Crimson Peak // Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston {Movie}

Why I'm watching
I won't say Tom Hiddleston wasn't a major draw, but it's also directed by Guillermo del Toro, and the trailer looks absolutely gorgeous.

Where I saw the movie
Local cinema, after dinner... somewhere. This was less than a week ago, how have I forgotten where we ate?! Bill's Pizza?

Expectations
I've seen it marketed as both horror and Gothic romance, so a mix of the two. The house (mansion) looks creepy and gorgeous. No idea about the plot, though.

So how was it?

"Gothic horror/romance" was spot-on. The movie follows Edith (Mia Wasikowska), a young, rich, high-society American woman who wants to become an author. While visiting her father's office, she meets and becomes entangled with Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), a British inventor looking for investor capitol, and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain).

The rest is either spoilers, or mostly belongs in the 'favorites' section.

Recommendation
Great for horror fans who don't mind some romance, and don't need a ton of evil/gore/etc. Great for romantic drama fans who don't mind violence and gore. Not great if you're expecting a complicated plot -- you'll figure this one out quickly, and get irked when it continues to act mysterious.

There was more gore than I expected, but it's not just gore for the sake of gore. 

Feels
Gothic. Horror. Romantic. A hint of video-game.

Favorites
Edith blew. it. out. of. the. water. She's confident without getting anywhere close to "spunky," "sassy," or defensive; she's a female author without coming across as a nerdy social recluse; she was clearly born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and it's neither ignored nor whinged about. She isn't perfect, but makes reasonably smart choices. She kicks a reasonable amount of ass against a reasonable opponent. Brilliant. This is a strong female hero.

The set, of course.

I also love the interplay of British and American characters. Edith's father (Jim Beaver) is pure distilled American self-made nouveau riche, set against a British baronet in decline. The Americans' indulgent confusion about his title is adorable. Casting was perfect, especially for Edith, her father, Lucille, and the random socialites. Alan (Charlie Hunnam) was a little blah, but then again, I think he was supposed to be.

I don't know what department is responsible -- set design? casting? wardrobe? lighting? -- but you really got a feel for the era... it didn't feel like a bunch of actors trotting about in period costume.

I have... feelings... about the waltz scene, but I'm not sure if it's favorite or least favorite. I'll consider it favorite, because it seemed historically accurate, wasn't super awkward, and they clearly consulted a professional; the candle metaphor was a dead give-away.

Least favorites
Nothing really stuck out, but I was left with a sense that it could have been better. The ghosts weren't scary or mysterious enough, and (gasp) I was actually a little disappointed with Hiddleston. Then again, that's partly my fault: I read that Benedict Cumberbatch backed out, so I spent the whole movie noticing how much more suited he would be for the role. More on that...

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... spoiler filter disengaged!

10 Film Collection // Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers {Movie}

I had at least two, maybe three pages written out for all of this... and then hit Ctrl+Z, which apparently on Blogger means "delete everything and don't let me retrieve it."

Yeah, I write everything in Google Drive first, now.

Flying Down to Rio 
The first appearance of Fred and Ginger together... as supporting actors! They're friends with the leading man and lady, and have their own little romance in the background. Flying Down to Rio features a ton of elaborate group numbers, and not too much plot: band-leader guy and hot rich girl fall for each other, girl has to go back home to a quasi-arranged marriage, they all work together to save the hotel, and everything works out in the end.

I hate to spoil a decades-old movie, but the quasi-arranged fiancé is my favorite part of this story, for being a total bro. 

Also notable: a crazy elaborate dance number that involves strapping dancing girls to airplanes.

Gay Divorce 
It’s… not what you’re thinking; it’s not even a pun. This was way back when “gay” actually just meant happy. Guy (Astaire) falls in love with Mimi (Rogers), who is having none of it. Mimi is conveniently trying to get a divorce, and her lawyer -- also Guy’s good friend -- tells her to fake an affair with a paid co-respondent. She mistakes Guy for the co-respondent, and shenanigans ensue.

