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wDec 19, 2009 | |
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Avatar I think I can explain what I didn't like about Avatar enough without spoiling anything. I liked the protagonist (mostly) and I liked the graphics. But I feel like this is James Cameron's "I just watched an anime and now I'm going to make a movie!" I cringed with apprehension in the first 5 minutes, and the loosened up over the next 30. By the end I was shuddering repeatedly with James Cameron's self-righteousness. This movie could also be titled, OMG GEORGE BUSH IS SO EVIL! I WILL SPEND $300,000,000 TO EXPLAIN WHY!! There could be a lot of interesting discussion on bodies in this movie, and obviously race. I look forward to the response of fandom. I recommend the write-up by Nick Mamatas, although it spoils everything if you're concerned about things like that. Overall: It was not as squicky as I thought it would be, but I was underwhelmed/annoyed by the heavy-handedness and refusal to go a lot deeper. Labels: movies, movies: avatar scribbled mystickeeper at 4:29 PM 
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wDec 13, 2009 | |
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Media I thought that I was in a book-bouncing phase....I read Hammered by Elizabeth Bear but then had no desire to read Scardown or Worldwired. [I am only now to the point where I think I can try to read her books objectively.] I tried reading Nancy Farmer's The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm for Beer & Marmalade and for some reason, I just can't keep going - I really dislike it and I don't know why. But on Wednesday I breezed through Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and now I am 100 pages into Kushiel's Dart which I like a lot, but is quickly becoming a "don't read on the bus" book. I watched the movie "Heathers" last night and I don't have much to say about it except that I loved it a lot. I think Winona Ryder is one of my favorite actresses. Lastly, I went to request some Buffy DVDs from the public library and was pleasantly surprised to see how many people currently have discs checked out or requested. Buffy lives!scribbled mystickeeper at 9:36 AM
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wOct 25, 2009 | |
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One Stormy Night Through a link in a locked post in LJ-land, Antoine and I watched the first 1/3 of a Japanese children's movie called Arashi No Yoru Ni, or "One Stormy Night" in English. In this movie, a goat named Mei and a wolf named Gabu both seek shelter in from a storm inside the same abandoned barn. In the dark, they are unable to see one another's faces, but they spend the night talking and are delighted to discover that they share a lot in common. By light of day, both are shocked to learn that their new-found friend belongs to the enemy species. As time goes on, and they become "friends" who can only meet in secret, Antoine and I looked at each other at the same moment and were like, "Oh man, they are totally gay!" And they really are! I'd love to read some meta on this! Even in the stormy night at the barn, they embrace once, terrified. At the time, I was all, "How could they not notice that one is a goat and the other is a wolf?!" but in retrospect, I'm more, "Holy crap, was that an implied sexual encounter??" There are so many layers! And I'm only on part 4/11! As an added bonus, the animation is sometimes really nice. I love the wolves at night. Unfortunately, I don't foresee this one getting licensed/released in the U.S. Squee! Labels: anime, movies, movies: arashi no yoru ni scribbled mystickeeper at 9:41 PM
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wAug 25, 2009 | |
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PRIEST OH MY GOD STEVEN MOYER IS GOING TO BE IN THE LIVE-ACTION MOVIE OF MIN-WOO HYUNG'S PRIEST MANHWA One day I will write an epic post of love for the Priest manhwa! For now, know that is an epic tale of ZOMBIES and THE WILD WEST and AMAZING ART and EPIC ANGST and FALLEN ANGELS and DEMONS flashbacks to the MIDDLE AGES WITH KNIGHTS AND SHIT, and is basically bad-ass. AT ONE POINT, A SET OF RIB CAGES BURSTS OUTWARD THROUGH SOMEONE'S FLESH. It doesn't get any more bad-ass than that. It sounds like they're going to butcher the storyline, but....OMF PRIEST. Labels: a: hyung min-woo, manga: priest, manhwa, movies, movies: priest scribbled mystickeeper at 6:22 PM
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wAug 17, 2009 | |
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Ponyo "Ponyo" is not my favorite film made by Studio Ghibli, but saying that is like saying, "It's not my favorite of this group of BEST MOVIES EVAR." Sosuke is a boy who is sometimes more mature than his mother. He doesn't cry when his father stays out working for a few days, and at the age of five, he already knows how to signal complete sentences on a beacon light to passing ships. Ponyo is a goldfish who wants to be a human. Her presence in each scene gives the audience representations of pure joy, pure love, and pure confidence. I wish I could be like Ponyo! The movie is basically a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." I really liked Sosuke's mom. Her being voiced by Tina Fey probably helped a lot. But I also like how confident she is, how she is totally capable