Wives & Daughters: Wallpaper, Friends Only Banners, and Icons

[olde_fashioned]

Another perennial favourite of mine is Wives & Daughters. I guess I've been in the mood for Gaskell lately, and it's easy to forget how good Molly and Roger go together this series is. ;-D

Twenty-two icons this time, mostly of Molly, a couple of Cynthia, Lady Harriet (who totally rocks, in my very humble opinion) and a few of Roger Hamley. I also made a wallpaper and matching friends only banner, with complimentary icons.

As always, my icons are not bases, please credit/comment if taking, and enjoy!

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Created with angelamaria's Icon Table Generator @ Bauble

-::- Wallpaper -::-
(click to enlarge to 1024x768)

Comments

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oh, no no. Please, don't worry about it at all. My life's been turned upside down recently so I'm not replying as much as I should, either, so no hard feelings! ;-D And I hate it when LJ eats a comment. That's the most frustrating thing, isn't it?

Well perhaps there is still some unseen footage of HL which could make it into the new movie? *shrug* I wonder who the new villains will be, and the title!

LOL, I didn't know who the heck he was either, until I heard his name attached to TDK. I looked him up, though, and I guess he was in that The Black Dahlia movie, which I didn't see, but maybe you did.

I don't like Maggie's Rachel AT ALL. I'm sorry I ever complained about Katie. It was like two entirely different charachters just happened to share the same name and job title, because I didn't see the same character in TDK that I did in BB. But discrepancies aside, I don't care for Rachel Dawes very much to begin with. I can tolerate her more in BB because she is clueless that Bruce is Batman, so her insults are a little bit 'less insulting' if you know what I mean? But in TDK, she knows what he is going through, and yet she still insists on giving him a hard time???

Hooray! I know the feeling, waiting for a book to come in and waitingwaitingwaiting, lol. I really should read The Scarlet Pimpernel, myself. I think we might have a copy lying around here somewhere, and I really like the Anthony Andrews/Jane Seymour movie. Have you seen that? I grew up watching it, so I've always loved "They seek him here, the seek him there," lol!! I too have a big weak spot for that period in history, although I'm more of an anglophile, myself. ;-P Have you seen or read the books for Master & Commander, or any of the Ioan Gruffudd Horatio Hornblower series?

Coming from too much JA, I was delighted at how much information EG gives the reader about her characters. While I adore JA, and always will, sometimes it's really a treat to have the people you're reading about described in great detail, and their every breathe spelled out for you in such a way as you feel almost as if you're watching a movie, only on paper. :-) I also think EG understood people amazingly well, but that's more apparent in Wives & Daughters than N&S, I think. Cynthia is a masterpiece in that.

I wholeheartedly agree!! I'm just as puzzled as you are. She hobnobbed with everyone famous in her day, from Dickens to Bronte and everyone in between. So why is she ignored today, I'd like to know??? I'm just grateful to the BBC, because without them I don't think very many people (including myself!) would have learned about her. And my library had one copy of W&D, Ruth, and I think Mary Barton, but no N&S. I had to order it, grrr....

You must have amazing will-power. ;-P

I can't picture her as JE, either, and I'm really skeptical of this new version. As to the most recent adaptation, I did enjoy it, but it's far from perfect IMO. I wish one could combine elements of the Dalton/Clarke version (my favourite) with the production values and costumes of the new. ;-P

I did know about those, thank you for sharing them. Despite how much I would love to have the soundtrack, I can't bring myself to download something unauthorized, especially as I read that the soundtrack was "released" in the first place as a gift for certain fans under the condition of not being shared publically. :-( So I guess I'll hold out for an official version, sigh......

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you for understanding! Exams are finally over, so hopefully, I can get more active on LJ and have more free time to do things :-) -sigh- Busy schedules are never fun, but comments like yours are so inexplicably day-brightening!

Oh, that would SO make me happy if there was any unreleased footage! :D As for the villains, erm, maybe Catwoman or The Riddler, or the Penguin? Lol, I'm not a very big Batman devotee, but I have a Batman-comic reading friend, and maybe he knows some more.

No, I didn't see it, but I saw the book at Borders the other day ;D

Oh my goodness, somebody actually agrees with me! :0 Yes, I knew I wasn't alone, lol!! And I know-- It's not as if she doesn't know that Bruce is already going through so much stress with saving the world! Well, if I were an actress (which is beyond comprehension, with my less than hopeless acting skills ;D), I'd hate to be stuck portraying such a pathetic love interest.

