Now playing: Christopher Young - The Church Chase (Part 1)
via FoxyTunes
(The following assumes you have passing knowledge of The Chronicles of Amber. If not, go brush up.)
Despite the crying of other Amber-fans that it's riddled with inaccuracies, I ended up getting a copy of Roger Zelazny's Visual Guide to Castle Amber mainly for the illustrations of the castle, and more importantly, the Trumps.
The more equivocal of the reviewers on Amazon soothed that it's "one artists take on what he thinks the castle and Trumps look like," and it certainly is at that. It was brought home to me that Zelazny was rather spartan in his descriptions of the characters (thoughtfully reproduced in the Guide), so I can't blame the illustrator for liberties taken when there's a dearth of information to begin with.
So, to the stuff I like best: the nitty-gritty of the Trump illustrations.
On Benedict: I don't remember Zelazny saying that he has a thing for Japanese culture and weapons, but then again, it's been a while since I've read the Corwin chronicles. Due to the illustrators choice with Corwin (more on that later), this Benedict looks a bit more stocky than the "tall and dour, thin; thin of body, thin of face" that Zelazny describes him as. Other than that, the illustrators guess is as good as mine.
On Bleys: Since he's so often described as being boisterous and fun loving, I've always imagined him having a more round figure, but still strong, in the cartoonists "Good-hearted brute" frame category. The illustrator makes him more standard in size.
On Brand: He looks good, like Brand ought to look, in my opinion. I've always imagined a Three Musketeers era Jeremy Brett as a good fit for Brand: a slightly twitchy, young looking bi-polar mad genius. Tell me you don't see it, Amber fans!
On Caine: Perfect, except: Mutton-chops, Mr. Illustrator? Really?
On Corwin: One word, OMGWTFTIMOTHYDALTON. Given that Corwin is never really described in full except for eye color and hair color, I can see why one could easily fit whatever actor they think might work. But the illustrator so transparently used Dalton's likeness that I wonder if he even tried to come up with something on his own. Dalton's face looks a bit too lantern-jawed for my taste as Corwin, but to each their own.
On Dalt: One ugly mother, no complaints there.
On Dara: Pitch-perfect! The hair, the build, the face, it all works. It almost looks like a slighter version of Angelina Jolie, though given that the book was made in '88, I doubt she was in promonance then.
On Dierdre: I tended to get the Princesses mixed up, due to Zelazny's penchant for wonderfully detailed descriptions that are also nearly impenetrable. For the longest time I thought Flora was Brunette and Dierdre was blond (What? Dierdre sounds like a blond name to me...), but more on that later. The illustration is fine and dandy.
On Eric: I always thought Eric had a more solid and square frame, as a counterpoint to (my perception of) Corwin's more slight build. But this Eric looks regular, still big and tough enough to be a threat to Corwin, but I suppose "big" and "tough" should be reserved for Gerard.
On Fiona: Damn, that's one foxy looking lady. I never really got that Fiona was a redhead, though I'm sure it was mentioned a number of times. To me, she was always "that lady that disappeared whenever shit hit the fan," making her very, very obnoxious (a point the Guide makes as well) as she usually was in possesion of the answers as to why fecal matter made contact with spinning blades in the first place.
On Flora: Due to the rather fanciful description of her at the beginning of Nine Princes in Amber, I didn't figure out that she was blond until halfway through the series. The Wiki editors describe her as the "typical dumb blond," although blessed with all the magical and mental prowess of an Amberite. The illustration looks fine.
On Gerard: It may just be me, but this Gerard looks entirely too merry. I know Zelazny wrote that he's laughing in his Trump picture, but he looks too harmless, not the powerhouse that subdued both Benedict and Corwin.
On Julian: I've always imagined Julian as having a young face, maybe because he's one of the youngest of the Princes to begin with. The illustrator went the opposite way, giving him a lined face, aquiline nose, and forked beard. Very Snape-like. Zelazny's description is once again somewhat vague on the facial details aside from the fact that he looks rather "evil," but I can imagine a sort of Sephrioth-like quality could work as well.
On Llewella: All I remember is that she has Green hair and keeps to herself. The illustration looks fine to me.
On Luke: Pretty good, actually. My only beef is that in the description they make no mention that he's Rinaldo, Brand's son, even though the Guide was written when a good number of the Merlin Chronicles were already out (The Luke/Rinaldo connection was revealed at the end of the first freaking book of second set of Amber novels), and Dalt is mentioned as an Amberite by way of an illegitimate liason by Oberon. Consistancy, please!
On Mandor: Perfect again, though I imagined he would look a lot younger. As a general rule, I always imagined the Amberites and Chaosians having exceptionally long youth as well as age, and that only the oldest of the siblings (Benedict, Eric, and [crap!] Corwin, I guess) would start to show it. Mandor, despite his age, seemed to suggest youthfulness in appearance, if not in words and deeds.
On Martin: I find it interesting that the illustrator chose to show Martin in his Earth-Punk getup, rather than the more traditional Amber clothes that he wears earlier on in the series. You know, when Brand created his freakin' Trump!
On Merlin: Can you say "carbon copy"? Dalton's face makes another appearance, though now he's dressed in an earth business suit. Look, I know he looks like his dad, but this isn't generation xerox, here!
On Random: Not bad at all. Random being another character who's facial features are very vague, I think the illustrator did a good job on this one.
On Vialle: Oh, that's right, she did get immortalized in a Trump. She...looks fine?
On Oberon: Kingly and forbidding. I also dig the giant two handed sword. For some bizzare reason, when I started reading the books I began picturing Oberon with that crazy antler-crown that King Balor wore in Hellboy II. Probably because I associate the name "Oberon" more closely with the fairy king of Shakespeare. Good illustration.
On Dworkin: Not bad, looks like a mad, hunchbacked version of Oberon, which makes sense.
I should actually go and read the text that makes up the majority of this guide. I'm off!
Enough, More Later.
- James
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Your Daily "Wha-?"
Upon the suggestion of a number of friends, I've started to read Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, and for the most part it's not bad. It suffers a bit from some clunky world-building exposition, of the "Our Heroine is attending school! Let's listen in on what she's being taught" method. To be sure, the history of the Ersatz Europe where the French have become the pinnacle of civilization is definitely interesting, it's just that the story tends to jerk back and forth between narrative and exposition.
But the one thing that made me do a double take was the following: When we come to an explanation of one of the "13 Houses of Sluts" as a waggish friend once put it (who's a avid fan, let me assure you), the way they choose their recruits is as follows. "'It begins with the lesson of the spiced candies, of course; you know this? No? We do it with children of six. An adept explains that the pleasure of the taste is due to the touch of pain the spice provokes. Those who understand, we keep; others will have their marques [debts] sold.'"
This, by the way, is Valerian House, known for it's S&M bent (which Our Heroine is biologically inclined towards, don't ask, just read the book). Let me get this straight, you keep six-year-olds to be inducted into a life of masochism because of their penchant for spicy effin' food? Just because someone doesn't mind a burrito that bites back a bit is not a good indicator that they would enjoy being scourged for shits and giggles! What the Hell!
Once again, though, the book isn't that bad. It's rather heavy on the scheming and intrigue, and as of the moment, fuzzy logic.
Enough, More Later.
- James
But the one thing that made me do a double take was the following: When we come to an explanation of one of the "13 Houses of Sluts" as a waggish friend once put it (who's a avid fan, let me assure you), the way they choose their recruits is as follows. "'It begins with the lesson of the spiced candies, of course; you know this? No? We do it with children of six. An adept explains that the pleasure of the taste is due to the touch of pain the spice provokes. Those who understand, we keep; others will have their marques [debts] sold.'"
This, by the way, is Valerian House, known for it's S&M bent (which Our Heroine is biologically inclined towards, don't ask, just read the book). Let me get this straight, you keep six-year-olds to be inducted into a life of masochism because of their penchant for spicy effin' food? Just because someone doesn't mind a burrito that bites back a bit is not a good indicator that they would enjoy being scourged for shits and giggles! What the Hell!
