Bulletin Board of the Brain » Film

‘Run to the Woods’: Songs for an Appalachian Dystopian Narrative

Kj — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:02:44 +0000

I tend to only use Pandora in situations where I can’t use iTunes, which then means I just try to recreate my finely honed playlists designed mostly for reading. So of course for re-reading The Hunger Games, I needed to create a portable station with which to read along. When I started plugging tracks from the [AMAZING] Songs From District 12 and Beyond album, I began to pay attention to every song Pandora played to see if the lyrics would fit the narrative, characters and world of The Hunger Games Trilogy. I keep being shocked at how eerily this mix of indie folk, bluegrass, etc has captured so much of the texture and tone of the stories. As an interpretive experience, I love discovering those songs that sound like one character speaking to another, or maybe just songs that certain characters would listen to if they could. And I especially love when the artist name, album or cover art evokes the mood as well.

Here’s some lyric highlights from songs that have come up, (and were findable on youtube). There are many, many more. The name of my Hunger Games station on Pandora is called ‘Run to the Woods’ I dig it.

Mother’s Sick by Horse Feathers from Words are Dead

-Mother’s sick. She’s gone mad.
A daughter’s tricked, she’s been had.
Life just don’t always fold up neat.
Sadness will come in different sheets.

As blue eyes state, on your father’s face,
hides some grace.
All those years your youth has stole.

Have You Ever by Brandi Carlile from The Story

-Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?
And everything there feels just as it should
You’re part of the life there
You’re part of something good

-Have you ever stared into a starry sky?
Lying on your back you’re asking why
What’s the purpose I wonder who am I

Flowers and Blood by Marie Sioux from Faces in the Rocks

-I’ll shoot me a gun made of leaf and branch in this here town
And eat me a bowl full of secret and mud, yes, i will
I’ll eat eat me a bowl full of secret and mud, yes, i will
If you build up a new me of flowers and blood — say you will
Build up a new me of flowers and blood — say you will

How Long by Eilen Jewell from Letters from Sinners & Strangers

-The darkness is deep, but night will end
‘Cause truth crushed to earth will rise again
How long will it take, you want to know
How long, not long because you reap just what you sow

Sing your Song by Johnny Bertram from Sing Your Song

-If you wake up in the morning to find
your things all gone
sing your song
And if you bed down in the darkest cave
of fear and fright
shine your light
Don’t let yourself pretend
that this is the end

- If you’re standing on the battlefield wearing blood,
the lines are drawn
sing your song
And if you’re stuck in situations far out
beyond your control
Let them go

Sing Out by Mason Jennings from Blood of Man

-I’ve been a rolling stone since the devil first came to me
No light upon my feet, so much that I couldn’t see
I was a hurricane till the hurricane called my name
Into the eye of the storm out of the cold, cold rain

-Sing out, sing for the wounded heart
Sing for the lives we’ve lost

Love Song for Buddy by Headlights from Wildlife

-We’re all gonna die tomorrow
Waiting around for your friends to come down and join you

-Don’t you want to say you tried?
Don’t you want to say you tried to the ones you love?

Miss Representation

Kj — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:16:18 +0000

This Wednesday at The Seattle School, I’ll be one of 7 panelists for a screening of this excellent documentary. We’ll be discussing portrayals of women in media, and no doubt lots of feminist theology goodness! Come, if you like.

Writing Papers for Fun & Amusement (and battling personal demons)

Kj — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:53:58 +0000

It’s been about a month since I presented my Harry Potter research at the 2012 Southwest/Texas Popular & American Culture Association’s conference. Per the growing trend in my life, I wrote the paper in order to address some personal questions. Some people make art installations; I write research papers. I’m learning to accept this about myself.**

The idea to write this particular paper was born quite a while ago, from maybe my 29th viewing of the film adaptation of Prisoner of Azkaban. I don’t remember a particular moment of revelation, but I’ve since forced many a person to listen to my interpretative theory of the Expecto Patronum spell. I even blogged about it.

But when the time came to decide if I should go to the conference this year, I took the fact that 2012 would be the inaugural year of a specific “Harry Potter Studies” section of the conference, as a sign that it was time to test my theory to see if the text itself, (much less my amateur Latin translating abilities), would support my interpretation.

Turns out its really hard to write a paper when you haven’t done so in almost two years. Thankfully, a snow storm set down in Seattle right when I needed to create more hours in the day in order to write. I pushed through, and am really pleased with what I managed to eke out. What I’m posting here is really only a draft- I know some of what I’d fix if I were to submit it for publication, (the title, for example). but this draft gets across the gist of what I wanted to explore.

