Round 'em on up

Here's some thingies that I should post about before I forget:

My review of Black Static #3 is now live over at The Fix Online. A very stylized magazine that focuses on horror fiction. I really liked a few stories, and others did absolutely nothing for me. Or the genre, if you want to look at it that way.

This week, I pushed past my 300th comic for MyLifeComics. Kinda neat.

I, um, also beat Final Fantasy XII. Was easier than I expected, but then again I put a good 100+ hours into my characters, making them beefier than a field of cattle. I probably could've finished the game a long time ago, but my OCD kicked in and I needed to beat every hunt, find every magic spell, get the best armor and weapons, and so on. Anyways, I loved this game. The story is strong, the world is spanning, and its details are plentiful. My only complaint is that they make Vaan out to be the main character when, in all truths, Lady Ashe is the focal point of the story. But that's minor stuff. The battle system has even gotten me interested in MMOs. Not that I'd ever play one, but it has sparked my gamer's heart.

Hmm, movie-wise I've seen the following:

• No Country for Old Men (2007) - A quiet, slow-moving piece about violence out West. A bag of money is stolen from a deal gone bad, and a crazy, psychotic killer is tracking it down. What ensues is a methodical cat-and-mouse game that ends as it should, both depressingly and inexcusably real. Quite disturbing and quite beautiful, if that makes any sense. Definitely a film worth watching.
  
• I Am Legend (2007) - Vampire flick that really, honestly, was a big letdown. CGI monsters? Come on. This would've been so much more successful if they stuck with live-action actors. Will Smith is fine though, carries the film well enough, but I don't know. This just didn't scare me like I had hoped it would.
  
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) - This is the story of two drag queens and one transsexual woman trekking across the Australian outback on a mission to perform at a casino in Alice Springs. Hugo Weaving stars in this one, and thank the heavens above I saw this before The Matrix or Lord of the Rings because seeing him all donned up in makeup and groovin' to Abba has forever changed his appearance to me.

And I think that's all for now.

Akira gets real

Looks like Akira is being made into a live-action film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Please, Hollywood...just stop. Go read a book or something. Don't do this to one of my favorite mangas, a great anime. Just leave it alone. How about you go do a live-action Pokemon film starring Brad Pitt as Ash? I'd rather see that than this. Please, please, please. I'm begging you. Leave Tetsuo, Kaneda, and the gang alone.

EDIT: Oops. Turns out Leon's producing the movie, not starring in it. My bad. Not as annoyed now, but still somewhat bothered.

Mail has arrived

So, I've gotten a few things in the mail lately.

The first is from J. Kathleen Cheney, a nice hardback copy of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. This one is for my Hugo-awarding winning books project and is much appreciated. But dang. 'Tis a big book. Might save it for summertime, considering everything else I want to get through at the moment.

Next, Paul Jessup sent me the animated version of Nausicaa in exchange for the graphic novel which I did not enjoy. Haven't watched the anime version yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I suspect I'll like it more, only because of my deep love with Spirited Away and the likes.

Lastly, I received K.D. Wentworth's critique of my semi-finalist entry for the fourth quarter 2007 of Writers of the Future contest. Of "The Lady of Jeweled Dreams," Kathy says many nice things and makes a damn good amount of sense. She picked up on some things that need to be clear, offered some suggestions of where sections could be stronger, and even believes there's novel-potential in the worldbuilding. This was my first attempt at writing sword-and-sorcery so I'm pleased at that. I look forward to editing this sucker up into something better.

Thanks, mail. You've been nice lately. Also, no bills yet. So that's good as well.

Yet another movie roundup

Lately, I've watched some movies. Five, to be exact. Two of them I owe thanks to the awesomeness that is called the Internet. May you always give me free stuff...and may you grow old and have lots of birthdays and cake!

Juno. It's about a high school girl who mistakenly gets preggers and then makes the conscious decision to give it up for adoption to a couple she found in the personal ads. Along the way, problems arise. More strangely, where one might suspect that she'd actually grow fonder of the baby she's carrying as experiences pile on, she begins to fall harder for Paulie Bleeker. The story is about growing up...and possibly being pro-life. I'm not sure. At first, the dialogue in the beginning felt a bit too scripted, as if it was trying too hard to be cool and hip, but as time passed I soon grew to like Juno and her quick-witted attitude. More so, I like a lot of the secondary characters who gave strong performances despite having little to do. Overall, Juno was a good film but not some amazing piece of work that several critics claim it to be.

