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| Wednesday, July 31, 2013 10:43 AM |
| Random Review Roundup |
 by Fëanor |
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman's latest novel is a strange one. It's a fantasy novel that tells of a man returning to his childhood home for a funeral and coming unexpectedly upon a memory of a terrifying and magical episode from his childhood that he'd entirely forgotten. It is a book about childhood and adulthood, and the infinite chasm, and minuscule crack, between the two. It is a book about life and what it means and what it is for. It is a simple story that is as deep as deep can be, with an aching, yearning sadness at its heart.
"All monsters are scared," says Lettie. "That's why they're monsters... Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world."
Pacific Rim
Someone described this as the Citizen Kane of giant monster movies, and I have to agree with that poetic soul. I saw it on the big screen in 3D, and it was just an awesome experience. The effects and visuals are astounding, the action incredible, the robots and monsters tremendous. And besides that, there's actually a great story with great characters that's surprisingly emotionally effective. Maybe it doesn't all make perfect logical sense if you sit down and pick it apart, but whatever - I loved it, and I'd see this movie again in a heartbeat.
Red 2
Remember that movie about assassins with Bruce Willis that came out a few years ago? Here's my review if you don't. I loved that movie, and this is the sequel! Almost the entire cast returns (Willis, Malkovich, Cox, Mirren, Parker) and this time are joined by even more celebrities (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Anthony Hopkins, and David Thewlis to name a few). Some of the artfulness and cleverness of the first film have been lost - to be honest, the story is pretty dumb - but this is still a rollicking good time. It's funny and exciting, with some unexpected twists and turns. It's a bit disturbing that it's a goofy comedy that features the cruel and almost off-hand murders of many, many people. But if you can set that aside, it's a good time. |
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| Sunday, September 30, 2012 09:35 PM |
| (Last updated on Monday, October 1, 2012 08:28 AM) | | The Mummy Returns |
 by Fëanor |
(UPDATE: I rewrote this post a bit. I didn't like my original wording, and I missed some important details.)
We just watched the original Mummy again on TCM. I do love that movie. It struck me, probably not for the first time, that the movie has a surprising feminist subtext. All the representatives of male power and knowledge in the movie - all the doctors (like Dr. Muller, the expert on the occult, played by Edward Van Sloan, who is really just reprising his role as Van Helsing from Dracula, but under another name) and scientists and even the Egyptian mummy prince - are revealed to be either completely powerless or ultimately fail. Interestingly, the most idiotic and bumbling of all the men is the nominal "hero," Frank Whemple (played by David Manners, who is pretty much also just reprising his role from Dracula, in which he was the nominal bumbling hero John Harker). Nothing he or his male compatriots do is effective in any way against the villain. The only female character, Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann), is the target of the romantic advances of both the villain and the hero, and the nominal "victim" of the story, but she's also one of the cleverest and funniest characters. She makes fun of Frank and always comes out on top in their various conversations. And she's the one who finally defeats the Mummy, by calling on the power of the Goddess Isis. Her power is what reaches out across the centuries and strikes down the mummy, while the men look on, dumbfounded. It's good stuff. |
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| Monday, September 24, 2012 02:19 PM |
| Recyclotron |
 by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
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| Tagged (?): Art (Not), Avengers (Not), Clothing (Not), Comedy (Not), Dune (Not), Harry Potter (Not), LEGO (Not), Links (Not), Lists (Not), Mario (Not), Mashups (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Shirts (Not), Tolkien (Not), Toys (Not), Video (Not), Video games (Not), Weather (Not), Web comics (Not) |
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| Monday, August 22, 2011 12:24 PM |
| (Last updated on Monday, August 22, 2011 12:28 PM) | | Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
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| Tagged (?): Aliens (Not), Art (Not), Avengers (Not), Cartoons (Not), Comedy (Not), Comic books (Not), Craft (Not), Fast food (Not), Links (Not), Lovecraft (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), Music (Not), News (Not), Pixar (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Robots (Not), Star Wars (Not), Tolkien (Not) |
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| Wednesday, August 17, 2011 10:23 AM |
| Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- The resurgence of animated GIFs was funny... at first. Now it's starting to wear on me. Tumblr is just full of them! Full, I say! But this one is funny.
- Some really wonderful pics from The Big Lebowski blu-ray release party.
- Pretty great reimagining of the cover of the classic video game Bad Dudes.
- An interesting post about a book called The Unofficial LEGO Minifigure Catalog.
- Drawn linked to a couple of neat art sites: Spencer Goldade's 365 Abstracts and Graham Annable's website.
