Movies, books, and a maze.

I finished reading 'Battle Royale' on Friday, and I have to say I liked it. I saw the movie some years ago, and except for changing some small (but not minor) details, I now know it's pretty true to the book. There's that same dark, bleak hopelessness that hits you in the face right at the beginning, and just builds through the rest of the story.

With the Hunger Games movie out, I've been pondering the comparisons between the two, and may pick up the Hunger Games book series so I can judge for myself. (I'll probably read something unrelated first, just to start with a fresh mind) I've read conflicting accounts whether the author of the latter has said she read Battle Royale, but just a bit of browsing, being careful to avoid spoilers, seems to indicate that Games ends up having the exact same group dynamic as Battle, which would 'strain credulity,' to quote Captain Barbosa.

Claudia and I saw 'Prometheus' Saturday, and it's going to take a bit of pondering to be able to say what I thought of it. There's a lot of subtle imagery and heavy questions that it asks. Sad to say, it seemed to waste Charlize Theron.

We also went looking for a van so we can start having steady transportation for all the grid and other stuff for Pan-Gaia designs when we go to conventions. If I ever had doubts that inspiration for good horror can be found anywhere and everywhere, one place we stopped at killed them. Along the highway, there are a lot of car dealerships, and these are one of the businesses that have been hit pretty hard by the recession. A lot of them are closed and deserted, and there is something really creepy about wandering through a lot with plain white vans, (some with bars and metal grid over the windows) vans with mechanical arms mounted on top, and old ambulances all around. There were no salespeople to be found, and all the vehicles were parked in rows that seemed like they had been designed by somebody studying modern art. The word 'labyrinth' came to mind more than once.

Yesterday was Father's Day, and it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. My mom is in the hospital, and I didn't get to talk to my daughter.

Am I still writing?  Hell yes.