Last week I went to see Kick-Ass 2, a little bit because I'd seen the first Kick-Ass but a whole lot more because one of my favourite actors ever, Jim Carrey, was in it. I've been thinking about the many roles he's portrayed over the years for a while now (since catching The Number 23 the other month) and it's roles like Fingerling in The Number 23 that reminded me how he's so much more than just a rubber-faced comedian. I would be amazingly honoured if he ever chose to portray any of my characters. So here is my list of my favourite Jim Carrey roles in chronological order:
Riddler / Edward Nygma - Batman Forever (1995)
I'll be the first to admit that Batman Forever has as many bad moments as it does good. It's horribly camp, completely deviates from any cannon and basically deserved better but once you accept these facts it becomes kind of fun too. Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones steal the show as Riddler and Two-Face and I would love to see (in some magical alternative universe) them reprise their roles with a stronger script (hello Paul Dini I'm channelling you) and a more serious approach to the directing. Being a Riddler fangirl I love that Jim references my second favourite Riddler, the almighty Frank Gorshin, as an inspiration and love him even more for inspiring the vocal delivery of possibly the best Riddler that will ever exist, Wally Wingert's Arkham video game series Riddler.
Chip Douglas - The Cable Guy (1996)
The Cable Guy is classic rubber-face Jim Carrey but look beyond the ballsy, over-the-top 1990s comedy and the character of Chip Douglas is actually very tragic. In the middle of the film he sings Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love' and it couldn't be more relevant as he literally has never had anyone actually love him for himself. His parents were deadbeats so he was brought up by the TV and with no real concept of social interaction all his adult 'friends' are people he services cable TV for. Whenever he meets someone he considers friend potential he completely latches onto them and when they try to break away he systematically destroys all their other relationships. On the surface Chip may seem the stereotypical funny idiot character but he is also sadly sympathetic and actually quite terrifying, especially if you've been in a relationship with someone like him!
Truman Burbank - The Truman Show (1998)
The Truman Show is a glimpse at the more serious roles Jim Carrey would later take on and is genuinely not just an amazing film but a social commentary which is just as relevant today as it was back in 1998. It is about Truman Burbank who, from the day he was born, was a TV star in a TV show he believes to be reality. Slowly he realises things are not what they seem and he must come to terms with not only the fact that his whole life has been a lie but that there is a whole world out there just waiting for him. This is the kind of role Jim Carrey is perfect for. His ability to fill characters with humanity is amazing: Truman is endearing from the start - you want him to break free and find his freedom - and not only does Jim act with a subtler, gentler humour than in his previous films but with a complete understanding of the complex emotions Truman must be going through.
Joel Barish - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Jim gets all mumbly in this indie sci-fi romance about enduring love (or at least obsession). It is his most love/hate role depending on if you can bare the mumbling and if you mind your Jim Carrey coming with a side order of serious acting. Once again Jim applies a perfect assessment of the human condition into producing an endearing performance for a character who, despite all better judgement, you root for to win the girl despite knowing full well that she has and probably will again bring him as much pain as she does happiness. People often scoff at the idea of Jim Carrey being a serious actor but it's roles like Joel that show just how complex and talented he is as a performer and also how complex and empathetic he is as a person.
Fingerling - The Number 23 (2007)
Oooh look at me being all controversial! But in all honesty Fingerling is amazingly hot and edgy and troubled and perfect for good girls who lust after bad boys to fantasise about. Even though The Number 23 is a little uneven (and Jim's other character, Walter Sparrow, is less charming) the scenes featuring Jim Carrey as Fingerling are wonderful homages to film noir - I could quite easily watch a whole film shot in the style of the Fingerling sections featuring the exploits of Jim Carrey as the hard boiled, broody detective. Jim Carrey as the loveable good guy is so established in our psyche that Fingerling is the kind of role you have to experience to believe. No amount of 'I saw him do serious in Eternal Sunshine' will prepare you for his performance in The Number 23. It's like visiting that alternate universe I mentioned earlier. Even if you find you don't like the film I whole heartedly recommend giving The Number 23 a watch so as to see Jim's delivery for Fingerling as well as his amazing tattoo. Fabrizia is one lucky femme fatale!
