L Word Season 5 Begins

Jan 162008
 

I am late to the game with realizing that season 5 of The L Word has started. I caught up on the first two episodes on demand. I really didn’t care for season 4. Overall it was dull and slow. Plus I was still reeling over the lost of Dana…not to mention that Carmen is gone. Oh, and of course I have to mention how every freaking scene with Jenny in it makes me scream. How I want to reach into that TV screen and kick that chick. What a waste of a character.

But here we are, starting fresh with season 5, I hope. It looks like they’ve kicked it up a notch so far. Tasha is being investigated by the army. Helena is in jail. Shane’s womanizing history is catching up…ticking time bomb style. Hmm…best scene of the season so far goes to Kit in her strut down through the jail to see Helena. Her expression and overall attitude, plus the music…yep, she owned it.

Character drama aside though, my favorite thing about the show is the music. They do a phenomenal job with finding artists. They introduced us to Feist before iPod overplayed them in a commercial. I’m addicted to Uh Huh Her’s “Say So” now and wishing I could get my hands on the song “Gate Crasher” by Ping Pong Bitches. Soon… I’ll track it down. Episode 2 closed with “Shattered” by Trucks, which was aptly placed and fun to hear.

I look forward to more intriguing tunes and hopefully a good storyline for the new season. :)

I’ll leave you with “Say So” by Uh Huh Her:

Ranger’s Apprentice Optioned

Jan 082008
 

Reposted from Sci Fi Wire:

United Artists has optioned the film rights to the Australian children’s fantasy book series Ranger’s Apprentice, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio said that Paul Haggis (Casino Royale) was in discussions to adapt and direct the first movie of the series, but those negotiations were halted by the writers’ strike.

The fantasy series, by Aussie John Flanagan, follows the adventures of an orphan boy named Will who becomes an apprentice ranger and fights to keep the mythical kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors and other dangers with the help of his master, Halt.

The first book, The Ruins of Gorlan, was released in Australia in November 2004 and in the United States seven months later. Seven books have been released to date.
………………………………..

YAY! I’m so excited!!! :)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Jan 042008
 

Uglies by Scott WesterfeldI initially picked up this book because it came up so often at work, and it annoyed me that I had no idea what it was. I really had no understanding of what it was when I started to read it, but inside the pages of Uglies, I found a really cool concept unfolding before me.

Tally lives in a futuristic world based on achieving the ultimate ideal beauty. People are broken up into groups based on their age and appearance. Littlies are children and since they are cute, they get to live with their parents. When said children reach age 12, they become what is know as an ugly. From ages 12-16 uglies are sent to live in a dorm (since they are too ugly to set eyes upon regularly, of course) until they can have the surgery to make them a young pretty. The surgery molds their bones, skin, eye shape…you name it!…into a cookie cutter mold and voila, beauty is born. Once this status is achieved, a whole new life begins to unfold.

But…what if you don’t want to be a pretty?

And what if your friend runs away and they won’t let you become pretty until you track said friend back down?

You see? Fascinating concept.

I really enjoyed reading Tally’s journey through this story. It took me in places I couldn’t even begin to guess at happening, and that was surprising fun indeed.

I look forward to seeing where Westerfeld takes the rest of this trilogy… :)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Dec 282007
 

National Treasure: Book of SecretsThe second National Treasure movie is a little hokier than the first, yet I still found it enjoyable. This one starts off with Ben (Nicolas Cage)giving a presentation about John Wilkes Booth and his great-grandfather’s involvement in the disappearance of pages from Booth’s diary. Great Grandpa Thomas Gates’s actions resulted in the Confederate Army not being able to find a lost treasure of gold, thus allowing the Union to win the war. Tension arises in the form of a character named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), who presents one of the missing diary pages to the group…said page claiming that Great Grampa Gates was not only involved in the assassination of Lincoln, but that he actually orchestrated it. Ben must find the lost city of gold to prove Thomas Gates was no traitor and to keep the family name from disgrace.

Cage was goofy and awkward in much of his acting. Harris always does well and I enjoyed watching him in most of this. What came off as dippy was due to the cutesiness of the script. As the more comedic character of the story, Justin Bartha did well with keeping me amused. Helen Mirren and Jon Voight played well off each other as well.

Overall the movie did have its silly, over-the-top moments, yet this was the perfect afternoon flick to watch with my dad. He enjoys the history/adventure mix (me too!). Plus, he’s a talker. Always has been. He likes to whisper tidbits, jokes, and random comments throughout the movie, and since this isn’t exactly a deep thinking drama, it’s great for some father/daughter time. (I should also mention, if you have a talker in the group, it’s best to go during times when kids will be in the theater and talking too. :P)

And well, that’s that. Have a happy day! :)

Writing Prompt: Pizza Delivery Nightmare

Oct 262007
 

I saw this prompt on the writersdigest.com forum and found it entertaining. Figured I’d pass it along. Enjoy!

You’re a pizza delivery driver and it’s your last stop of the night. The house is on an unlit, unfamiliar street. As you ring the doorbell, you’re greeted by an unusual character who invites you in while he gets cash–and abruptly knocks you out cold. When you wake up, you’re tied to a chair. What happens next?

