Well, again, two weeks since an update, but I've been busy, what with Easter coming and now gone. So I've spent a lot of time at church; I calculate that conservatively, from last Sunday morning (Palm Sunday on the Orthodox calendar) I've spent 22 hours in church. Crazy, considering that I had not been particularly religiously observant since I left home to go to college.
Last night, as part of unwinding after Easter, I went to see Spider-Man. I firmly believe that this is the surpassing sueprhero movie of all time. Maybe Ang Lee's Hulk, for which they showed a preview, will be better, but it's a year away. A couple of things firmly great about Spider-Man- one, Tobey Maguire is excellent, both as Peter Parker and the guy with the mask. Second, the costumes- I loved the Spidey costume, and I also really liked the Goblin's costume (which I guess puts me in the minority). I am a Spidey fan from way back (my fave cycle in the books being Jean De Wolf/Sin Eater), and there were a bunch of little homages. I especially liked how Goblin/Osborne figured out who Spidey was (very similar to the comic book- was it Amazing #35?)
I understand that a sequel is guaranteed, and I hope a third movie. Obivously, they've set up the Harry/Goblin II thing for the sequel. I'd like to see more of JJJ, and hopefully the Scorpion; I also think the Lizard is a possibility, as Dr. Connors is mentioned as having fired Peter at one point. But clearly the Green Goblin is gone for good. Venom would also be a popular choice for the next villain. I thought that Dave Koepp's screenplay (I assume mostly as the doctor, or dialogist) was very good. Koepp seems to have a knack for Marvel superheroes, which is a good thing, IMHO, since he's written so many of the Marvel screenplays.
The tension with the police is set up quite strongly, but also subtly; Spidey is very much the common man's hero, and the movie shows that off in a great way. Is the finale sequence cheesy? I happened to like it, although it struck me as a trifle jingoistic; but given the skyline, it's practically de rigeuer.
Of books I've not a lot to say. Been reading more of Robin Hobb's Farseer books; they're very good, but I haven't fully gotten into them. Something about the suspension of disbelief, and the fact that the plotting has sort of bogged down as we get into character work (I'm in the second book of the trilogy), which causes me to think that it's merely second act problems.