Colonel Stars and Stripes - Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Though since appearing in Kick-Ass 2 Jim's views on violence in movies has changed I don't think he should feel bad about his portrayal of probably the most endearing and kind-hearted character in the whole film. The mafia heavy turned born again Christian and superhero is an inspiration to all the other superheroes in Kick-Ass 2 including Kick-Ass himself. He doesn't believe in guns, he doesn't believe in swearing, he doesn't believe that a woman is asking to be raped just because she chooses to walk home at night alone and he has an amazing love for his job. In a film full of over the top violence he is a beacon of (yes I'm going to say it again) humanity and I think due to this his fate speaks volumes about the futility of violence as a means or an answer. If I got in a sticky spot I'd want Colonel Stars and Stripes saving me!
I hope you enjoyed my list, I hope one day one of my films will be on the list, and finally the big question...what is your favourite Jim Carrey role?
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
You Sexy Thing - Stereophonics
Mannequin's Theme - The Curse OST
That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain
Need You Tonight - Inxs
Badman - Cory Branan
Li'l Red Riding Hood - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs
Big Bad Wolf - The Sham-Ettes
That's the Trouble with Love - Frank Gorshin
Loverboy - You Me At Six
Just Be Good To Green - Professor Green featuring Lily Allen
VCR - The XX
Perfect Day - Lou Reed
Secondly my full scale sized replica Riddler Trophy arrived yesterday! Here is what it should have looked like (click the photos for hi-res versions - blogger is being bratty about resizing photos):
And here are copious amounts of fanatical photos of what it did look like:
You can plug it into the mains but you can also plug it into your computer because...you're a geek...and if it doesn't come with a USB connection you're not interested ;-)
Also the big question at the moment is will Riddler be in Arkham Origins? Well according to May's cover of Game Informer magazine yes he will...(good luck spotting the clue though).
And now Enchanted Blogging will be returned to its usual service.
My top five played songs are: Lullaby covered the Editors, Shoelaces by The Submarines, You Sexy Thing covered by Stereophonics, Pursuit of Happiness covered by Lissie and Mein Teil by Rammstein.
I LOVE cookery competition shows!
My bedroom is bright amaranth.
I really dislike my legs - you'll never see me baring them above the knee.
I think fingerless gloves teamed with rolled up sleeves looks UBER sexy on men! Nothing says, 'I mean business' than rolled up sleeves <3 Seriously, seriously hot! Even hotter when teamed with glasses too *faints* <3
What do you mean he looks like your creepy geography teacher?!
So I was reading the news on yahoo when a banner for a gambling site called 'Mr Green' popped up. The mascot looked kind of familiar so I clicked on it.
"Hmm," I thought, "he's totally cute but still very familiar..."
Today's Friday Feature is a little different: a video game! The Curse by British designers Mojo Bones (support your local designers!)
I found The Curse completely by accident. I was looking to download The Riddle by Nik Kershaw for a future feature and searched the iTunes Store for "the riddle" (assuming the song was popular enough to just pop up) but what instead caught my eye was the icon for this iOS / Android puzzle app. It featured the face of Mannequin (we'll get to him later) pulling a rather cocky expression (who doesn't love a smug smile and a raised eyebrow? Oh...just me...) and the Riddler fangirl in me thought, "Cocky chap with some riddles for me?! I'm sold!"
The Aim
Oh you idiot! Did you just scan your finger to open the book?! You've only gone and let evil genius and mysterioso Mannequin out and he has no plan of going back in! Lucky for you he's a 'fair' villain and if you can solve all 100 of his puzzles plus his final puzzle he will accept defeat. Be careful though! He's a tricky chappy! You never know when you might be looking at a clue and you never know when you might be being led astray!
