Do we really need another Lion King?

The Good Dinosaur - 2015 

The Good Dinosaur is the newest film released by Disney Pixar. After some flops Disney was due a good animated film. The Good Dinosaur follows the story Arlo a young dinosaur who is the runt of his family, he struggles to be the kind of dinosaur he feels his father can be proud of. His story takes us through some tragedies, some laughs, friends and enemies.

Unfortunately, at my age it is very easy to see the Disney formula. For me, this was déjà vu of The Lion King. It follows the same story. The same kind of characters. It didn’t feel original to me. Now this may be different for kids now-a-days because they didn’t grow up with The Lion King, they have grown up with the newer Disney that maybe it is new to them.

The special effects in this film were spectacular, and that is understating it. The water especially in this film was something quite extraordinary for an animated film. With game development growing and getting better, it is no surprise that animated films take some pages from their book. The effects on all of the dinosaurs was also something to marvel at. The detail especially on the T-Rex’s were amazing, you could see every wrinkle in their arms and legs.

The story itself was okay, a major plot point I felt was very flat, there was meant to be emotion but I didn’t feel anything. As I said before it was also déjà vu for me. I want to say for younger kids that this film would be good however, this may not be true. For a Disney film this one was rife with some scenes that you wouldn’t want your five-year-old to see. It is a PG and guidance is definitely advise for the younger kids. But even though this appeals to some older, I think they have overshot their audience. I think Disney would have been better off targeting the younger audience. The older audience have been there and done that, that they don’t feel emotion for it anymore.

I really wanted to like this film but there are some flaws, I am glad I have seen it once but it is not one I would go out of my way to watch again.

5/10

For me it was just too repetitive for me to enjoy properly, maybe if I didn’t have such a love for The Lion King I would have enjoyed it more. They have done amazingly well with the animation but I think Disney need to think of a new formula if they are going to continue targeting the slightly older kids. 

In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea - 2015

I actually saw this film in a secret Unlimited screening at Cineworld. What this means is that you have no idea what you’re going to see before the film actually comes on. It is an interesting concept and we went to see what it would be. It was strange not knowing what you were seeing before it started but, at the same time it made it a bit more interesting not knowing what was coming. It turned out that it was the film ‘In the Heart of the sea’. This is a new film with Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy based on the classic tale of Moby Dick. It follows Owen Chase and George Pollard as they set sail whaling. At this time, 1820's, sailors would go whaling for the oil that can be found in whales. The difficulty they had was that the waters close to them were all whaled out and they had to go farther out to unknown seas to find what they were looking for.

I’m sure everyone knows the basis of Moby Dick if not the story itself. I personally have never read the story but I knew it was about a big whale.

I won’t lie that Chris Hemsworth has some Thor moments, whether this is because I like the superhero films so much or not, there were times that I felt I was watching Thor with some strange pirates out at sea. It was a little surreal, I feel bad thinking it because actors should not be defined by one role. It was hard not to think of Thor when he was shouting though. Even though Cillian Murphy is on the posters for this film, he isn’t actually in the film as much as you would think. He plays a major role in Chris Hemsworth characters life, but as a whole he does not really impact the story enough. Despite being the other main character, George Pollard, he was played by a fairly minor actor (Benjamin Walker), he was in it to an extent but it was mainly Chris Hemsworth who took the stage.

The effects were very good in terms of the whale and the storm that caused devastation to their ship, but other than this there isn’t much praise I can award this film.

Despite never reading the story, this film does not make me want to watch it either. I felt the film was boring. It was sad sure, and very hard hitting on some aspects, but overall I felt that the film lacked interest. It is not a film that I would watch again willingly. The actors were good but I feel that this is not a book that has translated well into a film.

4/10

I think this was a long shot for Ron Howard, it was not interesting. It may have been sad every now and then but this does not make up for the lack of interesting story. 

It's Christmas Time....

Unfortunately I wasn't able to post this yesterday however, here is a Christmas post for you all to enjoy on your Christmas Day!

So, today is Christmas Eve and at this moment (7.16am) I am travelling on the train. I have been up since 5.45 (was meant to be 4.45) but I set the wrong time on my alarm, and I am only 15 minutes into a 2-and-a-half-hour journey. Great right!

But, it’s fine it gives me a chance to write and think. Well thinking is not always the best, but, it is giving me time to focus on you, my readers and my blog. (something that hasn’t happened in a while for which I apologise)

So, the point of this post you ask? Well as it is Christmas Eve I feel that I need to do something Christmassy. For everyone Christmas means different things. For kids it means presents. For grandparents is means getting to see their grandchildren. For school kids it means holidays from school. And for people my age, who are stuck in between the excited time and the I don’t really care about Christmas stage, it is a chance to see family that you may not have seen for a long time.

I want you to all think about what Christmas means to you. It may mean nothing. It used to mean very little to me, I used to have to work over Christmas as did my parents. Now? Well I won’t be going back to England for Christmas (flight prices are ridiculous!) but I have reason to be thankful for my 2015. It has been quite a year for me; the start of many things that I hope will continue into 2016. Don’t worry I’ll do another sappy New Year post! And because I feel that it needs to be said, I want you to also think about those who have lost people for Christmas, not everyone has had a good 2015 and this needs to be recognized as well.

Christmas can be the best time, or the worst time for people and I hope that it is the best time for all of you. So, on this Christmas Eve where you are? What are you doing? What are you most looking forward to over the next two days? Doctor Who special? If you’re anything like my mum the annual Christmas Top of the Pops!

I guess the point of this post is that not everyone has a good Christmas. I didn’t used to but I’m hoping that changes this year and for the years to come. But, just remember, it is just Christmas. It is only a time of the year (that yes is religious) but it is only for a period of time at the end of the year. Just remember that even if you don’t have a good Christmas for whatever reason, it will always get better. You have another year ahead of you!

One thing I have forgotten to mention about the wonderful Christmas time is the songs, the films and the decorations. Decorations are being put up everywhere, a Christmas tree in every house. The songs are playing everywhere you go, shops and restaurants, which is the best part if you ask me. And of course the films. I have never been for many Christmas films actually, which I know seems strange, but they’ve just never really interested me as much as they should. I find them quite dull and repetitive, I mean what can you change about a Christmas film. There aren’t that many options.

