Fan Girl Wannabe

Bottle Shock (2008) was recommended to us by a beer friend, even though it's about Napa winemaking in the 70s. Since I'm from the South Bay, Napa is a big part of my background noise. I knew how to select and order good wine and pair it with my food long before I was 21.

So it has Alan Rickman as the supercilious Brit wine connoisseur who decides to pit California wines against the obviously superior French wines (he lives, eats and breathes in France) in a blind tasting competition. He's hoping to become more fully accepted as a member of the French wine elite with his ploy.
He's got this great line, when Jim Barrett asks "why do I feel like you're an asshole?" he replies, "I'm really not. I'm just British, and you're not." ADDFLLKJFSDALKJ!!

Bill Pullman and Chris Pine are the Barretts, owners/father-son team at Chateau Montelena - the struggling winery is on the edge of bankruptcy. Chris wears this godawful wig through the entire film. In the back of my head I kept hearing Kathleen Turner saying how awful the wardrobe in Peggy Sue Got Married was.

Freddy Rodriguez is Bo Barrett's best bud and Jim Barrett's employee/wine making rival. I loved his portrayal of Gustavo Brambila.

Eliza Dushku plays a pivotal role as a bartender (really), and Bradley Whitford gets one (also pivotal) scene as a professor at UC Davis.

It's hilarious to look at this and think about the technology leap in the past 50 yrs. If only they had cell phones - they wouldn't have to drive all over the countryside to communicate with each other, it wouldn't be nearly as dramatic either!

All in all - it's a pretty good story. Some fun moments, some heartache and angst, and then a happy ending. Plus some fun science facts and snooty Frenchmen getting schooled.

Two thumbs up :)

I got dragged into TW last year, and while I don't read it quite as zealously as my other fandoms, I've come to enjoy it quite a lot.  I don't have a lot of canon for it yet either (4 eps! Still!), but I plan to catch up someday.  I read in a lot of fandoms without benefit of canon, so NBD.

The thing is, most people write Derek as a nearly completely dysfunctional, averbal clam, and Stiles as way-too-mature/brilliant/self-aware for his age.  And it's mostly okay.  I mean, this is like a live-action Scooby Doo, so being populated with two-dimensional cartoon characters isn't really a turn-off.  But that's what fanfic is for, right?  Sure we fix plot holes and background holes, and narrative inconsistencies, among other things, but character exploration is also a big part of that. 

I've spent many happy hours wallowing in the dumb-but-pretty world of TW fic, with no regrets.  So recently, I've been reading more TW that treats Stiles and his peers as actual teenagers, and Derek as fairly functional, moderately self-aware, and capable of verbal expression/interaction.  I asked dira  about it while pre-reading The Boy and The Beast, because of course she was the first one I'd noticed breaking from the fanon characterization.  She had a pretty solid argument, and even pointed out that I would see more of this *onscreen.*  That makes me even more sure that I'll catch up eventually.  TV can be horribly mindless, so knowing the show isn't going to be a total cartoon is appealing.

Any road, I'm liking the trend toward more 3-dimensional portrayals, so I wanted to rec a few:

The Boy and the Beast by dira sudis - this is long (>100k words) and has a great Stiles portrayal, plus it's all his POV, so the immature teenager trying to do his best really stands out.  I've rec'd this before, but this list is thematic, so.  Also, I just have to say, dira's writing is so beautifully nuanced that it's like the written version of surroundsound.  On my first read, I mentioned an inconsistency that threw me out of the story (and truthfully might never have bothered anyone else).  She said she'd think about it.  When she was finally done done, I reread from the beginning.  It wasn't until days later that I realized she had fixed my issue, and done it in such a seamless, unobtrusive way that she kept me grounded in the story so that I reread every word as if I had never seen the previous drafts.  AWE.

Line in the Sand by kellifer_fic  - Stiles has to grow up faster than anyone around him wants, Derek will do anything to keep him safe, including discussing the best plan and relying on pack, friends, and acquaintances.  Under 10k words

Wash Me Clean by tigerlady/shetiger - this kind of blew me away.  Stiles is maybe a bit too mature, but I framed it as him rising to Derek's level because he wants the relationship to work.  Lots of relationship negotiation, sharing of feelings, and an entirely-new-to-me portrayal of water sports and why it works.  I am always interested in learning why kinks work for people.  I had previously found a pretty good explanation through White Collar and Glambert fics.  This was revelatory.  Med length, <40k words.

