Justin, I have also managed to get a copy of one of Kersh’s books - NIGHT IN THE CITY – although all I had to do was pay for it to ship from the USA for me. Looking forward to reading it.
I also envy you that you have a Library where you can get books like Kersh’s (even if it does take contortionist skills to get them). My library didn’t even have 1 book by Harlan. Didn’t I say, because after extracting a promise from the librarian that she would put it on the shelves, I donated a copy of THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON - A 50 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE.
Spreading HE’s words
Kerry
Chuck: Just heard "Let's Roll". Wow. I wonder how the families will take it.
Thanks for the info, Rob, I'll definitely check out ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN again (seen it, but not in many years).
I've been in this library all day, and I got determined about an hour ago not to leave without procuring something for myself, something to satisfy the inner Justin and make him coo. No more of this dull data cramming business, but something F-U-N to read. I suddenly recalled that Harlan's favorite author was some cat I'd never heard of, who's work I'd looked for at bookstores in the past but could never find, and if any place in Arizona would have any of his books it would be this library. Now what was his name? Jerry something. No! Gerald! Kersh!
So I've just spent a half hour wrestling with this "compact shelving" system down in the basement where they were hiding Kersh's books, and it's something right out of BLADE RUNNER for Heaven's sake. I finally figured out how to work the bloody thing, only to discover that the cluster of shelves Kersh's stuff was located in were the only cluster of shelves in the whole vast subterrainian network of compact shelves that DID NOT WORK. But I was able to kinda wedge myself into this little gap and kinda push back with my feet and out with my chest and kinda managed to sorta make a gap large enough for me to squeeze (and I mean SQUEEZE) into. Fortunately, Kersh's stuff wasn't too far in, and I was able to grab three volumes. I couldn't squeeze far enough in to get the others. The volumes I was able to nab were: THEY DIE WITH THEIR BOOTS CLEAN (which is possibly the best title I've heard all year), THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF MR. SMALL, and THE SONG OF THE FLEA, another title I'm quite fond of. I look forward to devouring them over Christmas.
J
To The Bag of Meat,
You could've told me that before, man; you should see the bill surgeons slapped on me for the lob I got. I was told girls would like me more if I'd had one.
Justin,
John Mitchell was Attorney General in Nixon's first term (of course, I'm assuming you already knew that; I'm not trying to sound condescending); he became campaign manager of the Committee to Re-Elect the President, which became known as CREEP. 2 years before Watergate Nixon authorized the formation of the White House 'Plumbers' in response to the Pentagon Papers having been published; the Plumbers would burglarize, wire tap and look for "dirt" on any potential "enemies" of the White House, including journalists, Democrats and people like Daniel Ellsberg. Anyway, it was Mitchell who would approve the Watergate break-in using the Plumbers. He seemed to be an incredible upstart who firmly believed in bypassing the law in Nixon's interests, and if I recall correctly he controlled the 'hush' money Nixon approved.
Assuming you haven't seen 'All the President's Men' with Redford check it out; it's a great film.
BTW, how'd you make out with your pad? Are you living in a safe area now?
Another note to all: Has anyone heard Neil Young's single, LET'S ROLL? It's about the people on flight 93 in Pennsylvania. He bypassed his record label, recorded it, burned it onto discs and sent it to various radio stations. I heard it here on KBCO. It has something of a retro sound to it. I kinda liked it.
Chuck
Oh, yes. Go, Endeavour!
Alright, so I didn't do it. Wussed out. Terned yeller. Came to my senses. What can I say? There are just certain primal urges that grip a man cooped up in a library studying for five hours without a break. Seriously, enough fooling around, I'm going back to studying now.
Applause to Jayne Hitchcock.
Justin
Yeah, Ashcroft makes my tail get all bushy. I'm all for lining up terrorists against a wall and splattering their guts out with Heckler and Koch MP5's, but "Patriot" Acts? Unlimited access of the feds to internet, e-mail, computer hard-drives and personal records of people against whom there is no evidence, and allows their arrest without due process protections? I may end up commiting to military service, but even so I don't trust the gubmint nearly enough to let that kind of thing go with nary a raised eyebrow.
Harlan, I must confess that I don't know enough about John Mitchell to really understand the comparison, but I know he was one of Nixon's guys, and helped set up the Watergate burglary. No history lesson necessary, I can be trusted to read up on it all at some point. Oddly enough, we never learned about Watergate in school ( or HUAC, and the Vietnam War was glossed over, etc.). Hmmm, could that be because it might plant some seed of doubt in a young mind about the unquestionable trustworthiness of the United States government? Nah, couldn't be. Couldn't be.
Returning dutifully to my studies,
J
p.s. Saaaay...that blonde in the body-hugging turtleneck at the U of A Library Information Desk sure is awful cute. I'm gonna go over there and I'm gonna say, "Hey sweet thang, howzabout you and me go into the bathroom and hump like a couple of rabbits?" You watch, I'm gonna do it.
First of all, congratulations to Jayne Hitchcock. I loves to see the nay-sayers proven wrong again! And, thanks for putting up the fight. It is most appreceated.
To all here, I would recommend checking out the SCIFI.COM site, first for the series EDWARD THE LESS, a lampoon of the Rings trilogy, done by the folks from MST3K. Whether you like Tolkien or not, I think you'll find it very funny. I'd also recommend the SCI FICTION section for Gregory Benford's short story BRINK. The characters in this short fiction reminded me a little of this group, and I wanted to let you know about it.
Chuck
HARLAN HERE:
FIRST: Congrats of a color and flow matched only by the Blue Nile to Jayne Hitchcock. Huzzah, my dear!!! One more bold example of the Power of the Determined Ethical Individual. All this "you can't make a difference" or "it's none of my business" or "there's no way to fight city hall, so pay the two bucks and shine it on" is refuted by the regularity of Wins by Determined
Ethical Individuals.
Ms. Hitchcock and I come from the same mold. When all around us are assuring us that we're farting into the wind, that it will all come a cropper, we draw on that well of experience and righteous indignation that has bubbled at the core of every whistle-blower and gadfly and social reformer and pain-in-the-ass monkeywrench nuisance snce the first Cro-Magnon wondered why he wasn't getting better mileage from such inexpensive dino coprolith fuel. We serve the commonweal.
Again, huzzah to you, Jaynie girl!!!!!
SECOND: The Edgeworks books WILL continue. Patience, Mr. Meat, I'm dancing as fast as I can.
THIRD: Today, via long distance between Ellison Wonderland and the London studios of BBC radio, I performed the voice of the evil computer AM in a soon-to-be-broadcast adaptation of "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" starring David Soul. Adaptation by Mike Walker, produced by Ned Chaillet, full cast and sound effects and special music. You're on your own tracking down when it'll be aired, and/or how to get a cassette/CD of the programme.
FOURTH: Last week I spent six hours in the recording booth of Audio Literature, performing about half of John Shirley's forthcoming horror novel, DEMONS. John himself will be reading the rest. Release, sometime early next year, I'm advised.
FIFTH: My List of 6 great "lost" modern fantasy novels appears in the current issue of THE WEEK. Most of you know how to get the publication. I'm pleased as punch, and hope you like the snippet. It ain't that long a piece, but I is proud of it.
SIXTH: Todd, I commend your pleasure at the "lack of terrorist atacks" since 9/11 (and no, I don't think the anthrax assaults are international in nature, but are as homegrown as Tim McVie and Waagner; demented opportunists as corruptly-empowered by fanatic religiosity as the al Quieda zealots), but I urge you, I PLEAD with you, to keep your antenna alert to Ashcroft and his doings. This is another John Mitchell, if his past endeavors are any touchstone. I argue not with you, neither Leftie nor Rightie, all I beg of you is: keep your fine tuned mind on what he DOES, not so much what he SAYS. I think disenchantment will ensue.
Imminent happy Channukah to you all. Also Kwanzaa, St. Swithin's Day, Whitsuntide, Ramadan, and Christmas . . . as long as you fuckers remember that I ABHOR getting greeting cards. Send them and be assured I will not love you for the erroneous assumed "kindness." And there isn't even a jot or tittle of the "bah humbug" about it. I just think you should send the card-money to the needy; and not clog up my mailbox.
Otherwise, cheerily, yr. pal, Harlan
Someone here was talking about "Lonelyache" a few days ago, something about the story not resonating for them. I haven't read the story for years, but I remember two things about it. First, that, yes, for some reason it fell short. After reading it I knew I probably wasn't going to read it again for some time. But what I remember the most is the first line which resonates like only the scraping-the-bone truth can:
"The form of the habit she had become still drove him to one side of the bed."
This is a sentence written by someone who knows loneliness. It's not fiction. And the word "lonelyache" hammers the nail in even deeper.
"To what things are readers---most readers, many readers---attuned? Why, to those things closest to the personal experience of each. And what are those things? Love, and pain, and greed, and laughter, and hope, and above all, loneliness." (Theodore Sturgeon)
That's it. See you next year.
Remember:
'Tis better to have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy...
Cheers, from the Meat
Frank,
I is sober? I? Frank: I...wuz...JOKIN'. I'm pretty sure Heather understands I'm the most intoxicated Joe in this here cyber-shantytown of ours and that I was ribbin' her in the lightest of spirits. I don't think we ALWAYS have to stamp our posts with a ;) just to make sure YOU understand it's a cheerful poke. So, don't be so slow, man: take a look at the non-sequitor quality of one or two of Heather's recent posts and you'll see why it might remind you of a tipsy affectionate soul.
Now, stop pissin' me off by not gittin' it - n' forcin' me to literalize everything.
Jayne: Cheers! A few less con artists out there. I hope that gives you a sense of peace and accomplishment.
Heather: I think you and I have been drinking the same firewater lately. I don't know what's going on with email, but that last reply was HUGE and took a bit to compose, so I'm a little chewed up about Hotmail. Either that, or Canadian email is still translated by little Terry-dactyls in stone computers pecking the binary onto papyrus.
What a week:
Low Lights this week: Learning the company is "downsizing" its "human assets" and facing the fact that better workers than I may be out of work for the holidays. Next week will be even better when it is decided who gets to drop the axe.
A few more bodies left The Site in Manhattan.
A lot of bodies were collected in southern Afghanistan.
Listened to Limp Bizkit destroy Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" on the America: A Tribute to Heroes" DVD.
My son shared another "first" with his STEPfather...
John Ashcroft is an asshole.
Saying that may soon be illegal or subject me to a background check that would give Hoover an erection.
HIGHLIGHTS:
I still have a job, unlike thousands out there in the industry.
I can write about it.
Chatting with Heather about writing.
Another side writing gig that pays.
My son's letter to Santa that asked him to buy a "beter cha[i]r for Daddys computer."
That the rent's paid, Christmas is coming and I'm not sick.
And Frank's Right: Not everything needs to be a drama. Even Don Quixote took a look at some 'dragons' and said, "Ahh fuck it...let heem sleep today."
How was your week?
