Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Cliffs of Moher

My face feels like it is on fire! I imagine this is what Hell is like, only without the After Sun.
Irish weather be crazy. Like proper ridiculously crazy. My sunburnt face is courtesy of a drizzly, windy day spend off the west coast of Ireland. To say I didn't wear factor because I didn't think I needed it would be truth. I was soaked for the majority of the trip.
The Cliffs Between The Cliff And The Stack

In the battle of who gave the best birthday present, this year my friend won with the Loki T-Shirt. My planned cruise around the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran island of Inisheer that got I her turned into what we now call, 'That time we were stranded on Craggy Island.'
You know that saying, that 'To Hell or to Connacht' saying? I knew it. Hell, I've used it in my Irish Writing essay. But now I understand it. Rocky, hilly place that it is.
We landed on Inisheer and had to await our boat back to the mainland.
Three hours. THREE hours. With nothing much to do. (We didn't realise it was a landing on the actual island, we had thought it was a cruise around it so didn't particularly prepare for it.) We ended up having a long chat on the beach and multiply caffeine-containing mugs of something or other.
It wasn't all bad, of course. We had a laugh. We saw dolphins and the cliffs did look eerily stunning surrounded  by the mist.

Unfortunately I couldn't take all that many photos. I was leaning on the edge and with the wild bobbing of the ocean I didn't take many chances with my phone in case it should be like Goldie Hawn in that film - overboard.

I'm also excited by the fact that the cliffs were used as the exterior shots of The Cave scene in Half Blood Prince. Getting even a little bit of Potter into things makes me just that little bit happier in life.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Alpha Papa and the City of Bones

Out of the two films I managed to catch this week, one was a let down while the other was surprising enjoyable.
I am referring to The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones, and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, respectively.

I was very disappointed in City of Bones. It had a solid cast and some great sets but it still couldn't be saved from Overload Central. While some things weren't explained, even by the end. (The runes thing wasn't. It seemed just a case of, 'yeah, write these things on you and you'll have that power. Ta-dah!' with no information about the pros and cons of such. Or maybe it was mentioned and I missed it? That was the main problem with the movie.) Other things happened too fast. Too many characters introduced. Stunts in fight scenes were cut too short, so we only really glimpse the character doing a cool back-flip or whatnot, which causes a slight bout of disorientation.
Perhaps as a result of introducing too many people at once. The characters didn't inspire any kind of interest in me. We're never given time to really care about them. When one, I don't even recall his name, was injured I really didn't give two swinging cats whether he survived or not.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Hush Hush


I didn't expect to like and enjoy Hush Hush as much as I did. Aside from the first 38 pages I began the other day, I got through the entire book yesterday. Plus the opening chapter to Crescendo, it's follow-up. I had been in two minds whether to continue with the series, but truthfully that was an intriguing first chapter and I'm a little interested in what's next for Nora and co.
My biggest complaint about the book is the love story side. And I know that's a strange thing to say since it is a YA supernatural novel and the romance side is a huge part of it. But, meh! I wasn't crazy about it. I never got a sense that it was a proper romance. A guy stalking you with the intention of killing you is not my ideal way to start a relationship.
And while Patch wasn't as bad as I was expecting - yes, he's not a nice character, but you know, he's a fallen angel. I was lenient on him being a shit because, by default, he was supposed to be a shit. His pendant for pining Nora to things does creep you out though.
I really liked Nora. She did do some stuff that has you screaming at the page - mainly when Patch was around. And mainly involving the words "punch him harder and run, you silly mare!" - but that kind of interest in a characters actions is good. If MC's are constantly doing what you want them too, well where's the fun in that?
Vee is a good best-friend character too. Again, you're shouting at her. But again she has redeeming characteristics that keep you interested in what happens next.

The whole thing holds up as a great, fast-paced story with likable characters (and some not so nice) and a great concept. I've been into angel mythology for years now so some aspects of it threw me in a - hey, that's not the legends at all - way, but once I got rid of those preconceived notions, it was easy to fall back into Ms. Fitzpatrick's twist on an old favourite.
I'm still a little confused on some matters. I wonder if they'll be explained in later books? Or maybe they were explained in Hush Hush and I just read too fast? I'll have to think about that. As I said above I may or may not continue with the series. I do have Crescendo sitting on my blanket-box-cum-desk so perhaps. It just comes down to time. If I have it I'll read it, but before then I've that novel on Zelda Fitzgerald to get through.

