Joshua P. Simon's Blog, page 24
December 31, 2012
Music Monday - Iced Earth - Gettysburg
Few bands could make a trilogy about the 3 day battle at Gettysburg both cool and educational. Iced Earth pulls it off. Great music/lyrics by one of my favorite bands.
Iced Earth - Gettysburg
December 27, 2012
Top 10 Books I Read in 2012
It’s the end of the year which means another end of the year list. I’ve read a little over 60 books/short stories/novellas this year. If you want to see a list of them all, you can check out my shelf on Goodreads here.
I thought I would post the top 10 books I’ve read in 2012 (note: most came out years before).
I copied and pasted my Goodreads review under each book, a few contain minor spoilers which I note in the beginning, so be aware.
10. Monster Hunter Alpha
Another great read by Larry Correia. He is fast becoming one of my favorite authors...great dialogue, well-written action sequences, strong plotting that continues what had been built upon in the previous books, and description that's kept to a minimum (just enough to set the scene, but not enough to bog down the pacing).
9. The Heroes
Abercrombie does it again. I can’t wait to get my hands on Red Country next.
Pros:
-Great characterization. He’s one of the few authors who does a good job of ensuring every character has their own distinct personality. It’s hard to feel empathy for the worst of the worst, but Joe manages to pull it off each time.
-Larger than life characters.
-A very honest take on war, examining all of the ups and downs associated with it. Yet, the philosophy/thoughts never feel forced and instead come across naturally in the narrative.
-Great battle/action scenes. One of the best in fantasy. Despite the battle’s scope, everything feels personal.
-After Glen Cook, Abercrombie might be the person at writing dialogue in fantasy.
-The perfect amount of worldbuilding/description…just enough to set a scene and give the reader a sense of place. He never drones on and on about the world, but instead slowly reveals the details throughout the course of the story.
-Stands nicely on its own, yet does a good job of tying in previous works.
-Very satisfying ending for each storyline, yet enough is left unanswered to set things up for future stories.
-Tight plotting that flows very naturally.
Cons:
-After the first chapter (which is great), I found the next several felt a bit off in flow. Some of the characters took a bit longer to get into than others.
-Abercrombie’s prose was a little jarring to read in the first third of the book. I know he’s slowly developed this style of purposefully leaving words out as he combines a limited third person POV narrative with first person POV touches every now and then, yet at times it just didn’t work. Things evened out though as you kept reading.
-Corporal Tunny as a character, and really most of his storyline, seemed pretty unnecessary. I know he showed a different aspect of war unseen elsewhere, but it slowed the pacing at times and didn’t add a whole lot to the story.
8. Fight Club
Wow, this was a great book. Its style and content are so unique I don’t even know if I can properly go over the pros and cons. The narrative is immediately engaging and pulls you right into the story. Something is always going on and the more you read, the more you want to continue. I will say that I saw the movie years ago and for the most part the film stays true to the book. However, I think the book is much better. As a writer, I’m humbled that someone could pull off something so original and something so odd.
Highly Recommended.
7. The Princess Bride
Every bit as good as I hoped it would be and then some. Completely original idea with the framing story. Even without it, the main narrative would warrant 5 stars.
6. The Crippled God
Great ending to a great story. There will be some spoilers.
Pros:
-Lots of emotion and tension.
-The main characters of the series each had a moment to shine.
-Lots of references/nods to other events within the series that really ties things in nicely.
-Managed to tie in all the various plot threads and characters about as good as anyone can imagine considering the scope of this series.
-Great battle sequences throughout. Erikson is definitely one of the best at this in the genre.
-Loved the endings to Icarium/Mappo, the Bridgeburners, the Parans, the Bonehunters.
-The ending of the book had a pretty good mix of happy/sad emotions which I felt matched the tone of the series.
-The last scene (at the dock) in the epilogue was about as perfect of an ending scene as I could imagine. Perfect person to end with and I really like that it tied things back to Gardens of the Moon. Cons:
-As usual, the book could have been significantly shorter (mainly in the beginning). Certain scenes/conversations with the various soldiers were ridiculously repetitive. And as usual, the philosophic moments ran on way too long and just go to be boring in spots.
-In regards to the philosophic moments, my biggest gripe with them has always been that they never sound like the character and instead come across in Erikson’s voice.
-The Adjunct. I felt like her character was just forced on us. Every character tells us how awesome she is, but other than a few minor things here or there, we rarely see her do anything remotely worthy of all the praise she’s given. The whole “she asked” bit just seemed really silly.
-Not enough Karsa. His few scenes were awesome. Yes, I know he’ll get his own trilogy eventually, but man do I wish he had a bigger role in the book.
-No closure to certain characters I felt deserved closure (i.e. Kruppe). This isn’t too huge of a gripe since I haven’t finished reading all of ICE’s books yet to know who gets covered in his books and who doesn’t.
Overall, no one has ever attempted anything this massive and delivered so well in my opinion. Best of all, Erikson churned these doorstoppers out with an impressive amount of consistency.
5. The Forever War
Great book that improved as the story progressed.
Pros:
-Strong narrative voice from protagonist that was both likable and believable.
-Great insight into the psyche(s) of a soldier.
-Though I’m usually not into the hard technical aspects of science fiction, I thought they were handled well within the text.
-Strong dialogue
-Great pacing.
-Really enjoyed the inventive ideas for how technology and general fighting strategies might progress over the years.
-Thoughtful ideas on how society might advance given enough time.
-Found myself looking for reasons to continue reading the story until I finished it.
-An ending I found fitting (although a bit predictable) given the rest of the story.
Cons:
-Started a little slow.
-I liked the relationship between William and Marygay. However, I thought it should have been introduced a bit sooner or at least have had stronger hints that something existed between them before it was presented to the reader. It felt a little odd for their relationship to suddenly become an integral part of the story when it hadn’t been discussed for the first 25% or so of the novel.
I’ll definitely need to pick up more stuff by the Haldeman in the future.
4. World War Z
One of the best books I've read this year.
Pros:
-Completely fresh and original idea on very old topic.
-Well thought out.
-Cool futuristic takes on how certain countries would survive/cope and who would come out on top.
-Great use of real history to forsee this possible future.
-Great voices to each of the people interviewed. Believable characters and situations.
-Felt like a history book.
-Awesome imagery.
-The stories left unsaid held as much weight as those topics covered.
Cons:
-None.
3. Kings of Morning
After finishing two complete series by Paul Kearney (The Monarchies of God and now The Macht Trilogy) I think he might officially be my 2nd favorite author (behind Glen Cook). Another awesome book by perhaps the most underrated writer in fantasy today.
Pros:
- The hallmark of Kearney's writing is that he says so much in so little and it makes me insanely jealous. His books are ridiculously short for an epic fantasy author...so much so that the font is larger and the spacing is wider than most other paperbacks to give it the appearance of being bigger than what it is. Yet, the length is only a bad thing in that I wish it wouldn't end. The man does not believe in unnecessary description, exposition, and scenes.
- Great plotting that is consistent with the rest of the series.
- Awesome characterization which included the addition of several new characters to this book. That could have ended badly if done by someone less skilled.
- Vivid descriptions and great worldbuilding.
- Natural and believable dialogue
- Hands down, Kearney is the best at writing battles/action/fighting and this book is another prime example of his skill.
- A very satisfying ending
Cons:
None
2. Caliban’s War
It's official. After only two books, the Expanse series is now one of my favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy series.
Pros:
- Great characterization...new POVs were introduced and connected to quickly.
- Awesome short and long term plotting.
- Smooth action scenes.
- Witty and natural dialogue.
- Strong and believable world-building.
- Despite its length, the book maintained great pacing throughout.
- Satisfying ending with a great set up for Book 3
- Improved upon Leviathon Wakes.
- Started to make time to read it.
Cons:
- Some of the science/technical tangents got a little longwinded and were ultimately unnecessary to the plot, IMO.
Great book...anxiously awaiting the next one.
1. Leviathan Wakes
Wow. This book blew me away. Highly recommended read to anyone who enjoys the genre. Let's get right into the pros/cons:
Pros:
- Extremely original plot that starts off small and continually escalates as the book goes on.
- Strong characterization.
- Great worldbuilding which I found myself extremely interested in(a rarity).
- Cool and inventive uses of some standard tropes including a joke about "woolgathering."
- Good changes in tone with the right mix of humor and tension.
- Awesome ending that I found completely satisfying. Though the story is pretty self-contained, there are definitely a lot of cool places where it can go in the future and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Cons:
- Kind of nit-picky but some of the Miller POVs toward the end of the novel could have been trimmed down a bit.
What are some of the best books you’ve read this year?
I thought I would post the top 10 books I’ve read in 2012 (note: most came out years before).
