Wednesday Reivew: Hunger Games

I've been meaning to write this review for a while. I read the books years ago, not quite when they were unknown, but long before Mockingjay was released. Now I can't say I've been looking forward to the movie. I'm a big fan of books but not so much a fan of the books-to-movies aspect of it. They always screw something up.

Having seen Hunger Games, I'm very pleased to say the transition from book to movie was seamless. I enjoyed it very much, and given that the book was told exclusively through Katniss's point of view, I think they showed what went out in other places (the Capital, District 11 and 12, even behind the scenes at the Games themselves) without taking away from either the single POV or giving away too much from the other books.

Will I watch it again? Possibly. I did enjoy it, but I think they cut out several parts that showed the utter cruelness of the world. We'll see-I might have to be in the mood to watch it again. The big question is will I see the other movies they're already starting?

I don't know. I hated Mockingjay--it was gratuitous and pointless, and I thought she rushed it to make a release date without thinking of either her story or her fans. I enjoyed Catching Fire, so will probably see that.

Especially if Donald Sutherland is in it again! Oh man, was he a great President Snow! Now, granted, I think they did a fantastic job with all the casting, but he was the absolute best of the bunch.

Guest: Leslie Soule

Today's guest is Leslie Soule and her first fatasy novel, Fallenwood. Please join me in welcoming her!

Favorite TV or movie hunk:

My favorite movie hunk is definitely Orlando Bloom as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He’s hunky, but the difficult part comes from trying to define what exactly makes him that way. After all, personality-wise, the elves of Middle Earth tend to come off as a bit cold and stoic, mysterious and…different – it creates a kind of allure. Also, there’s just something about pointy ears.

I remember reading something in a magazine about Orlando Bloom commenting on the elves, saying that there’s nothing sexually threatening about an elf, and this is part of their charm as well, I think – that they don’t seem like domineering creatures, berserkers or barbarians, and yet they are not entirely passive either. Rather, the elves seem like a race whose interests are elsewhere than sex. Ironically, this is what makes them sexy.

           

Also, there’s something very attractive about the idea of the “good guys” rushing in and attempting to defeat a seemingly unconquerable evil, and battling the forces of darkness even if hope is forlorn. You see, “sexy” exists in the mind, a collection of perceived truths about the world. A person’s recognition of something sexy, signals that an idea has occurred to them that is presenting itself to the person’s mind as a fulfillment to a lack (i.e. Legolas’s battle prowess against the orcs is alluring because my own battles against the darkness don’t seem to go as well as his, sometimes). But that’s getting in really deep, philosophically.

Suffice to say, I think Orlando Bloom makes a very hunky Legolas. J

Back off Orlando...he's mine! At least you have great taste in men. I found his humor and honor and the fact that he WAS so different from the other elves attractive. And then I saw him in Pirates and yum. Just yum.

Blurb:

Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

Excerpt:

The dragon’s eyes glowed, for a flickering moment, with white light.

“Ash,” the dragon continued, “Welcome to Terra Illumina…or as it is more commonly known, Fallenwood.” Then a fierce roaring laugh erupted from the stone, as though the dragon thought the new name a joke. “A dark, difficult, dangerous path lies before you, Ash Kensington.”  

Ash’s heart grew heavy. In truth, she knew that she was destined to some terrible, dark fate. For so long, her life was filled with sadness and doubt, and one horrible thing after another. What else can I hope for?

 “But Ash, you must not lose hope. Our world needs you..."

About the author:

Leslie Soule lives in Sacramento, California. Fallenwood is her first fantasy novel. She has received her B.A. in English from Sacramento State University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in English at National University.

Website: http://www.lesliesoule.com/

Wednesday Review: The Help

To be fair, I didn't read the book. The library has 8 regular copies, 2 large print copies, and 1 audio. All of them have multiple, multiple holds and I'm currently 6 of 9 on the waiting list. So this is my review of the movie with as few spoilers as possible.

• Exceptional casting all round. Definitely Oscar-worthy.
• Well done with both sides of the story-meaning I didn't think all whites were cast as racist bitches (though there were plenty! And I hope they all got their just rewards afterwards) and all African-Americans as sympathetic characters. There was (what I hope was) a truthful mix of good and bad, just as there is in real life.
• The main characters were definitely sympathetic and I loved their stories very much. So much so that I wanted more! Almost like a based on a true story film where they tell you what happened afterwards. Truly, I wanted to know if Aibileen reached her dream. Or how Minny fared after she found a family she could love and who loved and respected her in return. And Skeeter, I hope she realized the full extent of her dream.
• I admit it, I cried. Was the movie sappy? I didn't think so, emotional yes, but sappy usually has me rolling my eyes and I was riveted throughout.
• I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the dark parts of the American Civil Rights past with the feel good light of hope at the end.

