Saturday, November 29, 2008

IRC-Приказка

Предговор
Ровичках си нещо и попаднах на това писание от преди повече от 5 години :) Тогава все още ползвах mIRC, любимите ми канали бяха пълни и имах купчина приятели с които (все още) се знаехме само по никове. По някога ей така се заприказвах и със случайни хора в някой mainstream канал, една вечер така започнах разговор с LunnaPrincesa. От няколко години вече май нямам идея нито къде е, нито какво прави, но на времето доста dail-up трафик отиде да си приказваме в "Мирката" от късна вечер до ранна утрин. Та една такава вечер, хванах се да й разказвам приказка за лека нощ и...

Session Start: Wed Jul 30 23:50:00 2003

Session Ident: LunnaPrincesa

Живяла някога в едно царство господарство една принцеса с чудна красота. Тя била невиждана хубавица, известна надлъж и нашир и много млади момци копнеели за любовта й. Но все пак било средновековие, принцесата нямала думата, та за тва царят, сиреч баща й, организирал турнир, където да се състезават всички кандидати за ръката й. И за да е безпристрастно журито, сиреч баща й, било наредено кандидатите да бъдат бронирани от глава до пети и да участват с псевдоними, вместо с истинските си имена. И почнали битките! Скалата vs Гробаря, Канарата vs Копача, Каменаря vs Миньора и прочее.

А принцесата – мъкааааа, мъка! Тя била хвърлила око на един снажен младеж, който освен че бил хубавец, бил прочут с подвизите си из цялата околия (Yeah!)

Но кой ги пита принцесите?

(<LunnaPrincesa> mai nikoi...

<Young_Jedi> ...uhhh, samo Lunnite princesi gi pitat :))))))

Не щеш ли аха към края на турнира (i kakvo stanalo???) от изневиделица изскочила една ламя! Грабнала принцесата, напсувала стражите и избягала в дън гори тилилейски.

На принцесата не й пукало – (i princesata i plen na lamiata??) дали в плен на ламята или в лапите на някой от грубите побойници на турнира било й все едно. Така че нито пискала, нито врещяла (taka de :))) ) както повелява традицията.

(i kakvo stanalo posle?) Ами царят разпоредил кандидатите да се юрнат да дирят ламята и да спасят дъщеря му, сиреч принцесата. И който я спаси се жени за нея!

“Ами, царю, аз ъъъ, таковъъъ, паркирал съм си каручката на забранената зона, ша ми я дигне паяка…”

Олеее, забрайх да спръ газта в туулетнъта!”

(samo hubaveca se suglasil, nali?? :))) )

“Баба е болна, царю. Отивам й на свиждане”

“Царю, аз реших да стана божи пич…ъъъ, така де, божи човек, отиам у кръчмъъъ…в манастир и ша пийна, искам да каа, ша са пумоля зъ дъщиря ви!”

(i???) Ами царят имал още две дъщери и решил да прежали едната. (da ia prejali?)

*В тва време в барлогата на ламята…*

Принцесата седи вързана и с превръзка на очите, ама СЛУША!

ТРОП ТРОП ТРОП ТРОП ТРОП!!! (Стъпки)

-Оооо, ламьо, как си?

( koi idva??????

princesata ne vijda, samo slu6a!)

--Еееее, дойде най-накрая!

-Нося топла пита! (????)

--Ооо, харабия?! Супер! Отивам до мазето за лютеница!

-Донеси и от пастета!

--Немаш проблеми!

*След малко*

-Почваме ли, ламьо? (xexexexexe)

--Ами да та почвам! – тез слова примесени със сладко мляскане.

-3…троп-троп-троп!!!

--5…троп-троп-троп-троп-троп!!!

-Ахааа! Бутам те! (???????)

--Ей, ша му са и не види късмета!

(<LunnaPrincesa> kakvo stavalo tam???

<Young_Jedi> i princesata sa6toto se 4udila!

<Young_Jedi> BREEEEE,

<Young_Jedi> MISTERIA!

<LunnaPrincesa> xmmmm

<LunnaPrincesa> zagadka i polovina)

-2…троп-троп!

--1…троп!

-4…троп-троп-троп-троп!

--5……троп-троп-троп-троп-троп!

Принцесата не издържала и си махнала превръзката на очите с пръстите на краката, понеже през свободното си време се занимавала с йога. И що да види?!

*Драматична пауза!*

(<LunnaPrincesa> ??????????????????

<LunnaPrincesa> kaji miiiiiii

<LunnaPrincesa> kakvo vidiala?????)

Ламята и хубавият момък седят и лапат филии с лютеница и играят “Не се сърди, човече!”

(<LunnaPrincesa> xaxaxaxaxaxaxaxaxa

<LunnaPrincesa> i princesata ne poluchila li pone edna celuvka ot momuka nakraia??????

<LunnaPrincesa> zaradi vsichkite premejdiia? ;))))) )

-Ей, момко, може ли и аз да играя? – попитала тя. (xexexe)

-А, ламьо, мляс, шо не казваш че имаш гости?! – опулил се момакът и едва не се задавил кат видял принцесата. ( :))) )

--Ааа, ми аз нея я взех да ми готви гъбена каша и турлю-гювеч… Ама да играе с нас като иска, колко му е… Тамън ша стане по-интересно, че ти къвто си слабак…

-Ламьо, що ме излагаш пред момичето бе?! – сръгал я момъкът в ребрата, а тя му се ухилила с муцуна, омазана в пастет.

И така, заиграли се тримцата, харесали са момъкът и принцесата…

(i se ojenili nakraia??????) И станали първо гаджета. Чак после се оженили.

(<LunnaPrincesa> superrrrrrrr

<LunnaPrincesa> :)))))))))

* LunnaPrincesa veche e dovolna ot kraia na prikazkata :)))))) )

И всяка събота ходели с ламята да играят “Не се сърди, човече!”.

А като дошло ред да се женят другите дъщери на царя той организирал турнири по “Не се сърди, човече!”

THE KPAЙ!

P.s. И всички заживели доволни и щастливи! :)))

Friday, November 28, 2008

Рей Бредбъри - "Езерото"

Мисля, че любимата ми литературна форма са кратките разкази. По принцип по-кратките неща. Първо, защото не винаги ми остава толкова време за четене, колкото би ми се искало. А няма нищо по-дразнещо от това да спреш книга на средата и да се върнеш към нея след месец, като откриеш, че някои детайли вече ти се губят и разгръщаш страниците към началото, за да си поприпомниш за какво става дума. Второ, защото като цяло съм нетърпелив. Обичам нещата да се случват веднага. Излишните думи ме уморяват, дългите описания ме отегчават. В историята трябва да има промяна, развитие, действие. Трето, защото вярвам, че най-важна е идеята. А една добра идея може да се предаде изчистено в няколко страници, краят на разказа да те удари като чук, да ти вземе дъха, да те остави безмълвен и замислен... Ето това е майсторството.

Ако сте чели няколко поста по-назад, знаете че си взех сборника със 100 разказа на Рей Бредбъри. Не съм го свършил, и едва ли ще го свърша скоро. Не искам да го свършвам. Присти това е като десерт след вечеря, или като целувка за лека нощ. Обичам да си чета по един разказ преди лягане.

