Fall Break + Another Review of Another Weird Indie Movie

So on my first day of Fall Break, I scoured Netflix (because what else are you supposed to do over Fall Break?) and happened upon an Australian movie that Netflix categorizes as a thriller crime drama. Close enough. Not so coincidentally, it stars one of my favorite actors from NBC's Revolution, David Lyons.

 

Colin (Lyons) and Jina (Booth) contemplate their options

      Swerve chronicles the unfortunate Colin (Lyons) after he witnesses a car crash in the middle of the Australian Outback. A drug dealer is killed after swerving to avoid another car, which was being driven by Jina (Emma Booth). Colin discovers a suitcase full of money and, wanting to do the right thing, turns it in after driving Jina home. But after consulting the local coppers, Colin finds himself caught up in a struggle between Jina and her abusive copper husband, Frank (Jason Clarke), to take control of the money. And let's just say things get a little dicey. 

     Overall, this film was what I'd call slightly-predictable-but-I'm-still-not-totally-sure-what-happened. Kind of like Lost River. Except Lost River wasn't predictable. I'll explain. If someone finds a case full of money, you can expect trouble, right? And if Hero meets Pretty Blond Girl three minutes into the movie, you can guess Hero and Pretty Blond Girl will meet again. You can also guess that Abusive Husband of Pretty Blond Girl won't like Hero hanging around her, even if Abusive Husband is initially nice to Hero. That was the predictable part. 

        What made the film weirder and slightly harder to follow is that a random stalker showed up, also vying for the money; additionally, there was a convoluted subplot involving Jina's past lover ... and that's the part I'm not totally sure on. It wasn't explained very well, and the resolution of the random stalker plot wasn't handled as well as it could have been. The final scene of the film also leaves you thinking, "Wait, but .... What?" It was an unsatisfying ending, but it also made kinda made sense, given Jina's character. Maybe if I watched it again, I'd understand those subplots better, but let's face it—I won't be watching Swerve again in the next month. 

     But! I've never seen a movie set in Australia (the area they filmed in reminded me of Texas), so it was interesting to catch a glimpse of some small-town Australian flavor. (And according to the captions, they spell "tires" as "tyres.") The accents were great, too. All of the leading actors handled their roles admirably. Clarke makes a great Abusive Husband, while Booth succeeded at making me both pity her and wonder if she was a sociopath. 

     Final score: 7/10, mostly for unnecessary language, the random stalker, and Jina's past lover. 

An Update on TRR

I don't have much to share with you in relation to LU, so I thought I'd update you on The Rat Race (my side-project turned 1100+ pg. monster). As of this very moment, TRR is 615,314 words long. Or 1110 pages, whichever you prefer. Normally I wouldn't bother you with a word count, but TRR is now longer than Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. People have asked me why I haven't split it into several books, but it's just not one of those stories; it spans almost two years so far, and while TRR probably could be divided up, it seems more natural to simply let the action flow. You know, like real life does. I may consider chopping it up when I got back and edit it later, but for now, it remains one, seamless story. 
     Since I know none of you have read TRR and probably don't remember its plot, I'll just leave you with this teensy intro scene, voiced by one of the main characters (Sam Decker). I haven't edited this since I wrote it almost two years ago. Sorry if it's total rubbish >.< 
    Anyway, I hope you enjoy! 

I’ve heard the stories. About how, so many years ago, men would go to tracks and watch horses race. They’d dress up in their Sunday best, don hats and slacks and nice shoes, and take their wives to the races on clear, sunny days and bet with their friends on which animal would win. They would peer at the horses and jockeys with their binoculars and sip on dainty little drinks while they watched. The betting was friendly and good-natured, if competitive. The grass in the center of the track was always lush and green, and the track itself was kept clean and pleasant to the eyes. There was a wreath of flowers for the winner and his horse, and a gold cup that meant he was the greatest that year. The gamblers were gracious and gentlemanly with each other, and so were the jockeys and owners. Their wives chatted with one another under the shade of lacy parasols and were proper and mannerly.

It was considered bad sportsmanship to curse or become overly upset with the results of the horse they bet on. Everything was bright and clean and innocent and pleasant. It was a gentleman’s sport, saved only for those of wealth, men who worked hard and used their intellect to get to the top of their little worlds. Men of good character and morals, who loved their sport and would never do anything to betray it.

