As with Spring coming to us, the wind told me so, it gives me time to read one of my favorite books, one last time before the end of Winter.
I knew a man who read Bleak House every Winter. I haven't read Bleak House. I haven't even watched the Masterpiece Theatre production of it, though it is on my que. I just kept thinking to myself, Winter is so bleak. Why read a book that already has bleak in the title? Yes, I know. Juvenile thinking, but it stuck.
But what I do try to read every winter is Farewell Miss Julie Logan by James Matthew (J.M.) Barrie. The subtitle A Wintry Tale just practically begs the reader to wait until the dark days and long nights.
I read this first in Glasgow, Scotland - a place of long nights and early days if I ever knew one. In the winter time the sun went up around 8am and was down by 4 at the latest. And we were in the southern section of the country. Never mind the Highlands. (On the opposite side of the spectrum, in summer the sun was up at 5am and it didn't get fully dark until about 10pm.)
I read this for my class Modern Scottish Literature - abbreviated to Mod Scot. That was where I first fell in love with this book. I didn't have my own copy; another international student and I shared a copy, and I think it eventually went back with her.
What makes this little gem so precious?
Barrie presents the story to us in first person narrative via diary. Rev. Adam Yestreen is in one of his first assignments as preacher, a place way up high in the Highlands. This is the kind of place where people come to visit in the summer, but leave before the fall sets in because once it snows, the glen is locked. There's no getting in or getting out. The wealthy English families before they leave, challenge the young Adam Yestreen to keep a diary of his first winter, saying that sometimes people go strange when they're locked up in the glen. (Didn't The Shining Teach us anything??)
So the thin novel/novella stands as that diary.
The backdrop of historical folklore such as the Jacobites, and the Young Pretender and in a culture where ghosts and the boogeymen are real, make this story a ghostly page turner, easily read in one evening.
This little piece is Barrie' final novel/novella masterpiece, published in 1932. Barrie died in 1937 of pneumonia. (The Boy David, a play written for Austrian Actress Elisabeth Bergner in 1936.) Yet it seems to be least well known.
To quote the bbc:
The novel maintains a powerful ambivalence, common to Scottish writing, between the spectral evocation of the haunted Scottish landscape and the powerful rendering of a fractured psyche torn by repressed desire and human isolation. This novel epitomises the best of Barrie’s work in which the condition of exile and the predicament of human isolation is the basis for the best of his fantasy and the most profound of his considerable psychological perception.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/arts/writingscotland/writers/j_m_barrie/works.shtml
It took me a good two years to track down the copy I have in my library. I found it hiding in an antiques store in Boston. The cover is a faded green with the title illustration in a ancient gold snowflakes that has now turned brassy with age. It's like holding friends with an old friend.
It was like a song that no one else had heard, that I kept humming the tune to. Today it's much more accessible, though still not commonly found.
While the Scots dialect that features so heavily in this piece may seem a bit off putting to readers, it does best to read the book out loud, or to say the words out loud and remember the Scots is largely phonetic. When all else fails, write down the word, and look it up.
There is such beauty in this book that I have never gotten tired of reading it.
To close, I shall give you a teaser.
from pg 1.
This is December One, 186_
I think it prudent to go no nearer to the date, in case what I am writing should take an ill turn or fall into curious hands. I need not be so guarded about the weather. It is a night of sudden blasts that half an hour ago threw my window at me. They went skirling from room to room, like officers of the law seeking to seize and deliver to justice the venturesome Scots minister who is sitting here ready to impeach all wraiths and warlocks. There was another blast the now. I believe I could rope the winds of the manse to my bidding to-night, and by running from door to door, opening and shutting, become the conductor of a gey sinister orchestra.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Early Spring
I smelled it a few days ago. Like the subtlety of a new spice in a familiar dish, it was enough to make my hairs stand on end and to breathe in a bit deeper.
It was Spring.
Something in the freshness of the air, the melting snow mingling with mud, the smell of the water as it dripped from the tin roof. I smelled Spring. Just a hint of it, but enough to remind me that it's on its way. Just enough to remind me that winter does end.
The forecast for the next few days says sun, and temperatures in the 50's.
