In my journey to authorship I’ve decided to jump into the BookTube community. I’ve unofficially been involved for awhile now since I’ve done book reviews on YouTube, but I’d yet to make specific content for BookTube.
For my kickoff video here is my Reading Wrap Up for January 2019!
Enjoy and please give it a Like and Share if you you can and if you’re a YouTuber, please Subscribe!
Thanks, much more to come!!
~_M.H._~
Follow Me on Twitter: @MHSmith22
During the last half of 2018 I was lucky enough to see two of director Stanley Kubrick’s most discussed films on the big screen.
For my birthday I got to see the 50th anniversary IMAX screening of: “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)” a film I tried {and failed} to watch many years ago and didn’t really like. And just before Halloween: “THE SHINING (1980)” a film I love and can discuss for hours on end. After watching these and thinking about them again I have a few thoughts I’d like to share.
Well it looks like 2018 is almost over and like other internet citizens I have a list of things I’d like to share! Here are my top ten favorite films of the year.
{WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR A 40 YEAR OLD BOOK AND MOVIE}
You know that old saying: “the book is always better” when talking about movie adaptations?
Nah, that’s not the case.
For the first time since skimming it years ago I read the novel: “JAWS” by Peter Benchley and I have to say, thank you Steven Spielberg! Don’t get me wrong, the basic structure is here, the character names are here, but there’s also bloat and differences that bring the book down from the lofty glory of the 1975 cinematic masterpiece!
When the first trailer for the film: “VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS (2017)” appeared I got excited. It looked really cool and like I thought with “JUPITER ASCENDING (2015)“: “Hey space operas are making a come back!” This appeared to be a common thought among movie fans and critics in the lead up to the film’s release too.
Then the film opened to complete critical and box office failure.
The criticism I read was all the same, hated the acting, too much CGI, silly plot, cheesiness, you know the usual complaints. But the one thing nearly every review said that struck a cord with me: “I was hoping this would bring back space operas like Star Wars did, but I was wrong.” I’d read these same arguments back when Jupiter Ascending opened and now seeing them again I’ve come to an unfortunate conclusion: people don’t understand what a “space opera” is.
I don’t hate all remakes. They can be as good and on a rare occasion surpass the original film! Most however, are worthless wastes of money and time.
And then there is Eli Roth’s glorious film: “DEATH WISH (2018)“!
A remake of the 1974 classic from Michael Winner starring the late, great Charles Bronson, this new Death Wish brings Bruce Willis into the role of Paul Kersey, now a Chicago doctor instead of a New York architect who after his wife is brutally murdered goes on a spree of vigilante killings. The basics of the original film are still here, but being 2018 several changes have been made.
{SPOILERS…OBVIOUSLY}
So finally, all the teases and plot threads that have been building throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe have come together in: “AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)“! The sequel film-goers have been promised to be the end all be of comic book films….yeah about that… Continue reading
Let me start by saying I firmly believe the Nicolas Winding Refn film: “DRIVE (2011)” is one of the best films of the twenty-first century. So, receiving both the novel: “DRIVE” which the film was based on as well as the sequel novel: “DRIVEN” this past Christmas was a treat.
Written by author James Sallis, both books try for that old, pulpy styling in the prose. Sort of a modern Raymond Chandler feel, but not as hypnotic and lyrical.
But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s take this one book at a time…
To mark prolific director John Carpenter’s 70th birthday watching one of his classics was a must. In my case a classic I’d yet to see. This year brought me to: “PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)“, the second part of the unofficial “Apocalypse Trilogy”, which features “THE THING (1982)” before it and “IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)” after it.
After watching this in what I can best describe as shock I have to ask, why isn’t this film brought up more when discussing Carpenter’s filmography? Sure I see it in top ten lists of his work, but it always seems to get the shortest discussion. Perhaps it confused too many people to get full recognition? This is fully understandable considering the plot.
Well this book was full of surprises!
Awhile back when I announced my transition from film making into writing books I stared getting followed on Twitter by various authors and book related sites. One of these authors to follow me was Bryce Gibson, a southern author based in South Carolina. After a quick glance at his material I quickly followed him back. His work focuses on darker stories set in the South. I live in {and like} the South and I like darker stories, sounds like a winner.
His newest work: “THE READING BUDDY” became my first piece to read. Its description of being a throwback to teen horror novels from the 1990s just screamed READ ME!
That’s when the surprises started.
The Pork-Chop Express 