George what were you thinking?

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fantasy, postaday2015, Strange Magic

My husband and I really needed a good fantasy movie today; something in the vein of Willow or Princess Bride, so when my husband was looking at Cinemark’s website, he said “George Lucas’s new movie is out why don’t we see what George’s imagination has in store for us”. Wonderful, we sat in the dark waiting to be taken for a new journey into the fantasy realm that George weaves so well. The previews were entertaining, now of course they were geared for G and PG audiences, but I laughed out loud at the previews for the Minions movie and also for this animated movie about parents and their child, but the real action was playing out in the cast of characters that worked in the control room of each of their minds; the idea was quirky and different and at the end of the preview you see a huge title “It Is An Emotional Movie”, pretty cool.

So after these good nuggets of feel good, I was more than ready to enter George’s fantasy land, but instead of a realm that had nuance, depth and a strong back story, we got a solid half hour of fairies flying around a beautiful meadow singing pop love songs, an evil cricket who wants to banish love from the entire realm, a cheating prince, a wishy washy king and a princess who won’t stop singing sad heart broken love songs. It was too much to bear, even if the movie was geared for tween girls, it had to be better than that. I was a tween once and I would have walked out. Oh yes we walked out after 40 minutes; we couldn’t take anymore of, as I put it, Grease 2 set to bubble pop music in cartoon form.

George what happened? I was so disappointed, if the Minions movie would have been playing at the same time, I would have run inside to get my smile back. I love those minions, they are awesome and I want one!

You know me, I never do not like a movie. I actually could not sit and watch this. When we got home I made breaded chicken cutlets with lemon, mashed potatoes and sautéed corn; that made me feel better and then I sat through 3 episodes of Cougar Town and then 2 episodes of Parks and Recreations, I feel better. My husband and I just needed a flight of fancy, not teenage singing lovey dovey songs in cartoon. The coming attractions of Strange Magic was a bait and switch because we were sold a movie without love songs, an action adventure set in a fantasy realm, good versus evil, not sappy love songs every two minutes.

Daily prompt: Fearless fantasies

Tags

dreams, fantasy, postaday2014

How would your life be different if you were incapable of feeling fear? Would your life be better or worse than it is now?

I would never say that my life would be better or worse, it would just be different. If I had decided to persuade my sister into going a little farther in our back packing trip to Istanbul Turkey with our new friends. I’m sure that my life wouldn’t be different, but I would have memories of Istanbul in my mind instead of having it on my bucket list. That would have been nice.

If I had decided to take the plunge right after graduation and gone to California to pursue law school then who knows where I would be. Honestly that is a huge question, because I haven’t the foggiest notion as to how I would have fared in law school. I do not do well under pressure when it comes to public speaking and that is a big part of first year law classes. Another reason why I didn’t go immediately afterwards is that I had horrible memories of dormitory life from back during my days at S.U.N.Y at Albany so I was extremely leary of what it was going to be like at law school at the University of California at Santa Clara.

My passion for law was primarily environmental and given that salaries for environmental lawyers are a mere pittance; I probably would have been saddled by quite a bit of debt starting out in my professional life; but I would have attorney at law on a shingle somewhere. That wasn’t the primary reason why I didn’t go, but it was in the balance of factors influencing my decision.

Would I have married and had children if I had been an attorney? I am not sure, I can see myself get carried away with my work, not allowing for time to have a personal life.

I do not play these fantasy games except for the rare writing exercise because I cannot imagine my life without my family and I know that I would not have been happier as an attorney, that is just a title.

Daily prompt: Do you believe in Magic?

Tags

elves, fantasy, mages, magic, postaday2014

You have been transformed into a mystical being who has the ability to do magic. Describe your new abilities in detail. How will you use your new skills?
I love the song “Do you believe in magic?”, I may love the song, but those are the only words that I know. I have the melody in my head and after I sing (in my head) “do you believe in magic” the rest is la, da, di, da da.

Currently, my hubby and I have been watching “Witches of East End” on Lifetime. The show is about witches of course, a family of them and they are the good kind. It is kind of fun seeing the witches incorporate their magic in the 21st century. One of the witches is gifted in potions and she works as a bartender, the other is very good at writing spells and she is the town librarian so you see how their strengths translate their magic into their “ordinary” lives.

