Random Topics: See! I'm Not Crazy!

Just saw this on one of the TV blogs I sometimes frequent. Remarkably similar to the points that I was making about the Buffy reboot. Could it be...(dramatic sound effect) thievery?

The answer's no, by the way. More likely, it means that everyone who has given this a second's worth of thought has concluded that it's a dumb idea. Yeesh. Maybe I need to try to be less of a nerd, cause it can just be real stressful sometimes. I promise this is the last I'll post about it.



Unless it keeps bothering me.

Film Review -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1
Director: David Yates; Writer: Steve Kloves
Warner Bros. Pictures

Every Harry Potter movie has seemed a bit of a doomed proposition from the get-go; the films have to deal with issues of managing fan expectations and lessening disappointment to a far greater extent than most adaptations, simply because the fans of the series are so passionate and numerous. The novels seem to be so much a part of the modern collective consciousness (or, at least, that of the audience that sees the films) in a way that even the Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia can't compare to. Ironically, the franchise's intense popularity has prevented the movies from excelling - the filmmakers can't possibly hope to deliver the same depth and experience that the books provide, which leads to inevitably unfavorable comparisons.

Of course, I might be completely talking out of my ass, and maybe the real reason that the Harry Potter movies have been largely disappointing to me is that they just weren't all that good. Oftentimes it feels like the films emphasize style over substance, that they're more concerned with advancing plot than character, and that they fumble some of the most compelling aspects of the books. I feel obligated to defend the third and fourth films as being pretty good, and the fifth and six were alright, but I certainly wouldn't call any of them great. And while I still wouldn't call Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 "great," it is my favorite Harry Potter movie yet.

Random Topics: Why the Buffy Reboot Makes Absolutely No Sense

I haven't written anything for this blog for quite some time. School and being lazy have occupied a lot of my time, and I just haven't felt motivated to write much. I needed something to jolt me back into my writing groove, and boy oh boy did Warner Bros. ever come through in the clutch. Recently, Warner Bros. Pictures announced plans to bring Joss Whedon's beloved heroine, Buffy Anne Summers, Vampire Slayer Extraordinaire, back to the big screen. Details can be found in the above link, though they are few at this point, but here's the important stuff, after the break:

A Worthy Cause

For my first order of business in my return to this blog, I thought it would be fitting to call attention to the blog of someone much smarter, funnier, and more talented than I. That person is one Patrick Rothfuss. Rothfuss, for those of you who aren't quite as massively nerdy as I am, is the author of the widely-acclaimed fantasy novel "The Name of the Wind," as well as the forthcoming sequel, "Wise Man's Fear." Now, I haven't read any of his work, but "The Name of the Wind" is definitely near the top of my gargantuan list of books I want to read, and I have followed his blog for the past couple years or so.

One of the reasons I consider myself to be a fan of Pat's, without having read anything by him, is that every year around the holidays, he runs a fundraiser of sorts to benefit Heifer International. He reaches out to all of his fellow author friends, a fantastic Sci-Fi/Fantasy specialty press called Subterranean Press, and a plethora of other sources to come up with a ton of books, comics, and other items of interest to give away for charity.

The specifics of the fundraiser, which is called Worldbuilders, can be found at his blog, but the basic idea is that for every $10 you give to Heifer International, you get a chance to win one of the fabulous books that Pat has assembled. And these are things that any Sci-Fi/Fantasy lover would drool over - limited editions, signed copies, advanced reading copies, rare and out of print volumes - it's a cornucopia of nerdy awesomeness. And the best part is, Rothfuss has pledged to match 50% of the amount raised, because he's just a great guy.

Last year, Worldbuilders raised almost $200,000 for Heifer International and gave away some pretty sweet stuff. I've given money the past two years, and managed to pocket two books for my contributions. So, if you're the type of person that gets irrationally excited by the thought of owning a book signed by Neil Gaiman or Jim Butcher, be sure to head over to the Worldbuilders site and fork over some of your cash - it's a good cause with great prizes.

Hmm, Now Where Did I Put That Blog of Mine...

Howdy, readers. It's been a while since I've put anything up here, and I'm sorry for that - a sentiment that I seem to be expressing a lot on this blog. Well, you can't say I didn't warn you this time, since I said I would be pretty busy with school. I mean, technically you could point out that I promised I would have a podcast up "next week" back in September (I recorded most of it, but finally just gave up), but let's just let the past stay in the past. Carpe diem, and all that good stuff!

In any case, I finally have some time off for Thanksgiving, and I'll be doing a bit of writing over this break. I'm not promising much, and anything I put up is likely going be very random and not necessarily fit the loose format I devised for the blog, but I hope you'll forgive me.

Suffice it to say, I'm back, and I hope all my wonderful, dedicated, imaginary fans will come back too.