x-men 3
Uglies- Scott Westerfeld.
I’m not sure about the publishing etiquette of this. This is the first draft of a review I’ve written for a teacher’s journal. Thought I might as well post it, seeing as I’ve been too slack to write anything else.
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Uglies is the first in a new trilogy for award- winning speculative fiction writer Scott Westerfeld, following his Midnighters trilogy and So Yesterday novels for adolescents.
Tally can’t wait to be sixteen, become pretty and embrace the party lifestyle of the new pretties. Her friend Peris is across the river, enjoying life in the party towers and all she wants to do is join him. While she waits, she befriends Shay and goes out on “tricks’ to count down the days until she turns pretty. When Shay tells her there about life outside the city, and she wants to remain an ugly; Tally doesn’t understand. She is forced to make a choice and discovers that there is much more to life as a pretty than what she’s been lead to believe.
Westerfeld is the master of mixing action, intrigue and content. While subtly raising issues about culture, conformity and technology in the present and future, he weaves a story of a society that is beautiful on the outside- but dangerous at its core. Interspersed with graphic description of life within the city and outside in the Smoke, he creates action scenes that will drive readers on to discover what happens to the main characters. His writing style is easy and accessible for established readers,
Uglies is a book for early to mid secondary readers, who don’t mind picking up a novel of 400+ pages. Think those who have happily read fantasy or science fiction series before. It may pull in some reluctant readers with its speculative future of hoverboards, bungee jackets and the destruction of a fossil fuel civilisation of the past. Female readers will relate strongly to Tally and Shay, but male readers have to wait till later in the novel for strong male characters. There is much talk of culture, but little of politics as such, unsual for speculative fiction and many readers will appreciate the subtly developed romance between Tally and David, the leader of the Smokies. While not for all readers, it will hook those with an interest in fantasy, technology and science fiction- keeping them reading for hours on end. This novel wouldn’t be recommended as the basis for a unit of work on its own, it could be easily included as extended reading for a science fiction or speculative fiction unit, or units looking at popular culture and adolescence.
Kinky Boots
Kinky boots is one of those British working class movies in the vein of Brassed off or The Full Monty- a feel good reaction to what the ecomonic rationalism of the 1980s has done to Britain. The problem seems to me, even though this is a good movie, it’s almost 10 years too late and it trivialises one of it’s main narriative tools: transvetism. I don’t want to turn this into a political review, because I liked the film as it was. In presenting transgenders as a minority, it was realtively positive, but was frustraing when it returned to tired and true stereotypes.
Moving that issue aside, it is a quaint and quirky film of a young man, Charlie Price (Aussie Joel Edgerton with an impressive Midlands accent) trying to save the family shoe factory after his father’s death. Competing with cheap foreign imports, he needs to find a new market.
A chance meeting with a transvestive, Lola (Chitwell Ejiofor), in London gives him and idea, but when Lola turns up in the factory in Northhampton, two worlds collide.
With many similarites to drag films of the past, Pricsilla, Queen of the Desert comes to mind it does try to humanise transvestism, giving Lola’s real life face of Simon some depth, it then falls back to big caberet numbers for the happy ending.
A tale of what globalisation can do to people and how much people can do for each other.
3/5
Bad, Very Bad
RL and stuff have stopped me from viewing thus ignoring one of my NY resolutions. I’ve watched few old flicks on cable and went to see ‘The fog” as a joke, but other than that I’vee seen very little.
I’m disappointed in myself particulalrly- I should have at least seen teh Oscar contenders.
I’m geting slack in my old age. Must do somehing about it.
The Challenge- completed
Successful, not really. But close. I got 35 films, all new BTW in 40 days.
I tended to lag a little towards the end, as other things: the beach, a few web projects, catching up on sleep; got in the way.
I’m going to keep logging until I get to 40, as well as logging what I see this year.
Now to work on actually writing some reviews, getting on with the podcast (se yesterday, I know, but it’s in the works) and so on. 2006 could be a great year for Cultural Consumables, if I get off my lazy butt!!
Carnivale Season 2
Carnivale was one of the best things I saw on TV last year- it was gorgeous, intriguing and unique. It had amazing characters: that looked real, rather than come off the Hollywood casting board and a story that seemed to have come from the heart of Nick Cave. I was mesmerised and hooked.