Heather: As you can tell by my last post, I've been pretty busy, LOL. But I got a chance to catch up with the board and thank you for the comments about my Okinawa pages!
There IS justice after all and if I can do it, so can Harlan!
"Woodside Literary Agency" was sentenced on Thursday.
The federal sentencing hearing began on Friday, November 30th, continued the following Monday and concluded Thursday, December 6th.
James Leonard aka John Lawrence (and other personas online) received the maximum allowed, 8 months in prison and 3 years probation
Ursula Sprachman received 3 years probation, due to her age and poor health.
They were also ordered to finish paying restituion of almost $2,000 to those writers they hadn't paid from the NY Attorney General's case (several of the writers received restitution this past summer).
My lawyer made a handshake deal in front of the magistrate to settle my suit against them, but I can't divulge particulars at this time.
Suffice to say, I am glad that it appears to be finally over.
December 21st would have been five years since the first e-mailbombs arrived in my e-mailbox.
This wasn't just a win for me, it's a win for all writers and all online victims.
If you're not familiar with what happened to me, please visit http://www.jahitchcock.com/cyberstalked
Now I have to go get a BIG bottle of White Star champagne to celebrate.
(please feel free to post this message elsewhere)
Rob, I would conjecture that if Heather drinks than Sir. you may be way too far on the sober side. Have fun with life man? Not everything is a drama of biblical proportions.
Heather,
I don't want you to take this the wrong way...you really ARE very charming and all that. But I mean...do you DRINK a lot?
In case you are thinking otherwise, this evening:
Harlan, you are one damn fine individual.
Heather
Rob: Glad the woman's okay.
I think there's a 'halfway up the street' rule somewhere. I can't make comparisons to what you just experienced but I swear the rowdies seem to pass and park in front of my place a bit too much for coincidence. Could it be something to do with, "I'm almost home; I'm halfway there; let's take a break and act like idiots." Go figure.
Only mentioning it in brief (as I don't want to really explain it and I think your piece was cool--let's give it the limelight.) But I was within striking distance of, let me see.. seven? emergency or firefighting vehicles last night. Is there a full moon? Yeesh.
And no, I'm not just talking about them passing by..or me not being 'involved' in a weird sorta way. But I could write an article on emergency procedure from what I was privy to last night.
Cosmic evening or what? Weird, weird, weirdness..
But hey!..great for a vacation item, right?
Anytime, Jim, anytime.
Andrew:
First, congratulations on your impending wedding. Let us know how it all goes down. Vegas, huh? At least the weather will be nice. It's definitely a dazzling city.
"The most glaring plot hole is the missing 5th replicant."
Didn't you think maybe Deckert was the 6th replicant? There's plenty of evidence for that. Also, on the other hand, in the original script the 6th replicant dies on the return shuttle trip when his time runs out. These possibilities negate the problematic "6th replicant" question for me.
"The missing replicant was actually scripted for and cast, but due to budget problems was cut."
Really? I read contrary information, but it doesn't matter much to me.
"Why is Rachael the only replicant that gets VK'd?"
Leon was VKed.
"If they know the identities of all the escapees, why bother VK'ing Leon?"
Just to make sure they don't retire a human?
"What's up with all the questions about animals?"
Measuring compassion. Again, I never had a problem with this.
"All plot problems (I think my use of the word "hole" is me overstating) could have been eased by a closer adherence to the original material."
The original material is a completely different story and I don't think adhering more closely to Dick's text would solve the plot issues you raise (which don't bother me at all and never have). The two are only loosely connected and are both interesting in their own rights.
"And no, we're not gonna be married by one of the many Elvi (yes Elvi, plural of Elvis) wandering around Vegas, so don't even..."
Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much.
Bermanator
Ch. 23; Amen, sister, amen.
As far as my comments regarding Asscroft (again, misspell intentional), I'm not saying that we should bury our heads in the sand and wait it out. All I'm saying is, if we're not carefull we may end up re-living the McCarthy era. Some of the darkest days we've known (with regards to civil liberties and free speech). Tread carefully, I for one, would not care to see the HUAC rise again.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled program, already in progress.
-Andrew
"They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
~Benjamin Franklin
We now return you to reality, already in progress.
Jim,
The disconcerting thing is my neighborhood is among the safest, for LA. Most of the time NOTHING happens here. I often see girls, for instance, jogging by themselves pretty late at night in this area. It's just that occasionally fate decides to shit right in front of my building; and when it's a big one it's a BIG one.
A brief comment.
David: Much thanks. I really liked the concept and the format Edgeworks represented. The format saved undue wear and tear on my oft read paperbacks. Besides, the hardcovers were harder for others to steal.
Jim, Re: your comment regarding how Canada looks. You might wish to read our anti-terrorism act, bill C-36. In it, the government empowers the police to arrest and detain any person suspected of consorting with or engaging in terrorism, with little to no nod to the concept of probable cause. Suspects can be held for indeterminate periods without access to either a lawyer or due process or face summary extradition to the US without having the right to defend yourself against your accusers and any charges the accusers might infer.
Moreover, the bill gives police in Canada the right to declare security areas where they can suspend the protection of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (our constitution) for citizens who wish to demonstrate opposition to some form of policy. This is a weapon the police can use to undermine the rights of those who wish the freedom to assemble and protest, no matter if the protest is relevant to the issue of terrorism or not.
How nice, considering we didn't fly planes into buildings...
Of course there is a sunset clause, but this is entirely open to our government to renew. The problem is majority governments under our parlimentary system have political carte blanche for five years. We Canadians have one day of freedom to vote and we trade it in for what we hope will be five years of benevolent dictatorship.
Well, now, perhaps not quite so benevolent...
To be fair, there's still the Supreme Court here, and they're not as politically charged as yours is. I find myself wishing those jurists good health and sanity: Something tells me we will need their help before long.
Best from the Meat
Rob: Your story reminds me of a certain neighborood in DC where I lived--in one year, there were a dozen muggings, several murders, and the odd drug-turf shoot-out or two. It was like a bad joke, really: "In the past year in Washington, DC, there were 400 murders, 6000 muggings, and 200 rapes...and they all happened on the street where THIS man lived."
Oh, before I forget: I got my copy of the CD, ON THE ROAD WITH ELLISON: VOLUME ONE, in the mail this week, courtesy of the good folks at Deep Shag Records. How wonderful this item is in print again! Harlan, I had no idea you could sing so well! And the reading of the Norman Mayer piece almost had me in tears--as of 6:30 pm on Friday, December 7, 2001, it is my favorite non-fiction work of yours, hands down.
Todd: Well, what you say is only partially true--the anthrax mailings, though almost certainly domestic in origin, sure look like terrorist acts to me.
As for terrorism of a more global bent: Yes, I think it's wonderful that a 9/11 follow-up hasn't occurred...so far. Can you honestly say that a mass slaughter of American innocents will NEVER happen again? There is no lack of crazies willing to exhange their lives for ours, and though I'm sure some have been arrested in the days since the WTC attack, the more frightening possibility is that others are lying low, waiting for the hysteria to pass. Short of expelling every non-citizen from the US's shores, how can ANY legal agency completely guarantee our safety?
Look, I know in times of extreme conflict, SOME freedoms have to be sacrificed. Hey, the halcyon days of airline flight are over, and that's fine with me. The problem is when the government sacrifices the very democratic freedoms it claims it wants to preserve, all for some vague notion of personal security. Yes, I want the government to reasonably protect me from terrorist attacks; but I also recognize that there are some risks to living in an open society, and they can't be completly eliminated without fundamentally changing the very nature of American life for the worse.
And when citizens of good heart and sound mind who question the Patriot Act and Bush's executive order are openly INSULTED by someone who wasn't even ELECTED to public office...are basically called seditious abettors of the killers of 9/11...are made to feel that they are weirdos or fools for loving their country, and wanting to keep it safe from threats both foreign AND domestic...well, I get a little skeeved off, to put it mildly.
(And what the hell was going on with our stalwart Senators yesterday? Instead of asking Ashcroft the tough questions about the military tribunals, they kept harping on the gun ownership angle. Folks, WHO GIVES A SHIT!!! The fucking acts of 9/11 occurred without ONE GUN being used. God, THESE are the defenders of democracy? Heather, maybe I'll take you up on your offer, after all--Canada's looking pretty good, right now.)
Dwayne: I don't know who you're talking about, since I haven't pissed and moaned THAT much about the government's lack of prevention of 9/11. Yes, it was a security failure of massive proportions, but I don't know how ANYONE could have foreseen the use of passenger jets as weapons of mass destruction. And there have been other terrorist attacks that I know of that were successfully snuffed in the cradle--the ones timed to go off after the Millenium celebration, for example.
(And just to COMPLETELY confound you so-called "right-wingers": I'm no patchouli-wearin' peacenik--I support military action, albeit with the usual misgivings inherent to my left-leaning, skeptical mind.)
Jim
It is obvious that Ashcroft could legally be impeached for what he is doing, but it will never happen. I knew his demon claws would be reeking havoc with the Constitution when I first heard about his being nominated.
The Taliban is seeming more weak than first thought, but Sharon is just inflaming Islamic nuts in other places. Our blind support of Israel has to be checked.
The best place to find political thought is at Zmag.org, a subsidy of Z Magazine, the nations finest radical publication. Radical, dare I say it, of a righteous streak.
Politics and religion: brings out all the lurkers. Hi Gang!
-TODD
It’s kismet!
Late Monday I was ready to wrap things up and call it a night. Everyone else had crashed by now; the whole neighborhood was dormant. Suddenly I feel the building shake and hear the shatter of glass and metal on the street. A few seconds pause and a scream breaks out and I could hear neighbors rushing from their buildings. "What the flyin’ fuck is goin’ on?" I had to get out there.
RIGHT in front of my building there’s a Jeep Cherokee sitting there upside down. It looked like a crane had lifted it, flipped it and set it down gently on its roof. A girl was in there alone dangling upside down screaming her legs were trapped and she could smell leaking gas. Neighbors were trying to calm her down and just about everyone grabbed cell phones; in a few minutes cops and the fire department were all over. Using a chain saw they pulled her out and she rose to her feet looking fine, just thoroughly shaken.
HOW the hell did she manage it? She'd nearly flown into our building (I felt fortunate I was on the second floor). NO other vehicle was involved; the street was devoid of traffic. It was incredible. You have to be on some pretty narly chemicals to pull this off without help (either that or an al-Qaeda flunk-out). She may have even dosed at the wheel for a second. Who knows? I’m at midpoint of a steep hill; she had soared over the top, coming down banking off the curb, taking a small tree with her, and just BARELY missing the wall in front of our building. Debris covered the whole block, a great deal of it coming into our court yard. My bare foot almost came down on a shard of glass when I’d first come out. Anyway, it was a helluva feat and she walked away from it. Reminded me a little of my motorcycle days when one time I foolishly let myself get nailed by an oncoming car and saw my Nighthawk do triple somersaults; like her I walked away from it.