If I were a magical being, I would want to be an elf mage. I would wear my hair long so that my ears would be hidden so that living amongst humans would be less awkward. I suppose that my ears wouldn’t be the only thing that would be different, my longevity in life, my almond eyes and height might also be a little hard to explain, but that would be a small price to pay for being an elvish mage.

I would use my magical abilities for good, I would become an expert in herbal medicine and use my magic to amplify their healing properties and treat people. I would also try to use my magical powers to heal the earth, the oceans, waterways and the atmosphere. I would imagine that I would be a little frustrated with the human race and its disregard for our planet but I would persevere and do my best to help in whatever capacity I could.

I think that being an elven mage would be really, really cool.

Mortal Instruments:City of Bones: a movie review

Tags

book, fantasy, Lily Collins, movie, movie review, postaday2013

My hubby and I went to the movies today. First we went to Arby’s for my chocolate shake and our favorite, the classic roast beef sandwich and then off to the movies to see another fantasy movie that just came out onto the big screen; Mortal Instruments:City of Bones.

I had seen the books on bookshelves in various bookstores over the past few years, but for whatever reason, neither myself nor the baby girl ever picked up a copy. We read two of the Fallen series but never got to the Mortal Instrument series, oh well.

My hubby and I really liked the movie, we are partial to Lily Collins. We loved her in the Snow White movie, she is so adorable. And for some weird reason we like her even more being the daughter of Phil Collins, the drummer and singer of the band Genesis. I know that it’s weird but we can’t help it. Anyway, she was adorable in the movie.

The movie is pure fantasy with demons, the underworld of werewolves and vampires and shadow hunters. These shadow hunters are descendants of the drinkers from the chalice that an angel had blessed to help the humans in their battles against the demons. The heroine, Lily Collins, finds out that she is descended from a line of shadow hunters, slowly because her memory was blocked purposefully to keep her safe. I don’t want to give too much away. Essentially this is a movie based on the fight between light and shadow, power and selflessness, good versus evil and of course, what story, especially a good one, could ever be successful or loved without a grand love story.

So read the books or go see the movie, either way I am fairly sure that you will enjoy the story.

White lies

Tags

Easter Bunny, fantasy, postaday2013, tooth fairy, white lies

The Tooth Fairy (or Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus . . .): a fun and harmless fiction, or a pointless justification for lying to children?

As a child, I loved believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy and when I found out that it was my parents, I was immensely disappointed, not with my parents but with the world. The world became a little sadder that day because I had to realize that there didn’t exist a benevolent being who just wanted to make me happy and show me that I was special for just a few different days in the year. I wouldn’t trade the fun and the anticipation of all those years of believing in them for all the tea in China even if, at the end it yielded such disappointment.

I think that it is a rite of passage for most and it embodies the childhood innocence that we try to keep alive for as long as possible. Adulthood comes way too quickly and it seems way too early for some, I say that if you can keep the fantasy or the illusion going, do so, you will be providing your child with wonderful memories and feelings of being special to another being that is shared with other children everywhere.

Jack the Giant Slayer: a movie review

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fantasy, Jack and the beanstalk, movie, movie review, postaday2013

My hubby, the baby boy and I went to go see Jack the Giant Slayer today. The baby girl stayed at her college this weekend; having fun and what not with her roommate and her friends. The three of us went to Arby’s; my dining choice pre-movie. The baby boy enjoys Arby’s just like my hubby and I, when the baby girl comes with us to the movies we go elsewhere because she doesn’t like Arby’s, I don’t get that but I suppose it’s not a bad thing, it forces us to deviate and switch it up a bit, with sushi and green tea, a much healthier alternative to curly fries and an obnoxiously large chocolate shake.

The writers who brought Jack the Giant Slayer to the big screen brought their imaginations is full use and we very much appreciated it. The story and legend kept us interested and entertained. The actor who plays Jack has been in several movies; the latest was Warm Bodies he was the romantic lead, if you could call a zombie who regains his heart through the love of a girl, a romantic lead. His approach to the zombie role is similar to the one that he gives Jack the farm boy; sure and steady, courageous and noble. A wonderful character actor plays the King of Cloister, Ian McBride, his character of King is a good one, a true leader of his people. We find a lovely princess amongst the cast of characters, a perfect companion for Jack. There is of course a villain and it’s not just the giants. The action within the movie had me moving and jumping; at one point when there were horses galloping away from danger, being ridden by our heroes, I was bouncing up and down in my seat trying to spur the horses faster and faster.

