Charlotte Doyle

I can't wait to try that program, I definitely want to see what I look like as a skeletal pirate -- and I also really want to see the bit where you watch the scene play while looking at a copy of the script next to it; that looks really neat. My computer doesn't play DVDs, though; I'm gonna hafta wait 'til I find one that does.

I need to get me a job over Christmas Break -- I need more bloody cash for all the great pirate merchandise out there! I need Calico Jack playing cards, and the game Pirateer really looks like fun. And MUSIC! They have pirate MUSIC!!! Oh, I gotta have some of those CDs . . . Definitely need a job. ;-)

Yayyy!! I received an e-mail from me hat company ("my hat company"? I am getting lofty, am I not . . . :)) -- and if I wait 'til they reopen after Christmas for business, I can get the tricorne hat remade to actually _fit_ me, not just getting it stretched but having them make it to my specifications. I cannot even tell you how totally this made my entire month. Despite the fact that I am legendary among my friends for having the patience of a fruit fly -- in this case, I would much rather wait a few weeks more to get a good, well-made Sparrow-esque hat that actually FITS me, then to try and get it stretched in the hopes that that'll work, just because I can't wait a month to get me new one. So, in this case, I'm just going to suck it up and be _patient_ for once -- 'cause I want to enjoy wearing my hat, not get headaches from it. :) So this has definitely made my weekend for me, if not my month (I really like the hat design, so I really want it to fit well and all that) . . . thanks to everybody in the meantime for the advice an' all, I appreciate it. :) Oh, and Duchess -- I really be likin' yer sig quote. :)

Nah, I don't be needin' it several inches increased -- it fits on my head rightly enough, it just pinches and leaves me with a vague headache-y feeling after awhile. So I really do just need it _stretched_ more than anythin'. So I think I will be headin' over to a hatter place sometime next week -- thanks muchly for the advice!

My lovely Sparrow-esque hat arrived today from Excalibur Leather, and I am in love. It is much darker than the picture on the website; it looks pretty much identical to Captain Jack's hat, except of course being in a much more "new" condition. Only one problem preying upon me happiness -- the accursed thing doesn't fit me properly! Me family is cursed with having, well, rather large heads (how else does one say it? *grins*); me mum has always had a difficult time of it in trying to find hats that fit. I got the largest size Excalibur offered for the Jack Sparrow hat, the XL, but what I really needed was the 2XL (which unfortunately they not be offerin'). Now, I don't mind dishing out eighteen bucks for a Hat Stretcher in the least, or driving an hour to the nearest "big" town to the hatter store and get _them_ to stretch it out for me; either would please me when it would come to gettin' me hat to fit so that it doesn't leave a red impression on me forehead when I take it off! :) My question to all you who have full pirate costumes and know of such things -- does hat stretching a (leather) hat actually do any good? Does it really make *that* much of a size difference? Or am I maybe going to have to *sob* consider sending me hat back for a refund?

Redhand, Thank ye kindly, mate, for your help and advice -- I am so very happy to have finally worked out the problem. Cannot wait for tomorrow to come and my classes (class, actually) to end so that I may sail home before the tempest comes (calling for a nice ice/snow storm 'round these parts, d'ya see) and watch Captain Jack Sparrow over a glass of grog. Sounds like a right good evenin' ta me. So far, then, the disc doesn't appear to be defective, then . . . more cause for rejoicin'. ;-) Good luck with the Peter Pan DVD; I well know the frustration of tryin' to get somethin' ta WORK! Thanks again to all! Ta, ~~Miss Charlotte

