I just finished Secret Histories and am wondering if there is a connection between the two books. In EotS one of the worlds is called Tolive. In SH a character has the last name Toliver. Coincidence? But then... "there are no more coincidences." Hmm...

So I was looking on imdb.com just now and found this post as a response to someone asking who/what Molasar is. I've never heard anybody mention anything like this on this board and since Mr. Wilson frequents this board I was curious if this was true...that is if you can actually decipher what is being said.

"I assume you read the original novel. If so, I presume you have picked up on the fact that Wilson was (and still is) a major fan of the Tolkien Ring Trilogy. (A major clue to this is in the reference to Glaeken's sword which is engraved with ancient runes. The same sword which he must use to kill Rasalom).

Wilson has in the past often referred to the "last surviving" human character in Mordor, from the "War of the Rings". The only such character I could gleen from this chapter would be the so-called "Mouth of Sauron". (This is the same character who was beheaded by Gimli, in the film version of "The Return of the King". But in the actual novel he removes himself from the Fellowship, unscathed). And apparantly survives as he he a long living survivor from the ancient contenent Numenor (Atlantis in Tolkien's mythology).

Wilson in this novel (as well as it's sequels) has referred to Molasar/Glenn (Rasalom/Glaeken) as HUMAN. Immortal, perhaps. But human nonetheless.

A not bad rip-off of Manly Wade Wellman's short story of 1944 entitled "The Devil Is Not Mocked", by the way.

"I am bound to this earth. I make it my domain".

Dracula "

S P O I L E R S , yadda-yadda, okay.

Near the beginning of Season 3, Sun, Jin, and Sayid are in their boat trying to look for the signal from the Others' camp. The Others find their boat, Sun shoots a woman, they have to abandon the boat, and then...they magically wind up back at the survivors' camp as if they've BEEN back for a while? Huh? When did they get back?

I know I'm not the first person to wonder this, but if anyone else has it figured out or otherwise knows something I don't, please explain it. I'm still rather bugged by this "non-mystery."

I was just reading about Masamune swords on wikipedia, and read this little bit:

A Masamune was given to President Harry S Truman shortly after World War II. It is currently housed in the Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum.

Does anyone know if this is true? What are the chances that this is the sword from Black Wind, the one that may or may not have been made from one of Glaeken's swords? If anything was gonna survive a nuclear bomb, I'd put money on it being that little antenna . . . .

I jest. It is impossible to spoil such trite movie making, although the bloodbath at the end kind of upset my daughter a bit-she was shocked that The Rock got his head blown off and I'll admit I didn't see that one coming either.

I just saw Definitely, Maybe yesterday. Besides loving it because it was a cute, well-made, well-written, well-acted, well-directed movie, I was extra-excited to see the man who will "definitely, maybe" be playing Repairman Jack walking around in Jack's very playground itself the whole way through.

To tally a few highlights of my Repairman Jack Scrutiny:

• Ryan Reynolds was on a rooftop at night during one scene. I could almost see a rakosh prowling around up there with him...
  
• He had a sprint through a hotel at one point while trying to beat a girl back to his room (reminiscent of some of his better scenes in Blade Trinity and Smokin' Aces), and looked convincing as usual in a more "action-packed" scene such as that.
  
• While he did wear suits and/or ties a bit during the movie (something Jack kiiiind of doesn't do very often), he has a few scenes just wearing jackets, hoodies, tee shirts, etc., and looked convincingly "anonymous" in them.
  
• He looked really good without a beard during the middle of the movie onward (to all the beard/no beard skeptics).

So for anyone who wants a sort of "preview" of Ryan Reynolds as Repairman Jack - IN New York - go see Definitely, Maybe. And hopefully, enjoy the movie also - I certainly did!

