Title: Skyfall
Series: James Bond
Based On the Books by: Ian Fleming
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig,
Javier Bardem, and
Naomie Harris
Rated: PG-13
Released: 2012
Personal Rating: 4/5
Oscars: Nominated for 5
Plot: Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her.
Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the
threat, no matter how personal the cost.
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Feelings for M
She does what she has to. I'm not a fan of hers and I don't hate her. M's relationship with James Bond/007 isn't smooth sailing. That being said, he is by her side when she's in danger. And I like that. It shows that both have been through a lot together and they have each other's backs (even when M orders that shot that hits Bond in the beginning). I think this movie, above all else, is about Bond's relationship with M. Showing how far he will go to protect her even when they're not on the friendliest of terms.
Gay Subtext
Yes, Silva and Bond do share some gay moments. I'm not dissing gays here, I'm just stating a fact. Javier Bardem (Silva) and Daniel Craig (Bond) have both admitted to playing up the gay moments. It got so bad that half-way through filming they were told to tone it down. So be prepared for the first time Silva and Bond meets (which is the first scene of the duo that was filmed) to be very gay toned. revrezner said he was prepared to be watching a gay porno when he saw that scene. What's great about this is you can see Craig being on the verge of nearly breaking down laughing.
No One Wins
By the end of the movie there doesn't appear to be a winner. I won't say what happens but everyone's plans work out in some way and yet fail at the same time. This left me in a little bit of confusion as I think Bond movies should have a clear cut winner and loser (I say this without being a die hard Bond fan).
Final Thoughts
I am not a big Bond fan but am familiar enough with the series. That being said, I love Daniel Craig and like seeing him as Bond (though he seems to want to leave the role ASAP). Casino Royale and this movie are the two Bond movies with Craig that I think are good. Adele's theme song for this movie is nominated for an Oscar and the opening title sequence is just amazing. Other people have pointed out that it's similar in tone to The Dark Knight Rises and I have to agree with that. I wish I could have seen this in theaters but I couldn't get there in time. This movie seems like it would've been breathtaking in the theater. I believe Craig is signed up for two more Bond movies and then we'll probably have to let this star go from the role.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Eternal Heart: New Recruit and Angelic Savior
I give a brief look at The Eternal Heart: New Recruit and a sneak peek of The Eternal Heart: Angelic Savior.
The Eternal Trilogy Facebook
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Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Eternal Heart: New Recruit
"Skynet did manage to put some intelligence into their foot soldiers." My Resistance trainer for the day said. Unlike Barnes, he was white. But, like Barnes, he had the same loathing for me.
"Terminators would be useless if they couldn't think," I replied while trying to not think of myself as one of them. "If they couldn't think then they couldn't fight."
My trainer's face assumed a blank expression to not give me the pleasure of seeing him angry. It didn't matter to me what his expression was because I knew what he was feeling. Or at least I had a very good guess of what his emotions were at the moment.
"That will be all for today, Jash." He said. The only motion he made for me to go away was to turn his face from mine.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." I said as I walked away. I wasn't expecting a reply and was rewarded with silence.
My footsteps brought me closer to my new destination. Faster than a human's would. No, I was doing what was called speed walking. I just had an easier time at it than a pure human would. That way of realization wouldn't lead me anywhere useful and might cause problems in the future.
But I didn't care at the moment.
I opened a door into a very small room. Like the rest of the base, it seemed to be about to collapse at any given moment. However, there wasn't a high likelihood that it would. The base reflected the very human spirit of those living here. A spirit that I didn't really have. But that I wished I did.
The only furniture in the room was a chair. Its front faced the door and I went over to it. As I went to sit down a woman entered the room. Once I was comfortable, she had shut the door. The look on her face showed that she had been in a few battles, but nothing that had torn her apart yet.
The Resistance woman stood in front of me and remained quiet for a few minutes. I didn't know whether she was nervous or if she was holding back her anger. Finally she spoke, "Jash, why did you join the Resistance?"
"Because Skynet needs to die." I replied.
"But you are a Terminator."
"I am only a Terminator because Skynet desecrated my body. I was probably just a normal human girl before. Hanging out with friends and trying to hide my feelings for my newest crush. I don't know what I would've done. I just know that it would've been normal."
"So you want revenge?"
"I want the ability to be human again. Without having to worry about Skynet trying to stop me."
"And will you be willing to follow our leader John Connor?"
"I've been asked that more times than I can count. And, being a hybrid, you better believe I can count pretty damn high." I paused only to have her look confused with how to react to my words. "And my answer is still the same. The answer is still yes."
She then asked her final question, "Is there any reason you are willing to?"
I thought about my answer. The truth was that I loved John and would follow him to the end of the world. Well, beyond the end of the world. But I couldn't tell this woman that. If she told John, things could get awkward. And I didn't know how I could get my feelings across to him. Leaving that duty to someone I didn't know wouldn't be a smart thing to do.
When I formulated a good sounding answer I spoke, "I trust John Connor. I trust that he is the best way to defeating Skynet."
The woman nodded. "Our session is over for now."
With that she walked out. I waited a few minutes and then headed towards my room. My room wasn't the same as my holding cell, but only slightly better. I wasn't considered a part of the Resistance by most members, so I was lucky just to have a room.
Resistance fighters passed me as I headed to my room. To me they weren't important and only one caught my eye and turned his face from mine. I swore John Connor had been looking at me, but he had quickly turned his gaze to another soldier. After that there was a conversation between the two.
I continued to move towards my room, but the thought that John had been sneaking a look at me continued to grow. The only bright light in this war.
*************************************************
While lying in my bed I thought about John. The perfect John Connor. At least that's how he appeared to me. If it weren't for him I would be dead. The only upside to being dead is that I would never know what I really was. Finding out that I was a hybrid had been bad enough, but finding out that I had been working for Skynet had been worse. And could John ever love a machine? Even if he wasn't already married?
