Carl Alves's Blog, page 47
April 8, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 2: Vampire vs. Cthulhu
Vampires
Things you always wanted to know about vampires:
According to the Scripture of Delphi, the first vampire started out as a human, not a vampire. He was a man named Ambrogio, an Italian adventurer who found himself in Delphi, Greece. The Greek god Apollo cursed him that if his skin ever touched sunlight, it would burn. Apollo’s sister, Artemis, cursed him that if his skin ever touched silver, it would burn.
The most common ways of killing a vampire are: sunlight, wooden stake to the heart, decapitation, burning, and silver.
The folks at Sesame Street used actual vampire mythology as the basis of their character Count von Count. In some cultures, a way to ward off vampires is to throw seeds outside a door or to place it in a net outside of a window. Vampires feel compelled to count the seeds, which delays them until the sun comes up.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is part of a larger overarching mythology that H.P. Lovecraft created involving extraterrestrial creatures whose existence is beyond human understanding. Cthulhu is the most famous of Lovecraft’s creations. He is believed by some to be the monster in the movie "Cloverfield". In the story “The Call of Cthulhu”, the characters in the story only see him through dreams or artwork. Cthulhu once ruled the Earth and is destined to rule it again. He was trapped in the ocean after a massive earthquake sunk the city he lived in. Although there are variations on the way his name is pronounced, the most popular pronunciation among Cthulhu fans is "kuh-THOO-loo."
This is a matchup of clear heavyweights in the monster world. Vampires have amazing fighting skills. Unlike most monsters, they have the intelligence to go along with their physical skills which include superhuman strength and preternatural speed and agility. Depending on the myth, they also have shape-shifting ability. Having said that, I can’t imagine what a vampire would be able to do against Cthulhu, who is giant in size and stature. Besides his physical attributes, Cthulhu is also able to telepathically communicate with creative or insane people. The vampire would put up a good fight, but in the end, Cthulhu would crush the vampire on his way to the final of the monster mash tournament.
Things you always wanted to know about vampires:
According to the Scripture of Delphi, the first vampire started out as a human, not a vampire. He was a man named Ambrogio, an Italian adventurer who found himself in Delphi, Greece. The Greek god Apollo cursed him that if his skin ever touched sunlight, it would burn. Apollo’s sister, Artemis, cursed him that if his skin ever touched silver, it would burn.
The most common ways of killing a vampire are: sunlight, wooden stake to the heart, decapitation, burning, and silver.
The folks at Sesame Street used actual vampire mythology as the basis of their character Count von Count. In some cultures, a way to ward off vampires is to throw seeds outside a door or to place it in a net outside of a window. Vampires feel compelled to count the seeds, which delays them until the sun comes up.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is part of a larger overarching mythology that H.P. Lovecraft created involving extraterrestrial creatures whose existence is beyond human understanding. Cthulhu is the most famous of Lovecraft’s creations. He is believed by some to be the monster in the movie "Cloverfield". In the story “The Call of Cthulhu”, the characters in the story only see him through dreams or artwork. Cthulhu once ruled the Earth and is destined to rule it again. He was trapped in the ocean after a massive earthquake sunk the city he lived in. Although there are variations on the way his name is pronounced, the most popular pronunciation among Cthulhu fans is "kuh-THOO-loo."
This is a matchup of clear heavyweights in the monster world. Vampires have amazing fighting skills. Unlike most monsters, they have the intelligence to go along with their physical skills which include superhuman strength and preternatural speed and agility. Depending on the myth, they also have shape-shifting ability. Having said that, I can’t imagine what a vampire would be able to do against Cthulhu, who is giant in size and stature. Besides his physical attributes, Cthulhu is also able to telepathically communicate with creative or insane people. The vampire would put up a good fight, but in the end, Cthulhu would crush the vampire on his way to the final of the monster mash tournament.
April 5, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 2: Zombies vs. Basilisk
Zombies
Some things you always wanted to know about zombies:
The word “zombie” comes from the African word nzambi, which means “god.”
Based on common zombie mythos, the only way to kill a zombie is to damage its brain or cut off its head.
