You can have it all

FIC: "Starlette" (Ginny/Sirius; R)

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:27:17 GMT

Title: Starlette
Author: orpheus_samhain
Betas: Mony and sweetflag
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ginny/Sirius
Rating: R
Word Count: ~1,600
Disclaimer: Characters belong to JKR.
Summary: A photo shoot gone wrong.
Author's Notes: Written for chimbomba for fanfics_express Ginny-centric challenge.

Starlette

"Oi, Sirius, geroff!"

Ron violently waved his hand in the air as if batting away an insistent fly. Sirius leant back, protecting his newest love and pastime and bane of the other residents of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The magical camera flashed nonetheless, immortalising Ron's annoyed expression and something more. Ron was trying to hide something behind himself. Ron was trying to hide something while being uncooperative.

Not wise.

Sirius grinned widely.

"What are you doing?" he asked innocently, loudly enough to carry throughout the whole room.

Ron glanced at his mum and back at Sirius.

"Nothing!"

Mrs Weasley immediately raised her head from supervising her three sets of darning.

Ron silently cursed his choice of words and, panicking, looked at Hermione for help. Hermione fixed Sirius with a steady stare and spoke as loudly as him.

"Ron, when you're finished with that list of troll wars in the early Middle Ages, please help us with goblin rights, will you?"

"Wha— Oh, yeah! Yeah, sure." Ron lowered his head over the book and assumed a very thoughtful expression.

Mrs Weasley returned to her task. Sirius opened his mouth to point out that the book they had open on the floor didn't quite look like History of Magic, but spotting his godson's pleading look, he relented. Ruffling Ron's hair — a tad too roughly, judging by his wince — he winked at Harry and went to tormenting others.

His eyes fell on the youngest Weasley sprawled on the sofa. Ginny was reclining on her side, propping her head on her bent arm and flicking through an illustrated magazine. It was a Quidditch magazine, as Sirius could tell by the brooms on every page, but not your average one. Strangely, all the players displayed naked, well-sculpted chests and strong legs; flexing their muscles, they blew kisses while gliding their hands over their bodies.

Walking up to her, he insolently checked it from up close. Ginny glanced at him and went back to her 'reading'.

Sirius wasn't deterred that easily.

"Ginny, don't study that hard. You might hurt yourself," he admonished mockingly, raising his toy to eye-level. "Smile for the camera!"

Clearly distracted, Ginny looked up at him, lifting a corner of her mouth to accommodate his request.

"That's not enough, not near enough, sweet princess!" Sirius wailed as if her scant smile hurt him personally. "Have you learned nothing?" He waggled his brows meaningfully and pointed to the mag with his chin.

Ginny smiled fully at this, not perplexed by his knowing smirk, and blew him a kiss, posing like a model from a questionable magazine. The shutter went off, and Sirius made a show of capturing her from every possible angle, squatting and towering over her in turns, coming near for the close-ups and then backing off to catch all of her.

"Give me more! Give me more! Yes, that's right… That's right, sweetheart!" he shrieked in a mock high-pitched voice while Ginny writhed on the sofa like a neurotic snake, striking different poses for him. Although she was shielded from her mother's hawk eyes by the back of the sofa, the sounds of her gymnastic feats carried through Sirius' shrieks. Mrs Weasley raised her head again.

"Ginny, stop whatever you're doing and give Mr Black a rest." Molly didn't accept the fact that Sirius allowed, in fact encouraged, all the children to call him by his given name. Neither did she approve of adults acting like ten-year-olds.

Ginny bit her lip to prevent a snort of laughter, but obeyed her mother without a word. She straightened her clothes and wanted to go back to admiring the flexing bodies, but Sirius didn't give up. When she tugged at the edge of her skirt to cover her knees, he admonished her, albeit in a much quieter voice.

"Wrong direction, Ginny."

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief and after a moment of hesitation started to drag the hem of her skirt up her legs, revealing her thighs inch by inch, looking questioningly at him.

"Smart girl." Sirius gave an approving nod and again lifted his camera, this time walking slowly along the sofa, taking several pictures with every step. When her hand reached her upper thigh, she raised her right leg slightly so that he had a clear view of her cotton-clad crotch. Sirius, suddenly less playful and more focused, lowered his camera to admire the view without the lens. Giving Ginny an undecipherable, lingering look, he said slowly, "Looks like you have the makings of a photo model."

