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Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Here's a test for you. Which one of the following is #2?
Apparently, they did a little "on the street" survey in the town in which #2 works and chose these people to represent that town. That seems to be how these "on the street" surveys work, right?
Give up yet? Want the answer?
I totally forgot the question asked; I think it had something to do with "What's the best thing about Spring" and #2 said "being outside. (or something like that)"
Then he/she came down here and spent some time outside and thought: "It's not all that folks make it sound."
Takes a while to get accustomed to the lifestyle here.
Yesterday's news had something that might interest you, #2, since you're readin' the book. It's about evil albino monk-assassins. Heh.
May 16, 3:56 PM EDT
Albinos condemn 'Da Vinci' assassin
By DAVID GERMAIN AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The notion of Christ as a family man is not the only raw nerve "The Da Vinci Code" has touched. Albinos are bothered that one of their own has yet again been depicted as a villain.
Dan Brown's best seller begins its worldwide debut Wednesday with Tom Hanks as the cryptologist pursuing a 2,000-year-old mystery that could reveal Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that the Vatican covered it up.
Among his co-stars is Paul Bettany, the British actor playing monk-assassin Silas, an albino with red eyes who carries out a series of bloody murders to secure the secret of the Holy Grail, a trove of lost Christian documents that could prove Jesus had wed.
Critics cite a long list of albinos cast as heavies by Hollywood: The dreadlocked twins in "The Matrix Reloaded," a powder-haired hit man in the Chevy Chase-Goldie Hawn crime romp "Foul Play," the pasty zombies in "The Omega Man," a sadistic killer in "Cold Mountain," even the wicked executioner in the fairy-tale comedy "The Princess Bride."
Michael McGowan, an albino who heads the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, said "The Da Vinci Code" will be the 68th movie since 1960 to feature an evil albino.
"Silas is just the latest in a long string," McGowan said. "The problem is there has been no balance. There are no realistic, sympathetic or heroic characters with albinism that you can find in movies or popular culture."
People with albinism have little or no pigmentation in their skin, eyes and hair.
McGowan said his group asked "Da Vinci Code" director Ron Howard's production outfit, Imagine Entertainment, not to bleach Silas' hair or make his eyes red, but "that fell on deaf ears."
When offered the role, Bettany initially thought mainly of the makeup challenge, saying past attempts to lighten non-albino actors' pigmentation had not looked realistic.
Bettany said he looked at Silas not as an evil albino but as a man damaged by his harsh upbringing. In the book, Silas was an abused child who wound up on the streets, was scorned as an outcast, turned to violence and landed in prison.
"I thought, this man's a psychopath, and he's not a psychopath because he's an albino," Bettany said. "He's an amalgamation of everything that sort of happened to him in his life. How his father treated him and the things he saw his father do to his mother, and he happens to be preternaturally gifted at hurting people. ...
"I think it's no more a comment on albinos than it is on monks, and no more a comment on monks than it is on people who wear sandals," Bettany said.
Many readers found Silas a tragic character despite his misdeeds, viewing him more as a lost sheep than a villain.
McGowan said his group plans no boycotts or picketing. Instead, the group aims to use the movie's popularity to raise awareness about the realities of albinism. He said he enjoyed most of the book and plans to see the movie.
"We understand that millions read it and when they go to the movie, they're going to want to see the albino monk-assassin," McGowan said. "It's the cumulative effect of having one evil albino character after another that was disturbing to me."
(I figure #1 looks too young, #2 and #4 are too old, and #5 is a fella. That leaves #3, right? It's also the most closely-matching to the pics below from the visit.)
I was thinking about that, too. You kind of gave it away before you posted that one. Might have wanted to do those posts in the reverse order.
And about the article. I didn't think anything against albinos from reading the book. You have to give SOME sort of description about your characters, and that's just what they chose for that particular character. And I would hope they would still use that in the movie. Otherwise, it would deviate too much from the book. That was a large part of the story.
I'm supposed to go see that movie tomorrow, so I will post my comments. I've heard mixed reviews. Mostly bad, but some say its still a good movie. Only bad part is that if you've read the book, you can foresee the whole movie. Kind of takes away from the suspense.
Just saw your test "which one is #2". Even though I have not seen your youngin's in almost 20 yar. I was pretty sure #2 was #3. Could see the Mom resemblence also. Then saw Diane's reply.
