Fantastically written! Destiny Bewitched is the fourth book in the "Shadows of Destiny" series by Leia Shaw, and I hadn't read any of the other books. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the story, and would be missing key elements, but I wasn't. I was able to jump into the book head first and keep up with everything that was going on. It's part of a series, but stand-alone enough that you can pick it up and read it without reading any of the others first and not be lost.
Destiny Bewitched is written from two points of view: Geo's and Samantha's, and the switches between the two are incredibly easy to see and pick up on. Sometimes, switching between narratives can be confusing for the reader if it's not done well, but Leia did a fantastic job of showing the switches and making them easy to follow.
With just the right mix of romance, violence, and head strong characters, Destiny Bewitched is a wonderful read, and hard to put down.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, May 28, 2010
Movie Review: Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo"
Let me say first off that I have not yet seen a Studio Ghibli movie that I haven't absolutely adored. It's hard to watch anything from them that doesn't just make you smile the entire movie. Ponyo is no exception to this rule.
Ponyo, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a contemporary re-telling of the classic story The Little Mermaid. This isn't your Disney "Mermaid", with songs and angsty teens, though. Ponyo tells the story of Sosuke, a five year old boy who lives with his parents on the cliffs by the sea. His father works on a boat-I assume he is a fisherman, but it's never directly addressed-and so isn't home very often. His mother works at the senior center and is a bit of a reckless driver. Ponyo is at first, a small fish with the face of a girl. Her father has the task of keeping the balance between the ocean and the land, and her mother is the Goddess of Mercy. Ponyo swims away from her father to explore and is rescued by Sosuke. The two quickly make a strong bond. Of course, Ponyo's father isn't happy at all, and this is where the trouble begins.
Keeping with my own tradition, I won't go any further into detail about the story, so as not to ruin the movie for anyone, but I will say that it is extremely heart warming and cute. The animation is beautifully done, and I will say that if you want this movie, spring for the Blu-Ray version. I've watched both the regular DVD and the Blu-Ray and the clarity and beauty of the Blu-Ray version is breathtaking. It really adds to the movie to see all the colors and all the movement as it is meant to be seen. Miyazaki wanted, and was, incredibly involved with the hand-drawn animation of the movie, choosing to draw the sea and the waves himself. He enjoyed experimenting with how to draw what are such important pieces of the movie, and while watching it, you can see his dedication to his film.
The movie is obviously targeted to children, but it's hard for anyone to not love this movie. The english cast is star-packed, with Noah Cyrus voicing Ponyo, Frankie Jonas voicing Sosuke, Tina Fey as Lisa-Sosuke's mother, Matt Damon as Sosuke's father, Liam Neeson as Ponyo's father, Cate Blanchett as Ponyo's mother, and Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman, and Betty White as women at the senior center.
The voice acting is superb, the animation is beautiful, and the story is heart warming. It's hard not to love this movie when you see it, and that gets a big thumbs up from me.
Ponyo, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a contemporary re-telling of the classic story The Little Mermaid. This isn't your Disney "Mermaid", with songs and angsty teens, though. Ponyo tells the story of Sosuke, a five year old boy who lives with his parents on the cliffs by the sea. His father works on a boat-I assume he is a fisherman, but it's never directly addressed-and so isn't home very often. His mother works at the senior center and is a bit of a reckless driver. Ponyo is at first, a small fish with the face of a girl. Her father has the task of keeping the balance between the ocean and the land, and her mother is the Goddess of Mercy. Ponyo swims away from her father to explore and is rescued by Sosuke. The two quickly make a strong bond. Of course, Ponyo's father isn't happy at all, and this is where the trouble begins.
Keeping with my own tradition, I won't go any further into detail about the story, so as not to ruin the movie for anyone, but I will say that it is extremely heart warming and cute. The animation is beautifully done, and I will say that if you want this movie, spring for the Blu-Ray version. I've watched both the regular DVD and the Blu-Ray and the clarity and beauty of the Blu-Ray version is breathtaking. It really adds to the movie to see all the colors and all the movement as it is meant to be seen. Miyazaki wanted, and was, incredibly involved with the hand-drawn animation of the movie, choosing to draw the sea and the waves himself. He enjoyed experimenting with how to draw what are such important pieces of the movie, and while watching it, you can see his dedication to his film.
