*ahem*

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

And now I go to bed so that I can go to the parents tomorrow, eat pot roast(I am promised potatoes and carrots to compensate for the beef...and Mom makes good pot roast)  followed by(based on the last 2 years) a few hours of the history channel with Dad. 

*ahem*

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

And now I go to bed so that I can go to the parents tomorrow, eat pot roast(I am promised potatoes and carrots to compensate for the beef...and Mom makes good pot roast)  followed by(based on the last 2 years) a few hours of the history channel with Dad. 

since when do so many people go to the movies on Christmas Day?(plus, loot)

Rough estimation of conversation an hour ago:

Dad:  "Still want to go see National Treasure tomorrow?"
Me: "Yes.  When did you want to go?"
Dad:  "It's your job to find out what time it airs."
Me:  *rattles off movie times from their computer about 60 seconds later*
Mom:  "Are you going today?"
Dad:  "We were going tomorrow so you could go." (she was about to take Granny to visit a friend)
Mom:  "I didn't want to go."(we will ignore conversation at lunch on Sunday where the opposite was said...)
Dad:  "Ok, let's go."

And it was SOLD OUT.  And he had to stop at the dumpster on the way, so I saw about 20 people buying tickets for the next showing...and about as many leaving as I was going up, so I figure that will be sold out, too.  Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow.

Meanwhile, loot(combined loot, not just parents):

Randoms:

*Christmas socks.
*Super fluffy house slippers.
*Super cuddly throw
*Peppermint Truffles
*Batteries
*Lint roller(do not question the inner workings of my father's mind)
*Calendar
*Gift cards
*Money

Books:

*The Order of the Stick: On the Origin of PCS by Rich Burlew
*The Order of the Stick: No Cure for the Paladin Blues by Rich Burlew
*Journey into Legend by Henry Schreiner

Movies:

*Children of Men(I know squat about this, but feel I should know a lot)
*Lady in the Water(lets see if Shyamalan can win me over in anything that isn't esentially meta about and fanboyishness over comics...I guessed the twists in The Village and The Sixth Sense from the previews, and the trailer for Signs bored me...but I DO like sea myth and stories based on them...)
*Superman Returns(I liked it in theaters...lets see how it holds up)
*The Pursuit of Happiness(trailers looked good, iirc)
*The Rundown(bits I've seen looked fun but nothing special)
*BOURNE ULTIMATUM(but I shall first acquire the first 2 so I can do a big binge and count how many cars he wrecks or something)

I will now spend the rest of the day watching movies(not necessarily, but maybe including) these, and debate whether or not I want to make a new banner, or put Yuya and Mahiro back atthe top of the LJ...I'm kinda leaning towards something from Twelve Kingdoms...I really want to do something-icon or banner-with the background pic at

juuni_kokki, but can't find it.

I will now read a Twelve Kingdoms fanfic I'm told is good, then watch movies.

 

since when do so many people go to the movies on Christmas Day?(plus, loot)

Rough estimation of conversation an hour ago:

Dad:  "Still want to go see National Treasure tomorrow?"
Me: "Yes.  When did you want to go?"
Dad:  "It's your job to find out what time it airs."
Me:  *rattles off movie times from their computer about 60 seconds later*
Mom:  "Are you going today?"
Dad:  "We were going tomorrow so you could go." (she was about to take Granny to visit a friend)
Mom:  "I didn't want to go."(we will ignore conversation at lunch on Sunday where the opposite was said...)
Dad:  "Ok, let's go."

And it was SOLD OUT.  And he had to stop at the dumpster on the way, so I saw about 20 people buying tickets for the next showing...and about as many leaving as I was going up, so I figure that will be sold out, too.  Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow.

Meanwhile, loot(combined loot, not just parents):

Randoms:

*Christmas socks.
*Super fluffy house slippers.
*Super cuddly throw
*Peppermint Truffles
*Batteries
*Lint roller(do not question the inner workings of my father's mind)
*Calendar
*Gift cards
*Money

Books:

*The Order of the Stick: On the Origin of PCS by Rich Burlew
*The Order of the Stick: No Cure for the Paladin Blues by Rich Burlew
*Journey into Legend by Henry Schreiner

Movies:

*Children of Men(I know squat about this, but feel I should know a lot)
*Lady in the Water(lets see if Shyamalan can win me over in anything that isn't esentially meta about and fanboyishness over comics...I guessed the twists in The Village and The Sixth Sense from the previews, and the trailer for Signs bored me...but I DO like sea myth and stories based on them...)
*Superman Returns(I liked it in theaters...lets see how it holds up)
*The Pursuit of Happiness(trailers looked good, iirc)
*The Rundown(bits I've seen looked fun but nothing special)
*BOURNE ULTIMATUM(but I shall first acquire the first 2 so I can do a big binge and count how many cars he wrecks or something)

I will now spend the rest of the day watching movies(not necessarily, but maybe including) these, and debate whether or not I want to make a new banner, or put Yuya and Mahiro back atthe top of the LJ...I'm kinda leaning towards something from Twelve Kingdoms...I really want to do something-icon or banner-with the background pic at

juuni_kokki, but can't find it.

