Delirious Documentations

Optimism Over Pessimism.

2012-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Today is kind of trying to be "one of those days." But I don't want to allow that.

I don't have class on Fridays, but I had a meeting on campus for a group project, so I had breakfast and did some reading, then took my bike over. The weather today is probably the warmest of the year so far, which is nice . . . but also, well, warm. After my ride, I go to our designated meeting spot and wait. Two people had emailed that they wouldn't be able to make it, and as I was waiting one more person emailed the same message. But I thought, well, that's okay, there are still about three more people. So I sit there. And I wait. And then I take out a book for another class and start reading so as not to waste time. One o'clock turns into 1:15, then 1:30; I leave at 1:40, not having seen any of my group.

Oh, well, I say, as I go back to my bike to head home. Then as I'm waiting at an intersection just by home, I see a thorn in my front tire. I pick it out and listen to air squeezing out of the inner-tube. I contemplate how much money is in my bank account while hurrying to pedal the last half-block before all the air is gone. I get home hungry, thirsty, and grumpy.

But it's still okay. Thirsty is easily remedied by water, and I found a nice apple to snack on while watching Kaleb Nation's newest video. The video turns out to be great, and my smiles chase away the grumpiness (most of it, at least).

I used to be obsessed with the word "balance." Sometimes, like now, I'm reminded of why. Sometimes it's too easy to fall into pessimism, but even a single optimistic bit can tip that balance right back in favor of contentment. And that, in turn, is why even YouTube videos can serve many purposes: they can be that one spark that brings you back up and into focus. (Which I certainly need since I, once again, find myself needing to read hundreds of pages this weekend . . . )

Breaking Dawn Parody Is Here

2012-02-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

You can watch The Hillywood Show's parody here.

I feel like I'm so late in commenting on this video, though it only came out Wednesday night. But I wanted to give a day or two before saying anything so that my thoughts would be clearer, and I've also just been so terribly busy these couple of days--my eyes don't thank me for the amount of reading I've had to do.

But I've managed to watch this parody a few times by now, and I just watched all four of the Twilight parodies in a row right now. My reasoning for this is the way that I think of the old Sweeney Todd episodes: though there are four of them, I always watch them together as four parts of a whole. Might a similar thing not happen when the Twilight parodies have been out as long as the Sweeney Todd ones? And you know what I found? Breaking Dawn Parody works as a nice fourth installment . . . and it turns out to have pretty good rewatchability.

Let me first consider what this parody achieves. It's very upbeat and happy, not so unlike how the Twilight one was. But add to that the professional polish of Eclipse Parody. The first couple of minutes are my favorite; they plunge you right in. I'm often tempted to call Eclipse's dance sequence my favorite, and this one still delivered on par with that. I only wish I could have seen the wedding dress more: this is one of the costumes I was looking forward to seeing since I'm sure it wasn't the easiest to get, yet I almost missed it on the first viewing. (I knew it was there, of course, but I didn't get to see it much--maybe because I was busy enjoying the dancing.) One thing I think I did spot, though, was the Twilight hair tools collection on Alice's counter--surely I'm not mistaken?

What comes naturally with the ground of parodies, I suppose, is the exposure of weaknesses in the original movie. As this parody was winding up, I found myself chronicling its scenes, feeling like something was missing; but, of course, the movie itself only has so many events because of the Part 1/ Part 2 issue. The parody brings into starkness the wedding, honeymoon, baby list.

I suppose there are three main twists in this video from the movie, perhaps more subtle ones than in the New Moon and Eclipse videos. First is the music and dance Bella leads the wedding scene with (which is rather like the music sequences in Twilight Parody), then is Jacob's comedic intervention at different points (this reminds me of what "bad Bella" did for New Moon Parody), and last is Edward and the rest of the Cullens' happiness set to song about the baby, in contrast to the tension in the movie during these scenes (this, in turn, equates in my mind to the approach Eclipse Parody took). Did, after the initial view, I feel like these three twists weren't quite enough? Yes. But the more I thought about it and the more times I watched the video, the less I complained (complained is too harsh of a word, but I can't think of a better).

In fact, I find that I only keep smiling or laughing more at the birth scene, which initially I wasn't sure about, the more times I watch. Like I said, I really liked the first couple of minutes; what follows, though, I'm also enjoying. The conjuring of smiles is the most important part of The Hillywood Show, and this parody does that.

I haven't commented on the recasting of Edward; I suppose I really don't have much to say except that I like how they introduced him in the video, with the slow turning to face the camera. It fit both fans' curiosity to see the new actor and what's going on in the scene.

One thing I have also been finding entertaining is seeing my name in the credits (under Fan Donations, of course); it comes in at about 9:28--yes, I checked the time. When looking at the Fan Donations at the end of Harry Potter Friday Parody last year, I noted that these long lists of names might help dispel some of the hate Hillywood gets from viewers who think (because of the intensely accurate sets, hair, makeup, etc.) they're just rich people with all the possibilities handed right to them. Seeing that there are donations shows that, no, Hilly and Hannah are just dedicated to what they do; they want to produce the best videos they can, and have for that reason developed a fan base willing to help them do just that. I'm glad I was able to contribute in some way, and I'm proud to have my name in the list for Breaking Dawn Parody.

January Favorites

2012-01-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

1) Family Ties - This show is practically all I have been watching on Netflix this month; I'll expand more on it in a later post.

2) Urban Decay's Naked Palette - I got this palette for Christmas; with twelve shadows, mostly of varying shades of brown in both matte and shiny, you can put together so many different looks. I can do a very low key shadow if I'm wearing a brighter lip color, or focus more on the darker shades if the opposite is true.

3) Clover Organic Farms unsalted butter - I can add butter to this list, can't I? I love this butter because it is entirely full of flavor (butter flavor), and in addition to the Organic label, it also has one for the American Humane Association.

4) Hot chocolate - While I'm on the subject of food, I might as well add this one in. On those couple days of the week that I have a rather long day before getting to come home, I like to mix up a cup of nostalgia:

5) My Food Writing class - Sometimes I just love the special topics English classes; they often end up being my favorites. In this one, we've already read a couple of wonderful books: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Best Food Writing 2010, edited by Holly Hughes. There are more, but those are the two I would most recommend so far.

6) The Farmers' Market on campus - I add this one because I am recently returned from said event, where I picked up a loaf of sliced bread from a local company, a little produce, and some Challah bread made by an organization on campus that donates the proceeds to a couple of charities. Might I also add that it's rather delicious bread and won't last long before I eat it all.

7) My tree notebook from Anthropologie - Naturally, I adore this store for its eclecticism and its blending of old and new and refusal to follow trends quite to the dot. Given that I also have something of a thing for trees, this notebook was an amazing find.

8) Weleda toothpaste - I don't use "regular" toothpastes. I'm odd that way, such that I read labels in, yes, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste in addition to food. (It's been long enough since I used "regular" toothpaste that it creeps me out on the odd occasions that I do, like at the orthodontist--it's just so different.) I've been using Weleda's Plant Gel toothpaste for a while and liked it well enough, but thought to try the Salt variety this time. It really is like rubbing salt in your mouth: it's quite strong. But it's sort of intriguing at the same time.

9) Mandarin oranges - I've been eating a lot of these lately. I love that I can put one or two in my bag when I'm leaving for the day and not have to worry about containers and all that. Yesterday, I snacked on a pair while walking from one class to the other . . . and felt throughly amused at the prospect of peeling oranges while walking. But, hey, I only had a fifteen minutes break and I was getting hungry (I wouldn't be odd enough to eat an orange in the classroom, allowing the citrus aroma to spread in the enclosed space.)

10) The Hillywood Show - Yeah, I'm sure that's surprising. But their Breaking Dawn Parody is due out any day now. They said it would be out in February, and I'm pretty sure they're hoping to have it out in the very beginning of the month. Yesterday, they released a couple of behind the scenes pictures, which you can view here.

Breaking Dawn Parody: First Still

2012-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

Breaking Dawn Parody by The Hillywood Show is coming up fast. The first official still, which you can view on their website, was released late Friday night. Without the parody logo in the top left corner, a glance at this picture looks like a still from the movie itself. The Hillywood Show never disappoints with accuracy.

This still makes me wonder what angle the parody will take. There is probably a good amount more "sitting around" in this movie than the previous three--how does that lend to the music video style the Twilight parodies thus far have had? Will there still be a focus mostly on Bella's perspective (as perhaps the still would suggest), or will it also be on other characters?

The countdown to February continues.

Beauty and the Beast 3D

2012-01-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Beauty and the Beast is one of the Disney films to which I have always had a connection. It and I are the same age, and it was one of the few movies my family owned when I was young (my parents were more likely to buy us books than movies, for which I'm grateful--I think this also made us better appreciate the movies we did own). While Snow White has black hair, Cinderella has blonde, and Ariel has red, Belle has brown hair like mine. She also reads; books I have always (I think) valued, and they were a particularly important part of my life from fifth grade on. Then at probably about the time of middle school, I could also relate to Belle's wishes for something more.

The movie was originally supposed to come out in 3D a year or two ago, wasn't it? But that's okay, I waited and was positively exultant at entering my usual theatre yesterday to watch this movie both classic and personal. Fare thee well, school books and writing assignments: you can wait a couple of hours for my attention.

What's wonderful about seeing a familiar movie in a new format is that it makes you aware of new things. I noticed many paintings in the background of the castle that I had never seen before; I smiled at each new discovery. Watching this movie in 3D also allowed me to better appreciate the artistry of it. I do love traditional animation. The castle and the opening sequence benefited in particular from the added dimension. Beauty and the Beast is lovely, visually, in a way that reminds me of the gorgeous Sleeping Beauty.

Perhaps Sleeping Beauty will be next to return to the big screen?

Breaking Dawn Parody Teaser

2012-01-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

To much anticipation, The Hillywood Show yesterday released a teaser for their Breaking Dawn Parody, which will be coming out in February. You can view the teaser here.

While the video is more an announcement than anything else, still there are a couple of things to speculate about. First, they announced that this time, Jacob Jost was unable to continue his role as Edward; I have previously been impressed that almost the entire cast has been able to reprise their roles for each new Twilight parody. I guess that couldn't go on forever, although I wasn't expecting one of the primary roles to be affected.

It hardly needs saying that it looks like there will be as much attention to detail as always: even in the short clip the teaser shows, this is evident. I noticed, though, that the clouds behind the logo seem a bit more purple than the ones in the movie logo. I know, I'm probably just being too picky. But it's just possible that this is a completely conscious difference, somehow speaking to the content of the parody. Possibly.

The last main thing I am wondering about is length. All the other Twilight parodies were around ten minutes long, which allowed many of the movie scenes to get into the videos. But more recent parodies (like the Harry Potter one) have been shorter; this has seemed to be a good thing for re-watchability. So will this one be ten minutes long or shorter? I'm very curious to find out.

POTC: On Stranger Tides

2012-01-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

From the start, I subconsciously tried to cultivate low expectations for this movie so that I wouldn't be disappointed by it and so that I would be able to enjoy anything good in it. Not being in a hurry to see it, I let it fade out of theatres until I had to wait for it to be available on Netflix last month. It turns out that I approached the movie in the right way.

The thing is, I really liked the first movie. I like aspects inside the second and third ones, but I'm not the biggest fan of them overall. And as the fourth movie is rather bare, there was less for me to latch onto in it. The biggest critique I feel I can give is that the script was weak. I appreciate that they didn't try to elevate the plot into something "more epic" like they did with the third one, but a little more development would have been nice. Barbossa was always a wonderful character, fully fleshed out from his very first line. Davy Jones took a little longer to develop out, but he was alright. Cutler Beckett I somehow find very entertaining. But Blackbeard? He had no defining characteristics, besides regular pirate ones. He looks fine, with his Blackbeard's smoking beard and all, but he has no memorable personality. And what of the people from Spain? They had a couple of scenes that were presented as crucial, but with no development--it was like they were just thrown in. Angelica was kind of interesting; it isn't easy to set up a match for Jack Sparrow. But I still feel like I'm missing something from her. She isn't a pirate, right? (since Jack was the only pirate she could impersonate, as she said). What has she been up to since Jack helped her off the path to becoming a nun? She still wears a cross around her neck and is concerned about her father's soul, but she also acts quite piratey. So who is she, really?

Obviously, with the removal of Will Turner (and Elizabeth, too, I guess), Jack still needed a straight character to balance him out. Enter the missionary. His plot line with Syrena I also found lacking; I liked it, more or less, but it just felt like it was floating in the middle of the movie. The way that their story ended seems to imply that there is more to tell, given that this fourth installment does become a new trilogy as hoped. There certainly could be more to learn about them, but I doubt they would be the first focus of new movies, either.

Now on to the supernatural elements. I loved how the first movie was a combination of so many things: a period movie, a drama, an action/adventure movie, a fantasy. Fantasy should come accompanied by that certain sense of its fantasy; the first movie did this, but did this one? Not much, I thought. I came more with Jack's words to Angelica of, don't worry, I've seen plenty of the supernatural to believe that there's more. What I feel like is that this movie became just an action/adventure/comedy instead of that wonderful amalgam the first movie was. It entertained me for a couple of hours, but will I become exorbitantly excited if they announce two more movies? Not really.

Tears for Books

2011-12-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was at a Barnes & Noble that will closing on the last day of the year. This was the closest major bookstore to where I lived much of the time growing up; my family was very excited when it opened, though it was still about forty-five minutes away. I wanted to visit it to "pay my last respects" before the closing. It was positively depressing to walk through isles of empty shelves and to hear the workers talking about how they wanted to be the ones to race to buy the last book (as opposed to the usual race to buy a store's first book). The sad thing, too, is that there really aren't any other bookstores in the area. At least I know that the Barnes & Noble next to where I now live is in no danger of closing.

But I know that more and more people are now buying eBooks or getting them off of Amazon (where they are usually less expensive). I imagine this is why there are more novelty kinds of items at bookstores, like leather journals and the beautiful leather-bound classics Barnes & Noble sells; even if you don't use them, they're nice to look at. It's all understandable, but I much prefer physical books.

I just can't wrap my head around a digital book as well. It doesn't sit in my mind properly. Plus, physical books are easier to flip through; I know that you can do all sorts of word or quote searches with digital material, but there is something nice about having to do the searching work yourself. It keeps the mind actively engaged and makes you remember things in a different way. I'm not opposed to digital books, but they just don't work for me.

I also take so much pride in my book collection. A big starter for it (apart from the picture books my brother and I had when we were young) was Little House on the Prairie. I slowly collected that series, setting them in a neat stack by my bed. A couple of classics like Little Women and Black Beauty followed, along with Ann Rinaldi books and eventually Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Today, I love the variety my stuffed shelves offer; there are many genres and time periods represented, all decked out in their different covers. It's a beautiful collaboration they make, one that little icons on a Kindle or iPad wouldn't be able to replace for me.

So fare thee well, Barnes & Noble. I shall lament thy loss.

Hair

2011-12-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

We all remember the characters in literature who sold their hair for needed money . . . Jo from Little Women is the only one I read, and I could sympathize with her loss. It was around this time that I was a little obsessed with the 1800's, wishing I had been born then; while I still like that century, I've learned that I was born in the century I need to be in. But back then, the idea of long skirts and hair down to the ankles was somehow appealing; in fact, I think this was when I started to grow my hair out longer. Currently, the longest layer is just reaching my waist. For the past four years at least, I have only been getting my hair cut enough to keep it clean-looking; consequently, it's able to grow longer each time. But being a short person, I wonder each time I get it cut if I should be getting it shorter so that my hair (which is quite voluminous already) doesn't overpower me. I always decide to let it keep growing just a little longer. I tell myself that I might as well enjoy long hair while I'm young.

But now I'm reconsidering the question, and also considering what my mom and I once talked about. Some people donate blood; some donate money. I don't really have a job yet, so the last one is out, and I don't even weigh enough to donate blood (let me post the reminder again that I'm short). But hair, I definitely have the hair to donate. Now I learn that my cousin's first grader daughter just donated her hair, all on her own idea. She is happy to do it, but I hesitate? My, my, the things we can learn from children.

I hesitate, though, when I read that you need ten inches in order to donate. Though that would still leave my hair just below the shoulders, that's a lot to cut off. I was looking at my hair (which is wavy from the braid I wore today) in the mirror, and the thought of having it "short" (though this would be a length I once thought was long) again was very sad. What a lot of love for her family Jo must have had to cut off feet of hair instead of inches, especially during a time when women's hair was expected to be long. Today, if I cut my hair, I am the only one who will feel the loss; I could leave myself with only three inches and still blend in with the crowd.

How concepts of appearance change over time; the humanity, though, does not.

The Hobbit is Coming

2011-12-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't seen the new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, you can take a look at it here.

I was a little startled this morning when I when on TheOneRing.net to check for news; it had been a while wince I visited the site, and I was reminded to only because I had seen a movie poster on someone's Tumblr for the first time. Instead of seeing more movie posters, of course, I found the trailer that came out yesterday. Seeing it one day isn't bad, but my, did that make me feel behind in news.

Initial thoughts on the trailer are positive, though there is still plenty we haven't seen. The dwarves look strangely unlike dwarves at times, but then, they are in Bilbo's small house most of the time. The use of the song for the trailer was nice: it adds that unique touch that standard-type trailer music wouldn't give. And I love the placement of Gollum at the end: I think we're all curious how Gollum is going to look this time around, and the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter is a favorite in the book. That also seems to show that the movie will, in fact, split quickly after that scene; tonally, this should be a good spot.

I had to smirk at the shot showing Gandalf and Galadriel together; were they hoping that casual filmgoers wouldn't notice so much who the characters are, but would instead think there's a love story involved in the movie?

Especially in the first half of the trailer, I can sense the lighter mood that The Hobbit has in general versus The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo also seems to have that same itchy kind of energy he had in the trilogy.

Hmm, the more I think about this, the more I realize that much indeed is kept from us in this trailer. Sure, it's only for the first half, but we still have no glimpse of the trolls or the goblins/orcs or really much at all from the travels outside of Rivendell (Edit: I was wrong about this--we do see a little of the trolls). I imagine that not only do they want to keep some things secret for now, but these are also the scenes that need heavy CG work, so I'm sure they're not ready to be viewed yet. I'm expecting all the computer work to be polished, polished, polished.

It'll be curious to see how the rest of the marketing material works out in the next year. This trailer gave something of a sense of going back for a little visit to the place you loved, implying a degree of familiarity but also newness and lightheartedness but also with depth of its own.

December Favorites

2011-12-21T22:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I will ever do any more Favorites posts, but I want to now, so I shall. These are completely random things I have been enjoying, complete with links to buy them.

1) I mentioned my new love for Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain (I have it in Passion and in Twilight) and Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm (which I have in Pink Blossom). Add to the list Tarte's lip colors. Last month, my mom and I split a set of them (which is basically five for the price of one); I ended up with the Lip Lusters in Glitzy and Flashy. If I were choosing individually, I would go for the Matte Tints instead; as it is, I like these two for when I'm not wearing very visible eyeshadow (or maybe none at all). They have a nice feel, the packaging is pretty, Tarte is a fairly natural brand, and you can layer on either more or less color as best suits the moment. Of course, the more you add, the longer it will last.

2) My new Aldo boots, a sort of pre-Christmas gift. They're black leather, a couple inches or so above the ankle, accented with Victorian-esque details, and have black laces. I love that this is a shoe that is very "in" and is also one that speaks to me personally (I do love the Victorian things); it's also very comfortable since its heel is very tiny. This is a very wearable shoe: I can put it with jeans, tucked in or out, or add it to dresses or skirts. Wonderful.

3) A week ago, I got Starship by StarKid on DVD. I know I can just watch the musical on their YouTube channel, but it just seems so much nicer to have the DVD (and I know it helps them when people purchase merch). I was also thinking about that newish TV of my parents; almost as soon as I got to their house, there I was, putting in my new DVD and finally seeing the StarKids on a real screen. I may have to watch it again before I leave.

4) I just learned how to curl my hair with a straightener. I am in awe. What also amazes me is that the look reminds me more of what you get when you roll your hair up into little bunches overnight; it has that almost old-fashioned type of look. I was never able to experiment with this before because my straightener was several years old and therefore of the thicker variety; now, however, I have this very nerdy one. Let me assure you that I only bought it because I had been wanting a new straightener and this one was half the price of the others I would consider getting. Anyway, I would rather have a hair straightener that only I see that says "Twilight" on it than a T-Shirt that I wear outside where everyone can see it. (Not that I wear T-Shirts, anyway, really.)

5) I have been a fan of Blondfire for some time now; they recently released a new single called "Where the Kids Are" that has been getting a lot of attention. It has an airy sound, a little more like Metric than some of their previous songs. A full album is coming soon, too, and I'm quite glad because, while their music has great replayability, I have now heard their songs so many times over the years that it'll be nice to have some new things.

6) I got very behind on reading Vogue this fall, so I have been catching up on issues instead of reading other books (I'll have enough reading once the semester starts again--for now, I just need a break). I finally finished with October, now it's on to November; I hope to also finished the December issue before December is actually over.

7) The color green. Need I say more?

8) Gingerbread cookies. Every year, I make a couple batches of these, enough for the family and enough to share. Everyone always loves them, though I can take no credit for inventing the recipe: I Googled it years ago and chose one of the first things that came up. But it's a great recipe because it's sweet and rich enough, also being the right amount of soft instead of crunchy. Gingerbread cookies can be hard enough to find at all in stores; when you do find them, they usually tend to be the crunchy kind, which I don't find as nice. Yet most people don't seem to make them themselves, so I have the advantage of uniqueness there.

