Rules and Guidelines:

I watch 100 movies or more in 2009.

I keep track of how many I watch in this post.

I only record first-time movies.

I leave the entry public. If you want to recommend any movies to me, go for it.

( Films seen thus far ): 63

Tonight I saw Star Trek and man oh man, I do not know what my cousin's problem was. (He was at the New York premier and when I asked him what he thought, he went, "Meh" like some sort of blind and deaf loser.) I mean, Spock! SPOCK. *epic flail-y arms*

So confession time: Spock was my very first character crush ever. At age three, sitting on the floor in front of the tv with my dad in the background giving a running commentary on the episodes. I totally fell for the ears and the awesome logic-y know-how (though mostly the ears). Embarrassing but true!

And then Spock in the movie: he had me at ( this one thing ) and then re-cemented my crush for good with ( the other thing ). Though the plotpoint with the whole ( whatever ) was (a) totally awesomely melodramtic and (b) made me want to give Spock a giant hug. I also really liked ( this one surprisingly not-Spock-related point ). Also, Simon Pegg. Scotty! He deserves a shout-out.

Tomorrow I am seeing it again but with the IMAX Experience. Which will make it ten times better. Sitting front row center with the bass of explosion rattling the seat beneath me? Oh yeah. I need fic now.

Funny movie-going anecdote: we were sitting in the front row (because I like the front row, not because the theatre was packed -- though it was! On a Monday night too!) and a group of guys came to sit next to us. One guy was questioning if his friend was okay with the seat choice, and his friend replied, "Oh yeah, man, this way I can feel like I'm actually going warp speed!" My people. ♥

I just finished The History Boys (#22 in from my goal to watch 300 new films this year; applaud my motivation) and I am appalled, f'list. Absolutely appalled. Why did none of you ever mention this film before? Apart, of course, from making the passing reference that was quite too easy for me to ignore.

You should have gone, "Look, there is this really clever, genius film -- which first was a play, incidentally, which you like -- I know what more than anything makes you willing to trust a script is decent and that's passing the stage test -- and you should try to see it." You should have gone, "It's about history and language and Boys In Uniform: your favourite subjects in school." You might have mentioned, "Stephen Campbell Moore makes for a really Hot Teacher," and then, whilst rocking on your heel and looking disinterested, seen fit to add, "There's canonical slash in it as well. Just think of the fic that awaits."

You could have done, f'list, and you didn't. Or you did, but not loud enough and constant enough that I listened. I shake my head in shame at you. Obviously, the only want to make this up to me is to rec me really fantastic History Boys fic.

In other words, awesome film, I loved it, and it is a popular choice for Yuletide, isn't it?

Someone needs to write me some Dick Hickock/Perry Smith fic from Infamous. Oh hi, Lee Pace.



For the Netflixers on my f'list: I finally gave in to Netflix's free 14 day trial and made an account. (And this has nothing to do with Daniel Craig, okay? Nothing.*) I read over the directions and made a queue and depressed myself over the state of Netflix's indie flick section and then sat back to wait for the movies to start piling in.

But, um. They're not. My queue has been sitting there un-touched for two days. Netflix isn't saying a word about when they might mail out the first film.

Is this usual? Am I simply being impatient for my Daniel Craig fix movies and Netflix will get on it in a few more days? Did I secretly miss a step and there is a hold up that I could fix if only I knew what I was doing? I'm so confused!



*It also has to do with obscure Daniel Day-Lewis films.

I get on a plane in six hours and I still have so much left to do, my god. Including packing and a yuletide rec post. The recs will need to wait until after the reveal unfortunately, me thinks, unless I wind up with a spare hour or two on my hands tomorrow at the hotel. (Doubtful.)

But! There are still a few things to mention to you, so. Five things, in no order.

i. ( This. ) Because even though Hugh Jackman disappointed in Australia, and X3 and I will never be on speaking terms -- fucking Wolverine, man. Yes.

ii. My icons have been wonky for the past week and I want them to change back to how they are meant to be. My default icon, specifically, which should be ( this ) and instead is (this ).

