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Jurassic World “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jurassic World

Jurassic World directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard is the Blockbuster hit of summer 2015! The action adventure Sci-Fi thriller takes place twenty-two years after things went awry at the island of Isla Nublar.  Now it is not just a park, but a full functioning adventure theme park like Disney World, which is reflective of John Hammond’s original vision from the 90’s. This island has a long list of dinosaurs and would not be complete without the genetically modified mutant dinosaur. Yes I said mutant because a lot of them are not purebred, but completely engineered with the DNA of other dinosaurs and animals like frogs and fish.

Claire a strong career driven woman played by Howard runs the massive island with an iron fist. She is soon forced to take on the role of responsible caregiver, when her sister sends her two boys on a vacation to the theme park for some much needed family time. Gray and Zach—Claire’s nephews arrive to find out that their family vacation with their aunt is now just a play-date for two. Claire continues to run things and trusts her assistant with the care of her nephews. The two quickly ditch their chaperone and start to tour the island by themselves.

Meanwhile Owen played by Pratt—an ex-military man and animal specialist works at the park training Raptors. He demonstrates his progress to some of the leading experts on the island and Claire requests his assistance before she opens a new exhibit at the park. She shows him the place where a new dinosaur will be revealed. Owen expresses his initial concerns when he finds some potential weak spots in the habitat containment unit.

A small incident occurs when some of the dinosaurs escape their habitat. Claire believes that she has everything under control, but it is just the beginning of a chain of events that eventually leads to the escape of one of the most dangerous creatures that man has ever encountered.

The playdate for two quickly transitions into a journey of survival as they along with Claire and Owen fight to survive the earthly beasts that the island has to offer.

What can I say? This movie was just great. I’m still thinking about it and I saw it Saturday night. Everything about this movie was awesome. The storyline, character portrayal and development, score and sound, and the special effects were amazing. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I found out that they were doing a Jurassic World. I saw it in 3D which enhanced the movie experience for me. Chris Pratt did a wonderful job with his character and he made me feel that old school excitement for cinema that only classic Harrison Ford can channel. The director Colin Trevorrow’s vison moved me as he showcased his own unique abilities while conjuring some of Spielberg’s inspiration. This movie is worth seeing a second time. Just thinking about it makes me smile which you will too, once you’re in your seat.

I gave this movie 5 stars. If I could give more I would.

L.L         

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Poltergeist 2015 Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Poltergeist-poster

Poltergeist starring Sam Rockwell and directed by Gil Kenan and produced by Sam Raimi was a horror movie remake that disappointed me in many ways. The movie was supposed to be a reboot of the haunted house classic Steven Spielberg film, starring JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson, but I just couldn’t get over how badly it was done. There was nothing authentic about this film, and the writers did nothing but add some overrated special effects and overuse the original script. The names of the characters were changed for some reason, and I found that the actor’s performances were weak. The mood of the film was disappointingly mellow, and for me there was no real fear that the characters displayed.  For this to have had Sam Raimi’s name behind it, I was expecting so much more. I think that the film could have been done so much better if Sam Raimi would have had complete creative control in addition to the writing. The casting and storytelling was just all wrong, and I hope that the next horror I see will make up for this one.  The only two positive things I have to say was that the scene where we were able to see how the other realm or alternate dimension looked was good, even though I also think that the drone going into that realm was out of place. Technology should be dead in this this case. (I believe that was Raimi’s influence, good idea but it just wasn’t delivered creativity.) I also thought the scene with the family trying to leave the house was good. They are sitting in their SUV and are suddenly dragged back in through the garage as the house becomes consumed by the portal. That was an interesting add on to the movie. Throughout the movie I kept calling the little girl “Carol Anne and was comparing the remake with the original. It was so hard not to. The ghost hunter Carrigan Burke played by Jared Harris didn’t do much for me, but prove that the writers tried too hard with making the movie fit into the modern world. The paranormal research team was horrible, and at this point I can’t write anymore bad things about this movie. Wait, yes I can, it was in 3D which was an excuse for theaters to charge more money than necessary. It didn’t add any depth to the movie at all, just a dent in my purse. Not worth seeing it, but if you must as a fan of horror, wait until it’s out on cable and you have nothing else better to do.

I gave this movie two stars just because of the two scenes I liked and because I like Sam Raimi.