Once again, though, the book isn't that bad. It's rather heavy on the scheming and intrigue, and as of the moment, fuzzy logic.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Friday, June 26, 2009
Bandwagon Time!
Now playing: Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us
via FoxyTunes
Since the rest of the internet is spilling over with anecdotes, I figure I'll throw my own in on the subject of Michael Jackson. I prefer to remember the earlier times when he was the pinnacle of absolute fucking cool, rather than the more cringe-worthy later years.
The first song of his that I ever listened to was the early nineties "Black or White." My fellow "grew-up-in-the-90's" brethren and sistren will attest to how often it was on the radio, and how frickin' infectious it was. When we got our first CD player, "Dangerous" was one of the first albums we got to go along with it. I didn't know my dad had gotten it, and when he skipped forward to track 8 and cranked it, I totally thought (from across the house), that the opening audio vignette were my neighbors having an argument! Needless to say I was quite pleased to be proven wrong.
I remember asking for "Bad" soon after that, and had a heck of time getting it. My aunt got me "Thriller" for my birthday by mistake and I was utterly heartbroken. I was a stupid, stupid kid. I did, of course, warm up to it, and that copy is still sitting in our CD collection.
My last little anecdote was when HIStory came out in '94, and I first heard it on NPR of all places. I don't remember exactly what the program was about, aside from that it was about his new album, but it was probably about the controversy over "They Don't Care About Us," and they played a minute long clip from it. I just thought it sounded really damn cool, and my dad got me the album as benevolent largess when we finally payed off the mortgage to our house.
Anywho, there's my little tribute to MJ.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
Since the rest of the internet is spilling over with anecdotes, I figure I'll throw my own in on the subject of Michael Jackson. I prefer to remember the earlier times when he was the pinnacle of absolute fucking cool, rather than the more cringe-worthy later years.
The first song of his that I ever listened to was the early nineties "Black or White." My fellow "grew-up-in-the-90's" brethren and sistren will attest to how often it was on the radio, and how frickin' infectious it was. When we got our first CD player, "Dangerous" was one of the first albums we got to go along with it. I didn't know my dad had gotten it, and when he skipped forward to track 8 and cranked it, I totally thought (from across the house), that the opening audio vignette were my neighbors having an argument! Needless to say I was quite pleased to be proven wrong.
I remember asking for "Bad" soon after that, and had a heck of time getting it. My aunt got me "Thriller" for my birthday by mistake and I was utterly heartbroken. I was a stupid, stupid kid. I did, of course, warm up to it, and that copy is still sitting in our CD collection.
My last little anecdote was when HIStory came out in '94, and I first heard it on NPR of all places. I don't remember exactly what the program was about, aside from that it was about his new album, but it was probably about the controversy over "They Don't Care About Us," and they played a minute long clip from it. I just thought it sounded really damn cool, and my dad got me the album as benevolent largess when we finally payed off the mortgage to our house.
Anywho, there's my little tribute to MJ.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Your equation for the day
Now playing: James Newton Howard - The Egg Travels
via FoxyTunes
1/2 Terry Gilliam + 1/4 Dhalgren + 1/4 chop-socky = Six-String Samurai
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
1/2 Terry Gilliam + 1/4 Dhalgren + 1/4 chop-socky = Six-String Samurai
Enough, More Later.
- James
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Thoughts on Leiber's Lankhmar Series
Now playing: J. Ralph - Kansas City Shuffle
via FoxyTunes
I finished the last of the collected Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series about a week ago, and found them to be quite satisfying on the whole. For those who like wry Sword and Sorcery, the first five collections are easily some of the best of the various short stories, novelettes and novellas. Things start to slow down around "Swords and Ice Magic," and "The Knight and Knave of Swords" is only worth it for the soon-to-be-described "The Mouser Goes Below."
Despite being highly proficient in armed combat and possessing an occasionally uncanny intuition about magical dealings, both heroes fit the oft described "closer to true human stature" aspects that the series is famous for (as opposed to the superhuman Conan and Tarzan of the time). I appreciated Fafhrd and the Mouser's occasional philosophical and practical ruminations on their various love affairs, mining occasional insight on the nature of men and women and providing a nice break from the plot every now and then.
While Fafhrd and the Mouser each frequently have a girl of the week, the encounters are never cheapened by the virtue of their oft occurrence. Leiber wisely has his heroes remember and recall their amorous escapades in each subsequent story (when applicable), often fondly and with new insight in light of their newest adventure.
I got the feeling that Leiber would have liked to delve more into the details of the hero's sexual conquests, both in light of the note on the previously mentioned Wikipedia page mentioning an excised sex scene from the novel "The Swords of Lankhmar" at the editors behest, and at the rather large swerve in Leiber's final Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser story, "The Mouser Goes Below."
Throughout nearly all of the stories, the heroes sexual encounters are illustrated briefly and with minimum detail; enough for some lightly thrilling erotic flavor, but never overdone. In "The Mouser Goes Below," for whatever reason Leiber completely pulls out all the stops and gives the readers a number of steamy, highly described erotic scenes, both of the moment and recalled from the past. The scenes in question are titillating, to be sure, but so much out of the blue as to be somewhat shocking. "Awww, he won't go there. Whoa, is he going there? Describing that?... Well, now."
The only other nitpick concerning "The Mouser Goes Below" is this: Throughout the stories our heroes have two wizardly mentors, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face. Neither of them are assigned a sex, and if they are even human is a contention challenged by the later described seven tentacular eyestalks that Ningauble possesses. All of the sudden in the last story, Ningauble suddenly becomes a "he" and Sheelba a "she." This is only annoying in that, first, they are always referred to as "wizards," even in this final tale, and secondly, their having sexes was never something that influenced the stories. It feels more than a little tacked on and merely served as an annoyance, and whatever Leibers reason for doing so is beyond me.
In any case, I would still fully recommend the Lankhmar stories to all who enjoy fantasy, as they are well written, entertaining, and fun. Also, like Zelazny, the fight scenes are described in fencing terms, which is always a plus :)
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
I finished the last of the collected Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series about a week ago, and found them to be quite satisfying on the whole. For those who like wry Sword and Sorcery, the first five collections are easily some of the best of the various short stories, novelettes and novellas. Things start to slow down around "Swords and Ice Magic," and "The Knight and Knave of Swords" is only worth it for the soon-to-be-described "The Mouser Goes Below."
Despite being highly proficient in armed combat and possessing an occasionally uncanny intuition about magical dealings, both heroes fit the oft described "closer to true human stature" aspects that the series is famous for (as opposed to the superhuman Conan and Tarzan of the time). I appreciated Fafhrd and the Mouser's occasional philosophical and practical ruminations on their various love affairs, mining occasional insight on the nature of men and women and providing a nice break from the plot every now and then.
While Fafhrd and the Mouser each frequently have a girl of the week, the encounters are never cheapened by the virtue of their oft occurrence. Leiber wisely has his heroes remember and recall their amorous escapades in each subsequent story (when applicable), often fondly and with new insight in light of their newest adventure.
I got the feeling that Leiber would have liked to delve more into the details of the hero's sexual conquests, both in light of the note on the previously mentioned Wikipedia page mentioning an excised sex scene from the novel "The Swords of Lankhmar" at the editors behest, and at the rather large swerve in Leiber's final Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser story, "The Mouser Goes Below."
Throughout nearly all of the stories, the heroes sexual encounters are illustrated briefly and with minimum detail; enough for some lightly thrilling erotic flavor, but never overdone. In "The Mouser Goes Below," for whatever reason Leiber completely pulls out all the stops and gives the readers a number of steamy, highly described erotic scenes, both of the moment and recalled from the past. The scenes in question are titillating, to be sure, but so much out of the blue as to be somewhat shocking. "Awww, he won't go there. Whoa, is he going there? Describing that?... Well, now."
