(no subject)
Jun. 5th, 2018 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Finished watching Killing Eve this week, which is a fun BBC thriller about an American analyst working for MI5 who stumbles upon a conspiracy involving a Russian Assassin, code named Villenelle. It's based on a series of books entitled the Villenelle mysteries. The leads are Sandra Oh (Eve) and Jodi Comer (Villenelle) and it's great fun. Also character-centric. It is however, not, plot-centric. So if you are plot fiend, it may irk you a bit. (ie. There's a few things here and there that don't quite work, but I hand-waved.) Watch this unspoiled, it's more fun.
2. Am working my way through The Resident -- which is hits a few of my buttons, so we'll see if I make through it. At least it doesn't end on a complete cliff-hanger. (I googled the plot.)
I'll spoil myself on stuff that rises my blood-pressure.
3. Music face-offs...or just blurbs
* Judy Collins vs. Joni Mitchell -- I was introduced to Judy first, and I like her voice better. She's the better singer, I think. Not that I'd know. However, Joni is the better song-writer, with some excellent songs out there -- my favorite of Joni's is "Playing Real Good For Free". I was introduced to Joni Mitchell by a college boyfriend, who in the looks department was sort of a cross between Keanu Reeves and James Marsters. I couldn't watch Kenu Reeves or listen to anything by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, plus two Beatles songs for about ten years after we broke up. (He ruined a couple of Bob Dylan songs for me -- because he played them to taunt me, such as Don't Think Twice It's Alright. And he was a Dead Head of epic proportions. ) In his opinion Joni was better than Judy, and he introduced me to Joni's far superior rendition of Both Sides Now. Sigh, moral? Don't date music critics with a penchant for philosophy and psychoanalysis. They will drive you insane. Also, may put you off Bob Dylan.
Did however help me foster a great love for all things by Joan Baez. She sings a lovely rendition of her own song, One Tin Solider.
* Stephen Sondheim vs. Andrew Lloyd Webber...which is royally unfair, I know. Totally different styles. Both also, in my humble opinion have only created two great works of art, and in Webber's case both were with Tim Rice, Sondheim with Bernstein and on his own. So I guess, Sondheim gets the edge?
Sondheim - West Side Story with Leonard Bernstein, and Into the Woods.
Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar with Rice and Evita with Rice.
Eh, Webber gets the edge on JCS, because WSS is sort of dated. But Sondheim gets the edge with his own songs and story on Into the Woods, also bonus, Sweeny Todd.
* Billy Joel vs. Elton John -- saw this on cjlasky's journal. I prefer Billy Joel's songs to Elton's.
I just do. I find Elton a bit over the top and melodramatic in his lyrics at times, and very sentimental. There's a lighter truer note to Joel. Even though John has the thicker song book.
But let's compare songs...Piano Man vs. Rocket Man...Piano Man tells a story and you can see each character perfectly. It reminds me a little of Harry Chapin, the guy behind Cat's Cradle. John is more lyrical but less story.
Norma Jean vs. Uptown Girl/Innocent Man...eh, Norma Jean wins a bit there...
But...I don't really remember John's songs outside of those, while Joel's I do...and have listened to over and over. What can I say, I'm just in that New York State of Mind...
* Nina Simone vs. Billy Holiday -- both challenged racism in their songs, Simone won and had more chutzpah, but she also did it from France. There's a toughness in Simone that I always found lacking in Holliday, who whenever she sings...you feel she's broken and will be gone all too soon.
4. Conversation
Co-worker: Saw both Solo and Dead Pool, went to sleep during both of them.
Me: How'd you go to sleep during Dead Pool, isn't it a bit loud?
Co-worker: Oh it wasn't hard -- we go to these theaters near me with reclining chairs, I get a throw and I just pull out and nod off.
Me: When was the last movie you went to that you didn't sleep through...
Co-worker: I think Black Panther, and possibly that one with Ryan Gosling, the remake of another movie -- the sci-fi one, that was really long..
Me: Blade Runner 2044.
