So it's been a while since I've written here on le blog. It's been pretty weird what with starting public school, trying desperately, and in vain. to catch a showing off the Dark Knight Rises (still haven't seen it).
Now that school has started, I'm hoping I can get into a routine and update this thing more often.
Anyway, onto the point: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog.
If you're not already interested in this thing after hearing the name, you may need to be examined by a doctor.
Directed by Joss Whedon, Dr. Horrible's is on youtube in it's entirety and rumor has it that it's going to be developed into a TV show in the next year or so.
Basically, Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) goes about singing songs, building a freeze ray, going to the laundromat, trying to get his dream Penny (Felicia Day), and avoiding his arch nemesis and Penny's new boyfriend, Captain Hammer (Okay, I completely blanked on his name, but he's the guy from Castle). He's trying to get accepted into the Evil League of Evil, and fails constantly. I won't give anything else away, but I loved it. It's forty-five minutes of awesomesauce with singing and super hero jokes. What's not to love?
Probably the coolest thing about Dr. Horrible is how even though he's unquestionably a villian, he's the equivalent of the hero in this story. It's quickly apparent after about fifteen minutes of the musical that Captain Hammer is, to put it lightly, a jerk.
The music is surprisingly catchy, and the actors do a great job with the vocals as well. I've had a few of the songs stuck in my head for a while now.
As is Joss Whedon's trademark, the dialog is quick and witty, and the story is classic. Boy likes girl, girl kind-of-sort-of-more-than-likely- likes guy, guy builds freeze ray, but it twists all that into something entirely new and fresh. And the actors handle the material wonderfully. Felicia Day is especially good here.
Another interesting fact: This was filmed during the strike in Hollywood a few years back. The cast and crew behind this did it not only because it's a fracking good story, but to show you didn't need a big studio and fancy geekery to make a good film. The whole thing was shot in six days. That's pretty amazing.
Seeing as I'm writing this on my super fancy (and super painful to use) school laptop, I cannot provide such an extra-curricular link at the moment, but as soon as I remember, I'll post it here.
Seriously just go watch it. It's great. Come back here and let's make inside jokes about it later.
-Randi
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
A Word on the Shootings in Colorado
Thursday night was a big one in the movie industry. It was the much anticipated midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises.
As you all know, it didn't end well in Colorado.
I'm so sorry to hear about all of this. The guy behind this is nothing short of a terrorist and deserves to be imprisoned. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected. This should have been a night of good film and friends, not one of tragedy and horror. I cannot even begin to fathom what these families are going through. I've heard so many heart wrenching stories of what happened that night and it sounds like a nightmare. I can't imagine why anyone would ever even THINK of doing something like this.
And while my pain is nowhere near the level of those actually involved, I feel like this has had an impact on myself as well. The movie theater is a second home, a place where I have learnt, laughed, screamed, cried, and had so many adventures. This feels like a violation of my space.
I hope that comic book fans, film fans, and all decent people can come together and get through this situation together.
Again, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Deus operatur per omnia.
-Randi
As you all know, it didn't end well in Colorado.
I'm so sorry to hear about all of this. The guy behind this is nothing short of a terrorist and deserves to be imprisoned. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected. This should have been a night of good film and friends, not one of tragedy and horror. I cannot even begin to fathom what these families are going through. I've heard so many heart wrenching stories of what happened that night and it sounds like a nightmare. I can't imagine why anyone would ever even THINK of doing something like this.
And while my pain is nowhere near the level of those actually involved, I feel like this has had an impact on myself as well. The movie theater is a second home, a place where I have learnt, laughed, screamed, cried, and had so many adventures. This feels like a violation of my space.
I hope that comic book fans, film fans, and all decent people can come together and get through this situation together.
Again, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Deus operatur per omnia.
-Randi
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds
Welcome to the life of Electra Heart.
So states a song on Marina and the Diamond's newest effort, Electra Heart. If you're not familiar with Marina and the Diamonds, it's led my Marina Diamindis. Their first release was a cool fusion of new wave, pop, and small pieces of punk. Marina's vocals are awe inspring and operatic, and her lyrics range from the simple and ecstatic, to the strange and melancholy.
