So, the big day for my old friend is here. He has walked the "white carpet" at the premiere, and the movie hits theaters is wide release.

Also, the movie has received praise for getting the science right.

The bad news is that it would appear that the critics really hate the movie. I won't catalog the various disdainful, unpleasant, and just plain mean things they have said, but, I have to acknowledge that coast to coast, the reviews have been far from complementary.

In general, Hollywood won't care about that. Transformers 2 got bad reviews and made a bundle. As long as Whiteout performs good box office, it will be counted a success. The problem is that it is a much less know quantity than giant robots that turn into cars and planes, so, the question now is whether it will find its audience?

I hope so. I don't want it to be a bad movie or a finincial failure, and I will be going to see it (and I'll buy the DVD too; after all, Greg will be in the "extras").

In the meantime, it is worth knowing what the journey was for the story and the author from comic book concept to finished film and there is a great set of interviews with Greg and the very talented artist who co-created the comic book, Steve Lieber, here. Whether you see the movie (which I still think you should), or pick up the comic (which you definitely should), or just have an interest in the creative process, you should definitely check out the interview. It is a good read.

So, a very great friend of mine is finally seeing one of his creative works transformed from one medium to another. Greg Rucka and I went to high school together and we have been friends ever since.

On this Friday, September 11, his first comic book series, Whiteout, is released a a major motion picture.



I have had the privilege of seeing Greg's creativity from an early age. He is the real deal in that he has the imaginative juices and the work ethic that together creates amazing things.

Whiteout was written for Oni Press after he had already achieved success as a published novelist. His first foray into comics netted a nomination for one of the highest awards in comics, the Eisner. He was edged out his first year, but he later won for the sequel to Whiteout (Whiteout Melt) and has collected a number of additional Eisners since then.

From Whiteout, he went on to write for some of the biggest characters in comics: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman for DC, Daredevil and Wolverine for Marvel. He has also brought his great talents to other characters that are deserving of readership in mainstream comics: Batwoman, Huntress, the cops at Gotham Central, and the (new) Question. And, of course, a bunch of other stuff too.

What many consider his greatest contribution, so far, to comics, is his amazing series, again for Oni Press, Queen & Country. These action-espionage comics are, quite simply, some of the best writing out there. From them, he crossed back into novels, with two Queen & Country books under his belt and a third on the way. Top notch all the way.

Anyway, the best thing is, that he has many, many more years to contribute as a writer, and I am glad that his writing has led to the chance of reaching a wider audience through film.

However, for me, the greatest gift of the film (aside from helping Greg to put food on the table and keep the lights on at home for Greg and his family) will be to get more people interested in Greg as a writer and to open the audience more to his many novels and collected comic books, and his new work, particularly as he opens yet another new chapter with his Stumptown comic book series.

In many ways, this entry is a long commercial for Greg's work because I am a big fan, aside from being an old friend. More so though, it is a love letter to the hard work and dedication it takes to be a creative person in a commercial world. The life of the artist is a hard one, and I salute Greg and everyone like him who turn their creative juices into a career. It takes something very special, something I, as a dabbler, know goes far beyond what your average joe and jane, bring to the table.

So, go see this movie, pick up a book or comic, and be prepared to be amazed and enthralled, because, yes, Greg is just that good.

This movie, "I've loved you for so long," is a really good movie. It was an amazing human drama, with a gentle pace, dramatic tension, and genuine and interesting characters. I watched it with my wife and we were both left with that amazing feeling you have when experiencing a piece of art that teaches about the tragedy and the resiliency of the human spirit.

The movie is about love, as much as anything else. Quiet, unflagging, patient, family love.

I don't want to do any kind of spoiler review, but just sketch out the set up of the film and tell people to see it. The movie takes place in France and is almost entirely in French. Watch it with the subtitles and hear the poetry in the soft gallic dialog. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette, a woman just released from prison after a 15 year sentence for killing her son. Elsa Zylberstein plays Léa, her younger sister who takes Juliette into her family home while Juliette tries to reintegrate into society. Slowly, over the course of the movie, we learn who these characters really are and what they really mean to each other.

The movie is beautiful and amazing.

I highly recommend it.

I hope whoever has decision-making power is listening to suggestions like this one for future Trek movies.

