Everything under the Sun...
Sep. 27th, 2007 12:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieI promise to reply to everyone tomorrow. Last couple of days have been a bit crazy.
This is a bit unconnected :)
I. Movies
Saw Across the Universe tonight. It was a flawed (if fun) movie but the creators of it were both incredibly talented and on drugs, to be able to fit all the Beatles songs the way they did. (it's worth seeing if for nothing else than for Bono doing 'I am the Walrus). And Jim Sturges is much better than the already-good movie. I have a new crush.
II. Bollywood
Aamir Khan has a blog. You guys, Aamir Khan has a blog. And he responds to people. OMG. I didn’t think I could love him more than I do (I mean, come ON! Fanaa AND Rang De Basanti same year?????). Seriously. I was wrong.
Here: http://www.lagaandvd.com/blog.php
In one of his posts he has this to say and it’s the best defense of Bollywood I have seen:
“For those who look down on mainstream Indian Cinema, I would like to leave you'll with a thought. In my opinion the PRIMARY responsibility of cinema is to entertain. While we can use it as a medium to teach, create awareness, make people think, make people socially more aware etc. the fact is that cinema's PRIMARY purpose is to entertain. And Indian Cinema has been fulfilling this primary responsibility for the last 80 years. For the last 80 years Indian Cinema has been successfully entertaining the vast and varied population of India. People from different states, languages, cultures, economical backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, NRIs, etc. have by and large, together laughed, cried, clapped, and we have forgotten our problems for those 3 hours that we have invested in an Indian film. I sincerely believe this, and I think this is of great social relevance. Now I ask you, how many other areas of social relevance have successfully shouldered their respective PRIMARY responsibilies, - the various politicians who have lead our country for the last 80 years? The administration? The law and order machinery? The legal system? The education system? Think about it. And then lets hear it for Indian Cinema.”
And in one of his posts he talks about reading and loving William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns and White Mughals. *sigh* He has excellent taste in books.
Oh, Aamir. You are awesome.
III. I rant about Tolstoy (inspired by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fire_snake)
I have decided to blame my fascination with angsty repressed aristocrats and hyper, spritely girls on War and Peace. Reading it at an impressionable age, I am afraid I fell in love with Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova. So it’s all Tolstoy’s fault. Grrrr. I have still not forgiven him for the ending (considering that Anna Karenina ends up under a train, I guess only 33% of Tolstoy couples I find interesting, i.e. Kitty/Levin, end up having a hea, hmmm…That’s still better than the average for a Russian novel). I wonder if it was published today whether there would be ship wars, heh. It’s a little bizarre to crush on the same literary characters as your grandmothers probably did, but whatever…
Sidetrack on Anna Karenina, btw. I just found out that in some version, Sean Connery played Vronsky. My brain is broken. There is also, apparently, a 2000 British mini with Kevin McKidd as Vronsky and much as (or most likely because) I loved him in Rome, I can’t see him in it either. I mean, where is the toga? I have to say, much as I love AK the novel, I get impatient with Anna by the end. I understand she is going crazy by the end, because she is completely ostracized, and can’t see her son, and is worried she wrecked Vronsky’s life too, but. BUT. Lady, that is the point. If you were going to leave your husband to run away with your lover, in 19th century Russia, that is what was going to happen. Seriously, how could you not have known it? You knew it, so you had to be really sure you could hack it, otherwise you should have chosen to stay with Karenin. And once you picked it, take your lumps, it’s your choice. Pick hardcore pragmatism and/or maternal love, or pick giving up everything for romantic love. But be sure which one you want, and stick with it, for goodness’ sake. Don’t get ‘woe is me’ (seriously, you could be a prisoner in Siberia or some poor peasant in the Samara region or God knows what else, you are OK off) or ‘he can’t love me because I am so unappealing’ (even though he does love you, keep going like this and he won’t, pronto) or ‘shiny train, me want to jump.’ Does jumping under a train really make it all better? It doesn’t do anything to get your kid back (as you are a corpsicle and thus unable to provide maternal care), your husband will probably be happy because now he is a suitable widower, and your lover is now so consumed with guilt because he thinks he must not have paid enough attention to you that he is off to the war hoping to get killed. Oh, and you yourself are squished flat and present a most unappetizing and crushed picture. I fail to see the point. I am sympathetic, really, but come on. That’s a little high maintenance. (I do like Anna, honest).
