That all said, I'm sure there will be people who will find Voice of the Fire difficult and inaccessible. Myself, I spent the longest on the first, caveman chapter. So consider that a crucible: if you can get through the cave-speak chapter, you'll be able to handle the rest of the book (the next "difficult" chapter is perhaps the one narrated by the poet John Clare, which doesn't use punctuation of any kind).

And I'm also sure that people will finish the book and just not like it. But that's fine. I just want people to read the book, because at the very least, and especially for storytellers, you may not like the story, or the way it's told, but just the way it's told, and how Moore tries for something different, something new, should inspire any storyteller to further look into the elements and tools we have at our disposal. The basic one being language.

Some people won't get through that first chapter, which is too bad. But consider instead how Moore has forced us to embrace the logic and think like a caveman because he has limited the language available to us, thus curtailing communication by a few degrees. And if you start thinking of the possibilities and potential of manipulating language to control storytelling, or simply the transmission of ideas and feelings, then you've already gotten so much more out of Voice of the Fire than we get from hundreds of other, disposable novels.

The day after I wrote the Voice post, I got word from a friend that they'd finally arrived at Fully Booked. He even mentioned that there was a signed copy. So I went the next day, and there were 4 copies left, and all 5 signed copies had gone. Plus, the book that I did go there to get (can't afford Voice right now), Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, disappeared too. But I did find Ed Brubaker & Colin Wilson's Point Blank, which I'd been dying to read since I read the first volume of Sleeper. And it is very good, just as I expected. The art's a revelation; I don't recall seeing Colin Wilson's art before.

Anyway, if Fully Booked at Power Plant's too far from you, there are also copies at CCHQ in Katipunan, and Comic Quest at Megamall. Some branches of Bibliarch have it, as does Sketchbooks at Greenbelt 3. Or you can always order it online.

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Here's a pimple of a dilemma: I'd like to buy this book of Philip K. Dick short stories I saw at Fully Booked. Not too expensive (considering their prices); it's a hardcover for around P500. The problem is, it's wrapped with this godawful Paycheck cover. It's one of those collections made in time to promote the movie. Which isn't necessarily so bad; the collection that coincided with Minority Report was excellent, and the first Dick I'd read, and the reason why I want this collection (Dick books are really hard to find here; I've only seen 'em at Fully Booked and Booktopia). But I've seen Paycheck, and it is SO BAD. I couldn't believe it. It's terrible. I couldn't get my head wrapped around the fact that it was directed by John Woo. The dialogue is terrible. It's cringe-inducing. Horrible villain lines, abominable "clever" one-liners (especially during supposedly suspenseful moments), really bad style in directing (especially transitions; I especially hate the title sequence). It didn't help that I hate Ben Affleck, but in this movie I hated everyone, even the performers I do like (Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman). And the plot they spun out of the short story... Egad. You don't even have to gain some distance from the film to begin spotting holes in the construction.

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COOL STUFF

Check out Michel Gondry's music video for The Polyphonic Spree, from his own Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Man, I can't wait-- April 28 seems so far away...

Forgot to point you kids to this.

If you haven't seen them yet, the new McDonald's Happy Meals toys are Astroboy playsets. There are 4 total. The first one I got was the magnetic one; it's the only one that has Urania. I'm getting the X-Ray Astro next.

And did you know that surrealism is a contraction of "super-realism"? I just found out the other day.

Cory Doctorow, who is, I'm told, one of the modern SF writers to watch, allows all 3 of his books to be downloaded for free from his website. If I find the time I'd like to read them.

I've also been thinking of downloading Terence McKenna's lectures. Any thoughts? Suggestions where to begin?

I have finally, finally finished Alan Moore's Voice of the Fire. It really shouldn't have taken this long; it surprises me more than anyone. He's my favorite writer, after all, and this is his first, so far only, prose novel, and you would think (as I did) that it would be devoured immediately, in a day or 4.

But that would be doing the book a disservice, and yourself as well. It would be like spending hours to prepare a very complicated dessert and gobbling it all up in a single mouthful, without savoring the experience, without enjoying (or at least trying to enjoy) every ingredient, and the blending of flavors, and its texture, and maybe even its scent.

That said, it still shouldn't have taken this long. I'm talking months. I first mentioned it on this blog on November 12. The short answer is there were long breaks between some of the chapters. Maybe it was the density of the stories; there are ideas contained therein that would infuse hundreds of books in the hands of weaker writers. Partly it was circumstances like work, and distractions like other books, other media; the demands of a social life on life support. The breaks were easy to slip into because each chapter is self-contained; has a different narrator.

But today, finally, I finished it.

And it is marvelous. It is mind-blowing. And too many other adjectives.

There are few delights better than having a work of art not only meet your expectations, but surpass and, AND, do them one better. Or several better, as the case is here. The last chapter of Voice is The Manhattan Project. It is the atom bomb. Similar in impact to my experience with the last chapter of Moore's From Hell, where Jack the Ripper floats through time to witness what he hath wrought upon the world, and history, and consciousness; humanity.

In the last chapter of Voice of the Fire, Moore himself is the narrator. He is the last host of his fiction, which is steeped in research and fact. One of the points he gets at is how the novel, the book, the fiction, which he has been working on for 5 years at that point, has finally, ultimately, consumed him as well: its creator, its author. Another point is how themes emerge, in retrospect: decapitated heads, black dogs, fire (of course), music, etc. Yet another is how things work themselves out, peculiarly: the book's characters sometimes dabble in magic, and in the 5 years that Moore has been working on the book he himself has become a magician (not in the illusionist sense but in the magick, magus sense). So his perspective, that of a magician wrapping up a book of magic that took 5 years to complete, is different from the perspective he began with, 5 years ago, writing about caveboys who are suddenly orphaned. Which surprises Moore, and probably further reinforces his belief in magic.

Maybe I should let him describe it himself, which he does in the last chapter:

"It's about the vital message that the stiff lips of decapitated men still shape; the testament of black and spectral dogs written in piss across our bad dreams. It's about raising the dead to tell us what they know. It is a bridge, a crossing-point, a worn spot in the curtain between our world and the underworld, between the mortar and the myth, fact and fiction, a threadbare gauze no thicker than a page. It's about the powerful glossolalia of witches and their magical revision of the texts we live in. None of this is speakable."

Later:

"Some chapters back, the notion of a shaman with the town tattooed upon his skin, its boundaries and snaking river-coils become a part of him so that he might in turn become the town, a magic of association with the object bound up in the lines that represent it: lines of dye or lines of text, it makes no difference. The impulse is identical, to bind the site in word or symbol. Dog and fire and world's end, men and women lamed or headless, monument and mound. This is our lexicon, a lurid alphabet to frame the incantation; conjure the world lost and populace invisible. Reset the fractured skeleton of legend, desperate necromancy raising up the rotted buildings to parade and speak, filled with the voices of the resurrected dead. Our myths are pale and ill. This is a saucer, full of blood, set down to nourish them."

