how will I ever know you enough to love you

[pastels_badge]

I went to see The Spirit of the Beehive tonight. When Eliot reminded me about the screening he was thinking that I had told him it was a favorite movie of mine, but I had never seen it before. The funny thing is, I think it might really end up being one of my favorite films, though I feel like I'd need to see it again to really be sure. I'm not

Comments

[someplacesimple]

a) spirit of the beehive is a really great film. i watched it recently, and i was equally at a loss of things to say about it for a time afterward. the next day i tried telling my sister about it, and i think all i could say was "it is about these sisters, and they are very creepy. in different ways. and frankenstein." luckily my sister understands me when i say things like that.

b) that was ruby in the smoke?? i love philip pullman (er, at least i love the his dark materials trilogy, and i've read a couple of short stories that i didn't like as much, but never picked up the series ruby is a part of, no one i know has read it or has anything to say about it). i was watching that for a few minutes, because it looked 19th century-ish and i seem to have developed a taste for 19th century tales as of late. but i couldn't get into it, but now i'm sad i didn't watch! hopefully they will release it on dvd, maybe.

[pastels_badge]

Even though it is a difficult movie to describe, your account of it was a big part of my reason for going to see it. So, thanks! I'm really glad I went.

I bet they'll show The Ruby in the Smoke again--a lot of stuff on Masterpiece Theater comes back sooner or later. It is on dvd, too--they had one of those little things at the end about how you could buy a copy. The BBC are supposed to be putting out the next story in the series sometime this year, too.

[chaptal]

Spirit of the Beehive was a very good movie. Great child acting. I'm not sure it's as good as the potential of strip cranium though!

[pastels_badge]

Perhaps one day the amazingness of Strip Cranium will finally be actualized.

[pastels_badge]

I couldn't help comparing the two films. They have a similar historical setting and a lot of the same themes. But they're also really different. I liked Pan's Labyrinth a whole lot, and it has its advantages over The Spirit of the Beehive--its meaning is a lot clearer, it's a lot more plot-driven and exciting and stuff. The richness of the fantasy scenes are really effective at conveying a kid's imaginative life. But TSotB seems like it's really going to stick with me in a way Pan's Labyrinth hasn't. It's subtle, even confusing at times. Its pace feels really slow when you're used to standard Hollywood movies, though I think it's integral to the way the film works. And it's incredibly sparing with its fantasy sequences (one incredibly brief one, the only special effect being a little makeup). As much as I love the amazing detail of the fantasy scenes in Pan's Labyrinth, the portrayal of the little girl's inner world in The Spirit of the Beehive resonated a lot more for me

[pastels_badge]

If I don't talk to them sooner, I'll definitely give B and T your regards at the Woozyhelmet show tomorrow night.

I hadn't read any Sally Lockhart stuff before I saw The Ruby in the Smoke. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much if I had been familiar with the book--maybe it would have seemed like a letdown or something. As it was, I wasn't totally blown away or anything, but it was a solid, enjoyable piece of work.

I probably would have just forgotten about Strip Cranium if everybody wasn't validating the idea so much. It's interesting the things that I get positive feedback about on livejournal. Knitted synthesizers, wearable blankets, Strip Cranium...I guess it says something about my friends list. :P