(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Hee! I just got a special award from hogwartsishome--which really belongs to you guys. All I said was, "Hey, it's cool, sign up," and y'all did the rest. : )

Am rapidly becoming obsessed with Phantom of the Opera. This makes me sad, because I can just about feel my friends laughing at me (and old-school fans grousing about newbies). But seriously, between the book and the show/movie, this story has collected about every Gothic romance cliché trope in the book: Something lurks in the shadows! A mysterious masked man! A monster with a heart of gold! "Ghosts" and "angels" and "spirits," oh my! Romantic abductions! Hidden passages and secret lairs! Beauty and the beast! Unrequited love! Ingénues! Orphans! Graveyards! Masquerades and roses and references to Poe! Paris! But also underground gondolas just for that touch of Venice! Two men who fight over the beautiful young girl (and would kill to get her)! No wonder Andrew Lloyd Webber said he thought of making the show a parody at first. It's just--too. How can you not love it?

(You know how we've all been sitting around moaning, "Why Joel Schumacher?" Well, interesting tidbit I found at ew.com: "Lloyd Webber has wanted director Joel Schumacher to be the one to bring Phantom's mix of goth and camp to the screen ever since seeing The Lost Boys in 1987." It's still kind of a cracked-out choice, and one that indicates that ALW was living in his own underground lair during the Batman's Nipples Forever years, but... I can kind of see it. Particularly with that hangout the Lost Boys had--wasn't it in a cave or something crazy like that?)

Totally unrelated: thanks to anne_jumps, I am seriously considering the idea that I might be a Highly Sensitive Person. It's mostly the parts about being easily startled, hating crowds and loud noises, and needing to get away from people and be alone after you've maxed out on stimuli. Sister Girl has started claiming I'm "moody," which I don't think is fair or accurate at all--but I am easily irritated by sudden interruptions or harsh sounds, and when you consider how manic she is, it starts to make sense that I would snap at her a lot. In fact, I bet this is why I'm terrified of phone calls--the whole thing is that you're hyper-aware of "subtleties" or infinite possibilities, and I'm so busy worrying about what to say or what I might be asked that I loathe using the phone, when it turns out--I'm starting to realize--the person on the other end is oblivious to half the things I'm angsting about. On personality tests I've taken in the last five years--since I started taking anti-depressants--I've come up as an extrovert, which shocked me considering how painfully shy I had been until I was about 20. But--from the website: "Dr. Aron explains that in the past HSPs have been called 'shy,' 'timid,' 'inhibited,' or 'introverted,' but these labels completely miss the nature of the trait. Thirty percent of HSPs are actually extraverts. HSPs only appear inhibited because they are so aware of all the possibilities in a situation. They pause before acting, reflecting on their past experiences." DUDE.

This doesn't mean I think I should prance around the house because I am such a unique and delicate snowflake. (Apparently it's actually really common--something like 20% of the population.) It just means that now I know why I snap at my sister and I can just chill the hell out about it and be like, "Can you lower your voice a little?" instead of "OH MY GOD GET OUUUUUUUUT!" In fact, it makes total sense that I'm usually wearing headphones all hours of the day--so I can control what I'm hearing and not be startled. I listen to the same songs over and over for days at a time because I hear something new each time--the "subtleties" thing. It's why people who cut my hair have always teased me about being "tender-headed," why almost all perfumes give me massive headaches, and why I hate hate hate loud gory slasher flicks or war movies. It's why I feel crazy if I don't have a significant amount of time to myself in the day, even though I'm theoretically an extrovert. It's probably part of the reason I procrastinate so much. It makes so much sense.

In other news: had a very good day shopping online. As previously mentioned, have several leads on a Hermione doll for Sister Girl, and have successfully purchased the White Dress Arwen that has eluded me lo these three many years. Also, poor Vladimir broke his Sideshow Weta "No Admittance" bookends (which are now sold out and bitch-ass expensive) in a tragic shelving accident, and somehow I managed to find a new set for a song and bought those for him, and it made him so happy. That's such a good feeling, to have fixed that for him.

In other, more terrifying news: Luis Guzmán is haunting me again.

Comments

[anna-sinistra.livejournal.com]

*scoffs at the phantom newbie*

Dude! That describes me perfectly.

[carolz.livejournal.com]

I was obsessed with Phantom of the Opera too, so I don't blame you. I agree, it has all of the characteristics that a great novel should have. Just gimme more romance *needs a good dosage of Harlequins right about now*.

