"Listening to Vampire Weekend is like being serenaded by a date rapist."
- David Hansen, 2008
Drowned In Sound review
Oh, the British. Too clever by half. Where damning with faint praise isn't some kind of tired, jaded pose, but something you merely exhale.
LATER: Hey - check out the new banner artwork. The final graphic has not been chosen yet, but we're getting close.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
Torture
Mildly diverting fan-fiction.
The original novel is suspenseful, lyric, haunting, surprising, subtle and thoughtful. This book is obvious, grotesque, and desperately begging for a film option.
I will admit, from a personal point of view, Quincey Harker's and his mentor's relationship held my interest in the opening chapters, and there were aspects of the period represented which were detailed and interesting. However, once the action begins moving, it's all very trite and spelled out in broad terms, the broadest of which is the villain, Countess Bathory, who is a very irritating character. Painted as a man-hating, drag-king, lesbian-witch from Hell, she is quite simply boring in every scene she is in.
My question is, my not take the risk and create a sequel that is written like the original, in found letters and documents? That simple (yet difficult) conceit makes the story live in the moment - and makes the mystery that much more mysterious, as we live the tale through those who do not know everything. Dracula, as presented in Bram Stoker's novel, is a complete cypher, he speaks for sure, but we only hear his thoughts through others. As penned by Ian Holt (and fronted by Dacre Stoker) he and Bathory are too accessible - in his case, far too much like Lestat or other vampires who have come since, and that brings this legendary creature far too close to earth.
Why so much time spent on a review for a book I disliked? Because I felt compelled to finish it because of this play, otherwise I would have returned it to the library two weeks ago. I do not have time to read any more vampire fiction, it's 2010 and I need to get me a biography of Jesse Owens.
Yes, by that definition, Dracula: The Un-Dead is a sequel. But having read the original and this work back-to-back, really highlighted the classic nature of the original, and the commonness of the follow-up.
se⋅quel /ˈsikwəl/ –noun
1. a literary work, movie, etc., that is complete in itself but continues the narrative of a preceding work.
2. an event or circumstance following something; subsequent course of affairs.
3. a result, consequence, or inference.
Origin: 1375–1425; late ME sequel(e) < L sequēla what follows, equiv. to sequ(ī) to follow + -ēla n. suffix
The original novel is suspenseful, lyric, haunting, surprising, subtle and thoughtful. This book is obvious, grotesque, and desperately begging for a film option.
I will admit, from a personal point of view, Quincey Harker's and his mentor's relationship held my interest in the opening chapters, and there were aspects of the period represented which were detailed and interesting. However, once the action begins moving, it's all very trite and spelled out in broad terms, the broadest of which is the villain, Countess Bathory, who is a very irritating character. Painted as a man-hating, drag-king, lesbian-witch from Hell, she is quite simply boring in every scene she is in.
My question is, my not take the risk and create a sequel that is written like the original, in found letters and documents? That simple (yet difficult) conceit makes the story live in the moment - and makes the mystery that much more mysterious, as we live the tale through those who do not know everything. Dracula, as presented in Bram Stoker's novel, is a complete cypher, he speaks for sure, but we only hear his thoughts through others. As penned by Ian Holt (and fronted by Dacre Stoker) he and Bathory are too accessible - in his case, far too much like Lestat or other vampires who have come since, and that brings this legendary creature far too close to earth.
Why so much time spent on a review for a book I disliked? Because I felt compelled to finish it because of this play, otherwise I would have returned it to the library two weeks ago. I do not have time to read any more vampire fiction, it's 2010 and I need to get me a biography of Jesse Owens.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Nightmare
Had an honest-to-God vampire nightmare last night. Only - and this is telling - I was the vampire, and I was terrified of getting caught.
I was working in collabortaion with someone, probably some kind of mentor, I cannot remember who. They had captured this plus-sized woman (Susan Boyle?) by pressing some kind of restrictive electronic bolts into her neck. I was then supposed to slash her throat open ... but I was armed with only a Phillips head screwdriver. She was all screaming and stuff and I was making these passes with the screwdriver which barely scratched her skin.
Later, I was to attack and suck the blood of a partygoer at this large, fancy, well-attended party. I was to pull them into the shadows and do my work. But I freaked out and ended up just grabbing them and running out of the party with them. At this point, I believe my intended victim was Doug Kusak, and he wasn't too bothered by my behavior because he knows me.
Huh. Why Doug? Maybe because he played a part in my other vampire play. Anyway, I was a pathetic, wimpy, scared vampire-wannabe guy.
I was working in collabortaion with someone, probably some kind of mentor, I cannot remember who. They had captured this plus-sized woman (Susan Boyle?) by pressing some kind of restrictive electronic bolts into her neck. I was then supposed to slash her throat open ... but I was armed with only a Phillips head screwdriver. She was all screaming and stuff and I was making these passes with the screwdriver which barely scratched her skin.
