Malinda Lo
Blog
Jul 21, 2010
Midsummer media moments, or what I’ve seen/read/heard lately and loved
I‘ve been keeping a list of serious, important subjects I could blog about, but lately my brain has been fried (I’ve been doing hard work, I swear!) and all I want to do is escape into some good entertainment. So here are three things that have entertained me recently:
1. Inception
I saw this movie last weekend and was blown away. It had a mind-bending concept, incredible visual effects, just enough science fiction, and Ellen Page in a role that is very rare for women: a character who is essential to the story line without being any man’s crutch/love interest/victim.
I think it’s interesting that the promo for the movie was so cagey about the film’s sci-fi cred. It’s not sci-fi in a Star Trek way, but it is speculative fiction for sure. It’s about manipulating someone’s dream state using chemistry and technology. I found it thought-provoking and thrilling, but I’m not sure I totally bought the ending. (Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it.) Overall, though, it was trippy, in all the good ways, and I highly recommend it.
2. White Cat by Holly Black
Everybody seems to be loving White Cat, and now that I’ve read it, I totally agree. It is awesome! It involves devious/dastardly/sexy con men, and a fascinating world that seems exactly like ours but isn’t (because it has magic). It stars a sharp-witted yet unreliable first-person narrator. And the girl in it is very, very cool. She might be potentially evil, but that does not detract from her coolness.
If I had to summarize the book, I would be flummoxed and unable to do so. It doesn’t summarize neatly. It’s complex and three-dimensional and made me want to take notes on how to write like that. If you like books about crime/smart asses/the mafia/liars, read White Cat.
3. “Tigerlily” by La Roux
Many of you probably know of La Roux already, the self-described androgynous pop star from the U.K. with the red rooster-like hairdo. If you don’t, check her out. At first I thought her self-titled debut album sounded a lot like a Nintendo game from the ’90s, but after a few listens, I got over that. I love it!
Anyway, her next video will be for the song “Tigerlily,” and this behind-the-scenes video shows her talking about how she’ll be playing a stalker, stalking an androgynous figure played by a woman. I usually have no idea what’s going on in a La Roux video, but I’m very excited to see this one. It’s rare to get so much messing around with gender in a (relatively) mainstream music video.
What have you seen/heard/read lately that you loved?
I have White Cat up next to read….I LOVED Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen. It was the single best gay romance I’ve read. It is also the reason why small presses are so awesome!
“Inception”: amazing.
I want to see Inception really badly now, so many people have recommended I see it! White Cat is on my list of books to read before 2010 is over, lol.
Have you heard the song Te Amo by Rihanna? It’s acutally about someone rebuffing a lesbian’s interest so it’s not the most positive thing in the world, but I thought the song was interesting.
I love La Roux’s hair. I hadn’t heard of Tigerlilly yet, thanks!
I saw Inception and loved the concept and the fact that the plot made you THINK the whole way through – rare these days! Though a few holes in the plot I thought it was an intriguing movie.
Glad to hear you were so enarmoured with WHITE CAT. It sounds complex – which are my favorite kind of reads – as long as the plot makes enough sense that you can follow it. I will definitely be picking that book up next.