"House" by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti

       When married couple, Jack and Stephanie Singleton, run over a strip of spikes on a deserted road in the middle of Alabama, they are fortunate enough to find an old Victorian house a few miles down the road. This Victorian house is owned by a family of three and they double it as an inn. Hoping to call a tow truck and maybe stay the night, they enter the house only to find that another dating couple was also stranded by spikes on the road in the opposite direction. Things go wrong pretty quickly when they realize that there hosts and hostess are all crazy, but even more disturbing is the fact that the power is cut in the house and now a serial killer is on the loose, known as Barsidious White. Here are his rules for survival that he wrote on tin can and then threw down a chimney: "Welcome To My House. 1. God came to my house ad I killed him. 2. I will kill anyone who comes into my house just like I killed God. 3. Give me one dead body, and I might let rule two slide. You have until dawn."
   
      This story is an absolutely mind boggling, page turning, horror/thriller book that I without a doubt would read again and again! Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti did a marvelous collaboration and this has to be one of the best books I've read. This story takes you deep in a search for your soul and shows bare for all to see the depravity of sin and a life in fear of living. Something I love about these authors is there ability to tell a story and bring across a deeper message without letting either one get clouded or confusing in the process.

      I've had this book for about 4 to 5 years now but I never could bring myself to read it till last year, and I was so glad I decided to read it. Definitely not something for the faint of heart it has so many twists and turns and the ever looming mystery and presence of the sadistic killer leaves you in suspense for the entire book. If you ever talked to me about books before, you know that Ted Dekker is one of my all time favorite authors. With books from, "A Blessed Child" to "Adam" and to my personal favorite "Obsessed" his stories are beyond amazing and each one just as good as the last.
They did make a movie out of this one but as per usual it was not as good as the book. It was a lower budget film and it was released directly to DVD.

I would give this book a 9.50 out of 10 stars and if you like thriller/suspense books this one is definitely for you! Follow me on Twitter and share this with your friends!

Peace,
Jake

P.S. I'm sad to say that Paul Walker, best known for his role in Fast and Furious, has died in car crash along with a friend..... Prayers go out to their family's....
   

"Catching Fire"

      The winter after Katniss and Peeta win the 74th Hunger Games, they go on their victory tour. This tour brings them around to all 12 districts and finally to the Capitol, to celebrate, as the name suggests, their victory. While on this tour Katniss must prove to President Snow that her love for Peeta is real, and therefore help dispel the rebellion that their victory sparked. However President Snow feels that the rebellion against him and the Capitol has gotten, if anything, worse since the tour. Therefore he decides to put an end to Katniss and the other victors who stand as beacons of hope to the people of Panem.

    Brilliantly directed by Francis Lawrence, this film stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks as Effie, and Stanley Tucci as Caesar. This movie also stars Lenny Kravitz, Sam Claflin and Liam Hemsworth. You couldn't have asked for better actors, and they do a marvelous job making their characters believable.

     I believe the film closely follows the book, while it did not get all the minute details that extreme, hardcore fans always look for in the movie counterparts, they still did one of the best jobs I have ever seen in a book to movie film. I know some people were complaining that Plutarch Heavensbee did not pull out the watch that had the faint outline of a mockingjay on it at the capitol party scene. This however did not bother me it is such a small detail in the scheme of the movie and only the people who read the books would actually appreciate it.

    The emotion in the film is so heavy throughout and it really makes you feel like your there experiencing the events with the characters. *Spoilers* When Mags dies in the books it is extremely sad but watching it in a movie had to have been even more emotional. Seeing the reaction of Finnick as she died was a major part of that. Then when she finds out that Peeta was left behind you can see the hurt and loss in her eyes and it just kills. *Spoilers* Needless to say it was beautifully crafted and all of those moments are leading up to a final event that I don't think even I'm ready for!

        Mockingjay Part 1 is coming out November of next year and Part 2 is coming out November of 2015! I don't think I can wait that long.. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone, though if you haven't watched the first one, The Hunger Games, then you should watch that first before Catching Fire. I would rate this film a 9.5 out of 10! Follow me on Twitter and share this with your friends!