But I guess what’s important is not the films, songs or even the decorations. It’s just that you should all have a good Christmas.

Everyone enjoy yourself this Christmas, have a nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day tomorrow. 

May the Force Be With You

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 2015 - Film

After ten long years Star Wars is back. 

The Force Awakens is based three decades after the fall of the Empire and a new threat appears challenging the "Light". 

When this film was first announced I wasn't a fan of bringing back the old cast, it made me concerned about what the film was going to be about. I mean the likes of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are not exactly in the prime of their life. I was also concerned that they would make the film too much about the old cast and not enough of the new generation. But, and I know this is hard for some people to admit, I was wrong. We still got to see enough of Han Solo and Leia that it fills that need for the old cast, however, they take a back seat in the overall, combat and story which makes way for the new cast to arrive. 

So, we'll start off with the new cast. This is her first major movie and what a movie to start off with! Daisy Ridley (Rey) shows that her talent has been wasted on TV series. She is joined by Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) and John Boyega (Fin). Each one makes their own mark on the franchise. 

The cast aside, I think the real challenge here was to make the film modern. To make it appeal to the new generation that wasn't around for the previous films. And this challenge was for J.J Abrams. He originally didn't want to take the role, but, after deliberation he decided that it was worth taking. Despite being hesitant at first, Abrams obviously put his heart and soul into this film. He managed to bring together the old and the new. He also managed to throw in some twists and turns. I will admit that some of them were easy to guess following the previous formulas, but, this was okay. There were still some shocks that made the film interesting, and, the bad guys were interesting to see and watch. 

He still left PLENTY for the second film, due to come out 2017. I personally feel like watching the older ones now even if they may seem a bit dated. Abrams gave a fresh lease of life into this franchise, which I hope continues into the next films. 

The one thing that I thought was a bit strange was the introduction of Kylo Ren, he was introduced quite early in the film. 

It left off for there to be an exciting and interesting sequels that I cannot wait to see. 

9/10

If I did part points it would be an 9.8 - it is closer to 10 than 9 but I feel like there it isn't quite perfect... maybe next time. 

One Does Have a Busy Life Don't They

So, I said before that a guest poster was going to write a few weeks and he did but now it's time to go back to me. 

KAEditing is taking a break over the Christmas period so I am going to be focusing my efforts on this blog. 

KAEditing will be revealing some new information in the New Year so stay tuned for that. 

Of course, we wouldn't miss Star Wars either, epic! 

It was strange, I went to a mystery screening at Cineworld the other day. Never having been to one before. It was odd not knowing what you were going to see when you got there. It ended up being something totally different from what I thought, which did not go down well, let's just say that. 

I have my first works Christmas Party tomorrow night, which I never normally go to but in the interest of trying my absolute best to be sociable I decided to attend this year. So, we'll see how that one goes. 

My guest poster will be back every now and then, but for now it will just be little ole' me for a while. 

But in case I forget in future posts, everybody, have an amazing Christmas, and a wonderful New Year. The New Year is looking to bring some big things and it's super, mega exciting! 

"Some films change your life forever" Carol Review

CAROL REVIEW

Carol is a wonderfully emotional romantic-drama based on a book called ‘The Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith. Set in New York City 1952, the film tells the story of a young aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara) and her relationship with an older woman going through a difficult divorce and child custody battle (Cate Blanchett).

Both Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings, The Aviator) absolutely captivate audiences with their incredible performances. The chemistry between the two on-screen is undeniable from the opening scene and it makes the film a pleasure to watch from start to finish. Cate Blanchett gives a career best performance with her character, Carol Aird, exuding a certain eroticism with every glance and movement. Her attitude and demeanour is quite peculiar and can only be explained by the oxymoron of being nervously-confident. I know it doesn’t quite make sense but it is how I felt her character carried herself especially whilst in the company of Rooney Mara.

Although Cate Blanchett is unquestionably fabulous, she is receiving almost all the praise from the critics but the film is about love between two people and Rooney Mara deserves as much of the credit as Blanchett for the success of this movie. Her performance as the young, innocent shop girl couldn’t be more on point and contrasts perfectly with the sexual maturity of Blanchett. These characters are so believable and lovable that I can’t imagine them being played by any other actresses.

The music of the film is crafted perfectly to the film with a mix of an original score by Carter Burwell and songs and music from period of the film. I even recognised one or two songs from the Fallout series for you gamers out there, as if Three-Dog himself was the DJ. In all seriousness though, the music felt right with every scene and it only ever enhanced the emotion of what was happening on screen.

It's an inevitability that Carol will face categorisation as an LGBT film, but that's not the limits of how it should be considered. It's simply a heartfelt and deeply human love story where the principle couple confronts insurmountable odds. In Carol's case, these obstacles are the prejudices of the time and culture they live in. The film frames this discrimination in a tangible and legal way, as the titular Carol is accused of a morally indecent lifestyle by her ex-husband in order to win custody of their daughter. The film isn't interested in being a courtroom drama though, instead focusing on the blossoming relationship between Rooney Mara's Therese and Cate Blanchett's Carol.

Carol is not only one of the best films I have seen this year, but it is definitely the best romance that I have ever seen. I do have a bit of a ‘thing’ for Cate Blanchett so I may be a little biased but there is no doubt in my mind that Carol deserves all the universal acclaim it has received.

10/10

"Thank God for Whitey Bulger" Black Mass Review

BLACK MASS REVIEW

Black Mass is a riveting true story of the rise and fall of Irish-American crime lord James ‘Whitey’ Bulger (played fantastically by Johnny Depp). The story spans over 30 years and begins with introducing Bulger in 1975 as the leader of the South-Boston based Winter Hill Gang. Without trying to give too much away, the movie covers the most significant events of the Bulger's life in order for the audience to try and make sense of how and why he ended up being on top of FBI Most Wanted list for 12 years.

