The Manchurian Candidate, Bednaya Nastya and Nodame Cantabile: get your damaged men here!

I've been rather neglectful of LJ lately. What with being exhausted, various RL commitments and similar, less lj time for me. Am sorry :)

First off, I finished Nodame Cantabile. It's not the kind of drama I have a lot (or any) meta for, but it was a great deal of fun. Two pet peeves: (1) whoeverplayed Straseman. I want to drown him. There is fun OTT and then there is this. Plus, if he is not Japanese, I'll eat my hairbrush. and (2) a bit too cartoonish in some reactions. I know it's on purpose, but it didn't work all the time. But overall, it was fast, fun, breezy and Tamaki Hiroshi is yummilicious.

Second (on Bednaya Nastya): Die, Michael! Seriously, I wasn't mad at his being angry on finding out Anna is a serf (she did lie to him), but his horrible reaction to her confessing to him that she went to Vladimir's room at night, prepared to 'sacrifice' herself to prevent the duel, made me want to choke the life out of him! He knows nothing happened, he knows she loves him (well, she is divided, but no character, her included, is aware of it yet). WTF is wrong with him! He treats her like some sort of leprous whore! He tells her to go back to Vladimir's bed etc etc. He asks her why she didn't come to his bed instead? (Did he want her to wade through the snow for miles, after dark, and try to break into a strange house?) I hate him. Seriously. I am also 'amused' to note that he has never mentioned marriage to her: he took her to a secluded room for sex, true, and was all about them being together, but not a word of marriage. Very honorable of him. *stab*

And oh, the duel itself. I love, when after it all, when Vladimir tells her that 'Baron Vladimir Korf has been slain' and she whispers, because she is so confused and in love, even though she doesn't realize it 'I didn't pull the trigger' (she was threatening him to drop the gun) and he replies 'nontheless, he is dead, and all that remains is to fulfill his last will' and gives her the freedom papers. OMG. And as he is about to ride off he tells Michael, quietly that he started this whole 'charade' with the duel, with only one goal in mind: for Michael to kill him (and it explains so much. He gave Michael first shot, and just stood there, eyes closed. OMG. Anna, he loves you so much!) and tells Michael that sometimes his (Michael's) nobility (in not killing Vladimir) is wrong and a punishment.

But I posted about this scene, with vids/translations before, but case you mised it, ( Here it is behind the cut )

Oh, Vladimir. And then Lisa shows up and they have OMG OMG a night together. And he is so sweet and just tries to be nice and comforting but she basically is begging for a one-night stand, no strings, and he thinks he lost Anna forever, so he gives in. And in the morning, I love the scene, where he is very gentle and sweet but just as closed off as ever to her, and so Lisa realizes she's lost and nothing has changed and leaves. But OMG Anna is back and their scene together just kills me. Because he doesn't know about her break with Michael. And he is so uncertain and just the sweetness and the loss and adorableness kills me.

In other news, Natalie and Alexander's pillow fight=WIN. They have great chemistry and his (finally) confession of his feelings being real is amazing. And when he sheds a tear later OMG. And she runs away to her fiance because he is safe and I bet she is in love and so overwhelmed.

The movie selection for today is one of my favorite movies, the bleakly smart The Manchurian Candidate. I refer to the 1962 version with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, not the recent remake, which I did not even bother to watch because when the original is one of my all time favorite movies, why would I?

TMC, for those who do not know the plot, involves political assassination, brain-washing, and a bunch of characters who you love (or love to loathe).



The movie opens during the Korean War, when a platoon of American troops, among whom are Ben Marco (Sinatra) and Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), is ambushed. However, soon the boys are back home, having been heroically rescued by Raymond, a blue-blooded, aloof stepson of a slimy politician, Sen. John Iselin. Raymond even receives a Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts, along with gratitude of his mates. And yet…shall-shocked Marco is haunted by nightmares of the time in Korea, nightmares that show a rather different picture. And he is not the only one. What really happened out there? And what does it really mean, for Marco, and for Raymond, and for the rest of the characters, including, in a completely tour-de-force, Raymond’s loathsome mother played by Angela Lansbury.

