Just Heard from the Neverland...

While listening to something reciting words from Peter and Wendy, you might say I'd been visited by a fairy.  By which I mean I'd been sprinkled with inspiration.  Oh, nothing major.  No, that's not sarcasm.  But a fun enough idea that I had to smile.  Using that particular passage, I'm going to add a bit to my interquel, Peter Pan: Bextwixt-and-Between.  It will be a wonderful enhancement toward the end of the book.  I plan to allude to Barrie's line without copying it, so as to preserve Barrie's novel being the first time it is heard.  Besides, reading through Barrie's text again I would not be able to have it be exactly the same event anyway.  So it won't even so much be a foreshadowing, as perhaps, to use a familial analogy, a 'cousin' to what Barrie wrote.  I also noticed a consistency with this same part in the storyline of Betwixt-and-Between but I cannot be sure if I may take credit for crafting it (as it might have come to me in a sprinkle like this inspiration.)

What is this mysterious passage?  I'll only tell you it's roughly in the middle of the story.  And that is the nearest you'll ever get to it.

Of a Jolly Thickness

Sometimes I think of this line/event... and laugh:

...and Hook fell over it in the dark.

Here’s the rest of the passage:

Or we could tell of that cake the pirates cooked so that the boys might eat it and perish; and how they placed it in one cunning spot after another; but always Wendy snatched it from the hands of her children, so that in time it lost its succulence, and became as hard as a stone, and was used as a missile, and Hook fell over it in the dark.

All of it is funny, in fact. It’s a shame that the cake (not counting the musical) is often left out of adaptations or retellings. And even in the case of the musical, the full impact of Barrie’s wit in this passage isn’t given justice. If I’m ever involved with a filmed Peter and Wendy, you can be sure the cake will be a running gag and we shall see the launch and Hook stumbling with a shout of “Odds, bobs, hammer and tongs!”

Olden Days Fan Art

Ever get lost in the mysterious masterwork of da Vinci? Beguiled by the smile of Mona Lisa? Pondered the fact that there’s slightly non-contiguous barren-like landscapes on either side of her?

It seems you need not ponder any longer. Besides the previous realization some years back that da Vinci likely used himself as a model for creating the alluring woman, another aspect of the strange (and wonderful) painting has come to light - the rationale of the landscapes paired with a beautiful lady.

One might call the Mona Lisa a bit of Fan Art, actually! Dr. Ross Kilpatrick (Queen's University Classics professor emeritus) has figured out that this painting is a kind of homage to the poems of both Roman poet Horace and Florentine poet Petrarch. da Vinci is believed to have read each... and both deal with a lovely smiling lady and a devotion to follow her across the world - including the barren places.

Thus, it’s a kind of “interpretation” or transference of medium of the poetry.

Pretty neat!

You can read the full article here.

This came to my attention via a friend I’ve made via the connections of Facebook. So, thank you, Gloria Beanblossom! Gloria is the author of The Tamarisk Tree, Byron's Corner and the upcoming The Wishing Stone. Give her site a visit to find out more about her or her works.  Thanks again, Gloria!

Von Brown vs. the Box Sets

In a previous post I gushed about the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  Recap:  I love it.  Instantly in my top five favorite films of all time.

Well, the truth is I'd come to the character with his martial arts and guitaring prowess via the film.  It's based on a series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

So I am pleased as punch to have received Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Box Set which is, but of course, all six books conveniently crammed into a little box.  And it comes with a poster, too.  (Sweet!)  At last, I will be able to experience the original manifestation of the endearing and wacky world of O'Malley.

I know from watching the supplementary material on the Blu-Ray DVD that O'Malley appoves of the movie.  And his charming drawings appear ratherly cleverly in the film.  So it's not like I'm going to be disappointed.  The goal had apparently not been to one-for-one adapt the series, but to make a new version of it without losing sight of the source.  The film could threw in whole sets of balls of waxes - from video game sound effects to music (a big part of the story) to ways of moving the camera not feasible in print.  Thus, they knew it would be a different animal.  But of the same species.

I can't wait to flip through the pages.  But I shall!  You see, I have decided to first get through what Santa brought me.  Every year since their first release, Santa delivers a different box set:  The Complete Peanuts.  They've compiled the entire oeuvre of Schulz by year, a la each and every day (it ran for 50 years, people!) in published order.  Some of the strips have not been seen in decades.  Being a major fan of Peanuts it's a rare gem.  Each box has the two books published throughout the year, each book spanning two years.  I've got half of the second book to get through... and then...on to Scott Pilgrim!  [I can't not hear Matthew Patel [a character in it] saying that.]

I've also decided something else.  As with any series, devoted fans of Pilgrim had to wait a year or so for each next book to come out.  And the final chapter didn't arrive until one month before the movie!  It's sort of a pet peeve of mine.  Okay, no, it's not a pet peeve.  But it just makes me a touch sad that when a work is complete the overbearing anticipation is no longer a factor.  Sometimes that build up of suspense is a good thing.  It can also drive one nuts.  But I've decided not to plow through the graphic novels.  I'm going to wait a week before I will allow myself to get to the next one.  Granted a week doesn't compare to the wait endured by the fans who knew the joy of Scott before me... but it will at least nod to it.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to pick up 1977-1978 of Peanuts and laugh myself silly.

Thumbs Up for Going Down the "Rabbit Hole"

Last night Bart and I went and saw the movie Rabbit Hole. We had been waiting for some time for its release. It's a film version of a play we saw at Goodman Theatre. Needless to say, we really enjoyed the play.

