SwampLog 3.0

'Reemergence'

A first glance at what will likely be a track listing for my 2004 Year-End CD, courtesy of the iTunes Music Store. Take a look.

Plan 86 From Hollywood

Unlike George Lucas, who keeps remaking his own movies so you don't have to, Hollywood is obsessed with remaking movies that were done right the first time. Current case in point: the redux of The Manchurian Candidate. Critics seem to like it just fine, but no one whom I've talked to liked it at all. This led to my oft-repeated statement: there's no reason to remake movies that were done right the first time.

Kevin brought up a great suggestion: why aren't we remaking bad movies? I, for one, would love to see Emmerich and Devlin tackle Plan 9 From Outer Space. The zombies would look so much better, and they'd get to blow up New York yet again

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Real Networks thought they would have a hit on their hands by reverse-engineering Apple's DRM so songs bought from Real would work on the iPod. They then posted a petition online so people could line up and tell Apple what they thought.

Real got a little more than they bargained for. Delicious.

One More Sign...

...that I'm getting 'good old days' syndrome:

I was perusing the sci-fi trades, when I came across the note on what Topps is doing for 'Revenge of the Sith,' the final Star Wars film. Topps, as any good geek knows, made the trading cards that kids snapped up with the first films. They had four sets for the first movie (blue, red, green and gold borders demarked which set was which).

That's when it hit me.

"Star Wars Heritage contains five cards, plus one wrapped piece of bubble gum per pack. The suggested retail price is $2 per pack."

TWO BUCKS? JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST!

Don't talk to me about inflation, or any of that guff. Back in 'da day,' there were a dozen cards per pack, and they cost 35 cents! Good value for the buy, in my opinion.

Nowadays, cards aren't meant for the kids anymore. They're meant for the people like 'Comic Book Guy' on the Simpsons, who exist only to collect and profit from this stuff. Action figures? Fuggedaboutit. They never leave the bubble packing.

When my generation grew up, it's almost as if they sucked the fun out of what it's like to be a fan. Kids don't have fun with movies anymore -- it's too expensive. Movies aren't made that spark a kid's imagination, they're made to create franchises and sell merchandise.

I know, I know... this has been happening since the mid-80s. But it really didn't hit me until just now.

...

I can't talk about the last month just yet. Just know that I have really appreciated the kind words from you guys, and it's helped a lot.

In Memorium

Darla Raye Thompson
1929 - 2004

Rest well. You will be missed, and always loved.