The movie is obviously targeted to children, but it's hard for anyone to not love this movie. The english cast is star-packed, with Noah Cyrus voicing Ponyo, Frankie Jonas voicing Sosuke, Tina Fey as Lisa-Sosuke's mother, Matt Damon as Sosuke's father, Liam Neeson as Ponyo's father, Cate Blanchett as Ponyo's mother, and Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman, and Betty White as women at the senior center.
The voice acting is superb, the animation is beautiful, and the story is heart warming. It's hard not to love this movie when you see it, and that gets a big thumbs up from me.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Movie Review: Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus"
Let me jump right into this by saying that this movie is a fantastic piece of work, but contrary to what some people have assumed, this is not a children's movie. The title doesn't give much away, and I won't give spoilers, but as I said, this is not a children's movie.
Not many people realize that this was Heath Ledger's true final movie--he passed away half way through production. Terry halted production for a time, but Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell signed on, and with a few re-writes, this masterpiece was born.
Heath plays "real life" Tony: a fast talking, honey-tongued shyster who, over the course of the movie, is revealed to have many faces. Each time he enters the imaginarium, he is played by a different actor and his personality progressively gets more shady and questionable. By the final foray into the imaginarium, Colin Farrell has taken over as Tony and he's downright vicious. Colin really impresses in this role, and this maybe the only time I've ever said that about Colin Farrell.
The movie is really another telling of the classic "good versus evil" story--Doctor Parnassus has the ability to help others who enter the imaginarium choose between light and laughter and joy, or darkness and gloom. Things go awry when the Doctor wins immortality in a wager, then falls in love with a mortal, and continues to make bets with the Devil himself.
The movie itself is visually amazing. Terry was incredibly hands-on during the making of the movie; he directed, produced, and helped create the original designs for the art department. The script is amusing, but the tone is very dark overall. Don't expect the typical happy ending, either.
All in all, I love this movie. It's quickly become a favorite of mine and the re-watch value is incredibly high. I give it a thumbs up, and I am pleased that Terry found a way to finish the movie without Heath without taking away from the incredible acting that Heath did in the parts of the movie that he finished. Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger.
Not many people realize that this was Heath Ledger's true final movie--he passed away half way through production. Terry halted production for a time, but Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell signed on, and with a few re-writes, this masterpiece was born.
Heath plays "real life" Tony: a fast talking, honey-tongued shyster who, over the course of the movie, is revealed to have many faces. Each time he enters the imaginarium, he is played by a different actor and his personality progressively gets more shady and questionable. By the final foray into the imaginarium, Colin Farrell has taken over as Tony and he's downright vicious. Colin really impresses in this role, and this maybe the only time I've ever said that about Colin Farrell.
The movie is really another telling of the classic "good versus evil" story--Doctor Parnassus has the ability to help others who enter the imaginarium choose between light and laughter and joy, or darkness and gloom. Things go awry when the Doctor wins immortality in a wager, then falls in love with a mortal, and continues to make bets with the Devil himself.
The movie itself is visually amazing. Terry was incredibly hands-on during the making of the movie; he directed, produced, and helped create the original designs for the art department. The script is amusing, but the tone is very dark overall. Don't expect the typical happy ending, either.
All in all, I love this movie. It's quickly become a favorite of mine and the re-watch value is incredibly high. I give it a thumbs up, and I am pleased that Terry found a way to finish the movie without Heath without taking away from the incredible acting that Heath did in the parts of the movie that he finished. Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Movie reviews:Wes Craven's "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and "A New Nightmare"
Tonight, you guys get a double whammy. I'll be reviewing two movies in one blog! As apparent from the title, tonight's movies will be A Nightmare On Elm Street and A New Nightmare, the two best "Elm Street" movies in the series, in my opinion.
We'll start off with the original, the best, the incomparable; A Nightmare On Elm Street. This movie, along with John Carpenter's Halloween, was the start of the era of slasher films. A Nightmare On Elm Street was groundbreaking for its time, and while the special effects are nothing near what we can do now, it is still one of the best horror movies around. ANOES 1 doubles as a typical slasher flick and one of real psychological horror. No, really. Stay with me here; the psychological terror comes in with the thought of "Could dreams really kill you? Could something in your sleep be so terrifying that you die in your dream, and then in real life?" Maybe those thoughts don't occur to anyone else, but in my world, that's where the deep-seated fear of Freddy comes from. Not from Freddy himself, but the thought that something could kill me in my sleep.
