The First, Spidey Thoughts and The Hundred Project

:100 Words: Remembering::

The man stared at the tree. Thirty years have passed since he last visited; it was here that he spent his childhood. He reached up and felt the bark, rough against his gnarled hand. Images flood through uncertain memories, until a face resonated through the chaos. It’s his wife, dead this past ten years. He began to remember. This was the place, in the shade of this tree. They first met here. They were both eighteen. Then, a year later, he proposed to her. Married for fifty-six years, he mused sadly. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and walked away.

::Hello Spiderman, My Name is Ash ... Housewares::

I watched Spiderman 3 last week, and while most people would blog their rants/raves, I thought it would be refreshing just to talk about some of the moments I remember vividly in the movie. Overall, it was a good movie, a tad on the melodramatic side, but it works for Peter's and MJ's relationship. The scene where Spidey runs across a American flag causes me to raise a eyebrow, and the scene where Stan Lee makes a cameo and speaks ... well, it seems a bit forced. But hey, the legendary comic creator isn't exactly an actor, so we can forgive him for that ( but methinks that his scene in the 1995 film Mallrats is much better ). Venom dies in the, but I don't really believe it. Topher Grace fits Venom to a T, albeit without the beefy muscles and unshaved chin.

But the real scene stealer goes to Bruce Campbell, who made another cameo in this movie. In the first Spiderman, he played the ring announcer in the wrestling match, and then in Spiderman 2 he was the snooty, obnoxious usher who didn't let Peter Parker in the theater because he was late. This time though, with a zany french accent, he played the ever-helpful Maitre D' in the restaurant where Peter was supposed to propose to MJ. So who is this guy, and what is his connection you ask?



Army of Darkness is an old movie in the early nineties, starring Bruce Campbell and directed by Sam Raim, who after the movie became good friends. This is one of the first movies by Raimi, who also directed Darkman ( another excellent movie ) which catapulted him to cult status. This movie features Bruce Campbell as Ash, a luckless sales clerk sent back in time. Hilarity ensues as he attempts to educate the medieval folk, and then we get that famous line "This is my boomstick!" while waving a shotgun and menacing the folks with his chainsaw hand. How cool is that?

A little side trivia: Raimi was supposed to work with Stan Lee to recreate Mighty Thor in the 90's, but never pushed through. They got to be good friends though, and was Stan Lee's first choice to direct the Spiderman. And after Spiderman 3, there will a remake of Raimi's Evil Dead in 2008, the first movie he made in 1981. And after that, if the paperworks fall through, he will again direct and co-write Spiderman 4 in 2009.

Ok, a little prediction to what the 4th movie will be, however wild in theory. It will feature Lizardman, which Dr. Conners will use Venom's symbiote sample to create a formula to regenerate his arm. Dr. Octopus will come back and recruits Conners, and then Sandman, who'll be blackmailed by Dr. Octopus, with the Doc promising of curing his daughter. And at this part, I'm not sure that he will resurrect Green Goblin, who'll turn into the Hobgoblin, and then we also get Electro and Rhino, who'll play as Doc Ock's creations. If there's no Goblin though, Mysterio will take that last place and then we will have ... you guessed it, The Sinister Six. Although that's not really following the comic storyline, but basing on what I've seen on the first three Spidey movies, this is probably the next story.

Or, Venom returns and along with him comes Carnage. Hmmmm...

In any case, it will be a slugfest in the next one. ( fingers crossed )

::What is the Hundred?::

The above story, entitled Remembering, is the first story in my 100 Words Project. So what is the project all about?

I've decided that, in order to practice the craft, I'd write stories but with a bit of a challenge. Only a hundred words, not ninety-nine, not a hundred and one, but a flat one hundred. It doesn't have to be a deep or moving or moral or funny or whatever; what I'm striving for is the images that will connect with the reader. Nor does it have to have a message, just a simple scene will do. It could be anything, anytime, anywhere.

So why do this? Why not make a story and head straight on? Well, first I need the practice. Second, with my time schedule, my life can't afford long hours thinking plots and sub plots. Then the question arises as to why 100 words? Why not 200, 300 or 500? Well, again for the challenge to make the grey matter work out and, well, basically anyone can make story in 500 words. Plus, it will just take 15-30 minutes, an hour at the most. And besides, while I do agree that stories should have a message, subtle or otherwise, remember that I'm striving for imagery, not deep procastination ... and even perhaps just for one spark of connection.

In any case, I'll see where this goes.

State of Mind: Subsiding Chaotic Pain ( from work )
Last Song Syndrome: Hintay by Sugarfree
Book of the Week: Just for Fun: The Linux Story by Linus Torvalds
Looking for: One Day of Sleep