After recently re-watching Interview with the Vampire, I realize that a horror movie isn't meant to just scare us these days. Yep, something will jump out and cause you to momentarily levitate, but for the most part, the scares are secondary to the philosophy. Some "monsters" are sympathetic or alluring, while others symbolize primal elements of our personality that require something, say a virus, for a trigger. It's hard to find horror that is intended to do little more than scare and entertain you in an old-fashioned way. 30 Days of Night does not ask you to identify with or envy the vampires who rampage; it does not ask you to consider heroes in shades of grey. There are good guys, there are bad guys, and this is one damn scary flick.
The conceit is simple: vampires come to an Alaskan town on the eve of...ta da!...30 days of night. There is a bit of exposition, but the scares start right away. Josh Harnett puts on his finest flannel to play the hero, a sheriff named Eben. We are spared too much development of the backstory between him and his estranged wife, yet I actually cared about what happened to him. It didn't hurt that he was kinda cute.
There isn't a whole lot to the plot, and thus I can't properly spoil it for you. There are some notable highlights worth mentioning here: for example, the gore is plentiful, as these aren't your parlor-entertainin' vampires. The carnage is presented as being the work of animals, and there doesn't seem to be much fun or philosophy in being a vampire. On the other hand, Danny Huston still plays Marlow, the leader of the vampires, as a dandy worthy of Ray Davies' praise; he still manages to look elegant in a suit covered with blood. No, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I was not disappointed.
And I'm afraid this film will have to develop a cult following when it really deserves to have the general public embrace it.
- Location:the couch
- Mood:
cold - Music:"Epicentre" VNV Nation
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
unevendays, I have a new CD to enjoy. And to think I was plotting to send some music her way just a moment ago...Danke, darling! I'll need your snail mail address. (I'm glad I decreed that my birthday should last all month...)
As I found myself discussing history for a long period Monday night, I began to suspect that my calling really is Medieval and Renaissance studies. According to my philosophy, history will always bore you to tears if you see it as nothing more than a list of figures and dates to be memorized. Sure, William the Bastard was crowned on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster, but the cream filling is why did that matter? It's good, good stuff, I promise ;).
Anyhoo...
Jon has been trying to watch my latest obsession, The Tudors, and while he wants to like it, he believes that his lack of knowledge about the time period is holding him back from finding it anything short of boring. And this is a program with breasts-a-poppin'.
This is where Megans come in handy, folks. If you have ever wanted to learn anything about Henry VIII, here's your chance.
( The stuff that comes off the top of my head, or, I actually had this conversation )
Of course...I may be full of it ;).
- Location:the couch
- Mood:academic
- Music:"New Slang" The Shins
The film was suspenseful and unsettling at times, if only because it reminded me of my obsessions. It was also hard not to get caught up in the well-crafted atmosphere. Everything from the clothing to the smoking in public buildings to the music sold me on the setting. The solid cast is enviable: Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Brian Cox and Chloe Sevigny are among the ranks. Let us not forget that Jake Gyllenhaal turns in an admirable performance as a naive cartoonist turned amateur sleuth.
And for the squeamish, the violence is limited. The Zodiac's power was in his threats, not in the crimes he actually committed. However, I did gasp aloud during the first murder scene, if only because the build-up of tension was so damn good.
If you're looking for something to do during this icy and cold weekend, I suggest you check out Zodiac.
- Location:the comfy chair
- Mood:
impressed - Music:"Mass Pike" The Get-Up Kids
No, really. Check out cnn.com.
Color me surprised.
- Mood:
surprised
Borrowed from the lovely
myburningviolin...1. If you so desire, leave me a comment, anonymously or otherwise, asking me 3 questions you'd like me to answer.
2. I will respond as honestly as I am able, unless the questions are downright abusive, in which case I won't reply at all.
3. If you ask 3 questions of me, try and update your LJ, including this explanation, giving others the opportunity to ask 3 questions of you that you will answer honestly.
4. Have fun with it!
*I'm screening comments to protect the guilty ;).*
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:Law & Order
EDIT: Below, here there be hints...