The modern concept of what we consider to be zombies originated from the Voudon religion in the West African Yorubi tribe. Members of the tribe traveled as captured slaves to the Caribbean island of Haiti, which was a hub for slavery in the 18th century.
Zombies have the traditional zombie limp because their bodies are being decomposed as any other normal corpse would. Additionally, rigor mortis would cause major tissue and muscle damage as the zombies walk. Since zombies can’t heal, any damage they sustain is permanent.
Basilisk
There have been different variations of the basilisk depending upon the mythology that you look at. The basilisks from Cyrene take the form of a small snake, not more than a foot in length. It is so venomous that it leaves a trail of deadly venom behind it. It can kill creatures just by looking at them. However, their weakness is weasels.
Basilisks can be found in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer . The basilisk is also mentioned in Leonardo Da Vinci’s Bestiary. It is also referenced in the Bible in Isiah 14:29. According to some legend, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror, which is how the Basilisk of Warsaw was killed.
Even if the most vicious, violent type of zombies is used for this contest, it won’t matter. If Darryl from The Walking Dead can dispatch zombies with ease, then I don’t think they’re going to present much of a problem for the Basilisk. The verdict: Basilisk by complete and utter annihilation.
Some things you always wanted to know about zombies:
The word “zombie” comes from the African word nzambi, which means “god.”
Based on common zombie mythos, the only way to kill a zombie is to damage its brain or cut off its head.
The modern concept of what we consider to be zombies originated from the Voudon religion in the West African Yorubi tribe. Members of the tribe traveled as captured slaves to the Caribbean island of Haiti, which was a hub for slavery in the 18th century.
Zombies have the traditional zombie limp because their bodies are being decomposed as any other normal corpse would. Additionally, rigor mortis would cause major tissue and muscle damage as the zombies walk. Since zombies can’t heal, any damage they sustain is permanent.
Basilisk
There have been different variations of the basilisk depending upon the mythology that you look at. The basilisks from Cyrene take the form of a small snake, not more than a foot in length. It is so venomous that it leaves a trail of deadly venom behind it. It can kill creatures just by looking at them. However, their weakness is weasels.
Basilisks can be found in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer . The basilisk is also mentioned in Leonardo Da Vinci’s Bestiary. It is also referenced in the Bible in Isiah 14:29. According to some legend, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror, which is how the Basilisk of Warsaw was killed.
Even if the most vicious, violent type of zombies is used for this contest, it won’t matter. If Darryl from The Walking Dead can dispatch zombies with ease, then I don’t think they’re going to present much of a problem for the Basilisk. The verdict: Basilisk by complete and utter annihilation.
April 2, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 1: Frankenstein's Big Foot vs. Cthulhu
Big Foot
Big Foot is a term used for creatures belonging to a race known as Sasquatches. The earliest legends of Big Foot date back to 1860 in the Cascade Mountain range near present day Spokane, Washington. This area through the years have had numerous stories and sightings over the years of hominid, ape-like creatures. The first recorded sighting came from the diary of Elkanah Walker, a missionary pioneer in the Washington area. In his diary, he reported that these creatures steal men in the middle of the night, have a strong stench, and steal fish from the nets of Indians. There have been similar sightings of Big Foot type creatures in various areas around the world.
These creatures are reported to be between seven and ten feet tall and weigh in excess of five hundred pounds. They have massive feet and hands and are considered to be powerful. There is speculation that these creatures are part of a race of creatures known as Gigantopithecus, which originated in Asia and migrated to North America.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is the creation of HP Lovecraft. This character and others created by Lovecraft have resonated with fans over the years that there is a subgenre in the horror fiction world known Lovecraftian mythos. Cthulhu first appeared in 1928 in Weird Tales in the short story “The Call of Cthulhu”. He was inspired by the Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Kraken”. Cthulhu is an ancient god that has an elephantile appearance with tentacles coming out of his mouth, claws on his hands, and wings on his back. He had been trapped in R’lyeh, an underwater city. Cthulhu is part dragon, part human, and part octopus.
Big Foot is basically a big scary ape. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to come across one of these creatures the next time I’m hiking in the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest, but Cthulhu is an ancient god of immense size, strength, and power. Cthulhu is utterly devastating and would be able to pick up Big Foot by its hind legs and swallow him whole. This matchup is going to go to Cthulhu by utter devastation.