It's impossible for me to fully convey the impact of this work, if you have not read the book. But there are phrases in the last chapter, like "This is a fiction, not a lie." and "The author types the words 'the author types the words.'" that just open doors and windows in your consciousness, letting starlight and fresh air in. I feel like they should be accompanied with sound effects: the awesome finality of a last jigsaw puzzle piece fitting into place, or the sound of tumblers falling in sequence as a lock is irrevocably undone.

The last chapter is basically Moore walking through the town he loves, pondering the almost-conscious work the book has become, and he writes: "This final chapter is the thing. Committed to a present-day first-person narrative, there seems no other option save a personal appearance, which in turn demands a strictly documentary approach: it wouldn't do to simply make things up." But you realize: every preceding chapter is made up, albeit based on fact, and those very words that purport to convince us that this chapter is faithfully accurate, are part of a chapter, the last of a book, that proudly claims to be a novel. A fiction. The power and potential of fabulation is there, don't you see? Making things up, so to speak, can be as powerful as anything. Transcending the very word "powerful" and whatever we imagine that to be. As if our imaginations could ever be restrained by such a base word. This realization, this superexpanding mushroom cloud of dawning, engulfs everything in its path.

"Although at times unnerving, this was always the intention, this erasing of a line dividing the incontrovertible from the invented. History, unendingly revised and reinterpreted, is seen upon examination as merely a different class of fiction; becomes hazardous if viewed as having any innate truth beyond this. Still, it is a fiction that we must inhabit. Lacking any territory that is not subjective, we can only live upon the map. All that remains in question is whose map we choose, whether we live within the world's insistent texts or else replace them with a stronger language of our own." All of history is a fiction. Keep tugging at that thread, ride that train of thought and you'll arrive at the conclusion that all of it: reality, myth, history, religion, fiction, even lies-- they're all just stories. But I mean this in no reductive way; rather, it's quite the opposite: it may be the most expansive connecting thread there is. Gain some distance from it, and what emerges is: the potential power of effective storytelling is unlimited.

I implore you: if you are a writer, or fancy yourself a writer, or harbor the faintest glimmer of a dream that you will one day tell a story, and shelter that glimmer seriously-- read this book. If you love stories with a passion, read this book. At the very least, you'll get great stories, but I tell you there is so much more to fall in love with: the language, the range of styles, the fossilized terms and phrases, the imagery, the characters...

I started writing this simply because I loved the book, but it has unintentionally grown into something else that is almost unsettling. I finished writing this at 5 AM. The book is THAT GOOD.

--

Voice of the Fire is a novel by Alan Moore. It was recently published in a new edition by Top Shelf in the US, in hardcover, with an introduction by Neil Gaiman and 13 color plates by Jose Villarrubia. Book design by Chip Kidd. It was first published in 1996, in paperback and only available in the UK, by Victor Gollancz and Indigo, but these editions are now out of print.

Thanks to Erwin Romulo for lending me his copy. I now have to save up, buy my own, and read it again.

A number of Japanese films have come to my attention lately, and it's both exciting and frustrating; the former because I love films, the latter because I don't know how to find these ones, and will likely not see them in a theater (a shame because the visuals are stunning), and hopefully won't have to shell out a lot of money just to see 'em.

Anyway, here's Devil-Man, based on the manga of Go Nagai, which I've heard about since high school but have never actually read. Then there's God Diva, which, as I watched, struck me with its familiar-looking characters until I realized they were from Frenchman Enki Bilal's The Nikopol Trilogy. And then, at the end of the trailer, the credit "An Enki Bilal film." I didn't know he even had an interest in film, let alone went off and directed one based one of his best-known works. But in Japan? Well, I can't really say if it's an adaptation of Nikopol, because that's the only Bilal book I've read; I'm not sure if he's used the characters Nikopol, Horus, et al. elsewhere... Steamboy, which if I recall correctly, is the first Katsuhiro Otomo film in 18 YEARS-- his last being the seminal Akira. Some of the characters look similar to those in Akira, and the story looks to be along the lines of Metropolis, which Otomo wrote for Rintaro to direct. Appleseed, based on the Masamune Shirow manga (which I also haven't read; anyone want to lend it to me?), probably impressed me most with its sheer action bravura. Jaw-dropping shoot-outs and fight scenes, and that's just the trailer. Finally, there's Gusher No Binds Me (gotta love that title), which I know nothing about, but the trailer looks cool, with some very intriguing visuals (I especially like the way the soldiers in white move like they have insects inside their suits).

This, along with Kazuaki Kiriya's Casshern, based on an old anime series, has got me wondering if we aren't seeing a new kind of sci-fi wave from Japan. SF concepts, stunning visuals and impressive production value-- hopefully the scripts and storytelling and acting are all equally good.

And if you want some more, how about a short film? The Cat With Hands. Nice, creepy stuff.

Steven Grant recommended the following programs in his Permanent Damage column, and I thought some of you might find them useful. Neva's already using both of them, and I will be as soon as I'm done downloading 'em. But I'll let him explain:

"Some more useful software for PC users:

Antivirus problems are a necessity these days, but it turns out there's no need to spring for a commercial program like Norton or McAfee anymore. I've tried several free antivirus programs over the years, but there've been problems with all of them. They lock up computers, or they never update their definitions (so you're always vulnerable to newer viruses and trojans) or they used up too many resources and slow down system performance. (Not that commercial antivirus programs are free of all these complaints either.) Enter Avast! Antivirus. It's from a Czech company, but I've been using it on two significantly different computers for a couple weeks now, and it's been practically invisible. It has a lot of really nice features. It's an easy install and doesn't take a ton of disk space. It uses negligible system resources. It automatically updates when you go online, and notifies you so you can see what's been changed if you're so inclined. And it's absolutely free, for non-commercial use. You have to re-register every fourteen months, but what the hey. So far I haven't had a bit of trouble with it, and I don't think I've ever said that about anti-virus software before.

I think I've mentioned this before, but if you want a smaller, more flexible browser alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer (and I don't count the equally bloated Netscape or the not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Opera or Mozilla), check out MyIE2, which hooks into the underlying web access software Microsoft built into Windows. It runs smaller and tighter, again nowhere near the resource hog IE is, and it has more cool features, like automatically opening a new window when you click to a new page (great for cross-referencing things), and lets you build groups so you can open many webpages with one click, which can save a lot of time. It's also a 711k download instead of the, what is it now, 16 megs?, IE demands. I used MyIE for a long time, and MyIE2 is the improved new version. I've been using it for several months. It's a great little program. You may still need IE on your system - I had it on mine before I switched to MyIE, so I don't know - but you'll never have to use it again."

