and don't forget... OOOK!

I may be wrong, I hope I am, but I think Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip may have jumped the shark last night. Aaron Sorkin's new show has always been a problem for me. It's wonderfully written in a technical sense (great dialogue, inventive ideas), wonderfully acted and just as wonderfully filmed. Unfortunately, I couldn't care less about any of the characters or the situations. I don't care what their problems are, no more than I'd care if it were a drama about Income Tax Preparers and the stories were all about the minutiae of the 1096-AAA carbon-based life form. I care about characters, and last night's episode, purportedly about the characters, was just an awful embarrassing episode of I Love Lucy. Without Lucy. Or comedy. Or heaven help us, without even William Frawley.

I won't go into all the problematic storylines. I'll just center my complaint on the one that bothered me the most. So I won't talk about the possible lovers who get stuck on the roof along with every other sitcom character and his girl friend who have done just that, or that there are snakes loose in the studio, or that Matt is so jealous he's secretly bidding in an auction to go with the woman he loves to an awards dinner that's for her. I won't talk about those. Oh, one last thing: Just remember, this is a drama and not a sitcom. Got that?

For those who don't follow Studio 60, and judging by the ratings very few do, Nate Cordry's Tom Jeter actor-character cares for a British writer on the show and finally asks her out on a date. Unfortunately, Jack Rudolph, the Chairman of the network, needs Tom to take a young Japanese girl to an awards dinner on the same night as Tom's date. The whys are unimportant.

So what does Tom do? Instead of straight forwardly telling the object of his desire that his boss needs him to take a young girl to the awards dinner in order to talk her out of giving up the cello and becoming a comedy writer (remember: drama. not sitcom) he does what Lucy does every episode. He lies. Makes up a story. Now, he does state somewhere that the truth would be best, but he still lies. And his reason is ridiculous; his fellow writer would resent him going out with another woman. Before their first ever date. Of course since since the woman he wanted to go out with is a writer on the show she would know Jack Rudolph and realize Tom couldn't get out of it. Or she'd be sympathetic with him. Or any number of real possibilities. But he lies. And guess what? Just like Lucy, the female writer turns up at the award's show, too and sees Tom with the Japanese girl. And hilarity doesn't ensue.

Now, I have problems with characters being stupid and lying for no reason. There are reasons one lies, "No, you're not fat." "Of course you look wonderful." Etc. But I have a real problem with people who lie because they decide to lie. I used to know someone whose default is lying. About anything and everything. Can't deal with it. There was absolutely no reason for Tom to lie except that the writer needed a plot complication. If you really need a character to lie, you need to give him a real reason to do so. But Tom lied and he got caught. And Matt acted like an idiot and he got caught. And the roof door is still locked and there's still snakes on the plane.

As a writer I simply hate characters who do things for stupid reasons. One can always find a logical reason for them to do something wrong, but it takes time, like maybe an extra few seconds, to come up with something that would make a reasonable person act like Lucy. In this episode of Studio 60, nobody took that time and everybody came out looking like idiots. Whereas with Lucy it was acceptable (early 50s and an out-and-out sitcom) it's not acceptable in 2007 in a drama, even one about making a comedy show.

So tell me if you agree. Shark bait anyone?

Labels: Jumping The Shark, Studio 60

Yesterday I went over to a friend's house (Hi, Steve!) to watch "The Phantom Edits" of Star Wars and Attack of the Clones. I'm a huge Star Wars universe fan. What that means is I love the universe Lucas set up, love the original Star Wars movie, Love Empire, and after that only like the playground but none of the players. I was hugely disappointed by Jedi. It was the first Star Wars kiddie movie and after Empire, which took the wonderful original and grew it up somewhat, going backward was simply not acceptable. I completely and thoroughly hated Phantom Menace. Tolerated Attack of the Clones and actually, amazingly enjoyed Revenge of the Sith which I consider the third best Star Wars movie.

