voyage to mars
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
Just stopped by to say:
A very merry (or, alternatively, 'happy') Christmas to all!
Hope Santa brings you some good...goodies.
A very merry (or, alternatively, 'happy') Christmas to all!
Hope Santa brings you some good...goodies.
Saturday, December 21, 2002
"Two-Towering Achievement"
I saw The Two Towers today.
We started off watching the extended version of Fellowship at noon, in order to "warm up" for the main event - although it has to be said that watching this thirty-minutes-added version of the first part of the trilogy was an event in itself; it's made Fellowship an even better film - before heading off to the cinema at four o'clock.
The show was packed, and we had excellent seats in the middle of row five. I was nervous, just like I was a year ago, sitting in almost the exact same seats - albeit on opening day and not two days later, as was the case today. I wanted everything to be perfect so that I could focus entirely on what would be projected on the canvas before me. No distractions.
Then, finally, the movie started, and the world outside of Middle Earth was lost to me.
What did I think? I can't answer that right now. It's too close, it's too personal, and I need to digest. Most importantly, I need to see it again. It's just too hard to watch this movie the first time around - you keep being amazed, flabbergasted, struck by the beauty of it, the complexity, the surprises, the performances, the music... It's too much. I need to go back, be prepared, and be relaxed enough to just take it all in and enjoy it.
So no review. Not now. But I'll say this: It's amazing. It's not necessarily better than Fellowship, because it's a continuation of the same story, and it's different, very different.
But you must see it. It's a towering achievement (no pun intended) of the cinema. It will be remembered a hundred years from now. And I cannot believe it will be another year before I get to see Return of the King.
I saw The Two Towers today.
We started off watching the extended version of Fellowship at noon, in order to "warm up" for the main event - although it has to be said that watching this thirty-minutes-added version of the first part of the trilogy was an event in itself; it's made Fellowship an even better film - before heading off to the cinema at four o'clock.
The show was packed, and we had excellent seats in the middle of row five. I was nervous, just like I was a year ago, sitting in almost the exact same seats - albeit on opening day and not two days later, as was the case today. I wanted everything to be perfect so that I could focus entirely on what would be projected on the canvas before me. No distractions.
Then, finally, the movie started, and the world outside of Middle Earth was lost to me.
What did I think? I can't answer that right now. It's too close, it's too personal, and I need to digest. Most importantly, I need to see it again. It's just too hard to watch this movie the first time around - you keep being amazed, flabbergasted, struck by the beauty of it, the complexity, the surprises, the performances, the music... It's too much. I need to go back, be prepared, and be relaxed enough to just take it all in and enjoy it.
So no review. Not now. But I'll say this: It's amazing. It's not necessarily better than Fellowship, because it's a continuation of the same story, and it's different, very different.
But you must see it. It's a towering achievement (no pun intended) of the cinema. It will be remembered a hundred years from now. And I cannot believe it will be another year before I get to see Return of the King.
Friday, December 20, 2002
I want to wake up tomorrow and read this story in the trades:
Woody Allen to star in, direct fourth Alien flick
Independent director Woody Allen announced today that for his next movie, the 'Spring Project 2003', he'll be tackling a franchise in desperate need of a shot in the arm - Fox's moribund Alien series.
The first Alien movie - directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1979 - was a critical and commercial hit, and it was followed in 1986 by blockbuster sequel Aliens, written and directed by a pre-Titanic James Cameron. The third movie in the franchise, Alien3, tanked at the box office when it was released in 1992 - this time directed by freshman David Fincher. In 1997, the fourth movie - Alien: Resurrection, another box-office dud - nearly killed off the franchise. French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was considered a ill-conceived match for the material, and a fifth movie appeared unlikely to take off.
That was until Woody Allen approached Fox with a script that insiders have described as "thoughtful" and "kinda funny".
"The central idea of these very Germanic aliens, outfitted in Gestapo-type body armor, terrorising a spaceship filled with argumentative, liberal intellectuals is very much in tune with my own sensibilities," said a visibly excited Allen at the New York City press-conference this morning. "It's a bit of a departure for me, I agree, what with the special effects and the stereo sound, but frankly, after Hollywood Ending, we all agreed that it was the right step to take."
A tentative cast includes long-time Allen favourites Alan Alda and Diane Keaton, as well as Allen himself, who will be playing the protagonist - a neurotic, New York-born space marine rabbi married to a too-young nurse (rumoured to be played by Britney Spears). While Allen's ex-wife Mia Farrow won't be directly participating in the production, it's believed that CGI artists will use her likeness when constructing a new alien queen for the climatic showdown.
The $100 million production begins shooting in the Big Apple early next year, and will be released by Fox in the summer of 2004.
"This is a tentpole movie for us," said Tom Rothman, Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment to Variety. "I think Woody's the perfect director to bring the Alien franchise into a new millennium, and his obvious box-office appeal is guaranteed to carry this flick beyond $200 million...at least. I mean, who doesn't want to see aliens in therapy? I know I do!"
Woody Allen to star in, direct fourth Alien flick
Independent director Woody Allen announced today that for his next movie, the 'Spring Project 2003', he'll be tackling a franchise in desperate need of a shot in the arm - Fox's moribund Alien series.
The first Alien movie - directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1979 - was a critical and commercial hit, and it was followed in 1986 by blockbuster sequel Aliens, written and directed by a pre-Titanic James Cameron. The third movie in the franchise, Alien3, tanked at the box office when it was released in 1992 - this time directed by freshman David Fincher. In 1997, the fourth movie - Alien: Resurrection, another box-office dud - nearly killed off the franchise. French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was considered a ill-conceived match for the material, and a fifth movie appeared unlikely to take off.
That was until Woody Allen approached Fox with a script that insiders have described as "thoughtful" and "kinda funny".
