|
|
|
 I, like many others, grew up reading Lewis Carrol, watching Disney & playing American McGee.
I have also spent time debating with friends concerning who would do a great job in bringing this to life on the big screen using real people. Tim Burton was & still is, the best choice. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman were also in the mix, when deciding on the dream team (though the roles were slightly different then what Burton worked out, so aptly).
What happened then? Why did I walk out of the cinema saddened & disappointed? Glad, only that I got into the matinee & didn’t pay full price.
I will blame it on 3 things. 1) Tim Burton MUST have been distracted, tired ; 2) the screen-play needed reworking; 3) The title was misleading .. it should have been The Mad Hatter & Alice, Adventures in Wonderland.
Adressing the first point: This film was Burton-esque. As if someone studied Burton’s style & made a first-class effort in directing a film that people would say “Almost as good as Tim Burton, that kid has promise”. Maybe I am spoiled by his previous works … Sweeny Todd, Corpse Bride, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Edward Sissorhands, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (of all things) .. not to mention Beetlejuice (which my husband indicated was a far superior film).
The second point … The Screen-play: At least half the time spent “Above the Rabbit Hole” should have been devoted to character development in “Wonderland”. There was not a single character that I was compelled to care about .. not Alice, not the Hatter, not even the Cheshire Cat (who was my very favorite from the book & Disney). The pace was too fast. The White Queen was a disaster. That “futterwacken” dance HAS TO GO (was that a Michael Jackson homage?) & since when was Alice “Zena, Warrior Princess”????? With all the elements of the book, placed so very much in the way of the film, it is amazing that it didn’t trip over it’s own feet. Oh, that is right .. it did.
Finally, last but not least … the title: Granted, I know Marketing dictates “tell people what they want to hear, then give them what we have”. Bait & Switch has been around forever & a day. However, if they Actually Said it was a film surrounding the Mad Hatter & not Alice, it would have been more palatable. Getting what one expects is better than getting side-lined (which is what happened here, sad to say).
Taking the Good with the Bad:
With all that said, the Acting was Great. Everyone was well cast. I would give an Oscar to Ms. Carter for turning a 2 dimensional character into such a surly, unpleasant individual who never said “Off with their Head” the same way twice. It was amazing. Johnny Depp, as the Hatter, also did a Wonderful Job. He was simply Mad, Bonkers.
I will have to say here, though, that Rickman & Fry were my favorites. Rickman was completely understated as the Caterpillar, which really worked & was quite believable (I just love his work anyways, he is tops in my book). Fry as the Cheshire cat was Grand. Chessur was so Feline it was scary. I most loved the “massaging” on his favorite hat, the one he would wear on “only the best of occasions”.
Visually, the film was everything one would expect from Tim Burton. It was strange & delightful .. even when it was dark & disturbing. I would have enjoyed the ability to linger at spots to take it all in, if we were not moving so fast though the under-developed story.
All & All, I enjoyed the film enough to purchase it when it hits the $5- bin at Wal-mart. I give it a 5.5 out of 10, which is sad for a film I was so looking forward to.
 January 2010:
There really isn’t much to say about January. The days were in the 20’s & the nights in the single digits. The weather was gray & gloomy. Typical. Except for the lack of snow. All the precipitation went south of us, WAY south into Maryland. The skiers & sledders are none-too-pleased, that is for sure. We have seen more sleds for sale in people’s icy-muddy-snow-less yards.
Every-time we would get snow, it would be gone within a couple days. But, only after you had to roof-rake. Not to say there is NO snow. There is. That icy-crusted snow that crunches under your feet when you try & navigate to the mailbox. Just enough to surprise you when you aren’t paying attention, as you get to the divet in the yard & plummet a foot down, loosing your shoe while soaking your sock.
The critters knew this too. The squirrels kept to the trees. The Turkeys came about every once & awhile. Abe disapeared for some time. Even the barn cats kept to the paths.
Food usage was minimal. Sunflower was the most used. Next suet.
————————————————————————————–
February 2010:
This month, Mud Season started early. The sun is much warmer than usual & the ground proved it. The tire tracks in the driveway are sure signs of what is to come. Granted the days were in the 30sF & the nights in the 20sF.
