My brain, it no workey

[fredericks]

I think if I believed in labels I'd be really happy right now. It took me almost the entire day to finish the assignments for my Psych rotation that are due Monday. Two process reports, one journal entry, and six med cards took me NINE HOURS. I don't know what my problem is, if I do have one. Maybe it's just laziness. I can't seem to concentrate when I need to most: I'll start doing work and hit a brick wall almost immediately. It is the most frustrating thing in the world, and I hope there's some sort of easy explanation for it, something outside of myself, instead of "you're just really really lazy". This degree of distractability and general non-focus is a step away from being frightening.

*
Vacation wraps up tomorrow, and that's part of the reason why I decided to hunker down and finish my assignments today - I hate having work hang over my head the day before I have to return to school. My aunt figured I should "get out of the house" yesterday evening so she invited me to the movies with her to see "The Inside Man". It's not my type of movie so I declined but she kept nagging so I said I'd go with them and see "V for Vendetta" instead. As I dislike to stand in line and purchase tickets I decided to buy mine online ahead of time. Everything worked out great, but I sort of neglected to ask them what theatre they intended on going to. Turns out they wanted to go across town from the theatre where I bought my tickets. Joy. I ended up going to the movies completely alone; I didn't want to waste the money on the ticket so my brother dropped me off at my theatre before going back to pick up his girlfriend and rendezvous with my aunt at the other theatre.

My initial response to "V for Vendetta" was positive, but I think I could do with another viewing before forming a definite opinion on it. One thing's for certain - Hugo Weaving could read me to sleep every night and I'd be a happy happy woman (as long as he didn't throw any "Mister AN-derson"'s into the mix). I amused myself by counting how many of the men on-screen had appeared in queer-friendly cinema. Rupert Graves was lovely in "Maurice" (it's been a while since I've seen it and I can't remember if he snogged Hugh Grant or the other gent) and "Different for Girls", Stephen Rea was the deer in the headlights of "The Crying Game" (what happened to Jaye Davidson after his part in "Stargate" anyway?), and my personal hero Stephen Fry (he of the disconcertingly crooked nose) got to get real real cozy with one Jude Law (*swoon*!) in "Wilde". Fuckin' awesome. Hells, even Hugo Weaving played the ugliest drag queen this side of Wesley Snipes in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". If only notable American male actors could go out of their way to satisfy my need to see male/male action to act in more diverse roles this world would be a much better place.

*
I just finished watching Miyazaki's latest "Howl's Moving Castle". Wow. I hadn't walked away from an animated movie saying "this SUCKS!" until, oh, 30 minutes ago. I think I'm suffering from "the book was sooooooo much better" syndrome but it's true! the book WAS so much better. The movie was a complete departure from the intriguing twists of the book, and it was a waste to bring Welsh actor (and current fredericks cutie) Christian Bale in to VO Howl because of that. Grrrr. Ending idiotic, the whole war thing was a distraction, and having Sophie's age fluctuate constantly was confusing as all hell. Perhaps I'm also pissed because I've been anticipating this movie for the last year, I finally get my hands on it and...nothing. I should have know better - I really didn't like "Princess Mononoke" (or whatever the heck) at.all.

Admire my paragraph with the amazing changing tense. I'm too tired to go back and fix everything; sorry grammar Nazis.

*
Okay Friend's List, take note - my birthday is in...two months and two weeks, just about. I'd like an Ubersexy Sex Therapist session, if you please. Start saving up now.

PS - What I've learned today: if you can listen to the "Transformers: The Movie" soundtrack and not feel the 80's synth rock down in your very SOUL you aren't human. "Dare" is my official rally song, dammit!

Comments

[alicetheowl.livejournal.com]

I liked the movie version, but I also wasn't expecting a 100% faithful adaptation. I think it kept a lot of the themes intact, while also intriguing a body into wanting to read the book to get the deeper subtext.

I have the DVD, and am intending to watch it subtitled to see if that changes anything. With a lot of Miyazaki's, it does.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

The thing that aggravated me the most was how unsubtle the themes were. My brother who (God bless his heart) is one of the more concrete movie watchers out there started rolling his eyes about the whole pollution/industry theme 15 minutes in. Then the random senseless war which was random and senseless, as many wars are. It wasn't given a context and I suppose that's as it was supposed to be, but so much time was spent on it that it took me away from everything else that had come before.

Don't mind me, I'm just feeling grumpy and a bit like old Sophie. :) I really wanted to see England in the movie and more of Howl and Sophie and the lot, less of the surrounding environment. I think a re-watch might help me enjoy the movie for what it is, though.

[alicetheowl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I pretty much hated that they left out the part about where the black part on the doorknob went (or rather, changed it), but I guess I can understand, based on how they changed it, why that was left out.

Environmentalism and anti-war are two very pervasive themes in most of Miyazaki's works, so I guess I was expecting something about both of those themes.

[living-kindness.livejournal.com]

Jaye Davidson didn't want to act anymore. He refused. Fame wasn't for him. He took the money he made, bought the boots he wanted, and retired in London somewhere to be a fashion designer.

