There is no black and white answer

People like black and white. They like right and wrong. They like easy solutions that fix the problem with a snap of their fingers.

But those things don’t exist in the real world.

The answer to our biggest problems is not just one, simple fix. The sooner everyone realizes that, the sooner we’ll be able to get to a solution. The sooner we stop fighting amongst ourselves, the sooner we’ll be able to work together and start making some changes.

Yes, this is in reference to the shootings that occurred last week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

I’m not an emotional person. I don’t cry a lot. Things that should probably bother me usually don’t. I have an iron stomach and an analytical mind. I believe that things happen for a reason, that there’s a hierarchy to nature, that we live in a world that still runs on a survival-of-the-fittest attitude.

But this? None of that applies to this.

Maybe it was because it was a bunch of kids. Maybe it was because we still don’t know why he did it. Maybe it’s because it’s been one time too many for my abnormally high tolerance of crazy. Does it really matter? No.

I think this shooting is going to hit home harder than some of the others. Not that the others didn’t hit home hard enough, but they were thrown at us by the media and then swept away once the next disaster came along. But these were kids. Not just kids, but children who were just beginning their life. They didn’t even have a chance to experience anything that this sometimes crazy, sometimes wonderful world has to offer.

They won’t get a chance to go to high school. Or prom. Or college. They won’t have a first kiss or get married. Have kids. Start a career. Travel the world. Become grandparents.

They didn’t even have a chance to have Christmas this year.

Those toys underneath the tree will go unopened. The stockings untouched. All the good little kids that were excited to see what Santa brought them won’t ever find out. And those Christmas morning giggles have been silenced forever.

Yeah, I’m angry. Yeah, I’m upset. Yeah, I’m beginning to think this planet is getting a little too crazy for my liking.

But let’s think about this logically.

Do I think people have a right to bear arms? Yes.

Do I think we need stricter gun control laws? Yes.

Do we need to throw people in jail if they’re mentally unstable and have committed crimes? Yes.

Do we need to better understand mental health issues? Yes.

Do we need to help parents who have children like the shooter, so they can take better care of their kids with the right resources and training? Yes.

Do the media need to stop glorifying the shooters? Yes.

Do the media need to keep reporting on these disasters so people won’t forget that the world is going crazy? Yes.

See? There’s no easy solution here. There’s no quick fix. People say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Yeah, that’s true. But people kill people with guns. Others want us to have stricter gun laws, but can you take away something that we, as Americans, have had since our declaration as a country? The people of this country are spoiled, and they won’t settle for that – even if it means it’ll save lives.

There’s no easy solution here.

It’s like people who say video games cause violence. I don’t believe they do. Do they factor in to why a person may have suddenly gone on a shooting spree? Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. But that’s just one single reason. You also have to think about genetics and whether or not they have a mental disease. How is their environment? Is it stable, or violent and disruptive? Do they have good parents, or are they neglected or abused? Are they bullied in school? Are they under a lot of pressure to perform well? Do they just want to prove they’re capable of entering a school with a gun and shooting down as many people as possible?

The reasons behind why these tragedies happen are never singular. There’s never one reason. It’s never JUST that he was troubled or JUST that he was bullied or JUST that he had low self-esteem.

So, why in the world would we think there was a singular solution to a problem like this?

Everyone with a voice on this matter, everyone who has a say in what happens in this country, needs to stop fighting with each other. We as people need to stop fighting with each other. Put aside our differences. Our solutions are both right and wrong, and they always will be until we learn to work together.

There is no black and white answer. We live in a grey world, and that’s how it has always been. Doing one thing or the other isn’t going to fix the problem. How many more people have to die until we figure that out?

How many more children?

Thoughts on ‘The Casual Vacancy’

[This post has no spoilers, but the same can't be said for the comments section!]

About a week ago I finally finished up The Casual Vacancy. I had heard a fair amount of negative comments about it, so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to reading it. Regardless, I’m glad I read it, and I think it served its purpose.

Did I enjoy it? Maybe not.

But I don’t think all books need to be enjoyed. This is a perfect example of that. I didn’t find the story particularly enthralling, but I did learn a lot about what I like and don’t like (always important as a writer), as well as characterization, realism, and heroes.

So even though I didn’t particularly like it, it taught me a lot about writing.

The Writing

I don’t think anyone could argue that JKR is a bad writer, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to learn that her prose was one of my favorite things about this book. The phrasing of her sentences and the words she chose painted a vibrant picture. This is what you need to point to if someone tells you writing isn’t an art or a science (I believe it’s both, by the way) because you can tell she took the time to place each word with care in order to give us a strong overall feeling for the novel.

With that being said, there were some things I didn’t enjoy. Some of the words she chose seemed a bit pretentious, especially given who some of the characters were (uneducated, superficial, etc.). Her extensive parentheses and overuse of semi-colons were a little grating, as well. But nothing worth putting the book down over.

Characterization

The thing that stood out to me the most in The Casual Vacancy was the characterization. There’s a huge list of players in this book, and I had hardly any trouble keeping track of them. Why? Because the characters Rowling creates are so unique and memorable that she doesn’t need to blatantly remind you of who they are.

Her characterization was subtle. It was the way in which their section was written (this being an omniscient POV), the tics they had, their dialect, their personality. Nobody was a repeat of another, and each had a role to play. So many authors give you a rough sketch of a character. You know who they are on the outside, but you don’t know their soul. With the characters in this book, I felt that I could write a three page essay on each one, psychoanalyzing their personalities and actions. It’s the way in which she showed us the character, the things she didn’t say, that ended up being the brightest colors on the canvas.

