Fun
Some Thoughts on Cloud Atlas
Finally finished watching Cloud Atlas. I kind of loved it, mostly because I’m still thinking about it.
It almost demands a 2nd or 3rd viewing. Something I can’t say about any other film I’ve seen this year. I highly recommend the experience, though I can’t promise you’re going to enjoy it (it seems most people didn’t…on a 100 Million dollar budget, it made 27 Million in the U.S. according to IMDB). DO NOT try to watch it and multi-task; look away at the wrong point, and you’ll feel like someone changed the channel, Downton Abbey to Blade Runner, Pirates of the Caribbean to The Americans. Six (really seven) stories told across different times, with a core group of actors playing different versions of the same soul –sometimes in white and yellow face–is a tough pill. The makeup that facilitates these changes is hit or miss (the biggest misses being the racial shifts in the Neo Seoul and Cambridge segments), at times it’s enough to distract. But the beauty of home viewing is the ability to rewind and grab that crucial piece of dialogue you missed when you were thinking, “Halle Berry is one weird looking white lady.”
VERDICT
If you’ve got 3 hours you want to toss at a challenging film, then let this be the film. If your ideal cinematic experience involves shorter, lighter fare then avoid all six (or is it seven?) of these interconnected tales.
Fav Creepy Quote
“The weak are meat, and the strong will eat.”
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Cloud Atlas, Halle Berry, Review, Tom HanksFriday Night Fights: Hulk vs. Kratos
http://twicetheaveragerevenge.tumblr.com
This week’s fight promises to be brutal. Hulk aka “The Strongest There Is” Vs Kratos aka “The Ghost of Sparta” aka “The God Slayer”. Last week’s battle, Batman vs. James Bond, went lopsided on us, with Bats proving the having favorite and victor. But, no more knockouts, folks. This is our first deathmatch (and since both brawlers seem impossible to kill, this could take awhile).
So who takes this one, and why? Let’s get ready to rumble…
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Friday Night Fights, Hulk, Kratos, Lamar GilesFriday Night Fights: Batman vs. 007
Image Courtesy of Wrestlezone.com
Last week I posed an earth shattering question on Facebook. In a fight, decided by a ten-count knockout, who’d win: Spider-Man or Wolverine?
The debate went on for days. While many of the arguments were sound, my friend John pointed out that the fight had been decided more than twenty years ago in the pages of the aptly titled Spider-man vs. Wolverine. Result: Draw.
So, this week, I’m mixing it up a bit. I’m tossing two well-matched opponents from different universes (but with similar psychotic tendencies and equipment) into the ring. That’s right, Bruce Wayne aka Batman VS. James Bond aka 007.
The rules remain the same. This is NOT a deathmatch (saving that for next week’s match up). This is a no holds (or gadgets or cars) barred brawl to see who ends up eating mat. Ding! Ding! Ding! Let’s get it on! Sound off in the comments, on FB, or tag me on Twitter: @LRGiles
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007, Batman, Friday Night Fights, James Bond, Lamar GilesShhhh…(kinda top secret)
Hey gang, just doing my usual drive-by posting. News and updates are going to be coming faster and furious(er?) since FAKE ID debuts in LESS THAN A YEAR!!! It’s been such a long journey that it’s hard to believe we’re so close now. HOWEVER, this post is not about my current project. It’s about my NEXT project.
Can’t give you details yet because it’s still in the classified phase (black bars and all), but here’s a glimpse at how things are progressing.
BTW – Everything’s not blacked out.
More soon…
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books, L.R. Giles, StoryCould Idris Elba be the secret hero in PROMETHEUS?
*SPECULATION WARNING*
I have not seen PROMETHEUS, the latest sci-fi film from Ridley Scott, the director of the classic ALIEN (to which PROMETHEUS is a prequel). Nothing I say here will spoil the movie for you because it is simply conjecture. However, I am basing the thesis of this post on things I’ve observed in the film’s promotional material. And I will be referring to major plot points in ALIEN and its sequels, which could be considered spoilers if you’re the rare person who cares enough to read this and HASN’T seen the film (which came out in 1979…if you claim I spoiled a 32 year old film for you, you really had it coming. Also, in THE SIXTH SENSE, Bruce Willis is actually dead the whole time). Moving on…
courtesy of screenrant.com
So, the question: could Idris Elba be the secret hero in PROMETHEUS? I have no idea, but I think it’d be cool for a few reasons, which I’ll get to in a moment. First, why even ask this question? At best, he’s a blip in the trailer. Blink and you miss him.