Those were the people my father told me about when I asked him how the mudhorse races started. I didn’t believe him at first, that people like that really existed, or that the races were really like that at one time. Everything in those stories seemed to cry fantasy, like they were the imaginings of some silly girl who was envious of the posh life of the upper class. Even today, I’m not sure I believe his stories, though I want to—they’re the only thing I have left of him.

Of either of my parents, actually; they both died of fever when I was eight, and they had nothing to leave to me except the memories of their voices and their stories. But that’s a better inheritance than becoming a mudhorse when I was nine. My dad, he was a woodcutter; I had nothing to inherit from him when he died. The races were my only option, and they’ve kept me alive these six years.

I’m a mudhorse. Once, I was the son of a woodcutter, but now I have nothing but the races and the mud and the sweat and the betting.

But those silly stories, about the gentlemen and their ladies and their horses, I still like hearing them. They’re how the mudhorse races began—even if the truth has been stretched and distorted—and they make me feel like there’s still some hope for us mudhorses, despite what the rest of the world tells us. Like maybe we can go back to that someday. Like maybe there are still some honest, good people in the world. If there are, I’ve never met them, but maybe one will turn up some day and convince me that all the goodness isn’t gone.

No. It is all gone.

I’m a mudhorse, and the world is cruel.

Camp Hydaway Adventures

Yesterday, in sore need of some fresh air, I hopped on a bus to Camp Hydaway and spent the next few hours kayaking and hiking on their extensive trails. I wasn't actually aware that you could kayak, so that was a pleasant surprise because it's one of my favorite water activities. The lake at Camp Hydaway is more like a glorified puddle compared to the lakes I'm used to, but still, I enjoyed my time there and will definitely be going back. After ditching the kayak, I hiked around in the woods for maybe a mile or two (silly me, I wore flip-flops) and took a picture or two. I revisited the alcove where I found Bravo Mike, the baby turtle I kidnapped two years ago, but unfortunately, all the baby turtles knew I was coming and hid. Next time, baby turtles. Next time. 
      Sophomore year is off to a great and quick start; we've already begun our third week, and I'm enjoying all of my classes, for the most part, which always makes them more bearable. I'll keep you updated periodically, particularly if something interesting happens (like me nearly fainting and getting escorted to the health center by a policeman again!). 
     Ciao for now, lovely people! :) 

Back in the 'Burg

A.R. and M.F. prepare for the spoons championship round

I have successfully finished my first week of sophomore year! This semester has already been 100x more fun than last year; I've shopped at a farmer's market, played spoons, watched Captain America: The Winter Solider, baked cookies, learned how to use a Tier 1 camera, and laughed (a lot). My quad is much more active, friendly, and goofy than last year's, and I've made friends with all of M.F.'s quaddies too. Last night, for example, we cooked spaghetti and meatballs, made garlic bread, jammed to electro-swing, made a cake, ate ice cream, played spoons, and watched The Winter Solider. And it was just as fun as it sounds. 
     Today I attended my Saturday class, in which I learned how to operate, set up, and dismantle a Tier 1 (Sony HDR-AX2000) camera. This class is an equipment workshop that all Digital Media majors (i.e. me) have to pass before we can use LU's cameras / audio / video equipment. Even though it's technically a four-hour class, we got out after about two hours, and the class is only four Saturdays long, so it's not that bad. It'll be nice to have Saturday off once the class is finished, though. 
      All of my other classes are going well so far. Creation Studies is by far my favorite, and I have a friend in that class, so that's a bonus. I'm also taking World Lit., European History, Psychology, Biblical Worldview, and Math ... this semester will be a busy one. 
     Which is not to say that I have no time for writing. TRR currently sits at 560,000+ words (1025 pages), and it grows daily. An idea for a new sci-fi story popped into my head a few days ago, and I'm fighting the urge to start a new book ... I'll never finish TRR if I quit now! But someday I'll get that other story down on paper. Promise.
     It's gonna be a good year, y'all! Hope you're having a great week too, and I'll try to keep you updated on my doings up here at LU. Ciao for now, lovely people :) 

As You Like It

Caitlin Iliff (Rosalind), Denton Collie (Orlando), and Jasmine Cardenas (Celia)