Disney is GOD. I love Disney. Also, Google is God, because it was their search engine that lead me to Disney DVD Technical support. Bless them both. THIS is what I was rambling unclearly about: "Why is the Widescreen version making things look too skinny? You are watching an anamorphic picture intended for display only on a widescreen TV. You need to go into the player's setup menu and tell it you have a standard 4:3 TV, not a widescreen 16:9 TV. It will then automatically letterbox the picture so you can see the full width at the proper proportions." (From The Beautiful Disney Website About Such Things) See, my DVD player was firmly set in 16:9 mode. As soon as I went in and changed it, young Elizabeth Swann immediately looked human again, instead of like some sort of male alien creature. So, yes. Problem SOLVED!!! AND I figured out how to work the zoom button, so I don't have to watch such a WIDE widescreen when I next watch PotC . . . which I guarentee I will be doing tomorrow as soon as I walk in the door from college. OH, I am so, so, SO happy. Looking forward to Jack Sparrow will make the five page paper tonight so much less painful. :) Thanks to everybody who listened to my whining and rambling here and tried to help -- I'll try not to make a habit of it. Wind to thy sails!

....Hey, look, all my whining about my DVD has gotten me promoted to "Pyrate Captain." That's cool. ;-) On a similar whining note -- my Jack Sparrow poster came in the mail today, and it was all beat up from the shipping process! There was a steady row of creases across the left side from top to bottom. Sent it back to Allposters asking for a replacement; hope it gets here soon! :)

No, no, you are misunderstanding me. :) I know well what widescreen is, have for a long time -- some people are driven wild because of the "black bars," but it's never particularly bothered me. I like seeing _all_ the characters in a shot -- in this case, I like knowing no Jack moments to the side of the screen are going to have to be sliced off to make things fit. That's all cool. What bothers me with my PotC DVD is the fact that, black bars aside, the picture itself looks squashed. The people onscreen, the entire picture onscreen, is literally narrower than it should be. I have other DVDs, in widescreen, with the black bars at top and bottom, and the picture looks fine (it's smaller, it doesn't "fit" the whole screen; but what you do see is fine). With my PotC DVD, it looks as though Jack Sparrow (and every other bloody thing) has been pressed in and up by some unseen force -- everyone and everything _is_ squashed. Literally. I've had one other widescreen DVD do this to me, like I said, "Shanghai Knights" -- but my other widescreens work fine. They appear fine. It's just these two (naturally, since one of 'em is my favorite movie IN THE ENTIRE WORLD) that is giving me such a hard time. So I know that, to produce widescreen, the picture is never "squashed" or stretched to make it look like it's in widescreen (well, okay, once in a while that happens with a very cheap re-release of a film). On my friend's TV, her DVD version in widescreen looked fine. It's just on mine that the characters appear a bit taller and thinner than they did before . . . and I know, when I get the chance this weekend to sit down and watch PotC, it's going to drive me wild. So no one knows what's up with my ^(&!#$^% player?? Why, oh why why why, can't I just GET a movie without incident??? Sigh. :)

Aye, I know the way widescreen is . . . but my other widescreen DVDs don't always have that "smushed" look onscreen. This one literally looks like someone "pressed in" on both sides of the screen, leaving everything "narrow"looking. Is there nothing I can be doing about that?

When I put the second disc of extras in my DVD player, it plays fine, no problem. But when I put the first disc in, the actual MOVIE, the movie itself looks a bit . . . well, _narrow_. The black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are very small on my television screen, but it seems to achieve this by slightly smashing the film in a bit at the sides, leaving everything looking a bit narrower than it actually should. In other words, it's like my TV or DVD player is trying to make the black bars as small as possible, and so it smushed the film in slightly to make everything "fit" on the screen. This isn't the first DVD my player (or television) has done this to -- "Shanghai Knights" had a similar thing goin'. "Pirates of the Caribbean" looked fine on my friend's TV when she played it; of course, we were watching her DVD, not mine. So my question is -- anybody know what's up for me? Could my TV or DVD player have some setting on it that tries to "compensate" for the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, something that I fix on it if I change the setting? Could my DVD copy of PotC be defective? Any ideas? Has anyone else had this problem, particularly with PotC? (Why, oh why, can't I ever just get a movie to PLAY for me?? It seems the more I love the movie, the more difficult it's made for me to just HAVE it and play it . . . )

