From Russia with love.

Classic Russian literature, Tolstoyevsky, or wallowing in the misery of a poorly made decision for a thousand pages. Like that scene in The Young Ones of the couple huddling around the lamp to reminisce about better times, or trudging through freezing cold snow whilst draped in a bearskin rug.

Joe Wright's film of Anna Karenina was lovely to look at, in a twirly Baz Luhrmann sort of way. Granted I'm not a massive fan of Knightley's acting pouting/frock modelling, but the theatre setting shenanigans were interesting. With about ten other adaptations, we didn't really need the same locations revisited -- it made it a memorable version. The film has a staged, stifling atmosphere (made all the more apparent when you actually go 'outside' the theatre, it's like a breath of fresh air), but it's a good experiment. Would rather like to give the book a try; obviously there's more depth to it than elaborate dance scenes and Princess Betsy's amazing wardrobe.

Ruth Wilson frock envy.

Also need to finish Crime and Punishment, which I started five years ago and still have a hundred pages left to read. It's not that I dislike the book, I think it's brilliant, I just can't stand reading about Raskolnikov's pompous, self-righteous antics; thinking because he's so clever he can bully, mistreat and erm, murder anyone around him. He just irritates me so much! And his poor shivering child of a girlfriend, oh god. Apparently he sees the error of his ways though; I'm probably going to eat my words in the last hundred pages.

Raskolnikov plus appendage, as interpreted by DeviantART.

I know bugger all about modern Russia (I haven't read The Communist Manifesto, but I've seen Fiddler on the Roof a couple of times), but I'm guessing that every other person isn't a Prince or Countess Somebody now. Anna would probably have gotten the same treatment for adultery though, if the whole Kristen Stewart lynch mob is anything to go by -- I know, I'm bang on topic for like JULY.

Parents have just ordered War and Peace on DVD too (which my mister found just as hard-going a read as C & P), so it's looking to be a very Russian winter. Fitting, because it's absolutely freezing.

P.S. What has Ang Lee done to Life of Pi, without the other 'animals' how will it end? Please not "heartwarmingly".

Ecstatic about Cabin.

I think The Cabin in the Woods is my new favourite film. It left me gaping in awe and joy, mouthing “YES” a lot — which is always a good sign! Not having watched the trailer, or sneaked online and ruined it for myself like I normally do, I was expecting an average shitty teen horror flick. How wrong I was! I can’t do justice to the amount of chaos and awesome that was unleashed. I’d have to ruin the twisty turny plot (think Evil Dead meets The Truman Show) for a decent review, so just go see it won’t ya?

“ANGRY MOLESTING TREE”

The film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Ecstacy is doing pretty abysmally in the film review department, which is a shame; I really liked the book. To be fair though, they chose the most boring novella in it; the one that’s a bit like Trainspotting but not quite as good (which is how the film’s being hailed incidentally), instead of the funny and shocking one with necrophilia and bits of period drama, or the brutal and shocking one with disability and all the gruesome violence. More screen-friendly I guess, and subtle? Or just crap? Would still like to see it and make up my own mind..

Danny Boyle must be so happy about this.

I’m so tempted to buy Cabin’s visual companion for more concept art, monsters and Joss Whedon times. Beneath my quiet exterior there seems to lie a raging appetite for destruction, oh well.

Ken Russell being crazy amazing.

Here are some reasons to watch his films.

Women in <3. Not set in the 1960s. Honest.

'Women in Love' has Alan Bates trying to literally shag nature, then naked wrestle with Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson doing hip bohemian dancing with bulls, dramatic and slightly frightening music at every sex scene, a hilarious ballet sequence, the 1960s trying to do the 1920s (according to my dad, this is because everyone in the 60s thought it was the ONLY time worth living in) and is a D. H. Lawrence novel. 

Tchaikovsky.

Not the 1970s either. This is 19th century Russia.

I also watched 'The Music Lovers' for the first time t'other night, which is basically "let's make a film about how terrifying it would be to consumate marriage with your wife if you were a gay Russian composer, and shoot it like it were a classical music video". It's a bit like 'Marie Antoinette' in that it's so tinged with the era it was made, but all the better for it.

A Marylin Monroe statue on wheels? What did you expect.

Then there's 'Tommy', which gets better every time I see it and has a scene with Ann-Margret rolling around in bubbles, liquid chocolate and baked beans (all together), Tina Turner going scary nuts, Keith Moon as a huge pervert and is a musical by THE WHO. Enough reasons really.

I dunno, Ken Russell just has this bold, fearless style that hugely appeals to me. Sort of an ugly kitchen sink realism, but with all the colour/brightness settings turned up. Wikipedia calls him "flamboyant". Just so many surreal and wonderful images that you're left scratching your head wondering what you've been watching. I've only ever seen these three films, but would love to see more.

Especially this, this looks bloody great.

Lair of the White Worm. Snake cults, yes please.

(images for Women and Worm pinched from the very good film blogs Snuffboxfilm and Filmconnoisseur on Blogspot, check 'em ooout, they like him too)

Woman in Black/Muppets

The Woman in Black made me do that thing where you peek through your fingers as if it stops you from seeing anything scary. It ought to; everyone is freaked out by unstable women, things moving when they shouldn't, children gazing into space (many horror films evidently find kids horrifying) and a whole antique shop's worth of clockwork toys. When it's being subtle and old-fashioned it's genuinely frightening in a Haunting/Others/Orphanage sort of way -- look out for the rocking chair scene. Slicker than an IKEA advert, uses all the horror cliches but it worked rather well I thought!

The Muppets is enjoyable (if you can stand Disney musicals), but it milks the fact that you've almost forgotten about them A LOT. I've never felt so guilty and nostalgic about a bunch of singing puppets in my life; rather serious for a Muppet film! Probably reading into it too much, but it really made me think about how our collective sense of humour changes along with fashion -- perhaps that was the point though hmm.

Also, how many Snow White films are coming out this year, and...WHY?