Big Foot is a term used for creatures belonging to a race known as Sasquatches. The earliest legends of Big Foot date back to 1860 in the Cascade Mountain range near present day Spokane, Washington. This area through the years have had numerous stories and sightings over the years of hominid, ape-like creatures. The first recorded sighting came from the diary of Elkanah Walker, a missionary pioneer in the Washington area. In his diary, he reported that these creatures steal men in the middle of the night, have a strong stench, and steal fish from the nets of Indians. There have been similar sightings of Big Foot type creatures in various areas around the world.
These creatures are reported to be between seven and ten feet tall and weigh in excess of five hundred pounds. They have massive feet and hands and are considered to be powerful. There is speculation that these creatures are part of a race of creatures known as Gigantopithecus, which originated in Asia and migrated to North America.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is the creation of HP Lovecraft. This character and others created by Lovecraft have resonated with fans over the years that there is a subgenre in the horror fiction world known Lovecraftian mythos. Cthulhu first appeared in 1928 in Weird Tales in the short story “The Call of Cthulhu”. He was inspired by the Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Kraken”. Cthulhu is an ancient god that has an elephantile appearance with tentacles coming out of his mouth, claws on his hands, and wings on his back. He had been trapped in R’lyeh, an underwater city. Cthulhu is part dragon, part human, and part octopus.
Big Foot is basically a big scary ape. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to come across one of these creatures the next time I’m hiking in the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest, but Cthulhu is an ancient god of immense size, strength, and power. Cthulhu is utterly devastating and would be able to pick up Big Foot by its hind legs and swallow him whole. This matchup is going to go to Cthulhu by utter devastation.
March 31, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 1: Frankenstein's Monster vs. Basilisk
Frankenstein’s Monster
Frankenstein’s monster, often incorrectly referred to as Frankenstein, is one of the most celebrated monsters in the history of monsterdom. This monster is the creation of Mary Shelley, in her landmark 1818 novel, which blended science fiction and horror in a way that had not been done before. This is a novel that has endured the test of time and still stands today as a classic.
There have been many movie adaptations made involving Frankenstein’s monster, but he is typically portrayed as a mindless creature hell-bent on destruction, far different than the intelligent and thoughtful being that Shelley created. He is described as having thin, wrinkled skin, black lips, black hair, and yellow eyes. Medical student Victor Frankenstein created him on a November night in the late eighteenth century Ingolstadt, Germany. The monster has superhuman strength and above average intelligence. He also has no qualms about killing people.
Basilisk
The Basilisk is the king of the serpents. It has been described in a variety of ways over the years. It was originally described as a snake with a golden crown. It evolved over the years to become a snake with the head of a cock, and sometimes with the head a human.
There are two basic variations of the basilisk. One has the ability to burn everything nearby it. The second type can kill every living thing around it just by looking at it. They are so powerful that their breath can cause vegetation to wilt and stones to splinter. If a person were to attempt to kill it with a weapon, the basilisk’s venom could course through the weapon and kill the attacker and any animal they may be riding. In legend, to kill a basilisk, a person would have to hold a mirror in front of its eyes, while avoiding to look directly at it. Seeing its own reflection would cause a basilisk to die of fright.
Frankenstein’s Monster is certainly a frightening sight to behold, a creature that has terrified many a young child. It would also appear to be no slouch in the fighting department, with its superhuman strength and superior intellect, but a basilisk is a destructive force of nature. All it would have to do is look at Frankenstein’s monster, and it would be nighty-night time. It’s the Basilisk all the way, and it won’t be pretty.
Frankenstein’s monster, often incorrectly referred to as Frankenstein, is one of the most celebrated monsters in the history of monsterdom. This monster is the creation of Mary Shelley, in her landmark 1818 novel, which blended science fiction and horror in a way that had not been done before. This is a novel that has endured the test of time and still stands today as a classic.
