chenanceou: (Default)
Oh, dear. A Me!Me! I'm no good at this, but it's [livejournal.com profile] redeem147 - and I've comfortably slept on her futon, so I'll try. I had this posted a while before, but it applies, so here you go...

Almost 10 Things That I Like Because the things that bring me joy are mine alone.

Almost 10 Things That I Like )
chenanceou: (012)
I have to say that I now have a crush on Diana Gabaldon. The woman is not only intelligent and incredibly funny - she manages to be attractive in a very Claire way (some of you will know exactly what I mean). But I think what really made me swoon was having her answer the question of why set the novel in Scotland in the first place and why that time period. "I was watching an old Doctor Who episode..."

Yes, my friends, we got men in kilts because Ms. Gabaldon was watching Doctor Who. [livejournal.com profile] redeem147 would be able to tell you exactly which episode (the one where the Doctor picks up a new companion - a Scottish gentleman), but I'm ashamed to say I'm not that knowledgeable. Ms. Gabaldon also said that the idea of men in kilts held great appeal to her due to - The thought that you could be up against a wall with him in less than a minute - and this is an almost direct quote.

I wish I remembered the dirty limericks. Those were priceless.

And I really should call her Dr. Gabaldon. The lady has a PhD.

=#=

On other news, waiting for [livejournal.com profile] rusty_halo to call back so we can finish working on the what, when and where (we already have the who and the why) for tonight. Last night we watched the 40 Year Old Virgin. I liked it enough to ignore the two asses kicking my chair. After yesterday's events an argument was the last thing I needed, so I let it go (hard to believe, eh?).

Question - didn't it disturb you that the message of the movie can easily be perceived as being: Don't have sex until you get married - even if it takes 40 frelling years! ? Maybe it was just me (I know [livejournal.com profile] rusty_halo shared some of my views), but women who are sexually aggressive often seem to share the same fate as the guys wearing the red uniforms in Star Trek: doomed to be obliterated/suffer/die a horrible death/pay the price.

There's the door.

Aum...

Sep. 21st, 2005 03:46 pm
chenanceou: (096)
Or yumm... Lunch at the Zen Palate with [livejournal.com profile] listener_m and [livejournal.com profile] rusty_halo - it's around Union Square and the dishes have names like shredded heaven and rose petals. Great company, great lunch and, for all that is beautiful in this world, there was the green market and how good the smells there made me feel. It was like being back home, where you go to the open market in the morning to get the food you are cooking that day - everything smells green and earthy with different notes here and there (freesias, bread, gooseberry wine...).

Home to shower (Because NY is lovely, but also humid and strangely hot for this time of the year.) and then meet up later for Corpse Bride (the posters around the city are killing me - The Graceful Dead?!). I'm a Tim Burton fan. I've written posts singing his glories and counted the ways I love his work (and no, not even this fan managed to like Planet of the Apes). The Wonka movie had me conflicted - I liked the songs, I liked the oompa loompa(s) and I liked the sets. I even liked the story - but something was off. But who gives a rat's ass about any of that when I'm about to see Corpse Bride?! I know I don't. It has everything I'm bound to delight in: walking corpses in low cut dresses, Depp, murder and humour. I`m all aflutter.

BTW - How come it took me 39 years to find out what a fluffer really does!?

Edit: Beware what you lift from other LJs (this one from [livejournal.com profile] myrddrr`s)...
If you know me from the BtVS stuff, you'll understand my horror when peek behind the cut )
chenanceou: (37)
I used to think of myself as different, weird even. It was bound to happen if you take in consideration where I was born (a photophobic in Tropical Brazil?), how I was raised (no contemporary music until I was 13 - yes, really) and my innate rejection of anything I perceived as ordinary.

Life taught me different. I'm in no way unique and there are others who share my idiosyncrasies - maybe not all of them at the same time, but get 2 or 3 people (in NYC or Gotham) and that's me right there.

That's why I'm sure there are others who also find Almodovar's movies incredibly romantic. Take >Tacones Lejanos< - it's what I would consider the #1 effective date movie (i.e. resulting in beard burns and/or carnal knowledge). It's sexy, it's original and as romantic as bit of spoils ) which, in my opinion, is very.

I saw it recently (for the 4th or 5th time) and was, once again, ga-ga over Miguel Bose's character (You probably know him from >La Reine Margot<. What?! You didn't watch that? Please, do!). Which got me thinking - Eddie Izzard is on my list*. So is Mr. Laurie, after I saw him in drag as Georgina, the doomed sweetheart in Black Adder III.

I must fancy girls.

Colleen?

* AKA The List - I never committed it to paper, but it's there, floating in the ether.