"The central idea of these very Germanic aliens, outfitted in Gestapo-type body armor, terrorising a spaceship filled with argumentative, liberal intellectuals is very much in tune with my own sensibilities," said a visibly excited Allen at the New York City press-conference this morning. "It's a bit of a departure for me, I agree, what with the special effects and the stereo sound, but frankly, after Hollywood Ending, we all agreed that it was the right step to take."
A tentative cast includes long-time Allen favourites Alan Alda and Diane Keaton, as well as Allen himself, who will be playing the protagonist - a neurotic, New York-born space marine rabbi married to a too-young nurse (rumoured to be played by Britney Spears). While Allen's ex-wife Mia Farrow won't be directly participating in the production, it's believed that CGI artists will use her likeness when constructing a new alien queen for the climatic showdown.
The $100 million production begins shooting in the Big Apple early next year, and will be released by Fox in the summer of 2004.
"This is a tentpole movie for us," said Tom Rothman, Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment to Variety. "I think Woody's the perfect director to bring the Alien franchise into a new millennium, and his obvious box-office appeal is guaranteed to carry this flick beyond $200 million...at least. I mean, who doesn't want to see aliens in therapy? I know I do!"
Thursday, December 19, 2002
"Danger, Will Robinson!"
This morning it was a struggle getting up...at noon. At noon, people! What's happened to this country? For God's sake, it's falling to pieces, when tall and brave men like me cannot get out of bed by noon! Whatever shall we do? And what about the womenfolk? The womenfolk, people!
*cough*
Tomorrow. It starts tomorrow. With the getting up and doing the work. And also the watching of The Two Towers. Yay! Woot! And so forth, in celebratory terms!
Yes, I know: Everyone's seen it by now. Twice. But I bought my tickets a month ago, dammit, and I shall not be taunted nor ridiculed! Just because some people got their tickets from other people, who did all the hard work for them, or were just lucky, it still doesn't make it right! As far as I'm concerned, the premiere is tomorrow at a quarter past four. And I have the best seats in the house!
Not angry. Just pissed off. But mostly very, very excited. I'll post my thoughts here tomorrow, so come on back if you're interested, y'hear?
I dropped by work today to check my e-mail, say "Merry Christmas" to friends, and get my fix before embarking on (gasp!) another two weeks plus of late nights and even later mornings. Unfortunately, there was waaay too much e-mail to get around to, so I'm not even going to look at it before January. But I'll read all of it. I always do.
Now: Part three of that awesome Kubrick documentary. I'll be back later.
This morning it was a struggle getting up...at noon. At noon, people! What's happened to this country? For God's sake, it's falling to pieces, when tall and brave men like me cannot get out of bed by noon! Whatever shall we do? And what about the womenfolk? The womenfolk, people!
*cough*
Tomorrow. It starts tomorrow. With the getting up and doing the work. And also the watching of The Two Towers. Yay! Woot! And so forth, in celebratory terms!
Yes, I know: Everyone's seen it by now. Twice. But I bought my tickets a month ago, dammit, and I shall not be taunted nor ridiculed! Just because some people got their tickets from other people, who did all the hard work for them, or were just lucky, it still doesn't make it right! As far as I'm concerned, the premiere is tomorrow at a quarter past four. And I have the best seats in the house!
Not angry. Just pissed off. But mostly very, very excited. I'll post my thoughts here tomorrow, so come on back if you're interested, y'hear?
I dropped by work today to check my e-mail, say "Merry Christmas" to friends, and get my fix before embarking on (gasp!) another two weeks plus of late nights and even later mornings. Unfortunately, there was waaay too much e-mail to get around to, so I'm not even going to look at it before January. But I'll read all of it. I always do.
Now: Part three of that awesome Kubrick documentary. I'll be back later.
Our "ratings" are on the rise again, after steadily (albeit slowly) dropping over the past three months. Don't really know why that's such a big deal - after all, we don't carry ads - but...wheee! Hey, if you have friends and family members who aren't Regular Readers, tell 'em to drop on by. We must be doing something right. Is it my incredible, animal magnetism? My 'Way with Words'? Or simply that there's nothing else out there on the 'Internet' worth reading?
The question, ladies and gentlemen - is irrelevant. Thank you. Thangyu verra mush...
It's late, and I've been on the couch much of the evening, watching Blade II on DVD (technically, a freakin' amazing movie; Guillermo del Toro really knows how to handle action-scenes - but story-wise, it's a bit thin), and then the second part of a great Stanley Kubrick documentary. I've turned into a lazy slob, and I still haven't gotten around to doing much. Just chargin' them batteries. All right.
So...now tons of people have seen The Two Towers, and I - haven't. How's that at all fair? Huh? Grrr. All the shows were sold out - the good seats anyway - when I bought my tickets over a month ago. I'm catching it at 4 PM on Friday, front & centre, and I'm giddy like a little school-girl (I usually am). But because of the release of the movie, the city was filled with Geeks in Costumes today. I've never seen so many elves and would-be Aragorns ever, walking the streets like it was downtown Bree. And while cute girls wearing elven ears and cloaks is pretty cool, guys doing the same is...not. Sorry. You look like idiots, guys. Now, there's nothing wrong with loving Middle-Earth, or having fun role-playing, but you're giving geekdom a bad name. Honestly.
I know, I know - I should lighten up. I'm just not one for wearing fey, faux-medieval costumes, braided hair, and hand-crafted make-believe swords, and speaking like you've got the collected works of Shakespeare up your ass. I get my kicks elsewhere, y'know what I'm saying?
Still, I'm all for the cute elven girls. Sexism - it's right here, and it's rearing its ugly head once again!
The question, ladies and gentlemen - is irrelevant. Thank you. Thangyu verra mush...
It's late, and I've been on the couch much of the evening, watching Blade II on DVD (technically, a freakin' amazing movie; Guillermo del Toro really knows how to handle action-scenes - but story-wise, it's a bit thin), and then the second part of a great Stanley Kubrick documentary. I've turned into a lazy slob, and I still haven't gotten around to doing much. Just chargin' them batteries. All right.
