Random notes

[stellar_muddle]

Reminders:
Local DVD hire has seasons 2 and 3 of Farscape. How many seasons did they go up to? - yes I could google, but that would deprive someone of the oportunity to brighten my day with a bit of trivia :) Remember for the $1 weeklies on Thursdays.
Local DVD hire also has Mirrormask in their new releases - remember for the Tuesday $1.50 all movies.
They didn't have the final DVD of the season 1 West Wing set in today, but have gotten out the preceeding two. Also have Delovely and The Philidelphia Story - Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart - it doesn't go wrong.

That and trousers for now I think.

So, what (appart from Pride and Prejudice cause everyone uses that) do you use for sewing/working on projects to?
For me:
P&P
LOTR
Hornblower
Moulin Rouge
B5

And in what should possibly have been a lead up question: Do you need the distraction (TV and music mey be different issues) while doing the project (ie for me, I need to remember to look up often while sewing otherwise my neck will KILL me), or does it stop you from working on what you need to (slightly more like Z...)? Is it a gender thing or a concentration thing for which the examples I know happen to fall apart along those lines?

Comments

[evildrakey.livejournal.com]

On a side note... I have a copy of Andrei Rublev (Tartovsky) for Basal_Surge (no subtitles tho... - how's Mr Z's russian?), second half of the movie has the church bell making scenes that he might be interested in...

[sandhi.livejournal.com]

Farscape had 4 seasons + a mini

[theuns.livejournal.com]

You mean The Peacekeeper Wars? Or am I missing something?

[sandhi.livejournal.com]

yes I mean the Peacekeeper Wars

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

I use Buffy or MGM musicals as my sewing background most often (you said not to list P&P which I also use, in both BBC versions, ditto other Austen, S&S, Persuasion). Or audio books of things I have read before, or are fluffy eneough it doesn't matter if you miss a bit. A story I can follow without looking much that gives me something to follow with my mind while my hands get on with the sewing. Otherwise I get bored.

[queneva.livejournal.com]

When the sewing's mostly pretty routine, I much prefer to have some accompaniment. Ideally it's something I know and like which I don't have to pay too much attention to: not first-time viewings or subtitles. I've kind of worn out my favourites, though, so I'm looking for some new ideas.

• It seems to be everyone's favourite: assorted Austen including P&P in both the 1990s miniseries and the film with Keira Knightly.
• LOTR, with subtitles for the hearing impaired and one of the commentaries running.
• The LOTR 'appendices'.
• Firefly, the TV series, and Serenity, the film.
• The Thomas Crown Affair. The remake, with Renee Russo (phwoah), Pierce Brosnan, the guy from the asshole song playing a straight part, and an excellent soundtrack. No one else I know has even heard of this -- I may be the only person in the world who thinks this is highly enjoyable watching -- but I managed to get Milites turned on to Nina Simone because of it.
• Alain de Botton's introduction to philosophy, and 'Status Anxiety'. Sort of what you'd get if you re-did 'Connections' about practical philosophy through emo nerd eyes. I love them, but I had to give them back to my brother, and the philosophy one seems to be out of print.
• Some films by the Working Title people: 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', 'Love Actually', etc.
• Howl's Moving Castle. Maybe 'Spirited Away'.
• Assorted children's flicks, including Shrek and Nemo and Harry Potter.
• Casablanca.
• The Fifth Element.

Back in the old days when Beloved was travelling lots I borrowed lots of audiobooks for company. I highly recommend the Terry Pratchett books read by Nigel Planer (Neil from The Young Ones) for Isis Audiobooks.

National Radio still has its enjoyable stretches, which are downloadable/streamable from their website. I've also taken to listening to podcasts while sewing: originally the Firefly/Serenity fan podcasts, and lately an occasional dose of no-whining tough love Southern US style from Flylady.

I'd be keen to get recommendations from others, since even the good stuff pales after umpty-dozen viewings.

[lacedwaist.livejournal.com]

I find background is good when cutting out or handsewing, but when going back and forth to the machine (in another room) it slows me down unless it's something I know really well and don't mind missing bits of (otherwise I either get "caught" by bits or I forget to pause it and have to spend time going back and finding my place).
My background:
Yup, it seems pretty universal - P&P (3 versions to date)
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion
Various Harry Potter
Love Actually
Pink Floyd's Pulse
LoTR (curiously enough, more often the bonus "making of" material than the movies themselves - nicely creative and it doesn't matter if you miss bits)
The Secretary (mmmm, James Spader - the thinking girl's pervert)
Preaching to the Perverted (story sucks but great costume eye-candy)
Room with a View
Shakespeare in Love (when I can put up with Gwyneth Paltrow)
Emma (see above)
A Knight's Tale
Labyrinth
I also do binges on various TV series on occasion, such as Inspector Morse (good, but a bit too involved for anything other than handsewing), Boston Legal (see previous comment re James Spader), House, House of Elliot, Sharpe. Then there's the garden porn - Fork to Fork, River Cottage. Oh, and I did all of Robyn of Sherwood (dark and milk varieties) in the run-up to the corset exhibition - god that was a laugh.