(no subject)

[nigeltde]

So I'm reading Mists of Avalon for Contemporary Medievalism (and people were complaining about the length of Name of the Rose! That was a zillion times better) and you know, better than I expected, especially considering the first hundred or so pages. Obviously I like the Sir "not even Ioan Gruffudd was this gay" Lancele(o)t and Arthur stuff, Morgause and Kevin are fun and I enjoy reading from Morgaine's POV. Bradley needs an editor like George Bush needs to shut the fuck up, but I can handle that. I'm finding it pretty difficult to continue though; I very rarely actually loathe characters, especially when I can read from their POV, but sweet jesus, I want to ring Gwenhwyfar's scrawny white neck. Those puritanical fucking rants and hysterical screaming fits bring the whole thing to a steaming, stinking stop and I want to boot Arthur for not booting her and sticking to his word and actually having opinions, instead of caving to her every revolting request. I can't see why this character is so repellently extreme; the character interactions are so complex that it's not necessary to serve the plot.

ETA: OMG there's a miniseries! It must be SO camp. I have to get it from Isaac.

Comments

[chameleongirl79]

I love Mists of Avalon. I read it when I was 12 and I think I read it at least once a year for the rest of high school.
For the love of god don't watch the movie! It is the only DVD I regret buying, and I own Chickn Park.

[nigeltde]

What do you think about Gwenhwyfer? Do you want to strangle her? I would be way more into this book if it wasn't for her.

What is Chicken Park? Do I even want to know?

[chameleongirl79]

I wish they'd strangled the little cow the first time they found her stuck in the swamp.
Whiny bitch.

Chicken Park is this Italian (I think) spoof of Jurassic Park.
With chickens.
I think I actually lost IQ points by watching it :D

[nigeltde]

Haha! Chicken Run sounds like it should feature in an episode of MST3K

[chameleongirl79]

This movies is made for it ^_^

Hmm, I may have to inflict it on my friends ...

[jessikast]

I've never read the book (although I really should; it was my girlfriend's favourite book when she was younger, but I've never been hugely into Arthur stuff,) but I did watch the mini-series a few years ago. I thought it good.

Also, Contemporary Medievalism sounds hella cool.

[nigeltde]

I've never really been into Arthur stuff either, while I'm quite fond of medieval stuff. I've never found any of the interpretations very inspiring (First Knight, anyone?) and although the sex is fun I thing Monty Python ruined the story for me, I just can't take its self-importance seriously. But this is probably the third best Arthur thing I've encountered (after Monty Python, of course, and Tennyson's Lady of Shallott).

CM is great. There's less Buffy than originally promised but more LorTR. If nothing else, it meant I had to read Name of the Rose, which is one of the best things in a long time.

[nigeltde]

Ok, and also Waterhouse's Lady of Shallott. Mists is the FOURTH best Arthur thing I've encountered. It doesn't sound quite so glowing anymore, does it?

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

You're in for a rough ride. I think I read the book years ago and I've had to repress all memory of it.

The miniseries, however, is kind of pretty. Not terribly good, but pretty. There's one or two bits with teh gay, IIRC, but not much, so don't get your hopes up too high.

[nigeltde]

It is going to take repeated, and I mean REPEATED, viewings of Hugh Laurie material to fix this. And even then...

Wow, they managed to cut out most of the gay in the movie? Even all the girly gay bits? That is sheer, manly heterosexual TALENT. That is so macho that it's gay again.

See? It always comes back to the gay, in the end.

[veronamay.livejournal.com]

Repeated viewings of Hughness will cure most of your ills.

Well, come on. It's Hollywood. What is mere Arthurian legend compared to that?