Sunday evening already?

[cleolinda]

So, here's what's new in the world of L'affaire Lexicon:

soleta_nf remembered Steve Vander Ark saying at Convention Alley 2004 that "his real reason for starting the lexicon was that he knew JKR would be publishing an encyclopedia someday, and he hoped that, by having already created one, he would be the person she approached to help her with it." Apparently this ambition goes back as far as 2000 as well. vorpal_blade at JF also recalled SVA saying at Prophecy 2007 that "Jo didn't know her world as well as the fans did and that they owned it now, not her," of which we also have video ("I'm going to teach you a spell: expelliepilogus!"). He's also on video comparing JKR to Umbridge. The reference on RDR Books' website to Hiroshima was removed, but not before it was screencapped. The book may have had a British publication date of tomorrow, November 5, but since I also read that the British publisher is cooperating with WB, it's unlikely that it'll go on sale tomorrow.

And then... Steve released a statement.

Meanwhile! Wearable Sculpture is now Wyrding Studios, Stardust illustrator Charles Vess needs your help proving that a statuette without "big muscles, big breasts or big guns" can sell, and we have a few reader requests:

foresthouse created a Flickr group for Neil Gaiman-inspired costumes and creations (which Neil himself mentioned on his blog).

unheardpublic: "Chipotle, the mexican fast food restaurant chain, hosted a 30 second commercial spot contest for universities around the nation and they just announced the 12 finalists. Well, I happen to be one of them. The rules are that the video with the most views on youtube wins, so if you could link my video in your spam, I would SO appreciate it (you have no idea how much more I will love you). Enjoy and thanks so much."

arielchan has one last sociology poll, if you could help her out.

Back at the ranch, an excellence of linkspam:

Shia LaBeouf arrested at Chicago Walgreens.

Teacher who ran away with student arrested in Mexico, boy released; Teen turns out to be illegal immigrant, stays in Mexico after teacher seized. "This was a mutual agreement to flee after the story came out that they were having sex."

Judge booted for flipping coin to decide.

Creature ID'd as coyote, not chupacabra. But did it have mange?

Face of King Tut unshrouded to public.

Autism ‘epidemic’ may be in label.

Not much left of Robin Hood's Sherwood.

What would you ask fantasy writer George R.R. Martin?

Several non-Lexicon HP stories: Confirmed: Dan Radcliffe, Richard Griffith in "Equus" Broadway Production Fall 2008; Dawn French talks to Daniel Radcliffe about his "lovely wand." Meanwhile, in book news: The Tales of Beedle The Bard!; J.K. Rowling Expands ‘Potter’ Universe For Charity. And back over on the filming front: Radcliffe on HBP: Gambon "Camping it Up." He means off-screen, fortunately: "Well, he's been camping it up around the set like nobody's business... Not in the film, though we did actually film a scene the other day, and I would like emphasise at this point that the script was written before this revelation and I don't think Steve Kloves had any prior knowledge, but there was a scene the other day when Michael had to come in and tell another character how much he loved knitting patterns! Which he just adored saying that." It kind of sounds like the scene where Dumbledore excuses himself from the room to let Harry and Slughorn talk at Slughorn's house--doesn't he come back from (ostensibly) the bathroom and say he was looking at something? Knitting patterns ring a bell for some reason. And we know they've been filming Slughorn's house, so it does make sense.

The Golden Compass Character Posters; Exclusive Photo: ‘The Golden Compass’; New Golden Compass Stills; “Film sells atheism to kids: Major protest launched”; ‘Golden Compass’ Author Starts Fantasy-Author Beef; Lord of the Rings ‘trivial’ says Pullman. Why? Whyyyy? Why do you make it so hard to support you against the atheism-panickers by attacking beloved fantasy writers? Whyyyyyyyyy?

(Also: Mrs. Coulter dolls are here!)

Two more costume pics from Keira Knightley's The Duchess.

New Joker pic revealed. (Ever so slightly related: Ledger Enters Gilliam's Imaginarium.)

New Watchmen Movie Updates.

Wolverine Story and Scene Spoilers.

Cinematical Exclusive: 'The Orphanage' Poster.