So...now tons of people have seen The Two Towers, and I - haven't. How's that at all fair? Huh? Grrr. All the shows were sold out - the good seats anyway - when I bought my tickets over a month ago. I'm catching it at 4 PM on Friday, front & centre, and I'm giddy like a little school-girl (I usually am). But because of the release of the movie, the city was filled with Geeks in Costumes today. I've never seen so many elves and would-be Aragorns ever, walking the streets like it was downtown Bree. And while cute girls wearing elven ears and cloaks is pretty cool, guys doing the same is...not. Sorry. You look like idiots, guys. Now, there's nothing wrong with loving Middle-Earth, or having fun role-playing, but you're giving geekdom a bad name. Honestly.
I know, I know - I should lighten up. I'm just not one for wearing fey, faux-medieval costumes, braided hair, and hand-crafted make-believe swords, and speaking like you've got the collected works of Shakespeare up your ass. I get my kicks elsewhere, y'know what I'm saying?
Still, I'm all for the cute elven girls. Sexism - it's right here, and it's rearing its ugly head once again!
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
Christmas-shopping today. Here's my top-five list of the top five things that are wrong with Christmas-shopping:
1. Other people who are also Christmas-shopping. There should be only one. Me. I should be that one.
2. Christmas. No, don't get me wrong; I love Christmas. It's just that Christmas is a bad time to go shopping. See (1), and also the cold and the snow and the stress and the fact that I just want to go to my parents' house and eat the food.
3. Things costing money. This is bad, and not at all necessary. Things should be free, especially things that I need to buy.
4. Walking. Cities should have moving conveyer-belts that take you past all the important shops.
5. Trying to find a place to eat lunch, and ending up at Burger King every...single...time. I've only got myself to blame, but when you're really, really hungry, and the only thing you see is a BK sign, you're dead.
1. Other people who are also Christmas-shopping. There should be only one. Me. I should be that one.
2. Christmas. No, don't get me wrong; I love Christmas. It's just that Christmas is a bad time to go shopping. See (1), and also the cold and the snow and the stress and the fact that I just want to go to my parents' house and eat the food.
3. Things costing money. This is bad, and not at all necessary. Things should be free, especially things that I need to buy.
4. Walking. Cities should have moving conveyer-belts that take you past all the important shops.
5. Trying to find a place to eat lunch, and ending up at Burger King every...single...time. I've only got myself to blame, but when you're really, really hungry, and the only thing you see is a BK sign, you're dead.
I just - well, a few hours ago - filled my apartment with smoke.
For the first time since moving in, I attempted to light a fire. In the fireplace, of course. I'm not that stupid. It didn't quite work out, and I ended up with more smoke than fire (there's probably something really symbolic about that, but I don't care). The smoke didn't exit the way it's supposed to, i.e. through the chimney, and though I experimented with the damper (I had to look that word up), it kept billowing into the living-room. The fire-alarm went off, which probably pissed off my neighbours, seeing as it was close to midnight. In the end, the fire went out, and the smoke now hangs lazily at ceiling-level, refusing to dissipate. It smells horrible, and my eyes are watery.
I'm not completely useless, and I can usually light a fire. There must be something horribly, horribly wrong with my fireplace. Yes, that's it. The fireplace. Not me.
For the first time since moving in, I attempted to light a fire. In the fireplace, of course. I'm not that stupid. It didn't quite work out, and I ended up with more smoke than fire (there's probably something really symbolic about that, but I don't care). The smoke didn't exit the way it's supposed to, i.e. through the chimney, and though I experimented with the damper (I had to look that word up), it kept billowing into the living-room. The fire-alarm went off, which probably pissed off my neighbours, seeing as it was close to midnight. In the end, the fire went out, and the smoke now hangs lazily at ceiling-level, refusing to dissipate. It smells horrible, and my eyes are watery.
I'm not completely useless, and I can usually light a fire. There must be something horribly, horribly wrong with my fireplace. Yes, that's it. The fireplace. Not me.
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
I've been brewing over this one story for a while now...
It's a play on a theme that I've explored before - reality as a dichotomy; the idea of parallel worlds of reality and dreams, of the ordinary and the magical. No, it's not the sequel to The Longest Journey, but, obviously, the two concepts aren't worlds apart (no pun intended). They're both about discovering there's more to the universe than expected, and they're both about young people who find that they possess powers and abilities they never knew they had.
This story, this universe, is called Flipside (for the time being), and it's more "kiddie-friendly" than TLJ - no cussing, no sex, and the protagonists (there are several) are much younger than April. I actually pitched the concept to Nickelodeon earlier this year - they were looking for a new contemporary fantasy property, something that might capture the imagination of the Harry Potter set, and they asked me to submit an idea. So I did. They loved the first pitch, but when I fleshed it out more, they felt it was too serious and too adult - they wanted something funnier, more irreverent, like Shrek - so they passed on it. Go figure. Still, it was good fun, and I'm left holding a pretty strong concept that could work well as a TV-show, movie, cartoon, comic-book, novel...
Lots of possibilities, and I'm just now trying to figure out what to do with it.
Earlier this afternoon, I walked around Oslo taking a few pictures with my - now apparently outdated, dammit! - digital camera. Here's one of 'em, scaled down to fit into my slim journal:
Snow, chilly air, and afternoon sunlight. Pretty.
More later.
It's a play on a theme that I've explored before - reality as a dichotomy; the idea of parallel worlds of reality and dreams, of the ordinary and the magical. No, it's not the sequel to The Longest Journey, but, obviously, the two concepts aren't worlds apart (no pun intended). They're both about discovering there's more to the universe than expected, and they're both about young people who find that they possess powers and abilities they never knew they had.
