orangerful | Entries tagged with vox

Well Witched [Unabridged Library Edition CDs]

Francis Hardinge

Think about all the times you've made a wish; tossing a coin into a fountain, blowing away an eyelash, or blowing out birthday candles. Were they simple wishes - I want a toy! - or were there layers to these wishes - wishing for the toy meant your friends would find you more attractive? What if all of those wishes, layers and all, had to be granted? And what if YOU were in charge of granting them?

Well Witched by Francis Hardinge opens with three friends are out in a part of town their parents have forbidden them to visit when they realize they don't have enough change to pay for the bus ride home. Desperate to find some coins, the teens stumble upon a well. They grab a handful and use them to pay for the ride home. Little do they know those coins do not belong to them, and the spirit of the well wants them back. She gives each of the teens a special ability - Ryan communicates with her via magical eyes that have grown on his fingers; Shell can speak the thoughts of the wisher; and Josh has the power to effect electricity. At first, it seems like it will be easy - how many coins could they have taken? How hard could it be to fullfill a wish? But they soon discover that there is no such thing as a simple wish and that not everyone wishes for nice things.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the book. It's a bit too long, and one of the downsides of audio is that you can't skim a page if you're not interested in the current content. So I found myself checking the track numbers on the discs, wondering how much was left of the story.

And there is a lot of story. It feels like Hardinge might have had two story ideas in her head but tried to get them both into the same book. She takes great care in creating a family life for Ryan and his friends but the story of the parents feels a bit too complicated and it weighs down the narrative, especially since we already have the story of an angry well witch trying to manipulate the three teens as they struggle to "grant" wishes.

The book has some creepy images, so I would suggest this book for older children, maybe 5th grade and up. The story was original and interesting, but in the end the overwelming amount of random plotlines makes it drag, so I would only give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Hero-Type

Barry Lyga

In 'Hero Type' by Barry Lyga, Kevin goes from total loser to favorite son overnight when he stops the attack on the town sweetheart Leah. Everyone in Brookdale loves him and the mayor of the town practically gives him a car. The car is fine, but the mayor slaps on two "Support Our Troops" ribbons to the back of the trunk. When Kevin arrives at home, his father orders him to remove the ribbons from the vehicle. Kevin obeys without question and is caught be reporters as he tosses the magnets into the garbage. When asked why he did it, Kevin decides not to blame his father, but to take a stand, going from favorite son to outcast. The simple act of throwing away the magnets turns into an experiment in free speech.

'Hero Type' is a conundrum of a story, teetering on the edge between poingant and annoying. I feel that it will be more readable as we move away from the era of ribbon magnets and flag pins...whenever that might be. This book would be great for a teen discussion group, but I think it would take a teacher with a lot of experience and guts to use this book. Not because there is anything racy, but because it is an argument that is being debated by adults as well as teens. The free speech debate is never easy but this book would be a great tool for someone teaching about the first amendment and why the debate continues today. It is obvious which side Lyga comes down on, and since I agreed with his attitude, I found the book enjoyable. But someone that does not agree with him might find this story unreadable.

But really, the story of the free speech debate is only a subplot to the story of Kevin and his run in with Leah in the alley, along with his strained relationship between his estranged family members. Kevin struggles with the idea that he would ever be considered a "hero" due to personal issues he has dealt with over the past year.

'Hero Type' was a very intriguing read, the kind of book you want to read with a friend so you can discuss it right away. You might not agree with everything Kevin says or does, but he makes some very good points about free speech, America, and how we treat our heroes.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Watchmen [Theatrical Release]

Well, the wait is finally over. The adaptation of Alan Moore & David Gibbon's highly acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen has finally hit the big screens (and the REALLY big screens - I saw it at the IMAX).

So...is it even remotely possible this film will be anywhere near as good as the book? Of course not. I mean, how can it be? Really, the movie is a total fanboy experience. The writers almost seemed afraid to change too much, worried that they would upset someone by cutting their favorite moment. Many scenes are word for word and shot for shot from the panels of the book. Some things are cut (Black Freighter, the giant amount of backstory that would be impossible to cover) yet the movie still clocks in at almost 3 hours.

