Movie Night - May 14th, 2011

Movie night! Hazzaa! (no reason for that, just because.)

Doctor Who The Doctor's Wife
   Must have been expensive, that's for sure. Felt very Neil Gaiman, and less Doctor Who, not bad, just more his type of fantasy and imagination. As for comic writers i'd be even more curious what they would do with him, Grant Morrison or Alan Moore, but i could see what stories those two would write would give kids (and adults probably) nightmares. ;)



The Book of Eli
   Kind of sick of brown with a bit of brown and a bit more brown end of world fiction. While i get the motivation, it's far from realistic, people would clean at least a little, and even 30 years after Mt. St. Helens, life is back there. Even around Chernobyl there is life. As was said during the movie "Please tell me they don't just live in the desert." That's one of my problems with post apocalypse movies that don't go into what it was or affected, too vague of motivations, and more feeling of "they didn't do the research" about it, true or not it makes you doubt it more, and then the characters. Ah well.



Soul Survivors
   We didn't finish, got bored about half an hour into it...



Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
   Shouldn't have made us bored or not afraid to sleep, almost put us to sleep actually. Ah well. If you are going to remake something, make it special, good, different, or worth watching.

Movie Night - May 7th, 2011

Movie night for May 7th, and a rare one with all the usuals, and a horrible, horrible, horrible, movie.

Doctor Who, The Curse of the Black Spot
   I keep wanting to type "Curse of the Black Pearl" due to Pirates of the Caribbean, which this episode did have the feeling of. Kind of felt like an odd filler, but i guess Amy Pond in pirate gear can make anything better. Was it a shout out to her strippergram... i mean "kissagram" past? ;)
   Unrelated to this episode, i can't stop thinking of the Silence aliens as the Psycho Pirate, but then i felt a lot of big crisis of last season was a lot like Infinite Crisis with the cracks being similar to Superboy's retcon punch (also called punching time).



Psychoville, Episode 1 of series 2
   I love this show so much, it's just so out there. Clown funeral, "Silent singer", and much, much more that i am always at a loss for words about how strange it was. Strange but very, very awesome.



The Children
   Made of awesome. While i generally consider most kids evil anyway, not a surprise seeing them being so (not really a spoiler, it's in the name, heh), and yet they still freaked me out big time. Very well done, didn't feel the need to explain much, just ran with it, and pulled no punches.



Birdemic: Shock and Terror
   So, so, so bad. Only made watchable by having friends to watch and mock it with. Bad production values, bad acting, bad sound, bad everything. What more can i say? "I hear a mountain lion!" I better get onto the next movie.

This is better than a trailer, really.


Kissed
   The description really doesn't do this movie justice, it was much, much better than you'd think. Slow paced, but never really slow, always engaging and the actors always kept you interested in where things would go.

(curious why Delerium is in the trailer but don't remember it being in the movie, not a big deal, just confusing, although Sarah McLachlan is.)

Bunnies are fickle.

Jerry

I swear, these bunns enjoy messing with me, especially Jerry lately. He's a bit sick, when i took him for his checkup he had a pretty high fever and a rattle in his chest. (along with a larger lump that just turned out to be a benign fat deposit, is he saving it up? heh) So the vet gave me some meds for him, one with one dose a day, and one with two doses a day. First couple of days, it was cake. All i had to do was fill the syringe, and call him, and he'd come running and lap it all up quickly and politely. The last day and a half, not so easy. He sniffs it, turns his head, and runs away. I had to pick him up, hold him, and stick it in his mouth hoping he would lap it up. Frustrating, to say the least, that was amplified by his great behavior before. The last dose was not so bad though. I sat down, he kept coming over and sniffing it, and turning away rejecting it. I told him "No treats until you take your medicine." Not long after he behaved and took his dose. So he got a treat. Hopefully he learned, and it will be easy the rest of the time. He goes back in a little over a week to get a recheck, hopefully the meds will have done their work, and my old bunny (he's at least 7 or 8, probably older, as i got him from the humane society when he was fully grown, but they found him running around outside, so who knows how old he is) will be better.

