Signed Books For Xmas

December 7, 2015 at 4:49 pm

December 7. Pearl Harbor Day. The Day That Will Live in Infamy.

Also… getting closer and closer to the last day you can order signed books from the Jean Cocteau Cinema and have any hope of getting there in time to pretend they came from Santa Claus.

We’ve uploaded lots of cool new selections to the Signed Books page, from our recent events.

Like Neal Stephenson’s visit, for instance.

And many more.

For all you WHEEL OF TIME fans out there, we also have hardcovers of the new WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION signed by all the authors.

And of course, from last week’s EXPANSE premiere, we have the complete set of Expanse novels by James S.A. Corey, suitably defaced by both Ty Frank and Daniel Abraham.

Lots more titles too, including some by the Martin guy.

Check them all out at http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, signed books

Big Ass Spider

December 7, 2015 at 12:03 pm

No, not the movie (we showed that at the Cocteau when it was first released).

I am talking a REAL big ass spider, which has newly taken up residence in the parking lot of the former Silva Lanes, just off Rufina, outside what will soon be Meow Wolf’s amazing art space.

That’s my friend and euro-minion Jo standing underneath TaranTula, for a sense of scale.

The Silva Lanes/ Meow Wolf complex is still an active construction site, so you can’t get too close… but the spider, and her friend the giant robot, are visible from the street, so do swing by and take a look if you’re in the neighborhood.

Construction continues apace. No opening date set yet, but Meow Wolf is now talking February. I had the pleasure of taking some of the producers from THE EXPANSE through the exhibit last week, and they were as blown away as I am every time I see the site anew. Whenever it finally opens, it ought to be amazing.

You can learn more about the project and even buy a lifetime membership direct from Meow Wolf at https://meowwolf.com/2015/09/the-meow-wolf-lifetime-pass-limited-edition/

Meantime, ‘ware the iron spider.

Tags: meow wolf

The Iron Giant Is Coming

December 6, 2015 at 5:21 pm

We’re going to have a special guest at the Jean Cocteau next week.

A big BIG guest: the Iron Giant himself.

Yes indeed. Starting on Friday, December 11, for one week only, we will be screening the newly restored and remastered “signature edition” of Brad Bird’s animated classic, THE IRON GIANT.

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If you haven’t seen THE IRON GIANT… or even if you have… you don’t want to miss this. If you’ve only seen it on the small screen at home, you don’t want to miss this. And even if you’ve seen the movie in a theatre, you don’t want to miss this, since the signature editions includes some new scenes never before shown.

In honor of the occasion, the Iron Giant his own self will be on hand to say hi. You don’t want to miss him either. Come see the movie, and have your picture taken with the Giant. Advance tickets can be reserved at the JCC website.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, movies

More Hugo Thoughts

December 5, 2015 at 12:59 pm

Continuing the conversation I began in my Not A Post of November 2…

Last time I talked about some possible nominees for Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. This time I want to focus on Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. In other words, best television episode. (No, not officially, but that’s what it usually comes down to, and let’s ignore the silliness of nominating an Easter Egg or an acceptance speech from the previous year’s Hugos).

I was no fan of the efforts of Puppies to game the Hugo Awards last year. I don’t think I have been shy in my opinions on that subject. But I will give the Puppies this much — their efforts did break the decade-long hold that Dr. Who fandom had on the nominations in this category. I have no problem with episodes of DR. WHO being nominated, and indeed winning, mind you… and the Doctor has won plenty of times in this category over the past decade… but when four of the six finalists are from the same category, that strikes me as way unbalanced and, well, greedy. The Doctor’s fans love their show, I know, but there is a LOT of great SF and fantasy on the tube right now. Nominate DR. WHO, by all means… but leave some room for someone else, please.

(And yes, I would feel the same way if it was four episodes of GAME OF THRONES being nominated every year, rather than four episodes of DR. WHO).

Last year, for the first time in recent memory, we actually had five different series represented on the final ballot. In addition to GAME OF THRONES and DR. WHO, the two shows that had dominated the previous three years, we also had ORPHAN BLACK (the eventual winner), plus episodes of THE FLASH and GRIMM. The Puppies had something to do with that, I can’t deny that. Nonetheless, I do think it was a healthy development. I hope we have five different series represented this year as well… though maybe not the same five.