Heroes

Rowling said there are only two characters she would call heroes in this book – Barry Fairbrother and Krystal Weedon. This is ironic, and if you’ve read the book, you’ll know why.

Despite that, I would agree for the most part. I ended up not liking Krystal’s character after all, but that doesn’t necessarily make her un-heroic. Given the setting and plot of the story, it’s interesting to look at what makes a hero in a book like this. They’re not the ones that take up sword and shield and attack a dragon. Their heroism is more subtle, more internal – especially in Krystal’s case. I think that’s important to be aware of as a writer. Not everything our characters do have to be big and bold and life-and-death. Sometimes it’s the things they don’t do that are more important.

The Best and the Worst

There were plenty of things I didn’t like about the book, besides the writing. This felt like a book without very much plot. Most of it was a setup for what occurred in the last 200 pages. That’s fine and dandy, but if it was anyone other than JKR (with a few exceptions, of course), I think the the author would’ve been forced to change it in order to streamline the story a little bit.

I’m not a fan of the omniscient POV, though I do see why it was necessary for a book like this. It allowed us to drop in on any character at any time, which was helpful in understanding the personality and role of each person. Speaking of which, I often found the realism a little unsettling. It wasn’t a bad thing, per se. Perhaps it was just a neutral thing. It’s amazing to look at these characters and know that each one of them actually does exist in our world. The problem with this realism is, however, that it was very hard to like any of the characters.

I thought the best character was Sukhvinder. I think that, above everything, she was the person that was the most kind, despite having every reason not to be. I felt closest to her character because it was easy to see why she did the things she did. I have had friends in similar situations and know, through my relationship with them, how difficult it is to live a life that you feel is not worth living. In the end, however, I would say she came out on top, and above everyone else. This was probably the one thing that saved the book for me, and I’m glad that it happened.

Oddly enough, the character that I related to the most was Fats. I’m not sure why this is (and you’re not allowed to dissect that answer and tell me!! ) I appreciated his self-awareness and need to be authentic. I often feel this way about myself, and although I don’t take it to the level that he did, I enjoyed analyzing his character as a way to learn more about myself.

This is quite the philosophical book if you let it be. While I doubt I’ll give it a second read, I’m glad I powered through and read it at least once, despite the generally unfavorable reviews I had been hearing about.

Have you read The Casual Vacancy? If not, is it on your to-read list? If so, what did you think of it?

P.S. It looks like the BBC is going to be turning this into a mini-series. I think it’ll do well in this format, and it’ll be interesting to see these characters comes to life. What do you think?

Fandom Thoughts [Supernatural/The Vampire Diaries/Sherlock]

I’ve been a good little writer recently (and a good procrastinator). I’ve been watching tons of movies and TV shows on Netflix. I never realized how much they can teach you about novel writing until I really started widening my horizons. For a taste of what I mean, check out my writing category and look at my “How to…” posts. I take a character and a trait from a TV show or movie and break it down to see why it works and how it can help us out as writers.

So, naturally, I’ve become invested in more television shows than I have time for. I’ve recently gotten caught up with Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and Sherlock. This is a post about my thoughts on each show because I don’t really have anywhere else where I can ramble on and on about them. And, yes, that’s your warning. This is a ramble.

(Also, I tried not to give anything major away, but this post does contain some light spoilers.)

The Road So Far on Supernatural

I saw the first few episodes of Supernatural when they aired about eight years ago (whoa). I’m not sure why I didn’t keep watching, but I can only guess that it was because I was too scared to continue.

Yeah, I know. I have a low tolerance for scary stuff. A very, very low tolerance.

But I took it up again recently and watched all seven seasons within a few weeks, trying to catch up on the series before the eighth season began. I really enjoyed it. Without knowing much about the series to begin with, I got a full experience of the twists and turns and I was really taken in by everything that happened.

One of my favorite things about this show is that the story weaves its way through all of the seasons. What happened in the very first episode has ramifications that carry on to the most recent episodes. Some shows tend to have a single “big bad” each season and when you look at the first season compared to the last, the show feels completely different.

Not Supernatural. It honestly feels like you’ve been in the Impala for eight years, driving around with the Winchester brothers. Sure, they’ve grown up and things have changed. People have come and gone. Big bads have been defeated and new ones have popped up. But it essentially feels like the same show to me, and I love that. It makes it feel a lot more realistic.

The humor in this show is just out of the park. Dean’s sarcastic “sasshole” (<– new favorite word, thanks to my friend Caitlin) attitude just makes you shake your head and laugh. His one liners are so wrong sometimes, but I’d like to meet a person who can honestly not laugh at them. (“A Hand of Glory? I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week.”) And not only that, but there are some episodes (like any of the ones with the Ghostfacers crew in them) that you literally just can’t stop laughing at. One of my favorites was when Sam and Dean were trying to tell Bobby a story about a case and they were telling their version of the story (2×15 “Tall Tales”), which put each brother in quite an interesting light.

There are some things that I don’t like about the show. I find the constant fighting between Dean and Sam a little tiring sometimes. Not that it’s not realistic, but I’m so invested in them as a team that whenever one decides to leave, it really hurts. The human heart can only take so much.

My one other big quibble? We need more Cas. Like, seriously. Please? I find myself just waiting for him to pop up because I love him so much. His dead-pan face, his unintentional humor, and his deep caring for Dean just make me want to hug him. (Or “glomp” him, which is another new word I learned recently.) Can he just be in every episode already? My heart hurts when he is away too long.

