Day: April 12, 2009

heart-shaped box

heart-shaped-box

I’m suspicious of any book/film with a song title for a title, so this Joe Hill novel I’ve been seeing on the shelves for a long time but I don’t pick it up or buy it because the title’s – *cringe*. And I love that Nirvana song.

Not to mention that the tag line used an ellipsis instead of a period. What is with horror/suspense novels and their damn ellipses?

Anyway, I haven’t read a good horror novel in a while (I’ve bought Joe Hill’s dad’s It, and a Clive Barker novel, but I’ll get to them later, they’re enormous), and I’m so glad I’ve read this one. Neil Gaiman, according to one of the blurbs, loved it “unreservedly”. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but Hill’s narrative has this restraint and touches of humor (not hysterical like his father’s; sometimes Stephen King practically screams the joke at you) that I fell for. It’s good. Still got the usual horror fare, like Ouija boards and ghosts talking through radios, and heroic animals, but it’s smart enough to know when it’s being faced by something silly. It’s good.

In the same bookstore where I got my copy of this, I also found an Owen King short story collection. Owen veered away from the supernatural, unlike his brother who embraced it and his dad who, well, practically lived in it. Wonder if he’s good. Maybe I’ll check it out when I have money again.

mini-reviews, 3

Here’s the first, here’s the second.

Monsters vs. Aliens

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Come on, all of my favorite people are here.

They were even able to squeeze Amy Poehler in there! I knew I should have paid more attention to the Computer character. And I was not able to guess that that was Rainn Wilson at all.

I was so excited when this film’s trailer came out – and I didn’t even know then who the voice talents were.

Well. I should have known: if you found a film’s trailer hilarious, more often than not the film itself wouldn’t be.

Monsters vs. Aliens is still funny, it has its moments, but I found the attack on San Francisco overwrought and tedious and, surprisingly, despite the amazing animation, bland, and really, if I didn’t see the trailer before the film I would have laughed at the theater more.

But the point is the producers need your money, media consumer. Who cares if you didn’t find it entertaining enough? You’ve coughed up the hundred-plus they need. So producers, you win.

Oh, but lay off the toilet humor. Stephen Colbert can be way funnier than that.

Balls of Fury

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No, I don’t know what Maggie Q is doing in this darn film but I laughed and I’m not ashamed of it.

Maybe a little bit.

House of 9

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Does anyone know this film? Has anyone ever seen it? Plot is simple and the action is engaging enough. Good for a lazy afternoon viewing.

Interesting that they cast Asher D as a rapper out to get his first contract, and then used his own song in one of the scenes. How shameless, and how lovely.