2x19: DOD KALM & HARRY POTTER: Goblet of Fire (Part 3)
INTRODUCTION
I'm back after a short and unannounced little winter break hiatus. I had a very full and busy winter break. I ended up not seeing very many people, and I mulled around by myself and with my mom most of the time. The winter quarter has started with a bang, and I am already in dangerous swirling eddies that threaten to engulf me into its Charybdis-like madness. Biochemistry is always a pleasure and a pain. More details in Friends Only at some point!
MOVIE REVIEWS
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
I can sing accolades for this movie. It's not really my type of movie, for I prefer the dark and twisted phantasms of perverted minds. But this movie is light, inspiring, and reduced me to weepiness at the sheer realism and happiness of it. A perfect family movie, my mom was so inspired by this movie that she vows she will watch it again on DVD. It certainly induces one to sympathize with Will Smith's character and hope beyond seeming-realistic hopes that he will achieve his dreams and provide that hope for all of us. What's more is that this movie is inspired by the real rags to riches story of Chris Gardner. I pause when I reconsider how much of the movie is an enthusiastic reinterpretation of real events, but I digress. The heart of this movie is real in the character's unrelenting and unfailing determination to rise above all odds, and thankfully does not reduce him to ask for sympathy based on his minority status or his poverty. Instead, one can value his achievements solely on merit alone, and does not make you wonder if his chances were improved by pity.
I feel we do not often hear about single fathers, as much as we hear about single mothers. As portrayed in the movie, Chris Gardner is a model father, and I think this movie does a very good job in highlighting the role of the father in being an intellectual and moral leader for his children. He is a very engaging father, and it is just beautiful to watch.
Will Smith acts his ass off for this role, as does his son, Jaden Smith, who makes his film debut as Chris Gardner's son. I have never been much of a fan of Will Smith's acting, but this movie really was an achievement. It is soulful, honest, and heartbreaking. Jaden Smith's portrayal as a introspective and endearing young boy torn between parents and forced to live an uncertain lifestyle is amazing. Wow. I generally do not care much for child actors, but this performance was so distinctive, real, and made my hard heart soften. There was not a single moment in this movie that felt "fake" or out of place when it came to Jaden Smith's performance. It was so natural, and it boggled my mind. I wonder how such young child actors, especially a celebrity's child, can understand and portray the depth of sorrow and loss without ever experiencing it?
BABE 2: PIG IN THE CITY
Perhaps the oddest entry here, my mom wanted to watch another pig movie when we were reminded of Babe by all of the advertisements for Charlotte's Web. So we rented this movie in expectation that it would be a delightful family film with the same endearing qualities of the first movie.
We were very wrong.
This movie is dark, surreal, and comical in its exaggerated and absurd story. I was wearing a grimace the entire time we were watching it. It was unbelievably bad. I had expected a movie of a pig's travails through the scariness of urban life, but its interpretation of "urban life" turned out to be a comically-grotesque interpretation of urban perversions. The portraits of people, including the farmer's wife, was horrifyingly cartoonish. If I were a child, I would be having nightmares due to this movie. Babe's attempt to unify the various, cross-species dejected pets is badly childish. The movie's attempt to make it an "adventure" story, complete with interspecies storming of animal-testing laboratories had me shaking my head in disbelief.
This movie is not worth the $1.99 rental fee.
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
I've been meaning to watch this movie for ages. After my mom and I went to watch Apocalypto, I told her that Mel Gibson also directed this film, and this information motivated her to watch this as well.
Because I have anticipated the bloodiness and violence of this movie, as well as my newly-reestablished threshold for violence (due to Apocalypto), I was actually surprised to see that it was not as violent as I had anticipated. Of course, this does not mean it is not a bloody violent movie. Despite the fact that I spent the entire movie explaining all of the events to my mom, who could not really follow the events leading to Jesus' crucifiction, I was appealed to the movie's sedate, but very powerful imagery (that is, when the action is not centered on the maximum infliction of torture and pain on Jesus). The scene where Mary and Mary Magdalene are watching Jesus carry the cross from across a tunnel...that was amazing. I think that image will stay with me. Despite the violence of the movie, there were very quiet and slow moments where we appreciate the drop of a single drop of blood, a touch, a footfalling. These small moments were made momentous, magnified when juxataposed with the violence. It also provides a visual and narrative break from what is essentially tedious focus on Jesus' suffering.