Previously on The Vampire Diaries

I was pleasantly surprised by The Vampire Diaries when I first started watching it. I thought it was going to be a little too Twilight-esque (not that I have a huge problem with Twilight, but it’s been done so there’s no need to repeat it). What I found was a show that incorporated love, but also made sure there were tons of interesting characters, scary bad guys, and some awesome vampire fight scenes. Can’t argue with that.

My favorite thing about this show is Damon. Which, I mean…come on. (Debra, if you’re out there, you know what I’m talking about. We have pretty much the same opinion on this subject matter.) Not only is he incredibly easy on the eyes, but his character is also really fun and interesting. The other characters also all bring something to the table, whether they’re good, bad, or just enjoy making some trouble. Caroline is another favorite. (Expect a post on her soon.)

This show also genuinely surprises me. Very few shows actually do this anymore. Very few shows actually make me gasp out loud. I love twists and turns, and I love last-minute reveals right before the end credits come up. (Although, I say that having watched the first three seasons on Netflix. Now that I have to watch this show on a weekly basis, I’m sure this is going to be a major complaint for me.)

The first few episodes were a little hard to get through because “love” occurs so quickly between the main characters. But, you know, whatever. That’s a problem with a lot of television and movies, so I’ve learned to just accept it as unrealistic and ignore it. I’m also kind of over the love triangle thing – especially since I don’t agree with Elena’s choice (go figure). Also, is it just me, or does anyone else find Stefan incredibly boring? He got a little more interesting as of late, but I still don’t really care too much for his character.

What the heck just happened on Sherlock?

I’m going to preface this with the bad, and then get into the good because that’s how I have sort of made my way through this show.

I had heard of Sherlock through Hypable and through the people that already watched Doctor Who. Steven Moffat writes for both shows and since I already enjoyed his work with Doctor Who, I decided to take up Sherlock as well. And, as it was already on Netflix, what was there to lose?

The first episode was incredible. I was totally impressed by Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays Sherlock) and the way the character was portrayed. If you’re unfamiliar, he’s a “high functioning sociopath” as the character himself claims, and goes about solving mysteries and making people very, very angry. It’s a good old time.

But I also really enjoy how the show is set up. Text appears on the screen in order to show us what Sherlock is seeing when he views a dead body, or what kind of text messages the characters get. You’d think this would take you immediately out of the show, but it truly doesn’t. It helps to prove how incredible Sherlock is without an overabundance of explanatory dialogue.

The second episode fell through for me, as did the third. They didn’t seem to have the same punch and I wasn’t as interested in the mysteries. Maybe it was just me, as I’ve heard tons of people rave about the show for months and months. Perhaps I’ll do a rewatch to figure out if I still feel that way. All I know is that I watched the first episode and fell in love, then watched the second one and fell out of love.

Not that I’d drop the series all together. I knew it would get better and, well, I have a problem putting things down once I pick them up.

The second series just recently hit Netflix, so I sat down to watch the first episode, hoping that it would give me the same feelings that it gave me when I watched that series premiere.

It didn’t. It gave me MORE.

I was blown away by the first episode. I sat down to watch it and ended up doing a marathon until I finished the second series. (It’s only three episodes long, but they’re 1 ½ hours each.) The new characters were incredible and dynamic and interesting. Moriarty was everything that I ever wanted in a bad guy and so much more. He was completely insane and I loved every second of it. A truly, nearly undefeatable bad guy is so hard to find nowadays. No pre-killing monologues. No stupid revenge schemes. He really just wanted to ruin Sherlock in every way possible. He knew exactly where to hit him, and he hit him so hard that it knocked the wind out of the greatest detective of all time.

And Sherlock. Oh, Sherlock.

We got to see such a different side of him this series. He’s not completely emotionless. He does understand love. He does feel. His relationship with Watson is lovely, and the connection between him and Irene Adler was confusing, tragic, and yet somehow beautiful. I love this show because it’s so complex, but it’s non-apologetic about it. It gives you what it wants to give you and forces you to draw your own conclusions.

I’m pretty sure this show makes me smarter, too. After I finish watching it, I find I’m a lot more sarcastic and witty (to the chagrin of my friends, I’m sure). I also feel like a pseudo-detective, drawing conclusions from crinkled gum wrappers and empty glasses. I may not be as good as Sherlock, but that won’t stop me from trying.

And that episode 3 ending? Oh, that ending. Just wait for it because it’s beautiful and haunting and absolutely perfect.

[/End Rambling]

So what conclusions can we draw from this?

1. I have too much time on my hands.
2. I need more of a social life.
3. I spend a lot of time watching TV, and I will forever claim that it’s to become a better writer.
4. These shows are amazing.
5. I want you to give them all a chance. Get a Netflix subscription and start watching!!

What do you guys like or dislike about these three shows? Seeing as I’ve written an essay, long and rambling comments are totally allowed!

Glee is Back! …I think

This is a post about my opinion of the premiere episode of Glee season 4. If you want a recap, there’s an amazing one on Hypable. The podcast Glee Chat also had an in depth discussion about it on their latest episode.

[Yes, there are spoilers for the first episode below!]

I discovered Glee when I was in college, about half way through the first season. My roommate was watching clips of some of the performances from season 1 on YouTube (yeah, she was supposed to be studying…). They were so great that I knew I was going to be hooked. And once I actually started watching, I was.

I caught up on season 1 and loved every minute of it. It was the type of TV show that had me thinking about it all day, every day. One episode would end and I’d feel like the week between that one and the next one was the longest, most horrible time of my life.

I guess you could say I was obsessed. You wouldn’t be wrong.

