Dr. Horrible not horrible at all

I'm so stoked Mr. Popped Culture is on break because A) he really, really needed to take some time off to clear up those arson charges, B) it means the return of Brown Eyed Girl to the blogosphere (dude, I thought you were dead. Is it too late to take back that charitable donation I made in your name?!?), and C) it gives me another venue to harp about my new favourite pop culture phenomenon: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

If you haven’t heard of DHSAB yet (seriously, what’s wrong with you?), it’s the latest creation from the obscenely twisted mind of Buffy creator Joss Whedon. Separated into three, 13-min episodes, the series stars Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, and trust me when I tell you: it’s made of awesome. The always hilarious NPH plays a wannabe villain who’s trying to prove he’s evil enough to be admitted into the Evil League of Evil, while at the same time, woo the sweet girl from the laundromat.

Yes, it’s a musical (hence the “Sing-Along” in the title), but anyone who’s seen Whedon’s spectacular “Once More with Feeling” episode of Buffy won’t let that scare you away. The songs are hilarious tongue-in-cheek treats that move the story along -- not to mention get stuck in your head for days. (Who knew Doogie Howser had that voice?!?) Buffy fans familiar with Joss’s delight in dangling bliss in front of our faces before brutally ripping our hearts out should see the tragic twist coming a mile away -- though to be honest, it blindsided me like a little sister named Dawn who shows up in the middle of nowhere to ruin a show.

I’m sure you’re all now itching to watch the series (of course you are -- I’m very persuasive). As a matter of fact, you’re probably heading over to YouTube right now. Well, hold up, Bucko! That’s not the point of this little online experiment. Joss is hoping to actually make money off this stupidly entertaining show (crazy, I know). He streamed it for free for one week, and now it’s only available on iTunes ($1.99 for each act, or you can download the whole thing at once for the low, low price of $3).

Next up, they’re planning to release it as a DVD, complete with a ton of extras, including an all-musical commentary (hilariously titled Commentary!) If this works and they actually make money off this thing, they’ll make more. (There’s already a rumoured sequel on the horizon.) Trust me, it’ll be best $3 you’ll spend all week. Don't do it for me. Do it for Dr. Horrible, 'cause he's got a PhD in horribleness.

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Scandal Sweetie works at Dose.ca, where she likes to pretend that the only reason she watched Camp Rock is because "it's my job!!" She has an irrational crush on Keanu Reeves, despite his box office history. Her biggest fears include whales, Tom Cruise and Miley Cyrus' teeth.