Baby Don't Get Lost in that Evil World

and can I just say:

ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod.

( thoughts. quite short actually. may still be in a joy haze. )


And now to wander around the internet checking out other peep's thoughts. Well, possibly bed first, but tomorrow, I read!

 

 

THIS JUST FUCKING HAPPENED.


 

( WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT, YOU ASK? )

 

1) My cousin Jim. His band had to play a song at their school's open day today. They were supposed to play a Christian rock song that they know and have rehersed, but instead they made up a song on the spot, none of them playing their normal instruments. It still sounded like Christian rock, but with beatboxing. The lyrics were:

WE NEED YOU AT OUR SCHO~OOOL/
THE FORMS ARE OUT THE FRO~OOONT

REPEAT, WITH ALTERNATING LEVELS OF WAILING, FOR THREE MINUTES.

I love that kid.


2) I AM DOWNLOADING EVERY SINGLE EPISODE OF DAVE THE BARBARIAN

HELLS YEAH

DAVE!

FAFFY!

TWINKLE THE MARVEL HORSE!

THE DARK LORD CHUCKLES THE SILLY PIGGY

 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I will never understand why the ABC keeps slotting in this Star Stories crap between series of the good shows on Wednesdays. Seriously, it's mindblowingly terrible. And it makes me sad to know that the kid from Muppet Treasure Island has become so... skeevy. Know what, bugger this. I'm gonna run up to the street and get some chewy (it's an addiction, you guys, seriously) before Tara starts. brb. *leaves*

*returns*
*turns on TV*
Perfect timing!
*blows bubble*

So hi. Got the Abnormal Psych essay in today, ON TIME. It wasn't actually finished, but I've been having so much despair with this thing hanging over my head I was not going to spend another day with the damn thing, so printed it at 4:52 and ran - actually ran, which I'm technically not supposed to do because I could, like, lose the feeling in my legs or something - it to the psych building. When I got there they'd pulled the roller door down already, and I almost freaking SOBBED. Went around the corner to the staff entrance and caught them leaving, because damn it, my phone said it was 4:57 and I fecking ran for this freaking essay. They were very nice, and accepted it. Thank god.

( This was going to be a big entry about a lot of random little things, but turned into bitching about Sydney Uni Psych, loving Sydney Uni Art History & Film, comparing the three, and talking about my academic and career plans )

The plan, such as it stands at the moment, is to spread the remaining four units of study I have left on my degree over two semesters next year, while hopefully getting a job vaguely related to film in some way (or getting an unrelated job and volunteering at film festivals), and doing short courses at AFTRS (the Australian Fillm, TV, and Radio School) to build a portfolio and study cinematography/ directing/ art direction there properly the year after I do honours here. Which means three more years in Sydney, which is bad, but there isn't a lot of choice when it comes to learning film making - it's pretty much a capital cities thing, I think. Although I may take a year off after honours, stay in the Central West working some little retail job, or working at one of the ABC's regional offices. A foot in the door is a foot in the door in the Australian film industry, no matter how small the door, or which side of the house it's on.

Tracy Grimshaw introducing a story on new types of braces:

have you ever wondered why we're born with fingers and toes in the right places, but teeth so often need something to keep them in line?

... no?

First of all, context: I can't stop watching Nostalgia Critic and Nostalgia Chick. Very funny, very well observed, occasionally fantastically brutal reviews of old(ish - from the eighties and nineties, mostly) kids tv shows and movies. Most of the texts they look at are legitimately terrible - though often in profoundly creative ways - but some are still quite lovable; especially if, like me, you were just slightly too young to tell the difference between shite and awesome when they first came out.

I'm particularly fond of the Chick's look at Bowie's amazing package Labyrinth, the joint review of Fern Gully (I still love the movie, though, nonsensical environmentalist propaganda that it may be), and That Guy's inquisition into Titanic - an animated musical (which should be watched even if you, like pretty much everyone in the world, have never heard of the movie. Which is... terrible. Beyond all reason. So bad it's somehow sort of beautiful). In fact, anything that has That Guy gaping in disbelief or exploding into a frothing rage (ie., most things he reviews) is pretty ace.

80s/90s kid's entertainment with yelling, sarcasm, criticism, liberal use of intertextuality, and cameos from guns and puppies. Essentially, I'm in love.


There are two things that have appeared in my watchings that I particularly want to share. One of which induced epic squee and will probably only be understood by me, and the other... is... well.


1)( Concerning Star Trek: Next Gen, and Gargoyles (the best show ever) )


1.5 - AKA, the seque) The dude who played Geordi La Forge on Next Gen did the voice over for the intro to Captain Planet.


2) Captain Planet did an AIDS episode. (8:45 mins in)

( Yes, that's right: AIDS.  )

And this week they're doing Big Screen Buddies; "a celebration of mateship", Bert said.

