Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Once Upon a Spirit of the Forest

Started off the morning with breakfast and Moon Madness. This very peculiar French animated film from 1983 tells the tale of how Baron Munchausen and his loyal companions discovered the Selenites, the people of the moon, and rescued them from their sworn enemies the Green Means. The animation is terrible, jerky and stiff, and the story meanders and has no real plot before the Green Means invade. The saving graces are some really colorful and unique character and background designs (I love the creative creatures that live among the Selenites) and catchy synthesizer music. The theme song "The Secret of the Selenites" remained lodged in my head long after I'd forgotten the rest of the film.

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing and updating Pinterest (which is now working fine after being glitchy for the past couple of days). Leia's contacts are Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andorez, both Rebel Society members. Jyn's father and three close friends from the Rebel Society were among the victims of the fire in the shipyard. The fire also claimed the life of a friend of Cedric and Rusty who had been a secretary to Tarkin before he quit and joined the Rebels. They brought Leia to the navigational room to show them the controls for the deadly cannon that can obliterate anything in a second. They just passed the pilfered blueprints to Leia when they hear soldiers coming upstairs...

Broke around 2 for lunch and errands. Finished out Moon Madness while eating pineapple muffins and celery with peanut butter. After the movie ended, I ran out to get the laundry done. Picked a good time to do it. It was dead as a doornail when I arrived. One Hispanic man...I had a hard time understanding him, but I think he expected the manager to be there to wash his load. When they weren't, I ended up helping him figure out how to use the washing machines. I didn't have a lot to do myself. Finished in less than an hour.

As soon as I put everything away, I went right back out. There's was lot I needed to ask Dad and Jodie about without the rest of the family distracting them, starting with Rose's baby shower. According to Jodie, it's going to be on May 21st, which means it'll be going on when Lauren is here. We're both invited. I volunteered to make a pudding pie. Sounds like Anny and her brood and Keefe will be there, but Dad-Bill and Mom may not.

Ran the idea of them buying my train tickets to visit Lauren in July for my birthday instead of the usual gifts. Not only did they agree to it, but they also said they'd give me spending money to go with it, so I could save at least some of the money in my accounts for my rent. Jodie said she wanted to give me new sandals, too.

Jodie did finally get in touch with the darn doctor. The doctor is apparently starting a new program and won't be able to take me until April. I think I'm just going to give Camden County a second shot and at least try to get food stamps (if I can get through to them).

I ended up having shrimp stir-fry with them while watching the news on Channel 6. That was really nice. I don't often get them completely to myself. No one else showed up this evening, not even Dana and Jesse.

Finished the night at home, making chocolate cake while watching Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka, the prince of a small village, is injured while fighting an evil demon. The demon turns out to be a forest spirit. His scratches are poisonous, and leaves the young prince cursed. He leaves the village before anything worse can happen, hoping to learn more about the boar and the spirit. The trail leads him to Irontown, whose forges make it valuable to a strong-willed noblewoman and a samurai warlord. The noblewoman is at war with the spirits of the forest, who hate her for cutting down their trees to feed her forge. Ashitaka befriends both the former prostitutes the noblewoman took in as workers and San, a girl raised by wolves who fights the humans alongside them. Now he has to do what he can to save the Great Spirit and prevent the wars and the destruction from getting any worse.

This reminded me quite a bit of a darker Nausicaa, with many of the same themes. My favorite characters by far were the women of Irontown. They may have been lowly workers, but they were funny, tough, and a heck of a lot more sensible than any of the menfolk.  Lots of blood, violence, severed limbs, and the dark tone make this absolutely not for children. Young teens on up who enjoy anime, darker "nature vs. humans" stories, or dark action may enjoy it far more.

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