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The Walking Dead Season 5 Mid Season Finale Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

walking dead season 5 poster

The Walking Dead season five mid-season finale left me hungry for more.

As we all know last night’s episode of the Walking Dead left fans heartbroken as we saw Beth Greene meet her end.

The episode displayed four view points, Rick’s hospital venture, Michone’s and Gabriel’s church mishap, Beth’s struggle to make sense of Dawn’s madness, and Abraham’s will to bounce back.

At the church Gabriel leaves by exiting under the floor boards in his office. He ventures off to the school where Gareth and his band of psycho’s held Bob captive. He see’s Bob’s cooked leg and then suddenly see’s a group of Walkers inside the school. They burst out in hopes of having Gabriel for a meal. The Walkers follow him straight to the church. He begs for Michone and Carl to let him in. The church is over run within minutes as Michone tries to fight them to the best of her ability, with baby Judith on her back. Carl is worried and asks Michone “where do we go?” as the group of Walkers are locked inside their safe haven.

Abraham appears in the fire truck, along with Maggie, Glen, Rosita and Eugene. They wipe out the Walkers and Michone tells Maggie that Beth is alive and that Rick and the others went to get her.
Meanwhile Back and the hospital Beth gains some new information about the leader Dawn. Rick and Daryl make a plan to make an exchange for the two cops for Beth and Carol. Rick kills one of them in the process and makes an attempt to get Beth and Carol without any more bloodshed.

Beth and Carol get ready. The exchange happens in the hallway of the hospital as Rick and Daryl’s reunion with Beth is brief. Dawn makes a statement to Rick about Noah belonging to her. Beth and the others object to him going back with Dawn, and Dawn states that he wasn’t part of the “deal.” Beth steps up to Dawn and expresses how she feels about her, then stabs her in the upper chest with a pair of scissors that she kept hidden in her arm cast. Dawn’s gun goes off, shooting Beth in the head. Daryl automatically shoots Dawn and Rick’s group is ready for war. One of Dawn’s people stops it before things get worse and says, “it’s over, no more people have to die.”

Riddled with grief, Rick and the group leave the hospital, as they meet Maggie and the others. Maggie’s hope is shattered when she see’s Daryl carrying Beth’s body out. She falls to ground unable to contain herself.

The episode had a lot going on, and I felt that a major character’s death during the mid season finale is getting to be a little predictable. As a fan of the books, I know Kirkman’s world, and I know that major character’s die all the time, but the writing just followed what happened to Hershel last season. I really wanted to see Maggie be reunited with her sister. I have a feeling that with Beth’s death, this will send Maggie off the deep end. At one point in the books, she tries to hang herself from a tree. So I can’t wait to see what the next part of this season has to offer.

I think that Beth made a bad move, trying to stab Dawn, and why wouldn’t she go straight for her throat? I don’t understand that part.

What I also don’t understand is why was Gabriel so stupid? Why would he go out on his own when he has people protecting him. I hate his character on the show. He is more likable in the books. If you hate that you survived, then just let the Walkers eat you and save people the trouble.

My only complaint about the show is that they waste too much time on developing back stories for insignificant characters, and not enough time developing Rick’s story even more. The books really focus on Rick and Carl, and the other characters have a nice balanced involvement. Who cares about Dawn and that group. They really got too much camera time. I’d rather want to know more about Eugene, than Dawn.

I know that Rick and everyone else has a hard time trusting people, so why would he extend another invitation to the hospital crew like he did for the Woodbury people? His decision to let the Terminus people go, bit him in the ass. I wouldn’t trust any other outsiders now.

The special effects were great as usual, I loved seeing the melted Walkers in the hospital courtyard. Visually the effects team always gives us something new and exciting to see. Very creative and unique.
Overall good show WD, looking forward to February!!!
L.L.