The Gameplay
Simple. Solve the puzzles to collect cogs to unlock the final puzzle. The types of puzzles include tangrams, riddles, 'classic' puzzles, sliding block puzzles, logic problems, number puzzles, perception puzzles and reaction tests. The first thirty are easy and then they become progressively harder. There's no doubt that unless you are a true genius there will come some point where you will need a hint. You start with one free hint and can earn more with your altercations with Mannequin (I'll get on to these next). If you need more you can buy hint packs, the cheapest being four for 69p ($0.99). On the basis that I got the game for free and was really enjoying it I was definitely happy to pay 69p for some hints.
The Cut Scenes
One of the things the game prides itself on are the interactive cut scenes. Now don't go expecting 1080 HD surround sound spectaculars. It's a cartoon dude in a mask on a black background ripping the piss out of you...but it's also really fun and what you find yourself playing for! Because unlike most cut scenes you choose how they go. Mannequin is a master goader and will do anything to undermine your puzzling skills from his witty monologues to calling your phone (if you don't answer he gets very upset). He'll quiz you, he'll trap you, he'll try and sell you naff t-shirts and all of it is interactive! Like I said, you don't HAVE to interact with him but it's much more fun if you do (at one point you are challenged to a staring contest with dire consequences to your mobile)!
The cut scenes are fully voiced and though at first it feels a little weird to hear Mannequin with a British accent (I've spent far too long being taunted by Wally Wingert's perfect Edward Nygma whilst playing Arkham City) you soon get used to him. It definitely helps that the cut scenes include The Mannequin's Theme - a super little jazz number which fits his character perfectly!
Overall
As regular readers know I'm a puzzle fiend! I love matching wits with narcissistic, masked men (total mental foreplay). One of my favourite apps is A Year of Riddles (which I find very hard to keep from doing more than once a day). Due to this I found The Curse great fun. It really filled the gap between Professor Layton games (it's basically a Professor Layton game without the story) and made me feel better about the fact I've played Arkham City so many times I don't find the Riddler side quest hard anymore (it's gone from frustrating to relaxing lol).
I found the majority of the puzzles easy to do-able. The only types of puzzles I massively struggled at were ones where an action has a reaction such as the below rotating circles game and lights out games (where turning off one light turns on / off the lights around it). Those were where I spent all my hints! But then there were other games such as the Hamiltonians and rope games that were so much fun I wish there was a whole app dedicated just to them! The riddles were challenging without being obtuse. They are the best kind of riddles - ones where the answer is deviously hard to guess without a hint but once you do get it seems so obvious that it could be nothing else. None of those ten line long rhyming riddles which don't even make sense when you know the answer.
Looks easy, huh? Not when rotating one circle moves another!
One of the reviews for The Curse stated that the player had spent £2.18 on hints and still couldn't get past the third puzzle...blaming the game for this. All I can really say is if you're dense enough to blow £2.18 by puzzle three then you deserve to lose that £2.18. I mean, I honestly can't imagine how anyone couldn't solve the first few puzzles without help but if puzzle games aren't for you then it's probably best to give this game a miss - the first three puzzles really aren't hard but the last twenty really aren't easy either. It's supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be a challenge. That's where the sense achievement comes in when you get one right...right?
The Curse's usual price is £2.69 / $2.99 but it is currently on sale for 69p / $0.99 which is SOOOO cheap for such a good game! Snap it up! Seriously! Do it now! Not only is it a small price to pay for a good game but you'll be supporting the lovely guys who made it. Seriously. They genuinely care that you enjoy their game. Tweet them and they'll tweet you back. Have a question and they'll answer it. When I tweeted that I finished the game they sent me a well done! When I said I liked Mannequin's Theme they said I could have an MP3 of it and when it took them a little while to send it they decided to make up for it by sending me the whole soundtrack instead! How nice is that?! So buy The Curse NOW!