Time for the sap to start running, and the other ritual of early spring to commence: heavy woodsmoke, late nights, treks through the snow up to the woods. Maple Syrup Season.
The front porch will fill with the sweet smelling smoke, and soon my kitchen stove will be a mess, from at least one boil over. But the result, the dark amber syrup, will be worth it.
Our neighbbors up the road a bit in Springville/Dimock area do an open house every year mid March. They open up their operation and share witht he public their skills at making yarn, spinning, carding, the animals, and of course Maple Syrup. That's up at WoodLoch's.
Some other friends our by Lackawanna State Park do organic Christmas trees, and home made maple syrup as part of their farm's operations. Their operation is much larger than ours, and their evaporator pan (the pan you put the sap in and boil and boil and boil - all the while it evaporates, hence the name) is much larger than ours. Probably the size of our picnic table. They get amuch finer quality of syrup there.. When we hug each other then, we all smell sweet and smokey.
It was Spring.
Something in the freshness of the air, the melting snow mingling with mud, the smell of the water as it dripped from the tin roof. I smelled Spring. Just a hint of it, but enough to remind me that it's on its way. Just enough to remind me that winter does end.
The forecast for the next few days says sun, and temperatures in the 50's.
Time for the sap to start running, and the other ritual of early spring to commence: heavy woodsmoke, late nights, treks through the snow up to the woods. Maple Syrup Season.
The front porch will fill with the sweet smelling smoke, and soon my kitchen stove will be a mess, from at least one boil over. But the result, the dark amber syrup, will be worth it.
Our neighbbors up the road a bit in Springville/Dimock area do an open house every year mid March. They open up their operation and share witht he public their skills at making yarn, spinning, carding, the animals, and of course Maple Syrup. That's up at WoodLoch's.
Some other friends our by Lackawanna State Park do organic Christmas trees, and home made maple syrup as part of their farm's operations. Their operation is much larger than ours, and their evaporator pan (the pan you put the sap in and boil and boil and boil - all the while it evaporates, hence the name) is much larger than ours. Probably the size of our picnic table. They get amuch finer quality of syrup there.. When we hug each other then, we all smell sweet and smokey.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Little Things to Make Me Happy - Sesame Street and Dr. Horrible.
Sometimes in the morning of PBS Kids.org, I find something that makes me smile.
This morning it was Neil Patrick Harris singing as the Fairy Shoe Person. Yes, it is Sesame Street. So it's not overly complex. But It's Neil Patrick Harris singing. And the man can sing.
This isn't his first time singing. He did RENT. He did Cabaret as the Emcee.
But he also did Dr. Horrible's Sing A Long Blog. Done during the writer's strike, Joss Whedon (of Serenity,Firefly, and Buffy fame) wrote it, called up a few of his favorites (Nathan Fillion who you can see now in Castle, Neil Patrick Harris, and Felicia Day) and said hey let's do this. So they did. Released entirely online, for free. (It's now available for purchase on ITunes, or amazon.com). A musical about an aspiring super villain, his blog entries, his crush and the super hero who thwarts his every move. And the music is fantastic.
With My Freeze Ray
Brand New Day
just some fun for a cold winter day.
This morning it was Neil Patrick Harris singing as the Fairy Shoe Person. Yes, it is Sesame Street. So it's not overly complex. But It's Neil Patrick Harris singing. And the man can sing.
This isn't his first time singing. He did RENT. He did Cabaret as the Emcee.
But he also did Dr. Horrible's Sing A Long Blog. Done during the writer's strike, Joss Whedon (of Serenity,Firefly, and Buffy fame) wrote it, called up a few of his favorites (Nathan Fillion who you can see now in Castle, Neil Patrick Harris, and Felicia Day) and said hey let's do this. So they did. Released entirely online, for free. (It's now available for purchase on ITunes, or amazon.com). A musical about an aspiring super villain, his blog entries, his crush and the super hero who thwarts his every move. And the music is fantastic.
With My Freeze Ray
Brand New Day
just some fun for a cold winter day.