Peace,
Jake


  

"Thor: The Dark World" part 2

    Two years after the events of the first movie, Thor and one year after The Avengers, Thor is left to pick up the pieces and restore order to the nine realms once more. Little do they know that Jane Foster, accidentally activates an ancient artifact known as Aether. Aether was used and created by Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, an ancient race said to have lived before the light in the universe existed. Malekith sensing that his artifact was activated sets out to find the Aether and finally bring an everlasting, dark chaos to the universe once more.

    Directed by Alan Taylor this film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Christopher Eccleston as Malekith. I just saw this movie a few days ago and... WOW! It was amazing! The chemistry between the returning cast was definitely improved upon since the last film. 

   Tom Hiddleston has quickly become one of my favorite actors and his portrayal of Loki is exactly how I pictured him to act! With Loki, I don't know whether to feel bad for him or hate him but I just can't help but like him. I loved seeing Christopher Eccleston as Malekith, but if I hadn't already known he was in the film I wouldn't have recognized him at all. They definitely stepped it up a few notches and I can't wait till the next one!

    *Spoilers* Skip over this part if you haven't watched the movie..... In accordance with the director Alan Taylor and Anthony Hopkins, Loki did kill Odin off screen... Alan Taylor says this, "That was a big twist. It took us a while to realize that we were actually going to kill him. And then it took us a while to realize that we were going to do that at the end." and Anthony Hopkins said this, "He’s dead. I’ve done two, that’s enough." However Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios is a little more vague but still alludes to Odin's death by saying this, "Like all of our plans at Marvel Studios, we know where we would like to go if given the opportunity. We have very good ideas whether the All-Father is with us or not." *Spoilers*

  Again for those of you wondering who that guy was at the end credit scene, I'm here to help! His name is Taneleer Tivan otherwise known as The Collector, he was played by Benicio Del Toro. This end credit scene was a tease to the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy releasing in late summer next year , in which The Collector will probably play a large role, if not that than an important role at least. The new movie also stars Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Glenn Close, Karen Gillian, Lee Pace and many, many more.

 I would rate this film a 9 out 10! You should definitely go watch it before its out of theaters! You won't be disappointed! Follow me on Twitter and share this blog with your friends!!

Peace,
Jake

"Thor" part 1

     Thor, the god of thunder, is cast out of Asgard by his father Odin, the Allfather, for attacking the frost giants unprovoked. This causes Odin to strip him of his powers, including the power to wield Mjölnir, his magical hammer of incredible power. After he loses his powers, he is sent to earth till he is worthy once more of them.
Meanwhile back on Asgard, Thor's brother Loki, the god of mischief, has knowingly set into a chain of events that could bring about the fall of Asgard and his father's rule.

   Directed by the talented Kenneth Branagh, this film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and Idris Elba as Heimdall. This film really sets up the basis of Thor's character for the culmination of Phase 1, The Avengers. The characters were well cast and I thought the story was great.

       Now Thor is one of my favorite superheros in the Marvel universe, partly because who wouldn't want to fly around, swing a giant hammer, and control thunder and lightning?! The other reason is that I love Norse mythology! The whole Marvel Thor universe is loosely based off ancient myths and legends passed among the Norse people, and is what we now call Norse Mythology. I should emphasize the words "loosely based", because not only is the mythology a lot more complex it is a lot stranger too. For more info you can follow this link: Norse Mythology.

    For those of you who are new to the whole Marvel superhero movie sequence, I will help you out! This is Phase One: Avengers Assembled and you should watch these movies first in order: 1. Iron Man, 2. The Incredible Hulk, 3. Iron Man 2, 4. Thor, 5. Captain America: The First Avenger and 6: The Avengers. Then and only then should you move on to watching the current phase, which is Phase Two.

   I would give this movie an 8 out of 10! Check out part 2 of my blog tomorrow where I talk about the latest Phase Two movie and this films counterpart, Thor: The Dark World. Follow me on Twitter and share with your friends!

Peace,
Jake


P.S. Sorry for missing a week I was on tour with my band, Scarlet Fade, but this week I'm posting a two part blog! Hope you enjoy!

