That time I met Zachary Levi

Yes. Yes. I did.

Yeah, so if you haven't seen me fangirling about it on Facebook or Twitter, I saw "Once" and "First Date" on Broadway this weekend, and I met Zachary Levi, not once, but twice.

Zac -- because like I know him or something -- has kinda been my nerd boyfriend for years now. Every year at Comic-Con, seeing him has been a priority, whether at the convention center or at his off-site Nerd HQ event. Last year we had front-row seats for all three Nerd HQ panels we went to, including his solo panel.

So when I heard he was gonna be in "First Date," a new musical on Broadway, I was definitely not going to miss it.

As close as we were gonna get
to Arthur Darvill. Sadface.

Side note: And I thought, What the hell? Might as well see "Once," too, since (a) it's one of my favorite movies and soundtracks ever and (b) it currently stars Arthur Darvill, "Doctor Who's" Rory (A.K.A. the one shining light from the Eleven era, IMHO).
"Once" is highly enjoyable. Nothing can match the movie, but it's well done. AND the audience can go up on the stage -- set like a pub -- before the show and grab a drink. How often can you say you were literally on a Broadway stage?! And you know what? Darvill was surprisingly good, too. I knew he had singing experience, but the cynic in me wasn't expecting much. I'm glad I was wrong. He was great. But I was really sad he didn't come out after the show and greet fans at the stage door.

Anyway. Back to Zac.

So after "Once," we were making our way through the crowd around Broadway Barks, a big pet-related event the shows do, and whom do I see just hanging out on the street? Zachary. Levi.

This is what you get when you wear a star's
T-shirt line when you meet him on the street.

So I calmlynotcalmly went over. When I got his attention, he noticed my Nerd Machine shirt (his line of merchandise), which I had worn intentionally for the show that night. But yay, double high-fives from him because of it! Then, he told me how the stage-door line is set up and where I should stand and warned me it might be a while after the show, and I feel bad because I kinda was only half listening because ZACHARY LEVI. And then I told him to break a leg and thanked him and walked away and then at a safe distance from him, proceeded to freak the eff out.

His show, by the way, is really cute, set entirely on one blind date. It's in previews, so there are some tweaks to make, but he is really great in it. Lotsa shades of Chuck Bartowski. He brought the house down with his big solo number, and really seemed to appreciate the long ovation he got.

Zac: "I saw you earlier!" Me: *dies*

Later, after the show at the stage door, Zac remembered me! (Thank you, yellow Nerd Machine shirt!) And I asked him how he's going to manage doing Nerd HQ this week. Short answer: He's skipping a week of previews. (Long, cute answer here in this video.)

He could not have been more gracious and patient and nice both times we talked. Super down-to-earth and had a conversation with all his fans after the show.

Meeting him more than made up for skipping Comic-Con this year, so, thank you for that, Zac!

Once again, I swear I am not a stalker. Indeed, some of these guys I just stumble upon by chance. And now that I've met him and Richard Armitage and the other guys below, I wonder who I'll meet next! (I wouldn't say no to meeting Henry Cavill. Just saying.)

The year in review

With 2012 over, I thought I'd do my own "best of" list. Not everything here was released in 2012, but I did see it this year and since this is my list, I'll make my own rules.

Books

Code Name Verity. Two awesome, distinct heroines in World War II Britain. I mean, it's totally right up my alley. I love the structure of this book -- I think to say more would spoil it. But it's witty and touching and I got sniffly on the bus when I read it so I'm sure people were like, What's up with her? Here's the book trailer (which, btw, I enjoy book trailers; this one is really cool.)

The Fault in Our Stars. I've written about this book before. It's about two teenage cancer patients, but it's not a cancer book. Funny, poignant and sad. I cried and cried after reading it and then couldn't settle into a new book for days after -- always a good sign of a great book. I want to read it again, but I dunno if I can handle it.

Bitterblue. A fantasy-ish book that's part of the Graceling series, so you should probably read "Graceling" first. That book is good -- about a medieval-ish kingdom in which some people have particular gifts. Bitterblue is set 10 years later, centering on a young queen. The part I find really interesting is its focus on how the queen's kingdom tries to recover from its horrific recent past.