9) The stars. Ah, I adore being able to see more than a few from my parents' house versus in the Phoenix area. I hate not being able to look up at the sky at night and see stars; I hate it so much that whenever I'm here, I go to peer out the window in the kitchen every night before going to bed. I think I have to assure myself that the stars really are there, waiting to be seen by me.

10) I'm not one of those people who like school. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm studying and I'm grateful, but school stresses me out. It's good to have my mind occupied, but I like a little quiet time, too. That, I feel, gives me more space to feel other, more positive emotions. I have time to stare out the window or to go outside and enjoy the tableau of the surrounding mountains. And I can think about the people who inhabit this land that I love. It's a lovely place we live in, and so is the word "we" because of the unity it stands for.

Darth Hamlet

2011-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

I quite like Star Wars. I grew up with the original trilogy, so it was so familiar to me that it was a while before I could sit back and say, wait, I do like these movies simply for themselves not jut because I have watched them so much. One of my good related memories is from when my brother and I were in elementary school; we turned on Return of the Jedi and sat in front of the TV with legos out, building the scenes as they showed up on the screen. That two and a half hours passed by quickly, I can tell you. Can you imagine the creativity we must have had? There was no spare moment to think about what we were doing; we just had to keep going to not miss anything. Ah, the things children are capable of doing.

I'm now at my parents' house for the holidays, and Star Wars was playing on TV. Even though we own all but Episodes II and III, I had to watch an hour or two just because of the crispness of the image quality. The TV is new (they just bought it this summer), and the difference between VHS quality and HD quality is, well, like the difference between not wearing my glasses and wearing them. As I was watching and gloating over how wonderfully literary Darth Vader's character is (which I certainly didn't notice when I was in elementary school), another of my comparisons occurred to me.

I was thinking about how Anakin made his decision to kill the Emperor a couple decades late. If he had killed him years ago, Padme wouldn't have died and the Republic wouldn't have fallen. But, no, it is only years later that he finally pulls himself together enough to make the right choice (and realize what "right choices" are). That sounds a lot like Hamlet to me.

Hamlet also delays action. He wants to gather all the information first, he tells himself, so he plays with all the characters and doesn't kill his uncle until the very end when it is almost too late. Like Anakin, he loses Ophelia and his own life in the entire process. Both of them have trouble knowing how to deal with relationships and how to jump into the right actions (since Anakin certainly acts, though not in the right ways).

How utterly tragic these two are.

Breaking Dawn (Finally)

2011-12-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

(Note that this isn't a review of the movie, just my thoughts on it--my random thoughts, like it says in my profile.)

Back when New Moon came out in theatres, it was my first semester of college and also my first time in quite a while actually living close to a theatre (I don't count the tiny local one). As a result, I went to see that movie a few times total because if I was coming home from class feeling a little unhappy (what with the whole adjusting thing) and getting rained on (as the weather is also doing this year), I would console myself by going to watch this movie again, glad that I could do so. It seemed like I would always watch the movie when it was rainy and I was in a bad mood. It was something of a tradition.

Yesterday, I had my last final for the semester, so I celebrated by some final bits of Christmas shopping . . . and it was also raining. I scowled at the rain and thought of a Harkins gift card in my wallet, finally finding myself at the 1:00 showing of Breaking Dawn. It took me a month to go and see this movie again after my first viewing on opening day.

As I give my thoughts on the movie, I must admit in all fairness that out of the four books, Breaking Dawn probably isn't my favorite; Twilight is, and its adaptation is also my favorite. I would pass this off as coincidence, but is it, really?

The problem I have is that, in my opinion, it seems like everything that could have gone wrong with splitting Breaking Dawn into two movies did. Sure, you can spend half hour on the wedding, but is it necessary to? Etc. And as I watched the second time, it seemed to me that the splitting caused a change in the primary "problem" of the story. The main problem of the book is the threat of the Volturi, but it seems that that problem has been pushed over to Part 2. The problem in place of it for Part 1 is the pregnancy . . . and, yes, it is still a conflict in the book, but not in the same way. What happened to Edward (and all the Cullens, for that matter) trying not to upset Bella or show how much he is hurt by what's happening to her? The added scene in Carlisle's office/hospital set up may show some of what the characters are thinking, but having Edward yell at Bella and then simply walk away from her? That's very out of character, only adding "movie conflict."

And I wasn't very happy with the changes made to the conflict with the wolves. They're subtle changes, perhaps, that have to do mostly with timing. Yet I find them unnecessary. The only purpose they seem to serve is to add bits of action, especially with that final fight sequence. But let me ask, was action necessary in this moment, coming just after the birth scene? Though I like a little of it, I don't watch Twilight for the action; that's for other movies to focus on, in my eyes.

I'm also wondering from whose perspective the infamous birth scene actually is. I know Bill Condon decided to shoot it, physically, from Bella's perspective, but watching that scene, I don't get the sense I get from reading that chapter as Bella tells it. Nor even as Jacob does, for the most part. Bella is essentially passed out, living in her own world of pain and blackness as she tries to remember the people she loves that she must stay alive for. And as Edward and Jacob work to keep Bella alive, Jacob is feeling the loss of his attachment to her--because, as we come to realize, his attachment has transferred itself to Renesmee. Those things aren't really what I get from that scene in the movie.

I also really missed seeing the slowly burgeoning friendship between Edward and Jacob, starting with their "deal" that the latter will kill the former when/if Bella dies. They develop a camaraderie of sorts over their attention to Bella, which sets us up for their relationship to each other in the second half of the book. If the book was split into two movies, I don't feel like something like this should have been left out.

I know, I broke my pledge not to dwell overly on pessimism. But the thing I have realized is that I like the books, and I like the first movie; after that, my interest begins slowly to dwindle. All the same, here are some things I did like.

I like what we have seen of Renesmee so far. Renesmee has to be right since she is the wonderful thing that makes all of the weird plot points seem not to matter so much. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her next year. Also along the lines of CGI, Bella's transformation was interesting to see; this is an example of something we don't really see in the book that the movie is able to show, and did show well.

The wedding speeches were funny, but watching the second time, I felt that they were more like deleted scenes material. Doesn't the fact that new bits like this needed to be added to the movie show that it wasn't necessary to split the book in two?

I know one critic complained that the movie is so dragged out that we even see Bella cooking at one point, but I liked seeing her cook for the first time. Bella is constantly in the kitchen in the books, whether it's making enchiladas to get her mind off of Edward in Twilight or washing dishes while talking to Jacob in Eclipse. I feel like this is a major character point. Around the same movie scene, I was thrilled to see Edward's handwriting for the first time, as well--the script is very similar to the font that the books use for his writing.

The inclusion of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" at the wedding was a nice touch, although I wish that I hadn't known beforehand to expect it. I liked Kaure in the movie, although I do wish that her conversation with Edward hadn't been translated since it isn't in the book.

I think that's about it. I could certainly keep talking, but I don't want to make any more complaints--that would be ungrateful. And by the way, The Hillywood Show has met their fundraiser goal for their parody of the movie--I'm curious what angle they decide to use.

Waiting for Forever

2011-12-06T19:07:00.001-08:00

The other night, I watched Waiting for Forever on Netflix not because either the movie image or summary interested me in any particular way, but because a standard romantic comedy just seemed like the right thing for the moment. I didn't care whether or not I liked the movie much. But one of those moments happened: I had randomly chosen a movie that I ended up connecting with.

Some aspects of this movie reminded me of Benny and Joon, but carried out in a way I felt closer to. I won't give plot specifics, but will just talk in a more general way.

I really liked Will's character, and not just because I'm a "romantic" (maybe I am in some ways, but it's more than that). It's the literary idea. It's the concept of ideals. It's the image of how much a single thing in a person's life means, of how everything is important and makes an impact -- and some people see this impact more. Proof (I think) that I'm not just looking at this movie in the regular "romantic" way is that I don't think it necessarily had to end the way it did. I liked the ending, but it could have ended in many ways. Part of the point for me is that the ending doesn't matter so much as the how. It matters what Will thinks and feels and decides, not so much what the other characters do or how their actions affect his situation. It's his story, and the most important thing for his character is the emotion itself, not what accompanies it.

A nice movie (quite funny at times, too, if you click with the sense of humor). Some people will call it slow, but may I ask why you would want to only watch movies that pound and pound the adrenaline scenes as they catapult toward the ending? Movies can achieve on such a variety of levels.

(To further my idea that even romantic comedies can have variety, here are two other movies I've watched recently. The Yellow Handkerchief, with all its indie goodness, was silly and sweet and entertaining. Love and Mary I absolutely hated; there aren't too many movies I'll say this about, but I didn't even feel like finishing this one. So there it is: one movie I hated, one I loved, and one I was on middle ground about.)

Support The Hillywood Show

2011-12-02T08:48:00.001-08:00

I've realized that I don't talk about The Hillywood Show often enough, so I have decided to make it a point to talk about major news from them, whether this is a new parody, a new still from a parody, behind-the-scenes, or a fundraiser.

The latter is what is new right now. After how well their fundraiser for Harry Potter went, they have now started one for Breaking Dawn. Donations will go directly into the parody (except for 10%, of course, that goes to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital). And depending on how much you donate, you can also get products like wristbands, t-shirts, and props; everyone gets their name listed in the credits of the parody.

You can donate here.

One last note on the Breaking Dawn movie itself. As you can see, I have been putting off talking about it. If I posted immediately after watching it, I knew I would have more negative than positive things to say. Now it feels like it has been so long that I likewise know I need to see it again before I give my commentary. But I'm not really in any hurry to do that. So, yes, I will post on the movie eventually, but not today.

Procrastinating

2011-12-01T16:40:00.001-08:00

What do I do when I don't want to write a paper? Blog about nothing. Consider this my attempt at Post-Modernism, if you will.

I have written an amazing one and a half pages out of a total of about five and a half. The bad thing is that it is 5:42 in the evening and this paper is due tomorrow morning. In my defense (since of course I must make a justification) is that tomorrow I have this paper due along with two final projects and their written defenses. The first of the final project pairs is done; the second project is almost done, with its written defense on my agenda for tomorrow. But I still have four more pages to write tonight about Paradise Lost.

I had meant to hang around campus for at least a couple of hours after class today, writing away. But it was cloudy today and the wind and the cold were growing, so I came home and wrapped the first Christmas present to go under the tree instead. Wrapping presents is much more fun than writing papers.

Now I sit at my desk and still find reasons to get up. Oh, it's time to turn on the light. Oh, I have to go get my power cord. My, but my fingers are cold. How am I supposed to type if my fingers are cold? So I go get my blue "Bella" jacket (yes, it is the jacket), deciding that ought to cheer me up. I pause to choose new music. I decide I can take the time to look up synonyms for words. I double check something on the assignment. I spend more time than necessary looking through my notes and secondary sources. I take another sip of the strange writing drink I have this time, Mayesa's Cacao Mint (which is rather good).

Then I write a couple of sentences. Then I check what length I'm at and recalculate how much I have left.

Then I wish that I could just extend my fingers at the laptop screen, hum, and see my thoughts all perfectly typed out. I have an outline, so why can't it just write itself?

I decide that looking up what percentage of my class grade this paper is worth might give me some motivation. It's 20%. Oh, that's not that much, I say to myself. I guess that didn't work.

But it's okay. I have six hours left before I go to bed: that's plenty of time to write four pages.

Countdown Part 4: The Book

2011-11-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

View my outline for this "countdown" here, Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

Aren't you so proud of me? In between reading Paradise Lost, Moll Flanders, Ken Brosky's Grendel (which is positively depressing), The Jungle Books, Mrs. Dalloway, and some James Joyce, I still managed to read the first half of Breaking Dawn. That is, I read Books One and Two and the first chapter of Book Three; this is what I expect the first movie will cover. (I'm going to finish the rest, but this was all I could get through before the movie.)

Now I have the daunting task of deciding what I think the movie must include. The thing is, as a whole, Breaking Dawn isn't really my favorite book--Twilight probably is. So I know that the movie must give proper attention to the wedding and the honeymoon, etc., but those aren't exactly things I'm looking forward to seeing in, er, so much detail. (Things like feathers make me glad I'm planning to see the movie alone the first time--that'll give me a chance to get over my embarrassment. These books are just so personal . . . which is what I like about them, but that complicates things when you bring the plot onscreen. To me, at least.) So Part 1 should include these two things, plus the pregnancy, the wolf-pack politics, and the birth scene. Interesting.

But let me get into themes here. One of the entertaining things about Book Two is the friendship that slowly develops between Edward and Jacob; that needs to be in the movie because it sets things up for Book Three/Part 2. This is very vague-sounding, but we also need to understand everyone's perspectives to what is happening. By this point, three books have established who the couple dozen main characters are: now we see application of their different natures. Bella keeps Renesmee because of her ability to make strong attachments. Edward doesn't want to do the same at first because he is too caught up in his worry about Bella. Rosalie helps Bella because she still mourns what she lost with her own life. Sam calls for the attack on the Cullens because his foremost priority is protecting his people. Seth joins Jacob because he has developed a friendship with the Cullens (which the last movie didn't get a chance to show). Leah joins Jacob to be free from Sam. It goes on, going into more detail. My point is that the plot of this book in particular seems very dependent on the individual perspectives of these groups of characters: understanding them is crucial to understanding the plot properly.

The books also draw connections between characters who belong to different groups. Alice is something like Jessica and also like Jane. Carlisle and Sam share similarities. Emmett and Felix. Rosalie and Leah. Emily and Esme. Some of these, especially Rosalie and Leah, come in most in Breaking Dawn. They help us understand the characters as individuals and also to move toward the final book moment when everyone is able to draw together on one side, realizing that their differences aren't so very great.

Some concerns I have about the movie are, of course, about how it will deal with the "mind" thing. More than any of the previous books, Breaking Dawn includes many conversations that take place either half or fully in the mind. You can present a little of this onscreen very simply with voiceover, but too much voiceover would be weird; unless they found a different way to convey it, I can't see that the movie will be able to keep these conversations quite the same. And that would take away from the tone a bit, I think.

Now a note on the Part 1/Part 2 thing. I think it's slightly awkward to split up a book like this. But I guess I should just be glad there's a market to do this for this book; the only other books that usually get a similar treatment are the classics BBC makes into miniseries. Indeed, my favorite version of Jane Eyre is in two parts, each a full movie length; yet I always watch both together as one movie. I felt there was some incongruity with the first of all these Part 1/Part 2 movies floating around right now: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Hillywood Show did a good job of expressing this in their parody. Part 1 was done well, but didn't really have the moments most people were looking forward to. Part 2 did, but it ended up being almost a whole movie devoted to a finale. That's great when you're a fan, but it gets hard to watch and rewatch. Will Breaking Dawn be similar? In Part 1, will we just be looking forward to Bella waking up to her new life, to our favorites from the piles of characters that will come in Part 2, to seeing the Volturi in action again? In Part 2, will we just get to see the events leading up to the final confrontation?

Even as I write these things, I begin to feel that the splitting won't be much of a problem. The book is already divided into three parts, with a more distinct division at the halfway point. It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings: with all this movie-splitting that's going on, I love to think about how there could have easily been six of those movies instead of three given enough time, money, and energy to do so. Because Breaking Dawn, as I think I mentioned before, is something like the sequel to the trilogy of the first three books; it is separate in its plot and its themes. Even whether or not it was necessary to make two movies out of it, it should work.

These are very random thoughts. I don't think I even addressed very specifically what the movie should include. But sometimes it's better to be more vague, isn't it? If I say, for instance, that I really want the quote on page 284 to be in the movie, I'll just be setting myself up for disappointment. You can't get your way with all the details, so you have to remember what is most important.

Countdown Part 3: The Parodies

2011-11-13T22:22:00.001-08:00

View my outline for this "countdown" here, Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

I've mentioned how much I like The Hillywood Show. If you don't believe me, here is a picture of the corner where my desk is:

Yes, above my shelves of textbooks and notebooks, to the left of my stickie notes of Latin grammar leftover from the last two years, and to the right of my calendar (yes, it says October: this picture was taken a month ago) are three autographed Hillywood Show pictures and an autographed prop (Ron's sling from their Harry Potter Friday Parody). I just love to support them.

The focus of this post is on their three Twilight parodies. Though each one is around ten minutes long, I like it when I can take the time to watch all three in one sitting. This was a big time for The Hillywood Show: Twilight Parody was the first of their videos to reach a million hits. This was also the time that they made major headway in makeup, costumes, and locations (not that these weren't always good: they just got even better). I remember all the excitement waiting for New Moon Parody: it was as much as for the movie itself, some people even said they were more excited for the parody than the movie. By the time Eclipse Parody came (along with a helpful new HD camera), their work truly (if anyone had any doubts before) moved into the realm of professional (what does professional even mean?).

Does any of that story sound familiar? Isn't that a lot like what happened with the movies? Catherine Hardwicke liked the story of Twilight and made sure it got made and was as good as she could make it; this ultimately led to the indie movie's mainstream attention. New Moon, then, had a great deal of hype set up around it--and a more reasonable budget to work with. For Eclipse, people began to forget that these ever were supposed to be small movies.

But there is more than that. When The Hillywood Show parodies, they really get into the tone of the movie and what makes it what it is. So while there are already significant stylistic differences between the Twilight parodies and the Harry Potter or Vampire Dairies videos, the three individual ones are also unique. Twilight Parody is light-hearted and fun, relying on blue and white colors. New Moon Parody is rather pretty: you notice such things as cinematography and warm colors. Eclipse Parody is sleek, with flawless hair and makeup, going a little edgier. These all reflect the movies on which they are based.

There are even unconscious, probably coincidental things. Twilight Parody has something almost impromptu in its feel that matches the movie. New Moon Parody has potential pacing issues: it's the longest of the three and can start to drag slightly three fourths or so in; similarly, I think the movie does have pacing issues, including some rough cuts between scenes. And while Eclipse Parody is, well, sleek, it doesn't feel like it offers much we haven't seem before (I'm thinking about how MTV called this video a little predictable, as compared to New Moon Parody, which they praised highly). So very interesting!

But let me say it again: I love The Hillywood Show. I love that I found out about them through Twilight. I love their work, and I love their style.

Now the only thing left in my countdown is to read Breaking Dawn again. I'm disappointed I haven't been able to start it yet. But somehow I shall find the time.

Countdown Part 2: The Soundtracks

2011-11-12T16:53:00.001-08:00

View my outline for this "countdown" here and Part 1 here.

I have really enjoyed what the Twilight movies have done with their soundtracks. The first one allowed me a way to get back into the mood of the movie while I waited for the DVD--it's impossible to listen to a song like "Flightless Bird, American Mouth," for instance, without picturing the scene it's featured in. Now, I know that listening to a movie score can do the same sort of thing, but it's different to listen to a score than a soundtrack. When you listen to a score, you are hearing point per point (or note per note, as the base may be) what you hear when you watch the movie. That helps to picture the movie, but I think it can also ultimately take away from the affect the score has on you when you actually are watching the movie. You start to get used to the music, so to speak, and it no longer can so powerfully set the tone of the scene. But with the songs on the soundtrack, you never hear the whole song in the movie; the only time you may hear the whole thing will be in the credits. So if you listen to that song over and over, you're not really spoiling the affect it has on you in the movie.

But besides this ramble, I love that these soundtracks have gotten me to listen to new music. I was introduced to Paramore through "Decode" and Florence + the Machine through "Heavy in Your Arms." Even for some of the artists whose other albums I have not bought, I still love what they bring to the soundtrack. Sia's "My Love," Blue Foundation's "Eyes on Fire," and Sea Wolf's "The Violet Hour" are some of the songs that come to mind as ones that I simply like listening to. I like that, in general, the three soundtracks mix classical music, pop music, and indie music--not only does that mean that there are favorites for everyone, but also that it gives us a chance to listen to things we might not have approached on our own.

To me, the Twilight soundtrack is raw--you can feel all of what it's bringing. New Moon gave a more somber tone, as fits the subject matter; as a whole, I think it is my favorite of the first three. Frankly, the songs in Eclipse start to drag after a while and not to distinguish themselves enough from each other, in my view.

The way that Twilight incorporated the songs into the movie was interesting: sometimes you didn't even realize these were separate songs instead of just parts of the score. The bit of "Eyes on Fire" that we hear in the movie doesn't include any lyrics, so you have to hear the whole song by itself to recognize it in the scene. This works to an advantage: the movie doesn't get weighed down by too many songs in addition to what the score brings.

New Moon has some of my favorite song moments (even while it has some very iffy score moments). "Slow Life" and "Hearing Damage" are two notable ones: they make their scenes perfect.

For Eclipse, I felt like the soundtrack was trying too hard. It seemed like we were constantly getting two seconds of a song just so that it could be in the movie just so that it could be in the soundtrack, like the bit that plays when Edward drops Bella off with Jacob. That isn't to say there weren't moments I did like; "My Love" and "Rolling in on a Burning Tire" I did. Could it also be that this soundtrack had less of an indie feel than the other two? I don't listen to a huge amount of popular music, so I hesitate to consider this too much. But if it's true, maybe that's why I feel a little lukewarm about this soundtrack.

Anyway, Breaking Dawn has the chance to include aspects of all the previous three soundtracks. There are joyful moments like in Twilight, sad moments like in New Moon, and tense moments like in Eclipse. From my two listens (which I already feel is too much before seeing the movie), it seems like these are all there. It's hard to resist, while listening, guessing about which scene everything will go in. In fact, it doesn't seem too hard to do: all the songs have a definite tone. It seems like there is a varied mix in the type of song, as well. And listening to the new version of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" and the song from Carter Burwell's score was emotional: it's good to have some hearkening back to the beginnings. The movies really aren't, up to now, very musically linked; that's regretful to me. So I'm excited to see what Carter Burwell does with the rest of the score.

