Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Give TV a chance




My most recent aquisitions include Sean Callery's 24 and Michael Giacchino's Alias 1 and 2 scores for some of the most impressive tv shows on the tube today. More impressive is the music to both of these shows. And finally the most impressive is that both 24 and Alias 2 are signed by their composers. A prized possesion indeed.

Browder jumps through a wormhole

Ben Browder joins Stargate SG-1

It couldn't happpen to a better guy. First he makes waves on a living ship called Moya and now he takes another sci-fi leap and joins the cast of SG-1 for their TENTH season. Let's hope he isn't a Daniel clone and tries to mix things up a bit.

Monday, December 13, 2004

Not terribly Wicked

I finally finished Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Macguire. While intriguing, the ending left me a bit cold and the characters not as engaging as I previously thought. Still it was an entertaining look at whether one is born into wickedness or how it develops in one's life.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

I've been quoted

Additions and plugins for Google Deskbar

It seems I thought of something original or at least that someone else hadn't figured out yet. Nice of Chris to ask my permission and use my name when giving the tip for using the amperstand in Google Deskbar.

Monday, December 06, 2004

A Shore thing

Howard Shore, the master behind The Lord of the Rings score is featured in Music from the Movies, a monthly magazine released in the UK. Having had one exported here to the US, I finally finished it cover to cover. Reading the interviews, choral translations and photographs few have ever seen, I relish the time when Douglas Adams' book on the music from The Lord of the Rings is released along with the complete score sometime next year.

The end of all things

Return of the King Extended Edition DVD

Lord of the Rings is finally coming to an end when the Extended Edition of Return of the King DVD is released December 17. A six minute preview is available on the main site. It just reeks of excitement. The Saruman and the Palantir, Eowyn and Faramir, The Mouth of Sauron, I could go on. I can not express the gratitude I feel for the team who created this visionary and emotional masterpiece. I only sadden that there will be no other excitement to come next year.

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Jeopardy is back on the table

Final Jeopardy loss

Finally, after too many months to count, Ken Jennings is off Jeopardy. Maybe now it will be fun to watch again.

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Google bits

The magic that makes Google tick

Ever wonder how they do it? Google has some impressive numbers and hints about how the number one search engine gives you those results and fast.

Howl is coming

BBC: Global release for Japan hit film

Howl's Moving Castle
is coming to 50 different countries. Please make it fast to the US.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Watch while you shop

Amazon Theatre

I have to say I am enjoying Amazon.com's Theatre which has three impressive short films in its repertoire. More for art's sake than big bucks, I have to give the crew credit for good acting, music, and production value.

Twas the night

Twas the Night before Christmas for PhD's

My last week of classes are cancelled and I have never to take one again! Merry Christmas to all!

Thursday, November 25, 2004

The prophets give thanks

BOP Gives Thanks

Never heard of the site but the blurbs are hilarious. Will check them out more often, especially since they mention Howl's Moving Castle.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A Gmail Turkey

Four more weeks until Christmas.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Serenity delayed

Joss announces Serenity delay

Serenity
has been delayed due to marketing issues. It seems the timing was not the best and so it has been pushed to September 30, 2005. I would rather they give it the biggest support with excellent trailers and advertisements than rush it through. With talks of a trilogy, Serenity could make or break with its schedule.

Something to howl at

The Japan Times Online

Hayao Miyazaki has created yet another lovely animated film based on Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle entitled Hauru no ugoku shiro. At a time when computer imaging has become the norm along with flat characters and tapestries, Miyazaki san rises to enthrall and awe. No one can deny his talent when he wins Best Picture and Venice Film Festival awards. Nor can you deny when you come away completely amazed. I can not wait until this hits US theatres.

As an adendum, Joe Hisaishi's image album (one that is released before the official soundtrack, sort of a first run at the music) to Hauru no ugoku shiro blows away even Mononoke Hime. His orchestrations and themes have come so far since Nausicaa and I think it is his best score yet.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Word of the Day

pulchritude: beauty

Why do we have such a long word for something so simple?

