Monday, January 12, 2004
Check it out, y'all. It's Faramir! David Wenham looks, well, different here in this screencap from Moulin Rouge. I think it's the wig.
I have completed my first class of the new semester: History of Medieval Civilization. It seems like it will be interesting, and I like the way the professor teaches, but I have one very, very large complaint.
We aren't covering the Black Death.
How is this possible? I have wanted to take this class the whole time I was at USC, with the assumption that any serious look at the Medieval Times would have to involve the Black Death, which killed millions of people and was generally just neat to study and stuff. And we aren't covering it! I feel like going up to this professor and saying, "Dude, you have to cover the Black Death. It's the Black Death! Come on!"
We aren't covering the Black Death.
How is this possible? I have wanted to take this class the whole time I was at USC, with the assumption that any serious look at the Medieval Times would have to involve the Black Death, which killed millions of people and was generally just neat to study and stuff. And we aren't covering it! I feel like going up to this professor and saying, "Dude, you have to cover the Black Death. It's the Black Death! Come on!"
Dance! No, seriously, dance!
I have class in the morning. Medieval history. [Theoden] So it begins. [/Theoden]
I have class in the morning. Medieval history. [Theoden] So it begins. [/Theoden]
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Blog blog blog. Bloggy McBloggypants. Ich bin ein blogger. Blog.
That's for Cat, who told me to blog more, and the only reason I honor her wish is because she appreciates my shallowness. Well, among other things.
Speaking of shallowness, I bring you a new picture of my new boyfriend. I named it "grr_rara.jpg." Enjoy.
That's for Cat, who told me to blog more, and the only reason I honor her wish is because she appreciates my shallowness. Well, among other things.
Speaking of shallowness, I bring you a new picture of my new boyfriend. I named it "grr_rara.jpg." Enjoy.
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Back at school. Because of the whole, like, ordeal of trying to get online at home, I just lost interest and didn't even bother trying to stay on top of anything in my internet world. I just spent two hours catching up on the LOTR thread at Fametracker. Speaking of which, I desperately wish to see the film again, and was hoping it would be playing here at the theater next to campus, but they're showing My Baby's Daddy. I hate not having a car, and not being able to just drive to a stupid theater that isn't in the stupid ghetto and doesn't show stupid ghetto movies.
So to bring me back to my happy place, I shall expound more upon ROTK. (Total viewings = 3) I rewatched the first two films again after seeing ROTK the second time, and was just amazed at everything. It's utterly mindboggling. As good as the first two films are, and even how much better they are in retrospect after seeing the entire trilogy completed, ROTK in my mind just blows them away. The scope and sheer majesty of this film takes my breath away. This third time, I leaned over to Laura twice and whispered, "This is my favorite part." The first is when Pippin sings to Denethor while Faramir rides to Osgiliath. He knows it's a suicide mission. He knows there is no hope of reclaiming the river. The only reason he does it is because he so desperately needs his father's love and approval. In the meantime, his father is sitting and gorging himself and seemingly doesn't care what is going on. Pippin watched one son die right in front of him, and knows that the other is about to die himself. And Denethor wants Pippin to entertain him! So Pippin ends up having to sing a song to this horrible, uncaring man (in his mind, at least) while knowing that Faramir is sacrificing his life at that moment to earn this horrible man's love; you have this beautiful scene with this juxtaposition of the men of Gondor riding to battle, the grotesque orcs standing in the White City's ruin, and the Steward crunching down on bones, blood dripping down his chin: Denethor is eating his soldiers, his son. And Pippin, who is utterly out of place in Gondorian livery standing in this cold, desolate hall is forced to sing, and he's aware of everything that is happening but is unable to stop it; over this montage, you have his clear voice singing about despair and how in the end, all shall fade. Christ. It's brilliant.
But then, I have to turn back to Laura and go, "No, wait! This is my favorite part!" Minas Tirith is getting utterly sacked, the orcs have broken through the gate, and even Gandalf is unable to turn the tide. He doesn't tell Pippin they won't die; implicit in this scene is the knowledge that they will die. He does tell Pippin that death is not the end, and describes the afterlife, and it's lovely. Anyway, point being, Minas Tirith isn't looking good. And then. And then the Rohirrim arrive. The horn sounds, and they crest the hill, and there are thousands of them, all on horseback, all assembled. Theoden gives an absolutely beautiful speech, and rides up the line and hits his sword against his mens' spears, and then leads the charge into the battlefield. This was a man possessed, poisoned by Saruman, who had been weakened to the point of senility and death without lucidity, who was being tended to and cared for, and is now riding at the front of the line to protect the kingdom of Men. In the meantime, you have Eowyn, determined to fight, to prove herself, to earn valor and honor, stunned at the size of the enemy hoard. You can see it in her eyes. She's scared, and my personal theory is that if she didn't have Merry with her, she would seriously consider turning back. But sitting in front of her is this tiny hobbit, who has even less cause to be part of the Rohirrim than she does, who is more likely to be hurt and killed than she is, but he's given Theoden his alleigiance. He's going to fight, but he can only do it with her. Eowyn draws her strength from him, tells him to stay with her, and together they become one unit (when he steers as she cuts the legs of the Mumakil, and when together they defeat the Witch-King). And then! the Rohirrim cheer. They give these three shouts, the last of which Eowyn and Merry join in on, and then they ride to the Fields. And all three times, and every time I watched the preview (um, fifty times?), I end up covered with goosebumps and sit there crying. It's just...perfection. It's cinematic perfection. I can't envision anything that I could objectively watch and say, "That was a better scene that the Rohirrim riding to the Pelennor Fields.
