I Just Can’t Get Enough

I admit there are many movies that I love so much, I’ll watch them over and over and over.  I’ve probably seen Pride & Prejudice more than a hundred times.  Dances With Wolves used to be practically a yearly event in my house.  Every time I happen to see The Shawshank Redemption on TV, I will watch it, even though I own it and have seen it countless times already.  There are some flicks I just can’t get enough of.  Which is why I understand those people out there who will pay theater prices to see a previously released movie again, now re-released in 3D.  Unlike my co-blogger, Titanic isn’t one such film for me, but I thought I’d share with you one film I adore so much, I wouldn’t think twice about paying to see it in the theater again, even without the added 3D visuals.  For me, each of the Lord Of The Rings films was so magical, so awe-inspiring up on the big screen, I’m sure I’d pay $10 to experience each of them all over again.  In particular, The Fellowship of the Ring.  I remember so vividly sitting in the theater, watching the Uruk-hai (those orc/human hybrid things) coming down that leaf-covered hill in the woods and literally sinking in my seat.  They were fearsome, so intimidating, I felt like if I’d have been standing beside Pippin, I would have dug a fucking hole in the earth just to make myself disappear.

And how I all but choked on the emotion following the fall of Gandalf, watching as the hobbits cried atop those mountainous rocks amidst the gorgeous backdrop of lush green forest – Jesus, that was intense.

More than anything, I loved the brief glimpse of Gollum, nothing but his humongous reflective eyes in the shadowy cave.  Gollum may just be my favorite character ever written.  I got chills at that little glimpse and could not wait for The Two Towers to get a good, proper look at him.

I feel that same anticipation now for The Hobbit.  In fact, at the end of the first teaser trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when I heard Gollum’s hissy voice, chills ran up my back.  I. LOVE. GOLLUM.  I doubt I’ll ever get to see The Fellowship Of The Ring on the big screen again, but it’s hard to feel too bad about that with Jackson’s upcoming adaption of The Hobbit looming ahead.  Seeing Riddles In The Dark adapted on screen is sure to be one of the greatest moments in cinematic history, especially with Martin Freeman playing Bilbo and Andy Serkis reprising his utterly perfect version of that wicked little creature.

~Nikki

And The Award Goes To…

We’ve had the recent good fortune of being nominated (and, therefore, given) another award!!  Thanks to foodstories for nominating us for the Illuminating Blogger Award!  Oh that’s right, because we provide illuminating information to all you readers.

As a token of our appreciation, we’ll share with you this random tidbit about ravingmadscientists:

• We don’t know when or how, but both Annie and I vow to spend a significant chunk of our lives living in England.  We are anglophiles, as you well know, and feel life would not be complete without the experience of living among the Brits for at least a year or two.

And, of course, we have to share the wealth by nominating a few other bloggers who illuminate the blogosphere:

• The wuc – even though posting has been scarce this year, this Aussie chick couldn’t be wittier, or more clever, or more entertaining, and her genius plays on words and sharp pop culture references make us green with envy for not having thought of them first!  (While we’re laughing our buns off, that is.)
• And our fave girl SJ over at booksnobbery whose blog is not only funny and smart but also provides the vital function of reviewing books so that we don’t have to read them all!  Being the devout book lovers that we are here at rms, we admire her devotion to sharing her reading experiences with the masses.
• And, though we don’t post often enough about food, we do love to eat and talk about the food we love to eat, so we’re nominating the best amateur ranting chef this side of the Mississippi for his devotion to food and cooking.  And keeping us continuously hungry!
• And, finally, we also nominate onegirlgeek for giving all of us geeks a place to learn and gush about our nerdly obsessions!

And thanks to all of you, dear readers, for reading our rantings and ravings.  We do try to provide useful information or, if nothing else, at least to entertain.

~Nikki & Annie

‘The Great Gatsby’ Trailer

I saw an unbelievably fantastic trailer this weekend, for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. We caught it in 3D, and oh my dear sweet baby Jesus, the glitter, the music, the CAST!, the fireworks, confetti – it looks like Moulin Rouge got caught in the roaring 20s with Jack Dawson and just SIGN ME UP RIGHT NOW. (This is coming from somebody who loves Moulin like a drug and while watching the blu ray, was certain the TV would start bleeding red and blue paint. I LOVE Luhrmann’s cracked-out interpretations of stories and mashups of color and modern music. I am also LONGING for a 3D re-release of the 2001 Parisian sparkler.)

~Annie

And in case you were wondering what the hell that killer track is playing over the last 2/3 of the trailer, it’s ‘Love is Blindness’ by Jack White. You’re welcome.

ravingmadcast, Episode 2

It’s episode 2 of ravingmadcast! Oh, how you’ve all been yearning for it.

This is the “sequel” to Episode 1, where the possessor of our favorite brain to pick, X, explains why she wants her life to be like The Matrix. And not for the reasons you’d think.

~Annie

And PS: We hope to bring you one episode a month.