Saturday 20 July 2013

Sorry about Intrigue ...


You will have recognized by now, that my meeting with Al Delarmy in Hamburg did not happen.
I was spared the meeting and gruesome and fearful place I thought I would have to visit.

Fortunately, all the mess was not about me. I was at the ends of my nerves when I got the 'invitation' letter alone and feared to even tear it open and discover the reason for it.
Fortunately, I would have only had to appear as a 'sidenote'. (No more details from me here ;o)

Oh no, not against Al Delarmy.
He is still safe and undetected in Hamburg and enjoys life.
As I leave him for so long, perhaps he by now enjoyes it a littel too much for my liking and I really need to call him back to do his duty in his story. ;o)

You see, "Intrigue" has not completely left my mind, just the discussion with Al Delarmy about my subject, the procedure and the problems he wanted to make me go through could not take place as planned.
Some real life events also intervened, so the story will continue even slower than I had initially anticipated.

So, please keep your patience. I try, but at the moment planning and preparations for

KRA Week 2013 (21. - 28. August 2013) 

come first.


Tuesday 16 July 2013

Boring History ...


Or ... my strong belief that life is bigger than can be grasped between the binding of a book or on celluloid (or digitally).

Even the great William Shakespeare had to reduce the story of King Richard III to a minimum to make it into a story adabtation for the theatre.


-- Boring History --
You see, I am still fuming!

King Richard III had to be reduced to an un-recognizable flat and one-dimensional villain, to be able to be brought on stage. The real person just would have been 'too much' for telling his story in a few hours.
'History is not enough - they just had to invent a few wrong things to make the story interesting...'
I am really angry about that.

It is not that I had not enough of the same encounters during studying history.
When one introduces one's subject, the general reaction always (!) is, "Oh, I hated history at school."

So did I or rather thought it an unnecessary memory training/burden, till we came to the original sources and history started to come alive for me, as it was about real people, their different fates, their fight for their small place in life to survive, to care for their families, their ideals, their work, their loved ones,...

They often had burdensome fates, stark opposition and still they fought through and managed their lives in an admirable way. They deserve better than to be reduced to be seen by us as being

too boring.

The one thing I think future generations will think about our time is,
they were too arrogant to see their own stupidity and errors and did not even try to solve the problems of their time and also did not see their chances to lay the foundations for a better future.
(Not that I exclude me, it is just what I expect future generations to think about us.)

Besides, I don't think future generations will know all too much about us, because the technological advancement will cut them off from most of the resources and storages we use now. So they will have to judge us by what we reached, not what we intended or how bright we thought to be, so in principle, much alike to what we do with former historical generations.

Now, off to building facts for a better future...



Why I am so Astonished ...


... that I am a fan of an actor.

There are some things I just normally don't credit actors for.
And that I listen attentively to every single word one says (yes, every word uttered by only one single one, Richard Armitage), astonishes me more than it possibly could anybody else.

Reading about historic inaccuracies in film today in a newspaper and the 'flapsy' comment by a lead actor in the series, that it is just o.k. to invent and work with false elements, because they had to make the story gripping, to me shows a total non-knowledge of the story itself.
What a waste of time to listen to such an actor (I won't name him, because I am just too angry about such stupidity and don't want you to easily get the connection).

The Wars of the Roses hold war, murder, intrigue, family feuds, betrayal, hate, love, death, madness, illness, friendship, trust, ...
what is there more to make a story gripping, if not those basic elements of a good and life shattering story?
Do I need zippers in a time where they for quite some remaining centuries were not even invented, to make the story come to life?
How bad an artist must I be to not even be able to work with the abundantly available drama of the Wars of the Roses to need false elements to bring such an heart wrenching story to life?

Oh, and the main argument of the actor was, history just would be too boring on its own.
Can you imagine me sitting here and actually 'fuming' ?

Well ... ;o)


I am not against accumulating historic elements to a gripping nucleus of story line to work in a condensed film or movie. You understand me wrong if you think I don't understand the essence of script making and creating the 'heart of the story'. But to defend wrong parts, just because they could not get things right and did not even know or research better, just does not get my sanction, ever!



It seems there is no chance on earth that I get distracted from my sole fan-admiration by someone else.
He just would never utter such unthinkable stupidity about his films and stories
and for that I am exceedingly grateful !!!
(And even if he should say something with which I don't agree, he at least would have thought it through and so would have a worthy other opinion. I don't think RA always needs to be of my opinion. How boring would life be? ;o) )

Thank you for the wonderful respite and for your interest in history, Mr. Armitage!


Sunday 14 July 2013

Thorin-Certificate

Certificate: Test Results
Richard Armitage (Gisborn, Thorin and Co.)
1001So good not even I would be! That is almost scary?

You have solved 10 of 10 questions correctly.
On average the 7 surfers, who did this quiz, gave 8.57 correct answers.
 
Also take part in the quiz Richard Armitage (Gisborn, Thorin and Co.) [PLEASE note: Questions are in German!]