I saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. I've rarely seen a big screen movie that is so filled with inside jokes to their previous movies like that. It's sort of the motion picture version adaptation of Kevin's Chasing Dogma comic, which tells how Jay & Silent bob got from Chasing Amy to Dogma.

This movie is also The Five Doctors of the View Askew series of movies -- nostalgia held together with the simplest of story, where part of the thrill is seeing old characters in color that were originally only in black and white.

There's something really appealing about all of that. It's not a movie for everyone, but for those movies it is for, it is definitely for in a way movies rarely are. I think one of the reasons why Kevin Smith's films are appealing is that he's so clearly "one of us" really.

One thing that was also impressive is that he's improved his directiorial skills -- it's his best directed film yet. (Probably not his best film -- but I don't think it was trying to be.

But it's really good fun, and I really enjoyed it. It was good to spot some cameos -- I didn't even recognize Marc Blucas when he appeared.... Though you can't miss Eliza Dushku..

I wondered, as one does late at night, if there was any fan fiction for reality tv programs. I should have known better than to ask, because there is Survivor fan fiction.

I don't think that's the scariest fan fiction category out there, but it's close. minesweeper is up there, but I think N-Sync probably wins the scary contest.

I'm going to see Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back tonight. I can't wait -- I've got all of the other Kevin Smith films as DVDs, and so I'm definitely in his target market, and the reviews make it sound like if you are, you will. (MISFITS review says much the same.)

It's been a busy week for me -- this is the first night I've been home all week. And I toyed with going out tonight as well, but decided that I needed to stay in for a change.

It was a light week for comics (& related stuff) -- a new issue of New X-Men and The Brotherhood, and issue 307 of Doctor Who Magazine (which I didn't know had a website until right now!)

sort of disappointed by the two comics. I'm not a big fan of Quitely's art, I think. But the storyline is ok, and there are some things that make me very glad to be buying X-Men titles, as one of the reasons why I stopped reading it years ago was removed.

DWM is ok too -- I think they're doing a little bit better job as far as balance goes, perhaps leaning a bit to heavily in the audio direction still at times in their previews. The article about the NAs is fantastic though, as David J Howe turns his skilled eye at the true legacy of 1990s Doctor Who.

Though I'm thrilled they listed the American Doctor Who DVD releases -- I preordered my copies of Spearhead from Space, Robots of Death, and The Five Doctors earlier this week, and I'm really looking forward to them. It doesn't hurt that they're all truly classic Doctor Who, but they also look like they're really putting together DVDs that take advantage of the format.

Number of Laid Off Workers Jumps
And from personal experience -- where I think there are more people who have been laid off of work now than I've ever known before in my life, it's not very surprising at all. But still scary & frustrating.

The International Crop Circle Database has some pictures of a really neat one. I was also curious to see if there had been any in Minnesota, and they list five.

The Comic Wire is reporting that Kevin Smith and CONvergence 2001 guest Phil Hester will be moving from Green Arrow to a revival of the Batman team-up title Brave and the Bold. Could be cool.

John Cleese Says U.S. Comedy Better Than British
Sadly, I think he's right that British TV isn't what it once was -- they just aren't producing much television anymore. (And I'm not just talking about Doctor Who). He gets cast alot as John Clesse in the things he does in the US (see the last James Bond film) -- so he's a bit exceptional in the work he gets, but still...

I picked up The Norm : Ball Collection Boxed at a local store today, and I just finished re-reading all of 2000's strips. I've said it before, but The Norm is probably my favorite comic strip today. It was somewhat nostalgic to read last year's strips, when the internet economy was still booming.

A really nice CONvergence 2001 write up, with some pictures (including me) too.