Adam’s First Pro-Sale — “Resolution” — Congrats, Buddy!
In the interest in plugging things for friends, I would like to point you all to my friend Adam’s first ever pro publication over at AE! The story is called “Resolution,” the publication of which Adam has to thank me, since I critiqued the hell out of it. Or maybe I’m exaggerating my involvement… In any case, check out the story and let Adam know what you think on his blog! Congrats, man!
An Amazing(ly Poignant) Gift
One of my friends from England recently tried to send me a present thinking it was my birthday (this was a month or so back). It obviously hasn’t been my birthday since October, but I’ll never say no to presents. There were some concerns over the chocolate in the package, as they are banned by some arcane U.S. law because the little toys inside cause babies to choke when their lazy ass parents don’t monitor what their kids are munching on…. Anyway. We had about given up on the gift ever arriving, but then I checked my mail today and discovered this (after the fold): Is that not awesome? Since Lily reads my blog (for whatever reason), I have to give a huge shout out to her. Thank you so much, Lily! You totally made my day. I will immediately begin planning my evil deeds and stuff. You better believe it! P.S.: Lily has a blog where she’s posting her poetry for NaPo (the poetry version of NaNoWriMo). It’s called Raining Fairy Lights.
Top 6 SF/F Soundtracks of 2010
Last year was by far one of the best years for movie soundtracks, not just in terms of “good music,” but also in terms of experimentation on the part of composers (as some of my choices below will show). The year prior, of course, was a good year too, but 2010 really grabbed me, with some composers playing a greater role in the merger of source material with musical material. I don’t know if this is a “new” thing, but it sure is something I haven’t noticed in past years from major pictures (the experimentation on the part of composers seems to have been centered on “blockbusters” in 2010; whether that means anything is up to the music critics to figure out). Here are my top five picks for 2010 (in no particular order)(after the fold): Inception (Hans Zimmer) One of the best science fiction films ever made has the luxury of having one of the most important and (I hope) influential soundtracks ever written. Hans Zimmer certainly has a lot of detractors, but his use of layers, his manipulation of audio to produce a variety of effects (then replicated in various ways for the body of the musical narrative), and his unflinching willingness to experiment to the extreme (see the behind the scenes stuff for The Dark Knight) are prime examples of why he his one of the best composers living today. I’ve written plenty about the soundtrack here and here, in case you’re interested. My other posts about Inception are here and here. Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk) One of the biggest surprises for me was the announcement that Daft Punk would be scoring the soundtrack for Legacy. I was apprehensive about the duo, because as much as I love their music, I had a hard time imagining it forming the background of a film like Legacy. The result, however, blew me away. Legacy‘s soundtrack is a clever mix of heavy electronic rhythms and traditional orchestral scoring (some of which is then manipulated by the duo–who are, of course, known for their audio manipulations). The soundtrack is actually quite clever, since it mirrors the intersection and conflict between two worlds (the real world vs. the Grid). Hopefully we’ll see more soundtracks from Daft Punk in the future; they’ve clearly got a knack for it. My reviews of Legacy can be found here and here. How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell) Light. Bubbly. Fun. Despite the film’s flaws, I loved How to Train Your Dragon, and the soundtrack is no exception. It brings out the spirit of adventure that made How to Train Your Dragon such an enjoyable film. Then there’s “Sticks and Stones” by Jonsi (the end title piece), which is one of the happiest songs I’ve heard in a long time (which might explain my love for it in times of annoyance or sadness: it has a way of lifting one’s spirits (sort of like the movie, right?)). I recommend the soundtrack if you want