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Posts Tagged ‘Swept Into The Darkness Author’

“The Man of Steel” Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder was a Sci Fi thrill ride that will take you on a massive adventure between worlds.

Starring Henry Cavill, as Superman aka Kal-El. Henry is best known as the Tudors supporting actor and King Henry’s right hand man Charles Brandon.

The two and a half hour movie, features an all star cast in some of the most important roles the story has.
The movie opens with a spectacular scene as Jor-El played by Russell Crow and his wife Laura have a baby. As they quickly settle into parenthood, their happiness does not last long as they face the fate of a dying Krypton.
Jor-El meets with the leaders of the Council and tries to find out what they can do to save their people from extinction. The meeting is interrupted by General Zod played by Michael Shannon as he murders members of the Council and Jor-El in an effort to take over as the leader. He and his crew are captured and banished from the planet. Before Zod’s departure, he vows that he will find Kal as he witnesses Laura sending him to safety in an escape pod.
The secret to Krypton’s survival is within the genetic make up of Kal-El.
The planet explodes and with that no one survives.
As Kal adjusts to life on Planet Earth.
The movie then picks up with Clark as an adult, as he moves from one odd job to the next searching for his place in the world.
A strange and supernatural encounter in the Artic with a journalist sets off a chain of events that changes everything for the entire world.

I don’t want to give everything away but the storyline was indeed very complex and well thought out. The film was hard core Sci FI and not what you’d expect from a Superman movie.
The world created for the film was fitting for the story and the cast choices perfectly pulled everything together. My only concern with casting was Amy Adams as Lois. She was not a good choice. The effects were amazing and pulled you right into the adventure. I give this movie 5 Stars.

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BATES MOTEL Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The A&E Horror series Bates Motel starring Freddie Highmore is the prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
The show is very interesting and shows the growing psychotic relationship between Norman and his mother Norma.

Bates Motel opens with the mysterious death of Norman’s father, and Norman discovering his body. Distraught and shocked Norman and Norma try to move past it by starting fresh, and moving to a new town. Norma purchases the Seafair Motel in hopes of building a successful business and making a good life for her son. Before they even have a chance to settle in, they are confronted by the previous owner of the property. Upset that he lost his home and business he breaks onto the house one night, attacks and rapes Norma. Norman walks in and discovers his mom is hurt. He knocks out Keith Summers and Norma stabbs him several times.
Determined to keep the murder a secret Norma and Norman disposes his body.
This murder and secret is the beginning of a chain of events that lead Norman and Norma on a downward spiral into the pit of darkness.

The show is exciting and has some very interesting storylines. The introduction of an older brother is fresh to the Psycho theme in addition to Norman’s blackouts.
I really don’t have too many complaints concerning this show except for the time period. The time period can be very confusing. The house and style of the show is presented in a way that is authentic to the time the original takes place, then is interrupted by the introduction of modern technology.
Norman and his mother dress and act like they are from the 50’s and 60’s. Then the second they take out a cell phone or go on the computer, it takes away from the authenticity of Hitchcock’s legacy.
Bates Motel is a great show and shows great promise. The characters have good on screen chemistry and I love the way the writers are developing the relationship between Norman and his mother.