My building has some sort of arcane electromagnetic field that draws some bizarre moments always in the dead of night where nothing generally happens. About 5 years ago, again very late, a shoot-out between two punks and half the city police broke out, which had started in a chase miles away (as I would learn the next day). WHERE did it have to end - with 2 young people dead? RIGHT in front of MY place. I’d never heard mass gunfire before; it literally sounded like 4th of July. Now the clincher - what, I hate to tell you, really made this grotesquely amusing - is that I was right in the middle of watching an old Bonanza episode - around the moment a shoot-out with the Cartwrights opened up. It’s the damn truth. And when I realized what was happening outside, I’d actually gotten to the floor on the chance a bullet might come through...with my face upward still watching the tv! Hey! If I can’t see the show outside I might as well continue watching the one on the tube! Right?
Kismet, baby!
The real problem of the Executive Order is its vagueness and inconsistency, and the contrary arguments being made by its defenders. I would be OK with arguments that tribunals will only be used on foreign nationals accused of war crimes -- if it wasn't completely contradicted by the ACTUAL WORDS of the executive order.
I would be OK with arguments that these tribunals will look a lot like courts martial under the UCMJ (I like the UCMJ, it's one of the things that makes our military the best in the world) -- it they weren't completely contrary to the ACTUAL WORDS of the executive order. A court-martial allows for discovery of the evidence, full representation for the defendant, and judicial review up to and including the Supreme Court. The Bushcroft tribunals would limit discovery and flat out deny the right of appeal.
The NY Times columnists have done yeoman work pointing these things out, particularly Anthony Lewis from the left and William Safire from the right (who seems genuinely shocked to be lumped in with those who would aid terrorists and give pause to our friends).
Defenders of the new rules like to stress that we can trust this President and Attorney General to not abuse them, which flies in the face of our Founding Fathers belief, as explicitly stated by John Adams -- "we are a government of laws, not of men."
OK, back to my lurking. It's been fun posting here for the very first time and all.
Herb Helzer
P.S. Oh, I've also been interested in how the comics have responded to the 9/11 tragedy. My take is that, of the big two, Marvel finds itself in a serious box since they long ago decided to set most of their titles in New York City. A nice one-shot of Spidey working at Ground Zero doesn't change their continuity problems. In DC's world, NYC is the third most important city, way behind Metropolis and Gotham, which gives their writers the great luxury of time and distance to either acknowledge or ignore what happened. Pretty smart, in hindsight.
We nailed Clayton Waagner the other day...the guy who sent out the fake Anthrax letter to abortion clinics. I hope he's treated as a terrorist. I also hope the coworker who spotted him in the Cincinatti Kinko's gets the $50,000 reward.
Todd~ Here I am, stuck in the middle of the proverbial aisle again. I can see your point and I can see Andrew & Jim's point as well. Any civil liberties that are lost will not be regained at the end of the war. People that are not American citizens and haven't been duly diligent about keeping their immigration status up-to-date are *not* the same as citizens in my book, but that doesn't mean we can keep them indefinitely without allowing them access to a lawyer or even telling them why they've been detained. (Yes, immigration violations count. It's the law, not just a vague suggestion.)
But what Mr. Ashcroft hints at is that even the slightest bit of dissent (which is what the First Amendment of the Constitution is all about) is treasonous. And that sounds more dangerous than anything I've previously heard him say. Shall we go back to the days when anti-war or civil rights protesters were investigated by the FBI solely for disagreeing with the government? I was laboring under the impression that we'd *learned* from that era of history. How about we worry about the real criminals, Mr. Ashcroft, and not the monsters under your bed (or on your funding committee)? Quit with the racial profiling and watch for suspicious behavior REGARDLESS of it's ethnic origins. Quit making noises about federalizing airport security and putting in bomb sniffing machines*, and pay your security people enough money to do the job right THE FIRST TIME. Quit humping for the cameras and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB.
::sigh::
L.
*Did you know that chemical bomb sniffers only sniff for nitrogen based explosives? Do you know how many things out there that are potentially violent explosives that don't have nitrogen compounds in them? Feel safer now? Good.
Here's another reason why we've had no terrorist attacks since 9/11...
THE RATS ARE BACK IN THEIR HOLES. They know we're looking, pulling financial records. They will not meet us in battle. They will wait, and plan, and repair their battered bank accounts and disrupted networks, pray a lot, slowly simmer in the cooling climate that always follows a period of vigilance, find the weakest link 12-24-36 months from now and strike again. False alarms are going out. THREATS are being made. They try again and they know they're dead. Keep threatening, and we keep on edge.
Well, Todd, what's YOUR theory on the anthrax distribution, if it did not constitute a terrorist attack?
And Dwayne, why DIDN'T the government prevent the 9/11 attacks? If it was caught so flat-footed then, why do you think it's going to do such a great job with our civil liberties in the future?
Neither of you was one of those folks who until recently asserted the government was too much on our backs, and what this country needed most was less government regulation, I trust?
As for Bag of Meat, supposedly the Edgeworks project has been taken over by Ellison himself and his agent, Richard Curtis, who promise to reissue all the works under the imprint of "Edgeworks Abbey." But no sign of anything as yet....
Hello:
Just a new one here, a little curious to see what's going on. I've read a little of what others are saying and it sounds like I might stop by once in a while.
Jim Davis: Why be surprised? After all, the age old "if yer not fer us, yer agin us" has been a staple of political duress used in times of crisis to engender blind obedience in a frightened electorate for years. Still, you've as much to fear from the "Silent Majority" who will bask in the omnipotent glow of CNN and shake their heads in agreement with the Attorney General. Seems to me though nobody's taking the Attorney General, the FBI, the CIA or State to task for what was an incredible oversight which allowed these men to walk onto planes and cause massive damage to both property and the psyche of your nation. Yes, the terrorists fired the gun, but it appears obvious that these departments should have taken steps to make sure the dammed thing wasn't loaded and then left lying around. A screwup of global proportions (nothing personal all, but I'm left thinking of what I'd be like if one of my relatives was in one of the buildings.), and nobody gets called up on the carpet for this? Sorry, but it seems a bit beyond being excused with a shrug and a "Well, that's one on us".
Okay, that was the JAWBOM moment of political opining. Please note: the opinions expressed in the above posting aren't necessarily those of anyone who would consider themselves sane. Now to another matter.
I've been an Ellison reader for some time (have recently purchased both the 50th Essential Ellison and Troublemakers) but am left with a slow sense of emptiness resulting from the absence of the Edgeworks series. The devastation resulting from the discontinuance of this series has taken upon my being has changed me irrevocably, I fear. I've experienced massive hair loss (all over), crying jags, and a deepening neurosis resulting from repeated listening to Pia Zadora albums. God help me, please! Does anyone know if its been canned, or will it live on?
Heavy Thought: Marriage is an institution into which many a good man or woman has been involuntarily committed.
Divorce = Shock therapy
Best, All Meat
Joseph,
My husband and I rented "The Man who Cried" a while back. It was enjoyable but got a bit drawn out and slow towards the end. Good work as usual by Depp, Blanchett, and Ricci and I enjoyed the concept. (Sorry if this isn't much to go on, I'm not nearly the cinematic critic that others are).
Cheers
Peg
Todd,
There you go, making sense again. There are still people out there that just don’t get it. WE ARE AT WAR! Some of these fine folks are the very people who will be among the first to piss and moan, "Why didn’t the government prevent this!", the next time there’s a terrorist attack.
No terrorist attacks in U.S. since 9/11, even though we are bombing Afghanistan and Uncle Omar promised the death of the United States, even though we've declared a war on terrorism and are now refusing to reign in Israel. No terrorist attacks in U.S. since 9/11.
Could it be because we've detained a few hundred suspicious 'friends o' the U.S.' and some of those detainees might actually be terrorists?
Could it be that others whose rights have not been so horribly taken are a bit nervous and don't want to show themselves? (After all, Uncle Omar and Aunt Bin Laden consistently shout for their people to die for their cause....while they hide in holes and run away like cowards) ((and I call them cowards, not because they are afraid to die, but because they tell everyone else to die for the cause EXCEPT THEM)).
Anyway, that's you right wing response for the day. No need to expect a boring string of attack and respond. I'll lay back in my peaceful moment once again.
-TODD
Hey, has anyone seen a movie called "The Man Who Cried?" It supposedly came out over the summer, and yet I somehow missed it - very frustrating, as it has Cate Blanchett, an actress who's on my a-list.
Jim,
Why do I get the feeling that Asscroft (misspell intentional) was rooting for the HUAC.
Yours in grim despair,
-Andrew
Yesterday, at the Senate Judiciary Committee:
"To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies, and pause to America's friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent in the face of evil."
Fuck you, John Ashcroft.
Here, read instead:
http://www.mediamonitors.net/waseemshehzad1.html
And lest an Arab news source make you cringe, read from the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,434655,00.html
And from Salon, how it might be said that Sharon is the reason behind the current flaring of violence that began a little over a year ago, just by showing his face in the wrong place, seemingly begging for the reaction he got.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/10/17/sharon/print.html
L.
Faisal~ The truly amazing thing is how few people outside of the region know about The Butcher of Beirut. I've deleted several sentences here because I can't seem to contain my disgust to a political commentary.
L.
Heather,
You can do well to read Robert Fisk's excellent 'Pity the as well as try and get a copy of the three part (UK) C4 doco 'From Beirut to Bosnia'. Pity the Nation has a horrible chapter where Fisk describes seeing Israeli planes throwing out flares over the refugee camps to facilitate the Phalangist's militia's searching out to find victims that they could butcher. Sharon knew what was going to happen and he helped in the slaughter.
As you can tell from the tone of my post, I loathe the man. He deliberately stoked up violence by winding up the Palestinians and is profiting from it.
FAQ
"...we had the big LA Roast with Robin Williams and Bill Rotsler and Stan Lee and Ray Bradbury and Paul Krassner and David Gerrold and Joe Straczynski "
Oi. A roast with those boys should put the Friar's to shame.
I'd trade my pet monkey for tickets to that one...if I HAD a pet monkey.
Harlan,
One More Thing (as the grandfather might say on the completely rocking "Jackie Chan Adventures"):
My copy of Mefisto In Onyx was rescued on Bibliofind from some schmuck who had it signed " To Steve! Harlan Ellison 11 Dec 93." I will not be sellling it off like that person, 'cause I love reading it. The second to last line always sticks with me: "I have always been one of those miserable guys who couldn't get out of his own way."
God, I love that line. Sorry to kiss up for a second, but it's so RIGHT.
Regards,
Joseph
Harlan,
Thanks for filling me in. I'll admit that I have seen neither Heroes of Hope nor the Repent Harlequin poster; I do have a copy of Mefisto with Frank Miller's cover, but that was significantly later, so I was curious. Lovely work, too - and a bitching intro by Miller.
Regards,
Joseph
Chuck,
As for Planet of the Apes, not only should you wait until it's out on video but you should wait until video becomes so outdated that you can't find a VCR anywhere. That way, you never run the risk of having to watch your VHS of Planet of the Apes.