Wednesday Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Shockingly, I enjoyed this flick. I was a teenager when I saw the original Planet of the Apes movies with my uncle who loved them and a bit of his geeky, sci-fi loving ways rubbed off on me. When Tim Burton did that remake like ten years ago I was excited to see it and horrified when I left the theatre. It was so bad I wanted to find an experimental mind erasing machine and wipe it from all memory! Not to mention the time waste!

But this new movie is not a remake or awful at all. It is actually a prequel to the Heston version. And it has a lot of references to the 1968 version that fans of the original will enjoy. However, the plot implies something different happened to cause the rise of the intelligent ape population on Earth than the original implied but it was still plausible.

More of today's fears, our fears, than the fears of the 1960s. Therefore, I’d give this move 4 out of 5 stars. The action was a lot of fun and the acting was definitely not Saturday sci-fi B movie but much better!

Is this thing working?

I admit, I've let the chronic blogger problems allow me to become lax in my blogging. Not working today? OK, I'll just skip it. There's always tomorrow. Or the next day. Or next week. It's so easy to let things go when I know I'll be aggrivated by not being able to log into my blog!

Before I get to the rest, July is guest blogger month! Friday 7/15 I'm hosting Amanda Arista, Saturday 7/16 is Stacey Thompson-Geer, Monday7/18 is Lorelie Brown, and Wednesday 7/20 is David Brown.

Be here or be square.

Now then, what have I been doing instead of blogging? I actually watched a few B sci-fi movies. Of the following 3 titles, which I watched based only on the titles, what one do you think was the best?

Lost City Raiders: The year is 2048, and global warming has flooded much of Earth's land areas. A father and his two sons try to salvage treasures from sunken buildings when they are given an important assignment by the New Vatican.

Sand Serpants: Jason Gedrick and a small group of Marines are stranded in the remote Afghan desert. But it ain't the Taliban that's worrying them, it's these giant refugees from Tremors. In fact the big worms prove to be an ally of sorts by doing better against the Taliban than themselves but battling these enemies is something not covered in their training.

Mongolian Death Worms: When an American oil company sets up an experimental drilling plant out in the vast deserts of Mongolia, they are completely oblivious to what actually lies beneath them. Pumping hot water deep into the ground, the company is hoping to expose untapped oil, but what they end up uncovering is something no one ever expected. As the superheated water plummets its way into the earth, it strikes a nest of deadly creatures that have been dormant for centuries. Thought to be purely mythological, these monsters are in fact real…and now they have been awakened! They are angry and they are bloodthirsty.

If you said Mongolian Death Worms, you'd be correct! Skocking, I know, but you have to love a movie that makes fun of itself.

Wednesday Review: Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides

I have mixed feelings about this. I think part of the problem is that I expected more. More of what made the trilogy so exciting, so worth re-watching.

OK, sure Orlando Bloom & Kiera Knightly weren't in it, but where was the mention of them? The off handed remark about their very presence? Not like they hadn't gone through a lot together.

And where was the crew of the Black Pearl? Hello mention! A line, a comment, a reminisce. Nada.

The whole mermaid thing was interesting but cheated, I felt. It was rushed, not very well explained, and overall almost an afterthought.

Anyone else have a comment on it?

Books to movies

For the purposes of this, I'm talking fiction. Non-fiction/documentaries are in a totally separate category.

All this talk about Hunger Games being made into a movie (and I do mean all this talk, it's permeated everything!) got me thinking about what's lost (and gained?) by turning a beloved book into a movie/series.Game of Thrones, Pillars of the Earth, Dexter, True Blood, Murdoch Mysteries, the Stieg Larsson trilogy, not to mention the many many adaptations of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, etc. (For more try this site.)

I like to think I have a pretty good imagination and don't need a movie to show me what I've already pictured for the setting. Plus there are the drawbacks of lost scenes, composite characters, the movie/show going off in a different direction than subsequent books, and bad casting.

But there are positives. There have to be!

The number one pro I can think of is that you get to see everything on the page, all the description and background on the big screen. Or in the case of a series, the expansion of a beloved universe. But what else? If I've read the book and loved it, why would I take the chance on seeing the movie that may or may not be up to the book's standard?

Or is that the point? To see it there, to take that love of a book to another level?

Wednesday Review: Thor

Thor. Yum. Nuff said.

