by Jeremy Lassen
It’s a busy month at Borderlands, with World Horror swinging into town. Koji Suzuki is one of the Guests of Honor. . . so be sure to check out the original Ringu, Ringu 2, and Ringu 0 movies, which were based on his novels. The Ringu Anthology has all three films in one package.
Other Asian horror films that should not be missed: the Korean horror trilogy is now complete: Whispering Corridors, Memento Mori, and Wishing Stairs are all out on DVD in the States; three movies concerning a cursed boarding school. Creepy, ghostly, and filled with nasty murders. Excellent stuff.
Moving back to Japan, the director of The Grudge tackles a reversal of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Outsider, in the movie Marebito.
Touching on some Italian horror. . . be sure to check out Dario Argento’s The Card Player. . .his most recent Giallo flick, and stack it up against his first movie, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, which recently had a super-califragalistic-extra-special DVD release. If Argento doesn’t do it for you, be sure to check out some Fulci and Bava films!
And if you want to take it back to the old school, be sure to check out Robert Wise’s classic haunted house movie, The Haunting, based on Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. This was an excellent, bigger budget, bigger cast homage to his early work with Val Lewton.
Another Lewton alumnus, Jacques Tourneur, turned in a Lewton throwback in 1957: Night of the Demon, (AKA Curse of the Demon) which was an adaptation of M. R. James’s “Casting the Runes.” The DVD features both the original British version of the film (Night of the Demon), and the shorter US version, (Curse of the Demon). Very effective, and highly underrated.
We are starting to carry more anime in our DVD section, as well. In addition to all the Miazaki films, we are carrying a wide selection of feature-length movies and TV material. One Hentai-ish horror feature from the producers of Legend of the Overfiend is Mystery of the Necronomicon. Not many tentacles in this one, and the Lovecraft connections are tenuous at best, but there is some over-the-top sex, and lots of murders, and some eyeball scooping. Silly fun.
Another, less risqué anime title is Le Portrait De Petite Cossette, which is a surreal little story of the ghost of a girl trapped in an antique crystal goblet, who can be seen by the young proprietor of an antique store, who inevitably becomes obsessed with her. Strange things ensue. This one was weirdly haunting.
We are slowly expanding our anime section, with an emphasis on quality over quantity, and also with an emphasis on original video animations and feature-length movies. If you have any suggestions of anime titles that we should be stocking, or that I should be watching, please drop me a line.
Until next month (which I hope proves to be much less hectic then this month), keep flipping those disks.
May 01, 2006
April Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) Firebirds Rising edited by Sharyn November
3) A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
4) The Voyage of the Sable Keech by Neal Asher (UK Import)
5) Pretender by C.J. Cherryh
6) Dance of Time by David Drake and Eric Flint
7) Learning the World by Ken MacLeod
8) 1634: The Ram Rebellion by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce
9) Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds (UK Import)
10) Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Paperbacks
1) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
2) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
3) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
4) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
5) Brass Man by Neal Asher (UK Import)
6) Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
7) Cusp by Robert A. Metzger
8) Cowl by Neal Asher
9) Dates From Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong and Lori Handeland
10) Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) Earthcore by Scott Sigler
3) The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
4) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
5) Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
1) The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) Firebirds Rising edited by Sharyn November
3) A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
4) The Voyage of the Sable Keech by Neal Asher (UK Import)
5) Pretender by C.J. Cherryh
6) Dance of Time by David Drake and Eric Flint
7) Learning the World by Ken MacLeod
8) 1634: The Ram Rebellion by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce
9) Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds (UK Import)
10) Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Paperbacks
1) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
2) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
3) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
4) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
5) Brass Man by Neal Asher (UK Import)
6) Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
7) Cusp by Robert A. Metzger
8) Cowl by Neal Asher
9) Dates From Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong and Lori Handeland
10) Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) Earthcore by Scott Sigler
3) The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
4) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
5) Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
April 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Heads up, animation fans. Last year's kick-ass fantasy extravaganza, Howl's Moving Castle, (directed by Hayao Miyazaki and based on the Diana Wynne Jones novel of the same name) is now out on DVD. I highly recommend this one. Also available on DVD in the States for the first time is My Neighbor Totoro. Totoro is widely regarded as Miyazaki's best film. and if you've enjoyed any of his other films, you should check this one out.
