Hello from Germany, new member here!

[Melli]

Hey folks,

new member here, not a new fan though. I’m Melli (or just Mel, short for Melanie) and I’m from Germany. Not only wanna say hello but also tell you a bit about why I joined… (that late). EARLY WARNING: This post could get a lil long…

Been a fan of Dirk even before I was a teen. The sci-fi bug stroke me very early in my life, thanks to my aunt who introduced my brother and me to the sci-fi world when my bro was 8 and I was 5. Everything sci-fi just had to be consumed, and so it was inevitable that I’d watch Battlestar Galactica and was totally hooked, with Starbuck (the one and only!) becoming my absolute favorite character at first sight.

When I really, really like an actor or actress in the very first role I spot them, I stick with them forever. Whenever there is a movie or tv show with one of those actors or actresses, I watch it no matter what. Even if it’s the 20th re-run. Dirk has been one of those actors (actually the first ever!) to me for what feels like to be my entire life, seeing as Battlestar Galactica was made when I was born and aired in Germany in the 80s when I was just barely old enough to understand at least a bit of what was going on.

A few weeks ago one of Dirk’s movies was on TV (Blue Tornado) and I – of course – watched it (even though I already knew it). At that time I wasn’t following his career closely though (nor any of the other actors or actresses I like a lot), in terms of searching everything about him in the internet or so.

But on that day it was different… for whatever reason I had some fond memories of my childhood, when my bro and I – albeit in all other things being like cat and dog – would sit together in the living room and watch the A-Team. I felt the urge to watch an episode (or two, or three) of the A-Team. Only problem was, even though the show has been on re-runs in Germany since I can think, it wasn’t at that very moment when I had that urge. So I thought… maybe Amazon prime has them (they don’t in Germany, boo). I spotted the DVD box-set instead. Tempting, tempting…

Ah well, why not? I ordered it. And while I was already at Amazon… what else could I snatch? Found a couple moves and ordered them, too. I already knew some of them like Sssssss, Body Slam, Blue Tornado, Goldene Zeiten or Alaska. Others I wasn’t aware of, like Ruckus (dang! What a movie).

As I kept scrolling through the Amazon pages I stumbled over a book. Wait, a book? Someone wrote about Dirk? No wait, Dirk wrote the book? *gasp* Wth, he actually wrote two books???? I just had to order them, too.

The DVD box-sets (yes plural, because when you get the A-Team you also have to get Battlestar Galactica, of course!) and the first movies arrived and I started my binge watching marathon. And surprise, I realized that in all these years I haven’t seen all episodes of the A-Team, some were indeed completely new to me! *gasp* Turns out I didn’t know (or remember?) most of the 5th season, not sure why. I was a bit shocked when I saw the episode where Faceman was shot down. I mean what the heck? Wasn’t the A-Team supposed to be a no blood show? They would fire the heaviest arms but nobody would get hurt, and now he’s shot down and so close to be 6 feet under. It felt so wrong (he played it so well though!). The whole 5th season felt different, but that’s another story.

There was another treat for me that came with all the DVDs. As I always watched Dirk’s movies or shows on TV only, I only got to see the dubbed versions. It took me that long (for real!) to hear his own voice for the first time. Thinking about it now I gotta slap myself. Why did I wait that long for that? Especially the A-Team felt so different when I heard the real voices. So much better. The German voice-over wasn’t that good lip-sync-wise (but very familiar as I grew up with that), and it made the characters appear somewhat unreal. The show got a whole new tone for me with the real voices, and felt more realistic.

Anyways, then the first book arrived (Kamikaze Cowboy). I took a break from binge watching and started reading. I literally plowed through the book, I couldn’t let go of it until I was through in just 2 days. Well, it is not entirely true that I plowed through it because I had to stop reading a couple times. At certain parts it was just too much for me and I had to let it all sink in.

I had no idea, I even feel guilty for having been so careless and ignorant. You see a cute fella on TV who can act, who is funny, self-ironic, yet manly and brave, who makes everything so much better for you at that very moment as you just enjoy the 45 minutes of dream world that makes you forget your own problems, at least for a while. And you never think about the person behind that character, because you are too busy with your own crap. I had no idea just what a wild life Dirk has had. He’s been given so many bitter lemons and so, so much rejection in his life, I have no idea how he can still be so positive. Kudos to him for that!

I gotta say I absolutely love, love, love how directly and honestly he voices his opinions and how he stands by them. So many folks, and especially the high billed Hollywood league, just beat around the bush and try to be as political correct as possible. But as soon as there is someone who has another opinion he has to be slapped down as if having different opinions is something that may not exist. It is really ironic considering how “tolerant” those people think they are. I love it how Dirk sticks to his guns come hell or high water. He’s a real guy, there’s nothing fake about him. As I realized when the book was written I felt that Dirk was way ahead of his time. A lot of things he predicted - luckily including his (risky) self-healing - came true. It’s just so sad that this caused so much rejection for him because people thought of him as a weirdo.

I still have to read his second book because it hasn’t been delivered yet. I gotta confess I am a bit scared to read it as I already heard what it’s all about.

I went back to my newly acquired DVDs and stumbled over the extras on the Battlestar Galactica box-set. Ohhhhhhh, Dirk does conventions??? Typical for me that I didn’t know that earlier and prolly missed my chance. But thanks to the modern world I discovered a bunch of Youtube videos. That guy… so witty, so very smart, so literate, such a free spirit, and he talks and talks and talks it’s just so damned cute. I was surprised that he revealed so much about himself. And I was flabbergasted when I discovered all the BB videos on Youtube. Now that I discovered those videos I dimly remember that it was mentioned in tabloid papers in Germany that Dirk would join BB. But I totally forgot about it as it never aired in Germany as far as I can remember (the UK version that is). I watched a bit of that, which made me adore him even more. But I had to stop watching because… ugh… never seen so many immature and spiteful people at once. But good for him he came out as 3rd winner. I think the people all over the world still love him (as opposed to the establishment) and I just don’t understand how anyone could not. He’s just an amazing guy. A Legend!

I know I’ve rambled a lot. And I know I am very late with showing my appreciation for Dirk. But I just had to share. If you have read thus far, thank for you for that. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to chat with you all more here.

Cheers!