![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tilly_stratfordMan, this "Top Five" business was way harder than I thought. I've been so afraid of missing something vitally important I've been triple and quadruple checking every little thing.
It was fun though.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
acidpenguin46 asked me about my top five Two/Jamie moments
I first tried to sit down and think of my favourite clinging moment (because Two/Jamie=CLINGING LOVE) - but that was just about impossible because they're *always* clinging - in fear, in joy, horizontally... They're all my favourite clinging moments. So as for non-clinging moments:
05. Jamie's main focus in the Web of Fear
Jamie is in the TARDIS trying to have an argument with the Doctor (this part in itself is very cute with sandwich-eating and all) when Victoria comes in, showing her long legs in a minidress and asking what they think of the outfit. Now, Jamie only turns around after the Doctor nudges him, and then he looks this beautiful scantily clad girl over, vacantly says "Eh? Aye," and then immediately turns back to the Doctor. Proving once and for all that getting Jamie's attention when his boyfriend is in the room? Impossible.
04. The Doctor misses the Scottish brogue in The Faceless Ones
They're not technically in the same room in this scene, but bear with me: Jamie has been captured and duplicated by the baddies, and the Doctor meets this creepy RP-speaking (trouserclad!) physical carbon copy and makes a face (or, I imagine he makes a face. Damn burnination); "I don't think you've done a very good job on him," he mutters. "I much prefer the original."
03. The awful pun in Tomb of the Cybermen
This was the first complete Troughton serial I ever watched, so it holds a very dear place in my heart. It also has the scene where the Doctor tells this truly godawful pun and Jamie groans, and the Doctor promptly apologizes "I'm so sorry, Jamie." It's the Look of Adoring Love on the Doctor's face that does it and Jamie can't stay mad at a face like that.
02. The rescue mission in The Dominators
A very lacklustre story and once again the Doctor and Jamie aren't even in the same room for the moment, but this is how it goes: The Doctor and Zoe have been captured by the baddies. What does Jamie do? PUTS ON HIS WAR FACE and stages a rescue mission (which predominantly consists of bunging rocks, but still)! "Somebody's destroyed a Quark - but who?" Zoe asks. "Only one person here's strong enough to do that." "Jamie!" The Doctor nods gleefully and is just visually ABOUT TO DIE OF PRIDE.
01. The Doctor and Jamie meet again when all hope seems lost in The War Games
I'm not talking about the final farewell scene (because it utterly breaks me apart). No, it's when the Doctor has been captured by the Time Lords - he has given up to the point where he can't bother to even be afraid anymore, but Jamie and Zoe convince a guard to let them see him one last time. The joy in the Doctor's voice when he sees them is heartrending ("Jamie! Jamie!"), and the moment the forcefield is turned off (and the guard has discretely slipped away) both Jamie and the Doctor lunge forward and grab each other's hands. It's such a small moment it's not even possible to cap it properly, but it's such an immediate and frank gesture of affection it overwhelms me every time.
Conclusion: It makes no sense that these two aren't married. (Also I had forgotten how batshit I really am about Two/Jamie. If I ever had a real OTP, it's them.)
acidepenguin46 also asked me my top five Monty Python skits (with links to YouTube, but God knows how long they'll stay up) And I decided against electing any songs or Gilliam animations, otherwishe it would be just PLAIN IMPOSSIBLE:
05. Hell's Grannies It's not even the main gag that gets me, it's the MAKE TEA NOT WAR grafitti and the vicious gangs of "keep left" signs.
04. The Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights Exactly what it says on the tin. And that's beautiful.
03. Trouble at the Mill / The Spanish Inquisition Okay, so you can quote the whole Spanish Inquisition bit - in my eyes it's nothing without the introduction of "one of the crossbeams has gone out askew on the treddle".
02. Military Fairy There's just something about perceived masculinity/actual femininity that I find hilarious, all the more when it's in unison. I actually like this better than the Lumberjack Song.
01. Man Turns into Scotsman It's just so unashamedly silly with such a beautiful anticlimax in the beginning. It's been my favourite ever since I first saw it.
_grayswandir_ asked me my top five Sherlock Holmes stories - which was way harder than I thought it would be:
05. The Reigate Squire Possibly an odd choice because I don’t feel it’s a very typical story. But I do remember being twelve and reading it going “bwuh? Holmes is ill and exhausted and actually physically human?” It was just such a shock, and had me reading on the edge of my seat. And I still love how Holmes actually uses his handicap to solve the crime like the brilliant man he is.
04. The Greek interpreter As if this was an unexpected choice. I am a Mycroft fan. There are few (non-Watson interaction) scenes as heartwarming as the Holmes brothers looking out of the window on the street below and playing the Game, the way they’ve probably done since they were young.
