Friday, June 29, 2007

Theatre: Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Thursday preview night at GA Shakespeare means Jenny and I get in the door without needing tickets. I didn't know anything about Pericles prior to sitting down to this.

What a weird show. Interesting story, but almost completely lacking in dramatic tension. Pericles is good from the start (in a fairy tale way--he's generous), and then bad things happen to him, and then all is restored. Hero's quest without any real work done on his part. Without any work ever needing to be done. His daughter saves herself (and this is interesting, but wasn't incredibly well-acted in this production). His wife serves the Goddess after she is brought back from death, and when Pericles honors the Goddess as he is told, she is returned to him.

I can understand why this one isn't wildly popular. In a way, ambiguity makes a story. Will he or won't he--the entire question behind Hamlet, behind Macbeth, behind Othello.

Still, the production had some really solid elements, the set being chief among them. Neat tricks: the storm at sea done with fabric, the hand-held light symbolizing resurrection, the pieces added to change settings. Very very pretty to look at. Worth seeing for that stuff, but I'm glad I didn't pay.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Pilot: Moonlight

CBS's new show only caught my eye because of Sophia Myles (the astonishingly beautiful and badass Madame de Pompadour in Doctor Who's "Girl in the Fireplace"). She's replacing the female lead, so while I didn't get to watch her in the pilot, I'm definitely anticipating some greatness. Or at least hotness.

Moonlight seems to pretty much be a straight up ripoff of Forever Knight, except with a PI-vampire-with-a-heart instead of a cop. Leaving aside any comparisons (and really, don't you have to when dealing with vampire stories?), there are a lot of elements here that push my geek-girl buttons: private investigation, noir, vampires with super strength, forbidden love, etc. Plus David Greenwalt is executive producing, which basically solidifies how this show will be Veronica Mars meets Buffy, but with a male hottie for the lead.

The pilot was really promising, even without Sophia Myles extreme gorgeousness. The story tracked, had lots of interesting background drama, and was sufficiently silly (in just the right moments) that I didn't have to take it all that seriously.

I'm definitely going to give this show a try when it debuts in September.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Film: Love Me If You Dare

I saw this movie at Lefont Garden Hills way back, loved it, and then somehow forgot all about it. I was reminded for no reason whatsoever, bought it, and rewatched it.

The arc is a bit uneven, but the story and visuals are so great, I'm willing to let all that nitpicking go. Emotionally, it all still tracks. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and joyous, all at the same time.


Love Me If You Dare
(Jeux d'Enfants)
dir. by Yann Samuell, 2003

Monday, June 25, 2007

AthFest: the rest

Whew. Terrible hotness (of the weather variety, not the other one) made the rest of the weekend a bit hard to deal with. Saturday, Jenny and I checked out the artist market (I bought a purse), watched the petting zoo camel for a while, saw David Dondero play, saw but did not enjoy The Whigs, drank beer at a diner, and then headed back to the 40 Watt to try to catch some bands.

We did see Mouser, which is a band made of up a drummer, a guitarist/singer, and like 10 people who play horns. Some of it was really good, and some of it was really tedious.

We Versus the Shark was up next, and despite all the good I'd heard about them, they just couldn't keep my attention. We called it an early night and slept like babies. Babies with heat exhaustion.

Sunday we missed everything, on account of needing to meet Kristy for lunch. We did get to explore UGA's campus a bit, so it wasn't a total bust.

Overall, I'd say AthFest was a total success, considering how miserably hot it was out. I'm already planning on going back next year.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

AthFest: Friday night

Jenny and I left after rush hour, sweat through the entire air conditioner-less drive, dropped our stuff at Kristy's, and then walked downtown. The streets were full of people, the vibe was pretty exciting, and the music was good (but I have no clue who was playing the outdoor stages). We picked up our wristbands, grabbed dinner at The Grit, and then walked back to the 40 Watt for our first show of the weekend, Madeline.

I discovered Madeline through a music blog, I think, but I can't really remember. All I know is I love her, and she was the one show I absolutely had to see. We missed the first few minutes, but the rest of the set was amazing. She's pretty small, and her stuff is not loud by any means, but she commanded the crowd's attention. It was really easy to listen and get lost in her music.

