Monday Movie Mania - Wicked: For Good

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tuckered out from the holidays. However, DH took me to a few movies over the tail-end of New Hallowthanksmas season to relax when I peopled too much. So of course, the first film was the one I've been anticipating for a year!


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) The music and singing are always the best part of any musical. I was delighted Stephen Schwartz wrote two new songs to the movie, including "No Place Like Home" with input from Cynthia Erivo.

2) Erivo and Ariana Grande command the spotlight once again, showing older and more bitter versions of their characters.

3) Michelle Yeoh's Madame Morrible comes to the forefront as evil in her own right, not merely a henchman for the Wizard.

4) The movie version shows Glinda taking a more active role in getting the Wizard to leave Oz and disposing of Madame Morrible.

5) The movie also expands on scenes where the action is insinuated in the stage version, like what the Wizard's army does to Fiyero when it's learned he backs Elphaba. The screenplay also adds some scenes which expand on Elphaba and Glinda's character arcs.


CONS
1) Not a damn thing.


Overall, I give Wicked:For Good a 1,000 stars out of 10. I love this film, Jon Chu did right by the story, and the Wicked double-feature is going into my permanent collection!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Let's kick off the new year with some more Todrick!

Happy New Year!

Here's to a much quieter and prosperous 2026 to us all!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Because everyone needs Bell, Bows, Gifts, Trees!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

It's not Christmas without this classic rendition!

An Adorable Tribute

Hugh Jackman is very much a song-and-dance performer (which is why I find his intensity as Wolverine so fascinating). His tribute to Stephen Colbert while promoting his new movie as sweet as the Neil Diamond original.

Another Influence Passes

I was sad to learn John Varley passed away last week. The first book his I read was Titan. I can't remember if it was in junior high or high school. I only remember I borrowed it through our county library's Books Through Mail program for those of us who didn't have regular access to the system.

(This was in the late 70's and early eighties when money was tight because of the Energy Crisis, electronic borrowing hadn't become a thing yet, and before I had a driver's license, much less a job.)

John wrote strong female characters long before it was acceptable. He'd definitely get slammed by both sides if he wrote the Gaea Trilogy today. But this was one of the first books I read where a woman was the spaceship's captain. Needless to say, John had a huge influence on my own development as a writer.

I'd re-read John's trilogy every few years until life got in the way. One of my goals for 2026 is to re-shelve all my books in my new library in our house.

It's funny how something you read nearly fifty years ago can stay with you. That a woman can be in charge and not disparaged because of it. Maybe that's why I love sci-fi writers like John. He could see the changes coming and said so long before the reality hit.

Thanks, John. And I hope you are pain-free and at peace in the next world. 

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

The new American holiday standard! It's not Christmas without Mariah!

A Question for My Readers

I'm planning to release hardbacks for the 10th Anniversary of the Justice series late next year. The hardback with have all new covers as well, and I hope to do something bling-y like maps and painted edges.

How would you like a bling-y illustrated encyclopedia to go along with the series? I'm thinking foil trim and gilded edging in a very nice hardback collector's volume. It wouldn't come out until 2027, but I would need to start it now to have it ready in time to print by 2027.

What's everyone's thoughts on the idea? 

Monday Movie Mania - The Running Man

DH and I finally had a date night late yesterday after a month of personal chaos. Frankly, we needed it! Out of all the November releases we wanted to see, we went with The Running Man since it looks to be leaving our local theater first.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) This version of Stephen King's novel hews much closer to the book that the 1987 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It restores Ben Richards original, and much more personal motivation--obtaining medication for his infant daughter.

2) Colman Domingo stands out from the rest of the cast as the host of "The Running Man" show. He's far slicker and scarier than Richard Dawson's host in the 1987 version. Colman brings an odd sincerity to his role.

3) Michael Cera was wildly in a league of his own as Elton Parrakis, a young man who sees an alliance with the main character of Ben as the method to extract revenge on the cops that murdered his father.

4) Josh Brolin was so damn cold-blooded as network executive Killian I half-expected him to be the masked lead hunter McCone, too.

5) The sock that reminds Ben what he's fighting for.

6) The biting commentary on our current U.S. culture.

NOT QUITE CONS
1) As charming as Glen Powell can be, his physique is way too buff for such a poor man. But he captured Ben Richards' anger perfectly.

2) This is America cinema so Ben had to kill Killian personally. I would have a enjoyed a more creative ending if the writers wanted Ben to survive. (He didn't in the book.)


The Running Man is a fast-paced dystopian movie that may hit too close to home for some viewers. However, I enjoyed it greatly! I give it 10 out of 10 stars.