"Езерото" ме докосна истински.

Пробвах да го намеря в нета на английски, да го прочета в оригинал. За сега не съм успял. Но попаднах на друг превод на български. Реших да го пусна тук.

Освен това преди няколко дни ми беше практиката от университета, за няколко учебни часа се престорих на учител по английски. В няколко класа дадох на учениците три теми, да си изберат една и да напишат кратка история. Темите бяха такива, че даваха пълна свобода, никакви ограничения откъм жанр, форма или стил. Не знам защо, но повечето от нещата, които ми предадоха не бяха истински истории. Някои бяха подобни на есета, просто някакви разсъждения и асциации с темата. Някои бяха подобни на статии - свързваха темата с някакво събитие и представяха факти. А други бяха просто случки - лишени от някакъв конфликт или драматизъм, дори без главен герой. Разбира се не липсваха и доста свежи попадения :)

Мисля да изпратя този разказ и на учениците. Естествено, това все пак е час по английски, не writing class или някакъв литературен кръжок, и аз съм далеч съм от мисълта, че трябва да стават писалети и да се развиват в тая насока. Няма да говорим за структура, за изразни средства, няма да го анализираме, никакви символи и внушения... Това мисля, че човек или започва да си го усеща интуитивно или не. За всеки асоциациите са различни и всеки го възприема за себе си. Да не говорим пък, че всичките тия анализи и дивотии са ме отвратили от доста произведения, присъстващи в т.нар. "списък с препоръчителна литература". Няма и да го соча като пример, "ей така се пише", все пак вкусове всякакви, сюжети и стилове също...

Ще им го изпратя просто ей така, не домашно или нещо, а просто ей така - ако искат да го прочетат. Нещо, което на мене ми е харесало и си мисля, че може би ще отсави следа и у тях.

Но стига за тези неща. Ето го "Езерото". Потопете се в него.

Рей Бредбъри
Езерото


Вълната ме изхвърли от света, в който птиците са в небето, децата — на плажа, а мама — на брега. За част от мига ме скова някакво зелено безвълвие, но после всичко се върна обратно — небето, пясъкът и децата. Излязох от езерото, а там ме очакваше светът — едва ли се бе променил, докато ме е нямало. Мама започна да ме трие с кърпа.

— Стой така да изсъхнеш — рече тя.

Стоях и гледах как слънцето изпива водните капчици от ръцете ми. Вместо тях се появяваха пъпчици като по кожата на проскубана гъска.

— Вятърът се усили — каза мама. — Наметни си хавлията.

— Чакай да се порадвам на гъшата си кожа.

— Харолд! — отсече строго тя.

Наметнах хавлията и започнах да гледам как вълните се гонят, за да рухнат накрая на брега. Падаха майсторски, елегантно — дори пияниците не могат да падат така грациозно.

Бяха последните дни на септември, когато без всякакви видими причини животът става някак печален. Плажът е пуст и поради това по-голям. Деца тичат подир топката вяло — и те усещат, че щом дойде есента, всичко свършва.

Количките, на които през лятото продават банички и кренвирши, са наметнати с платнища и вятърът тича насам-натам да изглажда следите на хората, които са били тук през юли и август. Останали са само следите на моите джапанки, а също на Доналд и Арнолд Делоа.

Пътечката до люлките е посипана с пясък. Кончетата гледат тъжно, покрити с брезент, и сигурно си тананикат музиката, под която тичаха в онези чудесни летни дни.

Моите приятели са вече на училище. Утре по това време и аз ще пътувам с влака. Дойдохме с мама на плаж — за довиждане.

— Мамо, а мога ли да потичам малко?

— Добре, стопли се. Ама не прекалявай и далеч от водата!

Затичах се, отворил широко ръце като крила. Бях сам. Когато си на дванайсет, рядко оставаш сам. Около теб винаги има страхотно много хора, които все те поучават какво трябва да правиш и как да го правиш. А за да останеш сам, трябва само да отвориш ръцете си като крила и да тичаш по пустия плаж. А това най-често го има само в мечтите. Но сега бях сам, съвсем сам!

Доближих водата и нагазих до кръста. Преди, когато наоколо имаше много хора, не смеех да дойда на това място, да погледна към дъното и да спомена едно име. Но сега…

Водата е като вълшебник, разрязва те наполовина и разтваря долната ти част като захар. Студена вода. И те бие с поривистите удари на вълните.

Аз казах името й. Изкрещях го много пъти:

— Тали! Тали! Хей, Тали!

Когато си на дванайсет, очакваш след всяко твое повикване някой да се обади. Убеден си, че всяко желание е изпълнимо. И най-често не си далеч от истината.

Мислех си за онзи майски ден, когато Тали, усмихната и доволна, вървеше през водата, а слънцето си играеше върху нейните крехки раменца. Спомних си, как водата наоколо изведнъж, ама съвсем изведнъж стана спокойна, как майката на Тали изпищя и прибледня, как спасителят мигом се гмурна надолу и как Тали не се върна…

Спасителят сигурно я убеждавал да се върне, ама тя не го е послушала. Той се върна сам, стиснал в ръце снопчета водорасли. Пък Тали си беше отишла. Тя никога повече няма да е в нашия клас и никога няма да идва вечер у дома. Тя е отишла прекалено далеч и езерото няма да й позволи да се върне.

И сега, когато есента дойде, когато небето и водата станаха сиви, а плажът опустя, аз дойдох тук за последен път. Сам. Аз я виках пак и пак:

— Тали! Хей, Тали! Върни се!

Бях само на дванайсет. И само аз си знаех колко я обичах. С онази любов, която идва преди всички понятия за тяло и морал. Тази любов е толкова безкористна и реална, колкото вятърът, езерото, пясъкът… Тя обгръща и топлите дни на плажа, и бързите дни в училище, и вечерите, когато се връщахме заедно и аз й носех чантата.

— Тали! Хей, Тали!

Повиках я за последен път. Треперех и лицето ми беше мокро, не знам защо. Изтичах на пясъка и дълго гледах водата, чаках да видя някакъв таен знак от Тали — от Тали за мен. След това клекнах на колене и започнах да правя пясъчен замък. Такъв, какъвто правехме с Тали. Но този път направих само половината, изправих се и викнах:

— Тали! Ако ме чуваш, ела и го довърши!

После бавно закрачих към петънцето в далечината, което беше мама. Извърнах глава и през рамо видях как вълните близнаха моя замък и го помъкнаха назад със себе си.

В далечината люлката започна да вие, но не беше от вятъра.

* * *

На следващия ден заминахме на Запад. Влакът има лоша памет, оставя всичко зад себе си. Той забравя полята на Илинойс, реките на детството, мостовете, езерата, долините, крайградските къщи, болките и радостите. Той ги оставя подире си и те изчезват отвъд хоризонта…

* * *

Костите ми се издължиха и се покриха с много плът. Смених детския си ум с ум на възрастен, след училище отидох в колеж. После се появи една жена от Сакраменто. Запознахме се и се оженихме. Бях вече на двайсет и две и съвсем бях забравил как изглежда Изтокът. Но Маргарет предложи да прекараме там нашия меден месец.

