Scribblings from the Mitchy Side

Huzzah! Spoke to a human bean at the surgery who vaguely knew what she was talking about. It's still a stupid system, but at least I now know how to operate it. She's sent off a prescription for me, so hopefully I'll get supplies next week. In the meantime, I wailed to Gill, one of the lovely nurses at the QEII, and she told me to pop in to see her this morning before work, which I did :) And now I have a supply of Stuff (tm) which will last me until the order arrives (and beyond).

It was lovely to see Gill anyway, she was a real sweetheart to me when I was there and it was good to catch up. She told me I was one of her successes *blushes*

And now I must return to battle recalcitrant paperwork which is refusing to match my lovely spreadsheet. Bah! :)


30 Days of Movies Meme - Day 25 (not cut because a) it's short and b) I can't get LJ to recognise the lj-cut command *glares at it*)

( 30 Days of Movies Meme Day 25 )

21. Movie character you'd dearly love to smack. Hard. While wearing chainmail gloves?

I'm tempted to say Jar Jar Binks, but as I've never watched Phantom Menace, I'd really be doing it for the Star Wars fans and not me :)

No, my choice is...Frodo. I don't know what he's like in the books but I really am not a fan of the character in the movies. Yes, yes, he's da hero blah blah blah. Oh dear gods, did he HAVE to be the hero? (Actually, I think Sam's the hero but that's a whole other rant) Whiny and unlikeable and stupid. Bah! *SMACK SMACK SMACK* You volunteered, you stupid hobbit, shut up and deal!

22. Most romantic movie you've watched and enjoyed? (Or ran screaming from?)

Oooh, probably Sleepless in Seattle. Not usually my ideal fare but I adore that movie to teeny tiny pieces. I also blub at the end, every.single.time. I am such a sap :) I would have run screaming from Ghost but my friends were enjoying it. Gagh. Not a movie I plan to rewatch, unless it's to seriously pick holes in the ending. Again :)

23. Favourite animated (non-Disney) movie?

Toy Story, without a doubt. Total genius. One of the few movies I've seen more than twice at the cinema (five times) :) "That's not flying! That's falling with style!!" MUST go and see Toy Story 3 before it leaves the cinema.

24. What genre of movies do you prefer?

*ponders* Actually, thalinoviel summed up our movie watching rather nicely the other day: "It was our kind of chick flick (i.e. there were plenty of car chases, fights & explosions.)" :) Generally, I will avoid rom-com's or straight out comedies (or "comedies") and horror movies. But thrillers and dramas and action movies are right up my street. (And musicals, obviously, but there aren't as many of those these days.)

I keep opening up LJ, meaning to snag the next movie meme question, getting horribly sidetracked and then forgetting why I went to LJ in the first place. *sighs* I am senility's bitch.

19. Any film(s) that you'd like to rewrite? (change the ending/tweak a character/remove annoying gaping plot holes, that sort of thing)

Oooh yes!! If I were Movie God, Wash and Book would live! The spinning top would fall over and stop. Maximus would be Caesar. Preacher Jim would live. Mufasa would make it out of the gorge. And I'd completely miss the point of B movies and fix it so that Jungle Julia, Pam, Shanna, Arlene don't drive down THAT road, and Kim, Abernathy, Zoe and Lee have really, really good alibis.

(Movies, in order: Serenity, Inception, Gladiator, Roadhouse, Lion King, Death Proof)

20. If you could be any movie character, who would you be?

Umm. Hrm. Well there's the obvious ones, like being a female Bond, or Bourne and (now) Salt. Not so much for the angst and woe in the latter two cases, but for the sheer range of lethal skills they possess :D

I think though - and this will surprise no-one much - I'd like to be Maureen in Rent. She's outrageous, funny, totally unafraid to take what she wants and everyone loves her even when she's being a bitch. I don't approve of her cheating ways but damn, gotta admire the girl's zest for life :)

So I went to see Salt tonight with thalinoviel - we're both Jolie fans and decided the opening night would be the best night to go. We were right too, we caught the 6pm showing and the cinema was only half full :D Got in before the post-work crowd and then got out before the big post movie rush to McD's crowd. Nicely timed by us.

