#bean rambles

I FINALLY STOPPED PROCRASTINATING, HUZZAH! I am a bit tired today, so. Take these thoughts as you will.

Well I just got done watching Borrowers 1974. Here's my initial impressions. What did I think of it? Well, I think I liked it. I think if you wanted to know what Borrowers is all about and didn't want to commit to reading the original book, this would be a good supplement. Not a replacement, but like a "do i actually want to read the book"? litmus test or something, (though it is very "spoilery", if you want to go in not knowing how things will end). Most details are the same, except like. Arrietty is a little more ignorant in this one, when in the book I'd argue she wasn't stupid, just deprived of the info needed to understand things more. And The Boy (whom was NOT named, which I respect that being kept in tact) is like. I dunno. A bit more curious about the whole "borrower" thing. Which makes sense. Overall though, all the characters are more or less the way they are in the book, especially Pod and Homily.

The effects were charming, rather good for 1974 I must say, the backgrounds and miniatures were great, the costume design was good and pretty accurate to the book actually, and yea. Ooh those props, they are so so so charming!!! Here's my very subjective bias here, I think animation is capable of capturing the feeling of the book way wayy better, but having said that I don't think this was a bad live action version at all.

The "extinction conversation" was actually in tact, almost exactly as it was in the book, which was a surprise, and the added conversation about human soldiers caught me off guard, so that was something.

I do wonder if Ghibli took some inspiration from it at all, Arrietty's comment about him "changing everything then leaving" was very evocative of Ghibli's take, so was the detail of the dollhouse being left out in the open.

I think they called that boy ugly at some point. And everyone was in general annoyed with him, even when he tried to do the right thing. I WOULD say that feels overly mean, but honestly that's how the book was too :( dang...

The frame story wasn't there. Which makes sense. I suppose in any other medium than a book its difficult to incorporate, though RIP Kate and May, I thought they were fine.

They played some banjo music whenever the borrowers started scurrying that really reminded me of Banjo-Kazooie, so that was funny. There was this like... Creepy other song they played a lot that freaked me out. There was like an intro too that reminded me a lil of the Japanese Moomin theme but not as good.

Some other strange details were thrown in there, some... Development??? Of what Pod and Sophie's relationship was like, which was wack. Not wholly sure of why they did that. And 30% to 50% more talk of horses and ferrets, with 100% more ferrets than the original book. Sometimes they'd call "Borrowers" "BURROW-ers", and I got a kick out of being like "Their BURROWERS they're BURROWING!!!". Maybe I'm just tired and missing something with all of this lol.

I stood by the router, I lost connection,

Stood on a tower, there's no reception,

Reaching outwards, yet not far enough,

The service is bad, the line is rough,

I see the signs, I see it well,

But from a glance, I could not tell,

Easy instructions, I do what I'm told,

But no directions, it ends with a fold,

Arms crossed upon my chest,

Half past nine, I did not rest,

I sit and sulk, in frustration,

It is hot on both day, night and in between,

People walk in, people walk out,

They try and buy, and some without,

I wanna chill, I wanna sleep,