Movie Review: 47 Ronin

 A couple of weeks ago I won a double in season pass to see 47 Ronin from my local comic book store All Star Comics, last night we finally went and checked it out.

 

 The 47 Ronin is a well known story of loyalty and honour in the Samurai of old.

You can read more about it here.

47 Ronin directed by Carl Rinsch follows pretty closely with the tale, though at first it seems like it might take some "artistic licensing" with the samurai failing to kill the first monster we come into contact with and ignoring the warnings about the presents of a witch, but the story soon gets back on track with the samurai Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada) leading everyone back together for the final revenge for their master.

 

 The monsters are well done and weave a touch of magic into the tale.

You could read the characters minds through subtle yet pointed moves and changes of mood.

Beautiful cinematography paired with picturesque scenery created this full world of legend and magic.

The separation of Kai's (Keanu Reeves) storyline from the shamed samurai known as ronin while maintaining a parallel was brilliantly done and left the story fulfilled at the climax.

A wonderful and fitting telling of this tale of the ultimate loyalty.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

While watching you should recognise Rico the Zombie, who makes a small appearance about half way through the movie.

 



Picnic at Hanging Rock

Last weekend was Australia Day, while most people were listening to the Triple J hottest 100, drinking and cooking up a feast on the BBQ I wanted to do something else.

I mentioned to some friends that a picnic at hanging rock just had to be done. I have been living in Melbourne for nearly a year now and we still hadn't gone.

So in salute to the book and movie, we headed up to Hanging Rock with our picnic.

 

 The rock formations are amazing.

 We hiked up to the top of hanging rock (not really a hike)

The view was spectacular.

 The guys walking under the hanging rock.

 Vampire Cliff.

As we left the rocks.

We then headed back down to the grass for our picnic lunch.



January Book Haul: Kindle Edition

These are the books I got downloaded from Amazon for my Kindle.

The first is :

 This one has been on my "To Read" list for a little while, it sounds really fun and maybe really funny.

I like the plot and can't wait to check it out.

 

The Next one:

 This one is about reaching the end of your tether running away and moving on.

 

The Next three are the next three in the Gaslight Chronicles

A series of short (around 100 pages each) stories set in a steampunk world.

These stories are love stories set around the secret order of descendants of the original Knights of the Round table. It is a world filled with Vampires, Werewolves, Phantoms, Wizards and Animations.

 

The first three are

1. Steam and Sorcery

2. Photographs and Phantoms

3. Kilts and Kraken.



Book Review: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An amazing story of the struggles of a mortal half breed girl who is never truly accepted by either race. Taming the gods and bringing hope to a world thrown into unbalance.

Darr is an interesting and contrasting place to the southern kingdoms, where gender roles are reversed and the men stay at home while the women become warriors and the leaders and only when they are absolutely desperate do they use the men in times of war. Being brought up not only as a warrior but also to become the leader of her people means strength has been bred into the main character and helps her in Sky even though they see her as a barbarian.

Gods of Day (light), Night (dark)and Twilight are a fantasy favourite three elements, the Light the Dark and the In-Between and the religion itself borrows from a wide variety of earthly religions, moulding them together to create a world where the Gods interfere with everyday life.

All together a very entertaining story about humanity, life and death.

"We can never be gods, after all - but we can become something less than human with frightening ease."

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Trade Review: Saga Volume 1

Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing I don't like about this comic.
Its funny but read organically. The couple are cute and have their issues.
All the characters are fleshed out and all have their own histories.
The Stalk is creepy and strangely beautiful. The Will may be a monster but still has a line even he wont cross.
Hazel's commentary is brilliant, letting us know that the baby survives long enough to tell the story but leaving the fate of either of the main characters open for suspense.
Isobel is a pretty cool teenager too and has a personality that adds to the mix.
Sextillians' brothel scene with The Will also gives us a glimpse of the kind of beings in the world and adds to the world building marvellously despite its serious content towards the end.
On the note of series content, this comic is about War and all the things that result from war, including the child sex trade and the death of children so I am going to give this a TRIGGER WARNING!
I've already had the second one put aside for me at my local comic book store and pre-ordered the third book.

