In His Shadow...

Here's another not so important secret for you.


Actually, this one is a little more substantial.
Or rather, it's not.
It’s a shadow.
On the cover of Peter Pan's NeverWorld.
How did I choose it? Where did I find it?
Did I have a model for it?

Well, I didn’t. But someone did. And that someone? Sir J.M. Barrie.
The shadow is created using one of the photographs he took of Michael Llewelyn Davies dressed as Peter Pan. The photos had been for Sir George Frampton as reference for the sculpture in Kensington Gardens. Unlike Frampton, I wound up using them. Not just on the cover, but in the text as well.

What better image to manipulate for the cover of Peter Pan’s NeverWorld than Michael as Pan?

Anyone have a semi-useless tidbit they wish to know?

If Pan Had Headphones On, He'd Hear...?

I'll let you in on a not so important secret.
Oh boy.

Actually, it is about the boy.
And by the boy I mean Peter Pan.

For what it's worth, here's a behind the scenes glimpse into the writing of Peter Pan's NeverWorld. As with any project, music played while I composed. I recall one song in particular. We can go ahead and use the term "ad nauseum." Especially for the opening scene of novel. The music carried me on the wind throughout the canyons of the Neverland... dipping, darting, hovering, zooming... propelling me into the rest of the story.

I thought perhaps you'd like to hear the song that I still associate with the novel. I can't hear the song and not be on the wind's back in my mind. The song? 'The Celts' by Enya.

Below is the music video. The video had no influence on the book. I had never seen it until hunting the Web for it just now. Also, there are a couple of sound effects added.

I hope you enjoy Enya's composition. It certainly inspired mine.
If you listen, maybe you'll hear the same voice calling "Petey...Peter..." throughout the song.

Enya - The Celts
Uploaded by zocomoro - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

What Am I Missing?

"Of course!" ?

Other than name recognition, the fact that there is a "Peter Pan Collar" [but not here!] and commenter Jen's notion that it could refer to the notion of eternal youth,

I just don't get it. :)

A similar ad is here.

Meanwhile...

I'm working on getting something out there...

...and it should make quite a few people happy.

Will keep you posted.

Yes, it's Peter Pan's NeverWorld related.

I've Been WONDERING About This One...

Well, kids, and kids at heart, I’m a little late in reporting this one. But the time I usually have allotted for looking such items up have been overrun with other affairs the past few days. (Such as watching Duck Soup in Grant Park.)

The Burton Alice in Wonderland trailer is here!

I’d been on the fence regarding this movie, not knowing if I should be happy or sighing. Especially when the first batch of pictures arrived. It looked both amazing and awful. I knew I’d have to reserve judgment until I saw images in motion. Well, here they are, in motion. And the verdict? No, not "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" at all. I’m genuinely intrigued. It does in fact seem like it could be a worthy, fresh take on the Alice tales. Naturally, my opinion might change after seeing it… one never knows.

If you’re wondering why I’m not up in arms about wandering so “wrongly” through Wonderland:
Unlike Peter Pan, there have been many film versions. Many of them quite faithful and well done. Since there are as many of them as there are empty seats at the tea table, a new cup of tea can be a welcome change. Also, it’s not meant to be a direct adaptation. And this one just might have something else to say with these characters.
Enjoy.

It's JUST a story? Ah, no.

Yesterday I noticed on the on-screen TV Guide Night at the Museum coming on next. I set TiVo to record. I had not yet seen it and I’d also heard good reports about it.

Enjoyable, yes. Pefect, no.
Yes, I know, perfection is hard to come by.

I’m not actually going to review the film. Rather I wish to use it as platform to make a point.
While watching the movie, I wound up with several questions regarding the logistics.

First off, some of the museum characters/displays/figures could speak English, while others could not. Makes sense, until you consider that some of those who would not know English somehow did. And it seemed to be only for matters of convenience to the plot.

Second, I wondered what happened to some of the museum structures that would normally exist. What I mean is, when a full body Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is on display, aren’t there support rods? Or wires from the ceiling, perhaps? And what about the fasteners between its own joints? The dinosaur in this film had none such structures and yet stood complete, posed. If it had these restraints on it, it couldn’t get up and walk around. How convenient. (It goes for many other displays, too.)

Said T-Rex also obliterated the front desk. I mean smashed it to hell. And yet, the next day, the front desk is unscathed, as if it didn’t happen. How? You might think this chalks up to the museum reverting back to its normal state. Well, that would work as an answer if not for the fact that other damages and changes do not revert. In fact, things amiss are part of the plot.