Ginny seemed a bit baffled by his words, but stubbornly kept his gaze and didn't cover herself.

Crouching at her side, Sirius directed the camera at her midsection, dropping all pretences at doing anything else. His shots travelled from her knee, along the inside of her thigh and to her bunched skirt.

Ginny's fingers reached her groin and halted there. Putting aside the camera, Sirius rolled his eyes at her and spoke quietly.

"Now, we're not going to stop at this, are we? Where is your sense of adventure?"

Molly Weasley, with her acute timing, chose this moment to chime in.

"Ginny, have you prepared your homework? Look at your brother, he's preparing for the next term. He could help you with your History scroll."

Ginny cast a vengeful glance in the general direction of the trio, somewhere behind the arm of the sofa, and replied in a sweet voice.

"I have already prepared all of my homework, and I have better grades than Ron, anyway."

"Ginny, don't talk back! You could benefit from having elder siblings, especially now that they've decided to put an effort into their studies."

Ginny didn't see Ron blushing and opening his mouth or Hermione's stalling hand. She did see, however, Sirius' amused smile… At her expense.

Stifling the reply that threatened to burst from her mouth, one that her mother wouldn't appreciate, Ginny locked her gaze with Sirius'. Narrowing her eyes, she slipped her hand between her thighs and pulled the gusset of her panties aside. The stretched fabric bit into her groin, exposing the patch of sparse, red hair.

Sirius didn't seem to notice at first; only when her annoyed expression morphed into challenging did he sweep his gaze along her body, spotting the difference.

Spluttering, he loosened his grip on the camera for a split second. It slipped from his hands, and Sirius awkwardly pressed his arms against his chest, desperately trying to catch it. The inadvertently activated flash burned his skin.

"Damn!" he swore, jumping and dropping his camera entirely. The whole room looked at him: children with delight and adults with varying degrees of reproach written over their faces.

"Flash," uttered Sirius. Ginny's eyes widened, and she immediately let go of her panties. "I've burnt my hand." He looked at Ginny, with a silent 'I know who's to blame'.

Ginny shot him a winning smile and straightened her clothes. Still smirking, she went back to perusing her magazine.

Both Hermione and Mrs Weasley jumped to their feet, offering their help.

"It's nothing," muttered Sirius, healing his injury and pinning the culprit down with a stare that belied his words. He picked up his toy from the floor and inspected it carefully. The prodding and shaking didn't have any effect: the camera didn't work. "Broken," he announced in a mournful voice.

"Let me take a look, Sirius. It would be a pity to waste a new camera." Arthur folded the Prophet he'd been reading and got to his feet. They both sat at the table near the window, leaning over the broken mechanism. Sirius chose the seat from which he might not have the best view of what Mr Weasley was doing but definitely offered an unconcealed view of Ginny. Muttering his 'uh-hms' and 'uh-hus' in all the right places at Arthur's remarks, he didn't take his eyes off the girl on the sofa.

Ginny felt his heavy gaze and looked up briefly to confirm her suspicions. He tipped his chair back, the palm of his hand propped against the brim of the table and the other crammed into his jeans pocket. Ginny couldn't help but squirm uneasily. Though his hair got into his eyes and she only glanced at him for a moment, she knew she had his undivided attention. It made her anxious. She shifted again, not able to find a comfortable position.

"Look! It seems that that little piece of metal stuck there blocks the whole mechanism. Easy!" Mr Weasley sighed happily. Sirius muttered another 'uh-hm' and reluctantly turned his head towards the table because he didn't have any excuse to be looking elsewhere. Arthur gave the camera the finishing touch and exclaimed, beaming, "Ready! Give it a try!"

Sirius took the camera with a strange lack of enthusiasm and took a haphazard shot of the room. "Yes, great… works. Thank you." He nodded to Arthur and offered it to him. "Maybe you'll try for yourself?"

Arthur wiped his palms on his trousers and reached for the camera.

"Not now, Arthur." Mrs Weasley clapped her hands and stood up. "Time for supper. Harry, Hermione, Ron, pick up your books. You'll finish tomorrow," she added when Hermione opened her mouth to protest; she and Mr Weasley both had the same defeated look on their faces.

Ginny was the first to spring from the room which suddenly seemed stifling to her. It didn't do her any good, though. In no time, Sirius was right behind her in the dimly lit corridor.