Electra is a definite departure from anything on the first record. Marina has chosen to introduce us to a character she has created named Electra Heart. She is the vehicle for the album's ideas. The ideas? Loss of identity in American Culture. Sound boring? Listen to the album first.
However, as much I love a lot of the concepts introduced on the record, sometimes they don't play out as well as they should in theory.
There are a few songs that I absolutely adore. Fear and Loathing is the best of the bunch. Lies, both acoustic and electrified are amazing and lyrically beautiful. Valley of the Dolls is a slow, mournful, tune that to me exemplifies all of the themes on the album when paired with Fear and Loathing. Power and Control is definitely one of the more fun tunes. Primadonna hits all the right notes.
Then there are the songs that sort of work, or that I'm just okay with, like State of Dreaming, which sounds a lot like a Katy Perry song. How To Be A Heartbreaker just doesn't stand out. Teen Idle bores me. Hypocrates doesn't fit with the rest of these songs.
And then there are the cuts that are just not good at all. Homewrecker in particular is a train wreck. I like a little spoken word every now and then, but it definitely does not work for Marina.
The instrumentation might be the biggest difference between this and Marina's former release. It's very polished pop, produced by several people who worked with top of the charts artists. However, it still sounds unique and very fresh on most of the tracks.
The lyrics are up and down. Like I said, Homewrecker is easily the worst here. State of Dreaming's lyrics are more interesting than the song fully assembled. Fear and Loathing takes the cake again in lyrics though. It shows just how brilliantly Marina understood what she was doing during the initial writing and recording of Electra Heart.
Notice I said initial. Electra Heart seems to suffer from what happened to Lana Del Rey's debut. Marina seems to have gotten bored with writing the initial ideas she had. Electra was a long time in the making and it seemed that new ideas kept getting piled on and on and on until the concept was almost lost. There are moments when the album is not so sure of itself. One sign on this is all the different tracks being released or not released in different countries. It looks to me as though a lot of songs were optioned for Electra Heart after the initial eight or so, and they've been switching it up in different countries to see what works best. Marina, or the powers that be behind these things, can't decide what they want this album to be. That is the fatal flaw.
If you want to check out Electra Heart, it's definitely worth a listen. But past that? That's up to you.
-Randi
So states a song on Marina and the Diamond's newest effort, Electra Heart. If you're not familiar with Marina and the Diamonds, it's led my Marina Diamindis. Their first release was a cool fusion of new wave, pop, and small pieces of punk. Marina's vocals are awe inspring and operatic, and her lyrics range from the simple and ecstatic, to the strange and melancholy.
Electra is a definite departure from anything on the first record. Marina has chosen to introduce us to a character she has created named Electra Heart. She is the vehicle for the album's ideas. The ideas? Loss of identity in American Culture. Sound boring? Listen to the album first.
However, as much I love a lot of the concepts introduced on the record, sometimes they don't play out as well as they should in theory.
There are a few songs that I absolutely adore. Fear and Loathing is the best of the bunch. Lies, both acoustic and electrified are amazing and lyrically beautiful. Valley of the Dolls is a slow, mournful, tune that to me exemplifies all of the themes on the album when paired with Fear and Loathing. Power and Control is definitely one of the more fun tunes. Primadonna hits all the right notes.
Then there are the songs that sort of work, or that I'm just okay with, like State of Dreaming, which sounds a lot like a Katy Perry song. How To Be A Heartbreaker just doesn't stand out. Teen Idle bores me. Hypocrates doesn't fit with the rest of these songs.
And then there are the cuts that are just not good at all. Homewrecker in particular is a train wreck. I like a little spoken word every now and then, but it definitely does not work for Marina.
The instrumentation might be the biggest difference between this and Marina's former release. It's very polished pop, produced by several people who worked with top of the charts artists. However, it still sounds unique and very fresh on most of the tracks.
The lyrics are up and down. Like I said, Homewrecker is easily the worst here. State of Dreaming's lyrics are more interesting than the song fully assembled. Fear and Loathing takes the cake again in lyrics though. It shows just how brilliantly Marina understood what she was doing during the initial writing and recording of Electra Heart.