[reannon.livejournal.com]

Well, Schumacher also did Phone Booth, Veronica Guerin, A Time to Kill, Flatliners and St. Elmo's Fire. I think he can do the good stuff too.

[oulangi.livejournal.com]

Ahhh yes Lost Boys - The movie that replaced the obligatory shower scene with a 12 year old Corey Haim taking a bath. A really looooonnngg bath.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeee. My sister and I watched that, and she was like, "OMG LOOK AT THE GIANT POSTER OF ROB LOWE ON HIS WALL!!"

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

Touring company of Phantom is hitting Boston in December at the newly restored Opera House.

TOTALLY THERE.

Also, congrats on the award. You certainly got out the word. Plus, yay, 'Claws!

[modpixie.livejournal.com]

it's not coming til march -- the lion king has been extended through february.

[keever.livejournal.com]

The Aron book made a lot of sense to me, too (http://www.livejournal.com/users/keever/282440.html). Lots of "bingo!" moments there.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Better yet: A cave with a Victorian hotel in it. (No, seriously. The explanation was that it fell in a crack during The Big One.)

My philosophy on Schumacher is that the movies he's ruined, he's ruined by making them too over-the-top. With Phantom? TRY to go overboard. I dare you. *g*

And pffffffft! on old-school fans mocking. I've been obsessed with this show since 1987. I've only seen it seven times, but that should be enough to allow me to grant one little dispensation... ;-D

[disgruntledjenn.livejournal.com]

You can't have too many Phantom fans! I read the book back in like elementary school and have been obsessed with it ever since. And i've been dying for them to make a movie version, as the stage musical is GOOD, but you cant do the book justice onstage when it's already such a detailed book.

I can't wait to see the labryinth scenes :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_waterlilies/]

I leave for four days, and when I come back, the only movie I've asked your advice on is your new obsession. I'd feel oddly flattered if I didn't know my comment was one of hundreds you get every day. ;D

Oh, yeah, any word on your t-shirt slogan? Picked one out yet?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh. I don't think I answered you, either, which is probably for the best, as my completely uninformed opinion at the time was, "Eh, it's probably going to be awful." Oh, the difference four days can make. ; )

[edda.livejournal.com]

This doesn't mean I think I should prance around the house because I am such a unique and delicate snowflake.

Oh, but you should. To complete the mental image I now have of you prancing around the house doing an interpretive dance of a dust mote in a sunbeam. With your headphones on. It's that level of commitment we're looking for here in Sparkle Motion. *helpless sporfling*

(Really, it's just an endorphin rush from a piece of chocolate. I'll stop being such a dick, I promise. *continues sporfling*)

[edda.livejournal.com]

Also? Yay for award!

[butindreams.livejournal.com]

Phantom is one of my favourite books of all time. I used it for at least 5 different projects/book reports/essays between grade 8 and and 11. I can't even tell you how many times I've read it. So great.

I also hate crowds and loud noises, and need to be alone after even brief craziness. 'Sensitive' is not the word I would use, though. Although I suppose it's just used in a different sense... as in physical senses, not emotionally sensitive, because that... I am not. Well, not so much at least. Okay, maybe a little.... :S

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly--"sensitive" is such a loaded word, hence the vow to not prance. It seems to be more about having a very low stimulus threshhold.

[etherealshores.livejournal.com]

I've been obsessed with Phantom of the Opera since the 90s or somthing like that.I've seen the musical twice,my copy of the book is just about worn out,and my Mom has met a couple Phantom musical cast members.So yeah,I love it. :)


...I just don't like Phantom movies much for some reason.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Isn't this the first time they've made the actual musical into a movie? That probably has a lot to do with not liking Phantom movies--they lack the things you like about the show. I did see the miniseries that came out about 1990, and just the tone itself was way different.

[rockgeisha.livejournal.com]

I've long suspected that I too am a highly sensitive snowflake (among other things, I also hate the phone for all the same reasons). It still makes me mad that I was out of grade school before anyone figured out that I have mild dyscalculia.

