Start:	Aug 1, '08 7:00p
Location:	Embassy Club

Cosplayers and scifi/fantasy geeks! Here's a party that is up our alley. You have to be 18 and above to join. The best part, it's free!

I understand why so many people like Twilight the best of the series. It is because it is the happiest of the 3 books (so far). It is the romantic (getting to know you) story of Edward and Bella. Most teenagers I've spoken with have mentioned that they didn't like New Moon all that much and I can understand why.

New Moon is a book that dwells on Bella's depression when Edward left her. It is angst-filled almost from start to finish. I went through a similar experience so I could intimately relate with her apathy and catatonia and seeming recklessness. While New Moon is not a happy book, I feel that it was necessary, if only for the purpose of serving as a transition between Twilight and Eclipse. For the most part because New Moon is where Bella actually gets to know Jacob Black and becomes close to him.

I have a confession. While I am enamoured with Edward Cullen, I totally agreed that Bella and Jake make sense, even though Jake is 2 years younger than her (and looks about 25). It's not just the fact that he is more human (because he is). It was something else. Bella's relationship with Edward, the way she acted around him reminded me of Catherine (played by Linda Hamilton) and Vincent (played by Ron Perlman) in the 80's TV series Beauty and the Beast (insert music of "The First Time I Loved Forever") will know what I mean. They were almost always romantic, standing close and whispering to each other, etc. With Jake, Bella was more natural, more uninhibited. More ... herself.

And then there is the difference of cold and hard as stone and warm as the sun. Edward and Jake are polar opposites --- in color, temperature, malleability, temperament, etc.

It is difficult to choose. And I know in the end she needs to choose just one. Poor Bella. This will be a tough choice for her to make.

New Moon, for me, is a "must read".

For those who haven't read the book yet, click here to read the first chapter of New Moon.

When you can live forever
                 what do you live for?

I've been hearing raves about Twilight for quite some time now but with everything I have to do and the books I have lined up to read, I just never got around to it. I only realized how good it (and the succeeding books) really is when my daughter bought the books with her own money and started reading and COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN.

Fyi, my daughter is not really a reader so seeing her so engrossed in a book was not only gratifying to me, but also mystifying. What is she reading that has her so absorbed? So much so she was asking for word definitions and staying up all night just to finish the book. To sate my curiousity I finally got around to borrowing the books from her and reading them myself. Fantastic!

Twilight is the story of Edward and Bella. Bella is a quiet, mature teenage girl who decided to live with her dad when her mom remarried. Edward ... Edward is a vampire.

Anne Rice has prepared us for the romantic vampire and while I will confess to being "secretly in love" with Lestat, Stephenie Meyer made me fall in love again, but with Edward and Bella. You read it right --- Edward and Bella. Even before seeing who the actors will be in the Twilight Movie, I already had an image in my head of what they look like and how they interact with each other. I could see them, feel them, smell them. (Yes, I have a very vivid imagination.)

Twilight is ... a love story, a romance. Like I said, it's all about Edward and Bella. There are parts of the story that would interest guys but mostly this was written for girls. I can already see the multitude of teenage girls wishing they were Bella and swooning over Edward. And with the movie coming out in December you can expect book sales to rise even more and even more women (not just teenage girls) pining for Edward.

I don't normally like reading books written in the first person. With this book (and its siblings) I didn't even notice that it was written in the first person at all. Stephenie Meyer writes so vividly and her writing is fast-paced that I wasn't bored for a second. I didn't even skip any paragraphs or sentences. As I read I found myself inhaling, absorbing her words and living her story. In other words, as I read through the pages, I was Bella.

As I was reading I couldn't help hearing Tom Cruise in my head saying "You complete me". Oh no! Does this mean I like Tom Cruise? First Lestat de Lioncourt and now Jerry Maguire! I better watch it, hehehe.

To get back on track, though, Twilight is definitely a must read ... for a select audience. Definitely Anne Rice fans will like this book, and definitely romance junkies and teenage gilrs will like it, too.