And that's really all I have to say for now: the Breaking Dawn soundtrack proves to be at least on par with the others, with the songs seeming as fit for particular scenes as they have been previously.

Countdown Part 1: The Movies

2011-11-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

As previously outlined, I will now proceed with Part 1 of my countdown to Breaking Dawn and briefly talk about the first three movies. Note that I am not reviewing them; I am only giving random thoughts about them as a pre-Breaking Dawn exercise.

Each of these three movies is very different, and each one scores in different ways. As much as I would love to have all the positives put together and to have everything work perfectly in one movie instead of just some things, that is asking much for any book to movie adaptation. What I am slowly learning is that movies can only score so much for deep fans of the books from which they derive. So with Twilight, I have tried to sit back and enjoy the different pieces each movie brings for each segment of the series: if one doesn't give me something I want, at least I know that another probably does. And we all know that Summit did a pretty good job of assigning directors to the right movies. Catherine Hardwicke was the one to launch the project and to prove what it could be. Chris Weitz was willing to take the story where it needed to go, despite what critics would (and did) say. David Slade let us enjoy the action bits and just have fun with it before the story gets heavy again.

What I loved about this latest movie viewing of mine (I watched Twilight Tuesday night, New Moon Wednesday night, and Eclipse tonight) were the reminders of the good things in these movies. When I write posts on them, I try not to dwell on the negatives: is there any real point in doing so? I am never writing professional critiques of them and no one of import is reading my thoughts (meaning someone who would consider my opinions and apply them to the making of the next movies). Focusing on the negatives would only frustrate me, and I don't want to associate frustration with something I like (although I do feel the need to say that, yes, this is a situation where I would say I like the movies because I like the books first).

Watching Twilight, I was reminded of how much the tone of that movie matches the book. Although it probably isn't the closest adaptation, the tone is what I enjoy most in the books, so it is one of the most important things for the movies to get right. I can't thank Catherine Hardwicke enough for what she brought to this series.

New Moon has cinematography that is sheer perfection, isn't it? There are the shots we're meant to notice, like the ones of Victoria running or Sam cliff-diving. But even in the "normal" shots, there is such a coherency and artistry. This is a lovely movie to watch. And I always thought it evident how much Kristen Stewart put into her performance for this one; she doesn't care what she looks like, but what Bella is thinking. The score, though pretty, I felt from the start sets the wrong tone most of the time, yet there are wonderful moments with the soundtrack. But I'm supposed to have a separate post about soundtracks, right?

Eclipse is the most removed from Bella's mind and the most like a standard, Hollywood movie (which makes it easier for some people who are most used to standard, Hollywood movies). I have a hard time moving away from Bella's perspective (which is, again, one of the important parts of the story for me), yet I enjoy the scenes with Riley and Victoria in Seattle. I also love the three flashback scenes with Jasper, Rosalie, and the Quileutes. The action bits are fun, though I wonder if it isn't emphasized too much sometimes--if it's only action I crave, there are other places I can go besides Twilight.

Where does that leave us for Breaking Dawn? Cautious.

I like to assign these personal journey stages to the four books, respectively: innocence, initiation, chaos, and resolution. Since Breaking Dawn is like its own sequel to a trilogy, it manages to contain all the stages clearly inside of itself, even if resolution is the main one. Twilight's focus on the falling in love certainly fits in with the innocence side. New Moon's expression of sadness does initiation justice, and the action bits and such in Eclipse showcase chaos well enough. But Breaking Dawn will be in two parts, thus tearing its emotional journey apart into two pieces. I will talk more of my thoughts on this popular trend of splitting later, but for now I'll say that I wonder to what degree we can keep the theme of resolution when only telling the first half of the story.

I haven't been watching interviews or reading much more than headlines, for fear of spoilers. Rather than getting pieces one at a time, I prefer to wait to see everything in its proper place and put together as it is meant to be watched. But there are two things I have heard about Breaking Dawn that are worth noting. Robert Pattinson said that it returns to the tone of the first movie, about which he is glad--if there is one thing I could ask for this movie to do, that's it. I'm trying to not get to excited over this, though, lest I set up expectations. The other thing comes from the Twilight Lexicon's supposedly "spoiler free" review, which I just read minutes after watching Eclipse tonight, of an early screening. To call it the best book adaptation of the four is very big. It leaves me with hope.

It would be wonderful if Breaking Dawn could take all the best parts from the previous three movies: the tone of Twilight, the artistry and boldness of New Moon, and the appeal and polish of Eclipse. Honestly, I don't think it is too much to ask.

Movies & the Countdown Plan

2011-11-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on a few movies I've seen recently:

1) Five Weeks in a Balloon - A little boring at times, especially considering that Jules Verne (on whose book it is based) wrote adventure stories. Not so bad, but not leaving me without much to remember it by. And you know I only watched it in the first place because Barbara Eden is in it.

2) Inkheart - This one was like a play arena, a setting for all the goodness of stories that we love to take in. And I didn't even realize Andy Serkis was in it, so getting to see him in a non-CGI (Gollum) role was nice. So escapism, heart, all of that sort of thing are in here in a very non-heavy way.

3) X-Men: First Class - About time I watched this one; it seemed like I had been waiting to forever. I don't know if you can go wrong what with having James McAvoy play a younger Patrick Stewart: now that was entertaining. The plot itself didn't draw me in much; it was much getting to see these characters at an earlier stage and the start of the school that was fun. But, then, I'm not sure majority of people do care more about the plot than the characters in any of the X-Men movies.

4) Nosferatu - I watched this one on Halloween. Unfortunately, though, I started it late at night when I was already more tired than usual, so I couldn't take it in as much as I wanted to. Watching a 1929 silent movie (it had a music score, but that's different) when you're falling asleep isn't the best idea. But it drew me in when I could keep my eyes open. There is something amazing about watching how acting, cinematography, and all were so different eighty years ago. Dracula/Nosferatu himself was that combination of creepy and funny you get from watching a full-blown out horror movie from decades ago.

5) Season of the Witch - Now this is the movie I ought to have watched on Halloween if I wanted to get scared (which I didn't--that's why I just watched what I did). I'm not exactly sure what made me want to watch this movie in the first place, but there it suddenly was in my Netflix instant queue, so I turned it on one night. I thought the "action movie" thing about it would be a comfortable way to spend my evening. I recalled that the trailer seemed a little creepy, but since it was only PG-13, it couldn't be that bad, right? But the thing is, I'm terrible about the scary elements, even too heavy suspense. So at some point during this movie, I asked myself why I was watching it or why I hadn't at least had the sense to watch it during daylight instead of alone in the dark in the middle of the night. But I had to see it through to its end, lest the monsters be allowed to live, so to speak. When it was finished, I went off and watched a couple of videos by The Hillywood Show to clear my mind before going to bed. The verdict on the movie? It's that combination of historical, supernatural, action, horror, not-exactly-spiritual thing. It was okay, I guess. It probably could have been a little better; I certainly don't think I'd be interested enough to see it again.

And now for my plan to countdown to "that movie" that is coming out in less than two weeks. In order to prepare for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 I will be posting on the following:

1) Sometime in the coming week, I will watch the first three movies again. Then I'll talk in general about their successes and shortcomings, in terms of what I think the latest movie will or should do.

2) The soundtrack comes out on Tuesday, which I just pre-ordered. Although I did have a chance to listen to it once when it was on the official Facebook page a couple weeks ago, I will listen to it again, just once more. I'll then compare it to the others, guessing at what these differences/similarities mean for the final movie.

3) I will watch all three Twilight parodies by The Hillywood Show. I think the differences among these three coincide with the differences among the three movies, so I will expand on this idea.

4) I will reread Breaking Dawn. I don't expect to have the time to read the whole thing (please give me a break--we're reading Pardise Lost in one of my classes: I just don't have the time or energy to do too much reading of my own), so I will set my goal at the first two sections. Everyone seems to think that's where this movie will stop, anyway. Like I did for the last two movies, I will make up my little list of what I think the movie will need to do.

Until then.

Twilight the Graphic Novel: Volume 2

2011-10-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last year, I commented on the first volume of the graphic novel version of Twilight, saying that the format was rather intriguing, even if I would only turn to it for something like this that I already like. I'm not out to read other graphic novels, but I did pick up volume two when it came out this month (okay, so I pre-ordered it on Amazon, but with a list price of $19.99, you didn't expect me to buy it in-store, did you?). Once I had the book, the best part may have been finally being able to do this with the two volumes:

Because the graphic novel format wasn't so new to me this time, I wasn't quite as impressed by the workings and artistry of it. However, it was still a nice way to spend a couple of afternoons. Some of my favorite visual renderings were the Bella's lullaby scene, a wonderful and hilarious shot (to go along with Edward's line about fabricating evidence for Bella's "fall" in Phoenix) of Alice leaping through a window, and the final prom bits. Carlisle's background was also creatively portrayed, and I loved seeing an image of the Cullen house much to closer to how the book describes it than how the movie shows it.

On the negatives, I was a little disappointed by the "Angel" scene. A page or two before, I suddenly realizing that one of my favorite chapters (from the book, that is--the graphic novel doesn't have chapters) was coming up, and I used that brief bit of time to build up some high expectations. It just wasn't the same. The part after they discover the bite was fine, but before that, I wanted more of that dreamy, woozy, other-worldy feeling of pain and contentment (which sounds very odd, I realize). And still, there are pieces of dialogue mixed up or placed in different scenes, so the graphic novels by no means replace the books. But they're interesting and done well, therefore being worth picking up if you either like graphic novels or can't get enough Twilight material.

Barbara Eden's Jeannie Out of the Bottle

2011-10-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Question. Am I reading more non-fiction these days? I hardly used to read any before. My theory on this observation is that most people tend to read non-fiction (versus fiction) because it is about something that interests them, and when you're younger, you're still figuring out what you like. In my teens, I read movie companions for movies I liked, but most of the non-fiction books I bought I never finished, if I even started them. Now when I buy one, I actually do read it, saying that it's because it's by such-and-such or it's about such-and-such. Because, that is, I am genuinely interested.

This spring, Barbara Eden published her autobiography, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, which I just finished reading tonight. What perfect timing for this book to come out, not so long after my "discovery" of I Dream of Jeannie. (This is the second Jeannie book I have read--the other was Dreaming of Jeannie: TV's Prime Time in a Bottle, which I don't believe I ever commented on here.) I was glad to get this book (which I seem to be saying often lately--am I that emotionally involved?), though it's worth noting that as an autobiography, I Dream of Jeannie is not its only subject matter. But I liked everything else, too, from learning about Barbara Eden's youth, her entrance into show-business, and her encounters with various big names. The Lucille Ball bit was interesting (one does love to hear about intersections between people from two shows one loves), if also sad. If you're wondering, Barbara Eden appears in the I Love Lucy episode "Country Club Dance," which I just watched this summer knowing for the first time that it was she in the role.

A couple of sentences caught my particular attention. Now, I knew that most everybody involved in the show (I Dream of Jeannie, that is) had been against the wedding in the fifth season. But I didn't realize this: "After all, I Dream of Jeannie's abiding theme was Jeannie's unrequited love for Major Nelson, his belief that she was just a figment of his imagination, and her stubborn insistence that she was real" (Barbara Eden, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, 2011). The first time I read that, I probably took it a little further than it actually is, but still. I don't know if I interpreted the show quite in that way. I always took delight in the fact that Jeannie and Tony adore each other, but often don't show it in the usual, obvious ways. Because, honestly, I don't see it as such a bad thing that they got married in the end. Although I don't think Barbara made any mention of this in her book, I've heard elsewhere (from more than one place) that the show was already under threat of cancellation; if that's the case, the wedding didn't change anything from that perspective. But it does allow for a kind of "happy ending" sense to the show; to me, it makes it so that it didn't really just end, it concluded.

Anyway, I must go and stow away another good book on my shelves. And, yes, that will be a feat in itself: there is hardly any spare space left, I have so many books.

I'm Not a Very Good Rebel

2011-10-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

As soon as I caught up from my "I'm more behind in reading than I've ever been" state, I had two midterms (for which I would actually have to study, though I usually do fine without much studying) and two papers within eight days. The last paper was due tonight, so the plan was to write half of it yesterday and the second half today. But I was just so exhausted yesterday that when I sat down (more than once) to write, I just couldn't. It just wasn't working.

So I decided to rebel--I departed from my desk and watched Netflix while lying on my bed instead. I called it "recovering" and promised that I would work diligently on the paper the next day (today).

But when I got home today around one, I still didn't want to work on that paper. So I took the time to slowly finish a movie I had started, have lunch, and then watch some YouTube. I believe I was mentally making faces at the paper, thinking I was better than it because I was refusing to work on it. I didn't get out my notes to begin until about five o'clock. But I told myself that was okay: I could take an hour per page and still finish with two hours to spare before the due time.

I wasn't finished pretending to be rebellious, though. I made some coffee, poured it with a flourish into a teacup, served a square of almond toffee on a dessert plate, and started brushing on lipgloss at random, often intervals (I don't really wear this gloss much anymore--I never much liked lipgloss and now that I have discovered the superior Revlon Just Bitten lipstain and Burt's Bee's tinted lip balm, the couple of glosses I have sitting around have been officially neglected). I used these three elements as my "inspiration" to begin. Then lo, and behold, I finished the paper in less than three hours.

The verdict? That twenty-four hour time that I took off must have allowed the ideas to properly stew in my mind. And slight distractions actually aid in writing. I've talked a little before about either eating or drinking (as in coffee or tea or hot chocolate or acai juice, of course, nothing other) while writing, or listening to music. It's quite true, as well. Instead of actually distracting, I find that little things like this help me focus, ironic as that may be.

Oh, yes, and I've learned that I am a terrible rebel. Seriously, coffee, toffee, lipgloss, and Netflix? (And it was even black coffee, not some sugary concoction.)

Paradiso

2011-10-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of Hayley Westenra for what, five years now? Perhaps six. It was her album Pure that I first heard and fell in love with; her voice is absolutely wonderful to the ear. Her newest album, Paradiso, has finally been released in the US, and it leaves me satisfied.

What I love about Hayley (well, one of the things) is that even though she started out as a young artist and even though she has a background with classical crossover, she has made it a point to only keep on working harder. Her ability to control her voice has only improved over the years--because she has kept improving herself. She has not let herself be a part of a fad or a phase; she is here to stay.

Paradiso is a beautiful album, showing off her voice rather well. The background music is never too much to counter her, but adds an artful presence to the songs. May I say it again? Hayley has grown so much. This album reminds me of Pure in many ways, but reinterpreted with more knowledge and experience (I hate that phrasing; it sounds as if I am calling Pure immature, which I most certainly am not; I simply mean that Hayley has built up her career even more since then). There is a nice mix of languages, as well. English, Italian, Portuguese, etc. It is much more a straight classical album than Hayley has previously released, I would say, yet those who have enjoyed her work (even if for its crossover sense) will stay enjoy it. It's exceedingly balanced and well-produced.

"La califfa" and "Metti una sera a cena" are two of my favorites, but the one that most awakens my mind is "Amalia por amor." That song is stunning. It takes me places. . . I think I have created a whole emotional story around it. And it's great to hear Hayley singing in Portuguese; that's new and fun. (Did I just use the word "fun?")

Anyway, a fabulous album for fans of Hayley Westenra, of classical music, and of a calming yet absolutely clear voice.

Fear of Hobbits

2011-10-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

A most turbulent weekend I have had, though it has nearly all been spent chained to my desk: it is of the turbulence of words that I speak. Yesterday, I read The Tower of Beowulf for a good deal of the day, interrupted by fifty pages from The Book of Margery Kempe and the watching of the 1977 animated The Hobbit. This morning, I read the last twenty-four pages of The Book of Margery Kempe, following with some extra material for and the first third of the text of Peter Pan, then the last section of The Tower of Beowulf. After taking a break just now, I will return to read as much of Dracula as I can--I have only read seventy pages of it, but need to have it finished by Tuesday. Having so many intersecting stories is very emotionally draining--I don't know how English Lit. majors aren't any stranger than we already are.

But that's not what I want to talk about. I was spurred on by that 1977 movie to put into words what are my fears or concerns about the upcoming two-part version of The Hobbit by Peter Jackson.

You see, I have never had an over-abundant love for The Hobbit; it is in The Lord of the Rings that my true liking lies, and so I have never spent as much time in the pages of The Hobbit. But this semester, I read the annotated version of the book (for the same class that I watched the movie, of course). That was an absolutely great experience, highly recommended for Tolkien admirers. The brief study of this book also made me appreciate certain elements in it, like its heavy Anglo-Saxon inspiration. Now my concerns about the movie are still there, but perhaps different than before.

Before, I was filled with opposing things. The Hobbit has a definite "children's story feel" at most times, and I had trouble seeing this translate onscreen. I worried to see just a water-down Lord of the Rings landscape that didn't stand well as much on its own. But then I also thought that maybe an adaptation that drifted from the book would also drift from what I found less interesting in the book. Maybe, in other words, if it was not so much like the book, I would like the movie more.

I also had (and still have) concern over the two movie thing. There is such a trend of Part 1/Part 2's going on right now. The first installment of them with Deathly Hallows showed to me what can be problematic in this splitting. The first movie of that pair felt, to me, like it was lacking something; the second was mostly just one big finale. That doesn't mean they were terrible; it just means that their stand-alone, withstanding-time, rewatchability value changes. I have become convinced that the similar splitting of Breaking Dawn will not be the best thing, either.

I'd like to say the same for The Hobbit. HOWEVER, I have finally noticed that there is a definite change in tone halfway through this book. . . this will perhaps lend itself to the two-part format. But still, how will that work? Will we have a slight "children's story feel" Part 1 and a hearkening to The Lord of the Rings Part 2? Will the movies be very different or simply continuations of each other?

The Hobbit is, after all, probably very hard to adapt, as most good children's stories tend to be, in fact. There are so many balances to get right. I admit that I shuddered during most of the 1977 movie. Bilbo's eyes were disturbingly too large, the wood elves looked like some strange cross between apes and bugs (not to mention the king's constantly changing accent), and the music all sounded like the same seventies lilt, despite the setting. I say with a sigh (and I may have to force myself to remember this later) that whatever I end up thinking about it, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit should be the best adaptation so far. At least it should do justice to the original, treat it with some respect and understanding.

But the more appreciation I gain for the original book, the more I fear that it can never appear onscreen in quite the same way that it does on page.

In Need of a Break?

2011-09-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

I confess that I have never been so behind in schoolwork as I am this week.

I am hundreds of pages behind in reading.

I had only read half the assigned reading for class yesterday, yet I still passed the pass or fail quiz.

I think I must resign myself to spending my whole weekend catching up--though I usually need to take a part of the weekend to get started on work for the coming week, not for the previous one.

Even, however, in times like these, there must be pauses. Enter my friend Netflix. (Let's not talk about the plan/price changes--even with them, it's still a great deal.) Although I sometimes end up giving more praise to the movies that affect me more and make me think more, sometimes I also turn to movies to allow me to pause. It was for this reason that I watched Dear Lemon Lima last week and rejoiced in its complete simplicity and the knowledge that I would never find the need to ponder this movie. It was for this reason that I clicked on the Switched at Birth pilot last month, finding myself watching the entire ten episodes in the days that followed. Sometimes I just need to watch simple things.

And sometimes I add many movies to my Instant Queue, more than I can watch; when they are about to expire from streaming, I finally watch them, even if they are not quite what I was looking for that day. So tonight, even though I am so behind in pages of reading and nearly bewildered by so many stories already, I watched In the Time of the Butterflies because this was the last day that it was streaming. That was just a bit more thought-provoking of a movie than I would have chosen for tonight and a bit more emotionally draining than perhaps I needed today.

Stories. My mind is filled with stories. This movie reminded me of the martyrdom in "The Life of St. Margaret," which I read this afternoon for one of my classes. It even reminds me of the themes of home in The Wind in the Willows, which I finished earlier in the week for another class.

Do the themes never cease to converge?

It would not be our world if they did cease.

A Glamorously Unglamorous Life

2011-09-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I received my copy in the mail of Julia Albain's self-published book A Glamorously Unglamorous Life. Julia is also associated with Starkid--you'll recognize her as Crabbe and Percy in the Potter musicals and Specs in Starship. I got the book in a similar way to how I got The Bully Book: because I had to if I profess to like any of Starkid's works.

I started reading it that night, not wanting to do schoolwork but also not feeling like watching a movie or anything. I wanted to finish it right then, but saved the second half for the morning. The book is about a hundred pages, composed half of journals from Julia's year in New York and half in reflections back on the time. It's filled with moments of self-doubt, of desire to achieve dreams, or loneliness and friends. Which, all put together, made it the perfect book for me to read two weeks after turning twenty, when I am halfway through college and still not sure of what I am going to "do" afterwards.

This book was inspirational for me; it held encouragement and entertainment both. I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I do like to hear artists' own voices, and Julia's was no exception. As I read over her concerns, it was hard not to feel or know that despite them, she will achieve her artistic aims (and has already begun to--the timing of the book is about two years ago). I would definitely, then, recommend this to other fans of Starkid: it gives you an appreciation of what kinds of experiences go into their work. (How can you not see the extra depth, anyway, in simple songs like "To Have a Home" and "Days of Summer," performed when the friends were coming back together after time apart?)

Also from a general perspective, this book succeeds. Probably it will be particularly appealing to those with artistic interest of some kind, but it also speaks to the life's struggles we all share--and how we can overcome them. I set it on my bookshelf in between Hayley Westenra's autobiography (for the autobiography side) and A Walk Between Heaven and Earth (for that wonderful, self-searching, expressive quality). Setting it next to the latter book is a high compliment from me, as that is one of the books I list as having had a great impact on me.