>>Jack is telling Elizabeth that none of the stories about him are true -- and that knocks down some of his mythos, somehow.<< Okay, so I rewatched that scene a few more times (despite the fact that it's so WHOA SHOCKING, I couldn't help but go back to it *grins*) -- and I think you're right. I think he _was_ being sarcastic when he said "no truth at all" -- I was just so surprised by the entire scene to begin with that I didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice and expression. But I think you're right -- I think he showed her his scars (and the brand and tattoo) as proof that the rest of the stories about him (if not the island-escape tale) were true. So, yeah. Man, this movie has enough complex plot stuff goin' in it that I have to watch a _deleted scene_ a few times before I get the concept . . . or am I just that slow on the uptake? I'm still rather glad they didn't leave the scene in, however. It makes a great deleted scene to _see_, but considering how shocked I was when I first saw it, I think it would have thrown off the tone of the movie. The whole scene still does leave one with an impression of a more world-weary Jack -- he quite sounds as though he's given up on everything at that point -- even though by nightfall (though, granted, he is drunk), his optimism has returned; he's talking about not IF he gets his ship back, but WHEN. I just don't think the scene fit the overall tone of the movie itself. But I'm glad they put it on the DVD; it's an int'resting aspect to our Jack Sparrow.

First day up, ye said? Well, here's my question . . . if it's up to twenty-six bucks already, why in heaven's name doesn't Disney take note of this and release more merchandise? I wonder if they realize that if they sold Aztec gold pieces of the PotC-persuasion as necklaces and keychains and all that, they'd sell bushels of 'em?!? Usually Disney isn't so slow on the uptake when it comes to merchandise. *grins* I am content with my (knockoff) doubloon necklace, at least in this case, so I will be watching to see how high that eBay bid goes with interest but not participation. Thanks for the link!

Anne Bonny is my hero, but I love the story of Rachel Wall: "Rachel Wall has the dubious honor, according to the New England Pirate Museum, of being New England's only woman pirate. Wall played the damsel in distress, luring innocent ships toward her husband's rig by waving and calling for help. George Wall and his crew would then board the rescuing ship, take its crew and cargo, and sink the vessel. Rachel Wall was hanged on Boston Common."

"Inventors of mayonnaise." "I like mayonnaise." Heh heh . . . LOVED it. Also the bit about humiliated grapes -- right outta "Benny & Joon," alright!!!!

They are making a live-action version of Spongebob Squarepants?????? My only real question . . . _why_?!?!? ;-)

Got mine yesterday -- I got to Coconuts exactly seven minutes after they opened and was picking up my reserved DVD then; got to watch it with my best college pal yesterday evening. And OOOH, am I thrilled. Been waitin' for five months to finally be able to have PotC for my very own . . . and finally, yay, I _do_!! (I gotta agree, I hate the acursed widescreen format that is so dang popular on DVDs . . . but still, I own PotC now and can watch it whenever I want -- homework permitting, of course, sigh -- so I can't REALLY complain, can I? *grins* And at least I'm not missing a second of Jack Sparrow, since no part of the screen had to be cut away . . . ) Didn't watch all of the extras yet by a long shot, but I saw some of 'em. I really enjoyed the Diary of a Pirate by Pintel's actor (Lee something-or-other, am I getting his name right at all?). I also watched the deleted scenes -- and WHOA momma, were some of 'em shocking! [spoilerS ahead for the deleted scenes; if you haven't seen 'em yet and want to be surprised, skip the rest o' this.] Anyone else have their eyeballs bloody near roll out of their heads when Jack pulled back his sleeve to illustrate the reality of his life to Elizabeth? I dang near fell off the couch. M' college pal and I were discussing it, and really, the only way he could have gotten scars _quite_ like that would have been torture -- too many thin lines over too concentrated an area. It was pretty dang chilling. And you know, I'm really, really, *really* glad they took it out of the film. It's a great "what-if"/deleted scene, but if they left it in -- seriously, I think it would have changed the whole tone of the movie, because it changes Jack's character so drastically. It takes away something of his (to quote Johnny Depp) "bizarrely optimistic" outlook on life -- the film the way it _is_ seems to suggest that Jack Sparrow's life has been hard and rough but mostly fun for him along the way -- put in that scene, and most of that impression goes completely down the tubes. In some ways, odd as this sounds, I think it takes away from the _innocence_ of his character; Jack Sparrow seems world-weary in a few ways, but put in that scene and it makes him downright exhausted and disguisted by it. Jack is telling Elizabeth that none of the stories about him are true -- and that knocks down some of his mythos, somehow. So, if anyone is still reading after THAT big huge rant . . . that's why I'm so very, very, VERY glad they took it out. GOOD choice, Mr. Verbinski. (Though I wonder if Johnny Depp wishes they left it in -- for a couple reasons, I have a sneaking suspicion that it may have been his idea to put it in, in the first place.) Other than that . . . my friend's roommate kept talking through the deleted scenes with Norrington, so I'll have to rewatch them today to see -- but someone here said they completely change Norrington's character by replacing the deleted scenes with what went into the actual movie, so it'll be interesting to see how his character progressed. And I am so VERY glad they got rid of the scene where Jack lifts his own curse at the end -- because it would have made the curse no longer make any sense. ALL the pieces have to be back before the curse can be lifted, that was the whole point of Barbossa going after Bootstrap's child and the last coin. So that would have messed up EVERYthing. Kudos to whoever caught that plothole in the movie-making process. I can't wait to see the Lady Washington diary; and my "reward" to myself for surviving this school semester will be to watch PotC with the audio commentary with Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp (!), so I can't wait for THAT. A week and a half more, and the term'll be done . . . I can make it, right? ;-) 'Til then, I'm bound to watch PotC here and there a few more times . . . which definitely makes me happy.