"And as I gaze into those golden eyes just inches away from mine and smell his sweet scent, I find I cannot look away nor stay away. I confess, I am in love with Edward Cullen."

The story does not end with Twilight. It continues on with New Moon, then Eclipse, and soon, Breaking Dawn. Three excellent and seamless additions to the story of Edward and Bella, but with additional complications.

Stephenie Meyer is also in the middle of writing Midnight Sun, a companion to Twilight, which is basically the same story but from Edward's perspective. Click here to read the first chapter. I'm really excited about Midnight Sun, too. I hope the book comes out soon.

Finally! I've gotten around to seeing Prince Caspian!

After having seen the BBC version (I have the complete set on DVD) I had high hopes for this production. I hate to say it but, the BBC version was a yawnfest. If I didn't love the stories so much, I wouldn't have bought the collection at all.

This story happens centuries after Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy left Narnia. Time flows differently. A month here is a century there. In the time that has passed Narnia was invaded by humans and the citizens of Narnia have all gone into hiding. When Prince Caspian finds his life in danger and flees to the forest, he blows the horn of Queen Susan, not knowing exactly what it would do. He simply followed instructions from his tutor who told him to blow the horn in desperate times.

The horn, apparently was a way to summon Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy back to Narnia.

The movie then proceeds with the story of how the Narnians fight the humans to regain their freedom, with the help of their kings and queens of old and Prince Caspian.

If there is one thing I was excited to see in this movie, it was the fight scenes. Choreography has definitely improved and the camera angles were awesome. Also, the special effects with the gryphons and the centaurs. I think it was cool that they showed a centaur boy in training at the sword salute.

The last scene in Narnia.

• In the BBC version, Aslan tells the 4 children that only Edmond and Lucy can return. He tells Peter and Susan, "you're too old", which I thought was cruel since he did not explain anything.
• In the current Prince Caspian, Peter is the one who says that only the 2 younger will return because he and Susan have learned what they came to learn and he turns to Aslan for confirmation.

In my head, the latter made more sense than the former. I wonder how it happened in the book?

Random thoughts:

• Lucy is getting prettier! And Edmond is getting better looking, too! Peter and Susan look the same.
• I can't remember, but did the book say the Termalines were Italian? They certainly sounded Italian.
• Did anyone else think Reepicheep was so adorably cute? hehehe
• Liam Neeson is so suited as Aslan.
• Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) looks like Nathan (of One Tree Hill) in the first few episodes of the last season.
• Eep! Ben Barnes was in Stardust as the young Dunstan! Must watch Stardust again, hehehe.
• Awesome sword fight between Peter and Miraz. However, it didn't make sense that Peter would muscle it out in an actual sword fight. How can a teenage boy be as strong as a full grown man? What he had working for him was agility, flexibility, and speed. So, in my opinion, the move that made the most sense was his initial salvo. Great opening to the fight! After that he should have danced away and not tried to pit strength against strength.
• Tilda Swinton is so hot as The White Witch. In the BBC movie the crone and the White Witch were one and the same.

Quotable quotes:

• Susan (when Caspian was returning her horn): Keep it. You may need to call me sometime.
  Lucy: You may need to call me sometime?
  Susan: Shut up!
• Peter (introducing himself to Trumpkin, the dwarf): I am High King Peter ... the magnificent.
  Susan: I think it would have been better if you dropped the last part.
  Trumpkin: I think so.
• Prince Caspian (on the ground with Reepicheep on his chest with a sword at his face): You are a mouse.
  Reepicheep: Can't you humans come up with anything original?
• King Miraz (after Edmond delivers Peter's message to the Termalines): Prince Edmond ...
  Edmond: King.
  King Miraz: What?
  Edmond: King Edmond. Just king, not high king. That's Peter. It's confusing, I know.

Hmmm ... suddenly, I feel a need to find the books and read them again, just to see how much of the movies were true to the book.
If you haven't had a chance to watch the movie yet, it is still showing in the cinemas. I highly recommend this, for kids and adults alike.

