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I finished Jacqueline Carey's Godslayer. I got all weepy, of course. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of fantasy.
My original intention was to start reading Kristen Britain's Green Rider novels, but I just didn't feel in the mood for them on Saturday evening. Instead, I picked up Homeland by R.A. Salvatore. It's a novel that follows Drizzt, the dark elf (drow). I read it years ago, but I felt like re-reading. I'd like to finish out the series in the order that they should be read. My first time through, I skipped around because I was borrowing them from the library. Now I own them all, and I can read them in the recommended order. And I can fall in love with Drizzt all over again. ::swoon::
(Why don't I have a Drizzt avatar? I seriously need one. Maybe I can fiddle around with some graphics while pretending like I'm working today.)
I suppose it is time I release the answers to the movie keywords listed in this post.
[1] blind, falsely accused, musical
Dancer in the Dark. A musical staring Bjork. She is an immigrant who is rapidly losing sight in both eyes while trying to maintain her job at a factory. She fears that her son will face the same fate when he gets older unless he is given an operation. Unfortunataly, despite saving money for his operation, her plans crumble when one of her trusted friends betrays her. Beautiful movie, but definitely not a pick-me-up.
[2] midlife crisis, satire, plastic bag
American Beauty. It's been one of my favorite movies for years, probably due to Kevin Spacey's amazing performance. I don't think I need to place much explanation here because I don't know anyone who isn't at least somewhat familiar with this particular movie.
[3] pianist, orphan, ocean liner
The Legend of 1900. It's probably the most obscure movie I included on this list, but I couldn't help myself. A baby is abandoned on an ocean liner, and one of the lowly crew members of the ship finds it. It is the year 1900, so that's what he names the baby, which grows to be a young child in the bowels of the ship. As luck would have it, the child is a masterful pianist without having any training. The story follows his life on the ship until it is destroyed.
[4] death of wife, space station, love
Solaris. I've seen and loved both the original Russian movie and the English remake, so it's really up in the air as to which version the keywords were referring to. A psychologist is sent to investigate the happenings on a space station situated over an ocean of a bizarre planet. He finds that the crew is in shambles and acting very strangely. It isn't until his first full night there that he realizes why they are in such a state. He wakes up to his dead wife, and she's very much alive.
[5] dystopic future, freedom fighter, terrorist
V for Vendetta. Yeah, I have such a crush on V. Hugo Weaving is a sex god. This is another that I don't think I need to give much explanation on since it was fairly popular when it was released. It's based on a graphic novel about a freedom fighter named V and his dealings with a young woman named Evey.
[6] murderer duo, lake, breaking the fourth wall
Funny Games. I'm not sure how much press this received in Germany, but I've heard nothing of it on this side of the Atlantic. Two dubious young men take a family (father, mother, son) hostage in a remote lake-side cabin. They force the family to play sadistic little games as a way of finding amusement. All the while, one of the young men is speaking directly to the viewer of the film by turning to the camera and asking questions like "You're on their [the family's] side, aren't you?" After reading a few reviews, I'm unsure if the film maker's intent was to create a family that you had minimal sympathy for. To me, they came across as incompetent and unable to fend for themselves, especially during the first half of the movie. I saw them making a series of bad choices and wasn't all that shocked when those choices were exploited by the hostage takers.
[7] fictional band, ireland, based on novel
The Commitments. I'm such a huge fan of soul music that I took to this movie straight away. It follows the formation and struggles of an Irish soul covers band. The music in the movie was fantastic, a series of classic soul tunes by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and others.
[8] suicide, father daughter relationship, madness
I Stand Alone. This is one of those movies that I wouldn't haphazardly recommend to just anyone. It's masterfully written and filmed, but very disturbing. More so than any other movie on this list. Movies rarely make me feel uncomfortable, but this one did. In 1980's France, a butcher is jailed for beating up the fellow who he believes tried to seduce his mentally-handicapped teenage daughter. He puts her in an institution and moves to the suburbs with his mistress, who has promised him a new butcher shop. When he finds out that she lied, he kills her and descends into what I can only call madness while he tries to reunite himself with his daughter. Much of the movie is a voice-over monologue of his rapid and crazy thoughts. Which is a work-out for those who don't speak French because you have the task of reading the insane amounts of subtitles.