Eh . . . what?

Ah, I shoulda preordered mine on the web. *grins* I hardly ever do that, though -- I know several friends who have preordered books (like the Harry Potter ones) and movies from the web, and then don't actually GET what they ordered until several days after the book or film was released in actual stores. I certainly wasn't about to risk getting PotC <b>late</b> . . . so I'll have to be content and wait for two more days. But only two more!

Aye, happy birthday, mate -- have a pint on me!

Awesome . . . can't wait to see the piccies!

Funny you should say that, Rosalinda -- for I <i>do</i> believe my friends think I've gone a bit overboard (ha ha) on the pirate front as well. My friends usually just start cracking up when I mention anything pirate-related -- and for some odd reason my mother has taken to groaning every time she sees me doing something else pirate-ish. I heard her muttering something about, "We've finally lost ya," when she saw me working on a Pirates of the Caribbean music video I've been makin' in Windows Movie Maker (this is actually happening) -- couldn't imagine what she might o' been talkin' about.

One of my favorite books from childhood, that one is, if not my favorite of all time. I read Avi's "True Confessions" over and over again; and I still re-read it every now and then when the fancy strikes me. Charlotte's character was partially what got me interested in the sea in the first place -- her character may not have been a pirate, but the name has enough maritime connotations for me that I thought it would work well as my 'net handle for all things piratical. ;-)

Dreamie, I _love_ yer PotC pictures of Captain Sparrow. Would ye be mindin' if I printed out some of yer sketches of Cap'n Sparrow in order to practice me own mediocre drawing skills? I wouldn't be postin' any of my artwork (that I'd drawn from referencin' to yer sketches) as my own anywhere on the 'net; I merely want a drawn reference to practice from, as I'm not good enough at drawin' people to try 'n' learn how to draw Jack Sparrow just from a few photos. So if ye wouldn't mind if I printed out a few of yer drawings for me own practice, please let me know! They're fantastic stuff. :)

Why, blackbartsghost, whatever would make you say that? *grins* Yes, quite excited. PotC is coming out in two days, there's SHEET MUSIC out now (oh, that is so wonderful), and I finally plunked down the dough to get a nice Sparrow-esque hat from Excalibur Leather . . . I dunno if I can contain all this piratical (is that a word?) excitement all at once. STILL estatic about the sheet music. Between that and PotC on DVD, I don't know if I'm going to make it until December 25th! ;-)