More Fitting

Today is Dr. Suess' posthumous 108th birthday. It is also the opening of the major hollywood production of "The Lorax", a film based on Seuss' environmentally conscious tale.

Even ignoring the less than stellar reviews (many written in an homage of rhyme), this movie has kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was when a tactless car company hijacked the title character to sell their wares, in spite of the crux of the story be a caution about consumerism (Is a Mazda a-fine-something-that-all-people-need?).Or maybe I just never really saw Danny Devito as the one who would speak for the trees. I don't know. I just feel like this story in particular, that focuses so much on condemning greed, doesn't really make sense as a million dollar hollywood blockbuster.

To celebrate the anniversary of our local poets birth, I think this is a much more appropriate tribute:



It captures people of all ages, celebrating life in a colorful, imaginative way. Also, take getting the pants scared off you literally!

Thanksgiving 2011- "Nice tits bitch!"

Hey all,

I hope you had satisfying and relaxing holidays. Ours was very good!

For me it was a Thanksgiving framed by two films. The first, I watched the day before turkey day, while recovering from a nasty cold- "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (1967), which some of you probably know is the musical Daniel Radcliffe is currently starring in on broadway.

The '67 movie was enjoyable, but terribly terribly campy. The costuming and set design did a pretty good job of highlighting the tackiest looks of the era. I liked it as a very archetypal musical, with lots of predictable personality types and plot turns, and lots of good old fashioned sexism (there's literally a song about how "A Secretary is not a Toy"). The music was pretty good too. It's a solid show.

I enjoyed the film too as a vantage point into mid-century NYC. There's lots of good shots of the urban landscape. I particularly enjoyed this shot of Times Square, nearly 50 years ago:

Look at how much of the actual buildings you can see! And how much smaller they seem too.

It was also fun to see D. Radcliffe himself perform his version of the show the next morning in the Macy's parade. It was a nice point of comparison.



I thought he did a good job! Who knew H.P. could dance so good?

On Thanksgiving night, Paul and I watched some decidedly tackier fare together: "Thankskilling" (2009), dubbed by its own creator as "The Ultimate low budget experience."

It's a modern b-movie classic about college kids who get hacked up by a homicidal demon turkey whilst on Thanksgiving break. Here's a hint about what kind of movie this is; The very first shot of this movie is an extreme close-up on a busty woman's nipple.The lady is dressed in a flimsy pilgrim costume with her boobs hanging way out Here's what comes next:



I don't know if I can really do it justice by describing it, but I can say I'm continually unsure if I loved or hated this movie. Can I add that there is a scene where the turkey rapes a lady? And finishes by yelling "you just got stuffed?"

I just...I dunno.



Happy start of the gift-giving season!

Rapunzel Rapunzel Let down your hair....

So I can climb your golden stair.

I know I've kind of been talking about this a lot lately, but I really really enjoyed Disney's new-ish film Tangled (2010). After seeing an early teaser for it way back when, my expectations for it were really low.



The cheesy jokes, the hair with kung fu skills, the people falling off a cliff, it all seemed a little.....hackneyed. It distinctly reminded me of the type of worn out humor that you'd see in *shudder* Dreamworks talking animal movies. It turned out though that a lot of the footage in that trailer was either changed or not used.

I will admit that the story was still kind of predictable.But, such are fairy-tales and adventure stories. I think it was a really solid, straight forward telling of a classic children's tale.

I liked the characters. Rapunzel's character was surprisingly dynamic, far beyond the impression you get initially from her big-eyed bobblehead look. And Mother Gothel was a really awesome villain. I also got a kick out of the horse, he was a good mix of anthropomorphic personality and realistic mammalian behavior. The only one I didn't like was the lizard sidekick, he kind of only existed to cut away to during emotional moments.

I think what I enjoyed particularly about it was the music. The tunes are still popping into my head. I like this one best:



I'll admit too that I was a little skeptical of the animation style, being brought up in the era of hand-drawn Disney. I have to say though that I stopped noticing that the style wasn't old school pretty quickly, and the 3-D look actually allowed for a really pretty style for the film.

I also appreciated the Monty Python homage in the bar scene. Aw yeah!

Anyways, it's quite a good movie. It's making me excited for the next generation of Disney films.

DIsney Confessions!

OK! My latest obsession is http://waltdisneyconfessions.tumblr.com/.

