V - Variety

This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge. This year I have decided to go themeless. Each day I will post about whatever topic pops into my head. The result of this spontaneity is anyone's guess. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

They say variety is the spice of life. Whatever, I just like to keep things different. I enjoy a variety of genres in books, music, television, and movies. A wide variety. Huge. I like Star Wars AND Star Trek. Yep, major genre switch. I read Lord of the Rings AND The Hobbit. I listen to Home Free AND Christian Kane. Does it get more varied?

All joking aside, I really do read, watch, and listen to a variety. I will listen to Metallica, followed by TobyMac, then Home Free, and Fallout Boy. Nightwish (symphonic metal with a fantasy vibe) and Abney Park (steampunk airship pirates) share space on my playlist when I'm writing science fiction. My favorite movies include Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, We are the Titans, and Princess Bride.

Don't ever let yourself get tied down to one genre in anything. That applies to all areas of life. Except spouses. Best to stick to just one of those. And kids should all be the same species. (They don't necessarily have to be human, but keep them all the same species if possible.) OK, things have suddenly gone off the rails. I better call it quits while I'm ahead behind.

Until tomorrow, sayonara, good evening, auf wiedersehn, ciao, bonjour, and other various salutations.

M - Movies

Movies: some are good, some are bad. Some make you feel good about yourself and about life, some make you wish you had two hours of your life back. I think we've all seen examples of each. I watched three movies this weekend that covered just about every area.

Wreck It Ralph - I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. I had only seen a couple of previews that really didn't tell anything about the movie. Overall, it was better than I expected. Not the best animated movie I've seen lately, but not the worst either. The kids enjoyed it and it had moments that were amusing. I'll admit, it was one of the more original ideas for a movie I've seen in quite a while. Would I recommend someone renting this one? Yes I would. It's a fun family movie that will not have you running the kids out of the room or yourself wishing you were out of the room.

Skyfall - Best Bond ever! If you like James Bond movies, you will love Skyfall. If you don't necessarily care either way about Bond movies, but you like a good action movie with a plot, you will love Skyfall. This one did a very good job of making up for the disaster that was Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench were absolutely superb in this one. The chemistry between these two is amazing. You really feel the complicated relationship between M and 007. For the first time in the Daniel Craig era, you get to see the human side of M. I enjoyed this one immensely and highly recommend it.

Flight - While I didn't quite wish I had my two hours back, there were definitely moments where I almost turned off the movie. It was nothing at all like I expected from seeing the previews. The only thing in the movie that wasn't completely different than my preconceived notions was the crash. That looked just like it did in the trailers. Being a Denzel Washington movie, I expected something much better. Overall, a disappointment. I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone.

That was my weekend of movie watching. Normally, I don't watch that many recent movies, but I had discount codes from Redbox, so we decided to use them for a change. Usually, we watch movies we've recorded on the DVR during the free preview weekends of HBO, Showtime, etc. Best one I've seen lately? How to Train Your Dragon. I don't know why, but I just love this movie. I've seen it close to a dozen times in the last three months. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to do so. You won't regret it.

Sometimes, I pull out the DVDs I already own and watch one. Most recent? Lord of the Rings. As discussed in my last post, I love this whole trilogy. The other movie I rewatch lately is the Star Trek reboot. I have that one on my Ipod and watch it often. Another strong recommendation. Can't wait for the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Getting giddy for that one.

That's all I have to say about movies for now. Maybe I'll do some more recommendations and/or critiques in the future. We'll see. For now, I need sleep.

L - Lord of the Rings

I know, I know. For someone who writes SciFi and reads Fantasy novels, this one seems like a no-brainer. You're right. It's a bit of a copout. Deal with it.

Unlike most fanboys and fantasy/sci-fi geeks, I didn't read the Lord of the Rings when I was nine years old. I didn't read the complete trilogy until I was in my late twenties and again in my late thirties. I've never read the Silmarillion, or the Red Book of Westmarch, or Unfinished Tales, or any of the other seemingly endless supply of Middle-earth books, stories, tales, legends, etc. I did read the Hobbit as a teenager. And again in my twenties. And in my thirties. And maybe once since I turned forty.

I have seen all three LOTR movies multiple times. I own the Extended Edition Blue-ray set of all three. I'll admit it. I watched all of them in the same week. It took forever. (Over eleven hours total.) I didn't think it would ever end. But then it did, and I was sad. I wanted to start over and watch them again, but I felt I should spend some time getting reacquainted with my wife and children. It had been so long since I had seen any of them. It almost felt weird seeing people without swords or axes or bows. They weren't wearing chainmail or leather leggings. It was a bit of culture shock. And therein lies the genius that is Peter Jackson's treatment of the Lord of the Rings.

Whether you think the movies were too long or too short, included too much of the stories or too little, took too many liberties or stayed too close to the original source, you can't deny that Middle-earth came alive. When watching this epic movie series, the scenery and authenticity of the sets makes you feel as if you are really in Middle-earth. It feels like the stories told what really happened. You almost have memories of the times of which they speak. You delight in the festival atmosphere of Bilbo's birthday party and the easygoing life that is Hobbiton. You can feel the warmth of the Last Homely House in Rivendell. Your heart begins to race as the Nazgul give chase throughout different parts of the land. You begin to wonder how the mines of Moria can be so large and majestic with the grandeur created by the dwarves and still feel claustrophobic and suffocating.

Throughout the series, the settings just feel right. Nothing ever jumps out and says "fake". Fangorn forest is exactly where and what it should be. Mordor is a cursed land that looks and feels exactly as it does in your mind, even if you never thought about it before. This is why it's so easy to lose yourself in these movies for four hours or more at a time and not want it to end.

A friend of mine has yet to see these movies. We have decided we are going to take a day sometime (soon?) and watch the extended editions back to back to back. An entire day of Middle-earth goodness.

It may have to wait until I get a more comfortable couch.