Merlin recsplash, vid and icon edition
Blargh. I cannot concentrate on polishing SGA fic, so here, have some Merlin vid and icon recs.
WHAT ARE THESE 'MOVING PICTURES' YOU SPEAK OF? DADDY UTHER WANTS TO KNOW
So, I already recced Red (Arthur, Arthur/Merlin), Effigy (Gwen, Gwen/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot), and Empty Hearts (OT4). But this fandom is like a box of chocolates with a second layer underneath, omg, nomnomnom!
My favorite bon-bons:
as the day is fading by lovestories
[Merlin, cast, pairings too numerous to list]
As recced on the OT4 comm, this is a great romp, a fun ensemble piece that turns out to be quite a bit more complicated under the surface than is obvious at first glance. It's also my bedtime vid, sending me off into happy dreams of modern AUs and puppy piles. Mmmmm....
Unsteady Ground by cherryice
[Morgana, cast]
One of the most powerful elements of Merlin is the unspoken, treacherous past that lies beneath the present, thwarting the younger generation's good intentions at almost every turn. Of them all, only Morgana is beginning to really see what they're up against. This is her vision, and I can't get it out of my head.
Soldier by millylicious
[Hunith, Merlin/Arthur sort of]
I keep a light in the window Hunith sends her son off to war, knowing full well that he may accomplish nothing but his own destruction. Afaik, this is the first (and only) Hunith pov vid in the fandom. Short but packs a punch.
Need by newkidfan
[Arthur/Merlin]
Guh. 45s of porno soundtrack to unfocused shots of Colin Morgan's Merlin's neck (and other bits). Arthur stares a lot. So do I. *wipes drool*
Non Lievi Alchun by LithiumDoll
[Morgana, Gwen/Morgana]
A work of art, from the haunting music to the juxtaposed cuts of the myriad ways both Morgana and Gwen struggle against their fate (with Morgana being the obvious one and Gwen counseling caution). When I say "uncompromising", I mean "frickin' amazing".
Elemental by fabella wistful_fever
[Arthur/Nature!Merlin]
Merlin is of the elements and nature, but Arthur binds him to the human world. Which is a tragedy for them both. There are two ways you can take this vid: for the surface beauty only, or for the incredibly complex visual narrative that pulls the most subtle details of the series in something that's as close to a tapestry as I've ever seen in video form. Gorgeous and thinky.
It's Not Over Yet by charmax
[Morgana/Nimueh]
Brilliant cutting. The thread of this feminist reinterpretation is there; it's just one more subtext buried in the inherent mysogeny of the show. I never expected anyone would be able to draw it out and just lay it on the screen like this. Alternate title: Nimeuh pwns you, you just don't know it yet.
9 Crimes by bloodfusion
[Arthur/Merlin]
Is that all right? Sometimes you just want a beautiful, heartrending, angsty romance. You pick up a story by one of your favorite authors... and realize it's built of nothing but actual series scenes, reordered and refocused to bring out the minutest change in expression, the tiniest flicker of emotion. I fell in love with the intro, with its softened, de-saturated clips and its slow-motion reveals of Merlin's expressions, but it was Arthur's battle with himself that sealed my fate.
...and ladies with pretty hair by hollywoodgrrl
[Merlin/Legend of the Seeker, cast, gen-ish]
I am not overly fond of crossover vids, and it would be a lie to say I'm fond of this one. I WANT TO HAVE ITS BABIES, OKAY? I WANT TO LICK IT. (And if you've watched it, you know just how utterly perverse I must be.) As hollywoodgrrl says, it's very Mortal Kombat. The song has this insane rhythm and these bizarre lyrics and it just makes two very pretty but relatively low-budget shows look like they have the production values of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. *licks screen*
Half Sick of Shadows by danegen
[Morgana, Merlin]
Conscious of nothing but the will to survive I honestly cannot get enough Morgana retellings where her pov reveals a series that is unutterably darker and more severe than the one we've been following. In this version, she's watching from windows and through curtains, as is Merlin (sometimes), but they never seem to find a common ground despite their mutual suffering. Maybe because Morgana is currently powerless to change anything and Merlin helps keep her like that? Song choice = A+++, and the cutting was smooth as honey and darkly compelling.