Zodiac. Some of you may remember that I watched The Zodiac a couple months back, completely expecting it to be this movie. I kept waiting and waiting for Jake Gyllenhaal to show up yet he never did. Eventually I discovered there were two different movies. Where the earlier one dealt with a fictional and obsessive cop, 2007's Zodiac focuses on real-life cartoonist Robert Graysmith and his participation in the Zodiac murders. Long, long, long film. Made me stay up real late for it, but wow. It's good. The set pieces, the characters, the frustration around every corner and clue. It's hard knowing that these events have no answers, and the movie offers hints and suggestions, but otherwise we're just as curious as to solving the case of Graysmith was. Excellent and definitely the better of the two crime flicks.

The Thing. Monster crawl. Alien slurp. I don't know. It was interesting, and probably a whole lot freakier to watch in the early 1980s, but it did little to entice me. The paranoia and fear--rather than the mutating, er, thing--were what made the movie most watchable. Otherwise, meh. Nothing to go nuts over.

28 Days Later. I want to call this a zombie movie, but I don't know if that's accurate. A bunch of scientists in Great Britain create a virus that...well, I don't know exactly. Creates rage? Destroys the mind? Whatever it does, twenty-eight days after being accidentally released (via monkey!) everyone goes apeshit. We follow around a bicycle courier who awakes to find all of London deserted. This part of the film was my favorite. Haunting and cinematic. I have to say, I liked it very much. I'm curious about the sequel, but worry that it is more or less just banking on the first film's success for views. Anyone wanna prove me wrong?

Blade Runner. This would be the Final Cut/25th Anniversary version. I'd heard a lot about this film so was very eager to see it. Slow, methodical plot that follows a man named Deckard around as he hunts for human-like robots. Loved, loved, loved it all. The atmosphere, the rainy city, the envisioning of a masochistic future littered with bad weather and ginormous advertisements. All of it. Well, maybe not Sean Young's acting chops, but otherwise it's probably one of the stronger SF films I've ever seen. Has a sort of future noir to it, and leaves many things open. Was Deckard a replicant too? The pictures on his piano, the unicorn dream, and the tiny piece of origami at the end all point to yes. Either way, this could've gone in a completely different direction (think horrible, like I, Robot), but I'm glad it didn't. The bonus features are pretty cool too, especially the feature-length documentary on the making of Blade Runner.

And there you have it.

Don't rain on my movies

Just got back from spending my Best Buy gift card. I purchased three movies I've never, ever seen before: Blade Runner (The Final Cut), The Thing, and 28 Days Later. Hooray for catching up with the world! Also, it has just started to rain. The sounds outside are marvelously mesmerizing.

But they shall not stop me from spending the night in a geekified haze.

The Golden Compass, a short review

It was pretty to look at, but the story was softened too much to not frighten children like the book properly did. I give it one thumb up, 6 stars out of 10, a score of 5.5, and a couple approving nods at the uber-cool daemons. Other than that, it's sort of familiar fantasy, with the girl playing Lyra the best (and least overly dramatic) acting in the film. I'll probably pick it up on DVD just because I like Pan that much.

Here's some thingies

Finished reading Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves. This is now the fifth Hugo-winning novel I've read and, well, I liked it so-so. The book is divided into three sections, and each reads like a standalone novelette. This probably because each was published as a single story before being compiled into a novel.

Regardless, the plot deals with a race of aliens living in a parallel universe, or para-Universe as Asimov calls it, that plan to turn Earth's sun into a supernova, reaping energy from it once it's been destroyed. Section one is about scientists and their slow discovery of the para-Universe and the endless source of energy dubbed the Electron Pump. Kind of boring, and only made interesting because Asmiov choose to start things off further ahead than necessary.

The second section shows us the alien race; a fascinating culture, built on triads and the obsession for melting, we follow a trio of three immature aliens. One is a Rational, one is a Parental, and one, Tritt, is an Emotional. She's different than other "mids" in that she wants to learn, a desire only found in Rationals. This is where The Gods Themselves shine, here with the aliens, where Asimov fully explores a civilization where gender roles are tossed to the wayside (much like Le Guin does in The Left Hand of Darkness). Amazing stuff, and the surprise revelation at the end of what the triad really is--or rather who--caught me by complete surprise. I can see myself going back and re-reading this section alone: it's that good.