I copied and pasted my Goodreads review under each book, a few contain minor spoilers which I note in the beginning, so be aware.
10. Monster Hunter Alpha
Another great read by Larry Correia. He is fast becoming one of my favorite authors...great dialogue, well-written action sequences, strong plotting that continues what had been built upon in the previous books, and description that's kept to a minimum (just enough to set the scene, but not enough to bog down the pacing).
9. The Heroes
Abercrombie does it again. I can’t wait to get my hands on Red Country next.
Pros:
-Great characterization. He’s one of the few authors who does a good job of ensuring every character has their own distinct personality. It’s hard to feel empathy for the worst of the worst, but Joe manages to pull it off each time.
-Larger than life characters.
-A very honest take on war, examining all of the ups and downs associated with it. Yet, the philosophy/thoughts never feel forced and instead come across naturally in the narrative.
-Great battle/action scenes. One of the best in fantasy. Despite the battle’s scope, everything feels personal.
-After Glen Cook, Abercrombie might be the person at writing dialogue in fantasy.
-The perfect amount of worldbuilding/description…just enough to set a scene and give the reader a sense of place. He never drones on and on about the world, but instead slowly reveals the details throughout the course of the story.
-Stands nicely on its own, yet does a good job of tying in previous works.
-Very satisfying ending for each storyline, yet enough is left unanswered to set things up for future stories.
-Tight plotting that flows very naturally.
Cons:
-After the first chapter (which is great), I found the next several felt a bit off in flow. Some of the characters took a bit longer to get into than others.
-Abercrombie’s prose was a little jarring to read in the first third of the book. I know he’s slowly developed this style of purposefully leaving words out as he combines a limited third person POV narrative with first person POV touches every now and then, yet at times it just didn’t work. Things evened out though as you kept reading.
-Corporal Tunny as a character, and really most of his storyline, seemed pretty unnecessary. I know he showed a different aspect of war unseen elsewhere, but it slowed the pacing at times and didn’t add a whole lot to the story.
8. Fight Club
Wow, this was a great book. Its style and content are so unique I don’t even know if I can properly go over the pros and cons. The narrative is immediately engaging and pulls you right into the story. Something is always going on and the more you read, the more you want to continue. I will say that I saw the movie years ago and for the most part the film stays true to the book. However, I think the book is much better. As a writer, I’m humbled that someone could pull off something so original and something so odd.
Highly Recommended.
7. The Princess Bride
Every bit as good as I hoped it would be and then some. Completely original idea with the framing story. Even without it, the main narrative would warrant 5 stars.
6. The Crippled God
Great ending to a great story. There will be some spoilers.
Pros:
-Lots of emotion and tension.
-The main characters of the series each had a moment to shine.
-Lots of references/nods to other events within the series that really ties things in nicely.
-Managed to tie in all the various plot threads and characters about as good as anyone can imagine considering the scope of this series.
-Great battle sequences throughout. Erikson is definitely one of the best at this in the genre.
-Loved the endings to Icarium/Mappo, the Bridgeburners, the Parans, the Bonehunters.
-The ending of the book had a pretty good mix of happy/sad emotions which I felt matched the tone of the series.
-The last scene (at the dock) in the epilogue was about as perfect of an ending scene as I could imagine. Perfect person to end with and I really like that it tied things back to Gardens of the Moon. Cons:
-As usual, the book could have been significantly shorter (mainly in the beginning). Certain scenes/conversations with the various soldiers were ridiculously repetitive. And as usual, the philosophic moments ran on way too long and just go to be boring in spots.
-In regards to the philosophic moments, my biggest gripe with them has always been that they never sound like the character and instead come across in Erikson’s voice.
-The Adjunct. I felt like her character was just forced on us. Every character tells us how awesome she is, but other than a few minor things here or there, we rarely see her do anything remotely worthy of all the praise she’s given. The whole “she asked” bit just seemed really silly.
-Not enough Karsa. His few scenes were awesome. Yes, I know he’ll get his own trilogy eventually, but man do I wish he had a bigger role in the book.
-No closure to certain characters I felt deserved closure (i.e. Kruppe). This isn’t too huge of a gripe since I haven’t finished reading all of ICE’s books yet to know who gets covered in his books and who doesn’t.
Overall, no one has ever attempted anything this massive and delivered so well in my opinion. Best of all, Erikson churned these doorstoppers out with an impressive amount of consistency.
5. The Forever War
Great book that improved as the story progressed.