Music

The Civil Wars. I want to say some celebrity on Twitter -- Sophia Bush or Scott Porter or someone -- mentioned loving the Civil Wars, and so I checked 'em out. And boy did I fall in love. Haunting harmonies and emotional vocals. LOVE. And I was all, Man, next time they come to D.C., I'm totally going to see them ... and then they decided to pretty much call it quits. Sigh. Just my luck.

Helen Jane Long. She's filed under New Age on iTunes, I think, but her instrumentals are just lovely. Quiet and relaxing. I like to listen to it at night before I go to sleep. Which sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I don't mean it to be. I want to get one of her songs on sheet music and learn it, even though I don't have a piano readily available.

Movies

The First Grader. This movie is streaming on Netflix. Go watch it. It's about this elderly man in Africa who enrolls in elementary school so that he can learn to read. Sniffles abound. Seriously. Sniffles. If you need more convincing, Naomi Harris, who stars in "Skyfall," co-stars here. Such a tearjerker of a movie. But heartwarming too...

Avengers. The one-liners and cadence of Joss Whedon's script and Marvel together means, dang, I loved this movie.

Lincoln. Mostly it's because it's like "The West Wing -- Civil War Edition." Plus it inspired and/or capped my family's exploration of Virginia's Civil War history. We recently toured the "White House of the Confederacy" in Richmond, then Petersburg's battlefield site, then followed Lee's Retreat to Appomattox and ended at Appomattox Court House to see where he surrendered.

Drama

Nashville. My favorite new show of the season. I can't remember the last time I liked Hayden Panettiere -- wait. Yes, I do. I liked her in "Remember the Titans." But she's good here, really -- and of course so is Tami Taylor, er, Connie Britton. Plus the music is awesome. I would've put the soundtrack up in the music category, but I just got it and I don't want to put it on the list without repeat listens at this point.

One Man, Two Guvnors. Okay this isn't a TV show, it was a play on Broadway, but it was fantastic. Quite possibly the best play I've ever seen. The first time I saw this farce -- about a big lunkhead who has to balance have two masters -- I thought it was hilarious. Then next two times just slightly less so -- mostly because you realize where the improv is and where the scripted bits are. But you also see how hard the cast works to make the scripted bits seem unscripted.

Downton Abbey. Watch Season 3 starting Sunday on PBS. No spoilers, but there are some WTF moments. That's all I'm saying. I agree with this review that says that whereas the second season was wobbly but ended strong with the Christmas special, this one is the opposite. Still highly watchable and addictive. Season hasn't even premiered here yet and I've already watched it twice....

But you don't have to take my word for it....

Butterfly in the sky.... God, didn't you love "Reading Rainbow"? It was one of my very favorite shows growing up. The episode about New York City at night? Awesome! The one where LeVar takes us to the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? Unforgettable! I always wanted to be one of those lucky kids who got to spend a few seconds talking about a book they loved.

Now the last few weeks have been sometimes stressful, sometimes fun but super busy, so haven't had much to talk about. So when that happens I'm just gonna do a BYDHTTMWFI (see blog post title) about the things I'm into lately. Bottom line: They're all cool.

Books

The Raven Boys. I'm a huge fan of supernatural TV shows, but for some reason supernatural/fantasy books are a really hard sell (Harry Potter excluded): weird names, silly-sounding places, dumb powers. But Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Boys" -- about a group of boys searching for a lost Welsh king in Virginia, of all places -- is great. Love the characters (Adam, a book version of Matt Saracen = swoon), intrigued by the Welsh mythology, liked the prose. Now I have to wait for the next book. Argh.

When the Game Was Ours. I generally knew Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are basketball icons but never knew much else about them. This book tracks not only their careers but also their rivalry -- and how it made each of them a better player. Loved this book. Loved.

Movies

Pitch Perfect. Go see this movie. It's like a cappella meets Bring It On. The story is run-of-the-mill: Anna Kendrick (my love for her knows no bounds) is an alterna-girl who joins a ragtag a cappella group seeking glory. But it's exactly what I wanted: cute and fun and musical. Though, warning, it's gross in parts. Now I wish I could sing. It is a-ca-awesome.

