The inconsistent, contradictory ramblings of Scarlett the Harlot

I just got finished watching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Not going to lie, I tend to collect WWII movies. Mainly because I like the clothes and the music. I've never been this moved by one before.

Just... there aren't words.

The above quote belongs to The Roommate.

I commented on this movie a few weeks ago when she and I went to see it and now that I've got a spare second or two... here are my thoughts. on The Other Boleyn Girl.

So, I have a love/hate relationship with book-to-movie adaptations. Often, and we've discussed this before, I can flip a switch in my head so I can watch the movie as a separate entity. Although occasionally the movie is so awesomely bad (I'm looking at The Other Boelyn Girl and I'm very, very disappointed in one Miss Natty Portman) that I cannot get over the fact that they're two entirely different mediums. Sometimes, though, you get a movie that bases itself on a book, but carves it's own niche well enough that it stands alone. So that those who are avid fans of the book can watch the movie and enjoy it for what it is--a clever piece of escapist entertainment. That said, please ignore the fact that this movie came out LAST SUMMER and I'm horribly late with this review. But I watched the movie this weekend, I like it, this here's my journal, so ya'll can just deal.

Enter Blood and Chocolate. I will admit to two things here. One: when I was a teenager, I was an avid fan of the supernatural genres and I actually read Annette Kurtis Klaus' novel of the same name when I was, like, eleven and I've probably memorized whole portions--not to mention the obsessive crush I ha(d)ve on Gabriel. Two: when I heard the book was being made a movie, I cringed so hard I think my ears actually blinked.

However, I would like to point out something they did right, right off the bat. Here's the book's cover, which has been the same since it came out and which I really, genuinely love.



And here's the movie's poster:



Notice how the girls actually look alike? And that both of them look like AKK's descriptions? I was impressed. Even if the movie was produced by the bastards that did Underworld. Actually, if we learned anything from Underworld, we learned that just because a movie has a kickASS soundtrack, the movie can totally suck. So I was a bit trepiditious, even though they did good with the Vivian casting.

There was another couple trying to prove they were cool.

I made it no secret yesterday that I have an obsession with one Rufus Sewell. And because I have an obsession, I've had the opportunity to take a look at his --actually fairly impressive-- body of work. UNFORTUNATELY even though he's been in a rather large amount of movies--they all kinda suck. With him being the only redeeming factor.

And I'm not playing when I say that. He did a TV movie called Helen of Troy that pretty well raped the Trojan War story right about the time the movie Troy came out. (Incidentally, I'm not allowed to see Troy. I have friends who have, and they say MY seeing it will result in an early death because I'll have apoplexy. No joke.) But okay, Helen of Troy. Oy, that was drek. But Mr. Sewell somehow managed to show Agamemnon in a completely different light than he's normally shown. Sure, he's still a shmuck, but he's a shmuck that feels. Two scenes in particular were just... awesome.

Anyway. I've decided that the man keeps getting bad scripts and he takes them because he likes to work... and because of this he's religiously the only redeeming factor in a bunch of otherwise shitty movies.

Oh... Johnny Depp. You've done it again, haven't you, you wonderful man? You've gotten together with Tim Burton and you've created a movie that's most definitely Burton. I've got even money that Timmy's stamped his name on your ass like the proverbial ACME symbol, hasn't he? You can tell me... I won't tell anybody. Of course, I'll ask to see it. But then, who wouldn't?

One of the things that I love about versatile actors is that they constantly surprise me. Seriously. The first time this happened to me was when I realized that Dustin Hoffman was Hook. And that didn't happen until the end of that movie, when he lost his wig. Granted, I was eleven and I only knew Hoffman from Rain Man, but still. Point is made. Then it happened again with Sean Penn and I am Sam. Say what you want about the guy and his ability to make a trip to the can grandiose, but he plays Downs Syndrome very believably. Johnny Depp as whoever he's playing at the moment. And of course there's Ed Norton. Ed Norton in damn near anything.