this was such a treat!! i am fairly new to delving into the world of ghost but i am enjoying every minute. i am behind on the overall band lore but this made me super excited to delve deeper. this type of hybrid concert film/narrative story is really fun to watch. stunning. goofy. amazing.

silly me, i sort of put off watching this film for so long. but i have read the comic before (though it has been at least ~6 years since i re-read it so i think i am a little foggy on the details.) the guy fawkes mask is an icon of anarchists and antifascists for a reason!!! and i did enjoy the adaptation overall but it simply doesn't feel as fleshed out in comparison. a few things that stood out to me in the film that i either sort of forgot about in the graphic novel (or are maybe just more emphasized in the film) were the parallels to the count of monte christo and its inclusion in the background of the film. V quotes it back to Evey before going off to his showdown with Creedy. (i did roll my eyes when she kissed his mask lmao) another thing was that even if i was unaware of V's hand in Evey's imprisonment, it would have been very obvious to me after the montage revealed that Valerie was imprisoned at Larkhill. i don't remember this tidbit about the roses being left behind in the graphic novel either....it's giving tuxedo mask lol. it almost feels like a stand-in for the character Rose, who shoots Adam Susan (in the film, Adam Sutler). i also don't think the film gave as much detail to Fate (the supercomputer that makes their mass surveillance of citzens possible, the focus in the film seemed to be more about the role of the media instead) or the different "ORGANizations" of this far-right government. i was interested in the focus of the St. Mary's virus on the film and it being a driving factor to a swing in conservatism. crazy to think that this movie was made in 2005 and yet these themes still ring more true than ever.

lastly, i wish Evey had taken up the V costume like she does in the graphic novel. i found that to be a very satisfying continuation of the "idea" of V for Vendetta. overall good film, would watch again, but i can't help but make comparisons lol

i actually sat my ass in the theater for this one!! i had recently finished reading the book earlier in the month, just in time. my friend molly had lent me the book with the intention that we would go see the film together and that is just what we did. and what a treat it was to have the book so fresh in my mind for the time of the film release, i feel like that type of timing just doesn't happen often. there were many changes made from the book, but i felt like most of them were done to the benefit of the viewers. while i did really enjoy the way the math and science were integrated into the book, i do realize that in film format including all of those details would have been too involved. i think the ratio of the present with glimpses into the past were well-balanced. the level and frequency of humor to break up the more serious moments was perfect. i am a little curious as to why the detail of grace being a candidate because he also possesses the genetic coma-resistance was left out. and i feel like they did not portray just how naturally intelligent rocky is. but i did feel they preserved rocky and grace's friendship in a very sweet way that is book-accurate (and one of the best parts of the whole story imo)

obviously with the importance of light and color to the story that gave the directors a great opportunity to really showcase light in the film and i feel like they did so in some nice subtle ways (the rainbows in the background of his classroom parallelling his experience inside rocky's ship, red being a color of importance or signaling danger as it is the color of the petrova line, etc.) a detail i haven't seen anyone talk about yet and i am wondering what the significance of is the inclusion of fox imagery. that isn't anywhere to be found in the book, but in the film, grace seems to have a fondness for foxes. during his initial vodka binge after being awakened from the coma to find his crewmates dead, he can be seen wearing a fox mask. he is often seen in the flashbacks wearing a grandpa sweater featuring foxes, and his keys have a fox keychain on them. this detail bothered me a bit so i tried doing some research. foxes have long been a symbol in mythology for being cunning, resourceful creatures- often resorting to manipulative tactics to meet their needs and survive. i can see a potential metaphor involving grace's personality in there. he's obviously extremely clever and capable, which is why stratt recruits him- but when cornered, he tries to run away from the mission as he is afraid to die. i also thought that maybe it is just another inclusion of color as language- since foxes are red. stratt happens to be portrayed as having red hair so maybe it is another way to signal his complex relationship to her. beyond that, i did find that a group of foxes is sometimes referred to as an 'earth' but that just seems too simple an explanation.

all around a very enjoyable experience that i would absolutely rewatch!! ALSO MILES FROM LOST was casted as Commander Yao (all roads lead back to LOST for me)

got this on DVD for a couple bucks at the thrift store and invited my friend AJ over to watch it. i knew going into it that i was going to enjoy the costuming/set design and aesthetic more than anything and i was definitely correct. the story did not feel an ounce realistic but that's okay, i still found it enjoyable for what it was. i *love* 90s weirdo matthew lillard. i am inspired to watch everything he's ever been in tbh. idk if it is gender envy or like i would smooch him, but it's definitely something. he gets 5 stars.