Reviews of the Sith

That title is a little misleading because I'm not actually going to review the new Star Wars film (although, for the record, I'm happy with it), but I did want to say how cool it is that every blog I visit regularly has yet to comment on the movie. Sin City was everywhere on the blogosphere within minutes of hitting cineplexes across the continent. I mean, this is the kind of thing that usually mobilizes pros and fans to say their piece (and with this new prequel trilogy it's generally to complain how much they suck), and I kind of expected at least Will Pfeiffer to have something up being a film critic and everything.

Still, I'm happy to see that Frank Gorshin's death has more face time than Episode III meaning that maybe, for the first time in years, people are finally treating a Star Wars movie as just that - a movie.

By the way, I've been mad busy this week and last so the Blogging is suffering a bit. My daughter has a Feis for her Irish Dance which I'm volunteering at, plus we're doing the spring changeover at my place and my wife is finishing up her master's thesis, so logging on and posting has been bumped down a few notches on the priority list.

Next week should see a return to the usual nonsense.

mike

The New Comics 3

Another slow week for comics (at least on my pull list)...

THE GOON #12: I haven't bought a lot of issues of The Goon but I have been considering picking it up again, especially now that Powell is interested in exploring continuing, multi-issue storylines. It would also be appropriate since I'm really turning away from the super-hero set of late and just looking for some fun and interesting reading.

Check out a preview for the issue here.




JLA: CLASSIFIED #7: Giffen...DeMatteis...Maguire...Need I say more? Some people are not comfortable with this book since it just might possibly exist within their precious DC continuity, but not being bound by such ridiculous limitations, I am having a ball reading the final adventure of the 'Bwa-ha-ha' Justice League. Sales on the book are strong and it looks like Giffen and DeMatteis are going to leave their particular corner of the DCU with their fans wanting more. A far better way to go than simply overstaying your welcome.

Looking forward to their Defenders.

The New Music 3

Believe it or not, after going through the list of CDs coming out this week, I have no picks to speak of. Heck, I don't even have any 'maybe I'd pick it up' entries.

Maybe next week will be better. I think there's an Angel soundtrack coming out, or something.

mike

Saturday Night's All Right For Posting

I thought I was going to get a more substantial post out of today, but I'll take what I can get.

I spent most of the evening brainstorming some new projects with the wife who has taken an interest in my, hopefully, upcoming film output. We've always wanted to write something together and we found just the vehicle (there's a pun there, but I won't get into it). The story is called 'End of the Affair' and it will be a humourous short about a woman and her car.

I was also at a local used bookstore today and I turned down a copy of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. It was a good price, but just not good enough for the condition it was in. I've never actually read the story but I've heard nothing but good things about it, and not all of it from Steve Niles. I'm still kicking myself a little for not grabbing it, but I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point.

There's more stuff to talk about but I'm off to my brothers place to watch some Futurama. he introduced me to Family Guy so we're working an even exchange, I think.

mike

Nice 'Demon Days' Review

I'm trying to stay away from the 'just links' posts these days, but I really liked this review of the new Gorillaz CD, 'Demon Days'. It's more substantial than the average blurb review and the writer obviously gave some thought to the piece and the album. Check it out if you're curious.

mike

State of the Blog

Well, if you actually follow this blog in any capacity, you may have noticed that I haven't posted here in the last couple of days. I've actually been a bit busy, to be perfectly honest, doing some interviews and just working in general.

Yesterday I did an interview with Dean Haglund of Lone Gunmen fame which went really well. We talked for about an hour-and-a-half and covered a lot of ground. I was surprised by how much material I got, but also pleased.

I've also been transcribing my David Fury interview from a ways back. Everybody who has followed the Buffy Post Mortem on Meanwhile... proper have been waiting for this one from the very beginning. I've finally given myself the kick in the ass to sit down and transcribe the hour-long interview and get it posted. As far as Buffy and Angel fans go, it should be pretty big.

Last, but not least, I interviewed Bruce Campbell this afternoon. We got in about 40 minutes of conversation before he had to run to his next call (I think I was one of many calls today) but we covered his new flick and comic, Man With the Screaming Brain, pretty thoroughly.

I also got permission to do that short film from the creator this week and there'll be more on that soon.

Oh yeah, I'm also going to watch Sloan tonight (they're playing live at the University bar tonight) so I'll post something on that concert later as well. This weekend will probably be a big update period, which is a little backwards, but whatever works, right?

'Til next time...

mike

The New Comics 2

Here are my selections for books shipping the week of May 11, 2005...

MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN #1: I've been looking forward to this adaptation for a while now. This mini is more of a Director's Cut of the film than a direct adaptation since it 'corrects' a lot of things the production had to compromise in order to get the movie made. Night shots, for example, which were a problem for the film, will not be for the comic and we will get to see the story as it was meant to be. Heck, for some of us, it's getting to see the story at all since Bruce is only screening it at signings for his new book, "How to Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way".


BATMAN STRIKES #9: Almost a year in for the new Batman animated title and I think we've seen the Joker about 4 times, with the Penguin being the next most-used villain (or is that on the TV show, they're starting to blur together). Still, considering this is Batman's third year in the crime-fighting gig, it would make sense that he didn't have a full-fledged rogue's gallery just yet. And these are one-shot stories, not the 11 part multi-title crossovers you get in the mainstream DCU, so it takes a lot more to get tired of the characters here than it does over there.

Anyway, I'm still enjoying the series as each subsequent issue gets a little bit better than the one previous. Bill Matheny is finding his voice and those of the characters nicely and Christopher Jones (from the get-go, really) was the perfect choice to draw this title and continues to be so.

Until next week!

mike

The New Music 2

Another week, another list of CDs coming out and things I'm looking forward to...

Weezer - Make Believe: Here's another fine effort from geek rockers, Weezer. On a first time run-through I found that "Make Believe" is a little more melodic than the Weezer I'm accustomed to, but there's nothing there that really breaks any new ground or shakes up the status quo. Then again, when has Weezer ever been about shaking up the status quo?

This is about as good a Weezer album as you're going to get - one of the best I've heard, I'd say, since the blue album. 10 solid rock and roll songs with catchy hooks, nice guitar solos and frank vocals and lyrics. Weezer fans should really enjoy this one and the casual shopper has nothing to fear from picking up "Make Believe" as an impulse buy.

Dave Matthews Band - Stand Up: I haven't given this album a total sit down and listen yet, but first impressions leave me thinking that Stand Up owes more to Dave Matthews' solo effort, Some Devil, than it does to its predecessor, Busted Stuff. The tone of the album is a bit quieter, the arrangements are little simpler, and things feel pretty scaled back overall.

I'm glad they switched it up a bit for this album because the same thing all the time is not always a good thing, and Stand Up is a nice shift in style reminiscient of Between These Crowded Streets (which followed Crash with a more organic, live, jazzy feel).

Fans of Matthews will likely embrace and love this album and I can't blame them. The songs may be more somber but they're no less engaging or catchy. Matthews' sharp songwriting is in good form and the album, overall, is very rewarding.

Sloan - A Sides Win: I know I've mentioned this disc before, but seeing as you yanks are getting it a week later than us up here in Canada, I figured I'd cheat a little and mention it again, officially, in The New Music.

While I'm no great fan of greatest hits compilations, Sloan's "A Sides Win" is a solid collection of all the singles released by the band since their inception almost 15 years ago. From their grunge inspired debut single, "Underwhelmed", to the exclusive 'made for the compilation' track, "All Used Up", everything you need to know about the band is right here. The 16 tracks on the disc comprise most of Sloan's strongest material but are totally representative of the rest of their catalogue. If you enjoy what you hear here, I highly recommend you check out some of their proper albums.