Pros:
-Strong narrative voice from protagonist that was both likable and believable.
-Great insight into the psyche(s) of a soldier.
-Though I’m usually not into the hard technical aspects of science fiction, I thought they were handled well within the text.
-Strong dialogue
-Great pacing.
-Really enjoyed the inventive ideas for how technology and general fighting strategies might progress over the years.
-Thoughtful ideas on how society might advance given enough time.
-Found myself looking for reasons to continue reading the story until I finished it.
-An ending I found fitting (although a bit predictable) given the rest of the story.
Cons:
-Started a little slow.
-I liked the relationship between William and Marygay. However, I thought it should have been introduced a bit sooner or at least have had stronger hints that something existed between them before it was presented to the reader. It felt a little odd for their relationship to suddenly become an integral part of the story when it hadn’t been discussed for the first 25% or so of the novel.
I’ll definitely need to pick up more stuff by the Haldeman in the future.
4. World War Z
One of the best books I've read this year.
Pros:
-Completely fresh and original idea on very old topic.
-Well thought out.
-Cool futuristic takes on how certain countries would survive/cope and who would come out on top.
-Great use of real history to forsee this possible future.
-Great voices to each of the people interviewed. Believable characters and situations.
-Felt like a history book.
-Awesome imagery.
-The stories left unsaid held as much weight as those topics covered.
Cons:
-None.
3. Kings of Morning
After finishing two complete series by Paul Kearney (The Monarchies of God and now The Macht Trilogy) I think he might officially be my 2nd favorite author (behind Glen Cook). Another awesome book by perhaps the most underrated writer in fantasy today.
Pros:
- The hallmark of Kearney's writing is that he says so much in so little and it makes me insanely jealous. His books are ridiculously short for an epic fantasy author...so much so that the font is larger and the spacing is wider than most other paperbacks to give it the appearance of being bigger than what it is. Yet, the length is only a bad thing in that I wish it wouldn't end. The man does not believe in unnecessary description, exposition, and scenes.
- Great plotting that is consistent with the rest of the series.
- Awesome characterization which included the addition of several new characters to this book. That could have ended badly if done by someone less skilled.
- Vivid descriptions and great worldbuilding.
- Natural and believable dialogue
- Hands down, Kearney is the best at writing battles/action/fighting and this book is another prime example of his skill.
- A very satisfying ending
Cons:
None
2. Caliban’s War
It's official. After only two books, the Expanse series is now one of my favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy series.
Pros:
- Great characterization...new POVs were introduced and connected to quickly.
- Awesome short and long term plotting.
- Smooth action scenes.
- Witty and natural dialogue.
- Strong and believable world-building.
- Despite its length, the book maintained great pacing throughout.
- Satisfying ending with a great set up for Book 3
- Improved upon Leviathon Wakes.
- Started to make time to read it.
Cons:
- Some of the science/technical tangents got a little longwinded and were ultimately unnecessary to the plot, IMO.
Great book...anxiously awaiting the next one.
1. Leviathan Wakes
Wow. This book blew me away. Highly recommended read to anyone who enjoys the genre. Let's get right into the pros/cons:
Pros:
- Extremely original plot that starts off small and continually escalates as the book goes on.
- Strong characterization.
- Great worldbuilding which I found myself extremely interested in(a rarity).
- Cool and inventive uses of some standard tropes including a joke about "woolgathering."
- Good changes in tone with the right mix of humor and tension.
- Awesome ending that I found completely satisfying. Though the story is pretty self-contained, there are definitely a lot of cool places where it can go in the future and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Cons:
- Kind of nit-picky but some of the Miller POVs toward the end of the novel could have been trimmed down a bit.
What are some of the best books you’ve read this year?
December 24, 2012
Music Monday - A Funny Christmas
The Muppets - Ringing the Bells
The Wakkorotti
December 20, 2012
Bruce Lee and Writing
I’ve always loved martial arts. I grew up in the 80s watching tons of the old dubbed in Kung Fu movies that got replayed on Saturdays. Bruce Lee movies immediately became my favorites (big surprise). I remember Chinese Connection was the first movie of his I saw. The clip below still stands out to me (especially around 3:45 when the nunchukas get involved). You’ll notice the familiarity between it and Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Anyway, I had to see everything by Bruce Lee after that. I also read a ton of his writings and philosophy. And that brings me to the point of today’s post. Lee doesn’t get enough credit for being a cerebral person, in my opinion. Though many of his thoughts relate more to martial arts, I think they can also be applied to just about anything. I’m going to take a few of my favorite ones and apply them to writing.
