Tag Archives: Adventure

Movie Night: Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Don’t forget – you can claim your free copy of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation just by emailing satiswrites@icloud.com and telling me which digital format you’d prefer (ePub, Kindle, PDF, etc.)!

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Year: 1993

Director: Mel Brooks

Production Company: Brooksfilms

Leads: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck

1Welcome back to Movie Night, after a very long hiatus! I can’t pretend I’ll be able to update this with a new movie each week as I used to; my new work schedule doesn’t always allow for a weekly movie with Little Satis as it once did.

Nonetheless, we did manage to sit down this week for a viewing of an old favorite of mine, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I had some reservations about letting Little Satis watch it (and not for the raciness); he isn’t terribly familiar with the Robin Hood story in general, and I had kind of wanted to let him see Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves or the supposedly excellent BBC adaptation. I had to quiz him on the lore of Robin Hood first, and having decided that he passed (with a D, most likely), started it up on Netflix.

The Everlast™ chastity belt.

The Everlast™ chastity belt.

It had been a long time since I had seen Men in Tights, and I’ll admit to having forgotten much of it; mostly things like the blind Blinkin and the Everlast™ chastity belt are what stuck in my head. I forgot that it opens with a brilliant scene with the late great Isaac Hayes; I forgot the wonderful cameo by Patrick Stewart at the end; I forgot the utter ridiculousness of Mel Brooks’ humor. (This was Little Satis’ first Mel Brooks movie, incidentally; Spaceballs might be next.) I also forgot how utterly Jewish it all is.

A lot of the humor was lost on Little Satis, and whilst some of it I explained (for example, the brilliant Robin of Loxley and Marian of Bahgel quip), some of it I left well alone (such as the key to the greatest treasure in the kingdom being the one to Maid Marian’s chastity belt). Also the bit about circumcisions. And the pantomime sword erection. And Tracey Ullman‘s “I touched it” line. And…well, most of the movie, come to think of it.

 

“I knew her parents before they were taken in the plague, Lord and Lady Bahgel. You know, you two were made for each other. I mean, what a combination. Loxley and Bahgel! It can’t miss!”

 

Is that a sword in your pocket, or…?

Is that a sword in your pocket, or…?

Ah, well…there was more than enough slapstick to amuse a ten-year-old, such as the overweight handmaiden jumping to her horse and cracking the pavement, or the repossession of Robin’s entire castle (carted away on wheels), or just about every scene with Blinkin (played marvelously by Mark Blankfield). Mel Brooks has an amazing knack for producing comedy that can appeal to all ages – the raciness just above the heads of the younger crowd, and the slapstick not quite too goofy to bring a smile to the most hardened of adults. Ultimately, though, it’s the sly references to contemporary pop culture that make the movie (or at least, made it at the time), and I will admit that it serves only to date it now; nonetheless, my favorite quote from the whole film is Cary Elwes’ dig at Kevin Costner‘s inability to put on a British accent:

 

“And why should the people listen to you?”

“Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent.”

 

If you haven’t seen it, it’s well-worth the watch; if you have, watch it again. It’s just as funny now as it was twenty years ago.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Featured image from http://www.filmcaptures.com/robin-hood-men-in-tights/.

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Thought of the Week: Now That I’m Published…

It’s been quite a while since I’ve had much to say here, and I’m sorry for that. I’ve been through one of the worst summers in recent memory in terms of battling my depression and possible bipolar diagnosis, and it’s been a daily struggle to even get out of bed. Work has been utterly exhausting, and in the little spare time I’ve had, I’ve tried desperately to dedicate myself to my book.

Having said that, I am still here, and I’m hoping to be around a little more than I have been lately. There was a time when I posted several times a week, and while I can’t quite commit to that level of activity yet, I would like to get back into the swing of things. I remember the wonderful feeling of knowing someone else has read your words, whether they be of hope or despair, and I of course remember the many good friends I’ve made through this blog (Alexandra, Neil Vis, Elyn, I’m looking at you!). Some of you have been with me on my journey for some years now, and I promise you, it’s still continuing.

Screen Shot 2014-07-08 at 12.13.29 PMSpeaking of having people read my words, I have a (late) announcement to make: my first book, The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation is finally published and ready to read! My publisher, iUniverse, originally had it available on their site in July, but there was a glaring mistake on the front cover and it’s taken a while to get this fixed. The amended version is now up, and available through amazon.com right here.

In one sense, I couldn’t be more excited. My book is physically available for sale, and I’ve had the chance to hold it my hands. Reading through it in print was an experience like no other: glorious, satisfying and very, very real. I’ll be receiving a few free copies soon and I already have an idea who I’ll be sending some to…!

Having said that, it’s very much a soft launch. I’m not much of a marketer, and until this post I pretty much haven’t spoken to anyone about my book, short of my local library. I’ve sunk quite a bit of (borrowed) money into turning my book into a reality, and I’m keenly aware that at the moment, I’m not likely to make much of that back. Truth be told, I’m not really expecting to. This was an experiment, a way to see if it was possible to ‘make it’ without the use of traditional publishers and agents. While I know that it is in theory possible, I’m not holding any great hopes for myself.

