I saw THE PRINCESS BRIDE for the first time Saturday night and although in many ways it was delightful (supporting roles, in particular), overall I was a bit disappointed. Buttercup was the most passive of princesses and there was an awful lot of torture and violence. Maybe all those fearsome and brave Disney princesses have taken the wind out of Buttercup's 1980s sails. There were scenes where she sat there mute for long passages. Also the romantic leads looked like twins, which I found troubling. I once dated a boy who claimed you should find a partner that looked as little like you as possible. Or maybe that was just his reason for dumping this brown-eyed girl.
Also rewatched ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, where I got to see the good guys win. What a perfect movie that is. Still working on THE HANDMAID'S TALE, which keeps outdoing itself in the terrifying department. Loving TED LASSO on Apple TV.
Reading an old Ross MacDonald, written before the Lew Archer books. He sure knows how to keep the story moving forward. I was also reading a contemporary mystery but Ross just blew this guy away so I won't finish it.
So much snow and cold. I get my second shot Wednesday. Hope I can get there okay with this weather. No one has said what the procedure is if you can't get there.
How about you?
22 comments:
I have never been a big fan of The Princess Bride. I like some of the lesser characters such as Wallace Shawn. Cary Elwes always seemed a very bland leading man. Still watching Bill Maher, 30 Coins and the Investigation. Glad to see John Oliver back on. Also started watching The Valhalla Murders on Netflix. Theaters open and am tempted to go see Nomanland land. I guess it's showing on Hulu but I hate to get Hulu for just one thing. I've already seen Handmaid's Tale.
Had one of my eye injections Monday and couldn't do much reading for 2 days. Am finishing up Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. Have also been reading short stories. mostly from Patricia Highsmith. Just finished her The Snail Watcher. Great story.
Get my second shot Thursday. No bad reaction to my first shot.
Some snow but not a lot. I never have to do more than turn on my wipers to get rid of the snow on my car. No shoveling out. Temps mostly hovering around the low 20's but a lot more sunny days than the usual gray skies of Michigan.
Slowly dying of boredom but otherwise okay.
Glad you get your vaccine process done soon, Patti. I'm looking forward to getting mine. Funny how The Princess Bride seems after other fierce and independent Disney princesses. I didn't think about that sort of issue when I saw it for the first time when it came out. But I can see how it wouldn't age quite as well...
Our Weather-guessers predict 9-14 inches of snow for Western NY over the next 24 hours. And bitterly cold temperatures.
Diane and I are scheduled for our second Moderna shot tomorrow, but will the vaccine make it in durning the Snow Storm?
Somehow, I have a dozen Library Books out. My focus this week is to read a bunch of them to reduce the Library Book stack by 50%. If we're snowed in, that will provide the perfect opportunity for Serious Reading.
Good luck with your shot on Wednesday! Stay safe!
I like Princess Bride (which I always thought overrated by some who love it) for Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant scenes. "Inconceivable!" became a popular word here from Shawn's usage. Never cared for Robin Wright and Cary Elwes is bland.
Finished Pretend It's a City (last chapter, about books and libraries, one of the best), The Sommerdahl Murders (quite entertaining, set in coastal Denmark), All Creatures Great and Small (except for Christmas Special next week; last episode was far better than most of the others). Looking forward to how they will wrap up the insane 30 Coins tonight. The Investigation is watchable but plodding - probably true to life. Still watching Blood (Ireland), which is nasty.
We started a couple more Scandinavian shows, which seems to be our main viewing some days. First is the Swedish MODUS, which I'd recommend as much because after watching 4 of the 8 first series episodes, we still don't know where it is headed. A killer (we see him) is killing prominent people (we just found out the possible connection, so I won't ruin it for you) in different methods. He seems to be American, and there is a religious connection. The main detective is Inger Johanne Vik, who returned from her stint as a profiler at the FBI. Her autistic daughter Stina witnessed the first murder, and the killer saw her, which adds to the tension. Her partner is from the National Police. The book it was based on was called FEAR NOT originally, but was reprinted as MODUS. There is a second series where the American President (played by Kim Cattrall!) is kidnapped.
