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dwellordream · 3 years

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“In theory, Victorians concerned with troublesome issues on the margins of respectable fiction for girls could deal with them within the family reading circle. Reading aloud was perhaps the most common domestic entertainment within the Victorian family, used as reward, improvement, or therapy for life’s challenges. The sisters taking turns reading to accompany their needlework, the matron at the sickbed, the daughter reading to her father at the end of a business day—there were myriad arenas in which families used reading to ease, amuse, and instruct.

At its most basic, reading aloud enabled the sharing of resources (a book, or a fresh installment of a periodical) among many. But beyond that, it was a profoundly social way of responding to the lessons of history, current fiction, or poetry. The critic Andrew Blake suggests that the novel, in particular, was ‘‘a most important point of contact between the public and the private’’ because ‘‘it gave people a chance to discuss domestic ideology in public without touching on domestic secrets.’’ The semipublic sphere that was the family circle provided an important venue for the discussion of reading. Within this context, instruction in morality could be accomplished informally, gently, impersonally, with reference to fictional characters rather than through direct criticism and rebuttal.

The convention of the family reading circle generally restricted polite novels from treating illicit sexuality or immoral characters, but if any lapses occurred, the family circle could deal with them most effectively. Thus Elizabeth Gaskell said of her own novel Ruth, which features an orphan who has been seduced by an aristocrat: ‘‘Of course it is a prohibited book in this, as in many other households.’’ The one circumstance that would change its unsuitability for young people, she opined, was if it was ‘‘read with someone older,’’ perhaps with an older female relative within a family reading group.

The kind of family conversation which could improve all who participated was explained by Sarah Browne in a private diary in 1859. ‘‘Albert brings [Harriet Beecher Stowe’s] the Minister’s Wooing. We sit quietly and hear how James is brought back to the living, we calmly rejoice with Mary, plan and maneuver with Miss Pressy, call Parson Hopkins in very truth a Christian and wind up the evening by wishing to see Mrs. Stowe, knowing how she would seem and if she would talk at all, like other women.’’

Albert Browne Sr. was generally the reader in the Browne family, sometimes of ‘‘superior articles in the Atlantic Monthly.’’ In these moments of quiet, Sarah Browne most idealized her shared family life, ‘‘sitting as we do in our little western chamber, Father, Alice and I storing in the rich thoughts of others as a life element of our own.’’Reading aloud enabled a submersion of family tensions in a focus outward on the problems of others.

The idealization of the shared reading experience suggested stylized familial communion to daughters as well as parents. During the final days of the Civil War, as she anticipated her own marriage, Helen Hart thought to memorialize the evenings reading aloud together. ‘‘I think I never enjoyed evenings more in my life. First Bertie reads, then Hady, and then Mother and I; from History, Shakespeare, the Atlantic, and other miscellany. Such peaceful, happy winter evenings at home! Something for us to look back upon in after years when we are scattered. I have treasured up each one as it passed, as a sweet and sacred memory.’’ The pleasure came from the contrast between ‘‘our quiet harbor’’ and ‘‘the world with its commotions, its struggles.’’

Never did home seem so secure and safe as when implicitly contrasted with the adventures and misfortunes of fictional characters, warring nations, or past princes. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s biographer noted that Charlotte and her destitute and emotionally distant mother were at their best when reading aloud to each other, their fraught intimacy dissolved in their shared focus on the lives and feelings of others. Those moments of community might even be resurrected by rereading books so experienced. (‘‘It seems as if we were gathered around the nursery fire again. I can almost hear Aunt Mary’s voice.’’) The pleasures of reading aloud were those of reading mediated—reading mediated by the fiction of shared purpose.

Reading aloud did not have a single simple meaning, however, nor did it model only one kind of power relationship. The Browne family’s shared reading was patriarchal, with father reading and other family members (according to the hardly impartial mother) celebrating familial harmony. Alice Stone Blackwell, in her irreverent and spritely diary, offered another example of paternal reading aloud, lightly satirizing her father, the noted reformer and women’s rights advocate Henry Blackwell:

‘‘Papa sat with his feet on the top of the stove, saturated with laziness, and rated me for enjoying stories [fiction], and formed plans to give me a taste for instructive literature, and ended by making me bring Plutarch’s Lives, and beginning to read them aloud.’’ This depiction of a well-respected father indulging in playful tyranny of his only child suggests a quite different emotional shading—if a similar actual structure—to the idealized portraits of patriarchal reading circles.

Daughters also read on their own, though, and given the risks of immoral reading and the gains from uplifting reading, good parents attempted to mon- itor what they read. The goal in choosing reading, as in all the lessons of character, was to instruct gently and surely so as to encourage daughters to make familial lessons their own. Advice to parents ranged from the relatively cut and dried—‘‘Parents should choose the books that their children read until the age of 15’’—to the more subtle: ‘‘Wise parents put so many good books in the way of their children that the taste for them is formed unconsciously, and there is never any feeling of restraint.’’ (The latter piece of advice, made in 1901, was clearly advice for the book-wealthy.)

Ellen Emerson’s correspondence with her mother while away at boarding school suggested the appropriate supervisory relationship of parents over girls’ reading. Explaining that she was reading Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, which she found ‘‘a very funny book,’’ she went on, ‘‘I never read any that I am not sure you would be willing to have me,’’ and recorded her assumption that Scott, Gaskell, and several others were ‘‘not forbidden.’’ She went on to query, ‘‘May I read [Margaret Oliphant’s] ‘Head of the Family’?’’ Middle-class or elite parents who participated in genteel Victorian culture assumed an important role in controlling the reading of their daughters—its quantity, its contents, and its circumstances.