It's a tale of a couple coping with the loss of their only child (a 4 year old son) and their interactions with family - as well as the young man who accidentally killed him by car. Yes, it's very sorrowful. But well told and very powerful.

Part of the reason we'd been interested in the movie is that it has been championed by and stars Nicole Kidman. If you don't already know, she is my favoritre actress. She astounds me in every performance to the point of not really believing it is her. And I love her normal, off-camera wackiness. But enough about Kidman. :)

Another reason to see the movie is that the author David Lindsay-Abaire adapted his own stage show for the screen. Usually that's a bonus. And in this case it certainly is. Lindsay-Abaire managed to pull off the proverbial "open it up" for the big screen extremely well. Goodman's production played in 2007, so it has been a while since we saw it. But the impact has not diminished. The truth is that the movie is very different from the play. It has additional characters, added scenes and other locations... all par for the course for the "open it up" of course. But other than that, it is a new version. But a very excellent new version - for all the key scenes are still intact. They're just altered slightly. For instance, at one point in the play a video tape is erased. In the film, it becomes a smart phone video. And it works. All of the changes do.

Also quite gratifying is that some of the "new" scenes come from the play in some way. For example, in the play Becca (the mother/wife) comes in and has a monologue about an encounter with a woman at the supermarket. The play, as is often the case with theatre, has a static set of their home. No part of the stage is used to represent other locales with quick fly on pieces or the like. And so... in the film version Lindsay-Abaire is able to take us TO the supermarket and bring the scene to life other than words.

The scenes and changes that are fresh to the script are just that - fresh. The minor restructuring is welcome and sensible. I am tempted to say I liked them better.  But that's a hard call.  Both ways are just as compelling.

Yet as I said, the movie does indeed have all the key elements and scenes from the play.

In regard to the film itself, it's excellent.  All the performances are top notch.  Besides Kidman's usual nailing it (in my opinion) there's fabulously poignant acting from Aaron Eckhart, Miles Teller, Dianne Wiest, Sandra Oh and Tammy Blancard.  That is not to belittle the performances of the rest of the cast, I'm just mentioning the major players.  And a special nod to Sandra Oh, since she brought us a new and wonderful character.  It's also well filmed and Bart noticed effective artistic choices such as the color palate.  One noteable difference is that the play had been much darker.  Not that the film didn't deliver the tear-jerking moments, but it did have a peppering of light humor to break the otherwise looming sadness and tension.  And, like all the other reworking, it came off beautifully.

So... BRAVO to David Lindsay-Abaire for his ability to revisit his work and create such a magnificent new take on it.  That's quite an achievement and I give him a ton of credit.  I'd probably fall to pieces when faced with that challenge.  But that might have something to do with the fact that I (personally) believe I am terrible at writing plays in the first place.

If emotionally charged tales are your thing, you don't want to miss going into this Rabbit Hole.

“Shall we still be respectful subjects of the King?” John inquired.

Over the holiday Bart, my parents and I went to see a movie. It seemed as if it would be a challenge to find a film that all four of us would agree upon. Fortunately for us just such a movie fit the bill:

The King's Speech.

We all loved it.

The King's Speech is based on the true life account of King George VI, who had a stammer his whole life... and the one man (amid a myriad of others who tried) who had been able to help him correct it when the throne is suddenly and unexpectedly his. It has top-notch performances from Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

It's what I would call an "old school" movie. By which I mean (in the very good sense) nothing really happens other than excellent dialogue and 'character' driven development - all set in a visual feast. No fast paced invasions. No races. No wacky special effects. Just plain old specifically-focused storytelling. Quality stuff. I highly recommend it.

There’s just one thing I don’t understand. Especially since it’s a true story. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so suffice to say - why don’t they (the prince/King and the speech therapist) employ the method used first in the film? Hmmm. I wonder why not. Oh well.

One other note about it. My #1 fan Anon brought it to my attention and I’m glad for it. For otherwise I would not have remembered! There is a Peter Pan reference in the movie. Once my memory had been jogged I do recall smiling internally and externally when it came on... but oddly it went out of my head by the end of film. Maybe not so oddly, since it proves to be a testament to how engaging the film happens to be.

The Peter Pan bit:

The future king's wife reads from Peter and Wendy to their daughters. As an extra bonus bit of trivia-reminding (provided by Anon) Princess Margaret knew Barrie.  How very fun to nod to that part of history.

Thanks again for bringing it (back) to my attention, Anon.

And really - do see The King’s Speech. It deserves the praise it has received.

* Post title, of course, is a line from Peter and Wendy.

A Special New Friend

The Peter Pan Statue in Kirriemuir

What a great way to start off the new year...

I received a Friend Request on Facebook from someone I don’t know (nor do any of my established friends on the site.)  I inquired about the request, explaining that I appreciate the interest but I am not in the habit of accepting unknown people at this time.  Had she been a fan... or...?

Turns out it’s a wonderful answer. She found me via her love for Barrie - which comes naturally to her since she is from (and still lives in) Kirriemuir, Scotland, the birthplace of James Matthew himself!

How could I not accept? Anyone from his hometown who wants to read my book is definitely someone whom I’d like to count among my friends. So I’m sending her an autographed copy of Peter Pan’s NeverWorld.

I do hope to be able to make the trip one day and enter his childhood home as well... you might recall I had been graced with being allowed inside his home near Kensington Gardens.

And “Ms. Kirriemuir,” - if you’re reading this... thanks so much for finding me!