by Jason Joyner | Nov 13, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
I went to see my brother this weekend to celebrate his birthday (oh, I’m sorry, his 20th anniversary of his 25th birthday). We decided to catch a movie, and despite having Will Ferrell in it, we chose Stranger Than Fiction.
I first became aware of this movie through Dave Long at Faith*in *Fiction. He linked to the trailer, and I began to anticipate this movie. I don’t normally make opening weekends of movies unless it has the words “Star” and “Wars” in the title or is made by Pixar. I was glad that it worked out to go.
It’s an all-star cast with the aforementioned Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Ferrell is Harold Crick, an IRS agent who counts each of his strokes while brushing his teeth, and lives an entirely predictable and boring life.
Until he hears the voice.
The voice is narrating what he’s just done. The number of brushstrokes. Getting off the bus. Harold gets annoyed and yells at the sky to shut-up. But he doesn’t get too concerned until the voice announces: “Little did he know,” and mentions his imminent death.
This leaves Harold in a bit of a dilemma, and he ends up turning to literary professor Hoffman to help figure out the mystery. All the while, Emma Thomspon’s author struggling with writer’s block tries to find the best way to kill off Crick, with Queen Latifah as her assistant.
It was a very enjoyable movie, especially if you are of the writing persuasion. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, which I didn’t really anticipate. I don’t know that the romance sub-plot is very believable or plausible, but considering the whole movie’s premise, that isn’t a strong negative. Latifah was wasted in her role. Overall, I think it is well worth checking out. All you writers ought to appreciate it (although I hesitate to endorse it too much, as we are a notoriously picky crowd :D).
by Jason Joyner | Nov 13, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
I went to see my brother this weekend to celebrate his birthday (oh, I’m sorry, his 20th anniversary of his 25th birthday). We decided to catch a movie, and despite having Will Ferrell in it, we chose Stranger Than Fiction.
I first became aware of this movie through Dave Long at Faith*in *Fiction. He linked to the trailer, and I began to anticipate this movie. I don’t normally make opening weekends of movies unless it has the words “Star” and “Wars” in the title or is made by Pixar. I was glad that it worked out to go.
It’s an all-star cast with the aforementioned Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Ferrell is Harold Crick, an IRS agent who counts each of his strokes while brushing his teeth, and lives an entirely predictable and boring life.
Until he hears the voice.
The voice is narrating what he’s just done. The number of brushstrokes. Getting off the bus. Harold gets annoyed and yells at the sky to shut-up. But he doesn’t get too concerned until the voice announces: “Little did he know,” and mentions his imminent death.
This leaves Harold in a bit of a dilemma, and he ends up turning to literary professor Hoffman to help figure out the mystery. All the while, Emma Thomspon’s author struggling with writer’s block tries to find the best way to kill off Crick, with Queen Latifah as her assistant.
It was a very enjoyable movie, especially if you are of the writing persuasion. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, which I didn’t really anticipate. I don’t know that the romance sub-plot is very believable or plausible, but considering the whole movie’s premise, that isn’t a strong negative. Latifah was wasted in her role. Overall, I think it is well worth checking out. All you writers ought to appreciate it (although I hesitate to endorse it too much, as we are a notoriously picky crowd :D).
by Jason Joyner | Nov 10, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
This week’s featured book is The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell. This looks to be an interesting set-up! Just imagine:
Imagine that you are an anonymous blogger, one who uses a silly name instead of your own, then imagine blogging about your work. Now imagine blogging about your cubicle mate of the opposite sex and calling him by an anonymous name.
I know some who have done just that.
But now imagine that your cubicle mate has discovered your blog and begins to read it out loud to you. EVERY MORNING.
The Cubicle Next Door is set in a civilian’s view of working on a military post. That in itself is funny enough…then add that the main character is a tree hugging, anti-SUV lover, with a thing for Bollywood movies. (Her favorite it Bride & Prejudice.) Suddenly this civilian hippie is thrown into a cubicle next to an Air Force Pilot/Teacher who drives…yep…an SUV. Can’t you feel the love?
Also, The Cubicle Next Door has some wonderful moments of self discovery.
A delightful read…here is an excerpt for you:
The Cubicle Next Doorby Siri L. Mitchell Released Aug 06
Excerpt from Chapter 1:
“So what do you think, Jackie?”
What do I think? Funny Joe should ask me that. He’s just finished reading my blog. He’s just quoted me to myself. Or is it myself to me? Do I sound surreal, as if I’m living in parallel universes?
I am!
The blog—my blog—is all about Joe. And other topics that make me want to scream. But the clever thing is, I’m anonymous. When I’m blogging.
