kt moxie

This reviewer perfectly sums up my feelings about The Princess Bride:

There are very few movies that, after 18 years, I react to the same way I did when I first saw it. The Princess Bride is definitely one of those movies. I get exactly the same feeling of giddy delight from watching this that I did back in 1987. As a fantasy, it takes its fairy-tale elements just serious enough that it doesn't feel condescending while still managing a knowing wink at a normally cynical modern audience.

...

The film's two young leads, Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, are perfectly cast, being fresh enough to be convincing as fairy-tale romantic leads while still intelligent enough to be in on the joke. The simple look that Buttercup gives Westley when he remarks that the Fire Swamp "isn't so bad" is just priceless. Elwes has always been good at playing off his looks for comedic effect and he was never better than in The Princess Bride. Robin Wright is, well, Robin Wright, beautiful, sweet and funny.

...

I think better than almost any other film, The Princess Bride disproves the axiom that somehow "escapist" equals dumb. Watching this movie lets you give your brain a couple hours off without having to check it at the door.

 

Watch it.  Again and again. 

Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
Fezzik: If there are, we all be dead.
Vizzini: No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?

Buttercup: You can die too for all I care.
[pushes him down a high hill]
Westley: AS... YOU... WISH.
Buttercup: Oh my sweet Westley what have I done.
[throws herself down the hill]

Westley: Where am I?
The Albino: [raspy voice] The Pit of Despair! Don't even think...
[clears throat]
The Albino: ... don't even think about trying to escape. The chains are far too thick. Don't dream of being rescued, either; the only way in is secret. Only the Prince, the Count, and I know how to get in and out.
Westley: So I'm here till I die?
The Albino: Until they kill you, yeah.

Grandpa: It was ten days to the wedding. The King still lived, but Buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse.
The Grandson: See didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck.
Grandpa: Yes you're very smart. Shut up.

Miracle Max: Get back, witch.
Valerie: I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. And after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more.

Miracle Max: Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is lean and the tomato is ripe
[smacks his lips]
Miracle Max: they're so perky, I love that.

The Impressive Clergyman: Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

Prince Humperdinck: I think your bluffing.
Westley: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.
[slowly rises and points sword directly at the prince]
Westley: DROP... YOUR... SWORD!

Here's my parley response to the latest interview from Rick McCallum, a producer from the Star Wars films.

I guess I'm a skeptic, but when a man who has made millions in the entertainment industry says he want to "restructure the process of how television is made", I'm less than convinced.

So, a producer wants to make everything cheaper -  that sounds like "get a higher profit margin" to me.  I highly doubt that making cheaper films will suddenly make my movie ticket cheaper.  Right now, I pay the same for a 100 million dollar movie as an independent film made for 1 million.  Do we really think they will bring down movie ticket prices if all movies are made for 10 million or less?

Now, I'm all for paying the rest of a crew a more reasonable wage for their work.  But, I don't see "movie stars" - and yes, we see films because of these stars - taking the same wage as the camera guy.  Why?  The camera guy is replaceable.  But if you got Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, or Tom Hanks to star in your film, there's a certain amount of stability in how much money a movie will probably bring in.

So, if a movie is made for 10 million, and the movie is a blockbuster that makes 200 million in the theaters, who gets the money?  Hmmm.... the producers?  Sounds like Rick's theory is a bit self-serving to me.

Here's my response to the Fun Friday Parley:

Tom Cruise - when did he go insane?  I remember the cute little guy in Top Gun.  I thought he was great then - of course that was when I had 80's bangs and thought Christian Slater was a great actor.  I was impressed that he landed such a tall hot talented wife in Nicole Kidman.  But really - Katie Holmes?  Plus, we don't want to forget the other Cruz - Penelope.  What is he thinking?  I'm sorry.  He clearly was not thinking with his brain.  Talk about a mid-life crisis!  Let me knock up a cute young actress - then I'll stay in the spotlight.  This all does seem to be more of a ploy to increase his publicity.

And then there's poor Katie.  Can we say brainwashed?  Poor little child has been sucked into the Scientology cult without her mind!  And, now, she's bearing his child?  Ick.   Well, it's nice to know that his other children (with Kidman) are adopted.  Fewer of his genes spreading.  