In trailer 2 he gets a bit more screen time and we get to hear some line readings, but everything we’ve seen so far leads one to believe that Noomi Rapace is the heroine. She’s top billed*, is the one featured prominently in all the trailers, and she even has a passing resemblance to Sigourney Weaver. Surely, she’s the one who will save us all from whatever threat exists in this film. If not her, then Charlize Theron, or Michael Fassbender, or Guy Pearce, all of whom have played top billed, kick-ass heroes in films before. How in the world does Idris Elba–most noted for his role as Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s The Wire–jump to the head of THAT pack?
My Argument
Sigourney Weaver was NOT the star of ALIEN in 1979 – Ripley was. While featured prominently (though with little context) in the trailer, Sigourney Weaver was not the talent we now know her to be. ALIEN was her first major role. Tom Skerritt, who played Dallas in the film, was top-billed. And, until his unfortunate demise in the film’s second act, was presented as the hero. He’s what audiences of the 70’s would’ve been comfortable with in their sci-fi saviors. The rugged, handsome white guy. In a sense, Ripley was a bait-and-switch. If not for the necessity of a trailer, audiences would’ve been blind to the role this unknown actress would play. Ripley being the one to defeat the alien in the end would’ve been considered a twist. † Given the similarities in the ALIEN and PROMETHEUS promotional materials, I think another bait-and-switch could be in the making. What better twist than for the Ripley-like character to not be as Ripley-like as we’ve been led to believe?
Idris Elba seems to be a non-dumbass in the film, one of the few – Though along for the ride, for whatever reason, Idris’s character is not the one initiating the foolhardy mission of searching for alien life on what looks like a hostile world. In ALIEN and ALIENS, the first two films of the franchise (and the only two I’m willing to discuss because the other two stunk), those insisting on going places they shouldn’t have gone for less than admirable reasons (money, glory, to be ultimate bad asses), turned out to be either villains or casualties. Sometimes both. In both films, Ripley was the cautious individual. The voice of reason. Because of that, she was the only one suited to be hero (also by process of elimination…meaning the aliens eliminating everyone else). Based on the snippets available in the PROMETHEUS trailers and TV spots, Idris plays this same role. He’s the one concerned with contamination, and giving threats access to safe havens. This makes him Ripley-like, more so than Noomi’s character, who seems to be the driving force of this stupid mission.
Why it would be cool if I am right
Because it would mean Ridley Scott’s still got a mean curveball -In a world where whole scripts can leak to the public two years before a movie screens, it’s nice when a director can still surprise us (unless of course you’re reading this, and I’m right, in which case…well…damn it!)
Because Idris Elba is an awesome actor – But Lamar, there are a lot of awesome actors in this movie. Why him?
Because someone scoffed at the idea that Idris Elba might be the secret hero in PROMETHEUS – Before reading one word of my argument, someone out there will see his name and/or picture, and immediately have a negative reaction to the possibility that this actor might be more than Victim #1, 2, or 3 in this film. I’m not saying it’s you. But, is it? There’s so little diversity in entertainment. So few solid roles for minority actors and actresses. Particularly in science-fiction or fantasy films. Hmmm….it reminds me of a time when kick-ass female characters were the exception, not the rule, in those very same genres. That changed when a certain director launched a certain franchise and blew us out of the air lock with a concept that would become normal, then cliche. The Female Action Hero. Is it so hard to fathom that that same director might do something similar when returning to the franchise? I hope so. Because, just as a generation of girls grew up idolizing a female hero who wasn’t scared to face off with a space demon, it would be nice if a generation of boys, who are IGNORED by Hollywood, could cheer for a fearless alien fighter who, for a change, happens to look like them.‡
In Space No One Can Hear You Dream
I grew up watching movies where the guys who look like me often died horribly. Heck, I still watch movies like that. To avoid them would mean avoiding the stories that speak to me more than any others. So I make concessions, and sit through what could be considered genre genocide. We’ve all heard the jokes. ‘The black guy dies first’. That’s not always the case, but (too) often, in situations of peril, a guy with brown skin is no different than a Starship Enterprise crew member in a Red Shirt. I wasn’t always aware of it, but once it came to my attention, it made me sad in ways most people can’t understand (Or, in cases of extreme insensitivity, they write off as an overreaction). I’ve long dreamed of a day when the hero who saves the world, survives the conflict, and gets the girl§ resembles somebody I might see at a family reunion. I don’t really think it plays out the way I would like it to in PROMETHEUS, but I’d settle for Idris Elba getting a Ripley moment, if only for one film. He’s got his whole career to get his due. Sigourney Weaver went on to lead many films with nary an alien in them. I hope the same fate lies ahead for Mr. Elba, who is a fine actor. And if he gets to kick an alien out of an airlock, I hope we see the old trope of “black guy = cannon fodder” go out right along with it.
