Vid recs (for superduperkc)

[amathela]

superduperkc said she'd like vid recs, but not tailored to her interests - as she said, "because vidding is one of my interests, I will watch almost anything in almost any fandom." And that struck a chord with me, because increasingly, so will I. When I first started watching vids, I stuck to fandoms I loved, and then to fandoms I was familiar with, and have got to the point now where I love watching vids even - sometimes especially - in fandoms I know nothing about. (And I'm sure I'm not the only person who has discovered, or rediscovered, love for a fandom via watching vids.) So, with that in my mind, I decided to put together a themed rec list - vids from shows I had never seen, or had watched a bit of but wasn't really fannish about. And somewhere along the line, this morphed into a fantasy playlist of vids for fandoms I'm not in (or wasn't, at the time of first viewing).

For superduperkc: I hope there are vids here you haven't seen, and that you enjoy your recs as much as I enjoyed putting them together.


Vid recs: Unfamiliar fandoms


The Clapping Song by halcyon_shift (NCIS)

What I learned from this vid: They hit each other. A lot.

If you've been following my last few posts, you'll know that I recently fell in love with NCIS. Well, it's all this vid's fault. I'm not normally a big fan of procedurals, but I figured I didn't need to know the fandom to enjoy the vid. It turns out, I was right. It also turns out, NCIS is awesome. One of the things I love about the show is its sense of humour, and this vid captures that perfectly - watch, love, squee. They fight because they care.


Invincible by halcyon_shift (Burn Notice)

What I learned from this vid: Fiona is awesome.

I'd been vaguely aware of Burn Notice since it started airing, as something that sounded possibly interesting but didn't quite pull me in. But I love lithiumdoll's vids, so, desperate for more, I branched out into unfamiliar territory, and found this one. Burn Notice is now, predictably, on my list of Shows I Must Watch. The vid is Fiona from Michael's point of view, and it's brilliant - having not seen more than five minutes of the show in total, I could probably tell you just about everything I needed to know about their relationship from the vid alone. (In short, Fiona kicks ass, and Michael wants her almost as much as she scares the crap out of him, and it's sexy and adorable and I love them already.)


Bad Day by xandra_ptv (X Files)

What I learned from this vid: Mulder and Scully have a lot of bad days.

I used to watch X Files back in the day, and Mulder/Scully was one of my very first ships, so there was no way I wasn't going to love this vid. It's not an overtly shippy vid, but it's so perfectly them, in an awesome blend of action and angst and friendship that makes me watch the vid over and over again.


I Hear The Bells by xandra_ptv (West Wing)

What I learned from this vid: Life in the West Wing is more eventful than you'd think.

Like The X Files, I watched The West Wing up until around the time I went to uni, so I'd only really seen the first couple of seasons. This vid made me want to watch the rest - it's Josh's journey, from PTSD to Donna to the Santos campaign and all the way back to the White House. But more than that, it's just a really awesome vid, and even more impressive from a fandom that's often said to be unviddable.


They by xandra_ptv (Big Love)

What I learned from this vid: Polygamy is hard.

I first encountered Big Love a couple of years ago in the U.S., and at first I didn't know quite what to think; on one hand, it sounded like something so unlike anything I'd be interested in, but on the other, I was hearing really good things about it, which made me almost wish I'd started watching. Since then, I've thought vaguely about checking it out, so when I saw this vid, I knew enough about the fandom to understand what was happening, and to want to watch it. I'm really glad I did - even without knowing anything about these characters and their situation other than the basic premise of the show, it's an excellent, moving vid; one that introduced me to the characters and made me care about them, all within the space of a few minutes.


Life Begin Again by barkley (Life)

What I learned from this vid: Charlie really wants a second chance.

Like a lot of these fandoms, I knew nothing about Life other than the premise - Charlie went to jail (even though he was innocent?), was released, and started (resumed?) working for the police. Even with that sketchy understanding, I loved this vid - the parallels, the visuals, the repetition. Season one only had a few episodes, but if they're as good as this vid, I might have to check them out.


Summer In The City by halcyon_shift (Traveler)

What I learned from this vid: Will Traveler makes his friends' lives a lot more interesting, in pretty much the worst way possible.

