Have rented a few movies because I've been going through withdrawal and I've been in need of a science fiction fix. Here's what we have for today:

Dune (The SciFi Channel version): Much better than the 1980's version. Of course, that's like saying it's better than having your fingernails pulled out with a rusty pair of channel-lock pliers. The special effects were okay, the acting was okay, and the story/script worked very well against the Frank Herbert novel. I learn from this rendition that villians should not speak in rhyming verse when nobody else does. They don't come off as terribly threatening. That said, this is not high art. It's the videobooks version of the novel. If you want an epic, go for Star Wars instead.

Red Planet (the Val Kilmer version): Whew! Stinko! This one made Mission to Mars look good... and, that actually *is* saying something. Whereas Mission to Mars was a collection of wonderful scenes that added up to a whole that was less than the sum of its parts, Red Planet is a collection of completely unremarkable scenes that also add up to a whole less than the sum of its parts. Too bad.

Bounce: Not science fiction, but I've been intrigued by the premise. When Chicago's O'Hare airport is snowed in and the last flight of the night is about to take-off before they shut it all down, one fellow gives away his ticket on that flight to another fellow who is trying desparately to get home. Then, the plane goes down, leaving our good samaritan (as well as several other people) with a whole lot of guilt over who lived and who died. One year later, the survivor meets up with the widow of the man to whom he had given his ticket. A most excellent premise. In execution, the movie was... okay. The script is simplistic in handling the concept of corporate guilt, and the alcoholism of the surviving fellow is just a little bit pat. But, the acting is good, and the ending works. This movie turned out to be a decent, light-hearted romance... but, I still like the premise a lot.

You Are Here: This movie was very, very, very bad. It was awful. I stopped after getting 15 minutes into it. I like independent films, but not films that are independent of plot, acting, decent sound editing, or story.

So there. I was going to tell you about my wacky life these days; the fact that things are mellowing out at work, that I'm finally back to making progress on the novel after a few dry weeks, and so on. Maybe later. I've got some novel writing to do now. Later, potater.