If you have already gotten a look at MirrorMask (which I mentioned last month), and want to sample some other movies that Neil Gaiman wrote or adapted for the screen, be sure to check out Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, which was adapted to English by Neil. The Miramax DVD features English language subtitles, and a passable English language dub, both based on Gaiman's script. Also available on DVD is one of the first items that Gaiman wrote for the screen, Neverwhere, which actually started out as a screenplay for the BBC miniseries, and was later adapted into the novel of the same name.
Once you've put yourself in the mood for some BBC miniseries action, you should definitely check out their adaptation of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, which, given the dense and un-cinematic nature of the original prose, is better then anybody could have hoped for; in fact, it's quite good.
Just as last month brought you the interesting failure that was Dune, the extended edition, this month brings us Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist. Some of you may have seen, or heard about The Exorcist: The Beginning, which was also a prequel to the Exorcist. This movie wasn't very good. It wasn't mind-numbingly awful, like the first sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic. It just wasn't very GOOD. Well, actually, yeah, it WAS pretty bad.
Of course, like many Hollywood franchises, behind the Exorcist prequel was a long-running fight between the studio and the movie's original director, Paul "Taxi Driver" Shrader. This fight got so bad that when Schrader turned in his version of the movie, the studio rejected it outright, and hired a new director (Renny "Deep Blue Sea" Harlin) to come in and shoot an almost entirely different movie, with only about 20% of the Renny movie coming from Shrader's shooting.
People have been talking about the "Paul Shrader Cut" of this movie for some time. . . Long before the actually-released movie hit the theaters, the internet was filled with rumors of how much better The Shrader cut was. Internet fanboys around the world hoped that the DVD would have both versions of the movie, but last year they were disappointed. Now, however, the studio has relented and quietly released Paul Shrader's Exorcist prequel as a separate DVD, with the title "Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist". The DVD features commentary by Shrader, which is a little dry at points, but also filled with some juicy details. And while Dominion is no Taxi Driver, or Raging Bull, it is a pretty damn good movie -- much better then, say, the actual Exorcist prequel.
If my descriptions of the different versions of The Exorcist Prequels seem a bit convoluted (or at least a bit intriguing) I recommend you take a look at an interview that The Guardian UK did with Shrader at ( http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,1175811,00.html)
Until next month. . . .
Heads up, animation fans. Last year's kick-ass fantasy extravaganza, Howl's Moving Castle, (directed by Hayao Miyazaki and based on the Diana Wynne Jones novel of the same name) is now out on DVD. I highly recommend this one. Also available on DVD in the States for the first time is My Neighbor Totoro. Totoro is widely regarded as Miyazaki's best film. and if you've enjoyed any of his other films, you should check this one out.
If you have already gotten a look at MirrorMask (which I mentioned last month), and want to sample some other movies that Neil Gaiman wrote or adapted for the screen, be sure to check out Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, which was adapted to English by Neil. The Miramax DVD features English language subtitles, and a passable English language dub, both based on Gaiman's script. Also available on DVD is one of the first items that Gaiman wrote for the screen, Neverwhere, which actually started out as a screenplay for the BBC miniseries, and was later adapted into the novel of the same name.
Once you've put yourself in the mood for some BBC miniseries action, you should definitely check out their adaptation of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, which, given the dense and un-cinematic nature of the original prose, is better then anybody could have hoped for; in fact, it's quite good.
Just as last month brought you the interesting failure that was Dune, the extended edition, this month brings us Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist. Some of you may have seen, or heard about The Exorcist: The Beginning, which was also a prequel to the Exorcist. This movie wasn't very good. It wasn't mind-numbingly awful, like the first sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic. It just wasn't very GOOD. Well, actually, yeah, it WAS pretty bad.
Of course, like many Hollywood franchises, behind the Exorcist prequel was a long-running fight between the studio and the movie's original director, Paul "Taxi Driver" Shrader. This fight got so bad that when Schrader turned in his version of the movie, the studio rejected it outright, and hired a new director (Renny "Deep Blue Sea" Harlin) to come in and shoot an almost entirely different movie, with only about 20% of the Renny movie coming from Shrader's shooting.
