Into the (Cinematic) Woods

Hello.

So last June on my yearly trip to Ashland, Oregon for the Shakespeare festival, I had the pleasure of seeing the musical Into the Woods, a mashup of several different fairytales into a cautionary tale about wishes and the consequences that can happen from them coming true.  It was a delightful experience, one of the highlights of the trip.

Well, I soon found out Disney was bringing the musical to the big screen with some big names.  My curiosity was piqued.  I was wondering how they were going to bring a 3 or so hour musical to the silver screen; what would be cut, what would be changed, etc.  Well, after seeing it, I can now tell you.  I in general will keep it as vague as possible for those who have seen neither.

If I had to describe the film with one word it would be this:  condensed.  I will give them credit; more was kept than I thought would be.  And to be fair, the condensation actually helped the story in a few parts, particularly in regards to the Baker and his wife’s story arc.  But even with this they still had to cut, and while some you don’t notice, more of it suffers due to it.

First, they cut out the story arc of the Narrator.  Yes, it is still narrated, but the fourth wall breaking that concerns him is no longer in existence, which was a pity since beside narration, the Narrator was there to show that no one was safe in the story.  Also, they cut almost all of the Baker’s father role in the film too.  This at first seems wise since he wasn’t a main character and most of his actions could be given to other individuals.  The problem is they kind of forgot to do that for some of what he did, which led to some questions, mainly in the first part of the tale, particularly when it came to the cow and how the Baker ended up with the corn.  (Not spoiling anything here to say the Father (in disguise) gives the Baker the corn to help find the cow after she wanders off.  Seems trivial at first, but the corn becomes very important in the story…)

Two other characters whose story arcs are truncated are the second prince and Rapunzel.  The second prince I can kind of understand, since most of his story arc could be accomplished with the main prince, since they end up about the same, although because of this some rather humorous scenes are omitted which is a pity.  But Rapunzel’s arc was drastically changed and her purpose in the story altered as well.  It’s kind of hard to talk about this without revealing anything, so I will just say this:  she was in to ultimately be a condemnation of the Witch, which in both versions are accomplished, but it was done in the movie in such a way that defied a lot of the themes the musical was trying to tell.

The third biggest change, and the one least noticeable, was with the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood.  Disney being Disney, they couldn’t have the sequence appear TOO unseemly, so they removed a lot of the sexual undertones out.  While sad, it’s not something to important for the tale, so not a big deal in the end.  There are other changes as well, but you wouldn’t notice them if you have never seen the musical.

So would I recommend this film to others to see?  You know, I would.  It’s not a bad effort, just that if you go into without some foreknowledge it may seem a bit of a whirlwind.  It does what it is supposed to do, it is just tightly packed.  It becomes a bit difficult to sort out what is happening, and some scenes are not as well done as others, which can lead to some confusion.  But ultimately it’s not a bad film, and it passes the time nicely enough. 

If you love musicals or fairy tales you could do far worse…

Backlog Blastthrough

Hello.

As I tried (and miserably failed) to resist the recent Steam Winter Sale, I took a hard look at my game catalogue I have.  Not just from them, but other services as well.  I realized I have well over 300 different games and I have only played but a handful.  So in lieu of a New Year’s resolution, I decided to try for something a little different.

I have decided to undertake the task of trying and giving mini reviews to 100 (and maybe more) unplayed games from my libraries.  I shall try to spend at least an hour with each I try, at which time I decide if they are worth the time to keep playing and being on my system.  I already did an earlier post of about half a dozen, and I will try to do 6-7 per week time permitting.  I am limiting it to games I purchased in 2015 or earlier, since I KNOW more will be bought this year soon enough.  I will also be limiting it to games I have never actually played before, since some of my backlog is games that I haven’t played in decades.  (However, I WILL include remakes of games I have played.  Confusing, but hey, my blog, my rules.)  I have already weeded out some that I was not enjoying after a small play-through, and I expect much more to fail the test. 

But we will see how well this goes and where it takes me…

Quick review of The Interview

So I just finished watching the film The Interview. Now, if you will indulge me, I have a few thoughts about it.