Before the others filed from the room, he managed to tug at her hair and whisper: "I'll get you for this, ginger."

2008, August-December

Concrit always appreciated.

x-posted to: all_fiction here, hp_rarepairs here, hp_het here

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I received Ambition by humbuggirl, Ginny/Lucius, PG-13. Thank you!

VIDEO: Paul Simon "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover"

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 22:14:36 GMT

I am addicted to some songs.

Been A Long Long Day :DDDD

Scarborough Fair

El Condor Pasa

Yule fic recs pt. 3

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:03:16 GMT

I don't have the time to read *cries* and am sooo behind with fest entries.

A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement Between Two Former Childhood Enemies of Pureblood Status, Draco/Neville, NC-17, ~5,000, confident (but not overly) Neville and mistrustful Draco, delicious, delicious read, I tell you, they are as much IC as it's humanly possible

Charmed Wool, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~12,000, another fic in animal series this winter, an illegal knitter of charmed jumpers, sheep, and Draco. I absolutely adored Harry here, this is how he should have turned after Voldy, so level-headed and calm :)

May I?, Harry/Sirius/(Remus), NC-17, ~5,000, underage

LESS_FOR_YOU 2009!

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:12:05 GMT

The second round of Lily/Severus anonymous art and fic exchange will kick off in January.

sign ups: Jan 2-11
prompts out: Jan 15
works due: March 19
posting starts: March 23
reveal: 3 days after the last piece is posted

The sign-up form is already available at less_for_you.

"Orientalism in Polish Art" Warsaw National Museum

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:49:21 GMT

I almost missed it. I did miss the lectures that accompanied the exhibition. I almost swore aloud in the entrance where the list was posted. I completely forgot about them *headdesk* (I also forgot about the Interbellum exhibition at the Royal Castle - and the fashion lecture was in November - fuckfuckityfuck - I think I will create a comm to store this kind of information)

Never mind.

So. One Thousand and One Nights. Arabian horses. Clothing. Characteristic, curved blade-weapons. Armours. Architecture. Floral motifs. Harems. Odalisques. Houri. Eunuchs. Sultans. Silk scarves. ehem

The thing I liked the most were sketches for a batalistic scene, step by step, from a naked man, through his clothes, arms (like in weapons), study of a horse, its finesse harness, with all those fanciful drapes and ornaments, then background. I was drooling and whimpering at the horses. There is no better thing than an Eastern steed.

Also, "L'enchantresse" I forgot by whom (I didn't have a single pen on me, so no memory-aids), a bored woman and a man completely, well, enchanted with her.

Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz "Arab in the desert"

Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz "At The Well"

his other orientalistic works

Józef Brandt "The Hawk Market"

his other orientalistic works

Stanisław Chlebowski "View of Massana"

Chlebowski was sultan's Abdulaziz's court painter for twelve years (until sultan's death)

his other orientalistic works

Jan Ciągliński "View of the Constantinople port"

Piotr Michałowski "A clash between French infantry and Arabian cavalry"

unrelated, Piotr Michałowski "Stableman curbing percherons" I love percherons, I adored this painting as a child

Ludwik Wiesiołowski "David playing the harp"

Feliks Wygrzywalski "Persian Bazaar"

his other orientalistic works

Franciszek Żmurko "On the orders of Padishah"

his other orientalistic works

Juliusz Kossak "Farys I" and Farys II horsies *hearts*

And non-Polish:

Hugo Buchwald "Madrasa-je Madar-e Shah"

Auguste Delacroix "A Landscape from Tanger"

Gaspard Gobaut "A scene from the French fights in Algeria"

Emil Orlik "On the Nile"

Henri Emilien Rosseau "Arabian horseman with a falcon"

his other orientalistic works

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin "Bazaar"

his other orientalistic works

Félix Ziem "Constantinople"

his other orientalistic works

There was certainly a shortage of naked men *snerk*

Then I strayed to Polish Art section (permanent exhibition) and was surprised by how much I missed some paintings. Some of them were the inseparable part of my childhood, the reproductions or prints were everywhere: in the kindergarden, local clinic, school, culture centre... To the point that I started to hate some artists because you could hardly turn your head without seeing their works. For example Wyspiański.