In the elite midwestern Hamilton family, a family with a strong and eclectic reading tradition, novels were doled out prudently like candies during vacations from school, so as not to interfere with schoolwork. When her daughter was fifteen, Phoebe Hamilton gave her ‘‘Ivanhoe for my holiday reading, she always gives me one of Scott every vacation.’’ The next year her mother was more liberal, providing Scott’s Quentin Durward for a Christmas book and giving permission for the reading of Dickens’s Little Dorrit and Jemima Tautphoeus’s The Initials. As January arrived, Agnes lamented, ‘‘I have finished the latter but I am afraid as I go back to school next Monday I shall have to let Little Dorrit wait till summer.’’

There was a hierarchy within Hamilton family reading, and despite her voraciousness, Agnes felt that her tastes fell short of her family’s preferences. ‘‘Oh! why haven’t I the love of learning of the family?’’ She indicated what was expected in her next breath: ‘‘Knight’s England vol. III has been read all but two chapters since last fall and during two months I have read but four books of the Odyssey.’’ She forced herself to be realistic. ‘‘During this next week [probably a school vacation] I want [to] finish half a dozen or more books which I have begun but I dare say the novels are the only ones that will be looked much in.’’

Like the Hamilton reading regimen, other family routines, too, involved matters of both quality and quantity. There were appropriate ages for the reading of different books. At fifteen, Margaret Tileston wanted to read George Macdonald’s Alec Forbes of Howglen, an homage to the dignity of Scots country life. The author was certainly approved, but Margaret’s mother didn’t want her to read the book ‘‘yet.’’

At eighteen, Margaret was still reading under adult scrutiny. Sick at home she was ‘‘allowed’’ to read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, considered excessively charged for young girls, and polished off 340 pages on the first day. Reading was one way of being inducted into family ideology; when Margaret reread Pilgrim’s Progress in 1883, she was conscious that she was reading a book that had been important to her mother when she was young.”

- Jane H. Hunter, “Reading and the Development of Taste.” in How Young Ladies Became Girls: The Victorian Origins of American Girlhood

#victorian #history #american #how young ladies became girls #jane h. hunter

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kiragecko · 3 years

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Reviews of Christian Allegorical FANTASY

Note: Christianity is a broad, varied thing. I can only write from my perspective, and it’s hard to describe that perspective to an international audience. Words have different meanings in different countries. But this is what I think about the various Christian allegorical fiction I’ve read, measured by writing quality, allegorical quality, and ability to make me happy. Your perspective may vary.

Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis –

Writing: Y’all know this guy is good.

Allegory: Shockingly strong for something with such mass appeal. And deeper than you thought as a kid. Never sidelines the story, because he’s integrated the two so well.

Problems: So, you don’t notice the colonialism, racism, classism, sexism, and mild ableism as a kid. Dude was a white British man during the early and mid 1900s. He does not entirely rise above his culture. Some of the dehumanization of species/cultures that are obvious stand-ins for real world cultures horrified me during my latest reread. And it’s subtle enough that it’s hard to point out to kids.

Story: The story is great. I’ve read ‘The Horse And His Boy’ so many times that my papa’s copy is held together with tape. He wouldn’t let me take them when I moved out. Had to buy my own. It was tragic.

The Archives of Anthropos, by John White –

Writing: Reminds me of Terry Brooks, a little. In that the writing is servicable, and some of the fantasy is pretty derivative, but it’s definitely not bad. The roots are strong, but he didn’t have enough experience to cut all the weaker bits and ruthlessly rewrite.

Allegory: Solid. Not tacked on, not super deep. Really good for a Narnia imitation.

Problems: Not sure, haven’t reread in a while. Pika didn’t like a battle near the beginning, so we had to stop.

Story: It’s set in Winnipeg!!! Unashamed about being heavily inspired by Narnia, this series is a delight. Not as good as it’s inspiration, of course, but it feels like a heartfelt fan letter. Some of the ideas are REALLY cool. This series is worth reading, you guys! Especially the first 2 books.

The Circle (Black, Red, and White), by Ted Dekker –

Writing: Readable. Slick. Masculine.

Allegory: Lacked both the desired subtly and the necessary depth. Felt like it was written for fantasy fans that felt guilty about reading secular books, rather than to say something important.

Story: Don’t like Narnia-esque books aimed at adults. Allegories shouldn’t be trying to be cool. Not a fan. (But please note that these opinions were formed 15-20 years ago. I may have been missing something.)

The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis –

Writing: Again, this is C.S. Lewis. He’s good at writing.

Allegory: A little weird, for me. But I struggle with allegory for adults. One of the books is Adam and Eve on Venus, with original sin working slightly differently? I don’t get it.

Problems: My problem is that I don’t like it! Sometimes it reads like Douglas Adams, but not funny. That makes no sense!

Story: Don’t like Narnia-esque books aimed at adults, even if they’re written by the authour of Narnia. This is Sci-Fi. There is romance. Really not for me.

The Story of the Other Wise Man, by Henry Van Dyke –

Writing: Good, if I remember correctly. Feels dated and classic, like it should be from Victorian times. (I just checked, it’s from 1895.)

Allegory: Like most morality from more than a century ago, it reads a bit weird. Just, life was a lot harsher then. Nice clear simple message, just taught from a mindset I don’t totally understand.

Story: As a kid, this one made me SAD! He loses everything and feels like a failure! Does have a good message, teaching is sound, good storytelling, but it wasn’t fun enough to make the lesson stick.

Left Behind, by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins -

Writing: I remember the writing being fine. They read like thrillers, which isn’t a bad thing. I’ve enjoyed some thrillers.

Allegory: Revelations is ALREADY an allegory. This is just an uninspired expansion.

Problems: Everything.

Story: I hate apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic stories. This series wasn’t written by someone who was bothered by the suffering of everyone who made ‘wrong’ choices, and that makes it hollow and awful. ‘We’re so good and smart and better than other people!’ NO. That is not Christianity.