I will now read a Twelve Kingdoms fanfic I'm told is good, then watch movies.

 

The Black Rose: WHERE IS MY SWASHING?? WHERE IS MY BUCKLING??

So, with my birthday money, I bought a collection of Tyrone Power movies, billed as "Power's most swashbuckling, epic films," and have watched the first.

THERE WAS NO SWASHING!

THERE WAS NO BUCKLING!

There were no dramatic, blatantly fake, yet ever so thrilling fights.  There was no daring, dramatically rescuing of damsels in distress!  There was no bickering of leads until they ended up smooching!

*mumbles and grumbles*

That said, The Black Rose was pretty decent.  About a young Saxon who leaves England, disgusted by Norman rule, and heads for Cathay, getting caught up with a Mongolian general along the way and asked to rescue a young englishwoman(wide eyed and blonde, of course) meant to be a gift to KUbla Khan.  Enjoyable, despite a seriously TSTL heroine and an appalling lack of swashbuckling adventure, esp. given the general plot...

The Black Rose: WHERE IS MY SWASHING?? WHERE IS MY BUCKLING??

So, with my birthday money, I bought a collection of Tyrone Power movies, billed as "Power's most swashbuckling, epic films," and have watched the first.

THERE WAS NO SWASHING!

THERE WAS NO BUCKLING!

There were no dramatic, blatantly fake, yet ever so thrilling fights.  There was no daring, dramatically rescuing of damsels in distress!  There was no bickering of leads until they ended up smooching!

*mumbles and grumbles*

That said, The Black Rose was pretty decent.  About a young Saxon who leaves England, disgusted by Norman rule, and heads for Cathay, getting caught up with a Mongolian general along the way and asked to rescue a young englishwoman(wide eyed and blonde, of course) meant to be a gift to KUbla Khan.  Enjoyable, despite a seriously TSTL heroine and an appalling lack of swashbuckling adventure, esp. given the general plot...

Blood and Sand: what the heck was this doing in this set?

Dear Tyrone Power,

I do not hold The Black Rose against you in swashbuckling terms, really.  I can understand, given the basic plot, how it could have been a swashbuckler had they not gone for serious drama instead.  Besides which, it was a good movie(despite your annoying love interest) and kept me interested and entertained for two hours.  I will, however, have to hold Blood and Sand against you.  There isn't even the remotest way this could be called a swashbuckler, being about a boy who ran away from home to become a matador, came back and married his childhood sweetheart after making a name of himself, then publicly cheated on her with the first pretty girl who came along.  There was also your character drinking himself useless during the cheating and then making a dramatic comeback, but really, in addition to being a cheat, he was a brat as a child and a cocky braggart as an adult, so I didn't care.  Really, his only redeeming feature was that you were playing him.

If there is not some true swashbuckling soon, I fear I will have to abandon you for some Errol Flynn rewatching.  Sure, he may be absurdly fond of swinging around and ropes and vines and may yell "HAHA!" far more than should allow a person to remain charming, but those are pure swashbuckling gold.  Much like your The Black Swan.

Fortunately, the next movie in the set features you as a spy-soldier in Cesare Borgia's service in Renaissance Italy.  It sounds quite promising.  I expect much swashing and buvkling, or at least a few rescues and a more appealing hero.

Thank You,
Me

Blood and Sand: what the heck was this doing in this set?

Dear Tyrone Power,

I do not hold The Black Rose against you in swashbuckling terms, really.  I can understand, given the basic plot, how it could have been a swashbuckler had they not gone for serious drama instead.  Besides which, it was a good movie(despite your annoying love interest) and kept me interested and entertained for two hours.  I will, however, have to hold Blood and Sand against you.  There isn't even the remotest way this could be called a swashbuckler, being about a boy who ran away from home to become a matador, came back and married his childhood sweetheart after making a name of himself, then publicly cheated on her with the first pretty girl who came along.  There was also your character drinking himself useless during the cheating and then making a dramatic comeback, but really, in addition to being a cheat, he was a brat as a child and a cocky braggart as an adult, so I didn't care.  Really, his only redeeming feature was that you were playing him.

If there is not some true swashbuckling soon, I fear I will have to abandon you for some Errol Flynn rewatching.  Sure, he may be absurdly fond of swinging around and ropes and vines and may yell "HAHA!" far more than should allow a person to remain charming, but those are pure swashbuckling gold.  Much like your The Black Swan.

Fortunately, the next movie in the set features you as a spy-soldier in Cesare Borgia's service in Renaissance Italy.  It sounds quite promising.  I expect much swashing and buvkling, or at least a few rescues and a more appealing hero.

Thank You,
Me

Prince of Foxes: well, ALMOST a swashbuckler...

This time around, Power plays a peasant masquerading as a noble who's a spy in the service of Cesare Borgia and is sent to win over-either by bribery, threats or assassination, whichever works best-a pesky duchy holding out against Cesare.  In natural hero-in-need-of-redemption fashion, however, he naturally becomes friends with the elderly lord and his conveniently much younger and lovely wife(there is, of course, no hanky panky until after said lord has been dead for a respectable amount of time...would I approve otherwise?) and switches sides.