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Ironman3 Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Marvel Studios production, Ironman 3 starring Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Shane Black was a good film considering some of the negative reviews that have been written about the film. Black is fairly new to the directing scene and is known for writing for the popular 80’s action flicks Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, and Lethal Weapon 3.
Ironman 3 picks up sometime after the Avengers have saved the world from an intergalactic alien invasion. A disturbed Tony Stark is in the process of trying to deal with the shock of knowing that other worlds and beings exist. He is also adjusting to being in a steady relationship with Pepper.
The normalcy of life quickly comes to a halt when Tony learns that the world is once again under attack by a terrorist. The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley. He is a vicious killer and will do anything to get what he wants. The government acts quickly and sends Colonel James Rhodes out on a mission to search for the terrorist. An old acquaintance of Tony’s surfaces Aldrich Killian, and makes Pepper an offer for Tony to be a partner in his DNA altering project. Pepper declines and little do they know that Killian has a more malicious agenda in mind. Tony calls out The Mandarin and soon his home is under attack. Barely making it out alive Tony and Pepper survive, but their home is destroyed. As Tony searches for The Mandarin he quickly learns that he is a fake, an actor and that his real enemy is Killian. Killian has developed a way to heal the physically disabled, but has changed them into heat resistant mutants. He has created these beings to destroy Stark and the world. His plan is to become the world’s most powerful terrorist. He kidnaps the President and Pepper and tries to use Tony’s love for her to get him to work for him.
Tony and Killian battle it out in the traditional fight between good vs evil.
Overall I thought that Ironman 3 was a good movie. The first two were better, but that still doesn’t take away from the film. Black was creative in his representation of Ironman. There were a lot of action pact scenes and creative concepts that haven’t been done before with Ironman. The effects were good, the score was disappointing.
I give this movie 3 1/2 stars.

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Dark Betrayal: Chronicles of the Celestial Book Two

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

The second book in my Chronicles of the Celestial series is called Dark Betrayal. The story continues as Sydney London fully embraces her heritage as a Nephilim. Even though she has defeated many of her enemies, she must now face the ultimate betrayal as she continues to defend the human race on the Earthly Realm. As she remains strong in her efforts to fight against the “Darkness” Sydney learns that the one person she is trying to save may not be the person she was meant to save. All the choices that Sydney make are important and her will to fight and survive is strong. Will the Betrayal be so devastating that it changes her mission? You will have to read to find out.
Dark Betrayal is darker than book one, because it takes the main character Sydney on a rollercoaster ride of experiences that reveal a whole new world of darkness that few magical beings have seen.

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Evil Dead: Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Evil Dead, The most anticipated horror film in years was released in theaters this past Friday.
The Sony Pictures production was a re-make of the original 80’s version, but the film also brought something new to Sam Raimi’s creation.

The story follows a group of friends as they travel to a remote cabin in the woods to help Mia, get off drugs “cold turkey.” Among the group is her brother David,he joins them in hopes to support his sister, but they obviously have some issues they need to work out. The group quickly settles in and Eric finds something that interests him; The Book of the Dead.
Under the care of nurse Olivia, Mia starts the process of withdrawal, in the midst of everything going on Eric reads an incantation from the book. As Mia’s withdrawal becomes more intense she is soon possessed by a dark entity. One by one the group of friends are devoured by the entity. David takes on the leadership role and tries to abide by the rules of the book which is to cleanse or purify the possessed body. He saves his sister by burying her and bringing her back. As they each die horrific deaths David decides to burn his family’s cabin. The ritual is complete and now the dark entity is ready to consume Mia’s soul. Mia gains the strength to fight the demon, and in the process loses one of her hands. She becomes the new Ash, and sends the demon back to hell.
The new Evil Dead was produced by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. This film was a great horror and very exciting to watch. There were some classic elements infused in the remake such as the necklace, the chainsaw, and the iconic scene in the woods when Mia was alone. New elements of the story included the history of the cabin which was very interesting and the obvious drug concept. This movie overall did not disappoint, and the gore and blood was over the top perfect. The special effects and makeup was done with a talented team. The sound effects and score brought movie goers into the film on a whole new level. As far as the actors, I think that the cast was a good choice and the fear they portrayed on camera was very realistic. I give this movie 4 stars
L.L

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Amazon and Goodreads merger

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on April 4, 2013| 1 Comment »

Last week Amazon announced that the company would buy the reading social network Goodreads. Many authors and readers have mixed feelings about the whole idea of two different iconic companies coming together.
Many people hope that this does not mean there will be any drastic, negative changes involving both companies, but I believe that some type of changes will be underway.
As a Goodreads and Amazon author I think that the merger will be positive and help writers build a stronger platform in the world of publishing.
No one knows what the future holds concerning this merger, but we as readers and authors must always be open to new aspects in the realm of literature.
Happy Reading and Writing
L.L.