of functioning like a single mom when she has to, how she doesn't hesitate to tell her husband that she's mad at him, how she takes charge when the power goes out - knowing exactly how to turn on the power generator, set up an antenna, and being able to go help the elderly while putting trust in her capable son. Also....I feel like this is a pretty pro-feminist movie? Miyazaki always have strong female characters, but in this movie especially, Ponyo's dad is a big jerk, literally keeping her inside a bubble! And what was up with humans never being held accountable for their polluting the waters?? It's brought up, but never dealt with in a way that resolves things. I'd like to know more about the past lives of Ponyo's parents. I think one of the things I like the most about the films of Studio Ghibli is watching how other people live and function in the world. Such a complete picture of their lives is created, and characters always seem to know exactly how to do things when confronted with a crisis. I'm impressed that characters always know how the things that they own operate - their houses, their cars, their appliances, whatever. It inspires me to know more about how to take care of my belongings (especially my car, which I know nothing about, :[ ) so that I don't have to freak out every time something breaks. Also, I REALLY would like to own a lamp that plugs into the wall like that! So awesome! I think that my favorite part was at the end, when Sosuke said, "I love all of the Ponyos." I was like, "OMF, my boyfriend loves all of the Jackies! Even the crabby ones!" I guess my main critique of the movie is that the plot moves a bit slowly, but I happen to like watching scenes in Ghibli films that simply show the characters functioning in their houses, or quietly sharing a meal. In conclusion....go support quality anime movies being played in American theaters! Ponyo made a good showing this weekend, but you can help it! I think that this is the most widely-released anime film in the U.S. in terms of how many theaters it's playing in. And if any of you are looking for good entry points for anime, I highly recommend beginning with films made by Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Whisper of the Heart, Porco Rosso, Kiki's Delivery Service, etc.) Labels: anime, anime: studio ghibli, movies scribbled mystickeeper at 9:11 AM
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wJul 16, 2009 | |
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince This was not one of my favorite books; I think my favorite might still be book 5, aside from 7. I've only read 7 once, though, so many re-readings are required. In this movie, Draco hung around and was emo all over the place, just like he was in the book. My annoyance by this was about the same level as reading it. While irritated by the romantic sub-plots in the book, they were much more adorable to watch in the movie. This movie did make me laugh a lot. I can't imagine grasping all of the fine little plot-points without having read the books....honestly, I can't figure out how I would know WTF was going on unless I read them, and I feel kind of bad for people who don't read them. What annoyed me the most was the removal of the huge roof-top fight at the end. Like, WTF I want to watch the DA/Order fighting the Death Eaters, HELLO!! Oh, well. Like most of the Harry Potter movies, it was pleasant enough to watch, but I vastly prefer the books. Labels: harry potter, movies scribbled mystickeeper at 7:16 AM
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wJul 11, 2009 | |
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I like media All you lucky bastards who have this movie playing in your city had better blog about it!! Watched "The Prestige" last night. It was bad-ass. I preferred Hugh Jackman's character to Christian Bale's, but then Bale's mostly just yelled a lot during the movie. Still, I was unspoiled for all of the turns and surprises, which made things fun. Also, the presence of David Bowie increases the greatness of any movie by 10 points. You can get the first episodes of the animes Honey & Clover and NANA on iTunes for free now through August 31. Both of these series are examples of realistic (they're still dramatic, but there are no transformations to magical school girls) shojo, and they are two of my favorite series of all time. An article with more information on Honey & Clover is here, while there is also one on NANA here. I have been waiting for these to be released in the U.S. for a long time! Today's Kate Beaton comic is about the Bronte sisters, and it is glorious. I bought a used copy of a book claiming to be a metabiography of the Brontes today at a bookstore. OM NOM NOM. Labels: anime, anime: honey and clover, anime: nana, movies, movies: blood the last vampire, movies: the prestige scribbled mystickeeper at 2:08 PM
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wJun 28, 2009 | |