Notice I said initial. Electra Heart seems to suffer from what happened to Lana Del Rey's debut. Marina seems to have gotten bored with writing the initial ideas she had. Electra was a long time in the making and it seemed that new ideas kept getting piled on and on and on until the concept was almost lost. There are moments when the album is not so sure of itself. One sign on this is all the different tracks being released or not released in different countries. It looks to me as though a lot of songs were optioned for Electra Heart after the initial eight or so, and they've been switching it up in different countries to see what works best. Marina, or the powers that be behind these things, can't decide what they want this album to be. That is the fatal flaw.
If you want to check out Electra Heart, it's definitely worth a listen. But past that? That's up to you.
-Randi
Saturday, June 23, 2012
In Which I Review Brave
I'm not going to lie to you all: I'm a bit of a Pixar fangirl. Two of the first movies I can ever recall seeing in theaters are Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. I shed tears in public when I watched Toy Story 3, and Up. I also aspire to have a house with lots of balloons attached to the roof whether it flies or not, because that's just cool.
However, I didn't know what to expect sitting in the theater waiting for Brave. There's something that's surprisingly different about it. I was a little disappointed with it, but it's still miles above some of the other junk in theaters right now (sorry Avengers, I don't mean you, I love you, you're awesome, let's have dinner).
So I've split up my review into things I liked and disliked because if I don't, this post will probably dissolve into me talking more about other movies than anything else.
Things I Liked
-Pixar's first female protagonist is a welcome addition to their repertoire. She's a bit bratty in the beginning, and therefore a little annoying, but Merida has great character development. Also, awesome hair.
-I found the mother/daughter relationship in the movie really refreshing. To see something like that in a wide release film is more amazing than people give it credit for. Often in movies we see more of an emphasis on love interest where the mother figure gets tossed aside, or more often than not, the mom is a total butt trumpet. To center the movie around Merida's relationship with her mom was, well, brave.
-Brave parodies quiet a few little things here and there, well-known Celtic influenced movies like Braveheart and How To Train Your Dragon (I know, big difference between those two, but whatever). And as usual from Pixar, there are a few jokes that will go over kid's heads, but my mom and I were rolling on the floor laughing.
Things I Disliked
-Despite the label of unconventional princess, I still wish there was a little more unconventionality (is that even a word?) to Merida. I feel really hypocritical for saying that, because compared to Cinderella or Snow White, Merida looks like a total rebel. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic Disney princesses, but there is no denying that a lot of their actions were a fry cry from standing up for themselves or breaking rules. And yet, Merida still feels predictable and conventional in the non-conventional way.
-The middle section of the movie is a little slow. But maybe that's just me.
- Pixar is famed for putting the "family" back in "family movie". This one just felt directly aimed at nine and ten year old girls. Maybe it's just because I'm older now, but Brave feels firmly stuck in it's kid-ness.
I still really enjoyed the movie, but this one fell flat in a few places. Don't go in looking for Up or Toy Story, but it's still a fun little film.
-Randi
However, I didn't know what to expect sitting in the theater waiting for Brave. There's something that's surprisingly different about it. I was a little disappointed with it, but it's still miles above some of the other junk in theaters right now (sorry Avengers, I don't mean you, I love you, you're awesome, let's have dinner).
So I've split up my review into things I liked and disliked because if I don't, this post will probably dissolve into me talking more about other movies than anything else.
Things I Liked
-Pixar's first female protagonist is a welcome addition to their repertoire. She's a bit bratty in the beginning, and therefore a little annoying, but Merida has great character development. Also, awesome hair.
-I found the mother/daughter relationship in the movie really refreshing. To see something like that in a wide release film is more amazing than people give it credit for. Often in movies we see more of an emphasis on love interest where the mother figure gets tossed aside, or more often than not, the mom is a total butt trumpet. To center the movie around Merida's relationship with her mom was, well, brave.
-Brave parodies quiet a few little things here and there, well-known Celtic influenced movies like Braveheart and How To Train Your Dragon (I know, big difference between those two, but whatever). And as usual from Pixar, there are a few jokes that will go over kid's heads, but my mom and I were rolling on the floor laughing.
Things I Disliked
-Despite the label of unconventional princess, I still wish there was a little more unconventionality (is that even a word?) to Merida. I feel really hypocritical for saying that, because compared to Cinderella or Snow White, Merida looks like a total rebel. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic Disney princesses, but there is no denying that a lot of their actions were a fry cry from standing up for themselves or breaking rules. And yet, Merida still feels predictable and conventional in the non-conventional way.
