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

LINK TO TRAILER

Starring Repairman Reynolds, this looks like a pretty funny film. Reminds me of Stranger Than Fiction from the trailer.

Looks good.

..

My copy of Black Wind just arrived! I cleaned out someone's collection of old paperbacks and had it shipped, and wow. It's in great condition.

And yes, the front cover is intact. I refuse to buy stripped covers.

I shall now disappear for a day (or two - stupid flu bug thingee) to read.

Just now I was watching CNN news and I heard Roy Scheider died.

Roy Scheider, the actor best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," has died. He was 75.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cnn/200...heider.ap/


The Last movie of his I've seen, it was "The Punisher"...

The Italian
I just rented this Russian movie and it was a really heartwarming sweet movie.

It is about a little 6 year old russian orphan who is about to be adopted by a well to do Italian couple, and is the envy of the other orphans. When he gets it in his head that if he is adopted and his birth mother comes looking for him she wont find him.

It is nice to see a well written and plotted movie every once in awhile.

As a favor to a friend I had just burned a dvd copy off laserdisc of one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes films-"STUDY IN TERROR" (where Holmes ends up on the trail of Jack The Ripper). I thought we can all have some fun naming our favorite Holme's tales (and other detectives) in print and on screen.

[SIZE="3"]Watched this again last night. It's even better on re-viewing. But I was struck this time by how much Mr. Incredible's boss looks like Stephen King. Anyone else see what I'm talking about?[/SIZE]

You can bid on an original sketch of Paul by George Barr on Ebay. The picture from the auction has been attached