Recent theater, film, & concerts
I wish I had more time to update this journal. I miss my fandom friends a lot.
So here’s a little update-film/theater/concerts I’ve seen recently:
* Pirates of the Caribbean 4 - It was nice to see this in IMAX 3D with jaydk and drujan, but what a waste of a movie. It was completely soulless, like a Bugs Bunny cartoon melded with a theme park ride. None of the characters were interesting, nothing worth caring about was at stake, and the plot didn't make the tiniest bit of sense. Really too bad, as the first film was great and the second two were at least enjoyable. :(
* John Leguizamo's latest one-man show on Broadway, Ghetto Klown - I wasn't expecting much and was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It's an autobiography in which he plays all the parts, largely comedic but with several quite moving and thought-provoking moments. Plus on a person level it was a great nostalgia trip, as I kept thinking things like "Is he going to mention his TV show? I remember loving that when I was 12" and "I hope he talks about To Wong Foo..." and "Oh yeah, he was a huge part of why I saw Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet in the theater twice when I was 14" and sure enough he gave behind-the-scenes dirt on all those plus some hilarious stories about various bloated Hollywood egos he's worked with. I also appreciate him calling Hollywood on its racism--it's ridiculous the number of drug dealers and thugs such a versatile actor has been stuck playing.
* Derek Jacobi in King Lear - Meh. Ian McKellen's was so much better. I think I'm spoiled for Lear forever because McKellen's version was the best theater I've ever seen, period.
* Scott Weiland at the Grammercy Theater - Quite possibly the worst show I've ever seen in my life. I got there shortly after doors opened at 7; some terrible opening band played from around 8-8:45; then Weiland didn't show up until 11:30pm. On a freaking Tuesday. Because he was at a book signing. At which point he slurred some excuse and launched into a series of painfully bad covers. I was in the front row, falling asleep against the barrier, and left after four songs. What a disgrace. And what a dick.
* Sleep No More for the second time - Sadly I didn't enjoy this nearly as much the second time around. Maybe it's that I knew what to expect, or that I got there much later, but it seemed shorter and smaller this time around. Partly this is my fault, since I spent almost the whole time on one floor (because there were always actors there, and I didn't realize it was going to be over so soon!). It's the floor with Hecate and the orgy/birth/prophecy scene (which I saw twice). Also to be totally shallow, there was a different actor playing the male witch and he wasn't hot at all. :(
On the plus side, Hecate was awesome--I spent most of the time following her. She mostly sat at her table and other characters came to her. At one point she used her necklace to unlock a covered plate containing some kind of white thing covered in blood, and slowly ate it while the audience watched, then spat out a ring when she was halfway through. And later she also mouthed along to "Is That All There Is," this time a version with a male singer. I also had a few interactive moments--the biggest was in the bar with the wood chips on the floor. The bartender guy took my hand, put it palm up over a shot glass, studied it closely, compared it to his, and then took a pin and mimed cutting my pinkie off. Then he did some game thing with preparing shots, putting salt in some and mixing them around and (I guess?) wanting me to choose one, but no way was I touching them. And then at the end, one of the actors held on to my shoulders throughout the whole hanging sequence, tighter and tighter and tighter until BANG! he let go and then grabbed tight again, and escorted me the entire way up the stairs into the bar, one arm clasped around my shoulder and then other clutching my hand, then when we got to the bar, slowly removed my mask, and left.
So it was still interesting, just not quite as magical as the first time, and all the being touched by strange men left me feeling... strange. :P Like missing something. I don't know. :(
Aside from that, all I've been doing is working constantly and being tired and depressed. *sigh*
Originally published at rusty-halo.com. Please comment there or at Dreamwidth.