Superman (2025)
Jul. 12th, 2025 05:49 pmI saw Superman! I liked it a lot!
Positive stuff:
+ Finally, a superhero movie that cares about every single life! I did not think we would ever see such a thing--superhero movies use "collateral damage" to raise stakes while not actually caring about the people who die. But this movie cares because Superman cares. And I love that so very very very much. Even if it hadn't done anything else, I would have thought it a success for that.
+ Honestly, Superman is my favorite superhero because he's so ridiculously good and decent, and this movie gets that. It's earnest and sincere and isn't winking at you but it also isn't saccharine--it knows that it can be HARD to be good, and intentions aren't everything.
+ Top tier casting. Everyone is doing a fantastic job. Corsenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult ARE their characters. They were just as good as I hoped, but I was not expecting how much I would love Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
+ This movie loves the relationship between Clark and Lois, which means that this movie has good taste. Their chemistry is lovely and the scene where they're doing the interview is probably my favorite scene in the whole thing.
+ Lex is realistically evil in a way that many of our real billionaires are, which I appreciated a lot. His motivations are completely foreign to me, but I only have to look at the real world to see that there are really people who are like that.
+ The twist involving Superman's backstory was so ridiculously good and meaty. A really bold writing choice, but a great one.
+ I thought the pacing was really good! It never felt like it lagged!
+ Everything was bright! You could see what was going on even in the dark scenes!
+ Lots and lots of fun details that made it feel like the people who were making the movie were having fun making it.
+ Krypto!
Mixed stuff:
+ Being a rabid John Williams fan, I was delighted that they adapted his Superman theme for the film, but I really wish we had gotten just one scene where they used the full-throated original. None of the music was that level of thrilling.
+ I could have done with a lot more Clark at the Daily Planet, living his normal life, letting us get to know the Daily Planet people. The action scenes were very good action scenes, but as always in an action movie, I want way more of characters interacting. Imagine how much more Clark & Lois we could have had! However, I understand that the masses do not share my taste so I get why there wasn't more of that, and there was enough that I'm not angry about it.
+ The plot could have been better. It wasn't bad, and it provided a fine backdrop and set piece for the characters to show who they are, but I didn't love it, you know?
+ #teamsomebodyloveeve
+ I wish we'd had a smidge more showing us how Lex inspires loyalty in other people. I mean, yes, in real life, there are a bunch of people who will follow a billionaire that they think is smart without thinking about his morality at all. It's very realistic! but I want to know about this specific dynamic. Is he paying them obscene amounts of money? What is his view of the world that he could convince the engineer to do what she did to her own body?
Negative stuff:
+ Okay, what was the Kents' accents???? If the movie had been set in Alabama, sure, that would be reasonable, but I do not believe that people in Kansas talk like that? Nobody Iw've ever known from Kansas talks like that? It’s so weird how media uses "very southern accent" as stand-in for "country" even when the country the people are from is the Midwest.
If you are from Kansas and I am wrong about how people talk there, please tell me so I can stop being annoyed about this.
[as an aside, Mister Terrific's accent was so lovely that I immediately looked to see where Gathegi grew up, and to my shock found he grew up in California! I would never have guessed it! His southern accent was so realistic! Well done, sir!]
Me trying to work out the geography of these made up countries: ??????? The one is clearly Russia, the other is inspired by Pakistan, Afghanistan, or possibly a province of India, yet we're told this is all happening in Europe. Which makes no sense. Russia is half in Asia, it would have made so much more sense to just say Asia instead????
But my complaints are small.
So yeah! A fun movie! I recommend it even if, like me, you're not such a big superhero person and are exhausted by too many superheroes.
Now can we pretty please have a prequel movie about how Clark and Lois met and how she found out he's Superman???????
Positive stuff:
+ Finally, a superhero movie that cares about every single life! I did not think we would ever see such a thing--superhero movies use "collateral damage" to raise stakes while not actually caring about the people who die. But this movie cares because Superman cares. And I love that so very very very much. Even if it hadn't done anything else, I would have thought it a success for that.
+ Honestly, Superman is my favorite superhero because he's so ridiculously good and decent, and this movie gets that. It's earnest and sincere and isn't winking at you but it also isn't saccharine--it knows that it can be HARD to be good, and intentions aren't everything.
+ Top tier casting. Everyone is doing a fantastic job. Corsenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult ARE their characters. They were just as good as I hoped, but I was not expecting how much I would love Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
+ This movie loves the relationship between Clark and Lois, which means that this movie has good taste. Their chemistry is lovely and the scene where they're doing the interview is probably my favorite scene in the whole thing.
+ Lex is realistically evil in a way that many of our real billionaires are, which I appreciated a lot. His motivations are completely foreign to me, but I only have to look at the real world to see that there are really people who are like that.
+ The twist involving Superman's backstory was so ridiculously good and meaty. A really bold writing choice, but a great one.
+ I thought the pacing was really good! It never felt like it lagged!
+ Everything was bright! You could see what was going on even in the dark scenes!
+ Lots and lots of fun details that made it feel like the people who were making the movie were having fun making it.
+ Krypto!
Mixed stuff:
+ Being a rabid John Williams fan, I was delighted that they adapted his Superman theme for the film, but I really wish we had gotten just one scene where they used the full-throated original. None of the music was that level of thrilling.
+ I could have done with a lot more Clark at the Daily Planet, living his normal life, letting us get to know the Daily Planet people. The action scenes were very good action scenes, but as always in an action movie, I want way more of characters interacting. Imagine how much more Clark & Lois we could have had! However, I understand that the masses do not share my taste so I get why there wasn't more of that, and there was enough that I'm not angry about it.
+ The plot could have been better. It wasn't bad, and it provided a fine backdrop and set piece for the characters to show who they are, but I didn't love it, you know?
+ #teamsomebodyloveeve
+ I wish we'd had a smidge more showing us how Lex inspires loyalty in other people. I mean, yes, in real life, there are a bunch of people who will follow a billionaire that they think is smart without thinking about his morality at all. It's very realistic! but I want to know about this specific dynamic. Is he paying them obscene amounts of money? What is his view of the world that he could convince the engineer to do what she did to her own body?
Negative stuff:
+ Okay, what was the Kents' accents???? If the movie had been set in Alabama, sure, that would be reasonable, but I do not believe that people in Kansas talk like that? Nobody Iw've ever known from Kansas talks like that? It’s so weird how media uses "very southern accent" as stand-in for "country" even when the country the people are from is the Midwest.
If you are from Kansas and I am wrong about how people talk there, please tell me so I can stop being annoyed about this.
[as an aside, Mister Terrific's accent was so lovely that I immediately looked to see where Gathegi grew up, and to my shock found he grew up in California! I would never have guessed it! His southern accent was so realistic! Well done, sir!]
Me trying to work out the geography of these made up countries: ??????? The one is clearly Russia, the other is inspired by Pakistan, Afghanistan, or possibly a province of India, yet we're told this is all happening in Europe. Which makes no sense. Russia is half in Asia, it would have made so much more sense to just say Asia instead????
But my complaints are small.
So yeah! A fun movie! I recommend it even if, like me, you're not such a big superhero person and are exhausted by too many superheroes.
Now can we pretty please have a prequel movie about how Clark and Lois met and how she found out he's Superman???????
fic: please don't bury my soul
Jul. 1st, 2025 09:46 amY'all! I finally finished my Sinners fic! Now I can write my other Sinners fic!
Thank you to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dollsome for looking it over for me!