IV. Vladimir + Sarcasm = OTP.
Vladimir, I am deeply impressed by your sleuthing skills and your uncovering the real killer of your Daddy. I am also impressed that, even though you have lost all your property, you still managed to do it AND get Zabaluyev jailed and Maria Dolgorukaya running from the cops.
You managed it all while looking hot, so double bonus points. And I love that you have made up with Lisa, because you were childhood friends before she fancied herself in love with you and all that. (Though no matter how giddy-grateful you are, don’t kiss her cheek, or she will fall back for you. I mean, I nearly melted).
HOWEVER. Remember Anna? The girl you love more than life etc etc etc. The one you spent the whole freaking night out in the cold guarding? Well, you are not aware of it, but she has been captured (due to your friend Michael being seriously lame and not checking if he is being followed, and also taking her at her word when she said ‘bye forever.’ Gosh, what Anna really wanted is for Michael to crush her to him and tell her he won’t let her. Ugh. Soft-headed person, Michael). You know, captured by evil Shuller, who dragged her to Maria Dolgorukaya who is batshit nutty, and first ordered her whipped and then threatened to put a brand on her forehead, and only got interrupted by her daughter. Come on, go rescue, dammit! (I do like that Anna is not backing down).
Especially since Dolgorukaya now has decided she will think of what to do with her and ordered Shuller to tie her up in the stables, and not only is it freezing, but Shuller is promising to come back and take her against her will.
Seriously, murder-detectiving are all well and good, and I don’t blame you for thinking not even misfortune-prone Anna could get into so much trouble in one morning, but go rescue her already. Hey, your friend is useless, after all.
Also, Dolgorukaya? You are officially insane. You married your daughter off to a man old enough to be her grandfather because you wanted to spite everyone? Yeah, you are a nutcase. You wanted to make out with your daughter’s husband (hey, he is older than you, too)? Hi, lunatic. You killed Vladimir’s Daddy because he helped your husband cheat on you?* Hi, lunatic again. You are all ‘I am reveling in full in his son’s sufferings [direct quote]’ so party-time, even though the kid was what? Five years old when the thing started and had nothing to do with your husband being a bastard** and his Dad being one likewise? Lock-you-up-time. You tried to brand Anna in the head with a hot poker? Seriously, did you lose your meds?
*Though the more I learn about Vladimir’s Daddy, the less I like him, still, poisoning the man is a bit extreme. I mean, he would win ‘sucky father of the year’ award, except for the fact that BN is chockfull of sucky fathers and it’s a tough competition. And I am glad he got offed, because it jump-started V/A, but seriously? Poisoning his booze? That’s low. Let him just die of cirrhosis like he is supposed to.
** Seriously, WTF is with her husband. It’s OK if he cheated a bit, but as he is Anna’s father with the mistress. and Anna is over 20, this must have been going on for forever. Ugh. Nice spouse.
In other news, I have discovered a huge thing for Alexander/Natalie, somehow. I am up to the point where she will pretend to be his mistress so as to avoid other attentions and OMG, when he is pissed off and jealous, it is really hot and they are both super sophisticated and fight and have all these undercurrents and so, so much LOVE. GUH. I have such a thing for that ship.
Also, I think yet another reason why Anna thaws towards Vladimir is because in her short stint with Dolgorukaya and Zabaluyev, she realizes that this is how someone treats a serf if they hate her (or are even indifferent). Compared to how Vladimir behaved to her*** even when they were supposed to be hating each other, it’s another universe. So I think she realizes a lot of things now.
*** Other serfs seem to share the view. Some guy from his servants was almost weeping for Vladimir to come back because their new owner is ‘nasty.’ Heh. Vladimir might have a tough front, but in reality he is a marshmallow ;) (thank you Wallace from VM!) Heh.
ETA: KISSING! (as posted earlier)
OMG. YES.
And before that, Anna rescued herself. YES.
But KISSING.
And oh man, she is still giggly/blushy ages afterwards and is all ‘I can still feel it.’ Bye, Michael, you lose.
ETA2: I totally cheated and went a gazillion eps ahead and watched Vladimir’s proposal to Anna. *thud* Hot men on their knees looking up at their OTP? Am dead.
