Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I hope everyone stays safe during this holiday season. I’m fairly certain in your neck of the woods, the temperature has hit the triple digit mark (if not, I envy you) and rain is something you do with dollar bills. Please be careful with the fireworks, have a well-cooked hamburger for me and have fun. I still have to go into work, but I am anticipating a slow day like most holidays. However, the holiday pay will more than make up for the boredom I am going to have to suffer through.

Well, I promised you a review of the movie “Prometheus” (now that I finally remember it). OK – if you thought about seeing it because it was touted as a prequel to “Alien”, then you will be in for a bit of a disappointment. As a direct prequel, it doesn’t really work and to me. The creature was a bigger horror when we didn’t know what the Xenomorph was. No doubt, Erich von Daniken is going to ride this new wave of popularity for a while with his “Chariot of the Gods” getting a modest tip of the hat from the movie. Now, if you go in with the idea that this is the pitch of a re-boot for the franchise, then this movie is good. The performances from the actors were what I would expect – with David Fassenbender being the best exception. His David has been the creepiest android in the franchise – which will no doubt serve as an oft-repeated cautionary tale. Overall, if you absolutely have to see this movie, I would wait until it is released at Red-Box to see it. So far, out of the summer films I have seen, “The Avengers” is the best by far. “The Dark Night Rises” is the next on my list. I might catch “The Amazing Spider-Man” over a weekend matinee, but I think it’s a little soon for a “re-boot”.

And that’s another thing that slightly rankles me: the idea of a re-boot. Movies aren’t computers. You don’t have to turn them off for thirty seconds to make them better (however in the case for some movies, thirty seconds isn’t long enough. ‘Spawn’ – I’m looking at you.). Why not call it what it is: the cash-grab. Yes, some movies are better after they’ve been re-done (Christopher Nolan’s Batman series comes to mind), but some of them don’t really hit the mark like they should. Spider-Man is an example of what’s wrong with it. I loved the first two Sam Raimi films (I’ll tell you what I would have done with the third in a later posting) and I am a Marvel fan ’til I die. I don’t think that a reboot is warranted as far as ‘we need to do something to re-charge the franchise!’ It was fine enough as it was. However, having said that – I can see why it would be needed if their intention was to get all the Marvel movies together in one universe as it were, like they are doing with ‘The Avengers’. That makes sense, since the original movies were done through Sony and can’t be ‘linked’ as it were. I can appreciate that, but ‘re-boot’? Really?

Well, I need to get back to the novel, so again – Happy Fourth of July, be careful and have fun.

Sincerely,

Seething With Apathy

To let everyone (or all two of you) know, as I had said earlier, I am going to use this blog as a warm up before breaking down and actually writing something for profit and/or fun. I still intend on doing that, but I am going to say that Thursday and Friday are not going to have entries. Before you start rioting, let me explain. After that, smash windows and steal stuff to your heart’s content – but I will have a list of items that I wouldn’t mind finding outside my front doorstep.

Thursday and Friday, I volunteered to work overtime in the vat for the morning shift before going back to the funk in the vicing evening. I did this because I needed the extra money to hire an editor (who got a shout out earlier) and put some money towards a cover artist (because as I have found out going through the convention last week – art really matters). Here’s the thing – another friend of mine volunteered to be my editor for free (she got a shout out as well, but she’s gonna get another one next time), so now I have more money to throw at an artist. So – thank you, marvelous masked editor. You have no idea what you’re getting into.

Now Thursday and Friday I am going to be fried on 4 and 5 hours of sleep. Saturday is going to be a day of slight rest and seeing the Avengers in 3D. I’ve been putting it off for a while, and frankly, the current 3D experience hasn’t been very good to me. I saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D when someone was demonstrating a 3D TV to me. It looked 3D-like – thankfully, it wasn’t the red-blue 3D effect, but the polarized lenses 3D. Everything had depth, but it still looked flat. It looked like I was watching a very detailed and very fluidly moving diorama: here was Alice and a few inches away here are some roots and a foot away here is a branch. Not the best experience, but at least I could watch it without having to lift up the glasses to stave off a headache. While, yes – this is an excuse to see The Avengers again – I want to see if 3D is better in the theaters. I also saw Prometheus, and that is going to be the subject of my next entry now that I’ve had a couple of weeks to think about it.

Also – the Olympics are coming and the Tour de France is here… but with my new schedule, I had to make a choice as to what I am recording. While I like NBCSports coverage of the Tour… but every live telecast in the morning is 4 hours long. With my old work schedule, I could come home and watch the recording not worry about losing anything. Now? Not so much. I’m not going to have access to a TV anytime soon and I have limited space on my DVR (and plenty of series I need to finish watching: ‘Castle’, ‘Fringe’ and ‘The Mentalist’ among them). Watching it in the morning is out because I need to write. So, as far as sacrifices go, this one is small since I can follow it on the Internet at work.

Well, that’s all for now. Thanks to my new found editor for offering her services. Hopefully, editing my work won’t be too much of a mind-shattering experience.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Good morning everyone. With my new schedule change, I am trying something different. I am going to write in the morning before I have to leave for work. If everything works out, you should see a lot more activity on this blog, as it is becoming my morning warm-up.

Above: The Breakfast of us creative types.

Over the weekend, I had the chance to go to the Fantasy and Horror Convention here in my home town. If you ever get the chance to see Colin Ferguson on a convention panel, drop any commitments you have for that day and buy a ticket. He is hilarious. I also got to see Sid Haig – a man that I would love to have a beer with and have him tell me tales from his 50+ years in the business. I also got to see the Fifth Doctor (Patrick Traughton) and Gareth David-Lloyd – both very charming and funny. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pictures of them because my battery was running low. I also got to see another actor. You may have seen him in something:

Above: Mojito, anyone?

I got to sit in on “The Walking Dead”. It’s a pity if the rumors are true about T-Dog – I liked IronE and Jeffery DeMunn and wish they had more screen time:

Above: If you’re genre savvy – get a good look. That’s all I’m saying…

Above: He finally read the comics after his character’s death… he’s currently looking for a new agent.

I also got to walk the merchandising floor:

Above: Zombmassage: No ‘happy ending’… nope, not at all

Above: Ketchup makes everything tastes better.

Above: Scouting for possible production companies for the screenplay “Night of Life”. Hey – gotta start somewhere.

Walking into the book section of the convention (shocked me that there was a book section, honestly) gave me hope that I can eventually sell my own books… when they’re finished of course. The authors I talked with were kind, willing to talk to someone who asked some hopefully intelligent questions (no one rolled their eyes, so that was a good sign). With that in mind – I have a goal. By this time in 2013, I will have enough material and cash to go to a convention and sell my stuff under my own imprint. At the very least, it will get me more visibility in other markets. Just a reminder – I do have a book out there: Four Bits and a Dollar for the Kindle and the Nook. Only a $1.50 – a steal at any price, so run out and get your copy now before supplies run out!

Well, I had a jam-packed weekend and I am kinda looking forward to this new shift – except for Thursday and Friday when I’m going to work 13 hours, but I want the overtime to pay for the cover art and editing for the first finished book. Which one is that going to be? I really don’t know. My track record for sticking to a single project is… a little sparse.

Well, farewell Dear Reader. I am warmed up enough to set myself to work.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy