Saturday, March 29, 2003


If you've not seen Tsui Hark's The Legend Of Zu and like shiny movies, you could do a lot worse than seeking it out. It's a remake / revisitation of material covered in his late-80's Zu movie and there's not a moment wasted. Kung-fu action aplenty, and there's never a second when you're not seeing something totally different. And it's got Zhang Ziyi in it. She's real pretty.


I also recently saw Jackie Chan's The Accidental Spy and, for later Jackie, it's more than acceptable. Some really clever chase scenes and his skills on-screen, even if the plot makes no real sense for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time.


And if you've not seen Task Force, you're dead to me. Starts off as a somewhat comedic look at a Hong Kong cop's oddball life and really surprises you in the last twenty minutes. And it's got Eric Tsang, who's up there on my list of comedic actors I really, really like.

Friday, March 28, 2003


I got the new Future Sound Of London record, after many warnings to stay away from people I trust.


Once again, people were right. Goddamn, if I wanted bad progressive rock pomposity, I'd go to the Science Museum and check out Laser Floyd.

Saturday, March 22, 2003


I just finished the new Star Wars novel, Tatooine Ghost and it was OK. The paperback will be just fine unless you're a complete loser like me. Some nice continuity patches, if you worry about that sort of thing.

Now, for the copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami that Kristin found. I love me some Murakami.


I read some of next week's books (I live in the future and I'm driving a hoverbike around right now while I compose this on my holographic fifth generation retinal-implant micro PC) and here's the good news: nothing was agonizing. The Danger Girl: Hawaiian Punch special has some nice Phil Noto art, and it looks like he's actually decided to draw somebody's face besides Courtney Cox or Meg Ryan.

If Global Frequency is any indication, Warren Ellis is probably great in bed in the short-term, but can't keep the shack rocking all night. Each issue has a passable 22 page high-concept actiony plot but there's no substance connecting any of the issues. My good pal Aaron has pointed out that some of the stuff has seemed like Stormwatch notes, and I have to agree, especially with the second issue's NUCLEAR DEATH MAN story. On ISCA (eh), somebody pointed out that we don't really know anything about any of the characters that Warren's created, and they made a good point. Tell me something about, say, Swift from The Authority that goes beyond her love of younger men, her ability to fly really fast, and, well, her love of younger men...

Go ahead, I'll wait.

I'm still waiting...


Thursday, March 20, 2003


Sonny Rollins is playing away. You play, man. (Yes, it's the CD from the last post.)


I've got me a beef - after spending a week reading the whole goddamned thing, I have to declare that Kurt Busiek's Avengers run is the most unabashed example of fanboyism run amok. No wonder Wizard was choking on his cock - he pulls out all the stops to pander to the knuckle-dragging fanboys who write letters that begin with "As a member of the South Carolina Avengers Assemble Justice Forum, I must protest the complete absence of Kang from the last three issues of the book, as he provides a marvelous..." by writing a way too fucking long Kang storyline that makes no sense at all. No really, you can't tell me what it was about because you are wrong, bucky - it's about nothing. It's like a Seinfeld episode with a billion "subplots" that add up to a big chunk of nothing. Give me Millar's misogynist, late-as-hell Ultimates over this junk any day. And Geoff Johns, email me and tell me exactly what the fuck was up with the World Trust storyline. Minute Marvel Trivia is just way too much for a person who, say, gets laid on a regular basis to worry about. Not that I mind his JSA, really - it's nice, diverting stuff. Maybe I just want Roger Stern to write the Avengers again. (If you are reading this, Aaron Trites, you can gobble my love hog, OK?)


(The first person who points out that I know waaaaay too much about comics to be lobbing stones about gets put in the Gimp Storage Facility down south. Don't say I didn't warn you.)



Monday, March 17, 2003


$40.49 spent on the following CDs:

Various Artists: Exposure 1, mixed by X-Cabs.
Gorillaz vs Space Monkeys: Laika Come Home (Dave's a big fan of Gorillaz, so...)
Acid House Kings: Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays
Peace Division: Nite:life 010
Mouse On Mars: Iaora Tahiti
Various: Godskitchen: Life (Spring 02)
X-Press 2: Muzikizum (it's for Courtney, as she is nice.)
Sonny Rollins: On Impulse
Grandmaster Flash: Essential Mix
Alex Gold: Xtravaganza Mix
aaaaaand, most importantly...
Underworld: Two Months Off Promo CD-R, signed.
Underworld: Two Months Off Plain Jain Promo. (Hi, Courtney.)

Saturday, March 15, 2003


So, I don't like rock music. No, really, I don't, for the most part. But let me tell you, the latest Foo Fighters record is just plain good stuff. I dunno what it is, really, but between more-than-competent playing and Dave Grohl's witty lyrics, I find myself actually listening to it more than I thought. (No, I didn't buy it - Bob at the shop has left his copy there since buying it.)


I, of course, have made up for this transgression by listening to one of the Soulwax 2 Many DJs series and am currently enjoying the guilty pleasure that is Kylie's Fever record. I love me some disco, yo.


New Band Alert follows. Listen to The Postal Service as they are all that is right in synthpop. Where Ladytron have their eyebrows painted so that they're permanently arched, The Postal Service seems to get their Emo on with the lyrics and godammit, I find myself actually boogying down to their stuff. A surprisingly competent electronic record, considering that Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie does the guitar bits and vocals and, well, DCFC isn't known for their synthetic edge. Jimmy Tamborello may be responsible for that, as his band Figurine is all about clicky keyboard noises. A fine album, well worth your sheckels.

Friday, March 14, 2003


I'm reading Koushun Takami's Battle Royale and find it compelling, despite the concept. In an alternate world, Japan's a dictatorship that forces 50 random junior high school classes to go to a remote location and kill each other until one survivor reigns supreme. It was the basis for a movie that'll never get a US release and, apparently, a manga series as well. One of my cohorts has the movie on VCD and I'm debating seeing it.

I got my cheap record fix the other day - I purchased the latest Paul Van Dyk (shut up, Dan), a disc of Billie Holiday's Verve work selected by Shirley Horn, and two Coltrane records I'd yet to buy for $24. I don't think anyone could beat that with a stick, as dad used to say.

Saturday, March 08, 2003


Sit down. How are you? You're looking good. No, really? That's excellent.


Hey, before you show me the photos, read this Clumsy book by Jeff Brown. No, do it now. I'll wait.


See? You're crying, right? You feel like someone just ripped your heart out and stomped on it, right? That's because I hate you and your filthy children. Get the hell out of my life.


No, leave the book. I really like it. Even if it made me misty.


(Seriously, Clumsy is amazing. Get it.)

Tuesday, March 04, 2003


I got free tickets to the cinema and saw Daredevil.

Man, I really never learn lessons from others. Aggressively bad.