It was not a bad movie, but it was from from their best. This is a shame, since this movie had some great ideas marred by too many bathroom humor jokes. In fact, there were moments of pure genius in this, in my opinion. The Eminem scene I couldn't stop laughing at. I liked the running gag about Katy Perry. The whole 'who's honeypotting who' was better done than I expected. It's just that they went to the outhouse a bit too much.

Compare this film to their last big film This is the End. Yes, it had a lot of the same humor, but it didn't use it as a crutch like Interview did. And their trying to put some of what worked in This is the End into The Interview just didn't work. I am speaking mainly of the XTC scene. It felt out of place here. i could go on, but the basic thing is this: they had a good idea and set pieces, but instead of taking a little extra effort and mining the concept for all the gold, they decided to dredge shit river for some turd nuggets. Worth a watch, but not really worth a rewatch.

A shame, really...

Making a dent in the Steam backlog

So among the many things I did this weekend, I did something TRULY amazing:

I actually PLAYED some of the games I bought from the Steam Winter sale.  So quick reviews time!

1.  Tales from the Borderlands (Telltale games)-  Played for about 20 minutes.  Liked what I saw so far, with the game combining the best features of the Borderland series and the game mechanics of Telltale Games.  I am stopping for now since only the first of five episodes are up, and I tend to marathon these series.

2.  The Binding of Isaac Rebirth (Team Meat)-  I owned the original game and am SO happy they did this remake/upgrade.  Being able to actually use a game controller makes this a better game in my view.  VERY hard, VERY disturbing and VERY fun.

3.  Epic Mickey 2 (Disney/Ubisoft)-  For a long time this game's port to the PC was thought to be dead in the water.  But it is out now, and having tried it a couple years ago at PAX, I wanted to delve more into.  Sadly, you can tell it is made for slightly younger audiences than I.  Not bad, just a bit... generic.

4.  Southpark:  The Stick of Truth (Ubisoft)-  Simply one of the funniest and most fun traditional RPGs I have played in a LOOOOONG time.  Far shorter than most, which works to the subject matter nicely.  One thing I liked was I got a serious Earthbound vibe to it, which never hurts.

5.  Super Time Force Ultra (Capybara Games)-  Another PAX game I have been waiting for.  Complex mechanics hidden under a retro skin.  Sadly, this game makes me realize how much I tend to suck at run and gun games.  Doesn't stop me from enjoying them anyways.  Worth a look at.

6.  Broforce (Free Lives Games)-  Another retro style game in the style of Bionic Commando, which was a personal favorite back in the day.  Funny, irritating and very enjoyable, this game sucked up a LOT of free time.

What the Elderly Man Said

     “There is an elderly man who will need your assistance on the Bistro car,” is where this story begins.  Well, it actually starts with the news of a mudslide happening, causing us to have to bus bridge the passengers, but I am choosing to start it with that line spoken to me.

     My duty during this operation was to ensure any passengers needing a ride from the train or station to the busses would get it.  Most were already inside.  Just the above mentioned elderly man was left on the train.  He was a small man who walked with a distinct limp.  Carrying nothing but a small green bag, I thought little about it save for getting him inside where it was warmer.  He was a pleasant fellow, and I responded in kind, despite my inner depression that comes this time of year.  When I got him to the station, I offered to let him keep the bag on my cart so it would be easier for him to move around.  He quickly told me no, that he always carried it with him. I nodded and led him inside, dismissing his words, thinking it just him prattling.

     After dropping him off, I went to the podium where the conductor was preparing for the trip and just stood there behind it, answering the common question we kept getting:  “Any update on the bus departure time?”  We hemmed and hawed as best we could, awaiting the news much like they are.  During this time the gentleman came up to the podium, still carrying his bag.  Unlike the others that came up, he asked about how the bus bridge worked.  It was another common question, and I answered it pretty much automatically.  He then got to telling me about his son who was waiting for him and his business in Stanwood.  Being polite, I kept the conversation going.  He told me how he hated driving I-5, but still drove almost everywhere else.  He told me he was still an avid golfer, and that he was 93 years old.  I was impressed, since I had guessed his age to be closer to 80.  He also mentioned in the conversation that his wife had passed away 2 years ago.  This led to him telling me what happened to have caused his limp.

