Deep Space Rumble: WAR OF THE WORLDS and STEALTH

Recently I had a chance to compare these two movies back to back. Curiously, The War of the Worlds is a straight disaster film, and Stealth is Sci-Fi, sort of.

The War of the Worlds stars Tom Cruise and never rises above its star, or director, Stephen Speilberg. It is Speilberg's fixation on delivering a happy ending that reduces this film to a sad cliche of special effects disaster movies, and Cruise, phones in his screen time as if it were a photo op. The disaster effects are the only attraction here.

Watching Stealth, I realized that it was a twenty-first century amalgum of Top Gun and 2001. The fighter pilots mundane jockying for status is derailed by an A.I. fighter drone. This makes it Sci-Fi, but does not elevate it into the realm of good Science Fiction. Filled with preposterous, but admittedly fun, action sequences, Stealth, is the more entertaining of the two; but still not recommended.

If you choose to watch either of these movies you had best leave your thinking caps at home. The only way to be pleasantly surprised is to lower your expectations at the start.

Gene Wolfe on J.R.R. Tolkien

Here is a link to an article by Gene Wolfe on his fondness for Tolkien. I find it especially insightful considering that his character Sir Able, in THE KNIGHT, lives according to a strict code of honor.

Jared Diamond's COLLAPSE

Jared Diamond is the author of one of our favorite books, GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL. His new book, COLLAPSE: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, is currently scheduled for May of 2006, bumping THE EUDAEMONIC PIE to August of 2007.

PEACE Article by Borski

In researching Gene Wolfe's PEACE I came across this article by Robert Borski . If you want to read my thoughts on the novel, please buy the PEACE INDEXICON, published in 2001 by Sirius Fiction.

Link to Eight Worlds essay.

A short essay on John Varley's Eight Worlds can be found at Strange Worlds.

The Death Dance of our Times

In STEEL BEACH John Varley's has a scene where a reporter interviewing a victim asks, "So how does that make you feel?" His character Hildy Johnson muses that this is the death dance of our times. I recently came across this same expression in a poem by G.K. Chesterson titled The Song of Right and Wrong.

The Song of Right and Wrong

Feast on wine or fast on water
And your honour shall stand sure,
God Almighty's son and daughter
He the valiant, she the pure;
If an angel out of heaven
Brings you other things to drink,
Thank him for his kind attentions,
Go and pour them down the sink.

Tea is like the East he grows in,
A great yellow Mandarin
With urbanity of manner
And unconsciousness of sin;
All the women, like a harem,
At his pig-tail troop along;
And, like all the East he grows in,
He is Poison when he's strong.

Tea, although an Oriental,
Is a gentleman at least;
Cocoa is a cad and coward,
Cocoa is a vulgar beast,
Cocoa is a dull, disloyal,
Lying, crawling cad and clown,
And may very well be grateful
To the fool that takes him down.

As for all the windy waters,
They were rained like tempests down
When good drink had been dishonoured
By the tipplers of the town;
When red wine had brought red ruin
And the death-dance of our times,
Heaven sent us Soda Water
As a torment for our crimes.

- G.K. Chesterton

Different times, a different dance. I like Varley's application of the phrase better.

The Reformation up next

This is the next book . If you don't have a copy, order one soon. It can be had for five dollars; not bad for 900+ pages.

Will Durant THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION: THE REFORMATION

Do as I say (Not as I Do)

Check out this book. It looks like a very entertaining read.

Do As I Say (Not As I Do) : Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy
by Peter Schweizer

LOTR++ Marathon one step closer

+The Video equipment for the Lord of the Rings Marathon has been reserved for December 17th.

++Note: I don't have to return the equipment until Monday, Dec. 19th. So there is the possibility of more movie madness on Sunday the 18th. I was thinking A L I E N (1-5), Highlander or Star Trek the Next Generation. Anyone interested? Suggestions are being accepted at the main office.

Be there, Aloha.