Lilty, i have no comic book cred at all and i adored the movie. i want to go see it again right now. all the things you said you wanted to see are there.

you should definitely go see it.

I saw the other Christian Bale movie, Howl's Moving Castle, and liked it very much. It's considerably more western and conventionally-plotted than other Miyazaki movies I've seen, but a good story well-told. Also, surprisingly funny. Perhaps coincidentally, Bale plays two different self-involved, melodramatic superheroes in one weekend. Except that Batman doesn't have an excessive devotion to hair dye, and he does not swoon and ooze slime when he doesn't get his way. I hope.

Anyway, fun movie, seen in the restored Coolidge Corner theatre, all bright colors and art-deco brass relief figures of the Greek pantheon. Half the theatre was children and the other half Miyazaki-attuned adults, and both halves of the audience enjoyed themselves.

"Would you like to see my mask?"

Which made me think, "How do you like my darkness now?"

Heh. It made me think, "'Would you like to see my mask? It raises the dead.' Bloody Americans."

I tried to see Howl's Moving Castle yesterday, but was thwarted, first by Boston traffic/roadsigns/blockades, and then by my own inability to finish my laundry in time to catch the 7pm showing in Northampton. Hopefully it'll be there for a couple of weeks. I loved the book, and I've really liked everything of Miyazaki's I've seen. And Christian Bale and Lauren Bacall among the voices? Double-plus good.

The funny part was, I didn't recognize any of the voices, consciously. It worked out really well. I didn't think "Oh, that's Lauren Bacall!" but the imagery of her glamour overlaid the character in my mind, unconscious-like. So, effective without being a gimmick.

Whereas, in Princess Mononoke, I was like Dude, the giant wolf queen is Scully! WTF! I wouldn't take advice from Billy Bob Thornton. Don't you know he's a weirdo?

Well, if you're being hunted by a guy who's carrying a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 special, and he's got you pinned down, but he's fired five shots at you, I guess it would suddenly be some pretty relevant information.

It's all situational, really.

I'm sorry if I came off as snippy; I was just wondering whether it would enhance my understanding/appreciation of the scene in the movie.

The NY Post has this to say about the studio reaction to BB's weekend: [link] (Scroll down to the " BATTY FOR BALE" headline.)

Huh. I don't doubt there will be sequels, but the box office was much lower than predicted.

Huh. I don't doubt there will be sequels, but the box office was much lower than predicted.

I bet it has legs though.

Caught bits of two documentaries on Sundance over the weekend and they were both very interesting.

I've Tivoed To Be And To Have to watch all the way through. We saw the second half of it. It's a documentary about a one-room schoolhouse in Auvergne France, and the teacher who handles a class that ranges in age from 4-11. It's very moving and sweet and beautifully shot and I'd recommend it to just about anybody, but particularly all the teachers here.

Also watched parts of Yank Tanks which is about the odd and beautiful phenomenon that Havana, Cuba is filled with classic American cars from the fifties which are constantly being rebuilt against the rust and decay. It's gorgeously shot in Havana which is a fascinating city.

However, I mostly thought that Trudy, ita and Laura would particularly like the long scene of bare chested Cuban teens and young men playing street soccer in the rain. Barefoot. In slow motion. All these handsome, young, lean Carribean guys in various shades of multiethnicity wet and frolicking. Kat Perez would probably like it too.

a good story well-told

I think I need to see the dubbed version, because the subtitled version had DH and I both walking out of the theatre scratching our heads. There were at least 5 major things left totally unexplained.

Chinese translations of everyone's favorite dialogue exchange in Episode III.

PADME: "Something wonderful has happened. Annie, I'm pregnant"

("Waiting for the happy event condescends to come. Dear, I was pregnant")

ANAKIN: "That's... that's wonderful"

("This...... This is really too stick")