I liked the new Harry Potter movie, you guys.
[Begin Spoiler for The Deathly Hallows, .5 — Highlight to view]
I mean, don't get me wrong. I will nitpick the hell of out it. However, contingent upon the second half maintaining and hopefully surpassing the quality of the first half, this is the best Harry Potter movie. BETTER THAN AZKABAN, OKAY.
This is due, in enormously large part, to the pacing. In that there is some. I think what made HBP suck so much (ps you guys HBP sucked quite a lot) is that it had slow, plodding scenes connected by quick transitions. It was like: Scene.Scene.Scene.Scene.Scene. It doesn't matter how good the scenes were (some of them were okay), that's not a movie.
This is a movie. Just like a real movie! And not a visual SparkNotes. A couple bits were a little Yates-y (i.e. slow to the point of being uncomfortable), like Dumbledore's will unfolding or Xenophilius drawing the Deathly Hallows symbol or ... well, we'll get to the dance. But mostly that crap was kept to a minimum. Atmosphere was attained! Themes were developed! Emotions were evoked!
This is sounding like a lot of backhanded praise. Honestly, though, one of my major feelings is relief that this picture didn't suck when I could easily imagine the ways in which it would suck. So, there's that. On top of that relief, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, but that was maybe a given. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed this about me, but I like Harry Potter.
Now, here's some shit: That dance was stupid, David Yates. I read a review already that said of it, "it's supposed to be tender and heartfelt but comes off awkward and forced in". Or, you know, sentiments to that effect. So true. And I was already annoyed by that point because of the following anecdote I'll relate.
On Thursday, a certain comm I'm in posted an early review that called HP "just like Twilight" because of the love triangle and whatall. Everyone laughed because clearly that writer is unfamiliar with either story. Then I went and I saw the movie, and it dawned on me, "Oh shit, that guy is kinda right. They're even in a tent!" In the book, it's clear (to the literate) that it's Ron and Hermione, and that Ron's romantic jealousy is a manifestation of the fact that he's insanely jealous of his best friend and maybe he should deal with those issues. Not because there could actually be something there. But in the movie ... are they trying to make me think there could be something there? It seems like they are. I mean, not that Harry has any romantic chemistry with Hermione, but he doesn't have any chemistry with Ginny, either, so what message am I getting?
Sidebar: I can't pretend anymore. I wanted to deny. Harry and Ginny have zero chemistry and it's horrible. And I sorta-ship it! And I adore Bonnie Wright. She's gorgeous and I want to smish her. And it's not her fault! She had beautiful depth of emotion when she turned her back to him. Anytime they're facing each other, though, it's like a kid playing with Barbies and making them kiss. I'm terrified for the finale, because how can I suspend my disbelief long enough to believe these people made three kids??
Harry doesn't say anything to Ron after the locket thing. Awkward city. That locket scene in general was just a mess. Anyway. It really does feel like they threw in a last minute love-triangle subplot. I blame Steve Kloves.
Disappointing: Xeno was a bit of a creepster. I didn't get the emotions out of that scene that I wanted. Ditto the Hermione torture. She was good for her part, but Ron needed to freak out more. And ... some other things I forget.
Neutral: I really wanted to see a snake rip out of a corpse, but at least they kept the blood on Hermione's hands. The animated part was okay.
On the plus side: The Snatchers were effectively creepy. The Ministry scenes were excellent. Helena Bonham Carter makes up for most things. Neville is in this movie for two seconds and those two seconds are bad-ass.
And ... I cried over Dobby. I don't even know how! I assure you I kept my heart as stony as possible. He's a CGI bat for goodness sake! But then he's going on about how happy he is to be with his friend Harry and ... oh fuck, there's a leak in my face.
And then ... we paused the DVD to hit the lavs and get a snack. Seriously. The most evident problem with Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is that it's only half a movie. It is not the first half of a two-parter and it is not, as I have seen spouted in many places, a "setup" for Part 2. It's literally the first half of a movie. And sometime in July, we're going to hang up the phone, realize we left that movie on pause, and sit back down to it.
I HOPE IT'S AWESOME.
[End Spoiler]
Showing posts with label talking pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label talking pictures. Show all posts
Sunday
Tuesday
I'm preparing to be furious!
Apparently they are making a new movie version of "The Lorax". The Lorax, in case I haven't mentioned it, is one of my most favorite things in life.
I hope they don't ruin it the way that absolutely every other Dr. Seuss movie in recent years has been utterly ruined!
I hope they don't ruin it the way that absolutely every other Dr. Seuss movie in recent years has been utterly ruined!
A+; would lol again!
So a dear, tolerant, and understanding friend took me to see "Quantum of Solace" today and you can't prove otherwise. My choice of cinema was one that I should really spend more time going to now that I'm more comfortable driving for more than 10 minutes at a time. It's an amazing place: a multimegagigagoogolplex that never ever has anybody in it any time I go there. I really don't know how they stay in business, but I have a suspicion that the place might come to life on weekend evenings. I mean, I hope. Anyway, when we went there it was practically deserted, giving me a good idea of what I would like to have adjoining my fabulous house once I become super-rich.
We were the only ones in the theater except for one old dude sitting up front. Your guess is as good as mine. Before they got to the feature there was a lot of static and long periods of blank screen and I wondered aloud if God was seriously going to fuck with me like this. I was kind of grateful for the sketchy old dude, because what exactly would happen if there was a showing of a movie and no one bought tickets to it? Would they still play it? Anyway, luckily Jesus interceded in the designs of His Father or something, because suddenly it was all happening.
(I'll just pause to slip in my complaint that the Harry Potter trailer was not goddamn fucking shown. All they were showing was trailers for truly hideous "comedies". ... But hey, at least they've learned to market this series properly.)
I won't even lie to you: it was exactly the kind of transcendental experience I had been hoping for. After enduring about ten months of non-stop hype, it did not disappoint, and that's all I have to say about that.
I could say that I'm a little disappointed - I didn't laugh the entire time, so I occasionally had to pay attention to the plot that the screenwriter valiantly tried to inject this mess with. She tried her best. She tried real hard. But, seriously, I think I may have bruised a kidney. Fluid may or may not have burst out of my face at some point.
The Fountain of Gold was fantastic. I'm coming down on this. Anyone is free to disagree, because I am firm in my resolve. I think the deciding factor may be whether or not the observer has read the books. Because as someone who has, his performance was, in a word, understated. The man can only work with what he's given. He can't do miracles.
Jasper and Alice continue to be too good for this shit, constipated face included.
George Lucas continues to do an ace job at ruining movies with his additions, though to be fair it's not really conscionable to lay the blame for Twilight at his feet, as much as I would love to blame George Lucas for everything. They should really just borrow my nude sparkly eyeshadow for the sequel.
In conclusion, Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Carlisle!!:
Sweet dreams!
We were the only ones in the theater except for one old dude sitting up front. Your guess is as good as mine. Before they got to the feature there was a lot of static and long periods of blank screen and I wondered aloud if God was seriously going to fuck with me like this. I was kind of grateful for the sketchy old dude, because what exactly would happen if there was a showing of a movie and no one bought tickets to it? Would they still play it? Anyway, luckily Jesus interceded in the designs of His Father or something, because suddenly it was all happening.
(I'll just pause to slip in my complaint that the Harry Potter trailer was not goddamn fucking shown. All they were showing was trailers for truly hideous "comedies". ... But hey, at least they've learned to market this series properly.)
I won't even lie to you: it was exactly the kind of transcendental experience I had been hoping for. After enduring about ten months of non-stop hype, it did not disappoint, and that's all I have to say about that.
I could say that I'm a little disappointed - I didn't laugh the entire time, so I occasionally had to pay attention to the plot that the screenwriter valiantly tried to inject this mess with. She tried her best. She tried real hard. But, seriously, I think I may have bruised a kidney. Fluid may or may not have burst out of my face at some point.
The Fountain of Gold was fantastic. I'm coming down on this. Anyone is free to disagree, because I am firm in my resolve. I think the deciding factor may be whether or not the observer has read the books. Because as someone who has, his performance was, in a word, understated. The man can only work with what he's given. He can't do miracles.
Jasper and Alice continue to be too good for this shit, constipated face included.
George Lucas continues to do an ace job at ruining movies with his additions, though to be fair it's not really conscionable to lay the blame for Twilight at his feet, as much as I would love to blame George Lucas for everything. They should really just borrow my nude sparkly eyeshadow for the sequel.
In conclusion, Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Carlisle!!:
Sweet dreams!
Robert Pattinson is an oracle of Truth.
I swear this man is like a never-ending fountain of pure gold.
I apologize for not keeping you up-to-date with all the stuff that's been going on with Twilight. To recap: It's been fucking batshit.
I apologize for not keeping you up-to-date with all the stuff that's been going on with Twilight. To recap: It's been fucking batshit.
At least it was technically free.
This is one of at least three blog posts that I plan on writing today. Right now. With only breaks to get more apple juice and maybe dinner, depending on how late this goes.
Okay, so, what this post is about is, see, I recently picked up and read Twilight, the first in the eponymous book series by author Stephenie Meyer. I would like to talk about that.
