The Adventures of Pinocchio - Book 1

The Adventures of Pinocchio

1883

Written by Carlo Collodi

This is first book that I finished from the 100 Classic Book Collection for the Nintendo DS. I have decided to post a few thoughts after finishing each one. 

Well, this is first time that I have truly read the story of Pinocchio. I have only ever seen the Disney version of the story. The original Pinocchio comes across as a very, very bad boy. In the Disney version, Pinocchio is a boy who is just a little bad (I would actually go as far as saying he's just too naive to be good). The original Pinocchio is easily swayed by temptation, and knows that what he is doing is wrong.

Children's stories often have a dark streak, and The Adventures of Pinocchio is no exception. There is death, dismemberment, and other morbid themes throughout. Pinocchio, even though he is made from wood, has his feet burned off at one point.  This actually reminds me that I need to read a book called The Uses of Enchantment, which is supposed to deal with these same topics.

It was a very quick read, and it was fascinating to observe the changes the were made for the Disney version.

Rustin Allison

100 Classic Book Collection - Nintendo DS

I just picked this up last week, but I do love it. Imagine having 100 novels (actually over 100 with the downloadable titles) available for reading on a single DS cartridge. The software allows you to choose font size for more comfortable reading and there is a fun little quiz that you can take to help make book selections. I might just post my thoughts on each novel as I get through them on this blog.

The books included range from plays by Shakespeare and classics from Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, and Victor Hugo. It contains many books that I have always wanted to read, but just never have had the chance. Now they are all together on a single cartridge at a great price.

Rustin Allison

Enchanted

Enchanted

2007

Directed by Kevin Lima

There are so many things to enjoy about this film. The best aspect of the film is that it leaves you feeling so happy by the end. 

Being a HUGE Disney fan, I loved all of the references to other Disney films that are spread throughout Enchanted. I won't go into all of them here, because there are plenty of other sites that have screen by screen comparisons. Everything from the music, plot, and shot set-up is a loving homage to the classics of Disney animation. It really makes me hope that the upcoming Princess and the Frog will be a return to this wonderful style.

Another facet of this film that deserves mentioning is the wonderful Amy Adams. She really made the film for me. Her performance as Giselle is funny and touching. Giselle's hopeful optimism (though tarnished a bit by the end of the film) is played so well by Adams. She truly deserved all of the accolades that she received for this role and I look forward to watching future performances from her.

Rustin Allison

Scary Movie

Scary Movie

2000

Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans

Ah, the first film in the Scary Movie series. Is it funny? Yes. Is it offensive? Yes. What I actually felt motivated to write about this film is how (like Scream) it re-invigorated a genre - the spoof film. Both films are very knowingly self-referential. Scream was a breath of fresh air for the horror genre. It was funny (poking fun at genre conventions) and scary (using these same conventions to terrify). Scream also led to the making of many more teen-focused horror films.

Scary Movie took Scream to a new level. While Scream used a balance of comedy and horror, Scary Movie (using pretty much the same plot) takes its humor as far as it can. Scary Movie itself was a success, and there have been many spoof films in the past few years. 

Rustin Allison

Don John

Don John

29 December, 2008

Kneehigh Theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon

Directed by Emma Rice

I went to see this because I absolutely loved Kneehigh's theatrical version of Brief Encounter. I did enjoy this show, but not quite as much as their previous effort. 

Don John takes the narrative of Mozart's Don Giovanni and places it in a small English town in 1978. Don is a womanizer who does not care about the broken trail he leaves behind him as he goes from one woman to the next. 

Kneehigh uses a combination of drama, film, dance, and music. In Brief Encounter, all of these elements created a wonderful whole. In Don John, it felt a bit disjointed.

It was a good show, but it is not high on my list of plays that I have seen in 2008.

Rustin Allison

Cronos

Cronos

1993

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Well, after seeing Hellboy a few years ago, I have become a del Toro fan. His movies draw on such great imagery. There is always a great balance between the fairy tale and sadness. I have been slowing watching Del Toro's earlier films, and it is always interesting to see how an artist has developed and evolved. 

Cronos tells the story of an old antique dealer who discovers a mechanical device in the base of an old wooden statue. The device actually contains an insect of some kind and, when activated, injects the user with an age-defying substance. Of course this comes at a price, and the old man develops a taste for blood --  essentially becoming a vampire.

There are some great themes in the film. One is obviously age. Another theme would be family. These two themes are intertwined between the two big relationships in the film. There is the relationship between the old antiques dealer and his very protective young granddaughter, and the relationship between the dying millionaire and his thuggish nephew who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the device. The grandfather-granddaughter relationship is presented in a very haunting and whimsical way. The young girl actually carries the device around for her grandfather in the back of her teddy bear. The millionaire and his nephew have a much more dysfunctional relationship. The millionaire often beats his nephew, and the nephew is just waiting for his uncle to die.

The film is definitely worth watching. It is very stylish and haunting. It is one of del Toro's earlier films, so definitely worth seeing if you are a fan.

Rustin Allison

New Year

One of my resolutions for this new year is to write whenever possible. One of the ways that I will be doing this is through this blog. So keep an eye out for short (or long) thoughts about movies and theatre (or whatever else strikes my fancy).

Happy New Year!

Rustin Allison