The freeze-thaw effect is incredible. When the trucks with plows on them go by, all one hears is the loud “clack-clang-thump” of the plow against the frost heaves. Now, I am happy to think of how slow people will need to go this summer, so as not to bottom out there cars. We did get some heavy snowfall this month. And, the WIND was Amazing! It took the top off our chimney cage just to deposited it on the other side of the barn.
The Crows & Ravens know spring is near by. They are around more often then not. 2 Crows have decided that our area is theirs. I believe it may be Abe & a mate. The limp is gone, but the mannerisms are similar. I would like to think he made it through the winter & healed.
We have seen a significant change in the critter-life here .. from the 2nd week of Feb. on. Flocks of dozens of goldfinches have been bombarding the feeders. I am thinking that getting a bag of thistle may be a good idea. It sure wouldn’t be wasted. Pine Grosbeaks have also made an appearance. Finn has seen Waxwings a little south of us, in the Lakes region. Raccoons are more active again. AND there has been a Huge increase in the squirrel population.
Spring is in the air … I don’t care what furry “Phil” said.
 Let’s see …
December has been Cold & Snowy. The water from the well has been so frigid, that it froze the intake pipe & the well pump, once it got above the ground. And that was in the basement, which has been keeping a steady 42-50F. I suggest to anyone with a well … put heating tape on the intake pipe & then insulate as directed on the brand you used. In some ways, it is better than leaving your water dripping.
.
 8 of the 12 Crowhill Turkeys
Mid-December brought us a surprise. A plethora of Turkeys. What was once 5, is now 12. I dont know which one is Gray. There are a couple small females with Gray heads. But, we have 2 competitive alpha males that wont stop battling it out. Finn went to feed them one morning … while these guys were wrestling about. As everyone ran up the mountain to distance themselves from Finn, these 2 continued to do the neck dominance … AS they Ran with the rest. Go figure.
.
Abe Crowfoot is still about. Though, with all the turkeys, he keeps his distance. He hangs out across the street at our neighbors. With the bad leg, he appears to much prefer the expanse of cleared driveway for landing on. Our neighbor puts out bread for him. He is equally attentive to those that go to his house, as we are to those who stop by ours.
.
Over the Christmas holiday, our other neighbors (the hunters) decided that plinking in the back yard with their black-powder & .45’s, was in keeping with the spirit of the Season. Even the 50mph winds we were having didnt deter them from their games. The broad-side of a barn would have been hard-pressed to receive a bullet with that wind. What it did accomplish, though, was to terrify Abe, the Turkeys & most of the other birds that visit us. It has quieted down some … but the damage is done. We have fewer visitors then we did before. I am sure they will be back. I wouldnt blame them if they were not.
.
One slight New Year Cross-over that I will mention here is this.
What do Turkeys & Penguins have in common?
Their LOVE of Sliding in the snow.
.
We had a foot of snow get dumped on us o9ver the New Year’s weekend. We keep the paths around the house pretty clear for walking around, and the turkeys use these paths too. However … they nest up the mountain. In order for them to get to the feeders they either have to cross over to the side-road which goes up the mountain … or, they have to cross the river which comes down the mountain to our back-yard. The Turkeys decided that Flying over the River & belly-flopping into the snow, in order to slide accross the yard to the feeders was the way to go. & they looked like they were having FUN.
Bless those Turkeys.
.
Happy New Year Everyone !!!
Keep those feeders filled for your little feathery & furry friends.
.
Food Consumption: Sunflower Seeds is the big winner this month, with the cold weather & the turkeys. This should be pretty consistent going forward. Next is Mixed-Seed, due to a large band of Blue-jays. Suet is at a steady pace, with only woodpeckers & the smaller birds (chickadees, titmice, etc.).
In Order of Quantity (unless noted otherwise) …
Dec.:
Birds: Turkeys (well, 12 that are here all the time), Black-Capped Chickadees, Hairy & Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, American Goldfinches, Ravens, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, Crows, Pileated Woodpeckers
Animals: Gray Squirrels, Red Squirrels, Cats
|
|
