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(Source: allisonweiss)
(Yes, I’m lazy. So it goes)
When I started reading The Outsiders, I flipped to the back section where all the extra interviews and discussion questions were and I was really sidetracked and distracted and I read the first question to author S. E. Hinton about the book. It was the basic how-did-you-get-the-idea-and-when-did-you-start-writing question, and while she really didn’t answer the how, she did start writing when she was 15. It was the same year she got a D in Creative Writing. Which I can and can’t understand about the book.
The first half of the book is good, then it gets really boring, and then a little better, and then ends. I didn’t think that all the main characters were described that well, maybe for the reason that they all looked the same, except for their build, but the details about the environment and the world it takes place were good. It did take me a little while to figure out where it took place. But I liked that feature about the writing that I had to go further and further into the book to see the whole picture. The world was built up, rather than getting throw into it.
And then they sat around and talked about getting ready for a fight. And the fight happened. And it all took place in two pages……
This is where she gets her D. She spent so long talking about ten characters that were only around for ten pages and then never mentioned them again. I would say that Neil Gaiman does the same thing, but it’s way more entertaining. Granted, she is 15 writing this, but they could have used a little more screen time, and everything that the book has been leading up to is cut entirely too short.
The end was sad and very good, well written. That’s really it.
It wasn’t terrible, and it wasn’t the greatest thing I’ve ever read, but… yeah. It just is.
5.0 of 10
When I saw the first TV spot for this I thought it was going to suck, bug time. Then the reviews came in. Dang.
Inception was quite the thinker for a summer blockbuster, but it was good. I’ve always liked movies that you have to go in with a very open mind and be very prepared for it to change everything about reality. It’s on that high of a level that only a select group can really understand what is going on. I like to tell myself that I’m in that select group, but that’s probably not true.
It seemed really long to me. There was a lot of talking at the beginning then some action, then a lot more talking during all the action, and then the last twenty minutes had tons of talking. Just be prepared to listen to a lot of stuff, most of it unimportant.
The action was good, a little messy and useless at times, but still cool to watch. The special effects at the beginning were the best, and I think by the end everyone’s mind was blown enough they didn’t have to do much else.
Great cliffhanger, ended just as I hoped it would. But best things ever: Joseph Gordon-Levitt kicked ass. I’m really happy to see him in a lot more things now. Leo was good again, and Ellen Page was alright. Didn’t see as much of her as I wanted. But I’m pretty happy with it.
7.9 of 10
I’d seen a few Buffy episodes here and there when the series was still new and over the passed year with various people, but no one would watch the first season with me. :( Everyone said that it’s just too painful to see the clothes, listen to the jokes, watch the action scenes, or see the special effects. But, the wonderful Anna Katherine let me barrow her copy of season one and they were so wrong about it.
Buffy kicks so much ass, you’ll probably go blind. It’s quick, it’s funny, the plot for most of the episodes are good (The Pack sucked. It was probably the worst episode ever). I was very happy about the entire show. Yes, the camera is pretty gross, the sound didn’t quite sync up in the first episode, the clothes are terrible, some of the explanations are ridiculous and don’t make all that much sense, but who cares. Buffy takes classic monsters and gives them a late 20th century feel and modernizes them, as well as brings in tons of other ridiculous monsters and develops a new universe for monster mayhem.
Like any good fantasy/sci-fi, there are always tons of prophesies that happen within days of each other and they don’t make any sense and they are all proven wrong, but whatever. It’s still a lot of fun to watch.
My biggest problem however is how many dead bodies is Cordelia going to find? She ends up finding about two or three and episode! You’d think she would have more mental problems…
7.9 of 10
I got the final installment of Scott Pilgrim yesterday. I’d known about the for a very long time and read the first one, but then my interest waned. When I found out that there was going to be a movie I started getting back into it and thought to give it another chance.
And I’m very pleased that I decided to start again and read it. Everything about it is funny and clever and takes just about all of my interest and blends them together. I did feel like the music aspect and the bands were neglected after the third volume, but humor made up for it and the video game references kept getting better.
The last book was very good and I felt like it made a good ending, but it got too gummed up trying to explain everything very quickly. Some of the details I think should have been moved to volume five just because it all happened really fast, but it was still a good and easy read.
I can’t choose one as my favorite because each one has its own pros and cons (I might have to go with the fourth), but I’m very happy that I decided to pick it back up. Very stoked for the movie. It’ll be epic.
