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Random Thoughts

Watched Oldboy again... that movie's a certified goddamn masterpiece.  Not for the squeamish, but well worth the journey.  I think the cinematography is some of the best I've ever seen.  Makes Fincher look like he dabbles in fingerpainting.

My latest CD obsession: Illinois, by Sufjan Stevens.  Imagine Jon Brion on a more epic scale.  It's got some beautiful songs there, and now I'm going to have to pick up Seven Swans for sure.  Also I went back in the catalog a bit and am listening to Buffalo Tom's Big Red Letter Day.  Great CD.

Book: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.  It's a Dickens novel with wizards.  Fantastic writing.  Highly recommend.

The wife is still looking for work, but she had a job interview on Monday so hope springs eternal.  This last weekend we spent at the in-laws swimming and watching Cartoon Network.  My niece Megan got a Darth Tater for her 3rd birthday, and she knew exactly who it was.  My geek heart glowed.

What's happening in New Orleans is frankly stunning.  I remember going to the French Quarter a couple of times and it's now all underwater.  I hope the city will recover but some of those historic buildings are never going to be the same.  I saw a man on TV this morning crying that he lost his wife.  Some people don't understand just how devastating hurricanes are.  Having been through Alicia in 1983, I can tell you they aren't to be messed around.

Will post more later.

Two Movies And A Comic Book

All recommendations.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS is a pretty moving documentary about the life cycle of the Emperor Penguin of Antarctica.  The penguins walk a 70 mile trek to a more solid piece of ice in which to have their family.  There are more females than males, always an ideal situation for the guys, and once the penguins pair up, they are strictly monogamous.  At one point in the film I was expecting the Question to come up from my daughter, but I quickly explained it away as "It's the mommy and daddy loving each other."  Fortunately it's very tastefully done.  This isn't Snoop Dogg's PENGUINS GONE WILD.  After many trials and tribulations, the eggs crack and the babies come, and this is where the movie gets the most cute.  I also liked the underwater sequences where the penguins turn into graceful animals that would put all those left-feet people on DANCING WITH THE STARS to shame.  It's a simple documentary about animals, and it was a nice rest from all the explosions and fast edits of most summer movies.

I've been following the work of Doug TenNapel for a couple of years now after reading the spectacular comic CREATURE TECH, which is one of the most fun, inventive, and visually arresting comics I've ever read.  TenNapel's style is something along the lines of Bill Watterson's Calvin growing up to draw comic books.  He's also a Christian, but he doesn't beat you over the head with it.  His latest book, EARTHBOY JACOBUS, is a father and son story about an invasion from another dimension.  I don't want to get too much more into it, but TenNapel's choices for his stories always surprise me and he lets his heart shine through.  I still prefer CREATURE TECH to this, but EARTHBOY JACOBUS is worth picking up.

Wow.  SKY HIGH turns out to be the best comic-book movie of the summer, and it probably has a fraction of the budget of BATMAN BEGINS or FANTASTIC FOUR.  It's a John Hughes coming-of-age movie where Anthony Michael Hall glows in the dark and Bender throws fireballs.  What a blast.  The kid actors don't annoy like most kid actors in movies like this do, the adults  - including a terrific Kevin McDonald (KIDS IN THE HALL) and Bruce Campbell, God-Chin - look like they're having a lot of fun, and the movie's smart and witty enough that adults can laugh as hard as kids.  It's stacked with more great lines than any film I've seen this year so far.  Easily worth your money and time.  And remember... Holy _______, _______ Man!

You like me, you really like me

India "hangs like a wet washcloth from the towel rack of Asia"??  I have to enter this contest.  I could blow these guys away with my abysmal prose.

Is the new Harry Potter good?

Without spoiling, I'll say that it's excellent, and when you finish you'll have never wanted to beat up someone so badly in all your life.

But man... I'm still a little pissed.  I never thought I'd get so wrapped up in the lives of these characters.  I hope Harry gets out the proverbial Wand of Whoop-Ass in the final one.