TMC is a clever-clever, bitter-bitter movie that takes no prisoners. But what I really love about it is that along with the twisty, intelligent plot, it actually makes you care for the characters. You care for the tough, messed-up, cynical, falling-apart-in-front-of-your-eyes Marco. But what is even better, and makes the movie so worthwhile, IMO, is that the movie makes you care about Raymond (who is my favorite character in the movie, actually. Hey, you know me. Messed up and aloof? Am so there).

Anyway, the rest is spoilery so behind cut. Spoilers for the whole enchilada. Seriously, you don’t want to be spoiled for the movie.

( It’s a terrible thing to hate your mother. But I didn’t always hate her. When I was a child, I only kind of disliked her. )

The Manchurian Candidate, Bednaya Nastya and Nodame Cantabile: get your damaged men here!

I've been rather neglectful of LJ lately. What with being exhausted, various RL commitments and similar, less lj time for me. Am sorry :)

First off, I finished Nodame Cantabile. It's not the kind of drama I have a lot (or any) meta for, but it was a great deal of fun. Two pet peeves: (1) whoeverplayed Straseman. I want to drown him. There is fun OTT and then there is this. Plus, if he is not Japanese, I'll eat my hairbrush. and (2) a bit too cartoonish in some reactions. I know it's on purpose, but it didn't work all the time. But overall, it was fast, fun, breezy and Tamaki Hiroshi is yummilicious.

Second (on Bednaya Nastya): Die, Michael! Seriously, I wasn't mad at his being angry on finding out Anna is a serf (she did lie to him), but his horrible reaction to her confessing to him that she went to Vladimir's room at night, prepared to 'sacrifice' herself to prevent the duel, made me want to choke the life out of him! He knows nothing happened, he knows she loves him (well, she is divided, but no character, her included, is aware of it yet). WTF is wrong with him! He treats her like some sort of leprous whore! He tells her to go back to Vladimir's bed etc etc. He asks her why she didn't come to his bed instead? (Did he want her to wade through the snow for miles, after dark, and try to break into a strange house?) I hate him. Seriously. I am also 'amused' to note that he has never mentioned marriage to her: he took her to a secluded room for sex, true, and was all about them being together, but not a word of marriage. Very honorable of him. *stab*

And oh, the duel itself. I love, when after it all, when Vladimir tells her that 'Baron Vladimir Korf has been slain' and she whispers, because she is so confused and in love, even though she doesn't realize it 'I didn't pull the trigger' (she was threatening him to drop the gun) and he replies 'nontheless, he is dead, and all that remains is to fulfill his last will' and gives her the freedom papers. OMG. And as he is about to ride off he tells Michael, quietly that he started this whole 'charade' with the duel, with only one goal in mind: for Michael to kill him (and it explains so much. He gave Michael first shot, and just stood there, eyes closed. OMG. Anna, he loves you so much!) and tells Michael that sometimes his (Michael's) nobility (in not killing Vladimir) is wrong and a punishment.

But I posted about this scene, with vids/translations before, but case you mised it, ( Here it is behind the cut )

Oh, Vladimir. And then Lisa shows up and they have OMG OMG a night together. And he is so sweet and just tries to be nice and comforting but she basically is begging for a one-night stand, no strings, and he thinks he lost Anna forever, so he gives in. And in the morning, I love the scene, where he is very gentle and sweet but just as closed off as ever to her, and so Lisa realizes she's lost and nothing has changed and leaves. But OMG Anna is back and their scene together just kills me. Because he doesn't know about her break with Michael. And he is so uncertain and just the sweetness and the loss and adorableness kills me.

In other news, Natalie and Alexander's pillow fight=WIN. They have great chemistry and his (finally) confession of his feelings being real is amazing. And when he sheds a tear later OMG. And she runs away to her fiance because he is safe and I bet she is in love and so overwhelmed.

The movie selection for today is one of my favorite movies, the bleakly smart The Manchurian Candidate. I refer to the 1962 version with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, not the recent remake, which I did not even bother to watch because when the original is one of my all time favorite movies, why would I?

