For those that know me, or are getting to, you know I watch just about any movie. My criteria for film watching consisting of one thing: whether or not I can stay awake through it. Admittedly sometimes this is not entirely the movie’s fault. I don’t care about actors, directors, producers, and sometimes not even storyline, these things will not bring me to, or shy me away from a movie.
This last weekend, among others, I watched “Dear John”. While it is classified as a romantic drama, I watched it as a military movie. The theme is real: soldier falls in love, goes away for duty, has nothing to devote himself to besides the woman and his job, and is betrayed by the woman. Unfortunately an all too common occurrence in today’s military.
As for accuracy, unlike most military movies this company did a pretty good job, whoever they were. Only one uniform inconsistency: he’s wearing his rank on upside down for an entire scene, but at least it is for the entire scene, if it was only partial then I would be even more disappointed because it would mean someone caught it and they decided not to reshoot anyway, or worse, someone didn’t notice on a second shooting. The second is just a little thing that even avid military aficionados might notice, being his uniform was entirely too clean for being part of ongoing operations in Afghanistan.
It has a real story, is accurate and relates to the world today, so I highly recommend it. It’s about more than just boy meets girl, has layered emotion, and in the end everything turns out in a realistic fashion instead of a Hollywood fantasy. I hope to see more emotionally realistic movies like this one coming out as years go on, and I say kudos to whoever did release this one.
So, in short, if you’re a fan of the book, or the previous release by the same author “The Notebook”, see “Dear John” because I think it will make you feel. After, all isn’t that what art is really about to convey emotion? This movie will do just that.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Book Review: The Heritage Trilogy
I’m going to do something a little different and review an entire trilogy this time. This is one of my favorite book series even though I know the author intended it mostly as backstory for his further series’. The Heritage Trilogy by Ian Douglas, consisting of Semper Mars, Luna Marine, and Europa Strike.
The series centers around one mid-grade Marine officer, and his daughter, and their perceptions and actions during the very possible militarization of space. It takes into account world reaction, changes in military procedures, and very possible discoveries from potential manned missions to mars. It also wraps all that science fiction in a nice little package of current science face and believability. It doesn’t betray a world of future years, but the world of tomorrow, as in literally tomorrow, as in Wednesday.
The first book talks about the Marine Corps battle with obscurity (a very real battle whose opponents are a hostile congress and the Army) and a manned mission to Mars, all the while alluding to a world opinion that doesn’t speak to kindly of the United States (not unlike the real world). As the stories progress the Marine Corps proves its adaptability and capability to conduct non-standard missions in non-standard environments while trying to be proven incapable or irrelevant by the Army, not unlike the Pacific Theatre during World War II.
This pans out in the next two books with the Marine Corps assuming the predominant combatant role in space, while also showing some heavy character development in the Marine and his daughter. The entire trilogy takes place over the span of several years, and, to my eyes anyhow, you see some very realistic changes take place due to the previous books.
In short, it is a gritty, realistic view of what may very likely be just around the corner. It’s not the Space Rangers using their laser blasters on the evil alien Grubi on planet Zephron- 26, it’s the US Marines defending US interests from UN aggressors on the planet Mars. If you’re looking for something fantastical look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for something just plain fantastic I highly recommend the trilogy.
The series centers around one mid-grade Marine officer, and his daughter, and their perceptions and actions during the very possible militarization of space. It takes into account world reaction, changes in military procedures, and very possible discoveries from potential manned missions to mars. It also wraps all that science fiction in a nice little package of current science face and believability. It doesn’t betray a world of future years, but the world of tomorrow, as in literally tomorrow, as in Wednesday.
The first book talks about the Marine Corps battle with obscurity (a very real battle whose opponents are a hostile congress and the Army) and a manned mission to Mars, all the while alluding to a world opinion that doesn’t speak to kindly of the United States (not unlike the real world). As the stories progress the Marine Corps proves its adaptability and capability to conduct non-standard missions in non-standard environments while trying to be proven incapable or irrelevant by the Army, not unlike the Pacific Theatre during World War II.
This pans out in the next two books with the Marine Corps assuming the predominant combatant role in space, while also showing some heavy character development in the Marine and his daughter. The entire trilogy takes place over the span of several years, and, to my eyes anyhow, you see some very realistic changes take place due to the previous books.
In short, it is a gritty, realistic view of what may very likely be just around the corner. It’s not the Space Rangers using their laser blasters on the evil alien Grubi on planet Zephron- 26, it’s the US Marines defending US interests from UN aggressors on the planet Mars. If you’re looking for something fantastical look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for something just plain fantastic I highly recommend the trilogy.
Book Review: Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks
Written by Ethan Gilsdorf comes a tale that should be near and dear to many of my reader’s hearts: roleplaying. It’s subtitled: “An Epic Quest for Reality Among Roleplayers, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms” and this seems a very poignant topic in today’s world. He covers a lot of ground, not just on roleplaying, but on the treatment of roleplayers, as well as what we do to ourselves.