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Fall Inspiration

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , on September 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As the fall season kicks off, and I’ve gotten back into the swing of being back at work, my creativity and inspiration has been flowing. Even though the summer is a time of relaxation. I feel that the fall season has a casual aura. It’s a time when mood plays an important role in how my creativity is expressed. I love the chilly, windy, rainy evenings, as I’m curled up on the sofa covered with a blanket, a notebook and a steaming cup of Red Zinger tea. My writing process has been pretty slow, but I can say that it has been productive. I’m working on finalizing the second book in my series Dark Betrayal before it is released on paperback. The release of the Kindle version is expected out early October. I’ve been simultaneously working on typing the third book Dark Revenge. That book is in the very early stages, so it is not expected to be released until early summer 2015. Plans for my fall book tour will be announced as soon as they develop.
Happy reading!
L.L.

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General Hospital Spotlight

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on September 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The changing of the seasons got the best of me, so I know that it has been a while since I’ve written a General Hospital Spotlight.

The intensity has grown when it comes to many of the storylines and there has never been a dull moment. I think that Ava’s baby is really on borrowed time, and no matter what precautions Sonny takes to protect him or her, in the end it will not matter. Jorden saves her once again and once again Ava is out of the woods. Once Port Charles realizes that Jason Morgan is alive,and that there were many forces that contributed to his condition, things will get worse before they get better for him. The producers are still on edge as far as revealiving the new Jason so I think that there will still be a long time before his character gets some real face time. They are trying too hard to avoid it, and it looks obvious to the fans that the production still doesn’t have a clear vision with Jason. I feel the same way about Robin. I feel that her character is broken. A quote she said on yesterdays episode. The Cassidine’s are pointless and I am so tired of seeing Helena come back from the dead. If she is shot in head like a Zombie then there is no coming back. LOL.
I’m so excited about Carly and Franco’s engagement and even more excited about his true plans for this Halloween. Wedding, which in my opinion will not happen. My prediction is: he is going to tell her at the alter that he knew about her infidelity, and confess to everyone that Sonny shot AJ then leave her there alone.
Lets see how the rest of the week plays out.
L.L.

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Lucy “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lucy poster

Lucy directed by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman tells an interesting story about a young woman living in Japan that gets swept up into an international drug trade.

The film opens with a so-called friend Richard, trying to convince Lucy to take a mysterious briefcase to someone that she doesn’t even know. Very reluctant to do this favor, Lucy denies his request and she is forced to put herself in a situation that will eventually change her life forever.
Lucy enters the dark world of the unknown as she encounters a group of Japanese Mob men that basically plays Russian Roulette with here life.

She is attacked and forced to smuggle drugs back into the US with an implanted bag of a synthetic pregnancy hormone.
Lucy tries to rebel against her captors and is attacked once again. The bag explodes inside her, and the drug is released into her bloodstream as it opens up a whole new world of abilities that her brain unlocks.

Lucy escapes the prison that she is being held in and soon reeks havoc upon everyone that was responsible for her pain and suffering.
Lucy’s brain functioning is evolving by the minute. She seeks the help of Professor Norman, a Brain Scholar (played by Morgan Freeman, as she tries to cope with her new found intelligence.
One by One she picks off the Japanese Mob crew. Her crusade to put an end to their plan starts a war between her and the Boss. He will stop at nothing to see her die and does everything in his power to make that happen.

In the end Lucy meets allies on her journey for revenge and leaves the legacy of her intelligence behind for the professor.

I thought the overall concept for this film was awesome and I could see the future makings of a great superhero film.
I really enjoyed the special effects, but felt as though there were some unnecessary scene flashes such as the animals running in the beginning,it seemed out of place. The movie was too short, but I felt that the imagery was Sci Fi driven and the action scenes were engaging.
I gave this movie 3 stars.
L.L.

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Dawn of the planet of the apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Andy Serkis was an outstanding film that has all the elements that make a blockbuster.

The movie takes place ten years after the Apes emerged to claim their freedom. The world is plagued with a virus that has wiped out most of the human race. Led by Ceaser and portrayed by Andy Serkis, the apes build a world where they thrive as they band together to protect their home. A group of human survivors led by Malcolm and played by Jason Clark encounter the apes in their search to bring electricity back to the city, so they can begin to restore the life they had before the virus.