In Praise of YA Fiction
it's been a bad book week for me. I just can't keep to one book, and I'm finding it harder to get involved with those books that do hold my attention. Even the children's books are too long for me. Tragic. Maybe it's the weather. I'm too cold to think, and my reading brain cells are frozen. Maybe it's just life getting out of control - chasing a toddler who never naps anymore, a house under construction so finding things is more like a grand scale scavenger hunt (if you knew my house and the endless crannies hidden away, you'd understand). it seems i spend more time cooking, tidying, chasing said child, than reading.
so my reports have been tardy.
but the ones that have been able to hold my attention have been superb. Laura Wiess' How It Ends was nothing like what I expected. I expected (fearfully) a teenager's angst filled confessions, turned into a complex love story about secrets, and the ultimate decisions we make for love. It left me positively breathless. The cover is very understated. Just a dried brown leaf curling slightly at the edges, on a white cover with the title in script. But don't let that fool you. Sometimes the more plain the cover, the better the book. (Sometimes not.)
Then I picked up Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know it was waiting for me. But the great thing about getting to know the librarians, is that sometimes, there are little surprises waiting for you at the front desk (very unlike the little surprises your potty training -resistant child leaves around the house. In the crannies and dark corners. or on the computer chair while watching Pingu).
Revolution is one of those delightful surprises. It has everything that I like. Mystery, a sense of urgency, a slight paranormal feel to it (very slight), and excellent music. The mystery that it takes on is that of the Lost Dauphin of France (Louis XVII whose mother was Marie Antoinette). The soundtrack though not audible to us necessarily, is still pretty excellent. Morrissey, the Smiths, the Ramones, Bach, Mozart. All of these and more make appearances either in discussion, or in lyrics.
Which takes me to my next thought. When I was growing up (that makes me sound old) the Young Adult Fiction that I remember, consisted of The Babysitter's Clubs, Sweet Valley Twins (later Sweet Valley High...) Nancy Drew, and that sort of thing. I did a lot of the Dragon Lance Fantasy Series. That was where I hung most of the time because I didn't really like the Nancy Drew or Baby Sitter's.
My point in saying this is, what a great wealth we have today for Young Adult Fiction. I am constantly amazed at the quality and the exceptional stories, complexities of issues brought up (but not in an After School Special sort of way). There is nothing lightly written, or of lower quality. Some of the best books I have read of late have been Young Adult Fiction novels. Just a couple years ago, I wouldn't dare admit that. But no more.
Of course there are still books that are less than great. Certainly. But the stigma of YA fiction being of lower quality is definitely lifting.
Just think about the Hunger Games phenomenon. Cassandra Clare's Mortal Devices series. Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Harry Potter. Percy Jackson. The Uglies and Pretties Series. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Hush, Hush. The Looking Glass Wars. Eragon.......(Not to mention the sparkly vampires.)
Good Reads.com is a great resource for browsing the titles and reading a myriad of reviews. It's like Pandora.com for books. Love it.
so my reports have been tardy.
but the ones that have been able to hold my attention have been superb. Laura Wiess' How It Ends was nothing like what I expected. I expected (fearfully) a teenager's angst filled confessions, turned into a complex love story about secrets, and the ultimate decisions we make for love. It left me positively breathless. The cover is very understated. Just a dried brown leaf curling slightly at the edges, on a white cover with the title in script. But don't let that fool you. Sometimes the more plain the cover, the better the book. (Sometimes not.)
Then I picked up Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know it was waiting for me. But the great thing about getting to know the librarians, is that sometimes, there are little surprises waiting for you at the front desk (very unlike the little surprises your potty training -resistant child leaves around the house. In the crannies and dark corners. or on the computer chair while watching Pingu).
Revolution is one of those delightful surprises. It has everything that I like. Mystery, a sense of urgency, a slight paranormal feel to it (very slight), and excellent music. The mystery that it takes on is that of the Lost Dauphin of France (Louis XVII whose mother was Marie Antoinette). The soundtrack though not audible to us necessarily, is still pretty excellent. Morrissey, the Smiths, the Ramones, Bach, Mozart. All of these and more make appearances either in discussion, or in lyrics.
