Let's Fold Scarves

Top five Whedon characters

Five? Five!

Practically impossible but I’ll try:

1. Tara
2. Willow
3. River
4. Faith
5. Adelle oh hell’s bells, I forgot Buffy, so off you pop for a nice cuppa tea, Adelle

Please join in.

Posted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Firefly/Serenity, Meme, Television | 10 Comments »

No insights here

maurinsky tagged me ages ago but at last I have cobbled together a list of seven albums.

THE RULES:

1. Post your list of the seven best albums, the seven bloggers you will tag, a copy of these rules, and a link back to this page.
2. Each person tagged will put a URL to their Blogger Album Project post along with a list of the seven best albums in the comment section HERE at Hill’s Country. Enough already!
3. Feel free to post the “I Contributed to the Blogger Album Project” Award Graphic on your sidebar (even though I couldn’t find it), along with a link back to this page.
4. Post a link back to the blogger who tagged you.

Selecting seven albums was really hard, except for the Sugarcubes and Dusty Springfield, I could have chosen more than one album by the other artists.

1. The Beatles – Revolver – not even “Yellow Submarine” can ruin this album
2. Aimee Mann – Bachelor No 2 – “Save Me”, “Red Vines”, Ghost World”, “How Am I Different?” – exceptional songs and “Save Me” is the song that introduced me to Aimee’s work
3. Nina Nastasia – The Blackened Air – Nina’s albums are all exceptional but this seems to be the most perfect – she is a superb musician and performer – I don’t know why she isn’t feted as much as the usual suspects
4. Dusty Springfield – In Memphis – Dusty was a singles artist until this fabulous album – the standout for me is a glorious interpretation of “Breakfast in Bed” -
5. Kate Bush – The Dreaming – it was hard to choose between The Kick Inside, The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and Aerial but I settled on The Dreaming because it was the first Kate Bush album that I bought as opposed to listening to my sister’s copies – I pored over the lyrics and dutifully played it loud as requested on the inner sleeve and loved its eccentricity
6. Tarnation – Mirador – this was hard too – it was either this or Paula Frazer’s Indoor Universe but I chose this because of “Little Black Egg”, one of the most catchiest songs ever
7. The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good – I can’t remember the last time I listened to this because we have it on vinyl only but I choose it because it represents my realisation that I could listen to unusual and strange music and enjoy it – Bjork and Kate Bush are similar in that they both make weird and eccentric music that is popular (though they do polarise popular opinion)

(oh man, I had to miss out Carole King’s Tapestry – sometimes million sellers are that for a positive reason – people enjoying classic songs by a classic songwriter with had warmth, depth and no sign of blandness)

I am unable to tag seven people so if you read this you are tagged.

Posted in Meme, Music | 1 Comment »

Favourite actresses

There is a meme going around the best film blogs but since no-one is likely to tag me I’m just going to produce my own list of my twenty favourite actresses.

My first criterion is that the majority of the films made by the actresses are in English since I am not likely to have seen more than two or three of their films if they mainly star(red) in foreign language films. My second criterion follows from this and is that I must have seen more than four or more films with the actress in question. My third criterion is that I have to have watched any old nonsense in order to follow these actresses (examples of these in brackets)

In alphabetical order:

Jean Arthur (If You Could Only Cook)
Ingrid Bergman (The Yellow Rolls-Royce)
Claudette Colbert (Without Reservations)
Bette Davis (The Watcher in the Woods)
Judy Davis (Who Dares Wins)
Olivia de Havilland (Airport ‘77)
Jodie Foster (Nell)
Greta Garbo (Anna Christie)
Judy Garland (Love Finds Andy Hardy)
Miriam Hopkins (The Chase)
Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut)
Myrna Loy (Airport 1975)
Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)
Barbara Stanwyck (Stella Dallas)
Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!)
Emma Thompson (Love Actually)
Sigourney Weaver (Half Moon Street)
Kate Winslet (Titanic)
Reese Witherspoon (Sweet Home Alabama)
Teresa Wright (Somewhere in Time)

I am going to tag Everything’s Swirling, Laughing Wild and this to say about that.

