Croix Parler

[Croix]

I'd like to use this pace for miscellaneous matters that don't fit elsewhere

Thanks

Croix

[Croix]

Dear Sara and Dottie et al.~

I found the Da Vinci Code (the book ) was a most enjoyable richly woven experience. Every page seemed to introduce a new element -and if the main characters Robert and Sophie seemed just a tad too lucky and clever then that's ok, I can live with that. The movie - umm.

The use of codes and code-devices was most interesting as was the adaption of historical matters I had only dimly heard of before.

One of the things that fascinated me was the extent to which the book was attacked by the (religious) establishment - much more than say - Harry Potter. As the premise of the book was that Christianity was a lot more woman-centric than is conventionally seen to be the case I have a suspicion that this was the motivation for the furor.

I'm going to be cautious what I say as this forum is not supposed to contain material that "promotes personal beliefs in a way that is disrespectful of the choices of others" so all I can do is point to the much smaller reaction to two other works that could be targeted, Monty Python's Holy Grail and Life of Brian, neither of which allowed women a prominent role.

The supposed 'research' undertaken for the book can be argued about endlessly, and I don't have the resources to deal with it, I simply regard it as a highly entertaining work of fiction with a rather unique twist and with a heap of references - true or otherwise..

If you take another author who is alleged to have 'researched' his material in the secular supernatural, Charles Stross, (The Laundry Files) there is no fuss whatsoever. Incidentally this author is not to everyone's taste though his fantasy series Merchant Princes is quite bland.

I read Angels & Demons around 15 years ago (it's in my library too) but it left no lasting impression, whether that's due to the quality of the book or of my memory - who knows.

Affectionately

Croix

[Croix]

Dear Dottie~

I hope you don't mind that Sara is joining in on arts matters, I thought we both might enjoy another's perspective.

As it is impossible to you both equal billing at the start of each post I'll just use common sense - no reflection indented. I look forward to your next post when you can.

All my affection,

Croix.

[SubduedBlues]

Hey Croix, if y'all is going to talk about Monty Python's Holy Grail, best to have a mention for Mel Brook's History of the World, Part 1. You can't have one side of the coin without the other. 🙂

Sara - I suspect that 'The Da Vinci Code' probably does outsell the bible, after all the bible is usually giving away for free.

If you're after a good writer, try Matthew Reilly's Temple, or Seven Ancient Wonders. both in line with the Dan Brown series, but both non-stop ACTION (and he's a Sydney boy)

SB

[SubduedBlues]

J'aime bien le nom de votre sujet: Cross Talk

(Google a tapé le français)

Pan fyddaf yn ysgrifennu, dw i'n hoffi y Gymraeg
(When I write foreign, I like to write in Welsh)

SB

[Croix]

Salut SB~

Merci bien, (Croix est un jeu privé sur les mots aussi, tu sais pourquoi) - c'est du Français Canadien peut-être?

As for the Welsh - you're cheating - go on admit it - Gruffudd is helping you!

I'm please you sound a bit better - I do too. I managed to put myself in a pickle after answering a certain post Saturday (my own dopey fault), but my wife took me to see Collateral Damage with Will Smith - I thought it excellent. (Distraction Rules OK!)

HOTW,p1 is part of my collection somewhere, but only on VHS - haven't bought an optical disc version as yet I have far too many to update them all 😞

You mentioned Mel Brooks, he with Buck Henry is responsible for one of my most favorite comedy TV series - Get Smart! I've watched it umpteen times and will no doubt do so again.

I've put Temple on hold at my Library on your recommendation, have you tried Peter Corris, he's a Melbourne boy.

Nice of you to drop in,

Croix

[Guest_322]

Hi Croix, Sara, SB + all readers,

Sorry guys, this post will probably seem out of place as I'm catching up on my replies to older posts so bear with me please...

Croix, thanks for clarifying about Jingle Hells. I suppose sometimes certain bridges need to be burnt as was the case for you. Family huh?

