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Subway story
Jan. 8th, 2005 10:20 pm( subway story )
Jan. 8th, 2005
Cultural stuff - Movies, Books, TV
Jan. 8th, 2005 11:14 pmI did watch Alias this week ...was not impressed.
( cut to protect people who still like the show, also spoilers )
Lost was *really* good. I think this may be my new favorite show. Tantalizing dark characters. This week we dug a little deeper into Kate and Sawyer, but not too deep. Also not predictable. I honestly have no clue where they are going with this one and I like that. The characters are just getting more interesting and multi-faceted. It's willing to go to that dark place. And isn't quite as exploitive as Alias is regarding eye candy hijinks. Plus, so far, the stories track. Continuity. Still there.
Really looking forward to next week's episode.
Medium - this show has potential. I like Patricia Arquette's character. Not overly predictable. Love Arliss Howard who plays the husband, haven't seen him since American Gothic. Also nicely creepy with a touch of warmth and grit. And any show where the heroine states that she just doesn't have the constitution to handle being an attorney is okay in my book. Neither do I. Neither do I.
Joan of Arcadia - lovely episode on Game Theory. Once again the concept emerges that we are playing the "infinite game" and the important thing is to stay in the game no matter how hard it seems. Joan reminds me of me in high school - dorky, awkward, and not very good at school - struggling. While my younger brother seemed to be a brain and jock all wrapped into one. (Okay maybe not as much like me...)I like the game metaphor. It makes sense. Every move we make - has a ripple effect. And is important. Even leaving the game affects the game. Each move has an effect on other moves. What is important is to keeping making those moves. IF you jump out - you have no idea how many moves you could have upset. Everything you do - matters. Reassurring, uplifting, and scarey all at the same time.
Veronica Mars - growing on me. This week's episode was fantastic. Flawless. The reflection of Mack's situation on Veronica's perfect. And Mack?
One of the most realistic portrayals of a high school student I've seen.
My high school experience was a mix of Veronica Mars and Joan of Arcadia, I think.
On the book side of the fence - The Princess Bride by William Goldman is a pleasant surprise. Much better than the movie and not what you think at all. Well - I guess it depends on what you think - I thought, oh it will be an adventure tale told by an old man to his grandson. Nope. It is Goldman's satirization of 18th and 19th Century Adventure novels by people such as Alexander Dumas. He makes fun of things like the overuse of parentheses. Descriptions of clothing or packing or 19th Century practices. Very tongue in cheek. Very funny.
Next book for the book club appears to be Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. So apparently I am destined to read this novel whether I want to or not. (Not the first book the book club has arm wrestled me into reading.)
Feeling rather ambivalent about it at the moment, even though I loved his first book Motherless Brooklyn about a private eye/gangster body guard with Touretts Syndrom.
On the movie front - saw House of Flying Daggers with cjlasky.
I preferred Hero. No clue why. Maybe because the romance was downplayed. Here it is just a tad over the top. Movie was beautiful though. Wonderful sense of color. Like watching lots of beautiful paintings. Would have been better I think if they'd cut the last fifteen minutes of it. I give it a B. Is worth seeing on the big screen - since it is so pretty.
Okay must go to bed now.
As an aside - appreciation of cultural things like books, movies and tv shows is such a subjective thing. Don't believe me? Check out a couple of the critics best and worst lists. Quite funny. One critic's best pick is on another's worst list. Hee. See? Totally subjective. So take the above opinions with a healthy grain of salt. Just my opinion after all.
( cut to protect people who still like the show, also spoilers )
Lost was *really* good. I think this may be my new favorite show. Tantalizing dark characters. This week we dug a little deeper into Kate and Sawyer, but not too deep. Also not predictable. I honestly have no clue where they are going with this one and I like that. The characters are just getting more interesting and multi-faceted. It's willing to go to that dark place. And isn't quite as exploitive as Alias is regarding eye candy hijinks. Plus, so far, the stories track. Continuity. Still there.
Really looking forward to next week's episode.
Medium - this show has potential. I like Patricia Arquette's character. Not overly predictable. Love Arliss Howard who plays the husband, haven't seen him since American Gothic. Also nicely creepy with a touch of warmth and grit. And any show where the heroine states that she just doesn't have the constitution to handle being an attorney is okay in my book. Neither do I. Neither do I.
Joan of Arcadia - lovely episode on Game Theory. Once again the concept emerges that we are playing the "infinite game" and the important thing is to stay in the game no matter how hard it seems. Joan reminds me of me in high school - dorky, awkward, and not very good at school - struggling. While my younger brother seemed to be a brain and jock all wrapped into one. (Okay maybe not as much like me...)I like the game metaphor. It makes sense. Every move we make - has a ripple effect. And is important. Even leaving the game affects the game. Each move has an effect on other moves. What is important is to keeping making those moves. IF you jump out - you have no idea how many moves you could have upset. Everything you do - matters. Reassurring, uplifting, and scarey all at the same time.
Veronica Mars - growing on me. This week's episode was fantastic. Flawless. The reflection of Mack's situation on Veronica's perfect. And Mack?
One of the most realistic portrayals of a high school student I've seen.
My high school experience was a mix of Veronica Mars and Joan of Arcadia, I think.
On the book side of the fence - The Princess Bride by William Goldman is a pleasant surprise. Much better than the movie and not what you think at all. Well - I guess it depends on what you think - I thought, oh it will be an adventure tale told by an old man to his grandson. Nope. It is Goldman's satirization of 18th and 19th Century Adventure novels by people such as Alexander Dumas. He makes fun of things like the overuse of parentheses. Descriptions of clothing or packing or 19th Century practices. Very tongue in cheek. Very funny.
Next book for the book club appears to be Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. So apparently I am destined to read this novel whether I want to or not. (Not the first book the book club has arm wrestled me into reading.)
Feeling rather ambivalent about it at the moment, even though I loved his first book Motherless Brooklyn about a private eye/gangster body guard with Touretts Syndrom.
On the movie front - saw House of Flying Daggers with cjlasky.
I preferred Hero. No clue why. Maybe because the romance was downplayed. Here it is just a tad over the top. Movie was beautiful though. Wonderful sense of color. Like watching lots of beautiful paintings. Would have been better I think if they'd cut the last fifteen minutes of it. I give it a B. Is worth seeing on the big screen - since it is so pretty.
Okay must go to bed now.
As an aside - appreciation of cultural things like books, movies and tv shows is such a subjective thing. Don't believe me? Check out a couple of the critics best and worst lists. Quite funny. One critic's best pick is on another's worst list. Hee. See? Totally subjective. So take the above opinions with a healthy grain of salt. Just my opinion after all.