Final Statement

     Kwaidan is a collection of japanese ghost stories that are slow moving, interesting, and very creepy. These stories are a lot different from american ghost stories mainly because they are not about the shock factor for example some crazy killer jumping out and trying to cut your head off is not what j horror is about. Kwaidan is all about the environment it puts you in and these stories like to build up the suspense and truly scare you. These stories tend to go into detailed back story of the characters and the environment. The intension of the slow moving aspect of these stories are to bring you into the story like you are experiencing what these characters are feeling and going through in order to be scared at the big moment at the end of the story. Some of the stories are better than others but all together they are truly scary in the fact that they don't try to shock you they make you think and literally creep you out. I enjoyed Kwaidan mainly because it was completely different for american ghost stories and it was not based on the surprise aspect of american horror or the ghost in the haunted house kind of story. For me the cultural aspects of these stories interest me alot more than american stories and are far more original and interesting in my opinion. The stories get into your head and describe things you would not think to be necessary but emirs you in the environment.The story line makes kwaidan much more scary than i expected. I really enjoyed this book and am now a fan of  J-horror.

     My final statement for this class is only positive. I was very excited and interested to take this class mainly because I enjoy science fiction, horror, and fantasy. With this class it broadend my horizons on movies and books in all genres that we discussed. I feel the blog was a nice way of disscusion and reflection but I myself enjoyed in class discussions more. I enjoyed having disscusions in class the most for the simple fact that we were not just talking about the reading we were talking about so much more. Overall I enjoyed the class and I am more educated in the worlds of scfy,fantasy, and horror. I will defenitly continue to find new material to read and watch in the future I think its safe to say I like science fiction, fantasy, and horror even more now that I have taken this class.

     

Star Wars

What can I say about Star Wars other than it is my favorite series of movies. The term space opera is the best way to describe what Star Wars embodies. Epic battle scenes, light sabers, and space ships are not the only aspects of this epic journey that makes it great. There are races in the world of star wars that are seen in the movie for a short period of time that still have a great back story and information. Every detail in star wars is addressed with more than the minimum. The aspects of star wars that make it the most interesting are the small details that immerse you in the environments you are thrown in to. What makes star wars the most interesting for me is that it is about those two little droids C3P0 and R2D2 and how they see the world. They are not seen as the main characters because in a sense you and those two little droids are you the viewer. The way I see star wars is there is so much more to be explored than good versus evil and the Luke I am your father. The subtext is what makes star wars what it is without the attention to detail star wars would be another science fiction movie and not the epic space opera that this great series became and will forever be known as the greatest scfy movie of all time. In my opinion star wars may have a lot of parodies about it but that does not change the fact that this story was made into three movies and then prequels were made and there are still many questions being asked about what has happened in these epic stories. That is the beauty of star wars even after the movies there is still that sense of more information it does not end with the movies. Whether you liked the movies or not it has affected or influenced you in some way. It is such a big part of pop culture that it has been used in TV shows as well as other films, science fiction or not, star wars is apart of cinema and the people who make it and watch it. Star Wars is a story that is as long or longer than human history. This is what makes star wars this is what started the space opera this is what we thing about when we in vision other galaxies. Star Wars is my favorite movie and whether you have seen it, have not seen it, love it, or hate it you know of Star Wars.

Avatar

Avatar is a science fiction that changed the way we look at movies. It is a visual masterpiece in the simple fact that you feel like Pandora is real and you are there. Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine, has just found out his brother was killed and decides to take his mission to Pandora. He is part of the avatar project were he is able to link into an avatar body that looks like the native people of Pandora the Na'vi. The humans want to mine the planet for a special material known as unuptanium. If jake gets the natives to move and let the mining begin he will get his legs back. He ends up gaining the natives trust him and he ends up becoming apart of the tribe. He ends up falling for one of the natives, Neytiri, and helps the Na'vi fight back against the humans and keeping pandora safe. At the end of the movie you see a ceremony were jakes avatar body and his human body are linked and he ends up being transfered into his avatar body for good. The visual effects in this movie were stunning and the environments and the characters were absolutey outstanding. The story was pretty good but there was one thing that troubled me about it. If you have seen Pocahontas you know what I mean. Avatar is Pocahontas with blue aliens and spaceships. The only complaint I have about this movie is the the stroy mainly because it has been addressed in many other ocassions, like Pocahontas, but that is the only aspect of the movie that I thought could be explored more. Overall the way this movie was done was amazing with breath taking landscapes of pandora, the space crafts, the mech units, the characters, and the wildlife of the crazy planet of Pandora makes Avatar a great scfi flick that will blow you away. Avatar has become one of my favorite syfy movies.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2pZ0SC/forum.yesbutnobutyes.com/assets_c/2010/01/avatar_cam-10649.html

The Media in five years

     From what is happening now the media is trying to control the masses or make them think that nothing is wrong and if something goes wrong they have a ll the solutions. The media is slowly creeping towards total control of the masses. I would like to quote a hip hop artist Immortal Technique from his song The 4th Branch where he says "the 4th branch of government A.K.A. the media." You see aspects of control even in pop culture now with fashion and celebrities telling what to wear, listen, two, and watch. In my opinion the media in five years most likely will be close to trying to control many aspects of our lives in five years or less. Right now the sense of control is subtle but in five years I think it will be that the media will tell us what to do for almost every aspect of our lives.

