Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Sweet December Rain
I'm drinking a home made caramelattefrappammmcho. Why the 'mmm'? Because it's gooood.
I don't deal well with heat. I'm a cold fish - I wore 6 layers in the summer of '05. People thought I was crazy, but I was cold. However, that was because of flooding winds, it's 38 degrees and it gives me headaches. I take drugs, cold showers, and nothing works. I have coffee before 7.30 and I stay up late.. Lovely.
As for the Year 12 Formal, which was on Friday, dear Mumsy took a couple of photos, and then other people took photos at Alyssa's house (where many parents were waiting for the Maxi Taxi to take people in to the city), and then at the formal itself. It was a good night, it was really nice. The food (3 course) was good, and I was happy with my chicken (the other option was steak. eww.. protein red meat...). We had a couple of allergy people on our table, and it was funny how they had to tell the waiter each time - "I have allergies, can I eat this?". The waiter never seemed to remember. Unfortunately, there was no other dessert option and peanut death Julia couldn't eat anything. So I thought the formal committee did a really good job organising, and it was a nice night. From my perspective (read: INTJ personality), it went a little downhill after the dinner. This is because it turned into a dance party. And I don't dance. I'm sure I could if I tried, (never wanting to put myself down) but I sincerely don't want to. I made up an excuse not to go to a party because it was a dancing night. So I sat down with Bryan and Tris most of the night (Gregor and I worked out that half of YBS was there - it was great!), and told Bryan that he couldn't drive home because he was sick and very very tired. People made me get up onto the dance floor a couple of times - grr to Kris for using luf against me - but I just sort of stood there awkwardly. *shrugs* I can't help it. You know, these boots are made for walking, but Lenny just won't dance.
I had fun nonetheless. I embarassingly used a pen at one stage, having a bit of a plot bunny come my way (it was a nice pen too).. it reminded me of Jess' 18th c/mocktail dance party.. She guessed that I would have more fun reading or something.. Sigh. Gregor, you understand ^_^ I can't change who I am; I wouldn't want to, and I hate when people feel sorry for me because they think I'm not having fun. It's the same with drinking or whatever. Pfft.
On the topic of pens, I can start compiling my Christmas wish list because.... I didn't have a writing utensil with me on Monday and after checking out the U2 18 Singles Cd, I poked around in a newsagent... Fountain pens!!! Ooohh.. I got so excited.. But they were something like $6.50 and even though I had the money, I didn't want to spend it.. But I tested them out.. Red and black.. Hasn't been anything this cool since Gregor gifted me with inky purple and green. Yes, so not only am I a sitting loner, I am a pen snob. I'm a coffee snob, but I can easily enjoy my International Roast (that's what's in this iced coffee).
[Insert Space Odyssey 2001 music]
Move review time!
The Prestige
**** 4/5 stars
'I didn't like it, but it was good.'
To mention the plot would mean spoilers, and I could write them in white, but I won't. I wasn't expecting much, despite how the tv ads try to make you want to see it. I wasn't convinced it would be good, but Bryan was the only one who didn't want to see Flags of Our Fathers, so we saw The Prestige. I knew the director and actors were good, but there were so many surprising twists!
I congratulate the film on existing outside the screen. It's a movie you find yourself thinking about for several days after seeing it, and you'd want to see it again so you can gain greater understand and make clear all the twists and character motives. Basically, you have two competitive magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) who keep trying to one-up each other, going to great lengths to perform the best tricks, and both are obsessive in righting past wrongs against each other. Psychological thriller stuff that I like, I guess.
But it's something to keep discussing with friends (Steve, Jimmy, Bryan and I saw it together), and work out how much you had guessed was true, and what really happened when.. etc etc. The bad part about it was that there was a bit too much closure - I think the ending could have been slightly more open, but it was well-crafted nonetheless. I found while watching it that I wanted to watch DVD commentaries and docs on the making of it... I decided that I really do like film. I can blame Palgy, for who film is her forte, and Pirates 2 and Stargate DVD extras, but perhaps my dream of being a camera operator is undergoing revival.
Some of the thriller-violence (the kind of thing that isn't shown, but your imagination does for you) was a bit too far, but enhanced the movie's impact, so I didn't like it, but it was good.
