The Sci Fi Catholic

Girl Genius Comics Online

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Changing jobs, vehicle maintenance, running around, submitting stories, possibly finding an illustrator for my comic (more on that later, maybe)--altogether, the blog suffers. If you come here for reviews or witty essays and wonder why there haven't been any reviews for weeks and weeks and haven't been any witty stuff ever, that's why.

But never mind that. I just now, thanks to Calls for Cthulhu, learned of the existence of a comic called Girl Genius. It's clearly been around for a while, so some of you no doubt know of it already, but it has previously escaped my notice. It's available as a web comic, and though I haven't made it very far yet, I am already captivated by the richly imagined Steampunkish Transylvanian setting, the beautiful and detailed artwork, and the goofy characters. This is the sort of wonderful discovery that can easily distract a man from other pursuits. Like his blog.

Fan Fiction Update

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:27:00 +0000

I honestly meant to have real content for you today, but I got caught up in a lengthy, interesting conversation after Mass this morning, and then my truck broke down. Taken altogether, I didn't even get home until eight o'clock this evening. Let's all give a big hand to Fr. Erik of Orthometer, who helps luckless sf geeks when they're stranded in his church parking lot.

So instead of real content, I'll deliver the ninth and final chapter of the gargantuan novel-length Bone-based fan fiction epic, The Chronicles of Fone Bone Oathbreaker.

The Chronicles of Fone Bone Oathbreaker

Chapter 9: A Prayer for the Damned

The Valley runs with blood. Driven by the dark magic of the new Locust, the Bonevillains assault the city of Atheia while the desperate Portsmouthers led by Annie and Rictus Bone close in on them from behind. Recognizing in these terrible events the punishment for his own crimes, Fone Bone finds he has one last chance for redemption or for self-destruction...or are they the same thing? Don't miss the exciting, blood-soaked, not-really-for-the-kiddies finale of The Chronicles of Fone Bone Oathbreaker! It's got fistfights! Big knives! Political corruption! Sound beatings! Blood and guts! Drug references! Weird mutants! Cannibalism! Biblical quotations! Cute schoolteachers! (Don't even get me started on cute schoolteachers!) It's even got some Latin in it!

And now, for those of you--both of you--who have actually been reading this drivel, I'll present a poll. Here is your poll question:

How much of a Wesley is Annie Bone?

Jimmy Akin on Ender's Game

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:17:00 +0000

According to my antivirus software, I've contracted something it can't clean, and when I try to get on its website to follow the instructions to fix the problem, I get 404 "page not found" errors. I think I might switch antivirus software brands. (I use Trend Micro PC-cillin, by the way, or perhaps I used to use Trend Micro PC-cillin.) Anyway, according to the virus or malware or whatever description, it enables people to get on my computer and do anything they want. Personally, I hope they try to use the out-of-date credit card number I have in there somewhere and get busted for it.

I guess this is what I get for logging onto the Internet from dubious Nevada motels.

So, we're trying to fix that little problem, and Snuffles is working on a review whenever he can kick me off the computer, which is rarely because I'm drafting something important and I'm "in the zone." Plus, with my change in jobs and long periods in the field, I'm so behind on my Critters critiques, it's not even funny.

Fortunately, I see a YouTube video I tried to post three weeks ago has finally showed up to save my bacon, so it looks like I posted something yesterday even though I didn't. Let's hear it for YouTube!

Meanwhile, if you're wondering where you're gonna get your Sci Fi Catholic fix when The Sci Fi Catholic won't fix you, I suggest you head over to Jimmy Akin.Org, where you can see a series of posts on Orson Scott Card's original Ender Series. He has a post on Ender's Game, on Speaker for the Dead, the significantly less good Xenocide, and even Children of the Mind. And just to avoid confusion, I've deviated from my usual practice here, so the book titles in this paragraph will go to Akin's reviews and not the books themselves.

Star Wars According to a Three-Year-Old

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:16:00 +0000

I think maybe this girl should be writing movie reviews instead of me.

Two Points

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:41:00 +0000

In an earlier post, I wondered whether anybody cared about The X-Files anymore. I was quickly informed that yes, people still do. Nonetheless, those people apparently aren't enought to make the new movie big at the box office. For a typically humorous but acerbic take on that matter, I highly recommend you see the post at Mattress Police.

Also, my post on making a good confession as an sf fan has inspired Peter at With a Grain of Salt to describe how to make a confession as an MMORPG player. Peter's post is dense with gaming lingo. Not being a gamer myself, I'm not entirely sure I understand it. I admire fanboys of any stripe who can use the lingo so adeptly. For me, lingo is like acronyms; I find myself constantly looking things up to remind myself what they mean even though I've heard them and in some cases used them dozens of times.