Title: please don't bury my soul (4646 words) by Lirazel
Fandom: Sinners (2025)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Lisa Chow & Sammie Moore, Bo Chow & Lisa Chow, Grace Chow & Lisa Chow
Characters: Lisa Chow, Sammie Moore
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, the blues as emotional articulation, warnings for references to period- and canon-typical racial violence against black people, Grief/Mourning, started having a lot of 'who's going to tell lisa what happened to her parents???' feelings
Summary:
Thank you to
dollsome for looking it over for me!Title: please don't bury my soul (4646 words) by Lirazel
Fandom: Sinners (2025)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Lisa Chow & Sammie Moore, Bo Chow & Lisa Chow, Grace Chow & Lisa Chow
Characters: Lisa Chow, Sammie Moore
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, the blues as emotional articulation, warnings for references to period- and canon-typical racial violence against black people, Grief/Mourning, started having a lot of 'who's going to tell lisa what happened to her parents???' feelings
Summary:
On a street in Oakland in 1956, Lisa Chow hears the sound of the Delta.
ST AOS thoughts
Jun. 25th, 2025 08:41 amSo as some of you know, elperian is watching ST TOS for the first time, and her reactions are making me giddy with love for my characters. So I started reading some fic (always up for recommendations!) and then read one of those crossovers between TOS and AOS and the writer was good, so I started reading all their AOS fic and then their bookmarks and before you know it I'm having an AOS moment?
So I decided to rewatch the three films and here are my thoughts in Tumblr-style no-capitals writing:
( Stark Trek (2009) )
( Into Darkness )
( Beyond )
( random relationship thoughts )
tl;dr
2009 film: delightful
Into Darkness: infuriates me and I will die mad about it
Beyond: delightful again
elperian is watching ST TOS for the first time, and her reactions are making me giddy with love for my characters. So I started reading some fic (always up for recommendations!) and then read one of those crossovers between TOS and AOS and the writer was good, so I started reading all their AOS fic and then their bookmarks and before you know it I'm having an AOS moment?So I decided to rewatch the three films and here are my thoughts in Tumblr-style no-capitals writing:
( Stark Trek (2009) )
( Into Darkness )
( Beyond )
( random relationship thoughts )
tl;dr
2009 film: delightful
Into Darkness: infuriates me and I will die mad about it
Beyond: delightful again
(no subject)
May. 18th, 2025 05:34 pmrandom sinners thoughts:
+ love letter to southern american music. we love to see it.
+ finally some recognition that the southern us has always been culturally and racially diverse--the black/white binary dominated and still dominates most thinking about race, but there have always been people who don't fit into either category. having chinese, choctaw and mixed-race people more accurately reflects the time and place than most stories with similar settings.
+ the dobro is one of my favorite instruments ever and i hope this movie inspires a million people to start playing it
+ finally a movie that's filmed in Real Locations and knows to use cgi for necessary effects and not for the whole world. the production designer should win every oscar. as should the costume designer.
+ The Scene was one of the best scenes i've seen in cinema. like. wow. yes. that's what movies are for.
+ wtf was up with using "wild mountain thyme" though that song is from the '50s????
+ honestly the irish picks were pretty low-hanging fruit and something more obscure would have been more interesting but “rocky road to dublin” is a banger of a song so i’ll let it pass
+ having the white trio play the world’s whitest version of a geeshie whiley song was a genius move (and that one! with those lyrics!)
+ so proud of michael b. jordan in my heart he'll always be vince all grown up
+ michael b. jordan and hailee steinfeld got top billing, but this was sammie's story. miles caton, i'm excited to see what you'll do!
+ lovely to see wunmi mosaku, who i have liked since in the flesh, getting such a great role. she's otherworldly beautiful.
+ i am always happy to see hailee steinfeld
+ delroy lindo!!!
+ i thought it was pretty cool how jack o'connell kept going in and out of that irish accent--added texture to the character
+ can chris eyre or somebody make a movie about the choctaw characters? it's tragic we lost jeff barnaby a few years back--he would have been awesome at that.
+ a bunch of people left when the credits started, and i feel sorry for them
+ rhiannon giddens on the soundtrack! honestly i would have side-eyed them if she hadn't been
+ i always think that i don't like horror movies but i think i need to admit to myself that i do like them, i just prefer them to be period pieces
+ the amount of time we had for set-up before the revelations of what kind of world we're actually operating in was excellent and not something i expect to see in 2025
+ the dialogue was layered enough that i feel like i'm going to keep picking up new little details on subsequent rewatches
+ in short: that was a Movie and i love a Movie
+ love letter to southern american music. we love to see it.
+ finally some recognition that the southern us has always been culturally and racially diverse--the black/white binary dominated and still dominates most thinking about race, but there have always been people who don't fit into either category. having chinese, choctaw and mixed-race people more accurately reflects the time and place than most stories with similar settings.
+ the dobro is one of my favorite instruments ever and i hope this movie inspires a million people to start playing it
+ finally a movie that's filmed in Real Locations and knows to use cgi for necessary effects and not for the whole world. the production designer should win every oscar. as should the costume designer.
+ The Scene was one of the best scenes i've seen in cinema. like. wow. yes. that's what movies are for.
+ wtf was up with using "wild mountain thyme" though that song is from the '50s????
+ honestly the irish picks were pretty low-hanging fruit and something more obscure would have been more interesting but “rocky road to dublin” is a banger of a song so i’ll let it pass
+ having the white trio play the world’s whitest version of a geeshie whiley song was a genius move (and that one! with those lyrics!)
+ so proud of michael b. jordan in my heart he'll always be vince all grown up
+ michael b. jordan and hailee steinfeld got top billing, but this was sammie's story. miles caton, i'm excited to see what you'll do!
+ lovely to see wunmi mosaku, who i have liked since in the flesh, getting such a great role. she's otherworldly beautiful.
+ i am always happy to see hailee steinfeld
+ delroy lindo!!!
+ i thought it was pretty cool how jack o'connell kept going in and out of that irish accent--added texture to the character
+ can chris eyre or somebody make a movie about the choctaw characters? it's tragic we lost jeff barnaby a few years back--he would have been awesome at that.
+ a bunch of people left when the credits started, and i feel sorry for them
+ rhiannon giddens on the soundtrack! honestly i would have side-eyed them if she hadn't been
+ i always think that i don't like horror movies but i think i need to admit to myself that i do like them, i just prefer them to be period pieces
+ the amount of time we had for set-up before the revelations of what kind of world we're actually operating in was excellent and not something i expect to see in 2025
+ the dialogue was layered enough that i feel like i'm going to keep picking up new little details on subsequent rewatches
+ in short: that was a Movie and i love a Movie
(no subject)
Mar. 28th, 2025 09:23 pmThere's a meme going around Tumblr where you make a list of your 100 favorite movies on this site, and then people can see how many of them they've seen.
Being me, I also made ones for books and tv, too.
So if you're so inclined, you can see how many of my favorite tv shows and movies you've seen and how many of my favorite books you have read.
And even if no one is so inclined, it was still fun to make. Like I said over there, I am a librarian. Of course my idea of a good Friday night is making lists.
Being me, I also made ones for books and tv, too.
So if you're so inclined, you can see how many of my favorite tv shows and movies you've seen and how many of my favorite books you have read.
And even if no one is so inclined, it was still fun to make. Like I said over there, I am a librarian. Of course my idea of a good Friday night is making lists.
(no subject)
Mar. 16th, 2025 06:07 pmNow that I live in a place with an incredible indie theater, I can go see classic movies whenever I want!
Today I went to see the 1963 epic Il Gattopardo, which I had wanted to see since I saw this gifset, and I am so glad I finally saw it.
But let me be clear: you should not watch this movie unless you're at a theater. You just shouldn't do it. It's better to not see it at all than it is to watch it on your laptop or even your home TV set. Because the only reason to see this movie is to see it.
Ostensibly, this is a family epic set in Sicily in 1860. It was panned by critics when it came out, and I 1000% understand why. Is this movie good? Eh, not really. Does Burt Lancaster's Italian accent make any sense? Probably not, though I don't know enough about Italian to be able to tell. Does anything actually happen? Absolutely not. Do any of the things it's presumably trying to say actually get communicated? Uh-uh. Can Claudia Cardinale act? Not in any way.