I love these guys (even though only one out of four is a guy, heh), even though they get expensive when sick, they deserve it more than anything.

Movie Night - April 16th, 2011

Movie night for April 16, and since it was the day before my birthday i got a bunch of Indian Food to share from India Palace over in Woodbury. I was pretty impressed how busy they were, almost no free seats at around 5:30, but it is great Indian food, and a saturday, so it's understandable. Since we had Indian food, we started with an Indian movie.

Krrish
   An Indian superhero, with parts of Superman and parts of Batman, and song and dance numbers. Kept kind of shifting feeling, but at three hours, plenty of time to do things.



Night of the Comet
   One of my favorites from the 80s, and Catherine Mary Stewart, so pretty (still), and probably her character is one of, if not the first, great female characters, especially in horror. After taking women and film at the university, i wished there was a women and horror class, would do a good job of destroying the stereotype of woman hating horror (although to be fair, there is quite a bit of that too, but it makes the good more important to watch).



Deadman Wonderland episode 1
   One of my favorite current manga, now an anime, and very well done. Just wish it wasn't censored so much, although having read the manga i can use my imagination to know what is there. Still, annoying.



Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai  episode 1
   Oh the name, so long, heh. Was worried it was going to a bad place before the credits, but got hints that the girl was a ghost (or something) in the credits and confirmed right after. Definitely one i didn't expect to want to watch, but now on my must watch one.



Maria Holic (i forget if this was the first of the new season or what, don't know the show too well)
   Interesting, a bit too crazy with the subs, and so much going on, not to mention it was getting late, that it made my brain hurt.

Movie Night - April 9th, 2011

Movie Night, obviously.

Batman the Brave and the Bold, The Malicious Mr. Mind!
   Have i mentioned how much i love this version of Batman? Probably, but i'll do so again, especially when it seems everything else is so focused on dark and gritty, fun for the sake of fun is good, and they do it so well.



X-Men anime episode 1
   Still being a decent X-Men fan, i'm impressed with this, although the Japanese voices are a bit immersion breaking, having been so used to English speaking ones. Will probably prefer this once the re-dubbing is done, but will most likely watch them in Japanese anyway before hand. Have to say the design of the sentinels are freaking me out, in a good way.



Nichijou Episode 1
   God i love this show so much, so random and crazy, with the Rule Of Funny being the seemingly only rule. Nice break when i need a laugh and something silly. Possibly can break some peoples brains though.



Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka Episode 12
   Another show i love, and the last episode for a bit, sure took a strange turn here, heh. A trip to a pool, idols competing (the idols being zombie ninjas and magical girls), and a voiced wish gone ecchi.



Sengoku Otome ~Momoiro Paradox~ Episode 1
   That's no campfire, heh. I'm a bit confused here, curious where this one is going, and why Oda Nobunaga  is a female, not to mention the talking dog in a helmet.



Tiger & Bunny Episode 1
   There are going to be sooo many toys made from this show, heh. Another fun one, not really making any pretense so far other than what it is it seems.



Hana-Saku Iroha Episode 1
   So damn pretty, more a slice of life, although a life i wouldn't envy. No clue where this story will go, but i'm sure i'll be curious to find out, as the animation, art and story were very, very well done.



Kimi Ni Todoke
    Ended on a live action Japanese movie that was cute, funny and touching (i can be such a girl sometimes, heh).

Movie Night - April 2nd, 2011

Didn't get this last night, just crashed right out. So here it is now. Almost all Japanese shows.

Batman: The Brave and Bold: Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!
    Awesome. Done in different styles, sixties or seventies style anime and Scooby Doo. Reminded me of "Legends of The Dark Knight" which took stories from the comics and did them in different styles with different Batman voices, a section of which i am putting in below.



part of the actual episode we watched:


Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka: Episode 11
   Story seemed to wrap up, with one episode left of Korean Zombie Desk Car (i love that, heh).



