Saturday, January 18, 2003
As if we needed further proof that the Academy is stupid, I just read that Howard Shore's score for TTT was almost disqualified due to stricter rules about scores for sequels. New Line had a fit because the score, quite obviously, is practically all new material. The Academy took back their decision to disqualify him, but their new rules will go into effect next year. If this means that RotK's score won't be nominated, I will be very unhappy. Grrrr!
Posted by DeeDee @ 11:27 PM
Heehee - my LotR quilt!
I wrote odd things in highschool. Sometimes I go through my folders and reread some of these things, and I wonder what I was smoking. This is an essay I wrote for a test in Advanced Biology seven years ago, at the tender age of 16. The scary thing is that the teacher gave me an A for it.
With all the important body parts, such as legs and other parts that have exercise videos and equipment named after them, some parts of the body must feel a little intimidated. I mean, you never see videos named Eustachian Tubes of Steel. Therefore, I’m going to write about something that seems very insignificant, but in actuality is quite important to the human anatomy. I’m going to try to construct an intelligent essay on that cartilage on the end of my nose. True, this won’t win the Nobel Prize, but that is just further proof of the immense prejudices facing this poor lunk of connective tissue (PLOCT).Before you ask, no. No, I don't know what I was thinking.Now after that grand and politically correct introduction, I actually have to think of something to say about the PLOCT. I’m sure it has a really impressive Latin name, but for the exclusive purpose of this essay, I will refer to it as PLOCT. The PLOCT is extremely important to Eskimos, because that is the exact spot where their noses meet when they greet each other. You may scoff, but if you were an Eskimo, you would understand. Since you most likely are not an Eskimo, I will try to think of some more convincing evidence.
If you are near windows often, you know that the PLOCT leaves the little dot on the glass. A more prejudiced critic would argue that it is actually the epidermis which comes in contact with the glass, but for the sake of the PLOCT’s self-esteem, let’s not get too technical.
If you are not an Eskimo and have never been near enough to glass for your PLOCT to make a spot, then I’m sure if you get really bored one day, you can sit down and think of the many ways in which the PLOCT has blessed your life.
Maybe someday, everyone in the world will do this, and on that glorious day, there will be PLOCTs of Steel.
Posted by DeeDee @ 08:33 PM
Friday, January 17, 2003
I love Viggo Mortensen.
Posted by DeeDee @ 08:25 PM
Awww Clare got a scanner and sent me a message. =)
I followed Cass's example and got a guestmap thingamajiggie, which is absolutely corking, as the Weasley twins might say. It's just below the tagboard. :-D
Posted by DeeDee @ 02:02 PM
Yay! I'm done with class until Tuesday, thanks to the wonderful Dr. King. Last night we watched the animated version of LotR, which Shan rented the other day. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen - one of those movies that's so terrible, it rises to a rarely achieved level of greatness, kind of like The Viking Queen.
Sam looked like a cross between Quasimodo and Lefou, Gaston's sidekick in Beauty and the Beast. He was also quite unarguably gay. The hobbits sing as they cross a log over a ravine, looking exactly like the seven dwarves. Poor Glorfindel was replaced yet again - this time by the prancy Legolas. Arwen was exactly how I pictured her in the book (i.e., she was not in the movie). When Galadriel showed Nenya, it shot out these ridiculous rainbow sparks, and the mirror was like viewing a kaleidoscope on an acid trip. The scene of Lothlorien frolicking was just disturbing. Saruman the White was in a red robe, and the black riders were in brown. They also limped and twisted around like intoxicated earthworms. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly was happening on the flight to the ford. Aragorn wore a skirt and was a jerk, and Boromir was a cross between a Viking and John the Baptist. Gandalf was more spastic than Ace Ventura on a caffeine high. Pippin calmly told the uruk-hai that "there is no use fondling in the dark." Eowyn looked like a muscular drag queen. The dialogue made absolutely no sense, the pronunciations made me feart, and the music was awful.
In summary, this is a film not to be missed! On my rating scale of Terrible Movies that Everyone Should Experience, this one gets two thumbs up.
Posted by DeeDee @ 12:42 PM
Thursday, January 16, 2003
After seeing this on blue's blog, I couldn't resist. O:-)
Posted by DeeDee @ 06:49 PM
I don't know why our cable is being so stupid, but it's kicked me off twice today already. :-/
I went for the Oxford class again, at the time and place that Dr. Wood told me, but another class was meeting there. So now I'm really confused, and I missed the class yet again. Luckily, they spent the day talking about Chesterton, which I've already covered with Dr. Wood. Still, missing class -- not good.
I finally watched Wit with Emma Thompson. It's very difficult to watch, but so powerful. And Emma Thompson is just phenomenal. I'm glad she's won an Oscar; sometimes people who deserve them actually do get them. *cough Cate and Viggo cough* Though she did lose the Emmy for this movie last year, to some woman for a Judy Garland biopic, which is a shameful crime. Ahhh, it was so good. It quoted one of my favorite poems, John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." And for those who didn't know, The Runaway Bunny is a deep and moving work of fiction. Really.