I’m Jackie, Joe’s cubicle-mate when I’m not.
And that’s the problem.
Joe is asking Jackie (me) what I think about the Mystery Blogger (also me). And since I don’t want Joe to know the blog is all about me and what I think of him, I can’t tell him what I think about me.
My brain is starting to short circuit.
So if I can’t tell him what I think about me, I certainly can’t tell him what I think about him, so I’m going to have to pretend not to be me. Not me myself and not me The Cubicle Next Door Blogger—TCND to my fans.
I have fans!
If I were clever I’d say something like, “Look!” and point behind him and then duck out of the room when he turned around to look.
But there’s so much computer equipment stacked around my desk and so many cables snaking around the floor that I’d break my neck if I tried to run away. So that option is out.
I could try pretending I didn’t hear him. “What?”
“SUVs. So what do you think about them?”
But then we’d basically end up back where we started.
So how did I get myself into this mess?
It was all Joe’s fault.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 10, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
This week’s featured book is The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell. This looks to be an interesting set-up! Just imagine:
Imagine that you are an anonymous blogger, one who uses a silly name instead of your own, then imagine blogging about your work. Now imagine blogging about your cubicle mate of the opposite sex and calling him by an anonymous name.
I know some who have done just that.
But now imagine that your cubicle mate has discovered your blog and begins to read it out loud to you. EVERY MORNING.
The Cubicle Next Door is set in a civilian’s view of working on a military post. That in itself is funny enough…then add that the main character is a tree hugging, anti-SUV lover, with a thing for Bollywood movies. (Her favorite it Bride & Prejudice.) Suddenly this civilian hippie is thrown into a cubicle next to an Air Force Pilot/Teacher who drives…yep…an SUV. Can’t you feel the love?
Also, The Cubicle Next Door has some wonderful moments of self discovery.
A delightful read…here is an excerpt for you:
The Cubicle Next Doorby Siri L. Mitchell Released Aug 06
Excerpt from Chapter 1:
“So what do you think, Jackie?”
What do I think? Funny Joe should ask me that. He’s just finished reading my blog. He’s just quoted me to myself. Or is it myself to me? Do I sound surreal, as if I’m living in parallel universes?
I am!
The blog—my blog—is all about Joe. And other topics that make me want to scream. But the clever thing is, I’m anonymous. When I’m blogging.
I’m Jackie, Joe’s cubicle-mate when I’m not.
And that’s the problem.
Joe is asking Jackie (me) what I think about the Mystery Blogger (also me). And since I don’t want Joe to know the blog is all about me and what I think of him, I can’t tell him what I think about me.
My brain is starting to short circuit.
So if I can’t tell him what I think about me, I certainly can’t tell him what I think about him, so I’m going to have to pretend not to be me. Not me myself and not me The Cubicle Next Door Blogger—TCND to my fans.
I have fans!
If I were clever I’d say something like, “Look!” and point behind him and then duck out of the room when he turned around to look.
But there’s so much computer equipment stacked around my desk and so many cables snaking around the floor that I’d break my neck if I tried to run away. So that option is out.
I could try pretending I didn’t hear him. “What?”
“SUVs. So what do you think about them?”
But then we’d basically end up back where we started.
So how did I get myself into this mess?
It was all Joe’s fault.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 10, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
I thought of this for my writing friends, although anyone can enjoy this show. I think my new favorite show is “Secrets of the Dead” on PBS. I’ve just watched the last 2 weeks, but it has been quite fascinating to see the things they go back over, trying to use evidence from the past to unravel a mystery.
This week dealt with a famous dogfight over Guadacanal during WWII. They pieced together part of a mystery: Why the American pilot didn’t shoot down a Japanese ace when he had the chance.
I mention it to writers because it is the type of thing that can really spark your imagination. I won’t talk about another episode I saw, because the ideas are mine, ALL MINE! MU-hahahhahaha…
Um, sorry about that. Anyway, check it out if you can get it.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 10, 2006 | Blog, Uncategorized
I thought of this for my writing friends, although anyone can enjoy this show. I think my new favorite show is “Secrets of the Dead” on PBS. I’ve just watched the last 2 weeks, but it has been quite fascinating to see the things they go back over, trying to use evidence from the past to unravel a mystery.
This week dealt with a famous dogfight over Guadacanal during WWII. They pieced together part of a mystery: Why the American pilot didn’t shoot down a Japanese ace when he had the chance.
I mention it to writers because it is the type of thing that can really spark your imagination. I won’t talk about another episode I saw, because the ideas are mine, ALL MINE! MU-hahahhahaha…
Um, sorry about that. Anyway, check it out if you can get it.