The only other nitpick concerning "The Mouser Goes Below" is this: Throughout the stories our heroes have two wizardly mentors, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face. Neither of them are assigned a sex, and if they are even human is a contention challenged by the later described seven tentacular eyestalks that Ningauble possesses. All of the sudden in the last story, Ningauble suddenly becomes a "he" and Sheelba a "she." This is only annoying in that, first, they are always referred to as "wizards," even in this final tale, and secondly, their having sexes was never something that influenced the stories. It feels more than a little tacked on and merely served as an annoyance, and whatever Leibers reason for doing so is beyond me.
In any case, I would still fully recommend the Lankhmar stories to all who enjoy fantasy, as they are well written, entertaining, and fun. Also, like Zelazny, the fight scenes are described in fencing terms, which is always a plus :)
Enough, More Later.
- James
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Stuffed into the (nonworking) fridge
Now playing: Danny Elfman - Hulk's Freedom
via FoxyTunes
So earlier this week, in the midst of this random heat wave we've been having, our fridge decided to crap out on us. I don't know which came first, but Mom realized it was probably time to clean out the dust bunny colony from the cooling array, and (after? before?) found that the bunch of ice cream we were keeping in the fridge was being maintained at the consistency of thin gazpacho.
Apparently a previous warning sign was that the fridge was running nearly 24/7, as opposed to the usual series of on and off. Mom and sis just went out and got a new fridge today, though it won't arrive until Saturday. Having a barely functioning fridge has done a rather interesting thing, in that not only has it drastically cut down on us buying cold/frozen stuff, but everything else as well, seeing that we do our Family-of-4 shopping at Costco nowadays. No use going to get food at Safeway when it'll all be gone by the end of the day, and no use going to Costco if all we're going to pick up is a handful of stuff.
Make no mistake, we've got plenty to eat, but now have a larder and fridge that are steadily getting more and more empty. It's an odd feeling, being deprived of modern food storage methods, and makes me think about how food storage/consumption varied in the days before electric cooling.
Spent the last weekend hanging out with Patrick and co., first a game night on Saturday, and then hanging out with a smaller group in and around Japantown on Sunday for the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade. As I was arriving at City Hall (and the beginning of the parade route), I saw a convertible with the sign "Grand Marshal, George Takei." No shit, *the* George Takei? I looked at the occupant, sitting high and wearing somewhat nonedescript clothing and a white baseball cap. Of course, he was looking away, so I spent a second or two looking at the sign and back trying to be sure, when he then turns around. Holy shit, it *is* George Takei!
Also spent the last week watching the Bourne Trilogy, and it is as good as people say. It was quite satisfying by the third movie, after much globe-trotting, fisticuffs and narrow escapes, to have the big bad (upon first seeing Bourne), say "Jesus Christ....That's Jason Bourne."
And if all that previous wasn't exciting enough, I'm going paintballing with Patrick and co. for his birthday this Saturday. Never done it before, but it should be awesome.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
So earlier this week, in the midst of this random heat wave we've been having, our fridge decided to crap out on us. I don't know which came first, but Mom realized it was probably time to clean out the dust bunny colony from the cooling array, and (after? before?) found that the bunch of ice cream we were keeping in the fridge was being maintained at the consistency of thin gazpacho.
Apparently a previous warning sign was that the fridge was running nearly 24/7, as opposed to the usual series of on and off. Mom and sis just went out and got a new fridge today, though it won't arrive until Saturday. Having a barely functioning fridge has done a rather interesting thing, in that not only has it drastically cut down on us buying cold/frozen stuff, but everything else as well, seeing that we do our Family-of-4 shopping at Costco nowadays. No use going to get food at Safeway when it'll all be gone by the end of the day, and no use going to Costco if all we're going to pick up is a handful of stuff.
Make no mistake, we've got plenty to eat, but now have a larder and fridge that are steadily getting more and more empty. It's an odd feeling, being deprived of modern food storage methods, and makes me think about how food storage/consumption varied in the days before electric cooling.
Spent the last weekend hanging out with Patrick and co., first a game night on Saturday, and then hanging out with a smaller group in and around Japantown on Sunday for the Cherry Blossom Festival and parade. As I was arriving at City Hall (and the beginning of the parade route), I saw a convertible with the sign "Grand Marshal, George Takei." No shit, *the* George Takei? I looked at the occupant, sitting high and wearing somewhat nonedescript clothing and a white baseball cap. Of course, he was looking away, so I spent a second or two looking at the sign and back trying to be sure, when he then turns around. Holy shit, it *is* George Takei!
Also spent the last week watching the Bourne Trilogy, and it is as good as people say. It was quite satisfying by the third movie, after much globe-trotting, fisticuffs and narrow escapes, to have the big bad (upon first seeing Bourne), say "Jesus Christ....That's Jason Bourne."
And if all that previous wasn't exciting enough, I'm going paintballing with Patrick and co. for his birthday this Saturday. Never done it before, but it should be awesome.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Monday, April 13, 2009
Gear Changing the Social Tendencies
Now playing: Miklos Rozsa - The Legend And Epilogue / The Falcon And The Dove
via FoxyTunes
Time to dust off the ol' blog! I just got increased hours at work, which means I'm working four hours a day instead of two. Had to re-shuffle the schedule a bit, but hopefully things will begin to fall into place.
Considering the current economic situation, I've been doing rather well: a well paying job that I can stay at home to do, good relations with the folks to make living at home easier. I've even been reaching out more and trying to visit friends on a more regular basis. Ever since I binged on the numbered list section of Cracked.com and came across this, I realized how important it was to get away from the computerbox more often than I do (and be a more sociable creature in general).
I still find I'm in the process of transitioning out from the college mindset in terms of social gatherings. When your in school, everyone is nearby and in sync with you: you're all taking classes and you all have the same schedule. When you get out into the working world, you can't just call up folk when you feel like it and expect them to have time right away, planning must needs be involved.
Even more importantly, a certain amount of pro-action and ability to be mutable: Not only do you need to be active in planning things if you want them to happen, but also you should be able to roll with the punches of things don't work out. If someone was busy when you were in college, you could pretty much count on them being available within the next few days. When you're out and all of a sudden weekends are pretty much the only free time, it can take weeks to coordinate a get together. There was a lunch with some co-workers that my dad planned that was delayed nearly a month and a half due to changing schedules. The down-shot was how long it took, but the upshot was that it was lots of fun and quite enjoyable.
In any case, I'm happy that I have at least a few friends in the Bay who I can visit with some regularity. Toes is back in Palo Alto, and though may be the furthest commute-wise, is someone who I end up seeing regularly. Patrick and co. have moved a little closer, and I need to take more advantage of Matt's welcome, even if Patrick isn't available. And hopefully I'll be able to re-connect with Nina for a MST3K marathon sometime soon. Juggling engagements was never something I've had to do before, but I find it immensely enjoyable when things work out and think the effort is well worth it.
And now I must be off, the dishes call to me, "Jaaames! You should at least do something to compensate your parents for giving you free food and rennnnt!"
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
Time to dust off the ol' blog! I just got increased hours at work, which means I'm working four hours a day instead of two. Had to re-shuffle the schedule a bit, but hopefully things will begin to fall into place.
Considering the current economic situation, I've been doing rather well: a well paying job that I can stay at home to do, good relations with the folks to make living at home easier. I've even been reaching out more and trying to visit friends on a more regular basis. Ever since I binged on the numbered list section of Cracked.com and came across this, I realized how important it was to get away from the computerbox more often than I do (and be a more sociable creature in general).
I still find I'm in the process of transitioning out from the college mindset in terms of social gatherings. When your in school, everyone is nearby and in sync with you: you're all taking classes and you all have the same schedule. When you get out into the working world, you can't just call up folk when you feel like it and expect them to have time right away, planning must needs be involved.
Even more importantly, a certain amount of pro-action and ability to be mutable: Not only do you need to be active in planning things if you want them to happen, but also you should be able to roll with the punches of things don't work out. If someone was busy when you were in college, you could pretty much count on them being available within the next few days. When you're out and all of a sudden weekends are pretty much the only free time, it can take weeks to coordinate a get together. There was a lunch with some co-workers that my dad planned that was delayed nearly a month and a half due to changing schedules. The down-shot was how long it took, but the upshot was that it was lots of fun and quite enjoyable.