And in between, there was the movie. And much, much squee. :D

(Really, seriously, do NOT read under the cut if you plan to see the movie at any point. Some of the twists must NOT be spoiled before you see them. 'M warning you!)

( SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! )

Overall, this gets two thumbs up from a mousey and a wholehearted recommendation that you check it out at the cinema. If you like action-y Bourne like thrillers, this will be right up your street. :)

SQUEEE!!!

( 30 Days of Movies Meme - Day 18 )

I was so sleepy last night, I dozed off (and snored loudly) still sitting upright, in front of the compy. So I had an early night and forgot to do the meme!

16. Most over-rated film actor, past or present (male or female)

OK, first of all, let me emphasise the word "film" in that above question, and then let me don my flame-proof suit :P With that done, my answer is *drum roll*

Laurence Olivier

What, I hear you cry, but...but...he's the doyen of British stage and screen! How COULD you!!?

Stage, yes, I think he was a master of the theatre and there are few who could touch him. Movie-wise, I always thought he was hammier than a very hammy thing. I've just never drunk the kool-aid when it comes to him. I don't even like his Hamlet which everyone raves about, and his Othello made me cringe, although I bet on stage he knocked it out of the park. But in the movies? Umm, no.

I will go slink back under my rock now :P

17. Is there one film you've watched more than 20 times?

Oh lordy. Well for a start, those favourite Disney movies I listed? Eeeeasily more than 20, because I've watched them since I was a kid. Likewise "The Sound of Music" and "The Great Escape" are probably closing in on 20 each, given their habit of being shown every Christmas since forever.

Hmm, of more recent movies, I'd say 28 Days if it isn't 20 times quite yet it must be awfully close because that's my go to "I want to feel warm and fuzzy" movie. And obviously, Rent is riiiight up there, although I re-watch scenes so often, I'm not sure how many times I've actually watched the whole movie. (The "Take Me or Leave Me" scene I've probably watched in excess of 40 times :D)

"A Knight's Tale" is easily in respectable double figures, helped by frequent watches while visiting halcyon_shift. Who I also blame for the number of times I've watched "Empire Records" and the fact I own about 3 versions of this movie :D (Seriously, is there a definitive version of this movie, anyone? Anyone? Bueller??)

15. Most underated film actor, past or present (male or female)

(You're all taking Tracie Thoms and Idina Menzel as read, right? I don't need to spend a paragraph each on them? No? Good :))

Hrm, tricky one this.

I could nomninate Leo Di Caprio because while he gets a lot of fuss and attention for being, well, Leo Di Caprio, his genuine acting chops often get overlooked. And I happen to think he can seriously act. However, his level of success probably precludes him from this category as his body of work (and Oscar noms) will tell the true story. (In the same category - Tom Cruise. A guy who I detest as a person but who I think is an outstanding actor. Dammit.)

You know, I'm going to have to revisit this. I have the sense there are names right on the tip of my tongue and I'm just not in the right frame of mind to dredge them out. I'll post a more definite answer this one when I'm less woolly headed :)


In other news, thessalian has returned from the wilds of Brighton. I had a very nice weekend with the flat all to myself - I would discuss what I got up to but the mental images might be too much and I don't want to be responsible for a sudden shortage of brain bleach and wire brushes :D

Not looking forward to work tomorrow, boss is back along with someone else I don't miss. *mutters* It's getting to the point when I wonder if I can get signed off due to boredom-related stress :P

14. Movie you wished you'd never paid money to see?

Oh dear. *shudderfits* Kenneth Branagh (who I normally adore) produced a real stinker of a movie - "Frankenstein" (1994). It sounded great on paper, there's a veritable who's who of British movie and theatre talent in the picture in addition to which, Robert De Niro was cast as the monster. Fantastic, right?

AAARRRGGGH!!!

I went to see it with a group of colleagues and because of that, I didn't feel I could walk out of the picture. Which was a pity because when we compared notes afterwards, everyone wished they'd left early and gone to the pub!

How to describe the horror? Umm. No, sorry, there are no words that can adequately describe the horror that is a naked Robert De Niro wrestling with Branagh in jelly, sorry, birthing fluids, for several minutes. The plot was so wayward I'm not even sure there was one and I can only assume De Niro needed the money or something because it's not his finest movie hours. The dialogue was dull and the whole thing so turgid that yeh, really should have walked out and gone to the pub.

