Various Stuff

Yesterday the string of thunderstorms (and tornadoes) pretty much kept me inside. This morning looking at my indigo outside the kitchen, some plants suffered from the wind. I'll have to find something to stake them upright.

Oh well, the rain allowed me to catch up with my reading and to watch a few movies.

Finally finished The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris. I enjoyed the premise of a man hired to be the ghost writer for a famous man's (Britain's ex-Prime Minister... clearly intended to be Tony Blair) memoirs. It was a good set up and Harris always writes well, unfortunately I think Harris may have allowed his views to eclipse the plot. On a plot level, some things didn't make a great deal of sense, foremost of which is why someone as apolitical as the ghost writer would keep digging himself deeper into the mystery rather than taking his own advice and backing away slowly. There wasn't much character-wise that supported that this particular person would feel compelled to find out the truth either for reasons of morality or because he couldn't stand to not have his curiosity quenched. A little more character development would've been helpful. Plus, the ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Although I can't say I'm totally surprised by there being a weak ending. I also greatly enjoyed Harris's Pompeii, but that enjoyment was despite the fact that the ending of that novel was patently ludicrous. Everything else was good so I was willing to overlook the fact that ( spoilers )

Also finally got around to seeing Avartar. Eh. I'm sure it was pretty in the theater but the plot... well, first I thought I would say that (with the addition of aliens and special effects) it was emulating A Man Called Horse, but the closer and more cutting truth may be that strip it of aliens and you basically have a gender reverse of any number of 1980s Cassie Edwards romance novels. And I have to say that within this genre... I preferred Dustin Hoffman's more comedic (and yet still tragic) Little Big Man

Next, I watched Terminator Salvation and liked it better than I thought I would. I loved, loved, loved Terminator, liked T2, and enjoyed The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I hadn't heard great things about Terminator Salvation. Overall, I enjoyed it. However, since I seem to be nitpicking today, I have a few. Again, I thought an ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Still, overall I enjoyed it.

Also watched 500 Days of Summer. I really liked it. No nitpicking. I just liked it.

Finally, watched this weeks' (UK) episode of Doctor Who with the return of the Weeping Angels. Not a lot to say (other than I vastly prefer the Angels to Daleks as villains. I'm pretty damn sick of Daleks). My primary reaction this season is that I really like the new Doctor, but I freaking love Amy Pond. I need icons.

Prettier weather today, so probably a lot less lazy viewing of stuff. :)

Various Stuff

Yesterday the string of thunderstorms (and tornadoes) pretty much kept me inside. This morning looking at my indigo outside the kitchen, some plants suffered from the wind. I'll have to find something to stake them upright.

Oh well, the rain allowed me to catch up with my reading and to watch a few movies.

Finally finished The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris. I enjoyed the premise of a man hired to be the ghost writer for a famous man's (Britain's ex-Prime Minister... clearly intended to be Tony Blair) memoirs. It was a good set up and Harris always writes well, unfortunately I think Harris may have allowed his views to eclipse the plot. On a plot level, some things didn't make a great deal of sense, foremost of which is why someone as apolitical as the ghost writer would keep digging himself deeper into the mystery rather than taking his own advice and backing away slowly. There wasn't much character-wise that supported that this particular person would feel compelled to find out the truth either for reasons of morality or because he couldn't stand to not have his curiosity quenched. A little more character development would've been helpful. Plus, the ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Although I can't say I'm totally surprised by there being a weak ending. I also greatly enjoyed Harris's Pompeii, but that enjoyment was despite the fact that the ending of that novel was patently ludicrous. Everything else was good so I was willing to overlook the fact that ( spoilers )

Also finally got around to seeing Avartar. Eh. I'm sure it was pretty in the theater but the plot... well, first I thought I would say that (with the addition of aliens and special effects) it was emulating A Man Called Horse, but the closer and more cutting truth may be that strip it of aliens and you basically have a gender reverse of any number of 1980s Cassie Edwards romance novels. And I have to say that within this genre... I preferred Dustin Hoffman's more comedic (and yet still tragic) Little Big Man

Next, I watched Terminator Salvation and liked it better than I thought I would. I loved, loved, loved Terminator, liked T2, and enjoyed The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I hadn't heard great things about Terminator Salvation. Overall, I enjoyed it. However, since I seem to be nitpicking today, I have a few. Again, I thought an ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Still, overall I enjoyed it.

Also watched 500 Days of Summer. I really liked it. No nitpicking. I just liked it.

Finally, watched this weeks' (UK) episode of Doctor Who with the return of the Weeping Angels. Not a lot to say (other than I vastly prefer the Angels to Daleks as villains. I'm pretty damn sick of Daleks). My primary reaction this season is that I really like the new Doctor, but I freaking love Amy Pond. I need icons.

Prettier weather today, so probably a lot less lazy viewing of stuff. :)

Various Stuff

Yesterday the string of thunderstorms (and tornadoes) pretty much kept me inside. This morning looking at my indigo outside the kitchen, some plants suffered from the wind. I'll have to find something to stake them upright.

Oh well, the rain allowed me to catch up with my reading and to watch a few movies.

Finally finished The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris. I enjoyed the premise of a man hired to be the ghost writer for a famous man's (Britain's ex-Prime Minister... clearly intended to be Tony Blair) memoirs. It was a good set up and Harris always writes well, unfortunately I think Harris may have allowed his views to eclipse the plot. On a plot level, some things didn't make a great deal of sense, foremost of which is why someone as apolitical as the ghost writer would keep digging himself deeper into the mystery rather than taking his own advice and backing away slowly. There wasn't much character-wise that supported that this particular person would feel compelled to find out the truth either for reasons of morality or because he couldn't stand to not have his curiosity quenched. A little more character development would've been helpful. Plus, the ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Although I can't say I'm totally surprised by there being a weak ending. I also greatly enjoyed Harris's Pompeii, but that enjoyment was despite the fact that the ending of that novel was patently ludicrous. Everything else was good so I was willing to overlook the fact that ( spoilers )

Also finally got around to seeing Avartar. Eh. I'm sure it was pretty in the theater but the plot... well, first I thought I would say that (with the addition of aliens and special effects) it was emulating A Man Called Horse, but the closer and more cutting truth may be that strip it of aliens and you basically have a gender reverse of any number of 1980s Cassie Edwards romance novels. And I have to say that within this genre... I preferred Dustin Hoffman's more comedic (and yet still tragic) Little Big Man

Next, I watched Terminator Salvation and liked it better than I thought I would. I loved, loved, loved Terminator, liked T2, and enjoyed The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I hadn't heard great things about Terminator Salvation. Overall, I enjoyed it. However, since I seem to be nitpicking today, I have a few. Again, I thought an ending was somewhat weak ( spoilers )

Still, overall I enjoyed it.

Also watched 500 Days of Summer. I really liked it. No nitpicking. I just liked it.

Finally, watched this weeks' (UK) episode of Doctor Who with the return of the Weeping Angels. Not a lot to say (other than I vastly prefer the Angels to Daleks as villains. I'm pretty damn sick of Daleks). My primary reaction this season is that I really like the new Doctor, but I freaking love Amy Pond. I need icons.

Prettier weather today, so probably a lot less lazy viewing of stuff. :)