Time Bandit (dir. Terry Gilliam 1981)

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.

The movie was rather odd. Like I said, not something I expected. After reading the Hobbit, seeing that the in class movie is the Lord of the Rings, and knowing that the topic is heroic journey - I expected something more similar to the others, and this movie is so not like LotR.

Shall I compare the two?

Let’s start with the basics - Plot. The Hobbit’s plot line was esaplished within the first chapter - they’re going to the Lonely Mountain to kill Smaug and get back their gold. Time Bandit, well, that is a bit confusing. I mean the thieves were looking to steal things, the boy was tenthly looking for a way home, but even that just made for a jumpy plot - the goals changing for each world.

Characters. Each had a group of people that was our main focus. Each having a leader and one that was more sensible then the rest. In the Hobbit the leader was Thorin, the sensible one Bilbo the main group being 14 whenever Gandalf was not there - 7 dyeing. Time Bandit had the guy with the map as the leader, the boy as the sensible one, the group being 7 altogether - no one dyeing. 

The Ending. The Hobbit ended with the knowledge that the Lord of the Rings was to follow. Time Bandit ended with the boy thinking it was a dream only to have pictures and have his house destroyed and parents blown up by evil. Not every nice.

Well, that’s the major parts of it. 

I did enjoy that the same couple kept appearing in different times and always got interrupted.

My favorite would would have to be the one where the boy was ‘adopted.’ Felt bad that he was dragged out - would have been better off staying there after what ended up happening to his parents.

Anyway, there is the movie.

Next week we have no class so I technically don’t have to read this week, but I think I will so I don’t have to worry about falling behind later in the semester if it gets really busy.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh my goodness, I love Tolkien!

Okay, calming down. I admit I have read The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings, before. However, that was back in sixth grade - getting through all 4 books in two and a half months - I figured it was long enough ago that I could read it again.

And I did, and boy did it make me crave to watch everything again. I don’t mean just the movies, I’m talking about the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings, the countless hours of behind the scenes they have, the National Geographic “Beyond the Movie” DVD of the Lord of the Rings, even the Hobbit animated movie from 1977.

Anyway, the book. The copy that I read was my own personal copy published in 1996 with illustrations in it done by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. On the beginning flap of the cover slip is the description as well as the age range written for, the Hobbit id for all ages. From that I do firmly say that it is on the list of ‘Must Read Books Before You Die.’ 

Some basics. The Hobbit, the accurately dubbed a book for all. Getting though the book is quite easy and enjoyable. The longest chapters are in the middle, allowing you to be sufficiently engrossed in the book too much to really notice or care. The wording is simple, not too much though that you fell like you’re reading a child’s book, yet not wordy enough to confuse you.

On top of reading the book I also listened to the audio book - dramatized. It was quite entertaining. The audio was only 4.5 hours long, just enough time to complete a homework assignment. It was, however, not exactly word for word the book - but neither was it abridged, at least in my opinion. In my experience, abridged is when sections of the book are simply cut out all together. This version, while they did leave stuff out, shortened the cut information giving you only the necessities of it. On top of that, it was dramatized for crying out loud! It had different voices, sound effects, background music, basically a narrated movie without the visual. 

If you love Tolkien as mush as I, check it out.

I also watched the 1977 animated movie of the Hobbit. I’ve seen it before - actually I own a copy at home - but it’s been some time. It’s okay. If you watch it, remember that it’s 1977 and not Disney - so don’t expect the animation of be awesome. It’s funny the way the portray some for the characters. Elrond is okay I guess, but Gollum - why is he green? He use to be similar to a hobbit before he got the ring. Smog - why does he have hair where most illustrators would put spikes? Makes him look like a flying snake/cat thing. And finally - the wood-elves of Mirkwood. Thank goodness Peter Jackson didn’t look to this movie for ideas of the elves. Can you imagine Legolas looking like that?! (For all you who don’t get it Legolas is prince of the Mirkwood elves - thus the reason he’s there. If you didn’t know everyone is a royal - Legolas a prince, Gimli a prince, Aragorn an heir [though there to represent the rangers], Boamir son of the steward who is acting king till the throne is claimed, then we have Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo - but they’re special.)