Caesar struggles with trust issues with the humans as Malcolm tries to convince him to come into their territory so they can restore power. Ceaser agrees but on the condition that the group of humans enter without weapons. Some of the people in the group battle with their own issues with the apes, in fear that they will be attacked. They betray the trust that is established and Caesar questions their true intentions.

Koba—one of Caesar’s lieutenants, who was rescued from the Genesis research facility in the first film holds an unforgiving grudge against the humans and will stop at nothing to break the peace among the two species.

Ceaser sets an example by teaching non violence, community and morels to his fellow apes, but despite his efforts to spare the lives of humans and the apes—a fight between the two is inevitable.
Initiated by Koba, a war breaks out as the two groups fight for freedom. Ceaser almost meets his death as Koba betrays him in the worse way. After his home is destroyed in the forest and he is left for dead, Caesar is saved by Malcom. They seek a safe haven away from all the destruction as Caesar returns to his old home with Malcom and his family to recuperate from a gunshot wound. While on the mend, Caesar makes a connection with Malcolm and reconigizes his genuine nature as demonstrated with his past relationship with Wil Rodman, played by James Franco in the first film.

Meanwhile Koba kills his kind as he makes an attempt to intimidate the other apes to follow him. The apes invade the community of humans and capture them. Koba’s intention is to inflict the same pain on the humans that he endured within the facility.

The final battle between Koba and Caesar is an intense one, filled with lots of action and high energy sequences. The power and emotion behind these scenes are adrenaline driven and will leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. In the end, power was restored within the city, Caesar killed Koba, re-claimed leadership among the apes and was reunited with his family.

The 20th Century Fox film is an experience that movie goers must see to believe. The visual presentation, special effects ,score and the emotions behind the CG characters bring the story to life in way that demonstrates a creative craft that is absolutely impeccable. Even the language of the apes was impressive, the sign language blending with English and the dialect of the apes fit the tone of the film and was delivered in a manner that made you appreciate what this film represents.

Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Caesar was astounding. If the Academy does not nominate Serkis for an Oscar then they really need to re-evaluate their whole nomination process. This movie grossed big at the box office and the marketing plan was strong in their efforts to draw in movie goers, so why are most films nominated that people have never even heard of, seen and or released in a limited capacity? I’m looking forward to Andy being acknowledged in the Oscar Realm. He deserves it.

Dawn of the Planet of Apes has become an instant modern classic and was masterpiece in every way shape and form that a film can be.
A must see on your summer movie list. I gave this movie 5 Stars!!
L.L.

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TrueBlood Season Premier Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

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TrueBlood Season Premier Review
We all love Sookie Stackhouse and fell in love with her from the very beginning. We all remember that night at Merlotte’s when she was waiting tables and a mysterious man walked in and sat down.

From that very moment TrueBlood has created a very special bond between viewer and reader. That bond crosses the boarders within imagination and reality. The show has always been a reflection of Charline Harris’ work. For the most part the show has always had a clear vision of what road they intend to take during every season, but this year I feel that the absence of Alan Ball shows and the team really doesn’t know where they should take the final season.

Last season ended with an attack by the Hep-V vampires at the newly owned bar Bellefleur’s. The final season opened continuing the attack as several lives were lost including Tara and some of the Bon Temps residents being kidnapped.

After Tara got killed, I was so upset. Her death was right before the show’s introduction and it made me so angry that Rutina Wesley aka Tara didn’t even have a proper farewell. Fans have struggled with Tara all these years, and it would have been nice to see another path where her journey ended. Her character and her fans deserved better.

I’ve always wanted to see Sookie and Alcide together but there is something about the chemistry that seems a little off. The sexy, passion that Sookie has for her lovers just isn’t visible with the werewolf. Hopefully that will change.