This story, this universe, is called Flipside (for the time being), and it's more "kiddie-friendly" than TLJ - no cussing, no sex, and the protagonists (there are several) are much younger than April. I actually pitched the concept to Nickelodeon earlier this year - they were looking for a new contemporary fantasy property, something that might capture the imagination of the Harry Potter set, and they asked me to submit an idea. So I did. They loved the first pitch, but when I fleshed it out more, they felt it was too serious and too adult - they wanted something funnier, more irreverent, like Shrek - so they passed on it. Go figure. Still, it was good fun, and I'm left holding a pretty strong concept that could work well as a TV-show, movie, cartoon, comic-book, novel...
Lots of possibilities, and I'm just now trying to figure out what to do with it.
Earlier this afternoon, I walked around Oslo taking a few pictures with my - now apparently outdated, dammit! - digital camera. Here's one of 'em, scaled down to fit into my slim journal:
Snow, chilly air, and afternoon sunlight. Pretty.
More later.
Monday. Which is not what it will say right above this sentence when I decide to click 'post & publish', but it is. It really is. Monday. It's just that, with me being on a well-deserved holiday, the days are getting more flexible. Thus it will remain Monday until I say so. Or at least until I go to sleep, and wake up. On Tuesday. Which is tomorrow. Preferably after 10 AM.
'Holiday' is also a flexible word, because I'm still in my apartment, still in Oslo, still in Norway. Maybe I should be somewhere else, somewhere warm, but I've elected to stay put, because I'm Mr Contrary. Also, I'm quite broke, and need the little money I have left to buy Christmas presents. Which is about all that I did today. I ordered some Christmas presents for my brother and his wife, and my sister and her family. I bought presents without having to leave my chair, which is what I call progress. Screw faster and cheaper microprocessors, space travel, and the cure for cancer (actually, let's keep that last one) - being able to buy anything you need from the comfort of your home, especially when it's butt-freezingly cold outside, is the true measure of how far humanity has come since the Dark Ages, when they didn't even have malls.
No malls! For God's sake, how did they endure the horrifying emptiness?
I'm in an amazingly good mood today. I really have no reason to be. I have way too many Christmas presents left to buy. I had a Burger King meal for dinner. I have a headache. I can't get a date. Some heartless bastards stole seven of my grandfather's beautiful paintings (yup, seven). I need to clean my apartment tomorrow in a big way. I'm so tired that I could sleep all day. And there's so much work to be done after Christmas that a three week vacation will appear like a single grain of sand on a really, really, really big beach.
But still, hey!, in a good mood. Yeah. What's up with that? Gosh, I think I needed a break.
Day after tomorrow, I'm starting with the writing and the thinking and the being creative stuff. Tomorrow, I have to do the boring things. But day after tomorrow, it's time to start working on my own stuff for a change - the stuff that's been brewing in my head for months, years, and which I really do need to put down on paper before it disappears, and before I give up on it. Mostly movie-related stuff, because that's been on the backburner, but also some stuff related to a certain girl who can jump between worlds...
Okay.
I think that's enough for now. Sorry I didn't post anything this weekend, but...busy. Really quite busy. Spent Saturday just being zonked out (and if that's not a word, it damn well should be), and in the evening I hung out with a buddy and gave him my notes on a novel he's writing. Which is actually quite good, and by the time he's done with it, it'll hopefully be brilliant. Sunday, I had to go check out what was missing from my grandparents' old house - I keep a lot of my own stuff stored there, and some weekends I stay there, just to get out of the city and to find some peace and quiet.
It was horrible to see the mess the burglars made, and even worse to know they went through everything; every drawer, every cabinet, every personal belonging. They didn't take much of mine, mostly because there wasn't much of mine of any value - old clothes, books, papers, comics, games - but it was still horrible. And even worse, to see the dark spots on the walls where the paintings used to hang... Not a happy sight. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that the paintings pop up somewhere, and we get them back. My Dad is really upset, because he grew up with those paintings, and they have great personal value to him...to all of us, of course, but him more than anyone. There's really no word for how much I abhor those who violated our privacy. Bastards.
Well. Like I said, still in a good mood, go figure. And like I said, that's enough from me for now. So - good night, all. And check back tomorrow, 'cause I'm in a chatty mood.
'Holiday' is also a flexible word, because I'm still in my apartment, still in Oslo, still in Norway. Maybe I should be somewhere else, somewhere warm, but I've elected to stay put, because I'm Mr Contrary. Also, I'm quite broke, and need the little money I have left to buy Christmas presents. Which is about all that I did today. I ordered some Christmas presents for my brother and his wife, and my sister and her family. I bought presents without having to leave my chair, which is what I call progress. Screw faster and cheaper microprocessors, space travel, and the cure for cancer (actually, let's keep that last one) - being able to buy anything you need from the comfort of your home, especially when it's butt-freezingly cold outside, is the true measure of how far humanity has come since the Dark Ages, when they didn't even have malls.
No malls! For God's sake, how did they endure the horrifying emptiness?
I'm in an amazingly good mood today. I really have no reason to be. I have way too many Christmas presents left to buy. I had a Burger King meal for dinner. I have a headache. I can't get a date. Some heartless bastards stole seven of my grandfather's beautiful paintings (yup, seven). I need to clean my apartment tomorrow in a big way. I'm so tired that I could sleep all day. And there's so much work to be done after Christmas that a three week vacation will appear like a single grain of sand on a really, really, really big beach.
But still, hey!, in a good mood. Yeah. What's up with that? Gosh, I think I needed a break.
Day after tomorrow, I'm starting with the writing and the thinking and the being creative stuff. Tomorrow, I have to do the boring things. But day after tomorrow, it's time to start working on my own stuff for a change - the stuff that's been brewing in my head for months, years, and which I really do need to put down on paper before it disappears, and before I give up on it. Mostly movie-related stuff, because that's been on the backburner, but also some stuff related to a certain girl who can jump between worlds...
Okay.
