Independence Day Resurgence

I've made it a policy on this blog not to post negative reviews. All creativity should be appreciated whether it is writing, television, music, or movies.

Today I went to see Independence Day Resurgence. Yes, after an absence of several weeks, I went to a movie. I saw the film in 3-D. It's also out in a "regular" version which doesn't require the 3-D glasses, or in my case, a couple of pills for a stubborn headache afterward.

Let's start with the story...It's twenty years after the events in the first film...It's also twenty years after the original movie came out.  Has it been that long? Yes, it has.

Anyway, those pesky aliens come back with newer, better weapons and technology.  All of the characters exposed to their mind control in the first attack, i.e. Dr. Okun (played by an older Brent Spiner with even longer hair), former US President Whitmore (played by Bill Pullman with a white beard), and an African warlord new to this film whose storyline has him fighting in the first attack very successfully (played by Dikembe Umbutu) are affected more and more as the aliens return and get closer. They know the enemy is coming.

It seems we only thought we destroyed the aliens previously. We did destroy the "mother" ship, but there was another, bigger one, hanging a few light years away. That ship contained their Queen, a bigger and uglier creature than we've seen before. (And much harder to stop.)

Jeff Goldblum returns as David Levinson, with Judd Hirsch reprising his role as Julius Levinson, David's father.  He has written a book about the original victory over the aliens and is a popular figure.

Also Vivica A. Fox returns in a small role as Jasmine Hiller, the widow of the character Will Smith played in the original. She has gone from exotic dancer to being a doctor or a P.A. It's never clear what her role is, although we see her in a white lab coat, evacuating patients from a hospital as New York is being attacked.

Jasmine's little son, Dylan, is now a grown man who goes by the name Dylan Hiller (played by Jessie T. Usher.) He is a by-the-book military pilot.

President Whitmore's little girl is all grown up in this film. Patricia Whitmore (played by Maika Monroe) is quite the hotshot pilot herself.

Rounding out the newcomers in major roles is Liam Hemsworth as Jake Morrison.  He is a fighter pilot, an orphan from the original attacks...a fighter jock with a problem following orders.

The film is basically a re-hashing of the first one only with badder aliens with bigger weapons. There is a surprising addition of a benign alien who aids the Earth people and acquaints them to universal realities.

The formula of this film is basically the same as the original. There are scenes reminiscent of the first one. For example, someone makes the same sacrifice as the Randy Quaid character in the original, with sadly different results.

The CGI special effects are bigger, grander, more widespread globally. And, of course, the humans win in the end, with significance loss of life. That mean, ugly queen doesn't know the meaning of the word quit.

If there had been no Independence Day in 1996, I think I would have enjoyed this film more. As a stand-alone movie, this one would be an entertaining diversion for a couple of hours.

But when compared with the first film, it lacks the spark, the energy of its predecessor. This film seems to drag, although the same production team as the first one made this sequel.

Is it worth two hours in a cool theater out of the summer heat? Sure. There are good action scenes and a good cast.

But you know what I really missed? Will Smith...of course he's twenty years older, but he would have brought a spark to this one.

I did see a couple of good previews while I was at the movies.  Tim Burton has a new film coming out called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Based on a book by an American author, it looks like a charming, though dark, Tim Burton fantasy.

Also I saw previews for Star Trek Beyond, coming out later this month. It was sad to see the late Anton Yelchin in the previews. Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty, co-wrote the script. Surprised? You shouldn't be. He's written a series of films such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. Idris Elba plays the villain and is even more unrecognizable in this one than he is as Heimdall in the Thor movies.

So pick your film and spend some time in a nice cool theater on these hot summer days. Enjoy whatever movie genre you like...they all are meant to entertain us. Appreciate their efforts!

Until next time...

Turtle Woman

On rare occasions, I witness something beautiful and wonderous in nature. No, I'm not seeing platypuses again. The otters have not returned, nor the muskrat. Since they turned the big fountain back on in the lake, most of the birds have stayed away.

Yesterday I was working in my office and turned to my printer.  Something drew my attention outside. There on the sloping edge of the yard, a mama turtle was busily laying her eggs in the sparse grass and sandy soil. I watched her for a few minutes, glad I had seen film footage of turtles burying their eggs. Otherwise I don't know what I would think she was doing.