Mixed Feelings: Jane Eyre (2011)

2011-09-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

I finally today watched the 2011 version of Jane Eyre, with Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as Rochester. I have a hard time deciding my full thoughts on it, so I will go point by point.

I didn't like the changing of timing the movie experimented with, putting Jane's departure from Thornfield (which it seems filmmakers like messing with) as the opening scene. It turned out okay overall, but I found it unnecessary to edit it together like this.

It begins to seem to me that the casting directors also have fun casting Helen--this Helen also had that "look" that makes her Helen. It was nice (I know, this sounds bad, but you know what I mean) to see the scene where Helen is beaten--this is a moment that shows simultaneously the harshness/cruelty of the school and Helen's attitude/life philosophy/humility.

Basically the only thing I had heard before watching the movie was that the filmmakers wanted to express the Gothic element of the book, which is great to hear after finding that element so lacking in the 1996 version. But it was there in the 2006, so I can't say I was overly impressed by it in here. But it wasn't bad.

I didn't like Adele. I just didn't like her. I didn't like the look of the girl cast (for the role, I mean, of course), and I didn't like that she always spoke in French that was always captioned in English. I did, however, find the scenes of Jane with Adele rather interesting, the way Jane talks to her. It was also a nice introduction to the gytrash when Jane was telling Adele the story soon before the first encounter with Rochester.

And, ah, yes, Rochester. I have some comments on him. I didn't like him much. Mostly, he just seemed like a bad casting choice. First, I thought he seemed too young, with not enough lines in his face (Rochester, has both years and troubles to add lines to his face); looking his age up after the movie, I found that I was right in judging him too young (I don't want to be too strict, but no one would want to cast a thirty year old as Jane, right?--age matters to a degree). He also didn't give the right complement to Jane. Michael and Mia had chemistry onscreen, but it was not of the Jane and Rochester sort. Rochester wasn't the old, teasing grump he tends to be--he seemed too flat to me.

But I must say that I got ridiculously happy in the first formal meeting between the two, when Rochester says that Jane must have been waiting for "her people" when she scared his horse--this moment has both the fairy element and the teasing element, yet I have never seen it in film. Wonderful to finally.

And now on to Mia. I had seen her, like everyone else, in Alice in Wonderland. But I so thoroughly dislike that movie. I find it boring and uninteresting. Well-done by certain accounts, but also so lacking. And the character Mia plays there is, well, the blank canvas on which everything else happens. I was so scared to see a blank Jane next.

The opening scenes with the Rivers family didn't show me much, but once we got on to Thornfield, oh, I found myself so surprised and rather amazed at times. She combined traits from both of the other performance I've seen: the reigned-in sense and a more emotional side under the surface. She, I think, conveyed the sense that she remains composed because she has to in the roles she is in--governesses are not supposed to speak too much. Not to say I found her performance perfect, no, but she did quite well.

I wasn't satisfied by the way the engagement scene played out; it just happened. It didn't go right emotionally.

Bertha wasn't conveyed right. I don't mean in the moment we actually see her: that was fine. But I didn't get the sense of the way Rochester is constantly running from his house that she is in. Nor so much of Jane's reaction.

I have to give a note on St. John. He was interesting to me from the start, and I'm still not sure exactly why. Maybe because he was different from how I've seen him before. I just wish, I think, that we could have had a little more time to develop points in his character--his sense that he acts as he should for God's will, but also the sense that he goes too far ascetically. And where was Miss Oliver? Her presence means so much, surely she could've had a brief appearance, even if it's just so that we can all laugh at St. John's reaction to her.

In the final scene, there wasn't quite enough conversation between Jane and Rochester. In fact, there was hardly any. And it was all in one place, just one meeting and then the end of the movie. That didn't feel like enough. I didn't feel like they had grown. It was just as if their outer circumstances were finally letting them get together. Where was the depth of it? When a movie doesn't end as you like, that can give a bad coloring to the whole thing. I find myself feeling similar to the 2006: the middle section was better, but as the movie went on, my interest started to dwindle.

Oh, and I wasn't a big fan of the music. It at least had some uniqueness, but I still didn't feel like it set the right tone. It was too yellow, not emotionally trembling enough.

I fear I have so many negative thoughts on this movie. But it was good; really, they did get things right, probably more than some of the other versions I'll be getting to next. But my first adaptation love is still my favorite: to the 2006 I will still give my greatest loyalty.

The Novelty of a Teacup

2011-09-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

You can tell that I am evading doing something else merely by that title. The thing I am evading is an essay, which, even though it is only a short three pages, I am not feeling particularly inclined to write. So I am pretending that writing a blog post will serve as a sort of warm-up.

After spending half an hour reading the assignment, then wandering aimlessly through my email inbox, I decided that perhaps some tea would help me focus. I often find that eating and drinking can aid writing; I'm not talking about a whole meal here, just something like tea or gummy bears or maybe some sticky caramels that you can contemplate as you contemplate the words you write.

The tea option has become even more attractive since I got a few actual teacups and saucers this summer. They're an off-white color, with a pattern of leaves and flowers in brown, blue, green, yellow, and reddish pink. I used to always drink tea from a large Disney mug: it is no surprise, then, that I find the experience quite different when using a pretty teacup and saucer. The clink of the cup when you lift it up and then set if down again, the need to refill the small space, and even the place to put the tea bag are all so much nicer than the less personal, bulk performance of a mug.

I am tempted to drag this out longer, but I really think I ought to force myself to do that paper now (which happens to be on "The Knight's Tale," which is out of The Canterbury Tales, and "Sir Orfeo"). But first let me pour another cup of tea.

The Bully Book and Grendel

2011-09-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I'm taking four English classes this semester (that's out of a total of five classes)? So I'm always reading so many things at once that they all start to (inevitably, just like everyone describes) merge together and express the same sorts of ideas. But I wasn't expecting my little aside book I was reading to align so closely with a book for ENG 320: Medieval Monsters and Modern Night-Stalkers.

The former book is The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale, of Starkid connections (maybe someday I will write about my late discovery of Starkid). I had been wanting this book (which is available only digitally, either from iTunes or in Kindle edition) for some time and finally downloaded it Tuesday morning. I was especially curious about it because of its connection to Little White Lie. So I started reading during my commute to school . . . then stayed up late (well, not that late for me, I guess) reading (for a long enough time, though, that my tiny iPhone screen was starting to bother my eyes). Wednesday I was sad because I only had time for a few minutes' reading in the morning (I was just so busy doing schoolwork right up to midnight). Finally, I was able to finish today (yes, three days is a long time--this is a short book that begs you to turn the digital pages).

Now, I must agree with some of the reviews of the book--there are too many typos in it. Typos that seem to be explaining why it is "only a digital book." But hopefully there will be future editions of the book to remedy this (and take the chance for extra improvements to the text, too, right?).

But I liked this book overall. The main premise is that there is a book a fifth grader developed teaching future generations/years how to put themselves at the top of the social ladder . . . and someone else at the bottom. Half the book is in journals from a boy who is, in his year, placed at the bottom. So The Bully Book takes on all these issues of social adjustment and changes that happen in school, why people bully others, and how it feels to be at the different "levels." Rather concisely and acutely, too, I might add (which makes for a definite value in this book).

The connection I was referring to has to do with John Gardner's book Grendel, which is of course inspired by Beowulf. This book, from Grendel's perspective, explores what it means to be a social outcast and what you may be driven to do based on that. Sound familiar? Eric Haskins (from The Bully Book) and Grendel have a few things in common. Except for the fact that Grendel has inherent "strange" qualities, and Eric's fault (the reason he is chosen to be the bottom rung) is that he is completely "normal." And that Eric tries to put himself back in his places, while Grendel "knows" he cannot and therefore doesn't try. But, really, reading these two books at the same time was almost disturbing because of the degree that they overlapped. I would expect the books in different classes to do this, but a random little somebody's-first-book expressing the same ideas as a book based on a piece of classic literature?

Now that's what I call the wonderfulness of books.

Missing Jane's Complexity

2011-09-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the 1996 version of Jane Eyre. Much as I proclaim my love for Charlotte Bronte, I have only seen the 2006 two-part BBC miniseries; I thought it was about time that I start moving through all the previous adaptations, as well. I have put this off because I very much like the 2006 version, and I have been afraid to watch any others for fear of tainting that love or, even worse, losing my love for this story.

I don't think either of those things have happened. I may be wrong to write down my thoughts so instantly after seeing the movie, but I can hardly help it. So here is my take on the 1996 movie.

The opening bit didn't make me feel like I knew Jane well enough, though I did like that the red room was actually a room with red furnishings (versus the weird red light the 2006 one projected onto the room). Anna Paquin did a good job as young Jane, and I rather liked the girl they chose for Helen Burns (although I didn't feel like she was so much a mentor to Jane as in the book). It was nice to see Miss Temple (who is missing from the 2006) in Lowood. But at about this time, I began to think that the theme of faith wasn't put in enough, and that surely we should be seeing more into Jane's imaginative nature. Instead, Jane does her drawings--with the insinuation seeming to be that she does them rather well; yet she only does (in canon) them as a way of expressing all of that great imagination and passion she has inside her mind, not because she has a particular talent at art.

And when she goes to Thornfield, there did not seem to be enough emphasis on the strange, out-of-the-ordinary act of independence her advertising to get the job was--it's more like it was just the next step for her to take.

Now let's talk about Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane. I've grown to rather like Ruth Wilson as Jane, so Charlotte took a little getting used to, but honestly, much of her portrayal is probably more like how I imagined Jane would look (I mean, in her expressions and such) in her daily life. When I first saw Ruth, I thought she sometimes showed a bit too much emotion on her face. Don't get me wrong, Jane feels very much emotion, but she usually tries to hide a lot of it. Even when she is saying bold things. So Charlotte had a way of keeping her face from being too emotionally expressing. But sometimes it was a bit much. And I don't know if this was her fault or the director's. I tend to think the latter. Because the thing is, it's okay if we have a Jane who isn't wearing her features on her face so much, as long as we are always aware of how acutely she does feel. That can be expressed in many ways in a movie. Music is one way; I love the music in the 2006, but the music in this one hardly ever set the right tone. At least, it didn't act as the agent for engaging the audience in the emotion that it could (or should) have been.

Because there is one more point related to this: this movie doesn't seem like it was, after all, meant to be so much from Jane's perspective. We see a couple of scenes where Jane is not present (like Rochester and Adele together, wishing she would come back from visiting the dying Mrs. Reed), and there are some transitions where she suddenly pops up without us knowing exactly how she got there. So it's almost like we're outsiders looking in on the story. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, I suppose, if it's done right, but no, it wasn't. It just felt like a connection was missing.

I guess I'm obligated to say something on William Hurt as Rochester. He also took getting used to. I think my conclusion is that I would like his take on the character more if I was not familiar with the book: I liked the way he played his character and I could sympathize with him, but he was missing a key Rochester characteristic or two. Again, this could also be because certain kinds of lines are missing from the script given to the actor. Like the teasing that takes place between Jane and Rochester. There is a bit of it, but not nearly enough: it's almost what their relationship is first built on, isn't it? You can't just go and take it out.

Oh, what else? Adele didn't always sound French enough to me. Why on earth was the Rivers family introduced earlier in the story, only to come back again for so brief a bit? Why was Adele at school when Jane and Rochester were supposed to get married the first time? Where was the wonderful epiphany (there was the "Jane! Jane!" call, but it can hardly be called an epiphany--I was never thrilled at the 2006 version of it, and this was worse) that leads Jane back to Thornfield in the end? Which leads to . . .

Where was the spiritual element that is such a huge part of the book? It started off okay with young Jane, but then disappeared entirely. Where was the fantasy? Sure, Rochester says a thing or two about Jane's fairy element, but there's hardly much basis for it in the movie. Where, even, was the Gothic? Grace Poole looked wonderfully vampirish (seriously, I loved her look), but the Gothic was not strong enough.

This movie felt too much like just a period movie. Like an Oliver Twist story. (I've nothing against Twist--it has some good stuff, but it isn't the same stuff Jane Eyre has.) Here's poor, unloved Jane sent to a cruel school until she goes to teach at Thornfield, eventually finding an inheritance from a long lost relative and her perfect love. Too many of the fibers of the story are missing that make the expression of this plot-line unique.

My final statement is this: I generally liked this movie. It makes for a quaint love story. But it ends there. And the absolute beauty about the book on which it is based is that there are so many layers. The quaint love story is only the topmost one, the one I loved when I was twelve. Underneath, there is what I now love eight years later: Jane's entire journey of self-discovery and self-independence and dependence on God--the relationship with Rochester is just the outer situation that is the vehicle for all of these other discoveries and expressions about who Jane is and what she does on her life's journey. I can't get all this from the 1996 movie.

As always, I find I must return to the book.

Miraculous, No?

2011-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have lately taken to riding my bike to classes. Because I am a newcomer to biking and because it is very much still summer in this place where I dwell, I only ride halfway, taking the bus for the second half. It sounds rather too complicated, but it's beginning to suit me. I have the chance to get a little exercise in during my daily routine (and spend some time outdoors) and it doesn't take an extraordinary amount of time to get to campus.

But here is the thing about spending time outside in Phoenix: you sweat. No matter if you're just sitting outside and you're not even uncomfortable, if the temperature is over a hundred, you will sweat. It's inevitable. It just happens. So if you're riding your bike, even for just fifteen minutes (although I must add that my route does have a bit of slope to it, as well), you will sweat just a bit more. And the thing is, I like to wear makeup. In summer, I have to be conscious of what makeup I am wearing. For one thing, blush and bronzer are out of the question: your face gains enough color on its own. I worry about my eyeshadow not sticking, but thanks to the wondrous Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, no matter how much I am outside, my eyeshadow will stay on from dawn to dusk. Eyeliner is a little more iffy, I always feel. I usually carry my eyeliner with me in case I need a touch-up.

But I hardly ever do. It's almost like sweat acts as another primer, glueing the eyeliner in place. I get to campus and glance in a mirror cautiously, but the makeup is still on. I get home and do the same, and though my face be reddened from the afternoon sun, there sits the eyeliner not so different from how it was in the morning. Amazing, no?

(All of this rambling is simply my way of putting off writing my first paper for the semester. I have finished practically all my other work for the week, so I don't have too many more reasons to put off the paper. But it can at least wait until after lunch, right?)

Darth Snape

2011-08-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

So I was one of those people who had neither read nor watched Harry Potter (unless you count my fourth grade teacher reading the first book to the class). This year, I felt finally that I wanted to be able to have an opinion on the series. So I watched the first six movies. And I realized I was only getting part of the story. So I read all the books in three weeks (quite a feat considering it was in the middle of the spring semester). Then I watched the movies again, finishing with the seventh. That enabled me, two months later, to actually see the final one in theatres.

My opinion of these books is complicated and I won’t go into it here (for now) since I have been over it in my head and in conversation so much already. But I will say this: I enjoyed a few months’ immersion in the series, but I’m definitely not one of the huge fans—even still, I do find interest, like so many other readers before me, in one particular character’s plotline. Naturally, I am referring to Snape. Now, I was also watching Star Wars again this summer, when I found someone with a ridiculous similarity to Snape.

So here is my case for the Darth Vader and Severus Snape comparison.

1) Storyline: George Lucas said that he had envisioned the original series as Darth Vader's story. This is not unlike how many readers consider the book series Snape's story, more so than Harry's.

2) Background: We are first introduced to both characters in a "present" time, before we launch backwards to learn about their real motives.

3) Love: Enter those real motives. Vader/Anakin, of course, loved Padme, and Snape loved Lily. Both characters could not ever really move past these first, early loves. In fact, both relationships took place at about the same time--ages ten-ish on. The tragic difference is that while Padme did choose Anakin, Lily did not choose Snape. Which leads us to . . .

4) Power: As a Slytherin, we know Snape has interest in power. Anakin has serious issues with power and control, which ultimately cause him to be taken in by the Emperor; he essentially sacrifices Padme in his very attempt to keep her safe. After this, it seems like he loses his will to maintain any goodness in himself. Now Snape is a little different. His interest in power also led to his interest in a dark force, Voldemort, but at an earlier stage than for Anakin. Snape's choice to follow Voldemort was, it seems, what led Lily not to choose him. So when Snape's actions lead to Lily's death, he, too, is in that awful position of despair. Only he takes quicker action than Vader does.

5) Overthrowing the Evil Guy: It turns out that Darth Vader's character arc really is kind of cool: in the end, he is convinced by his son's unwavering belief in the Good to turn from the life he has been leading and finally overthrow the Emperor. One does wish he could have had this glorious revelation, say, twenty years earlier, but, hey, better late than never. Snape, however, turned to Dumbledore as soon as he knew Lily was in danger, which put him on the "good side" from much earlier on. I will admit that you can argue that this is exactly what Anakin did when he listened to the Emperor's words and did as he instructed just to keep Padme safe, but, no, I still think that Anakin was more unstable than Snape. Neither one has the best concept of Good/Evil, it is true, but Anakin's a little more scatterbrained and less focused than Snape, I think.

6) Visually: We can't leave out the fact that both these characters wander around in black robes/capes that billow out behind them. Both make imposing figures, in their own way. And you might just be able to say that the literal mask Vader wears is akin to the figurative mask Snape wears when he goes about his day as a double agent.

7) The Others: Let's not forget to match up the characters that surround them. I've already said that Padme is to Lily and the Emperor is to Voldemort. You can add in Obi Wan to Dumbledore, as well. And don't forget Luke to Harry--although Harry is not actually Snape's son, there is just as much of a connection there (if not more) as between Luke and Anakin. James Potter gets left out entirely, unless you say that he shares traits with Obi Wan (think Anakin's jealousy of him). The trio of Luke, Leia, and Han Solo is not entirely different from that of Harry, Hermione, and Ron--at least you can say that both trios include the hero and the two buddies who end up "together." Let's see, then there's Jabba the Hut to Mundungus Fletcher and R2D2 to Dobby and Chewbacca to Lavender Brown . . . maybe I should stop now, eh?

The Brothers Grimm

2011-08-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

I came into this movie (from 2005) unsure for what angle exactly it was going to go. Ten minutes in, I was still unsure. The thing about this movie is, it straddles many lines of balance. It is a historical movie, but with a fictional and sometimes fantastical premise. It is based on the Grimm brothers and their collection of fairy tales, but it does not follow that story, weaving the tales they collected into the plot instead. It is a serious drama/action movie, but with comedy, as well.

That's a lot to balance out. If done well, it's the sort of thing I might enjoy. If done badly, the result can be cringe-worthy. The Brothers Grimm was not done badly, but neither do I feel that it was done perfectly. I think some of that balance still wasn't quite right. It lacked that extra level that would make me feel more emotionally tied in.

However, I must recognize that there are some great performances in this movie. Most recognizably, Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as the brothers, but there are also other familiar faces. This isn't something I always (or often) say, but I think that the acting was what I enjoyed most in this movie. If the plot nuances didn't quite do it for me, if certain scenes didn't draw me in enough, at least I could watch these actors embody characters onscreen. Characters, too, different from those I have previously seen them play. Although I won't be rushing to rent the movie again, it's wonderful to see all the artwork that goes into productions.

If I Stay

2010-12-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

A week ago, I read Gayle Forman's book If I Stay, mainly because Kaleb Nation wrote a review of it for NPR. I tacked the book onto an Amazon order so that I could get free shipping, as one does.

The premise is similar to The Lovely Bones, yet very different; that book did not resonate with me the way that this one did. Instead of a 13-year old who is tells us on the first page that she was murdered and then explains what happens as she watches down on her family as they deal with/don't deal with the trajedy, If I Stay is in the voice of a 17-year old whose entire family is in a fatal car crash in the first chapter. She realizes that she is still alive (for now) and struggles to accept her new situation and what decision she must now make. The Lovely Bones was about "an event;" If I Stay was more about plain emotion.

At times, it was greatly saddening: descriptions of Mia's life and her relationships are set against what is happening now at the hospital. It is a short book that I thought at first would only take me a day, but I had to slow down for the first half. After that, I moved more quickly because I simply had to know what Mia would do. She becomes so important to you as you read: it's more like reading someone's memoir than a novel.

And when I finally closed the back cover, I felt like calling everyone I know to tell them how I appreciate them . . . I didn't actually do that, but the point is, this book made a definite impact on me. That's a big statement for me. I found this book so close in with human experience that I had to take something from it and continue pondering its content.

It seems Summit Entertainment is trying to make a movie out of it. We'll see how that goes.

Make Way for the Dawn Treader!

2010-12-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

I don't believe I have said much about my opinions on the first two Disney/Walden Media Narnia films; let's just say that while they did some things well, others I was not so keen on. After Prince Caspian, I didn't even feel like getting too excited over The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After all, it was a two and a half year wait, in any case. Once I learned that Michael Apted would be directing (whose work with Amazing Grace I loved) and that he would be bringing David Arnold in for the score (whom I also lauded for AG), I started to hope.

Suddenly, a week ago, the movie was here. I saw it the afternoon it came out (coincidentally, after an English Grammar study session), and I smiled through nearly the whole thing. The opening shot was whimsical, tricking you for a second that you are looking at Narnia when it is really London. Will Poulter embodied Eustace absolutely perfectly; he deserves some awards for his performance. Reepicheep was finally the Reepicheep I had read about. Ben Barnes was able to be Caspian to the full extent.

Scenery is gorgeous. The ship's look is just right, the cave where they put the deathwater pool looks amazing, and I must give the team extra credit for pulling off an attack by a sea serpent. The score was lovely in its simplicity: it wasn't begging you to think epically, letting itself instead work as the enhancer of the movie it ought to be.