You can open the pdf here: Expecto Pater–Kj Swanson.
Or, if you’re not in the mood to read 27 pages about a late ’90′s children’s fantasy novel, here’s some Powerpoint presentation highlights instead. Enjoy!

**The actual reason I wrote this paper was to help me decide my third tattoo text.

What I Do in ABQ

Kj — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:07:06 +0000

Last week, Ian and I reunited for our third trip to the Southwest/Texas Popular and American Culture Association Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s a fascinating blend of faculty, doctoral/grad students, undergrads and random smart people, all getting together for four days of watching people present papers on anything and everything relating to Pop Culture or American Culture. This spans the Grateful Dead to Library Sciences; The Beat poets to Grand Theft Auto; Film History to Biker Culture. It’s pretty rad.

Ian and I attended over 18 panels in 4 days, which measures at least 54 individual papers. The conference was a bit (extremely) disorganized compared to past years, with an unending tide of no-shows and cancellations, as well as one day where no lunch or dinner break was scheduled, with only 15 minutes breaks from 8am-8:30pm. Needless to say, while staying at the lovely and newly remodeled Hyatt Regency for 5 nights may seem like a vacation, (Ian & I have logged enough nights at this place over 4 years to qualify for their Gold Passport) we were lucky if we got seven hours of sleep ever, usually having to get up at 6:30 (app. 6 hours earlier than I’m used to getting up). But it’s always worth it to be inspired by new ideas and frames of thought, as well as gaining new perspectives on things you know well.

Our approach to choosing what panels to attend is honed each year. What I landed on this time, is that I get a lot more out of going to papers on topics I know very little about as opposed to going to the one’s in my field. It comes down to the fact that hearing papers on the Hunger Games, you just sit there saying “yep- already thought of that and that and why didn’t you mention this”, etc. But when I step into a different discipline, where I may know the thing being discussed, but not the methodology being applied, my synapses explode with new frames of thought. As has been true every year thus far, Ian and I are always most impressed, inspired and mind-blown by the presenters from Game Studies, even though-or especially because- neither he nor I ever really play video games. Listening to people talk in detail about the theories and meaning behind stuff you personally only know a little about opens up whole worlds of ideas. We love the gang at Game Studies. We’re their biggest secret fans.

But even in great presentations, you run into some common tropes- tempting one towards drinking games of oft-used phrases or sources. This year’s list:

Most-Heard Phrases From SWTX2012 Papers:

“gender performativity”

“Baudrillard says …”

“according to Thomas Campbell’s hero’s journey…”

“signifier”

“the Walt Disney Corporation”

Also, of note, of all places, Mark Driscoll came up three times. (Is nowhere safe?)

We had a great time, and thanks to the fact that my friend Sarah moved to ABQ last fall, Ian and I actually got to travel beyond the 5 block radius of the Hyatt Regency. We were not forced to eat at Maloney’s three nights in a row. Hallelujah. Here’s the list of panels I attended and some notable papers.

SWTX2012 Panels & Papers of Note

Gender and Sexual identity 1: Queer(ying) American Popular Culture
Young, Out, and Proud: the History, Development, and Impact of Young Homosexual Characters on Television
Robin Haynie, University of Texas at Tyler

Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture 1: Superheroes
Superinjuns: An examination of Two of Popular Culture’s Native American Stereotypes in Marvel Comics’ X-Men
Kristin Riggs, Texas State University

Religion 3: Interpreting Religion, B
Faith Plus One: Jesus People, Contemporary Christian Music, and the Question of Authenticity, 1970-today
Krystal Humphries, Texas Tech University

Stephen Colbert and Stephen King: Catechists for a Secular World
Kathleen Heininge, George Fox University

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Screening and Sing-along
Joss Whedon’s ‘Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog’ and Buffy the Vampire Slayer S6E7 ‘Once More With Feeling’

The Apocalypse in Popular Culture: Literature of the Apocalypse-The Hunger Games
Teenage Love, Dystopia, and The Hunger Games
Heather Braun, Macon State College

Computer Culture 2: Apps, Blogs, and Social Networks
Hipstamatic, an App for Nostalgia of the Recent Past
Maria de Panbehchi, Virginia Commonwealth University

God 2.0: Religious Groups, People of Faith, and Social Media Use
Amanda McClendon, Independent Scholar

