he’s not all there is to this.

Thankfully, all of you, the fans, come with him, and you also keep me plugged into this wonderful madness. I know we’ve had fun fangurling for a few days, and hopefully, we’ll all do that again sometime. But if that’s all we ever did, I would have been gone a long time ago, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have started a blog. Maybe all fandoms (hate that word by the way; can we come up with another one?) are as interesting as this one. I’m having a hard time believing that. Do I sound proud?

Earlier I read a comment about aversion therapy on Servetus’ blog and had to chuckle. What started out as a little aversion therapy for me has turned into immersion therapy. How could it be aversion therapy? I was the kid at school who would have rather been beaten with a big stick than write something. Give me a page of math problems any day over writing even a couple of paragraphs. Once I started writing the blog, I knew I would have to keep it up a bit, which of course meant writing. I figured that alone would turn me off. But now I look forward to writing. I can’t wait to get at it, and the ideas just won’t stop. Don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with everything I’ve written or plan to write. But this exercise has served to really get me writing, which SO has literally begged me to do for years and may come to regret. LOL!

For now I’ve decided this blog is one of the sanest things I’ve ever done.

Richard Armitage attends the Philips British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) at London Palladium on June 6, 2010 in London, England.

Yeah, I sort of know how you feel, Rich.

Candid shot courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com

June 8, 2010
Categories: Fandom, SO . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments

Ohcheemama!

For the uninitiated, that’s translated, “If I were single and within the vicinity of Richard Armitage, I might not be responsible for my actions.” If you look at this picture below, it becomes understandable. That is my idea of handsome!

That look trumps 2007 and 2009 combined! This is definitely a PHWOAR! post. Where’s SO?! LOL!

I’m rethinking this James Bond thing. Is that James Bond above or what?

Also, RA was without a co-presenter. YEA! I don’t know if the BAFTA people finally wised up or if RA was ready to reign in solitary splendor. LOL! Whatever the case, I love that he was alone:

Who got the award? I don’t think I even remember.

Yeah, I hope you have one of those too one day, Richard:

I’ll bet the Crinkle Zone is having a field day with this:

Once again I’m indebted to the ladies at RichardArmitageNet.com and to JJ (not sure who you are, but I could kiss you. :D). The top screencap is from the BAFTA 2010 page there, and I made the other screencaps from a clip so graciously linked on that page. It was clip #3 if anyone is curious.

Ahhh, that bit of fangurling felt good. When I get done drooling over these pictures, I’ll have to find out how Spooks fared.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful day!

edit: I see Spooks didn’t win. Have to look at those pictures again to cheer me up. ;-)

June 6, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews, PHWOAR! . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 28 Comments

BAFTA SHMAFTA

The BAFTAs are coming up tomorrow on the BBC, and RA will be presenting an award again this year. I read Hedgeypig’s BAFTA report from last year, and it sounded like she had a bit of work, but hey, that’s the kind of work I’d like to have. LOL! After I got done with the report, I watched RA’s clips from last year’s BAFTAs again, and I couldn’t resist watching his 2007 interviews and presentation again as well. I’ve uploaded all of these here so we can examine the dog out of them, uh, I mean show them for our viewing pleasure.

A 2007 red carpet interview, which I posted on another blog entry. His interview starts about 2:15:

Here’s another one:

I asked in a previous post if he’s for real, and in those clips, he seems about as real as someone can get in that situation. He actually made a crack about the QVC which was a faux pas, but hey, I agree with him. LOL!

Out he comes for the presentation. The words tall, gangly bloke come to mind even though I think he’s a very graceful person. It’s clear this is not his thing (I sound like that idiot chick on Bill O’Reilly who does the body language assessments):

Skip to 2009

On the red carpet before last year’s ceremony:

Then he’s on for his bit:

Quite a change from 2007. He is much more polished looking. His suit fits great, he has a sharp looking hair cut, and his attitude seems to be, “Bafta shmafta, I’m having a great time!” Just look at that stride and grin. I don’t mean to imply he’s disrespectful. I’m only highlighting the development of his public persona and its increase in confidence.

Truth be told I miss the guy with the ill-fitting suit, long hair and shy grin, but he seems to still be there. I hope RA’s never so slicked up that guy is eclipsed, and I definitely hope he never becomes glib. My gut tells me that won’t happen, and I always go with my gut.

