Game On

Vacation tends to be that time of year when you have way more to do than normal.
So your days are swamped, your nights are abominably short and when push comes to shove, you still haven not done anything you actually wanted to.
All in all, I usually like it, as it gives me time to catch up on reading books, playing video games and hanging out with my friends.
Which consisted mostly of playing some more Guild Wars, going to the movies (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) and finishing some more books (Wicked, The Sea of Monsters and I, Strahd)

But with the advent of August, the new series are all starting again.
True Blood got a head start, but The Guild kicks off their fourth season as they did their third


Game On

To Be Lost Forevermore

A lot of time has passed since my lsat post, as well as a lot of events.

The roleplaying weekend was a blast, with lots of gaming, talking and actual sleep to be had. The resulting aftermath of sleep depravation was not nearly as mucht fun, but that, apparently is the price you pay for heaps of fun.

Clash of the Titans was mediocre, but fun. Iron Man 2 was awesome, only to be topped by Kick-Ass's over the top action.
Not much to report on in the book department. I finished The Last Watch, which was pulpy fiction till the end, to be followed by more pulpy children's literature disguised as The Northern Lights, to be followed by my first steps in Gregory Maguire's Wicked and a reread of NisiOisiN's Zaregoto.

Of course, there is a wedding to be talked about, as well as a bachelor party, but that is a story for a different time.

Cause I'm Far Too Tired To Fall Asleep

The sleep depravation project has started to kick in, with studying for exams, work and of course that nasty social life I tend to have next to it all.
The first of said social life was last Saturday, when my friends and I went to a Van Canto concert in Essen.

For those readers not familiar with Van Canto


Which of course meant that there were no plectra to be caught during the concert, but a lot of people did shout rakka takka along the way.
The Zeche Carl was not that big to begin with, (especially compared to 013 or HMH) but they still rocked the entire crowd, with us cheering and chanting from the front row. Which gave us a great view of the entire band as well as keeping tabs on Inga's attempts at fighting her cold (which consisted of a lot of honeyed tea and Strepsil)
Two days later, the songs and the performance are still haunting my mind, so should you hear me humming something along the lines of 'randadandadan doodoodoom,' do not panic, it will soon pass.

Next stop on the social calendar, a weekend filled with roleplaying. (with only a little preparation still needed)

Chaos Reconstruction IV

White Day has passed, April has had its share of Fools and with hailstorms in its wake, the festival season is approaching rapidly. Now is as good a time as any to continue with the regular rigmarole.

Stephen King - The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass

With Blaine's ride ending, the story finally focuses on Roland's past. And what a past it is. Clint Eastwood at its best, with romance, betrayal, shootouts and mumbo-jumbo witchcraft abound. You finally get to know how his obsession with the Tower starts and why Susannah and Eddie remind him so of Alain and Cuthbert.

George R.R. Martin - The Hedge Knight & The Sworn Sword

In preparation for the upcoming Song of Ice and Fire LARP, I decided it was time get around to reading the last couple of novellas in the line. These are of course canon, but they do not really bear any relevance on the books, as those are set a hundred years hence. Dunk fulfills the role of thick-as-bricks knight formidably and Egg might be the best fit for spunky sidekick since Sancho Panza tried to steer the Don in the right direction.

Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

More book the fourth. This time with a pixie detective, a boy genius and the regular rag tag bunch we have seen since the inception of the series. Artemis Fowl never amazes much, but the amalgam of high tech and magic does give that thirlling read for the hour of two it takes you to plod through the books. Regular filler material, nothing more, nothing less.

Lanfeust Quest 1-2
With my lack of knowledge in Lanfeust altogether, my surprise was great when I started reading this French 'manga' adaptation of the series. The pace is good and although the plot twists might be a bit predictable, the writers and artist do seem to have observed the medium quite well.
If you have not been acquainted yet with the series and tend to get put of by all these European comics, give this one a whirl.

Kamelot - Pandemonium Over Europe Tour

Friday 26th of March was the second concert of Kamelot's Pandemonium tour and it rocked, big time. My friends and I spent four hours waiting in line to get the best spots in the house and it was well worth it. Up against the fence, speaker boxes blasting into your ears, Roy Khan close enough to pull off stage, should the female fans ever grow taller than 5'6" So three hours and a lot of broken voices later we went on our merry way home.

Next up, stressing for exams, finishing up character creation for the roleplaying weekend, listening some more in preparation for the Van Canto concert and getting the last touches done (i.e. sewing together) of my EFF costume.

How Many Years So Slowly Passed Away

Alice in Wonderland was every bit the visual spectacle I hoped it would be. Too bad that the story was a bit on the bland side, with Alice's size alterations more of an excuse to change wardrobe than anything else. But that aside, the references to the books were all there, and I assume that I must have giggled at least thrice as much as the rest of the theater at every little detail. When Hatter started to recite three verses of Jabberwocky in his wee sco'ish accent.
Now to see it a couple of more times before it comes out on DVD.

