The Batfleck Problem

To: the reader

Re: Batfleck

As many of you know, Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman opposite Henry Cavill in the "Man of Steel" sequel.

Personally, I am on the fence with this one.  I think Affleck would be capable of portraying Bruce Wayne with the necessary playboy charm with one arm tied behind his back.  And as long as he can keep his snarky smirk in check, I think he could be an admirable Batman.

However, two obstacles stand in his way:

1. Christian Bale

In my humble opinion, we have just been witness to the definitive portrayal of the character.  I remember crying when I saw "Batman Begins". As a fan, I felt like they had finally gotten the character right; the blend of aggression, determination which took decades to mold in the comic book, were accurately put onto the screen for the first time.

A large part of that was Christian Bale and the research and confidence with which he attacked the role.  He took Batman seriously and in doing so made the character his own.

And therein lies the problem: Batman (on-screen) belongs to Christian Bale.  For many, including myself, it will be tough to see anyone else to play Batman.    Especially someone who is difficult to take seriously, like Ben Affleck.

2. Ben Affleck

The other thing standing in Ben Affleck's way is Ben Affleck, himself.  "Sir, your reputation proceeds you."  And that reputation is tied tightly to films like "Daredevil", "Gigli", and all of the View Askew movies he's made.  

"Daredevil" had a lot of problems.  The story sucked and there were WAY too many inside references, but I would argue that Affleck was not one of those problems.  I felt he portrayed Matt Murdock fairly, but being the star of an otherwise bad movie means one must suffer the poor feedback upon themselves.  And that is what has happened.

"Gigli" was an unmitigated disaster which suffered in every way possible.

Then you have his work with Kevin Smith.  I don't know about you, but it always felt to me like it was all Affleck could do to keep himself from smiling.  And whenever he was playing a tough guy ("Mallrats", "Dogma") he always did it with a smirk which made him less intimidating, hindering his performance. It's that lack of serious portrayal that I think of whenever I picture Ben Affleck.

But all if these are older sources.  Affleck has stepped back from the limelight.  No longer is he half of "Benifer" (well, he kinda is, but it's with Jen Garner instead of Jennifer Lopez).  It has been along time since he has made a blockbuster.  He's a father now.  And, he has directed.

In my opinion, that's the key: he has been to the other side of the camera.  He gets what it takes to get an accurate performance out of an actor, something I'm hoping he can do with himself.

Will Ben Affleck put up the new "defining portrayal" of Batman?  I doubt it.  Will he put on an accurate, competent portrayal of the character?  I think he certainly could.

We will find out soon enough.

With love,

The Genious

The importance of writing drafts and editing and crap, part deus

When it comes to the fine art of writing, there are few people whose opinion I respect more than my wife's.  So, when she decides to share some of her wisdom with me, you all had better believe I am going to be all ears.

Last night she shed some of that wisdom while we discussed the blog I posted about Walt Disney World.  For the most part, the conversation focused on using drafts as a way to better focus my writing, and making the language I use more active so as to better engage the reader.

As a lazy and impatient writer, I hate drafts.  I desire nothing more than to get it done and get it out there NOW!  However, I know how beneficial drafts can be, especially for someone like myself who tends to write in a steam-of-conscious kind of style. More often than not, I lose my focus and allow my writing to become distracted. (Oo! A birdie!)

I also lean too much upon " to be" in all it's vile, evil forms, which makes my writing as exciting as a jaunt through waist-deep mud.  I'm quite good at picking up on and fixing someone else's passive-style (or used to be) so I need to get into the habit of doing that for myself (you know, like do a draft or two before publishing). 

So, I came up with an experiment: Last night I published a post wherein I expounded upon the same topic.  I released that monster to the world raw and unedited then slept on it.  Tonight I looked over the entry, did some touching up of the language and have now  re-submitted it for your viewing pleasure.

Success?

The importance of writing drafts and editing and crap, part uno

My wife is a professional writer.  Well, she's not, but she could be because she's really good.  

Anyway, tonight we discussed my previous blog and how I could have improved it.  We talked mostly about writing more actively and using drafts.  

