Armadillidiidae

Yes, that is spelled correctly, and no, I did not make it up. You will no doubt be delighted to learn, as I was, that that Armadillidae is the family name for roly polies!!! Or pill bugs! How great is that? Really great. Yeah. It's a fun world.

What else. I went to Sundance. That deserves it's own entry or entries, but for now I will summarize and say that we saw The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue's Fall 2007 issue and more specifically Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour. Anna Wintour is the editor of Vogue and is the inspiration behind the title character in the novel and movie The Devil Wears Prada. Grace Coddington is the creative director of Vogue, and is incredibly gifted. The photographs above are from a couture shoot in Paris she styled for the September 2007 issue. It was a highly entertaining film and I recommend it.

Ok, I am going to go ahead and publish this now because I wrote it a few days ago and want to get it out. But more on Sundance to come!

Twilight Review, or nom nom nom Rob Pattinson

You all asked for it, so here's my take on Twilight. Spoiler alert for any souls without the intelligence to have read the book yet. Poor dears.

First of all, 122 minutes of Robert Pattinson running around onscreen is always a-ok by me. He got even hotter than he was as Cedric Diggory, which, ok, I expected since older is often better for guys. But duuuuude. That smile. That's one complaint about Twilight - he should have smiled more. It's full on devastating whenever he does it, and I really don't think familiarity would breed contempt in this context. I vote Robert Pattinson for one of the 20 men we clone as representatives of the human race. Nom nom . . . ahem.

Right, the movie. I found it absolutely hilarious and lots and lots of fun. Now, a lot of the negative reviews seem to center around the fact that the movie was silly. Children, have you READ Twilight the novel? It is irrepressibly and delightfully silly. Goofy, even. Definitely illogical. It is a veritable primer on what every teenage girl should never ever ever do. And Bella and Edward are the textbook definition of an unhealthy codependent relationship.

Just a refresher on the basic plotline: girl moves to really damp small town in Washington; meets crazy acting but very pretty boy who says lots of things that basically indicate that he's a psychopathic killer with a particular interest in her; she finds this endearing and sexy; she finds out that he is in fact a psychopathic killer AND has super powers AND wants to kill her by mauling her to death; she finds this EVEN SEXIER; she, at age 17, does not tell either of her parents or hightail it out of there; she doesn't even get any nooky out of him and still sticks it out; further hijinks ensue.

Now, I love Twilight the novel. Love love love. But I also love, you know, Wuthering Heights, which is at heart a story about how fortunate the human race is that these two awful people did not manage to reproduce, but has great lines and lots of stormy moors. Mmm, lovelorn people wearing capes and marching around moors. And I love Kill Bill I and II, a tale of a vengeful assassin slicing limbs off people and tearing eyes out of their sockets. While wearing cool clothes. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with being silly. But people were apparently shocked that the silly book they read somehow translated into a silly movie onscreen. I can only suggest that you reread the novel.

Personally, the first 30-45 minutes were pure joy. My cheeks hurt, I was laughing so hard. Bella falling on the ice, Mike trying to get her attention, Jessica's ill-concealed bitchiness, the cuteness and goodness of Taylor Lautner as Jake, the awkwardness of Charlie (although he didn't look right for Charlie to me), the Cullens entering the cafeteria the first time, Edward's brow furrowing as he can't read Bella, the HILARIOUS scene of the first meeting in the science classroom - I always saw the humor in that in the book, I mean it's dark, but it's also so silly. And let's not forget the delicious parallels Meyer draws between wanting to eat Bella and . . . um, eat Bella? And I thought his hot-then-cold "The bus is full" stuff was hysterical. I have personal experience with boys who can't make up their minds and appear to be of the opinion that I may be made of some sort of toxic corrosive substance OR strawberry syrup that never gets sticky. But which one??? Watching them bumble around trying to make up their minds is exactly the way Robert Pattinson played Edward.

The meadow scene sucked. Big time. Also, (this just in) moving really fast does not make the air shatter. I thought the sparkly skin was fine, though - it was much better than I expected and about as good as I think it gets. Ooooh, and I loved the actress who played Victoria. Apparently some people found the guy who played James hot, I just found him terrifying. Which was good, ugh. I liked Alice, especially her pitching the baseball game. I actually totally loved Rosalie, who I never related to much in the books. Shattering the salad bowl was perfect.

What else . . . oh I don't know, ask me questions and share your opinions and I'll tell you what I thought. Bottom line verdict is that I enjoyed it immensely.

Pure Genius

I caught the end of a movie version of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband starring Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and Minnie Driver. It was quite wonderful, this exchange in particular:



LORD GORING
Mmm, my dear Mrs. Cheveley.

MRS CHEVELEY
My dear Lord Goring.

LORD GORING
Now I'm going to give you some good advice.

MRS CHEVELEY
Pray don't. One should never give a woman anything she can't wear in the evening.

LORD GORING
I'm sorry, but I don't seem to be able to stop myself. Now, I'm going to tell you that love, about which I admit I know so little, love cannot be bought, it can only be given. And I sense it is not in my power to give to you, nor is it in yours, I suspect, at all.

MRS CHEVELEY
Dear boy, you underestimate us both.

LORD GORING
To give and not to expect return. Hmm? That is what lies at the heart of love. I fear, though, the notion is a stranger to us both. And yet, if we're honest, it is something we both long for. Something that it takes great courage to do. Yes. That is our dark secret. Your coming here tonight is the first whisper of it. And for that I admire you. Give me the letter. Prove your affections to me and give me the letter.

MRS CHEVELEY
And surrender my position of power?

LORD GORING
The future of a great man is in your hands, Mrs. Cheveley. Crush him and your power dies with him. That's worth of any feeling I've ever had for you. If you ever loved me.

MRS CHEVELEY
I did love you.

LORD GORING
I know. I know.

MRS CHEVELEY
Not that much.


Isn't that just fabulous? Now I have to watch the whole thing - I already reread it. Wilde is eminently quotable, I love it!

Pan's Labyrinth

Just saw this movie last night, and I'm still digesting it. Very, very good, go see it. Guillermo del Toro is always brilliant, but I enjoyed this the most of his work. It's one of those rare films where everything clicks into place and is believable. Loved loved loved it. See the composition of the shot above? The whole film is like that, stunning. It is also very dark and has one of the most terrifying monsters I've ever seen:
















A picture cannot fully convey the horror of this thing. Or the coolness of the special effects that created it, not to mention the room behind it which is really incredible. I have no idea how much of it was created and how much blue-screened, which is great! del Toro was smart enough to allow things to be dirty or torn or whatnot, so you don't get that give-away perfection that you normally have with computer work. I'm pretty sure this guy is just really, really hungry, but ewww . . . scary.

There is no shortage of horrifying violence and gore in this movie, but I think the way that it is portrayed is important - no pulling punches, just the horror of death and blood. I think some of us need to see that and understand how lucky we are to live in the places and times that we do. And to remember that you have to fight to preserve that freedom as well. It is 1940s Spain . . .



Guillermo del Toro kept a wonderful sketchbook full of ideas and images. You can check it out at the Pan's Labyrinth website. A fairytale for adults, indeed.