The Birthday Girl Speaketh
Thank you EVERYONE for the lovely lovely birthday wishes!!!!!!!
As a hopeless geek that I am, I am going to be spending my birthday evening watching Fanaa with Lord and Master (heeee. He hates it when I call him that :P) as well as aliterati and katranna. Yay. And tomorrow L&M and I are going down to Key West as his birthday present. Of course, our flight leaves at 6am so we shall see how awake I'll be, but I am all giddy!
And speaking of Bollywood, katranna posted a great post about gender norms in Bollywood: basically her thoughts on Paheli (with pictures) and how Bollywood is in some ways more equal than Hollywood because if it objectifies women, it objectifies men. Check it out.
In other news, I started watching the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and even though I am only half an hour in, it's amazing what a difference this cut makes (after all, theatrical cut is only 70% of this one). I liked the TC just fine, but after watching this I am mad at the studio hacks who are responsible for the cuts that makes TC look butchered in comparison. This cut is clearly the one Ridley Scott wanted and this is the cut he should damn well have had. Somehow the world becomes more real, character relationships more measured and make much more sense. Little details. The movie feels rooted, the characters more complex. Balian goes from somewhat of a cypher to someone clearly broken down, a real breathing flesh and blood guy who I felt deeply for. Things that I half-surmised from the TC are clear here. and I thought the cuts really did Orlando's performance a disservice: when we first see him, he is a happy man watching his pregnant wife but his face morphs into the really depressed man sitting in the cell and the difference is startling. He is almost comatose, his awaking gradual. Finding out that the Priest is his half-brother changes so much, as well, as well as the petty indignities and barbs (so real in their interaction) that he jabs at Balian. Viewed in such a light, Balian's murder of the Priest is the final straw snapping and makes so much more sense. Oh, and it's indicated that Balian knows some engineering thus making his skills at the seige near the end not come out of nowhere. This is the movie that should have been and it's pissing me the hell off the studio hacked it.
Talking about crazy folks, our small but hard-wanking fandom made Fandom Wank again. Ahhhh, Battlestar Galactica, how do I love thee and the crazy you bring? See here.
Oh, and I finally watched Doctor Who ep "The Doctor Dances" and so much love. I adore the sexy, bisexual, snarky Captain Jack and when I thought he might have to die? Not a happy camper. And Rose and Nine dancing? I am in heaven. Eeeeeee!
As a hopeless geek that I am, I am going to be spending my birthday evening watching Fanaa with Lord and Master (heeee. He hates it when I call him that :P) as well as aliterati and katranna. Yay. And tomorrow L&M and I are going down to Key West as his birthday present. Of course, our flight leaves at 6am so we shall see how awake I'll be, but I am all giddy!
And speaking of Bollywood, katranna posted a great post about gender norms in Bollywood: basically her thoughts on Paheli (with pictures) and how Bollywood is in some ways more equal than Hollywood because if it objectifies women, it objectifies men. Check it out.
In other news, I started watching the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and even though I am only half an hour in, it's amazing what a difference this cut makes (after all, theatrical cut is only 70% of this one). I liked the TC just fine, but after watching this I am mad at the studio hacks who are responsible for the cuts that makes TC look butchered in comparison. This cut is clearly the one Ridley Scott wanted and this is the cut he should damn well have had. Somehow the world becomes more real, character relationships more measured and make much more sense. Little details. The movie feels rooted, the characters more complex. Balian goes from somewhat of a cypher to someone clearly broken down, a real breathing flesh and blood guy who I felt deeply for. Things that I half-surmised from the TC are clear here. and I thought the cuts really did Orlando's performance a disservice: when we first see him, he is a happy man watching his pregnant wife but his face morphs into the really depressed man sitting in the cell and the difference is startling. He is almost comatose, his awaking gradual. Finding out that the Priest is his half-brother changes so much, as well, as well as the petty indignities and barbs (so real in their interaction) that he jabs at Balian. Viewed in such a light, Balian's murder of the Priest is the final straw snapping and makes so much more sense. Oh, and it's indicated that Balian knows some engineering thus making his skills at the seige near the end not come out of nowhere. This is the movie that should have been and it's pissing me the hell off the studio hacked it.
Talking about crazy folks, our small but hard-wanking fandom made Fandom Wank again. Ahhhh, Battlestar Galactica, how do I love thee and the crazy you bring? See here.
Oh, and I finally watched Doctor Who ep "The Doctor Dances" and so much love. I adore the sexy, bisexual, snarky Captain Jack and when I thought he might have to die? Not a happy camper. And Rose and Nine dancing? I am in heaven. Eeeeeee!