Както и паметта, влакът идва и си заминава. И може да ви върне всичко, което преди много години сте оставили някъде.

В Лейк Блаф живеят около хиляда души. Когато градчето се показа пред прозореца на вагона, погледнах Маргарет — беше очарователна в новата си рокля. Хванах я за ръка и слязохме на перона. Подир нас носачът мъкнеше куфарите ни.

Наехме за две седмици стая в малък хотел. Ставахме късно и се скитахме по града. Отново открих за себе си кривите улички, по които мина детството ми. Не срещнах никого от старите познати. Понякога като че ли се мяркаха лица, напомнящи лица от онези години, но аз не се спирах и не разпитвах. Аз просто събирах в душата си парчета от паметта, както събират на купчини есенните листа, за да ги изгорят.

Не се разделяхме с Маргарет, бяха щастливи дни. Обичах я. Или поне така си мислех.

Веднъж отидохме на плажа, защото денят беше топъл. Не беше от последните летни дни, както тогава, преди десет години, но първите признаци на есенното опустошение вече докосваха плажа.

Всичко тук си беше както тогава. Съвсем зримо видях мама, седнала на пясъка в любимата си поза — крак върху крак, опънати назад ръце. У мен отново се събуди онова неопределено желание да остана сам, но не събирах смелост да го кажа на Маргарет. Просто я държах за ръка и мълчах.

Беше около четири. Децата ги бяха прибрали, няколко групички мъже и жени се припичаха на оскъдното слънце, въпреки силния вятър.

До брега приближи лодка на спасителната група. Як мъжага слезе от нея, помъкнал нещо на ръце.

Замрях. Изплаших се. Бях отново на дванайсет и бях отчайващо самотен. Не виждах Маргарет, виждах само плажа и спасителя със сив, сигурно не много тежък чувал в ръце.

— Изчакай ме тук, Маргарет — казах. Сам не разбирах защо, но го казах.

— Какво се е случило?

— Нищо. Просто ме изчакай тук.

Бавно тръгнах по пясъка натам, където беше спасителят. Той ме изгледа строго.

— Какво е това? — попитах.

Не отговори и сложи чувала на земята. От него избълбукаха струйки вода и веднага потънаха в пясъка.

— Какво е това? — настойчиво повторих въпроса си.

— Странно — отвърна той сякаш на себе си. — Никога не съм чувал такова нещо. Тя е мъртва отдавна.

— Мъртва отдавна ли?

Той кимна.

— От десет години. От десет години тук не се е давило дете. Другите ги намирахме само след няколко часа… Всички, освен едно момиченце. Това е тялото й. Как е прекарала във водата десет години…

Гледах сивия чувал.

— Отворете го. — Пак не разбирах защо го казах.

Вятърът се усилваше. Спасителят се суетеше в нерешителност.

— Отворете по-бързо, дявол да го вземе! — изкрещях.

— Не е ли по-добре… Тя е толкова миличка…

Но като видя изражението ми, той се наведе, развърза вървите и отметна горната част. Това беше достатъчно. Всички изчезнаха — спасителят, Маргарет и хората на плажа. Останаха само небето, вятърът, езерото, аз и Тали. Аз си повтарях нещо отново и отново, и отново: нейното име.

Спасителят ме гледаше с недоумение.

— Къде я намерихте? — попитах.

— Ето там, върху изхвърлените миди. Толкова дълго е била във водата, а е съвсем като жива.

— Да — кимнах. — Съвсем като жива.

Хората растат — помислих си. — А тя не се е променила, все си е една такава мъничка, все толкова крехка. Само смъртта не позволява на човека да расте и да се променя. И косите й са все така златисти. Тя винаги ще си остане дете и аз винаги ще си я обичам, и ще обичам само нея…

Спасителят завърза чувала. Аз се обърнах и бавно закрачих по брега, към купчината миди, където я бяха намерили.

И замрях. Там, където водата облизва брега, имаше замък от пясък. Беше направен наполовина. Точно такъв, какъвто някога правехме с Тали — половината тя, половината аз.

Наведох се и видях редичка от малки следи, които излизат от езерото и после се връщат обратно във водата.

Тогава разбрах всичко.

— Ще го довършим, Тали.

Бавно достроих замъка, после се изправих и без да се обръщам, закрачих напред. Не исках да вярвам, че вълните ще го разрушат, както всичко в този живот се руши.

Бавно вървях по плажа натам, където усмихната ме очакваше една чужда жена на име Маргарет.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Вътрешноведомствен хумор

Не мога да се похваля с авторство на писанията, които предоставям на вниманието на драгия читател малко по-долу. Въпросните манускрипти ми бидеха предадени от анонимно лице, получило ги от някое друго, трижди по-анонимно лице. Всичката информация, която ми биде предоставена бе, цитирам: "Това са писания на завършили вече студенти от преди няколко лета Господни". Та, нека ги зачислим към безименното народно творчество и студентския фолклор. И както се досещате, иде реч за писания от пародийно-сатиричен факултетно-академически характер, сиреч - възможно е драгия читател да не съумее да ги възприеме с всичката им дълбочина и да не успее да оцени всичките им нюанси и хумористични оттенъци ако не е имал честта да бъде част от филололологическото поприще на учебното заведение, познато под гръмкото име Пловдивски университет.

Без да храня някакви (особено) лоши чувства към лирическите герои на долоизложените произведения, трябва да призная, че моя милост се забавлява доста :) Очевидно, въпросните лирически герои са тровили нечий нещастен животец и са си навлекли (справедлив) студенстки гняв.

Непретенциозният вкус и не особено високата интелигентност, с която се характеризира моята скромна особа твърде вероятно са причината поради която тези пошли, цинични и сквернословни произведения, излезли изпод перото на полуграмотни еретици и протестантини са ми се сторили забавни, и предварително се извинявам на драгия читател, ако той се почувста обиден, отвратен и омърсен, след като съм имал неблагоразумието да ги публикувам тука и съм сторил грях като съм го подвел да ги прочете.






Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Witch Mountain Series

"Race to Witch Mountain" will be released on 13 March 2009. It's not like this movie's gonna rock your world and change your perceptions of modern cinema, but still - it looks entertaining enough, and I'll see it for sure as a fan of the original and its sequels.



Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson helps two alien kids with superpowers get back to their spaceship and escape the grip of the US government/military guys.

I've seen the original movies years ago on BNT in their Saturday Walt Disney block, and I can say I had a great time watching them.

The first "Escape to Witch Mountain" is based on a novel I've never seen, let alone read, and it was released in 1975, starring Donald Pleasence (SEN from "THX 1138", and later to become famous as Doctor Samuel Loomis from the "Halloween" series)

In 1978 the Escape was followed by
"Return to Witch Mountain", and this time the treat is Christopher Lee.

Actors Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are together in both films: this one, the original 1975 Disney film Escape to Witch Mountain, as Tia and Toony. In 2002 Ike directed a short titled "The Blair Witch Mountain Project" in which he and Kim step once again in the shoes of their characters for a mockumentary, a gift for the fans of the series. Disney did wise and decided to pay some tribute themselves - Richards portrays the roadside waitress and Eisenmann portrays the Sheriff in an upcoming film.