Here's one of those things I forgot about. Last Saturday I had these horrible nightmares. I rarely remember my dreams so I was a bit shaken up about it. I was dead tired from Friday because I had work and then the Incubus gig.

In the first dream, someone very close to me had died. And in my dream, I had stopped functioning. I was inconsolable, I couldn't leave the house, couldn't eat, sleep, didn't want to be awake because just being awake was too painful. Everything was just horrible. Towards the end, though, I realized that my bedroom in the dream was NOT my bedroom. That, and a vague feeling that this pain was just too much to bear, made me realize, while IN the dream, that I MUST be dreaming. So I woke up.

And the first thing I did was call Neva. I wanted to tell her about the dream, just to be able to tell someone, and hear someone's voice in return. So I called her, and as I was telling the story, I was still so shaken by it that I was still crying, and my voice was trembling.

And then I woke up. For real this time. I had woken from a dream into another dream, I realized, and for some reason it felt worse, like I had been tricked, cheated, into thinking that things were okay but it was just a joke. Another reminder that I'm powerless in this situation. It was a horrible feeling, that powerlessness, feeling that I was in the thrall of whatever horrible thing was next, and I was still crying. It felt so frustrating and just WRONG. At the time I felt like I was being played with. I actually pinched myself to make sure I was awake. My pillowcase was wet from tears I had shed in my sleep. And I remembered Neva was in Anilao diving with her family.

Isn't it funny how you sometimes wonder what you're going to blog about next, but when you're finally sitting at your computer you can't remember a thing? And then when you're done with the computer, maybe outside the house already, things suddenly come back to you. There should be a word for that. Something like the French expression "l'esprit d'escalier," the "wit of the staircase," where you think of a witty retort a few seconds too late, as you're already on the way out of the room.

Anyway, the Incubus concert sucked. The sound was terrible, and the band-- they don't really move, you know? Brandon stays in one area (the center, the part with a spotlight), the Tom Morello-looking bassist stays slightly to the left, the drummer's at extreme left, and Kyle Baker-looking DJ is at the extreme right, and Zack De La Rocha-looking guitarist is between Brandon and DJ. Granted, I went not as a fan. But as I said, I don't have an active dislike of them. And to be honest, and objective, it was an opportunity for the band to turn me into a fan, so to speak. Maybe they have some kickass songs that don't get released on radio. But no. Halfway through the concert we were discussing where to eat next, and we didn't even need to raise our voices. Also, the band was so far away (and we were in the P950 section; I shudder to think what the farther section saw [or rather, didn't see]), we couldn't even see their faces clearly or their fingers playing their instruments. That might've played a part in my not really enjoying the gig; people I've spoken to who were much, much closer said they loved it, and the sound was good where they were (see Mich's post). But they're fans of the band's music. And the band's singer's chest.

Disappointingly, there was no riot. They had the foresight to have not just barriers between sections, but entire LANES where marshals and bouncers could walk. So double fencing. And security guards were walking among the crowd. One guy trying to incite people to rush the fence was pulled out of the crowd and savagely beaten by 3 bouncers. I didn't see this, though. Shucks.

It would've been dreadful if I weren't with friends. We pretty much entertained each other.

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I developed my first roll using my Ultimate Quad Cam and the pics're lovely. The usual failed experiments abound, but I love those, too. Neva will scan some of them and I'll put 'em up when I've found a photo host I like.

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Apparently the project with the life-saving beverage might still be on. Though we still have no clue what to do. I hope it pushes through, though. I could use the money. Some of the rejected plots from the first pitch I'm still happy enough with to use them in other ventures, non-advertising-wise.

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And here: read Susannah Breslin's My American, My Bukkake Too. I like it, though it's not perfect. If you see me in person, there are a few other things I know of worse than Bukkake. Ask me. There are a couple other interesting webcomics up on Artbomb, too. Like Lauren McCubbin's Harvest Gypsy, and Andi Watson's Sunblock, and D'Israeli's Biting The Hand That Fed Me. All short, and good, and displaying a nice range of stories.

We're watching Incubus tomorrow. I'm not really a fan; never owned (or listened) to an album. All I know is their videos and songs released on radio. But they're probably the first decent international rock act to perform here since-- who? The Cranberries? Rage Against the Machine? Which I saw in freshman college, I think, so you can guess how long ago THAT was. I can name less than 5 songs of Incubus, but that doesn't mean I have a particular dislike for them. They do have this video, though, that's a little too close to Radiohead's "Just" for my taste. I'm not sure which song it is, unfortunately; I think it's "Warning."

I'm mostly going because I'll be with friends, and it should be a good time, and because there should be a riot and violence and beatings the likes of which I haven't seen since Rage Against the Machine. Yeah.

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Weird and frightening news for today is Best Actress Charlize Theron's next project, a live-action adaptation of Peter Chung's Aeon Flux, to be directed by Girlfight's Karyn Kusama. Uh, first of all, why adapt it, and why live-action? And why isn't Chung directing it himself? I mean, I haven't seen Girlfight, so maybe Kusama's got the chops, but to go from an indie boxing drama to a (probably) big-budget action thriller? And Chung's the creator, and directed the episodes; he knows it inside out. I remember when Aeon Flux first came out, and anime wasn't a household word yet. It really opened my eyes and broke boundaries as far as storytelling went, in my opinion. One of the only two posters I have in my room is Aeon Flux. This project I shall watch with slight unease.

And apparently whiskey helps a headache every now and then. Thank you, Baileys.

ALSO: Please recommend a picture hosting site that allows remote linking. If possible, mention why you like it, things I should know before signing up, other details (storage capacity), etc. Thank yew. :)

I have an appalling lack of clothes. No one knows this better than Neva; she sees me most, after all. So she got me some clothes for last Sunday, and some nice ones, at that. I have no knack for these things; it's a good thing she does. The first few paychecks from work went to getting more clothes, since I didn't have that many button-down polo shirts to begin with, and my slacks had dwindled down to around 3. I still need to buy shoes. The 3 sneakers I still wear have been with me forever. My Simples I bought in 2001, for around 10 bucks. I checked the website to see how much it really is; $60.

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If you're curious about Wonder Woman, this article sheds more light on her origin and status as an icon than my post ever could, and also reveals some things that took even me by surprise, like creator Marston's sexual proclivities, which now explains all the bondage I mentioned.

Check out Acme Filmworks, whose roster of directors includes Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), Bill Plympton (various MTV ads), John Kricfalusi (Ren & Stimpy), Michael Dudok de Wit ("Father & Daughter"), and Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis ("When The Day Breaks").

