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things, talking about things
Books
Blood and Chocolate
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?
Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He''s fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
Vivian''s divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?
This book is sooooo good. I couldn't put it down, I read it in like two days (and only stopped because I had to proctor some exams and didn't want my students seeing me reading a young adult novel, even if it was a totally kick-ass one).
If you've seen the movie and didn't like, or were rather ambivalent to it don't let that taint you from the book. The book is really nothing like the movie at all, and all of the things that bugged be about the movie were completely absent from the novel. The only thing they really have in common are the names (and not even the relationships), and the term loup-garou. The novel is so much better
It's a fun, sensuous, supernatual ride, that's engaging and well written (subtle and lovely character development that had me wishing for something I totally didn't expect by the end of the novel). It's a quick read, and from the first pages you totally get drawn into the world of the loup-garou, and their concerns and struggles and relationships. Plus, I defy you not to fall in love with Vivan. She is awesome ... and in my head looked like .
Mmm, Vivan.
Movies
.45
Description: After a drug-dealer (Angus Mcfadyen) abuses his girlfriend (Milla Jovovich) one too many times, she seduces her friends into killing him.
Mixed feelings about this one, there were some really good moments in it, and then some that were not so good - I'm over the camera as 'confessional' thing, and at times they movie tried too hard to be quirky and shocking which gave it an odd tone at times - but overall I think it's worth watching.
Milla Jovovich (who was looking absolutely stunning, better than she has since like 'Dazed and Confused') turned in an excellent performance. Milla Jovovich, I've always felt CAN act. I thought she was absolutely brilliant in "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" when she had some really meaty, really dramatic material to work with. Since then I've mostly seen her in action movies of varying quality, which she's usually good in even if the movies are shit, but she had a chance to show off her acting chops here and show them she did.
The scene where her character, Kat, gets beaten is one of the most painful things I've ever seen on screen. I had to stop watching a couple of times because it was just too much. It's just brilliantly acted, and Kat's terror and desperation are palpable. If anyone tells you Milla Jovovich can't act, show them that scene because WOW. I won't get into her showing the characters other layers because I don't want to spoil it, but she just does a stellar job with this character throughout. And in typical Milla Jovovich fashion she flashes everything, numerous times (I really don't think she was kidding on the Resident Evil commentary about loving nudity and getting naked on screen whenever she can).
Sarah Strange (who I've seen in bit parts in lots of stuff - like Jenny's freind Annette from season 1 who made Jenny tolerable for an entire episode - and loved) is really great in this. She's the comic relief character and does it well, but she also brings a depth to the character that a lesser actress might not have been able to do. She gets the best lines and delivers the hell out of them.
Aisha Tyler is also in this one, and I must confess beautiful (and she is stunning) as she is, I've never thought that Aisha was the best actress. She just seemed too cerebral most of the time which is weird considering she's a stand-up comic, but whatever. This is the first part I've seen her in where I thought she did a good job. She plays the lawyer that represents Kat after the beating, and she's really very good, and sold her dramatic scenes and delivered the hell out of the comic lines she got.
Stephen Dorff is short. He's also pretty good in this. This is the most I've liked him when his on screen name wasn't Deacon Frost.
And Angus McFadyen is totally believable as one of the most vile people ever. Other than in "Equilibrium" I'm used to seeing McFadyen playing nice guys, usually very clean cut and posh and all that, so this was a departure from how I've usually seen him, and he did an excellent job making my skin crawl. Seriously, you will hate this guys alcoholic, gun dealing, woman hating, rascist, homophobic, arrogant ass from the moment it comes on screen and will be waiting for him to die just like the characters in the movie. He's also excellent in the scary beating scene and after, just *shudder*.
Also, Milla Jovovich has love scenes with both the Aisha Tyler and Sarah Strange characters if you're at all interested.
If you're a Jovovich fan I'd saw this is definate must see, because she's radiant and acting her ass off, and in general I would saw that it's definately worth the watch.
Perfume
Good, very good movie. Unusual, but extremely capitivating. Ben Wishaw is exceptionally good as Jean Baptiste Grenault, a man born with an extraordinary sense of smell, who becomes obsessed with the idea of learning how to capture the small of people so that it can preserved for all to enjoy. I won't say much more because it is a very visual, and emtional movie and honestly I can't really think of how to descripe why I like it so much without taking away from the magic of it.
Prey - a.k.a. Bridget Moynahan fights lions while Robocop worries.
Description: An American family on holiday in Africa becomes lost in a game reserve and stalked by lions.
Um, there's really no reason to see this movie unless you really want to see Bridget Moynahan in a tank top kind sorta not really fighting a lion. Most of the movie takes place in the back of a jeep (no not like that!) which Bridget having to babysit the world's sleepiest boy and the world's most annoying angry!teenage girl while being sweaty in a tank top. Also, she's married to Robocop.
Not good. Only see it if staring at Bridget Moynahan for an hour and a half can keep you entertained no matter what she's doing, or if being irritated is fun for you.
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trancer21, you could have a lot of fun mocking this one. It's really one of those movies where you're like "so much ammo, so little time".
