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Kali
_thirty2flavors
27 September 2011 @ 01:08 am
sometimes we even watch things that don't have david tennant in them  
LOL in our continuing quest to watch ALL THE THINGS with Doctor Who alum, firstofoct and I just watched The Ruby in the Smoke with Billie Piper and Matt Smith.


I read the books a while ago and enjoyed them, in part just because of my amusing mental images (like the bit where Jim hopped around between 'a ten year old', 'James Potter' and 'Matt Smith'). I think the plots are generally hard to follow and not that interesting, but my amusing mental images pushed me through and I ended up liking Tiger In the Well and Tin Princess quite a lot. TOO BAD THOSE ARE NOT THE MOVIES THEY MADE.

Anyway, I'd heard these adaptations were terrible, and this wasn't great. It was pretty slow in a lot of places, which is partly the fault of Pullman's plot but also just pacing issues I think.

I'm not really sure what's going on with Billie Piper's Sally. placebetween had mentioned that she was not fierce enough and I think I agree. THIS BAFFLES ME because I know that Billie Piper is fully capable of being the HBIC -- I mean, come on, Belle de Jour! -- so I am not sure what was going on here or why the director/whoever failed to notice that Sally Lockhart is a total BAMF and should be played as such. Is it to try and fit with the Victorian thing? IDK but I wish she had more Rose Tyler/Hannah Baxter-esque spunk in this. I guess Sally is mostly depressed as shit in this book, but still.

On the other hand Matt Smith delighted me as J Taylor, Esq even if he was like fifteen years older than he was meant to be. J Taylor Esq is always delightful, and this is the first non-Who thing I've seen Matt Smith in so it was amusing to notice his actor quirks -- like the twirling! And the nose tapping. Is this when he and Billie were dating? I'm going to assume it is because it cracks me up. ~OTP~

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I can't help laughing my ass off at J Taylor Esq losing Adelaide. I mean, I knew it happened, but it was so much more hilar with Matt Smith playing Jim and in light of series 6. GOD ELEVEN, WHY DOES ANYONE TRUST YOU WITH CHILDREN? And then omg at the end he's all "I'll find her!" LOL. NO, YOU WON'T. AND THEN ONE DAY YOU WILL HAVE SEX WITH HER. Why does this keep happening to you, Matt Smith. I am never letting you near my imaginary children.

Anyway, soon we will watch Shadow in the North as well. That book made me cry, so bring it, Billie Piper.
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Kali_thirty2flavors on September 27th, 2011 05:56 am (UTC)
4, and they're Phillip Pullman, and they're very... Pullman. So, IDK, you can usually see his ~agenda~, whatever that agenda may be, throuhg his writing. Or at least you could in books 3 and 4 more clearly, which might be why I liked them more. Most of them are pretty short.
Let Them Talkbluetooth16 on September 27th, 2011 05:58 am (UTC)
I don't curr about his atheist agenda. I'm just glad that the books are short because I'm already trying to plough though a series with multiple books over 500 pages long.
Kali_thirty2flavors on September 27th, 2011 06:01 am (UTC)
The atheist agenda isn't strong (that I recall) in Sally Lockhart, but you get a lot of other political stuff cropping up. Actually I think that's part of why I liked book 3 a lot, there was lots of feminism/women's rights stuff and even some bbZionists for Liz!

I think these are like in the 200-range. Book 3 is a bit longer and might be more like 350.
Let Them Talkbluetooth16 on September 27th, 2011 06:05 am (UTC)
I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is blatant mentions of US left wing politics. As Liz can attest, that will make me fly off the handle with rage.

That's good because I'm reading the Outlander series now, where each book is anywhere from 700-1,300 pages.
Kali_thirty2flavors on September 27th, 2011 06:08 am (UTC)
Pullman is pretty left, thinking on it I think there is some bbsocialism to go with the bbZionism. But it's also all set in Britain, and back in Victorian era, so IDK.

LOL THAT IS TOO LONG TBH, only JKR can convince me to read stuff that long. That's part of the reason I am way too lazy to read ASOIAF.
Let Them Talkbluetooth16 on September 27th, 2011 06:12 am (UTC)
If it's the olden times, it's OK. Post 1950's stuff is what usually triggers my blind rage.

It's insanely long, but I'm a completist. Also, I have this funny idea in my head of making my graduate thesis an analysis of the history presented in the series. I'm never getting through ASOIAF because it's simply not my cup of tea.
Lizbazcat89 on September 27th, 2011 03:12 pm (UTC)
Pullman has nothing to do with US politics. At least, in terms of the two book series in question.

Basically, HDM and the Sally Lockhart books are brilliantly written books aimed at YA audiences, but they are also stealth polemics. HDM is a polemic against organized religion, and Sally Lockhart is a polemic against capitalism in the context of Victorian London.
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