(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. Hmmm...haven't read all of it yet, but I think The Panama Papers may have a sizable effect on our world economy going forward. The Panama Papers is the largest data leak in history apparently, and reveals all the off-shore accounts and the names, etc of those who set up those accounts. (Offshore accounts are a means of avoiding taxes, amongst other things. And illegal.)

2. Favorite Shakespeare Films:

* Baz Lurhman's Romeo + Juliet
* Franco Zefreili's Romeo & Juliet
* Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing
* Ian McKellan's Richard the III
* Shakespeare in Love
* Julie Taymor's Titus Adronicus
* Kenneth Brannagh's Henry the V

Most of them fade in my memory, but those stuck out. There's humor in all of them. Even the tragedies.

3. Jane Austen vs. the Brontes

Austen by a mile. It's the humor. The Brontes don't appear to have a sense of humor and take themselves far too seriously. Had similar problems with Henry James. I do adore Austen -- who excelled at comedies of manners. Emma is hilarious in places. Didn't like Mansfield Park, far too dour.

Comments

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I agree about the Panama papers and the Shakespeare movies!
But Bronte vs Austen, I say both. Two very different ways of writing that are both still popular--rom/goth and rom/com.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

People don't really write rom/goth any longer though...except in YA paranormal fantasy novels, which I'm not sure count. I know, I've looked for it. (If you've found some that have been published in the last five to ten years and aren't out of print, let me know). Most of the rom/goth that is not YA paranormal fantasy or paranormal fantasy (a la vampires) is pre-1990. Phyllis A Whitney, Mary Stewart, Helen McKinninis did a lot of it...as did Dauphne Du Maurier, but not so much now.

The closest I saw to it was...50 Shades of Grey, which references a lot of rom-goth, Thomas Hardy (more rom/angst) and the Brontes. (And was taken from an AU fanfic based on a YA rom/goth supernatural fantasy novel.) Sure people write and publish fanfic on the Brontes stories (Wide Sargasso Sea), but not quite the same thing. Or redo the same story (Jane Tyre...I think that's the name of it -- it a retelling of the story), which is also not quite the same thing. No one is writing any new romantic/gothic novels though that I can see...and no one has decided to play with the form, which is disappointing. Instead,they are just writing fanfic - which is okay, just not all that innovative. Sad to say, the only writer I've seen play with the rom/goth was EL James (which was also a fanfic in a way)...which I guess says it all right there.

Austen, on the other hand, seems to have had a bit more play. People have tried to subvert the style. (It also has a lot of fanfic. And a lot of modern day takes on her stories. A lot of retellings). But I've seen the style played with in different ways. It's quite popular in contemporary chick-lit. And it seems to have had more longevity...in various genres.

So, no, I think Austen wins in that contest. Probably has something to do with the humor. ;-)

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Baz's Romeo and Juliet makes me twitch, it's just too everything for me. The rest of the list I agree with although I'd add West Side Story, which, of course, is a modern day Romeo and Juliet.

And definitely Austen, much more fun to read. And better movie adaptations.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I don't think West Side Story really counts though, it just took the trope and created a new story off of it. Doesn't use any of the original language, and isn't really Shakespeare. It's Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, who I admittedly prefer. ;-) (Much prefer West Side Story to any of the other adaptations or versions of Romeo and Juliet, it has more depth and layers.)

Yeah Baz's problem is his movies are too busy. Moulin Rouge -- I describe as being stuck in an elevator with a circus and marching band. It gave me a headache. R+J was a bit more palpable, but admittedly too busy visually as well.
But I thought effective in some respects -- it's the only modern Shakespearean version of the story that I've seen (that uses the original text and language).