In any case, I'm happy that I have at least a few friends in the Bay who I can visit with some regularity. Toes is back in Palo Alto, and though may be the furthest commute-wise, is someone who I end up seeing regularly. Patrick and co. have moved a little closer, and I need to take more advantage of Matt's welcome, even if Patrick isn't available. And hopefully I'll be able to re-connect with Nina for a MST3K marathon sometime soon. Juggling engagements was never something I've had to do before, but I find it immensely enjoyable when things work out and think the effort is well worth it.
And now I must be off, the dishes call to me, "Jaaames! You should at least do something to compensate your parents for giving you free food and rennnnt!"
Enough, More Later.
- James
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Help!
Now playing: Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina
via FoxyTunes
For the first time, my knowledge of soundtrack-y stuff has completely failed me. I've heard about 10 seconds of a western sounding, "Rawhide"-like orchestral piece that is most definitely by Ennio Morricone (Rhythmic guitars, human whistle as primary instrument, men chant/shouting nonsense).
I first heard a second and a half of it in this hilarious anti-cocaine ad from across the pond ("Pablo!" ::whipcrack::)
But just recently I heard it in the opening 45 seconds of it in this Samsung LED Sheep ad!
Somebody help, I have no idea where this song is from!
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
For the first time, my knowledge of soundtrack-y stuff has completely failed me. I've heard about 10 seconds of a western sounding, "Rawhide"-like orchestral piece that is most definitely by Ennio Morricone (Rhythmic guitars, human whistle as primary instrument, men chant/shouting nonsense).
I first heard a second and a half of it in this hilarious anti-cocaine ad from across the pond ("Pablo!" ::whipcrack::)
But just recently I heard it in the opening 45 seconds of it in this Samsung LED Sheep ad!
Somebody help, I have no idea where this song is from!
Enough, More Later.
- James
Saturday, February 28, 2009
TA-DA
Now playing: Jerry Goldsmith - The Warriors
via FoxyTunes
I finally (with the help of a fellow YouTuber) got the knack of getting my videos to be displayed in the coveted "Watch in HD" mode, which of course was simply ripping clips to a larger resolution. Indeed, I recently found that my most recent attempt at a music video would, given the proper processing time, be viewable in Higher Quality than when initially uploaded. And so, without further ado, my most recent effort.
(Note, head over to the video's page and check the info box on the right for a link to the high quality version)
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
I finally (with the help of a fellow YouTuber) got the knack of getting my videos to be displayed in the coveted "Watch in HD" mode, which of course was simply ripping clips to a larger resolution. Indeed, I recently found that my most recent attempt at a music video would, given the proper processing time, be viewable in Higher Quality than when initially uploaded. And so, without further ado, my most recent effort.
(Note, head over to the video's page and check the info box on the right for a link to the high quality version)
Enough, More Later.
- James
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Guess I'll just have a seat...
Now playing: Alan Williams - Amazon
via FoxyTunes
Man, all my male friends who are close by geographically have g/f's and most likely have plans for Valentine's, and I'm caught in a double bind with my female friends because they either have significant others or if not, just "hanging out" on V-Day seems kinda awkward. Guess I'll just sit here, then.
Also, the Dollhouse pilot was OK, it had a little bit of that Whedon sparkle around the edges, but didn't blow me away. Maybe I just had inflated hopes after I was exposed to the awesomeness that is Firefly, but either way, I'll give it a few more episodes to develop before I toss it into the "ehhh" bin.
What I am very much liking is "Lie to Me," and I was very upset to learn that it didn't air this week due to a *shudder* American Idol Two-Hour Special. Oh Hulu, you are going to ruin my life.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
Man, all my male friends who are close by geographically have g/f's and most likely have plans for Valentine's, and I'm caught in a double bind with my female friends because they either have significant others or if not, just "hanging out" on V-Day seems kinda awkward. Guess I'll just sit here, then.
Also, the Dollhouse pilot was OK, it had a little bit of that Whedon sparkle around the edges, but didn't blow me away. Maybe I just had inflated hopes after I was exposed to the awesomeness that is Firefly, but either way, I'll give it a few more episodes to develop before I toss it into the "ehhh" bin.
What I am very much liking is "Lie to Me," and I was very upset to learn that it didn't air this week due to a *shudder* American Idol Two-Hour Special. Oh Hulu, you are going to ruin my life.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Quickly! Randomly!
Now playing: Immediate Music - Sargon's Legion
via FoxyTunes
I'll preface this by saying that I really like Three Panel Soul. But their most recent comic struck an odd chord with me. I thought it was kinda neat, but for some reason, "beating the devil at mancala" struck me as insufferably, boastfully lame. Don't ask me why, it just did. To illustrate, I came up with my own quirky version (unillustrated, because I haven't drawn since High School).
I once beat the Devil at a game of Nine Men's Morris. Fortunately for me, he didn't know that it was just a more convoluted game of Tic-Tac-Toe, and easily winnable if you know the trick of it. I won from him his sense of decency, which he was surprisingly loath to part with and which gave off a golden glow. Never really did much with it, but it did keep my room heated during winter.
"But the comic has him being mundane with the Devil's SOUL!" you say. To which I say, "Yes, but confusing devil with a non-western chess-equivalent does not a victory make." The standard horses are beating the devil/Death at chess, or perhaps a fiddling contest. There was something very "oooh, look at me!" about the whole age 16/mancala thing that rubbed me funny, and don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the litotes of the punchline. However, there was something about the whole setup that seemed to prematurely deflate the whole concept from the get-go. I wish I could better articulate this vague disgust and why it gnaws at me so, but I think I'll just have to recite the MST3K Mantra a few times and move on.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
I'll preface this by saying that I really like Three Panel Soul. But their most recent comic struck an odd chord with me. I thought it was kinda neat, but for some reason, "beating the devil at mancala" struck me as insufferably, boastfully lame. Don't ask me why, it just did. To illustrate, I came up with my own quirky version (unillustrated, because I haven't drawn since High School).
I once beat the Devil at a game of Nine Men's Morris. Fortunately for me, he didn't know that it was just a more convoluted game of Tic-Tac-Toe, and easily winnable if you know the trick of it. I won from him his sense of decency, which he was surprisingly loath to part with and which gave off a golden glow. Never really did much with it, but it did keep my room heated during winter.
"But the comic has him being mundane with the Devil's SOUL!" you say. To which I say, "Yes, but confusing devil with a non-western chess-equivalent does not a victory make." The standard horses are beating the devil/Death at chess, or perhaps a fiddling contest. There was something very "oooh, look at me!" about the whole age 16/mancala thing that rubbed me funny, and don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the litotes of the punchline. However, there was something about the whole setup that seemed to prematurely deflate the whole concept from the get-go. I wish I could better articulate this vague disgust and why it gnaws at me so, but I think I'll just have to recite the MST3K Mantra a few times and move on.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Chambers Passage and Thoughts on Moorcock's Elric
Currently in Earphones: Quantum of Solace soundtrack by David Arnold
So I've finally started reading The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers, and found a little passage that rather eloquently sums up where things went wrong in a long-past affair of mine...
"Whether because I am so cowardly about giving pain to others, or whether it was that I have a little of the gloomy Puritan in me, I do not know, but I shrank from disclaiming responsibility for that thoughtless kiss...Others who habitually do their duty and find a sullen satisfaction in making themselves and everyone else unhappy, might have withstood it. I did not. I dared not."
- The Yellow Sign
But back to the literary side of things, I only allowed myself to start reading Chambers when I had finished the collection of Elric stories I had bought a few weeks ago. Elric seems to me to be the Linkin Park of Swords of Sorcery, though a bit more refined. The moody, brooding character (both excellent words to use if you were playing a drinking game with any of Moorcock's stories featuring him) channels the teen crack-cocaine blend of angst, alienation, and cool. I now have a list of sci-fi/fantasy books that, had I read them in High School, I probably would have thought them to be the COOLEST THINGS EVAR. The Elric stories fit this description to a "t," and yet, coming to them now and having sampled far more in terms of authors and genres, I find them only entertaining/interesting/passable.