After that, we headed over to Little Kings to see Venice is Sinking. Unfortunately, the patio was packed, so they weren't letting anyone in. We ended up watching the show from the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street, behind the band. Music sounded great, but the vocals were muffled to hell. We cut out about ten minutes into the show, deciding we were too tired to handle anymore. I'm sad we missed Modern Skirts, but I imagine I could see them whenever.

AthFest Friday night
At the end of the night.

High hopes for being less tired today--we've got David Dondero this afternoon, The Whigs tonight, and maybe even some drinking with friends.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Blues

Blues

Monday, June 18, 2007

Pilot: Bionic Woman

Eh. This was an unfinished cut--meaning it'll be better when it airs, but I don't know if it'll be enough. Bad hairstyles, unclear plotlines, cheesy B-movie feeling all around. I'm not terribly impressed.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Book: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

by Maureen Johnson (2005).

Really terrific concept. Writing is awkward at first, but gets into a good flow after about 20 pages. All the scavenger hunt-ish stuff is awesomely fun.

And I totally blame Maureen Johnson for my current travel cravings.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Pilot: Reaper

It's pilot season around our house, thanks to my landlord's friend out in LA. Luckily, I started out with one I liked--the CW's Reaper, about a boy whose parents sold his soul to the devil, and what happens when the devil comes to work out the arrangements. I had half a mind to boycott the CW, thanks to their ungracious cancellation of Veronica Mars. But now we know that might come back in comic book form, and besides, this new show seems like it could be pretty good.

Silly, but good, as one might expect from pilot director Kevin Smith. The plot is funny, the characters are funny, the dialogue is occasionally funny (mostly when the devil is talking), and that Tyler Labine kid is funny but could probably stand to lose the Jack Black-ish-ness and replace it with something more his own.

And the devil loves hockey, which is like the easiest way to bait my fangirl side.

I'll definitely try this series out in the fall.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Theatre: The Servant of Two Masters

by Carlo Goldoni, directed by Dan McCleary.

Last night was the final dress rehearsal, and a bunch of us were asked to come so the actors could have an audience, see when/where people laughed, etc. The premise of this play is a little convoluted-sounding, so I was worried that, when it officially opens, the patrons aren't going to get it.

I pretty much forgot all about the logistics by the time the actors started doing their thing. This play is funny. Like, pee-in-your-pants funny. There's a ton of improv, topical humor, penis jokes (and indecent-looking pants), physical comedy, running gags, and other hilarious stuff. Oh, and a splash zone.

Definitely the best comedy I've seen in a while.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Film: Paris, Je T'Aime

I really like the idea of linking film shorts together--kind of like a movie mixtape. It reminds me of Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch, only I'm sure he's not the first one to have had the idea.

I didn't recognize the names of many of the directors included here, but I enjoyed each segment. There wasn't a dud in the bunch. I did, of course, have a favorite: the short early in the film featuring the French boy and Muslim girl. But I loved all the others almost just as much. And at the end, when some of the stories link up, I actually let out a few audible "aw" sounds in the theatre.


Paris, Je T'Aime
various directors, 2007

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Film: The Science of Sleep

Nobody told me this film was mostly in French. Jeez.

Kidding. I liked it, though not as much as I liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind--mostly because the plot here confused me. Still, it was definitely neat, and fun, and sad, and Gael Garcia Bernal is both hot and a great actor.


The Science of Sleep
dir. by Michel Gondry, 2006

The streets of Athens ran foamy with beer

Jenny and me
Drunk girls.

Okay, not so much beer for me this past weekend, but don't be fooled--it was indeed a crazy drinking-fest in honor of Kristy's birthday. Also a crazy-good-food-fest; The Grit is my new favorite, like to the extent that I would seriously consider the 2+ hour round trip just to eat their breakfast burrito. Or, you know, moving to Athens.

Anyway, photo highlights are at my Flickr page.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Graphic Novel: Y: The Last Man, vol. 7

by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, et al. (2006)

Less page-turner story than the last volume, but great nonetheless. Some things are starting to come together, which is awesome, but I think I need to go back and reread the first few volumes.

The last issue collected here, "1,000 Typewriters," was my favorite--I'm a sucker for cute animals in comic books.