Mannequin's Theme
Next week: Back to music...we survive Friday with The Kills
The Riddler Song got its first YouTube hater today. As a delicate writer I feel the urge to take it overly personally (whilst also being astonished I survived this long without haters). Luckily there is an inspiring quotation for every occasion and here is one about haters by musician and artist Kathleen Hanna:
Like most haters, my hater didn't even have a basic grasp of grammar (if they put as much effort into learning grammar as they did hating they could all get Masters in English Language I'm sure) so I take much comfort in the fact that if by some kink in space and time they did ever fall foul of Eddie they wouldn't last five minutes.
If you ever fall prey to haters remember this: they hate on you because you are better than them and they know it. You have more talent in your little finger than they do in their entire body and they know it. It's easier for them to try and bring you down than it is for them to try and reach your level and they know it. Just going out there and baring your soul makes you stronger than them so don't ever forget it.
Somehow my Christmas turned alternative this year...possibly down to the construction of the Sasssquatch Wreath. As part of this alternative Christmas (please feel free to replace Christmas with whatever holiday it is you celebrate this time of the year) please allow me to introduce you to my alternative gingerbread men (plus the sacrificial gingerbread man made to stop mum's boyfriend eating the others during the night......):
Let's play a game! I'll show a picture of each gingerbread man before I show who it is supposed to be and you can see if you guessed right!
Hulk Hogan, brother!
A crime scene chalk outline
Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor Who (something weird happened to his trousers between icing him and taking his photo...I think he went back to the 80s and got them stonewashed!)
Robert Englund as a very happy Freddy Krueger (possibly went back in time with the Doctor...maybe time for Freddy v Doctor Who film?)
An Oompa Loompa
Pyramid Head from Silent Hill
Arkham City Riddler <3 <3 <3
Two Face
Zombie
This was lots of fun! I'd definitely like to make more! Maybe you guys have someone you'd like to see immortalised in gingerbread? I'd love to see your suggestions! I must say I'm quite tempted to do a whole batch of Batman gingerbread men. Let me know what you think!
Oh - and I'll leave you with a riddle from Gingerbread Riddler...
Hi guys! I've decided to get an extra early start with my Comica / Cape / Vintage Short Graphic Story entry so that I have no excuse for any mistakes. I also thought I'd share my process with you (seeing as I am supposed to be a writer after all!) All posts about my entry will be headed and tagged with Undefeated.
Writing program, inspiration picture and mood music - the holy trinity! (chocolate is also good)
Don't hate me - I know you don't want to hear it - but the backbone to any good story be it a novel, a film or a comic is good planning (and YES even a four page comic is capable of having a story with a beginning, middle and end). On a practical level it just makes everything easier when you come to writing / drawing. I think the worst thing to happen once you get your creative juices flowing is to have your flow ruined because you've realised an epic hole in your story.
I think finding an idea that works is the hardest part! There are so many one-line ideas that sound cool that when you actually think them out suddenly become a lot harder to make sense of, are too long or too short for what you want them for...if you can think of an idea at all! There are some days when they just won't come and the more you force them the worse they get. At film school we had to generate ideas all the time. Somehow this usually involved picking words out of tobacco tins - the more random the words the better (coat hanger sandwich anyone?). Random pictures (paintings, photos) are also good. I really recommend going for walks. It is amazing the things you notice when you have no predetermined destination. Like my old tutor Brian used to say, you can't be a writer sat in your ivory tower, you have to live life to write life.
Okay so you think you have an idea! WRITE IT DOWN! Tony Grisoni says it's not an idea if it's not written down. And it's so true. You can't see the flaws if it's not written down. You also can't see what you like about it and that's just as important. Write it out then leave it - a day, a week, a month, however long it takes for you to forget bits - then come back to it and see if it still makes sense and that you still like it. If it does then you can write out the script!