Which takes me to my next thought. When I was growing up (that makes me sound old) the Young Adult Fiction that I remember, consisted of The Babysitter's Clubs, Sweet Valley Twins (later Sweet Valley High...) Nancy Drew, and that sort of thing. I did a lot of the Dragon Lance Fantasy Series. That was where I hung most of the time because I didn't really like the Nancy Drew or Baby Sitter's.
My point in saying this is, what a great wealth we have today for Young Adult Fiction. I am constantly amazed at the quality and the exceptional stories, complexities of issues brought up (but not in an After School Special sort of way). There is nothing lightly written, or of lower quality. Some of the best books I have read of late have been Young Adult Fiction novels. Just a couple years ago, I wouldn't dare admit that. But no more.
Of course there are still books that are less than great. Certainly. But the stigma of YA fiction being of lower quality is definitely lifting.
Just think about the Hunger Games phenomenon. Cassandra Clare's Mortal Devices series. Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Harry Potter. Percy Jackson. The Uglies and Pretties Series. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Hush, Hush. The Looking Glass Wars. Eragon.......(Not to mention the sparkly vampires.)
Good Reads.com is a great resource for browsing the titles and reading a myriad of reviews. It's like Pandora.com for books. Love it.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe
I love Edgar Allan Poe. This should be no surprise to you who read this if you look at the rest of my Favorites. (Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton, E.L. Doctorow who was named for Poe - Edgar...) The list goes on and on. To this day, The Cask of Amontillado remains my favorite piece. That final pleading of Fortunato as he awakens to the desperation of his situation. Montressor calmly and quietly, bricking him in, one at a time.
And while Pope gets a lot of flack for his lifestyle - drunk, possible druggie, marrying his teenage cousin - there is something to say for his work, for his ability to chill us to the bone. There is tragedy there.
Today is his Birthday. Born in 1809, died in 1849, Eddie would have been 202 years old today.
And every year since the 1940s, Poe has gotten a birthday gift. Perhaps your Middle School Engish teacher told you about it? That's where I heard it from, Mr. DeLeo (Long Live Susqua House!) The tradition first gained attention and publication in 1949.
Here's the legend. Every year on Poe's birthday an anonymous man who later became known as the Poe Toaster, shows up at his grave in Baltimore, dressed all in black with a white scarf and a wide brimmed hat, and leaves four roses and half a bottle of cognac. People come every year to try to catch a glimpse of him.
But this year he didn't show.
In 1993, the toaster beganleaving notes. One of them said, that the "torch would be passed."
In 1998 another note arrived, indicating that the original toaster had passed away and bequeathed the tradition to his sons.
But the sons have not been as committed to the tradition as their father. Notes kept coming on the birthday, one blaming the Superbowl for getting in the way. Another that the French's objection to U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Last year, the toaster didn't come. He was a no show this year too.
While the orignal Toaster may be gone, and those who were committed with keeping up the tradition have fallen short, there is no dearth when it comes to fans who pay tribute in their own way.
Poe is dead and gone certainly but he continues to tap into our psyches and dreams. As evidenced by the film in the works called The Raven, starring John Cusack as Poe. (check out www.boingboing.net to see pics!)
Happy Birthday, Poe.
Never gone, never forgotten.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110119/ap_on_en_ot/us_poe_mystery_visitor_7 - Toaster story source.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/19/john-cusack-as-edgar-1.html - The Raven stills.
And while Pope gets a lot of flack for his lifestyle - drunk, possible druggie, marrying his teenage cousin - there is something to say for his work, for his ability to chill us to the bone. There is tragedy there.
Today is his Birthday. Born in 1809, died in 1849, Eddie would have been 202 years old today.
And every year since the 1940s, Poe has gotten a birthday gift. Perhaps your Middle School Engish teacher told you about it? That's where I heard it from, Mr. DeLeo (Long Live Susqua House!) The tradition first gained attention and publication in 1949.
Here's the legend. Every year on Poe's birthday an anonymous man who later became known as the Poe Toaster, shows up at his grave in Baltimore, dressed all in black with a white scarf and a wide brimmed hat, and leaves four roses and half a bottle of cognac. People come every year to try to catch a glimpse of him.
But this year he didn't show.