Do you ever get that dream where you feel that the main character is you and yet, somehow, it doesn't really look like you?  And somehow, the dream is a fantastic dream yet you are able to control it.  Stop, rewind, change the script, etc.

I had a dream like that last night.  This is what I remember ...

It starts off with me and some friends looking at a boat and I get the feeling we are modern pirates ... all i know is we  were supposed to board the ship and get a lot of stuff and replace them with fakes so that the people on the boat wouldn't notice.  All the stuff we were getting were paintings and antiques.  We were successful at whatever it is we were there to do, but I have no recollection of boarding the boat.  It felt like I was a lookout or something.  Then somehow the story twisted and I was the boss and all the stuff were going to my house and stuff were hidden in plain site.  There was a Pharaoh's headdress, a sculpture, a priceless painting, that kind of thing.

Then Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) [yeah, I like 'em that big of a fella!] somehow ends up in my dream as an inspector or something and they suspect that the stolen goods are at my house.  He comes over to the house with a clipboard and I answer the door wearing a spaghetti strap top and a short denim skirt.  My hair is long and half covering my face.  I greet him with a smile and let him into my house and show him around.  I can't remember all the rooms but I recall leading him through them one by one and kinda flirting with him at the same time.  Two rooms were distinct.  One room we passed was a living room with furniture made of rattan (painted dark brown) with leather seats and a low coffee table.  From that room I recall reaching for his hand and walking with him to a room filled with books ... on shelves, in piles forming a wall around a king-size bed.  I remember that as we were walking with hands clasped (my right, his left) the fingers of his left hand were rubbing against my leg.  And I remember saying as we enter the room "and this is my messy bedroom".  What happens after that is hot and steamy and best left to the imagination.

Then the scene blacks out and moves forward and it felt like he and I have been 'an item" for a bit.  All I knew was that when I said I was leaving on a business trip he said he was going with me to Davenport ... I don't know where that came from.

Sounds like a porn flick, I know, but it really wasn't.  It was just the parts I could still remember.  For some reason it felt like an adventure flick.  Pirates and The Rock?  And he isn't the pirate ... I am.  I wonder what that all means?

I'm just looking forward to going to sleep again.  Hopefully, I get to spend the night with Dwayne again tonight, hehehe.   Who knows what will happen in Davenport and where we will go next?

By the way ... where is Davenport?

Remember the review I posted about The Colour of Magic? Here is the official trailer to the movie.

Are you ready for a near-Rincewind experience?

Pratchett fans will be pleased to know that the long awaited movie (tv movie) version of the first Discworld book has finally come out! It was shown on skyone in the U.K. (http://www.skyoneonline.co.uk/tcom/index.html) and I am very happy to say I thought it was a great kiddie film! For starters, great cast:

Sean Astin as Twoflower (the Tourist)
Tim Curry as Trymon - I love Tim Curry! He is the perfect villain!
Jeremy Irons as The Patrician - It is like the role was made for him!
David Bradley as Cohen the Barbarian - You may recognize him as Finch in The Harry Potter movies.
Laura Haddock as Bethan
David Jason as Rincewind
Christopher Lee as Death
and Terry Pratchett himself as Astrozoologist #2 - I always find it interesting when authors do cameos

Second ... there is a Star Trek and a Star Wars reference, hihihi

And third, they more or less stayed true to the book.

Fourth, I found it fascinating to see how they were able to portray the Luggage and Death. In the Discworld series Death is one of the more interesting characters.

For those of you who haven't decided whether to start the discworld series yet or not, maybe this movie will help you in making a decision.

Movie available for download at your favorite torrent site.

Dragonblood is Todd McCaffrey's solo venture in adding to the books about the world of Pern and its dragons built by his mom, Anne McCaffrey. I found this book difficult to read but ultimately, if you just keep on reading, you will find it a good story.