TMC, for those who do not know the plot, involves political assassination, brain-washing, and a bunch of characters who you love (or love to loathe).



The movie opens during the Korean War, when a platoon of American troops, among whom are Ben Marco (Sinatra) and Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), is ambushed. However, soon the boys are back home, having been heroically rescued by Raymond, a blue-blooded, aloof stepson of a slimy politician, Sen. John Iselin. Raymond even receives a Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts, along with gratitude of his mates. And yet…shall-shocked Marco is haunted by nightmares of the time in Korea, nightmares that show a rather different picture. And he is not the only one. What really happened out there? And what does it really mean, for Marco, and for Raymond, and for the rest of the characters, including, in a completely tour-de-force, Raymond’s loathsome mother played by Angela Lansbury.

TMC is a clever-clever, bitter-bitter movie that takes no prisoners. But what I really love about it is that along with the twisty, intelligent plot, it actually makes you care for the characters. You care for the tough, messed-up, cynical, falling-apart-in-front-of-your-eyes Marco. But what is even better, and makes the movie so worthwhile, IMO, is that the movie makes you care about Raymond (who is my favorite character in the movie, actually. Hey, you know me. Messed up and aloof? Am so there).

Anyway, the rest is spoilery so behind cut. Spoilers for the whole enchilada. Seriously, you don’t want to be spoiled for the movie.

( It’s a terrible thing to hate your mother. But I didn’t always hate her. When I was a child, I only kind of disliked her. )

The Manchurian Candidate, Bednaya Nastya and Nodame Cantabile: get your damaged men here!

I've been rather neglectful of LJ lately. What with being exhausted, various RL commitments and similar, less lj time for me. Am sorry :)

First off, I finished Nodame Cantabile. It's not the kind of drama I have a lot (or any) meta for, but it was a great deal of fun. Two pet peeves: (1) whoeverplayed Straseman. I want to drown him. There is fun OTT and then there is this. Plus, if he is not Japanese, I'll eat my hairbrush. and (2) a bit too cartoonish in some reactions. I know it's on purpose, but it didn't work all the time. But overall, it was fast, fun, breezy and Tamaki Hiroshi is yummilicious.

Second (on Bednaya Nastya): Die, Michael! Seriously, I wasn't mad at his being angry on finding out Anna is a serf (she did lie to him), but his horrible reaction to her confessing to him that she went to Vladimir's room at night, prepared to 'sacrifice' herself to prevent the duel, made me want to choke the life out of him! He knows nothing happened, he knows she loves him (well, she is divided, but no character, her included, is aware of it yet). WTF is wrong with him! He treats her like some sort of leprous whore! He tells her to go back to Vladimir's bed etc etc. He asks her why she didn't come to his bed instead? (Did he want her to wade through the snow for miles, after dark, and try to break into a strange house?) I hate him. Seriously. I am also 'amused' to note that he has never mentioned marriage to her: he took her to a secluded room for sex, true, and was all about them being together, but not a word of marriage. Very honorable of him. *stab*

And oh, the duel itself. I love, when after it all, when Vladimir tells her that 'Baron Vladimir Korf has been slain' and she whispers, because she is so confused and in love, even though she doesn't realize it 'I didn't pull the trigger' (she was threatening him to drop the gun) and he replies 'nontheless, he is dead, and all that remains is to fulfill his last will' and gives her the freedom papers. OMG. And as he is about to ride off he tells Michael, quietly that he started this whole 'charade' with the duel, with only one goal in mind: for Michael to kill him (and it explains so much. He gave Michael first shot, and just stood there, eyes closed. OMG. Anna, he loves you so much!) and tells Michael that sometimes his (Michael's) nobility (in not killing Vladimir) is wrong and a punishment.

But I posted about this scene, with vids/translations before, but case you mised it, ( Here it is behind the cut )

Oh, Vladimir. And then Lisa shows up and they have OMG OMG a night together. And he is so sweet and just tries to be nice and comforting but she basically is begging for a one-night stand, no strings, and he thinks he lost Anna forever, so he gives in. And in the morning, I love the scene, where he is very gentle and sweet but just as closed off as ever to her, and so Lisa realizes she's lost and nothing has changed and leaves. But OMG Anna is back and their scene together just kills me. Because he doesn't know about her break with Michael. And he is so uncertain and just the sweetness and the loss and adorableness kills me.

