One for the fans. [A]t the Fantastic Fest Star Trek event at the Alamo Draughthouse Theater in Austin, Texas on Monday night. Star Trek filmmakers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof kicked things off by telling the crowd of around 200, that they would be seeing the Star Trek preview after Wrath of Khan. Two minutes in to the showing of TWOK, the film appeared to have ‘melted’ and the guys came back out on the stage and appeared to be stalling for time while the film was fixed…and then, wearing a ball cap, Leonard Nimoy came out in front of the audience holding a film can. Nimoy noted to the crowd that it just didn’t seem fair that people in Australia were the fist to see the film and asked them "wouldn’t you rather see the new movie?"
posted by caddis on Apr 7, 2009 - 111 comments

"It became an accessory of fashion. Status symbol like jewels, the fan had some additional advantages: you could hide behind, spy through tiny holes in the fan, swirl the fan coquettishly, or move the fan according to difficult fan language conventions, a kind of early telecommunication." [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Jan 14, 2009 - 20 comments

Rivers Cuomo (of Weezer) picks the theme, "80s radio," and develops a song, step by step, collaborating with some of his fans. Watch some of the responses. It's not his first collaboration, and he's no stranger to the internet.
posted by zippy on May 31, 2008 - 16 comments

Did UEFA fix today's Champions' League quarter-final draw? [more inside]
posted by uk_giffo on Mar 14, 2008 - 35 comments

For the fourth single off their second album, My Chemical Romance shot a World War II mini-movie^{^} that was turned into the video for The Ghost of You. Fast-forward to MCR's third album and a fan-made animated storybook video that continues the story from The Ghost of You video, incorporating the plot from the concept album Welcome to the Black Parade^{^}, and set to the song Mama. Fans are sometimes pretty awesome.
posted by FunkyHelix on Mar 14, 2008 - 26 comments

"When copies are free, you need to sell things which cannot be copied." Kevin Kelly (previously) describes eight "generative" values that increase in value as the price tag on making copies goes down. He also has some advice for creators who want to make money off the long tail. Via
posted by ErWenn on Mar 5, 2008 - 20 comments

"Of all the various types of optical objects known to exist, far and away the most magnificent and attractive are the optical fans." These sly spying devices, now rare collector curiosities, were once a more discreet and chic alternative for spying on your neighbors in fashionable gatherings than opera glasses, spyglasses, or jealousy glasses.
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 6, 2008 - 19 comments

Facing an unprecedented series of sports victories, the typical Boston fan is faced with the cold realization that success ain't all it's cracked up to be.
posted by dhammond on Nov 19, 2007 - 48 comments

FanLib's mission is "to bring fan fiction out of the shadows and into the limelight." But mostly FanLib is just a multi-fandom fanfiction archive seeking to make money off of the fans through ad space. Not all fans are happy about this. Does this matter? Henry Jenkins, Director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program thinks so.
posted by FunkyHelix on May 22, 2007 - 58 comments

The Room: The Movie. Triple-threat (actor/writer/director) Tommy Wiseau made his cinematic debut in 2003 with the The Room (see trailer and various scenes), "a blend between a softcore porn flick and a Tennessee Williams stageplay." Wiseau ("who's not just one of the most unusual looking and sounding-with an unidentifiable Eastern European accent-leading men ever to grace the screen, but a narcissist nonpareil whose movie makes Vincent Gallo's "The Brown Bunny" seem the apotheosis of cinematic self-restraint...may be something of a first: A movie that prompts most of its viewers to ask for their money back-before even 30 minutes have passed." - Variety), allegedly raised $6 million outside Hollywood to cover production and marketing costs of the self-described "black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies" (see various rough dress rehersals). Audience members, including comedian David Cross, have been "marveling at the bizarre editing, bad bluescreen, uncomfortably explicit sex scenes and, of course, the enigma of Wiseau himself" as the film played monthly for years in Los Angeles. Available on DVD, diehard "roomies" swear by the theatrical experience, shout out their own commentary, hurl spoons at the screen and singalong to the soundtrack. Some call it "The Rocky Horror of the New Millenium" and stage "Room" parties. If you look at the marketing campaign or survived a screening you might see The Room as "a seminar on how NOT to make a movie." [Inspired by Boing Boing]
posted by boost ventilator on Jun 1, 2006 - 28 comments