Myth and Fairy Tales 1: Disney’s Consumer Culture
Cooking with Class: How Food Represents Status in Ratatouille
Jason Feldstein, New York University

Game Studies 5: Culture, Play, and Practice
Fallout 3 and Yesterday’s World of Tomorrow
Rowan Derrick, University of Wyoming

Religion 5: Women and Religion
Be Quiet, Already: Evangelical Popular Culture’s Misogyny Problem
Melanie Springer Mock, George Fox University

Blogging for God: Women, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and The Christian Century
Kendra Weddle Irons, Texas Wesleyan University

Game Studies 7; Culture, Play, and Practice
The Mouth of the Cave: The Challenges of Player Doubt in Computer Game Narratives
Jennifer DeWinter, Worcester Polytechnic University

Harry Potter Studies 4: Colloportus! Harry Potter and Class
Work in a Magical World: Revisiting the Stratification of Castes in the Harry Potter Series
Lindsay Clifton, Youngstown State University

Harry Potter Studies 5: Protego! The Relationships of Harry Potter
Making Up Wizards: Technologies of the Body in the Magical World
Deana Day, University of Pennsylvania

Expecto Pater: Reading Harry’s Journey of Identity in Prisoner of Azkaban through a Theological/Psychological Lens
*Me! Kj Swanson, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

Computer Culture 4: Theory and Vision
From the Page to the Screen: Towards a Model of Interactivity in Reading Practices
Jenna Pack, University of Arizona

The Apocalypse in Popular Culture 4: The Apocalypse as Positive and/or Negative
‘I’d Shake Your Hand But I Don’t Want to Set a Bad Example’: Contagion and the Display of Global Paranoia in Contemporary Epidemic Films
Julia Echevarria-Domingo, University of Zaragoza

‘Not With a Bang But With a Whimper’: Dollhouse’s ‘Thought-pocalypse’ as Cautionary Capitalist Tale
Erin Giannini, Independent Scholar

Food and Culture 11: Alcohol and Nostalgia in American Popular Culture
Don’t Drink the Bath Water: Moonshine and Filth in the Lower Class
Sarah McMahon, University of Colorado Denver

Cosmos, Wine, and Shots of Tequila: The Urban Girl’s Fairytale
Tiffany Fitzgerald, University of Colorado Denver

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Guest Lecture
Thinking Dothraki: An Evening with David J. Peterson, Language Creator for HBO’s Game of Thrones

Film & History 2: Ethnicity, Gender. Politics, and Film History
Dealing in Absolutes: Experiments with Music and Animation in the works of Walt Disney and Oskar Fischinger
Ian Klein, Columbia University (my co-conferencer!)

Double Dutch: Transforming Female Jewish Identity in Verhoeven’s Black Book
Ruuard Dykstra, University of Western Ontario

Film & History 3: Medieval History/Contemporary Film
Crusade, Jihad, Film: The Encryption of Despair
Robin Vose, St. Thomas University

Templars, Witches, and the Holy Wars: Religious Critique in 21st Century Medieval Period Films
Benjamin Villarreal, New Mexico Highlands University

The Happiest Place on Earth

Kj — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:04:32 +0000

2012 has kicked off as quite the Year of Enchantment. [Ironically, 2012 also features the schedule from hell, but oh well.] Notable among the happenings thus far, is…

WINNING A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND!

Yes, that’s right, people. Sometimes it pays to follow DisneyParks on Twitter. I happened to be on my computer when they posted a link on how to win a night and a day for 2 at the newly refurbished Disneyland Hotel, and TIX to both Disneyland and California Adventure. Amazingly, it wasn’t a sweepstakes; the first 40 people to answer the blog question correctly would win the prize. I had the answer and my info in within 6 minutes of the posting, so I felt my odds were good, but in the land of Interweb, not guaranteed. Nevertheless, about an hour later, my email went “Ding!” and there was an email from Disney Travel Promotions congratulating me as a winner.

I shouted various expletives of astonishment and celebration.

Part of the promotion was a very small window in which the trip had to be taken, so I managed to finally literally the only 48 hours in which I could do it: Jan Jan 25-26. Then I invited Spiro to join me: an awesome coda to the trip to Disneyworld she took me on in 2010. It seems I am destined to never pay to go to a Disney park. Note:

Dec 1991–Disneyland: Age 12, so didn’t have to pay

Spring 1995–Disneyland: Went as a performer with high school so didn’t have to pay

Summer 2003–Disneyland & California Adventure: Signed in for free by my cast member friend

Dec 2010–Disneyworld: Gifted graduation $$ from beloved friends, and a free week’s stay at the resort as a guest of Spiro who was shooting a wedding there.

