And…She’s Back! For Your Viewing Pleasure…

The crap is out of my lungs, and while I still sound pretty rough, I am cleared to go back to work. Thank goodness. The end of the semester is nigh, and I needed to get back. Tomorrow, I will concentrate a great deal on group work and board work.

***

One of the things that happens to me when I am really sick is that my brain sort of stops producing, and I find that watching things is a great way to pass the time. I know I'm better because I have actually read stuff in the last couple of days, and I'm itching to write again. So, let's talk about what I've been watching!

Sabrina (1995): In this case, the remake is better than the original. This movie places Greg Kinnear, Julia Ormond, and Harrison Ford in a snappy romantic comedy that is sharp. It's the Cinderella story, but it has a great twist. It's also a story of self-discovery for both Ford and Ormond. Beautifully filmed, with notable soundtrack by John Williams, it combines a modern sensibility with a tribute to old Hollywood style.

Pleasantville: Speaking of gorgeous films, watching the world of Pleasantville colorize and revolutionize is a visual treat. Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon put in sharp performances. I used to pair this movie with the teaching of Jack Kerouac's On the Road to talk about the emergence and changes in 50s society.

Life on Mars Seasons 1 and 2: Gene Hunt would be one of those characters you wish you'd written yourself. Angst-filled Sam Tyler is hit by a car in 2003 and wakes up in 1973. Is he insane, in a coma, traveled in time? You know what I like best about this show? You never, ever know. John Simm and Philip Glenister own the show in a dysfunctional, engaging symbiosis of the classic cop show.

Emma: I have a soft spot for the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma, and I watched it again with delight. Not inaccurate, but abbreviated, this Emma still captures the story's chief moral dilemmas, and the development of Emma as a character.

Mission: Impossible Season One: I am about a quarter of the way through the season. I am ashamed as a spy fy fan that I have not yet watched this. What I find particularly amusing is that our main man keeps a folder labeled Impossible Missions Force in his apartment with files on all his operatives. Oops. But hey, the 60s, right? I'm not sure why Martin Landau gets to be a special guest star every episode. What's interesting is that it took me a few moments to recognize DA Adam Schiff, terribly young, in Daniel Briggs. Important tips for being on the Impossible Missions Force: Know how to play the calliope. And remember that a bad ethnic accent will get you out of almost any bad situation.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Eh. This deserves its own entry.

***

In addition to Utena, I'll be getting back to those research notes on Egyptian mythology. I'm working on a couple of interviews out there yet, and finally, I should write up an entry for this year's Paradise Icon. So, adieu for now.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.