There’s a lot to choose from, actually. Yes, DR. WHO. No way to keep the Doctor off the ballot. Yes, GAME OF THRONES. I am only human, so I do hope we contend again… I’d favor “Hardhome” myself, but “Mother’s Mercy,” with Cersei’s walk of shame, could be a strong choice as well. ORPHAN BLACK is the defending champion, and should get another nod as well.

THE FLASH? Maybe. But there’s also ARROW and GOTHAM and AGENTS OF SHIELD for the comic book fans out there (I count myself as one of those), and now SUPERGIRL as well.

GRIMM was nominated last year, and is still going strong. And there’s ONCE UPON A TIME as well. That one has never gotten a nod.

However, looking beyond previous nominees, there are lots of shows out there that might be due for a bit of Hugo love. Start with the zombie triad: the very grim WALKING DEAD, the very tongue-in-cheek Z NATION, plus I, ZOMBIE. The undead are well represented.

And for horror fans, there’s also AMERICAN HORROR STORY. A perennial Emmy contender, yet it never seems to get any notice at Hugo time.

I love scary stories myself, count myself a fan of Lovecraft and Poe and Stephen King, so I’ve sampled and enjoyed most of these shows. The one I like better than any of them, though? PENNY DREADFUL. That’s the one I’ll be including on my own Hugo ballot.

I am tempted to mention THE LAST KINGDOM as well… but as much as I love it, it really isn’t eligible. A terrific show, one you should all be watching, but it’s straight historical fiction, with no fantasy elements.

However, I will mention another show that might otherwise be overlooked: OUTLANDER. Yes, it is a historical. Yes, it is a romance. But it is also a science fiction show. TIME TRAVEL, remember? Plus, it’s just flat out terrific. Great production values, first rate writing and directing, and some amazing acting… all three of the leads gave performances worthy of Emmy nods this past year, though the Academy overlooked them. I hope that fandom doesn’t make the same mistake.

Let’s spread the love. Lots of people are doing good work in television right now, and deserve some recognition. Five nominations, five different series, that’s my hope. When the time comes to make your nominations, look beyond the usual suspects.

Tags: awards, hugo awards, television

Out in the Belt

December 4, 2015 at 3:44 pm

We had a great time at the Jean Cocteau yesterday. Our world premiere of THE EXPANSE was terrific fun for all concerned, I think. We screened the first two episodes of the series (joined seamlessly into one long two-hour film), once for the cast, crew, and VIPs, and once for the general public… and my, but the show looked great on our ~~big~~ medium-sized screen. We also had a signing and Q&A with Jimmy Corey, aka Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham, followed by a kickass party.

Everyone seemed to have a swell time… especially those, like me, who had not seen the show before (though of course I have read all the books). Terrific performances and fine writing. This is the show that fandom has been waiting for since FIREFLY and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA left the air… a real kickass spaceship show, done right.

Admittedly, a December debut is a little late in the year for awards buzz, but if the word gets around fast enough, I think you can add THE EXPANSE to the list of shows that could (and in this case, should) compete for a Hugo nomination in Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

My thanks to Ty and Daniel and the good folks at Alcon Television for making this happen, and to David Sidebottom, Jenni Higginbotham, Jon Bowman, and the rest of my amazing JCC staff for making the event such a smashing success.

For all of you who could not make it… be sure to catch THE EXPANSE when it debuts on December 14.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, television and film, the expanse

Speaking of THE EXPANSE…

December 2, 2015 at 1:29 pm

As Ogre Jenni details below, we will be hosting the world premiere of SyFy’s new EXPANSE series tomorrow at the JCC, screening the first two episodes on our ~~big~~ medium-sized screen. First fifty people to attend the 4pm booksigning will get tickets for the 8:30 screening; the rest of the tix will be available on first come, first seated basis.

However, it’s the latest Expanse novel that I want to talk about here.

NEMESIS GAMES is just terrific.

This is definitely one to keep in mind when filling out your Hugo ballot this year. The first of the Expanse series, LEVIATHAN WAKES, was a Hugo nominee (and loser) back in 2012. Subsequent volumes have not made the ballot. This one should. I don’t know if it will be the best SF novel published in 2015 (I still have a lot of novels to read), but I can’t imagine that it won’t be one of the top five. Fans of space opera, of classic old school SF done really well, of great can’t-put-it-down storytelling, should love this one, I’d think. Fans of military SF as well; the Expanse books have all the excitement of the best military SF along with a lot more. Two-headed Jimmy Corey has created a detailed, vivid, well-imagined, lived-in world, peopled it with a great cast of characters, and here welded all that to a page-turning plot that takes us places I never imagined they could go.