Flags of our Fathers
**** 4/5 stars
'Good, but not brilliant.'
I can't work out why it wasn't brilliant. I came up with it very late last night, with reference to one scene in particular, but I can't remember now.
Straight after the movie, I was suggesting that perhaps there was too much closure, with lots of detail of what the soldiers did with their lives post flag-raising (contrastingly, something Stephen appreciated), but Jimmy argued it was the half-hour V.O. monologue narration. Maybe.
So Tristan, Jimmy, Shteve and myself saw this one, with Tristan most eventfully spilling his pink drink on his white shirt five minutes in. Stephen thinks he liked it most, and I guess so..
Ah! I remember now - I thought that the focus was slightly wrong. Disregarding the investigative nature of the obscured son and his narration, I think that it should have had more of an impact on me in other areas (ignoring that Clint Eastwood wrote the music, especially that guitar that lasted as long as the voice over monologue).
There was a poignant scene in which Ira was drunk and violent after being refused entry to a restaraunt or bar due to his being an American Indian. I thought that issues like this should have had a stronger focus - it reminded me of Civil Rights post-Vietnam. A man fights 'for his country' in war, comes back as hero (WWII, we're talking about here), yet can't even get a drink? I thought that this was more important than the narrator son talking about fatherdom.
The premise (communicated at the very end), was that if we truly want to honour such people, we should remember them as they actually were, not as false, posed photographs. My dad was really interested in the positioning of the film (as to whether it condemned the posed flag-raising or acknowledged that it was vital for the war effort), but the movie didn't say anything very controversial or shocking that made me think something new. I noticed that they de-saturated it more so than other war films, but I suppose they're allowed because it's mimicing photographs.
Highlights were the storming of the beach, Neal McDonough as a Captain (he played Buck in Band of Brothers), and various actors that have been in other movies like Saving Private Ryan or even Billy Elliot. I liked that there were no major stars in the film, and it will be very interesting to see the companion film next year, as I am I expecting it will be done right (with Japanese and subtitles), and that it will be done well.
So overall, I expected that Flags of Our Fathers should have been brilliant, but it wasn't, so that's a little disappointing, but it was quite well made. Again, documentaries would be interesting. ¶ 3:28 PM
I don't deal well with heat. I'm a cold fish - I wore 6 layers in the summer of '05. People thought I was crazy, but I was cold. However, that was because of flooding winds, it's 38 degrees and it gives me headaches. I take drugs, cold showers, and nothing works. I have coffee before 7.30 and I stay up late.. Lovely.
As for the Year 12 Formal, which was on Friday, dear Mumsy took a couple of photos, and then other people took photos at Alyssa's house (where many parents were waiting for the Maxi Taxi to take people in to the city), and then at the formal itself. It was a good night, it was really nice. The food (3 course) was good, and I was happy with my chicken (the other option was steak. eww.. protein red meat...). We had a couple of allergy people on our table, and it was funny how they had to tell the waiter each time - "I have allergies, can I eat this?". The waiter never seemed to remember. Unfortunately, there was no other dessert option and peanut death Julia couldn't eat anything. So I thought the formal committee did a really good job organising, and it was a nice night. From my perspective (read: INTJ personality), it went a little downhill after the dinner. This is because it turned into a dance party. And I don't dance. I'm sure I could if I tried, (never wanting to put myself down) but I sincerely don't want to. I made up an excuse not to go to a party because it was a dancing night. So I sat down with Bryan and Tris most of the night (Gregor and I worked out that half of YBS was there - it was great!), and told Bryan that he couldn't drive home because he was sick and very very tired. People made me get up onto the dance floor a couple of times - grr to Kris for using luf against me - but I just sort of stood there awkwardly. *shrugs* I can't help it. You know, these boots are made for walking, but Lenny just won't dance.
I had fun nonetheless. I embarassingly used a pen at one stage, having a bit of a plot bunny come my way (it was a nice pen too).. it reminded me of Jess' 18th c/mocktail dance party.. She guessed that I would have more fun reading or something.. Sigh. Gregor, you understand ^_^ I can't change who I am; I wouldn't want to, and I hate when people feel sorry for me because they think I'm not having fun. It's the same with drinking or whatever. Pfft.
