Before I go to work today, I must remember to return a DVD to the public library. The DVD in question is Cromwell (1970), starring Richard Harris as Cromwell and Alec Guinness as Charles I. I have never seen either character portrayed with greater depth or complexity. In general, I found it to be significantly above average, especially for an historical movie. History tends to be grievously distorted when adapted to film. This movie in particular had interested me since I first learned of its existence, and I was very pleased to discover it on the New Acquisitions shelf in the library. Is it my imagination, or are Americans far more interested in the American Civil War than English are in the English Civil War? Perhaps I ought to rephrase that. Is the American film industry more interested in the American Civil War than the British film industry is in the English Civil War, and if so, why? Does it have something to do with budget limitations? Do British film audiences find the subject of civil war in their own country less compelling? If they don’t, is it just that they would prefer not to explore the subject for other reasons? Are there political reasons? Are my questions misdirected because I am underestimating the number of films about the English Civil War that have been made? If I am right that there is a relative scarcity of films on the subject, I suppose I would prefer a handful of jewels to a hill of something much less valuable. (Not that there are no good films about the American Civil War, but there are certainly far more that are not.)
Krispy Kreme doughnuts are better enjoyed at work or home than at a Krispy Kreme location. Dreary little places they are. I entered one expecting to have a pleasant moment enjoying a doughnut and a cup of coffee as I gazed through the window or read the newspaper, but as soon as I stepped inside I couldn’t wait to leave. One would think a doughnut bakery would have a delicious aroma, wouldn’t one? Beyond the peculiar odor, it had a distinctly unwelcoming atmosphere. And there were no customers. Hm…
I still do not know whether to post my Robots in Film and Television survey here or at Mr. Cooper’s Journal. I think I’ll post it here first, and then I’ll post it there. Before I post it anywhere, I need to watch Alien (for the first time) so I can take down the name of the android. No one I have asked who has seen it remembers the character’s name. That isn’t my sole reason for watching Alien. I have wanted to see it since it was first released, and I was very frustrated that I missed it when it was briefly released in cinemas again a few years ago.
Egads, I just remembered I also need to return Howl’s Moving Castle to the video store. I thought it was good, but it isn’t my favorite Miyazaki movie. (My Neighbor Totoro still holds that honor.) The animation seemed inferior to some of his other films. Perhaps it’s a trick of my memory, but I seem to recall being distinctly more impressed by the animation in Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. There were also some ambiguities in the plot, and I don’t know whether it was the book upon which it was based or the script itself that was the source of the ambiguities. As I mentioned, I thought the movie was good, but it lacked some of the sense of wonder that his other films evoke so well.
The subject of this entry reads like an Iron Chef Game Design recipe. Design a role-playing game incorporating the following ingredients:
- Oliver Cromwell
- King Charles I
- doughnuts
- robots
- castle
(I didn’t just invent the Iron Chef Game Design idea, by the way. Pyramid has run the contest in the past, and Game Chef is a site dedicated to the concept.)
At any rate… Be seeing you… :-?
Tags: history