Chirstmas Specials

Felt ill again when I got up this morning. Went back to bed for about two more hours and felt okay when I got back up. I think I'm getting over something and something else pops up. I'd just like to feel normal again please.

So it's Christmastime. That means I'm watching Hogfather. If you have Netflix, it's quite good. A very unorthodox Christmas movie to say the least. Though if you have the chance, the book is even better. It's probably my second favorite Pratchett novel, and the best of the Death arc for me. I meant to watch while cleaning my room, but that whole "being sick" thing I mentioned kinda killed that plan.

All said, I'd put the movie as my third favorite Christmas special. The first two slots are filled by Disney. I still think their version of A Christmas Carol is the best. But there's a pretty unknown short of theirs that didn't make it into the last Fantasia and it could use some more love:

So that's my life for now; waiting for the big day. Trey, as usual, doesn't have much foresight and our family hours with Baby Russ will be rushed and limited. He's going to try and hit three parties before 3:00 and get him back home by that time. Doofus.

Vertigo

I gave Minnick the book I hollowed out today (well, yesterday now). I fail at keeping things under wraps for very long. I think he liked it. He smiled a lot about it anyway =D Hopefully he'll make use of it. I'd like to try another one in the future, but I need a break from cutting pages for a while.

Meanwhile, I got watch my first Hitchcock film tonight. Vertigo. Probably my favorite movie of the semester. Not going on my favorite movies list or anything, but I did get more into it than I thought I would. I still don't care much for suspense, but I'd be willing to try out more Hitchcock films.

I'm Still Here, Even if No One Else Is

Maybe I should make this a weekly update instead?

I spent my Halloween watching American Beauty in Film class. I liked it well enough I guess, but I don't care to ever see it again. I felt awkward watching it; everyone is dysfunctional in that flick. At least I managed to sit through it though - last week, I got up and left halfway through There Will Be Blood. I don't make it any secret that I can't stomach horror movies, but the other thing that really gets to me is tension. And I don't mean regular run-of-the-mill tension need to make a good story, I mean where they're obviously winding you up for something to happen. That was the feeling I got last week, and why I finally had to leave; that sort of suspense just crawls up my spine. (Honestly, I think I would have handled it better if not for that freaking soundtrack).

Got a translation project due on Tuesday - not too worried about it, just need to get it done. No math homework this weekend makes me a happy panda. Been chatting with Dr. Minnick about his radio project and my postcards. Need to set up an advising appointment soon, playing with recording technology, going to play some PSP this weekend. Life's pretty okay lately.

I Had a Full Day

Pixar hasn't made a bad movie yet. Brave was indeed darker than the usual fair and earned its PG rating. Much of it simply had to do with atmosphere - this doesn't take place in a part of the world known for its abundance of happy sunny days after all. It's cloudy and gloomy, damp and foggy, marshy and lots of trees and shade everywhere. The visual appeal alone is really stunning.

I won't be able to say how it stacks up in comparison to other Pixar films until it comes out on DVD and I can watch it a few times. I would have liked to see some of the major side characters fleshed out more - as it is, we essentially have three characters with some real depth to them (that being Merida and her parents). Perhaps it's one of those things I'll pick up more of upon more viewings.

So that was part one of my day; I thought the movie would be the end of it, but I knew Gram would likely want to do lunch. I just didn't know where.

Turns out my aunt had some coupons for Playtime Pizza. Think Chuck E. Cheese - but badass. She found some deal online that went twenty bucks for two free hours of playtime on any attraction that didn't spit out tickets. That sounds lame until you realize said attractions are black-light mini-golf, laser tag, bumper cars, bowling, and go carts.

To be honest, I didn't care for most of them, but the laser tag is effing sweet. And each attraction usually costs X amount per play - I think golf and go carts are four dollars and a game of laser tag is seven. I played three rounds of that, made a round through the golf course, and managed a round of go-carts, so it more than paid for itself. Oh, and the deal came with pizza. Yeah, definitely a bargain there.