- The top 100 sci-fi/fantasy novels, as voted by the readers of NPR. As usual with such lists, there are things on here I like and things on here I don't like. But I definitely approve of the top pick, natch.
- The latest episode of Awesome Hospital is pretty amazing.
- A first look at Pottermore, the new interactive online Harry Potter world.
- I've heard good things about Ready Player One. It's the first novel from a fellow named Ernest Cline, and it's "about a dystopian future where gamers fight to control the future of their virtual world, the OASIS." io9 has the first two chapters free to read on its site.
- io9 also has a list of fun upcoming sci-fi comics, including a Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes crossover book from IDW and DC. Woah!
- Did you see the latest Immortals trailer? Holy crap! Yeah!
- We've got a US release date for the next Wii Zelda game: November 20th.
- I know there are countless altered/parody versions of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, but... well, here's another one. It's fun! There are monsters!
- Hipster Thundercats.
- Heh.
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| Tagged (?): Animated GIFs (Not), Art (Not), Books (Not), Cartoons (Not), Celebrities (Not), Comedy (Not), Comic books (Not), Craft (Not), Game of Thrones (Not), Harry Potter (Not), LEGO (Not), Links (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), Music (Not), Mythology (Not), News (Not), Painting (Not), Photography (Not), Photoshop (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Star Trek (Not), Tolkien (Not), Toys (Not), Video (Not), Video games (Not), Web comics (Not), Zelda (Not) |
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| Wednesday, July 20, 2011 03:10 PM |
| Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- An amazing, 11-minute, Spike Jonze-directed, Beastie Boys music video starring action figures in all the roles. It features zombies, a yeti, a shark, and plenty of the old ultra-violence.
- Guillermo del Toro is doing a Beauty and the Beast adaptation starring Emma Watson, who is disturbingly hot.
- Here's a video from Toyota showing off their concept of a car window as a touch-sensitive smart device. Woah.
- I don't have the time to read it just now, but maybe you do: Neil Gaiman's short story "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains." I like the title, anyway. (Via)
- Here is an astonishing product: glow-in-the-dark rats that you can wear on your fingers, which are advertised as "Ideal for NIGHT BLOGGING."
- Remember Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's "History of Rap" medley from a while back, and how it was way better than it should have been? They've done another one, and if anything it's even better.
- Here's the trailer for the new Spider-Man movie. Can't say I'm too impressed. The dude playing Peter Parker looks ridiculous (what is with the two-foot high haircut?), and dragging his parents into the story seems unnecessary. That being said, the first-person shooter-style final sequence is pretty exciting. I assume that's what the video game version will be like?
- Take a gander at the craziest experimental weapons of the 19th century.
- Concept art from the third Riddick movie.
- Helena Bonham Carter is joining Johnny Depp on the cast of The Lone Ranger.
- Speaking of casts, here's the latest casting news for season 2 of Game of Thrones. We now have Stannis, Melisandre, and Davos. I'm not familiar with any of the actors, but they all look right, at least, and everybody else on the cast so far has been so great, it's hard to imagine they will be bad. (There goes the rumor that Eccleston will play Stannis. Ah, well. Maybe he'll show up as Balon Greyjoy.)
- I am intrigued by this short story collaboration between Lev Grossman and Mike Mignola - even if the only other prose collaboration I've read by Mignola was not so good.
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| Tagged (?): Art (Not), Automobiles (Not), Books (Not), Celebrities (Not), Game of Thrones (Not), Links (Not), Mike Mignola (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), Music (Not), Neil Gaiman (Not), News (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Spider-Man (Not), Technology (Not), Toys (Not), TV (Not), Video (Not), Zombies (Not) |
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| Thursday, June 30, 2011 12:17 PM |
| (Last updated on Friday, July 1, 2011 02:15 PM) | | Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- I think I might have to take part in #ThePact. So if you see a picture of me eating a donut in my Twitter stream tomorrow, that's what that's about. (UPDATE: Here you go.)
- This unlimited movie pass, which allows you to see as many movies in the theater as you like for $50 a month, is a great concept, and I think I probably would have been all over it in my free-wheeling, movie-obsessed, bachelor days.
- Jesus Christ. There are actually six (6!) different versions of Frankenstein in development in Hollywood right now. Thanks a lot, Twilight.
- Also, they are still trying to get that He-Man movie made, apparently. I love He-Man and all, but I just don't see that turning out well.
- A collection of negative and positive quotes from critics about Transformers 3. You would have to pay me a very large sum of money to see this movie.
- I do enjoy a good Super Punch image roundup.
- A trailer and a gameplay video for a new Phineas and Ferb video game, subtitled Across the Second Dimension. There's a movie of the same title that'll be airing on the Disney channel soon. Exciting!