Sam’s new position as Mayor of Bon Temps bothers me, and I feel that it has taken away from his shifter personally, despite the fact that he shifted in the episode last night. Nicole is expecting and was among the people kidnapped. I just can’t understand why Sam and Alcide couldn’t track them in their supernatural forms? That was really upsetting to me.

Where in the world is Eric? When Eric burned in the sun during last season’s finale, Pam sensed his pain and tracked him. She ends up in Morocco, but instead of finding him she is led on a treasure hunt to find her Maker which may lead her to France. Eric is one of the major characters that impacts Sookie in many ways. In the books she unknowingly marries him, but he tricks her into it in order to protect her. I was hoping that the writers would have stayed true to the author’s vision. If they did, this show could have survived ten heart stopping seasons. Even though Eric released Pam, why wouldn’t he go to Bon Temps or even to Fangtasia? Now Fantasia is a hub for the Hep-V vamps, and I think that is ridiculous.

I feel that the flow of show has come to a halt, and that the story lines involving the characters are completely disjointed. I went to bed with the show on my mind and thought about how disappointed I was with the overall writing of this particular episode.

Jason Stackhouse’s story line with this vampire chick Violet is pointless. They should have killed her and kept Tara and had Jason and Tara have an intimate scene while she was a vampire. I’m not sure where they want to go with Jessica and Andy’s daughter, Adilyn, but I’m not excited about that either.

I just hope that the writers get on board and show and that they are not just trying to get this over with for the sake of their contracts. So many shows have a bad track record with ending in disappointments.

Stephen Moyer directed the episode which impressed me. And I was happy to see everyone. The introduction of some new characters like Jessica’s new beau was refreshing. I’m looking forward to seeing how this season unfolds. I just got the final Sookie book so I can’t wait to get lost in her adventures again.
L.L.

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General Hospital Spotlight

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Sabrina

The heat is on this week on the ABC soap General Hospital. Sabrina and Patrick are grieving over the death of their son Gabriel. As they prepare for the upcoming funeral Felix realizes that “something is off” with Sabrina. Patrick goes over to the apartment to check on her and she has apparently completely lost her mind. Sabrina’s mind has reverted back to her wedding day. I think that she will have to be committed and that will be Teresa’s official sign off to go on maternity leave.

Nina Clay has come back from the dead, like most soap characters do. She is trying to use her handicap to get Silas back and I believe she is faking it. The writers are setting it up for a new Jason to make an appearance, so this thing with Silas and Sam is not going to work.
This new story line with Rafe is getting interesting as he has now become a drug addict. I think he was one that caused the accident that Sabrina and Patrick were in but Ava directly told Carlos that Sabrina would be a target if he didn’t lie for her. It is possible that Ava paid Rafe to run them off them off the road. It would make sense, just so Rafe could finance his drug habit. He will do anything for money at this point.

Now that the truth is out about Sonny and Ava’s situation, I’m excited to see how things will unfold. I’m surprised that Morgan was willing to get back with Ava despite everything that she has done. I can’t imagine how Ava and Sonny will make it work living together. Sonny can trust Olivia so I don’t know why he won’t tell her that he shot AJ. She will understand.

I absolutely love the plot that is centered on Jordan. I would have never thought that she would end up being an undercover DEA agent. She should tell TJ but she knows that will be a major risk in blowing her cover. I hope she finds out who Julian’s real boss is. I think it is either the Jerome father, Jerry Jax or Heather Webber disguised as Luke Spencer. My sources tell me that someone in Port Charles will get shot by the end the week. I guess we have to wait and find out who.

L.L

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Godzilla “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Godzilla_(2014)_poster

Godzilla starring Bryan Cranston,Aaron Taylor-Johnson,and Ken Watanabe,follows the story of nuclear scientists and the military as they discover,and battle a creature that unleashes a wrath of prehistoric proportions on a modern-day world.

The Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures duo outdid themselves in the apocalyptic action adventure.

Monsters, and Dinosaurs Oh My!!

After the accident and death of Joe Brody’s wife in a Japan Power plant,Brody sets off on a 15 year study where he learns that all the strange geological activity in Japan is actually being covered up and is something else entirely different.