Season 2 came and went and I enjoyed it for different reasons, and maybe a little less than the first season. But I still felt the same way about the show. Season 3 started out great and there were definitely some stand out episodes. However, by the end of the season I was just about done with Glee.

I actually know the exact episode that turned me off completely. It was the one where they decided that Will Scheuster – the Spanish teacher – all of a sudden couldn’t speak Spanish. I mean, really? It was clearly a ploy to get Ricky Martin on the show and that was it.

So, anyway. Glee season 4.

It opens up with Rachel in New York City. All of a sudden it feels like a whole new show. It definitely had a Smash vibe, and felt a bit more grown up. Rachel was insecure, and I think that’s the best look for her. She’s come a long way from the first season and although she’s by far not my favorite character, I really enjoy watching her now.

The show also has some new characters. Brody Weston is the first one we meet and he comes to us (and Rachel) straight out of the shower. No complaints from me. Aside from the fact that he’s gorgeous (and that I loved his character on Terra Nova), he seems like a genuinely nice guy. It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted Rachel to be with someone other than Finn. It’s still early, and I have a feeling that the romance will blossom between them eventually, but I want them to take it slow. Friends first. If he’s meant to be Rachel’s new Finn, I want her to do it right this time. No stealing kisses, no cheating, no immaturity. Just an honest, healthy relationship.

Wade, who isn’t actually a new character, comes into the choir room to the shock of many of the Glee Club kids. I like Wade a little better than Unique, but I find that I truly enjoy Unique’s humor and over the top diva personality. I think both are great characters and serve their own purposes to the show. As long as he doesn’t take over, I’m quite content with him being in New Directions. (And if you’re reading this for the heck of it and have no idea what’s going on, Wade is a male student who happens to cross-dress. His alter ego is named Unique.)

We also meet Marley, who is pretty much the reason why I am watching this show. She’s honest and beautiful and good and true, and that’s everything that I want to see in a character on Glee. So many of the characters are flawed to the point of absurdity that a “normal” character is like a breath of fresh air. And the relationship that she has with her mom just about brings me to tears. I love it, I love her, and I love this show again.

Just Jake is up next and he sings beautifully. I think he sounds so much like the original, and his voice is like butter. I could listen to it every day. He’s an interesting character in that he is very similar to Puck, but I also feel like he’s a little wilder, a little more dangerous. I like that, and I hope now that we’re at a 9PM time slot, Glee will be just a tad darker than it was previously. We also hear Marley perform, while being cut against Rachel. As an actor/singer, that must be pretty intense. But she definitely held her own against Lea Michele. Where Rachel is Broadway, Marley is more like Jazz. I love both of their voices, and for different reasons.

The episode ends with Kurt in NYC and Rachel and him running toward each other and hugging. I think they’re both at their best when they’re together, honest, and trying to help the other person. They’re very similar in a lot of ways, but they also have a beautiful friendship that they use to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Obviously there were still problems with the episode. Every show has its issues, but unlike most I can’t just leave them be. I don’t like Kitty – the new head Cheerio. She’s a Santana wannabe, but with much more venom and a lot less humor. I could do without her. I also didn’t enjoy the glee club kids when they were trying to be popular. It didn’t fit with their characters and at this point in the show (and their lives) they should know better. But, it made a plot for the episode and I guess that’s what really matters. The courtyard number was also kind of big and ridiculous and I miss season 1 of Glee when they were trying to make the performances either solely envisioned in their minds or actually realistic.

But those are the nit-picks of a fangirl, not to mention just my personal opinions. Overall, this series harkens back to season 1. Not in the way that it has been shot or written – because it honestly feels like a different show to me now – but in the way that it makes me feel. I think about it every day, and I can’t wait until the next episode. This is how TV should be, and I hope Glee stays that way.

Did you watch the first episode of Glee season 4? Did you like it or hate it? Do you feel like it’s a whole new show now?

Fan-fiction: A Form of Flattery or a Form of Infringement?

I’d heard of fan-fiction before, being the Harry Potter nerd that I am, but I never read any of it. I never dabbled in it either. You’d think, as a writer, that I’d start there before I decided to write my own stories. I mean, I can see the appeal – the world, the characters, the conflicts are already established. You just have to figure out which story to tell, and then write it down. It’s great practice for beginners.

But I’ve always had too many voices in my head. I’m constantly caught in an onslaught of new ideas, new characters, and new stories. I’d love to write fan-fiction, but there just isn’t any room left in my brain.

I was officially introduced into the world of fan-fic late last year when I read Dalton, a story about two of the main characters from Glee. It was a sort of spin-off show to the main storyline. Honestly, the writing was sub-par and some of the mistakes were those you learn to avoid in Writing 101. But the story? The story was beautiful. It had me hooked. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’d come home from work and sit in front of the computer for hours reading it. So, no – maybe the author wasn’t the best writer. But she was one heck of a story teller.

And let’s face it. There are plenty of “professional” writers who are impeccable when it comes to language, grammar, and punctuation. But they can’t tell a story. They give you no reason to keep reading. It’s much easier to break someone of the habit of putting commas in the wrong place than it is to break them of the habit of writing bad stories.

What I want to know is this: Is fan-fiction a good thing or a bad thing in relation to the original author and their work(s)? Let’s look at some pros and cons:

CONS

I’m going to start with the negatives because I think they’re a bit more obvious. First off you have the clincher – the fact that a person other than the author is using the characters, setting, and ideas that have already been established to create new stories. Essentially, that’d be like writing a sequel/prequel/spin-off series to an already established book without having the rights to do so. I can see the problem there.