The story of Watchmen of both simple and very complex. What would the world be like if masked vigilantes and superheroes really existed? How would this affect society, culture, and the outlook on life? And, above all, who watches these "Watchmen"?

Like the comic book, this is not a superhero movie ala Dark Knight or Superman (and the weakest points in the film are where it acts like maybe it wanted be) but a murder mystery. At it's core, it's about the one remaining vigilante - Rorschach - trying to solve the brutal murder of his old co-worker, the Comedian.

Rorschach steals the show, as he does in the book. (Jackie Earle Haley manages to even pronounce "HURM" correctly) He is the Dark Knight of the series (even sounding a bit like Christian Bale's Batman). Billy Crudup plays Dr Manhattan in a certain grace (though this movie has a bit more blue butt and penis scenes than I expected!). The Comedian (played by Jeffrey Morgan, best known in my circle of friends as the Dad on Supernatural) is probably one of the most interesting characters as he is both repulsive and attractive at the same time. Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter does a very good job, as do Dan Drieberg as Night Owl and Matthew Goode as Ozymandius.

If you haven't read the comic, you won't be lost but you might be confused. The only Superhero in this movie is Dr Manhattan, the rest of the characters are merely normal people that have taken the law into their own hands. Zack Snyder's slo-mo fight sequences that were fine in 300 are distracting and out of character in this movie and may confuse viewers not familiar with the comic into thinking that they all have superpowers (at least, it confused a few in my group). Otherwise, I didn't feel the movie was too hard to follow.

Diehard fans might be upset that bits and pieces were changed or left out, but overall I think the film succeeds in doing what it was supposed to do. It's a 3 hour love letter to Watchmen (I believe Snyder called it "a trailer for the comic"). The opening sequence, set to the music of Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A'Changin' is very well done, setting up the entire alternate universe and taking you from the 1940s to the 1980s. The actors look so much like their book counterparts at times that it is eerie.

The movie is visually stunning and well acted, but very exhausting. I don't know if I'll be able to watch it again in it's entirety until the DVD release. Not the best movie ever, but it could have been so much worse. I'd say a solid 4 outta 5 stars.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Just After Sunset: Stories [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED]

King Stephen

It's hard to deny that Stephen King is a writer to be reckoned with. I may not enjoy every single one of his books, but when he's good he's good. My pet peeves with him aside, the man can write a story that grabs hold and doesn't let go. Just After Sunset is a short story collection, some new tales, some old ones he had published in magazines, but all very Stephen King. While uneven at times, on the whole this is a solid collection. I listened to the audiobook because it had a variety of different readers, a new voice for each story, and it kept me interested as I drove back and forth to work.

I'm going to give each story a mini-review because it's just easier that way:

The book has a brief introduction by King (read by him on the audiobook) explaining how this collection came about. Nice bit of insight into the writing process. The book also concludes with a collection of tidbits about his inspirations for the stories. I find that stuff interesting so I enjoyed them.

Willa - the first story in the book, and the story that King says got him back into writing short fiction. While it is a bit predictable, I think it is a great example of why King is so read-able: even when you know what's coming you still feel compelled to read (or listen) on.

Gingerbread Girl - Scary story that will make you hair stand on end, especially during the intense ending.

Harvey's Dream - Another classic of King reinventing stories you have already heard. This one feels like a story you would tell at a sleepover.

Rest Stop - This story was okay, a little bit too long. Interesting idea but it didn't keep me interested the way the first three did.

Stationary Bike - This one is just creepy...but in a good way. It also made me want to ride my workout bike again lol! Very cute little moral at the end.

The Things They Left Behind - 9/11 story. I guess they are obligatory at this point. Didn't do a whole lot for me in the end. Kept waiting for more...but I guess you have to tread carefully when using 9/11 as your backdrop.