Fair warning, if you have any interest in reading this series, you probably shouldn't read any more, because I really don't know if I can be bothered to use spoiler tags. Maybe, though! We'll see.
Twilight has recently been heavily pimped by the Harry Potter podcasts I listen to. Prior to that, I don't think I'd heard of it. The Potter geeks are interested because a movie version is in the process of being made, and the male lead is to be played by Robert "at least three 't's HOTTT" Pattinson, better known to most of us as the late, lamented, Cedric Diggory. After some cursory research, I found that the film will also include a few more people whom I register on the neutral/positive spectrum: Kristen Stewart, whom I greatly enjoyed in Panic Room, wherein she played a character who was essentially Lauren (though I've so far not managed to see her in anything else), and Michael Welch, who was wonderful as Amber Tamblyn's brother on "Joan Of Arcadia."
Variety of title style is getting a workout in this entry.
So, anyway, after they'd mentioned this a few times, I decided to try it out. I was promised sexy times, action adventure, and vampires. Seriously, odds are it was up my alley.
I went to the library to try to snag it there, but for the third time in a row, the book was listed as being in the library, but it was not on the shelf. So, either my public library has a large problem with theft, or they can't catalogue for shit. I wound up picking it up at the Barnes & Noble because I found a gift card I had for $30. I also finally picked up the last Ted Leo album.
The book is about 500 pages, and I finished it in less than 24 hours, gross time, even with doing other actual activities. This book bothered me greatly. Why, you may ask? It is a resplendent example of why I'm scared to write a novel: because I worry that this is the sort of story I would produce. Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I did, after all, just pay it the high compliment of saying that I could see myself writing it.[/hubris] I'm saying that it wasn't any good.
I checked out the author's website, and I read some of her background on her writing. (This is her first novel.) Among the things that quirked my lip corners: She got the idea for this story from a dream. Also, she obsesses mainly over the details of the characters. And she looks a lot like Charisma Carpenter. That last point is just for color.
She takes an awful amount of pages to say not very much. There's no plot to speak of, except towards the end where the characters passively happen to fall into a weak and contrived scenario. There's no active decision making that I can remember at all. The writing is painfully repetitive. The human girl's vampire boyfriend is very pretty. The author mentions this in every sentence in which he is described. Which happens 5-10 times for every scene that he's in. ... Which is pretty much every scene. Also, the human girlfriend is clumsy. Vampires are pale. She loves her vampire boyfriend. Her breath catches. Her heart beats erratically. Et cetera. Also, the vampire boyfriend has some sort of issue where he'll go from laughing to scowling and angry to smiling every other sentence. In a few years, if you're ever flipping through the premium channels and you catch Mr. Pattinson and he's doing this - he's not insane. He's in character.
The secondary vampire characters are all fairly ridiculous and not worth mentioning. They attend high school for Chrissakes. Listen, if you were a hundred years old, would you go back to high school? On purpose? Even if people left you alone and you aced all your tests and occasionally got a human girlfriend? No. You would not. There are a variety of subplots that wind up never having anything to do with anything. And of course there's the usual dilemma. You know, the vampire boyfriend totally loves the human girlfriend and they want to be with each other forever, but of course he doesn't want to make her a vampire. Except, see, in the mythology created by this book, and in the context of this story, this makes no effing sense. Seriously. As written, every single objection is discounted or can be worked around. So the dilemma comes across as preposterously artificial, and I was instantly tired with the whole thing as soon as we got there. Because I've read this before. Innumerable times. And it's been done. Better.
Of course, they don't really address the question of whether or not vampires have souls. I'm going to have to come down on the side of "no" though, because of one exchange. The vampire boyfriend claims that he likes music from the 50s and the 80s, but not the 60s or the 70s. And I can't. freaking. understand that! He must be evil, because that's a completely soulless thing to say. Furthermore, it doesn't make any sense. Most of the music in the 80s was a direct derivative of the music they were playing in the 70s, except for the teeny pop, which was based on the music of the early 60s. THAT SHIT MAKES NO SENSE. Get me a flow chart. What is he saying? That he would rather hear Tiffany than the Jackson 5? He would rather listen to Billy Joel than Bob Dylan? Poison is better than the Zep? Is he seriously saying that he prefers WHAM! to the Beatles? Human girlfriend: dump his stupid evil ass.
Of course, the author listed some of her musical preferences on her website, and she's got shit taste, too, so this perhaps explains it.
So, wait, what was my point? Oh yes. I worry that I would write something like this. I mean, obviously, my taste in music is better, and I would like to believe that my writing skills are better, but about the meandering plotless vacuum with excessive focus on character thing. About vampires or something like that. What's baffling, though, is that this series seems to have a large cult following. It's mostly teenage girls OMGing about romance and hot boys, but still. It was a NY Times bestseller. It's gotten all sorts of good reviews from various sources. Is it me? Are people just not that discriminating anymore? And ... I don't know, could that conceivably work to my advantage?
I'm not as keyed up about it as the entry probably sounds, though I have all these issues. Again, I didn't dislike it. I'm a sucker for vamp angst. It's like chicken. Even if it's not the greatest, I'll probably eat it. It's one of the few things I enjoy. But I definitely won't be getting the follow-up books. Especially as I'm given to understand that a werewolf storyline gets introduced, and man, I just don't have the time. The book collectively took less than 6 hours of my life, but I just do not have the time for that.
Okay, so, what this post is about is, see, I recently picked up and read Twilight, the first in the eponymous book series by author Stephenie Meyer. I would like to talk about that.
Fair warning, if you have any interest in reading this series, you probably shouldn't read any more, because I really don't know if I can be bothered to use spoiler tags. Maybe, though! We'll see.
Twilight has recently been heavily pimped by the Harry Potter podcasts I listen to. Prior to that, I don't think I'd heard of it. The Potter geeks are interested because a movie version is in the process of being made, and the male lead is to be played by Robert "at least three 't's HOTTT" Pattinson, better known to most of us as the late, lamented, Cedric Diggory. After some cursory research, I found that the film will also include a few more people whom I register on the neutral/positive spectrum: Kristen Stewart, whom I greatly enjoyed in Panic Room, wherein she played a character who was essentially Lauren (though I've so far not managed to see her in anything else), and Michael Welch, who was wonderful as Amber Tamblyn's brother on "Joan Of Arcadia."
Variety of title style is getting a workout in this entry.
So, anyway, after they'd mentioned this a few times, I decided to try it out. I was promised sexy times, action adventure, and vampires. Seriously, odds are it was up my alley.
I went to the library to try to snag it there, but for the third time in a row, the book was listed as being in the library, but it was not on the shelf. So, either my public library has a large problem with theft, or they can't catalogue for shit. I wound up picking it up at the Barnes & Noble because I found a gift card I had for $30. I also finally picked up the last Ted Leo album.
The book is about 500 pages, and I finished it in less than 24 hours, gross time, even with doing other actual activities. This book bothered me greatly. Why, you may ask? It is a resplendent example of why I'm scared to write a novel: because I worry that this is the sort of story I would produce. Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I did, after all, just pay it the high compliment of saying that I could see myself writing it.[/hubris] I'm saying that it wasn't any good.
I checked out the author's website, and I read some of her background on her writing. (This is her first novel.) Among the things that quirked my lip corners: She got the idea for this story from a dream. Also, she obsesses mainly over the details of the characters. And she looks a lot like Charisma Carpenter. That last point is just for color.
She takes an awful amount of pages to say not very much. There's no plot to speak of, except towards the end where the characters passively happen to fall into a weak and contrived scenario. There's no active decision making that I can remember at all. The writing is painfully repetitive. The human girl's vampire boyfriend is very pretty. The author mentions this in every sentence in which he is described. Which happens 5-10 times for every scene that he's in. ... Which is pretty much every scene. Also, the human girlfriend is clumsy. Vampires are pale. She loves her vampire boyfriend. Her breath catches. Her heart beats erratically. Et cetera. Also, the vampire boyfriend has some sort of issue where he'll go from laughing to scowling and angry to smiling every other sentence. In a few years, if you're ever flipping through the premium channels and you catch Mr. Pattinson and he's doing this - he's not insane. He's in character.
The secondary vampire characters are all fairly ridiculous and not worth mentioning. They attend high school for Chrissakes. Listen, if you were a hundred years old, would you go back to high school? On purpose? Even if people left you alone and you aced all your tests and occasionally got a human girlfriend? No. You would not. There are a variety of subplots that wind up never having anything to do with anything. And of course there's the usual dilemma. You know, the vampire boyfriend totally loves the human girlfriend and they want to be with each other forever, but of course he doesn't want to make her a vampire. Except, see, in the mythology created by this book, and in the context of this story, this makes no effing sense. Seriously. As written, every single objection is discounted or can be worked around. So the dilemma comes across as preposterously artificial, and I was instantly tired with the whole thing as soon as we got there. Because I've read this before. Innumerable times. And it's been done. Better.