Another major point is that fan-fiction can often cause negative, or at least unwanted, portrayals of characters, which can in turn affect the actors who portrayed them on the silver screen. Just do a Google images search of “Draco and Harry Fan-fiction” and you’ll get a very quick idea of how it might not be well received.

And, of course, fan-fiction writers don’t gain much experience writing in this way. They don’t often get helpful critiques, it doesn’t help them to get better at characterization, and becoming a well-known fan-fic writer doesn’t exactly earn them acclaim and respect in the writing world.

PROS

So, what the heck could be good about writing fan-fiction? Well, a lot actually. For one thing, it helps to perpetuate a story that people don’t want to see finished. Who here actually wanted Harry Potter to end? Fan-fiction not only allows characters to continue living, but also brings about the stories of characters who may not have gotten a lot of scenes in the original work. A great example of this is the Trio’s kids at the end of HP7 – we don’t know much about them and we’ve never seen them at school, except in fan-fic forums. These places allow fans to gather and continue to live in this universe.

This perpetuation also leads to something that most authors wouldn’t mind having more of – word of mouth. Sure, it probably isn’t a big deal to people like J.K. Rowing and Stephenie Meyer, but what about authors who have a very die-hard, niche audience? Authors like Cassandra Clare and George R.R. Martin who are beginning to grow in popularity but haven’t hit that mega status yet. I can imagine a great piece of fan-fic could drive a person to delve into a series if they were previously hesitant about reading it, just so they can discuss the other stories with their friends. I’m sure it’s not a frequent occurrence, but it’s got to happen on occasion.

The last reason is, in my opinion, the most important of all. It gets people to write. Have you ever read a book that was just so good that you immediately sat down and started to type out your own story? I have, but then again I’ve been doing that since the fourth grade. I’m hardwired to write. But what about those other people who thought about dabbling but never got around to it? Then they read that one book that changed everything. Sure, maybe they won’t become published authors, but they’re still writing and adding their creativity into the mix. They’re putting new ideas and stories out into the universe and how can we do anything but benefit from that?

THE BIG QUESTION

But there comes a point, right? There has to be a line. When has it gone too far, when is it not okay to write fan-fiction?

Let’s just point out the elephant in the room: Fifty Shades of Grey. If you haven’t heard of this book yet, I’d be pretty surprised. But for those of you who might not know, Fifty Shades is Twilight fan-fiction that got a face lift. Basically, the author (E.L. James) wrote a story about Bella and Edward and their bedroom escapades (which were quite a bit heavier than the original story would leave you to believe, IYKWIM). A couple of things happened between here and there, but in the end James decided to pursue publication and turned the fan-fiction into a story of its own, replacing Bella, Edward, and vampires with Anastasia, Christian, and a billionaire.

It’s common knowledge that this was originally fan-fiction. And recently it became the fastest selling paperback novel of all time. There are two other books that round out the trilogy. And it’s being made into a movie, and a BIG movie at that – B-list actors need not apply. Let’s face it, she’s making a lot of money off of this. But, is that legal? Well, yeah, I guess. I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of speculation and a lot of people are going to discount her for its origins, but Meyer hasn’t slapped James with a lawsuit yet and at this point I doubt she will.

What does Stephenie Meyer think about it? She’s okay with it, actually. She said in an interview that it isn’t her genre, but that it’s good that James is doing well with it. She also said that obviously James had a story in her, so if it hadn’t started out as Twilight fan-fiction, it probably would’ve surfaced in another way. J.K. Rowling has also said she’s flattered by fan-fiction and glad that people write it. (And, yes, Dan Radcliffe and Tom Felton are aware of certain plotlines and they don’t seem to mind much either.)

But what about authors that do mind? Anne Rice and George R.R. Martin are apparently quite against it. Both of them consider it copyright infringement and Martin thinks it’s a bad exercise for want-to-be writers.

I believe fan-fiction is a good thing. I like being able to find a story I’ve never read before and read about characters that I already know and love. Maybe the writing isn’t the strongest, but these are written by die-hard fans, so you know that the story will be solid and that most details will be canon. I think that as long as it doesn’t leave the world of free publishing on the sites that host these sorts of things, it’s fine. I’m still not sure how I feel about Fifty Shades, knowing that the original intention of the story was a reproduction of the material found in Twilight.

But what I really want to know is what YOU think. Do you think fan-fiction is a good thing or a bad thing? If someone wrote fan-fiction about your characters, would you be flattered or would you call it copyright infringement?

Movie Review: Chocolate

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Minor Spoilers]

About a month ago I talked to you about Raging Phoenix, which has the same female lead as this movie. This movie is pretty different and about a hundred times better! Chocolate is about Zen, an autistic girl that has the ability to learn martial arts just from watching movies, playing video games, or watching other people. Her mother is very sick, and in order to get money for her hospital bills, Zen and Moom, her best friend/cousin (I’m not sure if he’s actually her cousin, but he does call Zen’s mom “auntie”) decide to get it from people that owe money to her mother’s old gang. Zin (the mother) has long since fallen out from the gang, so this doesn’t sit well with its leaders. Either way, it puts Zen in the perfect sort of situation to really kick some butt!

This movie is so full of lovely and perfect things, but let’s start with the obvious: the fighting. The fighting in this movie is very Jackie Chan-esque (this could also be because I watched Rumble in the Bronx on the same day). It’s got the same sort of flare for comedic moments, and the same style that finds the protagonist using ordinary objects to beat up her attackers. (Technically she’s the attacker and they’re just unfortunate, but I’m not going to split hairs.) Just like with Raging Phoenix, I found the fight sequences much more engaging than in most American made movies.