The dragons of Pern will be flying thread for the first time in hundreds of years and all the weyrs of Pern are battle-ready and looking forward to fighting the old nemesis. Before the first thread fall a mysterious illness strikes the dragons which decimated their numbers alarmingly over time. A solution had to be found fast! The folk of Benden Weyr (Lorana and Kindan mostly, with the help of K'tan, Silana, and M'tal) search desperately in the old records for clues on curing the rising epidemic.

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First of all ... you know how dragons can move not only between places but between times as well? Well, that's what Todd did with us here. He kept jumping us back and forth between places and between times. And just like the dragonriders and the dragons who jump between times, I felt just as stretched out and stressed from the journey. Eventually, the need for the jumps manifests --- but is sure is a tiring journey, though.

Second, there is a lot of terminology to work through. If you thought watching House and listening to him and his fellows bandy words / names of several diseases was confusing, wait until you read this book and encounter geneticists talking. I swear, it is a different language all together. It sounds like English but when you string them together it gets confusing. I'm just thankful I was reading it and not hearing it. That meant that I could slow down my reading and even go back to the parts that confused me. That way I was able to make sense of most of it.

This book emphasized the relationship of the fire-lizards, dragons, and watch-whers. Half the book was dedicated to Wind Blossom, the geneticist who created the watch-whers, and the last remaining Eridani Adept during the 6th dragon generation. Dragons and watch-whers were both derived from fire-lizards and were both designed to fight thread, with the dragon being the obvious and visible thread fighter.

It primarily revolves around Lorana, a girl who had a talent for healing animals and excellent drawings and best of all, the ability to speak to all dragons. The majority of the book tells of her desperate struggle to cure the dragons of this deadly illness.

If you decide to read this book I recommend you read the stories in squence, even though each book is independent of each other.

1. Dragon's Kin - the story of Kindan and the watch-whers of Pern
2. Dragon's Fire - the story of Pellar, the silent harper, Halla, the child of one of the Shunned, and Cristov, the son of a Shunned miner
3. Dragon Harper - the story of Kindan and his life at Harper Hall
4. Dragonsblood - the story of Lorana and Wind Blossom. Kindan is here again several turns older than he was at Dragon Harper.

I can't say I'm in love with his work yet, but it is a credible effort and hopefully, his writing style will improve and we will see more new Pern books in the future that will follow the legacy of Anne McCaffrey.

Dragon Harper continues the story of Kindan, the miner's son. His dream of being a harper is finally realized. Upon Master Zist's recommendation, Kindan is now an apprentice at the Harper Hall where Murenny is Masterharper.

Kindan is unlike the other apprentices of the Harper Hall. For one thing, he has a close personal relationship with M'tal, rider of Gaminth and Weyrleader of Benden Weyr. Another is his experience in raising a watch-wher (Kisk, now named Nuelsk). But what made him stand out among the apprentices was his penchant for championing apprentices (like female apprentices) that get bullied by senior apprentices. One such bully was Vaxoram, who, after losing in a duel against Kindan, later became Kindan's servant which transformed into friendship.

Kindan is 13 turns old and yet, in so short a life he has experienced so much and suffered so much. So much responsibility lands on his shoulders and yet he accepts these burdens and does everything in his power, using all the resources at his disposal to solve his problems. At such a young age he was forced to act like an adult, to make decisions that most people are not expected to make. Without realizing it, he had the whole of Pern relying on him for a solution, a cure, an answer. Holder, craftsman, weyrfolk ... everyone turned to him for help. What can a lad of 13 do?

Dragon Harper is heart-wrenching, throat-constricting, exciting, funny ... it's a wonderful story and I highly recommend it to Pern readers.

I had some reservations about this book at the beginning because it was written by Todd McCaffrey, Anne McCaffrey's son, and his mom's shoes are big (huge!) shoes to fill. It was co-written by Anne so, I guess that means that she acted as his editor and made sure that what he wrote did not deviate from her vision of Pern. Ok, part of the problem (for me) was that he is Anne's son and I was thinking, "How can this youngster write? He's just a kid!" And then I realized that he couldn't possibly be as young as I thought he was since Anne is in her 90's, which means, Todd would, at the very least, be in his 50's. No youngster there.