It is like the seminary confessional website Post Secret, but it is all teenagers posting their opinions about disney.

It's actually gotten me thinking about the music and movies from this media giant that I like best. OMG I should write a confession you guys!

My Top 5 Favorite Animated Disney Movies - As Depicted by Disney Confessions!

5. Lilo and Stitch

4. Hercules

 

3. Up

 

 2. Tarzan

1. Beauty and the Beast

OUCH- She doesn't even consider her a princess you guys!

Do you have a top 5?

And Chop!

It's been about 4 months since I posted about wanting a baby's haircut, and I still haven't let a scissor touch my locks. Except, that is, to trim my own bangs. I'm still sort of itching for a new look, but perhaps something not so extreme. Maybe something like this?

Razor cuts look pretty good on me, because I've got super fine (like "dayum") hair.

BUT I've also reached that fabled point where girls start to get attached to their hairs. Now that it's 2 inches or so below shoulder length, I'm having a harder time bringing myself to cut it.

I've also been joking with Paul about waiting till we're going to Europe, and getting a pixie cut with a real long rat tail, like Obi Wan style.

1. Because it would be funny to rock a weird look amongst strangers for awhile.
2. Because somehow that seems very German to me.

The Three Caballeros - 1944

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, enjoy the signature number from Disney's strange celebration of Latino culture. 



Donald Duck receives a magical birthday present that transports him to an abstract plane of existence. Here, he learns all about the cultures of Mexico and Brazil in a singing, dancing tourism fiesta. That's some gift!

This film is way less racist than many of the cartoons about "the other" from this period, mostly because it's celebrating the multiculturalism and the positive aspects of these countries, not just stereotyping them through one character. It's also one of the first movies to combine cartoons and live action together.

I also like this because it focuses on bird-heroes, and the birds have awesome names. Panchito Pistoles! You can't top that.

Is it time for a Corona yet?

Nerd-out!

Ah! Peter Jackson released a vlog (hopefully the first of many) of behind the scenes footage from the new Hobbit movie! I can already sense my regression into my 9th grade, hopelessly obsessed self taking root. Watch out, it won't be long before I'm getting elvish tattoos and that cosmetic surgery to make my ears pointy.



The last 2 minutes of this video are proof that Andy Serkis literally never takes off his motion capture suit. Evah.

New York State of Mind

Paul has been away at a text analytics conference in the Big Apple.  So I felt like it was an appropriate choice to watch "Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984) last night. It was super dated and pleasantly banal. You could tell that so much of the plot was driven by wanting to show off neat special effects, Like Scooter riding a bike and Piggy roller skating. Jim Henson uses the old Muppet standby plot line of somebody being lost and all their friends try to find them; just like in "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" (1978), "Don't Eat the Pictures" (1983), and "Follow that Bird" (1985). Except, for once, it's Kermit the Frog that gets lost, and not Big Bird.

One of the more bizarre scenes involves Miss Piggy working a makeup counter in a high end department store with Joan Rivers, appearing in a cameo role. It's terrifyingly manic and makes very little sense.



There's also this strange scene where Piggy fantasizes about being a baby, singing a love song. This scene is what led to us having Muppet Babies.Also, Baby Miss Piggy sings about wanting to make babies.



Overall though it's a sweet, old fashioned movie about the Muppets trying to make it in show biz. It really kind of shows this simpler time. Becoming famous is much different now.

Team Zissou!

At the request of my dear friend, I recently knit a Toque inspired by Wes Anderson's 2004 film "The Life Aquatic".

Now all she needs is a speedo, diving equipment, a ship, and a shark to hold a grudge against.



Pattern is here

How I spent my St. Patricks Day

I drank these beers:

Paul and I closed our eyes and compared them. Once again, in a blind taste test, Wachusett kicks Hapoon's butt.

We played a traditional Irish game, Fichneal, which Paul kicked my butt in twice incredibly quickly. I decided that I hated the game.

We ate corned beef and cabbage from a crock pot!

And we watched an amazing movie: The Secret of Kells (2009). It's a very cool animated film, with  beautiful stylized art.



It's the story of a boy named Brendan who lives in a medieval Irish fortress, as Vikings plague and pillage the land. He befriends a skilled Illuminator and develops a passion to protect a sacred book and learn the skills of his craft. This movie is really cool because it's partially about how old books are awesome! It's also got a really good overlay of mythology and history. It was certainly the most satisfying movie I've watched in awhile.