Any suggestions how to fix this? Will lj fix it themselves eventually or do I need to file a report of some sort?

iii. Last night, I got my hair cut and then went to the end-of-the-season holiday party at work. I drank too much wine and only half the staff came but there was still: ( pictures )

iv. This past year, I have had the worst writer's block that I have ever experienced. Thanks to yuletide, I am slowly getting over that. In the last two weeks I wrote 10,000 words and I'd like to keep that writing mojo going. England should be marvellous inspiration, so I decided to set the goal of finishing one of my lingering works in progress. I just don't know which fic to finish. So. F'list. You decide.

Poll #1322839 The Great Works in Progress Indicator
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

Which fic should I work on in England?

View Answers

that PotC fic that no one will read but you should still finish anyway
1 (33.3%)

that Iron Man fic you were so excited about this summer and then gloriously failed to complete
0 (0.0%)

that Life on Mars fic you were suppose to finish in September and seriously, just fucking finish it
2 (66.7%)

that other Life on Mars fic
0 (0.0%)

that Doctor Who fic that now is completely irrelevant because it is a reaction to Journey's End
0 (0.0%)

these aren't worth your time; you should start a new fic
0 (0.0%)

v. I am leaving for London, baby! To meet with t_eyla, wihluta, and neery. I will be there from 30 December through 10 January, with a few days spent in Bath, Dover, and Ireland (Belfast, specifically). If anyone wants a coffee (or a pint), I would love to meet you!

And now I need to pack. Yikes.

As my friend observed earlier, "Boy, you have had a really gay movie weekend."

And I have, f'list. I have.

The first film I saw was The Duchess, which is HILARIOUSLY bad in a way its creators probably only half-intended. The reviews said "bodice-ripper" and bodice-ripper it is, only more melodramatic and with stilted, intellect-robbing dialogue. But there is a scene that, while not redemption, did manage to bring about a head tilt and a surprised, "Hey. I've read this fic before!"

Kiera Knightly, who plays Georgiana, is stuck in a loveless marriage to the Duke of Devonshire. To ease some of her loneliness, she asks her new friend Bess (played by Hayley Atwell) to come stay in the house. One night, Atwell takes it on herself to convince Knightly that sex can in fact be pleasurable, as long as you have the right partner. She asks Knightly to imagine the man of her choice while Atwell proceeds to undo Knightly's robe and narrates the sexual encounter to its inevitable conclusion.

Thus proving that fic writers everywhere know how to use cliche tropes with the best of professionals.

The other film I saw was Appaloosa, which is also hilarious, but possibly for reasons its creator fully intended. I wanted to see it after I read this review by hradzka. I dare anyone not to be at least intrigued after statements like that.

Now generally, though I love fandom, I take whole blocks of salt when someone calls out the slash. There are degrees of goggles people wear, and mine are light to middling most of the time. But MAN, was hradzka right. This movie is like Ed Harris (who wrote, directed, and acted) said to himself, "You know, Brokeback Mountain was a good movie. But I bet I can make a better one. A gayer one. With real cowboys this time."

I spent the entire movie trying to figure out whether or not in fact I was seeing what I was seeing. There hardly is any subtext there; everything is presented so matter-of-factly that it literally becomes baffling how exactly mainstream cinema allowed this film to slip through the cracks and make it to the big screen. Even if the movie itself doesn't raise some eyebrows, the ballad Ed Harris sings during the end credits extinguishes any remaining doubt. (It's also REALLY CUTE.)

Frankly, they could have cut out all of Renee Zellwegger's scenes (she is meant to play Ed Harris's love interest -- or possible Viggo Mortensen's love interest. Or maybe some other dude's. I think? THIS IS HOW CONFUSED I AM OVER HER ROLE) and dropped the B plot with the bad guy, and it would have been a simple, weirdly touching love story between two men in cowboy hats and spurs. In fact, I think the only reason they kept Renee Zellwegger is so she could distract the audience from even more of the ABUNDANT GHEY by playing Camptown Races on the piano loudly and repetitively during key scenes.

