Yesterday, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling announced the title and brief synopsis of her first foray into more adult fiction. The Casual Vacancy
will be a darkly comic novel set in the seemingly idyllic British town of Pagford in which everything is not as idyllic as it seems.  It opens with the sudden death of a popular man whose unexpected demise shocks the town. The battle for his seat on the local council sets off “the biggest war the town has yet seen,” with rich people fighting poor, parents battling their teenagers, and wives in conflict with their husbands.

Given the juggernaut success that is the Harry Potter brand, I believe the world will be moderately interested to see if magic can strike again with a tale aimed at a more grown-up demographic. We have until September 27 to find out.  Since the Potter books were accepted by a large amount of adult readers as well as the target adolescent audience, I think the book will have a moderate amount of success.

Speaking of Mr. Potter, once again Warner Bros. is going for the jugular when it releases the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection (Blu-ray / DVD Combo + UltraViolet Digital Copy) this fall.

If you have the $400.00 to throw around you can perhaps be mesmerized by the 31 disc set full of the obligatory bells and whistles contained in an attractive display box.  I suppose that if true collectors are willing to pony up the money, then whoever is behind these merchandising schemes will continue.

Twenty years ago, a resurgence of Star Wars began not on the big screen but on the printed page.  Back in 1991, the franchise itself was in danger of becoming obsolete and forgotten.  It had been 8 years since Return of the Jedi ( long before the Special Editions and bloody prequels came along).  Enter Lucasfilm Publishing who got the ball rolling and eventually leading to Timothy Zahn penning a three volume series chronicling the further adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and all the rest following the events of the final film.

Yesterday, I finally received my copy of the 20th Anniversary edition of said novel: Heir to the Empire.  It has been sometime since I have checked the novel out from the library.  The book itself is gorgeous featuring a silver-colored dustcover with the New Republic emblem prominently displayed.  Underneath the cover is a rendering of the original cover.  Inside in the introductory remarks, the author and his editor provide insight into the story behind the new trilogy.  Something new in the meat of the book is annotations by Zahn providing insight into the development of characters and events.  Names of friends, acquaintances, and contest winners became a part of the Expanded Universe!  I have not yet begun to read the story itself but was captivated by the anecdotes including some flack from fans the author took for introducing such “Earthly” items as hot chocolate into the SW universe.  Also a well-known Trek term was given some highlight but was quickly defended.

I must say that I am throughly enjoying the book and I haven’t even started it yet!

Ok… ok… should I or shouldn’t I comment on the OTHER big Star Wars event that happened yesterday.  All right I will.  For the first time, the entire cinematic saga (Episodes I-VI) are available on Blu-Ray.  Personally, I have no problem with the release itself.  I just grow weary of George Lucas changing the movies for each new release.  I accepted the Special Edition releases of the original films prior to the much-inferior (IMHO) prequels.  Now it seems that he adds pointless bits every 10 years or so.  I agree with those who state that they are his movies and can do what he likes with them but do not like the “inclusion for the sake of inclusion.”  Aliens being included via the wonder of CGI that were not there before.  And the most awful inclusion of all:

It is OVER!  The phenomenon that began in 1997 with the British publication of a little book entitled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and continued through 7 books and now 8 big screen adventures has reached its climax.  All I ask is that it ends here.  To go back or to move forward would cheapen what has come before.  I cannot recall a pop culture phenomenon that has endured, captivated, and caught the world’s (for better or for worse) attention.  Millions of children (and adults as well) began reading the novels of “the boy who lived.”  These same children grew up with each page turn, every movie frame as the core cast of the films remained the same throughout the octology.  I found it enthralling to follow Daniel, Rupert, Emma, Matthew, Tom, and the other young actors progress from naive 10-11 year olds into 20-something year old seasoned performers aided by a cadre of many of the finest British thespians.

I dare say that never before (and very likely never will again) has the world experienced the likes of such a series.  Midnight book/movie releases; a game invented from the pages; a theme park; college classes; and I’m sure a myriad of other items devoted to the world have appeared.