Traveler was another fandom that was vaguely on my radar; all I knew about it, really, beyond the basic premise - two college friends are framed for terrorism, possibly by their other friend, and when they try to track him down, it's like he never existed - was the fact that it starred Trey from The O.C. (I learned, later, that it also stars Bryce from Chuck, who I love even more.) That knowledge was enough to make me track down this vid, and the vid was enough to make me track down the series. Both were excellent choices.


I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by charmax (Life On Mars/Ashes To Ashes)

What I learned from this vid: The 70's and 80's are a lot of fun. (If you're not Sam Tyler, probably.)

Things I knew about Life On Mars: It stars John Simm. He somehow travels (maybe) back to the 70's, and the premise reminded me a lot of Goodnight Sweetheart, a show I used to love. That alone was enough to make me pretty sure I should watch it, and having seen this vid, I'm now one step closer. Which is - a good thing? I have too many damn fandoms. Regardless of all that, though, this is an excellent vid.


Paul McCartney by jarrow (Will And Grace)

What I learned from this vid: They're kind of ridiculous. But they really do love each other.

Another fandom I knew enough about to feel comfortable watching vids, having seen a few episodes here and there over the years. You really don't need to know anything about the show to enjoy this vid, though - it's bouncy, and fun, and just about the gayest thing ever. With dancing.


Steady As She Goes by obsessive24 (Ugly Betty)

What I learned from this vid: Marc is fabulous.

I started watching Ugly Betty when it first aired, though I didn't really keep up after the first few episodes. Still, obsessive24 is one of those vidders I'll follow to just about any fandom, so I eagerly downloaded and watched this, and I'm glad - it's funny and affectionate and poignant, and I love Marc.


Bukowski by astolat (House)

What I learned from this vid: House is kind of an asshole. Seriously.

I'm sure everyone and their best friend has seen this vid, but I'm reccing it anyway. I loved House when it first aired, but only watched the first season - and I'm glad I did, if only so I could watch this vid. It's House from Wilson's point of view, and says a lot about both characters, and their relationship, complete with wit and pathos.


Ragged Ass Road by f1renze (Prison Break)

What I learned from this vid: Michael Scofield would do just about anything for his brother.

Another vid I watched despite not really being interested in the fandom, and another vid that (almost) makes me want to watch the show. It's visually stunning, taking you through Michael's journey in an amazing way - first, just trying to save his brother, and later, trying to find a way to survive and get them both out alive.


Zebra by astolat (Due South)

What I learned from this vid: Kowalski never stops moving.

Due South was another show I watched when I was younger; I remember loving Paul Gross (still do), and watching just up until the point where Callum Keith Rennie entered and being duly confused. Now, knowing who CKR is - and having watched astolat's vid - I have a new appreciation for his character, even without going back and watching the series. I probably will, though. The vid, like Kowalski, is fast and frenetic, never really slowing down, and is pretty much awesome.


In These Shoes by counteragent (Alias)

What I learned from this vid: Girls kick ass (says so on the t-shirt).

I'm not really a fan of Jennifer Garner, which may be why I never watched Alias; still, given the chance to watch a vid about female friendship and girls kicking ass, I didn't hesitate. I'm glad I didn't - this vid delivered on everything it promised, and may even end up sucking me into the show. Dammit.


Big City Life by halcyon_shift (Dark Angel)

What I learned from this vid: It's all good, all the time.

I really, really love this vid. It's probably the reason I finally sat down and made myself watch the show; the vid covers the entire series - Max and Manticore and Logan, Alec and Joshua and Original Cindy and the transgenics - and I wanted to be able to watch it and actually know the people and events it was talking about. While this netted me a shiny new fandom, it didn't actually make me enjoy the vid any more, even if I can now enjoy it on a new level - even with a passing familiarity with the show, or none at all, it's a fantastic vid, and everything you really need to know is contained within the vid itself. Did I mention how much I love it?


And a bonus vid:


SexyBack by dayln03 (Queer As Folk)

What I learned form this vid: Brian Kinney really is all that.

Because I know you've seen this, but it rounds out my collection of unfamiliar fandom vids. Plus, it's hot as hell, and a fun way to end the list.


Want your own vid recs? Just ask me.