Update: "Seven Days in May" and "16 Blocks"

[packbat]

Today, again, wasn't too busy – I decided not to go to school to sneak into that drawing class, and ended up staying at home, mostly reading. Specifically, mostly reading "Seven Days in May", which I started this noon, and finished this same day.

Seven Days in May is an excellent book, in my amateur judgment. My parents compared it to Fail-Safe, and while the plot is very different the styles do have some resemblance. It's a classic thriller – that is to say, a story combining the tempo of an action or adventure story with aspects of the mystery – and insofar as I can determine well thought-out. Certainly I can see no flaws in the production, and many points (the description at one point of a character tailing someone, for example) the details add a strong sense of verisimilitude that benefits the reading immensely. I recommend it highly.

16 Blocks is also excellent, though in a partly different fashion. For starters, it's a movie. Anyway, all the acting is top-notch, which is not surprising – the most important parts go to Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse, all of whom are expert. (From what my mom tells me, Eminem is a good actor too. Are most rappers that way?) Also importantly, the plot is extremely well crafted – there are a lot of surprises in it, but like good plot twists, they serve to explain unusual things earlier in the movie, rather than merely to astonish. Again, high recommendations.

Anyway, I didn't do much else today. nanakikun called in to report that he is fine and well at Anthrocon, and who was that artist I wanted him to get prints from? (Ans: Ursula Vernon, i.e. ursulav) Anyway, it's late, as Mom has just reminded me – goodnight!


P.S. Still curious about truth vs. happiness, if anyone's interested.

Comments

[feech.livejournal.com]

(I apparently feel like commenting in your journal again, feel free to ignore me if ya like. ;)

About rappers as actors: I find, from what I've seen, most musicians, rappers and otherwise, have so much fun in acting parts that they're delightful to watch. The fun they're having is infectious. A lot of good rapper examples are out there but one person who comes to mind immediately isn't a rapper, but Dennis DeYoung playing Pontius Pilate in JC Superstar. I also like Mick Jagger in a couple of acting roles I've seen him in. But yeah, lots of rappers are good. It would stand to reason that they know how to use their voices and how to portray characters, but there's also that delight musicians seem to get in expanding their performance repertoire to include acting.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

(Why would I ignore comments? I get few enough as it is! ;)

I think you're right to expand it to musicians, actually – Robert Paulson in "Fight Club" was played by Meat Loaf, a rock-and-roll guy, and he was good.

It would stand to reason that they know how to use their voices and how to portray characters, but there's also that delight musicians seem to get in expanding their performance repertoire to include acting.

I can believe that. I've noticed that many popular songs are in the 'voice', so to speak, of someone who's probably quite different from the performer. (My favorite example: Joni Mitchell, who wasn't even at Woodstock.) It stands to reason that acting would be a natural extension of their roles as performers.

[nanakikun.livejournal.com]

I need a bell sound sample for my new track; do you have a bell somewhere you can record for me?