WRITING ELSEWHERE #2

IS SHERLOCK STILL READABLE?

In the age of Johnlock, slow-mo boxing scenes and a female Watson, why should we actually read Sherlock Holmes?

@ THE ARTIFICE

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm on YouTube

This so-called blog is turning into a big platform of self-promoting other things I spend my precious blogging time on. But maybe these news will make you forgive me a little for the recent (ahem) abandonment of the film critic side of me. I...

*DRUMM ROLL*

... OPENED A YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH MY SISTER! Like most people of our generation, we spend way too much time on the YouTube, watching everything from Old Spice ads to booktube hauls and song spoofs. Our channel is hopefully going to be just as diversely flavoured as our viewing habits (it has nothing to do with us being an undecided mess). But you can get an impression of what it's going to be like in our first video.

Due to our lack of a vault full of Galleons, we decided to make our poor financial status the subject of our second video which came out way later than expected. Still, it turned out better than I imagined.

So that's all we got for now, I hope you're hooked as hell and support this project by spreading the love ALL. OVER. THE PLACE. It's not like we're going to rob your house of Pringles if you don't though. Really, that's not our intention. At all. How did I even think of that?

And finally, another big announcement: I just hit the BUY button on amazon and a brand-new camcorder is on its way to our little village in Northern Germany. So make sure to subscribe in order to not miss our next absolutely awesome video.

TALKING (and singing) ELSEWHERE #1

Have you been craving more of my weird, funny, nasal voice ever since you listened to an episode of the Across the Universe: The Chicks With Accents podcast? Then despair no more, for here comes an extra batch of audio material for you to devour.

Most recently, I have been a guest on what has been one of my favorite podcasts right from the start, and the only one of which I have listened to each episode (well... there are only 5, including mine, but whatever). So if you want to hear me sing (if that's what you can call it), listen to We Sing Poorly #5: Beauty and the Beast.

I've also been on a few episode of the LAMBcast:

• #203: Most Anticipated of 2014
• #190: Franchise (kinda) Look-Back - Universal Monsters
• #185: What'cha Been Watching Lately
  
  

And if you need even more, there's something to look forward to with future appearances on the Matineecast on The Film Pasture.

HAPPY NEW MONTH!

Wrapping up January 2014

Despite a slow start (my party plans were crushed by the worst jetlag I ever had), the new year started off pretty wildly. In order to make time to watch every Oscar nominated film I could possibly find, my schedule suddenly became very tight. Then I didn't have any working hours, which destroyed my plans of buying a new camera to make cool youtube videos in February. Still, we have a good one planned which actually doesn't require a good cam. Beside the films, I had to make room for Sherlock, my Harry Potter feature and the Blind Spot entry. So basically, I didn't have a life in January.

Leaving Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets

HARRY POTTER AND the chamber of secrets

book 1998     movie 2002      first read 2005?      first watch 2003?

A return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I pay my accolades to Hermione's last truly geeky year, sleek-hair Malfoy, Ron's first wand and the old Dumbledore.

ZOOM IN.

Once hooked by the magical world of Harry Potter, I never considered actually reading The Chamber of Secrets as preferred to just watching the movie. It was out there, so why not just slip it in the DVD player (easier said than done, but my birthday wasn't far away). I was young, I was stupid. So when I finally did go back and read the book, about two years after watching the film, I was surprised to find so many new aspects of the story in the book. Whether my surprise was caused by the bigger similarity between the first book and its film or whether I was just too inexperienced to know that things do get lost in translation, I'll never know. The scene that left its biggest impression on me then was definitely Sir Nick's ghost party, which I didn't see coming at all. Speaking of that, the ghosts were rather neglected in the Harry Potter films, am I right (Peeves, anyone)? Still, I do love them.