“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”How many people never try something because they feel as though they won’t be good at it? Don’t tell yourself you can’t be a writer if you haven’t even tried it. Don’t even tell yourself you aren’t good at something if you’ve only tried it once. Most writers take time to develop. VERY few ever get it right the first time. If you talk yourself out of doing something that interests you (writing), how much easier is going to be to do so again?
“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”A common school of thought is to focus on small goals in order to feel like you are moving forward and not becoming discouraged. I agree that is important. However, the big goals are what keep you pushing through the rough patches. Writing 1000 words on a Wednesday doesn’t hold the same awe as the prospect of becoming a world famous author or someone who makes enough money to quit their day job.
I’d rather aim high and be excited I made my goal than easily clear a low one and be depressed that I don’t know where to go next.
“It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”I like to think of this in context of making time for writing. It’s amazing how much time you have to write when you cut out distractions such as TV. How important is writing to you? If it’s your dream to make it as an author then why waste your time doing things that are not of importance.
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.This is my favorite Bruce Lee quote of all time. A good friend of mine and I like to use it often. Sometimes a story or a character just isn’t working. That’s ok. Step back and approach it from a different angle. Sometimes that new book is harder to write than the old one. That’s ok too. Each book is different. Allow your talents to change and form around what is needed to get your story across. Be like water.
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.”
December 17, 2012
Music Monday - Superman: The Movie
John Williams is a great composer. He wrote the score for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and many others. However, the main theme to Superman: The Movie is my absolute favorite. It’s one of the songs I’ll listen to while writing when I can. Those first few notes are epic in so many ways.
John Williams - Superman: The Movie (main theme)
December 13, 2012
The Rocky Franchise
The Rocky Franchise has been my favorite set of movies for as far back as I can remember. I enjoy watching all of them (even Rocky V) and have done so numerous times. I can pretty much recite most of the movies line-by-line. A couple of my friends are also big Rocky fans, and we often quote from the movies when we can.
I’m bringing this up because it seems that the proposed Rocky musical (excuse me while I throw up) is going to happen. Yes, you read that right. One of the greatest sports movies of all time is going to turn into a song and dance routine.
Don’t get me wrong, I know Sylvester Stallone can do whatever he wants with the franchise since he owns the rights, but a musical? Really? Did he not learn from the disastrous Spider-Man musical? I mean, does he really think that the mostly male audience who enjoys these films is going to spend money to hear Mickey singing about having his nose broken 17 times? I know I’m not. Maybe he thinks that this will capture a greater female audience? Somehow, I doubt that will happen.
Thankfully, no matter what Stallone does to the franchise from here on out, I can enjoy the movies as they stand (unless he pulls a George Lucas). With that in mind, here is how I’d rank the six Rocky movies.
6. Rocky V
This movie had a lot of potential. In essence, it tried to take Rocky back to his roots which was a good idea considering how the plot of the franchise grew to ridiculous proportions in Rocky IV. However, bad acting by Tommy Gunn, and Sage Stallone (who played Rocky Jr.), really hurt the film. Even Stallone seemed liked he phoned it in.
That being said, I really liked the idea of an athlete who just fought the fight of his life having to retire, but not on his own terms, and then being forced to deal with that sudden life change. On top of that, I thought the ending was perfect . . . Rocky lost everything except the people that had always been there for him, which in the end is all that matters (a good lesson for everyone to remember).
One last note, Elton John’s The Measure of a Man in the ending montage sequence is awesome.
5. Rocky IV
I’m sure I’ll get a lot of flak for placing Rocky IV so low on my list since many people consider it one of the best of the series (though I think it’s only because he fought a Russian).
However, this whole movie had the least amount of character growth in the entire series for Rocky. The entire movie was really a series of ridiculous plotting in order to get Rocky and Drago to fight at the end (we already killed off Mickey, I guess we have to kill off Apollo now in order to force Rocky into revenge mode).
Yes, the last fight was great. Yes, the movie was filled with awesome quotes. Yes, it had some memorable scenes. But so did the other five movies and they all have a much stronger focus on character development.
Also, the exclusion of Bill Conti’s Gonna Fly Now during the training montage is unforgivable.
4. Rocky Balboa (VI)
I’ve seen Rocky Balboa far less than the other five films due to it being the newest release. I admit I had huge reservations about it being filmed (especially after Rocky V). However, I also knew I had to watch it… just like I’d go watch a Rocky VII if one came out today (despite hoping that doesn’t happen).