State of Readiness by girlguidejones - this is where I have to thank jerakeen  for compiling and sharing TW recs.  I don't know when I would have found this, if it weren't for her.  She is genuinely my source for all the good in TW. Med length, 40k ish.  Stiles is a teenage boy with all the temptations and struggles that entails, but he's also on the cusp of adulthood, with all the challenges and struggles *that* entails.  Derek is an adult who feels his responsibilities to his pack acutely, and knows he's in love with a kid.  If that means he has to change his ways and express his thoughts and feelings, and mentor his pack, well then, that's what he's going to do.  He's walking a line, and he gets tripped up sometimes, but he never loses sight of the goal.  I kinda love this Derek A LOT.

Pretty Much a Big Deal by dira sudis (just posted last night, short but sweet, <4k words).  Ah, dira.  You make me so happy.  I love this Derek too.  It was supposed to be a "badsex" fic, but there's really nothing bad here.  More relationship negotiation, with a very self-aware Derek.

ION, I had a long drive last week, and reheard Meatloaf's "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" and spent nearly the entire song cackling over what a GREAT Teen Wolf vid this would be.  Alas, I am not a vidder.  If anyone out there loves me enough to make me a vid, this is the one I want! okay? okay!

devildoll  has burst onto the Teen Wolf scene with a sizzling hot 50 Shades AU:

You Were a Kindness When I Was a Stranger

Title: You Were a Kindness When I Was a Stranger
Summary: "It's not all handcuffs and spankings and learning to deep throat."
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Rating: Explicit
Words: ~8,000
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: This is an AU with consensual BDSM sex acts, in which Derek supports Stiles financially in exchange for a sexual relationship. Stiles is of legal age.
Availability: LiveJournal || Dreamwidth || AO3

The best part is she's never read 50 Shades, and she's never written BDSM, but this is still beautifully constructed, and grammatically correct, in addition to being very in character, yummy, and angsty with a happy ending.  I'm guessing 50 Shades would like to be this story when it grows the fuck up. 

I think I read it about 5 min after she posted, and then I went to bed mulling it over (for a big chunk of the night), then I got up and re-read it first thing yesterday morning, and mulled most of the day and into the night again, and if something takes up that much of my brain, then I'm being selfish if I don't rec it, right?  Right.

No werewolves (or vampires) in evidence, just a compelling (and hot) story of boys accidentally falling in love.

Last weekend, I finally saw Inception.  Watched it "On Demand" with DH.  We were hurting for viewing material, and couldn't find anything we both agreed on until this popped up on the menu. 
DH said, "buh? what is it?" 
I did not say, "it's on my list of at least 10 fandoms I'm reading without benefit of canon." 
I did not say, "all the fangirls love the Eames/Arthur." 
I said, "it's supposed to be good, you'll like it.  It's sci-fi, I'll like it." 

So we really enjoyed it.  Lots of action, starts in media res, which was a format I apparently liked even before I found fandom.  It must have come from the mysteries (Nancy Drew, et al).  I used to eat those up as a kid, and there was always the challenge of figuring out something that wasn't being shown directly. Someone once said to me that she couldn't get into the Vorkosigan 'verse because she always felt like she didn't really know the canon.  She was speaking about the actual canon, and the way Bujold tells a story by revealing bits of "known" history randomly, instead of building an orderly backstory from the outset.  /tangent

Anyway, it was a complex, and well-told story.  Lots of layers, just like dreaming.  It's compelling enough to make you keep thinking about it afterward and want to watch it again right away, because you know you'll take away something new on the rewatch.

( Is it really spoilers if you're probably the last person to see it? )
I'm enjoying the Eames/Arthur, but it's so removed from my experience of the movie, it's more like I'm reading original smut stories with characters of the same name.

re-read Hawks and Hands by dira sudis.

