— Emergency Cute Stuff (@EmergencyPuppy) November 21, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
You're welcome
I remain busy and writing the first draft of A Ronin No Longer continues to be a both an uphill battle and a great learning experience, but that doesn't matter, because here's a tweeted pic of a hedgehog trying to eat a toy dinosaur
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
National Month of Writing things unofficially .... month. Continues! AKA the Ten Day check in!
So ten days* into this mess and I must admit, this is both nice and well, exhausting. I started out with the secret expectations that, since I outlined (something I've never really managed to accomplish successfully before), and I was only writing a short screenplay and not a full length novel, this would be a cake walk. At the start of this month had a stupendous work ethic, and I figured that I could get done exceedingly and embarrassingly early, with a brilliant first draft that I would only make minor tweaks to when I was finished.
I was so incredibly wrong that it was actually not funny. While the outlines were very handy, I admit that had I planned better, I would have done waaay more of them, and done multiple drafts of those. Character arcs, gags, even when exactly to define the act breaks. I also discounted my lack of experience in this department, for all my dreaming and planning I've ever done, I've only written about two complete screenplays in my entire life, and both of them are TERRIBLE. And were written YEARS ago. So, getting into the swing of writing even when you don't feel like writing for an hour or so at a time is at times very painful. Anyone who's thinking of getting into writing in any form for any profession, do yourself a favor and just start writing now. Even if as soon as you write it you sit and thing "Oh, my goodness this is the worst thing ever written in the entire universe" and then a guy from an alternate universe materializes in your house reads your work and stumbles off, mumbling something about the legends being true, it doesn't matter just WRITE. You'll need the practice and also be prepared to do what I'm gonna have to do when I'm done with this draft... REWRITE.
I admit, the idea of multiple drafts always terrified me, I hate writing everything down, partially because it's tedious, and partially because as soon as the idea is down on paper. it is no longer the ethereal ideal of awesomeness I imagined it to be. I have to deal with the stories and thought and characters in practical form, they no longer are some vague idea that's secretly better than Star Wars**. They're props and tools and they have to be able to stand on their own two feet. It's not nearly as much fun as pure imagination, but it is the more worthy goal, because sharing something that even vaguely resembles what I've got in my head sounds like a blast.
So of course the idea of doing this whole mess, finishing, and then essentially starting over again seemed like lunacy to me, why on earth would anyone do this? The answer? Because first drafts are kinda terible. Very little of the screenplay is at a point where I'm happy with it. My writing style is still a tad undeveloped COUGHCOUGHunderstatementCOUGH and while some of my dialogue is turning out nice, at other times it's too rambling. I've got a lot to fix when I come back, and I do mean WHEN as I'm not gonna fix it now.
I'd like to avoid that dangerous trap set for writers that is to continually revise your story before you've finished your first draft. It's tempting, as all the while I'll finish a scene, and then have an idea for how to totally rework the scene or the one prior and make it better, even if by just a little bit, and I must, for the most part, ignore that desire.*** But if you spend all your time rewriting the first half of your novel/script then you will never actually finish, you'll just have half a novel written, and everyone has half a novel written, it's the finished ones that get read.
As for my actual progress report, I'm a bit behind on my goal, this being Day 10 and only having around 9000 words done so far, but still making headway, hopefully by the end of the month, I'll be finished with my first draft and at least ankle deep into the first revision.
I'd also thought I'd talk a little bit about my screenplay, why? because I'm bored and my other major alternative at this point is to actually write and I'm a big chicken so here we go.
The story, titled A Ronin No Longer is envisioned to be release as an internet serial**** In this modern-set story, a drifter by the name of Brendan Holser comes into contact with a slightly eccentric billionaire who offers him an unusual job. And... look, at this point if I tried to tell you anymore at this point it'd sound like one of those annoying blurbs on the back of books that try to sell you on it without actually saying much, and those get on my nerves, so until I can figure out how to tell you more about it without is sounding like an ad in the New York times. See ya around, guys.
*Okay, so I take Sundays off, and I wrote this Tuesday night, so that would be why it doesn't really match up with the date
** I think "Bigger than Star Wars" is sort of everyone's goal, isn't it? I mean come on, it's Star Wars!
*** I will however take advantage of Google Doc's handy little comment feature which allows me to highlight a section, then right click and leave a comment on it just over to the side to make notes on what to fix when I inevitably rewrite the script
**** For those unfamiliar with the concept of a serial, it was basically originally a movie divided up into so many pieces then those pieces, which were around ten minutes long each, would air in theaters for about a week before being replaced with the next installment. I always thought this was a fun way of story telling in theory (I admit to not being too familiar with it in practice), with it's constant cliff-hangers and delayed gratification. I'd love to bring it back in style in some form.