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Taken with "Taken" This is purely my own made-up shit, but it seems to me like there are a lot of feminists out there who dislike watching shows/movies/anime that are violent. I'd like to take the time to tell the Internet that this is not the case with me, in spite of how often I will go on and on about sparkly shoujo manga like Cardcaptor Sakura. Last night some friends and I watched the movie "Taken." The first fifteen minutes of the movie are pretty terrible, but the premise of the movie is that Liam Neeson plays a retired CIA agent. He lost his marriage due to being gone all the time, but now he's trying to be close to his daughter, who's living with her ridiculously rich, pony-buying step-father. His daughter goes to France with her 19-year-old friend and they get abducted by Albanians who want to sell them as sex slaves. Being a retired CIA agent, Liam Neeson has some badassery up his sleeves. If you have any doubts about Liam Neeson's abilities to play a badass motherfucker, I suggest you see this movie. I suggest you see it anyway. Watch him shoot people in the face, watch him kill people with their own weapons, watch him handle vehicles like you didn't even know they could be handled. HOLY SHIT. My only warning is this: Cerebrally, it's mildly disturbing to me how quickly the analytical-feminist side of my brain shut down while watching this movie. It was clear that women were props in this movie, used and abused and lying unrescued (because Neeson literally only cares about his daughter, and will literally kill any random fucker who is in his way or preventing his progress) and basically serving as plot devices so that the boys can run around and shoot at each other. But because the action scenes were SO AWESOME AND BAD-ASS that they literally made me cackle with glee, I could overlook the mild-to-moderate fail. Still, it makes a bit of sense that "the bad guys" weren't women, as it's more unlikely for women to sell each other as sex slaves, I think. Also, not all of the bad guys are Albanian, if anyone was wondering if this was a hate-on-POC movie. Labels: movies, movies: taken scribbled mystickeeper at 1:52 PM
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wMay 28, 2009 | |
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Holy crap! How come nobody told me they're making a live-action version of Blood: The Last Vampire?! Watch the totally bad-ass trailer here! Labels: anime: blood the last vampire, movies, movies: blood the last vampire scribbled mystickeeper at 10:29 AM
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wMar 27, 2009 | |
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5 Centimeters Per Second This is the third movie I've seen by director/animator Makoto Shinkai [the first two being Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days]. Shinkai is pretty neat in that when starting out, he worked on creating Voices of a Distant Star by himself every night when he came home from work. He eventually quit his job to focus on animating as his career. He wrote, produced, and directed VofDS on his Mac, and he and his fiancee did the voices. I admire Shinkai's passion so much! 5 centimeters per second is the speed at which cherry blossoms (sakura) fall through the air. Like people, they start out together and then, at that sometimes excruciatingly slow speed, drift apart. The film is split into three heartwrenching vignettes about different periods of time in the life of Takaki Tono. The things he faces are very common to all people: falling in love, developing friendships, struggling to find meaning in life. It's about people, living their lives. But it's the presentation that makes the film so beautiful and emotional. Compared to the other two movies I've seen by Shinkai, I think that his decision to remove sci-fi elements behooves him quite well. Additionally, this movie was only an hour and two minutes, broken into three parts for easy viewing consumption. Here is the trailer, which shows off the superior animation quality as well as the simple, poignant music. Additionally, rilina uploaded a number of pictures in her write-up of the movie, which also prove how beautiful the movie was. And yes, Boyfriend, I will watch it again with you. Labels: anime, movies, movies: 5 centimeters per second scribbled mystickeeper at 12:01 AM
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wDec 29, 2008 | |
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Breakfast at Tiffany's I think I'm a rarity in that I read Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's before watching the movie for the first time yesterday. Upon finishing the novella, I wondered a bit why so many girls my age loved the movie version, calling it a romance. Now I understand! As I watched the movie, I kept wondering if I had missed so many major plot points, because that happens to be a lot when I am reveling in an author's writing style, as I did with Capote's writing. Of course, what had really happened was a lot of changes made by the writers, most especially to the ending. In the end, I liked the movie, although it was almost ruined entirely by Mickey Rooney's racist portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi. Do you guys like the novella or the movie better? If you haven't read the novella, you totally should! Capote's writing is exquisite. What do you like about the movie? Labels: literature, movies, movies: breakfast at tiffany's scribbled mystickeeper at 8:50 AM
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wDec 12, 2008 | |
