mmoa_writes

Did a short talk at my old school with the current A2 Physics students. ( Moi turned inspirationalist )

Tuesday evening saw myself and my sisters at the cinema to watch Dorian Gray again, mostly to pick out the things we really hated about it (yes, yes, I know. Does it really surprise you that I should turn out to be one of those annoying people who stay at the end of the credits and start comparing film studies lectures?). ( Just for emphasis, 'Dorian Gray' has problems... )

Other strands of stupidity included the randomly inserted 'abuse by evil grandfather' backstory to Gray (and can I mention how tired I am of the 's/he abused me because I reminded him of her/his dead daughter/son/whatever, who was my mother/father/whatever' thing. It's bloody stupid) and the CGI painting. When I first watched the film, I rather liked it. Now, it just makes the conceit far too absurd to be effective. It's no wonder Wilde considered the book unadaptable for stage (and presumably film if he'd known of it).

( Mother Courage and Her Children )

Hopefully off to see District 9 tomorrow. I know there's been some talk of racism with the portrayal of the Nigerian gangsters, but part of me can't help feel it sounds somewhat realistic. Whilst the rest of the world quakes in terror at the arrival of an alien menace, we would probably be finding which bits increase the virility of the male human and which bits we could sell as suya meat.

That would be before we take over the world, of course. Alien bush meat and Malt Guiness would make for a truly terrifying combination.

x-posted to LJ.

The NT is currently showing a theatrical adaptation of 'The Black Album' (non-Travelex) by Hanif Kureishi, 'Mother Courage and Her Children' by Brecht (Travelex, but from 9th September. Will definitely be going to see it), an adaptation of 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett and 'All's Well That Ends Well' by a mysterious new writer by the name of William Shakespeare. I am desperate to go to all four but, 'Nation' is non-Travelex (ie no cheap tickets) and starts from 11th November. 'The Black Album' will be expensive, but at least that starts on the 14th. Otoh, I am trying very hard not to spend the rest of my student loan before the start of term. Oh, first-world problems; they are so very tiresome.

Thinking of Brecht, it was interesting to see that there's a new play by David Hare (is he actually any good or are people just being mean to him as we always are to figures of cultural significance? Everything he's written always seems to get panned) called 'The Power of Yes', supposedly about the the 'crisis of capitalism', but I suspect is really an opportunity for the NT to show how off just how relevant it is. As far as I can tell, it's set in 2008, which doesn't seem at all appropriate, somehow (that's where Brehct comes in - I rather like his principles for political drama chief among them being that one shouldn't set the play in a contemprorary setting).

Still, it might be good. I'll be awaiting the opinions of the august Newsnight Review crew with baited breath.

( Read more... )

So I am angry, because this is important stuff about how the world is working that never gets mentioned and allows opinionated loudmouthed tools to spew their nonsense with no one able to argue back. I'm also happy, because suddenly humanity and it's problems look as though they could be solved one day. This is the stuff that should be on BBC1, particularly as news these days is more about snowmen than actual news (thanks Charlie Brooker!) and particularly seeing how there is an alarming trend for strident - divisive - political and idealogical views and opinions amongst the electorate being waved about these days. Ignorance is the root of all suffering, as they say, and no form of ignorance is excused.

EDIT: Oh happy days! Robin Hobb was in Forbidden Planet today signing her new book. A new book! It's set in the Farseer-verse unfortunately - I'm sure it will be awesome, but I was hoping to read some of her utterly fantasmagoric world-building skillz put to a different fantasy universe. Some other time.

EDIT 2: And Torchwood is now officially awesome, although interestingly enough, this seemed to come at the expense of the Torchwood team itself...

The NT is currently showing a theatrical adaptation of 'The Black Album' (non-Travelex) by Hanif Kureishi, 'Mother Courage and Her Children' by Brecht (Travelex, but from 9th September. Will definitely be going to see it), an adaptation of 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett and 'All's Well That Ends Well' by a mysterious new writer by the name of William Shakespeare. I am desperate to go to all four but, 'Nation' is non-Travelex (ie no cheap tickets) and starts from 11th November. 'The Black Album' will be expensive, but at least that starts on the 14th. Otoh, I am trying very hard not to spend the rest of my student loan before the start of term. Oh, first-world problems; they are so very tiresome.

Thinking of Brecht, it was interesting to see that there's a new play by David Hare (is he actually any good or are people just being mean to him as we always are to figures of cultural significance? Everything he's written always seems to get panned) called 'The Power of Yes', supposedly about the the 'crisis of capitalism', but I suspect is really an opportunity for the NT to show how off just how relevant it is. As far as I can tell, it's set in 2008, which doesn't seem at all appropriate, somehow (that's where Brehct comes in - I rather like his principles for political drama chief among them being that one shouldn't set the play in a contemprorary setting).

Still, it might be good. I'll be awaiting the opinions of the august Newsnight Review crew with baited breath.

( Read more... )

This is the stuff that should be on BBC1, particularly as news these days is more about snowmen than actual news (thanks Charlie Brooker!) and particularly seeing how there is an alarming trend for strident - divisive - political and idealogical views and opinions being waved about these days. Ignorance is the root of all suffering, as they say, and no form of ignorance is excused.

EDIT: Oh happy days! Robin Hobb was in Forbidden Planet today signing her new book. A new book! It's set in the Farseer-verse unfortunately - I'm sure it will be awesome, but I was hoping to read some of her utterly fantasmagoric world-building skillz put to a different fantasy universe.

Just returned home from watching 'Women of Troy' (http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/womenoftroy) at the National Theatre. I actually found it more or less quite good, but then, I had such ludicrously low expectations and terrible fears of the utter farce I was expecting (and honestly, could all too easily have turned into), that I was practically calling for Oscar's all round by the end...

( Read more... )

Does rather make me look forward to my next theatre trip and the King's College Classics department production (have no idea what they'll be offering this year).