There have been many movie adaptations made involving Frankenstein’s monster, but he is typically portrayed as a mindless creature hell-bent on destruction, far different than the intelligent and thoughtful being that Shelley created. He is described as having thin, wrinkled skin, black lips, black hair, and yellow eyes. Medical student Victor Frankenstein created him on a November night in the late eighteenth century Ingolstadt, Germany. The monster has superhuman strength and above average intelligence. He also has no qualms about killing people.
Basilisk
The Basilisk is the king of the serpents. It has been described in a variety of ways over the years. It was originally described as a snake with a golden crown. It evolved over the years to become a snake with the head of a cock, and sometimes with the head a human.
There are two basic variations of the basilisk. One has the ability to burn everything nearby it. The second type can kill every living thing around it just by looking at it. They are so powerful that their breath can cause vegetation to wilt and stones to splinter. If a person were to attempt to kill it with a weapon, the basilisk’s venom could course through the weapon and kill the attacker and any animal they may be riding. In legend, to kill a basilisk, a person would have to hold a mirror in front of its eyes, while avoiding to look directly at it. Seeing its own reflection would cause a basilisk to die of fright.
Frankenstein’s Monster is certainly a frightening sight to behold, a creature that has terrified many a young child. It would also appear to be no slouch in the fighting department, with its superhuman strength and superior intellect, but a basilisk is a destructive force of nature. All it would have to do is look at Frankenstein’s monster, and it would be nighty-night time. It’s the Basilisk all the way, and it won’t be pretty.
March 28, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 1: Zombies vs. Golem
Zombies
Zombies have become ultra-popular in today’s culture, possibly exceeding vampires. One of the highest rated shows on Television is AMC’s The Walking Dead, and there have been a myriad of movies and novels written about them. The traditional zombie is a slow moving, stumbling creature that is awfully fond of eating the brains of its victims. There have been other, hyper-fast, crazed zombies like those in 28 Days Later. The latter zombies would definitely be more fierce, and harder to defeat, so we’ll go with those in this battle.
Golem
Golem’s originate in Jewish lore. They are creatures who form from inanimate objects, usually mud, through the use of a magical formula or a charm. Golems are basically automatons, who were believed to give special protections to Jews. They are created by very holy people who are close to God. One of the most famous stories related to Golems involved Rabbi Löw, who lived in Prague in the 16th-century, and created a Golem that he used as his servant. Despite this, Golems aren’t all they are cracked up to be. They are believed to grow more powerful each day that they are alive and can become a destructive and chaotic force.
If you watch The Walking Dead, it’s hard to be impressed by zombies. They get killed by the dozen in each episode. Still, their intensity and ferocity should be enough to overcome Golems, who seem a bit underwhelming as far as their fighting skill. After all, their primary calling is to protect and be servants for holy Jewish men. Therefore, I’m going with the zombies in this one in a gruesome bloodbath.
Zombies have become ultra-popular in today’s culture, possibly exceeding vampires. One of the highest rated shows on Television is AMC’s The Walking Dead, and there have been a myriad of movies and novels written about them. The traditional zombie is a slow moving, stumbling creature that is awfully fond of eating the brains of its victims. There have been other, hyper-fast, crazed zombies like those in 28 Days Later. The latter zombies would definitely be more fierce, and harder to defeat, so we’ll go with those in this battle.
Golem
Golem’s originate in Jewish lore. They are creatures who form from inanimate objects, usually mud, through the use of a magical formula or a charm. Golems are basically automatons, who were believed to give special protections to Jews. They are created by very holy people who are close to God. One of the most famous stories related to Golems involved Rabbi Löw, who lived in Prague in the 16th-century, and created a Golem that he used as his servant. Despite this, Golems aren’t all they are cracked up to be. They are believed to grow more powerful each day that they are alive and can become a destructive and chaotic force.
If you watch The Walking Dead, it’s hard to be impressed by zombies. They get killed by the dozen in each episode. Still, their intensity and ferocity should be enough to overcome Golems, who seem a bit underwhelming as far as their fighting skill. After all, their primary calling is to protect and be servants for holy Jewish men. Therefore, I’m going with the zombies in this one in a gruesome bloodbath.