Of course, they don't really address the question of whether or not vampires have souls. I'm going to have to come down on the side of "no" though, because of one exchange. The vampire boyfriend claims that he likes music from the 50s and the 80s, but not the 60s or the 70s. And I can't. freaking. understand that! He must be evil, because that's a completely soulless thing to say. Furthermore, it doesn't make any sense. Most of the music in the 80s was a direct derivative of the music they were playing in the 70s, except for the teeny pop, which was based on the music of the early 60s. THAT SHIT MAKES NO SENSE. Get me a flow chart. What is he saying? That he would rather hear Tiffany than the Jackson 5? He would rather listen to Billy Joel than Bob Dylan? Poison is better than the Zep? Is he seriously saying that he prefers WHAM! to the Beatles? Human girlfriend: dump his stupid evil ass.
Of course, the author listed some of her musical preferences on her website, and she's got shit taste, too, so this perhaps explains it.
So, wait, what was my point? Oh yes. I worry that I would write something like this. I mean, obviously, my taste in music is better, and I would like to believe that my writing skills are better, but about the meandering plotless vacuum with excessive focus on character thing. About vampires or something like that. What's baffling, though, is that this series seems to have a large cult following. It's mostly teenage girls OMGing about romance and hot boys, but still. It was a NY Times bestseller. It's gotten all sorts of good reviews from various sources. Is it me? Are people just not that discriminating anymore? And ... I don't know, could that conceivably work to my advantage?
I'm not as keyed up about it as the entry probably sounds, though I have all these issues. Again, I didn't dislike it. I'm a sucker for vamp angst. It's like chicken. Even if it's not the greatest, I'll probably eat it. It's one of the few things I enjoy. But I definitely won't be getting the follow-up books. Especially as I'm given to understand that a werewolf storyline gets introduced, and man, I just don't have the time. The book collectively took less than 6 hours of my life, but I just do not have the time for that.
Saturday
Well done, sister suffragette.
A few weeks or so ago, I was watching Mary Poppins. Several times. It was on. I have never seen The Sound Of Music except for a few pieces. I'm fine with that. Mary Poppins covers it for me. It has the privilege of being on a list of films that I have, at one point or another, watched obsessively.
So, you know Mrs. Banks? I always liked her, but as a zany. What is her deal, anyway!? I had no idea what women's suffrage was. So, it was interesting to watch the film many years onward and feel ... kind of great about Mrs. Banks. In song she predicts "our daughters' daughters will adore us." And, well, Mrs. Banks is fictional. And there's the trouble of what exactly is the deal with her first wave feminism versus how she interacts with George? I do adore her, though. I adore all the women she represents.
So, you know Mrs. Banks? I always liked her, but as a zany. What is her deal, anyway!? I had no idea what women's suffrage was. So, it was interesting to watch the film many years onward and feel ... kind of great about Mrs. Banks. In song she predicts "our daughters' daughters will adore us." And, well, Mrs. Banks is fictional. And there's the trouble of what exactly is the deal with her first wave feminism versus how she interacts with George? I do adore her, though. I adore all the women she represents.
Tuesday
But never mind all that now!
Oh, it's my blog! So, um, I did a whole bunch of stuff last month. No time to dwell on it! Also, I had a devil of a time coming up with something to blog about that didn't take too long and make me get tired and bored and stop. So instead, let me tell you about
Fan Videos I've Never Made, Part 2.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Warrior, by Scandal (or Skandal. Kirk: I'm still not sure.)
First, let me tell you that I cannot believe I forgot to mention this one last time. This is the song that first brought the idea of actually making fan videos to my mind. One, because it's for Buffy, the fandom that introduced me to fanvids. Two, guys, seriously, you have no idea. Aside from being totally perfect for Buffy in every way, the song also name-drops or overtly references at least 5 different episode titles.
Well isn't love primitive?
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me you stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart's still wild
Harry Potter - My Body Is A Cage, Arcade Fire
I recently got a chance to listen to Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. It was okay, but not great. The songs tended to mumble and run together, and while I almost liked several of them, it was, as I quipped to the boy, like trying to decide which was your favorite shade of blue. My favorite shade turned out to be the song above. The sound is dark, moody, and epic, and yet it's somehow also adolescent and kinda gay. Hence, Harry Potter. It would probably work better after the next two films come out, and there's more material to work with.
I'm living in an age
Whose name I don't know
Though the fear keeps me moving
Still my heart beats so slow
Lord of the Rings (Battle of the Pelennor Fields) - All Along The Watchtower, Bob Dylan
Now, don't get me wrong. I realize that "All Along The Watchtower" has been used for everything ever. However, I would use the actual Dylan version, and that makes me better than most people. Furthermore, how many of those things that feature this song have an actual watchtower, with actual princes all along it? That's what I thought, bitches.
You don't need lyrics, right?
Thanks for reading! Tune in next time.
Fan Videos I've Never Made, Part 2.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Warrior, by Scandal (or Skandal. Kirk: I'm still not sure.)
First, let me tell you that I cannot believe I forgot to mention this one last time. This is the song that first brought the idea of actually making fan videos to my mind. One, because it's for Buffy, the fandom that introduced me to fanvids. Two, guys, seriously, you have no idea. Aside from being totally perfect for Buffy in every way, the song also name-drops or overtly references at least 5 different episode titles.
Well isn't love primitive?
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me you stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart's still wild
Harry Potter - My Body Is A Cage, Arcade Fire
I recently got a chance to listen to Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. It was okay, but not great. The songs tended to mumble and run together, and while I almost liked several of them, it was, as I quipped to the boy, like trying to decide which was your favorite shade of blue. My favorite shade turned out to be the song above. The sound is dark, moody, and epic, and yet it's somehow also adolescent and kinda gay. Hence, Harry Potter. It would probably work better after the next two films come out, and there's more material to work with.
I'm living in an age
Whose name I don't know
Though the fear keeps me moving
Still my heart beats so slow
Lord of the Rings (Battle of the Pelennor Fields) - All Along The Watchtower, Bob Dylan
Now, don't get me wrong. I realize that "All Along The Watchtower" has been used for everything ever. However, I would use the actual Dylan version, and that makes me better than most people. Furthermore, how many of those things that feature this song have an actual watchtower, with actual princes all along it? That's what I thought, bitches.
You don't need lyrics, right?
Thanks for reading! Tune in next time.
Saturday
No joke.
I first started to plan and script my own film version of The Hobbit when I was ten years old. If New Line Cinema can't get their act together, don't worry about it. I'll get around to it eventually.
I'm totally serious.
In related news, it seems that I have geek-reverted to LOTR.
I'm totally serious.
In related news, it seems that I have geek-reverted to LOTR.
Wednesday
I suppose there's probably a point at which one ODs on being a geek.
I took the day off to go and watch Harry Potter. That's almost like quitting! Oh man, I wish. Briefly: it was awesome. It was so awesome. I'd like to go see it again.
When we got to the theater, slight panic happened because of what we found there: schoolbuses. Dozens and dozens of schoolbuses. It was chilling. But! It seems that all the camps and organizations and what have you caught the earliest showings. (We got there early to secure tickets for the 1 o'clock.) By the time we were standing in line, we were amongst a largely adult crowd. And I didn't have to sit next to anyone large or noisy. And I only had to deal with a minimum of stupidity*. I usually don't like it when movie theaters are too crowded. But this was nice. At the end, nearly everyone applauded, and it's awesome when that happens.
On Friday, I'm totally going to the PotterCast that's being done in the city. When they ask the crowd if Harry's a Horcrux, I'm going to cheer really loudly. It'll be awesome. Or embarrassing. Probably both. I'm so excited!
Review.
[Begin Spoiler for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — Highlight to view]
Before I went to see the movie, I had read a few newspaper reviews. I stopped, because they were somewhat upsetting. There seemed to be a pretty even split between reviewers who thought that this was the best one yet, and reviewers who thought they dropped the ball. After watching it, I can understand both.
I'll try like heck to assess the movie as its own element, and not as a translation of the book. A little of it will sneak in, I'm sure. I'm pretty impressed that, like the filmmakers have been saying, OotP really does pare down into a pretty streamlined story. It totally does! But it turns out that, apparently ... the streamlined story is kind of boring? OotP is my favorite of the series (so far, anyway). I know that a lot of fans say it's their least favorite. I had been a little shocked to hear some people say that they don't like it because, despite being the longest book by far, it's light on plot. After seeing it in movie form ... that's totally true! Nothing really happens in the whole movie!
Except, I mean, Sirius dies. Oh man. Gary Oldman. Gary Oldman is truly a master craftsman of acting. Actually, all the acting in the movie was outstanding. I first decided this when I was surreptitiously watching clips from the film on mute while I was languishing in my office. I know, I know. But you read my entry title, didn't you? It was amazing: it looked like normal people just talking to each other. I know that sounds like ridiculous praise, but it's actually very very high praise.
David Yates might be a genius. The direction in this movie truly is wonderful. Aside from the work with the actors, there was also lots of adventurous camera work going on. Shots from upside down, things like that. It was awesome. I wish, though, that he could have directed the film in another 15 years or so. While he's obviously very talented, he's also obviously brand new. If he had had time to perfect his skill, this may have been the best movie ever.
Anyway, back to Gary Oldman and how great he is. Oh! Also, Alan Rickman. Seriously. The Occlumency scenes were incredible. I'm trying not to use the word "boss" because then my boyfriend will despair for me. But, no, really, they were. They were so boss.