Speaking of TDK (and I know you like Jane Austen), have you read this (http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2008/09/jane-austens-batman.html)? I really got a good laugh out of it!

Actually no, I haven't seen that version! I heard it's pretty good, so I'll probably see it sooner or later. :) I've only seen part of the Richard Grant version, but I don't remember much of it. "They Seek Him Here" has been stuck in my head after checking out the Broadway Musical soundtrack from the library, lol. The only time I go total-francophile is from 1785 to 1818. My fascination with France simmers down after that time period, but I still love the culture there. And yay-- anglophiles, unite! :P

Yeah, it's as if she just disappeared into obscurity, with nobody to ever rediscover her (that is, until BBC came along to the rescue!). I actually picked up Gaskell since she was well-known as Charlotte Bronte's friend/biographer, and so I thought, why not give her a try? And I was very pleased with what I found! (Obviously-- you've stood by through my W&D and N&S raves and ramblings, lol) From EG, you get so much character insight from not only the main character, but the supporting characters' thoughts, motives, emotions, etc. as well, and that's always an unexpected surprise after reading so much first-person and 3rd person-limited. And though I'm always a sucker for romance, I always appreciate the social elements intertwined into her books, too. You're absolutely right-- her books are like movies playing before your eyes! :-D Our library has Cranford, Mary Barton, W&D, N&S, Sylvia's Lovers, and, surprisingly, some of Gaskell's Gothic Tales-- we have a pretty substantial library over here, I guess. :)

LOL... actually... -twittles with fingers sheepishly- I gave in and watched the whole thing last week in my spare time. xD I couldn't help it. I surrendered. Lol. But OH MY GOSH. WHAT A BRILLIANT MOVIE. I don't think I can even describe what I think of it into words because my praises and exaltations shall be longer than my life story :] I thought everything was spectacular in this movie: casting, acting, cinemography, everything was impeccable! ♥ And let me tell you, I watched the last seven minutes so many times... I can't remember how many times anymore. I think my DVD player screwed up after a while, though! ;D

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

(continued from my last post since it was too long xD)

Yeah, though I thought it was fairly good, I definitely agree with you. I thought some scenes were very weird and unfitting to the book. Like that one scene with the Ouija board?! I know that there is an element of spiritualism in JE, but to take it to a séance is going a bit too far, imo. There were some other things too that bugged me (for one, the emphasis on sensuality, which was simply not JE), but probably the one thing that I truly wished for was a better script. The dialogue was often reduced to some mediocre, unimaginative twaddle that the screenwriters tried to pass off as Bronte material, when they barely even used the original language which made Jane Eyre what it is! I really do wish that they would've at least incorporated some more of Rochester and Jane's humorous conversations, but they seemed to have stripped much of the wonderfully written banter from this adaptation. Sigh... anyways, I do believe I saw that version! That's the '82 version, right?

Oh, really? I didn't know that! :O Oh, that's a shame that someone had to proclaim it to the public! Thanks for sharing that info with me, though-- I probably would never have known that otherwise. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

(continued from your other comment)

AHAAAA!!!!!!!!! *points gleefully* Heheheh!!!!!! Well, you'll get no blame from this quarter, seeing as I was positively dying for the post office to give me my Netflix dvd once I'd finished the book, lol, and I already knew how it was going to end! (well, the romance, I mean, not the movie) But isn't it wonderful? I mean, wonderful wonderful wonderful WONDERFUL? :-D *sigh* Feel free to ramble as much as you like, lol! I for one can never get enough N&S, and that includes ranting about it with friends!

Speaking of which, would you like to be LJ friends? :-) No pressure if you'd like to keep your flist small, as I understand. ;-) I've just been enjoying our conversations very much indeed!