V. My childhood tastes explain a little too much about me.
Seriously, when I think back to the types of movies I watched when a kid, is it any wonder I love Bollywood and kdrama? I mean, come on, I found this clip on youtube from the Russian movie I used to be nuts about when I was a kid (in my defense, so was the Vice Principal of our school :P), Gardemarini Vpered (sort of a Russian take on 3 Musketeers type story). Below is one of the two OTPs. I mean, come on, people singing songs in a movie and chock-full of love affairs storylines? So very Bollywood, including obligatory fade-outs to flowers and other growy things. And oh, so kdrama. Did I mention that this OTP first met when the guy was cross-dressing as a girl and the chick invited heself to travel with him because she was running away from a monastery? Could it get any more kdrama? :P Seriously, I have had the same tastes in fiction since I was six or so.
This is a bit unconnected :)
I. Movies
Saw Across the Universe tonight. It was a flawed (if fun) movie but the creators of it were both incredibly talented and on drugs, to be able to fit all the Beatles songs the way they did. (it's worth seeing if for nothing else than for Bono doing 'I am the Walrus). And Jim Sturges is much better than the already-good movie. I have a new crush.
II. Bollywood
Aamir Khan has a blog. You guys, Aamir Khan has a blog. And he responds to people. OMG. I didn’t think I could love him more than I do (I mean, come ON! Fanaa AND Rang De Basanti same year?????). Seriously. I was wrong.
Here: http://www.lagaandvd.com/blog.php
In one of his posts he has this to say and it’s the best defense of Bollywood I have seen:
“For those who look down on mainstream Indian Cinema, I would like to leave you'll with a thought. In my opinion the PRIMARY responsibility of cinema is to entertain. While we can use it as a medium to teach, create awareness, make people think, make people socially more aware etc. the fact is that cinema's PRIMARY purpose is to entertain. And Indian Cinema has been fulfilling this primary responsibility for the last 80 years. For the last 80 years Indian Cinema has been successfully entertaining the vast and varied population of India. People from different states, languages, cultures, economical backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, NRIs, etc. have by and large, together laughed, cried, clapped, and we have forgotten our problems for those 3 hours that we have invested in an Indian film. I sincerely believe this, and I think this is of great social relevance. Now I ask you, how many other areas of social relevance have successfully shouldered their respective PRIMARY responsibilies, - the various politicians who have lead our country for the last 80 years? The administration? The law and order machinery? The legal system? The education system? Think about it. And then lets hear it for Indian Cinema.”
And in one of his posts he talks about reading and loving William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns and White Mughals. *sigh* He has excellent taste in books.
Oh, Aamir. You are awesome.
III. I rant about Tolstoy (inspired by
fire_snake)I have decided to blame my fascination with angsty repressed aristocrats and hyper, spritely girls on War and Peace. Reading it at an impressionable age, I am afraid I fell in love with Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova. So it’s all Tolstoy’s fault. Grrrr. I have still not forgiven him for the ending (considering that Anna Karenina ends up under a train, I guess only 33% of Tolstoy couples I find interesting, i.e. Kitty/Levin, end up having a hea, hmmm…That’s still better than the average for a Russian novel). I wonder if it was published today whether there would be ship wars, heh. It’s a little bizarre to crush on the same literary characters as your grandmothers probably did, but whatever…
Sidetrack on Anna Karenina, btw. I just found out that in some version, Sean Connery played Vronsky. My brain is broken. There is also, apparently, a 2000 British mini with Kevin McKidd as Vronsky and much as (or most likely because) I loved him in Rome, I can’t see him in it either. I mean, where is the toga? I have to say, much as I love AK the novel, I get impatient with Anna by the end. I understand she is going crazy by the end, because she is completely ostracized, and can’t see her son, and is worried she wrecked Vronsky’s life too, but. BUT. Lady, that is the point. If you were going to leave your husband to run away with your lover, in 19th century Russia, that is what was going to happen. Seriously, how could you not have known it? You knew it, so you had to be really sure you could hack it, otherwise you should have chosen to stay with Karenin. And once you picked it, take your lumps, it’s your choice. Pick hardcore pragmatism and/or maternal love, or pick giving up everything for romantic love. But be sure which one you want, and stick with it, for goodness’ sake. Don’t get ‘woe is me’ (seriously, you could be a prisoner in Siberia or some poor peasant in the Samara region or God knows what else, you are OK off) or ‘he can’t love me because I am so unappealing’ (even though he does love you, keep going like this and he won’t, pronto) or ‘shiny train, me want to jump.’ Does jumping under a train really make it all better? It doesn’t do anything to get your kid back (as you are a corpsicle and thus unable to provide maternal care), your husband will probably be happy because now he is a suitable widower, and your lover is now so consumed with guilt because he thinks he must not have paid enough attention to you that he is off to the war hoping to get killed. Oh, and you yourself are squished flat and present a most unappetizing and crushed picture. I fail to see the point. I am sympathetic, really, but come on. That’s a little high maintenance. (I do like Anna, honest).
