The Girl Who Owned a City

Call me obsessed with revisiting my childhood and I probably wouldn't call you wrong. I mean, I just saw Toy Story 3 for the second time yesterday, I just finished the final installment in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series that I first picked up in my early teens by the suggestion of a friend, and I just reread The Girl Who Owned a City for the first time in nearly ten years.

When I first read The Girl Who Owned a City, I was 11 years old and in sixth grade. We read it for class, although I don't remember the why. I loved the book but it terrified me as well. I mean, I was eleven and the book depicts the story of an adult-less world where the oldest people still alive are twelve. I would've been the older generation. Not to mention that as much as my parents sometimes frustrated me, I didn't want them to die. I remember, after finishing the book, going up to my mother, crying and hugging her and telling her that I didn't want a plague to kill her.

Well, luckily it hasn't and now being well over the age of twelve, if the plague came true, I'd be dead. I expected this to be a reassuring thought, but honestly, the book still struck me just as much as it did when I was eleven. I won't be crying and hugging my mother not to die, but... wow, what a depressing book.

There were two major thoughts that ran through my head after I finished it. Firstly, where was the sequel??? I mean, what a cliffhanger! Lisa is returned to power in her city of Glenbard, but only after provoking a far-away army who is off to join the King of Chicago and his army of roughly 5,000. Even Lisa acknowledges that the army of Chicago was bound to come after them sooner or later at the end of the book. I'm just left there wondering what the hell happens next in this post-apocalyptic world.

The second, of course, was how much I want this book to be a movie. It would be such a glorious failure. The problem, of course, is that it is such a dark book, really. Dead bodies are never explicitly stated to be anywhere, but their presence is implied. Not to mention small children learning how to fire weapons and make molotov cocktails. Tom Logan gets oil burned down his face, Lisa gets shot, and Jill has to remove the freakin' bullet. The Girl Who Owned a City is an R-rated movie, but all of its characters are children. The thing is, not a one of them is innocent.

Which is simply twisted and hard to forgive. I love the story and, though it isn't the best-written thing in the universe, I think it is fascinating and I want to read it again and again. Not everyone, however, can appreciate children being violent and doing adult things. Just take a peek at the uproar over Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass and multiply that times a thousand because The Girl Who Owned a City is full of hundreds of Hit-Girls, all trained to kill and torture. I mean, they literally mention torture in the book! Children torturing each other for information!

The Girl Who Owned a City reminds me of The Road, unsurprisingly. I mean, they're both these post-apocalyptic stories of the fight between "good" and "evil" but the lines are really blurred. The only thing that truly separates The Man and his son from the rest of the survivors is their refusal to turn into cannibals. Aside from that, they are equally violent when need be. All the children in The Girl Who Owned a City have to turn violent, whether it is for attack or defense. And though The Girl Who Owned a City gives a supposedly brighter future, the last page is so depressing that I can't help but wonder how long the city of Glenbard can last before the world turns into a world not unlike The Road where civilization is too far gone for anyone to even dream of rebuilding it the way Lisa does and instead all they can do is what the gangs do - steal and kill to survive. Both tales are incredibly depressing and though The Road is much more wonderfully written and definitely more depressing and incredibly inappropriate for children, The Girl Who Owned a City also tells a compelling take and is still quite depressing and is a bit inappropriate for children. Granted, I heartily appreciate having read it when I was young enough to fit myself into the story.

I don't normally dedicate this blog to books because, not going to lie, I do not do a lot of book-reading anymore. I was a much more avid reader when I was younger (although, to be fair, I did just read three books in less than twenty-four hours). But, my goodness, do not make the mistake of thinking that I don't love them. The Girl Who Owned a City does not need to be a movie, of course. My only inclination to bring it in that direction is to make up for some of the weak writing in the book. And I love the book so much, I would just want to work on a project with it, whether it be a sequel or a movie, because I simply want to continue to live within that sad, awesome world.