-The middle section of the movie is a little slow. But maybe that's just me.
- Pixar is famed for putting the "family" back in "family movie". This one just felt directly aimed at nine and ten year old girls. Maybe it's just because I'm older now, but Brave feels firmly stuck in it's kid-ness.
I still really enjoyed the movie, but this one fell flat in a few places. Don't go in looking for Up or Toy Story, but it's still a fun little film.
-Randi
Friday, June 15, 2012
The Fall of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
About two years ago, I was watching a stupid VH1 music special. I don't really know why. I kind of hate VH1 music specials, but I end up finding bands I really like when I watch them. Anyway, this particular one featured a favorite band of mine, Heart, playing with a band I'd never heard of called Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. After wading through Katy Perry and Kerri Hilson, the band took the stage. I was pretty impressed, they had a hard rock edge, and excellent vocals by Ms. Potter.
I ended up buying their latest album at the time, self titled, and full of cool bluesy jam band like songs. It was pretty good.
Then I bought the previous one, This Is Somewhere, which easily beat out the former for their best album.
Fast forward, to now. Grace Potter and Co. have just released their newest album The Lion, The Beast, The Beat. I'm thoroughly disappointed.
I listened to most of the album on Spotify this morning, and my only thought the entire time is "What just happened?"
The Lion The Beqst The Beat is....it suffers from what I've titled The Lana Del Rey Dilemma. Every song has the same content, speed, sound, and style. But also like Del Rey's debut, Born To Die, there are a few good moments.
Whereas This Is Somewhere was alive and kicking and raw, and their self titled a little more polished, TLTBTB seems like the Nocturnals lost steam and fell asleep. It's one un-inspired moment after another. There is no kick or punchline or anything to keep you from mindlessly bobbing your head and waiting for something good.
On a slightly different note, it's exceptionally sad that the worst song of the bunch "Never Go Back" has been chosen as the lead first single. I've heard it on The Spectrum a few times, and it sounds like a song that a P!nk knock off record, or the ever failing Madonna. I can barely stand it.
It's a shame to see a band like this go in for the mainstream kill. I'm sure their success will be massive after this album. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Maybe the band wanted to move in this direction, but I personally will not be listening after this disaster.
-Randi
I ended up buying their latest album at the time, self titled, and full of cool bluesy jam band like songs. It was pretty good.
Then I bought the previous one, This Is Somewhere, which easily beat out the former for their best album.
Fast forward, to now. Grace Potter and Co. have just released their newest album The Lion, The Beast, The Beat. I'm thoroughly disappointed.
I listened to most of the album on Spotify this morning, and my only thought the entire time is "What just happened?"
The Lion The Beqst The Beat is....it suffers from what I've titled The Lana Del Rey Dilemma. Every song has the same content, speed, sound, and style. But also like Del Rey's debut, Born To Die, there are a few good moments.
Whereas This Is Somewhere was alive and kicking and raw, and their self titled a little more polished, TLTBTB seems like the Nocturnals lost steam and fell asleep. It's one un-inspired moment after another. There is no kick or punchline or anything to keep you from mindlessly bobbing your head and waiting for something good.
On a slightly different note, it's exceptionally sad that the worst song of the bunch "Never Go Back" has been chosen as the lead first single. I've heard it on The Spectrum a few times, and it sounds like a song that a P!nk knock off record, or the ever failing Madonna. I can barely stand it.
It's a shame to see a band like this go in for the mainstream kill. I'm sure their success will be massive after this album. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Maybe the band wanted to move in this direction, but I personally will not be listening after this disaster.
-Randi
Monday, June 4, 2012
In Which I Make Tea Blends
I'm not usually one for self promotion, but I started making tea blends, and I'm quite proud of some of the ideas I've had, so this is a master post of all sixteen teas I've made thus far. No witty reviews today :) But I'd be super grateful if you looked through these.
Oh, and I'm leaving the code for 5$ off at the bottom of the post. It's good for your first order. Click on the links to be whisked off to the tea's page. All the ingredients are listed there too.
1. Fandom Recovery http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22057&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
This is what I'd like to be drinking when I'm just too overcome with feels.
