Penguins, Pianists and Persistence

That photo may be a re-post, I don't know... whether I've posted it in this blog before or not, still, it's nice to look at. Click it and look at it nice a big for a minute or so. Remarkable, isn't it? Can you smell the sea, feel the icy cold, hear the sound of the water splashing up onto the iceberg there? I love pics that transport me like that. Adds the barest whiff of adventure to my life.

2/3 of the way through a holiday weekend. I haven't been very productive. I've mostly been spending time watching titles on Netflix and reading Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan. I'm about 60% through the book - and it's a long one. It has striking similarities to The Name of the Wind, in that it features a legendary, peerless warrior type recounting his life story to a chronicler on a ship voyage to meet his doom, and the bulk of what I read thus far features his schooling in the arts of war, etc., as he flowers into the legend that everyone knows him to be, etc. Having been published this past January, it's hard to escape the idea that he ripped the story structure from Rothfuss, but I suppose it's acceptable, since he's really telling quite a different tale. The main character Vaelin is more skilled at the art of war than Kvothe is, but he's nowhere near as well-rounded in other ways, as Kvothe is. Kvothe excelled in the magic arts, in music, in craftsmanship, in intelligence.

In any case, it's a good read. I'm curious to see how volume one concludes.

On Netflix, I watched a documentary on the life and career of Woody Allen, and it was very inspiring. I've never really been a Woody Allen fan, and the doc doesn't change that. I think in a lot of ways, he's just a dirty old man. Still, it's interesting to see his approach to writing, directing, film making, etc. The Fowlers and I are trying to get another film project rolling; we're going to meet again this week to try and pick an idea or two. I've come up with four new ideas in the past day, and hope to come up with more by meeting time. One thing I'm good for is ideas... seeing them through to fruition is where I struggle. Anyway, it was an inspiring doc.

I also watched His Gal Friday and The Pianist (with Adrien Brody)... a strange mix, eh? His Gal Friday (Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell) was a bit too high-strung for my tastes... the dialog was solid, but delivered at such a fast pace, it was hard to enjoy. And the climax just made my head swim. I was glad to see the end credits. And Adrien Brody was magnificent in The Pianist. How good? Well, he beat out Daniel Day Lewis (Gangs of New York) for the Best Actor nod that year. Tough call - I'd hate to have to decide between those two. What a breath-taking film.

Oddly enough, another nominee for Best Actor that year was Nicolas Cage, for Adaptation, which is an amazing script by Charlie Kaufman. Wasn't a fan of his Being John Malkovich, but I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The guy knows his way around a screenplay. However, I still can't reconcile the ideas of 'Nic Cage' and 'Oscar-worthy performances'...

I keep threatening to go see the latest Batman film, but have yet to follow through on the threat. As recently as Sunday afternoon (today, as I write this), Wifey and I were going to go see it, but we canceled at the last minute (yet again). What ultimately kills it for me is that daunting near-three hour run time. I hope I can overcome that before the movie is out of the theater...

I guess I'm in a movie state of mind tonight.

I'm finding myself at a loss as to what to say next, so I think I will pull the plug and move on for now. Besides, it's quarter of two in the morning as I type this - I think I'll go see what dreams my subconscious has in store for me tonight. Maybe they'll inspire another movie idea or three.

Adios for now,

Dave the Plebian