- If you hadn't heard yet, World of Warcraft is now free to play until level 20. Tempting! But even when I do get the time these days, I tend to avoid playing video games and work on making one, instead. So I think I'll still be staying away from WoW for the foreseeable future.
- I am intrigued by Google+! I'll just wait here for my invite. Doo dee doo dee doo... Anybody? (UPDATE: I'm on! Thanks, Amy!)
- I've always been a big fan of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War film adaptation, Apocalypse Now, so I'm kind of excited that there's going to be a sci-fi film adaptation called Into Darkness, even if the people involved aren't exactly top notch talent.
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| Tagged (?): Art (Not), Books (Not), Captain America (Not), Cartoons (Not), Comedy (Not), Comic books (Not), Food (Not), Google (Not), Internet (Not), Links (Not), Masters of the Universe (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), News (Not), Phineas and Ferb (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Transformers (Not), TV (Not), Twitter (Not), Video games (Not), Web comics (Not), World of Warcraft (Not) |
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| Monday, June 27, 2011 12:43 PM |
| Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- I enjoyed this web comic. Perhaps you will, too!
- I'm subscribed to Don Kenn's blog because I love his creepy, evocative, monster-filled art. Now he's made a creepy, evocative, monster-filled music video for Danish artist Fallulah. The music's not bad, either!
- Have you heard about the controversy over the Superman comic book starring an Islamic superhero that mysteriously disappeared? Here's an amusing web comic about it.
- The Branch Holder makes any stick more sword-like. Awesome!
- In this great photo, the Captains Kirk arm-wrestle it out.
- Rumor has it Chris "The Doctor" Eccleston could play Stannis Baratheon or Balon Greyjoy in the second season of Game of Thrones. I like him for either part!
- Another ban of violent video games struck down. Yay!
- I'm loving this MST3K bed frame.
- I really love this photo of Wild Things on the subway.
- I feel like I've seen, and possibly posted, this TIE Fighter costume before, but it is very funny and clever, so it can't hurt to post it again. (Via)
- Recyclotron is a bit heavy on the web comics today, I know, but here's one more: Scott Meyer's commentary on the recent news about Mark Zuckerberg's eating/killing habits. (I kind of admire the guy for this move, actually, but yeah, there is something weird and creepy about it.)
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| Tagged (?): Animals (Not), Art (Not), Books (Not), Celebrities (Not), Comedy (Not), Comic books (Not), Cosplay (Not), Costumes (Not), Craft (Not), Food (Not), Game of Thrones (Not), Law (Not), Links (Not), Monsters (Not), MST3K (Not), Music (Not), News (Not), Photography (Not), Products (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Religion (Not), Star Trek (Not), Star Wars (Not), Superman (Not), Toys (Not), TV (Not), Video (Not), Video games (Not), Web comics (Not) |
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| Friday, June 17, 2011 12:10 PM |
| Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- Empire Online lists the 22 most bad-ass beards in cinema. Nice picks!
- That is one fine teacup. Ia! Ia!
- Know those decals some people have in their car windows, featuring a cartoon depiction of each member of the family? Kinda cheesy, right? Here's a funnier, less cheesy spin on it.
- Mr. Dan Hipp celebrates the Green Lantern, and other green heroes and villains from throughout pop culture history. Speaking of Green Lantern, here's the Onion A.V. Club review of the new animated movie, and Ebert's review of the new live-action movie. Sounds like neither movie is all that great, but I still might have to watch them eventually, just because.
- Loving this Godzilla animated gif. (Via)
- Quentin Tarantino's western, Django Unchained, has a release date! It's December 25, 2012. Merry Christmas!
- The Academy is changing the Best Picture nomination process yet again so that there can now be anywhere from 5 to 10 nominees each year, depending on how many movies receive first place votes on 5 percent of total ballots cast. Wha? Why don't we just go back to 5, guys? That was working fine for a long time.
- Check out Sam Bosma's site - he's been doing sketches of characters from the Song of Ice and Fire books lately.
- This ad for the new Legend of Zelda game featuring Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda (who apparently was actually named after the princess) is pretty darn cute.
- A Pontiac built with an entirely transparent, Plexiglass exterior for the 1939 New York World's Fair is going up for auction and has been appraised at a price between $275,000 and $475,000. Click through for some awesome pictures.
- I'm mostly over impressive replicas of things in cake form, but this Millennium Falcon cake has working lights!!
- The Wolverine has a new director and it is James "Not Darren Aronofsky" Mangold. Hmm. I've seen a handful of Mangold's films. Of those, Cop Land was the only really good one. Identity and 3:10 to Yuma were both well done but had disappointing endings. So I guess we'll see!