G.C. and I ventured once again to the EmilyAnn Theatre in Wimberely to see its production of Shakespeare's As You Like It. For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, the play follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and, eventually, love. In the Forest of Arden, they encounter a variety of memorable characters, notably the melancholy Jacques, who performs many of Shakespeare's most famous lines, such as "all the world's a stage" and "a fool! A fool! I met a fool in the forest!" Starring  Caitlin Iliff as Rosalind, Jasmine Cardenas as Celia, Denton Collie as Orlando, and Cody Claussen as Jacques, As You Like It was transported to the Roaring '20s. I guess the directors / set designers / costumers can claim artistic license, but Shakespearean language being spouted by flapper-dress-wearing girls was ... odd. I don't really know how else to say it. Don't get me wrong, the set was beautifully designed and the costumes were equally impressive. There just seemed to be no reason for plucking As You Like It out of the 16th century and plopping it into the 20th. 
       Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed the play; Iliff and Cardenas stood out as skilled actresses, and each of their scenes was delightful. The stage fight between Collie and Chase Reed (Charles the Wrestler) was one of the play's highlights, and Claussen's witty, boater-hat-wearing Jacques provided a good many laughs and somber soliloquys. I'm not a theatre buff (although G.C. is), so beyond that I can't give much critique, but speaking as an audience member, I can say that As You Like It was a thoroughly memorable play! 
     In other news, I'm headed back to VA next week to start my sophomore year at Liberty (where has the time gone?), and I'm looking forward to most of my classes this semester. For example, I get to take Creation Studies, an equipment workshop for Digital Media, a Psych class, World Lit., and European history. My equipment workshop is a four-hour class on Saturdays, but I'll learn how to use cameras and audio / visual equipment, so it's totally worth it :D Exciting stuff. 
      Ciao for now, lovely readers! 

Television Review: Sons of Liberty

"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power of man, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of any man, but only to have the nature of law as his rule." - Samuel Adams, founding father of the United States of America 

Along with Texas Rising, Sons of Liberty emerges as the History Channel's latest attempt to dramatize history in a manner that will appeal to modern audiences with little or no concept of true historical facts. Utilizing historical figures such as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and John Adams, Sons of Liberty follows these men as they stoke the fires of rebellion against the British and ultimately win their independence in 1776. (If you want a great review of Sons of Liberty that compares it to recorded history in a wonderfully detailed manner, you can click here.) I, however, will focus mostly on the aspect of Sons of Liberty that irritated me most: the dialogue. 

Take, for example, these exchanges between characters on the show:

Samuel Adams: Who is that?
John Adams: George Washington.
Samuel Adams: ... He's intense. 

(on being told the Continental Congress wants an explanation for the exchange of gunfire at Lexington)
John Hancock: They want it right now?
Samuel Adams: In case they hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a fight here.

Now compare the above to an actual sentence articulated by Samuel Adams:

"He who is void of personal attachment in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections." 

Ben Barnes as Samuel Adams

Mmhmm. Lil' bit different, aren't they? Even though the History Channel affirmed that Sons of Liberty is indeed "historical fiction at best," they didn't clearly advertise it as such. And if you're going to make a mini-series about the most important moments in our country's history, please please please do it right! I understand that the vernacular of 1776 might be a bit foreign to modern viewers, but seriously? Who wrote this thing? (I know who wrote it; the question is rhetorical.) When you have a wealth of historical knowledge available to you, the opportunity to integrate these men's real words and beliefs into a show attempting to glorify them ... why on God's green earth would you not utilize it? Sons of Liberty seemed to me as though someone grabbed a few hipsters off the street, threw some colonial clothes and a tri-corn on them, and said, "Okay, make a speech about liberty and freedom!" 

The results probably would have been the same. 

That being said, the acting of Ben Barnes (Samuel Adams) was a (the only?) redeeming quality of the show. The cinematography and opening sequence was beautifully done, as well. Hans Zimmer, as always, composed a magnificent main theme. Even the costumes and CGI were pretty well done. 

But, being the grammar Nazi and writer that I am, the horrifically anachronistic language just about ruined the show for me. Plus, after reading about all of the historical inaccuracies, I can conclude that while Sons of Liberty may have been mildly entertaining, it was far more fiction than fact. And if you're writing a show about America's liberation from the British, that ain't what you should be aimin' for. 

I give Sons of Liberty a 5 / 10 and will now resume reading inspiring quotes about freedom and independence from the real Samuel Adams. 

