Green Monster

Well I tried to send Blue Monster a film, but he is now hiding from me. Which is odd as I am milder than mild and not scary at all 🙁 I left the film on his door step and I think I shall send him the latest book I’ve read as well.

Here is the review.

The Eye of the World: Book One of the Wheel of Time – A book review

Though this book is a heavy tome of the sort now expected for fantasy, it was a compelling read – drawing the reader on the quest which lays ahead.

Initially it was hard to get into, as there was a whole culture and history of the world to absorb, but after the first 50 pages the story crackled to life and I was hooked.

The story was full of the struggle between good and evil and the difference between that andpercieved good and evil. With a devil type Lord of the Dark trying to break out of his prison and his monsters chasing the heroes, who happen to be a group of teenagers from a small farming community.

Confusion and the personal developement of these youths into the fulfillers of prophocy ensues! Each discovers with pain and angst – and maybe a bit of pride – their place within the pattern the wheel of time spins.

A believable world full of societies that have evolved to fit their situation – I finished book one, and am desperate to read book two, but I do actually need to do other things so am glad I do not yet have a copy.

I’m feeling a bit silly and embarrassed, so I am thinking I might become a hermit anyway. After Blue scared me I hid away and Red and Yellow came round and I fed them lots of yummy food I’d spent all afternoon preparing; but then Blue monster turned up and got annoyed that we were having a party without him.

I sort of paniced and locked myself in the toliet and the he started crying and I felt bad – and then I remembered Yellow’s story about loo-roll-eating monsters and thought that perhaps the toliet wasn’t the safest of places.

I came out to find Red and Yellow trying to bundle the sobbing Blue out of the house. I’m now thinking that perhaps I should have invited him to the nibbles and drinks even though I’m scared of him.

I think I’ll send him a nice film to watch – maybe the one I watched last night. I have writen a review of it for you all – here it is:

The Iron Giant – A film Review

This Warner brothers projection is based on the book……. which happens to be one of my childhood favourites and, just like the book, made me cry.

It also had a laid back sense of humour, not all of which would have been obvious to children watching.

The animation style has a funk that matches the time period it is based in, with private eyes and beatnick artists.

It had me laughing until my ribs hurt in places – I highly recommend it.

The storyline of course is about a young boy who befriends a giant robot that fell from space – it is a lovely story.

Maybe I have been over reacting a bit but I’m a nervous monster and Blue Monster can just be so aggressive – Red and Yellow Monster’s are going to come round later, though, to discuss things.

I have been making lots of green coloured food for them but now I’m a bit worried that they might be offended and that I should have got in some red and yellow food like salsa and custard!

Oh dear – but I did get a film review done for all you good non-scary people.

Transformers – A film Review

This is a classic – the Transformers are a mechanical life form from the planet Cybertron which has two warring factions, the Autobots and the Decepticons – this battle came to Earth but now the Unicron is threatening all life in the universe – will the transformers triumph?

The battles are a bit confusing if you have never seen the series as working out who’s who is a bit difficult. But its nice to watch with cool background planets and funky music to whisk you through the story.

I like it.

Well I have read several books during my seclusion, but Red Monster is saying I need to come out at least to buy loo roll, although I’m sure I could order it all online and get the delivery person to pass it all in through the windows. Blue is even writing about being obsessed with green writing pens, and I know that means he wants to chop me up and ferment my green carcass into green ink and I’m not sure Red isn’t in on it as she was writing about a dragon eating green things – Oh! I’m so scared I’m going to shut myself in my bedroom with a good horror movie or three – that should make feel better.

But regardless of all that, here’s this week’s review.

The Tales of Beedle The Bard – A Book Review

Imaginative fairy tales from the world of Harry Potter, complete with notes from Albus Dumbledore who, as some of you may know, is Harry Potter’s Head Master – the notes are imbued with his dry wit, enthusiasm and polymathical point of view. Each tale stands on its own and is a good read as any fairy tale – however, for those Harry Potter fans, it stands with Harry’s text books which were released a few years ago; and like them, this book is raising money for a good course.

I liked it and read it in one sitting – it also further fleshed out the world of the wizarding community we meet within the pages of the Harry Potter series.

Blue Monster is worrying me a bit, he keeps turning up and saying he needs to talk to me but I’m worried he’s just going to be mean so I’m sort of hiding from him.

But here is the last review of the TV series I’ve been watching. At least being a prisoner in my own home means I’ll actually get around to reading all those books and watching all those films that I’ve been putting off.

The Silver Chair – TV series Review

This is one of the chronicles of Narnia, and though it looks slightly jolty and woodenly dated by the special effects, it is still enchanting and swallows you into the adventure.

With giants, sword fights, socery, ancient lands and intrigue — it carries you in.

It is, however, full of suspect morality and a dipole of good and bad but that make for easy viewing.

Some of the set and costumes are fantastic, and the mental voyage of the children to better confidence and self respect is an important aspect of the series and counts in its favour.