Please no remakes of classic episodes or movies (and no KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!)

You created a parallel timeline to free yourself from the baggage of 43 years. So be free dammit!

Not going to do a full (spoilers) review. The timeline is changed. Movie is fun, entertaining, and my 9 year old and 11 year old were fine at it. Am I troubled by them throwing out the old timeline and starting over with young, pretty actors? Yes. Did it spoil the movie for me? No.

The movie rocked. Odd number curse is pretty well bucked this time.

I hope that more is on the way, despite misgivings.

Reviewer over and out.

PS the music is worthy!

Well, new Star Trek is out, and I do plan to see it. I do wonder if it is New Coke or the film that breaks the "odd number" curse for Trek films.

The is an absolutely reverential review in yesterday's Washington Post and Rotten Tomatoes is running it at something over 90% positive reviews at the moment.

I'm adopting a wait and see attitude, and yet I am hoping to return to that place, a universe of hope and optimism and science and swashbuckling.

We shall see. I don't believe in the no win scenario . . .

This continues the narrative about the evolution of my Star Trek: TNG campaign started in the late 80's. I started this narrative here.

I ran a number of episodes for my high school friend ruckawriter the summer after I returned from Peru. I had been able to catch up on ST: TNG's first season because my mother's friend had taped every episode and he loaned me all his tapes. I totally binge watched the entire season. In general, I was pleased, although the death of Tasha Yar grated and I really disliked the episode "Conspiracy.". Something about that episode just made me think "ick." However, later on it was going to prove important.

So, anticipating the second season, I ran things for my friend, spinning adventure ideas for he and his crew off of old Trek episodes, such as "That Which Remains" and even old animated series episodes like "The Slaver Weapon." I had the character, Captain Khelly Vander May, in charge of a ship that was highly diverse and Terrans and other human-type species we a minority (as it turns out, anticipating by years a selling point of the recent U.S.S Titan books about Captain William Riker's first regular command which is advertised as having only 15% humans in the crew). As I said, it was great fun, but ruckawriter had to return to Vasser and I had to go back to Davis for my senior year.

The game went on hiatus.

In Davis, I had been really fortunate to be included in a deal to rent a house with four other guys that was brokered while I was still in Peru. My housemates included my roommate from the first two years of college, two guys who had been in the same dorm with us as freshmen and sophomores, and one other guy, David, who been in the dorm the last year I was there, but he was a transfer student, and now, although younger than me, he was in a graduate program because he was really smart.

As it turned out, he was our token conservative Christian Republican. Also he was dating a girl (his future wife) who I had dated as a freshman (really nice girl). He also liked RPGs, and Star Trek and fantasy and science fiction books. And he had the room next to mine. And he slept in late (relatively) and I was an absurdly early riser (I blame my farm raised father). And I wasn't sure if I liked him.

Needless to say despite my mild idiocy, we are dear friends to this day, despite many differences and because of so many similarities.

It started out slowly, but we got to know each other, to know each others routines. We watched the second season of Trek together avidly.

And, I told him about my Trek campaigns with ruckawriter and my Captain Waver and his Vander May.

So, the natural question from David was, when are you running it for me? I put him off. Running some things was pretty easy for me to do then, but I was pretty up-tight about Trek. I felt I needed a good amount of prep time and thought to do a good job. There was a defined universe, and with new NextGen episodes out about every week, I was liable to get contradicted or otherwise messed up trying to pull it off. At least, those were some of the excuses I told myself. Also, it was one thing to run a solo "captain's" campaign for ruckawriter, with whom I had a lot of shared experience, deep friendship, and a lot of trust. It was another thing to put together something for David, or so I thought.

David was persistent, however, and I shared with him the character creation materials to buy me some time. He quickly generated an iconic character, Marc Antony Rhys Parthalon, not the youngest captain in Starfleet, not a prodigy, but a careful, brave, compassionate and mature man, an engineer and a teacher who, by dint of steady and reliable duty, rose to the captain's chair in his late 40s. That was harder to imagine 20 years ago than it is now.

We also put together his First Officer, who just had to be a Vulcan Science Officer (some clichés have to be honored) and I sketched out the rest of the command crew that included an 8 foot tall Kzin (animated series/Larry Niven Known Space crossover) at tactical (okay, so we out-Worfed Worf).

