Writer's block

Okay, so I haven't post anything lately. I'm having writer's block. I'm not even sure if I can use that term for myself since I'm not even an active writer in any medium. But anyway, I'm having a hard time finding any suitable topic to write. Sometimes I want to review movies that I watch or albums that I bought but I cannot construct any sentence to begin my review. My mind went blank!

I need time to refresh my brain.

Hot movies for 2011's summer

Malaysia (my home country) doesn't have a four season cycle weather but let's just pretend that it has so that I could come out with this list. So what hot movies coming out this summer? I've made a list of some of the movies that might just interest me;

1. Thor

I'm not really sure if I'm into this after I watched the trailer but I think I'm going to give it a shot when it comes out in theaters. It seems to have heavy action and some deep story, but that just my thoughts. It could turn out the other way around.

2. X-men : First Class

I'm definitely going to see this. The X-men movies are some of my favourite with versatile characters and interesting abilities. Hopefully this one will turn out good, and set the tone for many more movies in the franchise to come.

3. Super 8

I'm not really sure if this movie will get a release here in my country but hopefully it will. I'm also not so sure what's it about, seems like some alien (or maybe experiment creatures) escaped from a train coach. Anyway, still excited for this movie to come out.

4. Green Lantern

Another superhero movie. This time with Ryan Reynolds in a kind-of-sexy superhero suit. He will definitely be the eye candy for the ladies. But I hope the story would be as good as the special effects we've seen in the trailer thus far.

5. Transfomers : Dark of the Moon

It's sure going to be a pack theater but I'm going to watch it anyway, maybe a few weeks after its release to avoid some of the crowd. I think this movie will be as big as the 2nd movie in terms of box office collection. Oh yeah it will. One of those movies where you could watch with your friends and have a great time at the theater.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : Part 2

I would be crazy if I didn't go for this one. After an amazing movie that is Part 1, and after an amazing journey I had with the movie series, Part 2 is a MUST! Besides, it's the conclusion of the series. So definitely a must for all Potter fans.

7. Cowboys & Aliens

A rather unique theme; western meets science fiction. Mmm...a little indecisive on this one. The actors cast in this film are amazing though; Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. Maybe I will go see it, after I hear some good reviews about it.

8. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Another movie that I'm not sure whether it will get a release in Malaysia or not. And again, I hope, this one will too. The trailer looks good. Plus, it's co-written by Guillermo del Toro. I know it's a remake, but still...if Guillermo in it, then it will definitely be weirdly good.


So there you have it, my list of some of the interesting titles to come out in theaters this summer. Hopefully all of them will get a release here in Malaysia and hopefully all the movies are good too.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII gameplay

I'm pretty sure a lot of the video game fans of the Final Fantasy series had seen the gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It looks pretty cool, and it kind of reminded me of Final Fantasy XIII gameplay, but of course with more realistic graphic and far more advanced system.

While I'm still playing Final Fantasy X on my PS2, I'm still excited for this game to come out, although that would be in...I dont't know...2012? Nothing is certain right now, all I know is this game takes a lot of time to complete but that understandable seeing it so high in quality.

You can click here to watch the trailer on GameTrailers (if you haven't already or if you can't get enough of it) or here in the Square Enix Channel on YouTube. You can also click here to get more info about this awesome video game on Wikipedia. Happy viewing!

The Thirteenth Reality ~ Mystery letters of riddles

Title: The 13th Relity: The Journal of Curious Letters

Author: James Dashner

Illustrator: Bryan Beus

ISBN: 1416991522

Warning! Spoilers ahead!

I needed a new book to read. I was looking for a book from a series that I've never heard before; something other than Harry Potter, Septimus Heap, Bobby Pendragon, Artemis Fowl or even Arthur Penhaligon. Those characters are from series that I know, that I've read. I want something new.