Again, that brings me back to my earlier point, about how a movie version would be a total failure. I cannot see an audience who would want to watch children suffer and toil in a world with no help and little hope. They would call it insensitive and cruel and depressing. But this is one of those moments when I really feel like a filmmaker, like an artist rather than an entertainer. I don't care about the audience, to be frank. I'd want to make this movie because it is a beautiful story, whatever you say, and it deserves to be told over and over again.

Lisa, for all her bossiness, never would have made me think of myself when I was younger. I was whiny and did not want to live in her world - most of the time. Maybe it was after reading the book, maybe it was before, but I tried to imagine a harder world where I would have to fight to survive. What if my parents died? What if we had a fire and lost everything in our house? What if I lost my voice or my hearing or my sight? All these "what if"s and more plagued me and I would make secret loots in case of anything. A "just in case" bag filled with things if I needed to run away. Hotel shampoo bottles that had been cleaned out and filled with water hidden around the house "just in case." And Lisa's attitude, her beautiful, brilliant attitude, that if she can toughen up then everyone can toughen up, reminds me so painfully of myself that it hurts. It is not an uncommon flaw, but it is a harsh one, to forget that it is hard work to grow and some people just have not gone through it. It is also not uncommon and just as harsh to forget that no matter how much we've grown, there is so much more growing to do. Both of Lisa's major flaws are ones I see in myself which, though I am nearly twice her age, make me feel like a child again.

Sure, I may be revisiting my childhood, but what is so wrong there? There are so many beautiful lessons and important messages to be found and reminded of. Only just a few days ago was I listening to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on audiobook, listening to the chapter, "The Mirror of Erised" and Dumbledore's conversation with Harry toward the end of the book when I remembered why I fell in love with Harry Potter all those years ago. It was for the wonderful things J.K. Rowling had to share about life and death and friendship and courage and fear and so on and so forth. I am so excited for my Introduction to Children and Young Adult Literature class this coming fall where I will get to read literature supposedly for children and young adults, but really for all of us.

After all, many animated movies aren't just for children either, even if they can be - thank you Pixar and DreamWorks.

Oh Movies! How I Long to See You! Let Me Count You...

Up in the Air
...because I love that who seems to be the most successful Twilight actor played an annoying human and I am rooting a hundred percent for Anna Kendrick even though I have only seen the previews. Oh and George Clooney and Jason Reitman are fabulous too. I liked Thank You for Smoking far more than I liked Juno (I liked Juno plenty; but it was way overrated) and the previews just look stunning and I've only heard good things.

Fantastic Mr. Fox
...because, although sometimes I am not that into Wes Anderson, this looks wonderful. I didn't really pay it much attention until I finally saw the preview before Where the Wild Things Are and then thought to myself how wonderful that film would be. Meryl Streep and George Clooney hardly hurt my desire to see what looks like a very clever and quality animated film. Also, good reviews encourage me.

The Road
...because, although I've been back and forth on my expectations for this film ever since I heard about it, if Cormac McCarthy thinks it's a good adaptation of his magnificent novel, I might end up genuinely liking it. Plus, Viggo Mortensen does no wrong.

Precious
...because I like crying during movies. I'm a little apprehensive that it'll be overhyped and a replay of the whole Slumdog Millionaire craze (good, tear-jerking indie movie sweeps the awards... not that the two are the same movie because I've gotten the impression that Precious is no holds-barrel depressing and horrific as opposed to Slumdog Millionaire's general cheeriness despite the slums), but it's also been beloved by many, even if not by all. I can understand the fatigue, but I still liked Slumdog Millionaire too.

Invictus
...because I adore Morgan Freeman and am excited to see a movie that looks perfect for him. Not to mention that the trailer looks very strong, the plot is interesting, and Matt Damon is also a really fantastic actor. Clint Eastwood directing doesn't hurt it either.

The Lovely Bones
...because I fell in love with the book when I was required to read it the summer before my freshman year of high school, staying up until 9am finishing it, crying like a baby. Saioirse Ronan is a wonderful actress (one of the actually quite good parts of Atonement, as the Academy recognized her before), Peter Jackson is certainly a capable director, and although Mark Wahlberg can be kind of questionable, he did kick major ass in The Departed (Oscar nom!) and the rest of the cast looks solid. Oh and the trailer makes me cry every time I see it.

