'Idle thoughts of an idle fellow'

What better way to end the day than listen to Dmitri Hvorostovsky belt out Rodrigo's death arias from Don Carlo?  (All right, that was possibly the geekiest sentence I ever wrote.  But it's so very true.)  I am obsessed with that video.  The first two lines of "Per me giunto..." (skip to 1:13) are so epically epic you just have to hear the whole thing, even if for the umpteenth time.  I'm such a sucker for the orchestral accompaniment, too. (The epicness of Mr Hvorostovsky's voice is a given.)

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I registered for fall classes today.  As it turns out, I will be taking a programming class and two history classes (believe it or not, I did not plan that out--those were the only suitable morning classes).  Anyhow, that is the idea so far.  I can only take the one programming class this fall (it's the basics of the basics)--so hopefully this will help me transition to the new subject and new school. 

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I've also been working on the cover for my poetry book.  It is so, so easy to criticize book covers until you try making one yourself, especially for something as abstract as poetry. And fonts...don't get me started on fonts!  Thankfully, some philanthropic artists have created Open Font License (OFL) fonts, which are free to use.  Starting with my first version of GIMP that we got--oh, probably five or six years ago--I've become more and more grateful to people who contribute to open source programs/projects (that's something I'd like to do in the future).

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Just got The Brothers Karamazov from the library!

I'm almost finally done with Shackleton's South; I did finish his part of the narrative and started looking through the book of complete photographs from his journey--which are incredible for 1914-17 and a survival experience at that.  There are even some color photos!  Shackleton's leadership and his group's persistence are amazing, and it is really moving to read of all the miracles that added up to their escaping Antarctica.  I dare anyone to read the book and to still think they survived by their perseverance alone, that the 'coincidences' that saved their lives over and over again were just that, coincidences.  It couldn't have been.  Even the very end, where Shackleton frantically comes back two or three times, and finally at just the right moment the ice pack opens up so he can rescue the rest of the crew, only a few days before their rations run out--even that's just too perfect to be good luck!  Truth more unbelievable than fiction...

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My sister's blog!

Click here:  My Music Stand.  My sister's an awesome musician and one of my best friends, so be sure to check it out.  <3

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Onegin (1999) movie review

A good movie follows the book closely, right?  Usually.  But a movie that follows the book closely does not necessarily equal a good movie. 

For tech writing class, I was assigned to review a movie new to me, and my review had to imitate the Rolling Stones magazine's review style.  But truth be told, I don't care for that style, and my review didn't say all I wanted to say (of course!).  So here is my brand-new review of Onegin, just for you.  ^_^


 (in lieu of a trailer--this music video is actually better than the movie!)
Onegin (1999)
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
 
Things to know: 

• Onegin is based on the book Eugene Onegin, by Alexander Pushkin.  This is one of the most (if not the most) famous Russian classics in Russia, while still greatly unknown in the U.S. (compared to War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, etc).  
• The book is short and written entirely in poetic verse.
• The book is one of my top 5 favorites ever and my favorite romantic story.

I'm not a purist.  I'm totally ok with some changes; sometimes changes are for the vastly better (e.g. A&E's Hornblower).  But all that's neither here nor there, since there were no major changes in Onegin.

My reaction to the movie was lukewarm.  This was particularly atrocious, since I've read the book twice in the last year and both times found myself having a good cry at some point or other.  Movies typically convey as much emotion as their book inspirations.  Onegin is atypical in this regard.

I quote my first review for the synopsis:

The only non-silent, non-operatic movie adaptation of Eugene Onegin, by Alexander Pushkin, deviates little from its inspiration. . .Ralph Fiennes as Eugene Onegin escapes from a decadent life in St. Petersburg to his countryside inheritance, only to befriend trespasser and poet Vladimir Lensky (Toby Stephens) at gunpoint, literally. In the same breath, Onegin unconsciously wins the heart of his neighbor Tatyana Larina, played by Liv Tyler (of The Lord of the Rings fame). Belittling Tatyana's love letter and Lensky's code of honor, Onegin suddenly finds himself on the road to disaster as he struggles with fate, or, as he learns, his own brutal cynicism.

