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11 December 2009 @ 10:36 pm
I was reading horror reviews and I found one on H2 that I felt mirrored exactly what I felt when watching it & I am glad critics are as baffled as I am - all of my friend's who love Rob Zombie insist the film made sense, but for the life of me I don't know what any of it means & I think I am passably perceptive - certainly perceptive enough to understand a Halloween film if there is anything to understand. Months later I am still googling "what was the underlying point of Halloween 2" or "what did the end of Halloween 2 mean" & I'd never admit that usually, because it makes me feel fucking stupid, but apparently alot of people are as baffled as I am because I can't find an answer outside of shrugs.

But Zombie never figures out how to make a movie out of all of this. He has Michael seeing visions of his mother and himself as a young boy on the night that he killed his sister, and he has the survivors going about their business, but except for the fact that you know Myers has to show up in town there feels like no good reason for any of it. None of it builds to anything - my friend Brian Collins noted that you could rearrange almost any of Myers' scenes and it would be impossible to tell the difference - and so the whole film, as it comes to third act, feels like a slog. There are good moments - I liked the scene of Loomis' book signing, where he has to deal with both a weirdo serial killer fan and an angry parent of one of Myers' victims - but if ever a film felt scriptless and formless, it's this one. The good scenes are lost in the larger narrative, which meanders slowly along.
A scene when Michael comes after Annie in her bathroom is incredibly powerful when played very, very slow and almost silently. There are also some terrific dream sequences that gives Zombie a chance to play around with style and to get weirder than even his already fairly weird movie could otherwise hold. One shot in particular, of Laurie running through a dark forest that is illuminated by brilliant blue spears of light, is downright gorgeous and evocative. But all of the great cinematography in the world doesn't clear up what he's getting at with these visions. His version of Myers has a serious mama complex (coupled with his love of the wood and the rednecks who live in them, doesn't it seem like Zombie should have just gone for the Friday the 13th remake? He's in the wrong franchise), so that makes sense, but what about the young Mike? If mom is a ghost, what is Lil Mikey? I thought maybe he was the ghost of the boy who 'died' the night he killed his sister, but that doesn't really make sense, thematically or contextually. This Lil Mikey is a servant of the mother, who herself is urging Michael on his killing spree. She also keeps his calendar, at one point telling him it's almost Halloween (I wonder if she wakes him in the morning, too). So Lil Mikey is just as bloodthirsty as Big Mikey, and just as much as Mom (at one point Mom tells Michael to 'have fun;' we don't see the ensuing murder fully, but the victim ends up naked - did Michael rape her? That's something I would actually expect from Zombie, I just wouldn't expect him to be so circumspect about it), so I don't get what the fuck he's doing there. I imagine the real answer is that Zombie thought it would be cool looking.
And that's what a lot of the film boils down to - what Zombie thinks is cool. If he had more time, or maybe more inclination to think about it, I think Zombie could have done something really special with this film. He's certainly on that path. But every aspect that really worked is stuck between three or four others that just fall flat, or are ridiculous. And the 'deeper' aspects of the film are, finally, half-baked. I kept waiting for all of the vision stuff to coalesce into something, and it almost does when Laurie starts seeing visions as well... but even that makes no sense. Maybe she would see her birth mother's ghost, but Michael's little self? At the end of the movie she's being held down by Lil Mikey, although no one else can see him - what the fuck does this mean? Watching the muddled, anticlimactic finale I get the impression this was not the ending that Zombie set out to make; I had heard very credible rumors that the original ending was far weirder, and everything leading up to the final shot lends credence to those rumors. In the end, though, it all plays out as ideas that were too big for Zombie to wrap his screenplay around mixed in with shit he thought was kewl.
One thing I'll say for this movie - it inspired me to write this much. And if I was writing with spoilers, I think I could go even longer. To me a film that gives you this much to chew on can't be simply classified as a bad film, and with few exceptions, Zombie's a good filmmaker. His style is strong, and he can build scenes that work, but he can't string them together into anything that goes anywhere or has meaning. He's crippled by his own major limitations as a screenwriter, and I kept wishing that someone had sat down with Zombie to hammer out this script in a way where it would work. Again, there are concepts here, scenes here, characters here that are terrific, but they're lost in a mess.



I am thinking about lamps. Anyone have suggestions for nice looking lamps that give GOOD lighting? I am seriously considering asking the menfolk around here if they would rewire my lighting (or whatever it takes) so this room has a fluorescent sheet light & instead of mounting it to the top of the ceiling have it hang down by short chains - it makes me think of horror films, when one of those sheets rocks and the shadows flicker everywhere. But other than that it would just be really bright, good lighting which I need for my slide slicing, my specimen setting, and my general craftfuckery. I generally see those lights in the basements of serialkiller/torturers in film and I think they are on to something.

I have been washing curtains and cleaning blinds - cleaning blinds is the toiling work of the devil, I am certain of it.
 