IV. Vladimir + Sarcasm = OTP.
Vladimir, I am deeply impressed by your sleuthing skills and your uncovering the real killer of your Daddy. I am also impressed that, even though you have lost all your property, you still managed to do it AND get Zabaluyev jailed and Maria Dolgorukaya running from the cops.
You managed it all while looking hot, so double bonus points. And I love that you have made up with Lisa, because you were childhood friends before she fancied herself in love with you and all that. (Though no matter how giddy-grateful you are, don’t kiss her cheek, or she will fall back for you. I mean, I nearly melted).
HOWEVER. Remember Anna? The girl you love more than life etc etc etc. The one you spent the whole freaking night out in the cold guarding? Well, you are not aware of it, but she has been captured (due to your friend Michael being seriously lame and not checking if he is being followed, and also taking her at her word when she said ‘bye forever.’ Gosh, what Anna really wanted is for Michael to crush her to him and tell her he won’t let her. Ugh. Soft-headed person, Michael). You know, captured by evil Shuller, who dragged her to Maria Dolgorukaya who is batshit nutty, and first ordered her whipped and then threatened to put a brand on her forehead, and only got interrupted by her daughter. Come on, go rescue, dammit! (I do like that Anna is not backing down).
Especially since Dolgorukaya now has decided she will think of what to do with her and ordered Shuller to tie her up in the stables, and not only is it freezing, but Shuller is promising to come back and take her against her will.
Seriously, murder-detectiving are all well and good, and I don’t blame you for thinking not even misfortune-prone Anna could get into so much trouble in one morning, but go rescue her already. Hey, your friend is useless, after all.
Also, Dolgorukaya? You are officially insane. You married your daughter off to a man old enough to be her grandfather because you wanted to spite everyone? Yeah, you are a nutcase. You wanted to make out with your daughter’s husband (hey, he is older than you, too)? Hi, lunatic. You killed Vladimir’s Daddy because he helped your husband cheat on you?* Hi, lunatic again. You are all ‘I am reveling in full in his son’s sufferings [direct quote]’ so party-time, even though the kid was what? Five years old when the thing started and had nothing to do with your husband being a bastard** and his Dad being one likewise? Lock-you-up-time. You tried to brand Anna in the head with a hot poker? Seriously, did you lose your meds?
*Though the more I learn about Vladimir’s Daddy, the less I like him, still, poisoning the man is a bit extreme. I mean, he would win ‘sucky father of the year’ award, except for the fact that BN is chockfull of sucky fathers and it’s a tough competition. And I am glad he got offed, because it jump-started V/A, but seriously? Poisoning his booze? That’s low. Let him just die of cirrhosis like he is supposed to.
** Seriously, WTF is with her husband. It’s OK if he cheated a bit, but as he is Anna’s father with the mistress. and Anna is over 20, this must have been going on for forever. Ugh. Nice spouse.
In other news, I have discovered a huge thing for Alexander/Natalie, somehow. I am up to the point where she will pretend to be his mistress so as to avoid other attentions and OMG, when he is pissed off and jealous, it is really hot and they are both super sophisticated and fight and have all these undercurrents and so, so much LOVE. GUH. I have such a thing for that ship.
Also, I think yet another reason why Anna thaws towards Vladimir is because in her short stint with Dolgorukaya and Zabaluyev, she realizes that this is how someone treats a serf if they hate her (or are even indifferent). Compared to how Vladimir behaved to her*** even when they were supposed to be hating each other, it’s another universe. So I think she realizes a lot of things now.
*** Other serfs seem to share the view. Some guy from his servants was almost weeping for Vladimir to come back because their new owner is ‘nasty.’ Heh. Vladimir might have a tough front, but in reality he is a marshmallow ;) (thank you Wallace from VM!) Heh.
ETA: KISSING! (as posted earlier)
OMG. YES.
And before that, Anna rescued herself. YES.
But KISSING.
And oh man, she is still giggly/blushy ages afterwards and is all ‘I can still feel it.’ Bye, Michael, you lose.
