Undulating Ungulate

* Mamma Mia is a really good musical. This surprised me given how painfully shit the movie had been, and I really wish I had seen the musical first. But yeah. Lots of fun, and it is actually about something. The humour and emotion come through on stage in a way that the film failed to capture. A random experience and a good reminder of how much I like musical as a medium, and the power of something live on stage.

* Am now up to date with Dollhouse. (Just in time for the news that Dollhouse has been more or less cancelled – the rest of series 2 will still go to air, but unless there’s a ratings miracle, there will be no series 3. Gah.) Whedon delivers again with the good TV. Even if individual episodes sometimes don’t entirely add up in their push for One More Twist, the potential thematics and moral black hole being explored through the premise are fascinating, the ensemble cast is pretty cool, and Amy Acker makes facial scarification far too hot.

(With my antipathy to spoilers, I had actually been really regretting watching Episode 13 of season one. (It was not broadcast, but was on the DVD.) I suspect they made it when they didn’t know if they were being picked up for another season, and so far season two is developing beat for beat along the lines laid out along the future portrayed in ep13… so if they really don’t get another season, I guess we have some sense where it was going.)

* Saw Muntu, an African play, which was basically a symbolic history of the Africa’s and its interaction with the world in fast-forward, and thoroughly good shit.

* Discovered that Dust of Dreams, Book 9 (of 10) of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, was out, and have spent the subsequent few days plowing through it. Coming back to the genre after a decade away, this is the series that has totally redefined epic fantasy for me. Colossal in every way – including its historical, religious, philosophic perspectives – if goddamn bleak at times. Complex, deep, humorous, twisted and wonderful. Dust of Dreams is part one of the finale, and seems to be setting up one hell of a world-reshaping chaotic bloodbath. Now would be a good time to get on board, as you could probably read the series before #10 comes out… if you felt like reading 8000 pages or so…

Filed by billy at 4:54 pm under culture
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