I'm sure most of you have already seen the Phantom Menace edits. This version still does have some Jar-Jar dialogue and is fairly good. It takes an excrible move and polishes it up. It's still bad but less so. Scenes were cut. Stupid dialogue removed. All the "Yippies" exorcised. The movie was greatly trimmed but nothing can make that movie good, thought it did make it less awful. On the other hand I had almost liked Attack Of The Clones when I first saw it. I thought there was some really good ideas in it but it was hurt by some truly stilted dialogue peppered throughout and had scenes that went on too long. And yes, I know, Star Wars always had wonky dialogue, but it was fun wonky and part of its charm. This amazing edit of Clones is brilliant. It reshapes the movie, removes a lot of the more embarrassing scenes. Cuts dialogue expertly, trims where it should, and proves there really was a good film there under all the extra stuff. I congratulate all the folk involved with this one. I only wish the actual movie was cut this well.

If you haven't seen the edited version, it's absolutely professional. You'd never know where a line was trimmed or altered. Scenes are perfect and the music flows exactly as it's supposed to. It's an amazing feat since it's obvious whoever did this didn't have access to anything other than the existing DVDs and a lot of talent. Perhaps someone here will know if the person who did this has gone on to doing professional editing. He certainly should. Anyway, I hear it can be found on the net. I don't have an URL but I'm sure a Google search would turn it up. It's really worth seeing.

We saw those two movies as well as a 1988 student version of Raiders Of The Lost Ark - where every scene was lovingly redone. The only major difference being the kids didn't have a monkey to poison dates with and instead used their dog, which somehow they got to loyally sit on their shoulder. It was fun, silly, dopey but dedicated. The people who did that film have got to be in their 30s now. Anyone know if any of them went into the business?

Labels: The Phantom Edits

I've been slow in seeing a lot of movies this winter, but last night I saw one of, no, maybe the best of the season, Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. This is a true masterpiece; a fairy tale that is beautiful, haunting, frightening, loving and definitely not for little kids. I actually can't find anything to criticize about it. The acting is marvelous. Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, is astounding and controlled. His evil is made even more so by a cold, emotionless characterization. Lopez never tries to play a villain and therefore he's one of the best I've ever seen. Meribel Verdu as the housekeeper Mercedez is someone you instantly care about. She projects a haunted quality that lets you know immediately that this is a person in a horrible situation and knows she has no choice but to let it continue. 11 year old Ivana Baquero is powerful in the lead role of Ofelia, a young girl who, against her will, is brought by her loving mother to live with Vidal, a Nazi officer during World War 2. Trapped in this place away from everything she knows, forced to call this evil man her father, Ofelia finds herself in a strange maze that takes her into another world. This film never compromises itself. It is lyrical even as it relentlessly drives home the hopelessness of the situation. Del Toro, who not only directed Hellboy but also Blade-2, among others, is in full control over everything you see here. This movie is his masterpiece so far. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next.

Labels: Pan's Labyrinth

I'd been trying to figure out how to send a photo from my Treo cell phone to this blog for ages now (less than a month, actually). I can send photos from my computer - as you can see throughout the blog - but not from my phone. I've done everything I'm supposed to, and zip. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Blogger's help center tells you what to do without giving you any information. For example: "Make certain you merge your accounts." Okay, WHAT does that mean? HOW do you merge your accounts? And WHERE do you go to merge them? I think they make up their answers and since there's no address to email them for help, they can say anything and sit back while you pull out your hair. Laugh's on them, though. I don't have that much hair in the first place. Anyway, I don't think anybody actually knows this stuff. Not even the Blogger help group.

Not that this is interesting to anyone but me, but should you be one of those trying to do it, know that once you get a token from Blogger so you can alter your info, the photos you send not only go into something resembling the fifteenth circle of hell, but since Blogger has no help line you can write to, there's nothing you can do. You also can't go back and re-enter your token number and fix the informaiton because it won't let you. And you can't erase your token or get a new one. Why? Because you can't. So don't ask.

Anyway, I don't know how I fixed it, but I did. You can see the two pics of LD below. And I can send photos... but NOT from my mobile email, which is what you'd expect. As you can tell below, I managed, finally, to get one sent from my camera and one sent as a text message (don't ask!). This means I've finally got this blog set up the way I wanted it... until Blogger decides not to let me send photos again.

This is a test to see if I mobile photoblog from messaging.

This is a test to see if I mobile photoblog from my camera.

