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After months in the making … after hours of careful research and painstaking craftsmanship –
We now present a review of Dr. Horrible! In a tasteful salute to tabloid style.
But wait — there’s more.
What treasures await on the DVD? And just who is Dobber, the talented actor who portrays the super villain Bad Horse?
Inquiring minds want to know. And our readers shall soon learn.
In our tasteful salute to tabloid writing, we’re going to make you wait. Besides, other secrets lurk on the Dr. Horrible DVD, which offers much more fun and excitement than the free viewings online.
Who is Bad Horse? A refresher
His favor must be curried. His “terrible death whinny” is feared. He pulls the reins. He is the leader of a gang of villains. He’s the chairman of the board.
He’s Bad Horse, the uber-villain of and brought to cinematic life by Dobber.
In case you didn’t know, Dr. Horrible won the 2009 People’s Choice Award winner for Best Online Sensation.
Catchy tunes, fun to sing
Just the other day, my husband mentioned that he’d like us to watch Dr. Horrible again so that we could get a refresher on the songs. They’re fun to sing and, as earworms go, are fun to have cycling inside your mind.
Believe me, there are worse tunes. And these put a smile on your face.
Easter Egg Hunt on Christmas Eve
We received our DVD the day before Christmas Eve. So, while we waited for Santa, we ate his cookies and watched “Dr. Horrible” in full digital glory on our HDTV and audio system.
Gentle readers, it was good.
When the credits rolled, my husband spotted the different colored letters among the names and said that should be a cue to look for “Easter eggs.”
BTW, Still-Untitled Blog is mine. It’s my “test blog,” started a year ago to see if I like this blogging thing. I still play with it and try out ideas. That’s our little secret, of course. 
“Easter eggs” are little goodies in a computer program, like a DVD, that are accessed by certain keystrokes. Like hunting for Easter eggs. Get it? Some Easter eggs can be accessed from a computer keyboard. The Dr. Horrible Easter eggs are accessed from the VCR’s remote control.
We used those color coded letter clues in the credits for the first set. For others, I admit, we went online for help.
Other fans have the patience and the glorious obsessive energy to hack their way through and find the treasures. Thank goodness.
- A forum on Whedonesque, the online source for activities in what’s called The Whedonverse.
- The Dr. Horrible Fan Site has a forum with several threads discussing the Easter eggs.
No special skills needed for one of the coolest things
The musical commentary is available on the DVD, but not on the free online showings.
On the DVD’s musical commentary, each participant in the production sings a song relating to his or her role in a distinctive musical style and with a flip sense of humor. Everyone sings, of course, except for Dobber.
Dobber Revealed
The role of Bad Horse has a “less is more” quality. His screen time is brief, but his impact is great. His opinion and regard matters greatly to the title character Dr. Horrible.
Like many Hollywood denizens hip to the digital world, Dobber is featured on a website.
An ensemble actor, Dobber is — as you can see — just another player in the group. Click on his photo for a full-length shot.
Attempts to contact Dobber’s people were unsuccessful. The star apparently prefers to let his work speak for itself.
Other tantalizing snippets about the star can be found on the DVD Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Rare footage of Dobber’s arrival on the set, before make-up, can be seen viewed as part of the DVD extras.
Also, on the DVD’s audio commentary, cast members speak fondly of Dobber’s participation. Apparently, the casting of Bad Horse had been a subject of speculation. Who would play him?
His arrival on the set had been a surprise. Yet, Dobber’s dignity and grace won the admiration of the cast and crew.
They seemed to agree that Dobber, despite his character’s name, was “such a good horse.”
So often we hear that “the biggest” are the nicest.
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Tags: Bad Horse, Dobber, Dr. Horrible, Easter eggs, People's Choice Award
July 7th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Hello. And see ya again.