Although I certainly have nit-picking, as well, this is all I will say. (If you want to read a bit more, here is my review on Narniaweb.) It was a well-made movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and greatly recommend.

Lullaby By Tolkien

2010-12-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention a book I finished about a month ago: another of the posthumously published Tolkien works, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. Written entirely in verse and based on Norse mythology versus the medieval nature of The Lord of the Rings, it was something I was slow to buy. Also slow because of the high price tag it had when it first came out, but eventually I was able to get it for $3 (new) on Amazon. Can't beat that.

Even Christopher Tolkien (in the introduction) admitted that certain parts of this book are next to impossible to understand, which is why he added in pages of commentary for each section. I didn't feel like reading those, though certainly not because I felt like I didn't need to: he was very correct in his statement. But rather than thinking about all of the plot details, I focused more on the poetic structure, the rhythm of the words. The lines are all very short, making for a format that looks simple yet is complicated. I read the book in the evening, letting the cadence of the words fall like a lullaby in my head.

It's definitely an experience I would recommend for fans of Tolkien (or of poetry). It's a chance to look at more from the man who placed songs of Luthien and Nimrodel and Gil-Galad inside of the text of The Lord of the Rings. It's, to me, a work from Tolkien the linguist.

Cease, O Clouds!

2010-12-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

I am sitting with that most beloved of all drinks, acai juice, which manages somehow to be like a fruit smoothie and a chocolate shake combined into one. It is most delicious. As I drink it, I contemplate why it is so dark outside at five o'clock. Dratted clouds. With the advent of cooler weather, however, it also becomes a very tempting idea to sit inside with a nice movie. So here is my latest update on what I've been watching.

1) Somewhere in Time. The description calls it "unabashedly romantic," which it most definitely is, though in rather a unique way. I watched it, thought it was okay but didn't feel that deep connection some people tend to have toward it. But now, over a month later, I find myself thinking more and more about it. It really is a gorgeous premise, carried out like nothing else.

2) Avatar. I know I was ridiculously late in seeing this movie, but at least now I can say that I did enjoy it. The depth of the world created was impressive, as were the visuals. The story, though it's true that it's one that's been done a thousand times and will be done a thousand times more, still gets you thinking.

3) Coraline. Had to mention this one because I absolutely disliked it. It was creepy, as I knew it would be, but not, to me, in a good way. I'm not saying it was a bad movie; the style just didn't sit well with me at all.

4) Hidalgo. A relatively simple movie whose story I really enjoyed. A little drama, a little action, a little adventure.

5) Stardust. I knew this was a movie that could either be good or just fall off the other edge; it walks on that kind of a fine line. Turned out, I really liked it. It was sweet dark and creative and new and the same at once.

6) Your Mother Wears Combat Boots. I watched this because it stars Barbara Eden (aka. Jeannie). Though it is a small made-for-tv movie, it isn't without entertainment worth. Moments of it, too, are just slightly reminiscent of Jeannie.

7) Frida. I pressed "play" thinking it was a documentary, not a biopic, and finished the movie slightly in awe. I knew little about Frida beforehand; this movie helped me understand her paintings. The story, too, has so much thematically that we can grab hold on for ourselves.

8) Superman. I think I saw the first movie once (not sure if it was the whole thing), so I decided I'd better rewatch, this time watching all four movies. To my surprise, they were alright. The second was my favorite (hello, drama); the third was my least (hello, boring-what's-the-point).

9) Shakespeare Retold. These are four BBC episodes, each taking a Shakespeare play and retelling it in a modern setting. Doesn't sound particularly great, and the first few minutes of Much Ado About Nothing left me bored, but once I started recognizing character traits, the fun began. Much Ado is just so hilarious to begin with that they couldn't do wrong. Macbeth was hilarious, starring James McAvoy. Who knew Macbeth the chef could be such a marvelous idea?

10) I'm still hooked on I Dream of Jeannie. I'm rewatching the entire series and still loving it.

San Francisco Chocolate, Colds, and Parodies

2010-11-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

I was in San Francisco this weekend, getting back home Sunday night at 1:00. This really would've only been an hour late for me, except that I was getting sick. So I decided to sleep through all my classes on Monday, taking my first sick day since fourth grade. But at least I am now well, except for the longer-lingering cough.

What was I doing in San Francisco? Attending the Fall Luxury Chocolate Salon, of course, and otherwise looking for chocolaty experiences. (Look for my write-up of the event and the chocolates I picked up on Chocablog). Here are two pictures, one from Saturday morning and one from Sunday evening, taken along the coast.

An interesting city, architecture-wise, if a little chaotic as far as street-navigation goes.

And one more thing, which I meant to post about a week ago. The Hillywood Show, of whom I am a great fan, released their Eclipse Parody on Thursday. Makeup and choreography have blown me away yet again, and this video parodies more than anything they have ever done. Just watch it and see if it doesn't make you laugh, too.

New Classes

2010-11-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

My class registration for spring opened on Monday.

I was so anxious/excited/something-like-that to sign up for the three classes I knew I wanted to take that I did so from my phone an hour after my slot opened up (a whole hour later because I had been in class).

Then I spent a week, unsure of what other two classes to add. Today I finally realized I couldn't take it anymore; so what if some people's registration still isn't open, I feel late/remiss/something-like-that not choosing the last two classes.

The result? Many English classes. I hope I didn't swamp myself in reading too much. I'm almost done with general, required classes, so the only one I will be taking next semester is Latin 202 (which, by the way, will probably be my last Latin class -- I don't know if I would enjoy going any further). Also on the agenda: Intro to Contemporary Lit., Major American Novels, American Indian Lit., and a Tolkien-based class on medieval motifs in modern culture or some such notion.

The amazing thing is that they all sound interesting. This is what I remember looking forward to in high school: digging into specific topics, topics that you yourself choose. Latin is a crazy puzzle, I know I need better insight into modern works, the reading list for the novels class is probably my list-of-books-I-need-to-get-to-someday, Native American studies are just fitting for the Southwest, and a class based on Tolkien is just ideal.

The other perk? Only two classes on Monday and Wednesday, one on Friday, one on Tuesday that isn't until 4:40, and nothing on Thursday. So even if I have a lot of reading, I think my in-class schedule will be loose enough that I'll manage.

Skunks and Lobsters, Oh My!

2010-11-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Some people dress up for Halloween, going trick-or-treating or to parties; some stay at home and do nothing; and some get too creative. I'm normally in the middle category, letting the strange holiday pass me by, but this year, my parents bought a couple of costumes and since I was staying this weekend with them . . . Here is what happened:

Three dogs in costumes, myself in "accented" clothing (including glittery eyelashes, which stayed on despite it being a hugely windy day), at the square in Prescott, after a pet costume contest. Yes, there were about 25-30 four-legged contestants. Here are our two vampires meeting another one, who also happened to be the winner.

This tiny thing was Superman; he was incredibly cute.

People really know what's best for their dogs, don't they? This little round pumpkin looked completely himself.

And the little diva here seemed pleased with herself (by the way, hers is actually a girl's costume).

A skunk and a ladybug.

Don't forget the bumblebee.

This guy was harder to understand at first. Once you saw that he was a shark, though, he was fun.

So prim, isn't she?

I took a few pictures of these two because I was trying to get the best angle on their costumes; I never really succeeded. One is the now-classic hot dog; the other is carrying the headless horseman.

An interesting event. Overall, though, it was a good example of pet ownership. Most dogs didn't have headgear, but those that did seemed comfortable with it. None of them were scratching or biting at their costumes. (Like our own lobster Molly: her costume had a hood, but we left it down because it just didn't work for her. It completed the costume, sure, but that's not a big enough reason). There was a brief bark-off when everyone first stepped into the middle, but after that, there was good behavior even with so many dogs in such close proximity. They all knew they're loved . . .

It Is In The Madness

2010-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

My next paper will be on the Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story The Yellow Wallpaper. This story centers on a woman going mad and is based partly on Gilman's own expression with depression and the "treatment" she was given (which included orders not to write, which would just be heartbreaking of itself). I enjoyed it.

There is something to be found in certain "madnesses." I recently heard of a book called Touched with Fire, which centers around the connection between mental illness and genius. It sounds quite interesting; one of the points it makes is just in the mental image we have of a great artist. You imagine the great musical conductor with his messy hair, crazed expression, and almost savage aura. Madness and genius meeting? And of course, there are people like Edgar Allan Poe that no one doubts had some trouble, let's say, in their lives, but are remembered by history for their artistic endeavors. Like I said, interesting.

It makes me think of Jo in Little Women. When she goes into a writing fit, she locks herself in the garrett, away from food and sleep for days, with her quote "genius burns." Genius burns from being "touched with fire?"

Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament

Bran Hambric: The Specter Key

Lady Emma

2010-10-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just got my wisdom teeth out on Thursday. Not particularly fun. Yes, I did have a great doctor (Dr. Kootman, who also did my brother's teeth a few years ago): the procedure was less than 15 minutes for four teeth and my mouth is only somewhat sore (really, my teeth weren't in the best shape; my mouth is small, so the bottom ones weren't even growing out yet because they had nowhere to go, so this tells a lot), but still, it isn't a fun thing. Only funny thing is that the drugs made me feel sick on Thursday (tell me, why did I even bother taking any of those pain meds?); I can't see how people take these "recreationally." But all is well now, though I decided to spend a lazy day in bed today watching Netflix.

I just moved on to YouTube from there, and I realize something. I have lauded Emma Shapplin before; now I see similarities between her and Lady Gaga. The latter has been getting quite a bit of attention, whereas the former is only known in certain countries, the US not included. Emma Shapplin sings semi-operatic/classical/pop/almost-new-age-ish, and Lady Gaga is pop/hip-hip. But let's take another look.

Overall style is the first item. Emma Shapplin, with her background in modeling, likes her elaborate yet simple, slightly off costumes/outfits; Lady Gaga is known for the, er, noticeable way she dresses. They both set off a diva quality in this way, but it's one based not on vanity but on a desire to do what they like.

As far as music goes, maybe they aren't so different there, either. Emma creates music out of bounds of genres; she does it so much from the heart that everything is unique. Lady Gaga I am less familiar with, but hasn't she, too, recreated certain aspects of the music world? Had a large impact on how things work?

If you still don't believe me, do a comparison of their music videos. I think you'll find a similar strangeness in both. (And remember, "strange" doesn't necessarily mean something bad).

Macadam Flower
Bran Hambric: The Specter Key

The Professor & Others

2010-10-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

I was late reading Charlotte Bronte's The Professor.

Somehow, I got the impression that this book would be dry and dull and depressing and difficult and ultimately unsatisfying, in comparison to her other works. I should have known it would not be so.

True, it does not have so much magic as Jane Eyre; nor quite the poignancy of Villette, but it was an intriguing read. I did not find it so different from Charlotte's other works as critics led me to believe, though it does have obvious differences. I found in it a sense of inspiration. Our narrator, William Crimsworth, is called the "self-made man;" in his actions is the assurance that we have power over our own selves and hence over our destinies. Seeing him struggle and feel hopeless at times, but still come through was very encouraging for me.

Aside from this, The Professor is a must simply for being a Charlotte Bronte lover. We all know about the time she spent in Belgium and the, er, attachment she formed for a certain married colleague and how this school helped form the French one in Villette. But in The Professor, you're right there in Belgium. The setting is so tangible, the themes a part of an entire tapestry of CB novels. Amazing to look at.

On the other side, I have been enjoying Netflix and other Internet videos a bit too much. Here are some things I've seen lately:

1) Little Men the TV series, with two seasons. Very bizarre at first. The professor is dead; Jo is a widow trying to keep up their dream by running the school alone. And of course, a certain man comes along in the first episode and becomes the new caretaker on the grounds; let the hints at a relationship begin. Very unlike the book at first. I thought I wouldn't be able to watch the whole pilot, but two episodes in, I found myself enjoying some pure, sticky drama. Dan, Nan, and Nat are all great, though I did sorely miss Daisy. I hate to think of Nat being alone without her . . . I have no idea why she and Demi were kept back at toddler-age. There are other strange things (like Franz being the teacher until he runs off to Arizona to follow his girl), but once you get past them, it's an alright show. I moved through all 26 episodes very quickly.

2) The original Star Trek series. I'm on Season 2, and enjoying it much more than I would have imagined. The potential sci-fi gives for exploration not just of the galaxy, but of human nature can really be engrossing. Not to mention all the seasoning of humor.

3) Twilight in Forks; the documentary about the impact the Twilight Saga has had on the actual town of Forks, Washington. It wasn't too big of a deal; don't bend head over heels to get the chance to watch it. I was glad to see it and I'm sure it will mean even more a few years from now, but the things I got most excited over were seeing Kaleb Nation and The Hillywood Show pop up in it.

4) Back to the Future. I'm not getting the third movie until tomorrow, but I've been enjoying these so much. My memories of them were vague; now I got to return to them with a fresh perspective. "Fresh." That's an apt word to describe the movies, too. There is attention to detail and awareness of how movies and the mind work.

5) A collaboration between The Hillywood Show and Evil Iguana Productions. I don't watch the latter, only the former, but I laughed to tears over this video. Best if you know Twilight and Hillywood, hilariously and uniquely put together.

Kaleb Nation Book Signing

2010-10-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Last night was the launch for Kaleb Nation's book tour for Bran Hambric: The Specter Key. Again, I was sorry to find, walking into Changing Hands, that it was the first time I'd been there since his first signing there last year. My excuse: I haven't been buying many new books except pre-orders, which I get off of Amazon because that's easiest. My new goal: to go to Changing Hands again before the third book in the series comes out.

Anyway, the signing was great. Kaleb still found some tidbits to add to his spiel in the beginning for those of us who know his basic story already. In the Q&A, I asked about how he uses the computer versus paper for writing (since there are some writers out there purists about the power of pencil and paper). He brought up timing as a positive for the computer; I have to agree with this one. There are moments when writing with a pencil almost seems tedious (though it usually also gives me a feeling of greater connection with my words).

When I brought my book up to be signed, I also brought a gift: a sort of 3D thank you card done with oil paint on a small canvas. I realize I never took a picture of it while it was still in my possession, but Kaleb said he would put it in a vlog, so I imagine I will see it again.

I also brought up my latest canvas bag for him to sign. It has both books and websites stitched on it. If you go to Kaleb's Facebook, you can see a picture of my hands holding it up. I also got a picture with him, which will probably be showing up on there later; I'm afraid to see how I turned out. I thought I was over my dislike of pictures, but some things do linger, don't they?

Bran Hambric: The Specter Key

2010-10-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

I really am late with this post, I know. I finished Kaleb Nation's The Specter Key Sunday, and it is now Wednesday. (Let's just not mention how long I have gone without reporting my thoughts on The Professor. . . ) So here is my take.

I enjoyed The Farfield Curse. I remember saying also that it had its "moments" of description. But I approached that book being a fan of Kaleb's websites, etc. Now The Specter Key has made me a Bran Hambric fan. The world in these pages was always its own; now Kaleb has filled it with all the minute details. We don't just hear, for instances, about gnomes from Polland himself and see some in a restaurant through windows; there are a couple on a plane that Bran defends. We are not just told that Bran, like his mother, has the capacity to choose great evil; we see how he might begin to make the wrong choices, even for the right reasons (like saving his friend, Astara). It all becomes much more solid.

Perhaps my favorite part: the humor. It was good in the first book; it only gets better in the second. Is Mabel really cleaning the wrecked Wilomas house with a fishbowl-like cover on her head? (Mabel is a clean freak, if you like -- she's always surrounding herself with pills and detoxifiers and the like). Mr. Rat shows up again? And again? (I still don't know whether Mr. Rat is a totally random character as he seems or if his strange intertwining with the plot will come to have some other meaning). Etc, etc. The humor really makes this book a blast to read.

Two things I enjoyed very much in this book: Nim and the bus scenes. Okay, so the series does involve magic, but a fairy was not something I was expecting; hence, Nim was a lot of fun. As a commuter, there was something priceless in seeing Bran having to get a ride on a bus: all of the people going on and off and the strange way conversations, when they do happen, can occur.

Now I can say with assurance that this book is worth buying, so again I ask that you help Kaleb Nation reach his goal of getting on the bestseller list by pre-ordering it. I'll be at the launch of the book tour at Changing Hands tomorrow; should be cool.

The Specter Key

2010-09-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

It has arrived: Bran Hambric: The Specter Key by Kaleb Nation. This book comes out on 10/10/10, but Amazon in its wonderfulness got it to me today. I would love to tear into it right away, but I had decided to reread the first book, The Farfield Curse, so I need to finish it first. One hundred pages are left; who thinks I can do it tonight? It wouldn't be a problem except that I have some other work to get done first.

As I mentioned in my last post, Kaleb is trying hard to get this book on the bestseller list (through pre-orders), so if you haven't already, please go and pre-order it.

Support Kaleb Nation

2010-09-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

I notice that I like to take an interest in certain people, their careers and such. I was like this with the band Blondfire. The two I'm most liking to support right now are Kaleb Nation and The Hillywood Show.

If you'll go backwards one year, you will find my thoughts on Kaleb Nation's first book (the book post is here and the book-signing write-up is here). Since then, I've kept up on Kaleb's vlogging/blogging. The sequel to Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse comes out on 10/10/10, and Kaleb is rallying the Nationeers for something epic this time.

Namely, to get Bran Hambric: The Specter Key on the New York Times bestseller list.

Perhaps you reaction this way: I've never heard of this person -- how can he have such bold plans? Not so bold: it's a well-thought out battle plan, and the people who do know who Kaleb Nation are have an equal boldness. I think this wish may be in actual danger of coming true.

The way to make this happen is to get as many people as possible to pre-order the book. This way all of those sales will count for the same period of time. So I urge anyone/everyone to click the link to preorder Kaleb Nation's second book and help one author realize a dream. (Especially since today happens to be his birthday -- what better way to celebrate?) Also, you can take a look at the book trailer here. Be sure to check out the rest of the videos on Kaleb's channel; he's doing a video a day for the countdown to The Specter Key.

Speaking of people I like to support, I just have to share my new wall-art:

The bottom autograph (which I got a couple months ago) is from The Hillywood Show's New Moon Parody, while the top one (from their Dark Knight video) I just recently got. I do mean to add more in the future, until this wall is positively brimming Hillywood.

Into The Wild

2010-09-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

I believe I may be becoming a Kristen Stewart fan. More on this once I've seen more of her work.

For now, my focus is on a movie I found out about through her, though her own role in it is small (not unimportant, though -- nothing in this movie is). Catherine Hardwicke (director of Twilight) has said that she wanted Kristen for Bella after seeing her in Into The Wild. Naturally, then, now that I have access to nearly any movie imaginable via Netflix, I decided I had to see it.

The plot is about a man's trek into the solitary wilderness (he burns his social security card and meets people along the way, but ends up leaving them all behind). Some of the reviews offered much less than praise; one said the movie has no plot. It's relatively long (148 minutes), too, for just a movie about a guy out in the wild. I wasn't expecting to like it too much (am I ever? I think I must be a pessimist).

But it's enthralling. Vital. Still not my favorite movie in the world, but it held me spellbound at moments despite the fact that I started it some time after 10 o'clock at night. The structure of it, as well. It is a piecing together of the present and events leading up to it. The only movie comparable I can think of is Slumdog Millionaire, but that one used this structure to a completely different end. Into The Wild lets each scene build up while connections form between the slightest pieces. It's philosophical and stirring.

And leaves much room for thought. I do love nature, yet I love things, too. I couldn't give them all up like Christopher McCandless tries to. Notice I say "tries;" there is much to consider when saying whether he was successful in all his aims or not. It's a movie that can't really be explained because of the journey it takes you on; it must be watched first.

Everybody Has a Birthday

2010-09-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

I seem to have a birthday in a charmed month. September is also the birthday month of Bilbo & Frodo and Bella from fiction; Kaleb Nation and Skandar Keynes (aka. Edmund) from real life. I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are the only ones I know off the top of my head. (A Google search reveals that there are indeed a lot; there are just so many people in the world that I guess every month is a charmed month).

Being that my parents came by and bestowed me with money (and their company, yes), I saw the chance to pick up some things I've been wanting for a while. Specifically, a second autograph by The Hillywood Show (the Dark Knight picture this time) with a frame (thank you, Michael's, for having a sale on frames when I went), a Barnes & Noble leather-bound copy of The Arabian Nights (which CS Lewis first inspired me to want, and I Dream of Jeannie further set me on my way for getting), Phillip LaRue's CD Let the Road Pave Itself (which I've wanted since "Chasing the Daylight" was an iTunes free single a long time ago), and, oh, yes, one more. I think I'll have to add Florence + the Machine's CD, too. Remember, they have the song "Heavy in Your Arms" on the Eclipse soundtrack. My finger is just itching to press that "Buy Album" button on iTunes right now; should I do it? I think yes, but I would hate for this to be an album I would like for a while, then discard. I usually like to take more time to make sure I thoroughly enjoy something before buying it, but I can't seem to help it . . .

There -- it is done. Clicking on the sample listen for "Drumming Song" decided me: I don't know the story behind that song, but the idea of your mind resonating loudly connects with me. The tangible intangible and all . . .

If only I had been given a few hundred dollars for my birthday; then I would have been able to buy an I Dream of Jeannie bottle. Someday I will have to get one of those.