At least not yet.

I’ve had something of an upswing in mood lately, and I want to use it. I’m hoping that, over the next few days and weeks, I’ll have the motivation and stamina to start looking for ways to market my book. Getting people interested in it. Getting people to read it. One thought that’s crossed my mind is reviews: there are numerous review sources out there, from mainstream newspapers and magazines to independent websites. Of course, there’s no guarantee the reviews will be glowing, but infamy is better than non-famy, I suppose.

Another thought that’s crossed my mind is that, with iUniverse, I retain full publishing rights to my novel. What does this mean? Well, despite the fact that it’s published through them, and they get a (fairly significant) chunk of the royalties, I am still free to do what I want with the book elsewhere. Such as…

Give it away for free!

What do you think of that? I’ve decided, pretty much right now, that between now and October 31, anyone who emails satiswrites@icloud.com will receive a free copy of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation in return, in the format of their choosing (ePub, Kindle, PDF, etc.). All you need to do is let me know.

Meanwhile, there’ll be a Google Ads campaign running soon, and I’ll probably take out a couple of small advertisements on Facebook as well (don’t forget to check out facebook.com/satiswrites).

What do you think? Are there other ways you can think of to get my book out there and to the masses?

Satis Logo 2014Don’t forget: email satiswrites@icloud.com before October 31 to receive your free copy of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation!

Movie Night: Just Visiting

Year: 2001

Director: Jean-Marie Poiré

Production Company: Gaumont

Leads: Jean Reno, Christina Applegate

just_visiting_ver1For once this isn’t one Little Satis and I watched together. Mrs. Satis often likes to “discover” movies on TV after Little Satis is in bed, and the other night I happened to join her (usually I’m kicked out for talking during the movie). I really didn’t know what to expect, except that in passing I noticed Jean Reno, who I like, and Malcolm McDowell, who I like even more, and Christina Applegate, who will always be Kelly Bundy from Married With Children to me.

It turns out this is an americanized adaptation of a French film, with the distinguishing fact that it was made by the same people who made the original. This to me gives it slightly more authenticity than most bastardized adaptations (The Ring, I’m looking at you), though I’m still left with the feeling that the original is better. Even so, it was surprisingly enjoyable, with a blend of tongue-in-cheek and slapstick humor that, in fact, felt very French.

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“I could reanimate her corpse, but I don’t think you would like the way she looks. Or smells.”

~

On the eve of 12th-century French Count Thibault’s wedding to an English princess he is poisoned by an English noble, and in a delusional rage kills the woman he loves. Condemned to death, he seeks the aid of an English wizard, delightfully portrayed by Malcolm McDowell, who offers to send him back in time to the moment before her death. Unsurprisingly things go wrong, and Thibault and his servant Andre suddenly find themselves in Chicago, in the year 2000.

Things fall out rather predictably from there, with much of the film’s humor stemming from Thibault and Andre’s difficulties in adjusting to 20th-century life (Andre eats everything he finds, and Thibault uses $2,000 worth of Chanel perfume as bath oil). Neither can cope with traveling at more than 20 miles an hour and they have naturally no understanding of modern culture, but their antiquated views on etiquette, civility and honor nonetheless have much to teach their ultra-modern counterparts. In other words, no big surprises.

Thibault and Andre discover Chicago.

Thibault and Andre discover Chicago.

What felt particularly authentic about the film to me, though, was the thought clearly put into the reactions of these 12th-century time travelers in modern-day Chicago. They arrive in a medieval museum exhibit, and Andre points out that their castle has been cleaved in half. The museum appears to them to be a demonic hell-plane, and the shock of stepping out of the museum sends them both running back inside in terror. Unable to cope with dining at an upscale restaurant, Andre the servant takes to skewering a chicken on an umbrella and roasting it in a fireplace before the other patrons. And of course, Thibault has to be convinced not to take off the hand of a pickpocket for stealing a lady’s purse.

I felt there were some missed opportunities as well, though; Thibault, despite his nobility and, ultimately, generosity, doesn’t seem to learn any particular lesson throughout the film, though he serves as the catalyst for others’. In terms of humor, there are few one-liners, mostly reserved for Malcolm McDowell’s wizard. When asked what he can do to save Thibault’s bride, he replies, “I could reanimate her corpse, but I don’t think you would like the way she looks. Or smells.” While such statements are undoubtedly humorous, it feels as though they undermine the humor of the rest of the film, which relies more heavily on situational humor (and, to be fair, slapstick).

For all of that, however, I was surprisingly pleased with the movie, and am glad to have been introduced to yet another Jean Reno movie. I’ll certainly be looking up the French original now, and I may just have to write about how they compare.

If you haven’t seen Just Visiting, do. If you have – what did you think?

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

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