Let us all bow our heads and pray that this child will - somehow - not turn into another crazed egomaniac.

 

This is week the official banned book week.  Please, read one.  This is good stuff.  Maya Angelou.  Steinbeck.   Yum.  Amazing how those book banners never want to ban the badly written stuff, huh? 

3 of the top 10 books that have been officially requested to be banned in 2004 are for homosexual content - a new record.  Harry Potter is off the top ten for the first time in 5 years. 

Phew.  I guess the book burners are not so worried about our children becoming witches and wizards.  Just worried about kids reading about somebody gay - cause it's contagious, you know. 

Here's the top ten:

• "The Chocolate War" for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence
• "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, offensive language and violence
• "Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture" by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy and political viewpoint
• Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, for offensive language and modeling bad behavior
• "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, for homosexuality, sexual content and offensive language
• "What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones, for sexual content and offensive language
• "In the Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak, for nudity and offensive language
• "King & King" by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, for homosexuality
• "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, for racism, homosexuality, sexual content, offensive language and unsuited to age group
• "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, for racism, offensive language and violence

Banning lots of gay books...So what does this tell us?  Hmm... well, I think that since gay marriage is fired up in the political sphere, now we better not be able to read about anybody in a gay relationship!  That might make young people form their own opinions!

And Maya Angelou's stuff seems to always get on someone's list - because we don't really want to think too deeply about race and poverty and sexism.  The same goes for Steinbeck.

Captain Underpants?  Teehee.  Modeling bad behavior?  If kids are going to get that from a book... well, good for them!  With Jackass, and wrestling, and Grand Theft Auto, I doubt there's much in Captain Underpants that is really all that much to worry about!

Ok.  I need to find some time to read now.  Captain Underpants is calling my name.  :P

The web site Black Lantern has a music video on their page by a group called the Legendary K.O. that is a spin-off of Kayne West's rap song Gold Digger and his quote "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People."  Watch it and see what you think:

Click to watch >> (QuickTime) (Windows Media)

 

While we all might not agree with everything this song has to say, I think it's point resonates with most African-Americans - and others - in this country.  I think we should all listen.  And really - how fast would Bush have reacted if the people in distress were white, rich and in Connecticut?

Also, Public Enemy's Chuck D has also put out a response in rap:  "Hell No We Ain't All Right."  Here's how another blogger, Sean Coon, describes it:

"Chuck D's rhymes flow so natural and powerful, they take form within your psyche while you latch onto his beat. That happens because Chuck doesn't twist to the beat of a loop; Chuck's direct, unflinching  words twist a beat of their own.

Do you feel him in this latest drop? I follow his words, like "the new world is upside down and out of order," as a flip from the past, as back then he was taken aghast, as the polar opposites were set-up, the Axis of Evil corrupt..."

Ok.  I don't want to hear anyone talking about Harry Potter anymore!  If you think this is a post about the media hype - you'd be wrong.  Actually, I'm jealous.  How dare you people be able to sit down and read a novel?  And finish it, too?  I haven't been able to do that in... oh - let me see - 28 months.  That would be the age of my daughter (19 months), plus 9 months.

My jealous and anger struck me last night as I was packing my nightstand.  We are moving soon (as soon as our builders give us a date - darn it!), so I needed to clear it out, dust and all.  My nightstand is full of books that I have not read.  The 4th and 5th Harry Potter.  Some Neil Stephenson.  A bit of Amy Tan and Marge Piercy.  And a sprinkle of Mark Twain and Alex Haley for culture. There's more, but it's just too sad to think about.

I've had some grand plans.  I thought pregnancy would force me to slow down, and so I'd enjoy a few more books.  Ha!  Little did I know that my body needed 14 hours of sleep per day for gestation!  Then, I'd have all that extra time while on maternity leave.  Hmmm... reading with sleep deprivation and a baby that needs feedings every few hours works well, too.

Now I'm on "toddler time."  After I pick up from daycare, it's Amelia time - dinner, play, play, play, clean-up, bedtime.   Now it's 9:30 - and I still haven't gotten anything done!  Then, John and I quickly try to accomplish something - anything! Let alone spend some "quality time" together.