The Ancient Dogoo Girl: Episode 1 and 2
   Oh my, this was odd. ;) The preview below doesn't even get close to the crazy of this show.



Nodame Cantabile Episodes 1-4
   Very cute show, poor Nodame getting hit so much though (not as serious as it sounds, but would probably never pass here). So much classical music, it's still in my head. ;)

Had a hell of a time finding something from the episodes we watched, so here is something from later.

Movie Night - March 26th, 2011

Batman the Brave and the Bold: Battle of the Superheroes
    I love this show so much, a lovely throwback to the old batman show and silver age comics. Also, Superman being a dick.



Wolverine (anime version)
   Interesting seeing how Japan interprets the character, and pretty impressive that he actually uses the claws for what you'd expect, bloody death. Also had a good deal of decent things from the comics (A.I.M., Madripoor, etc.) Not as bad as i was expecting, curious how it goes, and also curious about the X-Men anime that is coming soon.



Kore wa zombie desu ka? Episode 10
   What is with the trend of Japanese things to get all serious after a while? Even goofy shows like this, not that i'm complaining a lot, but it confuses me.



Gokusen Episode 1
   Fun! A teacher, who comes from a Yakuza background, takes on a class of delinquents. Definitely want to see the rest of this one.



Maid in Akihabara Episode 1
   That was... something. Short, and pretty bad production values, and confusing as hell. Although it did help us understand the last movie of the night.



Hard Revenge Milly
   Someone aired their demo reel? Short, but felt much longer, much, much longer. So little happening, although the bit at the end where she opens her jacket, that was amusing. If the rest of the movie would have been like that, might have been more worth watching. Still can't believe there is a sequel.

In this trailer, you get the whole story, and most of the action. I wish i was kidding.


How to Date an Otaku Girl
    Not sure why it's named differently on imdb, or why it's rated low. I loved it, even if it did get more serious and down near the end. Watch after the credits too, they must have known what we were thinking. ;)

Couldn't find a trailer, but here is a clip

Ore no Imouto

Another anime i watched a little while ago, from a couple seasons ago, is Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai, which translates pretty much to "There's No Way My Little Sister Can Be This Cute". I know what you're probably thinking, it's a hentai, you're wrong, mostly. The sister is a female Otaku, and is hiding it from her family, and her brother finds out about it, and helps her meet people with similar interests, and she teaches him about her hobby. I'm horrible at summing up stories, as you can probably tell. The boxes of the eroge are all mostly real life games, some of which i've played, but not all, so it's an added bit of otaku seeing themselves in the characters. 

The opening titles, which change for each episode, sometimes hilariously, sometimes subtly, and it's even sort of lapshaded in the show.


A preview video of sorts:


One thing that i find absolutely awesome is that the show sticks with the game theme by having different endings. The series proper has one ending, the 'good ending', then a special with the 'true ending', and another special witch hasn't aired yet, but i'm guessing a 'bad ending'. They even had the choices pop up on screen at the main decision points. Pretty neat.

A video showing the various opening changes, not really any spoilers, but dizzying if you aren't prepared for it.


Basically, this is awesome, it's lighthearted, and pretty damn funny in lots of areas, more so if you are an otaku or 'get' the jokes. It also joins the ranks of Genshiken and Welcome to the N.H.K. as an anime about and for the otaku, both of which are released in the states on DVD already, and worth watching.

Funny thing is how "There's no way my XX can't be this XX" has been a meme in Japan, with several hilarious jokes and images made. ;)

Myojo Ippeichan Yakisoba Japanese Style Noodles.

Temporally skipping a couple i've eaten between this and the last one, mostly because it's just so damn good. So i bring you.... Myojo Ippeichan Yakisoba Japanese Style Noodles. (dramatic eh?)