Except what the hell! Snape's Worst Memory was so short! We didn't even get to see Harry's mother at all! There's so much from the previews and everything else that didn't make it into the final product. And I really, really wish they had. Here's my bottom line on the movie: what they did, they did damn near to perfection. But I could have used more. It really, really could have used more. I don't mean this as a fan. Although, that too. I want Ron to be Head Boy and Quidditch captain. I wanted to see Umbridge inspect McGonagall. But I can do without that. What I mean is, I really think they would have been benefited to expand what they had.
Everything went by so quickly! There was no time to savor any of the scenes. Savor, there you go. The metaphor I came up with on the drive home was, it's like ordering the world's most outrageous, most delicious food, and then wolfing it down. And this is why I loved the book, even though, apparently, nothing goes on in it. I've said all along that JK Rowling is a superb storyteller. Storytelling is a craft. Sort of like glass-blowing. Beautiful in the finished project, but a solid, hands-on craft. The story that JK Rowling is telling, pared-down, bare-bones, is not very interesting. It's good versus evil. Earnest orphan fights the powers of darkness and is saved by love and friendship. Obviously! Boring.
It's how she does it. It's in all the details. It's in the way that things unfold, and how they're revealed. I'm not saying that OotP wouldn't have benefited from some sterner editing (one word: "coolly"), but the details are what makes it Harry Potter. This is where the movie fails. It needs those details. It has a lot. I will credit the new screenwriter by saying that he certainly seems to cherish the world more than the other guy ever did. I love when that happens in adaptations - the things in the background. The things that have whole paragraphs devoted to them, and only you know, because you're in on it, and your neighbor isn't. But they only had them where they could throw them in as the story was barreling forward. We need to settle into the world, because that's when we love it. If they could have added 10 seconds to every scene, I don't think it would have been badly used.
Having said that. Holy shit did you see the Occlumency scenes? DID YOU SEE DUMBLEDORE TOTALLY OWN EVERYTHING? "It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom." Fucking A, Dumbledore!! Did I mention how great Gary Oldman was? Alan Rickman? How about Imelda Staunton? Evanna Lynch? Helena Bonham Carter? Hell, Warwick Davis? The twins?
I want to go see it again.
[End Spoiler]
Ten more days. Must not freak out.
*Okay, so, we got into the theater almost 40 minutes early. It was necessary, else we probably would not have gotten a seat. Or, okay, we would have, but not one we could comfortably see the screen from. So, I was there to see the filler that they run before the commercials that come before the previews that they show before the trailers. (Trailers for 5 different Potter ripoffs and The Bourne Ultimatum. Oh, and Get Smart! Which I haven't decided how I feel about yet.) The upshot is, I got to learn ten times that before Jeremy Irons was a star, he used to work as a social worker in London. On one of these go-rounds, one of the trio of vapid girls in front of me remarked, "Who's Jeremy Irons?" in a slightly offended voice. Don't worry. She knows who Robert De Niro is, though. I probably would have been more angry if I hadn't been too busy thinking "Jeremy's Iron" to myself and giggling more than is seemly about it. I was really excited to be there.
When we got to the theater, slight panic happened because of what we found there: schoolbuses. Dozens and dozens of schoolbuses. It was chilling. But! It seems that all the camps and organizations and what have you caught the earliest showings. (We got there early to secure tickets for the 1 o'clock.) By the time we were standing in line, we were amongst a largely adult crowd. And I didn't have to sit next to anyone large or noisy. And I only had to deal with a minimum of stupidity*. I usually don't like it when movie theaters are too crowded. But this was nice. At the end, nearly everyone applauded, and it's awesome when that happens.
On Friday, I'm totally going to the PotterCast that's being done in the city. When they ask the crowd if Harry's a Horcrux, I'm going to cheer really loudly. It'll be awesome. Or embarrassing. Probably both. I'm so excited!
Review.
[Begin Spoiler for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — Highlight to view]
Before I went to see the movie, I had read a few newspaper reviews. I stopped, because they were somewhat upsetting. There seemed to be a pretty even split between reviewers who thought that this was the best one yet, and reviewers who thought they dropped the ball. After watching it, I can understand both.
I'll try like heck to assess the movie as its own element, and not as a translation of the book. A little of it will sneak in, I'm sure. I'm pretty impressed that, like the filmmakers have been saying, OotP really does pare down into a pretty streamlined story. It totally does! But it turns out that, apparently ... the streamlined story is kind of boring? OotP is my favorite of the series (so far, anyway). I know that a lot of fans say it's their least favorite. I had been a little shocked to hear some people say that they don't like it because, despite being the longest book by far, it's light on plot. After seeing it in movie form ... that's totally true! Nothing really happens in the whole movie!
Except, I mean, Sirius dies. Oh man. Gary Oldman. Gary Oldman is truly a master craftsman of acting. Actually, all the acting in the movie was outstanding. I first decided this when I was surreptitiously watching clips from the film on mute while I was languishing in my office. I know, I know. But you read my entry title, didn't you? It was amazing: it looked like normal people just talking to each other. I know that sounds like ridiculous praise, but it's actually very very high praise.
David Yates might be a genius. The direction in this movie truly is wonderful. Aside from the work with the actors, there was also lots of adventurous camera work going on. Shots from upside down, things like that. It was awesome. I wish, though, that he could have directed the film in another 15 years or so. While he's obviously very talented, he's also obviously brand new. If he had had time to perfect his skill, this may have been the best movie ever.
Anyway, back to Gary Oldman and how great he is. Oh! Also, Alan Rickman. Seriously. The Occlumency scenes were incredible. I'm trying not to use the word "boss" because then my boyfriend will despair for me. But, no, really, they were. They were so boss.
Except what the hell! Snape's Worst Memory was so short! We didn't even get to see Harry's mother at all! There's so much from the previews and everything else that didn't make it into the final product. And I really, really wish they had. Here's my bottom line on the movie: what they did, they did damn near to perfection. But I could have used more. It really, really could have used more. I don't mean this as a fan. Although, that too. I want Ron to be Head Boy and Quidditch captain. I wanted to see Umbridge inspect McGonagall. But I can do without that. What I mean is, I really think they would have been benefited to expand what they had.
Everything went by so quickly! There was no time to savor any of the scenes. Savor, there you go. The metaphor I came up with on the drive home was, it's like ordering the world's most outrageous, most delicious food, and then wolfing it down. And this is why I loved the book, even though, apparently, nothing goes on in it. I've said all along that JK Rowling is a superb storyteller. Storytelling is a craft. Sort of like glass-blowing. Beautiful in the finished project, but a solid, hands-on craft. The story that JK Rowling is telling, pared-down, bare-bones, is not very interesting. It's good versus evil. Earnest orphan fights the powers of darkness and is saved by love and friendship. Obviously! Boring.
It's how she does it. It's in all the details. It's in the way that things unfold, and how they're revealed. I'm not saying that OotP wouldn't have benefited from some sterner editing (one word: "coolly"), but the details are what makes it Harry Potter. This is where the movie fails. It needs those details. It has a lot. I will credit the new screenwriter by saying that he certainly seems to cherish the world more than the other guy ever did. I love when that happens in adaptations - the things in the background. The things that have whole paragraphs devoted to them, and only you know, because you're in on it, and your neighbor isn't. But they only had them where they could throw them in as the story was barreling forward. We need to settle into the world, because that's when we love it. If they could have added 10 seconds to every scene, I don't think it would have been badly used.
Having said that. Holy shit did you see the Occlumency scenes? DID YOU SEE DUMBLEDORE TOTALLY OWN EVERYTHING? "It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom." Fucking A, Dumbledore!! Did I mention how great Gary Oldman was? Alan Rickman? How about Imelda Staunton? Evanna Lynch? Helena Bonham Carter? Hell, Warwick Davis? The twins?
I want to go see it again.
[End Spoiler]
Ten more days. Must not freak out.
*Okay, so, we got into the theater almost 40 minutes early. It was necessary, else we probably would not have gotten a seat. Or, okay, we would have, but not one we could comfortably see the screen from. So, I was there to see the filler that they run before the commercials that come before the previews that they show before the trailers. (Trailers for 5 different Potter ripoffs and The Bourne Ultimatum. Oh, and Get Smart! Which I haven't decided how I feel about yet.) The upshot is, I got to learn ten times that before Jeremy Irons was a star, he used to work as a social worker in London. On one of these go-rounds, one of the trio of vapid girls in front of me remarked, "Who's Jeremy Irons?" in a slightly offended voice. Don't worry. She knows who Robert De Niro is, though. I probably would have been more angry if I hadn't been too busy thinking "Jeremy's Iron" to myself and giggling more than is seemly about it. I was really excited to be there.
Thursday
Let me tell you about my fan videos.
Before we begin, I should note that I've never made a fan video in my life.
However, it seems that, alongside all the ideas for stories and songs and figurines, I now have a healthy amount of ideas for fan videos.
