Private Lives & Hamlet

I've now seen the movie version of Private Lives, which I believe I saw at the Playhouse in... 1997, according to their site. Which was very enjoyable. I do enjoy Noel Coward, and this has most of his more famous lines. Like "Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs." Which I certainly don't subscribe to, but I do think it is a witty line. Coward is not as good as Wilde, but he's almost as enjoyable. Robert Montgomery is actually good in it, and Norma Shearer isn't too bad. The other significant others were appropriately evil and annoying. That it was made in 1931 and very clearly was very anti-Hays Code makes it that much more enjoyable. I bet that the movie didn't help the censors.

Laurence Olivier's Hamlet deservedly won Oscars, and it may actually be the best version of the play that comes in under 3 hours long. Taking out Fortinbras and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will definitely cut out a lot. I don't entirely care for any of those characters, and taking them out does make it a lot shorter. It has most of the good lines, in fact, I didn't notice any missing lines besides those relating to those characters. I am not entirely happy with the soliloquies being done somewhat out loud and other times in inner monologue form, but those are not big deals when it comes to those extremely talented actors doing justice to the Bard's lines. And little makes me giggle quite as much as Hamlet discussing country matters with Ophelia. I am a 14 year old boy.

I also now have digital cable and a DVR. Oh noes! I clearly thought I had too much free time. I actually spent a large portion of yesterday reading Questionable Content. Music dorks, attractive women, and a robot who may be gay? Seriously, why didn't I know about this before?