But does every single frame look like a painting that should be in a big heavy golden frame on a wall in the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1861? YES! The fact that the movie doesn't have any plot or characters or even legible themes does not matter because it is so damn beautiful to look at. But there is no way in hell I would have finished it if I hadn't been watching it in the movie theater.
Y'all, it is 165 minutes long. (Or at least the cut I watched is. There are other cuts.) There's a long battle scene in the streets of Palermo that really does not advance the plot at all and contains none of the actual characters, but that is such a good battle scene--I believe that war is that loud and chaotic and nonsensical. The last 45 minutes take place at a ball in which we're just watching women in 1860 dresses dance and eat and flirt with men in fancy uniforms. If this "scene" was in a TV show today, it would have been cut down to ten minutes tops because there was maybe ten minutes worth of actual stuff happening. But I am so glad I got to see all 45 minutes because it's just such a feast for the eyes.
One of the things that frustrates me so much about contemporary big-budget films is how fake they look. Even when the CGI is good, it doesn't look real, doesn't look lived-in. I really actively hate it. Because to me one of the great joys of film is to visually go someplace I can't actually go in real life. Whether it's the fantasy world of The Fall or the garden from The Secret Garden or the Nostromo of Alien or Orchard House in Little Women--I like to visit a world. And I feel like I rarely get to do that these days with movies.
I would be able to forgive the embrace of CGI and the lack of practical effects and actual real-world production design if it made movie-making cheaper, but it doesn't. These movies today look like crap and they're still zillions of dollars to make. If you're going to spend zillions of dollars, I should feel like I am actually there.
I felt like I was actually there with this film! The textures! The colors! The lighting! The cheekbones! Production/costume/hair&makeup design HEAVEN! Glorious Technicolor, Breathtaking CinemaScope, and Stereophonic Sound!* I could have swooned! This is what movies should be!
I always think that I'm more of a TV person than a movie person, but then I go and see a classic film on the big screen, and I'm like, "Oh. I love The Movies actually!"
While I was watching, I was aware of how much time was passing, but I didn't care because I was so happy to be looking at this thing.
There are so many beautiful people in this film. Claudia Cardinale should be illegal. Alain Delon is so damn pretty. Burt Lancaster is Burt Lancaster. (Though my favorite performance was by regular-looking-guy Serge Reggiani as Ciccio, who imo stole the show.)
Also, there was a bonus just for me, which was that before the movie started, the titles on the screen said, "You are at the movies on May 20, 1963," and then it played a trailer that would have played before the film in 1963 and it was THE GREAT ESCAPE, aka one of my favorite films of all time. I recognized it from the very first frame and the first bar of Elmer Bernstein's iconic score. So that was extra delightful, just for me. One day I will see it in a real theater.
Anyway, if you are a person who needs things to happen in a movie or needs actual characters or needs coherent themes, do not ever see this movie. But if you are like me, a person who just likes to bask in a world, then if you ever get a chance to see it on the big screen, DO IT.
Okay, not really, but I kept thinking of this song while watching the movie.
Today I went to see the 1963 epic Il Gattopardo, which I had wanted to see since I saw this gifset, and I am so glad I finally saw it.
But let me be clear: you should not watch this movie unless you're at a theater. You just shouldn't do it. It's better to not see it at all than it is to watch it on your laptop or even your home TV set. Because the only reason to see this movie is to see it.
Ostensibly, this is a family epic set in Sicily in 1860. It was panned by critics when it came out, and I 1000% understand why. Is this movie good? Eh, not really. Does Burt Lancaster's Italian accent make any sense? Probably not, though I don't know enough about Italian to be able to tell. Does anything actually happen? Absolutely not. Do any of the things it's presumably trying to say actually get communicated? Uh-uh. Can Claudia Cardinale act? Not in any way.
But does every single frame look like a painting that should be in a big heavy golden frame on a wall in the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1861? YES! The fact that the movie doesn't have any plot or characters or even legible themes does not matter because it is so damn beautiful to look at. But there is no way in hell I would have finished it if I hadn't been watching it in the movie theater.
Y'all, it is 165 minutes long. (Or at least the cut I watched is. There are other cuts.) There's a long battle scene in the streets of Palermo that really does not advance the plot at all and contains none of the actual characters, but that is such a good battle scene--I believe that war is that loud and chaotic and nonsensical. The last 45 minutes take place at a ball in which we're just watching women in 1860 dresses dance and eat and flirt with men in fancy uniforms. If this "scene" was in a TV show today, it would have been cut down to ten minutes tops because there was maybe ten minutes worth of actual stuff happening. But I am so glad I got to see all 45 minutes because it's just such a feast for the eyes.
One of the things that frustrates me so much about contemporary big-budget films is how fake they look. Even when the CGI is good, it doesn't look real, doesn't look lived-in. I really actively hate it. Because to me one of the great joys of film is to visually go someplace I can't actually go in real life. Whether it's the fantasy world of The Fall or the garden from The Secret Garden or the Nostromo of Alien or Orchard House in Little Women--I like to visit a world. And I feel like I rarely get to do that these days with movies.
I would be able to forgive the embrace of CGI and the lack of practical effects and actual real-world production design if it made movie-making cheaper, but it doesn't. These movies today look like crap and they're still zillions of dollars to make. If you're going to spend zillions of dollars, I should feel like I am actually there.
I felt like I was actually there with this film! The textures! The colors! The lighting! The cheekbones! Production/costume/hair&makeup design HEAVEN! Glorious Technicolor, Breathtaking CinemaScope, and Stereophonic Sound!* I could have swooned! This is what movies should be!
I always think that I'm more of a TV person than a movie person, but then I go and see a classic film on the big screen, and I'm like, "Oh. I love The Movies actually!"
While I was watching, I was aware of how much time was passing, but I didn't care because I was so happy to be looking at this thing.
There are so many beautiful people in this film. Claudia Cardinale should be illegal. Alain Delon is so damn pretty. Burt Lancaster is Burt Lancaster. (Though my favorite performance was by regular-looking-guy Serge Reggiani as Ciccio, who imo stole the show.)
Also, there was a bonus just for me, which was that before the movie started, the titles on the screen said, "You are at the movies on May 20, 1963," and then it played a trailer that would have played before the film in 1963 and it was THE GREAT ESCAPE, aka one of my favorite films of all time. I recognized it from the very first frame and the first bar of Elmer Bernstein's iconic score. So that was extra delightful, just for me. One day I will see it in a real theater.
Anyway, if you are a person who needs things to happen in a movie or needs actual characters or needs coherent themes, do not ever see this movie. But if you are like me, a person who just likes to bask in a world, then if you ever get a chance to see it on the big screen, DO IT.
Okay, not really, but I kept thinking of this song while watching the movie.
brought over from tumblr so there's no capitals sorry
( spoilers )
This movie feels like a miracle, I mean in the sense that it got made and got made this perfectly. I love adult films about people being people and making choices and interacting. I also love any art that takes religion and faith seriously without either being precious about it or being preachy.
I saw three movies that came out this year: Challengers, Wicked, and Conclave, and they were all a wonderful time in their disparate ways.
( spoilers )
This movie feels like a miracle, I mean in the sense that it got made and got made this perfectly. I love adult films about people being people and making choices and interacting. I also love any art that takes religion and faith seriously without either being precious about it or being preachy.
I saw three movies that came out this year: Challengers, Wicked, and Conclave, and they were all a wonderful time in their disparate ways.
(no subject)
Nov. 30th, 2024 05:40 pmI saw Wicked! And I enjoyed it very much!
I already knew the soundtrack, but I had actually never seen a performance of the show, and I also refuse to read the Maguire books because I'm such an "original 14 books written by L. Frank Baum" purist. (Fun fact: I reread those books over and over as a kid. Over and over.) So I mostly knew what the story was, but there were lots of details that couldn't be gleaned just from the songs, so that was fun to explore.
