Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 69
February 6, 2014
The "Inner Demons" Book Trailer is live!
And somehow fitting for my 900th post! Woot!
Inner Demons (Urban Fantasy)
It took everything from her, except revenge!
Tamara Williams had just settled down to a quiet evening at home when, one moment she's in her apartment then the next she's on a dark street with a set of headlights heading straight for her.
Not only is she not where she's supposed to be, but she has three months of missing time. Yet in those months, she's seemingly ruined her best friend's wedding, blackmailed her boss, turned her back on her family and heritage, and worse. Now she's determined to find out how this happened, why, and then making those responsible pay!
Inner Demons Info Page
Sample Chapters
From Mundania Press
Book Trailer by GWE.
Inner Demons (Urban Fantasy)
It took everything from her, except revenge!
Tamara Williams had just settled down to a quiet evening at home when, one moment she's in her apartment then the next she's on a dark street with a set of headlights heading straight for her.
Not only is she not where she's supposed to be, but she has three months of missing time. Yet in those months, she's seemingly ruined her best friend's wedding, blackmailed her boss, turned her back on her family and heritage, and worse. Now she's determined to find out how this happened, why, and then making those responsible pay!
Inner Demons Info Page
Sample Chapters
From Mundania Press
Book Trailer by GWE.
February 5, 2014
Picture Kaleidoscope 2/5/14
Happy Wednesday!
Hope everyone is warm and dry. Cause the weather seems determined to make it different. :(
Went digging through my photos as I've been bad with tracking what I've shared and what I haven't. I'll add a few others just in case as well. heh heh
The sky can really be so impressive at times.
A cloudnami? Heh heh
Could be a cloud beach too.
Totally fits that old "the sun was like molasses" line, don't you think?
Sky prism!
Texas always gets such fluffy clouds!
Enter the Communist Party Buzludzha by Djordje Boskovik at Earthshots.org The image speaks volumes on a number of levels. Pretty cool! And he's got a lot of other cool work at his flicker account too. Nice!
Dancing With the Wind #1 by Matt Anderson at Earthshots.org Love the composition! He has a lot of creative angle/focus shots at his site. Eye candy!
Till next time!
Hope everyone is warm and dry. Cause the weather seems determined to make it different. :(
Went digging through my photos as I've been bad with tracking what I've shared and what I haven't. I'll add a few others just in case as well. heh heh
The sky can really be so impressive at times.
A cloudnami? Heh heh
Could be a cloud beach too.
Totally fits that old "the sun was like molasses" line, don't you think?
Sky prism!
Texas always gets such fluffy clouds!
Enter the Communist Party Buzludzha by Djordje Boskovik at Earthshots.org The image speaks volumes on a number of levels. Pretty cool! And he's got a lot of other cool work at his flicker account too. Nice!
Dancing With the Wind #1 by Matt Anderson at Earthshots.org Love the composition! He has a lot of creative angle/focus shots at his site. Eye candy!
Till next time!
February 3, 2014
Mind Sieve 2/3/14
How does this Monday morning find you? Wet, snowed in, iced over? Brrrr.
Fan Fun
The Zero Theorem Trailer - looks mental, but fun!
Maleficent Official Trailer #2 - this just keeps looking better and better!!!
Tor.com brought this great commercial of bad guys to my attention. Had to share! Jaguar 2014
The Bag Man Official Trailer #1 - what a mess. Heh heh
The Pretty One Trailer - cute and sad.
Social Media/Author PlatformFacebook Paper App: This Week in Social Media by Cindy King at SocialMedia Examiner. Not really clear on how it works?
How to Analyze Your Social Media Activity with Excel by Merlin U Ward at SocialMedia Examiner. Another time sink! The hardest thing to master is weighing time vs. advantage. I just don't know.
Writing AdviceThe Devil's in the Details - Taking Your Fiction to a Higher Level by Kristen Lamb. And like she says, there can be TOO MUCH detail. So you have to figure out how much is just right. :)
In Defense of Pantsing by Jami Gold - sell it sister!