This movie is all head and no heart, in a bad way.  It basically follows the book's plot to the letter, but the spirit of the book is missing.  You know when you watch Great Expectations, or Pride and Prejudice, or North and South, and you get a sense of atmosphere and setting?  There was none of that here.

The dialogue is probably the chief culprit.  It's very minimalist. . .in a bad way.  So very little is said, while a ton of time is spent on the visuals, which alone are not effective in conveying what's going on and what the characters are thinking.  It was frustrating and mind-numbingly dull to watch, and the chemistry between characters was weak.

Secondly, plot pacing is pretty bad.  The "filler" scenes were painfully slow, and the pivotal scenes were greatly skimmed-over.  Also, the dream sequence was omitted, which is a real shame since it is one of the most dramatic parts of the book.  The book is so short--there was no need to cut that scene or add-in an awkward husband & wife scene (dear me, if you must expound upon the book, there are better aspects to expound upon). 

My third major gripe was the casting of Ralph Fiennes as Eugene Onegin.  There's just something wrong if Fiennes is more likeable as Hades in Wrath of the Titans, one of his most recent roles.  Now, Onegin isn't a good guy in the book, but he is certainly charismatic and three-dimensional.  On the other hand, Fiennes's Onegin is one-dimensional, apathetic, and--too old (Onegin is supposed to be twenty-six).  For the majority of his screentime, he comes across as very unlikeable and, in the final scene, just plain creepy.  I don't blame Fiennes.  I do think he was horribly miscast. 

So, what did I like?

The plot accuracy is excellent.  I was glad to see that the ending was not typical-Hollywood style, but exactly like the book.  This is the essence of the story, so it's good they got it right.

The cinematography was really nice, very artistic; they certainly put a lot of effort into it.

Casting in general is a bit of a grey area.  I dislike British & American actors portraying Russian characters; it's very distracting.  However, Liv Tyler deserves credit for her portrayal of Tatyana.  The scriptwriters chose to emphasize Tatyana's girlish naivete (which I question), but keeping this in mind I think Tyler did an excellent job.  Also, Toby Stephens was splendid as the idealistic, irrational Vladimir Lensky, making him more personable to a 21st-century audience than the book does. 

The content was overall ok (more in-depth content review here, but beware of spoilers).  I fast-forwarded Onegin visiting his lady friend and the husband & wife scene, but they didn't show anything objectionable, that I could tell.  I also fast-forwarded the duel.  Apparently, the duel is the main reason the movie is rated R.  I'm pretty squeamish, but if you're watching it on DVD with the remote handy, it shouldn't be a problem.  Personally, it would bother me more if they tried to sugarcoat it. . .Pushkin himself died in a duel, and by showing a premeditated duel as it is, at least we show how twisted and childish the "code of honor" really was.

Onegin was not the worst movie I've ever seen.  Still, it feels like a missed opportunity--with even just a better script, it could have been a good movie.  As it is, I don't necessarily recommend it to non-book-firsters, as it might give you a wrong impression of the story.  It is also a very slow movie, even for those of us who enjoy 3+ hrs long BBC dramas.

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Password - Einaudi

Another piece by the Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.  A little more cheerful than the last one I recorded, and lots of fun to play!  (The first (horrible) page turn is edited out.)

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Dreams coming true

You know one thing I hate about college?  The shock that comes right after spring finals (especially your last finals at a particular school).  Finals week, you study and study and get all angsty about getting an A on all of your tests or finishing your gargantuan essay or whatever.  Then you take the tests.  Then, all of a sudden, your life feels like a vacuum, totally hollow inside because your life has been bloated with studying and being a diligent student, and now there is "nothing" more to do for three months.  On top of that, if you're unsociable like me and there's suddenly no more, like, tons of people around, you get the feeling you're turned inside-out and kind of really miss the people.  It's really, really unpleasant.