Three Is The Charm

2010-09-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Being the Narnian fan that I am and learning the things that I do from my Narnia-news-base (narniaweb.com), I have been waiting to see Ben Barnes (aka. Prince Caspian) in Dorian Gray ever since he was cast years ago. It has been a long journey: first I bought the book so that I could read it before seeing the movie, then some time later I read it, then I saw the old black and white movie version, and this weekend I finally saw it with Ben Barnes. Odd pinning so much on a movie I wasn't sure I would even like all that much (my opinion on the book is mixed). I did think, however, from the start that Ben Barnes would make a great Dorian; he has that fresh and innocent kind of face, and seems to understand literature enough to translate quality into acting. And I did very much enjoy his performance. Slightly tweaked (of course), the movie stays very much true to the feel of the book (the artistry included). The biggest difference was the ending; it didn't feel quite right to me at first, but it does add an element of hope that I didn't find in the book. Hope, to my view, isn't exactly a bad thing to get. Overall, very nicely made.

The second movie is An Education. I had planned to see this in theatres in the fall, but it wasn't playing at my usual theatre, so I ended up missing out. Once the critics came out with all their praise for it, I really wished it would come out on DVD fast. I saw it last week, and met with my expectations. The dilemma Jenny faces is one that is too easy to relate to. I adore her case to the principal ("why should I go to school and be bored so that I can go to work and be bored?" -- not an exact quote), and also the fact that she finally understands why she wants to go to Oxford, but also that she can still find happiness.

Lastly is The Young Victoria. I also wanted to see it in theatres, but decided it would probably be better to just rent it (movie tickets do get expensive, after all). Of course, anything with queens and palaces is going to be visually pleasing, which this was. It also created some very applicable themes. Victoria is constantly knowing and not knowing what to do in her life as a whole and in smaller actions. Seeing Rupert Friend in the role of a "kind" character after the scoundrel Wickham in Pride and Prejudice was also nice.

A Day In The Life . . .

2010-09-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know where I got the desire to document one of my average days, but here is a Monday in my life.

Waking up at the comfortable hour of 8:30, I make my bed and put on my makeup by the mirror behind my bedroom door. Hence, everything gets spread around the carpet. That's Merle Norman foundation, blush from a Luna Twilight palette, both L'Oreal and Stila eyeliner (one for the bottom, one for the top), Ulta eye shadow, my new Urban Decay eye primer, a Revlon lash-curler, and Dior Fashionshow mascara in waterproof. Suffice it to say that I don't have a favorite makeup brand yet.

Breakfast is a quick affair, either cereal or toast, as I'm usually running late by the time I get to the kitchen and I don't have much of a morning appetite these days. But I do make sure to pack lunch, a juice for when I start getting hungry too early, and my water bottle.

I am now attempting to brush my teeth twice a day instead of once; isn't that praise-worthy? (By the way, it looks like I'm in need of a new toothbrush head, but since Sonicare products aren't exactly cheap . . .)

And I'm out the door.

My lovely waiting spot for the unreliable bus (unreliable because I've known it to arrive five minutes early, as well as ten/fifteen minutes late . . . which means I have to be five minutes early to the stop, even if I then have to wait a while extra). It faces the rising sun, which can be quite unhandy during the summer.

After my ride, I switch over to walking rather than transferring to a second bus. This really only loses a few minutes, and it allows me to get in a little exercise. Time from bus to classroom: about twenty-five or thirty minutes. It's a little trying sometimes to take this walk at 10:00 when the weather is already in the 90's, but I comfort myself with the fact that it will cool soon. And I really do enjoy "my little walk."

Two classes later and close to 1:00, I seek out a place to lunch. I just discovered this enchanting spot this semester; there are about nine tables under the shade of a few trees. Quiet and comfortable, it's really ideal.

I do try and get some work done during this time; I feel like I'm wasting good time if I don't. Ah, Latin, Latin, Latin.

Last is my 2:00-3:15 English Grammar class; fun stuff. I have a good view (behind me, that is) of the Language and Literature building (where I have most of my classes) as I wait for the bus.

Waiting (again) for the bus transfer, I have a nice view of sky, which I attempted (and failed) to bring to life in this picture. Since this stop faces west, and it's usually afternoon when I wait here, I have that same problem with facing the sun. Oh, well, that's what sunglasses are for, right?

A fifteen minute ride and a seven minute walk bring me back to my apartment, where I check the mail. I begin to have a sort of addiction to checking the mail: it seems I'm always expecting something. A copy of Vogue, a Netflix DVD, or some chocolate samples.

Then I ascend the stairs, up to the sun. Short-lived though this moment is, you can see why it would be memorable. Already hot from being outside, it's not exactly the kind of thing you like to come home to.

Which is why, once inside, I empty my bag carelessly across my bed so that I can get at what I need without having to arrange it all yet.

My folders from the day go back in my new pocket-organizer on my desk.

I usually check up on my sticky-notes of assignments to make sure I know what I need to get done. Pretty light week this time.

And then rest time. Snacking of celery, tortilla chips, and hummus while drinking more water and watching an episode of Bewitched. (And yes, those are cacao nibs and cacao beans in the background, as well as an insulated bag of chocolate -- the consequences of being both a chocolate-reviewer and president of a chocolate club).

That's just about it. Working on school things comes next, then dinner (I can't remember what it was Monday, but Wednesday was chicken with Tikka Masala sauce and some couscous). Maybe a movie online or some reading before bed.

Indulgences

2010-08-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I just spent a lovely morning. Up at 9:30; breakfast of half a chocolate muffin and coffee, which is unusual for me but also quite American. Dropped off my latest Netflix rental (The Runaways, which I enjoyed more this second time around; the commentary with Kristen, Dakota, and Joan was also very good) and headed off to Scottsdale Fashion Square.

It takes two buses to get there, but the second distance is so short that I walked instead. Very pleasant fifteen, twenty minute walk; the weather is still shying from the 100's and even cautious of the 90's, so it wasn't overly warm. Then to the mall itself. A little window-shopping before stopping at Sephora. I had two things in mind. One was to claim my free birthday gift (a mascara, eye liner, and eye shadow -- not bad at all just for being a member of their rewards program). The other was to try out Urban Decay's eye primer, which comes in the most enchanting bottle. Now, I have trouble with eye makeup. Regular liner doesn't stay put on the top; only liquid does. Eye shadow? Forget it. I've had to make do with putting only lighter colors right above my lid, but that's weird and doesn't allow me to play with all the fun colors and techniques. Neither Merle Norman's nor mark's primers have helped. But Urban Decay . . . oh, I swoon. Shadow generally starts to crease not two minutes after I put it on, but I've had this Urban-Decay-primer-enhanced one on for about three hours, a portion of that out walking in the 90 degree sun. And it's still on. I'm thrilled; I'm ecstatic; I'm amazed.

Getting home, I must've been suffering ill-effects of my American breakfast: I was craving a greasy lunch. "What do I have that's greasy?" I wondered without hope. Ah -- I put a veggie burger to heat on the stove, two slices of Trader Joe's Whole Grain bread in the toaster, added a slice of cheese, and got a couple of sticks of celery to add to the side. Yes, that was my "greasy" lunch. Very beautiful, though.

Now, I think my geology textbook (and subsequent quizes) call to me.

The Phantom Once Was Grotesque

2010-08-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

I just watched the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera last night. (On Netflix, yes; I told you I'm addicted to it).

I'm a big fan of the recent movie-based-on-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber's-musical, and I also found the book itself . . . interesting. While the former is a great musical/love story spectacle, the latter is a strange evoking of that fascination for the grotesque. Gerard Butler (in the Andrew Lloyd Webber) makes a great character for that particular piece, yet I sometimes wish that the musical I enjoy had some more of the qualities of the book.

Enter the 1925 version. Not only is it black-and-white (except for some blue, red, etc, tinted scenes), but it is also silent. There is instrumental music and some singing when appropriate, but the dialogue is shown on screen shots. We've all seen that . . . watched a whole movie like that, though? I hadn't. It's difficult at first, being so used to modern film, yet quite fascinating. The entire acting method is different. Actors couldn't rely on lines because they didn't come out of their mouths; mood had to be portrayed more physically. Speaking of the physical, there is also a whole different mise-en-scene than a modern movie has.

But what I'm more interested in is the phantom himself. Gerard Butler isn't bad-looking, and his mask only covers half his face, making it easier to forget that he is a horribly disfigured monster. When we finally see it off, it just looks like he's recovering from a couple of burns; he doesn't look grotesque. But the 1925 phantom does. Sure, he might be a little laughable to a modern audience, too, but can anyone deny that he looks creepy? And acts creepy, evil, and pitiable like the book phantom does. Going along with this idea, you can actually see Christine's book perspective on him. First she thinks she's her angelic teacher, then he's mysterious and frightening, then she gets to see both the black part of his soul and the part that wishes it could be good and received by the world as good. None of this love triangle thing like in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (not to criticize that choice: it works well within the framework of the separate story he created).

It seems that no one who creates a portrayal of this book tries to make it the book; the 1925 did some things I really liked, while remaining different. I did, however, enjoy having a character (Leroux was his name, I think) much like the book's the Persian. I always liked the Persian; there is something slightly humorous to his scenes as he shows Raoul around the phantom's crooked lair. I actually got a little giddy when I saw that the mirrored torture chamber was in this movie. I love the bizarreness of that scene, so it was wonderful seeing it on screen. (Off-topic: I've actually been in one of those mirror-rooms, this one was lit only by strings of white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling. I was excited to imagine I was in the book, but as soon as I got in and couldn't find my way to the door on the other side, the irrational adrenaline kicked in. I chickened out and followed along the wall to the door.)

I Have School Spirit?

2010-08-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know how other schools work, but here at ASU, we have a "tradition" of whitewashing the A (up on a little slope, like the letters for cities are), before classes start up; it gets painted yellow again after the first home game. I'm not usually involved in things like this, but somehow I found myself there today around 4:15. AKA the middle of the afternoon.

What was the high today? Low, actually -- it's been around 110 lately; I don't think it rose that much today. But there was an intense thunderstorm last night, so there was lingering humidity. And 103, 110, what's the difference when you find yourself climbing a desert hill under the afternoon sun? But, you know, I wasn't really hot; I was more thirsty since I somehow decided to leave my water bottle in the car. But I had just drank plenty before that, so neither was that such an issue. Rather, it was a nice time.

I know I'm strange, but the plants up there were pretty: stick shrubs and cactuses. Plenty of fun rocks, too. Whitewashing the A didn't take up much of our time; it was more a matter of getting up to the top where we wanted to be, then taking the right pictures with all the right cameras. And then getting down again. (I outsmarted everyone by taking the best path while they toiled in the rocky area, but that doesn't surprise you, does it?)

The point of my little story? There is fun to be found in life. Even when you're not trying to find it, it'll slow down for you; the thing is to be ready when you have the chance.

Announcing

2010-08-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

1. I started a new blog yesterday called Bella Swan Reporting. It is perhaps more delirious than this one. Check it out here.

2. The Hillywood Show has released a teaser trailer for their Eclipse parody. It's short, but does gear you up for the real thing (which I'm really looking forward to). Watch it here.

3. Did I say Emma Shapplin's new album, Macadam Flower, was only okay? I changed my mind; I'm loving it.

4. I am now finished watching I Dream of Jeannie. That goes for the pilot, seasons one through five, and the two follow-up movies. I love this show, I love this show, I love this show. If the remake movie does come out in the next couple years (like for Get Smart and Bewitched), I may have to see it on opening day. But I'll probably be disappointed, anyway. Only Barbara Eden, Bill Daily, and Larry Hagman can do it right. There's such a delicate balance in this show, and it's so sweet, that it's hard to imagine it in anyone else's hands.

5. I have finally started reading Charlotte Bronte's The Professor. It seemed a drier book than the rest, which is why it took me so long to pick it up (it's been on my shelf for years). But it's just as amazing so far as her others. More when I finish it.

6. I realize why kitchen sinks are generally built in front of windows. There is something depressing about standing in front of a wall while you wash dishes; it makes the task much harder to get into. (As you can guess, the sink in my apartment faces a wall, not a window).

7. Summer will be officially over for me on Thursday. Lovely. I just can't wait to get back to reading, writing, reading, writing all day. (Excuse my pessimism: I don't hate it all that much).

8. If I think of two more things to say, then this will look a more complete list at 10 items.

9. There is a strange wind blowing outside. Strange because it has the appearance of cold, what with its accompaniment of clouds, yet is thick with warmth. Odd dessert.

10. I completed my second scrapbook yesterday and realize I have a tendency towards obsessions. I keep scraps, not pictures in my scrapbook. Pieces from hotels, napkins from planes, movie tickets. Then there are all the Disneyland maps, the Lord of the Rings and Narnia scraps, and now the Twilight ones. I don't think I want to face the facts about what this means about me . . .

Liz's Latest

2010-08-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

I count Liz Curtis Higgs among the few modern authors whose work I enjoy past the "good read" state. Her Bookends fell into the latter pile for me, but the Thorn In My Heart trilogy (and its add-on book, Grace In Thine Eyes) I found more compelling. Liz has a way of taking your heart, pulling it away, and twisting it all around -- you care about her characters that much.

This spring, Here Burns My Candle was released. I fussed over not having the time to read it until summer came (forgive me for not being a speed-reader, but having to read books like The Mill on the Floss in two weeks on top of other work just doesn't leave much extra reading time for me). Then once summer did come, I found I needed a break, not more reading. So it took me a while to start. Then to get into the book.

Once I did, however, well, Liz did it to me again. Here Burns My Candle is loosely based upon the book of Ruth in the Bible, which means that if you know that story, you already know where the novel is headed. (As in, you already know who is going to die and how. . .) That should just spoil any suspense or tense emotion, right? Nope. In the beginning, I was sitting around waiting for it to happen ("Hello, dead character. When are you going to go ahead and die?"), but when it finally did, the moment was just as heartbreaking.

I find the angle Liz took with this story interesting. I assumed that mother and daughter would, from the beginning, have a natural kinship, leading to Ruth/Elizabeth's decision to stay with her. But Liz gave them a natural antagonism which builds into a deep bond as the two go through individual growth.

Bringing a Bible story to late 18th century Scotland sounds . . . odd, but it's perfect. All the events that need to happen tie in, and Liz Curtis Higgs has done her research, from people and colloquialisms down to food and habits. Recommended if you like a good dramatic historical novel whose substance will last past the pages.

Hooray For Hillywood

2010-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

I've lost count of how many times I've watched The Hillywood Show. Their original fifteen episodes, behind-the-scenes, specials, Dark Knight and Twilight parodies, all.

On the 30th, their newest video, a parody of The Runaways, came out. It's short, but attention to detail is present as always. Check it out here. Also take a look at their website for everything else, including updates on events and new projects.

Note that The Hillywood Show is non-profit, and fan donations are what allow them to keep going. Their site has links to donate, along with merchandise (shirts, autographs, etc.) you can buy to help out. Filming started yesterday on their Eclipse parody, which we'll all be waiting very patiently for.

Eclipse Rundown

2010-07-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Time to give my opinion on all things Eclipse.

First is Stephenie Meyer's new The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella. One word best describes it: perspective. From the perspective of a minor (very, very minor) character in Eclipse and only lasting a couple hundred pages, this novella offers an entirely new look at things we've seen before. (It also gives us some things we don't previously know -- that's why it's its own book, after all). The second to last line, in particular, is amazing. It's a line from Eclipse, but the emotion it holds is so different because it is Bree, not Bella, hearing it. Poor Bree: I really do feel sorry for her now. The book was available to read online for a month, but now you'll have to buy it if you want to read it. Short as it is, it's completely worth it.

Now the soundtrack for Eclipse. When I listened to it before the movie, it was a surprising take: I had expected the songs to evoke more of the chaotic sense I get reading the book, but these were slower-type songs. Even after the movie, I wasn't convinced this one beat out the New Moon soundtrack. So many songs on there made the scenes they were in. "Hearing Damage," "Possibility," "Rosyln," "Done All Wrong," "Monsters," "Shooting the Moon," "Slow Life." I didn't initially get that sense this time.

However. Once I start the list, the evidence is against my assumption. "My Love" is perfect for the proposal scene, "Chop and Change" makes an interesting/not-what-anyone-was-expecting start to the movie, "Rolling In On a Burning Tire" is great for Victoria and Riley, "Life on Earth" made the right soft atmosphere, "Ours" and "Neutron Star Collision" are subtle but tact additions, and I love "Eclipse (All Yours)" starting off the credits. What's that? There are seven songs in each list? Well, maybe I do like the Eclipse soundtrack, after all. It just may be working up to my favorite to listen to apart from the movie, as well.

Now the movie companion. I said before that I thought the companion for New Moon was more informative than that of Twilight. The Eclipse one seems the best yet. It got very technical (though not in a way I couldn't understand) at times, really explaining what work went into the movie. As I've said, I really like behind-the-scenes of movies, so when something like this tells me things I don't know already, it makes me happy. Interesting was the way the actor quotes were worked in. Instead of threading them into the regular text, each actor had his own page with his thoughts on the movie. It's much simpler, in a way, and allows you to go quickly to your favorites. This book wasn't shy on the pictures, either, offering both stills and behind-the-scenes.

Last year, I made a list of "New Moon Musts." This year, I decided to make a less specific, more informal list. Three things I find in Eclipse the book: chaos, choice, and backstories. The choice was definitely in the movie, particularly with Jessica/Anna Kendrick's wonderful graduation speech (I don't mind that screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg chose Jessica instead of Eric to give the speech . . . I really prefer it this way). The backstories were there. They're some of my favorite parts in the book, so I was pleased that the same went for the movie. Nikki Reed really showed us Rosalie this time around (I could never decide before whether I liked her approach or not; now I do). Jasper/Jackson was great. This was almost the first time we saw Jasper, and I loved it. The Quileute bit was a refreshing change of scene, amazingly detailed.

But the chaos? I didn't expect a problem with this, but walking out of the first viewing, I didn't feel I'd felt it enough. Everyone is at each other's throats in the book, including Edward and Bella at certain points. It's not the same in the movie, yet I think the audience still gets the clue. We already saw Edward and Jacob almost fight at the end of New Moon . . . we know there is tension. So it isn't a major deal.

Things I liked: Jodelle Ferland was perfect as Bree, though I wish the "Don't watch" line hadn't been ommitted and all of Edward's lines concerning her given to Esme. The fight-training scene was another of my favorites (did I forget to mention its song?), loved almost everything about it. The Florida bit with Renee was slightly tweaked, yet I found it a very sweet moment. Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, Xavier Samuel as Riley, Charlie Bewley's hilarious expressions and stances as Demetri, Maria. Howard Shore's score was probably the strongest yet, though most of the pivotal moments he didn't get to write for since soundtrack covers those.

Lastly: the "big three." I really, really liked what Kristen Stewart did for New Moon -- this time, I felt like the script didn't give her much to work with. The focus wasn't on Bella as much. It was on the newborns, the backstories, and even Jacob. The "you'd be better off dead" scene felt slightly off to me until I realized that it's more Jacob's perspective than Bella's. Now, Jacob. It may just be me (I'm not Team Jacob, after all), but I feel like Taylor's interpretation of the character is a little different from the book Jacob. Any minor problems I have with movie Jacob aren't with Taylor's acting, just some of the choices he or the director made. Then Edward. I've liked the way Robert Pattinson has handled the character before, and Eclipse only added to that. My favorite line he delivered was the "I might actually like you" one. It included every nuance of the Edward/Jacob relationship. That scene, as well, was perfectly handled in general.

My final thougth: I saw the movie first in a regular theatre, then in a Harkins Cine Capri, then in IMAX. The sound of IMAX is superior and the bigger screen helped with the vampire-speed effect, but my conclusion is that the Cine Capri was best. It's big without being exaggerated.

The Return of Emma

2010-07-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited.

Had I mentioned that I'm a huge fan of Emma Shapplin? Her musical style has, in the past, combined the classical and operatic with more pop/new age whatnot -- creating a style all her own. There are other people, yes, who experiment with classical crossover, but none that I've seen who do so as drastically as Emma while still maintaining such quality vocals.

Her previous two albums I've enjoyed again and again, but with the years going by and nothing new coming (not even posts on a website), I was beginning to think she was gone forever.

And then what did I find two weeks ago? Emma Shapplin's newest album, Macadam Flower, came out last year. And I didn't know. Imagine. Don't fault me for being so behind: I had no regularly-updated website to go to, and all the places I occasionally searched for her on were U.S.-based. This album, as yet, has no U.S. release, so it was only happening upon her new music video on Youtube that informed me of its existence.

The music video I wasn't sure on. It's much more a pop song than her previous work. Searching a bit more, I grew concerned. I'd thought that whatever stylistic choices Emma made to accommodate her artistic needs and desires, I could be sure of her voice as the constant. But she sings differently on this album. Is she gone forever to me just as if this album had never been released, as I'd feared?

Not quite. It took a little getting used to, but I'm really liking Macadam Flower now. Sure, it might not be what keeps us coming back for more, yet that doesn't mean it has no value. Emma's poetic self comes through strong as ever (if not more since a few of the songs are in English, and I hence need no translation for them). Each song creates an atmosphere; that's what I enjoy.

I had always wondered what Emma used to sound like when she sang for a rock band back before her first record. Perhaps "Reptile" and "Jealously Yours" have a similar strain? (Note: these two may well be my favorite of the album. "The Hours On The Fields," "Absolu," and "My Soul" are all great, too. . . "Nothing Wrong" also starts to grow on you. . . I know, that's half the CD).

For Emma Shapplin fans, it's a must, if only as an observation of her style. For the newcomers, as well, I hope it will please.

So I'd Thought

2010-05-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

I wonder -- why is the spring semester the colder of the two when its name evokes warmth, and the fall semester the warmer when its name sounds cold? Classes are already over, and the weather hasn't even reached 100 yet. (Though, I'll admit, it has seemed to be cooler this year.) But when next semester starts, there will be two three months before I even think about donning a sweater again. So why will that be the "fall" semester? Curious.