Till next time!
Fan Fun
The Zero Theorem Trailer - looks mental, but fun!
Maleficent Official Trailer #2 - this just keeps looking better and better!!!
Tor.com brought this great commercial of bad guys to my attention. Had to share! Jaguar 2014
The Bag Man Official Trailer #1 - what a mess. Heh heh
The Pretty One Trailer - cute and sad.
Social Media/Author PlatformFacebook Paper App: This Week in Social Media by Cindy King at SocialMedia Examiner. Not really clear on how it works?
How to Analyze Your Social Media Activity with Excel by Merlin U Ward at SocialMedia Examiner. Another time sink! The hardest thing to master is weighing time vs. advantage. I just don't know.
Writing AdviceThe Devil's in the Details - Taking Your Fiction to a Higher Level by Kristen Lamb. And like she says, there can be TOO MUCH detail. So you have to figure out how much is just right. :)
In Defense of Pantsing by Jami Gold - sell it sister!
Till next time!
February 2, 2014
Virtual Tourist - Dishonored 2/2/14
Morning all!
Good news - Figured out how to fix the pic taking for Dishonored again. Yay!
Bad News - Hubby got hacked on swtor though. :( And even though he had all the 5 questions and answers, they were demanding a copy of his driver's license to give him his account back. Uh, no! That's what the bloody 5 questions are for! So his account is now gone. I'll be on swtor alone. He was very upset.
Dishonored
Master Assassin
Section 2
Discovered Delilah is a ship and also a person. (The ship was named after her.) She was an artist, and she worked for a specific man. His sister has given me info on where to find him. (Extreme sibling issues here.)Electric train tracks. I'l be steering away from them after the last time. Hah!
It feels so good to take pics again!
I so wanted to teleport to the corner on the left! Not sure ot my range being so short now.
The guy there...he's whizzing in the corner. Yes, whizzing! You can even see the stream if you click for the bigger pic. lol
No insanity here. No, sir.
Have to love the rooftops, you know?
More Good News! (Shameless promo plug so you can ignore reading it!) "Inner Demons", my urban fantasy through Mundania Press, is out! Kindle and Nook as well as other ebook formats are available as well as in trade paperback. Available at the publishers website and elsewhere (though the paperback is taking longer to file through. Sample chapters can be found here.
Stay dry and warm today!
Good news - Figured out how to fix the pic taking for Dishonored again. Yay!
Bad News - Hubby got hacked on swtor though. :( And even though he had all the 5 questions and answers, they were demanding a copy of his driver's license to give him his account back. Uh, no! That's what the bloody 5 questions are for! So his account is now gone. I'll be on swtor alone. He was very upset.
Dishonored
Master Assassin
Section 2
Discovered Delilah is a ship and also a person. (The ship was named after her.) She was an artist, and she worked for a specific man. His sister has given me info on where to find him. (Extreme sibling issues here.)Electric train tracks. I'l be steering away from them after the last time. Hah!
It feels so good to take pics again!
I so wanted to teleport to the corner on the left! Not sure ot my range being so short now.
The guy there...he's whizzing in the corner. Yes, whizzing! You can even see the stream if you click for the bigger pic. lol
No insanity here. No, sir.
Have to love the rooftops, you know?
More Good News! (Shameless promo plug so you can ignore reading it!) "Inner Demons", my urban fantasy through Mundania Press, is out! Kindle and Nook as well as other ebook formats are available as well as in trade paperback. Available at the publishers website and elsewhere (though the paperback is taking longer to file through. Sample chapters can be found here.
Stay dry and warm today!
January 31, 2014
Movie Review - Labor Day
Labor Day
Starring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tobey Maguire, Tom Lipinski, Malika Monroe, Clark Gregg, James Van Der Beek, Brighid Fleming, and more.