That's not to say that there's nothing to like. I particularly enjoyed the four part Stormbringer and what's essentially the origin story, The Dreaming City. And as I've said before, it was a wise decision on Moorcock's part to include the character of Moonlgum as a friend and foil to Elric. I don't think I could have endured endless stories of Elric moping about by his lonesome without a lighthearted character to balance him out (Although, at the end of Sad Giant's Shield Moonglum seems to totally break character for a scene, which threw off my appreciation a bit). I do recommend the Elric stories to all who enjoy a bit of fantasy, but you'll probably be more disposed to them if you were ever a teenage boy (or perhaps girl, if you were really gloomy).
Anywho, I'm off to read more Chambers.
Enough, More Later.
- James
So I've finally started reading The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers, and found a little passage that rather eloquently sums up where things went wrong in a long-past affair of mine...
"Whether because I am so cowardly about giving pain to others, or whether it was that I have a little of the gloomy Puritan in me, I do not know, but I shrank from disclaiming responsibility for that thoughtless kiss...Others who habitually do their duty and find a sullen satisfaction in making themselves and everyone else unhappy, might have withstood it. I did not. I dared not."
- The Yellow Sign
But back to the literary side of things, I only allowed myself to start reading Chambers when I had finished the collection of Elric stories I had bought a few weeks ago. Elric seems to me to be the Linkin Park of Swords of Sorcery, though a bit more refined. The moody, brooding character (both excellent words to use if you were playing a drinking game with any of Moorcock's stories featuring him) channels the teen crack-cocaine blend of angst, alienation, and cool. I now have a list of sci-fi/fantasy books that, had I read them in High School, I probably would have thought them to be the COOLEST THINGS EVAR. The Elric stories fit this description to a "t," and yet, coming to them now and having sampled far more in terms of authors and genres, I find them only entertaining/interesting/passable.
That's not to say that there's nothing to like. I particularly enjoyed the four part Stormbringer and what's essentially the origin story, The Dreaming City. And as I've said before, it was a wise decision on Moorcock's part to include the character of Moonlgum as a friend and foil to Elric. I don't think I could have endured endless stories of Elric moping about by his lonesome without a lighthearted character to balance him out (Although, at the end of Sad Giant's Shield Moonglum seems to totally break character for a scene, which threw off my appreciation a bit). I do recommend the Elric stories to all who enjoy a bit of fantasy, but you'll probably be more disposed to them if you were ever a teenage boy (or perhaps girl, if you were really gloomy).
Anywho, I'm off to read more Chambers.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Meeting an Escapee
Now playing: Brand X Music - Spawn
via FoxyTunes
I was hanging out with friends PST and KW last night, and learned an interesting thing about KW's roommate, L. Turns out she comes from a family of LDS folk (read, Mormons), and ended up leaving the church when she reached the age of reason and realized how much of her time was being leeched by church activities and restrictions. We only got the 10-minute version, but through a combination of determination and what I can only describe as GUTS, she officially cut her ties with the church.
It was interesting to hear that everyone who's baptized into the LDS church actually gets put into a registry and is even given an ID number. So it's kind of a big deal to get yourself removed from the roster, especially if you're a female! She mentioned how she had to get a male relative to talk to the bigwigs on the phone in order for them to take her seriously, which really got my hackles up, but she ended up victorious, and even had the letter to prove it. It was a terse piece of communication, but had the usual "if you ever want to rejoin" statement at the end.
PST wryly quipped how he was disappointed they didn't have a "please find enclosed one (1) soul" bit, what with how bureaucratic the whole process looked.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
I was hanging out with friends PST and KW last night, and learned an interesting thing about KW's roommate, L. Turns out she comes from a family of LDS folk (read, Mormons), and ended up leaving the church when she reached the age of reason and realized how much of her time was being leeched by church activities and restrictions. We only got the 10-minute version, but through a combination of determination and what I can only describe as GUTS, she officially cut her ties with the church.
It was interesting to hear that everyone who's baptized into the LDS church actually gets put into a registry and is even given an ID number. So it's kind of a big deal to get yourself removed from the roster, especially if you're a female! She mentioned how she had to get a male relative to talk to the bigwigs on the phone in order for them to take her seriously, which really got my hackles up, but she ended up victorious, and even had the letter to prove it. It was a terse piece of communication, but had the usual "if you ever want to rejoin" statement at the end.
PST wryly quipped how he was disappointed they didn't have a "please find enclosed one (1) soul" bit, what with how bureaucratic the whole process looked.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Current Book List and Lovecraft Encapsulated
Now playing: Brunch - Imagine
via FoxyTunes
Being out of college means I now have more time for fun reading! For those interested, here's the current rundown:
Finished:
Currently Reading (from "still warm from my hot little hands," to "gathering dust on my bookshelf"):
Up Next:
And now, for your entertainment, Condensed Lovecraft. Spoiler Alert! You have been warned:
Enough, More Later.
- James
P.S. I get to keep my job! Yay!
via FoxyTunes
Being out of college means I now have more time for fun reading! For those interested, here's the current rundown:
Finished:
- The Dupin Tales by Edgar Allen Poe. Of which there are three: The first, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," being amazing and a classic. The second, "The Murder of Maire Roget," having dulled with age (ripped from the headlines of the time, Law and Order Style). The third, "The Purloined Letter," more subdued, but equally cool. For added interest, imagine Jeremy Brett saying all of Dupin's dialog in the Sherlock voice.
- The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales by HP Lovecraft. Varying in their quality, but all sufficiently creepy. More on that to come.
- Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. Once again proves that, no matter what it may be, if it's authored by Gaiman I should buy it on principle, because I've never been disappointed by him so far.
- Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief by Maurice LeBlanc. Neat, fun, and clever stories, though the Lupin/Holmes crossover could have benefited from a smarter Holmes. Definitely worth a read.
- Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. How could I have MISSED this? Roman History plus detective mystery (calling him Gordianus the Finder, I SEE WHAT YOU DID, THAR). Lurid, well researched and gripping. I kept imagining a slightly younger David Bamber as Cicero, Michael Gambon in Eddie Temple mode as Sulla, and, weirdly enough, Daniel Craig as Gordianus.
Currently Reading (from "still warm from my hot little hands," to "gathering dust on my bookshelf"):
- Elric, Stealer of Souls by Michael Moorcock. Volume 1 of the collected Elric stories, and the first I've read of him. I can see why the character of Elric was a hit with moody teens back in the '60's (and today), and I appreciate that Moorcock paired him with a foil in the early stories. Speaking of imagining actors who look nothing like the way the characters are described, Nathon Fillion as Moonglum, anyone? And after his turn as Prince Nuada, you KNOW Luke Goss would be the perfect Elric.
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Fascinating stuff, but sadly in the "if there were no other books to read" category. I'll have to bring it with me on a vacation sometime.
- Sahara by Clive Cussler. Maybe if it wasn't too pedestrian an adventure, or maybe if his writing had more meat and less sparkle, I don't know.
- Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany. How can it be so neat and yet so hard to get through (I'm looking at you too, Return to Neveryon)?
Up Next:
- The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories by Robert Chambers. I've been going on a "seminal works" kick (cf. Poe's Dupin Tales), and this naturally followed from Lovecraft.
- Chronicles of the Lensman, Vol 1 by E.E. "Doc" Smith. Once again, seminal work, but this time of the "Space Opera" genre (think Star Wars).
- The Evidence of the Sword by Rafael Sabatini. A collection of short story mysteries by the king of the swashbuckler novel. I can't wait!
- The First Swords by Fred Saberhagen. Alright, so I've already read most of this series, but I got the first trilogy in a shiny new compilation and want to re-read them.
- The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. I enjoyed The Gunslinger and eventually want to see if the rest of the Dark Tower series is as good.