The other series was Danish, THE SEASIDE HOTEL. This has been running since late 2013 in Denmark, with the 8th series on now. Each of the first five series covers a summer from 1928-1932 (then it jumps to 1939-1940) at a small hotel near the north end of Jutland. We deal with the hotel's owners (played by the guy who headed the far right party in BORGEN), the staff (parlormaids, etc.) and guests. Very relaxing show, based on the first episode.
I should mention SEASIDE HOTEL is on PBS (Walter's Choice). SOMMERDAHL is on Acorn. We got the first series of MODUS from the library and recorded the second. Can't remember who is showing it. We also watched and very much enjoyed THE DIG on Netflix.
Weather sucks - haven't been above 35 in weeks. Occasional light snow, freezing rain, etc. Supposed to warm up later in the week, so maybe some of this snow will melt. Many people still have their cars buried.
Thanks, Jeff. I didn't even realize I could get that stuff on PBS until I searched. My problem is, George, I can only read for so long and then my eyes are too tired. Yes, Margot, princesses have gotten less wimpy over the years. It is really noticeable in this.
I am tempted to go to movies two weeks after my second shot.
THE PRINCESS BRIDE disappointing? Inconceivable! (speaking for my family and a number of friends)
Hope all works out well Wednesday with your second vaccine shot. Kitty and I will probably be getting ours in the late spring. Too much hassle and red tape here in Florida.
Trump was acquited, which was no surprise considering that most of the GOP senators are afraid of retribution. The stain of acquittal will be with us for a long time, yet the fury about the acquittal may lead to significant changes. Coin Mochrie's recent tweet sums up the acquittal: "If I ever commit a major crime, I really hope the jury is made up the people who helped me do it."
It's Florida cold out here. Sometimes I get chilly wearing shorts. I look at the wether up north and laugh diabolically.
We watched one of Jack's basketball games Saturday. They won 22-19. It was fun watching these 8- and 9-year-old kids. A few have talent and can really play well; most are somewhat hapless and are apt to drive the ball to the wrong basket. All the kids are enthusiastic and are trying their best. We had a fun time.
There were no cards, chocolate, flowers, dinners out, or dinners ordered in yesterday. We cuddled on the sofa and told each other of our love. A perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Finished watching LAW & ORDER UK. Many cast changes (some not so good, IMHO) over the five seasons (eight in the UK, but Amazon Prime mushed them together to make five). Some pretty good episodes and some that seem to be stretching my willing suspension of disbelief. Also watched the latst season of THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA. I keep scratching my head watching supposed high school juniors (played by actors in their 20s) boffing on a regular basis -- something I don't remember from when I was 16. Mixed in with the juvenile fare and dialog are some pretty interesting plots. The show gets a B- or a C+, depending on my mood.
Again, much of my reading this week has been short stories. I also dipped into Edward Wagennecht's omnibus anthology SIX NOVELS OF THE SUPERNATURAL, reading Robert Nathan's PORTRAIT OF JENNY (remember that great Jennifer Jones movie?), Frances Hodgson's THE WHITE PEOPLE, and Mary Johnson's SWEET ROCKET, and I'm about half through Walter de la Mare's THE RETURN, leaving Mrs. Oliphant's THE BELEAGUERED CITY for later this week. That adds up to five novels; the sixth -- Arthur Machen's THE TERROR -- I had already read several years ago. "Supernatural" in this volume does not neccesarily mean "horror."
Stay warm and have a great week, Patti!
Patti, meant to thank you for recommendation of Antonya Nelson last week. I am enjoying her FUNNY ONCE collection very much. After I finish it I will probably get another of her books, though I think this was the only one the library had as an ebook.
Haven't read that one. I just have THE EXPENDABLES and FEMALE TROUBLE.
Patti, I vary my activities each day. Mostly, I try to read in the mornings while my brains (and eyes) are well rested. I listen to audio books in the afternoon. During the evening hours, Diane and i watch TV--sometimes together, sometimes in different rooms depending on the content. Diane is still delighted by HALLMARK movies and I'm watching WANDAVISION on Disney+.