Co-worker: That's it.
Me: I'm surprised you didn't go to sleep during that one.
Co-worker: Well, it probably had to do with Ryan Gosling being in it.
(I don't get the appeal of Ryan Gosling and Leo DiCaprio.)
Co-worker: Sometimes you just want to go all Thanos on their ass.
Me: Yes, I've been having Thanos moments myself. Actually that's what I found reassurring about the film, apparently I'm not the only person who has thought about this.
Co-worker: No, I admit, there are days in which I go into a meeting and snap my fingers just to see what happens.
Me: Do you remember the original comic?
Co-worker: Oh yeah!
Me: When they killed off half the universe, far more people than in the movie -- including various X-men.
Co-worker: And Thor.
Me: Then we had a bunch of comics without them for a while. Trying to figure out how to deal with them being gone and maybe bringing them back. They do that a lot in Marvel, they decide they have too many superheros and need to get rid of half of them to tighten up the story, so they kill them off in a big cross-over comic. The fans get really upset. And they do another big cross-over comic to bring them all back again.
2. Am working my way through The Resident -- which is hits a few of my buttons, so we'll see if I make through it. At least it doesn't end on a complete cliff-hanger. (I googled the plot.)
I'll spoil myself on stuff that rises my blood-pressure.
3. Music face-offs...or just blurbs
* Judy Collins vs. Joni Mitchell -- I was introduced to Judy first, and I like her voice better. She's the better singer, I think. Not that I'd know. However, Joni is the better song-writer, with some excellent songs out there -- my favorite of Joni's is "Playing Real Good For Free". I was introduced to Joni Mitchell by a college boyfriend, who in the looks department was sort of a cross between Keanu Reeves and James Marsters. I couldn't watch Kenu Reeves or listen to anything by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, plus two Beatles songs for about ten years after we broke up. (He ruined a couple of Bob Dylan songs for me -- because he played them to taunt me, such as Don't Think Twice It's Alright. And he was a Dead Head of epic proportions. ) In his opinion Joni was better than Judy, and he introduced me to Joni's far superior rendition of Both Sides Now. Sigh, moral? Don't date music critics with a penchant for philosophy and psychoanalysis. They will drive you insane. Also, may put you off Bob Dylan.
Did however help me foster a great love for all things by Joan Baez. She sings a lovely rendition of her own song, One Tin Solider.
* Stephen Sondheim vs. Andrew Lloyd Webber...which is royally unfair, I know. Totally different styles. Both also, in my humble opinion have only created two great works of art, and in Webber's case both were with Tim Rice, Sondheim with Bernstein and on his own. So I guess, Sondheim gets the edge?
Sondheim - West Side Story with Leonard Bernstein, and Into the Woods.
Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar with Rice and Evita with Rice.
Eh, Webber gets the edge on JCS, because WSS is sort of dated. But Sondheim gets the edge with his own songs and story on Into the Woods, also bonus, Sweeny Todd.
* Billy Joel vs. Elton John -- saw this on cjlasky's journal. I prefer Billy Joel's songs to Elton's.
I just do. I find Elton a bit over the top and melodramatic in his lyrics at times, and very sentimental. There's a lighter truer note to Joel. Even though John has the thicker song book.
But let's compare songs...Piano Man vs. Rocket Man...Piano Man tells a story and you can see each character perfectly. It reminds me a little of Harry Chapin, the guy behind Cat's Cradle. John is more lyrical but less story.
Norma Jean vs. Uptown Girl/Innocent Man...eh, Norma Jean wins a bit there...
But...I don't really remember John's songs outside of those, while Joel's I do...and have listened to over and over. What can I say, I'm just in that New York State of Mind...
* Nina Simone vs. Billy Holiday -- both challenged racism in their songs, Simone won and had more chutzpah, but she also did it from France. There's a toughness in Simone that I always found lacking in Holliday, who whenever she sings...you feel she's broken and will be gone all too soon.
