Thursday, April 29, 2010

Resurrect 'Em? Darn Near Killed 'Em! :D buahahaha!!!!


Well, well, well... I see you're back again...

No, I mean I see your back again... cover it up already! You think I want to see your back? Sheesh! Have some modesty, for Pete's sake!

Yes... I bought another book today... Wait, let me explain! I took Wifey to the bookstore to buy her an armload of books for her birthday, but she only wanted three... so I had to find one for myself, see... you understand, right? Right? Come on, get my back here, will ya? Just keep your back covered, alright?

What book did I buy, eh?

This one...

I always hear this guy's name mentioned, when people talk about the masters of Fantasy writing, and I've never read anything by Gemmell before, so I thought I'd add this one. Apparently, it's the first in a long series of interrelated books called The Drenai Saga. It was first published in 1984, so I expect the characters to have big hair, bad clothes and reference John Hughes movies...

Actually, the hero is called Druss, and is apparently one of the classic characters in the Fantasy world. I look forward to making his acquaintance! You know, eventually... no telling when I'll eventually get around to reading it. Maybe next, maybe never... you know me, I'm nothing if not flighty.

Also on my list of famous authors I have yet to try is Neil Gaiman, Terry Goodkind, Isaac Asimov, Raymond Feist and Robert Jordan. Among others, of course.

I almost bought this book today as well, but I restrained myself. It's called (coincidentally enough) Legends: Stories by the Masters of Modern Fantasy. In case you can't figure it out by the title, it's a collection of stories  by the heavyweights of Fantasy, including Stephen King, Robert Jordan, Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind, Orson Scott Card, Ursula Le Guin, Tad Williams, GRR Martin, Anne McCaffrey and Raymond Feist. I may pick it up at some point in the future, but for now, common sense prevailed and I passed. I have more than enough to read already. I should have known better than to go to the book store...

Yeah, I know... bad pun... sorry, it's in my blood...

I wish I had a funny video to show you tonight... but I don't... HOWEVER, what I DO have is the Gutbuster of the Day from This Is Why You're Fat... and this one might be the gutbuster to end all gutbusters...


The Melt Challenge: A 5-pound grilled cheese sandwich, using 13 different cheeses, 3 layers of bread, served with fries and slaw. If you eat the whole thing, your reward is death. Which will probably be welcome. I'd like to see Adam Richman (Man v Food) try to eat that one.

Then again, maybe I wouldn't like to see him try it...

So I watched a couple movies recently. Here are my reviews.

The Crying Game
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Every now and then, for whatever reason, I'll read or see something online about a film, and then pop it into my NetFlix queue. Then I forget about them, until they randomly appear in the mail. Not sure what I read about this little film that caused me to queue it... must have been the 6 Oscar Nominations it got, back in 1992. Anyway, if you've seen this, you know where the review is headed, and can skip it. If you haven't seen it before, I doubt you ever will, so you won't mind if I spoil it for you...

Bottom line: OMG, the chick is really a dude.

Man falls for chick, then quite shockingly discovers she's really a dude, and decides (after throwing up) that he loves him/her/it anyway. That's the synopsis. There's more to it than that, of course, but that's all you need to know. 2.5 stars for having the balls to run with that gimmick (pun intended).


The other movie I saw was called Identity...

Identity
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I think John Cusack has slowly, quietly cemented himself on my short list of Favorite Actors. There's just something about the way he exists inside roles that makes him a joy (for me) to watch. Except for Being John Malkovich, which I couldn't get through. (lol, I hear you now... "You could get through Crying Game, and you can't get through Being John Malkovich?") With all due respect to Cusack, in that case, it might have been the script rather than his performance... awful movie, that one...

But back to Identity... it's a thriller from 2003 which might be worth a viewing for you, if you don't mind suspense and some R Rated language. The synopsis is: a group of random people are stranded in the middle of the desert in a torrential downpour, at a run-down motel. Due to circumstances that I cannot reveal without spoiling the film (in case you want to see it) they start getting killed, one by one. It's very Hitchcockian. Or is it "Hitchcockesque"?

The chemistry between Liotta and Cusack is great, the rest of the cast holding their own as well. The ending is a bit corny and forced, but it was (for me) easily forgivable. Of course, my favorite Cusack film is Grosse Point Blank, by far... but this one is up there. 4 out of 5 stars.

In lieu of a Funny Video, I'm going to post a last Funny Picture and call it a night. It will require a little reading...


Well, there goes Father of the Year... better luck next year, bro...

I guess that's that for now. I have other stuff I'm cooking on that isn't ready to share yet... I'll post again soon.

Thanks for dropping by! And for covering up your back...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Malkovich gives me the willies - I don't watch anything with him in it.

Odhynn said...

That master gutbuster could feed a whole regiment.
So much wasted cheese ...

Odhynn said...

Also, I just read your Wagnervana webcomics.
Loved them. Especially the LAN and Mouse M.D. ones.

logankstewart said...

I have to second that about Cusack. He's excellent. I saw a man atop the stairs, I looked again he wasn't there...

Legend is supposed to be wonderful stuff, so it, too, is on my TBR list. Goodkind used to be, until I finally took him down, telling myself I don't wanna read some egotistical garbage by a guy who writes fantasy and claims he doesn't. Meh.

I saw him there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away

David Wagner said...

Ann: He's not a very good actor either. Other than In The Line Of Fire, I can't think of a movie he's been in that I thought he was good one.

Dry: 1 five-pound grilled cheese, coming up! Bon apetite! Hey, glad you liked the comics. Wish I'd get the comic bug again and make some more... but I'm lame like that...

Logan: Yeah, I've read mixed opinions about Goodkind. I'll probably give him a shot at some point. Wizard's First Rule, likely...

Abbie said...

haha, i KNEW you'd post that gutbuster item!! my friend at work told me about it and I told her that you'd probably see it and post it :)

it was good to see you today! thanks for offering your book for the summer :) I'll definitely take you up on it then!

Krista said...

Identity was a crazy movie! Pretty good, though.

haha killer Epic Fail! that's too funny unless he's serious, of course.

I was gonna try "Wizards First Rule" but heard it was awful so never did....

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

Fabulous post - so glad I stumbled my way over here. The huge sandwich makes me want to throw up and I love the Resolved Question.... LOL

Have to say I too loved Identity... one of those blow you away movies.

havah said...

Good lord! That sandwich would bust more than just your gut. Eww.

Now I want to see "Identity", which sucks because I'm on an old movie kick right. "Old movie" as in Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, etc.

That photo at the top: How real is it?