ENCHANTED... when Disney goes Meta

Not all is bad, in fact is good.





Still a bit jet lagged, went to the movies with the intention of seeing Beowulf and found it sold out, so I settled for ENCHANTED instead.





It is predictable, but somehow manages to be delightful as well, mostly because Amy Adams and James Mardsten -who has been obliterated by McDreamy in every single promotional shot- who took in the mammoth task of portraying traditional Disney Characters in the flesh and bringing forth their weaknesses without making the little ones cry or the adults feel embarrassed.

So we have:

• A sugar coated princess that has never gotten mad at anyone, who calls upon the forest creatures- or funny enough whatever urban critter- might come to her rescue. A girl that has never really worked a day in her life (well running away from trolls might be a workout, but not really a job)... suddenly finding herself in New York City penniless, friendless and basically screwed over by the typical old lady with a knack for giving away apples.


• Ah there is also a Prince much in love with himself, who doesn't really understand the need for dates to know each other and stuff because he is prince frigging charming after all... what else do you need? He is kind hearted, looking down with a smile to all the peasants around him and saving them from trouble when they haven't asked because they know no better... or so thinks the Prince


• Add Patrick Dempsey as a divorce attorney with a bitter streak and you have our movie.

Oddly enough, the one character that never stepped off the cartoonish was Susan Sarandon who looked fabulous as the Evil Queen, however kept wresting us all off our hardly acquired suspense of disbelief by reminding us all that this is not how she wants the story to end... serving more as narrator than anything else. This awareness of the evil character, spoiled it a little for me and sort of rushed the ending, but otherwise it was a nice take on it all. Very hard to accomplish after Shrek, but somehow Disney did it without getting their hands too dirty.

Ahhh the quote:
Prince Edward:(Pressing his sword against a construction worker's neck) I seek a beautiful girl.
Construction Worker: (stuttering) I-I'd like to find one of them too, you know?

Rome 2007

Hello... I've disappeared to the most wonderful place for a week or so, and as part reintegrating to the ritual of the habitual, I will blog about it.

I've been to Rome, which was a dream of mine since I was in college. I am still in awe of it all and forgive me if sometimes I might sound like a wide-eyed child... but that is how I feel. I used to say that I could write my way out of anything... Rome has proven me wrong. The emotional impact created by this city makes me want to giggle, laugh out loud, think , take a deep breath, cry away with heartfelt tears all traces of cynicism... and believe again in the possibilities of the human race. I might, or might not be able to be coherent about it.

I've walked through a city quoted by many as eternal, a place that moves along, yet seems to be outside of time. Time forces it self upon it, sluggishly stretching days into even longer nights. People live it all, breath it in, enjoy it. They talk out loud, caring very little for personal space... Romans will brake for gelato, even in the dead of winter and will take their sweet time for an even sweeter cup of coffee in a corner bar. They know, better than most, just for being Romans, that time, although imperceptible, is also unforgiving. They live here and now with a carelessness and a freedom that is contagious.

People live their ordinary lives threading daily in extraordinary places. Rome is a city were religion equates art and art surpasses faith. A strange breed of a city in which a Pope can be a sinner and a painter a saint.

Talking about heaven... God is everywhere in Rome, wether He wants it or not.You can find him in the wall of a chapel, the marble of a sculpture or the face of a beggar at the steps of a church. Rome is after all, if not the cradle, the poster child of Christendom. I've been to most of it's churches, falling in love with the stories and artists renditions of the saints, chiseling away faces so life-like, yet crossing into the divine by means of marble.

There are other gods in Rome as well, the old ones, the thousand altars Paul struggled against. They are decadent and beautiful and strangely inviting... they will steal half a smile from the most pious of souls, a what if, if you might. These gods for being both human in form and unreachable in nature turned more than one emperor crazy. Gods of blood and wine and water ever flowing.

The fountains are divine, there's one in every corner. Some of them bringing forth water from ancient springs... I threw a coin at Trevi, wishing to return.

This is it, most of what I am able to say without being carried away by the tears of a martyr or the laughter of madmen. It is, after all, the question I intended to answer to Lightshadow, at the cinema, when I simply didn't have words.

PS... with no pretense of poesy... props, kudos and all deserved praise to Maria Cotto, for being the map wizard. I am still baffled by her ability to read a map backwards, catch a bus and fend off minis at the same time... thank you for being my friend... let see where the next wind will take us.

Veteran's Day

Yep, it's me again. I know this is not the statement in vogue, but I don't care, this is the only statement I will get happily in trouble for, 'cause I honestly believe we live in the best frigging country in the world.

Label me an idealist, if you will a dreamer with her head in the clouds, an Army brat if you feel like being nice...

In days like these, aside of political views and leaving behind the right and wrong game, my heart and my respect goes out to all of those who at a given moment were either drafted of voluntarily signed in to do the type of job with fine print... you know that one that tells you is a whole lot of an adventure, which might or might not end in sacrifice.

To all of you who go where you are told to make sure that I go wherever the heck I want to...

To all of you who must forgo of your individual style so I can dye my hair purple, ...

To all of you who say "Yes Sir"on a daily basis so I can say "Hell, No!"...

To those who made it through to honor those who've fallen.... my most humble thanks and fervent prayers.

Today's quote... a colorful one from General Patton in honor to all brother's in arms:

"An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit. The bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about fucking! "

- George S.Patton Speech to the Third Army 1944

Norman Mailer died today

He was not easy to chew, to some not at all likeable. Some consider him too macho for American Lit... those are the ones who forget that he fought endlessly for the women's cause when it was really needed.

He gave us all an ironic yet painfully straight forward slice of American History in Armies of the Night, and wrote an attempt to the Great American Novel called Deer Park, which all criticized and few have read.

The B.A. in Literature in me salutes Norman Mailer, RIP.

"Every moment of one's existence one is growing into more or retreating into less."
Norman Mailer

It's not even bad luck... es la macacoa

Ahoy peoples!!! Just literally surviving the weekend. Sorry about phone calls that were never made, also about the ones who were made and didn't do much for the people involved. I've been sick, horrid and disorienting flu type of thing.



But that is not all.

Besides being sick:

• I had no time to rest because I was moving 9renting with option to buy- whohooooo, that is the best news, let me not complain, but just try to screw a computer desk with the Niagara dripping down your nose and there will be at least a frown


• I went to buy meds, stopped at the mall to pick some stuff and grab a bite and somehow managed to loose a credit card and other slightly important stuff when you are about to set on an international trip in two weeks or so...


• I wanted so bad to just call off today, but I decided it's best to doze it off at the job :p

Att,

Captain Tripps

ARRRRRGHHHH my Halloween sucked so bad

That I'm writing about in on NOV 2!!!!!

First, terrible day at the office, crazies all out unwelcomed overtime... I just wanted to get out...

Camera had no batteries, which means I got no pictures, anyways I didn't get dressed...

Nothing but morons came knocking at my door including a kid who didn't even have a frigging costume... I also had to give candy to a middle aged lady who was chaperoning a couple of teenagers... I will not finish my line of thought...

Didn't go out at all because there was more over time at the Office and I had to be there 7:00 am and by the time I had ceased fuming, it was almost midnight.

I'm just hoping the weekend brings something better...