As I ran through those thoughts in my head, I faintly heard knocking on my door. Coming back to the present I got off my bed and opened the door. A disinterested human face greeted me in my doorway.
"What is it?" I asked the woman.
"Katherine Connor orders you to come to Sickbay." She replied. Her voice somehow conveying both hatred and boredom at once.
"Are you going to walk me there?" I asked. For some reason I liked the way she looked and wanted to ask her to stay in my room for a little bit. But I couldn't because I had to show John that I was faithful. He had seemed to look past me being a hybrid and that I had been a pawn of Skynet. Not being faithful would be asking too much of him.
"No, I think you can find your own way." With that the woman walked away and I was left to walk to Sickbay myself.
I left only when I had gotten myself properly dressed. While walking to Sickbay I thought about why John would've married Katherine. While she was loyal, dedicated, and intelligent I couldn't see anything special about her. And when someone decided to marry, shouldn't the object of their affections be special?
Katherine was tending to a wounded soldier. I had to stand in the doorway for a few minutes before she even acknowledged me. It wasn't until after she had finished with the soldier that she said, "Jash, do you have any medical experience?"
The soldier got up, thanked Katherine, and then walked out of Sickbay.
"No," I replied as soon as the soldier had left. "I don't think Skynet had any need of me fixing any humans up. I mean, they never planned on a party for the Resistance. Not really that close."
"It probably wanted you to be a good killer, which means you had to know anatomy." Katherine said and walked to a table, ignoring my sarcastic answer. Things had been set up to look like a makeshift classroom.
Those were the last words that were spoken before I was getting tested on my medical skills. The testing went on for hours and it seemed like Katherine was being too hard on me. Of course it could just be that I was worn out from the distrust the Resistance had shown me so far. Or Katherine was being hard on me because she wanted to make sure of what I knew.
After the testing she gave me very basic medical training for the next two hours. When all of that was finished I leaned against the wall. While nothing physically draining had happened, the fact that I had been making sure not to say the wrong thing had worn me down.
"You did a better job than I expected." Katherine finally said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Connor." I said to show my gratitude and that I knew that John was her's. At least for the time being.
"One more thing before I let you go, though." She said and I could see that she was trying to control her hatred.
"What is it?" I asked.
"John Connor, my husband, is a very loyal man." Katherine said. "He won't let temptations get the better of him. No matter how much he wants them to. Do you understand me?"
"Yes." I reply and Katherine signaled me to leave. I did so with a happy thought in my head. The thought that Katherine felt threatened by me.
*****************************************
I tried to control my breathing. I thought that being a hybrid would mean I wouldn't get so nervous. Or maybe my nervousness was because my chip had been removed, so I didn't have as much control as I should have.
After I got my uniform on, I looked at myself in a dirty mirror. Wiping the mirror off a little I could see myself just a little better. I know why I was attracted to John Connor, but would my looks and abilities be enough for me to win him over?
But there were other things to attend to now. Such as the upcoming battle. I walked out of my room and went to join the other soldiers. My comrades. There was some pre-battle talk among them but I didn't join in. Partially because I was nervous and partially because I knew the soldiers didn't want to talk to me. I was a hybrid and therefore a creation of Skynet. And there was nothing worse than something of the enemy being on your side.
But all those thoughts were pushed aside when I saw John Connor come to join the troops. For some reason he was keeping Katherine at the base. All the better for me to bond more with John. We hadn't talked much due to Katherine's efforts to keep me away from him and how busy he was in his duties as leader of the Resistance.
John Connor stood in front of me and my comrades while he gave a speech. I didn't hear what he said, I was just looking at the way he said it. It didn't matter I wasn't listening to his words as I had made sure to be clear about the battle beforehand. So I looked at his facial expressions, the sound of his voice, and how the Resistance soldiers responded to him. It was no wonder that I was falling for him. In a different way, the Resistance had fallen in love with him.
After he was done giving his speech, we went into different helicopters. I went into the one I had been assigned to and saw myself next to John Connor. I was going into battle with him right beside me. Not just as my leader, but as someone beside me.
As the landscape passed below us, I tried to calm myself down again. I knew once I was in battle I would be able to distract myself, but not now.
"First time?" John jokingly asked me.
"For the right side and not under mind control, yes." I replied with a smile.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. You were made to fight."
"And what were you made for?"
John paused a moment. His mind seemed to turn in on itself. Finally he replied, "I was made to lead."
"Skynet didn't mess with you. You are human and I don't think you were made for a purpose. You are free to make your own decisions. Your own destiny." I said.
He gave me a weak smile.
"You just do what you were made for, Jash." John said and that was the last thing he said to me before the battle began.
We arrived at the battlefield and there was chaos. Of course it was controlled chaos but it was hard to concentrate. However, I was quickly able to realize what I was supposed to do. This wasn't my first battle, but this was the first time I was fully aware of it. This time I knew who I was fighting for and who I was fighting against.
Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into years. Orders were yelled at me and I obeyed. It was odd killing Terminators and knowing that they were metal. I had to hold back bile as I remembered I used to be brainwashed to not know I was killing humans.
Once the deepest levels of hell became just the entrance, I felt relieved. Even though all of us wanted to shout out in joy for the fact that we were alive and had won today, we knew that we couldn't rest until we were back at base. The only safety we were guaranteed.
After a few minutes I remembered John. What if he had died?
"John!" I yelled while running around looking for him. Suddenly I heard a shot and then felt it pass me by just inches.
As I turned my gun around to try and find the attacker, another shot was fired and I heard a Terminator fall down. When I found my savior with my eyes I had to remind myself I still was not safe. I would have to leave dreaming about John Connor for another time. When I wasn't being shot at by surviving metal.
Another shot grazed my body and I turned to look for the new Terminator. This time John shot at it but I didn't hear it fall down. That task was mine as I turned to look for it as more Terminators fired at me. My savior's duty was now protecting me as I fired back at the remaining Terminators.