Music or Mythology

On the eve of my 27th birthday, my life seems a lot clearer. I am not afraid to be gone before I reach that ripe age, as most of the great artists have.
(As Thomas Acda once said: "I do not reckon that I am as good as they are, but somebody up there might just make a mistake.")
Friday was awesome, with a lot of people coming over to my home and having to make the difficult choice between blue or pink cake. (pink was clearly favourite among the men)
Laughter, talk, some discussion about hard liquor and the night was on its way.
Today continued the trend, with a Japanese taiko show.
Imagine drums the size of a small van, on which they start pounding as if their life depending on it. Now envision ten people doing that simultaneously.
I think that my heartbeat will match that pace for the next couple of days at least.
Tomorrow hails the relatives, which means more laughter, talk and imbibing of hard liquor.

On another note, last Monday I want to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which did not disappoint. The entire movie had that particular Gilliam vibe about it, with even a small Python-esque interlude.
It might end a bit anticlimactic, but what else could happen with Heath Ledger's final movie project.

Anyway, the future has many things in store; new albums for Volbeat, Gorillaz, Abingdon Boys School, Kamelot, Blind Guardian.
And this all has inspired me at least a bit.
For all the trusty readers, complete this task and a specially selected committee will decide which of you will walk away with a music related prize. (a trifle, nothing more, of course)
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

What songs were the blog topics from january taken from and why were they appropriate for said posts?

Answers can be handed in via mail (either electronic or tangible) or you could always use the comments, in which case other readers can benefit from your hard labour.

Until next time, may your birthdays be plentiful

And That's The Way To Stay

Single's Awareness Day is just around the corner, but with all the Carnaval, Winter Olympics and Valentine's Day festivities going on, no one really seems to care one way or the other.
So to all those happy or unhappy singles out there, party hard the next couple of days, especially when listening to the stylings of

Boney M


Alphaville

or even Abba

Chaos Reconstruction III

Time for an old fashioned mash up of reviews

Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol
Sometimes you just have to read a book to see if the hype is justified.
Unfortunately, Dan Brown did not deliver in spades.
He certainly gives the reader what they want. More Robert Langdon, more semi-scientific jibber jabber and an eccentric villain, but the concept is so far from original that even the little twists cannot save the novel form being a simple repeat of his earlier novels.



Avatar
James Cameron even had me under his spell. I assume enough has been said about his latest project. With the story being derivative, the cinematics spectacular and Checkov's gun being fired on almost every account.




The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya
Where The Melancholy needed the set-up for all the characters, the second novel could just jump right into the action.
The school festival is approaching and Haruhi would not be herself if she was not setting out to get the best project done before then. So a movie starring everyone's favourite bombshell upperclassman Mikuru should be all she needs.
But of course, Haruhi's overactive imagination and reality altering powers kick in to Kyon's dismay. The same andros ex machina comes to the rescue, so I am hoping that this is not going to be a frequently recurring mechanic.


Frank Beddor - ArchEnemy
The first one in the bunch that wow'ed me. In the aftermath of WILMA, King Arch plans his attack on Wondertropolis, whilst Redd and Alyss lay low, biding their time until their imagination comes back. Molly struggles with her failure, as Hatter takes her to the only person he assumes can help them.
The oracular caterpillars steer everyone in the direction they wish and all act as orchestrated.
In this final part of the trilogy, all loose ends are tied together, the possibility for any sequel is brilliantly snuffed out and although not happy, the survivors live ever after.

Allo Allo, the stage play
Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft did their best to make an adaptation if their innuendo laden series. With all players but René and Edith performing multiple parts, the show had a bit of a fourth wall breaking element, with them changing behind the transforming stage, as well as changing mid scene on stage. It is even more hilarious to see Herr Flick take of his coat and walk over to the next table to transform into captain Bertorelli. I laughed and groaned enough that night to make my sides hurt.

Now if only I would finish Wizard and Glass before I start another book.

What Is This Thing That Builds Our Dreams

Of course The Lovely Bones won out in the end, with time constraints keeping me from Gilliam goodness.
As much as Where The Wild Things Are made me laugh and smile, mister Jackson managed to do the same things whilst bringing tears to my eyes. To see the life of little Susie beaing snuffed out so easily. And trying to imagine the emotions of her family through it all did not leave me untouched.
Granted, the movie did skim some parts of the book more than others, but the overall imagery more than makes up for it. The magical realism of Susie's heaven contrasts very heavily with that of the 'real' world, with flowing corn fields, crumbling vistas and whatnot.
Fare thee well, Susie Salmon, fare thee well.