The Hurt Locker
...because I'm behind on the game and missed it over the summer and my feminine power side is just so excited that Kathryn Bigelow is being talked up as a Best Director possibility because it is still so sad how old-fashioned the film industry is. I love me some old white guy movies, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see alternatives succeed! Not to mention that I've only heard the best things about this movie and I enjoy quality action-centric films.

The Princess and the Frog
...because for all that Disney has done wrong, they made some awesome movies in the '90s and this seems like a good return to form. Maybe it won't be quite Pixar-level, but I still think it'll be an enjoyable ride.

2012
...because I am so curious as to see what happens after the world implodes.

Avatar
...because I want to be convinced that it is actually worth the hype (I doubt I will be). Alternatively, I look forward to telling everyone how it isn't good enough. But I love Sam Worthington, so I'd also like for it to succeed. Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see. I'm really wary of this movie.

Sherlock Holmes
...because it looks badass and Robert Downey Jr. is beyond amazing (not to mention that the rest of the cast is also quite strong and Guy Ritchie does make some good films... let's all forget that he remade the already nutty Swept Away...). I love action flicks too, if I didn't already make that part clear.

An Education
...because the critics told me to for Carey Mulligan and I am their slave (I wish I were lying).

A Serious Man
...because I've heard it is good. And I do like me some Coen brothers. And I went to my first bar mitzvah this year so now I'll all kinds of curious about the whole premise of this film.

A Single Man
...because I do quite like Colin Firth and want to see how he does in this (supposedly, fabulously).

Nine
...because I remember when I saw the trailer before I even heard most of the awards prediction possibilities about it and thought to myself "well this looks AWESOME" and watched the trailer about ten more times that evening. Also, just LOOK at that cast. And it's directed by Rob Marshall of Chicago... and I went back and rewatched Chicago for the first time in a while recently and remembered just how actually good it was. And those visuals? Oh god, I am exciting myself all over again for this movie.

The Blind Side
...because although it could easily be cheesy and lame and eh, I still find myself attracted to it in all its tear-jerking glory.


And god I hope that's all the movies I plan to see (there will be more, especially when the award nominations start rolling in and I realize which ones I'll need to see... fuck the Oscars for naming the nominees so late this year; I'll already be back at school with absolutely no time or a Netflix account... bizznatches). I also hope that most of these movies are worth seeing.

PS: Fuck tag limits. I also intended to tag: 2012, The Princess and the Frog, and Other Awards, but the stupid character max stopped me. >.<

I Hate Feeling So Behind Even Though There Is Still So Much To Arrive...

Being a full time student + part time employee + college students who enjoys socializing in her spare time when she isn't doing a shitload of homework = less time to see movies. As it is, I am far behind both on Oscar movies and regular enjoyment movies (helloooo, Zombieland). I haven't been to the theatre in nearly three weeks when I saw a few new films, including Bright Star. So there have been movies I have missed and hopefully they will remain in theatres until next weekend when I take a short detour home for a couple days to catch up on TV, movies, and good food.

Movies I Would Like To See This Month: Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland, Good Hair, An Education, The Road, The Damned United, A Serious Man.

The Road and An Education come out in time for Thanksgiving break, while I'm going to have to hurry up to see Zombieland and Where the Wild Things Are before they disappear from theatres. I'd also like to see Clive Owen in The Boys Are Back, but, come on, I'm already assigning myself the task of seeing 7 movies during a three day weekend plus a four and a half day break, which also involves crossing the state to visit family for half of that.

But winter break will be a lot more interesting. The past two winters have seen me watch movies like a crazy woman between Netflix and the theatre. It is quite a bit of fun to see me and try to equate to yourself how many movie tickets I buy each year. Next to food, it's probably my biggest outlet for spending money. And this doesn't include the scenarios where I ask my friends to go with me, they say they don't have the money, and I just pay for them because I've already seen like 5 movies by myself that season.