March 26, 2014
Monster Mash Tournament Round 1: Vampire vs. Rakshasa
Vampire
Today’s vampires are a good bit different than how they have been depicted in legend. The change seemed to have occurred with Anne Rice’s romantic, guilt-ridden vampires and have extended to the current abomination that Twilight gives us, which are hardly vampires at all. Vampires of old are horrific monsters. They have enhanced powers of speed, strength and endurance. They are vicious and hateful, and in a combat situation quite dangerous. These reasons make them favorites to win the monster mash tournament. But how will they stack up against Rakshasas?
Rakshasa
Rakshasas are demons that originate from Hindu mythos. They are shape changers with magical ability that feed on human flesh. They most commonly take the form of humans, dogs, tigers, and birds. They also have the ability to become invisible. Much like vampires, they can’t enter a person’s home unless they are invited. Rakshasas are believed to have been evil humans in previous lives and have the ability to possess people. They have superhuman strength and heightened senses. They also are commonly found in drawings to carry a strange variety of weapons including awkwardly curved bows.
Rakshasa’s may share similarities with Vampires, but can they beat these creatures of the night in head to head combat. They can change shape and possess superhuman strength and may be every bit as vicious as Vampires, but they lack the preternatural speed and agility that make Vampires the perfect hunters and total fighting machines. The verdict - vampires by decapitation.
Today’s vampires are a good bit different than how they have been depicted in legend. The change seemed to have occurred with Anne Rice’s romantic, guilt-ridden vampires and have extended to the current abomination that Twilight gives us, which are hardly vampires at all. Vampires of old are horrific monsters. They have enhanced powers of speed, strength and endurance. They are vicious and hateful, and in a combat situation quite dangerous. These reasons make them favorites to win the monster mash tournament. But how will they stack up against Rakshasas?
Rakshasa
Rakshasas are demons that originate from Hindu mythos. They are shape changers with magical ability that feed on human flesh. They most commonly take the form of humans, dogs, tigers, and birds. They also have the ability to become invisible. Much like vampires, they can’t enter a person’s home unless they are invited. Rakshasas are believed to have been evil humans in previous lives and have the ability to possess people. They have superhuman strength and heightened senses. They also are commonly found in drawings to carry a strange variety of weapons including awkwardly curved bows.
Rakshasa’s may share similarities with Vampires, but can they beat these creatures of the night in head to head combat. They can change shape and possess superhuman strength and may be every bit as vicious as Vampires, but they lack the preternatural speed and agility that make Vampires the perfect hunters and total fighting machines. The verdict - vampires by decapitation.
March 24, 2014
The Gladiator Retrospective
The Gladiator is simply put one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is epic in scope, the story of Roman general Maximus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe. Maximus is loyal to the emperor, but is thrust into slavery when Commodus, expertly played by Juaquin Pheonix in one of the greatest acting roles I have ever witnessed, kills his father and seizes the throne. Maximus becomes a gladiator. Through his incomparable skills as a warrior, Maximus becomes a renowned gladiator with one thing on his mind – vengeance.
Ridley Scott did an amazing job of directing this movie. This movie restored the public’s interest in historical epic films. Most movies that win Oscars are dreadful pieces of crap that people claim to like so that they can feel superior to the rest of society. This is not the case with Gladiator. The acting is sensational. The cinematography is top notch. The conclusion is more than satisfying.
When I first came up with the concept of my novel Reconquest: Mother Earth, before I even sat to start writing it, I had an image in my head of my main protagonist, former Navy SEAL Mitch Grace, in an arena battling it out with aliens. I didn’t know how I was going to incorporate this into my book, but one thing was certain, somehow, someway it was going to be part of it.
In Reconquest: Mother Earth, the planet is taken over by alien conquerors. Mitch Grace wakes up from a coma five years later and is determined to take the planet back from the aliens. He starts a guerilla campaign against them, and in the process is captured and enslaved much like Maximus. He becomes an intergalactic warrior, even taking the moniker of “The Gladiator”. He becomes an intergalactic sensation, a human that can kill aliens in single combat. Much like Maximus, he is single-minded in his focus, which is to reconquer the planet.
