American Gods (Neil Gaiman)

Title: American Gods

Author: Neil Gaiman

Released: 2001

Rating: 5/5

Basic Plot: Shadow, after getting out of jail, is hired by a mysterious man called Wednesday. Without him fully knowing why, Shadow is pulled into a war between the Old and New Gods.

The Gods
Wednesday is the second god Shadow first encounters. Lowkey Lyesmith is the first one Shadow encounters. Part of the fun of this book is figuring out which gods you're meeting. There are also New Gods but, as they aren't ones you find in mythology, can't be guessed. The most interesting things about gods in this novel is the fact that a god lives and dies by who believes in him or her. It's a good, yet hard to understand at times, plot point.

Shadow's Importance
Shadow is shown to be an important character. Why that is isn't fully revealed until the end. So, throughout the novel you're thinking that Shadow's importance is just because he's the main character. But it's shown that he's the son of a god/goddess who is using him in a quest for power.

The Random Flashbacks
The majority of flashbacks (that aren't related to Shadow) don't make a lot of sense. But, luckily enough, they don't take up too much time. Plus, they are interesting. There's only one flashback that seems to mean anything. And that is Hinzelman's flashback.

Final Thoughts
This is an amazing book. Those who like mythology NEED to read this book. This is a good modern telling of different mythological figures. But what if you don't like reading? HBO is going to be making a series of American Gods. And for those of you that finish American Gods and want it to continue without writing fanfiction? There is a sequel planned for this book! Thank you to everyone who recommended this book to me!

Thir13en Ghosts (2001)

Title: Thir13en Ghosts

Director: Steve Beck

Type: Remake

Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth, and Embeth Davidtz

Rated: R

Released: 2001

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Horror Genre Rating: 3.5/5

B-Movie Genre Rating: Why do people think this is a b-movie?

Oscars: N/A

Basic Plot: A nephew inherits his Uncle's mansion and then gets sucked into a nightmare.

Substance Over Horror
There are a bunch of people saying that the graphics in this movie are good but they aren't scary. While it didn't make me run around screaming (or give me nightmares) it was a very unnerving experience all the same. This is helped by the graphics and how so much effort was put into the ghosts (aka, they aren't just crappy CGI). I can see how some horror veterans won't be that scared, but others should be able to have a great time.

The Thirteenth Ghost
Spoiler: The PETA-type woman was lying. You can guess that Arthur doesn't die (so he isn't the thirteenth ghost). I'm discussing this because on imdb's FAQ about the movie, this is the only question on it. Dennis Rafkin (the best character in the movie! ) is the thirteenth ghost. Dennis sacrificed himself for Arthur and so became the thirteenth ghost. This proves that the Thirteenth Ghost stopping the machine (aka Mansion) was a big lie set up by Arthur's Uncle.

Nudity and Gore
The Angry Princess is always nude and frightening. Well...would be if her knockers weren't so noticeable (but I'll let you find that out on your own). The gore in this movie is very blatant, but it is always used to set up the atmosphere and not for pure shock value. Let me clarify my point this way: the gore isn't there just to be gory. It's used to heighten the atmosphere. It doesn't go overboard in that sense. But those who don't like gore should probably take caution before viewing this film.

Final Thoughts
I highly enjoyed this movie. The acting was good and the ghosts were excellent. This was a great take on a haunted house film. The house wasn't haunted by accident, it was purposefully made to be haunted. And the coolest part? It was basically a machine of Satan himself! I would highly recommend this movie to those who want to see a different take on the haunted house genre.