Marvel scores a winner with Stephen King adaptation

I have not read anything by Stephen King since the 1980s. But two weeks ago, Marvel’s much touted comic book adaptation of King’s Dark Tower series finally became available. Both Variety’s comic blog Bags and Boards and The Savage Critic(s) gave it very positive reviews, so I gave the first issue I shot.

Set in a futuristic world where gunslingers collide with magicians and other sci-fi /fantasy elements, Marvel’s The Dark Tower is indeed a strong title. King’s novels follow the titular gunslinger’s mythic journey to The Dark Tower, but this comic is more concerned with the origin of the character. This first issue successfully introduces the characters without dragging down the pace with backstory. I really liked the artwork by Jae Lee, though I agree with The Savage Critic(s)’ comments that the colouring is abit monotonous and reduces the overall impact of issue. I felt the book offers the type of thrills similar to DC’s Vertigo line of more mature titles.

Based on this issue, I have gone out and bought the novel!

Verdict : highly recommended. A very nice break from Marvel’s usage fare.

I finally bought Mravinsky’s Tchaikovsky set

A received a few gift coupons on my birthday that allowed me to acquire some new CDs. One of the new discs I purchased was Mravinsky and the Leningrad Phil’s critically acclaimed 1961 recording of Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 on Deutsche Grammophon. I found Mravinsky’s version of the “Pathetique” much faster in pace when compared to my Klemperer version on EMI. The recording sounds very good for its age and I am getting to enjoy this CD more and more.

Samsung YP-K3 – a nice alternative to iPod Nano

This new DAP from Samsung is very very attractive. The YP-K3 is essentially the YP-K5 without the sliding mechanism and the built in speaker. The YP-K3 gains from this reduction in hardware feature set – the newer model is small, thin and is reputed to feature excellent sound quality and a nice user interface.I just hope they come in 4GB and 8GB models with a reasonable price tag. And let’s hope the files can be transferred via drag n drop.

As a side note, I recently went to Samsung’s flagship showroom and laid my hands on the YP-T9. Being the top-of-the-line flash DAP from Samsung, I found the form factor of the YP-T9 very nice. Pricing is abit ridiculous though, it’s 4GB is just HK$100 cheaper than the 8GB iPod Nano!!

Link to Popco.net product introduction page

January capsule reviews

Babel – obviously a “serious” movie right from the first frame, Babel is more of the same from Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Made up of 4 stories that initially seem independent of each other but eventually shows connection, Babel explores human relationships, the mis-trust between different races and mis-communication within family units. Like most contemporary films, I found Babel over long and abit too serious for its own good. Inarritu’s breakthrough film Amores Perros, by comparison, goes over the same themes but is much more vibrant and captivating.

Flags of Our Fathers – Clint Eastwood’s World War II film Flags of Our Father features earnest acting, solid and restrained directing, yet somehow comes across as abit flat. It does not dazzle with the visceral action of Saving Private Ryan or the surreal atmosphere of The Thin Red Line. The movie is nowhere near bad, but neither is it exceptional. It does not draw the viewer in – that is, we know where this is all going and the plot becomes very very predictable. I am hoping that Eastwood’s take of the battle from the Japanese point of view in Letters From Iwo Jima will be more interesting.

Marie Antoinette - panned across the board by critics in Hong Kong, I found Marie Antoinette quite watchable. It is not a “mainstream” period drama – in fact, I would say it is not really concerned with history at all. Sofia Coppola’s film shows how an aristocratic girl with nothing to do spends her time in decadence – the emphasis is on the loneliness of the girl. Much has been said about Coppola’s use of post-punk music (New Order, The Cure, Gang of Four) for the soundtrack and this makes it feel like a very personal film for the director. Maybe when she was young, when she was the privileged daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, she acted and felt like this take of Marie Antoinette.

Blood Diamond – although the film overtly criticizes the savagery present in modern day Africa and seems to be pointing the fingers at businesses in the west, what we are watching is really an action blockbuster masquerading as a message movie. As an action movie, I found Blood Diamond entertaining with a solid turn by Leonardo DiCaprio (better than is overwrought performance in The Departed).