Anyway, this film pleasantly surprised me. Yes, they used another death as the vehicle for one of Rocky’s hardships. However, I was glad to see they also strengthened the bond/struggles between Rocky and his son (much better acting by Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Jr. in this movie).
The plotting was sort of silly again, and the continuity suffered (downplaying the injuries that forced him to retire in the first place) but this has been going on since the second movie with Rocky’s busted eye. What made this movie great was that it captured the underdog attitude in the best way since the first movie. It even provided a happy/satisfying ending with a loss rather than the expected victory.
Best character development and focus since Rocky III.
3. Rocky II Unlike Rocky I, Rocky II gave more depth to Apollo Creed. Rocky I portrayed Apollo as a pretty one-dimensional character (extremely arrogant). Rocky II showed him facing the truth that he might not be the best anymore, and how someone might cope with that realization. Apollo and Rocky were really polar opposites in this film. Apollo started pushing everyone away, including his family because his drive to handily beat Rocky began to consume him. Rocky however, lost much of his fire because he was too worried about Adrian, even willing to give up all his dreams for her.
By the way, the scenes where Rocky refuses to leave Adrian’s side while she’s in a coma hold a lot more weight to me after getting married and having my own family.
2. Rocky III
The most quotable of all the Rocky films, in my opinion. Mickey is at his absolute best, and the combination of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T are perfect as foils for Rocky.
Apollo continues to grow as a character, helping his now best friend, Rocky. Balboa is trying to figure out what he wants out of life, dealing with the death of the manager who helped him become a champion. Mickey acted as a sort of father figure to Rocky, and his death is by far the most impactful in the series. I still get sad when I watch Rocky crying in the locker room (despite the hilarious nature of Rocky crying).
1. Rocky I
It might seem clichéd to put the first movie as the best, but I don’t care. The idea was fresh and original. The characters are well developed and believable. Never before or since has there been a better movie made about the underdog.
The ending might be the best part of the whole movie. Unlike the victory that everyone probably expected when they first saw the film, they just had him “go the distance.” For Rocky, that was enough. He did something that no one else had ever done before. He proved that he wasn’t a bum. And best of all, he got the girl in the end.
And let’s not forget the training montage.
Man, I want to watch these movies again. I can’t wait to share them with my kids when they get older.
I’m bringing this up because it seems that the proposed Rocky musical (excuse me while I throw up) is going to happen. Yes, you read that right. One of the greatest sports movies of all time is going to turn into a song and dance routine.
Don’t get me wrong, I know Sylvester Stallone can do whatever he wants with the franchise since he owns the rights, but a musical? Really? Did he not learn from the disastrous Spider-Man musical? I mean, does he really think that the mostly male audience who enjoys these films is going to spend money to hear Mickey singing about having his nose broken 17 times? I know I’m not. Maybe he thinks that this will capture a greater female audience? Somehow, I doubt that will happen.
Thankfully, no matter what Stallone does to the franchise from here on out, I can enjoy the movies as they stand (unless he pulls a George Lucas). With that in mind, here is how I’d rank the six Rocky movies.
6. Rocky V
This movie had a lot of potential. In essence, it tried to take Rocky back to his roots which was a good idea considering how the plot of the franchise grew to ridiculous proportions in Rocky IV. However, bad acting by Tommy Gunn, and Sage Stallone (who played Rocky Jr.), really hurt the film. Even Stallone seemed liked he phoned it in.
That being said, I really liked the idea of an athlete who just fought the fight of his life having to retire, but not on his own terms, and then being forced to deal with that sudden life change. On top of that, I thought the ending was perfect . . . Rocky lost everything except the people that had always been there for him, which in the end is all that matters (a good lesson for everyone to remember).
One last note, Elton John’s The Measure of a Man in the ending montage sequence is awesome.
5. Rocky IV
I’m sure I’ll get a lot of flak for placing Rocky IV so low on my list since many people consider it one of the best of the series (though I think it’s only because he fought a Russian).
However, this whole movie had the least amount of character growth in the entire series for Rocky. The entire movie was really a series of ridiculous plotting in order to get Rocky and Drago to fight at the end (we already killed off Mickey, I guess we have to kill off Apollo now in order to force Rocky into revenge mode).