And while you can get your hands on the first two movies, the next two are hard to find:

In 1982 a TV-sequel was released -
"Beyond Witch Mountain"

In 1995 Disney re-made the original as a
TV-movie with the same title.

Witch Mountain FanSite: http://deadendinternet.com/witchmountain/

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Филолог, това звучи гордо!

И как да не звучи, като има такива колежки да повдигат морала на колектива!
Марина Орлова aka HotForWords, 28 годишна рускиня, живееща в Бевърли Хилс, дипломиран филолог, интернет знаменитост и YouTube гуру. Всъщност, последните две едва ли са изненада при факта, че става дума за убийствена блондинка със съблазнителни форми и секси руски акцент, вживяла се в ролята на учителка (и то доста фетиш!), в чиито уроци "her dear students" получават информация (пък било то и на не чак академично ниво) за произхода на думите, гарнирана обилно с еротичен подтекст.

"Intelligence is sexy"

А сега, марш да се образовате!
Официален сайт: http://www.hotforwords.com/
YouTube канал: http://www.youtube.com/hotforwords
Wiki инфо: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Orlova

Monday, November 24, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

Looks like somebody's not so TEEN anymore!
2009 our beloved antropomorphic comic book heroes turn 25 ;)

Peter Laird and Mirage Studios are cooking up some serious celebration and looks like the fans are going to have a shell of a time! And until then - nothing better to do but sit back and enjoy the seventh season of the new animated series. In season 6, "Fast Forward", the turtles were a real blast from the past as they found themselves in 2105, and now they're finally "Back to the Sewres".

Check out the new annyversary website: www.TMNT25.com


some more Links:
Official Website

TMNT-pedia

Official TMNT Wiki for the new animated series... I still call them "new", no matter they launched in 2003, but after all I grew up on the 1987 classic cartoon.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Animation #24 + Books #2

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread - now that sounds like something I'd like to read :)


The animated movie The Tale of Despereaux is coming out in less than a month and it has an impressive voice cast (including personal favourites Sigourney "Ripley" Weaver and Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd) I hope that there will be some hype and they'll publish the book here in Bulgaria :)

Check out the trailer:



A small mouse talking to a human woman brings back some bad memories from that blunder, called "Bee Movie", but Despereaux seems to be promising and I hope I won't be disappointed.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Despereaux
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420238/
Official Movie Website: http://thetaleofdesperauxmovie.com/

Robot Chicken: Star Wars

I just saw Robot Chicken: Star Wars EPISODE II and decided to post the 1st episode for those of you who haven't seen it. In case you need some persuasion... I wave with my hand and I say: "You want to watch it! It's hilarious!"
And now it's your turn to say "I want to watch it. It's hilarious." and then you click the Play button on the first video.

part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

And here's the opening of the second episode! (in case you can't watch them on [Adult Swim] I'm sure you can find both episodes around the torrent trackers ;))

Живот като на кино...

Живот като на кино!
Много кофти обаче, когато филмът е пародия и ти си главния герой в него.

Пре все, че всички сметки винаги се плащат редовно, без каквото и да било предупреждение или нещо от сорта, спряха тока за 4 път в рамките на 12 часа (и това естествено ми прецаква компютъра яко, после половин час hash check на тоновете торенти и още разни мизерии, за не говорим че ми се прее**ват настройките на DVD/VHS-recorder-а и трябва да се нагласят на ново часовете и каналите на всичките 3 сериала, които си rip-вам - ще ви кажа само че е мудна и пипкава работа и е адски влудяващо да я вършиш за ЧЕТВЪРТИ път през същия ден), не мога да си стопля яденето, не мога да си пусна душ...

Е, хващам една от паузите, в която ток има и влизам в банята, вече доволно закъснял за работа и всичко останало. Разбира се, трябваше първо да се насапунисам хубаво от горе до долу и чак тогава да спрат и водата. Отварям вратата, викам брат ми, намира той от някъде едно канче и ми помага да се изплакна криво-ляво с оскъдното количество студена вода от кофата в ъгъла. Хремав съм от около седмица, предполагам, че ще продължавам да си бъда хремав още поне толкова.

Когато излязох, о, чудо, слава Тебе Господи, ток все още имаше, та успях да пусна климатика и да използвам сешоара. А сега, ще кликна Publish Post, че всеки момент чудото може да приключи и всичко ще угасне отново.

Ако трябва да цитирам един познат, "It's supposed to be Europen country!"

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Star Trek XI

The teaser...


...the TRAILER!!


KIRK'S BACK!!

Music #26

And I continue on Bud Spencer and Terence Hill :)
This time two songs by The Oliver Onions (Guido and Maurizio de Angelis, who did the music for countless italian movies and cartoons, in Bulgaria their most famous tune probably is the Sandokan Theme Song)
Official site - http://www.oliveronions.com/
IMDb entry Guido - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006026/
IMDb entry Maurizio - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006027/

And now, enjoy the songs :)

Bud Spencer is Bulldozer!!




You can see a mountain here comes Bulldozers
you can see a cloud of fists and dust
it's quite clear why his name is just Bulldozer
it's enough tio see him once again
where's he coming from
no one knows
and nobody would ask such a thing
no one knows
and nobody would ask such a thing.

You can see a mountain here comes Bulldozers
you can see a cloud of fists and dust
he won't be the first one to look for glory
but when he's involved he won't deny
where's he coming from
no one knows
and nobody would ask such a thing
no one knows
and nobody would ask such a thing.

But for a man he's just a good boy
just a good boy with a heart of gold
who likes to go his own way
stay far away from the world
you can see a mountain here comes Bulldozer...
but for a man he's just a good boy...
you can see a mountain here comes Bulldozer...




And now "Fantasy" from the BOMBER soundtrack!


Fantasy fantasy fantasy fantasy

When I saw you standin' there I knew you see
That you were glad to be the one for me yeah
When I saw you walkin' home alone each day
I had to say what I felt girl
So listen now it's plain to see

Fantasy yes it's fantasy
And we'll stay together yes together wait and see
It's only fantasy always fantasy
Oh we'll stay together yes together now
And now you wait and see yes it's fantasy
You and me you and me

Fantasy fantasy fantasy fantasy

When I think of all the little things you do
To try and show to let me know you love me
I'll remember sitting all alone that day
As you walk by my heart felt high
I'm glad to say it's plain to see

Fantasy yes it's fantasy
And we'll stay together yes together
Wait and see
It's only fantasy always fantasy
Oh we'll stay together yes together now
And now you wait and see yes it's fantasy
You and me you and me

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Top 3 Comics I want to see on big screen!

A lot of comic books and graphic novels are brought to big screen these days. And here's my Top 3 of what I wanna see!! (this could have been at least Top 5 if I had more time...)

It's like Indiana Jones + James Bond + Charlie's Angels. If you like any of these 3 you're gonnalike Danger Girl. If you like all 3 - you're gonna love Danger Girl! As Duke Nukem would say: "Babes, bullets, bombs... Man, I love this comic book!"