I also was interested in how the Jews were portrayed in the movie, knowing that it sparked a lot of controversy. I felt that it was very appropriately done, since even though a lot of Jews called for Jesus' crucifixtion and cheered his torture, there were also Jews who did not feel these acts were justified. For me, this was a study on mass hysteria, when people can be so enflamed and unsatiable as to completely disregard what is sensible and morally just.
Incredibly, there was a sense of closure within the movie and even ended with optimism and hope. I had not expected that.
What "cheapened" the movie direction a bit is how much the crucifixtion scene paid homage to the multiple paintings and art that depicted the moment, from medieval artists to contemporary reinterpretations. The scene at the end, when Mary holds Jesus' dead body is so unsubtly an homage to Michaelangelo's sculpture of the same scene. The scene, including the positioning of the bodies, Mary's open palm, and her look of peace mixed with resignation was perfect for sculpture, but it did not do much for the movie. I wish Mel Gibson chose to film these scenes in his own way.
LJ RANT
So whiel I'm putting this together, the HTML tab finally works, but every time I edit the HTML, my LJ cuts disappear! Grrr...
BELATED HOLIDAY-REQUEST FOR helenatopia
A piano composition for Helena:
(I'll probably end up changing the name again, as I am wont to do, but the title for now...):
Paper Lanterns in a Chinese Autumn: Short version (3.6 MB)
Info: I *think* this composition is in B flat major, although I cannot be sure since my music theory has pretty much hightailed out of my mind in glee. It's also only 3.6 MB. I have a longer version of the same song, but I thought it was a bit more boring, so I didn't post it. If anyone wants to hear it, just let me know, and I'll get that copy online as well. Right click to save it on your harddrive, or stream it, doesn't matter too much since it's only 3.6 MB.
I typically compose music in A minor, D minor, G minor, and a little bit of F major. However, this key is almost nearly completely new to me. I never write down any of my music, and rather just store the essence of the song (the main melody and the subcomponent melodies) in my head. It's different every time I play it, and it is what I describe as "flow of consciousness."
When I was working on this song, I kept thinking of an autumn breeze, with fragile leaves, but with a fragrant warm breeze, not something that is chillingly cold as right now. And I was picturing paper lanterns bouncing in the wind, and kind of the papery texture of both the fragile warm-colored leaves and the paper of the lattern, and kind of the softness of light that filters through the leaves that is indicative of autumn.
ICONS
Firstly, apologies for being late with this batch. I was distracted over the winter break and holidays by my Holiday Requests, and then with my diary entries. I wanted to "publish" this set last week, but my first-week-of-school duties was overwhelming. Sorry for not being online and as talkative, as well.
Since my last batch, which was fanastic and I loved for the novelty of experimentation, I suddenly feel very uninspired by both this batch and the next batch, which I am already working on (2x20 - Humbug). I am only in season 2 of the Great Chronological X-Files iconage, and I'm already feel tired of the tediousness of it. But then again, each episode, thankfully, offers different imagery and different challenges. I am mainly tired now by my iconer's bloc. Humbug is not going as well as I would like it to. This batch (2x19 - Dod Kalm), was the beginning of said bloc, and I finished this set when I only felt like doing plain, bright coloring, capitalizing on great Mulder/Scully positioning. And besides, who wants icons of wrinkly Mulder and Scully?
I have also fallen into a creative pit with the Harry Potter icons. These icons had been made and been sitting here for quite some time, and therefore does not represent the "pit" I speak of. Those icons shall come next week.