Jacek Malczewski:
Art in the backwater The child is so confused and the faun so adorable! *hugs both*
Painter's Muse

Józef Mehoffer:
Strange Garden

Władysław Podkowiński:
Children in the garden
Chopin's funeral march
Frenzy of Exultations that caused scandal, and was cut by the artist himself
modern use ;)

Stanisław Wyspiański:
Sleeping Staś
Ludwik Solski (actor) as an Old Soldier from Wyspiański's drama
Maternity
Irises I love his flowers

*yawns* time for bed

Yule fic recs pt. 2

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:25:03 GMT

False Pretenses, Ginny/Draco, NC-17, ~21,000, lovely, classical g/d, with lively and not spiteful Ginny (why JKR did that to her?)

Night Terrors, Harry/Sirius/Remus, NC-17, ~7,000, guilty pleasure of mine, the pairing is so rare that I read it with my tongue lolled out, warning: Harry is underage

Stregati, Harry/Hermione, NC-17, ~17,000, infidelity, this is probably the first time I've read H/Hr fic deliberately o.O

Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~17,000, misunderstandings, tossing back and forth, comb --> *melts*

The Closing of the Year, Harry/Tom, PG, ~5,000, post-DH, epilogue-compliant (not contradicting it), strange but lovely :)

Elephants, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~5,000, humour bordering on crack, contains the abusive elephants: my bitchy ex-coworker would have something to say about it, thankfully, I'll never hear it *snerk*

ART: Madam Rosmerta

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:28:55 GMT

James and Sirius preferred to go to Hogsmeade on brooms. On some days the view was better than on others. In general - totally worth detentions they got for this.

"Beedle the Bard", Ginny-centric exchange, crack_broom's free-flying month and hp_springsmut

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:44:23 GMT

Yesterday I received "Beedle the Bard", exclusive edition, and I squeed like a child. I am such a sucker for unusual books *g* I'm saving it for Christmas ~~I don't have the time to read it now anyway~~

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fanfics_express organises a Ginny-centric drabble (500-1,000 words) exchange:

Sign Ups Begin: December 9th
Sign Ups Close: December 14th
Assignments Sent: December 15th
Assignments Due: December 31st
Posting Begins: January 1st

This is my chance to break the dry spell concerning Ginny/Sirius or Ginny/Lucius that I wanted to write very much for a long time.

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December is a free-flying month at crack_broom. It means that you can rec one fic or art in December. Detailed info

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Sign ups for hp_springsmut will run from Dec 14th till Dec 19th. Detailed info

Yule fic recs pt. 1

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:25:37 GMT

First off, I've got your card ariadneelda! Mine is on its way. And, no, you didn't mangle my name :)

Fisher King, Percy/Moody, NC-17, ~7,000, surprisingly lyrical.

A Chronicle of a Selection of Rita Skeeter's Conquests, or, Confessions of a Quick Quotes Quill, Rita/Severus, NC-17, ~6,000, not one-dimensional Rita, mentions of Lily/Severus.

Four Weddings, Pansy/Theo, NC-17, ~3,000, Pansy is a Slytherin through and through.

So Hard a Master, Draco/Harry, PG-13, ~20,000, angst, sweet angst!

Old Dog, New Tricks, Charlie/Teddy, NC-17, ~5,000, first time, I-didn't-know-who-you-are type of fic.

Out From Under, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~14,000, humour and then again not.

Time and Turn Enough, Pansy/Ron, NC-17, ~12,000, grown-up thing with kids, usually not my cuppa, but it's really good.

Yuletide Treasure, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~10,000, one step forward, two steps back.

The Sound and the Fury, Draco/Harry, NC-17, ~5,000, kinky goodness :)

Desperate Times Call for Sirius Measures, Remus/Sirius, NC-17, ~7,000, I read it at 3 a.m. and I had to bite my fist to not howl with laughter, then again, not many people share my sense of humour; the only fic I know of where Sirius doesn't give a fuck about Harry.

Payback, Hermione/Fred, NC-17, ~3,000, I really, really enjoyed Fred here, his exchange with Hermione seemed very natural, very IC; he never allowed the initiative in converstaion or otherwise to slip from him for long, he was funny, but never thoughtless, he knew what he wanted but wasn't too pushy.

"Twilight" the film and Ariana's Bella/James manip

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:29:25 GMT

ariana_master posted a beautiful photomanip of Bella and James. The entry is in Russian. If you want to see the manip bigger, click on it. To see the original photo (and to appreciate Ariana's skills) click on the first link. The second link leads to her fanfic (in Russian).