As shots were exchanged I felt alive. As Judgment Day had already happened, this felt like the only real kind of bonding that could exist. Never mind that my memories before Judgment Day hadn't come back to me yet. The point was that I thought that John and I were growing closer together than ever before.
While I focused on the Terminators that were shooting at me, I also made sure John wasn't in danger of dying. I knew that focusing on myself was selfish, but if I didn't I couldn't protect him. My current selfishness would be better during this fight.
Finally I shot down the last Terminator and turned to John and said, "Good shot, John."
"Couldn't have done it without you, Jash." He said and smiled at me. We both ignored the fact that I had given him credit for my shooting abilities.
I don't know if I'd ever encounter something so beautiful as his smile again. And now, while we weren't in immediate danger, I could focus on him.
"If you weren't there I'd be dead." I said and walked over to him.
Once I got close to him, he grasped my arm. "I could say the same thing about you."
For a few moments we just looked into each other's eyes. I was silent because I didn't want to say the wrong thing. While battle did unite people, I didn't know if it had united us enough for him to leave Katherine.
Why he remained silent I couldn't tell. I didn't want to guess in case the answer wasn't one I was looking for.
When the moment had passed he let go of me and we walked to a helicopter. I went in and John stood outside of it and talked to a few Resistance Fighters. Before the battle my comrades hadn't talked to me, but now they were congratulating me. Not for me getting a small bit of John's affection, but for me surviving my first battle. Well, first battle with the Resistance. My first battle for the right side.
John finally joined me and the congratulations stopped as my comrades were scared of saying some of the more vulgar comments in front of their leader. Once the helicopter I was in landed at base I got out after John.
Him being the leader of the Resistance meant he took the brunt of the reactions. After not seeing Barnes for so long, I had trouble remaining calm as he went up to John. While Barnes had kind words for John, he ignored me.
Katherine came running into John's arm. He hugged her tightly. But I could tell she wasn't pleased with how tight he was hugging her.
"Promise me you'll let me go next time." Katherine whispered into John's ear. Only the combination that I was standing close to John and was a hybrid meant I heard it. And by hearing it I felt jealous.
I felt jealous because Katherine was trying to come between John and my's budding relationship. Yes, she was his wife but I saw that as a temporary position for her.
"I promise I will one day." John replied to her and I suddenly felt guilty. Katherine, whatever her faults were, made John happy. I wanted to make John happy like she did, but what if any of my tinkering made him not feel joy ever again?
Katherine and John let go of each other and she turned to me. And with the cold look she gave me I felt a little better about wanting to come between them.
"Jash, I think this makes you a real member of the Resistance now." Katherine said. I felt guilty again, but not enough to turn me from planning to take John away from her.
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"Terminators would be useless if they couldn't think," I replied while trying to not think of myself as one of them. "If they couldn't think then they couldn't fight."
My trainer's face assumed a blank expression to not give me the pleasure of seeing him angry. It didn't matter to me what his expression was because I knew what he was feeling. Or at least I had a very good guess of what his emotions were at the moment.
"That will be all for today, Jash." He said. The only motion he made for me to go away was to turn his face from mine.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." I said as I walked away. I wasn't expecting a reply and was rewarded with silence.
My footsteps brought me closer to my new destination. Faster than a human's would. No, I was doing what was called speed walking. I just had an easier time at it than a pure human would. That way of realization wouldn't lead me anywhere useful and might cause problems in the future.
But I didn't care at the moment.
I opened a door into a very small room. Like the rest of the base, it seemed to be about to collapse at any given moment. However, there wasn't a high likelihood that it would. The base reflected the very human spirit of those living here. A spirit that I didn't really have. But that I wished I did.
The only furniture in the room was a chair. Its front faced the door and I went over to it. As I went to sit down a woman entered the room. Once I was comfortable, she had shut the door. The look on her face showed that she had been in a few battles, but nothing that had torn her apart yet.
The Resistance woman stood in front of me and remained quiet for a few minutes. I didn't know whether she was nervous or if she was holding back her anger. Finally she spoke, "Jash, why did you join the Resistance?"
"Because Skynet needs to die." I replied.
"But you are a Terminator."
"I am only a Terminator because Skynet desecrated my body. I was probably just a normal human girl before. Hanging out with friends and trying to hide my feelings for my newest crush. I don't know what I would've done. I just know that it would've been normal."
"So you want revenge?"
"I want the ability to be human again. Without having to worry about Skynet trying to stop me."
"And will you be willing to follow our leader John Connor?"
"I've been asked that more times than I can count. And, being a hybrid, you better believe I can count pretty damn high." I paused only to have her look confused with how to react to my words. "And my answer is still the same. The answer is still yes."
She then asked her final question, "Is there any reason you are willing to?"
I thought about my answer. The truth was that I loved John and would follow him to the end of the world. Well, beyond the end of the world. But I couldn't tell this woman that. If she told John, things could get awkward. And I didn't know how I could get my feelings across to him. Leaving that duty to someone I didn't know wouldn't be a smart thing to do.
When I formulated a good sounding answer I spoke, "I trust John Connor. I trust that he is the best way to defeating Skynet."
The woman nodded. "Our session is over for now."
With that she walked out. I waited a few minutes and then headed towards my room. My room wasn't the same as my holding cell, but only slightly better. I wasn't considered a part of the Resistance by most members, so I was lucky just to have a room.
Resistance fighters passed me as I headed to my room. To me they weren't important and only one caught my eye and turned his face from mine. I swore John Connor had been looking at me, but he had quickly turned his gaze to another soldier. After that there was a conversation between the two.
I continued to move towards my room, but the thought that John had been sneaking a look at me continued to grow. The only bright light in this war.
*************************************************
While lying in my bed I thought about John. The perfect John Connor. At least that's how he appeared to me. If it weren't for him I would be dead. The only upside to being dead is that I would never know what I really was. Finding out that I was a hybrid had been bad enough, but finding out that I had been working for Skynet had been worse. And could John ever love a machine? Even if he wasn't already married?