Tele Vision

Jun. 3rd, 2005 10:05 pm
chenanceou: (37)
Veronica Mars started airing in Brazil - 5 PM on Tuesdays. Perfect for the teen. There's very little tv time allowed here and she has to submit shows beforehand for approval (enlightened despotism is alive and well, thank you very much) and with Joan of Arcadia axed, she has an opening. Veronica Mars it is... After all the complaining I did about it. It does beat the torture that is Gilmore Girls and the annoying Lorelais. It gets to the point we have bets who will be the most annoying of the duo for the week. Thank the makers of gummy worms & other good things in the world for Emily Gilmore - she makes it bearable.

The "L" Word starts here next month. That merits the belly dance of joy. QaF is nice and yes, Brian is one of the handmade by gods males out there, but I wanted "L". So me happy. The absurdly late Sunday slot is not so hot, but I still have a VCR around here somewhere.

I need TiVo.

Watched all the finales. House was my favourite. By far. Lost lost me. Desperate Housewives was so bland I'm thinking they will have a hard time with season 2, but hey... I thought Wonderfalls would last forever and haven't watched Housewives since the Linette charactericature started me questioning my admiration for the amazing Felicity Huffman (who I heard is brilliant in >Transamerica<).

Wire in the Blood has been commissioned for a fourth season *dance of joy*. The actress playing Carol is pulling a Caruso (or has it been upgraded to a Duchovny now that Caruso is working again?) and is not coming back. Robson Green stays on as Dr. Tony Hill and, frankly, I'm learning to appreciate my shows sans ship'. Series 3 should be airing in the US since it is already airing here.

Doctor Who has me hooked (we are talking coveting Dalek salt & pepper thingies hooked). I watch it with the young'un and we both love the Doctor, but are both petrified of the regeneration (it will be our first) . Whoever is responsible for Chris Eccleston not returning for a second series: May your bed be infested with the fleas of a thousand camels!

So I'm sticking to my doctors and hoping for a side of witches (Hex should be back some time around October? Brits?) and The "L" Word.

Now, back to watching the man I should have met when I was younger and prettier... >Eddie Izzard<. When things get tough, it's Eddie to the rescue.

"The NRA says 'guns don't kill people, people do.' But I think that the gun helps. You know? I think it helps. I think that if you just walked around going 'Bang!' you wouldn't kill too many people would you? You'd have to be really dogdy on the heart for that to work."

"I like my coffee hot and strong, like I like my women, hot and strong... with a spoon in them."
chenanceou: (48)
-The Movie Thing-
I've been tagged by the lovely Technicolor sunrise that is redeem147 - the only one who would tag me and get me to actually look it up.

Much to my surprise:
VHS * Not many, I donated all my old VHS movies and kept only the family videos.

DVDs * Way too many and I'm sort of embarrassed it's such a high number since there's a lot of trash in the midst (Day After Tomorrow, anyone?). My only defence is that most of them were presents.

DVD Sets * 14 (BtVS takes most of that. I got the last seasons as gifts)

Last bought * Vincent Price Box Set

Last watched in theatre * I really can't remember. It was either Kung Fu Hustle (as good as people say it is) or some kid movie.

Five I rewatch * The Doctor Who DVDs Colleen sent me, Sleepy Hollow, any of the Jeeves & Wooster, Agatha Christie's Poirot collection (with David Suchet) and, inexplicably, The 13th Warrior (the last one, ad infinitum).

Forgive me not to tag somebody else, but I've been away (I predict I'll try and then miserably fail to catch up on LJ) and am pretty sure that all have already been tagged and MeMe-d.


-The Novel Thing-
On related news, V for Vendetta, one of my favourite graphic novels of all time (go and read it, you won't regret it) is being turned into a movie. Now, this was written by the man I use the words genius and brilliant freely, [beat] Mr. Alan Moore. Anybody with a passing recognition of graphic novels and (dare I say) comics, knows Mr. Moore and is perhaps familiar with the butchery his work has suffered when it's their turn to go Hollywood: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine and From Hell. Yes, From Hell didn't suck, but if you read the novel you'll find out it's not the same story and cry for all the wasted research (or not).

The cast is pretty good - with people like (most valuable DNA) Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving (LotR, Matrix & Priscilla), John Hurt (Hellboy! Fine, he's done a lot more, but I couldn't resist), Stephen Rea and Natalie Portman (who shaved her head for the movie and still looks great).

Another graphic novel you may want to try is >Persepolis< by Marjane Satrapi. I can sit here and tell you how interesting it is to see the whole Iranian revolution through the eyes of a young girl (there are 4 Persepolis in total), but it wouldn't do this series justice in the least. The drawings are simple (b&w) and I liked it that way. Try.

Anyway, I've gone on long enough. The Big Book Thing was depressing, with people going out of business and even the big publishing houses hurting with the losses. I did have a great time finding some precious books, the one I want to rave about is the new translation of 1001 Nights. I'll eventually write about it since I'm pretty tired and it's a work that deserves its own entry (even if its fascinating story is so only to me).