(now to address this comment -- sorry about breaking them up! LJ needs to allow more characters for wordy people like us, lol)

Oh yes!! I'd quite forgotten about the Ouiji board -- that I particularly objected to. All in all, I think this most recent JE was another case of all shiny, sparkly exterior and no heart. Which is really sad, because JE is such a passionate book. Over and over again we (the reader) are told how passionate her nature is! And seemingly Sandy Welch (who interestingly enough wrote N&S's screenplay, which is infinitely more tasteful and not at all erotic) can only reduce Jane's sufferings and moral compass into a bunch of huffing, hard-breathing scenes with Rochester??? *facepalm* I read something recently about how SW changed Charlotte Bronte's original wording of Blance Ingram's "does that person want you?" line to "does Miss Eyre want you?" in the mini, which, when pointed out, seems glaringly dreadful. The whole point of having her say, "that person" was to illustrate how petty and stuck-up she was, and how cruel towards Jane!! Forgive me, but it riles me when people take one of the most popular heroines with an unshakable morality and alters her almost to the point of no return. It's quite vexing, actually.

And yes, I do believe you're right that the Dalton/Clarke version is from the 'eighties. ;-)

You're welcome, but I hope you didn't feel for a moment that I was trying to shame you or anything. My intentions couldn't be further from that, so I just wanted to make that clear. ;-) I've come very close to downloading it for myself, anyway, so very badly do I want to listen to it. :-( But I think that little bit of knowledge would spoil any enjoyment for me, but as it is, I hope I haven't spoiled any of yours!

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

-smiles- I, as well! And thank you! Ahh, I love these edifying chats; they always brighten up the day, and for some reason make me feel the need to brew a nice cup of tea for myself. Oh, and your offense is forgiven. ;-)

Whoo-hoo! Only four days! I think it's a new record in my replying speed, lol. Sounds pitiful compared to your hour-later reply, though, hehehe.

Actually, I hadn't heard of those rumors until you called it upon my attention! Hmm, interesting… I actually think it might work with JD and PSH. ;)

-gasp!- No need to be ashamed!! I know what you’re talking about! Every once in a while, I’d get up an’ watch that on Saturday mornings :D If I recall correctly, it’s when Bruce can’t handle being Batman anymore because of health reasons and passes on the role to some wayward teen?? Lol, it’s slowly coming back to me… I was never a big TV person, but I watched whatever good was on, so I watched that. And Pokemon and Digimon. xD I still occasionally watch cartoons to this day, though! :D

You know, I find Rachel the female version of Ashley from Gone with the Wind: they’re a wishy-washy, indecisive bunch, they both end up making more trouble than ever necessary, and they’re the two whom I sometimes feel the need to slap. xD Why, oh why, couldn’t you guys just deal with the truth instead of making things worse for Scarlet and Bruce!? WHYYY?

You’re quite right about Mr. Preston there! Even with all his villainous and manipulating acts, I thought that Mr. Preston was quite enigmatic and fascinating, and from time to time, I ended up sympathizing with him! At times, I actually thought he didn’t deserve such reprimanding and abuse from everyone. I mean, he was constant to Cynthia all those years, wasn’t he? My (dis)like for him was so changeable—I’d hate him for his horrible behavior in one chapter, and feel sorry for him in another.

“The biggest thing, for me, would be having to kiss strange men. 8-/” LOL, me too!! I think it’d be one of the most awkwardest things for me to do; it’d be unbearable for me. –shudders- I dunno how actors and actresses do it.

Oh yeah, sure thing! :) I saw it, delighted in its brilliance, and immediately thought that you’d get a good kick out of it. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Yes indeed, it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful WONDERFUL!! :D :D :D Heehee. It truly is, though! It’s still hard for me to believe that that was four hours. One thing, though... despite the wonderful relationship between Thornton and Margaret, I can never help but feel sympathy for Henry Lennox. My heart reaches out to him every time at the final scene... it's always in the back of my mind: "Poor Henry..." :/

:) Thank you for the offer; I deeply appreciate it! The thing is, there’s stuff in my locked entries that I’d prefer if only people I know personally can see (and believe me, I seldom update, and when I do, my posts are rather nonsensical and/or completely haphazard, so you’re not missing out on much ;D), and so I’m not really friending anybody right now-- no hard feelings, of course! These conversations with you are lovely. However, if I ever start accepting friends, I shall definitely tell you! :)

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

(continued from last post -- again)