Directed by: Jason Reitman Screenplay by: Jason Reitman Based on the Novel by: Joyce Maynard Cinematography by: Eric Steelberg Music by: Rolfe Kent
Premise: Over the long Labor Day weekend in 1987, Henry and his reclusive mother end up with a uninvited guest, an escaped convict. With secrets being hidden on all sides, this unexpected visitor might turn out to be exactly what they've needed all along. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Kate Winslet was totally convincing as Adele. Just seeing her for the first time, it was obvious Adele constantly fought battles with herself to try to remain at least partially functional for her son. Josh Brolin as the mysterious Frank also did a superb job - looming one moment, unusually tender the next, then threatening again. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin had good chemistry. It was fun watching them start to feel for one another even as they fought the unexpected urges. Watching Gattlin Griffith watching them was a treat. His large expressive eyes will get him far. His narratives added an unexpectedly great flavor to the story as a whole.
2) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film starts as we leisurely travel down a two lane blacktop road. The music is soft. All the views are things you might see while traveling one lane blacktop roads in New England. Put together it generates a laid back mood, like being in a hammock during a soft afternoon. And for the most part, the whole film moves in the same way throughout.
The point of view for the film mostly comes from Henry, with some disjointed tiny flashbacks thrown in about Frank's story here and there, as well as a reveal from Adele of what truly brought her to have the secluded life she leads. But because the film is mainly focused on Henry, the romance element is never heavy.
There are lots of cute, quirky moments, many coming from Eleanor, whose pessimistic wisdom get's Henry into trouble a couple of times.
3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The story takes place in a lovely New England town cobbled together from multiple locations in Massachusetts. The shots are often idyllic and filled with feeling. Yet it is Adele's home that is center stage for most of the tale. Just looking at the facade of the house instantly gave the audience a ton of information on the status of those living within. The same view is used several times to impart changes in Adele's situation as time flows by.
Conclusion: No gun fights, no real violence, just lots of interesting people you want to know better. Some cute, tender, and even funny moments are sprinkled through the film. "Labor Day" is what you expect, yet at the same time it's not. Your heartstrings will be tugged at the end, no matter how hard you try not to let them.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission (Really! A guy said that! YES!))
And because I gotta - My urban fantasy novel "Inner Demons" has been released! Trade paperback and multiple ebook formats abound (Nook, Kindle, pdf, and more). Paperback are currently only available at the publisher's website but should come down and be available at the usual the channels soon! Huzzah!
Starring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tobey Maguire, Tom Lipinski, Malika Monroe, Clark Gregg, James Van Der Beek, Brighid Fleming, and more.
Directed by: Jason Reitman Screenplay by: Jason Reitman Based on the Novel by: Joyce Maynard Cinematography by: Eric Steelberg Music by: Rolfe Kent
Premise: Over the long Labor Day weekend in 1987, Henry and his reclusive mother end up with a uninvited guest, an escaped convict. With secrets being hidden on all sides, this unexpected visitor might turn out to be exactly what they've needed all along. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Kate Winslet was totally convincing as Adele. Just seeing her for the first time, it was obvious Adele constantly fought battles with herself to try to remain at least partially functional for her son. Josh Brolin as the mysterious Frank also did a superb job - looming one moment, unusually tender the next, then threatening again. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin had good chemistry. It was fun watching them start to feel for one another even as they fought the unexpected urges. Watching Gattlin Griffith watching them was a treat. His large expressive eyes will get him far. His narratives added an unexpectedly great flavor to the story as a whole.
2) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film starts as we leisurely travel down a two lane blacktop road. The music is soft. All the views are things you might see while traveling one lane blacktop roads in New England. Put together it generates a laid back mood, like being in a hammock during a soft afternoon. And for the most part, the whole film moves in the same way throughout.
The point of view for the film mostly comes from Henry, with some disjointed tiny flashbacks thrown in about Frank's story here and there, as well as a reveal from Adele of what truly brought her to have the secluded life she leads. But because the film is mainly focused on Henry, the romance element is never heavy.