People have been talking about the "Paul Shrader Cut" of this movie for some time. . . Long before the actually-released movie hit the theaters, the internet was filled with rumors of how much better The Shrader cut was. Internet fanboys around the world hoped that the DVD would have both versions of the movie, but last year they were disappointed. Now, however, the studio has relented and quietly released Paul Shrader's Exorcist prequel as a separate DVD, with the title "Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist". The DVD features commentary by Shrader, which is a little dry at points, but also filled with some juicy details. And while Dominion is no Taxi Driver, or Raging Bull, it is a pretty damn good movie -- much better then, say, the actual Exorcist prequel.
If my descriptions of the different versions of The Exorcist Prequels seem a bit convoluted (or at least a bit intriguing) I recommend you take a look at an interview that The Guardian UK did with Shrader at ( http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,1175811,00.html)
Until next month. . . .
March Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) THE BONEHUNTERS by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) THE VOYAGE OF THE SABLE KEECH by Neal Asher (UK Import)
3) A DIRTY JOB by Christopher Moore
4) GHOST BRIGADES by John Scalzi
5) ACCELERANDO by Charles Stross
6) MAGIC LESSONS by Justine Larbalestier
7) PRETENDER by C.J. Cherryh
8) COMPANY by Max Barry
9) MAGIC FOR BEGINNERS by Kelly Link
10) VENGEANCE OF ROME by Michael Moorcock (UK Import)
Paperbacks
1) GARDENS OF THE MOON by Steven Erikson
2) SPIN by Robert Charles Wilson
3) ALTERED CARBON by Richard Morgan
4) NIGHTLIFE by Rob Thurman
5) SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH by Simon R. Green
6) SHADOW OF THE GIANT by Orson Scott Card
7) CUSP by Robert A. Metzger
8) ALECTOR'S CHOICE by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
9) DATES FROM HELL by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland
10) MYSTIC AND RIDER by Sharon Shinn
Trade Paperbacks
1) BONEHUNTERS by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) V FOR VENDETTA by Alan Moore
3) VISIONARY IN RESIDENCE by Bruce Sterling
4) SO YESTERDAY by Scott Westerfeld
1) THE BONEHUNTERS by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) THE VOYAGE OF THE SABLE KEECH by Neal Asher (UK Import)
3) A DIRTY JOB by Christopher Moore
4) GHOST BRIGADES by John Scalzi
5) ACCELERANDO by Charles Stross
6) MAGIC LESSONS by Justine Larbalestier
7) PRETENDER by C.J. Cherryh
8) COMPANY by Max Barry
9) MAGIC FOR BEGINNERS by Kelly Link
10) VENGEANCE OF ROME by Michael Moorcock (UK Import)
Paperbacks
1) GARDENS OF THE MOON by Steven Erikson
2) SPIN by Robert Charles Wilson
3) ALTERED CARBON by Richard Morgan
4) NIGHTLIFE by Rob Thurman
5) SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH by Simon R. Green
6) SHADOW OF THE GIANT by Orson Scott Card
7) CUSP by Robert A. Metzger
8) ALECTOR'S CHOICE by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
9) DATES FROM HELL by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland
10) MYSTIC AND RIDER by Sharon Shinn
Trade Paperbacks
1) BONEHUNTERS by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
2) V FOR VENDETTA by Alan Moore
3) VISIONARY IN RESIDENCE by Bruce Sterling
4) SO YESTERDAY by Scott Westerfeld
Good-Bye ABE, Hello Biblio
by Alan Beatts
The ability to sell books on-line is pretty important for book stores, especially specialty stores like Borderlands. Not only does it bring in extra money but it also lets people know that we exist and it allows us to buy more obscure books because we have access to a worldwide market, not just our (very well loved, believe me) local customers. For a small business there are really only two options for selling on-line: we can either spend a great deal of time and money to set up a full e-commerce section at our web site or we can use one of the on-line book listing services. Almost since the day we opened, we've been going with the second of these choices. In that time we've only used one company, not only because I feel a great deal of loyalty to companies that give us good service but also for years there has been a hands-down winner in terms of selection, service, and reliability.