Secret Discovered ( Part 2, Part 3) by analyst_1
[cast, gen]
I'm rather fond of experimental styles, and this definitely falls into that category. It's a surprisingly straightforward AU in which Merlin is caught doing magic and Uther orders his execution. I found the plot both easy to follow and intriguing, especially in the first two parts, and the cutting's pretty convincing most of the way through, though there are moments when the ears of certain people who should be in the dungeon are just visible at the edge of the screen ^_^. The vidder suggests you read her written interpretation, but I found that completely unnecessary. There's no dl link; the only way to watch it is embedded. I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT YOUR NORMAL KIND OF VID. Try it when you're in the mood for a story.
Anyone got Saint Lance vids to rec? I'm feelin' the lack.
And Gwen. More Gwen would be good.
(mostly) Gwen icons for great justice
It's rather hard to find good Gwen icons, by which I mean icons that don't have her small and distant or partly cut out of the frame or with her head tipped down in a subservient way. Someday I will discuss why these things bother me. Today, I will simply point to the good stuff.
And of course you've all seen the Argentinian bank commercial with the Trans woman? If only the US were this awesome. (Thanks, kaizoku!)
And, finally, a thought: I want to do vid meta liek woah, where we talk about each little clip and effect and why the vidder chose to do what and the result and crazy stuff like that. WHO WOULD JOIN ME? Also, vidders, would you prefer to be asked in advance about discussing your work, or do you not care? What is the protocol for this sort of thing? (I've only ever seen sga_talk, and what I'm envisioning isn't quite a round table discussion, though it could become one.)
WHAT ARE THESE 'MOVING PICTURES' YOU SPEAK OF? DADDY UTHER WANTS TO KNOW
So, I already recced Red (Arthur, Arthur/Merlin), Effigy (Gwen, Gwen/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot), and Empty Hearts (OT4). But this fandom is like a box of chocolates with a second layer underneath, omg, nomnomnom!
My favorite bon-bons:
as the day is fading by lovestories
[Merlin, cast, pairings too numerous to list]
As recced on the OT4 comm, this is a great romp, a fun ensemble piece that turns out to be quite a bit more complicated under the surface than is obvious at first glance. It's also my bedtime vid, sending me off into happy dreams of modern AUs and puppy piles. Mmmmm....
Unsteady Ground by cherryice
[Morgana, cast]
One of the most powerful elements of Merlin is the unspoken, treacherous past that lies beneath the present, thwarting the younger generation's good intentions at almost every turn. Of them all, only Morgana is beginning to really see what they're up against. This is her vision, and I can't get it out of my head.
Soldier by millylicious
[Hunith, Merlin/Arthur sort of]
I keep a light in the window Hunith sends her son off to war, knowing full well that he may accomplish nothing but his own destruction. Afaik, this is the first (and only) Hunith pov vid in the fandom. Short but packs a punch.
Need by newkidfan
[Arthur/Merlin]
Guh. 45s of porno soundtrack to unfocused shots of Colin Morgan's Merlin's neck (and other bits). Arthur stares a lot. So do I. *wipes drool*
Non Lievi Alchun by LithiumDoll
[Morgana, Gwen/Morgana]
A work of art, from the haunting music to the juxtaposed cuts of the myriad ways both Morgana and Gwen struggle against their fate (with Morgana being the obvious one and Gwen counseling caution). When I say "uncompromising", I mean "frickin' amazing".
Elemental by fabella wistful_fever
[Arthur/Nature!Merlin]
Merlin is of the elements and nature, but Arthur binds him to the human world. Which is a tragedy for them both. There are two ways you can take this vid: for the surface beauty only, or for the incredibly complex visual narrative that pulls the most subtle details of the series in something that's as close to a tapestry as I've ever seen in video form. Gorgeous and thinky.
