vilakins | Recent stuff

I should post something other than art. OK, what have I done lately?

We failed to go to the Food Show because Greg said he was too busy to take Friday morning off, though he'd earlier said he could, and claimed it would rain on Saturday (it didn't), and I consoled myself that I couldn't really afford to buy stuff there. We did however go to the house of a fellow Roman re-enactor known as Rob the Roman (which Vila would take as a welcome suggestion) to watch The Eagle with other re-enactors and classics geeks. The film was strangely unengaging, and apart from being American, which seemed somehow wrong (probably because it's based on an English book) they'd changed a lot. I can see why they missed out Cottia and Cub, but not why they changed other things like what happened in the seal people's village. Plus blue Mohicans? Did not seem particularly Pictish apart from the colour.

Also, after growing my hair to chin-length for a couple of years, my hair is now shorter than it started (though not yet Servalan-like) except for the long spiky animé-style fringe which may get a lot longer.

I might do a self-portrait. Or not.

Oh and it was Jasmin's third birthday last week while LJ was down.

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I thought that The Eagle was quite well done, and I didn't really notice any Americanness. But that may be because I've never read the book. I've learnt over the years that the film of a favourite book is almost always a disappointment.

Harry Potter's well done and LOTR too, but in general that's very true. I knew book fans weren't that impressed but I was interested to see it, esp in the company of Roman geeks, and it was fun. I thought Marcus and his uncle (Donald Sutherland who's always good) were great but Esca didn't really look how I expected him to from the book: too slight and Roman-looking. Though he acted the role very well too.

I'm not sure why they changed things. In the book Marcus and Aquila went north as friends already, Marcus disguised as a Greek purveyor of medicines which got him in everywhere. Yet in this they were still master and slave at that point.

Anyway, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon with friends. :-)

I've enjoyed the Harry Potter films (which, perhaps thanks to JK Rowling's involvement, seemed to keep unusually closely to the books), but I had reservations even about the last two LotR films.

Actually those I haven't seen yet. I must catch up.

Especially as the films are directed by a New Zealander. :) I'm glad that I didn't mention the reasons for my reservations. I wouldn't have wanted to have "spoiled" you, but I'd been assuming that you would already have seen all three films.

Talking of films, the Studio Ghibli film "Arrietty", based on "The Borrowers", has just opened in the UK, but sadly my local cinema doesn't seem to be showing it.

Ooh! I must get hold of that. I love Ghibli and the Borrowers both!

A Borrowers film -- I'm interested! I hope they do it well.

The UK reviews seem to have been very positive. Mind you, I'd have expected nothing else about a Studio Ghibli film. Sadly only a handful of cinemas seem to be showing it over here.

It won't be shown widely here either. We'll get hold of it though, probably on DVD. :-)

I will probably wait until 'The Eagle' is on TV as I've heard a few luke-warm reviews about it. I liked reading the book when I was a kid, though.

Rob the Roman bought a DVD from the US and that was what we watched. It might have been better on a larger screen--he has a small TV. See my comments above for further thoughts. :-)

I love those books. I was gradually working my way back through them; must get back to them.

Hmmm...pity you missed that Food Show, last year I read about it and drooled in a keyboard:-)
Ah, I wish I could join medieval re-enactors here but I really have no time.
I don´t know the book or the film...is it about that lost legion?
Well, please, can you make a portrait of you with that wonderfully sounding haircut?
And MŇAU, belated congratulations to Jasmin!

is it about that lost legion?

Yes, the Ninth! I think you'd enjoy Rosemary Sutcliffe's books. The series following on from The Eagle of the Ninth is about descendants of its protagonist, all wearers of the passed-down dolphin ring. She's also done some Arthurian stories. I must get back to them.

Ha, maybe! That'll take care of one day.

Jasmin and her furry guests (and I!) got celebratory tuna. :-)

I will search for the books immediately!!!
Hee hee...tuna ...mmmmmrrrrrrr!

Reading them in order is a good idea as they go through the centuries. I always look authors up on wiki for that; here's her page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Sutcliff#Books), listing everything she's written, not just the dolphin ring books.

I'm sorry you missed the Food Show - I love events like that.
I remember seeing the trailer for 'The Eagle' but the actual movie seemed to quickly pass through the theatres here. I didn't realize it was out on dvd - I'll have to add it to our queue.
Happy belated birthday to Jasmin! :o)

Me too, but it's more fun with someone else or I'd have gone on Friday. I've gone before alone and though it's good, it's not the same.

She had a lovely day with lots of tuna, shared with her friend, furry and me. :-)

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