Jeeja Yanin is a great actress. She did an incredible job portraying an autistic child in the movie, and some of her scenes were really heart-wrenching and beautiful. On top of that, the other characters were likeable (or hateable, respectfully), and I really liked Moom. There’s a scene where she first starts fighting and the way she imitates the movies she’s seen is both hysterical and incredibly adorable.

The writing for this movie is much better, and the storyline is much more concrete. There wasn’t any pacing problems, and it was much less cheesy. And although the ending is still a little sad, it is much more hopeful and realistic than Raging Phoenix’s.

I have very little to say on the negative side. Some of the fight sequences dragged a little bit and you really start to wonder how long these people can last after being beat up so many times. On the flip side, though, I think it’s much more realistic than them getting punched once and then never getting up again.

I’m sitting here trying to balance this out a little more, but I honestly can’t. I really, really enjoyed this movie. Even though this came out before Raging Phoenix, I suggest watching Chocolate after you see the other one. That way you don’t get your hopes up for Phoenix, and you’ll appreciate this one more.

Here’s the trailer if you’re interested. It is definitely worth your time!

 
Also, I’m posting this now realizing that it is Autism Awareness Month. How perfect is that? I’d be interested to know what they did “right” and what they did “wrong” in this film. I know Jeeja did a lot of research for her role, so I hope that it’s believable to someone who has a little more experience with autistic children than I do. Let me know what you guys think of it once you’ve seen it!

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Light spoilers]

I’m going to try really hard not to go crazy on this review because I know a lot of people are going to be talking about this movie, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents. [EDIT: Obviously this is me trying not to go crazy and failing completely. Sorry about that.]

(P.S. Here’s a great review from a movie writer at Hypable. Definitely worth your time, and a bit more technical than mine will be if that’s your thing. And here’s a fellow movie reviewer’s take on it. We’re both fans of the books and our reviews definitely echo each other’s, so you’ve got to know the movie was that good! AND here’s another one by a fellow blogger. She has a few different opinions, and that’s always great to read about! And, lastly, here’s a fellow nerd’s take on the film.)

Now, I’m a little biased. I was SO pumped for this movie. I’ve read all three books several times, and I love each and every one for a different reason. When I heard that they were coming out with a movie, I was extremely excited. Of course there was a little bit of fear and doubt in the back of my mind – films like Harry Potter and Twilight haven’t been super faithful to the books. And, you know, that’s fine! There’s reasons why things had to be cut and regardless of my personal opinion of how it was handled, I do understand that.

I had nothing to worry about when it came to THG.

(On a side note, [NERD WARNING] I was so excited that it literally felt like Christmas morning for me. I woke up at 4:30 and was like, Ugh, way too early. Then I woke up again at 6:30. That was fine. 6:30 I could do. I was too energized by the thought that I was finally going to see this movie to go back to sleep anyway.)

The acting was incredible. Jennifer Lawrence lived up to the expectation that everyone had of her. I’m so glad she was cast, and incredibly proud of her for stepping into these shoes. She had a lot of pressure on her shoulders, and boy did she deliver.

Peeta was great and so was Prim. I thought Gale was a little lacking, but then again he didn’t have a lot of screen time. Haymitch and Effie were wonderful, and I loved that their back-and-forth relationship translated so well from book to movie. I’d have to say that – aside from Katniss – my favorite character was Rue. She didn’t have a whole lot of screen time, but she owned it when she was there. I could probably write an entire essay on why I love her character – both in the books and in the movie – so much. Her main scene (you know the one I’m talking about…) was incredibly powerful. I wish I could say exactly what I loved about it, but I do want to try to stay away from spoilers.

I don’t cry that often (especially not in crowded movie theatres), but this movie definitely brought me to tears in a few places (if you’ve read the books, you know exactly what places those are). The acting is just that commanding.

The actual adaptation of the book was incredible. They left very, very little out. And, you know what? What they did leave out wasn’t necessary to the plot anyway. I’m not upset at all. They did add a few scenes, which was a great idea. I think a few of them worked better than others, but nothing felt out of place. One of my favorite parts of the movie as a whole was what we saw in the Gamemaker’s Center. That was really cool!

So, what were things that I had problems with? Well, everyone is citing the “shaky-cam” as one of the biggest problems. In the very beginning I did have trouble with it – it was just a little too shaky. But this pretty much drops off once you hit the Capitol, which I think does a lot for the film stylistically. Some of the action scenes at the end were similar to the beginning and it was hard to follow the fight sequences. I like seeing the fighting and the moving around in these places, so I didn’t enjoy the close-up immediacy of the style that Gary Ross (the director) used. Overall, though, it wasn’t as bad as a lot of people were making it out to be.

There were some other small things. I wished that Katniss had played up to the cameras more, like she did in the books. That was a really enjoyable thread for me in the series – her extreme consciousness of the audience that was watching her. I wished that we saw and/or knew that the mutts had the eyes of the Tributes. I felt like that really showed how sick the Capitol was, plus it does sort of become more important later on. I didn’t particularly like how the cornucopia turned out, but I thought it served its purpose well in the end.

But, really, how important were these things? Not important at all, just things I enjoyed “seeing” in the books and was hoping to see in the movie. No big deal.

