Buys
The spring splurge continues with my purchases of Eureka Season 3 (both volumes), Ip Man 2 (see below, we couldn't wait), and Green Hornet (meh, why not?).
"Accomplishments"
Books: I was following the FakeAPStyleBook on Twitter, and enjoying it, and then all these bloggers I like started shilling for Write More Good, written by the same folks. I sprang for it without realizing that a lot of those bloggers were contributors (people like Mike Sterling, Chris Sims, Dorian Wright and my inspiration, Dave Campbell)! As someone who works in media (I've been on both sides of the fence), I possibly enjoyed even more than you will (what, you're not taking my humble recommendation?). Funny to the last drop, Write More Good could have simply published a long list of tweets and been amusing. It goes a lot further and becomes a satirical and extremely knowing instruction manual on how to become a journalist. I reflexively smirked the whole way through. And it never shies away from the most ridiculously geeky references. A book after my own heart. Awesome, guys!
DVDs: Flipped Eureka Season 2 this week, a slightly darker season that very interestingly, I thought, explored the differences between Henry's timeline from Season 1's finale and the new/old timeline. In the early episodes, every problem or development seemed to stem from the same turning point. Coupled with a darker storyline for the usually positive presence of Henry , the overall effect was a show that was once again trying to find its legs. I preferred the previous season's lighter tone (which seems to have returned in Season 3 - but I'm only a couple episodes in), though by now, we know and hopefully love the characters and enjoy their travails. The DVD package for this season is a step down from the previous release, with commentaries on few episodes (having two for the same one seems inefficient) and less interesting outtakes. There are also deleted scenes, cast interviews, a couple of featurettes and fake eureka PSAs that made me laugh.
Ip Man 2 has Donnie Yen pleasantly reprise the role of Bruce Lee's legendary mentor, with incredible fight sequences, generally strong acting and a historical verisimilitude worthy of the original, one of last year's best. It's not QUITE as good though, mostly thanks to some stilted or over the top performances from the non-Chinese actors and a frankly schmaltzy ending. The "White Devils" have nowhere near the charisma that the Japanese do in the first film, though the Eastern vs. Western boxing fight is appropriately epic and Sammo Hung's co-starring role a good one. If you're a fan of the first one, you'll at least like the second. If you've never seen the first one, you'll possibly love it. I didn't get the collector's edition, but the one-disc release still has a 15-minute making of featurette that's short but adequate. The collector's edition has deleted scenes, extended interviews and more behind the scenes material, though reviews I've seen have said there is altogether to much repetition of the same footage.
Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
II.ii. The Players - Branagh '96
The spring splurge continues with my purchases of Eureka Season 3 (both volumes), Ip Man 2 (see below, we couldn't wait), and Green Hornet (meh, why not?).
"Accomplishments"
Books: I was following the FakeAPStyleBook on Twitter, and enjoying it, and then all these bloggers I like started shilling for Write More Good, written by the same folks. I sprang for it without realizing that a lot of those bloggers were contributors (people like Mike Sterling, Chris Sims, Dorian Wright and my inspiration, Dave Campbell)! As someone who works in media (I've been on both sides of the fence), I possibly enjoyed even more than you will (what, you're not taking my humble recommendation?). Funny to the last drop, Write More Good could have simply published a long list of tweets and been amusing. It goes a lot further and becomes a satirical and extremely knowing instruction manual on how to become a journalist. I reflexively smirked the whole way through. And it never shies away from the most ridiculously geeky references. A book after my own heart. Awesome, guys!
DVDs: Flipped Eureka Season 2 this week, a slightly darker season that very interestingly, I thought, explored the differences between Henry's timeline from Season 1's finale and the new/old timeline. In the early episodes, every problem or development seemed to stem from the same turning point. Coupled with a darker storyline for the usually positive presence of Henry , the overall effect was a show that was once again trying to find its legs. I preferred the previous season's lighter tone (which seems to have returned in Season 3 - but I'm only a couple episodes in), though by now, we know and hopefully love the characters and enjoy their travails. The DVD package for this season is a step down from the previous release, with commentaries on few episodes (having two for the same one seems inefficient) and less interesting outtakes. There are also deleted scenes, cast interviews, a couple of featurettes and fake eureka PSAs that made me laugh.
Ip Man 2 has Donnie Yen pleasantly reprise the role of Bruce Lee's legendary mentor, with incredible fight sequences, generally strong acting and a historical verisimilitude worthy of the original, one of last year's best. It's not QUITE as good though, mostly thanks to some stilted or over the top performances from the non-Chinese actors and a frankly schmaltzy ending. The "White Devils" have nowhere near the charisma that the Japanese do in the first film, though the Eastern vs. Western boxing fight is appropriately epic and Sammo Hung's co-starring role a good one. If you're a fan of the first one, you'll at least like the second. If you've never seen the first one, you'll possibly love it. I didn't get the collector's edition, but the one-disc release still has a 15-minute making of featurette that's short but adequate. The collector's edition has deleted scenes, extended interviews and more behind the scenes material, though reviews I've seen have said there is altogether to much repetition of the same footage.Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
II.ii. The Players - Branagh '96
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