I was (as I’m sure millions of other fans were) a bit nervous about what to expect from the printed pages being transferred to movie screens.  Apparently,  the worry was for naught as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has vanquished several box office records in its path in the first 5 days of release.  This afternoon, I spent the extra money to attend my first IMAX 3D experience.  I was blown away by the pre-movie graphics and announcement to say nothing of the main feature itself.  There were moments that I could tell that were filmed traditionally and transferred but the total experience was breathtakingly immersive.  I would have enjoyed the film itself on a regular screen but after investing the last decade plus in the characters, I felt that the farewell needed to be experienced on a grand scale.  Thrilling, wondrous, emotional (any fan who isn’t moved… well…) action packed.  The best of the series?  Definitely… YES!  However, I like to think of the movies as a whole.  Things that were left out in the transfer to the movies… most notable in the Half-Blood Prince.

Goodbye, friend of Hagrid!  It has been a magical adventure.

Just finished the latest 007 novel (if it is going to be a few more years before the next movie… glad someone was commissioned by the Ian Fleming family to write a new one).  Carte Blanche is yet another reboot of a classic character.  Bond is introduced as an agent in his early 30s who is a veteran of the Afghan War.  To me the last two movies which combined as a reboot failed horribly by being something the franchise is not.  They are WAY too serious and totally dismissed what is so fun about the classic Bond movies.  However, they are all back in the pages of the first official Bond book penned by an American, Jeffery Deaver (author of such suspense novels as The Bone Collector which became a Denzel Washington/Angelina Jolie film).

Supporting Cast:

• M… Bond’s boss is once again a male character.  I enjoy Dame Judy Dench as the head of MI6 but liked a return to the classic male figure
• Q… Quartermaster… weapons guy who provides agents with the most advanced weaponry available…. whether or not it comes back intact at the end of the adventure is always fun to see.  Sadly missed in the last two movies.
• Miss Moneypenny… a bit different role in the books than in the movies but also missed in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
• Felix Leiter… CIA Agent who has more of a cameo role in this one.

The Bond Girls:  There are three in this one.  One of the three MORE than lives up to her name.  Another is as icy as Pussy Galore, herself.

The villain: Severan Hydt. Quite memorable.  I don’t think there has been a Bond villain quite as interesting in quite a while.

Of course, 007 is sent on a hazardous mission with Earth shaking consequences and millions of lives at risk.  All of these elements combine to bring James and company into the 21st century.  The reader is even provided with quite a bit of backstory into the life of the secret agent that ties directly into the action.  Exotic locales, breathless action sequences, and twists, including an ending most unusual for a Bond vehicle.  Let’s hope the movies get back on track.

The beast had slept for thousands of years, but something or someone disturbed its slumber. It was now awake, and sacrifice would be required. Yes, the beast would be sated. Before this last slumber, the beast had battled the surface dwellers. They were bold, determined and tenacious, but with some forethought easy prey. They disturbed the balance again, and this would be the last time.

Slowly, quietly the beast made its way through the tunnels. Home for so many years, but now threatened. Yes the hunger was growing…

A lone man explores the vast network of caves and tunnels found during the ejustjvation. He shouldn’t be here and he really shouldn’t be alone, and he should have told somebody. If anything happens, it will be weeks before anyone realizes that he is missing. He is confident in his abilities, but it was an obsession that got him moving. There was something in these caves, something living, something dangerous, something that killed.

I learned in my young adult life that there was a lot of good things to learn from Children’s books. These books have good things to teach children and, if you let them, adults. As you read to a child, make sure you pay attention to all of the things these books have to say.

I enjoyed reading to my girls, but I really enjoyed sitting back and listening while my wife read to each daughter. From the works of various authors we learn that life can be fun, sad, scary and comforting.

Through stories, you learn that you shouldn’t touch things that do not belong to you. While in real life the town does not fill up with pasta, things can break and that could hurt someone you care about.

You learn that being polite should be a good habit and not something you need written on your hands. You learn that good friends can have fights and still be friends.

Sometimes bunnies do the wrong things, but they find that their mother still loves them. Yes, I’ve learned a lot over the years just from reading children’s books. More than I can remember, but maybe after some bread and jam, I will try something new.