03. The Musgrave ritual 'Whose was it?' - 'He who is gone.' - 'Who shall have it?' - 'He who will come.' I love me some mystic rituals. And young!Holmes getting to flex his deductive powers.
02. The Red-Headed League This always stood out to me because as a child I loved how uncomplicated this weird crime really turned out to be after Holmes had been at it. The League, the interview, the copying of the lexica, the hollow under the pavement... And still so basic a crime. Amazing.
01. A Scandal in Bohemia Nothing quite compares to the first ever Holmes story I read. I picked it up by chance and was amazed at this pair, a doctor who tells his friend that he don’t mind breaking the law for him, and the detective who bursts into laughter after one of his disguised capers doesn’t lead him where he expects it to.
The main conclusion I can draw about this is that I'm drawn to character stuff rather than plot stuff. This annoys me a bit because I've been told it's a Typically Female Thing To Do.
tiny_cs asked me to choose between two lists, but since they’re somewhat mutually exclusive I’ll do them both.
First, Top five Beatles songs (with YouTube links) I decided to only do songs from the original commercial records. There's lots of recorded odds and ends I love as well, but I thought it better to make it more "mainstream":
05. I me mine I’ve always felt like George’s songs just seemed more open and honest and vulnerable than the others'. The surprising thing is that while I feel such a sense of sadness and frustration listening to this song (about how these four friends have drifted apart and are now driving each other up the wall), I still find it so very beautiful, musically - and I continue to listen to it. Somewhat marred by the “I I me me mine!” part, but I’ll it's the song's only imperfection.
04. I’m looking through you I remember from my Beatles geek days that this was regarded as Paul McCartney’s first song that wasn’t just lovey-dovey romantic tosh (not that they were a bad thing). I just love the naïve anger in this song, accentuated by those sharp guitar notes. Also that fade out: “You’ve changed! You’ve changed!”
03. Don’t ever change This feels like cheating when it isn’t even an original Beatles song, but the Crickets version never did anything for me. In the Beatles’ hands it’s such an adorable late fifties/early sixties-type cheerful, naïve love song. Beautiful harmonies by Paul and George.
02. And your bird can sing How cool isn’t that double guitar riff? George Harrison playing in harmony with himself, was there ever a more delicious guitar solo?
01. Lucy in the sky with diamonds It’s just so indescribably weird and beautiful. I remember many years ago I was on the ferry to Poland on a class trip; me and my girlfriends were listening to music on this little portable speaker. I had brought my Sergeant Pepper CD, and when this song came on we all fell silent and just lay back in our berths and felt the gentle motion of the ferry arriving in Kiel, the air seemingly thick with those strange tones.
My lovely sister also asked me about My top five Beatles music videos. Music videos in the mid to late sixties is a bit of a hazy concept, so I decided to add TV appearances and the more well-known concert recordings to the list as well.
05. Can't Buy Me Love from A Hard Day's Night
[Error: unknown template video]
I think you can call it a proto-music video. I include it because it's silly for silly sake, a kind of silly The Monkees where specifically created to imitate. It's a legendary kind of silly. And George Harrison mock-kicking Ringo Starr continues to be one of the funniest things I know.
04. All My Loving, TV performance 1964
[Error: unknown template video]
This is, for me, the only song in the entire Beatles catalogue where the studio recording can't hold a candle to just about any live performance of the song. The "proper" recording is just too smooth for my tastes, and doesn't bring out that beautiful Paul and George harmonizing in the second verse.
03. Help!, I've no idea
[Error: unknown template video]
Forget Strawberry Fields Forever, this is the most absurd Beatles music video ever. Paul's bouncing on that trestle like it's his greatest joy in this world, Ringo's bored out of his skull with only an umbrella for diversion, George does the world's greatest WTF face when the fake snow starts to fall, and they're all mugging like hell. All this in a completely naked studio. WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS.
02. I'm Down, Shea Stadium 1965
[Error: unknown template video]
This is by all measures a horrible rendition of the song. They sing out of tune (when they remember to sing), the guitars are out of tune, John has absolutely no idea what he's doing with that keyboard... And still I love it. Why? Have you seen how much fun they're having? Have you ever seen something so honest as John bursting out laughing when he realizes he missed a part of the song?
01. Twist and Shout, first TV performance
[Error: unknown template video]
You know, this was the first file I ever downloaded through a peer-to-peer programme. It's as iconic as Beatles can be: The opening shot of John's lean hand, the black turtleneck sweaters, John's moptop that's so new it's far shorter than it usually would be, Paul doing his trademark bass lift at the end (though you can't really see it). Notice how Ringo's always out of focus, but still present in every angle due to those masterful shadows on the wall.