Preview:
2x19 - Dod Kalm
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire (Part 3)
2x19 - DOD KALM
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HARRY POTTER: GOBLET OF FIRE (PART 3)
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I'm back after a short and unannounced little winter break hiatus. I had a very full and busy winter break. I ended up not seeing very many people, and I mulled around by myself and with my mom most of the time. The winter quarter has started with a bang, and I am already in dangerous swirling eddies that threaten to engulf me into its Charybdis-like madness. Biochemistry is always a pleasure and a pain. More details in Friends Only at some point!
MOVIE REVIEWS
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
I can sing accolades for this movie. It's not really my type of movie, for I prefer the dark and twisted phantasms of perverted minds. But this movie is light, inspiring, and reduced me to weepiness at the sheer realism and happiness of it. A perfect family movie, my mom was so inspired by this movie that she vows she will watch it again on DVD. It certainly induces one to sympathize with Will Smith's character and hope beyond seeming-realistic hopes that he will achieve his dreams and provide that hope for all of us. What's more is that this movie is inspired by the real rags to riches story of Chris Gardner. I pause when I reconsider how much of the movie is an enthusiastic reinterpretation of real events, but I digress. The heart of this movie is real in the character's unrelenting and unfailing determination to rise above all odds, and thankfully does not reduce him to ask for sympathy based on his minority status or his poverty. Instead, one can value his achievements solely on merit alone, and does not make you wonder if his chances were improved by pity.
I feel we do not often hear about single fathers, as much as we hear about single mothers. As portrayed in the movie, Chris Gardner is a model father, and I think this movie does a very good job in highlighting the role of the father in being an intellectual and moral leader for his children. He is a very engaging father, and it is just beautiful to watch.
Will Smith acts his ass off for this role, as does his son, Jaden Smith, who makes his film debut as Chris Gardner's son. I have never been much of a fan of Will Smith's acting, but this movie really was an achievement. It is soulful, honest, and heartbreaking. Jaden Smith's portrayal as a introspective and endearing young boy torn between parents and forced to live an uncertain lifestyle is amazing. Wow. I generally do not care much for child actors, but this performance was so distinctive, real, and made my hard heart soften. There was not a single moment in this movie that felt "fake" or out of place when it came to Jaden Smith's performance. It was so natural, and it boggled my mind. I wonder how such young child actors, especially a celebrity's child, can understand and portray the depth of sorrow and loss without ever experiencing it?
BABE 2: PIG IN THE CITY
Perhaps the oddest entry here, my mom wanted to watch another pig movie when we were reminded of Babe by all of the advertisements for Charlotte's Web. So we rented this movie in expectation that it would be a delightful family film with the same endearing qualities of the first movie.
We were very wrong.
This movie is dark, surreal, and comical in its exaggerated and absurd story. I was wearing a grimace the entire time we were watching it. It was unbelievably bad. I had expected a movie of a pig's travails through the scariness of urban life, but its interpretation of "urban life" turned out to be a comically-grotesque interpretation of urban perversions. The portraits of people, including the farmer's wife, was horrifyingly cartoonish. If I were a child, I would be having nightmares due to this movie. Babe's attempt to unify the various, cross-species dejected pets is badly childish. The movie's attempt to make it an "adventure" story, complete with interspecies storming of animal-testing laboratories had me shaking my head in disbelief.
This movie is not worth the $1.99 rental fee.
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
I've been meaning to watch this movie for ages. After my mom and I went to watch Apocalypto, I told her that Mel Gibson also directed this film, and this information motivated her to watch this as well.
Because I have anticipated the bloodiness and violence of this movie, as well as my newly-reestablished threshold for violence (due to Apocalypto), I was actually surprised to see that it was not as violent as I had anticipated. Of course, this does not mean it is not a bloody violent movie. Despite the fact that I spent the entire movie explaining all of the events to my mom, who could not really follow the events leading to Jesus' crucifiction, I was appealed to the movie's sedate, but very powerful imagery (that is, when the action is not centered on the maximum infliction of torture and pain on Jesus). The scene where Mary and Mary Magdalene are watching Jesus carry the cross from across a tunnel...that was amazing. I think that image will stay with me. Despite the violence of the movie, there were very quiet and slow moments where we appreciate the drop of a single drop of blood, a touch, a footfalling. These small moments were made momentous, magnified when juxataposed with the violence. It also provides a visual and narrative break from what is essentially tedious focus on Jesus' suffering.
