First, I did some redecorating over the weekend. For those of you who stopped by while things were in a state of flux, my apologies on the intermittent ugliness. There is a law of coding that states that, when you fix a problem that occurs in one browser, it breaks something of equal importance in another. Ye, verily, it is true, and I proved it over and over and over again. I don’t have Netscape (nor a connection hearty enough to download it), so I can’t check for problems there. When I get a chance, I’ll make sure things look okay in Opera. For now, though, everything seems to be working properly in Firefox and IE. According to Sitemeter, those are the two browsers most visitors are using, so that takes care of the majority of y’all. If anyone is having problems, just let me know. Problems with the new blog template, that is. For everything else, you’re on your own.
In driving news, it’s official: I am an asswagon magnet. I feel like I spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about shithead drivers. Surely, there can’t be that many of them on the road? I’ve been doing a lot of carpooling lately with my neighbor, though, so I’ve got an independent a witness. And, it’s true! I am an asswagon magnet. Yesterday, she even commented on it, though she thought that, perhaps, she might be the magnet. I assured her that it was not her fault. I just have a knack for getting behind and/or in front of some spectacularly awful people.
It happened again. I was driving through Ellettsville, when I saw a bunch of emergency lights in the distance. I pulled over and stopped, right before an intersection with a stop light. As the emergency vehicles approached, a car stopped at the crossroad decided it would be a good time to make a left-hand turn, right into the path of what turned out to be three ambulances and a state trooper. WTF?! And, the jerk didn’t even have a green light–I did! I really wonder what the hell is wrong with some people.
I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire over the weekend (fear not, I won’t spoil it for you). It was good, but very different in feel than the previous films. Visually, it was much cleaner and streamlined, I think, but the contrast was not so great that it was distracting. For example, the architecture was more Neogothic than moldering Romanesque, and so the old moving staircases were replaced by spiral stone and wrought iron stairs. Hogwarts seems to have grown considerably in size, as well.
I was worried about how the story would be adapted. The book is long, with a lot of detail that does not lend itself readily to being translated to a visual medium. A good deal of the story–especially toward the beginning–was cut out. Other parts were changed. On the whole, I think those decisions were good. I’ve read some criticism of the romantic content of the movie. I don’t think it was at all out of place, though. First, the kids are growing up, so this is a natural progression. Second, the story is becoming darker, so I think the romantic sub-plot provides a necessary contrast. This is true in the books, but I especially noticed it in the new film. A story that continues to build and build and build in intensity will not be as enjoyable as one that builds, then releases, then builds.
Lastly, I was kind of “meh” about the idea of Ralph Fiennes playing Voldemort. He was great in Spider, but then there’s the inexplicable Maid in Manhattan. But, oh my! He was, I think, a most excellent Voldemort. I was impressed with his makeup, as well. His skin had the sort of translucent cream cheese quality I’d imagined, and the reptilian nose was spot-on. The proto-Voldemort was pretty damned cool, too, though his resemblance to Aylmer made me laugh.
I’ve got more thinking to do on some of the changes, and I’ll have to see it again to be absolutely sure, but my first impression is that the new one is the best of the lot. Well done!
Next, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I have high hopes for it. Hopefully the Christian themes won’t be handled with fists-of-ham. Obviously, they’re present in the story, and they shouldn’t be omitted (not that I think they could be), but I think subtleness is called for. We’ll find out in three weeks!
red paper boat 