Books to Read

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:27:00 +0000

Been a lot of memes around here of late. I just received another that I suppose I better do, since it comes from the Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour. I could refer it to Grundir, but that would be approximately like giving the Blog Tour the finger. Since I've already done that once, I figure I better be on my best behavior, at least for a few more months.

The meme tag comes from John Otte of The Least Read Blog on the Web. I want all of you to visit so he'll have to change his title. Also visit the origin of the meme at A Christian Worldview of Fiction.

This meme, like many nowadays, has complicated rules I can't grasp at first glance. If I understand aright, it works something like this: the Blog Tour has a list of "must-read" books and a list of "books to keep an eye on." I'm supposed to remove one book from each list and add one.

The next trick is figuring out what it means to "keep an eye" on a book that isn't a "must-read." Does that mean you put it on the coffee table and check up on it every once in a while to make sure it's still there?

Here are the lists. I've bolded my alterations.

My five MUST Reads:

Demon by Tosca Lee (NavPress)
Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer (WaterBrook)
To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa (Cook Communications)
Children in the Night by Harold Myra (Zondervan)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

My five Keep Your Eyes On These:

YOTSUBA&! by Kiyohiko Azuma (ADV Manga)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook)
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook)
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson (Bethany House)
Hero, Second Class by Mitchell Bonds (Marcher Lord Press)

My Changes:

From the "must read" list, I deleted Sharon Hinck's Restorer. I considered deleting Sigmund Brouwer's Broken Angel, since it's the only other book on the list I have read, but Broken Angel is a competent novel, though by no means a must-read: it tells a decent story with moderately interesting characters and some real pathos, though it has an entirely predictable story (I knew exactly where it was headed by about page five). However, I strongly disliked The Restorer, so that one had to go.

Since dystopia is going to be a theme on the next Blog Tour (featuring Broken Angel), I have added what I consider the greatest dystopia of all time, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. If you have not yet read it, read it. It is more prophetic than any of the other famous dystopias; you will easily see our modern world reflected in it. Perhaps Huxley's only error is in imagining that the Brave New Worlders, a race of weaklings, could be strong enough to hold a revolution and conquor the world. Much more likely the Brave New Worlders will never see their dreams realized: they will be conquered by the stronger, bolder Savages who are even now at their gates.

The "Keep Your Eye On These" is a tougher list. I assume this list is for series not yet completed, but I'm consistently behind the times (partly by accident, partly by design), so series are usually complete by the time I start reading them. Figuring Snuffles might have a suggestion, I asked him, and he said YOTSUBA&!, a manga by Kiyohiko Azuma, which currently has six volumes in English and has apparently had some bumps getting that far. It appears to be ongoing, but only six of the seven collected volumes are available over here, and some of them may be difficult to track down. I decided to delete Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead, figuring the lack of publicity would harm him the least.

Tags:

Now I guess I have to tag other bloggers. Choosing them from the Tour, I tag April Erwin, Magma, James Somers, Brandon Barr, and Terri Main.

Harry Potter in L’Osservatore Romano

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:41:00 +0000

The Vatican's newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, some time ago published two articles on Harry Potter, one positive and one negative. The essays are now available in English at Soul Food Cinema.

The two essays are quite typical of the Harry Potter debate. The positive one, by Paolo Gulisano, focuses on the novels' emphasis on love, self-sacrifice, and a positive, Christian-influenced view of death:

There is another aspect that the author wants to communicate: that it is not the great heroic deeds that count, although they are worthy, but that it is the small altruistic gestures made by less-gifted people that are much more precious. The emphasis is not on the power of success, but on the humility of self-giving. Weakness is the final winner, not the strength of the muscles. Evident is the call to another great Christian author of England of the twentieth century, J.R.R. Tolkien, whose heroes are the small, humble Hobbits; the exact opposite of the arrogant superheroes, who have the pretension that they are totally self-sufficient, and wish to dominate the world. And as in Tolkien, Rowling is also strong on the theme of death. This theme is at first sight surprising in a book for children, and also because in today's world the theme of death is often largely hidden from children. In this story, instead it is well-defined and "central". There is talk of the reality of death, immortality, and the suggestion that something may exist beyond. [more...]

The negative essay, by Edoardo Rialti, naturally enough focuses on witchcraft, plays the Gnostic card, claims that Harry Potter is all about obtaining personal power, and gives a rather laughable interpretation of fairy tales:

This is a deep and serious lie, the ancient Gnostic temptation of joining salvation and the truth with a secret knowledge; that is why Harry Potter is nevertheless rich in Christian values, but they are detached from the real source that makes them be, the true order of things. The protagonists of fairy tales have always been normal boys involved in an extraordinary adventure: magic has always been used as a visual representation of the forces of evil that threaten the way, or, on the positive side, as a visual image of grace: the wise magicians and good fairies represent providence that does not leave us alone on our journey. But these are precisely the powers that can accompany or impede man, and not powers that man his self should obtain to dominate and win. These powers are vested only to God and his messengers, as we are warned in Holy Scripture. [more...]

