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Is There a DR. HORRIBLE In The House?

There was a time when hearing Neil Patrick Harris and the words “Dr. Horrible” meant only one thing: Doogie Howser reruns.

That all changed in 2008.

Due to the insensitive, callous (dare I say, money grubbing) greed of the members of the Writers Guild of America, entertainment for the masses was on hold and production of beloved television shows and films was halted.

My favorite writer, Patrick Dempsey, screwing up my TV viewing

Loyal (and bored) citizens quickly named the WGA as America’s Second Most Wanted criminal organization after Al-Qaeda. Were we destined to be a nation of readers?!

Were our evenings to be spent playing board games with friends or family?!

Was this Communist Russia?! As they (by ‘they’ I mean ‘them’ and you know already who ‘they’ are) say, though, ‘it’s always darkest before the dawn.’

Salvation came from Joss Whedon.

On July 15, 2008, the first episode (Act I) of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog aired online.

Act’s II and III aired July 17 and 19.

The total running time was just over 40 minutes.

As with most everything Whedon touches, it became a cult classic.

Dr. Horrible tells the story of, well, Dr. Horrible, played by Neil Patrick Harris, who uses his video weblog to discuss the only two things he cares about: getting into the Evil League of Evil and getting up the nerve to talk to Penny, the girl at the laundromat.

Dr. Horrible is positive he can ensure his place into the Evil League of Evil by finishing his criminal masterpiece: the Freeze Ray.

For this, he needs to steal a van full of wonderflonium. His plan is interrupted by Penny, who tries to get Dr. Horrible’s signature on a petition. When Dr. Horrible’s nemesis, Captain Hammer (played by Nathan Fillion), shows up he not only foils the wonderflonium plan, but also wins the heart of Penny.

Sigh.

Will the arrogant Captain Hammer steal Penny for good?

Will Dr. Horrible prove himself worthy of the Evil League of Evil?

Will Dr. Horrible prove himself worthy of Penny?

If you’ve watched all three webisodes, then you know the answers.

If you haven’t, then you won’t know the answers because, well, you haven’t watched the webisodes.

Dr. Horrible is part drama, part love story, part comedy and, yes, part musical.

The musical numbers, in my opinion, make Dr. Horrible the great fun that it is. The shy, but heartfelt songs Dr. Horrible sings about Penny are catchy and sweet.

Captain Hammer’s arrogant songs are both fitting and hilarious.

Written by Joss and Jed Whedon, the music in Dr. Horrible is fun, catchy, sweet and, at the same time, shows the sad and dark side of human nature.

Now, if that’s not fun for the whole family, I don’t know what is!

Titan Books has put out Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog The Book.

The book contains essays from cast members, crew members and even some of the characters themselves. Also included is the entire script, sheet music and lyrics.

Attention film students: odds are that your teacher has not seen this, so simply pass the script off as your own and earn an “A”! Girls and/or boys in your school will be impressed by your academic achievement and will totally want you, both for your creative mind and your rockin’ or well-concealed flabby body.

Now you can literally sing-along with this Whedon short (Whedon himself being of average height, I believe, so that wasn’t a dig at his stature).

Take turns acting out different characters.

Already played Dr. Horrible?

Then, play Moist, Dr. Horrible’s villainous friend who has the power of excessive sweating.

Already played Captain Hammer?

Then, take on the daunting role of lengendary Bad Horse, who rules the Evil League of Evil with an iron hoof.

Admittedly, I cannot read music, so I am assuming (maybe naively so) that the sheet music featured in the book is, in fact, from the show itself and not a series of “Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits” loops.

The behind-the-scene photos featured in the book are great for any fan. If nothing else, these photos show just how much fun everyone had working on this project and the obvious camaraderie they all felt. Missing are the photos of Nathan Fillion’s infamous cocaine binges inside his brothel-like trailer, Winnebago-ohohohhh, that TMZ never ceases to report on. 

If you’re a fan of Dr. Horrible and Whedon, then this book will be a lot of fun to read and will look great on your bookshelf beside your Mr. Pointy stake and Serenity replicas.

If you’re not a fan, then you should watch Dr. Horrible, and you will be.

If you’ve watched it and you’re still not a fan, then one can only assume that you are evil, a result of incest and, I think it’s safe to say, someone who sells their kittens for meth.

So very sad.

For more details, check out the Official Dr. Horrible Blog HERE!

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