So there's no better time to start blogging again!
So let's look at the state of the world in terms of entertainment. I'm not talking about which blonde starlet is going to prison this week (I honestly can't keep track). I'm talking music, books, and most importantly (for me): MOVIES!
Books
Actually, we can cross books off the list because I'm so out-of-touch with the recently published that it's appalling. My (literal) pile of "books to read" is so massive that I've had to self-enforce an embargo on buying new books until I pare at least half of the pile down.
The current book I'm taking on: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke. I bought this brick of a book when it was first published (back in '04!) and I think its 782 pages scared me off. Well, I'm 291 pages in and I must admit that I was scared over nothing. It's an incredibly well-written book that flows effortlessly from chapter to chapter. It's all about "English Magic" in the very early 1800's when the Napoleonic Wars raged on between Britain and France. Until 1807 (according to the book) magic was a forgotten art that was much discussed by stuffy gentleman scholars but heaven forbid it should ever be practiced!
All of this changes when a reclusive magician named Mr Norrell starts actually performing magical acts. He becomes a London sensation when he helps with the war effort, despite his anti-social tendencies and his extreme fear of other magicians.
Eventually he does get a pupil in the form of the talented and charming Jonathan Strange. Of course, he turns out to be everything Norrell is not: Strange is a very social person, attracted to the more showy and dangerous types of magic. A rivalry is certainly being set up for the next few hundred pages, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these complex characters progress. This is definitely not a novel for those low on patience as the plot points wander by at a comfortable pace; one review said that this is a book to be "lived in for a few weeks" and I really have to agree! It creates an entire world that I love coming back to again and again.
Music
Okay, I'm going to REALLY cross this one off. Me and Music are having some troubles lately. If I see one more emo, bangs-in-front-of-the-eyes, "guyliner" coated singer, I'm actually going to rip my radio out of the car. Next.
Movies
Even the movie scene has been rough over the past few months! Although, what can I expect? It's summer right? Most major blockbusters were entertaining and action-packed fluff-pieces (Transformers, Live Free or Die Hard and Harry Potter immediately come to mind) while some were just plain disappointing (I'm thinking Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean 3). The only "summer movie" that really blew me away was The Bourne Ultimatum, a slick, well-executed, and above-all SMART action film.
The good movies are all LONG out of the theatres by now, and just hitting the DVDs by this time of the year. There's a triad of Mexican directors that I'll talk about next time that are taking Hollywood directors to SCHOOL right now in terms of artistic vision in their films. All three of these films just came out on DVD recently and all are amazing. I'm talking about Pan's Labyrinth, Babel, and Children of Men. I don't know what they're putting in the water in Mexico (and I probably don't WANT to know), but apparently if you can survive it, then you're bound to make good movies!
There's a final note that I just have to mention here, as I continue to work for AbbyShot Clothiers and drool over their coats. They now offer what is quite possibly the best-looking leather coat EVER, based on the jacket that Wolverine wears in X-Men 3. Check out the AbbyShot version below!
Very nice! I tried it on and for a few fleeting moments I felt just as rugged and manly as Wolverine. If that's not worth the price tag, then I don't know what is! So if anyone you know needs a sweet leather jacket that just happens to be inspired by Wolverine, then you know what to tell them: check out AbbyShot! There's my shameless plug for today.I must go and continue my Sunday activities of reading and lazing around. I'll be writing again soon. For real this time!