Question: Was the Lost finale okay? Are they dead yet?
chenanceou: (45)
The Power of Nightmares, a made for television series by Adam Curtis, has been re-edited as a feature and is being shown this Saturday at Cannes. It's basically a political analysis of the causes and consequences of the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (yes, 9/11). No, it's not a replay of Farenheit 9/11 since it avoids the histrionics and selective editing of Mr. Moore and is pretty much a documentary. Unfortunately, it seems that the US will not get to see it*, since American television has failed to show any interest in it (the quote, provided by Mr. Curtis, of the head of a network was: We would get slaughtered if we put this out.) - the funny bit is that al-Jazeera (Arab television) was due to screen it, with no cuts, last night.

It never stops shocking me how little information average Americans seems to have on their own history and, to a disquieting extent, the history of other countries. If for no other reason, The Power of Nightmares should be seen as a means of learning a bit more about the different views on what brought about yet another war and 52% increase of hate crimes towards Muslims in the US - among other things.

On unrelated news, or not, an academic essay on bullshit by Harry Frankfurt, philosopher emeritus at Princeton University, has become an instant success when release as a book. >On Bullshit< is selling at about 50 books/day rate and that, my fellow unappreciated writer, is no bullshit.

Excrement is not designed or crafted at all.
It is merely emitted or dumped. It may have
a more or less coherent shape, or it may not,
but it is in any case certainly not wrought.


I hope those of you reading this entry have a good weekend. I'm off to attend to family affairs and, possibly, to bury myself in all sorts of wonderful books while eating great, if prohibitive caloric, cuisine. Something nice, at last.

*It played on film festivals and will probably get an art house release, but no television so far.No, not even HBO.
chenanceou: (10)
I have a thing for Tim Burton - no, not that way, but close. From the tip of Vincent's toes to the top of his Big Fish and all the way through Nightmare, Sleepy Hollow and with a special bow to Beetle Juice he makes me want to use the four-lettered-word. Yes, I love him.

This fall the man who only failed me once (and as men go, that's nada) gives the world Corpse Bride. The title alone makes me warm and fuzzy, but then the cast of this stop-motion scrumptiously gothic love tale is good enough to make this humble fan shed a few tears of gratitude... Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney and Richard E. Grant.

After the waste of my all too brief time on this planet with such festering fermented fiendishness as Constantine and H'sGttG, I'm more than looking forward to this one. Give me this and the Coraline stop-motion and I'll be one very happy, black on black, camper.

The trailer for the movie can be found >here<. [Quicktime]

Pictures >here<

Edit: I almost forgot, Happy Mothers Day to those it applies. Go and hug your mum or something.

P.S. Yes, I do know Mr. Burton has the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory extravaganza coming out this year and that yes, Mr. Depp is also to be in that one. Hence my extra joy when told the news it will be a double Tim Burton year.
chenanceou: (35)
House has started airing here and, even though I caught another whiff of a Medical Investigations culprit disease (this time it was anthrax), I remain devoted to Dr. House.

As a devoted viewer, I started a local word-of-mouth campaign in favour of the show and when trying to explain what the differences were between House and any other show (we have been getting ER for a nauseating long time) I think I understood why I'm so partial to it/him (though Mr. Laurie's blue eyes and piano are a good enough reason): he reminds me of Sherlock Holmes and the three young'uns in attendance are a sort of trifurcated Dr. Watson (ouch!).

I don't know how you feel about Sherlock, but my young heart was broken when I discovered that the man was a work of fiction. I was sure he was real and bore an impressive resemblance to the actor Basil Rathbone. Sherlock Holmes was actually based on a real person, Dr. Joseph Bell*, but I digress. The point is: Sherlock and House share the qualities/flaws that have made one an old friend and the other a new one.

Holmes's drug addiction is there as is his detachment from human emotions (hello Commander Spock). The same goes for the superior intellect and the attention to details others will overlook, but that make the case at the end of the day. Instead of the violin you get the piano and there are differences, as there should be, but I do declare that Dr. House is an updated, twisted, medical Holmes.

You already knew that, didn't you?

* One of the theories on Jack the Ripper and why he stopped is that upon hearing that Dr. Bell had been brought into the case and had prepared a report, Druitt, one of the suspects, committed suicide thus ending the killings. Not saying it was so. Just giving you an idea of who the man was. In case you are interested, here's Dr. Bell's bio.
chenanceou: (41)
Television
BBC America will be premiering the third season of Wire in the Blood on Mondays at 9:00 pm (ET/PT) starting April 11, 2005 as part of their "Mystery Monday" programming block.

Books )

Youn'uns
My house's population this last week doubled due to back to back slumber parties and I found out that while nine year olds surprise and delight me, the fifteen year olds just bore me with the constant concern for the level of frizz wrestled out of their hair and the eternal question: will he call?

