Reviews
Reviews of Things I've Recently Read/Seen
The Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynn Jones
I am a latecomer to Diana Wynn Jones. I didn't read her stories growing up. My first experience was the animated adaption of Howl's Moving Castle, which I greatly enjoyed. I read the book a few years ago... don't remember exactly when. Good read. Upon her passing a couple of weeks ago, I decided to delve more into her books. First up was The Castle in the Air, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. It was enchanting! The ending was marvelous. Makes me want to read the book again- the ending was one of those things you don't pick up on your own (at least it went over my head!) but probably would make a second read very interesting. Jones' descriptions of everything were perfect in that I had a fun time visualizing what she was writing. I loved the idea of a field full of blue bells. Makes me think of the expansive California poppy fields in the Antelope Valley.
Next up to read by Jones is Hexwood.
Silverado, a movie western that came out in 1985
This was the Movie Club selection last week. I served as moderator. Have to admit, I waited till the last minute on this one. Once I started researching it and eventually watched it, I wish I had spent more time learning about it! When I mentioned the movie to a friend of mine, he remarked that westerns teach us more about the time there were actually made in than the time that they are set. This point was contested a bit after the movie. Certainly modern Shakespeare productions teach us about the time we live in more than about Elizabethan life. However, I think part of what western's teach us comes from the fact that the stories are normally written in contemporary times. It isn't necessarily a re-staging of an old tale. The themes are old, yes, and the plot points have certainly been overused in some cases. Silverado had some great typical western moments, like Kevin Costner's double gun move towards the end of the film. Course, I think the idea of needing wide open spaces and freedom isn't completely specific to 1985. Perhaps the concrete separation of right and wrong is. Not sure. This movie came out about 6 months before I was even born. 1980s politics is not my greatest strength!
Overall, I loved this movie. Stella and Paden's relationship was my favorite. It had aspects of a love story but didn't push it. It just was what it was. Plus, Stella (played by Linda Hunt) was just a great character in general. She had agency, spunk, independence. Kevin Costner was adorable and quite energetic. Kevin Kline did a good job too. He has a lovely acting style. My second favorite part of this movie was New Mexico. I'm pretty sure I've been either at or very close to the spot of the opening scene, near the Galisteo River. It's all so so beautiful! That part of the American desert seems more life-like than what we have in California. Nothing like most of Death Valley, that's for sure.
Cool tidbit I learned during moderating research: The set for Silverado was used in other westerns like Lonesome Dove, Wild Wild West and All The Pretty Horses. The people who own the property were concerned about the decreasing open space in the American West. Partnering with the movie industry allowed the land to get used by still maintained carefully and with an eye for the future.
Murder on the Orient Express, starring Albert Kinney
What a cast this was!! I got this from the library on Saturday. Kinney was a great Hercule Poirot. I never imagine Poirot's quirky Belgian accent in my head. It's always a trip to hear his lines spoken aloud! This was the first or second Agatha Christie novel I read growing up. Besides The Babysitter's Club, Goosebumps and The Berenstein Bears, which I don't read anymore nowadays lol, she's the most read author in my life. I'd have to check my library records for the exact count, but I must be up to 20 books by this point!
Having remembered the twist/solution to this book, I enjoyed watching Poirot figure out all the tiny details. I especially loved the line about there being too many clues. Figuring out Agatha Christie mysteries is a challenge for me. I rarely get it right. Now, I try to pick up on ways I can become a more observant and astute mystery book reader.
Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar for her role as Greta Ohlsson, the Swedish Missionary. She did a good job! Definitely made the most out of a small part.
This was an enjoyable watch on a lazy afternoon.
Having It All, new musical at the NoHo Arts Center
I saw this on Thursday in North Hollywood. Brand new musical by people I hadn't heard of before. Amazing all female cast featuring some of the best musical theatre performers in Southern California. The NoHo Arts Center is intimate- probably 99 seats. The audience is stacked pretty steep, something I liked a lot. Makes it much easier to see! The musical is about five strangers who meet at an airport. Their flights get delayed. One of the women is writing a book. Voila, instant plot device to learn more about each woman and their life! The musical's main message is that there is more than one way to have it all as a woman, and there are many stereotypes and prejudices to overcome to achieve it.
I liked it. Great songs. The book was pretty good too. I find a lot of new musicals now have an under developed book. This one had good dialogue. The show tackled motherhood really interestingly. A couple of the characters are mothers. One has been trying to have a child with her husband for several years. Another is a few weeks pregnant and isn't sure what she's going to do. The pregnancy is brought up towards the end, though it's hinted it from the start. You think she could be talking about something else. In the end, I think the show did a good job emphasizing personal choice. I definitely teared up at the end- so did many other audience members!
The Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynn Jones
I am a latecomer to Diana Wynn Jones. I didn't read her stories growing up. My first experience was the animated adaption of Howl's Moving Castle, which I greatly enjoyed. I read the book a few years ago... don't remember exactly when. Good read. Upon her passing a couple of weeks ago, I decided to delve more into her books. First up was The Castle in the Air, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. It was enchanting! The ending was marvelous. Makes me want to read the book again- the ending was one of those things you don't pick up on your own (at least it went over my head!) but probably would make a second read very interesting. Jones' descriptions of everything were perfect in that I had a fun time visualizing what she was writing. I loved the idea of a field full of blue bells. Makes me think of the expansive California poppy fields in the Antelope Valley.
Next up to read by Jones is Hexwood.
Silverado, a movie western that came out in 1985
This was the Movie Club selection last week. I served as moderator. Have to admit, I waited till the last minute on this one. Once I started researching it and eventually watched it, I wish I had spent more time learning about it! When I mentioned the movie to a friend of mine, he remarked that westerns teach us more about the time there were actually made in than the time that they are set. This point was contested a bit after the movie. Certainly modern Shakespeare productions teach us about the time we live in more than about Elizabethan life. However, I think part of what western's teach us comes from the fact that the stories are normally written in contemporary times. It isn't necessarily a re-staging of an old tale. The themes are old, yes, and the plot points have certainly been overused in some cases. Silverado had some great typical western moments, like Kevin Costner's double gun move towards the end of the film. Course, I think the idea of needing wide open spaces and freedom isn't completely specific to 1985. Perhaps the concrete separation of right and wrong is. Not sure. This movie came out about 6 months before I was even born. 1980s politics is not my greatest strength!
Overall, I loved this movie. Stella and Paden's relationship was my favorite. It had aspects of a love story but didn't push it. It just was what it was. Plus, Stella (played by Linda Hunt) was just a great character in general. She had agency, spunk, independence. Kevin Costner was adorable and quite energetic. Kevin Kline did a good job too. He has a lovely acting style. My second favorite part of this movie was New Mexico. I'm pretty sure I've been either at or very close to the spot of the opening scene, near the Galisteo River. It's all so so beautiful! That part of the American desert seems more life-like than what we have in California. Nothing like most of Death Valley, that's for sure.
Cool tidbit I learned during moderating research: The set for Silverado was used in other westerns like Lonesome Dove, Wild Wild West and All The Pretty Horses. The people who own the property were concerned about the decreasing open space in the American West. Partnering with the movie industry allowed the land to get used by still maintained carefully and with an eye for the future.
Murder on the Orient Express, starring Albert Kinney
What a cast this was!! I got this from the library on Saturday. Kinney was a great Hercule Poirot. I never imagine Poirot's quirky Belgian accent in my head. It's always a trip to hear his lines spoken aloud! This was the first or second Agatha Christie novel I read growing up. Besides The Babysitter's Club, Goosebumps and The Berenstein Bears, which I don't read anymore nowadays lol, she's the most read author in my life. I'd have to check my library records for the exact count, but I must be up to 20 books by this point!
Having remembered the twist/solution to this book, I enjoyed watching Poirot figure out all the tiny details. I especially loved the line about there being too many clues. Figuring out Agatha Christie mysteries is a challenge for me. I rarely get it right. Now, I try to pick up on ways I can become a more observant and astute mystery book reader.
Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar for her role as Greta Ohlsson, the Swedish Missionary. She did a good job! Definitely made the most out of a small part.
This was an enjoyable watch on a lazy afternoon.
Having It All, new musical at the NoHo Arts Center
I saw this on Thursday in North Hollywood. Brand new musical by people I hadn't heard of before. Amazing all female cast featuring some of the best musical theatre performers in Southern California. The NoHo Arts Center is intimate- probably 99 seats. The audience is stacked pretty steep, something I liked a lot. Makes it much easier to see! The musical is about five strangers who meet at an airport. Their flights get delayed. One of the women is writing a book. Voila, instant plot device to learn more about each woman and their life! The musical's main message is that there is more than one way to have it all as a woman, and there are many stereotypes and prejudices to overcome to achieve it.
I liked it. Great songs. The book was pretty good too. I find a lot of new musicals now have an under developed book. This one had good dialogue. The show tackled motherhood really interestingly. A couple of the characters are mothers. One has been trying to have a child with her husband for several years. Another is a few weeks pregnant and isn't sure what she's going to do. The pregnancy is brought up towards the end, though it's hinted it from the start. You think she could be talking about something else. In the end, I think the show did a good job emphasizing personal choice. I definitely teared up at the end- so did many other audience members!