This week in Epic Fail:The gang reunite at an Inn and have drinks (especially Clodin). Initially Amuletts does not spot Tinuvielle because she is dressed in a drab colored dress clearly designed to cover most of her skin – a big difference from her usual revealing attire. Amuletts challenges her, pointing out how strange it is and Tinuville admits that her son, Yoru, has made the difference.
Creator’s Commentary: I’ve made a story-telling decision to move the plot along and reveal more about Amuletts’ and Dirk’s shopping trip in flash-backs. I’m not sure how – or if - it will work, but nothing ventured nothing gained eh? I will find out soon enough.
In my recent podcast interview jhorsely commented on how much he liked my backgrounds so I put more detail into this one.
I’m not sure when the next update will be (I’m prioritising getting the book ready). Keep an eye on the right-hand collumn for progress towards the next page.
Okay, so it’s not a Sunday, but my computer was crashing like crazy yesterday! Anyway here you go – a tiny little baby pig sitting in someone’s hand – how sweet! And yes, baby guinea pigs really are this small! I think I’ve copied all the picture of my calander that I want too, the others aren’t quite as nice. Or maybe I’ve had my fill of piggys for a while? We’ll see…
Coraline is a Children’s horror film and, unsurprisingly, has been quite controversial within parental forums with some arguing it is too scary for it’s PG rating. The Nightmare Before Christmas – also directed by Henry Selick – provoked a similar reaction yet is a firm family favourite with a strong cult following. It’s very different from a regular children’s film, which may account for its success. Likewise Coraline is a refreshing break from the same-old same-old and pushes the envelope on children’s entertainment. It’s frightening in a surreal, psychological way evocative of nightmares with a sprinkling of creepiness. But by embodying these intangible childhood fears it also tackles how to deal with them, and is ultimately empowering and uplifting.
Coraline is a stop-motion animation and the hand-crafted feel is particularly appropriate to its theme. With the introduction of computer-generated animation stop-motion, which is a painstakingly slow process, is becoming increasingly rare. Coraline’s visuals are breathtaking with minute attention to detail in every frame. It’s a work of art with beautiful, atmospheric scenery and luscious, touchable textures. I could forgive a multitude of sins for something this pretty.
The cleverly named ‘A Dog’s Breakfast’* is an independent comedy written, directed and starred in by David Hewlett – whom you may recognise as Dr. Rodney McKay from Stargate: Atlantis. In fact there are more than a few cameos from the Atlantis cast including Hewlett’s real-life sister Kate (Jeannie), Paul McGillion (Dr.Beckett), Christopher Judge (Teal’c) and Rachel Luttrell (Teyla) – all in different roles of course!
Hewlett plays the obsessive-compulsive Patrick who lives reclusively in the house of his birth and relies on constants in his life to remain stable; these include his dog Mars, his sister Marilyn and the spiders that live outside his sitting-room window. When Marilyn introduces her fiancé, Ryan, Patrick becomes convinced he is trying to murder her and that the only way to stop him is to kill him first!
Giselle is a funny webcomic about a demon who refuses to work and has moved out of hell to live on earth. She’d much rather be watching movies and playing computer games! Giselle has an outsiders perspective, and interesting things happen when her demon friends come to visit, not to mention being persued by a demon hunter!
I have seen Avatar twice at the cinema, both times in 3D. The first time I found the 3D distracting, probably because I am not used to it. True, the three-dimensional effect is not ‘in-your-face;’ it is used to enhance the movie and create greater immersion, a feeling of ‘being there;’ however there are a few scenes with soldiers milling about and I had to keep checking that this was part of the film and not people walking around the cinema itself! Yes, the 3D is that good! It makes you believe you can reach out and touch things (the illusion only ruined when you try)!
The CGI is groundbreaking in itself; the alien race, the Na’vi, are so convincing, so realistic, the only way to tell them apart from real people is… they’re blue. Likewise the terrain, plants and animals that make up the planet of Pandora are breathtakingly realistic. You could not do better if you dropped a man off on an alien world with a video-camera.