I should also mention the absolutely fabulous DVD that is included with the CD which features 14 music videos covering the singles releases, rare TV performances and behind-the-scenes footage, and some extras that are just as fun to browse through as the rest of the disc.

Until next week...

mike

The New DVD 2

Courtesy of Video ETA, as well as my personal tastes and professional curiosity, here are the DVD releases coming this Tuesday...

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: This is probably the DVD I'm most likely to buy this week seeing as I'm a bit of a Wes Anderson fan. It's not the best film in Anderson's ouvre, and it lacks somewhat for the absence of Luke Wilson, but it still holds up compared to many of the films that hit theatres last year (anyone wanna talk Stepford Wives, meet me in back). The features look satisfactory with commentary and interviews with cast and crew, and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the ten David Bowie songs performed by Brazilian recording artist Seu Jorge
and the interview with composer, and Devo member, Mark Mothersbaugh.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: I caught this made for cable movie when it originally came out on Movie Central (the Canadian equivalent to HBO) and while I found it somewhat unbalanced as a biopic, I found it to be an enjoyable and entertaining experience.

The film basically tells the story of Peter Sellers' life through the eyes of Peter Sellers as played by Geoffrey Rush, who does an admirable job in the role. I was really happy that they managed to convey how difficult a man Sellers was, but also made you sympathise with him as he encounteres various hurdles in his life and career. A portrait of Peter Sellers is not a pretty one, but it's damn interesting when you get into it.

Feature-wise, I don't believe this disc will have any making it one I likely won't purchase despite having really enjoyed it. No features, to my mind, is the kiss of death as far as I'm concerned, and I'm genuinely surprised whenever I encounter it (unless it's a budget priced disc - that's a whole different ball of wax).

Update: I checked this one out at the local Wal-Mart and it is not a featureless disc. There are several audio commentaries and, believe, a making of featurette. Just thought I should set the record straight since it is now a semi-desirable contender for ownership.

Assault on Precinct 13: This remake of the 1976 John Carpenter film of the same name was in and out of theatres so fast that it left heads spinning. From reviews I've read then and some I've seen recently, I can say that my expectations for this movie are beyond low. Like, less expectation to perform than House of Wax low.

I only mention it here because this might be a future guilty pleasure rental if I'm ever in the need for a shoot-em-up action flick. And really, it's got Ethan Hawke, Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello...there's enough there to warrant a minimal investment of time and money.

Kim Possible the Movie - So the Drama: Kim Possible was one of the cartoons I turned to when I was having problems with the direction some of the DC/WB animated properties were going. It's a really well done 'toon with a great voice cast including Christy Romano (Cadet Kelly), Will Freidle (Batman Beyond), Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons), Gary Cole (Office Space) and many others.

This particular release is an extended version of the movie that appeared on the Disney Channel (Family Channel above the 49th) last month which was supposed to serve as a series finale for the show and is a pretty satisfying little animated flick to boot. The story manages to tie up some loose ends, add some character growth, throw in a twist or two and just flat-out entertain which it succeeds in doing in all respects.

Having seen the broadcast version I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what else they've worked into the movie, and I'm also looking forward to getting into some of the bonus features on the disc (deleted scenes and an as yet unaired episode of the series).


A quick peek at the releases for next week look promising. My early picks would include Team America and Scrubs Season 1, so check back in 7 for some comments on those and more.

mike

I Do Propose...

Well, I sent off another query to the writer/artist regarding the short film I want to make this summer based on his story. I'm hoping that the non-reply from the last one was simply a matter of the mail getting lost or something like that.

While I won't name names just yet, I will say that the story fits all the criteria that I am looking for:

1) It's not my story - I think my last film, Dead End, suffered from a lack of skill and experience directorially. The script was actually pretty good and had I executed things more successfully, I think I would have been happier with the end product. As a result, I am/was looking for a story that wasn't mine, and was good enough to carry itself for 10 or 15 minutes, so that I could focus more on the directing and producing end of things.

2) 3 characters, 2 speaking roles - In no budget filmmaking, less isn't always more, but it sure as hell is easier to organize. Less actors to hunt down that will give of their time freely (and quite literally so) is a good thing.

3) Not too many locations to worry about - A quick count in my head gets me about 3 locations which, again, helps out in the long run. The fewer locations you have to secure, the less headache you have. Also fewer set-ups!

4) It speaks to me on some level - It's a relationship story which I am always a sucker for and it has some depth to it, which is great. It struck a chord with me from the first time I read it and I distinctly remember thinking, "that would make a cool short film."

'Nuff said.

I'll keep you posted on how the whole thing turns out. If I get the go-ahead, I will start 'pre-production' on the film and likely keep a production diary here on the blog (my plan here is two-fold, you see). If not, I'll have to think of something else to do.

mike

It's Millar Time

I caught this link over at Tom Spurgeon's Comics Reporter. It's a nice interview with comic writer and man about Glasgow, Mark Millar. It's not a Journal-length piece or anything and it won't change your life, but it's better than anything you'll see in Wizard.

I particularly like Mark's comments about 'selling out'. It's what we all know and think, but sometimes it's nice to have someone in his position reiterate it for us.

mike

Tom Waits Not For Sale

I ran across this little audio article on NPR which may be of interest to fans of Tom Waits. Basically, he's not very happy with anyone trying to cash in on his image and I can't really blame him. He's got such a unique delivery/style that when you hire a sound-alike for a guy like Waits, I think he has a valid complaint that it may damage his credibility with his fans.

And while on the topic of using music in ads, I heard a pretty decent web doc on BBC1 on precisely that subject which you may want to check out. They talk about primarily British artists, but there's nothing wrong with that, right?

mike

Looking for Approval

A couple of weeks ago I sent off an e-mail to someone who had written and drawn an e-comic that I really liked and wanted to make a short film out of. As you may, or may not, know I made a short, no-budget DV film last year and I've been hankering to try my hand at another. So, I sent an e-mail to ask the creator for his permission to do the project because, even though I could technically do it without his official OK (it's not like anyone would ever see it), I kind of wanted a stamp of approval on at least attempting to commit this story to DV.

Still no word, though. Maybe I'll send off another message and see if it nets better results.

In other diheartening news, I have yet to find a home for an interview I did last month with the Inkworks people regarding their latest X-Files Connections card set. I was hoping to get it into some X-Files related forum, but it looks like I'll probably be running that one on the ol' Blog.

mike

Sloooooooan...Sloooooooan...

Sloan: A Sides Win (singles 1992-2005): I can't believe I forgot to mention this disc in my New CD Roundup a few posts back. One of my favourite rock bands, Sloan, have just released a great singles collection (May 3rd) and is, in my opinion, a really nice cross section of their 10+ year career in music.

I wasn't actually going to buy this disc myself, seeing as I already own the Sloan catalogue, until I found out that they were including a DVD with the CD that includes all 14 videos, plus a documentary, some TV appearances, live stuff and extras.

And, like any good hits collection, there are also two new tracks ('All Used Up' and 'Try to Make It') to whet completists appetites.

For $16 smackers (CAN) I couldn't turn this down and neither should you.

mike

Genius of Kraft

I have to say hats off to the engineers who designed the packaging for Canada's favourite Macaroni and Cheese, Kraft Dinner.

If you've ever made a box of Macaroni and Cheese, you know that it's basically a box full of dry macaroni with a bag for the cheese powder inside. Well, I don't know about anybody else's cheese powder bags, but the folks at Kraft were certainly thinking about morons like me who would dump the box, in its entirety, into a pot of boiling water without pulling the bag out.

Anyway, I managed to rescue the bag and expected a wet, glommy mess inside but, to my surprise, no H2O managed to penetrate in to mess up the cheese. Lunch was saved!

