Wuthering Heights

I finally got around to seeing the 2011 version of Wuthering Heights.

Yes, I know I’m behind.  Anyone following the Twitter feed can see that all I watch are old movies.

This movie was darker than any other version I had seen, but it kind of made sense.  While I am not sure if I liked the film, I can say I was struck by it.  It immediately made me want to go back and read the book.

I first read Wuthering Heights in high school.  I’m not sure why, but I distinctly remember thinking I was going in for a gothic romantic supernatural love story.

While I guess it was a story about two people in love with each other, it was also a story about two people who were also incredibly mean to each other.  They hurt each other time and again and it didn’t matter if they could justify their actions.

how misleading is this cover?!

They were selfish and destructive and yet could not tear themselves away from each other.  Even when they tried, it made it worse for those around them and themselves.

While I’m guessing I have a soft spot for this type of story since a mutually assured destructive love story was also the basis for “Jeux D’enfant (Love Me If You Dare), one of the first things I’d seen with Marianne Cotillard.

Differences, yes.  But sometimes, despite love, people can bring out the worse in each other.  Both explore the darker side of being together and how trying to move on with a “normal” relationship does not work for them.  It is too boring, too common, too tame, too civilized.

My favorite part of the novel is the second half, the half generally ignored in movies.  I always felt this part brought everything back around full circle.  There was hope and redemption in the second half, while the first part ends so hopelessly.

Healthcliff begs Cathy to haunt him.

In this version, I did think that the children actors, Shannon Beers and Solomon Glave were very good.

These two were amazing.

I felt that the intensity was lost slightly when they were adults.   I can not tell if this makes the abuse more horrifying or less since the attitude is so cavalier, but it does not feel as though they are compelled by their obsession.

As children, Healthcliff is horrifically abused; emotionally, mentally and physically, no matter how he tries to be accepted.   He spends much of his time with Cathy, who defines the relationship between them.  When he grows older and she leaves, he doesn’t know what to do without her.  Of course, as is often the case, he becomes abusive as he is now able to assert some power where he has been previously powerless.  Oh, there a lot of themes in this novel but (courtly) love is not one of them.

So while I have read reviews where people outright hated the 2011 version, I personally felt that it captured the destructive nature of the novel.  Also, how could people not feel bad towards Heathcliff?  It almost seems obvious that he is so mean as an adult after all he had to deal with when younger.  (though there is one scene that creeped me out  a bit)

I’m also glad that the age is where it should be.  Doesn’t it make more sense that their love is so intense if they are younger in age?  It’s a driving theme behind Romeo and Juliet.  Has society changed the connotations of  this novel by using older actors?

Also, as a matter of comparison, when Cathy (in the 2011 movie) is licking his wounds and sucking on her scratches, I was reminded of “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield.

I will not give out spoilers, but just know there is a tale of two lovers that seems very similar to the 2011 movie version of Wuthering Heights.

Let’s see how much is kept in for the BBC movie adaptation that will be out in Christmas of 2013.  It will star Vanessa Redgrave and Sansa Stark.

Leaving Books Around the House

With summer here and my recent move, my house has been volunteered for revolving door service. This is fine, stressful, but not in a bad way. Having family and friends choose to visit while I am a bit in the midst of nowhere is nice.

a little isolated

Other than furious cleaning, because… maybe I still had boxes just lying around unpacked.   Please though, a little slack.  Remember when other people packed the boxes?   Some boxes, I would open up and just wonder at the clusterf*ck that ended up in there.

Kind of like this

Miscellaneous things were shoved into boxes, which made them such chores.  The house is also lacking in storage spots as well.  This means that anything I kept ends up a lot of times in totes in the bottom of closets or on shelves.   Some boxes just get frowned at and the lid put back on until I can figure out what to do with them.   And then hidden in my room.

But since the rest of the house is immaculate at this moment, I’m okay with the maze I have to navigate to make it to my bed each night.

cleaning is endless

While most of my books are stacked on shelves and bookcases in one room, I do like to strategically leave books sitting out in the hopes that someone visiting will pick it up with curiosity.

This of course means also tailoring the books to tastes of the people in their proximity.  Also, not choosing something too long perhaps?  Does anyone else agonize over this?

Currently, these are the small piles I have around my home.

Folk Tales of Ireland and A Light in the Attic

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, What the Dickens and Grimm’s Fairytales

Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Anne of Green Gables and The Screwtape Letters

Right now it’s just family coming by but I know the books will change once it comes time for friends instead.