The Art of the Steal. Fascinating documentary about the Barnes art collection that was outside Philly (kicking myself I never saw it when I lived there) and now is in a new home in the Philadelphia Museum of Art -- despite the fact that the original owner explicitly said his collection should never leave its home or be part of the museum. Ever. Interesting because of its look at art and who owns it and how it's acquired-- the politics behind it. I must say, I'm conflicted about going to see the collection at some point. On one hand, it's amazing art. On the other, well, just watch the movie....

TV

Bomb Girls. A Canadian show on the Reelz channel about women working in a Canadian munitions factory while the boys fight in World War II? Sold. Duh. The clothes! The hair! The drama! It's like "Homefront" (an old fave) without Jeff (Kyle Chandler) and Ginger, a.k.a. The Best Couple Ever.

Downton Abbey. This third season? Trumps the second season by far. Squeee!

Hope you check these out. But you don't have to take my word for it....

A comic-con grows in Baltimore

If you're amazed there's not a T-shirt
in my haul from the Baltimore con,
I am too. (Credit: Me)

Yesterday I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con -- a first for me, which is weird since I live just an hour away and it's relatively easy to get to, even without a car. You'd think I would've gone years ago as a primer, building up to the mega-huge one in San Diego and the biggish one in New York. But true to my nature, if I really like something, I'm not one to dip my toe in, so I jumped into the deep end first and am only just now going to the smaller shows.

Now in Baltimore I did see Stan Lee, heretofore known as my nerd grandpa, when he passed us on the floor, with a lone guard as his escort. But there was no crowd chasing him. And besides him, there were no A-list celebrities. No must-see TV/movie panels or exclusive clips or previews or screenings. There were no corporate publicity stunts or huge booths, such as Marvel's, with all the different Iron Man suits or Odin's throne. There was no flashy swag.

But I could stand on the convention floor, stretch my arms out wide and not hit anyone. I didn't have to get there at dawn to fall in line to just get in the building. No opening multiple browsers on my computer  -- months before the actual con -- and waiting breathlessly and praying to the Comic-Con gods to get passes. I bought my ticket for the Baltimore con on Thursday night for $20. My friend just walked up to the window when we got there and bought hers.

Heck, we didn't even have actual badges, although I saw a Stan Lee VIP passholder who had a badge (for $200, you should get a badge). No, we got a blue paper wristband -- not even branded! *clutches pearls* -- which I promptly tore. Can you imagine what would happen in San Diego if people just had easily breakable wristbands? Chaos would reign. Thousands would wangle their way inside with a bracelet they found lying in the street. (It's a good thing we didn't have a badge anyway, because I didn't bring a supercool lanyard to go with it.)

Sometimes in San Diego you walk by the comics vendors and there aren't that many people there, which makes me feel guilty. At this one it was sometimes hard (relatively speaking) to get through people to browse through boxes of comics. Yay! I always tend to go to the trade paperbacks instead of individual issues, so I bagged "The Walking Dead" vols 1 and 2. Discount copies of "Locke & Key" -- a series I enjoy lots -- eluded me again.

Closer look at my treasures. The pins, from left: K-9;
a deer head that says "Expecto patronum";
a gas mask says "Are you my Mummy?"
(Credit: Me)

I also got a bracelet made from a comic book page, (at a museum before the con, I got a pendant with comics in it: one side says "Zoink!"; the other, "Voo-vroom!"), fun decals and buttons. And NO T-shirts. That in itself is a major milestone for me. Now there were many, many shirts I wanted, but I restrained myself. A "Eureka"-themed one called out to me like a siren, but alas, it was made for tiny people.

Anyway, the vibe was just as cool and accepting as at San Diego -- without all the hassles of lines or jostling for space or the exorbitant travel costs. People weren't shy about asking to stop a Dalek cosplayer to take a photo or where you got your cool shirt or just how many times an artist watched "Doctor Who" (the Ten years) to make that awesome pixel art poster showing every character who appeared in those seasons -- in chronological episode order. Basically, you're just free to be a geek without judgment, which is the best thing about any convention.

Washington is getting its own con in April. You can bet I'll be going.

Comic-Con 2012: Mission accomplished, baby!