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

      In the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, which is to us North America, there were thirteen districts ruled by The Capitol. When The Capitol got too comfortable in power and became more of a dictatorship, the thirteen districts rebelled, but this rebellion was short lived and the thirteenth district was obliterated. Now every year since then, The Capitol has held gladiator type games called The Hunger Games.. They hold a lottery, called the reaping, in each district and one boy and one girl from the ages of 12 to 18 is chosen to compete to the death in the games on live TV.

      Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl from the 12th district, lives in a small house with her mother and her younger sister, Prim. It's the time of the reaping and both Katniss and her sister's names are in the lottery. Prim, whose name has only been in the lottery once, is chosen, but Katniss, fearing for her sisters life, volunteers as tribute in her sisters stead. Katniss along with the boy from her district, Peeta Mellark are sent off to the Capitol to star as district twelve's tributes of The 74th Annual Hunger Games. Can Katniss survive or will she go down in flames along with twenty-two other tributes?

     Written by Suzanne Collins, this book is a magical combination of action, romance, and humor to satisfy any reader. When I first picked up this book a year or so before the movie came out, I had little to no expectations for the book. I thought it was just going to be another "Twilight" but I was so so so so wrong. I couldn't put the book down and I was clamoring for the following two books in the trilogy. Suzanne Collins definitely struck gold when she wrote these books! I was able to connect to the characters in the first few chapters and I loved each one of them for the peculiarities! I hate when authors give you characters and you're like "I don't get it.", but not Suzanne Collins, she got right down deep to what humanity has really become and exposed it for the world to see. 

    Alright let me just say that the film adaption for this book was really close. Now I know they didn't get all the details in there, but I think they got most of the important ones, and I think that it's one the closest adaptions I've seen. Come on, Jennifer Lawrence is perfect and when I say perfect, I mean PERFECT for that role! Whoever was the casting director on that movie should get an award or something! 

      I would definitely recommend this book and movie to anyone and everyone! Although some people might be become disturbed about the subject matter of the film and book. Well there is just one thing left to say, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

 

My Twitter

Peace,

Jake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sherlock Holmes"

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective, and his friend and sidekick, Dr. Watson make a return to the big screen with, of course, a complex murder mystery for them to solve. Lord Blackwood was convicted and hung for murder, but now it seems he's risen from the grave. It's now up to Sherlock and Watson to figure it out before time runs out.

    Directed by Guy Ritchie, this movies stars; Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. I love Robert Downey Jr.'s version of Sherlock Holmes, his sarcastic, idiotic, and stupidly smart antics are just simply amazing. The chemistry between R.D.J and Jude Law is very believable and there humor together is hilarious. Alright so as far as bad guys in movies go, Mark Strong is definitely in my top 5 list. His eerily, evil voice combined with his sadistic character was flat out creepy. Also you can't deny that Rachel McAdams did a great job portraying Irene Adler and the chemistry between R.D.J. and her was pretty amazing!

    This film has garnered a lot of praise for R.D.J's performance as Sherlock Holmes, however there have been some negative reviews. These reviews mainly have to do with Guy Ritchie's directorial direction with the film, but there are some reviews that had a lot of complaining about how many action scenes their were and how it ruined the artistic genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock. I disagree, I believe this film brought a unique and fresh perspective to the ever changing story of Sherlock Holmes and I applaud their genius to bring this film to life. 

  I would give this film and 8 out 10 stars! If you haven't seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? Follow me on twitter(https://twitter.com/JacobHoffman86) and subscribe to my blog!! Leave a comment down below and tell me what you think!!

Peace,
Jake

   

"Shutter Island"

    U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is sent to investigate the disappearance of a murderess, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. As he begins the investigation he finds there is something very wrong with not just the patients but also the staff. He begins to realize that this mystery is much larger than anyone thought, and it could be his undoing.

     Directed by Martin Scorsese, this film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, and Ben Kingsley.  This is an amazing cast with an amazing director, making it one of my favorite psychological thrillers ever. Any movie that has Leonardo DiCaprio in it and it was directed by Martin Scorsese, you know its going to be amazing (they made four movies together, each one amazing)!

    These kind of movies always fascinate me because they keep me guessing till the end. It's like, "Is this in the characters head or is it really happening?" I seriously had no idea what was going to happen and when they finally revealed it towards the end my mouth literally dropped in surprise. I was just sitting there and thinking "How could I not have known that?" I love when a movie gives you that twist at the end, that you didn't see coming. It makes me happy!

