Mouse Farts in a Wind Tunnel

January 4, 2003

I saw The Two Towers early on December 21, the day before my birthday. The theatre was rather empty, which was a surprise to me. My problem watching almost any movie is that I spend too much time looking for traces of its creation, rather than letting myself be pulled into the narrative. There are a few places where TTT waves these marks in my face to such an extent that I have to think, "Huh. What was that about?" The closing shot over Helm's Deep, where the focus on Gandalf is clearly and harshly mismatched with the others, was a big one, as it threw me out of that subplot all together.

But I'm not complaining, even about the changes to the story. In some cases they are a vast improvement, particularly as Peter Jackson shows important parts that Tolkien told only in retrospect. The war of the Ents on Orthanc is a major case in point. It is a flawed movie, but it is still amazing, given the incredible brazen insanity that it took to bring to the screen. I am much more in awe of Jackson than I was a year ago, and I suspect that a year from now, I will be lighting candles in his name. I find it easier on each viewing to lose myself in the film

I saw it for the second time a couple of days ago, and the most charming and wonderful element was sitting next to a young girl of about thirteen who clearly had never read the books. She was engaged with the film from the beginning. Sitting next to her older sister, with whom she held hands tightly during the scary parts. It was so amazing to hear her gasp with surprise and fear when Frodo is pulled underwater in the Dead Marshes. I may never be a naive viewer of films again, but I get so much pleasure from those who are -- a reminder of innocent times when movies were magic in and of themselves.

posted by el goose on 1/4/2003 01:51:06 PM | link

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January 1, 2003

I spent a number of years as a professional fund raiser, and I know the bullshit that goes on behind the scenes with money not going where donors think it will. So my tendency, when I give gifts, is to give to small nonprofits with well-defined local missions. That way, my gift is much more likely to be used for what I want and not just plowed back into the direct mail trough. I'll never give to another national organization as long as I live.

That said, Tom Tomorrow recently considered asking for donations to his blog, and rejected the idea in favor of asking for gifts to a Brooklyn organization that he supports, Hearts and Homes for Homeless Dogs.

I used to live on 48th Street in Sunnyside, Queens, in a little neighborhood-peninsula that was surrounded on three sides by the Brooklyn Queens Exressway, the Long Island Exressway, and one of those huge cemeteries that seem to stretch for miles when you're on the way to LaGuardia. The two native life forms were rats and stray dogs. In the summer, I couldn't tell which there were more of. Every time I saw one of those dogs, I wanted to cry. I couldn't do anything to help it. So I am glad to find out that there is such an organization as Hearts and Homes for Homeless Dogs. It goes on the Good List.

Please consider adding your support to mine (that's what we'd always say on the begging letters). I have two old dogs, one of whom was a stray I found on the street in Queens almost twelve years ago. They have brought so much joy to my life that I really want other people to have the same opportunity.

posted by el goose on 1/1/2003 04:00:17 PM | link

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