Book/Comic/Movie Recs, 9/19/10
In books:
Inhuman Resources, by Jes Battis: This installment of the series started off a little slowly, but worked itself up to some excellent fight scenes and a virtuoso description of the alternate dimension necromancers and demons inhabit. Our heroine and her love interest continued their on-again, off-again romance, but it never felt annoyingly angsty or forced. And the minor characters all had something to do, including sowing the seeds of dissent, which the next book will no doubt have to pick up with. I still love this series quite a bit, for its Vancouver-setting and the characters, all of whom are distinct and interesting, never cliched or dull. A fun, snappy read.
In Comics:
The Unwritten #17: I was thinking about this amazing comic and how I haven't sung its praises enough recently, and then I go and buy this issue and WOW. The entire issue, which is devoted to my favorite character, is told in a choose-your-own adventure format and as such, offers not one, but two origins for this character and one terrible ending that obviously (hopefully!) never happened. I also love that the choices you must make in the story continually reference the motives of other characters, for good or ill. Hell, just the cover art alone makes me love this. If you've been holding off on buying this, scrounge up the money now! You will not regret it!
In Movies:
Easy A: I really enjoyed this movie, with its smart script that never resorted to easy (heh heh) answers and all of the actors, who were doing stellar jobs. The premise (teenage girl fakes having sex with various down-trodden and unpopular boys at her school for money) sounds creepy and prostitution-like, and it is, and it's this realization that powers the last third of the movie, where the main character searches for answers and has to deal with the consequences of her actions. There are the standard teen movie cliches (and exhaustive references to other teen movies) but these never overwhelm or govern the script, which is at turns sharp and sad. Special kudos go to the setting (Ojai, CA, at its hippie best) and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, who play the main character's crazy parents. Their conversations with their daughter are some of the best parts of the movie, a good mix of crazy-unbelievable but down-to-earth and loving. I appreciate a movie that gives a female character a lot of space to express herself and does so without being preachy.
~~~
In somewhat-bad-for-me-but-not-really snack developments: Green-tea jelly filled marshmallows may sound disgusting, but they are made of delicious, awesome win and I must stop myself from gobbling down the whole expensive package all at once. :D
Inhuman Resources, by Jes Battis: This installment of the series started off a little slowly, but worked itself up to some excellent fight scenes and a virtuoso description of the alternate dimension necromancers and demons inhabit. Our heroine and her love interest continued their on-again, off-again romance, but it never felt annoyingly angsty or forced. And the minor characters all had something to do, including sowing the seeds of dissent, which the next book will no doubt have to pick up with. I still love this series quite a bit, for its Vancouver-setting and the characters, all of whom are distinct and interesting, never cliched or dull. A fun, snappy read.
In Comics:
The Unwritten #17: I was thinking about this amazing comic and how I haven't sung its praises enough recently, and then I go and buy this issue and WOW. The entire issue, which is devoted to my favorite character, is told in a choose-your-own adventure format and as such, offers not one, but two origins for this character and one terrible ending that obviously (hopefully!) never happened. I also love that the choices you must make in the story continually reference the motives of other characters, for good or ill. Hell, just the cover art alone makes me love this. If you've been holding off on buying this, scrounge up the money now! You will not regret it!
In Movies:
Easy A: I really enjoyed this movie, with its smart script that never resorted to easy (heh heh) answers and all of the actors, who were doing stellar jobs. The premise (teenage girl fakes having sex with various down-trodden and unpopular boys at her school for money) sounds creepy and prostitution-like, and it is, and it's this realization that powers the last third of the movie, where the main character searches for answers and has to deal with the consequences of her actions. There are the standard teen movie cliches (and exhaustive references to other teen movies) but these never overwhelm or govern the script, which is at turns sharp and sad. Special kudos go to the setting (Ojai, CA, at its hippie best) and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, who play the main character's crazy parents. Their conversations with their daughter are some of the best parts of the movie, a good mix of crazy-unbelievable but down-to-earth and loving. I appreciate a movie that gives a female character a lot of space to express herself and does so without being preachy.
~~~
In somewhat-bad-for-me-but-not-really snack developments: Green-tea jelly filled marshmallows may sound disgusting, but they are made of delicious, awesome win and I must stop myself from gobbling down the whole expensive package all at once. :D