I'll need to think about how the movie works as a story (and probably wait till Part II to really judge), but as far as a movie-going experience goes, it was wonderful. Definitely worth paying $10 to see on the big screen--this is a movie movie. Visually, it's the best-looking thing I've seen in a very long time. I was worried it would look too CGI-shiny, but it looks like they actually built a lot of the sets and then used CGI for things you actually have to use CGI for, like talking goats and flying monkeys and whatever. As someone who wants the feel of realness more than anything in a film, I was pretty happy with the choices they made.
The production designer deserves a thousand Oscars. The world they created is absolutely gorgeous, very Art Nouveau-inspired, which is obviously my jam, until they go to the Emerald City, which then becomes Art Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco, which is also my jam. The filmmakers took full advantage of the ability to create an entire world and I love them for that. Michelle Yeoh's costumes made me want to fall over dead, and I don't know why anyone would want to go to Hogwarts when you could go to Shiz, which is clearly superior in every way (and also its creator is dead, so you're not funding his bigotries by loving it). I just want to live in this world, it is so beautiful and bright. I don't think I've had a reaction like that to a film since watching Fellowship of the Ring in the theater for the first time back in 2001 and seeing the Shire and immediately just falling in love.
(Apparently, Danielle Steele says she believes in love at first sight, but only for houses, and I agree: love at first sight is real, but only for places.)
I always enjoy watching actors enjoy themselves, and this movie is full of them. Ariana Grande was having the time of her life, Jonathan Bailey was having a blast, Jeff Goldblum was relishing the whole thing. When Cynthia Erivo started singing, I wasn't sure her voice was up to it, but I turned out to be wrong. I still don't like her voice as much as Idina Menzel's, but she's up to the songs, and I thought her acting was so very good. I'm glad they cast her. Goldblum and Yeoh can't sing as well as I'd wish, but their singing parts are small enough that it really doesn't matter. And I don't even care that it was a bunch of 30-somethings pretending to be college students. It's Oz! Maybe everybody waits till their 30s to go to university! Why not?
The songs are still so fun and catchy and clever, and I still remember all the words lol.
In news that will shock no one at all, I did indeed walk out of the theater with an OT3. Bi4bi4bi we love to see it. There is zero reason these three people should not all be together. If I had to choose, I do think Galinda/Elphie is more compelling than the other two sides of the triangle, but I like Fiyero, and why shouldn't they have a pretty man to share? Perhaps I will have to seek out some fanfiction.
Most shocking of all: I didn't think it was really too long! It could have been trimmed down a bit here and there, but it never dragged, which is an incredible accomplishment for a film this long. I went in thinking, "Why didn't they just make one movie?" But now I'm like, "No, this is fine, I'm glad they're doing two." Waiting another year will be difficult!
One thing that didn't thrill me: the sound mixing seemed off? Like, the music and the singing voices didn't sound like they were coming from the same place, and I don't like that, though that's probably just a me thing.
A few spoilery things:
Any scene where a couple has a meet-cute that's a dude almost trampling a girl on a horse is SO Jane Eyre coded to me, it's possible that's why I immediately had a soft spot for Elphie/Fiyero.
I kept waiting for the cameos and they didn't happen, and then we got to the Emerald City, and they did! When I wasn't expecting them! I have been obsessed with Kristin Chenoweth since I was a child, and it was SUCH a joy to see her there.
Anyway, if you're on the fence about whether to see it in the theater, do it. You will not regret it.
I already knew the soundtrack, but I had actually never seen a performance of the show, and I also refuse to read the Maguire books because I'm such an "original 14 books written by L. Frank Baum" purist. (Fun fact: I reread those books over and over as a kid. Over and over.) So I mostly knew what the story was, but there were lots of details that couldn't be gleaned just from the songs, so that was fun to explore.
I'll need to think about how the movie works as a story (and probably wait till Part II to really judge), but as far as a movie-going experience goes, it was wonderful. Definitely worth paying $10 to see on the big screen--this is a movie movie. Visually, it's the best-looking thing I've seen in a very long time. I was worried it would look too CGI-shiny, but it looks like they actually built a lot of the sets and then used CGI for things you actually have to use CGI for, like talking goats and flying monkeys and whatever. As someone who wants the feel of realness more than anything in a film, I was pretty happy with the choices they made.
The production designer deserves a thousand Oscars. The world they created is absolutely gorgeous, very Art Nouveau-inspired, which is obviously my jam, until they go to the Emerald City, which then becomes Art Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco, which is also my jam. The filmmakers took full advantage of the ability to create an entire world and I love them for that. Michelle Yeoh's costumes made me want to fall over dead, and I don't know why anyone would want to go to Hogwarts when you could go to Shiz, which is clearly superior in every way (and also its creator is dead, so you're not funding his bigotries by loving it). I just want to live in this world, it is so beautiful and bright. I don't think I've had a reaction like that to a film since watching Fellowship of the Ring in the theater for the first time back in 2001 and seeing the Shire and immediately just falling in love.
(Apparently, Danielle Steele says she believes in love at first sight, but only for houses, and I agree: love at first sight is real, but only for places.)
I always enjoy watching actors enjoy themselves, and this movie is full of them. Ariana Grande was having the time of her life, Jonathan Bailey was having a blast, Jeff Goldblum was relishing the whole thing. When Cynthia Erivo started singing, I wasn't sure her voice was up to it, but I turned out to be wrong. I still don't like her voice as much as Idina Menzel's, but she's up to the songs, and I thought her acting was so very good. I'm glad they cast her. Goldblum and Yeoh can't sing as well as I'd wish, but their singing parts are small enough that it really doesn't matter. And I don't even care that it was a bunch of 30-somethings pretending to be college students. It's Oz! Maybe everybody waits till their 30s to go to university! Why not?
The songs are still so fun and catchy and clever, and I still remember all the words lol.
In news that will shock no one at all, I did indeed walk out of the theater with an OT3. Bi4bi4bi we love to see it. There is zero reason these three people should not all be together. If I had to choose, I do think Galinda/Elphie is more compelling than the other two sides of the triangle, but I like Fiyero, and why shouldn't they have a pretty man to share? Perhaps I will have to seek out some fanfiction.
Most shocking of all: I didn't think it was really too long! It could have been trimmed down a bit here and there, but it never dragged, which is an incredible accomplishment for a film this long. I went in thinking, "Why didn't they just make one movie?" But now I'm like, "No, this is fine, I'm glad they're doing two." Waiting another year will be difficult!
One thing that didn't thrill me: the sound mixing seemed off? Like, the music and the singing voices didn't sound like they were coming from the same place, and I don't like that, though that's probably just a me thing.
A few spoilery things:
Any scene where a couple has a meet-cute that's a dude almost trampling a girl on a horse is SO Jane Eyre coded to me, it's possible that's why I immediately had a soft spot for Elphie/Fiyero.
I kept waiting for the cameos and they didn't happen, and then we got to the Emerald City, and they did! When I wasn't expecting them! I have been obsessed with Kristin Chenoweth since I was a child, and it was SUCH a joy to see her there.
Anyway, if you're on the fence about whether to see it in the theater, do it. You will not regret it.
Here's the fic I wrote for the Hurt Comfort Exchange! Can't believe it took me almost ten years to write OT3 fic for this fandom!
Fic: go on, take care of business (for me, for me, for me)
Fandom: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Characters/Pairings: Illya Kuryakin/Napoleon Solo/Gaby Teller
Rating: T
Wordcount: 5,490
Summary: They’ve still got fifty-seven minutes before the helicopter is scheduled to arrive when Gaby realizes that Illya’s hand is twitching.
A mission gone wrong (is there any other kind?) and the aftermath.
Fic: go on, take care of business (for me, for me, for me)
Fandom: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Characters/Pairings: Illya Kuryakin/Napoleon Solo/Gaby Teller
Rating: T
Wordcount: 5,490
Summary: They’ve still got fifty-seven minutes before the helicopter is scheduled to arrive when Gaby realizes that Illya’s hand is twitching.
