Movie Review: Advanced Screening of Oblivion

Picture from OblivionMovie.com

 

Title: Oblivion by Joseph Kosinski
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Producer's: Joseph Kosinski, Peter Chernin, Ryan Kavanaugh, Dylan Clark, Barry Levine
Screenplay: Joseph Kosinski, William Monahan, Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt
Music: M83
Release Date: April 19, 2013
Age Range: PG-13
Content: Sci-Fi action, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity
For more information about the movie, visit the official site Here

Our Thoughts:

     Let me start out by saying that Oblivion was awesome!  Last night we went to an early screening of Oblivion, and I have to say that I really like this movie.  Before it actually started, fun facts about the movie rolled across the screen.  Like how Tom Cruise did all of his stunts, and that he has a motorcycle and pilot license.  As well as the fact that they filmed part of the movie at the Empire State Building.  How cool that must have been for the people visiting at the time of filming.  Also before the movie we found out that it was filmed with a brand new camera that was basically right off the production line, “the Sony CineAlta f65 Camera.”  How cool is that?  Oblivion is also the first time that Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman have worked together in a movie, and I have to say neither of their performance’s disappointed. 

     The world building was evident throughout the movie, and the shots were visually stunning to watch.  The plot follows Jack Harper, a Drone mechanic, as he lives his life flying around a desolated earth fixing broken Drones.  Soon, trouble arises, as his world begins to fall apart piece-by-piece.  Honestly, I was a little confused at first, but as the movie got further and further in, I began to understand the intricately woven mystery surrounding what really happened to earth.  It wasn’t until Jack realized it that I fully understood what was happening.  Oblivion is an action-packed post-apocalyptic joy ride, perfectly formatted for the IMAX screen.    

     And of course after the movie we got to see a live Q&A broadcasted from the New York premier of Oblivion.  The Q&A was priceless.  Some of Tom Cruise’s answers were hilarious, but I do have to agree with him.  The Bubble Ships were awesome, and it was interesting to know that some of the best car designers worked on the design for it.  The Q&A also revealed that very little of the movie was actually green screened.  The beautiful shots of the clouds were actual takes collected by positioning a camera above a volcano in Hawaii.  M83 did a wonderful job on the score for Oblivion, and it added the perfect touch to the film. 

      To say that this was only the second film directed by Kosinski, his creativity and world building were amazing.  I was so pleased with Oblivion, and I can only hope that Joseph Kosinski has a prequel or sequel in the works.  I am curious to see how the world got to the state that it was in.  I can only hope that the visuals of Kosinski’s future movies are just as captivating. This one is a must see.

Thank you to Universal Pictures for the Advanced Screening Passes!
Review written by Andrea & Breana M.

I absolutely loved it.  I would recommend it to everyone.

 

Other fun acts from the screen & off the screen:

Joseph Kosinski’s directorial movie debut was Tron: Legacy
Oblivion is the 37^th film Tom Cruise has acted in.
Oblivion is based off an unreleased Graphic novel by Joseph Kosinski & Arvid Nelson

Check out the trailer below:

ARC Review: Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino

Title:  Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace (Click on title link for synopsis)
Author: Nan Marino
Source/Format:  Publisher/Bound ARC
Publisher/Publication Date: Roaring Brook Press/April 16, 2013
Age Range: 8-12

My Thoughts:

    I really liked Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino. It was more than just a story about secrets and a famous young musician who was hiding out in a small town. Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace is a pleasant fictional middle grade story of Elvis, a musical prodigy, who wants to appear to be an ordinary boy as he hides "from the paparazzi," and Cecilia, an 11 year old girl, who wishes that she is more popular. There are stark differences between Elvis and Cecilia. One was musically inclined while the other was not. One was famous while the other was unpopular. Both characters just wanted to find a place to fit in and meet the expectations of others. Together they grew and found out a little more about themselves. I liked the fact that although Elvis and Cecilia were from different worlds, they seemed to be dealing with similar issues.  Also, it was nice to see how the characters evolved as they came to terms with who they really were.

     Overall, Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace is an easy read. The characters are enjoyable and realistic. I liked the story because there is a great lesson to be learned. At first, the significance of the separate chapters pertaining to the Jersey Devil legend was puzzling, but when the overall lesson to be learned was revealed, I understood exactly why the legend was included. This is a great book to share with your children as you teach them about the importance of being themselves and not falling victim to trying to become who or what others say they are.

