Uh oh.

[lotus0kid]

Got off the phone with my sister a while ago- she's going to start job-hunting again, and she wants to come up here to visit before said job takes up all her time. Well, turns out this quick trip may also include her staying in my apartment, with the nephew, for four days. Oh no. HE'S GOING TO CRACK HIS SKULL OPEN ON THE COFFEE TABLE, HE'S GOING TO STRANGLE AND ELECTROCUTE HIMSELF WITH A WIRE, HE'S GOING TO KNOCK THE TV OFF ITS STAND AND CRUSH HIS TINY LITTLE BODY, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN. *deep breath* Anyway, it's possible they might end up staying at my dad's house. Probably shouldn't panic just yet. 0_0

Moving on. I caved a while ago and went on a bit of a shopping spree at Amazon. I am now the proud owner of a copy of The Fall (gorgeous, incredible, heart-breaking little picture), a copy of the Rifftrax Live House on Haunted Hill (one word: llllllllllladies), and a copy of Simon Pegg's biography Nerd Do Well which I just got out of the mailbox today. XDDD *snuggles book closely to her bosom* All the more motivation to get through that dang Made in America, which I'm out of renewals for anyway. I'm honestly going to start reading it on my break, even if it is a bitch to carry around.

Speaking of doing interesting things at work, an idea occurred to me today which helped keep me entertained through some mind-numbing stuff. What if someone did a version of King Lear in Las Vegas? Like, Lear as the owner of three extremely successful hotel-casinos who's looking to retire and pass them off to his daughters. The Fool could be the pathetic house opening act in a wretched tuxedo, and him and Lear and Edgar could end up out in the desert with that enormous sky you think you could fall into, and those crazy rock formations and cacti and eventually a storm that's all mud and huge crackling bolts of lightning. I don't know if I'd keep the language or go full adaptation, though. I'm not quite familiar enough with the play to know how well it would work. I guess all the casting questions on the latest meme-wagon have my mind in that mode, so of course I couldn't resist when I got this idea...



LEAR | ROBERT DE NIRO

Right? Granted, I haven't seen Casino, so I don't know how the roles would compare, but I could really see this. I think it'd be pretty cool to watch him unravel.

CORDELIA | SHANNYN SOSSAMON

I'd like to see her get the chance to do something bigger than tiny indy flicks, gimmicky romantic comedies, and.. A Knight's Tale (which rocked). I think she's got the sweetness and the brains to be a compelling Cordelia.

GONERIL | CARRIE ANNE MOSS

I always pictured Goneril as very icy and imperious. Carrie Anne can definitely do that.

REAGAN | JENNIFER GRAY

I just want to say that it is really hard to find an actress who you think could pull off plucking someone's eyes out. I have to admit that my most solid impression of Jennifer Gray is from Ferris Bueller's Day Off... but I think she could do it.

KENT | COLIN FERGUSON

He plays a great Average Joe in Eureka. Very earnest, but not without a sense of irony.

THE FOOL | JAY BARUCHEL

Just a skinny, goofy, nervous guy who could not come close to filling out even an insult of a suit. But still, Lear gave him is start (and end, since he hasn't actually gone anywhere), so he remains loyal.

GLOUCESTER | BRIAN COX

Gloucester's relationship with Lear would be interesting here, since I see Gloucester having his own hotel-casino. He's not quite on Lear's level, and maybe Lear did a favor or two in the past to help him get started, but I don't think either of them would take their eyes off each other. Just in case. Anyway, Brian Cox is cool, huh? I think so.

EDGAR | MILO VENTIMIGLIA

MV must be doing well- he's the first result you get when you type "milo" into Google. Moving on, I'm really enjoying imagining Edgar's "Poor Tom" as a shambling, twitchy, muttering junkie-type. MV could do it, I think.

EDMUND | JEFFREY DONOVAN

I dunno, something in me really wants to see Jeffrey Donovan as a straight-up villain. I can just see his burning stare as Gloucester and Edgar joke around together.

Comments

[visiblemarket.livejournal.com]

I'm sure your nephew will be fine. Whether or not he stays at your apartment. I'm sure your sister at least knows how to keep anything too terrible from happening to him; mothers tend to be good at that.

I literally LOL'd at Nerd Do Well. Aww, puns!

And now I wish I actually remembered anything about King Lear beyond the basic plot. So that I might be able to contribute something other than concern about poor, wet, Milo. But I would totally watch that. I mean, the King Lear movie, not...wet Milo.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

My sister may do fine in her own house, but this is a new environment! And he did hit his head a few times when they spent that day and night here earlier- clearly I must compound the injuries proportionately to the increased amount of time.