Graduation Afternoon - short, simple, and felt like something you would write as a warm-up project/writing exercise to get your brain in the right mode.

N. - BEST STORY IN THE COLLECTION. I wanted to get back in my car to hear the rest, disturbing. Destined to be Classic King. You'll never look at OCD the same way again.

The Cat From Hell - Icky but fun. Felt like a B-movie.

New York Times at Special Bargain Price - I...I don't remember this story at all....hm...

Mute - another good creepy story that feels like an urban legend waiting to happen.

Ayana - Interesting idea but I think we've seen it done better *coughdeadlikemecough*

A Very Tight Place - Yeah, gross. And too long. I think if it hadn't been so long, I would have been able to enjoy the ridiculousness of it all. But it got a little too mean, a little too sick and it stopped being fun to listen to.

So, in short - it's worth picking this book or audiobook up at your local library and reading a few, if not all of the stories. Some of them are really good.

I'd say 3.5 outta 5 stars. Solid, but not his best. But if it is a sign of things to come, I'm looking forward to more.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Fanboys-vader-poster-fullsize

Are you a Star Wars Fanboy? Could you survive a week long road trip and have enough Star Wars t-shirts on hand to wear a different shirt for the trip there and back? Is it hard to get through a conversation with dropping at least one Star Wars reference (or just a movie reference)? Have you ever been to a convention? Or, better yet, do you go to monthly Star Wars club meetings?

And are you PROUD of all of these things?

I know I am, which is why I think I enjoyed 'Fanboys' as much as I did. Yeah, it's not the best moviie evar, but I didn't go in expecting Lawrence of Arabia, I went in expecting a really geeky comedy about guys that love the classic star wars movies.

The plot is simple - It's 1998 and 4 friends from high school run into each other at a party. One of the friends has put his dreams on hold to works at his dad's car dealership, the other 3 are still living their extreme geek lifestyles. But, when one it is disclosed that one of the buddies has cancer and that doctor's have said he will only live a few months (and won't make it to the official release of episode 1), the boys decide to embark on the road trip they have fantasized about since they were in 5th grade - invading Skywalker Ranch. It's a road trip movie with a nerdy twist.

A lot of the jokes are movie quotes, nerd stereotypes, and jabs about being virgins. Yet 'Fanboys' works because of the cast and crew behind the scenes. You will recognize many of the main actors and cameos, and they all have established geek-cred, so you know when they poke fun at Star Wars nerds, Trekkers, and more, they do it all in good fun because they are fanboys too. In essence, this is the biggest fan film ever - a bunch of friends getting together to write a movie dedicated to the movies that inpired them to do what they do.

Now, if you're just a casual fan of the movies - you watch them and forget them, then this movie won't mean much to you. But if you stood in line for the prequels and watched midnight viewings with all of your friends, cheering each time a character said "I've got a bad feeling about this", then this movie was made for you. Because you know that it's not about the special effects or the lightsabers, it's about the experience, the bond that Star Wars fans share. Go to any convention and look at all the people brought together by these films. Fandom is less about the show, and more about the people you get to meet when taking part in it.

So, being a Fangirl, and proud of it, I'd give this movie 4 outta 5 nerdy stars. Best way to watch is with a large group of Star Wars fans so you can laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. Because, as I said, it's not about the movie, but the bond we share as big ol' fanboys and fangirls.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete BBC Radio Series

Douglas Adams

This is a classic. There's no getting around it. Once you've experience the Hitchhiker's Guide radio series, you will probably never want to listen to another boring one-narrator audio book again.

The complete collection includes dramatizations of all five of the Hitchhiker stories. The first two were the original series, done for the BBC radio back in the early 1980s, the last three were done later on. It does show when it comes to the writing. It's not that the wit/humor isn't there, it's more that the ability to write for this audio medium becomes more difficult. I felt that the Quandary and Quintessential phases were the weakest when it came to portraying the story through clever dialogue and relied too heavily on the narrator for setting up situations.