Black Mass features an incredibly talented all-star cast including Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch and, of course, Johnny Depp. All three give great performances of their respective roles but it is, without a shadow of a doubt, Johnny Depp who outshines all the rest. Depp’s portrayal of Bulger had me feeling sadness, discomfort and outright fear. There are a number of scenes when his character dominates not just the people on screen but also the people watching, especially in the later scenes when he is quite unstable. There is no scene in particular that comes to mind and those of you who have seen the film probably know the one I am referring to and those of you who haven’t seen it will know it when you see it. I suffered a little from a little condition a call ‘Cinema-Seat-Paralysis’ during this particular scene and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Unfortunately, I can’t really speak much to the Boston accents in the film as I have never really been exposed to it in my life, however, I was able to understand everything that was being said so I’m happy. It was also very interesting watching this film as someone who had never heard of Bulger before the movie started, maybe it’s because I was raised between Ireland and England but news of Bulger and his crimes never reached my ears though I was never really one for the news of the world.

Critics and users reviews have criticised the film because it not all guns and explosions from start to finish like some similar films, but to be honest I seriously enjoyed the more intimate and personal take on the story and I feel that it gave the actors a chance to really pour some of their talent in to the roles. Not every film with a criminal at the centre needs to be ‘high-octane’ bullshit that ends up being forgotten by the time the credits finish. Black Mass is certainly not that.

The film isn’t perfect however and I think that one of its most prominent flaws is the lack of screen time for some of the interesting supporting characters, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Billy Bulger being at the top of this list. Billy Bulger is not only the brother of ‘Whitey’, he is also a leading member of the Massachusetts Senate. I feel this is contrast between the two brothers, who were quite close, could have been better utilised to make some truly dynamic moments. Unfortunately, the number of scenes with Benedict Cumberbatch could be counted on one hand. Such as waste.

Overall though, the film is excellent. Well worth going to see if you are interested by the source material or simply a fan of Johnny Depp. There are some spectacularly shocking moments filled with sadness and fear that make the viewer almost sympathise with Bulger from time to time but only from the beginning to the middle, after that Bulger jumps to an eleven on the psycho scale. Enjoy!

8/10

You Are Never Safe... When You Are Alone In The Dark

My last post before my guest poster begins: 

Alone in The Dark - Karen Rose - Book - 2015

Alone in the dark is the second book in the Cincinnati series by Karen Rose. This one focuses on Scarlett Bishop and the reporter Marcus O'Bannion. As with her previous books Rose ties this in with her previous books you have the familiar characters of Faith, Deacon and Dani. This story also pulls some in from her previous book Closer Than You Think.

Scarlett Bishop is a cop with a soft heart. She struggles on a day to day basis with her cases pulling on her heart strings.

Marcus O'Bannion, still struggling to get over his brother's death, along with his team at the Ledger, go out and try to fight all of the abusers in the world. Through any means necessary. What they don't realise is their 'activities' lead them to the darkest depths of human trafficking without them realising what kind men they are dealing with.

Tala, tries to get away from her captors. She wants to save her family and risks her life in the cross hairs. 

As always, with Karen Rose, Marcus and Scarlett have an attraction that they try to fight, but, it is inevitable. 

I enjoy Karen Rose, for her stories and characters, and she has not disappointed with this new one. She uses strong female characters which I like, the women aren't always the damsel in distress. 

Her story was just as complex and gut twisting as her previous books. One thing that I would prefer to see more of the case itself, Karin Slaughter for instance goes into a bit more technical details surrounding the evidence and the killing itself. But Karen Rose tends to stick to quite a mild description of the murders and the case. 

The story ties in really well with her other books and makes me want to read Closer To You again! 

If you enjoy crime this may not be the book for you. She is taking the suspense, out of the 'romance,suspense' books. I think is a shame as I am going back to her first books and actually they are more interesting from a crime point of view. 

If you don't mind the romance and enjoy it then her later books are definitely worth a read. 

8/10 

I think it could've been better in terms of story for me, too much of the nitty gritty romance fluff and not enough of the crime itself. 

Guest Poster!

Okay, so I'm sorry but I have been neglectful the last week or so and it's purely because of KAEditing taking off! Which is awesome and exciting, but, it does mean I haven't had that much time to put into my dearly beloved blog. 

So, to change this there will be a guest poster for a few weeks. 

He knows all about films. 

He knows all about games. 

He knows all about anime. 

His writing is awesome. 

So, if you would please welcome the writing styles of Sean McCourt-Casey for the next few weeks. I would really appreciate it! 

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Film - 2015

When I was in England I felt it important to watch the final instalment of The Hunger Games. To see the first one I skipped college and went to the local cinema making it back in time for my history lesson. So the trilogy (books) and quadrilogy (films) hold fond memories for me. I loved the books and the films have not disappointed. 

Francis Lawrence bought us three out of the four films of The Hunger Games. The last book was split into two films to allow them to include more details. This is something that normally puts directors on my blacklist but, in this case I was happy they took this approach. The reason being there is a lot of development in the third book. A lot of twist and turns for the story and after seeing it split over two films, it is clear that if they had tried to fit it into one film - well it just wouldn't have worked. 

There is very little negative to say regarding this franchise and it's actors. Each one: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson give some of their very best performances in these films. 

One thing I would say for this film is that it was a little, for lack of a better word, dull. Because it was wrapping up the story there was some action, but very little in terms of theatrics. Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson got very little screen time in this film as they needed to make sure certain criteria were met for the story. I felt this was a shame. Both characters, Effie and Haymitch, bring a lot of life into the film. They balance out the seriousness of Katniss and Peeta's situation. 

The ending was also a little disappointing, it was a little bit like they they ran out of time and had to rush it a bit. They did manage to wrap up everything in quite a clever way in terms of all the other characters. 

There is some happiness and sadness in this film. There were times that I felt like crying but others when I thought 'that is just amazing' 

The action was good, the effects were what you would you would expect from a Hollywood blockbuster. 

These films became a phenomenon and they are some of the best book to film adaptations I have ever seen. But, this film fell under the 'it happens in the book so we have to find a way for it to happen in the film' curse. Some situations are forced, or of their making but too obvious for it have any effect. Unfortunately, this is not something that is easy to get away from. 

8/10

I think they should have utilised their characters more. It was not the best of the franchise and I think that the earlier films especially Catching Fire were more interesting to watch. It is definitely still worth the watch for all ages. 

Is the world moving on from James Bond?

Spectre - Film - 2015

- 24 films 
- 6 James Bonds 

Has the world finally grown tired of suave super spy?