I don't like drafts.  I'm lazy and impatient and want to put it out there NOW!  I know how beneficial they are, especially for me because I tend to write in a stream-of-conscious style.  I could use some focus, you know?  (Oo! A birdie!)

I also use "to be" in all it's vile, evil forms way too much.  I'm quite good at fixing something passive if I read it (or used to be) so I should do that with my own writing (you know, like do a draft or two before publishing). 

So, I have come up with an experiment: I'm publishing this unedited.  I'll sleep in it, then tomorrow will read it again with fresh eyes and re-submit it for your viewing pleasure.

For now, adieu!

My obsession with Disney World

I have a mild obsession with Walt Disney World.  And by "mild" I mean "massive".

I love the place.

I went once when I was a child and it is one of my top childhood memories.  My family was there right around when "The Lion King" came out so "Hakuna Matata" was playing everywhere we went.  I was amazed by everything, and marveled at all of the "magic".  My favorite ride was The Haunted Mansion, mostly because of the end when a ghost rides in the car with you.  How did they do that?

Since then, I wanted to return.

I was fortunate enough to go last May for a couple days and MAN did I make the most of it, hitting everything I wanted and getting to four parks in one day.  It was a fantastic tease.

But it was different this time.  Obviously I was older, so I was seeing the "magic" through different eyes.  I could see some of the strings and noticed some of those men who were behind the curtain spinning the gears.  It hit me then that that was what I wanted to do.  

I wanted to be one of those "magicians" (as I call them because I'm sure Disney has some fun and fancy name for their employees) who brought the wonder to the eyes of all the guests.  I wanted to make their dreams come true the way all those people did for me.

Part of this stems from my depression and how I struggle so much with making myself happy.  One sure-fire way to boost my spirits is to boost someone else's and by golly, is there any happier place on earth than Disney World?  (yes, DisneyLand, but that's not the point) I want to be a part of that: I want to be a part of someone's magical day!  I've been the part of many not-so-magical days at the hospital and always enjoyed the challenge of giving someone five good minutes in an otherwise crap day.  

Disney magic would be a new challenge. One that I hope to someday embrace.

...we'll see.

Moby Dick

Somehow, I guess I was just blessed, I never read "Moby Dick" in high school.  And no, it's not because I skipped the assignment.  I was never assigned it as a book to read.  Having now read it (listened, actually) I can say in all honesty that I would have more than likely skipped the assignment in school.

Do not get me wrong, "Moby Dick" is phenomenal.  Exceptional.  Well, the narrative was.  The tale of revenge upon a beast by a bitter man was one of the best stories I've ever read.  It was suspenseful, deep and very metaphorical.  The religious allegories and allusions made it all even more interesting to me.  I didn't understand them all and would love to have the opportunity to read it again so I could get a better grasp on them all.

However, I will never read "Moby Dick" again.  Why?  Because Mellville needs to learn how to focus!  Yes, it's all about whales, but, frankly, I don't need to know every aspect of every whale in the oceans. I mean, there is a whole additional book about whale classification right in there!  Also, Ishmael tells a whole separate narrative about Moby Dick in the middle of the book.

If the book had fewer tangents and stuck to the tale it was trying to tell, I would have enjoyed it much more.  Alas, I lost most of my interest and all of my desire to try it again.

Pacific Rim Review

I have seen "Pacific Rim". 

Here is my capsule review: Big bada boom.

Here is the longer review: Dude, if you like big ass robots fighting big ass fishy, rocky monster thingies, then MAN is this movie for you!!!  So big!  So much crashing and banging and smashing and wow!

There was a kinda story-ish thing going on, too.

In this world, the giant monsters have been attacking the earth for a while so the people made giant robot mecha things in order to fight the giant monsters.  Unfortunately, the monsters just keep coming and each time they are bigger and stronger.  So, the people decide to try one last-ditched effort to destroy the monsters.

Some there are relationships built and destroyed.  People die.  People love.  You know how it is.

But NONE of that is important because there are giant robots fighting giant monsters and THAT is what you are paying for.