The final section has us on the Moon, where a purely functional society of Lunarites live. A somewhat cynical physicist named Denison has come to the moon to put into effect a theory he has that will both stop the sun from exploding while helping humanity even greater. He meets Selene, a woman born on the Moon, a native so-to-speak, and together they work toward a common goal. Some of this section was pretty interesting; mainly common stuff, like how a human from Earth would adjust to living on the Moon much differently than someone born there. The ending, while complete and fulfilling, felt a bit out of left field. As with anything that deals with para-worlds or time-traveling, some of it had me scratching my head, but otherwise it was a decent read. The aliens make it worth it for me.

--

I watched Saw III the other night. Eh. More "games" were played, this time with no hope for redemption. People talk about films like Hostel being goreporn, but no one dares say a word against this franchise. Sure, the first one was pretty original when it came out, but now I have to wonder what's happened to the magic. Is the purpose just to torture folks? I see there's a fourth one coming out. Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert! Jigsaw is dead. Gee, I wonder if it'll be a Jigsaw wannabe and that there will be more bloody games to play and that no one will really learn anything throughout the experience but limbs will be lost and guns will be shot and the average consumer will feel cheap, dirty, and dumb. I will not watch Saw IV. Ever.

--

Two rejections this weekend. One called my story "charming," which is a new one for me.

--

And yes, I picked up The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. It's quite fun, and makes me want to break out my SNES and ol' Link to the Past cartridge. The graphics are solid, but it's the gameplay that's damn addicting. Hack and slash and cuttin' grass! Bring on the rupees, baby. The sailing though is going to get tiresome, I predict.

Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time?

I stole this one from Rob, who I'm pretty sure stole it from somebody else. What can I say? We're all a bunch of greedy, bloggin' blackguards.

Anyways, it's easy to play along. Just copy the list and BOLD the movies you have seen. Don't be surprised to see that I haven't seen some of the more, er, popular SF films. I'll preface this with the fact that I've asked for Blade Runner on DVD for Christmas--so don't yell at me and call me names!

1. Metropolis (1927)
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
3. Brazil (1985)
4. Wings of Desire (1987)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Children of Men (2006)
7. The Matrix (1999)
8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
9. Minority Report (2002)
10. Delicatessen (1991)
11. Sleeper (1973)
12. The Trial (1962)
13. Alphaville (1965)
14. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
15. Serenity (2005)
16. Pleasantville (1998)
17. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
18. Battle Royale (2000)
19. RoboCop (1987)
20. Akira (1988)
21. The City of Lost Children (1995)
22. Planet of the Apes (1968)
23. V for Vendetta (2005)
24. Metropolis (2001)
25. Gattaca (1997)
26. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
27. On The Beach (1959)
28. Mad Max (1979)
29. Total Recall (1990)
30. Dark City (1998)
31. War Of the Worlds (1953)
32. District 13 (2004)
33. They Live (1988)
34. THX 1138 (1971)
35. Escape from New York (1981)
36. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
37. Silent Running (1972)
38. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
39. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
40. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
41. Soylent Green (1973)
42. I Robot (2004)
43. Logan's Run (1976)
44. Strange Days (1995)
45. Idiocracy (2006)
46. Death Race 2000 (1975)
47. Rollerball (1975)
48. Starship Troopers (1997)
49. One Point O (2004)
50. Equilibrium (2002)

Movie roundup

The Number 23. There exists two sorts of Jim Carrey fans: the kind that only like his early comedic work (i.e., Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar, Liar) and those that like his darker or different roles (i.e., The Truman Show and The Cable Guy). I'm one of the latter kind. I've always seen potential in him to play a really effed up character ever since he began installing cable as one seriously demented Chip. And here was his moment, in the arbitrarily slow The Number 23, for him to, er, shine.

But there was little here. The plot moves forward at a crawl, interspersed with some neat film noir-ish scenes involving a fictional P.I. in a dark city setting. Similarities between the book and the our main protagonist's life begin to blossom, and when push comes to shove, everyone in the family is willing to help out. Even if it means digging up a grave! Now that's some father-son bonding for the new age. The twist ending is dumb and makes you realize that you just sat through all the turmoil for nothing more than a boring case of self-inflicted amnesia. Fuck that. At least the movie didn't resort to cheap thrills. That alone makes it a step above a lot of other films, but there's no need to see this. Both the acting and plot make little sense, and I did not find myself seeing the number 23 everywhere afterwards. And that's what it should have done to me.