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Yeah, not letting it go I still can't believe this all-white main cast for the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. I mean....jeez, even just look at the logo! What are those Asian characters doing there, between the words "Nickelodean" and "Avatar"?! Or the world map, where each nation is labeled with an Asian character. Or, you know, the entire series, where every costume, setting, name, and fight style is Asian-influenced. The Angry Black Woman also has a nice post here. But let me be blunt: one of the things that hooked me about this show was that it was set in an all-Asian world. And it wasn’t fucked up. OK, let me clarify. You know how usually, when there’s an Asian character in an American TV show, he (or more frequently she) ends up as the martial arts master, the (white) hero’s submissive love interest, the dragon lady vamp, or the magical elderly person dishing out nonsensical proverbs and occasionally a can of whoopass? The thing is, all of these stereotypes are present in Avatar to some degree. But because the whole world is Asian, they’re lost in a sea of non-stereotypical, non-exoticized, perfectly normal human beings. How amazing is that? Not only that, but Avatar actually depicts different Asian ethnicities. Though this is a fantasy world, there are clear allusions to the Inuit, Koreans, Mongols, Tibetans, several flavors of southeast Asian, various Indians, and more. The Chinese- and Japanese-analogues of the story actually come in several varieties (Earth Kingdom and Fire Kingdom, Kyoshi warriors, etc.). This is just so upsetting! Avatar is perhaps the strongest thing I have in common with my nephew, and I'm kind of disgusted that this amazing interest in a cartoon full of strong women and people of color is tainted now. My nephew even ASKED me for Christmas if I could find him action figures of Katara and Toph. A boy specifically asking for action figures of girls of his own volition! Amazing! [Also, how come now when I look on Amazon, I can only find Aang and Zuko?!] But now when he sees this movie I'm going to have to be all, "Don't you think it's weird that everybody's white in this movie?" Labels: family, movies, racism, tv: avatar scribbled mystickeeper at 3:58 PM
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wDec 10, 2008 | |
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Toph and Mai had better be in this damn movie. WHAT. Dear Hollywood, People of color like getting jobs, too. I AM SO SICK OF THIS SHIT. Labels: epic fail, movies, tv: avatar scribbled mystickeeper at 1:06 PM
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wNov 16, 2008 | |
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Epic Post of Anime Recs for Beginners I know some of you don't like YouTube clips, but I really think it's the best way to showcase animation style, music, and quality, which I feel are essential with any series I spend my time with. It's happened at least twice in the past few months, so I figure it's worthy of its own post. People are interested in anime, but don't really know where to start. "I've seen Spirited Away/Princess Mononoke/all of the Ghibli movies, but I don't know what else to watch." So, here's a list of what I consider to be good places to start. For the most part, these are movies and series that have been around for a while, and are loved by just about everyone who's seen them. For the sake of ease, I chose only things that are available on DVD in the US. While most of the items listed do a pretty good job with humor, but overall this is a list of dramas. I did this because a fair amount of anime humor is based on tropes commonly found in anime storytelling, or is "weird" in that one has to be a bit more comfortable with the medium to fully "get it." Evangelion and Utena probably have some of the more stereotypical humor found in anime out of everything on this list, but I think it's manageable to a newcomer. The possible exception to this is Revolutionary Girl Utena. Its use of recycled animation and rampant presence of implied incest will come off as a bit WTF, especially to newcomers. But since most readers of my blog/LiveJournal are feminists, I think it'll be very easy to find other things to appreciate. Additionally, you guys are probably more willing to deconstruct and ask, "Why is this happening in the story?" as opposed to just freaking out. Utena could be analyzed endlessly, so if you start it and are dubious, I promise that the pay-offs make everything worth it. Of course, I might just be pre-preemptively apologetic and pushy because it's my favorite, :D All of the Studio Ghibli movies Lots of people have seen Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but Studio Ghibli has a treasure chest full of achingly beautiful and poignant films. I've seen all but one, and adored all but two (Laputa and Pom Poko). Watch them all! I know that Netflix has all of these except Only Yesterday, and most video stores let you rent "kids' movies" for free. Laputa: Castle in the Sky Grave of the Fireflies My Neighbor Totoro Kiki's Delivery Service Only Yesterday [I LOVED this. Does anyone know how to obtain a copy?] Porco Rosso Pom Poko Whisper of the Heart [This is my absolute favorite Ghibli movie] Princess Mononoke Spirited Away The Cat Returns [I actually haven't seen this one, :( ] Howl's Moving Castle Cowboy Bebop This clip shows the opening sequence as well as a bit of episode footage beforehand. The episode footage is all silent, and does a lot to show you the style points that Bebop is known for. The simple music is clearly nostalgic, as is the black