Q&A with Tom Hiddleston

Last weekend I saw Coriolanus with some ladies, and ever since has been "Tom Hiddleston Appreciation Week."  I know I've mentioned him before, but I've realized some people don't know much about him. Well, let's just say he's a lovely old soul who has still retained a child's playfulness.  And is at the same time devilishly handsome!

Last fall, he did a Twitter Q&A and I loved some of his answers, so here are some quotes, pictures and videos of his for your enjoyment.

[My favorite poem...]

 He recites the beginning in this photo shoot & interview:

[My favorite Disney film as a child...]

He once broke into the "Bare Necessities" impromptu:

 

[Hiddleston reading to his Thor teddy bear]

 

[Hiddleston with Quvenzhane Wallis at the MTV Movie Awards 2013]

[Prince Hal to Henry V - from PBS's The Hollow Crown]

[Hiddleston as F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris]

And remember...

Probably more to come on that, but it's safe to say that I think Hiddleston is pretty fantastic.

Funniest thing you'll watch today:

Jack Bauer presenting Sherlock Holmes with an award and, per usual, "he forgets his pants*."

*American transliteration of "pants" ;)

My younger sister, Sarah, can make me laugh like nobody's business!  She and I shared a room up until I moved out last Summer and there were so many late-night giggle sessions.  Last night, she and I were texting about, among other things, the Iliad - which she is about to finish.  Here are some choice excerpts from the hilarity that ensued:

Sarah: I'm drowning in the terribleness of the Iliad...
Me:  Did you finish the Iliad?  Isn't the end so touching!  Well, call "the Homeric Hotline" [inside joke, meaning me] if you have specific questions.
S:  I have one chapter left.  I am sure it will be touching.  The question is - will I understand it?
... [later on]
S:  Iliad for 500, please.  Smartest Achaean?
M:  Well, the wiliest was Odyssesus.  Smartest could be Nestor
S:  Man!  You're good! I just learned that 2 months ago and I already forgot it.  If you get this next question, then my search for the perfect woman is over - How many lines is the Iliad poem?
M:  HAHAHAHA!!  Around 16,000.
S:  You are off my 37 lines.  Tisk. Tisk.  Still.... pretty dang good if you ask me :)
M:  Did I have to have an exact answer?
S:  I was expecting one!  I mean, 15,963 is like 24601 - pretty easy to remember :)
... [even later]
M:  Btw - can I post the Iliad bit of this convo on my blog?
S:  Of course.  I hold no copyright infringements.


Isn't she just amazing?  Sarah - I LOVE you!!!

Some nights, you just have to stay up late watching Jennifer Lawrence interviews and appreciating all that is quirky and authentic.

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Happy Monday!

Tom Hiddelston, ladies & gents

I'm still sitting on my review for 12 Year's a Slave and working on a few other fun posts, but for now, I leave you with Tom Hiddleston's dance abilities:

"I would believe only in a god that knows how to dance." 
- Friedrich Nietzsche would be Loki'd 

In other Hiddleston adorableness, he said of his work on the upcoming Muppet movie:
"I worked with the man himself, Kermit the Frog. I've peaked — it's downhill from here."

31 Days of Books: Much Ado About Nothing

This week, Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing was released in digital/DVD formats.  It being my favorite Shakespeare Comedy, I thought I'd make it today's review.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Title:  Much Ado About Nothing

Author:  William Shakespeare

Published:  1598

Year I read it:  2004, 2009

One sentence summary: Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a "merry war" that is turned on its head against the backdrop of their mutual friends, Claudio and Hero, falling in love only to be tested and proved anew.

Interesting fact:  It has proven to be quite inspiring:  The characters of Beatrice and Benedick are most likely what Austen based Elizabeth and Darcy on.  Also, the lyrics of Mumford and Son's "Sigh no more" come almost entirely from this play.

Three reasons to read it:

• It's one of Shakespeare's wittiest, most quotable plays.  Both dialogues and monologues are superb! 
• Much Ado features some of the best romantic and dramatic tension I've seen on stage or screen!  The romance between Benedick and Beatrice is charged... with a gamut of emotions. Claudio's accusation of Hero, the subsequent scene with her father, Claudio's repentance - these weightier scenes within the comedy emphasize the narratives high stakes.
• In spite of the aforementioned high stakes, this is one of the funniest of Shakespeare's comedies.  The lines, the plot, the characters - they blend to form one of the most delightful plays.  [This is likely why it's had so many successful adaptations]

One reason you maybe shouldn't:

• Shakespeare plays are not PG.  They can't truly be told as PG.  If you are offended by real life non-PG material, this play is not for you.

Great quotes:

"Beatrice love me? Why?"

"Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humor? No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married."

"Ha. 'Against my will I am sent to bid you come into dinner.' There's a double meaning in that."