I don't know that much about fan videos. I was first introduced to the concept through Jewels from the WD. At one of the first WD parties I went to she pulled out of a tape of vids she had made. The gist is, you take a song, and make a sort-of music video for it using scenes from a given fandom. Or what have you. You can use it to illustrate a story in the canon, or fabricate your own based on the fact that Spike and Willow were clearly meant to be. Ahem. You know.
I don't know anything about the conventions of making fanvids or the community of fanvidders, and even less about how I would go about creating one myself. I imagine it would have something to do with torrents, and, most likely, getting a new computer. My computer barely loaded this page, honestly. I don't know anyone that I can really ask about it, either. Yet, every time I listen to certain songs, I can't help but mentally put certain scenes to it. It's not fair! I like those songs by themselves!
I've idly wondered if I could just commission someone who does this sort of thing to make them for me. Heaven knows I'm probably never going to get around to it. After knitting and making jam and reading Harry Potter for the fiftieth time, I don't imagine I'll have enough drive. Or boredom.
So, here's a list of all the fan videos I never made.
Lord of the Rings - Kashmir, by Led Zeppelin
If you can't figure out how to set LoTR to Led Zeppelin, then you're just not trying. The idea itself makes me giggle. It's a long-ass song, but there's also material from three long-ass movies. I'm not sure what the actual content would be like, but, you know, elves and Ents, that sort of thing.
To sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
Who talk of days for which they sit and wait
Lord of The Rings - Wayfaring Stranger, by Neko Case
The same thing, really, only this one would be a little more slowed down and moody. Shots of everyone clambering on rocks, Sam crying, stuff like that. The plunky pseudo-Celtic music is what sells it.
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
A'traveling through this word below
But there's no sickness toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go
Lost - John Saw That Number, by Neko Case
It would be completely brilliantly hilariously full of Locke and religious symbolism. Plus, John did see that number! All over the island! This is probably the one I think about the most, because I guess I think it's the most feasible. And since the end of the current season, there would be a lot more material to scavenge. I was so excited when Locke called someone a Pharisee in an episode. Between that and the Jupe-cast, I'm having paranoid suspicions that the show's creators are listening in on my thoughts. I would have said Desmond, but.
John saw that number
Way in the middle of the air
Crying 'Holy! Holy to the Lord!'
Star Wars - Angel, Won't You Call Me?, by the Decemberists
This one would be all about Anakin and Padmé. I KNOW! I know. It's so embarrassingly bad. But at least I would be guaranteed to tell the story better than George Lucas. DON'T JUDGE ME.
Though I am a lost cause
Angel won't you call me?
Battlestar Galactica - Reasons To Fall, by Lauren Hoffman
This one just happened, and is the reason I made this post in the first place. It would be about Kara. And ... anybody, really. Maybe Lee. But mostly Kara.
No, you're gonna wait 'til the moment is certain
While I've been out searching for reasons to fall
That's it! I was pretty sure I had at least one more, but I can't think of it. It might have been another iteration of LoTR + Zeppelin, though, so maybe we're better off.
However, it seems that, alongside all the ideas for stories and songs and figurines, I now have a healthy amount of ideas for fan videos.
I don't know that much about fan videos. I was first introduced to the concept through Jewels from the WD. At one of the first WD parties I went to she pulled out of a tape of vids she had made. The gist is, you take a song, and make a sort-of music video for it using scenes from a given fandom. Or what have you. You can use it to illustrate a story in the canon, or fabricate your own based on the fact that Spike and Willow were clearly meant to be. Ahem. You know.
I don't know anything about the conventions of making fanvids or the community of fanvidders, and even less about how I would go about creating one myself. I imagine it would have something to do with torrents, and, most likely, getting a new computer. My computer barely loaded this page, honestly. I don't know anyone that I can really ask about it, either. Yet, every time I listen to certain songs, I can't help but mentally put certain scenes to it. It's not fair! I like those songs by themselves!
I've idly wondered if I could just commission someone who does this sort of thing to make them for me. Heaven knows I'm probably never going to get around to it. After knitting and making jam and reading Harry Potter for the fiftieth time, I don't imagine I'll have enough drive. Or boredom.
So, here's a list of all the fan videos I never made.
Lord of the Rings - Kashmir, by Led Zeppelin
If you can't figure out how to set LoTR to Led Zeppelin, then you're just not trying. The idea itself makes me giggle. It's a long-ass song, but there's also material from three long-ass movies. I'm not sure what the actual content would be like, but, you know, elves and Ents, that sort of thing.
To sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
Who talk of days for which they sit and wait
Lord of The Rings - Wayfaring Stranger, by Neko Case
The same thing, really, only this one would be a little more slowed down and moody. Shots of everyone clambering on rocks, Sam crying, stuff like that. The plunky pseudo-Celtic music is what sells it.
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
A'traveling through this word below
But there's no sickness toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go
Lost - John Saw That Number, by Neko Case
It would be completely brilliantly hilariously full of Locke and religious symbolism. Plus, John did see that number! All over the island! This is probably the one I think about the most, because I guess I think it's the most feasible. And since the end of the current season, there would be a lot more material to scavenge. I was so excited when Locke called someone a Pharisee in an episode. Between that and the Jupe-cast, I'm having paranoid suspicions that the show's creators are listening in on my thoughts. I would have said Desmond, but.
John saw that number
Way in the middle of the air
Crying 'Holy! Holy to the Lord!'
Star Wars - Angel, Won't You Call Me?, by the Decemberists
This one would be all about Anakin and Padmé. I KNOW! I know. It's so embarrassingly bad. But at least I would be guaranteed to tell the story better than George Lucas. DON'T JUDGE ME.
Though I am a lost cause
Angel won't you call me?
Battlestar Galactica - Reasons To Fall, by Lauren Hoffman
This one just happened, and is the reason I made this post in the first place. It would be about Kara. And ... anybody, really. Maybe Lee. But mostly Kara.
No, you're gonna wait 'til the moment is certain
While I've been out searching for reasons to fall
That's it! I was pretty sure I had at least one more, but I can't think of it. It might have been another iteration of LoTR + Zeppelin, though, so maybe we're better off.
Oh, hey!!
That movie I was in comes out this September!
I'm totally in the trailer. You didn't see me because you weren't looking hard enough.
I'm totally in the trailer. You didn't see me because you weren't looking hard enough.
This post will contain words that I have never used before.
But this is not to say that my lovely readers will be unfamiliar with them. Many of you won't be!
So ... guess what I've been doing!
If you answered "Knitting?" you get the prize! ... of self-satisfaction. I have totally been knitting. I had planned to attempt knitting for a while now. For Christmas of 2005 , my mother bought me Stitch N' Bitch and a gift certificate to my Local Yarn Store. A year and a week later, I decided to pack it to read on the train. A little under a week later, I spent 6 hours reading it through and thinking, "Well this doesn't sound so bad!" In my head, I was already designing my first project. A SCARF. Hooray!
Once I was home again, I turned to the internet to help me get some more information. On Saturday, I headed to my LYS. It was very exciting! I didn't hit a single light, I got a spot right in the front of the municipal parking lot, and there were 53 minutes on the meter. This boded well. Now, going in, I wasn't sure what my plan of attack was going to be. I strongly considered immediately finding the store owners and explaining that I had no idea what I was doing and could they please help me? Once I got to the store, I scratched that plan. It was smaller than I had anticipated. The ladies that I assumed were the owners were sitting in the back, stitching away, and saying things that until then I'd only read in blogs. I felt tiny and intimidated. Knowing what I was coming in for made me feel more confident and at ease. I was able to locate the yarn - I went with Blue Sky Alpaca, which I totally found on Annika's blog. Naturally, I got the amethyst. My ball of yarn looks just like that! Actually, better. But we'll get to that later. At this point in the story I'm still in the store and looking for needles. I was looking for US size 5. Yes, bitches, that's right. I had no idea how to knit and I was totally going for sport weight on size 5 needles. Average is for pussies. Ahem. There was a small display on the opposite side of the room of some very pretty, ridiculously expensive needles. ($25! What the hell! Not that I had any idea how much things cost. That was something of a problem.) Finally I ambled a little back and caught the eye of one of the owner ladies. Did I need help with something? Oh boy did I! I asked if she had any other needles than the ones displayed. She sure did! Turns out that underneath the display there were drawers, and those drawers were full of knitting needles. What size was I looking for? I was looking for size 5. "Oh!" I said. "That's the brand I was looking for." And it totally was. (They get their wood from renewable growing ... patches. Or something like that.) Did I want the shorter ones or the longer ones? I totally wanted the 14" ones.
At this point, I had made my selection, and the items fell neatly within the cushion of my gift certificate. An entirely cost-free excursion! Awesome! Now I had everything I needed and the only component missing was me actually knowing how to knit. Which I did not at all.
Then I went to the movies. My mother and I saw "Children Of Men." It was, in a word, ass. Then we went out to dinner. Later that evening, I set to winding my skein of yarn into a center-pull ball of yarn. I promptly got the whole thing tangled. So I called the boy and sat on my bed and I tried to undo the mess I'd created. Eventually, I did. Then I pressed my luck (it was about 1 o'clock at this time) by trying to figure out how to cast on. I found out that Stitch N' Bitch, while a fine book in many ways, is actually a terrible guide for learning how to knit. The instructions were basically: "Make a slip knot. Great! Now that you've got your entire first row of stitches ... " What! I went to sleep.
