Blowing things up makes for excellent films

Went tonight to see 'Mission Impossible III.' And I know Tom Cruise is insane and a mad scientologist and all that...but still I went to see it and enjoyed it.   And all I can say is that I rather approve of films that use as many explosives as this one does.  (I have a long list of films that could learn from this.) In a past life I was probably one of those medieval peasants that saw three skulls of John the Baptist and were really impressed by the fact that he had three heads.  

Also on the new Marie Antoinette film read this on IMDB: 

"Based on Antonia Fraser's book about the ill-fated Archduchess of Austria and later Queen of France, Marie Antoinette' tells the story of the most misunderstood and abused woman in history, from her birth in Imperial Austria to her later life in France."   

And  

"Sofia Coppola refused to read the famous biography of Marie-Antoinette written by Stefan Zweig, which she judged too strict. She turned instead to the book by Antonia Fraser, which makes the queen a more human character, a young girl with no connection to reality who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time."   

You know, I'm not such a fan of the reign of terror and the mess that was, but if I am going to be having sympathy for people in 18th century France, Marie Antoinette wouldn't top my list.  The woman was a total moron, for one.  Though admittedly, the same could be said for her husband so they probably worked quite well as a couple.   

It's strange how some costume dramas don't bother me when they ignore reality, because the pretty costumes and settings are great, but others like this one seem calculated to make me see red.  I have no idea why that is, but I'm guessing that I find fictional aristocrats easier to like than the real ones, who frequently caused incalculable human misery as well as building nice things that later become museums.  Besides, why does Marie Antoinette have to be whitewashed?  Surely you could do an interesting film about her flaws as well as her excellent taste in frocks. 

ETA: Hey, I've just realised that this is probably one of those films that could be improved by explosives!  It all comes together somehow.

And on the Hockey Front..

I would like to apologise to luftballoons for Carolina not defeating Buffalo.  And we were so close too...

And this is a bit random, but I am watching Batman Begins and I keep wondering why are people who train jedi superheroes in exotic Eastern locales always such wankers? Apparently being a complete bastard is a prerequisite for passing on valuable knowledge. This explains a lot of my education, but I wouldn't necessarily say that is a pattern I would like to promote. And even the nuns never tried to kill or chuck bats at me.

Now I really want to see a film in which the trainer is all 'Oh just sit down for a bit and have a nice cup of tea. And maybe some jammy biscuits. Training?  Well, maybe when you feel like it we'll do a bit of running around and trying on leather costumes for the right fit. And after that we'll go out into the garden and have some sangria. Wouldn't that be nice?'  And all his  (or her) protegees would be nice sane people who don't brood on the tops of buildings and when they ran into the broody ones they'd be really surprised that there is superhero angst and adjustment issues. 

In which I recycle an old post: shipping from beyond the grave!

A while back I wrote this while inspired by massive internet meltdown over JK Rowling's choice of 'ships in Harry Potter 6: The One Where She Disappointed Fans Who Ship Harry and Hermione. And inspired by misscam's reports on CSI fandom and the shipper implosion there, I decided to revive it.  Because somehow that made sense in my head.

Without further ado

I announce a new shamelessly recycled fan campaign. Why should we stop with demanding the ship of our choice in books written by living authors? That's for those who want to take the easy route. I'm not going to be defeated by death!

So I plan on hiring a medium (well, maybe it will just be me and a ouija board) to contact deceased authors and demand they write the 'ships that I want.

The campaign will include (but is not limited to) contacting the following authors who didn't do what I wanted totally screwed up their destined lovers. I will demand they end their novels with the following people riding off into the sunset of passion and shagging (not necessarily in that order):

1. Jane Austen: Fanny Price and Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park
2. Louisa May Alcott: Jo and Laurie in Little Women
3. Samuel Richardson: Clarissa Harlowe and Lovelace in Clarissa 
4. Tess and that guy in Tess of the D'Ubervilles. Way to screw that one up, Thomas Hardy.

I will take other suggestions, including Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley in Pride and Prejudice (You know they were totally doing the love that dare not speak its name until that cow Elizabeth came along and ruined things) or any other pairing that people feel like mentioning.

*Weeps* Won't anyone think of the classic fictional lovers?*

Feel free to promote my totally insane brilliant idea! It's all about the fans, baby.

*This also applies to cancelled TV series.  Disappointed Spike and Buffy didn't get together and have babies in the end?  We can summon up the spirits of the past and get the writers to change history.

Age of Steel

How good was this episode? So good I had commentary for the blind over part of it and I still thought it was amazing! 

( Cut for spoilers. And mad love and enthusiasm.  )