Okay, so I did do other things over the break that weren't LOTR related. Um...Oh! I read a really cool book. It's called Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. I definitely recommend it. However, it's some pretty hard-core science fiction, so if that's not your cup of tea, you might want to back off. It's really well written, however, and I very much enjoyed it. Also...I painted a painting. And...I watched "Orange County Chopper" on the Discovery Channel? Okay, I did a lot of LOTR related things over the break, but only because it brings me joy, so just be quiet.
So to bring me back to my happy place, I shall expound more upon ROTK. (Total viewings = 3) I rewatched the first two films again after seeing ROTK the second time, and was just amazed at everything. It's utterly mindboggling. As good as the first two films are, and even how much better they are in retrospect after seeing the entire trilogy completed, ROTK in my mind just blows them away. The scope and sheer majesty of this film takes my breath away. This third time, I leaned over to Laura twice and whispered, "This is my favorite part." The first is when Pippin sings to Denethor while Faramir rides to Osgiliath. He knows it's a suicide mission. He knows there is no hope of reclaiming the river. The only reason he does it is because he so desperately needs his father's love and approval. In the meantime, his father is sitting and gorging himself and seemingly doesn't care what is going on. Pippin watched one son die right in front of him, and knows that the other is about to die himself. And Denethor wants Pippin to entertain him! So Pippin ends up having to sing a song to this horrible, uncaring man (in his mind, at least) while knowing that Faramir is sacrificing his life at that moment to earn this horrible man's love; you have this beautiful scene with this juxtaposition of the men of Gondor riding to battle, the grotesque orcs standing in the White City's ruin, and the Steward crunching down on bones, blood dripping down his chin: Denethor is eating his soldiers, his son. And Pippin, who is utterly out of place in Gondorian livery standing in this cold, desolate hall is forced to sing, and he's aware of everything that is happening but is unable to stop it; over this montage, you have his clear voice singing about despair and how in the end, all shall fade. Christ. It's brilliant.
But then, I have to turn back to Laura and go, "No, wait! This is my favorite part!" Minas Tirith is getting utterly sacked, the orcs have broken through the gate, and even Gandalf is unable to turn the tide. He doesn't tell Pippin they won't die; implicit in this scene is the knowledge that they will die. He does tell Pippin that death is not the end, and describes the afterlife, and it's lovely. Anyway, point being, Minas Tirith isn't looking good. And then. And then the Rohirrim arrive. The horn sounds, and they crest the hill, and there are thousands of them, all on horseback, all assembled. Theoden gives an absolutely beautiful speech, and rides up the line and hits his sword against his mens' spears, and then leads the charge into the battlefield. This was a man possessed, poisoned by Saruman, who had been weakened to the point of senility and death without lucidity, who was being tended to and cared for, and is now riding at the front of the line to protect the kingdom of Men. In the meantime, you have Eowyn, determined to fight, to prove herself, to earn valor and honor, stunned at the size of the enemy hoard. You can see it in her eyes. She's scared, and my personal theory is that if she didn't have Merry with her, she would seriously consider turning back. But sitting in front of her is this tiny hobbit, who has even less cause to be part of the Rohirrim than she does, who is more likely to be hurt and killed than she is, but he's given Theoden his alleigiance. He's going to fight, but he can only do it with her. Eowyn draws her strength from him, tells him to stay with her, and together they become one unit (when he steers as she cuts the legs of the Mumakil, and when together they defeat the Witch-King). And then! the Rohirrim cheer. They give these three shouts, the last of which Eowyn and Merry join in on, and then they ride to the Fields. And all three times, and every time I watched the preview (um, fifty times?), I end up covered with goosebumps and sit there crying. It's just...perfection. It's cinematic perfection. I can't envision anything that I could objectively watch and say, "That was a better scene that the Rohirrim riding to the Pelennor Fields.
Okay, so I did do other things over the break that weren't LOTR related. Um...Oh! I read a really cool book. It's called Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. I definitely recommend it. However, it's some pretty hard-core science fiction, so if that's not your cup of tea, you might want to back off. It's really well written, however, and I very much enjoyed it. Also...I painted a painting. And...I watched "Orange County Chopper" on the Discovery Channel? Okay, I did a lot of LOTR related things over the break, but only because it brings me joy, so just be quiet.