stardust! dust of stars!

[freckles_and_doubt]

Neil Gaiman Sez that Stardust opens in South Africa on 12th September. Nu-Metro, however, gives its opening day as 12th October, and Ster-Kinekor apparently wots not of it at all. I'm getting that impatient, potentially lost and bereft feeling that designates the Serenity flashback. Nonetheless, I have carefully re-read Stardust, in the beautiful graphic novel version I was given for my birthday (Friends. I have nice ones.) and am poised, psyched and generally expectant. A well-conducted universe would arrange for the production of something in the Princess Bride swashbuckling fairy-tale vein every year or so. Take note, Cosmic Wossnames.

It's been a bad week for icons: not only has Pavarotti died, but so has Madeleine L'Engle. She's an interesting children's fantasy writer: A Wrinkle In Time is probably her best-known novel, mixing quantum physics, inter-planetary travel and strange angel-like beings in a slightly odd, lateral confusion. I very much enjoy the intelligence of her characters, as well as the not-quite-controlled logic of her stories - reading them gives the impression that the author is doing her damnedest to capture meaning and event when a good portion of it is slightly outside the visible spectrum for her readers. She does, however, tend to alienate me more than slightly with her matter-of-fact inclusion of religion with the same taken-for-granted status as quantum physics. As far as I'm concerned, they belong in completely different conceptual boxes. Nonetheless, she's a worthwhile writer who leaves a solid legacy of work which, minor jarring notes notwithstanding, has the ability to stick, hauntingly, in your mind.

Last Night I Dreamed: a confused, rambling outdoor theatrical performance in which I was supposed to act, although I hadn't read the script, didn't know my lines, and couldn't find the relevant bits of paper among enormous piles of other paper, props and costumes. At some stage I also had to find a suitable tree-branch on which to attach the box of baby owls (which occasionally morphed into a box of miniature baby winged monkeys) and their mother.

I think my subconscious has performance anxiety at the moment. Sigh.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Stardust is one of the best movies I've ever seen. We utterly adored it. It's not exactly like the book, but the changes make sense in a visual/movie context. Prepare to have your breath stolen.

Hugs, Dayle

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

I have been Extremely Pleased to see the good reviews it's been getting - personal recommendations from trusted sources even better! Although apparently the trailer and marketing campaign have been dreadful, and have given a lot of people a very poor idea of the movie. But then, I think we'd be just a bit closer to utopian society if all marketing droids were rounded up and shot. IMNSHO.

[egadfly.livejournal.com]

It is sad that Madeleine L'Engle's gone. I loved A Wrinkle In Time, and still have the same copy I was given as a child.

imdb says Stardust opens in the UK on 19 October, and mentions South Africa not at all.

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

IMDB never gives the South African release date. *huff*. Seems odd that the list Neil Gaiman gives should put SA a month earlier than the UK, but it possibly explains why our release is delayed. Sigh.

Shall possess soul in patience. Possibly.