So, I look forward to enjoying my books again.  In the meantime - bah humbug!  No more talking about Harry!  I don't want to hear about him growing up without me!

2 1/2 out of 5 bowls of ice cream.

Note:  I'm the mom of a toddler.  I don't go to the movies.  I rent DVDs through Netflix - so all my movie reviews will be for the DVD release!

 

Ok.  Can this movie really be best picture of 2004?  Really?  I have to say I expected a bit more out of this film.  I really like Hillary Swank, I love Morgan Freeman, and Clint has proven himself to be a great director.   But this is two different films - poorly pieced together - with an unrealistic plot twist.  And neither film is particularly thought-provoking, complete, or compelling.

First, we have the boxing movie.  Tough-Girl version of Rocky?  Maybe.  Except we have to watch too many fights instead of making a few interesting ones.  We are supposed to believe that she has some innate boxing talent that Morgan's and Clint's characters notice. But when she first starts at the club, she doesn't even know how to hit a speed bag?  Come on - even I've watched Rocky do it! 

Then - the plot twist - [spoiler here - do not read on if you really don't want to know] the current world champion is a "dirty fighter" and punches her not once, but twice, after the bell. The second time landing Hillary's neck on her stool, breaking her spine. Come on, Clint, we didn't really need this silliness to get us to your second movie, did we?

Now, we have - oh my gosh - "the real movie."  When everyone told you "this isn't a boxing movie" - this is what they are referring.  But what is this second movie about?  "They" claim about euthanasia - and the moral dilemmas associated.  Hillary's character is a fighter, but she doesn't want to live as a quadrepelegic.  Does Clint help her die?

What I found so uncompelling about this part of the movie was that this did not really deal with death, dieing and euthanasia.  Euthanasia - by definition - is about mercy and ending suffering.   A person with quadrepelegia is not in physical pain.  And we all know that there are plenty of successful people without the full use of their limbs.  Hmmm.  Steven Hawking.  Christopher Reeves.  So, we are supposed to believe Clint was relieving some other kind of suffering?  No - she just wanted to die as a boxer, not as a quadrepelegic.  That's just pathetic and short sighted. 

No, I think they "picked" quadrepelegia as the "suffering" of choice because it's a Hollywood movie.  Who wants to watch a movie with someone who can't think for themselves anymore like Terri Schiavo?  Or someone in continuous pain like in the end stages of untreatable cancer?  But, hey, cute Hillary Swank can still say her smart remarks while pretending she can't move her arms and legs!

So, I had high expectations for this movie, but it was a big let down.  I guess you can't expect a Hollywood movie to really take on a controversial issue.

Time for some silliness.  I took one of the many online Geek Tests.  If you take the test too, comment back and tell me what you are!

I'm officially a "Modern Geek."

Congratulations! You are as hip as you are smart - a true Modern Geek. Please, be understanding of the other geek-types that haven't yet ascended to your level.

My first middle of the night post!  Ah, I'm already feeling one with the blog.  I've added photo album section - but you'll still have to login to the Kodak (formerly ofoto) site to see any adorable pictures of Amelia.  So, I know who you are!

For those of you without young children (or haven't been near Amelia, John or I), The Wiggles are an Australian children's band.  They are four men - Greg, Anthony, Murray and Jeff - who are taking the world's children (and their parents) by storm! 

Amelia showed an interest in music and dancing at 6 months old, so when I found out about The Wiggles, I purchased one of their DVDs.  The rest is - hoop-dee-doo - wiggly history!  I now have Wiggles songs on the brain 24-7.  A favorite - of course - being Fruit Salad (yummy, yummy!).

Now, The Wiggles are no Barney.  Or Sponge Bob.  They actually are high quality children's entertainment - they are true musicians who love and understand children.  They dance, play and sing at children's level - not down to them.  Think the American entertainment industry would have initially financially backed four male children's musicians?  Disney only picked them up after they had successful international tours.  BTW - they just became the wealthiest Australian entertainers - beating out Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.

Instead, Disney invents The Doodlebops.  Ick.

Well, since I "blamed" the Wiggles for starting this blog, I thought they deserved my first "real" post.  Oh, and guess what our first "real" concert is since Amelia's birth?  Yes!  The Wiggles live at the Palace in August.  Can't wait.