“all shiny, sparkly exterior and no heart…” Believe it or not, that’s how I actually felt about P&P ’05 when I first watched it. Maybe I came with a biased mind (it’s what watching P&P 1995, the renowned epitome of all P&P adaptations–*heavenly chorus!* lol—does to ya) but I didn’t like it at first. I thought that through all the pretty costumes and lavish ball scenes, it was missing something essential to P&P—the term “beauty is only skin deep” seemed to hit the bullseye on this movie to me. I ended up laughing quite a lot at all the bizarre things. Who knew camera angles could be so amusing? The zoom-in on Mr. Collins’s “Indeed!” when Mrs. Bennet says that they already had prospects for Jane cracks me up all the time! The fact that Keira Knightley stares blankly into a mirror for hours in a zombie-like manner was so odd, and Mr. Darcy’s extraordinarily long and epic walk across the countryside gave me fits of laughter. And “your hands are cold” – what was that!? Altogether, my sister must have been greatly annoyed with my pointing out flaws all the time. But upon watching it a second time, I actually started to like it, eventually even enjoy it greatly.

Anyways, enough with my Pride and Prejudice tangent. It really did surprise me to discover that the same screenwriter directed N&S, too. One’s overwhelmingly intense and almost indecent at times, the other so subtle and poignantly beautiful. I actually believed that Andrew Davies directed this JE adaptation with his partiality for incorporating more … suggestiveness in his works. xD Oh! I didn’t notice that switch on words before, but it does seem quite mortifying now. Since when did Blanche become so civil and gracious?? How Charlotte Bronte would be so disappointed if she were here to see what they’ve done to her beloved Jane Eyre…

No, I didn’t think you were trying to chide me or anything, but I’m glad you told me that piece of info nevertheless! :-)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

(part ii)

Yup, yup, that's how I felt (and still do feel) about P&P '05, as well. (I laughed at your "heavenly chorus" description of P&P '95, rotflol!!!!!!!) I find myself liking the new P&P more when I'm making icons of it and not watching it, lol. I've seen it two or three times and it just irritates me when KK stands there with her mouth hanging open. It irritates me that Caroline Bingley wears A NIGHTGOWN to her ball, it irritates me how poor adorable Mr. Bingley is essentially reduced to a giggling idiot, Donald Sutherland irritates me even more, and the end "he's-not-proud-at-all!" scene makes me want to bang my head on the wall. ;-P Lol, pardon my ranting!!

I was hoping for a reallyreally good JE, because, why I don't know, they never seem to get it quite right. I've seen a lot of the different versions, but I still think that the Dalton one is the best on the whole. The production values are a bit lacking, but being the novel purist that I am, I'd much rather put up with tinny sound stages and jarring film quality rather than have bedroom make-out sessions between Jane and Rochester. *headdesk*

I laughed at your AD-directing-JE comment. ;-P He does always manage to do that, doesn't he? Don't EVEN get me started on the new Northanger Abbey -- ahhh!!!!!

I'm not quite sure what CB would think of how her novel(s) are being treated now. (yet another random useless factoid here: did you know they're set to make a Bronte biopic? Don't get your hopes, up, though, as IIRC the actresses aren't any good IMNSHO, but Brian Cox was rumoured to play their father so that should be interesting....) Charlotte didn't like Jane Austen so I'm not sure that I understand the workings of her mind, lol. I wonder if living near a cemetery on the moors must have made her go a bit batty.....or at the very least, overly melodramatic. ;-P

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

(continued)

“Hard to believe that you sat riveted and unmoved for four hours, or hard to believe that it was actually that long because it felt too short? ;-P” Both! Lol, but I guess the former doesn’t really count since I didn’t watch the last two episodes until later. :) With the Exhibition scene, I have to agree with; Henry aggravates me there the most. However, though they did portray him in a more antagonistic light than how EG portrayed him in the novel, I still slightly pity him, as I do any underdog character. If only they didn’t put his face right in the middle of John and Margaret’s kiss, I would be completely happy during that moment. :D And as for your “train station bubble” being popped, that’s exactly my sister, except she says it in a solemn “Poor Henry... :-(” manner as opposed to a “Poor Henry! ;-)” teasing manner.

I agree that the 2005 version is definitely more icon-able with its beautiful scenery and coloring; unfortunately, it’s one of the only things that I really like about it. I have some ’95 icons lost somewhere in the mayhem of my computer, but I too make more of the new version than the former; but though there’s something more scenic and picturesque about the movie, I for one like the Ehle/Firth version better in the whole scheme of things.