Some critics thought it was too loud.  I disagree.  I saw "Pacific Rim" in XD ginormousness with humungo sound and speakers and I thought it was ok.  Hell, "Dark Knight Rises" was louder (apparently Batman and Bane hit harder than an 80-foot tall robot).

Seriously, if you like a good summer blockbuster-type movie where you can just sit back and watch some cool robot fights, this is your thing.  If you like, the Japanese-style mecha shows, this is right up your alley, too.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Review

Several years ago I read my first Neil Gaiman book.  It was a little story called "Stardust".  The movie was coming out and I thought it looked pretty cool so, seeing as it was based on a novel by a guy the comic book industry thought was akin to a god, I thought I'd read it before I saw it.

"Stardust" was, in no uncertain terms, breathtaking. Simply.  Right away, I was in awe of Gaiman's ability to put his fantasy world directly into our world and thus make it that much more accessible for his reader.  For Pete's sake, he gives you directions from London to the town of Wall (the town at the center of the plot) and to the gate in the wall that leads to Faerie (where the story takes place).  I had never read something like that before and it struck a strong chord in me, one that has kept me coming back ever since.

This ability to inundate reality with fantasy is on full display in Mr. Gaiman's new novel, "The Ocean a the End of the Lane".  The difference here is that this novel is firmly based in our very real world with all of it's brutality and heartbreak, and the fantasy serves as more of a support structure than the primary setting.

I have a tough time talking about "Ocean".  On the surface, it is a story about a childhood innocence and the conflict between a boy and his super-natural nanny, but in reality, there is so much more happening.  It's about relationships: between mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, children and adults, boys and girls, and (most importantly, in my opinion) fathers and sons.  The depth of these relationships are fathomless.  It's almost shocking how well developed each relationship is in the book when you consider how short the novel actually is (about 128 pages).

Despite the simple sounding description I gave above, the novel delves into some very adult, serious issues.  Gaiman dives into the topics of adultery, isolation, and abuse freely and demonstrates an ability to handle each subject honestly and brutally but with much respect so as not to be offensive when using graphic imagery.

"Ocean" is a short read, which is good, because there is a lot there and you will want to read it again to make sure you have it all.  I would recommend "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" to any fan of dark fantasy or anyone who has every felt alone, isolated, abused or unloved.  It will reassure you that you are not alone and that there are people out there who love you.

Holy Crap! A Post!

My wife asked me the other day, in not quite so few words, why I don't write any more.  I kinda stared at her in response.  

I had nothing.

High school came crashing back at me!  I was in Mr. Dziura's (lord knows if that's spelled right) class and he was asking me about "Snow Falling on Cedars", which I never opened (or brought home, for that matter). Embarrassment and confusion engulfed me and went slack jawed.

There was no good reason why I wasn't writing.  I had plenty of outlets and lots of notebooks, so what was my problem?

I'm lazy.  I need external motivation. But how could I get it?

Y-Reeka!  I had a plan: I' get back into writing my blog!

"Where's the motivation?" You ask?  Why, it's on Facebook!  I created a fan page for this here blog and invited some people (because I was only allowed to invite 41 of my 376 friends) to follow it.  That way, I would feel obligated to keep up with it.

So, here goes nothing!

The Dream

The tinge of dark creeps through the field
Turning the world deep violet
And the sky depths of blue unimaginable

Peepers sing in harmonies complex and high
Accompanied by cricket strings
Echoing from pond through the field

The bats feast upon the airborne pests
And the fireflies dance
Clinging to fragments of the sunset

Deep beats from night owl wings
Scare the skulking mouse
Giving the symphony rhythm

Her hand reaches out for my leg
A gentle breeze twists her hair
And the the world creeps to a hold

Her breath, cool upon my skin
Carries whispered oaths of love
Promises for nights to come

Her eyes in dark, deep like ocean waves
Breaking on the shores of the Cape
Soothing and inviting

C'Mon Now!

Are you serious? We are burning books? Serious?

A church in Florida has decided to commemorate 9/11 this year by burning copies of the Koran. They are trying to show radical extremist groups that they are not welcome or going to be tolerated anymore. Or something like that.

