Category: Movies

V for … watchers or doers?

Monday, 22 May, 2006 at 2:26 pm

(This is all entirely based on my opinion of course, I’m not saying I’m right.)

I read this article by Liz Miller at bookslut.com about V for Vendetta, both the graphic novel and the movie. (Well moreso the movie than the comic.)

I have to disagree with her on the ending. The ending was my favorite part. ^^; When everyone’s marching and … I sure hope people realize this post has spoilers, considering I’m talking about the ending. When the police/military/whatever they are end up standing down and the public rushes past them, climbing over the barricade, it made me shiver, in a good way.

It’s probably because we’re looking at it from two different perspectives. She’d already read the comic, so she was set up for one ending, whereas I hadn’t and all I knew was the current political environment, so the movie’s ending was completely new and different for me.

Considering how low voter turnout is in America, I liked that idea of all these people deciding to (at least) go outside and strive for change. True, they didn’t really do anything of action. But each did show one more person who wanted something different from the government. That’s what I got out of it. Don’t sit at home and think about yourself first.

Aside from that … I’m afraid I didn’t get much out of the graphic novel. It’s probably my fault; I stayed up late reading it, so obviously my reading comprehension went down. I should read it again. One thing I definitely liked was that each person had a story, they weren’t just cardboard representations, placeholders (for example, the chancellor). There was also more of a developed relationship between V and Evey (and not the OMG kiss already! kind) that I could understand. But in the movie I liked Finch better. :b He didn’t go mad and go on an LSD trip! Although the scene where V talks to Finch reeks of a quick explanation for me now. Boo. (Actually it’s better this way. It now gives me an excuse for not comprehending it the first time. *laugh*)

To Be

Saturday, 20 May, 2006 at 2:45 pm

I saw this animated short* on YouTube, I thought it was interesting.

I think the copy would just have another soul, if indeed it did get another soul (maybe it wouldn’t, and it would just be a pile of flesh? or maybe it would, but it wouldn’t be God-given, and therefore be horribly rotten?).

But ignoring the soul aspect, you kind of wonder. I guess it’s got the cloning idea in it a bit. So from a purely atheistic, DNA view, they’re the same exact person, so is there a problem with destroying the original? And if the original were destroyed, is the copy an exact copy and same person, or (basing on the end of the cartoon) does the copy have no ties to the original, and can start a new life?

*grin*

(The other videos that user has uploaded are neat too. Maybe not as philosophical.)

* Alternate link to animated short film video

V (for the Guy Fawkes mask-wearer)

Friday, 24 March, 2006 at 2:15 am

Last night (erm, Wednesday night *looks at date/time of entry*) I went to see V for Vendetta with Daddy. Right when I stepped in the theater and the previews were loud (we were running a tad late), I thought, ‘Oh no, I forgot it’s a violent movie, and violent movie = loud volume which means me plugging my ears for the entire time.’ (Although there were times where it was very talky and I could unplug my ears, there were still a couple scenes where I found the background music to be too loud.)

But anyway. What do I think? I honestly cannot answer truthfully. I really have no idea. I’m biased on both sides. It’s a Natalie Portman movie! But then, it’s just another Oooh don’t let the government get too much power or else movie, with killing and explosions. It did have an interesting way of addressing it/“solving” the problem though. So … meh.

I wonder if there’s something wrong when during one scene in the movie I thought, ‘Is this Guy Fawkes mask the one that Neil Gaiman wanted from his childhood, or is it just specifically designed for the movie?’ And, looking at his August 21, 2005 entry through the handy Search function (which I will not be linking to … no showing up of my blog in his access logs, nosirree!), I suppose it is. ^^;;;

I never understood the Guy Fawkes thing. Perhaps that problem stems from the fact that I learned about Guy Fawkes (and Guy Fawkes Day, somewhat) from a children’s book by Diana Wynne Jones, called Witch Week (which I still have, and which I realized last night that I absolutely love it, despite not having read it in quite a few years). (I couldn’t quite figure it out, did he or did he not really succeed? [I never claimed to have good analytical reading skills.])

(Also, *pokes fingers together* I never thought I’d be one to develop a crush on someone whose face I never see. heh)

line

Friday, 13 January, 2006 at 7:14 pm

Hmm … I meant to type “lion” into a search but I actually type “line.” O.o It made me think of that “lion/line cut” joke.