As I ran through those thoughts in my head, I faintly heard knocking on my door. Coming back to the present I got off my bed and opened the door. A disinterested human face greeted me in my doorway.
"What is it?" I asked the woman.
"Katherine Connor orders you to come to Sickbay." She replied. Her voice somehow conveying both hatred and boredom at once.
"Are you going to walk me there?" I asked. For some reason I liked the way she looked and wanted to ask her to stay in my room for a little bit. But I couldn't because I had to show John that I was faithful. He had seemed to look past me being a hybrid and that I had been a pawn of Skynet. Not being faithful would be asking too much of him.
"No, I think you can find your own way." With that the woman walked away and I was left to walk to Sickbay myself.
I left only when I had gotten myself properly dressed. While walking to Sickbay I thought about why John would've married Katherine. While she was loyal, dedicated, and intelligent I couldn't see anything special about her. And when someone decided to marry, shouldn't the object of their affections be special?
Katherine was tending to a wounded soldier. I had to stand in the doorway for a few minutes before she even acknowledged me. It wasn't until after she had finished with the soldier that she said, "Jash, do you have any medical experience?"
The soldier got up, thanked Katherine, and then walked out of Sickbay.
"No," I replied as soon as the soldier had left. "I don't think Skynet had any need of me fixing any humans up. I mean, they never planned on a party for the Resistance. Not really that close."
"It probably wanted you to be a good killer, which means you had to know anatomy." Katherine said and walked to a table, ignoring my sarcastic answer. Things had been set up to look like a makeshift classroom.
Those were the last words that were spoken before I was getting tested on my medical skills. The testing went on for hours and it seemed like Katherine was being too hard on me. Of course it could just be that I was worn out from the distrust the Resistance had shown me so far. Or Katherine was being hard on me because she wanted to make sure of what I knew.
After the testing she gave me very basic medical training for the next two hours. When all of that was finished I leaned against the wall. While nothing physically draining had happened, the fact that I had been making sure not to say the wrong thing had worn me down.
"You did a better job than I expected." Katherine finally said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Connor." I said to show my gratitude and that I knew that John was her's. At least for the time being.
"One more thing before I let you go, though." She said and I could see that she was trying to control her hatred.
"What is it?" I asked.
"John Connor, my husband, is a very loyal man." Katherine said. "He won't let temptations get the better of him. No matter how much he wants them to. Do you understand me?"
"Yes." I reply and Katherine signaled me to leave. I did so with a happy thought in my head. The thought that Katherine felt threatened by me.
*****************************************
I tried to control my breathing. I thought that being a hybrid would mean I wouldn't get so nervous. Or maybe my nervousness was because my chip had been removed, so I didn't have as much control as I should have.
After I got my uniform on, I looked at myself in a dirty mirror. Wiping the mirror off a little I could see myself just a little better. I know why I was attracted to John Connor, but would my looks and abilities be enough for me to win him over?
But there were other things to attend to now. Such as the upcoming battle. I walked out of my room and went to join the other soldiers. My comrades. There was some pre-battle talk among them but I didn't join in. Partially because I was nervous and partially because I knew the soldiers didn't want to talk to me. I was a hybrid and therefore a creation of Skynet. And there was nothing worse than something of the enemy being on your side.
But all those thoughts were pushed aside when I saw John Connor come to join the troops. For some reason he was keeping Katherine at the base. All the better for me to bond more with John. We hadn't talked much due to Katherine's efforts to keep me away from him and how busy he was in his duties as leader of the Resistance.
John Connor stood in front of me and my comrades while he gave a speech. I didn't hear what he said, I was just looking at the way he said it. It didn't matter I wasn't listening to his words as I had made sure to be clear about the battle beforehand. So I looked at his facial expressions, the sound of his voice, and how the Resistance soldiers responded to him. It was no wonder that I was falling for him. In a different way, the Resistance had fallen in love with him.
After he was done giving his speech, we went into different helicopters. I went into the one I had been assigned to and saw myself next to John Connor. I was going into battle with him right beside me. Not just as my leader, but as someone beside me.
As the landscape passed below us, I tried to calm myself down again. I knew once I was in battle I would be able to distract myself, but not now.
"First time?" John jokingly asked me.
"For the right side and not under mind control, yes." I replied with a smile.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. You were made to fight."
"And what were you made for?"
John paused a moment. His mind seemed to turn in on itself. Finally he replied, "I was made to lead."
"Skynet didn't mess with you. You are human and I don't think you were made for a purpose. You are free to make your own decisions. Your own destiny." I said.
He gave me a weak smile.
"You just do what you were made for, Jash." John said and that was the last thing he said to me before the battle began.
We arrived at the battlefield and there was chaos. Of course it was controlled chaos but it was hard to concentrate. However, I was quickly able to realize what I was supposed to do. This wasn't my first battle, but this was the first time I was fully aware of it. This time I knew who I was fighting for and who I was fighting against.
Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into years. Orders were yelled at me and I obeyed. It was odd killing Terminators and knowing that they were metal. I had to hold back bile as I remembered I used to be brainwashed to not know I was killing humans.
Once the deepest levels of hell became just the entrance, I felt relieved. Even though all of us wanted to shout out in joy for the fact that we were alive and had won today, we knew that we couldn't rest until we were back at base. The only safety we were guaranteed.
After a few minutes I remembered John. What if he had died?
"John!" I yelled while running around looking for him. Suddenly I heard a shot and then felt it pass me by just inches.
As I turned my gun around to try and find the attacker, another shot was fired and I heard a Terminator fall down. When I found my savior with my eyes I had to remind myself I still was not safe. I would have to leave dreaming about John Connor for another time. When I wasn't being shot at by surviving metal.
Another shot grazed my body and I turned to look for the new Terminator. This time John shot at it but I didn't hear it fall down. That task was mine as I turned to look for it as more Terminators fired at me. My savior's duty was now protecting me as I fired back at the remaining Terminators.