New Poster and Artwork for Gerard Butler's 'Game'; Now Gerard Butler Escapes the 'Escape from New York' Remake.

Donnie Darko's Richard Kelly Talks About 'The Box'; James Marsden Joins Diaz in Richard Kelly's 'The Box'; Kelly's Box Is '70s Piece.

James Marsden Has a Wicked 'Sex Drive.'

Paul Giamatti Blurs Reality For Philip K. Dick Biopic ‘Owl In Daylight.’

Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" Being Reimagined Under Ridley and Tony Scott.

trailer_spot: Pride and Glory, There Will Be Blood, National Treasure 2, Kung Fu Panda, Cassandra's Dream, Alvin and Why Hast Our God Forsaken Us? the Chipmunks; Wanted, There's Only One Sun, Kung Fu Panda, Band's Visit, Untraceable.

'Jumper' Poster Features Exotic/Dull Cocktail.

Fans Choose Villainy for (The) Rock.

The Killer Graphic Novel Being Developed for David Fincher.

Natalie Portman Directing Love and Darkness.

First Lost Boys 2: The Tribe Photo.

"Shrek 4 Title Fills Me With Untold Rage."

Alan Cumming is One Matt Hatter.

Gillian Anderson Loves 'The Smell of Apples.' (Somewhat related: The X-Files 2 Set for July 25, 2008.)

Guy Pearce Hits The Road. Aww, not Viggo Mortensen after all?

Meryl Streep Wins Preemptive Oscar as Julia Child; Amy Adams to costar.

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen Re-Team for 'Duplicity.'

'Cloverfield's' Mysterious Title Revealed as ... 'Cloverfield'? The possibility of a last-minute fakeout is acknowledged, however.

Oprah Winfrey chops off Hilary Swank's hair.

From 1999: Kevin Smith Protests 'Dogma.'

Seriously, it's a really, really good linkspam. A five-day backlog'll do that for you.

Comments

Re: It's very odd...

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally get that. I remember reading both when I was very young and found Narnia more accessible because of the happy endings it provided. I think what bothered me as I got older was, again, Lewis' handling of the themes: denying Susan entrance to Narnia because she grew up (condemnation of sex, which is a very human thing, has never sat well with me in religious contexts), and ultimately killing the children at the very end. As if death were supposed to be better than life, when they could have Done Good in the world with what they'd learned from their adventures, as Pullman proposed. In a way, HDM is the more real series -- it embraces human frailties and flaws and does not embrace any certainty of happy endings and does not answer all the questions it asked. In a way, I always found it more true to life.

I get really annoyed with Pullman's choices, though

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Is realism always necessary in literature? Do we read fantasy for realism? Did he really have to destroy just about every potentially nurturing relationship those poor kids got into, except for the essentially sterile ones they're left with at the end? I don't think that's positive at all. Reading this as a kid might have driven me away from fantasy altogether. Doing Good in the World is no substitute for not having love.

I don't think it's any more realistic for Lyra to plan to do a Prisoner of Zenda thing where she sits in the College gardens with her Beautiful Memories once a year while she's married to someone else than it would have been for her to actually have had some kind of a future with Will. It's just another form of romanticism.

Re: I get really annoyed with Pullman's choices, though

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

Pullman's said that he never intended to write fantasy, that he's actually averse towards the genre. Which is a bit weird, when you think about it, because it seems as though he could easily have pulled out and written some meditation on Paradise Lost or some modern book that was an exploration of the Christian faith. Which would not have been as exciting or interesting, but which would have worked. So though his decision to ultimately pursue fantasy is certainly a factor, I think HDM needs to be approached as not exclusively fantasy -- it does contain undeniable elements of realism, and this is Pullman's attempt to tie together the real world and the one of our imagination. The best fantasy is the one that contains parallels to life.

You're probably right about it being just another form of romanticism, but I don't think that makes it any less realistic. Not everything is concise and laid out, and most of romantic love is composed of wistful notions for What Might Have Been and all the rest. In real life, and in most literary classics that deal with this concept, we often don't end up with the one we love and instead cling to a past that ends up meaning more to us. Pullman's said that he knew the instant he had Will and Lyra meet that they would not be able to end up together, and it works, in a sense. It's more real.