There are lots of cute, quirky moments, many coming from Eleanor, whose pessimistic wisdom get's Henry into trouble a couple of times.
3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The story takes place in a lovely New England town cobbled together from multiple locations in Massachusetts. The shots are often idyllic and filled with feeling. Yet it is Adele's home that is center stage for most of the tale. Just looking at the facade of the house instantly gave the audience a ton of information on the status of those living within. The same view is used several times to impart changes in Adele's situation as time flows by.
Conclusion: No gun fights, no real violence, just lots of interesting people you want to know better. Some cute, tender, and even funny moments are sprinkled through the film. "Labor Day" is what you expect, yet at the same time it's not. Your heartstrings will be tugged at the end, no matter how hard you try not to let them.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission (Really! A guy said that! YES!))
And because I gotta - My urban fantasy novel "Inner Demons" has been released! Trade paperback and multiple ebook formats abound (Nook, Kindle, pdf, and more). Paperback are currently only available at the publisher's website but should come down and be available at the usual the channels soon! Huzzah!
January 29, 2014
Picture Kaleidoscope 1/29/14
Doing this puppy way in advance. So it shouldn't be late! :)
Snow Owl by Morris Bennett Altman at Earthshots.org. I love the owl's expression. Kind of like "Hey, kid, you're bothering me. Shoo!" Heh heh
He's got lots of bird, animal pics, and more! Nice work Altman! And this guy here also looks like he's saying something. "Hey, you! With the face!"
Evening Commute by Dave Gordon at Earthshots.org. Love, love, love the way the clouds are rolling in!He has more awesome San Francisco pics at his site.
Photographer Brings the Landscapes of Brothers Grimm to Life in Haunting Photos at Petapixel. Article by DL Cade. Photography by Kilian Schoenberger. Great pics and atmosphere is awesome. :) According to the article, he's color blind - but it sure doesn't stop him from taking amazing photos.
Kilian Schoenberger has even more jaw dropping work at his site. Look at that view - Amazing!
22 Images From NYC's Golden Age of Bridge Building by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan on Gizmo. Some oldies but goodies.
Till next time!
Snow Owl by Morris Bennett Altman at Earthshots.org. I love the owl's expression. Kind of like "Hey, kid, you're bothering me. Shoo!" Heh heh
He's got lots of bird, animal pics, and more! Nice work Altman! And this guy here also looks like he's saying something. "Hey, you! With the face!"
Evening Commute by Dave Gordon at Earthshots.org. Love, love, love the way the clouds are rolling in!He has more awesome San Francisco pics at his site.
Photographer Brings the Landscapes of Brothers Grimm to Life in Haunting Photos at Petapixel. Article by DL Cade. Photography by Kilian Schoenberger. Great pics and atmosphere is awesome. :) According to the article, he's color blind - but it sure doesn't stop him from taking amazing photos.
Kilian Schoenberger has even more jaw dropping work at his site. Look at that view - Amazing!
22 Images From NYC's Golden Age of Bridge Building by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan on Gizmo. Some oldies but goodies.
Till next time!
January 27, 2014
Mind Sieve 1/27/14
Good morning!
Fan Fun
Stormtrooper Secrets: Hip Hop Twerk 4K - the ending is awesome!
Only Lovers Left Alive International Trailer 1 - funky!
Welcome to the Jungle Official Trailer 1 - ROFL - Van Damme as you've never seen him before. lol
Social Media/Author PlatformWhy Now Is The Best Time To Be A Writer by Jessica Baverstock at WarriorWriters.
10 Tips To Build a Consistent And Memorable Social Media Brand by Pam Moore.
Writing AdviceOn Persistence, And The Long Con Of Being A Successful Writer by Kameron Hurley at TerribleMinds.
Know Your Goals: Artist-Author or Professional-Author? by Jami Gold.