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Evil Dead excitement!!!

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2013| 1 Comment »

The new Sony production Evil Dead will be released in theaters this Friday. The movie tells the story of a group of friends that go to a cabin in the woods to help one of their friends quit drugs cold turkey.
That part of the story is very different from the original, but there are many elements that are the same. The same concept of possession is the foundation of the storyline. This movie doesn’t seem to have any elements of comedy like the original, which makes me very happy.
One by one the friends become victims of possession, as a consequence of reading the book of the dead.
Blood,gore, body dismemberment all make up the basis of an excellent, horror movie experience.
I was surprised to hear that Bruce Campbell wasn’t going to make an appearance, but learned that he would have a role behind the scenes as one of the producers. I am so excited about this movie, and my husband just purchased the first tickets for Saturday night’s showing!! Enjoy everyone, and my review will be coming soon.
L.L.

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Walking Dead season finale: rant and recap

Posted in Fantasy literature, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 1, 2013| 1 Comment »

Last night’s episode of the Walking Dead season finale was a total disappointment. Last week’s episode with Merle should have been the finale. I really thought that Rick and the group were going to leave the prison. There is no way that they can rebuild their lives there. The battle with the Governor’s group at the prison was uneventful. I don’t understand why Maggie and Glen were the only one shooting and how no one got killed when the Governor led his people deeper into the prison.
Everyone made a big deal on Twitter when Carl shot the Woodbury boy but I agree with his character. He was doing what he had to do. You can’t trust them and who is to say that he was not going to shoot Carl and Hershal. Carl has had to deal with a lot that children usually don’t have to deal with in these times, so if he goes too soft now he could get killed. I like the point he made to his father when he mentioned Dale.

The whole thing with Milton and Andrea annoyed me. She was so stupid when she stopped trying to free herself to talk to Milton. She knew that the Governor had injured him enough that he was not going to survive. Andrea spent too much time on nonsense.

I was not impressed with the make-up job that was done on Milton. His transformation should have been done in stages and more dramatic.

After the Governor and his gang retreated from the prison he goes mad and shoots his men when one of them speaks up stating that they will not participate in a slaughter. The Governor and his two right hand men walk away.

Rick and his group believe that they have defeated the Governor and they go back to Woodbury to find Andrea. They run into a survivor and she tells them she witnesses the Governor kill in cold blood. Rick,Glen, Michone and Daryl go back and stumbles upon Tyreesse. He learns that the Governor is psycho, and questions the whole situation involving the Governor, which should determine his place in season four. Andrea kills herself because Walker Milton bites her. Rick returns to the prison with the Woodbury survivors. What a big mistake, there are too many weak people that Rick is now responisble for even though he claims that he is not the group’s leader, he is more so now than before. I guess the new people will be the new victims in season four. More people have to die. I thought WD season four finale was going to go out with a bang! ANNOYING ANDREA IS FINALLY DEAD! YAY I hope that the new season will be a promising one. I still can’t get over how bad the episode is.
Embracing Something New
L.L

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Oz The Great and Powerful:Movie review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