A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle –

I still don’t get how this series is Christian?? Really freaked me out as a kid. Had quite a few nightmares.

After a little research, it turns out that she has a very different understanding of Christianity then me. You’ll have to get a review from someone who can see from that perspective.

Duncton Wood, by William Horwood –

Writing: Extremely good. Heavy and beautiful. Kept me reading as I got more and more weirded out.

Allegory: Not a Christian allegory. And yet Christian enough, in a weird Anglican(??) way, to make it difficult to interpret as non-Christian. There’s a Jesus figure who gets martyred. There are schisms. It’s weird.

Problems: Almost certainly shouldn’t be on this list, yet I spent half an hour searching for it because I was so sure it was supposed to be on this list.

Story: Moles and their experiences with religion. There are similarities to Watership Down and Redwall, Narnia and Lord of the Rings. (The last mostly in language/writing style). If it wasn’t so close to Christian allegory as to be in the uncanny valley, I would have loved it! As it is, I would have prefered LESS Christ.

Christian ALLEGORICAL Fantasy

The Pilgrim’s Progress, by Paul Bunyan –

Writing: (Note: I’ve only read versions rewritten for kids. At least one was heavily abridged.) This was written in 1678. That is a LONG time ago. The worldview is really different from ours. Also, the versions I read were not inspired updates.

Allegory: This was written only 100 years after the Protestant Reformation. Punishments are incredibly disproportionate. Rich people have completely different rules than the poor, and this is seen as Godly. It’s been over 20 years since I read this book, and I don’t remember much, but it’s a weird read if you’re expecting modern concepts of right and wrong.

Story: Fascinating! Did not enjoy. Might as an adult. Reading an allegory that you can’t relate to at all is a weird experience.

Hind’s Feet On High Places, by Hannah Hunnard -

Writing: (Note: I’ve only read the version rewritten for kids.) Writing is really good.

Allegory: Names that are just English words have always annoyed me. Other than that pet peeve, this is extremely good. Straight-forward enough to be read to a 7 year old, complex enough for me to reference when I’m trying to describe my experiences to my husband. Solid Christianity, with enough hard stuff to challenge you, while still managing to be fun.

Problems: We’ve got some nasty ableism baked into the setting (disability as metaphor for sin and bondage), and the images are painfully white.

Story: I love this book! This is a Pilgrim’s Progress that actually matches with Christianity as I understand it. If you’re looking for a fun fantasy with a good message, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a distillation of Christianity, told as a story because that makes it more accessible – this is a good one.

The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri –

Haven’t read it.

Tales of the Kingdom, by David and Karen Mains -

Writing: The first collection of stories is really strong. The next 2 get weaker. Short stories read differently than novels, and the writing style works well for that format.

Allegory: TOO strong. Some of the stories still make me mad to think about, because the messages are HARD. (Also, names that are just English words still annoy me, no matter now much I love the series.)

Problems: Ableism – true selves don’t have disabilities and are always beautiful. Art is not 100% white, but all the most beautiful people seem to be. And I love lizards far too much to handle the dragon story.

Story: These stories mean a lot to me. They are very much not something a non-believer is going to enjoy. They tend to focus on the parts of Christianity that are hard, uncomfortable, and/or different from mainstream culture. They also stick with you for decades. Narnia is my favourite series on this list to read, but Tales of the Kingdom might be the best for exploring your faith. Highly, highly recommend.

#religion #christianity #gecko recs stuff #people write things #these were the ones I could think of #anyone else know good allegories #(preferably aimed at kids but not tiny kids)#?

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firstagent · 3 years

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Review: Digimon Adventure: (2020) Episode 43: Clash, The King of Digimon

In this episode, Tailmon’s unreliable memories of the area lead everyone so far off the path they end up in a Scott Pilgrim scene.

You’d have to be a real grouch to complain about this one. It’s one of the silliest things we’ve seen in a long time, and if you can’t appreciate silly you’re probably in the wrong franchise. Everybody’s in peak comedic form here, with two classic bombastic villains unwillingly sharing the spotlight, unusual Digimon behavior that confounds everybody, and a resolution ridiculous enough for a premise like this. Heck, there’s even a tiny bit of plot progression as Tailmon’s memories and the appearance of another alternate evolution hang in the air for potential development. We’re having plenty of fun, but on the heels of such dry action, and the inevitability of more, it sure would be nice to know what we’re supposed to be expecting.

When you see Volcamon and Etemon’s names featured in the same episode, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. This is going to be loud, showy, and subtle as pantomime. They deliver right from the get-go, Etemon stepping up his musical game with some really nice beats that also propel Volcamon’s exercise routine into top gear. Together they fight for the adoration of a crowd that just seems happy to have two rock stars to cheer for. It’s a high energy moment that’s easy to get lost in, enough to make you kinda wish they didn’t have to roll in the main cast to spoil the party. On a typical week, these two have more personality than all sixteen of them combined.

Still, it’s not like the Chosen Ones aren’t doing anything productive. Tailmon realizes the recent trauma inflicted on the continent has transformed it too much for her to recognize. If there was any indication they thought were going the right way over the last eight episodes, that would have been a neat little situation. It also pulls back the random data card Koshiro found in the trash. When we’re craving any scraps of disagreement between the kids, we’ll take the little exchange between him and Mimi over whether to plug the sucker in. It’s a shame that the data on the card effectively and conveniently cancels out Tailmon’s problem. They were never going to get proper attention in all the surrounding madness, but they were things for a moment.