2. Blacksad
Antropomorphic noir detective story, sleek and sexy!! I want it animated, handdrawn!




1. Cadillacs & Dinosaurs / Xenozoic Tales
Mark Shultz's classic have spawned so far two video games and 13 animated episodes back in 1993. It's Jurassic Park meets Mad Max meets Water World. It's been some 15 years since the saturday morniong cartoon, so it's high time for somebody to dust off these series! And I wish this someone's me (damn, I was born to shoot this! :) )

Animation #23 - Gold Digger: Time Raft

The Gold Digger comic books
Interview with the creator
Official Website

now Watch!! :)

Gold Digger: Time Raft (part 1)



Gold Digger: Time Raft (part 2)



Gold Digger: Time Raft 2 (part 1)



Gold Digger: Time Raft 2 (part 2)


Gold Digger: Time Raft 2 (part 3)


Gold Digger: Time Raft 3 (trailer)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Quotes #22


"Your focus determines your reality."
Qui-Gon Jinn ("Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace")

Animation #22 - Coraline

Coraline is a 2009 animated stop-motion (yepee!) fantasy film based on Neil Gaiman's (c'mon, you know who he is - the brilliant mind behind things like "Sandman" and "Stardust") novella of the same name. It will be animated and co-directed by Henry Selick and Mike Cachuela and is scheduled to be released in theaters on February 6, 2009. The soundtrack - They Might Be Giants (yepee!) :)

Can't wait to see it!!

The Trailer...


Sneak Peak video


SNEAK PEEK WEEK - Day 1: Behind the Scenes of Coraline


SNEAK PEEK WEEK - Day 2: Crafting the World of Coraline


SNEAK PEEK WEEK - Day 3: The Story of Coraline


SNEAK PEEK WEEK - Day 4: Meet the Inhabitants of Coraline's World


SNEAK PEEK WEEK - Day 5: Coraline in the Higher Dimensions

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Star Wars as a Space Western

The Star Wars saga is one of the most complex works of cinema when it comes to visual metaphors and storytelling. There is nothing random in the design of the Star Wars universe and the look of the thousands characters who inhabit it. The various plots and sub-plots affect topics of all ranges – from personal choices, universal ideals and moral to history, politics and war. The Star Wars movies are often described as “Space Opera” – romantic, melodramatic adventure set in a science fiction environment. But they also have numerous references to other cinema genres – the name “Jedi” itself comes from the Japanese samurai movies called Jidaigeki (translated “Period drama”). The Star Wars saga is a mixture of genres – it has elements from the American TV action series of the 40s and the 50s, the classic swashbuckler adventures, film noir, war dramas and so on. But I’ll try to concentrate just on the westerns and draw a parallel between this particular genre and key moments of the two Star Wars trilogies.

“A New Hope” is probably the most western-like of all the Star Wars episodes. We see the planet Tatooine for the first time – a dust ball where young Luke Skywalker grows up racing skyhoppers and shooting womp rats in Beggar’s Canyon with his friends. The landscape is quite similar to what we see in many western movies and no wonder – some of the sequences were shot on location in Death Valley.

Luke’s family, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, make their living as simple farmers – their homestead is situated in the middle of nowhere, where they grow crops using moisture vaporators. Quite like the pioneers of the West who have to struggle against the American wilderness to survive. And if they have to worry about unfriendly Indians, Owen Lars has to deal with the Sand People (aka Tusken Raiders – a tribe native to Tatooine unlike the colonist men. The animals they ride are called Banthas and to some extent resemble the buffaloes from the prairies). Some scenes later Obi-Wan and Luke are observing the destroyed sandcrawler of the Jawas wondering who wiped them out. Obi-Wan notices immediately: “These tracks are side by side. Sandpeople always ride single file to hide their numbers.” This is a trick known from many adventure stories, usually used by the Indians.

And while we are on this subject, allow me to make a little flashback to “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” where George Lucas revisits the Sand People theme. When Anakin goes back Tatooine he finds out that Shi, his mother had been kidnapped by the Sand People. Cliegg Lars, Smi’s husband, remembers: “It was just before dawn. They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders. Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her. Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters.” If we interpret these words in the context of the western, here you can see clearly the white woman, kidnapped by “red savages” – the clash of two incompatible cultures and even traces of racism. The scene when Anakin is approaching the Tusken village is a direct nod to John Ford’s “The Searchers” and the moment when John Wayne is observing the Comanche camp. Later on, seeking revenge for his mother’s death Anakin slaughters the whole Tusken village, “and not just the men... but the women, and the children too”. In his anger he says: “They're like animals! And I slaughtered them like animals! I hate them!”

Back to “Episode IV: A New Hope”. For Luke the adventure begins when R2-D2, one of the newly bought droids, runs away. As a matter of fact the whole story of the Star Wars saga is seen through the eyes of R2’s old friend the protocol droid C-3PO (human-cyborg relations, fluent in more than 6 million forms of communication). In some western movies we have similar characters like journalists and writers who follow the hero on his quest, describing his adventures in articles or sensational novels. Most of these characters are used as a comic relief, constantly complaining of the discomforts and dangers they have to put up with, just like 3PO. And by the end of the movies they are also turned into somehow reluctant heroes. And let us underline the similarity between buying a droid from the Jawas and bargaining for a horse on the stock market. Or that the Jawas wandering through the desert with their sandcrawler resemble the wagons of the traveling merchants, circus artists or theatre troupes of the old west.



And something curious I haven’t noticed, until I read it on the internet: When Luke got rescued by Obi-Wan and R2-D2 was found the framing of the shots through the opening of the cave where the little droid is hiding, directly matches the framing of the screen shots of John Ford’s “The Searchers” when Ethan Edwards' reunion with his niece, Debbie.

Immediately after he realizes that his family might be in grave danger Luke rushes back home, only to find the homestead burned down and his aunt and uncle killed by the Imperial strormtroopers. Ranch burned and family massacred triggers the action of many western movies, the character who has nothing to lose sets on a quest for justice and/or vengeance. Quite often the villain in these movies is some sort of a crooked authority like the land barons, Union/Confederate soldiers or some corrupt railroad company – the western equivalent of the technocratic Galactic Empire. A good example is Jessie James, portraied in the movies as a Robin Hood type of guy, a sympathetic outlaw, who leads his gang (the Rebel Alliance in the case of Star Wars) trying to bring down the railroads.

Luke joins Obi-Wan on a mission to save Princess Leia. The starting point of their journey is the Mos Eisley spaceport – a wreched hive of scum and villainy, which equals the town on the frontier from the western movies (including visually - the architecture draws heavily on the Mexican style). Its dusty steets are crawling with shady characters – gamblers, scoundrels, space pirates and smuglers.



One of them is Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon (I’m sure you’ve heard of it, it’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs). Solo is the typical gunslinger of the western movies. Both his appearance and attitude match the wild west stereotype, turning him into a space cowboy. You can find him in the cantina (or the saloon), flirting with some damsels or settling up some old business. And when the smooth talk can’t do the trick he won’t hesitate to try with the good old blaster. If the things get rough Han can always count on his co-pilot and best friend, Chewbacca. Chewie is one of the most lovable Star Wars characters and in a western you can easily imagine him as the Indian sidekick – absolutely loyal, he speaks a language only Han can fully understand, he’s almost naked, and in a fight he’s using a bowcaster instead of a common blaster, not to mention that his very name sounds Indian (does Chingachgook ring any bells?).


