So, yes, I was procrastinating...

But look how pretty my DVD collection's getting!

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  




• 
  

Make Your Movie Wall

Flixster

(In case you're wondering, the ordering is alphabetical. And yes, I ordered them by hand. Don't I have better things to do? You bet I do...)

The updated list, in a slightly more boring, old-fashioned format:

*5 * 2
8 1/2
Adaptation
All About Eve
*Alphaville
Ascenseur Pour L’Echaffaud
Atame
Bande A Part
Barry Lyndon
Barton Fink
Beat the Devil
Before Sunrise
Before Sunset
Belle de Jour
The Big Heat
The Big Lebowski
The Birds
Blow-up
Bonnie and Clyde
Bottle Rocket
The Bride of Frankenstein
*Bride of the Monster
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Cabaret
Casablanca
Chasing Amy
Citizen Kane
Clerks
Closer
Cronaca di un Amore
De Battre mon Coeur s’est Arrete
Desperado
Detour
Dirty Pretty Things
D.O.A.
Dogma
Dogville
La Dolce Vita
Donnie Darko
Don Juan de Marco
Double Indemnity
The Dreamers
Drugstore Cowboy
From Dusk till Dawn
L’Eclisse
Ed Wood
Eyes Wide Shut
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
*Family Plot
Fargo
Fight Club
A Fistful of Dollars
*Frenzy
Ghost World
*Giulietta degli Spiriti
Glen or Glenda
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Graduate
Hable con Ella
A History of Violence
The Hitch-Hiker (1953 Lupino film)
Impact
*In the Mood for Love
It Happened One Night
Hedwig and the angry Inch
He Walked by Night
Jackie Brown
*Jail Bait
Jules et Jim
Kill Bill (pts 1 & 2)
Kiss Me Deadly
The Life Aquaric with Steve Zissou
Lola Rennt
Lolita (Kubrick version)
The Long Goodbye
Lost in Translation
The Maltese Falcon
My Man Godfrey
The Man Who Wasn’t There (both b&w and colorized version)
El Mariachi
Marnie
Masculin/Feminin
Matador
Miller's Crossing
*The Misfits
Mulholland Drive
My Own Private Idaho
*Night of the Ghouls
The Nightmare Before Christmas
No Direction Home
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Othello (Welles)
The Passenger
Picnic
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Point Break
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Princess Bride
Pulp Fiction
Quicksand
Reservoir Dogs
The Royal Tenenbaums
Scarlet Street
The Science of Sleep
Strictly Ballroom
Shadow of a Doubt
The Sheltering Sky
La Stanza del Figlio
The Sting
*La Strada
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
The Stranger
A Streetcar Named Desire
Sunset Boulevard
They Drive by Night
The Third Man
*Topaz
Torn Curtain
Trapped
True Romance
Minoes (English-dubbed version)
Vertigo
The Virgin Suicides
I Vitelloni
*The Violent Years
Whistle Stop
Wonder Boys

The kabouters have good taste

So, here I am, on the bus, scrolling down on my iPod, intending to listen to the new Nellie McKay songs I downloaded. Suddenly, I see "Midlake" between the bands, and I think, huh, that doesn't sound familiar. Neither does the album title "Trials of Van Occupanther". Nor any of the 6 (count 'em: six) songs I have. I seach my memory. I haven't done much downloading lately. I can't remember reading a review. Nobody has sent me songs lately. And I am fairly sure Larry (just to avoid misunderstanding, that's who I'm typing on right now) isn't cheating on me.

As you might know, curiosity is one of my many vices. So of course I listen. And you know what? It pretty much blows me away.

There's only one explanation. Pixies. Or elves. Fairies. Midgets. Leprechauns. Or some other fictional creatures who exist only if you believe in them. To be honest, I don't much care which ones. As long as they promise to enrich my iPod again.

H.

Also: recent additions to my DVD collection:
- Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Volver had me thinking Penelope Cruz was the ultimate woman, but Jeanne Moreau made me reconsider)
- All About Eve (How can films you know will be amazingly awesome still blow you away? I never understood the fascination with Bette Davis until now. Now thinking there might be some flaw in the idea that all women are poor shadows of just one idea. There HAVE to be at least six)
- A Streetcar Named Desire (I haven't rewatched it yet, but I loved it the one time I saw it)
- The Passenger (Never seen. Will let you know what I think when I do)

6 words

I will/might be trying to hit 50.000 words again from the 9th of November onwards (yes, nanowrimo has already started. However, I have midterms), but let us not forget some of the most brilliant fiction takes only 6 words. Joss Whedon's is, of course, one of the best.

src

I like them better tortured

I just finished watching episode 4 of the new BBC Jane Eyre series. And, first things first, I loved it. It manages to be thrillingly romantic without having a too modernised Jane, all but the first episodes made me cry, and all in all I agree with most of the deviations from the book, especially how they handled the tricky scene from the book in which Rochester dresses up as an old fortuneteller gypsy. I also thought the casting was note perfect: Ruth Wilson is sensuous and passionate yet also believable as a literal "plain jane", and Rochester, well, Rochester, he might have been just a touch too pretty but he was burly and gruff enough to make up for it. Enough for me to get my panties in a bunch, in any case.