Spectre is the 24th film in the franchise with it being Daniel Craig's fourth outing as the spy. All of Craig's Bond films (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall) all tie in with Spectre. Spectre uncovers the man behind the mirror (or organisation in this case) Skyfall raised the bar for Craig and Spectre crashed and burned. 

Despite it being the wrap up to the previous three films there was no tension. No amazing reveals. No new information. Boring action. Rubbish acting. Too many cliches to count on your hand. Pointless use of a villain. Predictable... the list goes on and on, the bottom line. Spectre did not deliver. 

Sure, Spectre had everything you expect from a Bond film: a villain, a pointless sex session, some killing/explosions, a pretty Bond girl, an epic theme tune and the line "shaken not stirred" but has all this just got boring now? 

The action was mediocre, he was in a big military base "Oh action" I hear you say... Wrong! There was a few bullets fired and an explosion with him walking out with not a scratch on him. 

Sex scenes were dull, predictable and boring. 

The whole story was meant to be wrapped up here and it was just a let down. You would think the head of this organisation Spectre would be evil beyond words. He (or she) would be willing to do everything and anything to bring down the mighty James Bond. Do you want to know the reasoning behind the whole organisation? Because his daddy took Bond skiing instead of him. Boo frickin hoo. Four films have been based on the revenge plot of a spurned boy. I'm sorry but that is not believable, it is rubbish and a complete let down to the films. If the main villain had to have a vendetta it should have been Bond killed someone or something with a bit more to it than just "Your were a spoilt child" 

Oh and the cliches every other line was a cliche that you just sat thinking "After this they are going to have sex" - it was just dull. 

It was obvious during the film that Craig was not interested. He made it clear to the media that he no longer wanted to play James Bond and it showed. His acting was stiff and unemotional. Some of the major scenes that could have been more, weren't out of what seemed pure laziness. Fair enough if you don't want to play a role anymore but, you still have a job to do. 

Having said all of this, it was not the worst of the Bond films but I just feel with all the actions movies out. New spy movies coming. James Bond is getting old. Every film is the same because that's who the character is. 

This film had the potential to be 100% better. The acting could have been better by Craig taking interest. The story could have been better especially, with the use of the villain. This film did not live up to expectations. 

6/10 

It was mediocre but when I watched it the second time around it didn't seem quite as bad. If you are a die-hard of these films then I am sure you will be in your element. If you are looking for an original action spy movie, move on. 

I'm Baaaaack

So, just a short post. I am now back from holiday and one of the things I have learnt is it is more stressful away from work than at it. So, I am back until Christmas when the yule tidings will begin. But for now, there are reviews coming, advice, help and some randomness for your daily reading. 

Keep an eye on this space! 

Holiday

Apologies for the delay ... as mentioned in previous post I am visiting family this week ... posts will begin again Monday 23rd November :)

Two Countries, Two Loves, One Heart

Brooklyn - 2015 - Film

Brooklyn, is a story of a girl who has a choice to make. Doesn't sound interesting? Well that choice includes, two countries, two men and one with the last of her family. 

Brooklyn tells the tale of an Irish immigrant who travels to New York for a better life. Her sister, Rose, arranges everything for her wanting to give her the best chance she can. Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) finds herself home-sick, missing her sister the most and in a strange city. However, she finds comfort attending Irish dances and living in a boarding house with other Irish girls while in a strange city. Then comes along love number one, Tony, an Italian New Yorker who sweeps her off her feet. The home-sickness fades and Eilis finds herself happy in the strange city. Tragedy strikes back in Ireland forcing her to travel back to the family she has left. While back in Ireland we have love number two come into the picture. After a brief stint of indecisiveness her choice is practically made for her. 

Despite this being a love story, it was good to see a struggle that many have gone through. If you've ever moved country, if you've ever loved more than one person, if you've ever struggled with a choice so much it causes you physical pain - this film has it all. It's not too sad that you sit there crying, but it is emotional and tugs on your heart strings. 

Saoirse Ronan, gave an absolutely stunning performance. A little jealous that she is in fact my age and here she is giving a performance that even the best actresses would be proud of. I think it probably helped her that she could be herself a bit more, she didn't have to worry about her accent. She was looser than I she was when she was in The Host for instance. 

Julie Walters (Mrs. Kehoe) provided some comic relief in the boarding house dinner scenes. It was also nice to see some camaraderie amongst the girls who lived together. It's not often that happens when you have six girls living under the same roof. 

I liked that the film stuck to it's 1950's routes. The outfits and the way they all acted kept true to the lifestyle. The performances were amazing from everyone not just Saoirse but hers was definitely one that will keep in my mind for a while. 

The one bad thing I will say is that I would have liked to see more of love interest number two. Without spoiling too much, there wasn't much here and I think this could have been given more substance. 

8/10

I really enjoyed this film. It had something special about it that makes you think about it when you leave. There is love, loss, choices and laughter. What more could you want from a film? 

It Doesn't Matter If He's A Human, A Vampire, A Unicorn

Hotel Transylvania 2 - 2015 - Film 

I liked the first Hotel Transylvania, it was different to a lot of films aimed at the younger age bracket. The films are about Dracula who creates a 'safe haven' for monsters. A place, they can go hidden from humans, to be themselves. A mysterious human, Jonathon, stumbles across the hotel in the first film. Mavis (Dracula's daughter) and Jonathon discover that they are each others 'zing'. This leads onto the second film. 

The second film spans a wedding, a birth and five years of the child's life. It does it quickly so you don't feel like you're sat there watching a home movie. But it doesn't speed through it that they miss times for comedy. When the child, Dennis, is born Dracula hopes he is a vampire. But there is a strong possibility that he won't be due to his human father. The possibility gets farther and farther away when the child is coming close to his fifth birthday. This just spurs Dracula into involving the child in things that really are not smart of a grandfather to do. They also have the addition of Dracula's father who brings along some friends that end up causing havoc at the child's fifth birthday party. 

This one was better than the first. It was more interesting. They kept Dennis at a good age so he was still young but, he was 'useful' enough to produce his own comedic moments. At no point during the film did I feel bored, or that the film was long. They kept it fairly short at 89 minutes - which is about right for a young age film like this. 

There was A LOT of product placement in this film. Dracula using a Sony Experia phone was a novelty to say the least. However, because this was produced by Sony I think I can forgive it. Just once. Maybe. 

