The coffeeshop or the square, love, I'll meet you there

[sovay]

I saw a radio play for Valentine's Day.

The PMRP were performing at Boskone for the first time this year and spatch was playing several roles in the ensemble, so technically I ghosted an evening of Boskone, although mostly I accidentally lobby-conned. We had dinner beforehand at Penang, both because we love their food—I tend to order the nasi lemak with a durian shake, Rob gets the beef rendang with Malaysian iced coffee, we split the roti canai—and because with the recent racist nonsense affecting Chinatown businesses, we wanted to show our support in the way that works best under capitalism. We did not freeze to death at any point in our journey, which I regard as a significant achievement with the wind-chill factor in the negative degrees. Then he went off to register before his call time and I was trying to figure out what I should do with my hour and a half and no dealer's room to mooch around in and the next thing I knew I was walking around the art show with Steve Berman and then I spotted ladymondegreen and akawil and several other people apparently just as one of them finished saying my name and then pecunium was showing me the yarns he spins and sells and then dramaticirony and Gillian Daniels and John Chu happened by and then nineweaving and teenybuffalo and eventually I tore myself away to watch the PMRP's The Silver Shade: Help from the Shadows whose audience included negothick and ron_newman; in short, I think I got all the socializing for which I didn't have time at Arisia and it was very nice. So was the show, which I have hopes will get restaged somewhere that isn't scheduled across from an opening night reception. It drew a decent audience nonetheless and featured a middle-aged makeshift superhero I should like to see more of. (She can't exactly walk through walls: she walks through the spaces where the corners of the walls don't quite meet. A significant percentage of her costume is yoga outfit. Most of the time she teaches high school.) I did not have the stamina afterward to attend the filk session I'd been invited to, but I got home to find that rushthatspeaks had sent me the transfixingly mythic music video for Foals' "Neptune." Rob has photographic evidence of the holiday, first in the form of the Love Dragon and the Skeptic and then the two of us.

It may be that I have never written about Singin' in the Rain (1952) not only because it is the first movie I ever saw and therefore my impressions of it formed long before I knew how to think about film, but because I might then have to talk about how many of my ideas of how to be a person were shaped by Cosmo Brown.

Comments

[gwynnega]

That's great you got to socialize, plus seeing the show.

I have never seen Singin' in the Rain, aside from a few clips. I should probably rectify that.

[sovay]

That's great you got to socialize, plus seeing the show.

I am almost never at conventions where I'm not on programming, because I can't afford it. It was really pleasant! And then I did not have to do anything except see a show and go home and not be on panels tomorrow.

I have never seen Singin' in the Rain, aside from a few clips. I should probably rectify that.

I love it.

[thedarlingone]

There are far worse characters to be shaped by. :-)

For me that movie, the one I saw before I can remember, was Mary Poppins, and my ideas of how to be a person have been materially shaped by Bert the chimney-sweep.

[sovay]

There are far worse characters to be shaped by.

I don't actually feel bad about it.

For me that movie, the one I saw before I can remember, was Mary Poppins, and my ideas of how to be a person have been materially shaped by Bert the chimney-sweep.

That makes sense to me. Mary Poppins was not one of my formative movies, but insofar as I encountered it, there is evidence that Bert was important to me.

[skygiants]

"Make 'Em Laugh" is one of those things that's maybe more deeply embedded in my brain as Words To Live By than the creators of the film ever intended.

[sovay]

"Make 'Em Laugh" is one of those things that's maybe more deeply embedded in my brain as Words To Live By than the creators of the film ever intended.

NO SUCH THING.

—signed, a person who would really like to stop suffering and write that symphony

[nodrog]

I saw a letterboard after Robin Williams died:

        MAKE GOD LAUGH

… and I really liked that.

[moon_custafer]

You know how some people figure out they’re L, G or B because they’re not attracted to the romantic lead everyone expects? Or they like both leads? Still not sure what it says about me, but I noticed pretty early that I nearly always crushed on the hero’s comedy sidekick, or the heroine’s gruff uncle, or the wacky neighbour, or basically anybody except either of the leads. So yeah Cosmo’s my favourite character in that movie.

[sovay]

Still not sure what it says about me, but I noticed pretty early that I nearly always crushed on the hero’s comedy sidekick, or the heroine’s gruff uncle, or the wacky neighbour, or basically anybody except either of the leads.

I don't crush on characters, but almost twenty years ago I started keeping a list of my favorites because I had noticed some common factors, including a high statistical incidence of supporting cast. It's only recently that protagonists have started to appear with any significant frequency; I attribute it to a general improvement in the ranges of people allowed near the center of a story and also to my finding at least the genres of film and TV where the sort of people I like hang out.

So yeah Cosmo’s my favourite character in that movie.

It's an extremely reasonable reaction.

[dramaticirony]

Very nice to see you, glad you had a chance for low key socialization before the show.

Eating in Chinatown was a thoughtful way to show support at this time (while also having great food.)

Have a wonderful time at the 'thon!

[sovay]

Very nice to see you, glad you had a chance for low key socialization before the show.

Likewise, and thank you!

Eating in Chinatown was a thoughtful way to show support at this time (while also having great food.)

It's really a win-win situation, especially since spatch has established that I have never eaten dim sum at the restaurant that used to be a theater.

Have a wonderful time at the 'thon!

Thank you! So far, so good. (We are briefly home to feed cats.)

Wheezin' in the Rain

[nodrog]

You may already know this, but actor and dancer Gregory Hines set out to recreate Gene Kelly's eponymous dance in that film, and he said it was the most physically demanding performance he'd ever done in his life! - For one thing, recall that he's doing it all in sopping wet clothes.

Gene Kelly was in incredible physical condition.

Re: Wheezin' in the Rain

[moon_custafer]

Some American tv host mocked the British royal family for allowing young Prince George to take ballet lessons, and Gene Kelly’s widow called them out for it.

Re: Wheezin' in the Rain

[sovay]

Some American tv host mocked the British royal family for allowing young Prince George to take ballet lessons, and Gene Kelly’s widow called them out for it.

I remember when that happened! Good for Patricia Ward Kelly.

Re: Wheezin' in the Rain

[nodrog]

At Wilma’s suggestion, Fred Flintstone took dancing lessons - and with that learned muscle control “Twinkletoes” won the bowling tournament!  Yabba dabba doo!  *grin*