Since their regular personalities aren’t going keep up with the likes of Etemon and Volcamon, the easy solution becomes the Digimon acting insanely erratic thanks to the sound wave interference. And… everything’s just going to be nuts for a bit. They can’t control their attacks, attitudes change, pelts are lost, and Tailmon’s feline instincts emerge. The kids don’t get much chance to have any reaction other than bewildered, but it is telling who attempts to fight with their malfunctioning Digimon anyway. You expect that sort of thing from Taichi (and thankfully fate doesn’t let that idiocy slide this time), but Sora and Joe just revealed something.

Despite her rash stance on data input, Mimi turns out to be the one with a brain, recognizing the nature of this conflict and how it’s more about Etemon and Volcamon one-upping each other than actual animosity towards the Chosen. We haven’t seen many instances of genuine clever ruses outside of the cunning battle tactics Taichi rode into the ground long ago. Mimi turns the two foes back against each other until Palmon sees an opening and jumps into the fray, feeding off the weird rhythms to evolve into Ponchomon instead. Where previous alternate evolutions were harder to justify either because the conditions didn’t seem that drastic or we didn’t see how the situation demanded it, this is about as ideal as it gets, as Togemon wasn’t about to out-shake these guys and the sound waves were clearly messing everybody up enough to produce a weird one like this. And in an episode as ridiculous as this, the resolution should be equally insane.

Were this a one-off breather in a brief transition between big plot hits, this would be a classic. After six episodes of nonsense, the effect is dulled considerably. After 36 episodes that have felt mostly pointless due to the lack of characterization, we’ve had 7 that have been absolutely pointless due to the lack of story. So fun as it was, even a silly episode that teases us being back on track lacks power as we still have no semblance of a point. Right now, until we somehow dive into that, this whole thing is nonsense, which can’t help but deflate times like this when it’s intentional.

My Grade: B

Loose Data:

Etemon appearing at all is a nice throwback, but making most of his die-hard fans Gazimon and Pagumon is an extra bonus.

They didn’t really use it other than to justify being attacked, but the kids gaining a reputation among the neutral Digimon population is a nice touch. Only Frontier has gone anywhere near this concept. Best part is that the reputation is less as fated heroes but rather a gang going around beating up strong Digimon, which has been far closer to the truth ever since they’ve been on this continent.

You know who’s the real rock star in withstanding all of that noise? Komondomon.

Tailmon chasing one of Gomamon’s fish was adorable, but everything about her pawing the Holy Ring on her tail demands calling out.

Everything Ponchomon does stands on its own, but it’s relieving they didn’t try to actually have her beat Etemon and Volcamon in a fair fight, tricking them to punch each other out first. Gotta watch these sorts of things since that would be a hell of a debut episode supercharge knowing this could easily be her only appearance.

See reviews of every Digimon episode at Digimon: System Restore! Support the site by joining our Patreon!

#digimon #digimon adventure:#digimon adventure (2020)

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fuse2dx · 4 years

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February ‘20

Kentucky Route Zero

Kentucky Route Zero quickly became quite the obsession for me. Internally I'd downplayed and tuned out all of the praise I'd heard before, wanting a finished product to sink my teeth into rather than committing to a carrot on a very long stick. It became very clear that a lot of folks who'd been along for the whole 7-year ride of its delivery had their pens poised for this same moment, but moreso seeing a conclusion as the time to roll up all those years of gradual delight, and really take the roof off with their love. Thankfully, though slightly hyperbolic, I didn't bounce off any of this that I came across - instead, part of it presented a clip of a scene that immediately resonated with me as being one of the most touching moments I'd ever seen in a game. Now who’s dealing in hyperbole? Labels are often useless, but here I see 'point and click' being used, and find it particularly ineffective; progression isn't held behind keen observation or cryptic puzzles. There are choices to make, but your role is less about steering the story forward in any one direction, rather more allowing you to flesh out the backstory and the characters in a role that's closer to that of a writer. The dialogue and the framing of each scene has a beautiful and intentionally theatric feel, and the prominence of the score not only contributes equal levels of brilliance, but also has others steering toward labelling it as a musical. Truth is, it was a lot of these things to me and more. It’s a crawling, melancholic reflection on ageing clumsily into irrelevance. A truly surreal and yet wonderfully grounded tale of a personal yet shared destination, all by means of an enigmatic and unknown passageway. Its main acts being so rigidly laid out into scenes helps define their place as mere snapshots from all of this, and their being punctuated with thoughtful and disparate interludes gives the opportunity to consider other perspectives and build context in a truly wonderful way.

This is very much my thing - it's one of the best games I’ve played in years. Made by just three people, I am floored with envy at what they have created.

Gris

It’s hard to imagine anyone having first impressions of Gris that don’t immediately focus on its visual design. Even its modest beginning with a more sparse palette is captivating, and more colours being introduced into its world as you progress may be symbolic, but a sincerely pleasant reward too. This isn’t quite as celebratory as say, Okami’s restorative moments, but it’s certainly taken its fair share of inspiration. Gris is captivating in motion too, with simplistic but beautiful animation really bringing its watercolour looks to life. I’ll put my hands up to say I was expecting it to be quite shallowly superficial as a result - for the game to dry up quicker than I’d have liked, and for me to perhaps get a little bored. To my pleasant surprise this was not the case - there are some skills to learn, and some mechanical depth associated with them that comes as you get further in, but it honestly felt more to me like the game knew what I was thinking - that perhaps it should hold back, stringing me along and saving its smarter puzzles and better level design for when it was most needed.

Piling on exposition lazily would certainly have jarred terribly, and thankfully is not the case. However, there being no dialogue, everywhere being so sparse, and the few interactions with other living things being so clearly functional for its set pieces does lead you to delve into a mountain of subtext, assuming you want to take more away from it. Deprecated but self-resembling statues serving as checkpoints between areas, and a world stripped of colour may not be the most subtle of metaphors, but I personally found there’s too little to connect to or contemplate about to say much praiseworthy on this front.