Perhaps your reaction to my qualms is: “It’s just a movie, get over it.” This happens to be one of my biggest pet peeves. And yet, I hear this response a lot. Sure, it’s a movie, but it’s not just a movie. It’s a story being told… a story being told about a particular place and time, one that has rules and regulations that should not and cannot be ignored. Especially when dealing with a basis in our own reality. If such details are not paid attention to, then the story is not composed properly. The “movie world” is real, at least for the purposes of the characters and objects within the movie…and by extension for the audience “buying into it.” But it’s difficult to "buy into it" when what’s being sold doesn’t fly.

If you’re still not convinced, I’ve thought of a comparison.
Let’s say you go out to eat. You’ve been looking forward to the restaurant all day, salivating over what delectable tastes will grace your palette. The food arrives. It looks great, smells pretty darn good… but, it’s bland. Someone didn’t cook it properly, perhaps? It doesn’t matter, though. It’s only food, right? Why do you need food to taste good? It’s just food and will still work with your metabolism, so why should you expect it to be prepared well?

Why, then, are we more often than not expected to swallow a half-baked story?

In the case of Night at the Museum, they do handle one of my objections: the speaking of English. It is explained that over the 55 year span that the displays have been coming to life, they picked up on the language from the museum visitors. There! Is that so hard? A quick, catch-all and convincing solution. [Except not ALL of the characters can speak English, so one has to wonder if it’s a matter of convenience for the plot [such as being unable to communicate with Genghis Khan and thus mayhem ensuing] or if we can blame it on lack of caring by some of them to bother to learn the language. Could be, but I'm guessing it's just lack of caring.

As for the other issues, they remain unexplained other than without them being there, the story will fall apart like the dinosaur would.

I think we should be able to expect more of our stories in terms of mental nourishment, don’t you? Even if it’s just “summer entertainment.” If it’s got gaping holes in, don’t present it as entertainment. If an author doesn't care enough to think about the ramifications of his/her own world/story, why should we care about the story at all?

Maybe it’s just me, but I hope not.

ADDENDUM: I have not read the source material by Milan Trenc. My apologies if the book does address the issues stated. Though glancing around on Amazon, it doesn't seem like it would, as the book and movie are apparently not alike other than the premise. (Imagine that.) And it's more of a picture book.

Wait... WHAT Film Is THAT?

You’ve heard it so often you want to scream…
Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Well, the only reason it’s such a cliché is because it’s ever so true.
Examples of it come not only in books, but films. (Still applies, right?)

Recently, I’ve been shocked by the actual footage for two films I had either read the synopsis blurb or seen a handful of advertisement.

First, Imagine That. At one point titled Nowhereland. I read the blurb for this film before it went into production. Given the old title, I came up with a very different motion picture. Okay, it could be my fault that I somehow missed the word “comedy” when reading. But you know what? I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss it, having read an early report when not much info had been leaked. Anyway, the gist of the storyline I’d been given:

A financial executive’s life falls apart. When things look their worst, he finds salvation in his daughter's imaginary world.

Don’t know about you, but I conjured up a dark, brooding near-horror flick. A broken shell of a man, tucking in his daughter, wondering what kind of life she would have if he just ended his own, glancing through her drawings, intrigued by their mesmerizing and disturbed comfort. During his awful days, he fails to push the images from his mind, soon creating his own scenarios in the bizarre, crooked nightmarish landscape. Eventually he crosses over (albeit maybe just in his mind) into an organized method to madness, hoping to escape alive. Okay…whoa, right? Exactly. I thought maybe I’d like to see the movie… and then… the trailer appeared. Man alive, had I been thrown for a loop. Hold in mind the movie I expected and then watch. I don’t expect you to be able to finish this trailer. I just want you to see the contrast.


And then there’s the upcoming District 9.
I don’t remember reading or hearing much about this one. Except that it’s about trying to contain aliens. But here’s what I did see. Images such as these:





I gathered (wrongly) that it’s a cute, light comedy, sort of an unnecessary expansion of and in the vein of the alien Mikey from MIB. (Click here for the Will Smith music video featuring him. [He's at the end.]) But..um…no. This one is a dark, brooding thriller. Far from being a madcap farce, it appears to have depth. (Not that farces can’t have depth.) It strives beyond the action flick, seeming to summon up a social commentary and poignancy. Imagine now, if you will, a silly romp of aliens trying to buy a cell phone and not being allowed (or something)… and then watch this, which I do expect you to be able to sit through.



Very different from what I thought, right? Unlike the previous movie, I do want to see this one.

Just proving once again: Don’t make snap judgments and assuming has an ass-biting quality.

I think that covers it.

Fluffly, No!!

Are there any authors of children's picture books out there reading my posts?
I'm only asking because I think you might find this newspaper "report" lends itself to your craft.

Sets my mind ablaze with laughter, imagery and narrative possiblities.
How about you?

I found the above clipping at Criggo. If you're not visiting it regularly, you're missing out.