I wanted to remind you that, A: please feel free to post questions, comments, etc. on topics other than what I may bring up. I will leave posts like this on a regular basis so there's a place to post.

Also, if it's a question for me that I can answer, I will, but not as a seperate entry. It'll be posted under your questions, so look at the number of comments under a topic and check if I answered your query there.

Lastly, a reminder that you can subscribe to this blog (and it doesn't cost a penny) by hitting that little ATOM symbol at the bottom of the page, or,if you have it, the orange swirly thing in the URL bar.

As for what does cost a penny, every so often we do ask for donations to keep upgrading this site with new software and such, and also for some other cool dumb stuff that needs to be bought. If you like the whole site, please click on the PAYPAL button and donate a buck or two. It'll be greatly appeciated.

Just finished watching this week's Smallville and I really enjoyed it. Yes, I know Cyborg was on it, and yes, it's a thrill to see my characters break into live action, but it was a particularly strong episode, filled with both story and character with a hint of a new direction; Luthor is sinking deeper and deeper as he embraces his future villainhood.

We knew Lois could not long stay with Oliver, but looking at Erica Durance, well, he is a certified idiot. Still, they handled the break up well. Liked it a lot. And of course Chloe, my favorite Smallville character, was used better than ever. "Watchtower" indeed.

Neither Cyborg nor Aquaman had a lot to do this week, the story was mostly about Impulse and Green Arrow, and I have to say they've actually made a character I never much cared about into someone interesting. The CW (still a stupid name for a network) obviously likes Arrow - or at least they like Justin Hartley, the actor, and they seem to be pushing him with a mutli-episode arc and a cell phone game, or whatever it is. Wonder if he's being groomed for a series.

This is the beginning of the Justice League and I liked that when Clark was offered a place in it, he didn't just cop out all wimpy like - as he usually does - he cited a real reason for not joining and admitted the Phantom Zone fallout was his fault. We've got the beginning of two very strong season arcs here; Luthor's 33.1 super-villain group in the making, and the capture of the Phantom Zone villains. And even better, they don't rely on the meteor shower.

But of course it was Cyborg who interested me the most, personally. I was pleased to see him in armor. I liked how they used his power and was very pleased with the results. Good job. Now let's see more.

I do have one thought. They need a female. And since this is a High School/College age show, I think RAVEN would be a great addition to the future league. Her characterization even fits in perfectly with Smallville's stories. So if you're reading this and agree, why not bombard the CW/Smallville websites with that suggestion. It would be cool, especially if they can bring in Cyborg for the episode as well. We'd have the JLA and the Teen Titans together.

Labels: National Gorilla Suit Day

Just came home from the Writer's Guild screening of Borat. Because award season is in full swing here in LA (we have four seasons here like everyone else: fire, earthquake, floods and award) after the screening, the movie's writers, Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham spoke for about an hour. The talk was filmed and should be an extra on their upcoming DVD release.

I may be among the last people in America to have seen Borat. I was never a huge fan of Da Ali G show. I would laugh then turn it off screaming. But I did watch. I decided to go to Borat with great misgivings. But I went anyway.

So I have mixed opinions about it. Generally I liked it. I laughed a lot. Sometimes I couldn't stop laughing. But then, suddenly, I would find myself repulsed by something I was watching. I generally have a low threshold for embarrassment humor. I tend to turn off the TV when on a sitcom someone is about to do something really stupid. Borat swings back and forth from the hilarious to the hellacious. Fortunately, overall it is more funny than not. But those non moments are truly cringeworthy.

I was sitting next to Steve Mitchell, Mark Evanier and Earl Kress. Mark felt, and I think rightly, that far more of the movie was scripted than they would like us to believe. There are incidents in the film that could only have been scripted, and I'm not talking about the obvious ones. One audience member asked Baron Cohen about the Pamela Anderson scene. he wanted to know if she was in on the joke or not. Interestingly, Baron Cohen didn't answer the question.

The talk afterward was the real fun part. Because it will be on DVD I won't bother to rehash it, but their story about the Crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. - a scene that was cut from the film - was hilarious.

