* We are watching Into the Woods, the movie version. Red Riding Hood's initial encounter with the wolf just ended and I have to say I'm starting to agree with some of the criticisms I've heard of it. While the Wolf in the stage play is about the farthest thing from subtle, the movie version goes a lot farther in turning subtext into gigantic neon blinking visible-from-space text, which added to the much younger actress for Red tips over into uncomfortably creepy.
* On the whole I feel this is an excellent adaptation. I saw it in the theatre over Christmas vacation with my mother and mother-in-law and enjoyed it immensely. Ooh, we just reached Agony, which is so deliciously over the top I can barely stand it. It's one of the couple places they make excellent use of the change in medium too (the other significant one being On the Steps of the Palace).
* I saw the third Hobbit movie with B and my brother over Christmas as well and, well, it was only my good manners that prevented me from pulling my phone out to read something since bright glowing things are distracting in a dark theatre. I think I hit peak orc-slaying during the last movie and I'm now full to the brim when it comes to dead orcs. Though I did appreciate the appearance of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.
* Finally, I took Katherine to see Cinderella Thursday evening and you know, I never quite realized what a slim story that really can't fill two whole hours effectively it is. Mind you, it didn't really help that they just didn't do a great job of making it an interesting movie (they were clearly trying to make it funny, with moments clearly telegraphing, "We are being funny and whimsical here! You will laugh now, yes?" Er, no. Nice try though). But it still didn't help that the source material isn't a very long story. The animated Disney version is just over an hour, and really, that's just about the right amount.
Katherine liked it, but she's nine years old, so the movie was really made precisely for her.