We decided that Captain Parthalon commanded the USS Nagato, a ship of the same class as the Enterprise C. Of course, in Season 2, no one really knew what that ship was like, so we used the unofficial "Royal Sovereign" Class from FASA's imaginative but very apocryphal NextGen Officer's Manual (eventually after "Yesterday's Enterprise" on down the line, the Nagato became an Ambassador Class vessel).

So, after all that, WHEN WERE WE GOING TO PLAY? I finally gave in.

We set up with the Nagato on the star map, and Parthalon on routine patrol duty as part of his Galaxy exploration mission. To start off, I played a clip on tape of the beginning of Star Trek II that ruckawriter had made for me. I played the distress signal from the Kobyashi Maru (16 periods out of Altair 6 . . .).

David thought he was responding to a distress signal "like" the Kobyashi Maru. He ordered the ship into position to effect rescue efforts.

Then Romulan ships started decloaking. Parthalon had not been lax during all his years coming up through the ranks. He knew his tactics and he, the crew and the Nagato gave a good account of themselves. The Romulans paid in ships and soldiers. In the end, however, the Nagato's warp core exploded, killing all hands.

David looked up at me with an expression that told me he could not believe he had failed so badly in his first outing with the game. He was not the kind of guy who would think that I had done anything but played fair. He had just not done things right. That was on his face. He said, picking up his sheet as we sat on my room's floor, "I guess that's it for my character . . ."

And I said "All right, open her up! Crew to after action debriefing! Mr. Parthalon, congratulations . . . Captain."

It was only then that David realized that he HAD been taking the Kobyashi Maru scenario.

He had performed to the best of his abilities at the "no win" scenario, and he and I were really playing Star Trek. I will never forget his mixed expression of shock, relief, and appreciation that I (really by dint of luck alone), had taken through the classic scenario, with a few tweaks, that resulted in him being completely taken in and transported (no pun intended).

It was a great start. But this was just the beginning.

I wanted to mention a bit more about this new Star Trek movie coming out. Warning, non-specific but troubling spoilers.

Having only watched previews, I had assumed, wrongly, that this was a "prequel" of sorts to the original series. It seemed that there would be some inconsistencies and retconning, but within the bounds of other Trek inconsistencies.

However, after poking around the net, I find that we have a reboot or reimagining (bleah) of a different color. As much as there appears to be an attempt to claim that this is not a revision like Battlestar Galactica, the plot of the movie involves a pollution of the original timeline that changes certain relationships, technology and chronology, such that the movie essentially can or could invalidate TOS chronology, in favor of the new cast and continuity supplanting it. There is a Treknobabble explanation of how this won't change ST:TNG, DS9 or VOY chronology, but the idea of either redoing old series episodes, or just having a "do over" with different Kirk, Spock and McCoy just makes me shake my head.

Even if they called this a parallel dimension version of Trek, it seems wrong to hijack a franchise with over 40 years of history and a decent attempt to herd the chaos into a consistent continuity of "future history" and a playbook that established rules that governed a million dreams around the world.

So, I sense "danger" and "bad feelings."

But, you ask, are you going to see the movie?

And damn, the answer is "yes."

As you might imagine from the "vast" traffic on my page, I write mainly for myself.

However, just to help with the sudden onset of full blow Trekkiness here, I'll mention how this state of affairs developed.

Now, those having been hit by the media blitz might well assume that my new found Trekkie faith has been spurred on by the new Star Trek movie set to come out May 8. While I'll admit to having been impressed by the trailers, the new movie is not at the heart of the action. And after all, we do have to realize that this is, in many ways the same idea that a decade or so ago was shouted down by the fan base, who hated the idea of a reboot of TOS. Now, hungry Trekkies/Trekkers who have not even had a new show running for the last four years after 18 years of mainlining new shows and movies.

I however, got derailed in the last season of Deep Space 9 (basically due to TV reception, work, and young fatherhood). I abandoned the voyage in Voyager even before that, and I never signed on for Enterprise. My Trek hiatus has been much longer.

The main motivation actually has to be laid at the feet of Chadu as the author of the PDQ# rules set (available free) and a set of links Chad posted on some work done by markwalt did adapting the free PDF# rules for Star Trek.