It is a nice little game - just the right kind of length, and truly beautiful to behold. While not a breakthrough, or as powerful as I feel I’d have liked it to be, it’s engaging and pleasant enough as a platformer, if nothing else.

River City Girls

Loud, bombastic and colourful, River City Girls is not a subtle game. While I’m not the most versed in the series’ deeper lore, I don’t think you need to be to tell that gender-swapping what’s essentially a damsel in distress storyline has been seized as an opportunity to shake up more than just the character sprites.

While perhaps not the best start that its primary characters are intentionally portrayed as being brash and classless, it is a fairly snug fit among the cast of countless other River City denizens. There's really very few of which that aren't met fist-first, and even the remaining designated oddballs and caricatures on the fringes are only there to help push a very simple story along. The quality of pixel art and animation in the forefront are both commendable and consistent though, with the UI and cut scenes taking on a stronger manga influence but blending in slickly. The brawling is entertaining, and learning additional moves can lead to some fun but admittedly quite limited combo potential. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to push this with a second player, but I can definitely see this being a favourable way to experiment. The boss fights are pleasantly varied, and while these can be a little stand-out in their toughness, strategising for them and nailing these does help break up the slugfests needed to reach them. This may all seem like fairly low-key praise, so it’s perhaps worth me highlighting that I did really enjoy this - these types of 2D brawlers are often seen as belonging to a bygone age, and are particularly uncommon when looking for this level of polish on top. There’s a really satisfying effort on the musical front too, with a pop-punk title track, some well themed stages, and even some boss battle chip tunes courtesy of Chipzel. If nothing else, it’s a superb fill-in for those who are still mourning the loss of Scott Pilgrim’s last-gen outing from digital storefronts.

#kentucky route zero #gris #river city girls

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doomonfilm · 5 years

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Favorites : Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

When my group of friends and I came out of or opening day viewing of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, my friend Erin made a statement that I will always associate with this film : ‘If I talk to someone, and they didn’t like this movie, I’m not sure we can be friends.’ I wholly agree with this statement, because this movie stands head and shoulders above all others in terms of films that check my boxes.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), the 22-year old bassist of Toronto-based garage band Sex Bob-Omb, finds himself the center of judgement within his band and social circle after announcing that he is dating Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), a 17-year old high school student. Much to Scott’s chagrin, he is continuously questioned and accosted by bandmates Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill), his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick), his roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin), and most everyone else in his life. As Scott navigates dating with Knives, and all of the fallout that comes with it, Scott finds himself suddenly smitten with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an American living in Toronto and working as a delivery girl. Scott, in the messiest of ways possible, unceremoniously dumps Knives and begins feverishly chasing after Ramona, eventually winning her over. Unbeknownst to Scott, however, Ramona’s love comes at a price : he must defeat Ramona’s seven evil exes. With his heart on the line and his life at stake, Scott embarks on an adventure that will alter him forever.

Edgar Wright already had the TV series Spaced under his belt, as well as two-thirds of the Cornetto triliogy, under his belt, but Scott Pilgrim was Wright operating on maximum levels of cool (or, at least the maximum levels known prior to Baby Driver). If you’re in or around your 40s and have ever loved rock and roll (or music in general), comic books, video games or fashion, then this film is a feast for the senses. The story is basic enough upon first glance, but the very basic love triangle premise is quickly turned into the structure of a side-scrolling action video game, where each evil ex is like a gradually increasingly difficult boss fight. Add to this the infinite amount of texture created by the previously mentioned references to properties like X-Men, The Legend of Zelda, Dr. Who, Street Fighter, and many many more, and you’re dealing with a true feast for the senses.

More so than many other films based on graphic novels, Edgar Wright manages to find a beautiful balance between his unique film presentation and a style that mimics a living comic book, complete with frames, captions and onomatopoeia-style text. Narratively, watching the progression of taste that Ramona went through in the form of her seven evil exes provides loads of subtext, adding to the pleasure of repeat viewings. The banter between the different groups in the film (Knives and Scott, Ramona and Scott, Wallace’s house, and Sex-Bob Omb, not to mention the different parties and social gatherings) is also loaded to the brim with jokes and references, making listening to this film on repeat viewings equally as rewarding as the rewatches are.

The opening credit sequence of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World may be my favorite set of opening credits ever, simply because of how arresting they are upon the first view, and how revealing they are upon repeat viewings. The editing finds amazing ways to not only provide exposition, but move time forward and cover tons of Toronto ground with expressive and creative cuts. Beck, Dan the Automator and Metric are all given enough tribute to be vaguely familiar, but their work is allowed room to be shaped and shifted in order to fit the talent level of the actors portraying those performing their work. The combat scenes are not only dynamically choreographed, they are enhanced by the use of old school practical film techniques (such as wire work and the dust effect found in kung fu films) mixed with special effects and digital touches.

Michael Cera somehow manages to be absolutely perfect for the role while avoiding all of the obvious trappings, giving a range of innocence and attitude that makes his toxicity present, but a gradual and subtle revelation. Mary Elizabeth Winstead handles her opposite arc quite gracefully, as if inwardly searching for redemption while putting up a wall of wildness around her. Kieran Culkin is the comedic heart of the film, as well as one of the few voices of reason to be found in the film, and his antics could be their own separate film. Ellen Wong is delightful as Knives, transforming from sweet innocence to mature bad-assery as the focus of the film shifts away from her. Anna Kendrick feels slightly separated from the rest of the cast, but manages to bring a boost in spirit when she appears. Mark Webber and Alison Pill help balance out Scott’s range of personality with their frantic and blunt (respectively) natures, while Johnny Simmons quietly became a fan favorite with his quirkiness and occasional hilarious outbursts. Aubrey Plaza was given what seems to be a green light to embrace all the wonderfully hilarious parts of her personality, and her performance made me a fan for life.