I was so incredibly wrong that it was actually not funny. While the outlines were very handy, I admit that had I planned better, I would have done waaay more of them, and done multiple drafts of those. Character arcs, gags, even when exactly to define the act breaks. I also discounted my lack of experience in this department, for all my dreaming and planning I've ever done, I've only written about two complete screenplays in my entire life, and both of them are TERRIBLE. And were written YEARS ago. So, getting into the swing of writing even when you don't feel like writing for an hour or so at a time is at times very painful. Anyone who's thinking of getting into writing in any form for any profession, do yourself a favor and just start writing now. Even if as soon as you write it you sit and thing "Oh, my goodness this is the worst thing ever written in the entire universe" and then a guy from an alternate universe materializes in your house reads your work and stumbles off, mumbling something about the legends being true, it doesn't matter just WRITE. You'll need the practice and also be prepared to do what I'm gonna have to do when I'm done with this draft... REWRITE.
I admit, the idea of multiple drafts always terrified me, I hate writing everything down, partially because it's tedious, and partially because as soon as the idea is down on paper. it is no longer the ethereal ideal of awesomeness I imagined it to be. I have to deal with the stories and thought and characters in practical form, they no longer are some vague idea that's secretly better than Star Wars**. They're props and tools and they have to be able to stand on their own two feet. It's not nearly as much fun as pure imagination, but it is the more worthy goal, because sharing something that even vaguely resembles what I've got in my head sounds like a blast.
So of course the idea of doing this whole mess, finishing, and then essentially starting over again seemed like lunacy to me, why on earth would anyone do this? The answer? Because first drafts are kinda terible. Very little of the screenplay is at a point where I'm happy with it. My writing style is still a tad undeveloped COUGHCOUGHunderstatementCOUGH and while some of my dialogue is turning out nice, at other times it's too rambling. I've got a lot to fix when I come back, and I do mean WHEN as I'm not gonna fix it now.
I'd like to avoid that dangerous trap set for writers that is to continually revise your story before you've finished your first draft. It's tempting, as all the while I'll finish a scene, and then have an idea for how to totally rework the scene or the one prior and make it better, even if by just a little bit, and I must, for the most part, ignore that desire.*** But if you spend all your time rewriting the first half of your novel/script then you will never actually finish, you'll just have half a novel written, and everyone has half a novel written, it's the finished ones that get read.
As for my actual progress report, I'm a bit behind on my goal, this being Day 10 and only having around 9000 words done so far, but still making headway, hopefully by the end of the month, I'll be finished with my first draft and at least ankle deep into the first revision.
I'd also thought I'd talk a little bit about my screenplay, why? because I'm bored and my other major alternative at this point is to actually write and I'm a big chicken so here we go.
The story, titled A Ronin No Longer is envisioned to be release as an internet serial**** In this modern-set story, a drifter by the name of Brendan Holser comes into contact with a slightly eccentric billionaire who offers him an unusual job. And... look, at this point if I tried to tell you anymore at this point it'd sound like one of those annoying blurbs on the back of books that try to sell you on it without actually saying much, and those get on my nerves, so until I can figure out how to tell you more about it without is sounding like an ad in the New York times. See ya around, guys.
*Okay, so I take Sundays off, and I wrote this Tuesday night, so that would be why it doesn't really match up with the date
** I think "Bigger than Star Wars" is sort of everyone's goal, isn't it? I mean come on, it's Star Wars!
*** I will however take advantage of Google Doc's handy little comment feature which allows me to highlight a section, then right click and leave a comment on it just over to the side to make notes on what to fix when I inevitably rewrite the script
**** For those unfamiliar with the concept of a serial, it was basically originally a movie divided up into so many pieces then those pieces, which were around ten minutes long each, would air in theaters for about a week before being replaced with the next installment. I always thought this was a fun way of story telling in theory (I admit to not being too familiar with it in practice), with it's constant cliff-hangers and delayed gratification. I'd love to bring it back in style in some form.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Not Really National Month of Not an Actual Novel Writing! or NoReNaMooNoaAcNoWri! for short
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| I'm personally hoping to top this guy. |
If all this seems like it's going nowhere, I'm getting to that. I've always liked the idea of participating in NaNoWriMo, even if I never really had any aspirations of being a novelist, but for some reason or the other, my resolve fell through and I resigned myself to normal November nuts and bolts. But not this year.
