I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU

As part of my self-imposed hermitage, I went to my closest public library and checked out some movies.  Among them was Batman Returns directed by Tim Burton.  This Batman film is by far my favorite of the campy Batman versions and, I must say, its mostly due to Michelle Pfieffer’s interpretation of Catwoman.

Yes, the entire movie has that classic Tim Burton feel that makes it very enjoyable and the rest of the cast is also rather good. I had forgotten that Christopher Walken played the voracious business tycoon Max Shreck but  was delighted to be reminded. 

As I said, I love Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman in this film. To date, I don’t think there has been anyone who has come close to it. She portrays a perfect feline sensuality without coming off as ovelry sexual which, in turn, makes her supe sexy. I also really enjoy the emotional turmoil of her character.  Aaaaand, I always enjoy the professional use of a whip.

Halle Berry can suck a dick cuz her Catwoman was HORRENDOUS!!! 

I’m a little concerned with Anne Hathaway playing Catwoman in the new Batman but I’ll reserve judgement until I see it. Ms. Hathaway often shines through all the naysayers; I being one of them usually. 

Yesterday was a bright sunny day. The air had that promise of fall but warm enough to continue being out and about without pants; that is, wearing shorts.  Yesterday was so nice yet, all I wanted to do was hole myself up in my room and watch a good ol’ tearjerker. 

I wasn’t depressed, I wasn’t particularly anything. I simply, from time to time, like to give my underused emotional muscle a workout and clear out my sinuses and tear ducts.  Of course, there are a few films that, no matter how often I see, will get me. EVERY. TIME.

LITTLE WOMEN with Wynona Ryder and Susan Surandon, among many others, is one of my all-time favorite movies. 

Mostly, I was and still am a HUGE Wynona fan. I don’t care is she’s a little mental and I’m choosing to willfully ignore her brief and TRAGIC stint in the new Star Trek movie.  This movie is so strongly in tune with things that make me sentimental—family bonding, integrity through hardship, social commentary. 

I get so caught up in the dynamics of the March family that when Beth (Claire Danes) dies.  Oy vey, I’m a mess.  I’ll admit that a huge part of my emotion derives from some deep seated pshycosis about abondonment but, also, Claire Danes’ acting is superb.

BEACHES with Bette Midler is, of course, on that list.  Not so much when Barbars Hershey dies but when Bette is asking Victoria if she wants to come live with here. *tear*

MY GIRL with Mackaulin. Towards the end, at the funeral, with the “He need his glasses!” 

Anyhoo, I love watching these movies every once in a while because, well, it’s nice to know I have feelings too. Believe me, I often forget.

Hey, what do you know. It’s October and thus spooky season.  Halloween is just around the corner and many a horror movie are starting to crop up on the tele and elsewhere. 

This past week I went to the October Horror Film Festival presented by Rave Cinemas. I caught on to this late so I missed their presentation of “The Shining”, but jumped on board with John Carpenter’s “The Thing” with Kurt Russell. I thought I was going to go see the original Thing but this version was still worth it.  Next week I hope I can catch “The Excorcist” which I’ve actually never seen and, following that, is The Amityville Horror.

You know, some people scoff at, perhaps, going to see old movies in theatres but, frankly, I wish they would do more.  Watching films at home is great but, certain films, you just don’t get the full experience unless you watch them being projected on a long screen, in comfortable yet slightly awkward chairs, the music surrounding you.  Especially Horror movies.

The Thing, in particular, was pretty effective on the big screen. The small screen just wouldn’t do justice to the sense of isolation and “middle of nowhere” vibe that basically drives this film. That and, of course, the thrilling music just grinding on you senses that much more.  Also, for me, it felt like I got to connect with movie-watchers who experienced this film firsthand and made it the classic that it is today. I felt like I was part of something bigger than me.

Okay, perhaps that’s a little to melodramatic but, it’s true. 

I’m sure the Excorcist will be a similiar, if not better, experience. 

Whenever I’m in a pinch and want something to read but don’t really know where to begin looking, I read something else I have already read and enjoyed.  This past month, I reread “Sing the Four Quarters” by Tanya Huff and decided to pick up more of her books like I had always intended. 

So, I went to the public library to see which books they had by her. I picked up the “The Enchantment Emporium” and “Summon the Keeper”. 

“The Enchantment Emporium” is about the Gale family. The dynamics of their magic is a bit hard to explain but ultimately the power, political as well as actually magical, is matriarchical and the family is run by the Aunts.  The men also have power but their role is more to “ground” the womens power than anything else. It’s a very interesting and original dynamic. For that alone, I would reccomend it.

Beyond all that, however, everything about this book is very good.  The characters are interesting and original, the writing is humorous and hep, and there’s always a tinge of sexuality involved in all her books.  In Huff’s worlds, sexuality is casual and fluid, which is part of the reason I liked her from the beginning. 

“Summon the Keeper” has a bit of similiar feel to “The Enchantment Emporium” but, somehow, less flushed out.  This book is about Cousins and Keepers, in which Keepers are people of power who roam around the world closing dimensional rifts while, cousins, are  people of less power who monitor and assist. Or, something like that.  Like I said, the trademark Huff feel is there but it’s not as fluid as the other books have been. 

Overall, I highly reccomend Huff for anyone who likes fantasy with a bit of effortless social commentary built in.  Most of her fantasy books are set in Canada which is also kind of cool. She has some other series that are more SciFi in nature but, to be honest, I’m a fantasy kinda guy so I’m not too drawn to them.  We’ll see, though. 