And now, for your entertainment, Condensed Lovecraft. Spoiler Alert! You have been warned:
- Dagon: Man gets thrown overboard, later witnesses the sea evaporate. After traveling along the drying sea floor, goes over a hill and witnesses a giant man-fish-thing worshipping a grotesque statue. Escapes, goes mad, writes an account, commits suicide.
- The Statement of Randolf Carter: Hi, my name's Randolf Carter. You probably won't believe me, but I followed a friend of mine to this evil looking cemetery where he disappeared into a crypt and never came out again. Oh, and I heard a big evil voice.
- Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermayne and his Family: The great grandfather who started this whole mess found a village of missing-link ape-men in Africa, married its princess and started a line of children who all were rather queer and had ape-like tendencies. Arthur Jermayne, the last in the line, finds this out and commits suicide.
- Celephaïs: Man attempts to return to a dreamlike town he believes he came from through lots of drugs and daydreaming. He returns by following his visions and diving into the final portal. The next day a drugged up hobo is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Surprise!
- Nyarlathotep: Man hears about this Egyptian looking dude called Nyarlathotep, who has been going around giving shows where he shows people "the truth," but pretty much everyone comes away from them stark raving mad. He goes to see a demonstration and, of course, loses his mind.
- The Picture in the House: A young man stops for shelter from a storm in an early American New England house. He notices creepy scary cult books in the study. Having seen a well thumbed page depicting cannibalism, he meets with the resident of the house who admits to committing cannibalism due to the influence of the book, and just before the young man can go mad from seeing blood dripping from the ceiling, the house falls in.
- The Outsider: This guy is completely alone in a giant castle which appears to be in an endless forest. Fed up with being alone, he climbs to the top of the highest tower, which, in actuality, is in the basement of a church. After wandering outside, he happens upon a party, and when he approaches the people all go mad with horror and flee. He sees an ungodly monster, but realizes that it's just a MIRROR, OMG.
- Herbert West - Reanimator: Herbert West tries to reanimate somthing. He fails. He tries again, it almost works. He tries again, it sorta works. He tries again, it is very close to working. He almost tries again, but he gets ambushed by his previous efforts and is torn limb from limb.
- The Hound: Two men, for reasons unknown, dabble in every single dark, occult thing you could imagine. Then they steal the wrong bauble from the wrong corpse and get hunted by a demon hound. The first one gets killed by it, and the second one commits suicide before being killed.
- The Rats in the Walls: A man buys and fixes up his ancestral home in Briton, even though the locals know something he doesn't. Haunted by the sound of thousands of rats in the walls, he and his friend (and eventually the police), follow the sounds to a dead, underground city where a secret cult, founded by his ancestors, did dark deeds and raised humans (who were bred a few steps back down the evolutionary ladder) for sacrifice. The party gets separated, the lights go out, the rats close in, and the man goes mad.
- The Festival: A man returns to his ancestral home in New England in time for "The Festival," in which the inhabitants of the town (who, it turns out, aren't at all human), worship some dark monstrosity in a cave. The man gets out, gets knocked out, and finds himself in a more normal version of the town he was just in.
- He: Young, disillusioned poet living in the city meets with a mysterious man who shows him older parts of the city. Turns out the man is incredibly old and has inherited crazy-mystic-time-altering-Indian powers from the native Americans his ancestors double crossed. The poet flubs up and the Indian spirits get in, bent on revenge. The poet escapes and never sees the man or his house again.
- Cool Air: A young man meets a genteel doctor who lives on the floor above him in a tenement and who always has an abundance of cooling units in his room. The two become friends and help each other, until the cooling begins to break down. The man finds the doctor has turned into a puddle, and that he'd been keeping himself alive through will-power and refrigeration and had been clinically dead for EIGHTEEN YEARS, OMG.
- The Call of Cthulhu: A young man pieces together a puzzle involving simultaneous dreams on a certain day, a weird statue, an account of an interrupted "voodoo" ritual, and a story of a sailor and shipmates who encountered a city in the waves and woke a sleeping cosmic horror. Turns out the statue was an image of that horror, the ritual was part of a cult worshiping that horror, the dreams were the preparatory call of that horror, and had the sailor not run over the horror with his boat (but didn't kill it), this demon-god CTHULHU would have made the world mad and devoured us all. Close call, eh?
- The Color Out of Space: A strange meteorite lands in a rural town and contains a color that no science can identify. Things seem to thrive on the farm that it lands on, but slowly the life gets leeched out of everything, the inhabitants go mad, and the police arrive just in time to see a giant, amorphous thing that can only be that color rocket back into space. BUT NOT ALL OF IT LEFT.
- The Whisperer in the Darkness: Strange creatures are seen after a large flood in the mountainous regions of New England. The narrator and one other man (who lives in the mountains) investigate to find that the creatures are sentient and just want to live in peace (but could wipe us out if they wanted). However, they're giving the other man a hard time, and eventually correspondence between him and the narrator reach a fever pitch. All of a sudden, the tone and information of his letters change, oddly, and he invites the narrator back to his house, where he explains the wonders of what he has learned from these creatures. He still acts odd, and when things really start to get weird, the narrator decides to escape, but finds that he can't find his host, but stumbles on HIS FACE AND HANDS ONLY, OMG.
- The Shadow Over Innsmouth: A college student, traveling through New England, decides to visit the port town of Innsmouth. Most of the people there are all rather odd, looking partly fishy. He learns from the soused, "mad" old timer that the head of the town made a pact with some fish people who lived near the reef in the bay: in exchange for plenty of fish (and some otherworldly baubles) the townsfolk would sacrifice children and interbreed with the fish folk, which is why everyone looks so odd. The jig having been turned in an upward direction, the student makes a thrilling escape through the half-breed infested town and witnesses a summoned horror that causes him to black out. Once home, he does some genealogical research and finds that he's been related to the half-breed fish people all along! As he ages he gets fishy-looking too and eventually wants to head back to Innsmouth.
- The Haunter in the Dark: An artist investigates an evil looking church shunned by the townspeople and finds some nameless horror living in the attic of the steeple. Having awoken it by fiddling with an otherworldly crystal in the bell-tower, he retreats to find that the creature can only move in the dark. The townsfolk keep a candlelight vigil outside the church once they hear the re-awakened horror moving around in there, but a large storm knocks out all the power and all the light the people set up. The monster flies across town and kills the artist.
Enough, More Later.
- James
P.S. I get to keep my job! Yay!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Oh Yeah!
Now playing: Trevor Jones - Pteranodons
via FoxyTunes
For all you UCD folk and Zero Punctuation Fans, here's a little something from his latest review that should make you happy...
I was thrilled to see a glimpse of the UC seal when Yahtzee did his usual split second illustration of "You see...", but imagine my surprise to see that it was none other than the Davis seal. That's freaking awesome! Don't know if it was on purpose (UCD has the best and easiest to find graphics of these things?), but it's certainly cool.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
For all you UCD folk and Zero Punctuation Fans, here's a little something from his latest review that should make you happy...
I was thrilled to see a glimpse of the UC seal when Yahtzee did his usual split second illustration of "You see...", but imagine my surprise to see that it was none other than the Davis seal. That's freaking awesome! Don't know if it was on purpose (UCD has the best and easiest to find graphics of these things?), but it's certainly cool.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Further Pictorial Proof
Now playing: Mark Mancina - Saya's Victory
via FoxyTunes
Words cannot describe just how awesome John Scalzi is. Full of energy, quick on his feet, full of wit and snark, he is every bit as one comes to see him after reading his blog or a number of his books. It was a great night of comedy and tomfoolery, and I'm glad John and Mary had as much of a blast doing it as we the audience had in seeing it.
Enough. More Later,
- James
via FoxyTunes
Words cannot describe just how awesome John Scalzi is. Full of energy, quick on his feet, full of wit and snark, he is every bit as one comes to see him after reading his blog or a number of his books. It was a great night of comedy and tomfoolery, and I'm glad John and Mary had as much of a blast doing it as we the audience had in seeing it.
Enough. More Later,
- James
Pictorial Proof
Now playing: Immediate Music - Divide And Conquer
via FoxyTunes
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/01/17/an-evening-at-borderlands/
Step 1: Click Link
Step 2: Take a look at the face just peeking over the bearded guy on the right side of the frame.