Starting tomorrow, November 1st, I will begin writing the first draft of a screenplay that I have been planning off and on for around half a year now. This project is something I've spent the last few weeks outlining using a slightly modified version of the Snowflake method of writing. I'm not quite done outlining it, but I hope to be done by tonight! I know that Screenplays and novels are two completely different beasts (and frankly, I fully expect my screenplay to be much shorter than the average screenplay, which is around 90 to 100 pages, I believe, mine will probably be in the 45 to 75 page range)
Over the next few days I plan on sharing updates on how I'm doing over the next few weeks, and hopefully by November's end, I'll have at least a decent first draft. I'm planning on at least getting three pages a day done, though I'll be aiming for four. I'll probably be sharing bits and pieces from the script over the next month, along with some general information about the story itself, so hang on tight gang, and as the French say, Allons-y! (they do say that, right? or has Doctor Who lied to me? If they don't, they really should, I didn't care for the expression much at first, but it's grown on me. it's cool, saying Allons-y is cool)
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
A Writing Exercise's Result: A Conversation Unparalleled.
So, awhile back I found an article, and I can't even remember who wrote it or what article it was, but I remember one of the pieces of advice from it. Try writing for at least ten minutes a day. That was it, whatever comes into your head, for ten minutes, just write. I took this advice to heart and really made some solid progress in my focus and ability to write (not enough to post articles on a regular basis, obviously) I went digging through them earlier this evening and found this little goofy gem that I had entirely forgotten about. The following is a slightly polished version of what I found in my bin of 10 Minute challenges, enjoy. (WARNING, you may only enjoy this if you are a little bit of a Tolkien nerd, a condition also known as having been homeschooled)
Today we take a look at Conversations that could never happen, on today’s installment, we watch as Aragorn, son of Arathorn talks with... Aragorn, son of... Arathorn, wait what?
Aragorn: I’m from the Book.
Aragorn: And I’m from the movie.
Host: Aren't you the same character?
Book Aragorn: We’re different enough to have this be entertaining.
Movie Aragorn: It’s true.
Host: Alright, then, um, I mean, You guys are both on your way to becoming the King of Gondor, right?
Movie Aragorn: Well, I’m not sure I want or am worthy for that Burden.
Book Aragorn: Really? Lord Elrond said that was the only way I could marry Arwen.
Movie Aragorn: He did? He just told me no at first.
Book Aragorn: Oh, well, anyway, my only internal struggles came from whether to follow my path or to help Frodo follow his.
Movie Aragorn: I had that too, but he seemed pretty set on just going by himself when I talked to him.
Book Aragorn: And you let him go?
Movie Aragorn: You mean you did not?
Book Aragorn: I never got to talk to him, He disappeared and I never found him. But you didn't counsel with him to make the right choice?
Movie Aragorn: Well, there was a small army of Uruk-Hai attacking us, so I had to make sure he got away.
Book Aragorn: Wait, what, a small army? I never fought a small army, Boromir felled about twenty, and Legolas and Gimli slew a few, but I missed all the actual combat.
Movie Aragorn: I did not. there were thirty or so that charged me.
Book Aragorn: And you slew all of them?
Movie Aragorn: Well, most of them, Legolas and Gimli came to help a bit, then I heard Boromir’s horn call and had to go find him.
Book Aragorn: There our journey’s must continue similarly, for after I found Boromir, we set his body on a boat.
Movie Aragorn: You mean after you had confronted the uruk Commander?
Book Aragorn: I Beg your pardon? the orcs, men, and uruks were all dead when I arrived.
Movie Aragorn: Odd, no men or even orcs were there, but there was only one survivor when I arrived, a foul captain of the uruks, defeating him was no simple task.
Book Aragorn: Well, I’m sure Anduril made short work of him in the end, regardless, after that I trust our visit to Rohan went along pretty much the same?
Movie Aragorn: I did not have Anduril at the time.
Book Aragorn: But did you not have it reforged during the Council of Elrond?
Movie Aragorn: No, I did not, I mentioned I wasn't sure if I could or even wanted to claim the crown.
Book Aragorn: Wherever did you get it then?
Movie Aragorn: Elrond visited just before my entrance into the paths of the dead.
Book Aragorn: You did not have Anduril until then?
Movie Aragorn: No, but it was a great help once I entered the Paths of the Dead.
Book Aragorn: Well, of course it was, I could not see how one could endure to command that army without it’s power.
Movie Aragorn: I realize that, now shall we compare our notes on what occurred in Rohan?
Book Aragorn: So you went through Moria, Amon Hen, in which you apparently faced swarms of foes-
Movie Aragorn: Not swarms, I would estimate no more than a hundred, and we felled about two thirds of them. We fought at least that many in Moria, though they were only Goblins. They did have a Cave troll, to even those odds, however, so maybe it was just as worthy a fight.
Book Aragorn: And you felled all those in Moria, I Suppose?
Movie Aragorn: Well, Legolas was the one who finally knocked the troll down, but otherwise we did slay a great many of them, though we could not face the thousands that flowed after us when we reached the halls near Khazad-Dum.
Book Aragorn: .... Of course not.
Movie Aragorn: It was you who killed the troll was it not Legolas?
Pan over to Legolas and Gimli who are talking to another set of Legolas and Gimli.
