Online Fiction: Usok, Issue #1 Is Now Live

From Rocket Kapre: Online fiction site Usok Issue #1 is now live!

Clash Of The Titans Redux

(Some of the old promotional posters for Clash Of The Titans 1981. Note, people, the presence of a much younger Dame Maggie Smith as Thetis, way before she became known to many as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films).

Hey, it seems that Hollywood's at it again. They did the Perseus myth once before in Clash Of The Titans 1981; now, they're remaking it for 2010. Among other tales, I grew up on the Greek myths (specifically, Edith Hamilton's and D'Aulaire's books), so when Clash Of The Titans 1981 came out it was pretty exciting for me and my bookworm friends (it just occurred to me: If someone from Greece is anything like me, is he a Greek geek? Hehehe). After watching both trailers, I think one can see the differences in marketing/advertising and movie-making between 1981 and 2010.

Here's something worth pondering: We've seen many film and TV adaptations of the Greek myths (Jason and the Argonauts, Heracles, Achilles, Odysseus, the aforementioned Perseus). Merlin, Arthur, and The Knights of the Round Table also have had their share (there's Hallmark Channel's Merlin series, and just like Clash Of The Titans, the movie Excalibur came out in 1981, too; even as a young boy I already wondered about that sex scene between a woman and a knight in full armor). The stories of Sinbad the Sailor have also been set to screen.

So--even if I'm not 100% sure, seeing as I could've missed them--why have there been no definitive films based on Norse Myths? I don't count the Marvel comics versions since they're a re-adaptation to suit the Marvel universe; the closest films I could find with some connection are stories with Vikings or brief references to the Germanic deities, as in The 13th Warrior and Beowulf (another myth in itself). As far as I can tell, there are no movie versions of the stories set in Valhalla, Asgard, and Midgard. There are no films on the death of Baldur, on the adventures of Thor, Odin, and Loki before they became estranged, on Freyja, Surtur, Fenris, and the others. Funny, considering that a film adaptation of Ragnarok (no, not the online game, folks) would be sure-fire, kick-ass action.

Oh, wait. It seems that Ragnarok has inspired an opera by Richard Wagner (The Ring Of The Nibelung), and there is one movie, Ring Of The Nibelungs, that came out in 2004 and which I haven't seen yet. The movie's tagline is "The Nordic legend that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings trilogy." But other than that, the film adaptations for Norse myths seems sparse in comparison to the others.

In any case, it was fun seeing the trailer of Clash Of The Titans 2010, and just as enjoyable to view the 1981 trailer. Those old stop-animation effects of Ray Harryhausen fired up the imaginations of generations of youngsters in the same way that today's computer-generated special effects have moviegoers going, "Whoah!" In fact, Ray Harryhausen worked on many films of the Greek myths and of Sinbad the Sailor, and for that, as well as other contributions, he deservedly received an honorary Oscar award (though it's worth noting that none of his films was ever nominated).

Online Fiction: Usok, Issue #1

Usok, first mentioned here on the PGS blog, will be up tomorrow, 11:00 a.m., November 11, 2009. For today, you can see the cover and story line-up here.

Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe Opens On November 11, 2009

Producer Alemberg Ang announces that his movie, Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe, opens on November 11, 2009. Click here for more details.

Galing Pinoy, Basahin!

The National Book Development Board is hosting a series of lectures this month, beginning tomorrow, as part of the 13th Philippine Book Development Month. The November schedule of activities for the series, Galing Pinoy, Basahin!, can now be seen on their website. The lectures will be held at The Filipinas Heritage Library. The details:

How To Read The Next Generation (Poetry)
Featuring: Mesandel Arguelles, Mikael Co, Conchitina Cruz, Joel Toledo; Moderator: Gemino Abad; Nov. 10, 2009

How To Read The Next Generation (Fiction)
Featuring: Dean Alfar, Angelo Lacuesta, Edgar Samar, Tara FT Sering; Moderator: Jose Y. Dalisay; Nov. 11, 2009

How To Read The Next Generation (Non-Fiction)
Featuring: Louie Cano, Vlad Gonzales, Carljoe Javier, Luis Katigbak; Moderator: Tony Hidalgo; Nov. 12, 2009

Reading Nick Joaquin; Nov. 16, 2009

Click on the above links for all the details, and to see how to reserve a place at the lectures. They are free and open to the public. The rest of the schedule for the month can be seen on the NBDB website.

A Fictional Hero Beats Evil In The Real World

I got a kick out of reading this article. An excerpt:

"In the 1940s, The Adventures of Superman was a radio sensation. Kids across the country huddled around their sets as the Man of Steel leapt off the page and over the airwaves. Although Superman had been fighting crime in print since 1938, the weekly audio episodes fleshed out his storyline even further. It was on the radio that Superman first faced kryptonite, met Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen, and became associated with “truth, justice, and the American way.” So, it's no wonder that when a young writer and activist named Stetson Kennedy decided to expose the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, he looked to a certain superhero for inspiration."

Anvil Publishing Sale

Just like The Scholastic Warehouse Sale, Pasig City is also where the Anvil Publishing Book Sale will be held. Click here for details.

As seen on Jessica Rules The Universe.

Engaged!

Last night, I had dinner with Adventures In TV Land, the guest-editor of the PGS Horror issue (now available at Comic Quest SM Megamall and SM North Edsa; and at National Bookstore care of Anvil Publishing, the distributor), and with her permission, she has let me blog that she and Luis Is Listening are engaged! They're getting hitched next year! Congratulations, you two!

Scholastic Warehouse Sale

Scholastic is having a sale of its books at its Pasig warehouse. Click here for all the details.

Thanks to Rocket Kapre for blogging about this.

Six Days To USOK

Six Days To USOK, as seen on Rocket Kapre. An excerpt:

...on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 (at 11:00 a.m. Manila Time)...I will be able to present you with the very first issue of USOK, Rocket Kapre’s new quarterly webzine dedicated to bringing you a regular dose of quality short form Speculative Fiction.

In case you need help remembering that, let me break it down into simple numbers:

Six days from now…

Five short stories…

Two Quality Reprints…

Three All-New Tales…

Zero cost…

One Date, November 11…

Four letters: U S O K

See you then everyone!