I did like THE PRINCESS BRIDE, but I think that is because I read it first. I had forgotten about the torture, and I did not like that part. I guess the parts I like are all the secondary characters also. But now I want to see it again.
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN is a wonderful movie and we should watch that again too.
I haven't read any of the early Ross Macdonald books, but I have so many of the Lew Archer series left to read, it will probably be a while before I worry about the other ones. And I need to read more of Margaret Millar's books also.
Our weather is beautiful, it is almost as if we have not had a winter this year. On the other hand, even now that people from 65 up can get the vaccine in California, the available vaccine is so low in our area that there is no telling when they might be available. The available doses are mostly reserved for second shots, which is the way it should be.
Reading: MALICE by Keigo Higashino. I am liking it even better than his UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SON, which I read earlier this year, and this one is half as long ... only 270 pages. I got a copy of TALES OF THE BLACK WIDOWERS by Isaac Asimov and have read a few of the stories in that.
And I read STONE ANGEL by Margaret Laurence last week, and loved it. What a story!
She was quite a writer. One of her novels was made into a movie with Joanne Woodward, Rachel Rachel. I wonder how she is. Been a long time since I've heard her name. Boy, do I miss being in California this time of year. Maybe next year.
George, I think there is something in this house bothering my eyes. Wish I knew what. I keep buying air purifiers, humidifiers, etc but nothing seems to help.
Patti, I will definitely be reading more by Margaret Laurence. I think the book that Rachel, Rachel was based on was A JEST OF GOD. That book is the next one after STONE ANGEL so I will see if I can get a copy of that.
THE DIVINERS was also great.
Margaret Laurence died in 1987.
A pre-election fundraieer for the Wisconsin election featured a table read by the cast of PRINCESS BRIDE. I'd not realized how few line many characters have - like Buttercup. They may have had a lot of screen time but there was not much dialogue.
I listed to Ken Bruen's GALWAY EPIPHANY. I really enjoy the books. There is always a mystery or crime of sorts but it's as much a infrequent journal of Jack Taylor, Miserable Drunken Bastard. Everyone around him dies and he keeps chugging along with bursts of intense sorrow between his established cynicism and aloofness.
I watched UNDERWATER with Kristen Stewart and enjoyed it. Simple story of deep sea drilling unit attacked by creatures and the divers escaping. I did keep questioning the realism of multiple people living in multiple (and spacious!) living units that were 7 miles underwater.
We're in the cold wave like everyone else. I've been under the weather with a cold and barely left the house Saturday through Monday.
Forgot to mention: Both Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson got plenty of love and hate for those weird vampire/werewolf movies. I was definitely on the side of mockery and did watch one of the films.
But, both actors have had solid careers since then. Moving past Heartthrob to Skilled Actor isn't easy.
Boy, they are both talented. Love Bruen. And he was been very kind to me over the years.
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PATTI: THE PREVIOUS COMMENT IS SPAM AND SHOULD BE DELETED!
@ Steve: I found “The Snail Watcher” very spooky, almost revolting, but very strong.
Patti, seems everyone is/was doing Princess Bride in movie format. After years (decades?) of hearing of it, I bought the book, read about 40 pages and tossed it. I thought it was awful. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN is a great film, I’ve watched it many times, never tire of it.
Our power outage - 5 days! - meant a little daytime reading and bed at dark for me. Barbara used a head lamp to read for a while early in the evening, but then it was too cold. We lost almost everything in the refrigerator, have a long shopping list. We used Grubhub several times. I haven’t worn double sweatshirts and hoodies plus gloves indoors in forever. Thank goodness the power came back Thursday. The national news is making a HUGE deal about Texas, but was a word said about Oregon having nearly 500K out of power?
Good luck with your vaccine shot, nothing in sight here, though I’m eligible. So comforting to know the felons are vaccinated. Now there’s not enough vaccine anyway. Got a book from library but not reading it yet. Maybe today (Friday).
I admit I've heard nothing of Oregon.
My first reaction to TX news was my Upper Midwesterner thought that they're overreacting to cold. Nope. We'd be equally hurting if in single digit temps with no water or electricity.
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