Movie Legolas: Aye, Aragorn, that was my deed, though not without help. (back to other Legolas and Gimli) As I was saying, AFTER all that, it was as simple as driving a few arrows into the Murmakil’s crown, and riding down it’s trunk when it fell.
Movie Gimli: I still argue that should have only counted-
Cut back to the Aragorns.
Book Aragorn: Let me guess, there were one hundred thousand orcs at Helm’s Deep.
Movie Aragorn: No, there were Ten thousand strong.
Book Aragorn: that seems better, but I am forced to also assume that it was just you and Legolas, the dwarf and maybe Theoden.
Movie Aragorn: No, we feared for our lives, but Haldir came with an Alliance of Elves to help us fend off the armies.
Book Aragorn: Now wait one moment, that is wholly unfair, I had no assistance from the Elves after Lorien, and never in combat!
Behind him is book Legolas, who simply stares at him for a moment, then leaves.
Movie Aragorn: Well done.
Host: This has been a fascinating look at what would happen if two different versions of the same character meet.Tune in next time to see Nolan’s Batman meet Adam West.
West: So, after I was duly deputized by the Commissioner, I and my youthful ward fought crime, and made sure all Children knew the perils of evil and how Justice is an important part of being a good citizen. I’d often go to Children’s events in costume and I always enjoyed the way the children’s eye would light up when they saw us coming. Of course one time the penguin tried to spoil our fun by rigging a penguin shaped parade balloon to release a foul smelling batch of rotten tuna on everyone, so they’d have to buy his new Umbrella brand Laundry Detergent, but we put the kibosh on that and the Mayor rewarded us with the key to the city, which was I believe the third time that happened.
Nolan Batman: (looooong beat, then to someone off-screen) SELINA! PACK YOUR THINGS, WE’RE MOVING! (Back to Adam West) Now how do we get to your dimension, again?
Cut back to the Aragorns
Book Aragorn: So you just cut off his head?
Movie Aragorn: It seemed like a good idea!
Faramir walks in.
Faramir: so... I just slapped myself. or rather, not myself, but, (sees two Aragorns) You probably understand.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Review: Pacific Rim
Y'know, I'm not really one of those people who complains about remakes and reboots. I've seen remakes like Get Smart and the A-Team, that I thought were a lot of fun. I even respect True Grit, though I still slightly prefer the original, as a well made film that stands on its own two feet. And while a lot of sequels grate on me, it's only because I've seen such well made sequels that I refuse to accept half-baked ones. I harp on Iron Man 2 a lot, but that's only because I've seen Spider-Man 2. Or the Dark Knight or Toy Story 2 & 3. I know that films can continue the story of their predecessors while still standing on their own feet. All that being said, I admit that it's an absolute joy seeing something that's not based on a book, a sequel, or another installment in a franchise that really should take a breather. And something that doesn't just feel like someone trying to kickstart a franchise, to boot.
Not to say the Pacific Rim is completely without influence or precedent, as it has shades of both Godzilla and Japanese Mecha Anime series, but it manages to carve out a nice identity for itself. And Really, it's probably not really possible to do something totally unprecedented anymore, your best bet is to take something that inspired you once, and deliver it to audiences in a package that they might not be expecting. That's what Star Wars did, mixing Sword and Sandals epics with Flash Gordon, and it's what Indiana Jones did, being an homage to 1930's Adventure Serials. So this is what Pacific Rim does.
I liked Pacific Rim on a number of levels, so let's run through them all quickly:
Story, Setting, and Characters:
The Story is pretty simple, it's about the end of the Kaiju War. (Kaiju being Japanese for monster, the film throws a few terms at you, but thankfully, it actually starts the film with a definition for both Kaiju and Jaeger, which is German for "Hunter," and is what the massive robot warriors are known as throughout the film) That's it. It's about the days leading up to the final assault and the character journeys surrounding it. What's really interesting though, is the optimistic and sincere attitude the film has. People die, yeah, but the film is defiantly not nihilistic, and it has no desire to wink at the audience and tell them that this is stupid, it knows it's a fun film, but one with heroic characters, who struggle to do the right thing.
The Characters have been accused of being a tad simple, and while that has some truth to it, you care about them leagues more than you do most of the characters in the Transformers films. Scratch that, you just care about these characters, their stories are simple, but also clear. You get why most of these characters do what they do. And the film doesn't waste our time with too many side characters, either. There's a Russian Jaeger team, and a Chinese Jaeger team that are in the film along with the American and Australian teams that are the focus of the film, and while they have a unique visual look that ensures that you can see what they're up to in any crowd shot, the writers resist the urge to shoehorn them into the plot past what they are needed for.