The story was fine, about what you would expect from a family film like this. It's not going to win any of the snooty awards but, it wins the best family film I have seen since How To Train Your Dragon 2. With this being a sequel as well it made it better. We already knew the characters. You don't necessarily have to watch the first film to enjoy this one. But I would advise it. This way you get a feel for everyone before it starts getting into all the emotional turmoil of marriage and babies. 

The voice acting was spectacular on everyone's part. There is no-one that can be faulted in this film for lack of enthusiasm. 

9/10 

Many critics may not like this film but, that's because they don't think like they are going to watch a film aimed at kids. I am. I was a kid. I was probably the only person without kids for that matter. But it doesn't matter because a film like this has those all important adult humour jokes that kids just don't understand. 

It genuinely made me laugh out loud in some areas. For it being a sequel it was far better than the first in terms of comedy. The story was extremely predictable but, what can you expect from this type of film? 

If you enjoy being a big kid go watch it! 

The Last Witch Hunter - 2015 - Film 

Vin Diesel graces our screens again with his film "The Last Witch Hunter". The film is based around Kaulder who is cursed with immortality when he kills the Witch Queen. 800 years, 36 Dolans, and many powerful witches all gathered in one place later, he finally meets a girl that he doesn't mind spending time with and the Witch queen returns. Surprise! 

I thought this film was going to be similar the likes of Blade, Van Helsing those kind of ones where you have the badass, they're fighting bad guys and saving the world. Not so much. Kaulder was a badass but he barely fought. The witches were just normal people (at least 90% of them anyway) and very few were actually evil. You would imagine the film would have a lot of fight scenes, magic being thrown around and epic stand offs - but it didn't. The witches were normal humans with a 'talent'. You had the odd bad one but the amount of bad ones that we saw in the film I can count on one hand. Disappointment. 

Vin Diesel was our main immortal badass, he could fight I'll give him that but then we are used to seeing Vin Diesel in this role. Personally, his acting was stiff, he looked as though he had a wooden plank taped to his back and considering he was one of the producers he should have paid attention to the story! 

Michael Cain, Elijah Wood and Rose Leslie were all excellent supporting actors. I couldn't fault them. After her stint in Game of Thrones Rose Leslie showed some real promise in this film that I would like to see more of from her. 

The story contradicted itself more times than I could count. There were many 'Do you realise what you are saying?' moments. I know, I know I shouldn't expect an Oscar winning story but it was as if a child had written the story. Has anybody ever seen The Jimmy Fallon show, Kid Theatre? Yup that's what this was. The actual premise of the story could have been good, but it was executed poorly. 

The effects were okay. The witch queen was probably the most CGI'd of the lot and she looked good I will give them that. 

Overall, not Diesel's best show. They left off that there could potentially be a sequel. 

3/10

I call bullshit on at least half of the story. And Diesel's acting was not his best. I recommend watching but not paying to watch it. Maybe wait until it comes on Netflix because I guarantee it will. 

What Happens If You Have Nothing To Inspire You?

Some of the greatest musical hits, plays and poems have been written out of heartbreak. Take Adele for example, she broke up with her boyfriend, wrote an album and became a MASSIVE hit all over the world.

Great poets/play writes such as Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare and Robert Browning all had the inspiration from love.

Modern day you have singers like Taylor Swift who is criticised for her track record of boyfriends and her songs that she has written about her relationship.

But the way I see it is why should you be criticised for this. All these people are doing is taking a life-event that was significant to them and finding their way of expressing themselves.

BUT what happens when you don't have that inspiration?

I'm not saying the only inspiration is from love because it's not, you have songs/poems about life, death, musing on the world. I think the reason why love is such an inspiration is because you have the good side of love, when you find the right person you life can be full of happiness and passion. You find yourself always smiling. You think about that person on a minutely basis. They are in your every thought about your future, even little things like what to have for dinner. But on the other side of it, you also have tragedy. Losing a person you love can feel like the light has left your life. You feel as though even when you wake up, you are still asleep. You can go through life alone and hurt because that person is no longer at your side.

So, we all know why love is a big inspiration whether happy or sad so what do you do when you feel as though you don't have this inspiration?

Take my life for example, as previously noted I wasn't exactly sociable until about a year or so ago so I don't have many stories to tell in that side of my life. I have been with the same person for 6 years now, in these years there has never been a time of heartbreak. Before him, I did not suffer going through a break-up that I didn't instigate. At the moment, I am working so much that I don't have a chance to think about sadness. The only thing that causes me sadness in my life now is an event that happened 5 years ago. This event triggered a lot of motivation for me. This person is the reason why I write. Why I edit. Why I do... well everything. I have happiness in my life, that is always tinged by sadness. So, this is my motivation but is it my inspiration?

My life is consumed by one person, which makes me lucky for what I have (I know many would call me ungrateful) but having someone from a young age (15) takes a lot of commitment. It takes a lot from you. We have never been through anything dramatic or anything that is worth writing about.

Art is an outlet for people. Sometimes you have emotions just waiting to get out.

So, where can you get if you don't have it?

What if you've never gone through heartbreak?

What if you've never been in love?

Well, my suggestion is to use things that you do have in your life that you love or have a passion for. For example, the novel that I am writing is a crime novel. I chose this because I love reading thrillers. I love watching all those detective shows that seem the same to everybody else. I have to do a lot of research because where I don't work in this profession it isn't I know inside and out. But I stick with it anyway because it's a topic/genre that I love and feel that I can write about.

My advice to you is to write what you know. If you don't know heart-break don't write about it.

Your writing is stronger when you know what you are talking about.

Writing A Scary Story

So, as it's Halloween I thought it would be good to do something to do with the holiday. Over in Dublin Halloween is a big event, lots of events and parties to keep you amused. But what I thought about for all you writers is how do we make Halloween scary when all you have to use is your words. 

Making a scary film or game is easy because you can visual effects to make people jump or use blood and guts and all that gross stuff. But how do you write a story that will create fear? You have no visual effects to use, you have to use your words to inspire people's imagination to think scary. So how do you do this? 

I'm not a fan of scary stuff (although I am playing Until Dawn at the moment) but you can use these tips in any kind of book to help to create suspense, tension and jump scares. 