Rofl! In fact, I cried out, “What is the meaning of this!?” when I saw that Caroline’s “dress” was so scandalously showy. I share all your irritations, especially Bingley-turned-buffoon (His snicker at Caroline’s ‘accomplished women’ speech? Priceless.) Other fatal faults that provoked my indignation: It really annoyed me how small a role Wickham and the Pemberley housekeeper shared in this movie, because their presence in the book was incredibly substantial. I came up with the simple conclusion that Joe Wright just didn’t read the right book (I really do think he read Wuthering Heights instead. Seriously: this movie’s got moors, melodramatic scenes in the rain, an unrestrained and totally chaotic Bennet family… it screams Bronte instead of Austen.) Or, if he did read P&P, he read an abridged version, because so many things are left out, scenes are twisted, and things are just plain wrong sometimes. And I agree that Keira Knightley didn’t do justice to one of Literature’s most beloved heroines at all. All that gaping and reliance on appearance frustrated me so much that I felt the compulsion to pull out my hair! (“We want some substantial acting, Keira!”) Lizzy’s chapter-long meditation on Darcy’s letter (which can not possibly be condensed to a minute-long explanation) was reduced to … I don’t even know what to make of it. And after Elizabeth stares at the mirror for the whole day, Mr. Darcy barges in randomly in the evening, doesn’t even bother to wait to be admitted or announce himself, and leaves without even a hello — the audacity of the director! And lastly-- Lizzy & nightgown + Darcy w/o cravat & vest + daybreak = utter breach of 18th century propriety. And in a Jane Austen adaptation! I have a ridiculous dislike for inaccuracies –historically and novel-wise— as a film watcher, but I don’t think any other movie bothered me with that as this one did. Surprisingly, Bride and Prejudice did a better job with sticking to the main story than this, IMO. And don’t worry about your rants… I just did the same myself and even worse, lol! It’s what I did to my friends, and they’re not even JA fans, poor unfortunate souls. ;-)

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

(Continued. Again.)

Ahh, Northanger Abbey. I thought it wasn’t bad: enjoyable, but not spectacular. Jones captured the innocence, ingenuousness, and endearing nature of Catherine, and I liked how she portrayed her. I thought JJ was exceptional as Henry Tilney (my favorite JA hero :D), though he was a little less lighthearted and jaunty than I would imagine. Andrew Davies did capture the warped imagination of Catherine brilliantly, but in ways often unsuitable for a JA book, a.k.a. all those unnecessary sexual references that I assume you’re referring to D: Gahhh, AD just adds scenes that are just so unbearably distracting and over-the-top sometimes... Nevertheless, there are some particularly delightful additions, namely the adorable scene where Henry wipes the mud off Catherine’s face and that awkward yet amusing scene where Henry comes to Fullerton to visit Catherine and her family.

As for the Bronte biopic, I did hear something of the sort long ago as just a budding rumor but not much else. I do hope they make it good…

Hmm… well, CB wasn’t completely melodramatic compared to Emily and Anne, who wrote equally, if not more, rebellious and emotional pieces. Have you read Wuthering Heights, by any chance? It’s got some of the most atrocious yet memorable characters in all of literature (nobody compares to Heathcliff!), though it really is a hauntingly original piece of work. I find myself shuddering when I reread parts of it again. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Aw, now you're just being sweet. :-) I'm glad you enjoy them, as I certainly have been. It's not often I get so many fandoms wrapped up into one conversation, lol! Hmm, let's see, what else do you like? (ooh, and tea? Lavender chamomile for me, please!)

I'm not sure which is supposed to be pitiful, my less-than-an-hour reply, or your four days. ;-P lol. At any rate, I'm late this time!

Well it's not exactly as it looks...I've been Googling for TDK images to icon (shh!!) and some of the stuff came up in my search. So I honestly didn't set out to look for the rumor mill!! As for JD and PSH, I've never seen the latter, but physically he looks like he could pull it off. JD could probably play anything and be fantastic, but I've also heard David Tennant rumors as well. But I'm not familiar with him except in people's icons of Dr. Who, lol.

Oh, now this is simply too much. Do you mean to tell me that you watched Batman Beyond, too? Yes, you've described the right one, and while I'm not much of a TV person, either, if I happen to find a show I like (it's usually by accident) sometimes I'll try to keep up with it. (I never got into the whole anime thing, but Pinky and the Brain did make me laugh upon occasion, I must admit!)

