Craig Miller

 
It's been far too long since I last put up a post here but, sadly, I return with some terrible news.

Craig Miller passed away on November 7, 2012.  From what I understand he died peacefully, in his sleep.  But the news was certainly unexpected.  And devastating.

Between October 1992 and September 2005, Craig and I produced 75 issues of Wrapped In Plastic Magazine.  I estimate that together we wrote over one million words about Twin Peaks and about the works of David Lynch, Mark Frost and others associated with the show.

Working with Craig was one of the highlights of my life.  Craig was the perfect co-editor.  He was smart, committed, and thorough.  The look, feel, and longevity of the magazine were due to Craig's tireless effort.  Because of Craig's diligence a new issue of Wrapped In Plastic was published every two months for over ten years.

Craig loved television, film, comics and science fiction.  I shared his passion.  He and I would talk endlessly of these things we loved.  Phone calls between us would last hours as we dissected a scene in Twin Peaks, or analyzed an issue of Cerebus, or examined the themes of Blade Runner, or pored over the writing of David Foster Wallace.  I'd end these conversations feeling exhausted -- and invigorated. 

Craig is gone and all his vast knowledge and insight is gone too.  In describing the death of her father, Laurie Anderson said, "It was like a library had burned down."  That is what Craig's death is like.  That huge mind--that endless curiosity--is no more.

Good-bye, Craig.  The world is a smaller place now.

Psyched!

I am thrilled about the upcoming Twin Peaks episode of Psych.  I'm sure those few of you who still checking my blog have already seen the many cool photos from the episode online.  If not, head on over to Dugpa.com right now! 

I love that close-up shot Dana Ashbrook crying over the body; he really seems to be channeling Ray Wise there.  And while many people are commenting on how good Sherilyn Fenn looks, I'm thrilled to see Catherine Coulson back as "The Woman with Wood."  She's looking as good as ever!

The extended episode of Psych (complete with a Julee Cruise opening song) airs December 1.

Fire Walk With Me Event in the UK

I received an email about this event and I thought I'd pass it along.  Here, then, is an edited version of a press release:

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Twin Peaks, Leeds-based arts entrepreneurs Micheale Spessa and Dave Lynch (what are the odds?) present Fire Walk With Me, an opportunity to immerse yourself in Twin Peaks madness. The event will be held on 18th September 2010, bringing together fans from across the globe. 

Fire Walk With Me is being held at the appropriately atmospheric Grade 1 listed Temple Works in Leeds; the building has a history and ambience that would no doubt inspire David Lynch. Not surprisingly the organisers are remaining tight lipped as to the whereabouts of Bob, if you have spotted him recently or any other Twin Peaks characters then do let them know.

Tickets on sale now via the website http://www.firewalkwithme.co.uk/ and cost £12 online, or £15 on the door. Group concessions apply.  

Sign up to the website, http://www.firewalkwithme.co.uk/ or check out Twin Peaks Freaks www.twitter.com/twinpeaksfreaks to discover more about the event.

Remember the Owls are not what they seem.

For Further information or to report sightings of Bob, please contact:

Rebekah Wadham on 07530 053 593 or email press@firewalkwithme.co.uk

Sometimes it takes the right message to get me blogging again.  I've been pretty lazy lately.  Sorry about that. I guess I need some good inspiration to get me writing again.  I'm working on finding it . . . .

Yes, I'm Still Here

For those of you who may have wondered, yes I'm still here. I'll admit, I've been quite neglectful about posting. What can I say? My mind has been elsewhere.

For now, here's a very quick update about things I've read and seen. I truly do hope to resume more significant posts in the future.

I'm currently reading The Passage, by Justin Cronin. It does live up to the hype. I'm totally engrossed, up late turning pages. This is a good thing. I've been looking for a book this absorbing for some time now. That's not to say that some of my recent reads haven't been good. In fact, I've read some superb books, including Kraken by China Mieville and The Windup Girl by Paulo Bacigalupi; both are excellent, if dense and demanding, books.

I haven't been to many movies but I did see Toy Story 3 and was tremendously impressed. This was nearly a perfect movie and one that worked on many levels. I think that the Toy Story trilogy may be one of the best film trilogies of all time -- none of the films is weak, and each sequel builds upon the past to make a satisfying whole. I hope there will never be another Toy Story film; the story is complete and very satisfying. Bravo to Pixar for another amazing film!

There have been many, many good things on TV. Too many, really, to list in any detail. Special mention, however, goes to Treme on HBO. The series started slow and seemed, at times, to wander a bit. But in the end the show proved to be one of the most sophisticated pieces of television entertainment I've ever seen. Superbly written, directed and acted, Treme was an intricate and meticulous study of people coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst disasters in United States history. Wonderful reviews have been written about the series, most better than anything I could do here. One of the best was this one by Myles McNutt. Go read it.

I wish I could write more but other commitments are pulling me away. I hope to post again soon.

Take care!

Oh so many questions . . .