Jan 2012–Disneyland & California Adventure: On Disney Promotion’s dime.

** Somewhere in there Erin, Richard and I went in middle school, but I can’t remember the circumstances. I just know we screamed like maniacs on every fantasyland kiddie ride, and received many disturbed looks as a result.

So this time, with Spiro and I headed down, I alerted Ian that we’d be in his ‘hood, hoping he could take a day off and join us at the park. He could and he did. THEN Jonathan decided to make it his birthday weekend trip, and flew down too. He and Ian are both annual passport holders!

With some help from another Disney cast member friend, we got a discount on a second night, as well as an extra evening at the park the night before. Fantabulous.

Ian told me that gnereal statistics for visitors to the park is 8 attractions in a day. With 3 hours Wednesday night and 11 hours the next, Spiro and I hit 28 ATTRACTIONS. We rocked it!

Highlights:

Star Tours-The Adventures Continue: The new Star Tours 3D adventure was sock-off-knocking. We rode it 5 times. Each time was different. With a series of 5 sections of multi-options, there are 53 possible different ride combinations. We went to Hoth, to Tattoine, underwater on Naboo, and a bunch of other places. And the 3D was so sharp, it never felt like 3D.
Pirates of the Caribbean: the recent film franchise has captured my heart (minus the last two) and it makes the ride all the more captivating. It’s a slow, take-in-every-detail ride through politically and historically incorrect scenes, but oh the charm of it all! Yo ho ho!

Animation Academy: Ian showed us this hidden gem. It’s tucked into a building in California Adventure that looks like something just for kids. But when we walked in, we were immersed in a giant room paneled with giant screens of classic animation and concept art, with select songs playing to accompany them. We sat on the carpeted floor of the air-conditioned room for over 20 minutes while scene after scene of magical Disney memories performed for and around us. I could have sat there all day. There’s also great activities inside, including having your voice stolen by Ursula in her Grotto and discovering your true Disney identity in the Beast’s enchanted library. Amazing.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: the old 20’000 Leagues Under the Sea submarines have been transformed to take you to Nemo’s coral reef, and it’s wonderful. This is one case where using video projection on a “live action” ride really works, and I felt like I was really discovering an undersea world. My mouth was agape the whole time.

Monster’s Inc.–Mike & Sully to the Rescue: This is a kid’s ride at California Adventure, and it is wonderful. It feels like you’re in the jazzy, pastel-colored, hi-jinxy, romp of a world that is the film. And there are smells! Of all things to find on a kid’s ride, when we crashed through the sushi restaurant, the smell of wasabi is unmistakable. Loved it!

The Disneyland Hotel rooms: Spiro had been to the hotel less than 2 years before and remembered the sad, 70’s décor. It’s all gone! The hotel has been redecorated with imagery from Mary Blair’s work, my favorite Disney artist. Also, the standard rooms are about the quality of a business class hotel, which is much nicer than I anticipated. But the most magical moment of all was this: Spiro and I had just got into our room and were getting organized. I turned a switch on the lamp between the beds, but instead of a light coming on, I heard the very quiet notes of a music box playing Cinderella’s “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” I said ‘Spiro! Listen!” But she said “Kj. LOOK.” Behind me, the wooden headboard, which stretched between both beds and featured a giant carved-out castle, had lit up with twinkling fireworks. Our headboard was a magical, singing, sparkling, twinkling nightlight!

It was an amazing trip, which also included a glorious birthday meal at Steakhouse 55 to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday, and much, much screaming and laughter. Spiro made a great little video blog, and it features the magical headboard. And in case you miss it, there’s another video of that too (you have to turn that one up loud to hear it).

Thank you Disney, for kicking off my year of enchantment! And all in the span of 48 hours!

The List 2011

Kj — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:30:13 +0000

It’s my annual list of films & shows I watched! For ye who have not read the lists from 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, or 2010, here’s a lil rundown. My lists are based only on what I watched in 2011, which accounts for the presence of 2010 films I didn’t see in the theatre until 2011 and the absence of spectacular films from 2011 that I’ve yet to see. My “Favorites” are based on the overall experience of the film- what impacted or enchanted me, not always objectively on what I think were the most quality films. My “Disappointments” have to do with unmet expectations, which is why bad movies I knew would be bad aren’t on the list. Brackets [ ] mean films seen in the theatre.