Take as long as it takes - you want your script to be as perfect as it can be so that you don't have to worry about correcting mistakes when you're drawing - when you're drawing all you want to be worrying about are artistic choices, not whether your character motivations are wrong...though if it's been a year and you still haven't produced four pages you're in trouble. I use Final Draft for writing my graphic novel scripts however 2000AD and Dark Horse both have example scripts for you to study the format of if you don't have a script program. I recommend not writing more than seven panels per page unless it is an indie comic, in which case the world is your oyster (though I wouldn't go over twelve). Basically the more panels per page the less space there is for picture detail and dialogue. Look at the kind of graphic novels you want yours to be like and see how many panels they use per page and how they vary this number for conversations / action / heart felt moments.
Things that stop you writing:
- TV
- The Internet
- Talking to people
- Cats
Take yourself to somewhere solitary and comfortable (though not so comfortable that you're falling asleep) and either write in silence or to music (some people find even music too distracting). Joss Whedon says not to write to music with lyrics but I actually find music with lyrics very inspiring - do what's best for you - Joss recommends film soundtracks...the running joke is if you need a rousing soundtrack pick The Dark Knight. I make playlists for every project I write and play them on repeat. When I'm stressed I play calming music. I'm kind of stressed at the moment hence why in the picture the music playing is Belle and Sebastian.
If you're visually motivated make mood and character boards that you can look at when you need an inspiration kick. In fact just the act of selecting pictures and assembling them will help focus what it is you want to write. Below are two boards I made - one for The Automated Heart and one for Paradise.
Once you've got a good script you can sketch out your page layouts. This can be as rough or as tidy as you like - it's purely for you and is so you can see if what you've written will actually fit / look like how you imagined it would when you were writing it. Think of it as the graphic story equivalent of a storyboard. If you have an indefinite amount of pages this stage doesn't matter so much however if, like me, you only have four pages it's essential! What could be worse than putting all that effort into drawing three of your four pages only to discover you have too much to fit on the last page? Below is mine for another idea I had. Even though it's only on the back of a piece of scrap paper it helped me realise that some of the panels that looked cool in my head wouldn't work so well on a piece of paper with the other panels around it.
Well done! You've officially finished the planning and writing stage!
I should be writing or something but £$^*$%*!!!! I bought this instead:
It's a scale size Arkham City (I guess Arkham Asylum too then) Riddler Trophy! It's actually much bigger than I thought a Riddler Trophy would be at 19 x 4 x 5 inches / 49 x 10.5 x 13.25 cm (H x W x L). That's pretty damn tall! Heaven knows where Batman stored them all...or how Eddie managed to fit them in all the places he hid them!
You can also buy a pink / red Catwoman trophy too!
There will only be 440 green Batman trophies made (hehe in-joke) and 100 pink Catwoman trophies. I suppose since the pink ones will be rarer I should of got a pink one...but Edward Nygma's my fictional crush not Selina Kyle...and I wanted a green one XD
Before you go, "OMG Rachel - what a waste of money!" I never spend this much on myself (and was feeling down) so I figure when something comes along that you really really want and you know will make you really really happy be it a Chanel dress, a BMW car, a piece of Kobe beef or a Riddler trophy...get it!
I don't normally blog about fashion on the basis that I don't really follow trends (I prefer to set myself themes such as lolita, industrial, Johnathan Crane, Riddler, etc) and could lead you all horribly astray however as a UK lolita I know how difficult it is to find reasonably priced lolita or lolita-ish clothing in the UK so wanted to share my find with you...Color Color at Westfield London (the Shepherd's Bush one).
*Disclaimer: I've only visited Color Color the once so if, in five months time, you go and find it nothing like I've describe I apologise...best to go sooner rather than later so as to avoid disappointment*
Color Color sells two types of clothing; your more average high street fashion but also cardigans, blouses, jumpers (and knickerbocker style leggings) in black and pastel shades trimmed with fur, lace, bows, pearls, ribbons and flowers that would fit perfectly in any self-respecting classic lolita's wardrobe (but also good for casual, country and gothic lolitas).