I don't know how many eggs she buried. She was a good-sized creature. Her shell measured probably 14-16 inches in length. Her head and neck extended another 5 inches or so. When I left my office about 20 minutes later, she was still out there doing her job.

In spirituality terms for some Native Americans, the appearance of a turtle in your life or your journeys (or meditations) signifies a pregnancy - nope not me that ship sailed long ago - longevity - or awakening to new possibilities.  I'll be interested to see what comes to pass.

On my last trip to Hawaii on the Big Island I met a kahuna. I learned later this unassuming man was known and revered internationally.  His signed pictures of the Dalai Llama and other spiritual teachers should have clued me in to his prominence.

At any rate, he insisted we stop on our way back from Kona to Hilo at a state park and historic site, Puuhonua O Honaunau, also known as the City of Refuge. In ancient times a warrior or anyone else could seek sanctuary there from his enemies. The refuge was honored by all people. Although it's also where they killed the Englishman who discovered their paradise, Captain Cook - go figure. Maybe they saw the future of their islands, taken over by foreign interests.

Legend said a great turtle ruled over the place. Indeed there is a small pond located back from the shoreline. Occasional bubbles rise to the surface which Hawaiians say is proof the turtle is in the pond.

So my friend and I stopped there late in the afternoon. The sun was already dropping toward the horizon. No one else was there when we arrived. We each went exploring in different areas.

Okay here's the deal, I studied different forms of spirituality - not religion. There are incredible worlds out there which can be reached by certain forms of meditation or since I had shamanic training, journeys. Usually you prepare to journey and state your intent. Once in a while it happens with no preparation - just zip and you're traveling. No I don't take drugs or drink alcohol.

At Puuhonua O Honaunau it happened to me. I met the spiritual turtle who guided me on an incredible experience. It was so incredible I had a really hard time coming down.

Funny thing was I started to chant, which I've been known to do. Wish I'd had my drum, but it didn't make the trip.  The kahuna and I discussed how we made our drums when I met him. He told me he'd always made the drum head out of shark's skin, the traditional way for his people. But he could no longer find anyone willing to go fish for the shark. So he ordered rawhide (cow) from Tandy Leather in Fort Worth. We had a good laugh because that's where I ordered the rawhide for my drum heads. Although I did order elkhide for the best drum I ever made...sorry I digress as usual.

Okay, okay, I was chanting not seeing who or what was around me. The next thing I knew there was a flash right in my eyes which brought me back.

I blinked and saw the sun was just about gone on the horizon. A tourist in polyester had put her camera right in my face, snapped a picture, and scuttled off to her companion saying, "I just got a picture of a real Hawarrian!" She giggled as she jiggled to the parking lot.

Angry at first at the loss of my journey, the connection broke and it was time to leave. I realized later - much later, it was supposed to happen that way.  I certainly didn't want to come back. We were always warned in our classes about being so enthralled we would not want to come back. At the time I was in that spiritual world I wanted to stay. In retrospect, the prospect frightens me.

Luckily my friend was driving. She guided me to the car, opened the door and pushed me inside. I was still very out of it. She insisted on stopping to get some take-out for us.  When she did, she insisted I eat right away.  It's the best way to ground yourself after such an experience. I couldn't tell you exactly what she brought me, only knew it was Asian.

As to what the turtle showed me/told me, that's private. But last night, I hit myself in the head and went "duh!" Seeing the turtle yesterday gained meaning for me.

Sometimes it takes time to work it all out.

Our country has been embroiled in lots of conflict in the last few months - first with the combatting candidates trying to gain the nominations for President; the presumptive nominees - neither of which appeal to some voters - recently we have experienced the horrendous killings in Orlando and the beautiful two-year-old who was dragged to his death by an alligator at a popular theme park.

I've about had it with the news lately - way too much negativity. And one final point I am still in mourning for my late father.

Is it any wonder the turtle showed up for me? I'm glad she did. I will watch over her eggs for her.

Here's a picture of me from a couple of years ago with the elk hide drum I made.

Blessings to you all.

Kristin Painter's wonderful series - Nocturne Falls

Kristin Painter created a town somewhere in Georgia, where everyday is Halloween.  The town is named Nocturne Falls.

