rusty_halo | (no subject)

Last night's Sean Bean movie was Patriot Games. I really hated this movie, probably more so than it deserved. Something just totally rubbed me wrong; I think maybe it was that the main family reminded me on the family in Fatal Attraction: the perfect supportive wife (Anne Archer in both), and this nauseatingly cute precocious little child creature as the daughter.

Why is it that in films when families are threatened, the families are perfect and everyone loves each other completely and no one ever argues, but when films are actually about real human beings, everyone's flawed and always fighting with each other?

And Harrison Ford was so smarmy and self-righteous and self-satisfied and annoying; I suddenly realized that the last time I ever liked him was in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When did he get so creepy? Maybe it's the fact that he dated Calista Flockhart that's retroactively bothering me, but also it seems like he stopped playing badass rogues and started playing dull morally righteous dicks.

Anyway, my main emotion while watching this film was that I wanted the Wholesome All American Family to die horribly, and I was totally cheering on Sean Bean's character. Unfortunately he was pretty much the most incompetent terrorist ever, and couldn't even manage to assassinate a 10 year old girl. He was cute, though, which is why I watched it, so I guess I got what I wanted out of the experience. Still, I wish he was in better movies.

The next DVD is Clarissa, which I'm really kind of dreading because me and period costume dramas are not mixy things. Fingers crossed that I won't fall asleep.

Also, I hate to admit this, but I finally got the imps from BPAL that I ordered ages ago. I'm wearing Blood Kiss today, which I love. In my defense, I'm not jumping on the fandom bandwagon; I got a bunch of free imps at Convergence, that goth con in New Orleans that

drujan and I attended this spring, and just recently figured out that they're the same thing that

harmonyfb is always talking about. I can totally see how people get addicted to this stuff.

I put the audio book of Sharpe's Tiger on my MP3 player. I had no idea how delightful this would be. Sean Bean's lovely voice caressing my ears as I walked to work this morning--I must've been grinning like an idiot. I have little tolerance for audio books because I'm impatient, but I've already read this one, so I'm just listening to savor Sean Bean's yummylicious voice.

drujan called me last night to squee over "Sharpe's Rifles," the latest book I lent her. She liked it even better than "Sharpe's Sword"; in fact she seems to be more excited about Sharpe than I am. This is amusing me immensely. Hopefully today I'll get the Sharpe DVDs that I ordered from Deep Discount DVD, so that we can have another Sharpe day this weekend.

I have also been reading bits of Sharpe fanfic, and I find myself consistently amused at how they all start out like a Cornwell book: soldiers, dirt, war, etc., but then somehow they end up maneuvering the characters into very un-Cornwell-like situations, y'know, usually by somehow finding an excuse to get Sharpe naked and/or wet.

I've been reading Fandom Wank a lot lately. It's funny, when I first got into fandom I thought Fandom Wank was horrible and mean and pretty much an example of the worst impulses of fandom. Somehow my thoughts have shifted--maybe it's a combination of realizing that above all fandom should be fun and I need to not take it so seriously, plus the whole Cassandra Claire/Ms Scribe thing making me realize that the currency of fandom is social popularity, and so a venue for social ridicule is really the only way to deal with those who violate its social codes. Or maybe I realized that fandom is often just fucking hilarious. I was looking over the Fandom Wank wiki and I found what is pretty much my favorite wank ever: Perhaps I have a special anus. Every time I re-read this, I can't stop laughing. (Don't forget, Superman is a careful rapist.)

So, strangely enough, Fandom Wank originally made me kind of hate fandom, but now it reminds me why I love fandom.

Also this weekend, I'm going to this thing called "Night of Too Many Stars," which has been advertised incessantly on Comedy Central. I just went to Ticketmaster to peek, and when I tested it, it pulled up such a great seat that I couldn't not buy it. I really need to stop blowing cash on ridiculous things. But dammit, I should take advantage of the fact that I live in NYC, and plus, Jon Stewart is hosting, and Stephen Colbert is going to be there, so really, how could I not go? (::squee!::)

Also, The Colbert Report pretty much, y'know, won, this week. First there was an episode celebrating the "American Lady," in which Stephen baked an apple pie (and received several kisses) from Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda, then declared everyone in the audience, including himself, "Mrs. Colbert," in a parody of the Miss America contest. Then in the next episode, he announced the finalists of his lightsaber challenge (note to any company trying to figure out how to tap into user-generated content and participatory fan culture: Colbert does it perfectly), and I actually screamed when George Lucas showed up, and then screamed again when Lucas "lost" to some random girl from the internet. And then screamed a third time for good measure when the show ended with a lightsaber battle between George Lucas and Stephen Colbert. ::adores::

I know that I should download this week's episode of Veronica Mars (I missed it because we had Columbus Day off and I thought Tuesday was Monday). But I'm kind of dreading it. Fandom's supposed to be fun, but VM leaves me feeling annoyed and condescended to. I might wait until the season's done and then decide, based on fan reactions, whether to catch up with it. Though I do miss participating in discussions as the show happens.

