March Madness: A League of Their Own

First of 'reel scribbles' where I try to organize my thoughts while watching a movie.

A League of Their Own is about Women's Baseball during WW2 and I saw a sign that said March is Women's History Month, so I thought I gave it a go.

So, the movie is (also) directed by a woman, so this is an extra in femininity... not that I'm trying to keep score... anyway, the movie starts with a mother and daughter trying to bond or something. After a not-so-subtle underdog appreciation and bad 90's music montage. We see that the two is going to Cooperstown... you know where they start baseball and there's I think Girl's Baseball League Reunion thing going over... which requisites a flashback.

We move to around Portland, because Portland is the first place they think of girls playing baseball. Probably played Arcade Fire in the stands. So, the main girl is too... perky to play baseball and the mentor or coach or whatever is obviously good at it. Oh, turns out it's a sister. Okay, so a sibling rivalry... okay.

(I'm not even doing an actor reference, I'm bad at early 90's) After some horrible 90's soundtrack, we have Jon Lovitz seeing his future career.... (okay, only once) and propose a contract to national league. After a requisite definace, you know to check off the Hero's Journey checklist, (Lovitz's only good at tiny moments. Also, is this a quiet radio?) You know, train in a running speed is not a good idea, also inside baseball. And anyway after beauty placement, we move on to Chicago.

Lovitz is starting to... whatever... he's going away. Great accents... and the sound effect. I thought this was Annie... then I heard the music... and overly long sequence... well, we have the requisite dumb or disabled. and we move 40's women's standard that subverts the whole message by turning into a gag.

Then we have... 90's Tom Hank... he just looks so awkward. Hey, that's nice camerawork and someone didn't notice Tom this isn't Forrest Gump. So, he just act drunk... and that's good for him. (That's a big bladder. Snapchat?) Laughing game exhibition, isn't it? Nice hit. Sure, he knows... (like the last time.)

 (Funny...) This is very awkward. Weird newscast... Greatest Gilligan cut, too young to drive... that's the point??? How he sense that chocolate? A kiss and horror. Nice reference... and the movie turns into vignettes... another staple of sport movie, random scenes of 'culture'.

After 40's dancing (golden age, isn't it?) and rape culture, (she's a singer... I guess.) Hmm, the priest is weak. That was... random... (It's a start...) Dugan always does a crazy performance.

It's a movie... and a random wrench. That's a lead... as the merchandise pile in and little bit of... everything? A lot of conflict and tobacco advertisement? Well, that's... women does make lot of montages... (Is that Will Forte?) Little inconsistencies in the background... (sorry, I notice that)

Well, with the romance said. That's a random black man and the next conflict... seems like they have enough conflicts and they are making new ones. (Least, it's realistic...) It's catching a thing and also, that's weird.

The song is actually the real song. That's weird... what a red herring... Oh, it was Bill Pullman! I get so confused. Also, is Bill Pullman not famous enough to only play a bit part back then?

Beside Tom Hanks has a better career... Car is Illinois... Shouldn't be Oregon? Well it's 3-3 and Seems like Rosie is a... oh well you know. I kind of like the subversion of the tropes... Also, we see the Ann is in Racine. I like how the surprise is dampened. It's like... you know really post-modernistic this movie... Also, I like how the coach eariler is the opposing, so you kind of know him. So another little arc ended. Good uses of Western standoff... even the music got better.

And it is just a hit. It's just something nice that... and it happens again! With a reference to the opening scene!! That's really good writing. All the bases are covered... so to speak. Look at the aversion, look at the subversion and look at the inversion! That is a strangely fresh ending... or not as there's still more to go.

I like how movie is all about the game and yet not about the game... also it's strange how characterization is little understated but nevertheless there's complexity in the relationship. This is a strange ending...

And now we end the frame and a reference. Strange to kind of have a long frame ending, that's another subversion. Nice reference to Kit's remarks.

Bad 90's music and interesting back-and-forth in the background at the credits.

Overall, the movie has all the faults of the early 90's. Little bit intrusive nod to the issues, really really bad music and stupid frame narrative. But all the subversion, inversion and aversion of the sport movie tropes is quite worth it for the whole experience. It's a sport movie that takes a backseat into history and reminds us that Baseball is not just a game, it's a monument to our life. Also no crying in Baseball.

March Madness: Paper Towns, Part 3

First thing to take my eye is that the tense shifts from past to present, and so the story turns from an account to a diary, writing down the feeling right now as opposed to remembering it. Which is strange, because there's lot of thought in the parts before... but okay.

I actually like this part for the most part because I like road trips and there's nothing really silly, except for the cows but I allow that just because of the surreality of the trip, much like the first part.

So after the trip, we find Margo and the conceit is revealed. It's strange that Margo was always like that... and people never never really noticed because they thought of Margo as this other person. Some people feel disgusted by upholding a women to its dizzying height and watching it all fall down... or maybe presence of the book is so high that it eclipse better books... much like YouTube.

