Movie Review - Battle:LA

In my first viewing of Battle:LA I was expecting a great Science Fiction movie filled with amazing special FX. I wanted to see a lot of the alien technology. What I came out with wasn't that. That's not to say that you shouldn't go see it, in fact this is far from that. I say you go watch this more than once like I did. Yes the special FX were amazing. I even read an article on the models for the creatures in Make-Up Artist Magazine : Fractured Fantasy and Angry Aliens.

*Slight spoiler Alert*

What I did go see (more than once) is an amazingly crafted war movie that is politically correct in that our adversaries were not another human race of people. We were fighting against a race of aliens that landed just outside the coasts of several major cities. The alien's source of power was our ocean water. I have taken that as an analogy for our struggle with oil and the fight we continue to have to this day.

The movie starts of with us learning about all the main characters and what status in the military they have. We also find out who knows who. This sets up conflict amongst the unit later on. Finally, when the soldiers are put on the front line, each has to band together to fight off the common enemy for survival.

I think this was cast very well, the story was believable, and the resolution works and doesn't leave too many open ends for a sequel. Aaron Eckhart seems to be getting the "John Wayne" characters and pulling them off quite well. I was surprised to see Rapper-turned actor Ne-Yo in a toned down role much to go against stereotypes of Rapper/Actors like Eminem, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and many others who use their movie roles to splay their music all over the soundtrack. He was very smart to keep the two separate.

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

When choosing Graceling as a class read for school, I was making a choice based on the descriptions of each book given as options. This book intrigued me the most. Building a strong female character, coming into her own. And she has a special gift for fighting. Cool. Her world does not have guns or aircraft, but they have several Kingdoms on the brink of battle. The main character, Katsa, made it her decision to use her abilities for good instead of for destructive uses. I'm not going to spoil the story when I say that her using her abilities for good sets into motion the whole story. This story tells how Katsa goes on her journey not only for discovery of why someone is trying to pit the different Kingdoms against each other, but also her self-discovery of her true abilities.

As a Young Adult read, its not hard to follow and it also keeps both male & female readers interested. There is a significant mix of both fighting and romance here to make this 400 + page read captivating. Kristian Cashore tells in great visual descriptions both the characters and their environments that I can picture locations as I've read along. The power struggle in the story is believable for the world created. The outcast main character finding someone to connect with is relatable.

For an aspiring writer and film maker, this first novel from Kristin Cashore is really promising. I have also picked up her second book that accompanies Graceling entitled Fire, which I will also be reviewing.

The Thing Prequel

At first the first thing I thought here that I see as wrong is the fact that someone thought was a good idea to do a prequel. Then I thought HOLY SHIT!! Are there no writers left in Hollywood? But then I thought about it and said to my self, self haven’t you ever wondered about the story of the Norwegians who were chasing the dog at the beginning of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Anyhoo, I got off my high horse and opened myself to the idea of a good prequel.


Matthijs van Heijningen Jr's The Thing prequel had confirmed release date of April 29, 2011 and images were surfacing online.

But due to unexplained circumstances The Thing prequel has been slapped with a "to-be-determined" date by Universal Studios and thus leaving us all in the dark. Maybe they are getting a bit afraid of the competition as Scream 4 is released next April as well. What?! Oh crap I just realized that if I’m gonna do this blog I will have to see Scream 4. NOOooooooooo! (in my best James Earl Jones screaming NOOooooooo!)

So some producer of hack prequels is afraid of some other producer of hack sequels? Oh my bad, maybe The Thing Prequel is not a hack job. We shall see.

Here is the layout of the flick. Of course it is Antarctica, home to an isolated outpost where scientists screwing around wake up an evil, ancient alien which has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains a vicious, flesh eating, gluttonous, freak of extraterrestrial nature. Kind of like the people at the department of motor vehicles.

Paleontologist, and chronic shlimazl, Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison (OOPSIE), Kate must join the crew's pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. "

The Thing prequel is directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joel Edgerton, Dennis Storhøi, Trond Espen Seim, Jørgen Langhelle, Jonathan Walker, Eric Christian Olsen, Jo Adrian Haavind, Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar Røise and Kristofer Hivju.

Usually I hate the idea of prequels but I guess I will go out of my way to see this one.

Throw me some opinion rich comments about this and prequels in general.

Paranormal Activity 2

WOW!! I just went and saw Paranormal Activity 2. It is a rainy Sunday afternoon and the crowd was just right for this kind of movie. Not so much a sequel as an accompaniment, the original, this movie packs quite a punch. I do not usually get scared when watching horror movies. Maybe I am desensitized, but I will tell you that Paranormal Activity 2 had me rockin on the edge of my seat.


Todd Williams does a great job as director of this tale a family besieged by an unknown terror. The tension builds a little slowly in the beginning then takes the viewer on pretty cool roller coaster ride of jumps and thrills.

A Family welcomes a new baby into their house. Soon after strang things begin to happen. When they return home one day to find the place has been trashed from top to bottom, they decide to have a security camera system installed. We as the audience get to view the odd and sometimes dangerous activities as voyeurs via the cameras.

I have seen some reviews that say Paranormal Activity 2 is just a rehash of the original. Not True, this movie has a whole different feel and underlying creepiness to it. The audience was audibly frightened and one couple had to leave. I think it was the girl who wanted to leave since I didn’t hear that screem from behind me anymore.

Anyhoo…I got scared, it shook me up, and had me thinking about it all the way to the parking lot. Paranormal Activity 2 stands on its own. If you haven’t seen the original, no problem! You can easily watch this one then go rent the original. Both flicks are worth your time and money.