So far six full novels and a couple of short works are published. I just finished reading #6, The Shifter Romances the Writer. It's about a human romance writer whose best friend is married to one of the creators of Nocturne Falls.  After a messy break-up, our heroine is persuaded to move to Nocturne Falls.

The only trouble is, this town where everyday is Halloween (their town motto), a tourist trap for people wanting a fun vacation - is filled with and run by real supernaturals.  They work very hard to make sure the tourists never catch on.

There are gargoyles decorating the fountains and patrolling the skies; vampires walking around the streets; a vampire has a sweet shop where she makes delectable candy and incredible cakes and pies. The friendly neighborhood jewelry designer is fae. The bridal shop is run by a powerful witch. A werewolf owns and operates the local biker bar, where the burgers are huge and irresistible, and her brother is the town's sheriff.

This is the one town where the supernaturals can be who they are with regular people none the wiser.  It's a great premise for the series.

There is also a spin-off series, "The Jayne Frost Mysteries." So far, there has been one novel in the series. I'm hoping for many more.  You see Jayne Frost, the daughter of Jack Frost, is an elf with brilliant investigative skills.

Ms. Painter writes an enjoyable book filled with comedy and drama.  The reader comes to care about these beings and their daily struggles.

Check out this terrific series of entertaining and fun novels.

Oh and she posted on Facebook there is now an adult coloring book based on the series. Two bad I can't stay within the lines!

Enjoy.

Until next time...

Platypuses in the Pond

It's been a hard week and it's only Tuesday. First my perception of the name Colin has been forever changed. Prior to last week, the name Colin, held only a vague distaste for me. I used to work with a strange man named Colin. He was sort of a combo preppy and hippie.  (The only hippie I ever knew who wore Italian loafers instead of sandals. Lots of the guys walked barefoot.) Even in the 1970s he stood out from the crowd.

But no, Colin was one of the names on the World Meteorological Assn. list from which the names of storms are given.  These lists repeat every six years. Some of the bad ones, i.e. Katrina, are forever retired.

This time, Colin was a minor blowhard in the form of a minimal tropical storm.

My anticipation was worse than the actual event itself.  Don't you hate it when that happens? Plus, in the past, my plan would have been to retreat to my father's big, well built house with my little dogs. But Dad is no longer with us. His house sold five months ago.

So I faced Colin all alone - not a pleasant prospect. I went out and got a few supplies. Then the day before Colin was due to come to town I moved the plants in my container garden out of harm's way.  The ones on the back patio were moved up by the building out of the wind entirely. There is an overhang covering a good-sized patio.

My precious plumeria plants were transported to my kitchen, along with an orchid cactus.

Nervous and glued to the Weather Channel as Colin huffed and puffed his way toward us, I slept less than usual.  Doesn't make clear thinking, let me tell you. The night before he got here, I didn't sleep more than two hours.  Naturally on THE day, I was a tired grumpy mess of nerves. The last thing I need these days is more stress.

Sigh, it will probably result in my serial killer in my work-in-progress committing one more murder.

We made it through the day and night with our power intact, no trees crashing down on the building, no rains entering my place from the roof or the foundation.

I slept okay last night after I checked the radar to make sure Colin was making a quick exit. But with all the stress, I woke up woozy, read out-of-it, lacking in energy.

Making through the morning, I watched the noon news and saw the damage caused by tornadoes around the area. Then I decided to go out, so I took my dogs outside before I left.

While they were enjoying the sunshine and wandering around in the grass, something drew my attention. Movement as something ran down the bank off to my right, and then jumped in the water. It immediately went under but not very far.  I could still see it just under the surface.

It wasn't too big, maybe twelve to eighteen inches long with a wide body and either flippers or paws. It swam, dog-paddle style.  It had a long snout, though I never got a good enough look at it to really see the face.

I wondered if it could be an otter or a muskrat, both species have been seen in the pond before.  But the long nose didn't look right. We do have cormorants who dive under water, but they don't jump in the water, they fly to the surface and land on top. I thought is it a strangely shaped gator? No, gators slide into the water and swim on the surface trolling for food before going under. Couldn't figure it out.

When I was out on my errand, I realized what it looked like - a platypus!! This is the second time I thought I saw a platypus in that retention pond.

