A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: Fantasy

MMT: Fantasy Month (2023)

April is fantasy movies month. Fantasy is easily a top-five favorite genre of mine and it’s often coupled with Science Fiction. There is no common element for this year’s selections (as you’ll soon see); it was literally just some random selections within the Fantasy genre. Here is 2023’s Fantasy selections:

Willow and The Princess Bride are classics. I’ve been trying to get my hands on Willow for a while and finally snagged it on Blu-ray. This movie made the list because I hadn’t seen it in a long time and wanted to check out the Disney+ series. I don’t think I have to explain my reasons for watching The Princess Bride; to do so is “inconceivable!”.

MMT: Fantasy Movies (April 2022)

The Monthly Movie Theme for April is Fantasy Movies (the orcs and elves kind, you pervert!). I didn’t really have a reason for picking fantasy for April. After making a list of themes I wanted to use, I chose in them in order (unless one fit a month more appropriately).

Here are are the fantasy movies I picked for 2022:

  • The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Editions)
  • Big Fish

Twice As Many And 14 Hours

I forgot how long the extended edition movies are. The Two Towers and the Return of the King are each 4+ hours long. Therefore about 12 hours of the movies in April span three of the movies on the list. Regardless of their length, they are great movies. Honestly, they are so enjoyable, your hardly notice how long you’ve been watching (until you look at the clock during the credits and go “oh s#!* it’s late!).

Big Fish is a great, feel good movie. I debated about including this movie as fantasy or drama. The “tall tale” themes is what convinced me. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend checking it out (you may need tissues for the end). It stars Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Ewan McGregor (of course I had to connect this post with Star Wars).

Special Event Movie(s)

April has two special event movie days (at least that I know of and/or that I observe). The first is April 6th which is First Contact Day. April 6th 2063 is the date man makes first contact with the Vulcans. I am, and will always be, a huge Star Wars fan, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy Star Trek. I have respect for the Trek. Every year, on the 6th (if its possible) I watch First Contact, which I have fond memories of seeing in the theaters with friends.

The second special event movie is a little more personal and one I don’t expect many other people to follow. I don’t like to get political on here and I try to avoid religion; however, during the week prior to Easter, I try to watch The Passion of the Christ. The operative word is “try”. As a religious person, there are sequences in that film that are very difficult to watch but I endure it because it gives me a greater appreciation of the message of Easter.

(See Last Month’s List)

Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

My Rating: [rating=4]
(See this review on Goodreads)

This is probably more of my review of the series than it is this book specifically. The end of a series is always a little bittersweet. You’re exhilarated to see the conflict end for the characters you have grown to love, but you are saddened all the same because the story is over. It’s how I felt at the end of Harry Potter, Eragon and this series.

The good news is, Clare has set the groundwork for an additional series (rumored to take place a few years later but following the adventures of other characters). She has also managed to create intrigue for the prequel series (The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel; Clockwork Prince; Clockwork Princess) which I intend to begin reading soon.

Another technique I noticed Clare seemed to use pretty well was splitting the gender appeal quite well. Since that sounds a little esoteric, let me elaborate. I think she does a great job appealing to both male and female readers. Generally speaking, there is a great balance of the star-crossed romance that often appeal to the ladies and the classic battle of good vs evil for the men. Clare wraps up the story quite nicely and I especially ***SPOILER*** liked Jonathan/Sebastian’s final moments – what a great way to bring an end to his conflict. Simon’s fate was an unexpected twist but it was best for his character, Isabelle and their relationship.

I do have to admit, Clary had this Luke Skywalker destiny laid out for her but I felt like we never really got to see her real potential. We knew she could create new runes and she has the genes of some powerful Shadowhunters, but we never really got to see her fully utilize that potential. I would have liked to have seen more of Clary kicking some demon ass.

Be that as it may, if you are a fan of the supernatural set in the modern world I think you will really enjoy these books.

View all my reviews

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4)City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My Rating: [rating 4]
(Click here to see this review on Goodreads.)

If I had been reading these books as they were being published I probably would have thought that City of Glass was the final book. Granted a few things were left unresolved, but the bad guy was vanquished and all seemed to be as it should. I don’t know if Cassandra Clare had intended on a book four or if all the books in the series were intended from the start.

City of Fallen Angels does start to address a few of those lingering, unresolved details. In fact a couple of those details kind of turn into a pretty big deal. I don’t really want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil the surprises in the book. I can say that while I was a little suspicious of what the plot of the book might be, as I read more I really began to realize what still remained unanswered. This book only begins to answer them; but be prepared for some cliffhangers.

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