Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Three things: HT, Alexis Cole, Avatar

Howdy howdy howdy. Well, enough pleasantries:

  1. I do plan to have a Hither and Thither this week, but it will be tomorrow, instead of Friday. [AGH, I've been feeling like today it Wednesday. Sorry! By "tomorrow," I mean Thursday.]
  2. I also plan to see Avatar — in 3D, and IMAX — this weekend, and post a review next week.
  3. Another review in the works is (I think) my first audio review. I was sent the album The Greatest Gift, by Alexis Cole. A full review should be forthcoming, but I wanted to give you a pre-Christmas heads-up. I've given one quick listen-through, and am starting back over. The style is jazzy, the ollayers very adept, and Cole has a lovely voice. She calls to mind a happy blend of Roberta Flack and Joni Mitchell. Cole's  spirituality is an topic I'll likely discuss more in the review, but if you like the thought of a jazzy interpretation of these songs and carols, you should definitely check it out. I'm enjoying it a lot.

17 comments:

greglong said...

Looking forward to your review of Avatar. I saw it last Friday, and the more I think about it the angrier I get.

DJP said...

I think everyone's out doing last-minute Christmas shopping.

Maybe I shouldn't bother with the HT.

:^P

P.D. Nelson said...

No Dan the only thing keeping me sane this week is a H&T and me crazy (crazier?) isn't pretty.

Brian said...

Saw the movie this past weekend in IMAX 3D...Beautiful graphics, good story, but pantheistic message just in time to promote how bad we're treating the environment. (ie Global Warming). Loved the movie though...just couldn't stand the political propoganda....I mean, makes me wanna go out and buy some subliminal carbon credits! : ))

GrammaMack said...

Shopping all done; hope to finish wrapping tonight. I've been a good (old) girl this year; may I have HT, please?

Paula said...

For those of you who have seen Avatar (or are thinking about seeing it), what are your thoughts about the nude (or nearly nude) computer generated images? I have a 15-yo DS begging to see it. I'm not so concerned about the crash and burn scenes, but not completely in love with it being a skin flick, even if they are blue and not real.

Colloquist said...

Dan, I'm NOT going out doing last-minute Christmas shopping. I'm done shopping and will be reading blogs as usual tomorrow morning. A HT would make my coffee so much better. :)

DJP said...

Argh, Rabbit, sorry - it's felt like Wednesday to me. I meant Thursday for HT. Sorry!

GrammaMack said...

"AGH, I've been feeling like today is Wednesday. Sorry!"

Today I was on the phone making an appointment and was confused by what the woman was saying; I finally asked her what day today was--I thought it was Monday! It must be some kind of holiday fever going around...

DJP said...

Or a temporal rift. Those happen a lot in sci fi.

Seth said...

Avatar’s special effect look good, but the story sounds like typical liberal tripe. A technological advanced military and a corporate entity try to exploit a native population for their natural resources? Gee James, what’s the movie really about? I heard one person describe it as a space “Dances with Wolves”.
It’s strange that Cameron makes movies about the “evils” using new technology to make the movies (Terminator & Avatar). I guess if we had just showed up in Iraq or Afghanistan and showed them big budget movies there wouldn’t have been any problems, or we would have just given them ideas.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

I can't keep track of what day it is when it's not school.

Arrgh.

But I'll read your H&T just about whenever you put it up.

I was so confused, for a moment, I thought you were going to post it on Christmas! But that would be Friday... I think.

Colloquist said...

Sheesh. Your "temporal rift" means my coffee will be boring tomorrow, but at least I can look forward to the potential Thursday HT. If the fabric of space-time doesn't ripple. Again.

DJP said...

"Boring," Rabbit? What are the other things I'm going to post? Chopped livah?

Colloquist said...

That does really sound like I stuck my foot in it!

No chopped livah, sir, just not the full-blown feastage of HT. You're hardly "boring!"

GrammaMack said...

"Or a temporal rift. Those happen a lot in sci fi."

Why of course, that must be it!

It certainly could not be that my almost-53-year-old brain misfires now and then--that much I know for sure. :-)

VcdeChagn said...

Saw it today in 3d imax. Here's my review bereft of my political and religious feelings:

1. I wouldn't bother renting it

2. I'd go see it again in 3d Imax if I could.

3. Sigourney Weaver was a very nice touch.

Plot is a 4/10

Effects, Cinematography, etc is an 11/10

There are a number of parallels to another movie. I'll see if you catch it.