I Know Many Are Not Fans...But I'm Liking The "Rings Of Power"

 When I entered the world of writers, I found myself rubbing shoulders with some interesting people...other writers. Some of them are so dedicated to the craft that they have studied and researched extensively the writings of great authors.

Namely, JRR Tolkien.

Much has been said about the new Amazon Prime series, The Rings of Power. Many of my writer friends have been less than impressed. I can understand why. The Tolkien books are almost scripture to them. They influenced their lives in a way few other books have done. And to create a series that deviates from the essence of Tolkien, well...it's sacrilege. 

I get it. I understand. 

For me, I just don't know enough about Tolkien. This helps me enjoy the series, at least, so far.

I wonder if the show was made for people like me. We enjoy fantasy stories, may have even read them--as I did--both in my youth and as an adult. I don't know any of what the story's supposed to be so I can't be offended by the execution. Maybe the series is the worst thing ever and an insult to the great writer himself. 

I suppose this is a classic case of "Ignorance is bliss."

As for the show's success, I hope it does well. Do I wish it were more true to Tolkien's vision? I do for my friend's sake. All I know is they've spent a ton of money (literally...) getting this show made, from production to the rights. I found something humorous my friend posted--not sure where he found it. It sums up his feelings on the show. 

Yes, it's not for everyone, but so far, it's for me.

If You Love "Galaxy Quest"...You've Got To See "Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary"

You know how it is...you're looking for something to watch (because it feels like you've seen everything you want to see on various streaming platforms...), then something catches your eye. It's not a normal film, or a series, but a documentary.

I'm not knocking documentaries--the format can be one of the most powerful forms of film ever.

The documentary I found was Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary and if you love the 1999 Dreamworks film, you've got to see this story. It was hypnotic.

Though very small, I have a connection, of sorts, to this film. I've met the author of the original story concept, David Howard. His story, Captain Starshine, was picked up, then altered a bit. I'm not sure how much was changed, but the documentary implies it was several points. David is a very cool dude and married into a very cool family. Plus, he speaks Danish, so, he's got to be great. People I know attended the premier. That must have been a blast.

We find out things that might have been, actors considered for various roles, and other "behind the scenes" fun facts.

The documentary highlights how Galaxy Quest is an homage to fans of the genre. Speaking of fans, there are several cosplayers in the film who provide testimony of how the film affects them. Two of the cosplayers (at least, two...) have attended Salt Lake's FanX Comics Convention and I love seeing them each time I go.

As stated before, if you have a fan of the film, Never Surrender is a great way to re-live some of the feelings you felt when you first watched Galaxy Quest and when you watch it over and over again. It's currently playing on Amazon Prime, so if you are scrolling through choices, wondering if there's anything worth watching, check out Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary. You'll love it.

"Corner Gas" Is Now Binge-able On Prime Video...Hallelujah!

The news broke yesterday. I think those of us living in the Lower 48 missed it, with everyone all wrapped up in politics, and the like. But for those of us paying attention, the news was huge!

Corner Gas is now available on Amazon Prime!

And if you don't know about Corner Gas, you're definitely missing out. Corner Gas is Canada's most popular TV comedy ever. It's a show that always stays true to itself. The characters never disappoint and the writing is wonderful. 

Corner Gas is the brainchild of comedian Brent Butt. It's set in the fictional Saskatchewan town of Dog River. It's a small town with big personalities. Of course Brent's character, Brent Leroy, seems to be the only sane one in the place. He's an arbiter of wisdom, a sufferer who keeps his parents from killing each other, the police from overtaking the town, the diner owner from losing her mind, his co-worker form killing his best friend, and his best friend alive.

And now, everyone can binge the show whenever they want.

Years ago when we had the WGN Superstation out of Chicago, Corner Gas played on their line-up. That's where we got hooked. If you like good, intelligent, and surprisingly (in our day...) family-friendly comedy, please give Corner Gas a try. It's just a great show.

Now, if we could only get the Corner Gas animated series...we'll just have to wait for that.

I Know Amazon Sells A Lot Of Things...But, Come On!

It's pretty much a given that advertisers (as well as governments...) track your online activity. You do a google search and before you know it, you see advertisements for the very things you searched. They don't even try to hide it anymore.

I'm not necessarily saying this is always a bad thing. If you're searching for parts to fix your broken refrigerator, seeing ads for what you need might help you get those parts at a cheaper price. Then again, they might just be annoying.

There was even a time when my friend Todd and I discussed writing. He asked if I had heard of a writing seminar put on by a NYT bestselling author. I told him I had not heard of that seminar. He went and told me all about it. When I went home that night, I got online and there it was--an ad for that very seminar. I had never seen that ad before. It wouldn't surprised me if the advertisers (and government...) were not just following my online searches, but listening to my conversations as well.

But, those who developed the program to channel advertisements to those with money and a need/want need to up their game. I did some research on bald eagles recently for my latest story. Next thing I know, Amazon is letting me know that through them I can actually buy bald eagles! Amazon can get me bald eagles.

Of course, a bald eagle is a tangible thing--it is something that I suppose you could buy if you had the money and it were legal. But the amazing Amazon can also sell me closed captioning. That's right! Closed captioning! I didn't even know you could buy closed captioning. Apparently Amazon can get it for me.

Maybe Amazon is doing us all a favor. Maybe it's not for advertiser, but instead, a way to remind us to be more careful about what we search for on the internet...

...or say to Todd.

Man...I've Missed These Guys!

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My son, the student, recently signed up for Amazon Prime. Students apparently get a killer deal when it comes to Amazon Prime. And I support that. There are many deals, advantages, and perks to being signed up for this service. But one I looked forward to utilizing was watching three British journalists talk about cars. Yes, I'm talking about Grand Tour.

I assume most of the fans of the Jeremy Clarkston, Richard Hammond, and James May trio have already signed up for Amazon Prime and therefore, have watched all the episodes. We're usually late to most parties, especially if attending the party comes at a price. In other words, we're cheap.

But thanks to the student discount, we get to enjoy the show (we're still cheap, of course...).

I watched the premier on my iPad and took several screenshots to use for this blog post. When I went to post them here, they were completely black. I guess all images are protected. I hope it's okay to use the one I was able to download. It's not flashy, but you get the point. Too bad--the opening sequence of the new show is, in my humble opinion, brilliant. The music provided an emotional cherry on top of the entertainment experience.

Top Gear, Grand Tour's predecessor, was as good a show that's on TV now, or possibly ever. The cast is such a well-oiled (to use a car term...) comedic a troupe, many seasoned comedians might well be jealous of that chemistry. But what continued to impress me about Top Gear was its beauty. The cinematography for that show blew me away. They made the world's most beautiful cars even more beautiful. It was a pleasure to just sit back and watch the show for that reason alone.

I wondered if Grand Tour would live up to its earlier version. As far as the premier goes, it succeeded. The show, for the most part, followed their tried-and-true recipe, and why not? If it works, why change? It will be interesting to see how things develop for the rest of this season and seasons to come.

Yes, it's been a while since I watched the three men interact and test cars. You don't know how much you've missed something until it returns. Turns out, I missed them a lot.

* Photo used without permission from Amazon