But, in the end, it doesn't matter. They are forgivable sins because this series is so fantastic. Having all 5 of these stories together, traveling the galaxy with Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, Trillian, and Marvin make it all worth while.

It is important to note that the radio series has the Super-Mega-Happy-Ending that was not part of 'Mostly Harmless', the book. It didn't really bother me, as I always felt the ending in 'Mostly Harmless' to be a kind of "Look, I am totally DONE with these characters" from Douglas Adams and insuring that no one could beg him to bring them back. But the radio shows were produced after Adams' death, so it just feels weird that they changed the ending. But that's entertainment for you.

If you've never experienced anything Hitchhiker's Guide related before, PICK THIS UP! Buy it or borrow it from the library, but you MUST hear it. It is a classic in radio production and in science fiction, and humor writing too! So well done that once it's finished, you find yourself wondering when you can listen to it again....

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Burn After Reading

People throw around the phrase "star power" a lot to describe a certain something about a performance that just works. 'Burn After Reading' runs on star power. I'm not sure this movie would be as fun or as watchable if it wasn't being performed by George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, and a bunch of other random people that you recognize from their bit parts on television and movies.

The plot is pure Coen brothers - totally ridiculous. You'll spend the first part of the movie asking "What the hell is going on here?!?" but don't worry, it all becomes clear. The long and short of it is that Malkovich's character is let go from his CIA job and decides to write a tell-all memoir (though he doesn't have much to tell). It accidentally falls into the hands of McDormand and Pitt - two gym employees - who assume it is top level intelligence. Pitt just wants to return the memoir, but McDormand decides she is going to blackmail Malkovich.

Of course, that is the most bare bones description I could come up with. As with all the Coen Brothers scripts, it's about the characters and their quirks. McDormand is obsessed with plastic surgery, Clooney has a thing for jogging, Pitt likes gum....a lot (note to self: add food/eating to list of "how to know if a Brad Pitt movie will be any good" list). Again, I'm not sure if this movie would be as fun to watch if it wasn't this cast. They are just so watchable!

It's not their best movie ever, but it is very good. Be ready to pay attention as the plot twists and turns. You won't want miss any of the outrageous moments.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

What I Saw And How I Lied

Judy Blundell

Evie Spooner is done with being a kid. She longs to wear her mother's sinful red lipstick and practices smoking candy cigarettes with her friend. Evie Spooner is done with being a kid. She longs to wear her mother's sinful red lipstick and practices smoking candy cigarettes with her friend. She wants to be treated like an adult. But when her stepfather takes the family on an impromptu trip to Florida, Evie soon discovers that the glamorous adult world is more than just playing dress-up; it is a place full of dark matters and gray areas.

'What I Saw and How I Lied' by Judy Blundell is takes place a few months after the end of World War II. Evie's stepfather, Joe, has returned home from the war and has started a successful chain of businesses in Brooklyn. Everything seems to be going well, despite what her Grandma Gladys says, until Joe starts to get strange phone calls. After avoiding a call during dinner, Joe announces to the family that they are taking a trip to Florida. When they arrive in Palm Beach, they meet a variety of people at the hotel – Wally the bellhop, the rich couple the Graysons, and a handsome young man named Peter. Evie falls for Peter immediately but Joe warns her to stay away from Peter because he is not what he appears. But how can she resist his smile, his blue convertible, and the way he treats her - not like just some kid, but a woman.

It is hard to describe the rest of the book without giving away too much of the plot twists and turns (and there are many). The story takes the best things about tales of forbidden romance, noir mysteries, and a historical fiction, and mixes them together with a pacing that makes it a hard book to put down.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

I remember seeing the trailer for 'Hamlet 2' and thinking "yeah, no thanks". But when the reviews started to trickle in with the "yes it's stupid but it's also hilarious" vibe to them, I decided I would check it out.