The CGI was not fantastic, but it didn’t throw me off or anything. The mutts could have been better, but the scene was at night and the semi-darkness allowed them to leave some of the details out. I didn’t mind. The flames were…I’m not sure. I loved them, but they were a little off for me too. But you know what? They weren’t supposed to be real anyway, so I think it’s fine that they looked a little different, a little otherworldly. The only thing that I’m genuinely concerned about is [SPOILER WARNING] the fact that Katniss doesn’t actually love Peeta right away. I don’t think this was an easy conclusion to come to in the movie, until *maybe* the end. But, I’m sure we’ll get more of this in Catching Fire. [END SPOILER WARNING]

There were some things that genuinely surprised me. I went in thinking this wasn’t going to be a funny movie (and it’s not, just to clarify). I heard Woody Harrelson was taking Haymitch down a notch, so I thought we wouldn’t really see a whole lot of humor. Wrong. This is by no means a comedy, but I definitely laughed out loud in a few parts. There are some really witty scenes.

The way in which Ross and his team put you in the movie is actually incredible. The close-up shots and the shaky-cam both do this, but not to the extent that the sound of the movie does. The Tracker Jacker sequence was in-cred-ible. I loved how it was shot and edited, and you just knew exactly how Katniss was feeling. This same thing comes later after the explosion. The sound gets muted and you can tell that her hearing isn’t quite right. There are also some other small places in which this happens, such as when she’s nervous to be on stage with Caesar Flickerman and he has to ask her the question a second time.

I also liked how the beginning started with text on the screen explaining the Reaping. I felt that this was a simple solution to the problem of giving the backstory. I didn’t want them to waste time developing that, so I was glad to see they did it in this way. Also, the little details really made me excited, like seeing Buttercup or Prim adjusting her little duck tail.

I read a lot of books and I watch a lot of movies. This is by far the most faithful adaptation that I’ve seen. I can’t sing any higher praise for it. If you haven’t yet, read the books. They’re powerful and incredible and poignant and relevant. Then go see the movie. It’s just as good, and in some ways develops the story further than what Suzanne Collins was allowed to do in the books. If you can’t be bothered with the books, please go watch the movie anyway. You won’t be confused. They do a great job of setting up this world and really immersing you in it. Caesar Flickerman serves as the host of the Games and they cut to him to explain certain things to the people in the Capitol (and, as a result, to the movie-going audience). I went with two other people who had read the books and one who did not. The one who didn’t read them beforehand wasn’t confused at all, and all four of us came out loving it.

I can’t wait to see it again. I think I’ll probably have to give in later this week. I just don’t know if I can wait that much longer until it comes out on DVD…

Movie Review: Raging Phoenix

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Medium to Well-Done Spoilers]

I’ve developed a strange affinity for martial arts films, especially foreign movies.

Enter Raging Phoenix.

This movie caught my eye because it was about a girl (Deu) who was nearly kidnapped by human traffickers, but then got away and decided to learn martial arts to get revenge on them. Other than that, I had no idea what the movie was about.

Well, I was pretty surprised.

It turns out that the basis for the style of martial arts that they do is getting really, really drunk. It’s actually a lot cooler than it sounds. And it sort of makes sense. Anyway, it’s a made up style, but it’s a combination of Muay Thai and break dancing. (Yeah, you read that right.) Deu finds out exactly why the kidnappers wanted her (for the human pheromone market. …Yeah, you read that right, too.) and she decides to offer herself as bait so they can find their hideout. This is when the real action started.

So, I actually liked this movie quite a lot. The style of martial arts was interesting and different, to say the least. I’m not sure how it would work in the real world, but in this story is was effective and it looked cool. The fighting sequences were much better than a lot of the ones that I’ve seen in American made fight movies. The acting was also pretty good, and I liked the general layout of the story. It was funny, but deep and thought provoking. Some of the visuals were gorgeous. And even though you need to read the subtitles (unless you speak Thai, of course), it isn’t dialogue heavy and you can sit back and enjoy the fighting scenes.

However, sometimes I didn’t know whether this was trying to be a comedy movie or an action movie. There were some pretty hilarious scenes and some great one-liners. Three of the main characters were also named “pigshit,” “dogshit,” and “bullshit.” No, I’m not joking. I think that was one of the problems – there’d be something really funny in a serious scene, and I wasn’t sure if they were trying to be funny or not. I think they were, but it did sort of jolt me out of the movie a little bit.

Another problem I had was the pacing. The first half of the movie was pretty awesome, but it was only halfway through that we found out what the real plot was. It was like the entire first hour was exposition, which we all know isn’t a good way to get the story up and running. Over and above that, though, was the fact that I actually liked the exposition better than the real plot line. The real story was a little hokey. (Human pheromones on the black market…really???)

Lastly was the ending. I won’t give it away, but I will warn you: if you like happy endings, tread carefully if you want to watch this movie. It felt like it was leading up to one thing the entire movie, and then all of a sudden that choice is completely taken away. It wasn’t the most satisfying ending, but it could have been worse, I guess.

I’d watch this movie again just for the visuals during the first half, plus the fighting sequences. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes foreign films or martial arts movies. Even if you just like good action movies, this might keep you entertained.

Also, here’s a funny story…I was debating on whether I wanted to watch this one or a movie called Chocolate. It turns out that the girl who plays Deu (Jeeja Yanin) actually plays the main character in Chocolate. How crazy is that! I’ve read around a bit and a lot of people are saying that Chocolate is a lot better. Guess that’s up next for me to watch (and review)!

The Hunger Games Trailer #2 – Analysis & Opinion

[SPOILERS]

Another trailer for The Hunger Games has been released, and I’m here to break it down for you. I did this for the first one, which you can check out here. I’m using the video below for this analysis.

 

By the time we hit 14 seconds, we learn that the moviemakers have already strayed from the book. Katniss gives Prim the mockingjay pin, as a promise that nothing bad will happen to her. We can assume that Prim will give it back to Katniss before she leaves for the capitol. Some people are upset by the decision to leave Madge out of the movie, but most seem pretty okay with it. I’m with the latter group. She didn’t have a huge role in the book(s), and I’d rather see her go than something more important.