I think that's enough for now. Sorry I didn't post anything this weekend, but...busy. Really quite busy. Spent Saturday just being zonked out (and if that's not a word, it damn well should be), and in the evening I hung out with a buddy and gave him my notes on a novel he's writing. Which is actually quite good, and by the time he's done with it, it'll hopefully be brilliant. Sunday, I had to go check out what was missing from my grandparents' old house - I keep a lot of my own stuff stored there, and some weekends I stay there, just to get out of the city and to find some peace and quiet.
It was horrible to see the mess the burglars made, and even worse to know they went through everything; every drawer, every cabinet, every personal belonging. They didn't take much of mine, mostly because there wasn't much of mine of any value - old clothes, books, papers, comics, games - but it was still horrible. And even worse, to see the dark spots on the walls where the paintings used to hang... Not a happy sight. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that the paintings pop up somewhere, and we get them back. My Dad is really upset, because he grew up with those paintings, and they have great personal value to him...to all of us, of course, but him more than anyone. There's really no word for how much I abhor those who violated our privacy. Bastards.
Well. Like I said, still in a good mood, go figure. And like I said, that's enough from me for now. So - good night, all. And check back tomorrow, 'cause I'm in a chatty mood.
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Just came back from a tasty dinner (mmm, duck...) with my two cousins and my brother at my aunt and uncle's apartment, and feeling a little better...for the time being. I'm not going to get over losing my grandfather's paintings, or the fact that thieves have been through every drawer in the house, anytime soon -- if ever -- but at least I'm able to put things into perspective. Everyone's okay, life goes on, and besides, I don't plan on giving up on those paintings. One day they will be returned, some way, some how.
Anyways.
How's this for proving you're a The Longest Journey fan? This guy got a tattoo. Now that's pretty cool. Looks pretty sweet, too.
I'll make sure Didrik, TLJ's Art Director and the designer of that very symbol, sees this tomorrow. He'll love it.
(Oh, and there was movement on the TLJ2 front today. Not an earthquake, but a quiet tremor. More on that after Christmas.)
Bed now.
Anyways.
How's this for proving you're a The Longest Journey fan? This guy got a tattoo. Now that's pretty cool. Looks pretty sweet, too.
I'll make sure Didrik, TLJ's Art Director and the designer of that very symbol, sees this tomorrow. He'll love it.
(Oh, and there was movement on the TLJ2 front today. Not an earthquake, but a quiet tremor. More on that after Christmas.)
Bed now.
I'm hugely depressed...and very, very angry.
Yesterday, my grandparents' house (they're both deceased, and the house actually belongs to my father) was broken into, and four of my grandfather's best paintings were stolen, along with some other items. The paintings are invaluable and irreplacable...to my family. They probably wouldn't fetch much on the market since my grandfather never became very well known, and they would be relatively easy to identify since he never sold many paintings. Thus the stolen goods are almost worthless to the burglars, but of great personal value to my father and to my brothers and I.
In addition, I've also kept stuff stored at the house -- my apartment is small -- and I expect that some of it will be missing.
The worst part of it (aside, of course, from the paintings) is the feeling of being violated, of strangers entering your property, rummaging through all your personal belongings, opening every drawer and cabinet, and taking what they want. In a way, it's like rape, and I wish there was some way I could fight back...but there isn't. They came, they took, and they disappeared. The police won't really have much to go on, and after all, it's "just" a burglary. No one got killed (fortunately).
Now this puts a damper on the Christmas spirit. Keep your fingers crossed for those paintings to be returned, even if it's a long shot. It's an important heritage, and it would be horrible if my family never got to see them again.
Yesterday, my grandparents' house (they're both deceased, and the house actually belongs to my father) was broken into, and four of my grandfather's best paintings were stolen, along with some other items. The paintings are invaluable and irreplacable...to my family. They probably wouldn't fetch much on the market since my grandfather never became very well known, and they would be relatively easy to identify since he never sold many paintings. Thus the stolen goods are almost worthless to the burglars, but of great personal value to my father and to my brothers and I.
In addition, I've also kept stuff stored at the house -- my apartment is small -- and I expect that some of it will be missing.
The worst part of it (aside, of course, from the paintings) is the feeling of being violated, of strangers entering your property, rummaging through all your personal belongings, opening every drawer and cabinet, and taking what they want. In a way, it's like rape, and I wish there was some way I could fight back...but there isn't. They came, they took, and they disappeared. The police won't really have much to go on, and after all, it's "just" a burglary. No one got killed (fortunately).
Now this puts a damper on the Christmas spirit. Keep your fingers crossed for those paintings to be returned, even if it's a long shot. It's an important heritage, and it would be horrible if my family never got to see them again.
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Burnout 2 is, I believe, one of the most brilliant racing games ever, up there with Sega Rally and the 3DO version of Need for Speed. It's forgiving, and at the same time incredibly challenging -- a perfect mix of risk, reward, and punishment. The sense of speed is amazing, and you literally won't be able to blink while you're speeding down the highway. Do, and you crash. Instantly. And yet the game subtly steers you away from catastrophe if you're really close, encouraging risk-taking and turbo-charging. It's disturbingly well balanced, and though I've been playing it on and off for over a month, I'm still returning for more. Because, frankly, you get a rush from playing it. Pure adrenaline.
How's that for a hype-filled review? It is that good, so if you've got a PS2 (and if not, what's your excuse?) and enjoy racing, get it. Now. Yes, right now. I'll wait.
Back? Okay. More hype in store today: The latest episode (2.10) of Smallville was pretty darn good. Aside from the stunningly sexy Tamara Feldman, there was much to like about this one: The ancient prophecies (gotta love those ancient prophecies, which puts a whole new twist on the Superman myth), Lex's continuous slow slide into darkness (oh-so-subtle, but ever present), Lionel Luthor (played by the great John Glover), the white wolf (scary), and the ending (surprising). This show's taking chances, and it's not afraid of evolving. That's rare, and that's great. I just hope it can this good for another five seasons. I'm not quite sure how they'll do it without drawing things out, but I have faith. I always have faith.