'Hamlet 2' is about a loser. He wanted to be an actor of great theater, but instead he ended up making herpes medication commercials, and has now settled on teaching drama at a public high school in Tuscon, AZ. His initial excitement over his class size increasing at the start of the new semester (due to the fact that the trailer classrooms were full of asbestos) is crushed when he is told by the principal that drama will be cancelled next year. In an attempt to save the arts program, he writes a play, the story of his life, as told through Hamlet's eyes!...if Hamlet had access to a time machine and got his advice from Jesus Christ.(!!!!!!!!!)

'Hamlet 2' is like 'Tropic Thunder' - you're either going to love it or hate it. It's just so weird. There's jokes in there for anyone who has ever seen an 'inspirational teacher' movie. There's bits that made me laugh because they reminded me of people I knew in high school. And some of it is just so wrong it's right ("Rock Me Sexy Jesus" will be stuck in your head ALL DAY).

The movie requires minimal knowledge of Hamlet, though you should be up on your pop culture for the last 20 years (especially the works of Elisabeth Shue, who steals the movie as...herself!). When the writers' credits consist of people that worked for South Park and Team America, you know that the humor will be low, but clever. A good one to watch when you need to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of everything. Pour yourself a margarita (the size of the one on the cover) and sit back, you wouldn't want to pull anything while laughing.

Current Mood: busy

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Theatrical Release]

For me, this movie was an example of a good idea. A very cool idea. But a cool idea does not a great movie make.

If you don't already know, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is about a man who is born old. At birth he has arthritis, cataracts, and deafness. The doctor doesn't expect him to live. But this is a folk tale, so magic happens and Benjamin grows younger each day.

The problem facing the film's writers is that they have decided to show one man's entire life in 3 hours. 80 years in 3 hours. That's a lot of time to cover, and not a lot lying around for character development. This was the biggest disappointment for me. Not at any point in this movie did I cry. I just saw a man's entire life play out, yet when the end came, I was left with a sort of "eh" feeling. I just never felt for him, I had no connection to him.

Also, we spent the entire movie building up the love story - waiting for Benjamin and Cate Blanchet's character to finally sync up and be the "perfect" age together. But when that time finally comes, all we get is a montage of them hanging out. But you can't blame the filmmakers, at that point you're been watching the movie for over 2 hours and the excitement of the moment just isn't there.

And there was also some sort of metaphor going on with Hurricane Katrina that just went away. I kept waiting for the big "oooh that's what it was all about" moment but instead it felt so "oooh this will make it relevant" in a really "meh" kinda way.

In the end, it was an interesting experiment. It reminded me of 'Forrest Gump' - lots of great special effects, and the main character touches many people's lives, but in the end, the main character is the least interesting character. If felt like it could have been so much more than the Oscar clip reel for next year, because that is what it feels like (I'm guessing a nomination for best picture, best actor, best special effects at the very least).

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Hancock (Single-Disc Unrated Edition)

Hancock was a very odd movie. It starts out as a somewhat light superhero movie about a man with powers who has let himself go - drinking, crashing into stuff, and just generally being an "asshole". Then halfway through there is a plot twist that you sort of see coming but at the same time you go "wtf?" because it totally changes the movie.

I think this movie would have worked better had the tone remained light throughout or if it had been a little darker from the start. It feels uneven in its current state.

But with stars like Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron, it's hard not to want to watch this movie. If you're fans of these three actors, it's enjoyable enough, but I doubt you'll want to go back for a repeat viewing.

Rent it.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Twilight [Theatrical Release]

I need to say this first: I am not a fan of Twilight. I couldn't even finish the first book and I only know what happens in the other three from talking to my friend Amy and reading Cleolinda's hilarious summaries. I can't stand Bella, I felt that Edward was not attractive at all, and that it had all been done better in Buffy.

That being said, the movie totally lives up to the book.

First red flag - a narrator. I remember reading a book on screenwriting and the guy said you should never EVER have a narrator, that this was usually a sign of lazy writing and most of the time the things being said would work better shown. So...yeah, Bella starts off the movie in voiceover mode.