First of all you need to think of the situation. What situation can you make scary? Some of the popular settings are psychiatric facilities/hospitals, graveyards, temples or anything abandoned. 

Once you have your setting you need to think of who is going to be there and why. As a writer I know you always want to think outside box but for a story to be scary it has to be believable. If a reader is going to have to imagine some weird galaxy in space and you don't give them something they can relate to, they won't relate. If they can't relate they won't find it scary. So, think of a situation where characters would have to be in that place. Popular scenarios are: people getting lost, students trying to make a film, parties that go wrong. 

Okay so now you have your setting and your characters. Now you need to figure out what happens? What is going to make this story scary? Is your setting haunted? Is it to do with some cult or demons? Or some other creature lurking in the dark? 

The important thing to remember, whether you are writing a short story or a novel is to plan out. Make sure you have all of the facts, the best thing to break tension/suspense is to have an over complicated and inconsistent story. Take the film, The Ring for example. At no point in this film was I scared and do you know why? Because I spent the whole film wondering what the story was which took me away from the scariness of the film. On the other hand you have films like No Vacancy which reveal all of the information too quickly that you then get bored half way. So, keep your story simple enough that it's easy to follow and understand but interesting enough that your readers want to keep reading. 

Making a story scary is all about the description. I suggest you get your thesaurus out for this one. Something that you would describe as scary, you need to describe as spine-tingling. Get my point? 

Why not give it a go? See where your imagination takes you. Doing exercises like this will also help your writing as you expand your vocabulary.  Keep reading for my attempt at a scary story (not my speciality mind you) 

'“Are we there yet?” The father looked at his son lovingly in the back of the car, he had been asking that for the last half an hour of their drive. “We’ll stop soon son” He saw the look of indignation on his face as he went back to his handheld. His sister had fallen asleep nearly as soon as they started driving. His wife had put the window down and looked to be enjoying their family trip. “Honey, why don’t we stop soon, Rory is getting sick of the car and this forest looks amazing.”

“We weren’t planning to stop until we hit the cabins” 

“But that’s still another two hours away” 

“Two hours?! Daaad you said we were gonna be there soon, that’s not soon!”

“Okay, okay we’ll stop here, Rory can you wake your sister?” The father looked in the rear view mirror and turned off into the forest.

There was a small track that the family ventured down until they got a small clearing about one mile off of the main road. “Okay kids get out and help set up”

“I thought we were staying in a cabin?” 

“Sorry honey” The father turned around to look at his daughter “Your brother and mother wanted to stop, we have a tent and camping equipment so we’ll stay here tonight and drive to the cabin tomorrow okay?” The girl looked at her father worried “I don’t think it’s safe daddy” They always said that children have a sixth sense for the supernatural, a bit like animals but adults never heed their warning. “Oh baby, it’s safe we’ll only be here for the night” Turning back around the father got out of the car and got the equipment ready for the night. The little girl stayed in the car for a few minutes, she could feel a chill in the air as though something was passing over her. She turned to look out the back window at her family, her stomach sank as she saw a shadow lurking on the edge of the trees. She scrambled out of the car and shouted for her brother “Rory! Come here” Sensing her sister’s distress the boy ran towards her. The little girl had always trusted her brother, he was five years older than her and stopped people from picking on her. She knew if anyone was going to listen to her it would be him. “Rory, do you see the shadow there on the edge of the trees?” Rory turned to look behind him but only see the shadows that were created by the trees, thinking this is what his little sister had meant he shrugged and agreed “Do you not find it…” The little girl struggled for a word “…creepy”

“Well no sis, I mean they’re trees of course they cast shadows.” With that he turned his back and went back to helping his father. The little girl did a full circle, she could feel a sensation behind her as though she was being watched. Her brother didn’t see it, her father wouldn’t listen to her when she said that it wasn’t safe. What was she going to do? She ran towards her family, chewing her fingernail as she went.

“I was just like her, worried about my family. She has right to worry. But they never listen, until it’s too late”

The little girl turned to face the trees again, a whisper travelled to her and caressed her ear “…they never listen, until it’s too late” The little girl put her hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. “Mommy!” She ran over and threw herself at her mother “Honey what’s wrong?”

“Can we leave? I don’t like it here”

“There’s no point Angela, now that you’re here you will never leave”

The little girl shook her head trying to be rid of the whisper “It’s scary”

“Oh baby no it’s not, reign in that imagination of yours and go and get the pillows and bed clothes from the boot” The mother pushed her daughter towards the car, not realising that she was actually pushing her daughter into the arms of another woman.

“I was just like her once, I didn’t listen when my darling daughter warned me of the terrors in this forest. Passed it off as childhood imaginings… come here little one I’ll listen to you”

The little girl felt a light breeze down her arms, as though a needle was wandering over her skin. She rushed to the car to get the items her mother wanted.

“Don’t worry little one after tonight you won’t need to worry about your family ever again” Childish giggling filled the air and the little girl smiled as though she was at peace with her fate, she whispered gently to the eerie voice “Will we be together forever?”

“Oh yes child, you and your family won’t be apart again” 

“We can play allllll day long”

The little girl made her way back to her family, the breeze gently brushed against her bare skin, taking her in a gentle embrace.

As the night progressed, the little girl found solace with the whispers, they stopped her from being scared. Her family was content in their activities while they left the little girl to her new friends “It will soon be time little one, are you ready?” The little girl nodded anxiously, the whispers had been telling her all evening about their life. They made it sound like a fantasy to the little girl. She could spend all day playing with her family. No school! “Go to your family child” The little girl was pushed forwards towards her family by two icy cold hands “And don’t forget little one… there is no-one to hear you scream” Suddenly the whisper, was no longer a whisper. The whisper became a scream. The little girl crumpled to floor. Tears streaming down her face. Her parents ran to her “Angela baby what’s wrong?” Between sobs she managed to say “…you… should… have…. Listened”

“I don’t understand what are you saying baby?” The father felt the same needle sensation as her daughter did hours before, his spine became rigid and a voice appeared in his ear “She said, you should have listened to her earlier when she warned you it wasn’t safe.” The father felt a pain in his lower back and he fell to the floor “She warned you it wasn’t safe. And now you will pay the price for not listening to your daughter. Just as many before you have” The father tried to crawl towards his family. A gust of wind appeared and flew him back into the trees. He heard screaming in the distance. His family.