And if you would like to see what the Philippines looks like from a satellite, click here and here.

If you'd have told me back in high school, or even in early college, that I would end up with someone so wonderful, and that she would even tolerate me for four years, I would've laughed in your face.

:)

Assorted things:

Neil Gaiman's case against McFarlane is finally put to rest. Well, this one, anyway. And I find out something that is, to me at least, incredibly cool: that The Lone Ranger is The Green Hornet's uncle. :)

I can't for the life of me imagine how I missed pointing you all in Jean Snow's direction-- he's one of my favorite bloggers, and one of the blogs I've been going to for the longest time. He's a tech-boy in Tokyo, and you'd be surprised how much of his blog is made away from his PC: he could be the poster boy for moblogging (mobile blogging), with his wireless gizmos and cameras we haven't even heard of. He IS in Tokyo, after all, and is privy to all these lovely toys maybe two generations ahead of what we have readily available here. His pictures are great, and it's fascinating to see Tokyo through his lenses. So there-- go, and bookmark, and visit every so often.

Disney bought the Muppets. :( Not even all of them-- well, just take a look at the article. I don't like it, but apparently it's been in the works since Henson was still alive. But what I don't like is, if you're going to buy the Muppets, why not just buy all of them? What happens to the ones left to the Henson Company when their most famous compatriots are in the belly of the beast? Will they wallow into obscurity? The poor guys. :( I don't know why but I keep thinking of the Muppets as living things with individual personalities, and it's been an orphanage since Henson died, and now the famous kids are being sent to some other foster home.

Here's an interesting article by Jason Little about something I would really love to attend someday-- The Festival International de la Bande Dessinee, or the Angolueme Festival in France. It's the world's biggest comics festival held in a small town where the streets are named after cartoonists (Tintin's creator Herge is their main street, I think) and they have murals on walls depicting famous characters. Of course, most of the works on display are unreadable to me, but still-- to be able to walk through a crowd of people who just love comics as an art form, and not just as entertainment, would be an enormously validating feeling indeed. And as the article mentions, these are not geeks dressed in costume or teenaged fanboys or single men who haven't had dates in years and still live in their parents' basements: these are everyday people, of all ages and social classes and sexes and religions. Read the descriptions of the museum exhibits; I burn bright green with envy. Jason Little, by the way, is the author of Shutterbug Follies, a book whose coloring was assisted on by a blockmate of mine at Ateneo, Tintin Pantoja, who now studies in the School of Visual Arts under people like Klaus Janson, inker of The Dark Knight Returns & current illustrator of Batman: Death and the Maidens, Howard Cruse, author of Stuck Rubber Baby, and Will Eisner, godfather of the American graphic novel.

And may I also say that it's nice to see Indy Magazine back online, and under the editorship of Bill Kartalopolous, no less. He runs the Egon website, and was looking for a job a while ago, so this is just great. I was scared Egon might have to go under. It was through Egon that I found out about the Adrian Tomine signing in NY that Mich could go to.

Which reminds me that I never wrote about the Mars Ravelo exhibit at the Vargas museum. Forgot about it, sorry. I went with Gabby. It was certainly interesting, and informative. I realized that Ravelo, based on the works on display, had leanings more towards a cartoonist/caricaturist than an illustrator. A LOT of his comics have been turned into TV shows and movies, and not just the superhero ones, either. He was very prolific, and some of his stories were even adapted into prose by Lualhati Bautista. These books, old editions, were even on sale at the exhibit, for 65 pesos each. The thing I really loved was this picture of one of Mars's lesser-known works: This Is It!, an adult comic. The cover was a naked woman, (me: "Are those nipples!?") in a pose taken right out of Marilyn Monroe's spread in the first-ever issue of Playboy. Man, I'd love to see a copy of that! I got a nice pin with a '50s depiction of Darna.

It's incredibly depressing to think that so little material remains of Mars Ravelo's work. Ravelo, who is already one of our most important, most famous cartoonists, and who was very prolific. There's not a lot left, and the original art on display was all yellowed, and torn in most cases. I wish someone would publish a coffee-table book collecting his works. One that would examine the works in the context of the decade they were made, taking into account his biography, etc. Not just for Ravelo, too, but for Francisco Coching, and Nestor Redondo, etc. It's all interesting, and important touchstones for popular culture, but none of it is really recorded, and it's all fading from view.

I was surprisingly busy this week, too, and not because of work. I got called for Thursday but had to turn it down because I had a pitch of sorts. Anyway, let's try to do this in order:

Neva gave me a bottle of Bailey's for Valentine's. I may not be a beer drinker, but I do likes me Irish Cream. :) It was a kind of gift set that came with two glasses and a shot glass. She has a new template now, by the way. Check it out. And a new website for when she's bored at work. :)

Last Saturday's Ciudad Album Launch was not just the best Ciudad gig I have ever seen (a fact that the members themselves admit to), it became one of the Top 5 Gigs I Have Ever Been To, which includes Pearl Jam, Elliott Smith, Sleater-Kinney (2nd night), and Yo La Tengo. It was amazing! The opening bands were Narda, Wild Mood Swings and 7 Foot Jr, who all turned in great performances as well. I wasn't familiar with Wild Mood Swings but they were pretty damn good, and their drummer is Mitch's younger sister. Finally Ciudad came onstage and they played I think 16 songs, including ones I'd never seen them perform before ("That Guy From Nirvana Is Now With The Foo Fighters," "The Telephone & The Radio"), and changed the arrangement in a number of songs so that they were surprising and exciting. Number One Fan Kathy Gener got to sing along to Radio Guy and won the nifty lunchbox, beating out Genie and I think Jovan in the process. There were some cool buttons for sale, too. And RA Rivera's video for "Make It Slow" was great, hilarious fun. More than once it occurred to me while watching them perform that the first time I saw them play, we were all in high school. Which means I've been watching them play, have been listening to their songs, for about 7 years (shit). But the night really reminded me why they're my favorite Pinoy band. Just sheer good vibes throughout, capped off by a meal at Mr. Kabab. I pity those who didn't go. But if you would like to redeem your damned souls, grab the chance to catch the second Album Launch at Milenia, Kamuning on the 27th. Your eternal rest hangs in the balance.