BUT they want to make it very clear that this isn't aimed at moderate Muslims because they're cool.

In this day and age, with all the tension between non-Muslim Americans and Muslim Americans, why would one think that burning religious text is okay? Does it matter that they say it's aimed at extremist groups? Would it be okay, then, for a synagogue to go out and burn a bunch of bibles because they think the KKK is evil? If they did, do you think that little church in Florida would take offense, or would they be all right with it?

Right about now, an "inter-faith" committee is meeting to discuss to growing acts of aggression toward Muslim Americans since the "World Trade Center Mosque" hubbub. Maybe they should bring in that Pastor from that little Florida church and tell him he needs to cool it. Things like book burnings are not going to help relationships here.

I've got an idea and you all can let me know what you think, but maybe burning books (like Nazis) is not the best way to commemorate 9/11. Perhaps we should celebrate the lives of those we lost and not instigate more hate in the world, or did we all forget, it was hate which cause 9/11 in the first place.


I now step down from my soap box. Thank you.

Sirens

She lay in bed staring at the craggy wasteland that was her ceiling. It was desolate and barren and it consumed her. It ate her thoughts and kept her awake, ever since she heard the sirens. The only sound she could hear was the blood pumping and pressing past her ear. It's rushing engulfed her senses, ever since she heard the sirens.

Since she heard the sirens, her mind was aflutter. Nothing could stick; each thought skipping cruelly across her mind harassing her. All since she heard the wail of the sirens.

She got up, unable to deal anymore. She strode down the hall as if being chased, desperate. She opened the door, quietly, so she could she her baby. Through the feasting gloom she saw a slight twinkle from her daughter's eyes: desperate for her mother's confidence. She sent a hollow smile through the expanse to her daughter who reciprocated in kind.

Silently she closed the door and turned to head back to her room. She couldn't move. She was frozen, crippled by fear. She knew where it was from. She could feel it in her stomach and her chest. She was absolutely certain, more confident than she had ever been about anything before. No doubt dwelt inside her.

She was certain tonight she became a widow. Ever since she heard the sirens.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS!

Ah, Quentin Tarantino, how I have missed you.

Tarantino is easily my favorite director. He made Kill Bill which is probably my favorite movie of all time (I consider both parts as one movie) and hasn't made anything I really didn't like (something I can't say about any other director). Pulp Fiction was perfect and Reservoir Dogs was pretty damned awesome, too. I even liked Jackie Brown, though it wasn't his best.

This was new Tarantino, though. This was WWII Tarantino. So, how did it stack up?

Very well, thank you. You would think this movie would be super-duper gory. Think about it: the basic plot is about a troop of U.S. Jewish soldiers hunting Nazis through occupied France and killing them violently before scalping them. They let one guy go to spread the word, but they take the time to carve a swastika in his forehead so everyone will know he was a Nazi. But it wasn't overly violent. I mean, it's war so there is violence and blood, but nothing like Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. In fact, it was mostly guys sitting at tables talking.

Really.

It starts with two guys talking at a table. Then Brad Pitt talking to some guys. Then some Nazis talking to a woman at a table. Then the Basterds (The Jewish troops) talking to a traitor at a table at a bar. Then a bunch of Nazis watching a movie. But it wasn't slow and it wasn't boring. Tarantino's skill with dialogue is uncanny. He can make all these people sitting at a table talking suspenseful and tense.

And man, was this movie funny. So many of the characters were characatures or blatant stereotypes. The absurdity of it all was fantastically funny.

Brad Pitt was absolutely hilarious with his stereotypical portrayal of a grizzled mid-western war vet. Eli Roth as a Bostonian with some sociopathic tendencies was great. They guys who played Hitler and Groebbel were both excellent with their blatantly over-the-top-evil portrayals of those historical figures. Hell, Mike Myers even made a goofy little cameo!

The woman who played the Jewish cinema owner really was relatable and made you feel her anger and frustration putting the humanity in the film.

