Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Like I said, I'm back, but I'm still not feeling my writing oats just yet so I'll try not to waste your time too much.

Looking forward to the Buffy finale tonight. While I'm afraid the last season has turned into a bit of a mess, with too many characters and plot holes and contrivances and so on, it's still watchable, excellent even on occasion, and since I do care about these characters I'm willing to put up with almost anything. It just seems to me like they've had to stretch about 6 episodes' worth of story over an entire season, and the stitches show.

Saw the Matrix Reloaded over the weekend. All I can say right now is that I thought it was better than most of the reviews I've read did, but not much. I think they tried to cram too much in and might have been better served with a slightly more streamlined approach. My favorite new character was that Keymaker fellow...what a great idea. TMR was another movie that left me wondering why people are such poor shots in action movies. The baddies (and good guys, too) fire clip after clip after clip and only actually hit anyone once in a great while. I found it a little far-fetched that the Agent that was falling off that building with Trinity only plugged her once...he was only about 12 feet away, and was aiming straight at her! And she wasn't twisting or dodging or anything! I know, I know, just go with it. Creative license. But overall, I liked it. Really. Damn fine action film, all things considered, even though the CGI was a bit obvious in places. The technology just isn't there, but it's coming. Also, I wonder about Zion: who makes the clothes these people wear? And where do the get them? Do they make them at home on a sewing machine? And why was the ship control center all 2001-ish while the rest of the people in Zion were all second season Classic Trek-ish, or maybe more like Kahlua ad-ish?

I long for someone to do a Matrix satire with Pee Wee Herman as Neo.

I went last night to Lexington, KY to see the acoustic Strawbs. I wrote about the Strawbs a few months ago, and have been looking forward to this show for what seems like ages. While the actual web-casted show was only an hour long (and had too much inane prattle from the host), it was marvelously played and sung, and I was in awe at these fellows who made a lot of the music I loved so much as a young man (well, younger than I am now, anyway- and I still love the music). Because the other people on the bill couldn't attend (a folk singer that I was unfamiliar with who was scheduled to play with Natalie's pa Lloyd Maines), the Strawbs played a two-song encore after the filming was over. Afterwards, they came out for a meet-and-greet and of course I took the opportunity to geek out a little. I purchased their latest, self-released CD Blue Angel, and got each to autograph it for me, and got my picture made with Daves Cousins and Lambert. I'll post them here when I get them developed. They were all three nice and gracious, and spoke with me at length, and I think if I had wanted to I could have tagged along to a pub with them...but I didn't want to push my luck. Great show, and it was equally great to meet Cousins, one of my songwriting heroes. I think the webcast will be archived at the Woodsongs site in a week or two.

My eBay winning streak continues: I won the next Kane graphic novel in line for me to read, book #3, Histories. Great Paul Grist stuff. Also, I received today two Eels CDs: Souljacker and Daisies of the Galaxy. I've worn out my son's copy of Daisies, I'm sure he'll be glad I've finally got my own. I also listened to his copy of Souljacker for a while; mine's not the limited version with four extra songs, but that's OK, I can always copy 'em off and burn 'em on a CD if I want. "Daisies" is a great album, one of the best crazed genius-type pop albums I've heard in a great while. I have a soft spot for those crazed geniuses- I'm still mulling over whether or not to get that new Fleetwood Mac.

OK, I'm done. I might still post a This-orThat Tuesday later, but now I'm gonna go watch the Devil's Backbone, then I gotta run some errands.

Thanks for your patience during my little sabbatical.

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