9 comments:
I totally forgot the question asked; I think it had something to do with "What's the best thing about Spring" and #2 said "being outside. (or something like that)"
Then he/she came down here and spent some time outside and thought: "It's not all that folks make it sound."
Takes a while to get accustomed to the lifestyle here.
OH! OH! I know! I know!!! Pick me!!!! :)
Heh. Yeah!
Yesterday's news had something that might interest you, #2, since you're readin' the book. It's about evil albino monk-assassins. Heh.
May 16, 3:56 PM EDT
Albinos condemn 'Da Vinci' assassin
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The notion of Christ as a family man is not the only raw nerve "The Da Vinci Code" has touched. Albinos are bothered that one of their own has yet again been depicted as a villain.
Dan Brown's best seller begins its worldwide debut Wednesday with Tom Hanks as the cryptologist pursuing a 2,000-year-old mystery that could reveal Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that the Vatican covered it up.
Among his co-stars is Paul Bettany, the British actor playing monk-assassin Silas, an albino with red eyes who carries out a series of bloody murders to secure the secret of the Holy Grail, a trove of lost Christian documents that could prove Jesus had wed.
Critics cite a long list of albinos cast as heavies by Hollywood: The dreadlocked twins in "The Matrix Reloaded," a powder-haired hit man in the Chevy Chase-Goldie Hawn crime romp "Foul Play," the pasty zombies in "The Omega Man," a sadistic killer in "Cold Mountain," even the wicked executioner in the fairy-tale comedy "The Princess Bride."
Michael McGowan, an albino who heads the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, said "The Da Vinci Code" will be the 68th movie since 1960 to feature an evil albino.
"Silas is just the latest in a long string," McGowan said. "The problem is there has been no balance. There are no realistic, sympathetic or heroic characters with albinism that you can find in movies or popular culture."
People with albinism have little or no pigmentation in their skin, eyes and hair.
McGowan said his group asked "Da Vinci Code" director Ron Howard's production outfit, Imagine Entertainment, not to bleach Silas' hair or make his eyes red, but "that fell on deaf ears."
When offered the role, Bettany initially thought mainly of the makeup challenge, saying past attempts to lighten non-albino actors' pigmentation had not looked realistic.
Bettany said he looked at Silas not as an evil albino but as a man damaged by his harsh upbringing. In the book, Silas was an abused child who wound up on the streets, was scorned as an outcast, turned to violence and landed in prison.
"I thought, this man's a psychopath, and he's not a psychopath because he's an albino," Bettany said. "He's an amalgamation of everything that sort of happened to him in his life. How his father treated him and the things he saw his father do to his mother, and he happens to be preternaturally gifted at hurting people. ...
"I think it's no more a comment on albinos than it is on monks, and no more a comment on monks than it is on people who wear sandals," Bettany said.
Many readers found Silas a tragic character despite his misdeeds, viewing him more as a lost sheep than a villain.
McGowan said his group plans no boycotts or picketing. Instead, the group aims to use the movie's popularity to raise awareness about the realities of albinism. He said he enjoyed most of the book and plans to see the movie.
"We understand that millions read it and when they go to the movie, they're going to want to see the albino monk-assassin," McGowan said. "It's the cumulative effect of having one evil albino character after another that was disturbing to me."
Above article is from Daytona Beach News
Err, um, is #2 #3? Do I get a prize?
(I figure #1 looks too young, #2 and #4 are too old, and #5 is a fella. That leaves #3, right? It's also the most closely-matching to the pics below from the visit.)
It's also the most closely-matching to the pics below from the visit
Cheater!
I was thinking about that, too. You kind of gave it away before you posted that one. Might have wanted to do those posts in the reverse order.
And about the article. I didn't think anything against albinos from reading the book. You have to give SOME sort of description about your characters, and that's just what they chose for that particular character. And I would hope they would still use that in the movie. Otherwise, it would deviate too much from the book. That was a large part of the story.
I'm supposed to go see that movie tomorrow, so I will post my comments. I've heard mixed reviews. Mostly bad, but some say its still a good movie. Only bad part is that if you've read the book, you can foresee the whole movie. Kind of takes away from the suspense.
Just saw your test "which one is #2". Even though I have not seen your youngin's in almost 20 yar. I was pretty sure #2 was #3. Could see the Mom resemblence also. Then saw Diane's reply.
Hehe. So, do I still look the same? :)
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