After doing work for two hours yesterday morning (which actually felt more like ten hours - it always does), I decided I would head to the mall to buy myself a present. Ended up getting Zeffirelli's
Romeo and Juliet since I hadn't seen it since Grade 10 and it tied in nicely with my current "HOMGILOVEITALIANRENAISSANCESTUFF."
People, it is AMAZING.
I remembered really liking it back in high school but, with a little more understanding of the history, the fashions, and a deeper appreciation for really good cinematography, the entire thing had me enthralled last night. From the little I know of Italian fashion (c. 1430s, I suspect), the costuming seemed to be nearly spot on, though I did wonder what Lady Capulet had on her head during the party scenes. But when the Prince made his entrance after the initial street brawl, I nearly flipped. God, did they ever have the look right there, from his massive
chaperon, to the quilted tunic over his breastplate, to the trappings on his horse. Seriously, SO much love there. Some of the farbics used throughout have a slightly 'polyester' look to them but, on the whole, it seems as though the costume designer tried to get things right. Which is amazing for 1968.


There's this... charm to the entire movie, which is really pushed through by the voices and facial expressions of the actors. Friar Lawrence is particularly effective in that respect. There is a bit of... I don't know if it's over-acting... at points but that adds to the entire effect. Makes it seem more like a stage play than a film.
So, the next sewing project? A full set of 1460s Italian kit - hosen, quilted doublet, shirt. And it will be done properly by hand, with points, and the whole she-bang. Gahhh! Can't wait! After this, I'll have make some concerted efforts to get myself out to events.
Right. Time to go back to work. I've been finding this is how my schedule goes so far:
9:15 - Wake up, have panic attack, read inspirational book for a few minutes.
9:45 - Get up, check email, eat breakfast, start to work.
12:00 - Lose all focus and spend two hours surfing the internet and writing pointless LJ entries.
2:00 - Have panic attack since I've wasted two hours. Eat unhealthy food to slow the heart-rate down.
3:00 - Hit low from unhealthy food. Spend another hour surfing the internet.
4:00 - Start working again albeit unproductively. Work until starvation forces me to make supper.
8:30 - Make supper. Consume it whilst watching Family Guy.
9:00 - Have another panic attack.
Thing is, I KNOW how to fix this: at 12:00, go to the gym for half an hour since it's been proven that exercise improves concentration, brain function, general feelings of happiness and personal worth, etc. HOWEVER, the gym also has been known to increase stress and frustration during the act of exercising, particularly when faced with the plethora of orange, scantily-clad, ridiculously thin females who sneeringly eye your own whiteness, tattered Wilson shorts, and occassional bulges of adipose with resolve-crushing derision. To me, the lesser of two evils seems to be the stress and lack of concentration.
In other news, I'm getting a whole slew of ideas for 'Lorenzo de' Medici: The Animated Film' (oh lord...). Will try doing some character sheets over the holidays. His tutor, Gentile Becchi, is practically a cartoon character already.