So, Comic-Con 2012 is over and done with, and all that's left is catching up on the panels/interviews I missed there and reading recaps of the ones I did see. I will say this: That previous post about my Plan A? Totally checked 'em all off my list, and then some. I couldn't ask for a better (last?) Con. I won't go through it day by day because that's boring, so here's a long list of superlatives:

A teary-eyed "Firefly" reunion: Nathan Fillion, Joss Whedon,
Summer Glau, Sean Maher. (Credit: Me)

Best panel: The "Firefly" 10th anniversary panel was worth getting in line at 5 a.m. In fact we should've gotten there earlier, because Joss Whedon came out to see fans and we missed it and I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine. I'm FINE. Anyway, the panel itself was fantastic: teary, funny, sweet. After all these years, the cast members still have chemistry. The SDCC folks seriously must've underestimated interest in this panel the line was unbelievably long -- and deservedly so. 


Most revelatory panel: Psych at Nerd HQ. (Click the link to watch the full panel.) I didn't realize it last year, but in an intimate setting this year, it seemed like Dule Hill was the funny one and James Roday was the straight man, when it's the other way around on the show. 


Most feel-good panel: Nathan Fillion at Nerd HQ. (Click the link to watch the full panel.) He brought up Adam Baldwin to join him, and the two were obviously enjoying themselves. Also seeing them kiss Zachary Levi for $1,000 donation to Operation Smile was pretty funny too. (Side note: Had my sister not been there, I might've coughed up the money to kiss Zac, too. Cooler heads prevailed.)

RUN!!! (Credit: Me)

Scariest moment: I hate heights, so at Petco Park during the Walking Dead Escape obstacle course, the rope net we had to climb down while watching for zombies below was not fun. Not. Fun. At. All. ...


Superhero moment: ... However, the rest of the obstacle course was pretty awesome. I can say that now that I'm not wheezing my way through it. Seriously hard, folks. Seriously. But I did surprise myself by vaulting -- vaulting! -- over a zombie's hands to escape contamination. Watching the video it's not all that superheroic, but it was in my head.

Rockin' the Fringe swag.
 (Credit: Joy)

Coolest swag: At the final "Fringe" panel (the show ends this season), they gave out pretty sweet gray fedoras like the ones the show's creepy Observers wear. Neato!


Coolest souvenir bought: Tie. A super cute limited-edition Comic-Con Domo T-shirt. Also an equally super cute limited-edition canvas Nerd messenger bag at Nerd HQ. 


Biggest regret: See first item about missing Joss Whedon. I'm FINE.

My boyfriend Richard Armitage. (Credit: Me)

My Beatles moment: Seeing Richard Armitage on stage for the Hobbit panel. Not only is he handsome (DUH), but I'm so happy he'll be getting more press in America in the coming months. Comic-Con is just the start, y'all. Get on board.


Cutest guy (besides Richard Armitage): Zachary Levi (see last item below). Runner-up: Henry Cavill is quite a looker, and I'm psyched to see "Man of Steel." 


Coolest panel: No one could top the rock-star entrance by Robert Downey Jr., who IS Tony Stark at this point. And the Marvel presentation in general -- in which they announced film titles and dates for "Thor: The Dark World," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- made me geek out completely.

Me and Colin Ferguson. (Credit: I honestly
can't remember if it was Joy or
Erika, I was so excited.)

Best random celeb moment: Seeing Colin Ferguson chillin' out, checking his phone outside Rock Bottom Brewery. So I calmly introduced myself and told him how much I love "Eureka" and will miss it. And then he graciously offered to take a photo with me. And I squeed quietly to myself inside. I did not chase him like the fangirls who ran after Misha Collins from "Supernatural" (FF to 3:03 to see the silliness).


Best food: If you're in San Diego, please partake of the breakfast items at Richard Walker's Pancake House. Also their coffee. Which is THE BEST EVER. I'm serious. THE BEST EVER.


Worst food: I am so over granola bars right now.


Best moderator: It's so funny, I follow so many entertainment journalists/personalities on Twitter that seeing them mod a panel is as exciting as seeing the cast. The best mod by far was Chris Hardwick (aka the Nerdist guy of podcast/geek fame). Funny, charming, knowledgeable about the subject matter, he's really engaging. Now if he could drop his sidekicks on his podcast, I'd love him even more.

