Funny thing: I've had this feeling for the past two weeks that we would be getting the title of the seventh and last Harry Potter book before Christmas. And I was right.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the title, according to J.K. Rowling's official website.Mounting rumor is that this final chapter of the Harry Potter saga... and maybe even for Harry himself... will be released on July 7th, 2007: Book 7 on 7/7/...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Review of EMPIRE by Orson Scott Card
This is the most I've struggled with writing a review in quite a long time, made all the more worse because I'm a big fan of Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead were two of the books that influenced me the most when I was in high school. I also think that Card is a brilliant thinker when it comes to things like domestic politics and foreign policy, as...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
UNCG's performance of AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS
Yesterday morning I went along as a chaperone with Lisa's students on a field trip to see the Music and Drama departments from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro put on a performance of the Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. We had to drive to Westover Church's new sanctuary (which is absolutely cavernous) because Aycock Auditorium on the UNCG campus...
CIVIL WAR: "Whose side are YOU on?"
Are you with Snow Miser?Or are you with his brother Heat Miser?Both clips are from the classic Christmas special The Year Without A Santa Claus (the ORIGINAL one, not the new live-action remake with John Goodman as Santa, Delta Burke as Mrs. Claus and Harvey Fierstein (?!) as Heat Mise...
TRANSFORMERS first full trailer arrives
After all these months of shaking my head in disbelief at the leaked photos, having read one version of the script and wondered how this was going to work, fearing that the memory of one of my most cherished childhood toys was going to be desecrated......I've watched this trailer about ten times now. And I like it a lot!Seeing this first trailer for Transformers, I am realizing...
DVD Review of SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS
This may be the most shocking historical drama that has ever been produced. You wouldn't believe what they did to make Sophie Scholl: The Final Days as authentic as it could possibly be. More on why that is in just a little bit...Three months ago, I posted on this blog a review of the movie Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. Ever since I heard about this movie earlier this...
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
ROCKY BALBOA and retconning movie series
Apparently Rocky Balboa - which premieres in theaters tomorrow - references ever single previous Rocky movie... except Rocky V. Sylvester Stallone is now being quoted in a few places as saying the reason he wanted to make Rocky Balboa was to make people forget about how bad Rocky V was.In other words, as of this week, it's possible that Rocky V should no longer be considered...
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is 35 years old today
On December 19th 1971, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick unleashed what – I believe so anyway – is the greatest movie he ever made. So let's hoist our glasses and raise a toast to the 35th anniversary of A Clockwork Orange!This is definitely my most favorite movie that Kubrick made: even more so than 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove (although I love those also quite a bit)....
Monday, December 18, 2006
Lots of stuff coming the next few days
A book review, a DVD review, maybe a movie review, another humor piece, possibly more YouTube videos, a holiday tradition, and an announcement. All of this before the week is o...
THE LOBO PARAMILITARY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
And now, the most twisted and ultra-violent movie you'll ever see this or any other holiday season...The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special! This 2002 short film was for awhile the most sought-after comic book-related movie on the Internet... but now it's on YouTube! In this torn-up holiday classic, DC Comics' galactic bounty hunter Lobo (click here for more info about...
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Review of ERAGON
"I liked the part where Darth Vader rides the Balrog."A long time ago and far, far away, there was an empire ruled by a cruel tyrant. It had been a realm that was originally looked after and protected by an order of mystical warriors, until they were betrayed and wiped out years before by the dark lord. The emperor ruled with an iron fist... but an alliance of rebels threatened...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Elon University lit up for the holidays
Late Thursday night/early Friday morning Lisa and I were driving back home from Raleigh after seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. We wound up going through Elon University, where I went to college. I stopped and took a few pictures, although they really can't do any justice to how beautiful the campus is lit up every Christmas season.These photos of Elon University...
Friday, December 15, 2006
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the RBC Center in Raleigh
Last night Lisa and I hooked up with Chad and my sister Anita at Chad's apartment in Raleigh. We headed out a little after 6, had a bite to eat at a nearby Quizno's and then headed to the RBC Center for a live concert by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.This was by far one of the most unique musical experiences I've ever had... to say nothing about it being the most lively Christmas...
Bushido in America
Long but compelling read by Robert L. Kocher called "Bushido, Class, and Governance" about the principles of Bushido (the guiding philosophies of the samurai). One of the things this article talks about is how people like George W. Bush, Ted Kennedy, Al Gore etc. would never have succeeded on their own in the real world had it not been for family name and connections: their "nobility" so to speak, when in truth none of them possess any redeeming...
Thursday, December 14, 2006
"The 12 Days of Christmas" by the YouTube Community Choir
This is AWESOME!!Look for my favorite YouTuber Geriatric1927 (AKA Peter the British pensioner) sporting a nifty Santa h...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Jack Chick and Stan Lee present: GALACTUS IS COMING!
What if Jack Chick worked with Stan Lee on a religious tract?Behold: Galactus Is Coming!I've a horrible desire now to print up a bunch of these and plant them around our church sanctuary before service on Sunday morning.Special thanks to Shane Thacker at The Phantom City - a blog that I'm going to be visiting quite a bit from now on - for finding this ...
