Fooling around...

[alexpgp]

I just took a look at the trailer for The Manchurian Candidate, and although I'm sure it will be an edge-of-the-seat thriller, it also is an interesting rework of the film of the same title shot in 1962, starring Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, and the show-stealing Angela Lansbury. Among the major plot changes: the Chinese Communists of the 50s have been replaced by 21st-century corporate types. Ah, well. It's not as if corporate baddies are something new to the genre. Personally, though, I think I'll put The Bourne Supremacy in line ahead of the Candidate.

It's been something of a long day. I've been called by old clients and new, and am still chasing paper. There's some stuff booked for tomorrow delivery and I must also take a look at some fax pages later and decide whether I want to do the job. In between it all, I must get off my duff and finally install the Smart French CD that arrived about a week ago.

The idea behind the Smart French CD is to study French as it is spoken  (I decided to buy a CD after doing one of the samples available through www.smartfrench.com). If I listen to audio available, for example, at www.french.about.com (specifically, here), it's generally not too difficult for me to understand with almost no difficulty, but as Ulrich pointed out during the Intelsat campaign, "that's... probably... because... everything... was... said... very... clearly... and... slowly."

There is still an awful lot of paper around here, despite having thrown out at least a dozen boxes full of old stuff. Maybe I should invite Sandy Berger over to read my papers, and ask him to wear loose-fitting pants?

Cheers...

Comments

[egofood.livejournal.com]

I noticed that as well seeing Denzel Washington on the Letterman show. Which makes me wonder why call it The Manchurian Candidate if it has nothing to do with Manchuria? The Manhattan Candidate would be a better title. Furthermore, using chip implants instead of brainwashing? Yes, there are implants (the Mexican attorney general had one implanted recently (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/07/13/mexico.chip.reut/) complete with press conferences) but it's a big leap to go from what they can do now to what they might do many years from now (and set the story ten years ago to boot). Suspension of disbelief go poof. Then they eliminate the stepfather and have Raymond be the VP candidate. I'll stick to the original version, thank you, which is one of the rare films that actually follows the book (with three changes, two minor and one major but not enough to ruin the movie).

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Well, I didn't take notes, but the name of the evil capitalists intent on placing a puppet in the White House in the new movie is something like "Manchurian Corporation."

Call me cynical, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Republicans/conservatives are depicted as the heavies. There seems to be a lot of that going around nowadays.

Cheers...