Does anyone else do this?

New YA Title, Eyre House by Caitlin Greer

We are always looking for new things to read here … though really there needs to be more hours in the day to just read.

Since we are fans of YA, sci-fi and fantasy (all this authors categories), we were intrigued by the upcoming novel.

Cait writes YA and NA stories that range from sci-fi and fantasy (because she loves making worlds and things up), to contemporary (because she kind of sort of fell into it and discovered she’s not half bad). (from GoodReads)

When eighteen-year-old orphan Evan Richardson signed up to work at Eyre House, on the sleepy tourist getaway of Edisto Island, SC, he never expected to find himself dodging ghosts. But Eyre House seems to have more than its fair share of things that go bump in the night, and most of them seem to surround his employer’s daughter.

Back from her freshman year of college, Ginny Eyre is dangerous from word one. She’s a bad girl with ghosts of her own, and trouble seems to follow her everywhere she goes. But living or dead, trouble isn’t just stalking Ginny. When her ex-boyfriend is found murdered in the pool, Evan knows he’s got two choices – figure out what’s going on, or become the next ghost to haunt Ginny Eyre.

Mark it to read on the below link!

Goodreads - 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17694883-eyre-house

We will have more information as it gets closer to the release date. 

Greetings from The Middle of Nowhere

So blogging from a much different area, much different part of the country.  There are a lot of dirt roads, camo hats and trucks about.  No more just stopping by the store on the way home to pick something up.  No waking up in the morning and heading out to grab a cup of coffee and a bagel.  It’s quite surreal.

Anyway, I’m hoping that all had a good holiday season and did all the things they wanted to… Partied too hard, stayed in and relaxed, ate way too much awesome food, drank too much stuff that tasted great….

Like I mentioned earlier, during this time, I was kicking off the time with a move.  Oh… If only I had more time, because I ended up having to have people come in and help pack up the boxes.  The important books were all loving packed away and marked clearly.  Some of the other stuff, well, not so much.

In fact, I think the comment made (more than once) was, there are too many books and too many shoes.

Um…. excuse me while I spam pictures of both these beautiful things:

Lots of beautiful pics on this blog! click the pic to see more!

Of course, now I’m finding myself having to organize (AGAIN!) these beautiful things. *sigh* But at least I know where they are.  The utensils on the other hand are still missing as is my Inniskillen wine key.  While this made me sad, I lasted a two full days before being forced to go out and buy a new wine key.

Clicking on this picture will direct you to a NSFW link! Just a warning.

So while I’m still digging through my many, many boxes

While I am still learning all the crevices of my new home

While I am am catching up with technology

While Classic Who is in the background

While waiting for Warm Bodies to come out in theaters

While waiting to make new friends

I am keeping my books nearby.

clicking on the above pic while direct to a NSFW blog

And I will leave you with a Twilight Fanfic called Dirt Roads by winehoes.  It is a hilarious story about people living in the middle of nowhere being much more successful than I have been. Maybe I’m visiting all the wrong gas stations.

Trucker hats, possums, and dirt roads.

Book Readers are Sexy

From: Mickey
To: Leela
Sent: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 1:09 PM

This just keeps getting better…

Echo Bunny ‏@EchoPalimpsest

The woman reading @neilhimself on the train is 100x sexier than all the chicks posting naked pics of themselves

Retweeted by Neil Gaiman

uglyduckling pilates ‏@angelabarsotti

@EchoPalimpsest @neilhimself that’s what you say, but a #fantasy novel has NEVER gotten me picked up and high heels have a lot

Retweeted by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman ‏@neilhimself

From the last few RTs, I think someone clever should do an objective test on the efficacy of good books vs high heels for meeting people….

Ruth M ‏@scottishruth

@neilhimself What about reading a good book whilst wearing high heels? I do that all the time (can’t say I’m met anyone through it though!)

Retweeted by Neil Gaiman

 

From: Leela
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 3:09 PM
To: Mickey

lmao too funny. I read in heels too. but those are usually emails at work…

no one’s coming… click all the NSFW!

 

From: Mickey
To: Leela
Sent: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 9:41 AM

speaking of emails at work…   
http://www.thejanedough.com/romney-working-women/

BAH!

I’m writing in Batman!

