Author Archive
Elements of style
August 6, 2007In the comment thread in the Midnight Meat Train image post below, Bruce Baugh points out the striking and obviously thoughtful composition of the image, leading me to note what a pleasant surprise it is any time I come across an image from a horror film (let alone a promotional image for a horror film) that has any kind of panache. I’ve thought of this the last several times I went to the mall and saw this poster for the werewolf flick Skinwalkers hanging up:
The leading-less font, the white background, the off-center placement of the title, the image composition–gorgeous. I hold out no hopes for the film itself, of course, but man, this was money well spent. Comparisons to the almost confrontationally dull and generic Dark Is Rising The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising poster are most instructive.
Throwing darts in lovers’ eyes
August 5, 2007
Scott Pilgrim artist Bryan Lee O’Malley just posted this gorgeous David Bowie sketch he drew for me at MoCCA. I’ve got a lot more where this came from, actually; watch this space.
Check the sidebar
August 5, 2007I’ve fixed some long-dead links and added several interviews you may not have read before, with everyone from Chuck Palahniuk to Drea DeMatteo to Underworld to Bettie Page. And don’t forget my trip to Loch Ness!
“His blood, on the floor. It brought me back.”
August 4, 2007This week’s Horror Roundtable asks if we ever drifted away from the genre, and what brought us back if so. The responses are fascinating. It may be my favorite Horror Roundtable so far.
Come on ride the train, and ride it
August 3, 2007
Another very, very cool image of Vinnie Jones as Mahogany from The Midnight Meat Train. I’ve heard great things about the footage shown at San Diego Comic-Con from a friend who was there. Hope springs eternal. (Via Bloody Disgusting.)
I Can Has Comix?
August 3, 2007
The latest installment of my interview column is up, with Angry Youth Comix‘s Johnny Ryan. If you’ve ever wondered about the inspiration behind Blecky Yuckerella, Loady McGee, and Sinus O’Gynus, I’ve got you covered.
Friday T-shirt blogging
August 3, 2007I can’t decide which of these genuinely amazing T-shirts from Rich Juzwiak’s Poison concertgoer photogallery I love more. God damn ziggety zam do they hit my crass T-shirt sweet spot: tacky, funny, yet not racist, misogynist, or otherwise offensive, and with awesome no-nonsense fonts.
Which do you like better?
I love this even though I also love disco.
I hear you knocking, brother.
Baby, everything is alright, Uptight, outta sight
August 2, 2007My thoughts on the new issue of Jordan Crane’s Uptight, as well as World War Hulk, New Avengers: Illuminati, Justice Society of America, Conan and the Midnight God, Detective Comics, The Exterminators, and Iron & the Maiden can be found–where else?–at Wizard’s Thursday Morning Quarterback.
I get less and less excited about this
August 2, 2007First that horrendous trailer, and now the news that the film adaptation of The Dark Is Rising is now called The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising for some reason. Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care.
Oh. My. God.
August 1, 2007Could I be any more psyched for Dragon Wars? The giant-monster feature also known as D-War has a new trailer up at the link. Good gravy.
There’s a fine line between comedy and horror
August 1, 2007Seriously, watch Monty Python’s Meaning of Life sometime.
Anyway, I stumbled across this info graphic at The Onion and I can’t for the life of me figure out which side of the line it’s supposed to fall on. I’m not sure it matters.
Quote of the day
July 31, 2007In general I can’t shake a sense that how we relate to music is an elephant in the critics’ lounge. I don’t think I’m alone in taking ideas I might use to validate my emotional reaction– innovation, craftsmanship, artistic intent– and turning them into a stand-in for the reaction itself…
–Tom Ewing, “Are the Smiths Funny?”, Pitchfork
Dark But Shining no longer shining
July 30, 2007It hasn’t been a going concern in quite some time so it’s not like this comes as a surprise, but contributor Sam Costello writes that the pioneering group horrorblog site Dark But Shining is shutting down for good. Bummer. DBS had some of the best genre writers around–Costello, Rick Geerling, Kevin Melrose–and its dark sci-fi and fantasy seasoning made it unique. Farewell, DBS.
There shouldn’t be this radio silence, but what are the options?