Ladies and gentlemen, the King of the Con for the second year
in a row -- at least for me: Zachary Levi. (Credit: Me)

King of the Con: Drumrolllllllllllll. Zachary Levi! And his Nerd HQ. My raison d'etre for going to Comic-Con was Richard Armitage, and I did and it was amazing. But the biggest highlight was sitting in the front row for three Nerd HQ panels and having Zachary Levi right there in front too (and high-fiving me!!! And Scott Porter showing up! And Aisha Tyler!). I know actors are good at acting nice, but I want to believe that Zac is as genuinely down-to-earth and sweet as he seems. And I can't not love a guy who says he loves my color-coded Comic-Con schedule! 

Said color-coded schedule and "Tangled"
DVD -- both signed! Squee! (Credit: Me)

Okay, that's it for Comic-Con 2012. Now I've got to back into the swing of real life. On the bright side: Hopefully less geeky posts in the future. 

Resistance is futile

So, I love to take surveys. At the movie theater this weekend, I was bummed the Nielsen lady didn't ask me if I wanted to do a survey. One of my favorite survey questions is, basically: Do you often tell people about the things you like? The answer is ALL MY YES. I'm big on evangelizing. When I like something, I love it and I love to tell people about it. ALL about it. So here are the things I proselytize about these days.  (By the by, my posts won't all be written in this format. I'm just feeling list-y.)
 
1. World of Joss Whedon. When someone asks "Who's Joss Whedon?" my heart dies a little. And then I say: "Uh, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'? 'Angel'? 'Firefly'? 'Dollhouse'? 'Dr. Horrible'? 'Serenity'? 'Avengers'? Where I get a much of my lexicon?" "Bitka" -- from a throwaway joke in a Buffy ep -- is still a word my sisters and I use frequently instead of the b-word. Anyway,  Joss = great filmmaker/writer/hell, even songwriter. He was doing vampires before vampires were cool, my "Twilight" friends (Angel & Buffy > Edward & Bella). So go watch "Buffy." You won't be sorry. You will, however, laugh, cry and gasp. 

Happy sighs.
(Credit: Amazon)

2. "North & South." See my previous post about Richard Armitage. My sister tried to convert me on this period drama a few years ago and I didn't listen. But, boy, she was right. In a nutshell: It's "Pride & Prejudice" -- with cotton! And the hero, Mr. Thornton (a.k.a. my all-caps BOYFRIEND), is quite possibly better than Mr. Darcy from P&P. Yeah. You read that right. And I've had a Mr. Darcy complex since like 9th grade... Sa-woooooooon.

Age becomes them:
West, left; and Sawa
(Credits: CW, Zap2It)

3. "Nikita." My flavor-of-the-month conversion. I pick a show every summer to catch up on and this year it's "Nikita." And I'll be honest: It's not my fave spy show ever. That'd be the first 5 seasons of "Spooks," better known as "MI-5" on this side of the pond; go watch it.  And "Nikita" is not perfect: There are plot contrivances aplenty (of *course* Nikita somehow escapes the thick metal handcuffs in the nick of time) and the first season is a very slow burn. But stick with it and second season is a blast. It's "Alias" -- another cool spy show -- minus that show's silly Nostradamus-like mythology. Plus, Shane West is easy on the eyes, so you forget the plot holes  ... and possibly the plot entirely. And as a recurring bonus: Devon Sawa, another former young actor who, like West, has grown up.

I heart this book. So. Much.
(Credit: Amazon)

4. Young adult literature. I'm a late convert myself thanks to The Hunger Games. When I was young, I stuck to Nancy Drew Casefiles, BSC, Sweet Valley and Sunfire/Sweet Dreams teen romances. But the YA books today are original, smart, funny and touching, and I just keep finding more to love. To start your reading list: "The Truth About Forever," "Jellicoe Road," "Sweethearts," "The Fault in Our Stars." That's in order from lightest to heaviest, btw. TFiOS will destroy you.

5. "Doctor Who." I'll admit I'm only a contemporary fan (I haven't seen the original show). But this reboot -- particularly seasons 2 through 5, the David Tennant years -- is, to use a word from the S1 Doctor, fantastic. Now my usual caveat for it: You have to wade through a few episodes of the first season before you see it as more than a kids' show, which is basically who it's geared toward. After the creepy two-parter of eps 9 and 10, though, you'll be in it for the long haul.

Okay, that's it. Get out there and become true believers. If you try any of these, lemme know what you think. Also, what do you guys try to convert people to? I need some new obsessions...