Marvel at The Magic Kingdom

On Monday, August 31, 2009, the worlds of the Marvel Universe and the Magic Kingdom collided as The Walt Disney Company announced plans to buy Marvel Entertainment for slightly over $4 billion. Almost immediately, the Disneyana types were excited and the Marvel Zombies were mortified.

Will Mickey Mouse become the newest member of the X-Men? Will Wolverine become a star on Disney on Ice? Will Hannah Montana dress up like Dazzler on an episode of her series? Will they pit Marvel’s Hercules versus Disney’s Hercules? Will Pinocchio be accused of being a mutant? Will The Incredibles fight against and later with the Fantastic Four? Actually, I’d like that one to come true to tell you the truth.

Most critics of the acquisition fail to realize that the same studio that gave us Hannah Montana, Winnie the Pooh, Cars, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and G-Force also gave us Gargoyles, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lost, Scream, Kill Bill, Trainspotting, and Clerks. Needless to say, the initial reaction has cooled down compared to what happened upon the announcement. Now, a little clarity is in order. read more

Free Audio Books: Read With Your Ears

I often meander to the library with high ambitions. I check out two books, with an expectation that I’ll read them both before they’re due. Within two weeks I’m back at the library, extending my book loan and wishing I had the time to be as well read as I aspire to be. If there was only a way to read while I’m driving, taking a shower, and mowing the lawn…

To my delight, there is a way. Audio books! Anyone that has used iTunes or Audible.com knows that the selection of audio books (formerly known as books on tape/CD) is expansive. Just type in an author’s name or book title, and load up your iPod, Zune, or other media device and go! Many of the newest titles are read by authors or celebrities which makes for a wonderful experience. As times are tough, I’m making less purchases and audio books were the first expense to go. Is it back to the library again? Almost, until I discovered Librivox, a free open-source depository for public domain audio books. read more

The Fair that Changed America

It’s not often I turn to non-fiction for entertainment. I’m a fan of documentaries and how-to books, but I tend to keep informational reading to short articles or magazines. I recently came across Erik Larson’s book, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Maddness at the Fair that Changed America, and was floored. Not only is the book a history lesson, its a compelling murder mystery with novel-like twists.

The book is centered around the events of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, or as its better known, the World’s Colombian Exposition. Rich details about the daily lives, interests, and motivations help to flesh out what life was really like. The book leads up to Chicago’s attempt to gain prominence in the world by hosting the upcoming World’s Fair. The rivalry between the Windy City and New York is tense, as each argues over their cultural importance. In the end, Chicago secures its position as host of the fair and the story beings to unfold. read more

Five Books Better Than “Twilight”

Twilight is available on DVD Tuesday and though I’ve willfully neglected to see the movie, I have read the book. It’s mediocre writing at best, and some of the story elements are ridiculous, yet, the book remains readable.  Readable enough, in fact, that I’ve acquired the second in the series to be started sometime this week.  I’ve convinced myself that I must read the series so that I may, if nothing else, be well versed in how to bash it.

I’m usually a sucker (ha ha) for vampire fiction and paranormal type romance, but even by trashy chick-lit standards, Twilight wasn’t that great.  I’m clearly outside the target demographic of tween and teen girls, but good young adult fiction writing should be able to hold up to a slightly older audience. Young Adult writers need to stay away from the topic of vampires if they can’t figure out how to deal with the adult situations presented. read more

What happened after the Wizard left? A look at the “Wizard of Oz” sequel

Where exactly is somewhere over the rainbow? For many Wizard of Oz fans, the 1939 MGM film was the beginning and the end of their journey into Oz. The film has become iconic and defined the age of Technicolor and grand movie musicals. New interest in the Oz stories emerged in 2003 with the successful Broadway hit, Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel. My interest in Oz lead me to search more about the original author, L. Frank Baum and his writings. I was astonished to learn that there are 40 official books published by Baum and his successors that explore the land of Oz.

Being an Oz fan, I’ve been privy to the stories shown in the 1985 Disney film, Return to Oz. The movie features Dorothy, returning to a much darker version of Oz, trying to piece together the cause of the destruction. She meets new friends and eventually re-unites with many of her friends from the original journey, including the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion. It was interesting to find out that this screenplay was a combination of two books that followed “The Wizard of Oz.”

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