First PDQ# is a bright little rule set of simple rules designed to flexibly support a vast number of situations and narratives. It underlies a new game called Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies ( S7S ), which looks pretty brilliant (I have the pdf and the limited edition hardback is coming). The utter simplicity, yet supportive depth of PDQ# completely energizes me to think that easy Star Trek role playing could be in my grasp, and the information (actual play!) Posted supports my sense. Added to that Skyship combat (really cool) from S7S and I can imagine much Trek goodness.

That said, the touchstone of the revival was PDQ#/Trek rules, catalyzed with the new movie trailers dredging up all that I had invested in watching, enjoying and building friendships on Trek. It all comes back.

Perhaps it will be a brief revival, but I am glad to have these feelings and memories and to have some creative juices flowing on the Trek vibe for now. And now, perhaps I'll get back to my narrative stories.

A long time ago, when I used to play RPGs a lot, I first entered the world of Star Trek through the (now long defunct) FASA Star Trek RPG. My gamemaster was ruckawriter, and he was a great Trek storyteller (and he had most of the supplements and could really throw all sorts of things out at you). Of course, what generally happens when you play one on one, is that the player (me) wants to be Captain (I mean, why not be the boss). So was born Captain Darel Waver of Mars, UFP; Captain of the USS Investigator, NCC 1492. This was a "movie era" campaign. Captain Waver was wearing the very cool maroon Starflee Uniform and the Investigator was a Miranda Class starship (like the Reliant from "Wrath of Khan").

Many of the stories, no surprise, were full of intrigue, espionage, betrayal and politics. Within a couple of playing sessions, my close friend, the Chief Medical Officer, had been exposed as a Klingon spy, and had murdered my best friend, my Science Officer, right in front of me. I developed a rivalry with a Klingon ship captain. Then, through several sessions of play (and, I might add, years in advance of the start of ST:TNG and the release of Star Trek VI), my enemy and I realized how futile the Klingon/Federation conflict was, and we made our peace when we jointly faced (surprise surprise) an alien power more advanced and powerful than the two of us.

Lots of other very interesting things happened and the stories and characters really developed.

Good times.

So, then we had a big break in play when I was out of the country in Peru for a year. That was the same year that ST:TNG started. At one point during my stay in Peru, ruckawriter sent me a big care package that included pictures of Piccard, Worf and the novelization of Encouter at Farpoint. I started jotting notes, and pretty soon I put together our own Next Generation game, this time with me as gamemaster and ruckawriter as Captain, the Captain of the Investigator NCC 1492-A, a Constellation Class Starship on its continuing mission.

What was better, was when I got back, he and I played and it was great. Ruckawriter created a great character, Captain Khelly Vander May, a half-Romulan/half-human military genius. His first adventures were much fun.

But more lay in store . . .

It has been so long since I posted that it turns out I am bad at even the mechanical bits of it.

This is a recreation of something I wrote earlier, but I lost it in the posting process. So, nothing deep, although much is owed from the last six months.

Instead of substance, I give you, Bond, James Bond.

My wife and I got to go see Quantum of Solace last Friday. I had seen several of the reviews that lamented it as "not as good" as Casino Royale. In general, the recommendations were luke warm at best. However, a coworker gave it very positive reviews. Also, my wife and I had seen Casino Royale in the theater together (her idea too), so we decided dinner and a movie would be a good way to celebrate my upcoming birthday (number 41 for those who are counting).

We had a good meal at a local Indian place and hit the theater. There were a lot of teenage girls there for Twilight, which meant it was not hard to get Quantum tickets.

The short of it is that I quite enjoyed the movie. There was a lot to like about it and it worked. The real test is that during the movie I was glued to my seat, right after the movie I thought that I would like to see the next one and was sorry I would have to wait, and finally, upon reflection, I would like to see Quantum of Solace again as well.

There were some things missing. It was not as witty or quippy as some classic Bond films, and there was no sense of a duel of wits between Bond and the villain. On the other hand, it had a car chase, a foot chase, a boat chase AND a plane chase, so who has time for witty repartee. Although there was a lot of action, it flowed from the established character and served the (admittedly thin) plot. I could have done without the title sequence, which hearkened back to the girls (apparently naked) and guns themes of so many other Bond films. They had done a really good job of breaking with that tradition in Casino Royale, and I was disappointed that they did not continue the trend.