A mission gone wrong (is there any other kind?) and the aftermath.
God help me, I wrote a thing. Always doomed by the OT3s.
Fic: the way the camera follows us in slow-mo
Fandom: Challengers (2024)
Characters/Pairings: Art Donaldson/Tashi Donaldson/Patrick Zweig
Rating: T
Wordcount: 2,906
Summary:
The thing is, the pivot point of all their lives was that day he and Patrick watched Tashi play in Queens, the day she crashed into their lives like a wrecking ball, a hurricane, an atomic bomb. Since that day, no two of them have ever been alone together: the other one is always in the same room, even when (especially when) they’re not.
But they’d never, not until that moment, all been in the same place.
Fic: the way the camera follows us in slow-mo
Fandom: Challengers (2024)
Characters/Pairings: Art Donaldson/Tashi Donaldson/Patrick Zweig
Rating: T
Wordcount: 2,906
Summary:
The thing is, the pivot point of all their lives was that day he and Patrick watched Tashi play in Queens, the day she crashed into their lives like a wrecking ball, a hurricane, an atomic bomb. Since that day, no two of them have ever been alone together: the other one is always in the same room, even when (especially when) they’re not.
But they’d never, not until that moment, all been in the same place.
Feminist Double Feature
Jul. 24th, 2023 08:33 amOn this Barbenheimer weekend, I had my own odd-couple double feature, only mine were feminist films on the extreme ends of the spectrum. I can't think of two films more concerned with women and less alike than Barbie and Women Talking.
Yesterday afternoon, I went to the theater to see Barbie, and y'all: the parking lot was full. I have not seen anything like that in at least 15 years. It was wild. I had to park in the overflow parking lot!
It was also the first time I've been in a full theater since...maybe The Force Awakens? (Well, that's not entirely true: I was in a full theater a couple of times in grad school, but that was a campus theater, it was very small, and it was a bunch of people there to watch The Third Man so...not the same thing.) I really did not think I would live to see a full theater like that again--I thought those days were over.
I enjoyed the movie very much. If nothing else, it was worth seeing for the production and costume design: I can't explain why it was so satisfying to see life-size realizations of the toys of my youth but it WAS. The visuals of the film were an endless delight. And isn't it fun to see a movie where everything is well-lit???
I don't know that everyone in the theater was picking up on what was going on in the opening scene, but I thought it was hilariously well-executed.
The acting was also very strong. I keep seeing people talk up Ryan Gosling, and he was great in a role that's the definition of scene-stealer. But I'm actually pissed off that people aren't giving Margot Robbie more attention--I thought she was absolutely wonderful, pulling off the full range of emotions she needed to while also looking...exactly like a stereotypical Barbie. Her early Barbie-plastic emotions were perfect, with just enough warmth to make it not creepy, and then when she encounters human emotions later, she was just as good. It makes me angry that the Guardian's review's title was something like, "Ryan Gosling shines in [whatever they said about the rest of the movie]" HELLO THAT IS SEXISM.
Can we also talk about how good the casting was for Gloria and Sasha? I haven't seen a family look so much like a family in a long time. Whoever cast the film clearly has ties with British TV, because there was Rae from My Mad Fat Diary and there were multiple people from Sex Education and there was Ritu Arya and there was Claire from Derry Girls, etc. The two-second cameo of a certain British television personality was totally unexpected and probably not very funny to most Americans, but I am almost shrieked when he showed up. And I won't say anything about the one older woman in the film except that it was so good to see her. Will Ferrell was too OTT, but that's Will Ferrell for you.
As for the ideology of the movie: it is absolutely not anti-male, but it is very anti-patriarchy. It wasn't...entirely consistent and/or coherent in its feminism beyond, like, "Women are in an impossible bind in patriarchy and that sucks!" But frankly there aren't many movies that even go that far. I need to think a whole lot more about what it was actually saying--maybe it was more consistent than I thought? It's definitely a film I'll rewatch at some point.
And the final scene???? I will say no more, but that's going to go down in history as one of film's great endings.
So yes, very enjoyable, glad I saw it in a full theater, and refreshingly different than anything else we've seen from Big Budget Hollywood, so I'm glad it's doing so well.
And then last night I finally watched Women Talking since I recently finished the book. I thought it was, on the whole, a very strong adaptations. The change of narrator worked really well (it was the right choice, even if I kind of missed some of August's backstory, especially regarding his mother), though I'm still thinking about how I feel about the change of setting. Having everyone speak English with no reference to Plautdietsch was a loss from the book, imo, but it was an entirely necessary one, so I can't complain. I tend to hate the greyish cinematography that predominates in serious movies/TV, but it actually worked for the subject of this particular film.
The cast was universally strong, and I just have to give a shout-out to Jessie Buckley--she's fast becoming one of my favorite actresses. She's been great in everything I've ever seen her in. And of course I am a passionate Ben Wishaw devotee and think he can do no wrong. I do think I would have cast someone other than Rooney Mara as Ona--she was not bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but I think they could have found someone who seemed more...otherworldly. Ona's whole thing is that she's detached from the rest of the colony's reality, that she's a dreamer and an eccentric, etc. I think another actress could have brought that energy without going off the deep end with it. Mara is a little too...normal.
I felt that the film was much less interested in the religious questions than the book, which did not surprise me at all, but it was a bit of a disappointment to me personally.
It's so so so so interesting to me that in neither the film nor the book do the women ever talk about the practicalities of what life might be like outside the colony. How will they support themselves? Where will they live? How will they interact with the larger culture? That's just...not addressed at all, which is very clearly an explicit, thoughtful choice, and probably the right one, because the story could easily have gotten bogged down by that question. Keeping everything about it focused on, "Can we possibly stay here?" was the right way to do it, and the book and movie both end where they need to end, but man, I have a ton of questions about what happens next.
Honestly, I feel like people should watch the movie AND read the book, because I think they do different things well.
Yesterday afternoon, I went to the theater to see Barbie, and y'all: the parking lot was full. I have not seen anything like that in at least 15 years. It was wild. I had to park in the overflow parking lot!
It was also the first time I've been in a full theater since...maybe The Force Awakens? (Well, that's not entirely true: I was in a full theater a couple of times in grad school, but that was a campus theater, it was very small, and it was a bunch of people there to watch The Third Man so...not the same thing.) I really did not think I would live to see a full theater like that again--I thought those days were over.
I enjoyed the movie very much. If nothing else, it was worth seeing for the production and costume design: I can't explain why it was so satisfying to see life-size realizations of the toys of my youth but it WAS. The visuals of the film were an endless delight. And isn't it fun to see a movie where everything is well-lit???
I don't know that everyone in the theater was picking up on what was going on in the opening scene, but I thought it was hilariously well-executed.
The acting was also very strong. I keep seeing people talk up Ryan Gosling, and he was great in a role that's the definition of scene-stealer. But I'm actually pissed off that people aren't giving Margot Robbie more attention--I thought she was absolutely wonderful, pulling off the full range of emotions she needed to while also looking...exactly like a stereotypical Barbie. Her early Barbie-plastic emotions were perfect, with just enough warmth to make it not creepy, and then when she encounters human emotions later, she was just as good. It makes me angry that the Guardian's review's title was something like, "Ryan Gosling shines in [whatever they said about the rest of the movie]" HELLO THAT IS SEXISM.
Can we also talk about how good the casting was for Gloria and Sasha? I haven't seen a family look so much like a family in a long time. Whoever cast the film clearly has ties with British TV, because there was Rae from My Mad Fat Diary and there were multiple people from Sex Education and there was Ritu Arya and there was Claire from Derry Girls, etc. The two-second cameo of a certain British television personality was totally unexpected and probably not very funny to most Americans, but I am almost shrieked when he showed up. And I won't say anything about the one older woman in the film except that it was so good to see her. Will Ferrell was too OTT, but that's Will Ferrell for you.
