Sorry T. S. Eliot, but March is totally the cruelest month. Cold, windy, snowy, and so much school. Thank goodness for books and movies.
Movies
Amadeus: Can you believe I hadn't seen this in its entirety until now? Me neither. I've actually seen so many fragments of it over the year that I kept thinking I had seen it, but I decided I'd better make sure. It has some pretty funny and great moments (the voice of God part comes to mind), but I wasn't particularly blown away by it as a whole.
The Tall T: I still have no idea why this movie is called the Tall T. The protagonist is like 6'2". Big whup. BUT this film cemented my love for Richard Boone - he's the voice of Smaug in the animated Hobbit and Russian from Crooked Sky, and he makes for a pretty awesome villain here. LOVE.
Breaking Dawn (part 2): I had a lot of fun watching this with Matthew. We laughed, we poked fun, we cried (tears of LAUGHTER!), and we totally bought into the fight scene, which, let's face it, was the best part. I may not be a Twihard, but I thoroughly enjoyed the series and thought this was a satisfying conclusion (in contrast to the Hunger Games book 3, which went quickly from ugh to UGHHGHGHGHGHGHGH). I'm kind of excited to see The Host when it comes out on Redbox.
Ride the High Country: I can't get over how much I love this film. And Joel McCrea. So far (and there's only one week left) it's been my favorite film from western class. Did I mention Joel McCrea is old and amazing and the same guy from my next favorite film from that class, Stars in My Crown?
Hud: I also really liked this one, which we decided was a western kinda sorta even though they drive cars since they wear hats and shoot cows and get drunk. But the real reason why it's great? Paul Newman, ladies and gentlemen.
Hotel Transylvania: Ooooooooookay. That was pretty much my reaction to this film, which does have a sweet lesson and a lot of cute, quirky humor in it but also a lot of, um, juvenile tedious silliness and an ending which is totally OH COME ON crazy.
Pride and Prejudice: The BYU version. We were talking about Jane Austen adaptations in one of my classes and it just HAPPENED.
The Professionals: I liked this movie. I liked how people we expected to be one way turned out to be another, and how things we expected to happen totally didn't.
Will Penny: This one also threw me for a loop a few times, with things not happening the way they were supposed to (or how I expected them to), but the difference is I was NOT happy with it. I have to admit that Charlton Heston makes a pretty decent cowboy, though.
Skyfall: Another great Daniel Craig as James Bond film! I didn't love it as much as Casino Royale, but still liked it quite a lot.
Little Women: After realizing I had actually never seen the 1994 version, I decided to watch it so I could hate on it and criticize it in my adaptation class. To my great astonishment, I actually kinda loved it. This makes the THIRD film adaptation of Little Women, which I am absolutely devoted to as a novel (I'm planning on writing a post someday on how my sisters and I actually ARE Little Women), that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Favorite things about this one that stand out include Laurie having a mustache when he grows up, Professor Bhaer as the oh so cute Gabriel Byrne (aka the evil Earl from the Vikings... which just makes everything even better), and THE KISS. Ah, they had me at the kiss.
Life of Pi: I found this story beautiful, touching, and inspiring. Not to mention extremely compelling and exciting for being a film with only two characters for the majority of time.
Theater:
The Servant of Two Masters: Matt and I saw this at BYU. I liked it. The plot's a little stupid but the acting was hilarious - tons of physical comedy, modern references, and outlandish accents. And we had great seats, too. The only part which rubbed me the wrong way was when one of the cast members got right in my face and scowled at me for failing to realize that he wanted me to start clapping during a rhythmic dance section. Intimidation and bullying really isn't the best way to go when you are trying to encourage someone to root for you and like you. Even Matt said he was slightly ticked off and wanted to shove the guy back onstage. Other than that, the cast was great.
Books:
Beloved: A very emotional, deep, difficult book about dealing with one's past, set (where else?) in the South. It was draining to read but also inspiring.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A wild, wacky mess. My reaction varied from amusement to dismay to apathy to exhaustion. I found the author unlikable, the events depressing, and the message absurd at best, and despairing at worst. There's no denying it's an interesting and eye-opening read, though, and if nothing else it confirmed my decision to stay away from drugs.
Matched: I read this in a few days on a whim, after seeing it advertised in a filmed commercial (with actors and everything!) on Hulu. I didn't expect it to be very good, but it was better than I expected. Sort of reminded me of The Giver + The Hunger Games (minus the actual, um, Hunger Games part) + cheesy teenage romance stuff.
Little House on the Prairie: A refreshingly cheerful, sweet, optimistic book (despite being filled with accounts of danger from sickness, wolves, Indians, fire, floods, poisoned wells, etc). I love this series so much. Prepare to hear it read for years of your bedtime stories, future children!