Little Miss Sunshine. Yeah, I know. I'm way behind on seeing this. First, let me just say that I love the soundtrack. A mix of my favorite indie bands can anything great. Not that this wasn't great. Well, it wasn't. But it was pretty good, and I actually found myself laughing out loud there at the end. And that's a rare thing for me. Still, there was a lot of wasted potential with some characters (namely Steve Carell's and the grandfather). But the movie's fun, even if a little out there.

The Bourne Ultimatum. Jason Bourne is the new James Bond. Well, at least to me. He doesn't rely on one-liners and fancy gizmos. He's been trained to be smart and alert, and he uses it to his full ability. Always one step above the competition. In the final movie of the Bourne trilogy, our hero is retracing his steps, hoping to remember everything that was ever done to him. He gets his answers, and they're nothing short of surprising. An intense movie from start to finish, with little room to allow for breathing. I'm always reminded of that quote from The 40-Year-Old Virgin referencing The Bourne Identity:

Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one!

And really, I have to agree.

Oi, Robot

So, I, Robot was on earlier today and I was half-watching it while taking care of my laundry. I'd already seen the film back in the theater when it was released in 2004. I believe I was a lot more forgiving back then about it then I am now. Maybe because now I've read more of Asimov's work or maybe because I don't like watching st00pid movies anymore. I give to you the Top 5 Reasons Why I, Robot is a Big Letdown:

5. It gives Isaac Asimov the finger. The film, suggested by an Asimov book, gives him credit only by using his Three Laws of Robotics, which are: Rule One) A robot can never harm a human. Rule Two) A robot must obey all human orders unless it conflicts with the first law. Rule Three) A robot must protect itself unless it conflicts with the first two laws. After that's quickly sped through at the beginning of the novel, the movie and Asimov split, rather harshly, with one hand on the wheel and the other out the window with a finger flexed.

4. A swift kick of violence. As is to be expected with Hollywood, if the original material source doesn't have a love story or an explosion in it then they'll stuff one into the script no matter what. Here though it comes across as forced. The evil robots (noticeable by their evil, glowing red lights) don't just restrain citizens. They knock them down, attack with kicks and shoves, pinning arms behind backs and knocking weapons out of hands without a care as to whether or not the wrist breaks. In Asimov's work, it is rare if a robot ever broke one of the Three Rules, and even if it had it never led to a mob mentality among other robots.

3. The robots of the future look boring. Plus, they're all thin. If you want robots that emote, make them overweight with bad knees. Make them really hairy and disfigured. Make them look unique. Here we are presented with hordes of gray-framed skeletons with perfect oval heads and beady eyes. No special skins, no different color schemes. Just a bunch of gray iPods that, for some reason, are really tall. How about we make them smaller in the future? You know, that way in case they rebel we can just kick them away?

2. V.I.K.I. is dafter than a doorbell. There's a scene towards the middle-end of the movie where Susan Calvin (blandly played by Bridget Moynahan) sneakily kills a fake robot when she's supposed to be terminating Sonny. Now, we're told that V.I.K.I. (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) is the top notch of top-notch technology. Looks like a little hand magic is all that was needed to fool the program. How does that make sense? It doesn't. It's one of those nasty beasts that ruin films. Plot hole. A big, stinky plot hole that could hold a bajillion V.I.K.I.s.

1. Will Smith ain't prejudice. Cast in the lead role of Spooner, Smith has the task of hating robots. Fine, doesn't seem so hard. I mean he's been mean to aliens and Carlton a thousand times before. A few automatons should be no problem whatsoever. Except there's no mean slurs against robots. Calling them can openers and toasters really isn't that insulting. And Smith just doesn't give it his all. Pursed lips and emo-laden expressions are not enough to get me to understand that you hates the robots that ruined your life. I want language, I want fire burning behind eyes, I want prejudice like it exists today. Deep-seated and relentless. That's what could have saved this film, make it more than just a popcorn flick with action scenes, corny jokes, and painful bouts of exposition. Curse you, Will Smith, you toaster-hater!

Three movies, one man

Writing with a headache is nearly impossible. So, here are the latest movies I've checked out.