    Let me just say that Ben Kingsley is, without a doubt, one of the best actors I have ever seen. Let's not forget Leonardo DiCaprio (as the Academy Awards seem to), as his lead role is what makes me really love this movie. Mark Ruffalo shows us his acting chops, and its makes me wonder why they didn't get him to do the Hulk movies earlier instead of Eric Bana and Edward Norton (which I think we can all agree, weren't good choices for that specific role).

One of my favorite lines from this movie is,
Teddy Daniels: "You know, this place makes me wonder."
Chuck Aule: "Yeah, what's that, boss?"
Teddy Daniels: "Which would be worse - to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?"

I would give this movie a 9 out 10 stars! It is rated R so watch at your own discretion! If you like this blog you should go check out http://www.bpdreview.com/ - and also check out http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/

Peace,
Jake

"Daredevil"

     Matt Murdock, is a blind lawyer who was born and raised in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, but he is also the superhero known as Daredevil. When he was a child, toxic waste was accidentally spilled on him, which not only caused him to go blind but it also enhanced his other senses to a superhuman level. When The Kingpin hires Bullseye to kill the girl he likes, Elektra, and her father, Daredevil must do all he can to not only save them, but also to save himself.

    Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, this film stars Ben Affleck as Daredevil, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Colin Ferrel as Bullseye, and Michael Clarke Duncan as The Kingpin. This movie has to be one of the worst comic book to silver screen translations ever. Come on Colin Ferrell as Bullseye.... It's just really lame.

     The one thing I blame for it being such a bad movie is this, the script was terrible. It's not the actors fault that they were given cliche and cringe worthy lines. The actors/actresses in this film aren't inherently bad actors/actresses, it's just that  they were in a bad movie with a bad script. Thank God, Marvel has gotten their act together on their movies.  Another thing that didn't really make any sense with the film was the soundtrack. I know we all like a little Evanescence, but come on, two songs from them in one movie soundtrack!

    Alright let's get this straight.... Bullseye is not from Ireland, he does not have an Irish accent and he does not look like a 90's vampire reject. If you are going to change a character that much, don't even call the character the same name. Michael Clarke Duncan was a pretty good choice for The Kingpin. Now I don't think that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were necessarily bad choices for their roles but again bad lines kind of clouded their acting skills.

 A lot of people are saying that because of this film, Ben Affleck is going to be a terrible batman. I don't think this is true at all. As I've been saying a lot in this post, it all comes down to the script and screenplay of the film. I'm reserving my judgement on the Superman vs. Batman film until I see it. Right now I'm very hopeful that this will be one of the best DC superhero movies yet!! (fingers crossed)

So overall, I would give this film a 4.5 out of 10. Make sure you follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/JacobHoffman86!!

Peace,
Jake

"The Skin Map" by Stephen R. Lawhead

      Kit Livingstone's life gets turned upside down when his great grandfather, who disappeared when Kit's grandfather was young, finds him in a deserted alley. He then begins to explain that ley lines, latent energy lines or portals spread through out the world, connect to different realities and different time periods. This story follows the adventure of Kit and his journey to find the elusive skin map, which is said to contain the location to the greatest treasure the world has ever known.

       Stephen R. Lawhead is an acclaimed writer of mythological history and imaginative fiction. He lives in England, which is where he gets a lot of his inspiration for his books. His books include twists on popular mythic history such as the King Raven Trilogy, which brings a fresh perspective to the tale of Robin Hood, and The Pendragon Cycle which is an amazing series about Merlin and King Arthur.

       The term "ley lines" originates with Alfred Watkins, who was an amateur archaeologist back in the 1920's. There are lanes in England dotted with stones or landmarks, that were supposedly used for navigation purposes back in ancient times. He then coined the term "ley", partly because of the places in which the lines ran through all had the syllable of ley. The ancient surveyors who made these "ley lines" were given the name "dodmen"(click on "dodmen" to find out more about them.). These lines can still be found in England but a lot of them are overgrown and are hard to find.

       This book will have your head spinning for those of you who get confused with time travel and different realities. It's a wild ride which takes you from modern day London, all the way to ancient Egypt and beyond. As soon as I picked this book up, I was hard pressed to put down again. There are four books so far in this series with the fifth book coming out next year sometime. I have yet to read the fourth one yet but I am so excited to.