July 28, 2007If you’re wondering what I’ve been up to for the past few days, look no further than Wizard’s extensive San Diego Comic-Con coverage. I was working until 2am yesterday and I’m not even there! Needless to say, there’s plenty of news you’ll be interested in if you’re the sort of person who reads this blog, from George A. Romero to Neil Gaiman.
Meanwhile, the usual Thursday Morning Quarterback reviews are up, so if you’re interested in what I thought of this week’s Immortal Iron Fist, Batman, Mighty Avengers, All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder, Angry Youth Comix, Battlestar Galactica, Hellboy: Darkness Calls, Invincible, Love and Rockets, Speak of the Devil, and The Walking Dead, you know what to do.
Where due
July 24, 2007This week’s Horror Roundtable: name your favorite horror-movie opening-credit sequence. My choice was a popular one.
Word of the day
July 23, 2007Potterdammerung. God bless Eve Tushnet.
UPDATED: Eve says it wasn’t her word. Well, God bless her anyway.
(UPDATED) SPOILERY thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
July 22, 2007Here are my thoughts. SPOILERS, obviously. I’m turning this white for readers of the blog itself, but RSS readers beware! Highlight to read…
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
1) I can’t say that I “called” the “Harry is a horcrux” thing, because I heard that idea from someone else right after #6 came out, but that was definitely my pet theory from the moment I heard it, so yeah, not too surprising.
2) I felt this way about the introduction of the horcrux concept in #6: Didn’t the sudden, quest-defining emphasis on the Hallows in general, wandlore, and Dumbledore’s family come in a little late in the game? It’s a little like if the Ring didn’t enter into the picture until The Return of the King. This goes double for all the business about taking control of the Elder Wand around which the climax revolved–I had to reread the final spell vs. spell section three times just to figure out what was going on.
3) It was interesting how the books’ usual emphasis on adult characters not believing Harry was shifted to Harry’s friends not believing Harry. It wasn’t hit quite as hard as usual, but still.
4) The book really got bogged down in the section where Harry, Hermione, and Ron got bogged down.
5) Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Dobby, Scrimgeour, Mad-Eye, Hedwig? Kind of redshirt-y. Snape and Voldemort are big deals, of course, but also kind of expected (and in Voldemort’s case, guaranteed).
6) There was a TON of interesting stuff that never got wrapped up. Did Dolores Umbridge and Rita Skeever ever get their comeuppance? Did the Wizarding community wake up to its frequently cruel treatment of other races and creatures, as the house-elf, dragon, and goblin subplots seemed to be leading to? What became of the giants, spiders, centaurs, goblins, house-elves, dementors and other creatures that got involved in the war? What happened to the Slytherin students whose retreat from Hogwart’s Voldemort viewed as evidence that they were on his side? What was the emotional effect the battle had on our main characters?
7) Instead of any of that, we get this superfluous, series-finale-style “19 years later” epilogue, which reveals the fascinating facts that Harry & Ginny and Ron & Hermione got married and named their kids after characters they loved. Well blow me down.
EDITED TO ADD:
8) She’s definitely not writing with the movies in mind, considering how frequently the lead characters go through major scenes while transfigured or disfigured.
9) Clearly she’s also not a believer in “show, don’t tell.” For example, the ENTIRE Albus/Aberforth/Ariana/whatsisface-the-dark-wizard storyline was TOLD to Harry, rather than unfolding in a way that involved Harry as an active participant. Strange.
So, enjoyable, but disappointing.
The state of the beast
July 21, 2007It’s funny because it’s true.
Friday T-shirt blogging
July 20, 2007
1999. This is one of the very, very few “generic old-looking T-shirt bought at a thrift shop bearing an image with which I have no actual emotional or humorous connection” T-shirts I’ve ever owned, but I sure did love it.
Quote of the day
July 20, 2007I detect that there is some movement and it’s movement in the right direction. I’ll be seeing Peter when we tour [New Zealand] next month. I hope it will happen.
—Ian McKellen on the prospects of a Peter Jackson-directed Hobbit movie (or movies). Via Kristin Thompson, who has more, including further walkback from New Line honcho Bob “over my dead body” Shaye.