Though I kept getting reminded of home movies whenever somebody called out to Brendan. I associate that name mostly with that other little red haired kid, thank you very much!

Hobbit Dance Party

This is my jam of the week: an awesome remix of audio clips from the Lord of the Rings movies.

It is surprisingly good. I listened to it on repeat a few times. It's awfully refreshing to hear a dance party song that's not drowning in autotune for a change.

Skulls and Bunnies

Last night Paul and I finally watched the documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)"; a street art documentary about a guy making a street art documentary. I highly recommend it, it will provoke your thoughts about "vandalism", art, capitalism and desperate trendiness. It gave me a new appreciation for the artistic skills good graffiti actually requires. It also taught me (finally) what the deal is with those Andre the Giant "Obey" stickers you see everywhere.
 
The movie also got me thinking about some of my favorite contemporary artists. You know who's awesome? Jeremy Fish. He's a skateboard designer who combines morbid shit with pure cuteness. While a lot of his work is commissioned for products-

-He's done his fair share of street art too.

He's a good example of the line between consumerism and integrity that pop artists face in these modern times.

David Lynch's Dune

Today Paul and I watched David Lynch's 1984 version of "Dune". 

This movie's reputation for being mediocre is, I'm sad to say, pretty deserved. While the costume and set design is excellent, the story was drawn out and weighed down by excessive amounts flat exposition. Good story telling is often built on building the story through action, "showing, not telling." And this movie has an awful lot of scenes where people literally recite the plot to the camera. This is partially because its a story built heavily on political and religious intrigue. Tales of societal stratagem often don't translate well in film. 

The special effects are also kind of silly. Lynch is, as usual, obsessed with fetal imagery, and one of the main villains of the film has a distracting vagina for a mouth. The silliest effect of all though are the "shields" that the Family Atredies uses for protection (:53 in the trailer). LOL!



Not to say it isn't a visually interesting film, but you can really tell it was made in 1984.

I also really hate the depiction of the Harkonnens and the Baron in particular. Stupid, Gross, annoying! But it is fun to see Sting play the bad guy.



And speaking of weird celebrity appearances, this movie is like a who's who of nerd actors.

Brad Dourif played Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings. As Piter de Vries, he plays the almost identical character; a corrupt and nasty political adviser with close ties to major figureheads.

 Patrick Stewart (again!) as Gurney Hallock.

 

And Dean Stockwell, AKA Al from Quantum Leap as the traitorous Dr. Yuweh. It was neat to see him in something else.

I've actually been dying to see him in 1970's "The Dunwich Horror". He plays the lead in this movie based on Lovecraft's short story about demon worshiping monsters. It looks hilarious and he's so young!



So anyways, "Dune" is really long and kind of boring at times. Also very very weird. I wouldn't recommend it if you haven't read the books. The film is very true to the novel, but it's almost like because it's so word-for-word, it's not very good. I dunno. David Lynch's style and Frank Herbert's mythos is a weird combination.

A Christmas Carol - 1951

This story of the meanest man in town who awakens to the power of kindness is considered a staple of the holiday media diet. When it comes to picking a film adaptation of Dickens 1843 classic, you have a lot of options to choose from. And once somebody picks their chosen rendition of the tale, most people are vehement about defending their film as the one true to their version of the story.

The film I grew up with (and thus the one I consider to be the quintessential, true classic) is the 1951 version starring Alastair Sims as the cold-hearted miser Scrooge.


I think that Sims himself is a huge part about why this version is so wonderful. When Scrooge is reawakened on Christmas Morning, you can really feel his manic joy. In this scene, you believe in Scrooge's transformation, and I don't think any other actor has ever really owned this performance like he did here.



This version is also a fantastic period peice, from top to bottom, and I really think it's the "A Christmas Carol" that stays truest to Dickens' original text. All the witty little 1840's jokes are kept intact, and are still funny and understandable. And this film really delves into the complex relationship between Scrooge, his sister and his nephew, which I think is a key to understanding the miser.

Want more proof this version is awesome? A woman whose name is actually Hermione stars as Bob Cratchet's wife!

But like I said, everybody has their own version of the story that they like best, and this is mine. Which is yours?

Nahla's Hat

Nahla is the little baby girl that my good friend is due to have at the end of the year. I made this hat for her from this pattern. I just love how the twin pom poms give a little bald baby the opportunity to have pig tails.

