their long hair
tied up to the crest of their heads
like manes
Poseidon: always Earth-Shaker
I had been taught
it was the mark of a king
to receive homage with grace.
There is always
some small hitch
at Troizen;
we do not do these things
with the smoothness of Athens.
My grandfather felt the cleaver's edge;
he reared up like a tower,
feeling his death,
dragging the men
like children;
the scarlet cleft in the white throat,
the rank hot smell;
the ruin of beauty,
the fall of strength,
the ebb of valor.
Then it was that I heard
a sea-sound in my ears.
He paused in thought.
Moira? he said.
The finished shape
of our fate,
the line drawn round it.
When the work of the King Horse was done,
he was given to the god,
as you saw yesterday.
And in those days,
said my great-grandfather,
as with the King Horse,
so with the King.
That he chose short life with glory,
and to walk with the god,
rather than live long,
unknown like stall-fed ox.
Deixos, the Horse Master's son,
who feared nothing four-footed.
Deixos slipped,
and fell in
while the beast was watching.
Henceforth, he said,
you will know it again.
If it comes to you, run out of doors,
and call to the people that Poseidon
is angry.
Then they can save themselves,
before the houses fall.
Such warnings are a favor of the god.
Try to be worthy.
How far man is,
even at his height of fortune,
below the Immortals.
A half-grown boar,
whose tusks were showing,
in the Great Hall when the King of Tiryns
was dining there.
I had never before singled out Apollo for worship.
Do not be late tonight,
or you will miss the harper.
The Cretans had halved it with their hoists.
Then the stones rose up slowly,
and slid into the bed the Cretans made for them.
And they stood fast.
One does not ask a priestess
how she knows things.
They are of the seed of Hephaistos,
Lord of the Earth Fire.
Though he didn't stand by you,
he did the next best thing;
he gave you a son who will.
Poor boy, it's not your fault
you know nothing.
Talk to your grandfather.
It is better from him than me.
The grain was small in the ear,
ad the grapes were like hedgerow berries;
the dust lay deep,
so that men's feet sank in it,
and nothing prospered but the flies.
And with the drought came a sickness,
which, sparing the old,
took children and maidens and young men.
Sometimes it thunders,
or one hears the lion.
To be a king, I thought,
what is it?
To do justice,
go to war for one's people,
make their peace with the gods?
Surely, it is this.
In the midst,
straight before me,
stood a stately woman,
with a slave holding a sunshade
over her head.
She was about seven and twenty;
her hair, which was crowned
with a diadem of purple
stitched with gold,
was as red as firelit copper.
I have grieved longer for a dog
than they did for him.
So the man had not even left
a name behind him.
The troops were led by Xanthos,
the queen's brother.
I was the King;
and I was still new enough in Eleusis
to suppose this meant something.
Every day the Queen held audience.
Fathers were nobody in Eleusis,
and could not choose wives
for their own sons.
The young Companions
were escorting me,
as they did everywhere.
Now I began to seek
for occupation.
It is not in my nature
to do nothing.
Because of some oracle concerning me
which had been kept secret from the people.
I remembered the dead King's laughter;
but it told one nothing.
When a man lives like this,
a youth he can choose for himself,
who looks up to him
and copies him
and boasts of his friendship,
will give him more pride in himself
than the womenfolk at home.
I see no sense in looking down on this.
Even kings have names where I come from.
Mine is Theseus.
He calls us to a high place,
my father said,
and we leap down to him.
We go of ourselves.
He put his black hairy hands on Chryse
and ran them all over her.
Seeing Minos in his bull-mask,
of whom not one cried aloud.
The Cretan double ax,
the sacred Labrys.
The bull chooses the team,
not the other way.
Ways of divining:
with sands of pebbles,
with water-droppings
or with bees or slivers of ivory,
with birds, like the Hellenes,
or, as the Sauromantians do,
with lizards.
It was said that if a dancer lived three years,
the Goddess set him free.
No one could remember anyone
lasting half as long.
But I cannot keep from putting my hand
to what I find about me.
It was the look of those who had had bad auguries;
those who had been brought young from home,
and were growing out of their strength and speed.
Helike was bull-shy.
A team that gave no show
would be broken up
before next day was out,
even if no one died.