And amongst the Ben Afflect & Mat Damons, Bill & Teds, Shrek & Donkies, etc, they have Jack and Ennis.

What?

Seriously, what?

They have When Harry met Sally too (which has to be an excuse to play that bloody cafe scene again. I am so sick of that frigging scene), but the friendship phase of their relationship lasted most of the entire film. Jack and Ennis are an on-screen couple, as in, engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship for the majority of the film. It's a very masculine relationship, with much in common with a regular blokey friendship ON THE SURFACE, and not at all the traditional big-screen romance, but, come on, buddies? Brokeback Mountain is not a buddy film! The whole point of the film was the repression of feelings and the stiffling nature of their time and place and society. It's about the inability to show emotion, the difficulties of individuality, about how place can mould who you are so thoroughly that the very idea of exhibiting any sign of anything out of the ordinary is terrifying. It also works as a metaphor for the problems still faced by people, especially men, including gay men, today.

If they were talking about the short story, maybe, I could see where scenes like the singing and drinking until the early hours might make a strong impression of a friendship forming. The book is certainly more clear than the film in terms of relationship development. But that scene is followed by the line, Ennis... thought he'd never had such a good time, felt he could paw the white out of the moon, which is honestly one of the most heartwrenching and tender lines I've ever encountered (Annie Proulx is full of those lines, those little moments that are so simple but so exquisite and that just hit so hard). There is an element of friendship there, borne from two very lonely people finding mutal acceptance, but at a very basic level, it's still a love story. And not a bromance.

Expect ETAs when they actually get to discussing the film on air.


ETA: WHY ARE THEY PLAYING SNOW PATROL over the second tent scene?? Can we just... get over using Chasing Cars? Please? Surely it's been done enough for a while.

But that's not the point.

Look. 20 to 1. They do, as you say, "pose as fishing buddies", and they do indeed speak to one another at times more as mates than as typical romcom lovers, and yes, it is a film about male relationships, which, while not madatory with friendship and buddy duo films, is a big part of it. But. There are layers. There's a lot more going on in addition to, and underneath, the friendship.

Even the audiences are different. It's not a movie like Starsky and Hutch or Lord of the Rings that people are going to go see with their mates for a heart-warming laugh or a rollicking adventure. It wasn't even a film about two peole overcoming their differences to form a bond of mutal respect and affection. It's not even a friendship overcoming the odds, or driving over a cliff together.

Genres. I think there's where we're not agreeing. You have a thing on your list that is, I think, not like the others. It's nice that you're working with a broader definition of "buddy movie", and acknowledging a range of types of friendship, but, this one being there just makes me think you were watching a different film to me.



RELATED: How did I never notice the epic gay of Sam and Frodo before? I suppose anything can seem a bit subtexty with Nothing Compares 2 U playing over top, but nonetheless those were some pretty damn longing looks.

My subtext-dar is so weird sometimes. I mean, I only even noticed the massive, massive ho-yay in Smallville after it was pointed out to me.


OH! OH! THELMA AND LOUSIE IN NUMBER ONE FTW! But good lord, how many times have they played the Brad Pitt clips on this show, already.


------------------
By the way, thanks for the hugs and the kindness on my last post, guys. ♥ *hugs you all back* It means a lot. I've not replied yet as I'm taking a bit of a break from the net. I've been letting things get on top of me a bit, so have been spending time relaxing by cooking, getting my work organised, and playing my Sony and things. Will be back properly soon, when I feel a bit calmer.

So, I think now would be the time to mention that, for the last few weeks, I've been watching The Footy Show.

( A serious discussion of NRL culture, sexism and scandals in League (including the current Matty Johns one), and why I am proud of The Footy Show at the moment )

James Van Der Beek has a really deep voice. He doesn't sound at all like Dawson did.  :(

And yes, I am half watching Medium at the moment (despite not particularily liking it) because tonight is a night for guilt free TV watching, as I have finally FINISHED MY STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE ESSAY!!!  Booyah!

Now there's just the National and Transnational Cinemas essay due on Monday (which I will probably give myself a few extra days for, because dude, those questions are just scary) and I will have free time again! Which will be spent in part watching Dragonball, finally, goddamit. (anyone who wants to join is more than welcome, btw)


On a related note, my tutorial class for Literature and Cinema (the course that studied A Streetcar Named Desire in week 2) has gotten into the habit of hollering "STEEEEELLLLAAAHHH!" whenever they want me to do something (which this week involved acting out a scene from Oedipus Rex. I was Oedipus. I haven't done drama since year five and they throw me into Oedipus).

It is fantastic.


(Whenever people ask me if I mind the "STEELLAAAA!" thing, I reply, "no, I love it!"

What I don't often add though, is, "And honey, I could totally handle Marlon Brando in a ripped shirt hollering out for me like his life's depending on it, ooookaaay."

[philkensebben] Ha ha, lechery for the sake of irony! [/philkensebben])