Buys'n'Gifts
On the strength of the Gojira DVD, I went ahead and got a couple more Toho features released in the same format (Japanese and US versions included, with expert commentary). These are Ghedorah the Three-Headed Monster, and Mothra vs. Godzilla. Also from Japan, that tearjerker of an anime, Barefoot Gen. The DVD includes both Barefoot Gen I and II, and I've never seen the sequel. The original deals with a family's experience with the bomb in 1945 Hiroshima. I sob every time, and I just wanted to convert my old tape to DVD.
A good week for Asian films, I also bought a couple of Wong Kar-Wai films after being enthused by Days of Being Wild (see below). Those I could find on the spur of the moment are Fallen Angels and Happy Together. Finally, Amazon also sent Voyagers! (exclamation point not mine), the time travel series from 1982 starring Jon-Erik Hexum (who sadly died soon after while goofing around with blanks) and Meeno Peluce as the annoying kid. I love time travel, and the concept of this show was always fun to me. Looking at the pilot now, the acting is pretty dreadful, but it still stands up as a fun romp.
And in the total indulgence category, I got myself the Rogue Traders album, solely on the basis of their Voodoo Child track being used in Doctor Who Series 3. It's the kind of electro-pop stuff I would normally deride, but I kinda like most of the tracks and the way they use sampling. Fun to see something other than hip-hop use that technique, and I'm totally turning gay anyway. The Remix disc, however, is terrible.
I called this part Buys'n'Gifts because my roommate celebrated his birthday this week, and as a fellow geek, I had to get him something. That something was the Babylon 5 Lost Tales DVD, on account of his being the show's biggest fan. Well, he's the only person I know with a life-size cardboard cut-out of Sherridan. At least he had one until a wild party caused Sherridan to have mock sex with the guests... He didn't survive long after that.
"Accomplishments"
I read both trades of DC New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke this week (and immediately lent it out to others to read). I knew it by reputation, but bought it last week. Wow. It's every bit as good as I heard, and within the first few pages, had a scene I would easily put in my Memorable Moments column (Johnny Cloud's big bang). And the memorable moments keep coming! It's funny that I read this early this week, just before I heard the news that they were making a New Frontier direct-to-video PG-13 cartoon.
As indicated above, I also watched and flipped Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar-Wai, whose 2046 I'd loved. This is every bit as subtle a drama as 2046, but perhaps more accessible. I really enjoyed its meditation on what it means to settle down for those who have trouble with the concept. Oh, and I fell in love with Maggie Cheung in this thing. Or the 1992 Maggie in any case. Wow, what a beauty, and an excellent actress.
The rest of the week I'd call obligations. My Warcraft buddies wouldn't respect me if I didn't go up at least one level, so I went up two, from 61 to 63. I flipped both Chronicles of Narnia and Constantine, but since I'm about to discuss them in DVD Tales, I won't do so here. And then I finished TNG Season 6, again for blog fodder, and that gave me permission to check out the special disc (my stupid life, my stupid rules). Star Trek special features are never great, but in this case, I was particularly disappointed that the makers didn't understand which stories were actually good in that season. Wasting breath on Time's Arrow, but ignoring Lessons? For shame.
Website finds
Here's the trailer for the New Frontier cartoon. It's been making the rounds. I'm just Mr. Copy-cat.
On the strength of the Gojira DVD, I went ahead and got a couple more Toho features released in the same format (Japanese and US versions included, with expert commentary). These are Ghedorah the Three-Headed Monster, and Mothra vs. Godzilla. Also from Japan, that tearjerker of an anime, Barefoot Gen. The DVD includes both Barefoot Gen I and II, and I've never seen the sequel. The original deals with a family's experience with the bomb in 1945 Hiroshima. I sob every time, and I just wanted to convert my old tape to DVD.A good week for Asian films, I also bought a couple of Wong Kar-Wai films after being enthused by Days of Being Wild (see below). Those I could find on the spur of the moment are Fallen Angels and Happy Together. Finally, Amazon also sent Voyagers! (exclamation point not mine), the time travel series from 1982 starring Jon-Erik Hexum (who sadly died soon after while goofing around with blanks) and Meeno Peluce as the annoying kid. I love time travel, and the concept of this show was always fun to me. Looking at the pilot now, the acting is pretty dreadful, but it still stands up as a fun romp.
And in the total indulgence category, I got myself the Rogue Traders album, solely on the basis of their Voodoo Child track being used in Doctor Who Series 3. It's the kind of electro-pop stuff I would normally deride, but I kinda like most of the tracks and the way they use sampling. Fun to see something other than hip-hop use that technique, and I'm totally turning gay anyway. The Remix disc, however, is terrible.I called this part Buys'n'Gifts because my roommate celebrated his birthday this week, and as a fellow geek, I had to get him something. That something was the Babylon 5 Lost Tales DVD, on account of his being the show's biggest fan. Well, he's the only person I know with a life-size cardboard cut-out of Sherridan. At least he had one until a wild party caused Sherridan to have mock sex with the guests... He didn't survive long after that.
"Accomplishments"
I read both trades of DC New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke this week (and immediately lent it out to others to read). I knew it by reputation, but bought it last week. Wow. It's every bit as good as I heard, and within the first few pages, had a scene I would easily put in my Memorable Moments column (Johnny Cloud's big bang). And the memorable moments keep coming! It's funny that I read this early this week, just before I heard the news that they were making a New Frontier direct-to-video PG-13 cartoon.
As indicated above, I also watched and flipped Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar-Wai, whose 2046 I'd loved. This is every bit as subtle a drama as 2046, but perhaps more accessible. I really enjoyed its meditation on what it means to settle down for those who have trouble with the concept. Oh, and I fell in love with Maggie Cheung in this thing. Or the 1992 Maggie in any case. Wow, what a beauty, and an excellent actress.
The rest of the week I'd call obligations. My Warcraft buddies wouldn't respect me if I didn't go up at least one level, so I went up two, from 61 to 63. I flipped both Chronicles of Narnia and Constantine, but since I'm about to discuss them in DVD Tales, I won't do so here. And then I finished TNG Season 6, again for blog fodder, and that gave me permission to check out the special disc (my stupid life, my stupid rules). Star Trek special features are never great, but in this case, I was particularly disappointed that the makers didn't understand which stories were actually good in that season. Wasting breath on Time's Arrow, but ignoring Lessons? For shame.Website finds
Here's the trailer for the New Frontier cartoon. It's been making the rounds. I'm just Mr. Copy-cat.
Comments
HAPPY TOGETHER and CHUNGKING EXPRESS are also wonderful films.
I'm currently working on Nemesis mechanics, so this theoretical stuff has subverted my card-making time.
And don't forget, Guardian of Horus!
And something Jek/Morgus related would probably work for an appropriate image, too...
And that's a good idea for an Androzani source.