 

From: Leela
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 10:09 AM
To: Mickey

May as well. Since we only have two ridiculous candidates to choose from. I too, will write in Batman.

 

From: Mickey
To: Leela
Sent: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 10:12 AM

He already comes with a Robin.

 

From: Leela
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 10:26 AM
To: Mickey

And lets face it, Air Force One does not have shit on the Batmobile.

Light Sabers or Wands??

From: Lela   Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 4:01 PM   To: Mickey   Subject: light saber vs. wand

GO

From: Mickey      To: Lela        Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 4:11 PM   Subject: RE: light saber vs. wand

……………………………..

Why do I have to choose?

L

This is like choosing between snicker doodle cake with brown sugar icing and Kahlua cake with coffee  butter cream …

From: Lela            Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:23 AM   To: Mickey   Subject: Re: light saber vs. wand

I KNOW!!!!

I chose the saber.  But only because the other girl chose the wand and was trying to tell me that there was no contest.  Um, No.  There is a contest.  That is quite possibly the toughest decision most of us would have to make.

From: Mickey      To: Lela     Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:27 AM   Subject: RE: light saber vs. wand

I mean… I’m so accident prone, it would  probably be like that time Ron hit himself with his spell.

It could potentially be a disaster. 

I guess a light saber would be more for people who have control issues.  I mean… a saber is more like a computer, it will do what you want it to do, right?  What you put in is what you get out?  A wand isn’t always like that?

From: Lela     Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:34 AM  To: Mickey    Subject: Re: light saber vs. wand

See, to me, a saber is a powerful weapon, by itself.  The wand by itself, is just a stick really.  So to me, the saber wins there.

Although I too, am accident prone.  I can see me slicing off my own limbs easily with one sneeze and drop of a saber…

From: Mickey Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:38 AMTo: ‘Lela      ‘Subject: RE: light saber vs. wand

Well we might just need one of the Wii wrist bands in case we accidently drop it?

Also, since Jedi’s build their own, we would probably have to include a pressure system that if you release the grip, the light saber automatically retracts?  Is that the right word?  Turns off???

But you know what I mean, like on treadmills where if you fall over you won’t get your skin ground off by the tread moving, it turns it off if you pull on that stupid little string you clip to yourself. 

Or in my case, you get your arm stuck in it and repeatedly turn the treadmill off anyway, plug it back in and start again in some weird spastic way of trying to “increase my endurance”

wait… what?

From: Lela       Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 12:49 PM     To: Mickey     Subject: Re: light saber vs. wand

Good call on the retracting pressure system.  I would also like to include using some never before seen colors.  Maybe a fuchsia?  I mean Mace Windu already took purple.  Or a rainbow saber?!?!?!?!?  

I dig the auto retract, that way if we have to throw the saber into the air while we flip over a nemesis and then catch it, it can retract in the air that automatically pop back when we land and it is back in our hands!  That would be pretty awesome. See how much more fun sabers are over wands.  I mean, with a wand I guess we could carve a pretty one and slap some paint on it.

From: Mickey        To: Lela          Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 12:52 PM   Subject: RE: light saber vs. wand

… I think I just had a horrifying image of a hello kitty light saber..

Wait does one exist yet??

Now that I’ve had time to think this over though… if we’re using a saber though, we’re Jedis, who went through Jedi training… and maybe we won’t BE that clumsy?

If it’s anything like the Kinect game training, I am SADLY LACKING and apparently very incompetent as a Jedi.

From: Lela     Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 12:53 PM     To: Mickey     Subject: Re: light saber vs. wand

THAT GAME IS OUT FOR KINNECT?!?!??!?!?!!?!?!?!?

hold the phone.

dammit is sure is.

You have a good point.  We can use the force to overcome our clumsiness, so no need to even worry…

From: Mickey Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 12:09 PMTo: ‘Lela     Subject: RE: light saber vs. wand

You should play it…. Nothing will scar you more than battling Han Solo to a rewritten version of Jason Derulo

video here:   (

)

         

         

Roland Deschain, Abe Lincoln and what to read next?

So, although I love to read, I have been accused of reading “trendy books”.  Yes, this was the phrase used.  I think this was after a lengthy conversation concerning the conceptualism of Moby Dick which included someone who stated that the only books they read are biographies.

