Author: Jenny

It had been sitting either on my desk or the coffee table downstairs for about a month before I finally gave it more than a “I’ve got to get to that” thought. I had been receiving e-mail after e-mail about its due date, and being the lazy product of the Internet that I am I simply checked renew instead of making an effort to actually view the film and then walk down to the library to return it. By the end of the month, I could have sworn it was not only following me around the apartment but also growling softly in my ear.

Or maybe making a high pitched “Mmhmm”.

I really should have popped this movie in sooner.

The Dark Crystal is a product of Jim Henson, that amazing mind who came with Muppets Treasure Island, and firmly has a place in cult 80’s children movies like Labyrinth and the Never Ending Story trilogy.

The plots are never award worthy, but they have their moments of such absurdity that you cannot help but love them. For example, The Dark Crystal’s trial for emperor is not a fight to the death, but rather a test to see who can make the biggest dent in a rock. And in Labyrinth, who doesn’t laugh a the line “Your mother is an aardvark!”. Things in the 80’s were just so out there, hair included, that you can only raise an eyebrow and laugh.

But what really made this movie for me was the sets. I’ve never seen anything so elaborate. Okay, so Middle Earth is drop dead gorgeous and Hogwarts is jaw dropping, but a lot of the sets are natural or done digitally. Sometimes even with paints.

The forest in the Dark Crystal thrums with life that come straight out of a think tank of seven year olds, and it all moves. It’s a real, working set and the details just blows me away. Nothing like it is seen in movies today and it almost saddens me because it’s such a great work of art. And then of course I think of how just how beautiful the Transformers are and think not is all lost in this digital age.

What also got me during Henson’s movie was the puppets. The entire cast is composed of them, and yet there are moments when they move so fluidly in full body shots you can’t help but pause in following the narrative and think, how does that work?

And the detail! You can see in every wrinkle of skin, every sunken scab, every exoskeleton dent that it’s obvious much time, effort, and money went into constructing them. How can you not love a movie that pays so much attention to the details? Everything is taken care of and watched closely. As amusing as catching the tiny out of place details in other movies is, it’s nice to know that some film crews love their work so much that they make sure everything is perfect. True artists if you ask me.

Your 80’s fanatic,

Jenny

It’s here, it’s here! *jumps up and down*

November is National Novel Writing Month, and I’m so excited. The rules, write a novel (175 pages aka 50,000 words) in the period of a single month. It has to be done from scratch, outline is acceptable, but the whole focus is the time limit.

I’m a huge writing fan, though my experience with original fiction is limited to a failed Hopwood attempt and public schooling assignments. I have a problem with coming up with original characters, so I admit I usually write fan fiction.

I am really pleased that my roomie shares my passion, though we exist in different fandoms (I’m Transformers and she’s Star Trek). So we decided that we will each write a total of 50,000 words of fiction this month. That’s over sixteen hundred words a day. I’m so glad midterms are over now >.<

It’s a great feat to attempt, and some have been very successful at it. Think Water for Elephants. While most finished manuscripts are poor quality, for obvious reasons, there have been some written during this event that have then later been published.

Obviously, that’s not my own goal here, I really just want to see if I can do it. Next year, I’ll actually write up one of the novel ideas floating around in my head. Having a book published is one of my life goals.

NaNoWriMo is actually pretty young as event, 10 years this November. It started with only 21 participants in the San Fransisco area. Last year, there were over 100,000 authors participating nation wide.

You’re welcome to join in the action here, or see how I’m doing! Look up Uniasus.

Your writer wanna-be,
Jenny

I debated long and hard about what costume to wear this Halloween. It’s not just a simple choice of going to Meijer the day of a party and buying something that fits and is cheap. Oh no, I plan.

Sometimes not enough. My senior year of high school I decided on being a Jedi, and I wanted to make it myself. I bought fabric, patterns, and set to work. It quickly became an issue of time. You see, I didn’t, and still don’t, know how to use a sewing machine and making a costume by hand is a really long process.

I ended up roping my sister to help me because she knows how to work the contraption. We were up past midnight on Hallow’s Eve and I had to pay her half the Reese’s I got that year. And while I was immensely proud of my costume I still got pwned by a young kid dressed up as Darth Vadar because his light saber extended AND lit up.

So, for this year’s costume it has to be easy to make. And recognizable. My junior year, I bought 40 peacock plumes and made a tail I attached to the back of a dress. This thing was huge, easily had a six foot span, and with a purple dress and beautiful plums I figured it would be pretty obvious that I was a peacock.

Turns out that was wrong, this one lady called me a turkey. A turkey! And I couldn’t defend myself because I had lost my voice for a week from working at a haunted house. I was unable to say ‘trick-or-treat’, let alone point out this woman’s mistake. My friends still call me a turkey sometimes.

So yes, Halloween costumes have to be easy to make, and it has to be obvious what you are. Oh, and cheap. We are college students.

So I looked through my clothes (nothing’s cheaper then what you already have) and found a pair of cargo pants that had potential. And Salvation Army has a ton of stuff too. Go on Thursdays, it’s student discount day. Take me if you need advise. 

Cargo pants, black top, and a summer fondness for revisiting Disney cartoons. Add a small box covered in printer paper colored to match the proper accessories and some red hair dye and a Kim Possible cosplay is born!

We’ll just ignore the fact that my hair is short and curly and that my martial skills are so bad I can’t even fake a pose.