Avoid :P

13. First 18 certificate movie you saw (legally or otherwise) at the cinema?

I was a very good Mitchy and never tried to sneak into a cinema. We didn't have a cinema in our town anyway, there was only the 2 screen cinema in Luton. By the time I was 18, there were multi-screens available but not where I lived. (Actually, I still don't live in a town with a proper cinema, I have to go to either Stevenage or Hatfield). Anyway, all that curtailed any desire to sneak in anywhere; if I was spending hard earned pocket money on bus fares, dammit, I wanted a guaranteed movie at the end of it! Besides, back then, 18 certificates were really movies I didn't want to see - blood, gore, sexual violence etc. Most of those movies then would be re-certified downwards today, I'm fairly sure.

Long story short, the first 18 cert I saw was legal and it was Fatal Attraction. Scared the pants off me at the end! Good movie though, I really liked it. Heh, it caused a fair amount of discussion too, as I recall. Nowdays I'm fairly sure no-one would bat an eyelash. :)

12. Scariest movie you've ever watched as an adult?

Oh that would be Constantine, which I actually really liked and it's a lot easier to rewatch when you know what's going to happen. I would make mention of "Blade" too, but again, that was another movie I really enjoyed, so that helped. Other than that, as an adult, I've stuck to my policy of generally not watching scary movies. Although there thrillers that have had me at the edge of my seat and squeaking at the big surprises, but that doesn't count, that's not scary per se. :) There is a third movie I'd add but it's the answer to Day 13's question so I'm saving it :D


Was back at work today - it was very boring. I was literally nodding off mid-afternoon. I know we're getting towards the end of the school holidays because it's about now that I wish that the schools were open again :P

11. First horror movie you remember watching?

Confession time - I'm a big, girly wuss when it comes to horror films. For heavens sakes, "Carry On Screaming" traumatised me, so you can imagine how I feel about full fledged horror movies! I avoid them like the plauge.

2 sorta exceptions, because I don't know if horror fans would consider them part of the genre.. "Aliens", which a friend once plied me with cider and got me to watch (liked it) and "Constantine", which I loved to bits but I came outta the cinema with sore stomach muscles where I'd been tensing for the next big fright. (c.f. "big, girly wuss). Oh and I loved "The Frighteners", but I don't know if that would count?

However, all that said, there was a time when I was staying over at my friend Karen's house. Her parents were out and we were trusted to be on our own, so I'm thinking we must have been 13 or 14 at the time. There was me, Karen and Karen's younger brother, Neil. Naturally, we had the TV on and left it on while we were playing whatever board game was the game du jour and it drifted into the late Saturday night movie which was a horror movie called "The Survivor" (Huge, huge props to halcyon_shift for helping me track this down, btw). Well none of us really watched horror movies but we all kinda talked ourselves into it. Besides, it starred Robert Powell whom we all liked, and Jenny Agutter who we knew only from The Railway Children, so how bad could it be, right?

It was terrifying!

What we did was we each took it in turns to watch for five minutes while the others kinda hid and then we'd say what happened and switch places :P The basic premise of the movie was that there was a catastrophic plane crash where the only survivor is the pilot, who walks out without a scratch. He doesn't know why he survived and he tries to find out. There is a few evil twists that I'm fairly sure M.Night Shyamalan copied down for future reference but back then, it was pretty darn shocking.

We maaaaay have left the hall lights on when we finally went to bed *whistles innocently*

Work news - didn't go into work today, still queasy and just couldn't face another day of being bored outta my skull and feeling crappy. Feel better this evening though so will be going in tomorrow. There may have been happy flailing over Inception with halcyon_shift, which was great fun, plus I'm watching shiny, shiny White Collar S1 DVDs *cuddles her show*

Rob T Furball was VERY pleased not to be abandoned. He's going to be Unhappy tomorrow :P You should heard the yowling I got Monday when he realised both me and thessalian were leaving the house and cruelly abandoning him. Bless his fuzzy four paws *scritches the snoring lump*