Some of the worst movies of the year: (I think I blotted most of the bad ones from my mind.) Lucas' Thud and Blunder epic PHANTOM MENACE. No, I won't see the DVD, even if it has the missing footage from the MAGNIFICENT AMERSONS. Movies I will wait until they're out on video: PEARL HARBOR (WARNING! WARNING! JERRY BRUCKHEIMER AND MICHAEL BAY MOVIE! WARNING! DANGER! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!) PLANET OF THE APES. I think I'll wait until it's cheaper to rent.
Some favorites from the past year: ENEMY AT THE GATES, SHRECK, HARRY POTTER, THE OTHERS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, MONSTERS INC., AND, (DRUM ROLL) THE BIG EMPTY. The last film I saw on video, which was brought out on a program by Hollywood Video call First Rites. I've seen a couple of these movies, and THE BIG EMPTY blew me away. I guess it was the first few minutes where the main character tells about why he quit his job at the fast food joint and become a private detective. Very wry, mean sense of humor with a longing for something not dark and dirty in this world.
Books I'm reading: FROM THE SHADOWS by Robert M. Gates, MILES TO GO by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON by You-Know-Who, THE CASE FOR MARS by Robert Zubrin, STARS AND STRIPES IN PERIL by Harry Harrison, DRAGONFLY by Bryan Burrough, THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS BY Caleb Carr, BERSERKERS: THE BEGINNING by Fred Saberhagen, FLU by Gina Kolata, which is about the spanish flu epidemic of 1918. 40 million dean in 3 months.
I've probably got a few more books laying around here I've yet to get to.
Chuck
As far as I'm concerned, the only four films that mattered in 2001 were "The Man Who Wasn't There," "Mulholland Drive," "Ghost World" and "Amelie." The rest of the bunch is either pleasantly amusing or about as fun-filled as a stroll through Sawny Beane's cave in which there is some guarantee of returning to the outside world alive. I'm still dying (fortunately, not in the bicuspid sense) to see the two Linklater films out ("Waking Life" and "Tape").
Heather: If you liked "The Ninth Gate," read the Perez-Reverte novel it was butchered from, which does cartwheels around Polanski's flaccid forays of late.
Faisal: The problem with filmmakers in general is that they are required to blab at press junkets and pontificate an image. I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment.
Hello Harlan,
My name is Chris Greenaway and I am a friend of Heather Lovatt's. I am writing because I would like to say hello and that I enjoy your website. I am travelling to Japan next week and leaving the truck stop known as Winnipeg, Manitoba behind! ^_^
I will continue to read what everyone has to say on this website while I am there because this is a facinating site that spans all boarders!
Sincerely,
Chris Greenaway
JOSEPH FINN: My "cameo" in Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"
"came about" because Frank and I have been friends
for a long, long time. Or have you never seen the finest piece of art Frank ever produced . . . the dust jacket for the limited hardcover edition of MEFISTO IN ONYX? Or the "Heroes for Hope" pages we did for Marvel? Or the lovely poster Frank did of "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" for my legal defense benefit in the Fleisher case, when we had the big LA Roast with Robin Williams and Bill Rotsler and Stan Lee and Ray Bradbury and Paul Krassner and David Gerrold and Joe Straczynski
and Sergio Aragones and Robert Bloch and . . .
Frank and I are old friends.
Thus answered, I vanish yet again. Harlan.
Oh, almost forgot...
No I don't think it's bad. Just flawed. But, stunning all the same.
-A.
Bingo,
Plot holes:
The most glaring plot hole is the missing 5th replicant. You'll remember that Bryant tells Deckard that 6 replicants hijacked a shuttle yadda, yadda, yadda. Then we're told that a couple of them broke into the Tyrell building and one got fried. This and the retirement of the four we see Deckard take of, account for only five. The missing replicant was actually scripted for and cast, but due to budget problems was cut. Unfortunately the dialogue was never repaired. There are other things too, like, why is Rachael the only replicant that gets VK'd? If they know the identities of all the escapees, why bother VK'ing Leon? What's up with all the questions about animals?
All plot problems (I think my use of the word "hole" is me overstating) could have been eased by a closer adherence to the original material. I don't think that the original material needed to be strictly followed, but, I think, too many compromises were made (IMHO). Most of the trouble, admittedly, is due to budgetary constraints and not poor planning.
And yes 12/16 I'm getting (finally!) hitched. And no, we're not gonna be married by one of the many Elvi (yes Elvi, plural of Elvis) wandering around Vegas, so don't even...
oh, never mind.
-Andrew
Andrew: Are you getting married on 12/16?
I believe you that you like BLADE RUNNER. Is this one of those "I like it even though I know it's not good" deals? What do you see as "the plot holes you could drive a semi through"?
I agree that the soundtrack is bitchin. For some reason it reminds me of parts of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond."
Bermanator
Heather,
Here's a fairly balanced short bio of Ariel Sharon, courtesy of us-israel.org. Not the most balanced of sources, but a decent bio. Note the paragraph about his tenure as Minister of Defense, which makes him un-fit to serve as Prime Minister, in my eyes:
Ariel Sharon was born at Kfar Malal in 1928. He joined the Haganah at the age of 14 in 1942. During the 1948 War of Independence, he commanded an infantry company in the Alexandroni Brigade. In 1953, he founded and led the "101" special commando unit which carried out retaliatory operations. Sharon was appointed commander of a Paratroop Corps in 1956 and fought in the Sinai Campaign. In 1957 he attended the Camberley Staff College in Great Britain.
During 1958-62, Sharon served as Infantry Brigade Commander and then Infantry School Commander, and attended Law School at Tel Aviv University. He was appointed Head of the Northern Command Staff in 1964 and Head of the Army Training Department in 1966. He participated in the 1967 Six Day War as commander of an armored division. In 1969 he was appointed Head of the Southern Command Staff. Sharon resigned from the army in June 1972, but was recalled to active military service in the 1973 Yom Kippur War to command an armored division that crossed the Suez Canal.
Ariel Sharon was elected to the Knesset in December 1973, but resigned a year later, serving as Security Adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1975). He was elected to the Knesset in 1977 on the Shlomzion ticket. Following the elections, he joined the Herut party and was appointed Minister of Agriculture.
Sharon served as Minister of Defense from 1981-83, which position he held during the War in Lebanon. He resigned after a government commission found him indirectly responsible for the September 1982 massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Lebanese Christians.
Sharon remained in the government as a minister without portfolio and then served as Minister of Industry and Trade from 1984-90 and as Minister of Housing and Construction from 1990-92. In the 13th Knesset, he served on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Sharon served as Minister of National Infrastructure from July 1996-July 1999, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from October 1998-July 1999.
Re-elected to the 15th Knesset in May 1999, he served as chairman of the Likud following the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a special election for Prime Minister in February 2001, Sharon defeated incumbent Ehud Barak to become the 11th person to hold that position.
Sharon is widowed and has two sons.
Lynn,
If you've got the 1994 Vangelis soundtrack (not the New American Symphony abomination) then I'd add "Damask Rose" and "Rachael's Theme" (both composed for the movie, but replaced for some strange reason) to the kitty. Interesting little note BTW, "One More Kiss, Dear" was the second choice for that scene. The original workprint had the Inkspots, "If I Didn't Care" in it's place.
-Andrew
BTW wedding's to be in Vegas 12/16/01. You'll have to forgive us, but Catalina wasn't working out. Sigh...
Was reading a newspaper today. The Globe and Mail. (Don't do that very much. Lots of interesting stories in there, though. Good SOURCE of story ideas, actually--is THAT where you them?--oh.)
Got interested in this guy Prime Minister Sharon.
If you please.. anyone..tell me more about this guy. Good, bad, opinions, whatever. He sounds interesting. (Yes, I know, I know..never mind. My mind works in odd ways.) Thanks.
Chris:
Not belittling anyone's comments on the pros and cons of screenwriting school to 'reconnect' (hopefully with some females); I think that's a darn good idea and I'll give you an example as to why. (No, the person in this story is NOT being compared to you. My POINT is, it can happen to anyone, as long as they are willing to take a damn chance!)
I have a friend of a friend who decided, at age 30ish, to return to university to finish his degree. Personally, the guy's a nut case--I'm talking for real here--but it adds to the happy ending, so I'm tossing in this point for you.
He spent more time on campus, ogling the females than going to class. Most of them were ten years younger than him, of course, but he's a nut and he did it anyway. Used to accost females with chocolate cheesecake and in so many words would say, "You liked my cheesecake did you? Now, will you have sex with me?" (Like I said, Chris, I'm not making head to head comparisons here, what I'm saying is.. something came out of him, 'attempting'.. the way YOU sound like you want to.)
This guy got involved with a distant relative (very distant; no harm in two-headed children; I only mention it as it was the reason he met her--at a wedding or something.) while he was in town, doing the school thing.
They shacked up for a while--she was nuts about him--but I can't say he felt the same way (but no matter; he used to regale us with the sexual exploits. [sigh]). They went out west to visit a friend of hers and he met the "GIRL OF HIS DREAMS." I won't go into the details on THAT one--the guy REALLY was a nut. (But she really was gorgeous, for any of you who are keeping track here. Gorgeous and very bright and very athletic. She liked extreme hiking and snowboard. He had a hell of a time getting back into shape to follow her around.)
He had some very strange ideas about women, in general. This is a family show here. I won't get into it.
But the point is, it worked out. He sold his parent's house in the small town he'd been living in since he was a kid; moved to where she lives--she's a medical student--very bright; a 'crazy french chick' as one of my coworkers used to call girls from Quebec--and as far as I know, if he hasn't died, he's living with this woman.
So follow your dreams, Chris. You just never know what may happen.
And unless you are INTERESTED in English lit, don't bother with any other courses than what you are interested in. You want to be in an environment where you feel comfortable. That's why you're choosing screenwriting. And hey, some of your coworkers may turn out to be good connections, once you leave school.
Babes in the classroom; I wouldn't worry about that. Just check to be sure there are a good quantity of them on campus, that's all.
Luck to you.
Andrew~ Put Bladerunner Blues on repeat. Tear off the knob. What a great piece to write noir to.
L.
Señior Berman,
Like I said, I like the movie. One of my favorites. Just to show you that I've got nuttin' but love fer ya...
If you haven't read (or even heard of) it, here's a little reading tip. Check out "Future Noir : The Making of Blade Runner" by Paul M. Sammon. Interviews, background info and some juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits.
-Andrew
BTW, isn't the Vangelis-composed soundtrack just bitchen?
Okay, I'll be brief. (heh, you say)
Had a choice of left or right tonight. Left, to the Graham Post office for stamps (and other things) or right, to the Eaton Mall. (They have a post office too but maybe a place for snow boots. I needed snow boots--my VERY old Rockport right sole had come unstitched almost to my instep. Was collecting snow in it as I walked. What fun.)
Long line at Eaton Post Office but I managed to deal with it. Sent friend stuffies. Spent six dollars on postage. Dat's cool.)
