A lot of great stuff on Boing Boing this weekend, including MirrorMask, Duct Tape Band-Aids, a Tolkein-inspired Photoshop contest, huge Ziploc bags, and remixed trailers.
A big big bummer too: apparently Peter S. Beagle, the writer of the amazing and wonderful novel The Last Unicorn (Amazon), is struggling and penniless after having been ripped off by the company that owns the rights to the movie, for which Beagle wrote the excellent screenplay. This is shocking and saddening. Beagle is a true artist that has not reaped the rewards that he is due.
Please read this letter from Beagle’s business manager and publisher, explaining how you can help by writing a letter, donating to Beagle’s legal defense fund, and purchasing one of his wonderful books - which are now available as completely unabridged audiobooks, read by the author himself - and in MP3 or CD format!
Also, until this wrong has been righted, do not purchase the DVD of “The Last Unicorn” - at least not new. If you’d like to see it - which you should - you can borrow it from us, rent it from NetFlix, or find it on eBay.
Living in a cave as I do, I have not heard of this “the Last Unicorn”… But I will be on the east coast around thanksgiving….. care to tell me about it?
Sure! Did you want me to tell you about it now, or around Thanksgiving?
Dear Avi and Elina:
Thanks so much for spreading the word. Peter and I definitely appreciate it.
On the other hand, the *real* reason for not buying the American DVD of THE LAST UNICORN is that it isn’t nearly as good as it shouild be — bad video and audio transfer, fullscreen instead of widescreen, no extras, etc.
In one of those odd twists that makes this whole situation so strange, even as Peter and I are fighting with Granada over nonpayment, the American sub-distributor of the film has expressed interest in *partnering* with Peter to produce an authorized “collector’s edition” DVD that would correct all these errors and also offer a digitally-restored version of the film.
Anyway, thanks again — it’s great to see Peter has such positive and devoted fans.
– Connor Cochran
Business Manager for Peter S. Beagle