I am currently unemployed and, in my attempt to fill my days with quasi-meaningfull tasks, I took it upon myself to catch up on many a hip and happening thing.  First on my list was watching “True Blood.”

In case you don’t know, “True Blood” is an HBO series based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. It’s been insanely popular for several years now.  I had watched an episode or two a couple years ago and have read all the books so far, except the latest.  I just never really had the time or inclination to really get into the series. 

Well, in my rediscovery of the public library, I checked out the first season and had at it and am currently in the middle of the second season. 

All I really have to say is, well, it aint bad.  I don’t know, I like it and all but there’s something missing in it that keeps me from becoming a full blown fangbanger.  I think, honestly, that there are too many people/plot lines to keep track of. 

Ultimately, there are some characters I want to watch/learn more about and there are others whose storylines kind of don’t matter.  Also, and I know this is one of the main parts of the show but, I’m already kind of tired of the whole Bill and Sookie romance.  I know the storyline changes focus eventually but, right now, I’m kind of tired of it.  It’s most likely the fact that I’ve been watching them consequitively. There’s alwasy something lost when you watch a show all at once. 

I cannot have enough of Pam, however. I loved her in the books and she’s even better in the TV show.  Ultimately, really, I think the TV shows are better than the books.  There’s so much more to sink your teeth into (wha wha) and, not to mention, all actors are pretty H.O.T.! and are always nekkers. 

I just picked up Riordan’s continuing chapter in “The Heros of Olympus” series, “Son of Neptune.”  Where the first in the series, “The Lost Hero”, was about Jason Grace’s amnesia and, we end up finding out, being part of the Roman aspect of Greco-Roman mythology, “The Son of Neptune” is about the titular lost hero, Percy Jackson, waking up with his thoughts all a mess to take the place of Jason. 

Overall, the book did not dissapoint.  It’s still maintains the same endearing tone and pace while still revealing Riordans immense knowledge of Greco-Roman mythology. It did feel a bit, same old-same old, but it was very minor.  I really enjoy how he always interweaves current events and modern innovation in his story lines. 

SPOILER ALERT: In particular, I enjoyed how, in his universe, Amazone.com is actually run by…you guessed it, the Amazons!  It’s cool because whenever he does things of this nature, it makes perfect sense. 

The only super downside is that WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SEIRIES!!!!

I love her, I really do.  Just about every movie she’s been in or, at least, the ones I’ve seen, she is great. Mostly though, I love her because she is so unapologetic and 100% her own thing.  Despite doing very similiar roles, no one could ever blame her for being a stock character like so many other actors out there.

Of course, my seeming bias may stem from the fact that she’s Tim Burton’s muse and most of the films she makes are fantasy-type which, you know, is my bag.  But, ultimately, it’s because she’s one of the few actors that has managed to give a big FUCK YOU to the Hollywood machine and have it work for her. 

She makes good movies that you can tell she genuinely enjoys and that makes all the difference!

I love a good fairytale. Who doesn’t? Sadly, however, so few movies have been made of late that truly resonate with that fairytale kinda vibe.  Sure, we’ve had our share of “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” but, really, they’re not the same. They are too complex, to epic.  A good fairytale is simple because, well, despite how complicated we like to make our lives, it all often comes down to simple things.

STARDUST adapted from a book by Neil Gaiman, for me, is one of these movies. It’s got all you really need in a fairytale. Fallen stars, witches, hidden Princes, etc. etc. etc.  Ultimately, however, the story is about Love. Awwwww.  Seriously though, it’s a well told, and acted, film that will get even the most cynical of cynics to sigh and, just for a moment, want to believe that shit like that exists/can happen.

I wanna find my star…sigh..

LADY IN THE WATER by Mr. Shammalama Ding Dong, is another movie that I found to be quite nice.  I haven’t seen it in a while but, I remember my reaction after seeing it the first time. At first, I was a little scepticle (having heard so many harsh things about it) but, as a good story does, I was curious to find out what happened next then, before I knew it, I was fully invested in the outcome. 

I can’t be positive but I may have cried somewhere in this move but, the true sign of a good fairytale, as mentioned above, is it’s ability to make you heave a big ol’ sigh at the end.  It was a beautiful story and surely, I good sigh inducer. 

Lately, I find myself rooting for Ms. Spears.  Her recent muscial productions seem to harken to that age-old whimsy that made her the towering inferno that she is. 

You know what I mean.

The kind of songs that, even if you really hate her and all that she stands for in terms of musical integrity, you still sectretly wish that someone will bust out “Toxic” or “Slave 4 U” at a dance party.

Mostly, I think, her current “sound” is very relevant and I think that makes all the difference. It’s still very Pop but it’s moved out of the gay sleepover dance parties and into the actual clubs.  Dare I say it’s….grown up?

She still can’t dance for shizzle, though. It’s like she had a mental breakdown and forgot how to move her body.   

Barbra Streisand - Hello, Dolly! (by SVG1976z)

This just came on Netflix Instant Play.  I’m not much of a musical guy, well, not really. I enjoy a good choreagraphed number or two but, mostly, just don’t go for it.  I do, however, LOVE, “Hello, Dolly!”. 

This movie also reminds me, when I’m prone to give into social stereotypes about the gays, that I am a Streisand vs. Midler.  I do love “Beaches” though… How ‘bout I be all POST and be a hyphenated Streisand-Middler! Streisller? Middsand?