Jerry D. Russell dot Com

Can you think of anyone who wouldn’t want a box of chocolates? I’d be hard pressed to. I don’t know many people that don’t like chocolate, and of the people I know that do (and that’s most of them), many have started moving into the realm of gourmet chocolates over your basic grocery store bar chocolate bar.

So, it’s the holidays, you need a gift, or maybe just some energy for an all night writing session. Grab a box of chocolates from Fannie May Candies, wrap it up, or just nibble s you write. It’s a better boost than coffee. (But best served with coffee in my opinion.) Just make sure not to smudge your keyboard while munching chocolate truffles.

Jerry Just for Fun, other articles, thanks! chocolate, Diversions, snacking

Well ladies and gents, this is it. The last day for NaNoWriMo 2007. Perhaps next year I’ll jump in and participate, but I’m honestly glad that I didn’t this year. A weeks worth of being sick would have left me with 50,000 words like “ick”,”ewww”, “sniff” and “ugh!”. When you’re feeling awful, it’s hard to keep a character in good spirits, and nobody wants to read 8,000 words of a story where the main character is down with nasty head cold!

So to those of you who have completed the challenge this year, I applaud you! You’ve done more than I ever have. but I’ll get there one day.

To those who are within 10,00 words as of this writing, I salute you! Damn the torpedoes, Full steam ahead! you can still do this!

Good luck and God Bless!

Jerry Blog Events, Diversions Diversions, NaNoWriMo, writing

There are those actors in the history of film that make you feel the character they portray. That character may be the hero, the villain or any number of supporting characters, but the actor brings the vision of the writer, director and producer into its own. It becomes an extension of the actor, and the actor becomes the character.

I can name a few actors who have managed this task. James Stewart as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie that would have been a footnote were it not for his portrayal. Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird, and believe it or not, Johnny Depp in more than one role.

Mr. Depp enthralled me in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. to be honest, it was the first time i ever took his acting seriously. the fact that the story was one of the best re-interpretations of the Beauty and the Beast tale written in modern times was just a plus. It would have died at the box office without Johnny Depp as Edward.

Of all the films he’s made, the two I find the most fascinating are Sleepy Hollow and The Ninth Gate, both for the great stories that back the actor, and for the passion that he brought to each part. The fact that Dean Corso, a rare book dealer, was as street-savvy in his circles as Sam Spade mad me wonder a bit, but the deadpan manner with which he was portrayed actually made me happy to see him win at the end.

As for Ichabod… Let’s just say the addition of him as a detective was brilliant, but the defining moment for me was at the beginning of the film, where he retched and fainted in the face of death. A timid man indeed, but one who went on to become a hero. This roll is to date my favorite from Mr. Depp.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have joined forces once again to bring us Sweeny Todd, a dark tale of revenge and murder. I urge you to visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site and tell me you aren’t amazed by the visuals. Mr. Burton is a master of these, and his vision of London reminds me a lot of his vision of Gotham, sinister, morose and dark. A place where hope no longer exists.

If you’re the type that enjoys the MySpace scene, head on over and visit Sweeny Todd on MySpace. Who knows what you’ll get out of it?

Jerry Diversions, other articles, thanks! Diversions, literature, Movies