Posted in Films, Meme | 4 Comments »

Movie Quote Meme

I (shamelessly) couldn’t resist copying maurinsky.

Below are quotes from fifteen of my favourite films. The oldest film is from 1937, the newest is from 1997. One film is in German.

1. You’ve come back and caught me in the truth, and there’s nothing less logical than the truth. Screwball comedy from 1937

2. May I congratulate you on the birth of Christ. Notable for its cinematography and set design – British

3. I’m the Wienie King! Invented the Texas Wienie! Lay off ‘em, you’ll live longer. Joel and Claudette

4. Game over man…Game over! Aliens: solved by darkpoole It’s not subtle but it is exciting and Sigourney Weaver is a superb hero.

5. Well, I ought to. I spent the entire afternoon bumsening like mad with this ghastly old producer who promised to get me a contract. Cabaret: solved by maurinsky. A rare film that I liked when I was a teen and like it even more now.

6. I got a strange feelin’ somebody’s bein’ hustled. Calamity Jane: solved by Andy Great songs, three marvellous performances and I’ll ignore lines like “That’s female thinking”!

7. I’m a master of deceit: a capitalist tool by day, and by night an agent of the proletarian masses – the Mata Hari of the Economic Miracle. This is the German one – and this could be a summary of the film’s plot.

8. You had a bullet from World War I in your leg, James! How did it get there? Twelve Monkeys: solved by darkpoole and maurinsky. Bruce Willis is under-rated.

9. When teenagers complain that they want to be treated like human beings, it’s usually because they are being treated like human beings. Heathers: solved by Andy

10. Snakes are my life, in a way. same writer and director as 3

11. Confidentially, I think you’re a bit of a stinker, too. The Lady Vanishes: solved by Andy. My favourite British Hitchcock.

12. But now, we have come almost to the end. One last step. And then when I take power, they will be pulled down and ground into dirt for what they did to you. And what they did in so contemptuously underestimating me. The Manchurian Candidate: solved by Ellen. Angela Lansbury is just brilliant in this.

13. You live in a dream. You’re a sleepwalker, blind. How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know, if you rip off the fronts of houses, you’d find swine? Shadow of a Doubt: solved by Ellen. An atypical Hitch with subtle acting, lots of menace and a superbly realised heroine.

14. My theory is that everyone is a potential murderer. Strangers on a Train: solved by Andy

15. You are Columbus and I am America. Discover me, Ramon, just discover me! Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion: solved by Andy

Posted in Films, Meme | 8 Comments »

Tagged

I got this from maurinsky:

Here’s the deal:

1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.

“Don’t you get tired of wading in mud and filth? – No, I can’t do that. Y’know it. Especially this coming week, there’s too much to do. I’ve already been away too much.” – Haweswater by Sarah Hall

I tag any five people who have left a comment on this blog.

Posted in Books, Meme | 1 Comment »

Social awareness meme

I am aware this is aimed at modern young people but it was an interesting experience answering the questions. The original is here and I have deleted some questions which were irrelevant.