As shots were exchanged I felt alive. As Judgment Day had already happened, this felt like the only real kind of bonding that could exist. Never mind that my memories before Judgment Day hadn't come back to me yet. The point was that I thought that John and I were growing closer together than ever before.
While I focused on the Terminators that were shooting at me, I also made sure John wasn't in danger of dying. I knew that focusing on myself was selfish, but if I didn't I couldn't protect him. My current selfishness would be better during this fight.
Finally I shot down the last Terminator and turned to John and said, "Good shot, John."
"Couldn't have done it without you, Jash." He said and smiled at me. We both ignored the fact that I had given him credit for my shooting abilities.
I don't know if I'd ever encounter something so beautiful as his smile again. And now, while we weren't in immediate danger, I could focus on him.
"If you weren't there I'd be dead." I said and walked over to him.
Once I got close to him, he grasped my arm. "I could say the same thing about you."
For a few moments we just looked into each other's eyes. I was silent because I didn't want to say the wrong thing. While battle did unite people, I didn't know if it had united us enough for him to leave Katherine.
Why he remained silent I couldn't tell. I didn't want to guess in case the answer wasn't one I was looking for.
When the moment had passed he let go of me and we walked to a helicopter. I went in and John stood outside of it and talked to a few Resistance Fighters. Before the battle my comrades hadn't talked to me, but now they were congratulating me. Not for me getting a small bit of John's affection, but for me surviving my first battle. Well, first battle with the Resistance. My first battle for the right side.
John finally joined me and the congratulations stopped as my comrades were scared of saying some of the more vulgar comments in front of their leader. Once the helicopter I was in landed at base I got out after John.
Him being the leader of the Resistance meant he took the brunt of the reactions. After not seeing Barnes for so long, I had trouble remaining calm as he went up to John. While Barnes had kind words for John, he ignored me.
Katherine came running into John's arm. He hugged her tightly. But I could tell she wasn't pleased with how tight he was hugging her.
"Promise me you'll let me go next time." Katherine whispered into John's ear. Only the combination that I was standing close to John and was a hybrid meant I heard it. And by hearing it I felt jealous.
I felt jealous because Katherine was trying to come between John and my's budding relationship. Yes, she was his wife but I saw that as a temporary position for her.
"I promise I will one day." John replied to her and I suddenly felt guilty. Katherine, whatever her faults were, made John happy. I wanted to make John happy like she did, but what if any of my tinkering made him not feel joy ever again?
Katherine and John let go of each other and she turned to me. And with the cold look she gave me I felt a little better about wanting to come between them.
"Jash, I think this makes you a real member of the Resistance now." Katherine said. I felt guilty again, but not enough to turn me from planning to take John away from her.
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Friday, February 15, 2013
Warm Bodies (2013)
Title: Warm Bodies
Based On the Book: Warm Bodies
Written By: Isaac Marion
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, and John Malkovich
Rated: PG-13
Released: 2013
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Oscars: N/A
Plot: After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
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Love at First Sight
I don't believe in "love at first sight" in real life. Anyone that meets someone and then quickly gets married isn't doing the right thing. Until you really get to know someone it's infatuation and not love. However, in fiction, it's different. "Love at first sight", if done correctly, can add a nice level of sweetness to the work. For those who have read the book (I haven't, but I have read enough comments about this part in the book), you might remember a lack of this element in the original novel. But I still like R falling in love with Julie when he first sees her. Yes, it's unrealistic that a zombie (after eating so many humans) would be swayed to redemption by a pretty girl. However, it doesn't make sense that memories from a lover would sway a zombie. Because, really, R has probably eaten families before and it didn't make him change.
Two Main Types of Zombies
There are two kinds of zombies that are on different sides. First you have the "friendly zombies"/corpses that have conflicting feelings about killing and eating people. Mind you, usually they can't stop and eat people anyways because they're compelled to. The other kind are Bonies/Skeletons who are the real enemies of the movie. They resemble skeletons and are beyond saving. It is revealed, as the movie continues, that they think being like them is the way to go and will even attack corpses if their "utopia" is threatened.
Love Saves All
The cure for being a zombie seems to be love. Also the cure can be said to be to take notice of your surroundings. To not just do things out of habit, but to really experience life. While it is a really cheesey element of the film, it is actually a good life lesson if you think about it. Zombies represent consumerism/not having your own opinions and so zombies are really people that don't feel anymore. And I think a lot of people have the problem of being metaphorical zombies. So, readers, go out and really live.
Final Thoughts
I would've brought up this being a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, but I don't care/remember enough of the Shakespeare play to really make the comparison good. Before you say I'm 'not educated' because I don't like the play: I have a BA in English with a Specialization in Creative Writing AND I don't think Romeo loved Juliet (so it's not a love story, it's all about infatuation in that department). But that's a whole 'nother blog post. For those interested in the comparison: R = Romeo, Julie = Juliet. Oh, and the balcony scene. Besides that, you can look it up yourself. All in all, this movie was funny and moving. It was a very good choice to see it on Valentine's Day with revrezner (my fiance). Before I saw this movie I didn't think a zombie could really be in love with a human, but now I do. Don't worry, there's no zombie on human sex.
Based On the Book: Warm Bodies
Written By: Isaac Marion
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, and John Malkovich
Rated: PG-13
Released: 2013
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Oscars: N/A
Plot: After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Love at First Sight
I don't believe in "love at first sight" in real life. Anyone that meets someone and then quickly gets married isn't doing the right thing. Until you really get to know someone it's infatuation and not love. However, in fiction, it's different. "Love at first sight", if done correctly, can add a nice level of sweetness to the work. For those who have read the book (I haven't, but I have read enough comments about this part in the book), you might remember a lack of this element in the original novel. But I still like R falling in love with Julie when he first sees her. Yes, it's unrealistic that a zombie (after eating so many humans) would be swayed to redemption by a pretty girl. However, it doesn't make sense that memories from a lover would sway a zombie. Because, really, R has probably eaten families before and it didn't make him change.