Anyway, the breaking down of Margo is interesting. Seems like Margo just set up too much of herself, taking care of the image rather than herself. This is the destruction of MPDG... mostly of a fallen grace who thought and thought and decide to stop and take a... more normal life.

I love how John Green tries structure how to create a life that explains Margo and it works... for some. Other might think that this is just a typical MPDG back-story or girl falling love with a boy and now does crazy things... like Gatsby. But as a girl. I agree with them on some day, but overall I take it as an appreciation of the attempt of making of MPDG, which I say was successfully done in The Fault in Our Stars.

Speaking of Stars... I like Gus's inclusion of the minimall and security officer, which reflect Augustus and Hazel's evolution. Also the crack and how it was referred to as faults... I told you the books were connected thematically.

Overall, the book linger little too long on the end but overall it's a nice experiment. Perhaps, the author didn't succeed in what he was trying to do... burying his old stories and starting anew, but least, it was a nice spectacle. If you John Green, and of course you do, this book is a wonderful book. Those of you who hate it, the point which I started... to see what the fuss was about, it's a great hate-read. I'll probably do a movie tomorrow.

March Madness: Paper Towns Part 2

Like Quentin's father and mother, I philosophize over what is nothing as I forge on to read Part 2 of Paper Towns.

The day after was okay, with more fleshing out of school and the side characters. I get the sense of feeling that people like this 'person talking around his head' type of narrative but it only emphasize how much of a jerk Quentin is to Margo. "me-less adventure", yes because you're not the important point in the excursion.

Anyway, it's really weird how Margo is the 'queen' of the school... It really reminds me of Stargirl and her foray to the sleepy Arizona high school. If Stargirl is the rising sun, then Margo is the setting one, painfully realizing her facade won't hold for very long.

Ben seems like a normal pervy boy that sometime twist in a weird direction, like punching Chuck or doing with Lacey.. Radar seems to have no characteristic except for Black Santa which is worrisome.

#3 is supposed to be the introduction to the other perspective of Margo but it only adds to the false importance of Margo by having a detective on her case... several times? What kid of a woman has a detective following around her...?

Anyway, it seems like Margo has some clues for Quentin, including Woody Guthrie and Walt Whitman, also I suggest the diversity of the record represent the multifaceted nature of Margo? I also like to make clues and I believe Margo is very insecure and fleeting like me... which is important.

Lacey is inserted to the scene, she has broken out of her facade (she needs to, considering how little time she has into her fame) and into the picture... also how her Margo is different than his Margo or any other Margo... kind of obvious as to her diagnosis.

Dude, she broken into your room and you smile? What are you, Quentin? A desperate search for something that isn't even recognizable make you look like Frankenstein. You are actually obsessed, you know. I think Margo counted that and let him the string so that he will rescue her... kind of. Quentin is fully delusional at this point, going inside the mind of a madman, trying to find a lover she only met, like, once (much like Dante) and having weird imagery... I was kind of sucked into this last time I read it, but it feels creepy now.

Word 'paper town' has three meanings I think. One is a simple description but others all refer to 'imaginary' or 'fake' much like the term 'phony' is used by Holden. It makes sense but it doesn't have gravitas as his other metaphors...

I love that the English teacher's name, like some tradition, is a literary character, this time Holden, reflecting on how strange Quentin gets in this book. "God yes. Her smell." Might one of the most creepiest four word I ever seen. He is beyond mad.

Going ahead with the Catcher interpretation, Lacey is analogous to Sally... perhaps this is the story of what if Sally said yes to Holden's delusion... to see how far it will go? Also, agreement of weirdness of ending a school... it's like bringing down a set... we took four years to build this... and only few minutes to take it down. It's a strange feeling. Ben has gone manic... it's a strange turn for that character isn't it?

He's in a state of awoken by the message and severely deluded by the hope of finding Margo... it's quite distressing to see the swing happen randomly. Anyway, it does lead him to find that Margo is in Agloe...

March Madness: Paper Towns Part 1

All right, continuing from yesterday.

The school setting is constantly interrupted by voyeurism of Margo... which doesn't seems to be in the same league as Quentin but he goes on peering in to her life... it's creepy is what I'm trying to say.

There's Ben with weird background and the token black guy Radar and the black Santa and whatever. The whole paragraph is interrupted with stories of Margo, just a neighbor and what seems to be a nice, if quirky, girl and epitomizing her. This voyeurism needs to stop, Quentin. You're a... weird person.

There's also lot of metaphors and non-metaphors that actually continues in the next book... qualities of ever-changing reality and sort... but I don't have the time or energy for that. Besides, this feels like a Norman Mailer novel with the weird hip lingo and a very stereotypical bully. Also, Quentin is a creep.

I really like Ben and Radar's characterization. And I feel like I'm watching How I Met Your Mother, as in all the characters are great except for the protagonist.  Then the main arc happens.

First of all, why? Second of all, huh? Third of all, I give up... It comes out of nowhere and I know it's supposed to be but there's nothing there...

So Margo needs help and... taking people as blurred shapes as to dehumanizing them trick. (As famously done by Heart of Darkness)

Overall, Margo tries her best to be Manci Pixie Dream Girl and Quentin is somehow incontestably in love with her although there's no real reason to be in love with her and whatever, this was intended.

