Whiteout

A while back I wrote a long post about a coming "comic book movie" that most people wouldn't normally associate with a comic book, primarily because there are no costumes or aliens to be found in it. It's called Wanted, and it releases this month, I believe. Even though the movie looks to be a ridiculous departure from the book in both theology and execution, it might still be entertaining. Top Cow Publishing is even planning a new edition of the graphic novel with an Angelina Jolie cover.... oy.

But there's another "comic book movie" coming up that will also likely be far off the radar. It's called Whiteout, and it's based on a four-issue series that came out in 1998. The only big name I recognize on the roster is Kate Beckinsale. Wait, scratch that, I also recognize Tom Skerritt, but that's because I watched Cheers religiously in high school... you may remember him as Evan Drake, the rich guy that Kirstie Alley's character was desperate to get with. ANYHOW... Whiteout is a murder-mystery set in Antartica, that takes place just days before the continent is plunged into darkness for six moths. This lends the whole mystery a bit of urgency. It's one of those "oldie but goodie" independent comic books that has continued to sell well in graphic novel form for the last ten years.

If you're a Christian who doesn't mind it, or even enjoys it, when the secular world takes potshots at religion, you'll love this: a new documentary from Bill Maher and Larry Charles called Religulous. The linked post tells a lot more about it, but it sure looks a lot like a Michael Moore project - under the guise of being a "revealing tell-all", it's almost guaranteed to piss off a huge segment of the population, and will surely result in various boycotts and pulpit-pounding across the nation. Sometimes the future is just all too predictable. Even more fun is the website they launched to promote the movie, disbelief.net. You can spend hours surfing just in the "Blasphemy Box" section.

Now for a crash course of my own personal opinions on all manner of cultural things that I have experienced in the last couple of weeks:

the Crystal Skull was only so-so, 3rd best of the movies, perhaps last. There were a few parts that "belonged" in an Indiana Jones movie, and too many that didn't.

Looking forward to the new Coldplay album in about a week and a half... they've been my favorite band for about two years now, and based on the tracks I've heard so far, it doesn't look like they're going to be displaced!

Taco Bell's new $1-and-under menu is awesome.

Based on my tiny sample size of comic-book readers, Obama over McCain in the fall.

I have to face facts: the Tigers are going to struggle just to finish as a break-even team this year.

Exciting news in Lansing with the announcement of a Hollywood-size sound stage being built close to downtown. With the "best in the USA" tax breaks that our legislature passed for the movie-making industry a couple months ago, and several big-budget projects already committed to shoot here since that legislature was signed by Granholm, it looks like Michigan just might have found a way to supplement the sagging auto industry.

Wish Kendrick Perkins had played more like this against the Pistons.

Boston Legal is absolutely my TV crack right now... I'm going through the box sets really fast.

Trying to pick out a good Christian-theory book to "teach" in our church in July... any good suggestions?