New: This year I logged the hours of all films and non-first-run TV shows I watched. If I didn’t finish a film or series, I didn’t count it, nor did I count currently-airing shows I watch weekly on Hulu. Rather than just list the hours as a big, fat number, I calculated the sum as 40 hours-a-week, since watching stuff is basically my fourth part-time job. Not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed by the “work week” total of my viewings, but it satisfies my enjoyment of statistics.

Enjoy! Tell me some of your Faves & Dissapointments

Favorites of 2011
The Muppets
Tangled
Thor
Jane Eyre
The King’s Speech

Most Disappointing of 2011
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Super 8
Hanna
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Tempest

Favorite TV-on-DVD Discoveries
Lark Rise to Candleford
Misfits
The IT Crowd
Garrow’s Law
Being Human (BBC) *And yes, ALL of these are BBC shows

Total Films: 267

Total Television Series: 69

Films Viewed in Theatre: 34

Harry Potter film viewings: 22 (.42 per week)

Watched 3 Times
Harry Potter: Order of The Phoenix
Tangled
Thor
Nanny McPhee
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring

Watched 4 Times
Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1

Most Watched Film of 2011 (5 times)
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2

Repeat in-Theatre Viewings
Thor (2)
X-Men: First Class (2)
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 (4)

“Work Weeks” spent viewing: 26.9 = Half a year

The List 2011: Films

LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
LOTR: The Two Towers
LOTR: The Return of the King
Holiday (1938)
Secret of the Kells
Harold and Maude
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Persuasion (1995)
The Muppet Movie
The Great Muppet Caper
[ ] Tangled
[ ] The Tempest
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
Sense & Sensibility
Atonement
[ ] Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Version
MST3K: The Final Sacrifice
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Evening Primrose (1966)
In and Out
Marx Brothers: The Big Store
Becoming Jane
The Last Station
Bright Young Things
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Young Victoria
Star Trek (2009)
Walt: The Man Behind the Myth
[ ] Somewhere
The Pillars of the Earth
Mrs. Brown
The Two Towers: Extended Edition
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
The Princess and the Frog
Annie Hall
[ ] The King’s Speech
Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Castor Et Pollux (2008)
Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince
Fantasia
An Ideal Husband
Peter Pan (1953)
The Way We Live Now
The Color of Magic
Chariots of Fire
Gosford Park
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Fairy Tale: A True Story
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Wuthering Heights (2009)
The Last Unicorn
The Return of the King: Extended Edition
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Return to Oz
Practical Magic
Please Give
The Virgin Queen
Agora
The World According to Sesame Street
Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition
Galaxy Quest
Lord of the Rings (1978)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Friends with Money
Nanny McPhee Returns
[ ] Red Riding Hood
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Trouble With Angels
To the Ends of the Earth
[ ] The Adjustment Bureau
Never Let Me Go
How to Train Your Dragon
Billy Elliot
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
Peter Pan (2003)
Boy A
The Social Network
L.A. Story
The Sword in the Stone
[ ] Jane Eyre (2011)
Jane Eyre (2006)
Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake”
Jane Eyre (1997)
[ ] Sucker Punch
Ballet Shoes
Les Miserables (1998)
When Harry Met Sally
Swan Lake (ABT 2005)
Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
Wild Target
[ ] Modern Times (1936)
Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (Bolshoi 1989)
Tron (1982)
Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor -
- Atomic
[ ] Hanna
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Nanny McPhee
Country Strong
Paper Heart
Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About
Bright Star
Whip It
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Easy A
Black Swan
The Breakfast Club
Tout Près Des Étoiles
Center Stage
Youth in Revolt
Dancer’s Dream–The Great Ballets of Rudolf Nureyev: Sleeping Beauty
Paul Taylor: Dancemaker
Ballerina
In the Shadow of the Stars
Every Little Step
[ ] Thor
Blood on the Flat Track: Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls
Tron: Legacy
Anywhere But Here
[ ] Thor
Gnomeo & Juliet
Monsters Inc.
[ ] Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Jesus Christ Superstar
Peter Pan (2003)
Scoop
City Island
[ ] X-Men: First Class
Gulliver’s Travels
Nanny McPhee
Born to Be Wild: The Leading Men of ABT
Marie Antoinette
Tangled
Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1
[ ] Super 8
17 Again
[ ] Company (2011)
Shakespeare Retold: Macbeth
Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About-
- Nothing
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning
- Thief
Star Trek (2009)
The Narnia Code
Cloverfield
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire
Cranford
Ru Guo · Ai
The Karate Kid
The Notebook
The Princess Diaries
Letters to Juliet
Under the Tuscan Sun
Imagine Me & You
Leap Year
Someone Like You
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
[ ] X-Men: First Class
Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets
Ella Enchanted
Mean Girls
The Island
Paper Heart
No Strings Attached
The Incredibles
[ ] Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
Chéri
Snow White (1937)
Walt & El Grupo
[ ] Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Pirate Radio
Nanny McPhee
A Single Man
The Kids Are All Right
Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
Push
[ ] Crazy, Stupid, Love
[ ] Captain America: The First Avenger
[ ] Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
Dr. Strangelove
Transamerica
District 9
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban
Adventureland
Nora
[ ] Cowboys & Aliens
I Am Number Four
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1
The Eagle
Sleepless in Seattle
French Kiss
You’ve Got Mail
Kate & Leopold
Twilight
Sunshine (2007)
Beastly
The Beaver
[ ] Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
Jane Eyre (1943)
Hamlet (RSC 2008)
Funny People
South Riding
[ ] Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Other Woman
John Adams
Catfish
Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets
Space Camp
Back to the Future
Back to the Future 2
Inception
Cry-Baby
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The Swan Princess
The Chipmunk Adventure
[ ] 50/50
[ ] The Royal Tennenbaums
The Adjustment Bureau
[ ] Anonymous
Labyrinth
The Last Starfighter
Pete’s Dragon
[ ] In Time
Back to the Future III
My Boy Jack
Tootsie
X-Men
Sleeping Beauty
Jane Eyre (2011)
Blue Valentine
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Thor
Monster’s Inc.
[ ] The Dark Crystal
Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince
Breakfast with Scot
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban
Låt Den Rätte Komma In
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Le Hussard Sur Le Toit
The Pixar Story
[ ] Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Bridesmaids
[ ] Hugo
Harry Potter: Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1
Bridget Jones’ Diary
Elf
[ ] Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
The Help
Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince
Love Actually
Tangled
A Christmas Story
Santa Claus: The Movie
Rory O’Shea Was Here
Beginners
Nativity!
Sherlock Holmes
White Christmas
Little Women
[ ] The Muppets

