Pirates Of The Caribben 4: On Stranger Tides

The fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise has been officially given the name Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The film is set for a summer, 2011 release and there is already some controversy surrounding it.

One point is that Johnny Depp may be wavering in his commitment to the film, possibly because of the departure of Dick Cook, now former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Cook had been instrumental in encouraging Depp's interpretation of Captain Jack Sparrow - a portrayal which no doubt was a key element in the success of the franchise.

Another point of controversy (at least, its controversial to some) is the film's title, which is the same as a novel by Tim Powers. In fact, the plot of that book and the upcoming film also bear similarities and it was revealed that Disney had optioned it.

Some good POTC 4 news, actor Geoffrey Rush is on board to bring Captain Barbossa to life once again. See more on that here.

Y'know what day it be? It be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

T'day be Talk Like a Pirate Day me hearties! So put on your best Robert Newton voice and keep the wind at yer backs!

And don't ye forget, the Second annual Long Island Pirate Festival is going on today and tomorrow, Sept. 19th and 20th.

2009 Long Island Pirate Festival

The 2nd Annual Long Island Pirate Festival is scheduled for September 19th and 20th, just in time for Talk Like A Pirate Day! Here Is the info:

SEPTEMBER 19TH & 20TH, 2009
Bald Hill, Farmingville NY
Details are coming, times are Sept 19th 10am-8pm
Sept 20th 10am-6 pm
$10.00 at gate, children under 5 free
(get $1.00 off gate fee with canned good for Island Harvest Food Bank)
$3.00 parking fee to benefit need based scholarship
for vendor info contact email: longislandpiratefestival@yahoo.com
www.longislandpiratefestival.org
www.yepyratebrotherhood.org

[thanks Lucky Lacey]

Yarrrrrrd sale!

Yarrrrrrd sale, originally uploaded by chocosaur.

Review of Porto Bello Gold, a prequel to Treasure Island

My review of Porto Bello Gold, by A. D. Howden Smith

Porto Bello Gold an alright story in its own right, but it is not very satisfying for the dedicated Treasure Island fan. I have read Treasure Island over and over since I was a young child, both abridged and unabridged as I got older. I can honestly say Treasure Island is my favorite book. Porto Bello Gold, while ok on its own, does not really do justice to the characters created by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Without revealing too much of either book, I'll say that in this book, Flint is not the character that Stevenson built him up to be. Ben Gunn and Darby McGraw are also not characterized in a satisfying way. Israel Hands is completely absent.

In some respects it seems as if the author took some of the locations and ideas from Treasure Island and worked backwards, and the result is sometimes too convenient. As vividly as he wrote, Stevenson left much of the past to the readers imagination, feeding and fueling it as only he could. Smith on the other hand seems to have felt to need to explain the origin of every unexplored detail. Some things are best left to the imagination (for example, how the stockade came to be or the identity of Darby McGraw). If anything, I would say the original Treasure Island should be read first.

Long John Silver

Long John Silver, originally uploaded by Dunechaser.

June 5th - 7th: the Blackbeard Pirate Festival in Hampton, Virginia

More festival news, if you are going to be near Hampton, VA on June 5th, 6th, or 7th, the 2009 Blackbeard Pirate Festival is going down on the downtown Hampton waterfront.

In addition to a sprawling encampment of authentically decked-out buccaneers, the big dockside party features a constant schedule of living history skits played out in the downtown taverns and streets as well as on the decks of the ships moored in the Hampton River. Turn topage 6 for event information, plus a look at some of the attractions the festival has recently introduced to win the hearts of families blessed with little kid pirates.

from dailypress.com

Visit the Blackbeard Pirate Festival site for more details including directions and scehdules.