Eating Muffins in an Agitated Manner

Finncon 2010 ramblings part 3: Saturday

Posted by Sari

I promise to post something like a coherent review of the con later, consider these posts like a very middle-aged woman's  record of her own thoughts and impressions, and consequently meant for publication. Saturday was my busy day at the con. First I was on Tähtifantasia award panel, which I thought went OK. I love the concept. Because obviously the judges already know which book won, and might have had a lot of constructive discussion before deciding on a winner, a panel with them would be really stilted. Thus four other people giving their opinion on the nominated books moderated by the judging committee chair gives - I think - a more interesting perspective on the things.

Then I spent an hour gophering at Ellen's guest of honor performance, which I enjoyed even though medieval ballads are not my thing, she projects her own love of what she is doing so well that it draws the audiences in. From the gophering stint I had to literally run to moderate Opera and the fantastic panel. I was sure there was no way we could fill the longer time slot we were given, but lo and behold, the gopher's 15 minute sign came incredibly fast. The panelists and I enjoyed the panel tremendously, and we could have gone on for a long time, so I can only hope some of the enthusiasm was transmitted to the audience.

I then popped in the green room for a bit, and then went over to C1 to gopher Cheryl's informative and funny how to run a masquerade lecture and the masquerade itself which followed straight after. (Special thanks to Ieva for volunteering to help.) Few technical glitches, but I thought that both the number of participants, the costumes themselves and especially the performances were better than any other year I have seen the masquerade. Mad props to all, but especially to Hannele, whose stage presence as always was great.

After the masquerade Mexi and me meandered back to the hotel and cooled ourselves in the swimming pool before heading for the evening party. Lozzi was hot, but the balcony was large and cool. I had a great time talking to guests and friends and left the party far too late. Also I so hope somebody got really good pictures of Maija and Taimi's hall costumes as Holmes and Watson, pure genius, I tell you...

(Edited to ad Facebook link and tags)

Finncon 2010 ramblings part 2: A dollar short and a day late

Posted by Sari

No time for blogging yesterday evening as I was being a very conscientious mod and was preparing my Saturday panel, so you get a brief ramble about Finncon friday on saturday evening while I should be getting ready for the evening party.

My Friday began with a visit to a particle accelerator lab which was coolest thing I have seen since the atomic power plant. There machinery just evokes the science fan in me. I barely understand what is being done, but even that little evokes me the sense of wonder better than many a book. After the visit, I checked out the Hugo panel discussion which I actually enjoyed, especially as the panelists remembered to tell a little bit about what the nominees were about and not just say weather they liked it or not. Also I got to make a little monologue about the related books category which I am always most interested in. I might blog about that more later.

After the hugo panel - the lovely verandah at Kirjailijatalo was taken over by Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner who were later joined by Pat Cadigan to talk about writing, and I snuck off to the hotel for a lovely bubble bath and air conditioning. Evening was not surprisngly spent at Showi, though we left very, very early, so that I could do some last moment prepairing.

The Friday programming at the kirjailijatalo worked very well as a whole, and it was really a stroke of genious to move everything outside. So a good first day of Finncon. Now, I am off to party and too lazy to proofread. So there, take it or leave it :-)

Finncon 2010 ramblings, part 1

Posted by Sari

The most important things first. We have air conditioning. Also bathtub. Thus the basic requirements for a happy con experience have been met. Go Sokos Hotel Jyväshovi. We arrived yesterday after a pretty monotonous three hour drive, and then spent about twenty minutes driving around Jyväskylä trying to find a route to the hotel garage, and thus were late for the city reception. I want a navigator, at least then I woud have something anthropomorphic to blame when the maps are not up to date. 

We met Mekku at the hotel enjoying the cool breeze  - she told us that the researchers meeting had decamped to a park for the afternoon as it was much too hot inside, and she had decided to skip the reception. Instead we meandered up the hill to Sohwi for some burgers and some exellent swedish company. After a few we picked a nice window between showers and walked back to the hotel pretty early. You have to pace yourself when you are middle aged, you know...