Only three days to go before I start my Christmas vacation, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get around to all my e-mail in time. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to check it or answer any before after Christmas, seeing as I've got tons of writing to do during my break. But I'll try. And if you've written, and you haven't received an answer, I'll be back with renewed energy after my vacation, ready to dig in and get busy. Yes.
I will be updating the site regularly, though. I can do that from anywhere. Which is convenient.
How's that for a hype-filled review? It is that good, so if you've got a PS2 (and if not, what's your excuse?) and enjoy racing, get it. Now. Yes, right now. I'll wait.
Back? Okay. More hype in store today: The latest episode (2.10) of Smallville was pretty darn good. Aside from the stunningly sexy Tamara Feldman, there was much to like about this one: The ancient prophecies (gotta love those ancient prophecies, which puts a whole new twist on the Superman myth), Lex's continuous slow slide into darkness (oh-so-subtle, but ever present), Lionel Luthor (played by the great John Glover), the white wolf (scary), and the ending (surprising). This show's taking chances, and it's not afraid of evolving. That's rare, and that's great. I just hope it can this good for another five seasons. I'm not quite sure how they'll do it without drawing things out, but I have faith. I always have faith.
Only three days to go before I start my Christmas vacation, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get around to all my e-mail in time. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to check it or answer any before after Christmas, seeing as I've got tons of writing to do during my break. But I'll try. And if you've written, and you haven't received an answer, I'll be back with renewed energy after my vacation, ready to dig in and get busy. Yes.
I will be updating the site regularly, though. I can do that from anywhere. Which is convenient.
i recently bought tlj for the second time cos i lent the first copy to a person i don't keep contact with anymore. i got it cheaper but that doesn't detract from the playing of it. i am in awe of the character 'burns flipper'. an ill mannered uncouth cyber puke if ever i've read or met one, i would like to know what inspired you to conjure up this entity. he is the most striking character in the saga for my money. his use of profanity is second to none.
Um, yeah. Burns Flipper is certainly a foul-mouthed little bugger, and although I always intended for him to be a bit over-the-top, blame the actor for the way the character turned out.
Or, let's be fair, give the actor credit for the character.
When we were casting the role, Andrew Donnelly went out of his way to "improvise" the Flipper's already flippant vocabulary, turning my irreverent (to put it nicely) dialogue into something much more, uh, interesting. Andrew was, is, able to really go off on a tangent, and that he did. So the part was cast, and I sat down and rewrote most of Burns Flipper dialogue to fit the actor's voice. In doing so, it got darker. A lot darker. And when we got back into the recording studio, Andrew "turned it up a notch". A big notch. His improvisations became part of the script -- rewritten after the fact -- and it wasn't until much later, when we were putting the voices into the game, that I realised that the dialogue was quite strikingly profane. But fun. And fitting.
Inspirations for the character? I guess the William Gibsonish cyberpunk cowboy type -- the proverbial hacker -- is what was on my mind when we created the Flipper. But a lot of the character just came out of his physical appearance, his underground laboratory, and his relationship with April: he changed, slowly, over time. Like a lot of the other characters.
i also would like to query the april paternal relationship angle. was the abuse just physical? it stuck in my craw as something more sinister was implied, it didn't sit well with me.
Abuse should never sit well with anyone, no matter what kind of abuse we're talking about; physical or psychological. As hinted at in the game, April's father was unable to relate to his daughter on any level. When he wasn't putting her down, he ignored her, made her feel unwanted and unloved. He'd hurt her once, but not on purpose, and yet this haunted him and made him feel guilty -- something he was unable to deal with. There was nothing more sinister going on, no physical abuse, but April's home life was bad enough that she had to leave.
Um, yeah. Burns Flipper is certainly a foul-mouthed little bugger, and although I always intended for him to be a bit over-the-top, blame the actor for the way the character turned out.
Or, let's be fair, give the actor credit for the character.
When we were casting the role, Andrew Donnelly went out of his way to "improvise" the Flipper's already flippant vocabulary, turning my irreverent (to put it nicely) dialogue into something much more, uh, interesting. Andrew was, is, able to really go off on a tangent, and that he did. So the part was cast, and I sat down and rewrote most of Burns Flipper dialogue to fit the actor's voice. In doing so, it got darker. A lot darker. And when we got back into the recording studio, Andrew "turned it up a notch". A big notch. His improvisations became part of the script -- rewritten after the fact -- and it wasn't until much later, when we were putting the voices into the game, that I realised that the dialogue was quite strikingly profane. But fun. And fitting.
Inspirations for the character? I guess the William Gibsonish cyberpunk cowboy type -- the proverbial hacker -- is what was on my mind when we created the Flipper. But a lot of the character just came out of his physical appearance, his underground laboratory, and his relationship with April: he changed, slowly, over time. Like a lot of the other characters.
i also would like to query the april paternal relationship angle. was the abuse just physical? it stuck in my craw as something more sinister was implied, it didn't sit well with me.
Abuse should never sit well with anyone, no matter what kind of abuse we're talking about; physical or psychological. As hinted at in the game, April's father was unable to relate to his daughter on any level. When he wasn't putting her down, he ignored her, made her feel unwanted and unloved. He'd hurt her once, but not on purpose, and yet this haunted him and made him feel guilty -- something he was unable to deal with. There was nothing more sinister going on, no physical abuse, but April's home life was bad enough that she had to leave.
Sunday, December 08, 2002
Nothing hugely exciting to write about today. Still, I could make something up. This is, after all, what I do for a living. I could talk about how enormously exciting this Sunday has been, filled with high adventure, sexy women, and riches beyond imagination. I could talk about ancient prophecies and long-lost civilisations finally unearthed. I could talk about how one man prevented an alien invasion. I could talk about love.
Instead, I'll be truthful, and stick to the, uh, truth.
Today was a good day. Got up late, took my time getting ready, and spent the afternoon at my parents' house with large chunks of the family -- brothers, uncles and aunts, cousin, nephew, and niece. Tasty dinner, even tastier cakes...absolutely wonderful food. It was my parents' birthday (yup, both of 'em; their birthdays are two days apart), and this year two of my brothers and I got them a DVD-player.
