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Archive for 2013

The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug directed by Peter Jackson was absolutely Amazing!! The movie goer is immediately sucked into Bilbo’s adventure. The film opens with Gandalf and the Dwarf King Thorin meeting at the Prancing Pony, a familiar place that all fans reconigize from TLOTR.
The film moves quickly as Bilbo and the Dwarves continue their journey to The Lonely Mountian. On their journey they meet friends, and foes, and embrace many challenges along the way. The great evil that lurks in the shadows is introduced and Gandalf battles the evil to some degree. We are shown the power that lies within the gray wizard. The Woodland Realm Elves make their mark, as so many other story elements are revealed. The on screen presentation of The Dragon Smaug mentally and creatively altered my imagination. Every aspect of this film demonstrates a form of creativity that I have never seen or experienced before. The actors, special effects, score, writing, and director was spectacular! Peter Jackson is a creative genius and should be considered for a life time achievement award in film. This movie is a must see. Jackson and Tolkin has elevated the fantasy genre to such a degree that I don’t think no one else can top. I give this movie 5 stars! I’ve got to see it again OMG!
L.L.

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Walking Dead Season 4 “Midseason finale

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Walking Dead mid season finale aired this past Sunday on AMC, and I must say that it was one of the best episodes in a very long time.
The return of The Governer had a traumatic impact upon everyone in the prison, as he tried to force his way in. Rick, no longer claiming leadership of the group was forced to take that role again in hopes to negotiate a deal with The Governor as Philip holds Michone,and Hershel as hostages. Things grow in intensity as The Governor is on the verge of waging a war against Rick. As Rick pleads with him, to release Hershel and Michone, The Governor holds Michone’s sword up to Hershel’s neck. Everyone in the prison looks on as they prepare for to defend their land. Just as Rick thinks he has come to an agreement for everyone to live in the prison peacefully, The Governor brings down the sword upon Hershel, slicing his neck. The heartbreaking scene is difficult to watch. The emotion behind the actors is award winning as you feel the same pain as they do. Rick, Maggie and her sister are iconic as believable characters. The bullets immediately start flying the moment Hershal falls to the ground. The Governer finishes the job by chopping off Hershel’s head. Michone escapes and Rick and The Governer go head to head in the fight of their lives. The moment Rick is down, Michone saves him by planting her sword in the Governer. As everyone takes cover, and makes an attempt to flee the now destroyed prison, Rick’s group is “broken” and separated. Judith is missing but a bloody car seat is left behind. Glen is on the bus with the people of Woodberry, while Daryl and others try to regroup after the destruction. The final scene is a heartwrentching one that is parallel to the comic book as Rick and Carl flee up the hill away from the ruins of the prison.
The action was non stop and it prompted me to re-read the books. I’m on book 7. This particular episode was more of a season finale than a midseason finale. The show is now elevated on many levels and I just hate that we have to wait until February to see what happens.
Read the books to pass the time!
L.L

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Swept into the Darkness News

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I know it’s been a while since my last post, so I just wanted to mention some of the things that are going on with my book Swept into the Darkness: Chronicles of the Celestial.

There will be a winter book tour for my debut novel Swept into the Darkness, hosted by Goddessfish Promotions. The 12 week long tour will start within the next few weeks and will include guest posts, interviews, and some reviews. There will be a prize giveaway of a signed paperback copy of my book and a $20.00 gift card. Exact dates will be announced.

While I’ve been preparing for my tour I’ve been working on editing book 2 of the series called Dark Betrayal, while silmataiously writing book 5, called Dark Revelation. Its really amazing to see how the series evolves. It is a rollercoaster ride that will entice everyone that reads it.

Also to kick off the holiday season, I will be hosting a .99 Black Friday special for my book, Swept into the Darkness, purchase available through Smashwords. I will post the coupon code as soon as the promotion begins.

Happy Holidays
L.L.