EDIT to EDIT: The answers are now up...
( Make Me Proud )
- Mood: awake
- Music:"Not the Red Baron" Tori Amos
EDIT: There be answers below the cut.
( Read more... )
- Mood: awake
- Music:"Never Let Me Down" Depeche Mode
msbutterpecan and myburningviolin...I only post this because I haven't seen this result yet...and somehow, I ain't surprised that it's me ;).
( Sesame Street Character Quiz Results )
- Mood:
sniffly - Music:Star Trek: TNG
Do you think its better to have sass or pizzazz?
Ooooh, you know how much I love the word, "sass." Sass is also a better asset, hands down. Pizzazz is great in some circumstances, but sass indicates that you have a bit of an edge, something that can definitely carry you through difficult periods. When you can sass with the best, you can tolerate damn near anything and everything. Pizzazz may make you appear more energetic, but it's easier to crumble.
Who would win in a naked, oiled-up wrestling match? Mary Lyon or Emily Dickinson?
Mary Lyon. C'mon, the woman founded Mount Holyoke College. She had to have a set of ovaries on her. I love Emily, I do, but she would be taking the beating and thinking about using it as the influence behind a vague poem about death.
What's a better place at MHC to have sex? The science center or the library?
The library. So many dark corners for doing dark deeds ;). I support the sciences, too, but c'mon! books!!
- Mood:
mischievous - Music:South Park
What's the first thing you think of when you see/hear the words "Mount Holyoke"?
This was actually a tough question for me to answer, mainly because there are so many things that I could write, so many things that I want to share. My first thought is always, "The Valley." Mount Holyoke College was the first step in my finding myself in a place where I truly belonged and felt accepted, a place where I could meet people who shared my views and who wouldn't judge me. The Pioneer Valley offers plenty of things to do and people to connect with, but it's a small enough area for one to live a variety of experiences with ease. Such was the case with MHC, too.
But my first true reaction to the words "Mount Holyoke" is always much more of a feeling. A slight warmth in the stomach, a bit of a sweet pain in the heart. Mount Holyoke College was my home for four years. I loved its buildings, its community, its organizations, and its principles. When I graduated, it was definitely time for me to move on, but I often wonder if I would have been happy playing Peter Pan, the perpetual college student who was always learning and growing and changing. At MHC, I was finally free to explore new intellectual territory with wonderful professors in life-changing classes. I had no idea that Medieval Studies was something I could actually spend some serious time studying. I also made some incredible friends without whom I might not be the person I am today. I scraped my knees and broke my heart every now and again, but where would one be without a little rain?
I'm trying not to be too sentimental about MHC, and believe me, I got into my share of trouble ;). When I look back on that period of my life, I only regret the things I didn't get a chance to do.
- Mood: contemplative
- Music:Kate Bush "The Kick Inside"
Stolen shamelessly from dalbino83...
"I'm feeling terribly uninspired...but I want to make a post ... so help me out here. Ask me a question or make a suggestion, so that I can have a topic for posting. You can comment anonymously, and comments are screened, so you can be as outrageous as you want to be. If the subject is personal, I'll answer it in a friends-only or filtered post.
Have fun! Entertain me, so that I can entertain you back."
Let's see what I can do with this...;)
dalbino83..."I'm feeling terribly uninspired...but I want to make a post ... so help me out here. Ask me a question or make a suggestion, so that I can have a topic for posting. You can comment anonymously, and comments are screened, so you can be as outrageous as you want to be. If the subject is personal, I'll answer it in a friends-only or filtered post.
Have fun! Entertain me, so that I can entertain you back."
Let's see what I can do with this...;)
- Mood:
busy - Music:"Angel" Massive Attack
Stolen from vanilla_milk...A little bit about a grrl and her taste in music...