Printed on a plastic wrapper, but thankfully instructions also on the lid.

So many packets, wow...

Put in dried veggies and boiling water, wait, then drain out the water through this handy drain that is actually quite sturdy. 

Put in powder stuff, liquid sauce, and drizzle the mustard mayo on the top. 

I was a bit worried about the mayo, and it being too strong or "odd", but it was perfect really, added just enough extra. The funny thing is, all i can ever think when i hear "mustard mayo" or similar is the video below. I do have to say though, this is one of my absolute faves, and it doesn't look like it in the photos, but it's substantial and filling in addition to be tasty. 

Movie Night - March 19th, 2011

Movie night for March 19th, as the title says. Although more a tv and anime night.

Glee: Original Song
   Original song episode (duh) of Glee.



iCarly: iPity the Nevel
   The vampire spoof was pretty funny, and spot on.



Gosick: The Dark Reaper finds the Golden Fairy
   Started it, wasn't what we were in the mood for, even though it was pretty, just didn't grab us.



Practical Magic
   Weird seeing them younger without plastic surgery, and boy do i want that house, to say the least.



HighSchool of the Dead: episode 5-12
   So much fan service in the first part of this, so, so much. Thankfully tapers off nearer the end, but so heavy and overboard for a good while there. Looks like the series is coming to bluray and dvd in the states in June 28th, and an OVA is coming in april.

Nong Shim Big Bowl Udon

Been a while since i've done one of these, but feeling pretty down, can't sleep, and had a craving for them. So i bring you a late night bit of Nong Shim Big Bowl Udon.

Here with the plastic removed, as it glares just too much. Not the most in focus, but i am not exactly the most focused either. 

Dried powder put in, the larger parts (tofu i believe) are there in with the noodles already. There is also some seaweed, and other bits, veggies and such in there too. 

Pour in boiling water (days, or nights like this i'm glad i have one of those quick water boiling pitchers), wait four minutes (must be because they are udon, as the ramen ones take three minutes), stir and nom away. 

My opinion, this is awesome, i will definitely be getting multiples of these from United Noodles when go again. It becomes substantial when done, has a good flavor, and all around damn fine instant noodles. I know eating instant noodles isn't probably the best for you if you do it too much, but it's such a comfort food for me for some reason. Lately, that is just something i need, the little pleasures in life, to keep me going. 

Movie Night - March 12th, 2011

Movie night for march 12th, they were getting their cable upgraded, so it's a strange one. Not to mention the installer was also a geek who's wife made chocolate daleks and was into anime and such too.

Young Justice: Bereft and Denial
   Out of order, but that's okay, as we've seen most of them, but the second one had Doctor Fate, one of my favorite DC characters.





iCarly: iHire an Idiot
   This is one odd show, and i really hope there isn't anyone as stupid as that intern was made out to be. ;)



Pyaar Impossible
   Took a while to get into it, as the guys face was just "odd" for a while there, but after about half an hour it started to get better. The songs needed some work, and it wasn't as well shot or good as I Hate Luv Stories, but was worth watching. Had to laugh at where he made her into a "geek" and she couldn't get a number, she was even cuter as a geek. Maybe that's just me though, heh.



Glee: Sexy
   We started watching with their kid earlier in the night, but he started blushing so we delayed until after he went to bed. Flashback to the 70s with the songs in this one.



Dead and Breakfast
   Good one to end a Saturday movie night on, not to serious and had a weird sense of humor.

Panty And Stocking With Garterbelt

Decided to share the other anime i've been watching lately, from this season and last, besides Madoka Magica.

Panty and Stocking with Gaterbelt
Ah yes, that name, heh. This is an odd one, from the last season, i first heard about it from Jhonen Vasquez who described the character Chuck as "the Mr. Sparkle version of Gir". It's fitting, that's for sure, and i'm guessing it's intentional as one of the characters wears a Slave Labor Graphics shirt in a later episode.

