boring status, but also, we are so 14 (see comments)

[rm]

Taking the day off had mixed results on the productivity front. The amount of cleaning I have done so far is minimal, but that's okay, it's always a middle of the night thing for me anyway.

On the other hand, I did send out seven headshot submissions, a thank you note for the meeting yesterday and some other boring mail. I paid my cell phone bill and watched the first disc of Horatio Hornblower (which is now on its way back to Netflix, which once again -- owns my soul -- it's like movie homework, everything I was supposed to see and never got around to, on my list, so when it shows up I have to damn watch it).

Anyway, Horatio Hornblower has got to be the most adorable miniseries ever (despite the name that makes me giggle like I'm in 6th grade again). I mean first it's far more comprehensible than the Master and Commander movie (which I wanted desperately to like and even thought was a good film eventhough it kept me so resolutely at arms length). And secondly our title hero is so far this gawky, unathletic loner of a kid who gets picked on and then blamed for it by truly awful villans. He's afraid of heights, is a huge klutz, and gets seasick and he's in the bloody British navy. But of course, in the end, he triumphs. It's like Freaks and Geeks as a bloody costume drama on a boat. So I'm smitten out of my tiny little mind. And yes, the historically accurate shoes do ensure that everyone runs like a girl. It's vastly amusing.

Parents are back from the west coast. Had mentioned the Counsellor thing to them briefly when we spoke on Tuesday, so I'm rather hoping we won't have to discuss it again. I'm in no mood, and haven't returned their call.

Should cook dinner and all that good stuff, and certainly acqire a more cheerful outlook on the world before facing the horse again tomorrow. (Like my flying lessons, I'm utterly enamoured of the entire thing, but I seem to also have bad anticipatory nerves about it).

Comments

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I have such a horrifyingly bad crush on the guy from horatio hornblower, his LIPS! the scene where he gets with the girl from the french countryside! his cheekbones! he's the guy who helps kate winslet out of her boat in titanic you know (how embarassing that I recognized him immediately). I was afraid I'd go so far as to try to get my paws on welsh soap opears just to see more of him but I've restrained myself so far (I know he's in something recent but I think he's kind of styled less cutely-to-me).

*giggle* *hairflip*

[rm.livejournal.com]

yeah he's Lancelot in King Arthur. I'm actually sort of all about him in that, but then, I like 'em snarky.

All I can say is Netflix is your friend.

Re: *giggle* *hairflip*

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

oh lancelot, I love you guinevere and all that. maybe I should check it out.

maybe we should write him a fan letter and just admit we're like, 14.

Re: *giggle* *hairflip*

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's probably not even in theaters anymore, but despite being a mess of a movie in a lot of ways... holy shit there is so much pretty in it. You've got to rent it.

Re: *giggle* *hairflip*

[laurel]

He was also in the shortlived CBS series about lawyers (set in the future!) called Century City (here's an episode guide). Weird by now to see him in a suit as a lawyer, but he was good in the show. Only four episodes aired and they were at weird times so very few people saw the show (and those that did weren't the sort that'd be into science fictional court cases. Me? I quite enjoyed it).

Re: *giggle* *hairflip*

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I remember seeing ads for that... had no idea he was in that...man.... geektastic!

[splix.livejournal.com]

Ioan got so relentlessly abused in the first film, I almost died from the sheer pleasure of it. The first, oh, five or so films are good, but they get a little repetitive afterward. So much peering over hills in the French countryside, so many secret stashes of explosives, so much turncoat!intrigue. And then they introduce Saffy from Absolutely Fabulous as Horatio's love interest - which is, not to misspeak myself, actually kinda cool in a way, as he seems horrified by the whole thing.

Tons of fangirls dig Horatio/Archie, but I swoon over Horatio/Pellew myself.

And the funny thing about the films - they *are* good, but after seeing Master and Commander, and the absolutely exquisite attention paid to both historical detail and framing (every shot was like a bloody painting, absolutely lovely), HH sort of paled in comparison. They're still really good fun, though, with sometimes interesting guest stars, and I hate to compare the two, because, come on, A&E movies vs. blockbuster budgets just isn't fair. I have a hard-on for good seafaring stuff, and tend to enjoy most of it.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I will say that Master and Commander was one of the most visually arresting films I've ever seen, but I just couldn't bring myself to care until more than halfway through it.

Shockingly enough, I'm having no slashy thoughts about this at all yet, I'm just sort of basking in the adorable puppydog awkwardness of it all.

And thank god somebody shot that fucker with the skull tattoo on his hand.