So glad I came in on his career when clips like those are still available. Speaking of which, thank you, ladies at RichardArmitageNet.com for making those available! I wish I could do something more for you than typing a couple of sentences in my blog.

For the rest of you, if you want your own copy of those clips, then you can get them on this page.

Off to surf the net for a place to maybe watch the BAFTAs. ;-)

June 5, 2010
Categories: Interviews, Spooks . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 13 Comments

More Strike Back Love — SPOILERS

Yeah, I guess there are some spoilers.

DelicateBlossom has outdone herself. I love this video, and no, I don’t love every RA video. I don’t dislike any of them. I actually like a lot of them and really appreciate the effort. But I don’t love all of them. I love this one. DB said in her comments that she had fun making it, and it shows.

She nails the feeling of the show. Love the ending!

I also noticed in her comments that she has been sitting on that song for a year. It was worth it.

Oh, and it’s already up at RAfanvids, so I got my HD big format copy, and that kind of definition is spoiling me. LOL!

June 3, 2010
Categories: Fanvids, PHWOAR!, Spoilers, Strike Back . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 9 Comments

Being Richard

June 3, 2010

My friend Servetus recently made a post that is of such interest to me. I’m anxious to hear the rest of her thoughts on the subject of identity and how it’s derived by us or others who observe us. And yes, I’ll revisit Diderot. Actually, I should probably just consult SO, since that’s his bailiwick — having majored in philosophy and psychology and being a writer. Yes, someone actually majors in that stuff and isn’t a basket case and goes onto make a decent living. Usually doing other things. LOL!

But back to Servetus’ subject. Really, aren’t we all fascinated with this subject of identity? Whether we step outside of it to try to examine it objectively, we’re all caught up in identity. One thing that drives RA’s fans, in my not so humble opinion, is how his various performances either confirm who we are, challenge us to become someone else or pique us to investigate all these other identities he’s created in order to understand something about people. It was never more apparent than in this need of his most ardent fans to find more meaning in John Porter than him being an action hero, and RA understood this too.

Ultimately, all of this leads us to wonder about the person playing all of these identities. Or maybe not. Maybe Servetus and I and a handful of others are the only ones who come to that conclusion. The rest of you are just along for RA’s performances, and then you go on about your business. Pardon me while I snort in doubt over that. LOL! You’re reading my blog aren’t you. ;-)

If these points are sounding like the reaction you have to books, well, there’s a little insight into one of the secrets of RA’s attraction. More on that in a later post. And if I’m not entirely clear, trust me, I’ll be happy to elaborate in another post.

I feel the urge to share what I’m listening to: Voodoo by Spice Girls. And my mood: flippant of course.

Maybe actors discuss this issue a lot. I’m no expert on actors or the acting profession, so I don’t know. I would love to know if they do. Identities seem to be their currency. It would seem if they are intelligent at all they would come to this subject often. I know on this piddly blog I sometimes wonder how some of my statements make you think about yourself.

Phew, after all of that, I need a picture.

Screencap courtesy of Arianne on LJ.

edit:

Oh, and any examination of Richard personally is not about his girlfriend. Now that I have this blog, I see how many searches are done on that. Actually, I put that as a tag in a post just to see what would happen. Oh my goodness.

note: if you’re looking for an interview with Richard Armitage when he was still working on Spooks and shooting Robin Hood Series 3, go here.

June 3, 2010
Categories: Fandom, SO . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 23 Comments

Tangent — I Like You, Chris Ryan

I know recent articles on Chris Ryan are all part of the Strike Back hype, but the effect on me is not producing a liking for more Strike Back (I already like it plenty) but rather a liking for more information on Chris Ryan. He’s just one likable fellow. I wasn’t kidding when earlier I said he feels like a buddy. Oh, I realize the press may not give an accurate account of him, but he seems to be honest. He doesn’t seem to think he’s superman nor seem to be hot on himself. My understanding is that John Porter is a somewhat autobiographical character, and in the book I don’t see him as all prettied up for our consumption, and if he comes out the hero, could that be Chris Ryan wanting a redo — even if it may only be in his head?

What’s interesting about this article and others I’ve read is that although Chris Ryan is a decided Alpha, as he gets older he’s learning to appreciate his Beta. I just hope he never has contempt for Alpha but puts it in perspective and really learns to appreciate it in a way that maybe no young man can ever do. Any man who gets that right is about as sexy as they come.