The next night was the Fatal Posporos Farewell gig, which was also fantastic, albeit tinged with a bittersweet tone as it was, after all, the last time Annette Ortiz would be playing with her band of several years. They pretty much went through their entire repertoire, and it was sad to think that this may be the last time I hear these songs live. Hopefully their second album, which is due soon, will help salve that situation. The emotional high point for me was when they got Annette to sing "Inay Pinay" while someone else played drums, and it was a treat seeing them all shouting and jumping and just playing their hearts out; you didn't want it to stop, and suspected they didn't either. They were taking requests since they didn't have a formal set list, and friends and guests took turns going onstage and performing/singing with them, including Quark who sang along to Juliana Hatfield's "Spin the Bottle," and Jazz from the Itchyworms and Edsel and more (belting out some Bon Jovi and G'nR tunes). I was also thinking of the first time I saw them perform, which would've been freshman college, and now they have a 4th member (Aia from Imago), and two of the original 3 members were now married (Kris Gorra-now-Dancel and Donna Macalino-now-Diez). The scene is a little less interesting now for their departure. Still, here's to Annette and the best of luck to her over in the US.

Mich got back on Tuesday from her 2-month holiday vacation/jaunt, and she got us some sweet swag: a signed copy of Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve # 9. Yeaaaahhh. There was also a bookmark. She made sure to mention that she missed a Modest Mouse gig to get us the gifts, and we made sure to mention that the signature looks nothing like Adrian Tomine, just some indeterminate scrawl that was probably Mich herself. I keed, Dulce, I keed. She showed us her Nick Zinner photos and the ones at the Tomine signing as well. Also some orgies she neglected to mention on her blog. She met Peter Kuper and thought he was "baduy." She also got me my Ultimate Quad Cam, which I haven't yet had time to play around with (or read the instructions of). Yeaaaahhh.

Now. The pitch. Got a call for a meeting on Tuesday night for a meeting the next morning. I show up, get the gist: pitch for a narrative commercial for a beverage. I had a day. Called Chris up so we could collaborate, which we do until midnight, and we have two sets of 3 stories each that we're happy with. Then we pitch yesterday, along with Quark who came up with concepts of his own, and the "agency" like them. Always nice to hear. They ask if we'd like to pitch to the client directly, right now, since he's just across the street. Okay, why not, we say, we're here already anyhow. Client comes in, and he's younger than us. Apparently the child of the owner of the company, who just graduated last year. We pitch. His expression doesn't change. Then he proceeds to shoot each concept down, but with words that don't really make sense to me because it doesn't sound like he heard the pitches properly. Anyway, the point is I was reminded why I didn't want to go into advertising immediately after college. I fully expected the client wouldn't be able to fully articulate what they want; that's almost a given. People in the ad industry seem to be continually surprised when this happens but I'm not; I know lots of people who don't know what they want, but know what they don't want. The problem here was that it didn't seem like the client could fully articulate what he didn't like about the concepts either. Which of course leaves us in a quandary: what the hell do we do? We have to come up with concepts where the beverage, and I think this is what the client wants, saves the soul of the character. We have until tomorrow. La dee da.

At least after that Neva and I met up with Harvey and She, and Harvey and I were able to talk a little bit more about a project we're doing that has me very excited, at the least. I showed him my pathetic piece-of-shit designs, he took them, and five minutes later came back with better ones, including reasons and functions for each part. That excitement, of seeing a great artist drawing stuff you asked him to; I'll never get tired of it.

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Why the hell is Gonuts Donuts selling so well? I've tried it, upon Ate Cyn's recommendation, and they're alright-- they still don't hold a candle to Krispy Kreme, but they're probably the closest we've got. However, I get tired of the taste (especially the ones with flavored frosting) after the second. Poor Neva was asked to buy a box for her mother and brother, and waited in line A FULL GODDAMN HOUR. That's insane!


Apple featured Dave McKean recently, and it had a MirrorMask picture I haven't seen anywhere else before:

Another film I can't wait to see. It's almost done, so they say.

Did you know that South Korean scientists have successfully cloned a human embryo?

Books For Less seem to be doing well. I've noticed they have 2 new branches in Makati. How many is that now, 5 or 6 branches? Like Libris, it looks like they get remaindered books from large bookchains in the US and libraries, and sell them at bargain prices. Booktopia seem to be doing the same thing (I was finally able to check them out last month), but the books are priced higher. They do have an interesting selection and focus on science fiction/fantasy novels, though. Worth checking out.

Kevin Smith will write and direct the film adaptation of The Green Hornet. I don't think this is particularly good news.

Do you know Utada Hikaru? Anyway, super-famous J-pop singer, but one of the good ones. I remember a Time article mentioning she was the one who could actually sing, and who had good songs. I wouldn't really know, I've only seen like 3 of her music videos. Anyway, her music videos tend to be good. The first time I encountered her, I was just flipping channels until I came across this image of her, trapped in a kind of human aquarium, singing to herself, or rather another Utada Hikaru, trapped in another human aquarium beside her. Needless to say, I was intrigued. It looked like an Alex Proyas/Tim Burton collaboration. The song wasn't bad, too, even if I didn't understand Japanese. I remembered the artist's name. Utada Hikaru. Not bad. Then I saw another video of hers: "Traveling." Which had her as a kind of conductor on a flying train filled with this colorful cast of characters that looked like they came out of Final Fantasy. Bright day-glo colors. Cool, I note. Then another video a few months later. A single-shot video of her singing a song as she washes dishes. No special-effects, no fancy costumes, no nothing. The chorus comes on whenever she turns on the faucet, and during this section without vocals she goes off-camera and then returns with a washcloth in time to start singing again, this time drying dishes. So now I'm a fan of her videos. She takes risks, and they pay off. They're interesting. So I'm delighted to find out one man produces/directs these videos: Kazuaki Kiriya, whose background is in fashion photography. Not only that, he married Utada when she was 19, despite their 14-year gap. She's now 20 and is still in Columbia studying, I think. Anyway, this long paragraph/introduction is simply to point the way to this link. Where you will find the trailer of Casshern, Kazuaki Kiriya's first feature-length film. It's an adaptation of some sort, and the story could stink, but it looks fabulous. Some shots remind me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet when he was still partnered with Marc Caro. Go watch it. Now. And check out the 3rd pic in the Gallery under Goodies. Magnificently creepy.

UPDATE (Saturday noon, 2/21): The Casshern trailer I linked to above is different from the trailer that's in the official website (also linked above), so if you loved it and want to see more watch both trailers! :)

Man! Just the other week I was telling some friends that it was my busiest week yet, but this week has been really busy, as in I've been to work every damn day, and just finished a full schedule today. This is exacerbated by the fact that immediately after work I've been rushing to Megamall to catch what I could of a) The 1st Philippine [no longer International] Animation Festival, and b) Pelikula at Lipunan. Which is why I've been sleeping an average of 3-5 hours a night.