8.7 of 10
We’ve known about this place forever. And it opened just about a month ago (maybe?). The wonderful Anna Katherine and I went. And it was awesome…
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was incredibly fun. It looked wonderful. Felt like it belonged in the movie. Not everything I imagined from the books, but it was still amazing. I expected it to be bigger, but it was really crowded and it was hard to move around so that’s more than likely why it was hard. Some of the lines were tremendous and the wait for the wand shop “show” was two hours. Just to get into the store was half an hour. We did get on the Dragon Challenge ride fairly quickly and only waited ten minutes maybe. And yes, I am afraid of roller coasters. But I got through it and it was awesome. The Forbidden Journey line was a little over an hour, but probably the greatest ride ever. There’s a walk through the castle, which went way too quickly mostly because they were trying to get people on and off the ride, but still fun to walk around. But the ride was so amazing. It was long there was all of this crazy noise and it was just awesome. More than worth the wait. There’s a little store at the end that was way too small and crowded. You could easily steal things if you wanted.
The Hippogriff ride was okay. The line was kind of long, but still fun to go on. I got to climb up to Hagrid’s house so that was fun.
The Three Broomsticks was good. The meals were probably overpriced, but it was good considering I hadn’t really eaten much. The Butterbeer was pretty good, lots of foam. And the Hog’s Head Mead was okay. It got hot really fast and didn’t taste so good then, but it was cheaper than domestic, so still overpriced, but better.
We did make it into Honeydukes which was fun to see all the candy and the toys in Zonko’s. I bought a Chocolate Frog, which later melted, but really I just wanted the card (Godric Gryffindor). And a Sugar Quill that ended up just being an orange lollipop. The wonderful Anna Katherine got a frog and some kind of chocolate flies maybe? She can correct me later.
All the workers were dressed to adhere to the wizard feel, and most did speak with accents. Everyone was nice and acted like they were having a good time. Just crowded right now. And hot. But we had a great time overall.
I’m already looking forward to the next time. October maybe?
9.0 of 10
In all my years I had not read this book. I’d seen it everywhere, I knew there was a movie of it, and that it’s “The #1 Children’s Story” according to the cover of my copy. But I finally got around to reading it and I was very pleased.
James and the Giant Peach was short, simple, easy, but very enjoyable. Like any Roald Dahl story, it starts with some type of tragedy, but it works out. The same ridiculousness as in all of his books, but done very well and it’s interesting enough to keep you entertained. The singing and the poems were a drag on the story but they were never more than a page, thankfully.
There’s not so much to talk about. It’s good. Just simple and fun. Some of the characters weren’t that well explored, but that’s me asking too much from a kids book. But I heard so much about the Centipede and nothing from the Ladybug. Again, asking too much.
7.6 of 10
This weekend, the wonderful Anna Katherine invited me to see a few plays, travel around, and spend some time together. We’d planned this for a little bit but on Friday I was able to drive down.
I’m familiar with I-95, but I don’t normally go south. I’ve tackled the Northern US by road, but the Southern route is still kinda new. I’ve been in Florida but I’ve only ever gotten there by air.
The trek through South Carolina and Georgia was pretty good. Nice weather, little traffic. But the Florida state line was cloudy and there were lots of cars and people were driving really fast and people were making poor decisions. And it was hot.
Jacksonville was lame. As soon as I got into the city limits, rain. Lots of rain. The wonderful Anna Katherine said it rains everyday in Florida, but Jacksonville was sucky. As soon as I passed the limit sign, sunshine. I have decided, Jacksonville: sucks.
There was lots more traffic on I-4 and it had lots of bad drivers and it was still hot and there were accidents. Ugh…
Saturday I was driving around there were more bad drivers. I got cut off about four times while I was on three miles of I-4. I got off and deduced that you have to be a bad driver to get around Florida.
I’m going to be here a few more days, but I won’t be driving so much. TWAK can handle it.
1.0 of 10
I found Danielle Ate the Sandwich about two years after I started playing ukulele. All of her music has been a constant inspiration and she’s had a huge influence for how I play and write now.
“Two Bedroom Apartment” shows how much her music has evolved over the passed albums. It’s so professional now and it’s something to be admired. I love hearing bass with her music. It works so well and it’s just the amount of sound that it doesn’t take away from her simplistic origins while still letting her lyrics take front seat and really shine. “Canada” and “Fool” are two incredibly well written songs and I’ve had them on repeat, but I’ve loved hearing the over lapping vocals on “American Dream.”
I really don’t know how to speak badly of this album. I do miss just Danielle and a ukulele, but she just keeps getting better. She can only go up and can’t wait to hear more from her.
9.8 of 10
Adolescent Lit. Again. Another book I wouldn’t have read.
The House on Mango Street, while I think was well written and had interesting characters, lacked some type of story or situation to keep me hooked. I understand that the book isn’t so concerned about a story as it is telling about the people who live in a rundown community, but I hoped to see something that would somehow link all the people together a little better in something.
I’m not saying that the book was bad. It was a decent read, the writing was very descriptive and painted a great picture of where these people lived, which is what I believe was the aim of the book, but I kept hoping that there would be more that would bring these people together. Or maybe there isn’t a way to. Maybe there are doomed to stay separated.
The more I think about it, the deeper the book is. But I always wanted more from the characters. I wanted them to be united and to find some type of commonality, but I understand that that may never happen.
6.0 of 10