 
 
11 December 2009 @ 10:11 pm

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11 December 2009 @ 06:28 pm
Keep those entries coming please lovely people! Challenge post is over here so head on over!
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11 December 2009 @ 10:01 am
My new glasses are in. I'm not sure how much I like them. On one hand, they're very stylish. On the other, they're less round than my old glasses, and I've lost quite a bit of my peripheral vision. Not sure I like that at all. It kind of makes me feel claustrophobic. Maybe I'll get used to it.



Not the best picture of me, but what do you expect from a camera phone?

The good news from Yard Dog Press this week? They've sold out of the first print run of Bride of Tranquility. Not to worry though, they've ordered more. So if you want to order a copy for Christmas (and participate in the BoT/YDP holiday promotion), they'll have them in soon.

I got two rejections and one no response to a 'what happened to' query. The magazine may have evaporated. More about that stuff on Monday. I'm also up to 11,000 words on the big project. Slow going, but I think I'll still get it done faster and be better than my last couple of novels. I keep passing the story to my #1 fan (a.k.a. the husband). He sends it back with notes wondering when I'm going to send him the next part. So far, so good :)


Story beneath the cut )
 
 
Current Location: Working at home
Current Mood: awake
 
 
11 December 2009 @ 05:47 pm
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11 December 2009 @ 07:08 am
And because I'm very upset with myself for only texting, changing my FB status, and sending Paulina a card yesterday in honor of the celebratory tradition of her birth

I offer late LJ wishes.

On the second day of Christmas your birthday, my darling I give to you...





Happy Birthday AGAIN, love. And just so you know... )
 
 
11 December 2009 @ 09:51 pm

Cheer up sleepy Koala
oh what can it mean.

Which song was this lyric from?

Get your own lyrics:



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11 December 2009 @ 06:37 pm
I enjoyed this episode - probably the strongest episode in a while, which is fortune given that it's the last one we get until April. The Glee Club finally makes it to sectionals. Read more... )
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Current Mood: content
 
 
11 December 2009 @ 03:23 am
Lies  
By this afternoon I had decided I would drop all Chris stuff. Sure I'm still hurting but whats the point. I can't force him to work himself out.

Then tonight Jarrad was chatting to Heather (Chris's sister & Christine's friend) and found out how much everyone hates them! Most of Chris's friends don't want to know him, Christine's friends are all pissed at her, plus his mother and both of his sisters can't stand Christine because she's practically moved in! They haven't even been "dating" 2 weeks yet! She said they never come out of his room ever, and if it looks like they are about to have sex either her or the other sister are interuppting them cos they can't stand this girl. Heather has actually enlisted Jarrad's help to break them up! They were both trying to call them tonight and getting nowhere when finally Chris answered the home phone..then Heather got through to Christine. Jarrad and Heather reported back to each other over msn during it and Christine was desperetly wanting to eavesdrop on Chris's conversation. It sounds like she has him on a leash. But too add to it, Jarrad rand Chris back and asked for Christine..Jarrad went outside for the convo but he was telling her stuff about why we even broke up and apparently its VERY different to what Chris told her - and it got confirmed he NEVER told her he was here talking to me the other night, and he's been telling lies to us in general even on whats been happening in their relationship..but Christine seems to be just as much of a drama queen cos once that call was over she was on the phone to Heather and warped one thing Jarrad had said. Jarrad also told Heather about why me and Chris broke up cos he never said anything..so I think she feels sorry for me right now and she actually said she prefered me dating Chris to the new girl.

Jarrad showed me the chat with Heather - apparently Christine is into horror movies(except she hides while watching them), vampires, is shy, drinks vodka and hates spiders. Hmm..sound like anyone you know? His Dad is the only one happy with Chris's relationship..his mother can't stand it!

Right now I'm very close to hating Chris. Hearing that she's there all the time, they're going on dates to movies during the week, he's moving so fast with her - it just hurts so much. She's getting the boyfriend I would've liked! Except I didn't get lied too.. But mostly I just feel like the entire time we were together was some big joke..time waster..I don't understand how he can say what we had was so great and and act like it was nothing.

But at the same time its so bloody confusing!

Why does he feel the need to lie about the details of his relationship to Jarrad? Technically he hasn't lied to me because he didn't tell me anything about it - but he does know Jarrad talks. Same time Christine has her own stories about what did and didn't happen!

Why if he likes this girl SO much is he lying about me to her and lying that he's seen me - especially since he claims he wants to be friends. Like how is that going to work?! I'll be public enemy #1 before even meeting her.

Is he thinking only with his penis?!? I'd even contemplated if he was trying to hurt me - cos if he was well done - but nothing has been said to me directly so that can't even be it.

Nothing makes sense. It's like Chris has become a whole new person!! So far Heather and Jarrad are planning a movie night at her place..but it wont be til after xmas. At least a month away - by then it could pretty tricky to try and intervene! Right now I wouldn't take him back like I would have last week. I just don't think I could trust him with everything I'm hearing..he'd have to work his ass off to regain that!
 
 
Ganked from [info]kathrynthegr8.

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don't speak often or ever) please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me.

