Imagine how many kids were inspired. This is something to be thankful for.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Fire and rain
Fire last week.
Rain tonight and for the next couple of days here in southern California.
You're going to think I'm nuts, but sometimes I miss the honest-to-gosh THUNDERSTORMS in south Florida.
But right now I'm watching Radiohead: In Rainbows on the DVR and listening to the rain outside.
Rain tonight and for the next couple of days here in southern California.
You're going to think I'm nuts, but sometimes I miss the honest-to-gosh THUNDERSTORMS in south Florida.
But right now I'm watching Radiohead: In Rainbows on the DVR and listening to the rain outside.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The End of Eternity
The film rights to Isaac Asimov's 1955 novel, The End of Eternity, have been acquired by New Regency. The project was most recently at Paramount with Ridley Scott and Tom Cruise involved but it never went anywhere. New Regency will try to interest some directors before hiring writers.
As a kid, I got hooked on Star Trek, and this led to my love of science fiction movies, and eventually to my discovering something called "books." Two of the earliest sci-fi novels I remember reading were Robert Silverberg's The Silent Invaders and a rather weather-beaten paperback copy of Asimov's The End of Eternity. My young brain was forever scarred by the time paradoxes therein.
From there I went on to devour Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova, Robert Heinlein, Anthony Burgess, and anything and everything I could find by Asimov -- I, Robot, the Foundation series, Caves of Steel...
It'll be interesting to see what kind of visual take someone might have on Eternity. It's been so long since I've read it, though, I barely remember the plot points. Too bad the book's out of print.
Off to trade in some old books at a used book store...
As a kid, I got hooked on Star Trek, and this led to my love of science fiction movies, and eventually to my discovering something called "books." Two of the earliest sci-fi novels I remember reading were Robert Silverberg's The Silent Invaders and a rather weather-beaten paperback copy of Asimov's The End of Eternity. My young brain was forever scarred by the time paradoxes therein.
From there I went on to devour Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova, Robert Heinlein, Anthony Burgess, and anything and everything I could find by Asimov -- I, Robot, the Foundation series, Caves of Steel...
It'll be interesting to see what kind of visual take someone might have on Eternity. It's been so long since I've read it, though, I barely remember the plot points. Too bad the book's out of print.
Off to trade in some old books at a used book store...
Friday, November 21, 2008
My morning routine and Arrested Development
I have a little routine every morning. When I wake up, I grab my gun from the nightstand and gently slip the barrel into my mouth. Then, I try to come up with at least one reason to not pull the trigger.
Some days, it takes me a few minutes. Or, at the very least, the dog insists on being taken for his morning walk.
But tomorrow morning, this will probably be enough to make me put the gun back in the drawer for another 24 hours:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The "Arrested Development" feature is moving closer to reality, with the producers of the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox series reportedly closing deals for the project.
A big-screen adaptation has been a hot topic among fans for the past year. Speculation has been fueled by cast members, including Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Jeffrey Tambor, being frequently quoted in interviews as saying that plans were in the works to bring the dysfunctional Bluth family to the big screen.
Mitch Hurwitz, who created and executive produced the Emmy-winning series, is on board to write the film for arthouse studio Fox Searchlight as well as direct with help from Ron Howard, whose Imagine banner was among the show's producers.
"Arrested Development," which ended its three-season run in 2006, was Howard's pet project. He had a lot to do with its distinct visual style. In the final episode, Howard, playing himself, heard the Bluth TV family's pitch of their story and liked it for a movie.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Caught in the fire
The so-called "Sayre Fire" is between where I live and Dial-Global's studios in Valencia. Last night, driving up the 5 to do Saturday Night 80s, the freeway was closed, forcing me to find an alternate route.
Those of you who live in Southern California know that between L.A. and Valencia, there aren't many alternate routes.
So I headed off onto surface streets, hoping to find a way through. The next thing I knew, I couldn't see anything and my car was surrounded by smoke. I suddenly realized that I had a bigger problem than possibly being late for the show... I was afraid I was surrounded by fire.
I turned around and headed back south, hoping that I hadn't trapped myself. I made it out and almost all the way back to Hollywood when I got a call that the 5 had just been reopened. All in all, I was only about a half hour late.
Such a fun place to live!
Those of you who live in Southern California know that between L.A. and Valencia, there aren't many alternate routes.
So I headed off onto surface streets, hoping to find a way through. The next thing I knew, I couldn't see anything and my car was surrounded by smoke. I suddenly realized that I had a bigger problem than possibly being late for the show... I was afraid I was surrounded by fire.
I turned around and headed back south, hoping that I hadn't trapped myself. I made it out and almost all the way back to Hollywood when I got a call that the 5 had just been reopened. All in all, I was only about a half hour late.