Which leads me to the hard part about these two short breaks: I'm not going home alone. My roommate has decided that she wants to tag along next weekend (but I can just drop her off at Paranormal Activity, which she really wants to see), and then another of my friends, who, as an international student, lives across the world, isn't going home for Thanksgiving break, will be accompanying me then. But this will happen! I must see these movies. Not only do I really have a vested interest in seeing them and, as a film student, I should be watching lots and lots of movies, but I am a NERD when it comes to awards season. For reals, yo.

And we're not even into the major season yet. Like I said, I'll have more time come winter break (approx. six weeks of laziness... and a day or two of meeting my brother's Brazilian girlfriend), but there will also be more movies. Invictus. Nine. The Lovely Bones. Sherlock Holmes. Precious. Avatar. Up in the Air. Any other of a host of last minute surprises and things that suddenly occur to me "oh hey, that looks awesome, I should see that." Not to mention the netflixing of movies I missed earlier, like The Hurt Locker. But anyways, the more I think about this, the crazier I go, and I can't go crazy just yet; still got a month and a half left of classes. Blegh on that. I would much rather just watch movies.

I did finally see Waltz with Bashir (one year later). How that did not win Best Foreign Film is beyond me.

On another note, considering how The Road is being reacted to so far, maybe I was too quick in my judgment to assume that it could never match up to the book. I have become more interested in seeing it as of late. Viggo Mortensen looks like he gives a fantastic performance (I was close to saying that he looks fantastic, but he doesn't, which is the point), and so I will go see The Road when it comes out. So color me excited (in a minimal way).

A Plethora of TV, Movies, and Such.

My major apologies for neglecting this blog so greatly over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, school has eaten my time and soul. That, and I picked up watching Dexter once I started school and am currently two seasons in.

Let's see, so much has changed since I last updated this blog and I will ramble onto numerous points here and there until I find that I have written something adequately updating in my movie/television/entertainment life.

Mind you, spoilers are for the following in case you're behind me: up to last night's Mad Men, up through season 2 of Dexter, up to always of Battlestar Galactica, up to the Emmys (which, if you haven't watched, you probably won't), and maybe a few other things. Just beware as you read.

First and freshest in my mind is, of course, last night's Primetime Emmy Awards. Neil Patrick Harris is fabulous and there is no doubt about that and I am quite saddened to know that he lost his Supporting Actor in a Comedy award that I believe he so deserved (granted, I don't think I watch any of the other nominated shows aside from How I Met Your Mother, which returns tonight), but he was a fantastic host. I tweeted during the whole thing (and got murderous glares from my one friend who said I spammed her twitter feed... I honestly didn't tweet THAT much... >.>), but mostly about NPH and BSG.

Yes, my darling Battlestar Galactica, which was so wrongly deprived of the Emmy love it dearly deserved. Season 4 is not the best season for Battlestar Galactica (tbh, every season is SPECTACULAR and none of the seasons are without blemish, but I'd say the season with the best track record is probably Season 2 with a) the Kobol plot at the beginning of the season, b) the Pegasus plot with Michelle Forbes' fabulosity and one of the most human Baltar moments when he visits with poor battered Gina, and c) The stunning ending to the season with that tense election and amazing time jump. Unfortunately, season 2 also has the Apollo/Dee nonsense and poor Billy's demise). BUT Season 4 features two of the absolute BEST episodes Battlestar Galactica has produced: The Oath and Blood on the Scales. Those episodes are BEYOND stunning for so many reasons. Although the Battlestar Galactica mythology is great and interesting, it occasionally gets bogged down, especially toward the end with the Final Five and Earth and all, but those two episodes were among the most human and realistic episodes BSG has ever produced. The building tension of the first episode that leaks into the second of the two-parter is beautiful, and it's just this wonderful return to form with the old characters we know and love (hooray Starbuck kicking ass rather than having an identity crisis!). I know that it would have made no difference for BSG to have those two episodes as its featured rather than the concluding episodes Daybreak, but I honestly think that those are the strongest episodes of season 4.5 and among the strongest of the entire series.