But anyway. I make typos, switching letters around or even putting in letters that aren’t anywhere in the word (which I seem to be doing a lot of at the moment), or missing letters. But I never type in (correctly) a different word than I was thinking. Um. Maybe I did when someone was talking to me and I was typing. But other than that. I just thought it was weird.

(I also rather enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which I saw on New Year’s day. :b)

Neil Gaiman weekend

Tuesday, 4 October, 2005 at 9:29 pm

I know I’ve been lazy in updating this lately and even now with a really cool update I’ve been putting it off/forgetting about it. But I’m forcing myself to write about it now. (Maybe I should just write about weekends, or something. I mean, specialness over the weekends. Or going to the mall if something really interesting happens. Or something. I’m willing to not have records of the more mundane stuff. But this weekend was just really cool and I’d rather write this entry now than not have it later in life [and hopefully my online logs won’t disappear >.>].)

So! Friday I got Mum to go with me to the Nuart to see Mirrormask! We saw the theater and there was a line and I was freaking out thinking what if we can’t get in??? but haha we got in ($14.50 for two matinee tickets) and sat down and yeah it was a tiny cozy cool theater. ^^ And the theater wasn’t that full. I mean, much much more full than Charlie or March of the Penguins. But not like Star Wars (second weekend?) or H2G2 (first night?) Probably about 40 people there, maybe (I’m horrible at estimating), and there were bunches of teens there! Hee! (Normally wouldn’t be excited about that because, well, immature, but hey, it meant that they HEARD about it! XD Goooo Neil and Dave!) It was a really cool fun inventive interesting visually appealing movie and Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) was great and the guy she hung with and YEAH! I loooooved seeing Dave McKean’s stuff in motion. XD So cool.

Mum liked the movie. She said she woke up the next morning thinking about the movie. hehe! Yeah, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, ‘Did I have a dream about Mirrormask?’ (I couldn’t remember. ;.; But it was a nice dream. ^^)

Saturday (non-Neil Gaiman, even though there was a signing at Vroman’s, just didn’t feel like standing in line for hours just to get him write his name in the book; I probably would have liked a doodle in my book, but he only doodles in the first 100 or so books, so meh)

Sunday at 1:15 got ready to go to the West Hollywood Book Festival got there about 2 minutes before he started talking. We stood behind the seats, a little to our right. Then he came out in his leather jacket and sunglasses and sat down and he took off his jacket (it was warm, but not completely unbearable) and he was wearing a black t-shirt. XD And he looked in our direction for most of the talk! (Although I think he was looking at the Death/Daniel/Dream cosplayers.) And yeah. He talked. Yayfun! Mum said she understood half of what they talked about. I’m glad. She asked me a few questions about him after that. heehee. Saw the Golden Apple place where he was gonna sign. They had some of his stuff there. Saw the Sandman Companion. And other comics of his that I don’t have (yet). Sandman has new covers. o.o I like the old Dave McKean covers better though. *pout*

What did he talk about? Umm, a little about writing Anansi Boys, a little about Anansi Boys, a little about writing, a little about some Genie (??) account that he had 1989–1992 (“So you’re a proto-blogger.” –Heidi McDonald XD), a “tiffle” sound (pfa?) he would make while writing (found out while writing on Beowulf with Roger Avery), the little coffee (?) place in the midwest he wrote Anansi Boys in for 6 months (he left after someone recognized him and an employee said they’d be keeping an eye on him; “‘Oh, there he is writing again—no wait now he’s looking out the window.'”), about his daughter and her graphic novels course at college, stuff. ^__^

Then we went to Waldenbooks so I could buy Anansi Boys with a 25% off coupon and YAY I got a FIRST EDITION!!! XDDDDDD *points at the words first edition on that information page* But it’s already kind of curling (from the sun? air?) :( I don’t feel like taking it with me to class anymore. *hugs protectively* I haven’t even got to “the bad thing” in the middle of the book yet either! (Something Heidi brought up at the talk. She said she had to put the book down and walk away. o.o Neil Gaiman said he was surprised by it too, and didn’t write for four months after that. ^^;)

So…yeah, that’s it. The book isn’t really like American Gods, it’s funnier, not as, well, dry (I like AG, but still, it’s … not Neverwhere or Good Omens, definitely). Although I just read this part where he visits the old gods, and it’s kind of like AG. ^^;;

That’s it. I’m late getting to bed again. ;_; (10:11)