The man who played Landa, the "Jew Hunter", stole the show. He was funny, creepy, terrifying, subtle, over-the-top all in equal measure. You always knew where he was and wanted to keep an eye out for him because you always felt his evil. He always seemed to know more than anyone else on screen and was ready to use that knowledge to push forward his agenda. All the while, he is talking to everyone like he's their best buddy or like he's just a normal guy out there doing his job, no matter how unpleasant that may be. Excellent depiction of a character that will go down in film history as one of nastiest.

Inglourious Basterds is long. Like 3 hours long. It's not slow or anything, but by the end your butt's a little sore. When I saw it, we had an inadvertent intermission, which in retrospect was very nice.

Go see this film. Seriously, it's a fun fable with some of the most interesting characters you are going to see in a movie this summer!

Oh, yeah, Grindhouse was freakin' great, too!!!

District 9 and The Time Traveler's Wife

District 9

District 9 is science fiction at it's best. It's an allegory for modern racial tension across the world. It is intelligent. And it has a lot of exploding bodies. How cool is that?

District 9's story is pretty straight forward. It's about a group of aliens stuck on earth who live in a refugee camp. They aren't popular with the natives so they are being moved, chaos ensues. It's a very well told story framed as a documentary, although it seems to lose the documentary structure in the middle for awhile before returning to it at the end. The characters are all relatable, each with their own clear motivations which really help propel the story along.

The actors are all very good, especially the actor who played Wikes (? I think that's how you spell it, and I'm not going to try the last names). He makes a pretty unappealing guy relatable and really pulls some sympathy out of the viewer.

I recommend this to any true science fiction fan.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of the love between a man who is frequently displaced in time and the woman who has loved him since she was a child.

The story is really nice and sweet. At times it is hard to follow because it really bounces all around and isn't told in a linear fashion, but overall it's pretty clearly told. I liked it because it was a sweet love story that never became sappy like many chick flicks do.

Eric Bana isn't that great of an actor, but I thought he was fine here. Rachel McAdams is beautiful. Oh yeah, and she made a woman in an unbelievable situation relatable, which was not an insignificant accomplishment.

I recommend this for couples who like movies.

YO!

Real American heroes! G.I. Joe is the-e-ere!!!

Now, the first time I saw the trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra one word came to mind: crap. I was not a fan of the cartoon or the toys as a kid; my parents did not allow us to play with them because they glorified war and violence, something which never upset me. Because I was never a fan as a kid, I never knew much about G.I. Joe or C.O.B.R.A. so I really wasn't too excited for this movie. Then I found out that the director was the guy who directed The Mummy movies, which I hated, so that didn't help. Then, when the trailer played and I saw two freaks jumping around in those "football suits" it did not pique my interest.

BUT....

Sienna Miller was looking real good. I decided to give it a try.

People kept saying I was setting myself up for disappointment, that the movie was going to suck. But I didn't care! I was going to be the one guy out there keeping my hopes up for this movie, even if secretly it was just because I wanted to see Sienna Miller in a tight, black, pleather bodysuit. Or two. Or three.

Then I read a couple reviews which basically said, "It's not awful." That didn't instill any hope for me. Then I read that the producers weren't going to let any other critics review the movie out of fear that it would get bad reviews like Transformers 2. That gave me even less hope. I was nervous.

Well, today I went and saw it and must tell you, I was NOT disappointed.

BANG! CRASH! BOOM!

There was SO much action! I mean seriously, this is the movie: Action, action, action, BOOM! take a breath. Ready? BANG!! BOOM!! CRASH!! FIGHT!! Breathe. GO! FIGHT! WIN! Nope, LOSE (SUCKERS)!!! Aww, flashback in a meadow. BBOOOOMMMM!!!!! FIGHT! NINJA KIDS!!! BOOMMM!! CRASH!! MELTING DUDE!!!! BLAM!!!! TWIST!! TURN!!!! BOOM!!! Done. PSYCHE!!!!! Done now.

And...AND...there was a STORY! Sort of! More so than many summer blockbuster action popcorn flicks (Transformers). And what was nice about the story is that it took the time to tell the backstories of most of the main players which helped make these fantastic characters more human. It was rather nicely done.