One of the great things about the Nook (of which there are many) is “Free Fridays.”  Most of the titles offered every Friday by Barnes and Noble interest me not at all, but occasionally one piques my interest.  Last Friday’s offering, Stupid History by Leland Gregory, is a compilation of “Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythoconceptions.”  The truth about Paul Revere’s famous ride;  the trial of Lizzie Borden; the Battle of Bunker Hill; and countless other tidbits.  Ironically, earlier tonight I was playing a game in which one of these tidbits would have come in handily.  In the game “Malarky,” the reader reads the question on the card and either reads the correct answer or makes up a load of malarky.  The other players determine whether or not the reader is giving the correct answer or feeding them a line.

One of the questions had to do with sardines which everyone knows is purchased in a small can.  I cannot remember the actual question but the answer had something to do with the fact that there is no such fish as the sardine.  They are usually pilchard or small herring packed into the can like… well… sardines.  I came home tonight and read that fact and had a good laugh.  Imagine how funny it would have been if I had read that tidbit BEFORE the game.

Perhaps this is in bad form, but did you know that Ahnold had competition for the role of The Terminator?  Apparently, O.J. Simpson is “too nice to be taken seriously as a killer.”

All of these are but a few of the (at times humorous) moments in Stupid History.  I may regret this post as the number of trivia games seems to be dwindling at game nights.  However, how much useless trivia do I actually retain?  Ok… perhaps this Free Friday was an attempt to encourage readers to pay for the humorists other books as this was published in 2007.  But still a fun read.

The title of this blog post makes me think of the movie Forrest Gump – remember the part where Forrest runs and runs; pretty soon he has a pack of people following him, running with him, and then suddenly he stops and says, “I think I’ll go home now.”  The pack of followers is suddenly lost and without purpose.  “NOW what do we do!”

That’s kind of how I feel now that I’ve finished the masterpiece novel I was reading, Under the Dome by Stephen King.  This book was a page-turner from start to finish, all 1000+ pages of it, and it’s one of those books that’s so good it sends the reader into withdrawal once they’ve finished the story.  Not helping is the fact that I’m sick, and the only good part of being sick (if there is a good part of being sick) is curling up with a good book.  But now I’ve finished my good book.  I’m reading two others, but they’re not the same type of book.

One additional note about Under the Dome:  I learned before I had read too far into the novel that they were making it into a tv mini-series, and as the novel progressed, I kept wondering how that would work given the book’s adult themes and graphic violence.  Now that I’ve finished the book, I felt comfortable doing a google search on it since I didn’t have to worry about the ending being spoiled (don’t worry, I’m not going to do that to you – not when I recommend it so highly for you to read for yourself; it’s really very good!).  Here I learned that it is indeed being turned into a tv mini-series – for cable tv.  That makes more sense, and I will have to find a way to get my hands on it when it comes out; maybe that will help cure my withdrawal!

When the girls were growing up, they had their share of bad dreams, monsters under the bed or in the closet. At one point during all of this, I gave a daughter one of my stuffed dragons. I had quite the collection of stuffed dragons. They were out numbered by the stuffed raccoons, but I didn’t buy the dragons.

One fateful, and apparently dreadful, night I gave my daughter a little stuffed dragon. I told her how it would protect her from all the scary things at night. Dragons, of course, can breathe fire, and attack all the scary things in the room. This little dragon would do all it could to keep my little girl safe. It worked, and there were far less scary dreams or things that went bump in the night.

The dragon was passed to the next daughter and so on. My youngest still has him sitting on her bed. Her nightmares seem to be under control.

As it happens, my darling granddaughter was having nightmare/monster problems. I went out to pick up a dragon to protect her from the bumpy night things. I think I’ll need to ask how it is going with that little dragon.

Another little thing in life, that seemed to make a difference.

Many years ago, when my oldest daughter was my only daughter I took her to a movie. She was being a bit of a handful at home, and my dear wife was confined to bed rest with limited mobility. The circumstances requiring that rest are for a different time, this is a bit more light hearted. With that said I embarked with my 3.5 year old daughter for a day of father/daughter fun.

Fun was a conditional word for the day. My darling little girl would not sit still for much of anything. She was (and still is) on the go most of the time. The only thing I know of that does slow her down is a good book. At that time, good books only lasted 5 to 10 minutes tops. My wife questioned my decision of taking her to a movie, but since she wasn’t going to be there, she wished me good luck as I left the apartment.