The show has quite a pedigree, being from Gainax, who brought us Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, and others. They can do serious, seriously messed up, and seriously funny, sometimes all at once. This is more in the vein of mindless fun, and them experimenting i feel. The humor tends to be quite low brow, but sometimes very unexpected and twisted. 

The opening credits:


It's style is mostly similar to the Power Puff Girls, angular and simple lines, but will shift art styles at various times. It's also mostly a half hour show with two stories, similar to how a lot of Adult Swim tends to be. The video below shows the shifts of art in the first episode, PPG style at first, then for transformation they shift to more "realistic" anime style (complete with stripper poles), then for the villain defeat, a real model.



The show isn't high art by any stretch of the imagination, well, maybe, but it's fun to see people trying new things and seemingly having fun doing it. It sort of ended on a cliffhanger/Gainax ending, and got enough ratings to get a second season, but the director hasn't said if he's just going to leave it there or go on. Either way, it's a fun watch.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I've decided to make a little (that will probably grow to be not so little by the time i get done with it) post about Puella Magi Madoka Magica, currently at the top of my all time favorite anime. It's been called the Neon Genesis Evangelion of magical girl shows, and that's putting it mildly. Basically for the fact that it takes what you know or think you know of magical girls and turns it on it's head. On Tvtropes someone mentioned that at episode 6 the page was already longer than most shows that have seasons, and it's true.  Just note that i'll probably reveal some spoilers, as much as i try not to, so if you want to be unspoiled and watch this, just do without much knowledge other than you won't be disappointed.

Short description that should be mostly spoiler free, it's a 12 episode anime, currently on episode 8, that deconstructs the magical girl genre of anime (like Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, etc), writen by Gen Urobuchi, who is famous (or rather infamous, heh) for writing games for Nitro+ that are less than "normal" (like Saya No Uta, Fate Zero and Phantom of Inferno). All you have to do is take a look at the links there (Saya No Uta to really get the idea of where this guy's head is, links sfw) to understand that when this was announced the anime crowd in Japan was understandably curious. The opening for the show is generally typical of most other magical girl anime, although as the show goes on you notice things that are superficial beforehand, and the openings also have changed slightly for each episode. The series starts out with a group of friends and a dream that could be of the future, followed by a mysterious magical girl and a "cute" creature that offers to grant the girls a wish as long as they fight witches for him. They are shown around by Mami, in the weird "worlds" or labyrinths of the witches, which take a very different style, most of the time different frame rates and more rough animation, sometimes cut outs and such. There are many "runes" throughout the show that people are working on figuring out, that give names to the witches and some hints at what might be to come. There is also a good amount of German, that are right out of Faust. The show follows general expectations in episodes one and two, (which aired without end credit sequences and ending music) and then episode three rolled around, and threw everyone who thought they knew what they were in for. All i can say is, it's a hell of an experience after that.

Here is the opening before i get to what could be spoilers (while it lasts on youtube, they've been fierce on getting them taken down)



Now to things that are spoilers... don't read if you want it unspoiled (and really, i'll try to avoid drastic revelations, but i'll mention things that could be figured out)

Ready? Okay.

Those credits up there, bait and switch, especially after episode 3 where you learn that anyone can, and most likely will, die. It's not the happy go lucky magical girl show they said it would be, but what would most likely be if you gave 14 year old girls very powerful magic, and told them to fight to the death with cosmic horrors. Oh, and in episode 8 when you learn where they come from, even worse. (possibly, this show is doing a very good job at hinting at what is to come, but showing it in a way i don't expect, and in a very emotionally powerful way too.)