I KNOW, RIGHT? Love it, so much.

:( Well, if it helps, the plot would demand that there be wet Milo.

[visiblemarket.livejournal.com]

I don't know, maybe he'll learn not to injure himself eventually. But then again what do I know about child development, he's probably doomed.

I would buy that book based on title alone. Heh.

I'm sorry! It's just been a really long time since I've had to read anything earlier than 20th century! I would gladly watch a version with wet Milo. And I can't think of it now, but I'm sure Robert DeNiro has been in a Shakespeare film before.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

He's a little boy- it's probably a miracle any of them survive to adulthood.

Same. It's only good luck that Simon Pegg happens to be one of my most favorite people.

That's fine- there are a ton of online summaries if you're curious. I'm not sure if De Niro has done any Shakespeare or not. Well, I know he played a character called Shakespeare...

[visiblemarket.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I'm still amazed that the human race in general survived past the Middle Ages.

He does seem rather great. I keep meaning to rewarch Hot Fuzz.

Ah right, in Stardust, which I read but having seen the movie version of.

Also did you know it's National Doughnut Day?! One of my coworkers brought some. I have eaten one and am resisting the temptation of another. Consequently I am also having what feels like a sugar rush.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

It's ineffable.

I think Hot Fuzz is my favorite of his movies.

I need to re-read that. The movie is pretty good on its own.

I did not! Actually, one of my co-workers brought doughnuts yesterday, so I had two. There's one I'm keeping an eye on- if it's still there at lunchtime, it's mine.

[ellensparkleyes.livejournal.com]

wow~~that little boy must have a serious death wish :D

i loved Knight's Tale (oddly, i have a crush on Alan Tudyk). oh~~and the guy from Heroes. even a girly crush on Carrie-Ann Moss. she was wicked cool as Trinity.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

Only as much as every little boy in the world.

And there's nothing wrong with that (or that ;D). Or that. Have you seen Fido? Carrie Anne Moss is amazing in it.

[ellensparkleyes.livejournal.com]

nope--i'll try to see if my local dvd store has it.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

Ohh, please watch it. It's fantastic. Well, if you like zombie movies, which I'm kind of assuming you do. But if you don't, it's waaay more than a zombie movie. Honestly, it's really worth seeing, trust me.

[fadeintodawn.livejournal.com]

Um, King Lear in Vegas would be BRILLIANT. I already think of that seedy, faded underside when I think of Vegas - especially Vegas during the day, when it's just hot and dry and not as flashy. And you also have the whole everything-for-high-stakes mentality / lack of morality that the villains fit right into. Plus the outlandish stuff, like eye-stabbing and Lear going crazy/ running around naked, and Edmund's awesome "I am so evil" speech, would be good in a madcap environment like Vegas.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Plus, there's the whole "fading glory" thing with the myth of the old Rat Pack Vegas, and Lear relinquishing his power to the new generation. And it'd be pretty cool to contrast the wildly extravagant glamour of Lear's casinos (you can bet Goneril and Regan and Edmund would be dressed to the nines) with the seedier Vegas neighborhoods and eventually the stark desert as Lear diminishes more and more.

[fadeintodawn.livejournal.com]

The "fading glory" thing would be interesting, and really emphasize the themes of a generation gap and the desire people/ the villains have to throw off the old and bring in the new. After all, the Rat Pack Vegas has a bit of (positive) glamor and class to it (at least on the surface) whereas modern Vegas is even cheaper, flashier, and shallow. And Edmund's evilness fits really well into the Vegas make-your-own-luck attitude. You're right, the setting and costume design could get really fun.

[gingerberrysnap.livejournal.com]

I love King Lear! It's one of my theatre goals in life to find a genderswap production of it. I know it has to exist. Theatre companies get really creative with Shakespeare.

For some reason, the thing that has me all over this idea is Jeffrey Donovan as Edmund. IDK. Maybe it's because I'm so used to him in Burn Notice. But the idea of him fighting for the bad side is kind of terrifying. Michael would be the most efficient villain ever.

[lotus0kid.livejournal.com]

Oooh, genderswap would be very interesting...

I know, right? He would be so freaking suave and brutal as Edmund, it would fantastic. And if Mikey went bad... well, he'd just be a killing machine, completely dead just beneath the surface. I could see that happening if he lost Fi and Sam and his mom.