"For man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion"

"Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much. Lady, as you are mine, I am yours: I give away myself for you and dote upon the exchange."

"Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue." 

"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."

"Prince, thou art sad.  Get thee a wife!"

"I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms."

"Serve God, love me, and mend."

“Keeping journals always makes me nervous people are going to find it so if you’re reading this just stop. Don't be a journal reader. Those people suck.”

- Jennifer Lawrence,

first entry in a new journal

Here's a weekly reminder of how amazing Jennifer Lawrence is.

31 Days of Books: The Princess Bride

Title: The Princess Bride, or The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure: The "Good Parts" Version Abridged by William Goldman.

Author: William Goldman

Published: 1973

Year I read it: 2005

One sentence summary:  In parts fairy-tale, action, comedy, adventure, and romance, this is the all around epic story of Wesley's undying love for Buttercup, told as a faux-abridgement.

Three reasons to read it:

• "Faux-abridgement" means Goldman totally made up both the tale and S. Morgenstern's longer tale - his commentary about Morgenstern's commentary is fiction!  A wonderful play on meta ;)
• You thought the film was funny?  You ain't seen nothing yet!
• Goldman's style is a delight!  The book is charming.

One reason you maybe shouldn't:

• If you think the film just can't be topped (and don't want to be proven wrong), then don't read the book.  Much of the plot and characters are the same, but there are different details.

Great quotes:

"Has it got any sports in it?"
"Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."

“There have been five great kisses since 1642 B.C. when Saul and Delilah Korn's inadvertent discovery swept across Western civilization. (Before then couples hooked thumbs.) And the precise rating of kisses is a terribly difficult thing, often leading to great controversy, because although everyone agrees with the formula of affection times purity times intensity times duration, no one has ever been completely satisfied with how much weight each element should receive. But on any system, there are five that everyone agrees deserve full marks. Well, this one left them all behind.”

"Fool!" cried the hunchback. "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well known is this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.'"
He was quite cheery until the iocane powder took effect.

"I mean, I really do think that love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops."

The Princess Bride
S. Morgenstern's
Classic Tale of True Love
and High Adventure
You had to admire a guy who called his own new book a classic before it was published and anyone had a chance to read it.”

10: Farewell

Tonight is the "End of Time" - at least of our time with David Tennant.

He is just the bestest.

I know, I know. Matt Smith is grand.

He's adorable and quirky and the Doctor in his own right.

But Tennant lived and breathed Doctor Who since he was a kid.

He owned the role in the best way possible.

And, excited as I am for the future...

I will miss you Ten(nant)!



...at least until November 23rd when he returns for the 50th! ;)

This really needs to happen...

[via]

It is hard... even for the Doctor!

A gift from a friend today:

I'm sorry... but can you imagine having him as your professor??

I mean, I would be quoting movies every time I shared in class.  How could anyone resist throwing in a "Run Home, Jack" or a "You are going to die" line?

Bahaha... cracking myself up just thinking about it!

Props to Fandom

So... one of the best things about being a fangirl is the community of other fan-girls + boys that gather around that piece of art.  With Lizzie Bennet Diaries wrapping up - can you believe it? - a week from tomorrow, I am sad to be losing not only it's new episodes at least twice a week, but also the community that goes with it.  It's been such a joy to watch and then jump on to several different platforms to discuss what we've seen.  There are texts from friends and sisters (both of the biological and "Crawley" variety) and then fan-reactions and fan-sites.  And being that the material is rather nerdy - so are many of its viewers.  

So with fandoms such as the Lizzie Bennet Diaries or Sherlock or whatnot, there are some pretty creative people in those communities.  And today I found one of my favorite "fan-made" pieces yet.  It's a Sherlock parody by the props of Sherlock.  What I believe to be 1, maybe 2 fans, have created twitter accounts personifying different key props in the show - and they are hilarious!!  So far, they've only included the floor, the staircase, the wall, the smiley face, and the skull (who they've named billy, but who I've always thought of as a Yorick ;) but each has quite the personality!

Here are a few examples of prop interactions:

Is it just me or are those hilarious??  

Whichever fan(s) out there made these - thank you!  Made my day :)

You can continue to follow the adventures "Props of Sherlock" here.

The topper on my day :)

fandom love... what fun!

Can I just say... I love being referred to "the English major" at work. 

The other day, the head of the Tax department called me just to ask where an apostrophe went.  haha!  Kind of feels like I have a magic power... so much for English being a "useless degree" =P

graduation party - sneak peek =)

Moonrise Kingdom = funny stuff!

"Was he a good dog?"

"Who's to judge?"

"I love you... but you have no idea what you're talking about."

Wes Anderson, thank you for a night full of laughs and beautiful art =)

[via]

So glad someone was finally able to articulate that =)