Monday, February 27, 2006
Time's awasting...
It's been a rough couple of months for me and mine. I've been out of work for the last 8 weeks, which is frustrating and tiring and this morning I got yet another rejection and I'm feeling not so good.
But enough of the shitty stuff.
One of my friends took me out to the movies last week (I haven't been to see anything other than Serenity in such a long time that it felt a bit weird seeing something else on the big screen!!) and we saw Walk the Line.
Oh.My.Giddy.Aunt.
So fucking good.
I haven't heard that much Johnny Cash, though TheAmerican did put a couple of songs on a mixed CD he made for me (Cocaine Blues is a firecracker of a song, people. Just brilliant). However, knowing the little that I did, and having read about the Man in Black in various music magazines, I was well primed for the movie.
Holy shit.
Both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon owned their roles. It's always interesting seeing Joaquin Phoenix being interviewed - he's still got this childlike shyness about him. So his intense, terrifying, talented and ultimately redeemable Johnny Cash was a revelation - though there was the hint of childlike innocence to the characterisation.
And Reese Witherspoon went all out - I'd never seen or heard June Carter, but I never had the feeling that I was watching Reese Witherspoon impersonating someone, actively "acting".
And that's the thing about the whole movie. Ain't noone doin' it like it's an impersonation, or a tribute. Joaquin is living, breathing, channeling Johnny Cash - when he looks out, when he begins to sing, when he's desperate and clawing and sweating for his pills - that's all real, baby. Fucking real.
And the singing by the two leads is just phenomenal - both of them do their own vocals, and both inhabit their characters so thoroughly that the stage performances are electric.
Of course, with the critical and box office success of this film, and the Oscar buzz around both Reese and Joaquin, interest in Johnny Cash is hittin' an all time high. All those people who've never listened to him or June Carter, buying "Best Of" CDs, and getting into this amazing music. And yeah, I'm one of them. Wanna make something of it?
If you haven't already, see this movie. It's mesmerising, moving, exciting, emotionally wrenching, the performances are pure and brilliant and spot on, and the music rocks like you're seventeen again, rebellious and timid and horny, and you know you're never going to die.
But enough of the shitty stuff.
One of my friends took me out to the movies last week (I haven't been to see anything other than Serenity in such a long time that it felt a bit weird seeing something else on the big screen!!) and we saw Walk the Line.
Oh.My.Giddy.Aunt.
So fucking good.
I haven't heard that much Johnny Cash, though TheAmerican did put a couple of songs on a mixed CD he made for me (Cocaine Blues is a firecracker of a song, people. Just brilliant). However, knowing the little that I did, and having read about the Man in Black in various music magazines, I was well primed for the movie.
Holy shit.
Both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon owned their roles. It's always interesting seeing Joaquin Phoenix being interviewed - he's still got this childlike shyness about him. So his intense, terrifying, talented and ultimately redeemable Johnny Cash was a revelation - though there was the hint of childlike innocence to the characterisation.
And Reese Witherspoon went all out - I'd never seen or heard June Carter, but I never had the feeling that I was watching Reese Witherspoon impersonating someone, actively "acting".
And that's the thing about the whole movie. Ain't noone doin' it like it's an impersonation, or a tribute. Joaquin is living, breathing, channeling Johnny Cash - when he looks out, when he begins to sing, when he's desperate and clawing and sweating for his pills - that's all real, baby. Fucking real.
And the singing by the two leads is just phenomenal - both of them do their own vocals, and both inhabit their characters so thoroughly that the stage performances are electric.
Of course, with the critical and box office success of this film, and the Oscar buzz around both Reese and Joaquin, interest in Johnny Cash is hittin' an all time high. All those people who've never listened to him or June Carter, buying "Best Of" CDs, and getting into this amazing music. And yeah, I'm one of them. Wanna make something of it?
If you haven't already, see this movie. It's mesmerising, moving, exciting, emotionally wrenching, the performances are pure and brilliant and spot on, and the music rocks like you're seventeen again, rebellious and timid and horny, and you know you're never going to die.
Friday, February 24, 2006
New Blog Announcement
Just a quick one to encourage you all to check out TheBoy's blog, Circumlocutions.
Beautiful language, shocking revelations, and guarenteed giggles. He does love the feedback, so comments are welcome (nay, desired!)
And check out his profile - the About Me section is very cool...
Oh, and added bonus points if you can identify the show/novel that the blog title is taken from...
And while you're at it, check out Mim's muddle, a blog by the very fine and absolutely lovely mimbles.
Beautiful language, shocking revelations, and guarenteed giggles. He does love the feedback, so comments are welcome (nay, desired!)
And check out his profile - the About Me section is very cool...
Oh, and added bonus points if you can identify the show/novel that the blog title is taken from...
And while you're at it, check out Mim's muddle, a blog by the very fine and absolutely lovely mimbles.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Random oddities
*blows dust off keyboard*
*coughs because of the dust now in the air*
It's been a while. I've been lost in the wonderful world of New Relationship, and not really communicative with anyone except The Boy and our respective flatmates.
But I'm here now, with random updates from my world and the disturbing world around us...
...
I'm sure there's something I could talk about!!
Okay, I've been reading the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley. It's really the first time that I've read a series since...well...I guess since I read the Narnia books when I was a kid. I don't think that the Discworld novels truly constitute a series, do they?
It's bizarre reading the Necroscope series, because the books have great concepts, but I really find them annoying. Annoying to the point of having conversations with the books whilst reading them, because I'm annoyed by the over-exposition, or the constant! use! of! exclamation! marks! On the other hand, the concepts and some of the characters are really engaging, and I'm endlessly fascinated to find out how the author will work them into the next book in the series, after everything appears to have been successfully wrapped up in the previous book! Argh! Exclamation marks!!
*breathes*
I've also been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - which I've stopped reading at the moment, mostly because I've been distracted by the Necroscope series, but also because the novel is so constantly amazing that I'm not over keen to finish it. It's that feeling of knowing that you're coming to the end, and wanting to delay that end as much as possible. Or something.
Erm.
I went and saw The Thought Criminals on Saturday night (link has audio). A one off reunion gig to (I guess) celebrate 25 years since their last gig. I mostly went because they are one of my mother's favourite punk bands, and form part of the soundtrack of my childhood. It was a great opportunity to see these legends of my childhood in the flesh, and thankfully, they pretty much rocked. Plus, the audience had a great number of old punks happily pogoing away - or people who used to be punks but have taken to wearing floral dresses or polo shirts as they hit their fifties. That one night of regaining your youth, that feeling of Freedom and Fuck The System, and a brief escape from No Future But Shit The Future Happened...Or maybe I project too much. But all in all, a great gig, and many thanks to Ian for getting me a ticket!!
What else?
Well, if you've been watching Veronica Mars on Channel 10, you may have seen that they're advertising the next episode as the "season finale". Errr. Bullshit. This upcoming episode is number 11 - in a 22 episode season. So, yeah. Whatever, Channel 10. You may have to purchase the dvds from the US, because it looks like VM's getting the short end of the stick here. And trust me, it's worth seeing the whole series from start to finish - because it's damn good television.
I'm getting my hair cut today (I'm sure that's exciting for everyone else...) which, yay!! It's been about 5 months since my last haircut, and it's summer, and I have too much hair, and I'm looking forward to not having quite so much hair later on today.
I will end on a plea for purchase: Serenity comes out on dvd in Australia on February 8 (ie Wednesday). I highly recommend either buying or renting it - it's a damn fine movie, the Australian edition has some great special features (more than the US edition - go us!!), and did I mention it's a damn fine movie?
Oh, and avoid Scientology - with some help from Operation Clambake. Just a little public safety announcement...
*coughs because of the dust now in the air*
It's been a while. I've been lost in the wonderful world of New Relationship, and not really communicative with anyone except The Boy and our respective flatmates.
But I'm here now, with random updates from my world and the disturbing world around us...
...
I'm sure there's something I could talk about!!
Okay, I've been reading the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley. It's really the first time that I've read a series since...well...I guess since I read the Narnia books when I was a kid. I don't think that the Discworld novels truly constitute a series, do they?
It's bizarre reading the Necroscope series, because the books have great concepts, but I really find them annoying. Annoying to the point of having conversations with the books whilst reading them, because I'm annoyed by the over-exposition, or the constant! use! of! exclamation! marks! On the other hand, the concepts and some of the characters are really engaging, and I'm endlessly fascinated to find out how the author will work them into the next book in the series, after everything appears to have been successfully wrapped up in the previous book! Argh! Exclamation marks!!
*breathes*
I've also been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - which I've stopped reading at the moment, mostly because I've been distracted by the Necroscope series, but also because the novel is so constantly amazing that I'm not over keen to finish it. It's that feeling of knowing that you're coming to the end, and wanting to delay that end as much as possible. Or something.
Erm.
I went and saw The Thought Criminals on Saturday night (link has audio). A one off reunion gig to (I guess) celebrate 25 years since their last gig. I mostly went because they are one of my mother's favourite punk bands, and form part of the soundtrack of my childhood. It was a great opportunity to see these legends of my childhood in the flesh, and thankfully, they pretty much rocked. Plus, the audience had a great number of old punks happily pogoing away - or people who used to be punks but have taken to wearing floral dresses or polo shirts as they hit their fifties. That one night of regaining your youth, that feeling of Freedom and Fuck The System, and a brief escape from No Future But Shit The Future Happened...Or maybe I project too much. But all in all, a great gig, and many thanks to Ian for getting me a ticket!!
What else?
Well, if you've been watching Veronica Mars on Channel 10, you may have seen that they're advertising the next episode as the "season finale". Errr. Bullshit. This upcoming episode is number 11 - in a 22 episode season. So, yeah. Whatever, Channel 10. You may have to purchase the dvds from the US, because it looks like VM's getting the short end of the stick here. And trust me, it's worth seeing the whole series from start to finish - because it's damn good television.
I'm getting my hair cut today (I'm sure that's exciting for everyone else...) which, yay!! It's been about 5 months since my last haircut, and it's summer, and I have too much hair, and I'm looking forward to not having quite so much hair later on today.
I will end on a plea for purchase: Serenity comes out on dvd in Australia on February 8 (ie Wednesday). I highly recommend either buying or renting it - it's a damn fine movie, the Australian edition has some great special features (more than the US edition - go us!!), and did I mention it's a damn fine movie?
Oh, and avoid Scientology - with some help from Operation Clambake. Just a little public safety announcement...
