Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I read a review before I went to the movie that said "Great acting, great effects, no discernable plot."
I thought that sounded perfect, and it pretty much was. Except for one part that I felt Zaphod's third arm could have been done better, the effects were great. I loved the design of dang near everything. I think they hit all the high points of the book and really captured the spirit of it.
The only thing I felt that this changed at all was that in the books, I loved Zaphod, but in the movie he kinda grated on me. But you know, that's the type of character that would be like that.
The only thing that got left out that should have made it: Mostly Harmless. And Gin and Tonics.
Otherwise, I think it was an amazing recreation of a great book. To say thumbs up would be too cheesy though.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Jem: Finally Woken
Note: I know that the archives aren't working and you can only access the latest three posts. I'm not sure why this is happening and will try to tackle the problem soon, along with making the google ads read the content of the blog and not the footer.inc. Also: the spellcheck feature on blogger doesn't seem to be working, and so I apologize for spelling errors. I'm really a very terrible speller.
Jem: Finally Woken
It's been an incredibly long time since I bought a CD after listening to only one song. Normally I wait for two or three, or even until someone else has bought it and I can listen to the entire thing. But in the case of Jem, I loved the song "24" so much that I wanted to hear it more, and only one local radio station seemed to be playing it.
So on a whim I checked out the price at our local FYE, which is always overpriced. They had it for only $12, so I decided to check Target instead. When I found the CD for only $10, I snatched it up without thinking much about it.
I am so glad that I did. Every song on the CD is good, and I can listen to it over and over without getting tired of it. The music is very different from the typical pop songs that are getting so much airplay now, and it's a sound I love. I played it on repeat for about four hours when I first bought it, and I never listen to anything on repeat because I get sick of things too quickly. Since then it's left my CD player only to go to Cyn's house and make her listen to it.
The song that gets stuck in my head most is not 24, which I still love, but Finally Woken. Jem's voice is beautiful, and I wish I could explain the allure of this album better. But all I can say is that there's something in it, the way the songs flow, the way they work together, the way the music compliments the singing. There's something, and it's perfect. Now I'd be willing to buy any music of hers without even hearing it, which could get me into trouble but ah well.
It really is that great. I would reccomend it to anyone, and wholeheartedly so. It might not be everyone's taste, but it is absolutly worth a try.
Jem: Finally Woken
It's been an incredibly long time since I bought a CD after listening to only one song. Normally I wait for two or three, or even until someone else has bought it and I can listen to the entire thing. But in the case of Jem, I loved the song "24" so much that I wanted to hear it more, and only one local radio station seemed to be playing it.
So on a whim I checked out the price at our local FYE, which is always overpriced. They had it for only $12, so I decided to check Target instead. When I found the CD for only $10, I snatched it up without thinking much about it.
I am so glad that I did. Every song on the CD is good, and I can listen to it over and over without getting tired of it. The music is very different from the typical pop songs that are getting so much airplay now, and it's a sound I love. I played it on repeat for about four hours when I first bought it, and I never listen to anything on repeat because I get sick of things too quickly. Since then it's left my CD player only to go to Cyn's house and make her listen to it.
The song that gets stuck in my head most is not 24, which I still love, but Finally Woken. Jem's voice is beautiful, and I wish I could explain the allure of this album better. But all I can say is that there's something in it, the way the songs flow, the way they work together, the way the music compliments the singing. There's something, and it's perfect. Now I'd be willing to buy any music of hers without even hearing it, which could get me into trouble but ah well.
It really is that great. I would reccomend it to anyone, and wholeheartedly so. It might not be everyone's taste, but it is absolutly worth a try.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The Pretender: Season 1
The Pretender, Season 1
I'm currently finishing up with disc 6 of the first season of Pretender, and I've got to say that I'm still extremly happy that this show was chosen to get to DVD. I know most shows are making it these days, but this was far and away one of my favorites.
One thing that's surprising me is how quickly the plot line moved along. So many things have already happened by this next to last disc that I'm trying to figure out what happens in the second season!
A few things about the navigation: I don't like it. While the graphics are pretty, the navigation is uselessly complicated. You have to click on an episode title, go to a second menu, and then chose to play episode, use the set up menu, choose chapters, or go back.
Personally, if I want to have set up something, I want to do it before I pick my episode. I didn't like this when the Stargate DVDs started doing it, though they are even worse. On those, you have to click episode, then the title, and then play. If I'm watching a tv show on dvd, chances are I just want to play it. The Friends box sets have this much better organized, though they don't offer chapter selection: a major negative.
Pretender is only better as a show that can be watched in long sittings rather than waiting each week for the next installment. You really see Jarod's versatility that way, and how quickly he moves from one thing to the next. On Disc 6 you also get treated to Jarod's first "love" (if you don't count Miss Parker), and I remembered thinking the episode wasn't as bad as I thought.
Now that I'm older, I like it even better. The woman wasn't a typical model, but a woman that was actually beautiful. Not to mention it's the episode where Jarod learns about Star Wars. Other episodes haven't stood the test of time, and every once in a while I'm starting to actually think Jarod goes a little too far.
