FLASHFORWARD--Review and Spoilers

Based on a book by Robert J. Sawyer, the TV show features a great concept. What if everyone in the world blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and got a glimpse of their lives 6 months in the future?

ABC is trying to find their new LOST, and they may have. They find several interesting characters--FBI agents, doctors, babysitters, children and put out a pilot that is extremely compelling.

The flash forwards make for interesting mysteries. Why is a woman having a sonogram at 10 in the evening, for one? If a character saw nothing in the future, is he dead?

And what exactly is the FBI agent discovering, that leads a series of men to hunt him down and attempt to kill him?

(I can guess at the last one, mostly because I read the synopsis of the book... Wonder how close the series will stay? In the book, people flash forward 21 years instead of 6 months... My guess is "loosely.")

And in true LOST fashion, it has a great twist at the end of the episode--(I was wondering how cameras would play in... Would they black out too? Would they show what happened?)

There are a few drawbacks that I'll chalk up to being part of the pilot, but could detract from future episodes.

Some of the dialogue is really on the nose--mostly coming from the agents and the doctors as they try to explain some of what's going on, even though it's not necessary to the plot. It was distracting.

Also, in an effort to keep mysteries going, characters (much as they do in LOST) don't say anything about what happened to them? If they spoke up, it'd probably solve a lot of problems.

The one scene that really bothered me involved sharing their own flash forwards. The woman asks her husband to tell her about his. He does and when she asks about hers--DUH! Like he wouldn't--she refuses. For being a medical doctor, she's pretty dumb at that point.

But I give the pilot thumbs up and look forward (HA) to seeing what the series has in store.

The Motivator

Sorry things have been so quiet here lately. Things are busy and something has to go by the wayside. I'll get back to consistent blogging as soon as I can, but until then, check out my latest DSD post. It's a shout out to everyone who thinks they have a book in there but are too tired or don't have time... or what not.

Check it out.

Do Some Damage

REVIEW: Pearl Jam Backspacer

Bands change.

The Beatles went pop rock to psychedelic to just rock.

Radiohead went Brit rock to electronica to a strange combination of both.

U2 went from hard rock to techno to pop.

Pearl Jam is one of the bands that has changed over the years as well, though that change is more subtle, and, I feel, misunderstood.

With TEN, Pearl Jam was an aggressive rock band. You all know the anthems. The first three albums were like that, then the band started to move away from the hits. They didn't want to top the charts, but wanted to become a more complete band. The election of George W. Bush also pushed the band toward angry punk songs calling out the government.

The albums were solid, but angry.

Now they're back with their tightest album yet. Checking in at just over 35 minutes, this one moves. Not only that, but Pearl Jam has moved toward... pop music?

Well, not quite, but it's close.

The first half of the album is still guitar driven with "Got Some" and their most radio friendly single "The Fixer" being the highlights. "The Fixer" is a song that'll get stuck in your head for days. I've been listening to it since it was released and haven't gotten sick of it yet. Both songs are also extremely optimistic, something that's been rare for the band over the years.

The studio version of "Got Some" is much better than the rendition seen on THE TONIGHT SHOW.

Don't get me wrong, the band can still rock out, punk style. "Supersonic" is pure punk goodness.

The second half of the album is a series of ballads with sweeping hooks and long guitar solos. The songs also feel radio friendly with some studio elements added in, making the songs feel thick and deep. The highlights are "Speed of Sound" and "The End," where Eddie Vedder singing over an orchestra. Also "Just Breathe" is a fantastic love song, one I can imagine Vedder will sing solo, just he and his guitar.

The album is Pearl Jam's strongest in years. It finally feels as if the band has climbed out of the the doldrums writing politically, and become hopeful. Everything on this song is catchy.



Well done, Pearl Jam. You've grown. You've changed. And, it seems, it's for the better.

How Do You Read?

One of the things that seems to have come out of the LEVEL 26 promotion is the idea that the novel is going to change the way you read. You see, in the LEVEL 26 novel, you can to stop every 20 pages or so to watch a video that will enhance the novel. The videos run 2-3 minutes apparently... and then you can continue on with the novel.

Of course, if you read the novel straight through, it's apparently supposed to make sense as well.

This got me thinking about the way I read. Interestingly, I read a lot like I write. When I'm just starting out, I often read slowly. Five to ten pages here... another fifteen two days later. It takes me a while to get into most books. (Of course, the books I love the most are ones I end up blowing through in two days, but this is rare.)

And usually, once I hit a certain point, I rush through the rest of the novel in a day or two. I can't always pinpoint the tipping moment, but once it happens, THEN I can't put the book down. It's a lot like a rollercoaster... a figuarative rollercoaster motion where I tick slowly up the hill only to rush my way down. (I hate to use such a cliched analogy, but it's the one that consistently comes to mind.)

LEVEL 26 is next on my reading pile, and I wonder how the videos are going to interact with my reading style. Will I stop to watch the videos whenever I'm reading? Will I plow through the novel and then go back to the videos? I'm very curious to see. Hopefully it'll be a great novel on it's own.

That makes me curious... how do you read? Does it vary for each book?

It's coming... September 20th