Have a great Monday!
Fan Fun
Stormtrooper Secrets: Hip Hop Twerk 4K - the ending is awesome!
Only Lovers Left Alive International Trailer 1 - funky!
Welcome to the Jungle Official Trailer 1 - ROFL - Van Damme as you've never seen him before. lol
Social Media/Author PlatformWhy Now Is The Best Time To Be A Writer by Jessica Baverstock at WarriorWriters.
10 Tips To Build a Consistent And Memorable Social Media Brand by Pam Moore.
Writing AdviceOn Persistence, And The Long Con Of Being A Successful Writer by Kameron Hurley at TerribleMinds.
Know Your Goals: Artist-Author or Professional-Author? by Jami Gold.
Have a great Monday!
January 26, 2014
Virtual Tourist - COGS 1/26/14
Morning, all!
Stumbled over a new little puzzle game last week. Has an awesome steampunk look and feel to it. And it's terribly cute. Multidimensional yet at the same time old fashioned puzzles. The pipe ones remind me of a game hubbins and I played eons ago. This new game is called COGS.
You get graded on the solution, time it took to solve, and number of moves. Collecting the stars opens up more puzzles.
In Invention Mode you get the list of puzzles on one side and then an explanation of the particular highlighted puzzle on the right.
Beginning of the puzzle
When I completed it. Many of the puzzles have a result - for this one, it's filling up the balloon.
A 4 sided puzzle! Each side affected the next one! Crazy stuff!
Make all the bells stop ringing - not as simple as it sounds!!!
Make the clocks move at the same speed. This one almost did me in. Some of the special cogs did not play with each other.
Pipe matching goodness!
Is this game cute or what? Available for just about all electronic devices. We got the PC version.
Have a great day!
Stumbled over a new little puzzle game last week. Has an awesome steampunk look and feel to it. And it's terribly cute. Multidimensional yet at the same time old fashioned puzzles. The pipe ones remind me of a game hubbins and I played eons ago. This new game is called COGS.
You get graded on the solution, time it took to solve, and number of moves. Collecting the stars opens up more puzzles.
In Invention Mode you get the list of puzzles on one side and then an explanation of the particular highlighted puzzle on the right.
Beginning of the puzzle
When I completed it. Many of the puzzles have a result - for this one, it's filling up the balloon.
A 4 sided puzzle! Each side affected the next one! Crazy stuff!
Make all the bells stop ringing - not as simple as it sounds!!!
Make the clocks move at the same speed. This one almost did me in. Some of the special cogs did not play with each other.
Pipe matching goodness!
Is this game cute or what? Available for just about all electronic devices. We got the PC version.
Have a great day!
January 24, 2014
Movie Review - I, Frankenstein
I, Frankenstein
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Bill Nighy, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Aden Young, Caitlin Stasey, Mahesh Jadu, Steve Mouzakis, Nicholas Bell, and more.
Directed by: Stuart Beattie Screenplay by: Stuart Beattie Screen Story by: Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beattie From the Graphic Novel by: Kevin Grevioux Based on Characters in the Novel by: Mary Shelley Cinematography by: Ross Emery Music by: Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek
Premise: Picking up where the Mary Shelley novel left off, the creature brings Frankenstein's body home to bury him at the family graveyard. A final act of grudging respcet after the scientist died while still pursuing his creation. While doing so, the creature is attacked by demons, who seem to know who and what he is. Rescued by shape shifting gargoyles, the creature is given a name and instructed about a conflict most are not aware of. And he's now become a part of it, whether he likes it or not. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Aaron Eckhart was a great choice to play Victor Frankenstein's reanimated creation. Yvonne Strahovsky was a lot of fun as the eager scientist. She even wore sensible shoes! (Something usually unheard of in movies.) Bill Nighy continues his tradition of playing high ranking supernatural villains. Which works very well as he does such a great job of being a suave and persuasive type of evil.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: "I, Frankenstein" has a ton of awesome special effects. The way the demons and gargoyles 'descend' and 'ascend' are incredibly flashy. The demons 'descending' even drill into the ground as they are ejected to the plain of Hell, which made for some cool visuals.