The Animation Festival suffered from no promotional support. Barely anyone knew about it. And it was free! Neva and I lined up really early (too early, really) for the French Shorts screening, and we were first in line. I asked the ticket girl if the line for the previous screenings were long (which I couldn't attend because I was still at work), and she said, while looking at a piece of paper "22, 51." I asked her if that's how many people lined up, and she said that's how many people watched. Sad. But it gets worse. There were two afternoons that were Nickelodeon blocks, and I assumed they'd be showing the Nickelodeon films. Neva and I went in to kill the time waiting for Zamboanga, and we discovered that they were just showing taped episodes on a projector, with horribly muted sound. And the fact that it's free attracted just the types I hate, sadly: for the French Shorts screening, there were a bunch of drivers to the left talking about FPJ non-stop, without even lowering their voices. At the Nick screening, two huge groups of teens were noisy and rowdy, cursing and making bad jokes. I felt bad for the few kids who were there to watch. They also suffered from the bane of most festivals: schedule changes/cancellations. In this case, no Corto Maltese (thank you, fucking MTRCB), and a repeat of the thankless Nick episodes marathon. I don't think they had a website either, where they could have updated the schedule changes more quickly.

But, we did get to watch the French Shorts, like I said, and another film I'll get into later. Going into the French shorts, I was excited to see Transatlantique again. It was the only film I was familiar with; never heard of the others. But to my surprise, the first film was this 1979 stop-motion animated short by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet! Sweet! It's called The Carousel, and it was the best of the bunch (for a reason to be revealed), really moody and atmospheric and, as expected, dark. It was a joy to see the types of faces and expressions Caro/Jeunet love realized with clay. The second film was a surreal one called Child of the High Seas about this ghostly girl trapped in a ghost town, the sole occupant, except the town seems to be floating in the middle of the ocean. It was really freaky, but the art style and music were lovely. Last was Transatlantique, and it WASN'T the one I knew and loved! It was an entirely different piece. Also surreal, but a little too long for my taste.

We also got to see Belleville Rendezvous, which was excellent! Almost dialogue-free, it didn't matter at all that there weren't any subtitles. The music was rapturous, the exaggerated features and odd camera angles were a remarkable breath of fresh air. The humor and plot were decidedly French, and the animation was terrific, a lovely mix of hand-drawn and computer-assisted. It had so much personality and wit about it, and it really felt like an auteur's film. Hats off to Sylvain Chomet, who lovingly dedicated the film to his parents. The design was magnificent (I especially loved the super-tall, super-thin ocean liners), and it reminded me that I really need to watch more international animation. Most of what we've all seen is American, if not Japanese in origin.

Pelikula at Lipunan still, unfortunately, falls victim to not planning their events properly, or not getting their guests to the venue on time. I know that premieres are always late, but I wish the ceremonial opening numbers for Zamboanga were announced because a LOT of people were waiting in line, for a film that was late by a WHOLE HOUR. So we were in line for an hour and a half, for a movie that's 65 minutes long. And a surprising lot of people there to watch the film were really old, and weren't used to waiting in line that long, and started grumbling and complaining loudly. People were even shouting at one point. Anyway, because of the delay none of us had time to eat dinner before the next film, which we already had tickets to. Once we got out of the theater we lined up. I wish they'd learned something from last year's horrendous The Crime of Padre Amaro screening, which was also the opening film, was also a full hour late, wasn't that good after all, and the fucking airconditioning shut off 30 minutes before the end, in a theater packed full of people. By the end we were all fanning ourselves and sweating, but not wanting to miss out on a hoped-for denouement that would somehow redeem the film (it didn't come).

Zamboanga was a lot of fun, actually. I was kinda sleepy but that was from being tired, not because the film was boring. Being from the mid-'30s, it was understandably dated (we're all referred to as "the natives") and at times politically incorrect, but still, as a document it was riveting. There were some breathtaking scenes like the underwater footage, the flotilla of boats going to and fro shore, the battle scenes. There was also a cool scene using dramatic juxtaposition: as the village's men were out diving for pearls a neighbouring tribe pillaged their home and raped their women. Also, a rousing fight with a shark, where they cut away at the last possible frame, giving the scene a very violent feel.

But last night we got to watch Big Fish, and it was great! Whew. I'm SO glad it's so much better than I thought it would be. The trailer was a little scary with its Robert Zemeckis-feel-good-treacle treatment, but it maintains director Tim Burton's sensibility and sense of humor. Perfectly cast, every character. Crudup was good, Albert Finney was excellent ("A MAMMOTH!"), Jessica Lange did so much with just her eyes, and Alison Lohman displayed a surprising range. Ewan was charming, Buscemi was his perfect self, and so was Bonham Carter. Danny Elfman's score is the only one I'll let Howard Shore lose to (but Shore should still win). And it's really rare that I cry at a film at the exact point that I know the film wants me to cry. But the ending has this graceful inevitability to it, you don't know how it'll be executed exactly, but when it unfolds it's like there's no other way it could've been done. Someone asked me after the movie if I liked it better than Edward Scissorhands, but I don't like thinking like that right after I've seen something good. I want to bask in the glow of a great story told splendidly, not immediately compare it to his previous works and then place it in the order of my favorites. But being asked the question, what I said was that it felt like the work of the same man who directed Scissorhands, at a different point of his life. Where Scissorhands was the work of a young man at odds with the world, Big Life was obviously the work of a new father (Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter recently became parents).

Dammit, it looks like Corto Maltese was taken off the lineup at the Animation Festival, and they have a new schedule (as of Feb. 4), which completely fucks up my plans. Oh well. At least Transatlantique's still in there. And The Triplets of Belleville. Here's the trailer for that, by the way.

Because I Love You

Ciudad have gigs at Rock Radio Alabang and Big Sky Mind tomorrow.

The 1st Philippine International Animation Festival, sadly without much promotional and marketing muscle, begins tomorrow at Megamall Cinema 12. As I understand it, admission is free. Which is both good and bad. Good because it's free, bad because you're likely to be in a long line filled with otaku and/or drivers killing time. But! It's a surprising lineup, including the French adaptation of Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese (2/7, 4PM; 2/9, 630PM). I saw the trailer when Neva was still at Flip and it was magnificent; I can't believe we have a chance to see it in a theater. They're also showing Transatlantique, which, if it's the Transatlantique I remember, is one of my favorite short films EVER, animated or not. Also, I now have a chance to see Oscar nominee The Triplets of Belleville (2/10, 650PM)! Yay! I think they're showing the Hey, Arnold! movie on Sunday, too.

Pelikula at Lipunan begins Feb. 11, featuring Lino Brocka's Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang @ 3PM & Tim Burton's Big Fish @ 9 PM. Cold Mountain will be shown on Feb. 14, but I'll be at the Ciudad Album Launch @ Freedom Bar (as you should be, too). Ditsi Carolino's Riles will be shown on Feb. 15, 3 PM & Eduardo De Castro's Zamboanga, one of the earliest films in existence, will be shown on Feb. 11 (630PM) and Feb. 15 (9PM). I think Trinka Lat's Anna Banana will be shown either on 2/14, 3PM, which says Short Films, or 2/15, 10AM, which says Short Fiction Works. I'll get confirmation on that.