Step 3: Take a guess at who that is.
Oh yeah, I saw Scalzi, and it was good. Further pictorial proof to come.
Enough. More Later,
- James
via FoxyTunes
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/01/17/an-evening-at-borderlands/
Step 1: Click Link
Step 2: Take a look at the face just peeking over the bearded guy on the right side of the frame.
Step 3: Take a guess at who that is.
Oh yeah, I saw Scalzi, and it was good. Further pictorial proof to come.
Enough. More Later,
- James
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Trailerheads Rejoice!
Now playing: Immediate - Prometheus Rising
via FoxyTunes
(Click the picture for product page, DO EET NAOW)
It's finally happened! Immediate Music, one of the biggest production music libraries out there, has granted a long held wish to fans and has made available for public consumption a selection of their most used cues! Unlike the preivious "Epicon" (which is also worth your while), which took the underlying melodies of their music and added more popular trappings of lyrics and a rock band, "Trailerhead" features only lightly edited versions of such sought after cues as "Lacrimosa" (Lacrimosa Dominae), "Serenata" (Serenata Immortale) and "Epicon" (An Epic Age).
I encourage all you folk who I turned on to Production music to go and get this album, we owe it to Immediate Music for going out of their way to make sure we could get their music LEGALLY. Seriously, step away from that Rapidshare link or torrent file, this is well worth your cash, especially in this era of affordable, DRM-free downloadable albums from Amazon. Go to!
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
(Click the picture for product page, DO EET NAOW)It's finally happened! Immediate Music, one of the biggest production music libraries out there, has granted a long held wish to fans and has made available for public consumption a selection of their most used cues! Unlike the preivious "Epicon" (which is also worth your while), which took the underlying melodies of their music and added more popular trappings of lyrics and a rock band, "Trailerhead" features only lightly edited versions of such sought after cues as "Lacrimosa" (Lacrimosa Dominae), "Serenata" (Serenata Immortale) and "Epicon" (An Epic Age).
I encourage all you folk who I turned on to Production music to go and get this album, we owe it to Immediate Music for going out of their way to make sure we could get their music LEGALLY. Seriously, step away from that Rapidshare link or torrent file, this is well worth your cash, especially in this era of affordable, DRM-free downloadable albums from Amazon. Go to!
Enough, More Later.
- James
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Aspect Ratio Nerdery: The Dark Knight
Now playing: Hans Zimmer - Watergate
via FoxyTunes
Been ages, I know. But I'm here now with something that's been much on my mind since the release of The Dark Knight in IMAX: How are they gonna deal with the different aspect ratios on DVD?
The answer is "in a mixed way." As you all may or may not know, IMAX is filmed in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio, that is, the image you get is 1.43 units longer than it is tall. With the screen as big as it is, that's pretty darn close to square. However, your standard 35mm film (the stuff that gets shown in movie theaters and is usually marketed as "widescreen" on DVD shelves) is a whopping 2.40:1, giving it that cinematic "clipped from the top and bottom" or letterboxed look.
Given the cost and highly unwieldy use of IMAX cameras, only a few of the big scenes in The Dark Knight were filmed in the format, which meant that two things happened. For the IMAX release, they took the rest of the scenes that were shot in standard 35mm and projected them onto the screen in their original ratio, leaving a portion of the top and bottom of the screen unused while the scenes shot in IMAX took up the entire screen. Given just how freakin' huge an IMAX screen is, the 35mm still took up a whole lot of space, but the changes of the aspect ratio were definitely noticeable.
For the theatrical (non-IMAX) release, they simply took all the IMAX scenes and cropped the top and bottom off of the images so that it got squeezed back down to the correct 2.40:1 ratio. To the directors and cinematographers credit, the IMAX sequences were still really well framed, so editing them down didn't do much damage to the visuals. For purists, the IMAX version remains the most intact.
For the DVD's, two things were done. The closest to the original aspect ratio was the inclusion of the IMAX scenes as a separate extra in the Standard Definition 2-Disc Set. While one can see the entirety of the shots in this extra, the wonky IMAX formatting means that not only is the image cropped off at the sides, but also at the top to allow for viewing on a standard 4:3 TV or computer screen. However, the entire image is there, and in the end makes a nice extra to have. The only odd thing is that this is missing from the High Def Blu-Ray release, for reasons unknown.
Instead, for both the Blu-Ray and the Digital Copy of the movie, they re-set the aspect ratio to 1.78:1 for the IMAX scenes, allowing for more of the image to be seen. My guess as to why this is is that a switch from an image that's cropped up and down to an image that's cropped on the sides would be too jarring for those viewing on an HDTV (itself being a 16:9), who's image would have to contract inward to preserve the proper aspect ratio (rather than the 35mm image "expanding" to fill an IMAX screen).
Allow me to illustrate, starting with the most constrained and moving outward. Here's a shot from the opening heist scene, cropped from the 1.43:1 IMAX to the 2.40:1 of 35mm:
It looks great, which is once again testament to how well the film was shot. Remember, however, that this isn't all of the shot. Here's that same image, but taken from the 1.78:1 Digital copy:
Notice how you can now see more of his legs below the mask, the curb he's standing on, and the tops of some of the street lights. I thought it was interesting as I was formatting these pictures that the above picture, when squeezed down to the same 720 x 480 pixels as the first picture, was essentially the same but without the letterboxing. Don't let the lack of black bars across the top and bottom fool you, however. This still isn't the full image. For that, I give you the below:
Here is the IMAX image in it's entirety. Notice you can now see his feet and some of the sidewalk below it, and the water tower in the upper right-hand corner is fully visible. Notice also the letterboxing on the sides of the picture. This isn't cropping, but squeezing the image so that all of the top and bottom can be seen, and due to the closer-to-square nature of the image on the closer-to-rectangle screen I took it from, you get the above formatting.
Although the IMAX formatting is a special case, now you can see what's lost, and you might have a bit of an idea of why aspect ratio purists (like myself) prefer Widescreen to Fullscreen. The latter is the 35mm with it's sides chopped off to fit into a 4:3 TV screen (hence the "this movie has been modified from it's original to fit your TV" warnings you'd get on VHS tapes back in the day).
So, the one thing you should take from all this? If you haven't seen The Dark Knight in IMAX, go see it when the re-release it next month. And if you haven't seen it at all? For the love of god, pony up the extra cash to see it on that freaking huge screen. It makes an excellent movie that much better.
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
Been ages, I know. But I'm here now with something that's been much on my mind since the release of The Dark Knight in IMAX: How are they gonna deal with the different aspect ratios on DVD?
The answer is "in a mixed way." As you all may or may not know, IMAX is filmed in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio, that is, the image you get is 1.43 units longer than it is tall. With the screen as big as it is, that's pretty darn close to square. However, your standard 35mm film (the stuff that gets shown in movie theaters and is usually marketed as "widescreen" on DVD shelves) is a whopping 2.40:1, giving it that cinematic "clipped from the top and bottom" or letterboxed look.
Given the cost and highly unwieldy use of IMAX cameras, only a few of the big scenes in The Dark Knight were filmed in the format, which meant that two things happened. For the IMAX release, they took the rest of the scenes that were shot in standard 35mm and projected them onto the screen in their original ratio, leaving a portion of the top and bottom of the screen unused while the scenes shot in IMAX took up the entire screen. Given just how freakin' huge an IMAX screen is, the 35mm still took up a whole lot of space, but the changes of the aspect ratio were definitely noticeable.
For the theatrical (non-IMAX) release, they simply took all the IMAX scenes and cropped the top and bottom off of the images so that it got squeezed back down to the correct 2.40:1 ratio. To the directors and cinematographers credit, the IMAX sequences were still really well framed, so editing them down didn't do much damage to the visuals. For purists, the IMAX version remains the most intact.