On to the review ...

The literary world of Pern (as written by Anne McCaffrey) is most popularly known for three things: dragons, dragonriders, and harpers. In later books we are introduced to the dragons' smaller cousins, the fire-lizards, from whom they were derived centuries ago. In this book, Todd and Anne McCaffrey bring our attention to the much maligned and oft ignored cousin of the dragons, the watch-wher.

The story centers on Kindan, the youngest son of a watch-wher bonded miner. When a mining accident takes away his family, Kindan is apprenticed by the resident harper, Master Zist. Since watch-whers are necessary for the operation of a mine, and since Kindan was the son of a watch-wher bonded, the camp leader, Natalon, assumed that Kindan knew how to care for watch-whers. By this assumption Kindan was given a new job (and position) in the camp. He had to win a watch-wher egg from the only remaining queen watch-wher on the planet, and raise it. From that moment on, he stopped being a harper apprentice.

In this book we also meet Nuella, the blind daughter of Natalon whom her family has kept secret from the camp. Together with Zenor, they help Kindan in taking care of Zisk the new green watch-wher.

Comparing Todd to Anne:
As I think back on the previous Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey I discovered something --- Todd is a very emotional writer. His input in this novel is apparent. His collaboration with his mom is wonderful. This is not to say that Anne's work was dry. On the contrary, there have been many a tearjerker moment in quite a few of her books. The most heart-wrenching for me was All The Weyrs of Pern, when Masterharper Robinton and Aivas passed away.

This book not only transports you to Pern but also allows you to BE the characters --- to feel what they feel.

• When Kindan sang at the wedding of Sis, I felt his exultation.
• When Kindan looked up to watch Dask flying over the wedding party with a basket of glows in his paws to spotlight the bride, then the groom, as they walked down the aisle, I was just as filled with wonder as he was.
• When Kindan and Dask were desperately digging to get the trapped miners out, I was there with them, getting grimy and ichor splattered, desperately hoping that my father, brother, best friend, and neighbors are alright.
• and so on ...

I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Dragon's Fire. Todd's contribution to this Anne McCaffrey novel works.

Into The Woods combines the well-known fairy tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood with the story of the Baker and his Wife who desperately want a child. Unfortunately, the Baker and his Wife have been cursed with childlessness by a witch and must perform various missions involving the characters in the other fairy tales to break the spell. The Baker and his Wife must bring the witch a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. Once the characters have accomplished their goals, however, they learn about the pitfalls of greed and gluttony. Finally, they learn about the need for community and unity and the power of wishes and dreams.

PERFORMANCE DATES: November 9 - December 8, 2007 (Fridays and Saturdays): 8pm
VENUE: Music Museum
DIRECTION: RITO ASILO

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I enjoyed watching this play so much that it has taken me this long to write about it (I watched on 25 November 2007). It is soooo good and the actors are phenomenal! Ordinarily when I watch plays I like to be within spitting distance. For this one (for financial reasons) we sat at the balcony (aka nosebleed section, which wasn't bad, actually since the Music Museum is an intimate theater) and we had an excellent view of most of the set. I think the only part we really didn't see was Cinderella's mom (ghost).

The Story:
I haven't read The Uses of Enchantment from which the script was based but after watching the play, I am intrigued about it now. I found it interesting how several Grimm fairy tales were interwoven into one story. I also thought it was interesting to see what happens after "happily ever after". For me, the conclusion actually made sense.

The Actors: Performances that stood out for me
Julia Abueva as Little Red Riding Hood. For an 11 year old, her singing voice is very mature. She sounds better than many seasoned singers I have heard. She is also a fantastic actor. I'm surprised that I haven't heard as much about her as her talent warrants. I await the day she gets to perform in Broadway and at the West End. I'll keep her in my radar from now on and will do my best to watch her future performances.

