Sunday, March 03, 2013

Anonymous comments

I've changed my settings to allow only people with google sign-in accounts to comment because I was getting spammed heaps which is simply a bore.

The other option was something like 'registered users including open-ID account' but I think that's for private blogs and I don't want this to be private.

SO, anyone who has trouble commenting (all five of you) let me know and I'll, I dunno, probably change it back. But the spam is getting worse.

*

Saw Anna Karenina tonight. Wow, the clothes; wow, the set. Wow, Keira's crooked teeth and strangely inflating upper lip (in one scene, it was almost disappeared; the second half of the movie, it was plumped). BUT we enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the beautiful costumes and jewels:







And Levin, dear Levin:


20 comments:

Melba said...

It would be great if someone could comment just to make sure this thing is working...

THARNKS

Anonymous said...

Righto then.

Sounds like P would have had a fun time nerding out over her field of expertise. How did it stack up outside the looks department?

Um ... what else? ...

Watched Q&A for the first time in ages last night (was having a long work-related chat over instant message and the telly got left on). It wasn't good or anything, but there was this one woman right at the beginning who had cancer and two autistic kids who said something like "I remember living under Howard when Abbott was health minister, and I despise that man; absolutely despise him". It made me think about how, in todays world, remembering is like this extraordinary superpower that only a few possess and six or seven years ago may as well be the fucking dreamtime. Politicians get away with acting like cheap illusionist, waving their lips and chanting "Pay no attention to the past!", because amazingly, nobody fucking does.

And really, for someone like me, who only even started looking at politics six or seven years ago, to be saying this ... ah fuck, I dunno.

And remember a few months ago when we were talking about politicians pitching their rhetoric in a completely different direction to their actions; and you mentioned how CAN-DO&Co were trash-talking Labor's asset sales up here in QLD? Well, now it looks like their big plan is to sell-off, privatise, and outsource EVERYTHING. Absolutely fuckin' incredible, eh?

squib said...

Have to say Knightley just annoys me

Anonymous said...

In this movie or in general, Squib?

Melba said...

Alex, P didn't comment on the costumes from a 'professional' perspective; she's let go of a lot of that conservatism in how things have to be Just Right. She did love the costumes, we both agreed. And she was impressed the jewellery was real, the diamonds were anyway. She said 'I thought they looked brighter.'

Q&A - I don't watch unless someone like Germaine Greer or Barry Humphreys or Miriam Margoyles is on. But you're right, it's fucked and people don't remember, or maybe it's part of the denial and head-burying. I'd get out while you can, Alex. Move onto something more satisfying. I have completely disengaged from politics and worrying about the world and all the people in it because really, it's just too much and I'm a lot happier for it.

Squib - Keira's okay as long as she doesn't smile. I liked her in Atonement and in this one she was fine, though Anna is not a sympathetic character. But I've butted in before you answered Alex's question...

squib said...

In general and in particular and just all over. She bites her lip and giggles insipidly. She ruined Pirates and I bet she ruined Tolstoy

Melba said...

She didn't bite her lip and giggle in this one, squibby. And Pirates? Pirates?

I liked her in The Duchess, and as I said Atonement - or rather, she didn't bother me. When she smiles she looks freakish and it's not the teeth it's something about how her face becomes skull-like.

Weren't you and I reading Anna at the same time, back when all the gang were around and I think Bob said Levin was the best character ever? How did you go with that? My daughter got further than I did, she is about 30 pages from the end.

Melba said...

I'm not a Keira-apologist BUT I did read a review somewhere and the writer said that luckily she learned to act somewhere between Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. She's not bad in Never Let Me Go, either, or rather (again) she doesn't stuff it.

Mr E said...

Would anyone like to discuss Power Tools, Cars or Contact Sports?

Anonymous said...

To be honest, I haven't really seen enough 21st century movies to have a good idea of who Keira Knightly is. I know I've seen stuff with her name in the credits, but I don't reckon I could pick her out of a group of Hollywood celebs (They all look so bloody similar these days, anyway).

Melbs, you didn't answer my question on whether the movie had anything going for it other than looks. Speaking of, I'm kind of noticing a trend: One of the reasons you like Leo so much is 'cause he's a spunk, and you criticise Keira for her teeth and skull-grin. Looking at beautiful people is a big part of the enjoyment in movies for you, isn't it? I'm not having a go at you, I just think it's interesting, because I'm somewhat the opposite; I tend to get the shits with things when everybody looks like a bloody model. One of my most enduring screen crushes (Robert Mitchum) looked like he'd been through about a hundred punch-ups. Probably because he had.

Regarding Q&A, I don't watch it anymore. The other night was an accident. But it's an election year and it's going to be bloody hard to look anywhere without being assaulted by this stuff from now on.