Thanks Kraft!

mike

Smallville Glimpses What Could Have Been

A little while ago I wrote a rant searching for the reasons why Smallville sucks so bad. I mean, it has some good writers working on it, some talented directors shooting it, and has proven in the past that it can have truly great episodes when they try. For some reason, though, they choose to produce a melodramatic, cornball teen soap-opera that kills the essence of of what makes these characters interesting.

A couple of weeks ago, they had one of those cool episodes, though, and I thought it was worth mentioning. I was watching the episode, 'Onyx', which starts off really cheesy (Lex gets split in two with one Lex being good and one being evil) but manages to drag itself out from under its own weight to showcase some really great Superman moments.

Also some nice use of Chloe of late. I wish she'd just toss Lana in a dumpster one week and be Clark's exclusive girl Friday. Millar...Gough...You paying attention?

Anyway, back to the story.

Naturally, evil Lex manages to take over and we get a glimpse of the character that we know he will eventually come to be. If you get past the crappy scene he shares with Lana in the second act (I almost gave up around this point), you get to see Lex discover Clark's secret, get a kryptonite ring, violate Clark's sanctuary, offer Clark a position at his side to take over the world...and we get that moment that we, as viewers, ache for in this show; Lex standing across from Clark, his kryptonite ring slowing young Supes down but not putting him out and he hisses at Lex, "I'll never join you!" Classic drama, punchy dialogue and then Lex goes full-on bad-guy on the Kents and caps the scene off by saying, "You were right about me all along, Mr. Kent. I am the villain of the story."

I think I actually whooped after I heard that. It was good television.

Surprisingly it didn't end up sucking as everything was wrapping up either (usually a creative sinkhole for this show). Michael Rosenbaum did a really nice job of portraying a post-bifurcated Lex, and played up the duality and conflict the character would be feeling after everything he had been through. You also never know for sure how much he remembers about his time in splitsville, so you're left with that 'ooooo' feeling that you love to go out of a story on.

Still, somehow I just know the next episode is going to suck. I think it was a prom episode, or something.

Woo.

mike

The New DVD

Well, since there was only one comic book to cover, I figure I might as well do the DVD list as well.

So, to be released May 3rd, 2005 and of possible interest are...

Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1: Much too rich for my blood (as all the Star Trek DVD collections are), but if I had the c note to spend on this set I probably would. Season 1 had some good moments, particularly the pilot, "Broken Bow" (accompanied by a commentary in this set - yay!), which really gave me a lot of hope that this prequel series would be a success. Time and poor management by executive producers Brannon Braga and Rick Berman showed us otherwise.

It should be noted that it does look as if there are a decent number of features included that go beyond the EPK-style interviews and hype that you usually see included with DVDs. In fact, glancing at the list over on Amazon, I think Enterprise Season 1 may just outdo any of the previous Trek collections as far as features go. I'm sure they were planning DVD material as they shot the series, but when you're forking over $100 for some round pieces of plastic, that's always good to hear.

Spaceballs Special Edition: Pure guilty pleasure and probably Mel Brooks' last truly funny movie. MGM is obviously rolling this one out to cash in on the Episode III buzz, but if it means a decent movie is getting the Special Edition treatment (and a real Special Edition treatment) then I can't complain.

If you haven't seen Spaceballs, it's a pretty successful spoof of the Star Wars films starring Bill Pullman as the Han Soloesque Lone Star, John Candy as the wookie-like Mawg, and Rick Moranis as the evil and bumbling Dark Helmet. It's a fun show with some decent gags and MGM seems to have added a decent amount of material to the already existing Spaceballs bonus features, so if you're a fan, I'd be there to pick this one up.

Non-connoisseurs pay heed! There is a budget version available that has pared down features, but does still include an audio commentary with Brooks, so if you're not a real fan but want it in your collection, I urge you to seek that one out.

That's it for DVDs this week. Next week we celebrate life and death with two new releases, HBO's The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.

Until then...

mike

The New Comics

I had a bit of fun doing the music post, so I figured I'd try it with the comic books as well. If it continues to be fun, maybe DVD's will follow.

Looking at the Diamond Shipping List for this week, these are the books I wil likely be hunting down...

ROGUE #10 - I practically ignored this book (and why wouldn't I?) until issue #7 came along and Tony Bedard and Karl Moline jumped on board. Bottom line is I would love Karl Moline's work on any title, and this is really no exception. I only hope it doesn't get cancelled with #12 as the rumours seem to imply it will. Writer Tony Bedard claims that it's still up in the air, so here's hoping he can pull this arc off successfully enough to save this book from the axe.

Woo...only one book I'm looking to pick up this week, so it looks like I'll have a little extra moolah left over to buy some other fun stuff.

mike

The New Music

Received my All Music Guide Newsletter again informing me of tomorrow's CD releases. A quick once over gives me a few ideas of some things that might be worth checking out...

The Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday: This band was dubbed one of the top 20 greatest bands you weren't listening to last year by Spin magazine, and I've always meant to check them out since reading that. The few bits that I've heard don't really distinguish them as being the second coming or anything (in fact, they sort of sound like a punkier, drunker Men at Work), but after getting my hands on some full tracks I may change my mind. Probably won't buy it outright, but I'll put the feelers out on this one.

Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth: Reznor and gang are back and it's been a while since I've bought one of his albums. We had a parting of ways some time back due to everything he was putting out started sounding the same to me. It wasn't bad music, just not what I expected from NIN. Anyways, I've had a little distance from them and I think it might be time to test the waters once again. From what I hear this album isn't exactly a trailblazer either, but I've been gone long enough not to notice.

Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm: I've always been a quiet admirer of Aimee Mann. The urge has never struck me strong enough to actually go out and buy one of her albums, but I've taken them out of the library and given them a listen to. She has the same sort of approach to her music as her husband has to his, and as a fan of Mr. Penn, I can say that it appeals to me when I hear that sensibility on her tracks. The bits I've sampled off of 'The Forgotten Arm' actually sound pretty strong, and I may just take the leap with this particular release.

John Williams - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: I'm a film score nut and what collection would be complete without the Star Wars soundtracks? The trailers for the film make this flick look pretty damn operatic, so I'm hoping Williams score reflects that. With any luck, we'll also see the return of some familiar themes. Williams really impressed me with how he managed to create two entirely brand new Star Wars scores without giving up more than a hint of the music we've come to know and love, so I hope this one is an all out orgy/celebration of the two trilogies coming together.

Update: By the by, I managed to get my hands on an advance copy of the OST and all I can say is (in my best James Earl Jones baritone)..."Impressive."

They Might Be Giants - A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants: I'm not a fan of greatest hits albums, but it's nice to see TMBG's presence on the racks again. These guys never fail to disappoint. This collection also distinguishes itself by including their Malcolm in the Middle theme (previously unavailable on disc, if I'm not mistaken), "Boss of Me" as well as the "Dr. Evil" theme from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Tullycraft - Disenchanted Hearts Unite: Okay, I admit it. The sentamentalist in me saw the title for Tullycraft's new album and said, "hmmm, sounds like it might be right up your ally, self." I've never heard anything from these guys before this, but what I've heard I kind of like. There's a quality to them that's reminiscient of Stars only less refined. It seems like a nice collection of poppy, hooky, earnest stuff. I'll check this out in one form or another, for sure.

That's all for now.

Ciao!

mike

Intermission

Hey everybody...

I just thought I should come on and apologise for not posting anything in the last couple of days. I don't know if anyone is actually out there anticipating anything out of me, but, just in case, I'm sorry for the lack of new material.

Basically I've been filling my brain with pop culturey goodness, reading my eyes off and watching flicks, not to mention ghosting on an article for the wife which is actually paid work, so I'm kind of giving it the priority right now.

Anyway, I should be up and about come Monday, so we'll see you then.

mike

"What's Up, Doc?"

