Atonement

I feel compelled to post about Atonement but I don't have any sense of what I want to say about it. It was a gorgeous movie. Everything about it was beautiful. And the first half of it was amazingly interesting, intriguing, engaging. I felt like the second half was kind of weak, only because I never felt it really come back around in the end. Based on the end, though, I guess that was kind of the point. Regardless of the fact that I didn't feel entirely satisfied walking out of the theater (although pretty close), I've been thinking about this one ever since. I think it made more of an impression on me than No Country For Old Men from the night before. I am a sucker for romance though.

Anyway, aside from the story issues (or non-issues?) and the lasting impression, there are some things worth mentioning. Keira Knightley in that green dress being first among them. But that's old news, all over the internet. In general, though, I thought she looked gorgeous. Something about period pieces suits her...and it doesn't seem to matter what period it is...as long as it's not right now. I also really liked her as a brunette. James McAvoy was...all I can come up with is charismatic. I couldn't take my eyes off of him if I wanted to. And I disagree with the one review I read that said they had no chemistry. I'll admit they weren't Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom (theirs still defies logic for me), but I definitely thought there was some hotness there. I didn't like Romola Garai as Briony as much as Saoirse Ronan, but I guess that's why Ronan got the Golden Globe nomination.

Hmm, I could go on about all sorts of little details about this movie. Guess I had plenty to say about it. One last thing. I think I like the word cunt. I realize that's really weird, but I think I'm going to start using it more often, for it's proper meaning rather than in a derogatory way. Well, needless to say that probably won't be too often.

Also, I think I might read the book.

New Google Toy: Groups!

It's like I have a new Google toy once a month. I just discovered Google Groups. I like it. I guess it's the same thing as a Yahoo group. It had never occurred to me to have one of those. I guess it had never before occurred to me to communicate with more than one person at a time and in a method other than email before either though. Anyway, it would be the greatest thing ever if I could get it to send an RSS feed to my reader (my Google Reader), but I can't. Seems to have something to do with it being private. Not sure. Despite all of the posts on the help forum I can't figure it out. Anyway, I still think it's fun. Eventually I'll just be living my entire life in Google. Hmm, unless I can get a Yahoo group to send to my RSS reader. But then my whole world wouldn't be consolidated in Google. I'm not sure I could deal with that.

All of this is a product of me drinking way too much caffeine while writing a paper and then not being able to go to sleep (and being incredibly hyper) after finishing the paper. Damn Coke Zero.

Movies without writers...Speechless

This is my favorite episode of Speechless so far. For more episodes go to Speechless.

I may have to give this up.

That was...bad. Just really, really, horribly bad. It's like the absolute dumbest and most nonsensical thing possible happened to every character...and all of it took place after a whole lot of completely idiotic and nonsensical conversations. I really hope that was a product of the rushed ending because of the strike. If it's not...it might just be time for me to give up on this show. I mean now that Nathan's dead I'd really only be watching it for Elle, Sylar, and the possibility that Adam will come back. And certain other things are pretty strong deterrents...like Maya, Micah, Claire being boring and pointless, the idea of Caitlin (btw, what happened to her?), Peter and Mohinder being the most weak-minded and easily manipulated people ever...I could probably come up with more. All in all, I'm just disappointed that this show really did nothing at all this season. It's like no one wrote a story arc for the volume and they just felt it out as they went along. Not a good plan. I'll give it a few episodes to redeem itself after the strike, but if it doesn't bring the awesome, that'll be it for me and Heroes. Sad.

My Current BSG Theories

Because I've been thinking about it a lot lately, I've started to develop some new thoughts about what might be going on on BSG.

One of my thoughts is that the twelve models of Cylons correspond to the twelve tribes/colonies/constellations. I've been looking at the traits of the signs of the zodiac, trying to determine if any of them correspond to particular Cylon models. I'm not sure yet.

Another one of my thoughts is this timeline:

• Humans of the Twelve Colonies create Cylons
• Cylons develop free will and rebel
• Cylons evolve into humanoid models
  
• Cylons destroy the Twelve Colonies
• Humans go in search of the Earth
  
• Humanoid Cylons and humans begin to interbreed
• Cylons, humans, and hybrids reach Earth
• Interbreeding continues until everyone is Cylon or hybrid
  
• Some kind of apocalyptic event drives everyone away from Earth
  
• Cylons and hybrids return to Kobol
• Cylons play the roles of the gods and guide the new hybrid civilization
  
• The Final Cylon starts its quest for power
• All the hybrids (basically humans now) flee Kobol during the fight
  
• Twelve tribes settle on the Twelve Colonies
• Details of ancestry have been forgotten
• Humans of the Twelve Colonies create Cylons

This was probably a little clearer in my head. And also, it doesn't really answer the question of the Cylon God or where the Cylons go once the hybrid-humans leave Kobol. It does make sense to me that the Cylons might be the Lords of Kobol though. Although that would have to mean that the Lords of Kobol don't exactly correspond to the real Greek Olympians, because among the Greek gods there are six males and six females. So far there are seven male Cylons, four female Cylons, and one unknown. Also, I'm not sure how this would tie in to their relationship with the tribes/colonies/constellations.

And now I have "All Along the Watchtower" stuck in my head.