Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Just finished reading this last night. I have to say the experience was quite influenced by having seen the show first but even so, there are a few things I think the creators of the show really did well given what Jeff Lindsay gave them as a starting-off point. It's only 288 pages long after all. What I liked about reading this was getting that extra insight into the character of Dexter that can only come from reading a story that is told in first-person (although the show does do an excellent job of monologue-ing). The way Dexter talks about the Dark Passenger is a lot more substantial here but it almost seems like there are two Dexters sometimes; the show didn't really have that vibe for me---more like, I am Dexter, I have no emotion, I'm ALWAYS the Dark Passenger, it's just a question of timing and availability that I am able to BE him with all the killing........

The show did a great thing by pumping up the character of Angel Batista. Part of this credit should really go to the actor, David Zayes, without whom this part would really be nothing special, but that was one thing that was lacking for me while reading this. Angel just brought a lot to the series I think. Doakes also was marginally small in the novel but huge in the series, which I also enjoyed. LaGuerta had a bigger role in the novel but I don't know if it was necessarily a better one. I almost found myself liking her toward the end of season two, but that's another discussion. I just now saw that Jeff Lindsay was actually a writer on the series, so maybe these ideas came to him after having lived with the characters as they were......fleshing them out to be bigger, badder, and longer lasting could have been pretty sweet for a writer, in my opinion. The background and flashbacks of Harry and Dexter's younger years were great. Deborah was great and translated almost perfectly from book to film.

All in all, this was a very pleasurable read. The show has that special quality to it that can only come from great writing and kick-ass casting but the story itself is some sort of genius on its own; it was bound to strike a chord with me (serial killers and all....) I've seen only two seasons and already I have placed it on the highest pedestal possible (The Sopranos, Twin Peaks, 24). I look foward to the next installment in the triple-D Dexter series, which I believe is......DEARLY DEVOTED?!?!?

reality

yes. so i've discovered the inevitable truth that comes with having a public blog.....that someone somewhere is going to have to get all crabby and critical of MY being critical and pick on things such as spelling errors or other random ridiculous items. Maybe it was Peter Gregg. Of all the things I've commented on, it's hilarious to me that the upset would come from a sex and the city entry I did more than a year ago. Matt is in the background laughing (after I told him what the comments were) HOW CAN YOU HATE SEX AND THE CITY? (i don't) IT'S SO COMFORTABLE!! THE CHICKS ARE ALL REALLY HOT!! IT'S THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!! I ASPIRE TO BE JUST LIKE THEM!!!!

Dexter's Last Episode.

hmmmmm. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. Somehow I thought Lila's end would be a lot more.......FIRE-y. I mean, it seemed fitting to have her go out in such a way; I even envisioned an ending where SHE got pegged being the Bay Harbor Butcher, Dokes was exonerated and all was well, Lila getting the chair in the end.

IN the meantime, what is one to do when there is a writer's strike still going on?
this will have a severe effect on my winter, to be sure. what of tony almeida and the rest
of 24????????????

so on food network there are all these ads for jamie oliver's new show JAMIE AT HOME and all they do is play it EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK but the thing is that none of the food he's making looks at all good, it's like he's out in his vast ROOT GARDEN and picking out all these roots and then frying them up in some slimey shit and putting them on a plate. everything they show him eating looks like he picked it out of loch ness or something. slimey, gooey, gross and ROOT-y.

and matt of course adds, AND THEN HE SPITS IN THE FOOD TOO.....
since matt has a huge issue with his british lisping and dropping lemon pips in everything along with his spit. he grosses me out a little.



This, on the other hand will never get old. I love the BC; can do no wrong.

It's Official

YEp. the show has pretty much taken over my life AND thoughts and I am obsessed with it. It happened with 24 to the point where it would seep into my dreams every single night and I would dream myself as one of the characters. While I am praying that it doesn't happen with Dexter (no serial killer dreams) I am 1 episode away from the end of season 2 and I am LOVING it. To agree with Trent from Pink is the New Blog, this is easily the best show on television now. I'm almost annoyed I'm coming so late into the game here. I have a few ideas on how they will try to tie up the last episode but I am keeping them to myself as Matt hasn't seen 22 and 23 yet and I cheated and watched them both this afternoon by myself. More on the finale tomorrow.

Kids films that bug me......

I know, I know, everyone thinks Pixar is this godlike entity but The Incredibles seriously bored the hell out of me. I think I laughed maybe once if at all. The best things I can say about it is yes, it's smart and original and I do appreciate the jabs at the insurance industry but the overall impression was one of overwhelming blah-ness. And I really don't get that it was made for kids; much of the subject matter is way over even a dim adult's head. Too scary and not funny enough. Brad Bird should stick to short segments or television.



Another institution of my generation but simply put, I just sneer every time the stupid elephant is on screen. They just make him look so ridiculous and foolish and not cute at all. Something about the way his eyes are animated seriously rubs me the wrong way and prevents me from any sentimentality at all, even when the kids and bitchy old elephants are being mean to him. I seem to allign myself with the mother and pity her for the fact that her uncute, disabled elephant freak son forces her to be ostracized.



A real double-whammy here. I don't know who/what is worse, this ridiculous pig and its ANNOYING voice or dakota fanning. that's really all I can say.

MY scariest moments in horror films

1. Norman's face and mother's superimposed at the end of Psycho.
2. That creepy hall moniter in Nightmare on Elm Street, "Hey Nancy, NO RUNNING IN THE HALLWAYS...."
3. Emma Spool all hunched over coming to kill the pot smoking kids in Psycho 2
4. That crazed doppelganger chasing after the dude at the end of The Twilight Zone episode "Mirror Image."
5. The infected-s running up all of a sudden to the darkened house in 28 Days Later when they see the candle inside.
6. Mrs. Voorhees grabbing Kevin Bacon-bits from under the bed in the first Friday the 13th.
7. Mrs. Voorhees' fricking MOUTH chanting the words "KILL HER MOMMY! GET HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!!"
8. Amy and Paul in the cabin toward the end of Friday the 13th pt. 2...."Something doesn't feel right....something's wrong....THERE'S SOMEONE IN THIS ROOM PAUL, THERE'S SOMEONE IN THIS GODDAMNED ROOM!"
9. Norman dressed up again at the end of Psycho 3 with creepy grin at Tracy Venable, "Why can't you leave my poor son, my Norman alone?"
10. Norman taking out the rotting arm of corpse to caress in the back of the squad car at end of Pyscho 3
11. Rocking chair at the end of Psycho 4
12. Kid standing in corner at end of Blair Witch Project (which I found to be the ONLY scary part of this movie)
13. The end of Saw.