Yes, the last fight was great. Yes, the movie was filled with awesome quotes. Yes, it had some memorable scenes. But so did the other five movies and they all have a much stronger focus on character development.
Also, the exclusion of Bill Conti’s Gonna Fly Now during the training montage is unforgivable.
4. Rocky Balboa (VI)
I’ve seen Rocky Balboa far less than the other five films due to it being the newest release. I admit I had huge reservations about it being filmed (especially after Rocky V). However, I also knew I had to watch it… just like I’d go watch a Rocky VII if one came out today (despite hoping that doesn’t happen).
Anyway, this film pleasantly surprised me. Yes, they used another death as the vehicle for one of Rocky’s hardships. However, I was glad to see they also strengthened the bond/struggles between Rocky and his son (much better acting by Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Jr. in this movie).
The plotting was sort of silly again, and the continuity suffered (downplaying the injuries that forced him to retire in the first place) but this has been going on since the second movie with Rocky’s busted eye. What made this movie great was that it captured the underdog attitude in the best way since the first movie. It even provided a happy/satisfying ending with a loss rather than the expected victory.
Best character development and focus since Rocky III.
3. Rocky II Unlike Rocky I, Rocky II gave more depth to Apollo Creed. Rocky I portrayed Apollo as a pretty one-dimensional character (extremely arrogant). Rocky II showed him facing the truth that he might not be the best anymore, and how someone might cope with that realization. Apollo and Rocky were really polar opposites in this film. Apollo started pushing everyone away, including his family because his drive to handily beat Rocky began to consume him. Rocky however, lost much of his fire because he was too worried about Adrian, even willing to give up all his dreams for her.
By the way, the scenes where Rocky refuses to leave Adrian’s side while she’s in a coma hold a lot more weight to me after getting married and having my own family.
2. Rocky III
The most quotable of all the Rocky films, in my opinion. Mickey is at his absolute best, and the combination of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T are perfect as foils for Rocky.
Apollo continues to grow as a character, helping his now best friend, Rocky. Balboa is trying to figure out what he wants out of life, dealing with the death of the manager who helped him become a champion. Mickey acted as a sort of father figure to Rocky, and his death is by far the most impactful in the series. I still get sad when I watch Rocky crying in the locker room (despite the hilarious nature of Rocky crying).
1. Rocky I
It might seem clichéd to put the first movie as the best, but I don’t care. The idea was fresh and original. The characters are well developed and believable. Never before or since has there been a better movie made about the underdog.
The ending might be the best part of the whole movie. Unlike the victory that everyone probably expected when they first saw the film, they just had him “go the distance.” For Rocky, that was enough. He did something that no one else had ever done before. He proved that he wasn’t a bum. And best of all, he got the girl in the end.
And let’s not forget the training montage.
Man, I want to watch these movies again. I can’t wait to share them with my kids when they get older.
December 10, 2012
Music Monday - Top 5 Albums of 2012
My top 5 albums of 2012! What are yours?
5. Kreator – Phantom Antichrist.
A great thrash band that is grossly underrated. Been around for decades, and still killing it.
4. The Sword - Apocryphon
Another strong album by a great band. As always, lots of fantasy and sci-fi references.
3. Shadows Fall – Fire from the Sky
For some reason this band sells less record with each release. However, I think each album is better than the last. Great stuff.
2. Overkill – Electric Age
One of my favorite bands of all time. It’s amazing the quality of music they’re able to produce year after year.
1. As I Lay Dying – Awakened
A very underrated band that has evolved quite a bit from their earlier stuff. The fact that I’m putting them above Overkill says a lot about this album (especially to those who know me).
I wanted to play the song “Defender” as I think it is the best on the album, but it wasn’t available on Youtube. Here’s another good track.
Honorable Mentions: Accept – Stalingrad, 3 Inches of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal
December 6, 2012
Movie Review - Skyfall
My wife and I had the chance to leave the kids behind with her parents during the Thanksgiving holidays. For the first time since summer we were able to have a “date night.” Skyfall was the obvious choice for both of us. I’ve always enjoyed the Bond movies. As a kid, I used to watch them pretty regularly on TV with my dad when TNT, TBS, or some other station was doing one of their marathons. Leah, isn’t quite as familiar with the older movies as I am. However, we’ve really enjoyed the Daniel Craig additions to the series.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that this may be the greatest Bond movie ever. I’ll disagree. I actually wouldn’t even say it is the best Daniel Craig Bond movie. I think Casino Royale still holds that spot. However, Skyfall does deserve a spot somewhere in the Top 5.