L.L

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The Avengers: Age of Ultron “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Avengers AU poster

The Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Joss Whedon and starring Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans continues the story of the Marvel comic group of hero’s, as they continue their fight to save the earth from the threat of darkness.

The films opens with an action packed scene as the Avengers battle a group of terrorists in Europe. New enemies are introduced as the Avengers search for Loki’s stolen scepter, which has a powerful stone inside it. They race to get the scepter back into the right hands.

Once they retrieve the scepter Tony Stark and Bruce Banner waste no time with trying to create something that can help keep the peace and the scepter protected. Tony uses his engineering talents to create a form of artificial intelligence with the hopes of it being the answer to all their problems, but as soon as the AI begins to take it’s form, the stages of evolution begin to take place and the entity that was designed to help turns into something much more sinister, and out of that Ulton is born.

In the process Tony has the program set where Jarvis has control over the entity, but Jarvis is quickly overpowered and Ultron destroys Jarvis.

The team bands together to battle the constantly evolving Ultron. He does everything in his power to break the bond and trust the Avengers share including using two powerful mutants Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, (which were created by William Stryker, the same man that created Wolverine) against them. The group retreats when they are overpowered and they seek refuge at Hawkeye’s home with his wife and children as they begin to regroup.

Captain America comes up with a battle plan, and each one the Avengers uses their strengths to battle Ultron. Ultron is thirsty for more power as he creates a group of autobots, to help destroy the Avengers. In the meantime Ulton possesses one of Tony Stark’s scientists and forces her make him a more sustainable body. In the process he becomes more powerful. Eventually Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver realize that Ultron plans to destroy all the humans on the planet and take over the world with his new artificial intelligent colleagues. They go against his plan and join forces with the Avengers to help save the people of earth.

Stark comes up with a plan to recreate a manifestation of Jarvis using the stone from Loki’s scepter. The manifestation of Jarvis has now altered into Vison. A powerful being that has a multitude of abilities. The will of the Avengers is strong as they all join forces to defeat Ultron.

Overall The Avengers: Age of Ulton was an awesome movie. The story was well written and gave each of the characters an opportunity to shine in an appropriate manner. Sometimes when movies have an all-star cast, the story can get lost in the process and the actors get swallowed whole, but this is not the case with the Avengers sequel. They each had good on screen chemistry and the new characters added to the adventure. The special effects were remarkable and captivating. The battle scenes took you to another realm and made you feel like you were in the adventure.

Now we know that there is a bigger story behind the Avengers and that all the Marvel Superhero movies are connected. In the end we see Thanos make another appearance saying “I will just have to do it my myself.” As he reaches for a glove with five holes in it. I don’t know too much about the bigger story, but I do know that the Infinity stone that was in Loki’s scepter is connected to the infinity stone in the Guardians of Galaxy. More stones will appear throughout the Marvel Superhero film world, which will lead to the Infinity Wars in the distant future.

This movie is a must see, which will kick off the season of Summer Blockbusters. I gave this movie 5 stars

L.L

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General Hospital Spotlight

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »

billy miller jason

General Hospital spotlight
Sometimes the GH storylines start to fizzle out for me. This whole thing with Michael and Sonny has gone too far. I can’t believe that Michael would go to any lengths to keep Avery away from Sonny. Despite everything Michael has had a good life and should not still be hungry for revenge. Now that Luke is an escaped mental patient, I think that he is going to kidnap Avery. Once that happens, the court will determine that Michael is not fit to care for her. Now that we know that Luke has a split personality disorder, I am not sure where they are going to take his storyline. I think Lulu should call Laura just to tell her what is going on. This will soon lead to another Spencer adventure, which will hopefully end well.

Ava came back from the dead just to find out that she is dying from Cancer. I really hope that Maura West is not leaving the show. I’ve really grown to love her character and I love the fact that she comes with so much excitement.

I wasn’t too happy to see Spaneli when I found out that he was trying to break up Maxie and Nathan, but now that he has possibly recognized Jake as Jason, he may actually be the one to solve the case. I don’t think that he will let the whole thing rest. When Sam does find out the truth, it will not be easy for her to leave Patrick and pick up the pieces of her marriage. I think they will realize that they are two totally different people and live lives that no longer include one another.

