Random Notes for June 13th, 2007

Another edition of random notes so soon? Yes but only because I am too lazy to get around to reviewing Tazza: The High Rollers, an unexpectedly enjoyable film which features my new K-crush Hye-su Kim (or here for a picture and her shock that porn sites would use her name), the Red Dwarf novel Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, or Barry Eisler's latest offering in the John Rain series, Requiem for an Assassin. You should go buy the last one for three reasons. First it is a very good book, but you should read the others first. Second Barry is a genuinely nice guy who almost remembered my name at this year's signing at Murder by the Book. Finally Barry is former CIA covert operations agent which means you will never see him coming should he decide to take care of your business and if you don't buy the book he will be unemployed and have plenty of time to hunt down your no book buying ass. Keep the man writing for your own safety as well as the safety of others.


HOLY MUNKY!!! While looking up Tazza on IMDB I stumbled across the trailer for a little movie titled Superbad. I initially clicked on it thinking it would be some superhero send-up along the lines of My Super Ex-Girlfriend so imagine my surprise when it turns out the movie appears to be a coming of age story a la American Pie, Dazed and Confused, or Can't Hardly Wait, but with cussing. Written by Seth Rogen, who some of you might know from his recent turn as Ben Stone in Knocked Up, and Evan Goldberg who no one will recognize and featuring Michael Cera, whose performance as George-Michael Bluth in "Arrested Development" was masterfully awkward, and Jonah Hill who, again, no one will recognize. Go check out the movie's official site and enjoy the red-band trailer. I am now really looking forward to this movie.


Ready for a dose of comic book gayiety which does not involve Batman, any of the Robins, Superman, or Northstar? Check out this cover for The Incredible Hulk #355 courtesy of the scans_daily LJ community. I think I might pick up this book on my weekly pilgrimage. It certainly seems worthy of mocking.


Drunk blogging "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes? Why yes, this sounds like a fantastic idea thank you very much. Shall we watch? Check it out here, here, and here. (HT to Dirk over at Journalista.)


Another movie trailer discovery I made today is this trailer for Sukiyaki Western: Django. Takashi Miike's remake of the 1966 spaghetti western Django directed by Sergio Corbucci. I am not certain why this movie makes me happy. Part of it must be the fusion of two genres that are at their core the same. Look at Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, or the duo of Yojimbo and Sanjuro when compared to A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. Of course we can go even further back to the film noir classics which inspired Kurosawa's stories, but the western and the jidaigenki film are so entwined in my head that making a western set in Japan just seems right, almost like the spaghetti film has finally come home. I really hope this one gets released Stateside, and with Tarantino as one of the stars I suspect that it will, but if it doesn't I won't hesitate to pick up the DVDs from Japan.
(HT to Jason Gray.)


Remember: Guntherfest '07 is upon us.