Posted by DeeDee @ 05:31 PM
Our cable has been really stupid lately. Hopefully it's back on for good this time. :-/ Choi has a cute new early-Valentine's layout with yummy candy hearts and yummy Settle. And yay! that blue has her computer back, with all its Orliness and insane amount of mp3s. I finally finished my 100 things that Alyssa told me about ages ago. Not too sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but... yeah, it's done.
Class will be kind of boring today because Dr. Wood is covering someone that we had in another class last spring -- not to mention that I wrote my seminar paper on the guy. But at least I like Chesterton, so maybe the time will go by fast.
On a completely random note, I want to share my favorite Oscar Wilde quote, from The Importance of Being Earnest: "The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means." And that is a great quote.
Posted by DeeDee @ 05:50 AM
Matt Groening's telepathic depiction of me in ten years
Posted by DeeDee @ 12:12 AM
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
I found this little story in the new LotR magazine, in an interview with PJ. This is why I lurve the LotR guys, especially Viggo.
*clings to Viggo's greatness*We reached the point where I wanted to shoot the three hunters doing their running across Rohan... It just so happened that right before we were due to start shooting this, we had been shooting other scenes, and the guys had gotten hurt -- all three of them! Brett had dislocated his knee, Orlando had fallen off his horse and had cracked his ribs, and Viggo had broken his big toe. I couldn't believe it -- the day we had to start shooting the running scenes, these three guys turned up limping and groaning and were in pain!
But I tell you, they just ran their hearts out for us for two days with a broken toe, cracked ribs, and a dislocated knee! Every time I would yell, "Cut," they would stop and go "Ahhh, ohhh, I am so sore... Ow!" Then they would groan and limp back to the start mark again. When you watch the movie and see all the running shots of those guys -- they are doing them with broken bones!
In fact, Viggo breaking his toe is actually on film. There is a scene where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas arrive at the site where the Rohirrim have ambushed the Orcs on the edge of Fangorn Forest... they obviously assume, at this point, that Merry and Pippin are probably dead, and they are stricken with grief.I suggested to Viggo that it would be great if, out of his grief and anger, he could kick one of the Orc helmets that was lying on the ground. He said, "Sure, that's great."... We did three takes, and then we did a fourth. Take number four was pretty close and looked quite good. I was about to say, "That's it -- we got it," but then I thought, "Let's just do one more, because every time he has done it, we have got it a little bit nearer the camera." So Viggo said, "Sure, let's give it one more go."
He kicked this helmet, and the thing just whistled right by the lense of the camera -- it was a great shot! Then Viggo did something different, something he hadn't done on any of the other shots: He lets out this anguished scream, drops to his knees, and is clenching his fist... he is in total grief for the death of Merry and Pippin! He hadn't done that before, and I thought, "Wow -- this is cool! This is really good -- cut!"
Then I found out that on that particular kick, Viggo had actually broken his toe. When he was yelling, he was yelling in pain because he had just broken his toe! He sort of turned it into acting because he didn't lose the character of Aragorn -- he just stayed with it and turned it into part of his performance, into a display of grief for Merry and Pippin... Because that was so powerful, I put it in the movie -- so when you see that shot in the film, he is actually breaking his toe right there on camera.
Posted by DeeDee @ 10:34 PM
Just got back from my seminar in Victorian Lit, which will actually be a class dedicated to the Pre-Raphaelite Movement and the Aesthetic Movement in art and literature, focusing mainly on art. In a related story, on Wednesdays from 3:30-6:30, DeeDee's body will be at a table in CS202, while her mind will be engaged elsewhere, in a New Zealand paradise with LotR characters and actors.
I picked the first slot for class presentation, which is Wednesday the 29th. I'm trying to get stuff over with early this semester, before I hate school more than I already do. Not to mention the fact that profs are much easier on the people who go first. My topic is "The Pre-Raphaelite Criticism of the Academic Tradition." Ew?
Had trouble sleeping this morning, so I read the first six chapters of Matilda, which is greatness. *clings to Alyssa for wondermous present* Also joined this, which Alyssa linked to from her blog of new, beautimous, yellow!, indie coolness.
Finally, I would like to say that blue is a strumpet.
Posted by DeeDee @ 05:03 PM
EEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!
J.K. ROWLING'S HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX TO BE PUBLISHED ON JUNE 21, 2003 IN THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN, CANADA AND AUSTRALIAEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!! *falls from chair*The World's Most Anticipated Book Is Over One Third Longer Than Previous Book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: LONDON, ENGLAND: January 15, 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, the fifth in the bestselling series has been scheduled for release on Saturday, June 21, 2003 in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, it was announced today by Scholastic and Bloomsbury publishers. The companies also announced that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over a third longer than J.K. Rowling's extraordinary previous book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
In making the joint announcement, Barbara Marcus, President of Scholastic Children's Books in the United States, and Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing in Britain said: "We are thrilled to announce the publication date. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will delight all J.K. Rowling's fans. She has written a brilliant and utterly compelling new adventure, which begins with the words:
The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive.....The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four.