I like it; especially the marsh wiggle, who was the most fantastic characterisation ever, and made me laugh.

I am going to continue for a few more weeks to see if this blogging stuff is right for me. The other monsters seem to fight and bicker a lot and that scares me slightly. Still, this week, I am reviewing a follow on to last week and the week before allowing us once again to sink into the works of classical children’s fantasy.

The Voyage of the Dawntreader – A TV series review

This Narnian chronicle follows close on the heels of Prince Caspian and sees the two younger children and their annoying cousin entire the magical world though a picture on the wall – straight into the sea!

A slightly older Prince Caspian, upon the vessel Dawntreader, rescues them and they set out on an epic adventure complete with quest.

This leads them though pirates, dark clouds of nightmares and to meet fallen stars. They eventually reach the world’s end by which point the annoying cousin himself, through trial and tribulation, has gone on a personal journey similar to that of Edmund’s in the first chronicle, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe.

This is probably my favourite Narnian chronicle as it takes you through a spectrum of emotions and the change of scenery in each episode lends a freshness to it.

The Brave mouse Reepicheep is a fantastic character and I wish I had one living in my house though my cats might have something to say about that – like LUNCH!

Brave, kind, courteous to the point of amusement but courageous to put the larger inhabitants of the boat to shame.

Apparently reviewing does not take creative talent, Blue Monster said so. I thought I was being quiet creative. Here is another review – it follows on from last weeks one and is more children’s fantasy.

‘sob’

Prince Caspian – TV Series – A Review

This is short but sweet; in a few episodes another chronicle of Narnia comes to life. This one sees the four siblings return to the enchanted land a year after they left. But Narnian time is different from human time and so centuries have passed.

The young prince Caspian is in trouble as his uncle plots to kill him and the magical talking animals and races like the dwarves have all been driven into hiding.

There is a lot of energy and childhood play about this series which is only slightly marred by the dated special effects. It was very enjoyable.

Oh dear, oh dear, Blue Monster still seems to think that Reviewing is some sort of black art but I am just trying to act as a filter so that people get to read the cream of the crop, as it were. I am very sad now; I suppose I’ve been a bit green thinking Blue actually liked my work.

I’m not sure if I shall continue but for this week here is another review – this time on a classic of children’s’ fantasy.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe – the TV series – A Review

This magical journey into Narnia via a wardrobe by four evacuee children during the Second World War sends chills down your spine and makes you laugh and cry.

It has only slightly aged and made me feel all Christmassy.

The physical journey of the children is mirrored personal journey of development of Edmund, the youngest boy. as he is bewitched by an evil queen who has laid claim to Narnia for a 100 years or so, making it always winter and never Christmas.

He makes wrong and selfish decisions but redeems himself in the end.

It is a magical tale full of fantastic creatures who talk and sing and even sow their own clothes as Mrs Beaver does. She is the kindest, mummiest person you could hope to find and brings a lightheartedness to a desperate and scary flight that the children have to make. She holds them up trying to work out how to take the sewing machine on the run with them and packs the bread knife as an essential.

It’s great family viewing.

Blue Monster seems have been offended by Yellow Monster which I find odd but never mind here is this weeks review. I do love horror films so I thought I’d start with:

Alien the Directors Cut – A film review

The Director, Ridley Scott, went back and cleaned up and ‘fixed’ a few things in this sci-fi classic. The version was released in 2003 and I don’t know whether it was what he’d done or the new swanky laptop we were watching it on but it’s the first time I could actually see the details of crashed ships and aliens lurking in the dark!

To me this was one of the more realistic sci-fi films – the space they travel through is lonely and sparsely populated. A few errors creep in like the time they take travelling from one place to another but the scenery gives it a gritty industrial feel with fantastic lighting effects leading to increased suspense worthy of the old black and white horror films.

Now I had the original on tape so knew it too well to jump at the right moments but still found my heart pounding.

It’s a good watch – personally I would have liked to do a film marathon involving all the alien and predator films – I am still very impressed with how they made the two different sci-fi sequences merge into one big overall story.

Ok guys here we go!

One of my favourite authors is Terry Pratchett and this week’s review is on one of his Discworld novels. There will probably be a lot of these appearing; they are generally classed as satirical fantasy, though some argue for science fiction fantasy.

Equal Rites A Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett Funny, witty and the first appearance of the insurmountable Granny Weatherwax. This is a discworld novel that gives you a taste of magik from all sides and gives valuable insight as to how things actually happen in a world so precariously on the edge.

Esk who is a girl wizard or a sort of witch or, erm… Well, you see, on the Disc women are not wizards, they are witches and the magik is different; but by inheritance Esk is a wizard, and trained as a witch, and the magiks are fighting or feeding off of each other…. and, well, it all starts to get a bit messy.

Of, course there are male witches but no one ever talks about them…

The result is a rampage through the inherent biases of society and their inevitable undoing along with the fabric of the multiverse but, as with all things, it all settles down and is sort off ushered into the background or High Energy Lab and ignored by most sentient species.

I liked it lots 🙂