at the begining of the movie which I just think are awesome. The main one being when Arthur, that'd be Connery, meets Guinivere (Ormond, not Gere) at Camelot- lots of military and fiery torches and whatnot.You also must understand that Joanna and I used to be obsessed with this movie, why I am not really sure, because it's really not that good- although the music is pretty decent- and in fact I think it is one of the First Cd's I owned, ever. Lots of trumpets and horns and drums. All vary dramatic. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith who is responsible for many of the Star Trek themes, including Voyager, (and TNG and First Contact, etc) which is maybe why I find the music so appealing- most of those themes are horn heavy too- you just don't hear hear a lot of French horn anymore....maybe because we hate the French. Shall I start on all my French jokes now? I'll wait a bit later in the post and leave a bunch....
I think Joanna liked it because of all the pretty dresses, I liked it because of Sean Connery, who I will always have, and have had a crush on since I was not more than 6 years old. We also both like horsies, and there are lots of those! Joanna was also obsessed with Julia Ormond- probably because she was in Legends of the Fall with Brad. One of the opening scenes is als
o of Guinevere in Lyonesse playing soccer, and that was kind of cool with an old leather ball- maybe i'll do a post on the origins of soccer.My Arthurian history is a bit fuzzy- although I used to know all about the Uther Pendragon- that would be Arthur's dad-- so I had to consult wikipedia. The name Lyonesse, in reference to the Arthurian Legend is an alteration of the Pre-French term Léonois, (a French-like language being commonly spoken at this time as this was after the wars with the Angels/Saxons/Jutes/Romano-Britons, and the Latin name of Lothian in Scotland. Although in Arthurian legend Lyonesse is located somewhere much closer to Cornwall, which incidentally was where the Britons fled to when they were pushed out of central england- Hence King Arthur of the Britons really livinging in Cornwall/Wales area. (understand this is not a complete nor comprehensive caterogorization of the history of these poeple- there have been encyclopedias written on the subject I am sure.)
It is Tennyson's poem Idylls of the King that imbued the legend of Lyonesse sinking into the ocean in modern literature- a literal cop-out used by historians for ages- Uhem Plato, *cough* Atlantis. There is archaeological evidence of a forest visible at very low tides that are said to have been part of Lyonesse before it sank into the sea with a Celtic rendition of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Tennyson refers to Lyonesse as the final battle between Arthur and his son Mordred. What awful names these people had- although I do like the name Baine- one of Arthur's knights.
Right this moment I am watching the scene where Gere runs through the supposedly impossible 'gauntlet'. Probably not so dissimilar from the MTV gauntelet but in 12th Centurey fashion. It reminds me of that dungeon in Super Mario Brothers 2, I think, where you are in the castle and those rocks fall on you when you run underneath them.
I'll have to post more later the Pup is being annoying, maybe when he settles down...
Sorry don't have time to edit!
"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag."-David Letterman
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion."
-Schwartzkopf (That one is my Fave)
"As far as France is concerned, you're right."---Rush Limbaugh
"France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes." —Mark Twain
"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He IS French, people." —Conan O'Brien
How can anyone govern a nation that has 240 different kinds of cheese? --Charles de Gaulle
“Only thing worse than a Frenchman is a Frenchman who lives in Canada .”–Ted Nugent
“Somebody was telling me about the French Army rifle that was being advertised on eBay the other day –the description was, ‘Never shot. Dropped once."–Rep. Roy Blunt, MO
(AP), Paris , March 5, 2003
The French Government announced today that it is imposing a ban on the use of fireworks at Euro Disney. The decision comes the day after a nightly fireworks display at the park, located just 30 miles outside of Paris , caused the soldiers at a nearby French Army garrison to surrender to a group of Czech tourists.
"The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don't know." —P.J O'RourkeThe Brief Military History of France:
- Gallic Wars: Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.
- Hundred Years' War: Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."
- Italian Wars: Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.
- Wars of religion: France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots
- Thirty Years War: France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.
- War of Devolution: Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.
- The Dutch War: Tied
- War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War: Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.
- War of the Spanish Succession: Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.
- American Revolution: In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."
- French Revolution: Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.
- The Napoleonic Wars: Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.
- The Franco-Prussian War: Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunken Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.
- World War I: Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.
- World War II: Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.
- War in Indochina: Lost. French forces plead sickness; take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu
- Algerian Rebellion: Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.