Ray Harryhausen passed away last week. This has been noted by people more qualified than I to discuss the master of stop-motion magic—Rick Baker, Adam Savage, Todd Masters, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and more. The superhuman talent and perseverance evident in a Harryhausen effects sequence can easily be seen in countless visual effects artists since he first brought his creations to frame-by-frame life on the big screen. That makes sense. So how can I really say anything of worth when I say that I was also profoundly influenced by the artistry of Ray Harryhausen? With modesty, and a story about Clash of the Titans. Continue reading…
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Recent Features
Ray Harryhausen and Me: A Life of High Adventure and Escapism
Things That Change You Forever
I have a ghost story of my own. At least, I have a ghost-cat story.
My final year as an undergraduate was spent in relative splendor. My friends and I lucked into tenancy in the house of a professor on sabbatical. Twelve foot ceilings! Built in bookshelves! Three cats! Real, grown-up furniture! Wait… let’s get back to the cats. The professorial family had three cats and a dog, though the dog was sent to a friend with a farm (later, they told us later that we clinched the lease when they told us that cat care was part of the deal and our response was, “Aw, we don’t get the dog?”).
So. Three housemates, three cats. One morning around the (solid oak!) table, we were chatting about the cats’ sleeping habits. Two of the cats routinely slept in my room, the third with one of the others. Feeling a little left out, the third roommate said, “That’s okay, because Ghost Cat slept on my bed last night.” Continue reading…
Secret Agent, Detective, Genius, Jerk: Modernizing Sherlock Holmes
A man with dark wavy hair wakes up in an iron-framed bed in the middle of a windowless room. He leaps out from under the white sheets and stares intently at a corner of the white ceiling. Suddenly, gracefully, he spins to defeat an invisible opponent in four swift motions, finally falling to his knees in front of an empty chair, hands outstretched.
There’s something about the way Benedict Cumberbatch plays the lead role in the BBC series Sherlock that seems like it could be Holmes’ fantasy version of how a brilliant detective behaves. Continue reading…
My New Weapon of Choice
In April, the Guttersnipes like to mix it up a little. This month, Comics Editor Carol Borden writes about romance.
“You hit him with a frying pan,” he said to her. “How come you didn’t grab a knife?”
“The frying pan was closer.” Her eyes slid away. “It’s not like I had time to pick a weapon. It’s not like the frying pan is my weapon of choice.” –Agnes And The Hitman (27)
Growing up in a town where Elvis was sighted post mortem, I despised and mocked The King. Now, I have held wakes in his honor. I used to only like punk. Then I used to say I liked everything but country. Now I don’t even bother arguing that I’m listening to “Americana,” not country. It is a truth universally acknowledged that something I once despised I will come to appreciate and, often, love. So when both Chris and alex recommended Jennifer Crusie, the author of many romance novels, and in particular her collaboration with Bob Mayer, Agnes And The Hitman, I knew I needed to read it. Continue reading…
RIP, Deanna Durbin
Actress and singer Deanna Durbin has died. The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian have obituaries. Audie Cornish and Melissa Block remember Durbin on NPR. Here Deanna Durbin sings, “Good-Bye” in Because Of Him (1946)
Interview with Kim Gordon
“What the breach of generations shows is that there’s more than one way to be feminist.” Lizzie Goodman interviews musician and artist, Kim Gordon.
RIP, Annette Funicello
Actress and singer Annette Funicello has died. The New York Times has an obituary and The Los Angeles Times has an appreciation. NPR’s Fresh Air has reposted a 1994 interview with Funicello. Here she sings, “Pineapple Princess.”
The Adventures of Dr. Beverly Crusher
Gates McFadden‘s Dr. Beverly Crusher action figure is having many non-Starfleet-related adventures and they’re being recorded on the Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Tumblr page. (via Tor.com)
RIP, Dear Abby
Columnist Pauline Phillips has died. Ms. Phillips was best known for her advice column, “Dear Abby.” The New York Times has an obituary. At NPR’s Monkey See blog, Linda Holmes writes about why people ask strangers for advice, noting that it’s a “curiously optimistic thing to do.”
Making The Blues Brothers.