During my last couple weeks of this semester, I was busy writing. And writing. And procrastinating. Something good did come out of my procrastination, though. I've always loved "I Love Lucy," and I've been a fan of "Get Smart" for several years; I feel more loyal to older TV shows than new ones. Now I have discovered "I Dream of Jeannie." Not that I had never heard of the 1960's show: I just never watched more than one episode. But I found Seasons 2 and 3 on Hulu, and now I'm a fan. And then I realized it was high-time I opened up a Netflix account, which would allow me to go back to Season 1 and eventually 4 and 5. Now I'm hooked on Netflix.

I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete First Season

It is a strange thing, yes, that so soon after classes end (and my consequent rejoicing over not having to read for them anymore), I should move into my own reading, but that is the way of it, after all. I started with Twilight: The Graphic Novel since that's half pictures, anyway. I've never read a graphic novel; I don't like any comics or cartoons much. The idea of a whole book in this format has always seemed, well, wasteful and perhaps (I mean no offense) immature. But I had never so much as picked one up, had I?

It was my enduring support of Stephenie Meyer that led me to get this book, but I came out with some appreciation for the graphic novel format. I was amazed at how artistic it was. The colors, the positioning, the way that movement is implied. Everything on the page is formatted so as to render the tone visually. The blood-typing scene was one of my favorites: I was tempted to get woozy right along with Bella. My complaint, still, is that the dialogue has to be chopped up for length's sake; at certain points, it feels like vital things are left out. But I suppose this won't be a problem if, like me, the vast majority reading this book already have the original practically memorized.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (The Twilight Saga)

Today I finished my second summer read: Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess. I read her Leftovers a few months ago, and praised its language and uniqueness, while not wholly enjoying the content (though the first two were enough, to me, to overpower this). Such a Pretty Girl I may have liked even more. Still a fresh read -- stylistically. Also some great themes: we see the mind of another teenager, Meredith this time, who is struggling to find her own power among people who have no care for her as an individual. Still a rather depressing read, but there is such empowerment in it that I think did add to myself.

Such a Pretty Girl

Thus begins my summer with better results than my expectations. Next up is Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.

One Movie, Two, Three, Four

2010-03-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have now seen three movies in the past week and a half. That's a lot for me, but movies do seem to come in droves. There doesn't seem to be anything in April of May that I want to see, then there will be two in June. I guess that's just the normal way of it.

The first of the three, Remember Me, I already talked about. Then last Friday I saw Alice in Wonderland (3D, of course). I agree with the general consensus that the visuals are good and the story is, well, just the story. It was just that with such a stunning visual scene and being such a big production (with a big budget, too), the storyness of it, at times, wasn't what I found myself expecting. Maybe Remember Me was just too fresh in my mind . . . . Anyway, not bad, and Johnny Depp as the Hatter was one of the highlights. The last movie was The Runaways, which I saw yesterday before class. Not a bad way to start the morning; lots of music to wake you up. And let me say to the critics, please, why do you have to compare "Robert Pattinson's Remember Me" with "Kristen Stewart's The Runaways?" They aren't at all similar. Both were smaller productions, but the indie feel is much more for the latter than the former. One is about two families, one about a '70's rock band. There is much more to define them by than two actors, though, yes, I likely wouldn't have seen either of them if not for these two said actors. I liked Remember Me more, just because it's more my kind of movie. But The Runaways, that did brighten my day a little, I think. I wasn't very familiar with the music before, but it kept playing in my head until I had to make a Pandora station to listen to while doing some work. Now that I hadn't expected.

And the New Moon DVD came out this weekend. Here is the Borders version, in all its glory. At least, as much as my horrible photography skills and bad lighting can express.

One reason I like this version better is the packaging. I'm not keen on the other DVD covers, but all of this one is quite nice.
In the middle section is a pocket, which includes this necklace with the Quileute tribe logo:
Or if you're Team Cullen like me, it has a reverse side with the Cullen crest:

The extra Borders features weren't as much as I had been hoping for, but were still better than just the normal ones. I do think that with the huge Twilight fan following, there could be more special features. People want to know everything about how these movies were, and I like special features, but it usually seems that the movies I like don't have very many.

The new Liz Curtis Higgs book, Here Burns My Candle, came out last week. I very much want to read it, but I'll have to wait until summer. And something induced me to also get Twilight: The Graphic Novel. I don't read graphic novels; I've never even held one. I don't know why I got this one . . . it says something about loyalty, I guess. But it may be interesting.

(And I don't know why this last part is underlined -- I can't make it go away, so forgive it).

Indecision

2010-03-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I finished George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss (also for the British novels class). It's hard to say what I thought of it. I want to call it a dense book, but that isn't the right word. Analytical is better. Detailed I like more. It takes a very long time to say anything, even for Victorian novels. It definitely has its moments of beautiful language, and some of the plot is engaging, but is that enough? Is that enough when many times the text feels so dry in its detailed account? It depends on the reader. I can't say it was my favorite book, and I can hardly say I'll be rushing out for more George Eliot.

I'm reminded of my thoughts on her Silas Marner a few years ago. That book is much shorter, so I decided that it was a "nice little book." I believe I specifically said that it was nice, being the short length that it is, and if it was longer, it wouldn't be so worth reading. The Mill on the Floss is a long book, not a short, hence my indecision. If it, too, had taken less time to get its point across, I think I would think better thoughts on it. (Which isn't to say I have anything against long books in general; they just need to merit their length).

Now that I'm finished with this one, I've started Ovid's Metamorphoses for another class. Spring Break tempts me to do no work, but I know I'll regret it later if I don't make use of this extra time, so here it goes. I read Book I this morning; hopefully Books II and III will follow this afternoon and evening. I am pleasantly surprised, though, at how enjoyable it is so far. I was under the impression that the verse would slow down the reading, but it quickens it, instead. Certainly a much lighter read than The Mill on the Floss, I say.

Waiting and Remembering

2010-03-13T11:40:00.001-08:00

As promised, here are my thoughts on Fireflight's new album, For Those Who Wait. It took a little getting used to at first; not to say that it was completely different from their other work. This album, instead, seems to combine styles from The Healing of Harms and Unbreakable. Its very upbeat music this time around, with the same compelling kind of lyrics. The opening "For Those Who Wait" and also "Desperate," "Core Of My Addiction," and "What I've Overcome" are some of my favorites. Of the two quieter songs, "Name" and "Recovery Begins," I rather like the latter, but the former is a weak point on the CD. It's too average. "Recovery Begins" is hardly the most original song I've ever heard, but it has a softness that is a pleasant end to the CD; it manages in a way that "Name" failed to. Unbreakable may still be my favorite album (it was, after all, the one that won me over to Fireflight), but For Those Who Wait is equal to showing the strength I love to see in music.

Yesterday, I went to see Remember Me for three reasons: the trailer for Eclipse was playing with it (I only planned to watch the trailer once, so why not on the big screen?), it would be a chance to see Robert Pattinson in a different role (thereby testing my belief that he's a competent actor), and it seemed like a nice movie. Now, I thought that Remember Me's trailer was well put together, but it seemed like one of those trailers that gives you most of the plot. Not the case at all.

I'm a the theatre. I sit through three or so trailers, then the Eclipse ones comes on. I'm nodding to myself, thinking, oh, yes, that trailer seems better put together than the first New Moon one -- it emphasizes "love triangle" more than I'd like, but I suppose that is fitting. Then I remember that I've come to see a completely different movie. From the first, I see it's true that what this movie does, it does uniquely. Poignant is the word to describe it. A love story? Well, yes, but it's more about people trying to interact with and understand each other. And very much about the quote that plays in the trailer and twice in the movie, "Ghandi said that everything you do in life will be insignificant, but it's important that you do it" (I'm going off of memory here: sorry if that isn't it exactly). After you've seen the camera fade in at the beginning and fade out at the end, everything in between all comes together in a way that doesn't always happen. In a literature-like way. It's an emotionally/psychologically artistic movie (not in a complicated way, just a thought-provoking one). I found myself thinking about it all afternoon yesterday. Eventually, it reminded me of this quote from Heart of Darkness (after Kurtz's death), "all the hearts that beat in the darkness" (Joseph Conrad. Barnes & Noble Classics. 2005.) As much as I would love to explain all these "hearts" and the darkness they beat in, I won't on the off-chance that someone reads this who hasn't seen the movie yet. If that's the case, go see it now.

Dramatic Shakespearean Deaths

2010-03-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

As I was finishing up the last act of Othello earlier today for a class, I realized something. It's always a strange experience reading someone's death scene in Shakespeare because they get stabbed or whatever it is, then speak some mournful words (something like, "I'm killed!"), then converse a bit with other characters, then you see off to the side "[Dies.]" Maybe not awkward played by a good and proper actor, but to read . . . I just imagine them crawling around for a few minutes, saying they're dead, before they suddenly fall down unconscious. Which is exactly how Lucy fakes deaths in "I Love Lucy." I'm thinking in particular of the episode when she rents her apartment out to a man who is recovering from the shock of witnessing a murder (my, what a convoluted sentence!) To scare him, Ethel pretends to shoot Lucy, who falls all over the sofas, crawls around the floor, makes pitiful sounds, and has more than one false end. Just like a Shakespearean character.

On a completely separate note, we've been reading slave narratives in another of my classes. First Frederick Douglass, now Harriet Jacobs. The most comparable work to these, well, depressing reads that I have read before is The Diary of Dawid Sierakowiak, a teen who died in the Lodz Ghetto during the Holocaust. I remember when I started reading that book, I started analyzing it, saying, oh, such and such is interesting in terms of such and such, etc., etc. Then I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I was placing a microscope over this person's suffering; I felt I was dehumanizing him by the way I was treating him in my thoughts as an topic, an example, a study instead of a person with a life that was taken away. But in reading Harriet Jacobs today, I realized the difference with the slave narratives. These were written with the express purpose of spreading the word. Their writers wanted people to analyze them so that much needed truths could be found again. Not that I suppose Dawid would have anything to say against someone reading his words to learn more about humanity, either, but the difference between a diary and a narrative is still rather great.

A Two-Sided Experiment

2010-02-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

Kaleb Nation, of twilightguy.com fame and author of the Bran Hambric series, is at it again. This time, he is reading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvatar and in place of the blog posts he did for Twilight, there will be vlogs. Now, I have come to enjoy Kaleb's vlogs in the same way I enjoyed twilightguy.com, so I'd like to watch these vlogs. And I've always thought it would be intriguing to read twilightguy.com while simultaneously reading Twilight (except that it would almost be like reading spoilers since Kaleb is so perceptive to what's going on) . . . so I have decided to read Shiver along with shiverguy.com. In addition to this, I downloaded Barnes and Noble's digital version -- I'm also experiencing their eReader. I've only used the Mac version as of now; I may try out the iPhone app later on just to see what it's like, but no promises.

The first vlog is up already, and my, does this promise to be a reading experience like no other.

Word of the Week 8: Inveigle

2010-02-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Inveigle (vb) - 1. to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually fol. by into): to inveigle a person into playing bridge 2. to acquire, win, or obtain by beguiling talk or methods (usually fol. by from or away): to inveigle a theater pass from a person (dictionary.com)

I came across this strange word in Great Expectations last week. Wemmick, in describing to Pip the respect/fear the masses have for Mr. Jaggers, says of the latter's watch, "Mr. Pip, there are about seven hundred thieves in this town who know all about that watch; there's not a man, woman, or child among them, who wouldn't identify the smallest link in that chain, and drop it as if it was a red-hot, if inveigled into touching it." - Charles Dickens

Such an odd sound this word has, hence my extra notice of it as I was reading. It has a familiar tone to conniving; perhaps it's the "v?" The "v" does have a sinisterness to it, as in "villain" and "vain" and "vermin." Its pronunciation has a combination of subtle breath and forcefulness. Ah, words!

New Things, New Things

2010-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a loud banging came on my screen door. Someone very angry and mad must have been there, it seemed. A vicious and loud robber, perhaps. But, no, that's just how the FedEx man knocks -- to make sure he is heard, I suppose. The vicious cacophony I forgive, though, as soon as I get my package. Yesterday it was my signed copy of Fireflight's new album, For Those Who Wait (have to love that name), along with a t-shirt. Completely wonderful. I'll share my thoughts later when I've had a chance to listen to the CD more.

Also yesterday, The Hillywood Show released some behind-the-scenes footage for their Dark Knight video. Take a look here. While their behind-the-scenes always show how much they genuinely like what they do, this one also shows the hard work that goes into every video. Hilly and Hannah have said that Dark Knight was the hardest thing they've done, and I can see why. Professional quality? The Hillywood Show is professional.

Right now, I'm finishing up Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth for a class (ENG 329: 19th Century British Novels, to be exact). A little base, shall we say, towards the beginning, but not a bad read. I may very well choose it for my paper. Ms. Gaskell does get points for being Charlotte Bronte's friend, in any case.

Two Movies, Two Bands, and Two Sisters

2010-01-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

I realize that I like going to see movies. That used to be an occasional, almost rare thing for me, but now that I'm just a few minutes away from a theatre, I find that it tempts me. When I went to buy a much-needed new hairdryer, for instance, I thought I'd pop in to Harkins first. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus looked kind of interesting; I might have saved it for a movie to rent, but it seemed like it had visuals that would be better on the big screen. Definitely had the visuals, which were Alice-in-Wonderland-trippy at times and obviously green-screened, but still a bit of a feast for the eyes. That was all I was expecting to get, but the plot was good, as well. It plays with the Faust idea of bartering with the devil, only Doctor Parnassus is bartering with his daughter instead of his own soul. That sounds just as much like Rumplestiltskin, which happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales, to me. This movie hooks your interest all throughout; definitely one to watch. The ending was too anti-climactic, though. Instead of drawing to a close, it dwindled down. There was something missing, one extra step that should have been taken. All the same, this will probably be a movie I buy.

Classes started again on Tuesday, ending my lovely, long break. They do promise to be interesting, even if I shall have many, many books to read this semester, but I decided I should have a treat Tuesday afternoon. A pre-semester award, if you will. I went to see Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones. As you will recall, I first read the book because I thought I might like to see the movie. The trailer looked good, if action heavy. And during the first part of the movie, I was impressed. Another visual movie, with stunning CG crisper than most of Parnassus and excellent cinematography. But after the halfway point, I was waiting for certain things from the book to happen. They didn't. The movie ended. I didn't expect the man who made all the intensely long Lord of the Rings movies to have cut too much out of this one. Maybe because he was trying not to get the same King Kong criticism? Too long, cut all of such and such out? Now, in the book, the Salmon family really goes down to the depths. They went down in the movie, but they weren't far enough. Abigail's affair with Len Fenerman isn't exactly something I fancy, but it was an important part of the book. At least a hint should've been in the movie. In the book, though the family knows the truth, Susie's case is never solved. It essentially is in the movie. I think that fact, however subtle, is close to fatal. I was surprised when I read the book to find that the peace at the end didn't come from the solving of the case, but from acceptance and love. I didn't get those same vibes from the ending of the movie. Just a couple of tweaks and I think it could have been so much a better adaptation. All the same, I do think it was well-done . . . the things it does achieve aren't easily reached . . . it just wasn't my absolute favorite book to begin with.

A couple of notes:

My new band (for listening, not playing in) reminds me of Blondfire, just a little older and a little more fey. They have some intriguing music, so check out Metric at their site.

Heard of The Hillywood Show? No? Then you must watch them (two sisters, Hilly and Hannah, who do this all non-profit). They parody like no one else, using amazing imitation, fan film experimentation, and parodying that laughs with movies rather than against. Their greatly-awaited New Moon Parody came out earlier this month and already has 811, 281 views. It's unlike any parody I've seen before; they take the opposite approach most New Moon parodies do, focusing on Bella's rebellion instead of her depression. Hillywood, besides being meticulous about detail, also is into layers. You'll notice a new edge each time you watch a parody or episode. Take a look at their website here.

Fireflight's new album, For Those Who Wait, comes out next month. You should really go pre-order it . . . .

And it is very cold today. Methinks I shall go make some hot chocolate now.

Et Cetera Update

2010-01-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Having some time extra about a month ago, I spent an hour browsing Barnes & Noble. Just the fiction section. I have plenty of books at home that I haven't gotten to reading yet; I was hence only planning on buying a book that stood apart. Author to three short, tiny, plain-covered books was Laura Wiess. The microscopic size intrigued me, as did the few words I skimmed in one or two of the books. The style seemed unique, so when I finally left the store, Leftovers came with me. As you must be gathering, I was in the mood for something different. Vastly different, on an opposite scope, yet still something I could enjoy for whatever reason. Nothing predictable. Amazingly, this book was the perfect choice for my mood. Told from the perspective of two teenage girls whose home lives are more than trying, it switches between third person and second. I'd have to check, but I think there is more second person than third. I never would have thought that would work so well; it doesn't make the narrative drag, only working to further the girls' perspective. The book's material can be a little depressing and isn't the sort of thing I seek out to read, yet the style is unique, as I had guessed. Refreshing even while depressing. Enough that I'd like to try out Laura Wiess's other books.

Then we have the audio drama for CS Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, starring Andy Serkis (aka Gollum) as Screwtape.

Since most of it is straight from the book, there was nothing new to me there, yet the listening was still well worth it. I don't

know how Andy Serkis does it, but he makes every line a pleasure to listen to. That is, as far as it is pleasurable to listen to a

senior demon describe how to tempt humanity . . . The additions of conversations on earth and between Screwtape and his

nephew make effective ways of drawing the audience into the audio as a story. I only wish the CD's weren't so pricey.

Twenty-six dollars at Amazon was the lowest price I could find, which was a little steep, I thought. Maybe not as far as audio

dramas go, but as far as I wanted to pay, yes.

And no, I'm not quite sick of Twilight and New Moon yet. A word on the latter's movie companion: I thought it was much better than the former's. The Twilight companion, for me, lacked the personal element I go to companion's for. I want to know what it was like for the cast and crew on set. The New Moon companion gives an abundance of quotes that satisfied my wants. Movie companions also describe some of the technology used; they can't go into too much detail lest readers get confused by technical descriptions, but after you read a couple of books, the brief info starts to repeat. Not so with this book. Sure, some processes I knew about, but I also learned a couple of things about moviemaking in general. I feel more satisfied with Mark Cotta Vaz's work as a companion writer now.
I think I mentioned that I'm a Disneyland fan? Naturally, I'm a sometimes mild fan of Disney in general. I was looking forward to Disney's "grand" return to hand-drawn animation with The Princess and the Frog last month. Probably I'm biased, but I don't usually like their more recent movies so much. Not that I went into the movie with too many expectations . . . I just didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was my minor reward to myself after my Latin final (and the end of the fall semester), and a rather nice reward it was. Color, artistry, movement, composition, these are the things I think animation has been lacking lately. We focus on how real animation looks instead of these aspects that make it so beautiful. Particularly with song sequences, it was a treat to see Disney remember how to use them. And a great job adapting a fairy tale as a fairy tale (aka with the happy, unrealistic ending we want to see), while adjusting it to a modern audience (Tiana's dream isn't a prince, and the prince is only half of her happy ending.)

That's it, I believe. Until next time.

New Moon?

2009-12-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

I believe New Moon is the first movie I've seen in theatres three times, and I'm still planning on seeing it a couple more times. Does that mean I like it then? Well, yes, but it isn't so simple as that. When I walked out of the theatre after that first time (which just happened to be the midnight showing -- a couple people invited me last minute), I was split. There were some things I loved, some I was in complete denial of. But the second time, I understood what the filmmakers were getting across.

Because even after that first time, I had to admit, the movie fit pretty well into my list:

1. Not a problem at all. Everything happens so differently that it wasn't an issue.

2. I think it worked. I loved (if that's the proper word) the way Kristen Stewart screamed for Bella's nightmares. A tortured, strangled sound, definitely.

3. This one's questionable. But how can you force an audience to give up hope? I think the characters' hopelessness is clear, and that's what matters most.

4. Definitely have a physical change in Jacob. And Taylor Lautner handled the emotional change, as well.

5. Oh, yes, the Volturi were creepy. In fact, Aro was one of the best parts of the movie for me. He's such a crazy character, I knew a competent actor would have to play him to do him justice. I don't even know how Michael Sheen does it, but he's an amazing Aro. I wish we had seen more of Jane; Dakota Fanning seemed to be doing a good job with her, as well. Of course, the improved red contacts helped the overall creepy factor.

6. There's a love triangle in New Moon the movie, even when I don't see much of one in the book. I guess that was inevitable, though, wasn't it? It's handled well, but I do wish we saw that Bella still thinks of Jacob as only a friend at this point.

7. The proposal was a little different, but I think the tone was mostly kept intact. I just really missed out on seeing Bella's reaction (she's not pleased?! what's wrong with her?!); maybe we'll see it in Eclipse?

And my three minor hopes:

1. Yeah, the wolves were big. Big and powerful-looking.

2. I wasn't expecting satisfaction on this one. I was pleasantly surprised; everybody in the theatre jumped when we see her right there in the shadows. And she's upset, Alice who we've never seen upset before. I like that, though I do think it jumped too quickly to the comfy moment talking in the living room.

3. Another inevitable one. Of course there's more action in the movie than the book. It really bothered me at first, but not so much anymore.

You see, the reason it bothered me so much in the beginning was because I felt the whole tone of the movie was skewed. It didn't feel right. But it wasn't because they added action or couldn't spend more time on Bella's zombie days. When you first read New Moon, it isn't right, either. The story and characters you thought you knew go places you don't expect. It takes a while to reconcile yourself to that fact and realize why everything happens as it does.