[x-posted to trackingtheswan: here]

----

I saw the film today. It's emo, it's cringe-worthy, it's worse than I thought. Pattinson acted worse than I expected him to, worse than Stewart. Still, it didn't kill my love for certain characters or motifs.

I tried not to be disappointed too much, and I concentrated on what I liked or what I could use in the fics: Carlisle/Edward *snerk* no, not my kind of pairing, but it was obvious; James/Edward - James was so focused on Edward right from the start that he didn't even notice the snack at first; Bella/James - yes, despite what I wrote just a moment ago, and this is definitely my kind of pairing; Jacob, I really liked film!Jacob, well, I liked the book!Jacob, too; Victoria, she was really good, not exaggerated, although it would be easy with that role.

I can't not mention what I didn't like: Carlisle (the actor) - his nose is fake and it will fall off the moment when you least expect it!; Esme (actress) - she's so stiff, what about vampire agility? she couldn't take the stairs two steps at a time if she tried and she looked ridiculous in the baseball cap; Rosalie - my pet peeve, she looked like a cheap, battered hooker, although the actress herself is pretty; hey, you, director! I noticed how when Bella and Edward were supposed to talk there was silence and the camera was circling them in pseudo-artistic way: they had nothing interesting to say and you left it to the audience to fill in the gaps. Gotcha! And I would like to talk to the person who gave James that wig.

Oh, and did Meyer make an appearance in the bar? I thought I recognised the pullover. :/

"Dance Me" a featured story at Lumos!

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:13 GMT

I couldn't believe my own eyes when I checked emails this morning! My Narcissa/Tom fic "Dance Me" became a featured story for December at Lumos/Sycophant Hex. And they gave me this banner to show off *hearts*

Random post is random

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:26:51 GMT

many overdue matters need to be attended to *snerk*

001 _lile and squirmy deleted their LJs, and didn't appear on IJ *wails* How can you forget Lile's Gellert or Draco, so serene, or Squirmy's Lily? Her "Independence" gained another meaning after DH. Anyone knows if they are gone for good or maybe it's just temporary? *crosses fingers*

002 pushdragon is leaving fandom. *sigh* She has just posted the last part of her sequel to the Reliquary (Harry/Lucius), and she writes one of the most delicious and mouthwatering and heartwarming (or heartbreaking, depending on POV, I suppose) lovescenes so check it out. She's going to lock her journal entries, except for her fics.

003 I failed at NaNoWriMo: 4,193 words. I'm still going to write it.

004 There was a Witcher contest on DA, here you can browse the most popular entries.

005 Another Harry/Lucius fic rec, from hp_darkfest. Heed the warnings.

Title: Balanced on the Sword's Edge
Author: anon
Pairing: Harry/Lucius
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~24,000
Warnings: Consensual sex, nonconsensual sex, and dubious consent (yes, all three). Rape, sexual slavery, piercing, whipping, bondage, blood, forced exhibitionism, double penetration, first time.
Summary: Harry Potter never escaped Malfoy Manor after being brought there by the snatchers (though Ron, Hermione, and the rest did, taking Draco with them). Without Harry there, the Battle of Hogwarts went quite differently, and now, after several months as Lucius Malfoy's personal pet, Harry's mind, body, and soul are quite different than they were as a schoolboy. He clings to his prophesied purpose, though, and knows he must stay alive to have a chance to fulfill it.

006 Guns don't kill people, Molly Weasley kills people by NinnyTreeTops on DA mwahahahaha

007 Slasher by MarikaArt on DA (NWS) *snorts*

008 The Weight of Secrets by ponderosa || Harry/Severus, PG-13, maaaasks!!!!! *dies*

SPUTNIK: "Five evenings"

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:38:44 GMT

Five evenings, 1979, USSR, dir. Nikita Mikhalkov

Aleksander comes to Moscow for God knows what reason. He stays with some newly met girl ("You certainly think I'm easy!" "Why, no!") When looking out the window he suddenly recognises the surroundings. He lived here before the war (it's 1957 now), renting a room from some woman. He tells the girl that he'll be back in 15 minutes, and even sets the alarm.