Bella Swann moves to Forks, WA and OMG IT SUCKS. Everyone is so pasty (so the vamps can blend in a bit better, except for Carlisle who still looks WHITE), and nice to her (I don't remember everyone being so nice to her in the book) and she wants to be with her mommy (who is, at least, a presence in the movie more than I felt she was in the book). That is, until she sees Edward. Because he's not just pasty, he's also dazzling.

Okay, I can't do it anymore, the snark is too easy - you probably know the story and if not, click on the link . I will say that I was ready to watch a movie starring Alice and Jasper because they seemed far more interesting than Bella and Edward. Robert Pattison's hair had a co-starring role in the film and clearly weighed heavily on his forehead because he spends the entire movie with his brow furrowed, looking like he has a massive headache (though if Bella was your "girlfriend", you probably would to). I guess Kristen Stewart was fine as Bella, because Bella is pretty much worthless and Kristen seemed to be okay with that (though she doesn't seem to be able to close her mouth all the way and she bites her lip waaaaay too much).

I think one of the biggest mistakes the writers made was actually giving Bella friends. In the book, she doesn't really make a connection with anyone in the school and that bothered me because she had no human friends to talk to. But in the movie, they make everyone in the school really nice and they want to get to know her and be friends with her but she's just too good for them. And once her and Edward are together, she comes off as "I'm so much cooler because I have a boyfriend - I don't need you lame meatbags".

And you don't realize how lame Stephenie Meyer's vampires are unil the fight sequence at the end. They have no fangs, they have relfections, they can go out in sunlight -- honestly, they are not even vampires. She should have named them something else. When Edward and James are hissing at each other like cats, its more comical than intense. And when Edward wants to show Bella his true face, I was ready for something a bit weird, but he just sorta looked...moist. "You're Beautiful". Oh yeah, that's real tought to say when he's shimmering like diamonds (and not, say, getting a big bumpy face with fangs).

Look, I'm a HUGE Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and it's hard to read/watch Twilight without thinking of Buffy/Angel. And now I'm watching the relationship between Sookie and Bill evolve on True Blood. Both of these pwn the characters on Twilight. Because Buffy and Sookie are real people, with hobbies, friends, jobs - they are fully formed characters before they get caught up with the bloodsuckers.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Get Smart (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

So close Hollywood, so close. Get Smart could have been a solid comedy at an hour and a half, but for some reason the scriptwriter/director/studio - whoever, decided the movie should be almost 2 hours long and include the most cliched end sequence.

I used to watch the original Get Smart on Nick at Nite with my aunt when I would spend summers with her in Florida. I knew the basic gags and the movie throws enough of them out to please the old fans.

Steve Carell's impersonation of Don Adams, the original Maxwell Smart, seems to turn off and on, which was okay by me - I didn't think it was necessary. Sometimes he sounded like Steve and other times it felt like he was trying to hard. It was probably the order that the scenes were shot, but when edited together it felt a little weird. Anne Hathaway was great as Agent 99, putting up with Max's bumbling antics. And Alan Arkin. Just put Alan Arkin in every movie from now on. He just has too much fun. Dwayne Johnson (formerly "The Rock") was the biggest surprise. That man has some great comic timing!

Oh but those last 30 minutes...they just ruined the movie because they were not part of this movie. They were left over from some other movie. And why WHY do they insist on inserting some sort of half-assed romantic plot? It was just frustrating. While we laughed and giggled at the first part of the movie, the last 30 minutes we kept asking "OMG is it OVER yet??? How long is this?" proving to me that they pushed was should have been a light comedy too far.

So rent it, but when you feel like it should be over (and it had an ending all ready to go, you feel everything slowing down before the biggest spy movie cliche of all kicks in) just stop it and pretend that was the end. Because then you have a solid comedy that goes well with popcorn. If you watch it all...well, you can't say i didn't warn you.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Baby Mama

I'll admit it now: I love Tina Fey. I will watch her do almost anything, so it's lucky that she tends to be funny most of the time. Amy Poehler cracks me up too and the two of them together just works. You can tell they had a lot of fun making this movie. It feels like they had a pile of pregnant woman and professional woman jokes lying around after an SNL writers meeting and decided to put them all together and make this movie. So there are lots of funny one-liners and random moments. Unfortunately, the plot never really quite works. But it is still fun to watch, if predictable.