Now, don’t get me wrong , I love some of the classics.  I was reading Edgar Allan Poe,  Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, Sheridan LeFanu, Oscar Wilde, Hemingway in either middle school into high school.  I was in accelerated reading classes where we discussed, dissected and beat symbolism to a slow tortuous death in every possible way.   While there was nothing wrong with that, I enjoyed other novels as well.  I pretty much read anything people shoved at me.  I’m not much different now.  There is something about books that, no matter how much I dislike them, I HAVE to get all the way through to the end to see what happened.  Sometimes, if I didn’t like the book, I gave it away and passed it on.  Other times, I held on to them and still have them lovingly tucked away on a shelf, covers worn down, pages turning soft.

Even in this day and age of digital readers, I still love holding the weight and heft of an actual book in my hand.  There is a ton of convenience of being able to carry 100 books in my bag, but for the ones I love, I still go out and buy the space consuming paper ones.

My digital reader isn’t much different than my book shelves and holds a mix of Neil Gaiman, Lewis Carroll, Stephen King, Brian Lumley, Marie Lu, Arthur Machen.  The list could go on and on.

Really, I understand some people only want to read certain things, but I want to read a ton of things and I want to share it with everyone.

And when they get movie releases, oh, my hopes are so high!  I know it’s just going to hurt me in the end but I can’t help it!

It’s awful for those around me.  I talk about it for years until the release and sometimes I don’t even think it’s a 50/50 chance of liking it, but I WANT to so badly.  Then I go to the theatre and watch it….  Sometimes, it works out wonderfully and other times., there is just no saving it.

From: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:04 PM

To:    mickey

Subject: I’m baaaaack

Did ya miss me?

 

From:    mickey

To: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:04 PM

Subject: RE: I’m baaaaack

YeS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How was it?!

OMFGITWASSOAMAZING!

We need to go on a cruise together!  You can put a deposit down, and then pay little by little.  UGGGGH  Once I am out of my mini financial crisis thats what I am going to do.

Anyhoo.

So I ate, slept, read and tanned.  Made my little heart so happy!

And now I am so sad.  Back to reality.  *sigh*

I read the first Dark Tower book.  Tell me it gets better.

From:    mickey

To: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 1:14 PM

Subject: RE: I’m baaaaack

It does

That one is the hardest to get through

It’s laying groundwork

To: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 1:35 PM

To:    mickey

Subject: Re: I’m baaaaack

Ok.  Cuz I put it down and was like, um, thats it?  it was good, but not great.  I figured though.  It  took me a minute to get through the first hunger games but i pressed on.  Lol

 

From:    mickey

To: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 2:03 PM

Subject: RE: I’m baaaaack

Yea the first book has actually been rewritten too

I read the original book and yes

It gets much much better

And you should see the graphic novels for it

 

From: Lela

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 2:09 PM

To:    mickey

Subject: Re: I’m baaaaack

yeah, I am imagining the graphic novels are amazing. but i want to read the first few books first

I also got Abraham Lincoln Vampire hunter  I am starting that one before the next dark tower though.  i think.  i dunno.  DECISIONS!

From:    mickey <

To: Lela <

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 3:15 PM

Subject: RE: I’m baaaaack

Do it, it’s an easier read

But definitely go back!! It’s worth it!

From: Mickey <
To:  lela <   Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 10:28 AM Subject: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

But although I haven’t seen the movie, the trailer itself turned me off the movie, although I really liked the book.

The book was written as a biography with small insertions of supernatural events.

The trailer shows a tall dark and brooding axe throwing BAMF with mad athletic skills… which was never the case in the novel?? Unless I misread it?

Also this and bad reviews:

http://io9.com/5921290/10-rules-of-blockbuster-movies-that-hollywood-forgot

Things that sound funny should be funny. This is sort of a marketing problem, but also sort of a storytelling problem. We can’t count how many times lately we’ve heard film-makers say stuff like, “Sure, the movie is called Cowboys & Aliens, but it’s not a comedy.” Ditto for Battleship and Abe Lincoln. We also heard a lot about how John Carter was trying not to be too comical. There seems to be a trend towards tackling goofy concepts in a dead-serious way, while still keeping a goofy title. It’s possible that for some concepts, the alternative to “comical” isn’t “serious,” but rather “dull.”

From:  lela
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 11:01 AM

To: Mickey

Subject: Re: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

I am reading the book.  It is incredibly good.
I hear poor reviews about the movie.  I believe I will wait for the HBO or Redbox release.

how could they do this to us?

