Bethany

Everybody's doin' it! Time for me to weigh in on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

( This discussion includes spoilers (big surprise!) )

Since everybody else is doing it... 2006: A Year in Movies! I'm not even going to bother with an lj-cut for this, because I barely went to the movies this year. That's right, I only managed to make it to the movie theatre nine times this year. Nine! I will admit that I went into a period of movie-depression after Phantom of the Opera left theatres, but by the time I felt like going to the movies again I was up at school, stranded thirty minutes away from the closest decent theatre without a car. So I suppose the elements were against me this past year... I am the sort of person who keeps every. single. stub. so thankfully I have all of them here carefully organized to help me recreate my movie going experience, starting back in January.

Jan. 1, Adam's Rib. I did get an early start, didn't I? Okay, I know this isn't exactly a new movie, but I did go see it at the cinema so it still counts. I always try to make it to at least two films during the Tampa Theatre's Classic Film series, and I was absolutely thrilled that they included this one. Hardly anybody went -- their loss! It's a funny thing, but even though Katharine Hepburn is without a doubt my favourite actress, none of her films are in my all-time favourites, with this movie as the single exception. Every time I see it, it just seems to get more clever and more wonderful.
Feb. 26, Beyond The Rocks. Another one at the Tampa Theatre; definitely not new, as it came out in 1922. This was a bit of a birthday present, fitting nicely into my budding obsession with Rudolph Valentino. It really showed me what a difference the score can make in a picture. When I went with my dad, it had a live organ accompaniment that was sweet, romantic, and rather on the comical side. I didn't think it was the best movie ever, but it was a fun time. I caught the movie on TCM a few months later, with the score that was included on the DVD. It's dreary, depressing, and just all around blah, and the movie really suffers for it. It's incredibly disappointing that now everybody will have to watch it that way. Too bad, because I found it pretty entertaining the first time around.
Apr. 1, Ice Age 2. I guess the movie was okay, but it was accompanied by the most awkward/embarrassing date in the history of EVER and I'd just rather not think about it.
Apr. 28, Lucky Number Slevin. Incidentally, I think this was the first Rated-R movie that I ever saw in theatres. What a milestone! I'll go ahead and say upfront that I only watched this for the Josh Hartnett, but I went with two guys and I can't really answer for their motives. On the off chance that somebody still wants to see it, I'll stay spoiler free and just say that I liked it.
May 26, X-Men 3. To be honest, I really do not remember this movie at all. I think that says a lot more than anything else I could have written about it.
Jul. 6, Pirates of the Caribbean. This was the first time I got truly excited about a movie in ages. It was also the first time I finally made it to a midnight showing. Okay, so nothing can ever match up to the brilliance of the first movie, but it was still a whole lot of fun, and three cheers for lots and lots of Norrington.
Jul. 12, Pirates of the Caribbean. A second viewing, to watch the movie with all of the non-crazies who didn't want to go at midnight.
Jul. 16, Casablanca. Boy, I sure do love the Tampa Theatre, don't I? Gone with the Wind is usually my ubiquitous classic of choice, so this was actually my first time seeing Casablanca on the big screen. I think the best part of it was seeing it as part of an audience, surrounded by people who all clearly loved it. Laughing, gasping, sighing, crying together... It's a lot different from when I usually try to force somebody into watching it with me, and the greatest show of emotion they give is a yawn.
Dec. 14, Casino Royale. A delicious popcorn movie (even if I am too cheap to actually pay for the popcorn), and although the romance got a little heavy handed, I did like it. The only other major flaw was the worst theme song ever. Seriously. I confess that up until this summer, I had never seen an entire James Bond movie. I watched Octopussy on TV, because, come on. Who wouldn't want to watch a movie with that title? And also Louis Jourdan is in it. Anyway, I'm afraid that's the only Bond I have to compare it to, and I actually liked that movie in a campy sort of way.

You know, writing about Casablanca got me thinking... I am 100% sure that I went to see Gone with the Wind this year, because I go with my dad every summer. And yet I cannot seem to find the ticket stub. How frustrating! Oh well, I think I do still have the program, so I guess that brings my total up to an even ten. Argh, but wait! I have plans to go see The Muppet Movie at (you guessed it) the Tampa Theatre on New Year's Eve, so I guess that will bring it up to eleven. Too bad, I do so love round numbers! But I also love Kermit, so I guess it's a fair trade.

I don't know if I'm even going to bother to cobble together a lame-o excuse for why it's taken my so long to write up the next person on my fictional loves list. Oh, what the heck, I'll go ahead and give it a whirl. I wanted to wait until I had seen Dead Man's Chest again, which I didn't get around to until Wednesday. Then I was working all day yesterday and today, so now is the first time I've been able to sit down and work on it. Hey, now, that doesn't even sound so lame-o after all! EDIT: And now I have to add on to my list of excuses, because it's the morning after I started writing this. "Psych" came on last night when I was only halfway done. I can't help it, it's the only new summer show I have to watch! And, hello, Shawn/Lassiter is completely my new OTP, especially after last night's episode. *winkwink nudgenudge you guys should totally watch it*

It's good that I saw DMC again before writing this, as I do seem to be enjoying it more on every subsequent viewing. I think I'm just becoming more comfortable with the character developments. On the other hand, this might also turn out to be bad because I am starting to find Culter Beckett oddly hot -- there is no way that is right! Of course, there still wasn't ever any chance that this post was going to be about him. No, it belongs to my first and dearest PotC love...

3. Commodore Norrington from Pirates of the Caribbean
Three years ago, after seeing a refreshingly original movie encompassing a panorama of piratical hijinks and all sorts of exciting action and adventure, I walked out of the theatre and thought, "Huh. That Navy guy was pretty cool."

And thus was born a love to end all loves!

Actually, I suppose it might be more appropriate to classify it as a love to begin quite a lot of other loves. Norrington gets credit as my gateway drug for pretty much all of my current age of sail obsessions. He was the first, though, and as such will always have a very special place in my heart.

Ah, there are just so many things that I adore about him! There is quite a division of character between the two movies, though, so I'll take them one at a time. I've read a couple of interviews about CotBP in which the creators describe his character as the kind of honourable, duty bound man who would normally be the hero in any other movie. It's a pirate movie, though, so of course the authorities have to be the ones set up to oppose our protagonists. Rules = bad, right? Yet somehow through all that the commodore still comes across as a genuinely good and likable person. Perhaps one of my favourite things about the first film is that they didn't decide to take the predicable route with his character and make him a power-obsessed tyrant who rules in the name of the law but simply follows his own authority. Ah, but that isn't Norrington at all! "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself," is simply the most endearing line of the entire film. There is something incredibly sexy about having a strict code of morals and ethics -- mrrrow! And still they also manage to avoid yet another cliche when instead of establishing him as a stodgy, emotionally closed off man of steel, they give him a gooey, squishy, "I am awfully in love with this girl in the most awkward sort of way" core. I'm not sure whether or not I can classify myself as a Norrington/Elizabeth shipper; I don't want them to end up together, but at the same time I really enjoy the dynamic of their relationship. I firmly believe that Norrington loves Elizabeth, and I think Elizabeth comes to respect him as the film progresses. That almost makes it worse, though, because by the end of the movie Elizabeth owes him her life and her happiness and yet she still doesn't love him and he still can't do or say anything about it. The movie may end on a happy note for Will and Elizabeth, but no matter how generous Norrington may be that had to be a heart-wrenching moment for him.