I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen to Jordan now that Sonny and Julian are a war and Sean’s suspicions of her have increased. I think that she is going to get shot and will spill the beans to Sean and TJ when she is recovering at GH. I like the sexual tension between Sloan and Anna. I like their on screen chemistry, but I still like Duke and Anna together. I believe that Sloan is not who he says he is, and that his real identity will come to light soon. I am curious to find out why Sloan wants Jake to be undercover.
Until Next Time
L.L.

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Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , on December 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

General Hospital Spotlight!

luke-spencer-photo

The last few weeks on GH have been absolutely explosive. Let’s start with Sonny and the truth about AJ’s murder. The truth is out about Sonny’s involvement with AJ’s murder and now he is in jail awaiting trail. Michael has completely disowned Sonny and Carly and has officially taken the Quartermain name. Interestingly enough an old mob rival Anthony Zacara makes an appearance in Pentenville and makes Sonny an offer. Back in PC Carlos Rivera finds Julian and tells him about a deal that could change their lives. Julian struggles to make the right decision as Alexis and his love for her still pierces his mind. He eventually choose s to take the deal and with that he is back on the streets of PC and back with his mob affiliation.

Rick Lancing’s name is now back in PC conversation as Anna comes clean to Alexis about the truth regarding his ” so-called ” death. Anna discovers that Rick is no longer in hiding but missing, and this is where my Fluke Luke suspicions come in.

We all know that there are still two Luke’s, but were three. Fazon was impersonating Luke, to create a diversion for Helena’s schemes and now that Fazon is back on the streets, another imposter is at the Quartermain mansion trying to put the pieces together to Luke’s life. The real Luke is locked in the basement of the mansion and doesn’t know if he even has a future anymore.

How long are the writers going to keep this Fluke Luke up? To be honest I’m getting tired of FL and the whole storyline, but what is interesting about it is that I thought the Fluke Luke could be Rick Lansing and that he was being blackmailed by Helena and did not have a choice in the matter. Now I know that is not true because Carlos has Rick locked in a trunk of a car awaiting Sonny’s decision on turning over his territory to Anthony Zarcara. I also think that Helena is behind the mob alliance and wants control over the families. Both story lines are related.

Ava’s baby was finally found and now that crazy Nina and Franco are in jail pending kidnapping charges, I hope Nina will get what she deserves. Since I still like Franco, I do hope that the charges will be dropped. Ava is also in jail waiting to see her fate as she faces the consequences of Connie’s murder.

I thought that it was strange that Nathan asked Alexis to represent Nina since Sam was on her list and Nina did everything to destroy Sam and Silas. And now Nina wants Alexis to represent Franco. I think that Alexis will play the insanity card when it comes to Nina’s defense and that is how she will walk away from the kidnapping charges. Franco on the other hand, I’m not sure but I do think that he will get off too. I’m curious to see how Ava and Sonny will get out of what they did. I sill don’t have any answers on Maurice’s contract and whether or not he will return for 2015.
I guess we will just have to watch and see how things play out.

Happy Reading
L.L

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The Walking Dead Season 5 Premiere

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

walking dead season 5 poster

The Walking Dead Season 5 Premiere “Review”

Sunday night’s episode of the Walking Dead is still burning on my mind. Every scene was an exciting adventure that unfolded at every turn.

The whole idea of Terminus was brilliant. I saw several horror movies represented in the one episode, from Saw, to Hostel,to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but it was done so cleverly. We all assumed that the people of Terminus were cannibals but now we  are definitely aware that they are, and that those who arrive don’t survive.

Rick, Glen and Bob are taken to another room where they are about to die, while Gareth and his crew prepare. Back in the train car Michone, Maggie, Carl and the others make homemade weapons so they can defend themselves when the time comes. Meanwhile Carol and Tyreesse are on the road and soon approach a small house. One of the Terminus’ guys are there, and she over hears him on a walkie-talkie discussing a woman with a sword—referencing Michone. Carol demands answers as she threatens to kill him. Tyreesse and Carol tie him up and Carol leaves Tyreesse and Judith with the guy so she can investigate on her own. It doesn’t take long for Carol to make it to Terminus to see first hand what’s going on. She spots Rick being held captive.

Carol goes in with a plan. She uses explosives to do some serious damage to the property. Her one woman army is fierce as she pushes in pretending to be a walker. She picks off a few men in the process and Rick seizes the opportunity as he kills the two men that were about to slit their throats.

An all out war breaks out, Rick rescues his group and they all head out to escape Terminus. Gareth makes a run for it while Carol and Mary go head to head.

