(Comic) Books vs Movies

No this is about X-men. It doesn't require to much intelligence to point out how much that sucked and disappointed.

I watched V for Vendetta the other day. And I have the privelage of having already read the book before the film. I don't think I'll be able to pull the same stunt with Aeon Flux by watching the original mini-series first.

I wasn't dissapointed, "V" is an excellent film with good cinematography, characterisation
(very hard to do with a masked dramatis persona) and a pretty good story - It's just not the same as the book. The books main creator, Alan Moore, was dissapointed with the film; co creator David Lloyd attributed this to Moore probably going to be unsatisfied with anything but a direct transposition of graphic novel to screen.

I think maybe its a bit like the difference between the XII comic vs the XIII video game. I can't be certain, I haven't read the comics. I once got in trouble for proposing a merge between those two articles, I thought if they both have a title and plot elements the same - they must essentially be the same - after seeing V I think I can understand more that it is simply not the case.

Both plots are flawed in their own way. In my copy of V, Moore himself acknowledges that he approached the ramifications of a global nuclear war rather naively - plus you simply get the fact that the comics were circa 1970s while the movie was moderned up. The calamity was upgraded to biological attack - which two I think in hindsight could be recognised as being treated rather naively. Both the development, and execution and remedy for the biological attacked had several flaws. You can't trust biological elements to be quite so controllable. Jurassic Park: Life will find a way.

I think another flaw in the film plotline is that England doesn't seem to bad off. everything remains sort of middle class - in fact, poor people seem to be just non-existant at all. Fascism can certainly accomplish that (idealistically anyway). The novel managed to highlight the typical hypocrisy inherent in puritan models of governance, while the upper crust maintained a sense of unity and prevalence (which itself was corrupted by the existence of beings such as the Father) - the down and out were still starving, with vice gambling, strip bars, drinking, brawling and prostitution not exactly rare or scandalous.

Also because of the middle-class environment the inhabitants of a post-2000 Norsefire England weren't so intimidated by the government. In the book I doubt the shooting of a pre-pubescent vandal really would've sparked the community outrage it did in the movie. It would be expected, probably served the snotty subversive right. England in the book was still plagued by the sort of anarchy that the movie's US seemed to be. Norsefire in the book was elected because people really wanted it, in the movie it was more they couldn't care less. Maybe apathy was considered a more relevant issue to face by the filmmakers.

The movie certainly feels more relevant to modern society than the book - with more focus on elements like social apathy, media bias, censorship, wars on terror and the morality of rebellion/terrorism. But that said the book's themes aren't exactly irrelevant either.

"Awakening"? Just dreaming...

or delusional?

I'm confused by a lot of this article on Bush claiming a new religious (meaning Christian, no conservative Christian) awakening in the US.

Aside from claims that 1800s religion was responsible for abolishing slavery (what about all those Christians who thought it was their God-given right to have slaves?). There is also Bush still saying that faith is his motivation for the W.O.T. ...

...maybe I'm confusing confusion with fear of extreme ignoraminity profusing from people in power these days.

Looks like I don't have the IQ for dictator-for-life any more.

And, It's a Boy!

Japanese Princess Kiko has given birth to a bouncing baby boy, producing a male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne - and most likely squashing all calls for heredity change in one of the most socially conservative countries in the world.

Despite 8 previous individual Empresses of Japan (Empress Kogyoko and Empress Kouken both ruled twice, their second reigns being dubbed Empress Saimei and Empress Shoutoko respectively) - European meddling in the late 18th century restored chauvanistic notions that only males should be allowed to reign, like King Victoria of the United Kingdom. Modern Europe (and its cousins, North America and to some extent European Oceana), is very critical of "primitive" nations of Asia, Africa and Islands for being mysoginist in appointment to places of power, totally ignoring European (and Christian!) influence supporting, encouraging and introducing it.

Like the issue of a new national flag for Australia, female succession in Japan has a majority of public support over there - yet conservatives that control the law-making baulk at the very thought of the idea. Even those with a few liberal bones in their body, like Junichiro Koizumi (PM) backed right back down as soon as Princess Kiko was announced pregnant. (Some suggested an interesting coincidental period of time since the idea of female succession was brought to the fore).

The leading argument against female succession is the fear of diluting the imperial line by "marrying a blue-eyed foreigner". Traditionally the Japanese Imperial line is descended from the gods of Shinto, however post WWII, the Emperor has been forced to publicly deny his godhood, but it is still probably accepted by various factions of hardcore nationalists.

The problem with the argument of "dilution" is that a male heir might decide to go after some foreign boobies (trust me, he's Japanese, it would be for the boobies) as well. Also it makes the racist assumption that foreign dilution is bad. Nobody really wants completely inbred royal families these days, at least they've laxed up on the idea of marrying commoners, why not gaijin as well?

Anyway still congratulations for Princess Kiko, and nature enthusiast, Prince Akishino, for their new arrival. And がんばって (good luck) to cute little Princess Aiko, she might make Empress yet.

A bloke at the zoo also had a new baby boy this week, so congratulaions to little Ty Irwin's parents and other family.