The next day, I learned how to knit from the internet. Um. FYI, if you know how to knit, and I know you know how to knit, someday I may have to ask you to tell me how to knit something. Just fair warning. I think I've done pretty well on my own, though! I cast on by knitting on. The loops are a little tight around the needle to start with, but I like the way it turns out. I practiced knitting and purling and binding off, and then I figured I was ready to go. I started making my SCARF. By the time I was on the third row, I had acquired two extra stitches. So I took it all out and started over. One extra stitch. Start over. Now, I realize that there's probably a way to fix having too many stitches, but I'll be damned if I know what it is. I have no idea what I'm doing, remember. I'm doing the border of my SCARF in seed stitch (it is attractive, guys!), but it turns out I was actually making 1x1 ribbing. Heh. Start over. At least now I'm making stitches faster.
I think I've worked out all the kinks at this point. If I wind up with anything half-way decent, I'll take a picture and post it. WHETHER YOU CARE OR NOT.
I feel all full of new knowledge now. Aside from finally being able to decipher some of my friends' blog posts, I've only just now discovered how much of the material I wear is knitted. I never noticed before!
Just so we're clear, I have no interest in joining a knitting society or anything. I still dislike most forms of socializing. That has not changed. I just want to make things. I like making things. I hope I'm good at it.
We will return to regularly scheduled subjects whenever I get around to blogging again.
So ... guess what I've been doing!
If you answered "Knitting?" you get the prize! ... of self-satisfaction. I have totally been knitting. I had planned to attempt knitting for a while now. For Christmas of 2005 , my mother bought me Stitch N' Bitch and a gift certificate to my Local Yarn Store. A year and a week later, I decided to pack it to read on the train. A little under a week later, I spent 6 hours reading it through and thinking, "Well this doesn't sound so bad!" In my head, I was already designing my first project. A SCARF. Hooray!
Once I was home again, I turned to the internet to help me get some more information. On Saturday, I headed to my LYS. It was very exciting! I didn't hit a single light, I got a spot right in the front of the municipal parking lot, and there were 53 minutes on the meter. This boded well. Now, going in, I wasn't sure what my plan of attack was going to be. I strongly considered immediately finding the store owners and explaining that I had no idea what I was doing and could they please help me? Once I got to the store, I scratched that plan. It was smaller than I had anticipated. The ladies that I assumed were the owners were sitting in the back, stitching away, and saying things that until then I'd only read in blogs. I felt tiny and intimidated. Knowing what I was coming in for made me feel more confident and at ease. I was able to locate the yarn - I went with Blue Sky Alpaca, which I totally found on Annika's blog. Naturally, I got the amethyst. My ball of yarn looks just like that! Actually, better. But we'll get to that later. At this point in the story I'm still in the store and looking for needles. I was looking for US size 5. Yes, bitches, that's right. I had no idea how to knit and I was totally going for sport weight on size 5 needles. Average is for pussies. Ahem. There was a small display on the opposite side of the room of some very pretty, ridiculously expensive needles. ($25! What the hell! Not that I had any idea how much things cost. That was something of a problem.) Finally I ambled a little back and caught the eye of one of the owner ladies. Did I need help with something? Oh boy did I! I asked if she had any other needles than the ones displayed. She sure did! Turns out that underneath the display there were drawers, and those drawers were full of knitting needles. What size was I looking for? I was looking for size 5. "Oh!" I said. "That's the brand I was looking for." And it totally was. (They get their wood from renewable growing ... patches. Or something like that.) Did I want the shorter ones or the longer ones? I totally wanted the 14" ones.
At this point, I had made my selection, and the items fell neatly within the cushion of my gift certificate. An entirely cost-free excursion! Awesome! Now I had everything I needed and the only component missing was me actually knowing how to knit. Which I did not at all.
Then I went to the movies. My mother and I saw "Children Of Men." It was, in a word, ass. Then we went out to dinner. Later that evening, I set to winding my skein of yarn into a center-pull ball of yarn. I promptly got the whole thing tangled. So I called the boy and sat on my bed and I tried to undo the mess I'd created. Eventually, I did. Then I pressed my luck (it was about 1 o'clock at this time) by trying to figure out how to cast on. I found out that Stitch N' Bitch, while a fine book in many ways, is actually a terrible guide for learning how to knit. The instructions were basically: "Make a slip knot. Great! Now that you've got your entire first row of stitches ... " What! I went to sleep.
The next day, I learned how to knit from the internet. Um. FYI, if you know how to knit, and I know you know how to knit, someday I may have to ask you to tell me how to knit something. Just fair warning. I think I've done pretty well on my own, though! I cast on by knitting on. The loops are a little tight around the needle to start with, but I like the way it turns out. I practiced knitting and purling and binding off, and then I figured I was ready to go. I started making my SCARF. By the time I was on the third row, I had acquired two extra stitches. So I took it all out and started over. One extra stitch. Start over. Now, I realize that there's probably a way to fix having too many stitches, but I'll be damned if I know what it is. I have no idea what I'm doing, remember. I'm doing the border of my SCARF in seed stitch (it is attractive, guys!), but it turns out I was actually making 1x1 ribbing. Heh. Start over. At least now I'm making stitches faster.
I think I've worked out all the kinks at this point. If I wind up with anything half-way decent, I'll take a picture and post it. WHETHER YOU CARE OR NOT.
I feel all full of new knowledge now. Aside from finally being able to decipher some of my friends' blog posts, I've only just now discovered how much of the material I wear is knitted. I never noticed before!
Just so we're clear, I have no interest in joining a knitting society or anything. I still dislike most forms of socializing. That has not changed. I just want to make things. I like making things. I hope I'm good at it.
We will return to regularly scheduled subjects whenever I get around to blogging again.
Tuesday
So clearly I haven't been into blogging lately.
What else is going on?
From my perspective, not a whole lot has happened. It feels like it was a month ago a couple minutes ago . Seriously, is it really almost Thanksgiving? Is it therefore really almost my birthday? What the hell!
My mother went on vacation last month for two weeks. She twisted her knee on the cobblestones of London Towne so she's been gimping around since she's been back. I have been a loving and dutiful daughter, because I'm awesome and I love my mommy and knee injuries suck. But she's okay. I saw 'Marie Antoinette' and I liked it very much. Of course, thanks to the publicity I now have a serious preponderance of Kirsten Dunst pictures that I have yet to make into 85x100s. Plus, there's really no place for me to show them off anymore, if we're honest. But trust me, she looks pretty. Speaking of which, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter. (I shouldn't say, "Is it July yet?" because at the rate things are going, it will be.) I think I saw another movie but I can't remember what it is now. And with me, I'm still at that job I was at last time you checked, and my soul has died just that little bit more. I also think I may be losing my hair again. I've acquired an extra five pounds that is baiting my already precariously taxed wardrobe. Um. Maybe I should do something about that.
So, basically, I do have some things that I'd like to get out into the blogosphere, but I have to make this introductory entry and then wait for people to stumble back to my blog and get used to the idea that there might be something new here again to read. That way there's more of a chance that there will actually be someone reading (and maybe responding) when I write something that I feel is worth reading. I mean, you guys know how it is, right? Right? I'm cool, right kids?
Veronica Mars is almost on.
From my perspective, not a whole lot has happened. It feels like it was a month ago a couple minutes ago . Seriously, is it really almost Thanksgiving? Is it therefore really almost my birthday? What the hell!
My mother went on vacation last month for two weeks. She twisted her knee on the cobblestones of London Towne so she's been gimping around since she's been back. I have been a loving and dutiful daughter, because I'm awesome and I love my mommy and knee injuries suck. But she's okay. I saw 'Marie Antoinette' and I liked it very much. Of course, thanks to the publicity I now have a serious preponderance of Kirsten Dunst pictures that I have yet to make into 85x100s. Plus, there's really no place for me to show them off anymore, if we're honest. But trust me, she looks pretty. Speaking of which, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter. (I shouldn't say, "Is it July yet?" because at the rate things are going, it will be.) I think I saw another movie but I can't remember what it is now. And with me, I'm still at that job I was at last time you checked, and my soul has died just that little bit more. I also think I may be losing my hair again. I've acquired an extra five pounds that is baiting my already precariously taxed wardrobe. Um. Maybe I should do something about that.
So, basically, I do have some things that I'd like to get out into the blogosphere, but I have to make this introductory entry and then wait for people to stumble back to my blog and get used to the idea that there might be something new here again to read. That way there's more of a chance that there will actually be someone reading (and maybe responding) when I write something that I feel is worth reading. I mean, you guys know how it is, right? Right? I'm cool, right kids?
Veronica Mars is almost on.
Oh hey!
I realized just today that Patricia Hayes, who played Urgl in The Neverending Story, is the same lady who played Fin Raziel in Willow. Today is when I figured this out! In The Neverending Story, she always reminded me of my Aunt Fran. She's dead now. ... Both of them, actually. That's sad.
Also, Elora Danan is 19 now. Not that she's done anything since, but she (they) was (were) a (two) very pretty baby (ies).
Nothing else of interest, sorry.