Back to books. The Hobbit is a must read, the rest of the series...I understand if you can’t do it. Compared to the Hobbit it is much more wordy and the books have a lot more government/political information - even additional battles - that the movies never mention. Not that I fault them for it. The movies are amazing and the parts changed and deleted are fine with me. For instance, Saruman and Wormtong don’t die at Isengard. They escape and go to the Shire were they wage war upon the hobbits and when the four heros return from their adventure to Mordor they must lead the hobbits to regain their freedom. As I said I don’t mind that that whole thing was cut. However, the scene added in the extended addition of Return of the King during the celebration after Helms Deep when Gimli get Legolas to compete in a drinking game...WOODLAND ELVES DRINK! That is how Bilbo and the dwarfs escape, because they got drunk. Yet in the scene he acts like he’s clueless saying things like “I think it is effecting me.” Oh shut up. 

ha...ha....ha. So, um, yeah - that part annoys me.

Anyway, the’s the Hobbit - the book, audio book, and animated movie. Read it before you die, I insist. And go see the movie Peter Jackson is making when it comes out.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami continue

So I finished the book today, told you I would. Anyway, the conclusion was very strange and the ending was almost nonexistent. I class we compared this book with Alice in Wonderland - perfect comparison. If you ever pick up this book and get confused, just keep reading because if you back up you'll only confuse yourself more.

Well, that's all I have to say for that book. Good bye horror, hello fantasy!

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

I enjoyed the book. Okay, really I didn’t read it - I’ve been listening to it on audio book but sometimes that just makes it even better, depending on the reader. And truthfully I still have 2 hours left which I plan to get though tomorrow after lunch - so this post will be shorter then the others until I post the second part of my thoughts tomorrow.

But so far this is what I think.

If you’re like me and find that sitting around for hours reading a book if not enjoyable unless with certain books, then I highly recommend audiobooks. Often it will take less time and you will be able to get other things done as well. And depending on the reader you might be given different voices for the different characters (really if you love the Harry Potter books rent the audiobooks sometime - Jim Dale is an amazing reader).

So yes I listened to the audiobook, it helps with time management and getting around all those Japanese names.

But I digress.

The book in itself I wouldn’t classify as horror either. True I’m not done and it might turn out like Audition and turn into a light slasher type in the end, but from where I stand now it seems more like a mystery novel. But I’ll let you know my final call tomorrow afternoon.

It took me a while to understand what the book was about. For a while I thought that it was about the girl who died in the beginning since we say the past relationship she had with the main character. And the part with the guy and the ear model out to eat talking about her “real ears” two things: 1) I kept laughing out loud completely confusing this other boy out in the commons. 2) The way she talked about the way she hid her true ears reminded me of a scene from Star Girl when she talks about doing absolutely nothing.

Anyway, that’s all you’re getting for now. I’ll tell you tomorrow about the rest of the book.

So next week is Heroic Journey and for the reading we have The Hobbit! I love J.R.R. Tolkien and I can guarantee that next week there will be an extra long entry about the book and the movies since we are to talk about them in class. But that’s all next week. Until then you’ll have to settle with this.

(I said it would be shorter but it’s really long, oh well)

Audition (dir. Takashi Miike [1999])

*Movie Spoilers!*

Oh my goodness! What is with the crazy women lately? This Asami girl makes the one from last week look normal, and she was psychotic in the end! And really, this is the fourth film we’ve seen and only one has been in english. Not that I mind, I just find it odd. And yes I know that this week is Japanese Horror so of course it’s not in english, but I mean the other weeks...I’m just pointing it out.

Anyway, I don’t know if I would call this a horror movie. Yeah, it’s defiantly not a normal story line, but when I think horror I think something involving beings like monsters, vampires, werewolves, so no and so forth. Get what I mean? So a movie with none of those things and no real hint of gut retching scenes until the last twenty minutes can’t be classified as horror in my book. Me - I would say more of a light slasher film or something.