Only problem is, there aren't any in Florida...I checked. I suppose the odd one could have been smuggled in, but they are not native to this continent. They are only indigenous to eastern Australia.

So how could they get here? Would a dingo bring them?!!!

I looked up the reason a platypus would appear to someone as a spirit animal. Okay, yes, I'm weird, but I deal with the world as I see it...Said if the platypus has appeared to you, you enjoy a solitary profession...duh, I write in my private little office, accompanied by Amazon Prime Radio and my two elderly tzus.  It also said I should embrace my weirdness or something to the effect...

The ship has long since sailed on that one, platypus.

I will be putting up a post on Kristin Painter's wonderful series of novels entitled, Nocturne Falls, in a few days.

Take care and avoid blowhards named Colin.

Until next time...

Captain America CIVIL WAR

Well after days of being a dilly dallier, I finally made it to see Captain America Civil War today. Whew what a ride it is...

I expected it to be dark, but it is even darker than I expected in its tone. You see, the Avengers have been called to account for all the damage they caused in the past when "helping" the world populace.  Of course the accusers don't take into consideration that it's usually the bad guys doing most of the damage. Well, the hulk did sort of mess up NYC along with the rampaging aliens in the first Avengers movie. Hydra AND Shield were both responsible for wrecking parts of DC in "Captain America and The Winter Soldier." Then Tony Stark's accidental creation was responsible for destroying a whole Balkan country when the Avengers fought Ultron.

There is the devastation in this new one when they are the targets of well-equipped assassins in Captain America Civil War. Civilians were killed and city blocks were turned to rubble. The king of the African country in which the original devastation occurred was killed in the fray.  His son and heir, played by the versatile Chadwick Boseman, demands justice. He also has a super alter ego known as the Panther.

That does it for the world community. Many countries band together to require the Avengers to register their true identities, places of residence, and to agree not to act independently. They face imprisonment if they step out of line.  The world wants to tell them when to act and when not to. As you can imagine such an idea doesn't sit well with some of the Avengers.

A small number of the Avengers agree to the terms and sign. However, Captain America (arguably the best-known and most popular) does not. Some of the Avengers line up behind him and refuse to sign. So we have two groups of former Avengers fighting against each other with the CIA demanding to know the whereabouts of Thor and the Hulk...good luck finding either of them with Thor off world and David Banner hiding in relative obscurity as long as he keeps his temper.

To add spark to the growing fire, the CIA captures The Winter Soldier, aka Bucky Barnes, Captain America's lifelong friend.

Naturally the Cap wants his friend out of custody, but the government refuses. Unfortunately for them the psychiatrist assigned to question Barnes is a fake. He feeds poor Barnes the code words programmed into him and the Winter Soldier is off and running once more.

Half of the former Avengers side with Stark and sign the accords.  The other half side with the Cap and refuse.

For the big cataclysmic battle each group brings in a new person or two.  On the side of Stark (Iron Man), he brings in the teen-aged Spiderman. On the side of the Cap, he brings in Ant Man.  Both Tom Holland as Spiderman and Paul Rudd as Ant Man provide some necessary comic relief.  Spiderman hasn't discovered all his capabilities and flounders occasionally. Ant Man has dry wit and a humorous take on his situation. One of his bits is hysterical. Believe me with all the darkness of the film, watching old friends battle each other, the humor is needed.

There is a final battle in the film which only succeeds in alienating the participants more.

You can bet there will be a sequel, but it may still be very dark. And for those of you are avid fans of the films, don't forget Thanos is out there in space vowing to get rid of the Avengers and subdue the Earth once and for all...

Like all Marvel films this one has another scene after the credits have begun to roll. But this one has a second scene added after all the credits are done. I have to say these are the longest credits I've ever seen on any movie. They ran for about fifteen minutes...but there is another scene at the end which I'm sure leads to yet another film for a single character...

Can't help it, I love the Marvel movies.

Oh and look for Stan Lee, the elder statesman of Marvel comics in another quirky cameo in this one.

Lastly are you Team Iron Man? Or are you Team Captain America? I for one am forever with the Cap.

Take care. For those of us in the southeast it's been a stormy few days. Thankfully I wore a hoodie when I went to the movie today because I walked out into a severe storm and needed the protection!