Today program includes visit to a particle accelerator, hugo panel and shoppig. Maybe a nice bath. With champers... I see defenite possibilites.

Kuch khatti kuch meethi, Tashan, Luck by Chance and Sarkar

Posted by Sari

This batch had both movies which tried to break away from the masala pattern, and a few that really followed the traditions. The most most formulaic was Kuch khatti kuch meethi, which is from 2001 but looks like it is from early 1990s. Kajol plays a double role as a good twin and a wild twin, separated at birth by the machinations of their nasty aunt. When the twins find each other they switch places to get to know the other parent and begin to plot to bring their parents back together. Yes. It is “The Parent Trap” except Kajol is an adult. Well, two adults. Or something. The most interesting thing in the film was Rishi Kapoor as the weak alcoholic dad manipulated by his  sister. He gives a credible performance, maybe aided by his own alcoholic past. Other than that and the fact that Kajol is always adorable, not one of the most memorable hindi movies I have seen.

Tashan was also a film firmly in the masala mode. This 2008 film starring Saif Ali Khan, excellent Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor was a road/gangster/caper comedy with romantic interludes. Saif Ali and Kareena steal evil gangster Anil Kapoors money, Kareena double crosses Saif Ali who ends up chased by Akshay – a comical but competent thug for hire. There are chases, betrayals and bonding, really big scale action sequences and a very sweet love story for Kareena and Akshay. Violence is again very over the top as is the custom in Bollywood, and the humour is pretty broad I liked the buddy chemistry between Akshay and Saif, and though Kareena’s character was the least developed of the three, she did a good job. (In India Tashan got a lot of press before the opening because there is a scene where Kareena goes all Ursula Andress in a bikini). Even if Tashan is not a great film on any standards, I ended up liking it more than I thought I would, mainly because I think all the actors but especially Akshay did a good job.

Luck by Chance is a whole different kettle of fish. It is a story of two young struggling wannabee movie stars and the realities of dream factories. Young actor Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) comes to Mumbai to be a star, friends Sona (Konkona Shen Sharma), an actress doing bit parts and waiting for her big break. For Sona that never comes, her lover/director coolly informs her he wants a fresh face. Vikram gets cast as a hero against a daughter of a legend who is not especially interested in being an actress. Vikram is seduced by the glitz of Bollywood, and only starts to regret abandoning his old companions after Shah Rukh Khan (as himself) reminds him of the importance of friends. When he tries to make up with Sona, she correctly sees hat he is just feeling guilty, and she moves on happily doing TV instead of dreaming of breaking the bank. Luck by Chance has a very low-key approach for a Mumbai movie, the camera work and dialogue are both geared nearer realism than is usual. It is an interesting movie with lots of interesting cameos from famous stars, but the main characters - with the exception of Dimple Kapadia as aging former star making a career for her daughter - fall pretty flat.

Sarkar - the other not so masala movie - is, as its director Ram Gopal Varma admits, an indian take on Godfather. Big B plays Sarkar, a rich and powerful man who dispenses his own brand of justice in the corrupt indian political system. Of his two sons the elder is a movie producer making eyes to his starlets, and the younger – played by Abhishek - is just back from America with his girlfriend. When Sarkar refuses to make a deal with Dubai based don for drug trafficking, he is betrayed and set up for a murder he did not commit. Abhi believes his father and starts to find out who is responsible. In the course of events he has to kill his brother who had gone over to the enemy, and by the end he has taken over Sarkar’s organisation. So, pretty much godfather. It is nowhere as good as the original, but it has been well localised to Indian political culture – Sarkar’s character apparently owes much to maharastrian nationalist strong man politician Bal Thackeray. The Bachchans were obvious choices for these roles and both deliver. Kay Kay who plays the elder brother, even looks a bit like indian James Caan, and Katrina Kaif was pretty good with what she was given.  There is a sequel “Sarkar Raj”, which I am looking forward to seeing.