Not like I'll be able to make it out to the James A. Michener Art Museum to see this - a full exhibit with with a bunch of drawings, cels, paintings and other items from the golden era of Warner Bros. animation - but I figured I'd mention it for anyone who may be in the area and would be able to take advantage of it.


"I tawt I taw a putty tat."

Another interesting Looney Tunes item can be found here, at Basic Hip Digital Oddio in their Kiddie Records Weekly section.

Bugs Bunny in Storyland is a 1949 audio storybook which, for Warner Bros. fans, is also a bit of a treat. The story (although unremarkable by WB stanbards) was written by Looney Tunes scribe, Ted Pierce, with artwork by director Bob McKimson and voiced by the inimitable Mel Blanc and June Foray (doing the female voices, of course).

Like I said before, the story is kind of cheesy, but it's kind of a treat to see this story come to life courtesy of the folks who actually worked on the Looney Tunes cartoons.

mike

How Does it Rate?

I've been trying to think of a ratings system for a while now. I don't want to do a simple thumbs up or down, nor do I want to have a star system or anything like that, but trying to find something Meanwhile... related or themed to use has been...problematic, at best.

I considered using the ellipsis as my grading system - one dot for absolute shite, 2 dots for 'meh' and three for the full on Meanwhile... honours - but I figured that nobody would get it. Hell, I'm betting that there are a number of you that don't even know what an ellipsis is. I know I didn't until I started using the name Meanwhile... 7-odd years ago.

So, for lack of any better ideas, I ask you, the reader, to make a suggestion. What do you think might be apropos as a ratings system for this Blog, but remain underivative of everyone else's sites?

Hmmm...maybe I should think up a prize or something.

mike

Read That Funky Story, White Boy

Just got back from the comic store with some 'new' comics to read. I grabbed myself a copy of Army of Darkness: Shop Til You Drop #2, Flaming Carrot Comics #2, the Red Sonja preview book and the first issue of Michael Moorcock's Elric mini-series. I'm really looking forward to that last one, I'll tell you.

I've also had a stack of GN's that I picked up at the library that I've been tearing through, among them The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen V.1, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Enemy Unseen, Groo: Death and Taxes, The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde V.1 and Sundiata: A Legend of Africa. That last one is by Will Eisner, if you aren't familiar with it. It's one of his books that were released by NBM. Looks interesting.

I'll probably post some thoughts when I get through with them.

mike

Begin the Podcast now, Hal

Looks like the audio commentary by podcast phenomenon has been a catchy one. The SciFi was the first network, as far as I know, to use a podcast to deliver a comentary, and now Paramount (who are usually pretty slow to pick up on current trends) has followed suit with an Enterprise commentary for the episode 'In a Mirror, Darkly' by writer Mike Sussman.

I listened to it as an MP3 file and found the audio quality somewhat lacking, but the commentary itself with Sussman is interesting and informative.

Here's hoping that this podcast thing catches on with more networks and more shows.

mike

Play That Funky Music White Boy

I must be going through some kind of creative mid-life crisis or something. It started with the sketching (as I mentioned a few posts ago), then I went and set in motion events which could lead to me having to do another short film, and now I've gone and gotten my hands on a guitar. Not only that, but I seem to be operating under the pretense that I can actually learn to play the thing. I dunno what I'm thinking.

Maybe I've officially been cooped up too long. I need to get out and rake leaves or something. Clear the cobwebs.

I mean, guitar?

What's next, Decoupage?

Start placing your wagers on how long this will last. My money's on a week, no less, no more.

mike

Saturday Means Cartoons

Awww...nobody wants to play with the little guy...

This could have gone in my 'Linktastic Saturday' post, but I figured it should get its very own mention because it's just so very cool.

The wonderfully talented Vera Brosgol (just click through if you don't believe me) recently posted an entry on her sketchblog which provides a link to a torrent that she seeded thereby allowing us, the unwashed masses, to access her short animated film, Snow-bo which she put together with her animation partner in crime, Jenn Kluska.

It's really great stuff and well worth the few minutes it takes to download and watch the thing.

Do the right thing.

mike

Omnium Finis Imminet - For Me, Anyways

The New York Times calls it "Well made, spooky, and suspenseful..." I call it poorly written, droll and heavy handed. Who you gonna believe?

If you haven't figured it out yet, I've managed to catch Hour 1 (of 6) of the new NBC mini-series, Revelations. I wasn't even going to watch it, to be perfectly honest, but my wife had told me that she read some reviews comparing it to The Exorcist and calling it 'great entertainment so we decided to give it a try.

Well, from the get go the show seemed problematic. The series opens with John Rhys-Davies chatting up a class on the Big Bang theory of how the universe came into being, to which one of the students says something like, "Is there no place for God in science?" Oy, if words were cudgels. Still, it's a pilot episode, other shows I've loved have sounded more contrived in their opening minutes, so we continued on.

The story jumps around for a while, introducing characters and setting the stage for the next 5 hours in the show, and doing so with the gentle touch of a bull in a china shop. No cliché is left unturned here as series creator and writer, David Seltzer introduces a satanic cult leader who knows too much for everyone else's own good, an astrophysicist who doesn't believe in God (only science can explain everything), a nun who investigates prophecies (including, at the outset of the show, a Fatima like phenomenon featuring a giant shadow of Christ's crucifixion on a mountainside which shimmy's and moves around at will), a little girl who speaks the word of God (she speaks latin and never took a single class), and a grand prophecy of the coming of the end times that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger proud.

Anyway, Seltzer is not known for his subtlety. He is the writer of films like the original Omen and the Melanie Griffith WWII spy vehicle, Shining Through, so I shouldn't be at all surprised by this. According to SciFi Wire, he was apparently offered a gig writing for Miracles, but found it too formulaic and not the deep challenging analysis of faith that he sought. I guess Revelations was his response to that.

Watching this show was, to me, like watching CSI: The Apocalypse, or something. No opportunity to spoon feed the audience was ignored and no genre cliché was left unexploited. Oh yeah, and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit plays one of the bad guys.

I may give it one more episode to prove me wrong, but I'm not holding out any hope for it.

mike

Linktastic Saturday

In lieu of watching Saturday morning cartoons, I figured I'd do a post of links that I found interesting this week.

First off, Peter Sanderson over at IGN did some nice coverage of the memorial to Will Eisner in his Comics in Context column.

Next up is an interview with Dean Haglund from the Creature Corner website. Since my own interview with Dean is trapped in the limbo that is e-mail tag, I figured anyone who was looking for one could check this one out.

I don't know what I was doing when I stumbled across this site, but it's basically a Jaws fansite/community. I get a kick out of checking in from time to time and browsing through their site.

With all the Superman buzz online, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Blue Tights site with their exclusive Bryan Singer video journals from the set of the new film. They're pretty cool and I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't already.

Nor would I be doing anybody any favours if I didn't link to this USA Today story on the new Superman film complete with comments from Singer and a pic of Brandon Routh in full costume (not a fan of the belt buckle, but the rest I can live with).

I bookmarked this site some time ago, but have yet to listen to the Jeff Smith audio interview, courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio's site.

I caught a link to this article over at Tom Spurgeon's Comics Reporter. It's from The Boston Phoenix and is, on the surface, a review of a Birds of Prey storyline, but underneath it is alook at the industry through an outsider's eyes.

That's all for now.

mike

Good Response to Buffy Week 5

Just checked my Web/FTP stats for Meanwhile... after the recent update and I have to say things look good. I thought it was getting off to a slow start but there were really good numbers today thanks to a mention on Whedonesque.

To be perfectly honest, I used to be the Features Editor for Silver Bullet Comicbooks and some of the interviews I did for that site got some pretty low traffic, especially for a site that gets a good number of hits a day. Unless I was interviewing Jim Lee or some rock star creator, I'd get 400 or 500 hits, total. It's kind of nice to have that be the number of hits I get in a day when I have a new interview up with this Post Mortem thing. Also rewarding that it's on my own site that's so low key as to have a web non-presence

And, in case I'm sounding whiny, I don't need bandwidth crippling traffic, but it's nice to know you're being read (and judging by the responses the stuff been's getting on Whedonesque, it's being enjoyed, too).