On the topic of pens, I can start compiling my Christmas wish list because.... I didn't have a writing utensil with me on Monday and after checking out the U2 18 Singles Cd, I poked around in a newsagent... Fountain pens!!! Ooohh.. I got so excited.. But they were something like $6.50 and even though I had the money, I didn't want to spend it.. But I tested them out.. Red and black.. Hasn't been anything this cool since Gregor gifted me with inky purple and green. Yes, so not only am I a sitting loner, I am a pen snob. I'm a coffee snob, but I can easily enjoy my International Roast (that's what's in this iced coffee).
[Insert Space Odyssey 2001 music]
Move review time!
The Prestige
**** 4/5 stars
'I didn't like it, but it was good.'
To mention the plot would mean spoilers, and I could write them in white, but I won't. I wasn't expecting much, despite how the tv ads try to make you want to see it. I wasn't convinced it would be good, but Bryan was the only one who didn't want to see Flags of Our Fathers, so we saw The Prestige. I knew the director and actors were good, but there were so many surprising twists!
I congratulate the film on existing outside the screen. It's a movie you find yourself thinking about for several days after seeing it, and you'd want to see it again so you can gain greater understand and make clear all the twists and character motives. Basically, you have two competitive magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) who keep trying to one-up each other, going to great lengths to perform the best tricks, and both are obsessive in righting past wrongs against each other. Psychological thriller stuff that I like, I guess.
But it's something to keep discussing with friends (Steve, Jimmy, Bryan and I saw it together), and work out how much you had guessed was true, and what really happened when.. etc etc. The bad part about it was that there was a bit too much closure - I think the ending could have been slightly more open, but it was well-crafted nonetheless. I found while watching it that I wanted to watch DVD commentaries and docs on the making of it... I decided that I really do like film. I can blame Palgy, for who film is her forte, and Pirates 2 and Stargate DVD extras, but perhaps my dream of being a camera operator is undergoing revival.
Some of the thriller-violence (the kind of thing that isn't shown, but your imagination does for you) was a bit too far, but enhanced the movie's impact, so I didn't like it, but it was good.
Flags of our Fathers
**** 4/5 stars
'Good, but not brilliant.'
I can't work out why it wasn't brilliant. I came up with it very late last night, with reference to one scene in particular, but I can't remember now.
Straight after the movie, I was suggesting that perhaps there was too much closure, with lots of detail of what the soldiers did with their lives post flag-raising (contrastingly, something Stephen appreciated), but Jimmy argued it was the half-hour V.O. monologue narration. Maybe.
So Tristan, Jimmy, Shteve and myself saw this one, with Tristan most eventfully spilling his pink drink on his white shirt five minutes in. Stephen thinks he liked it most, and I guess so..
Ah! I remember now - I thought that the focus was slightly wrong. Disregarding the investigative nature of the obscured son and his narration, I think that it should have had more of an impact on me in other areas (ignoring that Clint Eastwood wrote the music, especially that guitar that lasted as long as the voice over monologue).
There was a poignant scene in which Ira was drunk and violent after being refused entry to a restaraunt or bar due to his being an American Indian. I thought that issues like this should have had a stronger focus - it reminded me of Civil Rights post-Vietnam. A man fights 'for his country' in war, comes back as hero (WWII, we're talking about here), yet can't even get a drink? I thought that this was more important than the narrator son talking about fatherdom.
The premise (communicated at the very end), was that if we truly want to honour such people, we should remember them as they actually were, not as false, posed photographs. My dad was really interested in the positioning of the film (as to whether it condemned the posed flag-raising or acknowledged that it was vital for the war effort), but the movie didn't say anything very controversial or shocking that made me think something new. I noticed that they de-saturated it more so than other war films, but I suppose they're allowed because it's mimicing photographs.
Highlights were the storming of the beach, Neal McDonough as a Captain (he played Buck in Band of Brothers), and various actors that have been in other movies like Saving Private Ryan or even Billy Elliot. I liked that there were no major stars in the film, and it will be very interesting to see the companion film next year, as I am I expecting it will be done right (with Japanese and subtitles), and that it will be done well.
So overall, I expected that Flags of Our Fathers should have been brilliant, but it wasn't, so that's a little disappointing, but it was quite well made. Again, documentaries would be interesting. ¶ 3:28 PM