My favorite character was the guys son. I instantly felt bad for him when you saw him in the first scene bringing a get well gift for his mother that dies right before he gets to her room. So when later the crazy girl tried to pepper spray (?) him to kill him later I was yelling at the screen telling him to turn around. Then yelling at him for going up the stairs instead of out the front door when she started chasing her. But hey, he was able to kill her and not get himself hurt so I’ll let him off for that.

I liked that, while it was a foreign film, it was Japanese simply because I’m use to watching subbed anime so the japanese language going off with words appearing below is easier to wrap my head around then it being in Swedish or something. Also, after watching subbed anime for five years you pick up a few words and sayings - making it that much easier to watch.

So, quick recap: wouldn’t call it horror, the women seem to be getting crazier each week, favorite character is the son, the dad movies way too fast, the best friend is right all along, and if my youngest sister saw this she would be hitting me saying it was my fault the crazy lady killed the dog even though I have no control over the movie.

Thirst (dir. Chan-Wook Park)

Okay this was one of the strangest movies I’ve seen. I mean a Korean film were a priest gets turned into a vampire? How strange is that?

I felt bad for the guy until he started going after the main girl who’s messed up from the start. My favorite character was the mentor priest until he wanted to become a vampire too. Then he wasn’t.

The girl, if she was crazy in the beginning, she’s psychotic by the end - and just keeps bringing the ex-priest down with her. I’m glade that he is still kind enough in the end to do what he did in the end. (I’m not going to spoil it.)

Other then this movie I’ve seen 2 other vampire films - Lost Boys (the original: back when I was little my mom had us watch it because it’s her favorite but it’s a bit much when you’re only 10) and the Twilight series (though who really goes to see it for the vampires - the werewolves are so much more interesting to watch). 

Back to the movie. If, and when, comparing Lost Boys to Thirst there are several differences. Lost Boys moves along quickly getting to the vampire stuff right away, Thirst takes a while until you get to that point. Lost Boys has a feeling to it that gives you more of the impression that this is how life in this town is since it is similar to how people were in that time. Thirst takes place in 2009 - the year it was made - but it’s main character is so precise and clean that it make the movie feel surreal at times.

As I said vampires and me get along to some extent. I don’t think that I will ever watch this movie again - again not because it’s in a different language - but because it was too bloody and sexual for me. Was flipping my iPad over on more than one occasion. And before you ask I did put the book down every now and again as well. Though no matter what I would like to see Interview with the Vampire soon.

Regardless, this is good bye to vampires for the class - well except for the in class discussion. Farewell blood suckers.

Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice

Okay, I haven’t read or seen any real monster or zombie movies before this class - I’ve said that before. I don’t really care about them, the movies and books we’ve been through were okay but none that peeked my interest. But vampires, vampires I like - to an extent. Don’t ask why, they’re just more interesting.

So the book. Good, quite good. I do like the main character - his struggles and events in his life are as realistic as I can imagine. But I’m not here to tell you what happened in it, read it yourself or watch the movie - I know I plan to.

One of the reasons why I liked this book was because of the way it was written. There was always something going on, dialog that helped move the story along - or at least move my eyes to the next line. No dialog means nothing to interest me in continuing down the page. However, while this book had lots of dialogue (the vampire’s story all written in his speech) the large blocks of solid text is not encouraging.

Another thing that I have against the book is that there are no chapters. It makes it very difficult to find a spot to stop for the day. Okay, there are the gaps every-now-and-again but unless you have a book mark - and you can’t use one if you use the school’s copy since you’re not allowed to check it out - it doesn’t work.

But yes I do enjoy vampires a bit. I wouldn’t say they are my favorite characters, not at all, but they are more enjoyable then everything we’ve covered so far. And at least these vampires don’t sparkle and get pregnant.

So next week Japanese Horror. We’ll see how that goes in a weeks time.