If you go further into the Expanded Universe (all those countless adventures except the two trilogies, like novels, comic books and video games, which develop the history of the Star Wars Universe) you’ll see that there’s quite a history behind Hand and Chewie’s friendship. Back in the days before Episode IV Han was a Lieutenant in the Imperial. Chewbacca fights for freedom as his people, the wookies (who by the way live separated in clans on the beautiful tree-filled planet Kashyyyk – a world not corrupted by technology and civilization, much like the Indians and the American wilderness before being colonized) are being chased by slave traders and sold to the Empire. After opposing his commander and disobbeying direct orders Han saves Chewbacca from being whipped to death and they find themselves outlaws, with bounty on their heads. If this is not a space western I don’t know what is (saving an Indian and deserting from General Custer’s army).

But let’s get back to the movie. The cantina scenes are pure western “translated” into sci-fi. "Most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough." – Obi-Wan warns Luke. Chalmun's Cantina, also known as the Mos Eisley Cantina is filled with all sorts of bizarre creatures and dubious elements. Instead of a jangly piano we have the Cantina band (a direct reference to the jazz and swing clubs of the 30s and the 40s). The typical grumpy bullies looking for a fight is also present – Ponda Baba lost his arm by Obi-Wan’s lightsaber after attacking Luke. And just like in the wild west saloon when someone gets shot – there’s a moment of silence, everybody takes a peek at the scene and then they all go back to their drinks and the music starts again as if nothing happened.

But another, even more interesting violent encounter is about to be seen. “Going somewhere, Solo?” - the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo points his blaster at Han. Seems like not only the Empire is after the captain of the Millennium Falcon. Greedo is sent by the notorious crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Han smuggled glitterstim (a kind of drug) for the gangster, but he was boarded by an Imperial patrol and had to dump his load of spice and his employer wasn’t too happy about it. We could easily imagine Han smuggling alcohol for Capone, but sincew we’re into westerns now – there was a lot of smuggling during the Civil War too (let alone that the conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Rebe Alliance is known as The Galactic Civil War). Greedo gets rough and eventually ends up fried, shot by Han. In the original release of the film, Greedo did not shoot at Han at all. In the 1997 re-release of the film, Greedo gets a badly-aimed shot at Solo before Solo kills him. George Lucas has said that this change is to enhance Solo's overall heroism. This was a controversial decision and in the 2004 version the two shots are almost simultaneous, with Greedo shooting first. I’ll stick with the original idea, it’s not “politically correct”, but it’s just so spaghetti-western, anti-hero, Clint Eastwood style:
Greedo (in Huttese): “You may only lose your spaceship!”
Han: "Over my dead body!"
Greedo: “That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this for a long time.”
Han: "Yes, I'll bet you have!"
And Han shoots him under the table! It’s totally bad-ass!

The scene at Docking Bay 94, shot in 1976 but never shown in the original theatrical release is remastered and added in the Special Edition (1997). We see Jabba, acompanied by a threatening bunch of bounty hunters. One of them is the fan-favourite Boba Fett. Just a few seconds of screen time are enough to earn him a cult status. In “The Empire Strikes Back” he works for Darth Vader and manages to track down the Falcon on its way to Cloud City. “What if he doesn’t survive? He’s worth a lot to me” – asks Boba Fett when Han Solo is frozen in carbonite. Eventually Fett gets payd by both the Sith Lord and Jabba the Hutt after delivering Solo. “I see why they call you the best bounty hunter in the Galaxy” – says Darth Vader. Boba Fett is established as a classical anti-hero, quite similar to well-know charaters from the spaghetti westerns like Sartana, Blondie or Sabata. His face is always hidden behind his helmet and the same enigmatic and threatening approach is used in westerns, where the character’s face is hidden in the shadow of his hat. Another feature of his outlook is a short cape he wears, very similar to the famous Clint Eastood poncho from Sergio Leone’s “Dollar Trilogy”. The name Boba Fett is never mentioned in “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back”, so up to “Return o the Jedi” he remains a Man with No Name.


More depth is added to the character of Boba Fett in his adventures from the Expanded Universe, where we see that he even survived the Sarlac Pit from “Return of the Jedi”. The origins of the character are revealed in “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” – Boba is in fact an unaltered, perfect clone of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, who raises him as a son. The name Jango is a direct homage to the Italian western movie “Django” from 1966, directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero as Django. (Offtopic: due to the loose copyright laws back in those days the name of the popular characters were used in countless unofficial sequels or even given to characters who had nothing to do with the originals, and so cashed on the popularity of the original. The most notable among the Django unofficial sequels is “Viva Django” aka “Django, prepare a cofin” from 1968, where Django is portrayed by Terence Hill. An official sequel was released in 1987 – “Django Strikes Again”, with Franco Nero returning as the main character and Nello Rossati directing. Curiously enough in the Star Wars Universe Jango Fett is the one they clone to create the Clone Army. Thousands of Jango Fett copies are created, just like Django is rumoured to have spawned more than 100 unofficial sequels, though only 31 have been counted). Jango Fett is even swinging his pistols the same as the cowboys in the wild west!

In terms of structure and key plot elements Star Wars follows a classical pattern, used by many westerns, but traced back to ancient legends and fairy tales – one of the things that make Star Wars a modern myth. One classic motif is going into the Dragon’s den and rescuing the Princess. And while in Star Wars the firebreathing monster is replaced by the ominous space station, The Death Star, in western movies women are being abducted by indians as seen in John Ford’s “The Searchers” or Ron Howard’s “The Missing”.

Another classic motif is the transformation of Han Solo from a smuggler into a hero of the Rebellion at the end of the movie. George Lucas describes the character as "a loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good." While watching Star Wars we get this feeling (or at least I do) that there’s something from his past that troubles him. Feels like his cocky attitude and self-preserving way of life is some sort of a defence mechanism, a result of some events before “A New Hope”. If we go back into the Expanded Universe we can trace what shaped his character up to the moment we meet him on screen. But I’ve already mentioned about the origin of his friendship with Chewbacca, and that for some time he was serving the Empire. It’s a theme in many western movies - characters haunted by guilt and their memories from the Civil War, withdrawn from the world until they find a way to redeem themselves. Though Han Solo’s character in particular is not so dark and somehow closer to the the outlaws with hearts of gold established by Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (most notable are their Trinity and Bambino from Enzo Barboni’s cult comedy-western classics “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”). They are the type of guys who start doing something for profit but in the process start helping defenceless people and get into troubles only to find themselves broke and back where they started, but now as morally right reluctant heroes.

Seems like there are a lot of similarities between some stories that take place once upon a time in the west and a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ;)

Boba Fett


Ps. Some good Space Westerns (or stories with space western ellements) you might like to check out:

- the TV series “Space Rangers”, “Firefly” and the sequel movie “Serenity”
- the animated series “Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs”, “The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers” and “BraveStarr”
- the anime series “Trigun”, “Outlaw Star”, “Gun X Sword”, “Iria Zeiram: The Animation”, “Burst Angel”, “Wild Arms” and “Cowboy Bebop”
- the movies “Outlander”, “Battle Beyond The Stars” (it’s basically “The Magnificent Seven in Space”)
- and the animated movies “Titan A.E.” and “StarChaser: The Legend of Orin”.