Ratatouille. The juxtaposition of a rat wanting to work in a kitchen—a place where the sight of a single furry, four-pawed body scurrying around means eminent restaurant-death—is more than enough to base a Pixar film on. So we have a rat that can cook, a boy that can't, and a restaurant to be saved from the likes of a vulture (also known as Anton Ego). It's a lot of fun, with colorful characters, food that looks realistic, and several laugh-out-loud moments. I was surprised at how fast the plot moved, and overall enjoyed it very much. Definitely a winner and a huge step up from 2006's Cars.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Haven't watched this since I was in high school, and I am happy to report that, much like a fine wine, this comedic gem has only gotten better and better. Really, if for some strange reason you haven't seen it, please do so. Soonish. And bring me a shrubbery!

Blood Diamond. A dramatic thriller that has two men on the search for a blood diamond during the Sierra Leone Civil War. These are the sort mined in war zones and then sold to finance the conflicts. It's a very powerful film, often even hard to watch at times. We're shown a country that survives on brutality, child soldiers, and the power of control. Even Danny Archer (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) begins to actually see the devastation happening all around. Unfortunately for him—and many others—it's too late to change anything. Much like Hotel Rwanda and those infomercials that come on at three in the morning, this is a film that tries to shed light on subjects often ignored. Will it, ultimately, change anything? I have my doubts. But there's always hope because I can't think of a scarier thing than a country and its people co-existing with Civil War. Well, maybe a little boy with a M-4 assault rifle...

More movies!

Let's see what I've checked out this week...

Waking Life. I really wanted to like this, I really did. It's a digitally rotoscoped and animated film, kind of like A Scanner Darkly, and it follows a young man that seems to be constantly stuck in a state of lucid dreaming. From there is weaves this way and that through overly dramatic philosophical discussions on life, the state of being, and existentialism. There's a couple neat tricks used with the animation, but other than that I just couldn't get into it.

X: The Destiny War. I actually watched this first back in high school after a weekend of Akira and Ghost in the Shell. Given what came before, I thought it to be a decent film that had some interesting aspects to it. Now, many moons later, it's still a solid and fun film. Plot is fairly straightforward, but the best parts are the action-heavy battle scenes, which eventually lead up to the coup de grâce involving Kamui and Fūma.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Yeah, this wasn't that good. Maybe it's not my sort of humor--the kind that works only off of making other people uncomfortable or humiliating them--and our wide-eyed protagonist really got on my nerves by the middle of the movie. I did, however, enjoy the chicken.

Up next, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!

Another movie roundup

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Well, after seeing this one I now firmly believe that this shouldn't have been a series at all. The first movie, that Black Pearl one, that one was good and solid and had just enough humor and fun to it. Yes, Captain Jack Sparrow is a great character to watch, but that doesn't mean two more movies had to follow. Anyways, I digress. At World's End is a slow, slow, slow film that makes up things as it goes along. Pirate lords? Calypso can do this but can't do that? There's lots of explosions and "a-ha!" moments, but really it's kind of pointless. And I'm pretty sure that monkey should be d-e-a-d.

Kung Fu Hustle. Directed by Stephen Chow, this is a stylish and amusing film. It's basically a parody of the martial arts genre, brimming with over-the-top characters and a dancing gang called the Axes. The plot is humorous and engaging, and the masters in the film don't look like they should be a master of anything, but that's what makes it great. Lots of references to other films and a killer soundtrack make this a must-see for anyone looking for an enjoyable time.

Hostel: Part II. Gore porn. Essentially the same movie done over with hapless girls instead of horny guys. Disturbing and unrelentless. People with weak stomachs are warned to stay away. But that crazy twist ending? Uh, that wasn't a twist ending. It was just an ending. Stupid PR people. I can't really recommend it because there are a dozen of better horror films out there to see.

Quick movie roundup

Casino Royale. I really liked this. Daniel Craig makes for a strong if rash-minded Bond, and here we get to see him just at the beginning of his career. It's nice to see Bond make mistakes, and the opening action scene of him running through and up a construction site is really something that needs to be seen. Took me some time to figure out the actual plot of the thing, but there was always something happening to keep my attention. Definitely worth checking out.

The Host. Crazy, unexplainable fun. Bad science, awesome monster, and some neat filming tricks make this Japanese horror flick five steps above a semi-bad SciFi Channel bomb. Did you follow that? No? Well, if you like straightforward monster movies, this is your sirloin steak.