Ridley Scott did an amazing job of directing this movie. This movie restored the public’s interest in historical epic films. Most movies that win Oscars are dreadful pieces of crap that people claim to like so that they can feel superior to the rest of society. This is not the case with Gladiator. The acting is sensational. The cinematography is top notch. The conclusion is more than satisfying.
When I first came up with the concept of my novel Reconquest: Mother Earth, before I even sat to start writing it, I had an image in my head of my main protagonist, former Navy SEAL Mitch Grace, in an arena battling it out with aliens. I didn’t know how I was going to incorporate this into my book, but one thing was certain, somehow, someway it was going to be part of it.
In Reconquest: Mother Earth, the planet is taken over by alien conquerors. Mitch Grace wakes up from a coma five years later and is determined to take the planet back from the aliens. He starts a guerilla campaign against them, and in the process is captured and enslaved much like Maximus. He becomes an intergalactic warrior, even taking the moniker of “The Gladiator”. He becomes an intergalactic sensation, a human that can kill aliens in single combat. Much like Maximus, he is single-minded in his focus, which is to reconquer the planet.
March 22, 2014
Red Dawn Retrospective
I was in the fourth grade when Red Dawn came out in theaters. As a kid, this was an amazingly cool concept for a movie, and I was psyched to see it. I didn’t get to watch too many movies in the theater when I was a kid, so it was a few years later by the time I finally watched it. Despite of some of the silliness in the movie, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
Younger people who grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union and with the big threat being terrorism won’t get the feelings that this movie created. When I was a kid, a nuclear war with the Soviet Union and the possibility of the Russians invading were the biggest threats to our country. It was something that was always present just like the threat of terrorist attacks today are something that always looms as a possibility. That’s why this movie had such a big impact and why the concept of it worked so well.
In this movie, Russian paratroopers storm into a small, Colorado town as part of an overall invasion by Soviet forces. Jed Eckert, played by Patrick Swayze, is a high school student who takes to the woods with a group of his friends when the invasion occurs. After killing one of the soldiers, they take the Russian weaponry and mount a guerrilla war campaign against them.
Admittedly, the execution in this movie didn’t always work. There are many aspects of the movie that aren’t particularly believable, and there were many testosterone filled scenes in the movie, but as long as you don’t delve too deep, it’s a fun and enjoyable movie. It fit the attitude of the time well, but it doesn’t particularly hold up many years later.
My novel, Reconquest: Mother Earth, shares some elements with Red Dawn. In my novel, aliens take the place of the Soviets, and they have now overrun the planet. Mitch Grace, a former Navy SEAL before the world turned and aliens took over the planet, wakes up from a coma five years after the initial alien invasion. He is devastated to find that most the world’s population has been decimated, and humans have been thrust into slavery in mines working for the aliens. He can’t accept this and gathers followers to start his own guerilla war against the aliens. They have vastly superior technology and weaponry and he must go into hiding, but much of that never say die feeling is captured in the novel. Mitch Grace will do anything to fight off the aliens and restore Earth to human control.
Younger people who grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union and with the big threat being terrorism won’t get the feelings that this movie created. When I was a kid, a nuclear war with the Soviet Union and the possibility of the Russians invading were the biggest threats to our country. It was something that was always present just like the threat of terrorist attacks today are something that always looms as a possibility. That’s why this movie had such a big impact and why the concept of it worked so well.
In this movie, Russian paratroopers storm into a small, Colorado town as part of an overall invasion by Soviet forces. Jed Eckert, played by Patrick Swayze, is a high school student who takes to the woods with a group of his friends when the invasion occurs. After killing one of the soldiers, they take the Russian weaponry and mount a guerrilla war campaign against them.
Admittedly, the execution in this movie didn’t always work. There are many aspects of the movie that aren’t particularly believable, and there were many testosterone filled scenes in the movie, but as long as you don’t delve too deep, it’s a fun and enjoyable movie. It fit the attitude of the time well, but it doesn’t particularly hold up many years later.