As for the ideology of the movie: it is absolutely not anti-male, but it is very anti-patriarchy. It wasn't...entirely consistent and/or coherent in its feminism beyond, like, "Women are in an impossible bind in patriarchy and that sucks!" But frankly there aren't many movies that even go that far. I need to think a whole lot more about what it was actually saying--maybe it was more consistent than I thought? It's definitely a film I'll rewatch at some point.
And the final scene???? I will say no more, but that's going to go down in history as one of film's great endings.
So yes, very enjoyable, glad I saw it in a full theater, and refreshingly different than anything else we've seen from Big Budget Hollywood, so I'm glad it's doing so well.
And then last night I finally watched Women Talking since I recently finished the book. I thought it was, on the whole, a very strong adaptations. The change of narrator worked really well (it was the right choice, even if I kind of missed some of August's backstory, especially regarding his mother), though I'm still thinking about how I feel about the change of setting. Having everyone speak English with no reference to Plautdietsch was a loss from the book, imo, but it was an entirely necessary one, so I can't complain. I tend to hate the greyish cinematography that predominates in serious movies/TV, but it actually worked for the subject of this particular film.
The cast was universally strong, and I just have to give a shout-out to Jessie Buckley--she's fast becoming one of my favorite actresses. She's been great in everything I've ever seen her in. And of course I am a passionate Ben Wishaw devotee and think he can do no wrong. I do think I would have cast someone other than Rooney Mara as Ona--she was not bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but I think they could have found someone who seemed more...otherworldly. Ona's whole thing is that she's detached from the rest of the colony's reality, that she's a dreamer and an eccentric, etc. I think another actress could have brought that energy without going off the deep end with it. Mara is a little too...normal.
I felt that the film was much less interested in the religious questions than the book, which did not surprise me at all, but it was a bit of a disappointment to me personally.
It's so so so so interesting to me that in neither the film nor the book do the women ever talk about the practicalities of what life might be like outside the colony. How will they support themselves? Where will they live? How will they interact with the larger culture? That's just...not addressed at all, which is very clearly an explicit, thoughtful choice, and probably the right one, because the story could easily have gotten bogged down by that question. Keeping everything about it focused on, "Can we possibly stay here?" was the right way to do it, and the book and movie both end where they need to end, but man, I have a ton of questions about what happens next.
Honestly, I feel like people should watch the movie AND read the book, because I think they do different things well.
When Titanic was released in 1997, I was about to turn 11. Considering everything I've told y'all about my background, none of you should be surprised that I was not allowed to see it. But, like, it was the biggest movie in the history of the world. And the song was freaking everywhere. So it takes up a large space in my mind just based on how much space it was taking up in popular culture.
Anyway, by the time high school came around and I maybe could have seen it, at least at a friend's house or something, I had become an extremely pretentious teenager who took a perverse pride in not liking popular things. (Yes, I was obnoxious.) So I turned up my nose at it.
Around college time, I chilled out a bit and was like, "Yeah, I should watch that movie sometime." But it was like...I'd waited so long that I might as well wait until a time when it would be special. So I always intended to see it with friends or something (inside of just watching it alone as I easily could have), but the time never came.
Last year, my favoritest movie podcast You Are Good (actually, my only movie podcast unless you count You Must Remember This, which I do not) did an episode and I listened to it because I listen to all episodes, regardless of whether or not I've seen the movie. And it sounded from the way they were talking about it that I'd like it and that it holds up. So I was like, "Yes, I must find an opportunity to see this movie."
Last weekend, Meg's friend K informed me that, actually, it was out in theaters right now. So obviously I had to go, even though it's in 3D and I hate 3D
The 3D wasn't that bad, but nor was it necessary. The movie, as everyone else already knows, is very good.
Oh, the halcyon days of the '90s when all kinds of popcorn pictures were released that were big and emotional and entertaining for the whole family! But not stupid! And that still cared about the story! Seriously, what the hell happened to movies? It's depressing. If Titanic was made today, it would be unwatchable.
But thankfully it was made in the '90s instead, and so it's very good, and it does all the things you want a Big Movie to do. It's exciting and emotional and technically very well-made. It's got romance and adventure and tragedy. And it does all of that while still caring about the characters, which is like the thing that movies don't do anymore. Also, it doesn't care of it's sentimental, which I respect the hell out of. (I also do not care if I am sentimental, so I felt that it understood me.)
It was clearly made by a team that was firing on all cylinders and didn't really have any weak links, which is impressive considering how many people must have been required to make it. Like, when a small movie does that, it's impressive enough. But when it's a movie this big and expensive and complicated? It's really quite something. I see why it was the Biggest Deal at the time.
It's weird watching a movie where you know virtually every beat of it even though you've never seen it before. Nothing surprised me about it, but that's okay! It didn't need to!
Wait--one thing did surprise me. I knew there was an opening framing device with the submarines and the old lady, but I had not realized how long it was. It's really long! Seriously, James Cameron, did you have to be that self-indulgent? It really could have been cut down, but he was showing off his fancy gadgets and filmmaking so okay, whatever. It's not that big of a deal.
Thankfully the rest of the film has really good pacing and it never drags, nor does it have any wasted scenes, for all that it's so long. It doesn't feel as long to watch as nearly as many other much shorter films I've seen. I was engaged through the whole thing.
I liked the characters and the casting (Kathy Baaaaaaates! <3<3<3), I even liked the action-y scenes and didn't get bored with them, which I often do in other movies.
I didn't cry as much as I thought I might, surprisingly. I didn't start until the scene with the old couple on their bed that cuts to the mother tucking her kids in and then Jack's BFF hacking away at the ropes of the boats with his knife. I didn't sob like I half expected to, but I did cry on and off throughout (hi baby Ioan Gruffudd! I see you!).
I am kind of annoyed that I didn't see it when I was younger because there's really nothing inappropriate in it beyond Kate Winslet taking her top off and, like, one f-word. It's really ridiculously family-friend other than that. Remember when blockbusters could be enjoyed by people of all ages???
But in one way, it's probably a good thing I didn't see this movie when I was a teenager because it would have given me unrealistic expectations about romance. I cannot convey to you how much I would have been in love with Jack Dawson at 13 (or 18). Also can we talk about how pretty Leo was at that age and how quickly he became not-pretty after that? (And I don't just mean character-wise.) Sooooo pretty. I have always liked pretty boys and I would have eaten my heart out over him. It's fun to see the guy be the Manic Pixie Dream Boy for once. And of course Kate Winslet is the most exquisite but also so down to earth. Lovely!
But if I had seen it as a teenager, I have no doubt I would have been obsessed with it (like almost all the other teenage girls my age) and it would be one of my favorite movies ever. As it is, I enjoyed it very much, I'm very impressed by it, and I would gladly watch it again.
...and I'm requesting any fic recs you have, because I refuse to believe there's no good fic for this movie but I am having trouble finding it. If you sort by kudos on AO3, all you get are AUs of OTHER FANDOMS and Jack/Cal slash and, as usual, I am disgusted by fandom and its priorities. And even when I just search the Jack/Rose tag, I don't find anything that's really good. But I feel like there's got to be, like, one really well-written novel-length canon divergence fic out there that would be very satisfying.
Anyway, by the time high school came around and I maybe could have seen it, at least at a friend's house or something, I had become an extremely pretentious teenager who took a perverse pride in not liking popular things. (Yes, I was obnoxious.) So I turned up my nose at it.
Around college time, I chilled out a bit and was like, "Yeah, I should watch that movie sometime." But it was like...I'd waited so long that I might as well wait until a time when it would be special. So I always intended to see it with friends or something (inside of just watching it alone as I easily could have), but the time never came.