I'm just catching a few minutes of Bicentennial Man on TV, and, oh God, it sucks...so...bad. It's horrible, horrible, horrible. Embarrassingly horrible. I'm switching it off, and hope that I never, ever come across it again.
Instead, I'll be truthful, and stick to the, uh, truth.
Today was a good day. Got up late, took my time getting ready, and spent the afternoon at my parents' house with large chunks of the family -- brothers, uncles and aunts, cousin, nephew, and niece. Tasty dinner, even tastier cakes...absolutely wonderful food. It was my parents' birthday (yup, both of 'em; their birthdays are two days apart), and this year two of my brothers and I got them a DVD-player.
I'm just catching a few minutes of Bicentennial Man on TV, and, oh God, it sucks...so...bad. It's horrible, horrible, horrible. Embarrassingly horrible. I'm switching it off, and hope that I never, ever come across it again.
Saturday, December 07, 2002
The annual office Christmas party is happening tomorrow, so I'll need to get dressed up like a real adult. Sure, the ratio of men to women will be around 10:1, but that's no excuse not to look sharp. Not that I ever don't look sharp. I do. Sharp as a very, very sharp knife. Every single day.
This has been one of those weeks where it's difficult to find anything sensible to write about. Life's quite dull (mostly since life these days is what happens when I'm not at work, and I'm always at work), and while work is very interesting, I can't write much of anything about work. Life (a little) and work (a lot). That's about it. I look forward to the days when a) I'll have more of a life, and b) I can write about the work I'm doing. Until then, these nonsensical ramblings will have to pass for a journal.
Of course, I could always get uncomfortably personal and start talking about my feelings. But I don't think any of us want to go there quite yet.
I believe I ate too much pizza tonight. And while it's hard to imagine such a thing as "too much pizza", it can happen.
I think I'll go to bed now. Yes, I know: it's Friday night. That doesn't stop the sleepies, I'm afraid. They come to get you, regardless. And now they've come for me. Ack!
This has been one of those weeks where it's difficult to find anything sensible to write about. Life's quite dull (mostly since life these days is what happens when I'm not at work, and I'm always at work), and while work is very interesting, I can't write much of anything about work. Life (a little) and work (a lot). That's about it. I look forward to the days when a) I'll have more of a life, and b) I can write about the work I'm doing. Until then, these nonsensical ramblings will have to pass for a journal.
Of course, I could always get uncomfortably personal and start talking about my feelings. But I don't think any of us want to go there quite yet.
I believe I ate too much pizza tonight. And while it's hard to imagine such a thing as "too much pizza", it can happen.
I think I'll go to bed now. Yes, I know: it's Friday night. That doesn't stop the sleepies, I'm afraid. They come to get you, regardless. And now they've come for me. Ack!
Friday, December 06, 2002
I just saw the Potter movie, and I liked it, more so than the first one. Perhaps it's a bit long, and they still had to cut out much of what made the book so great, but the actors were more comfortable in their roles, the action more gripping, the direction tighter, and the funnies funnier.
Is it a great movie? No. It's good, but there are a few annoying problems: It's too dense. Some scenes are way too short, and everything happens at a breakneck pace, which makes it hard to follow unless you've read the book, and remember the details. There's little sense of time passing, of the school year progressing. No one appears to be studying anything at Hogwarts, and that's a shame, because the books really make a point of it. That's part of the appeal, this amazing school where you get to learn magic instead of boring stuff like mathematics and French. It's evident that the filmmakers wanted to include all the great ideas from the book, but they didn't have the time to really linger on anything, to dig deeper, to explore characters other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione, which weakens the movie. What happened to Gilderoy Lockhart, for example? Kenneth Branagh is brilliant in the role, but in the movie he appears almost plastered on -- a comical distraction, but little more. And Moaning Myrtle? What's with that adult playing a supposed teenager? In the novel, she's not just annoying...she's frightening. She's a dead girl! Here, she's been reduced to a dripping, overacting thirty-something woman. It doesn't make sense.
As with Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets also has a lull about two thirds of the way through, before picking up again for the climax (which is loads better than that of the first one), and ending in a rather embarrassing finale. Again, it's too long, and the story isn't quite compelling enough to compensate for the length. Then again, the books should have been made into (British) television miniseries -- to spend an hour and a half at a time, and maybe six hours in total, at Hogwarts would have worked much, much better, I think. But that wouldn't have generated as much cash as these movies have -- a billion dollars plus, and counting -- so it's a no-brainer for Warner Bros. And, so far, the movies have done a good job of sketching out the Potter universe. I look forward to the next one, which is due in November 2004.
Is it a great movie? No. It's good, but there are a few annoying problems: It's too dense. Some scenes are way too short, and everything happens at a breakneck pace, which makes it hard to follow unless you've read the book, and remember the details. There's little sense of time passing, of the school year progressing. No one appears to be studying anything at Hogwarts, and that's a shame, because the books really make a point of it. That's part of the appeal, this amazing school where you get to learn magic instead of boring stuff like mathematics and French. It's evident that the filmmakers wanted to include all the great ideas from the book, but they didn't have the time to really linger on anything, to dig deeper, to explore characters other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione, which weakens the movie. What happened to Gilderoy Lockhart, for example? Kenneth Branagh is brilliant in the role, but in the movie he appears almost plastered on -- a comical distraction, but little more. And Moaning Myrtle? What's with that adult playing a supposed teenager? In the novel, she's not just annoying...she's frightening. She's a dead girl! Here, she's been reduced to a dripping, overacting thirty-something woman. It doesn't make sense.