The switches between CGI and reality and back again, were close to seamless. This let them create some fun combat scenes as the actors fought one another and then their bodies would catch flame and deteriorate in moments while still moving. The shape shifting of the gargoyles looked good, but the demon changes looked even better.
Yet as in any Frankenstein film, it is the scientific gadgets that look coolest of all. Dr Wade's electricity chamber looked amazing in IMAX 3D. Loved the see through computer screens. And wait until you see the giant chamber of bodies and the electricity conducting coils - very impressive.
3) Story - Thumbs Up: I'd just recently seen the Frankenstein play by Danny Boyle, which shares the thoughts and feelings of the creature as well as Frankenstein's, so a lot of the general details of the Mary Shelley story were still fresh in my mind. So I was thrilled when the film began and they picked up pretty much were the story left off - the chase of the monster by his creator in the Arctic. They even quickly mentioned things from the novel that had already transpired for those not acquainted with the original work. Even better (despite what the name of the film makes it look like), they don't confuse 'Frankenstein' as the name of the creature. (The very end of the film ties back to the name they chose and it works quite well.)
In ancient times gargoyles were thought to be good for scaring away evil and for protection. It was one of the reasons they were used on so many buildings (and also as a way to funnel rainwater away from the buildings). So I loved how they took the old stories just one step further and made gargoyles shape shifters as well as actual defenders of humanity against 666 hordes from Hell. I almost laughed out loud when I saw their main headquarters - the choice could not have been more apt.
Even the symbol for the gargoyles order has basis in fact, as it looks very close to an upside down Papal Cross.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a lot of fights in the film, and like I mentioned earlier, the combat using both real people and CGI combatants was great. I especially enjoyed the combat scene at the old building where Adam was staying.
5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I have to give the costuming department major 'kudos' for actually having a beautiful woman on screen who wears sensible shoes! As a research scientist, Dr. Wade would be on her feet a lot, and flats are just the thing. In most films, however, they would have still put her in heels to make her more appealing. So it was wonderful to see reality/common sense win for once.
The makeup department did an outstanding job as well. The makeup work on Adam was fantastic. The scar tissue on his face and upper body looked like the real thing.
Conclusion: If you're looking for some good supernatural action or are a fan of Frankentein, this movie is for you. Great visuals and special effects, as well as a fast paced solid plot, all of which will keep you thoroughly entertained.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Also, if you're looking for a fun read, go check out my short story "Bloody Hell" which is now live at 4 Star Stories. And it's free! :)
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Bill Nighy, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Aden Young, Caitlin Stasey, Mahesh Jadu, Steve Mouzakis, Nicholas Bell, and more.
Directed by: Stuart Beattie Screenplay by: Stuart Beattie Screen Story by: Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beattie From the Graphic Novel by: Kevin Grevioux Based on Characters in the Novel by: Mary Shelley Cinematography by: Ross Emery Music by: Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek
Premise: Picking up where the Mary Shelley novel left off, the creature brings Frankenstein's body home to bury him at the family graveyard. A final act of grudging respcet after the scientist died while still pursuing his creation. While doing so, the creature is attacked by demons, who seem to know who and what he is. Rescued by shape shifting gargoyles, the creature is given a name and instructed about a conflict most are not aware of. And he's now become a part of it, whether he likes it or not. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Aaron Eckhart was a great choice to play Victor Frankenstein's reanimated creation. Yvonne Strahovsky was a lot of fun as the eager scientist. She even wore sensible shoes! (Something usually unheard of in movies.) Bill Nighy continues his tradition of playing high ranking supernatural villains. Which works very well as he does such a great job of being a suave and persuasive type of evil.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: "I, Frankenstein" has a ton of awesome special effects. The way the demons and gargoyles 'descend' and 'ascend' are incredibly flashy. The demons 'descending' even drill into the ground as they are ejected to the plain of Hell, which made for some cool visuals.