Also, how does the LiveJournal spellchecker not recognize the word "fandom"? I mean, come on. This is LiveJournal. :P I wish they'd stop doing stupid shit like adding IM features and finding ways to help corporations shut down fandom. Why not, say, fix all the annoying stuff first? Like, a better spell checker, and easier way to customize styles and mood themes, a way to turn off that horrid nav bar everywhere....

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That fandom wank link was funny!

don't be such a dork about period...you just watched sharpe. it's what they wore and how they spoke.

However, you'll really dig his character. the character was written to have no redemptive qualities. It's the first English novel (1747), and was written in epistolary form (1500 pages)...so it's quite a task putting it on television. Generally, though, readers wanted Lovelace to be redeemable and they were rooting for him, and so Richardson added stuff two more times to the book to try and make his character less likeable. Sean Bean is perfect for the part, IMO.

Someday I wanna look at that concept and put it against modern characters who've been perceived as unredeemable...but I don't think I have the brainpower for that.

Yeah, but Sharpe has guns and explosions and fighting and blood and shirtless Sean Bean and lots of hot male bonding. :P

I'm sick of reading texts against authorial intentions. It gets frustrating: watching BtVS for Spike, VM for Logan, etc etc. I'm so over the whole "question of redemption" thing, and am pretty sure that I do not believe in either the concept of redemption or the idea that anyone needs it.

I'm pretty sure that this movie is going to make me ill... but that it may be worth it for Sean Bean.

I think part of why I love Sharpe is the lack of moral judgment ... Sharpe does rotten things all the time, but the audience is never encouraged to judge him for it. And Sharpe's lack of religion is quite delightful in a lead character. :)

You won't like Clarissa for the reason that Richardson was sending out messages, which is what they did in those days with the moralizing and stuff. Keep that in mind.

However, the interesting thing about Lovelace, as opposed to any of the guys like Jaime, Brian, Sharpe, Spike, etc, is that they all did good things, or were well intentioned on occasion. I think the thing about Lovelace is that he isn't (supposed to be) like that...which, yeah, sort of typically villany, but it's kind of interesting how people still want to put good into people when their actions don't indicate anything good...which is why Richardson kept putting in more bad stuff. Really, though, Clarissa's family are much worse, I think.

But, you know how it is. Once a story gets out, a million interpretations are borne all based on the experience/wishes/desires of the interpreter.

Say, you got any chemlab available at your fingertips? I'd love to easily be able to put it on my mp3. I'll buy the albums, too, because I really don't like the artist getting ripped off, but it will get it to me easy, since ripping stuff is totally last on my list of things to do. ;D

I've come to embrace and love Fandom_Wank for its snark. Usually the "targets" are either fans who are so full of themselves that you don't mind seeing them taken down a notch or two, or else crazies who are just really far gone. When I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I will search back through old, hilarious wanks and make myself feel better.

My mom and I both agreed that Colbert has been on this week, even more so than usual. He seemed almost giddy. The Colbert Report has edged out over The Daily Show for me, just because I find it to be more consistently funny, though of course I still adore Jon Stewart.

Veronica Mars: You didn't miss much. I have such a love/hate affair with that show.

Do you mean that the show VM or the VM fandom makes you feel condescended to?

I'm not much into the VM fandom, mostly just those on my flist who watch it. I sometimes read fanfic or watch a vid, but nothing like the amount I've cosumed for other series.

I loved the George L. thing on Colbert. I don't usually watch his show more than once every week or so (he's a little much for me to take half an hour every night of), but I recorded this episode because I knew he was announcing the greenscreen winner. I cracked up when I recognized Lucas, though it took me about 2 seconds longer than the audience. I actually did think the girl's was more creative and heroic, though, so I'm glad she won.

The show itself makes me feel condescended to. I have nothing against the fandom.

I just get the sense that the show is a little too morally preachy and a little too ... directed toward a younger demographic. I like the film noir stuff: the corruption of the rich and powerful, the town's glitzy surface hiding its dark underbelly ... pretty much everything with the Echolls family ... I do NOT like the kiddie stuff, the preachy hints that Logan isn't good enough for Veronica, the simplistic sexual politics, the entire character of Wallace... the entire character of Piz... and it seems that the show is definitely moving more in the kiddie direction.

I suppose those horribly vacuous girly girls blabbering during the commercials last time didn't help either. :P

If you intend to keep watching VM, I guess you may as well download the episode. But I suspect the it will push your buttons in a not-so-good way. So far, Rob Thomas's take on the politics of a college campus is ham-handed enough to make me wonder if he's ever actually been to college.