The real star of the show here is definitely the world the director created, it was a gripping, interesting, lived in, and well thought out fictional world that pulls you in, almost effortlessly, with details littered about for you to munch on. There was one scene where I realized I was instinctively turning my head, because we were only getting a small glimpse of a room and I wanted to get a better look around. I would love to wander around in this place, apocalyptic monsters attacking every week notwithstanding, and I think that speaks volumes for the amount of thought put into this setting.
The Action and Visuals
Of course, let's be honest with ourselves, when you go see a movie advertised as Giant Robots fight Giant Monsters!!! You want to know if the action is any good, and the answer is a definite yes. Unlike the Transformer films, these are shot very clearly, though the fast paced editing is till kinda annoying. But also unlike the transformers films, instead of the spectacle coming from the amount of pure chaos going on, the spectacle is built slowly, building, and setting up a moment, then basking in the unfettered coolness of said moment. A particular favorite moment of mine comes from a clash between Gypsy Danger, The antique American Jaeger and a winged Kaiju. The Kaiju picks up Gypsy Danger and smashes it into a few buildings before flying up into the stratosphere, probably hoping to suffocate the pilots. How the Gypsy Danger gets out of that predicament, I won't spoil, but it's not really complicated, the pilots activate a Hail Mary weapon, and when they actually use it, the film seemingly stops for a moment to just let the audience enjoy the fantastically cool image that it just built too. The action also pauses during these city leveling brawls occasionally, just to add a comedic touch that is in total contrast from the scale of action we're beholding. These moments are perfect and used sparingly to avoid over reliance.
Before I go, can I add one more thing? The Cinematography is great, and the Special Effects are perfect, and all that stuff, but I gotta say, from a pure design perspective, I really dig most of the Jaegers. They're just awesome. Gypsy Danger is definitely my favorite, but all the Jaegers have a nice solid, and interesting design that I just loved.
All in all, I think you should see this film, if you enjoy a fun, action romp set in a world with giant robots. The only upsetting thing about the film, is that aside from some harsh language and sprays of blue Kaiju blood, this would be every kids favorite film ever. The addition of the profanity is annoying though, and while it isn't ridiculously frequent, but it is probably more than most of the parents I know being comfortable with their ten-year-olds and younger seeing. (on that note, if you are sensitive to that thing, you may want to skip the mid credits scene, which, while hilarious, does feature one last profanity) So, if you like Science Fiction, old Godzilla movies, good action films, or GLaDOS, I recommend this film, it's fun, it's optimistic, despite its harsh environment, and it feels like the sort of film made for your inner child.
Not to say the Pacific Rim is completely without influence or precedent, as it has shades of both Godzilla and Japanese Mecha Anime series, but it manages to carve out a nice identity for itself. And Really, it's probably not really possible to do something totally unprecedented anymore, your best bet is to take something that inspired you once, and deliver it to audiences in a package that they might not be expecting. That's what Star Wars did, mixing Sword and Sandals epics with Flash Gordon, and it's what Indiana Jones did, being an homage to 1930's Adventure Serials. So this is what Pacific Rim does.
I liked Pacific Rim on a number of levels, so let's run through them all quickly:
Story, Setting, and Characters:
 |
| Our two lead characters, Raleigh Beckett and Mako Mori in the coolest cockpit this side of a Star Wars film |
The Story is pretty simple, it's about the end of the Kaiju War. (Kaiju being Japanese for monster, the film throws a few terms at you, but thankfully, it actually starts the film with a definition for both Kaiju and Jaeger, which is German for "Hunter," and is what the massive robot warriors are known as throughout the film) That's it. It's about the days leading up to the final assault and the character journeys surrounding it. What's really interesting though, is the optimistic and sincere attitude the film has. People die, yeah, but the film is defiantly not nihilistic, and it has no desire to wink at the audience and tell them that this is stupid, it knows it's a fun film, but one with heroic characters, who struggle to do the right thing.
The Characters have been accused of being a tad simple, and while that has some truth to it, you care about them leagues more than you do most of the characters in the Transformers films. Scratch that, you just care about these characters, their stories are simple, but also clear. You get why most of these characters do what they do. And the film doesn't waste our time with too many side characters, either. There's a Russian Jaeger team, and a Chinese Jaeger team that are in the film along with the American and Australian teams that are the focus of the film, and while they have a unique visual look that ensures that you can see what they're up to in any crowd shot, the writers resist the urge to shoehorn them into the plot past what they are needed for.
The real star of the show here is definitely the world the director created, it was a gripping, interesting, lived in, and well thought out fictional world that pulls you in, almost effortlessly, with details littered about for you to munch on. There was one scene where I realized I was instinctively turning my head, because we were only getting a small glimpse of a room and I wanted to get a better look around. I would love to wander around in this place, apocalyptic monsters attacking every week notwithstanding, and I think that speaks volumes for the amount of thought put into this setting.
