Year: 2005

Ariel wrapped up her stint as Golde in “Fiddler,” and acquitted herself wonderfully. And we’re almost done with the steady flow of visitors who have been coming through since last Monday. It’s not that we don’t love seeing parents and my older daughters, because obviously we do. But, boy, it makes you realize how relatively quiet it is around here under normal circumstances.

Looking forward to watching PBA Bowling today at 12:30. History in the making as a woman bowler made the cut for the first time and will be competing on the main Sunday broadcast. It’s Liz Johnson, whom Ariel met and bowled with back when the Women’s Int’l Bowling Association was on tour. So naturally we’ll be pulling for her.

PAD

Part three of “Tempest Fugit” hits the stores this week. Whad’ja think?

PAD

At least that is the jury decision in regards to Robert Blake, who was just found not guilty of killing his wife.

Now I haven’t been following the case because, unlike the OJ case, it hasn’t been splashed all over the newspapers here. So I don’t know if the prosecution truly failed to prove its case or if what went through the jury’s mind was, “We really don’t want to convict Bobby Blake on evidence any less than five people seeing him empty a gun into her, and besides which the victim was a skank.”

However, I feel fairly confident in saying that the defendant kept his eye on the sparrow when the going got narrow.

PAD

Things are hopping here at Casa David. I just finished proofreading the galleys for the “Fantastic Four” novel (which included such entertaining typos as the brand new word “seeriously.” I like it. I’m going to use that in a ‘Sir Apropos of Nothing’ story someday. “Yes, I can read the future,” he said seeriously.)

Meanwhile Ariel’s school production of “Fiddler on the Roof” goes up this Thursday. So both her older sisters and my parents are going to be coming in to see her, and Kath’s parents simply happen to be in town and are visiting. Thus we’ve got a pretty constant flow of visitors coming and going.

PAD

Yes, as per the Newsarama item, I will be writing a one-shot “Spike” comic for IDW in August. Long time “Buffy” fans will appreciate the concept that Spike winds up squaring off against none other than Hallie the Vengeance Demon, who has a rather unique connection to Spike that was hinted at during season six of BtVS. This story will actually address that connection, shedding some interesting light on Spike’s origins.

PAD

Kath and I finally got a chance to see “Constantine” yesterday.

Now of course, the moment you move away from Constantine being British, you torpedo any chance of comics fans feeling like a comic book character has just stepped off the page onto the screen (as was the case that first moment when, for instance, you saw Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.) So it’s easy to say, Well, he may be a tortured individual with many of the trappings of John Constantine, but he ain’t Constantine. And that’s a fair enough criticism.

So basically we’re left with the question: Is it a good movie in and of itself? To that I would say definitely yes. The pacing is lethargic at times, but it’s that rare item: A special effects-heavy film that doesn’t make you feel like you’re drowning in special effects (like, say, “Van Helsing.”) This is accomplished through canny now-you-see-it, now you don’t stunts such as Gabriel’s wings being visible long enough to register and then vanishing.

Bits and pieces of various Hellblazer storylines are scattered throughout the story and yet, remarkably, it’s a pretty smooth combination.

Reeves does a good job, I thought, of Constantine’s angst over trying to bargain his way out of a dismal fate he’s brought on himself, and Tilda Swinton practically steals the film out from under him as Gabriel. (“You’re dying young because you’ve smoked thirty cigarettes a day since you were fifteen. And you’re going to hëll because of the life you took. Face it, John…you’re f*cked.”)

Bottom line, “Constantine” portrays an epic battle between heaven and hëll on a remarkably grounded and accessible level.

PAD

The success of “Fat Actress,” which debuted last Monday, depends entirely upon whether you like Kirstie Alley’s somewhat scene chewing acting style. In half hour doses, I do, which is why she’s perfect for sitcoms.

But what infuriataes me is that the National Eating Disorders Associations out of Seattle are bìŧçhìņg about the show in a way that questions whether they watched it at all.

At one point in the show, a supposed LA weight loss expert (played by John Travolta’s real life wife) gives the stunned Alley all manner of insane weight-loss suggestions, including eating a cigarette and binging and purging with a feather so as not to ruin her manicure. Alley reacts with incredulity at these suggestions (which you have a feeling there are women in LA who are actually doing it.) Later on she smokes a cigarette, tastes it and kind of goes “blaaah” and at another point stares at a feather, then shakes her head and puts the feather down.

But the NEDA is claiming she actually followed all the horrific advice she was given. Newsday even claimed she was shown sticking a feather down her throat to vomit when she clearly didn’t.

What next? I’m wondering if the NAACP is going to lodge a protest because a horny Alley goes on the prowl for a black lover since black men ostensibly, as the song goes, like women “with back,” prompting an annoyed black woman in a soul food restaurant to lament all these dámņëd white women prowling around for black men.

PAD