eldritchhobbit

Hi, everybody! I’m now seventeen films into my viewing of all of Jiang Wen’s remarkable works. I have five more lined up before I decide what to do about those that don’t have subtitles. The themes of history, memory, and agency in many of these movies speak to me in a powerful way. The films he directed are genuine, meaningful works of art, and so are many in which he starred. So be warned (ha!): there will (soon!) be a post breaking down, commenting on, and ranking/recommending his films.

I’m also doing some reading on his works, too. And speaking about texts on Jiang Wen, if you’re interested in him and and his perspective, you definitely should check out everything posted under the “#Books on Baze” tag here. Must reads!



On a somewhat related note, I’ve also managed since first watching Rogue One to see ten or so Donnie Yen films, and I’m sure there are more of those to come, as well – so, yes, that’s probably another forthcoming post. (Two words: Ip Man.)

On a more loosely-related note, if you have the chance to see the brilliant Genghis Khan exhibit at Charlotte’s Discovery Place, do so! It’s wonderful and it’s leaving very soon. I had the good fortune of catching it just after finishing John Keay’s China: A History, so that was excellent timing.



Currently I’m reading Autumn of the Black Snake: The Creation of the U.S. Army and the Invasion that Opened the West by William Hogeland, which I’ll be reviewing for Reason.

It’s finals time in university land, so if I’m quiet, just know that I’m grading. And grading. And then grading some more!

First of all, happy 199th birthday to what is perhaps my favorite novel and definitely the pioneering work of modern science fiction, Frankenstein! Here are five reasons to celebrate Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley today.



Also, the latest episode of StarShipSofa includes my new "Looking Back on Genre History," part one of a two-part discussion of the relationship of one of my very favorite authors, Lois McMaster Bujold, to fandom (and fan fiction, in particular). Here it is! If you listen, I hope you enjoy!

(And speaking of StarShipSofa, heartfelt thanks to those of you who have helped make Everyone: Worlds Without Walls a reality! We're most grateful to you!)

Last but not least, it seems that I've embarked on an in-depth study of the films of award-winning actor-director-writer Jiang Wen, sort of a personal (and multi-month-long) film festival that also includes reading the popular and scholarly analyses of his work that are available in English. (I've found that his films are kind of dream dining for someone who does intellectual history, though I'm having to brush up a bit on my knowledge of recent China, which, hey, is a good thing.) When that's all done, expect a report, including breakdown of his films with brief reviews/reactions. Consider yourself warned, ha!



I am still recovering from The Ick That Wouldn't Die, but I'm much better than I was. And we're expecting snow tomorrow, which makes me very happy indeed. I hope all of you are doing well, my friends!