and white noir-style flashbacks. And of course, then there is the opening, with big band jazz music, action, and stylish use of animation. I have yet to meet a person who watched Cowboy Bebop and didn't love it (except for my boyfriend, who is an anomaly I conveniently choose to ignore for the purposes of this post!). The music used in the clip is representative of the fantastic soundtrack used throughout the series; 26 episodes and movie counterpart. Revolutionary Girl Utena Revolutionary Girl Utena is the story about a girl who was saved by a prince when she was still a child. In the present, she resolves to become a prince herself. She finds a mission to follow when she discovers classmate Anthy Himemiya is ensnared in a creepy Student Council tradition of being a "Rose Bride," a partnership earned through sword fights that makes her subject to the whims of whoever happens to win her. Utena finds this custom "stupid" and weird, and resolves to simply win Anthy for herself, and allow her to do whatever she'd like. The series begins seemingly simplistic, with clear-cut villains and friends, but as it progresses, it's clear that everything the viewer and Utena believe to be true is in fact a lie. Fairy tale tropes are rampant, down to two girls who use shadow puppetry to act as a Greek chorus for the storyline of each episode. The rotating roses are iconic symbols for the series. You can also see Utena's adoption of the boys' school uniform and the classic animation style. The opening sequence makes it seem as though Utena and Anthy's relationship is a lesbian one, but I find that debatable in the series as a whole (although definitely not in the movie!). There is a definite subtext, though, and there are other characters who are clearly homosexual. This is one of the few anime series that represents people of color and gay relationships with serious thought. This is my favorite anime series, if you can't tell, :) Samurai Champloo This series was made by the creator of Cowboy Bebop. They are similar in that they blend a music style with a seemingly incompatible plot genre (Bebop blends jazz with space opera noir; Champloo blends hip-hop with samurai action of the Japanese Edo period). Samurais Mugen and Jin are polar opposites: one has standing-on-end hair who seems to breakdance as he fights, while the other is a reserved dojo-trained master of specific moves. They join forces with 15-year-old Fuu, an outspoken girl searching for a samurai who smells like sunflowers. The anime is a story about the people they meet and fight with along the way. The opening sequence of Samurai Champloo is quite solid, but I decided to post an AMV instead. The use of some Beastie Boys music fits in with the music regularly used on the show. You can watch Samurai Champloo because it's hilarious, because each episode is ridiculously tightly plotted, or because of the way it riffs on historical events. But you can also watch it solely because its action sequences are totally bad-ass, and they alone give you reason enough to watch it. Neon Genesis Evangelion Like Cowboy Bebop, this is a classic that most anime fans have seen. Like Utena, it starts out with a seemingly standard premise until it becomes apparent that everyone is lying and a basket case in some form. Shinji Ikari is a teenage boy with no ambition, but he has to go to his father's organization NERV to pilot a giant robot to save the world from attackers. This is a pretty standard premise for anime (mostly from anime that came afterward, but also from series like Macross which came before), but Evangelion subverts tropes and expectations. It's highly recommended, and make sure you check out the movie The End of Evangelion once you make it through the episodes. Some people loathe the ending as seen through the TV series, and the movie certainly does give more closure, even if in a disturbing way (I am a fan of both endings, and they're not mutually exclusive: one is internal, and the other shows you what's going on with everyone else). Movies by Satoshi Kon Kon is like Miyazaki in that everything he touches is golden. He is unlike Miyazaki in that the themes he touches upon are much more adult in nature (especially "Perfect Blue". The theatrical trailers are pretty good, so I'm going to be lazy and just go with those. Labels: anime, anime: cowboy bebop, anime: paprika, anime: revolutionary girl utena, anime: samurai champloo, anime: satoshi kon, anime: studio ghibli, movies scribbled mystickeeper at 11:29 AM
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wSep 24, 2008 | |
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A Giant Update of Doom....but everything is organized! GUYS, Borders has a Norton British Literature anthology on sale for $5.99! $5.99! Shelley, Keats, Yeats, Byron, Faerie Queene, Canterbury Tales, AMAZINGNESS. I repotted my English ivy and pink polka-dot plants, so that's good. ADDITIONALLY, I purchased a jade plant at the Farmer's Market today. I am determined to keep these plants alive, Internet. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I put them by the window every morning so that they get sunlight, and take them away from the window every night so they don't get cold. The pink polka-dot plant is supposed to like humidity, so I even set it on the shelf in the bathroom every time I take a shower. IF THESE PLANTS DIE, I WILL GIVE UP ON PLANTS. People at work are getting sick, so I'm spending time drinking lots of tea, scrubbing my hands clean, and taking it easy so that I don't get it too. Media Musings: Movies I ended Sunday evening by watching Bobby, which made me cry unexpectedly. It was a well-made movie! Monday, I went to the free screening of "Choke" with Antoine, Keely, and The Hammer. We also unexpectedly ran into Jaci and Dan, and the people who accompanied them! I love Chuck Palahniuk's writing style; he is one of my favorite authors. Choke is not a favorite novel of mine, but I appreciate his humor coming across strongly on the screen. The overall presentation was not nearly as bleak as it was in the novel, and I'm a bit sorry that not as much time was spent on the rock structure, but what can you do. It was a disgusting and delightful movie, as stories written by Palahniuk tend to be. Media Musings: TV Fringe isn't being all that great....I hope for awesomesauce, but don't really receive it. It's like sci-fi CSI, and I don't like CSI. I'm an episode behind on Terminator, and haven't watched the premiere of Heroes yet, although I intend to. HOPEFULLY, Heroes won't suck any more. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE OFFICE, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. Media Musings: Comics and Manga I'm reading some Batman comics for the first time, in an anthology put out by DC, starting at THE VERY BEGINNING. Dude, 1930s comics are hilarious. "BUT THE GUNMEN RECKON WITHOUT THE GREAT SPEED AND AGILITY OF THE BATMAN." Mostly, I'm tickled with amusement every time he is referred to as "the" Batman. I just finished volume 10 of Bleach. Is this the Soul Society arc that everybody raves about? It's....not that good. So far, the set-up arc has been my favorite. And, lastly...Things I Shouldn't Say at Work (or, ever): "Why the hell is everybody watching you guys play cards? Watching people play cards is only fun when the people are pretty, like on Celebrity Poker." I then lapsed into silence while watching my co-workers' faces slacken with horror. COULD THIS POST HAVE ANY MORE TAGS?! Labels: a: kubo tite, antoine, comics: batman, friends, manga: bleach, manga: shounen, movies, movies: bobby, movies: choke, plants, tv: fringe, tv: heroes, tv: office, work scribbled mystickeeper at 1:37 PM
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wJul 14, 2008 | |
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The Internets Never Sleep Firstly, I will remind you all (as Dave reminded me!) that the first Act of Dr. Horrible goes live today! These are only staying live until midnight of July 20th. I'd really like to know how the conversation went when deciding on the cover of this week's New Yorker. "It's okay for white people to be racist, because we're being ironic!" No. Black Lagoon is one of my favorite anime series, and it's been announced that it will have a third season. Last Sunday, I went to see the movie Wall-E with Creighton, Carolyn, Gordon, Antoine, and a couple of friends of C&C. I had forgotten to mention that, but I did find the movie incredibly sweet. Probably the only critique I have of the movie is its treatment of obesity, equating it with laziness, stupidity, and ignorance. There is an article describing this, and why it sucks, here. Wall-E is an innovative and visually stunning film, but the "satire" it draws is simple-minded. It plays off the easy analogy between obesity and ecological catastrophe, pushing the notion that Western culture has sickened both our bodies and our planet with the same disease of affluence. According to this lazy logic, a fat body stands in for a distended culture: We gain weight and the Earth suffers. If only society could get off its big, fat ass and go on a diet!The article should be read in its entirety. It contains many links, sending you to lengthier discussions of these issues. Perhaps someone could forward a link to Rachel Moss. I don't know how many of you have been following the Helix kerfluffle, but the most absurd exchange I've read thus far has been when writer Yoon Ha Lee contacted Sanders flounced off in a huff, stating that the story "never did make any sense" and that he only accepted it to "please those who admire your work"--what altruism!--"and also because (notorious bigot that I am) I was trying to get more work by non-Caucasian writers." If I were a writer currently submitting to Helix, I would kind of worry about that bit--all things considered, if a story really does suck, I'd rather have it rejected so I can fix it. What a jerk! Where do these people come from? Sanders has now said that any writer who wants a story removed must pay $40. Labels: a: whedon joss, anime: black lagoon, movies, movies: wall-e, racism, weightism scribbled mystickeeper at 10:39 PM
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wJun 1, 2008 | |