Walked to Urban Trail shoe store. Saw nifty ski boot style boots. $250--give me a fucking break. (But wow, they were cool.)
Saw trail type boot--very light; very easy on the foot for walking inside or out. Only pair. Men's 8 1/2. Ninety bucks--still an ouch but I really want to walk in the snow so I NEED boots.
Tried them on. Damn, they FIT. Damn, they snuggled my ankle. Yum. Bought them. Coolness. (I hate shopping for shoes. Love when this happens. Always leave store quickly when this happens. Yum.)
At the checkout, salesman (Yum.) told me I could enter a draw for a Nissan Sentra. (I think that's what it is--I don't DO cars.) Car is parked in mall. (How do they get them in here? Always wondered that.) Said, what the hey, if I win will give car to KICK--I don't need a car. Shit, I live downtown. Harlan, you can have it if I win. (laugh)
Walked outside in new snow boots. Heaven with a flat heel. Having orgasms in my ankles as I stood on a corner waiting for the light to change on Graham.
Walked to other post office--Shopper's Drug mart, actually. Went in store. Saw nifty brand of Irish chocolates. (Never seen them before--I love trying new stuff.) What the hey. Bought them and a tiny box of Mrs. Field's Decadent Chocolates. (Haven't tried those either.)
Was gonna mention the body on the street and the firetruck but never mind. Let's wrap this puppy up.
Walked (in snuggly shoes. Did I mention they were snuggly? Hi, Jim.) to university. Came to library. Saw library woman (one of two.) Sat down at computer. Said, what the hey. Walked back to library lady with box of Irish handmade chocolates. She was sorting books. I said here.. Merry Christmas. She seemed please.
Ain't the universe cool?
[P.S. Am trying Mrs. Field's chocolates as we speak. No, you can't have any.]
Heather, sucking on nuts and fingering boots
What's with the Last Brian Aldiss story in Dangerous visions?? Is he kidding or does he really think he is the greatest science fiction writer ever? Did you like that story Harlan?
Very interesteding to hear about the Jack the Ripper stuff.
Here's some "reviews" I wrote on another board.
It started 2 or three weeks ago. Watched a Sherlock Holmes Vid with subject matter of Jack the Ripper. In the vid, Jack was none other than the Masons, killing for the queen, to save face. See the heir to the throne bagged this low life woman who was a prostituteslut type. She fell in love with him and thought he was going to save her from wretched street life of spred'm 24/10. he actually married her and impregged her. Too bad he quickly tired of her and ditched her. She birthed the child and hid it but couldn't keep the secret. She told some prositutes of the child and everyone she told got a touch of Jack. The mother ended up in the asylum(great asylum scene) and the masons never found her child.
My first roommate and best friend, Tronse, who last year killed himself alone in a Oregan hotel room, thought he was the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper. He would pace our living room with a giant knife, then come asking for a hug. I'd say no way, I'm not hugging you. He asked why and wouldn't understand how I didn't care for the knife pacing. That guy was always funny and interesting. Never knew when he was kidding.
In 1943, Robert Block published a story called, "yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" I never read the story. Later he wrote a story called "A Toy for Juliet" This is a brilliant story about a killer of the future, Julliet getting a boytoy plaything gift from the past, Jack the Ripper. Julliet has been a taught sadism from birth by her sicko grandfather who is also her lover, much like a farmer teaches his kids to butcher, "these are the tools you use to slaughter a cow, these are the shells you use to blow away a pheasant" Julliet has the Iron Maiden of Neurenburg and more torture instruments!
Harlan Ellison got so into Jack of the future that He wrote a continuation of Bloch's story called "The Prowler in the city at the edge of the world" What happens after Jack kills Julliet.
These stories are pretty violent and descriptive of gore. In the same way as Peter Sotos. I love this stuff becuase as I once told him waxing, "it lets the gouls of my soul deep come out, see the light of day and fly away like doves into the sky." REading's like therapy.
Andrew:
Hmmm, well, lessee, "[BLADE RUNNER} suffers from a poor script that rips out the heart of the original material (and has plot holes you could drive a Semi through)."
If that's not a dis, I'd hate to hear you actually dis something (said in good humor). I didn't think the script was poor at all. In fact, at times I found it very moving. "All these moments are lost in time like tears in rain." "I want more life, FUCKER." Yes, the seduction scene between Deckert and Rachel was flinchingly corny, but other than that, no problems.
Of course it's flawed. It's not the best movie I ever saw, only my favorite.
What makes an adaptation successful? That it's faithful to the original or that it's enjoyable in it's own right? IMO, especially if it has a different title, it should be judged on it's own merits. It's an adaptation, a reinterpretation.
Bermanator
no tattoos, no piercings
Frank,
Cynical answer, because Peter's always been that way.
Idealistic answer, because he's a classic character that exists in our hearts as a shining example of a real young man, with the foibles and triumphs of us all. Also, Peter has been different ages through the years. He started out as a teenager, but these days is in his mid-20's. Also, plenty of people have tried different ages for him. There's the current Ultimate line, for instance, which has him as a 15-year-old again; the Spider-Girl comic, on the other hand, is the story of his daughter and we see a good amount of Peter in his late 40's.
Regards,
Joseph
Question: Why doesn't Peter Parker ever grow old? lol.
Why is everyone so goofy about seeing the WTC? In a way it is a fitting tribute, to see the building before all the madness-before the Patriot Act and our loss of innocence and civil rights. We can only heal when we remember how it once was. The future is in our hands.
I believe that Origin #1 was or still is "reprinted" on the Marvel website as a webcomic. In any case, this week's comics from Marvel showed that they'll be reprinting it on CD cards, given as a bonus for whoever orders the Amazing Spider-man one. The Spidey one'll be a "moving" comic, with SFX, narration voiced-over, and extras. Dunno if the Origin one will be.
Todd & Charlie,
I believe that Origin will be re-printed by itself as a hardcover - whether it will have ASM #36, I have heard not a tickle. I'll check the new Previews catalog when I get home tonight and see if there is any mention.
Joseph
Sorry, sorry, sorry, guys! Last night my computer wouldn't confirm that the post went through, but kept giving me an error message. Now I know how Joseph felt.
I'll try to remember, the next time this happens, to open another window and check this page there -- to see whether the post has indeed gotten through.
(At this moment I'm listening to Ashcroft's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee re: the terrorism investigation and civil liberties on my Walkman ... what an asshole.)
Joke Time:
A traveling salesman visits a small town in the Midwest and sees a circus banner reading, "Don't Miss the Amazing Goldstein!" Curious, he buys a ticket and sits through the usual circus acts: animals, clowns,contortionists,etc.
Suddenly, trumpets blare and all eyes turn to the center ring.
There, in the middle of the ring, is a table with three walnuts on it. In comes a little old Jewish man, five feet five inches tall, and barely able to walk to the table. He unzips his pants, whips out an impressive prodigious member, grabs it in his hand, and proceeds to smash all three walnuts with three mighty swings!
The crowd erupts in thunderous applause as the elderly Goldstein
Is carried off on the shoulders of the clowns.
Ten years later, the same salesman visits the same little town
And sees the same circus being advertised with the same banner reading, "Don't Miss the Amazing Goldstein!"
The salesman can't believe the old guy is still alive, much less still doing his act! So, he buys a ticket and sits through
the Various acts, waiting for the big finale.
Finally, the center ring is illuminated. This time, instead of
walnuts, three coconuts are on the table. As before, old Goldstein takes forever to make it to the table. He unzips his fly and proceeds to smash the coconuts with three swings of his amazing schlong. The crowd goes wild!
The salesman requests a meeting with him after the show. In
Goldstein's dressing room, the salesman tells him he's never seen
anything like Goldstein's act. But, he wants to know why Goldstein, at his age, is now smashing large coconuts instead of the much smaller walnuts.
"Vell," says Goldstein, wearily, "My eyes aren't vhat they used to be!"
-TODD
Charlie, the Spider-Man WTC story is going to be reprinted soon in an anthology that will also reprint ORIGIN #1 (the first Wolverine Origin issue that sold out) and one or two other hard to find stories. I think I heard that it would be similar to an 80-page Giant comic book.
Look for it soon.
-TODD
So, someone here casually mentions, hey--go pick up Spiderman #36 by JMS, it's terrific, in so many words. I figure ok, I'll call my local comic store and have them hold one. Let me tell you, those suckers sold out before they hit the shelves (apparently nationwide) and they're now selling on ebay for $10 a copy. I'm told no reprint is scheduled. So, for those still waiting, DON'T. Act now. However, it looks like some comic stores never even shelved the comics and are seeing how much they can gouge out of people on ebay. The spirit that existed immediately after 9/11 has quickly evaporated.
Chris L.:
I saw "Sidewalks of New York" over the weekend. The WTC can still be seen in the movie, several times. It can be seen in the background during the Edward Burns character's talk to the camera scenes.
Oh, the movie as a whole? Warmed-over Woody Allen / romance-of-and-in-New-York story. Lovely cast, decent acting, okay script ... but the whole turns out to be less than the sum of its parts. If you can catch it on a cheap matinee or budget second run, that's the way to see it. Stanley Tucci is wonderful as a slimy womanizing dentist, cliches and all.
Chris L.:
I saw "Sidewalks of New York" over the weekend. The WTC can still be seen in the movie, several times. It can be seen in the background during the Edward Burns character's talk to the camera scenes.
Oh, the movie as a whole? Warmed-over Woody Allen romance-of-and-in-New-York story. Lovely cast, decent acting, okay script ... but the whole turns out to be less than the sum of the parts. If you can catch on a cheap matinee or budget second run, that's the way to see it. Stanley Tucci is wonderful as a slimy womanizing dentist, cliches and all.
Chris L.:
I saw "Sidewalks of New York" over the weekend. The WTC can still be seen in the movie, several times. It can be seen in the background during the Edward Burns character's talk to the camera scenes.
Oh, the movie as a whole? Warmed-over Woody Allen romance-of-and-in-New-York story. Lovely cast, decent acting, okay script ... but the whole turns out to be less than the sum of the parts. If you can catch on a cheap matinee or budget second run, that's the way to see it. Stanley Tucci is wonderful as a slimy womanizing dentist, cliches and all.
Matt,
Thanks for the advice but I think I'm in a place in life most people haven't been and wouldn't understand.
I don't give a flying fuck about learning the screenwriting business. I need to be around people. It's total isolation here. We're talking Castaway here - seriously, I really identify with the movie. Almost everyone I knew died in the last 8 years all one right after the other. The few living ones have dispersed to the four corners of the country. I am a tabula rasa and looking for a fresh start. School is nothing more than an excuse to find a social circle of some kind. I've already done film school and I liked it and I want to try again. This time on the other side of the country, just start life over. The old one's done with.
However, if you do know anything about Loyola Marymount or Chapman as well as where they are (Westchester section of LA or Orange, CA) I would appreciate any feedback. I've got a few contacts in L.A. but not many and I need more info than I can get at the websites.