Enjoy your favorite actors in their latest films. Nothing is like it in our culture.

Until later...

Night Shift, Book 3 in the Midnight Texas trilogy by Charlaine Harris

Sorry, I've been offline for a few days. My computer crashed recently and it took some time to get it scrubbed/cleaned, and new better protection downloaded.

One of my favorite authors, Charlaine Harris, released the latest book in her Midnight Texas series.  This third book is entitled Night Shift and brings back all the strange residents of the tiny Texas town.

I don't want to reveal too much about this book.  It was originally meant to be the third and final book in a trilogy. However, while some of the mysteries & plot lines are resolved in this book, there are others left hanging...I hope for more books about the unresolved characters in the future.

Also, NBC is already in production for a series, entitled "Midnight Texas" due to be a midseason replacement for the fall lineup. If you Google it, you can see pictures of the cast, some of whom appear to be in character costume.

Charlaine Harris known as the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse books (which became the popular HBO series "True Blood"), is also known for several mystery series which the Hallmark Channel has turned into movies. Now, of course Midnight Texas will hit the airwaves.

She is an excellent writer.  Her vivid characters come alive, be they supernatural beings or just plain folks. Ms. Harris possesses knowledge of human (and inhuman) behavior, colored with regional habits, slang, and landscape.

Midnight, Texas is a far cry from Bon Temps, LA. In the Sookie Stackhouse books, the characters negotiated their way through the swamps and backwoods. Midnight, Texas is dry, open plains, if you've ever been to dusty west Texas, you'll recognize it from her books.

Check out the Midnight Texas trilogy. I read them in order but you can do what you like.

P.S. since it's the same universe as the one of which Sookie is a resident, there is a bit of crossover...

Until next time!

Take care.

The Fifth Wave

I wanted to see The Fifth Wave in a movie theater, but time (and other commitments) got away from me, so I put it on my pay-per-view list.

The story is taken by the novel written by Rick Yancey.

The film is somewhat familiar. It reminded me in places of Red Dawn, Battle Los Angeles (the Aaron Eckhart version), and the TNT series Falling Skies. It reminded me of those earlier works in a good way.

It is the story centered on a family in a small northern town. One day, Cassie (Chloe Grace Moretz) is a typical teenager in high school with a huge crush on Ben (Nick Robinson).  Then this strange metal object appears in the sky above them.  It hovers there for days.  It's the only one in the country apparently. The kids keep going to school although there are fewer and fewer students there as families flee the area.

It's only the first wave of the invasion...next thing is an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) used to knock out all power on the planet...yep, no cell phones, TV, cars with electronic components, no running water, no electricity as the power stations are dead and the planes all fall out of the sky...you know the 21st century citizen's worst nightmare.

Okay also in the second wave, something (you don't know what) makes all the water on Earth go ballistic and flood the land masses. There are some good special effects in these scenes. Huge ocean waves first engulf a ritzy resort area which reminds me of South Beach in Miami, and then the action moves on elsewhere.

The third wave comes in the form of a pandemic which wipes out much of the remaining population.

The fourth wave is the actual invasion but it is not what you'd think.

At any rate, Cassie has gone from being your average high school girl to a gun-toting survivalist. She hunts for her younger brother. They were  forcibly separated when the Army (US) marched into the refugee camp and took the children away. Her parents are both dead by this time.

Cassie is determined to find her younger brother, Sam. Along the way, she meets Evan (Alex Roe) (Hunk Alert!) who makes her forget about Ben.

This is an entertaining sci-fi film. Yes, there is some violence.  They are at war, after all. But it is an engaging story.

The cast members make you root for their characters, mostly. Liev Schreiber in the role of an Army Colonel does a great job as a cold officer sending children off to fight.

I won't spoil the story for you. I will say the survivors band together at the end forming a resistance group (like in Red Dawn and Falling Skies). There are a few unresolved issues which may result in a sequel.

It's a tense movie in places, but it is also short, just shy of two hours. I intended to do some other things while the film was on, but it kept my attention, always a good indicator.

If you like the aforementioned films and television series, check out The Fifth Wave.

Okay, warning, warning!!!! Captain America: Civil War opens in four days...I'll post my review when I've seen it.  You know me and the Cap...

Until next time, take care and enjoy our wide and varied pop culture.