 If you are like me and you love an interesting and thrilling tale, you will love this book! I would give this book a 9 out of 10! Leave a comment down below and follow me on Twitter too see what I'm reading, watching and doing!


Peace,
Jake

"Snow White and the Huntsman"

      We all know the story. There's Snow White,  the dashing prince, the huntsman, the evil queen, and of course the seven dwarves. It's a tale filled with magic, true love, and of course another movie where Kristen Stewart has two guys who are in love with her. Spoilers..... Snow White eats a poisoned apple........

     This movie, directed by Rupert Sanders, stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman, Charlize Theron as Ravenna the evil queen, and Sam Claflin as the prince. This movie is a darker tale than the one most people are used to, but it actually has a lot more elements of the original German tale, compiled by the Grimm Brothers. These older fairy tales were not meant to console or entertain children, they were more used to scare children into making good choices and to show the consequences if they didn't make that good choice.

       My favorite character was most definitely Ravenna. The way Charlize Theron brought across the anger, pain, and vanity of her character was absolutely amazing. Now Kristen Stewart was a totally different matter, while I thought she was better in this than in the "Twilight" movies. She had little to no emotion throughout the movie and I think the other actors really carried the movie for her. Chris Hemsworth did a great job with his rough and tough character and Sam Claflin also did a good job, even though his part was pretty small in comparison.

     There is talk of a sequel coming, and most likely a spin off movie with the huntsman as the lead. These types of movies seem all the craze as a live-action Cinderella movie is coming out in 2015. Another live-action Disney princess movie based off of the Sleeping Beauty villain, Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie is also coming out in the summer of 2014.

   This has to be one of my favorite movies of 2012, simply because of Charlize Theron's magnificent acting skills. I would rate this movie a 7.5 out of 10.

  Follow me on twitter @JacobHoffman86 to see what I'm currently reading/watching. Hope you have a good week!

Peace,
Jake

"The Village"

       In the heart of Pennsylvania, in the year 1897 there is a small, mysterious village.  In this village there are three rules; 1. Let the bad color not be seen. It attracts them. 2. Never enter the woods. That is where they wait. 3. Heed the warning bell. They are coming.

     Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this movie stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Adrien Brody, and Sigourney Weaver.  This movie is really good and it has an amazing twist at the end. I don't know why this movie got some bad reviews, but it just goes to show that you shouldn't always listen to the critics.

   This psychological thriller definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you guessing the entire time. This is definitely one of the best M. Night movies I have seen. (I'm just gonna pretend "The Last Airbender" didn't happen!) Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix and Adrien Brody did masterful jobs portraying their characters, they made the story seem real and human.

"The Village" really made me think and I love movies that make you think! Like why was the bad color red? Is it because red is the color often related to hatred, passion, anger, aggression, heat and war, or is it that it is the color of blood. Also, why do the village people who patrol the borders wear yellow? Is it because yellow stands for light and reason or is it because it also stands for visibility and caution. I don't know maybe I'm thinking too deeply about it! Another thing I loved about the movie was how it portrayed that the monsters we create are the monsters our children will fear.

I would highly recommend this to anybody who likes a good psychological thriller. I give this film an 8.5.

Leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Follow me on twitter to get a hint on what next weeks blog is going to be about! https://twitter.com/JacobHoffman86

Peace,
Jake

"Big Fish"

    Edward Bloom told many stories about his life and many of them sounded like tall tales. His son, Will, now must find the truth in the stories he told him before his father dies. From going off to war to finding his true love, "Big Fish" brings you on an emotional journey that makes you laugh and cry.

     Directed by Tim Burton, this movie brings together, Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi and Marion Cotillard. This is an amazing movie with a great cast and a great story, about love and being who you are no matter the circumstances. I love, love love, this movie!

     This movie is based off a novel of the same name by David Wallace. John August, the screenwriter for the film, read the manuscript of the book six months before it was published and brought it to the attention of Columbia pictures who then acquired the rights to make the movie. Steven Spielberg was originally slated to direct the film but he decided to go with "Catch Me If You Can" instead, so they gave the directing job to Tim Burton. This movie held a lot of meaning for Tim Burton as he had just lost his own father in 2000.