The Web #21

Some links for Bud Spencer and Terence Hill fans :)
Check them out:


http://www.terencehill.com/
http://www.cinedelic.com/trinity/english/index.htm
http://www.xs4all.nl/~hopmans/BHindex.htm
http://budterence.tripod.com/logo.htm

The Impact of “Beowulf” on modern literature and pop culture

(and this one is from my Old ENglish Literature classes at the Uni)

The Old English epic poem “Beowulf” has influenced generations of modern writers and has left a trace in our pop-culture.

Probably one of the most influenced is J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the epic trilogy “The Lord of the Rings”. Tolkien is famous for his fascination with myths and legends and his deep academic studies on that subject. Of Tolkien's academic publications, the 1936 lecture "Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics" had a lasting influence on Beowulf research. In his famous article he also revealed how highly he regarded Beowulf; "Beowulf is among my most valued sources…" And indeed, there are many influences of Beowulf in “The Lord of the Rings”. When Tolkien wrote, the consensus of scholarship deprecated Beowulf for dealing with childish battles with monsters rather than realistic tribal warfare; Tolkien argued that the author of Beowulf was addressing human destiny in general, not as limited by particular tribal politics, and therefore the monsters were essential to the poem. (Where Beowulf does deal with specific tribal struggles, as at Finnsburg, Tolkien argued firmly against reading in fantastic elements.) Tolkien argued that the poem is an elegy. He speaks against critics who play down the fantastic elements of the poem (such as Grendel and the dragon) in favour of using Beowulf solely as a source for Anglo-Saxon history. Tolkien argues that rather than being merely extraneous, these elements are key to the narrative and should be the focus of study. In doing so he drew attention to the previously neglected literary qualities of the poem and argued that it should be studied as a work of art, not just as an historical document.

And speaking of human destiny in general – “Beowulf” is one of the works on the reading list Joseph Campbell gave his students at Sarah Lawrence college. His studies on comparative mythology deal with the archetypes and the universal themes and philosophy in stories from all over the world. Many of these themes, motifs and symbols are common for many different cultures. And “Beowulf” is a fine example of what Campbell calls “a hero’s journey” – the main character going through various trials, killing monsters and defeating supernatural enemies. Beowulf is also a classical heroic figure, one of “the thousand faces” Campbell describes in “The Hero with The Thousand Faces”.

Many writers draw some of their inspiration from the epic poem. Probably the best known among them is the American author John Gardner and his novel “Grendel” (1971). This is a parallel story. It is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel. The novel deals with finding meaning in the world, the power of literature and myth, and the nature of good and evil. The basics of the plot derive from “Beowulf”- Gardner's retelling presents the story from the existentialist view of his enemy Grendel, exploring the history of the characters before Beowulf arrives. Beowulf himself plays a relatively small role in the novel, but still is the only human hero that can match and kill Grendel. “Grendel” has become one of Gardner's most well-known and well-reviewed works. Ten years after publication, the novel was adapted into the 1981 animated movie, “Grendel Grendel Grendel”, where Peter Ustinov gave his voice to the monster.

Another Beowulf-inspired novel is “Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D. 922” (1976) by Michael Crichton. The story is about a 10th-century Muslim who travels with a group of Vikings to their settlement. Crichton explains in an appendix that the book was based on two sources. The first three chapters are a retelling of Ahmad ibn Fadlan's personal account of his actual journey north and his experiences with and observations of the Rus', the early Russian people. The remainder is based upon the story of Beowulf. The novel was adapted into film as “The 13th Warrior”, directed by John McTiernan. In 2006, Elliot Goldenthal and Julie Taymor premiered an opera of Grendel, also based on Gardner's novel.

Some pay a tribute or make a reference to “Beowulf”. For example there’s a character named “Beowulf” in the Dune cycle, created by Frank Herbert (though not in one of the books written by Frank Herbert himself). Sir Beowulf, or Beo for short, is a character from Dominic Barker's fantasy novels - a burly warrior who joins the main characters on their quest. Beowulf Shaeffer ("Bey") is a fictional character from Larry Niven’s Known Space series. And the title of one of the short stories in the series is “Grendel”. Beowulf is a fictional planet in David Weber's Honor Harrington “Honorverse” series of novels. Grendels, a predatory alien species in the science-fiction novel “The Legacy of Heorot” written in 1987 by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes, and its sequel “Beowulf’s Children”. Grendel is a long-running series of comic books about the adventures of a masked assassin, originally created by American author Matt Wagner.

In cinema there are several “Beowulf” adaptations. One of them is the 1999 movie starring Christopher Lambert. It is loosely based on the poem, depicting motifs from its story in a techno-medieval setting. Here goes Beowulf from Anglo-Saxon epic to steam-punk action...

Another one is “Beowulf and Grendel” (2005) – a co production between UK, Canada and Iceland, filmed entirely on location in Iceland and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. Here Grendel is more of a misunderstood outcast, than a real monster. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, Grendel is a huge clumsy creature with a horrifying appearance, but has feelings and not really evin in his true nature. Hrothgar, king of Daneland, and a group of mounted and helmeted warriors chase a large and burly man, whom they consider a monstrous troll, and his young, albeit bearded son across a large open field until father and son find themselves on the edge of deep cliff overlooking a beach and a large sea. The father directs his young son, Grendel, to climb down and hide from the attackers' view. The Danes shoot the father dead with their arrows and his dead body plunges down onto the beach far below. The Danish king walks towards the cliff edge and sees the young Grendel hanging but chooses to spare him. Later, Grendel is on the beach below and finds his father's body. After failing to move the large and heavy corpse, the boy takes a sword and cuts the head off to take it home. Many years later, the severed and mummified head is inside a cave where the boy Grendel has grown up to be as large and burly as his father. After killing a great number of warriors in Hrothgar’s meethall, the monster is hunted by Beowulf and his men, who come to help the Danes. Grendel is even further humanized, feeling love for a woman named Selma, who he protects and who gave him a son. Grendel is feeling anger and despair when Beowulf’s men ravage the cave where he lives and destroy the mummified skull, the only legacy from his slain father. The movie uses the plot of the epic poem to discuss questions like “Who is the real monster?”. The Beowulf presented in this film constantly doubts the Danes' assertion (and later, that of his own men) that the troll is a monster of all encompassing evil. His insight tells him that Grendel is a being of some intelligence and is operating against an evil done against him, which is confirmed by the king's admission to Beowulf that he slew Grendel's father. (And yet, Beowulf notes, Grendel does not attack the king himself, implying a complex ethical and moral code. Grendel takes revenge against the Danes, but will not kill the Dane who spared his life.) Beowulf deeply regrets the need to destroy Grendel, and yet accepts the fact that in his world, it must be done. At the end of the movie, after he had slain Grendel and his mother, Beowulf spares the life of Grendel’s son. Another theme of the film is that of Christianity's introduction into pagan civilization. As Grendel’s reign of terror continues with no end in sight, the people of the village turn away from their Norse gods, which seem to offer no help, and who, they believe, expect the Danes to fight and struggle unto death, to the Christian Jesus, who they are told forgives all and, from Beowulf’s point of view, expects nothing.In 2006, a documentary of the making of Beowulf and Grendel called Wrath of Gods was released and went on to win several European film awards.

