We are merely passing through history...

As we prepare for the biggest movie party of the year with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, here's a nice look back at the original adventure trilogy, from the cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Always glad to help...

While waiting for it to show up in the widget on the right, here's a link to the latest Indiana Jones TV spot. Much better quality than the YouTube version below.

Worth a thousand words...

Sometimes, based on a single image, I know that I need to see a film.

Death Note, derived from the Japanese Anime/Manga, and it's sequel should arrive on DVD in the next few weeks.

Let me know if you too are interested in checking these out.


John

Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by rebel spies...

Check out the Clone Wars trailer here before it's totally blown away.

That would be telling...

After much deliberation, I think it's only appropriate to follow the greatest American television series of all time with the greatest British television series of all time.



We start on April 23.

Be Seeing You.

John

No one is inoccent

Let me be clear. I loved Twin Peaks. Hands down, the BEST show to appear on American Television. It was so counter to television formula of the time, I honestly don't know how it survived into a second season, but I'm eternally grateful that it did. It left a wake in the broadcast landscape that you can still feel today. Suggest any edgy, off-beat or marginally bizarre television show and I guarantee that I can trace it's roots right back to Sparkwood and 21.

The thought of a follow on movie to a canceled television series, a prequel to the series, mind you, surely came as a surprise to many who followed the show. As any Star Wars fan can attest, how do you build suspense into a story for which you already know the outcome? The international subtitle, The Last 7 Days of Laura Palmer, further hammered it home. Fans of the show would surely be disappointed that the lead, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, would not be a focal point. Could Lynch pull it off?

When the film opened on August 28, 1992, I would have loved no more than to be first in line. Unfortunately, Vonna and I had arranged to meet splatterpunk authors John Skipp and Craig Spector, who were in town for a Fangoria show, for drinks to discuss marketing ideas for their book/soundtrack project, The Bridge. Something prevented us from seeing the film on Saturday the 29th as well, but we wouldn't be denied a third day.

From the hypnotic opening theme by Angeleo Badalmenti, it was like entering a dream world. I was back in Twin Peaks - with Laura, Bobby, Leland, and Bob... The show had its share of high and low points - most of the highs seemed connected to a greater Lynch presence. The film was like drinking Lynch straight from the tap - no filtering; no apologies. The strongest and darkest moments of the series were on display, looking beautiful thanks to the amazing camerawork of Ron Garcia, and all the more captivating due to the tour-de-force performance of Sheryl Lee. Almost 16 years later, I still feel that Fire Walk With Me was the greatest film of 1992, and that Sheryl Lee gave the finest performance of the year.


There are few filmmakers who you could extract a frame of film from their work and display it as art. Lynch is one, and Fire Walk With Me is a gallery full of such images. From haunting to beautiful to brutal to terrifying. And yet somehow embracing a sense of hope...

Needless to say, one viewing was not enough. Knowing the film wouldn't attract a wide audience, I knew that the opportunity to see it would be limited. So on Monday, we invited Becky to see it with us. On Tuesday, I took my friend Cliff (who was a trooper - considering that he had never watched the television show). I was particularly pleased that he thought very highly of the film.

As one of my top 10 favorite films, I am quite excited to be screening it this Wednesday as we close the door on Twin Peaks, at least for now. I do hope you'll consider making it out for this mid-week event, even if you've never seen an episode of the show.

John

It is happening, again...

Two new blogs in a week? You'd think I have a ton of time on my hands.

I don't - which should be seen as further proof that blogs are the quick and easy way to go for web posting.

I'm pleased to announce the launch of the long-awaited I Am Legend Book Archive blog. This will be an adjunct to the Archive website - used to post new covers and news bits as they become available, and also to point out new features as they're added - such as a long promised interview conducted with Charlton Heston back in 2001.

Enjoy-
John

Good night, Omega Man

We pause briefly to note the passing of Charlton Heston. From Ben Hur to Astronaut Taylor to Robert Neville, he left an indelible mark on cinema. He was the last of his breed.

Pete and I were fortunate enough to see Heston live on March 23, 2001 at a screening of The Omega Man at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. While he was noticeably frail as he made his way to and from the stage, once he had a mike in hand he was the Charlton Heston we had come to expect. It was an amazing night. Shortly after that the word came down that he was diagnosed with alzheimers, and for the past several years he lived a reclusive life. His passing, while unfortunate, does not come as a great surprise. He was 84.

Joe suggested that we schedule a Heston themed movie party, and while we recently recorded all 5 Planet of the Apes movies as well as Soylent Green in HD on the Satellite DVR, I think I'd prefer to hold out for an HD release of Ben Hur. Have another favorite? Let us know if there's something you'd like us to get on the schedule.

King Arthur vs Darth Vader

In case you haven't seen it...

A Place Both Wonderful and Strange...

The trip we started through Twin Peaks back in January is finally nearing its end. Next week we'll watch the final two episodes, and the following week we'll watch Fire Walk With Me, the theatrical prequel that so impressed me I watched it three nights in a row at the Century Town & Country back in 1992.

While it might sound strange to be asked to join the Wednesday night crowd for the final episodes of a TV show, the one-two punch of the series finale and the prequel movie is definitely worth experiencing, and even more so on the large screen. I hope you'll consier attending one or both of those screenings.

Soon we'll be announcing the follow-on program to fill the Wednesday night slot, and we hope you'll consider starting the next series with us. I think the TP regulars would agree that regardless of the particular evenings viewing selection, the meal and socializing is always entertaining.

See you in the black lodge -
John

The Lynch Mob

Check out the trailer for Surveillance, a new film from Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David.

As best as I can tell, this ain't no Boxing Helena.

The resurrection of bare•bones

That's right - bare•bones is back from the grave and ready to party. And you're invited. After a several year hiatus, Peter and I have revived our always infrequent, often irreverent genre-spanning digest-sized magazine as an e-zine (as in it's a hell of a lot e-zine-er to do than printing a physical magazine and selling it).

We're just getting started, but if I may be so bold you may want to bookmark it, as you never know what articles of interest will rise to the surface.

One interesting bit of trivia that you'll only read here - our initial post contains the cover to a vintage paperback titled Strange Friends - which I thought was perfectly appropriate, particularly considering that I found it by picking the first image that came up when I Googled "Enfantino and Scoleri."

It's been a long time coming, but we're confident that it will have been worth the wait. And like I say there - it keeps us off the streets.

Check it out at http://barebonesez.blogspot.com.

John