Mary is killed and every one is reunited. Rick is determined to go back and kill everyone that is left in Terminus. Abraham and Maggie are not too keen on the idea and they talk Rick out of going back. I think that Rick should have pushed on and convinced the group to go back. Why would they not finish them off? Rick should have reminded them that the governor came back. He came back after four months, what makes them think that the Terminus survivors won’t go after them, especially now that Mary—Gareth’s mother is dead.  That was a big mistake.

During the conversation, Carol approaches the group. Daryl spots her and immediately embraces her. The emotional moment that he shares with Carol is one of those unforgettable moments, that even had me choked up. It was the same feeling when Rick found Carl and Lori in season one, episode three.

Rick embraces Carol and asks her “Did you do this?” and she nods her head as she is about to cry in his arms. She regains herself and tells Rick that he has to come with her.

Rick and the others follow Carol back to the little house, and as they approach, Rick sees Tyreesse and Judith waiting on the porch. Rick runs over them, overjoyed with happiness, and filled with shock and relief, Rick holds his daughter for the first time since things went down at the prison. Carl joins them and at this point tears are streaming down my face.

Together again the group heads out on the road as they search for a safe place to live and rebuild their lives in a world that has all the odds against them.

Rick erases the Terminus sign as they are about to leave and the scene closes with a mysterious man following the group’s trail. The man is reveled to be Morgan the person who first took Rick in after he woke up from his Coma. The last time he encountered Rick things didn’t go well. He was clearly out of his mind. But he seems well put together now.

The premiere was one of the best season openings that I have ever seen a show present. The action was intense and as I watched, I felt as though I was one of the characters experiencing the journey. The effects were amazing and every scene drew me in deeper.

I was very surprised to see that the writers completed the Terminus chapter in one episode, considering that Hershel’s farm and the Prison lasted so long. But it is clear that there is a vision—a path that the writers are taking Rick and it is evident that path coincides with the comic books.

I am absolutely loving it, and cant wait to see what happens this Sunday.

L.L

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“Annabelle” Movie Review

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

Annabelle poster

Annabelle directed by John R. Leonetti and starring Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton tells the story about a young couple that experiences paranormal activity in their home. It all starts when Mia’s husband John brings home a vintage doll as a gift for his expectant wife. Soon after the couple’s home is broken into by a husband and wife that belong to a cult. Mia and John barely make it out alive. The cops intervene, killing both intruders. The female named Annabelle was found in the nursery holding the life sized doll in her arms.

The activity begins after Mia returns from the hospital on bed rest as instructed by her doctor. Strange things begin to happen. The doll starts to move on its own. At first the movement is very subtle but progresses throughout the film. The couple attempts to move out of the first house where the occult couple was killed, but the activity intensifies as time goes on. John attempts to throw away the doll but it mysteriously turns up in a box when the couple begin’s to unpack and settle into the new home. Mia decides to keep the doll and soon things get worse. Mia does some research about the young woman Annabelle and the occult she belonged to. She learns that the doll is possessed by a dark entity that Annabelle conjured and that it wants her daughter’s soul. Mia fights to protect her child and seeks the help of the church. Her local parish priest tries to help but is almost killed in the process. Mia’s friend Evelyn played by Alfre Woodard spends time with the family and experiences the activity first hand. She eventually sacrifices herself to save the baby.

The film had its scary moments and at times demonstrated the classic clichés of horror. Child’s play and Rosemary’s baby references were scattered around the film. The acting was just average and there were paths that I thought the movie was moving in but then moved in a completely different direction.
Overall the vision for the film could have been a lot better but I think that it’s a subtle flick for those horror fans that just want a taste of Halloween horror.
I gave this movie 2.5 stars.
Happy Horror
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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Do What You Are Meant To Do

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Do what you believe you are meant to do.

So many people struggle with finding their way through life, doing things that make them unhappy. We all do it at some point in our lives and there is a time when we must step out of that zone and go to the place within ourselves and be who we really are meant to be in this life. No matter what you do to create a life that works for you, never give up on your real dream. Do what you are meant to do, do what makes you happy. Life is not always about the struggles but it’s about the journey you take and the lessons you learn along the way, how you make those lessons work for your life now. It doesn’t matter how long the journey takes, but what it is that you do once your journey is complete.

L.L.

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