Kyubey... the "cute" mascot that is general to most magical girl anime, who gives the characters their powers and teaches them how to fight, episode 8 reveals his true name (possibly, or job, not sure really) and it was the number one google Japan search the day after the episode aired. While an English word, it only hints at what he really might be, and we still don't know what his goals are. Funny side note, Gen Urobuchi has done a wonderful job at misdirection when giving interviews about the show. At first he said when interviewed before episode 3 aired, that this was his attempt at getting back to making heartwarming shows. After it aired, he pointed out that what he considers "heart warming" isn't what others do. Then around episode 7 or so he said that Kyubey's name is a hint, and kyu is like "cute". Guess what? It's not, but ..kyubey... (spelled differently) does make his mane.

QB (as he is also known) grants the wish of the girls and has them sign a contract, then gives them a soul gem (is what it says) that the girls use to do magic. When they defeat the witches, a Grief Seed (also, ditto) drops and the girls transfer the darkness that has gotten in their soul gem by doing magic into the grief seed and give it to QB, and once you sort of see what he does with it. What that means is still unknown though, but creepy.

I could go on, but i'll wrap it up here. Maybe once it's over i'll go more in depth, but i'm getting sleepy and not feeling too hot, but i do love this show more than i can say, and everyone who likes anime (or at the very least doesn't mind subtitles in animation) should watch this.

Movie Night - February 26th, 2011

Not feeling so hot right now, not sure why, just kind of hit me. So i'm going to try and crank this one out quickly and hope it doesn't mess up.

Outcasts Episode 1
Seems like BBC does Battlestar Galactaca. Potential, bleak, but only eight episodes this season, so not that much time wasted if it's not good. ;)



How Not to Live Your Life, Don the Musical
Yes, we have watched this before, and it also makes me want to see David Armand in more things, especially after his interpretive dance bits on Fast and Loose.



Rubber
Awesome from the moment it starts, and just keeps on going. (no pun intended) Don't bother asking questions, just go with "no reason". ;) (could have done without the rabbit part though, sigh) It's even weirder than the trailer implies. Seriously.



Lip Service, Episode 1 and Episode 2
Kind of like the LWord in Scotland. Have i mentioned i have a weakness for scottish accents? Well i do. ;)

Kitty is calming down.

So yesterday i trimmed Kitty's nails. This may not sound like much, but this is a bunny who *hates* being held, picked up. So much so that even the vet had to do a bunny burrito with her so she wouldn't fight so much. Every time i've tried that, she manages to get out of them, and leave me scratched and sighing, with maybe a nail or two trimmed. Yesterday though, was interesting. She knew i was going to pick her up, as soon as i went to her she took off to the open pen where they sometimes lounge. I did pick her up there though, and she wasn't too bad, relatively relaxed in my arms. She even let me flip her over, which is something she never let me do before, and i got a couple of her paws trimmed. She only started freaking when i got to one of the really long and curved nails (which couldn't feel good being so long like that). She then started trying to get away. I rubbed her head for a bit, and she calmed down, and let me continue. Surprisingly i got all or most of her nails done well. I tend to try to not cut the quick, so i might leave them a bit longer than the vet, but i hate hurting them, especially when trying to help.

Afterwards, she hopped down, i gave her some dried fruit from Just Tomatoes, bunny crack that stuff is. ;) (also yummy for humans too). She avoided me for a little bit, but then started running around, and not making the *click* *clack* sound she did before, and i think she started to understand why. Not long after she plopped down where i took the photos. Less than two feet from me, for a long while. She's becoming more affectionate towards me, which is good, as i love her and she no longer has Zack to be there for her. She fights hard with every other bunny here, no matter how much i try to introduce them, she bites at them right away, no hesitation. I have no idea what happened to her before i adopted her from the humane society, but i'm guessing she had a rough life, with how much she avoided me and other bunnies other than Zack.

Now if the Vet and I can figure out what her skin condition is. It itches her, and is causing fur to fall out, but there doesn't seem to be any parasites, bugs, etc. Hopefully it's just something annoying, and not dangerous.

Movie Night - February 5th, 2011

Three different movies from three different countries, not exactly what was planed on, but glad we ended on what we did, as i now have another favorite movie and soundtrack.