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Things that go bump in the night

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cloudy Skies
Falling Leaves
Creepy Crawlies
And Dark Dreams

Wolves Howl
Vampires Prowl
Searching For Their Prey
Out And About
The Ghosts Roam
Haunting Night And Day

Things That Go Bump In The Night
Screams That Are Fueled By Fright
AS The Dead Come Back To Life…

“Do you know the terror of he who falls asleep? To the very toes he is terrified, because the ground gives way underneath him, and the dream begins.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Have a Frightening Halloween!
L.L.

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Carrie 2013 “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , on October 21, 2013| 1 Comment »

Carrie directed by Kimberly Peirce and starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore is the retelling of a classic, based on Stephen King’s novel. The story is about a religious teen girl that is extremely withdrawn and is consistently bullied to a degree that is unimaginably hurtful.
Carrie has the unique gift of telekenic powers and researches it’s origins,and tries to perfect her ability.
Carrie’s life is not just complicated at school,but her home life is also very difficult, as she deals with a religious crazy mother, (portrayed by Moore)Carrie is abused physically and emotionally. Its not until she is invited to Prom by Tommy Ross where she starts to defend herself. As she tries to recoup from a disturbing lockeroom prank she makes an attempt to try to fit in by accepting the invitation.
Prom night turns into a night of carnage as the final prank of the evening ends deadly.
Female directors are underrepresented in the world of Hollywood,so I must say that Peirce did a great job representing women in the industry. The film focused more on Carrie’s powers and the commotion among friends, but it still was entertaing. Chloe did a nice job holding her own, and Moore’s portrayal of Margaret was a unique take on an old character. The original role played by Piper Laure is irreplaceable and priceless.
I love the representation of Carrie’s powers in the movie, they had a life of their own and every time she used them, it sucked me in even more. The special effects were engaging and eye catching. If your looking for a lot of gore then this movie is for you. The anticipation to see the Prom scene intensifies with every moment.
I give this movie 3.5 stars.
Have a frightening week!!

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The Top Ten Horror Icons

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Top Ten Horror Icons of all Time

Here is my list of the top ten horror Icons in horror movie history, starting with my all time favorite, Freddy Kruger. Kruger is known for his comical antics, but he is most importantly known as the “nightmare” coming to haunt your dreams and kill your “reality.” If you cone across Freddy, most likely you won’t live to tell it.

Each one of these characters have that special element that makes them unique to the genre. Those elements can include supernatural powers from the depths of darkness or the power of insanity. Having the power to be an unstoppable killing machine, no matter how the average man tries to defeat him, they just keep coming back. Whichever one it is, the horror icon is looked upon as a strong entity that brings us fear and opens us up to a whole new realm of imagination. Another element that makes the horror icon so intriguing is the concept of evolution. My list of characters with the exception of “Norman” and “Hannibal” all made their appearance on the silver screen during the dawn of the classic 80’s horror age. Within that period, they each have passed the test of time, to evolve and become something more than just a phase of pop culture. The evolution of these characters have transformed into a phenomenon of creativity, that can be defined in one word as “ART.” The 80’s was the period or reformation of horror creativity, and it gave horror a new villian to look forward to, where fans could add fun to their fear experience.
1.Freddy Kruger
2.Micheal Myers
3.Jason Voorhees
4.Leatherface
5.Norman Bates
6.Chucky
7.Candyman
8.Hannibal
9.Pinhead
10.Pumpkinhead
11. (Bonus) Leprechaun
Honorable Mention
1.Dracula
2.Frankenstein
3.The Wolfman
4.The Mummy
Have a frightening weekend!!
L.L.

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Curse of Chucky Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Curse of Chucky directed by Don Mancini, stars Brad Dourif, and the horror legend’s real life daughter-Fiona Dourif. This movie marks the 25th anniversary of the Child’s Play franchise.
The story picks up where Seed of Chucky left off, as it follows a woman named Sarah that receives a mysterious package. That package turns out to be a Good Guy doll, and before the night is over she is dead.
Nica (Fiona Dourif) is left to plan her mother’s funeral along with her older sister Barb, and her husband Ian. A night of family time ends up becoming an evening of terror as Chucky unleashes his wrath of murder upon them.
Only a true fan of the series would appreciate this movie. Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a blockbuster not even “made for television” worthy, but for those who have been looking for some kind of closure to a story that seemed to be never-ending- this is the film for you.
The death scenes were average, some of the past films within the franchise were more creative, but I applaud the effort. As a fan of Chucky, I was happy to see the Brad had taken on the role again. The classic Chucky humor was not as evident. This film was a bit darker than the others,but I still enjoyed it.
Charles Lee Ray’s past resurfaced again, and this time many questions were answered, and his fate was rewritten as he finally accomplished his goal.
I give this movie 2.5 stars
Have a frightening weekend!
L.L.