The seven evil exes definitely deserve their own examination. Satya Bhabha takes a ridiculous role on paper and makes it endearing in its strangeness. Chris Evans gives us a slight of art imitating life, as his star was definitely on the rise in real life at the time, and his presence feels bigger than life in the film. By comparison, Brandon Routh is given the chance to subtly be a hipster Superman with a hilariously poor attitude, with Brie Larson’s aggressive pride and cockiness playing the perfect counterpart. Mae Whitman plays very well against type, being one of the more aggressive of the evil exes in her speech as well as her actions. Shota and Keita Saito are more or less given the eye-candy role, but their twin nature pops in their brief appearance due to Wright’s presentation. Jason Schwartzman gets to play a bit broader than usual, and the joy he seemingly finds in this is evident on the screen.

I try not to throw hyperbolic words like ‘perfect’ around when it comes to film, but in all honesty, this may be the closest thing to a perfect film I’ve ever seen. I’ve yet to have a viewing of this film, be it a direct sit down or having it on in the background, that hasn’t managed to bring me the same joy and excitement as the first time I viewed it. For that, it does not matter if this film is perfect or not, simply because it’s a completely pleasure of an experience.

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thatscarletflycatcher · 5 years

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Little Women review, chapter 1: Playing Pilgrims.

Yesterday it came to me the idea of starting a reread of Little Women and make posts with my impressions --and memories related-- of every chapter. Here we go! (let’s see how far I get).

I first read Little Women (the first part) as a kid. I don’t remember how old I was, but I wasn’t older than 8. The copy belonged to my sister and was part of a collection (“Colección Roja” - Red Series) belonging to a famous Argentinian editorial house: Billiken.

That’s the cover. As far as cover illustrations go, that one was pretty accurate.

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” grumbled Jo lying on the rug.

I always loved that the story started on Christmas. I suppose having experienced Christmas in Winter makes the scenario less whimsical, but for a girl whose every Christmas had been in the middle of Summer, it was magical. It still is, to some extent.

I remember that that first conversation, about money and presents and such, was one of the things that sucked me into the book. I felt identified with the sisters, because when I was a child the economical situation of my house wasn’t the best. Even if we didn’t have much debt, my parents worked many hours every day, and things like sweets or soda were only had in special occasions, like birthdays or feasts. My siblings and I were encouraged to ask for things we needed rather than things we wanted for Christmas and Epiphany (I remember the year my brother got bed sheets as a present), and so on. Even so, I didn’t experience that time as a BAD time, because we had each other, we were together and that made everything easier, as Beth says in this chapter.

It is funny how much I liked Jo as a child, and how with the years I realized how much in common I had with Amy. Amy’s discussions with Jo in this chapter are a lot like the ones I’d have with my brother, and Meg always reminded me of my older sister. (I only have two siblings, so there was no Beth).

“Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle”.

I remember young!me imagined Jo as an androginous Duck Tales character. I mean it. The rest looked human, just Jo was a duck. I imagined Amy as the girl in the cover, Meg as my sister, Beth... as an adorable chubby, shy girl and Marmee... Marmee looked a lot like Susan Sarandon XD Good Wives!Jo got to be human in my mind, though, but that was probably because I was older when I read that one.

I was and still am, a bit of a tomboy. I mean, I like girly things too, sometimes, but most of the time I like ways of speaking and dealing with people that are considered more masculine, and always gravitated towards friendships with men rather than women. It was and still is frustrating. I identified a lot with Jo in that. Not that I felt like a man, because I didn’t. I just felt female, yes, but that female interests and behavior around me were boring and fake.

Now that I think of it, Jo having grey eyes is a lot like an anime protagonist thing XD

One of the funniest things about physical descriptions in this novel is that LMA doesn’t take time to make it subtle or anything like that. She’s like: “I know you want to know how they look, so let’s just cut the bullshit and I’ll describe them to you.”

The plays were one of the things I enjoyed the most, and would have loved to see on screen. They are visited in the 1994 film, but somehow ostensibly absent in the 2017 miniseries (There were so many things wrong with that series...)

“Jo tossed up her napkin, crying, “A letter! A letter! Three cheers for father!”

Beth is very private and introverted, she lives in her own world, whereas Amy and Meg are always projecting what they want or would like to be. But Jo is transparent, just who she is for everyone to see.

Mr. March’s letter still feels so sweet and tender...

As I child I thought Pilgrim’s Progress was something that only existed in the book’s universe.

“Each of you told what your burden was just now, except Beth. I rather think she hasn’t got any,” said her mother.

I’m still not over how LW17′ made Marmee to be impatient and rather annoyed with Beth’s introversion and shyness. But then, that Marmee seemed to be annoyed by everything and everyone. Such a pet peeve. I suppose they tried to “humanize” the character, but I think it was a perfect character on purpose. Marmee is THE mother, the perfect woman, the symbol of motherhood, of unconditional love and the security and comfort of home.

#Little Women #Little Women review

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fairyringquotes · 4 years

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Fairylife and Fairyland: A Lyric Poem, 1870

Page 51: But now the waning heavenly Queen Glints tremulous on our verdant scene; Soon her glittering orb will pale Behind the steeps of high Bedel, Quenched her soft alluring ray To mortal man and Fairy Fay! Hark! the hour! Maria’s chime From Cintra wafts. Now soon the time For festal Fairy gathering, Feast and song, in Fairy ring! What ho! my ‘dainty Ariel!’