Last year, my favoritest movie podcast You Are Good (actually, my only movie podcast unless you count You Must Remember This, which I do not) did an episode and I listened to it because I listen to all episodes, regardless of whether or not I've seen the movie. And it sounded from the way they were talking about it that I'd like it and that it holds up. So I was like, "Yes, I must find an opportunity to see this movie."
Last weekend, Meg's friend K informed me that, actually, it was out in theaters right now. So obviously I had to go, even though it's in 3D and I hate 3D
The 3D wasn't that bad, but nor was it necessary. The movie, as everyone else already knows, is very good.
Oh, the halcyon days of the '90s when all kinds of popcorn pictures were released that were big and emotional and entertaining for the whole family! But not stupid! And that still cared about the story! Seriously, what the hell happened to movies? It's depressing. If Titanic was made today, it would be unwatchable.
But thankfully it was made in the '90s instead, and so it's very good, and it does all the things you want a Big Movie to do. It's exciting and emotional and technically very well-made. It's got romance and adventure and tragedy. And it does all of that while still caring about the characters, which is like the thing that movies don't do anymore. Also, it doesn't care of it's sentimental, which I respect the hell out of. (I also do not care if I am sentimental, so I felt that it understood me.)
It was clearly made by a team that was firing on all cylinders and didn't really have any weak links, which is impressive considering how many people must have been required to make it. Like, when a small movie does that, it's impressive enough. But when it's a movie this big and expensive and complicated? It's really quite something. I see why it was the Biggest Deal at the time.
It's weird watching a movie where you know virtually every beat of it even though you've never seen it before. Nothing surprised me about it, but that's okay! It didn't need to!
Wait--one thing did surprise me. I knew there was an opening framing device with the submarines and the old lady, but I had not realized how long it was. It's really long! Seriously, James Cameron, did you have to be that self-indulgent? It really could have been cut down, but he was showing off his fancy gadgets and filmmaking so okay, whatever. It's not that big of a deal.
Thankfully the rest of the film has really good pacing and it never drags, nor does it have any wasted scenes, for all that it's so long. It doesn't feel as long to watch as nearly as many other much shorter films I've seen. I was engaged through the whole thing.
I liked the characters and the casting (Kathy Baaaaaaates! <3<3<3), I even liked the action-y scenes and didn't get bored with them, which I often do in other movies.
I didn't cry as much as I thought I might, surprisingly. I didn't start until the scene with the old couple on their bed that cuts to the mother tucking her kids in and then Jack's BFF hacking away at the ropes of the boats with his knife. I didn't sob like I half expected to, but I did cry on and off throughout (hi baby Ioan Gruffudd! I see you!).
I am kind of annoyed that I didn't see it when I was younger because there's really nothing inappropriate in it beyond Kate Winslet taking her top off and, like, one f-word. It's really ridiculously family-friend other than that. Remember when blockbusters could be enjoyed by people of all ages???
But in one way, it's probably a good thing I didn't see this movie when I was a teenager because it would have given me unrealistic expectations about romance. I cannot convey to you how much I would have been in love with Jack Dawson at 13 (or 18). Also can we talk about how pretty Leo was at that age and how quickly he became not-pretty after that? (And I don't just mean character-wise.) Sooooo pretty. I have always liked pretty boys and I would have eaten my heart out over him. It's fun to see the guy be the Manic Pixie Dream Boy for once. And of course Kate Winslet is the most exquisite but also so down to earth. Lovely!
But if I had seen it as a teenager, I have no doubt I would have been obsessed with it (like almost all the other teenage girls my age) and it would be one of my favorite movies ever. As it is, I enjoyed it very much, I'm very impressed by it, and I would gladly watch it again.
...and I'm requesting any fic recs you have, because I refuse to believe there's no good fic for this movie but I am having trouble finding it. If you sort by kudos on AO3, all you get are AUs of OTHER FANDOMS and Jack/Cal slash and, as usual, I am disgusted by fandom and its priorities. And even when I just search the Jack/Rose tag, I don't find anything that's really good. But I feel like there's got to be, like, one really well-written novel-length canon divergence fic out there that would be very satisfying.
(no subject)
Dec. 3rd, 2022 01:44 pmSo I rewatched Rogue One to prepare for Andor and I just wanted to jot down a few thoughts here. I had only seen it once before and all of my previous impressions held true:
+ It is without a doubt the best Star Wars film outside the original trilogy. (It's technically a better movie that RotJ, too, but it doesn't have the fun-and-nostalgia factor going for it. It doesn't have the pulp-y joyfulness of the original trilogy. Which is fine! It's not trying to! But that's why I don't find it as lovable.)
+ It's well-written, well-acted, and beautiful to look at
+ I love the tight focus and think that more sci-fi offerings would benefit from the narrowed scope
+ It's the only movie in the world that has a major action scene built around the use of an archival vertical storage retrieval system and for that alone it deserve accolades
However! I don't feel fannish about it! And that comes down to one thing and one thing only:
I want it to be a found family movie and it doesn't have the time to be that. (For me.) These people don't know each other long enough to build up the bonds I want them to have. They literally don't have the time! They know each other for like three days! I can believe that this makes them feel close in the adrenaline right before the big climax, but I don't believe that they actually are.
In order for me to buy into found family dynamics, there's got to be downtime. There's got to be the squabbling and the inside jokes and the "are we really having this discussion again?" kinds of scenes. And this is an action movie that simply does not have the space for that.
Basically, if this had been a limited series with time for all that stuff, it would have been my catnip. But that's not what it was doing and it's not what it was trying to do. It's very effective at what it's doing, and it's a good movie. It's just not my movie.
+ It is without a doubt the best Star Wars film outside the original trilogy. (It's technically a better movie that RotJ, too, but it doesn't have the fun-and-nostalgia factor going for it. It doesn't have the pulp-y joyfulness of the original trilogy. Which is fine! It's not trying to! But that's why I don't find it as lovable.)
+ It's well-written, well-acted, and beautiful to look at
+ I love the tight focus and think that more sci-fi offerings would benefit from the narrowed scope
+ It's the only movie in the world that has a major action scene built around the use of an archival vertical storage retrieval system and for that alone it deserve accolades
However! I don't feel fannish about it! And that comes down to one thing and one thing only:
I want it to be a found family movie and it doesn't have the time to be that. (For me.) These people don't know each other long enough to build up the bonds I want them to have. They literally don't have the time! They know each other for like three days! I can believe that this makes them feel close in the adrenaline right before the big climax, but I don't believe that they actually are.
In order for me to buy into found family dynamics, there's got to be downtime. There's got to be the squabbling and the inside jokes and the "are we really having this discussion again?" kinds of scenes. And this is an action movie that simply does not have the space for that.
Basically, if this had been a limited series with time for all that stuff, it would have been my catnip. But that's not what it was doing and it's not what it was trying to do. It's very effective at what it's doing, and it's a good movie. It's just not my movie.
Fannish Friday: The Movie
Nov. 4th, 2022 10:58 amAs an extension of last week's topic, let's talk about movie adaptations.
1. Tell me which book/book series you'd like to see made into a television show, assuming that everything--writing, casting, direction, etc.--went right.
2. Alternatively, tell me about a book/book series that has been adapted to movie, but that didn't do it very well and you wish someone who really got the heart of the text could take another shot at it.
3. Film adaptations that don't work as adaptations but do work as films if viewed on their own.
4. Film adaptations that are wonderful and either match or improve on the book.
My answers!
1. I'd love to see a Witch of Blackbird Pond film done right! I know this is weird, but if the team behind The Babysitters Club would take it on, I would trust them to do right by a beloved Gen Z/Millennial childhood text.
I also think it would be very cool to get an adaptation of a Frances Hardinge book, though that would take a director/crew that are unhinged in just the right way, and that would be hard to find.
2. I have so many of these! The first one is obviously Ella Enchanted--I don't know that I've ever been that viscerally angry about an adaptation, but that movie had absolutely none of the joy and charm and color of the book and I have never recovered. And it would make such an adorable movie!
