Happy Obsessiversary to Me!
Apr. 15th, 2002 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
corilannamIn the midst of trying to juggle my many current obsessions, I'm taking a break to remember a year ago today, when Lanning, the Poor Enabling Roommate, was hunting fruitlessly for something on TV, and happened to stop on A&E just in time to see "Mutiny," the first in the new series of Horatio Hornblower movies.
People had been telling me for years how slashy the first movies were, and it's not that I didn't believe them. It was just that a miniseries about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars held almost no historical or entertainment interest for me, so I'd never bothered with it. Within half an hour, I knew how wrong I'd been. I watched "Mutiny" and was all aquiver by the time "Retribution" came on immediately after. A&E aired "Retribution" four times that night, and I watched each one.
I've never managed to write anything in the fandom, but I'm still helplessly in love. Watching my DVDs of the last two movies--which I bought before I had a DVD player, and then had to buy the player just so I could watch them--I'm having fun remembering all the reasons I fell for Hornblower in the first place.
Just the battle sequence at the Spanish fort in "Retribution" has so many things to love:
--Bush's confusion and annoyance as Horatio hares off on yet another intuitive leap
--Wellard's adorable "What?" as the other officers look at him at the tunnel grating
--the subsequent dropping of Wellard into the tunnel
--Archie's physically impossible but impossibly sexy shot that picked off the Spanish sniper on the tower. Archie's hot when he's fired up. And--nose scrunch!
--the comedic action in the tunnel battle
--Bush's expression when Horatio and Co. come strolling out of the fort
--Bush's hoarse "Renowns, to me!" immediately after above
--Styles!
And jumping ahead a little:
--Bush and Archie bonding to tease Horatio over the cannons
--And again over his fear of heights: "I remember when you were afraid of heights, Mr. Hornblower!" "Nothing's changed, Mr. Kennedy!"
--And again to save Horatio's life: "Are you both out of your minds??" "Very possibly, but we thought you could use the company!"
--The reams of unspoken communication between Horatio and Archie, never better than as they strip to jump off the cliff, dragging poor Bush between them.
*happy sigh*
I won't be so happy when we get to the end and I start crying like a little girl, but for now, I'm in ecstatic indulgence mode. *g*
No, the TPM story isn't going to get finished tonight, I fear
People had been telling me for years how slashy the first movies were, and it's not that I didn't believe them. It was just that a miniseries about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars held almost no historical or entertainment interest for me, so I'd never bothered with it. Within half an hour, I knew how wrong I'd been. I watched "Mutiny" and was all aquiver by the time "Retribution" came on immediately after. A&E aired "Retribution" four times that night, and I watched each one.
I've never managed to write anything in the fandom, but I'm still helplessly in love. Watching my DVDs of the last two movies--which I bought before I had a DVD player, and then had to buy the player just so I could watch them--I'm having fun remembering all the reasons I fell for Hornblower in the first place.
Just the battle sequence at the Spanish fort in "Retribution" has so many things to love:
--Bush's confusion and annoyance as Horatio hares off on yet another intuitive leap
--Wellard's adorable "What?" as the other officers look at him at the tunnel grating
--the subsequent dropping of Wellard into the tunnel
--Archie's physically impossible but impossibly sexy shot that picked off the Spanish sniper on the tower. Archie's hot when he's fired up. And--nose scrunch!
--the comedic action in the tunnel battle
--Bush's expression when Horatio and Co. come strolling out of the fort
--Bush's hoarse "Renowns, to me!" immediately after above
--Styles!
And jumping ahead a little:
--Bush and Archie bonding to tease Horatio over the cannons
--And again over his fear of heights: "I remember when you were afraid of heights, Mr. Hornblower!" "Nothing's changed, Mr. Kennedy!"
--And again to save Horatio's life: "Are you both out of your minds??" "Very possibly, but we thought you could use the company!"
--The reams of unspoken communication between Horatio and Archie, never better than as they strip to jump off the cliff, dragging poor Bush between them.
*happy sigh*
I won't be so happy when we get to the end and I start crying like a little girl, but for now, I'm in ecstatic indulgence mode. *g*
No, the TPM story isn't going to get finished tonight, I fear
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
At last.... :-)
Date: 2002-04-18 11:32 am (UTC)I hope you don't mind me writing to you, but I was searching through LJ looking for other Hornblower obsessives and on reading the above post I just had to say something!!! I agree totally with all your points - just reading them had made me want to go and watch 'Mutiny' and 'Retribution' again hehe. I only discovered Hornblower when they showed 'Mutiny' over here a few weeks ago - it seems that England was rather later showing them compared with the US! And I am now *completely* addicted and can't find anyone else to talk to about it grrrrrr!! Needless to say I bought the first 4 videos as well (and also a telvision/video player so I could watch them!!) and am in love with the whole thing totally and utterly.
AGH I know this is a mad rambling post that doesn't make a whole lot of sense but just generally excited about finding someone who noticed all the same things I did, so forgive me! If you want to get in contact I have a LJ (username la_reine_bleu) and my email address is la_reine_bleu@hotmail.com. Will stop being obsessive and babbling now and leave you in peace, but hope to hear from you somewhen!
Anna :-)
no subject
Date: 2002-04-18 11:35 am (UTC)Anna