However. . .

Now that I've recovered from the shock, I am in the process of formatting my poetry book for self-publishing (via Amazon/Createspace)!  My schedule is roughly as follows: Interior - 1 week, Cover Design - 1-2 weeks, Anything Else - 2 weeks, and then publishing, while simultaneously working on the book website.  Pretty excited!  I was kind of dreading the formatting, but it is actually fun to be working on what the book will really look like.  BUT THERE'S TOO MANY CHOICES.  What font?  What style of page numbers?  And again, what font?  (I'm leaning towards Georgia). 

I don't expect the book to "go viral" by any means--this is just a start, a way to learn about self-publishing and gain some self-confidence by publishing something I'm actually proud of.  If that's all I accomplish, I'll be happy.  :)

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Good-bye to ergs, kettles, gelifluction...

Shall I miss you, landforms?  I think not.  Not soon, in any case.  Still, I am amused at how much I have learned--so much so that when "föhn" and mirages are mentioned in South, by Shackleton, I feel mighty happy.

So ends my colourful career at community college. 

It really strikes me that I have learned more in the non-academic sense than in the academic sense (which in itself has been a lot of learning).  Jolly good.  I feel hopeful that this summer will be chock-full of even more learning and (extra hopefully) accomplishments following the to-do list in an organized fashion.. 

HAPPY SUMMER. 

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Yet more ramblings

So much to DO this weekend.  One more batch of geography homework due by Tuesday.  Study guide to finish, landforms to memorize.  History to review.  And, a couple of other important things which I am feeling apprehensive about. . .if only there were more time!!!

This is, of course, just when I'm starting to feel very lethargic and unstudious.  Must not let that happen completely.  Self-discipline, and green tea---have I blogged about the virtues of green tea yet?  Not entirely, I guess.  Beware, a verbose post on green tea is forthcoming.

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Summer 2012 / goals, plans, good ideas. . .

updated: 07/17/12

I have a vague idea that I created such a post for last summer but did not post it. . . Here goes anyways.

• Pencil drawings & tablet drawings in MyPaint
• Watch another opera
• Learn how to speak and write all the phrases on SpeakEasy Russian Lite
• Finish reading the Old Testament 
• Make a big dent in the elephantine reading list + reviews/analysis.  (Not "big", maybe, but decent.)
• Publish my poetry book!
• Practice my handwriting until it comes easily.   (It's definitely easier now!)
• Totally revamp my blogs.  I started already, but far from finished.
• Upload some (original) piano compositions/recordings to YouTube  (maybe in an EP album!).
• Work on a website design.
• Finish transferring files to my laptop.
• Photography, digital art, quote wallpapers, fun stuff.... 
• Finish the 18th century dress I was sewing last summer.  (?)
• Embark on a big writing project, to be posted online...  (?) 
• Learn LMMS (?)

This has been my last quarter at community college, which makes me sad.  However, I also want very badly to find the energy to really reorganise and refocus my "real life" and do some non-college studying/reading.  Last summer, I mostly moped around, but this summer I am going to keep busy and make every day important!

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More ramblings

• I'm always tired on Mondays. 
• But thankfully, no more long, boring Thursdays!  No more getting up at 5:30 am, being at school for two hours and then an additional 3+ hours in the afternoon.  >_>
• Dear library patrons:  Please return your DVD ASAP so we can watch it next?  :)
• Started Eugene Onegin (2007 Met) last night.  I was keeping a (somewhat snarky) running commentary, which was somewhat cancelled out by a sudden onslaught of tearing up during the letter scene.  <3
• SO TIRED OF YOUTUBE ADS THAT CANNOT BE SKIPPED.  I know, I know, cotton is the fabric of Emmy Rossum's life...
• I'm sure I've said it a billion times, but I love my history/poli-sci classes!  We've been learning about FDR and just started WWII.  Not new topics, but there are a lot of (new to me) nuances to the topics that are very interesting. 

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