Finally! Says Capria

[dancinghorse]

Today I decided life needs to get back to normal, as in, horses first.  Yesterday was shop-with-Mom day, an annual ritual, including lunch.  Very pleasant, if exhausting.  I came home and finished the office shelves and cleaned the office and put the shelves to use.  It was a strenuous day.  The horses were Neglected.  When I went to feed dinner, Pooka literally flung himself into my arms--big head-on hug--and keed let me know how Abused and Ignored he's been.

I still had work to do today.  The vac died in the process of cleaning, so that was not very enjoyable.  But the west end of the house is pretty well done, and the office is so empty there's an echo.  It's been full of Junque for a long time.  Tomorrow, there's a last round of clutter-killing to do, but it's not major.

This afternoon I abandoned the project and went out with saddle.  Many happy horse ears.  Capria shouldered her way to the front, and we ponied keed on one of our favorite loops, with lots of hills and a lovely view across the Pantano.  Capria eeked slightly at a lighted plastic gingerbread house on a lawn--I think the lawn was a smitch more disconcerting than the house.  I was pleased to note that lately when a horse eeks, I don't grab its face--I automatically sit deeper and go for the seat aids.  Joni would be proud.

Pooka was vicious killer attack jealous, but I calmed him down by taking him for short walkies.  He can get out of jail tomorrow--the arena is dry enough.  In fact I think I'll let him out at lunch and give him the rest of the day and all night in the arena. Then as long as it doesn't rain, he can go back to his usual routine. 

Plans for January's festivities continue apace.  Anyone who will be in Tucson the weekend of the 8th and 9th, come on down!

Anent Earthsea, which I am enduring for Danny Glover and Isabella Rossellini: Ooooog.  You know how clones of great works, e.g. Tolkien, pick out a couple of grossly oversimplified elements, dumb them down, bland them out, and impose the values of American suburbia on them, and then tout them proudly as the whole thing?  Well.

That's the greatness of Peter Jackson's achievement.  He got it.  Maybe we don't agree with all of his choices, but they are dramatically valid.  They fit the logic of the world, or diverge from it in consistent ways.  There is no doubt in this Tolkien geek's mind that this is a fellow geek--a geek of genius.

This is not genius.  This is an arrogant person of mediocre talent who had the gall to declare that he Got It, but he totally, and I mean totally, missed the point.  Nor did he have the basic courtesy to ask the author what her point was.  He just, like, knew.

SPFX and dualism-as-cliche, is what he "knew."  The writing--dreadful.  There is no Elfland.  There is only Poughkeepsie.

I am sticking with it because if I truly want to bitch about it, I have to see the whole thing.  Matter of principle.

The good news is, my extended ROTK DVD shipped today.  It could come as early as Saturday--though since it's that stupid Airborne Home thing, probably not until Monday or Tuesday.  With luck, smoemeth and I can have our annual LOTR fix right after Solstice.

That will take the taste of this out of my mouth.  Oh yes.

Now, if only Earthsea could find its Peter Jackson.  Tolkien had to suffer Ralph Bakshi and that appalling tv thing before Jackson came along, so there is hope.

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

The writing--dreadful.

It *is*. It's really just *bad*. I'm amazed at how bad it is. I'm watching it for the same reasons you are (that and I wanted to see if Shaun Ashmore could act, but this is not the vehicle to discover that in), and I didn't much like the book when I read it a long time ago (I should re-read it), so I have no emotional attachment to the content, but my *God*, the writing is just so bad!

There is no Elfland. There is only Poughkeepsie.

I love you. :)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Awwwww.

Have you read Le Guin's essay, "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie"? It says it all.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Bingo about Jackson and LOTR and about Poughkeepsie.

I really think for a number of reasons, only a woman writer/director combo could do Earthsea justice.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Really? Why? (I can guess, but am curious to know what you're thinking here.)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I'm recovering from a slamdunk of the volcanic two step yesterday (I just ate a few mouthfuls of potato for the first time in over 24 hours) so I can't think well, and might express myself wrongly, but it has always seemed to me, even when I first read Earthsea as a late teen, that it was on some subtle level a woman's dialogue with Tolkien. The first book. Each successive book became, to me, less of a Tolkien-influenced matter and more exploring fantasy worlds through a distinctively female lens. (Tehanu, it seemed reexamined the material through a distinctively feminish lens.)

Well, anyway, it seems to me that a perceptive woman director and writer team would be able to engage with the subtleties of the work but still keep the adventure, etc.

I dunno. What is your thinking here?

[maryosmanski.livejournal.com]

I have the ROTK extended DVD.

What I don't have is a correctly working DVD player and tv set. Even went out and bought a new DVD player this afternoon. Still having the same problem. So we think it's the tv or bad connecting cables. I hope the latter, since a new tv would be an expense we can't afford right now.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

How frustrating! Did you get it sorted out?

Mine won't arrive until next week. I'll be patient.

[lynnesite.livejournal.com]

I watched the whole thing. Disappointing. Going to dig out my paperbacks and read the originals to get the taste out of my senses.

On the positive side, I loved the lighting, the Director of Photography did a great job (on who knows what level of budget). My favorite special effect was the waveshaping of the mist that Vetch (?) did to identify the Ged-gebbetch-murderer. The costumes were fine.

There was obviously no diction coach. Even Danny Glover let slip some very 21st century US phrasing. Rossellini made the best of it all. I liked the Archmage.

Watched the Zeferelli/Mel Gibson version of Hamlet tonight while editing photos. Now THAT was worth seeing! Great casting, loved Ian Holm's Polonius particularly.

Hurrah for Pooka's get out of jail card. Thanks mucho for the gorgeous blanky loans, Twix enjoyed inhaling their scent (and so did Q). 30-40 mph wind expected tomorrow with gusts to 65, and temps to 79 so we won't be using them anytime soon!

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

We're getting temps in the 60s.

I figured you wouldn't need it if I sent it...so hey. It's magic. ;>

[lynnesite.livejournal.com]

Even more magic--the high winds that were supposed to materialize here didn't! They're wreaking havoc around the rest of the Southland though. I-15 closed on both sides, mucho overturned rigs, 17 wind-related accidents--and here we only had a strong breeze. So far. So the ponies had a good day including Ms. Twix who got her feet trimmed for the 4th time. With a halter on just like a big horse. She found a part of the process that she loves--guess which one? Of course it's the placing of the foot forward on the foot stand, striking that pose. His stand is very neat, height adjustable for smaller horses and with a nice big rubber topper. Circus pony-brain was happy. 9 weeks for her this time. Ember went 15 weeks and barely needed anything. News of the day though was Q. 9 weeks. PERFECT feet! 4 1/2" wide and long, 3" toe. No flaring or anything else to fix, and we'd done a rocky ride on Monday. My checkbock is bleating in relief.