     The story he told was one that if things had happened a bit differently or he had told it a different way, I would have been horrified for him.  But he was so nonchalant and witty about it; I could not help but laugh at it.  He was laughing too, so I didn’t feel horrible about it.  This story led to talk of his 1967 Mustang, which due to my family I have a decent about of knowledge of.  As we were talking about it, I was told that the busses were ready for my passengers.

     So I had them bundle up and I drove them on Li’l C-my cart-and drove them to the bus for loading.  As I helped him and the others off, I asked if he would like to place his little green bag in the luggage compartment so it would be safe.  Again, he refused, yet this time he told me why.

     “My wife’s ashes are in this bag.  I like to keep her with me when I travel.  It brings me comfort.”

     That sentence, along with the look he gave me when he said it –a combination of sadness, love, and earnestness-pierced the depression armor I was wearing, hitting me square in my emotional center.  “I fully understand,” I said as I helped him and his wife to a seat in the bus, tears forming.  He thanked me, and I thanked him back, then I left the bus, got on my cart, drove around the corner out of sight of everyone, and started bawling.

     Sometimes we come so wrapped up in our lives, so focused on our problems, that we forget we are but part of a greater whole.  We sometimes focus so much on our personal demons and how to cope with them we don’t see how others do it.  This elderly man had such an important part of his life gone, but how he coped with it to continue existing-no-to continue LIVING, was of such a bittersweet beauty that it blew past all my cynicism, all my grief to show me that while life can be bad, it’s how we deal with it that defines who we truly are.  I was humbled by this revelation, and realized that I have to try harder to actually live rather than just function. 

     So I thank you, sir, for giving me something I truly needed this time of the year…

Dreams of My Father

I guess I should have mentioned this sooner.

When I go to bed, I rarely sleep straight through.  I generally get up once to use the bathroom or move to my comfy chair if Cappy is in obnoxious sleeping mode.  Plus I get up another time to give him his breakfast before heading back to sleep.  Why am I mentioning this?  Because each time I go back to sleep, I rarely have the same dream.

Most are just scenes, unconnected acts.  Some are like the one I posted earlier, an entire tale of some kind or other.  And then I get the third type, where it is just small vignettes, but they are all connected.  After I had gotten up form having the multiple worlds dream and went back to bed, I had the third type of dream.  That in its own is unusual, but what elevated this to something truly different was that I (or an effigy of me) was not the main character in these.  In fact, I was only in one part in passing.  No, these dreams consisted of mundane events involving my Father.  I had three of them in a row:

My Father makes a new friend-  My Dad is out on the town (it was either Woodinville or Snohomish, couldn't quite tell) doing errands.  He is driving a 1965 Mustang, which I believed to be my niece Saresa's, and he makes a stop at the auto parts store.  when he exits the store, a man is admiring the Mustang.  They start to chat about it and cars in general.  Eventually my Dad invites him to stop by the house to take a look see of the shop.  They part as friends.

My Father works around the house-  This was pretty much what it says on the tin.  My dream consisted of following my Dad as he did various chores around the place.

My Father and Lois prepare to go out to an event with me-  This little scene followed my parents as they got ready to go to an event (most likely a play) in Seattle.  They made sure they had everything for the trip, and were having a normal conversation while doing so.

There was nothing wild or crazy about this.  I have been with my Father when these type of activities are being done, so I know it was pretty mundane.  Another one where I have no idea where this came from, although I have an inkling it was just my subconscious telling me to give him a call to see how things are going.  I have no answers for this, just thought I'd share it... 

New dream: a part of the secret world

Yes, it is once again time for another of my bizarre dreams to make an appearance that I had to write down quickly after waking to capture the essence of.  This hopefully explains the rather bare-bones writing.  A rather unusual one that gave me a feeling of bliss.  Also, one that wasn't like a fairytale...

It started with me just living my life, feeling like something was missing, like I was not completely me.  My friends were supportive, reassuring me, yet also wondering if I knew what it was I thought was wrong.  At their prodding, I gradually had a recollection of a secluded large older white house near a river and lake.  I don't remember ever being there, but still I felt a sense of familiarity.

Eventually a couple of my friends, based on my descriptions, recalled a place that they used to frequent a lot in the past that sounded like the one I was recalling.  They offered to take me there if I wanted.  I thought that was a good idea and the three of us headed out.