     In fifteen years who knows what the media will be like and who knows what the whole world will be like. The rate that it's going now it could go two ways. One way is that there is a event that takes place, a threat to our national security, that gives the government control over everything and tells us everything that we do such as eating, working, sleeping, living. The other direction it could go is there is an event that does the complete opposite. There is no media no news and things just happen and no one nows about it people fending for themselves. This would most likely be a revolt of the people and they take over and the cycle continues. Another way is that nothing changes and the media is still the way it is today no one knows what is going to happen. Its the question that everyone asks what if?

     In 50 years I don't have the slightest idea of what's going to happen to this planet let alone the media. If i had to say something I would say by now with what is going on the media would control us. It would tell us what to do in every single aspect of our lives. In my opinion it would become what science fiction has been portraying with controlling governments and evil empires since its beginning. Who knows what will happen to the media in 50 years who knows if there will be a society or even a place to call home. It all depends on the actions of the people.

    

 

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(Movie)

The Two Towers is the second movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson. The story begins with a flashback to the first movie were Gandalf is fighting the Balrog in a free fall till they hit the bottom of the cave then you see Frodo wake up as though it was a dream. The fellowship has broken up and Saurons army has become very powerful and almost unstopable. Boromir has died, Merry and Pippin have been captured, Frodo and Sam make their way toward Mordor, and Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are tracking down Merry and Pippin. A lot of new characters good and bad come into the picture in the two towers. Some new characters are Faramir, Boromirs younger brother, Tree Beard, King Theodin, Gandalf the White, you finally get to see who Gollum really is and find out he use to be a hobbit named Smeagle. Since the fellowship is broken up you really get to see the emotional and physical journeys each character goes through. Through the countless battles, long journeys, and the beginning of the war to save Middle Earth you see a tremendous amount of will power to save the people and the places they love. This movie was a visual masterpiece with the beautiful shots of the landscapes, battle scenes, costumes and creatures. The way the story enter-twines all the individual stories of the characters along with the beautiful shots gives this movie many moods and feelings as the story progresses. The Two Towers ends with a victory at helms deep and Sauron is locked away in his tower, but the battle to save their lives and their home has just begun. The Two Towers is a great movie that is full of great visual effects, a great story, and tones of action and raw emotion. Overall The Two Towers is one of my favorite fantasy movies and my favorite out of the Lord of the Rings series.

american gods

American Gods is a story about the gods new and old and how the older ones are vanishing. This story goes into the aspects of the lives of gods what they go through in a sense the classes of gods. There are struggles between the gods the older gods are dying out mainly because people don't believe in them anymore they die when they are completely forgotten. Mr. Wednesday or Odin is trying to get the old gods to fight against the new gods who are reincarnations of the internet, cell phone, and television. In a sense American Gods is a power struggle between the old school and the new school. These Gods live amongst mortals hiding in plain site watching over us and struggling to stay alive and be remembered. American Gods an interesting view on the Gods new and old. The imagery of the new gods is different but it makes the story enjoyable I liked the story it was a different take on the mythological realm of the gods. "And then one day they forget about you, and they don't believe in you, and they don't sacrifice, and they don't care, and the next thing you know you're running a three-card monte game on the corner of Broadway and Forty-third."  

The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass is a book that is full of great fantasy characteristics. Armored bears, "daemons", strange substances called Dust, and an organization that wants to control everything. The plot is pretty interesting with the main character Lyra leaving the college where she lives and going on an adventure to find out what is happening to the children getting kidnapped by the gobblers as well as her curiosity about "Dust". She meets many interesting characters along the way like an exiled armored bar, Gyptians, and a cowboy with a balloon. She obtains a golden compass which is know as a alethiometer. It is a device that is used to see into the past, present, and future. She finds out that the gobblers are taking kids to separate them from their daemons known as intercision. She helps the children escape and finds out Lord Azriel is being held captive by the armored bears and Lyra goes to save him with the help of the armed bear Byrnison. She convinces the king of the bears that she can be his daemon and he challenges Byrnison for his kingship and the right to have Lyra as his daemon. Byrnison kills Lofur the other armored bear and Lyra save Azriel. After Lyra and Byrnison follow Azriel to a new world. With all the fantastic environments and creatures The Golden Compass was a classic story of good versus evil with some hints on christianity. The head masters of the college that Lyra lives at have many similarities to the church with the way they present themselves as well as the fact that they want to push their morals and ethics on to the masses and to show them that their way is the only way. The Golden Compass is a pretty nice story it kept me intrested, especially the parts with polar bears, all and all it was a good story.  