If you enjoyed this commentary, please share this post through the social media outlet of your choosing and be sure to LIKE my fan page on Facebook. I’m a writer and I need the buzz. Thank you kindly.
*Billing refers to the order in which actors names appear in the credits. The person whose name appears first is top-billed, the star of the production. In situations where a number of big egos stars appear in the same film, credits might be listed alphabetically to avoid any dust ups about who is the bigger prima donna should be billed first.
† I think it was considered a twist. The movie premiered the year I was born, only coming to my attention after Sigourney Weaver was pop-culture icon and “Get away from her you bitch” was one of the most famous lines in the history of cinema. So any opinions/analysis on my part is retrospective. That being said, I can’t think of many other kick-ass female characters from 30+ year old mainstream studio flicks. Thus, this would’ve been surprising in ’79, while we’re all too used to Buffy, and Black Widow, and Trinity here in the 21st century.
‡ If anyone points out Will Smith in the comments, I’m coming to your house and plucking you in the forehead.
§ You may think these three events (wins, survives, gets the girl) happen a lot for minority actors/characters. I could write a whole series of articles on how you’re probably wrong. That’s another discussion.
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Alien, Charlize Theron, diversity, Fantasy, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Prometheus, Red Shirt, Ridley Scoot, Sci-fiHappy Halloween: Costumes Gone Wild
Halloween, it’s not just for candy anymore. Now it’s a legitimate excuse for exhibitionists to wear lingerie in public and call themselves the Raunchy Referee because their underwear has stripes. Not that I’m complaining…
I don’t mean that in a typical guy way (well, maybe a little), but as long as you’re not hurting anyone, I don’t care how much of your treats you want to show off on the scariest night of the year. What I find most interesting about the annual slutty costume phenomena is how weird some of the “sexy versions” are getting. I was in the local costume store the other day and came across the sexy versions of Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees.
Whoa.
My mind started to wander, and I began thinking of future sexy costumes that may follow this trend and become viable options in the future.
- Sexy Bumblebee from the Transformers franchise
- Sexy Sophia from the Golden Girls
- Sexy Opie from Sons of Anarchy
- And many more
Have you seen any weird sexy costumes? Got any suggestions on what next year’s sexy costume should be? Chime in. I’d love to hear from you.
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Costumes, Freddy Krueger, Fun, Halloween, SexyMe + HarperCollins = A HOT Summer 2013
I’ve been waiting a lot of years to say this.
It’s official! Summer 2013…look for my debut Young Adult Thriller (working title: WHISPERTOWN) in bookstores nationwide courtesy of my new publishing family, HarperCollins. It took 3 months to finalize everything and it’s been AGONIZING to not speak publicly about it all. But, I’ve just been given the green light and speak I will.
I’d like to give a special shout out to my incomparable super agent Jamie Weiss Chilton for all her hard work brokering this deal, and I’d like to say thank you to my new editor Phoebe Yeh who I can’t wait to work with. There are a ton of others I owe thanks to because this has been a long, long road, but I’m going to save all that for the acknowledgements page. 😉
Look for more news soon. In the meantime, here’s a little taste of what’s coming…
Nick Pearson is pretending to be someone he isn’t. Not high school pretending. Witness Protection pretending. And the #1 rule is “stay low-key”. But, when his sole friend Eli dies in the school’s journalism room under mysterious circumstances, and Nick stumbles upon the conspiracy Eli planned on exposing, staying low-key takes a backseat to staying alive.
Newspaper Nerd Eli had a secret, an in-the-works story codenamed “Whispertown”. And it’s got a lot of folks interested. Like corrupt cops, the town’s shady mayor, and certain high-ranking government officials. Teaming with Eli’s estranged (and gorgeous) sister, Nick sets out to unravel the mystery and still maintain his cover. He’ll have to use all the deviant skills he’s gained from his racketeering dad, assassin godfather, and their Serbian gangster boss to find the truth. However, each clue brings him closer to answers he may not want. Whispertown is bigger than he could have ever imagined, and in its shadow stands a killer…a killer Nick fears may be his own father.
I’m off to celebrate…later, gang!
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Debut, HarperCollins, L.R. Giles, publishing, Summer 2013, Whispertown, YA ThrillerCalifornia here I come…
I will be in LA for the rest of the week attending the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 40th Anniversary Summer Conference. It’s my first trip to the West Coast and I couldn’t be more excited.
I’ll be posting pictures throughout the weekend to my Facebook Fan Page. “Like” me and tell your friends to “Like” me, too. You can see what sort of silliness I get into over the next few days.