I also was interested in how the Jews were portrayed in the movie, knowing that it sparked a lot of controversy. I felt that it was very appropriately done, since even though a lot of Jews called for Jesus' crucifixtion and cheered his torture, there were also Jews who did not feel these acts were justified. For me, this was a study on mass hysteria, when people can be so enflamed and unsatiable as to completely disregard what is sensible and morally just.
Incredibly, there was a sense of closure within the movie and even ended with optimism and hope. I had not expected that.
What "cheapened" the movie direction a bit is how much the crucifixtion scene paid homage to the multiple paintings and art that depicted the moment, from medieval artists to contemporary reinterpretations. The scene at the end, when Mary holds Jesus' dead body is so unsubtly an homage to Michaelangelo's sculpture of the same scene. The scene, including the positioning of the bodies, Mary's open palm, and her look of peace mixed with resignation was perfect for sculpture, but it did not do much for the movie. I wish Mel Gibson chose to film these scenes in his own way.
LJ RANT
So whiel I'm putting this together, the HTML tab finally works, but every time I edit the HTML, my LJ cuts disappear! Grrr...
BELATED HOLIDAY-REQUEST FOR helenatopia
A piano composition for Helena:
(I'll probably end up changing the name again, as I am wont to do, but the title for now...):
Paper Lanterns in a Chinese Autumn: Short version (3.6 MB)
Info: I *think* this composition is in B flat major, although I cannot be sure since my music theory has pretty much hightailed out of my mind in glee. It's also only 3.6 MB. I have a longer version of the same song, but I thought it was a bit more boring, so I didn't post it. If anyone wants to hear it, just let me know, and I'll get that copy online as well. Right click to save it on your harddrive, or stream it, doesn't matter too much since it's only 3.6 MB.
I typically compose music in A minor, D minor, G minor, and a little bit of F major. However, this key is almost nearly completely new to me. I never write down any of my music, and rather just store the essence of the song (the main melody and the subcomponent melodies) in my head. It's different every time I play it, and it is what I describe as "flow of consciousness."
When I was working on this song, I kept thinking of an autumn breeze, with fragile leaves, but with a fragrant warm breeze, not something that is chillingly cold as right now. And I was picturing paper lanterns bouncing in the wind, and kind of the papery texture of both the fragile warm-colored leaves and the paper of the lattern, and kind of the softness of light that filters through the leaves that is indicative of autumn.
ICONS
Firstly, apologies for being late with this batch. I was distracted over the winter break and holidays by my Holiday Requests, and then with my diary entries. I wanted to "publish" this set last week, but my first-week-of-school duties was overwhelming. Sorry for not being online and as talkative, as well.
Since my last batch, which was fanastic and I loved for the novelty of experimentation, I suddenly feel very uninspired by both this batch and the next batch, which I am already working on (2x20 - Humbug). I am only in season 2 of the Great Chronological X-Files iconage, and I'm already feel tired of the tediousness of it. But then again, each episode, thankfully, offers different imagery and different challenges. I am mainly tired now by my iconer's bloc. Humbug is not going as well as I would like it to. This batch (2x19 - Dod Kalm), was the beginning of said bloc, and I finished this set when I only felt like doing plain, bright coloring, capitalizing on great Mulder/Scully positioning. And besides, who wants icons of wrinkly Mulder and Scully?
I have also fallen into a creative pit with the Harry Potter icons. These icons had been made and been sitting here for quite some time, and therefore does not represent the "pit" I speak of. Those icons shall come next week.
Preview:
2x19 - Dod Kalm
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire (Part 3)
2x19 - DOD KALM
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HARRY POTTER: GOBLET OF FIRE (PART 3)
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