In 1993, the toaster beganleaving notes. One of them said, that the "torch would be passed."
In 1998 another note arrived, indicating that the original toaster had passed away and bequeathed the tradition to his sons.
But the sons have not been as committed to the tradition as their father. Notes kept coming on the birthday, one blaming the Superbowl for getting in the way. Another that the French's objection to U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Last year, the toaster didn't come. He was a no show this year too.
While the orignal Toaster may be gone, and those who were committed with keeping up the tradition have fallen short, there is no dearth when it comes to fans who pay tribute in their own way.
Poe is dead and gone certainly but he continues to tap into our psyches and dreams. As evidenced by the film in the works called The Raven, starring John Cusack as Poe. (check out www.boingboing.net to see pics!)
Happy Birthday, Poe.
Never gone, never forgotten.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110119/ap_on_en_ot/us_poe_mystery_visitor_7 - Toaster story source.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/19/john-cusack-as-edgar-1.html - The Raven stills.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
why harry potter matters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the culmination of the entire Potter series. Book seven in a series of seven. (Isn’t it interesting to note that the number seven is a number of mythological power? It can even be interpreted to mean a sheva which means a fullness of things.)
And Rowling certainly gives us a fullness of things.
This book is actually hard to write a review for because all of the spoilers have been released. We all know that Dumbledore really is dead. We know who the eye in the broken shard of mirror was. We know what a Horcrux is and what the final Horcrux was. We know what Voldemort’s fatal flaw was. And we might even understand the intricacies of wand lore.
But with the film quickly approaching (as I write this, it’s come and gone) I picked up my final tome in the Harry Potter series (the only book I ever pre-ordered, though I came very close with Clare’s Clockwork Angel), and read it again.
Why did I, a grown up start to read a children’s book? That’s who the audience was originally when Rowling wrote these books. Children. Honestly, I have no idea what made me pick it up. I couldn’t tell you, except that on long car rides with my parents I was more interested in Harry and his friends than what’s her name form Clan of the Cave Bear. By the time I actually read a book (I had heard the first two on tape) it was the Prisoner of Azkaban that I held in my hands and read in my college dorm room.
And I was hooked. Like a good number of people around the world. The language and wizarding culture of Harry Potter has infiltrated our own Muggle world. There’s even a theme park in Universal Studios devoted strictly to the Wizarding World. You can go have a cup of butter beer (non alcoholic, fyi), get a wan from Ollivanders, or fill your pockets with Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.
Why is that? Why has this series of children’s books become so huge, not just with children but with the adults? Aside from just being really well written stories (Rowling definitely learns her chops as she goes on), and aside form creating a mythical world that is so tangible that there can be a theme park built to it (not to mention the Wizard Rock movement or college level quidditch matches that are taking storm across the country) there is an element that darkens with age. As her readers get older, so do her themes. These are complex stories full of fear, danger, tragedy, triumph, love, lies, betrayal, redemption. There is political unrest to the point of complete and utter political infiltration by the bad guys (aka Death Eaters). There are tiny slivers of hope in a hopeless world.
Good literature should help us find an escape. But if it was all about escape than the bodice ripper romance novels would be on the same level as Shakespeare. Additionally, it should help us deal with the world at hand. There should be lessons we learn, things we can take away from the stories that teach us, that guide us, that provide us some sort of augmentation of spirit, and soul.
With close reading, we see the books grow more and more dark and volatile, beginning with book 4 where Voldemort kills a muggle within the very first pages of the book, and then ends the book with the murder or Cedrick Diggory (played by Robert Pattinson, who later went on to become a very glittery vampire). It also begins to sow the seeds of disbelief, and government suppression of information, all to protect the common person from being frightened.
The tone and dangers within the books escalates from there, until we get to the seventh where it’s all or nothing, Voldemort or Harry, good or evil, one will live, one will die, and for a long time, it’s touch and go. Those who were saints are revealed, those who were despised and loathed show their true colors, and friendships, and humanity are put to a test.
Harry Potter helps us see our own world in context. Perhaps we aren’t being
rounded up to prove our heritage and why we should be allowed to live in a certain neighborhood, but we live in a world where things like that do happen, where there are things like ethnic cleansings, hate crimes, political refugees. If you look through our own world history and compare it with some things we come across in Rowling’s books, we will find some very striking similarities.
And while people for a little time argued against the books on a moral issue (the objection that they were WITCHES and WIZARDS and wouldn’t that contaminate our children?), the whole basis of the series is love, and doing what is right. You have characters who could easily act out, who have the right to be angry, despondent and vengeful, but never give in to those emotions. Even in the darkest times, they still try to hold on to what is good, what is right. There are examples of family love, of the love of friends, and eventually as the characters progress in age and maturity, even a little bit of romantic love. There is nothing here to create little witches and wizards of your own, unless you want to raise good, morally wholesome children. But that’s up to you.
I think that is why I have grown to love the Harry Potter series. They prove that here, there is no such thing as a simple children’s tale.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Gone But Not Forgotten
Every season there are the slaughtered tv shows, the ones who didn't make it. cut off quickly in one fell swoop of the cancelling axe, left bloody and gasping. others are allowed to finish out their seasons but with no one watching, like ageing starlets who still recite their lines to empty bedroom, remembering the theatres they used to fill.
I have a tendency to love those shows, at least some of them. Just my luck,huh?
Pushing Daisies
Caprica
Kings
If the world made sense everyone would know these shows.
My husband and i just finished watching Kings - the complete season/series, and were once again blown away by just how good this show was.
For the uninitiated, it's loosely based on the book of Kings and Saul and David.
Really. They amde a tv show based loosely on a book from the Bible. And ity was excellent. Faith, magic, betrayal, all of the good stuff. So to take a Biblical theme that is at times semi obvious and to do it so well, and make it appealing and riveting for everyone was amazing.
King Silas Benjamin played by Ian McShane (who will soon be appearing the next Pirates of the Carribean Strange Tides as Blackbeard) is nothing less than spectacular as he plays the games of court, the hidden brutality...
So here is where we begin: David Shepherd (like i said not always subtle) is a soldier in war against the neighboring country of Gath. He pulls off a daring rescue mission against Gath's prized war machines the Goliath tank. David rescues two prisoners of war, and prepares for a court martial as he disobeyed direct orders in acting alone. To add to the miracle of it all, one of the prisoners turns out to be King Silas's son, Prince Jack Benjamin.
David is thrust into the world of the court, the intricacies and espionage. He becomes Silas's golden child, his public image miracle. He also falls for the Princess, Princess Michelle. And Prince Jack isn't excatly as grateful as he should be.
Political intrigue, power, descents into madness, good vs bad... Just such an awesome show.
This isn't fast. It's well written, amazingly acted full of mythology and blurred lines of reality and and madness. It lends itself well to marathon viewing, or one episode a night kind of viewing.
Kings is amazing.
And add to the roster an incredibly creepy Macaulay Caulkin who just makes your skin crawl....
Pushing Daisies
Yes a show about a pie maker who wakes the dead, aids a private investigator, and collects the reward. And who then awakens his childhood sweetheart but can never touch her again. Along with Olive the just gorgeous Kristen Chenoweth as the waitress at the Pie Hole who has had a long standing crush on Ned (said Pie Marker) and the two spinster aunts who are retired synchronized swimmers - the Darling Mermaid Darlings - with social anxiety disorders to match. Chi McBride (Boston Public) is the knitting private detective with a penchant for pop up books. And I feel awful but I forget who plays Chuck. A lot of familiar faces make guest appearances - Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), Joel McHale (who I will always love because of the Sooup regardless what he does on Community); David Arquette... Just such fun...
And along with such a funny quirky storyline, and whimsy, you have characters who break out into song, but in beautiful sweet ways - not Glee ways (not hating on the Glee. Don't flame me here folks). But you can have Swoozie Kurt (remember Little Shop of HOrrors - Audrey?) and Kristen Chenoweth (Wicked's Galinda) just singing at sweet little moments. One of the moments is a They Might Be Giants Song, while another time is (funny enough when you continue reading this paragraph) I'll Be Your Candle on the Water form Pete's Dragon. AND Jim Dale from Pete's Dragon (the guy who couldn't say Passamaquoddie) but most likely known for reading all of the Harry Potter Books with such amazing talent and skill. (He got a Grammy for them!) Nothing but joy here. Just how delightful. Like tucking into your favorite restraunt, and never getting tired of the food. It's all good. It's all lovely. And it's exactly what you want.