Such a fun place to live!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Fanboys go ga ga
JJ Abrams' ("Lost," "Cloverfield") Star Trek reboot hits theaters in May 2009. Images have been trickling out the last few weeks, but this is the one fanboys have been waiting for.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Book of Love
The question of marriage, who's it for, who's it not for, has been asked loudly of late. When I am asked whether I support the right of gay people to marry just like the rest of us, recent personal history makes me snarkily reply, "Frankly, I'd like to outlaw marriage for everyone. What a horrible institution, where hungry devils dwell and dine lustily on the still-beating hearts of innocent victims."
But that's just me.
The question I'd really like to ask of those who work so hard to deny to gay people the simple human dignity of being able to marry the person they love is this: If you're really all about "protecting marriage," why the hell aren't you out fighting for a constitutional amendment banning divorce? After all, "think of the children!" Right?
The fact that it doesn't work that way shows us they're not about "protecting marriage" at all. They just don't want people they don't like having the same access to a simple joy they do. And, even though one is not supposed to say this loudly for fear it will awaken ghosts we are just now beginning to put to rest, the same arguments against gay marriage were very nearly offered word for word against interracial marriage not that long ago.
But hey, I'm not eloquent. And I'm certainly not the one to tell people that marriage is a wonderful thing that everyone should have to endure, er, I mean, get to experience once, twice, or more times in life.
And I certainly cannot say it as well as this guy:
But that's just me.
The question I'd really like to ask of those who work so hard to deny to gay people the simple human dignity of being able to marry the person they love is this: If you're really all about "protecting marriage," why the hell aren't you out fighting for a constitutional amendment banning divorce? After all, "think of the children!" Right?
The fact that it doesn't work that way shows us they're not about "protecting marriage" at all. They just don't want people they don't like having the same access to a simple joy they do. And, even though one is not supposed to say this loudly for fear it will awaken ghosts we are just now beginning to put to rest, the same arguments against gay marriage were very nearly offered word for word against interracial marriage not that long ago.
But hey, I'm not eloquent. And I'm certainly not the one to tell people that marriage is a wonderful thing that everyone should have to endure, er, I mean, get to experience once, twice, or more times in life.
And I certainly cannot say it as well as this guy:
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Tonight
Obama's victory speech was nothing short of incredible. It was a speech for the ages. It will go down in history.
This is the dream of America made real, at long last.
When I was a kid, in my hometown, there were still doctors' offices with what used to be white and black waiting rooms, and even though the signs weren't there anymore, blacks and whites still waited in separate rooms.
And now, here we are.
For those who condemned Obama because of the words and attitudes of Reverend Wright, well, the election of Barack Obama proved some of Wright's words wrong.
If there is anything America could do to prove that what the terrorists and enemies say about us is wrong, it's the election of Barack Obama.
And not just the election, but the election by this margin.
Tonight, America took another big step in becoming a more perfect union.
This is the dream of America made real, at long last.
When I was a kid, in my hometown, there were still doctors' offices with what used to be white and black waiting rooms, and even though the signs weren't there anymore, blacks and whites still waited in separate rooms.
And now, here we are.
For those who condemned Obama because of the words and attitudes of Reverend Wright, well, the election of Barack Obama proved some of Wright's words wrong.
If there is anything America could do to prove that what the terrorists and enemies say about us is wrong, it's the election of Barack Obama.
And not just the election, but the election by this margin.
Tonight, America took another big step in becoming a more perfect union.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Transcendental moments
Sometime in 1981, a geeky kid heavily into music and science fiction was adjusting to life beyond high school and trying to figure out what to do with his nascent radio career (or even if it was something he wanted to continue doing). He decided to waste another afternoon listening to music in headphones. Private, solitary, musical masturbation. Mental medication.
This time, he decided to unwrap some new records he hadn't gotten around to listening to yet, and felt, after a few minutes' thought, that he was in the mood for classical for a change.
Aaron Copland. Hey, that sounded good. He loved Emerson Lake & Palmer's takes on Copland pieces like "Hoedown" and "Fanfare for the Common Man," so he thought it might be cool to listen to the "original," as it were.
He started the turntable, donned the headphones and laid down in the bed to listen to "Appalachian Spring," the full ballet suite.
It was a South Florida afternoon, which meant nap time. In about three minutes, somewhere in the first movement, he dozed off as the music swirled in his brain. He heard it, but he didn't hear it.
He began to awaken when he became aware of the most sublime music he had ever heard in his life. It was the closing section of the piece. It was like dying and being resurrected. It was like being transported to heaven. The soft, reverent closing of Appalachian Spring was simply the most beautiful piece of music ever written (with the possible exception of Barber's Adagio for Strings). He could see the sun going down, the coming of evening, all in his head, and it made him cry. Like a baby, and all without knowing why.
