Greenman Review!
At the distinguished fantasy-lit review site called The Greenman Review, Matthew Winslow has turned in a review of Auralia's Colors!
Specials: Reepicheep. Indy trailer. Katherine Heigl. Philip Yancey.
Today's specials concern a mouse, an archaeologist, the star of Gray's Anatomy, and one of my favorite Christian writers...Read more
"National Treasure 2" Versus "Persepolis"
Animation World Magazine features a dismaying and inspiring article (yes, both) by Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman about the acclaimed animated film Persepolis. Goodman ponders the reasons that this celebrated film it is not playing in multiplexes, whereas National Treasure 2 is.
While Persepolis struggles to be shown in the smallest of art film houses, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is smeared like celluloid scum across thousands of screens, insulting the intellect of millions. Oh, this film is good enough if one is willing to profess ignorance of American history and government, European history, Native American history, archeology, geology and geography. This is not to mention ignoring at least three major plot holes that could envelop Mount Rushmore, but why indeed go on?
(Via Doug Cummings)
Thank You, John Alvin!
Why am I drawing attention to the death of John Alvin?
Because as I look back over John Alvin's work, I find myself on a trip down memory lane to look at images that kindled my imagination, decorated my bedroom walls, lit up the inside of my school locker, and blazed on the covers of my notebooks over the years.
Peruse the incredible career of John Alvin over at Ain't It Cool, and you just might realize that he meant something to you too!
"Through a Screen Darkly" is One Year Old
It's been an interesting week.
On Tuesday, I submitted Cyndere's Midnight, the sequel to Auralia's Colors, to the editors at WaterBrook Press. There's still some "trimming" and editing to do, but it's almost ready to go.
Time flies when you're working a full-time desk job, writing movie reviews, and then spending six-to-seven hours in the evening (and all weekend) hunched over a hot laptop writing fiction.
The difference between Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight will probably surprise some readers. While the first book was often meditative, very descriptive, and it led them slowly toward a violent finale, the second book is quite different. It has a lot of action all the way through. It's full of chases, battles, narrow escapes, monsters, miracles, and cliffhangers. (In fact, Cal-raven literally hangs from a cliff during one particularly intense battle scene.)
And instead of focusing on two children caught up in a frightening world of grownup problems, Cyndere's Midnight ("Cyndere" is pronounced "SIN-der") focuses on a grieving widow and a murderous monster, and what happens when the two meet in the wilderness.
Anyway, in the excitement of finishing Cyndere's Midnight, I almost forgot to observe a certain anniversary...Read more
Staub, Wright, Spohr, and Me... It's The Kindlings Muse on the Best Films of 2007!
Come on over to Hales Brewery, pour yourself a pint, and eavesdrop on my conversations with author Dick Staub and film critics Greg Wright and Jennie Spohr as we discuss our favorite films of 2007!
When Will a Pixar Movie Win Best Picture?
Watch this, think back to the lasting excellence of Pixar's productions, and ask... what will it take for one of their films to be treated with the kind of respect Juno's receiving?
More about Pixar's power here.
Cuss words, James Dobson, John McCain, and Dubya
And while I'm directing traffic to Peter Chattaway's blog...
...let me hand the microphone to him again. Chattaway links to a story about why James Dobson won't vote for John McCain. Why? Well, there are several reasons related to policy, but there's also one that might surprise you. (Or it might not.) Apparently the ex-Navy man has been known to use a cuss word now and then.
Chattaway links to The Atlantic's Ross Douthat, who offers the obvious response to that point (although I'm glad Chattaway linked to his own previous post on "flowery language" as well).
Bad Dialogue? Or Real History?
Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, my favorite American movie of 2007, is being bashed for all kinds of reasons.
Some criticisms tell us more about the reviewer than the movie.Read more