First Word

I love Eric and Sookie Lovers website (big shout out to Erika, the site administrator). A new article reposted on the site basically suggests that the forthcoming Battleship is an "art house" piece ( see article ). I hate to say this, but the trailers of the movie don't resemble something "arty" for sure. In fact, every time I've seen the trailers it looks more like Transformers Lost at Sea . I used to play Battleship with my brother when I was kid. So, I guess the preview didn't exactly fit what I expected to see. Maybe a more traditional war movie perhaps between, say, battleships? Not marines vs. aliens, which is a quirky switch up from last summer's Cowboys and Aliens , which I got dragged into seeing and wasn't particularly impressed. A bunch of old cowboys fussing over the aliens and a pretty girl. Here is what I secretly hope: that Alexander Skarsgard's quote that it's an art house movie means it harkens more toward the amazing, ...

We all have favorite movies and heroes and heroines. When I fall in love with a hero or heroine in a well-done movie or series, I am rabid in my attention to how they're written and their character arcs, flaws and everything in between. As a writer, I always tell other writers there is no better way to hone your craft then to pay attention to the work of other writers you admire. Today we're going to focus on my favorite heroes and why I love them. Jake, Avatar -- Avatar has been replaying on HBO. I forgot how much I love this James Cameron movie. I am beyond impressed with the technological innovations and CGI that made this movie so clearly otherworldly. In fact, I can't believe the incredible level of detail Cameron provides on the planet Pandora. I truly believe he had a genius vision or astro-traveled to this world. For those who don't believe in such things, well, oh well. I do. Anyway, don't let me digress. The character of Jake is so well crafted and inte...

We went and saw the wonderful and sad movie The Descendants with George Clooney that did not do well at the box office. It went out in limited release, and it was a very well acted and well done drama. When a friend of mine noted how great the movie was and how its box office receipts were weak, I said, "That's because it's not for 12-year-old boys." Did you know the core movie-going audience consists of mostly 12-year-old boys? So when you see a movie like Battle Ship that comes out May 18, and you think it looks like another version of Transformers only out out to sea; it's because of what I just said. Movies like Battle Ship or Transformers are what they call in the industry popcorn flicks. In the most literal sense of the word, these movies "sell popcorn" and they pander to a young audience. While the rest of us adults grumble about this reality and suggest there are no good grown-up movies out there, it's because we tend to stay home or wat...