Anyways, I just wanted to post a thought or two about that.

mike

Finished Legion, Though the Pages Were Many

As the title suggests, I've just finished reading William Peter Blatty's sequel to his bestseller, The Exorcist. Some of you may have seen the film (known as Exorcist III: Legion to cinemagoers), but like its predecessor, the meat and potatoes of the book lie not in the spinning heads and pea soup, but in the analysis of good and evil, God, faith and the greater unknown.

Also like its predecessor, Legion is, at its core, a murder mystery. Lieutenant Kinderman, a holdover from the first novel and film, is brought in to investigate a grisly murder and mutliation one Sunday morning in 1983, 12 years after the events of The Exorcist. Over the course of the next week, Kinderman's faith, powers of deduction and even his sanity are put to the test as he investigates a number of seemingly random killings and is forced to come face to face with two ghosts from his past.

Legion is less of a page-turner than The Exorcist but I appreciated Blatty taking the opportunity to examine some of the themes he's come to be known for at more than face value. He started this in Exorcist, continued it in Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane (a thematic sequel), and follows up on it nicely here (the literal sequel). I will concede the point that it doesn't always come across smoothly in the narrative of the story, and it does get deathly boring at times, but Blatty manages to rein everything in before you become too distracted by, or lost in, all the cosmic mulling about.

The Exorcist actually managed to send chills up my spine from time to time, but I don't think 'fright beats' were number one on the agenda when Blatty set out to write this novel. It's a little more of a thinker than the first book and a lot lighter in tone, considering. Still a worthwhile read, though, and great preperation for the Schrader prequel which hits theatres (in limited release) on May 20th.

mike

"Who can trust a cop who don't take money? "

Stayed up very, very late last night to watch Al Pacino and Sidney Lumet's classic 1973 'biopic' of honest New York cop, Frank Serpico.

I can't say my expectations were too terribly high for this film seeing as I'm not a big Pacino fan, but after years of hearing that this one of the man's greats, I was hoping that it was better than just good. For the most part, those expectations were satisfied. I mean, I was entertained by the film (I stayed up 'til 4 a.m. to finish it so I had to like it on some level) and enjoyed seeing a young Pacino, post-Godfather, strut his stuff a little.

The story was compelling enough and the characters, though underdeveloped, had enough going on that you could make some sort of intellectual or emotional connection to them. You do care about what happens to most of these characters, so it can be said the filmmakers did their jobs.

It would have been nice to see a little more tension as the story builds to its climax, but I did appreciate the consistent tone of the film. It gave an element of realism to the story. Like, no one day with Serpico was any less joyous, tragic, dangerous or banal than all the rest. Whether or not it was a device being used, or a stylistic choice, it worked for me.

The only real distraction was the score by Mikis Theodorakis. Most times it was just unnecessary in many places where it was used, and even when it fit the scene, it was kind of overdone. Not a big fan of the music, but, to be honest, it doesn't play too big a role in the film anyways.

Now that I think about it, I would like to see this movie in widescreen sometime and see if that changes my view of Lumet's direction or gives the movie a little more scope. Could be an interesting experiment.

Overall, Serpico is a pretty good film. It sort of gives me a hankering to watch Dog Day Afternoon, now.

mike

Best of the Bins 4

The Amazing Spider-Man #240 & 241
Written by Roger Stern
Illustrated by John Romita, Jr., Bob Layton and Frank Giacoia
(Marvel Comics)

I actually won my copy of ASM #240 at a Fun Night that my school was putting on. It was one of those mystery fishing games, or possibly a bean bag toss prize, I'm not really sure anymore. But I can say that this issue, and the issue following it, are pretty much responsible for getting me involved in the collecting and reading of comic books.

About a month after getting #240, I was in my local 7-11 to get some candy, or a Slurpee or something when I saw #241 sitting in the spinner rack. It was at this crucial moment where it dawned on me that this was part two of the great Vulture story that I read in that other comic. I knew that I had to have it, and after much begging and pleading to the parents, I did. The rest, as they say, is history.

As for the story itself, the first issue (titled 'Wings of Vengeance') was a perfect jumping on point for new readers - or any reader for that matter. We meet Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture, who is now living on the west coast, far away from Spider-Man and happy to not have to be dealing with him or his ilk on a daily basis. He stumbles upon a news article in The Daily Bugle stirring up bitter memories from his past that set him on a path back to New York and revenge.

Naturally a scheme is set into motion that will undoubtedly pit Toomes against your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

This was, and still is, some of my favourite Roger Stern stuff. I know people would argue me on this point, but I think Stern was pretty much at the top of his game during this period. Sure, the story does feel a bit dated (the indicia puts it at 1983), but it doesn't feel at all tired or cheesy to me.

It was also during this time John Romita, Jr. was just starting to show what he could really do on a comic book page - and just look at those covers. Great stuff. The layouts were pretty standard - roughly 6 panels a page - but the body language of the characters and the pacing of the stories were just classic Spidey. The only thing that really differentiated these tales from the Spidey stories of the '60s was the more 'sophisticated' soap opera elements of Peter Parker's life. A little corny by today's standards, sure, but less-so than the Conway stories of the '70s and the overdramatized stuff we see on the shelves today.

This was just good old solid storytelling without a lot of flotsam and jetsam to bog it down.

And 22 years later, I still love reading these issues.

mike

Meanwhile... Updated

I posted an update over at Meanwhile... proper if anyone's interested in checking it out.

The Buffy Post Mortem interview is with fellow blogger and Interman creator, Jeff Parker. Jeff did the art on a Jane Espenson penned story in one of the Tales of the Vampires issues. It was called 'Dust Bowl' and it was one of the stand-outs of the mini-series.

I've also finally gotten around to reposting my Eisner Tribute from 2000. I've been meaning to do it since January, but kind of stalled on it for various reasons until now. I think the latest issue of The Comics Journal gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get it out there again, but I'm a little disappointed that I've lost the audio files that originally accompanied it. If anyone out there, by chance, has a copy of the Eisner Audio Interview, I would love to put it up.

Lastly, for the archive, I've added an interview that I conducted with Stefan Petrucha in the summer of 1998 where we discuss The X-Files and his self-published novel, Making God.

Feel free to comment here since the Forums at Meanwhile... got hacked, yet again, and shut down for the time bieng.

mike

Checking In

I started putting the finishing touches on what will be the next Meanwhile... update and, despite its incredible lateness, I'm kind of excited to finally get it posted. I've been working on Meanwhile... related stuff for a while now, and with surprising frequency, but not in any way you could see. Mostly I've been going back and putting my older interviews into the newer template for archiving purposes, but none of them have been posted as of yet.

With this next update (due in the next day or so, I'm sure) I'll be posting my next installment in the Buffy Post Mortem (featuring fellow Blogger, Jeff Parker) as well as my Eisner tribute from a few years back and an older, but satisfying, interview with Stefan Petrucha (who's been getting some buzz off of his newest Nancy Drew GN).

I'll try and chime in again before the weekend is up.

mike

Sketch-a-Doodle

Inspired by my recent wanderings through the Nina thread at Drawingboard.org I've suddenly put pen to paper and started flexing sketching muscles I've let atrophy for...oooo...a loooong time.

Many moons ago I decided that I was a better writer than I was an artist and shifted my attentions appropriately. Still, I've never quite lost that feeling of regret that if I'd only just doodled more on the side, or more seriously, that I would have that ability now. Doing a decent looking mini-comic or storyboard would be a pencil and pad away, you know?