Page 63: And ten thousand fireflies bring, Flocking to our fairy ring, Led by old charm thou knowest well, They do need no other spell; They shall light our lamps tonight, One for every lamplet bright, Kindling each his special light, Outfacing all with instant blaze, When I my magic scepter raise! Ah, Australian sisters three! You that spellbound sibyls be, Sleep ye still half-consciously? I will partly set ye free: ‘Be your inward spirits bright Like your outward shapes of light! Wake sensation — nearer, nearer! Dawn perception — clearer, clearer! Till Fancy’s visioned forms arise, And thrill ye with a glad surprise, And softly throb each trancéd frame, Lapped in fond Elysian dream!’

Page 66: And look your Elves these flowerets snip ‘Neath calyx tube or calyx lip, Calyx firm, as fashioned all, For Fairy thumb and finger small; So these my pets in thousands bring, For our festal banqueting! And orange blossoms, goodly store, And lemon blossoms, more and more, To scatter on our fern-clad floor, Breathing odors far and wide, Quinta grande’s special pride! And see they miss not ‘Mexico,’ There my spiky Aloes blow; And Agàve highest towers, Pile on pile her golden flowers; And Yucca, bold, elastic, swells, With thousand clustering creamy bells! Take them prisoner every one, And yet your task not all is done! Lo! yon green and curving bank Primrose and modest daisy prank; It descends to tangled brake, Thence there thousand glowworms take, Or couching in the bladed grass, Quick surprise them as ye pass, Catch them up with Hesperus too, From their glowing beds of dew, — Hesperus, their radiant king, All must deck our Fairy ring! On our Pine’s expansive marge, Place them in triple circle large, Their weak and golden fires subdued By our far-streaming silver flood, Wondering guests! how have they known A luster brighter than their own!

Page 120: Then said I, ‘Go! thou artful sprite! In the lone and stilly night, Let peasant cots thy spell invite, Such cots as treasure Honey dews Of mountain Bee for daily use; And therein thou shalt infuse That Honey of my Honies there, ‘Communion with the Faërie!’ Whoso hath tasted thou shalt bring, As likes the to our Fairy ring!’ And well that subtle spirit knew All ways and means that task to do! And oft transformed in strange device, To Tomnahurich did entice Their unsuspicious steps, and there, Surrounded in our Fairy snare By our brought legions visible To their purged senses brightening still! Gazing tremulous, how describe The wonder of that mortal tribe, Their mute, their blank astonishment, In that weird circle close y-pent, As glancing at our jewels rare, And sylph-like forms, and floating hair, Awe-struck stood they rooted there!

Page 128: Titian: Fairies all! tonight ’tis given To list the lore vouchsafed of heaven! True Wisdom Fairies love to glean, E’en in the midst of festive scene: So, Ariel! to our Fairy ring, Thou deep-thrilling song shalt sing, And its burden shalt apply To true Thomas delicately; And weave thou therein cunningly, (Thread of its golden melody), Some doubtful, nay, disparaging sense Of frail mortal’s impotence, And Orpheus with his Fairy train, Shall deftly sell thy deep refrain!

Page 238: Nigh yon mountain’s ridge crest, With weaker, yellower luster glancing On rock and Malta’s shrubby breast, Warns us that with tripping feet, Skimming our sloping lawns, we greet Yon fane that shoots her luster bright Along the darkening brow of night. Glowworms with effulgence golden, In every grassy turf enfolden, Deck our pathway verdurous, Led by sober ‘Hesperus,’ And in the stirless air above, ‘Benshacher’s’ myriad legions rove, Arrowy fireflies! Love they will Mirth and Fairy’s frolic spell, And liveth well their Fairy king Moonlight and mirth in Fairy ring; A weird, eccentric spirit he, Of an untamed ecstasy; Energy and whim conspire, To rule that restless soul of fire! — And flutter round our steps departing What locks of Nightingales! Forth darting Each from shrubby hiding place, Elated, emulous, they do race, Our aerial convey rare, To porch of glittering Palace there!

Page 306: Oberon: The air is stirless there! The sultry noon Some hours hath flitted by, scarce mark, and soon, Careering in the West, the flaming Sun Will fling tall lengthening shadows, and the dun And purple-pitted clouds, gold-edged, will swell Around his radiant car: — Ho! Ariel Of delicate sense! Can thy imagining Divine what pastime new, in Fairy ring, Or novel spot known but to Puck, enchanted One half our Fairy host? for now remaineth Around us scarce one half those legions bright Which did attend our progress! Pilgrims light, And free, and volatile, I wot!

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s0023065a2film-blog · 6 years

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Section 2 - A. Planning - Initial Ideas

The cinematography of my short film will involve various shots, most prominently the medium shot and medium close-up. Edgar Wright uses similar shots in his work to either draw the audience’s attention to a speaker, therefore signalling the importance of the dialogue to the narrative, or to exemplify the emotions of a character or the importance of an object/character.

The mise-en-scene in my short film will be relatively subtle unless specifically mentioned by the protagonists. Examples of this include a single toothbrush in a toothbrush holder to show that CHARLIE lives alone and only has herself to take care of; a matching bracelet on each protagonist to show the importance they have in each others lives and to suggest to the audience that they have known each other for a long time. A more obvious example would be the box of teabags that I will place in the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom (main location) as this will be a significant part of progressing the narrative and both protagonists will draw great attention to it.

The editing of my film will be fairly dramatic so as to stress the comedy aspect of the short film whilst also keeping the attention of the audience and entertaining them. I will mainly be using Wright’s ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ as an exemplar for this aspect of my short film as it has the most dramatic editing style/special effects and, while I may not be editing to the same extreme as ‘Scott Pilgrim’, I will be to draw on some techniques/styles.

The sound within my short film will be fairly simple to implement. I aim to have an empty house when I begin filming in order to reduce any background noise and the majority of shots will involve diegetic dialogue. However, there are some shots in which I intend to use a non-diegetic soundtrack/sound effects in order to add to the comedy/drama genre of the short film - this will take place in he editing stage of my short film.

