Follow Friday

I’m pretty big into the website Twitter. It’s simple, there are no ads, and it’s free. I’ve made my fair share of friends on the website, and every Friday there is a tradition of suggesting people to follow. It’s called Follow Friday. I participate every week, wanting to help my friends get more followers, and they usually return the gesture. Sometimes it seems like a chore, and people may think I only do it because I have to, and don’t mean it when I suggest people to follow them. This isn’t the case. I mean it when I suggest people to follow someone. They may not have thousands of followers and be hugely famous, and they may not tweet about deep, philosophical subjects all the time, but they will engage you in conversation, be it silly or serious. They tweet about their life, and what’s happening in it. (Mostly.) They tweet about what music they’re listening to, what TV show their watching, what politician they’re currently disappointed in. Isn’t this the point of Twitter? I suppose Twitter means something different to everyone.

I have three people I’d like to recommend to you with a few words about why I’m such a fan of theirs.

1. @Harrisonfan aka Ann Bandolik. She’s in high school band, likes Monty Python and the Beatles, and a good book. How could I not be a fan of hers? We often tweet each other about random things, from politics to Monty Python, and it’s always a good time. She takes time to reply to everyone. Twitter BFF!

2. @ElizabethR1533 aka Jackie Crossley. She’s English, likes food, Monty Python and the Beatles, and once made me an “honourary Brit”. OF COURSE SHE’S COOL. She’s a nurse for the NHS, and is always fun to have a conversation with. We have plans to meet this summer. Woo!

3. @bobsteele777 aka Bob Steele. My favourite Canadian who isn’t Christopher Plummer. He’s a huge Monty Python fan, and is always a blast to “talk” to. I always have a smile on my face after a conversation with this guy. (We’re also having a “poke war” on Facebook. I will win. Eventually.)

Those are my 3 favorite people on Twitter. Everyone has their own favorites.

I Always Cry Here

I don’t cry easily, but there are always certain songs and scenes in movies that definitely bring tears to my eyes. Here are some YouTube links to those scenes/ songs:

“I Didn’t Know I’d Love You So Much” from Repo! The Genetic Opera (SPOILERS BUT STILL AMAZING. Embedding Disabled.) Here’s just the song:

The end of Phantom of the Opera when Christine says goodbye to the Erik (the Phantom).

“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell (2000 version) Doesn’t make me cry, but I tear up a bit. Her voice seems haunted.

Any time Emma Thompson cries:

Any time Anthony Hopkins cries (this one’s a heartbreaker, you’ve been warned) :

My List

Most people who know me know how much I love older British men. I thought I should just start a “list” here and give everyone some pictures… Granted these guys are old, but they’re so talented and *ahem* attractive The order changes each day, so here they are, in no particular order:

**EDIT** I have simply put all of the pictures into a gallery, since it’s easier to organize. This is one of my more popular posts, and I add to it often, so this gallery format is easier. Click on a picture for a larger image!

Yes, I have a thing for British comedians. Is it obvious? I’ll be posting more separate blogs about Peter Sellers, Sense and Sensibility, Being There, and the Goons. I have posted plenty of blogs about Monty Python. Feel free to leave comments!

Overactive Imagination

Yesterday I posted a Facebook status that said “Elton John saved my life.” This isn’t really something to be taken literally (as I think that suicide is a selfish thing to do, and I’m also too much of a coward to attempt it) but it is quite figurative. During some of my lowest points I always end up listening to a lot of Elton John music. Don’t ask me why, because I’m not actually sure… Anyway, last year during my rough patch, I was super low. Songs like “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”, “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word”, and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” always make me feel better. Even if they are slightly depressing songs. However, songs that will really lift your mood are songs like “Bennie and the Jets”, “Philadelphia Freedom”, “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, and “Bitch is Back”. He is a true musical artist, and a fantastic performer. (Though I have yet to see him live…)

A friend texted me after that Facebook post, and we got to talking about what it would be like to meet Sir Elton randomly one day. Because I have an overactive imagination, I actually did daydream about meeting him (because I’m a fangirl) and here’s what I came up with. ***This is in no way realistic, because Elton and David (Furnish, his partner) probably never have to walk anywhere, or eat in any sort of random London cafe. Don’t hate- I’m just being imaginative.***

I have plans to go to London this summer. I imagined that while I was there, just walking the streets with my friend, when we decide to pop into a small cafe to get a quick bite to eat before setting out on our next adventure. Before going in I see two people who look familiar, and get an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. We enter the cafe, and with our backs to the two gentlemen, I can’t make out who it is and why I recognize them. We receive our food, and turn around to find a place to sit. Upon sitting down, it hits me: It’s Elton John and David Furnish! Oh my God! Oh my God! AHHH! (I obviously freak out a bit.) I whisper to my friend who it is, and upon realizing it, we both have mini-strokes. How is this man who is so great eating in this small, badly lit cafe? We eat a few bites, but our stomachs are so unsettled.