Then there's Caprica.
I never thought I'd get into Caprica.
Never. I didn't watch the new Battlestar Galactica. I remember the old one. Those Cylons (the robots with the blinky light) scared me to no end. Along with that creepy robotic dog. So is it any surprise I didn't get into the new one?
But my husband said, you should watch this pilot episode. Then we'll see if we like it..
That pilot HOOOKED ME. Completely.
And It has ERIC STOLTZ IN IT! I love Eric Stoltz. Ihave loved Eric Stoltz since The Memphis Belle when I first fell in love with Harry Connick Jr. It was a very unrequited love triangle. But I'm ok with that. (And then he weas the first Marty McFly in Back to the Future and got replaced by Michael J. Fox... Both Brilliant, but can this guy ever get a break?!)
Pre-Battlestar Galactica, set ina world where a virtual reality is the drug of choice. People put on these pretty spiffy little sunglasses, and go into their own little worlds, meeting up with others in those little worlds. but those little worlds aren't as small as you think.
It's also a world of polytheism, and the idea of a one true God is radical and unheard of. So to get the point across, some of those believers in a one true God become soliders/terrorists. One of those soldiers (STO - Soldiers True One) is Zoe Greystone the daughter of Daniel and Amanda Greystone. Daniel created the Hallo Band (those little sunglass thingies) and is evejtually going to create the Cylons.
The show begins with a train bombing. Zoe and her friend Lacey go to the train, Lacey doesn't get on. Zoe's boyfriend blows the place to smithereens in honor of the One True God (very jihadish).
Except Zoe's avatar still lives on in the Virtual world. And the question is, is it just the avatar, or is it really Zoe? Eventually her avatar takes up residence in the very first Cylon Robot her father creates. He eventually suspects something, but it's just a big dumb robot. Right?
Except Daniel is determined to see his daughter again.
Amazingly written, fantastic stories. Oh That Caprica would survive.
But on a side note, we found ScyFy doing a marathon of the last remaining episodes. So we squealed and watched the show until we had to go to go bed. Thank you ScyFy! And the whole series is on dvd now. I think it's being called Caprica season 1.5
All of these are available on DVD or Netflix. Some may even be on Hulu. Do yourself a favor and go rent them, youtube them, whatever. they are just beautiful examples of the creative whismical entertainment that has been slaughtered in order to appease the masses.
I have a tendency to love those shows, at least some of them. Just my luck,huh?
Pushing Daisies
Caprica
Kings
If the world made sense everyone would know these shows.
My husband and i just finished watching Kings - the complete season/series, and were once again blown away by just how good this show was.
For the uninitiated, it's loosely based on the book of Kings and Saul and David.
Really. They amde a tv show based loosely on a book from the Bible. And ity was excellent. Faith, magic, betrayal, all of the good stuff. So to take a Biblical theme that is at times semi obvious and to do it so well, and make it appealing and riveting for everyone was amazing.
King Silas Benjamin played by Ian McShane (who will soon be appearing the next Pirates of the Carribean Strange Tides as Blackbeard) is nothing less than spectacular as he plays the games of court, the hidden brutality...
So here is where we begin: David Shepherd (like i said not always subtle) is a soldier in war against the neighboring country of Gath. He pulls off a daring rescue mission against Gath's prized war machines the Goliath tank. David rescues two prisoners of war, and prepares for a court martial as he disobeyed direct orders in acting alone. To add to the miracle of it all, one of the prisoners turns out to be King Silas's son, Prince Jack Benjamin.
David is thrust into the world of the court, the intricacies and espionage. He becomes Silas's golden child, his public image miracle. He also falls for the Princess, Princess Michelle. And Prince Jack isn't excatly as grateful as he should be.
Political intrigue, power, descents into madness, good vs bad... Just such an awesome show.
