Sweeney Todd (2007 movie)

Summary: LOVE.

Slightly longer summary, with the caveat that I have only listened to the score a few times and watched the DVD of the George Hearn/Angela Lansbury version. I love the show, but from more of a distance than people who are longtime Sondheim and/or Sweeney fans:

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman singing do not make me want to shoot myself and are actually good at times, though you definitely notice the difference between them and the people who play Anthony, Johanna and Toby. All three of the former have some trouble with the high notes, though they deal mostly by fading away instead of wavering or squeaking.

I am amazed that the movie is only a little over two hours. It moves very quickly and I never felt like I was being shuffled from plot point to plot point via horrific exposition, like I do for many book-to-movie adaptations (*cough*GoldenCompass*cough*). I was very satisfied with what they cut and what they kept, though I do miss the factory whistle.

Tim Burton also remembers that this is a movie; I think it is one of the better or the best adaptations from Broadway to film that I've seen, but again, I'm speaking very much as an amateur watching. For purposes of comparison, I love the Chicago adaptation but not as much as this because it takes away Velma's voice, and while I like Rent, I like it because it is basically the show on film (it's hard for me to compare others like West Side Story, My Fair Lady and etc., since I've only seen the film versions).

( Cut for length and spoilers )

So, has anyone else posted on this? I am dying to read more commentary, particularly from people who know Sondheim better than me!

Coffee Prince, ep. 12

STILL SO CUTE!

(I know, I know. I swear, I will stop talking about this soon. Maybe. But it's SO CUTE!)

shewhohashope, which scene were you thinking of?

( Spoilers )

In conclusion: CHESTNUTS! SO CUTE!

( ETA )

Dramas and me

I may be a little obsessed right now, as I am sure you have all picked up on.

Currently on my to-watch list: Fantasy Couple (watched first few eps), Hwang Jin Yi, Jumong, The Snow Queen, Dae Jang Geum, Legend, Sandglass, Que Sera Sera, Dal Ja's Spring, Flowers for My Life.

I feel a little like I did when I dipped my toe back into the world of anime and manga a few years ago, nostalgic and overwhelmed with newness all at once. On the other hand, it's less with the nostalgic and more with the overwhelmed with newness when compared to anime and manga, just because I used to be a huge anime and manga fan (and am again!), whereas I never thought of myself as a drama fan.

( Nostalgia )

( Newness )

( Language )

( Tropes, Gender, Race, and Class )

ETA: rilina's post on why she's watching kdramas.

2007 TV round up

This year was a strange TV year for me. I feel like I mostly stopped being enthusiastic about American dramas; a large part of this was because of my falling out with Heroes. While I did start watching a few new shows this year, I'm not head-over-heels in love with any of them yet, at least not in the same way I have been obsessing about kdramas.

2007 will probably also go down as the year I got sucked into Asian dramas. I managed to resist for about eight years, too, and then that little thing called Coffee Prince came along...

No spoilers in any of the below; please use <span style="color:#333,background:#333">spoiler text</span> for any spoilers in the comments.

Shows that didn't work for me

( The Collector )

( Ugly Betty )

( Dr. Who )

The only reason Heroes isn't on this list is because 2007 included some of the great S1 episodes.

Shows that I'm watching but not excited about

( Scrubs )

( Dead Like Me )

( Heroes )

( Life )

( Blood Ties )

( Fantasy Couple )

( Snow Queen )

Shows that I'm very excited about!

( Homicide: Life on the Street )

( Spooks/MI-5 )

( Pushing Daisies )

( Avatar: the Last Airbender )

( So You Think You Can Dance )

( Nobuta wo Produce )

( My Name Is Kim Sam Soon )

And now, my very favorite shows of the year! It's cheating a little, because I'm not done with either yet, but I am so filled with squee!

( Damo )

( Coffee Prince )

Huh, looking at all this, I did watch a lot this year. It just didn't feel like it, because for most of the year, I was hopping from show to show to show. I didn't fall into kdramas until Thanksgiving, but wow, I fell hard.