All Of Nature Wild And Free

Last Tuesday my friends and I went to see Where The Wild Things Are at our local cinema.
Needless to say I enjoyed myself, as well as some of my more 'indie'-inclined friends.
The movie keeps true to the picture novel that it is based on. That is to say, the copule of minutes in the movie that actually depict said book. The rest is filled with a little character building on Max's part, with 15 to 20 minutes of film leading up to his departure to the island. He arrives in the dead of night to find the Wild Things thrashing their camp, apparently unhappy with the current situation.
By a "fiendish psychological spiel" (and yes, do read that as if a 10 foot giant is making the quotation marks) he convinces them not to eat him and crown him their king.
In an effter to unite the group, he coaxes them into building the best fort a kid his age can imagine. But of course, such endeavours never go without trouble and soon the group is back at square one, with Max revealed for what he is. After a teary goodbye, Max heads back home and all is well. Not perfect, but livable.

I just loved the movie. The expressions of the the Wild Things, the insecurity and imperfections they all have and most of all the impressive scenery of the island made me wish I was there. And most of all that I could lug one of those 10 feet all huggable monsters back home. Jim Henson's Creature Workshop did a great job in making them the most likable bunch of critters you could ever want to meet on an island.

Next up: The Imiginarium of Dr. Parnassus or The Lovely Bones, depending on time constraints.
Have no fear, Wizard and Glass still progresses, as well as a side dish of The Lost Symbol.

Light In Your Head And Dead On Your Feet

I whiled away this afternoon by visiting the new Sherlock Holmes.
Boy, Guy Ritchie sure knows how to keep the movie going.
Alas, no multiple interweaving storylines, like in Lock, Stock and Snatch, but the elaboration of Holmes' actions and the replaying of multiple scenes do give it that typical Ritchie feel. The flow jsut felt so natural for it all, with the fast paced action, Victorian rabble and strange steampunk inventions giving it that little bit of flair that the first couple of Holmes novels have.
This is why I love Conan Doyle's style of writing, especially the more gaudy 10ct novella style writing he has. A debonair Holmes, taunting his adversaries and comrades alike, slightly eccentric, with a John Watson who is in his prime as the sidekick that does nog mind getting involved in a bit of a brawl.
It all seemed a bit more like Arsène Lupin than Holmes.
Granted, they moved the roles of the supporting characters around a bit, with Mary Morstan being introduced as Watson's fiancée and Irene Adler reappearing to sweep Holmes off his feet, which makes it quite hard to place the movie anywhere chronologically, unless you would place it loosely around the time of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

One more for the wish list, now if only The Brothers Bloom would get its release here.

Will You Be There Waiting For The Gates of Dawn

Lyman Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Heading into the book, I had a bit of an idea what to expect, but the story was indeed a bit more Grimm than most movie renditions make believe. Dorothy skips along the yellow brick road wearing silver shoes, which is a lot more sensible than ruby slippers if you ask me. And with the gruesome tale of how the Tin Woodsman became what he is today, nothing is as cosy or rose-colored as the Garland movie would make it appear.
After reading, I really wish Gilliam or Burton would make this into a movie, with all the grim and gritty imagery that comes with it.

From delightful and silly to delightfully silly

Lemony Snicket - Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid


What can I say? Daniel Handles simply regales us with small anecdotes and aphorisms, some of which are reprints from his Series of Unfortunate Events. It is a whimsical read, which can be finished way too quickly, but you'll enjoy yourself the enitre time.''




On an afternote, today marks the 5th anniversary of my grandfather's passing. He has left this world too quickly for my liking, but his memory will remain with me forever.

I've Listened to Preachers, I've Listened to Fools

New year, same old reviews
Stephen King - The Waste Lands


Part the third of the Dark Tower goes on without pausing, with Roland of Gilead slowly going insane as he finds out the hard way that time paradoxes are not something you want. And the only way to make it all better is to get the final member of their ka=tet, little old should-be-dead Jake Chambers from '70s New York. Interacting with the mechanical monstrosities that roam the path to the Tower, they end up at the home of Blaine the Mono, but his enigmatic personality is something to be revealed in the next volume, Wizard and Glass,



Douglas Adams - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

And at the other end of the line was this small trifle. Arthur is still sarcastic, Zaphod hyperactive, Ford hedonistic, Trillian sceptical and Marvin knows it really does not matter. Business as usual with an escape from Vogons, dinner at the end of time and things that will come back to haunt them in the next three volumes.
Then again, less than two hundred pages is not that much space to get a full scale narrative going.

Tomorrow it will be time to kick it old school style, with my buddy Holmes, provided the sneak preview at the movie theater is not interesting enough.