My rating for this would be a 3.5 but I'm in a good mood so it's getting a 4 ****

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hush Hush Indeed

I wasn't much impressed with Hush Hush: The Graphic Novel. It was a simple case of the images of the characters - Nora seemed in some weird overly seductive poses. Patch constantly wore a baseball cap that made up look like a guy you'd call the police on if you saw him loiter around a playground.
I gave the graphic novel up as a lost cause, but still thought I'd give the novel a look-see sometime.
Well that time arrived in the form of the first two books for the bargain price of four euro. I didn't pass it up.
Now I am only like 38 pages in and all I can say WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THIS COACH GUY???
Seriously, what the hell? I hope it later mentions that he's under some sort of spell or some other excuse for his behaviour because there is no way in hell this man should be teaching.
Patch is, I can't even saying 'near enough' sexually harassing Nora because he basically is sexually harassing her. And he knows so. This isn't romantic. It's down right creepy. I would have a hard time not punching a guy who goes on like that (vulnerable that bitch!) to me.
But worse of all, Nora goes to an adult to complain and said adult does sweet f. a. That is not a good. Nor a good message to send out. If someone is harassing you and you complain to someone and they do nothing - GO OVER THEM UNTIL YOU ARE HEARD. You have the right to feel safe!
Urgh! I don't even know if I can continue because if this goes down the co-dependent/stalking dressed up as twue luv relationship route, I'm gonna be angry.

Hush Hush indeed. It seems a case of 'hush hush, say nothing because it's most likely just over-reaction on your part. But don't worry, when he eventually murders you in a case of "If I can't have you..." we'll take note of your earlier issue.'

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Books vs Films

I hate being late to a film, part of it is because I hate trying to find a seat in the dark. But mostly it's because of the trailers. I love a good trailer. I particularly love those trailers that make you wish you were seeing that film instead of the one you're actually about to see.

The Wolverine had some great trailers; Thor: The Dark World, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

I became strangely aware that I really, really want to see City of Bones. It looks amazing. It's hard for me to say that because sometimes part of me wants to punch something when I think about that particular series of books. And I don't fully understand why.
I think it's because I know it's history i.e. it's Harry Potter fanfiction origins. But while I am all for fanfiction, it irritates me no end when the word 'muddies' is mentioned. (Muddies. Short for mundanes, The Mortal Instrument's term for humans. C'mon, it really is just a poor rip-off of 'muggles.' Does that annoy the hell out of anyone else or is it just me?)

Thursday, August 8, 2013

The Conjuring

An audience can make or break a movie. Unfortunately that's true on many levels. A showing in the local cinema on the all-tickets-a-fiver night meant that it was jammed packed. The audience I witnessed The Conjuring with sure as hell nearly broke it for me. Luckily it was a good enough movie to withstand annoying skanger central.

Morons screaming unnecessarily, people shouting 'boo' thinking they're funny (the first time, maybe, but by the tenth time it's not funny, not original, so why continue?) and worse of all, eejits talking constantly. I would have walked out if not for the fact that I have never in my life walked out on a horror, and I didn't intend to do so in the middle of a packed cinema during a film that couldn't scare me if Jimmy Savile ghosts jumped out from the screen.

The film itself: clichéd jump-a-thon that was somehow saved by the end. I loved the end.

After counting four clichés in the first few minutes I decided to stop. I've ruined so many movies by over-analysing. My problem is I like to write ghost stories, so I can't help but analyse them, find the pitfalls, find what work, and twist them. This just happens to put a dampener on my enjoyment.
I'm still awaiting that one film that scares me, as it stands World War Z made me jump more than The Conjuring. A grand total of one jump.

On the bright side I now know what I'm getting my uber windy sister for Christmas: an Annabelle Doll. She didn't (wouldn't) see the film, so I described it to her as 'think Chucky's Victorian girlfriend.' And then I put a picture of Annabelle as her mobile's locked-phone wallpaper. Now, with every call she gets, it looks like Annabelle is ringing. I am pleased with my messing!

Annabelle is watching you. And she doesn't not approve.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Random Conversations

Me: *flipping through a magazine* Oh, yay! Grunge is coming back into fashion.

Sister: You never left the Grunge period.

Me: Yeah, I know. But now it looks like I'm ahead of the trend.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Perfection is Umpossible

I can't help but think I could have my story completely and all by now if I treated my first draft as just that - a first draft.
It's ok to make mistakes. It's ok to continue onwards and upwards knowing it's not perfect. That's why editing is a thing.
I need to get all this through my head because I'm slowing myself up significantly by pouring over every word I type out, then going back to fix certain words and emotions. Note to self: DO THIS LATER. It doesn't have to be perfect right now at all!

Another note to self: get back to work and stop pissing about on the internet.
There! Glad I listen.