If anybody knows the official websites to these events, or any site where the schedule is up, tell me and I'll put up a link so it's easier.

Kill Bill's gone from Makati, so if you want to watch it (again), you'll have to go to places like Megamall. Check Click The City's Movie Guide. Return of the King is amazingly still out, and fortunately, some places are still showing A Tale of Two Sisters so you still have a chance to watch it! Go!

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FREAKY

I was riding a cab home late the other night, and it's really frustrating but they recently set up some kind of checkpoint near the gate of my village so that right before I'm home, traffic slows to a mild crawl. Plus, there was road repair going on so the road became one lane only at certain points and cars had to take turns. Anyway, I'm in the cab in a long line, sleepy and bored, when suddenly I hear a loud "WHUMP" and a flash of light goes off behind us. The cab driver, looking at the rearview mirror, lets out a yelping "NAKU!" and his eyes widen, so I of course look out the back window, and the car directly behind us, an expensive-looking BMW (is there any other kind? I should say it looked new) has a POOL OF FIRE DIRECTLY BENEATH IT. The two passengers leap out of the car, the guy on the passenger side doesn't know whether to make a run for it (probably expecting the car to explode at any second, as I was) or help, and the other guy is more calm and cool, but still a bit rattled. He pops the hood, and goes to the front, sidestepping the growing pool of fire at his feet, and lifts the hood up, right, and a ROARING FIRE POPS UP TALLER THAN HIM. It takes him by surprise (I would imagine his eyebrows were singed), and he lets go. The hood slams back on the car and the fire disappears a little but everyone can see it now through the grill in the front. He opens it up again, the fire doesn't pop up this time but it's still there and it's still tall. Meanwhile, the bus directly beside the BMW, on the opposite lane, frantically tries to swerve away from the car and get some distance, but this is hampered by the traffic. Amusingly, the passengers of the bus began filing out. I guess everyone was expecting the car to explode. Even my cab driver was inching forward as much as he could, trying to gain as much distance as possible.

I remember being told in school that rarely, if ever, do cars explode when they catch fire. It's an instinct in us to run for cover when we see something like that because in every film and TV show, once a car catches fire you haul ass, and hopefully leap away from the fireball at the last moment, preferably in slow motion with a kickass grimace on your face. But I also remember this one time when I was watching one of those reality TV shows, and a car on fire actually DID explode, so now I'm not as confident.

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Since when did Belle & Sebastian's "Step Into My Office, Baby" become the new song of the Sexbomb Girls?!

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American citizens! Read. Well, actually everyone can read it, but then forward it to your American citizen family/friends.

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I will leave off by quoting the entire post of Neil Gaiman on Feb. 1, Sunday:

Or dead again, anyway
You know, in a world in which Bush and Blair can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, "for having dared to take the necessary decision to launch a war on Iraq without having the support of the UN" I find myself agreeing with Tom Lehrer: satire is dead.

Just saw Lost in Translation, which is terrific. And different from what I expected. :) It's very subdued, and it would be great if Murray won for Best Actor. Scarlett was excellent; there was always this quality to her face that seemed to put every look and gesture in a light of... uneasiness. It's almost Noh-ish in its lack of dialogue. Kevin Shields was the perfect choice for the music. I think what I like most is that there's an interesting balance of detail and vague ambiguity that makes the characters even more relatable. We have snippets of information about the two leads' lives, and it's up to us to imagine what they're thinking of during those scenes where they have far-away looks on their faces lost in the Tokyo metropolis. We provide the meaning for Bob's whispered message. I almost broke my neck laughing when he made a move to catch the stripper. You'll have to watch it to understand.

Neva and I also caught A Tale of Two Sisters last night. It's very scary. Not as traumatizing as Ringu, but it's got its agonizingly twisty moments. There were scenes where my knuckles started hurting from squeezing my hands tight together, and Neva would put a hand up to cover her eyes (but peer through her fingers). Amazing cinematography, the colors are exceptional, and I loved the production design: clothing, wallpaper, the look of the house, everything. Acting was terrific, too. I don't quite fully understand the story, unfortunately. There's a general gist I get but there are a few details left in the lurch, including this very Lynchian scene toward the end. Still, a nice disturbing film for a lazy Sunday night. :)

I keep forgetting to mention that Oz has a bar on Emerald Ave., Ortigas called 90 Proof. Drop by if you're in the area.

Oh, and Cadbury Peppermint is the bee's knees! :) A bit pricey, but readily available mint chocolate is a godsend!

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Are there any great (or even good) 24-hour places in Metro Manila? If you are bored at 230 in the morning, where can you go?

Please let me know by commenting.

ANIMATION QUICKIES BUT GOODIES

Remember this mini-fiasco from the Oscars 2 years ago? Animation fans and pundits were up in arms when the legendary Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke wasn't nominated for Best Animated Feature (and I think Jimmy Neutron was). It felt even worse when it was revealed Tom Hanks headed the selection committee of that particular category. Anyway, this year's nominees are Finding Nemo, Brother Bear, and The Triplets of Belleville. And we all know who's getting the award, don't we? (Although Triplets may be an upset, it's unlikely. The sure thing is, don't bet on the bear.) Anyway, it looks like this year's overlooked short film is Eternal Gaze. Check out the trailer.

Nibbles, one of this year's nominees for Best Animated Short Film, can be seen here. And apparently Destino, one of the other nominees, is a restoration of an old, unfinished collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. You can read more about it here.

Speaking of Disney, Pixar have ceased negotiations with them regarding a new contract. Which is great news for me. Pixar said the terms were unacceptable, and it looks like one of the sticking points was complete ownership. Pixar won't have any difficulty finding another distributor: Warner and Fox are already saying they're open to discussions (like they'd say no to money). Then again, the whole purpose of the press release is to announce that they're now available to be courted by other studios. And from now on, Pixar will maintain complete ownership of their films. Studios will distribute the films in a number of formats, and Pixar will make its money there, but also in licensing and merchandise, previously the realm of Disney. As mentioned in the article, the Pixar films have so far grossed around 2.4 billion dollars. For less than 10 films. This is all just another, particularly huge, nail in Disney's coffin.

Here's something cool: Thomas Pynchon had a cameo on The Simpsons. His character had a paper bag over his head. The author hasn't been seen in public in decades, but isn't entirely a recluse, and apparently has taste (being a Simpsons fan), and a not-so-serious way about himself (since he agreed).

And the bad news I read recently is that there are now bots that flood message boards and comment boards with spam. Shit. I've seen 'em popping up on open invite mailing lists, but now... Damn.