The switches between CGI and reality and back again, were close to seamless. This let them create some fun combat scenes as the actors fought one another and then their bodies would catch flame and deteriorate in moments while still moving. The shape shifting of the gargoyles looked good, but the demon changes looked even better.
Yet as in any Frankenstein film, it is the scientific gadgets that look coolest of all. Dr Wade's electricity chamber looked amazing in IMAX 3D. Loved the see through computer screens. And wait until you see the giant chamber of bodies and the electricity conducting coils - very impressive.
3) Story - Thumbs Up: I'd just recently seen the Frankenstein play by Danny Boyle, which shares the thoughts and feelings of the creature as well as Frankenstein's, so a lot of the general details of the Mary Shelley story were still fresh in my mind. So I was thrilled when the film began and they picked up pretty much were the story left off - the chase of the monster by his creator in the Arctic. They even quickly mentioned things from the novel that had already transpired for those not acquainted with the original work. Even better (despite what the name of the film makes it look like), they don't confuse 'Frankenstein' as the name of the creature. (The very end of the film ties back to the name they chose and it works quite well.)
In ancient times gargoyles were thought to be good for scaring away evil and for protection. It was one of the reasons they were used on so many buildings (and also as a way to funnel rainwater away from the buildings). So I loved how they took the old stories just one step further and made gargoyles shape shifters as well as actual defenders of humanity against 666 hordes from Hell. I almost laughed out loud when I saw their main headquarters - the choice could not have been more apt.
Even the symbol for the gargoyles order has basis in fact, as it looks very close to an upside down Papal Cross.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a lot of fights in the film, and like I mentioned earlier, the combat using both real people and CGI combatants was great. I especially enjoyed the combat scene at the old building where Adam was staying.
5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I have to give the costuming department major 'kudos' for actually having a beautiful woman on screen who wears sensible shoes! As a research scientist, Dr. Wade would be on her feet a lot, and flats are just the thing. In most films, however, they would have still put her in heels to make her more appealing. So it was wonderful to see reality/common sense win for once.
The makeup department did an outstanding job as well. The makeup work on Adam was fantastic. The scar tissue on his face and upper body looked like the real thing.
Conclusion: If you're looking for some good supernatural action or are a fan of Frankentein, this movie is for you. Great visuals and special effects, as well as a fast paced solid plot, all of which will keep you thoroughly entertained.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Also, if you're looking for a fun read, go check out my short story "Bloody Hell" which is now live at 4 Star Stories. And it's free! :)
January 22, 2014
Picture Kaleidoscope 1/22/14
Running late again! Figures....
Wings in the sky!
Panorama, baby! Been a while since I did one of these. :)
Lots of pinks and blues in the sky lately
Molasses sky
Lots and lots of pinks and blues. :)
Some cool stained glass windows at the local Dave and Busters. Restaurant tucked away from the noise.
Here's another one.
Food wasn't bad at all either!
Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken. Or death by cheese!
More sunrises at work!
The company just introduced a new rewards system for employees. My boss got one. Love love love this case!
The reward is a silver dollar. Isn't she a beaut?
Such a novel idea. :)
Have a great one!
Wings in the sky!
Panorama, baby! Been a while since I did one of these. :)
Lots of pinks and blues in the sky lately
Molasses sky
Lots and lots of pinks and blues. :)
Some cool stained glass windows at the local Dave and Busters. Restaurant tucked away from the noise.
Here's another one.
Food wasn't bad at all either!
Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken. Or death by cheese!
More sunrises at work!
The company just introduced a new rewards system for employees. My boss got one. Love love love this case!
The reward is a silver dollar. Isn't she a beaut?
Such a novel idea. :)
Have a great one!