The acting was pretty typical for these types of movies: fairly cliched and over-the-top. Channing Tatum really isn't a good actor, I'm sorry. Chris Eccleston is great: loved him as The Doctor, loved him on Heroes, loved him here. The biggest surprise was Marlon Wayons. It was a surprise because he was pretty good! He was, like, normal. It was weird to see, but pretty refreshing.

From the few episodes of the G.I. Joe cartoon I've seen, I'd say this movie was pretty much in line with that in regard to the amount of campiness and characterization. Just in case you were a fan of the cartoon and were wondering about that.

I only had a couple real problems with the movie. First, I thought the deaths and character relationships portrayed in this movie will end up hurting future sequels. Two major players won't be around for their respective teams anymore and that will really take away from future installments. Secondly, I thought some of the big twists and reveals were anti-climactic and should have occurred earlier in the movie. When they did occur, it seemed rushed and then nothing happened as a result of the twists so they seemed pretty pointless.

Ok, so I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to have some fun at the movie theater this summer. Lots of action, lots of fun! Go SEE IT!!!

I DO NOT recommend this for young kids. Too violent and scary.

P.S.--Sienna Miller is SUPER HOT! I know some of you out there think Megan Fox is the shit, but I'm saying this right now: Ms. Fox is a child next to Sienna. A child. Thank you and good night!

The Hughes Effect

I was introduced to the films of John Hughes by Kevin Smith. His obsession with the filmmaker made Mr. Hughes seem cool, like where cool came from.

This mildly piqued my interest in the brat pack films, but I never actually went out of my way to watch any. I told a friend this and she almost attacked me. She threw several DVDs at me including Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles and ordered me to watch them immediately. So I did.

Well, I instantly fell in love with Molly Ringwald. Then I sat back and started to think about the films. In them, Hughes was able to convey the confusion and insecurities of teenagers in a way I hadn't really seen before: with brutal honesty. Hughes had a way to cut out the fat and the grey-areas and get right to the crux of teenage emotion like few filmmakers could.

Upon further research I learned that Hughes also wrote the National Lampoon: Vacation movies and also the Home Alone movies. Obviously--beyond his ability to tap into the teenage psyche--he had the ability to tickle the funny bone.

To me, though, his greatest masterwork had the be Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This is one of the funniest, most inspiring movies I've ever seen. It was about freedom, and bravado, and doing the things we are wish we could do. Like Catcher in the Rye, Ferris Bueller made me want to stick my middle finger up to society and do things my way. And all this while making me laugh riotously. It takes a gifted man to make a film like that.

Thank you Mr. Hughes, you will be missed.

Geoff Johns Can Do The Impossible

When it comes to comic book, I have been a Marvel-guy through and through. No variance. I read Marvel comics with the occasional exception of a Batman comic here and there. I'd check out DC events like Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, but frankly, I wasn't a fan. I knew nothing about the history of the characters or the DC Universe (from now on called the DCU), so I didn't really care about the stories.

A few months ago I realized I was poor and couldn't afford to be buying comics regularly any more so I stopped buying them. One thing caught my eye, though, Green Lantern: Blackest Night, a DC comic event. I thought the idea sounded cool, but again, I didn't know much about Green Lantern or the complex history, so I didn't think I would start reading this big event.

As I read Wizard magazine, they kept hyping Blackest Night, saying it was going to be awesome and giving information for people who were interested in it. I read this info, and it intrigued me. I decided to pick up the big story-line before Blackest Night called the Sinestro Corps. War.

It was awesome.

So I have been picking up the rest of the stuff that came between Sinestro Corps. and the current Blackest Night, and let me tell you, the quality is consistently good.

For this, you can thank Geoff Johns, the mastermind writing these great stories. He is weaving a dense, complex tale filled with action and intrigue as well as some straight up terror (there be super-hero zombies walkin' round the DCU right now, folks)! It's a story about emotion and it's effect on the universe. It's a story that pits some of the DCU's greatest heroes against dark, twisted, and abstract versions of themselves.

And the art is pretty, too! The guys they have working the pencils on these stories are freaking phenomenal, giving consistent, realistic portrayals of some of the weirdest looking creatures ever drawn. It's great!

