Negative, I am a meat popsicle

[sovay]

My best cousin rushthatspeaks has knitted me a scarf for the winter. It is about six feet long and twenty different colors in alternating grades and I feel like a Time Lord with it on. It's awesome. She presented it to me this afternoon, and I considered it more than reward for the fact that Arlington had clearly had some kind of half-day and consequentially the bus was swamped after Appleton Street with very loud middle-schoolers.¹ We watched about two-thirds of Pandora's Box (1929), which is as stunning and modern as its reputation—Louise Brooks is genuinely something else. I can't think of another actress from from the '20's or '30's who has her physical directness and spontaneity, and possibly not even a present-day one.² I can't decide if I should read her essays before we finish the film or not. I imagine my mind will go on being blown either way.

Otherwise I did not go to the Rose Art Museum with wind05 and Sabitha on Saturday, because it was closed for winter break, but we hung out and drank tea until I evicted them in order to take down the Christmas tree; Sunday night I spent in Providence with greygirlbeast, Spooky, and readingthedark, where I got to hear the prologue to The Wolf Who Cried Girl and talk about Jell-O and other peculiar things.³ Yesterday I discovered that the quite legitimate reason no one's filmed Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest (1929) is that Akira Kurosawa got there first with Yojimbo (1961), and today nineweaving gave me two drawings from Cloud & Ashes. Buying herbal chai and scones in Porter Square Books, I ran into someone I hadn't seen since high school and she recomended me a cracktastic-sounding Gothic novel. I still have new music to listen to, courtesy of ron_drummond. I may have discovered that I can drink white tea.⁴

So far, pieces of this week have been quite fine.

1. I've had bizarre transportation luck recently. My train back from Providence yesterday was so late, eventually it became indefinitely delayed and all the passengers were shunted to the next Boston-bound Acela; which was also late, so that by the time it finally arrived, there were so many extra travelers on the platform that we were referred to as "displaced persons" and dispersed variously throughout the train, which in my case meant the first-class car. I read the latest reprinted Campion, Pearls Before Swine (1945), and was called by someone who hadn't been in touch since before Christmas. No one ever came to check my twelve-dollar regional ticket. I could theoretically have been some random person with a backpack and a pleasasnt smile. I thanked the conductor a lot before I left.

2. In another department of acting altogether, I was really charmed by Siegfried Arno as the harried stage manager attempting to hold together the revue in which Lulu is the star attraction. He's never going to get to finish that sandwich.

3. And watch The Fifth Element (1997), hence the title of this post. It's one of those films that should have flown apart at every seam it had and is instead wonderful; it combines a fantastically detailed future with a character-actor cast and a plot that quite possibly cannot be explained unless you want to wind up talking Dada. (There is a black planet of absolute evil. It calls its human contact up on the phone and is referred to by the receptionist as "Mr. Shadow." No one is surprised by this, the viewer included.) I'd happily watch it again, if only for all the visual stuff I know I didn't catch the first time. I should probably read some Moebius and Mézières while I'm at it.

4. Viking Zen tested this theory with some (redundantly named, but extremely tasty) Peach Momotaro from Teavana. We diluted it by half again, just in case, but I didn't get a migraine; I'm considering the experiment a success. She also gave me a tea mug. It has peonies and a strainer. I can finally make that mango tea I got from strange_selkie again.

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

White tea! Louise Brooks! And a spectral time scarf! What a lovely week, in spangles.

He's never going to get to finish that sandwich.

I've had cons like that...

Nine

[sovay]

What a lovely week, in spangles.

So long as I don't pay for it with Arisia. And even if I do, I've still got a scarf.

I've had cons like that...

I'm stocking up on clementines for Sunday.

(Dude; I threw the actor's name into Google Books to see what came up, and now I really want to know where one finds these things. I can't afford film festivals. I need Criterion, only more obscure.)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

White tea used to give you migraines?

I'd love a photo of that scarf!

The Fifth Element's vertical world fascinated me--it just stuck in my brain as a place I'd like to explore.

[sovay]

White tea used to give you migraines?

I get migraines from caffeine. This has been true my entire life; it's kind of amazing I thrived as a student, because I don't drink coffee, non-herbal tea, or caffeinated sodas—did you know that Barq's is the only caffeinated root beer in the United States? I didn't, until I accidentally drank some—and I limit the amounts of chocolate I eat. As of the last nine months, this may be changing. I had no ill effects from a very small amount of decaffeinated green tea in May. And last week Alison was told by a sales clerk in Teavana that white tea has about as much caffeine as dark hot chocolate, so we decided, very carefully, to experiment. No migraine so far. I'm hoping this holds; I have no desire whatsoever to drink coffee or Coca-Cola, but I wouldn't mind being able to branch out into more traditional teas.

I'd love a photo of that scarf!

You are in luck, because my mother took one last night. It is terrible of me—I have one of those stretched expressions you get when the flash goes off right before you smile—but the scarf looks pretty good.



