Okay, it’s official: My life has become too busy for me to be a responsible blogger.
Let me try to make it up to you in the next couple of weeks, with a new video blog, my list of Favorite Films of 2009 (the Premature Version), my list of Favorite Recordings of 2009 (almost ready!), more Auralia’s Colors confessions, sneak previews of Raven’s Ladder, and a marathon of interesting links.
Oh, keep an eye on Imagejournal.org. Friday, my review of Avatar should be there. You’ll also see a piece on Christmas movies there soon, and eventually my favorite films of 2009 will be counted down there.
For now, here’s a tray of appetizers:
1.
Matt Zoller Seitz begins his countdown of the Best Directors of the 2000s.
2.
3.
Paste Magazine revised their Best Movies of 2009 list. Suddenly, AVATAR is #1.
4.
The author of the NYT bestseller Three Cups of Tea and the new #1 bestseller Stones into Schools, Greg Mortenson is to Afghanistan as Bono is to relief efforts in Africa: He’s the accessible, inspiring, humble, unifying voice. What he lacks (at least as far as I have seen) is an acknowledgment that he is following in the footsteps of Christ in his methods and perspective. But even better than Bono… Mortenson has spent so much time “on the ground” in Afghanistan that he can give you up-to-the-minute perspective on what will help resolve the conflicts there. Listen to him on Seattle’s KUOW here. And soon, I’ll provide a detailed report on his visit to Seattle Pacific University last night… which was awesome.
5.
Are you lonely? You’re probably a writer. Take some time to commiserate with Brian Volck.
6.
Coming soon.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Just read Paste’s short write-up on AVATAR, and it’s a little diappointing to read that dazzle and spectacle somehow placed it above UP. Greydanus once called Cameron a master manipulator, meaning that Cameron makes his movies seem weightier than they really are. So far, I haven’t read anything, in praise or protest, that even hints AVATAR rises above that staple.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Jeffrey, thanks for the link to Brian Volck’s article. As I’m in the midst of writing my first novel, I could relate to it. I forwarded it on to several friends and family to let them know a little what I go through each day as a writer. I also sent it to some writer friends of mine to see if they could relate to it, also.