something uplifting. It might even make for good walking music! Here’s my review of How to Train Your Dragon. The Last Airbender (James Newton Howard) First things first: the movie was bloody awful; so awful, in fact, that it might very well be the end of M. Night Shamalamadingdong’s career. A good thing? Maybe. But the music for the soundtrack, while somewhat simple for a Howard score, sets up the epic scenario better than the actual film. It is suspenseful, fun, and (sometimes) quite beautiful. There are a number of great little themes at work here, and if a second movie is made, perhaps we’ll hear these develop (if we’re lucky, maybe someone will tell Shamalamadingdong he can’t write or direct the next in the series). I think Howard could have been more ambitious with his use of themes/instruments from non-European cultures, but considering the near-gutting of practically all of the representations of non-European cultures from the original series for the movie, I suppose it’s unfair to blame Howard for the oversight. In any case, the soundtrack is a good mood-setter and well worth listening to. (Note: Loopdilou and I will be reviewing The Last Airbender as part of our Torture Cinema feature at The Skiffy and Fanty Show next month.) Skyline (Matthew Margeson) I didn’t see the movie and have no intention of doing so. The soundtrack, however, is dark and suspenseful. It’s like listening to David Arnold (Independence Day) one moment and Graeme Revell (The Chronicles of Riddick) the next. There is plenty of beauty here, too. The melodies shift from chaotic to idyllic (as would be expected of an action-oriented science fiction film) and the overall feeling is a mixture of excitement and wonder. I suspect we’ll see much more of Margeson in the future, particularly for genre films. Book of Eli (Atticus Ross) One of the more experimental works of 2010 (along with Inception), The Book of Eli is a mixture of dissonance and ambient chill. It’s like John Murphy’s Sunshine merged with Jerry Goldsmith’s The 13th Warrior. It’s not easy to listen to, just as Schoenberg’s 12-tonal melodies aren’t for most audiences, but Ross has done a fine job creating the necessary atmosphere the post-apocalyptic film needed, with just the right amount of beauty to seep in through the cracks. Not for the faint of heart, sure, but still worth a listen. ——————————————————– Those are my selections. So, what am I missing? What are you favorites for last year?
Viking and Amoebae and RPGs, Oh My!
A bit of random fun that you all might enjoy. I’m hoping to one day make a card game out of this insanity. Thoughts anyone?
A Random Amusing Thing Involving Lizards
Lizard shadow puppets. (After the fold.) What? I’m a shadow. Got a problem with that? Look! I moved. It’s like magic. This is what happens on a sunny Saturday when it seems like nothing interesting will happen: a lizard puts on a show, unaware that someone is watching. Lizards are like that, though.
Meme: Every Frakking Animated Movie Ever Made (Almost)
I stole this from Andrew Wheeler, who stole it from someone else. Should be fun! All the animated movies in the world, sort of: – X what you saw – O what you haven’t finished/seen or saw sizable portions – Bold what you loved – Italicize what you disliked/hated – Leave unchanged if neutral (I’ve added a final thing to these: a grade–good, average, and sucked. I might as well, right?) CLASSIC DISNEY ——————————- [X] 101 Dalmatians (1961) — Good [X] Alice in Wonderland (1951) — Good [X] Bambi (1942) — Good [X] Cinderella (1950) — Average [X] Dumbo (1941) — Good [X] Fantasia (1940) — Good (and trippy. Every time I see this movie, I feel like someone has inserted an extra ten minutes. No joke. My experience watching this as a kid involved frequently feeling as though I missed something the last time I watched it.) [X] Lady and the Tramp (1955) — Average [X] Mary Poppins (1964) — Good [X] Peter Pan (1953) — Good [X] Pinocchio (1940) — Good [X] Sleeping Beauty (1959) — Good (I liked it, but I’ve only seen it once.) [X] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) — Good [X] Song of the South (1946) — I barely remember it, so I can’t grade it. (Note: My grandma pretty much made me grow up with most of the Disney movies. I’m not complaining, but I’ve pretty much seen every