[9] berlin wall, transgender, rock star
Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Oh, how I love musicals. This one follows Hedwig, a German man who has a sex change operation in order to marry an American soldier and gain entry into the United States. Sadly, he is used and thrown away by the man he believes loved him. However, in the wake of the tragedy, he finds himself in music. The songs in this movie are unbelievable. I adore them all and listen to the soundtrack frequently.
[10] teen movie, feminist, william shakespeare
10 Things I Hate About You. This is another one of those movies I don't think needs an explanation. I'm not exactly one for watching and enjoying teen romance/comedies, but this has been a favorite of mine since it was released. The dialogue, though unrealistic, is very fun and witty.
[11] space station, political oppression, alien technology
Babylon 5. So many of the sci-fi television shows share these same keywords, but Babylon 5 is one of my favorites. I didn't watch it during the time it was aired on television, but almost a year ago I watched it on DVD. It's rare to see such a well-crafted show. For a couple seasons, I couldn't find a bad episode in the bunch, which is pretty amazing.
[12] smuggling, space western, anti-hero
Firefly. The premature death of this show makes me want to weep. Joss certainly has a way with creating the best characters on televsion. I adored each and every member of that crew, especially the no-nonsense leadership of Mal, the captain.
[13] romantic tension, supernatural, basement office
The X-Files. Anyone who knows me knows this is my favorite show ever. I aspire to be Scully's awesome self, and I'm not-so-secretly in lurve with Mulder. Beyond that, I spent my teenage years being completely paranoid of government conspiracies and alien abduction. I even pieced together a three-ring-binder full of information on such things. That's what happens when a sixteen-year-old doesn't have friends and substitutes X-Files.
[14] undead, chosen one, librarian
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have a soft spot in my heart for this show because I would have never met Jason if it weren't for both of our obessions over Buffy. Despite a couple stinker seasons later on in the run of the show, I think this is one of the best shows to grace television screens.
[15] serial killer, psychology, federal agent
Profiler. These keywords are a bit vague, but they all apply to Profiler, a show that follows a criminal psychologist and the FBI task force she works with. Samantha, our heroine, is the best at what she does. That's probably why a mysterious serial killer, Jack of All Trades, has been stalking her for years, killing people in her life. Jack is probably one of the most interesting and devious characters I've ever come across. And the show was great fun. Until they decided to screw everything up in the later seasons.
My original intention was to start reading Kristen Britain's Green Rider novels, but I just didn't feel in the mood for them on Saturday evening. Instead, I picked up Homeland by R.A. Salvatore. It's a novel that follows Drizzt, the dark elf (drow). I read it years ago, but I felt like re-reading. I'd like to finish out the series in the order that they should be read. My first time through, I skipped around because I was borrowing them from the library. Now I own them all, and I can read them in the recommended order. And I can fall in love with Drizzt all over again. ::swoon::
(Why don't I have a Drizzt avatar? I seriously need one. Maybe I can fiddle around with some graphics while pretending like I'm working today.)
I suppose it is time I release the answers to the movie keywords listed in this post.
[1] blind, falsely accused, musical
Dancer in the Dark. A musical staring Bjork. She is an immigrant who is rapidly losing sight in both eyes while trying to maintain her job at a factory. She fears that her son will face the same fate when he gets older unless he is given an operation. Unfortunataly, despite saving money for his operation, her plans crumble when one of her trusted friends betrays her. Beautiful movie, but definitely not a pick-me-up.
[2] midlife crisis, satire, plastic bag
American Beauty. It's been one of my favorite movies for years, probably due to Kevin Spacey's amazing performance. I don't think I need to place much explanation here because I don't know anyone who isn't at least somewhat familiar with this particular movie.
[3] pianist, orphan, ocean liner
The Legend of 1900. It's probably the most obscure movie I included on this list, but I couldn't help myself. A baby is abandoned on an ocean liner, and one of the lowly crew members of the ship finds it. It is the year 1900, so that's what he names the baby, which grows to be a young child in the bowels of the ship. As luck would have it, the child is a masterful pianist without having any training. The story follows his life on the ship until it is destroyed.
[4] death of wife, space station, love
Solaris. I've seen and loved both the original Russian movie and the English remake, so it's really up in the air as to which version the keywords were referring to. A psychologist is sent to investigate the happenings on a space station situated over an ocean of a bizarre planet. He finds that the crew is in shambles and acting very strangely. It isn't until his first full night there that he realizes why they are in such a state. He wakes up to his dead wife, and she's very much alive.