Blood and Chocolate
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?
Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He''s fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
Vivian''s divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?
This book is sooooo good. I couldn't put it down, I read it in like two days (and only stopped because I had to proctor some exams and didn't want my students seeing me reading a young adult novel, even if it was a totally kick-ass one).
If you've seen the movie and didn't like, or were rather ambivalent to it don't let that taint you from the book. The book is really nothing like the movie at all, and all of the things that bugged be about the movie were completely absent from the novel. The only thing they really have in common are the names (and not even the relationships), and the term loup-garou. The novel is so much better
It's a fun, sensuous, supernatual ride, that's engaging and well written (subtle and lovely character development that had me wishing for something I totally didn't expect by the end of the novel). It's a quick read, and from the first pages you totally get drawn into the world of the loup-garou, and their concerns and struggles and relationships. Plus, I defy you not to fall in love with Vivan. She is awesome ... and in my head looked like .
Mmm, Vivan.
Movies
.45
Description: After a drug-dealer (Angus Mcfadyen) abuses his girlfriend (Milla Jovovich) one too many times, she seduces her friends into killing him.
Mixed feelings about this one, there were some really good moments in it, and then some that were not so good - I'm over the camera as 'confessional' thing, and at times they movie tried too hard to be quirky and shocking which gave it an odd tone at times - but overall I think it's worth watching.
Milla Jovovich (who was looking absolutely stunning, better than she has since like 'Dazed and Confused') turned in an excellent performance. Milla Jovovich, I've always felt CAN act. I thought she was absolutely brilliant in "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" when she had some really meaty, really dramatic material to work with. Since then I've mostly seen her in action movies of varying quality, which she's usually good in even if the movies are shit, but she had a chance to show off her acting chops here and show them she did.
The scene where her character, Kat, gets beaten is one of the most painful things I've ever seen on screen. I had to stop watching a couple of times because it was just too much. It's just brilliantly acted, and Kat's terror and desperation are palpable. If anyone tells you Milla Jovovich can't act, show them that scene because WOW. I won't get into her showing the characters other layers because I don't want to spoil it, but she just does a stellar job with this character throughout. And in typical Milla Jovovich fashion she flashes everything, numerous times (I really don't think she was kidding on the Resident Evil commentary about loving nudity and getting naked on screen whenever she can).
Sarah Strange (who I've seen in bit parts in lots of stuff - like Jenny's freind Annette from season 1 who made Jenny tolerable for an entire episode - and loved) is really great in this. She's the comic relief character and does it well, but she also brings a depth to the character that a lesser actress might not have been able to do. She gets the best lines and delivers the hell out of them.
Aisha Tyler is also in this one, and I must confess beautiful (and she is stunning) as she is, I've never thought that Aisha was the best actress. She just seemed too cerebral most of the time which is weird considering she's a stand-up comic, but whatever. This is the first part I've seen her in where I thought she did a good job. She plays the lawyer that represents Kat after the beating, and she's really very good, and sold her dramatic scenes and delivered the hell out of the comic lines she got.
Stephen Dorff is short. He's also pretty good in this. This is the most I've liked him when his on screen name wasn't Deacon Frost.
And Angus McFadyen is totally believable as one of the most vile people ever. Other than in "Equilibrium" I'm used to seeing McFadyen playing nice guys, usually very clean cut and posh and all that, so this was a departure from how I've usually seen him, and he did an excellent job making my skin crawl. Seriously, you will hate this guys alcoholic, gun dealing, woman hating, rascist, homophobic, arrogant ass from the moment it comes on screen and will be waiting for him to die just like the characters in the movie. He's also excellent in the scary beating scene and after, just *shudder*.
Also, Milla Jovovich has love scenes with both the Aisha Tyler and Sarah Strange characters if you're at all interested.
If you're a Jovovich fan I'd saw this is definate must see, because she's radiant and acting her ass off, and in general I would saw that it's definately worth the watch.
Perfume
Good, very good movie. Unusual, but extremely capitivating. Ben Wishaw is exceptionally good as Jean Baptiste Grenault, a man born with an extraordinary sense of smell, who becomes obsessed with the idea of learning how to capture the small of people so that it can preserved for all to enjoy. I won't say much more because it is a very visual, and emtional movie and honestly I can't really think of how to descripe why I like it so much without taking away from the magic of it.
Prey - a.k.a. Bridget Moynahan fights lions while Robocop worries.
Description: An American family on holiday in Africa becomes lost in a game reserve and stalked by lions.
Um, there's really no reason to see this movie unless you really want to see Bridget Moynahan in a tank top kind sorta not really fighting a lion. Most of the movie takes place in the back of a jeep (no not like that!) which Bridget having to babysit the world's sleepiest boy and the world's most annoying angry!teenage girl while being sweaty in a tank top. Also, she's married to Robocop.
Not good. Only see it if staring at Bridget Moynahan for an hour and a half can keep you entertained no matter what she's doing, or if being irritated is fun for you.
trancer21, you could have a lot of fun mocking this one. It's really one of those movies where you're like "so much ammo, so little time".