I liked the film though not all of it, but I definitely thought the evening was great. One of the coolest things about living out here and being part of the WGA is going to functions like this. Usually they can only be seen if you were present. It's nice to hear that the talk will be on the DVD. If you look really hard you may even see Earl, Mark Me and Steve.

By the way, Mark just posted his review. You can read it HERE!

Labels: Borat

Have a question you want to ask, or a thought you want to express? Put your comments here and we'll see where it goes. Regular comment rules apply!

SPOILER WARNINGS!



Bite'm Baurer! Bite 'em again.

And in less than four hours he kills one of his closest friends instead of shooting him in the shoulder.

Wotta man. Sigh!

Sent from my Treo

Labels: 24

I want to thank my old Disney Adventures assistant, Heidi MacDonald, for mentioning Today's Views. Heidi writes THE BEAT, a great daily column about comics and more for the Publishers Weekly website. If you've never read it, you are urged to check it out. It's great and it will expose you to a lot of comics you may not know anything about. For those coming here because of Heidi's column, please note that I've been writing this blog since 2002 and it runs the gamut from serious to frivolous to real talks about comics, writing and more. If you go all the way to the bottom of this page you will see "Older Archives." This will take you to a page where you can find nearly all my blogs from 2002 to December of 2006. The only thing different is that I'm now using blogging software and it allows for comments as well as long distance posting. Check it out.

Also, if you are new here, take a look at the rest of my site. To the right of this blog are links for all my pages, from never before seen original designs for Titans Tower, including names of characters who never made it into the Titans, to discussions of other comics I've worked on, as well as my old What Th--? column where I talk about writing comics and otherwise. What Th--? also features great interviews with all manner of interesting writers, in comics, movies, TV, novels and more. You should definitely take a look there.

For those who have been regulars, either from 2002 or any time since, to the new recruits, I'm really pleased you've come to check us out. Feel free to subscribe (Click on the ATOM icon at the bottom of the page) and never miss an update.

In the car and coming home from a wonderful day at Disneyland. It was extremely cold - for California (see previous blog) but well worth the trip. Walked into most of the rides without more than a few munute's wait. Great dinner in New 0rleans square. Now very tired.

Zzzzzzzzzz

Sent from my Treo

We woke up this morning, stepped outside and nearly killed ourselves! There was ICE all over the stairs. ICE! In L.A. That wasn't in the "Always Wonderful Weather" contract I signed.

Anybody know who I can complain to?

My friend Craig Miller and I just got back from a trip to the TV Academy where they had one of their semi-regular "Evening With..." discussions. These usually consist of the creators and cast of a specific TV show as well as a moderator who asks them questions about it. In the past I've seen evenings with "The Shield," "The West Wing," "Alias," "Desperate Housewives," and dozens of other shows. Tonight was "An Evening With Lost." The moderator for this evening was Jimmy Kimmel.

Despite my expectations, Kimmel was actually a great moderator. This was one of the funnier evenings ranking closely behind "An Evening With South Park" where Trey Parker and Matt Stone were interviewed by Eric Idle. That one was classic! This was lots of fun. Kimmel was also a huge fan of the series, and he kept trying to get someone - from J.J. Abrams to any member of the cast, to spill the beans about anything. But they wouldn't. They did tell funny stories about the Polar Bear in the first episode, about actors auditioning for different parts, and they also did their best to deflect any questions about the secret of the island. When Kimmel asked - repeatedly - if they actually had a plan or were making it up as they went along, the creators of the series explained that they knew up front what the island is, why these characters were chosen to crash there, who "The Others" is and many, many other vital parts, but they don't always know exactly how they'd get to those places.

I know exactly what they mean because when I wrote Tomb of Dracula or even The new Titans, I worked out my major story threads in advance, sometimes up to two years in advance, but I rarely knew the specifics of how I'd reach those moments. Fact is, you don't want to know everything or the job becomes boring because all you're doing is putting into words what you already did in outline. What you want is the points and explanations for everything you're going to do, so you know your direction, but you want to be free to move in and around the story, to keep surprising yourself, and therefore surprising your readers or watchers. The one thing they did say is that the secret isn't just one thing. It's a series of things. They felt that no matter what anyone does expectations are always higher than what can be delivered, so the secrets of the island are many and varied so don't keep trying to figure out one specific answer. There isn't any.