There is also a “Grendel” TV-movie based on the poem, produced by Sci-Fi Channel and shot on location in Bulgaria. Haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve seen so far by Sci-Fi Channel, I guess it’s plain bad.

And last but not least, Robert Zemeckis’ “Beowulf” (2007), which unfortunately I haven’t seen yet… I don’t want to spoil the experience, so I won’t do any research or write anything about it. I’ll just say that I have great expectations for this movie

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ps. This was written before the Bulgarian premiere of Zemeckis' "Beowulf". After I saw the movie, I can say that I'm kinda disappointed by the story and the way they depicted Grendel, could have been a great "Dungeons and Dragons" movie with this animation. The best scene for me was the fight with the sea monster :)

Robinson Crusoe – The sequel

Ever since its first publication in 1719 (April 25, to be more precise) Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” have been praised by readers and critics alike. The novel achieved immediate success and today it’s the best selling books of all times. Considering that only by the end of 1719 the book already had run through four editions it is no wonder that its author decided to continue the adventures of everybody’s favourite character.

For some reason “The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” today is not very well known. Most of the readers are unaware of the existence of this sequel, not to mention that there is a third installment of the series – the almost forgotten “Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe”.

This part 3 is more of a collection of moral essays than an actual continuation of the story. Defoe, known for his Puritan Christian views, already had a vast experience in this filed – books such as “The New Family Instructor” (1727) and “Religious Courtship” (1722) are fine examples of his work. The name of Robinson Crusoe was attached to the title to attract the attention of the readers – we could call it a “marketing strategy” on behalf of Defoe.

And while I can imagine the readers being somehow disappointed by “Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe” I still can’t figure out why the farther adventures are so underrated. It reminds me of the fate of a low-budget direct-to-video sequel of a major Hollywood blockbuster – if you’re not a die-hard fan of the franchise most probably you don’t know or you don’t care about it. And since I like Robinson Crusoe I decided to check out what’s going on in the second book.

The title-page of the less known Part II shows the following text: “THE FARTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE; Being the Second and Last Part OF HIS LIFE, And of the Strange Surprizing Accounts of his Travels Round three Parts of the Globe. Written by Himself. To which is added a Map of the World, in which is Delineated the Voyages of ROBINSON CRUSOE. LONDON: Printed for W. Taylor at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row. MDCCXIX”
As you can see for yourself – the style of the original is still present in the sequel. The title itself reveals the pseudo-documental diary-like way of telling the story, which Daniel Defoe, being a journalist and a pamphleteer himself had mastered.

Unfortunately I couldn’t actually find the book printed, but you can get the e-version on the net (here for example:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/561/561-h/561-h.htm ). And since I hate reading from the monitor probably while you’re reading this essay I will be still reading the book, but just out of curiosity - let’s take a look at the plot summary!

The story begins some years after the end of the original first novel with the statement about Crusoe's marriage in England. He bought a little farm in Bedford and had three children: two sons and one daughter. Our hero suffered distemper and a desire to see "his island." He could talk of nothing else, and one can imagine that no one took his stories seriously, except his wife. She told him, in tears, "I will go with you, but I won't leave you." But in the middle of this felicity, Providence unhinged him at once, with the loss of his wife.
At the beginning of 1693, he made his nephew the commander of a ship. About the beginning of January 1694, Crusoe and Friday went on board in the Downs on the 8th, then touched and left Ireland. Then they made it to Crusoe's Island and realized that the spaniards were making trouble. Crusoe and Friday soon took care of them. On the way to the mainland once again from Crusoe's Island, the boat gets attacked by the cannibals. Crusoe wins but Friday dies due to 3 arrow shots. (Man, how could they kill Friday?! I love this character… That’s a major spoiler. Having spent half of his life on a desert island, lost both his wife and his best friend Crusoe is truly a tragic figure) After having buried Friday in the ocean, the same evening they set sail for Brazil. They stayed for a long period there, then went directly over to the Cape of Good Hope. They landed on Madagascar where their nine men were pursued by three hundred natives, because one of his mariners had carried off a young native girl among the trees. The natives hanged this person, so the crew massacred 32 persons and burned the houses of the native town. Crusoe opposed all these, therefore he was marooned, and settled at the Bay of Bengal for a long time (here we see the reocurrance of the castaway theme).
Finally, he bought a ship that later turned out to be stolen. Therefore they went to the river of Cambodia and Cochin-China or the bay of Tonquin, until they came to the latitude of 22 degrees and 30 minutes, and anchored at the island of Formosa (Taiwan). Then they arrived to the coast of China. They visited Nanking near the river of Kilam, and sailed southwards to a port called Quinchang. An old Portuguese pilot suggested them to go to Ningpo by the mouth of a river. This Ningpo was a canal that passed through the heart of that vast empire of China, crossed all the rivers and some hills by the help of sluices and gates, and went up to Peking, being near 270 leagues long. So they did, then it was the beginning of February, in the Old Style calendar, when they set out from Peking.
Then they travelled through the following places: Changu, Naum (or Naun, a fortified city), Argun(a) on the Chinese-Russian border (April 13, 1703).
Argun was the first town on the Russian border, then they went through Nertzinskoi, Plotbus, touched a lake called Schaks Ozer, Jerawena, the river Udda, Yeniseysk, and Tobolsk (from September 1703 to beginning of June 1704). They arrived into Europe around the source of the river Wirtska, south of the river Petrou, to a village called Kermazinskoy near Soloy Kamskoy (Solikamsk). They passed a little river called Kirtza, near Ozomoys (or Gzomoys), came to Veuslima on the river Wirtzogda, running into the Dwina, then they stayed in Lawrenskoy (July 3-7, 1704). Finally Crusoe arrived at the White Sea port town Archangel or Archangelsk on August 18, sailed into Hamburg (September 18), and Hague. He arrived at London on 10 January 1705, having been gone from England ten years and nine months.

I can’t tell for sure before I finish the book, but it seems like Part II was somehow unnecesarry. Most of the ingredients that turned the first novel into a huge success and a classical masterpiece are missing – the man versus nature motif, the lonelyness and the isolation, the desperate atmosphere of the desert island... But still it seems that Daniel Defoe introduses some new interesting topics – the nostalgic longing of the castaway to go back to his desert island, the social criticism on colonisation (Crusoe oposes the brutal marines and therefore is being left behind, cast away by his own men – the colonizators). And last, but not least Defoe introduces many more exotic locations, unknown to the common British reader – Madagascar, China, Siberia…

But even if it turnes out that “The Farther Adventures of Robinosn Crusoe” does not live up to its predecessor it’s still good to know that such a book exists, and I still inted to read it just out of curiousity.


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още по темата за знайните и незнайни продължения: http://nsg1138.blogspot.com/2008/01/sequels-prequels-spin-offs.html