Take a look in Grimm's Fairy Tales, and in addition to a number of decidedly grisly moments, you'll find plenty of characters who are more than happy to use "powers" for personal gain, and who are more than happy to obtain them by theft. These stories may be healthy or unhealthy, but let us not pretend that "fairy tales" can be easily defined, placed in a lump, and turned against J. K. Rowling. I also can't help but notice that the only other fantasists Rialti can name are, naturally, Lewis and Tolkien, as if no fantasies or sf works of note have been written between their time and now. Maybe some of the Harry Potter critics could benefit from a little time in the sf section of the bookstore.

Hat Tip: Catholic Media Review

Making a Good Confession (Sci Fi Catholic Style)

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:09:00 +0000

I have it good, and until recently, I didn't realize how good I have it. Blessed as I am with an understanding priest, I can usually go to confession without a hitch. But recently, while confessing to a priest other than my usual one, I realized there are certain problems a Sci Fi Catholic might experience in the confessional that a regular Catholic doesn't have to deal with. My recent confessional debacle went something like this:

Me: Twice this last week, I sneaked into my dragon's room and read some of his shoujo manga.

Priest: You did what?

Me: I know, it's awful--

Priest: No, I mean, what did you do?

Me: What? I sneaked into my dragon's--

Priest: Your what?

Me: Dragon. I live with a dragon. That's okay, isn't it?

Priest: I guess...just, ah, tell me what you did, please.

Me: Read some of his shoujo--

Priest: His what?

Me: Um, his books. I read some of his books.

Priest: Well, it's not wrong to like to read, but you should really ask his permission--

Me: Not wrong? I'm embarrassed even to admit I'm aware of the existence of a comic with a title like Wedding Peach.

Priest: Like what?

Me: What?

Ugh. Who wants to go through that kind of trouble? Figuring that other Sci Fi Catholics must have an equally difficult time confessing their sci-fi-related sins, I'm here to give a few pointers on selecting a Sci Fi Priest to be your regular confessor. You need a confessor who understands you.

The difficult part, of course, is telling the difference between a Sci Fi Priest and a regular priest. Unfortunately, and contrary to popular belief, they don't have special vestments or other obvious characteristics. No, the best way to distinguish a Sci Fi Priest is in conversation. Sometimes this can be tricky because, instead of stopping in the fellowship hall for coffee after Mass, a Sci Fi Priest may slink back to the rectory to read a C. J. Cherryh novel. If you suspect a priest is a Sci Fi Priest, you have to corner him, and you have to do it fast.

But then, how do you find out if your suspicion is correct? The trick is to ask a religious question as a pretext, and then casually slide the conversation into, shall we say, more speculative realms. Observe how suavely you can accomplish this:

You: Father, I wondered if you could explain to me the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

Priest: When the bread and wine are consecrated, they become in substance the very body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, though the accidents of bread and wine remain.

You: Thanks, Father. And what do you think of the new season of Battlestar Galactica?

At this point, the priest will respond in one of two ways. Observe him closely. Does he appear dumbfounded? Taken aback? Caught off guard? If so, chances are this is not a Sci Fi Priest. However, if he replies quickly and confidently, you know you've made a good choice. Observe--

Priest (shaking head): I just can't get into that show. Who the frack thought it was good idea to cast Starbuck as a woman?

You: On the contrary, I think Katee Sackhoff was a bold and excellent casting choice.

Priest: Come with me, then. You need to go to confession.

See how easy that is? Now, instead of going through an ordeal like the confession I described above, your next confession can look like this:

You: I thought the film version of Starship Troopers was better than the novel, I neglected to make a costume for this year's ComicCon in San Diego, I read comic books on company time at work, and I wrote my fan fiction masterpiece when my wife wanted me to do the dishes.

Priest: Hmm...say five Hail Marys.

You: Oh, I almost forgot--I also think Piers Anthony's play-on-words are clever.

Priest: Ouch. That's a latae sententiae excommunication.

So there you have it. By finding a Sci Fi Priest, you will have a much easier time confessing your sci-fi sins. I hope this short guide has been helpful.