I received a bound ARC of Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino from the publisher for an unbiased review. Thank you.

 

I really liked it. I would recommend it.

 

 

My Thoughts: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Click title for Synopsis)

Source/Format: Won, Paperback

Age Range: YA

Publisher/Publication Date: HarperCollins, October 2, 2011

My Thoughts:

     Originally, I’d heard lots of good things about Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi around the web—good reviews, good comments on twitter, etc..  But when I finally got around to reading it, I was kind of disappointed.  It’s not that it was the most horrible book in the world, it’s just that there were some things it could have done without.  All the crossed out sentences, really, it made the book tough to read.  Sometimes there were three or more sentences crossed out on one page.  It was so often that it made my eyes hurt.  Also, I find it kind of odd that all of the detailed explanations/thoughts were the ones that got crossed out, only to be restated in a simplified—often one-word—explanation.  On top of that, I didn’t get the whole thing where the sentence would start on one line, and then there was one word after that—not even capitalized—and then four or more one-word lines later the sentence would finally end.  What?  So, it pains me to say it, but I did not finish this book. Will I be getting the second book in the series? No.

 

DNF (Did Not Finish)

MOVIE, BOOK, OR BOTH: Review of The Host by Stephanie Meyer (Novel) and Andrew Niccol (Screenplay)

Title: The Host (Movie, 2013)

Director:  Andrew Niccol

Writers: Stephanie Meyer (Novel) and Andrew Niccol (Screenplay)

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Attended an Open Roads Films Advance Screening of the Host
Rating/Review Originally Posted March 24, 2013 at The Host | gofobo

My Thoughts Regarding the Movie

I saw an advance screening of The Host. It was a good sci-fi/love story that focused on the power of love; although, it was slow paced. As a result of the inner conflict between Melanie and Wanderer, it was often humorous. There were some exciting and intense moments, but it didn’t have as much action as I expected. And I was a little disappointed in the portrayal of the resistance. I was also left with questions regarding how a “soul” took over the first host’s body and am now reading the book in hopes that it will clarify some of my unanswered questions.

For more information about the movie please click on the following link: The Host (2013) Official Website

Title: The Host: A Novel (Click on the link for the synopsis)
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown and Company, May 6, 2008
Source/Format:  Borrowed from Library, Hardback 

My Thoughts Regarding the Differences Between the Movie and Book

Okay, I finally read The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Now that I've read the book, I really like the story. I only wish that the movie was longer and provided the details found in the book. There were slight differences between the book and the movie. The book reveals how the first soul was implanted and I wish that the movie would have included this information. Also, I now get that the “souls” and the people were suffering from ignorance in the beginning. They did not understand each others’ worlds. The people of the resistance considered the aliens parasitic evil entities, and the aliens thought that the human race was evil.  As a remedy to the problems  on earth the aliens inhabited people’s bodies and attempted to create a sort of utopia.  But once the utopia was being created, I failed to understand what they, the aliens, had done differently. The aliens had biased viewpoints and chased people to their death to take over their bodies, because people weren’t deserving of the world they inhabited. But the real question I had was: Were their ways superior?

Most of the movie was similar to the book. However, the initial reservations I had about The Host (Movie) were a result of some of the adaptations. For instance, in the movie there was a scene in which members of the resistance were being pursued and they just seemed to give up without a fight. Yeah, at times the members of the resistance in the book appeared weak, but they didn’t act as hastily as they did in the movie. Meyer’s provided details regarding how Jared, one of Melanie’s/Wanderer’s love interests, knew that Melanie lived on in Wanderer’s head; whereas, the movies depiction of the same scene evoked laughter. Also the dialogue between Wanderer and Melanie seemed humorous in the movie; whereas some of their conflicts were serious in the book. And it was through these inner conflicts that Wanderer learned of Melanie’s love for her people and reconsidered her stance on the souls invasion of earth.

Now that I have read the book, I can say that I really liked The Host by Stephanie Meyer. If you're considering seeing the movie, I recommend reading the book at some point. Although there weren’t many changes in the movie adaptation, there were enough to influence my opinion of the overall storyline. Initially, the trailer had me expecting a lot of action, which left me slightly disappointed with the movie. However, after reading the book, I realized that this was the story of two worlds coming together against all odds. And it was Melanie’s and Wanderer’s love of their native lands that tested the fallacies held by the people and aliens of their worlds. It just makes one think….What would you do for the things and the people that you love?