Gosh, Maybe it’s better that The Dark Tower project was shut down??  I don’t know if I could deal with these kind of articles surrounding it!

http://io9.com/5921285/why-abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter-is-the-ultimate-white-guilt-fantasy

Worst “The Hunger Games” Movie Reaction Post Ever

Hunger Games Fangirls

From: Mickey
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 4:41 PM
To: Lela
I think next week we should do Hunger Games movie reaction? 

 

From: Mickey
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 10:33 AM
To: Lela

I saw it

Have you seen it?

From: Lela
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 10:38 AM
To: Mickey

No.

 

From: Mickey
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 10:48 AM
To: Lela

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    When?

From: Lela
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 10:58 AM
To: Mickey

I got sick and kept having dizzy spells. But I did watch more Doctor Who. 

 From: Mickey
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:50 PM
To: Lela
Subject: Katniss’s weight an issue?

http://www.themarysue.com/hunger-games-successful-female-film/

Jennifer Lawrence's weight was complained about??

 From: Lela
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 9:18 AM
To: Mickey
Subject: I FINALLY SAW IT

I FRICKIN LOVED IT!!!!

SPOILERS!

  

**MINOR SPOILERS**

 From: Mickey
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 9:30 AM
To: Lela

Ok, which parts?? I LOVED the additional scenes!  I loved Seneca Crane.  The riot in eleven, that choked me up more than Rue, probably because I didn’t expect it.

From: Lela
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:43 AM
To: Mickey

So, I cried at the Reaping, I cried saying bye to Prim.  I cried when Rue died, I cried with riot in 11…  I cried.  A lot. I pretty much left that theatre looking like I was in a fight, hair was all messed up because my ass kept falling asleep so I would have to move and adjust, black lines down my face from makeup.  HOT MESS.

I love how they showed the control room in the Capitol. I think they did a good job with the mutts (I was worried about that).  I have a question was the part of Peeta throwing the big metal ball in the book?  I didn’t remember that at all.

PS  Even though I am warming up to Peeta, I am still Team Gale.

the real trio

 From: Mickey
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:46 AM
To: Lela

Pshhh how could you not be team gale?

I expected to cry more and did not.  Maybe because I was bracing myself for it.

I loved seeing the control room.

From: Lela
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:45 AM
To: Mickey

umm…

WTF?

 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/hunger-games-racist-tweets-rue_n_1380377.html?ref=topbar

RUE

 From: Mickey
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:46 AM
To: Lela

Yea… people didn’t actually READ and ASSUMED that she looked like Prim because she reminded Katniss of her sister.

Remind and LOOK LIKE read differently, they also do not mean the same things.

But you know what they say about assuming…

 From: Lela
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:55 AM
To: Mickey

…makes a racist out of you and me? 

From: Mickey
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:56 AM
To: Lela

Well I guess that’s how the saying went.

She never talks about races so it’s all inferred, but that far into the future, I’m sure people have other things to worry about.  Plus, if you’re district is cut off from other districts, much less the rest of the world… what’s your field of reference?

After reading the books a few times, I wondered if Betee and Wiress had Asian blood by the way they were described though.

 From: Lela
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 1:33 PM
To: Mickey

LMFAO 

“Finnick is incredibly handsome. Really, he’s practically a joke of physical perfection — in Catching Fire, Collins describes him as a muscular, tan, bronze-haired dude with sea green eyes. So he’s either a merman or an Australian. But unlike Australians, Finnick’s beauty masks a bleak inner life: After winning his Hunger Games, he makes a life for himself as a high-class prostitute in the Capitol. It’s a tricky doucheboat-with-a-heart-of-gold role, requiring an actor who can be threatening, but also melancholy, but who can also pull off Finnick’s Caligula-worthy “Golden Net” outfit, which seems destined to test Catching Fire‘s PG-13 rating more than any kid-killing montage.

In Catching Fire, Finnick is about 24. But since the teenage Katniss and Peeta are played by Jennifer Lawrence (21) and Josh Hutcherson (19), it seems likely that Lionsgate would be willing to stretch the age range into the late ’20s or early ’30s. It seems to me that there’s one actor in Hollywood that’d be perfect for the role…but unfortunately, Chris Hemsworth happens to be the older brother of Liam, and it’s a well-known fact that the space-time continuum will implode if two Hemsworths appear in the same movie together.”

 popwatch.ew.com/2012/03/26/hunger-games-finnick-catching-fire/

Armie Hammer

From: Mickey
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 1:39 PM
To: Lela

There’s a campaign for Armie Hammer, the prince from Mirror Mirror.

www.facebook.com/ArmieForFinnick

http://armiehammerforfinnickodair.tumblr.com/post/20296309778/catopeetagirl-armie-hammer-as-finnick-odair

 From: Lela
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 1:58 PM
To: Mickey

Meh.  He also looks too nice.  Finnick, to me has an asshole hottie face. lol Not a pretty face, if that makes sense.