HA! Oooh, verrrrrry good parallel, as I can't stand Ashley Wilkes, either, and you're right, they both give off mixed signals. *ponders* I always did like what Rhett said about Ashley not being man enough to physically be unfaithful to his wife, but he wasn't man enough to be truly faithful to her, either!! *throws rotten fruit at wimpy Wilkes* However I think Bruce is better than Scarlett...my goodness the things she's capable of!! *le gasp* Although they both are good dressers, hahaha...

Yes, yes!! Exactly! (I seem to use that word a lot with you, lol) Mr. Preston is very intriguing, and at least IMO, not 100% bad. He did wait for her, after all, even if he shouldn't have meddled with a child in the first place. Mostly I think he's sympathetic, but handles everything the wrong way. It's not his fault that he fell in love with her, but he shouldn't have pursued a fifteen year old. It's not his fault that she accepted, then jilted him, but he shouldn't have tried to force her or blackmail her with the letters, but that was probably out of desperation and frustration. Not that I'm excusing it, mind. ;-P

I don't know how actors and actresses do it, either, but I'm not sure I want to know. But after all, even "big" things like kissing have become so meaningless these days. It's pretty sad.

Hard to believe that you sat riveted and unmoved for four hours, or hard to believe that it was actually that long because it felt too short? ;-P I'm not a fan of Henry Lennox, but I do feel somewhat sorry for him, but significantly less so in the mini versus the book. His behaviour at the Exhibition irks me, but my brother is continually trying to convince me that he's seeing red at that point, all's fair in love and war, etc. (and my brother usually bursts in on my "trainstation bubble" with a resounding "POOR HENRY!" to spoil the moment and tease me, lol!)

That's perfectly alright! I don't do much personal blogging either but I friend people anyways. And I completely understand about wanting "real life" readers on your blog. ;-) So no, of course no hard feelings. :-)

[fioriture.livejournal.com]

(Happy Belated Thanksgiving!! :-D)

Yeah… I’m not even going to say much about my lateness. –blushes- I hope you didn’t think I totally forsook you, though! I had a crazy month, and I’m afraid it may get even more hectic in the future –pathetic sigh-. Even so, guilt’s not ever going to yield on this, and so I do apologize for being unbelievably late. :)

What do I like? Too many things, lol. For one, the Christmas season is near, and that's got me really cheerful. The bright lights everywhere, the music on the radio, the snow (which is starting to finally stick!)... I don’t know about you, but I just love love love the Christmas spirit, and it’s nice to have something to smile about with our world going through so many crises and problems right now.

Ooh, tea party!! ;D *drinks cup of tea with pinky sticking out in a feigned pretentious and cultured manner*

I’ve seen Johnny Depp in quite a lot of movies—he usually manages to do a good job with his roles (I hated the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though. Ugh. The 1971 version was infinitely better, to me at least.). I haven’t seen much of PSH, either—saw him in Mission Impossible 3 and one other movie that I can’t seem to remember its name, but I can’t say too much about his acting with his being only the supporting actor in both movies.

I'm seen Doctor Who everywhere around LJ, but too bad I don't have a BBC channel on my TV. (It's what I get for living in America, lol.) Speaking of British television, do you know if Lost in Austen is showing in the U.S. any time soon? *crosses fingers* (I heard that they’ll be showing Little Dorrit and Tess during this year’s Masterpiece Classic season, so I’m really looking forward for that, though!)

You don’t know how surprised I was to hear the name “Batman Beyond” again! Yes, it is in all earnest that I say that I have watched that show, although I wasn’t a regular viewer. I can’t really say much about it with it being fuzzy and vague in my memory; to be honest, all I remember from it is some redhead named Dana and some evil gangs. I don’t remember the main character’s name, though… weird. O_o

I will join you in your rotten-fruit throwing! I have never liked Ashley Wilkes; imo, he’s probably one of the most annoying fictional characters out there. I dislike Scarlett in the same way I dislike Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair, yet at the same time, both characters will never fail to capture my admiration-- of course, not for their evil manipulations and deceptions, but in their determination to reach their goals and in their persistence.

I still don’t know how I really feel about such a complex character as Mr. Preston, but he surely gained some sympathy from me... Cynthia, as well. Both Cynthia and Preston have done wrong in their own ways, but likewise, you don’t know who to support because of it. At least, that was the conflict in my head.