In other news, Natalie and Alexander's pillow fight=WIN. They have great chemistry and his (finally) confession of his feelings being real is amazing. And when he sheds a tear later OMG. And she runs away to her fiance because he is safe and I bet she is in love and so overwhelmed.

The movie selection for today is one of my favorite movies, the bleakly smart The Manchurian Candidate. I refer to the 1962 version with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, not the recent remake, which I did not even bother to watch because when the original is one of my all time favorite movies, why would I?

TMC, for those who do not know the plot, involves political assassination, brain-washing, and a bunch of characters who you love (or love to loathe).



The movie opens during the Korean War, when a platoon of American troops, among whom are Ben Marco (Sinatra) and Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), is ambushed. However, soon the boys are back home, having been heroically rescued by Raymond, a blue-blooded, aloof stepson of a slimy politician, Sen. John Iselin. Raymond even receives a Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts, along with gratitude of his mates. And yet…shall-shocked Marco is haunted by nightmares of the time in Korea, nightmares that show a rather different picture. And he is not the only one. What really happened out there? And what does it really mean, for Marco, and for Raymond, and for the rest of the characters, including, in a completely tour-de-force, Raymond’s loathsome mother played by Angela Lansbury.

TMC is a clever-clever, bitter-bitter movie that takes no prisoners. But what I really love about it is that along with the twisty, intelligent plot, it actually makes you care for the characters. You care for the tough, messed-up, cynical, falling-apart-in-front-of-your-eyes Marco. But what is even better, and makes the movie so worthwhile, IMO, is that the movie makes you care about Raymond (who is my favorite character in the movie, actually. Hey, you know me. Messed up and aloof? Am so there).

Anyway, the rest is spoilery so behind cut. Spoilers for the whole enchilada. Seriously, you don’t want to be spoiled for the movie.

( It’s a terrible thing to hate your mother. But I didn’t always hate her. When I was a child, I only kind of disliked her. )

Bobby: Adorable Young Love and not-so-adorable 70s fashions

Today's clip-of-adorableness is courtesy of the Bollywood classic Bobby.

Bobby, a huge and very influential Bollywood hit of the early 1970s (I think most of the 'young love' story movies are indebted to Bobby some way or another), follows a rather simple but effective story. Raj (Rishi Kapoor), the only child of neglectful, rich parents (seriously, they are dreadful) falls in love with Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) the warm and vivacious daughter of a poor fisherman. But young sweet love might have no chance against society and parental disapproval.

One of the things I love is that it reminds me of American teen movies from 1950s, and another is that, unlike a lot of movies nowadays, actors playing teenagers are very young: Rishi is 17 and Dimple 15. And they are adorable together (they both became huge stars as a result). And the 1970s fashions are much too fun.

Anyway, here is the clip. Raj and Bobby are waltzing together for the first time, at the same time their fathers are deciding their children are never to be allowed together.

Bobby: Adorable Young Love and not-so-adorable 70s fashions

Today's clip-of-adorableness is courtesy of the Bollywood classic Bobby.

Bobby, a huge and very influential Bollywood hit of the early 1970s (I think most of the 'young love' story movies are indebted to Bobby some way or another), follows a rather simple but effective story. Raj (Rishi Kapoor), the only child of neglectful, rich parents (seriously, they are dreadful) falls in love with Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) the warm and vivacious daughter of a poor fisherman. But young sweet love might have no chance against society and parental disapproval.

One of the things I love is that it reminds me of American teen movies from 1950s, and another is that, unlike a lot of movies nowadays, actors playing teenagers are very young: Rishi is 17 and Dimple 15. And they are adorable together (they both became huge stars as a result). And the 1970s fashions are much too fun.

Anyway, here is the clip. Raj and Bobby are waltzing together for the first time, at the same time their fathers are deciding their children are never to be allowed together.

