These are my links for April 15th through April 21st:

• Google bringing pay-per-view to YouTube | Digital Media - CNET News -


• Third Da Vinci Code Film The Lost Symbol Announced | /Film -


• Toy Story 3 Teaser Premiered at NAB | /Film -


• Lionsgate developing modern Merlin tale, Reborn | SCI FI Wire -


• Dollhouse's Eliza Dushku on why Fox might renew the series | SCI FI Wire -


• Green Lantern Has $150 Million Budget, Shooting in Sydney | /Film -


• The Underworld saga will continue, but how? | SCI FI Wire - I would watch, read, and buy these


• GameCryer.com: Star Wars Legacy Era Campaign Guide | Nuketown - This is a book I might pick up even if I don't play the game.


• Joss & Co. reveal plans for a Dr. Horrible sequel: Maybe a movie? | SCI FI Wire - I vote for the movie!


• Steven Spielberg Thinks Transformers 2 Might Be Michael Bay’s Best Film; New Trailer Cut | /Film - If Spielberg likes it, it must be awesome, right?


• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 15th | /Film - I am getting a little tired of them moving the release date.


• Michael Chabon Writing John Carter of Mars | /Film -

These topics and more covered in our daily podcast, Project: Shadow Informant.

The Hugo Awards nominations are out!  I was so thrilled when I saw that Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.  This is great because they are recognizing web series along with television series.

Now comes the hard part… picking only one winner.  Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and two other top picks from the category is “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” (Doctor Who) and “Turn Left” (Doctor Who).  This is a very hard pick because I really want Doctor Horrible to win as recognition and validation of web series yet “Turn Left” deserves to win since it is the best dramatic presentation out of the three.

Some other categories with difficult picks.

• Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: The Dark Knight vs. Hellboy II vs. Iron Man.   The Dark Knight will probably garner an undeserved win due to the last 20 minutes of the film which is a shame since Iron Man is the best dramatic presentation.


• Best Graphic Story:  The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle vs. Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones vs. Serenity: Better Days.  I’m going to have to give this one a lot of thought they are all deserving of best graphic story.

Which one will you vote for?

See the full list of nominations here.

Joss Whedon answers questions from fans about his sources of inspiration and writing.

Out of film, television, and internet, which media do you find is most enjoyable to work on, most stressful, most rewarding, and why? — Chloe
Honey, it's all stress. I'm defined by stress. I'm on the ten best stressed list. The rewards are different -- movies are big and intense, TV is long and deep, internet is tiny and personal and mine all mine -- but all worth pursuing. I'm a media agnostic. If it's stories, I'll brave the stress.

I love how Joss focuses on the story.  It’s what really sets his work apart and why if he is working on a project I count that as a huge plus on whether the project will be good or not.

How do you develop a character? Do you have a specific archetype, trope, or "slot" to fill in your shows that you fit a character to, or do you create their personalities separate from their purpose? — Anne
Purpose informs personality. It's not like I say "I need a wacky sidekick" — although I did when I was working on Disney musicals, but that was the form. I tend to focus on one character (perhaps a young woman of unnatural abilities, to pull an example randomly out of nowhere) and then the other characters are built from the needs of that character's journey.

I wonder if he follows Joseph Campbell’s philosophy and / or what other models he uses to determine what other characters they need.

You get a lot of critical and fan acclaim for being an excellent 3rd generation writer but I really enjoy your directing style. Who are your influences in that regard and what kind of background training did you receive before you got behind the camera? — buffywrestling
I had no production experience outside of my backyard, but I had the best professors in the world. I'm influenced by everything I've seen and I studied most of the great American directors at Wesleyan (hint: watch EVERYTHING.) If I'm gonna pick directors, I'd say Borzage, Minnelli, Hitchcock, Carpenter. Today. But for some reason, Soderbergh's The Limey had the most immediate and visceral effect on my sense of style. It's so casually daring. Also, comic books really help dynamic framing and narrative coherence.

that’s awesome that he mentions using comic books as a means for dynamic framing.  It’s the same conclusion I came to.

