movies, fic links, poll results
Jan. 21st, 2005 11:45 amThe Aviator: So. wonderful. Not a whole lot to say beyond that. Didn't know much about Howard Hughes prior to seeing it, and now I want to run out and buy a biography to learn more. So very fascinating. Leo kicked major ass. He's always been a great actor, but he hasn't been able to showcase his talents like this since ... well, maybe ever. He so deserved that Golden Globe. I felt tense almost the entire movie, because he just draws you into his character; there are parts where you know Hughes is incredibly uncomfortable, and Leo portrays it in such an absolutely real and believable way that you're right there in the scene with them, feeling that tension. You know who else deserved a GG but wasn't even nominated? Cate Blanchett. She was nothing short of amazing. I hope she gets an Oscar nod; it's a travesty, imho, that she was overlooked at the GGs. Score: 8/9 (8 on rewatchability; 9 on movie delivery/content)
House of Flying Daggers: This started out so promising. I was in love with the costumes, and what I suspected the storyline was going to be. After the first three scenes, however, my interest plummeted along with story plot/cohesion/delivery. Some scenes were unnecessarily drawn out in the name of art, being too self-conscious of being artistic. True artistry just happens; it's deliberate, but doesn't feel deliberate. There were moments of true artistry in the film, but too many that seemed forced. The actors were great, but there were some scenes that felt generic and repetitive (such as the fumbling, awkward love scenes, which I found painful). The 'reveal' wasn't much of a reveal, and the culmination was more of a whimper than a bang. I like Crouching Tiger more every time I see it (and I love Zhang Ziyi from it); I can't imagine that I'd want to see this one over and over again. Score: 6
No Alias commentary this week, as I was a dumbass, didn't set a timer, and missed it. Jade volunteered to Priority Mail a copy to me, but when I learned that Sark wasn't in it (STILL), I told her not to bother. She gave me the low down on what happened in the ep. Sounded pretty forgettable to me ... the only parts that seemed worth watching was the Nadia stuff. We think they should just retire Syd and Vaughn (since they seem incapable of not shoving that pairing down our throats), and Nadia/Weiss can take over. That would rock so much.
My computer putting together has been delayed again, because the place where I finally ordered my video card has informed me that they're backordered. YOU COULDN'T TELL ME THAT THE DAY I ORDERED IT? &!#&%*@!!!! Anyway, I have ordered another one from somewhere else, but I hate waiting.
Secret Santas at
dearsanta have been revealed! I was so, so lucky to get
_lore, who wrote me this fabulous D/G fic: Listen While You Can (linking again in case you missed it the first time). She's a Snape/Lupin fan normally, and LWYC is the longest thing she's ever written, and it's all for me!! Squeeee! And now I can also pimp
jade_okelani's Like a Stone, a character piece about Harry that is just so wonderful. (I wrote an USTy Snape/Lupin called Renewal for the lovely
kellie528.)
Many thanks to everyone who filled out the poll. I learned lots of interesting things. Thirteen of them, to be exact.
Top 13 Things I Learned from the Random Poll
13) If it were up to us, The Matrix would have raked in more money than Titanic
12) No wonder Carrie had such a hard time choosing between Big and Aidan; we're totally torn about the issue ourselves.
11) We like strong women who aren't afraid to express their sexuality (or Charlotte), and men like Chandler, Spike, and Matt Damon.
10) We don't like sequels. Or spin-offs. Give us the originals, or at least give us Sean Connery!
9) Only three of us have actually even *seen* Sideways.
8) We think Rose was pure and untouched when she and Jack did it in the backseat. (There are details, though, that make me a bit torn on this one.) Or at least that she never made the beast with two backs with Cal.
7) Most of you are surprisingly forgiving about Ben Affleck's career up to this point.
6) If Alias and Lost were in the same time slot, they'd cancel each other out.
5) We like our princess and her diaries!
4) Raw-fish eaters outnumber non-raw-fish eaters by a scant amount. As do those who think Brad and Jen's marriage sleeps with the fishes.