The Six Quirks Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Snuffles the Dragon) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:16:00 +0000

Snuffles the Dragon here. I got tagged with a meme sometime back and decided I didn't want to do it, so I took advantage of our subscription to Grundir the Implacable's Meme-Dispatching Service. Here's the meme's obnoxious rules:

1. Links the person who tagged you.
2. List the rules on your blog.
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Considering that the number six is so important, why does the meme have only five irritating rules? Couldn't they have added a sixth, like maybe, "Hit yourself in the groin with a can of pork 'n' beans while answering this meme"? That's about what trying to answer this kind of meme feels like, so why not enhance the experience?

Here's from Grundir:

This is indeed a foul-smelling wretch of a meme. I shall honor my commitment to protect your blog from loathsome creatures such as this. Here is my response:

Six Quirks about Grundir the Implacable

1. My hatred for hobbits precedes my death and transformation into a Nazgul. I hate all diminutive humanoids, truth be told. I think it started with my father, who was an exceedingly cruel man. He was not actually short, but he was always very distant, which made him appear much smaller than he was. He used to urinate into wineskins and then toss them at my head from the roof of a neighboring cottage.

2. I speak 17 languages, twelve of which I made up in my spare time.

3. I have only three fingers on my right hand. Wait, five. Trick of the light.

4. Peter Jackson smells like cheese. I guess that one's not really about me, but it's true.

5. I never really understood why Sauron wanted control over Middle Earth. I mean, Left Earth and Right Earth are where all the action is. Middle Earth is just fly-over country.

6. "Grundir" is actually old Norse for "Katie Couric." My parents were big fans.

So there you go.

Kristina Coia Featured on Abunga.com

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:47:00 +0000

It's the Deej. Sorry there haven't been many posts lately; I'm back in rural Nevada where my Internet access is sporadic.

Fortunately, I was on the Internet in time to make this announcement, however: Kristina Coia is going to be featured in a live chat at Abunga.com on August 13th. Here's the information I have--

Kristina Coia, author of thrilling fantasy novels “Falcon’s Prey” and “Lymeria.” The talented 16-year-old high school student from New Jersey--who is also a singer and motivational speaker--will join the family online bookstore, Abunga.com, to discuss her insights on her creative writing style and her passion to incorporate underlying messages of self-esteem and self-respect.

“Authors at Abunga” Online Chat with Kristina Coia
Coia is the third author to be featured on the newly-created chat series by Abunga.com, an online bookstore offering family-friendly selections.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
11 a.m. – Noon PDT / 1 – 2 p.m. CDT / 2 – 3 p.m. EDT (LIVE)
At www.Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga

Coia has developed a program for 5th to 8th grade girls called “Shine Through” that teaches self-esteem, self-respect, honesty, and character development while presenting positive values and morals through the eyes of a peer. For her work with “Shine Through,” she has been featured on FOX & Friends on the FOX News Channel, as well as numerous shows across the country.

In Falcon's Prey, a princess embarks on a journey of self-discovery and love through a land filled with treachery and hate. “Lymeria” is a captivating tale in which four friends unite to outwit the forces of evil while discovering the power of love and the bond of friendship. Coia is currently writing her third book.

Now, I just know some of you are rolling your eyes at the words self esteem, but hey, she's only sixteen and she's already written fantasy novels, prepared a program for grade schoolers, and appeared on the news. That's more than you've done lately.

Correction: I'm terrible with names, but in my defense my sporadic and sluggish Internet access doesn't inspire careful proofreading. I misspelled Ms. Coia's name in this post's previous incarnation, but it's now corrected. I'm thinking I should keep track of the number of authors' names I misspell and see if I can make a world record or something.

Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics: The Book

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:23:00 +0000

In a post-apocalyptic world where Hollywood rules with an iron fist, where movies influence outlook on everyday life, where some actually believe that Keanu Reeves knows Kung fu, the people need a hero. The people need...Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics!

I just got word that the awesome website now has a book! If the book is anything like the website, it will feature snide and hilarious explanations of just where and how the movies get their physics wrong, and will go into detail about the real physics that the movies violate. Fun and educational in one! I daresay a close study of the website could revolutionize action-oriented fiction, and the book, judging from the description, will take that to the next level! See here for the book's description.

Ten Things We'd Like to See In Ack-Shun!

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:41:00 +0000

Fr. Erik Richtsteig of Orthometer has tagged all three of us with the "Ten Things We'd Like to See in Action" meme. We thought of referring this to Grundir, but since it isn't one of those annoying personal trivia memes, and since it actually has to do with the sort of stuff this blog deals with, Snuffles, Lucky, and I put our heads together and came up with a list. Snuffles was a bit distracted, though, apparently because he's agonizing over his next post, which is weird because I've never seen him agonize over anything. But anyway, here's what we came up with:

Snuffles: Female action heroes who don't get transformed by fans into porn fantasies.

D.G.D.: Human characters in an H. P. Lovecraft-based film who kick some monster butt instead of going insane and weepy at the sight of tentacles.