It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph in your LJ and see what your friends come up with.
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10 December 2009 @ 08:06 am


best episode
 
 
10 December 2009 @ 12:45 pm
I can't be stuffed editing..and I have too..but this chick has bad skin and quite frankly its a cheap themed shoot I dont want to go to THAT much effort! I just want to stay in bed until 2010 and hope things have improved by then.

Last night I decided to work out exactly when me and Chris broke up. That was fun. I had barely written in since just before it, I had written in my actual diary since just before it..so I had to go through the MSN transcript to find it! It was June 24th. The night before that I'd complained to him about the fact he hardly talks to me and is always on wow..when I broke it off I told him we should be friends and listed some reasons and all he wrote back was "you not getting out of hugs"..Why couldn't he say something?!? We talked once ages ago and I told him how I have a friend I talk to about everything..cos you need too right? He doesn't talk to a single person about anything. He just locks it all inside. One day he's going to implode! I really want to help/force him to open up..but I don't want to push him away either. I have no idea how to win a person back..Cameron says I need to chill and show him what he's missing - be myself..but what if that doesn't work? All I know is Chris thought I was "interesting" (thats the most I could get out of him when I asked him why he liked me back in January!)..I have no idea if he was attracted to me or anything.

I'm a lil pissed off too. Facebook have brought in these extra privacy settings so the new gf has her wall on private :( The only thing on Chris's wall is what I've posted lol I had to buy a new external harddrive so I've finally been able to go through and sort stuff and I've found my pics from my 30th, pics from hanging out with Damien & Nusha so I uploaded them. I didn't tag him in the ones of "us" on purpose...if anything that shows I'm not trying to cause a problem! So now I've got the rest of Jo's birthday to upload and some pics from last xmas/NYE which aren't all that interesting really.

I'm pulling all my skirts apart..when I lost all that weight when mum died they became too big by 2 sizes..so I'm changing them to stop looking like balloons!

Brant is crashing over on Sat night and we're going to movies Sunday..no idea if Chris is going to graving us with his presence or not. The one movie Jarrad wants to see - Brant has seen so I think we're going to end up in different movies :S
 
 
09 December 2009 @ 10:41 pm
sigh  
I find it hella annoying that I'm now getting old comments, and yet still not getting new ones. Thanks LJ. For nothin'.

Other things that don't please me:

1.) How I always hate the person who wins Top Chef.
2.) Launch My Line [God, this is the worst group of invididuals I've ever witnessed] 3.) ....I'm not even talking about that. Just - writing is art, not science. I want that on a t-shirt.

Good night, darlings.
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10 December 2009 @ 01:09 pm
I am always bemused by people who seem to be enraged by the fact that one has to change lanes from time to time. I was in the left hand lane, politely indicated to shift into the right-hand land because I was going to need to turn right very soon. After doing so, the car behind me revved its engine in a very angry way, zipped left, then back in front of me - clearly affronted by the fact that I had to change lanes. It's very weird - it wasn't as if I changed lanes in a defiant and confrontational manner! :D I guess they think I was changing lanes just to annoy them :D


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09 December 2009 @ 07:45 pm
When I was a little girl I studied ballet. It's hard enough to dance in toe shoes. But this? I'm blown away.

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Current Mood: impressed
 
 
09 December 2009 @ 07:24 pm
Title: i was going to get on with my life [don't seem right without you]
Disclaimer: Not mine. Obviously. I haven't owned a real person yet. Save myself.
Fandom: Real People/American Idol
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Kris Allen
Rating: R-ish (language)
Teaser: He had always sort of believed that kind of place - warmth and big welcoming family unit - was the manufactured bullshit of Christmas movies and jewelry store commercials, all crackling fires and fresh baked pie and enough love to envelope even the harshest of critics, the worst of non-believers. Now he knows that it exists, it's real, if just for the few and far between - the lucky and the ones they bring along.
A/N: Written because I was supposed to be writing something else. Apparently Kradam will not be denied.

He's hoped that it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, but it was more of a method of self-torture than a quest that kept him going. He hasn't needed a reason to keep going, other than this, other than the fact that just being near Kris makes it easier to breathe. )
 
 
09 December 2009 @ 06:04 pm
  • 09:36 flurries! #
  • 09:50 It's hard to not look at a robe anymore without thinking of it as a backwards snuggie. #
  • 10:04 @bevhale I've been on a cookie frenzy too, as my tighter clothing can attest. :( #
  • 14:21 Livejournal is still sending me old updates. People got a little crazy sending out free virtual Christmas cookies this weekend. #
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09 December 2009 @ 08:43 am
I put the finished product up in the shop - it is not applicable to discounts like the buy one/get one free, as I put half of what I am asking into making it and otherwise it took forever to make, hah.



My oh my livejournal, do you know what my favorite thing is? Looking at things on ebay that I can never afford, like vintage mortician makeup sets or animal skeletons assembled under glass. I am having a hard time parting with my money this year on account that I have been so broke and now that I have some I keep thinking that buying perfumes for women in the family I don't like anyway is less important than buying a preserved pig fetus. OH LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH!
 
 
 
 

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