But let's talk about those panties. See, I think I have a small problem. I loved the early scenes of him drawing her out. I loved the scenes in which she is so obviously clueless to his intentions, misinterpreting everything he says. The proposal scene: wonderful. The wedding preparations and short span of hopeful bliss? Interesting only because I knew what was coming.

Same thing afterwards. The flashback scenes in episode four of Rochester trying to tempt Jane to stay? Almost unbearably sexy. Yet everything after they find each other again, especially the final scene with Rochester with a baby in his arms and a beatific smile on his face? Somehow disappointing.

Ok, ok, I should say something positive: thank God they left the miraculous recovery of sight out, something that always bothered me in the book. But my criticism is, in fact, not so much a criticism of the book or the series, but more a problem I'm discovering with myself. I'm generally a happy kind of person. Glass half-full, rather than half-empty. I mean, I might not be looking for a long-term relationship at the moment, but I'm sure at some point it'll be nice. So why do I like my romances better doomed?

It's not just me of course. Just look at the list of favorite romance books and films. Romeo and Juliet. Yeah, I hope I'm not spoiling this for anyone, but they kinda end up dead. Tristan and Isolde: it depends on the versions, but basically same thing. Want to go further back? Take Pyramus and Thisbe. More modern? Take Love Story. An Affair to Remember. Titanic. Brokeback Mountain.

So yeah, then someone can raise a finger, and annoyingly, say, what about Eliza and Mr. Darcy? What about Harry and Sally? And, ehm, didn't Jane Eyre, at the end, write "Reader, I married him"?

Ok, so yes, back to me. What makes me a Bronteite rather than and Austenite, to put it that way (and to make sure I am, I am currently downloading the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights)? Make no mistake, I like Jane Austen, admire her wit and clear eye for social interactions, but in the end, I'm less drawn in. I think Elisabeth Bennet is a wonderful character, one I would personally be like much more than I would want to resemble Jane Eyre, who is, in the end, just a little too puranitanical (in other words, I probably would not have been able to, or even wanted to, resist living in sin with Mr. Rochester all that much). But the gothic world in which Jane Eyre lives seems so much more alive than Austen's world, which seems to consist solely of social visits that last for months. So much more thrilling.

In my dreams tonight, I'll be walking the wild marches. I'll (hopefully) meet a man with dark, wild eyes. But does that have to mean I'll never be happy calm and peaceful with a nice guy?

"Avond van het Liefdeslied"

Lyrics are often mistaken for poetry. Only rarely is a good poet also a good songwriter, and only rarely to lyrics stand up as poetry when read out (a rare example of a succesful double-tasker, and the only one I can think of, is the great Leonard Cohen). So what happens if you ask 13 poets and 13 pop musicians to collaborate in pairs and make 13 love songs?

Apparently, 13 love affairs.

Tonight on Dutch television, the "Night of the Love Song", showed the results, and as can be expected with these projects, it was a mixed bag. Some songs were perfect, others interesting but not quite succesful, and other pretty but rather bland. But in every case, it was clear that soulmates had been found. Hafid Bouazza declared he wouldn't mind sharia to be instituted right now so he could marry all three lovely belgian singers of "Lais" who hauntingly brought his poem to life. Ilja Leonard Pfeiffer (who managed to be both awesomely cool and utterly, heartbreakingly adorable) was so inspired he considered writing a book of poetry titled "songs for Ellen", and I for one would not mind if he did, since his collaboration with Ellen ten Damme was, as far as I am concerned, the most perfectly crafted and satisfying song of the night. Hagar Peters could not take her hungry eyes off Martin Buitenhuis (of "de Dijk"), and Erik-Jan Harmens did not even try to hide his crush on fiery-haired Roos(beef).

Maybe it's inevitable, when collaborating on a love song, to fall at least a little bit in love. It wasn't limited to same-sex pairs either (or compatible sexual orientations). It did however, seem to go mainly from the poets to their interpreters. I wonder why.

In any case, it was nice for once to break from narrative (although make no mistake, I am still addicted to storytelling) and to sit back to enjoy just aesthetics for once. To be reminded of how beautiful Afrikaans sounds. To discover the voice of Frederique Spigt. And of course, last but not least, to see a 62 year old man in a cap be happy as a little boy performing with a rap band.

For a great WTF moment...

...check www.ryan-adams.com




Also: the song that currently fits my mood best consists of Norwegian guys singing in french...Kings of Convenience - Parr a Pluie

Furthermore: Marcello Mastroianni is/was currently my kind of sexy. Some guys should always wear glasses.

What's more: Veronica Mars starts kicking butt again tomorrow. W00t!

And did you know that I also sometimes still manage to enjoy physics in my free time?


Finally: I'm in a random mood. Can you tell?

Heroes = freaking awesome

And my addiction to scripted TV continues...

I'll elaborate later, but suffice to say it's the closest any TV show has come to a comic book. There's a lot of total crap in it (but then again, you know, radioactive spider bites don't scientifically lead to spidermen either), and I hope they'll insert a little more humor lately, but it's visceral, it drags you along, and it's wonderfully grounded in common myths.

I cannot wait