The Golden Compass is one of the more amazing movies I’ve seen all year. Best fantasy since Pan’s Labyrinth, I’d say. Too, so, so sad I didn’t read the book first. No way to remedy that now, of course, but, can try to make up for it anyway. Also on-list: Inkheart.
The Girl Next Door is, yes, look-away-from kind of disturbing. It’s like if you took Stand By Me and The River’s Edge and The Lord of the Flies then dialed the squirm factor up to about fifty. Too, I really like the way Farrands and Nutman rerigged the Ketchum ending. It works.
Two movies I can’t hardly wait for, and don’t care if saying it like that’s about seventy-five percent of a double-negative: Hack ‘N Slash and Semi-Pro. Too, I’ve got a couple of relatives in Walk Hard, but would have been there for that anyway.
My story “The Ones Who Got Away” just got picked up for the Prime Books 2008 Anthology PHANTOM, edited by Paul Tremblay. So, summer, early fall; right around the time of Ledfeather, I’d guess. Very excited about the story getting out there, too. For me, it’s got the same-whatever that that story “Carbon” from Bleed Into Me has, or “Screentime,” or “Venison.”
Too, almost forgot to say: I’m likely in the minority here, but I really liked the Darabont-ending for The Mist. Though I really really really could have done without all the screaming, all the posture-y ‘inarticulate howl’ about the essential unfairness of the world, etc. Would have much rather [ spoilers here abound, hardy hearty traveller ] had the guy kind of just shut down, then retreat back into the mist, still chasing that ending he’d gambled on.