I love obsessive fan sites, and they don't come much more obsessive than this one about Bewitched full of pointless, comprehensive lists about everything from costumes to ad agency clients. On a related note, if you ever wondered what happened to Darrin the first - the very unlucky Dick York - then wonder no more. There's also Paul Lynde's favorite dish and a list of his jokes from Celebrity Squares.
posted by dodgygeezer on Aug 6, 2005 - 21 comments

It's Pac-Man's 25th birthday and it's quite clear that some obsessed fans out there are much happier about it than other extremely obsessed pac-players. Maybe that guy needs to unwind for a bit?
posted by kingmissile on Jun 16, 2005 - 12 comments

Hey you on the couch! Isn't it time to cozy up to your favourite pitch battle? Yes, warm to such classics as "Birmingham vs. Wigan 94" or the great classic "Wolverhampton vs Luton 89". Yes, go back to a time when the game meant nothing and wearing ya Fila or Burberry was everything. & Who can forget those cheeky Tonge Moor Slashers, Mongoose Cuckoo Boys, and Billy Whiz Fan Club So, get out ya "Headhunters for life" pre-shrunk and free from animal testing tee, put the kids to bed, and relive those glory days of mindless violence from the comfort of your suburban semi-detached.
posted by Mr Bluesky on May 30, 2005 - 15 comments

The Price Is Right has been around forever.. and has plenty of great fan sites. But not at BobBarker.com. No, sir.
posted by AloneOssifer on Mar 19, 2005 - 24 comments

Fandom is, at the core, neither good or bad. It simply is. [+]
posted by FunkyHelix on Feb 16, 2005 - 17 comments

I love rugby I love playing, I love talking about it, I love the video game,, fans on the other hand.... Why is it Americans tend to be lower key about sports (as fanatic as we are) than the British or other folks who riot, blow stuff up, behead each other, etc.? I mean, I've slid naked on tile floor through puddles of beer, but cutting off your nuts, that's crazy!
posted by Smedleyman on Feb 12, 2005 - 44 comments

Heckling? Good Natured Fun or Verbal Abuse
The recent assault of a fan by Texas Rangers' reliever Frank Francisco with a folding chair is inexcusable, there's no doubt about that. But what about the fans who literally spend every moment at the park needling, heckling and verbally abusing the players?
There's a difference between ribbing the opposing team and calling an athlete a fat f***. Where does the line get drawn and why is any heckling permitted anymore?
posted by fenriq on Sep 16, 2004 - 85 comments

Soldiers Under Command! - 57mb Quicktime documentary of the Second Annual Stryper Expo.
posted by Peter H on Jun 18, 2004 - 7 comments

How to score a baseball game. A childhood pleasure I've never given up.
posted by WolfDaddy on Jun 3, 2004 - 24 comments

Big Ass Fans is possibly the most irreverent industrial HVAC manufacturers' site around. Safe for work with the exception, to some, of the obvious. Via Bifurcated Rivets.
posted by LinusMines on Apr 9, 2004 - 10 comments

Love the shows, beware the fans. That seems to be the gist of fandom_wank. And because God knows lunacy isn't limited to fandom, on the seventh day, God created spinoffs. Mock. Mockmockmock. Mockity-mock-mock.
posted by FunkyHelix on Oct 19, 2003 - 12 comments

The public socks it to the FCC "This is not about race - It's about voting for the very best one and being cheated out of that vote!" Clay Aiken fans and Reuben Whatshisname haters unite to make their voice heard. Oh, the outrage! (via The Smoking Gun)
posted by Gilbert on Jul 11, 2003 - 23 comments

Radiohead fan sites have been asked to remove their lyrics and tabs archives. Yesterday, two popular Radiohead fan sites, Green Plastic and At Ease, were sent this email by a legal representative of Warner Bros. Publications and Warner/Chappell Music asking them to take down any lyrics and tabs from their site. The letter claimed "their distribution constitutes an infringement of our rights under U.S. Copyright Law. More than that, the availability of these files have a direct impact on our ability to market and sell our musical arrangements and songbooks, and that adversely affects the royalties that we are able to generate and pay to the band." Those opposed have started a petition online. Who's right on this one?
posted by josephtate on Jun 3, 2003 - 48 comments

Determined viewers try to save another TV show (Salon). In this case, its Farscape, which shows its last episode on Friday in the States, and has already aired here in the UK. (no spoliers). Farscape fans are trying just about everything - from picking up 6 families in the Nielsens to fundraising to produce a last episode. Interested? Read on...
posted by rshah21 on Mar 13, 2003 - 17 comments