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The Horror of October

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

October is my favorite fall month. It’s a time for cozy blankets, hot cocoa, and watching some of the best horror, that the genre has to offer.
This season the world of television and film has a wonderful array of horror shows and movies due to debut within the next week or so.
The Walking Dead and American Horror Story are two of the most anticipated shows returning to the small screen this year, and the excitement is building as the premiere draws closer. AMC will host a WD marathon,starting from the very moment of the Zombie Apocalypse.
A remake of the 1970’s Carrie starring Julianne Moore is about a socially challenged girl that has telekinetic powers, and tries to cope with being bullied and attempts to fit in a world she doesn’t belong. It expected to hit theaters October 18th, and I believe that it will become an instant modern day classic.
Throughout this month I will feature classic and modern horror reviews on my blog.
I will go into detail and deeply delve into what it means to experience horror in a way that twists the imagination and alters your mind.
Have A Frightening Day
L.L

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BREAKING BAD series finale

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on September 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last night’s episode of Breaking Bad wrapped up the five season ground breaking show that follows a cancer stricken chemistry teacher as he ventures in a world of cooking and dealing the drug methamphetamine.

Walter White is on the verge of ending this chapter of his life as he attempts to tie up all of the loose ends involving his drug empire.
The finale had its highs and lows, but still didn’t disappoint me. The build up of events leading to the final scene were interesting. Lydia’s demise was classic BB and made me root for Walt even more.
The final scene where Walt goes to negotiate a deal with Todd and his Uncle is epic. He saves Jesse and kills everyone that was a threat to him and his family. The excitement is intense!
Walt tries to get Jessie to kill him,but Jesse refuses.
Walt quickly realizes that he has been shot and accepts his fate to die. He and Jesse exchange glances after Walt ends a phone call to tell Lydia that he poisoned her.
They share a moment of emotion then Jesse drives away. Walt wanders into the meth lab and it is there,where he dies.
I finally caught up with watching the show over the summer, and they had me before the first episode ended. I hate to see the series end and I hope that there will be a spinoff movie in the future. I look forward to “You Better Call Saul” once AMC officially begins production on that project.
Congrats to AMC and the cast and crew of Breaking Bad!!!
Happy Monday!
L.L

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“Dexter” disappoints in series finale

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I was so disappointed with the Dexter finale, that I’d considered not writing a review.
As a huge fan of Michael C. Hall and the show, I just can’t figure out what the heck the writers at Showtime were thinking when they came up with the final storyline for season 8.
Seasons one through seven,fans went on a thrill ride with Dexter as he learned about who he was as a monster with human qualities. We fell in love with him and his character. Everything just fell into place, even once Deb learned that her brother was a killer.
We have come to grips with a lot of things when it comes to our Dexter. We’ve accepted him as a husband, father, dealt with him having a killing partner, accepted him and his weird relationship with his sister, accepted him going after respectable law enforcement and handled his new love interest- psycho girlfriend Hannah. But after all of that and more, there is one thing that we just don’t accept and that is a crappy ending to such a wonderful show.
I would have accepted the ending as is only if they would have added one final component and that was during the last scene when Dexter closed his eyes then opened them, I would have had him say, “Tonight’s the night.” then fade to black.
I think that everyone wanted to hear that. I just can’t believe the writers would stray so far off the path with him. Vogal’s son deserved to die on Dexter’s table!!!

Killing Deb, dumping her body, and Dexter driving his boat into a hurricane, only to be working as a lumberjack truck driver IS NOT AN ENDING!!!
SHOWTIME WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!
I’m still so upset!
L.L

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