It looks as though the two gentlemen are finished eating, and as they get up to leave I suddenly have a problem- Do I get up and ask him for a picture and autograph? Do I leave him alone, which is probably what he wants? If I ask him for anything will he be rude and say no, and leave me embarrassed? What a dilemma… Without a lot of thought, I decide that since he has no idea who I am, risking a bit of embarrassment might be worth it. I get up, say excuse me, introduce myself, my friend introduces herself, and we ask for an autograph and picture, if it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. He obliges us, thanks us for listening to his music, and asks if there is anything else he can do for us. In my mind I’m thinking, “Well… I’d like to see you in concert…” But I keep my mouth shut. As though he had read my mind, he asks us where we are from, and says he can arrange to fly us to see him live and hang out with him backstage.

A few months pass by, and I receive a phone call from Sir Elton’s agent. He says Elton is having a concert in St. Louis, and is personally inviting my friend, myself, and a guest each, to come see him perform. Of course we all go, have a good time, and from then on, Elton and I are BFFs.

 

This is an example of how my imagination works. There are always more of these stories around… Do you have any stories like this? Comment below and tell me!

Dracula

Once again, I’ll do a review of both the book and the movie.

The novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker is a classic. It’s written in a journal form, with the narrative voice passing from person to person. The characters are likeable enough, although the sexism in the book kind of took me off guard. (I’m no femnist, but why can’t women help hunt for a vampire, or hear stories about vampires?) Any scene that Count Dracula appears in can get very creepy. Actually, any scene with any vampires can get creepy. There are scenes of death, of love, etc. This book has it all. Its a fantastic novel, although sometimes it can be very slow moving and hard to get through. But stay with it, and you’ll enjoy it.

It begins with Jonathon Harker on his way to the Castle Dracula in Transylvania. He notices how superstitious the Transylvanians are, and it begins to make him uneasy. Upon reaching the castle, and meeting the Count, Harker’s tension and uneasiness heighten. After being held “captive” for around a month, Harker learns that Dracula is unnatural, perhaps a vampire, and also meets 3 female vampires, who actually nearly drink his blood. Upon returning to England he is placed in a hospital for a mental breakdown. His fiancee goes to visit him. After this, this pair and a group of their friends become involved in a mission to destroy Dracula, before he can destroy them and all they love.

The movie “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” isn’t really that great. I wouldn’t recommend it. The only reason I watched it was for Anthony Hopkins (who did pretty good) and Gary Oldman (who kind of let me down). Keannu Reeves as Jonathon Harker made me uncomfortable with his horrible, HORRIBLE British accent. I’m not even putting  a trailer on here. It’s just not good.

The Remains of the Day

I’m doing a review of both the book and the movie. I’ll start with the book:

Written by Kazuo Ishiguro, its about a butler named Stevens who is totally devoted to his employer Lord Darlington, and sometimes his devotion is to a fault, because he misses the chance for love in the housekeeper, Miss Kenton. The story is written as a narrative of Stevens in the 1950′s. He reflects on the past, namely the 1930′s (pre World War II).

The story begins in the 50′s, with Stevens serving his new employer, Mr. Farraday. Farraday is a rich American who purchased Darlington Hall following Lord Darlington’s death. Farraday is a man with a sense of humor, and Stevens’ “sense of humor” (if you can call it that) does not match Farraday’s. So we see throughout the book Stevens trying to gain a sense of humor, and is constantly worrying about trying to match his employer’s sense of humor.

Farraday is taking a trip back to America to fetch his family, and suggests that Stevens take some time off while he is gone to see the country. Stevens is torn about leaving Darlington Hall, but his mind is made up when he receives a letter from Miss Kenton, where she gives some hint about wishing to return to service, because it seems that her marriage is not in a good state. Because Stevens is looking for a housekeeper, he decides to go and “see the country” and also see Miss Kenton, to see if she would like to work at Darlington Hall again.

On his trip he remnisces about the former “glory days” of Darlington Hall, and also of Miss Kenton. I won’t give all of the examples of his memories, but it is easy to see that though he has a cold demeanor, Stevens is in love with Miss Kenton. It is also easy to see that Miss Kenton most likely loves him too, however neither one of them actually voice their feelings. Miss Kenton is married to a man in the village, and she moves away to the West Country, leaving Stevens behind. The years pass, and they eventually lose most contact.

When Stevens gets to meet with Miss Kenton, she says that although she was thinking about returning to service, her marriage is not in such a bad state, and she has moved back in with her husband. While she is saying this, Stevens confesses that his heart was breaking.

In the end of the book there is a touching scene where Stevens confesses his feelings to a former butler he had just met on a pier. If you want to read this book, be warned that sometimes it seems like a bit much to take in sometimes. You need a stomach for reading this kind of literature, because it doesn’t have the “happy ending” or huge love scenes. Its very British.

The Movie:

Remains of the Day is a Merchant/ Ivory production (see Howard’s End, Room With a View). It stars Anthony Hopkins as Stevens and Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton.

The movie follows the book fairly well, although for brevity some characters have been changed or gotten rid of. Hopkins and Thompson do a wonderful job, as well as the supporting cast which includes James Fox, Christopher Reeve, and Hugh Grant. The music in this film is beautiful as well, with the woodwinds playing low, flowing music and the violins and flutes playing longer notes over the top. Its wonderful.  I love this movie, it’s definitely one of my favorite movies. Here is the trailer: