October 31, 2003
Mirror, Mirror
Gregory Maguire (author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, among other things) has a new book out. It's called Mirror, Mirror and riffs on the Snow White story-- the poisoned apple is Lucrezia Borgia's handiwork. Maguire is going to be doing a reading at the Concord Bookshop on Saturday, November 1st at 3:00 p.m. Chris and I went to a reading last year at the Maynard Public Library (Lost: A Novel had just been published) and he was quite entertaining.
October 30, 2003
Sick Puppy
Just finished reading Carl Hiaasen's Sick Puppy, a strange little fable set in present-day Florida. Dirty politics, back-door dealings, rhino horns, litterbugs, Labradors and more…
Palmer Stoat was feeling better. He rubbed a hand across the rhino's bristly plated hide and said, "What a magnificent creature."
Durgess thought: If only I had ten bucks for every time I've heard that line.
Stoat produced two thick cigars and offered one to his faithful guide. "Cohibas," Stoat said, "the genuine article." Theatrically he fired up.
Durgess declined. He grimaced at the acrid comingling of fumes, stogie and rhino piss.
Stoat said, "Tell me something, little bwana."
Oh blow me, Durgess almost said.
"How old you figure this animal to be?"
"I ain't too sure."
Stoat said, "She looks to be in her prime."
"Yeah, she does," said Durgess, thinking: Blind, tame, fat and half-senile— a regular killing machine, all right.
October 27, 2003
DVN
Da Vinci's Notebook is playing at Capo's on Friday, November 11th! I love these guys. Check out their video "Title of the Song" on Comedy Central. You know it's geek-rock when a single album covers Bill Gates, Internet porn, and Heather Graham.
October 17, 2003
Worst. URL. Ever.
When we went to see Kill Bill, we saw a preview for that new Russell Crowe movie. It looked moderately interesting, but not something I'm ready to rush right out and see. The other night, I was watching TV and happened to catch a commercial for the same movie. Lots of action footage of sailors, ships, waves, etc. Gripping. Finally, they cut to the "credits" for the film, and flash up the URL of the web site: www.masterandcommanderthefarsideoftheworld.com. Of course you could scarcely read it, since they had to use such a small font in order to have everything fit on the screen. Why such a stupid URL? (Especially when www.masterandcommander.com redirects to the same site?)
October 16, 2003
It's a blue world, Max.
What I've Been Doing While I'm "Unemployed" (Part 187 of an eleventy-seven part series): home improvement. At long last, the bathroom saga (which started in February 2002, as I recall) has come to a close. Maybe it could be an opera, like The Ring Cycle, only shorter. (Yeah, I can picture that conversation: "Hello, Mr. Glass? I'd like you to write an opera about my bathroom." <CLICK> <dial tone>) But I digress… Today I am happy because my bathroom is blue!
This is my boomstick!
A much-needed dose of Bruce Campbell is coming soon to Kendall Square Cinema: Bubba Ho-tep. Director/ co-writer Don Coscarelli sums it up thusly:
[…] Bubba Ho-tep, based on the short story by acclaimed cult-author Joe R. Lansdale. Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of a seventy year-old "Elvis" (still alive after trading places with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death") who finds himself stuck in a rest home in East Texas. Elvis teams up with another elderly resident, played by the legendary Ossie Davis (who believes himself to be President John F. Kennedy, dyed black!), to challenge a soul-sucking Egyptian mummy which has targeted their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds. […]"
(I loved the closing sentence of his essay: "If you plan on seeing one Elvis vs. Mummy movie this year I hope that Bubba Ho-tep is it."). Tangentially related: I just read on bruce-campbell.com that Bruce is working on a new book— Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.
October 12, 2003
Merry and Pippin ride big wood
As of last night, I am no longer the only person in North America who hasn't seen The Two Towers. At long last, we went to Sean's place and watched the DVD-- great stuff. My only complaint: the Legolas/ Aragorn shower scene must be included on the 4-Disc Platinum Series™ Special Extended DVD Edition (available November 18th), because I still haven't seen it. Bummer. I guess I'll have to console myself by reading The Secret Diary of Legolas.
If Samuel Peckinpah filmed "Crouching Tiger"
Went to see Kill Bill on Friday night. Hadn't paid much attention to the previews, but it seemed to be getting a good reception on Rotten Tomatoes (holding at 80%, right now). Plus, I'd enjoyed the clip that ran when Vivica Fox was a guest on The Daily Show and I was in the mood for violent escapist fantasy.
Fortunately, I'd read the headline from the Boston Globe's review: Sure it's gory, but Quentin Tarantino's `Kill Bill' is gripping pop art. It's bloody for a Tarantino film, which is saying something. But in some ways, it's actually less disturbing than Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. It's completely over the top, with amazing fight choreography by Yuen Woo-Ping (of Matrix and Crouching Tiger fame). If you're a Tarantino fan, go see it. Go now.
October 07, 2003
IBRTL: International Brotherhood of Renegade Time Lords
Doctor Who returns to TV! And guess who's rumored to be the new Doctor?
Tom Baker, the fourth man to play the Time Lord, told BBC Radio Five Live that the "mysterious and strange" Izzard had landed the part.
But the corporation says no final decision has been made on who will star in the TV show when it returns in 2005.
Jonathan Creek star Alan Davies and Richard E. Grant are the bookies' favourites to take the role.
In the interview on Thursday morning, Baker told presenter Julian Worricker that Izzard would bring an "alien quality" to the part.
Jack Black: Scrabble enthusiast
Watched The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the other night (it's the only news show I trust). Jack Black was the guest, touting his new movie School of Rock. Imagine my surprise when he told John Stewart that he plays Literati (a Scrabble-type word game) and recommended Stefan Fatsis's Word Freak! I just tried playing Literati, and it's pretty good. The interface is easy to figure out (although I flailed for a bit trying to use the "blanks"). I apparently ticked off some grandmother from middle America (I was winning, 300+ to her 100) and she booted me from her table. So much for being a good sport…
October 05, 2003
EarthLink LiveChat: Technical support or ELIZA program? You decide.
This is an actual chat transcript from earlier today. Some info has been changed to protect the innocent. (I haven't changed anything that affects the guilty.) Several times during the course of this chat (which lasted for over 30 minutes), I had to physically restrain myself. I kept feeling like I was dealing with an ELIZA-bot. This experience ensures that I will never choose EarthLink as my ISP. Apparently Jenn agrees with me.