For the uninitiated (OMG if you are, you are so going to thank me), 'Hawks and Hands' is an EPIC due South AU, and if you like:

due South
Hockey
Canadian actors
pretty men having sexy times
Quebecois (sp) accents
excellent writing
long reads
AUs
or any combination of the above, you will love this.  You will most likely also love anything else ever written anywhere by dira.  SO. Friday night I was struck by the compulsion to re-read 'Hawks and Hands.'  I did not care that I was 2.5 sheets to the wind, or that it was 2 hrs past my normal bedtime, I had to run to AO3 and search on dira sudis.  Unfortunately, that's about when my head started swimming, so I decided it could wait until morning.  Which came at the normal weekday time of 0500. Oi.  Since I was wide awake, I resumed my search.

I found that dira sudis has been posting a lot lately in MCR (I'm sure were_duck  already knows this and can tell me what the best stories are, but I suspect she'll just say "everything!")  AND dira has recently completed a SERIES in the Vorkosigan 'verse!  I immediately started with the grabby hands.

The World That You Need  is amazing and wonderful and hot and totally true to the characters and doesn't even have a cameo appearance by Miles!  The series is the run-up to the time period of "The Mountains of Mourning" preceding that by no more than 2-3 months. It's all about what Cordelia and Aral are getting up to while Miles is getting ready to graduate.  There is some great outside POV work too - with Armsman Pym and various other armsmen and servants weighing in on the foibles of the Vorkosigan family.  And there is polyamory, in a pristine (Betan), adult form that is far more idealistic than anything I ever experienced.  But I am an idealistic sort, and a dreamer, so this story hits all my happily-ever-after buttons. Hard. I've always admired Cordelia, and dira has magnified that admiration. 

On top of all that, there are even more Vorkosigan 'verse stories by dira sudis! I spent all weekend browsing through the 480 currently posted to AO3 in that fandom, read everything by dira, re-read a couple of old faves by sahiya/lightgetsin, and marvelled that I hadn't thought to explore this fandom in more depth sooner.  I'm always delighted to come across Vorkosigan fanfic, but I've never seriously sought it out.  Do not ask me why. It's a terrible oversight.  Needless to say, the 'Hawks and Hands' re-read will have to wait for another time. 200k+ words is not something to take on lightly.

DAY 3: On your journal, rec three stories, vids or other fanworks that are more than six months old.

Stories, vids or fanworks you've already recced or sent feedback on as part of the challenge do not count for today.

All stories I've got bookmarked at AOOO.

1.  Bones in the Closet by seekergeek  SGA: Lorne/Sheppard (so not my usual pairing, but I love this)

2. The Forest People by seperis  SGA:  McKay/Sheppard (This is spooky, chilling and absolutely beautiful. My heart just clenched for John and Rodney. I love that somewhere, somewhen, they are free and happy together with their team.)

3. The Cheap Trick Acceleration by Liviapenn  Big Bang Theory:  Penny/Sheldon (I am full of geeky, nerdy love for this!)

All three of these authors are solid.  I have no qualms whatsoever about clicking through to anything they've posted :)

china_shopis running the annual fandom appreciation challenge starting today! Yay!

Today's challenge:

DAY 1: Send or leave feedback on three stories by authors you don't know or haven't read before.

These could be authors who are new to your fandom or authors you don't know from other fandoms. You may have seen their names in passing, but you should be reasonably sure, if you can, that you haven't interacted with them much before.

How I fulfilled this challenge (all three were Kradam stories):

El Paso Low by smanthahirr - oooh! Undercover!AU shiny! Link goes to LJ (R for descriptions of violence)

In the making of this movie (Loved ones were harmed) by sapphiredreamsposted on kradamadness - sweet, but not sappy (G)

Til There Was You by sweet_poeia - oh my heart! oh, boys! Link goes to LJ (PG-13 kissing)

So now I know that when I see these authors post, I should give them a try.

Day 28. A fic with a pairing you never thought you'd read

Centre of Attention by pushkin

Really. Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz. I barely know who they are/what they look like, and its RPS! I'm going to have to stop saying I don't read RPS. I typically run into pushkin on Polyamorous Recs, so when I saw this one, I thought I'd give it a shot. If you click through, make sure you're wearing your asbestos undies. It's flaming hot.


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In an effort to catch up a bit more, and because my answers went together (in my wee, nearly non-functioning brain), here are days 23 & 24 at once:

Day 23. A favourite short fic (> 300 words)  This is a newly discovered (by me) story and it just makes me alkasjklfdjkfadhj!

  Eyes That Know Me by seleneheart.  It's Adam/Kris stealth bdsm.