Backing away from poor Battlestar Galactica's final Emmy snub (and skirting around the Chuck snub entirely), let me focus on the positivity. About a year ago, the only television I habitually watched was Heroes. I had watched Gilmore Girls when it was on and I made a semi-effort to watch Mad Men, Chuck, and House, but I didn't give a shit about television much at all. So this is the first time I really gave a hoot about the Emmys (albeit a very small hoot; I still only watch maybe ten television series). I normally love awards shows but heard that the Emmys were usually boring (which, despite NPH's best efforts, it still was in many ways). But it was still a truly fun affair for me even as a not heavy television viewer, as someone who knew probably two thirds of the winners by name and the only television show that won anything that I actually watch is Mad Men. So good work to you, NPH. Hats off to the entertaining night (and to the fun liveblog I participated in at EW.com).

Speaking of Mad Men, this new season has been the typical Mad Men slowness. I understand why a lot of people I know can't fully get into the show (even I'm not fully into it although I think it's generally spectacular and stunning), but I just watched last night's episode and I thought it was definitely good. There's nothing more unlike Mad Men than some guy getting run over by a tractor. I'm sorry, but blood on Mad Men just doesn't happen. It is not a violent show and that part of the episode really shook things up for me, which I loved. Also great this season is Sal (although he's been lacking a bit since the premiere, aside from his dance for Kitty), Peggy's bits here and there, Duck's sweater he appeared in last week, Joan as always, and Sally Draper. That little girl is amazing and while before the home life of Don Draper tended to bore me a bit, Sally has me loving every moment we get to see of the kids these days. They're no longer little walking, breathing props, but they are real people, which I love.

A show that is bloody, on the other hand, is (shock of all shocks) Dexter, which I have grown to really like over the two seasons I've seen so far. Of course, identity crises for serial killers are not my favourite thing (hello Sylar's bazillionth on Heroes), but aside from that, I like the show plenty. I also like the supporting cast quite a bit as well and I'm really sad to see Doakes go at the end of the second season. He was great to watch. Although I've heard the third season isn't so great, I'm still looking forward to watching it (planning on watching the season premiere once I finish this as I am currently stumped on my homework). SO glad Lila's gone. She pissed me the fuck off. For all her annoying, Rita is much preferable.

Movies... movies... well I finally saw Coraline, which was good, watched Fargo (yeah I'm behind on the times a bit, don't judge me), and saw both Inglorious Basterds and District 9 in theatres before I went back to school. Both were awesome for their various reasons. Loved the unabashed slaughter and Tarantino-ness of Inglorious Basterds, loved the originality (I know, my friend laughed at me for using the word "original" to describe a movie these days, but I truly think there is something very distinctively fresh about District 9) of District 9, loved both movies for being just so very good end of summer movies without sacrificing quality plot and script for fascinating visuals and big bangs (although both had both).

Although I haven't seen all the big name Oscar watch fall movies because, well, they're mostly not out yet (and I am busy and deprived of a movie theatre and strapped for cash), I am massively excited about a lot of them. I've been hearing great things about Up in the Air, and I'd love to see The Informant! and I've been excited about Where The Wild Things Are and Precious for a while. I love Clive Owen, especially when he's in actually good roles, so I'm also anticipating The Boys Are Back. I'm worried that The Road won't be nearly as good as the book (I just can't see it operating as well as a movie than how it is as a book), but I do love me some Viggo Mortensen and I did love the book, so I'm cautiously excited for its release. And of course, speaking of book adaptations, I am beyond beyond excited for The Lovely Bones. That preview is stunning and Saoirse Ronan is wonderful, so I am really looking forward to that movie's release as well.

Heroes, House, and How I Met Your Mother all return tonight, Gossip Girl's second episode of the season will be on, and there will be an interesting battle to see which one will be watched in the TV room. But whatever it is, I want to see all of them, so I will be satisfied.

Oh and I'm watching FlashForward when it starts Thursday. Love me some Joseph Fiennes, hope the show is actually good, and will see you again sometime in the future! I think my update has run quite a bit long here.