But she had trusted me,
because of our vow.
This was the first test of it.
That any good we do in the bull ring
will profit for that insolent swine?
His father was a bull-leaper.
The Bull Court was the only place
in the Labyrinth
where speech was free.
A great impiety!
She used to follow him
into the Bull Court,
she was so besotted,
and hide herself in the wooden bull.
My friend said that is only vulgar talk.
But she was made for him,
quite out of her head.
The child is the mother's.
So the King kept quiet
to save his face,
and let it pass for his.
We have craft laws in Attica.
And for the farmers, too.
Well, if the King of your country
ever lands here, Theseus,
he'll find plenty of us
to fight for him,
in return for laws like that.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Saturday, April 07, 2018
Box Office 2017
US box office totals (via Box Office Mojo) from 2017, as of 4/7/18. M = millions, T = thousands
1. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi ($620M)
This latest entry in the Star Wars saga has proven incredibly divisive, which is just about what you'd expect. Anything less and they probably weren't even trying. The fact that it made the most money in its particular year of release is also everything you need to know.
2. Beauty and the Beast ($504M)
I'm legitimately flabbergasted by this. How did this even happen? It's not so much endless sequels that're the problem, but that Disney can literally remake its own movies and they're big hits. Will anyone actually think of this as nostalgically as its animated predecessor?
3. Wonder Woman ($412M)
DC scored its lone legitimate popular hit in the Man of Steel sequence to date with this, ironically paving the way for an even bigger hit for Marvel's Avengers flick with Black Panther in 2018. One wonders what the result would've been if the movies had flip-flopped releases.
4. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($403M)
A massive surprise success at the end of the year. This is probably one update that will be remembered better than its predecessor.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($389M)
Arguably, this and the first one will prove more important to the legacy of the Avengers films than films actually starring Avengers.
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($334M)
Not a fan. I suspect a second entry will perform significantly less well.
7. It ($327M)
Another surprise hit from the year, and Stephen King's first blockbuster adaptation in a few years.
8. Thor: Ragnarok ($315M)
I suspect this'll cool down to a more cult-level hit in the years to come.
9. Despicable Me 3 ($264M)
Kind of bloomed into a Shrek level franchise.
10. Justice League ($229M)
For a movie that was considered a disaster, it still cracked the top ten, which is admirable. In years past this would've qualified it as an unqualified favorite movie memory. We've been living in distorted times, folks.
11. Logan ($226M) Will probably be remembered as the best X-Men flick in the sequence...12. The Fate of the Furious ($226M) This franchise cycles back down to earth, ironically after having definitely left strict plausibility behind...13. Coco ($209M) There's so little difference between Disney and Pixar animated flicks at this point, they're losing meaning. Clearly the market has crashed because of it...14. Dunkirk ($188M) This is how far down you have to go to find a movie that would've been in the top ten, easily, ten years ago...15. Get Out ($176M) Massive hype for a horror movie with a sheen of social relevance...18. The Greatest Showman ($172M) Hugh Jackman arguably had his best year ever...19. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ($172M) Disney hugely screwed up one of its own franchises. Contrary to popular belief, Disney is not invincible these days...20. Kong: Skull Island ($168M) I honestly have no idea how this was a hit, except that John C. Reilly probably helped make it one, in the trailers, and probably Jumanji a much bigger one later...21. Cars 3 ($152M) The moment Pixar pumped out a third let alone second installment in a franchise that appeals only to young viewers, you know they've lost it...22. War for the Planet of the Apes ($146M) Have no idea how this latest version of the franchise has made any money, especially when the first one was so terrible, and people somehow still haven't realized it...23. Split ($138M) The Shyamalan renaissance concludes with a movie that will hopefully help him actually return to form next time, rather than merely pander to the horror crowd...24. Wonder ($132M) Speaking of pandering. Wait, is this a whole era of pandering? Seems like it...25. Transformers: The Last Knight ($130M) Should've left well enough alone, or simply waited a few years to release it...26. Girls Trip ($115M) The success of Bridesmaids resulted in everything but movies actually worth remembering...27. Fifty Shades Darker ($114M) How can so many people go see a movie no one will probably admit watching? Let alone a sequel? And a third one in 2018...28. Baby Driver ($107M) Edgar