I really like it.  I would recommend it.

 

Cover Reveal: Tremble by Jus Accardo



    Thank you to Entangled Publishing for letting us reveal the cover of Jus Accardo's Tremble, the third book in the Denazen series.   So, before you get to the awesome cover below, check out the synopsis for this book:

Synopsis

 

Dez Cross has problems. She’s almost eighteen and on the verge of losing her mind thanks to the drug the Denazen corporation used to enhance her abilities. People close to her have turned their backs on the underground and are now fighting for the wrong side. And then there’s Kale... Things couldn’t get any worse.

Until, of course, they do. Denazen is about to start a new trial—this one called Domination—and it works. But that means out with the old and in with the new. The order has been given to terminate all remnants of the second trial—including Dez. The good news is that there’s a survivor from the original trial. A woman whose blood may hold the cure for the second generation of Supremacy kids' defects. But the underground Sixes aren’t the only ones who know about her.

Dez's father is willing to throw away everything he has to keep Dez from getting the cure—including the one thing that might tear her apart from the inside out.

 

    

And now for the cover...

 

 

  

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         Here it is the cover for Tremble!

 

                                                   

Nice, isn't it?  Yeah, I've got to say that I really do like this cover.  Paired with the awesome synopsis, well, i'm now going to run off and put this one on my TBR list.  Now on to what you really came for, the EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT, which you will find below.  So, keep scrolling. 

 

Exclusive Excerpt

“I told them you wouldn’t come alone. Yet here you are,” Kale’s dark voice said from the doorway. “You’re an odd one.”

“You don’t realize it, but coming from you, that’s kinda funny,” I said, swallowing hard and turning to face him. The light from the hall lit the entire right side of his face, leaving the left cloaked in darkness. Two sides of the same dangerous coin. I wanted to back away but resisted, meeting his gaze straight on. My Kale was in there somewhere—and he could sense weakness. “Did you kill her?”


            “She’s dead.”

            
“I figured as much,” I said, jaw tense. Another step closer. “But I’m asking if you did it.”

            He cocked his head to the left and I could see his expression. Confusion. “You asked the same thing about the other girl. Why does it matter?”

            “Because it does. It matters to you, too. You just don’t remember.”

            He took another step. Inches. He was inches from me now, the warmth from his body radiating like the sun. Every one of my muscles plunged into an all-out war with my heart. Common sense screamed for me to match his steps forward with ones away. Keep your distance—he’s dangerous!

My heart wanted to move closer. I wanted this to all be nothing more than a bad dream.

            “I feel like...when I look at you—” He shook his head and placed a hand on either side of me, up against the mattress, and brought his face close to mine. For the longest moment all he did was stare. When he did speak, there was so much rage in his voice. “You stabbed me. When that didn’t do the trick, you pushed me from the bridge. I’m asking you why?”

            “I never did that, Kale. No one’s ever pushed you from a bridge as far as I know. I promise. As for the scar, yeah. You were stabbed. Alex did it.”

            “You’re lying, Kiernan.”

            “I’m not. And my name is Dez,” I said, voice cracking under the weight of his words. “Deznee.” I wasn’t ready to give up, so I went with what had always worked for me. Something insane.

            Pushing forward, I crushed my lips to his, wrapping both arms around his neck to lock him in place. He didn’t resist and, to my surprise, didn’t shove me away. Instead, after a moment, he responded, his lips moving fervently with mine.

            The kiss only lasted a few moments. I was the one who broke it, pulling away as the clouds passed, allowing the moonlight to shine through the bedroom window once again. For a second, neither of us said a word. His cheeks glistened with my tears, making it look like he’d been crying, too, as he stared—eyes wide and mouth agape—like he’d never seen me before.

            For a crazy, insane moment, time froze. I thought maybe the kiss had done the trick. That this time the princess had woken the prince. He looked at me with a mix of shock and awe, the tiniest hint of my Kale gleamed through. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else. It was there. I could see the spark in his eyes. “Kale?”

            But it didn’t last. Or maybe it hadn’t been there at all. Maybe I wanted to see it so badly that I imagined the whole thing.

            His lips parted and the corners tilted upward just a hair. “Roz is right. You are crazy.”

 

Find Jus Accardo

 

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Find Tremble

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Author Bio
 

     Jus Accardo spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her path lay with fiction, not food, and passed on the spot to pursue writing. Jus is the bestselling author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch was released in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is currently working on the next book in the Denazen series.