I'd like to see an actual good take on Mansfield Park, too. It's nobody's favorite Austen, but Austen alone is a big enough draw if only they did something interesting with it!
A couple of years back, my heart was broken when Emma Thompson wrote a good (but not wonderful) screenplay adaptation of the life of Effie Gray, and then getting the casting and direction got Effie herself totally wrong. Since Suzanne Fagence Cooper's biography is a favorite of mine, I was so annoyed! And I would still love to see the same film made by a director and actor who actually understand Effie's personality.
3. The classic example is Joe Wright's 2005 Pride and Prejudice. I don't feel like this movie understands the book or Austen at all. However, I find it a delightful and beautiful movie.
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock comes to mind as one that works just about perfectly in bringing the book to screen. So does the 1993 Agnieszka Holland version of The Secret Garden.
If I am perfectly honest, Gillian Armstrong's 1994 Little Women is more beloved by me than the book is. (Except for adult!Amy. Adult!Amy is better in the book.) And I have never been able to read The Manchurian Candidate but the movie is one of my favorites.
1. Tell me which book/book series you'd like to see made into a television show, assuming that everything--writing, casting, direction, etc.--went right.
2. Alternatively, tell me about a book/book series that has been adapted to movie, but that didn't do it very well and you wish someone who really got the heart of the text could take another shot at it.
3. Film adaptations that don't work as adaptations but do work as films if viewed on their own.
4. Film adaptations that are wonderful and either match or improve on the book.
My answers!
1. I'd love to see a Witch of Blackbird Pond film done right! I know this is weird, but if the team behind The Babysitters Club would take it on, I would trust them to do right by a beloved Gen Z/Millennial childhood text.
I also think it would be very cool to get an adaptation of a Frances Hardinge book, though that would take a director/crew that are unhinged in just the right way, and that would be hard to find.
2. I have so many of these! The first one is obviously Ella Enchanted--I don't know that I've ever been that viscerally angry about an adaptation, but that movie had absolutely none of the joy and charm and color of the book and I have never recovered. And it would make such an adorable movie!
I'd like to see an actual good take on Mansfield Park, too. It's nobody's favorite Austen, but Austen alone is a big enough draw if only they did something interesting with it!
A couple of years back, my heart was broken when Emma Thompson wrote a good (but not wonderful) screenplay adaptation of the life of Effie Gray, and then getting the casting and direction got Effie herself totally wrong. Since Suzanne Fagence Cooper's biography is a favorite of mine, I was so annoyed! And I would still love to see the same film made by a director and actor who actually understand Effie's personality.
3. The classic example is Joe Wright's 2005 Pride and Prejudice. I don't feel like this movie understands the book or Austen at all. However, I find it a delightful and beautiful movie.
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock comes to mind as one that works just about perfectly in bringing the book to screen. So does the 1993 Agnieszka Holland version of The Secret Garden.
If I am perfectly honest, Gillian Armstrong's 1994 Little Women is more beloved by me than the book is. (Except for adult!Amy. Adult!Amy is better in the book.) And I have never been able to read The Manchurian Candidate but the movie is one of my favorites.
2021 in film (excuse the no caps)
Dec. 15th, 2021 09:41 amMy friend Liv over on Tumblr asked me for my Top 5 film releases of 2021. Here's what I said:
this is a love letter to mid-century scifi, especially the twilight zone. featuring some absolutely gorgeous single-shot sequences and lovely performances, this movie became an instant favorite. i watched it for the first time and then immediately watched it again. and wrote fic for it.
2. athlete a - far and away the most harrowing film i watched this year. as wikipedia describe it, "the documentary follows a team of investigative journalists from the indianapolis star as they broke the story of doctor larry nassar sexually assaulting young female gymnastics."
from a technical perspective, this is a pretty standard documentary, but the story it tells is so important. i am in awe of the young women who endured this abuse and fought back. i respect and appreciate the journalists, too, but it's the women and girls who fought for justice who are important here.
3. west side story - I WAS SO WORRIED. but just like with emma (2020), i turned out to be totally wrong in what i assumed about this remake. i don't know that it will ever overtake the original in my heart just because i've seen that movie so many times in my life that it's written in my bones and also rita moreno dancing. i have some complaints about this version, but on the whole i thought it was great, respecting and loving the original but having its own vision and fixing the main things that were wrong with the original film.
aschestnut_pod says: the bar is so low with american musicals but: everyone can actually sing! you can see all of the dancing! the bernstein score remains one of the greatest ever written (LENNY MY LOVE) and while i remain devoted the jerome robbins choreography of the original, the choreography in this film is very strong. detailed thoughts here.
4. the trial of the chicago 7 - as much as i bitch about sorkin--and he deserves every bit of that bitching--i am also weak for a sorkin script and also for his brand of idealistic storytelling about heroic leftists. the script was crackling, of course, and the performances were great. this is exactly the kind of film i just enjoy. it speaks to my id.
honestly, i haven't watched enough new releases this year to have a top 5, but i can do a top 5 of movies that i saw for the first time this year! i didn't watch all that many (unless you count my rewatch of all the original cast star trek movies), but these were the standouts:
1. the vast of night - a tiny and perfect retro scifi delight. set in a small town in 1950s new mexico, the focus is on two teenagers: a guy who dreams of being a radio dj and a girl who works as a telephone operator. strange lights appear in the sky. what happens next isn't the most original storyline ever, but the execution is so good that you just don't care.
this is a love letter to mid-century scifi, especially the twilight zone. featuring some absolutely gorgeous single-shot sequences and lovely performances, this movie became an instant favorite. i watched it for the first time and then immediately watched it again. and wrote fic for it.
2. athlete a - far and away the most harrowing film i watched this year. as wikipedia describe it, "the documentary follows a team of investigative journalists from the indianapolis star as they broke the story of doctor larry nassar sexually assaulting young female gymnastics."
from a technical perspective, this is a pretty standard documentary, but the story it tells is so important. i am in awe of the young women who endured this abuse and fought back. i respect and appreciate the journalists, too, but it's the women and girls who fought for justice who are important here.
3. west side story - I WAS SO WORRIED. but just like with emma (2020), i turned out to be totally wrong in what i assumed about this remake. i don't know that it will ever overtake the original in my heart just because i've seen that movie so many times in my life that it's written in my bones and also rita moreno dancing. i have some complaints about this version, but on the whole i thought it was great, respecting and loving the original but having its own vision and fixing the main things that were wrong with the original film.
as
chestnut_pod says: the bar is so low with american musicals but: everyone can actually sing! you can see all of the dancing! the bernstein score remains one of the greatest ever written (LENNY MY LOVE) and while i remain devoted the jerome robbins choreography of the original, the choreography in this film is very strong. detailed thoughts here.4. the trial of the chicago 7 - as much as i bitch about sorkin--and he deserves every bit of that bitching--i am also weak for a sorkin script and also for his brand of idealistic storytelling about heroic leftists. the script was crackling, of course, and the performances were great. this is exactly the kind of film i just enjoy. it speaks to my id.
5. the green knight - i mean, if you were interested in this film you've already seen it, so i won't go into detail here except to say that it's gorgeous to look at, wonderfully atmospheric, i am obsessed with how dev patel has grown up, and i salute the filmmakers' commitment to embracing the weirdness. they didn't care if their film was accessible to the average viewer, and i have missed that in filmmaking.
West Side Story thoughts
Dec. 12th, 2021 04:44 pmSo after a lot of hemming and hawing, I donated 20 bucks to the local nonprofit that serves sexual assault victims and went to see West Side Story and I loved it.
The usual scattered thoughts below the cut.
( spoilers? for a 60-year-old musical that everyone has already seen? )
The usual scattered thoughts below the cut.
( spoilers? for a 60-year-old musical that everyone has already seen? )