If your father went to college before you started
My dad left school at 15
If your mother went to college before you started
My mum left school at 17
If you have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
One of my uncles was a teacher
If your family was the same or higher class than your high school teacher
No, but I was friends with the daughter of a high school teacher
If you had a computer at home when you were growing up
Very unlikely in the 70s
If you had more than 50 books at home when you were growing up
Yes, they were mostly mine but dad read a lot of library books (he still usually has six on the go)
If were read children’s books by a parent when you were growing up
Certainly not from any time that I can remember but maybe when I was a toddler
If you ever had lessons of any kind as a child or a teen
None at all
If the people in the media who dress and talk like you were portrayed positively
That’s a tough one because no-one in the media resembles our family – a working class one with liberal attitudes
If you had a credit card with your name on it before college
Absolutely not
If you had or will have less than $5000 in student loans when you graduate
I went to college when fees weren’t an issue and grants were given for living expenses
If you had or will have no student loans when you graduate
I was in debt but I soon cleared it
If you went to a private high school
No but I did sit entrance exams for one but I didn’t do well enough to get a bursary
(International question) If you have been to the US more than once as a child or teen
No – we never travelled abroad except for when my dad was stationed overseas
If your family vacations involved staying at hotels rather than KOA or at relatives’ homes
Ha ha – not even the British equivalent of KOA – we always visited relatives
If all of your clothing has been new
Not with two older sisters
If your parents gave you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
Ha ha again
If there was original art in your house as a child or teen
There isn’t any now
If you had a phone in your room
Er no
If your parent owned their own house or apartment when you were a child or teen
Yes (with a mortgage)
If you had your own room as a child or teen
Only when my sisters left home
If you had your own cell phone in high school
Not in the 70s
If you had your own TV as a child or teen
No way – not even a b&w portable
If you opened a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
What are they?
If you have ever flown anywhere on a commercial airline
Yes – but only to come home from Germany and we usually drove
If your parents took you to museums and art galleries as a child or teen
No
If you were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
What an odd question – my parents didn’t share financial information with their children – however, I was totally aware of the need to turn lights off, keep doors closed, radiators turned down, etc

Step into Social Class 2.0
A Social Class Awareness Experience
Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka
Indiana State University
© 2008

Posted in Meme | No Comments »

Make it meme, if you like

In the spirit of this interview with Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan and Jeph Loeb at Wizard, here are my equally important answers:

FAVOURITE BUFFY STORY: This Year’s Girl and Who Are You. Faith wakes up from her coma and tries to get revenge but ends up gaining insight into herself. Sarah Michelle Gellar is awesome and there are at least three fantastic scenes: “I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne”, Tara and Willow do a spell and Faith and Buffy have a very important fight.

LEAST FAVOURITE BUFFY STORY: Willow’s magic addiction and the subsequent neutering of her character.

FAVOURITE BIG BAD: Angelus. He killed Jenny Calendar!

LEAST FAVOURITE BIG BAD: Adam. He was so boring.

FAVOURITE SEASON: Despite my low opinion of the Initiative (as embodied by Forrest and Graham) and of the tedium of Adam, season four is my favourite season because it has so many good episodes, Spike was funny, it re-introduced Anya and introduced Tara. Roll call: Fear, Itself, Wild at Heart, Pangs, Something Blue, Hush, A New Man, Who Are You, New Moon Rising, and Restless.

LEAST FAVOURITE SEASON: Season seven. No contest.

BEST LAUGH-OUT-LOUD BUFFY MOMENT: Hmm, how to choose from so many? Spike taunting Angel behind Joyce’s back in Lovers Walk? Willow wanting Xander to be her first in Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered? The Scoobies mourning Willow in Doppelgangland and their reaction when she turns up? Xander thinking about sex in Earshot? Giles chasing after Professor Walsh in A New Man? Buffy and Spike engaged in Something Blue? The overhead projector scene in Hush? Spike realising he’s English in Tabula Rasa? Willow’s hats? I really can’t decide.

MOST UNDERDEVELOPED CHARACTER: Dawn, followed by Anya, followed by Tara.

(and instead of CHARACTER YOU’D LIKE TO DATE) BEST BUFFY MOMENT: Tara and Willow clasping hands in Hush and together moving the vending machine.

===

I am dismayed by Jeph Loeb’s comments: “There were times I enjoyed “Angel” more than I enjoyed “Buffy.” That may just be a male thing; sometimes Joss’ feminist manifesto would get to me, whereas “Angel” was just a big rollicking detective show with great characters.” I don’t care that he prefers Angel but I do care that “Joss’ feminist manifesto” bothered him. First, having a female leading character doesn’t equal feminist and second, just how exactly does this “manifesto” manifest itself?

Posted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Meme, Television | 4 Comments »