This and that...

...ruminating on OJ Simpson, the Black Smoke on "Lost," and The Nativity Story

I received with great interest a package from Tyndale House earlier this week, full of companion books and info to the upcoming movie, The Nativity Story.

I first heard about this movie through the blog of one of my favorite authors, Angela Hunt.

Angela has written a novel based on the screenplay by Mike Rich, whose screenwriting credits include "Finding Forrester," "The Rookie," and "Radio."

Angie writes on her blog, "I got a call last May from Tyndale House--the film was being produced by New Line Cinema, and Tyndale wanted to know if I would take the screen play and write a novel from it. A rush job, but I'd just written MAGDALENE, and all my first-century research was still in my head. So I jumped at the opportunity, I loved the script, and wrote the novelization in a matter of weeks."

She adds humorously that writing the book wasn't such a tough gig because "the story was already plotted."

I have Angela's book, and hope to get around to reading it within the next several days.

As for the movie--Hollywood has burned me before when it comes to Bible-based films, so I truly hope this won't be the case with "The Nativity Story." I've heard some good things about it. If they are faithful to the Biblical account, I'll be very happy. This is a story that needs to be told to the masses, and alarmingly, in today's politically correct society, many people aren't familiar with it.

I'll say this: I like the casting of Keisha Castle-Hughes as a very young Mary. And all the pictures I've seen from the film look amazingly authentic.

The Black Smoke on "Lost"--nanotechnology?

My only problem is that Darren Marlar loaned me Michael Crichton's Prey, and I'm totally absorbed in it. Darren loaned me the book after I mentioned that some people theorize the black smoke on Lost--the cloud that killed Mr. Eko--was based on "swarm" nanotechnology like that featured in Crichton's book. I've heard that the producers have denied this, but the swarm in "Prey" sure does remind me of that smoke in many respects. Hmmmm.

What is OJ Simpson thinking!?!

I have to agree with La Shawn Barber on this one. The fact that O.J. Simpson actually participated in a book called "If I Did It, Here's How it Happened," is so mindboggling as to leave me dumbstruck.

I'll admit, I've always wanted to know the "rest of the story," and I would be sorely tempted to read the book. Is that horrible?

The publisher of the book, Judith Regan, is saying that she didn't pay O. J. for the book...that he was paid through a third party and that she was told the money would go to his children.

It's Friday!!!

Everyone go out and have a blessed weekend!

Related Tags: O. J. Simpson, Judith Regan, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Mike Rich, Angela Hunt, Michael Crichton, Prey, Lost, books, fiction, Christian fiction, The Nativity Story, movies, entertainment, TV