Twelfth Night at the Movies: 1969

[bewareofitalics]

Hello, and welcome to Twelfth Night at the Movies! Which is really more like Twelfth Night on TV, but whatever! I'm your host, bewareofitalics, and have I ever watched a lot of Twelfth Night. A few years ago, I screencapped three different versions and posted them to my journal, and now, I shall bring those screencaps to you! Today's Twelfth Night comes from

Comments

[dontcrosscross]

For some reason, "Orsino" and "angsty blue lighting" don't go well together in my mind. I feel like the lighting would have to be part of a show he was playing, and he'd have to be a rock star, or something.

Aww, Branagh, WHY? :( You brought the goofy too well in Love's Labour's Lost...

(Woooooah there was a character named Paul Antonio and I forgot about him. why did I do that.) I thought it was pretty cute; I watched it because we were reading Twelfth in my English class and one of my friends kept saying "This is JUST like She's The Man!!"* Actually, what irked me was the total erasure of the entire gang of merry mischief-makers. I mean, you could probably make an entire teen movie out of their plot - a gang of lovable losers, the two ringleaders of which have undeniable UST, play a trick on That Guy, much lulz and lovins are had, and perhaps That Guy is reformed by the experience, or something, so there's no problematic ending because We Can't Have That, Of Course. You'd have to pad it out a lot, but... they also padded She's The Man out a fair bit, too. (Who was that girl who was ALSO in love with Viola? And that whole thing with Malcolm Festes and his tarantula Malvolio? [seriously WTF you can't even give the Malvolio character his proper name? WHYYY]) I mean... there were things that could easily have been cut out, to make room for that awesome+hilarious subplot, WHY.

Err, pent up She's-The-Man-related aggravation. Sorry about that.

PS. I absolutely cannot look at that first picture of Sebastian anymore without cracking up. He just looks so - bored!

*At least she didn't say Shakespeare ripped off of Taylor Swift. Which I have heard about as actually having happened. why do you do this, pop culture / education system.

[dontcrosscross]

WHY IS IT SO LOOOOOOOONG D:

[bewareofitalics]

No rock stars, just angst. :( It's kind of like Anton Chekhov's Twelfth Night.

Yes, needed more mischief! I didn't even get that Toby and Andrew were named Toby and Andrew until I saw it on Imdb. And AAAAARGH, MALCOLM FESTES. Malvolio and Feste are so not the same character, why would they do that? But I did like the tarantula. And I loved Headmaster Horatio. And, um, I kind of have an epic, unfinished fic set in the She's The Man universe but starring mostly Hamlet characters. It's very silly.

Bored? He's being manly! :D

[dontcrosscross]

Aww, BAH. D: (Is Antonio sufficiently cute in his angst? If there's one thing Branagh can be counted on for, it's bringing the homoeroticism.)

HEADMASTER HORATIO! WHY DID I NOT NOTICE THAT? Does Headmaster!Horatio=Hamlet!Horatio? And Hamlet is a teacher, or something? Because that's pretty much the best thing ever.

Why does that make me think of that preview for '96 Twelfth Night where they play Macho Man at the beginning? XD

PS. I found this stage production that seems to be on Youtube in its entirety - have you seen it? Everyone's face is painted in a primary color. It's passing entertaining. :D

[bewareofitalics]

(He laughs at Sebastian's pain! :( But they get an adorable reunion hug!)

BECAUSE HE BLINDED YOU WITH HIS DORKY AWESOMENESS? Hamlet and Horatio are students (and boyfriends, of course). Hamlet Denmark, Sr., headmaster of Elsinore Academy, was found mysteriously dead in his office, so a bunch of Elsinore students transferred to Illyria. But Headmaster Horatio does scar student!Horatio for life by telling him that he used to have a crush on Daddy!Hamlet. :D Also, there is drama club drama and soccer and many gratuitous Shakespeare references/puns.

Have a link? It sounds very cool. :D

[dontcrosscross]

OMG WHY D: So... kind of along the lines of the Asshole Who Cares (like 96 Antonio)? But aww, hug.

I BET THAT'S IT. Also, I was probably too busy going OMG TOBIAS to pay attention to anything. OMG THAT IS THE BEST. Poor student!Horatio. :( Is Hamlet in the drama club? I bet he goes around trying to direct everyone's shit, and they kind of hate him, but at the same time they kind of love him too. IS LAERTES ON THE SOCCER TEAM? I CAN SEE THAT

See, now you've got me all excited about this. XD

Here it is! :D I've not finished it yet, but I'm watching it now and I'm at "Come Away Death", which is really quite sad and sweet. Is it just me, or is that song always all about Viola/Orsino? I mean, I can see why, but... how? Is that just always how it's been done, or is it a more recent thing (*looks pointedly at Nunn's version*)? Um... anyway. This Orsino is really quite adorable and I want to hug him. XD;

[bewareofitalics]

I think he's sweet for the most part, just... weird? It's been a while since I've seen this one, too. (Which reminds me, I need to make my next post! :D)

Hamlet auditioned for Grease and didn't get in, so he started his own club, doing a play that he wrote, which is The Murder of Gonzago in the style of Greek tragedy. :D He's the director and the star, of course, Horatio is the stage manager, and the other cast members are Tamora from Titus Andronicus, Bianca from Othello (who joined because Mike Cassio is playing Danny in Grease opposite Desdemona as Sandy and she wants to make him jealous), Alfred from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Nick Bottom from Midsummer. Laertes is on the soccer team! And so is Ophelia! And Fortinbras, who transferred from Norway High, is the captain! And Andrew got held back a year, so he is still on the team, and there is an Andrew-Ophelia-Forti love triangle! And there's also Osric/Valentine, because yeah, crack OTP. *g*

It's all (well, all that got written) on my LJ if you'd like to read it! Under friendslock, but I think I'd like to friend you anyway. :D

Thanks! Oo, Mondrian sets. And hm... I guess if it's not about Viola/Orsino, it's just a musical interlude, and there needs to be something to make it relevant to the plot?

[dontcrosscross]

SO, I AM OBVIOUSLY THE BEST AT CONVERSATIONS, RIGHT?

*hangs head*

[bewareofitalics]

And I'm the best at remembering to post things I say I'm going to post. *facepalm*

[dontcrosscross]

Clearly we are the best at internets!

And, er, yes, I would love to friend you. XD

[bewareofitalics]

Haha, posted! :D

And friended, hi!