2226 replies to this topic

[Harmsway]

Well, it's a heck of an improvement on the teaser (which was incredibly underwhelming), although it blows at least one plot development I'd rather not have known about.

Which one?

Then again, I'm pretty much signed up for anything that stars the gorgeous Gong Li, so perhaps that's an inducement to put the Harris book on the backburner and start with the celluloid version. Decisions, decisions....

I'd see the movie first, myself.

BTW, talking of origin story flicks for iconic serial killers, I'm starting to get quite interested in the upcoming remake/reboot/retcon/whatever of HALLOWEEN (my favourite horror film, incidentally, and definitely a classic not to be messed with as far as I'm concerned, which makes my approval of Rob Zombie's new effort something of a surprise), largely because of the genius casting of Malcolm McDowell as Dr Loomis, arguably Donald Pleasence's best-known role. Thanks to his amazing work (okay, it was a long time ago, but still....) in the amazing films IF...., O LUCKY MAN! and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, McDowell has always been one of my favourite actors, and I think he's hands down the most inspired choice to replace Pleasence. I also think he'd have made an excellent Bond back in the day.

Well... I have bad news. There's a script review of the Zombie take on AICN (read it here) and it sounds awwwwwwwwwwwful.

[TortillaFactory]

The Monkey Wrench Gang - Good writing. Don't really know what to make of it beyond that, yet.

[Loomis]

Well, it's a heck of an improvement on the teaser (which was incredibly underwhelming), although it blows at least one plot development I'd rather not have known about.

Which one?

Well, I've only seen the trailer once, so I may be wrong, but it seems to show that

Spoiler

the Hanmeister and Lady Murasaki become lovers

. Which I'd rather have found out about while watching the movie/reading the book.

Well... I have bad news. There's a script review of the Zombie take on AICN (read it here) and it sounds awwwwwwwwwwwful.

Yeah, I read that AICN thing. I'm not expecting a masterpiece, by any means, but the casting of McDowell has got me very excited, and, hey, it's at least almost guaranteed to be better than the last HALLOWEEN sequel, which is one of the worst films I've ever seen.

[Harmsway]

Well, I've only seen the trailer once, so I may be wrong, but it seems to show that

Spoiler

the Hanmeister and Lady Murasaki become lovers

. Which I'd rather have found out about while watching the movie/reading the book.

Ahh... well, yes, that is the case.

Well... I have bad news. There's a script review of the Zombie take on AICN (read it here) and it sounds awwwwwwwwwwwful.

Yeah, I read that AICN thing. I'm not expecting a masterpiece, by any means, but the casting of McDowell has got me very excited, and, hey, it's at least almost guaranteed to be better than the last HALLOWEEN sequel, which is one of the worst films I've ever seen.

You ahve a point there. It *has* to be better than HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION... I just didn't think Zombie's film sounded particularly good, or that it would keep the elements of HALLOWEEN that I enjoy. Though I'm not particularly worried about the "demystifying" aspect that so many people seem to harp about... mysterious characters without any futher definition often get dull after a while.

[Qwerty]

Just started Raymond Benson's Evil Hours.

[Loomis]

Well, I've only seen the trailer once, so I may be wrong, but it seems to show that

Spoiler

the Hanmeister and Lady Murasaki become lovers

. Which I'd rather have found out about while watching the movie/reading the book.

Ahh... well, yes, that is the case.

Well... I have bad news. There's a script review of the Zombie take on AICN (read it here) and it sounds awwwwwwwwwwwful.

Yeah, I read that AICN thing. I'm not expecting a masterpiece, by any means, but the casting of McDowell has got me very excited, and, hey, it's at least almost guaranteed to be better than the last HALLOWEEN sequel, which is one of the worst films I've ever seen.

You ahve a point there. It *has* to be better than HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION... I just didn't think Zombie's film sounded particularly good, or that it would keep the elements of HALLOWEEN that I enjoy. Though I'm not particularly worried about the "demystifying" aspect that so many people seem to harp about... mysterious characters without any futher definition often get dull after a while.

Have you seen THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS? It's a film with a zillion major problems, and much of it is frankly awful, but it has a sense of style about it and is one of my favourite "interesting failures". Anyway, what I find most fascinating about it is that it comes up with a backstory - or, rather, an "explanation" - for Myers (untouched by subsequent sequels) that, while terribly muddled, is at least an example of trying something new. Which is what I'm hoping for from Zombie's film. Yeah, some of his ideas sound awful, and his alleged treatment of Michael's family background has me scratching my head and thinking "WTF? Has he even seen Carpenter's original?". Yet he's doing a Rocky Balboa and giving it a shot, bless him. And apart from McDowell (a bit of casting I'm really wild about, even though he's been in plenty of wretched films and doubtless given his share of dire performances), there's some nice-sounding fanboy casting: Danielle Harris and Dee Wallace Stone, for instance.

As Borat would say, why naaaat?

[Harmsway]

I have seen THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (I've seen all of the HALLOWEEN films - I'm something of a HALLOWEEN fan, not unlike yourself). It definitely tried something new, and for that, it stands out in the series.

I'll definitely see Zombie's HALLOWEEN, but I'm not particularly excited about it.

