The theme of this week’s Friday Five seems to be along the lines of “Desert Island Discs” – only, with more stuff than just records.
1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?
-Soundtrack, The Blues Brothers
2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
–Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
–Inherit The Wind (the Tracy/March/Kelly version)
3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
–The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
–The Dilbert Principle, Scott Adams
–Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, Grant/Naylor
(honorable mention: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare)
4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
-Pastrami sandwiches from Katz’s Deli in NYC
-French Fries from Nathan’s
-McEwans 90 Shilling Scottish Ale
-Tropicana Orange Juice (I need to get my vitamin C somehow – it’s not gonna come from the fries…)
5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
By far, this is the toughest question on this list. I tried to make my answer look like my life, so if your name isn’t here, please don’t be offended. I mean, you try narrowing your whole world down to five people.
–Darren – duh
-my friends Lee and Margaret – the saviors of my sanity in college and beyond
-my buddy Jeremy – who I can tell damn near anything and not feel stupid
-my mother – ditto
Normally, I don’t lend much credence to articles posted at Ain’t It Cool News, but there was a link to this article from The Digital Bits, a DVD devotee site that’s very informative, and usually 100% dead on about what they report, so I have to take this as somewhat legit.
With the exception of Superman II (All hail Zod!), I’ve never much cared for the Superman motion pictures. (I had allowed myself to become excited at the prospect of Kevin Smith penning the next Superman film, but those hopes were quickly dashed, and with it, my interest in the project.) I don’t know if it was the crude effects of the late 70’s/early 80’s, or the fact that the scripts weren’t worth a damn. (Lex Luthor creates a genetic clone of Superman by sending bits of his hair into the sun? Come ON!) Nor to I care to invest any time in Smallville (or, as I like to call it, “Clark, the Generic Evil Slayer”). The Superman ethos, as much as it’s embedded into pop culture, never stuck me the way Batman did (human, dark background, possible psychological problems).
That said, I would love to see someone make a really kick-ass Superman film along the lines of Superman II. With today’s technology and the fact that modern audiences are capable of accepting some irony in their superheroes, Hollywood could write an dark, adult superhero movie with EFX that look somewhat better than someone’s iMovie. Based on this article, that’s not what we’re going to get. And that’s unfortunate.
The sad thing is, even if Warners bastardizes the Superman origin story the way this article describes (and I find it hard to believe that JJ Abrams has as much to do with this script as this article says he does), people will go to see this movie anyway. And it will probably make a truckload of money. Because as much as I believe there’s an audience for a dark, adult comic book/superhero movie (like, say The Matrix), there’s also an audience for this kind of pap. And that makes me sad.
On the up side, tonight’s season premiere of Alias kicked ass.
BBC NEWS: Trek fans get Great Exhibition
A major Star Trek exhibition set for London’s Hyde Park in December will be the biggest event there since the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Star Trek – The Adventure, which runs from 6 December – 31 January 2003, will feature exhibits from all five decades of the cult sci-fi show, as well as specially re-created props, sets and costumes.
Exhibits from all 10 of the Star Trek films, including the forthcoming Star Trek Nemesis, due to open on 3 January 2003, will also be on display.
And fans will have the chance to operate flight simulators, take part in Star Trek trivia challenges, and be ‘beamed up’ in a replica transporter.
Anyone want to come with?
An excellent article that delves into the mind and background of Joss Whedon. (Those afraid of “Buffy” spoilers can rest easy – there are none in this article, nor are there spoilers for “Angel” or “Firefly”.)
Apparently, I’m going to be an XBox Live Beta Tester.
I dare say this is the strangest thing to happen to me in a while. It feels like I won a contest. Except I didn’t. I just happened to fit a demographic profile.
Well, my usual birthday funk was not to be this year, as I have been surrounded by friends all day. Some, mind you, keep trying to kick me in the arse, but friends none the less. I was treated to dinner at Old Man Rafferty’s in New Brunswick by Darren & Ali, Harlan & Denise, Tim, Margery, and Michelle (who, while she does not blog, does rock. Quite alot.) If you’ve never eaten at Rafferty’s, all I can tell you is this: save room for dessert. Trust me, it’s worth it. Also, I had a steak so large that it quite possibly might have needed it’s own Congressman.
After that, it was back to Casa Los Sussman (where Stacey met up with us) for presents, nachos (thanks again, Ali!) and yet another session of XBox Up All Night. (For the record, yes, I did get my ass handed to me in “Halo” (as usual), but I got my revenge in “Sega Soccer Slam”.) All in all, the best way I could think of to spend a birthday. (I could do without getting shot an average of every 20 seconds, but…)