The Hobbit

The Hobbit a story of hobbits, wizards, trolls, dwarfs and dragons a great fantasy novel. This is the beginning of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and introduces you into a world of fantasy and adventure. The story begins in Bilbos hole at bag end and the wizard Gandalf who persuades him to go on an adventure to reclaim the dwarfs treasure from the evil dragon Smaug. The journey is full of danger with trolls and goblins capturing Billbo and a disgusting creature named Gollum who wants to eat him because he stole his ring. Bilbo sneaks into the mountain which Smaug lives and he reveals his weakness which is under his scales near his heart. Bilbo steals a golden cup from Smaugs cave and becomes furious to burn lake town to the ground but Bard the archer knows his weakness and slays the dragon. After the dragon is slane an army of goblins march on the mountain and the elves, dwarfs, and men of lake town and Mirkwood join together to defeat them and Beorn and the eagles help them defeat the goblins. After the great adventure bilbo returns to his home with Gandalf and continues to live his life with the familiar comforts of home. The Hobbit was a very good fantasy story it was not one of my favorites but it was a nice beginning to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Overall The Hobbit was a very good fantasy novel that kept me interested and want to keep reading.

Kwaidan

Kwaidan is a collection of japanese ghost stories that are slow moving, interesting, and very creepy. These stories are a lot different from american ghost stories mainly because they are not about the shock factor for example some crazy killer jumping out at you trying to cut your head off. Kwaidan is all about the environment it puts you in and these stories like to build up the suspense and truly scare you. These stories tend to go into detail about the back story of the characters and the environment that you are placed in. The intension of the slow moving aspect of these stories are to bring you into the story like you are experiencing what these characters are feeling and going through in order to really feel and be scared at the big moment at the end. Some of the stories are better than others but all together they are truly scary in the fact that they don't scare you for the shock factor they make you think and literally creep you out. I enjoyed Kwaidan mainly because it was completely different for american ghost stories and it was not based on the surprise aspect of american horror. For me the cultural aspects of these stories interest me alot more than american stories and are far more original and interesting in my opinion. The stories get into your head and describe things you would not think to be necessary but emirs you in the environment and story line and it makes kwaidan much more scary than i expected. I really enjoyed this book and am now a fan of J-horror.

Vampires and stuff.

I am not the biggest fan of vampires but Interview with the Vampire is a good story. In a sense it is an interview with a vampire, Louis, who has been alive for 200 years. Louis was a plantation owner in New Orleans who had lost his wife and unborn child and has lost the will to live until he encounters a vampire, Lestat, and he becomes a Vampire. Louis is depressed until he meets and turns a little girl named Claudia and considered her his daughter. I enjoy this story mainly because it goes between Louis life from the beginning of his vampire life to him talking about it with the journalist interviewing him. Some of the aspects that all vampires deal with is the sexual tension between themselves and there victims as well as turning people into vampires whether they are full grown person or a child. It is not a sexual thrill they get out of it it is more it is a feeling of ecstasy and pure satisfaction. For Louis it is a necessary evil and he has trouble killing people because he is attached to his former human life. This story does not go through a lot of details of what a vampires traits are but the psychology of what it is like to be immortal and not change. This is not a vampire story about sucking blood and killing people it is about the aspects of what it is like to be a vampire struggling to have a family, emotions, and dealing with immortality. This interview is more than just a conversation between two people. This is a vampire movie that does not feel like a story about vampires because it goes into aspects not explored in this genre and it is done in a very gripping and interesting way. Interview with the Vampire gets a thumbs up from me it is a take on vampires that I would like to see more in this genre.

Monster Island

     This novel takes place in an over run New York City one month after a global disaster making the dead come back to life. The most know parts of the world fall first and the only places that are safe are full of ruthless people who armed and dangerous, for example Somalia. Monster Island tells the story of Gary, a man who is a zombie that has the same tendencies as his brainless zombified brethren but is able to keep some of his humanity. The other story is of Dekalb, a UN weapons inspector, and a group of school girls who have a lot of guns in Somalia were they need to find medicine that they desperately need.
     I really enjoyed reading this novel it was similar to reading a zombie movie. the book kept you reading and it was never really dull. there were many different kinds of zombies there were not just crazy decayed flesh people all over the place but there were a good amount of them throughout the book. my favorite character was Gary for the simple fact that he was a zombie but was not completely devoured by his cravings. Over all with the intertwining of both stories and the survival aspects and flesh eating zombies it was a good book. I can say now that i am a fan of Zombie movies and Zombie novels.

BRAINS!

Frankenstein

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is classic story of the creator and his creation. To me this is a story of a father and a son. Frankenstein created a monster and is scared of it and all this monster wants is to be accepted by the world. Frankenstein is more along the lines of a bad father mainly because he is ashamed of his "son" and refuses to take responsibility and teach him. The wretch as they call frankensteins monster is similar to a teen. All I want is to be accepted, no one likes me the list goes on. The story of frankenstein is that of a relationship gone completely wrong between creator and creation. This may be the birth of science fiction but it was not that interesting to me there was to much emotion and drama not enough monster terrorizing people. The story was a dramatic one with the lose of family members and frankenstein becoming ill, as well as his creation on the loos but it lacked what i thought frankensteins monster would be, a crazy monster. Frankenstein was good but my expectations were higher.