4. Conversation
Co-worker: Saw both Solo and Dead Pool, went to sleep during both of them.
Me: How'd you go to sleep during Dead Pool, isn't it a bit loud?
Co-worker: Oh it wasn't hard -- we go to these theaters near me with reclining chairs, I get a throw and I just pull out and nod off.
Me: When was the last movie you went to that you didn't sleep through...
Co-worker: I think Black Panther, and possibly that one with Ryan Gosling, the remake of another movie -- the sci-fi one, that was really long..
Me: Blade Runner 2044.
Co-worker: That's it.
Me: I'm surprised you didn't go to sleep during that one.
Co-worker: Well, it probably had to do with Ryan Gosling being in it.
(I don't get the appeal of Ryan Gosling and Leo DiCaprio.)
Co-worker: Sometimes you just want to go all Thanos on their ass.
Me: Yes, I've been having Thanos moments myself. Actually that's what I found reassurring about the film, apparently I'm not the only person who has thought about this.
Co-worker: No, I admit, there are days in which I go into a meeting and snap my fingers just to see what happens.
Me: Do you remember the original comic?
Co-worker: Oh yeah!
Me: When they killed off half the universe, far more people than in the movie -- including various X-men.
Co-worker: And Thor.
Me: Then we had a bunch of comics without them for a while. Trying to figure out how to deal with them being gone and maybe bringing them back. They do that a lot in Marvel, they decide they have too many superheros and need to get rid of half of them to tighten up the story, so they kill them off in a big cross-over comic. The fans get really upset. And they do another big cross-over comic to bring them all back again.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-06 03:36 am (UTC)When I heard Judy Collins in person, she seemed to be a bit off, not having her full range that evening, but what she had was strong and rich. People like what they like. In their hey day of the early 1960s I'd always have picked Judy to listen to over Joni.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 02:33 am (UTC)That was my reaction to both as well. Joni's voice cracks at weird intervals. She has an odd voice, it's a broad range, but weirdly off at times and jarring.
And I'd agree that sometimes Judy would be off...but usually I felt her voice was strong and rich and clear. I just like listening to her better.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-06 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 02:22 am (UTC)I'd like the medical procedural stuff too. Dang it.
Although I figured out why they went in this direction -- it's to push Conrad to ask for help from his father. (Ugh. They couldn't have gone about this another way?)
no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 03:26 pm (UTC)Exactly! "Oh, Conrad hates his billionaire father who is a sought after hospital administrator/investor, and a past romance broke apart because of it, and he can't commit or get close to anyone because of that. How can we force him to deal with his father -- and build on that conflict? Oh I know, put the person he loves most in jeopardy!" Like that hasn't been done before. Sigh. So cliché and obvious and not really that relatable. Just another wealth fantasy.
It would have been better if they found another way to go about it, a far less obvious and frustrating one. Also, Dr. Lane is way too villainous. At least Dr. Bell has some shades of gray in his character, but they've gone a bit too far, I think, with her character.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 05:11 pm (UTC)Agreed. That's acceptable in a soap opera. But this show seemed to be a rather well produced and cast medical procedural...so why go the melodrama route? Sigh. What they do for ratings. But it doesn't make a lot sense, since the networks prefer the procedural dramas.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-06 09:54 pm (UTC)Neither do I. They're attractive enough but I don't find either particularly compelling. I also don't see the point of paying over $10 to go to sleep in a recliner when you could do that at home.
Don't get me wrong, I like the recliners, I've been in theaters with them and it's really a nice option. One I've been in also had swiveling trays one could use since it served more than just the usual snacks. But given my own sleep problems I could never manage to sleep in one no matter what was on. And yeah, Deadpool of all things...
no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 02:30 am (UTC)But given my own sleep problems I could never manage to sleep in one no matter what was on. And yeah, Deadpool of all things...
I'm the same way. I can dose off on trains, weirdly, has something to do with the rocking motion. But not recliners in a movie theater surrounded by people...with Deadpool playing in the background.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-07 05:27 pm (UTC)