oz poster

Oz The Great and Powerful:movie review
Oz The Great and Powerful directed by the talented and creative Sam Raimi and starring James Franco tells how the origin of the Wizard of Oz came to be. Franco plays a struggling magician part of a traveling circus. A good man at heart, unfortunately Oscar learns how to live his life by tricking the people around him in order to make ends meet. After a day of creating illusions for a show Oscar is swept away in a hot air balloon when he is caught in a tornado.
(The introduction of the movie starts out in black and white just like the original Wizard of Oz.)
Oscar prays that if his life is spared he will change. And suddenly everything stops and he enters another world, Oz. From there on the movie is (shot in color.)
Oscar is memorized by the magic and uniqueness of this place. He soon meets a beautiful woman (Mila Kunis) that admits she is a witch and charms her just like he charms every beauty that walks into his life. In no time Oscar learns that this beautiful land is in trouble and is in search for the one that will save the people of Oz from the wrath of a wicked witch. Oscar quickly makes the people believe that he is the Great Wizard that the prophecy predicted. He uses his charms,wit and ability to create illusions to claim a throne of riches and fame that does not truly belong to him. Once he learns that he is in the middle of a great battle for power among three powerful witches (Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams) he backs out trying to turn his back on the people and the mission to save the land. Forced to demonstrate his true nature of good he soon teams up with Glina the good witch and utilizes his trickster ways to create the ultimate illusion to defeat the two witches.
This movie is actually a prequel to the Judy Garland original. Sam Raimi did an excellent job directing this epic adventure. It was different than the classic Sam Raimi films that his fans know so well but he did not disappoint. The movie was filled with special effects. The effects were created with skill but there were times that I felt I was in Tim Burton’s world. Overall the movie was very entertaining and thrilling. The 3D version of this film did not enhance the cinematic experience for movie goers. That component was pointless. I would not recommend spending the extra money to see this film in 3D. The writing was creative and the make up was artistically developed. Mila Kunis’ makeup as the wicked witch was over the top with added laytex and construction considering the original witch had an elongated nose, warts and green face paint. The costume design was another element that added to the magic of this film. My goal for this review was not be long and obviously I did not meet that goal. ( LOL) The movie is a must see for adults and children to enjoy. I give this movie four stars.
Happy Reading!
L.L

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Walking Dead Rant

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Walking Dead Rant
I know every one was tuned into watching the midseason premier of AMC’s The Walking Dead. I along with everyone else have been itching to find out what would happen to the Dixon brothers. About to battle to the death as they both take blows from each other two walkers enter the ring, suddenly shots fire and the crowd seperates like ants running from a foot that’s about to stomp on them. Rick’s group is weaker than ever and they all are struggling with their own demons, which are many. Glen can’t get past the sexual harassment and beating that he and girlfriend Maggie endured while in custody in Woodbury. As the group recoups briefly, Daryl decides that if Rick will not accept his brother then he will leave the group. Rick does not feel safe with bringing Merl back to the prison. So the brothers set off on their own. Rick takes Michone in temporarily and heads back to the prison. A new problem arises which is the new group of people that seek refuge. A war has broken out between Rick’s group and Woodbury. ANDREA finally learns that her old group made contact with the Woodbury group. She should leave considering all the weird things she has witnessed. The people of Woodbury are afraid and want to leave. The Governor has lost control and wants revenge against Ricks group. Towards the end of the episode Rick seeks Hershal’s council as he tries to make a decision on whether to accept the new people. Pondering over what to do, Rick sees a ghostly apparition that remembles Lori. At this point he blacks out loosing his mind. Everyone gets nervous and gives Rick some space. Considering that it has only been a week since Lori gave birth, Rick has not had the chance to mourn her absence. We never really saw Carl shoot Lori. I’m waiting to see her surface again as a walker. I don’t believe Carl killed her. The role of being the groups leader has taken a toll on Rick on a level that is and can be internally damaging. The future of the post apocalyptic survivors is uncertain but their struggle to endure and stay strong remains prevalent.
From a writers perspective I would have killed off Merl. He is untrusting and unpredictable. He is nothing like his brother and does not deserve a chance. But I understand his role to stir up conflict and action. If I did decide to go with keeping Merl alive my second option would have been to just let the brothers go their separate ways. Daryl makes the choice to stay with Rick. Daryl completes Rick’s group. The unspoken love that he shares with Carol is almost painful to watch. Just to know that they love each other and do not express it is hurtful. I would have spent time developing their love story. Just taking the time to be human beings is something that Rick’s group must do. The people of Woodbury had their time now it is Rick’s group’s turn. The last time the group had some real time to relax was the time they briefly spent at the CDC. I am looking forward to seeing what the next episode reveals.
Embracing Something New
L.L

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