Day 24. One of the first fanfics you read 

Two Player Game by bone  (Sports Night, Dan/Casey/Stacy Kerr-just trust me). I have waxed lyrical about this story many times.  I even did a DVD commentary a few years back.  Just. I love this story.

You know the other thing that's cool about this meme? You get to use ALL the icons! YAY!




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Day 21. A fic currently stuck in your head

I'm going to cheat a little, because the one really stuck in my head is one I have not been able to locate for a month now. I was sure I had first read it on ds_recs, a lj comm that was active for a year (by design). I've searched the whole comm, and googled till I'm blue in the face, but no luck. It's Due South, and I thought it was called "Less a Day." Fraser is sent to jail for a term that is one year less a day, so he can stay in the County lock up instead of going to the State Prison (this is the leniency part of his sentence). It opens with him getting ready to leave (I think?) He had only allowed Ray to visit once a week, and when he gets out, he finally breaks down and cries. The back story of how he came to be in jail is woven through the current day, and as it unfolds, it just makes my heart ache and my fists clench. But alas, I cannot find it, because I'm terrible about bookmarking, and also because I'm almost never in the mood to read something so heart-rending.

So I will link to Regina Revolts by theodosia

Because! Whenever I want to reread this one, I think, "hey, where's that one where Ray is 'the hot guy in the dress' and his panties don't match?" I kid you not, those are the very words every single time! And without the title, this is very hard to do a fic search on. LOLZ

No one in the story points out to Ray that his panties don't match - it's my own commentary. I remember being scandalized that he'd choose those panties with that outfit because my little bit of OCD requires that underthings must always match the outfit. Ray and Fraser, for reasons that don't need exploring at this or any other juncture, are going undercover in drag, and the entire story is the scene of Ray getting ready. It's delightful.


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Day 19. A fic that makes you laugh

No contest, Sittin' in Committee by carleton97 is hilarious with it's "mashup" with School House Rock. Just. Trust me on this. If you're of an age to have experienced SHR on Saturday mornings, you will seriously love this fic.

fandom: West Wing
Pairing: Josh/Donna - practically the only het pairing I read, LOL

It's also freakin' hot with the against-the-wall-desperate-sex, and Awesome!Donna working all the angles, and poor, gobsmacked!Josh going along for the ride. <3333


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Day 15. A fic you've read more than 5 times 

Really, the answer is anything by my favorite authors - i am not afraid to reread something I enjoyed.  In fact, if I've rec'd it in this meme, I've most likely read it more than 5 times (except the white collar - haven't been reading that long enough to get to 5. Yet.).  So instead of pulling something random out, I'm gonna work on catching up a bit and do Day 16 as well.

Day 16. A fic people wouldn’t expect you to like

Die Hard - more of Yuletide treasure, specifically A Better Winter Holiday by healingmirth  for a shorter example and National Pastime by Dira Sudis for a longer, meatier example.  This is probably one of the first ones I read, and Dira is just wonderful, whatever she puts her hand to.

See, I haven't even seen the latest Die Hard movie yet.  And I'm pretty sure most people in RL would not expect me to be a fan of action
flicks, but I really am.  Some. The good ones.  But when I was looking at Yuletide for the first time, just a few years ago, I stumbled upon a few little gems. And now, I await them with glee every year.  Bruce Willis doesn't do it for me every day of the year, but in the dead of winter, yeah baby. He warms me up!  Die Hard is a pretty freaking small fandom.  Is that because it's a movie?  So little source material?  Too much Bruce? ::sigh:: I wouldn't mind a few more of these, but I'm surprisingly happy with the few I've found.


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Day 13. A fic you liked when you were younger

Hmm - I wasn't that young when I started reading fanfic - it's been less than 10 yrs. In the beginning it was all Sports Night and X-Files though. The Sports Night archive on Trickster was this amazing place, and at one point I had read every single thing there (and done a statistical analysis of thethe sex acts Dan & Casey got up to, with a big post about it to the SN yahoo group). This is one of my favorites though - with hot, drunken pretty boys and the way it fleshes out a bit of back story.

Euskadi Six Hour by Sab (although I think it used to be Sabine)

Also, just because it's there at AO3 too: Last Minute Trade by nestra and shrift with it's adorable Sorkinish banter.

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