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Media Consumption Update (Blog Layout Note: I figured that since I'm getting so many hits, I could update the layout, which hasn't been changed in over a year. LJ People, I'm talking about my blog, which is actually my default online journal.) After finishing out the semester, my brain seems to be craving YA fiction and graphic novels. Books I've Finished in the Last Week: Yuu Watase's Absolute Boyfriend, volumes 2 and 3 Lloyd Alexander's The Beggar Queen (last of the Westmark trilogy, which I loved) Tamora Pierce's Lioness Rampant CLAMP's Chobits, volumes 1-4 Holly Black's Spiderwick Chronicles, volume 1 (I loved both the story and the artwork for this. I think it's much better than A Series of Unfortunate Events.) Books I've Picked Up From the Library: Marimo Ragawa's Baby & Me, volumes 1-3 (Discussed at the Shoujo Bodies panel at Wiscon) Tamora Pierce's Terrier Bill Willingham's Fables, volume 1 (I've heard that there are some skeevy race issues, but I'm going to try it out.) Holly Black's Tithe (I'm liking this a lot so far.) Chie Shinohara's Red River, volumes 3-5 Han SeungHee and Jeon JinSeok's One Thousand and One Nights, volumes 1 and 2 Movies Enchanted was pretty awesome. I fell asleep for about 15 minutes of it because I was so tired yesterday, but I still loved everything I saw. Amy Adams was amazing. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was great fun, as Indiana Jones often is. I went to see it with my parents, sister, bro-in-law, and their three kids. The two youngest kids were pretty freaked out by the ant-scene, but other than that, I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Of course, the franchise is still as racist as ever. A few spoilery comments: Okay, so in the end? It's revealed that the Mayans were "taught" their advanced technology by INTER-DIMENSIONAL ALIENS. I am not making this shit up. Other than that, though, the 1950s stuff was great, as was the action stuff. The only thing I didn't like (aside from skeevy race issues) was the over-use of CGI. I have not seen the Sex & the City movie (I never watched the series), but Ann Althouse has, and has notes on how race is used in the movie. Media-Related Story Over a month ago, my friends Kristy and Chad wrote an entry in their wedding blog about auditioning to be extras in a movie that's currently in production in Illinois and Wisconsin: Public Enemies. Last night, while Kristy was picking up Enchanted at the video store, she received a call on her cell phone. The woman on the phone wanted to know if Kristy would like to film a scene on Monday. Kristy declined, stating that she had to babysit, and also that she was schedule for her first ever facial on Monday. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Facials can be rescheduled; Other babysitters can be found. Here is a photo of Christian Bale from the recent shoot at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Note his dejection, stemming from Kristy's refusal to BE IN A MOVIE WITH CHRISTIAN BALE AND JOHNNY DEPP.  Labels: books, comics, manga, movies, movies: indiana jones, movies: public enemies scribbled mystickeeper at 11:04 AM
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wApr 29, 2008 | |
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The common thread is books Natalie Portman is going to play Catherine Earnshaw in a new movie version of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. While I'm glad that there won't be 8,000,000 more remakes of Jane Austen novels in the near future and people have realized that other women were writing great stuff in the 19th century, I'm not sure how much I'll like Portman as Cathy. I've liked her in everything I've seen her in thus far, though, so I guess I'll give it a try when it comes out. There is an awesome article in the New York Times about depressed writers. With all our scans and neurotransmitters, we are not much closer to figuring out that relationship than was Lord Byron, who announced that poets are “all crazy” and left it at that. But effective drugs make the question more urgent now: would Virginia Woolf, medicated, have survived to write her final masterpiece, or would she have spent her extra years happily shopping? I find this interesting. For me, when I'm feeling down, everything else gets stripped away except for words, which I am more likely to write down then than when I am happy and preoccupied. Tomorrow morning, I have a Ballroom Dance practical exam, which I'm a bit afraid of, as I missed the day of practice on Monday. I opted to miss that over 3 power lectures, though, so hopefully it'll work out okay. As for the paper due Friday, I haven't written much yet, but there is more to my presentation notes than I thought there was. The nice part about this paper (sort of?) is that the professor has really given absolutely no direction, and it seems like it's supposed to mostly be personal reflection (seeing as most of the class is reflecting on their study abroad experience). I think that that will make things much easier. Still attempting to read like mad so that I can include info on as much manga as possible. I need to figure out how to get a hold of the last volume of Vaughan's Y: The Last Man. Labels: college, literature, movies, writing scribbled mystickeeper at 11:38 PM
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wFeb 2, 2008 | |