Terror of Mechagodzilla
   These are so hard to chose what name to put in, as they seem to vary so much by country. Had it's moments, but wow did it drag in long, long spots.



Monsters
    Low budget indie movie that didn't look it, but the script sure gave it away. Surprising visuals for the amount spent, but i just couldn't get past my hate of the main male protagonist, he just grated on me so much. Seems like he is going to be doing the next Godzilla, which i see as a good thing, as long as he doesn't write it. (no offense)



I Hate Luv Storys
   Ignore the low rating on imdb, this movie is awesome. It's a romantic comedy that knows the tropes of romantic comedies and Bollywood movies, and does a great job using them to it's benefit. Doesn't so much mock them, as have a main character who knows them and hates them, and then it goes from there. It's long, although not as long as some bollywood movies, and doesn't drag at all in my view. Have i mentioned the cinematography? It's beautiful, every shot. Puts most Hollywood movies to shame (like i have to say that). The sound track is amazing too, i've just purchased it and am listening to it right now. 

Can't find an english subtitled trailer, but it's on netflix instant subbed, so worth watching.


My favorite song, but this has spoilers, so yeah:


Title song, less spoilers, and shows the amazing cinematography

Sid and Nancy

I recently picked up and read "And I Don't Want to Live This Life: A Mother's Story of Her Daughter's Murder", which is the story of Nancy Spungen from her mother's perspective. If you don't know who Nancy is, she is the Nancy part of "Sid and Nancy", with Sid being Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols. I also watched a documentary called Who Killed Nancy, which put a different angle on the whole affair. Having seen the movie Sid and Nancy several times over the years, and knowing it was a lot of fiction based on real events, it kind of surprised me that it took me this long to get around to reading the book and seeing the movie. So while their relationship was portrayed in various ways over the years, it is mostly looked upon as a romantic and tragic thing, like Romeo and Juliet. There seemed to be certain parts there, but also not so much, but i'll get to that.

First off is how different the perspectives are, and how they looked at things. Her mom related stories of her troubled birth, undiagnosed until late teens paranoid schizophrenia, how the doctors just gave her drugs to make her "less trouble", and high intelligence. While the movie and documentaries, mostly interviews just portrayed her as loud, obnoxious and 'crazy'. Seems they didn't see or know her underlying issues, and why she was that way. Sid meanwhile is mostly viewed as misunderstood, but his friends tend to gloss over things they even say, like when he killed a cat in front of his roommate, just "because". Nancy's mom also talks about how she told her that he hurt her a lot, but that's not the "real him". I have to admit i haven't really read a biography of Sid yet, but reading about Nancy really put a lot into perspective that i hadn't known before. Side note, it also makes me think more when i see rowdy kids in public, instead of thinking "why don't they do something", i now wonder if there is a lot i don't know, like does the child have serious issues and the parents can't really do anything. Sometimes there is nothing you can do, especially if the person is seeing demon sharks wanting to eat them. Thankfully we have better (although not perfect) psychiatric care now, and some meds that can help some of the time.

Anyway, the book got me thinking a lot about my friend J. who Nancy really reminded me of, with some similar life experiences, drug troubles, and almost constant talk about wanting to die and expecting to die young. The similarities made it hard to read at times, reminding me of her, but also seeing how nothing i could have really done would have helped or changed anything. So again she is on my mind a lot lately. Not sure why i felt the need to mention that part, but there you go.

I guess out of all of these, i'd recommend reading her mom's book the most, it's the deepest with the most sincere point of view. The movie Sid and Nancy is a decent movie, but not really attached to reality of who the people were or what happened, although interesting to read things in the book that happen in the movie, although from a different perspective (calls home, their visit home, nancy describing things to her mom, etc). The documentary that i mentioned though, raises the question that Sid may have not killed Nancy, and one of the arguments was that she had a couple thousand dollars that would be reason. The police seemed to ask her mom about this though, and informed them that Nancy called her not long before asking for money, while the movie just keeps asking why cops didn't look into that. Seems like they didn't read her book, which they probably should have, or talked to her, which she probably wouldn't have done anyway.

