Also, I enjoy the stories on their own terms. We made another find this weekend, and acquired Cleopatra, with Elizabeth Taylor. I'd long been wanting it, ever since Bob Brier, a respected Egyptologist, gave it the 'thumbs up' in his Great Courses lectures. We're halfway through it, breaking at the 'intermission' to go to bed.

It is lavish, it is wonderful. I agree with the DVD's outerwrap, "Breathtaking in scope and grandeur, the picture won Oscars for cinematography, art direction, costumes and special effects." Then it declares something odd, "In the tradition of epic romantic adventures like Braveheart and Titanic comes the greatest spectacle of all...Cleopatra.

Excuse me, but Cleopatra started the tradition, of which Braveheart and Titanic are following!

We have hope of another sweeping epic to come. I got wind via a Rottentomatoes link that more Egyptian history will be brought to life. Variety tells about it:

"Will Smith may next morph into a god. "'Braveheart' scribe Randall Wallace will write 'The Last Pharaoh,' a Columbia drama crafted as a vehicle for Smith to play Taharqa, the pharaoh who battled Assyrian invaders in ancient Egypt. "Smith, James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz will produce for Overbrook Entertainment. "Smith, who has long wanted to play the pharaoh, brought Wallace the Taharqa story. "The film will focus on his battles with Assyrian leader Esarhaddon starting in 677 B.C."

I do hope they don't ruin it with too many 'special effects' that seem artificial. So often I can tell the crowds and critters are just 'copy~n~paste'. I was quite impressed observing the massive crowds in Cleopatra, knowing they WEREN'T 'copy~n~paste', but each individual, live, breathing, unique real human beings.

Meanwhile, it is something to look forward to. Taharqa wasn't the LAST Pharoah, Wiki gives a pharoah list. Taharqa was from the 24th dynasty, and a Nubian. Actually, "Nectanebo II (ruled 360 - 343 BC), also known by the name Nakhthoreb, was the third and last king of the Thirtieth dynasty of Egypt and also the last native Egyptian ruler of the country in antiquity." After that came the Persian rulers and then later Alexander the Great.

Taharqa, however, was impressive in his own right. He rebuilt ..."the temple at Kawa, across the Nile from present-day Dongola, which became a major center for the Nubian kings. He built at a number of other sites in Nubia, and carried out numerous restoration and building projects at the temple of Amun at Karnak—especially the First Court of Amun there—as well as at Medinet Habu.[7] He was described by the ancient Greek historian Strabo as being counted among the greatest military tacticians of the ancient world.[8]" (via Wiki).

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

"Never Stop Questioning"
10:01pm

(I love that time, symmetrical...)

Interestingly enough, another source declares:
"A narrow circle of persons associated by common interests or for the accomplishment of a common purpose; -- generally used in a bad sense."

But need the 'narrow circle' be in a 'bad sense'? Doesn't the soul have the right "to select her own society" like Dickinson?

I get the sense this man will break down his guard and "Choose one" to whom he will reveal his innermost self. When he's good and ready.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

"Work Rewarded"
11:12am