Due to a prior engagement, we taped it, but only expected an hour’s episode- so we missed the last 10 minutes. Arrgh!!
Where’s the reviews
Ok, so far the 40 films in 40 days challenge is going well. I’m keeping up to date with the films-the problem is, getting them reviewed and up here as well. I’ll keep working on it.
I’ll post the list on the side bar soon, but to keep you up to date, here’s my current viewing:
The 40 films in 40 days challenge
Holidays start in 6 days time. The challenge, is to watch at least one feature for every day I have off and review it here. Let the viewing begin!
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were- Rabbit
IMBD Rating: 3.5/5
Part of the best thing of being a teacher is being able to see the kids films during school holidays. While I wouldn’t categorise Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were- Rabbit as a kids film as such, it has been heavily marketed as one for the young-uns.
This is a bit of a disapointment, as I think Nick Park and a lot what has come out of the Aardman Animation studios, is more than just animation for kids. It’s creative, cutting edge, smart and funny. Among my favouties is the Creature Comforts series.
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were- Rabbit is the continuation fo the short film adventures of Wallace, a lovable but gormless cheese-loving inventor, and his long suffering and very expressive pooch companion, Gromit. Wallace and Gromit’s new business venture in Anti-Pesto, and they specialise in keeping the rabbit plague from local gardeners’ veges using Wallace’s inventions.
Meanwhile, the town and Gromit are preparing their veges for the local Giant Vegetable festival, held at Tottington hall, by the eligible Lady Tottington (voiced to perfection by Helena Bohnam Carter). Tonttington’s beau, Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Finnes) sneers at Wallace and his humane pest control, in favour of more explosive methods.
The story takes a turn when an enormous were- rabbit, takes to the village, massacring the prize veges in its wake. Anti - Pesto have to stop it, but there are complicaitons making it difficult.
The Aardman studio has developed beyond it’s first feature, Chicken Run, by using more familiar characters and focusing on the outlandish situaitons. This is backed up by a truly funny script and artful animation.
By the way, the audience full of kids I saw this with loved it, although it was the 3 pairs of unaccompanied adults who stayed through the amazing credit sequence. This film can really be accpreciated on many levels.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
IMDB Rating: 4.5/5
I’ve been lucky enough to see this movie twice and haven’t tired of Tim Burton’s magical world. I saw it first weekend with a theatre full of adults, who really seemed a little uptight, and secondly, I took my nephew, we sat in the front row of an audience of awed kids who really seemed to get into the film.
As a film buff and devotee of Tim Burton, I was happy to be able to see the film on both levels- an articis experience, but also as a fantasty experience, which I think I enjoyed more.
Almost everyone must know Roald Dahl’s story of a grumpy and excentric candymaker, Willy Wonka, who opens his factory to five lucky children who find the Golden Tickets in his Wonka bars.
Burton’s interpreation of Dahl’s sometimes dark novel strikes the right balance, there is the gloomy existence in the Bucket’s shack, almost quivering in the shadow of the smoke belching industrial complex of the Wonka chocolate factory, the differing hues of each winner’s home, the warmth Charlie finds in own home, quirky sterility of the Japanese candy story [one of my favourite sequences] and the fantasic worlds within each part of the factory.
The characters from the book are easy stereotypes, but so well rendered, for the most part you don’t even know you are watching child actors. Such outstanding performances from young and adult actors blend with the over the top ‘queerness’[in the tradtional sense of the word] that is Johnny Depp’s wonderfully dressed man, Willy Wonka.
Wonka’s flashback’s to his childhood and adventures [look out for Hunter S.’s Fear and Loathing sunnies in Loompaland] round out the film much more than the 1971 original.
Danny Elfman’s music and Deep Roy’s performance as all the Oompa Loompa’s make the film a joy to behold. Truly the different themes and interpreation of Dahl’s rhymes made me laugh out loud. It is the production design and cosutmes within factory that really steal the film- often to the point of distration. They are brightly coloured and create such an ‘other’ world.
My only criticism is the sacharine- ending was not bitter sweet enough to befit Dahl or Burton.