![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whips and chains
Thursday, 31 March 2005 11:49 pmTchah. Students. Yesterday's tut was one of the blood-from-stones variety, conducted mainly by me and the one and a half students who had actually done the reading. (One of the two contributors had read half of it). I had a small but perfectly formed wiggins in the tut this morning, and unceremoniously ejected all those students who did not have copies of the relevant text with them, since it appeared to my powerful intellect that they were therefore unlikely to have actually read it. The remaining two-thirds and I had a pleasant and invigorating discussion. The deported third left slowly, reluctantly and in an obvious sulk. Isn't it weird, how students will cheerfully bunk in all directions, but come all over hissy fit when you throw them out? *gnashes teeth in quiet, vindictive triumph*
Just saw Constantine, after recommendation by Philip ("it's not that bad, and in some parts Keanu actually acts"). In fact, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Grim and gritty, with lots of pleasingly extraneous occultic detail, rather like later Tim Powers. Gods, how few films these days have texture of any complexity. And the script didn't have the usual collection of gaping holes. OK, Keanu wasn't great, but then he's never great. In the rather entertaining phrase of a review I read somewhereorother, his three expressions are at least perfectly appropriate to this particular film. And I did rather go for the sudden, sensuous unfurling of enormous angel wings...
I have acquired the second Lemony Snicket, Exclusive having found one for me in the wilds of Somerset West and had it imported, presumably at great expense and inconvenience. The cover features Sunny, the biting baby, sinking her teeth into an enormous snake. I have a warm, glowy feeling already. The dedication reads: "For Beatrice. My love for you shall live forever. You, however, did not." Heh. I shall be two-thirds prepared by the time I see the movie tomorrow (it's based on the first three books. Exclusive are scouring Cape Town for the third, but no dice yet.) *girds self to appreciate the Jude Law voiceover*.
Just saw Constantine, after recommendation by Philip ("it's not that bad, and in some parts Keanu actually acts"). In fact, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Grim and gritty, with lots of pleasingly extraneous occultic detail, rather like later Tim Powers. Gods, how few films these days have texture of any complexity. And the script didn't have the usual collection of gaping holes. OK, Keanu wasn't great, but then he's never great. In the rather entertaining phrase of a review I read somewhereorother, his three expressions are at least perfectly appropriate to this particular film. And I did rather go for the sudden, sensuous unfurling of enormous angel wings...
I have acquired the second Lemony Snicket, Exclusive having found one for me in the wilds of Somerset West and had it imported, presumably at great expense and inconvenience. The cover features Sunny, the biting baby, sinking her teeth into an enormous snake. I have a warm, glowy feeling already. The dedication reads: "For Beatrice. My love for you shall live forever. You, however, did not." Heh. I shall be two-thirds prepared by the time I see the movie tomorrow (it's based on the first three books. Exclusive are scouring Cape Town for the third, but no dice yet.) *girds self to appreciate the Jude Law voiceover*.
