Sunday, July 13, 2008

Corrupting Youth

My niece and nephew are visiting (pre-teens).

I bet you've often wondered, what it would be like having a Bardiac for an aunt, eh?

I let them stay up until after 11pm, watching a movie...

Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. And this was after we'd read a couple sonnets together. (At least it wasn't Titus!)

Yep, wild times at the BardiacShack (tm).

What other Shakespeare films might be good choices for kids?


Review time: that play feels almost perfectly timed on stage, but in the movie, it feels like the Beatrice Benedick stuff doesn't have time to develop.

And seriously, could the nightwatch stuff be less effective than in that film? Bleargh.

9 comments:

  1. How about A Midsummer Night's Dream? If they enjoyed Much Ado, they should be old enough to appreciate that one.

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  2. Anonymous7:50 AM

    I'm afraid Keanu Reeves killed that one for me. I wondered if some of his character's lines had been cut because he couldn't do it. (Sorry, I do not remember the character names...)

    *I* think Aunt Bardiac would be great!

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  3. Yeah, I always fast-forward past Dogberry in that one. But MND would be fun for pre-teens, and maybe some of the new BBC Shakespeare Retold films? Their MND wasn't bad either, and their Macbeth has the three best witches (rubbish haulers) I've seen in any "modern" adaptation.

    Have fun!

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  4. Branagh's new As You Like It was really good (especially if they like Japan).

    I read Measure for Measure when I was...twelve years old, I think. That and Mid-Summer Night's Dream are my favorites ^^

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  5. i know not from bard films, but was thinking midsummer night's dream, too. daughter's middle school drama class had a complete blast performing that play!

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  6. Didn't Branagh do a musical version of Love's Labour's Lost? I haven't seen it, but it could be fun.

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  7. Re your question...

    We're going to the North Shore -- and up to Rossport, Ontario. So, we'll miss your lovely state this time.

    Mom and I may go to Madison sooner or later to visit my favorite great aunt -- if we do, we'll stop to see you, I promise!

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  8. I love the Trevor Nunn 12th Night--a really enchanting movie.

    The Snork Maiden has seen two live productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona--it's short, there's a clear (if not absolutely logical) plot, and there's a dog in it. Winner!

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  9. I think AuntBardiac's Shack would be great.

    You know, depending on the age (young teens?), I think that Henry V is good. Action, etc. Yeah, a little violent, so maybe not so great for younger kids, but really no more violent than Indiana Jones...

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