My second round of laser tag, the cousins ditched because they're impatient little brats - I ended up in a round with a bunch of teenage guys. I don't think they were expecting me to be good at it XD

The one thing is, I wish I'd known this was the plan so I could have worn shoes with more support that flip-flops. My feet were killing me by the time Drama rolled around. And this is after bruising my toe rather badly; I still can't bend it without pain (it's fine I think, just swollen and turning purple around the tip). But, I do finally get to college and settle into the English lounge for a bit of reading.

And I overhear Minnick chatting and it's apparently his birthday.

And everybody knows I have a generosity complex. Luckily, Silvek's bakery isn't far away. So he got cake. And an apple because I'm a dork like that XD

I love Drama; I really do, but after Brave and laser tag, the experience is rather dulled. Not to mention I was nearly dead on my feet by this point. It didn't go unnoticed either; he quipped at me on the way out that I had been less enthusiastic than usual. I'm not sorry.

So my day began at 8:00, I left by 9:00, was out and about for 12 hours before I went home, all on bruised feet with terrible support and finally got to turn on my laptop and check my messages about four hours ago. Long day has been long (and awesome).

Once-Ler Love

One of the first things I do when I like a book or movie or character or what have you, is check out the fandom. I like to make the rounds on dA and FFN and see what's going on in their circles. What usually ends up happening is after a day or two of this, something kicks. I don't know what, but I tend to get stuck on something new a day or two after I've finished it. In this example, The Lorax.

It wasn't a spectacular movie or anything, but I really did love the Once-Ler. After poking around the fandom a bit, I found I'm not alone. Not by a longshot - he's easily the most popular character. A good chunk of it has to do with that green suit, which, while pretty fantastic, isn't enough for me.

I can't put my finger on what I like so much about this guy. It's not like the traits that define him are that unique (idealistic and too nice for his own good on one side, easily led and harsh on the other). Maybe I just need to hit the movies more often if I'm that starved for a good character. He's just so darn adorable before his family comes back into the movie XD

And I can tell you fanfic has not helped matters. There's not much altogether, but there's some quality writing and it's easy to find. I love smaller fandoms sometimes <3

The Lorax

There are a ton of movies I want to see this year; Brave, Men in Black 3, The Hobbit, The Dark Knight Rises - it's shaping up to be a good year for the entertainment industry. I kicked off my theater experience with the latest Dr. Seuss book become moving picture, The Lorax.

I can see why critics are so split with it; personally, I enjoyed it, would go again, will probably pick up the DVD. The animation is colorful and very Seuss-ish and the songs were surprisingly catchy (for a non-Disney animated film especially). The movie is split into two stories, one following the story we already know from the book in which our main lead is the Once-ler. The other expands the framing device from the book and follows Ted, who has come to hear the Once-ler's story to discover what happened to the trees.

I'll conceed that the universe the framing device is built around is interesting and I do like some of the satirical touches on modern society. I'll even admit that the film does a good job of not being too preachy about saving the environment. But, I do wish the focus was more on the Once-ler's tale. They did a good job of keeping the two stories seperate, yet tied together, but protaganist Ted just wasn't that interesting for me. Granted, the Lorax isn't that intriguing a character either, but even though the title belongs to him the best parts of the story belong to the Once-ler.

I'm not out to do a film critique here so I'll keep it simple - the Once-ler is the only one with a substantial character arc and genuine moral/internal conflict. Ted does all the running around the big evil business to bring back the trees, but that's all it is; it's physical conflict and black and white morality. This is why I wish the movie had delved deeper into the Once-ler's side of things. His moral choices are considerably greyer and the family relationships really muck it all up, but perhaps I'm expecting too much of a children's film based on a Dr. Seuss book.

TL;DR - Good animation, cute in the right places, plays it serious when needed as well, Ted is boring, Once-ler is awesome.