I was going to compile a list of unanswered LOST questions but the topic is already old.  Anyway, somebody saved me the trouble.  If you're a fan--especially a disappointed fan--you must watch this:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1936291

There, no more LOST from me.  Promise.

First Thoughts on the last LOST

The following is pretty much right off the top of my head.  These are my first reactions to the end of LOST and the totality of the series so there may be some clumsy wording (and analysis) ahead.

The LOST finale clearly worked on an emotional level.  It hit all the right buttons as characters were dramatically reunited.  But, hey, that's what LOST has been doing since season one: separating its characters and then reuniting them.  The formula always provided an emotional punch: a tear in the eye and a lump in the throat.  And so, in the end, we got that all over again.  Only this time, dead characters were allowed in on the reunion. (Yes, I know, technically all the characters who reunited did so after death; but for awhile there during the finale the show played as if the dead characters were "coming back to life" in this "alternate" universe).  Bottom line?  The LOST finale was one big emotional reunion. 

And it worked.  Yes, indeed. 

But did it work on an intellectual level?  Well, I think here the show was clearly lacking.  From the beginning, LOST has played like a mystery ("Guys, where are we?")  Outside agents--external forces--were threatening our lead characters.  We (and the characters) didn't know who was doing what or why.  But we were promised answers.  Oh, yes, we were promised.  The producers promised answers.  The network, with its constant barrage of promos, promised answers. Heck, even the characters regularly professed to have answers.  And yet, I hardly think the answers we got were satisfying.  Why?  Well, they weren't answers to the mysteries that fueled the story.  Sure, some might argue that those kinds of answers weren't important--that it doesn't matter if we know what the underground wheel was, or why turning it moved the island in time or provided transport off the island (to Tunisia, of all places).  It doesn't matter why Walt was important, or how the giant statue came to be built on the island, or why the timer in the hatch flipped to Egyptian hieroglyphics. These questions don't matter because the story was never really about these mysteries; it was, instead, about the characters and their need to "find" themselves in one another. 

Fine.  I can buy that.  But I would also argue that the narrative never became sophisticated enough to place those internal character struggles firmly and satisfyingly in the foreground.  Time and again, LOST relied on a surface narrative--an urgent, concrete conflict--to provide momentum.  Any story about character insight or revelation usually felt tagged-on.

In the end I don't think LOST lived up to its promise.  There was something hollow about it, something missing. 

Still, I'll miss the show.  It was compelling and exciting and extremely well-made.  And I have to say, I was engaged with it to the very end.  But while it kept me guessing for six years, I don't believe it will keep me thinking for nearly as long. 

One Thing's For Sure . . .

 . . . when you get out of the habit of writing on your blog, it is easy to stay out of the habit.

The TV season is winding down and the excitement about some shows is building.  Honestly, I'm as psyched as you can get about Lost, right now.  There are but a few hours left in what has turned out to be one of the most experimental and demanding network shows ever aired.  I've got a number of thoughts and questions (among fans, who doesn't?) and figured I'd scribble three (of the many) down here:

Will the two timelines merge in any specific way?  Is one more "legitimate" than the other?  The "flash-sideways" or "alternate" timeline concept is the trickiest thing the show has done to date.  Some think that the sideways timeline may be a "fake" world, or a "dream" experienced by the various characters.  Either scenario might turn out to be the case, but I hope not.  The alternate, "what if" reality is a familiar and popular SF trope.  (According to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, it dates back to 1934 and Murray Leinster's short story, "Sideways in Time." Since then it has been used in countless stories and novels, spawning a new subgenre, "Alternate History," now so prevalent in SF that it has its own annual award, the "Sideways Award.") Now that Lost has established an alternate reality, I think this alternate reality has to stay intact.  It cannot dissolve at some future point.  That doesn't mean the characters from one world can't become aware of the other (as, it seems, Desmond, has), it just means that both worlds are now legitimate branches in time and therefore have permanence.  And so, as the events of the "island" timeline draw to a close, how cool would it be if Lost were to re-boot itself into a seventh season, one where we see the lives of the LA characters unspool themselves into new and unpredictable directions?  Lost could become its own spin-off!  (I know it will never happen, but still.)

Will we ever see any of the "kids" again?  I'm holding out hope that the various children of the Lost universe will make a dramatic re-appearance by season's end.  I can picture Penny sailing up to the island with Walt, Aaron, Charlie and Ji Yeon all on board.  Clearly, these kids had something special about them, right?  I still demand to know what the deal was with Walt.  And there was mystery about Aaron, too. C'mon Lost writers, don't leave us hanging!

Will the Jacob/Man-In-Black backstory (airing tonight, 5/11/10) fill in enough blanks?  I want to know about the bodies in the cave!  About Alvar Hanso!  About the big statue and the other ruins on the island!  I want to know why Ben could summon the smoke monster!  I want to know why the monster appeared in so many other forms (Kate's horse, anybody?)  Time is running out, and it sure seems like there is a lot left to explain! Will the show come through?  We'll see . . .