Pop Culture and update on life
Things to steal me away...
A) bloody stupid flu and bloody stupid head that doesn't realize when it's time to just stop
B) consideration of returning to school (or similar) and everything that entails
C) social changes.
Before Supernatural comes to lay claim on my time again, I thought of throwing together a list of things I've laid my eyes on lately.
First, movies and other stuff on the big screen/tv...
1) WALL-E: Aaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww! I never thought I'd love a robot-movie. But Pixar's gone and done it again. There are no words to correctly describe just how much I want to smish this movie. And the characters.
Especially M-O.
Granted, being a loyal Mac-user and married to an Apple-nerd, I might be a tad biased. ;)
But no one can not love the fact that most of the 'robot voices' are artificially produced. Or the pun in Buy and Large.
2) Interview With the Vampire: I watched this again after years. Gods, but I'd forgotten how very pornographic this movie is, feeling/mood-wise. And I keep forgetting that that's Tom Cruise, playing Lestat. Still not liking Brad Pitt's version of Louis, but on the other hand, I wasn't exactly cheering when I read the book, either. Except for when Louis turned Madeleine.
3) Hellboy II: The Golden Army: There's a single fundamental flaw in this movie, far as I'm concerned. The pretty-pretty Pale Prince? Gets kicked in the nuts. *sulks*
Yes, I do like Abe and Hellboy and Liz (*loves Liz*), but you just can't have too many wannabe-albino swordsmen. Especially since from the first moment, I kept constantly referring to him and his race as Aen Seidhe; that name for elves has been stuck inside my head ever since I played The Witcher. If only because I'm with dear Mr Pratchett far as elves are concerned:
- "Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad."
I have to admit that the Pale Prince's interactions with his sister were rather unsettling, because it gave the same vibe as Sam and Dean Winchester. And yet, all wrong, because it's what sibling incest should seem like. Not a pretty-pretty fantasy, but just plain bloody wrong.
Beyond all that, Hellboy seems like a franchise I like. It's funny and there's action and pretty-pretty things and flames and all kinds of Nifty Shtuff™.
4) I, Robot: Not impressed. Partially because I watched this while being held hostage by the bloody flu, partially because Will Smith's pants distracted me and partially because I kept thinking I'd already seen it before somewhere.
Halfway through, I figured out that this movie reminded me of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. And really, the first GitS-movie, too, even though there's preciously little these movies share. Blame my befuddled brain. And staying up for far longer than I usually do.
However, this is a movie that presents a world before the downward spiral speeds up, the bodywork bleeds out and you get cyberpunk.
I do love det. Del Spooner's left arm, though. But then, I am partial to cybernetic limbs. :)
5) Top Gear: I've picked up the habit of grabbing dear hubby and sitting down to work through the seasons of this show. Alas, we only manage to watch an episode or two per night because I really don't want to even try and concentrate on anything while the kids are still awake. And the bloody cold has doubled my need for sleep.
After Jason May joins Hammond and Clarkson in Season Two, this show becomes nothing short of delightful. Hammond's still a hobbit whom I want to cuddle, Clarkson's chest hair gets to my ovaries (WT-bloody-F?), and their voices are lovely to listen to. Not to mention the races of the fastest faith/political party/ruler of the universe. :)
And then about books...
When I was younger, I devoured books. Some of them I wish I hadn't, but you're supposed to learn from your mistakes, aren't you?
However, over the last couple of years, my reading's lessened dramatically. In fact, the last time I've actually finished a book (a Sherlock Holmes-anthology) was, methinks, when I was expecting my daughter a little over three years ago. After that, I've mostly read stuff on-line and just nibbled on a couple of books. Of course, there was Andrej Sapkowski's The Last Wish that completely enchanted me last Spring.
One reason for the lack of books is that it's easier to play with yarns and hooks and stuff while watching something than it is while reading a book.
The flu bound me to bed, though, and I wasn't in the mood for anything but reading books. Black text on paper. 'Slow words'.
6) Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: This is a big book that my friend, evemaykill, suggested (and got us, too). Thank You. Even if I do keep reading the title as Mrs. Norrell, and fall asleep within the first five minutes if I'm under covers and cozy and warm. ;)
One can't help but 'read' this with an English accent. It's delightful and charming, so very evocative of the 19th century that it makes me long for steampunk-paraphernalia.
I'm not quite sure what to make of Mr. Norrell quite yet (around the page 100), but he's certainly an interesting character.
7) Wintersmith: There's a reason why I love Terry Pratchett's Discworld. especially the witches. This book, preceded by Wee Free Men and Hat Full of Sky, merely adds to the love. Somehow, these books never fail, never let my mind wander, letting me simply enjoy it all. Besides, this book's small enough to lug around and read while waiting for one's turn in bureaus, unlike Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. ;)
And Tiffany Aching is easily someone to relate to. Anyone who's read a dictionary from cover to cover is easy to relate to in my books. :p
There's also Science of Discworld: Darwin's Watch still waiting to be finished in my bookshelf, and a whole lot of books on my to-read-list...
Now, I'd love it if I were able to illustrate Jared and Jensen in Anodyne. Because it's been a while since I've last had such a clear picture of how a scene looks like...
The sudden ineptitude concerning my 'main' computer I'd love to get rid of, though. *grumble*