SKatWoT

I think what I admire most about Sky Captain and the World of the Tomorrow isn’t the new application of technology to make a whole movie — it was scope of the thing. The writer/director made game attempt to include every major type of Pulp action type in the movie… adventuring, G-8 style aeronautic heroes, Lost Worlds, robots, mad scientist experiements, ray guns and rocketships, and of course the plucky reporter. I’m sure there are others I didn’t mention, but that’s my point.
Speaking to the technology, I’d say there were places it got in the way of the actor’s timing a bit, and tended to make some of the deliveries a little stiff, but there was a lot of potentially impressive and exciting stuff there.
Did I like it? I love Pulp stuff… of course I liked it.
Is it fine theatre? It’s as much fine theatre as pulp magazines were fine literature; lots of fluff with the occasional diamond hiding in the cruft (to mangle a cliche), but still filled with love of the genre and vaguely glowing and soft-focus, like your own reader’s imagination.

From the man Himself

Greetings from Joss

Well, sports fans, it’s official. The movie is shot. Done. And I couldn’t be happier to be through with it. No more of that exciting, vibrant set, that warm camaraderie, that creative stimulus, free donuts… Excuse me. I have something in my eye… free donuts…
Oh, there’s things I’ll miss. But there’s definitely things I WON’T miss. In no particular order:
1) Fillion. People who are prettier than me are not supposed to be funnier than me. I think it’s a guild thing. And that whole ‘gracious and professional’ thing got old on day ONE, you know what I mean?
2) Cinematographer Jack Green. This guy lights stuff ALL THE TIME. Seriously, like eighty-three percent of the shots had light in them. He totally didn’t get my “Just Like Radio” concept for the film.
3) The incessant meddling of the studio: where was it? We waited and waited, what, are they all too busy and important to take the time to ruin my little film? This is Hollywood, people. Learn our ways and customs while you’re here. Sheesh.
Just a taste of the Hell I’ve been through. And being surrounded by beautiful women, and, let’s face it, beautiful men, all of whom get along, work hard and play their characters with such ease and nuance it’s clear they were born for the roles — who needs that?
But no matter how much I suffer for my art, it’s worth it. […] The editing started this week, and after just a first cut I can safely say this will be the greatest film since whatever film comes out right before it. And I’m not backing down from that.
[…]
Be well. Good things are coming.
[…]
-joss.

April 22nd, 2005. I need a count-down script for the sidebar.

The door finally opens

Last weekend, I handed Jackie a couple of books full of stories I thought she’d probably like: great sense of humor, a touch of sarcasm, a strong lead female character, well-drawn interactions and secondaries.
I wasn’t wrong — Jackie laughed, snerked, smiled, and “ohmygodI’vesaidexactlythat”ed all the way through the first book, moved right into the second book with no prompting from me, and asked after the upcoming third book as soon as she was done.
Not that remarkable, all in all — I’ve picked out books to loan Jackie before and been right.
Except, these were Courtney Crumrin books, ladies and gents; specifically this one and this one.
Graphic novels. Finally.
Took me ten years, but finally.
Part of me immediately wants to ride the “well, you’ve already read that, so try this one” bandwagon in with things like Midnight Nation and Strangers in Paradise, but I recognize that it’s important not to make any loud noises or sudden movements — they’re easy to spook at this stage.

Dialoggorea

Gilmore Girls has the highest words-per-minute ratio of any show on broadcast or cable television. Factoid.
In the last 24 hours, I’ve watched all but one episode of the entire third season.
My brain feels like one of those little pellets you drop in a cup and watch explode into a lame pink foam dinosaur… except, made out of words… and my skull is the cup, and the cup is too small.
Great show.

Oh what the heck, might as well link it…

Angel, No Limits – Virtual Season 6 — kinda cool. A “virtual” season 6 of Angel.
I was surprised at the level of writing in the first episode; at least in the first half or so (as far as I’ve read), the characters and story are well-written with a good feel for speech patterns and character motivation.
What sets this apart from typical is (IMO) that it’s actually been organized, with a team of writers who plot story arcs in advance and work with each other (they even have a “spoiler”‘ site, which is deeply funny to me), almost as though the show was actually being filmed. (And the first writer, at least, has quite a bit of talent.)
Anyhow, I have no clue how well it will continue to shape up, and i’ve never been much of a fan-fic fan, but this might be worth checking out from time to time.

And also…

Also via Randy (as was the Casshern link), this surreal thing called Immortel, which seems to be a foreign film, done in english and then subtitled?
Or something?
Wild, though — Fifth Element for grown-ups.