For years we've been listing our books on-line at a site called abe.com. In fact, we've been listing there so long we still call it by the original name - The Advanced Book Exchange - in unguarded moments. For a very long time, ABE gave us wonderful service at a fair price. Their sellers were probably the finest in the used book field and we used to recommend the site to all our customers.
However, in 2002 or thereabouts, things started changing. The company was sold, or went public, or some damn thing, and all of a sudden ABE started trying to make more money. In itself, I think that's a great goal. It's what we do here at the store. The problem is that the way they went at it was to start soaking their sellers (us) and their buyers (you) for more money instead of trying to grow their business. Granted, there were a few attempts to start an advertising campaign in the beginning, but it was a pretty weak attempt (how many of you have ever seen an ad for ABE?).
The ability to sell books on-line is pretty important for book stores, especially specialty stores like Borderlands. Not only does it bring in extra money but it also lets people know that we exist and it allows us to buy more obscure books because we have access to a worldwide market, not just our (very well loved, believe me) local customers. For a small business there are really only two options for selling on-line: we can either spend a great deal of time and money to set up a full e-commerce section at our web site or we can use one of the on-line book listing services. Almost since the day we opened, we've been going with the second of these choices. In that time we've only used one company, not only because I feel a great deal of loyalty to companies that give us good service but also for years there has been a hands-down winner in terms of selection, service, and reliability.
For years we've been listing our books on-line at a site called abe.com. In fact, we've been listing there so long we still call it by the original name - The Advanced Book Exchange - in unguarded moments. For a very long time, ABE gave us wonderful service at a fair price. Their sellers were probably the finest in the used book field and we used to recommend the site to all our customers.
However, in 2002 or thereabouts, things started changing. The company was sold, or went public, or some damn thing, and all of a sudden ABE started trying to make more money. In itself, I think that's a great goal. It's what we do here at the store. The problem is that the way they went at it was to start soaking their sellers (us) and their buyers (you) for more money instead of trying to grow their business. Granted, there were a few attempts to start an advertising campaign in the beginning, but it was a pretty weak attempt (how many of you have ever seen an ad for ABE?).
Psychic Readers' Corner, and An Invitation
by Jude Feldman
Book buyers frequently come in, embarrassed because they cannot remember the author or the title of the book they are seeking. Speaking only for myself, I love these situations -- it is like an updated version of the old game show "What's My Line?" And when you can guess correctly. . .oh, the job satisfaction! The following are just a few actual examples of the hundreds of successful Psychic Bookseller Moments that have occurred at Borderlands Books, where our book sellers correctly guessed the title in one try, using only the vaguest of clues:
Q: "I'm looking for this book that is about a river."
A: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer.
Q: "This author sort of writes about religion."
A: James Morrow
Book buyers frequently come in, embarrassed because they cannot remember the author or the title of the book they are seeking. Speaking only for myself, I love these situations -- it is like an updated version of the old game show "What's My Line?" And when you can guess correctly. . .oh, the job satisfaction! The following are just a few actual examples of the hundreds of successful Psychic Bookseller Moments that have occurred at Borderlands Books, where our book sellers correctly guessed the title in one try, using only the vaguest of clues:
Q: "I'm looking for this book that is about a river."
A: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer.
Q: "This author sort of writes about religion."
A: James Morrow
March 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
There are a bunch of interesting new releases, so I will start off with those. For all you Firefly/Joss Whedon fans, Serenity has made its way to DVD. It’s a pretty good little science fiction film in its own right, and is a nice coda to the TV series. Most importantly, it continues Whedon’s fetish for 90 lb. teenage girls that can kick his ass.
Another important new release is Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman’s fantabulous coming-of-age fairy tale extravaganza, MirrorMask. This film was in the theaters for about five minutes, so if you missed it, that’s understandable. Now you have the opportunity to see this hallucinatory, haunting vision in the privacy of your own home. I recommend that you do so.
There are a bunch of interesting new releases, so I will start off with those. For all you Firefly/Joss Whedon fans, Serenity has made its way to DVD. It’s a pretty good little science fiction film in its own right, and is a nice coda to the TV series. Most importantly, it continues Whedon’s fetish for 90 lb. teenage girls that can kick his ass.