There are other posts I should be uploading before this, but I want to get this off my chest now: the Oscar nominees have been announced. It's not like I hold the Oscars in any divine light; it's flawed just like any other award-giving body and the prestige is becoming more and more limited to helping out the films' box-office. Still...

Initial reactions:

- I'm so glad to see City of God getting a lot of nominations, for a foreign film that not many people have seen. It's been nominated for Director, Cinematography, Editing, and Adapted Screenplay, and yet, NOT for Foreign Language Film. I suspect the Region 1 DVD release will be delayed AGAIN to take advantage of this. I don't mind. If the wait means a possible Special Edition instead of a regular release, it'll be worth it.

- Scarlett Johansson isn't nominated for Best Actress, but Diane Keaton is. For Something's Gotta Give. Hm.

- American Splendor isn't nominated for Best Picture, but Seabiscuit is. Hm. Splendor only got a nod in Adapted Screenplay.

- Glad to see Lost in Translation up for Directing, Picture, Actor, and Original Screenplay.

- Was hoping to see Kill Bill Vol. 1 get a nomination in Sound Editing, at least. Oh well.

- Johnny Depp for Best Actor, eh? Well. Looks like he got Paul Giamatti's slot.

- Keisha Castle-Hughes getting a nod for Best Actress was a surprise. Now I further regret not having caught Whale Rider at Cinemanila.

- I expect Return of the King to snatch up most of the tehnical awards: Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound. But it wasn't nominated for Sound Editing. Though many believe this is the trilogy's year, and will finally snatch those coveted Best Picture, Director trophies.

- We're going to see performances by Annie Lennox, Sting, Elvis Costello, and hopefully, Eugene Levy & Catherine O'Hara will perform their "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from A Mighty Wind. :)

- If Howard Shore doesn't win for his score of Return of the King... heads will roll.

LINKAPALOOZA

Curious: http://foxsearchlight.blogspot.com

I recently read Scott Morse's The Barefoot Serpent, and really enjoyed it. It was my first Morse book, and now I'm genuinely curious about his other works. And if I become a fan it's partly bad news, because he's very prolific and that can become expensive. Anyway, here's an interview with him on the occasion of his first solo exhibit in LA. Anybody who's there, or will be, try to check it out (and take lots of pictures, and share them with me).

And here's the teaser trailer to Kill Bill Vol. 2. I love the music.

Frodo shows he isn't gay.

Disney closes its Florida animation studio.

And the news that Brian Wood's working on a Jennie One/Jennie 2.5 doll two-pack has me tickled pink...

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I didn't discuss or review The Matrix Revolutions in detail on this blog. Why? Because it's a waste of time. Honestly. Somehow they made a film worse than Reloaded. Sadly, the bad news is the Wachowskis now serve as a bad example of what can happen when too much creative freedom is given to the writer/director. I'm worried that the next time a brilliant young filmmaker with a sci-fi slant (let me clarify that this doesn't imply the Wachowskis were ever brilliant; think the next Darren Aronofsky) tries to get a film done by a big studio, the bigwigs'll meet in private and say, "You know, it sounds exciting, but it's expensive, and look what happened to the Matrix Trilogy." Anyway, it seems the behind-the-scenes stuff is more interesting. Of course, in their pretension the Wachowskis avoid the media and don't give interviews, etc. So this all comes from news sources: Larry divorced wife Thea Bloom for dominatrix Karin Winslow. Rumors are that he's also undergoing hormone treatments in preparation for a transsexual operation. But one investigation claims that the sex change rumors were generated by Winslow's ex-husband, who IS a female-to-male transsexual. But, Larry IS a cross-dresser. And Bloom's divorce complaint referred to Wachowski as "Laurence Wachowski aka Laurenca Wachowski."

I have seen Kill Bill thrice in the past week. It is that good.

I don't know if it's my favorite film of 2003 (there are still a couple films I haven't seen like American Splendor, 21 Grams, and Lost in Translation), but it certainly is the most fun. The first time I watched it, practically the entire running time I had a stupid grin on my face. From the Shawscope logo to the cliffhanger of an ending, I was just smiling like an idiot, eyes alive. The last time that happened was Amelie. And you know, it IS a geekfest-- the homages are everywhere. But what's great is that it's fine on its own. The film stands on its own two feet. Does it matter that you recognize the theme from The Green Hornet when she arrives in Tokyo, or Bernard Herrmann's score for Twisted Nerve being whistled by Daryl Hannah in the split-screen scene that's a nod to Brian De Palma? No. But if you do, hey, that's great. It's not important if you know Sonny Chiba from his Street Fighter films or Chiaki Kuriyama from Battle Royale. These are just nice little touches in an already perfectly-baked cake. The plot isn't anything original, in fact it's one of the oldest stories in the world: revenge. It's the execution that's the difference. Elements of Tarantino's style remain: fractured narrative, close-ups of various objects, sense of humor, dialogue, trunk POV shots, careful selection of music. There are great litle moments that don't bear significance to the overall story but are cool nonetheless, like the Sheriff's green shades (and how he calls his son "Son No. 1"), the way The Bride's real name is always bleeped out, and the cereal named Kaboom (a hint if I ever saw one). People think it's gory but actually the violence is almost cartoonish and ridiculous, especially with the gushing fountains of blood. The only semi-queasy moment is when Gogo disembowels this ugly dude. Uma's terrific; she can play it funny like when she sees Gogo's mace drop to the floor, but her shriek upon discovering a flat stomach after waking from her coma is chilling. And as terrific as she looks, it's hard to remember her more radiant than in the first few minutes of the House of Blue Leaves melee, with the streak of blood on her forehead and an almost Charlie's Angels-era Farrah Fawcett do.

I can't wait for Vol. 2.

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WETA's working on a live-action Evangelion film?! Holy shit! I really hope this falls in good hands. I was disappointed to discover that the first Series of Unfortunate Events film is being helmed by Brad Silberling, who directed Casper and City of Angels. Hopefully I'll be surprised. I enjoyed the first 2 Harry Potter films enough, even if they were directed by Chris Columbus. Though maybe I should note: I say that as someone who hasn't read any of the books.

Here's the new trailer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This is the next film I'm really really REALLY looking forward to. I mean, you can't go wrong with a title like that. The fact it's written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry doesn't hurt, either.

Check out Neva's blog if you haven't been there lately; she's got a new look and has suddenly (and stealthily) become very active. She also has a new website, and Letters to Myself, one of my favorite poems of hers (because it was culled from my letters to her :p ) was recently published online.

Goddammit, I work so slowly now! What’s wrong with me!? (Don’t answer that.) I used to be able to crank out a 3-page essay for Fr. Nick 10 minutes before class and now it takes me over 5 hours to write 4 300-word reviews.