Nnnnngh

[cleolinda]

I got my hair did, I got my ha~air did! God, I feel human again. Also, I was up fairly late last night recording a podcast with some fine folks (I'll let you know more about that when it's available for download), so I did spend much of the afternoon asleep under a hairdryer.

Linkspam!

Read Neil Gaiman's 'Neverwhere' for free.

Ben Rosenbaum's "The Ant King" sf collection as a free CC download.

'Potter' publisher seeks new phenomenon. This just in: sky also blue.

Donner Steps In To Save Superman's 'Birthplace.'

Has Brent Spiner Gone Andy Kaufman?

The Secret Fear Of Rose Tyler [Doctor Who].

Toronto lineup holds less Oscar potential this year.

Images: A First Look At Dragonball's Live-Action Lord Piccolo (JAMES MARSTERS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU); New 'Dragonball' Poster and Screenshots (additional note: James Marsters and James Marsden really need to go into some kind of Redundant Department of Redundancy Thunderdome and work out this name thing. Two Marsders go in, one Marsten comes out); This 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno' Poster is TOO HOT (boring) 4 AMERICA; Appaloosa character banners (scroll down); Exclusive New Looks at 'The Brothers Bloom.'

Trailers and clips: Must Watch: Gus Van Sant's 'Milk' Trailer; 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' Trailer; Exclusive 'Ghost Town' Clip; 'Transformers 2' Set Video, Complete with Explosions; 'Zack and Miri' Make a Red Band Trailer; new 'Choke' clips.

trailer_spot: Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Passengers, Real Time, Max Payne, Flow: For Love of Water.

Quidditch Ron, Tonks, Burrow Attack and More in UK Calendar Scans; Emma Watson: It's hard growing up in the spotlight; But What Daniel Radcliffe Really Wants to Do Is Play Hermione [Casting Spells] (WHAT is going on with that picture, y'all); Top 9 Harry Potter Mash-up Videos.

Wall Street Journal Takes Another Look at Meyer’s Decision Not to Publish 'Midnight Sun'; Play The New ‘Twilight’ Trivia Game Filled With Fan-Submitted Questions; xlormp: The Most Popular Book in the World:

There were three thoughts I was thinking, that I was absolutely positive were accurate thoughts:

One, Xlormp was a space alien.

Two, there was part of him, and probably it was all of him, that wanted to blow up my planet.

And three, I was really, really hungry for quesadillas.

Bond Swaps Martinis For Coke Zero (*facepalm*); 'Quantum of Solace' - Official Blog Report #24; James Bond Awesomeness: Ask Daniel Craig and Marc Forster a Question! (WHY ARE YOU SHILLING COKE ZERO, DANIEL CRAIG?)

IGN's 5 Worst and 10 Best Batman Villains.

'Watchmen' Trial Set For January.

'Lost' Creator Damon Lindelof Wants to Take On Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower'; 'Dark Tower' Movie Update: Seven Films?

'Benjamin Button' and the Curious Stories Surrounding Him.

Stephen Sommers Directing 'Tarzan.'

What's Missing From Edward Norton's 'Incredible Hulk'?

Chuck Palahniuk Says ‘Lullaby’ Director Wants To Ditch Flash Forwards From Novel.

Bruce Springsteen Sings for 'The Wrestler' ... and Judd Apatow?

Exclusive: David Cronenberg Knows What Defamer Is And Still Lets Us Interview Him.

Tim Roth to Star in 'Skellig.'

Eric Stoltz Heads to 'Fort McCoy.'

Seyfried Out-Foxes 'Jennifer's Body.'

The Light of the Green Lantern -- Conceptually, Anyway.

‘National Treasure 3’ May Head To New Orleans, Says Nicolas Cage (my mother is downstairs doing a National Treasure happydance right now, y'all); Nic Cage Reveals ‘Ghost Rider 2’ May Team With Church For Euro Adventure. Awww, he thinks they're going to make a sequel, you guys!

Clive Barker Puts a Rusty Knife in PG-13 Horror; Clive Barker Applauds ‘Hellraiser’ Remake, Declares War On PG-13 Horror.

Ray Park To Join With Ray Harryhausen For Sword-Wielding ‘Necronauts.’

Wouldn't You Like A Nice Alien Tentacle Massage? [Found Footage]

Makers Put As Much Effort Into 'The Spirit' Toys As Frank Miller Put Into The Movie.

'Cleavagefield' Puts J.J. Abrams' Shaky Cam To Better Use.

Comments

[notashamed.livejournal.com]

James Marsters talked about Dragonball at Dragon*con last weekend and he was so charming and adorable and winning that it made me think "Wow, I should see that!"

[bienegold.livejournal.com]

I am right there with you on a Marsters v. Marsden deathmatch. I get confused.

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

Can they be shirtless?

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

Wait, a podcast? About what and for what and where and why? I wanna knooowwww...

