Nearing the End...

It’s been a few days since I posted, so I just wanted to update with a few links and some general comments….

Of course, the big news is that my class ends this week. Woo-hoo! Back to my regular schedule, back to some normality. I love teaching, but these New Hire classes take a lot out of me. There’s an endless amount of preparation, and when that’s done, I spend a good eight hours or so - on my feet – being upbeat, positive, and supportive. Ask those that know me and they’ll tell you that it’s hard for me to maintain that façade for so long; especially over a 6 week period. The other bonus to my going back to a regular schedule is that I’ll actually have the time and energy to devote to writing. I want to finish my new novel as soon as I can, because I have a few other ideas on the backburner that I want to put down.

In that same vein, I recently wrote a one act play that I’m going to send out and try to get on the one act circuit. I’m torn, really. It’s an homage to my favorite movie genre – zombie flicks. What I’m conflicted about is whether or not I want to send it out for one of the endless one act contests, or if I should try to produce it and get it on stage myself. You see, right after college, I was a professional actor for a while. I did some street theater, improv work, and quite a few plays (mostly Shakespearean). I’ve always wanted to put together my own production company doing cutting edge, subversive stage work. And I still have contacts in the business and with my old production company. It would be easy to get my play on a stage – but the hard part is actually finding a stage. There aren’t many cheap, open spaces that have an existing stage; to say nothing of having the money to rent and build my own. I have half thought about forming a non-profit arts group and trying to go the route of NEA grants – but who wants that headache? Besides – the good Doctor needs money, dammit! How else am I going to fund my plans for world domination? What to do, what to do…

Here are a couple links that have caught my eye in the last few days…

The first is this game. Very cool and fun! Use your arrow keys to navigate. I found it over at thatdarnedblog which, by the way, is written by a beautiful woman who participates in the Blogspot phenomenon of HNT (or Half Nekkid Thursdays). Obviously, that’s not why I linked to her. I link to sites because they amuse me or are well written – but it does help a whole lot if you’re a hot redhead. What can I say? I’m a guy – we’re callow, insensitive, and never really outgrow boob and fart jokes. It comes with the Y-chromosome folks…

Finding Sarah Connor. When do I get my neural chip implants? When will William Gibson’s visions be made real? (And, as for the Sarah Connor reference, it’s a meme. Check out the explanation here, at Wikipedia. I love this term and the rate of technological growth happening out there makes it more useful, appropriate, and sinister, every day.)

Oh, I forgot to mention! I got my Utilikilt in the mail today! Woo-hoo! I can’t wait for the weather to break so I can wear it on a regular basis. And I know that one of my regular readers, Chrissy, will be just as excited about it. She’s Scottish and genetically predispositioned to love men in kilts. Too bad I’m a fat, bald, evil undead doctor. She might find it more exciting were that not so. Sorry, Chris! If we go out to dinner anytime soon, I promise I’ll wear it!

Finally, I had to comment about a movie I watched last night. One of my students loaned it to me. She’s a horror movie aficionado like the good Doctor and highly recommended it. It’s a French film called High Tension (or Haut Tension, in the original Frog). I’d heard about it, and heard good things. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Gods! What a great movie. Beyond the general disadvantage it had in being French, it was one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in years. Seriously. It tells the story of two female, college age, friends named Marie and Alex who go to Alex’s parents house in the country for a break. On the night they arrive, a killer comes calling, kills Alex’s entire family, and the rollercoaster ride of suspense and gore never lets up. What I loved about this movie is that, after the first ten minutes, there is very little – if any – dialogue. The tension and terror are conveyed by the protagonist Marie’s face, tears, and body language as she plays cat and mouse with the killer. The gore effects were beautiful and shockingly realistic, the tension was palpable, and the execution near flawless. Add on top of that the fact that the main character Marie (played by the French actress Cecil de France) is absolutely delicious. God, she is gorgeous! Anyway, the way the film was put together, the characters, and the sheer horror it produced make this one of the best slasher movies to come along in years. The only flaw is a trite twist at the end that really does little to make the story better. In fact, it causes several almost insurmountable and irreconcilable plot holes. You know what, though? Very rarely will the Good Doctor say this, but I DIDN’T CARE. The movie was so good that I’m willing to overlook such logical gaps. It bears saying again – this movie has made Doctor Zombie’s list of all time great horror movies – something that is near impossible in today’s age of big budget, watered down, studio-neutered, corporate horror drek. All of my faithful zombie minions must go out and rent this! Doctor Zombie commands it!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Chomped Brains (even considering the plot flaws and the fact that it is French!)

I must go and sharpen my chainsaw. Unpleasant dreams, dear reader...