what's been up

as expected, this post holiday week has been very quiet. Thankfully I've found some things to keep me occupied.

The DaVinci Code: Finally got to read this. I can see why its so popular; its an solid thriller. I can also see why its so controversial; the ideas it presents would throw any Christian for a loop. There's been so much controversy about the novel that I'm not sure what is true and what is not, but I'm not sure I really care. Its fiction, and entertaining fiction at that If people begin to openly discuss religious beliefs or some great revelation is made from this, great. But I don't think Dan Brown meant to change the world.

Return of the King: Watched half of the extended version, which was over 2 hours alone. The strange thing is that I'm not quite sure what to think of the extra footage. In the first two Rings films, the bonus content was excellent; sometimes it was necessary, but even the little things helped flesh out the film and the characters. In ROTK, many of the new scenes felt unecessary, or may even make things worse; Gimli, for instance, is further plunged into the role of comic relief when he should be far more. Some of the new footage is also hard to find, as it can be a anything from a few minutes to a split second. Considering the film is already incredibly long, its critical that the additions are worthwhile, and I can't say that all of them are. Bottom line: Fans of the movies alone will probably feel the extended version to drag on. Diehard Book fans will enjoy it, although those who disliked the many cuts from the book won't find enough here to change their minds.

And of course, I'm continuing to enjoy Metroid Prime 2. The game is like a Christmas gift for the fans, so rich in content is it.

P.S. - Am I the only one who noticed that the opening gituar rift to that song by Gavin DeGraw is identical to the one in "Can't Stop" by the Chili Peppers? Not that I listen to top 20 pop radio....