Picking Up Butch at Middlebury (Vt.) College - Rick Reilly pulls on the heart strings with a story about a dedicated sports fan.
posted by ajr on Mar 12, 2003 - 3 comments

Stand back! Johanna can throw a little something together for the Stevie Nicks fan on your list. Ooh baby Ooh said Ooh. Don't forget to dress up your desktop on the way out. via the lovely and talented Davezilla.
posted by whatnot on Dec 16, 2002 - 20 comments

Fanatic or aficionado??? 3000 photos, 30 concerts, three oil paintings, and more. Obsess much? If he didn't already live with his mother, he should shack up with the hostess of the now defunct 24 Hour Church of Elvis.
posted by illusionaire on Aug 2, 2002 - 23 comments

Seahawks Stadium was open to the public for the first time this past weekend, with activities on the field for kids, concession stands open with video menus advertising $3.25 hot dogs, and tours of the private box seats and the media room. It's a large stadium with fantastic views of downtown Seattle from some seats and views overlooking Elliot Bay from the western railings, the best hundreds of millions of tax-payer dollars can buy.

On Saturday, the first day of the public open house, a man jumped to his death from a northwest ramp of the stadium.
posted by dan_of_brainlog on Jul 22, 2002 - 15 comments

MLBFanStrike.com urges you to stay away from the ballpark on 7/11. I sympathize somewhat, but don't you think this will have little effect? And are they ripping a page out of the Charleston Riverdogs book?
posted by espada on Jul 10, 2002 - 8 comments

Rioters complain about tear gas. [Bloominton Hearald-Times, link expires after a week] After Indiana University lost to Maryland in the NCAA finals, drunken fans rioted in the streets forcing police to use tear gas. It was stupid enough to start a riot, but rioters complained that the police offered no warning before deploying tear gas after rioters pelted the police with beer bottles and prevented the fire department from putting out fires in the middle of the street. "They could have easily done that," Raggs said. "If they would have said, 'You have 10 minutes, then we are going to use the tear gas,' people would have gone away." Personally, I think the police showed an amazing level of restraint considering that about half of the state troopers on the scene got hit by flying glass.
posted by KirkJobSluder on Apr 3, 2002 - 23 comments

Pick a dawg, any dawg. Mine's Dawgspeare. I find this subculture fascinating. Pathetic but fascinating.
posted by Karl on Feb 26, 2002 - 6 comments

Waste a couple of hours at Mrs. Neugast's Fan Worship Page and reminisce about the celebrities you worshipped in your wasted, pasty youth. Be sure to spend some time browsing in the Gallery of Fine Art and Graven Images. (via scrubbles)
posted by MrBaliHai on Feb 19, 2002 - 13 comments

"It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't World War III" Watch the Browns/Jaguars game? Maybe it was a bad call, but throwing plastic bottles full of beer? Anybody who knows me knows I speak out loudly and firmly against the ridiculous sports culture we have in this country. This incident makes me ashamed to be a Clevelander, even a transplanted one. What is it that gets people this riled up and stupid?
posted by starvingartist on Dec 17, 2001 - 120 comments

Gap model fan fiction: I don't care what any of you think. I found this amusing. Fan fiction takes on many bizarre forms. From Thundercats (example) to the Lion King (example), the web opens up a level of fan-to-fan community that gives new life to things that would probably be better off left dead. What's the wierdest piece of fan fiction cheese you have ever come across?
posted by hidely on May 18, 2001 - 15 comments

Warner Brothers is going after Harry Potter fan sites. This isn't the first time. It should be interesting to see if they come after The Leaky Cauldron Weblog. It seems they're going after sites with "Harry Potter" as part of the domain name. However they do have a trademark for "Leaky Cauldron".
posted by bkdelong on Dec 8, 2000 - 4 comments

Phish Fan Resumé Check out that skill set!
posted by chartres on Nov 27, 2000 - 14 comments

The fans have spoken and Lucas has listened. Seems that Episode I is coming out on DVD after all. And Lucas says the web campaign on various sites encourage him to change his mind. How does this affect popular politics on a grander scale? And when will politicians jump on board the bandwagon?
posted by eljuanbobo on May 3, 2000 - 3 comments

Hepburn fans against Jennifer Love Hewitt. They're right -- Jen is no Audrey.
posted by veruca on Mar 21, 2000 - 6 comments