Still ill. Still Procasnating.

Every time I go to write my personal statement I end up writing a essay about what is film and story telling. I can't believe it not written yet. I don't even have a proper draft of it. How brain? How? WHY?

Sure, I have a lot of thoughts about it. I mean my joke personal statement is done. The one where I based my whole want to be film maker on The Great Movie Ride at Disney World (it will always be MGM to be). There just all this pressure to be perfect. Also how am I meant to talk about my passion for film without sounding like a cliché or a fake? Sure, I wasn't never going to say Steven Spielberg was my favourite director (he produced great cartoons though). But I feel like you can't mention anything. Like I should I say that I really like the framing of the Noir film Sunset Boulevard and how interesting the time period it takes place because it was the first of the hasbeens. If you like that film but would like a less murdery plot there a Twilight Zone episode that's similar in that it has once famous actress refusing to let go of her fame and youth: The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine. I like it, it tragic.

I like books about books, films about films and vice versa. I actually I just generally like both mediums. Also TV shows that are done right as well. I could write several essay about these mediums having got me through the worst times in my life. I've had actually had the stupid thought (fleeting) if I killed myself or did something stupid leading to my death then I never find out how that story ends and sometimes the stupidness thing are worth living for. If school is shit (which it often was), then you just have to make through Thursday till your favourite shows on and then its Friday and the weekend begins. 

I guess the same with movies series but to the same extent. I looked forward to the end of the The Dark Knight trilogy but am officially done with the Superman Vs Batman film. I dreading it more than anything. I've actually given up hope that things will ever be sorted out enough for the Live Action films to be decent by the time they decide to join up big league characters. Also Sucide Squad could just be a disaster. Fackly, they should just jump into the deep end with a Justice League film. Actually, they should make a Wonder Woman film and then a justice league because she the only main leaguer who hasn't appeared in any live action things in donkeys. I mean most of the League showed up in Smallville and those who didn't have had films. I also wish they would try Birds of Prey again. I think it would work now as there already fanbase for Superheros desperate for more Superheroines in action.

I'm just not feeling any of the upcoming DC live-action films. Still not watched the Gotham or the Flash despite having them on series record. My excuse was not wanting to start them before the Holiday but they are now the only shows I haven't caught up on (except for the Walking Dead but I've not got access to all the episodes I need to catch up on it).

I had weird driving lesson experience where the instructor lost her voice just as I messed up a roundabout. I hate roundabouts.Got out of it sort of.

 I'm out of here now. Bye.

Film and Words

I wrote this before I left for Flordia and as I went on The Great Movie Ride at Disney this week, so topical, so you can have this while I procrastinate in the sun. I should always be writing or studying.

Films and Words

Why is it so hard to say why you want to do something? I want to study film and literature because I love both on different levels. They both forms of storytelling, but not the same at all.  Film is the visual with spoken dialogue, whilst books are all words (unless graphic) where the characters should speak for themselves. The things that work in TV and Film wouldn’t necessary work in written form as it wouldn’t be enough to just describe a visual gag and some book should never ever be even attempted into film, where they are most of the point is lost.

The spirit of the book should fly on to the scene. You hardly ever see that, instead you get mutilated characters that you don’t recognised until their name is spoken and you still dumbfound. The plot is scraped down too much and the executives have won because they trick into buying a ticket. So more films are “inspired” by books that probably should never been even attempted to be compressed into 90 minutes on the scene. Even an hour more isn’t enough and then the film is too long to comfortably sit.

As for a film being adapted into a book; whoever picks up the novelisation, knowing it based off the film without already having seen the film?

Sometimes the film does capture the book. It will catch people and bring new listener to the story that they would have walked pasted the book. That it actually does justice. While missing the detail of character thought and depth that film just doesn’t have the time to swim to, you leave filled that a story has been told and told well.

Both should leave you thinking and really great ones leave impacted that you stumbled on in years to come and still connect with that story. It formed you in a way.

