The new Internet blockbuster: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:20:38 -0700

A new viral video is once again sweeping the 'Net. Since Joss Whedon’s “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” launched July 15th, it has been getting over 1,000 hits per second according to USA Today. The “blog” is actually a three-part video about a wannabe supervillian, his secret love, and the generic superhero that stands between them. It has been made availabe, free of charge, at drhorrible.com. Neil Patrick Harris plays Doctor Horrible, and Firefly’s Nathan Fillion, is Mr. Hammer, Horrible's arch-nemesis and a superhero. The musical mish-mash of video blogs, superheroes, and unrequited love has been a hit among viewers, crashing servers as fans attempt to access the clips.

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“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” was shot on a shoestring budget during the writers' strike earlier this year. Compared to most Internet video and viral hits, this is a premium production with professional actors and solid special effects.

The mini-series was also made available on iTunes and quickly took the #1 spot on the list of most -popular video purchases.

Whedon has a way with attracting loyal fans, exemplified by the cult following of his previous shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and his only feature film, Serenity. “Doctor Horrible’s” blog is the first time his work has premiered on the Web, and seems to be the perfect way to bring his stories directly to his fan base.

[ Image: drhorrible.com ]

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