ETA2: I totally cheated and went a gazillion eps ahead and watched Vladimir’s proposal to Anna. *thud* Hot men on their knees looking up at their OTP? Am dead.
V. My childhood tastes explain a little too much about me.
Seriously, when I think back to the types of movies I watched when a kid, is it any wonder I love Bollywood and kdrama? I mean, come on, I found this clip on youtube from the Russian movie I used to be nuts about when I was a kid (in my defense, so was the Vice Principal of our school :P), Gardemarini Vpered (sort of a Russian take on 3 Musketeers type story). Below is one of the two OTPs. I mean, come on, people singing songs in a movie and chock-full of love affairs storylines? So very Bollywood, including obligatory fade-outs to flowers and other growy things. And oh, so kdrama. Did I mention that this OTP first met when the guy was cross-dressing as a girl and the chick invited heself to travel with him because she was running away from a monastery? Could it get any more kdrama? :P Seriously, I have had the same tastes in fiction since I was six or so.
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no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 05:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 08:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 08:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 09:10 am (UTC)The defence of Indian cinema is indeed fantastic. The whole blog is so AAMIR. I love it.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 10:21 am (UTC)OMPH! Ypu reminded me! I watched this! It wasn't anything really interesting , though
I am so with you on Andrey Bolkonsky and Natasha! I find "War and Peace" much more satisfying in a shippy sense then "Anna Karenina". I also loved Andrey's sister! I love Anna Karenina to bits but I am very angry with Vronsky. I think Anna was prepared to be ostracized as long as their love endured. What i think she wasn't ready for was Vronsky's doubts. But here is where I contradict myself - I also very much on Anna's husband's site. Oh yea, he is a boring middle-aged man. But! He wasn't a monster or anything of the kind to deserve all he had to endure. He is the father of Anna's boy and he also has paternal rights.
Altogether I think "Anna Karenina"-the-book is much more complex then many of it's adaptations which usually just go for "sweeping love" story.. For example, in my interpretation Anna's death was as much accident as anything - she became terrified by her own decision but got dragged under wheels : "And exactly at the
moment when the space between the wheels came opposite her, she
dropped the red bag, and drawing her head back into her
shoulders, fell on her hands under the carriage, and lightly, as
though she would rise again at once, dropped on to her knees.
And at the same instant she was terror-stricken at what she was
doing. "Where am I? What am I doing? What for?" She tried to
get up, to drop backwards; but something huge and merciless
struck her on the head and rolled her on her back.".
no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 01:21 pm (UTC)Karenin is a very complex figure too - not just a villain standing in the way of true love, but a betrayed husband, as well as a loving father, but one who is also not above using his child to take revenge on the child's mother!
no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 01:57 pm (UTC)But even more, this adaptation was very kind to Levin's story. And I agree - the book itself is as much about Levin, his soul-searching and his relationship with Kitty and his brother as about Anna and Vronsky.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:40 am (UTC)Re: accident. I agree she might have changed her mind, but she did jump.
I am afraid I am more on Vronsky's side of the argument than Anna's. Anyone would have doubts and Anna is rather high maintenance. I prefer Levin and Kitty though.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 01:15 pm (UTC)Anna Karenina
Date: 2007-09-27 05:47 pm (UTC)Re: Anna Karenina
Date: 2007-09-27 06:21 pm (UTC)I think Anna is after more than just "excitement" - because it seems that having an affair would provide excitement (and is not at all uncommon in her circle - the scandal is not that she has an affair, but that she makes it all public by running away with Vronsky (which I think is part of what Karenin has difficulty forgiving her for.) Princess Betsy has no problem with illicit affairs; it's Anna's need for love and her subsequent public "outing" (if you will) of the affair that is the problem for Betsy's circle. If Anna had been a hypocrite, she would have been all right!
Heh! Now I really want to read the novel again!
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 02:31 pm (UTC)Yaaaaaaay!! And he replies?!
*dies*
Oh and Anna Karenina is soo on my to read list(which is massive so it may be a while)
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:44 am (UTC)russian cinema
Date: 2007-09-27 05:55 pm (UTC)Re: russian cinema
Date: 2007-09-28 12:43 am (UTC)OK, I choked now.
And I so agree on Russian movies. The song from Gost'ya is one of my favorte ever and that's the one they played at the wedding.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-27 06:09 pm (UTC)and my sister has seen Across the Universe, and told me its like being on an acid trip. maybe its a movie to be watched when one is high????
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 12:42 am (UTC)And that is a great description of AtU