Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

What's that you say? Why would I want to talk about something with such an odd title? I asked myself the same thing lots of times. My college library had a copy and I always looked at it when I was looking for something to watch. I'd pull it out and look at the cover and think it looked interesting, but then I'd think better of it and put it back.

Finally, one day I decided I'd actually check it out. It was the best decision of my life. Neil Patrick Harris plays the title character, Dr. Horrible, and from the moment he pops up on the screen showing off his evil laugh, you know this video is worth watching.

So let's start by talking about how this story came together. During the writer's strike, Joss Whedon, creative mastermind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, got together with some family and friends and decided to start a new internet based project using the talents of actors and writers that didn't have anything better to do. Dr. Horrible was born shortly thereafter.

Dr. Horrible is the ultimate anti hero. In fact, he isn't even a hero. He's a wanna be villain. His ultimate dream is to join the ELE-the Evil League of Evil. You're going to hear a lot about the leader of the ELE, Bad Horse, the Thoroughbred of Sin. Yes, he's a real horse, and he has cowboys that sing his letters. That's just how evil Bad Horse truly is.

OK, let's step back for a moment. Dr. Horrible (who has a PhD in Horribleness) is trying to prove how evil he is in order to get into the ELE. He's also got an arch nemesis, Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillian. (You'll recognize him from Firefly and Castle.) Dr. Horrible is also trying to make a real tangible connection with Penny, played by Felicia Day, the girl he knows from the laundromat. They are a poor match because Dr. Horrible wants to take over the world and Penny wants to help the homeless.

I haven't talked about the Sing-Along part of the title yet, but yes, this is actually a musical. The songs are not your typical musical-style songs. The first song "Laundry Day" is all about how Dr. Horrible wishes he could stop time and maybe then he could actually talk to Penny. The music really makes the move. Neil Patrick Harris has an amazing voice and really makes the music work. (Don't worry, Captain Hammer and Penny are great too.)

Now, I'm sure you can enjoy the movie on your Netflix Watch-It-Now just fine, but let me suggest that you get the DVD. If you click on the link above, you'll be able to get it for less than $20, and it is worth the money. First you get all the parts of the original web braodcast of Dr. Horrible. That's pretty amazing on its own, but you also get the bonus features. First, there is Commentary the Musical. This is a complete musical accompaniment by the cast of Dr. Horrible. It's all original music that has little to nothing to do with Dr. Horrible. (You can also listen to the real commentary track if you want to be boring and traditional.) You also have the application videos for the Evil League of Evil. Yeah, people made videos to apply for this most evil of organizations. (My favorite is L'Enfant Terrible.) Most of them also have a song to go along with the application.

So check this out, I think you'll enjoy it. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of Dr. Horrible.