With the discovery of strange prehistoric creatures,a chain reaction of events leads to humanity fighting for their world.

Once the terrestrial creatures are unleashed, they destroy everything in their path to mate with each other. As scientists learn that the two are communicating with another creature, the race begins as the military fights to save the world from destruction. Another creature surfaces to claim American territory. As Godzilla reeks havoc upon American soil, he is threatened by the two monstrous forces. Godzilla battles the two and defeats the creatures and claims the title King of the monsters.

The story line was engaging, and every scene was directed and delivered in way that kept the movie goer interested. The destructive scenes were exciting and there was a balance of special effects and sound that united all the elements of the story.

The movie had a unique tone to it that subtly paid homage to the original Godzilla. It was a remake that did the original great justice and enhanced the story further. There are talks that a Warner Bros sequel is in the works, which will make movie goers happy. This was a movie that technology embraced to the fullest but wasn’t over shadowed by it.
I gave this movie 5 stars! A must see for Memorial Day Weekend!
L.L

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The Amazing Spiderman 2

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Spider man 2 poster

The Amazing Spiderman 2, starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb was truly AMAZING! This was one of the best superhero movies I’ve seen.
Without giving too much away, I will say that the movie is a continuation of the first film. What really makes this movie a first rate action film is the storytelling aspect. The writers focused on delivering Peter’s story in such a way that fully explains Peter’s connection to OsCorp and his real reasons for becoming Spiderman.
The rise of Electro and The Green Goblin were elements that added to the film. Andrew Garfield did a wonderful job reprising his role as The Amazing Spiderman, but Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Electro was just outstanding. I had the pleasure of experiencing the film in 3D and it was such an entertaining experience that I will never forget. Electro made the movie. Foxx aka Electro is now on my list of the top 5 Superhero villains of all time.
The action scenes were superb and I felt like I was in the film living every moment as if I were one of the characters. This movie is definitely an engaging film with no dull moments.
The love story between Peter and Gwen was also nice, but it wasn’t an overwhelming element. Each mini storyline fit to the overall bigger story and came together very nicely. Even the Green Goblin’s story was interesting, and the whole story behind Peter and Harry’s past unveiled some very engaging plot outlines. OsCorp is the corporation of the future, but all things intended to help mankind don’t necessarily end in success. I hope an Amazing Spiderman 3 is in the works.
The special effects were out of this world, the scenes with Electro in the heart of Times Square were so authentic in its presentation. Also the scenes where Spiderman is above the city jumping from building to building were also amazing. I was completely swept away by this film.
The score was another element that was outstanding. The music played an important role, which kept the flow and mood of the movie in ways that increased the dramatic effect of the film. It connected to the emotion of the characters and impacted the audience in a way that drew you into the movie even deeper.
Peter’s adventure is just that, a great adventure that you will want to experience.
Overall I gave this movie 5 stars and highly recommend that fans see it in 3D. Spending the extra cash is worth it.

L.L

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General Hospital Spotlight

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As Aj’s life hangs in the balance, his family stands by his side to support and comfort him. Monica and Michael try to make sense of the whole incident while they prepare for Dr. Patrick Drake to work his neurological magic on Aj. Ava and Sonny go on with their lives. As they try to maintain their alibis, Anna and Dante do their best to pick up the pieces in solving the crime.
Sabrina has caught on to Carlos’ lies as too many coincidences have fallen into place.
After being questioned at her apartment by Anna and Dante, Ava
shockingly returns to Aj’s room at GH prepared to finish him off, but I know that that moment will be interrupted by someone else coming into the room. They will catch Ava and she will once again lie her way out of a tight situation.
I must give Ava credit, she is talented in being deceitful.

As far as Ava and Silas’ issue, I believe that Ava is innocent. Silas’ wife is alive and she is the one that is trying to set him up. She is following Silas and Sam, setting things into motion to slowly bring him down. She killed the pharmacist and will soon make her presence known.
Happy Friday!!!L.L.

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