At Vanity Fair, Ned Zeman explores the history of The Blues Brothers. “It is October 1979, and The Numbers are not to [Lew] Wasserman’s satisfaction. The culprit is Universal’s big-ticket production The Blues Brothers, a movie that pretty much defies logic and description. Some call it a musical; others, a comedy; others, a buddy movie; [...]
Detective Ice King, The Radio Play
Video of participants at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con Adventure Time panel performing, “Detective Ice King, The Radio Play.”
Hunting the Hell Portal with L. Ron Hubbard
“It was the dawn of World War II when [Jack] Parsons, who’d also co-founded the missile manufacturing firm Aerojet around the same time as [the Jet Propulsion Laboratory]’s inception, took to the Ordo Templi Orientis….But soon enough the young explosives guru was running with another OTO buck, a young writer named L. Ron. Hubbard. ” [...]
Horrible Imaginings Art Show and Film Festival, 2012
Horrible Imaginings Film Festival Director Miguel Rodriguez discusses horror and the festival with KPBS’ Beth Accomando. The Art Gallery opening is on Oct. 24 and the official screenings begin Nov. 11–participating filmmakers have been posting their trailers here. (Tickets are available here).
Computer & Spaceman: A True Space Opera
Computer & Spaceman is a French space opera performed in English about an astronaut who is really focused on cooking up aliens as hamburgers and yearns for space friends.
Monster Island Resort at SDCC ’12!
Holy cats, Miguel talks to William Shatner, Roger Corman, Geek Educators, the Twisted Twins, Lloyd Kaufman and so many more in a super-sized, action-packed San Diego Comic Con episode of Monster Island Resort Podcast!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Internet, Dr. Zaius!
John Hodgman presents Dana Gould as Maurice Evans as Dr. Zauis as Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain.
Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes
Wired talks to comics artist Daniel Clowes on the eve of an exhibition of his work that travels from California’s Oakland museum, the Museum of Contemporary art in Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery in DC and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Ohio. Wired also has a gallery of his work.
King of the World 3D
David Bordwell tells the story of digital projection, 3D and how James Cameron lobbied theaters to buy the technology to show the films he wants to make. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan wants to save 35mm film. (Thanks, Kimberly Lindbergs!)
Michael Connelly Interviews Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould and Michael Connelly talk about Robert Altman’s film adaptation of The Long Goodbye. (via @cinebeats)
“How Pet Sematary Changed My Life”
Joe Humphrey relates his own coming of age with Stephen King’s books and movies based on King’s stories at Paracinema.
Roger Corman, Vincent Price and William Shatner Talk Film
Some interviews with Roger Corman on his birthday. Roger Corman and Vincent Price talk about horror films with Elwy Yost on Saturday Night at the Movies. Corman and William Shatner discuss The Intruder. And Corman discusses film history and filmmaking–with some clips from his films.
RIP, Don Cornelius
Soul Train creator and host Don Cornelius has died. The LA Times has an obituary and YouTube has many, many Soul Train clips.
Nick Offerman Interview
It’s the LA Weekly Blog Food Interview with Parks and Recreation‘s Ron Swanson, oops… actor Nick Offerman.
Interview with Edward James Olmos
Long Island Pulse Magazine interviews Edward James Olmos. His favorite actor? Paul Muni.
keep looking »Of Note Elsewhere
At Sequart, Julian Darius makes the case that Star Trek: Into Darkness damages the Star Trek franchise and that “Starfleet must be destroyed.” (via Mike White)
“It’s easier to tell the same stories everyone else does. There’s no particular shame in it.
It’s just that it’s lazy, which is just about the worst possible thing a spec fic writer can be.
Oh, and it’s not true.”
Kameron Hurley writes about lazy writing, cannibal llamas, female soldiers, and women here. (Thanks, James!)
Patton Oswalt’s multi-franchise super-movie described in his Star Wars filibuster from Parks and Recreation, animated.
Corrigan Vaughan writes an open letter to “Fans of Geek Things“: “I appreciate that you think I have a nice rack and that some of you even find my friends and I to be pretty. That’s very kind. I’m not, however, super in love with the fact that having a rack at all seems to preclude me from being considered a ‘real’ fan.”
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