The author first relates to us the story of his youth, and how he himself became involved in Dungeons and Dragons in his childhood, why he left it, and why he returned. It’s a story of a man discovering himself and casting off the shackles of society and discovering who he truly is as much as an accurate view into the subculture of gaming.
He first tracks down and studies Tolkien whom many attribute with at least creating the setting for modern fantasy worlds. Not only is this untrue (Gygax, the father of D&D and Many other games preferred other authors) but Tolkien spoke out against the creation of games designed from his world as much as he derided fans for becoming too involved in the fictional world he had created. He didn’t just believe it to be wrong, feared the power that such a game would give a person over another.
The book moves on to his personal rediscovery of tabletop games, both roleplaying and wargaming. It covers his surprise at the changes to his own beloved D&D becoming more akin this experiences with online games. “Remember when there was playing involved in roleplaying” he says in reference to the current trend of powergaming and creating characters for statistics instead of fun. He searches and finds more people like himself, who prefer the game to the rules, although he does find comfort in “old-school” AD&D which is describes as already stat heavy.
He goes on to cover LARPing and the SCA finding participants who vary in their describing their hobby from “just as involved as reading a book” (I personally disagree) to “D&D on crack” (much more accurate) . He discovers they are just as involved in their rules as the modern roleplayer, in some cases more so. But he respects them even if he can’t come to find his roleplaying center with them.
He then delves into the seductive belly of online games, which he never once describes as roleplaying games (he and I agree on this point). He talks to two people, one who’s life and medical career were destroyed by online gaming, and one who’s only means of contacting the outside world is through her gaming. In neither case a pretty picture.
Being a former online gaming recluse and addict myself and worried about my friends who do still spend entirely too much time in online worlds that don’t even offer the kind of niche socialization tabletop gaming provides, this books poke bounds to me. As to what it empowered me to do, I am continuing to seek local like-minded individuals who miss the “playing” part of role-playing games, and want to focus more on the problem-solving and critical thinking rather than solving everything through violence concept that MMOs have helped turn our tabletop games into.
In short, it is a witty, powerful book that I believe should be read by every gamer, former-gamer, and those who claim to love gamers too. It’s the story of a journey of a modern day man who, by virtue of the movie remake of his favorite author’s books, is reminded of who he really is and sets off to rediscover that person despite the loss of love and status in his own life. And the victory he find in camaraderie and knowing he is not alone.
The author first relates to us the story of his youth, and how he himself became involved in Dungeons and Dragons in his childhood, why he left it, and why he returned. It’s a story of a man discovering himself and casting off the shackles of society and discovering who he truly is as much as an accurate view into the subculture of gaming.
He first tracks down and studies Tolkien whom many attribute with at least creating the setting for modern fantasy worlds. Not only is this untrue (Gygax, the father of D&D and Many other games preferred other authors) but Tolkien spoke out against the creation of games designed from his world as much as he derided fans for becoming too involved in the fictional world he had created. He didn’t just believe it to be wrong, feared the power that such a game would give a person over another.
The book moves on to his personal rediscovery of tabletop games, both roleplaying and wargaming. It covers his surprise at the changes to his own beloved D&D becoming more akin this experiences with online games. “Remember when there was playing involved in roleplaying” he says in reference to the current trend of powergaming and creating characters for statistics instead of fun. He searches and finds more people like himself, who prefer the game to the rules, although he does find comfort in “old-school” AD&D which is describes as already stat heavy.
He goes on to cover LARPing and the SCA finding participants who vary in their describing their hobby from “just as involved as reading a book” (I personally disagree) to “D&D on crack” (much more accurate) . He discovers they are just as involved in their rules as the modern roleplayer, in some cases more so. But he respects them even if he can’t come to find his roleplaying center with them.
He then delves into the seductive belly of online games, which he never once describes as roleplaying games (he and I agree on this point). He talks to two people, one who’s life and medical career were destroyed by online gaming, and one who’s only means of contacting the outside world is through her gaming. In neither case a pretty picture.
Being a former online gaming recluse and addict myself and worried about my friends who do still spend entirely too much time in online worlds that don’t even offer the kind of niche socialization tabletop gaming provides, this books poke bounds to me. As to what it empowered me to do, I am continuing to seek local like-minded individuals who miss the “playing” part of role-playing games, and want to focus more on the problem-solving and critical thinking rather than solving everything through violence concept that MMOs have helped turn our tabletop games into.
In short, it is a witty, powerful book that I believe should be read by every gamer, former-gamer, and those who claim to love gamers too. It’s the story of a journey of a modern day man who, by virtue of the movie remake of his favorite author’s books, is reminded of who he really is and sets off to rediscover that person despite the loss of love and status in his own life. And the victory he find in camaraderie and knowing he is not alone.
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