[TortillaFactory]

The whole idea of messing with such a horror icon seems ill-advised to me, since almost every movie in that genre since has been a Halloween remake of sorts. Interested to see what Zombie does with it, but I don't have high hopes.

[Kilroy6644]

I'm reading Treasure Of Khan by Clive Cussler.

[Qwerty]

Recently started Splinter Cell: Checkmate.

[Four Aces]

I just purchased a copy of The Hunters by W.E.B Griffin. This is his third of the Presidential Agent series. Good spy stuff.

Qwerty, now I know why you are such a good writer at your young age. You read a lot

[DaveBond21]

Football Annual 2006-7

[Tiin007]

Hawke by Ted Bell. Very fast read. Hard to put down. If you're looking for a great adventure novel, definitely try this one. There are even a couple James Bond references inside.

[Thunderfinger]

Just finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Much better than I expected,I

[Kilroy6644]

I just finished For One More Day by Mitch Albom, and I'm about to start T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars Of Wisdom.

[Qwerty]

The Private Life of James Bond by David Contosta.

[james st.john smythe]

Micheal Palins dairys. very good

[Qwerty]

Just starting Errors and Omissions by Paul Goldstein.

[Safari Suit]

Enter The Saint by Leslie Charteris.

These all seem to be out of print these days, I got it from the library. Even then I had to get it in Large Print!

[Lazenby880]

Edward S. Aarons' Dark Destiny, first published in 1953. I'm re-reading some of the work of this chap, dismissed commonly as a Fleming knock-off (his Sam Durrell series was contemporaneous with Bond).

[Number 6]

I am currently reading THE LAKE by Richard Laymon. As usual for me, good ol' psycho horror.

[silver beast]

Just started Gardner's Seafire.

[dinovelvet]

A train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell. Has anyone else read this? I picked it up on an impulse buy at Costco, of all places. It veers between being a gritty spy thriller about an agent stranded in Russia, and being a sentimental memoir of the same guy's earlier years. Kind of a strange mix.

[Double-0-7]

The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams - Ken Blanchard

[Pam Bouvier]

I'm trying to finish Robert B. Parker's Hundred-Dollar Baby
(engaging story, just pressed for time).

Just picked up Jimmy Carter's Palestine Peace not Apartheid

[Santa]

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine
I'm only halfway through this book and am already disturbed by the (good) influence it's having on my life. The author, disturbed by the current overconsumption epidemic in the developed world, challenges herself to go for a year buying only essentials, such as food and toilet rolls. This brings up many huge, thought-provoking debates over what actually are the essentials of life. While I don't intend to go too far into the experiment myself, I have found myself questioning my needs when I've been out shopping. I've always moved around a lot but recently have decided it's time to settle in my new house, so I've been collecting boxes of my belongings and furniture that have been sitting in various friends' garages for years, and as I open each box, I find shoes and bags. And more shoes and bags. And yet more shoes and bags. It seems I make Carrie Bradshaw look frugal, not to mention the amount of other stuff I've acquired. Just stuff, loads of it. I'm having to build a huge walk-in wardrobe into my house to accomodate my clothes. I'm quite disgusted with myself. So, I won't go mad about it, but I will not keep buying unnecessary objects. I will think more carefully about my purchases and I feel better for it after just a few days. I think we could all stand to read this book.

[Bon-san]

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine
I'm only halfway through this book and am already disturbed by the (good) influence it's having on my life. The author, disturbed by the current overconsumption epidemic in the developed world, challenges herself to go for a year buying only essentials, such as food and toilet rolls. This brings up many huge, thought-provoking debates over what actually are the essentials of life. While I don't intend to go too far into the experiment myself, I have found myself questioning my needs when I've been out shopping. I've always moved around a lot but recently have decided it's time to settle in my new house, so I've been collecting boxes of my belongings and furniture that have been sitting in various friends' garages for years, and as I open each box, I find shoes and bags. And more shoes and bags. And yet more shoes and bags. It seems I make Carrie Bradshaw look frugal, not to mention the amount of other stuff I've acquired. Just stuff, loads of it. I'm having to build a huge walk-in wardrobe into my house to accomodate my clothes. I'm quite disgusted with myself. So, I won't go mad about it, but I will not keep buying unnecessary objects. I will think more carefully about my purchases and I feel better for it after just a few days. I think we could all stand to read this book.

Haven't read the book, but I listened to an interview with the author on the radio last year. A very interesting premise. She got a bit annoying after awhile, though!

Reading John le Carre's Absolute Friends right now. Really digging it.

[Qwerty]

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie.

[00Twelve]

Hawke by Ted Bell. Very fast read. Hard to put down. If you're looking for a great adventure novel, definitely try this one. There are even a couple James Bond references inside.

The Hawke series is great. The exposition to his life with his parents on their boat is so gripping.

As for myself, just rereading The Two Towers.

[bond_girl_double07]

An absolutely hilarious book called "Don't Try this at Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs".

In the first story, Ferran Adria somehow managed to let 1000 lobster spoil on the night before they were supposed to feed 3000 people

I just read a story by my favorite chef Anthony Bourdain titled "The New Year's Meltdown".. absolutely hilarious, I was crying it was so funny!