Okay, this particular film has a particular place in my heart, because I have written a book known as The Labyrinth House that has a...somewhat similar plotline. I've already talked about the similarities on another post, and I just don't think that I want to kill that dead horse all over again. This is based on a book by James Dashner, and I suppose that this successful … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: The Maze Runner
Speculative Fiction
The Legacy of Star Wars Cards
I believe that I've done a good job explaining why I am not looking forward to the next Star Wars movie. The issue is that the original trilogy is part of my childhood, and as it turns out, I am not alone. When I was young, I loved having the Star Wars toys, the figures, and the cards. I was in kindergarten when the original 1977 movie came out, and all the other kids … [Read more...] about The Legacy of Star Wars Cards
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Maleficent
Most people who see Disney's Maleficent, a prequel/midquel/retelling/reboot, and they don't like it. I can understand where they are coming from, as most people seem to compare it to its source material, that animated Sleeping Beauty. I must confess, it has been a while since I saw Sleeping Beauty, but I don't really remember much about it. Most people who remember the … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Maleficent
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Fantastic Four
Some of you might remember when I did my review of CHAPPiE that I tried to say something positive about it, even though that on the whole, I didn't like the film. The issue with Fantastic Four is I have never seen any film that is so thoroughly disengaging. It's pretty clear why Marvel wanted to do a Fantastic Four movie, and yes, money is one of the reasons. The … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Fantastic Four
Is James Bond Relevant Today?
Now that Spectre is out in theaters now, this has left people with mixed reviews about James Bond. Normally, I talk about movies over the weekend, but these are speculative fiction films. I will have to say that I like James Bond, sometimes, and James Bond can be pretty speculative sometimes. I think the question we have to ask ourselves is why James Bond has last over … [Read more...] about Is James Bond Relevant Today?
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Top 9 Best and Worst Star Trek DS9 Episodes
Well, what can I say about Star Trek? This was the fourth series, and it was meant to spin off from Star Trek: The Next Generation, with one minor crew member joining the cast, and a major crew member joining later on. This was Star Trek's effort at doing something new. The idea was that the action would take place in a space station and not a spaceship. In this case, … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Top 9 Best and Worst Star Trek DS9 Episodes
The Warcraft Movie Trailer does not mean someone has actually made a good video game movie yet
Well, if you aren't familiar with how we do trailers now, we start with a rumor of a trailer, then a teaser trailer, and then one last one, possibly with another one. And if you can get the hype flaring more with an unknown release date, then I'll always have a job on The Gospel Herald. But hey, enough about what else I do for a living. Let's talk trailers. Yeah, I'm … [Read more...] about The Warcraft Movie Trailer does not mean someone has actually made a good video game movie yet
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Corpse Bride
Well, since it is Halloween, it stands to reason that I should review some film that looks like it is Halloween-related in some way. I probably could have selected any horror movie, and I could have also chosen The Nightmare Before Christmas from Tim Burton, but I decided to do a less-remembered film known as Corpse Bride. This film showed up on Netflix, and I had … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Corpse Bride
Why my book “The Labyrinth House” Looks so much like “The Maze Runner”
Okay, I have written a book known as The Labyrinth House and it was published in 2014. The issue is that it bears a strong resemblance to a book out now, a bestseller that is also a movie called The Maze Runner, which was published in 2009. I’m going to say that I am not at all upset with James Dashner (author of The Maze Runner), and I don’t think this is a case of … [Read more...] about Why my book “The Labyrinth House” Looks so much like “The Maze Runner”
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Ant-Man, a silly yet serious superhero film
These days, Marvel just isn't satisfied with one big superhero film a summer, and these days there are at least three. This one, Ant-Man, was a big question mark for audiences, as it feels like something that Marvel didn't expect much from. The issue is that it delivers more than a lot of other superhero films, and there are parts of Ant-Man that are better than Avengers: Age … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Ant-Man, a silly yet serious superhero film
Happy Back to the Future Day!
Yes, there are a lot of people on Facebook who just love to say "today is the day Marty McFly goes into the future". That meme is old as it is incorrect, but today, October 21, 2015, it just happens to be true. Yes, back in 1989, there was a little film called Back to the Future II, which wasn't really little. In fact, it was probably the biggest of the year, but it is … [Read more...] about Happy Back to the Future Day!
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Minions
Well, I'm going to have to say that I honestly didn't think that I was going to like this movie, but unlike CHAPPiE from last week, I'm going to give this a thumbs up. I explained in my review of the Despicable Me movies how I figured that the Minions were, at best, side characters that somehow outshined the main characters of that series including Gru. I will have to say … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Minions
Speculative Fiction Saturday: CHAPPiE
Lately, I've been told by people at home that I get a little mean-spirited when I get critical. So when I see a film that I don't really like, I can really get terrible about my criticisms about it. In the case of CHAPPiE, I'm going to say that I am going to give it thumbs down, but I am going to swear that I am going to say good things about what I believe this film was … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: CHAPPiE
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Divergent, the Book and the Movie
I have a little rule that I don't always keep. If a film is based on a book, I will try to read the book before I see the movie. I did this for several films that I have seen, and Divergent is a film that I saw a day or so after I finished the book. The biggest issue that I have with Divergent is it seems part of a genre among young adult fiction that has grown immensely … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Divergent, the Book and the Movie
Speculative Fiction Saturday: We finally got around to reviewing Inside Out
Some of you might remember when I spent time reviewing Pixar films, and how I praised the studio for making original films, even though their most recent material has been mediocre and sequels. Inside Out is a step in the right direction, and I have to admit that it is difficult to watch this film without getting emotionally involved. My own feelings on this film are slightly … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: We finally got around to reviewing Inside Out