Another important new release is Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman’s fantabulous coming-of-age fairy tale extravaganza, MirrorMask. This film was in the theaters for about five minutes, so if you missed it, that’s understandable. Now you have the opportunity to see this hallucinatory, haunting vision in the privacy of your own home. I recommend that you do so.
February Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
2) Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
3) Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip
4) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
5) Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
6) Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker
7) Fledgling by Octavia Butler
8) Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
9) Accelerando by Charles Stross
10) Viator by Lucius Shepard
Paperbacks
1) Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2) Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
3) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
4) Titan by John Varley
5) Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton
6) Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
7) Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve
8) Gateways by F. Paul Wilson
9) Kindling by Mick Farren
10) Dawn by Octavia Butler
Trade Paperbacks
1) Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
2) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3) Air by Geoff Ryman
4) V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
5) Pashazade by John Courtenay Grimwood
Tie
When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
1) Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
2) Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
3) Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip
4) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
5) Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
6) Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker
7) Fledgling by Octavia Butler
8) Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
9) Accelerando by Charles Stross
10) Viator by Lucius Shepard
Paperbacks
1) Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2) Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
3) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
4) Titan by John Varley
5) Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton
6) Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
7) Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve
8) Gateways by F. Paul Wilson
9) Kindling by Mick Farren
10) Dawn by Octavia Butler
Trade Paperbacks
1) Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
2) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3) Air by Geoff Ryman
4) V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
5) Pashazade by John Courtenay Grimwood
Tie
When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
"If I Liked The Naked Chef, Will I Like Naked Lunch?"
by Jude Feldman
One of my favorite (and one of the most challenging) aspects of being a bookseller is making recommendations. Book recommendations are a tricky business, because the bookseller is frequently expected to be psychic, or at least empathic, and answer accurately the question "what will I like?"
So here are some recommendations that folks commonly ask for; please do remember that this is an art, not a science. (Please also keep in mind that just because I think you'll like a book, I'm not necessarily saying that the suggested books are specifically similar.) Feel free to email jfeldman@borderlands-books.com if you have some suggestions to add, if you'd like some additional ideas, or if you'd like to hear further choices. Also let me know if you're interested in seeing this feature continue. If so, I'll bring it back, in addition to a fun little audience-participation column for next month called The Psychic Readers' Corner.
One of my favorite (and one of the most challenging) aspects of being a bookseller is making recommendations. Book recommendations are a tricky business, because the bookseller is frequently expected to be psychic, or at least empathic, and answer accurately the question "what will I like?"
So here are some recommendations that folks commonly ask for; please do remember that this is an art, not a science. (Please also keep in mind that just because I think you'll like a book, I'm not necessarily saying that the suggested books are specifically similar.) Feel free to email jfeldman@borderlands-books.com if you have some suggestions to add, if you'd like some additional ideas, or if you'd like to hear further choices. Also let me know if you're interested in seeing this feature continue. If so, I'll bring it back, in addition to a fun little audience-participation column for next month called The Psychic Readers' Corner.
February 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
DVD’s, as a home video format, are one of the best things since sliced bread. Not only do they offer incredible sound and picture quality, they can include bonus materials that can greatly enhance your appreciation of your favorite movie, and/or provide some fascinating background material that puts that odd little movie into a larger cinematic context. Another thing they offer is alternate cuts of the film. Sure, the extras are often puff features that were produced to run on E!, and sure the “alternate cut” is sometimes just an extra 15 seconds, so that the marketing people can justify putting “special super secret preferred directors edition” on the cover. But sometimes. . . sometimes you get the goods. Sometimes the studios do the DVD’s up right.
DVD’s, as a home video format, are one of the best things since sliced bread. Not only do they offer incredible sound and picture quality, they can include bonus materials that can greatly enhance your appreciation of your favorite movie, and/or provide some fascinating background material that puts that odd little movie into a larger cinematic context. Another thing they offer is alternate cuts of the film. Sure, the extras are often puff features that were produced to run on E!, and sure the “alternate cut” is sometimes just an extra 15 seconds, so that the marketing people can justify putting “special super secret preferred directors edition” on the cover. But sometimes. . . sometimes you get the goods. Sometimes the studios do the DVD’s up right.
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