When I turned fourteen back in 1981 my Mother took a bunch of us to see Clash of Titans for my birthday. Kevin was there, and the movie turned out to be a classic that we both still watch today. So when the new version came out we just had to see it. I heard this reviewer pan it so I didn’t have very high hopes for the movie, but except for the main actor - I just hate that generic cardboard cutout look - I really enjoyed the movie. It had a lot of the same elements that first one had, but the story was reworked quite a bit, bringing in a whole new character: Hades. I also like how they worked Io into this story, touching on an idea that has always struck home, though for me in an ethereal sense more than a physical one.

I also had a chance to see Avatar earlier this month, and that turned out to be another movie moving in its own way. Overall it’s been a great month for movies and I’m glad that they still make a good one every now then. Lately things have just been feeling stale.

Currently Playing: Fallen Earth

IF put itself on the map at Pax East this year: with a number of panels talking about the genre, some author readings of IF over at MIT, and a preview of the Get Lamp documentary for anybody that attended the conference. And in this modern age there are videos documenting all of this. Like the phenomenal panel that was hosted by Jason Scott after previewing the Get Lamp documentary with David Lebling, Don Woods, Brian Moriarty, Andrew Plotkin, Nick Montfort, and the always entertaining, Steve Meretzky sitting in. Wow, I mean, my three favorite IF authors from Infocom, OMFG! Too bad I didn’t have a chance to make it, but Jason is awesome for releasing his ruff cut of the panel on Vimeo. And there’s more. Jason McIntosh released some cell phone footage that he took, and even though the clips are cut a little short at the end, it’s a real blast to be able to watch some of the stuff that was going on. I really wish I could have been there, and I’m extremely thankful for the people that shared all their stuff.

It’s an exciting time for IF, and I’m glad that I can get a taste of that. It's like when spring creeps up after a cold winter, new shoots of life can be seen everywhere - D