Clerks 2. Had some funny parts, brought back funny characters that just weren't as funny as they used to be, and was sort of funny but definitely forgettable. Where the original was winsome and poignant despite its crude humor, it felt like Randal and company here were just trying to be as disgustingly offensive as possible. Didn't complete work for me, and I was a bit letdown overall. Oh well, can't ever take Mallrats away from me.

The Zodiac. So, about forty-five minutes into the film I began wondering where the hell Jake Gyllenhaal was. Turned out I'm an idiot-and-a-half and was watching THE Zodiac, a less-than-impressive film about the unknown serial killer that was released in 2005. Zodiac (without the effing THE) came out in 2007, and was the one I wanted to see but the world is just one cruel, spinning sphere of irony. I mean, it was a decent film and some of the shooting scenes played out interestingly, but overall I wanted the newer, shinier version.

Progress notes for May 22, 2007

Some writing. I just realized this evening how it's going to end, and already I'm worried about it. It's not going to be a happy ending. It's just going to be realistic. Well, nine times out of ten, I can't commit myself to churn out a cheerful conclusion. That's just not how the world works, folks.

"The Clouds are Calling"

New Words: 435
Total Words: 1,493
Pages: 4
Deadline: None
Reason for stopping: End of scene, need to switch back to the present
Stimulants: Two cups of coffee
Songs played loudly: "Be My Escape" by Relient K
Exercise: A short walk outside
Mail: No mail
Darling du Jour: Tom entered the tea room with a digi-album in hand, family photos flashing on its cover in two-second intervals. He wore a cobalt suit without the jacket, and his square head seemed odd atop his chunky form. I greeted him with a handshake. My grip was stronger than his.
Other writing-related work: Nada
The Internet is full of Things: Here's the first official teaser trailer for The Golden Compass:

Monday movie roundup

I've checked out some movies recently though not as many as, say, a high-schooler or that Ebert fellow. Of the three latest cinematic experiences, I loved one, liked one, and felt rather annoyed at one. Read on for answers...

Spider-Man 3. Well, it's been about three years since Peter Parker went unmasked to bear brawn and brains against evil banktellers, runaway trains, and that scientist that so wanted to be an octopus. He's back for a third spin, and though the world (i.e., New York City) loves him dearly, not all is happy in mundaneland. Pete's oblivious to MJ's pouty face, what with her Broadway career bombing worse than Stan Lee's stupidly useless and contractual cameo. His best friend, Harry, hates him. And, shocking shocking shocking, the man everyone believed had murdered Uncle Ben turned out to be innocent. Instead, we get the soon-to-be-Sandman, motivated by a locket and the thought of saving his child from...something. They never really said. I'm going to assume she's a heroin addict. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand alien goo has invaded the city, or rather just Parker's world where it can knit and sew and overall make him look exactly like Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. Oh, and there's some throwaway characters: Gwen Staci, Eddie Brock/Venom, and Dr. Connors.

I went into the movie initially thinking that they were trying to cram too much into one film. I think I might have been right. The alien symbiote storyline has always been a favorite of mine, and it was not handled well enough here. In fact, this storyline could have been the whole movie if done correctly. Instead, the black shtuff let Tiger be a bit of a Jackass while taking Eddie Brock to a whole new level (from smug to dangerously smug). I'm still meh about the Sandman; his special effects were really neat, and they nailed him exactly like how he was able to recreate his clothing/hair and such from sand. Perfect. But still, reworking the existing storyline of Spider-Man just to fit a supervillain into the mold was annoying. I'd call it lazy, too, but it looked like a lot of work to reshoot those older scenes. Anyways, there's battles and tears and a few flickers of comicy humor. Having Spidey unmasked for most of these scenes was a benefit. Voiceovers can only convey so much. No one really important bites it (sorry, Harry), and looks to be back to normal. Maybe? I've heard there's going to be more films. Ugh. I'd watch if they brought out Black Cat, Dagger and Cloak, possibly Kraven. Maybe Rhino. But they'd need to replace MJ before I even thought of devoting more time to the franchise.

I did, however, enjoy Bruce Campbell. That's what I said: Peh-ker.

The Reaping. I still worry that a majority of folks might call this film by the wrong name of The Raping...Of Customers...And Their Time...Mostly Their Wallets. Hmm, that title might be too long. Regardless, we have a movie (mostly) about the ten plagues of ancient Egypt. You know, back when plagues were the shit. Rivers turning to blood, disease on livestock, locust, death of firstborn, cartons containing Rocky Road ice cream exploding upon human contact. Those ones.