My hubby, the baby boy and I really enjoyed the movie. I saw that there were a few negative reviews and I said as much to my hubby before we set out for the movie. His response was exactly what I thought it would be, “since when do we listen to reviews when it comes to these kinds of movies?” So off we went and had ourselves a great time.

Beautiful Creatures : a movie review

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Beautiful Creatures, fantasy, good versus evil, movie review, movies, postaday2013, spells

This weekend was a movie weekend. Today we saw Beautiful Creatures and I really, really enjoyed it. First and foremost the love story between the two young people was infinitely better, more compelling and much healthier than what was offered in Twilight. The young mortal named Ethan was charming, charismatic, a ray of sunshine and the heroine, on the edge of young womanhood, was appropriately soulful, angst-ridden, passionate and torn. Their love gave you hope for beauty and happiness despite the conflicts and obstacles.

The actors were a treat; Emma Thompson, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossun and the great Jeremy Irons. His voice and his presence has always made me swoon. I was lucky enough to see him on the London stage in a Shakespearean production of Richard II and he was magnificent. I could watch him in anything; lately he has me mesmerized as the Pope and the daddy of the Borgias. He is an amazing actor and as the Patriarch of the family in the movie Beautiful Creatures, he brings the perfect amount authority, guidance and need to control the actions of those around him all for the good of the family. Emma Thompson, you could tell, was having a lot of fun in her role as the counterpoint to Jeremy Irons and everyone who plays off these two; shines because of them and with them.

I know that I give thumbs up to almost every movie that I see; I love movies, what can I tell you. I enjoy leaving my reality for two hours or so and hitching a ride somewhere else. It feels good and I think that it is good for the mind and the soul. I’m not sure which movie is next, but you’ll be the next to find out.

The Hobbit; a movie review

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action, fantasy, movies, Peter Jackson, postaday2013, The Hobbit, Tolkien

My hubby and I finally got to the movies to see The Hobbit. I can’t even tell you what in the world took us so long to actually get ourselves to the movie theater to see Peter Jackson’s latest homage to J.R Tolkien but I’m glad that we finally got there. As you can probably imagine; I loved it. I love that world and I am always happy and willing to hitch a ride onto Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

The movie clocks in at just under three hours and I didn’t feel the three hours at all. I was completely immersed in Bilbo’s adventure and I was falling under the spell of the Elvish kingdom of Rivendale. The cast of characters took on their own charm as I was refreshing my memory in the who’s who of dwarves. Thorin, the heir to the Dwarven throne, was gradually winning me over, as he was learning to accept Bilbo as a friend and trusting his value and valor as a companion. I wish that Gandulf was my friend; he is such an old and wise soul. Gandulf is truly one of the best characters in fictional history ever. His love and respect for the Hobbits, the Baggins in particular, warms my heart and reminds me that even the smallest person, deed or thing can make a difference in the course of things.

I knew that The Hobbit was being split up into three parts and the spot that Peter Jackson chose to cut from was in my mind perfect. There was the perfect lull in the action and the geography of Middle Earth, it is following the arc of the whole story; beginning, middle and end. So we are at the first entreacte or intermission and I can’t wait for Act two.

Pretend that you are a movie star, what is in your trailer?

Tags

fantasy, movie star, postaday2012, trailer

If I were a movie star, I would need diet ginger ale and seltzer available at all times because I am always thirsty. In terms of snacking; bananas, navel oranges, honey crisp apples and white flesh nectarines would be a constant feature of the fruit bowl. I would definitely ask for that fruit bowl to be consistently replenished, you can never have too much fruit. Since I often forget that electronics need to be recharged, having someone check my phone and iPad daily and recharging them automatically would be great. A beautiful ladies room is something else that would make me happy, not only beautiful but comfortable as well. A cozy, comfy chaise lounge with a side table ready with a refreshment and iPad so that I can sit back and write without interruption, everything that I need at my fingertips on my side table. My trailer would be my place to relax while I am waiting for my moment on set.