3 whole catfish, wrapped separately, veet. big tub of vaseline, mountain dew six-pack, dozen tulips, bottle of water, tissues, blue spray paint... (this is for reference)

"Generally, the closer people get to me the less hot they find me." Foreshadowing.

Overall, the plan is silly and perhaps something is more for show than her true self... or another, I don't know. Narrator is unreliable and it feels like Margo is... I can't say. It just feels like Margo is doing this without any good reason and probably need to see a therapist or something. (But not Quentin's parents. That'll be weird.)

Then there's the SunTrust Building/SeaWorld sequence. First time I felt like this was designed to slow down and let us know about Margo, but I was surprised or interested at how little reflection there were. Margo never really reflect on anything. Just fluffs of "Winger speech" if you will. Overall, you get the sense of... senselessness. Why did Margo do this? Why do Margo do anything? You get the glimpse of thinking it's fun and she want to find something before we move on... to Part Two.

March Madness: Paper Towns Prologue

For the longest time, I never really knew if I liked John Green's books. I always liked talking about it, but I never really decided if I enjoy reading the books as a whole. After watching the trailer of The Fault in Our Stars, I decided I didn't like the books... but Paper Towns, one I actually read in full, might be the closest to me liking, so I'll try to examine why.

The first passage certainly catch reader's attention but I have to point out that equating Margo as a miracle kind of irks me as he implies a women as an event. This might be well-intentioned but I'll move on.

So this takes in Florida, which implies Florida like things. Like Dr. Jefferson Jefferson, who is not a Doctor but changed his first name to be 'Dr.' This might well as jumped out of a poorly-made Wes Anderson spoof.

There he goes again, most fantastically gorgeous creature that God has ever created. And he's nine! Does he had a early puberty or is this just creepy... it comes up like the author doesn't know children and I know that's not the intention... but eww. Then there's John Green signature style of commenting every little thing that is described which might rub people the wrong way, but that's okay by me.

Anyway, back to Florida and a dead man... okay. I just like how there's no real reaction to a dead man, with Margo just being curious and Quentin going all over his head... it makes death not serious and that's funny... I think? Also "...I am really goddamn well adjusted." just kills me.

So the scene of Margo coming out of the window and looking at him, which becomes the focal part of the book, happens and I think that Quentin is crazy. Maybe this book is like Lolita, you know? I don't know, his description of a normal scene reminds me of Holden and his fixation of Phoebe. Some think this is creepy and perhaps it was intentional.

Okay, That's was just the prologue and I wrote too much... well, I'll keep reading and post the rest on the following days... that's what I'll do. (Why did I even say that?)

March Madness!: Review/Recap

Hello, it's March and it seems like a right time to cross off some of my reading/watch list.

So, that's what I'm gonna do! I'll review or recap something every day this month and hope you can read/experience it with me.

I'll probably start by doing a book review tomorrow. Well, till then...

The Cornetto Trilogy

So what is The Cornetto or Blood and Ice Cream trilogy about?

To embark on the answer, I waded through all three movies and make my head in comparison.

The three movie are not connected by plot, but by actor and 'themes'. But what themes?

Well, there's the Cornetto and the wall jump. There's the sense of the two buddies played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with mirage of returning players like Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy.

But I see much more in that quick-pace cut of Edgar Wright style montage. First of all, this is about a man in a 'fantastical' situation. First one, the man is thrust upon it; Second one, the man actively avoids it till it's (almost) too late; Third one, the actively seeks it, although he gets more than he can ask for.

But there's the sense of us vs. masses conflict as well: Zombies in 'Shaun of the Dead', The Villagers in 'Hot Fuzz', and The Blanks in 'The World's End.' With the intention, except for the zombies although you could make an argument there, of greater peace and unity. All three antagonist asks us to be part of them and embrace their ideals. But as the end of the third movie suggest, humanity is too stubborn and angry for that. Even if there's zombies all around, the elders shooting people blank or fantastic tempting robots, the problem still remains for the group, one with their ideals and selfishness in check.

Some say, the movies give a pessimistic view of the world, where anarchy reign supreme and one would better begging in the street than mindlessly joining a society. But the fact is that the 'problem' isn't removed. They are still zombies in end of "The Shaun of the Dead", the village and its village are mostly intact in the end of "Hot Fuzz" and the The Blanks still live out their lives in the apocalyptic end of "The World's End". All three posit that the inherent idea of zombies or the village or The Blanks is not bad, it's the force of joining that is the evil there.

If the fear of being a zombie, or mandate of being the perfect village, or the desire to create a perfect robotic utopia is gone, the things antagonized don't need to be anymore. In the end, zombie are engulfed and ignored, the village seemingly forgets its past and continue on nonchalantly and The Blanks are even celebrated! Most people would be ribbed by the notion of quick heel-face turn... but the message of the trilogy is this. 'To err is human, to forgive divine." And that's what every critic, such as I, will strive for.