Okay, I got side tracked for a second. ANOES 1 is the definitive Freddy movie. If you want to know what Freddy is about--why he's so scary, why he died in such a terrible fashion, why he's after Nancy for so long, what the big deal is about him--this is the movie to watch. You really get a feel for Freddy in ANOES 1. This is Freddy before the gimmicks, before the lousy puns and lame jokes. ANOES 1 stands the test of time as a great horror movie because the scares aren't just cheap scares--"BOO!" "AHH!" scares, I call them--but because Freddy really works over his victims in this movie. He spends time taunting them, but in frightening ways. Who will ever be able to forget his phone call to Nancy--after she ripped her phone cord from the wall! Some of the kills in this movie are his absolute best, and can stand toe-to-toe with any horror movie. How many slashers have gotten to suck Johnny Depp into a bed, then spew 100 gallons of blood into a room? Tina's death sequence is still the most memorable of the movie; so widely enjoyed and revered that it has been duplicated in the series two more times.
There aren't a lot of humorous parts in ANOES 1, nor is there much nudity--one brief side-boob shot is the max--and the f-bomb is only dropped twice. What carries the movie to keep it loved for over 20 years? Freddy, and Heather Langenkamp's excellent portrayal of Nancy, the less than typical heroine. She doesn't spend time moping around, crying, or falling on her ass while trying to escape. Nancy goes on the offensive, tackling Freddy on his own turf, and then bringing him out to play in our world. While the ending can come off as a bit "What just happened?", the key to understanding the final scenes if you're a bit confused is to remember and realize how quickly and easily it is for people to fall asleep in the series. You blink, and you're out. While I'm sure that all of my readers have seen the movie, I don't think I'll give a spoiler in case there is anyone out there who hasn't seen it yet. All together, the movie stands the test of time for good horror, and it's an enjoyable experience for anyone. If you're easily frightened, don't watch this at night or in a dark house! Thumbs up, Wes, for creating such iconic characters and giving the world Fred Krueger.
Part two of the review is about A New Nightmare. This movie, released in 1994, was the last in the Nightmare On Elm Street series--and no, don't say "FREDDY VS JASON!!", because that movie was terrible and it doesn't count as part of the canon--and while it took over 10 years to be made, Wes had been culminating the idea for this movie since ANOES 3. My favorite thing to do is watch ANOES 1 and New Nightmare back to back, pretending that there were no other sequels. ANN's story line is that Freddy is escaping into the real world and making victims of the original cast from ANOES 1, meaning you see a lot of familiar faces. Johnny Depp isn't in the movie, though Wes did ask him afterwords if he would have participated had he been asked, and Johnny said "Yes, absolutely." Aside from Heather Langenkamp returning as herself--and later in the movie, reprising her role as Nancy again--you get Robert Englund playing himself and Freddy, John Saxon as himself [and again, later on, as Lt Donald Thompson], and Wes Craven as himself.
The Freddy in this movie is more true to the Freddy in ANOES 1. He spouts little to no jokes or puns, and sticks with stoic stalking and terror tactics. His MO has changed though; "real life" Freddy is after Heather for entirely different reasons. The storyline is incredibly interesting, with few dull points and just the right amount of action. If ANOES 1 is the definitive Nightmare, then ANN is its best friend, holding up to the original movie as one of, if not the, best sequels released. Wes got his hands back onto Freddy and redeemed all of the campy sequels with this one movie. If you want my opinion, do what I do--Watch them back to back and pretend the others don't exist. The other 5 movies are funny, campy, and gorey, but if you want Freddy at his best and scariest, these are the two to watch. Over all, A New Nightmare also gets a thumbs up from me.
We'll start off with the original, the best, the incomparable; A Nightmare On Elm Street. This movie, along with John Carpenter's Halloween, was the start of the era of slasher films. A Nightmare On Elm Street was groundbreaking for its time, and while the special effects are nothing near what we can do now, it is still one of the best horror movies around. ANOES 1 doubles as a typical slasher flick and one of real psychological horror. No, really. Stay with me here; the psychological terror comes in with the thought of "Could dreams really kill you? Could something in your sleep be so terrifying that you die in your dream, and then in real life?" Maybe those thoughts don't occur to anyone else, but in my world, that's where the deep-seated fear of Freddy comes from. Not from Freddy himself, but the thought that something could kill me in my sleep.
