Slay-er? Chosen One. She who hangs out a lot in cemeteries? You're kidding. Ask around. Look it up: Slayer comma The.

Buffy ,'Showtime'


Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.

There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."


Aims - Mar 19, 2008 8:36:17 am PDT #5351 of 28344
Shit's all sorts of different now.

The Pianist made me bark with laughter at the coat scene.


Sophia Brooks - Mar 19, 2008 8:47:36 am PDT #5352 of 28344
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

Schindler's List made me angry. The more emotionally manipulative and anvilicious it got, the angrier I got.

The weird thing is, this is how I felt the first time I saw it. But the second time, I got all involved the the story of the two men, Schindler and whstever the hec the name of Ralph Fiennes character was, and it was after I read the book upon which it was based. And I found their story and their essential sameness interesting (see above), but I am not sure how much of that was the influance of reading the book.


Frankenbuddha - Mar 19, 2008 8:52:52 am PDT #5353 of 28344
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"

I...admired (like is SO not the word) Schindler's List up until Schindler's breakdown at the end (and the coda), when it felt like it was trying too hard. The red coated girl didn't ping me the same way, but that's probably because she gave me flashbacks to DON'T LOOK NOW, which I'm pretty sure was NOT Spielberg's intention.

I'm the same way with SPR (much as MM said above). But as far as Spielberg goes, EMPIRE OF THE SUN blows them both away.


DavidS - Mar 19, 2008 8:56:16 am PDT #5354 of 28344
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

But as far as Spielberg goes, EMPIRE OF THE SUN blows them both away.

Speaking of which, I just read Ballard's follow-up memoir The Kindness of Women and it's fantastic. Heartbreaking too. But if you're familiar with his work you get to meet the real life characters that inspired Crash and you see the slow development of his thematic interests. My favorite section might have been when he was in the RAF in Saskatoon. Beautifully written. His stint in medical school and his love note for his cadaver is also a gorgeous piece of writing.


Polter-Cow - Mar 19, 2008 9:03:05 am PDT #5355 of 28344
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

Schindler's breakdown at the end

This is the scene that made me cry the second time I watched it.

Does THE PIANIST count?

That was a brutal movie. I feel like it wasn't manipulative on purpose; it was just so unflinchingly objective about the whole thing that it hurt.


Miracleman - Mar 19, 2008 9:04:11 am PDT #5356 of 28344
No, I don't think I will - me, quoting Captain Steve Rogers, to all of 2020

On an unrelated note:

One thing I've been noticing more and more lately is books...honest to God published books...using the phrase "should of" rather than "should've".

It's making me fucking NUTS!!

Is this common now? Is this acceptable now? WTFF?!?!?!


DavidS - Mar 19, 2008 9:06:30 am PDT #5357 of 28344
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

Is this common now? Is this acceptable now? WTFF?!?!?!

Publishing has changed and books often don't get edited. Just copyedited. And then not always by a very good copyeditor. So, it's due mostly to cost cutting, I think.


Ouise - Mar 19, 2008 9:08:38 am PDT #5358 of 28344
Socks are a running theme throughout the series. They are used as symbols of freedom, redemption and love.

I see a lot of people "pouring over" some deep thought. Always makes me wince. Except for when it's funny.


Hayden - Mar 19, 2008 9:12:18 am PDT #5359 of 28344
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."

I've never seen The Pianist, but I've read that Roman Polanski is reportedly one of the inspirations for the young protagonist of Kosinski's The Painted Bird. I can only assume that he would have a pretty fucked-up take on the Holocaust.


§ ita § - Mar 19, 2008 9:14:39 am PDT #5360 of 28344
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

The amount of history my parents prepped me with just laid the foundation for me collapsing when presented with a half-decently told tale of racial cruelty in the deep south, the middle passage, and then by extension up through any genocide. I don't know if Amistad was a good movie. It doesn't matter that I've seen more graphic. Sitting in the theatre watching Djimon's character swim towards the sun made it all hit all over again.