If you just want a movie to veg out with, which requires no heavy thinking and should make you giggle, Baby Mama will fit the bill.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Incredible Hulk (Widescreen Edition)

If Incredible Hulk does anything, it has a nice amount of fan service to anyone even remotely familiar with the big green guy. "Don't make me angry", "Hulk Smash!" and the "sad walking away song" are all featured in the movie.

The Hulk isn't really a superhero. He's not fighting for anything. He's just sort of spazzing out. He has more in common with King Kong than Ironman or Batman. And while the screenwriter made the (I think) wise choice to gloss over the initial Hulk creation story and jump right to Bruce hiding out, which go the story moving along, I think it made it a little harder to connect with him as a person. And poor Liv Tyler spent the whole movie alternating between staring sadly with her mouth half hanging open or screaming "BRUCE!" at the top of her lungs.

I felt a little cheated at the end of the film, because they began to set up the movie I wanted to see as opposed to the 2 hours I just sat through. In fact, I wasn't really interested in a sequel until the last few minutes.

A good popcorn movie, but definitely one you shouldn't think too much about after you watch it. Also, it comes with a built in drinking game - take a shot every time you spy something GREEN!

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Cycler

Lauren Mclaughlin

Jill is just like every other high school senior: she's stressing over her social life and counting down the days until prom. If only she had more time to woo Tommy and convince him to ask her out. Her friend Ramie tells her that she needs to just act like herself but that is impossible. Because for one week out of each month, Jill is not herself: she's Jack. Luckily, when she changes back into Jill a week later, she does a quick bit of meditation and completely wipes her "Jack-time" from her memory, so she doesn't have to remember all those nasty boy thoughts.

Jack, on the other hand, remembers everything. All of Jill's triumphs and failures. And he's sick of watching from the inside. He wants to get out of the house. He's a 16 year old boy with needs!

That is the basic set-up of Cycler. And while the first half of the book is amusing enough, it starts to get old halfway through when you realize that Jill is not going to learn her lesson. Jack, on the other hand, is a sarcastic bastard, but at least he's fun to hang out with.

I was also bothered by the weird bit about Tommy. Jill spends a large amount of time trying to get his attention, only to discover that he's bisexual. This big reveal is more confusing than anything, and I think it is when I really stopped caring about Jill's opinions. I guess the whole idea was to have her worry that Jack's "manliness" was showing in her female side.

The "climax" of the story, if you could call it that, is a real let down with absolutely nothing being resolved. I felt cheated by the end.

Good idea, poor execution. Here's hoping someone rips it off and gives us a more thought provoking story about what it means to be a teenage girl/boy in today's world.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Living Dead Girl

Elizabeth Scott

There are horror stories that are filled with mythical creatures that hunt down victims and shred them into bloody bits.

And then there are horror stories that are real. So real that you can't even think about them, with monsters that could be sitting behind you on a bus with innocent people trapped in their claws.

Living Dead Girl is a horror story of the latter kind. "Alice" was abducted by Ray when she was a little girl. Now, she has become a shell of a person, going through the motions that keep Ray satisfied enough with their "relationship". She has forgotten how to feel, has tried to block out her past, because forgetting when she was happy is the only way to make her life bearable.

This book is at once hard to read and fascinating. Alice's narrative draws you in, and the short chapters make the story move along. It is painful to read but such a mesmerizing tale. I'm not sure who I would recommend this title too. It is a well written book, but far from a fun read.