(Reads Lynn's post)
Now THAT'S how you should do it, if do it you must. Three glyphs you created yourself, and a Clive Barker drawing. Cool! Definitely not cookie-cutter designs you just slapped on yourself.
Oh, and every time I see that DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR BRAIN book, I think to myself, "OH GOD! STOP IT! IT HURTS, IT HURTS!" (Yeah, I know, the brain can't actually feel pain, but work with me here...)
Chris L. -- Looking for love in all the wrong places? I can imagine worse places, but taking a screenwriting class at Loyola Marymount doesn't rank very high.
Additionally, you'll find that screenwriting classes at most colleges are filled with mostly guys. A lot of them are guys who feel like they are big shots in the industry because they do background work - when in reality they are more like paid props.
Do yourself a favor and learn the format and style of screenwriting by example (there are many screenplay databases online) and spend your hard earned money on a copy of Final Draft.
And looking for that special someone? Take a literature course at UCLA - you'll learn something useful and you'll find a much higher class of people than in a screenwriting class.
-Matt
Ok, hands up: How many people here are "South Park" fans? I thought tonight's episode on stem cell research was BRILLIANT. The best line, as always, belonged to Cartman: "Look, I'm just like these (aborted) fetuses: I wasn't born yesterday." Hey, I like the sick stuff, what can I say?
Heather/Jay/Joseph: I'm not sure I entirely "get" the whole tattoo thing. (Of course, to a Jew, tattoos have a negative rep, so maybe I'm just biased.) I think you guys will agree that most people don't seem to put a lot of thought into getting them. I mean, if someone wants a tattoo to be distinctive, well, we're ALL unique, aren't we?--you certainly don't need to get ink injected into your skin to make you different from everybody else.
And if you're going to get one, it should be a symbol or design that has a lot of personal meaning to you. Picking out, say, a Chinese character that you can't even READ because it looks "cool"--what's with that? Or a Celtic symbol, when you're of Italian descent? I dunno, it just seems to be another trendy affectation of "individualism" run amuck. (And I don't mean to insult you, Joseph. I'm sure you thought long and hard about your tattoo before you got it. Unless, of course, you didn't...)
Now, if I HAD to get a tattoo, it would be a full-body one. Of myself. Only, five inches taller.
Oh, and the strangest one I've ever seen? Joseph, you and Bermanator will like this: A full-color portrait of Tori Amos, completely covering a woman's back. Hell, she could have put it on the front, and passed herself off as the Cornflake Girl. Total lack of imagination, I tells ya.
Joseph~ Is it a Dead Man's Hand? (Aces & Eights and the Suicide Jack?)
Tattoos are very personal expressions of art. Sure, some people take them more lightly than others, adding to their personal art exhibition without much thought. I have a friend who has one full sleeve, one half sleeve and both calves done on both sides. Oh and the Tibetan prayer on the back of his neck. (Yes, I must spin him in his chair on occasion, just for the fun of it. It's not a prayer wheel, it's a prayer Craig! Everyone should have one.)
I got my first tattoos in a motorhome at a solstice festival, summer of 1990. Three glyphs that I crafted for three characters in a novel that never got written. The other is on my left shoulder. It's a pen sketch by Clive Barker. Even more, it's an exercise I drew when working from the book _Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain_ (the exercise being to copy a drawing upside down), so it's been processed through my right brain. It represents a lot of things to me. Strength, beauty, holiness. All my mother could say was, "YOU GOT A TATTOO OF A NAKED MAN." ::sigh:: So one man's trash is another man's art. And yes it hurt but no worse than any trip you ever had to the dentist. And pain for something you want is a lot different than pain for something you don't. And tho' I'm not a pain freak, I won't deny the experience was pleasurable.
My next will be Morrocan knotwork over the back of my hips. I'm trying to figure out where the raven will be worked into it.
To each their own.
L.
Man, the whole self-mutilation thing freaks me out. Tattoos, piercings, etc. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it - to each his or her own and more power to you. But... yuck!
Heather,
I think I can learn something about screenwriting at school, just not how to be a writer. You don't learn that, you work at it. And some people (most who try?) won't get there even if they work hard.
As for my primary motivation, I simply want to reconnect with the world. I've lived here in the Fortress of Solitude for the last five years and counting. Since everyone around here was inconsiderate enough to die, they aren't very good company. So I think the idea of moving to a place where hopefully there will at least be a few interesting people with whom I share some common interests would be a constructive way of reentering society.
I also expect to significantly improve my chances of getting laid by going back to school. :)
Aw, shucks, who am I kidding? I'm a romantic. I'm looking for love, not sex. But it's been hard to find love on the walk from my bedroom to the bathroom. Or at the comic book store or the chess club or at the bowling alley. Geez, I can't believe all my hobbies are almost exclusively 'guy things.' Oh well, at least I'm a good bowler now.
Joseph:
Yes, this is true. But depending on where you are, that may be all you get; backwater flesh artists with a needle and a 'tude....
I once had a girlfriend who had extensive work done. One anaconda that started at her shoulder and neck and, over a period of three years, wound around her body to her leg. It was very pretty when seen in toto, but she spent $200 every 90 days on it. She said it was like being branded each time she did it. But then...she was into that sort of thing.
Re: Troublemakers
I downloaded the Adobe PDF Viewer version today as my big retail chains and Amazon.com could not ship me a hard copy with any definite deadline. As usual, my giddy pleasure came from the introduction to the book and stories.
Then I realized how important the main introduction is to me. I have a 13 year old nephew who is about six inches and 50 pounds too large for his maturity. I'm getting him a copy of this book for Christmas because he REALLY needs to read the introduction of this book if nothing else. I will review it later when I've had the chance to read through it all, but I wanted to put down my first two important impressions.
Mr. Ellison, please don't think this is sucking up, but THANKS for that introduction. He's one of those kids that could go either way in life. He reads a great deal, but that seems to be more comics and "young adult" fiction. What you say to identify yourself initially as a member of the "enemy" and how you manage to guide the reader to realize that we're the same people, just in different stages of life, is so well played. It helps to identify yourself with the kind of kid who could head over to the "downhill side" as you call it. The stories you chose will (I hope) help. They are not the solution, I know, but they are entertaining and straight enough to make an impact.
I'll let you know how it works, if you're interested.
Oh...I'd never heard the "mouse/horse/fox" parable. That was great.
I swear to God, I got a "connection failure" on my first post.
Heather,
Pardon the seemingly flip response, but:
THEY STUCK NEEDLES IN ME!
VERY FAST NEEDLES!
OF COURSE IT HURTS!
Okay, now that I have that out of my system...
Tattoos hurt more or less depending on what part of your body you receive them on. If the body part is fairly fleshy, like a shoulder, it's not so bad. The though ones are right over bone, such as a shoulder blade, where the vibrations can become very uncomfortable. Also, it depends on the type of tattoo. one that has large fields of one color can be very uncomfortable due to the long timespan. A Valium might not be a bad idea, but they don't like you to use anything that will have an effect on the blood.
Now, as for Jay's comment, that only relates to (a) trendy nitwits who get tattoos to be cool and (a) back of bar tattoo places that no one should go near. A reputable place with real artists will be clean as hell and use sterilized needles only once, torn out of a sealed bag and then disposed of in a medical waste container. At least, that's the basic procedure in states with reasonable laws.
Oh, and Jay? I talked myself into it.
Regards,
Joseph
Heather,
Pardon the seemingly flip response, but:
THEY STUCK NEEDLES IN ME!
VERY FAST NEEDLES!
OF COURSE IT HURTS!
Okay, now that I have that out of my system...
Tattoos hurt more or less depending on what part of your body you receive them on. If the body part is fairly fleshy, like a shoulder, it's not so bad. The though ones are right over bone, such as a shoulder blade, where the vibrations can become very uncomfortable. Also, it depends on the type of tattoo. one that has large fields of one color can be very uncomfortable due to the long timespan. A Valium might not be a bad idea, but they don't like you to use anything that will have an effect on the blood.
Now, as for Jay's comment, that only relates to (a) trendy nitwits who get tattoos to be cool and (a) back of bar tattoo places that no one should go near. A reputable place with real artists will be clean as hell and use sterilized needles only once, torn out of a sealed bag and then disposed of in a medical waste container. At least, that's the basic procedure in states with reasonable laws.
Oh, and Jay? I talked myself into it.
Regards,
Joseph
Heather: Yes it hurts. But it doesn't do anything for you except give you a backup topic of conversation. "Oh I had that done years ago...and it HURT...my friend Chloe talked me into it...we went down to the place near the mall where this skinny junior high kid was working and I was like 'omigod i'm not letting this kid poke me with a needle' and my friend Trish was all like 'but this kid did Jody's unicorn' so I went for it and...well, it SEEMED like a good idea at the time."
Joseph: Don't know what it might be..... but one question..does getting a tattoo hurt? Or does one get things to kill the pain?
Tattoos. One thing I've never considered. Just now laughed to recall a 'chick' from "Memos from Purgatory" (I THINK it was or else I'm just making this up--which is highly possible.) who had boyfriends names 'marked off' in some way and other ones added.
ow!
(And I STILL laugh to think I spent nearly 30 years or so feeling weird about having red hair--it's a very deep auburn now (tinged with grey); it was more bright red as a kid -- and NOW everybody and their CAT does red hair!)
Fashion, eh? Bet you look cool. I've seen a LOT of cool hairstyles at school. They must have to get up at three ayem to do their hair though, woof!
What's the current view on the director Roman Polanski? I'm so outta touch with current movies but I do remember some damn cool movies he did ages ago. This question comes out of reading the "Over the Edge" piece on Val Lewton, ("3 Faces of Fear", I believe) and other directors and the whole idea behind creating terror on film.
I liked that Johnny Depp movie he did. (Sigh. Cannot remember the name of the movie. Depp is so good in movies like that--it was a dark fiction kind of movie. I'm pretty sure it was Polanski.) Are there any other directors these days that are considered to be following in Lewton's footsteps? (Shoot me if this is an old subject. I am an old person asking new questions--for me.)
Chris, why are you considering school for screenwriting if you don't feel you'll learn 'screenwriting' at school?
Harlan, why didn't you ever just start a production company and produce your own films? Who the hell is gonna do "I, Robot" (okay, maybe someone is--I'm BEHIND on all this stuff, remember?) the way you'd want it done? Why didn't you just do this yourself? I bet you could have found backers.
Or was it just a "I wasn't thinking about such things at the time; had too many sticks in the fire, as it was."
I'm just asking, okay? Don't lay a cow on me, right, boyo?
(laugh)
Heather,
Strangely, the body modifications I have I pondered for a long time. My hair color? Thought about it, and then took the plunge. Now, I love trying different shades of red. Nothing too drastic, just different auburns and dark reds.
My most drastic modification, my shoulder tattoo, I considered for about two years until I decided exactly WHERE I was going to get it and WHAT I was going to get. Now I'm happy as a clam with what I chose.
Anyone want to guess what I got? Hint: it's on my right shoulder.