Writing Prompt: Freewriting From an Image of Saturn

Oct 232007
 

SaturnThis is an image of Saturn. I found it inspiring today. An intriguing picture all around. Yet, when I look at it I see a marble sitting in the sand—perhaps even being sucked into said sand. I also see a ball on a plate and imagine someone setting up to practicing painting a still life piece. I find the circular striping in the image to be hypnotic. My head spins and I wonder what exactly that dark shape looming over the image could be.

Your writing prompt: Take as step back and focus past the idea that the image is a planet. Instead, think of it like seeing shapes in the clouds. Now describe what you see. Let your mind flow and have fun with it.

Enjoy!

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

Oct 222007
 

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan The Burning Bridge is book two in the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. War against Morgarath is on its way. Alliances are being made and troops are being gathered. Will and Horace are still apprentices, which is why they can be spared to accompany Gilan on a mission. They travel to Celtica to call in aid for the impending war.

When the companions arrive, they discover that Morgarath already has secret plans in motion. Gilan departs to inform the king, leaving Will in charge. The ranger apprentice is to lead Horance and the sole survivor or a caravan attack, Evanlyn, back to safety. Will, faced with his own insecurities from freezing on a previous Wargal attack, isn’t exactly sure he’s up to the task. However, when he and his friends discover what Morgarath’s plans are, he realizes he has no choice but to do what he can to stop what’s going on. The fate of the entire kingdom depends upon it.

I adored this book, much as I did the first. I liked seeing how Will and Horace have adapted and changed to more training in the time that lapsed between books. I found it intriguing to watch them try to digest what was going on around them, and to figure out what to do next. They really are left to figure things out for themselves here and it’s great to see them step up.

I enjoyed this book so much I actually went out and bought the hardcover for The Iceland Bound. Yep, that really says a lot. I avoid hardcovers as much as humanly possible. :P

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Oct 182007
 

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan The Ruins of Gorlan is book one in the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. This book sets us up for an impending war and introduces us to many of the key players. At the center of it all is an inquisitive young boy named Will.

We first meet Will as he frets over Choosing Day. It’s the day when all 15-year-old wards of the castle are chosen by Craftsmasters for apprenticeships. All Will wants is to become a knight, but he is too small for that. Instead, he ends up becoming a Ranger’s apprentice, entering into a mysterious world he’s only ever heard scary rumors about.

I adored every ounce of this book. I liked watching Will’s shock and eventual adjustment to dealing with his taciturn mentor, Halt. Plus, seeing his folly with trying to ride a Ranger horse was amusing.

Over in Battleschool, Will’s childhood enemy, Horace, faces his own troubles with bullies. It’s rather priceless watching Horace come into his own there.

All in all, I cherished every itty bitty moment of this book. I am already reading book 2, The Burning Bridge, and I look forward to more in the series. By the authors website, I see that he is currently working on book 7. I only wish they’d release faster here in the states! I guess I’ll just have to plan on rereading the books as I wait…ever less than patiently… :P

Pushing Daisies: Quirky, Charming, and a Lot of Fun

Oct 112007
 

Pushing Daisies: DummyI caught an episode of Pushing Daisies last night. A friend told me to watch and so I did. The episode was “Dummy,” and that’s what the image pictured here is from.

I don’t usually check out shows that start at 8 since I’m usually still running around taking care of things needed to get through the day. However, I was happy I stopped to watch this show. I was delighted with the style and format of the show. The voice over narrator is what makes it fun. It gives the show it’s sweet, heartwarming feel…almost like being told a bedtime story. The colors used throughout lend to that feel as well.

The premise of the show itself is that the main character, Ned (Lee Pace) has an odd talent. With one touch he can revive something that is dead. With another, it returns to it’s previous state. Plus, what is revived can only remain alive for one minute, or something else will die in it’s place. He now uses his gift to solve murder cases.

Then things change when his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte “Chuck” (Anna Friel) is murdered. He revives her, but can’t bring himself to send her back to the grave. Watching them step gingerly around each other is amusing to watch. However, since I missed previous episodes, I’m not sure of the ramifications yet of that. They alluded to it last night some.

All in all, a very cool show. One I’ll be looking forward to checking out again…

A Few Random Thoughts On Heroes: Kindred Spirits

Oct 092007
 
  • The only part I liked in the episode was Ando finding the notes from Hiro in the sword.
  • They show too much of those wonder twin characters. They should have learned from season 1 with Nikki/Jessica that they don’t do well with dual sides of things. Please get them off the screen.
  • I’m not sure that they should rely so much on Isaac’s paintings any more. He painted them before New York was supposed to blow. That didn’t happen. History has been changed. What he painted before no longer applies and making them so seems kinda lame.
  • Claire already accepted what HRG was and forgave him. Setting up the idea that she’d trust some freaky kid instead? Whatever. I hope that’s not the route it takes.
  • Peter works to get his box back, almost kills a man, then decides to not look? Seriously? *eye roll* It didn’t fit for him. Plus, these people he’s with are dull.

Yeah, all in all, not so impressed with last night’s episode. Here’s hoping things get a lot better next week.

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