      One of my favorite quotes from the film has to be this one said by Edward Bloom, "There's a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny is lost... the ship has sailed and only a fool would continue. Truth is... I've always been a fool." I just love how he never gives up and I love his get it done attitude.

I would recommend this movie very highly. Just know that you may start to cry at the end of it! This definitely goes into my top ten favorite movies. I would rate it 9.5 out 10!

Leave a comment down below and tell me what you think! I would love to hear your feedback! Follow me on twitter @JacobHoffman86 as I will be dropping hints here and there on what I am doing next on my blog!

Peace,
Jake

"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini

   When Eragon, a boy of fifteen who lives with his uncle and cousin, finds a smooth, round stone while he was hunting; he thinks he found something to buy his family meat for the winter. What he doesn't know is, that he holds in his hand one of the last dragon eggs in existence. His simple, normal life comes shattering down around him, and he is thrust into a world of magic and dragons, good and evil. Now he must find it in himself to take up the mantle of the legendary dragon riders and defeat the evil king, Galbatorix, once and for all.

    A big thing for me, when I read a book is that I want to connect to the characters(and dragons too in this case). I want to feel what they feel, their anger, their passion, or their love. Christopher Paolini does a masterful job at doing this with the book and it's other counterparts. The way he describes the places in this fantasy world is amazing. From the deepest cave to the highest mountain, each was described beautifully and made you picture them in your head.

           This book, along with the three others in the saga, is so good that I have actually read the whole entire series about six times! I know crazy, right? The more I read it the more I get out of it and the more I enjoy it! Just so you know there are some pretty amazing plot twist in this series. You were warned!

      Now I know some of you are going "Wait, didn't they make a movie off of this??" Yes, sadly they did make a movie based off this book. Just know that the book is nothing like the movie. Though the movie had some good actors in it such as; Jeremy Irons and Ed Speleers it still had a pretty bad script. I don't care how good the actor is, if the script is bad.... well just look at "Daredevil" to know what I'm talking about.

    I would definitely recommend this book to anybody and everybody!  If I were to rate this book and the series I would give it a solid 9.5! If you want to tell me what you think of this book/movie or if you have any suggestions for book/movies that you want me to review, please comment below! I would love to hear your feedback!

Peace,
Jake

"The Avengers"

© 2012 Marvel LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    When the world is threatened, Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D, assembles a team of superheros to defend the world from its greatest threat yet, the Chitauri. Led by Loki, the Chitauri plan to subjugate the earth using the power of the tesseract, an ancient piece of Norse god technology. Only with the combined might of the Avengers can they hope to defeat the invaders and save the world.

    Directed by Joss Whedon, "The Avengers" brings together Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye in an explosive collaboration of the Marvel franchises. With an all star cast of the ever brilliant Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L. Jackson. That is naming only few members of the amazing cast in this blockbuster film by Marvel.

  Well, sadly this movie is not based on a true story. I know it's such a shock to all of us. What I will tell to those of you who don't know, is that "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" was announced and will come out May 1st, 2015. The cast is already ironed out and sad to say they will not be adding in Ant-Man to the second installment. In the comics the villain in the film, Ultron, was created by Hank Pym, also known as Ant-Man, Giant Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, or Goliath depending on what comics your read. Ant-Man's stand alone film is set to release November 6th, 2015, which will start off "Phase Three" of the Marvel franchise.

  Now, for those of you are wondering what happened to the purple faced guy at the end of the first Avengers, here is that story. First off the purple faced guy's name is Thanos. Thanos is huge character in the Marvel universe but most people who didn't read the comics had no idea who this alien even was. Now you are probably wondering why he isn't going to be in the second avengers movie. Well that's because he is going to be the lead bad guy in the new movie "Guardians of the Galaxy".  There are rumors however that, Thanos is going to be the main bad guy in the third Avengers. I am so psyched for "Guardians of the Galaxy" and it is set for release next year on August the 1st.

  Something that I thought was small but great about this movie, was how they talked about the destruction of the city. I always thought about that in superhero movies, like who pays for all of that. Especially in Man of Steel, I was like wow that's going to take a lot of time money to rebuild, but then its all magically repaired by the next installment. I don't know, maybe its just me.