It indeed IS really sad!! There are certain things in Hollywood cinema and media in general that just bother me soooooo much, and that is among the top 3. (Yeah, I could probably go on and on about every single thing that irritates me about movies these days, but I’ll spare ye. :-D) Why people think that everything needs to be sensationalized, I don’t know. –sigh- Nowadays, there’s no proper build-up for the “romances” in films, and that’s so distressing to me. And that’s why I often turn to the classics and period dramas for romance; they have pure genuine love, and every little delicate action, no matter how subtle, makes a difference. It’s one of the many (emphasis on many ;D) reasons why I loved N&S: their gradual, repressed passion. The shaking of hands for the first time, the tea-cup-hand-touch, those fleeting glimpses of pure love, that tender, ardent look Thornton gives Margaret right before the epic kiss (OMG!)... such a love like theirs is seldom found in Hollywood/contemporary movies these days, and it’s such a pity. :(

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! :-) Hehe, I'm enjoying these comments too much to begrudge you any amount of time, long though it may be. I'm just happy to see a reply from you in my inbox! :-D (and I was flattered by your own similar remark, btw, thankyouverymuch! *curtsies*) And you must forgive me for swatting the ball so rapidly back into your court, but I just happened to be on just now, and read your message...

I confess, I can't think of another way to "gracefully" retire the Joker, without having him killed off "in passing" off screen, which, quite frankly, would be a very great shame. Such an epic villain (as well as an epic performance) deserves nothing less than a spectacular death, and I'm very curious to see how Christoper Nolan & Co. tie up the strings.

I've heard nothing but rumours as to the Penguin or the Riddler. Did you hear about the Michael Caine "confirmation", the Nolan "denial" of having any designs on either? Johnny Depp as the latter and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the former articles abound on Google. Not that I've been reading them, mind. *halo* I have an LJ friend who's boyfriend is quite into Batman comics, and subsequently she is as well I believe, but as for myself this latest "Nolanverse" is the most genuine interest I've had in the Batman kingdom for years and years. I do have to confess rather shamefacedly to watching the "new animated adventures" as a kid with my brother, as well as Batman Beyond ("Batman of the Future" abroad), but I'm sure you'll forgive me for that, lol...

*beams* Hey hey -- *I* am just as delighted to find someone who agrees with me in the Rachel Dawes Department!! ;-P It's not as if she doesn't know that Bruce is already going through so much stress with saving the world! Exaaaaactly. Oh, gee, Bruce, you're stressed out? Tired? Upset/frustrated? Gee, lemme make your life MORE complicated!! Aarrg!! Oh, and you know what, my brother and I were talking about TDK (again) the other day, and I had a bit of an epiphany. If Rachel doesn't want anything (romantically) to do with Bruce, and if she loves Harvey so much, then WHY is she kissing Bruce in his apartment??? If she doesn't want him, fine, but then quite giving the poor man mixed signals!!

And as for acting, I've never tried it, and most likely never will. The very thought terrifies me! The biggest thing, for me, would be having to kiss strange men. 8-/

Oh. My. GAWSH. That Jane Austen's Batman link you sent me was FANTASTIC! Remind me next time not to eat dinner whilst reading your comments, haha. No seriously, thank you heaps and heaps for that -- it was so hilariously funny, that I'm going to be cross-posting it here just as soon as I get a chance. That's a scream! Thank you so much for sharing it. :-D

I've only seen the Anthony Andrews version and the Leslie Howard version, which, surprisingly, isn't as bad as one who has seen Gone with the Wind might imagine. I've yet to see the Richard Grant version, as I was afraid it would turn out to be corny and/or flat. What did you think of it?

"Angophiles" is, I'm fully convinced, just a synonym for "persons with exceptional good taste." lol. ;-P

Yes, exactly! Please someone explain to me why someone with a resume and social circle as brilliant as EG's, would be doomed to obscurity until rescued by the BBC? It defies the imagination, or at least mine.

And again, you've managed to put my own feelings down as your own. I do so love strong character development, good background personalities as well as leading ones, and illuminating glimpses inside the aforementioned persons' minds and ways of thinking. (actually, back to W&D again, I was rereading the parts pertaining to Mr. Preston a while back, and he's quite a puzzle, himself, you know. He's very interesting, and I'm not sure if he's supposed to be a total villain or a somewhat sympathetic character.)

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