At 15 seconds we see an overview of District 12 gathering for the Reaping. Snow is on the video monitor, and he says, “Welcome and happy Hunger Games.” You see Katniss and Prim finding their spots in the crowd, before Effie says, “I just love that.” We get a quick clip from the previous trailer where Prim’s name is drawn and Katniss volunteers to take her spot.

At 30 seconds we see Gale saying, “you’re stronger than they are,” and Katniss replies that “there’s twenty-four of us, Gale. Only one comes out.” This is interspersed with shots of Cato hacking up dummies with his sword in the training room.

At 34 seconds we see Prim yelling out as a Peacekeeper takes her away. This looks like it is taking place after Katniss has already been chosen and in the room where they get to say their goodbyes. Directly after, we see Katniss crying and saying, “Take care of them, Gale. Whatever you do, don’t let them starve.” (*sob*)

At 37 seconds the train leads them into the Capitol, and then there’s a shot of Katniss standing up in a simple yellow dress. This is a clip from the very end of the movie, when Cinna is trying to make her look at innocent and child-like as possible.

Meanwhile, Caesar Flickerman announces Katniss as the “Girl on Fire” to the roaring crowd. At 41 seconds, we see a shot of Katniss walking with the Peacekeepers, presumably toward the chamber that will take her up to the arena above.

At 42 seconds we see Cinna’s hands placing some sort of garment on Katniss. I believe this is just her jacket for the arena. Caesar is asking Katniss what she told her sister when she volunteered for the Games. Katniss replies, “I told her I would try to win for her.”

At 47 Katniss has her bow and arrow out in the woods in the arena, at night. Caesar says, “And try you will,” and kisses Katniss’ hand. At 50 seconds we see the shot of her giving the three finger salute after Rue’s death. We share our POV with the people from (we assume) District 11.

At 49 seconds we hear Peeta saying, “I just keep wishing that I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me.” Over this we see shots of Katniss looking at a video screen during Peeta’s interview. This appears to be right around the time where Peeta admits his love for Katniss. I’m glad to see Caesar and Peeta’s relationship looking as jovial and comfortable as it is described in the books. The last shot during this quote is the one from the rooftop that we saw in the last trailer.

At 52 seconds the tributes are running toward the Cornucopia. We get a closeup shot of Katniss, and a shot of Peeta. This is the same shot we saw from the first trailer, only now we get to see it on the screen from District 12. The following image is of Peeta and Katniss in their training gear. Peeta continues talking and says, “If I’m gonna die, I wanna still be me.”

The 56 second mark shows Katniss stopping right as a flame engulfed tree falls down in front of her. Then she says, “I just can’t afford to think like that,” in response to Peeta’s previous statement. We see her on the roof of the building talking to him.

At 58 seconds we see Cinna and Katniss together. He peels back her jacket and reveals the mockingjay pin attached to her shirt. He holds up his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. Out of context of the film, I’m not really sure what this means. In the book everyone knew that this was her token from District 12. In the movie, is it more of a secret? If they changed how Katniss got the pin, it’s possible that this has also been changed.

Logo, Rue’s whistle, release date, and it fades to black.

SO. What did you guys think? I loved that we got a bunch more shots for this one. It was shorter than the other trailer, but as the movie is getting closer I’m totally fine with that. I’m also glad that we didn’t see any more of the Games – I really want that to be a surprise! I’m getting really excited! Any guesses about that quick scene with Cinna?

Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens

Bottom Line:

Don’t Watch.

Details:

I didn’t hate this movie. I didn’t even really dislike this movie. Actually, it had a lot of good things going for it. I love Daniel Craig, especially for his work in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I also love Harrison Ford – the Indiana Jones movies are classic action flicks that I love to watch. It was directed by Jon Favreau, the guy who did Iron Man – which was an instant hit with me.

And the very concept of the movie is incredibly intriguing. Cowboys and aliens. Let me say that again. Cowboys. And. Aliens. This film had great potential to really knock us off our feet and give us a unique spin on two classic genres by spinning them together.

I think that was the problem. This film was just mediocre. I felt like most of the stand-alone cowboy scenes were cliché. You know how when the bad guy walks into the bar and the music cuts off mid note with that brittle ping of the violin strings? Yeah, that actually happened. They actually did that. The dialogue was okay, but it seemed forced. The action wasn’t bad, but there was a lot of gun slinging and I’m more of a swords-and-knives girl myself. The entire thing was a little hokey with the dialogue and the relationships between the characters. A little too over-the-top.

The funny thing was, the concept of the movie wasn’t the problem. It was a brilliant idea, but the writing just fell flat. I will say that there were a couple of twists that surprised me. There are some funny jokes, the aliens are actually pretty scary, and there are some characters that you just instantly fall in love with.

I got this as a Christmas present, so I feel a little bad for not liking it. But my Mom (who gave it to me) didn’t like it either, so I don’t have to feel too guilty. We’re going to set it aside for a month or two and watch it again later on, now that we know what to expect. There’s been a few movies where I’ve actually decided that I liked them after doing this. I’ll let you guys know if I change my mind.

Have any of you seen this yet? What did you think of it? Did my review sway you in anyway? Do you agree with what I’ve said?

P.S. For anyone who has seen this movie – please tell me I wasn’t the only one who thought they were going to put up a “Perfection” sign on the edge of town at the end of the movie. That would’ve been ASTOUNDING.