There's not enough action for most of the movie to bill it swashbuckler, but the whole thing is solid and the last 15 or so minutes IS almost pure swashbuckler, including fights, damsels, running downhallways, prisons, escapes, etc...like it was making up for not having enough in the rest of the movie, really.

Aah, if only the whole thing had been like the last 15 minutes...best one so far, though.

Prince of Foxes: well, ALMOST a swashbuckler...

This time around, Power plays a peasant masquerading as a noble who's a spy in the service of Cesare Borgia and is sent to win over-either by bribery, threats or assassination, whichever works best-a pesky duchy holding out against Cesare.  In natural hero-in-need-of-redemption fashion, however, he naturally becomes friends with the elderly lord and his conveniently much younger and lovely wife(there is, of course, no hanky panky until after said lord has been dead for a respectable amount of time...would I approve otherwise?) and switches sides.

There's not enough action for most of the movie to bill it swashbuckler, but the whole thing is solid and the last 15 or so minutes IS almost pure swashbuckler, including fights, damsels, running downhallways, prisons, escapes, etc...like it was making up for not having enough in the rest of the movie, really.

Aah, if only the whole thing had been like the last 15 minutes...best one so far, though.

Son of Fury: Adventure? Yes. Swashbuckler? NO!

And now we have the Unjustly Persecuted son of a nobleman, made a servant by his Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle.  Often Shirtless Lad(Tyrone Power) makes the boo-boo of falling in love with an arristocrat, Rich Girl, and when Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle(who has Unjustly Persecuted Often Shirtless Lad and stolen the family lands and fortune from him) finds out, he whips Often Shirtless Lad, and Often Shirtless Lad sets off to make his fortune so he can come back and kick Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle out, and jumps ship with a shipmate to go to an island supposedly flooded in giant pearls, where he meets and falls in love with Scantily Clad Island Girl.

After much frolicing and pearl finding with Scantily Clad Island Girl, he decides he must go home to take care of Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle, and sadly bids farewell to Scantily Clad Island Girl.  Back in England, he reunities with Rich Girl, gets betrayed a few times, ousts Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle, and, after learning Rich Girl also betrayed him, realizes that island girls who speak little english and don't wear much are better because they don't have corsets affecting proper air flow to the brain, and abandons all for True Love.

Ehm...fun movie, really.  I was(obviously) very amused by the many excuses to rip Tyrone Powers shirt off, or to have him going around shirtles, and surprisingly unbothered by his two-timey-ness.  He takes up with Scantily Clad Island Girl when he thinks he'll be there for life, and only reunites with Rich Girl because he promised to come back for her and thinks he'll never be able to go back to the island.

BUT!

STILL NO SWASHBUCKLING!

A good, fun adventure movie, and a couple good bouts of fisticuffs, but no swashbuckling.

For a set billed as being swashbuckler, this has been appallingly light on the swashing and buckling.  I wish to have words with whoever put the set together.

One more in the set...will I finally get a swashbuckler, or must I wait for my copy of POTC3 to get here(hopefully tomorrow) for a new-to-me swashbuckler?

Son of Fury: Adventure? Yes. Swashbuckler? NO!

And now we have the Unjustly Persecuted son of a nobleman, made a servant by his Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle.  Often Shirtless Lad(Tyrone Power) makes the boo-boo of falling in love with an arristocrat, Rich Girl, and when Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle(who has Unjustly Persecuted Often Shirtless Lad and stolen the family lands and fortune from him) finds out, he whips Often Shirtless Lad, and Often Shirtless Lad sets off to make his fortune so he can come back and kick Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle out, and jumps ship with a shipmate to go to an island supposedly flooded in giant pearls, where he meets and falls in love with Scantily Clad Island Girl.

After much frolicing and pearl finding with Scantily Clad Island Girl, he decides he must go home to take care of Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle, and sadly bids farewell to Scantily Clad Island Girl.  Back in England, he reunities with Rich Girl, gets betrayed a few times, ousts Super Duper Extra Evil Uncle, and, after learning Rich Girl also betrayed him, realizes that island girls who speak little english and don't wear much are better because they don't have corsets affecting proper air flow to the brain, and abandons all for True Love.

Ehm...fun movie, really.  I was(obviously) very amused by the many excuses to rip Tyrone Powers shirt off, or to have him going around shirtles, and surprisingly unbothered by his two-timey-ness.  He takes up with Scantily Clad Island Girl when he thinks he'll be there for life, and only reunites with Rich Girl because he promised to come back for her and thinks he'll never be able to go back to the island.

BUT!

STILL NO SWASHBUCKLING!

A good, fun adventure movie, and a couple good bouts of fisticuffs, but no swashbuckling.

For a set billed as being swashbuckler, this has been appallingly light on the swashing and buckling.  I wish to have words with whoever put the set together.

One more in the set...will I finally get a swashbuckler, or must I wait for my copy of POTC3 to get here(hopefully tomorrow) for a new-to-me swashbuckler?