I think it's longer than six feet, actually; I can hold it more than an arm's length above my head.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Ooh, it's very, very pretty! What a great scarf--what great colors.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

It was a delight to see you, as always.

[sovay]

It was a delight to see you, as always.

You, too. Keep me posted as to your whereabouts in Boston.

[mrbelm.livejournal.com]

Come over for dinner soon and we'll watch my superbit transfer dvd of Fifth Element. It really is a Moebius comic translated to film, complete with Gauthier costumes.

[sovay]

Come over for dinner soon and we'll watch my superbit transfer dvd of Fifth Element.

Thanks. I will keep your offer in mind.

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

Yay fun week! And Yojimbo, which I have actually seen.
I think watching that, followed by The Magnificent Seven, might cause some sort of brain short-circuit.

[sovay]

And Yojimbo, which I have actually seen.

I was really impressed. We're going to watch Sanjuro (1962) next week.

I think watching that, followed by The Magnificent Seven, might cause some sort of brain short-circuit.

Yeah. I believe I saw Seven Samurai before The Magnificent Seven, so at least I could approach those in the proper order, but I watched all three of Sergio Leone's Man with No Name films this past year and that definitely did things to my head watching Yojimbo.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

And watch The Fifth Element (1997), hence the title of this post. It's one of those films that should have flown apart at every seam it had and is instead wonderful; it combines a fantastically detailed future with a character-actor cast and a plot that quite possibly cannot be explained unless you want to wind up talking Dada.

At last, you enthuse about something I have actually seen. I think the underlying plot is notably straightforward, fwiw; go get the plot tokens and bring them back to Earth. I love it immensely, particualry the little bits like seeing the Statue of Liberty over Gary Oldman's shoulder in his office and realising what sea level has done in this future. Also, Ian Holm. Also the diva sequence. Um, OK, you have a point about Dada.

ISTR there at one point being mention of a plan for a sequel, to be called Mr. Shadow, but I do not think, alas, that got anywhere.

I had a Fourth Doctor scarf once, but unfortunately, it had wool in, and that was about the time I gave up entirely on trying to wear things with wool in ways that did not involve skin contact and allergic reaction.

[sovay]

I love it immensely, particualry the little bits like seeing the Statue of Liberty over Gary Oldman's shoulder in his office and realising what sea level has done in this future.

Yes. I loved that we get one very quick glimpse of the monumental, ziggurat-like skyline of future New York as the interstellar jet liner takes off—and that's it. Other movies would have been showing us around that city for half an hour. This one doesn't need to brag.

Also, Ian Holm.

I am very fond of Ian Holm.

ISTR there at one point being mention of a plan for a sequel, to be called Mr. Shadow, but I do not think, alas, that got anywhere.

I'd have watched that . . .

I had a Fourth Doctor scarf once, but unfortunately, it had wool in, and that was about the time I gave up entirely on trying to wear things with wool in ways that did not involve skin contact and allergic reaction.

I was very allergic to wool as a child, such that my grandmother learned to knit synthetics for me and my brother, but the yarn in this one is 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, and 10% lambswool and so far it doesn't seem to be giving me any trouble. I'm very happy.

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

So far, pieces of this week have been quite fine.

Sounds like! A delightful recitative.

I watched Pandora's Box a year ago or so, and was quite blown away, though I have yet to read the essays. You remind me that it's a film requiring another viewing, but also that it's so intense it's tough to watch in a single sitting; it took me two.

[sovay]

I watched Pandora's Box a year ago or so, and was quite blown away, though I have yet to read the essays.

rushthatspeaks has been reading Louise Brooks; she recommends her very highly. I hadn't realized she was a writer at all until it came up in conversation.

[seajules]

The scarf looks marvelous! I am learning to knit again after several years' break, and starting with a scarf.

I love Fifth Element. It's a gorgeous film, and such fun.

[sovay]

I am learning to knit again after several years' break, and starting with a scarf.

Awesome. Send pictures.

I love Fifth Element. It's a gorgeous film, and such fun.

It was completely off my radar until three nights ago. I knew it existed; I'd seen it in filmographies. But no one told me I wanted to see it!

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for the lovely/marvelous/Time Lordish scarf! And I'm delighted that you're able to drink white tea.

Glad you've had a lovely time, and that your train situation worked out well. Good on the conductor!

I need to watch The Fifth Element, one of these days. It came on the television one time, and I thought it looked interesting, but my father was there to complain about how weird and nonsensical it all was. It was a few minutes in, besides, so it wasn't worth trying to watch it on another television.

[sovay]

Hurrah for the lovely/marvelous/Time Lordish scarf! And I'm delighted that you're able to drink white tea.

I'm not going to start mainlining it, but it's encouraging. And I wore the scarf out in the snow today and it was very warm.

It was a few minutes in, besides, so it wasn't worth trying to watch it on another television.

It's worth your while, if you ever get the chance.

[sovay]

Lulu in Hollywood came out in a nice expanded edition with pictures, I think.

Awesome.