I recently read an interview with you in Mother Jones magazine. "Geek God" I think was the term they used for you. How do you feel about your success? What advice do you like to give other "geeks" with good ideas? — Jennifer Russell
If you have a good idea, get it out there. For every idea I've realized, I have ten I sat on for a decade till someone else did it first. Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.

I love how he is not necessarily style restrictive even in this case he is all for just producing it.

Bonus Goodies

We all know that Dr. Horrible was a result of, and a metaphor for, the writer's strike. He even says, at one point, that he wants to "put the power in different hands." But things didn't turn out so well for Billy in the end. How did the tragic ending relate to the writers-strike metaphor, or did the metaphor not extend that far? — Jonathan
We didn't write it as a metaphor — we just wanted Penny to have an agenda besides being torn between two men, and Billy's perspective is the classic cry of the noble villain. But this is a story that's been relevant for a long while — like, since there's been power. And people hoarding/abusing it. Wonder Woman brought up similar issues, which may be part of why it wasn't made.

Do you watch the movies/television shows the cast members from Buffy, Angel, or Firefly star in? Any favorite works of the cast members in particular? — Daniel
Dude, Summer Glau is a Terminator. Summer Glau is a Terminator! My work on Earth is done.

And Castle [the new show starring Nathan Fillion] looks fun.

this is a hilarious answer, I had the same thought about Summer Glau… She Rocks!!! if only the show was any good.

Make a Light Saber | Boxee iPhone App | Jinni and Netflix | BSG to the UN | Sword Masters: The Duel of the Century, Ghost Hunters: Season 4, Pt. 2, Twilight, Punisher: War Zone, The Spectacular Spider-Man| Review of The Beast with a Billion Backs | Terminator Surprise | Who’s Harry Crumb | Transformers 3 | Genre Film Company | Joss Whedon Speaks | Dollhouse | Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along blog |  and Looking For Group Today on the Project: Shadow Informant.

Culture

• How to make a Light Saber! (dashPunk)


• moving on(via boxee)
  
  
  
  • boxee iPhone remote app available on the App Store (via boxee)
  
  
  
  


• Jinni's Semantic Movie Search Now Works With Netflix (via Mashable)


• United Nations to Discuss Battlestar Galactica (That's Not a Joke, They Really Are) (via Topless Robot)

Movie

• DVD Releases: March 17th, 2009 (dashPunk)


• Review: Futurama The Beast with a Billion Backs (dashPunk)


• Linda Hamilton Confirmed for Terminator Salvation (via /Film)


• Who's Harry Crumb? (via Hulu)


• Transformers 3 on July 1st 2011 (via /Film)


• Watchmen writer David Hayter forms genre film company (via SCI FI Wire)

TV / Series

• Joss Whedon Interview on Dollhouse (dashPunk)
  
  
  
  • Terminator, Dollhouse ratings creep up for the first time (via SCI FI Wire)
  
  
  
  


• Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Fan Works Awards (dashPunk)
  
  
  
  • 8 Award Nominations (via Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)
  
  
  
  

Book

• Looking For Group Volume 2 In Stock! (via Looking for Group)

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Vote for your favorite fan work based on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

They have already collected nominees from across the web of Videos, songs, written fics and many, many costumes based on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

Now we need to vote for the winners of each category!

The list of nominees are here.  I’m very curious to see who wins The Cheesy on the Outside Award and The Death Whinny Award.  There are many great categories with lots of fan works listed.

For more information and to vote check out The Horrible Awards here.

Get your copy of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog here!

Even though I am miffed with Hulu over their choice to remove themselves from Boxee, this is a rare chance for fans to ask Joss questions.

Have a burning question for the brains behind Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse? Now's your chance to ask Joss Whedon for answers. See if you can get him to spill the beans about his latest heroine, Echo, and whether we'll ever see Dr. Horrible on Broadway. Send your questions to askjoss@hulu.com by 9 a.m. PST on Wednesday, February 25 (Hulu).

Good luck getting your question to him.  I know I am going to come up with some goodies to ask the master of dark fiction.

Snow Art | Cookie Monster Metal | Underworld: Evolution | Terminator Salvation | Stargate Atlantis Movie | Nosferatu | Chuck | Kings | Dr. Horrible 2 | Looking For Group | and Sakaguchi Wii Game Today on the Project: Shadow Informant.

