A really bad impersonation of myself.

So.

I have been accumulating a small list of things to talk about in a post-fall semester entry, hoping to play catch up for the eight of you that may still be interested in my ramblings after the feeble number of entries this year. Problem is, I find myself utterly disinterested in most of what I have written down, and do not see much point in the venture. Maybe a quick overview as a compromise?

To date: After a plethora of sound and fury, we have our new president. Our economy is collapsing, so we gave in to the fear culture and gave up on being a democracy and bought into the bailout. Thanks for sleeping through that one, America. I hope you feel safe now.

On a personal level, I am seriously concerned that I may not be able to return to school in the fall if things continue to worsen and grants/student loans become unavailable (this spring is covered, fortunately). Considering how long it took me to get my shit together and find direction in the first place, I think it is safe to say that I am not amused, and that my rage will reach staggering heights if that is the case. Details as they arise.


On the trivial front, I saw a handful of movies over the semester that I never got around to reviewing (busy-busy-busy). Here are some extremely truncated thoughts on the ones that I recall, with the two theater experiences first:

Appaloosa - A fairly decent adaptation with an atrocious score. Seriously, it was distracting. I was for the most part pleased with the casting; Viggo Mortensen did a fine job as Hitch, but I was disappointed that Ed Harris felt the need to make the taciturn Virgil more expressive so he could "act" more. Bad move, Ed. 3.25 out of 5.

Burn After Reading - Caught this darkly funny little gem with my homegirl Melissa. Not the best Coen Brothers film, but pretty good nonetheless. Neither of us could take our eyes off of George Clooney's beard, and Brad Pitt was a hoot. 3.5 out of 5.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - I think I'm in the minority with this one, as the talk-singing was distracting and left me both cold and unimpressed. It is a step in the right direction though for Tim Burton, and I have to admit to audibly yelping when the first victim went through the trap door and crashed into the ground. 3 out of 5.

The Reaping - Wowzers, was the movie bad. Horribly predictable, too. Still, I found myself strangely entertained by the thought that Violet Beauregarde might be the Antichrist (my money would've been on Veruca Salt, personally). And pardon me for being a boy, but Hillary Swank looked quite fetching in this bad yet passable little movie. 2 out of 5.

Kung Fu Panda - It is really a shame that I did not write a full review for this one, because it was surprisingly fun! The film was gorgeous and a lot smarter than I expected, with a wonderful score by Hans Zimmer that I 100% must own. I empathized more and more with the villain (Tai Lung) as the story progressed, which ended up being my favorite thing about this film. I would have been pissed, too. 4 out of 5.


I also dedicated a Saturday afternoon of my fall break to a video game (gasp), which has become an extremely rare occurrence in recent years. My friend Gene let me borrow Star Wars: Force Unleashed for the PS2, and I have to admit to enjoying this a lot more than I expected. You play as Darth Vader's insanely powerful secret apprentice (the game takes place shortly before the first Star Wars film), allowing you to do cool things like fight rancors, dark Jedi, and pretty much anything else that has the misfortune of crossing your path. The game play is passable, although it becomes a little tedious once you realize that you only really need about four of your force powers. Also, this is a short game (it took me about nine hours to beat it, and I took my time). The story is excellent however, and I would have loved to have seen this as a film over...say...the crappy Clone Wars movie. All that being said, this is the best Star Wars related game that I have played since Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II way back in 1997 (which is one of my favorite computer games ever). I'm giving it a solid 3.75 out of 5.


My semester was very reading intensive, which did not allow me much time for personal literary endeavors (although a couple of highlights are forthcoming). My "Religion, Dreams, and the Dreaming" class alone demanded a tremendous amount of dedication, requiring approximately two hundred pages per week of dry, field-oriented text to be absorbed (I am Phil's twitching brain). Fortunately my "Intro to Fiction" class balanced this out, as we read an abundance of short stories early in the semester and focused on the following four collections in the final weeks of class.


A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor - What can I say about the mighty O'Connor that hasn't already been said? If you are you interested in Southern Gothic or the grotesque, this book is a must read. If not, this book is a must read. 4.25 out of 5.

Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel - I wasn't sure what to make of Hempel's writing style at first, but once I realized that she focuses on what surrounds the action rather than the action itself, I found this book immensely readable. 4 out of 5.

A House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - I had read this book before, but it lived up to a second visit very well. Cisneros has the ability to paint with words, which is a rare treat. My least favorite of the four, but not a bad book by any means. 3.5 out of 5.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie - This collection alone was worth taking the class, and is one of the best books I have read in several years. I cannot say enough good things about Alexie's writing ability, and I am more than a little jealous. 4.75 out of 5.


I did make the time to read Neil Gaiman's newest, The Graveyard Book. It is a pity that I did not write an immediate review, as I adored this story. The novel is a loose retelling of and homage to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (which is one of my favorite books from my youth), and rather than being raised by animals in the jungle, the main character is cared for by ghosts in a graveyard. I haven't enjoyed a Gaiman novel this much since American Gods, and I devoured it in two late night sittings. A delightful book for both young and old. 4.5 out of 5.

I also picked up the long awaited and much anticipated Joker graphic novel, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo. Contrary to popular belief, it is not related to Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight, although they are definitely cousins in spirit. There was a tremendous amount of hoopla surrounding this book, and although it does not live up to the hype of being comparable to the brilliant 1998 graphic novel The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, it is quite good and dark as hell. A good read for both comic book fans and filmgoers alike. 3.75 out of 5.


And finally, I picked up a second volume of the Sparrow art collection series, this one dedicated to the amazing Rick Berry (my first was a Kent Williams collection). Released by IDW Publishing, these 48-page compact hardcover books are both well made and affordable. My interest in art has returned with a passion, and I was pleased to finally have a tangible sampling of this incredible artist's work. On a related note, I remember promising to post images of progress made in my oil painting class. There will be a small handful of images forthcoming, most likely contained in their own entry.

This is not in the collection, but is an excellent example of Rick Berry's artwork. Enjoy!

That's about all I have for tonight. I will most likely post photos of some of my fledgling oil paintings within the week, followed by a year ending entry some time over the next couple of weeks.