Big screen debuts

Took in a few movies. Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason and because I think movie prices are too high, snuck into National Treasure both of which I would not have paid full price to see. Bridget, while incredibly entertaining was not as charming as the first movie. I have to give Renee Zelleweger credit for not looking as beautiful as she did in Chicago but someone should have dressed her better. I thought National Treasure may have been like Pirates of the Caribbean or at least a close Mummy look alike but it was neither. It was a little short on plot and a little too heavy on action, although the action sequences were not too bad and hit just the right drama. I wanted a little more character development and was expecting more from a Disney film. Nevertheless, both movies got me away from life for a while which is all I wanted.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is released on DVD today. I bought it but have not watched it yet. Killer visuals and photography, this movie franchise has definitely had a turn for the better. Still, there were plots that were left out and I hope they reconcile this in the next movie. Rumored date for Book 6 release is June 2005.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

webmail at its best: GMail

Google is the bomb. Fast searches, easy calculation, driving directions on the fly. Now add a mail program (still in Beta) with 1000 MB of space, labels, easy searching, and conversation threading put together making a web based mail service that rivals no other. By invite only, GMail has now added a POP3 feature with plans for IMAP support in the future. Moving addresses and even forwarding mail to it is a snap. I don't know how anyone can use any other cumbersome mail program.

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Word of the day

fallacious: based on an incorrect or misleading notion or information

flippant:
lacking proper respect or seriousness

Friday, November 19, 2004

A trip to Serenity

FilmForce: Serenity Set Visit

Firefly: the quiet, short lived, and brilliant series on FOX created by Joss Whedon, the man who gave Buffy a stake.

The story takes to the sky in a feature film slated to be released in April right before Star Wars Episode III unleashes Darth Vader. The series had no equal. The characters were true, the writing witty, the production high, and the details worth a thousand words. It also created a cult community, the likes of which has been seen in Farscape or The X-Files. I have always been a lurker when it comes to cult tv, I like to listen/read and hardly ever give my input. However, Firefly changed all that and the campaign to keep Firefly flyin' was something in which I actually participated. I was drawn totatlly in and felt my heart break at its cancellation. So, when the movie starts and my beloved ship takes to the sky, I know that I will have had some tiny, miniscule role in giving Serenity flight.

The music of The Lord of the Rings

FSM Forum Lord of the Rings in Chicago Part Two

Doug Adams is writing a book on the music from The Lord of the Rings by the incomparable Howard Shore. In one of Film Score Monthly's weekly tirades between some of the sites' more famous members, Doug mentions that he is four fifths done. One other particular statement made by Al Kaplan was something that I have thought since I saw the first movie:

One of my favorite aspects of the trilogy is that that theme is heard three or four times in the span of seven hours, and then it comes back and is the main theme of the third movie. I think it's brilliant.

The Gondor theme is my favorite theme and the Council of Elrond scene when Boromir speaks is my favorite rendition. The forward thinking and preparedness makes for amazing music. I am glad someone else thinks so.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Stellllaaa!

The O.C. continues to make me laugh, Seth's nonattempt to change and Coop's despair over the everchanging Ryan not withstanding. While the characters are not as fun this season, the dialog still kicks and the antics of the crew from Newport move with incredible speed. Hopefully, more craziness is to be had.

I'm not sure where LOST is heading but kudos for a Middle Eastern storyline without the overbearing drama of fanaticism and religious zeal. I was uncomfortable with the mysterious Danielle Trousseau and questioned her reasons for not spouting from the straw rooftoop what the heck happened to her science team and family. After 16 years I would be giddy with information. Of course, terror does indeed terrorize and who knows what isolation can do to the mind. A two hole round of golf anyone?

Movies

Movies in the near future.

  • The Phantom of the Opera - Joel Schumaker

  • Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

  • Ocean's 12

  • Serenity


  • Movies on DVD
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

  • Spiderman 2

  • Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition
  • My first blog

    I am using this blogger as a general thought list. Things that I am interested in or have picked up on lately. Things I have to do or want to do. Sort of a personal journal without the truly personal stuff.

    I am in the middle of Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West which is a creative, entertaining, but challenging story. I am used to simpler fantasy stories as I have been reading more young adult stories including LeGuin's Earthsea and, of course, Harry Potter. I don't really understand Elphaba yet but the background is fantastic and the nature of evil question still lingers in my head during the day.

    On my list of current soundtracks that I have enjoyed are Steamboy by Steve Jablonsky, The Neverending Story by Klaus Goldinger, and The Incredibles by the wonderful up and coming Michael Giacchino.

    Thanksgiving and Christmas loom near and I am eager to spend time with my family most of which I have not seen in a year.