I actually dug this pattern so much that I scaled it up and made one for myself.


Like my other attempts to adjust patterns in the past, this one ended up a little too oversized. But the floppiness of it actually kind of works. I love love love the yarn I used for mine. It's a gorgeous soft alpaca in these very dreamy colors.

This hat actually really reminds me of something that Molly Weasely might make for her kids. It's got a neat bit of whimsy to it that would help you fit in at Diagon Alley, even if you are a Muggle.

In case you were wondering, I still haven't seen the new HP film. But I'm going to (finally) remedy that this week! I have this terrible habit of never seeing the movie I want to see in the theater. I'm determined that Part 1 of Deathly Hallows won't go the same way as "Alice in Wonderland", "Machete" and "Where the Wild Things Are." I will actually see it!

Music for Mindfulness

NPR used this song from the "Amelie" (2001) soundtrack as their bumper music this morning, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since.



This song just makes me want to be creative, to make art, and to think deep thoughts.

Paul and I watched Amelie not that long ago. I forgot what a pretty movie it was. Great story, it inspires you to live more consciously. It's a movie that FEELS really long though, because it meanders.

Oh noes, Hollywood.

So it turns out that Dick Van Dyke's son has made a straight-to-dvd sequel to the beloved film "Titanic" (1997). He wrote it, directed it, and starred in it. He has no one to blame but himself.



The concept is pretty weak. Who would ever book a voyage on a ship called the Titanic 2, much less a ship called the Titanic 2 that was tempting fate by attempting to recreate the original voyage. I guess that's why in the panicking crowd scenes, it only ever looks like there are 10 peoples.

Personally, I wish that they had used the premise from this trailer mash up instead. Way, way cooler.



It's like "Encino Man" (1992) meets "The Fugitive" (1993) meets some other movie...

He's my friend, They're not my friends.

Roosevelt has a new furry friend. Paul brought him home from work yesterday.



They're totally going to go on joyrides in the Millennium Falcon together.

Danception

Paul and I went and saw "Inception" earlier this week. I really enjoyed it! It was a really interesting, original concept with great visuals and lots of action. I liked that they left a lot of things deliberately vague, I find that often the less exposition about the world a sci-fi story has, the better. I kind of enjoy speculating about the things that are left ambiguous. The cast was solid too. I was especially impressed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, AKA the little kid from "3rd Rock from the Sun"


He was very believable as Arthur, the upright, serious (and possibly ex-military?) extractor. It's too bad his character wasn't developed more. PS: When did this guy get so handsome?

In googling him, I found this music video with him and Zooey Deschanel dancing.



It's kind of like this....



...But somehow more endearing. At least it doesn't make me think "Quit showing off, Pete Campbell! Ugh! Who choreographs a dance for a dinner party?"

Mad Men starts its 4th season on Sunday, and I didn't manage to catch up. Oops!

Synchronicity

Freshmen year of College, Paul took "Music in Film", an awesome class about the importance of a good soundtrack with a teacher whose name sounded like a cowboy (Roger Rideout. Seriously!).

For this class, Paul had some of the sweetest homework of all time, re-score a movie with the soundtrack of your choice. I really enjoyed helping him with these projects, watching movies and picking songs. My favorite was when we took the climax of a terrible monster b-movie and matched it up with "Hungry Like the Wolf."

Last night, Paul and I partook of the most infamous pairing of song and screen - "Dark Side of the Rainbow."


The effect of combining The Wizard of Oz (1939) with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (1973) is almost like a pop-culture inside joke now, so it's kind of easy to dismiss as cheesy stoner gimmick. I have to say though, that watching it is fairly amazing and totally cool. There are so many moments where the music hits in such a perfect way, that it's hard to imagine that the synching wasn't done on purpose. My favorite of all I think is in the second video here, when the witch appears and the music says "Black...." , and "which is which?"

Here are two parts that I feel like are especially noteworthy, but I do encourage you to, at some point, watch the whole thing from the start. As a warning, these videos are missing part 12, in which the gang meets the wizard and journeys to the witches castle.






It's a really fun, different way to watch a childhood classic, though sometimes I had a hard time not superimposing the original song over the music in my head. It's also a great way to enjoy Pink Floyd, which I've been on kind of a kick with lately. Paul and I listened to The Wall (1982) during our long ride home from the Cape on Saturday.