It's Not Over Yet by charmax
[Morgana/Nimueh]
Brilliant cutting. The thread of this feminist reinterpretation is there; it's just one more subtext buried in the inherent mysogeny of the show. I never expected anyone would be able to draw it out and just lay it on the screen like this. Alternate title: Nimeuh pwns you, you just don't know it yet.
9 Crimes by bloodfusion
[Arthur/Merlin]
Is that all right? Sometimes you just want a beautiful, heartrending, angsty romance. You pick up a story by one of your favorite authors... and realize it's built of nothing but actual series scenes, reordered and refocused to bring out the minutest change in expression, the tiniest flicker of emotion. I fell in love with the intro, with its softened, de-saturated clips and its slow-motion reveals of Merlin's expressions, but it was Arthur's battle with himself that sealed my fate.
...and ladies with pretty hair by hollywoodgrrl
[Merlin/Legend of the Seeker, cast, gen-ish]
I am not overly fond of crossover vids, and it would be a lie to say I'm fond of this one. I WANT TO HAVE ITS BABIES, OKAY? I WANT TO LICK IT. (And if you've watched it, you know just how utterly perverse I must be.) As hollywoodgrrl says, it's very Mortal Kombat. The song has this insane rhythm and these bizarre lyrics and it just makes two very pretty but relatively low-budget shows look like they have the production values of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. *licks screen*
Half Sick of Shadows by danegen
[Morgana, Merlin]
Conscious of nothing but the will to survive I honestly cannot get enough Morgana retellings where her pov reveals a series that is unutterably darker and more severe than the one we've been following. In this version, she's watching from windows and through curtains, as is Merlin (sometimes), but they never seem to find a common ground despite their mutual suffering. Maybe because Morgana is currently powerless to change anything and Merlin helps keep her like that? Song choice = A+++, and the cutting was smooth as honey and darkly compelling.
Secret Discovered ( Part 2, Part 3) by analyst_1
[cast, gen]
I'm rather fond of experimental styles, and this definitely falls into that category. It's a surprisingly straightforward AU in which Merlin is caught doing magic and Uther orders his execution. I found the plot both easy to follow and intriguing, especially in the first two parts, and the cutting's pretty convincing most of the way through, though there are moments when the ears of certain people who should be in the dungeon are just visible at the edge of the screen ^_^. The vidder suggests you read her written interpretation, but I found that completely unnecessary. There's no dl link; the only way to watch it is embedded. I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT YOUR NORMAL KIND OF VID. Try it when you're in the mood for a story.
Anyone got Saint Lance vids to rec? I'm feelin' the lack.
And Gwen. More Gwen would be good.
(mostly) Gwen icons for great justice
It's rather hard to find good Gwen icons, by which I mean icons that don't have her small and distant or partly cut out of the frame or with her head tipped down in a subservient way. Someday I will discuss why these things bother me. Today, I will simply point to the good stuff.
- inwhatfurnace (cast, including Lancelot)
- killcolor (cast [mostly eps 1-4] + Dr Who)
- letmypidgeonsgo (cast, ep 1)
- ingridcons (&Morgana, ep 10)
- zoicite_icons (cast + pretty backgrounds)
- carpenyx (cast [mostly Morgana] + Angelina Jolie, SGA, Wanted)
- lovepb (&Morgana)
- fandom_obsessed (&Morgana, Nimueh + various other fandoms)
And of course you've all seen the Argentinian bank commercial with the Trans woman? If only the US were this awesome. (Thanks, kaizoku!)
And, finally, a thought: I want to do vid meta liek woah, where we talk about each little clip and effect and why the vidder chose to do what and the result and crazy stuff like that. WHO WOULD JOIN ME? Also, vidders, would you prefer to be asked in advance about discussing your work, or do you not care? What is the protocol for this sort of thing? (I've only ever seen sga_talk, and what I'm envisioning isn't quite a round table discussion, though it could become one.)