Two Main Types of Zombies
There are two kinds of zombies that are on different sides. First you have the "friendly zombies"/corpses that have conflicting feelings about killing and eating people. Mind you, usually they can't stop and eat people anyways because they're compelled to. The other kind are Bonies/Skeletons who are the real enemies of the movie. They resemble skeletons and are beyond saving. It is revealed, as the movie continues, that they think being like them is the way to go and will even attack corpses if their "utopia" is threatened.
Love Saves All
The cure for being a zombie seems to be love. Also the cure can be said to be to take notice of your surroundings. To not just do things out of habit, but to really experience life. While it is a really cheesey element of the film, it is actually a good life lesson if you think about it. Zombies represent consumerism/not having your own opinions and so zombies are really people that don't feel anymore. And I think a lot of people have the problem of being metaphorical zombies. So, readers, go out and really live.
Final Thoughts
I would've brought up this being a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, but I don't care/remember enough of the Shakespeare play to really make the comparison good. Before you say I'm 'not educated' because I don't like the play: I have a BA in English with a Specialization in Creative Writing AND I don't think Romeo loved Juliet (so it's not a love story, it's all about infatuation in that department). But that's a whole 'nother blog post. For those interested in the comparison: R = Romeo, Julie = Juliet. Oh, and the balcony scene. Besides that, you can look it up yourself. All in all, this movie was funny and moving. It was a very good choice to see it on Valentine's Day with revrezner (my fiance). Before I saw this movie I didn't think a zombie could really be in love with a human, but now I do. Don't worry, there's no zombie on human sex.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Eternal Heart: New Recruit 4
As I turned my gun around to try and find the attacker, another shot was fired and I heard a Terminator fall down. When I found my savior with my eyes I had to remind myself I still was not safe. I would have to leave dreaming about John Connor for another time. When I wasn't being shot at by surviving metal.
Another shot grazed my body and I turned to look for the new Terminator. This time John shot at it but I didn't hear it fall down. That task was mine as I turned to look for it as more Terminators fired at me. My savior's duty was now protecting me as I fired back at the remaining Terminators.
As shots were exchanged I felt alive. As Judgment Day had already happened, this felt like the only real kind of bonding that could exist. Never mind that my memories before Judgment Day hadn't come back to me yet. The point was that I thought that John and I were growing closer together than ever before.
While I focused on the Terminators that were shooting at me, I also made sure John wasn't in danger of dying. I knew that focusing on myself was selfish, but if I didn't I couldn't protect him. My current selfishness would be better during this fight.
Finally I shot down the last Terminator and turned to John and said, "Good shot, John."
"Couldn't have done it without you, Jash." He said and smiled at me. We both ignored the fact that I had given him credit for my shooting abilities.
I don't know if I'd ever encounter something so beautiful as his smile again. And now, while we weren't in immediate danger, I could focus on him.
"If you weren't there I'd be dead." I said and walked over to him.
Once I got close to him, he grasped my arm. "I could say the same thing about you."
For a few moments we just looked into each other's eyes. I was silent because I didn't want to say the wrong thing. While battle did unite people, I didn't know if it had united us enough for him to leave Katherine.
Why he remained silent I couldn't tell. I didn't want to guess in case the answer wasn't one I was looking for.
When the moment had passed he let go of me and we walked to a helicopter. I went in and John stood outside of it and talked to a few Resistance Fighters. Before the battle my comrades hadn't talked to me, but now they were congratulating me. Not for me getting a small bit of John's affection, but for me surviving my first battle. Well, first battle with the Resistance. My first battle for the right side.
John finally joined me and the congratulations stopped as my comrades were scared of saying some of the more vulgar comments in front of their leader. Once the helicopter I was in landed at base I got out after John.
Him being the leader of the Resistance meant he took the brunt of the reactions. After not seeing Barnes for so long, I had trouble remaining calm as he went up to John. While Barnes had kind words for John, he ignored me.
Katherine came running into John's arm. He hugged her tightly. But I could tell she wasn't pleased with how tight he was hugging her.
"Promise me you'll let me go next time." Katherine whispered into John's ear. Only the combination that I was standing close to John and was a hybrid meant I heard it. And by hearing it I felt jealous.
I felt jealous because Katherine was trying to come between John and my's budding relationship. Yes, she was his wife but I saw that as a temporary position for her.
"I promise I will one day." John replied to her and I suddenly felt guilty. Katherine, whatever her faults were, made John happy. I wanted to make John happy like she did, but what if any of my tinkering made him not feel joy ever again?
Katherine and John let go of each other and she turned to me. And with the cold look she gave me I felt a little better about wanting to come between them.
"Jash, I think this makes you a real member of the Resistance now." Katherine said. I felt guilty again, but not enough to turn me from planning to take John away from her.
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The Eternal Heart Blog aka The Wars Against Skynet
The Eternal Trilogy Facebook
The Eternal Heart tumblr
Another shot grazed my body and I turned to look for the new Terminator. This time John shot at it but I didn't hear it fall down. That task was mine as I turned to look for it as more Terminators fired at me. My savior's duty was now protecting me as I fired back at the remaining Terminators.
As shots were exchanged I felt alive. As Judgment Day had already happened, this felt like the only real kind of bonding that could exist. Never mind that my memories before Judgment Day hadn't come back to me yet. The point was that I thought that John and I were growing closer together than ever before.
While I focused on the Terminators that were shooting at me, I also made sure John wasn't in danger of dying. I knew that focusing on myself was selfish, but if I didn't I couldn't protect him. My current selfishness would be better during this fight.
Finally I shot down the last Terminator and turned to John and said, "Good shot, John."
"Couldn't have done it without you, Jash." He said and smiled at me. We both ignored the fact that I had given him credit for my shooting abilities.