Judging from your comments, it does sound like The Rocky Horror Show is best seen live. Unsurprisingly, certain things can't be captured onscreen.

You seemed to enjoy Amelie as much as I did (& still do). I definitely agree with you about the superb casting! Audrey Tatou was brilliant as Amelie as were the actors who played her colleagues. The regular cafe patrons at the cafe that she worked at were also amazing!

I loved the offbeat and quirky quality of the film. Also, did you notice the attention to detail? From Amelie's distinct hair and her position on a bridge in one scene to the clever camera angles. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of the film- I'm BIG on film aesthetics.

Yeah, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does certainly make you think. Memories huh? For better or for worse, we have them. I vaguely remember seeing one of the Total Recall instalments. But I'm afraid that it didn't leave much of a lasting impression on me as I barely remember the storyline.

I googled Flowers for Algernon and what an interesting synopsis?! It does sound sad though- toying with human IQ hmmm...I bet it raised a lot of questions about societal and ethical issues.

I also looked up We Can Remember It For You Wholesale and while I can appreciate that it probably appeals to some people, it's not really my cup of tea judging from the storyline.

Nocturnal Animals is a visual masterpiece! It certainly helped that the fashion designer, Tom Ford, wrote the screenplay and directed it so it's aesthetically stunning. Also, it was made up of multiple storylines that were cleverly interwoven and supported by an excellent cast.

It is kind of sad so it might be best for you to steer clear. Maybe sad isn't the right word but bleak (?) I loved how Ford contrasted the bleakness of the storylines with the visual richness. I think he was trying to say something about humans and relationships- I can already hear you objecting about it ha, ha.

I think songs in the English language often reach an international audience. So it's not entirely surprisingly that Naidemonaiya might have some structural overlap with English songs.

Good talk.

Dottie xxx

[Guest_322]

Hi Croix + all readers,

Thanks, I know you're a very thoughtful person and I appreciate that you asked. In saying that, of course I don't mind if Sara- or anyone else- joins in. Besides, no one needs my permission/approval/insert-word-as-appropriate to reply to your thread. If people want to chime in, they can chime in ha, ha. But as I said, you're very considerate and I appreciate the gesture.

Sara, great to hear from you! Hmm...based on your love of Monet, Terminator franchise and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, I'm starting to develop an understanding of your taste (however basic my understanding might be).

I have a sneaking suspicion now that you and I have very different taste in the arts 😉 Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. If anything, different is probably good as it would be pretty boring if we all had the same taste.

Anyways...

The Da Vinci Code definitely struck a chord with you. It seems you and Dan Brown are in agreement about a number of things. I think Brown gave you rich food for thought.

SB, hi! And awesome bilingual skills!

Dottie xxx

[Croix]

Dear Dottie, Sara, SB et al.~

It's raining today and the sumo cat is prowling around the house vainly looking for the The Door into Summer, - which just happens to be a book by Robert Heinlein where another cat looks for a similar door. Sumo is not going to find it today and keeps giving me resentful glances - "You're responsible - you hid it"

Spurred on by my enjoyment of re-viewing Amélie I've also re-watched MicMacs à tire-larigot (MicMacs to your heart's content) by the same French film-maker Jean-Pierre Jeunet . Highly entertaining, the same sort of zany and with some of the same cast, though there is no central character as endearing as Audrey Tautou.

Follows the adventures of a video-clerk who seeks revenge on the arms-manufacturers who supplied the mine that first killed his father, then the bullet that ended up in his head.

I've now finishing Eat Drink Man Woman which I'm afraid was a bit of a struggle. Taiwanese film-maker Ang Lee, who did Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, is trying for gentle sympathetic character studies here. Dottie you might like some of the photography, indoors but rich in variance. Unfortunately I found the characters only somewhat interesting (5/10 on the Croix scale) and would probably have welcomed Arnie (or the original Sarah Conner perhaps) bursting in with assault rifles to stir things up.