I was a bit obsessed with him for a time when I first started college. Hehe.

I never saw Howl's Moving Castle. I'm kind of a slacker when it comes to watching movies everyone's talking about. Eh. I still have to see Spirited Away. Must back away from Asian horror and watch cartoons...

Ubersexy Sex Therapist? Umm....How bout an ecard and a pat on the head?

[modpixie.livejournal.com]

oh man, did i ever dislike howl's. and this is saying a lot, as i generally find miyazaki very inspirational -- spirited away really touched me on a lot of levels. unfortunately, the subtitles in the print we saw were in comic sans (better or worse than billy crystal's voiceover? discuss!), and i had no idea what in the holy hell was going on.

though i liked mononoke hime a lot; it seemed like a more balanced version of nausicaa to me.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Jaye Davidson didn't want to act anymore. He refused. Fame wasn't for him. He took the money he made, bought the boots he wanted, and retired in London somewhere to be a fashion designer.
Are you fo' serious? The boots bit is hilarious but everything else? :)

I caught bits and pieces of Spirited Away on CN last week when they aired it. I liked what I saw, which surprised me as everything I've seen from this man I've not taken to. "Spirited Away" garnered so much buzz (and I think it's the highest grossing movie ever in Japan) that it'll be around for a while.

Dood. When I next catch you online (sorry about disappearing after Press Your Luck but I really had to get my work done) I will tell you about Ubersexy. You will think I'm weird, but most likely no more weird than I already am.

[living-kindness.livejournal.com]

I'm totally serious. He took the job on...oh man, either Stargate or the Crying Game, whichever came first, so he could get some money for some boots. And then he didn't like all the attention, so he said bye-bye and went back to fashion.

I caught bits and pieces as well and was a little...uh....scared. lol

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

I've never seen "Nausicaa". I might have to give it a go next time I visit Blockbuster.

Every time Billy Crystal spoke I cringed a little.
unfortunately, the subtitles in the print we saw were in comic sans (better or worse than billy crystal's voiceover? discuss!)
INFINITY better. He wasn't over-the-top with it, but it was still distracting. So was Bale's VO, to be honest and not blinded by pseudo-lust. I wish Hollywood would stop hiring well-known actors for VO and give actual voice over artists chances. People specialize in it for a reason: because it's hard to convey emotion with only your vocal chops.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

No shit? Oh, that's great. :)
A man only in the business for his boots. The Crying Game came first. How can you be so hard up for some boots that you'd want to show the world your (somewhat small) package? Jaye Jaye Jaye, crack is wack, yo.

[captainschlumpy.livejournal.com]

Aw, you didn't like Howl's Moving Castle? I have it since it is a Miyazaki film. I haven't watched the dubbed version though. I like the Japanese voice actor for Howl. I work on the Sex therapist session, tee hee! Plus, I LOVE the Transformers the Movie soundtrack so you are now at the top of my cool list! and your CD is done and will be sent off tomorrow. Expect smut in the mail soon!

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Aw, you didn't like Howl's Moving Castle?
There's a chance I might have liked it more if I didn't read the book and really enjoy it. I read the book in anticipation of the movie, and did the typical "this would make a great scene" and "I can't wait to see this play out in animation", so the big deviations were disappointing. I was more interested in Howl and Sophie than the themes of war and pollution, and I didn't get nearly enough of them. Or what I got of them just confused me (I'm always a bit slow on the uptake). I still have it so I'll see if I can listen to the Japanese dub with subtitles and find out if it's an improvement.

Re: Transformers The Movie
When we were younger my dad used to rent animation for us (back then it was only me and one brother) and then record them onto video cassette...for posterity, I suppose. Weird, and I can only chalk it up to his brain damage, but we loved to watch the shows over and over again. Of course, VHS isn't the most durable of mediums and all our copies of He-Man, Silverhawks, and Thundercats either eventually broke or completely stopped working (or were recorded over by an overzealous mom). Our favorite was definitely the Transformer Movie, but that was the first thing to go, tapewise. It would always fade out RIGHT as Hotrod opened up The Matrix in the gut of Galvetron ("light...our darkest...hour!" ::cue "You've Got the Touch"; cue fredericks breaking out into goosebumps and pumping her fist::), annoying the hell out of me. So when it came out on DVD four years or so ago you best believe I had in it my hot little hands immediately. Then, of course, I lent it to my aunt and I haven't seen it since. Grr. But I still love that movie. I continually tear up when Optimus fades away, and I always get rev'd when the songs kick in. Ahhh... /flashback

Ubersexy-saaaaaaaaaan! Hee! Man, I'm so in love with that it isn't even funny. Himeno (he of the second chapter) looks remarkably like Hal Sparks, to the point where I found myself saying "Kodaka is such teh QAF groupie". Now I'm crushing on the small man all over again.

Oh, the smex! You're so awesome, enabling me like this. *grin*

[chiana606.livejournal.com]

I always have work hanging over my head at the last minute. always. I award you ten points for being productive.

Books are better than movies at least 97 percent of the time.

[jenjiyana.livejournal.com]

american men in gay roles - there was stephen weber in Jeffrey