I don't know if I'd ever encounter something so beautiful as his smile again. And now, while we weren't in immediate danger, I could focus on him.
"If you weren't there I'd be dead." I said and walked over to him.
Once I got close to him, he grasped my arm. "I could say the same thing about you."
For a few moments we just looked into each other's eyes. I was silent because I didn't want to say the wrong thing. While battle did unite people, I didn't know if it had united us enough for him to leave Katherine.
Why he remained silent I couldn't tell. I didn't want to guess in case the answer wasn't one I was looking for.
When the moment had passed he let go of me and we walked to a helicopter. I went in and John stood outside of it and talked to a few Resistance Fighters. Before the battle my comrades hadn't talked to me, but now they were congratulating me. Not for me getting a small bit of John's affection, but for me surviving my first battle. Well, first battle with the Resistance. My first battle for the right side.
John finally joined me and the congratulations stopped as my comrades were scared of saying some of the more vulgar comments in front of their leader. Once the helicopter I was in landed at base I got out after John.
Him being the leader of the Resistance meant he took the brunt of the reactions. After not seeing Barnes for so long, I had trouble remaining calm as he went up to John. While Barnes had kind words for John, he ignored me.
Katherine came running into John's arm. He hugged her tightly. But I could tell she wasn't pleased with how tight he was hugging her.
"Promise me you'll let me go next time." Katherine whispered into John's ear. Only the combination that I was standing close to John and was a hybrid meant I heard it. And by hearing it I felt jealous.
I felt jealous because Katherine was trying to come between John and my's budding relationship. Yes, she was his wife but I saw that as a temporary position for her.
"I promise I will one day." John replied to her and I suddenly felt guilty. Katherine, whatever her faults were, made John happy. I wanted to make John happy like she did, but what if any of my tinkering made him not feel joy ever again?
Katherine and John let go of each other and she turned to me. And with the cold look she gave me I felt a little better about wanting to come between them.
"Jash, I think this makes you a real member of the Resistance now." Katherine said. I felt guilty again, but not enough to turn me from planning to take John away from her.
---------------------------------------------------------
The Eternal Heart Blog aka The Wars Against Skynet
The Eternal Trilogy Facebook
The Eternal Heart tumblr
The Balthazar Show (Test 1)
Some of the members of my upcoming Balthazar Show show up for testing the set.
All of them are voiced by: revrezner
Music is the theme music for Conan.
All of them are voiced by: revrezner
Music is the theme music for Conan.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Shipping Confessions: Camerah (TSCC)
I decided to start on a 'popular' ship of mine. I say popular because once Terminator ships are brought up, somehow someone talks (well, jokes usually) about me liking this pairing. It sometimes seems like that this can happen with even the tiniest opening. This is one pairing I adore but, of course, I keep quiet about it because most Terminator fans don't like it. So usually people find it funny or disgusting.
I actually started out loathing this ship and even started writing a series (S&N) as anti-Camerah (long story short). I started getting into this ship because of a Camerah fan on Facebook, that posted Camerah videos, that I started getting addicted to the pairing.
For those who are confused about who this ship involves, let me explain. This ship is pairing Cameron and Sarah Connor from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles together. This ship would also fall into the category of femslash. I consider this ship to be non-canon, but I ship it nonetheless. I ship it hard.
A lot of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC) fans don't like this ship because it pairs Cameron up with someone other than John Connor. I know Jameron (the ship of John Connor and Cameron) is the most popular pairing from TSCC, and those shippers are the ones with the complaints. Well, usually.
While I have nothing against Jameron shippers, the fact is that they seem to be against anyone who doesn't believe in that ship. Needless to say, that gets annoying.
So is there any other reason someone couldn't like this ship? Why, yes, there is. And I was a hater of this ship, in the beginning, because of it.
The reason is that it takes both of the characters to be something that they're not. Mind you, it seemed much worse before I really sat down and looked at this ship.
Let's talk about the members of this ship to really get at what I mean.
We'll start with everyone's favorite kick ass female: Sarah Connor. While it seems she is straight, as her past relationships have all been shown to be male, it could be that she's bisexual. And, for whatever reason, she hasn't had a sexual relationship with another woman yet. Or, she could've had a lesbian relationship but that's never been shown. So, to me, anyone bringing up her being straight isn't bringing up a good point.
But, more importantly, Sarah is a hater of anything to do with machines/Terminators. In the past a Terminator went back in time to kill her and her unborn son; she considered Uncle Bob (using the name that John Connor gave him in Terminator 2: Judgment Day) to be taking John away from her because he seemed to be a better parent than her; a T-1000 went back in time to kill her to get at John; and, finally, Cameron seems to be taking John away from Sarah.
So you can see she doesn't have a good past with Terminators. And, even though Sarah and Cameron work well together, nothing seems to go beyond the colleague stage. In other words: she doesn't attack Cameron because she is on their side.
As for one of the best Terminators (the T-1000 will always be my favorite), Cameron doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings for anyone but John Connor. She even goes beyond her programming and decides, for herself, to let John live and help the Resistance.
I am going to preface this next point by saying it is only a theory and is neither confirmed nor denied in TSCC's two seasons. However, it is interesting and gives a little insight into Cameron and John Connor's characters. So, please don't kill me for bringing it up.
The point is: John Connor might've put some programming into Cameron to make her love him. While this darkens John's character, it also destroys the ship as it makes Cameron's feelings false (I might explore this more in depth in a later Shipping Confessions). However, it also shows that Cameron loving anyone but John is impossible. Well, unless the programming is changed.
However, for those that believe Camerah is canon, some point out that Sarah and Cameron could grow closer together because of their love (not the sexual kind) for John Connor.
Me, I take this ship as non-canon. So why do I ship it?
You can't overlook how good Lena Heady (actress who plays Sarah Connor in TSCC) and Cameron (played by Summer Glau) look. Their physical looks just come together in a beautiful manner.