The cast is huge so not all of them had a chance to really talk. As if taking the lead from their characters, "Jack," "Kate" and "Sawyer" spoke the most. "Hurley" was next. And even that wasn't all that much. Mostly, it was the creators and producers talking and explaining how they put the show together. As good a job as he did, I do wish Kimmel had specifically asked each one of the actors to have spoken or explained how they saw their characters. I always love to hear from the creators - they are usually the most responsible for any show - but I would've liked to have heard a little more on how the actors perceive their roles. But that nitpicking aside, it was a great evening, and better yet, there was a party afterward.

I'm not positive, but I know the evening was also shown on both abc.com as well as emmys.tv and if that's the case you may be able to find it there so you could enjoy it as well.

Labels: My Lost Weekend

For those who have been asking, I've added the scripts for the entire first NIGHTWING arc to my script sales page. You'll also find a lot of other scripts there, too. Most are $15.00 plus postage. Take a look HERE.

Well, I was wrong. There is no end in updating a website. I decided I wanted one of those cool little LOGO thingies you sometimes see in the URL strip at the top of all websites, but the problem is I didn't even know what they were called. Well, I zipped an email to my friend MARK EVANIER - whose website is a must read - and he told me they are called favicons. I designed one, sent it off to myfavatar.com who sent me the code which I then cut and paste into my template. The rest is now evident. Look up to see the MW box there. I think you will see it immediately if you use Firefox, but it may take some time with the other browsers, especially Explorer which seems to take forever. I have no idea why. Probably a cache thing or yet another Microsoft screwup. Anyway, I think it's really cool. Thanks to both Mark and myfavatar. I feel as if I made the gigantic web just a bit more personal. At least to me.

Labels: Favicons

Pardon me if I ramble a bit.

It's strange the way things work. If you know my work, wouldn't you think of me first when looking for a writer to script a movie about a California born Latino skate-boarding super-hero? Me, a white boy Jewish kid from Brooklyn who loses balance navigating the treacherous byways of sidewalk cracks? Actually, maybe you would if you also realized I created BLADE and CYBORG (see next week's SMALLVILLE), both Black heroes, as well as a whole slew of female characters like RAVEN, STARFIRE and BLACK CAT, and as far as I've been told or can see for myself, I'm neither female, Black, nor Latino. But then I'm also physically pretty much the opposite of a hero, but that doesn't stop me from writing about them. After all, no matter who we are, we're writing about people, and the best stories are about characters you can understand and in one fashion or another care about.

Continuing, I've worked with STAN LEE since the very early 1970s and I have to say the man has always amazed me. He probably has more energy at his age now than I do, which may not be saying much, but then he always has. Even when I was 20. But I've especially long admired his writing which is truly legendary in all the right ways. In the 60s Stan wrote comics that were mind-boggingly original. In fact, his writing forever changed comics. And that's not hyperbole. His scripting was fresh and fun and so much better than everyone else out there. He took us places we'd never seen in a comic before. He introduced not one or two but an entire pantheon of new creations that are still going strong 40 plus years later. I'm told I've created more comic book characters that have gone on to movies, TV, etc. than anyone but Stan, but except for perhaps Blade, his are the ones you think of immediately when you think comics. Where would the industry be today if he not only hadn't created Spider-Man, but after original penciller JACK KIRBY - who is probably the best comic book artist ever - handed in his early pages Stan hadn't decided Jack, as brilliant as he is, was wrong for that title and turned around and instead gave the first story to STEVE DITKO who was the absolute perfect choice. Stan was not only a great comics writer, but perhaps an even better editor. Everything done in the super-hero genre today owes something to Stan and those early Marvel Comics. Stan may also be the only comics creator whose name is known by nearly everyone, including folk who have never read a comic.

I've also admired Stan as a person. I know fans sometimes think Stan's happy demeanor is put on, but I've worked side-by-side with him in many different situations and he has always been positive, happy and fun to be with. He's the real deal and whenever he calls and asks me to do a job for him, I'm there before he can put down the phone or think to call someone else.