Peace,
Jake

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

   The Gothic thriller, Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, has to be one of the best written books I have ever read! It is written in the epistolary format, as a series of letters, diary entries, shipping logs, and newspaper clippings. Bram Stoker wrote all of these from either the protagonists point of view or an outside source, such as the newspaper clipping and shipping logs. The events that are portrayed in this book took place in both England and Transylvania.

It all starts when Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, goes to Transylvania to Count Dracula's estate to give legal help for a real-estate transaction overseen by Harker's employer. Soon Mr. Harker is trapped in Dracula's estate and only in a last ditch effort, in which he climbs down a sheer cliff out of his window,  is he then able to make his way back to England. So began this long dark journey, in which he will never be the same again. Then comes the other main characters such as Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker, Jonathan Harker's wife, Lucy Westenra, the first victim of the Count's, then there is Arthur Holmwood, Jack Seward, and Quincey Morris who were all Lucy's suitors. Of course no one can forget Abraham Van Helsing the leader of this motley crew.

  Alright here is some of the back story on Dracula. Dracula is actually a work of fiction with some historical facts mixed in.  Many believe that the idea of "Dracula" came from Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, the king of Wallachia in Transylvania, who is said to have killed anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 Europeans during his reign. Now the meaning of the word Dracula means the son of dracul and dracul means the devil or the dragon. You can easily see where Bram Stoker got his inspiration.

   Now vampire lore had been around for a long time before Bram Stoker ever decided to write Dracula. Back in the 18th century, in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, there was a huge influx of vampire superstition which created a mass hysteria. This hysteria caused some corpses to be staked and for others to be accused of vampirism. The myth that you can't see vampires in the mirror was actually started by Bram Stoker.

 The 20th century started the trend of the vampires who are the tragic heroes. This totally departs from the original myths and superstitions in which vampires where basically the devil incarnate. We have moved into an era where the idea of vampires have become teenage fantasies instead of unspeakable horrors.

 One last nugget of wisdom..... Vampires don't sparkle they burn to ash when the sun touches them. Thank you and goodnight!!

Jake

The First of Many to Come! "Gladiator"

    When the Roman general, Maximus is betrayed and his family murdered by an emperor's corrupt son, he finds himself captured by slave traders and made to fight as a gladiator. He soon proves himself a fierce fighter and is sent to Rome to fight in the Colosseum where he can finally get revenge for his family.
  
    "Gladiator" is directed by the brilliant Ridley Scott who got inspired for the movie by the painting by Jean-Lèon Geròme Pollice Verso. The film stars Russell Crowe as Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, Djimon Hounsou as Juba and Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius . This film has to be my #1 favorite movie of all time! The acting is moving and heartfelt and the music, composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, is beyond genius!
   
     This action packed drama is filled with everything from a sadistic king to government conspiracies to bloody fights in the Colosseum. Joaquin Phoenix does such an amazing job playing Commodus, the mentally unstable king, that it's scary!! While Richard Harris (when I first watched the movie I said  "it's Dumbledore" haha) does a masterful job being Marcus Aurelius, the old king and father of Commodus and Lucilla. While Russell Crowe brings an amazing strength and vulnerability to his character.

    Alright here is some back story on this film. It's actually loosely based on historical events. *Spoilers* Though in the movie Marcus Aurelius was killed by his son Commodus, in real life Marcus died from the plague. Also unlike the movie where Marcus tried to give the throne to Maximus he actually allowed his immoral son to become emperor, even while knowing of his moral faults. Maximus's character is actually fictional though he does hold similarities to Narcissus, who was actually Commodus's killer in real life. 

     Another amazing part of the film was its script written by David Franzoni! My favorite quote from the movie is "What we do in life echoes in eternity". It means that someones action whether they be big or small can and will effect you, those around you and even the world for the rest of your life and beyond. It's about making the right choices and its about dealing with the consequences when you get it wrong. It's about doing something good in the world and not just sitting still waiting for someone else to take a stand.

      I would highly recommend this movie!! Although I wouldn't watch it if you are at all squeamish when it comes to blood and guts..... Its Rated R for intense, graphic combat.

I give this movie a 9.5 out of 10 stars.

Peace,  
Jake