Lucky: An action movie with a love story that's actually important to the plot and not awkwardly worked in just because American movies are supposed to have love stories.

Snuffles: Accurately portrayed ballistics.

D.G.D.: Accurately portrayed orbital mechanics and accurate space battles, though I imagine an accurate space battle would probably result in every single ship destroyed or disabled by flying debris.

Lucky: More knights in shining armor.

D.G.D.: A live-action adaptation of Neotopia.

Snuffles: The banning of all ray guns. They should simply be disallowed, especially the ones that make shrill noises when they fire. I'm particularly thinking of those ray guns that fire opaque segments of light that travel under the speed of light. Star Wars, I'm talkin' to you.

D.G.D.: A film version of Bone that dumbs down the plot and plays up the action sequences. I know that's an awful thing to wish for, but I can't help my low tastes. Besides, that's what we're likely to get anyway, so this way I won't be so disappointed. Somebody at Scifimoviepage, describing Bone, says it "inserts its Casper the Ghost characters into a realistic Tolkien milieu." Wait, did I read that right? Did he say realistic Tolkien milieu? I'll be darned, he did. For that, I quote Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."

Snuffles: I'm...I'm too depressed to think of another right now.

Fan Fiction Update

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Snuffles tells me he's working on a review for you all. In the meantime, it's past time to update my Bone-based fan fiction. So here it goes, the second to last chapter.

The Chronicles of Fone Bone Oathbreaker
Chapter 8: Bones of Contention

As Fone Bone and Thorn's bastard son Ishmael develops his mysterious powers and discovers his true identity, Phoney's army of ne'er-do-well bones besieges Atheia. Weakened by the War of the Locust, the ancient city cannot hold back these new, technologically advanced invaders. The only hope now may be a small band of humans led by schoolteacher Annie Bone and Boneville's disgraced ex-mayor, Rictus. But the humans they lead are growing restless--when they reach the bone army, will they save the day or cause more senseless slaughter?

And here's your tantalizing quote:

And, too, he realized with terror, his pulse quickened at the sight of blood. As Ishmael had said, the universe demanded this fluid, the lubricant that turned its ethereal gears. Bone felt a sharp desire, not quite lust and not quite gluttony, but deeper still and more animal, rousing in his heart like a leviathan churning the sea. He understood the urges that drove the rat creatures in the former days to pound their drums and raise their hands to the stars as life’s ether poured out upon the stones, for the life of the flesh is in the blood. He had a dark glimpse into their dark world, and he wanted--needed--in that moment to slit the throats of animals, or enemies, or to cut, tattoo, or pierce his own body and pour forth dark wine into the fire in propitiation of the gods. [more...]

Criminey, who wrote that? Oh...right.

Movie Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:32:00 +0000

In Pandemonium, in the House of the Fly...

Hellboy II: The Golden Army, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones. Universal Pictures (2008). Rated PG-13. USCCB Rating is A-III: Adults.

Read other reviews here.

Today, we are joined by a special guest reviewer, Sara, frequent commenter.

D.G.D.: This is a great movie, highly entertaining with exciting action sequences and inventive visuals. And with its romantic subplots, it may be the summer's best date movie for geeks, if only geeks could get dates.

Hellboy II opens when Hellboy, a demon called to earth by a Nazi black magic ritual, is a young boy (Colin Ford) living on Douglas Air Force Base. His adoptive father Dr. Bruttenholm (John Hurt) tells him a story loosely based on Irish mythology: the Tuatha Dé Danann (originally probably gods but later depicted as fairies) are engaged in a battle against the human Milesians, from whom the modern Irish are descended. At the end of the war when the Dé Danann are defeated, the pact is made in which the Danaans agree to live in the invisible Otherworld, the land of Faerie, while the Milesians take the visible world. Made up for the movie is the added detail that the king of the Danaans has the talented smith Dian Cecht build an army of invincible golden robots, but is so saddened by the resulting slaughter that he stops the robots and makes the pact.

The story jumps from there to the present day when Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is the top agent at the secretive Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), where he hangs out with his best friend, the amphibian man Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and has domestic disputes with his girlfriend, the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), who literally blows up at him. Hellboy is sick of being a government secret, and his attempts to transform the BPRD from a covert operation to a public service gain him an uptight new boss, Johann Krauss (Seth MacFarlane), an ectoplasmic being living in a containment suit; this is another character from the comic book series, though he has been altered significantly.