( Loooooong Music Meme )
- Mood: mischievous
myburningviolin. She was playing one of their CDs and raving about a recent show. I like "Coin-Operated Boy," but that is the extent of my knowledge of their music. While we were discussing what I perceived to be the limits of gothic cabaret, I commented, "And I can't imagine listening to Rasputina on a regular basis, either." When I saw Rasputina at Haven around Halloween 2004, I genuinely enjoyed the show as a non-fan. Melora and Zoe were cute and talented, the drummer boy was interesting to watch, and I liked their cover songs a lot. But if you told me that I would become the rabid fangrrl writing this entry, I would have laughed. My most vivid memories of that evening involve my feet hurting from dancing in some killer boots and my eyes wandering to a pretty girl in stripey tights and my corset trying to come undone. I liked "Transylvanian Concubine" well enough and was content to dance to it, but would I ever buy one of Rasputina's CDs? I could never see myself thoroughly getting into the music, which, as Jon would say, seemed like "depressing history lessons involving cellos."
During the spring, I came upon some Rasputina MP3s. I tripped over them. It was completely random, and I definitely didn't seek 'em out. I heard "State Fair." I heard "Apple of Sodom" with Marilyn Manson. I heard "Trenchmouth." I heard "Gingerbread Coffin." More importantly, I listened to the songs. And they struck a chord, and I set about becoming a fan of sorts...
So which fandom/interest did you find yourself loving in spite of itself?
- Mood:
curious - Music:"Dr. Livingstone" Crowded House
If I see one more news channel warning me about the "dangers" of MySpace...It's the same story we've heard since the boom of the Internet. With each new personals/friend-making website, with each new chat program, we also get a million pundits on a million pulpits proclaiming the dangers. Unsuspecting children will reveal too much about themselves, and predators will get them! Such horrible things do happen, and I'm not denying that parents should be aware of their children's online activities. What really gets my knickers in a twist is the suggestion that there should be some sort of screening process for these websites and services that have been around for years. I find it hard to believe that after all this time, we still can't figure out ways to enjoy the Internet without turning it into a moral battleground. On MySpace, "all you need is an e-mail address," the newscaster reports in a voice that would make Robert Stack tear up. There are plenty of registered sex offenders, sure, but how do you screen the deviants who have slipped under the radar? Would anyone who listed sex or porn or alcohol as an interest be suspect?
How's about you don't add absolutely everyone who friends you? How's about you don't post provocative pictures if you are afraid creepies will see them? How's about you don't give out your address to complete strangers?
Personal responsibility is a beautiful thing, an important part of anyone's development. Teenagers are always going to want to rebel and express themselves in ways that terrify their parental units, but a little guidance about how to protect yourself, too, never hurt anybody.
- Mood:
cranky - Music:"Taste the Summer" Duran Duran
-Clive Barker, The Thief of Always
_stormwolf_ asked me for some book recommendations, and I am happy to oblige :).
1.) The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. It's an incredible dark fantasy novel for adults, young and old. I read it when I was 12, and my love has not wavered with time. It's still one of the most beautiful scary novels I've ever read. I started reading it to Sister Maddy, and she was hooked, too.
2.) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Yes, it's about Dracula, and yes, it has its creepy moments, but it's an exciting historical thriller. Although I was disappointed by the ending, it was one of the most riveting books I've read in recent history. Intelligent, rich, and almost impossible to put down.
3.) The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. If you are interested in tapestries or sex or art or history or just like a good book, you'll enjoy this.
4.) 1984 by George Orwell. A classic, period. I read it for the first time when I was 12, and when I read it again at 16, it seemed all the more important.
5.) ...and while we're on the subject of dystopias...The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. One of my favorite books of all time, it's dark and will put a fear of religious fanaticism into you. I also recommend Atwood's Cat's Eye, which changed my life and my views on feminist literature forever.
6.) Ghost Rider by Neil Peart of Rush (yes, the band). Peart lost his daughter and his wife in the span of a year, and he finds healing in taking a motorcycle ride across North America. I thought of
gothtique when I finished it. 7.) Blood Crazy by Simon Clark. It's gory, it's graphic, but it's also haunted me since I read it in March. And I would put money on Stephen King having read it before he wrote Cell.
8.) The Stand by Stephen King. It's over 1,000 pages in length, but I've read it every year for the past six years.