The Action and Visuals
 |
| Gypsy Danger, Front and Center, and ready to kick some butt |
Of course, let's be honest with ourselves, when you go see a movie advertised as Giant Robots fight Giant Monsters!!! You want to know if the action is any good, and the answer is a definite yes. Unlike the Transformer films, these are shot very clearly, though the fast paced editing is till kinda annoying. But also unlike the transformers films, instead of the spectacle coming from the amount of pure chaos going on, the spectacle is built slowly, building, and setting up a moment, then basking in the unfettered coolness of said moment. A particular favorite moment of mine comes from a clash between Gypsy Danger, The antique American Jaeger and a winged Kaiju. The Kaiju picks up Gypsy Danger and smashes it into a few buildings before flying up into the stratosphere, probably hoping to suffocate the pilots. How the Gypsy Danger gets out of that predicament, I won't spoil, but it's not really complicated, the pilots activate a Hail Mary weapon, and when they actually use it, the film seemingly stops for a moment to just let the audience enjoy the fantastically cool image that it just built too. The action also pauses during these city leveling brawls occasionally, just to add a comedic touch that is in total contrast from the scale of action we're beholding. These moments are perfect and used sparingly to avoid over reliance.
Before I go, can I add one more thing? The Cinematography is great, and the Special Effects are perfect, and all that stuff, but I gotta say, from a pure design perspective, I really dig most of the Jaegers. They're just awesome. Gypsy Danger is definitely my favorite, but all the Jaegers have a nice solid, and interesting design that I just loved.
All in all, I think you should see this film, if you enjoy a fun, action romp set in a world with giant robots. The only upsetting thing about the film, is that aside from some harsh language and sprays of blue Kaiju blood, this would be every kids favorite film ever. The addition of the profanity is annoying though, and while it isn't ridiculously frequent, but it is probably more than most of the parents I know being comfortable with their ten-year-olds and younger seeing. (on that note, if you are sensitive to that thing, you may want to skip the mid credits scene, which, while hilarious, does feature one last profanity) So, if you like Science Fiction, old Godzilla movies, good action films, or GLaDOS, I recommend this film, it's fun, it's optimistic, despite its harsh environment, and it feels like the sort of film made for your inner child.
 |
| No, seriously, GLaDOS is in this movie, sorta. Just watch it. |
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Man of Steel: initial thoughts
To sum up Man of Steel... would be hard, the story is solid, a mainly emotional journey for Clark that hits some strong points and themes, and while some of the characters were a tad underdeveloped (The Daily Planet Staff and especially Dr. Emil Hamilton) the film's cast was practically perfect, and Lois Lane, Pa Kent, and Superman himself being very nicely developed. As for the action..... guys, I'm gonna be straight wit you, I don't know if I've ever seen raw kinetic energy displayed so well in film before. Things get hit, and HARD, and it shows. A particularly great action scene is the confrontation between Superman and two of Zod's top lieutenants in a street. The raw power all three of them posses is massive and it's on full display. The entire last half builds, as both the drama unfolds, and the action builds to an absolutely insane and even somewhat exhausting crescendo, and ending practically perfectly, with all the right pieces in place for continuing adventures. This film isn't perfect, but it shoots for the stars and does so very, very well. I will say that most children should not see this, as some of it is kinda grim, and there's a specific moment near the end that's rather brutal. Also, don't bother with the 3D, if you were considering it, but if you can see it in IMAX, do so.
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| One of Mondo's fantastic limited edition posters |
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Murder on the Orient Express: A spoiler-free review of the book
I have recently been trying my hand at reading more. I've always found it quite hard to find books that actually interested me, since I have a short patience when it comes to novels. I want something that gets me involved with the characters and the world. Something that paints a vivid picture, but also doesn't spend page after page after page after page discussing how a character looks or the scenery. In case you're wondering, Yes, I HAVE read Ivanhoe, and I can't actually remember anything except that it took ninety-something pages just to properly introduce the guy the book was named after. Oh, and that Robin Hood was in it, but he was kind of a jerk. He also wasn't a fox, and that was kinda weird.
However, while I was browsing our kinda local library. (I'd rather not talk about libraries at this point as I am libel to start throwing things) when I was directed by my mother to Agatha Christie's collection of Mystery Novels. Being an avid fan of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, I warned her that I had high standards for mystery novels, but she convinced me to try one. I quickly scanned through the available stories to see if one of the titles jumped out at me. That's when I spotted Murder on the Orient Express. Although I couldn't quite place where I had heard this title before, it seemed familiar. Besides, it indicated that this would take place on a train, and I'm a sucker for any mystery that takes place on a train. When I got home, I read one of my other books first. (I'm in the middle of the Percy Jackson series. So far, I'm rather fond of it.) I then decided to give Ms. Christie a shot.