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I SUCK AT TITLES, KTHX On Thursday, I had my car towed through AAA. The mechanics who looked at it replaced both the alternator and the battery. It was expensive, but the alternator now has a lifetime guarantee. This is comforting to me, because, knowing my luck, it will break again next week. At my college, majors are referred to as "majors," but minors are referred to as "certificates." When I graduate, I will have two certificates: European Studies and Global Cultures. In order to complete my Global Cultures certificate, I must take a Capstone seminar class that is meant to bring together all of my experiences studying global cultures. Unfortunately, I am one of probably only 2-3 people in the class who have never studied abroad, or spent a significant amount of time in another country. Studying abroad is cool, but it is not a requirement to be in the class, and thus far, I've been mildly annoyed that every question we're asked relates to "our experiences being abroad." That said, we have to present to the class a presentation, which will morph into a 15-18 page paper by the end of the semester. Nearly everyone will be presenting on their study abroad experiences. After class, I spoke with the professor about what I should do, having no study abroad experience. He assured me that analyzing media portrayals of other cultures, and learning about other cultures through media would be okay. DOES THIS MEAN THAT I CAN MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT MANGA? I THINK IT DOES. *cackles* OMG, maybe I could do gender representations in manga!! I will think of something amazing, I tell you what. Angel I don't know how I managed to tear myself away from Buffy, given its current DRAMA, but my goal was to alternate between Buffy and Angel, and that's what I've been doing. I'm not entirely sure how Angel is going to be capable of being very consoling, given his current state. Also, my love for Wesley expands by millions. ALSO, PS: MY FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL HAS MET A BUFFY ACTOR! But you can only know who if you've seen through season 5 of Buffy. It is here! And don't click the link, DAVE. The Terminator I was rather exhausted yesterday, so rather than going ballroom dancing for an hour with Nina and John (and Antoine!), Antoine and I ordered Chinese take-out food with Chad and watched "The Terminator." I think I've seen random clips of the Terminator movies during my life, but I haven't yet seen them as a whole. I rather liked it, although I obviously liked the character Sarah Connor a lot more at the end of the movie than I did in the beginning ("On your feet, soldier!"). I'm looking forward to the second movie. The reason I'm choosing to watch these movies now is because I would like to watch the new TV series. coffeeandink on the first movie here paralleactic also on the first movie here The Presidential Race I liked John Edwards a lot in 2004. And I hadn't realized how glad I was that he was in this race until he had dropped out. I do feel a bit glad that I hadn't thrown myself into hoping whole-heartedly for Edwards or Gravel or etc. - Primaries weed people out, and I just figured I would wait until the pool was a bit thinner, so as not to get crushed. And now that my choice is down to Clinton and Obama, my choice is easy. If Hilary Clinton were to win and remain in office for 4 years, then, when I am 26, my entire life since the age of 3 will have had a Bush or a Clinton in the presidential office. To me, that is extremely unsettling. I'm not going to launch into a diatribe of why I'm voting for Obama, or why you should too (at least, not yet). For now, I will simply say that it's been a while since we had a great orator in office. How cool would it be to have a president whose mode of speech was so rhythmic that you can literally set it to music? Still, I must say that I'm not a fan of pulling everyone out of Iraq immediately. Also not a fan of the war in general. But still - doesn't seem like the best option right now. Labels: college, movies, movies: terminator, politics, presidential election, tv: angel scribbled mystickeeper at 1:43 PM
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wJan 2, 2008 | |
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O HAY After spending most of this break whining about all of the extra time I have, I suddenly don't have enough of it. I could whine about all of the things I have to do, but instead, I'll focus on good things. My mom and I have gone clothes-shopping the last couple of days, and I now have new clothes for work and for not. And they are nice. Clothing is good. Especially when you still wear things from middle school. I mean, hey, they fit, right? Time has escaped me, and I feel like I haven't seen some old high school friends much at all this break (although, to my credit, it's quite difficult when they are in segmented clumps that don't mesh). There are things that I meant to do that I haven't done yet, but I think I just need to relax. There are still two more weeks left in this break, and once I get back to Madison, my life will assume its normal rhythm. I should be more thankful for all of the time I've had thus far. Movie's I've Seen Lately: The Paper Chase - TERRIBLE. My friends and I have a really terrible track record with the movies we choose to watch on New Year's Eve. At least there was alcohol, :) Juno - OMG AMAZING, EVERYONE SEE THIS MOVIE Shoot 'Em Up - Meh. The hotness of Clive Owen does a lot for me. And I do understand that it's supposed to be campy, and there are lots of awesome action sequences and one-liners. But the fact that all of the female characters are all blithering idiots or nameless (or both!) is always distressing to me. Labels: movies, movies: juno, movies: shoot 'em up scribbled mystickeeper at 9:33 PM
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