Seriously, if you are a comic fan, get out there and check this story out! Issue 1 of Blackest Night is on the shelves now, go get it!

27 Ain't Bad

100 Books

Where do you fall in the list? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here.

Copy this into your NOTES. Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. Tag other book nerds.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen -
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien-x
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte -x
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling -X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible (The entire thing!)-
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell-x
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman-x
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens-x

Total: 7

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott -
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy-
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller-x
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier-x
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien-x
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger -x
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger -
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

Total: 4
Total so far: 11

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell -
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald-
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy-
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams-
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll -x
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame-

Total: 1
Total so far: 12

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens-
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis- x
34 Emma-Jane Austen -
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen-x
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis-X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden -
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne -

Total: 3
Total so far: 15

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell -x
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown-X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez-
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving-
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery -
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding-x
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

Total: 3
Total so far: 18

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel -
52 Dune - Frank Herbert-x
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons-
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen -
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley-x
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon-
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Total: 2
Total so far: 20


61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck -x
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov-
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas-
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

Total:1
Total so far: 21

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens -
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker-x
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett-
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce-
76 The Inferno – Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt-

Total: 1
Total so far: 22

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens -
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker-x
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistr
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White- X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-x
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

Total: 3
Total so far: 25

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams-
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole-
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare -x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl - X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Total: 2
Total: 27

4 Movie Reviews for the Price of One!!!

This was a busy weekend for me movie-wise. I got to see not one, not two, but FOUR films (as you could probably have guessed from the title). None of theses are connected in any way, shape or form, but whatever, here ya go:

The Reader

This film was simply phenomenal. I mean, wow. Kate Winslet is so amazing. So amazing!

The story of The Reader is tough. It's harsh and deals with some really tough moral issues. How responsible do you hold a simple woman who worked as a Nazi guard and allowed hundreds to die because of her sense of "responsibility"? If you have evidence to help her get a lighter sentence do you help her? What if you love her, does that change your opinion?

The first half is basically a porno, so if that makes you uncomfortable, stay away. There is a lot of nudity and sex, but it's done tastefully, for the most part. I personally didn't think all of the nudity was necessary, but one of my fellow viewers told me I was being an old geezer and that it was fine.

The acting was exceptional, especially Ms. Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. But gave believable, powerful performances filled with emotion and subtlety. Winslet deserved all the recognition she received for this performance and Fiennes deserved more.

Overall, this film is just wonderful and I recommend it for any adult who is looking for a serious, thought-provoking film experience.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I'm twenty-seven and I'm just seeing Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time. I was told that was pitiable so I thought I'd let you all know that. After seeing it, I'd have to agree, it's something everyone should watch.

There is a reason Breakfast at Tiffany's is a classic, I'm just not sure what it is. The story is interesting, surprisingly complex. I thought it was a bit odd, personally, but still, I was engaged. Apparently it was a Truman Capote story which makes me want to find the book and give it a read.

The acting was typical '60's, a little stiff, a little over-the-top, but fun nonetheless. Audrey Hepburn was as cute as could be and a good deal of fun to watch. I don't know who the dude was, but he was pretty good, too.

This is a classic folks, everyone should see it!

Green Lantern: First Flight

Green Lantern: First Flight is the latest of DC Comics animated movies based on stories from their comic books. This one isn't actually based on a specific story like Superman: Doomsday or Justice League: The New Frontier but rather a combo of Hal Jordan's origin story and the Sinestro Corp. War. All together it was a pretty fun and interesting story with a lot of action and fun moments.

I recommend this to any comic book fan, especially any Green Lantern fan or anyone who is picking up the current Blackest Night story.

The Hangover

This movie is RIDICULOUS!!! RIDICULOUS!!! So far over the top it's just insane.