Okay, I got side tracked for a second. ANOES 1 is the definitive Freddy movie. If you want to know what Freddy is about--why he's so scary, why he died in such a terrible fashion, why he's after Nancy for so long, what the big deal is about him--this is the movie to watch. You really get a feel for Freddy in ANOES 1. This is Freddy before the gimmicks, before the lousy puns and lame jokes. ANOES 1 stands the test of time as a great horror movie because the scares aren't just cheap scares--"BOO!" "AHH!" scares, I call them--but because Freddy really works over his victims in this movie. He spends time taunting them, but in frightening ways. Who will ever be able to forget his phone call to Nancy--after she ripped her phone cord from the wall! Some of the kills in this movie are his absolute best, and can stand toe-to-toe with any horror movie. How many slashers have gotten to suck Johnny Depp into a bed, then spew 100 gallons of blood into a room? Tina's death sequence is still the most memorable of the movie; so widely enjoyed and revered that it has been duplicated in the series two more times.
There aren't a lot of humorous parts in ANOES 1, nor is there much nudity--one brief side-boob shot is the max--and the f-bomb is only dropped twice. What carries the movie to keep it loved for over 20 years? Freddy, and Heather Langenkamp's excellent portrayal of Nancy, the less than typical heroine. She doesn't spend time moping around, crying, or falling on her ass while trying to escape. Nancy goes on the offensive, tackling Freddy on his own turf, and then bringing him out to play in our world. While the ending can come off as a bit "What just happened?", the key to understanding the final scenes if you're a bit confused is to remember and realize how quickly and easily it is for people to fall asleep in the series. You blink, and you're out. While I'm sure that all of my readers have seen the movie, I don't think I'll give a spoiler in case there is anyone out there who hasn't seen it yet. All together, the movie stands the test of time for good horror, and it's an enjoyable experience for anyone. If you're easily frightened, don't watch this at night or in a dark house! Thumbs up, Wes, for creating such iconic characters and giving the world Fred Krueger.
Part two of the review is about A New Nightmare. This movie, released in 1994, was the last in the Nightmare On Elm Street series--and no, don't say "FREDDY VS JASON!!", because that movie was terrible and it doesn't count as part of the canon--and while it took over 10 years to be made, Wes had been culminating the idea for this movie since ANOES 3. My favorite thing to do is watch ANOES 1 and New Nightmare back to back, pretending that there were no other sequels. ANN's story line is that Freddy is escaping into the real world and making victims of the original cast from ANOES 1, meaning you see a lot of familiar faces. Johnny Depp isn't in the movie, though Wes did ask him afterwords if he would have participated had he been asked, and Johnny said "Yes, absolutely." Aside from Heather Langenkamp returning as herself--and later in the movie, reprising her role as Nancy again--you get Robert Englund playing himself and Freddy, John Saxon as himself [and again, later on, as Lt Donald Thompson], and Wes Craven as himself.
The Freddy in this movie is more true to the Freddy in ANOES 1. He spouts little to no jokes or puns, and sticks with stoic stalking and terror tactics. His MO has changed though; "real life" Freddy is after Heather for entirely different reasons. The storyline is incredibly interesting, with few dull points and just the right amount of action. If ANOES 1 is the definitive Nightmare, then ANN is its best friend, holding up to the original movie as one of, if not the, best sequels released. Wes got his hands back onto Freddy and redeemed all of the campy sequels with this one movie. If you want my opinion, do what I do--Watch them back to back and pretend the others don't exist. The other 5 movies are funny, campy, and gorey, but if you want Freddy at his best and scariest, these are the two to watch. Over all, A New Nightmare also gets a thumbs up from me.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Movie review: Antichrist by Lars von Trier
Where do I start?
Over the past couple of months, I've heard a good deal about Antichrist. It's widely known as highly controversial, and has critics split down the middle on how they feel. There is no indifference to be felt about this movie--you either love it or hate it. I fall into the "hate" category. The movie comes off as highly misogynistic, and completely scattered. The cinematography and direction is well executed, but the general plot line is confused, with the movie ending very openly. Nothing is really explained, and while I'm not one to enjoy movies that hold your hand and spell things out, this movie could have been better had it given some sort of real clue as to what was going on at the end.