And this is completely unrelated but I meant to post it the other day--I'm reading A Northern Light, which is easily my favorite book all year, and this made me think of you:

"You're going to get it," I mouthed at him, then tried to put my mind back on Paradise Lost, but it was hard going. Somniferous was my word of the day. It means sleep inducing and it was a good one to describe that dull and endless poem. Milton meant to give us a glimpse of hell, Miss Wilcox said, and he succeeded. Hell was not the adamantine chains he wrote of, though. Nor was it the ever-burning sulphur, or the darkness visible. Hell was the realization that you are only on line 325 of Book One and there are eleven more books to go. Torture without end, all right. There was no place, of course, I would rather have been than in that schoolhouse, and nothing I would rather have done than read, read anything...but John Milton was a trial. What on earth did Miss Wilcox see in him? His Satan scared no one and seemed more like the Prince of Fusspots than the Prince of Hell, with all his ranting and carping and endless pontificating.

Also from the book: "What's a young woman doing corresponding with publishers? They're a very shady bunch. You mark my words, Mattie, there's something fast about that woman."

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeee! That bit about the young woman and the publishers, particularly, makes me think of the Miss Jones-Mr. Bennet letters. Hee hee hee.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Wow. That HSP stuff describes me to a T. It makes a lot of sense. I've always had a tendancy to consider myself an introvert, while everyone around me scoffs and insists I'm an extrovert. I also hate crowds, get maxed out on stimuli, need to be alone, get moody, etc. Wow. Good to know.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Hrm. You know, it is weird - I don't think I am an HSP, b/c a lot of the traits fit but a lot don't. I took the checklist test, and I got 14 - which is apparently right on the edge of HSP.

Do you know if there are any related or similar personality types? Very sensitive in some areas (music, scents, people's moods) but not in other areas (for instance sometimes I love a lot of stimuli and sometimes I get wigged out by it...) I have thought for years that there might be something like this out there that would explain certain parts of my personality, but so far I haven't found it.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of it until today, so I honestly couldn't say. And sometimes I do like a lot of stimuli--but usually it's in a voluntary situation where I'm in control ("Yay! Let's watch Moulin Rouge again!").

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and.
I don't know ANYone who'd describe me as an introvert. Though I am, sometimes...just not when people are around :)

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

of zero help to people not in or intending to visit london, but liberty (big old department store) has its window display filled with phantom costumes and props at the moment. they're even playing some of the soundtrack out as you walk past. it goes beautifully with the incredibles christmas light display on the street :p

[decor-noctis.livejournal.com]

ICON LOVE!!!!

[highlystrung.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. PotO .... Never read the book. Used to listen to the songs for hours on end, though. Really annoyed my family. ^.^


As for that 'Highly Sensitive' thing. Uh-uhm. Hmmm. Being 'remarkably well-adjusted' the touchy-feely aspects of the articles (hey, I went exploring) annoyed me a bit, but I get that people who have had *coughpoliticallycorrectcough* troubled childhoods may not have heard comforting things before. As for if I am one ... I don't know. I responded positively to 22 of that list thingy, but I also know that in a lot of ways I'm completely out of tune with life and completely self-absorbed. So ... maybe I'm naturally like that and have just leared to supress it?? Meh. If i can't fix it, why question ... ?


And stuff.

[dramedy.livejournal.com]

Lost boys..ahh, memories. I loved that movie. kiefer sutherland was oddly hot. i never really thought of him as good looking, but in that movie.. *contemplates kiefer*

[maeritrae.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I answered yes to 20 of those thing. And yes, I would say I probably am highly sensitive.

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

realizing things about yourself is a good feeling isnt it?

[alpheratz.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I freak out about the phone too, for much the same reason, and when I talk to people I am not entirely comfortable with I go away from the conversation with the vague feeling that I've somehow embarrassed myself. I'm pretty sure that I'm not a very sensitive person, though.

By the way, I was at a gifted child con this summer and was told that introverts are not necessarily shy, and extroverts are not necessarily gregarious. The amount of energy you have for dealing with people and how shy you feel around them don't really have much to do with each other. :)

[slammerkinbabe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting that HSP link. It was actually something that was mentioned to me years ago, but I never really looked into it. It's totally me, and it's useful to know. Thanks.

[pygmymetal.livejournal.com]

I too am highly sensitive. People have told me I'm *too* sensitive. I think they're just not sensitive enough. Harumph!

*hug*

And what is WITH men

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

and the inability to follow simple directions? "Keep your hand at the level of your eyes." Dude, that's not rocket science! Small children can do it, but can our hero? Nooooooooooooooo.

Sorry. Phantom rant over.

BTW, Husband man was sulky because there was no Lost this week. I was sulky because there was no recap.