3) Most of you don't have any more HP movies to look forward to.
2) Many of us have deluded ourselves into thinking that D/G could happen in canon. Well, it could happen!
And finally, the number one thing I have learned from this poll...
1) Only 11 of us have ever read the Georgia Nicolson series, because there is no way anyone who's read the series would choose Masimo or the Sex God over Dave the Laugh. I refuse to believe it.
House of Flying Daggers: This started out so promising. I was in love with the costumes, and what I suspected the storyline was going to be. After the first three scenes, however, my interest plummeted along with story plot/cohesion/delivery. Some scenes were unnecessarily drawn out in the name of art, being too self-conscious of being artistic. True artistry just happens; it's deliberate, but doesn't feel deliberate. There were moments of true artistry in the film, but too many that seemed forced. The actors were great, but there were some scenes that felt generic and repetitive (such as the fumbling, awkward love scenes, which I found painful). The 'reveal' wasn't much of a reveal, and the culmination was more of a whimper than a bang. I like Crouching Tiger more every time I see it (and I love Zhang Ziyi from it); I can't imagine that I'd want to see this one over and over again. Score: 6
No Alias commentary this week, as I was a dumbass, didn't set a timer, and missed it. Jade volunteered to Priority Mail a copy to me, but when I learned that Sark wasn't in it (STILL), I told her not to bother. She gave me the low down on what happened in the ep. Sounded pretty forgettable to me ... the only parts that seemed worth watching was the Nadia stuff. We think they should just retire Syd and Vaughn (since they seem incapable of not shoving that pairing down our throats), and Nadia/Weiss can take over. That would rock so much.
My computer putting together has been delayed again, because the place where I finally ordered my video card has informed me that they're backordered. YOU COULDN'T TELL ME THAT THE DAY I ORDERED IT? &!#&%*@!!!! Anyway, I have ordered another one from somewhere else, but I hate waiting.
Secret Santas at
Many thanks to everyone who filled out the poll. I learned lots of interesting things. Thirteen of them, to be exact.
Top 13 Things I Learned from the Random Poll
13) If it were up to us, The Matrix would have raked in more money than Titanic
12) No wonder Carrie had such a hard time choosing between Big and Aidan; we're totally torn about the issue ourselves.
11) We like strong women who aren't afraid to express their sexuality (or Charlotte), and men like Chandler, Spike, and Matt Damon.
10) We don't like sequels. Or spin-offs. Give us the originals, or at least give us Sean Connery!
9) Only three of us have actually even *seen* Sideways.
8) We think Rose was pure and untouched when she and Jack did it in the backseat. (There are details, though, that make me a bit torn on this one.) Or at least that she never made the beast with two backs with Cal.
7) Most of you are surprisingly forgiving about Ben Affleck's career up to this point.
6) If Alias and Lost were in the same time slot, they'd cancel each other out.
5) We like our princess and her diaries!
4) Raw-fish eaters outnumber non-raw-fish eaters by a scant amount. As do those who think Brad and Jen's marriage sleeps with the fishes.
3) Most of you don't have any more HP movies to look forward to.
2) Many of us have deluded ourselves into thinking that D/G could happen in canon. Well, it could happen!
And finally, the number one thing I have learned from this poll...
1) Only 11 of us have ever read the Georgia Nicolson series, because there is no way anyone who's read the series would choose Masimo or the Sex God over Dave the Laugh. I refuse to believe it.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 02:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 02:20 pm (UTC)Anyway, I stand by my claim that they could make better use of Sark and keep him on as a regular at the same time (say, give him the same deal they gave Sloane), but it's obvious they don't want to jeopardize or threaten Syd/Vaughn in any way, which Sark's presence assuredly would do, just from the tension he would generate. :p
no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 03:06 pm (UTC)*laughs and laughs and laughs*
Oh Charlotte...
no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 06:13 pm (UTC)This is the one I'm truly shocked by. It's as though Matt is his human credential.
And it could happen!!
no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 06:17 pm (UTC)~Kristi~
no subject
Date: 2005-01-22 03:33 am (UTC)