Meanwhile, it turns out the magical Otherworld is located conveniently in New York's sewers where Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) of the Tuatha Dé Danann spends his time brooding and practicing some impressive elvish wire-fu with his expandable magic spear. Finally deciding he'd rather kill all the humans than keep living in the sewer, he dabbles in a little mass murder and regicide in order to acquire the magic crown that can activate the Golden Army. Opposing his plan is his gentle twin sister Nuala (Anna Walton), with whom he has a psychic connection, who ends up helping the BPRD to defeat Nuada's schemes. In the midst of all that, Abe Sapien gets a serious crush on Nuala, inspiring him to guzzle beer and play Barry Manilow, and Liz turns out to be pregnant.

Sara: The introductory scene gives a brief history of the origin of Hellboy, which should be very helpful for folks who may have little or no knowledge of the storyline. I could immediately step into the film and get involved in the story without any knowledge of the history or characters. This makes the movie much more enjoyable, although perhaps boring for those who have background knowledge of the story. This enables the movie to stand on its own. I wish more novels, serials, and multi-part movies had an intro such as this. The bedtime story incorporating the creation of the Golden Army was a nice touch.

D.G.D.: To my eye, the world of Hellboy has changed significantly from the first film to the second. In the first movie, Guillermo del Toro attempts to give Hellboy a backdrop somewhat like H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos; in fact, a fake quote at the movie's beginning cites one of Lovecraft's made-up occult texts. In the comics, Hell is a real place, separate from the Abyss imprisoning Ogdru Jahad, the sevenfold god of chaos, but in the movie, the two places are conflated, essentially removing Hell from the mythos, which strikes me as a monumentally dumb thing to do in a story called Hellboy. The new movie, however, has less science fiction and more fantasy: Nuada actually refers to Hellboy as a "demon," and another character calls him "Son of the Fallen One," suggesting Hellboy II is bringing the movie universe closer to the comics. As a result, Hellboy's existence, and the plot, make much more sense.

Sara: Abe Sapien is a most interesting character. He reminds me very much of C3PO in accent, mannerisms, and the gentle way he perceives the world.

D.G.D.: In the comic books, Abe Sapien comes across as more of a tough guy character; I appreciate the way they've altered his personality in the movie, as Hellboy is more than enough tough guy for one story.

Sara: His psychic abilities almost seem to be a hindrance to him at times, as he is privy to people’s private thoughts that he’d rather not be burdened with. His awareness of Liz’s pregnancy becomes uncomfortable as he inadvertently intrudes on a private moment.

D.G.D.: I agree. Abe Sapien is not a psychic in the comic book series; psychic powers are an sf trope I've never cared for, and I didn't like it when they made Abe a psychic (or an empath or whatever they're calling it) in the first movie, but the use of his powers in Hellboy II is minimal but well placed.

Sara: His encounter with the Elf Princess Nuala is a source of amazement and mystery to him, as he cannot read her so easily. She becomes a source of fragile beauty, charm and intelligence as well as the damsel in distress—perfect scene-setting for a heart-ripping romance. The scene when the princess has to choose between saving the world from her brother, or her romance with Abe, is indeed tragic.

In contrast, when Liz begs for the life of Hellboy at the feet of the Angel of Death, the decision is a much different one. She chooses to risk the fate of humanity by saving Hellboy for her own love and that of her children.

D.G.D.: I'm just glad they haven't dropped the issue; a good Hellboy story should always remind the audience that Hellboy is Anung un Rama, the Beast of the Apocalypse.

Sara: The “Tooth Fairies” they fight at the movie's beginning are a shocking surprise. On first appearance they are cute and adorable.

D.G.D.: Really? I didn't think they were ever cute, but then again, I had a good idea of where they were going with that.

Sara: When their true nature appears, they swarm and consume everything alive in their path, they are true monsters with no pity and no compassion. They make excellent little evil angels to accompany the evil Elf Prince Nuada. From then on the sight of them is repulsive. On a side note—there seems to be little compassion from Hellboy and the others when members of their team are consumed by the Tooth Fairies.

D.G.D.: Yeah, but those are Red Shirt characters. You're right, of course, but it would take up a lot of precious story time to weep over characters the audience hasn't even met.

Sara: The relationship between Hellboy and Liz just doesn't click with me. There's no chemistry, the fight between the two of them is not believable, and the discovery of her pregnancy does not evoke the emotional response that it should. Even the encounter with the Angel of Death is not the emotional tug-at-heartstrings that it could be. The whole thing seems very forced to me.

D.G.D.: That's interesting. When I saw the first film, the only deviation from the comics that I liked was the love story between Hellboy and Liz, partly because nobody does love stories with heavy makeup quite like Ron Perlman. I find the squabbling in the new movie entertaining, but perhaps my standards are low. As for tugging at the heartstrings, I agree, but I'm mainly here to see elvish wire-fu, so the lack of emotional impact doesn't bother me.

