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Dec. 22nd, 2007 01:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blodeueddHow about a (comic) book?
Strangers In Paradise vol. 3 (Terry Moore):
In a moment of nostalgia, brought on by my rather bitter review of volume 19 (or, Whither Strangers In Paradise?), I decided to revisit the series back when it was really, really good.
And how! I laughed just as much as I did the first time I read it. The old neighbours? ("They make me wear leather!") Francine's job interview? Francine going to the gym? ("The woman has no butt!") The condom ad? ("That's what attracted you to me." "Gee, and I thought it was the ponytail.") Genius, all of it. Not to say that there aren't any serious bits, because there are plenty of those as well. Katchoo confronting David; Katchoo and Francine almost kissing; the appearance of Rachel. But it was before all the silly stuff started happening, such as David and Katchoo being the only survivors of a plane crash that had been orchestrated specifically to kill them.
*sigh*
Of the whole series, this may well be my favourite volume.
Final verdict: 9/10
How about some television?
House (first season)
Ah, Hugh Laurie. He'll always be the Prince Regent to me, but I must say he does a damn fine American accent. When my father started watching the series, he confessed that he spent half the time trying to find fault with it (the accent, that is), but couldn't.
As far as medical dramas go, this one has the built-in advantage of Hugh Laurie, but also of really, really funny writing, at least for the first season; since I've only seen a few episodes after that, I can't really compare, but there are some brilliant bits in there. I also liked the balance that was struck between the cases themselves, improbable as they get, and the character development. You get enough about House to understand him better, and enough about the others to keep them interesting. I'm glad Cameron turned out to be tougher than she looked at the beginning, and I suppose I can understand, from an intellectual standpoint, why she's be attracted to House. I'm not like that at all, however, and I don't see why anyone would intentionally seek out those who need saving from themselves.
Re: the House/Wilson shipping that's been running rampant since the start -- man, is there a lot to work with! I was aware of it even before seeing any of the show, and watching it has only confirmed it. Even my parents picked up on the UST right away*!
The other day, I came across a message board discussion about Cuddy's wardrobe, specifically about how only in tv-land would a hospital administrator manage to be taken seriously while flashing her cleavage at everyone. I concur.
I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series. It seems House just gets more and more bitter, trapped in his downward spiral, and I'm not sure I want to witness that. Besides, I have plenty of other things to watch. Maybe I'll get around to it someday.
Final verdict: 8/10
* My parents were talking about the show, of which I'd only seen part of an episode or so, and said something about Wilson.
Me: Which one is Wilson?
Them: House's boyfriend.
Me: Really?
Them: He wishes! XD
How about a movie?
Brick:
I don't remember where I heard about this, and I couldn't remember anything about it except that it was about teenagers, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Even the title is opaque, and I couldn't think of what it could possible refer to (a brick of heroin, it turns out). For the first five minutes, I was willing to bet that I'd hate it, but then I suddenly got it, things fell into place, and I was grinning.
Brick is the story of a drug ring operating in a high school, somewhere in the south-western United States (I'll just say California, but it could be Arizona, I have no idea). Brendan's ex-girlfriend has been acting strangely, so he starts investigating. This leads to dealings with the school authorities, the local drug kingpin and his goons, and the dark-haired femme fatale. Femme fatale, of course, because Brick is film noir!
The juxtaposition of the noir staples with the realities of teenage life are worked to brilliantly hilarious effect: the kingpin's mothers makes lemonade for everyone; people leave each other notes in their lockers; when asked why he was attacked, Brendan replies, "He tried to take my lunch money, but I brown-bag it." The setting also works to underline the twist, as it is relentlessly sunny in their little world. Still, true to the genre, people speak in a fast, mumbled way that makes it hard to understand at times, especially during the final big reveal, when the double-crossing and underhanded deals are explained. Fittingly, this takes place on the football field.
Another thing to note about this film is the sheer brutality of it. The punches aren't pulled (no pun intended), and it was almost refreshing to see a depiction of the actual consequences of having your ribs kicked by someone who means business. When so many movies show cartoon violence, where the hero can break into a flat-out run minutes after having been in an all-out fight, it was disconcerting to watch Brendan spend half the movie coughing and wincing everytime he moved.
When I said that at first, I was sure I'd hate the film, it was because everything is played so seriously and dramatically that I was afraid it would be one of those works that makes out teenaged tragedies to be more than they are. Which isn't to say that there are no such things, it's just that I've never bought into the romanticisation of adolescence, even when I was in it, and I tend to dislike stories that treat that period of life as being deeper and more meaningful than it is.
