This is becoming my media review blog...

I thought it would be fun to organize my thoughts about media I've recently consumed...

Things I watched recently that I utterly fell in love with
Middlemarch (BBC drama 1994)
I'm hungrily reading the actual George Eliot novel now thanks to the television drama. I love it when I'm initially lured to something by a hot actor that ends up actually being good and provokes thought in me other than "Oh dear lord why is this human being so attractive," although that thought does remain somewhere. At the very least, I can have some pretense of intellectual strivings.

At Satchem Farm/Higher Love/Uncorked
What I hate about this movie is that it has three different names depending on region, making it nigh impossible to find information. Again, another Rufus Sewell movie... When I go on these bouts of obsession, I always feel vaguely ashamed. It feels oddly embarrassing and I need to reassure myself that I am a teenage girl and should be allowed some room for raging hormones. But still! I have to end up rationalizing all these things to myself. But this was really quite a cute movie. It had that sort of feel good message that I would have despised or at least groaned at if it had been phrased in any other way, but this movie pulled it off rather nicely. I like the image of Sir Nigel Hawthorne on stilts walking to a 20 cubit plexiglass pillar.

Things I watched recently that I enjoyed
The Illusionist
I'm on a rampage for movies with Rufus Sewell in them, I admit it. Even ones where he has a great silly mustache glued to his upper lip. But I liked this movie on its own merits besides those of Mr. Sewell. Of course, the Phillip Glass soundtrack is almost a reason on its own to watch this movie, as is the cinematography. I've been influenced by Contemporary Media to more closely examine these sorts of things... Throughout this film I felt as if very little time were passing at all, so engaging it was. Edward Norton's performance didn't really do it for me most of the time, but certain scenes were executed very poignantly. It was fun trying to figure out the internal logic of the movie, whether the illusions were actually real or just illusions. But I do end up feeling rather bad for Crown Prince Leopold at the end and rather resentful towards Eisenheim. Overall, a good movie but not worth frothing at the mouth for.

Things I'm listening to
Luna de Fuego - Gipsy Kings
I never thought I would have liked anything that was mentioned in a Spanish book cultura section. But after checking out this CD from the library, I have to admit that it is damn good.

Things I wish I got but didn't
Koyaanisqatsi
This "movie" frustrated me. It's just beyond my comprehension, pausing to annoy me with bits of empathy and meaning here and there while testing my patience and ability to resist sleep. I was thinking, boring art is most fun to the person who makes it. By boring art, I mean art that delights in being boring and makes a statement through stasis. A lot of the meaning is just in the making itself. Or, that is complete drivel and merely an excuse to myself for being too dimwitted to really draw something out of this film. Phillip Glass soundtrack was hella great, though very hypnotic.