[5] dystopic future, freedom fighter, terrorist
V for Vendetta. Yeah, I have such a crush on V. Hugo Weaving is a sex god. This is another that I don't think I need to give much explanation on since it was fairly popular when it was released. It's based on a graphic novel about a freedom fighter named V and his dealings with a young woman named Evey.
[6] murderer duo, lake, breaking the fourth wall
Funny Games. I'm not sure how much press this received in Germany, but I've heard nothing of it on this side of the Atlantic. Two dubious young men take a family (father, mother, son) hostage in a remote lake-side cabin. They force the family to play sadistic little games as a way of finding amusement. All the while, one of the young men is speaking directly to the viewer of the film by turning to the camera and asking questions like "You're on their [the family's] side, aren't you?" After reading a few reviews, I'm unsure if the film maker's intent was to create a family that you had minimal sympathy for. To me, they came across as incompetent and unable to fend for themselves, especially during the first half of the movie. I saw them making a series of bad choices and wasn't all that shocked when those choices were exploited by the hostage takers.
[7] fictional band, ireland, based on novel
The Commitments. I'm such a huge fan of soul music that I took to this movie straight away. It follows the formation and struggles of an Irish soul covers band. The music in the movie was fantastic, a series of classic soul tunes by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and others.
[8] suicide, father daughter relationship, madness
I Stand Alone. This is one of those movies that I wouldn't haphazardly recommend to just anyone. It's masterfully written and filmed, but very disturbing. More so than any other movie on this list. Movies rarely make me feel uncomfortable, but this one did. In 1980's France, a butcher is jailed for beating up the fellow who he believes tried to seduce his mentally-handicapped teenage daughter. He puts her in an institution and moves to the suburbs with his mistress, who has promised him a new butcher shop. When he finds out that she lied, he kills her and descends into what I can only call madness while he tries to reunite himself with his daughter. Much of the movie is a voice-over monologue of his rapid and crazy thoughts. Which is a work-out for those who don't speak French because you have the task of reading the insane amounts of subtitles.
[9] berlin wall, transgender, rock star
Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Oh, how I love musicals. This one follows Hedwig, a German man who has a sex change operation in order to marry an American soldier and gain entry into the United States. Sadly, he is used and thrown away by the man he believes loved him. However, in the wake of the tragedy, he finds himself in music. The songs in this movie are unbelievable. I adore them all and listen to the soundtrack frequently.
[10] teen movie, feminist, william shakespeare
10 Things I Hate About You. This is another one of those movies I don't think needs an explanation. I'm not exactly one for watching and enjoying teen romance/comedies, but this has been a favorite of mine since it was released. The dialogue, though unrealistic, is very fun and witty.
[11] space station, political oppression, alien technology
Babylon 5. So many of the sci-fi television shows share these same keywords, but Babylon 5 is one of my favorites. I didn't watch it during the time it was aired on television, but almost a year ago I watched it on DVD. It's rare to see such a well-crafted show. For a couple seasons, I couldn't find a bad episode in the bunch, which is pretty amazing.
[12] smuggling, space western, anti-hero
Firefly. The premature death of this show makes me want to weep. Joss certainly has a way with creating the best characters on televsion. I adored each and every member of that crew, especially the no-nonsense leadership of Mal, the captain.
[13] romantic tension, supernatural, basement office
The X-Files. Anyone who knows me knows this is my favorite show ever. I aspire to be Scully's awesome self, and I'm not-so-secretly in lurve with Mulder. Beyond that, I spent my teenage years being completely paranoid of government conspiracies and alien abduction. I even pieced together a three-ring-binder full of information on such things. That's what happens when a sixteen-year-old doesn't have friends and substitutes X-Files.
[14] undead, chosen one, librarian
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have a soft spot in my heart for this show because I would have never met Jason if it weren't for both of our obessions over Buffy. Despite a couple stinker seasons later on in the run of the show, I think this is one of the best shows to grace television screens.
[15] serial killer, psychology, federal agent
Profiler. These keywords are a bit vague, but they all apply to Profiler, a show that follows a criminal psychologist and the FBI task force she works with. Samantha, our heroine, is the best at what she does. That's probably why a mysterious serial killer, Jack of All Trades, has been stalking her for years, killing people in her life. Jack is probably one of the most interesting and devious characters I've ever come across. And the show was great fun. Until they decided to screw everything up in the later seasons.
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From:
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loved the first one, wasn't that much in love with the second one ...
come and discuss when you read them ;-)
From:
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*goes to post answers to movie thing...*