Phone Interview

Just got off the phone with a reporter from The News Dispatch who wants to write an article about me and my books! The article probably won't be published until next week, but I thought I'd give you all a heads-up so you can be on the lookout for it! :) 

Movie Review: Lost River

In a dirty dump of a town called Lost River, single mother Billy (Christina Hendricks) struggles to provide for her two sons. People are losing their houses right and left, whether to bankruptcy or fires set by the town bully, aptly named Bully (Matt Smith). Her oldest son Bones (Iain de Caestecker) strips abandoned houses of scrap copper for some spare change, but when Bully catches him in the act, Bones becomes the next target in Bully's crosshairs. And when Bones's young neighbor Rat (Saoirse Ronan) tells him of a lost city under the reservoir, supposedly the source of the curse that afflicts Lost River, Bones seeks to break the curse once and for all. 
       Honestly, I thought this movie was going to go in a completely different direction than it did. And I think it would have been a more enjoyable movie if it had, but that's just me. The potentially sci-fi aspect of Lost River felt profoundly under-utilized, while the film lingered too long on Billy's seedy job at what I think was a bar (?). 
     I know what you're thinking—"where do you find these movies?" It has a cast I know and love; Matt Smith was, of course, the eleventh incarnation of the world's most beloved time-traveling alien in Doctor Who; Saoirse Ronan is a phenomenal young Irish actress I've seen in several previous films; and Iain de Caestecker currently plays Agent Leo Fitz on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So I was curious. After all, I thought the story was going to progress in an entirely different direction. 
     It was one of those artsy films where you're never 100% sure what's happening and are treated to numerous artsy shots like dandelions swaying in the wind or a house burning in the night. To be fair, the cinematography was gorgeous in this film. But other than that, it was ... strange. That's the only way to put it. The quasi-romance-mostly-friendship between Bones and Rat was endearing and definitely a redeeming quality of the film, particularly when Rat accepts a ride with Bully in order to protect Bones. But the plotline involving Billy, Bones's mother, was simply disturbing. I'm guessing it was supposed to be, and so that's fine, but ... wow. I would have been a lot happier if the film had focused on the curse of the lost town and less on the bar's (?) audience who seemed waaaaay too fascinated with fake blood. Plus, I'm not even sure if the curse was actually broken. 
       

Iain de Caestecker as Bones

The characterization was also a bit lacking. Saoirse Ronan's Rat stood out in terms of acting, as well as Matt Smith's psychotic, sparkly-shirt-wearing Bully. If I hadn't seen him in Doctor Who for so many years, I think I could have taken him more seriously. Bones, however, didn't really ... do much, despite being the protagonist. Bully's reason for so jealously guarding the scrap copper was left unexplained, and in regards to their conflict's resolution, it should have been clarified. 
     While the film ended on a somewhat happy note, I'm still trying to decide how to I feel about it a day later. There were aspects that were well-done, as noted previously, but the whole thing felt like one of those Oscar-nominated-artsy-movies-that-nobody-saw gone wrong. It was Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, and I think the man has a lot of potential—that being said, Lost River undoubtedly won't be his best work. 
        For reasons of Bully's cursing and general, unnecessary weirdness, I give Lost River a 7 / 10. 

Two Weeks Left!

Well, summer has flown by, and only two weeks remain before I'm back in the Burg. The first semester was pretty rough, but I can now confidently say that I am super excited to head back to college, meet my new roomie, adventure with M.F., and learn all sorts of neat stuff. For example, I'll be taking Creation Studies, a Psych class, and a workshop in which I'll learn how to use cameras, sound / audio equipment, and video software. Looking forward to those very much :D And while I don't yet have my driver's license, I'm much, much closer than I was at the beginning of the summer! Next year, I will certainly be able to take Baby Blue (my Toyota) back with me. 
     Let's see ... updates on writing projects. B3 has a few new scenes in its inventory, and TRR (The Rat Race) is sitting at a solid 970 pages. I had to buy a $30 binder to accommodate it, haha! That's when you know a book is big. Other than that, I haven't done any more signings or events, and my online classes are winding down. Only two speeches and two papers stand between me and the end of this summer semester! And I believe I'll come away with 6 credits, so that'll be great :) 
    That's all for now, folks! Hope you're having a wonderful summer; see you soon! 

Flex Those Reviewing Muscles

Hey, readers! If you’ve read Fallen Rose and enjoyed it in any way, shape, or form, please head over to Amazon and give it a review. This lets potential buyers know that others loved it and encourages them to purchase a copy for themselves—and remember, the more books I sell, the closer you get to Book Three!

A short update on B3 for you: I've written 270 pages, and there are several characters returning from YF. In fact, I'm writing a scene with a returned character at this very moment. Any thoughts as to who it might be? Is there someone from YF you'd like to see again? Let me know! :)