I admit it took me a bit to get into the book, it took a couple chapters to get going. But I immediately loved it's precise structuring. The book was laid out into three segments. The setup and murder, the examination of the testimonies and evidence, and finally the final revelations and the summation of the case. The testimonies were especially well structured as each one was contained in a chapter of around six or seven pages each. And the climax, though apparently famous, is something I actually didn't see coming. Too many novels twist and turn to try to surprise you, but this one succeeds with pulling an answer totally out of left field, and yet completely consistent with the evidence presented before hand. It really felt, if I had a pen and paper while reading that I could have solved this mystery before Poirot (the hero) announced it, and that is what makes for a great mystery novel. After I finished reading (which I stayed up quite late to finish. And I mean late for me. So that's really late) I looked a few key pieces of evidence up to see if they were consistent with the ending and, in fact, they were completely consistent and a major clue that I had not even given a second glance on my first read-through. I also want to point out how well Ms. Christie wrote her varied cast of characters. There are a lot of characters from a lot of places (and that, like everything else in this flipping book is actually important to solving the case) and she writes them all very distinctively. You can really tell the personalities of these characters from their brief appearances throughout the book, no matter how minor. Every character speaks like you would expect them to each time they appear, with their unique conversational styles well represented.
In the end, I am now brimming with new found respect for Ms. Agatha Christie, as a master of mystery stories. I'm actually looking forward to reading another of her novels with a mixture of excitement and dread, my fear being that whatever I read next can't meet the standard that Murder on the Orient Express sets.
Random Notes:
~I plan on watching the movie adaptation of this book pretty soon. I've discovered that it was the only film adaptation of any of Agatha Christie's works made in her lifetime that she actually liked. Plus... it has Sean Connery. Those are good signs, folks.
~I didn't talk much about Poirot or any other of the characters other than the fact that they were all well written, and that's mainly because the story was the main attraction here. But Poirot struck me as an interesting character, he's just a little odd, and he's has some very interesting standards for taking cases. Some of his characteristics are a tad cliche, but I still liked him.
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| Oodelaly. |
I admit it took me a bit to get into the book, it took a couple chapters to get going. But I immediately loved it's precise structuring. The book was laid out into three segments. The setup and murder, the examination of the testimonies and evidence, and finally the final revelations and the summation of the case. The testimonies were especially well structured as each one was contained in a chapter of around six or seven pages each. And the climax, though apparently famous, is something I actually didn't see coming. Too many novels twist and turn to try to surprise you, but this one succeeds with pulling an answer totally out of left field, and yet completely consistent with the evidence presented before hand. It really felt, if I had a pen and paper while reading that I could have solved this mystery before Poirot (the hero) announced it, and that is what makes for a great mystery novel. After I finished reading (which I stayed up quite late to finish. And I mean late for me. So that's really late) I looked a few key pieces of evidence up to see if they were consistent with the ending and, in fact, they were completely consistent and a major clue that I had not even given a second glance on my first read-through. I also want to point out how well Ms. Christie wrote her varied cast of characters. There are a lot of characters from a lot of places (and that, like everything else in this flipping book is actually important to solving the case) and she writes them all very distinctively. You can really tell the personalities of these characters from their brief appearances throughout the book, no matter how minor. Every character speaks like you would expect them to each time they appear, with their unique conversational styles well represented.
In the end, I am now brimming with new found respect for Ms. Agatha Christie, as a master of mystery stories. I'm actually looking forward to reading another of her novels with a mixture of excitement and dread, my fear being that whatever I read next can't meet the standard that Murder on the Orient Express sets.
Random Notes:
~I plan on watching the movie adaptation of this book pretty soon. I've discovered that it was the only film adaptation of any of Agatha Christie's works made in her lifetime that she actually liked. Plus... it has Sean Connery. Those are good signs, folks.
~I didn't talk much about Poirot or any other of the characters other than the fact that they were all well written, and that's mainly because the story was the main attraction here. But Poirot struck me as an interesting character, he's just a little odd, and he's has some very interesting standards for taking cases. Some of his characteristics are a tad cliche, but I still liked him.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Welcome!
It has been said that first impressions are quite important. It has also been said that the whole "It has been said" bit is cliche, so maybe I can ignore the first thing. Still, since this is my first post and this may be your first visit, I figure you may want a good first impression.... I hope you got one, let's move on.
First, let's talk about what this blog IS. (y'know, other than a place where I can post a bunch of words and feed my inherent narcissism.) I hope to become an accomplished film maker, and to do so, I have to watch a lot of films, TV Shows, and read a lot of books. Basically, I have to be well-acquainted with Story-telling in all its various forms, and I need practice organizing my thoughts and writing them into a coherent flow. Thus, this blog. From here, I will post my various thoughts on Movies, books, TV shows and video games, what I think they did right, and what I think they did wrong, and what I can learn from them. I will primarily be checking out films that I haven't seen, though I may from time to time go back and take a look at a previously viewed films.