Maybe I need to break down and read more of his books to see if he’s already there. Not sure which one to begin. Perhaps his first, The One That Got Away.

I challenge you to read this article and come away not liking Chris Ryan or worse just dismissing him.

SAS author Chris Ryan: I fear for mental health of veterans of Afghanistan

May 12 2010

CHRIS RYAN is enjoying the spoils of war – the former SAS soldier has used his frontline expertise to become a best-selling author.

Decorated with a Military Medal for his exploits in the first Gulf War, which he survived against the odds, he has also appeared in testosterone-fuelled TV shows, including the aptly titled How Not To Die.

One of his books, Strike Back, has just been turned into a major new drama by Sky One, starring Richard Armitage as John Porter, a burned-out special forces soldier haunted by the past.

Like much of Ryan’s fiction, it’s something he writes about from first-hand experience. And for all the success he’s had as a writer since leaving the SAS in 1994, the memories of battles fought and fallen comrades remain with him.

He said: “There are always regrets. Usually when somebody was killed, wishing you’d done something differently. But that’s the gift of hindsight, which is invariably right.

“It’s always there but you can’t undo time and you just have to live with the decisions you made.

“As you get older, you look at it differently. You look at yourself and you are greyer, wrinklier and a bit heavier.

“The guys you lost never get older. You think of them as you last saw them and, as time goes on, as you push through the years, the reality of that is sadder.

“You just think, ‘What a waste of life’.”

Born near Newcastle in 1961, Ryan now spends most of his time in America, where he has interests in the security business.

But during his 10 years in the SAS – or “the regiment”, to those who have been part of it – he became part of its legend.

He took part in the disastrous Bravo Two Zero mission to Iraq in 1991, led by his fellow soldier turned author Andy McNab.

Four members were captured by the Iraqis and three died – two from hypothermia as temperatures plummeted to below zero.

Ryan was the one who got away, enduring the longest escape and evasion exercise in SAS history.

He trekked 200 miles to Syria over eight tortuous days with no food and little water. He lost 36lbs in body weight, his toenails fell off and he had sores all over his body.

Ryan puts his survival down to many things – SAS training, the thought of his then two-year-old daughter, Sarah, and that basic human instinct, fear.

He said: “An SAS soldier is trained in escape and evasion. I knew the process of getting out by hiding during the day and walking at night, but it was fear which got me home.

“It wasn’t just fear of bumping into the Iraqis, it was fear of the winter they were having – two of my colleagues had died through hypothermia – and of not seeing my daughter again.

“She was just two and I desperately wanted to see her. In fact, in the latter stages of my escape, I was hallucinating and I saw visions of her.

“Fear is a great motivator, especially if you think you are going to die. I had never pushed myself the way I did in Iraq – and that was only due to the fear and adrenaline which drives you on and keeps you going.

“It’s coming up for 20 years now. I can remember every day but there are bits that are hazy.

“It’s like toothache. It feels like the worst pain you’ve ever felt at the time, then a week later you can’t remember it.”

Although he remained in the SAS for a few years after Iraq, Ryan suffered from post-traumatic stress, which manifested itself in sudden bouts of rage.

It’s a condition he afflicted on Porter in Strike Back, and one which he is convinced will be a problem for many of the soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

He said: “I don’t think we have seen anything like what we have witnessed over the last 10 years, the amount of stress our young men are being put through.

“My brother is in the Parachute Regiment and tells me stories about guys who are out on foot patrol and see their colleagues vapourised. Over the period of a six-month tour, they are losing 20-odd men.

“Think about it. You go to your office and know that, out of a couple of hundred of colleagues, in six months about 27 of you are going to die. You are going to see a few of them go and a lot of you are going to come back without arms and legs. It would freak you out.

“I don’t know how these young lads are bottling it up. It’s got to come out somewhere.

The rest here.

Oh, and I would put up a picture, but I don’t have permission (didn’t take the time to get it). I’m just enjoying this picture. Hopefully, the owner will not pull it since it appears to be for public viewing. If the owner happens to stumble on this blog, I would love to embed this picture, but sometimes WordPress is a bully. :D

June 2, 2010
Categories: Interviews, Strike Back, Tangents . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

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