Sara: The costumes, make-up and props are very realistic, true to scene, and not at all cheesy.

D.G.D.: Not at all cheesy? Well, I wouldn't go that far; they have a troll with a mechanical fist he can shoot at people. This movie does show what del Toro can do with a big budget: as far as atmospherics go, it is a really, really excellent fantasy film.

Sara: The underground marketplace is lively and varied, much like the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars. The costumes for the Princess Nuala are elegant and striking against her fair complexion and white hair. However, I don't care for the elves’ faces. They seem cruel and harsh, which works for the prince but not for the princess. Their reddish eyes are unsettling to me, and the delicate facial structure of the princess is negated by her colorless complexion. Perhaps the evil she was absorbing from her brother deformed her physical beauty. The identical facial scars on the brother and sister is a continual visual reinforcement of the inseparable “twin bond” they share.

The “twin bond” between Nuada and Nuala is more than a little creepy—there is almost an incestuous factor to it.

D.G.D.: That's clearly intentional. If anyone wants an excellent Catholic essay on that particular subject, I suggest The B-Movie Catechism. For this discussion, however, I'll note that Nuada's possible lust for Nuala reminds me of the depiction of Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus (whew) in Gladiator, which plays up the emperor's supposed incestuous inclinations.

Why such a detail is in Hellboy II isn't clear. As in the first movie, where the monster is named Samael, Hellboy II draws names from mythology with no particular concern for the myths themselves. Nuada Airgetlamh in Irish mythology is a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In the myth, Nuada loses a hand and has Dian Cecht replace it with a silver one; in the film, however, the one-armed man is Nuada's father, who also has Dian Cecht build the army of invincible robots. I haven't found anything about Nuada having a sister, so that appears to be an invention of the movie.

Sara: Nuada and Nuala know each other’s thoughts, moods, even location, with an intimacy that affords very little privacy or individuality, even though they were separated for eons by Nuada’s self-imposed exile. It seemed to me like they were one individual split into two bodies—the Prince representing all that bad and evil, reflecting in his personality and demeanor (even in the scene on top of the hotel he takes on a very Satan-like persona, tempting Hellboy with riches and fame), and the Princess representing all that is good. However—in her case there seems to be a constant struggle to keep the bad vibes from her brother from overwhelming her goodness. This constant struggle shows up on the scars on her face and the coarseness of her beauty. She tries to compensate by dressing in lovely clothes and admiring the poets and artists. In the end, the only way to overcome the grip of evil that is her brother leads to both of their demise. In her last few moments she and Abe have a personal psychic intimacy of pure goodness that she has never been able to express fully without the constant grip of her brother’s evilness.

D.G.D. Yes, but Nuada isn't purely evil. Mike Mignola, who created the comic book series, has said that he always tries to give his villains understandable motives and to avoid cardboard monsters. The Hellboy comics always contain a certain sympathy for the devil; even though Hellboy smashes the villains up, the reader can always identify with them to some degree, and there is always a sense that by wiping out various monsters, Hellboy is making the world a safer place, but is making it a duller and less magical place as well. There is also a sense in which Hellboy by fighting supernatural evil is killing his own kind; at the end of the story "Box Full of Evil," he admits, "I just do my job, which usually involves me beating the crap out of things a lot like me." The first film doesn't manage this effect, but the second does. Though Nuada is quite nasty, his anger at the humans who have destroyed the forests and driven his people into the sewers is understandable. His attempts to lure Hellboy are consistent with the comics as well, in which many of the villains Hellboy encounters try to tempt him to use his Right Hand of Doom to unlock the Abyss and free Odgru Jahad.

Anyway, I will make a brief comment on one little gag in Hellboy II. Shortly after the movie begins, Hellboy, a state secret in the first film, becomes a household name overnight, only to find himself disliked and distrusted by everyone he meets; a guy even walks up to him on the street and says, "You're ugly." Along with the other PR problems the BPRD faces, the discovery of the relationship between Hellboy and Liz leads conservatives to suggest the BPRD is eroding traditional morals with "interspecies marriage."

Okay, that is kind of funny, but decidedly off the mark. The Hellboy universe is a universe where folklore is real, and Christian folklore is replete with men marrying swan maidens, women marrying beasts, men marrying elves, and even lusty demons. All that stuff was ours before del Toro showed up. Men marry beautiful, ethereal fairies and women settle for monsters: this is actually in tune with traditional morality because it's a good metaphor for how marriage goes in real life. Besides, if Christians found out that the government employed a demon who had gotten a woman pregnant, I think we'd be too busy worrying about the possibility of a real-life Rosemary's Baby to be discussing interspecies marriage.

And lastly, I just want to say this: Anung un Rama suggoth abal. Obdith jug Jahoor. Anna mem suggor athrama un Rama.