Before we get into this, I would like to point out a few things. First: This is not necessarily a content review site, I will point out certain things when it pertains to the film, but I shouldn't be where you look to if you find out if a film/TV show/game is good for your family. I would recommend taking a very clear look at the rating of said entertainment, and taking it seriously. I can offer a few tips on where to check for more descriptive lists of content for your films, but... let's get this out of the way, if you think Disney movies are a cancer to our society... I'm not gonna be of much use to you.
Second: I will not necessarily review every major movie right away. I want to walk into that theater and enjoy whatever film I see without the pressure of examining the films strengths and weaknesses.
Third: be prepared for random postings not pertaining to films, I might do an editorial once in a while, and I may even decided in less crowded times of films to run through a TV show on DVD or some such thing.
Third: Some of my posts will be short, I can ramble on for quite a bit, but if I had to write and edit ALL my diatribes, you would get maybe three posts a year. If I can make a decent sized post occasionally, then I'll do it. but I'll probably do a paragraph or two MUCH more often. If you want to have lengthy meaty things to discuss (I know that's what I prefer) feel free to do so.
Finally, I want to point out what my goal in examining these films are, I do not want to be a film maker who makes merely a technically great film, one that is meticulously structured and well designed, I'd like that too, but what I really want is to tell good stories. The kind of stories that you remember ten, twenty years later fondly. The kind of stories that can teach you things, and just let you have a good time. So I will be looking at what makes the characters I'm watching likable or unlikable, I'll praise the writing when it propels me properly through the story, and criticize it when it makes me wonder how much longer the film is. I'll let bad acting slide if the direction is strong enough, and I'll note where even the best acting can't save a poor story.
I hope through this little project, I'll e able to show you some little gems of film and TV you'd never see otherwise, I hope to help you understand the kind of work it takes into making a story work, and mostly, I hope to be able to pin down for myself why I like the movies that I do, and why I don't like the films that I don't like. So I can know how to make the best films possible.
I look forward to posting some stuff, and to you reading the stuff, and me writing more stuff... What? I like to keep simple goals.
First, let's talk about what this blog IS. (y'know, other than a place where I can post a bunch of words and feed my inherent narcissism.) I hope to become an accomplished film maker, and to do so, I have to watch a lot of films, TV Shows, and read a lot of books. Basically, I have to be well-acquainted with Story-telling in all its various forms, and I need practice organizing my thoughts and writing them into a coherent flow. Thus, this blog. From here, I will post my various thoughts on Movies, books, TV shows and video games, what I think they did right, and what I think they did wrong, and what I can learn from them. I will primarily be checking out films that I haven't seen, though I may from time to time go back and take a look at a previously viewed films.
Before we get into this, I would like to point out a few things. First: This is not necessarily a content review site, I will point out certain things when it pertains to the film, but I shouldn't be where you look to if you find out if a film/TV show/game is good for your family. I would recommend taking a very clear look at the rating of said entertainment, and taking it seriously. I can offer a few tips on where to check for more descriptive lists of content for your films, but... let's get this out of the way, if you think Disney movies are a cancer to our society... I'm not gonna be of much use to you.
Second: I will not necessarily review every major movie right away. I want to walk into that theater and enjoy whatever film I see without the pressure of examining the films strengths and weaknesses.
Third: be prepared for random postings not pertaining to films, I might do an editorial once in a while, and I may even decided in less crowded times of films to run through a TV show on DVD or some such thing.
Third: Some of my posts will be short, I can ramble on for quite a bit, but if I had to write and edit ALL my diatribes, you would get maybe three posts a year. If I can make a decent sized post occasionally, then I'll do it. but I'll probably do a paragraph or two MUCH more often. If you want to have lengthy meaty things to discuss (I know that's what I prefer) feel free to do so.
Finally, I want to point out what my goal in examining these films are, I do not want to be a film maker who makes merely a technically great film, one that is meticulously structured and well designed, I'd like that too, but what I really want is to tell good stories. The kind of stories that you remember ten, twenty years later fondly. The kind of stories that can teach you things, and just let you have a good time. So I will be looking at what makes the characters I'm watching likable or unlikable, I'll praise the writing when it propels me properly through the story, and criticize it when it makes me wonder how much longer the film is. I'll let bad acting slide if the direction is strong enough, and I'll note where even the best acting can't save a poor story.
I hope through this little project, I'll e able to show you some little gems of film and TV you'd never see otherwise, I hope to help you understand the kind of work it takes into making a story work, and mostly, I hope to be able to pin down for myself why I like the movies that I do, and why I don't like the films that I don't like. So I can know how to make the best films possible.
I look forward to posting some stuff, and to you reading the stuff, and me writing more stuff... What? I like to keep simple goals.
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