When he and Tamara meet eye to eye, they mostly keep silent. Without him asking she tells him that he can sleep in her nephew's room. He tells her that he's a chief engineer in some chemical conglomerate plant. She tells him about her own career, albeit not as impressive as his. They are both stiff and formal. Later, when Slava (Tamara's nephew) and Aleksander are alone in his room, Slava talks a bit disrespectfully about his aunt. Aleksander twists his hand and orders him to be polite to her.

Excellently played and directed, even if the plot made me sick. Larissa Kousnetsova as Katya (Slava's friend) is just hilarious. If only for her, it's worth watching. I also liked Slava played by Igor Nefyodov. With great sadness I've read that he committed suicide in 1993.

Over. I shall never go to the cinema again.

SPUTNIK: "Uncle Vanya", "Stalker"

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:50:17 GMT

SO
Uncle Vanya , 1970, USSR, dir. Andrei Konchalovsky

While I love Chekhov, I didn't like this adaptation. I don't know how they managed it, with Konchalovsky as a director and Smoktunovsky as Vanya o.O It was the worst version I've ever seen, cross my heart. I didn't believe in one word they said, I thought that all the characters were stupid or cruel, affectionate like schoolgirls...

Stalker, 1979, USSR, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

I'm really not sure if I understood this film at all. Because if what I understood is really what the director wanted to tell, then, well, I'm not interested.

SPUTNIK: "We're from Jazz", "Mother"

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:24:12 GMT

PT
We're from Jazz, 1983, USSR, dir. Karen Shakhnazarov

The idea was good (a cheerful film with lots and lots of music), the making was poor. A student expelled from an academy of music because he plays jazz, a seditious music. He decided to establish a jazzband, they succeeded when some captain (???) saw them and said it's excellent *headdesk* The music was poor and a woman painted black to impersonate a Cuban jazz singer was the last straw. My only consolation was a short appearance of Leonid Kuravlyov and Borislav Brondukov. *hearts*

Mat, 1926, USSR, dir. Vsevolod Pudovkin

A mute film based on Gorki's story, I forgot *headdesk*. I hate Gorki with all my heart.

Nivona Vlasovna who was her drinking husband's doormat woke up from her ideological stupor after she inadvertently sent her son (a working-class activist) to the tsarist prison. She arranged (or helped to arrange, it was hard to guess) his (and others') escape, in which they both died. It was very tragic. And awesome. And tragic. *snorts* There were also some scenes in the factory, and a strike, I mostly remember the son hanging on the fence while his father tried to pull him down by his leg. "Let me go," sobbed the son. "Nevah!" roared the father. Oh, and the father was killed during this chase. *nods*

Cheeks like crab apples

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:11:03 GMT

My alarm clock committed suicide jumping off the shelf. I didn't have anything to do with it, your highness.

I take bets: at what time I'll be ~~tomorrow~~ today at work?

SPUTNIK: "Hamlet", "The Irony of Fate, or enjoy your bath"

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:27:43 GMT

ŚR
Hamlet, USSR, 1964, dir. Grigori Kozintsev

One of the most acclaimed adaptations. I don't like it. Hamlet (Innokenty Smoktunovsky) is too old (40), the whole acting manner is too stiff and calculated. At least the younger generation should be more crazy, unpredictable, fresh, surprised, not as if they lived their lives for the third time. I also wasn't bowled over by Shostakovich's music. *shrugs*

I liked that everything that in the play happens outside the walls was actually filmed outside. I liked the scene with the ghost of Hamlet's father and a few scenes after Hamlet told his mother that he knows that his father has been murdered. Ophelia (Anastasia Vertinskaya) was very delicate and ethereal.

The rest was just... typical? even if well played. I prefer more enthusiastic approach, the professionalism and perfection be damned. I think that Shakespeare's characters are driven by extreme emotions, and younger, inexperienced crews do it better.

If you're interested, here is the first part, and then you can simply follow the links (in Russian)

The Irony of Fate, or enjoy your bath, USSR, 1975, dir. Eldar Ryazanov

It could be called a romantic comedy, but it also has a touch of sadness and reflection.

The plot is based on a socialist idea of uniformity and simplicity in everything, including housing construction. If you wanted to be different, unique, it meant that you had the bourgeois inclinations and as a hostile to the working class element you had to be removed from the society (along with your parents, children, distant family and pets) to not spoil its healthy, working-class core. *snerk* Anyhow, this film of course doesn't go that far.

