Maggie's Media Munchies - 9/3/07

I have been remiss lately in posting my media munchies. Why, dost thou ask? Well, because I hadn't gotten my hands on anything new recently. My sister was kind enough to lend me her brand new soundtrack to the kick-arse movie The Bourne Ultimatum, and I'm afraid she can't have it back.

I'm not usually a fan of non-melodic soundtracks - James Horneresque dropping of pots and pans -- but I have to say that this rhythm based, intense soundtrack rocks. Borrowing a page from techno, The Bourne Ultimatum's soundtrack doesn't need hummable melodies to hold our interest.

Take a listen; amazon gives you brief soundbites. Try "Tangiers," an almost flamenco-feeling piece marked by cascading violins and intricate drumwork. Another fav is "Assets and Targets", a definitely techno-sounding track with plenty of cool percussion and some very sweet synthesizer work.

Verdict: 4 out of 5 cookie dough scoops, and don't take that personally, Jason, 'cause I love ya, dude. Pop this one in the CD player while you're on the interstate and enjoy.


Okay, this next one isn't a new one, but I was just recommending it to a friend and I remembered how much I loved it. I've read this book far too many times, but I can never get enough: Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett's Good Omens. It's the story of the hilarious demon Crawley and his dubiously androgynous angel friend stumbling upon the beginnings of the Apocalypse, complete with the four Bikers of the Apocalypse. With a description like that, how can you go wrong?

In many ways, this novel is a parody of The Omen, but I hadn't seen the movie before I read it. It wasn't until afterwards that I watched the movie and said, "heeeeeyyyyy . . . " It is laugh-out-loud, snort-food-through-your-nose funny, and I guarantee that. Well, I guarantee that if you find Calvin & Hobbes funny, you'll find this funny. And if you don't find Calvin & Hobbes funny, get off my blog!

Terry Pratchett can be a bit mindlessly nonsensical on his own, but Neil Gaiman's keen sense of pacing and plotting keeps all on an even keel for a very funny and surprisingly touching read at the end. This is the one book I think everyone oughta have on their shelves. Well, besides the Bible. And that's kinda ironic, isn't it?

Verdict: 5 out of 5. Just get it if you haven't, all right? Trust me for once.