Those of you who live near enough, come to the JCC tomorrow and get Jimmy to sign your books and catch the EXPANSE premiere.

Those who don’t… go out and grab NEMESIS GAMES. It’s a hell of ride.

Tags: hugo awards

‘The Expanse’ Premiere and Book Signing with James S.A. Corey

November 30, 2015 at 7:05 pm

[Ogre Jenni here! This Thursday Jean Cocteau Cinema will celebrate the release of Syfy's newest show, The Expanse, based on the hit sci-fi series by James S.A. Corey.

At 4:00 p.m. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the authors who make up the pseudonymous James S.A. Corey, will sign books from their New York Times bestselling series, The Expanse. The author event is only $10, and we will have all of the books from The Expanse series available for purchase.

Later on at 8:30 p.m., Alcon Television Group and the Cocteau will present a free sneak peek of the first two episodes of Syfy’s new television series based on the books. The first fifty patrons who attend the book signing will be given priority seating at the public premiere!

ABOUT THE SHOW (FROM ALCON TELEVISION GROUP):

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Set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows the case of a missing young woman that brings a hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a rogue ship’s captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) together in a race across the solar system that will expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. Emmy^®winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) also stars as Chrisjen Avasarala. Rounding out the cast are Dominique Tipper (Vampire Academy), Cas Anvar (Olympus), Wes Chatham (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Florence Faivre (The Following). Paulo Costanzo (Royal Pains), Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead) and Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad) will appear as guest stars throughout the series’ first season.

Academy Award-nominated screenwriting duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, Iron Man) wrote the pilot and serve as writers as well as executive producers. Executive producer Naren Shankar (CSI, Farscape) joins Fergus and Ostby as showrunners. Award-winning director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Suits, Better Call Saul) directed the first two episodes of the series.

JUST FOR FUN:

If you haven't watched this interview by Geek & Sundry: Sword and Laser with James S.A. Corey, you should check it out. They get into the nitty gritty of working as a duo, and they answer a number of fan questions from the Geek & Sundry Goodreads Forum. The extended interview with James S.A. Corey is also a fun listen. They tackle the important literary issues—like why there aren't space cats in The Expanse. Enjoy!

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Tags: alcon television group, daniel abraham, james s.a. corey, jean cocteau cinema, leviathan wakes, syfy, the expanse, ty franck

Signing, Signing, Signing

November 24, 2015 at 3:54 pm

I spent a goodly chunk of yesterday afternoon at the Jean Cocteau with pen in hand, signing books.

We’d sold out of our original stock of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, so we got a hundred more. I scrawled illegibly in all of them. I also signed copies of A GAME OF THRONES, A CLASH OF KINGS, A STORM OF SWORDS, A FEAST FOR CROWS, and A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, all of which are now available from the JCC in hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market. We were down to about three copies of the adult coloring book, so we got more of that one too, and a big stack of FEAST OF ICE AND FIRE, the official Westerosi cookbook. All of these can be found on the Signed Books page of the JCC website.

Of course, we also have a lot of great books in stock by the other writers who have visited us. Here are a few of those:

All these, and many many more titles, can be found at http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/

Autographed books make great Christmas presents… but to be sure of getting your books by Christmas, it would be wise to order now.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, signed books

More on the Refugees

November 23, 2015 at 11:29 am

John Oliver lays out the actual facts about the vetting process, and destroys the fearmongers in hilarious fashion.

Oliver nails the heart of the issue here. We should not allow ourselves to be ruled by fear. But there’s no need for me to paraphrase, he says it all better than I could.

Tags: politics

More Pain

November 22, 2015 at 5:03 pm

Another woeful Jets loss this morning, this one to the Texans and their third-string quarterback.

Gang Green’s defense hung in there valiantly, but the offense looked awful. Way too many dropped passes by our wideouts, a couple of them sure touchdowns. And Revis got hurt… after being beaten a couple of times.

Houston’s offensive coordinator had a lot to do with the win. Very creative playcalling, mixing in the wildcat, and a couple trick plays that caught the Jets completely flat=footed.

I had feared that last week’s painful (and unnecessary) loss to Buffalo might send the Jets into a tailspin, and so it proved. But this is a case where I hate to be proved right.

The Giants had a bye. Thanks for that much.

Tags: nfl

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