Five-day entertainment wrap up

Lots of entertainment over the last five days. I've tried to stay spoiler free.

The Dark Knight Late Tuesday night showing in the company of BC
It must be a little difficult being Christian Bale right now. There you are, starring in one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, and Heath Ledger is the one getting the press. The truth, however, is that Bale wasn't given much to do in terms of character development in this film, and his character isn't one with enormous emotional range. Ledger's the one who got the real meat and when he's on screen, giving an absolutely riveting performance, you really can't see anyone else. As so many have said before me, watching Ledger, one can't help but wonder what amazing performances we've lost to his drug overdose. I won't be surprised if he's nominated for an Academy Award because every moment of his screen presence is complex and genuine. I will be surprised if he wins. The film is very, very good. It's dark. It's exciting and thought-provoking. It wins.

The X Files: I Want to Believe Saturday matinee with e_bourne
I've been excited about this film since I first heard about it. I was a true believer in The X Files so it's a certainty that I was looking for things that a lot of movie-goers either don't care about or won't see. I tried to reign in my enthusiasm to the level of cautious optimism. Chris Carter has disappointed us before. I think, however, that he made some good choices with I Want to Believe. It's not a mythology story, for which I'm truly grateful. And it's not a massive, world-spanning case, either. It's a thriller in the series' tradition: a mystery tinged with the paranormal. It is, in many ways, an intimate story mainly about our heroes: who they are, what their current relationship is, how they feel about what they spent a decade of their lives doing. These are people who have, in one way or another, moved on. In the best tradition of The X Files, the movie examines the difference between faith and belief, and evidence versus conviction. There are some lovely moments between Scully and Mulder, and one favorite series character makes enough of an appearance to make me happy (though I found myself questioning his context in this universe 10 years later). Gillian Anderson is looking a little thinner, a little more brittle but there's no question she's still stunning. I like her hair longer. David Duchovny is looking a little older, his skin a little looser here and there, but he's still a good-looking man. I kinda liked the shaggy, bearded look he starts the film with, and I love the reason he shaves the beard later. It's not a great film, but I think it's good, good enough for me to walk away happy and satisfied.

Twelfth Night at Greenstage in West Seattle with e_bourne and markbourne on Saturday night
I've never attended a Greenstage performance before and, believe it or not, I've never seen "Twelfth Night" before, so the whole experience was a fresh one for me. It was a fun evening, the cast performing with a real joy in the material and in the venue. I found myself a little put off by the yelling-as-projection technique some of the actors used (especially the actress playing Olivia, most of whose performance suffered as a result -- she was so focused on being heard that I didn't feel as though there was a lot of acting going on), but this feeling was mitigated by understanding that the size of the venue required it. markbourne provided a delicious pasta-and-tofu meal and the company was, as ever, delightful. A pleasant evening overall.

The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage
I know that I'm reading this book 10 years after everyone else. What can I say? I'm slow. Anyway, I found it light, enjoyable reading. The author explains his subject clearly and explores its history with an easy touch. The book was just as long as it needed to be and no more. I was pleased and edified. In an afterword added in 2007, the author says, "One of the advantages of writing an Internet book in which everything is already 150 years out of date is that the story is in less danger of being overtaken, or rendered irrelevant, by subsequent developments." He has a point. Nevertheless, a minor note: I found him using the word "telework," which I've never heard anyone use, where most of us would use the word "telecommute." His afterword talks about the rise of mobile technologies, and how text messages are the latest in a long line of telegraph's descendants, which hadn't really occurred to me -- but he's right. Anyway, a worthwhile read, certainly. Recommended -- if there's anyone left in my circle who hasn't read it yet.

I have only one thing planned for today; the rest is free-form. With that one exception I expect I'll be doing chores and shopping, mainly.