Cathy Azanza as Cinderella. When she sings it seems to effortless you almost don't notice the impossibly high notes that she hits as she does her trills and runs, especially at the scenes where she is talking to the birds. I didn't like her ball gown. I think the costumer should have come up with something better. She actually looked better in the cinder-covered clothes.

Menchu Lauchengo-Yulo as the baker's wife is not only an excellent singer but is also an excellent actor. My favorite scene with her in it is the one where she encounters Prince Charming in the woods in the second act. She is a good wife and tries to resist his charms and yet ... who hasn't dreamed of catching the eye of a prince? She portrayed her role so well that I actually forgot who she was and so only the character.

Missy Maramara as The Narrator. Interesting portrayal. Very authoritative and matter of fact. Her timing was also excellent! Of course, with such a wonderful script and score, who can help but give a great performance, right? Even to the end when she is sacificed to the Giantess, she still tried to stand on her dignity, without much success! hehehe. But then, that was still in character.

John Mulhall as Rapunzel's prince. I will admit it. I have a little bit of a crush on him, hehehe. You can't deny, he's a hottie. And it helps that he is chockful of talent. I thought it was funny how he married Rapunzel and later ended up being Snow White's prince. I was able to see him perform in the past for Trumpets. I believe it was in The Little Mermaid.

Lynn Sherman as The Witch. What can I say? I love you, Lynn! Not only are you a friend, you are also a fantastic singer and actor. I can't judge you as a dancer since I haven't seen that yet, hehehe. I wanted to ask though, how come you were cast as a witch, again? Just curious. You definitely did the role justice. Bernadette Peters is a tough act to follow. I love Bernadette Peters, too, hehehe.

Joaqui Valdez as Jack surprised me. Despite the bulging muscles, he came across as shy and unsure, totally embracing his character as Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk). His relationship with his cow, Milky, was sweet and the scene where he says goodbye to her was poignant. I was told beforehand by my daughter that he was a good singer so I knew to expect a good singing performance from him. I was heartened to learn he wasn't all song but had the acting ability, too.

Michael Williams as the baker. My favorite scene ... when he was trying to take the red cape from Little Red Riding Hood. I thought it was priceless! I keep getting this feeling that I've seen him acting many times before. It is highly possible I have. He is, after all, a seasoned stage actor. I took a peek at his credits and one play jumped out at me. They're Playing Our Song, which, I believe, was performed with Lea Salonga at the Aguinaldo Theater. I remember I watched it 2 or 3 times, hehehe.

Jamie Wilson as Prince Charming/the wolf. I'll be honest with you. I wasn't all that excited to learn he was Prince Charming --- but only because he doesn't fit the mold of MY Prince Charming. Does that make sense? But that is irrelevant because he was great as both the wolf and as Prince Charming. In the scene where he seduces the baker's wife in the woods I was tempted to hide behind my hands and squeal. I was thinking, "Oh, no, he will NOT!" And of course, he did. After a few too many kisses, they got it on ... in the woods!

The Music:
Kudos to Stephen Sondheim for his genius in the composition and scoring of this fantastic musical! Click HERE if you want to hear the music for yourself. That list is the original broadway recording of Into The Woods.

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If you are into musicals and you haven't watched it yet, I suggest you find the time to do so. I promise, it is worth every peso. Click HERE for the teaser video.

I rarely watch TV anymore.  What's the point?  I get to download all the shows I want to watch anyway?  And I can watch them over and over again, as often as I want to.  Everyday I try to watch one or two shows but with all the shows I download I can't always catch up and so I would allocate one day for just watching.