The animated opening explains the foundations for this film :)

Zhenya is going to spend the New Year's Eve with his girlfriend and he wants to ask her to marry him. But before, he meets with his friends in banya and they celebrate his upcoming marriage. One of them was meant to go to Leningrad straight after the banya.

What I loved the most about this delicious movie was Zhenia'a transformation, repeated jokes, but repeated in such a manner that it wasn't boring or annoying, and, above all, Ippolit, poor, tragic Ippolit. His last return broke my heart *sobs* Oh, and Zheya and Ippolit's rivalry: "I'll break it myself and I'll mend it myself!" And Zhenya's fears that his wife will be "flashing before his eyes, to and fro, to and fro." *snerk* Zhenya's mother is just like my paternal grandmother :)

On YouTube with English subtitles
01, 02, 03, 04, 05,

First series on google in Russian

Happy Birthday, AriadneElda!!!

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:31:51 GMT

FIC REC: "The Only Thing That Counts" by anon (Peter, James, Sirius, Remus, PG-13)

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:58:43 GMT

Title: The Only Thing That Counts
Author: anon as for now
Characters: Peter, Sirius, Remus and James
Summary: For Peter, survival is the only thing that counts.
Prompt: When it comes to controlling human beings, there is no better instrument than lies. Because you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts. -- Michael Ende
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1,600

Great, little fic at hp_darkfest . Peter the stupid Marauder, Peter the coward. How did he even get sorted into Gryffindor? They were friends, everything was all right, and suddenly he betrayed them. Was that so? Or maybe everyone followed their own agenda, and their paths finally diverged. This fic could be considered a meta of sorts.

SPUTNIK: "Afonya", "Two Hours With Bards", "Anna Karenina"

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:25:55 GMT

Afonya, 1975, USSR, Georgi Daneliya
A comedy. The protagonist, Afonya, is a plumber. He drinks, loafs around, takes bribes and ignores the warnings of his collective. His girlfriend left him, a stranger took residence in his little flat, serving pasta and tea, and Afonya bogs further... His introducing himself with different name each time he meets another woman, "Tell them that I went for potato lifting" when he doesn't want to see someone, a man with a barbell on the balcony at any time of the day or night, Kolya sleeping in a tub, a tie, bought in Yalta, with a sun setting behind a mountain, brisk dance etc killed me dead. I know I will see it again. And a young officer commenting on the protagonist's existential dilemmas "You can escape from yourself, but you cannot escape from militia." had the whole room roaring with laughter.

"This is an... energetic dance," a lady pointed out *sporfle*

Excellent roles of Leonid Kuravlyov, Borislav Brondukov and Yevgyeniy Leonov. Yevgyeniya Simonova as Katya was fresh and innocent, nicely juxtaposed with other women.

With time this film gained another value: it's the document of its time.

The whole film in original

Two Hours With Bards, 1987, USSR, dir. Alyeksandr Styepanovich

Very emotional journey for me. I didn't know all of the names, there was one that caught my eye, I'll have to look for him on the net [I think it's Olyeg Mityayev]. The film was screened in Russian only, and I didn't catch everything. I didn't listen to Okudżawa for years. I thought I was done with him.

Anna Karenina, 1967, USSR, dir. Alyeksandr Zarhi
It's good to remember that the book was written in late XIX century and the film was shot in 1967. It raises laughter in places not meant for that neither by Tolstoy nor by director. Still, I liked it. When I am told a story about falling in love on the spot I would like to know why. Here, Vronsky is handsome and Anna is breathtaking with her unusually shaped eyes looking through the veil.

Here Karenina and Vronsky at the opera.

Tatyana Samoylova

The only video on YouTube I was able to find with Tatiana Samoylova as Karenina. Ending with spoilers.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I got the feeling that some of the actors were unaccustomed to the costumes and gestures, like tipping your hat when greeting someone. Karenin didn't seem to know what to do with his cane when shaking hand with someone, and bumped it repeatedly against their knees.

Organisers announced one hour's delay, then decided on 30 minutes. The result was that throughout the first 45 minutes of the film the hordes of people were coming in, making noise and obscuring the screen.

Sputnik: "Solaris"

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:54:31 GMT

Solaris, 1972, USSR, dir. Andryey Tarkovsky

Because of my love for Lem this film has been on my to-watch list. I don't know how I managed to postpone it for so long, earlier I had probably just lost the battles for the remote control, and last year I had the ticket but was too exhausted to go. So, finally.