Later in the novel, J.K.Rowling writes:
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 255,000 words compared to over l9l,000 words in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Posted by DeeDee @ 12:57 PM
Ugh, why can't I sleep?
Posted by DeeDee @ 05:36 AM
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
This is the most articulate and insightful TTT review I've found yet.
Posted by DeeDee @ 09:56 PM
My friends, the rumored future Professor Lupin.
....What, you think I'm kidding?
Edited to say that the site made a mistake, and this guy is rumored to be Wormtail! Now that I can agree with. =) *waits to see the real rarness of the good professor*
Posted by DeeDee @ 07:33 PM
Well, I missed the first meeting of the Oxford class today, but it wasn't my fault. I showed up at the room 15 minutes early, and sat there alone for 20 minutes, wondering where everyone was. Finally, I figured the class had been canceled, so I left and went to the bookstore instead. Bought textbookses, stood in line for "a life-age of the earth," as Gandalf would say, and then walked to Dr. Wood's office to find out why we didn't have class.
Dr. Wood then informed me that the class time and location had been moved, and for some reason I wasn't emailed about it. Lovely. So I missed it. But he didn't mind. He gave me the syllabus (2 months just on LotR!!) and some papers for next week, as well as his review of TTT. We talked about the movie for a little while, as well as possible thesis topics.
Then I went to Dairy Queen and was devastated to discover that they no longer sell strawberry-banana smoothies. So I had to settle for a strawberry shake. :'-( I ask you, what is this world coming to?
Posted by DeeDee @ 05:46 PM
Legolas Greenleaf: elf. warrior. optimist.
Posted by DeeDee @ 02:30 AM
Monday, January 13, 2003
Ugh. And sadly confirms these two old photos.
Posted by DeeDee @ 04:42 PM
I find it necessary to make a blog post about this. I just put on one of the pairs of stripey socks that blue sent me for Christmas, and due to the fact that I'm a munchkin, they come up past my knees. I love them. :-D Also thanks to the good Pirate Captain, I can watch TTT any time I want. *points to media player* All Aragorn, all the time. With some Legolas. And Eomer. And Faramir. All LotR men, all the time.
Posted by DeeDee @ 04:57 AM
Awww, happy 26th birthday to the cuteness and sweetness that is Orlando Bloom. Since I was a little (affectionately) mean to him the other day, I'm going to say what I love about him:
- He was the only one on the actors' commentary who used almost all his time to talk about and compliment other people. And he did it with such wonderful rambling and enthusiasm. Not only that, but he was also sincere in his gushing, which is rare and just made it better. It was... fanTAStic, and it warmed my heart.
- His hair. The curly hair. The long hair. The Hair. Yeah, okay, this one's shallow. I can be more shallow, though. Wanna see?
- He's HOTTTT!!!
- And yet, he's not trying to play the movie hunk game. He's a classically trained actor, and he chooses roles based on what he wants to play, not what a bunch of teenyboppers want him to play.
- He admires Viggo. Enough said.
- He's sweet, plain and simple.
- He can surf stairs on a shield, man. Whilst shooting arrows. Oops wait... that's Legolas.
- The Yellow Shirt. Bow to it.
- He's surprisingly awkward and geeky. Which only makes him more likeable.
- He wanted to play Faramir.
- That story about him taking a walk with Viggo's son, seeing a pretty sunset, and running back to tell the others.
- He recited poetry to a girls' magazine interviewer.
- He's smart. Oh yes, he is.
- He's adorably affectionate. There are so many pictures and clips of him hugging, kissing, reaching for people's hands... awww.
So in honor of Mr. Bloom's 26th, those are my reasons for loving him. I should add this disclaimer, however: "Though you are a pretty, charming, and sweet boy, Viggo is and always will be infinitely smarter, cooler, and sexier. Thank you." Now if you really want to read some Orli love, check your brain at the door, strap on your sense of humor, and visit Gertrude.
Posted by DeeDee @ 04:29 AM
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Well, here I be. Cable is a good, good thing. Never forget that, my friends.
I came back to wonderful presentses of greatness from Alyssa and blueby. *clings to them* Books to read, and stripey socks to run around in, and pretty music to listen to, and a scarf of much spiffyness, and lotsa other things. :'-( I love you guys.
Also, I was finally able to go back into Outlook and read the mail I lost from December 23-26, when that spammer jammed up my program at home. *kicks him* Evil! And I found this Christmas sign of greatness from Niki. Thank you! And... *stares at picture* Do you think he really does? *blushes*
I stopped at the gas station on my way in, to pick up my last paycheck. It was for a goodly amount, which was a pleasant surprise. And my two favorite coworkers, Stephanie and Candice, were working. We were so glad to see each other. When I walked in, we all went, "Eeeee!!" They asked me why I quit and stuff, and told me that John manages his own store now, across town. Sweetness. Now I'm eating gumbo that I brought from home, and drinking yummy rootbeer.
Posted by DeeDee @ 11:22 PM
See y'all in Texas. *trudges off*
Posted by DeeDee @ 12:14 PM