The conversation on the way to the theater went something like this:

“What is a movie Daddy?”
“It is kind of like your cartoons, without the commercials.”
“But, I like commercials Daddy, they show me all the new toys.”
“I think you will like the movie.”
“What is the movie about Daddy?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. It has bears in it.”
“I like bears. Are these friendly bears, I only like friendly bears.”
“Well, it is called “The Care Bears Movie”, so I think they are friendly.”
“WHAT is a Care Bear? Is it like a polar BEAR? You know, the white ones.”
“No, not a polar bear, these bears are blue, pink, and other colors.”
“I’ve never seen a pink bear. I think I will like that one. Will there be red ones? I like red. I like blue too. I wonder if there are purple bears. I would like to meet a purple bear. Do you think I will ever meet a purple bear Daddy?. That would be neat. I think a purple bear would be lots of fun. I wonder if the bears growl. Do you think they growl Daddy? Most bears growl you know. Bears are big and they eat meat. Did you know they eat meat. I saw the bears at the zoo eat fish and other stuff. The fish wasn’t cooked. Did you know they don’t cook the food for bears? I wonder if there are other animals in the movie. I like all kinds of animals. Mommy likes Raccoons. I like them too. They always wear masks. Did you know that you can’t take off a Raccoon’s mask Daddy?…..”

Yes, my daughter just started rambling after a bit. Funny how that didn’t change much. I don’t think I had much to say after she started going. If this was going to be the way the afternoon went, the movie was going to be really long. We got to the theater and it was packed full of very young children and their frazzled parents or grandparents. I’m sure there were a couple of frazzled friends, uncles and aunts around too. The theater was just full of noisy, energetic children.

And then the movie started. There was a pre-movie to the main feature. If I recall correctly it was a “Rainbow Brite” short. The kids, if possible got louder during that short. It didn’t seem to hold anyones attention. I was glad it was a short film, and that the main film was just over an hour.

But then the main feature started. I’m not sure how it started, it has been a while since I’ve seen it, but a hush fell over the theater. Every child in the room was staring at the screen. It was amazing. As the children started to get a bit antsy, the movie switched course. As they got scared, it switched course again. The attention of all of the children was rapt during the 77 minutes of the movie. My attention was on the course of the movie and the affect it had on the audience. I had never been in a movie that seemed to be completely made for its target audience. I was impressed. I heard similar ponderings from other parents as we left the theater. I would have to tell this to my dear wife. If it had been possible, it would have amazed her too. My daughter, fell in love with Care Bears that day….

At some later date, we were doing a bit of shopping. At the checkout counter there was a package of “Care Bear” underwear in my daughter’s size. I said to my lovely wife that we should get some for the dear daughter. I was told that she didn’t need them. This wasn’t about need, it was about giving her something she would really like. The cost wasn’t much. They weren’t the best, and wouldn’t last that long. But they would make a little girl happy for a while. Little things like that can really make a difference. I’m not sure my wife understood at the time. She hadn’t seen the movie yet, and it seemed like a silly thing to get. Of course it was silly. It was a spur of the moment decision. That’s why they put those things at the check out counters.

As it turned out, I was entirely correct in my assumption that they would be accepted with glee. I think we had to go out to get at least one more set, since they were the underwear of choice for a long time.

Little things in life make lasting impressions. My daughter will still tell of getting the “Care Bear” underwear to this day. She remembers if from all those years ago. The reason behind the first father/daughter movie day is still etched in my brain, but the results of that day are engraved with a deeper groove. Time spent with those you love. Sharing things that you enjoy. Sharing new experiences. Little things that grow into bigger things. They become family stories. They shape our memories.

Little things in life don’t take much effort, but the reward can be great.

I hope the little things in your life were good memories. I know that “little things” do not have to be good things, but I find as I look back I remember fewer of the bad things. Memories are like that. For that I am thankful.

As a side note, the three of us went to see that movie one more time. Little one wanted to share it with her mommy. The same thing happened in the theater again. In all these years, I’ve never seen that reaction to a movie again. Maybe that isn’t such a little thing after all.