So, yeah, looking at the amazing work of Ronnie del Carmen and everybody who contributed a Nina sketch made me grab the nearest utensil (a Sharpie, of all things) and some printer paper and I went to town for an hour or two. I dusted off some old 'How to Draw' principles, worked out some kinks, and maybe picked up a new habit or two (if I'm lucky, that is).

There's a couple of sketches that I liked, and had I a scanner to scan with (believe it or not, I have one, but have no idea where it is), I would post them here for you to offer any comments, criticism, or just to chuckle at rudely. I suppose if they got a decent review here I might post them on the Nina thread.

Maybe I should go find that scanner. It's got to be around here somewhere.

mike

I'm Just a Hooker with a Heart of Gold

If you've been reading my Blog (all four of you), you've probably noticed the Amazon links that have started appearing all over my page. The simple explanation is, "why not?" The less simple but equally non-confusive (I just made that word up) explanation is that it occured to me that you see these links and search tools all over the web and they are all part of these 'Associate Programs' that are supposed to net you jillions of dollars in commission, all for the price of some face time on your web page. Sounds harmless but do they actually work? I dunno, that's why I signed up and stuck the things all over my page. To be perfectly honest, I'll probably suffer cardiac arrest if anyone actually clicks through from my page and buys one of the featured items, but the risk to my well being is vastly overshadowed by my rabid curiosity on the matter.

I still feel a bit guilty in a sell-out sort of way whenever I hit the page, but whatever.

In retrospect, I'm thinking that signing on through the Canadian Amazon might have been a potential misstep, but I guess I'm more patriotic than I care to admit (granted, if Dark Horse ever called me up and offered me a job I'd be south of the border faster than you can say Work Visa).

Oh yeah, I should also mention that the title is a reference to something Will Pfeiffer said in a recent post about Sin City which I thought was funny. Considering the subject of this post, I thought it was appropos.

mike

Exorcise Your Way to Happiness

SciFi Wire confirms an actual theatrical release date for Paul Schrader's Exorcist prequel:

May 20, 2005.

That's soon.

I don't know how much you folks know about the film industry, but this move by Warner Bros. is unprecedented and ballsy. Sure, money is the driving force behind the decision, but it's an amazing thing to see happen nonetheless. With a domestic gross of just over $75 million the 'official' released version of Exorcist: The Beginning didn't perform well enough to pay for itself, never mind it's sister movie helmed by Schrader, so everybody would like to make a little bit of green on this enterprise, but to have a major studio, and a control freak like James Robinson of Morgan Creek, admit that the first one wasn't good enough and that they were wrong for shitcanning Schrader's original vision for being too cerebral, is astounding.

And releasing two versions of the same movie within 12 months of each other?

I'm sure part of why Warner Bros. made this decision involves the eventual DVD bonanza of Collector's Editions and Special Editions and Special Collector's Editions of the various versions of the film they could move on the lucrative DVD market (my mind is a montage of dollar signs, delivery trucks and ledger entries as I write this paragraph).

What matters, though, is that people are finally going to see it, and if it does well, it'll be the cerebral movie, not the lowest common denominator version that gets the kudos and the box-office. It will also be cool for anyone really interested in film since they're going to be able to see two director's visions of what is, essentially, the same story. It's a film students dream.

Now, hopefully, Schrader's version is as good as everyone says it is otherwise we're all back to square one.

mike

Stars Live and in Review

As promised (and since so many of you are reading and caring), a review for the Stars show that occured in town on April 9th, 2005 at the Amigo's cantina, and also a bonus link that I stumbled across today for an in-studio appearance at KCRW to promote their new album being released in the States.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the show was probably one of the best I've ever seen. I would definitely put it in my top five...no, top three shows of all time - no contest. Their stage presence was so much stronger than I had anticipated considering so many of their songs are low key 'get-lightheaded and swoony' kinda of tracks. I was expecting a bunch of people standing politely in front of the stage bobbing their heads, gazing at their navels and soaking up the sounds.

I should have realised that the stronger sounding album would require a different kind of set-up, and likely lead to a brassier performance from the band. As Torq (the lead singer) said at the KCRW session, the punchier sound of 'Set Yourself on Fire' allowed them to perform on stage in a more traditional "four on the floor" kind of way (or five or six as is the case with Stars) and the audience really responded to it. About a half-dozen songs into their set, Torq thanked the audience for "making them feel like they were in a fucking punker band." The setting was pretty intimate so the band was really feeding off of the energy the crowd was giving out, and the crowd, in turn, fed off of them. It was one of those experiences that are just great to see and be a part of.

They played mostly songs from their previous album, 'Heart', and the newst offering, 'Set Yourself on Fire', but a song or two from their debut CD, 'Nightsongs', managed to squeeze themselves in there. Actually, the show made me dust off my copy of 'Nightsongs' and I've sort of come to rediscover it. It's still not their best album, but it's right in there.

It was also great to see members of the other two bands, Montag and Apostle of Hustle, come out and join Stars as the show prgressed. By the end of the concert, there was probably a dozen people on and off the stage playing some sort of instrument or percussion piece - it was a real ensemble effort.

As all great live shows should, it has totally enhanced the studio experience for me. Their CD's will never sound the same to me again, they'll sound even better. It was the first time I'd had a chance to see Stars live, but after last week, I'm never missing another one of their shows.

Now, here's a link to their in-studio appearance at KCRW. It's not their greatest performance, but you'll get an idea for what kind of stuff they do and how they sound live. If the video is too much for you, here's an audio link of the show. Both are Real media.

I highly recommend checking these guys out. I've made it something of a mission to get everyone I know to at least listen to these guys, so if you're in that category you owe it to yourself.

mike

My Daughter in XTC

So, I'm in the bathroom and from the other room, my daughter Kate's room, I can hear her singing, "One, two, three, four, five...senses working overtime..." Of course it's 'Senses Working Overtime' by XTC, but I can't for the life of me figure out where she heard it. Granted, I do have their 2-disc singles collection out from the library right now, so I concluded that maybe that was how it got into her head. Hell, she still sings "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane to anyone who'll listen.

Anyway, turns out that the Mandy Moore CD she got for christmas includes a cover of the song . So she's familiar with it through her own channels and is singing along which brings us to the part of the story that you and I essentially joined in.

Sometimes kids can surprise you, and Kate's no exception (she likes to surprise you once every few hours or so, just to keep you on your toes). And, really, regardless of who's singing it (it's not as god-awful horrible as you may think), the truth of the matter is my 6 year old kid is running around and singing XTC songs at the top of her lungs. I can't help but feel I've raised her right.

mike

Picking Up the Garbage

I'm really learning to enjoy my AMG New Release Newsletter. Case in point, I may not have known for some time about the new Garbage CD, 'Bleed Like Me', had it not been for that simple e-mail that I received on Monday, and this, their fourth studio album, has long been anticipated in the Jozic household.

Having given it a cursory listen to, I can say that it sounds pretty good so far. Like the three albums before it, they monkey with their sound a little bit (going for something more reminiscient of their eponymous first effort) but don't change it enough that it jars the listener too much - although the track "Why Do You Love Me" takes a crack at it about 3 minutes in. Other songs that caught my attention are the title track, "Bleed Like Me", which is essentially the requisite 'stop and take a breather after the first three tracks' song, but Shirley Manson gives a really nice, low key, vocal performance which you don't get to hear too often and bears mentioning. "Sex Is Not the Enemy" has a bit of a Breeders vibe to it and "Why Don't You Come Over", came out of some creative wellspring where Queens of the Stone Age and The Go-Go's formed a hybrid band.