The List 2011: Television Series

Dae Jang Geum: 3
Community:1
Shameless (BBC): 1
Vicar of Dibley: 2
The Catherine Tate Show: 2
Miranda: 1
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 2
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: 1
Parks & Recreation: 1
The Big Bang Theory: 2
Kings: 1
Vicar of Dibley: 3
Lark Rise to Candleford: 1
Dr Who: The Daleks (1963)
Dr Who: The Edge of Destruction (1963)
Dr Who: Genesis of the Daleks (1974)
Lark Rise to Candlford: 2
Dr Who: The Caves of Androzani (1984)
Parks & Recreation: 2
In Treatment: 2
Clatterford: 1
Clatterford: 2
Clatterford: 3
Vicar of Dibley: Anniversary Specials
Ballykissangel: 1
Being Human (BBC): 1
Planet Earth: 1
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 3
Monday, Monday: 1
Ballykissangel: 2
Mad Men: 3
The IT Crowd: 1
Miranda: 2
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 4
Slings & Arrows: 1
The IT Crowd: 2
Lark Rise to Candleford: 3
Slings & Arrows: 2
Torchwood: 2
The IT Crowd: 3
The IT Crowd: 4
The Forsyte Saga: 1
Long Way Down: 1
Slings & Arrows: 3
Lark Rise to Candleford: 4
Misfits: 1
Star Trek The Next Generation: 1
True Blood: 3
Being Human(BBC): 2
Big Love: 4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 3
Garrow’s Law: 1
Deadwood: 2
Grandma’s House: 1
Star Trek The Next Generation: 2
Desperate Romantics: 1
Deadwood: 3
Fringe: 3
Misfits: 2
The West Wing: 2
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 5
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 3
Bored to Death: 2
Northern Exposure: 6
The West Wing: 3
Garrow’s Law: 2
The Comeback: 1
Star Trek the Next Generation: 4

My Birthday Movies

Kj — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:19:52 +0000

A tradition began my first fall living in New York City. I’d forgotten that much of the east coast still gives Columbus Day as a holiday, and I found myself with a free day to myself. I’m pretty sure that’s when I went to see my first movie in NYC. It was Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.” It entrenched itself so deeply and atmospherically in my soul, that not only did I start eating almost exclusively from Japanese restaurants and spent tons of money in Asian markets, I of course went to see it three times. At least one of those times was right around my birthday.