Also, Elora Danan is 19 now. Not that she's done anything since, but she (they) was (were) a (two) very pretty baby (ies).
Nothing else of interest, sorry.
Sunday
Life is weird.
Okay, since none of you know this, I will start at the beginning. When I was a very young person, let's say, 1-3 years old, I went to daycare at the home of a woman named Terry. At her house. It was very small and informal and homey and there were always people. They came to my 4th birthday party, which took place at a McDonald's. My big memory from that is how I had already become obsessed with vampires somehow. I instigated a game that was a lot like tag, except with added plot. That plot being, the person who was "it" was the vampire, and they had to run around and get people. And then the next person would be the vampire, and so on. I enlisted Terry's daughter, Tara, to begin the game. I was kind of in love with her. I'm pretty sure I tried to cling to her whenever possible. Terry also had a younger daugher, Laura, and some sons who were older. I'm not sure how old any of them were, because when you're three, everyone older than 5 is stratospherically old. Anyway, I was the first person that Tara went for. And she announced, "Okay, now Amy's the vampire! Everyone run away from her!" And that's when I started crying and throwing a fit, because I really did not want to be the vampire.
As you can see, I have always been interested in fair and equal play. And follow-through.
Skip ahead about a little under two decades. You know that thing I talked about in my last entry? The classes, the performance? My scene partner, who I've worked with for the past three months or so? Her name is Laura. After a brainstorming session with my father today, we realized that she is Laura, Terry's daughter Laura . And her sister, Tara, who've I've met about 4 times now? Yeah. HOLY CRAP. She doesn't know yet! I plan to call her and tell her. Only I'm a little worried that she won't be as completely smacked-about-the-face by this news as I am. Holy crap!!
So, I hung out with my father today and we saw Superman Returns . Yesterday I went to the movies with my mother. We saw The Devil Wears Prada . I was pleasantly surprised by both experiences! Regarding Superman, I agree with everything Jess, and by proxy Soupy, said about it. Including the part about Invasion.
The Devil Wears Prada was mildy interesting because I think, although I can't be entirely sure, that this is the first time I've ever seen a production of something that I auditioned for and didn't get. It's probably not true, considering how many things I've been rejected from. But I think so. ... Not for any of the good parts, you understand. Anne Hathaway's eyes are much, much bigger than mine, and it makes me feel inadequate. I'm in love with the red-haired English girl, though. Though it turns out that she may not be red-haired in real life, in which case my love dwindles slightly.
Also, remember a couple months ago I went to that funeral and afterwards I went to IHOP? No? Well, a couple months ago I went to a funeral, and then I wound up at IHOP. On Friday, a plane crashed into the parking lot of that IHOP. Jesus fuck! Nothing major. A small plane. But still, Jesus fuck! It's sort of (but not really) like that time that a tour bus was blown up in front of the Cairo Museum a month to the day after I was sitting right there in a tour bus just like it. I'm not sure what any of this means. Maybe that I need to start showing up at the homes of people I don't like.
Some jerks just walked by my house setting off ... some kind of fireworks, I guess. They're trying to celebrate the birth of their nation by blowing up a small piece of it. I would be nice if they didn't come close to burning my house down, though. Or blowing out my eardrums.
In other news, Happy Birthday Harper! And tomorrow, Happy Birthday Jess!
As you can see, I have always been interested in fair and equal play. And follow-through.
Skip ahead about a little under two decades. You know that thing I talked about in my last entry? The classes, the performance? My scene partner, who I've worked with for the past three months or so? Her name is Laura. After a brainstorming session with my father today, we realized that she is Laura, Terry's daughter Laura . And her sister, Tara, who've I've met about 4 times now? Yeah. HOLY CRAP. She doesn't know yet! I plan to call her and tell her. Only I'm a little worried that she won't be as completely smacked-about-the-face by this news as I am. Holy crap!!
So, I hung out with my father today and we saw Superman Returns . Yesterday I went to the movies with my mother. We saw The Devil Wears Prada . I was pleasantly surprised by both experiences! Regarding Superman, I agree with everything Jess, and by proxy Soupy, said about it. Including the part about Invasion.
The Devil Wears Prada was mildy interesting because I think, although I can't be entirely sure, that this is the first time I've ever seen a production of something that I auditioned for and didn't get. It's probably not true, considering how many things I've been rejected from. But I think so. ... Not for any of the good parts, you understand. Anne Hathaway's eyes are much, much bigger than mine, and it makes me feel inadequate. I'm in love with the red-haired English girl, though. Though it turns out that she may not be red-haired in real life, in which case my love dwindles slightly.
Also, remember a couple months ago I went to that funeral and afterwards I went to IHOP? No? Well, a couple months ago I went to a funeral, and then I wound up at IHOP. On Friday, a plane crashed into the parking lot of that IHOP. Jesus fuck! Nothing major. A small plane. But still, Jesus fuck! It's sort of (but not really) like that time that a tour bus was blown up in front of the Cairo Museum a month to the day after I was sitting right there in a tour bus just like it. I'm not sure what any of this means. Maybe that I need to start showing up at the homes of people I don't like.
Some jerks just walked by my house setting off ... some kind of fireworks, I guess. They're trying to celebrate the birth of their nation by blowing up a small piece of it. I would be nice if they didn't come close to burning my house down, though. Or blowing out my eardrums.
In other news, Happy Birthday Harper! And tomorrow, Happy Birthday Jess!
I have been bitten on the neck by a bloodsucking fiend.
There's a place for everything, and everything should be in its place. My place is inside of a building. Case in point.
Today I went outside to help my mother cut down some tree branches that were hanging over her car and showering them with berries. Without the aid of a ladder. The hilarity is that both my mother and I are very short.
During this escapade of about half an hour, while I was fully clothed, I sustained no less than five mosquito bites. One them, you guessed it, on the neck. On the neck , people!!
Now I'm going to go see X3.
Today I went outside to help my mother cut down some tree branches that were hanging over her car and showering them with berries. Without the aid of a ladder. The hilarity is that both my mother and I are very short.
During this escapade of about half an hour, while I was fully clothed, I sustained no less than five mosquito bites. One them, you guessed it, on the neck. On the neck , people!!
Now I'm going to go see X3.
Tuesday
Lauren! Why didn't you tell me!
Please note that I am currently irrational with glee, and not apt to find answers such as, "I was unaware." to be acceptable.
So, even though I've been in a sort of musical drought and mostly unaware of contemporary entertainment, some things still filter through to me. One such thing is the existence of a band called "Rilo Kiley" and the knowledge that some people I know seem to think they're keen. Also, that this band is fronted by a young lady named Jenny Lewis.
What I didn't put together until today is that this is the selfsame Jenny Lewis, the small adorable redhead, of such films as Troop Beverly Hills and A Friendship In Vienna , the latter of which is a movie that I watched innumerable times as a young girl. That and Henson puppet movies. Man. Wonderful times.
So, now I'm excited to learn about her music, whereas before I had reasonably low interest. That's how to get my attention, I guess! Of course, this is not to say that I will like the band, nor that I will listen to them much. Or maybe it does. But either way, I'll probably have to ask which songs are best to listen to. I may enlist Lauren, as she is a fangirl.
So, even though I've been in a sort of musical drought and mostly unaware of contemporary entertainment, some things still filter through to me. One such thing is the existence of a band called "Rilo Kiley" and the knowledge that some people I know seem to think they're keen. Also, that this band is fronted by a young lady named Jenny Lewis.
What I didn't put together until today is that this is the selfsame Jenny Lewis, the small adorable redhead, of such films as Troop Beverly Hills and A Friendship In Vienna , the latter of which is a movie that I watched innumerable times as a young girl. That and Henson puppet movies. Man. Wonderful times.
So, now I'm excited to learn about her music, whereas before I had reasonably low interest. That's how to get my attention, I guess! Of course, this is not to say that I will like the band, nor that I will listen to them much. Or maybe it does. But either way, I'll probably have to ask which songs are best to listen to. I may enlist Lauren, as she is a fangirl.
Saturday
RENT, bitches!
Heh! I went with my mother to see RENT (2005). I had to sit and think a while about what I thought of it, because it was totally good, and I'm conflicted from having seen the show. I had the same problem when I saw Chicago . And that movie was great. So, what follows will be a somewhat comparision of show to movie, and a discussion of changes I felt worked and did not.
I'm going to assume that if you're not from the New York area (and most of you are not) that you haven't seen the show. Hopefully I won't talk down to you in an off-putting fashion!
[Begin Spoiler for RENT — Highlight to view]
The first difference is that the movie is a musical. Isn't the show? No. The show is a rock opera . There is almost no dialogue in the show. Like a real opera! But you can't have a movie of four or even two straight hours of singing, so I'm fine with the fact that the level of dialogue increased. What I didn't like is that the dialogue seemed like filler between the songs. Which I find happens in musicals. A few lines of dialogue creates a bridge between two songs. Doesn't have to be. I'm pretty sure Chicago did not have this problem. I'm pretty much going to blame the direction.