I don't know what it was about the story that was so damned funny. The characters were pretty cliche (the weirdo, the nerd, the sleaze, the straight-man) and the story was pretty typical (guys get drunk, chaos ensues) but for some reason, this one stands out. Most likely it's because the story isn't totally linear and its all about putting together the pieces to find out what happened the night before (like Dude, Where's My Car, only good). And they kinda throw you for a loop in the beginning because if you didn't know what the movie was about going into it, you'd be led to believe it was a legit suspenseful mystery (and all the horror trailers beforehand certainly put you in the mood for something serious and scary).

There was a surprising amount of penis in this movie. After The Reader, I was pretty much set with penises this weekend, so I really didn't need that, but everyone else in the theater was laughing so I guess it works.

The acting was hilarious. Each of the main guys played their part wonderfully. Each of the cameos were great, also, especially Mike Tyson. He's just terrifying, especially when he's being funny. Terrifying.

Make sure you stay for the credits. You get to see some of the pictures from the night in question and they are friggin' great.

I recommend this to anyone who likes crude, college humor. This one's full of it at it's best.

P.S.--Bradley Cooper, would you please make a movie where you aren't sleazy? Please?

Please?

Harry Potter, the Half-Blood Prince, and Other Tid-Bits

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Ah, yes, Harry is back. After missing his previous November opening, Harry Potter and friends have made their triumphant return!

I'd like to preface this by saying that HP6 is my favorite of the seven books. It's the one that tells Voldemort's story, it's the one where Harry is forced to make the hardest decisions, it's the most elegantly written of them all.

Now, I enjoyed the new movie. It was fun to see some of the things I only imagined put onto screen. Unfortunately, I don't think they did a very good job writing the story, and more, I think some of the omissions they chose to make earlier in the series are now coming back to bite them in the ass. It will be interesting to see how they choose to compensate for them.

The plan has started to become evident with the biggest scene they added, the holiday adventure at the Weasley's. Also, the biggest omission, the funeral, gives them a way to get everyone together at the beginning of the next film without having to show a marriage between characters we don't know. I just wish they had taken two seconds at some point earlier to introduce the necessary characters.

But, I digress.

The story in this movie was pretty good. I'm not someone who is adamant that film makers use the book as the script. I understand that books and films are different mediums and thus things have to be changed. But, I'm pretty sure this movie was not nearly as exciting as it could have been. It dragged in several places to the point where they shoe-horned a bizarre Death-Eater attack in there then never talked about it again just to fit in more action. In retrospect I understand what I believe is being set up with that scene, but the ramifications were pretty big and yet no one talked about it again. Just seemed odd.

The acting was alright. The problem with putting these kids in the same scene with Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter is that none of the kids are in the same league as those three. I will say this, though, when Harry was under the power of Felix Felicitous or however you spell that, Daniel Radcliffe was very good. It was nice to see that different side of Harry.

I thought it the end was completely botched. The emotional weight was completely lost by the way Gambon portrayed Dumbledore and Rickman portrayed Snape. I think the director had read the seventh book and altered the way Dumbledore was portrayed according to how things are revealed at the end of that book. It just wasn't well done.

Ha! After reading this article you will think I didn't like the movie, but I did. It was fun, magical, and beautiful. Malfoy was excellent, Helena Bonham Carter was excellent. The girl who played Luna was as adorable as ever. The romance between Ron and Lavender was wonderfully over the top. Quidditch was back! And much better looking than before. They used real people instead of CGI versions and that made a huge difference. There were lots and lots of high points which shined brighter than the flaws.

Go see it.

Battlestar Galactica Finale

Dear presidents of all television networks,

Please watch this episode and see what creators can do when they are allowed to tell their story their way.  They know what they are doing and can tell quality, provocative stories which WILL bring in viewers.

This was perfection put onto screen.  Their themes were all there.  The questions were answered.  Everyone got the ending they deserved.  It was just beautiful.

If you haven't been watching this show, then I am sorry for you.  Battlestar Galactica was one of the most thoughtful, challenging shows on television.  It didn't get ANY of the recognition it deserved.  While shows like the Sopranos and other big name shows were recognized for their achievements, BSG, an equally, if not more, provocative show slipped through the cracks.  This is a shame and one that should be rectified.  Emmys, Golden Globes, WATCH THIS EPISODE!!!!!

Thank you,

Sam