Chris Braak's Blog, page 45

Sherlock Holmes Does Not Have Time For Girls

At what point did Sherlock Holmes become an arrested adolescent? If there's one commonality among the three modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations – Fox's "House," BBC's "Sherlock," and the Guy Ritchie movie(s) – it's the characterization of Holmes as basically refusing of adult relationships and bonds, and a pettiness when his primary companion, Watson, has the [...]

Is This the Best Lovecraft-Based Script Ever?

Yes. It is called Strange Aeons. Let me explain.  Some years ago — five,  I think — I got to thinking.  Why is it that there aren't really any good Lovecraft-inspired stories?  Surely it's possible to combine HPL's terrifying cosmic horror with the bleak, snazzy 30s noir style to which it would be suited?  Just [...]

Numbers

Between the three books (The Translated Man, The Translated Man and Other Stories, and Mr. Stitch), if you count the sales this month and the stuff that I managed to move at this and last year's PhilCon, I have sold a total of about 900 copies. This is, obviously, not enough to make a living. [...]

61-year-old reader

So…what does one recommend to a 61-year-old man who's decided to take up reading for the first time since high school?  A little context, I suppose. It may surprise some of you to know that I – a man with a degree in English Education, a professional writer, and someone who has been doing the [...]

The American Doctor Who

I just wanted to bring this up because I was thinking about it (after watching the leaked clip of Craig Ferguson's cold open for his Doctor Who episode):  America had a version of Doctor Who that fairly well captured the ideals of the British original, but also catered to American sensibilities (namely:  not liking history, [...]

Today In Idiots: People Who Bought the Power Balance Wristband

Also:  the morons I just saw on the CBS Eyewitness news who didn't immediately denounce it as bullshit.  Also the woman from "The Beauty Bean" that the morons on the news asked about it who said, "Well, there are no negative side effects, so we say just go for it." Here is what Power Balance [...]

More Thoughts on 'Harry Potter 7.1′

Generally speaking, I liked Harry Potter 7.1. It did the job it was supposed to do – basically, get you ramped up for 7.2 next summer, when, y'know, the BIG stuff happens. And it pretty faithfully adapted the book yet again, which in this case meant I nearly fell asleep during the whole wandering-around-in-the-woods-looking-for-horcruxes-and-kind-of-ripping-off-Lord-of-the-Rings section, [...]

Threat Quality Shoe Challenge: Redux

As usual, your puny hu-man "reality" is insufficient to my needs.  I have therefore decided to INVENT the solution to my shoe problem.  Ladies and gentlemen, behold!  The newest product from the Nike Shoe Corporation!  I give you: The Nike INVINCIBLE! The shoe begins with a layer of polypropylene insulation, designed to wick away moisture [...]

Threat Quality Shoe Challenge!

Attention internets!  I do not understand about things like "fashion," or "shoes," or "buying."  So, I am turning to you, electronic super-brain, for advice! I need new shoes.  I have some pretty specific requirements, and I want to know if any of you guys have ever heard of a shoe that is like this: 1) [...]

Chris Versus the Movies: Whit Anderson's Buffy the Vampire Slayer

By now you've probably heard, because it's all over the internet, that Charles Roven is moving forward with a new movie of Buffy the Vampire Slayer — a movie the production of which will NOT include Joss Whedon, and which will be written by a credit-less actress that no one has ever heard of.  Roven, [...]