Dreams Of Noise

The Razzies.

There is, apparently, some sporting event or other today. I suspect it has something to do with Tom Riddle, as the organizers get very touchy when someone tries to actually use the name of the thing. Fortunately, a simple slide of one letter to the left produces Superb Owl, a much more glorious thing to celebrate.

What are your plans for this year's commercial-laden testosterone fest? I'm going to get a pizza this afternoon, work on music, play too much Marvel Puzzle Quest, and wait for the Captain America: The Winter Soldier teaser, for which there was a teaser the other day:

Our old buddy Gary Wood, the filmmaker behind Saving Star Wars, is doing something cool for the next week:

Beginning today, August 23, through Friday, August 30, WoodWorks Films will donate $2.00 from every online viewing/rental of Saving Star Wars. We're excited to make this happen and hope you'll make this a Saving Star Wars/Make-A-Wish Weekend.

If you haven't seen it before, SSW is a great little picture, with humor, wit, and a lot of heart. I wrote "Rock Me Amidala" for it, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Check it out, won't you? And, if you like it, boost the signal.

Great sadness. Elmore Leonard has passed away at the age of 87. He wrote remarkable works, vivid and exciting, many of which were translated to film.

I will never forget the first time I saw Get Shorty. There's this remarkable moment with John Travolta and Dennis Farina, where Farina -- oh, just watch:



I was about to go crazy when Farina incorrectly used "e.g.", and Travolta corrected him, and I loved this movie and everything about it, and especially I loved Elmore Leonard.

Rest well, sir, and thanks.

A little extra love and attention for:

• Nuclear Bubble Wrap's next album, Psycho Delicacy
• Filmmaker Gary Wood's My Kid Brother's Band, about the sister of George Harrison
• Keith DeCandido's graphic novel, Dragon Precinct
• A nifty-looking game and adventure maker, Adventurenazor: When Pigs Fly

Any other cool projects we should know about?

My old buddy Gary Wood (the guy who created Saving Star Wars) is running a Kickstarter for a new film. My Kid Brother's Band is based on interviews with George Harrison's sister Louise, currently living in Benton, IL.

This KS is just starting out, and they could use some help. Won't you give it a look? Thanks.

First up, a German-made 3D CGI Tarzan which looks interesting. I presume there will be an English version:



And then there's Boxtrolls:



What animated features, CGI or no, are you looking forward to?

The big shocker for the day is the sudden passing of actor James Gandolfini at the age of 51. Gandolfini is, of course, best known for his multiple-Emmy-winning portrayal of Tony Soprano on HBO's The Sopranos. He was also in a bunch of movies, and produced two documentaries for HBO, focusing on American war veterans.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Sadness. Actress and athlete Esther Williams has passed away at the age of 91. Lovely lady, decent actress, and a lot of us had aquatic fantasies over the years because of how she looked in a swimsuit.

Rest well, gentle lady, and thanks.

So many things we celebrate on Geek Pride Day!

First, of course, it's the Glorious 25th of May, for all you Discworld fans.

It's also the 36th anniversary of the release of the original, non-Episode IV Star Wars. We weren't completely unprepared -- technically, Jaws was the first "blockbuster" -- but, besides being the coolest thing most of us had ever seen up to that point, Star Wars was absolutely transformative in how films were both created and marketed. Along with Star Trek, it can be considered one of the foundations of modern mythology.

And, celebrating another of those foundations, it's Towel Day, celebrating the life and writings of author Douglas Adams, creator of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Here's hoping that, someday, we'll all have a proper edition of that mind-bogglingly useful book.

And, on top of all that, it's the birthday of such geek legends as Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803), Sir Ian McKellen (1939), Frank Oz (1944), Barry Windsor-Smith (1949), and Stan Sakai (1953).

How are you celebrating Geek Pride Day? I'm at Up In The Aether Con in Dearborn, MI, where the place has already been going crazy since yesterday morning. Wonderful folks, superb cosplay, Victorian mad science, gorgeous women in corsets, fun fun fun.