Why Are You So Hare-Brained?

Our furry friend shown here is cousin to two newly-famous-again lapins, the White Rabbit and the March Hare of Tim Burton's version of Alice in/through Wonderland/(Underland)/the Looking Glass.  

Our snowshoe hare looks much less dithery than either of the cousins. He's dignified and wise looking. and even though his coat is glossy and clean you just know he's seen more than a few moults. He's the kind of hare you'd want as leader in a crisis. In spite of his years you get the feeling he'd stand up to a crafty weasel or even a slobbering dumb-as-a-post hound. A rabbit is a rabbit but a good hare is a potential PM.

As for the movie; it's complicated. But in spite of the complications we are utterly transported to Underland and Through the Looking Glass, led and followed by a spectacular cast of actors and voice-actors.There could have been more of the flamingo-head croquet by some people's reckoning. You just want to hug Tweedledum and Tweedledee before you give them a good smack. The Mad Hatter is just that and delightfully so, in the spirit of  Captain Jack, in "Pirates..."  and  Roux in "Chocolat."  Helena Bonham Carter is deliciously evil and spiteful as the Red Queen.Alan Rickman would be a truly authentic hookah-smoking caterpillar of any colour and Stephen Fry was born to smile without a face.

It's difficult not to make comparisons with Avatar but how detailed does a completely fictionalized world have to be before it seems "unrealistic?" That term has been used in reviewing movies in our household ever since one of our children dubbed the all-rolled-up-into-a-ball black little boy who was one of Peter Pan's "Lost Boys" in "Hook" as "unrealistic!" So, you forget about the meticulously rendered fictionalized plants and insects and you think about the story. Alice has the better story - hands down. Alice has more believable characters. Avatar Avarice far outweighs any Alice Avarice. No one should be sorry that Alice beat Avatar last weekend at the box office, least of all James Cameron. It's so unseemly for a Canadian  to be so greedy.

Copyright 2010 by the Stargeazer
 

Why Are You So Surprised?

Toyota Tim - It may just be a typo or a slip of the old clutch but I thought I saw that the new Roll up the RIM contest  features 31 000 000 Toyotas as prizes. That solves a few problems all at once.

Avatarest? - Say it ain't so Jim. Say it ain't so. You are not really going to re-release Avatar in an extended version in summer 2010, are you?  If you do it will just have to be Avatar Avarice. There's no other name for it.


EDT - We in North America have been living with early Daylight Time for a few years now and I must say it's improved my life immeasurably

• I have an extra hour to get the car out of the mud hole that once was a driveway. 
• I have an extra hour to really perfect my slice at the driving range.
• I have an extra hour to work on my roll cast to use at the creek on opening day
• I have an extra hour at the Mall because I don't like driving in the dark.
• I have an extra hour to use those low energy  compact light bulbs.

LCBO for SALE? It appears that Ontario's Liberal government is seriously considering the (at least) partial sale of the LCBO., which might soon stand for Lavish Corporate Bonuses Often. Put your hand up if you think this move will bring the price of booze down? Wave if you think this will lead to business decisions that will promote domestic wine and spirits over imports which are flooding our markets currently. Honk if you think that Ontario taxpayers and consumers will actually be better off after the sale just like users of the 407 are better off after Mike Harris' yard sale.