From that year on, once October hit, I started subconsciously then consciously paying attention to what movie might be coming out right around my birthday. Generally, they were quiet, character rather than plot-driven, aesthetically creative, independent films. Every year I await the next in my series of…

Birthday Movies

Here’s my list. There’s only one year that I had to break my pattern.
Can you tell which?

2003 Lost in Translation
Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola

2004 I Heart Huckabees
Written & Directed by David O. Russel

2005 Everything is Illuminated
Written & Directed by Liev Schreiber, Based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book

2006 Marie Antoinette
Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola

2007 The Darjeeling Limited
Written & Directed by Wes Anderson

2008 The Duchess
Written by Jeffrey Hatcher, Anders Thomas Jensen, Directed by Saul Dibb

2009 Where the Wild Things Are
Written & Directed by Spike Jonze, Based on Maurice Sendak’s book

2010 Nowhere Boy
Written by Matt Greenhalgh, Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood

2011 50/50
Written by Will Reiser, Directed by Jonathan Levine

What Yankee Candle Means to Harry Potter: Additions

Kj — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:08:08 +0000

Done with the first and second batch, but am happy to take requests and add them here. Here’s the Dursleys.

Mr Vernon Dursely
Strawberry Buttercream:
Yum … an absolutely luscious treat of plump, sweet strawberries buried in rich whipped cream.

Mrs Petunia Dursley
Bahama Breeze:
There’s cool summer refreshment in this tropical blend of pineapple, grapefruit and mango.

Dudley Dursley
Cinnamon Roll:
So hard to resist … the deliciously perfect blend of creamy rich frosting and spicy cinnamon.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

For the House Candles, they had to fit the House colors, evoke an essence of the House Founder, but mostly, fit the atmostphere of the common rooms. (Yes, Ravenclaw is a Hanukkah candle, but I think the scent is perfect).

Gryffindor
Mulled Wine:
A seasonal favorite the inviting aroma of Fruit with a touch of clove and other spices warms the spirit.

Hufflepuff
Golden Spiced Pear:
A savory blend of warm pears, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla bean.

Ravenclaw
Festival of Lights:
A blend of savory spices, rich cinnamon and sweet potpourri to celebrate the season.

Slytherin
Rainforest:
Fresh, slightly moist air with hints of exotic flowers and greenery.

Argus Filch
Moonlight Harvest:
Hints of pumpkin and spice from the kitchen window float on the cool breeze of an autumn night.

Madame Poppy Pomfrey
Country Linen:
Imagine a weekend at a cozy bed and breakfast with warm sunshine, crisp cotton sheets, and the sweet scent of spring flowers.

Professor Pomona Sprout
Beautiful Day:
Life is good with this happily enchanting mix of sunny fruits, pretty flowers and spicy herbs.

Cedric Diggory
Sun and Sand:
A tropical beach breeze of sweet orange flower, lemony citrus, fresh lavender and powdery musk.

Victor Krum
Siberian Silver Fir:
From snow-covered arctic peaks, discover the unique crisp freshness of pure Siberian silver fir oil.

Seamus Finnegan
Root Beer Float:
The delicious aroma of old-fashioned spicy sweet root beer and creamy rich vanilla ice cream.

What Yankee Candle Means to Harry Potter: 2

Kj — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:12:23 +0000

Harry Potter Characters’ Favorite Yankee Candle Scents (continued)

Mrs Molly Weasley
Kitchen Spice:
This modern blend of sweet orange, clove, ginger and cinnamon is a new take on pantry favorites.

Mr Arthur Weasley:
Orange Dreamsicle:
A favorite childhood summer treat you never outgrow … a cool blend of orange and vanilla ice cream.

Bill Weasley:
Cottage Breeze:
Like a day by the shore with the refreshing scent of cool salt air blowing across the dunes.

Fleur Delacour-Weasley:
Blue Hydrangea:
The enticing scent of beautiful flowers with green notes and hints of hyacinth, lilac and vanilla.

Fred Weasley:
Pumpkin Pie:
Sweet pumpkin, nutmeg, molasses, cinnamon, and a hint of apple in a buttery crust.