There was premature concern about Chris Columbus directing this, and people were worried that it was going to be Columbus-ified. Were these concerns valid? In my opinion, yes. The movie certainly does not suck, because the material is great. But I do think it could have been better under another director. Chris Columbus really doesn't have to make any more movies, as far as I'm concerned. Or, if he does, he should stick with the films we expect him to make: kids' films.
On the old cast: Anthony Rapp was still playing like they were on a stage. He's done enough movies to know better. The same can be same, to a lesser degree, for Ms. Menzel, but it fit her character, so that ameliorates it even more. Adam Pascal is the only one who seems to have mellowed with age, and that made me profoundly disappointed because I love Roger and adore Mr. Pascal in everything he's been in. (Which, um. Is RENT and SLC Punk ) But he's still blond and I still love him. The other gentlemen were still fucking fabulous.
On the new cast: Rosario Dawson looks like a perfect Mimi, but falls flat in the actual ... acting. Or rather, singing. Daphne Rubin-Vega can't really sing, but she does so with intense passion, and that's why she's great. Dawson is sort of the reverse. Not that she was horrible by any means. Tracie Thoms, on the other hand, was ... I freaking love her. She's adorable and tough and great and fabulous and should be in everything. Really.
The show, clearly, it is better. That's probably true in all cases. The show's always better, the book's always better, etc. For me, I feel this way because the moments that hit me the hardest in the show were in parts that were absent from the film. One example is where we learn about the fate of April. **SHOW SPOILER!** In the show, they come off the exuberance of the opening number and Mark is about to head out. "Take your AZT," he tells Roger (just like in the film) but then he explains in song to the near silent audience (with Roger plucking at his guitar in the foreground) "His girlfriend April left a note saying 'We've got AIDS.' before slitting her wrists in the bathroom." And, holy shit. I'm pretty sure I gasped, because it felt like a slap in the face. The movie was sadly devoid of moments like this.
In addition, it wasn't really that great to see April on screen. She was pretty skanky. I mean, so too was Roger, but in the show, it's really up for grabs what April's part was in the acquirement of the HIV. It's strongly implied that Roger contracted it because he was using drugs, and then he gave it to April, who wasn't doing anything deviant. And then she killed herself. Which does a whole lot to explain why Roger is so fucked up. And this is ... off in screen version.
One thing that I did like was changing the time frame of the first act. I could never buy that all that shit took place in one night. So I was in favor of all that, and I smiled to myself at how they changed the lyrics around to fit it. However, it could have been done with more finesse. And that's on the dude that did the screenplay.
In conclusion, I still had tears streaming down my face. It's pretty great. If you have a chance to see the show (and perhaps I'll list some more reasons to do so at a later time) you should definitely do that. But in the meantime, if you have the chance to see the movie (which you do, unless you live in Wyoming or some place) you should do that too.
[End Spoiler]
I'm going to assume that if you're not from the New York area (and most of you are not) that you haven't seen the show. Hopefully I won't talk down to you in an off-putting fashion!
[Begin Spoiler for RENT — Highlight to view]
The first difference is that the movie is a musical. Isn't the show? No. The show is a rock opera . There is almost no dialogue in the show. Like a real opera! But you can't have a movie of four or even two straight hours of singing, so I'm fine with the fact that the level of dialogue increased. What I didn't like is that the dialogue seemed like filler between the songs. Which I find happens in musicals. A few lines of dialogue creates a bridge between two songs. Doesn't have to be. I'm pretty sure Chicago did not have this problem. I'm pretty much going to blame the direction.
There was premature concern about Chris Columbus directing this, and people were worried that it was going to be Columbus-ified. Were these concerns valid? In my opinion, yes. The movie certainly does not suck, because the material is great. But I do think it could have been better under another director. Chris Columbus really doesn't have to make any more movies, as far as I'm concerned. Or, if he does, he should stick with the films we expect him to make: kids' films.
On the old cast: Anthony Rapp was still playing like they were on a stage. He's done enough movies to know better. The same can be same, to a lesser degree, for Ms. Menzel, but it fit her character, so that ameliorates it even more. Adam Pascal is the only one who seems to have mellowed with age, and that made me profoundly disappointed because I love Roger and adore Mr. Pascal in everything he's been in. (Which, um. Is RENT and SLC Punk ) But he's still blond and I still love him. The other gentlemen were still fucking fabulous.
On the new cast: Rosario Dawson looks like a perfect Mimi, but falls flat in the actual ... acting. Or rather, singing. Daphne Rubin-Vega can't really sing, but she does so with intense passion, and that's why she's great. Dawson is sort of the reverse. Not that she was horrible by any means. Tracie Thoms, on the other hand, was ... I freaking love her. She's adorable and tough and great and fabulous and should be in everything. Really.
The show, clearly, it is better. That's probably true in all cases. The show's always better, the book's always better, etc. For me, I feel this way because the moments that hit me the hardest in the show were in parts that were absent from the film. One example is where we learn about the fate of April. **SHOW SPOILER!** In the show, they come off the exuberance of the opening number and Mark is about to head out. "Take your AZT," he tells Roger (just like in the film) but then he explains in song to the near silent audience (with Roger plucking at his guitar in the foreground) "His girlfriend April left a note saying 'We've got AIDS.' before slitting her wrists in the bathroom." And, holy shit. I'm pretty sure I gasped, because it felt like a slap in the face. The movie was sadly devoid of moments like this.
In addition, it wasn't really that great to see April on screen. She was pretty skanky. I mean, so too was Roger, but in the show, it's really up for grabs what April's part was in the acquirement of the HIV. It's strongly implied that Roger contracted it because he was using drugs, and then he gave it to April, who wasn't doing anything deviant. And then she killed herself. Which does a whole lot to explain why Roger is so fucked up. And this is ... off in screen version.
One thing that I did like was changing the time frame of the first act. I could never buy that all that shit took place in one night. So I was in favor of all that, and I smiled to myself at how they changed the lyrics around to fit it. However, it could have been done with more finesse. And that's on the dude that did the screenplay.
In conclusion, I still had tears streaming down my face. It's pretty great. If you have a chance to see the show (and perhaps I'll list some more reasons to do so at a later time) you should definitely do that. But in the meantime, if you have the chance to see the movie (which you do, unless you live in Wyoming or some place) you should do that too.
[End Spoiler]
Thursday
I am thankful for monkeys.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday that is not my birthday. It is a day that is orange, and orange is my second favorite color after purple. Today I wore an orange sweater and ate orange food, and it was good.
Also, this year is the first year in ... perhaps ever that I did not have Thanksgiving at my house. Well, except for those few years when my mother was not doing holidays. I forget what I did then. It was kind of a blur. But this year we went up to my sister's because ... I don't know. Complicated reasons that no one really remembers any more. I was completely surprised by all the traffic. But at least we weren't going south. Whoa nelly!
The evening went about 85% great. A seven-year-old girl is adorable and loves me. My sister made me hot cocoa. THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE LACK OF SMOKE AND IT MADE THINGS EXCELLENT. We watched Million Dollar Baby On Demand and it was a terrible, terrible movie. My mother got cranky towards the end of the night, but a frigid ride home put her to rights.
The important thing is that I now have two large containers filled with sweet potatoes in my refrigerator. This will surely last me until my birthday, which was the plan all along. SO GOOD.
Also today I told my family some good news that I received on Monday but hadn't mentioned until today. Yes, that's right. I had good news that I intentionally told no one. I don't know why I did that! It's not like I was making a choice not to say anything. I just kind of ... didn't. And people asked me "Is anything going on?" And I said, "Not really." Not really!
Tomorrow I will go see RENT with my mommy. Then we will go look for Elton John sheet music. I swear these events are unrelated! Heeeeee! Oh, I also have to call this cat toy company because I need to obtain a very specific product for my neurotic cat who is losing her mind without it.
In conclusion, "What are you thankful for?"
"Monkeys."
Also, this year is the first year in ... perhaps ever that I did not have Thanksgiving at my house. Well, except for those few years when my mother was not doing holidays. I forget what I did then. It was kind of a blur. But this year we went up to my sister's because ... I don't know. Complicated reasons that no one really remembers any more. I was completely surprised by all the traffic. But at least we weren't going south. Whoa nelly!
The evening went about 85% great. A seven-year-old girl is adorable and loves me. My sister made me hot cocoa. THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE LACK OF SMOKE AND IT MADE THINGS EXCELLENT. We watched Million Dollar Baby On Demand and it was a terrible, terrible movie. My mother got cranky towards the end of the night, but a frigid ride home put her to rights.
The important thing is that I now have two large containers filled with sweet potatoes in my refrigerator. This will surely last me until my birthday, which was the plan all along. SO GOOD.
Also today I told my family some good news that I received on Monday but hadn't mentioned until today. Yes, that's right. I had good news that I intentionally told no one. I don't know why I did that! It's not like I was making a choice not to say anything. I just kind of ... didn't. And people asked me "Is anything going on?" And I said, "Not really." Not really!
Tomorrow I will go see RENT with my mommy. Then we will go look for Elton John sheet music. I swear these events are unrelated! Heeeeee! Oh, I also have to call this cat toy company because I need to obtain a very specific product for my neurotic cat who is losing her mind without it.
In conclusion, "What are you thankful for?"
"Monkeys."
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