9.) The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike. Sex, powerful women, and the Devil as a bit of an oaf, albeit a charming one.
10.) Is That It? by Bob Geldof. An incredible memoir, and he devotes a lot of time to both Live Aid and making The Wall. If you can find it, it's well worth your time.
...Any books that should go on my must-read list? Even a recovering librarienne needs help now and again.
- Mood: chipper
My big plan for the rest of the weekend: finish my taxes. I slept until noon (!!!) today. I crawled downstairs, had a complete breakfast of leftover Chinese food (*cough*), and watched one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation: "The Outcast". I think I wanted to watch it because I just found out that Jonathan Frakes felt it wasn't risky enough. That information was better than Brokeback Mountain to me ;). Then I went to the supermarket because I kinda sorta forgot how much going to the supermarket on a Saturday afternoon sucks. There was one little old lady who cut in front of me no less than three times; in true little old lady fashion, she would then walk or carry out her business really slowly.
I broke out my "Spring Mix" today in preparation for Imbolc. Yes, I do have a mix for every season and mood; why do you ask? There is supposed to be a Nor'easter on Monday/Tuesday, but given that it was absolutely gorgeous today, I just don't want to believe it.
- Mood: caffeinated
- Music:"All Souls' Night" Loreena McKennitt
Maybe she hasn't reached that point in her development as a Moho, but whenever I encounter a Mount Holyoke connection, I act like a squealy fan grrl, ready to wait breathlessly by random cars if they bear MHC stickers. I offer myself as a reference and a source of advice to current students (should they want those things), and I try to interact with alums from numerous classes.
Is it just me being crazy, or is it generally cool to love your school that much?
- Mood:
sleepy - Music:"Love and Anger" Kate Bush
Since I was tagged by sylvari...
I will list 5 Guilty Pleasures (what?!? only 5?!?). I will then tag 5 of you lovely folks to carry the torch if you so desire.
1.) Black Cherry Vanilla Coke. It was on sale, so I bought it on a whim. I am now officially addicted to the stuff, especially since I found out that the College cafeteria carries it, too. You know it tastes suspiciously like well-aged cough syrup, you know it can't be even remotely good for you, but you also know it tastes delicious and makes bad days go bye-bye. I highly recommend it ;).
2.) Mortal Kombat Trilogy for Playstation. I have logged many hours on that machine over the past week. It's a great way to take out aggression and settle old scores. I often think about my next game well into the next day. My thumbs ache from so much hot uppercut action, but it hurts so good. My heart belongs to Jax and Sheeva...I mean, wouldn't you want to have arms made of iron or better yet, two sets of arms?!?
3.) My "No Diggity" mix. I put this CD together almost five years ago, but it's even better with age. This CD includes Genesis' "Land of Confusion," David Bowie's "Dance Magic" from Labyrinth, Blackstreet's "No Diggity," and Everlast's "The Ends." I almost feel a little embarassed about rocking out to it at work. Almost.
4.) Constantine. It's a great film, even if I'm one of the few with the ovaries to admit that I liked it. Keanu Reeves has finally found a role in which he doesn't have to act like a stoner who is trying really hard to play sober. He actually acts, and I am in awe. Did I mention...there is homoeroticism in damn near every scene. I don't think I need to say anything else ;).
5.) Applebee's. It's one of those restaurants that you're supposed to sneer at. I'm supposed to drive on by so that I can eat at a locally-owned "classy" place. But I can't get enough of their dirty mashed potatoes, the tender steak, the Baja shrimp cocktail...*Drools*
Tag! You're it...perfect_felinespicypintobjfrabinmyburningviolinlizziebelle
Okay, I promise I will talk about my life sometime soon ;).
- Mood: amused
So I give you the lyrics, you tell me the song and the artist. I won't give up the answers until Tuesday.
( This Should Wear Me Out for Sure ;) )
- Mood: ouch
- Music:no clues here, kiddies ;)
So...Why Not?!?
Reply to this post, and I'll tell you one reason why I like you. Hell, I'll probably give you several reasons ;).
- Mood: good
- Music:"New Year's Day" U2
