Mar. 27th, 2006

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Jill alerted me to the coolest Web site, TV Tropes. It's the encyclopedia of plot devices, stock characters, cliches and genre fixtures for TV, movies and even novels. I was making smaller lists of such "archetypes" at the age of 14, and now, 14 years later, there's a whole online encyclopedia of them!

(un)real life is a dramedy because it combines drama and humor, but it's also a soap opera in the sense that the characters always experience life-changing events [never a dull moment]. Perhaps it could be best characterized as a supernatural soap opera, which gets in the constant plot twists, the high tension and the magic.

Anneka, as a hero, is probably an Extraordinarily Powered Girl, given the fact that she has vampiric powers. She also has strong Mary Sue traits, mostly because she's semi-autobiographical and physically idealized. Because she resents her special status and just wants a normal life, she's also a Part-Time Hero. Given her tendency to depression, suicidal thoughts and holding grudges, she may also have some anti-hero in her.

Will, as a hero, is most obviously an anti-hero. Specifically, his cynicism and cock-sureness make him an Ineffectual Loner. He makes sarcastic remarks about almost everyone, ensuring him the role of Deadpan Snarker.

Both Anneka and Will have a strong Beauty and the Beast aspect to their relationship. Anneka seems to be bringing out something good in Will [hmmm, maybe he'll stop killing people], and he seems to be bringing out something good in her [though we're not clear what it is]. As well, there is some Star-Crossed Lovers drama, but they keep crossing the stars by themselves. Fate has nothing to do with it.
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Over here in the LJ MM community, sleepall_day took a screencap that shows a Valentine doll in Helena's room [when she's playing with the sock puppets].

I didn't even notice that doll! In fact, I left him out of my essay about sex and dolls in L and MM, where I mainly focused on the sexualizing music box dolls that attack Helena in the Dark Queen's castle.

Currently tossing around the notion that Valentine's appearance as a doll relates to the movie's exploration of Helena's sexuality. Dolls are vehicles for sexual expression, as I demo in the aforementioned essay. So perhaps the Valentine doll represents Helena's wish for a boyfriend who's a magical hero and a charmer [as opposed to the punky smoker guy who's Anti-Helena's make-out partner]. Somehow this ties in to Valentine's status as imaginary figure inside Helena's dream and real guy [in the Future Fruit vision of him as a waiter, also at the end of the movie]. Could he be one of the most balanced and desireable characters of the movie [mischievous yet responsible, fantastical yet real]? Definitely need to chew on this some more...
modernwizard: (Default)
Over here in the LJ MM community, sleepall_day took a screencap that shows a Valentine doll in Helena's room [when she's playing with the sock puppets].

I didn't even notice that doll! In fact, I left him out of my essay about sex and dolls in L and MM, where I mainly focused on the sexualizing music box dolls that attack Helena in the Dark Queen's castle.

Currently tossing around the notion that Valentine's appearance as a doll relates to the movie's exploration of Helena's sexuality. Dolls are vehicles for sexual expression, as I demo in the aforementioned essay. So perhaps the Valentine doll represents Helena's wish for a boyfriend who's a magical hero and a charmer [as opposed to the punky smoker guy who's Anti-Helena's make-out partner]. Somehow this ties in to Valentine's status as imaginary figure inside Helena's dream and real guy [in the Future Fruit vision of him as a waiter, also at the end of the movie]. Could he be one of the most balanced and desireable characters of the movie [mischievous yet responsible, fantastical yet real]? Definitely need to chew on this some more...
modernwizard: (Default)
I've never done a photostory before where nothing happens. Well, there's a first time for everything, and Jennifer, here in her PJs with her ubiquitous memorandum book, proves it. It's not really a photostory so much as a photomood, all about those comfy, lazy times when your sweet fatigue overwhelms your big plans. Read more... )

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