Hilary Swank, after thwarting the evil that is low-income classrooms in Freedom Writers, is called upon to sort out a miracle happening in a backwater locale filled with some not-so-wholesome inhabitants. It's science VS. faith, except there's very little science and a whole lotta faith. Swank's character, Kat Winter, only once really blurts out solid facts to dispute that which is happening around her. When the little devil girl begins summoning magical fireballs from the midnight sky to smite the first-borns, well...you're just going to have to believe as well. I was hoping for more of a serious film that tackled such issues, that really stretched the argument of what could and what could not happen. Instead, it's a horror film with some jumps and twisty turns that is formulaic in its tepid meandering. Visually, the river of blood was impressive, and the overused quick flashes of scary things did their job to a J. There's room for a sequel, and I hope they answer this question: Why did the director feel the need to spend a good ten minutes on windchime shots when they had no purpose in the film? Why? Dear director whatshisname, may the heavens toss dead frogs on your doorstep until you solve this mystery. I know you did it to be a moron, but I have faith the answer is otherwise.

The Prestige (on DVD). I think I'll be sad when the Harry Potter films end, and not because I'm a Professor Snape fanboy (I am), but it'll make it much harder for film companies to put out movies with magicians in 'em on a yearly basis. So when both The Illusionist and The Prestige were fighting for attention, I saw Ed Norton flick and enjoyed it. Granted, I had problems with it and I'm not too interested in a lovey dovey tale...thankfully, The Prestige offered a completely different story. Two magicians trying to one-up the other, being sneaky and cruel, all while Wolverine searches out David Bowie and Gollum to learn the magic of electricity. Or teleportation. Cloning, maybe. Anyways, it's a slow movie, building up to those precious last minutes where everything comes together. I loved it. I can't say why though. I went into the movie un-spoiled, and generally was surprised by the big reveal (aka the prestige). The competition between two magicians so devoted to their trade was admirable; they knew they weren't doing real magic, but to them it was more than that. It was a show, a gasp, a round of applause. I rarely watch extras on my DVDs, but this time I did (there could have been more), and I'm looking forward to sitting down and re-watching it sometime. To try and catch all those clues, see the magic sparkling just in the background, unclear but there...

Progress notes for May 6, 2007

This is turning into the story that won't end. I've had to abandon my initial plot when I stumbled into a really really really deep hole with no way out. There was no plausible way to save the characters, and they deserve saving. So, now, after a few reshaping of lines, they're going to jail for a bit. Hooray!

"The Songs He'd Sing"

New Words: 845
Total Words: 3,832
Pages: 9 and a half
Deadline: None
Reason for stopping: Must work out what happens next, and for the love of all that is holy, WHY
Stimulants: Coronas
Songs played loudly: "I'm Asking Her To Stay" by Sherwood
Exercise: Um, does running errands count?
Mail: Nomail, tis Sunday
Darling du Jour: "Great. You leaving me to eat salads for eternity? Contrary to what you might think, I'm not in love with the sound of my own voice. There had actually been a time when meow was what I thought, and meow was what came out of my mouth." He sunk down, curling his feet beneath his small body. "I guess those were the days."
Other writing-related work: Toying with novel stuff
The Internet is full of Things: Spider-Man 3 sets a new opening-day record with $55.8 million. Of the many that have already seen the film, alas, I'm not one. Hopefully by next weekend though...

Mouse dæmon

Aw, mouse! She completes me. Anyways, The Golden Compass comes out in December and, well, I'm not that excited. Seems like ever since LOTR left theaters, the movie industry has been trying to fill some fantasy void come December every year. 2006 was home to crap-filled Eragon, and I think before that was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Meh. At least this one will have dæmons. Not daemons. Dæmons.

OOTP international trailer

Here's the new international trailer for Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix:



Looks yummy to me. I have to say that Umbridge looks pretty much like how I'd imagined her. Except JK often described her as very froglike, and because of that I pictured her skin mottled and very pale, almost sickishly green. Oh wells. Can't win 'em all. I think I spied one of my favorite scenes from the book in the trailer already. Awesome. Hint: think Fred and George and their shining moment.

Day Watch trailer

Comes out June 1, 2007. Sweet!