The theme song did not grab me, but I have listened to it a few more times and it is actually pretty good. It is both contemporary and links back to some of the old, big and brassy themes of earlier films. Clearly the makers of the film commanded a lot of Bond lore and put in a fair amount of homage. I particularly was impressed with the duplication of a "Goldfinger" shot with a twist. Also, they put the venerable Walther PPK back in Bond's hand, from which it had been missing in Casino Royale. That provided some more classic references. There were probably more that I missed.

Although I enjoy Bond movies, I am hardly a scholar.

So, as I said, nothing deep, but, while I agree that Casino Royale was the better movie, Quantum of Solace stands as a good movie in its own right and is easily better than a dozen other movies in series.

Assuming I have time, I will probably continue on the trivial course of postings, with the next one being a short treatise on why I hate Battlestar Galactica (something I discovered over the Summer).

Spent the day with my son. Wife and daughter at Girl Scout/Brownie Camp today.

We went to the local comic book outlet for the morning. Stood with less than a dozen people waiting to get in at 10 AM. Nice store. They only had one person running the show at the start. They were more stingy than the last FCBD event we went to a few years ago. One comic per person. They wanted to make the books last, which makes sense, but given that, unlike the other event we went to, there were not 100 people out the door (and at that one we could take 3-4 each), it seemed miserly to me and my 10 year old.

Nonetheless, they were also running their regular comics at 50% off, so, my son got Transformers, and I picked up Tiny Titans for my absent daughter. Seems like they were going to have a pile of leftovers, which sorta defeats the point. Anyway, we also bought some off the shelf. I got the final arc by ruckawriter in Checkmate. I will hope to have it in trade as well, but, I heard so much about the arc, I thought it worth picking up (certainly at 50% off). We picked out some Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans Go! for the kids. Got out under $10, so not too bad.

Also hit the library, played some basketball on the new hoop, mowed the lawn, set up a HeroScape battle, and worked on my son's independent research report.

Not bad.

Tomorrow, everyone is back together and the kids swim in a swim meet.

Oh, and work is still H#!!, but things may (just may) be coming under control.

Oh, and the wife and I went and saw Iron Man yesterday. A decent movie. Big, loud, but well scripted and acted. Nothing too original, but it hangs together well and I enjoyed it. Wife gave it an "okay." Superhero movies are much more hit and miss for her. Spiderman, Superman the Movie, and Batman Begins yes. Others, not so much. Still, was a good way not to do anything but be with my wife and relax out of the house.

Off to bed and towards crazyland in the new week.

Dust off your hats boys and girls, its gonna be a wild ride.




Not as easy as it used to be! Ah, the theme (or one of them) of the new Indiana Jones film (http://www.indianajones.com/). He's older, I'm older, but boy it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to a number of movies this year, mostly what critics would term "escapist" fare, but it is hard not to be most excited for this flick.

There is a lot going for it, with Marion back, Cate Blanchett as the femme fatale, Roswell, Mesoamerican temples, car chases, explosions, and some potentially witty dialog, they have me hooked. Where will it fall on the spectrum of Indy movies? Hard to tell. It would be best if it gave up the pretensions of the third movie (though I liked it), conceded that the first one was a masterpiece, unlikely to be repeated, and go for the fun like was done in Temple of Doom (a movie which has grown on me over the years because of its craft and unabashed love of pulpy serial cliches reinterpreted through the lens of blockbuster).

So, nothing deep, nothing pithy, just I love Indy. Indy is back. The trailer does not obviously suck, and it fact gives reason to think that the awesome is back. Yes indeed. Indy is a teacher (a teacher of FUN!), if only "part time."

Just can't wait for May 22.

Already a relatively busy week, but I just want to take a moment to recall the weekend. As I mentioned, Saturday night, the wife and I were free to go out. We hit a very good Thai restaurant, and then went to the theater and went to what was playing next. That, fortunately, was the very good, very amusing "Juno."

So, the evening went very, very well. It was nice to have a grown up night out, knowing the kids were also having some good adventures.

The next day, got up and did the taxes. Was not a bad thing. REFUND!

Wahoo!

Now, back to work.