Topper (movie)

(photo taken from Wikipedia.)

Topper is a semi-famous movie which I feel I really cannot do justice to with words.

It was made in 1939, and seems to transcend eras because it's just so damn FUNNY.

As the plot goes, Topper is a banker who is somewhat mousy and boring. (This seems to be an old Hollywood cliche. If you see this stereotype, shazam, something exciting is going to happen!) He buys a car and a penthouse that belonged to a dead socialite couple. He starts hearing voices and crashes his car, and it turns out--surprise!-- they're ghosts, and they're his new best friends. They meddle with his life and make it more exciting, doing it all with 30s class.

Way before beetlejuice, this set the standard for friendly-ghost-couple-befriends-social-misfit. And it's GOOD, even. Normally I find it difficult to pay attention to movies, but I was more or less glued to the screen for about two hours.

And I won't spoil it, but it even had a happy ending. Always the best part of a movie, I think.

Highly recommended, 5/5. If your local video store doesn't have this, try the library or netflix. Or buy it even, really it's just that good.

Violet and Claire by Francesca Lia Block

I was originally directed to this by numerous ecstatic references by commenters on blogs such as iCiNg. I had hoped to find another work on par with Weetzie Bat, but was somewhat let down.

It's nice, but not outstanding, as well mildly confusing in the second half. It is somewhat difficult to keep track of what is going on, and who is dating whom! Possibly, this might have been remedied by stretching out the chapters a bit. As with many of Block's books, the chapters leading to the end suffer because of the condensed events.
Also, a good deal of it seems dated. Crop tops, and vinyl pants? Sounds a lot like spice world.

I did like the first part. Block's strength is in character description, and she shines here. It's easy to picture Claire and Violet, and their surroundings without trying too hard.

The characters are supposed to be radically different and unique but Violet comes off like every myspace teen compiled into a single girl. Vaguely irritating, especially the way she sees people and treats Claire throughout. The only way she really redeems herself is at the very end. The rest of the way, really, she is pretty much...a douche, put bluntly.
Perhaps this was intentional, but it was somewhat of a turn-off.

Less detailed description was devoted to Claire, but this may have helped the reader's view of her. It's easy to like her, even without the (possibly) unnecessary subplot about bullying.

Block manages to pull it together in characteristic fashion, though not as well as she usually does. My main complaint is that the characters are a bit too contrived, and hard to feel genuine sympathy for. Still, against your will, you'll tear up when they reunite at the end.

3 stars out of 5.

the willowdale handcar, the doubtful guest

The Willowdale Handcar or the Return of the Black Doll and The Doubtful Guest are both picture books written by Edward Gorey, an illustrator who wrote children's books tending towards the macabre. (more info on edward gorey.) They're a cult hit nowadays, and have influenced many people, including myself. Blablablah, selfpromotion!

Anyway, they're darker toned, and even though I read them myself when I was young, they don't quite fit into today's overly colorful dumbed-down childhood curriculum.

The Willowdale Handcar or The Return of the Black Doll is about a group of travelers who find an old-fashioned handcar. At first they visit sights and exclaim at things they've never seen, but after awhile the reader begins to sense that something is slightly off, perhaps just a bit absurd. They travel for months without needing to rest, and see absurd sights, like a mansion balancing on the edge of a cliff, or a house burning down in the middle of a field. It doesn't have a clear resolution, but that fit the book.
Most people, by a quick survey of the internet, seem to think this is "funny in its absurdity" (direct quote)... actually, I thought it was a bit creepy. It could be funny at first glance but if you look closely at the pictures, it's really just disturbing. Good book, though definitely not for younger readers. Its place in the children's section of my local library is rather dubious, if I was (still) working there, I would move it to the adult. 4/5 stars.

The Doubtful Guest is far better, and downright hilarious. One day a family finds a strange creature wearing a pair of white sneakers standing in their hallway, face to the wall. It won't pay any attention to them, so they go to bed hoping it will be gone in the morning. The next day and in the days to follow it turns out to be a nuisance, appearing in soup tureens and examining chimney flues and all kinds of things that get in their way and drive them crazy. The book has a surprise twist (SPOILER if you hadn't read this as a kid)-- it never left, and has been there seventeen years. I loved it even more rereading it! I hear this is becoming a movie, courtesy of Warner Bros. (don't quote me on this, it may be a different Gorey book), so I'm curious to see how they portray the creature. 5/5 stars.

media consumption

hello there!

i am hyuju and this is yet another blog of mine.

i'm going to review various books, music, and movies i go through. consider it a log of media consumption.

i do accept suggestions so, please, give me some titles~!