George Weasley
Pineapple Cilantro:
A tropical treat … fresh, island pineapple served with a citrus touch of cilantro and sweet coconut.

Lavender Brown
Garden Sweet Pea:
The sweet perfume of delicate blooms accented with hints of pear, peach, freesia and rosewood.

Cho Chang
Mistletoe:
The woody scents of mistletoe, berries, pine boughs, and holly create this holiday tradition.

Dolores Umbridge
Pink Sands:
Transport yourself to a beautiful, serene beach with this citrus, fruity and floral blend.

Rita Skeeter
Black Cherry:
The absolutely delicious sweetness of rich, ripe black cherries.

Bellatrix Lestrange
Midnight Jasmine:
A seductively lush perfume of water jasmine, sweet honeysuckle, neroli, and mandarin blossom.

Lucius Malfoy
Patchouli:
The spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli creates a perfectly mellow mood.

Voldemort
Blueberry Scone: The delicious aroma of English quickbread with sweet blueberries, rich cream and a hint of vanilla. [WORST SMELLING CANDLE EVER MADE]

And there’s still more…

What Yankee Candle Means to Harry Potter

Kj — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:52:30 +0000

Earlier tonight, a friendly tweet-mention turned into an unexpected project.

Ideas churned so quickly that I basically didn’t stop until I had this list done.
My method was simply to imagine which Yankee Candle specific characters from the Harry Potter series would be mostly likely to use. There was no purposefull attempt to have the candle names or candle photos symbolize the characters, but following the scent-inspiration, it often worked out.

In considering scent, I thought narratively about when characters had specifically talked about scents or tastes, or sensory moments of significance, or just a gut feeling I had about their personality and how I characterize certain flavor palettes myself.

I chose the higher profile characters, but if a scent made me think of a character or vice versa, I stuck them on the list too. Each character/candle combo includes the Yankee Candle official scent description. They are priceless.

Alright Ian, hope I didn’t steal your thunder. Thanks for the inspiration. (what the hell am I doing with my life?)

Harry Potter Characters’ Favorite Yankee Candle Scents

Harry Potter
Fireside:
Cozy and rustic … the scent of a warm, crackling wood fire.

Hermione Granger
Fresh Mint:
A stirring sensation … the cool, peppery zing of green mint leaves fresh from the garden.

Ron Weasley
Spiced Orange:
This bright, cheery blend of sunny citrus and snappy ginger is the perfect winter warmer.

Ginny Weasley
Nature’s Paintbrush:
A perfect autumn day captured in radiant, aromatic strokes of brisk air, spicy woods and warm musk.

Neville Longbottom
Greenhouse:
Savor the heady perfume of delicate rose blossoms intertwined with spicy green herbs

Luna Lovegood
Lavender Vanilla:
An oasis of tranquility . . . the perfect mix of fresh lavender and warm vanilla with musk and bergamot.

Draco Malfoy
Storm Watch:
A cleansing ocean air before the storm.

Professor Severus Snape
Midsummer’s Night:
An intoxicating and masculine blend of musk, patchouli, sage and mahaognay cologne.

Professor Albus Dumbledore
Sparkling Lemon:
Effervescent sweet Meyer Lemon with notes of energetic citrus lime and bergamot orange.

Rubeus Hagrid
Mountain Lodge:
A luxurious retreat in front of a cozy hearth, warm with the aroma of cedarwood and sage.

Professor Minerva McGonagall
Mountain Lake:
A refreshing treat … the cooling scent of mountain pines and cypress with notes of lily and musk.

Professor Sybill Trelawney
Drift Away:
Cares float away on peaceful, blue waters surrounded by lush woodlands.

Gilderoy Lockart
Vanilla Satin:
Sophisticated. Classic. A smooth blend of rich vanilla, romantic flowers and sensuous sandalwood.

Mad Eye Moody
Lucky Shamrock:
A touch of the Emerald Isle the fresh scent of lush, green hills kissed by a sparkle of sunshine.

Remus Lupin
Early Sunrise:
A new day dawns crisp and fresh in this clean lemony citrus scent with hints of ginger and tea.

Sirius Black
Evening Air:
The crisp breeze of a fall night warmed with notes of clove, geranium, basil, cedarwood and musk.

Dobby
Clean Cotton:
The refreshing scent of just cleaned sheets dried in a gentle breeze.

To be continued….