This is radically cool: The Sultan’s Elephant, a 40 foot mechanical elephant, part of a four day street theatre story in London. That is *so* *awesome*. I want one. The elephant weighs forty-two tons, and looks like magic.
Completely unrelated, I forgot to mention that before MI:3 there was a trailer for United 93. It devastated me. I have horribly mixed feelings on the film at all; on one hand I understand the desire to try to deal with the story of that flight by making it a story, something that people can see and relate and respond to. It’s human nature. On the other hand, it seems hideously exploitative. On the third hand, evidently the families of the people who died on that flight were supportive of the film. And on the final hand, if a two minute trailer reduced me to tears, I don’t know that I’m brave enough to watch the entire movie.
There is no particular point to any of that.
I have zero interest in seeing Flight 93. I don’t need to see a re-enactment to know that it happened. I’m starting to really not like “real people suffering” stuff. I read a news report yesterday about a schizophrenic man in London who stabbed a woman who was pregnant with twins and killed her. That was one of the worst things I’ve read in ages.
Now that United 93 has opened, in with all the usual micro-blurbs, there is at least one that says “moving, not exploitive” or words to that effect.
Pretty much all the locals I know here in DC all agree we don’t want to see it. Even seeing the trailers gives me that feeling of acute nausea that I remember from that morning when we realized just what had happened.
I think for folks here and in NYC, it’s DEFINITELY way the hell too soon for a movie about something in our own lives. The country as a whole was a victim of the attacks, but that’s even more true for those of us who were here and at Ground Zero, watching the smoke plumes, frantically trying to track down friends and family and all the rest of it.
Yeah, that’s one movie I’m definitely NOT watching.
Apparently the film maker doesn’t get preachy or any of the things that one would think you would when making the movie. Still, I don’t think I ever need to see it. My personal feelings and thoughts on that whole thing are so twisted around ….
Yeah. I don’t think I need to see any of the movies that are made about this that are coming out. Though the Spike Jonez one is tempting.
Totally awesome. I want that elephant.
And for United 93, I’ve been changing the TV channel or walking out of the room anytime the trailer appears. I’ve watched some of the 9/11 documentaries, but I’m not ready for a dramatization. Maybe in another five years.
I personally won’t be seeing it, even though I’ve read that the movie is both sensitive and moving. I just don’t ever need to see a dramatization of that day.
Yes, art can be cathartic. But I was shaking by the end of the preview, and I’m certain the movie would reduce me to a shuddering wreck. I can remember the day – and the unfolding story of Flight 93 – without ever seeing this film.
Right, wrong, too soon, not soon enough? Not sure. All I know is that it’s too soon and too public and too raw for me.
I will not be seeing United 93. Probably ever. The thought of it makes my throat hurt. I think that at this point there are some who have forgotten what that day felt like, and they should see it. I have not. An AM talk show (I think it was Glen Beck) did a montage of radio transmissions (from the fire fighter, and police bands) and news reports in 2003 from 9/11. I listened to the whole thing and cried for the next hour. I am trying very hard not to cry now.
I was on my way to work just after the first plane hit the wtc. They broke into the local news to announce it. In the time it took me to get to work, the other plane had hit and it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t an accident. I get to work very early, so I was the only one there. I have no radio, but there is a tv that sort of works in the break room. I turned up the volume as loud as it would go and listened to the coverage while I tried to do my job. The tv was on for the rest of the day as we all tried to figure out what was happening to our safe world.
I watched desperate people step off of window ledges into the air as an alternative to burning to death. I hate that that image is part of me for the rest of my life.
I have no need to add more than I have to those memories.
the ever-useful and wonderful clauclauclaudia has a bunch of links to links about the elephant etc
it’s all pretty awesome. STEAMPUNK SPACE SHIP IN LONDON! GIANT CHILD AND ELEPHANT!
as for united 93, i have no real urge to see it.
er, has entry with a bunch of links about the elephant, that is.
A gigantic metal Indian-themed elephant? You know what that means.
We should be loooooooovers!
We can’t do that…. (Sorry couldn’t resist)
Like the idea of the elephant though. That would be fun to have as a mode of transportation…
An no United 93 for me…makes me sick thinking of it.
And that’s a fact!
Someday. Someday, we will get together for a week and rehearse that, and then do it at a massive booksigning. :)
The Flight 93 trailer came up while my wife and I were intending to watch V for Vendetta. My wife was about to go ream out the managers for forcing us to watch that.
It is way too soon. Here in New Jersey where we lost a lot of people, there are still services in place by the government to continue to help people cope with it.
I can’t imagine trying to watch that film.