We saw it at the new DeLux 14 and sat in the Director's Cage, which means they brought us a nice dinner of fattening mallfood goodness, which came to about what we'd've paid to go out to dinner first.
Sir Ian McKellan was completely fantastic.
By comparison, Kevin Smith's Dogma looks positively respectful and reverent in its presentation of Catholic doctrine.
Bad things about the film DaVinci Code:
They brought us dinner, but there are no tables, so you still have to balance everything on your lap. And you still have to throw away your trash, as opposed to their coming by and clearing up after you in exchange for the small surcharge you pay for Director's Cage seating.
Tom Hanks looked uncomfortable, Ron Howard's directing was formulaic (he mainly concentrated on the techniques that worked for him in past movies such as A Beautiful Mind), and, while I realize that some of the puzzles can't possibly translate to screen from print without making an even longer film (and this was plenty long already), part of what made the book so much fun was the fact that one could exercise one's mind a little on trying to solve the riddles. In the film, it basically went, "Riddle-solution-riddle-solution-riddle-solution-hurry-up," which should have made it seem tighter, but only served to take away what excitement one derives from the breakneck pace of the book.
As much as I try to stay out of religious debate in here, I do feel that the film painted the Opus Dei in a horrible, unfair light, even more so than Dan Brown's novel. Even worse than Tom Cruise's presentation of Scientology, and that's bad. And, while I don't purport to know everything that goes on in the Opus Dei, and while what I do know suggests that it is very much not the sect for me, we can't realistically expect for the world to get along when people's religions are being misrepresented by the mass media. Hard to evaluate people on individual bases when a film implies that everyone who believes this way is a fanatical, murderous, duplicitous zealot. And at least Kevin Smith had the decency to say, "Hello, this is fiction," in the beginning of Dogma. (Yeah, I partially agree with Ron Howard that everyone already knows that The DaVinci Code is fiction, but I still think that the use of an existing branch of religion, that no one knows much about, as a plot device, is bound to plant some untruths into the mainstream mindset.)
I drank a quart of Vanilla Soy Chai yesterday.
And I have remembered,
all of a sudden, that Vanilla Soy Chai has soy in it, that soy is made of soybeans,
and that soybeans are beans.
Save yourselves.
There is a bright side, however. Because in a scant few hours, I'm going to be enclosed in a car for a very long period of time with That Man of Mine, and it occurs to me that this might be the opportunity for methane-intensive revenge that I have been seeking all these years.
Note to Self: Practice innocent voice saying, "Can we stop off for a bottle of Bolthouse before we get on 95?
We're going to be in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday and Friday, so if you're in the neighborhood, stay tuned for locations where beer, squeeing, and general pirateosity will be taking place.
Blog Hijacking!
I'd put this in the comments, but some people don't read comments. So here you go: Ms. Golfwidow, Ms. Idiot-Milk, and myself will be hitting the Tropical Bistro for funny drinks on Thursday night. It's on Fishinger Boulevard, next door to the Lowe's. Friday night we will be at the Surly Girl Saloon, which is in the Short North, on High Street. If you're in the neighborhood, give me or Lynnda a jingle. Or drop by. That is all.
Continue Original Message:
Toledo on Saturday, where the only thing I know for sure is that I am going to Tony Packo's for a Hungarian hot dog, because my tribe awaits me. I am Queen of the Gypsies.
Towel Day. May 25th, 2006 Which must be a Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
If you donate to That Man's Paypal, he'll know who you are and
tell me to put you on this year's shirt, but if you donate directly to the United Way
or mail your donation directly to the clinic, I have no way of knowing what
a nice thing you did unless you tell me. So note me or comment me and I'll add
your name to the Shirt of Much Tackiness.
drinking: stephen seagal lightning bolt energy beverage fizzy-lifting drink
listening to: Def Leppard, Drive-In Saturday
lightning bolt: actually sucks a lot less than i thought it would
Weblog-Index