Overall, I have to say that I'm really enjoying this album so far. I kinda figured I would, but after the disaster that was 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' last year, I don't take any chances.

mike

Best of the Bins 3

Brooklyn Dreams
Written by J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by Glenn Barr
(DC Comics/Paradox Press)

Brooklyn Dreams is one of the few books that I habitually go back to the way some people I know read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. If I don't do it at least once a year, something doesn't feel right.

The book was initially released as a four digest-sized issue mini-series from DC's then new fiction imprint, Paradox Press. It is the story of Vincent Carl Santini, a Brooklyn native born to a Jewish mother and an Italian father. Santini is also a 'seeker' - a typical protagonist in a DeMatteis story - who, as a young boy, and then man, searches for the greater meaning of the universe, the ultimate truth and, of course, God.

DeMatteis writes what I am convinced is a semi-autobiographical story as the adult Santini looks back on his life and relates significant events that occured to him throughout his childhood and High School years in Brooklyn. The story is presented as a somewhat conversational and non-linear narrative, with the lead character covering all aspets of his life and relating them to a greater narrative. DeMatteis manages to juggle Santini's family, their quirks, being torn between two cultures, his relationships, his fears, being young, being an outsider, faith, knowledge, sex, God and the universe. Not too bad for 300 or so pages.

Granted, even with the page count, there is still much that the author leaves out of the story - leaving things open for a possible sequel, I'm sure. Even Santini himself admits in the end that there is far more to tell, but the bits DeMatteis gives to us, and how he presents them to the reader and weaves them into a greater narrative is exemplary. Brooklyn Dreams is the product of a great writer at the top of his game.

The artwork by Glenn Barr is a perfect compliment to DeMatteis' words. He brings this otherwise conversational piece to life, switching from realism to caricature at the drop of a hat. There is nothing in this story that Barr can't draw - and believe me, it takes skill to show so little action and make it interesting. Everything from the quiet pauses that Santini takes to reflect, to the exaggerations of the storyteller at peak moments, Barr does them all.

Brooklyn Dreams is quiet, it's long but it is a worthwhile read for people who are seekers themselves, or just looking for a well crafted, well executed story.

mike

Impenetrable Sim

Wow!

I decided that it was about time that I finished my remaining unread issues of Cerebus this week (I think there's about 20 of them), and I have to say I'm finding Dave a little bit impenetrable (the essays in the back are just obtuse, but that's another commentary entirely).

I supported what Dave was doing with his series, and was one of his staunchest defenders when all the misogynistic accusations started coming out a couple of years ago. I figured the art and the man needed to be seperated and we just had to wait and see where all of this 'controversy' was going to end up before we start judging the guy based on his tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Well, I'm about 400 pages from finishing the thing and I'm running out of steam, man. For a series I used to follow religiously, all this "Chasing Yhwh" stuff is grinding me down. It's relevance to the rest of the series is actually lost on me at the moment, other than to have Cerebus point out just how much women really suck - like in a biblical sense of sucking.

I'm going to finish the damn thing because I spent a lot of time and money on this book, and I want to see where it goes, but if the earth pig and Konigsberg don't do something interesting soon I'm gonna be pretty hacked off.

mike

God, I Suck

The title pretty much says it all. I've been too wrapped up in the real world and spring cleaning and stuff to spend any time here in my digital forum. I'm just stealing a few moments right now to pop in and say, "Hey!" and assure anybody who is actually payihng attention that I will be back to regular posts soon.

I gotta fly but I'll try and get a real post up by tonight. ;)

mike

Seeing Stars

Welp, got my tickets and I'm going to see Stars tonight at Amigo's. I'll post some thoughts on the show tomorrow for anyone who's curious.

Adios...

mike

Talking to Keith

Argh! What a great but torturous conversation I just had.

I called up Keith Giffen to get some comments from him regarding DC's new Countdown thing and where all of that is going, and he has to go and tell me all of the very cool stuff he is up to and the projects he is getting involved with that I'm not allowed to talk about in public. This is like sitting on the Superman treatment he did some years ago. I knew about that but was sworn to secrecy, then AICN or somebody breaks the news prematurely and I lost the scoop.

Ah well. As a fan of the guys stuff, it's very cool tonbe privy to all of this stuff. As the guy who runs the Giffen website and Newslist it's torture to not be able to share it with the rest of Giffandom assembled.

Mum's the word, though.

Two interviews down, one to go (Dean Haglund).

mike

Talking to Bear

Last night I completed my phone interview with Battlestar Galactica composer, Bear McCreary. We had a great chat and I think I got some good stuff - more than I thought I would, actually. I'm not a font of film score knowledge, so I was hopeful that my set of 10 or 11 prepared questions would carry us through a 20 or 30 minute conversation, but we just got going and took up a full hour before we finally gave up. I think my combined knowledge of music production and television and film production probably worked together to give us some interesting things to talk about.

I really look forward to transcribing this one.

Two more to go (Keith Giffen and Dean Haglund).

mike

New Stuff

I just got back from watching Christopher Nolan's remake of the Norwegian film, Insomnia. Since my Nolan loving friend couldn't convince his roomie to watch, I went over and we checked out the DVD together over some pizza and Gulps. Not a bad flick, if I may say so. I'll probably post more thoughts on that later.

I also made a trip to the library today and I have some new music in the house to play with for a spell. Among the goodies were a 2-Disc XTC compilation album and a 2003 offering from Living Color (hadn't heard from them since...ummm...high school, maybe?). Looking forward to sitting down with those and seeing what fun stuff lies within.

After watching a few episodes this morning and getting the buzz, I went out and grabbed the new issue of Justice League Unlimited bearing the mysterious cover blurb, "Who is The Question?" It's my first issue of the relaunched animated Justice League book, so we'll see how it goes. Might have another title to add to my pull list if all goes well. Writer Adam Beechen also writes for the Teen Titans television series, so it looks promising.

Also picked up The Comics Journal #267 which is their all Eisner issue. Couldn't help myself on that one.

Anyway, I'm off

mike

"Begun, the second Clone Wars have..."

"Pshewpshewpshewpshew!"
Ok, I'm going to go a bit fanboy on you, here.

I just watched the 5 new Clone Wars episodes and I have to say that I am more impressed with these than I was with the last batch. Any complaints I had with the first 20 chapters (and they were few) were thoroughly addressed in these latest five. I think my favourite addition probably has to be the trademarked Star Wars wipes and dissolves that were incorporated and were all but absent from the first series. It's the next best thing to a John Williams score to give it that extra Star Wars feel.

The extended length of each chapter was also a big boon to the series since Tartakovsky and Co. have more of an opportunity to develop each episode this way and just flat-out tell more story this time. The previous chapters were great fun but clocked in at a length of 3 minutes (with the exception of the extended finale), so the extra 9 minutes per has gone a long way to making it a vastly cooler experience.

And that's not even mentioning the fact that this series ends, literally, at the beginning of Episode III - right in the middle of the huge space battle above Coruscant.

May the force be with you.

mike

Best of the Bins Postponed

As I mentioned earlier, and as evidenced by my relative absence here, I've gotten a bit busy this week and haven't had a lot of time to post. Technically, the only thing I should have posted that I haven't is the latest Best of the Bins column, but seeing as I don't believe anyone really bothers to read this blog, I'm not feeling too bad about it.

What I'll do is a double BotB this Sunday, so it'll be Brooklyn Dreams and something else I've managed to dig up. Maybe Sheba by Walter S. Crane - I dunno.

So, that's the scoop, have a nice day and I'll post what I can when I can until things lighten up a bit.

Thanks!

mike

Loeb Has The Spirit

Had a few moments to sit at the computer and ran across this bit on the SciFi Wire. Looks like Jeph "Long Halloween" Loeb will get first crack at penning The Spirit fil based on Eisner's comic character and stories.

Something to think about.

mike

Stars Were Robbed!

