valentine's day movies and pollage
Happy Valentine's Day, flisters! In honor of the holiday this year, the universe gave me a stomach virus. At this point I'm almost positive I don't have ebola and am feeling pretty human. The nadir of the whole experience came between ten and midnight last night, a period during which I wouldn't quite have gladly welcomed death, but let me tell you, he would have gotten a warmer reception than usual. Right now I'm feeling good enough to drive to Wallgreens to pick up a frozen mac and cheese, having reached that stage in the stomach virus when only one food in the universe is appealing.
I have to tell you, if you're going to be home sick, Valentine's Day is a good day to choose. TCM was running a bunch of romantic movies today, and so I got to see the 1939 version of Love Affair (the movie 1957's An Affair to Remember is based on) and it was SO GREAT. Irene Dunne was, quite typically, beyond awesome, and Charles Boyer was much dreamier than his name would imply, since I pronounce it in my head like a typical Dumb American and the last name "Boy-Er" doesn't call to mind a dark, dashing Frenchman (which Charles Boyer totally is). Anyway, you should check it out, especially if you love the 1957 movie, because I think this version is as good or better. I think the ending to these two movies (they're virtually identical) is just about the most suspensefully romantic ending ever. Every time I'm all, "SHE LOVES YOU! CAN'T YOU SEE IT IN HER EYES?" and "HE LOVES YOU! TELL HIM THE TRUTH!"
I hope that's vague enough that I haven't spoiled anything too terribly.
The other major thing happening in my life is that I'm obsessed with the new version of Sense and Sensibility that will be airing on PBS in March, I believe. It's available on YouTube, and I've been watching some clips on and off for the past week or so. And by "on and off" I mean "every evening, as a ritual" - the main clip I've been watching has been, pretty predictably, the happy ending. Because I love happy endings, and as beautiful as the 1995 version of S&S is, it was a little restrained for me. I could appreciate the choice artistically, but emotionally, I'll own it: I want a big speech at the end, I want smooches, I want the end of my restrained period dramas to have at least 30 seconds of being gloriously unrestrained in the final five minutes.
The best period movie ending for me is, hands down, the ending to the BBC miniseries North & South, which for a while I watched every morning before going to work because it put me in such a happy mood.
I have to say, the ending to the new S&S is a pretty good contender (I can't properly judge it now, having just seen it) and I'm going to try to indoctrinate others into my S&S cult and provide a clip here.
The final eight minutes of the movie/miniseries, predictably full of spoilers.
Watching bits of this new version inspired me to watch the 1995 version, and now I'm totally ALL ABOUT the Elinor/Edward love story. They're both so GOOD! And trying to be NOBLE! And they LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH! Etc etc.
[Poll #1138671]
And I think that is all for now! I'm going to go and try to eat my mac and cheese and maybe watch some sappy romantic comedies. Happy V-Day, everyone!
I have to tell you, if you're going to be home sick, Valentine's Day is a good day to choose. TCM was running a bunch of romantic movies today, and so I got to see the 1939 version of Love Affair (the movie 1957's An Affair to Remember is based on) and it was SO GREAT. Irene Dunne was, quite typically, beyond awesome, and Charles Boyer was much dreamier than his name would imply, since I pronounce it in my head like a typical Dumb American and the last name "Boy-Er" doesn't call to mind a dark, dashing Frenchman (which Charles Boyer totally is). Anyway, you should check it out, especially if you love the 1957 movie, because I think this version is as good or better. I think the ending to these two movies (they're virtually identical) is just about the most suspensefully romantic ending ever. Every time I'm all, "SHE LOVES YOU! CAN'T YOU SEE IT IN HER EYES?" and "HE LOVES YOU! TELL HIM THE TRUTH!"
I hope that's vague enough that I haven't spoiled anything too terribly.
The other major thing happening in my life is that I'm obsessed with the new version of Sense and Sensibility that will be airing on PBS in March, I believe. It's available on YouTube, and I've been watching some clips on and off for the past week or so. And by "on and off" I mean "every evening, as a ritual" - the main clip I've been watching has been, pretty predictably, the happy ending. Because I love happy endings, and as beautiful as the 1995 version of S&S is, it was a little restrained for me. I could appreciate the choice artistically, but emotionally, I'll own it: I want a big speech at the end, I want smooches, I want the end of my restrained period dramas to have at least 30 seconds of being gloriously unrestrained in the final five minutes.
The best period movie ending for me is, hands down, the ending to the BBC miniseries North & South, which for a while I watched every morning before going to work because it put me in such a happy mood.
I have to say, the ending to the new S&S is a pretty good contender (I can't properly judge it now, having just seen it) and I'm going to try to indoctrinate others into my S&S cult and provide a clip here.
The final eight minutes of the movie/miniseries, predictably full of spoilers.
Watching bits of this new version inspired me to watch the 1995 version, and now I'm totally ALL ABOUT the Elinor/Edward love story. They're both so GOOD! And trying to be NOBLE! And they LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH! Etc etc.
[Poll #1138671]
And I think that is all for now! I'm going to go and try to eat my mac and cheese and maybe watch some sappy romantic comedies. Happy V-Day, everyone!