I had high expectations, both because it's Lem's novel adaptation (loose, but still) and because I've heard many praises of the film itself. I wasn't disappointed. Although the film strays from the book's narration, it doesn't create a different universe. Yes, the main emphasis is placed on the feelings, not on the nature of the phenomenon or people's approach to it. I think this was what mostly pissed Lem off about it. Having read the book there was enough of hints about the planet for me, but maybe not for someone who didn't know the plot beforehand.

I enjoyed all those little details, like Snaut/Snow's wrapping his hand again and again, the sound of the jingling wafting up and away throughout the whole film, the crocheted wrap-ups strewed all over the place, no opening on the dress... I was painfully reminded that this kind of story-telling is probably extinct by now: slow, not blatant or aggressive, allowing you to think for yourself, allowing you to not catch everything, if you don't pay attention - like the moment when Kris was hiding a pistol - blink, and you missed it, it wasn't even showed whole, only the glint in the hand that was already disappearing from the frame. This requires both a conscious director who knows exactly what story he wants to tell, and a willing watcher who will put some effort into arranging the pieces of the puzzle into a picture.

The film is not perfect, there was a moment or two, relating to Kris' parents that I found unnecessary and a bit annoying, the horse, but I wasn't disappointed as some girl was who said that she almost fall asleep when the camera focused on Brueghel's painting. Heh, how can you be bored with The Hunters in the Snow?

Now, I have to watch the Soderbergh's Solaris for comparison.

VIDEO: Two slashy tangos

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:43:57 GMT

Rudolf Nureyev as Rudolph Valentino and Anthony Dowell as Vaslav Nijinsky dance tango in 1977 film Valentino :D This reminds me of a certain scene from sweetsorcery's fic The Love Of A Good Wizard an AU time-travel Harry/Tom fic, NC-17, flocked entry. Summary: "History of Magic" has something to teach after all, and two resourceful students decide that the key to having any future at all lies in the past, and in Tom Riddle's heart. Assuming he has one.

And on the same note: Rutger Hauer as Erik and Derek de Lint as Alex in Soldaat van Oranje, also from 1977 (what a good year it was!), also dancing tango. Alex looks like Tom to me in same shots. Erik is blond, so he could be Abraxas :D As we can see Abraxas had his objections but Tom unfolded all of his charms *sporfle* The film is even set in the right epoque :)

VIDEO: Rudolf Nureyev - early days

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:07:34 GMT

I wish I could see this document. Why am I reminded of fandom!Draco while watching this? I still prefer Baryshnikov when it comes to dancing, but Nureyev was so sparkly, like champagne.

Brokeback Mountain question

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:11:17 GMT

There is that scene in the second half of the film (01hr 30min) when Jack and Laureen went dancing and met some other pair there - the Malones. They talk, or rather this other gal talks away like a wind-up toy, and:

1. Both Randall Malone and Jack Twist don't dance with their wives.
2. Both Randall and Jack eye each other up and down, and it's Jack actually who looks away first.
3. When Jack asks Randall's wife to dance, Randall doesn't mind at all, and he even seems disappointed/suddenly bored, as if just a second ago he thought that there might be some fun in it for him, and Jack went and spoiled it all by showing interest in a woman.
4. After the dancing, they sit together and the code-words are said: get away, cabin, fishing, whiskey. Randall seems interested, Jack seems hesitant. (hesitant because he's unsure if Randall means what Jack thinks he means, or hesitant because of Ennis?)

Then, there's that scene when Jack and Ennis meet (01:37) and Jack says "I kinda got this thing goin' with a... ranch foreman's wife" and he falters before he says with whom. But then he goes on pretty easily about the circumstances, not as if he made it up at the last second. He seemed to be genuinely amused in Lashawn's company, and called her a 'lively little gal', and hey, that was exactly the reason he chose Laureen.

But. When Ennis went to see Jack's parents (01:52), his father said that this spring (ie I think after their last unfortunate meeting) Jack went with some 'ranch neighbour of his from down in Texas' to settle there.

So. He switched Randall's wife for Randall? It was Randall all the time? It was some other guy? Maybe someone read the story and it was explained there?

Happy Birthday, Avialle!!!

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:28:20 GMT