Video Sunday: “The moment it is successful, kill it.”
As you will see, this was an interview conducted in conjunction (as opposed to conjucted in condunction) with The Oregonian piece Northwest Writers at Work: Ursula K. Le Guin is 80 and taking on Google. She is indeed 80. Seems to be doing brilliantly too. I’ve half a mind to find a way to age just like her. Looks quite preferable to the alternative, you know. Thanks to Jenny Schwartzberg for the link.
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Much along the same lines (I am defining "the same lines" in this case as "old talented folks") illustrator, cartoonist, and all around delightfully disturbing fellow Ronald Searle has turned 90. I take it all back. I want to grow up to be like him someday. Champagne and all.
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Favorite line: "Ronald Searle calls champagne his engine oil, and why not too? He’s got much to celebrate." Thanks to Drawn for the link.
Movie trailer time! Now the thing about The Guardians of Ga’Hoole books (quickie summary of the series: They’re like Erin Hunter’s The Warriors but with owls instead of cats) is that in my library system I’ve only ever once had a child looking for the books. Well be wary, oh fellow library systems. Come September I suspect that you are about to get a LOT of requests!
You have been warned. Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.
Fellow blogger Abby (the) Librarian was on fire this week. In a single post she conjured up two remarkable little videos, the like of which I’d never seen. First off, it appears that author and resident Mad Woman in the Forest Laurie Halse Anderson is vblogging. And what an engaging style she has too!
So that was fun right there. But then Abby also found this wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the cast recording of Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Beautifully done.
Finally, our off-topic bit of madness today comes via the YA author James Kennedy. In a recent post he mentioned that one of the influences for his jousting ostriches in The Order of Odd-Fish was the old Atari video game Joust. He then proceeded to display this commercial for the game stating, "Hang on for the last thirty seconds—I won’t ruin it for you, but it’s positively Lynchian." He’s not kidding about that. Watch it and prepare to have your mind blown.
Matt tells me that this must have been produced so as to play at a conference since it’s much longer than your average 80s commercial. He also says that the actor is Arye Gross, best known as Ellen’s "romantic" partner on the show Ellen before they figured out the whole lesbian aspect. The more you know.
Filed under: Videos
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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I thought that looked like Arye Gross. Now he’s a chubby, balding forensics guy on Castle.
And that David Baker guy does amazing audio work. I think he’s the one who did Fortress of Solitude and it was a brilliant performance.
Thanks!
Maybe they’ll come looking for The Guardians of Ga’Hoole books, but the soundtrack? Forget it! That was awful.
Here’s a quick test for you Hollywood execs out there:
Take a one-of-a-kind, oddball word that a twelve year old kid would enjoy saying, let’s say, just for kicks, “Ga’Hoole.” Now see if you can turn it into the blandest not-title a movie has ever had. Go!
Wow, already done. I’m looking forward to the sequel, “Legend of the Legend: The Guardian Chronicles”
I hereby challenge SOMEONE to actually write “Legend of the Legend”. Could be hilarious.
I’m fascinated with what Ursula Le Guin said about a woman’s writing disappearing after she dies. Scholars — do you agree?
I hope Ms. LeGuin takes heart–if women writers get smooshed, then they rise up again. Cases in point: Lucy Maud Montgomery, Frances Hodgins Burnett, Louisa May Aloctt. E. Nesbit. I was at an academic conference on children’s lit last spring and the featured speaker talked about Louisa May Alcott. I bet people will still read and talk about Ms.LeGuin 100 years from now.
Ah, Atari. The ’80’s. Gotta love ’em. When else could the effects for the commercial be better than the game?
Speaking of Atari, my brother-in-law, who’s a middle-and-high-school basketball coach, once went into the locker room and said, “I’ll give $10 to anyone who can tell me what Atari is!” He kept his money.
Speaking of special effects, does anyone agree with me that, since CGI is so common and effective and good now, more of the fantasy movies follow cookie-cutter patterns? This 2-minute trailer had all the cliches I’ve heard before.
@Carl in Charlotte: Agreed, the ubiquity of CGI makes CGI boring. It even insidiously sets the agenda of how stories get told. (Like how Lewis’ cozy, intimate “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” got transformed into a stomping, “epic,” overblown LOTR lite.)
Movies should show audiences something they’ve never seen before . . . and so, in a counterintuitive way, I think this is a perfect time for enterprising directors to abandon computer special effects and go back to analog special effects. I’m sure there’s tons of former modelmakers from ILM or retired Jim Henson Creature Shop dudes puttering around in the garages, just itching to get back in the game.
In short, there were two videos about fighting birds in Betsy’s post today; putting aside the har-de-har and irony, which had more images that truly surprised us?
@Carl in Charlotte: It’s even worse than that. The trailer makers were self aware enough to try to make fun of the cliches. But making fun of the cliches, while still using them, and thereby trying to have it both ways, is the new cliche.
@ James and Brian–where are the Ray Harryhausens of the world now that we need ’em?
Man, did I love Joust when I was a kid. Such a bizarre little game, and that commercial/PSA/whatever it was made it seem absolutely terrifying.
@ Carl: I ought to say for the record that I’m fully capable of loving a good movie that happens to be CGI. (Viva Pixar.) But speaking of Harryhausen, I trust you saw Fantastic Mr. Fox? Great, and fully capable of zigging when you expected it to zag. Something I won’t expect from our new owl friends.
Yes, I love Pixar too. I missed Fantastic Mr. Fox but will be sure to see a DVD copy.