Book Review - Hollywood vs. The Author edited by Stephen Jay Schwartz

I really enjoy hearing people's stories and behind-the-scenes stories of books, movies, and other entertainment. While I hadn't heard of most of these authors, and those I have heard and read their works I didn't like, I still thought this could be an enjoyable read.

Hollywood vs. The Author edited by Stephen Jay Schwartz is a collection of essays by authors and screenwriters about working with Hollywood. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Variety of Experiences.While everyone who contributes and essay is a writer, some are writers of novels, some writers of comics, some writers of short stories, some writers of screenplays, and some have written a combination of the above. Some have had good experiences, and some have had bad experiences. While there are similarities in the stories, no one's story is the same as another. Each gives you new information.

Scope. Some of the stories are about a short period of time involving one project, and some take place over a lot of time and cover several projects. Yet almost each author does a good job of including only the parts of their experience that are important to the story with only a few exceptions.

Information. This book presents a lot of good information and helps explain so much of why we see what we see on the screen and why we don't see other things on the screen.

The Bad

Wining. Most authors have accepted their experiences and moved on. There are a few that use their essay as a "Oh Woe Is Me" moment. Those are obnoxious, but are fortunately few and mostly towards the end.

Author Selection. Most of the contributors to this collection I've never heard of. The few authors that are familiar to me are authors I do not like and I don't think are good writers. Fortunately their essay work is better than their fiction.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I would have enjoyed hearing from a few good writers and known writers, not just lesser knowns and lesser talents.

Overall

Hollywood vs. The Author edited by Stephen Jay Schwartz is a collection of essays by authors and screenwriters about working with Hollywood. While everyone who contributes and essay is a writer, some are writers of novels, some writers of comics, some writers of short stories, some writers of screenplays, and some have written a combination of the above. Some have had good experiences, and some have had bad experiences. While there are similarities in the stories, no one's story is the same as another and most are very interesting. A few writers unfortunately chose to use their essay as a "Oh Woe Is Me" moment trying to elicit sympathy and justify their failure. Most of the contributors to this collection I've never heard of. The few authors that are familiar to me are authors I do not like and I don't think are good writers. Fortunately their essay work is better than their fiction. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford

I really enjoy business books, and I enjoy well written drama. Who knew the two could be combined into one story? I suppose anyone who's read The Goal: A Business Graphic Novel by Eliyahu Goldratt.

The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford is a guide to better IT and implementing DevOps disguised as a workplace drama. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Concept. The idea of exploring better IT practices thru a workplace drama is brilliant. Not only is it interesting, but the value and need for the practices is immediately obvious.

Story. The story is solid. A failing company only has a short amount of time to turn things around or it will cease to be a going concern when and expert is brought in to mentor the one man who is in the best position to save the company. There is plenty of drama, set backs, and successes.

Characters. The characters are so well conceived and developed. They fell like actual people, and they probably are in some companies based on the book reviews.

Information. This book presents really good information, not just about IT practices, but general principles one can apply to any aspect of business or even life. And it doesn't just give you the answer but helps lead you to it.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford is a guide to better IT and implementing DevOps disguised as a workplace drama.The idea of exploring better IT practices thru a workplace drama is brilliant. Not only is it interesting, but the value and need for the practices is immediately obvious. This book presents really good information, not just about IT practices, but general principles one can apply to any aspect of business or even life. And it doesn't just give you the answer but helps lead you to it. The characters are so well conceived and developed. They fell like actual people, and they probably are in some companies based on the book reviews. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Movie Review - Artemis Fowl

 

I had never heard of Artemis Fowl until Disney started advertising the movie. I had no plans to see it in theaters because of the disappointing trailer, but when it showed up on Disney+ I thought, "I suppose it's worth an hour and a half of my time." And it almost was.

Artemis Fowl is a 2020 fantasy film based on a series of books by the same name. It is rated PG for action violence and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Clever Take on Fairies. The movie had a really clever take on the fairy world and it's relation to our world and its use of technology. It was well thought out and explored in a decent amount of detail.

The Bad

Story. There was not a lot of story. A half hour into the film I was still waiting for it to start before I realized this was all there was.

Characters Talking and Standing Around. Most of the film consists of characters standing around and talking. Occasionally something else happens, but the action scenes are few and far between.

No Peril. The main villain is introduced early and seems like a creepy and cool character, but ends up not doing anything but standing around and making threats in a raspy voice.

Climax. I've never seen a film with a smaller climax. I thought it was just the beginning of some big showdown, but no, that was it.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been more story, more peril, more adventure.

Overall

Artemis Fowl is a somewhat entertaining fantasy story for the whole family. It has a really clever take on the world of fairies, their relationship to this world, and their use of steampunk technology that runs on electricity. But the story is very thin with no peril, very little action, characters standing around and talking most of the time, and a quick and simple final conclusion. This felt like a low budget TV movie of the week that was rushed thru production. It's entertaining and has a clever premise, but it needed a lot more content. I give it 3 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

  

 

Movie Review - Top Secret Affair

I like black & white classic films, and it's always fun to discover a new one I'd never even heard of.

Top Secret Affair is a 1957 romantic comedy film. It is unrated and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Story. The story was great. A magazine owner is upset when her candidate doesn't receive a post and sets out to destroy the military man who did only to fall in love with him.

Humor. The movie is funny with a lot of jokes I hadn't heard before and a lot of humor I typically don't see in films.

The Bad

. . .

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Top Secret Affair is a hilarious film about a magazine owner matching wits against a military man who foils her at almost every turn. The humor is great. The romance works. The film is well paced and entertains from start to finish. I give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

 

Movie Review - Illegal

I'm a big fan of black and white classic films. And I think Edward G. Robinson is a great actor. So when my aunt recommended a film with him I'd never heard of, I had to check it out.