It was fun though.
acidpenguin46 asked me about my top five Two/Jamie momentsI first tried to sit down and think of my favourite clinging moment (because Two/Jamie=CLINGING LOVE) - but that was just about impossible because they're *always* clinging - in fear, in joy, horizontally... They're all my favourite clinging moments. So as for non-clinging moments:
05. Jamie's main focus in the Web of Fear
Jamie is in the TARDIS trying to have an argument with the Doctor (this part in itself is very cute with sandwich-eating and all) when Victoria comes in, showing her long legs in a minidress and asking what they think of the outfit. Now, Jamie only turns around after the Doctor nudges him, and then he looks this beautiful scantily clad girl over, vacantly says "Eh? Aye," and then immediately turns back to the Doctor. Proving once and for all that getting Jamie's attention when his boyfriend is in the room? Impossible.
04. The Doctor misses the Scottish brogue in The Faceless Ones
They're not technically in the same room in this scene, but bear with me: Jamie has been captured and duplicated by the baddies, and the Doctor meets this creepy RP-speaking (trouserclad!) physical carbon copy and makes a face (or, I imagine he makes a face. Damn burnination); "I don't think you've done a very good job on him," he mutters. "I much prefer the original."
03. The awful pun in Tomb of the Cybermen
This was the first complete Troughton serial I ever watched, so it holds a very dear place in my heart. It also has the scene where the Doctor tells this truly godawful pun and Jamie groans, and the Doctor promptly apologizes "I'm so sorry, Jamie." It's the Look of Adoring Love on the Doctor's face that does it and Jamie can't stay mad at a face like that.
02. The rescue mission in The Dominators
A very lacklustre story and once again the Doctor and Jamie aren't even in the same room for the moment, but this is how it goes: The Doctor and Zoe have been captured by the baddies. What does Jamie do? PUTS ON HIS WAR FACE and stages a rescue mission (which predominantly consists of bunging rocks, but still)! "Somebody's destroyed a Quark - but who?" Zoe asks. "Only one person here's strong enough to do that." "Jamie!" The Doctor nods gleefully and is just visually ABOUT TO DIE OF PRIDE.
01. The Doctor and Jamie meet again when all hope seems lost in The War Games
I'm not talking about the final farewell scene (because it utterly breaks me apart). No, it's when the Doctor has been captured by the Time Lords - he has given up to the point where he can't bother to even be afraid anymore, but Jamie and Zoe convince a guard to let them see him one last time. The joy in the Doctor's voice when he sees them is heartrending ("Jamie! Jamie!"), and the moment the forcefield is turned off (and the guard has discretely slipped away) both Jamie and the Doctor lunge forward and grab each other's hands. It's such a small moment it's not even possible to cap it properly, but it's such an immediate and frank gesture of affection it overwhelms me every time.
Conclusion: It makes no sense that these two aren't married. (Also I had forgotten how batshit I really am about Two/Jamie. If I ever had a real OTP, it's them.)
acidepenguin46 also asked me my top five Monty Python skits (with links to YouTube, but God knows how long they'll stay up) And I decided against electing any songs or Gilliam animations, otherwishe it would be just PLAIN IMPOSSIBLE:05. Hell's Grannies It's not even the main gag that gets me, it's the MAKE TEA NOT WAR grafitti and the vicious gangs of "keep left" signs.
04. The Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights Exactly what it says on the tin. And that's beautiful.
03. Trouble at the Mill / The Spanish Inquisition Okay, so you can quote the whole Spanish Inquisition bit - in my eyes it's nothing without the introduction of "one of the crossbeams has gone out askew on the treddle".
02. Military Fairy There's just something about perceived masculinity/actual femininity that I find hilarious, all the more when it's in unison. I actually like this better than the Lumberjack Song.
01. Man Turns into Scotsman It's just so unashamedly silly with such a beautiful anticlimax in the beginning. It's been my favourite ever since I first saw it.
_grayswandir_ asked me my top five Sherlock Holmes stories - which was way harder than I thought it would be:05. The Reigate Squire Possibly an odd choice because I don’t feel it’s a very typical story. But I do remember being twelve and reading it going “bwuh? Holmes is ill and exhausted and actually physically human?” It was just such a shock, and had me reading on the edge of my seat. And I still love how Holmes actually uses his handicap to solve the crime like the brilliant man he is.
04. The Greek interpreter As if this was an unexpected choice. I am a Mycroft fan. There are few (non-Watson interaction) scenes as heartwarming as the Holmes brothers looking out of the window on the street below and playing the Game, the way they’ve probably done since they were young.