[be-themoon.livejournal.com]

Ah! You found Neverwhere too! Just finished it and posted the link and a semi-coherent review on my LJ. He's amazing.

[swordmage.livejournal.com]

I squealed when I saw that.

Despite owning the novel, the tv series, and the comic book version (yes, i love neil), I'm tempted to download the pdf so I can thrust it on people at a later date...

[glass-radical.livejournal.com]

AH JAMES MARSTERS. WHY ARE-AUGH. Noooooooooo.

This just makes me sad.

[chocolat-violet.livejournal.com]

I know! Where are his cheekbones underneath that makeup?

[misachan.livejournal.com]

You're not the first person on my flist to be agog at the Piccolo pics, let me tell you. He looks like the Willem Defoe in Shadow of the Vampire. I mean, he isn't even green. And yet, despite Piccolo being my favorite character I can't work up any outrage; everything about this movie is out there and wrong. I'm just staring at the whole thing in eyebrow raised bogglement.

And how does motherfrakking Bane get #5 when Riddler doesn't even make the list?! Catwoman's not even a villain for crying out loud! Read Hush, illiterate list makers!

[ipuchan.livejournal.com]

it was kinda ruined for me the instant that Goku was in high school ... just ... deaded. Goku is dumb, thats why we love him. And what do you wanna bet theres no Yaumcha hitting on bulma? and bulma's hair isn't blue? BAH and FIE i say :

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

Clive likes it gory huh? I watched The Ring on Halloween night when I was 7 months pregnant and couldn't sleep.

then I could not sleep the rest of the night and refused to let my husband turn off either of our two TVs for days.
The movie was PG-13.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, The Ring was the one where I staggered out of the theater white as a sheet. The scene that did me in was Naomi Watts falling into the well, which was terrifying in a huge dark theater with only eight other people in the whole room. I wanted to leave the theater but I literally could not stand up, so I started hoping I would just die instead. A lot of people have said they didn't find the movie scary at all, so I have no idea why it freaked me out so bad.

I think part of what's going on here is that "terror" and "horror" are two different things. "Terror" doesn't require blood at all; it's the sensation of being afraid something will happen. "Horror" is what you feel once that thing has happened, which could, in fact, require a great deal of fake blood. And obviously, seeing "horror" can make you feel terror that something else bad is going to happen, so they can get mixed up together. But really, terror isn't dependent on gore at all, and is probably most highest when you're waiting on the gore to get there.

[natwamblz.livejournal.com]

I don't know how to feel about a third national treasure? Is it going to be as cool as Back to the Future 3

[cherrynorth.livejournal.com]

but so much of what makes Palahniuk's books so great is that awesome and terrifying moment when all the pieces fall into place in the reader's head. without the flashforwards in Lullaby, the audience will be missing half the pieces...

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

I KNOW! I love that book and was thinking it would make an awesome movie (I really want to hear the culling song...and not die). But it's less fun if you play it straightforward. Like the article says, part of the fun of Palahniuk is discovering in what crazy way the narrator is proved to be unreliable this time.

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

Getting one's hair done is always such a wonderful feeling (unless, of course, it was an experience like the last one in which the stylist was running 30 minutes late, there was no place to sit while waiting because of 2 assholes who were sitting around waiting for a friend to be done, and then the late stylist did a horrible job to boot).

[angelan.livejournal.com]

I think I may be alone in hating getting my hair done. It's like the dentist - I feel better afterwards for having done it, but the process is really unpleasant.

[elsajeni.livejournal.com]

WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT.

... This may explain why I have always been so confused about James Marsters/Marsden. There are TWO SEPARATE PEOPLE involved.

[edoraslass.livejournal.com]

Dude, I've had a really crappy day and you just made me laugh so so hard. Thanks. :)

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Chuck Palahniuk Says ‘Lullaby’ Director Wants To Ditch Flash Forwards From Novel.
What...the fuck?? A) I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE ACTUALLY FINALLY MAKING A MOVIE. I asked Chuck Palahniuk himself years ago if they would do it, and he said Hollywood was scared of dead babies. I guess they've gotten over it. B) What...the fuck?? Why would you do that? Like Fight Club, a lot of the awesomeness of Lullaby is the non-linear storytelling. And it would make for a pretty great reveal if the director could pull it off.

[ironic-sun.livejournal.com]

"Crowning Moment: Crippling Barbara Gordon was certainly a hoot, but the greatest Joker moment was when he beat Robin (Jason Todd) with a crowbar and blew him up."

Interesting choice of words, there.

[everstar3.livejournal.com]

"A hoot"? Seriously?

I. Okay. I just. I mean, I won't deny that part of what I love about Oracle is that her awesome levels only INCREASED after the Joker shot her, but I wouldn't describe it as a hoot.