Music, even though it was his greatest love, never made him cry before. And certainly never music just by itself, with no words.
And it never happened again, until this evening some 27 years later.
Driving home, another lonesome and unbearable commute, he ditched the presets and flipped randomly through radio stations and landed at the lower end of the FM dial -- where you usually find NPR, weird foreign music, classical... and jazz.
He caught the song right at the beginning as the announcer introduced it. It was jazz pianist/composer Fred Hersch playing Hoagy Carmicheal's "The Nearness of You." It was transcendent. Ineffably divine. Trying to describe it in words would stain it, minimize it, turn it into a crude caricature. And even though it was not a sad piece of music, that was the feeling it evoked, so much so that this sad, lonely, frightened man, his soul dead from the frantic panics of the last couple of years, had to pull off the road and weep for all the things he'd lost and everything he used to be.
This time, he decided to unwrap some new records he hadn't gotten around to listening to yet, and felt, after a few minutes' thought, that he was in the mood for classical for a change.
Aaron Copland. Hey, that sounded good. He loved Emerson Lake & Palmer's takes on Copland pieces like "Hoedown" and "Fanfare for the Common Man," so he thought it might be cool to listen to the "original," as it were.
He started the turntable, donned the headphones and laid down in the bed to listen to "Appalachian Spring," the full ballet suite.
It was a South Florida afternoon, which meant nap time. In about three minutes, somewhere in the first movement, he dozed off as the music swirled in his brain. He heard it, but he didn't hear it.
He began to awaken when he became aware of the most sublime music he had ever heard in his life. It was the closing section of the piece. It was like dying and being resurrected. It was like being transported to heaven. The soft, reverent closing of Appalachian Spring was simply the most beautiful piece of music ever written (with the possible exception of Barber's Adagio for Strings). He could see the sun going down, the coming of evening, all in his head, and it made him cry. Like a baby, and all without knowing why.
Music, even though it was his greatest love, never made him cry before. And certainly never music just by itself, with no words.
And it never happened again, until this evening some 27 years later.
Driving home, another lonesome and unbearable commute, he ditched the presets and flipped randomly through radio stations and landed at the lower end of the FM dial -- where you usually find NPR, weird foreign music, classical... and jazz.
He caught the song right at the beginning as the announcer introduced it. It was jazz pianist/composer Fred Hersch playing Hoagy Carmicheal's "The Nearness of You." It was transcendent. Ineffably divine. Trying to describe it in words would stain it, minimize it, turn it into a crude caricature. And even though it was not a sad piece of music, that was the feeling it evoked, so much so that this sad, lonely, frightened man, his soul dead from the frantic panics of the last couple of years, had to pull off the road and weep for all the things he'd lost and everything he used to be.
Scan
now i'm a 45 rpm single
another bitter long commuter
so i ditched the presets
and scanned...
lonesome electromagnetic waves
lit on my aerial
and there was a jazzy piano
retelling of some old standard
making it soft and sexy sad
a brown man's hands touched
black and white keys
finding every blue note an ear could hear
grabbing my poor dead heart
and made me weep for
everything i lost and
everything i used to be
another bitter long commuter
so i ditched the presets
and scanned...
lonesome electromagnetic waves
lit on my aerial
and there was a jazzy piano
retelling of some old standard
making it soft and sexy sad
a brown man's hands touched
black and white keys
finding every blue note an ear could hear
grabbing my poor dead heart
and made me weep for
everything i lost and
everything i used to be
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Forbidden Planet remake
AMC just re-ran Forbidden Planet, the classic 1956 sci-fi film. Those of us who are Trekkies appreciate it as the "first" stirrings of Star Trek -- Roddenberry lifted so many elements from it.
If you can get beyond Leslie Nielsen in a straight role, some dated special effects, and a healthy dose of 50s movie sexism, you can appreciate the film as the trailblazing classic it was and is still.
Now there's word a remake is in the works, to be helmed by J. Michael Straczynski (who gave us Babylon 5 and the hit-and-miss Jeremiah TV shows) along with uber producer Joel Silver.
Here's a nifty "re-imagined trailer" for the original film:
If you can get beyond Leslie Nielsen in a straight role, some dated special effects, and a healthy dose of 50s movie sexism, you can appreciate the film as the trailblazing classic it was and is still.
Now there's word a remake is in the works, to be helmed by J. Michael Straczynski (who gave us Babylon 5 and the hit-and-miss Jeremiah TV shows) along with uber producer Joel Silver.
Here's a nifty "re-imagined trailer" for the original film:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)