The movie is highly sexual, on top of being incredibly violent. The wife becomes obsessed with sex to ease her grief, and by chapter three, she begins to incorporate violence into her sexual activities.
The overall imagery used in the movie is slightly impressive, but still a bit confused in the way it's all done. The camera ripples may have been used to symbolize her panic at moments, but it's only used twice.
Ultimately, I can't say that I enjoyed this movie. I feel that it was needlessly misogynistic and graphic, and lacked any real linear plot line that was followable. The ending is muddled, and very little that happens in the movie is understandable. All in all, I'd have to say that I give this a thumbs down. The "inherent evil of all women" aside, nothing the wife does makes any sense, and the husband seems incredibly detached, right up until right before he snaps and [SPOILER]kills her to escape.[/SPOILER] I don't understand how it was classified as horror, or a psychological thriller, as it is neither of these things. If you want something scary or unsettling, don't bother with this movie. It's more confusing than anything.
Over the past couple of months, I've heard a good deal about Antichrist. It's widely known as highly controversial, and has critics split down the middle on how they feel. There is no indifference to be felt about this movie--you either love it or hate it. I fall into the "hate" category. The movie comes off as highly misogynistic, and completely scattered. The cinematography and direction is well executed, but the general plot line is confused, with the movie ending very openly. Nothing is really explained, and while I'm not one to enjoy movies that hold your hand and spell things out, this movie could have been better had it given some sort of real clue as to what was going on at the end.
The movie is highly sexual, on top of being incredibly violent. The wife becomes obsessed with sex to ease her grief, and by chapter three, she begins to incorporate violence into her sexual activities.
The overall imagery used in the movie is slightly impressive, but still a bit confused in the way it's all done. The camera ripples may have been used to symbolize her panic at moments, but it's only used twice.
Ultimately, I can't say that I enjoyed this movie. I feel that it was needlessly misogynistic and graphic, and lacked any real linear plot line that was followable. The ending is muddled, and very little that happens in the movie is understandable. All in all, I'd have to say that I give this a thumbs down. The "inherent evil of all women" aside, nothing the wife does makes any sense, and the husband seems incredibly detached, right up until right before he snaps and [SPOILER]kills her to escape.[/SPOILER] I don't understand how it was classified as horror, or a psychological thriller, as it is neither of these things. If you want something scary or unsettling, don't bother with this movie. It's more confusing than anything.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
New blog.
Well, I'm new to all of this, so bear with my first post. This is just going to explain what I'll be writing about, and a general idea of how often I'll be writing.
I have such a passion for movies and entertainment--entertainment being video games, tv shows, movie news, casting rumors, etc--that I've decided I'd like to give being a movie/game critic a try. The problem here is that I don't have many gaming platforms, and while I stay on top of upcoming game and console releases, I don't get to play them often, so on top of blogging about movies and games, I'll also include mental health posts. This means I'll be writing about bipolar disorder frequently, because I have first hand experience with it. I'll also be writing about general depression, depression treatments, eating disorders, self harm, addictions, and things of that nature. Due to that, this will probably be an adult oriented blog, though I will refrain from talking about sex, sexual activities, and I will "watch my language" as it were. I will strive to update once a day, but at the very least, I will update once a week.
All in all, I hope you enjoy my writing, I hope you find humor and interest in it, and I sincerely hope this makes me a bit of money.
I have such a passion for movies and entertainment--entertainment being video games, tv shows, movie news, casting rumors, etc--that I've decided I'd like to give being a movie/game critic a try. The problem here is that I don't have many gaming platforms, and while I stay on top of upcoming game and console releases, I don't get to play them often, so on top of blogging about movies and games, I'll also include mental health posts. This means I'll be writing about bipolar disorder frequently, because I have first hand experience with it. I'll also be writing about general depression, depression treatments, eating disorders, self harm, addictions, and things of that nature. Due to that, this will probably be an adult oriented blog, though I will refrain from talking about sex, sexual activities, and I will "watch my language" as it were. I will strive to update once a day, but at the very least, I will update once a week.
All in all, I hope you enjoy my writing, I hope you find humor and interest in it, and I sincerely hope this makes me a bit of money.
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