Mr E, if you want to talk about which cars are nice and go fast and give one a hard/wide on, then no thanks. If you wanna talk about engines and mechanics, or say, the growing trend towards computerisation and automation in vehicles, including safety and legal inplications (viruses, the hack-ability of cars, who's at fault if your car auto-drives itself into an accident?), then I'm all up for that. Power tools are fantastic because you get to build and fix stuff with them and it's important to know what you're going to need for what job (the amount of times I've seen people try to bore masonry with a wood bit, fuckin' hell), so yeah, that'd be neat too; but honestly, I think the really neat stuff is industrial machinery, some of that is absolutely mind-blowing. Also, I could write a long, long rant about why fans of UFC who think it represents some "ultimate" expression of real fighting are sadly deluded. Where would you like to start?

Melba said...

I'm going to say 'I don't know' Alex. I typed out a whole lot of guff and deleted it. But my reviews aren't reviews so don't expect balance and stuff about scripts and direction if I can't be bothered doing that. I'm just presenting a one-sided limited slice of response I guess, that's all I can say. I'm not someone who puts much stock in looks, which might seem strange to you Alex considering the patterns you've noticed. I don't usually pick movies based on who's in them (there are a lot of George Clooney/Brad Pitt movies I haven't seen and I think they're pretty hot)and the movies I've loved the most haven't had any spunks in them.

Sorry Mr E, you and Alex can chat though on the topic of contact sports I can report that my daughter had an 'interaction with a piece of wood'* (school nurse's words) at school today and I had to take her to the hospital and get a stitch into the bridge of her nose, and glue. No sign of black eyes yet but I'd best go sit on the couch and mother her. With a glass of champagne cause it's Clokes's birthday. Oh what a fucking day!

* I'm not kidding. I wrote it down because I couldn't believe that's what she said.

squib said...

Looking at Goodreads, I can tell you I finished it in Jan 2010 and I gave it 4 stars. I had to deduct 1 star because Levin found God in the last 12 chapters and subsequently bored me to tears. I seem to remember someone, maybe Bob, saying it was the best novel evah or some such outrageous thing. Was your girl playing hockey? Mr E, would you like to talk about Volvos?

Anonymous said...

Melba, I wasn't trying to imply that it's the only thing or even the most important thing; and I probably subconciously took more away from this comment than I should have; but at any rate, it seems like I was barking up the wrong tree. My apologies.

And very sorry to hear about P. I don't know the nature of the interaction, but I'm thinking if it was with her nose, it wasn't far off interacting with her eye, so I am thankful the news isn't worse. swelling and stitches are quite manageable compared to something like that.

You two take care and try to enjoy what's left of your fella's birthday, aye?

Melba said...

Thanks guys, yes it was her nose: bridge of. No, squib. Not hockey but that's what you'd think... A plank of wood propped against a wall in a crowded school swim-centre. Kids cheering their teams; my girl standing in the wrong place, wood sliding off wall and slamming into her forehead, bridge of nose, jaw and forearm; impact enough to cut her nose and heavily bruise and scrape her arm, also 'contusions' to the forehead. So, yes. The nose did its job, ie protected the eyes. It's dead centre. She has one stitch and glue and her mother is ready for bed. We've done the dinner (flathead in breadcrumbs, salad and rice) and the cake (Black Forest, bought from fucking Acland Street). Had some champagne and I'm ready to be horizontal and reading my book. Am re-reading Life of Pi right now.

No wuzzes about the movie thing, Alex. We can take it up another time, I'm sure I'll make more banal and hypocritical comments... I'm not stirring, it's just me. I am pretty whimsical in that way.

Melba said...

And squib, he finds god? Really? that's enough to put me off trying to finish I think...

sarah toa said...

Dear Squib,
Re Knightly, me too.
(Sigh) at last someone has said it out loud.

sarah toa said...

Dear Mr E,
No.

Melba said...

'Whimsical' = 'fickle'. Clearly. Argh.



Anonymous said...

Oh dear, I should have known you were going to say "reading my book"; but as I was reading that bit about birthday celebrations and it was all "I'm fed and liquored and ready to be horizontal", I thought things were taking a lewd turn. My imagination is evidently running away with me. Too many M&B docos maybe?

Hope P is healing and all is well.

Melba said...

Thanks Alex, yes that's funny. I love reading in bed. And sleeping. You are being a little M&B. (On that topic, i wonder if there are MORE, I loved that film so much.)

Princess is healing well I s'pose. She went in to school late today and I picked her up a little early. The bruising is starting to come on a little more now. Thanks for mentioning it. I was really proud of her yesterday.
We were joking and laughing on the way to the hospital, at the hospital and on the way home. She was really brave and strong and resilient. She is ace.