How We Hype is a twice-monthly feature on Hypable where we tell you what we’re doing in fandom over the weekend!
Seeing ‘Hamlet’ and visiting ‘Outlander’ filming locations – Laura Byrne Cristiano and Jen Lamoureux
What’s a vacation abroad that doesn’t involve a little fandom fun? Over a year ago we planned a U.K. trip around seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of Shakespeare’s well-known, brooding Dane. Don’t worry, we have no intention of being one of “those people” who film the show, and pump it out on social media. So, don’t look for a Periscoped “To be, or not to be…” because it’s not going to happen.
As long as we were here (we’ve both been here several times before), we decided to do some other fandom-y things. We saw Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter’s Dolores Umbridge), Lara Pulver (Sherlock’sThe Women), and Peter Davison (Doctor Who’s 5th Doctor) in a production of Gypsy on the West End, which was utterly spectacular. In particular, Pulver and Staunton were out-of-this-world good as Rose and Momma respectively.
Our trip also included stops in Scotland and Paris, where we visited locations that were used last season on Outlander, and that will be referenced in the upcoming season. Be on the lookout for our report on the Hamlet experience, and our Outlander vacation guide.
Going to a live taping of ‘Baby Daddy’ – Ariana Quiñónez
Three ridiculously good-looking guys cooing over a baby? The amount of cuteness that’s packed into this ABCFamily sitcom always gets my ovaries glowing. I’ve been a huge Baby Daddy fan for a while now, and after smuggling all of my friends onto the Danny Wheeler bandwagon (“It’s like The Vampire Diaries meets Full House!”) a couple of us ladies finally went to a live taping this Friday so we could swoon over the adorbs that is sure to be season 5.
Having fun at Wizard World Chicago – Danielle Zimmerman
This weekend, I’ll be making the rounds (and then some) at Wizard World Chicago! I’ll be there all four days (Thursday through Sunday) looking for all of the geekiest and fandomest things to share with Hypable readers.
I’ll also be buying everything Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers that I can get my hands on, getting photo ops with Stephen Amell and Brett Dalton, and strutting my stuff with a few low key cosplay outfits (including my Scarlet Witch getup and a homemade USO girl dress that I’m trying to finish under the wire).
If you’re going to be at Wizard World Chicago, or just want to check in with me to see how things are going, be sure to tweet at me! I’d love to chat or meet up!
Reading ‘Dark Places’ – Andrew Sims
In between lots of drinking (I’ll be in Las Vegas!), I will be taking some time to read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl. I have no plans to see the Dark Places movie because I’ve heard that it’s really bad, but I’ve been meaning to read Flynn’s three books ever since watching and loving Gone Girl.
Reading ‘The Devil in the White City’ by Erik Larson- Michal Schick
Non-fiction isn’t usually my thing, but this book came with such high praise, I had practically no choice in the matter. The Devil in the White City recounts the conception, construction, and impact of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1892 – the “White City” of the title.
If that sounds less than fascinating to you (as, yes, it did to me) then the book’s parallel story of the “Devil” will definitely draw you in. Erik Larson’s book also tells of the terrifying rise and fall of H.H. Holmes – also known as America’s first serial killer. A psychopath and a genius, Holmes set up shop in Chicago at the same time as the Fair was coming into being, and literally built a “Murder Castle” to kill people for fun and profit for several years.
While the serial killer is undeniably the more salacious (and holy-crap-is-this-real??) part of the story, Erik Larson makes a terrific tale out of the Fair’s tormented construction as well. And now that Leo DiCaprio will be starring as Holmes in the film adaptation (directed, naturally, by Martin Scorsese), The Devil in the White City is definitely worth a trip into the non-fiction section.
Checking out ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ – Marama Whyte
This weekend I am giving into peer pressure and going to see The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Until this week, I had vaguely heard of the film but had no real idea what it was about. Suddenly, it’s all over my Twitter feed and is everyone’s new favorite film.
Now, I understand that it’s a slightly silly, swinging ’60s spy film (I know, I know, alliteration overload), starring the beautiful Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as a CIA and KGB agent who team up to save the world. It sounds ridiculous, but one friend of mine has already seen it twice in one week, and plans to go again. With rave reviews like that, how can I refuse?