Wright scores his biggest hit with material that's arguably contrary to everything that made his career. Seems legit...29. Pitch Perfect 3 ($104M) Wait, forget everything I said earlier. This is the heir of the Bridesmaids effect. And the one that actually made sequels...30. Daddy's Home 2 ($104M) In a lot of other years this would be considered classic material. But now it's just lost in the shuffle...31. Murder on the Orient Express ($102M) Relatively low gross seems like a big victory for adult material these days...34. Blade Runner 2049 ($92M) I don't know who thought it would be a huge blockbuster. This counts as a huge victory...35. John Wick: Chapter Two ($92M) Suddenly cult movies are making big money...39. The Post ($81M) Spielberg is the guy who apparently makes the Trump movie, and nobody cares...40. The Mummy ($80M) Tom Cruise is really struggling...41. The Hitman's Bodyguard ($75M) On the other hand, this is a huge victory for Ryan Reynolds...42. Alien: Covenant ($74M) Probably pushed too quickly for another one. Cult level...46. The Shape of Water ($64M) Voted Best Picture at the Oscars. Deemed creepy by everyone else...48. Baywatch ($58M) In another year this would've performed, and been received, much differently. It's no longer the '90s...50. Darkest Hour ($56M) Gary Oldman makes Churchill popular again...52. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ($54M) Kind of inexplicable that the more people heard about this, the less they seemed to know what to make of it. That's 2017 in a nutshell...53. Atomic Blonde ($51M) Seems capable of becoming a cult favorite...54. American Made ($51M) Seems capable of being a hindsight critical favorite in Cruise's career...55. The Dark Tower ($50M) If someone had told me that this would fail and It would triumph, I would've slapped them. I'll slap yu now for saying this was the right outcome...56. Lady Bird ($48M) This is what finally makes people realize Saoirse Ronan exists? 2017, folks...65. The Big Sick ($42M) Given the hype around it, you would've expected it to have made a lot more...66. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ($41M) The cult movies makes virtually no money at all. That about makes sense...69. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ($39M) I have to assume everyone who talks about it didn't actually see it, and everyone who doesn't did...70. Jigsaw ($38M) Kind of brilliant that they finally outright called one of these that...74. Wind River ($33M) In a different era, this is the kind of adult movie that would've made more...83. I, Tonya ($29M) Only Margot Robbie could've made Tonya Harding that much money...84. Hostiles ($29M) This is another adult drama you would've actually heard of in years past...85. Molly's Game ($28M) Kind of incredible that Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin end up virtually ignored...88. Lucky Logan ($27M) Seems like this should've gotten at least as much interest as Baby Driver...93. Gifted ($24M) If an Avenger makes a good movie and he's out of costume, apparently it doesn't count...100. The Disaster Artist ($21M) Kind of weird that a whole movie was made and outright celebrated whose only reason to exist is to mock another movie that no one's actually heard of...101. Phantom Thread ($21M) Daniel Day-Lewis apparently retires having conceded that his career is mostly trading on the stereotype of awards season fodder...108. Call Me by Your Name ($18M) Apparently even when he's in a movie that critics love Armie Hammer is still basically ignored...109. mother! ($17M) Became the most infamous movie hardly anyone saw...117. It Comes At Night ($13M) Seems like it would've been a big hit in another time...121. Battle of the Sexes ($12M) Kind of hard to figure out why this flew under the radar...123. Roman J. Israel, Esq. ($11M) Denzel Washington makes a movie and no one even knows...125. The Beguiled ($10M) Part of the problem women have as directors is that they eventually get ignored even when they're doing exceptional work...130. The Lost City of Z ($8M) This is another movie that was swallowed whole by the blockbuster era...145. The Florida Project ($5M) Good reputation. Hardly anyone saw it...159. Table 19 ($3M) Comedies have been hit hardest in the current era...171. Wolf Warrior 2 ($2M) Kind of unofficially a companion to Captain America: The Winter Soldier...182. T2: Trainspotting ($2M) One of the more surprising flops of the year...186. The Killing of a Sacred Der ($2M) How do you suppress bold new cinematic talent? By pretending it isn't happening...181. Good Time ($2M) In which Robert Pattinson is loved for something other than playing a sparkly vampire...208. A Ghost Story ($1M) This is some more of that bold new cinematic talent being ignored...209. Professor Marston & the Wonder Women ($1M) Kind of surprising that it was completely ignored...The Only Living Boy in New York ($624T) Marc Webb discovers that the blockbuster era has little room for him. Again...357. The Bad Batch ($180T) Would you believe Jim Carrey appears in this? He does...
1. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi ($620M)
This latest entry in the Star Wars saga has proven incredibly divisive, which is just about what you'd expect. Anything less and they probably weren't even trying. The fact that it made the most money in its particular year of release is also everything you need to know.
2. Beauty and the Beast ($504M)
I'm legitimately flabbergasted by this. How did this even happen? It's not so much endless sequels that're the problem, but that Disney can literally remake its own movies and they're big hits. Will anyone actually think of this as nostalgically as its animated predecessor?
3. Wonder Woman ($412M)
DC scored its lone legitimate popular hit in the Man of Steel sequence to date with this, ironically paving the way for an even bigger hit for Marvel's Avengers flick with Black Panther in 2018. One wonders what the result would've been if the movies had flip-flopped releases.
4. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($403M)
A massive surprise success at the end of the year. This is probably one update that will be remembered better than its predecessor.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($389M)
Arguably, this and the first one will prove more important to the legacy of the Avengers films than films actually starring Avengers.
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($334M)
Not a fan. I suspect a second entry will perform significantly less well.
7. It ($327M)
Another surprise hit from the year, and Stephen King's first blockbuster adaptation in a few years.
8. Thor: Ragnarok ($315M)
I suspect this'll cool down to a more cult-level hit in the years to come.
9. Despicable Me 3 ($264M)
Kind of bloomed into a Shrek level franchise.
10. Justice League ($229M)
For a movie that was considered a disaster, it still cracked the top ten, which is admirable. In years past this would've qualified it as an unqualified favorite movie memory. We've been living in distorted times, folks.
11. Logan ($226M) Will probably be remembered as the best X-Men flick in the sequence...12. The Fate of the Furious ($226M) This franchise cycles back down to earth, ironically after having definitely left strict plausibility behind...13. Coco ($209M) There's so little difference between Disney and Pixar animated flicks at this point, they're losing meaning. Clearly the market has crashed because of it...14. Dunkirk ($188M) This is how far down you have to go to find a movie that would've been in the top ten, easily, ten years ago...15. Get Out ($176M) Massive hype for a horror movie with a sheen of social relevance...18. The Greatest Showman ($172M) Hugh Jackman arguably had his best year ever...19. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ($172M) Disney hugely screwed up one of its own franchises. Contrary to popular belief, Disney is not invincible these days...20. Kong: Skull Island ($168M) I honestly have no idea how this was a hit, except that John C. Reilly probably helped make it one, in the trailers, and probably Jumanji a much bigger one later...21. Cars 3 ($152M) The moment Pixar pumped out a third let alone second installment in a franchise that appeals only to young viewers, you know they've lost it...22. War for the Planet of the Apes ($146M) Have no idea how this latest version of the franchise has made any money, especially when the first one was so terrible, and people somehow still haven't realized it...23. Split ($138M) The Shyamalan renaissance concludes with a movie that will hopefully help him actually return to form next time, rather than merely pander to the horror crowd...24. Wonder ($132M) Speaking of pandering. Wait, is this a whole era of pandering? Seems like it...25. Transformers: The Last Knight ($130M) Should've left well enough alone, or simply waited a few years to release it...26. Girls Trip ($115M) The success of Bridesmaids resulted in everything but movies actually worth remembering...27. Fifty Shades Darker ($114M) How can so many people go see a movie no one will probably admit watching? Let alone a sequel? And a third one in 2018...28. Baby Driver ($107M) Edgar Wright scores his biggest hit with material that's arguably contrary to everything that made his career. Seems legit...29. Pitch Perfect 3 ($104M) Wait, forget everything I said earlier. This is the heir of the Bridesmaids effect. And the one that actually made sequels...30. Daddy's Home 2 ($104M) In a lot of other years this would be considered classic material. But now it's just lost in the shuffle...31. Murder on the Orient Express ($102M) Relatively low gross seems like a big victory for