Noted and Quoted
Finally (I think) hauled myself out of the puddle of angst I had melted into. Spring's coming and that helps. I saw two great movies today that I wholeheartedly recommend to you all.
The first is Jeffery (1995), about a gay man living in New York and dealing with the effects of AIDS on his friends and personal life. That makes it sound terribly dry...actually it's hilarious. There are tons of great cameos (Nathan Lane as a Catholic priest being one of the most notable) and Patrick Stewart plays a major role, which is a sure mark of quality. Bonus! It has Michael T. Weiss (who I know from Pretender) smoldering through the whole thing. Funny, a little odd at times, and touching...but mostly funny.
Second flick is The Prince of Egypt (1998?), an animated feature that tells the story of Moses- notably his early years and the exodus from Egypt. I will admit to changing the channel during the songs (I've lost my tolerance for musical numbers). What I saw, however, was a very impressive film. The voice acting was quite strong and the animation work was fabulous. What I particularly enjoyed was the way the filmmakers were able to take such a familiar story and make it new by focusing on the human elements of Exodus. Ramses and Moses are complete characters, with both good and bad qualities- Moses, for example, is understandably conflicted about the wrath being visited on his old home, while Ramses feels betrayed by his adopted brother. My favorite part of the film has to be the way it depicted interactions with God. Contact with the Almighty is, at best, a somewhat unnerving experience. At worst, it can be terrifying, even for the Hebrews. True, they are being rescued from slavery, but being surrounded by the wrath of God can really drive home your insignificance. Even Moses- especially Moses- is frightened by the power God wields through him. It's a different take, and one I find I prefer to the Charlton Heston version.
Late-breaking news...OMG, Michael T. Weiss voiced Etrigan in Justice League?! /fangirl spasms of glee
The first is Jeffery (1995), about a gay man living in New York and dealing with the effects of AIDS on his friends and personal life. That makes it sound terribly dry...actually it's hilarious. There are tons of great cameos (Nathan Lane as a Catholic priest being one of the most notable) and Patrick Stewart plays a major role, which is a sure mark of quality. Bonus! It has Michael T. Weiss (who I know from Pretender) smoldering through the whole thing. Funny, a little odd at times, and touching...but mostly funny.
Second flick is The Prince of Egypt (1998?), an animated feature that tells the story of Moses- notably his early years and the exodus from Egypt. I will admit to changing the channel during the songs (I've lost my tolerance for musical numbers). What I saw, however, was a very impressive film. The voice acting was quite strong and the animation work was fabulous. What I particularly enjoyed was the way the filmmakers were able to take such a familiar story and make it new by focusing on the human elements of Exodus. Ramses and Moses are complete characters, with both good and bad qualities- Moses, for example, is understandably conflicted about the wrath being visited on his old home, while Ramses feels betrayed by his adopted brother. My favorite part of the film has to be the way it depicted interactions with God. Contact with the Almighty is, at best, a somewhat unnerving experience. At worst, it can be terrifying, even for the Hebrews. True, they are being rescued from slavery, but being surrounded by the wrath of God can really drive home your insignificance. Even Moses- especially Moses- is frightened by the power God wields through him. It's a different take, and one I find I prefer to the Charlton Heston version.
Late-breaking news...OMG, Michael T. Weiss voiced Etrigan in Justice League?! /fangirl spasms of glee