classic and semi-classic Disney movie ever made, even if I can’t remember seeing it. That is, except for new Disney, which I’ve mostly been avoiding.) DISNEY’S DARK AGE ——————————- [X] The Aristocats (1970) — Average [ ] The Black Cauldron (1985) [X] The Fox and the Hound (1981) — Good [X] The Great Mouse Detective (1986) — Average [X] The Jungle Book (1967) — Good [X] The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) — Good (They were on constant re-run when I was a kid.) [X] Oliver and Company (1986) — Average [X] Pete’s Dragon (1977) — Good [X] The Rescuers (1977) — Good [X] Robin Hood (1973) — Good [X] The Sword In The Stone (1963) — Good THE DISNEY RENAISSANCE ——————————- [X] Aladdin (1992) — Average [X] Beauty and the Beast (1991) — Average [X] A Goofy Movie (1995) — Average [X] Hercules (1997) — Good [X] The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) — Average [X] The Lion King (1994) — Good [X] The Little Mermaid (1989) — Average [X] Mulan (1998) — Good [X] Pocahontas (1995) — Average (the manipulation of history is rather annoying) [X] The Rescuers Down Under (1990) — Good (I loved this one as a kid for some reason) [X] Tarzan (1999) — Average DISNEY’S MODERN AGE ——————————- [ ] Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) [ ] Bolt (2008) [X] Brother Bear (2003) — Average [ ] Chicken Little (2005) [X] Dinosaur (2000) — Sucked [X] The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) — Sucked [ ] Fantasia 2000 (2000) [ ] Home on the Range (2004) [X] Lilo & Stitch (2002) — Average [X] Meet the Robinsons (2007) — Average [ ] Treasure Planet (2002) (You’re probably noticing a trend, what with Disney films progressively becoming worse as the years went by. I don’t know if that’s because I grew up and lost interest in the Disney style, or if they simply got bad.) PIXAR ——————————- [X] A Bug’s Life (1998) — Average [O] Cars (2006) (I refuse to see it. I’ve seen five minutes or so and just couldn’t stand it.) [X] Finding Nemo (2003) — Good [X] The Incredibles (2004) — Good [X] Monsters Inc. (2001) — Good (one of my favorites, actually) [X] Ratatouille (2007) — Average [X] Toy Story (1995) — Good [X] Toy Story 2 (1999) — Good [ ] Toy Story 3 (2010) [X] Wall-E (2008) — Good (top three for sure) [X] Up (2009) — Average DON BLUTH ——————————- [X] All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) — Good [X] An American Tail (1986) — Good (loved the Fieval films) [X] An American Tail: Fieval Goes West (1991) — Good [X] Anastasia (1997) — Average [X] The Land Before Time (1988) — Good [ ] The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) [X] Rock-a-Doodle (1991) — Sucked [X] The Secret of NIMH (1982) — Good [X] Thumbelina (1994) — Average [X] Titan AE (2000) — Matt Damon! [ ] A Troll in Central Park (1994) CLAYMATION ——————————- [ ] The Adventures of Mark Twain (1986) [X] Chicken Run (2000) — Average [ ] Corpse Bride (2005) [X] James and the Giant Peach (1996) — Good [X] The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) — Average [X] Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) — Average [ ] Coraline (2009) CGI GLUT ——————————- [X ] Antz (1998) — Average [ ] Bee Movie (2007) [X] Happy Feet (2006) — Good [X] Ice Age (2002) — Sucked [X] Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) — Sucked [ ] Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) [ ] Kung Fu Panda (2008) [X] Madagascar (2005) — Sucked [X] Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) — Sucked [X] Monster House (2006) — Average [X] Over the Hedge (2006) — Sucked [X] The Polar Express (2004) — Average [X] Robots (2005) — Average [X] A Shark’s Tale (2004) — Average [X] Shrek (2001) — Good [X] Shrek 2 (2004) — Good [X] Shrek The Third (2007) — Average [ ] Shrek Forever After (2010) [ ] Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) IMPORTS ——————————- [ ] Arabian Knight (aka The Thief and the Cobbler) (1995) [ ] The Last Unicorn (1982) [ ] Light Years (1988) [ ] The Triplets of Belleville (2003) [ ] Persepolis (2007) [ ] Waltz With Bashir (2008) (I actually read the graphic novel) [X] Watership Down (1978) — Average [ ] When the Wind Blows (1988) [ ] Wonderful Days (2003) [ ] Yellow Submarine (1968) (I have no intention of seeing most of these, to be honest.) STUDIO GHIBLI/MIYAZAKI ——————————- [X] The