No-one ever walked out of the forest. The forest swallowed you like a hungry beast. All that could be heard was screams.

The whisper had lied to the little girl, she didn't see her family again until a new family showed up to camp the next year. This time she was the whisper in the child's ear.' 

I hope you enjoyed reading. Happy Halloween!  

Make Like A Train And Chew, Chew, Chew

Broken Age - PlayStation 4 - 2014 

Broken Age is a point and click game that became free on PlayStation Plus. The game follows two parallel stories of Shay (voiced by Elijah Wood) and Vella (voiced by Masasa Moyo). You play through both stories each have clues in them to help the other story. There are certain points that you get too but can't progress until you play the other story. 

Broken Age has some of the best visuals I have seen, the art style is unique looking more like drawings than a game. The movement of the characters is fantastic. Speaking of characters, Double Fine (the game develop) have managed to even make characters out of cutlery! No spoilers but there is a super cute picture you should wait and see at the end of the game! 

You can choose which one you want to play as first (I began Vella first) as you can only get to certain points before switching anyway it doesn't affect your game. I tried to speak to every character two or three times to ensure I got the full story. If you don't you won't know what is happening, as there are only certain things you have to do to progress in the game you don't HAVE to speak to everyone, but I would suggest you do. 

This game took up 13 hours of my life! Now I am the first to say that I am not a master at games and honestly it does take me longer than some gamers to go through games. However, the reason why this one took up so much of my life was because of the puzzles! 

The writers have come up with some epicly frustrating puzzles that want to make you throw your controller in frustration. Some are ridiculous to have to figure out with things that no normal person would think of! This adds fun to the game if you like a challenge. And annoyance if you don't like that much of a challenge. I played this along as a two player one playing Vella (me) and the other playing as Shay; honestly without him I would have given up on some of the puzzles especially towards the end! 

Double Fine is an extraordinary game developer, previously they have done Brutal Legend, Grim Fandango and The Cave. All of which have been interesting, unique and something just a little bit special. Broken Age is no exception. 

Broken Age is beautiful, epic and frustrating. I think it would be enjoyable to play through a second time when you know the puzzles a bit and you won't be stuck on one for hours! It is simple in the game play which makes it... peaceful to play... until you get to the puzzles. 

If you enjoy a challenge then Broken Age is for you! 

8/10

I thought the story could have had more depth to it, the puzzles were good and gave you some insights but honestly a story and game like that you could do a lot more with. The characters were developed well which is a bonus. I wouldn't recommend this game if you get frustrated easily and don't enjoy puzzles. If you do then this is a game for you!  

Soooo That Makes Me A Space Pirate?

The Martian - Film - 2015

The Martian is the new Sci Fi film from Ridley Scott.

This is obviously a genre that Scott knows well and one that I'm not always the biggest fan of. I dislike a lot of Sci Fi films for the pure fact that I don't think they are very good. However, I had heard a lot of good things about the book and the film so I thought I would give it a shot.

Having not read the book myself I wasn't sure what to expect however, I have heard about the book and mr brain was following along the lines of something similar to Locke and Buried where it's just the one guy and voices. But this wasn't like that at all.

Damon plays an astronaut Mark Watney who gets stranded on Mars; his crew think he's dead after getting hit by debris while they are leaving the planet.

Damon has to figure out a way to survive on the planet for months that is a desolate desert as far as the eye can see.

Despite the pretty damning nature of the story Damon brings humour to his situation.  His character is the joker of his crew, always cracking jokes and coming up the most insane ideas. This doesn't change even when he's on Mars. Not many actors would be able to pull off this act as it would come off as wrong or they just wouldn't be funny. Damon really excels in this area with some genuine laugh out loud moments. 

The secondary characters in the film people such as his crew, Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), Rick Martinez (Michael Pena) and Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara) to name a few are just as strong as Damon. Mission control also plays a big part in the film where they help Watney (supposedly) with the struggles of Mars. Each character brings their own essence into the film. They all play an important role and play them well. There isn't really a villain in the film as Mars' itself is the villain for Watney but Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) has to make all the hard decision in the film, which people don't always agree with. And guess what people? Sean Bean doesn't die! I know right! 

Anyway, the story. I can't tell you how much it stuck to the book. On the other hand I can tell you that the story was excellent. It was made interesting by the way Watney has to use obscure science techniques to live on the planet. As far as I am aware the majority of science checks out with a few things just for Hollywood. He explains all of his methods is a simple way, that anyone could understand it without needing a degree in science. This is sometimes where a lot Science-Fiction films go wrong. They go off base too much that it seems ridiculous or they stick to it too much that it makes it boring for people to watch! 

On the whole I really enjoyed The Martian, it was well worth the watch and I will be reading the book. 

9/10 

The film had an excellent beginning, middle and end. I mean what else do you want from a film? 

I would like to read the book and see how closely it sticks to the words of the author as this is something that interests me when a film has been made from a book. 

This film is an excellent choice of a film for anyone to see, there is minor swearing so be wary of children but overall it is a good film for anyone to watch!

Dublin's Got Soul

The Commitments - Roddy Doyle - Book 

As I'm now living in Dublin I thought I should read an Irish classic, Roddy Doyle. Doyle has written a trilogy called the Barrytown Trilogy; The Commitments in the first in this. In total Doyle wrote ten novels for adults, books for children, screenplays and dozens of short stories.

The reason why Doyle is so famous is due to his writing style. When you and I write things how they are spelt, he writes them how they are said. 

His Barrytown novels are based on the working class in Dublin and his writing includes 'Jaysis' (Jesus) and 'eijit' (Idiot). He doesn't use speech marks, or chapters, or well anything else you can think that would structure a 'normal' book. Doyle pushes the limits of literacy and it really pays off. 

Some of his novels were made into films and his books are used in schools/colleges teaching youngsters about the art of language. 

I have read the first in the trilogy The Commitments. It based on a group of working class kids in Dublin forming a band and troubles and turmoils they face trying to make it. 

The band 'And And And!' go to Jimmy Rabitte for advice on where they should take their music. Jimmy is the music king in Dublin and he steers them towards soul music, gives them a new band name 'The Commitments' and new names themselves. They begin recruiting for musicians and a singer which leads onto them meeting some colourful characters. 