So about a year and a half ago I got a call to come into his office. I made the long dangerous journey from Tarzana to Beverly Hills and we had our typical opening conversation:

Stan: Hi, Marv. So how's it going?

Marv: Good.

Stan: No, Marv. How many times have I got to tell you? Everything's going GREAT! Better than GREAT! Good is not a good word. You're doing GREAT! Remember that the next time someone asks how you're doing.

Marv: Duly noted, sir.

Anyway, once we got past the self-help advice (which I wish I could take but am too inhibited to actually do so) we got down to business. He had his new company, POW ENTERTAINMENT - which stands for Purveyors Of Wonder (how Stan is that?) - and they were doing direct-to-DVD animated movies and he wanted me to write one. Needless to say, I said yes.

And so I wrote the new direct-to-DVD animated movie, THE CONDOR, and it is coming out on DVD sometime in the next six weeks. But you can order it now on AMAZON.COM (for your convenience there's an Amazon link box just to your right, and if you order it through this site, I even get a few cents rebate for sending you there). The Condor is Stan's newest creation, and one of many new animated movies POW has developed. I had a ball writing it and I hope those of you who pick it up, will enjoy watching it.

Actually, I'm sorry. This is for Stan: I had the greatest time ever writing it and you're going to go into overpowering orgasms of ecstasy watching it! Excelsior!

Anyway... when you do and then see me at some con and ask me how I'm doing, don't be surprised if I say, GREAT! BETTER THAN GREAT! Exuberance has worked for Stan for over 70 years. Maybe it'll work for me, too.

THE CONDOR... coming in March.

Labels: Stan lee, The Condor

This blog re-design is now done, with a huge big thanks once again to Laura, who so incredibly kindly went through my template and cleaned it all up so it's running like a new Ferrari. Now if only what I posted here didn't deserve better than a 1964 Volkswagen...

I haven't talked politics for a long time - frankly it depresses me - but it's hard to avoid sometimes. MSNBS's Keith Olbermann - who is always worth listening to - explained what's wrong with the war in Iraq in the most succinct way I've heard to date. You can see it HERE.

Labels: Keith Olbermann

The previously mentioned Laura (thank you again!) also suggested I fix my site so the RSS feed will let you subscribe to this blog. I think that's a good thing, but what do I know about RSS? Anyway, there's a little ATOM bullet at the bottom of this page that will do something to put this blog onto your browser toolbar which I guess is subscribing. Or, if you have it, you can hit the little ORANGE SWIRLY THINGIE in your URL bar and do the same. But if you subscribe and this Blog suddenly starts coming to you folded in half with an address label stuck on it in the wrong place, hey, that's your boogie.
I'm just saying.

I'm a Mac person. Have been for awhile although I started computering back in the days of CPM-86, before the birth of DOS and way before Windows. I have the intel-iMac, I have a Mac Book. And though I know I can be easily convinced, I'm not yet sure why I may want one of the new iPhones Apple honcho Steve Jobs announced yesterday. I mean, they are supremely cool looking - all Apple products reek of the cool factor - but when I went onto the Apple website I saw essentially a phone - iPod - web surfing, email program. But my current Palm TREO does all that and a lot more. Perhaps someone out there knows if I missed something. I mean the idea of having the easy ability to download movies and TV to it sounds great, although I can do it, with some difficulty, now, but does the iPhone have all the other abilities that the Palm Pilot is known for: calendar scheduling, writing (built in Word - would Apple put that on?), Games (lots of games) the connections to Vindigo and Mobil Express that let me know or find anything I need. Can I schedule? These are the things I couldn't find on the website, but I would need. Anyone have any clues out there in tech land?

Labels: iPhone

Since I moved this Blog from Dreamweaver to Blogger (although the rest of my site is still on Dreamweaver) I had this annoying white box up in the left corner of the page and had no idea how to get rid of it. I thought I actually removed every possible line searching for it. But when you keep failing, rule of thumb is to call in the experts. The first person who suggested I use Blogger a year or two ago was the wondrous Elayne Riggs. She's been doing her wonderfully entertaining blog for a LOOOOONG time and I've been linking to it (see the link to the right) for almost that time. She forward me to the equally wondrous Laura Gjovaag who seemed to solve the problem in about 3 seconds. I sent off my query and before I knew it the answer was here. And better, it worked. Thanks, Laura. Sigh. Suddenly all is right with the world.