Narrative:

In my short film, I have attempted to utilise Todorov’s equilibrium theory in my own creative and unique way. Instead of following the typical equilibrium-disequilibrium-equilibrium narrative, I will instead begin with disequilibrium, followed by a brief respite of equilibrium for my two main protagonists before falling back into disequilibrium, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger and wondering what happens next with the characters and how they will resolve their problem. My short film will feature two main protagonists - FREDDIE would be considered ‘the hero’ and CHARLIE would be considered ‘the helper’ in the narrative according to Propp’s character types. A villain will also be present within the short film but will not make an appearance until nearer towards the end - ‘the villain’ will be a fish, covered in blood and wielding a knife - and the protagonists will be facing the threat of ‘the villain’. My narrative will be linear and will feature dialogue in some scenes but no internal monologues/voiceover narration. Furthermore, my narrative will rely upon both Barthe’s action and enigma codes. Due to the comedy/drama genre of my short film, the action code will be pertinent to progressing the narrative while the enigma code will be present in the conclusion of the short film as it ends on a cliffhanger and in disequilibrium therefore an enigma code will be necessary in order to leave the audience questioning what happens next.

Character Profile:

Freddie

- Female

- 16 years old

- Freddie is easily frustrated yet determined - using this to her advantage, she often takes charge.

Charlie

- Female

- 17 years old

- Charlie is very calm and rarely panics - she is generally nonchalant when it comes to stressful situations and usually follows however Freddie proceeds.

Moodboard for my short film:

This moodboard features a few things I wish to incorporate into my short film. My film will take place in a bathroom and will feature two main protagonists similar to Wright’s ‘Shaun’ and ‘Ed’ from one of my focal films ‘Shaun of the Dead’. They will enter with panic and fear, locking the door and leaning against it as a makeshift barricade. Whilst the protagonists attempt to figure out how to proceed and what to do next, they end up drinking cold tea as a brief form of respite. A knife will be an important prop within my short film as it holds connotations of fear and danger - this prop will be used by the antagonist of my film. Similarly to Wright’s filmography, the general genre of my film will be mostly focused upon a comedy aspect, however it will also feature undertones of the mystery/drama genre.

Moodboard for my main protagonist FREDDIE:

This moodboard features a number of aspects I wish to use in the creation of one of my main protagonists, FREDDIE. It showcases some ideas I have for the physical appearance of FREDDIE - she will have long, brown hair and will be wearing glasses, as well as a patterned shirt underneath a navy/black jumper. This moodboard also shows some ideas I have for the characteristics and personality traits that FREDDIE will have - she will be 16 years old, however this will not be strictly alluded to in my short film. FREDDIE will also be more frustrated and panicked than the other protagonist but she will also eventually take charge within my film and show her skill as a leader. In relation to my creative investigation, FREDDIE will be representative of a character from each of my focal films, ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ and ‘The World’s End’, all of which were directed by Edgar Wright - my chosen director of study.

‘Shaun of the Dead’ - Shaun:

FREDDIE is representative of the Wright-Pegg character ‘Shaun’ from my focal film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in numerous ways. Both characters face hardships and struggle at first to adjust to their new situation of disequilibrium. However, both characters eventually learn to take charge and lead others into Todorov’s stage of new equilibrium. A scene I wish to replicate from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in my own film most primarily shows this change of character from ‘child’ or ‘childlike’ to a leader, or ‘Hero’ according to Proppian character types. In this scene, Shaun learns how to ‘grow up’ in a way that is often scene in the coming-of-age genre. Shaun finally snaps at his friend’s (Ed) childishness - Wright uses this scene to progress the narrative of the film as well as furthering character development.

‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ - Scott:

‘The World’s End’ - Gary:

Moodboard for my main protagonist CHARLIE:

This moodboard features a number of aspects I wish to include in the creation of one of my main protagonists, CHARLIE. It showcases some of the ideas I have for the physical appearance of CHARLIE - she will have long, auburn hair and will be wearing a silver necklace, as well as a patterned jumper. This moodboard also shows some of the ideas I have for the characteristics and personality traits that CHARLIE will have - she will be 17 years old, although this will not be mentioned in my short film. CHARLIE will also be a lot calmer and nonchalant than the other protagonist, however she still makes her own contributions to solving problems as best as she can whilst following FREDDIE’S lead. In relation to my creative investigation, CHARLIE will be representative of a character from my focal films, ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ and ‘The World’s End’ - all of these films were directed by Edgar Wright.

‘Shaun of the Dead’ - Ed:

CHARLIE is representative of the Wright-Pegg character ‘Ed’ from my focal film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in a multitude of ways. Both take on the role of the supportive characters, adjusting fairly well to the new situation of disequilibrium and showing no changes/development in character or personality. However, both characters are eventually pushed to change and improve by the ‘Hero’ of the narratives (and these characters’ friends) whom they follow and support on the journey to Todorov’s stage of new equilibrium. A scene I aim to replicate from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in my own film illustrates the change of character from ‘uncaring’ and ‘reckless’ to a suitable support character, or ‘Helper’ according to Proppian character types. I intend to use my character of CHARLIE as a juxtaposition of the limitations and defining characteristics of my main protagonist and ‘Hero’, FREDDIE. In this scene, Ed finally has the chance to aid the group of survivors and prove his worth as Wright uses a very literal take on the idea of a ‘supporting’ character. While Shaun is holding a gun, ready to shoot the oncoming horde of zombies, Ed stands at his shoulder and tells Shaun what to do and where to aim etc. In my own short film, I am aiming to also attempt to use a literal take on the ‘supporting’ character in a similar way to Wright, however I will also be making this very subtle so as to effectively manage the short amount of time I have for my film.

‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ - Wallace:

‘The World’s End’ - Andy:

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