Bobby: Adorable Young Love and not-so-adorable 70s fashions

Today's clip-of-adorableness is courtesy of the Bollywood classic Bobby.

Bobby, a huge and very influential Bollywood hit of the early 1970s (I think most of the 'young love' story movies are indebted to Bobby some way or another), follows a rather simple but effective story. Raj (Rishi Kapoor), the only child of neglectful, rich parents (seriously, they are dreadful) falls in love with Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) the warm and vivacious daughter of a poor fisherman. But young sweet love might have no chance against society and parental disapproval.

One of the things I love is that it reminds me of American teen movies from 1950s, and another is that, unlike a lot of movies nowadays, actors playing teenagers are very young: Rishi is 17 and Dimple 15. And they are adorable together (they both became huge stars as a result). And the 1970s fashions are much too fun.

Anyway, here is the clip. Raj and Bobby are waltzing together for the first time, at the same time their fathers are deciding their children are never to be allowed together.

Bednaya Nastya glee

OMG!

I have a new favorite Bednaya Nastya scene. Seriously, I was literally making squealing noises at the TV. Good thing no one was around but the sexiness and the chemistry was EEEEEEE.

I have to admit, much as I currently hate Michael (he went from indifference to cold loathing, because of the way he treated Anna after finding out she went to Vladimir's bedroom, even if it was to save Michael. I love the scene afterwards, when Vladimir finds out about their break-up and tries to convince Michael Anna loves him, because he, unlike Michael, is grown-up).

But as I was saying, much as I hate Michael, I am immensely amused by the fact that Anna is hardly acting like a woman who lost her love. Though I don't know, maybe it's a normal reaction to engage in teasing flirtation with Vladimir and be all glowy. You tell me.

Anyway, here is the youtube scene (and my translations) of my new favorite. He is talking to her after finding out about the break-up (and he definitely knows that there is something to seize on, because she didn't tell him of it) and the mutual flirtiness and grinniness is INSANE. And the almost kiss? *dead*

( My translation and way too many comments behind cut )

Bednaya Nastya glee

OMG!

I have a new favorite Bednaya Nastya scene. Seriously, I was literally making squealing noises at the TV. Good thing no one was around but the sexiness and the chemistry was EEEEEEE.

I have to admit, much as I currently hate Michael (he went from indifference to cold loathing, because of the way he treated Anna after finding out she went to Vladimir's bedroom, even if it was to save Michael. I love the scene afterwards, when Vladimir finds out about their break-up and tries to convince Michael Anna loves him, because he, unlike Michael, is grown-up).

But as I was saying, much as I hate Michael, I am immensely amused by the fact that Anna is hardly acting like a woman who lost her love. Though I don't know, maybe it's a normal reaction to engage in teasing flirtation with Vladimir and be all glowy. You tell me.

Anyway, here is the youtube scene (and my translations) of my new favorite. He is talking to her after finding out about the break-up (and he definitely knows that there is something to seize on, because she didn't tell him of it) and the mutual flirtiness and grinniness is INSANE. And the almost kiss? *dead*

( My translation and way too many comments behind cut )

Bednaya Nastya glee

OMG!

I have a new favorite Bednaya Nastya scene. Seriously, I was literally making squealing noises at the TV. Good thing no one was around but the sexiness and the chemistry was EEEEEEE.

I have to admit, much as I currently hate Michael (he went from indifference to cold loathing, because of the way he treated Anna after finding out she went to Vladimir's bedroom, even if it was to save Michael. I love the scene afterwards, when Vladimir finds out about their break-up and tries to convince Michael Anna loves him, because he, unlike Michael, is grown-up).

But as I was saying, much as I hate Michael, I am immensely amused by the fact that Anna is hardly acting like a woman who lost her love. Though I don't know, maybe it's a normal reaction to engage in teasing flirtation with Vladimir and be all glowy. You tell me.

Anyway, here is the youtube scene (and my translations) of my new favorite. He is talking to her after finding out about the break-up (and he definitely knows that there is something to seize on, because she didn't tell him of it) and the mutual flirtiness and grinniness is INSANE. And the almost kiss? *dead*

( My translation and way too many comments behind cut )