Final verdict: 8.5/10
Strangers In Paradise vol. 3 (Terry Moore):
In a moment of nostalgia, brought on by my rather bitter review of volume 19 (or, Whither Strangers In Paradise?), I decided to revisit the series back when it was really, really good.
And how! I laughed just as much as I did the first time I read it. The old neighbours? ("They make me wear leather!") Francine's job interview? Francine going to the gym? ("The woman has no butt!") The condom ad? ("That's what attracted you to me." "Gee, and I thought it was the ponytail.") Genius, all of it. Not to say that there aren't any serious bits, because there are plenty of those as well. Katchoo confronting David; Katchoo and Francine almost kissing; the appearance of Rachel. But it was before all the silly stuff started happening, such as David and Katchoo being the only survivors of a plane crash that had been orchestrated specifically to kill them.
*sigh*
Of the whole series, this may well be my favourite volume.
Final verdict: 9/10
How about some television?
House (first season)
Ah, Hugh Laurie. He'll always be the Prince Regent to me, but I must say he does a damn fine American accent. When my father started watching the series, he confessed that he spent half the time trying to find fault with it (the accent, that is), but couldn't.
As far as medical dramas go, this one has the built-in advantage of Hugh Laurie, but also of really, really funny writing, at least for the first season; since I've only seen a few episodes after that, I can't really compare, but there are some brilliant bits in there. I also liked the balance that was struck between the cases themselves, improbable as they get, and the character development. You get enough about House to understand him better, and enough about the others to keep them interesting. I'm glad Cameron turned out to be tougher than she looked at the beginning, and I suppose I can understand, from an intellectual standpoint, why she's be attracted to House. I'm not like that at all, however, and I don't see why anyone would intentionally seek out those who need saving from themselves.
Re: the House/Wilson shipping that's been running rampant since the start -- man, is there a lot to work with! I was aware of it even before seeing any of the show, and watching it has only confirmed it. Even my parents picked up on the UST right away*!
The other day, I came across a message board discussion about Cuddy's wardrobe, specifically about how only in tv-land would a hospital administrator manage to be taken seriously while flashing her cleavage at everyone. I concur.
I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series. It seems House just gets more and more bitter, trapped in his downward spiral, and I'm not sure I want to witness that. Besides, I have plenty of other things to watch. Maybe I'll get around to it someday.
Final verdict: 8/10
* My parents were talking about the show, of which I'd only seen part of an episode or so, and said something about Wilson.
Me: Which one is Wilson?
Them: House's boyfriend.
Me: Really?
Them: He wishes! XD
How about a movie?
Brick:
I don't remember where I heard about this, and I couldn't remember anything about it except that it was about teenagers, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Even the title is opaque, and I couldn't think of what it could possible refer to (a brick of heroin, it turns out). For the first five minutes, I was willing to bet that I'd hate it, but then I suddenly got it, things fell into place, and I was grinning.
Brick is the story of a drug ring operating in a high school, somewhere in the south-western United States (I'll just say California, but it could be Arizona, I have no idea). Brendan's ex-girlfriend has been acting strangely, so he starts investigating. This leads to dealings with the school authorities, the local drug kingpin and his goons, and the dark-haired femme fatale. Femme fatale, of course, because Brick is film noir!
The juxtaposition of the noir staples with the realities of teenage life are worked to brilliantly hilarious effect: the kingpin's mothers makes lemonade for everyone; people leave each other notes in their lockers; when asked why he was attacked, Brendan replies, "He tried to take my lunch money, but I brown-bag it." The setting also works to underline the twist, as it is relentlessly sunny in their little world. Still, true to the genre, people speak in a fast, mumbled way that makes it hard to understand at times, especially during the final big reveal, when the double-crossing and underhanded deals are explained. Fittingly, this takes place on the football field.
Another thing to note about this film is the sheer brutality of it. The punches aren't pulled (no pun intended), and it was almost refreshing to see a depiction of the actual consequences of having your ribs kicked by someone who means business. When so many movies show cartoon violence, where the hero can break into a flat-out run minutes after having been in an all-out fight, it was disconcerting to watch Brendan spend half the movie coughing and wincing everytime he moved.
When I said that at first, I was sure I'd hate the film, it was because everything is played so seriously and dramatically that I was afraid it would be one of those works that makes out teenaged tragedies to be more than they are. Which isn't to say that there are no such things, it's just that I've never bought into the romanticisation of adolescence, even when I was in it, and I tend to dislike stories that treat that period of life as being deeper and more meaningful than it is.
Final verdict: 8.5/10