Don’t ask me what exactly a co-respondent is, but the character is pretty hilarious.

This is one of those movies that hinges on mistaken identities and people not using their words. It’s also one of those movies where Fred is super crazy stalkerish. Dude does not take no for an answer; we’re talking car chase stalker. I think they intended it to be goofy and romantic, but it’s actually pretty terrifying.

Roberta 
Haven’t gotten to this one yet!

Top Hat 
Another series of mistaken identities: guy falls for girl, girl mistakes guy for his married friend, guy stalks girl all over the place until they finally figure it out.

Also featuring the co-respondent from Gay Divorce, this time as a fashion designer.

Follow the Fleet 
Haven’t gotten to this one yet!

Swing Time 
Haven’t gotten to this one yet!

Shall We Dance 
Haven’t gotten to this one yet!

Carefree 
This was both cute and crazypants. Fred’s a (hilariously outdated) psychiatrist who, as a favor to a friend, treats his friend’s fiancée for… being wishy-washy about their engagement? Like, that’s a thing they could do back then?

Anyway, hypnotism happens, she falls in love with him, he sets her back on the fiancé with hypnotism -- but, oh no! He’s fallen in love with her. Clearly it’s time for more hypnotism.

Vernon and Irene Castle 

The actual Vernon and Irene

This was surprisingly good. It’s the movie that made me pick up this collection, since the Castles were some of the earliest promoters of ballroom dancing. As far as I could tell (with my vast Wikipedia powers) it’s fairly factual, and it doesn’t pull any punches.

It also has a much more complicated plot than any of the other movies, following the Castles from first meeting, through their dance career and Vernon’s military service, to the end of their marriage.



The Barkelys of Broadway 
The last of Fred and Ginger’s movies, reuniting them after ten years apart. It’s also a lot less ditzy than their earlier movies. It follows a husband and wife musical comedy duo who are trying to break out of comedy and into more serious dancing/entertainment. With their marriage on the rocks, Dinah (Ginger) tries her hand at acting, while Josh (Astaire) secretly helps her out.

Glamour Addiction // Juliet McMains

An exploration of the social and economic factors behind the glamorous world of competitive ballroom dancing, based on the author's personal experience, interviews, and limited research into similar ethnographies.  

 
Why I'm reading 
I've been participating in competitive ballroom dancing for nearly ten years now, so I wanted to check out what sort of literature is out there.

Where I got the book
Interlibrary Loan from the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library.

Expectations
A researched look into how the ballroom industry works. I've seen a preview, and it seemed a little wordy.

So how was it? 

Glamour Addiction is an exploration of the "Glamour Machine" that drives the American ballroom industry.

Honestly... I couldn't really get into it. She has some excellent insight, but ignores many aspects of the ballroom world that don't fit her model of an omnipresent oppressive glamor machine. Every point she made brought to mind similar experiences in my own ballroom career, but tons of counter examples too. And many of her points are just subjective opinion masquerading as fact.

Recommendation
This will really only appeal to ballroom dancers. I would recommend it to pro/am dancers (both pro and amateur). BUT I would only recommend with a warning: this is an interesting perspective, but not the be-all and end-all of the ballroom world.

Feels
Jaded. Even just a few pages in, I started to feel the author's resentment of her chosen profession. 

Favorites 
She makes a lot of painfully true points about the intersection of immigration and ballroom, and the image professional dancers must project. She's certainly made me think about certain relationships in the studios I visit... not rethink, because the relationships are pretty obvious, but to put them in the context of a bigger social system.

Least favorites 
Not one of her characters isn't hustling, struggling, or taking advantage of someone. No student who respects their teacher and just wants to dance. No am/am partnerships. No happy, fair, supportive studio owner with a white picket fence and two kids. No teens having fun and helping to pay for college. I know these people. I know they may not be the majority, but to simply ignore their resistance because they don't fit her thesis is a joke. 

Writing style
Bounces erratically between formal academic language and flowery prose. You can tell that the author has glued together several smaller essays.