The behind the scenes featurettes are great, and overall it's well worth watching, whether you've seen it or not.
I'm currently finishing up with disc 6 of the first season of Pretender, and I've got to say that I'm still extremly happy that this show was chosen to get to DVD. I know most shows are making it these days, but this was far and away one of my favorites.
One thing that's surprising me is how quickly the plot line moved along. So many things have already happened by this next to last disc that I'm trying to figure out what happens in the second season!
A few things about the navigation: I don't like it. While the graphics are pretty, the navigation is uselessly complicated. You have to click on an episode title, go to a second menu, and then chose to play episode, use the set up menu, choose chapters, or go back.
Personally, if I want to have set up something, I want to do it before I pick my episode. I didn't like this when the Stargate DVDs started doing it, though they are even worse. On those, you have to click episode, then the title, and then play. If I'm watching a tv show on dvd, chances are I just want to play it. The Friends box sets have this much better organized, though they don't offer chapter selection: a major negative.
Pretender is only better as a show that can be watched in long sittings rather than waiting each week for the next installment. You really see Jarod's versatility that way, and how quickly he moves from one thing to the next. On Disc 6 you also get treated to Jarod's first "love" (if you don't count Miss Parker), and I remembered thinking the episode wasn't as bad as I thought.
Now that I'm older, I like it even better. The woman wasn't a typical model, but a woman that was actually beautiful. Not to mention it's the episode where Jarod learns about Star Wars. Other episodes haven't stood the test of time, and every once in a while I'm starting to actually think Jarod goes a little too far.
The behind the scenes featurettes are great, and overall it's well worth watching, whether you've seen it or not.
Monday, April 25, 2005
The Price
The Price by Anne Bishop, featured in Powers of Detection, edited by Dana Stabenow
I picked up this book at the bookstore for a lot of reasons. I pulled it off the shelf for the cover art, which I think is phenomenal. It's very intruiging, and I was looking for short stories as I currently have the attention span of a fruit fly.
What made me take it home was that it featured a story by Anne Bishop, who quickly became one of my favorite authors after I bought The Black Jewels Trilogy because, well, they had pretty covers. I had a gift certificate.
I didn't care if the story was based on the world of the Blood or maybe her other series, which I haven't read yet. But it turns out it was based on the BJT, and is a continuation from after the last book. I haven't read Dreams Made Flesh yet, so I don't know how it interacts with those stories.
Surreal is the main character of this story, which made me happy because I would say that she ties with Lucivar for my favorite character in the books. Daemon and Jaenelle are great, but Surreal has so many facets that never got explored. I hoped this would finally give us another one.
In a way, you did get to see a little more of her, but the story suffered greatly from being short. There is too much telling and not enough showing, and things wind up a little too neatly. Though I was happy to see Daemon and Jaenelle show up, they seemed like cameos made just to appease fans, and not vital to the story in the end.
I really wanted to see Surreal on her own, maybe with a new character, but not needing help from the other "mains" of the story. The end came too quickly and too neatly, with too much "inner thought" instead of action, despite a fabulous beginning. I also thought the ending didn't have near enough "bang."
For people who, like me, are in love with the world of the Blood, this is something you should read. But it absolutly isn't a place to start, and if you're only lukewarm to the BJT then don't read this as it won't offer you much.
I picked up this book at the bookstore for a lot of reasons. I pulled it off the shelf for the cover art, which I think is phenomenal. It's very intruiging, and I was looking for short stories as I currently have the attention span of a fruit fly.
What made me take it home was that it featured a story by Anne Bishop, who quickly became one of my favorite authors after I bought The Black Jewels Trilogy because, well, they had pretty covers. I had a gift certificate.
I didn't care if the story was based on the world of the Blood or maybe her other series, which I haven't read yet. But it turns out it was based on the BJT, and is a continuation from after the last book. I haven't read Dreams Made Flesh yet, so I don't know how it interacts with those stories.
Surreal is the main character of this story, which made me happy because I would say that she ties with Lucivar for my favorite character in the books. Daemon and Jaenelle are great, but Surreal has so many facets that never got explored. I hoped this would finally give us another one.
In a way, you did get to see a little more of her, but the story suffered greatly from being short. There is too much telling and not enough showing, and things wind up a little too neatly. Though I was happy to see Daemon and Jaenelle show up, they seemed like cameos made just to appease fans, and not vital to the story in the end.
I really wanted to see Surreal on her own, maybe with a new character, but not needing help from the other "mains" of the story. The end came too quickly and too neatly, with too much "inner thought" instead of action, despite a fabulous beginning. I also thought the ending didn't have near enough "bang."
For people who, like me, are in love with the world of the Blood, this is something you should read. But it absolutly isn't a place to start, and if you're only lukewarm to the BJT then don't read this as it won't offer you much.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Stellvia
Stellvia vol. 4
Tonight my sister and I watched the three episodes that make up volume 4 of Stellvia, an anime that's still in the process of being released by Geneon.
This show is quickly becoming one of my favorites the more I watch of it. Though there was a moment there when a new character was introduced, and was of course absolutly perfect and cute. But in the end she wasn't that big a deal and the show continued to focus on Shima Katase, the main character.