My novel, Reconquest: Mother Earth, shares some elements with Red Dawn. In my novel, aliens take the place of the Soviets, and they have now overrun the planet. Mitch Grace, a former Navy SEAL before the world turned and aliens took over the planet, wakes up from a coma five years after the initial alien invasion. He is devastated to find that most the world’s population has been decimated, and humans have been thrust into slavery in mines working for the aliens. He can’t accept this and gathers followers to start his own guerilla war against the aliens. They have vastly superior technology and weaponry and he must go into hiding, but much of that never say die feeling is captured in the novel. Mitch Grace will do anything to fight off the aliens and restore Earth to human control.
March 19, 2014
Independence Day Retrospective
I remember when Independence Day came out, the trailers and promotion for the movie were tremendous. The buildup of the movie was so great that instead of releasing the movie on July 3, 1996, they released it a day earlier, which coincided with when the movie starts. The buzz was huge, and the movie became one of the all-time biggest blockbusters.
As far as the plot goes, an alien mothership enters the Earth’s orbit and released saucer-shaped space ships over various cities across the globe. The president of the United States, played by Bill Pullman, orders evacuations of these cities, but it’s too late as the aliens use a coordinated attack on July 3rd, a day after they arrive. The first strike back against the aliens occurs when Air Force Captain Steven Hilliard, played by Will Smith, lures an alien ship into the New Mexico desert, forces it to crash, and then kills the alien. A group of people including the president and Hilliard launch a counter attack involving using the captured alien ship to enter the mothership and introduce a virus. In the finale, they launch a nuclear missile into the mothership, while its defenses are down to destroy it.
This was a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s not the deepest, most thoughtful movie ever made, and you had to suspend your disbelief in many places, but it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the portrayal of human spirit that the movie displayed, when against all odds, in an impossible situation, the humans used intelligence and ingenuity against a far more powerful enemy.
As far as the plot goes, an alien mothership enters the Earth’s orbit and released saucer-shaped space ships over various cities across the globe. The president of the United States, played by Bill Pullman, orders evacuations of these cities, but it’s too late as the aliens use a coordinated attack on July 3rd, a day after they arrive. The first strike back against the aliens occurs when Air Force Captain Steven Hilliard, played by Will Smith, lures an alien ship into the New Mexico desert, forces it to crash, and then kills the alien. A group of people including the president and Hilliard launch a counter attack involving using the captured alien ship to enter the mothership and introduce a virus. In the finale, they launch a nuclear missile into the mothership, while its defenses are down to destroy it.
This was a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s not the deepest, most thoughtful movie ever made, and you had to suspend your disbelief in many places, but it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the portrayal of human spirit that the movie displayed, when against all odds, in an impossible situation, the humans used intelligence and ingenuity against a far more powerful enemy.
March 16, 2014
Video Night by Adam Cesare
Video Night is set in the late eighties, and gives a vibe that will be familiar to anyone who grew up in that time period. Billy Rile is a smart, nerdy kid who excels at school and video games, and has a strong obsession with horror movies. His best friend Tom is the polar opposite of him. Tom is a little rough around the edges, doesn’t often attend school, and doesn’t come from a well-adjusted household. Billy lusts after his neighbor, who is smart and beautiful. When their Long Island community starts being infested by these alien creatures, in Invasion of the Body Snatchers style, the trio must take cover and defend themselves from this attack on their video night.
There’s a lot to like in this novel. Being around the same age as the main characters during that time in the eighties, I could certainly relate to what they were going through and the references from that time period. The characters are well formed and relatable. The writing style is fast paced and matches the tenor of the plot. There is a nice build to the finale at the end and a strong payoff. If I were to offer a criticism, it’s that the novel doesn’t cover new ground. This type of alien invasion/takeover has been done frequently before, but it’s certainly well done in this novel. Fans of aliens, horror movies, video games, and quality fiction should check this novel out.
There’s a lot to like in this novel. Being around the same age as the main characters during that time in the eighties, I could certainly relate to what they were going through and the references from that time period. The characters are well formed and relatable. The writing style is fast paced and matches the tenor of the plot. There is a nice build to the finale at the end and a strong payoff. If I were to offer a criticism, it’s that the novel doesn’t cover new ground. This type of alien invasion/takeover has been done frequently before, but it’s certainly well done in this novel. Fans of aliens, horror movies, video games, and quality fiction should check this novel out.
