Checking In for All Me Dear, Dear Fans!

Greetings, Mortals!

Oh, by Merlin's beard, 'tis been a while since last I uttered those two words, eh what?

Well, for those of you not in the know, methinks a brief intro is in order. Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, New York City's Unofficial Wizard, at your service!

In case you don't know what I do, this is my Diary of Magecraft. Here, I reveal some of my most delightful, unusual secrets --- and, as you might expect from one as deliciously twisted as yours truly, they're bound to be as off-the-wall and as entertaining as the boldest, most risk-taking New York eccentric can make them!

The Diary of Magecraft is a component of my Dark Chambers website; in addition to that, I have invaded Facebook and Twitter as well. (Oh yeah, did I mention I just finished making my own documentary? Oh yes! It's called Quite an Imagination: The Story of New York's Unofficial Wizard, and right now, it's in post-production mode, so that it can be unleashed on the world next spring!)

But do enjoy yourself now while you're here; I promise you, dearests, you won't be bamboozled for now! I'll leave that task to my new best friend, the Questmaster, whom you can find at http://magiquest.com! Toodles for the moment!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Dino De Laurentiis, 1919-2010: Kong Reacts

From the files of People.com:

Dino De Laurentiis, one of the last of the cigar-chomping movie moguls, died last Thursday at his Beverly Hills home, his daughter and fellow film producer Raffaella De Laurentiis has confirmed. He was 91.

Colorful, bold and tough, De Laurentiis produced over 500 motion pictures that spanned the works of Italian masters Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini to, beginning in the 1960's, a cornucopia of highbrow and lowbrow Hollywood-based sagas, among them Serpico, The Bible: In the Beginning...., The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon, the radically insane Dune, the original Death Wish, Blue Velvet, Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Maximum Overdrive, Million Dollar Mystery --- and the ever-maligned yet still somehow entertaining 1976 remake of King Kong.

"My grandfather was a true inspiration. He was my biggest champion in life, and a constant source for wisdom and advice. I will miss him dearly," Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, 40, told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement.

Besides Raffaella and Giada, Dino leaves behind his wife and partner, the former Martha Schumacher, their daughters Carolyna and Dina; and their sisters, Veronica and Francesca, whose mother, De Laurentiis' first wife, actress Silvana Mangano, died in 1989. Also surviving are Dino's own three sisters, Anna, Raffaella Cimino and Rose; four other grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Federico De Laurentiis, the sole son in the family, who had co-executive produced the 1976 King Kong, died in a plane crash in 1981.

The celebrated giant ape issued the following statement from his home on the mysterious Skull Island:

Me Kong. Famous big ape. Heard of passing of Dino De Laurentiis. Dino make my 1976 movie. Dino ruined Kong's reputation. Never got to crush Dino. Damn! Jessica Lange hated every moment she was in Kong's fist. So what? Kong not even understand why Dino had to make a third movie. He called it King Kong Lives! He make it in North Carolina. Wanted me to have kids! He no leave Kong alone. Well, Kong home here on Skull Island, with only one good memory of Hollywood. Me already talk about Fay Wray; you know how Kong miss her. Go home for now. Kong need time to think things over. Kong no miss Dino. Never forgive him for what he did to Kong. Kong no care about Hollywood Walk of Fame; that fans love Kong today is enough. Now go home!