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22094&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A light herbal blend based off the Shakespeare play of the same name.
3. Between Two Lungs http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22134&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Inspired for Florence + The Machine's debut album. Very fruity.
4. Captain Jack Sparrow http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22152&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Why not? I consider this one to be one of my best.
5.Corpse Bride http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22125&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A slightly romantic blend. This uses Adagio's Earl Grey Lavender blend, so it has a bit of calming effect as well.
6. Halloween At Hogwarts http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22062&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
I've always loved how J.K. Rowling describes autumn at Hogwarts, and how the Halloween passages always have some significance. So here's one for that. Basically a good pumpkin spice tea with a bit of chocolate.
7. Hex Hall http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22090&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
This is named after one of my favorite YA book series. Very southern and sweet.
8. Luna Lovegood http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22200&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
An odd but tasty blend for the incomparably awesome Luna Lovegood.
9. Mr. Pond http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22226&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
I figured if Rory from Doctor Who keeps dying, he ought to have a tea in his memory. Strong and a bit fruity.
10. Not Your Housekeeper http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22158&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Something for Ms. Hudson. Good for the afternoon tea fix.
11 River Song. http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22105&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A dessert tea. This one was co-engineered by my little sister. Her favorite Doctor Who character is River Song.
12. Shakespeare http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22066&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
My personal favorite tea blend. I actually have tasted this one and it is ridiculously good.
13. The Consulting Criminal http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22157&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Jim Moriarty is one of my favorite Holmes characters, so therefore, this. It's got just a hint of citrus in with the Irish Breakfast and hazelnut.
14. The Consulting Detective http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22060&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
What better to go with the Consulting Criminal? An excellent spiced chai blend.
15. The Graveyard Book http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22072&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Based on the fantastic Neil Gaiman novel, The Graveyard Book. A very autumn-y tea. I'd been dying to use Spiced Apple Chai, and this was the perfect oppurtunity.
16. The Raven http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22071&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
An Edgar Allen Poe type deal. Very dark.
Making these has been really fun for me, and Adagio has tons of other amazing blend makers.
As promised, here's five bucks off a purchase if you decide to buy any. It's only good for 24 hours after this is posted. Here's the code: 7085495612.
Oh, and I'm leaving the code for 5$ off at the bottom of the post. It's good for your first order. Click on the links to be whisked off to the tea's page. All the ingredients are listed there too.
1. Fandom Recovery http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22057&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
This is what I'd like to be drinking when I'm just too overcome with feels.
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22094&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A light herbal blend based off the Shakespeare play of the same name.
3. Between Two Lungs http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22134&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Inspired for Florence + The Machine's debut album. Very fruity.
4. Captain Jack Sparrow http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22152&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Why not? I consider this one to be one of my best.
5.Corpse Bride http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22125&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A slightly romantic blend. This uses Adagio's Earl Grey Lavender blend, so it has a bit of calming effect as well.
6. Halloween At Hogwarts http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22062&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
I've always loved how J.K. Rowling describes autumn at Hogwarts, and how the Halloween passages always have some significance. So here's one for that. Basically a good pumpkin spice tea with a bit of chocolate.
7. Hex Hall http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22090&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
This is named after one of my favorite YA book series. Very southern and sweet.
8. Luna Lovegood http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22200&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
An odd but tasty blend for the incomparably awesome Luna Lovegood.
9. Mr. Pond http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22226&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
I figured if Rory from Doctor Who keeps dying, he ought to have a tea in his memory. Strong and a bit fruity.
10. Not Your Housekeeper http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22158&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Something for Ms. Hudson. Good for the afternoon tea fix.
11 River Song. http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22105&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
A dessert tea. This one was co-engineered by my little sister. Her favorite Doctor Who character is River Song.
12. Shakespeare http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22066&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
My personal favorite tea blend. I actually have tasted this one and it is ridiculously good.
13. The Consulting Criminal http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22157&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Jim Moriarty is one of my favorite Holmes characters, so therefore, this. It's got just a hint of citrus in with the Irish Breakfast and hazelnut.
14. The Consulting Detective http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22060&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
What better to go with the Consulting Criminal? An excellent spiced chai blend.