Yes it was a coherent story with very few plot holes and yes I think it's appropiate for younger children. But man oh man! Chris Hemsworth is HOT in this movie. I went to imdb.com and saw he played George Kirk (James T's daddy).

He looks yummy with the Thor hair and the scruff. *drool*

Wednesday Reviews: King's Speech

Let's face it, I love and adore Colin Firth. So of course I was going to see The King's Speech. I've seen everything else he's in (including the utterly humorous St. Trinian's and the truly horrible What a Girl Wants.)

This movie did not disappoint, despite my high hopes for Colin Firth and an historical setting. *le sigh* OK, so I may be biased given my Colin love...just a bit. But let's face it, he rocked in this roll. You can see the growth from the quiet Bertie to the King who doesn't stutter when addressing his people on the eve of World War 2. Not many actors can play a roll with only facial expressions (I'm talking the classics like Cary Grant etc.) but Colin always pulls it off.

Geoffrey Rush was, as always, superb. If there's a part he can't play, I've yet to see it. And the same equitable and long suffering qualities you see in pretty much everything he plays (including Barbosa) can be found here. I found it ironic that Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth Bennett in BBC's Pride and Prejudice) was Myrtle Logue, Rush's character’s wife.

(Am wondering if they cast that specifically. I've noticed that several Colin Firth films have either copious references to Mr. Darcy like St. Trinian's or that somehow the writers/directors/actors manage to get a dig in at some movie he did.)

Helen Bonham Carter...she's an actress that has a diverse acting background yet I found to be a perfectly wonderful addition as the roll of the Queen Mum. Granted, I can't picture her as the adorable 101 year old woman with the Corgis in perfectly matching hat, coat, shoes, and white gloves shaking hands with everyone and always with a smile on her face, but as a younger woman, yup. Totally there. Of course, this wasn’t about her, and it’s a shame she’s more background character than anything but the story is about Bertie and Lionel and the friendship there.

Guy Pearce...I kept thinking he looked familiar, that I'd seen him in something. According to IMDB, only this. But I did discover he played Errol Flynn in Flynn. And I'd never heard of the movie let alone seen it. I suspect it'll be bad and a huge disappointment, and filled with half-truths from that biography I read years ago that I can't remember the title of but was subsequently debunked. Alas, if I can sit through What a Girl Wants, I can sit through this. Cause it's about Errol Flynn!

Lots of familiar themes like friendship over class boundaries and the power of other's beliefs in you. But it's a classic for a reason, and that reason is that we all enjoy happy endings, whether it's good over evil or personal triumph over some sort of adversity.

Wednesday Reviews: Black Swan

A study in insanity. I enjoyed it, thought it could be a little shorter in parts, but overall not bad. If you like studies in insanity that is.

And it's easy to see why Natalie Portman won the Oscar. Wow, her performance rocked! (Very articulate I know but alas.) From White Swan to Black Swan and back again, virginal, pure, and kind to dark and manic she embodied each character perfectly.

As I said, I thought it went on too much in places, and the ending was ambigious enough to make me wonder, which is always a good thing. I'd recommend it but not as an absolute must see. It was good, and Natalie Portman was great in it, but I doubt I'd watch it again.

Wednesday Review: Bright Star

Not at all what I envisioned when I started and didn't finish it. It was just that painful to watch. Depressing long before Keats's death, I struggled to sit through the sewing, the awkward conversations, the bad jokes, the horrible scenery.

From the DVD:From Jane Campion, Academy Award winner of The Piano, comes a sweeping love story that will carry you back through time to experience the passion and romance between acclaimed poet, John Keats and his beloved muse. London 1818: a secret love affair begins between 23 year old English poet, John Keats, and the girl next door Fanny Brawne, an outspoken student of high fashion. This unlikely pair began at odds, he thinking her a stylish minx, while she was unimpressed not only by his poetry but also by literature in general.

Unimpressive is right! A handful of lines, Keats laughing when his friend insults Fanny, Fanny taking comfort in sewing, and so little passion between the pair I wondered why the movie was billed as a romance.

I like John Keats, well, I enjoy his poetry at least, and it's very sad that such a talented young man died at such a young age. But I don't think this film did him justice in the least. It plodded along.

I'm okay with Keats's death at the end, that wasn't my issue. No, it was the romance, or lack thereof, in the first 3/4 of the movie. Cynical? I don't think so, but maybe you have a different opinion.