Regards,
Joseph
Hello fellow earthlings..
I'm staring at the screen through my hair--or what's left of it.
Rather odd. I just decided to cut it all off this afternoon. Was making weird pancakes (All food I make is 'weird.' It's merely a qualifier, not a negative one. It tastes good, I just do weird things to it) and grooving along; and I looked at myself in the front hall mirror and a kinda sorta very long bang I had cut a day or so ago (it looked rather cool) and went to the washroom (careful to watch the pancakes--with slices of sauteed apple), took scissors in hand and cut it all off. (Was casually tossing it into a bag as I did it--it weighed about 3 pounds easy. Yeesh!)
Haven't done that for a while. Went from longer than shoulder length--hadn't really looked lately; I've always had it tied back for work--to just under chin length--looks COOL--in about an hour.
Do you have moments in life where you just seem to 'groove' and do things--fairly drastic things that you weren't even pondering which is what makes it particularly strange--in this manner?
I hate hairdressers though I started back to them a few years ago for the standard "trim." Previous to that, I spent quite a few years cutting my hair.
...
Oh, and it was fine last night--I was out walking after midnight up to Osborne Village--started singing carols as I crossed the bridge (hmm..must be in a good mood or summat) and stared at the lizard eye almost full moon--but it's snowing like hell now. Coolness!
"Chesnuts roasting on an open fire"....I know you wanted to know what I was singing on the bridge. (Laugh) Then, when I went into the Shoppers Drug mart in Osborne Village, guess what the first song on the P.A. was? Weird, no? Ever feel like you're in some kind of cosmic slipstream or something? (No, don't believe in cosmic shit, but I gotta call it SOMETHING.)
"Bingo" Berman,
No dis on BLADE RUNNER was intended. Actually, it's one of my favorites too (the Directors Cut please). Unfortunately, it is flawed. The way I see it, BR suffers from some of the same problems many adaptations share (especially speculative fiction), it requires knowledge of the original source material to make any sense at all. Try to imagine seeing FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS with no previous exposure to the source and you'll see what I mean. However, I must admit that I hated TOTAL RECALL.
To each his (or her) own I suppose.
-Andrew
P.S. Just finished playing the BLADE RUNNER PC game. Interesting to say the least.-AR
Brian, defense of the marvelous, AI is no vice my friend. I too thought it a great film.
Ok, my own top picks:
The Man Who Wasn't There
Muholland Drive
AI
Training Day (Lynn, this movie boring??)
Hannibal (Scared me, what can I say?)
Bandits (Fun, entertaining escape)
Sexy Beast
Memento
Movie that everyone should look for in the video stores if you like smart movies: Your Friends And Neighbors. The film by director Neil Lebute of In A Company Of Men fame. This is one biting ass satire on yuppies gone bad. One scary performance by actor, Jason Patric. One note: The infamous steam room scene. wow.
Andrew: Total Recall is successful in my opinion because it's interesting and compelling, not because of box office. Could I have lived with out Ahnuld in that role? Yes. Otherwise, I liked it.
Wasn't going to respond tonight, but then my loyalty kicked in: Blade Runner is my favorite movie. Enough said.
Joseph: Did you realize that the first line of the Tori Amos song "Mother is a reference to T.S. Eliot? How did I discover this? I opened up Dangerous Visions, noticed the Sonya Dorman story "Go, Go, Go Said the Bird." Excited, I opened to the story and there was the Eliot quote. Cool.
Bermanator.
There aren't too many tweaks being done to Spider-Man The Movie. They were once considering placing the scene from the trailer into the movie somehow, but decided to obviously not do that now. Other than that there are a few swinging scenes which showed the WTC in the distance that they are digitally adjusting. I don't have an issue with this since the movie is opening in a year that there was no WTC. My issue would be with movies that have already been completed and released and will now be adjusted in future videos or teevee showings! Hopefully, they have had enough time to rethink such drastic moves. Why pretend it was never there? I just watched the final chapters of that Ric Burns New York documentary, and was very happy to see that they left it intact (and that he is now doing a final final chapter on NY and the attack).
What will Spielberg do with the A.I. video release? When they arrive in drowned NY, there are valuable seconds of the WTC all war damaged. Leave it alone, Steven! You can pretend that they just built a replica and that is what we are viewing!
The Men In Black II finale had to be totally refilmed recently because it all took place in front of WTC. No loss there.
-TODD
I didn't know Gangs was postponed but I'm not surprised. Even Sidewalks of New York got pushed back a month or so. Apparently, there is a scene where a character delivers a monologue with the Twin Tower in the background.
I wonder if they have decided to make any changes to the Spider-Man film yet. I know they pulled the trailer that featured the WTC prominently but I'm not aware if the WTC was visible in any shots in the film itself (the trailer was footage not in the film.)
But I expect Gangs will be well worth the wait and maybe it will be a bright spot in a usually slow spring new release season.
Justin, great story about the bees! The whole like about you and the .357 makes me think you and my friend Mike must be twins separated at birth. Good luck on your finals and when you get done there, we want the dolphins installment!
L.
Sorry to say, Chris, but Gangs Of New York was postponed until a later date...probably spring 2002. Why? NY. Violence. Gasp. It was one of those kneejerk "oh my gawd we can't show this because it will make people uncomfortable about the WTC attack".
Huh? Did they realize that the time period of this Scorsese movie was more than 100 years BEFORE THE WTC WAS EVEN BUILT?
Talk about yer jerkin' knee, huh?
-TODD
Justin,
If you liked Mark Waid's writing on "JLA," make sure to pick up the recent trade paperback of "JLA: Tower of Babel." Great story arc, and I'm not going to tell you any little detail, because it's such a delicious read.
Harlan,
Speaking of comics, and reminded by the new Dark Knight series starting today from Frank Miller, I have a question, if I may take a few moments of your time. How did your cameo in "The Dark Knight Returns" come about? I'm just curious if Miller asked ahead of time, or if he just stuck you in? Thanks!
Regards,
Joseph
Justin,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune though it is a great story. The image of you trying to shoot away killer bees reminds me of the finest of Irwin Allen's apocalyptic cinema.
But haven't you managed to get a extension for your exams because of this attack?
FAQ
Bermanator,
Regarding PK Dick adaptations:
While TOTAL RECALL may have been a box office success, I would hesitate to call it a successful adaptation. I've not seen SCREAMERS, so I can't say whether or not it was any good. BLADE RUNNER, a visually stunning movie, suffers from a poor script that rips out the heart of the original material (and has plot holes you could drive a Semi through).
I wonder, what other stories would make it onto the screen? "The Man in the High Castle", or god forbid "Oh, to be a Blobel". That said, I'm curious to see how MINORITY REPORT turns out.
-Andrew
Justin: Sorry about your hideous bee encounter. It's a great story, though. I just read something about how you can actually outrun killer bees because they don't fly very fast or pursue very far. Oh well.
Lynn: Yes, indeed, Shawshank Redemption is based on "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King. That also was a fine movie of an even finer story. King used to have his fabulous moments. I wish they'd make quality movies out of his Bachman books "Rage" and "The Long Walk," but both are too controversial in our post-Columbine age.
I'm sure I'll think of other short stories that were made into good movies, but the point is, it's possible. Some of Tanith Lee's short fiction would make excellent fantasy movies IMO.
Chris: I mentioned movies I'd seen in the last year. Since I go to a second-riun theatre, I don't get to see the films until they go into thr $1.99 cinema, months later. Yeah, I'm cheap, but I enjoy myself more if I still have money for a drink afterwards.
Bermanator
Guy Ritchie.
I met Guy Ritchie a few years ago. It was just before 'Lock, Stock...' and the Madonna wedding. I had been invited to MOMI in London as a short script I'd written got a bit of attention from a scheme Working Titles/Jerwood were running.
Ever since that day, I have never had any interest to watch the film. Mr Ritchie is an obnoxious bore who just came out with a lot of macho crap. Boasted a lot about his gangster mates (all of whom were convicted thugs who liked nothing better than grassing their mates while pulverising anyone with a jack hammer) and I made a snide comment mentioning this as Mr Ritchie held these individuals in the highest esteem. I was then asked to attend to another matter.
As to the script, it got universally rejected by the cream of British film makers... and the Coen brothers.
I shall have my day...
FAQ
Lynn: It was an adaptation of "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption," from the collection DIFFERENT SEASONS. That book also included the novellas "Apt Pupil" and "The Body," both of which were later filmed. (No one's taken a crack at the fourth story, "The Breathing Method," yet.)
Oh, and Nicole Kidman was TERRIFIC in TO DIE FOR, so nyah, nyah, nyah. (Of course, she played an utter zero in that film, so I'm sure Kidman-haters like you will say, "She was ACTING in that movie?")
You Can Count on Me was a Year 2000 release also. Of course, you did preface it by listing as a movie you _saw_ this year so I can't get you there. Very lawyerly of you! :)
And I agree. It's a very good film. I was left with the question, "Why?" as in "Why make this? It's not about anything. Nothing happens." But so what? It was good.
Seems we have a lot of different reactions to Moulin Rouge and I kind of agree with all of them. My review of the film was simple: "I think I like it but I might hate it."
I'm still not sure but I think I liked it. Even though Kidman was awful.
MEMENTO was based on a short story as well. Ed Bryant recommends watching that movie for a lesson in plot structure, by the way.
I really enjoyed ENEMY AT THE GATES and PAPILLON, and APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX was great, as was the LAWRENCE OF ARABIA dvd, but I didn't see much this year that wowed me or moved me very much. I really want to see AMELIE very badly, but is it playing at a theater near me? Noooo, it has big scary subtitles, oh gasping horror. But enough of this movie talk. Hollywood is turning out even more deplorable shit than usual these days, and Paul Verhoeven hasn't even been helping lately (just kidding Paul, love ya babe). If we're going to be making silly ass retrospective 2001 lists let's do each other some good and list the best books we've read over the year. I vote for TROUBLEMAKERS, even though I haven't read it yet, cuz muh boy Harlan E wrote that muthafugga, and I also gotta give mad stoopid props to CLIMBING MOUNT IMPROBABLE by Richard Dawkins, THE AGE OF SPIRITUAL MACHINES by Ray Kurzweil, THE DUBLINERS by James Joyce, and THE SIMULACRA by P.K. Dick. Best comic I read all year was probably JLA: YEAR ONE by Mark Waid. Unfortunately the last part of the year has been slow as far as reading for my own pesonal edification goes, but I'll try to fix that over Christmas with some Fritz Leiber and Franz Kafka and Schmitz Fifka and Schloofy Blanwitz.
Okay, so I said I'd tell you about being attacked by a ravening horde of rabid assault bees while I was in Mexico, just as soon as I could afford to stop studying for finals. I can't afford it but I'm taking a break anyway to dine on a glass of flat Pepsi and a hideous sandwich I just cobbled together out of moldy bread, charred oven crumbs and the remnants of what I think used to be either tuna salad or banana bread. And whilst I eat, I will tell you about just one part of my adventure in Mexico. I'd tell you about the dolphins and the sea turtles and the staggering beauty of the island and the most hideous poverty I've ever seen, but we'd all be here till 2002, knowing the way I tend to go on.