  

From: Mickey
To: Lela
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 1:59 PM

Wasn’t he an ass in the social network?

 

 From: Lela
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 2:11 PM
To: Mickey

Yeah, I didn’t see that. Maybe he plays a good asshole?

You know who was meant for Finnick, but acted 20 years too early?  William Zabka.  Aka Johnny from Karate kid… although maybe he’s not pretty enough…

  

From: Mikal Haddox
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 2:15 PM
To: Lela

Or this guy back when:

 But, I think it won’t matter?

It will be an Rpattz thing all over again, a Jhutcherson and Jlawrence thing

Everything will think they are all wrong for the part.

And after professional grooming, tanning and colored contacts and a personal trainer everyone will drool over him and say he was only the perfect choice…

But as long as he CAN ACT, I think most people will be happy. 

The rest is all trickery.

From: Mickey
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 2:46 PM
To: Lela

Fun fact: Stephanie Meyers pictured Henry Cavil when writing about Edward Cullen.

 

From: Mickey
To: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 8:38 AM  

Posting ideas:  list of movies that make you cry?

 From: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 9:29 AM
To: Mickey 

Easier.  How about a list that does not make me cry? 

 

From: Mickey
To: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 9:34 AM

 I wanted to post about the movie.

From: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 9:36 AM
To: Mickey 

Doesn’t Hunger Games get its own post?

 

From: Mickey
To: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 9:37 AM

Would it be long enough? Do you want to write up something really long about the movie?

I think I wrote a really long one a while ago about the books themselves?

It was just going to be an aside how there were parts of the books I cried at more than the movie and different parts of the movie affected me.

From: Lela
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 9:45 AM
To: Mickey
I think it could be long enough, especially if you add pictures?  You can also add the fan videos.  The Rue and Katniss one from Mainstay Productions made me cry more than the movie. 

Rue and Katniss - Mainstay Productions

 

 From: Lela
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 9:57 AM
To: Mickey
Subject: Cabin in the Woods

 WAS OUTSTANDING!

From: Mickey
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 4:55 PM
To: Lela
Subject: RE: cabin in the woods

…. we never did write anything up for THG

From: Lela

Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 4:59 PM

To: Mickey

OMG we didn’t. Ok. Start it off.

From: Mickey
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 6:44 PM
To: Lela
Subject: RE: cabin in the woods

 ….

What do I even say that hasn’t already been said?

……   TO THE INTERNET!

TO THE INTERNET!

 

I’m just directing to various other blogs and websites that wrote up well reactions:

http://mockingjay.net/2012/03/23/the-hunger-games-movie-reaction-post-what-did-you-think/

http://victorsvillage.com/2012/03/24/reaction-the-hunger-games-movie/

www.themarysue.com/hunger-games-successful-female-film/

http://io9.com/5895771/the-hunger-games-will-ruin-you

“strongest female performance in an action film since Sigourney Weaver in Alien, and this has got to be one of the biggest reasons for the success.”
http://whatculture.com/film/6-reasons-why-the-hunger-games-has-made-500-million.php

Ripley - BAMF

www.chrisdevlinwrites.com/blog/?p=3646

www.andmagazine.com/content/phoenix/12154.html

 

Fan Fiction to Paperback

To: Lela

From: Mickey

Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 12:40 PM
Subject: FF to paperback

 

So I came across a surprising piece of information today on the internet.  (oh internet how I love your infinite wisdom)

Sebastien Robichaud

 