I like criticising things.  I jump to the critical and maybe that’s why writing about my passion for these forms of storytelling has been so hard.  Because writing a personal statement is like adapting yourself for the screen; only you know that you have leave the bad parts out, trying to get approved for a G. Being told that you shouldn’t try and explain yourself. That for the marketing team to do, or in this case your reference.  But that’s not fair, as marketing weren’t there as that path was chosen so they don’t know what factors lead you down it. They only know what you are by surface level and don’t have time to dig. So you end having blind faith or you tell them and then what was point?

I want to make films because I want to tell stories that don’t get told, or if they do get told they get told wrong by those never learned to tell them right. When I was first started writing I was only interested in fantasy and horror but now I want to sneak those stories into my writing. Good characters are themselves stories.  

Book Review: Spiders by Tom Hoyle

 The cover of these books are great but the content is...well...em.


 Adam may have survived once, but a cult still has him in its sights. And this time he may not escape with his life...
Abbie's dad is an undercover agent, tasked with exposing dangerous cults. He's normally able to maintain his distance, but this time Abbie's worried he's in too deep. Megan was sure she and Adam were safe, but now he's gone missing on a school ski trip in Scotland and she's the only one who can help him . . . The web is closing in around them . . .

 I can't remember why I requested to review this book (maybe because it had Scotland in the blub). It actually seems petty dumb of me to have dumb considering as I didn't much care for the first book (reviewed here) in the series and it didn't seem like the sort of series that would improve book by book. I was right.

Also not sure why there went with "From the Author of" instead of just saying this was sequel to Thirteen as this book doesn't make full sense without having read thirteen. References are made to Coron without proper explanation as who he is.

Certain things were better done, such as the horror film cops make more sense in this book as there is explainable reason for them not be listening to the Adam and that. However, the cults from this book and the last are meant have once been the the same but there honestly don't seemed linked in their beliefs. Also Coron was better antagonist.

So this might be a tad spoilerlie since I'm not sure where this first explain in the book, but it vital plot point that I want to discuss so just skip this paragraph to the next. This cult drugs people to join but whilst people see different things, there somehow hear the same thing. There is no explanation to why this is, is there speaker somewhere playing this line? Other parts of the drugs have been thought about like effects of the dosages.

This style of this book has not matured at all with the characters, not that characters feel any older. This is meant to be year after the events of the first book, not that makes much difference. This book series is still too young for the intended audience of Teen/YA. Some lines are really weird in this book as well: "Mimicking the Terminator: I'll be back" that's a hip and happening pop reference there.

"You're love Scotland. Its a place you're remember for the rest of your life." Mr Grant (Adam's dad) said in poor attempt of foreshadowing. This is dumb as it been established that where the cult is set up and Scotland is a disappointing Ski trip destination. I mean France is just next door and Italy is bus ride away. Also granted snow and 14 years can drink (so I'm told). Going to what is technically the top of the country is boring. Going to the bottom is also boring. That's right London is boring and over-hyped.

 I actually disliked the characters from the last book in this one. They feel cliché and sexist at times. One of my favourite quotes has to be: "She was as tough as any boy Adam knew." Adam a girl almost killed you last year and Megan saved your hide. You think that would teach you and the narrator not to make sexist observation especially since some of the boys you know are petty weak on all accounts. He then goes on to say all girls are the same as Megan but Abbie "was hundred-per-cent Abbie". You're find most people are hundred per cent themselves unless you know in a cult or something. I did like Abbie though, I cared about her but not Adam or Megan. There is a weird thing of characters being repeated being addressed by their relationship to other character even though we have been given their names. It made the writing a bit clunky, though I do kinda get why Hoyle did that.

Overall, I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars for cave swimming. The plot is predictable and I honestly think that Thirteen would have worked better as just a stand-alone. The epilogue was weird and made little sense. Going off the last lines of this book, there's going to be another sequel and I probably would read that if it doesn't cost me anything to do so but I'm just not sure there is much to do with these characters. Maybe I'm wrong.

I got this off Netgalley for a review. It’s being published by Macmillan Children's Books on 6th November 2014 (Tomorrow).