So I'm in Mexico, right? This is the day before we went back to the States. We spent the morning kayaking in the Sea of Cortez, heading back to the mainland after our stay on the protected island of Tiburon. We beached our kayaks and unloaded all of our gear, and we were getting ready to have lunch. I helped make breakfast, so I was excused from lunch preparations. As a result, I was just laying around on the beach, trying to spot more dolphins, just about as fat, dumb and happy as I could be. Out of nowhere I felt this sting on my back, as though I'd accidentally chosen to lie down on a sharp stick jutting up from the sand, and indeed that's what I thought had happened. I shot upright, swiping at my back, and my hands brushed over something airborne. It was hovering over my shoulder, and whatever it was felt disconcertingly plump. Plump and fuzzy. And buzzing.
I don't deal with insects very well. I scrambled to my feet and did the "oo akk arrgh help help for the love of God get it away from me I'm far too young and gorgeous to die" dance. The little bastiches retreated into the bushes behind our campsite, and I was left standing there, burning like New Mexico, once the sting juice kicked in. One of my comrades, Justine, alerted by my girlish high-pitched screams, ran over and took a look at my back, which was rotten with stings right beneath my left shoulder. My whole left side was burning, and my rib cage in particular felt like it was on fire. Justine said there were red, irritated-looking streaks running down my side. She called over the two biologists we had with us, as they seemed to know virtually everything about the area we were in, and asked them for their analysis.
Their horrified expressions were of little comfort. "Africanized bees. They get the name "killer bees" because they attack people who come into their territory. They've killed a few people in the U.S. over the past few years."
By now the pain had abated considerably and I was able to speak again. "WE'VE GOT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, C'MON, QUICK, RUN!"
No, I'm fooling. I was still too paralyzed by the fact that a bug had stuck part of its ass into my body to speak. The biologists were looking at my back and telling me that Africanized bee venom is no more potent than that of regular honey bees, but that Africanized bees attack in far greater numbers and chase down perceived enemies for quite a long way. They were very concerned that I had been attacked, and suggested that we might want to move our camp. They said that if a larger attack happened, we would be basically defenseless. We couldn't even run into the sea and take shelter there, because these bees will hover over the water and wait for you to come up for air and sting the hell out of your face when you do. "What were you doing to upset the bees," they asked.
Oh, so now this was MY fault, was it? Hey, man, I was just sitting there minding my business. I had just put on some bug spray and-
"Bug spray? That might have upset them."
Great. I finally contributed something to the conversation, along the lines of, "Goddamn fuckin' bullshit bug spray, bee bastards, stings like a fuckin' fuck fuck."
Oddly enough, no one payed much attention to me, as they tried to figure out what to do. I staggered off to one side, as by now my side had begun to burn considerably once again. I looked over at the bushes and began vigorously to curse the bees for cowards, and that was about when one of the bees popped up to tell me what he thought of that by trying to sting my face. I swiped at him and he stung me in the finger.
I actually managed to bitch slap it before it buzzed away in a severely concussed manner that I found intensely satisfying to watch, as I cursed like a longshoreman in an Asian cathouse. This time I caught a stinger, and it was embedded deep in the side of my reddening index finger. I suddenly remembered a documentary I had seen a while ago about how bee stingers will continue to rhythmically pump venom into a victim from little yellow sacs on the top of the stinger, even once the stinger had been detached from the bee. I wept openly as Justine went off to get some tweezers.
Justine came back a second later with some tweezers, as everyone else watched from a safe distance, at least ten paces away from wherever I happened to be standing. Justine pulled out the stinger and almost immediately afterward, even before I got the chance to ask her for a Luke Skywalker band-aid and throw a hissy fit when she told me she didn't have any, the bushes behind us started to vibrate. BZZZZZZZZ. Justine took a few cautious steps away from me.
Within seconds, the air above our campsite was black with bees, zigzagging through the air in an enraged frenzy. I've gotten myself into some bad spots in the past, but I cannot recall any time in my life when I have been in such mortal terror. Some people stood there frozen, while the rest of us hit the deck. I pressed myself just as far down into the sand as I could, looking up the whole time at the swarm as it hovered above us. In a supremely odd and terrifying way it was kind of beautiful to watch them move, so furious and purposeful. Then, seconds later, they were gone, moved on down the beach.
If they had decided to attack, I really don't know what we would have done, particularly not if anyone was allergic to the stings. We were at least ninety minutes away from any medical facility, and anyway our van was broken down and Aaron hadn't finished fixing it yet. Anyone who panicked and tried fleeing into the water would have been in for a surprise as well, because not only do those bees wait for you, but when I went snorkeling earlier I quikly discovered that the sandy floor I was floating over was alive with an abundance of sting rays. We were just lucky.
I wish I'd brought my .357. I just enjoy the thought of myself flailing around in a cloud of bees, shooting at them wildly with a revolver, calling them motherfuckers and asking them if they want some more of this, while my travel buddies dive into the sand to avoid stray bullets.
And now I'm stuck here, in all this, this- civilization, eating bad food and studying for some bullshit test. ~sigh~ This is no kind of education. Mexico was an education.
J
PA Berman~ Wasn't THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION a Stephen King short story as well?
L.
Oh, and Chris? Just noting that I manage to have a movie from 1948 on my list. *ducks*
Chris,
Reasonable enough. Now go to bmw.com and see Guy Ritchie's short film. Sure, it's Ritchie. Sure, it's a commercial. But it's funny as hell. Also worth watching is the great Ang Lee short.
How, oh how, could I forget one of the best movies I saw this year? I completely forget to mention YOU CAN COUNT ON ME! Wonderful casting, great writing and direction, and Matthew Broderick being a complete dick. It's all there for'ya.
Regards,
Joseph
Chris, I took my list from the box office returns archive at IMDB. Yes these films may have been made in 2000, but they were still in the theatres in 2001. How's that for splittin' hairs?
::grin::
L.
Joseph,
Sure, I understand. My disinterest in seeing Snatch stems from the fact that it appears to copy the style of Lock, Stock... (based on both previews, reviews and conversations with friends) in addition to the fact that Guy Ritchie is doing it. Doesn't mean I'm saying Snatch is a bad movie. I haven't seen it. I don't know if it's good or bad. But just as I won't be lining up to buy John Grisham's next book, I won't be planning to see the next Guy Ritchie film - especially when it seems to be so similar to his last one.
Also, just for the record, just because I'm the type who likes to keep the record clear, a lot of the movies folks are mentioning as best or worst of 2001 are from 2000. Almost Famous, Finding Forrester, Crouching Tiger, Snatch, O Brother Where Art Thou, Erin Brockovich and others.
Just bein' anal. :)
As for my picks and pans, for some reason, I also haven't seen a lot of new films this year. I don't know why. Maybe I was so crushed by Planet of the Apes - I was really looking forward to it since I like Tim Burton and then had to suffer through that dreck!
I liked Memento but I think it substitutes gimmickry for plot and character development. It's a neat idea but just a so-so story.
Mulholland Drive never played around here. I will be seeing The Man Who Wasn't There in a few days. Otherwise, wow, I can't think of a single 2001 release I really thought was great but I assume that's because of my limited viewing. I can't wait to see The Man Who Wasn't There. And I'm looking forward to Ocean's 11, Gangs (not Sidewalks) of New York, Lord of the Rings and The Royal Tennenbaums.
Short stories successfully made into movies:
"The Body" by Stephen King into STAND BY ME (OK, it was a novella)
"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick into TOTAL RECALL
Favorite movies last year:
Memento
Sexy Beast
Snatch
Shrek
Crouching Tiger
The Pledge (I was so twisted up after seeing that one)
I haven't yet seen Mulholland Drive, From Hell, Ghost World, or the Coen Bros film, but I will eventually.
Least favorite:
Phantom Menace (why oh why?)
Moulin Rouge (pretty trash w/excessive use of Elton John)
Evolution (sucked soooo bad)
I avoid any full-priced movie that even has the slightest whiff of being poor, but there's a $1.99 theatre so I took a few risks.
Interesting failures (enjoyed despite serious flaws)
The Others
The Princess and the Warrior
A.I.
Sleepy Hollow
What was the last really good, scary movie you saw? The Others was visually lush but did not scare me in the least. Ditto for Sleepy Hollow.
Bermanator
...nothing could ever be scarier than ALIEN
I usually listen to music as I go to bed--I have tinnitus, so the sound helps me to sleep. Last night I put on a CD by the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, the great Texas psychedelic garage band from the 60's (and the only group I know of that had an electric jug for an instrument). Well, after I fell asleep, the damned cd player decided to go on the blink, and ended up skipping ALL NIGHT like some Burroughs cut-up machine. I woke up eight hours later to *SKITCH* "YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME BABY--"*THUP* *THUP* "FIIIIRE ENGINE--" *SKITCH* *SKITCH* *THUP* *THUP* "WHOOAAAAA--" *SKITCHSKITCHSKITCHSKITCH...*
I don't even want to mention the nightmares I had. Let's just say, I don't feel dewy-fresh right now, ok?
I'd love to jump in with my own Best/Worst Movie list for 2001, but the sad truth is that I haven't seen many films this year. MEMENTO, THE OTHERS, and ALMOST FAMOUS were at the top of my cinematic experiences, but they had little competition. (Of course, that only applies to new releases. I've been buying/renting classic movies on Dvd like there's no tomorrow--and there really ISN'T a tomorrow, if you think about it...)
Oh, and just to be a TOTAL contrarian: I actually sorta liked HANNIBAL, and thought it did an admirable job of picking out the best parts of that seriously flawed novel. Have at me! Break my heart! Make me doubt my own aesthetic sense! (you punks...)
Lynn,
Well, here in Chicago it's currently a very Decemberish 66 degrees and sunny. It's vaguely creepy.
As for "Emperor," I go by the Ebert comment that it appeared to be made in a forgotten corner of the Disney lot where the animators just wanted to wear silly hats and joke around. Wonderful movie, and pointed out all the more that "Prince of Egypt" should have had the strength of it's convictions and gone with no songs. It didn't need any!
Regards,
Joseph
Joseph~ ::LOL:: What part of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia Cause Chicago Was TOO FREAKIN' COLD" did you not get? It's all of 56 degrees outside and I'm miserable cold today. Other than that well, it seems I'm already betrothed. (He liked both of those films too, if that counts for anything.)
EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE surprised the hell out of me with how good it was. And no singing! I love children's movies that don't talk down to children. I didn't like it then, and I don't particularly appreciate it anymore now. David Spade and John Goodman were at the top of their game in this flick. And Earth Kitt *made* the villainess. I have no idea how the animators got this one past the Disney studio execs, but I imagine it involved copious amounts of liquor and really expensive call girls.
Films I'm anxious to see: The Brotherhood of the Wolf. Anyone heard anything good about this film?
L.