Culture

• Creative Snow Art (dashPunk)


• Cookie Monster Metal (dashPunk)

Movie

• Review: Underworld: Evolution (dashPunk)


• McG reveals more about Terminator Salvation—and jabs Michael Bay (via Sci Fi Wire)


• First Atlantis Movie gets a start (dashPunk)


• Nosferatu (1922) (good qulaity) (Full Movie) (P:S HQ)

TV / Series

• Clip From the show Chuck (P:S HQ)


• Chuck Finds Father and it’s Scott Bakula? (dashPunk)


• Kings Premiere Date Set (dashPunk)


• Dr. Horrible’s 2, So Captain Hammer Says (dashPunk)

Game

• What Would a Sakaguchi Wii Game Look Like? (dashPunk)

Webcomic

• Looking For Group Volume 2 (dashPunk)


• Girl Genius

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Netflix lets you rent, watch and return DVDs from home - Try free for 2 weeks

Don't wait. Guarantee your seat before you go and  avoid a sold out show. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets at Fandango.com.

GameFly delivers the best video games to your door! Start for only $8.95 or Try for free

Nathan Fillion joins Joss Whedon in the desire to make another Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.  This is music to my ears but don’t get too excited yet.  It appears the only thing keeping us from the next one is their busy schedule.

"He's busy with Dollhouse right now, and I'm a little bit busy with Castle right now, so not in the near future, no," Fillion said.

Get your copy of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog here

(via Sci-Fi-Wire)

WordPress update | X-Wing Griller | Gnomes of Light | Gingerbread AT-AT | Pac-Man Tree | Werewolf Origami | Green Hornet Rumors | Disney Narnia | Legend of Neil | Dr. Horrible 2 | and Capcom Strider Today on the Project: Shadow Informant.

Culture

• Prioritizing Features for WordPress 2.8 (via WordPress)


• Grilling with X-Wings (dashPunk)


• An ‘angel’ in hospital hallway? (dashPunk)


• Repressed Gnomes of Light (dashPunk)


• Gingerbread AT-AT (dashPunk)


• Pac-Man Christmas Tree (dashPunk)


• Werewolf Origami (dashPunk)


• Gingerbread TARDIS (Community Comments) (dashPunk)


• Lightsabers Are A Real Weapon? (Community Comments) (dashPunk)

Movie

• Stephen Chow Might Not Play Kato, Might Still Direct The Green Hornet? (via /Film)


• Disney Leaves Narnia Franchise (via /Film)

TV / Series

• Neil needs You! (via Effinfunny)


• How to get a Dr. Horrible 2? (dashPunk)

Game

• Capcom Mentions Possible Strider Revival, Not So Keen On Clover (via GayGamer)

Webcomic

• Girl Genius

Subscribe

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Netflix lets you rent, watch and return DVDs from home - Try free for 2 weeks

Don't wait. Guarantee your seat before you go and  avoid a sold out show. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets at Fandango.com.

GameFly delivers the best video games to your door! Start for only $8.95 or Try for free

They have the way.  Dr. Horrible was a smashing success financially thanks to fan support showing that the “master plan” works.

They have the desire to do another show.  Neil Patrick Harris in a recent interview shared his views on doing another show.

"Oh, God, I wish I could say there was going to be a Dr. Horrible sequel, but I know there's so many people involved in the creation of it that have a lot of other stuff going on right now…  …Mainly, Joss [is doing] Dollhouse, and he has another movie, Cabin in the Woods, that he's doing at the same time. So I don't know that anything would happen soon. But everyone has been super-enthusiastic about it, and I think that means that hopefully something will come."

“I was vague on the how… you have shown me the light.”  Now we need to give them the will to do another Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog.

What we need to do!

Here is the new “Master Plan”:  we the fans need to continue to express our love of Dr. Horrible:

• Support the Moist Comic


• Get the DVD


• Most importantly cry out to Joss Whedon for more.  At every opportunity, every conversation, and every signing let him know we want more and maybe, just maybe, we could get “…a brand new day”.