The following are the shows I download:

1. America's Next Top Model
   
2. Avatar, The Last Airbender
3. Battlestar Galactica (2003)
   
4. Bionic Woman (2007)
   
5. Bones
6. CSI
7. CSI Miami
8. CSI New York
9. Desperate Housewives
   
10. Dirty Sexy Money
11. Dresden Files
    
12. Eureka
13. Ghost Whisperer
14. Gossip Girl
15. Grey's Anatomy
16. Heroes
17. House
18. Kyle XY
    
19. Medium
    
20. Moonlight
21. NCIS
    
22. Numb3rs
23. One Tree Hill
    
24. Private Practice
25. Psych
    
26. Reaper
27. Saving Grace
    
28. Smallville
29. Supernatural
    
30. The Amazing Race
31. The O.C.
    
32. Without A Trace
    

These are basically all the current shows that my family watches.  If you'll notice, some of those shows you can blame on my daughter.  
By the way, all these shows ... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

We also watch and collect DVDs of shows that are no longer being aired such as:

1. Angel, The Series
2. Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
3. Charmed
4. Commander In Chief
5. Firefly
6. Friends
   
7. John Doe
   
8. Lois and Clark
   
9. Quantum Leap
10. Remington Steele
11. Xena, Warrior Princess
12. Will And Grace
13. Wonder Woman
    

A family with shared interests and experiences is a happy family. 
How much TV do you and your family watch?

Plot summary from IMDB.com:

Based on the acclaimed novel by Susan Cooper, THE DARK IS RISING is the first film adaptation of the author's acclaimed The Dark Is Rising Sequence. The film tells the story of Will Stanton, a young man who learns he is the last of a group of warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the Dark. Traveling back and forth through time, Will discovers a series of clues which lead him into a showdown with forces of unimaginable power. With the Dark once again rising, the future of the world rests in Will's hands.

---

Last Thursday, 11 October 2007, I had the opportunity to watch the press screening of The Seeker:  The Dark Is Rising at Cinema 3 of G4 in Makati with assorted members of the New Worlds Alliance.  I read the "The Dark Is Rising" Sequence written by Susan Cooper several years ago so I more or less knew what story to expect.  It is a fantasy story geared towards kids where an ordinary young boy suddenly becomes extraordinary on his 14th birthday.

For the science fiction and fantasy geeks (like me) you will see several references or similarities to other shows, such as:

• Harry Potter
• Heroes
• Lord of the Rings
• Matrix
• Star Wars
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Of course, I could just be seeing the references because I was looking for them, hehehe.

Alexander Ludwig is Will Stanton, the seventh son of a seventh son and The Seeker, a warrior of The Light, tasked with finding the 6 signs before the world is plunged into darkness.  As I was watching I kept trying to place his face ... I felt like I'd seen him before and, true enough, I have ... in Air Bud:  World Pup.  While Alexander's acting was not bad, neither was it spectacular.  His performance was not exactly what I would call memorable.  I don't see him winning any Oscar's for this --- maybe a Kid's Choice Award for cuteness.

Will Stanton quotable quote:  "I'm supposed to save the world? I don't even know how to talk to a GIRL!"

Helping him out in his quest are "The Old Ones".

• Frances Conroy plays the role of Miss Greythorne, the local nobility of the hamlet where the Stantons live. I first saw Frances Conroy in the role of Ruth Fisher in 6 Feet Under but I didn't immediately recognize her, what with all the extra wrinkles and all.  The way she looked and portrayed her character at The Seeker brought to mind Maggie Smith's Professor McGonagall.  I think it must have been the regal bearing and the "no nonsense" look.  Also, I thought her spinning move with the sword was "kick-ass". Very "Matrix"-y, in my opinion, hehehe.  Images of Neo spinning around with his coat flying out behind him.
• Ian McShane is a familiar face to those who watch Deadwood as Al Swearengen.  Today he takes on the role of Merriman Lyon, Miss Greythorne's "butler".  Of the four Old ones, Merriman is the one who actually acts as Will's mentor, teaching him about his powers and how to control them.  He displays confusion on how to handle Will.  To loosely quote, he is used to training warriors and Will is just a child.  But Miss Greythorne immediately points out, "This warrior IS a child ". Of the protagonist characters in this film, I think that Ian McShane delivered the most memorable performance.  He was able to successfully communicate to the audience the emotions and thoughts of his character.
• James Cosmo and Jim Piddock play Dawson and Old George respectively, Miss Greythorne's retainers.They act as Will's "muscle", his bodyguards, but without his knowledge.  They make sure he is kept safe as he searches for the clues.  There role isn't really that big.  They're just ... always there in Will's vicinity.  Both James Cosmo and Jim Piddock are veteran actors that have appeared in guest or supporting roles in several movies and tv shows over the years.

