[ B U T T E R - P E C A N ]
Who/what am I? What are my friends like? Why do I love cashews? What is our secret language? Discover my life's banal details.
[ A P P L E - C I N N A M O N ]
Interesting literature. No - not really. Actually, critiques of a few movies I've seen, and a little poetry & some short stories from my creative writing class ...there's some other dumb Shakespearean-veined things in here.
[ F R E N C H - V A N I L L A ]
Pictures - horrible, horrible pictures! Look at the insane facial expressions, the menstrually spotted doggie towels and drool-laced chins. So much fun.
[ S T R A W B E R R Y - M E L O N ]
+ SUBSECTIONS -
| B a n d-o f-t h e-M o m e n t |
| D V D-o f-t h e-M o m e n t |
| P e r s o n-o f-t h e-M o m e n t |
| B o o k-o f-t h e-M o m e n t |
Misc. stuff that I think you should have, like some desktop wallpapers and audio files that are verily wad. Includes links to wad sites.
An awesome band will finally get the highest recognition they possibly can - being featured on the website of a PMSing 15-year old girl.
Yes. Contrary to popular belief, I do watch movies other than Amelie and Edward Scissorhands.
Every so often I find someone that can withstand my bizarre emotions-in-reverse judgemental senses. Confused? You'll find out later.
After a few years of a decline in interest in literature, my spark for reading has been renewed. I'm literate again!
AIM: daylightdanger
YIM: feminine_lip_bruiser
My Site: All Good Charlotte
Em's Site: What's So Funny?
Contact brittany@brandnewonline.org
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The DVD of the MOMENT
is Hamlet. (See covers 1 and 2.)'Which one?', I hear you ask if you have a Shakespearean literary inkling of what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about the modernized version that came out in 2000 featuring Ethan Hawke, with evil, stylized Claudius using a cell phone. Not that stifled, contrived, and overall just slightly askew thing. I'm talking about the masterpiece. The masterpiece of all masterpieces of any movie that ever plotlined the Tragedy of Hamlet (Prince of Denmark). Well, maybe after the one written in 1948. I speak of Kenneth Branagh's grandiose, critically-acclaimed 1996 version, starring Branagh himself in the title role.
I'm not going to give you an English lesson by telling you the wonderfully intricate and interwoven plot of literature's most famous tragedy, but I shall tell you this. You should see this movie. And you should want to know at least the basic Hamlet-must-kill-Claudius premise of the play before seeing it. Movies and books have a strained relationship, as of which you are probably aware. Everyone knows that a book translated into a movie usually means disaster. But Branagh's 4-hour motion-picture is a rare example of something on-screen reciprocating every fine detail and nuance of its written counterpart, making the experience of watching it (for lack of a less sappy term), magical.
Now, whether or not you actually find Hamlet interesting is another thing entirely. I know when James Cameron's Titanic first came out a couple of years ago, I was sitting on the sofa in my living room expecting to see a movie that my friends from school had described as nothing less than amazing. And even though I disliked (and still dislike) movies like Titanic and Pearl Harbor which chronicle great American tragedies while lacing them with Hollywood romance, and I disliked (and still dislike) Leonardo DiCaprio, I gave the movie a chance. And guess what? I disliked it. So believe me, I know that Shakespeare - murder-, love triangle-, incest-loving Shakespeare - is not for everyone. Truth be told, I'm no huge fan of the Bard's, either. I, like millions of people around the world, simply enjoy and appreciate this particular Danish story of love, death, and revenge. And lots and lots of poison.
Also, despite whatever else you may come to understand, this movie does not really feature any big names. Well, big American names. Branagh is big in the underground Shakespearean circuit (can you even imagine such a thing?) for his other classic takes on Will's works, but the names like Billy Crystal and Robin Williams which appear on the cover are simply there for show, as Robin and Billy (and a few others) are only in the movie for brief (but still excellent) cameos - not the weird cameos that William Shatner and Snoop Dogg tend to make in ...well, everything. If you see the movie for no other reason, see it for Billy Crystal's role. A gravedigger with a New York accent. It's actually pretty good.
So, again - See Hamlet now. 1996. Kenneth Branagh. Only available on VHS. Go to FYE or SunCoast or Amazon immediately. I don't suggest you go into watching this movie while you're in an especially light-hearted mood, 'cause Hamlet is going to rain on your parade, my friend. And if you're already depressed, Hamlet is only going to make things worse. So when should you watch it? Perhaps somewhere in-between. Also, don't go into it wondering the famous question, "So, how many Hamlet's were there?" Another thing to be prepared for, especially if you've never before heard/seen works of Shakespeare acted out in Old English, is the confusing (but natural) dialogue of the actors. Shakespearean speech wears on the untrained modern ear. Be forwarned. If you do any of the above, you're in for a wild ride.
Oh, and even though it's 4 hours long, there is an intermission. Did that make you feel better?