The point of all this? Not sure really, other than it seems people always assume that everyone is or should be like them. If they aren't, then they are worthy of derision and mocking, without even trying to understand other points of view or life experiences. Just tired of people who have never been out of their little comfort zone insulting people who do or believe different things, but then get offended when people call them on it.

I'd also like to point out, i've never done illegal drugs, and it's a frigging miracle somehow. I mean, everyone seemed to think i did, teachers, parents, etc, an ex even thought i was a dealer before she knew me better (although that was more "how does he afford the car and house?" thing). Basically i was and still am in the groups they always say do them, (emotional troubles and things like that), had what the groups show as examples of doing them (I mean, look at this list, that's also sings of what i went through and severe depression, /sigh), and have been offered them. Don't know how many people i've told this to, if anyone, but here goes. Once when J. was visiting me, we drove into the cities to go to Barnes and Nobles, and she said she had to see someone quick. Turns out she had me drive to her and her boyfriends dealer and bought heroin. We did go to look at books, and when we got back she kept getting me to use some with her. I didn't, even though i could really never say no to her, and would do anything for her (this includes driving hours to get her in the middle of a blizzard where cars are constantly going off the roads), but i didn't do that. I know this doesn't mean much to anyone else, but i take pride in that, that i didn't. Not sure what kept me from doing them (don't really drink much, once every few months if that, and never to puking, more a social drinker, and don't smoke, although that could be allergies, very allergic to that), and i guess if i could bottle it, i'd make a mint. Probably a good part of it is having awesome parents who were (are still) very patient and loving to me, even with all i went through and did.

Eh, that got off track pretty quickly, sorry about that.

"Don't photograph me!"

I forget where i heard this, but it's been mulling around in my head for a while. Someone compared how people seem to freak out when you take photos near them, even if they aren't of them, for various reasons. Then went on to describe how in Japan no one bats an eye at people with cameras or freaks out when they take pictures in their direction. That's not so much the part that sticks in my head, it's the part about how in past decades we seemed to make fun of the stereotype of "Japanese person with a camera", but they are now used to people with cameras, where we aren't.

I'm far from being one who "likes" being photographed, i'm more a behind the lens person, but that's more because of body issues and that i never like (well, maybe one or two) how i look in photos. I'm just tired of getting looked at like i'm up to no good when i go out with my camera, even if i'm not ever pointing at people. Having a more "professional looking" one sometimes helps, as people seem to assume i'm with press or something, but i'll still get dirty looks like "don't point that at me".

I don't know, this post really doesn't seem to have a point other than rambling out loud.

Movie Night - January 22nd, 2011

Cold night for a movie night, but warmer inside than out. Car almost didn't want to start on my way home, can't wait for spring.

Outsourced, A Sitar is Born
   A cute musical episode of Outsourced.

(can't find a "real" preview of this one, sorry.)

Young Justice
   Two episodes, The first was the combined Independence Day and Fireworks



   Then came Welcome to Happy Harbor



Godzilla vs Hedora
   Oh man this was trippy. Made in 71, but oh so 60's. Random animation, fish headed people, "drunken" Godzilla music, and the weird fights. Not sure how to describe it better than that. ;)

(the trailer i could find is in English, but we watched it in Japanese, and the trailer doesn't convey the oddness of the movie. It also called it "Godzilla vs the Smog Monster", but oh well)



Night of the Demons (1988)
   So very 80s in so many ways, and a movie i love for various reasons. No, it won't win an oscar, but it's fun.



Night of the Demons (2009)
   Updated remake of the previous one. Better than i expected, but not as memorable. Also, Edward Furlong? Really? He didn't look healthy at all. Kind of surprised to see he's in as many movies recently, but oh well.