We finally arrived, and the house looked exactly like I had recalled.  We park the car and head to it, when the front door opens and another friend I had not seen for years comes out.  She rushes to great us warmly, especially me.  She tells us how she ended up owning this place after she was married to another friend of our who I also hadn't seen for some time.  She started to give us a tour of the place as I tried to remember why I stopped seeing these two and why I knew this place.

Inside was very homey, disorganized but not messy.  She led us through most of the house, with a couple rooms excluded because they were not ready for guest she explained.  When she showed us the large enclosed back porch, I realized I had been here before.  I told this to them, and instead of saying I hadn't, they instead asked me what do I recall of this place.  I tell them I remember we all, plus a couple others, used to come here all the time and enjoy ourselves and life.  I start recalling barbeques, sleepovers, and more at their careful prodding.

Then a major revelation hits me and I cry out.

They all come to me, comforting me and asking what was wrong.  I tell them I remember that this place was more than just a house, just property.  They ask me what I mean.  I hesitate, afraid of feeling like a fool for what I realized, but their friendly comfort and reassurance allows me to continue.  

I say that it was one such event here that we had discovered that this place was where our world and the world that coexists with ours come together.  A world of magic, where the old tales of the fae folk and miracles and amazing creatures and abilities were based on.  And somehow we had broken through and connected.  I looked at my friends, expecting ridicule and scorn, but instead saw understanding and relief.  It was then I realized they already knew this.  But why didn't I remember?  And why keep it from me?  Then the next revelation hits.

When we discovered this and explored, we encountered what could be best be called Ancient ones.  They were most likely the basis for the fae folk, but they did not match our known descriptions of them.  They were in part difficult for us to see, because it appears that they don't entirely exist in our reality, and our mind can only grasp the part that is.  But despite their appearances, they were not evil.  Far from it.  Like beings partially constructed of shadows, they flowed around us, welcoming us to the greater world.  The guided us and helped us grasp the secrets of both worlds.  How to weild again the power known as magic. 

It is at this point the final revelation returns.  Why I could not remember.

The Ancient ones were not dying out, but their numbers were small.  Because of their nature, simply breeding amongst themselves was not viable.  They needed others from our world to assist.  There were rare people in our world whose essence was compatible with them to help create more of them. 

And I was one such person.

They had asked me if I would assist them.  It wasn't sex, it was more of a joining into one for a while and then separating to create a new life.  However, you would never be completely separate.  You would always be a part of them and them of you.  It is considered a great honor to be part of this, but it is not forced upon anyone.  It must be done of your own free will.  And when I had been asked, I had panicked and fled.  I blocked out my memories of all of this and tried to continue my life.  Except it stayed in the back of my mind.  My friends realized that if they tried to make me remember, it could destroy me, so they kept watch on me.  My one friend and her husband took over the house waiting for the real owner to come back for it, while the others involved watched me and didn't talk about it until I brought it up.

As all of this sunk in, I realized why I didn't feel whole.  Back then, I had been overwhelmed.  Now I understood.  I told my friends to take me to them, it was time.  They happily did so.  We pierced the veil and came to the Ancient Ones, who had waited for me.  I came upon them of my own free will and was embraced by all, human and Ancient.

There was a grand  feast and ceremony to mark the occasion.  I learned that my two friends who had stayed back had become masters at wielding magic and were not only guardians of the nexus, but were slowly working to integrate the worlds.  Then, after the festivities, I was left with the one who was to join with me.  We joined and I finally, for the first time, felt complete.  (Again, it wasn't sex you pervs.)

After we separated and held another celebration, my friends and I headed back to the house, which it turns out was mine.  I stayed in order to start my new life and duty:  emissary for the two worlds.  I was to have my two friends who had stayed to assist me in further integrating the worlds, which was made easier now that I was more than human and could wield magic as if I always could.  This allowed me to bridge great distances with ease, allowing others from far away to instantly arrive and other emissaries from their domains to interact easily with us. And slowly the world once again filled with wonder.

Now I have no idea where this came from, since this is not something I usually read about or look at.  Frankly I am stymied.  And truthfully, I don't care where this dream's genesis came from, all I know is that I enjoyed it and the feelings it gave to me.  And I hope you, whoever is reading this, got a little fun out of it too, as hastily written as this was...