Bad Dubbing

A few months ago, I got this movie from Netflix called "Memories of Murder". It's this really interesting South Korean movie about one the first modern serial killers in South Korea. The movie is very dark (both visually and content-wise) and very atmospheric. And the atmosphere is totally destroyed by really horrible dubbing. Really generic Americanized voices were used which was really distracting (as I told my mother, it was very weird to hear a voice like Harrison Ford's coming out of the mouth of a South Korean). Now I am watching another foriegn movie (from Sweden) called "Let the Right One In". Like "Memories of Murder", it is very dark and atmospheric. And ruined by dubbing. The voices that were used for dubbing aren't too bad, but the dialog doesn't match up with the movement of the actor's mouth. I would much rather read subtitles that be distracted by poor dubbing.

Warning this post might be boring

I know that the title is not the best one, but it may be accurate. I am in process of re-watching the excellent BBC adaptation of Bleak House. And when I mentioned this to my mother, she asked if I like being depressed. Now, to be honest, much of Dickens is depressing. But, I do enjoy watching/reading Dickens. I do enjoy Jane Austen a great deal but much of her books take place in a bubble of the middle class. Very little is written about the struggle to survive (with the possible exception of parts of Mansfield Park). And no one dies in a Jane Austen novel (except for the very beginning of Sense and Sensibility when Mr. Dashwood dies). Dickens, on the other hand, pulls no punches. He writes of the brutality of survival in London during the Industrial Revolution. And more often than not, once some ones falls ill, they aren't long for this world (which is kind of true for Elizabeth Gaskill as well). But despite that, I do think that there is a side of Dickens that is optimistic. There is great evil in his world (and in the hearts of Dickens characters) but at the same time there is goodness and kindness and possibility of redemption. And as the reader, we should recognize this and strive to posses those characteristics.

Bad blogger

I know that I have been really bad about blogging for the past couple months. But in the defense, for the month of November, I have been really busy at work which does not make a conducive environment for interesting blog posts. But I will try to do better. One good things from the past couple week is that Law and Order is now airing at a time when I can watch at least episode every night. This may sound silly and unimportant, but I do like to unwind after a day at work by watching an episode of L and O. And there is something so clean and balanced about an episode of L and O. The story gets wrapped up (and lets be honest, usually the DA gets a conviction which make you want to believe the that justice system works).

I've noticed that I also fell behind on adding King of the Hill quotes, so I am going to try to keep that up as well.

"20 years. If your marriage was a murderer it would be out by now." - Dale Gribble

Creepy house = Creepy Owner

On Friday night, I watched a movie called Dragonwyck, which starred Gene Tierny and Vincent Price as well as a super young Jessica Tandy, Anne Revere, and Spring Byington (I recognized Anne Revere and Spring Byington immediately). The movie is about a young woman (Gene Tierny) that leaves her family in Connecticut to stay with her married distant cousin (Vincent Price). The two eventually fall in love. The plot is kind of similar to Jane Eyre (there is a daughter and so Gene Tierny becomes her governess) complete with a huge old Gothic house called Dragonwyck. And Rebecca was aired right after, which also features an old Gothic house called Manderly. This got me thinking to all sorts of movies or books that feature a homeowner and house and how often the house reflects the traits of the homeowner. Dragonwyck? Creepy house that is haunted by ancestor. Owner? Creepy with a crazy emphasis on familial responsibility (and he is basically driven crazy by the desire for a son). Thornfield? Dark house with a secret wing that no one is allowed to enter. Owner? Dark and gruff man keeping secrets. Manderly? Beautiful old house that is strangled by the memory of the first Mrs. De Winter. Owner? Handsome (in the movie at least, Laurence Oliver is handsome) man that is still affected by his dead wife. Which is why Pemberly and Mr. Darcy are both awesome!

It's a macguffin!

About 2 years ago, I decided to watch a lot of Hitchcock movies to celebrate the month of October (I think that I saw almost all of them). And there were some that I enjoyed and there were some that I preferred to think never happened (like Frenzy and Marnie). So, I am going to watch and then write about some of my favorite Hitchcock movies for the month of October. I haven't decided what I am going to watch first, but it will probably be either Shadow of a Doubt or Saboteur.

Really...

Does anyone else miss Amy Poehler on SNL? Although she is pretty funny on Parks and Recreation.

Final Countdown

Only 3 more hours until a new season of The Office starts!!!!