Is this what I burnt my bra for? To guarantee the next generation the right to worry about how they look and if the cute boy will call? The little voice is telling me yes, as long as the pay is equal.

The other voice is saying: remember Mileva Maric, girls. You don't even know who she was, do you? *sigh* My point exactly.

I'm stuck here for another couple of weeks and I have to say not doing a thing agrees with me so far. No, not really, but I'm trying to be bloody gracious.
chenanceou: (51)
I dragged myself to the pc because I need help - literary help.

Looking for the name of a short story book. No, I don't know the author - I have my suspicions but am not sure. It's sci-fi. One of the stories tells the tale of a guy who leads a tragic life only to find out, after he commits suicide, that he was an alien given the gift of living on Earth where people feel. There's another about an alien who has her eyes taken because she can see beyond normal seeing and I think the transplant goes horribly wrong. There's yet another about the sound of the end of the world. *sigh*
I need to know which book this is or I'll never sleep again.
I need to sleep.
Help me.
Please.
=#=
Wire in the Blood series 3 started with 4 eps. My life for the time being is all about television and books. Dr.Hill is a very welcome distraction.
=#=
I'm for once glad for the imperialistic contamination and debasing of the world's culture by the capitalists of America. House starts here just in time for my way too close to 40 birthday.
Hugh on my big box every week. Hugh. Of course I'm going to see him on the big, big screen - all dirty & sweaty - in the movie Flight of the Phoenix. If it's bad, I don't care. It's Hugh.

I've been caught by the PC patrol. I'm too young to be bossed about by the offspring. Bye for now.
chenanceou: (Bitca)
Dead Like Me made its way down to perpetual bad hair due to humidity land and I'm loving it! Why would I identify with a girl called Georgia, who goes by George, with a serious bitch-with-chip case going, but really more compassionate than you'd have guessed and who feels like the universe has way too much fun toying with her (un)life?
I have no idea. Really!
Joan of Arcadia - Don't shoot me, but I'm a sucker for the whole G'd has a mission for you theme. The actors are beyond good and I just love it, love it, love it. I'm glad Joan is not giving much thought to what happened to the other Joan. I'll just mention how glad I am the Inquisition is over.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has also just started. I like it, but not in love with it. Yet. I only saw one show so far and I did like it when I caught some of it in NY. It should appeal to the gay man in me big time. It's just that it makes me wonder if all single guys out there live in pigsties! I'm messy, but there is no new civilization growing on food left under my bed... not to mention the box of kleenex and lotion that was right by that.
Sing with me: His penis has diseases from a Chumash tribe...
I know. EWWW!
AtS is still all about D-Beast here and I will not go through that stupid reset your whole story 'cause Cordy is now evil (and dresses like a skank) again. I'm back to having to dl the new season. At least I get to catch glimpses of Spike when they let JM do some acting.
Shows I'm getting down here and wish I wasn't?
Joe Millionaire - or AKA let's all be hos on television. Their parents must be proud.
American Idol - the American version... and I know Reuben won, but Clay is making all the money. Why would they think people down here would care?
Tarzan - My heart has enough room for one blond and one blond only. And my blond can actually act.
OC - The pain of Dawson's Creek wasn't enough?!
Skin - Shakespeare stopped rolling in his grave over what is done to his plays a long time ago. I just changed channels.
And finally the bottom of the barrel:
Coupling US - It has been canceled in the US (6 eps too many, btw) - but not before it being bought stopped the real Coupling. I did sit through the first episode and hated every minute of the very badly done, obviously inferior imitation. Maybe it's the whole Puritan thing the US has going (no offense!) and the actors seemed to be straining during every minute they spent talking about sex (which is all they do in Coupling - so you can see what a biggie we have here). They even managed to make Jeff sound idiotic - instead of hilariously idiotic (porn buddies is funny!). I shudder to think what they'd do if they got their hands on Manchild.

I just want Amazing Race to start again and save me!

Chen and the flickering light from the box
chenanceou: (BtVS)
Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday - costumes & candy! So I can't have the candy anymore, but I sure can wear a costume! Gotta love it!
I hope you all have a great Halloween!

Chen's Halloween Costume!

chenanceou: (Moname)
Struggling over a review for Persian Boy *sigh*. It will work out. I just have to let go for a bit.
This is a shameless pimping of my cartoons, The Adventures of Chen.

Disclaimer: Democrat tendencies here - so please don't be offended by A Quiet Night at Home if you're a Republican.

Kill Bill

Oct. 13th, 2003 12:13 am
chenanceou: (Ciggie)

Kill Bill - Vol.1 )

chenanceou: (CR)
I know - only a tv show. But I go through hell to see the Amazing Race and my boys won!
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