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Several interesting things happening of late.
1. Went to see 'Underworld'. With Erin! Yes, I've actually done another first date (of sorts). That makes...
::counts fingers on one hand::
Six! Six "first dates" in the last eight years, three of which were part of a larger relationship.
Erin was very nice. At the risk of sounding shallow, she's not exactly my physical ideal, being more than a little heavy-set and round-faced, etc. But she still looks attractive and carries it very well (I feel like I'm damning her with faint praise and the knee-jerk anti-chauvinist in me writhes with embarrassment).
In any case, it went well and I'm not feeling very picky at the moment in any case (::writhe::). Neither of us really came prepared with conversational topics, but we were able to acknowledge this with good humor and that cracked the ice. I really hope this goes somewhere.
Of course, the movie was my idea and I'm now leaving the next move strictly up to her. Really. I made it clear in my dating profile that I did not want to take charge and she still found it appealing enough to make contact. So I shall wait. Pushing ahead unilaterally has never gotten me anywhere in the past (well, it has, but then it all falls to pieces). So I shall wait.
Really.
...I'm hoping she'll want to go dancing next Friday, as it's something we have in common.
::sigh::
I'm truly pathetic.
But I shall have patience! I shall restrain my impulses and be the pursu-ee! Honest!
...
Moving right along, 'Underworld' was actually a really good movie. It didn't pander, it didn't over-explain (despite a few voice-overs and two or three required pieces of exposition). For a Vampire/Werewolf action picture it was almost...sedate. It was apparently a European endeavor (to some extent at least) so that's where I peg the responsibility for this. It was a good thing. I'm hoping they pursue the (obvious) sequel.
I'd mentioned in an email just the day before, that I'd never be able to see an Anita Blake movie because my gore-tolerance is much lower on screen than in text. But as I watched the film, I was continually struck by how much of it was done just the way an Anitaverse flick needed to be. The details weren't all the same but they were the right kind of details, if that makes any sense. It had the right timbre. Only minor stylistic tweakage would be required.
As for the movie itself, the plot was decent. You were told some things up front and some things were left completely unexplained and you had to try and piece them both together as it went along (though nothing was left untouched by the end). There was a major plot twist/revelation about 2/3rds of the way through that I didn't see coming. It was a _goood_ twist. Very satisfying from its unpredictability. Upturned the motivational apple carts, you might say.
Then there was another, more minor twist/revelation after that which was less satisfying. It wasn't bad so much as unnecessary in my view. Although, I guess it ought to be reinforced that, even though the heroine was one, vampires aren't all good people. The ending was also just a wee bit over-the-top in several ways, but you have to take what you can get, really.
Speaking of Vampires, just where does it come from that they're all extremely political animals. Whenever you have more than one they always seem to be circling each other like Machiavellian sharks, just waiting for for a wisp of metaphorical blood in the water. I'm guessing it comes from being the most "human" of the monsters (as opposed to the bestial weres, etc.) but it's still rather curious. Probably a good topic for meta and literary analysis. If I ever take another Lit class I'll have to see if I can turn it into an appropriate essay.
...being immortal is probably another factor. Not much else to do with the centuries but power plays.
...
Another mildly unprecedented thing which happened today was that the UofO Ducks football team (ranked 22) beat Michigan (ranked 5th) 31-27. And I watched almost the whole thing! I do not watch sports. I have only mild interest in them. But the plays were coming in quick enough succession, the Ducks' success was unprecedented enough and the tension palpable enough that I remained hooked. I gave up going to the Library in order to finish watching the game with my folks and some of their friends. This simply Does. Not. Happen.
Thankfully, I really doubt it signals a trend. But I'm still glad we won. It was a hell of a game. ;-)
1. Went to see 'Underworld'. With Erin! Yes, I've actually done another first date (of sorts). That makes...
::counts fingers on one hand::
Six! Six "first dates" in the last eight years, three of which were part of a larger relationship.
Erin was very nice. At the risk of sounding shallow, she's not exactly my physical ideal, being more than a little heavy-set and round-faced, etc. But she still looks attractive and carries it very well (I feel like I'm damning her with faint praise and the knee-jerk anti-chauvinist in me writhes with embarrassment).
In any case, it went well and I'm not feeling very picky at the moment in any case (::writhe::). Neither of us really came prepared with conversational topics, but we were able to acknowledge this with good humor and that cracked the ice. I really hope this goes somewhere.
Of course, the movie was my idea and I'm now leaving the next move strictly up to her. Really. I made it clear in my dating profile that I did not want to take charge and she still found it appealing enough to make contact. So I shall wait. Pushing ahead unilaterally has never gotten me anywhere in the past (well, it has, but then it all falls to pieces). So I shall wait.
Really.
...I'm hoping she'll want to go dancing next Friday, as it's something we have in common.
::sigh::
I'm truly pathetic.
But I shall have patience! I shall restrain my impulses and be the pursu-ee! Honest!
...
Moving right along, 'Underworld' was actually a really good movie. It didn't pander, it didn't over-explain (despite a few voice-overs and two or three required pieces of exposition). For a Vampire/Werewolf action picture it was almost...sedate. It was apparently a European endeavor (to some extent at least) so that's where I peg the responsibility for this. It was a good thing. I'm hoping they pursue the (obvious) sequel.
I'd mentioned in an email just the day before, that I'd never be able to see an Anita Blake movie because my gore-tolerance is much lower on screen than in text. But as I watched the film, I was continually struck by how much of it was done just the way an Anitaverse flick needed to be. The details weren't all the same but they were the right kind of details, if that makes any sense. It had the right timbre. Only minor stylistic tweakage would be required.
As for the movie itself, the plot was decent. You were told some things up front and some things were left completely unexplained and you had to try and piece them both together as it went along (though nothing was left untouched by the end). There was a major plot twist/revelation about 2/3rds of the way through that I didn't see coming. It was a _goood_ twist. Very satisfying from its unpredictability. Upturned the motivational apple carts, you might say.
Then there was another, more minor twist/revelation after that which was less satisfying. It wasn't bad so much as unnecessary in my view. Although, I guess it ought to be reinforced that, even though the heroine was one, vampires aren't all good people. The ending was also just a wee bit over-the-top in several ways, but you have to take what you can get, really.
Speaking of Vampires, just where does it come from that they're all extremely political animals. Whenever you have more than one they always seem to be circling each other like Machiavellian sharks, just waiting for for a wisp of metaphorical blood in the water. I'm guessing it comes from being the most "human" of the monsters (as opposed to the bestial weres, etc.) but it's still rather curious. Probably a good topic for meta and literary analysis. If I ever take another Lit class I'll have to see if I can turn it into an appropriate essay.
...being immortal is probably another factor. Not much else to do with the centuries but power plays.
...
Another mildly unprecedented thing which happened today was that the UofO Ducks football team (ranked 22) beat Michigan (ranked 5th) 31-27. And I watched almost the whole thing! I do not watch sports. I have only mild interest in them. But the plays were coming in quick enough succession, the Ducks' success was unprecedented enough and the tension palpable enough that I remained hooked. I gave up going to the Library in order to finish watching the game with my folks and some of their friends. This simply Does. Not. Happen.
Thankfully, I really doubt it signals a trend. But I'm still glad we won. It was a hell of a game. ;-)