Also, follow me on Twitter (@LRGiles) and keep an eye on the official conference hashtag for a lot of cool stuff from the numerous writers in attendance: #LA11SCBWI
I may blog a bit while I’m there, otherwise I’ll catch you when I’m back in my timezone…
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books, ePublishing, eReader, Fun, Hollywood, L.R. Giles, publishing, SCBWI, TwitterType A Lamar and the Business Card Debacle…
It’s rare that a post can be random and relevant, but that’s kind of what this is. The relevant part involves the trip I’ll be taking later this week to attend the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 40th Anniversary conference in Los Angeles. I’ll get to rub elbows with some industry folks and attend cool and informative workshops, which is always a plus. But, more importantly, I’ll get to meet my very good writer friend Jennifer Bosworth and my Super Agent Jamie Weiss Chilton in person for the very first time (this alone is worth the price of the plane ticket).
Confession: I rarely get excited. It’s like my brain secrets Prozac, I’m so even keel. However, this trip excites me. It’ll be my first time on the west coast, and I can’t wait to see LA for myself. I’m from Virginia and the farthest west I’ve been is Texas…all I know about LA comes from ENTOURAGE and KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS. My only regret is that my wife can’t make this trip with me, but she’s demanded that I bring her back something “decidedly LA”. I’m thinking a jar of smog.
That was your dose for relevant, time for the random…
I’m a Type A all the way, an obsessive PLANNER. So, uncharacteristically, I made a misstep in my conference prep. See, it’s good protocol to have business cards with you when you attend these things because you meet so many people there’s no way to keep everyone straight in your head. And I have A METRIC TON of business cards already. The problem: the cards are specific to my Indie Pubbed adult paranormal novel LIVE AGAIN, which maybe doesn’t matter too much, but it’s not the impression I necessarily want to make at conference centered around books for children and young adults. This didn’t occur to me until Thursday night, exactly 1 week before I get on a westbound plane.
The Type A in me panicked. While all of my relevant contact info was on the LIVE AGAIN business cards, I’d simply be MORTIFIED to hand those out at SCBWI…it’d be like, I don’t know, wearing white after Labor Day. I needed something representative of my young adult work. Since graphic design is a hobby I’ve dabbled in for the last two years, I got the bright idea that I would DESIGN A NEW BUSINESS CARD IN ONE HOUR, so I could make a rush order with Vista Print and get new cards before I leave.
If you’re a planner, too, you probably already see what’s wrong here…
It was close to midnight when I started my ambitious design project. I’d been up since 5 AM. I discovered SLEEP-DEPRIVED DESIGNING is kind of like DRUNK DIALING YOUR EX…you wake up the next day with one thing and one thing only on your mind, “What the hell did I do?”
I completed my design, all with a snazzy, unique color palette (not the problem), and this cool little ink-in-water accent along the bottom left to highlight all my social media logos (not the problem). I even added a custom logo (problem).
The logo I’d been working on was meant to represent a character I’d created for a YA project. It’s essentially the silhouette of a guy wearing these big ’80’s style headphones because the character was really into music. I got the basic logo from istockphoto and planned to tweak it (which I never got around to) so I could throw it on some promotional stuff. Really, there’s nothing wrong with the idea on paper. The problem comes in when you consider the following (something my sleep addled mind was not able to do…at the time it seemed like the best idea ever, freaking award-worthy):
1) The character changed, and music isn’t as big a part of his makeup as it used to be. The headphones are insignificant now.
2) I can’t say too much about this project yet. And I can’t say WHY I can’t say much about this project yet.
3) Since the character changed, and I’m not supposed to discuss him too much, the logo is meaningless. It’s like painting a Pepsi logo on a prehistoric rock for the dinosaurs to stare out.
4) This is the worst part – It’s a kid wearing BIG ASS HEADPHONES. That doesn’t exactly scream WRITER. It screams DJ!!!!!
And I paid fifty bucks to get my new DJ business cards in time for my WRITER’S conference. <Insert Joke Here>.
So if you happen to be at SCBWI next week and you’re looking for me, I’ll be the guy saying, “Hi, I’m Lamar. I’m a writer…but I also do weddings.”
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business cards, conferences, DJ, L.R. Giles, SCBWI, Type A, Writer, Young AdultGo On Girl! Book of the Month – LIVE AGAIN
The Go On Girl! Book Club has selected LIVE AGAIN as their Book of the Month selection for July.
I spent time with the ladies of GoG! in May at their annual conference and it was incredible. Not only did they give me total red carpet treatment, but they honored and humbled me by showing so much love for my book.
Thanks Go On Girl! I hope you all enjoy reading Live Again as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If anyone out there cares to read along with the ladies of GoG! this month, you can purchase paperback copies of Live Again from Mahogany Books (GoG’s official bookseller), or you can get digital copies for you preferred eReader by following the links on this site.