Pros:
- Great action/fight scenes. Craig is the best Bond in the series when it comes to these scenes, IMO.
- Strong acting and overall great characterization.
- Good plot/story idea.
- Great back-story into the Bond character and mythos.
- Due to the anniversary, there were several nice nods to the series sprinkled throughout the movie.
- Interesting villain.
- Just like Connery, Craig was made for this role.
- Adele’s song really fit the movie. Also, good use of the prior franchises’ songs.
Cons:
- Though I thought the villain was interesting, I found it a bit jarring that he was introduced so late in the movie. Also, why would a top British agent not be from England? Seems kind of dumb when you think about it.
- Really dumb shower scene that felt completely out of character for Bond. It is hard to get into details without spoilers, however it left a bad taste in my mouth.
- A couple of the nods from the past felt a bit silly.
- One more thing about the villain…a little too over the top at times.
- A couple of character decisions felt unrealistic or forced in order to move the plot along.
Side note: The previews showed a couple of movies I’m really interested in seeing (Gangster Squad, A Good Day to Die Hard).
However, one looked absolutely comical…Jack Reacher. Sorry Tom Cruise, you are not a tough guy. You don’t have the stature, presence, look, size, voice, personality, etc. I predict that movie is going to fail horribly. However, if they would have gotten Jason Statham or someone along those lines, I’d add it to my “must see” list.
December 3, 2012
Music Monday - Secret Agent Man (...and a story)
Yes, I do think this song is pretty good. However, the reason why it’s today’s Music Monday is because of a funny story at work.
So, a couple of weeks ago, this older guy (late 50s) decides that he’s going to rock out during his lunch break. How? Well, he brings in his black imitation Les Paul, and a small 50 watt Peavy amp to work. That’s right. This guy starts playing an electric guitar during lunch in the lunch room . . . loudly.
The first day or two people tried to ignore him. By the third day, he was all alone. Mostly, he just sat there and doodled a few random classic rock riffs or chord progressions. Nothing special. This went on for about a week and a half. Then I guess he had enough, because no one ate in the lunch room anymore because he was too busy jamming. He tried to draw people back to him by cranking the volume so loud it could be heard through the walls into the office area, but it didn’t do him any good.
So, how does this factor into a Johnny Rivers song? Simple. This was his swan song. He played it in its entirety (the only one I heard him do that with) on his last day in the lunch room.
Sure, the tone was off, and he kind of stumbled through the solo, but I think the message was clear. He’s a Secret Agent Man. And we’re just all too square to understand.
Secret Agent Man
November 29, 2012
Hero of Slaves is now available!
A rising slave trader. An abused people. An unlikely hero.
Hero of Slaves: A Blood and Tears Novella is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords,and Kobo for $0.99.
Because this work is only 12,500 words, it will be available as an ebook only. If you do not have an ereader or a phone capable of acting as an ereader and are interested in reading the story, you can always download Amazon Kindle application for your desktop or laptop and read it from your computer.
Here is the description of the story:
Cassus left the Hell Patrol two years ago, confident that his decision to escort a group of freed Byzernian slaves to safety would make up for leaving his mercenary family and best friend behind.
After Cassus safely delivered the Byzernians to their homeland, he decided to lead a movement to take down the slave trade. As each subsequent mission ended, the danger to his men grew. Still, he pressed on.
Cassus receives word that a powerful slave trader, someone from his past, has set up a village to breed the Byzernians like cattle. He risks everything trying to dismantle the operation only to be captured. Transported along with a group of slaves, he hears news of tragedy striking the Hell Patrol.
Cassus struggles to help the Byzernians survive one last time despite the ghosts of his past calling him home. Hero of Slaves, is a novella of approximately 12,500 words.
The story takes place after the events of Rise and Fall and Steel and Sorrow, the first two books in the Blood and Tears Trilogy.
This ebook also features a two-chapter excerpt from Walk Through Fire: A Blood and Tears Prequel Novella.To read an excerpt of Hero of Slaves, click on the sample button below. If you like what you read, consider giving the rest of the story a shot.
One last thing. If you do read the story, please leave me a comment below, shoot me an email at joshuapsimon.author@gmail.com, or write up a review at your place of purchase and/or Goodreads (Remember, reviews are the best form of marketing an author can have). Anyway, I’d love to hear from you.
Another easy way to help me out is by clicking the “Like” button or “Share button” on the product page.
Thanks!