This isn't fast. It's well written, amazingly acted full of mythology and blurred lines of reality and and madness. It lends itself well to marathon viewing, or one episode a night kind of viewing.
Kings is amazing.
And add to the roster an incredibly creepy Macaulay Caulkin who just makes your skin crawl....
Pushing Daisies
Yes a show about a pie maker who wakes the dead, aids a private investigator, and collects the reward. And who then awakens his childhood sweetheart but can never touch her again. Along with Olive the just gorgeous Kristen Chenoweth as the waitress at the Pie Hole who has had a long standing crush on Ned (said Pie Marker) and the two spinster aunts who are retired synchronized swimmers - the Darling Mermaid Darlings - with social anxiety disorders to match. Chi McBride (Boston Public) is the knitting private detective with a penchant for pop up books. And I feel awful but I forget who plays Chuck. A lot of familiar faces make guest appearances - Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), Joel McHale (who I will always love because of the Sooup regardless what he does on Community); David Arquette... Just such fun...
And along with such a funny quirky storyline, and whimsy, you have characters who break out into song, but in beautiful sweet ways - not Glee ways (not hating on the Glee. Don't flame me here folks). But you can have Swoozie Kurt (remember Little Shop of HOrrors - Audrey?) and Kristen Chenoweth (Wicked's Galinda) just singing at sweet little moments. One of the moments is a They Might Be Giants Song, while another time is (funny enough when you continue reading this paragraph) I'll Be Your Candle on the Water form Pete's Dragon. AND Jim Dale from Pete's Dragon (the guy who couldn't say Passamaquoddie) but most likely known for reading all of the Harry Potter Books with such amazing talent and skill. (He got a Grammy for them!) Nothing but joy here. Just how delightful. Like tucking into your favorite restraunt, and never getting tired of the food. It's all good. It's all lovely. And it's exactly what you want.
Then there's Caprica.
I never thought I'd get into Caprica.
Never. I didn't watch the new Battlestar Galactica. I remember the old one. Those Cylons (the robots with the blinky light) scared me to no end. Along with that creepy robotic dog. So is it any surprise I didn't get into the new one?
But my husband said, you should watch this pilot episode. Then we'll see if we like it..
That pilot HOOOKED ME. Completely.
And It has ERIC STOLTZ IN IT! I love Eric Stoltz. Ihave loved Eric Stoltz since The Memphis Belle when I first fell in love with Harry Connick Jr. It was a very unrequited love triangle. But I'm ok with that. (And then he weas the first Marty McFly in Back to the Future and got replaced by Michael J. Fox... Both Brilliant, but can this guy ever get a break?!)
Pre-Battlestar Galactica, set ina world where a virtual reality is the drug of choice. People put on these pretty spiffy little sunglasses, and go into their own little worlds, meeting up with others in those little worlds. but those little worlds aren't as small as you think.
It's also a world of polytheism, and the idea of a one true God is radical and unheard of. So to get the point across, some of those believers in a one true God become soliders/terrorists. One of those soldiers (STO - Soldiers True One) is Zoe Greystone the daughter of Daniel and Amanda Greystone. Daniel created the Hallo Band (those little sunglass thingies) and is evejtually going to create the Cylons.
The show begins with a train bombing. Zoe and her friend Lacey go to the train, Lacey doesn't get on. Zoe's boyfriend blows the place to smithereens in honor of the One True God (very jihadish).
Except Zoe's avatar still lives on in the Virtual world. And the question is, is it just the avatar, or is it really Zoe? Eventually her avatar takes up residence in the very first Cylon Robot her father creates. He eventually suspects something, but it's just a big dumb robot. Right?
Except Daniel is determined to see his daughter again.
Amazingly written, fantastic stories. Oh That Caprica would survive.
But on a side note, we found ScyFy doing a marathon of the last remaining episodes. So we squealed and watched the show until we had to go to go bed. Thank you ScyFy! And the whole series is on dvd now. I think it's being called Caprica season 1.5
All of these are available on DVD or Netflix. Some may even be on Hulu. Do yourself a favor and go rent them, youtube them, whatever. they are just beautiful examples of the creative whismical entertainment that has been slaughtered in order to appease the masses.
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