When I went all items were half price (either the shop's shutting down, is having an uber sale or instantly marks items as sale items to get you to buy more) with each item averaging around £25 however I think even their non-sale prices of between £40-£50 are super cheap for lolita-ish clothing.
All items are one-size and I would say fit up to a UK size 14 (40-42). I'd say if you are a flat 16 (rather than a curvy 16) you might fit but I'd definitely recommend trying your chosen item on first to avoid disappointment later. I also recommend anyone with a bra size 36C or above to try on the button ups before buying as...as you will already know if you are curvy up top...button ups can gape.
In retrospect I wish I'd taken some pictures of the clothing I saw to back up my theory that they are suitable for part of a lolita outfit however here is a picture of what I bought (the collar is lace-lined and is detachable so you can wear the cardigan / jacket in spring too. The bottom thing is a pink and purple fur wrap):
And below are some pictures of me wearing it as part of a lolita outfit. This outfit is comprised completely of high street items to show that it is possible to recreate an expensive / unique / subculture style even if you are on a limited budget / cannot sew (the other alternative) / aren't one of those girls who has a wardrobe crammed with Metamorphose, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Angelic Pretty, *name your favourite brand* clothing thanks to the bank of mum and dad. You just have to learn to be selective and diligent. I know how hard learning to be selective can be - it took me a long time to learn what I could and couldn't pass off as lolita and some lolitas who can afford wardrobes full of the real McCoy can be very cruel...especially with that pesky phrase 'ita' (horrible term - never use it - we were all new to the style once).
Flora crown - Primark
Cardigan / jacket - Color Color
Blouse - Monsoon
Skirt - Joules Boutique (via John Lewis)
Tights - Accessorize (though you can get a variety of thick, coloured tights from most high street stores now - I really recommend Dorothy Perkins and Pretty Polly)
Mary Jane shoes - Rocket Dog
Of course once you learn how to take high street items out of context you can create any style you like, be it completely unique to you, inspired by your favourite subculture (steampunk would be fun to try to achieve), inspired by your favourite celebrity or even by your favourite character. I really recommend learning the basics of sewing too. You can then make basic alterations that can instantly transform a piece that everyone has into something that is completely yours. If you become really brave you can even try making a whole item from scratch - I made a dress inspired by the design of Scarecrow Year One. If not it's okay. Below are two nearly completely high street sourced looks inspired by my great fictional crush and role model Edward Nygma / Nigma aka Riddler:
Bow - Claire's
Glasses - Vogue (via Boots - I'm a speccy four eyes so need to wear them however I know you can get pretend glasses at the fraction of the price should you be so inclined)
Necklace - Etsy (great source of unique and themed fashion)
Shirt - H&M
Dress - Dorothy Perkins
(I also usually wear purple tights with this from DP and purple shoes from M&S)
Accessories are the key for this look (otherwise you just look like a girl wearing a tie lol). If I ever get braver I will add a few question marks to the jacket or a big one on the back!
Hat - Urban Outfitters
Tie - Primark
Jacket - H&M
Satchel - H! by Henry Holland (via Debenhams)
Gloves - Billy Bag London (via TKMaxx...as a devotee of Arkham City Riddler I nearly wet myself when I saw these beauties)
Of course to wear themed outfits you have to be confident - people will feel it is their right to tell you that you look weird / call you names / laugh at you / stalk you - but it is your right to wear whatever you like and you will also find that there will be people who think you look damn cool and wish they were as brave / stylish as you. At first I needed the confidence to wear these clothes in public but wearing them now makes me feel confident and happy to be me...because basically they are me. Fashion is out there to be worn. The high street is out there to be owned.
If all else fails you can be a super geek and take photos of yourself in your themed outfit in dumb poses in the mirror XD
P.S. if you liked this post and would like to see more please let me know. I don't really think I'm qualified to tell people how to dress but I do have a few homemade items (such as the scarecrow dress), lolita outfits and general confidence tips that I would be happy to share :-)