[sound-of-bells.livejournal.com]

I am so ridiculously pumped for Milk, I can't even TELL you.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Hello, "Band of Brothers" icon.

[sapphires13.livejournal.com]

'Lost' Creator Damon Lindelof Wants to Take On Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower'; 'Dark Tower' Movie Update: Seven Films?

YES, YES OMG YES.

Ahem, now apart from that initial reaction, being a big fan of the series, I must say that 7 films aren't necessarily necessary.
Much of book four is backstory, and could be worked in in various places, without necessarily focusing a whole film on it. Books 1 and 2 could certainly be squeezed together into one film, without much damage being done. And the non-backstory laden parts of book 4 could be put with book 3 into another film. 5 and 6 could go together, with book 7 getting its own film. That's four films.
But honestly, given the sheer length and depth of the series, I think it would adapt better to an HBO series than to a film series. The backstory of book 4 could be spread throughout the episodes in a series of flashbacks, and each book could be divided into 3-6 episodes.

[palexbluexangel.livejournal.com]

Yes! I will be super stoked if this happens!

[nore-fortuna.livejournal.com]

I don't care what anyone else thinks, I'm psyched for a new National Treasure movie. They are fun and Justin Bartha is cute. =)

[kirsdarke.livejournal.com]

I agree completely. Riley (that's Justin Bartha, right?) is my favorite character.

[nerves-patterns.livejournal.com]

Hi Cleo... I was wondering if you could maybe post this and give me some help finding material for my upcoming course.

I'll be teaching a freshman comp course, and I'm basing my teaching of rhetorical analysis and using blogging in the classroom around the theme "Going Viral" - as in, viral marketing, the proliferation of memes, analyzing these methods of communication, etc.

If your readers have any examples of great viral ad campaigns (i.e. Cloverfield, The Dark Knight, etc.), I'd love to see some links to those; if they have links to particularly great fake viral campaigns (like the famous "your-soon-to-be-ex-wife Emily" billboard), those would be great too. Also, there's one link in particular I'm looking for: there was a story, which I think you mentioned in your linkspam around this summer, about postcards dropped on the street with an address to a fake website. And, of course, any other great instances of "going viral" online - YouTube videos, Rickrolling, Anonymous - would be helpful too.

I'd really appreciate any help you can offer. I figure if I have to torture college freshmen with a 7:30 a.m. rhetorical analysis class, it might as well have some fun(ny) subject matter, right? :)

Thanks in advance!

-Jessica/nerves_patterns

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Sure thing--'True Blood' has been running a pretty involved campaign; you can either go through entries here tagged "true blood" or hit Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Blood#Viral_Marketing_Campaign). 'The Ring' also had a huge viral campaign, what with actual videotapes being left around (I'm sure Wikipedia has more info on that as well. If not, let me know and I'll dig up what I had on it a few years ago). Check Adfreak (http://www.google.com/search?q=site:adweek.blogs.com+viral)--I googled "viral" there--for some more; they mention a 'Jumper' campaign, one for 'Dexter,' and a few others. And then there was that weird-ass Burger King campaign with the guy in the chicken suit. There's also the term "astroturfing," for a "grass-roots campaign" secretly started by a marketing department--basically, they plant "normal" people on boards and blogs to be all like, "Have you tried the new Dr. Pepper? It's AWESOME!"

As a related note, you might want to look into ARGs (alternate reality games) as well; they often overlap with marketing. There was the Dionaea House story, which actually wasn't marketing, that was brilliantly done a few years back--a horror story told through blogs, websites and LJs in real time. Kind of a takeoff plotwise on House of Leaves, but still. (There's still a "dionaea house" tag on the sidebar here, I think).

Oh, and of course, the granddaddy of all viral marketing campaigns: the one for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. (http://www.cloudmakers.org/) I was actually online for that one, and it was amazing.

[skyblade.livejournal.com]

I thinking Dragonball is the death match. Or the Darwinesque culling.

[summersdaughter.livejournal.com]

DARK TOWER MOVIES OMG?

That said...I'm not actually sure how well they would work onscreen, at least towards the end.

also I really hate Chuck Palahniuk, and not just because I can't spell his name

[mercat.livejournal.com]

Coke zero. Really.


...What...? I don't get it.

[e-chan-21.livejournal.com]

New Ray Park film makes me say Yay.

[latenightcuppa.livejournal.com]

Harry Potter gives into a life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Alright, then.

haha!

[sevenmarie.livejournal.com]

lols @ your icon

[sneaky-minx.livejournal.com]

Oooh, can't wait for the mysterious podcast!

Hmm, Neverwhere may be a nice companion to my superlong air travel tomorrow...

[teh-bug.livejournal.com]

If you're interested, here's another take on the Midnight Sunissue (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080903/lf_nm_life/books_meyer_dc).

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

New Harryhausen movie, woohoo!

(For that matter, Ray Harryhausen is still alive, woohoo!)