It revolves around a patriarch of old Confucian vales and daughters with new Western ones. He ends up displaying at least as much flexibility as his offspring.

I might have a go at Nocturnal Animals anyway, I've asked the gentleman who provides a fair number of my second-hand DVDs to keep a look out for it. Maybe I can take a bit of 'bleak', if not I'll watch something in the 'comfort' line straight away after, perhaps Alphaville: une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution by a director I've mentioned before, Jean-Luc Godard. It's 1960's French SF film noir - a real mix but appeals to me (yes a happy ending, Lemmy gets the girl:) Stars Eddie Constantine & Anna Karina.

I'm running out of space, so please let me know what you think and also any new recommendations in music, film or book would be excellent

Croix

[Guest_1055]

Hi Mr Croix and everyone else.

I keep seeing the word parlor, and then imagine a beautiful old solid timber door with a round metal ring right in the middle of the door in which one lifts up and knocks. So that is what I am doing....knock.....knock.....knock.

I have also looked in the window, which is very sparkly clean. Peering inside, because I am a bit nosey..... I see two large bookcases that reach to the ceiling. I see the titles of a few books, but don't recognise them.

Anyway I have bought along some flowers, fresh soft yellow roses for the empty vase, that I see in my imagination on your coffee table.....

Oh I like reading books also, one of my favourites is titled "Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince", written a long time ago by Sidney Baldwin. It is about a very spoilt, unhappy and selfish young Prince, who lives a life of indulgence. His father realises his son needs to learn other lessons in life, otherwise he would not make a very good and wise King. Anyway the prince is sent out on a journey with his loving man servant. They traveled to the small home of an elderly, kind, very unselfish women who was a peasant. The Prince is left here for a few years, and ever so slowly learns vital lessons of hard work, going with out luxuries, caring about others, etc. He then returns back to the palace after a few years changed for the better due to the circumstances he was placed into.

Anyway I liked the story....

.....Oh and because a parlor sort of says afternoon tea or high tea to me, I don't know why??? Here are some fresh scones, strawberry jam and cream feeling you all.....

[Guest_322]

Hi Croix (shoutout to Sara, SB, Shelley + all readers),

Just as well that Sumo was indoors today as I doubt he would have enjoyed getting wet (wait, Sumo is a guy's name, right?) Most cats prefer staying dry.

I watched the MicMacs trailer and it looked totally up my street movie-wise! It looked whimsical and quirky with colourful characters. I recognised some of them from Amelie so that's a big plus.

I'm intrigued by Eat Drink Man Woman. I don't mind subtle character development so I suspect that I might have better luck with it than you ha, ha. I mean, human behaviour, cultural norms and relationships are so nuanced that it takes skill to translate it onscreen. A lot of it isn't obvious so subtlety is an art itself.

Cool, maybe you will and maybe you won't like Nocturnal Animals. Only way to find out is to give it a go 😉 Like Alphaville, it's noir film but it's technically neo noir. Speaking of Alphaville, I looked it up and the fact that it's dystopian is a win to me. I love dystopian books so maybe I'll like dystopian films too.

Your romantic heart is showing itself again ha, ha. Just as well, maybe it balances the cynic in me- I'm about as romantic as a brick wall. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Back to movies, books, music and art...

This isn't new music but I've been listening to Amy Winehouse a lot lately. Back to Black is my favourite of all her songs. I've also been listening to Rachminoff (again, not current music). I really like Florence and the machine especially Dog Days and Never Let Me Go .Bon Iver's (& Birdy's cover) Skinny Love and All I Want (Kodaline) will always have a special place in my heart (cringes at how cheesy that sounds).

Hi Shelley,

Lovely to see you here! Thanks for the nibbles and flowers btw. Your comment about being nosy made me smile as I'm pretty nosy myself so you're in good company here 😊

I had never heard of Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince till now. It looks like time away from luxury and excess did him good- think he needed it and there's no better teacher than lived experience.

Dottie xxx