Just got the list of the Juno winners this morning only to find out that my musical discovery of the last couple of years, Stars, have lost in their category of Best Alternative Album. The artist that won was called Feist or something. Doesn't matter. I'm bitter and am once again reminded why the Canadian Music industry is inherently flawed.

Normally the unholy trinity of Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette and Celine Dion are all I need to bring that point home.

Bah.

mike

Caroline on the Internet

Combining my love for interviews and Wonderfalls, here's a recent interview with Caroline Dhavernas, star of the critically acclaimed and quirky (but cancelled) FOX show courtesy of popgurls.com.

mike

Best of the Bins Delay

I'm not going to be able to do a BOTB post until later today. Time kind of got away on me and, despite having a book all picked out and everything, it's just not going to happen.

Brooklyn Dreams by DeMatteis and Barr is the series to be featured, in case anyone was wondering.

mike

"Book 'em, Dan-O!"

Swiped this off of Johnny Bacardi's blog like I said I would earlier. Same deal as the Movie Meme, only with books this time. Feel free to swipe it from here and add your three books, too.

- Bold those you have read
- Italicize those you started, but didn't finish
- Add three books after the last one

001. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
002. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
003. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
004. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
005. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
006. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
007. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
008. 1984, George Orwell
009. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
010. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
011. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
012. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
013. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
014. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
015. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
016. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
017. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
018. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
019. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
020. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
021. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
022. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
023. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
024. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
025. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
026. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
027. Middlemarch, George Eliot
028. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
029. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
030. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
031. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
032. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
033. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
034. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
035. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
036. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
037. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
038. Persuasion, Jane Austen
039. Dune, Frank Herbert
040. Emma, Jane Austen
041. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
042. Watership Down, Richard Adams
043. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
044. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
045. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
046. Animal Farm, George Orwell
047. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
048. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
049. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
050. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
051. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
052. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
053. The Stand, Stephen King
054. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
055. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
056. The BFG, Roald Dahl
057. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
058. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
059. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
060. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
061. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
062. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
063. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
064. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
065. Mort, Terry Pratchett
066. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
067. The Magus, John Fowles
068. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
069. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
070. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
071. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
072. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
073. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
074. Matilda, Roald Dahl
075. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
076. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
077. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
078. Ulysses, James Joyce
079. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
080. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
081. The Twits, Roald Dahl
082. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
083. Holes, Louis Sachar
084. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
085. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
086. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
087. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
088. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
089. Magician, Raymond E Feist
090. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
091. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
092. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
093. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
094. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
095. Katherine, Anya Seton
096. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
097. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
098. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
099. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. Winter's Heart, Robert Jordan
208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winter's Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony
258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum
259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon
260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde
261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde
261. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
264. A Yellow Rraft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
269. Witch of Black Bird Pond, Joyce Friedland
270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien
271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt Bleh.
272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Jester
275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
276. The Kitchen God's Wife, Amy Tan
277. The Bone Setter's Daughter, Amy Tan
278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
283. Haunted, Judith St. George
284. Singularity, William Sleator
285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
286. Different Seasons, Stephen King
287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
289. The Bookman's Wake, John Dunning
290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
291. Illusions, Richard Bach
292. Magic's Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magic's Promise, Mercedes Lackey
294. Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey
295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving
302. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
304. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille
305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
307. Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco
308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
314. The Giver, Lois Lowry
315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
316. Xenogenesis (or Lilith's Brood), Octavia Butler (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago)
317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil)
320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
321. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
322. Beowulf, Anonymous
323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
326. Passage, Connie Willis
327. Otherland, Tad Williams
328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
330. Beloved, Toni Morrison
331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
332. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
335. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
338. The Genesis Code, John Case
339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen
340. Paradise Lost, John Milton
341. Phantom, Susan Kay
342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
344: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
345: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
346: The Winter of Magic's Return, Pamela Service
347: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime O'Neill
351. Othello, by William Shakespeare
352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
354. Sati, Christopher Pike
355. The Divine Comedy, Dante
356. The Apology, Plato
357. The Small Rain, Madeline L'Engle
358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
336. The Moor's Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
343. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
348. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
350. Time for bed by David Baddiel
351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
354. Sewer, Gas, and Eletric by Matt Ruff
355. Jhereg by Steven Brust
356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
361. Neuromancer, William Gibson
362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
367. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
368. A Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman
369. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
370. The God Boy, Ian Cross
371. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
372. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
373. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
374. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick
375. Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb
376. number9dream, David Mitchell
377. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
378. Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
379. Darkness at Noon, Arthur Koestler
380. Einstein's Dreams, Alan Lightman
381. Dance On My Grave, Aidan Chambers
382. Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Leguin
383. Hyperion, Dan Simmons
384. Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury
385. Checkmate, Dorothy Dunnett
386. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
387. A Clash of Kings, George RR Martin
388. The Egyptian, Mika Waltari
389. Moab Is My Washpot, Stephen Fry
390. Contact, Carl Sagan
391. Mythago Wood, Robert Holdstock
392. Feersum Endjinn, Iain M. Banks
393. The Golden, Lucius Shepard
394. Decamerone, Boccaccio
395. Birdy, William Wharton
396. The Red Tent, Anita Diaman
397. The Foundation, Isaac Asimov
398. Il Principe, Machiavelli
399. Post Office, Charles Bukowski
400. Macht und Rebel, Abu Rasul
401. Grass, Sheri S. Tepper
402. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman
403. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
404. The Joy Of Work, Scott Adams
405. Romeo, Elise Title
406. The Ninth Gate, Arturo Perez-Reverte
407. Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice
408. Dead Famous, Ben Elton
409. Scarlett, Alexandra Ripley
410. Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol
411. Look to Windward, Iain M. Banks
412. The Colossus of Maroussi, Henry Miller
413. Branded, Alissa Quart
414. The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
415. Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac
416. White teeth, Zadie Smith
417. Under the bell jar, Sylvia Plath
418. The little prince of Belleville, Calixthe Beyala
419. Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
420. A King Lear of the Steppes, Ivan Turgenev
421. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
422. Memoirs of a Revolutionist, Peter Kropotkin
423. Hija de la Fortuna, Isabel Allende
424. Retrato en Sepia, Isabel Allende
425. Villette, Charlotte Brontë
426. Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse
427. Ubik, Philip K. Dick
428. Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
429. Solaris, Stanislaw Lem
430. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
431. Nausea, Jean Paul Sartre
432. The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco
433. The Elementary Particles, Michel Houellebecq
434. The Angel Of The West Window, Gustav Meyrink
435. A Farewell To Arms, Ernest Hemingway
436. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
437. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
438. In the Eyes of Mr. Fury, Philip Ridley
439. Consider Phlebas, Iain M. Banks
440. Into the Forest, Jean Hegland
441. Middlesex -Jeffrey Eugenides
442. The Giving Tree -Shel Silverstein
443. Go Ask Alice -Anonymous
444. Waiting For Godot, Samuel Becket
445. Blankets, Craig Thompson
446. The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing, Melissa Banks
447. Voice of the Fire, Alan Moore
448. The Geography of Nowhere, James Howard Kunstler
449. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
450. The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney
451. Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
452. John Lennon: The Lost Weekend, by May Pang and Henry Edwards
453. How to be Good, Nick Hornby
454. Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane, William Peter Blatty
454. This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald

NOTE: Some of the books I've listed as unfinished were not abandoned, they're just not finished. Catch-22 is a good example of that, while Interview with the Vampire is an excellent example of a book I will never go back to, even if paid to read it.

Just thought I should mention that.

mike

Snagged Another Q&A

Just got a confirmation e-mail a day or so ago letting me know that my interview request for Dean haglund has gone through and has been accepted. So, sometime within the next week I'll be interviewing Langly from The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen about the new DVD release, his upcoming comic book and whatever else pops up during conversation.

I think it'll be fun.

mike