Wednesday Review

True Grit. Oh, how I wasn't going to watch you. I was determined to skip you because of the John Wayne version I was forced to watch over and over growing up. I like 2 John Wayne movies, maybe 3 and none are westerns. Still, he's a great actor and no one can compare to him.

That version was alright. It wasn't awful, it wasn't I want to scratch my eyes out like watching even a moment of The Searchers forces me to do. But it wasn't enjoyable.

For reasons I refuse to contemplate and hope I never wonder about again, the Coen Brother's version kicked ass. The girl wasn't as annoying as I recall the other girl being, and while Jeff Bridges isn't John Wayne, and not my favorite actor by a long shot, he embodied Rooster Cogburn.

Would I watch this again? Probably not, I don't write western romances though used to devour them in high school. But if you want the gritty atmosphere of the wild west, authentic dialogue, and true-to-life characters, then here you are. But no...I doubt I'll be reading the book. I watched 2 versions of the movie, what's the point? ;)

Tomorrow's guest: Jean Hart Stewart...stop on by!

Wednesday Review: Stieg Larsson

Subtitles can go either way. They make you watch the whole movie, cause you have to sit there and read every stikin' line of a truly wonderful epic (Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Curse of the Golden Flower) but they also sometimes drag on (Inglourious Basterds which I enjoyed but it needed some serious editing).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire were awesome. I haven't seen The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, but once it comes out January 25, I'm there.

I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when it first hit American bookshelves 2 years ago and loved it. I couldn't finish it fast enough, not because I wanted it to end, but because I wanted to know what happened next. Actually, I listened to it. Why? You try pronouncing some of those names and places. It's easier when someone else does.


I devoured the other two in the trilogy just as fast and let me tell you, it's a darn shame there'll be no more in the series. They were just that good.


If you haven't read the books, watch out for those graphic acts of violence, and read for the mystery, the girl, Lisbeth, and the Swedish culture. Fascinating all round!

I don't agree with Hollywood about remaking this already stellar movie. I *heart* Daniel Craig don't get me wrong, but there's no need to make a Hollywood-ized version that will probably add unnecessary things in and take out what made this book and movie so awesome to begin with.

Hollywood, why not try a werewolf story instead? ;)

Tuesday Comings and Goings

Today I'm over at Unusual Historicals talking about Errol Flynn. Stop on by! All this month we're talking about Hollywood's version of history.

OK, OK, really I'm talking about Rafael Sabatini and his high seas adventures that Warner Brother's made into movies staring Errol Flynn. I think someone else played Captain Blood, too, but I don't count those. Because how can you compare the incomparable Errol Flynn to anyone?!

Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, even Scaramouche staring Stewart Granger and Eleanor Parker.

Wednesday Reviews: The A-Team (movie)

As a child, I was a big fan of The A-Team. Every Saturday I watched it on whatever station it ran. The last season aside, it was a great show I never tired of. It was what it is, and considering it involved mysteries, guns, war, lies, thugs, bullies, and yes even sex, it was still the kind of show that never loses its appeal.

Favorite line? Murdock's: (not quoted but from memory) Those who will be back will be coming back. But those who won't be back, won't be coming back. Now I say this because if you aren't back, then you won't be back. Understood?

(It's the one with the soup kitchen.)

With a great deal of reservation, I watched the trailers for the movie. And fell in love. I HAD to see it, like pay for it in a movie theater which I rarely do ($10 a ticket? Out of your frakkin' mind).

It was so worth it!

In one of the few remakes I can applaud, it took the qualities I loved from the original and modernized them. The humor was there, the comrade between the 4 of them, everything that made me tune in week after week to watch a show whose episodes were so similar that even as a kid I could tell that.

I didn't mind that they took some of the iconic pieces from the show and did away with them. I liked the fact that they added them in! I liked that even the music was used, albeit in a slightly different manner. I loved BA's reasons for not flying. I loved the antagonistic friendship between BA and Murdock. I love Hannibal's plans, and I swear Liam Neeson channeled George Peppard.

Bradley Cooper? Never heard of him before this (I didn't watch The Hangover though I may now) but yum. Just...yum.

All in all, while I'm no fan of remakes, this one was spot on. Two thumbs up, definitely.

Happy Christmas!

Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas to all. I hope this holiday season brings peace, happiness, joy, and togetherness to you and yours.

What's your favorite Christmas song? So very difficult: My top 3 are: I'll be Home for Christmas sung by Frank Sinatra, The Christmas Song, as lo by Frank, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams, and OK, my all time favorite is honestly Merry's Snoopy Christmas by The Royal Guardsmen. And pretty much anything by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby...oh White Christmas. Can't forget that one. I love the classics.

Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas hands down.

Favorite Christmas Cartoon? Charlie Brown's Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman (I love Jimmy Durante as the narrator). I enjoy the others, too but those are my tops.

Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon

This was a cute movie. I almost didn't watch it because I wasn't certain it was the kind of movie I'd enjoy. I love animated movies, don't get me wrong, and the viking history looked great, but it's the very anachronismtic humor in this that originally turned me off. But then everyone at work raved about it. I trust several of them for movie and book recommendations, so took their advice. I'm glad I did!

How to Train Your Dragon is also a book seires (which I haven't read but might) by Cressida Cowell. Thereby proving that more than the Harry Potter series can be made into a good movie. (Yes. I'm looking at you, Percy Jackson! Though I liked the movie, it was so different from the book that they weren't even related.)

So what did I like about it?

It was everything a kid's movie should be: cute, funny, exciting, and yes, even touching. True, some of the characters are a bit cliche and the humor is not entirely original, but somehow the story pulls you in. I found myself rooting for the cliche characters and cracking up at the corny jokes. By the end I was so invested, I almost shed a tear. Almost.

Side note: Kids with trouble fitting in should definitely watch this movie!

And don't forget my Title Contest!

Movie Review: Get Him to the Greek

Funny, sarcastic, with little digs in there about today's world. The whole American Idol dig was superb and almost slipped by me. No worries, I caught it and laughed hysterically. Loved the fact Chief O'Brein (Trek fame) was in there. And how much do I adore Russel Brand's hair? OK, his humor, too.

As a superficial movie, it was great. I think there were several parts where they started to get slightly more emotional and shied away from what would have moved the storyline further. Still, I admit to not watching it for that. I watched it for Russel Brand. :) And I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

Day 2 of my Writing Vacation

View from my window: Picture not yet taken. Will upload tomorrow. Promise. :)

But the view, despite having a laptop in front of me, is beautiful! It can be distracting. Especially when Horatio the pelican flies by with his family. Two years ago there was a pelican I named Horatio. He was a loner, always flying by at the same time. Last year he acquired a family! Who don't have names but that's because naming is so darn hard. So it's now Horatio and Mrs. Horatio. I do feel bad, she should have her own identity and name, but honestly, what goes with Horatio?

Yesterday, after crashing for several hours from a long midnight flight, then crashing some more outside so I can say, Yes! I was on a tropical island! Look at this tan! I booted up the laptop. What did I do? Looked up times for Percy Jackson & The Olympians. I'm 1/4 way through the book, but saw the movie anyway. Yes, I will finish the book.

Taken for what it was, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. And yes, that might have something to do with Sean Bean playing Zeus. Deal. Overall, however, I think the book will be better. They usually are.

Today: write at least 3 chapters (+/- 6,000 words) It IS a writing vacation, after all!

Sticky days of summer

July and August. The hot sticky days of summer. There’s something magical about them. Lazily dipping your fingers along the water's surface, running on the hot sand after an errant ball, exploring some new or ancient city on foreign soil. There’s nothing like hot summer days.

As a northeasterner, I believe I appreciate summer in the unique way only a northeasterner can. Basking in the summer sun after a long long winter and too short spring, then cursing the heat as we reach the depth of the summer months and spouting the old saying, “you can fry an egg on that sidewalk.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that!

What I truly love about summer is the romance. Sure, it's hard to best Paris in the springtime, but try New York at 102 degrees when your AC is kaput...never is a soft kiss and a cool breeze so welcomed.

Story settings are often dictated by the kind of mood the author wishes to set. A big city like New York sets a fast paced, gritty tone, while a small town setting like Madison County has that laid back, simple life tone. The time of year you set a story in can also be a character: like say summer.

I'm a big movie buff, so let me pose the question: would the movie Body Heat have been as effective if it was set in the depth of winter or even during the cool, oft times chilly breezes of spring or fall? Of course not. The summer heat was just as pivotal a character as Kathleen Turner. The heat was part of the mix that drove the characters mad with lust.

Oftentimes writers use the heat of summer as an irritant to their characters or a catalyst to emotion. Think Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. The sweltering heat in that movie affected each character in a different way. Maggie is horny, Big Daddy’s health is affected, Brick was irritated, then that escalated to anger. The title itself is a symbolism for summer; how the cat is scorched with the intense heat. The characters are scorched as well, fighting the heat of the summer as well as the conflicting personalities of the family.

Weaving that environmental aspect through a story and around your characters, and retaining its effect throughout, can make for a rich, erotic, and realistic tale.