Every "great hero" needs a villainous, black-hearted villain and this is where Christopher Eccleston comes in.  He plays The Rider, a power for The Dark --- the nemesis of the warriors of The Light (The Old Ones and The Seeker).  He rode a big white stallion and wore a coat made of crow's feathers. One of his more apparent powers was the ability to summon and control crows and make them do his bidding.

Let me say, off the bat, he was scary.  Whether in his persona as "The Rider" or as a country doctor, he didn't look like anyone I would want to run into on the street.  To help him in his quest to defeat The Seeker he recruited the help of two people, Maggie and Will's brother, Max.

You may remember her as Simone in the movie Quills starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, and Joaquin Phoenix.  In The Seeker, Amelia Warner (born 1982) plays the role of Maggie, the "older woman" that Will has a big crush on.  For most of the film she appears to be a sweet girl but her villainy is revealed towards the end of the film.  Personally, I don't think Amelia can do "scary" very well.  She can do sweet, she can do desperate, but scary ...

Maybe that means that she has not really seen that much ugliness in her life, which is a good thing. So maybe she should do more preliminary research before taking on such a role again.

Yum!  In my opinion, THE most good-looking guy in the movie, was Gregory Smith who played the role of Max, Will's brother, who just got home from college.  Don't get me wrong, he's cute but he isn't just a cute face in this movie.  He does pull his weight.  He even got to show off those taekwondo moves his on-screen brothers (Robin and Paul Stanton) mentioned when he was fighting Will for possession of the signs.

Born in 1983, Greg is a multi-awarded and nominated actor, mostly for the series Everwood.

Here is my overall opinion of the movie.

• Keep in mind that it is a children's film. The story was written for children so, to appreciate it, think like a child.
• The plot is simple enough that children will be able to follow it. We parents will not be asked too often to explain it.  Most of the story they will grasp on their own.
• I found it funny that they had to be Americans in England but then when I stop and think about it, the U.S.A is a land of immigrants and really, everyone except the Native Americans really came from somewhere else, a lot from Europe.
• Some inconsistencies ... daddy and mommy Stanton had dark hair (although daddy's hair was a mite lighter) and all the siblings had dark hair.  So my question is ... how could Will be so blonde?  Was that intentional?  To make him stand out even more? So that we, the audience, would not doubt that he is The Seeker?
• I realize that it is a children's story which is why the "hero" is a teenager.  But realistically, most kids do not really have the emotionally maturity to handle such a situation and all those powers, especially if they came from a normal home life

How does the movie compare to the book?  Hard for me to say.  I haven't read the book in some time so my memories are a little shaky but vague recollections still seem to indicate that the movie was better, which is something you don't normally hear me say.

In my opinion, go ahead and watch this movie with your kids, your nephew or niece, etc. They will surely enjoy it.

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising - Trailer

Posted Aug 07, 2007
For more information about the movie go to http://www.seekthesigns.com.

This is so cute I just HAD to share it with you guys!

Start:	Oct 27, '07 10:00a
End:	Oct 27, '07 10:00p
Location:	Glorietta Activity Center

Get your costumes ready! Be part of New Worlds 5!
The New Worlds Alliance presents:

New Worlds 5:
The 5th Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
This event will be held at the Glorietta Activity Center on October 27, 2007.  It promises to be a day of fun and excitement!  Hope to see you all there!

This event was brought to you by:

• A Different Bookstore
• Crime/Suspense
• Fandomcafe
• Glorietta Mall
• New Worlds Alliance

For more information please go to http://www.newworlds.ph.