Midweek Movie Preview: About Time

Last fall, I was on quite the time travel kick, which was interrupted only because of my work commitments during the spring semester.  Several readers had suggestions for other works I should consider, such as Connie Willis' work, which I look forward to reading this summer.

I am also quite excited by the trailer that I recently saw for a movie entitled About Time.  I love Bill Nighy and Rachel McAdams, who are both in this film, and the premise--about a family in which the men are able to travel through their own timelines at will--seems like it has the potential to be interesting in all sorts of ways.

Take a look:

Doctor Who Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of three new Doctor Who tie-in novels, we are very excited today to be able to sponsor a Doctor Who giveaway!  There are multiple fun prizes available, including these new novels, along with DVDs of some classic Who episodes.

To tell you more about this giveaway, we'll answer some of the questions you might be asking.

First of all--why the giveaway?

According to the publisher's press release,

Who fervor is on the rise, given the show’s 50th anniversary this year, so Broadway is thrilled to introduce its forthcoming paperback original Doctor Who tie-in series, sure to feed that insatiable fandom. Featuring all-new Eleventh Doctor adventures and to be published on April 2 to coincide with the new Doctor Who episodes that will air on BBC America starting March 30, Justin Richards’s Doctor Who: Plague of the Cybermen, Nicholas Briggs’s Doctor Who: The Dalek Generation, and Tommy Donbavand’s Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow are penned in collaboration with BBC’s Cardiff-based TV production team. These authors are given advance access to the scripts of forthcoming episodes and made privy to the secrets of the Doctor’s future before even the most fanatical of fans. Approved by the BBC to make sure nothing is overlooked, these books have the intimate and authentic feel of lost episodes.

What are we giving away?

Friday Fiction, E. Lily Yu, "Ilse, Who Saw Clearly"

Although she is a relatively new writer (winning last year's Campbell Award for Best New Writer), E. Lily Yu has already become one of my favorite writers of short fiction. I find her prose lyrical and intelligent.

A Healthy Choice: Iron Man 3

Editor's Note: In response to Jen Miller's post about the first Iron Man movie, Mark Schelske recommended that she see Iron Man 3.  Today, we run his review of that film.

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Iron Man 3 is pure popcorn without all that fake butter and high sodium.  Unlike the previous movie, which caused high cholesterol, this movie is nutritious. 

Tony Stark is suffering from the adverse affects of his past adventures, so he is forced to make himself a better man, a healthier man.  Yet a villain stands in his way - the Mandarin.  I thought I’d hate Ben Kingsley as this bad guy terrorist.  Let’s just say he proved me wrong.  Moreover, Robert Downey Jr. as Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts continue their chemistry.  I even liked Don Cheadle’s performance as James Rhodes.  His character, the Iron Patriot, had some laughs, unlike the flat performance in Iron Man 2.

A Self-Indulgent Superhero

I realize that I'm coming very late to the party on this one, but I just saw Iron Man last weekend.  This film was a huge hit when it premiered in 2008, grossing over $500 million in the box office worldwide, and continues to remain popular, having inspired two sequels (one that just came out a week ago--check back on Wednesday for our thoughts on this latest installment).  It also got quite a bit of critical praise, including from Roger Ebert, who called it one of the best films of the year.

I would like to disagree.  Iron Man is a lousy superhero movie.

Friday Fiction: Maria Dahvana Headley, "The Traditional"

Lightspeed categorizes "The Traditional" as science fiction. I would have called it fantasy, maybe even dark fantasy, being as I've twice had semi-nightmarish dreams set in the world of the story since reading it in draft. Whatever it is, it is brilliant.

Robert McCammon’s Novella "I Travel by Night" Invokes Intrigue

A kidnapper calls for Trevor Lawson by name, and the undead detective cannot resist the opportunity to seek out his maker amidst Louisiana quagmires in nineteenth-century America. Robert McCammon’s newest novella I Travel by Night is shrouded in smoke and mystery, much like its vampire adventurer protagonist who is perpetually hidden beneath a top hat and the smoke of a cheroot.

McCammon has meticulously invoked historic America in the south and marvelously constructs the damp atmosphere and the gas lamp-lit Victorian era region surrounding New Orleans.