Netflix Nexus

Joss Whedon has emerged as a creative force ever since he helped pen Toy Story in 1995. Nestled between his time as a prodigious show runner from 1996-2004 on three successive cult series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) and his recent emergence as a box office breaker (Avengers), Whedon, in the dark days of the 2008 writers’ strike, produced, of all things, a sing-along blog. And this sing-along blog, to the benefit of the general viewing public, has been available on Netflix almost ever since.


Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Dr. Horrible, an aspiring super villain, who schemes and sings his way toward acceptance into The Evil League of Evil. Dr. Horrible, though, is continually foiled by his arch nemesis Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion (Castle). Hammer is a vain, egotistical superhero to Dr. Horrible’s more empathetic villain. The two continue to butt heads when they fall for the same endearing volunteer Penny, played by Felicia Day (The Guild).


A product of the writer’s strike, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was by and large the only silver lining to the stunted year that became 2008. Told in three separate acts, it runs just over two hours. It’s part comedy, part tragedy told through some sweet songs. It’s also available on laptops across campus.