Sara: I greatly enjoyed the movie. Two thumbs up.

Content Advisory: Contains action violence, mild language, drunkenness, I mean some really hilarious drunkenness, child endangerment, good cigars, poor hygiene, a premarital relationship, at least I think it's premarital because that's kind of ambiguous, a conventional plot, and Ron Perlman in creature makeup

The Sci Fi Catholic's Rating for Hellboy II: The Golden Army:

Myth Level: Medium (it's got some mythological reference worked in there, great fantasy creature designs, and a conventional but likable plotline)

Quality: High (solid directing, great visuals, and an excellent cast)

Ethics/Religion: Medium (frequent Christian imagery, occasional propounding of love and free will, one premarital sexual relationship)

Meme?

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:30:00 +0000

Needing something to post fast and not having anything prepared, I...sigh...will do a meme, the One-Word Meme, borrowed from Fructus Ventris.

1. Where is your cell phone? None
2. Your significant other? None
3. Your hair? Head
4. Your mother? Forest
5. Your father? Forest
6. Your favorite thing? Books
7. Your dream last night? Complicated
8. Your favorite drink? Port
9. Your dream/goal? Publish
10. The room you're in? Motel
11. Your church? Catholic
12. Your fear? Anime
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Jupiter
14. Where were you last night? Undisclosed
15. What you're not? Rabbit
16. Muffins? Sure
17. One of your wish list items? Books
18. Where you grew up? Forest
19. The last thing you did? Edit
20. What are you wearing? Crucifix
21. Your TV? None
22. Your pets? Complicated
23. Your computer? Huh?
24. Your life? None
25. Your mood? Blah
26. Missing someone? Misplaced!*
27. Your car? Truck
28. Something you're not wearing? Pants**
29. Favorite store? SBFDTS***
30. Your summer? Busy
31. Like (love) someone? *Blush*
32. Your favorite color? Khaki
33. Last time you laughed? Today
34. Last time you cried? WRSSRP****
35. Who will re post this? Anyone

*I didn't think I was missing anyone until I realized I can't find Phenny the Phoenix. Anybody seen him?

**I'm wearing shorts, people.

***The Shady Bookstore Further Down the Street, but its name is more than one word.

****While reading some sappy romance, probably.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:09:00 +0000

Apparently we had technical issues yesterday because my post didn't go up (I've no idea why). We're currently working on a movie review for you, so hopefully we'll be able to get it in gear again in the near future.

A Late, Tired Miscellany

noreply@blogger.com (D. G. D. Davidson) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:55:00 +0000

1. I am still in the field, but again have access to the Internet. So we'll try to gear back up with a few odds and ends.

2. A reader sends us a news item: Newsarama reports that the Top Cow limited-run comic book series The Magdalena is to be made into a movie. I admit I've had little contact with Top Cow comics (they produce Witchblade, if you didn't know), so I haven't read this title; however, it does sound vaguely like Ben Dunn's Warrior Nun Areala (see my review here), which I was thinking some time ago should be made into a movie. So it seems my movie prophecy abilities were a little off-target this time. Basically, The Magdalena is about a line of scantily clad female warriors descended from Mary Magdalene and dedicated to protecting the Catholic Church. This site has an interesting overview and a hodge-podge of rumor and information.

3. In other news, somebody thinks the kid in this picture looks like me.

4. On my list of books to read in the near future is James A. Herrick's Scientific Mythologies. If you can't wait, you can read a negative review at Exploring Our Matrix, where James F. McGrath gives a very thorough and decidedly negative review. Here's a money quote:

The reference to those other views as “alternative”, and the Christian one Herrick takes for granted as “traditional”, warns the attentive reader of a problematic slant the author has from the outset. For Herrick will rightly point out that some of the views that are coming back into favor are in fact rather ancient. Indeed, the author delights in sticking the warning label “pagan” on numerous other viewpoints. Yet this point ought to lead naturally to an acknowledgment that at one time those ideas were traditional, just as Christianity was once alternative (see p.41 as just one place where this issue ought to have been addressed but is not). And so, although the book’s back cover makes reference to “our post-Christian West”, in fact, the book demonstrates clearly the author’s inability to understand, and thus adequately address, that very situation. [more...]

It's a great review, and I highly recommend it. I look forward to evaluating the book myself.

5. The blog Spoiled for the Ordinary has an interesting little post on the question of whether or not it's okay for Christian authors to use dragons in their fiction. This is worth reading, especially since around here we're fond of poking fun at Michael D. O'Brien's Landscape With Dragons.

6. The blog Sci-Fi / Journalist has posted an evaluation video for the Anime Jesus Project (dare I ask?). (Hat tip to Dark Parables.)