This Week in Geek (5-11/05/08)

You're a mean one Mr. GrinchBuys

Been meaning to either read volume 2 and on, or start posting heavily about volume 1 before doing so, but volume 4 is the proverbial kick in the ass. At the same time, I'm totally ready for the OMAC Omnibus. And may I just say? It was about time Darkseid got a cover!




"Accomplishments"

SaaaaaaasssyAlready posted about seeing Iron Man, but what else did I see this week? Ah yes, I flipped Veronica Mars Season 3, more leisurely this time (over 5 days rather than 2). I hate hate hate the new theme song remix, but Veronica moving to college, leaving Neptune High behind, isn't in any way a jumping of the shark. It's nigh impossible for the show to recapture the intensity of Season 1, but it was still great, with mysteries less drawn out than in the past. The season, indeed, the SERIES, ends on a very somber note, which isn't inappropriate, though it does leave us hanging. The DVD does feature the 12-minute mini-pilot of Veronica in the FBI, which I would gladly watch. In a way, this 5-years-later bit managed to give me closure. The DVD has a full disc of features this time, including about an hour and half of talking about key moments with creator Rob Thomas, deleted scenes, webisodes and a gag reel. At time of taping, Rob Thomas hadn't given up on Veronica, so should we hold out hope?

And a Partridge in a movieAs part of my Mametothon, I watched and flipped The Winslow Boy, his adaptation of the 1940s play itself based on the true events of an Edwardian family's suit against the Crown when their youngest son was falsely accused of theft and drummed out of his school. Its roots in the theater are plainly visible as the trial happens strictly behind the scenes, but that's not what the film is about anyway. It's really about the sacrifices made for one's family. The performances are great and ambiguous and Mamet's script enhances the original play (which is a British standard, apparently). The DVD includes a thin featurette and a pleasant commentary track with Mamet and stars Rebecca Pidgeon, Nigel Hawthorne and Jeremy Northam.

A cover for the boys out thereBooks: I finished Another Life, a Torchwood tie-in novel by Peter Anghelides, whose Doctor Who stories I've read in the past. It's a pretty standard Torchwood story with higher-than-normal production values (which is sometimes the point of such books) about a body-hopping alien. Unfortunately, there's also a subplot about a Second Life-type online game that is fairly useless despite its thematic connection to the title. I simply can't stand it when writers indulge in surrealistic virtual scapes, cuz that's exactly what they are, indulgences. Good, witty dialogue though. So mildly enjoyable, especially the last act, but I could do without the padding.

Which brings us to my Unauthorized Doctor Who CCG: I finished my Torchwood mini-set, and then started work on the next 180-card expansion, Playing Dice (with the universe). Mostly work on a new dice-like mechanic and the booster pack art. 18 new cards in total since last Sunday. Oh the joys of running a fake card game company.
Starring the Master as an Indian guruSomeone Else's Post of the Week
Gwen... nooooooooooo!Devon Sanders of Seven Hells fame wrote a good piece this week on Wizard Magazine hitting 200 issues over on Second Printing, and I have to share it. If you didn't think Wizard was stupid already, his article may help you finally come to that conclusion.

Comments

rob! said…
I WANT A DEMON OMNIBUS, DAMMIT!