I have been talking a walk with Will Copper through the mountains of North Carolina. “Thirteen Moons” has been really good so far and is much different in tone than “Cold Mountain.” I must confess that I have quite a crush on Will Copper at this point. There are so many things that make him such an attractive and interesting character. With about 150 pages to go, I hope to finish it up this weekend and then move on to “Lisey’s Story” by Stephen King.
Month: May 2007
Thursday Update
As Mom guessed in yesterday comments … yes, I tested positive for strep (again) yesterday. Grrrrrrr. I am back on mega antibiotics (again )and then I guess we see what happens. My doctor was scratching his head yesterday trying to figure out just why I have gotten sick (again) so fast after finishing 10 days of penicillin. He seems to think I (again) have a pesky and recurrent strain. I think I am gonna call November 2006 – November 2007 “The Year of the Strep.”
Statement for the Day
As Invader Zim would say … “My germ spray! All hope is lost if I don’t find more – NEVER!! I won’t give up I’LL DESTROY YOU!! AND YOU!! AND YOU!! AND YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!”
DVDs-A-Go-Go (Redux)
Here some news and info on some upcoming dvd releases …
The Monster Squad:
Here’s a look at the cover art for the 2-Disc edition of “The Monster Squad.” It comes out July 24th and is gonna rock!
Zodiac:
The street date for David Fincher’s “Zodiac” is slated to be July 24th. Hopefully it will come out as an excessive, special features-packed edition like the the the 3-disc set of “Panic Room.”
Inland Empire:
Rhino Entertainment and Ryko Distribution will release Inland Empire on August 14th. Filmmaker David Lynch’s latest masterpiece, shot entirely on handheld digital cameras, arrives as a two-disc set featuring a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. Bonus materials will include “Lynch 2: Behind The Scenes of Inland Empire With David Lynch,” “Talks With Laura Dern and David Lynch: More Things That Happened (Additional Character Experiences),” 3 theatrical trailers, a 73-page stills gallery and David Lynch Cooks Quinoa. Retail will be $29.95.
[via davisdvd.com]
Hamlet (1996):
HAMLET: 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION (1996)
In this first-ever full-text film of Shakespeare’s greatest work, nominated for 4 Academy Awards, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore with much of the action staged in shimmering mirrored and gold-filled interiors. The luminous cast includes actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Robin Williams, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal and Charlton Heston.
DVD Special Features:
– Introduction by Director/Star Kenneth Branagh
– Commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Shakespeare Scholar Russell Jackson
– New Digital Transfer From Original 70mm Elements
– Soundtrack Remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
– Featurette “To Be On Camera: A History With Hamlet”
– 1996 Cannes Film Festival Promo
– Shakespeare Movies Trailer Gallery
– Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (feature film only)
“Hamlet” will (finally!) drop into stores on August 14th.
DVDs-A-Go-Go
Because I don’t really have anything better to say right now … here’s the next 20 discs that are coming from Netflix.
“Overlord”
“The Hitcher” (2007)
“Army of Shadows”
“The Good Girl” (Mmmm, Jake Gyllenhaal!)
“Super Troopers”
“The Shop on Main Street”
“Closely Watched Trains”
“Y Tu Mama Tambien”
“Narc”
“Thief”
“They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”
“A Dirty Shame”
“Prozac Nation”
“Hotel Rwanda”
“The Motorcycle Diaries”
“Following”
“Enigma”
“Gorky Park”
“Die! Die! My Darling!”
“The Stendhal Syndrome”
Cast Party Randomness
And here are a few random pictures from the “Show Stoppers” cast party at Steve’s place yesterday afternoon/evening.
It’s a Monday
Yeah. It’s been a Monday so far. Besides needing to be cloned (there is, after all, only one of me), I also need to be a mind reader.
Ramble
Thank the Gods it’s Friday. Hard to believe that half of May is almost gone already. Where does the time go?
Oh! Movies, DVDs and Porno … that’s where the time goes.
My copy of the Canadian Special Edition of David Cronenberg’s “eXistenZ” arrived yesterday. Whoo! I loves me a special edition with a Cronenberg audio commentary. Oh, hell. I just love David Cronenberg. Period.
Lordy, I dread seeing my credit card statement next month.
BJ mailed me with some exciting news! Folsom Street East will be going on when I jet to NYC next month. Hot! Scott and BJ had better get their leather ready. I gotta remember to pack mine.
I still have 7 more films to go to have the “Viva Pedro” collection watched. I have been really lax about that this week what with 3 films arriving from Netflix as well. I have watched “Color Me Blood Red,” “The Gore Gore Girls” and need to hit “Munich” tomorrow.
Remember: Go buy “Volta” (the new Bjork album)!
I am nothing if not eclectic. Yup.
My Favorite Track
Zwartboek (Black Book): Some Thoughts
Franke and I both liked “Black Book” but with a few reservations. It’s probably the most “Hollywood” foreign film I have ever seen. If the characters weren’t speaking Dutch and German, “Black Book” could have been a film that came right out of a major Hollywood studio. It’s full of sex, violence and a few double (and triple) crosses and silly plot twists thrown in for good measure. Don’t get me wrong. I liked the movie once I got into it’s “fluff” attitude ’cause I was expecting a more serious take on the Dutch Resistance during the final days of World War II. But, then again, why would I be expecting something more serious from Paul Verhoeven (the man who brought us “Basic Instinct” and “Showgirls“). So, if want a good piece of foreign-style escapism, then “Black Book” is a good movie.
P.S. Franke and I both agree that Sebastian Koch is totally handsome.
Volta!
Monday, Monday
Busy day here … but the weekend was pretty relaxing as I hadn’t really planned much of anything other than laying n the couch and watching movies. Yup. The tonsils are now back down to normal size and the strep bug has had its butt kicked … so I am feeling much better. Though I must confess that I would have loved to have stayed in the bed this morning. Tonight I am off with Franke to see “Black Book” at the Fine Arts. Gosh. It doesn’t seem like there is any other movie theater in town right now.
And tomorrow?
Bjork! “Volta!” Rawk!
Happy Friday
I am in a good mood today ’cause one of the things I have been hunting for on eBay for years was won by ME the other night! It’s “The Art of Tom & Jerry: Volume Two” 3-Laserdisc Set that MGM/UA Home Video released back in the early 90’s. People who know me know that I love my cat and mouse mayhem … and I like it un-cut. Back in the mid-90’s (after these laserdiscs were released) Cartoon Network acquired Tom & Jerry and immediately started editing out site gags and voices that weren’t deemed “politically correct.” Now, I find this to be a travesty especially since even the Oscar-winning Tom & Jerry cartoons were spared from being messed with either. A couple of years ago Tom & Jerry made started making their way onto dvd but, sadly, in their edited Cartoon Network incarnations. When the two “Spotlight Collections” came out there was an outcry from die-hard fans that they were still getting the cut version when the studio had been promising they wouldn’t be. I, for one, never bought those dvds and started hunting eBay for the old laserdisc sets. I won Volume One a couple of years ago and have been looking for Volume Two ever since. I have found a few and always been outbid but the other day I won! Cool thing about Volume Two is that the CimenaScope cartoon are presented in their 2:35 aspect ratio. How fuckin’ cool is that!?!?!
In other news:
I am still progressively getting better.