Another more "scholarly" reason for liking this pairing is because I want to see Sarah Connor overcome her hatred of Terminators. And what better way to do this than to fall for Cameron who shares a common interest with her? That interest being the health and well-being of John Connor. Also, they live together and so Sarah would be familiar with Cameron.
Some people have pointed out that Sarah would never be that cruel to take a girl John loves from him. However, John and Cameron are never in a relationship. They are always on the edge of it, but never in one. Also, this reasoning seems to leave out the fact that Cameron might want to act on her feelings for Sarah. And why would a Terminator really understand the complexities of human relationships (hell, I don't and I'm engaged)?
So Sarah and Cameron could become a couple if both decide to act on their feelings instead of hiding them for John's sake. Because, really, Sarah is risking life and limb for her son. She gave up her life so much that she forgot what she wanted to be before Kyle Reese came into her life.
John Connor would be angry, of course, but he'd get over it. I doubt Sarah and Cameron would start banging each other without talking to him first. And I don't think his feelings on the matter would stop the relationship.
In other words: man up, John.
So that's my feelings on the ship Camerah from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
If you are a fellow Camerah shipper: Hi! Maybe we can be friends forever and ever!
If you're not a Camerah shipper: As long as you don't pray I go to the pits of Hell, we'll be fine.
What's up for the next Shipping Confessions? All I will say is it'll be a shipping from the TV series Supernatural and will not be Wincest.
I actually started out loathing this ship and even started writing a series (S&N) as anti-Camerah (long story short). I started getting into this ship because of a Camerah fan on Facebook, that posted Camerah videos, that I started getting addicted to the pairing.
For those who are confused about who this ship involves, let me explain. This ship is pairing Cameron and Sarah Connor from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles together. This ship would also fall into the category of femslash. I consider this ship to be non-canon, but I ship it nonetheless. I ship it hard.
A lot of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC) fans don't like this ship because it pairs Cameron up with someone other than John Connor. I know Jameron (the ship of John Connor and Cameron) is the most popular pairing from TSCC, and those shippers are the ones with the complaints. Well, usually.
While I have nothing against Jameron shippers, the fact is that they seem to be against anyone who doesn't believe in that ship. Needless to say, that gets annoying.
So is there any other reason someone couldn't like this ship? Why, yes, there is. And I was a hater of this ship, in the beginning, because of it.
The reason is that it takes both of the characters to be something that they're not. Mind you, it seemed much worse before I really sat down and looked at this ship.
Let's talk about the members of this ship to really get at what I mean.
We'll start with everyone's favorite kick ass female: Sarah Connor. While it seems she is straight, as her past relationships have all been shown to be male, it could be that she's bisexual. And, for whatever reason, she hasn't had a sexual relationship with another woman yet. Or, she could've had a lesbian relationship but that's never been shown. So, to me, anyone bringing up her being straight isn't bringing up a good point.
But, more importantly, Sarah is a hater of anything to do with machines/Terminators. In the past a Terminator went back in time to kill her and her unborn son; she considered Uncle Bob (using the name that John Connor gave him in Terminator 2: Judgment Day) to be taking John away from her because he seemed to be a better parent than her; a T-1000 went back in time to kill her to get at John; and, finally, Cameron seems to be taking John away from Sarah.
So you can see she doesn't have a good past with Terminators. And, even though Sarah and Cameron work well together, nothing seems to go beyond the colleague stage. In other words: she doesn't attack Cameron because she is on their side.
As for one of the best Terminators (the T-1000 will always be my favorite), Cameron doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings for anyone but John Connor. She even goes beyond her programming and decides, for herself, to let John live and help the Resistance.
I am going to preface this next point by saying it is only a theory and is neither confirmed nor denied in TSCC's two seasons. However, it is interesting and gives a little insight into Cameron and John Connor's characters. So, please don't kill me for bringing it up.
The point is: John Connor might've put some programming into Cameron to make her love him. While this darkens John's character, it also destroys the ship as it makes Cameron's feelings false (I might explore this more in depth in a later Shipping Confessions). However, it also shows that Cameron loving anyone but John is impossible. Well, unless the programming is changed.
However, for those that believe Camerah is canon, some point out that Sarah and Cameron could grow closer together because of their love (not the sexual kind) for John Connor.
Me, I take this ship as non-canon. So why do I ship it?
You can't overlook how good Lena Heady (actress who plays Sarah Connor in TSCC) and Cameron (played by Summer Glau) look. Their physical looks just come together in a beautiful manner.
Another more "scholarly" reason for liking this pairing is because I want to see Sarah Connor overcome her hatred of Terminators. And what better way to do this than to fall for Cameron who shares a common interest with her? That interest being the health and well-being of John Connor. Also, they live together and so Sarah would be familiar with Cameron.
Some people have pointed out that Sarah would never be that cruel to take a girl John loves from him. However, John and Cameron are never in a relationship. They are always on the edge of it, but never in one. Also, this reasoning seems to leave out the fact that Cameron might want to act on her feelings for Sarah. And why would a Terminator really understand the complexities of human relationships (hell, I don't and I'm engaged)?
So Sarah and Cameron could become a couple if both decide to act on their feelings instead of hiding them for John's sake. Because, really, Sarah is risking life and limb for her son. She gave up her life so much that she forgot what she wanted to be before Kyle Reese came into her life.
John Connor would be angry, of course, but he'd get over it. I doubt Sarah and Cameron would start banging each other without talking to him first. And I don't think his feelings on the matter would stop the relationship.
In other words: man up, John.
So that's my feelings on the ship Camerah from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
If you are a fellow Camerah shipper: Hi! Maybe we can be friends forever and ever!
If you're not a Camerah shipper: As long as you don't pray I go to the pits of Hell, we'll be fine.
What's up for the next Shipping Confessions? All I will say is it'll be a shipping from the TV series Supernatural and will not be Wincest.
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