he art of the apercu, the epigram, the bon mot, the quip: how seemingly easy, but how truly difficult. To follow the maxim "brevity is wit" is a challenge that many otherwise fine writers take and fail. But at a site called Four Word Film Review, a bunch of amateur scribes have managed to produce literally thousands and thousands of short, sharp shocks to your moviegoer sensibilities.
The entire dead-simple-but-brilliant premise of this site is to encapsulate a whole movie in no more than four zingy, tangy words, soliciting a burst of head-nodding, "Yeah, that's it!" affirmations. Thus, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban becomes "Bounty hunters suck face," while First Knight is summarized with "Trystin' the knight away." Get the picture?
Both of those examples come from a single poster, the top-ranked "noncentz." Didn't I mention the rankings? Registered users of the site get to vote on these squibs, thus elevating the best posters to demigod status among the miniaturist crowd. But if you want to play as a reviewer and knock noncentz off his perch, you'd better get busy. His stats show that he's contributed nearly 6,000 reviews, with 36 of those in the top 100 compiled from all posters. All in all, the site features more than 150,000 reviews!
A traditional search function brings up all the competing reviews for any title. Thus, when I asked for The Time Machine, I got 39 reviews for the 2002 remake, ranked in order of votes (the front-runner being "Fast forward, can't rewind"). But when I input Wells's other filmic masterpiece, Things to Come, I found that only one person had ventured a review: "Moon landing in ... 2035?" This leaves the field wide open for me, so here I go: "Apocalypse first, paradise later."
—Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—October 24, 2005
ince his first appearances onscreen in the late 1960s, Dutch actor Rutger Hauer has been a staple of the SF and fantasy film genre, appearing in acknowledged classics from Blade Runner to Ladyhawke, as well as plenty of cheesier movies—like a bees-run-amok horror flick called Killer Buzz and the 1997 Robocop ripoff Redline.
On the official Rutger Hauer site, fans can check out pictures of this versatile performer in his various film roles, in movie profiles that come complete with a plot summary of the picture in question (spoilerphobes beware!) and Hauer's personal behind-the-scenes notes on the film. Links to posters, video clips and trailers are also provided whenever available.
The site is extremely fan-friendly: In its message forums, visitors cheerily discuss Hauer's movies and career, post poetry, chat and play word games. The Web page sponsors an annual short-story contest, publishes regular newsletters and a no-frills blog called "Day out of Days," provides transcripts of speeches Hauer has made at screenings and film festivals, and—like many actor sites—boasts an impressive gallery of movie stills.
Alternating between leading parts and character roles, between big-budget Hollywood events and more esoteric pictures, Hauer has thrived in an undeniably difficult industry, ultimately making it impossible to imagine the SF film canon without him. Fortunately for fans, it seems clear he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. This year saw the release of seven Hauer projects—including Batman Begins and Sin City—and viewers can expect more releases in 2006. Packed with inside information and movie trivia, Hauer's Web page gives interested film buffs an opportunity to follow a fast-moving actor as he races from role to role.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—October 17, 2005
uthor George R.R. Martin is something of a literary chameleon. Horror devotees know him best for his classic novel Fevre Dream. TV fans may be better acquainted with his work on the 1988 series Beauty and the Beast, while still others remember his stint as editor of the long-running superhero anthology series Wild Cards. All of that is old news, however—in the present, his epic fantasy cycle A Song of Ice and Fire is about to see publication of a widely anticipated fourth installment.
It has the usual author site staples, including a biography and bibliography, and also offers a comprehensive gallery of cover art from Martin's books and a sample chapter from A Feast for Crows, which will be hitting bookstores in just a few weeks.
Martin posts short reviews of books—fiction and nonfiction—he is currently reading. He discusses recent movies and displays pictures from his collection of medieval miniatures. Though one section of his site is labeled "Not a Blog" and links to a (mostly inactive) LiveJournal, the site as a whole has a bloggish feel, delving into his personal interests, research projects and interactions with fans, who provide photos of babies and household pets named for Martin's characters, as well as cartoons related to his books.
With an index of upcoming public appearances, links to online stores that stock his harder-to-get books and even an outlet for A Song of Ice and Fire T-shirts, Martin's page has an informal and welcoming—if occasionally cluttered—atmosphere, keeping readers up to date on his writing and activities without ever seeming dry or distanced.
—A.M. Dellamonica
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