15. The Graveyard Book http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22072&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
Based on the fantastic Neil Gaiman novel, The Graveyard Book. A very autumn-y tea. I'd been dying to use Spiced Apple Chai, and this was the perfect oppurtunity.
16. The Raven http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=22071&SID=34ae0980ce1680ba243536065ac081e0
An Edgar Allen Poe type deal. Very dark.
Making these has been really fun for me, and Adagio has tons of other amazing blend makers.
As promised, here's five bucks off a purchase if you decide to buy any. It's only good for 24 hours after this is posted. Here's the code: 7085495612.
-Randi
Friday, June 1, 2012
Hollywood and the Curse of Fairy Tale Remakes
I've been keeping a wary eye on the recent wave of fairy tale retellings and imaginings. This year alone we have had Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, the latter opening today. Last year we had Beastly and Red Riding Hood. Most of them have been written off as abysmal. I have not, in fact, seen any of these films, but some anonymous Tumblr user asked me what I thought of fairy tale remakes, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Honestly, none of the recent makes have looked particularly appealing. If I was forced to see any of them, it would be probably be Snow White and the Huntsman, based on a few aspects, like Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Thereon, and Florence + The Machine on the soundtrack. It looks visually interesting, and I'm up for that. What I think to be the greatest problem with Snow White is that it has an epic miscast in the form of Kristen Stewart as Snow White. We are supposedly lead to believe that Kristen Stewart is the very picture of life and Charlize Thereon is the very picture of death. Backwards thinking.
Anyway, most of these films, aimed at the Twlight-ed, teenaged set, feature doe-eyed "empowered" women, sexy men for whom they fall for, and some variation of an evil witch/queen. They're apparently full of angst and vague symbolism. What I don't understand is this: Why are they so popular? We've literally seen this at least five times before. I mean, look at all the Alice in Wonderland imaginings? Tim Burton's was easily the best of the re-making batch, thanks to a kind of spunk present in almost all of Burton's films, but Alice has been overworked in particular.
And in the years to come we're going to see more double re-tellings, with at least two Little Mermaids, Peter Pans, Sleeping Beauties, and maybe even more Alice coming soon.
I'm simply asking this question to you: Why are they so popular? Is it sexy men? Is it the Twilight factor?
Oh, the Twilight factor. Here's the theory: Twilight's centralheroine main person type thing, Bella Swann, is such a cardboard character, that girls of any age can insert their own personality traits or interests into the character and live vicariously through her fictional escapades.
Therein I think lies the appeal of these types of films. The fairy tale themes are just a very marketable way of wrapping up the Twilight factor.
I love fairy tales as much as the next teenage blogger, but these angst-y remakes need to stop before I A) finally give in and see them or B) I go insane.
Thoughts?
-Randi
Honestly, none of the recent makes have looked particularly appealing. If I was forced to see any of them, it would be probably be Snow White and the Huntsman, based on a few aspects, like Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Thereon, and Florence + The Machine on the soundtrack. It looks visually interesting, and I'm up for that. What I think to be the greatest problem with Snow White is that it has an epic miscast in the form of Kristen Stewart as Snow White. We are supposedly lead to believe that Kristen Stewart is the very picture of life and Charlize Thereon is the very picture of death. Backwards thinking.
Anyway, most of these films, aimed at the Twlight-ed, teenaged set, feature doe-eyed "empowered" women, sexy men for whom they fall for, and some variation of an evil witch/queen. They're apparently full of angst and vague symbolism. What I don't understand is this: Why are they so popular? We've literally seen this at least five times before. I mean, look at all the Alice in Wonderland imaginings? Tim Burton's was easily the best of the re-making batch, thanks to a kind of spunk present in almost all of Burton's films, but Alice has been overworked in particular.
And in the years to come we're going to see more double re-tellings, with at least two Little Mermaids, Peter Pans, Sleeping Beauties, and maybe even more Alice coming soon.
I'm simply asking this question to you: Why are they so popular? Is it sexy men? Is it the Twilight factor?
Oh, the Twilight factor. Here's the theory: Twilight's central
Therein I think lies the appeal of these types of films. The fairy tale themes are just a very marketable way of wrapping up the Twilight factor.
I love fairy tales as much as the next teenage blogger, but these angst-y remakes need to stop before I A) finally give in and see them or B) I go insane.
Thoughts?
-Randi
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