Illegal is a 1955 legal drama film. It is unrated and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Story. The story was very strong. A prosecuting attorney finds out a man he sent to the death house was actually innocent, so he becomes a defense attorney.

Took a Different Route. The movie too a few turns I wasn't expecting that were very interesting and helped keep the film interesting.

Humor.While this is a series drama with several deaths, there were some pretty good humorous scenes that were very unexpected but helped add to the film.

The Bad

Ending. I like how the film end, but the final scene was a little too melodramatic for an otherwise serious film.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Illegal is an entertaining legal thriller with a great mix of serious drama and unexpected humor. A prosecuting attorney finds out a man he sent to the death house was actually innocent, so he becomes a defense attorney. The story is strong and the film moves at a good pace. This film is an underappreciated gem. I give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

 

TV Show Review - The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Season 1

I'm a big Jonny Quest fan from his original series in the 60s to his latest exploits with Tom & Jerry. I even have most of his comics.

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Season 1 is a 1996 26-episode season of a 2-season series based on the 1964 series Jonny Quest. It is rated TV-PG and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

The Darkest Fathoms. This is a pirate story with a supernatural feel. It's very intense for an afternoon cartoon.

In the Realm of the Condor. This is a lost city story that has a good idea and good scenes, but is ultimately slow and a little underwhelming.

Rage's Burning Wheel. This is a space mission story that needed to be two parts to fully develop. The story is exciting with real peril.

Manhattan Maneater. This is probably the strongest and most exciting story. It's a dangerous animal hunt story in New York that is very intense. 

East of Zanzibar. This is a natural disaster story where Hadji and Jonny get lost in a big storm that has a great setup but not as much development as it needs.

Ezekiel Rage. This is an origin story of one of the major new villains and is very exciting and intense with a story in the past and one in the present.

Alien in Washington. This is a bit silly but really fun and clever. It involves real aliens and their involvement in the government.

Return of the Anasazi. This is an ancient alien story that has a great set up but needed more work to flesh out.

The Alchemist. This is a story about alchemy that again has a great idea and great set up but needed a little more development.

AMOK. This is a cryptid story that is pretty good but a little slow.

The Spectre of the Pine Barrens. This is  cryptid meets civilization lost in time story about the Declaration of Independence. The idea is really good. The execution a little slow.

Expedition to Khumbu. This is a story about the yeti that is fairly clever and well done. The surprise at the end isn't very surprising. 

Future Rage. This is a really interesting doomsday meets the supernatural story that is really entertaining.

Alligators and Okeechobee Vikings. This story easily ties for the best episode. Vikings live in the Everglades, dress as Alligators, and stop an evil businessman trying to destroy the Everglades.

The Bad

Escape to Questworld. This is a revenge story mixed with virtual reality. The story is weak as is the VR.

Ndovu's Last Journey. This is a story about a dying elephant that is just as boring as it sounds. There is a supernatural element that is a little interesting but predictable. 

Assault on Questworld. This is another revenge story in VR that is better than the first one but still needs more work.

Trouble on the Colorado. This is a sequel to Return of the Anasazi that should have been great,but didn't have enough meat to the story.

In the Wake of the Mary Celeste. This is a ghost ship story that should have been a lot better given the interesting premise.

Besieged in Paradises. This story concerns using whale songs to form and Internet and control them. It's as strange and disappointing as it sounds.   

Heroes. This is a Greek mythology in VR story. It's very boring.  

The Ballad of Belle Bonnet. This is a ghost story that is very predicable and prosaic.  

In the Darkness of the Moon. This a warewolf story that gets too preachy and needs more meat and originality. 

The Secret of the Moai. This is a clever ancient alien story that gets way too silly. 

Ice Will Burn. This is a lost civilization under the ice story that isn't very interesting.

To Bardo and Back. This is a miraculous cure to a paralyzing injury story that is boring and contrived.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I would like to see longer episodes, maybe having some of the stories take two episodes. Several of the stories felt rushed.

Overall

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Season 1 is a fun re-imagining of a classic cartoon. Many of the episodes are well thought out showing real danger, real peril, and realistic action and equipment. There are a lot of aliens, cryptids, and supernatural elements to keep it fun, but all are handled mostly in a believable manner. Several episodes are brilliant while most are entertaining but need work, and a few are real duds. I highly recommend this show and give it 4 out of 5 remotes.

    

  

 

Audiobook Review - Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong

 

I love history. I love mythology and folk tales. I love learning new things. And I love to find books that bring all of these interests together

Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong is a series of lectures about British history, King Arthur, Robin Hood, mythical creatures, and their connections. It is available as an audio book from Audible.

The Good

Lots of Information Packed into a Brief Read. Reading the description and seeing the runtime of this audio book, I wasn't expecting all that much. Boy was I wrong! This book covers so many topics and covers it in an amazing amount of depth and detail I couldn't stop listening.

Conversational Tone. While this book is very scholarly and informative from a content point of view, the presentation feels like a casual conversation with a friend. It's very easy to follow and understand, and very enjoyable.

Relevant Information. I really appreciated how the author picked the most interesting topics to cover and answered common questions that haven't been satisfactorily answered.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong is a fascinating series of lectures about British history, King Arthur, Robin Hood, the Holy Grail, mythical creatures, and the connections between them. This book covers so many topics and covers it in a surprising amount of depth. While this book is very scholarly and informative from a content point of view, the presentation feels like a casual conversation with a friend. It's very easy to follow and understand, and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this audio book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.