One of the best things about Stellvia istead of becoming a show entirely about space battles and mecha, it's actually about the people on board the Stellvia, a giant space station. You get your fair share of spaceships and such, but there's just as much personal interaction between the pilot trainees as there is actual training.
Of course this volume also starts to give you the payoff of the growing romantic attractions on the show, and it was better than I even thought it would have been.
There's mystery, spaceships, romance, angst, and humor. I really love this show, and I'd like to buy it one day to watch it over again. I highly reccomend it.
Tonight my sister and I watched the three episodes that make up volume 4 of Stellvia, an anime that's still in the process of being released by Geneon.
This show is quickly becoming one of my favorites the more I watch of it. Though there was a moment there when a new character was introduced, and was of course absolutly perfect and cute. But in the end she wasn't that big a deal and the show continued to focus on Shima Katase, the main character.
One of the best things about Stellvia istead of becoming a show entirely about space battles and mecha, it's actually about the people on board the Stellvia, a giant space station. You get your fair share of spaceships and such, but there's just as much personal interaction between the pilot trainees as there is actual training.
Of course this volume also starts to give you the payoff of the growing romantic attractions on the show, and it was better than I even thought it would have been.
There's mystery, spaceships, romance, angst, and humor. I really love this show, and I'd like to buy it one day to watch it over again. I highly reccomend it.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Various
Sure, this blog isn't actually visible yet, but I'm working on it. I just don't have a ton of time right now. I'm debating what this will be used for, and I think I'm going to go with randomly talking about what movies I'm watching and books I'm reading, along with the updates of the site. Maybe that'll work.
Tonight I'm working at the bookstore, which means I'll be taking back two books I checked out. The first was Juvenile Orion vol. 1. I liked it alright, but I was getting extremly confused. I know this sounds petty, but the binding on the book was annoying, because it was hard to hold it open and really see the art. I'm sure that means it won't fall apart, but I'd like to be able to read it too. I'll probably pick up the second volume, but it's not a priority.
Sin City vol. 1 was the other one, and I can't remember the title of this one. It's the middle story in the movie I think, with the woman named Goldie. I can't decide entirely what I think of it. The story was interesting, but the artwork actually was beyond not my style. Actually it really bugged me. But that was the story of the Sandman comics too, and I read all of those. Def. going to pick up the next volume of Sin City, because the writing really did have a lot of good stuff going on. Will likely rent the movie, but not spend the cash to go see it in the theatre because I'm flat broke.
Last thing I watched on my DVD player was the last of Season 2 of Friends. Man, I loved that show when it first came out. I'm going to try to make it past Ross and Rachel's "break" this time, which is when I stopped watching during the original airings. Ross got so annoying I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted Rachel to dump him.
Before that it was Demon Under Glass, a good indie vampire flick about scientists who capture a vampire to study him. The big draw was of course that Jason Carter was the vampire. But the story was interesting too, and it really got me wanting to get back into filmmaking, because I could see a lot of the things they did while making it, and I really wanted to do my own movie again. I just wish I had the time.
Time to stop rambling since nobody can read this until I figure out how to insert it anyway!
Tonight I'm working at the bookstore, which means I'll be taking back two books I checked out. The first was Juvenile Orion vol. 1. I liked it alright, but I was getting extremly confused. I know this sounds petty, but the binding on the book was annoying, because it was hard to hold it open and really see the art. I'm sure that means it won't fall apart, but I'd like to be able to read it too. I'll probably pick up the second volume, but it's not a priority.
Sin City vol. 1 was the other one, and I can't remember the title of this one. It's the middle story in the movie I think, with the woman named Goldie. I can't decide entirely what I think of it. The story was interesting, but the artwork actually was beyond not my style. Actually it really bugged me. But that was the story of the Sandman comics too, and I read all of those. Def. going to pick up the next volume of Sin City, because the writing really did have a lot of good stuff going on. Will likely rent the movie, but not spend the cash to go see it in the theatre because I'm flat broke.
Last thing I watched on my DVD player was the last of Season 2 of Friends. Man, I loved that show when it first came out. I'm going to try to make it past Ross and Rachel's "break" this time, which is when I stopped watching during the original airings. Ross got so annoying I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted Rachel to dump him.
Before that it was Demon Under Glass, a good indie vampire flick about scientists who capture a vampire to study him. The big draw was of course that Jason Carter was the vampire. But the story was interesting too, and it really got me wanting to get back into filmmaking, because I could see a lot of the things they did while making it, and I really wanted to do my own movie again. I just wish I had the time.
Time to stop rambling since nobody can read this until I figure out how to insert it anyway!
Friday, April 15, 2005
Would you look at that? I do have an update blogger already set up for this site! I just need to plug it in.
Seven new images posted in the random image archive, and one ask/answer question answered. The pics are in entertainment, photos, random, and artwork. The categories are new too. Be sure to leave comments so I know what kind of pics people are looking for!
Seven new images posted in the random image archive, and one ask/answer question answered. The pics are in entertainment, photos, random, and artwork. The categories are new too. Be sure to leave comments so I know what kind of pics people are looking for!
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