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Monty Python on iTunes
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Monty Python's Previous RecordIt’s not every day that an album review in Rolling Stone turns me into a quivering mass of geek, but recently, one small review did just that.

It was a little blurb about the CD re-releases of Another Monty Python Record and Monty Python’s Previous Record, complete with bonus tracks. I have those on vinyl, but my turntable is broken, so for years I had been unable to listen to them.

Of course, as soon as I finished the review, I dashed to the computer to see if they could be (legally) downloaded, and in fact, they were on iTunes. So after a quick download, those classic albums were mine.

Almost every geek my age knows all about Monty Python. Who among us doesn’t know every line from their movies? Some of us with serious Python-geek issues have the complete TV series on DVD, the book of the scripts, and the compilations of songs and “˜greatest hits’ on CD. Some of their later albums were available on CD as well, but they haven’t held up as well as their earlier work.

But the early Monty Python albums weren’t available on CD, until now. These two CDs are the troupe’s second and third record, and were the first ones available in the United States. They were released even before PBS started to show the TV show. In fact, the popularity of these records on some FM radio stations spurred PBS to import the show.

The first Monty Python album was just a recording straight off of the first season of TV show skits from the BBC, and while it has its moments, it’s definitely best in a visual medium.

These two records, though, while having many sketches in common with season two and season three of the TV show, are totally reworked for the audio market, and the new material definitely uses the sound medium to its comedic potential.

Another Monty Python Record was released in 1971, and brilliantly combines some of the favorite season two sketches and new material. The group blends sketches together, such as the Spanish Inquisition showing up during the Architect’s sketch. The long form “Piranha Brothers” sketch really works as an audio bit as well.

The second half of the album drags a bit, with some long bits that are only mildly amusing. The bonus tracks are just OK, except for a downright hilarious one for “Treadmill Lager.”

Monty Python’s Previous Record, released in 1972, is their audio masterpiece. The troupe maximizes the potential of sound as comedy, with all kinds of effects and noises enhancing the sketches. “Dennis Moore” holds the first half together, and to me the pacing of this bit is better on album. The “Money Programme” and “Eric The Half A Bee” are riotous as well.

The second half could be even better, as the Pythons move into game show parodies, a marvelous bit on soccer goalies paying tribute to the Yangtze River in poetry and song, and the capper was a fairy tale that concludes the record that will leave one rolling on the floor even on repeated hearings. The bonus tracks, though, are less than stellar, and one can see why they were left off of the record.

It feels good to have these two albums now in my iPod and on my computer, especially when you put your iPod on shuffle and “The Travel Agent” sketch comes on right after “Black Betty” by Ram Jam. That’s quite the juxtaposition, and I don’t think Python would have it any other way!

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Straczynski to Adapt World War Z
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Empress Eve   |  @   |  

While discussing his upcoming projects at this weekend’s New York Comic Con, writer J. Michael Straczynski said that he is adapting the Max Brooks novel World War Z for Paramount Studios.

The writer stressed that his adaptation will be “very faithful to the book,” which centers around first-hand accounts from human survivors of a zombie war. Since the book does not feature a main character, the writer will make the journalist interviewing the survivors of the war the protagonist.

JMS also presented video blogs from the set of his direct-to-DVD movie Babylon 5: The Lost Tales – Voices in the Dark, scheduled for release July 27. [Update: new release date July 31.]

While discussing the upcoming Thor series he’s working on with artist Olivier Coipel for Marvel Comics, JMS said that it’s going to be “Asgard in Oklahoma,” having legendary gods interacting with Southern mortals.

Source: Wizard, CBR

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Bytes: Dick, Macs, and more
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The Geeks of Doom   |  @   |  
  • Check out a trailer for Simon Pegg‘s (Shawn of the Dead) upcoming film Run, Fatboy, Run over at firstshowings.net [Link]
  • Gizmodo sez there’s a good chance that next month Apple Inc. will be releasing Black 24-inch iMacs, Mac Pros with 8-Core processors, updated 15-inch MacBooks, and a new line of Cinema displays. [Link]
  • Jet Li is joining Michelle Yeoh in the cast of The Mummy 3. Li will reportedly play the eponymous character. [Link]
  • The trailer for Next, another in a long line of successful Phillip K. Dick movie adaptations, is up at apple.com. The film, which is based on Dick’s 1954 short story The Golden Man, stars Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, and Jessica Biel. [Link]
  • Classic Sci-fi film The Day The Earth Stood Still has a remake in the works, currently slated for a May ’08 release. [Link]
  • The Incredibles director Brad Bird is rumored to direct a live-action film based on the book 1906, a fictionalized story set during the infamous San Francisco earthquake. [Link]
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Warner Bros. To Do JLA Movie
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Empress Eve   |  @   |  

Warner Brothers has hired writing team Kiernan and Michele Mulroney to pen the script for a proposed Justice League of America live-action movie.

The feature film will most likely include a combination of DC Comic’s most popular superheroes, though the studio has not yet to confirmed which ones will appear.

Traditionally, the JLA includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, and the Martian Manhunter, but nearly every major DC superhero has at some point been part of the team.

Since the studio has already revived the Batman and Superman franchises, the question arises if they’ll want Christian Bale (who played Batman in Batman Begins) and Brandon Routh (who played Superman in Superman Returns) to reprise their roles for the JLA film. The studio is also working on a live-action Wonder Woman movie.

The JLA has spawned several cartoon TV series, including 1960s and ’70s show Super Friends as well as the current Cartoon Network series Justice League Unlimited from Warner Brothers Animation.

Source: Variety

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Jeff Smith Does Shazam and Pogo
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Empress Eve   |  @   |  

SHAZAM! THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #1 (OF 4)

Dave3 has always been a big fan of DC’s Shazam (a.k.a. Captain Marvel, not to be confused with the alien kree Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Captain Mar-Vell from Marvel Comics), so I picked this up for him. When I saw that Bone creator Jeff Smith was doing this miniseries — the writing as well as the art — I definitely wanted to check it out myself.

The young orphan Billy Batson is living a rough life out on the streets when a wizard grants him the ability to transform into the mighty adult superhero Captain Marvel. When Billy speaks the magic word “Shazam!”, he gains the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, the speed of Mercury.

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