"Not for kicks. For history."

[eldritchhobbit]

Happy Wednesday! I have a few quick notes today...

* In Television News:
Tomorrow at 7pm EST the SciFi Channel begins showing the outstanding second season of Jeremiah, which introduces one of my very favorite TV characters, Mister Smith. If you missed the first season (which was good, but not in the same category as the second, in my opinion), you can catch up with this quick and handy summary from belleferret. I highly recommend catching this season!

* In Music News:
Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I've discovered the band Nuclear Bubble Wrap (former neighbors of mine from Germantown, Tennessee). Their music is quite fun. Check out the free downloads for "Dumbledore Died" and the wicked Harry Potter-centric parody of "Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang, "Bad Spell."

* In Personal, X-Files, and Podcasting News:
My tribute to The X-Files is featured today on the main page of StarShipSofa. The latest episode of the podcast features my "whirlwind tour" of the genre ancestors of Agents Mulder and Scully of The X-Files -- in other words, a discussion of the history of science fiction investigators in literature and television. It begins about 13 minutes into the podcast. You can download it here, listen to it streaming here, or get it via iTunes under "StarShipSofa."

* In Personal and Convention News:
I now have confirmed my appearance as a guest at two cons in 2009: ConCarolinas and RavenCon.

* In Lovecraftian News:
I adore this new Miskatonic University class ring. Badali Jewelry rules!


Kurdy: What's it all for, Smith? You one of those guys likes to spy on people for kicks?
Mister Smith: Not for kicks. For history.
- "The Mysterious Mister Smith," Jeremiah

Comments

[euclase.livejournal.com]

I now have confirmed my appearance as a guest at two cons in 2009: ConCarolinas and RavenCon.

Weeee! Awesomesauce! (I'm not going to these cons, but it's exciting in a vicarious, nerdy sort of way that you have 'guest appearance' status, lol).

Also, Mister Smith rocks. <3 Sean Astin.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks for the good con vibes and awesomesauce! :)

Mister Smith does, indeed, rock. (I should've known you loved him, too.) Ditto Sean Astin.

[milkybarbiatch.livejournal.com]

LOVE "Bad Spell" - just as good as "Bad Touch"!!

Thanks for introducing me to them :D

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Isn't it a hoot? I get a silly grin on my face just thinking about it. I'm glad you're enjoying them, too.

[serpentcoils.livejournal.com]

I think Nuclear Bubble Wrap is my new favorite band name. <3 Makes me think of a post-apocalyptic world in which I have to amuse myself by popping oodles of the stuff.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

ROFLOL! Exactly.

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the Jeremiah reminder! It's always so hard to figure out what SF's doing. I saw they had a couple of mini-marathons of first season episodes and wondered when these would show up.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! I know exactly what you mean about the SciFi Channel. It's as if their scheduling department deliberately wants to play mind games with us! I think they'll be doing four-hour mini-marathons every Thursday night from 7-11pm EST through September 4, which will finish out the second season. Sean Astin's role just gets bigger and better with each episode. (One of my favorites is coming up next week.) Enjoy!

I just love your icon. :)

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey - I can't remember if I finally got this in a comment (was having computer problems yesterday) - but I was curious: what are your thoughts on this new Cthulhu movie that will be coming out?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I am anxious to see it (despite the Tori Spelling factor) so I can have an informed opinion. From what I've read, the storyline is more of a blend of several of Lovecraft's works, rather than a faithful adaptation of "The Call of Cthulhu" (of the current film adaptations of that story, I recommend the recent version by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society). To be honest, what little I've heard/seen suggests it might be a lot better than I'd originally assumed. Have you heard anything?

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

*L*! I meant to make a comment about Tori Spelling, but I forgot by the time I got the computer to post - *G*.

All know is from www.imdb.com. The site has a trailer up now. One of the changes (I assume) is that the main character appears to be a gay man who comes back to his home town to start up a relationship.

[valancourtbooks.livejournal.com]

Speaking of X-Files, we were really disappointed with the new movie, not least because Mulder looked about 100 years old. Oddly, though, we rented a new Duchovny movie tonight at Blockbuster, The Secret, and he looks like Mulder again! Wonder why he looked so bad in the X-Files movie?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I think my expectations were quite low, as I really didn't like the first film, so this one seemed a happy surprise. I do admit that the primary mystery was not exactly spine-chilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff. I did like the fact the characters seemed to have aged and grown, while some of the big issues of the show remained right under the surface. I agree about Duchovny, though. He did look like he was suffering from either a massive insomnia attack or a terrible hangover in every single scene. But didn't Mitch Pileggi look fantastic? (You can see where my tastes lie.) I wish he'd had more than a cameo appearance. He's aging beautifully. While I'm being shallow, I should admit that Gillian Anderson's messy ponytail with its trailing, falling locks drove me crazy and seemed very out of character for anal, precise, polished Dana Scully. I know it was meant to convey her preoccupation with her patient, but I still didn't buy it.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

PS. I was never a huge Scully/Mulder 'shipper (I rather thought Scully with Skinner - or even, later, Doggett - and Mulder with Krycek were more interesting pairings), but I did like the realism of how their post-FBI lives had developed: Scully as a successful professional and Mulder as the eccentric guy in the back room, saving newspaper clippings and flipping pencils to the ceiling. ;)