- Watch the red band trailer for Attack the Block, which is a sci-fi/action/comedy featuring Nick Frost and South London hoodlums versus aliens. Fun! (Via Blastr, a site that cleverly got the movie's title wrong in its headline. Sigh.)
- The most bad-ass way to chop lettuce ever.
- The rotary mechanical smartphone.
- Another fun Super Punch image roundup. My favorite is the hipster Jesus sign. The whale shark thing is just horrifying.
- Amazing photograph of an Irish castle.
- In case you missed it when I posted it to Twitter, a gallery of amazing illustrations by Blade Runner concept artist Syd Mead. (Via)
- So what's all this Pottermore stuff about? It appears to be official, from J.K. Rowling herself, and the obvious implication is that we can expect more Harry Potter. Possibly it's just referring to an encyclopedia, which isn't all that exciting. But still... squee? Anyway, while we're talking Harry Potter, check out the latest trailer for the last movie. It is mighty exciting, and the emotional opening nearly made me break down at my desk here.
- I enjoyed this latest post from the mostly-quiet-lately defective yeti.
- Hee hee. More amusing (and not-so-safe-for-work) sketches from the mighty Kate Beaton.
- Did you see that Comic Twart is doing Princess Bride? Anybody want a peanut?
- Ooh, they've cast Bard and Smaug in The Hobbit! Benedict Cumberbatch, who made a very fine Sherlock Holmes in the recent BBC TV series, will play the part of the dragon. I'm not familiar with the dude playing Bard (Luke Evans), but he certainly looks the part.
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| Tagged (?): Advertising (Not), Animals (Not), Art (Not), Automobiles (Not), Awards (Not), Books (Not), Celebrities (Not), Comedy (Not), Comic books (Not), Commercials (Not), Craft (Not), Food (Not), Gadgets (Not), Godzilla (Not), Green Lantern (Not), Harry Potter (Not), Kaiju (Not), Links (Not), Lists (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), News (Not), Oscars (Not), Phones (Not), Photography (Not), Products (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Song of Ice and Fire (Not), Star Wars (Not), Technology (Not), The Hobbit (Not), Tolkien (Not), Twitter (Not), Video (Not), Video games (Not), Web comics (Not), Wolverine (Not), Zelda (Not) |
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| Monday, May 2, 2011 12:17 PM |
| Recyclotron |
| by Fëanor |
Fëanor pours the entire internet into the Recyclotron, and only the best links come out the other end for you to enjoy.
- Now here's a noble goal: teaching computers to understand "that's what she said" jokes. I feel like my friend Cyn has to be involved with this somehow...
- Apparently Oscar Wilde's original version of The Picture of Dorian Gray contained many passages that were deemed objectionable by the editor and were thus removed. The good news: the original, uncensored version will soon be published.
- The Onion A.V. Club explains various Beastie Boys references.
- Robert Zemeckis is lined up to direct an actual live-action movie! About time travel, no less! Sort of. It's more of a Groundhog's Day-type thing.
- A look at some of the amusing images/memes that have been generated by the royal wedding - in particular, that hat. You know the one.
- Thanks to Lionsgate, Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods may finally get released!
- A nice piece of art involving a monster.
- Boba Fett plays "Laura Palmer's Theme" from Twin Peaks on the accordion.
- An impressively detailed cross-section of the Millenium Falcon.
- Maybe I have to start watching Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This episode, "Night of the Batmen," wherein Batman is injured and his fellow Justice Leaguers have to temporarily take his place, sounds fantastic.
- These illustrations featuring various Disney characters playing characters from Star Wars are pretty cute, although it seems backwards to me that Mickey was chosen to play Han and Donald to play Luke.
- Something called EVOL - which is either a single artist or an art collective, I'm not clear on that - transforms trash cans, electrical boxes, and other items of the urban landscape into tiny skyscrapers.
- Super Punch provides another fun art roundup, which includes a great piece of Dune art.
- Super Punch is trying to nail down the worst headline related to Osama Bin Laden's death. Here are two candidates. (If you're interested my feelings on the news, click here.)
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| Tagged (?): Art (Not), Batman (Not), Books (Not), Cartoons (Not), Celebrities (Not), Computers (Not), Disney (Not), Dune (Not), Joss Whedon (Not), Links (Not), Mashups (Not), Monsters (Not), Movies (Not), Music (Not), News (Not), Photography (Not), Photoshop (Not), Recyclotron (Not), Science (Not), Star Wars (Not), TV (Not), Twin Peaks (Not), Video (Not) |
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Jim Genzano's books on Goodreads