The thing about this writing style that makes it so unique is because everything is spelt phonetically, you say it that way in your head, even if you don't have the accent to go along with it! 

The novel is full of colourful characters, each one bringing their own life and energy into the book. Even the characters such as Imelda, Bernie and Natalie who have fairly small roles in the book bring life into each one of their sentences. 

This is quite a feel-good story with a few sad bits thrown in. Jimmy continues on through the Barrytown trilogy and what a main character he is. Jimmy is calm, cool and collected with the odd swear word thrown in. Because well he is Irish after all! 

It can be difficult to follow at times especially if you're not familiar with the Irish terms.  Because of the way Doyle writes there isn't such thing as structure so you have to open your mind while reading it.

7/10

I think if I didn't live in Dublin it would be harder to follow. However,  it is definitely a good read and I would recommend it to anyone, maybe get an Irish dictionary to go with it!

By The Pricking of my Thumbs, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Macbeth - Film - 2015


I was going to go and see The Martian yesterday however, Macbeth was still showing and we decided to go and see this instead, to watch it while we still could in the cinema. 

I won't bore you too much with the background of Macbeth, everyone has studied Shakespeare in some capacity and knows that Macbeth is a tale, based in Scotland, full of tragedy and ambition. 

It's safe to say that the story of Macbeth is not a happy one and therefore, it needed a film that would do the darkness of the story justice. 

The dialogue remains in Shakespearian English however, because you were watching a film it was very easy to follow. I'm no stranger to Shakespearian English but I'm also no expert, if I hadn't been watching it I may not have understood exactly what was going on. 

Michael Fassbender plays Macbeth supported by Marion Cotillard who plays Lady Macbeth. I have to say that these two made the film. Some of the other actors were very difficult to understand as they were speaking Shakespearian English but with very thick Scottish accents which had them mumbling more than once. However, because of Fassbender's and Cotillard's background they were far easier to understand. 

I have not seen Fassbender in anything I did not enjoy but his performance in Macbeth takes the top of his career. He was intense. He showed emotion. He cried. When he was speaking his monologues you were pinned to your seat. Hanging on his every word. Having read and studied Macbeth at school, he was how I envisioned the character. 

Cotillard stood her own as well. Lady Macbeth is a very twisted character in the play and she pulled this off very well. She pushes Macbeth to fulfill the sisters prophecy and stood by him when his mind 'was full of scorpions'. Cotillard had a presence around her that demanded respect from the room, especially when she was queen. It was good to see this from a supporting character, as in a film like this she was the strong one for a time for Macbeth and this needed to be seen otherwise, it would have ruined the atmosphere of the film. 

The other supporting characters I was not thrilled about. They were good on average but as I have said previously were extremely difficult to understand which left gaps in the story. They also did not have the same aura around them that Fassbender and Cotillard managed to gain. 

The special effects and the film picture wise was excellent. They set the film in the bleak highlands of Scotland, with the mist rolling over the hills. It gave the film a 'creepy' feel to it, especially with the sisters. 

Overall, it is a good adaptation of the iconic play. Justin Kurzel did justice to the play through the way he created atmosphere on the moors, and his choice in leading characters. A feat like this is not to be taken lightly and I am impressed at Kurzel's attempt.

7/10 

It is worth watching once however, it is not a film I would look to watch again or purchase. 

Editing, Working, Homemaker and Writer ... Where do you find the time?

I know I am not the only one who suffers from having a lot to do and so little time. 

Looking through blogs I notice many writers are stay at home parents, using writing as their outlet. 

Others are starting out when it is just a hobby like this used to be for me. 

Then there are the lucky few that have made it, writing is their full time work. (don't worry that will be you soon) 

Whenever I meet someone new online or face to face and they ask me what I do, I tell them my full-time job that takes up 37 hours of my week but what I really want to tell them is that I am editor. 

As those of you who have visited before will know I began KAEditing, while unemployed in need of experience and work. Well after becoming employed I now have a recurring client, who's complete book I am editing. I have had shorter jobs too. 

Don't forget I also have my own novel that I am writing, and this blog. 

Where do you find the time? 

Between working, coming home, writing, editing and doing my recreational reading/playing games where do people find the time to do what they really want? 

Editing is where I want to end up, but when you live on your own with no financial help an endeavour like that is not something that can be taken lightly. I have my rent, bills, food to pay for. I can't just leave my steady, well-paying job for a job that is potentially unstable right now. I know MANY other people are in my position. Wanting to do something different but it's just not possible. 

So, how do you manage time? 

I work a job that requires me to work 9-5.30 Monday to Friday. Plus travelling home and then eating dinner my downtime doesn't start until ohhh eight o clock. And by that time all I want to is get into bed! However, KAEditing requires a lot of my attention as well especially if I want to keep customers! 

Balancing is a major thing when you are trying to do several things at once. At the moment KAEditing is still a free service to use and it will remain so for the foreseeable future anyway. 

So how do you balance time when you seem to have more to do than time in the day? 

Well it's all about making the most of the time you have. 

I have one hour lunches at work, what do I do? Well I go into a park and read. 

If I have some client's work at the time I will go through some chapters (the magic of technology) 

Unfortunately, gaming is off the table for my lunch but I can write, come up with ideas for my blog during this time. I then go back to work and finish my day. 

When I get home, it's all about priority. What needs to be done? Do I have client's work sitting in my inbox? (which is checked everyday). Do I need to go back to writing? Do I have some other task that needs to be done? Let's not forget about family/friends time also. 

Going through these questions I decide what to do every night, some nights I want to forget everything and just sit and read, or play a game but you can't when you have a dream. A dream is always going to be difficult but if you really want it... well when you get it all that 'hard work' you put in will seem like nothing. 

It's important to manage your time effectively. Allow yourself breaks especially from writing because you will hit a wall if you don't. 

In November I am going back to England for a week, in this week I plan on taking a break from well everything. It will be the last time I see my friends and family this year and they will be my priority. 

But up until then you, my readers and KAEditing clients are my priority. 

So, if you are like me and starting out, use every minute of your day effectively. It won't happen for you, you have to make it happen. 

KA x