For the DVD's, two things were done. The closest to the original aspect ratio was the inclusion of the IMAX scenes as a separate extra in the Standard Definition 2-Disc Set. While one can see the entirety of the shots in this extra, the wonky IMAX formatting means that not only is the image cropped off at the sides, but also at the top to allow for viewing on a standard 4:3 TV or computer screen. However, the entire image is there, and in the end makes a nice extra to have. The only odd thing is that this is missing from the High Def Blu-Ray release, for reasons unknown.
Instead, for both the Blu-Ray and the Digital Copy of the movie, they re-set the aspect ratio to 1.78:1 for the IMAX scenes, allowing for more of the image to be seen. My guess as to why this is is that a switch from an image that's cropped up and down to an image that's cropped on the sides would be too jarring for those viewing on an HDTV (itself being a 16:9), who's image would have to contract inward to preserve the proper aspect ratio (rather than the 35mm image "expanding" to fill an IMAX screen).
Allow me to illustrate, starting with the most constrained and moving outward. Here's a shot from the opening heist scene, cropped from the 1.43:1 IMAX to the 2.40:1 of 35mm:
2.40:1
It looks great, which is once again testament to how well the film was shot. Remember, however, that this isn't all of the shot. Here's that same image, but taken from the 1.78:1 Digital copy:
1.78:1
Notice how you can now see more of his legs below the mask, the curb he's standing on, and the tops of some of the street lights. I thought it was interesting as I was formatting these pictures that the above picture, when squeezed down to the same 720 x 480 pixels as the first picture, was essentially the same but without the letterboxing. Don't let the lack of black bars across the top and bottom fool you, however. This still isn't the full image. For that, I give you the below:
1.43:1
Here is the IMAX image in it's entirety. Notice you can now see his feet and some of the sidewalk below it, and the water tower in the upper right-hand corner is fully visible. Notice also the letterboxing on the sides of the picture. This isn't cropping, but squeezing the image so that all of the top and bottom can be seen, and due to the closer-to-square nature of the image on the closer-to-rectangle screen I took it from, you get the above formatting.
Although the IMAX formatting is a special case, now you can see what's lost, and you might have a bit of an idea of why aspect ratio purists (like myself) prefer Widescreen to Fullscreen. The latter is the 35mm with it's sides chopped off to fit into a 4:3 TV screen (hence the "this movie has been modified from it's original to fit your TV" warnings you'd get on VHS tapes back in the day).
So, the one thing you should take from all this? If you haven't seen The Dark Knight in IMAX, go see it when the re-release it next month. And if you haven't seen it at all? For the love of god, pony up the extra cash to see it on that freaking huge screen. It makes an excellent movie that much better.
Enough, More Later.
- James
Friday, November 14, 2008
(Anti)Twilight Analysis: The Good Parts Version
Now playing: Tannahill Weavers - Ferrickside/The Laundry at Drummond Castle
via FoxyTunes
In this whole crazy mess that are the books and movie, I've found some great analysis by others on what makes Twilight so attractive/horrendous.
What is it About Edward? Smart Bitches, Trashy Books provides an insightful look into what makes many ladies go crazy. A choice cut...
"He tames his desire to kill her and eat her, but he still consumes her, which is the point that made me the most uncomfortable, but may also serve as a primary reference as to why Edward is so alluring a character. While Edward and Bella don’t knock boots in Twilight, Edward manages to insert himself figuratively into her life and become the center of every moment of Bella’s life – and she’s all for it. More than one person commented to me privately after reading my review that the manner in which Bella subsumes her identity and becomes absorbed by Edward almost symbiotically made them as readers profoundly uncomfortable, because it echoed abusive relationships they witnessed or experienced. It wasn’t romantic for them, that totalitarian management - it was creepy."
Lord Sin's Loinfire Club: The Loinfire Club doesn't read....Twilight. While a bit high in the snark area, it also calls out a lot of what doesn't work. Case in point...
"Meyer also notes...that 'Edward goes to great lengths so nothing bad happens to Bella, she is cared for so much. A lot of the book's appeal is the thought of being loved to that extent [...] There has been some antagonism from men about Edward. They are jealous because they don't want to try that hard.'
Of course men don't want to try that hard. And no man should. It's creepy. Edward seems to do nothing else but stalk her (and hunt for food). He spends all his sleepless nights sneaking into Bella's room and watching her sleep, seemingly immune to boredom. (Pillywiggin theorises that Bella's a one-woman radio station in her range of sleep-talking, but I doubt that's what Meyer has in mind.) He stalks her, literally following her about and finding out where is by reading the thoughts of those around her. And this is all before they actually get together and declare their love and all that."
Arzim's Compiled Twilight Rebuttals: Very in depth (if not angry) counter-arguments to the fan responses. This person has earned the title "English Major."
"Or, take Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) and its titular character. Like Elizabeth, Jane is faced with classism, sexism, lack of opportunity, and, like Bella, is faced with dealing with somewhat of a Byronic hero (brooding, dark, secretive, ‘superior’). Like Elizabeth, Jane basically gives a polite and cultured “fuck you!” to her antagonists, and unlike Bella, Jane doesn’t take any crap from Mr. Rochester. In fact, the feminist theme in Jane Eyre is so firm and pervasive that by the end of the book, Jane has completely turned the traditional gender roles on their asses. Together, she and Elizabeth represent two of the strongest female characters in all of literature. Bella? Bella doesn’t even deserve to be on the same bookshelf as them."
That's all for now. More meaty (and personal) analysis of other subjects to come!
Enough, More Later.
- James
via FoxyTunes
In this whole crazy mess that are the books and movie, I've found some great analysis by others on what makes Twilight so attractive/horrendous.
What is it About Edward? Smart Bitches, Trashy Books provides an insightful look into what makes many ladies go crazy. A choice cut...
"He tames his desire to kill her and eat her, but he still consumes her, which is the point that made me the most uncomfortable, but may also serve as a primary reference as to why Edward is so alluring a character. While Edward and Bella don’t knock boots in Twilight, Edward manages to insert himself figuratively into her life and become the center of every moment of Bella’s life – and she’s all for it. More than one person commented to me privately after reading my review that the manner in which Bella subsumes her identity and becomes absorbed by Edward almost symbiotically made them as readers profoundly uncomfortable, because it echoed abusive relationships they witnessed or experienced. It wasn’t romantic for them, that totalitarian management - it was creepy."
Lord Sin's Loinfire Club: The Loinfire Club doesn't read....Twilight. While a bit high in the snark area, it also calls out a lot of what doesn't work. Case in point...
"Meyer also notes...that 'Edward goes to great lengths so nothing bad happens to Bella, she is cared for so much. A lot of the book's appeal is the thought of being loved to that extent [...] There has been some antagonism from men about Edward. They are jealous because they don't want to try that hard.'
Of course men don't want to try that hard. And no man should. It's creepy. Edward seems to do nothing else but stalk her (and hunt for food). He spends all his sleepless nights sneaking into Bella's room and watching her sleep, seemingly immune to boredom. (Pillywiggin theorises that Bella's a one-woman radio station in her range of sleep-talking, but I doubt that's what Meyer has in mind.) He stalks her, literally following her about and finding out where is by reading the thoughts of those around her. And this is all before they actually get together and declare their love and all that."
Arzim's Compiled Twilight Rebuttals: Very in depth (if not angry) counter-arguments to the fan responses. This person has earned the title "English Major."
"Or, take Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) and its titular character. Like Elizabeth, Jane is faced with classism, sexism, lack of opportunity, and, like Bella, is faced with dealing with somewhat of a Byronic hero (brooding, dark, secretive, ‘superior’). Like Elizabeth, Jane basically gives a polite and cultured “fuck you!” to her antagonists, and unlike Bella, Jane doesn’t take any crap from Mr. Rochester. In fact, the feminist theme in Jane Eyre is so firm and pervasive that by the end of the book, Jane has completely turned the traditional gender roles on their asses. Together, she and Elizabeth represent two of the strongest female characters in all of literature. Bella? Bella doesn’t even deserve to be on the same bookshelf as them."
That's all for now. More meaty (and personal) analysis of other subjects to come!
Enough, More Later.
- James
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