[splix.livejournal.com]

And thank god somebody shot that fucker with the skull tattoo on his hand.

God, I can barely remember - that was Simpson? The one who kept leering at Archie?

Hm. It seems a re-watching is in order.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Ugh... that was just so uncomfortable. I couldn't have taken it if he was the nemesis through the whole thing.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

The film has a lot of problems, not the least of which is that it wasn't, "Master and Commander", which would have made a fine film.

It was rather a pastiche of bits and pieces of about four books, and those from the middle of a 20 book series. It annoyed me that one of the things they didn't do, was keep the 18th century worldview of the leads, but rather had to import some, far more modern, attributes to thier thinking.

If one has read the books, the long-term relationships, and some of the in/running jokes work, but if not, the thing must seem interminable.

But I commend the books, highly.

TK

[rm.livejournal.com]

When I was told about the books after seeing it, I always got the impression I'd be rather taken with it because the scientist guy is also a spy. I don't have a thing for spy stories in general, but I do have a thing about characters who are asked to be pragmatic in sort of really horrible ways, which is why both the world of the books, and that character seem to appeal.

[rahalia-cat.livejournal.com]

Pellew!

*snogs you madly*

Yes!

[splix.livejournal.com]

God, he's to die for, isn't he? *swoons*

[rahalia-cat.livejournal.com]

You'd hardly believe it, but he's been in absolutely loads of UK sitcoms, from 'Citizen Smith' [ he was Wolfie! ] to 'My Family' and he's absolutely brilliant in every one. Damn good actor :O)

[splix.livejournal.com]

Heh! They showed an episode of "My Family" on the plane to Dublin, and I kept recognizing people. "OMG! It's Madam Hooch from Harry Potter! OMG! It's Colin from Love Actually. OMG!!! It's PELLEW!!!"

Kind of a funny show, too. :D

[rahalia-cat.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's it! English actors are an incestuous lot, y'know ;O)

[rm.livejournal.com]

I've got it so bad for Zoe Wannamaker.

[trifles.livejournal.com]

Who doesn't?

[rm.livejournal.com]

BTW -- how many films are there?
Netflix has a 4 disc series and a 2 disc one, but Amazon is giving me the impression there are others?

[splix.livejournal.com]

I, personally, have seen six films. But there seemed to be a big gap between the first four and the last two, so maybe the filmmakers managed to sandwich a couple in I don't know about?

[adriang.livejournal.com]

The Hornblower books are quite good, although they do a lot to illustrate just how grim the existence of the average British sailor was, during the Napoleonic wars, and some people may not like reading them, for that reason. The A&E series takes a few shortcuts and simplifies and mixes some of the story lines, but on the whole it is about as good a dramatization of the series as I could have expected.

If you ever find yourself acting in something relating to old sailing ships, the books are well researched and would be good to read.

Adrian

[rm.livejournal.com]

I actually like the grim stuff, just in a, I don't like shortcuts sort of way, and I was already rather feeling that as my one complaint watching these so thanks for the tip.

[adriang.livejournal.com]

Actually, the books are detailed and a lot of the story is about what goes on in Hornblower's head. Sticking exactly to the books would have made the series three times as long, and would have required lots of narration with little action on the screen. I just don't think they could have been successful if they had really tried to capture all the details in the books. They really had to make a lot of hard choices about what to trim, and I think they did well, in general.

If you decide to read the books, it's important to read them in order. It sounds like you might enjoy the details. Hornblower's world really comes to life in the books, and I don't think there are any compromises made for the sake of romanticizing the stories. I never had the sense that situations were contrived or that characters wouldn't act the way they did in the stories. Hornblower is clearly not perfect, but it was very easy to be drawn into caring about how he fared from one book to the next.

Adrian

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think this may well be my next bout of subway reading. Yay!

[adriang.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll tell me what you think of them. 8-)

The first book is Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and the second is Lieutenant Hornblower.

Adrian

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

They show how bad it was, at it's worst, but they draw a lot of the imagery from the most egregious aspects. The O'Brian books do a very good job of showing how a well run ship handled things.

The truth was more toward the middle, but that middle was also more toward O'Brian.

If you want an interesting read, look into Lord Cochrane, who was the inspiration for Aubry, or the events of the mutiny against Pigot, or the mutinies at Spithead, and the Nore.

The most interesting things have to do with the reactions of the officers to those mutinies, or to the mutinies against Bly (one afloat, and one ashore).

TK

[adriang.livejournal.com]

Okay, thank. I have a couple of them on the way.

Adrian