That's just how the movie is. I see now how everything in it keeps that sorrow, that sheltering of the mind Bella forces onto herself. Even at Bella's party, the Cullens are warm and friendly, but there's a difference between them and Bella. You can feel that something is off, something has to change; it can't work like this. The score that I thought bland at first reinforces the pain that sits under the surface of every event. (I do really like the soundtrack, though. It's a great selection of songs that I'm enjoying listening to.)

I could really go on and on about this forever. Let me just mention the things I really liked, then I'll be done.

1. The sequence where the wolves chase Victoria and Bella heads to the cliffs. "Hearing Damage" provides the right emotional tone, and Victoria looks amazing. The way she moves, her unyielding expression, her outfit.

2. I already mentioned Aro. Also loved the way the painting came to life in the beginning of the movie.

3. Bella's cliff-diving. That is, once she's in the water. The look on her face, that joy, before she sees the danger she's in. The way the waves really bash her about (thanks for putting up with that, Kristen.) And how it looks like she has died and exists in a perfect moment with Edward. Again, "Slow Life" was the perfect song.

Those are all the big things, I think. I'm not even going into what I don't like; the overall effect was good, and that's most important. Chris Weitz did it. New Moon is a sorrowfest of a book, but he still managed to put it onto the screen well.

New Moon Musts

2009-11-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Before I saw Twilight, I only had a couple of days to form expectations since I had just finished the books. That's usually the ideal way to go into an adaptation movie. Otherwise, you form too many ideas of how it should look and compare the movie to how you wanted it to be instead of really seeing whether or not it's a good adaptation. One of the concerns I got in that short time was over Edward and Bella's acting. Both characters hide a lot of what they're feeling in Twilight, and so the things they say and do might look stiff or unemotional to outsiders; that means an actor/actress needs to be good enough that they can hint at what's under the surface instead of just looking like a bad actor. Robert Pattinson completely nailed this. You can really see it when Edward and Bella stop at the police station going home from Port Angeles. They ask Carlisle what happened, he glances at Edward briefly while holding a conversation more with Bella. And Edward freezes, hearing what really happened. But you can see his concern, fear, tensing up in his eyes, in the very way his face stands motionless.

Now that I've had more than a couple of days to wait for New Moon, I've come up with a list of things I think the movie has to have to stay true to the book. In no particular order:

1. Both books share some similar plot points; it's all part of the story. But the moviemakers added some things into Twilight that are more like what happens in New Moon. The police tracking various attacks is one of these -- events are similar, but they need to be presented in a way that makes the story completely different. Because Bella is different.

2. Which leads us to our next must. New Moon has the ultimate sorrow. Bella really loses it, she drowns completely. That part has to be just as strong in the movie. Where you simultaneously just want to stop because it hurts so bad, but also have to keep reading/watching because you want it to end.

3. Along those same lines, the audience can't be given hope. You're left pretty hopeless in the book, even while you're intuition begs to differ. The departure of the Cullens (Edward in particular) has to be permanent; we can't be told that they're coming back into the story.

4. We have to see a big change in Jacob. First emotionally from the innocent, smiling character to the angrier Jacob, and also physically.

5. The Volturi have to be creepy. Volterra is my favorite part of this book; the Volturi are just plain weird. They can't always be understood, which is why they invoke fear. Keep them creepier than creepy.

6. There has to be a big difference between Bella and Edward's relationship and Bella and Jacob's. At this point, one is love and one is temporary comfort (where Bella is half-insane, so she really doesn't know much of what she's doing, anyway.) Movies love love-triangles; there's not really a love-triangle in New Moon. Almost, but not quite.

7. Edward's proposal should be as similar to the book as possible. I know they always have to change some of the wording and this and that, but it needs to keep as much of the same essence as can be done. It's perfect the way it is, plot-wise and emotion-wise; changing it too much would affect other aspects of the movie(s).

These are just minor hopes; they wouldn't be as big of deals:

1. The wolves are huge, not just big, huge.

2. When Alice comes back, there's a distance between her and Bella. Something edgy that wasn't there before. It dissolves quickly, but it creates the distrust you need as you slip into the truth of why the Cullens left.

3. Resist the urge for action. New Moon only has a little, and movies always like to up the action level. That's fine as long as they don't overdo it, just as long as you still look at it through Bella's passive eyes.

I'll probably come up with something else after I've seen the movie; I made this list pretty quickly. There's my experiment though. We'll see how it matches up to the movie in about twenty-five hours.

Flyleaf & Liz

2009-11-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

Two weeks since Flyleaf's Memento Mori came out, I can say that I'm quite happy with the CD. It has growth and just as strong a message as their previous work. The way Lacey Mosley sings, it's like her heart is right in her throat. I haven't found anyone who sings quite like she does. This album seems less heartbreaking than the first one, more ethereal, its songs find piercing joy amongst the sorrow. And one thing I could never grow to like before were the occasional screams; Memento Mori has practically none, of which I'm glad.

"Again" and "Beautiful Bride" are great starters to the album. "Missing" and "Set Apart" are two of my favorites. But the one that wins hands down for me, right from the first listen, is "Treasure." It's beautiful and bittersweet and fantastical and real and calming and encouraging. I think it's my new favorite Flyleaf song (it was probably "Sorrow" before . . . which is a kind of different song.)

And what is it about the "Liz" in the title? That's Liz Curtis Higgs I'm referring to. I decided I needed a key in, some author whose work was comparable to Flyleaf's. You see, Flyleaf puts so much feeling into their music. They don't stop at the surface, but keep on going in and in until it hurts, only to come at the kind of joy that's practically opposite happiness. That's what Liz Curtis Higgs does (with her historical fiction, that is . . . I've only read one of her other books.) Try reading Rose in Bloom (second in the Thorn in My Heart series) without at least getting very close to tears. She's not afraid to write everything down, and that means her happy moments are all the happier. So, Flyleaf and Liz Curtis Higgs, not sure how many people besides me are fans of both, but they have a great deal in common. Anyways, diversity is good: if everyone made their point in the same way, what would be the fun in that?

(The New Moon premiere was last night -- just a couple more days until it comes out. I'm trying not to think about it much, but I do promise a post about my expectations either tomorrow or Thursday.)

Ironic

2009-11-07T17:21:00.001-08:00

True, some of my favorite books are part of a grouping. The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Twilight Saga, the Thorn in My Heart books, among others. True, I talk most about them, refer to them most often, know the most about their worlds. But, ironically, I have a general problem with books that are part of a series.

That isn't to say that I disagree with the format as a rule. It has its place, like everything else. But I think people can fall too easily into writing continuations instead of starting new ideas. We all love the characters and stories, but we don't always need to follow their whole lives. There is a proper place to end everything; if it drags on too much, I think we lose the ability to savor each moment. We think of quantity and let quality suffer.

Writers need to consider the question, what is the purpose of this book? Even if it is only written off of his own need, if it's published, it needs to be accomplishing something. Entertainment (then, what kind of entertainment?), a message, information. Just like writing a paper, everything needs to lead up to the greater purpose, including format. Like I said, entertainment can suffer if a book never ends. Or a message can be lost in copious pages.

I feel like a series ties me up too much. I have to read all the books, I have to keep track of when future books are coming out, I have to always be wanting more. I can't just read one book and savor it in my mind forever after. Reread it when I like, replay scenes in my head, discover new beauties. A series keeps going and going. Maybe it's reflective of our society: we always want more and forget to value what we already have.

Various Forms of Entertainment

2009-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've been busy this past week, I guess. On Thursday, I stopped to watch Where The Wild Things Are on my way home; I'd been to the Toy Story 3D double-feature a couple weeks earlier, so I guess I'm falling for the kids' movies lately. I know the former book is such a classic and I remember seeing advertising and such for it, but I don't remember actually reading it. I knew the gist of the story, at least, though. It makes for an interesting movie, not the average fuzzy family film. Even better that I saw it on the Harkin's Cine Capri screen for the first time. That screen is huge, especially given that there were only sixteen people watching. Yes, I counted.

Sunday night I went to the Fireflight concert. I've known they'd be in Arizona for a while, but I didn't think I'd be able to make it. I was glad I did. Abandon and Remedy Drive also played; nice to hear live, but I don't plan on getting into their music. This was probably my first rock concert . . . I didn't like "loud" music before. And the upside to liking a small band is that you can actually meet them. I got to have my bag (which I bought there before the show started) signed by the band.

Yesterday, I finished Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. It was one of those books I'd heard about, thought I should maybe read, never got to. With Peter Jackson's movie version coming out soon, which I thought I might like to see, I decided I'd better get to reading first. I knew the basic story: a girl is murdered and she watches her family in the aftermath from heaven. I can't say it was quite what I expected, though. I don't want to go off and give spoilers, but I will say that it was a good read. I like imagery (along with metaphors and such), which this book has in clear originality. And predictable can get boring . . . this book wasn't all predictable. I expected Susie's case to be solved at the end; it wasn't really because there was another point to it all. I like that this book remains simple while still making you think. (Molly really liked it, too. She said it tasted delicious, hence my taping together of the cover after her teeth attacked it. All this time, I thought she was a good dog.)

And today I got the CD's for the audio drama on CS Lewis's The Screwtape Letters (which happens to star Andy Serkis aka Gollum as Screwtape.) So far, I'm loving the design work on the website and packaging. It fits in perfectly with the crazy tone of the book. I listened to the first two letters when I got home; I'll give my opinion when I've moved through the whole thing.

Last thing: today was freezing. I know, a high of 60 degrees isn't that bad, but it was 87 two days ago. A little transition, please? And the wind. It would've been nice weather (except for the cold morning -- and evening that's settling in) without the wind. I don't like wind. A bit of breeze on a hot day is nice; rushing wind on a cold day is horrible. But it seems that the weather will go back up soon.

Word of the Week 7: Excited

2009-10-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Excited (n) - 1. stirred emotionally; agitated 2. stimulated to activity; brisk

(Dictionary.com)

When people ask me if I'm excited about such and such upcoming event or other, I'll often say that I'm trying not to think about it much because I know that won't help. If I look forward to something, I can't stop thinking about it, which doesn't allow me peace of mind and mars the moment when it finally comes. Excited, it almost has a bad connotation as applies to me, unless it's for a short time period. I'm quite quite pleased with this definition, then. "Agitated?" That's never a good thing. "Stimulated to activity," that follows naturally. When excited isn't a bad thing, activity should come next. Either you see that movie you've been waiting for or you work for that cause you just found out about. The only thing I'm surprised isn't in this definition is time. People usually use it to describe looking forward to something. That's covered in the second part only in a round-about way. Dictionaries are usually so detailed, but this time it could be more specific.

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte

2009-10-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

Although the cover and the words "Charlotte Bronte" had a magnetic pull on my hand when I saw the book in the new authors section at Barnes & Noble, I must admit, I'm not keen on the title. I have a sort of bias against the word "diary;" I prefer "journal" as it sounds less like a girly book of girly confessions. Add "secret" to "diary" and I really don't like it. But I have absolutely nothing against getting into Charlotte Bronte's head, which is exactly what this book does.

Author Syrie James explains that it is almost entirely taken from fact, based off of letters and other writings, though a couple of things are added to or embellished to suit it better to a book. And my goodness, is it real. I had thought I knew a decent bit about the Brontes, but this book has so much information in it. It's a fascinating look at the lives of the Brontes (with a particular emphasis on Charlotte, of course, since she is the one telling the story.) It discloses many inspirations they had for their writings. I already knew about Roe Head School and how the two older sisters died there, but I didn't know, for instance, about Monsieur Heger, Charlotte's Belgian professor whom she based many of her male leads on. Or, most tragic, much of Heathcliff (Emily's creation, not Charlotte's) was based off of their brother Branwell. This book drove me to tears more than a couple times. I hadn't read much about Branwell before, now I see the tragedy of his story. Then there's Arthur Nicholls, Charlotte's father's curate. All I had known was that she married him and died soon after, having gotten sick while pregnant. I had wondered, though. It sounded like a "convenient" marriage (since he worked for her father), but wouldn't Charlotte want to marry for the love her characters followed? I won't go into what I found out so I don't spoiler it, but I highly recommend picking the book up for yourself. It's highly potent.

Reading this was simply amazing. It both reminded me why I picked up on Charlotte's vision and reinforced that connection I feel with so much of her work. I can understand the perspectives in here more than anywhere else; so many things I've felt are there in another form. Unfortunately for Syrie James, I'm lead to read the last of Charlotte's books, The Professor, rather than her other book, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. She did such a flawless job at putting this book together in truth that I'm sure she did the same for that one. While I adore being able to read Charlotte's voice, I don't like Jane Austen's, so I don't see much point in reading the book. I'm sure it's as well done, though, for any Austen fans out there. I'll just stick to the Brontes myself.

The Hayley W's

2009-10-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

That's Hayley Westenra the classical crossover singer and Hayley Williams of alternative group Paramore that I'm referring to. There's something about their voices that makes them each remind me of the other. Despite their quieter/louder styles, they both have voices smooth and soft and feminine, yet full and powerful. They're both so easy to listen to. My reason for this comparison: some of my music just seems so different, but I feel like I'm pulled to the same aspects in it all. Rock or classical or folk, I think music can still be speaking the same language. It's what it gets across just as much as how it does it.

That said, I also wanted to give a quick commentary on Paramore's new album, Brand New Eyes. It's been out a couple of weeks now, so I've been able to listen to it quite a bit, and I'm very happy with its direction. Though All We Know is Falling and Riot! have distinctive sounds, I was worried that with a third album, there wouldn't be enough space left to do much new. I was wrong. Songs like "Ignorance" and "Careful" have that same Paramore sound, but interpreted with more depth as the band has grown. There are also some quieter songs like "The Only Exception" and "Misguided Ghosts." The latter is one of my favorites. It lets you hear that Hayley has a compelling control over her voice; "All I Wanted" also does this. What Brand New Eyes confirms is that Paramore isn't the average alternative band; they can take their music beyond the standards, infusing it with all the richness of their experience. I think I've really keyed into them shining through their songs.

Paintings and Seasons

2009-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

I love this painting. I got it in August at an antique store. It was $11 or $12, a little thing of 9''x7'' including the frame. But I love it. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but it's so sweet. Simple strokes of paint in vibrant colors create an almost fantastical atmosphere. The tone is wonderful. It takes the desert and depicts it not as bare, but as rich and full of life. Beautiful.

Only thing is, it looks to be a painting of April, not October. It's very funny how with October, the edge came off of the sun so that it doesn't instantly burn anymore, but it still gets hot. What's funnier is that the mornings and evenings feel cold when they're only in the 70's. Something very weird there. Anyway, though, it is nice to sort of simultaneously have two seasons. I can start bringing the fall fashions into my wardrobe, while still wearing summery things like short sleeves and skirts. I'd hate to actually be dressing for cold, cold weather. Even though I don't like shorts, big jackets are just . . . I don't like them. Part of the reason for that might be that I've lived most of my life in a place not unlike the painting. So I say again, I'm so glad for Arizona, the most wonderful place.

Kaleb Nation Book Signing

2009-09-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I did end up at Changing Hands Bookstore last night for Kaleb Nation's book signing (promoting his new/first book Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse.) There's one benefit of living in a city: I can actually go to events like this. I'm still trying to figure out whether I like that more than looking outside and seeing more than buildings and pavement and cultivated grass and more buildings.

I'm a little ashamed to say that I'd never been to Changing Hands. It's such a famous place, and I've certainly been close by many times. I took a look around before the signing; they have a great selection. I'll make it a point to go back.

And on to the signing. It's strange seeing someone in person after only seeing pictures/videos of them online, but it was great to be able to go. Kaleb has too many talents: he can do public speaking just as well as writing. He also read the book's prologue. It's always interesting to hear an author read their own work; you get to hear just exactly what these words are in their minds. There are so many ways you can interpret words on a page, so hearing them shows you how the writer interprets them. And here is my first signed book (minus a picture book from 2nd grade, I'm not counting that one . . . ) :

I asked him to date it because it is his first tour, that date will mean something in a few years. It's epic. Last bit of info: the letters for the sequel are TSK. I'm thinking "The Secret . . ." Maybe "Kingdom?" That just sounds like Atlantis, though. There's also "King" and "Second" . . . how about "The Second Kurse?" It could be an intentional typo . . .

I had to leave quickly to finish writing a paper, study for a Latin quiz. Speaking of which, I have half an hour until that quiz, so I'd better glance at my notes again before I need to rush off.

Waiting . . .

2009-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

It seems I always have a long list of things I'm waiting for. Then once the list starts shortening, new things go up on it. I've realized now that it will never end; I just have to figure out how to learn patience. Here's the list for today:

Books:

1. Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs. The release date for this one has been pushed back once or twice, but it's set to come out in the spring. Liz is one of the few modern writers that I really love; she can turn out such an emotionally dense story.

2. The Twilight Saga Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer. It was originally supposed to come out December 31st, 2008 . . . last I checked, Barnes & Noble was listing the same day in '10. We'll see it that's true.

3. The New Moon Official Illustrated Movie Companion. I've already pre-ordered it, but even though I'll get it in about two weeks, I'm waiting until I see the movie to open it. Insane, I know. But I have to stay away from spoilers and pre-ordering is just too tempting.

4. I think I can now add the next Bran Hambric book by Kaleb Nation. I don't think I'll be holding my breath too much for it, yet it'll be nice to have.

Movies:

1. You guessed it, New Moon. Sixty more days. I'm tempted to go to the midnight showing, but that probably won't be happening. I'll probably see it at a dull time around 2:30, giving me time to go to class, get lunch, and be at the theatre with ample time.

2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The first two Narnia movies, well, they had their good and bad points. I still love Narnia itself enough that I'll continue watching, anyway. Plus, I think this next one is going to be different from the other two. I'm really starting to think having Michael Apted directing and David Arnold with the music, not to mention the two way-too-old oldest Pevensies mostly out of the picture, will make it better. 12/10/10.

Music:

1. Josh Groban is working on his next CD right now, which will probably come out in the spring. I'm really curious what tone he's going for. Three studio albums (minus the Christmas ones) are still beginnings. A fourth starts to show who you are as an artist overall.

2. Fireflight is also recording their next album. I've been really into them lately. They have great lyrics that make their approach to a loud, hard genre unique. No idea when the release is.

3. After years of just touring, Flyleaf is back. Even when I found them a year ago, their album was already old, so I'm really looking forward to hearing their next one. The single "Again" seems to set a good standard. October 27th.

4. It's just over a week now until the 29th, when Paramore's Brand New Eyes comes out. I wasn't overly impressed by "Ignorance" the first time I heard it, but it's grown on me. One week until I can hear the rest.

5. And let me just add in the rest of them. Hayley (Westenra), aren't you due for another album soon? Emma (Shapplin), will you ever get a third studio album? I would really like one. Oh, and Blondfire, didn't you say you wanted to release at least an EP this year? But I know it's hard for them since they're using their own label; Emma also had trouble with record companies.

Alright, I think I've hit most of them. I guess it isn't that long a list, if you really think about it.

A slight makeover for the page. I'm still not sure if I like the background. It might have too much going on, but I'm really not techie enough to design my own, so I'll try it out for a bit. And I think I may look mad in my profile picture . . .

Bran Hambric

2009-09-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Alright, here is the book I was reading last week: Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation. I was only a few chapters in on my last post, but guess what attached itself to my hands all weekend long, allowing me to finish on Sunday night?

First, a little background. I started reading Kaleb's site, twilightguy.com, around March. It's a blog that recorded his thoughts on reading the Twilight books, chapter by chapter. What I loved about the posts was the unique perspective Kaleb had, with random humor and keep perceptiveness. So I started to get . . . curious about his book. Finally, I gave in and preordered it about a week in advance (it was just released on September 9th.) I still wasn't expecting to be particularly drawn in; I just wanted to support Kaleb and maybe find some of his humor in the book. Especially since I'd read the first four chapters online already, I didn't expect any more.

But Bran Hambric is about as unique as twilightguy.com. It's a teen read, dealing with magic and mysterious pasts, yet it's its own world. I think people are often tempted to create a fantasy (or halfway fantasy, like this one) setting based off of the ones they already know. While there are elements that we all love to keep, this can hinder originality. Kaleb Nation's originality isn't hindered. Neither the setting nor all the turns of the story are predictable. I especially like that when we learn about the main character Bran's past, we don't learn that he is some great, mythical figure destined to set all the world to right. We learn that he has a vast potential for evil, if he chooses. But by Bran not choosing to follow that, we get into some great themes about choice and identity.

There are still a few rougher corners, I think, given that it's a first novel, though in such a way that it can be passed over. I prefer to look at the good things. We have some parallelism in the plot (Bran's choices and Rosie's), some intriguing imagery, and yes, great humor. In fact, that's what makes this book worth reading: it's fun.

You can purchase it at these links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders.

The book signing tour will be in Tempe next week; I think I'll just have to go.

Word of the Week 6: Assiduous

2009-09-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Assiduous (adj) - 1. constant; unremitting 2. constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive

(Dictionary.com)

This fancy word for "busy" makes you sound much more organized. "Busy" sounds like you're overrun, with papers and calendars flying around, hardly enough time to brush your hair in the morning, and overall pretty sloppy. "Assiduous," on the other hand, makes you out to be devoted. You have so many things to do because you're caring enough to take them all on, then complete them all. Only problem is, you'll sound a little funny saying calling yourself "quite assiduous lately" in casual conversation. It's true, though, that they're not exact synonyms. Busy is just defining the amount of work you have to do, while assiduous explains how you approach your work.

Me, I'd like to say I'm being assiduous. If I don't get done with the day's work until late, I still read a chapter or two in the book I'm reading right now (title to be disclosed once I finish it -- hopefully in the next week.) That means I've been getting to bed past eleven . . . hurray for Saturdays to sleep in. But in my present assiduousness I must be going now.