As with Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets also has a lull about two thirds of the way through, before picking up again for the climax (which is loads better than that of the first one), and ending in a rather embarrassing finale. Again, it's too long, and the story isn't quite compelling enough to compensate for the length. Then again, the books should have been made into (British) television miniseries -- to spend an hour and a half at a time, and maybe six hours in total, at Hogwarts would have worked much, much better, I think. But that wouldn't have generated as much cash as these movies have -- a billion dollars plus, and counting -- so it's a no-brainer for Warner Bros. And, so far, the movies have done a good job of sketching out the Potter universe. I look forward to the next one, which is due in November 2004.
Thursday, December 05, 2002
Looking for some cool Christmas gift ideas? Check out www.ThinkGeek.com -- yeah, it sounds, well, geeky, but there's tons of cool stuff there, including a remote-controlled flying saucer. I want one!
Going to see Harry Potter this evening, and looking forward to that. I haven't been to the movies in ages, and I've been saving up all the cool DVDs for the Christmas holidays.
A vancouverite/regular visitor to your voyage to mars here. good to hear you enjoyed trip to vancouver. That thingy in the center is called Vancouver art gallery, where I used to work, or if you're refering to the big building with teal roof, that should be Hotel Vancouver I think. I see some beatiful scenes from Stanley park as well. Nice. And you know what else is nice? Vancouver Canucks, wooohooo! ? You know you should post some pictures of your home town sometime. perhpas, a picture of troll or that big bad wolf from the myth? :) ? Have a good one
Thanks, and I will post some pictures of Oslo soon -- all white and snowy and stuff. Promise. Vancouver was really nice; you're lucky to live there. And thanks for clearing up the confusion! Go Canucks!
Going to see Harry Potter this evening, and looking forward to that. I haven't been to the movies in ages, and I've been saving up all the cool DVDs for the Christmas holidays.
A vancouverite/regular visitor to your voyage to mars here. good to hear you enjoyed trip to vancouver. That thingy in the center is called Vancouver art gallery, where I used to work, or if you're refering to the big building with teal roof, that should be Hotel Vancouver I think. I see some beatiful scenes from Stanley park as well. Nice. And you know what else is nice? Vancouver Canucks, wooohooo! ? You know you should post some pictures of your home town sometime. perhpas, a picture of troll or that big bad wolf from the myth? :) ? Have a good one
Thanks, and I will post some pictures of Oslo soon -- all white and snowy and stuff. Promise. Vancouver was really nice; you're lucky to live there. And thanks for clearing up the confusion! Go Canucks!
Monday, December 02, 2002
Posting a few more snapshots from Vancouver -- my six-hour lightning visit to Vancouver -- as promised (and requested). These have been massively scaled down from their original (2272*1704) size to a measly 300*whatever, to fit into the blog. Blah. I might post the originals some day. Might.
Looking out from the park to the sea. It's a crisp and beautiful November Sunday.
Gastown, downtown: a "hip" place to be. Lotsa little stores and cafés and places to be seen. Didn't spend much time there, unfortunately.
The...thingy. In the centre. Yes, I'm lousy with the remembering of the names and the places. Apparently, they shot parts of Ghostbusters here. Wooo.
Nice view from inside a building. Apparently a university of some sort. I remember there were students... *sigh* I'm hopeless.
Trees. And also the city. And to your left, a UFO. No, just kidding.
Me! Looking goofily stage right!
All right, kids, that's about it for tonight. Uncle Ragnar's got to catch the Zs. Bye-bye.
Looking out from the park to the sea. It's a crisp and beautiful November Sunday.
Gastown, downtown: a "hip" place to be. Lotsa little stores and cafés and places to be seen. Didn't spend much time there, unfortunately.
The...thingy. In the centre. Yes, I'm lousy with the remembering of the names and the places. Apparently, they shot parts of Ghostbusters here. Wooo.
Nice view from inside a building. Apparently a university of some sort. I remember there were students... *sigh* I'm hopeless.
Trees. And also the city. And to your left, a UFO. No, just kidding.
Me! Looking goofily stage right!
All right, kids, that's about it for tonight. Uncle Ragnar's got to catch the Zs. Bye-bye.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
I enjoyed a somewhat delayed Thanksgiving turkey dinner today, prepared by yours truly, which was quite frankly succulent. No, that's not a synonym for "sucky" -- it means it was excellent. Juicy and tender meat, with garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Definitely worth the hours it took to prepare it. I'm no great chef, but I'm a decent cook when I have the time.
I also watched Spider-Man again, with someone who hadn't yet seen it, and I have to admit that I think it's a decent movie, but not a great one. Not by a long shot. I was disappointed when I saw it back in May, on a big, huge Imax screen in L.A., and since my expectations were much, much lower than back then, it was entertaining to see it again...but that's about it. Why? Lots of reasons. I thought the Green Goblin was decidedly weak, both costume and character. I thought the action-scenes were half-hearted. I thought the first half hour of the movie was perfect -- Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man -- but after that it sort of stalled. The climax? Eh. Dull. The casting was great (for the most part), the effects pretty good, the score intense, but the story didn't reach any great heights. Good ending, though, and a great setup for a sequel, that's for sure. I have high hopes for The Amazing Spider-Man, due out in 2004. It's got to top this one.
Big, busy day tomorrow. Lots of things to dig into. Sayonara.
I also watched Spider-Man again, with someone who hadn't yet seen it, and I have to admit that I think it's a decent movie, but not a great one. Not by a long shot. I was disappointed when I saw it back in May, on a big, huge Imax screen in L.A., and since my expectations were much, much lower than back then, it was entertaining to see it again...but that's about it. Why? Lots of reasons. I thought the Green Goblin was decidedly weak, both costume and character. I thought the action-scenes were half-hearted. I thought the first half hour of the movie was perfect -- Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man -- but after that it sort of stalled. The climax? Eh. Dull. The casting was great (for the most part), the effects pretty good, the score intense, but the story didn't reach any great heights. Good ending, though, and a great setup for a sequel, that's for sure. I have high hopes for The Amazing Spider-Man, due out in 2004. It's got to top this one.
Big, busy day tomorrow. Lots of things to dig into. Sayonara.