You can preview the first few pages on Good Reads.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Into the Dark (Echo Falls)

Peter Abrahams

Peter Abrahams' Echo Falls Mystery series surprised me from the start. In Down the Rabbit Whole, he introduced us to Ingrid ("Griddie"), a 6th grade girl. She's not some adorable little Nancy Drew and she's not a hard-ass 13-going-on-30 teen. Instead, she is probably one of the most realistic tweenage girl I've seen depicted in any youth lit I have read. She's smart, funny, yet just naive enough to still walk that line between child and teen.

Into the Dark is the third book in this series, and Ingrid once again finds herself attempting to solve a local mystery. These books are getting progressively darker but also more gripping. They are the kind of series that a kid could pick up at age 12, then still be satisfied with this entry at 14.

Probably the strongest thing about this series is that Abrahams never underestimates his audience. He doesn't talk down to them or over-simplify. I think this series would be perfect for a family oriented book discussion group because, while it has some edgy content at times, it never goes into the realm of obnoxious. It is all handled very well. Can't wait to read #4!

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Wake

Lisa McMann

Tagline: "Your Dreams Are Not Your Own"

Janie has a special gift, very X-Men: she can go inside of a person's dream. Of course, being that she is not a spandex wearing superhero, but a senior in high school, this proves more problematic than helpful. See, she hasn't quite figured out how to control this power. All she knows is that if someone falls asleep within a certain distance, and then starts to dream, she will be sucked into that dream, whether it's a friend's fantasy with another classmate or an unknown student's vision of a violent attack. It makes study hall an interesting experience.

WAKE movies pretty quickly, clocking in at 210 pages. The chapters are relatively long, but each is filled with entries, like a diary, breaking down every few hours of Janie's life. So far, the language and content are nothing worse than you'd see on prime-time TV, so even though Janie is 18, I think this book would be appropriate for 16+ readers.

The main idea is that people's pasts haunt them in their dreams and by helping them through their dreams, people can find inner peace and move on. It's a cool premise, and works in WAKE, though the way the story ends...well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone...

The sequel to WAKE -- FADE -- is scheduled for release in early 2009, which means that WAKE doesn't really end. In fact, when you close the book, you realize you've only just started this story. WAKE feels like the pilot episode of a TV series. It's all about setting up the characters, creating an outline for future adventures. So you might want to wait and read this one in January, so you can get your hands on FADE right away.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Pineapple Express [Theatrical Release]

The short version: Seth Rogen and other members of Team Apatow attempt to make the equivalent of a Cohen Brothers movie. It sorta works, it sorta doesn't. If you were as stoned as Seth Rogen or as James Franco's character, you probably won't mind its shortcomings.

All the reviews are true, Franco steals this movie. Every scene he is not in, it is hard to pay attention. When I read the original idea for the film, I thought it sounded really fun, very Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I think Pineapple Express went back to the main plot too much. I didn't really care about the story of the crooked cop and the drug dealers. I've seen that movie many times. I don't think it was necessary to keep showing them plotting. I think it would have been a much better movie if it had just followed Rogen and Franco the entire time. Yeah, they could wander into important moments, ala R&S bumping into Hamlet, but there should not have been any scenes that they were not a part of.

Funny movie, good way to kill 90+ minutes on a rainy night, but probably my least favorite of the Team Apatow releases.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

I'm a slayer, ask me how.

librarian. blogger. gamer. geek. girl.

book thoughts: Well Witched by Frances Hardinge

book thoughts: Hero Type by Barry Lyga

movie thoughts: Watchmen (2009)

book thoughts: Just After Sunset (audiobook)

movie thoughts: Fanboys (2009)

audio thoughts: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete Radio Series

movie thoughts: Burn After Reading (2008)

book thoughts: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

movie thoughts: Hamlet 2

movie thoughts: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

movie thoughts: Hancock (2008)

movie thoughts: Twilight (2008)

movie thoughts: Get Smart (2008)

movie thoughts: Baby Mama (2008)

movie thoughts: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

book thoughts: Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin

On Vox: book thoughts: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

On Vox: book thoughts: Into the Dark (Echo Falls Mystery #3)

book thoughts: WAKE by Lisa McMann

movie thoughts: Pineapple Express (2008)

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