HARLAN ELLISON ON THE WRITERS STRIKE SETTLEMENT

YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO RE-POST THIS ANYWHERE:

Creds: got here in 1962, written for just about everybody, won the Writers Guild Award four times for solo work, sat on the WGAw Board twice, worked on negotiating committees, and was out on the picket lines with my NICK COUNTER SLEEPS WITH THE FISHE$$$ sign. You may have heard my name. I am a Union guy, I am a Guild guy, I am loyal. I fuckin’ LOVE the Guild.

And I voted NO on accepting this deal.

My reasons are good, and they are plentiful; Patric Verrone will be saddened by what I am about to say; long-time friends will shake their heads; but this I say without equivocation…

THEY BEAT US LIKE A YELLOW DOG. IT IS A SHIT DEAL. We finally got a timorous generation that has never had to strike, to get their asses out there, and we had to put up with the usual cowardly spineless babbling horse’s asses who kept mumbling “lessgo bac’ta work” over and over, as if it would make them one iota a better writer. But after months on the line, and them finally bouncing that pus-sucking dipthong Nick Counter, we rushed headlong into a shabby, scabrous, underfed shovelfulla shit clutched to the affections of toss-in-the-towel summer soldiers trembling before the Awe of the Alliance.

My Guild did what it did in 1988. It trembled and sold us out. It gave away the EXACT co-terminus expiration date with SAG for some bullshit short-line substitute; it got us no more control of our words; it sneak-abandoned the animator and reality beanfield hands before anyone even forced it on them; it made nice so no one would think we were meanies; it let the Alliance play us like the village idiot. The WGAw folded like a Texaco Road Map from back in the day.

And I am ashamed of this Guild, as I was when Shavelson was the prexy, and we wasted our efforts and lost out on technology that we had to strike for THIS time. 17 days of streaming tv!!!????? Geezus, you bleating wimps, why not just turn over your old granny for gang-rape?

You deserve all the opprobrium you get. While this nutty festschrift of demented pleasure at being allowed to go back to work in the rice paddy is filling your cowardly hearts with joy and relief that the grips and the staff at the Ivy and street sweepers won’t be saying nasty shit behind your back, remember this:

You are their bitches. They outslugged you, outthought you, outmaneuvered you; and in the end you ripped off your pants, painted yer asses blue, and said yes sir, may I have another.

Please excuse my temerity. I’m just a sad old man who has fallen among Quislings, Turncoats, Hacks and Cowards.

I must go now to whoops. My gorge has become buoyant.

Respectfully, Yr. Pal, Harlan Ellison

TRAILER

M Night Shyamalan back on form?

I havent heard anything about this new movie, but it sure does look good.

News from Gauntlet Press....their newsletter states that Secret Histories will be shipping out in the next day or so. Numbered editions first, slip covered then lettered edition. Can ya say woohoo!

This is something that Sorrel and I have often pondered. Although Jack does not have a beard, I cannot picture Ryan Reynolds without one. RR in Van Wilder and in the trailer for some romance movie that's on the TV at the moment, both Sorrel and I are struck by how awkward and goofy he looks without his beard:


Ryan Reynolds seems to get to keep the beard for more serious roles. In Smokin' Aces, Amityville Horror, and Blade he looks really good with a beard. It seems to me that he looks much more handsome with a beard, it gives him a certain manliness, and it emphasises his eyes (which seem to be very close together whenever you seem him sans fluff)


The only problem that I can think of with Ryan Reynolds keeping his beard would be that Repairman Jack's greatest weapon is his anonymity; having a full thick beard is an obvious VDM (visually distinguishing mark) that RJ would naturally avoid (doesn't he even mention this in one of the books? Or am I thinking of Andy McNab's character Nick Stone . . . ?)

I remember that Sorrel and I watched Smokin Aces around about the same time that RR was announced as being RJ, and we both agreed he'd be excellent. But then we saw him without his beard, and we got a little jittery . . . he looks like a goofy kid witout his beard.

And I for one want to see a Repairman Jack movie, not a Repair-goofy-kid Jack movie! :p