*waves arms around* I'm moving on to DMC -- here be spoilers if you haven't yet seen the movie. Please read at your own risk! I was thrilled when I heard Norrington was going to be in this movie, interested in the condition in which he would appear, and finally horrified when I read the side he decided to take. I braced myself for instant character death when I finally saw the film. Thankfully it wasn't as painful as I had built up in my head (for once I was glad that I had spoiled myself! It made this part a lot easier to get used to), and I'll have to wait and see the direction they take him in the next film to decide if it is truly "character death" or not. I can certainly say that the Norrington of the first film is gone forever, but as I'm adjusting to the new canon I'm becoming more comfortable with the new Norrington as well. This movie showcases his physical prowess -- to all those who called him a boring girly man in the first film I say, "Ha! Told you so!" Obviously as a naval officer he has plenty of experience in these matters, but all we saw of it in CotBP was him getting caught unawares by a bunch of sneaky undead pirates. Finally we get to see the man of action actually in action. I think it goes without saying that it's pretty hot. At the same time he still retains vestiges of vulnerability; the look on his face when Elizabeth pulls him out of the pig manure is such a poignant mixture of regret and self loathing. Even though it appears that he is over Elizabeth, you can see hints of it in his reaction to Elizabeth and Will's kiss, and then again in his concern for getting her in the boat as he distracts Davy Jones's crew with the chest. He can't quite let go of a relationship that never even amounted to much in the first place, which is just as romantic as it is pathetic.

James Norrington: He's cute! He's capable! He's hopelessly terrible at wooing women and yet still really wonderful when he tries his darndest anyway! And he looks pretty dashing in that uniform. He's the best.

Stolen from queeniefox: Name your Top 20 List Of Lust, in no particular order.Your neighbor or grade school teacher doesn't count. The list can be male, female or mixed. They can be real life celebrities or characters in a movie or TV show. For example, you might want to gag Mariska Hargitay, while still lusting after Butchy McFabulous Olivia Benson.

( My top twenty )

Wow, I spent an inordinate amount of time compiling my list. I wanted it to be as comprehensive as possible (also, it's easy to lose track of time while sorting through mounds of pictures of incredibly gorgeous people).

I love Book of Ratings. Ah, what I wouldn't give to hear Tom Jones sing "It's Not Unusual" with a piratey accent.

Speaking of pirates... Does anybody know where to find any good "Pirates of the Caribbean" screencaps? The only links I can find are to Kimera's screencap site, which hasn't been working for quite some time. We are making rooms in pottery, and I wanted to do Elizabeth's. I have a kind of sketchy idea of it already drawn out, but I am running out of things to put it in. I suppose I could just pull out my own DVD and watch it, but, well, I am lazy.

Have I ever mentioned how amazingly wonderful my sister is? I love love love her so much. She has this friend who works at Disney, and as yesterday was my half-birthday (hey, I celebrate it!) she managed to get me a wonderful fold-out PotC poster. The only problem is that it's double sided so it'll kill me to put one side against the wall, but, ack! It's so pretty! It's this on the front, with this both on the back and folding open to a large version of it in the middle. I would give it a hug, but, unfortunately, posters are not very huggable. I know I just changed my icons, but now I feel the sudden urge to make some PotC ones... Oh, and speaking of pirates, I was watching "Muppet Treasure Island" today. How do I love that film? Let me count the ways... One thing I love about pirate movies: pirate music! It's so great! Does anybody have a copy of the PotC soundtrack? And, if so, is it worth buying?

Question time!

1. Okay, I know that we're all very very tired of hearing people talk about "Pirates of the Caribbean" (or at least I know I am), but am I the only one who really liked Norrington quite a lot? He was my favourite character from the film, and if they do got a sequel out a certainly hope that he is in it.

2. If applicable, when do you go back to school? I'm a little more than two weeks away from returning... ::shudders::

3. I'm a horrible person to have on your friends list for asking this, but does anybody have a LJ code I can use? It's for Jackie whom I have been friends with for many moons now, and as I have already given away my code I have nothing to give her. If you do have one, I would be eternally grateful.

EDIT: More questions!

4. According to IMDb.com, there is an additional scene after the credits of PotC. Has anybody seen it (better question: is there one at all?)?

Yay for "Pirates of the Caribbean" tonight. Aside from "X2," this is the only movie I've really been looking forward to this summer. I was kind of afraid that it would be corny, but all of the reviews that I've seen have been really great.

This morning I was listening to "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" soundtrack while flipping through some books about employment in the fashion industry. Egad, I am in some serious need of something LotR related to watch. Erin! If you're not done with the movie/soundtrack, that is entirely cool, but if you have finished, would you mind bringing them with you to the movies tonight? I'm suffering from withdrawal ::starts randomly twitching::