I still boggle a little bit over it. Boggle and am baffled. And a little bit hopeful that this will be an option for yuletide. I mean, what else can you expect from a film named appaloosa?

If you want a good laugh (and a reasonably good film), go see Appaloosa, f'list. And if you want a good laugh and the feeling like your IQ dropped a little bit but hey, at least you got some SURPRISE FEMSLASH! out of the deal, go see The Duchess.

I saw The Dark Knight again yesterday. I wondered two things: ( one ) and ( two ). Still loving the film completely and entirely.

And thanks to those you took the time to answer my questions about feminism. It's given me good food for thought and I really do appreciate it.

Over the past (let's say) six months, my intake of meta has increased. Directly related to this, my awareness and opinions of fandom and its current issues has also increased. I've learned. I've had my view expanded. It's been a regular ol' eye-widening educational experience. Except on the issue I am both most curious about and most terrified of -- feminism. For as much as I read and consider and debate in my mind, feminism in fandom is one of the things I just Do Not Get.

I know there are strong, brilliant feminists on my f'list. Women whose opinions I respect but don't understand. And I want to understand. Even if in the end I still disagree, I at least want to understand where this concept comes from, its historical context, what makes it a feminist issue specifically, something. I'm not sure if I'm being ignorant or naive, or if, when I read a feminist meta and react with an adamant "Wait, what?", that it is a valid reaction. And that I will be able to express and defend that reaction in the same sphere that the original opinion was expressed.

I understand feminism originating from the 1960s in the business world, how different economic standards based on gender is unfair. How females should be allowed choice in what they do with their lives rather than having something imposed on them. I get that.

What I don't get in how one takes those notions and applies them as critique in the specialised area of art, in the even more specialised area of fan art. Whichever day the seminar on Feminism 101 was held in fandom, I think I was off sick that day.

A specific example of what I'm talking about is how ( spoiler for Dark Knight ) is an issue of sexism specifically rather than a broader issue of poor storytelling/poor characterisation. Or why a potentially interesting female character acting solely as love interest/mother/sister/background character of your choice automatically makes that an issue of sexism when I would feel just as cheated if a potentially interesting male character had such an unfilling ultimate role.

Why are these issues of sexism/feminism? What am I missing? Is it context? Is it knowledge? Are there books or meta or personal diatribes I could read that could lend me some clue? Am I just being dense?

If you had to give Fandom Feminism 101 to someone, what would you want to include in the syllabus?

Because at this point, I would either like to move onto Feminism 201 or know enough to know that I should avoid all feminist meta in the future. Learn me?

My wrist was slapped earlier not to spoil anyone, and okay, okay, I'll try to avoid doing so, but let me just say this. It is as good as you hope it will be. No, in fact, it's better.

The IMAX Experience really was the way to go. The theater was packed, the air conditioning was poor, and you could really feel that you were surrounded by 350 sweaty, excited fans. In the best way possible. Also, this is the first film ever that I walked into while it was dark outside and walked out of when it was daylight. Surreal, but all the more awesome for it.

( Cut for SPOILERS and Deep Thinky Thoughts, or as deep as they can be at 8am. )

Okay. Now the only thing I need is the soundtrack, tickets to another viewing, sleep, and -- oh yeah -- fic. Bruce/Harvey fic. And Harvey/Joker fic. And fucked up angsty Love Triangle of Awesome Bruce/Harvey/Joker fic.

t_eyla, your package came in the post today. THANK YOU! I may or may not have giggled a bit hysertically and sang "Da-vid Ten-nant" in an annoying, cutesy way to the postman.

Tonight is Dark (K)Night. The IMAX experience. At 3.15 in the morning. My friend bought the tickets as a surprise for me. I have always wanted to see a movie at 3.15 in the morning. You know, in public. With strangers. So that I need to wear clothing. If only this was Tony Stark instead of Bruce Wayne and the dream would be complete.

This day has turned out so much better than yesterday.