It has been quiet. Too quiet. Finished Nightwing #130 and now onto Raven 4. Next week it is Nightwing #131. I want to get ahead. We are only beginning our second arc and Jamal and I are already planning our third which is going to be intensely powerful and personal.

Have had little time to see many movies lately; going to Chicago meant having to forsake that kind of stuff in order to get ahead so I could go away for a few days for other business. However, I did get to see Flushed Away last night, on an Academy screener on TV. Noel and I had a lovely dinner and movie at home. Flushed Away is the Dreamworks/Aardman cartoon. Boy, talk about mixed feelings. It was funny, but it felt forced. I love wild comedy, but I also love the quiet, subtle humor of Aardman. Wallace And Gromitt Curse of the Were-Rabbit was perfect Aardman. This felt like everyone was trying to have a say in the comedy and it is joke after joke with much of them hilarious but resulting in a schizophrenic film that is not sure what it wants to be. Worth seeing absolutely, but probably not at $10.50 a ticket. See it on video.

Did get to see Babel on the plane to Chicago, another Academy screener. Surprisingly good, but the co-starring nomination should not necessarily go to Brad Pitt, who is fine by the way, but to the Japanese actress who plays the death mute. That was a courageous performance, and not just because of the nudity. What a great job.

Did finish the new Brad Meltzer novel, The Book Of Fate, and I liked it a lot. Now I am on the Stephen King novel, The Cell. Also picked up the King book about writing. Making my way through both of them. I am an awfully slow reader but am having a good time. King is making a zombie story seem all fresh.

Break is over. Back to Raven.

Labels: Random Thoughts

1: I'm back from Chicago and actually typing this from home. Yay!
2: So, what did you think of NIGHTWING?

Should be coming out either tomorrow or Thursday. Comment here and let me know what you think.

I'm in Chicago and I'd been fearing the winter weather. Turns out there's nothing to fear. Least not yet. The weather's not LA warm, but it's hardly a problem. Actually it's pretty brisk, which is jes' fine. Last night I computer phoned Noel and we had a wonderful video phone call, live. I'm sure many of you have done that, but aside from video-ing from room to room in our house this was the first real opportunity to do it partly cross-continent, and it worked perfectly, me in front of the laptop, Noel in front of the office computer. The movement was pretty natural and the shound was nearly perfect. And best of all, it was free because it was on high speed wireless internet.

I got through most of the book I was reading on the trip; Brad Meltzer's Book of Hope. So far it's a great read and I'm about 70 pages from the end. I'll probably finish it up before I go to bed tonight.

Nothing major to report. For some reason I'm not getting my type size blogger icon so this may turn out to be giant, small or anything between, but it'll do.

Later.

Labels: Chicago

Noel and I got in about 2:30AM after two great New Year's Eve parties and an evening being trounced playing Mahjong. If you haven't played the game, it's addictive, and a bunch of us play it as often as possible. It's sort of Gin Rummy, only with tiles and a few other twists, but it's also very different. we also play with slightly different rules than traditional Mahjong (traditional being either Chinese Mahjong or Jewish MahJong, depending). we're not nearly as cutthroat and there's no real money involved; we play for tokens not cash, so it's all friendly, except when one person keeps Mahjonging. basic rule is Mahjong six times in a row and you're defenestrated.

We got home and L.D. was staring at us like "Where have you been?" so we petted her for a bit then all went to sleep. And sleep. And sleep. Waking up just a bit ago.

There's one final Holiday party coming up where we'll play even more games - Mahjong probably among them and then feast on the traditional Chinese dinner. Thank God there's no more parties after that... for awhile at least. It'll be time to hunker down.

But not for too long. I'll soon be heading off to Chicago. In Winter. Why did I agree to that? Since I can now long-distance blog, I hope to have something to say on the road. I may not be able to control the font size of the posting type on my Treo, but something should appear here if all systems are go.

Labels: New Years 2007