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters was the book that I picked. The reason I chose it is because I was interested about the story regarding alternate realities. It's a cool theme. So let's start my review with the plot. The story revolves around Tick @ Atticus Higginbottom who received letters with riddles he need to solve if he decide to be on an adventure to save many, many lives. If he wasn't interested, then he can just burn the letters and everything will go back to normal. But of course he'll be interested in the letters, if not this book wouldn't exist.

The main attraction of the book are the riddles in which our main character received in 12 letters. In fact, almost 3/4 of the book involve the riddles, and lucky for us the riddles are quite fun. Readers can actually participate in order to solve the mysteries of the letters. Of course there are several other chapters in between it that involve things other than the riddles but I don't mind if the author completely cover 3/4 of the book with the riddles, like I said they were fun.

The last 1/4 of the book covers their adventures (their as in Tick and his friends) into other realities. To be honest, I was quite dissapointed when Tick finally solved the mystery letters as I was certain the rest of the pages (1/4 of the book that is) wouldn't be much interesting without the riddles. Now I'm glad to say that I was wrong, the last quarter of the book was packed with adventure and action, and clearly was the climax of the story. The author not only can come up with interesting riddles, but he can also write good action stuff too.

Now we move on to the characters. Sadly I think the main character, Atticus Higginbottom, was not as strong a character as some of the main stars that I've read from different series before (a lot of them I had mentioned above). In fact the author tried too hard to make him a good role model that at times he seemed fake. One example of this is when Tick's father constantly remind readers how glad he was to have a good son like Tick.

The other characters doesn't fair well too. Master George was annoying for me instead of funny (funny was what he intended to be). Sofia was a great character but sadly a bit underdeveloped. Paul and Sato were also underdeveloped; but I think Sato will make his presence felt in the future due to his mysterious background. Mothball and Rutger were quite interesting characters but not much were told about them which made readers quite hard to love them. The only character that I think had been developed well was Mistress Jane, the villain of the book. She's a powerful character that shines in every chapter she's in. Although her apperance in the book was not much, the author manage to make her a promising villain.

Although this book was not as great as I had hoped it to be, it was still a fun read largely thanks to the fun-filled and mysterious riddles that out main character needed to solve. The high-action plot near the end of the book was also entertaining and had nicely set up the plot for the next book in the series. I am looking forward to read the 2nd book in the series and judging by the interesting ending and powerful villain, I'm hoping it will be a great sequel to the first book.

Image courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

My top 10 movies of 2010

Everyone has their own list of favourite movies that they had watched over the year, and this is my list. For some strange reason, I listed all the movies that I had watched in 2010, and surprisingly I watched ONLY 19 movies, not a great number for someone who claimed to be a fan of movies. Getting the best 10 out of 19 was, as anyone would have guessed it, quite easy. So here are my 10 best movies in no particular order;

1. Avatar

It opened in cinemas in December 2009 but it had a long run. I watched it in January 2010 so the movie made the list. Not to put the movie in the list would be stupid, as it was one of the best movie that I had watched in the cinema. Good story, good visuals, good acting; what not to like about Avatar?



2. Toy Story 3

Definitely the best movie out of the series, and the most funny (with laugh-out-loud scenes like the one with Spanish-talking Buzz Lightyear) and emotional as well. The last scene where Andy finally decided to part with his toys (especially Woody) was one of the best goodbye scene I watched in an animation. Great job Pixar, great job indeed.

3. Inception

Seriously, it was kind of confusing and complex to follow but it was also engaging and keeps the audience thinking all the time. The visuals were awesome and the story was good too but for me the best part about the movie was the concept. A dream within a dream? I love it! Oh, and great ending too.



4. Resident Evil: Afterlife

I know many Resident Evil video game fans hate the movie series. But I like the video games, and I like the movies too. Although I think I like Apocalypse and Extinction more, but Afterlife does has it own strengths. The feel of the movie was slightly different than it predecessors and I kind of like the changes. Love the settings too; high-tech underground facility, maximum security prison, seemingly-abandon ship. Great opening (Tokyo!) and good ending. But best of all; the return of Jill Valentine! Yes, it was just a cameo but it was worth it. Hopefully we get to see her more in the sequel. Oh, and I LOVE Milla Jovovich too.

5. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I like Narnia movie series, it kind of sad though to see it struggle in the market. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a movie with a simple plot but heavy dose of fantasy and high moral values made it a great movie. Not to forget the good acting from the young stars of the movie. Hopefully the studio will continue making movies from the series because it will be a waste if they don't.

6. RED

A surprise entry in the list. RED, the movie starring Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren (with guns!), is a great and fun movie. The plot seemed heavy but it was just a light movie about retired agents running around. It was fun. I like it. End of story.



7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

What can I say? Everyone already knows it's a great franchise. What I like most about this movie is that it is emotionally-charged. They were sad, angry, alone, scared and there were a lot of pain. Quite dramatic if you asked me but that's why I love it. Can't wait for the movie that will end it all.



8. Devil

Another surprise entry. Didn't know anything about the movie before I watched it and now I can't wait for the second movie in the series. It's serious drama in an odd place. I mean, in an elevator? That's kind of cool.

9. How to Train Your Dragon

I can't believe how much I'm in love with this movie. It's very heart-warming to see the bond formed between the boy and the dragon, and the plot was great with a slight twist in the end. I personally think this movie give Toy Story 3 a run for its money for best animation of 2010. I love it, I love it, I love it. Did I tell you that I love this movie?



10. Clash of the Titans

I heard (or read I think) that many critics hate this movie. It does look kind of foolish with the facial hair and glittering custom but the overall story was great. And it has mythical creatures in it. What not to like about that? Well, I do have a weakness when it comes to Greek mythology (God of War comes to mind), maybe that's why I like it so much. Not to mention Sam Worthington was in it. He's such a good actor. I'm crossing my fingers that they will make a sequel for this movie. Hopefully they will.


And there you have it. My top 10 movies of 2010. Some are highly-rated while others were condemned by the critics. I do have a complex taste in movies don't you think?

All images courtesy of Wikipedia.

Good news from the Silent Hill franchise

I LOVE Silent Hill video games. And I love the movie too. So here the good news. A new game called Silent Hill: Downpour (finally we got a title for this game) is coming this year while a sequel to the first movie called Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is finally in the making. Yeay! Double dose of good news.

I posted about Silent Hill: Downpour before so I think I will just write something about Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. It will follow the story from the 3rd game in the series. For those who don't know, the game is about Heather Mason who was drawn to Silent Hill and its sordid past. I played the game and it was one of the best. It was creepy and the story is good. Hopefully the movie could live up to the awesome game, or at least reach the same level of the first movie.

The movie will be directed by Michael J. Bassett who had directed Deathwatch and Solomon Kane before. The film is currently in pre-production and there is no release date yet.

I'm hoping Silent Hill: Revelation 3D will be a great movie. Fingers cross!

The Amazing Race Asia 4 and The Amazing Race 17 winners!

Richard (Hardin) & Richard (Herrera)

I think it's not too late for me to congratulate the winners of The Amazing Race Asia 4 and The Amazing Race 17 winners. Congratulations to Richard (Hardin) & Richard (Herrera) for winning TARA 4 and the amazing doctors Nat & Kat for winning The Amazing Race 17. Both teams have great positive attitudes and I'm glad to see them win.

Claire & Michelle (2nd place!)


Natasha & Hussein (3rd place!)

I would also like to congratulate Claire & Michelle and Natasha & Hussein from TARA4 for making it to the finish line. It was a tough race and they did pretty well despite all the setbacks. It was definitely a fun season and I hope we won't have to wait as long as we had before for another season of TARA. I don't have much to say about TAR 17 because I missed a few episodes of the show but from what I saw, Brook & Claire and Jill & Thomas who came in 2nd and 3rd in the race were good too. So I guess bravo to all of them!

Images courtesy of TARA website.