Let’s get this out of the way: Rings of Power is not Tolkien, even if Amazon paid to have The Lord of the Rings in the title. These stories are essentially fan fiction. I have been waiting expectantly for this premiere for months while also being worried that it may distort the Tolkien legacy. This evening …
Today is Earth Day. Many of you have heard of this time of reflection, and you probably already have an opinion on whether we should devote a day each year to consider how our current global cultures of development, industry, and technology have affected the fragile, yet resilient, ecosystems that frame our lives. I may …
Several of you probably saw Stranger Things a year ago, but I just saw the first episode. The homage to the 1980s is lovely, but the artistic expression in the unified vision of the writing and directing is captivating. The Duffer brothers, who previously worked with M. Night Shyamalan on Wayward Pines, excel at …
Cars 3 clearly shows Pixar returning to the original film for inspiration. While Cars 2 was more a feature-length version of Mater’s Tall Tales, this film inherits more thematically from the first film and includes appearances from Chick Hicks, Doc Hudson (in flashbacks), the Rusteze crew, and Tex (who owns Dinoco). This sequel captures some …
Cars 3: The True Sequel to Pixar’s Racing Masterpiece Read More »
I have mixed feelings about the second installment of Guardians of the Galaxy. Although I would not call it a great movie, I have the desire to see more of these characters. The movie does not necessarily offer enough character moments, and the plot boils down to something relatively simple, but I still come away …
Charismatic Characters: Comments on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Read More »
Does Stephen Strange Grow into a Virtuous Person? Dr. Strange is another enjoyable entry in the Marvel Studios master plan. Of course, this film is another superhero adventure with the obligatory origin story. Familiar tropes fill the screen, with numerous parallels to another goatee-sporting narcissist (Tony Stark); though, here we trade technology for magic–yet the occult-inspired …
“It’s Not about You!” : A Moral Lesson in Doctor Strange Read More »
Recapturing the Spirit of the Franchise Yeah, yeah. I know I’m months behind, but I just finally watched Rogue One–had to get it in before May 4th! My delay in seeing the film was not intentional since the original preview caught my interest more than The Force Awakens. Life circumstances conspired against me. But now having …
The Better Star Wars Movie, The One That Gives Me Hope Read More »
Mix the themes of West Wing (yet, alas, not the Sorkin-inspired banter) with the action and occasional family moments of 24 (with no ticking clock), and you will have a good idea what Designated Survivor looks like. An experienced cast adds weight to well-written scripts that excel at the difficult games of characterization and plot twists. The production …
Somehow it slipped by me this past July: Scrivener finally arrived in the App Store for iPads and iPhones after years of our waiting. Now we can take the magic of Scrivener with us on any of our Apple devices! The potential is truly exciting. Since I just got my copy, though, I can only …
Disney’s Zootopia is a masterpiece of quirky characters, thoughtful plot twists, and brilliant spectacle. Imagination abounds in the film’s portrait of a city containing multiple habitats and species living right next to each other. Otters, mice, polar bears, water buffalo, lions, sheep, and other animals all live and interact in a variety of spheres. I’m …
After the action-packed premiere (picking up with last season’s cliffhanger), the Person of Interest writing team take time for a more cerebral episode. Harold and company have risked their lives to carry the downsized Machine (literally trapped in a briefcase) to safety. At the end of the premiere, they had reconstructed the Machine in a make-shift …
Harold and the Ultimate Good: Ethics in Person of Interest’s Season 5 Read More »
Before you judge this latest Marvel film, you should ask yourself what you think makes up a good superhero story. Comic book writers and readers have long noticed the difference between titles that offer a more intimate look at a single hero/ine and his/her supporting cast and those that group several together into grander conflicts. …
What Breaks Friendship? : Captain America, Civil War Read More »
There is a reason certain works get the label “classic,” and every now and then we see a re-telling of the story that reminds us of the power of its world. Disney’s most recent version of Jungle Book falls into this category, almost like a radical new performance of a Shakespeare play. Yes, we still have …
Can Humans Live with Animals? : Jungle Book Reinvented Read More »
Some calendars don’t even have it listed in April, and many people dismiss it as a silly effort of “liberal-minded tree huggers” to promote agendas that will ultimately annoy those who are struggling to make a living (e.g., owls versus logging companies). However, the number of people who observe Earth Day is growing, and …
There are many social-media resources for authors today, and many authors eventually waste untold hours trying to promote their books through these channels. Although Facebook and Twitter can be helpful in some ways (I have made connections with several other authors there), I have found that they are not all that useful in building a …
Goodreads and Camp NaNoWriMo: Resources for Authors Read More »
Wolf Code is now a GoodReads Giveaway again (available worldwide), from May 19 to July 31, 2016: Goodreads Book Giveaway Wolf Code by Chandler Brett Giveaway ends July 31, 2016. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway The Second Giveaway (in late April): 1464 people entered. The First Giveaway (in February): If you …
Enter a Giveaway for Wolf Code on Goodreads, No Strings Attached Read More »
To help explain the elements of CHANGE mentioned in my last post, I thought it would be helpful to analyze a movie or television episode. I just recently watched the premiere of Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal’s Colony and felt that it did an excellent job of hitting the seven points. There are several spoilers, so …
Writing Lessons (3.2): Conflict in Colony’s Pilot Read More »
The last writing lessons focused on reader expectations (genre conventions) and the four basic narrative elements (plot, character, setting, and point of view). Several popular books about making your novel or screenplay a commercial success (including those by Robert McKee, Scott Meredith, Steven Pressfield, Shawn Coyne, and many others) like to focus on plot–arguing that readers …
Writing Lessons (3): Conflict, the Essential Ingredient! Read More »
On January 6, Boo Sheppard and I sat down for an interview about the release of Wolf Code. Boo is a talented interviewer, actress, director, producer, and author. For nineteen years she interviewed a host of people (such as Danny Glover, Ossie Davis, and Mary Lou Retton) for the television show Orangeburg Inside/Out, including such …
I finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens this weekend after carefully navigating around family and friends who had seen it before me. I know there will be plenty of reviews of this film, and the box office has already confirmed it a commercial success. For many this film is already redefining what Star Wars …
The Force Awakens: Color Me Mostly Disappointed (Except for John Williams) Read More »
Advanced Reviews: “Wolf Code is an entertaining read, but also a gently thought-provoking one — a combination not always easy to find. I look forward to what is next for all the creatures in Brett’s world.” –Brantley Craig, Critic, Professor, Author. “Brett is a talented writer who paints with words. I could feel the …
