various and sundry

[imwalde]

I saw Snow White and the Huntsman this weekend. I thought it was an interesting failure. It looked amazing and it had cool parts, but it never came together into a cohesive movie. The whole was less that the parts. I didn't hate it, but I admired its ambitions on an intellectual level more than I actually enjoyed watching it on a visceral one. I wondered a bit about Kristen Stewart's casting, but she was not the problem upon viewing. She was fine, good at times, if less convincing in a suit of armor. (Then again, I am not sure she is meant to be wholly convincing at that moment?) Chris Hemsworth is good, and Charlize Theron was tearing up the screen. But...I don't know, some things made no sense. Ok, so William hears she is being hunted in the Dark Forest, and goes to join the group to subvert their hunting a la Peeta in the Hunger Games with the career tributes. And yet he gets to the village right outside the castle right when the group departing from the castle is there. But Snow White, trying to get to where William was, somehow has to cross the Dark Forest, the refuge, the marshy lake women's homes, and some snowy mountains, taking days/weeks to get there? That made no sense geographically. Also, what made no sense? Her speech to rally the troops. Quoting from the Washington Post review:

At one point, Snow White -- outfitted like Joan of Arc and preparing to lead an assault on the queen’s castle -- actually utters these words, apropos of nothing: “Iron will melt, but it will writhe inside of itself.”

Say what, now?

HAHHAHA! I had the exact same WTF moment in the theater. And why does she know anything about leading a ground assault on a castle? I don't, why would she after growing up in a cell? And then when she starts killing guards, I mean, they are bad, I am not opposed, it just made me wonder what was up with her whole, I could never do that spiel when the Huntsman was trying to teach her how to kill. All these little things (and there are more in this vein) just added up to the movie not gelling for me. I can't actively recommend the movie, but I am not so horrified that I feel the need to warn people away.

I also saw Newsies on Broadway, eeee! So much fun. The dancing was amazing. A good adaptation of the movie, keeping the good songs but streamlining the plot. I didn't care for Pulitzer's songs, but I guess the newsies need to catch their breath sometime. And they even found a way to redeem Santa Fe! Recommended, assuming you like bright, peppy musicals full of adorable men dancing.

And I ate a FANTASTIC sandwich (slow cooked chuck in tomato sauce with fresh made mozzerella on toasted bread) at Defonte's. I had seen them and that sandwich on Diner's, Drive Ins, and Dives, (see them make that sandwich here) and had been salivating after that sandwich ever since. NOM NOM NOM. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Also recommended? Wet wipes.

But onto the weekend's main event: Flosshilde.





We were at a Petco we ordinarily would have been nowhere near only because of my lust for the Defonte's sandwich, and a German woman brought her in to a cat adoption fair, only to be walking by right as they were saying they would need a foster who could bottlefeed. And thus did biggieshorty acquire a Tiny Problem, clearly fated to be. She is teeny tiny, estimated to be 3-4 weeks old, and too young to be away from her momma ordinarily. But don't worry, we got her a friend.

Watch on YouTube

So. Fucking. Cute.

Comments

[niennah.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely about Snow White & the Huntsman. Although one thing: the ground assault on the castle was terribly planned, as far as I could see, so maybe she just didn't know anything about it, heh. I liked what they were trying to do, but what spoiled the tone for me was the fairyland magic and the comedy dwarfs (who were in the size equivalent of blackface, ugh). If magic had remained the dark, mysterious force that the Queen wielded, I think it could have been far more interesting. (Charlize Theron totally stole the movie, that's for sure.) But it just didn't all balance out with the cute fairies and things. (As I type, two magpies are trying to get in my window. 0.0 )

In general, I'm a fan of Kristen Stewart, but she's got to learn a few more ways of expressing high emotion. All she does is heaving-breath-with-open-mouth and it's so boring. She can't be overwhelmed by everything. She needs to learn some subtlety.

Chris Hemsworth's accent was hilarious. It was Sean Connery by way of Thor by way of places I don't even recognise. But I do love him, so I forgive him. I just wish there had been some proper kissing. Or there had been a conversation where he went "We thought you were dead! What happened?" "How would I know? I was unconscious!" "Because I totally kissed you and then next thing you were awake saying weird shit about iron that made no sense!" "Maybe you woke me up but I suffered mild brain damage due to you not kissing me earlier?" "Maybe! I won't wait so long next time." Maybe that's a deleted scene?

Yes, interesting failure, that's a good way to describe SWATH.

[imwalde.livejournal.com]

Hehhe, I guess I don't have the ear to hear his Scottish accent was all over the place. Part of me is sort of pleased the romance was secondary, but I'm not saying I would have turned down somer proper kissing, either. :)