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Book Haul January Part 2 - Second week

So I promise myself I will slow down, 24 books within 2 weeks of the new year is just too many.

On that note I only went to the closet Op Shop today instead of both (even though the other one was having a 50% off all books sale)

I still came away with a pretty good find.

 

Firstly Pegasus, it sounds really interesting with the story set in a world where you get bonded to your own Pegasus at the age of 12. Its the first in a trilogy and apparently ends in the middle of a scene but for $4 the hardcover book was totally worth it.

The Ultimate Dracula is also a hard cover and cost me $3, its a collection of vampire stories and my favourite author is included.

Speaking of my favourite author I also found Angel Time which I have been missing from my near complete Anne Rice collection. I already have Of Love and Evil but haven't read these ones yet.

 

Besides the op shop some of my online orders arrived! Super Excited for these.

 

 

Looking for Alibrandi is a favourite that I just loved when we had to read it for class. The movie is SHITE! I just had to own a copy, and its the same cover I read in school.

 

Sweetly is the second book in a series that is putting a new spin on the old Fairytales (the first book is still yet to be delivered). This one is about Hansel and Gretel or rather Ansel and Gretchen.

 

Etiquette and Espionage is by Gail Carriger, another one of my favourite authors. I was so sad when I finished the Parasol Protectorate series, but soon found out she was starting another series.

I've already got the second book from a local store, but they didn't have this one in stock so I was just waiting for it to arrive.

I'm very excited about this book, but can't read it till at least next month.

Book Haul: First Week in January

Five days into the year and I've picked up some major books already.

I've decided to share and do a quick Book Haul because I've been watching so many book hauls on youtube.

 

So firstly Dymocks has been having a 30% off sale so I popped in after work on Friday and picked up a couple of books.

 I picked up The Fault in our Stars as I've heard great things about this book and the Land Down Under Book Club have all read it already and had a special google hangout for it, so I thought I would give it ago.

I also picked up Beowulf and I want to read a few classics this year and I've seen so many of the movie remakes of this story that it would be really cool to know what it all came from.

 

I also picked up Curtsies and Conspiracies from Minotaur

 

 Thisone is the second book in a series, they didn't have the first one so I've ordered it online.

I wanted to read this one as I love Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series and found that I was rather sad it was all over when I finished the series last year and can't wait to get back into Gail's steampunk world of the paranormal.

 

Saturday I hit the op shops, after the Christmas gift dump I thought I would be able to find some interesting picks.

The first op shop I went to was actually having an "any 4 books for $10" sale.

I picked up 5 books there and though I thought they would charge the most expensive book as the single book they didn't. They charged me separately for the top book which was the cheapest at $3.45.

Then at the second book shop I picked up 3 titles for around $2 each.

 

 

I got the Map of Time because it is steampunk and sounded really interesting with a cameo of H.G. Wells being a character.

Black Swan Rising I had also never heard of but it sounded really good. like a sinister Pandora's box.

West of the Wall is about a mother being separated from her son by the Berlin Wall, which is a subject I'm really interested in.

Princess is a look at the real lives of women in the Saudi Arabia.

Kendermore I bought because it is part of the original Dragonlance series I started when I was a teen and I'm really keen to go on some more adventures with them all.

Piratica 3 I bought because I have the second one in the series and have heard good things about Tanith Lee. I just need to find the first book now.

The Pilo Family Circus has been on my wish list for awhile.

Myst book two sounds really interesting, though the second in the series. Its also the only hardcover this time.

 

Lastly earlier today we went to the Camberwell markets, it wasn't the greatest haul from the markets, and there really wasn't much there, its always a bit hit and miss at a market.

 

 

Goosebumps!!

These took me back, a lady had a heap at her stall and I love werewolves so I got two werewolf ones.

One is even a choose your own adventure!!

Lastly there is The Monsters of Loch Ness.

This one is a non-fiction one about the research done around loch ness trying to find the monster and proving it real or not. For a non-fiction it sounds kinda interesting.

So there we have it!

14 books in 3 days!