adult material these days...34. Blade Runner 2049 ($92M) I don't know who thought it would be a huge blockbuster. This counts as a huge victory...35. John Wick: Chapter Two ($92M) Suddenly cult movies are making big money...39. The Post ($81M) Spielberg is the guy who apparently makes the Trump movie, and nobody cares...40. The Mummy ($80M) Tom Cruise is really struggling...41. The Hitman's Bodyguard ($75M) On the other hand, this is a huge victory for Ryan Reynolds...42. Alien: Covenant ($74M) Probably pushed too quickly for another one. Cult level...46. The Shape of Water ($64M) Voted Best Picture at the Oscars. Deemed creepy by everyone else...48. Baywatch ($58M) In another year this would've performed, and been received, much differently. It's no longer the '90s...50. Darkest Hour ($56M) Gary Oldman makes Churchill popular again...52. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ($54M) Kind of inexplicable that the more people heard about this, the less they seemed to know what to make of it. That's 2017 in a nutshell...53. Atomic Blonde ($51M) Seems capable of becoming a cult favorite...54. American Made ($51M) Seems capable of being a hindsight critical favorite in Cruise's career...55. The Dark Tower ($50M) If someone had told me that this would fail and It would triumph, I would've slapped them. I'll slap yu now for saying this was the right outcome...56. Lady Bird ($48M) This is what finally makes people realize Saoirse Ronan exists? 2017, folks...65. The Big Sick ($42M) Given the hype around it, you would've expected it to have made a lot more...66. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ($41M) The cult movies makes virtually no money at all. That about makes sense...69. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ($39M) I have to assume everyone who talks about it didn't actually see it, and everyone who doesn't did...70. Jigsaw ($38M) Kind of brilliant that they finally outright called one of these that...74. Wind River ($33M) In a different era, this is the kind of adult movie that would've made more...83. I, Tonya ($29M) Only Margot Robbie could've made Tonya Harding that much money...84. Hostiles ($29M) This is another adult drama you would've actually heard of in years past...85. Molly's Game ($28M) Kind of incredible that Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin end up virtually ignored...88. Lucky Logan ($27M) Seems like this should've gotten at least as much interest as Baby Driver...93. Gifted ($24M) If an Avenger makes a good movie and he's out of costume, apparently it doesn't count...100. The Disaster Artist ($21M) Kind of weird that a whole movie was made and outright celebrated whose only reason to exist is to mock another movie that no one's actually heard of...101. Phantom Thread ($21M) Daniel Day-Lewis apparently retires having conceded that his career is mostly trading on the stereotype of awards season fodder...108. Call Me by Your Name ($18M) Apparently even when he's in a movie that critics love Armie Hammer is still basically ignored...109. mother! ($17M) Became the most infamous movie hardly anyone saw...117. It Comes At Night ($13M) Seems like it would've been a big hit in another time...121. Battle of the Sexes ($12M) Kind of hard to figure out why this flew under the radar...123. Roman J. Israel, Esq. ($11M) Denzel Washington makes a movie and no one even knows...125. The Beguiled ($10M) Part of the problem women have as directors is that they eventually get ignored even when they're doing exceptional work...130. The Lost City of Z ($8M) This is another movie that was swallowed whole by the blockbuster era...145. The Florida Project ($5M) Good reputation. Hardly anyone saw it...159. Table 19 ($3M) Comedies have been hit hardest in the current era...171. Wolf Warrior 2 ($2M) Kind of unofficially a companion to Captain America: The Winter Soldier...182. T2: Trainspotting ($2M) One of the more surprising flops of the year...186. The Killing of a Sacred Der ($2M) How do you suppress bold new cinematic talent? By pretending it isn't happening...181. Good Time ($2M) In which Robert Pattinson is loved for something other than playing a sparkly vampire...208. A Ghost Story ($1M) This is some more of that bold new cinematic talent being ignored...209. Professor Marston & the Wonder Women ($1M) Kind of surprising that it was completely ignored...The Only Living Boy in New York ($624T) Marc Webb discovers that the blockbuster era has little room for him. Again...357. The Bad Batch ($180T) Would you believe Jim Carrey appears in this? He does...
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