  This guy so it says (and the interwebz NEVER lie!)  is Sebastien Robichaud, who wrote a fanfiction story that I thoroughly enjoyed called “The University of Edward Masen.”  He also followed this up with another tale called “The Ice Queen and Mr. McCarty” which was also fantastic.  I was attempting to find more information on UoEM as the story has been pulled from the internet and is being published.  I am probably very behind with this information but I was thinking about it after seeing all the hype lately about another FF turned legitimate novel called “Fifty Shades of Grey”.  Anyone who has been paying attention to this story can see that the author is not shy about admitting that her novel started out as a fan fiction that evolved.  Now with three novels and a movie deal in the works, it seems like it has thrust fan fiction out into the public eye.  But because of the success of Fifty Shades, I wanted to go on a quest for other stories I knew had been pulled to be published and find out the new names of the titles.  It’s actually NOT a bad marketing tool for “Fifty” and I wish the others would follow suit because fans or even just curious readers of the stories might seek them out in order to see how much has changed and how much they recognise, similar to  seeing a movie version of a book.  I am guilty of all these things and at the same time, I am so proud to see them publish these diamonds in the rough that ended up being big time works in the fan fiction community.  There are some seriously talented writers out there and some are very much asking for constructive criticism concerning what they put out there.  It’s exciting to meet people who like these stories and join websites and forums where we can discuss to our hearts content and squeal with delight when stories update, needing to drop everything to read the new chapter that just posted.  I know, I know, I have said this before in my other FF post.  But really… there is a whole world and it seems that the “real world” is finally sitting up and taking notice.

 

 

 

To: Mickey

From: Lela

Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: FF to paperback

 

Every time I think of fan fiction, I remember my days of writing old Saved By the Bell and Dawson’s Creek episodes…  I would’ve never expected the guy to be older!
Cassandra Clare is also a fan fiction turned legit author, right?

 

The Mortal Instruments

 

To: Lela

From: Mickey

Sent: Friday, April 6, 2012 9:51 AM
Subject: RE: FF to paperback

 

Yes she is, she wrote Harry Potter FF.

 

To: Lela

From: Mickey

Sent: Friday, April 6, 2012 10:04 AM
Subject: RE: FF to paperback

 

?…. Nothing else to say?

No banter, no humour J

Have you read any?  Do you think it’s a good idea?

What about the 60 year old man???

 

 

To: Mickey

From: Lela

Sent: Friday, April 06, 2012 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: FF to paperback

 

 

I don’t know enough about fan fiction to be funny about it. 

 

I read all the ones that you sent me, and the bourbon something or other one. Having never read the actual books they were based on, well I loved those.  Those actually got me back into reading again.  And of course there was my fan fiction written in composition notebooks while in PR for the summer because there was no English TV.  Bet you didn’t know that both Dawson and Zach Morris had girlfriend’s named Lela

 

I did find it strange that a 60 year old man wrote that, but listen when we’re 60 we’re still going to watch the same type of shows and read the same type of books.  I mean sure, we may have to dive in a few more titles such as, “ Life without a Hip” and “Where are My Teeth”, but I think our tastes won’t change.  So most likely this older gentleman always like teen romance novels??? lol  I have no idea on this.

Pixar's Old Man playing Chess

 

 

To: Lela

From: Mickey

Sent: Friday, April 06, 2012 2:17 PM
Subject: RE: FF to paperback

 

Seriously.

Customer just walked in with the 50 book.  A girl here started asking her questions and the lady said she just bought it and was only on page 1.  I thought to myself… she’s really going to sit in there and read that while waiting for her meeting???! … really, it’s soft core, the whole way! … I mean, I know that’s one of the reasons it was so popular when it was updating.  And to be honest, I skip those parts.  I can only read about thrusting, ministrations and coming undone so many times.  It was actually one of the reasons I had stopped reading the FF when it was updating.  I’ve never been big on reading those kinds of novels.  But yes, I went and read 50 out of curiosity.  She is a stronger woman than I to be reading that in public. 

I blush just thinking about it.  Lol

 

 

 

Puzzles, Half Truths and Unreliable Narrators

  

 

I just finished Portal 2.  Yes, I know, I AM SO BEHIND.  In reality, I wanted to wait until the price went down and then I needed to find time to finish the game.  Seriously, if I don’t reign myself in, I can literally sit around for hours getting sucked in. I would stay up all night playing Half-Life.  I finished The Indigo Prophecy in one weekend.  I would easily log in eight hours at a time on Resident Evil. 

Now that I have a real job and a home to take care of and family close by, all these things take up time.  So gaming time is normally limited to the late evening, early night for a few hours.  Plus, I have to share a gaming system, so even if it is free, there is no guarantee it’s my turn to play.  So finishing a game in the space of days has turned into MONTHS of play for games like Heavy Rain.  (Some of that though may have had to do with the subject matter, which really stressed me out if I played too long.)