03. The Musgrave ritual 'Whose was it?' - 'He who is gone.' - 'Who shall have it?' - 'He who will come.' I love me some mystic rituals. And young!Holmes getting to flex his deductive powers.
02. The Red-Headed League This always stood out to me because as a child I loved how uncomplicated this weird crime really turned out to be after Holmes had been at it. The League, the interview, the copying of the lexica, the hollow under the pavement... And still so basic a crime. Amazing.
01. A Scandal in Bohemia Nothing quite compares to the first ever Holmes story I read. I picked it up by chance and was amazed at this pair, a doctor who tells his friend that he don’t mind breaking the law for him, and the detective who bursts into laughter after one of his disguised capers doesn’t lead him where he expects it to.
The main conclusion I can draw about this is that I'm drawn to character stuff rather than plot stuff. This annoys me a bit because I've been told it's a Typically Female Thing To Do.
tiny_cs asked me to choose between two lists, but since they’re somewhat mutually exclusive I’ll do them both.First, Top five Beatles songs (with YouTube links) I decided to only do songs from the original commercial records. There's lots of recorded odds and ends I love as well, but I thought it better to make it more "mainstream":
05. I me mine I’ve always felt like George’s songs just seemed more open and honest and vulnerable than the others'. The surprising thing is that while I feel such a sense of sadness and frustration listening to this song (about how these four friends have drifted apart and are now driving each other up the wall), I still find it so very beautiful, musically - and I continue to listen to it. Somewhat marred by the “I I me me mine!” part, but I’ll it's the song's only imperfection.
04. I’m looking through you I remember from my Beatles geek days that this was regarded as Paul McCartney’s first song that wasn’t just lovey-dovey romantic tosh (not that they were a bad thing). I just love the naïve anger in this song, accentuated by those sharp guitar notes. Also that fade out: “You’ve changed! You’ve changed!”
03. Don’t ever change This feels like cheating when it isn’t even an original Beatles song, but the Crickets version never did anything for me. In the Beatles’ hands it’s such an adorable late fifties/early sixties-type cheerful, naïve love song. Beautiful harmonies by Paul and George.
02. And your bird can sing How cool isn’t that double guitar riff? George Harrison playing in harmony with himself, was there ever a more delicious guitar solo?
01. Lucy in the sky with diamonds It’s just so indescribably weird and beautiful. I remember many years ago I was on the ferry to Poland on a class trip; me and my girlfriends were listening to music on this little portable speaker. I had brought my Sergeant Pepper CD, and when this song came on we all fell silent and just lay back in our berths and felt the gentle motion of the ferry arriving in Kiel, the air seemingly thick with those strange tones.
My lovely sister also asked me about My top five Beatles music videos. Music videos in the mid to late sixties is a bit of a hazy concept, so I decided to add TV appearances and the more well-known concert recordings to the list as well.
05. Can't Buy Me Love from A Hard Day's Night
[Error: unknown template video]
I think you can call it a proto-music video. I include it because it's silly for silly sake, a kind of silly The Monkees where specifically created to imitate. It's a legendary kind of silly. And George Harrison mock-kicking Ringo Starr continues to be one of the funniest things I know.
04. All My Loving, TV performance 1964
[Error: unknown template video]
This is, for me, the only song in the entire Beatles catalogue where the studio recording can't hold a candle to just about any live performance of the song. The "proper" recording is just too smooth for my tastes, and doesn't bring out that beautiful Paul and George harmonizing in the second verse.
03. Help!, I've no idea
[Error: unknown template video]
Forget Strawberry Fields Forever, this is the most absurd Beatles music video ever. Paul's bouncing on that trestle like it's his greatest joy in this world, Ringo's bored out of his skull with only an umbrella for diversion, George does the world's greatest WTF face when the fake snow starts to fall, and they're all mugging like hell. All this in a completely naked studio. WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS.
02. I'm Down, Shea Stadium 1965
[Error: unknown template video]
This is by all measures a horrible rendition of the song. They sing out of tune (when they remember to sing), the guitars are out of tune, John has absolutely no idea what he's doing with that keyboard... And still I love it. Why? Have you seen how much fun they're having? Have you ever seen something so honest as John bursting out laughing when he realizes he missed a part of the song?
01. Twist and Shout, first TV performance
[Error: unknown template video]
You know, this was the first file I ever downloaded through a peer-to-peer programme. It's as iconic as Beatles can be: The opening shot of John's lean hand, the black turtleneck sweaters, John's moptop that's so new it's far shorter than it usually would be, Paul doing his trademark bass lift at the end (though you can't really see it). Notice how Ringo's always out of focus, but still present in every angle due to those masterful shadows on the wall.