Later, I was to attack and suck the blood of a partygoer at this large, fancy, well-attended party. I was to pull them into the shadows and do my work. But I freaked out and ended up just grabbing them and running out of the party with them. At this point, I believe my intended victim was Doug Kusak, and he wasn't too bothered by my behavior because he knows me.Huh. Why Doug? Maybe because he played a part in my other vampire play. Anyway, I was a pathetic, wimpy, scared vampire-wannabe guy.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Copy
We held some informal auditions this weekend. It was very reassuring to hear how much Andrew was enjoying the material, and how much he was asking from the actors were in sync with my own feelings about these characters.
Whew!
Meanwhile, I recently had a dream that we sat down for a reading of the script, somewhere at some time, and that it suddenly occurred to me that one of my scenes was entirely plagiarized from something a contemporary of mine has written - and that she was there for the reading! Man. That was embarrassing.
Whew!
Meanwhile, I recently had a dream that we sat down for a reading of the script, somewhere at some time, and that it suddenly occurred to me that one of my scenes was entirely plagiarized from something a contemporary of mine has written - and that she was there for the reading! Man. That was embarrassing.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Impaled
Dracula: The Un-Dead first impressions: Dracula as snuff film.
I was amused to find a passing reference to "Dr. Langella." I am also using names from other pieces of literature for non-appearing characters. It's fun.
I was amused to find a passing reference to "Dr. Langella." I am also using names from other pieces of literature for non-appearing characters. It's fun.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Pulp
Bella's Bookshelf
"This is a blog for discussing the classic literature that Bella Swan Cullen mentions through the course of the Twilight Saga. We will also read the type of books that I think Bella would keep on her bookshelf in the cottage, as well as the works that Stephenie Meyer used as a basis for the Twilight Saga."
Well, kids, what do we say about trash-lit that steers young people toward the classics? We call them gateway drugs, don't we? I'm all for it. Reading is reading. My six year-old just finished her first chapter book all on her own - 118 pages. She devoured it in just a couple days.
Uh, she is reading over my shoulder. Right now.
Meanwhile, I am reading Dracula: The Un-Dead. It's fun! Really! The Harkers' offspring, mentioned in the Epilogue of "The Original Classic" (oops, uh, SPOILER ALERT) is a disappointment to his parents because (wait for it ...) he wants to join THE THEATRE!
So there's that. It is far too kinky (lesbians! whips!) for me to take it very seriously, but that doesn't mean the pages aren't turning.
Meanwhile ... The Giaour ... The Giaour ... The Giaour ...
"This is a blog for discussing the classic literature that Bella Swan Cullen mentions through the course of the Twilight Saga. We will also read the type of books that I think Bella would keep on her bookshelf in the cottage, as well as the works that Stephenie Meyer used as a basis for the Twilight Saga."
Well, kids, what do we say about trash-lit that steers young people toward the classics? We call them gateway drugs, don't we? I'm all for it. Reading is reading. My six year-old just finished her first chapter book all on her own - 118 pages. She devoured it in just a couple days.
Uh, she is reading over my shoulder. Right now.
Meanwhile, I am reading Dracula: The Un-Dead. It's fun! Really! The Harkers' offspring, mentioned in the Epilogue of "The Original Classic" (oops, uh, SPOILER ALERT) is a disappointment to his parents because (wait for it ...) he wants to join THE THEATRE!
So there's that. It is far too kinky (lesbians! whips!) for me to take it very seriously, but that doesn't mean the pages aren't turning.
Meanwhile ... The Giaour ... The Giaour ... The Giaour ...
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Audiobooks
Okay, so a few weeks ago I paid actual money to download an audiobook of Polidori's The Vampyre. It was worth it to listen to someone read the piece out loud, because the narrator, B.J. Harrison, emphasized things that I wouldn't have, and the pace was different for me. He does put on an affected accent which I do not believe is necessary, but it is a vampire story. It was worth two bucks.
However, if you are too cheap to spring for a semi-professional read, by all means dig into this presentation from HorrorAddicts.net - or as Host/Sad Girl Emerian Rich likes to call it, Horror Addicks. Once you get past all the ads and banter about exciting, eventually-to-be-written fanfiction, you will be treated to an auditory experience like no other.
However, if you are too cheap to spring for a semi-professional read, by all means dig into this presentation from HorrorAddicts.net - or as Host/Sad Girl Emerian Rich likes to call it, Horror Addicks. Once you get past all the ads and banter about exciting, eventually-to-be-written fanfiction, you will be treated to an auditory experience like no other.
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