 

 

I will say, most of the games that I played go back to days on the computer itself.  Remember Zork, Myst, 7^th Guest, or Missing?  There was a lot of thinking and yes, possibly even note taking involved in these games.  But the mystery can be what makes these stand out in my mind, exploring and experimenting until something worked. 

This is the same with Portal 2 and at the end of the single player game(I am still in the middle of co-op), I was curious about certain aspects of the game. 

 

*SPOILERS* 

Yes, I saw her name on the potato project, which made me wonder how long she had really been in the facility.  Seems that the smart thing to do would be to keep all the people there that day, put them in long term sleep to wake up whenever a new test subject is necessary. 

I saw a lot of debates on whether anything GLaDOS said should be trusted and how the main protagonist is silent and the ones who do speak are unreliable narrators.  A lot has to be inferred on what the player can actually see, as well as trying to decipher what could be useful information to you and what is only useful to someone else at your expense.  GLaDOS, and by extension the other AI, are unreliable.  Some of them indicating they were only doing things because they were told not to and given a made up consequence if they violated the rules. 

There are a lot of illusions to the story of Prometheus in the story, as well as some dark humour.  Loved it. 

Of course, there aren’t really any clearer answers by the end of the story, just clearer questions to ask. 

It’s very smart that the narrative trips you down memory lane to give you this, because even after the game is over, there are still things your mind lingers on. 

Plenty of movies follow the same;  the ending of Inception, Source Code,  the whole of Donnie Darko,  parts of Moon, Stay, The Machinist, PI, Fight Club, Momento, American Psycho.   Some of this is due to the viewer’s perception based on not being given enough information but in plenty of these examples are also faulted by an unreliable narrator.  Some movies at least tie up things in a nice bow at the end but really… don’t some people just love not always having the answers?

Haymitch gives advice to Katniss. But how much isn't he telling?

  

The Wicked novels by Gregory Maguire, just ended with ”Out of OZ” and there is some question of an extra character being included by the end.  I asked the only other person I know who has read the entire Wicked series and she gave me her view, which is very different than mine had been.  The forms have tons more speculation, which was just fascinating to read.  Even “The Hunger Games” (really gearing up for the movie’s midnight showing) has questions of whether Katniss is a reliable narrator?  Is she being too hard on the people around her?  How clearly does she really see these people?  As the series goes on, it becomes quite obvious that she was left in the dark for a number of things going on around her, so her perception is very unreliable at times.  In the case of THG, there is a fanfiction author I enjoyed named “Solaryllis” who does a good job of trying to fill the holes in of what is actually going on within the confines of Suzanne Collins story.  To be fair, this made me more sympathetic to certain characters that we don’t get much background motivation for in the novels.

 

 

 

But let’s move on to one of my favorite puzzle like books with an unreliable narrator, “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski.  It is the story of a young man, Johnny, who finds a manuscript in the aparment of a man named Zampano, titled ”The Navidson Record”. This is a tale about a house that is bigger on the inside and how it affects the family who lives there.   Almost everything in this book is ambiguous, from who the “writer” is, how much of the original story has been changed in the narrative and how much influence the companion piece “The Whalestoe Letters” have on the psyche of the narrator.  There is even a footnote indicating that the person who found “The Navidson Record” is making conscious changes to the story.  After that, you begin to wonder what other changes he is making based on his mood or other outside influences.  The best part is going on to the forum website and seeing the little notations people found, like the midi file hiding on the cover that plays “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” or the secret codes hidden in some of the letters.  Then there is the CD “Haunted”, written by Poe and the author’s sister.  They were obviously inspired by each other during the creative process which makes things so much more interesting. 

 

 

In just about any of these cursory internet searches, it points the way to the forums where loads of fans discuss theories in the books, little nuances they noticed along the way.  Even more fun can be TV Tropes WMG (Wild Mass Guesses)  where they freely admit all sanity is left behind.  But in all cases, the fun is in the debates, the fun is in the guessing and throwing out conspiracies and finding things to back it all up.   A good story is one that stays with you long after you’ve finished the book, or watched the movie, or even finished the game.  It’s something that even years down the road, is something that sticks with you and, because of this familiarity, can be recalled with fondness.  It is something that when you revisit down the line, with a different perspective, may be looked at in a different way.  For this, I am glad that there aren’t always clear answers.