Remarkable.
Simply remarkable.

As a Canadian, born and bred, the American Civil War has always been something of a mystery to me. Call me ignorant, but I was often slightly confused who wore what uniforms, what exactly happened, and who that Robert E. Lee guy fought for.

Well, this certainly brought everything into focus. Michael Shaara takes you into the build-up and through the Battle of Gettysburg, the pivotal battle that decided the fate of the Southern uprising. Going lower to the ground, looking through the eyes of generals and commanders on both sides, you really get a first-hand account of what happened on those fateful few days leading up to the 4th of July when the Rebels officially retreated, pulling back from Gettysburg. That's not a spoiler - that's history, but even though you know it, you can't help but furiously turn pages until you hit the last.

Also, extremely helpful are diagrams and maps of the area and troops formations throughout the battle. Really makes it easier to see exactly what was going on. Even more interesting are the maps detailing what a certain side 'thought' the other side's formation was, in comparison with what was actually there.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with this read. I had no previous interest in the Civil War whatsoever, but I got my education seemingly from Chamberlin, Longstreet, and maybe even a thing or two from General Lee himself.

5/5.

My copy of The Gunslinger is old. Damn old. It's got a few pictures, for chrissakes.

It's a short novel, but I have to say - I've never read so few pages and become so heavily invested in a cast of characters (or I suppose, at the conclusion of this novel, a single character) that left me so begging for more.

The rest of this series has been an absolute thrill ride - one I haven't yet finished, but on the same note hope I never have to *finish* reading.

A must-read

Easily a 5/5 star book, but I think if I'd be rating this against other King novels (King is my favourite author, hands down) the rating would be far lower - probably around a three.

I'm an extremely fast reader, and recently devoured this novel while I was on vacation. Had I not known it was King's second novel (that actually meant something, that is) I probably would've been harsher on it.

You can definitely tell that King has grown as a writer from this point, but it is still a really engaging, thrilling novel. It develops at a far slower pace than most of King's novels, taking a hell of a lot of time to develop the setting, storyline, etc. It's funny, to see King go against some of the things he did in Salem's Lot in On Writing.

However, I mean none of this to bash Mr. King's work - this is still a modern classic, and should be respected as such. The characters are complex and original, the storyline (for the time period) is 100% remarkable, and it leaves you breathless when it's all said and done.

No matter what criticisms I may have had, this is a must-read novel for anyone either well-versed in King, or a new Kingphile alike.

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor sucking face.

I never thought I'd see the day. Or, write a positive review about such an experience - but apparently, stranger things have happened. Such as finding out this incredible tale is, indeed, a true story.

First off, I had no idea this was a gay rom-com / drama-ish / comedy when I picked it up. Didn't really look - just saw Carrey and McGregor on the front, and went for it. Fortunately, it worked out to be for the better. Had I known the plot without witnessing it first-hand, I probably wouldn't have bothered checking it out.

Carrey is just plain hilarious. You can tell he's matured, but he needed to be a little older and a little more grounded for this role. He's still got his patented insanity, but in this case - he plays it off as cunning, coniving and downright manipulative. Almost scary at times, but the more light-hearted moments really get to you.

I suppose if you wanted to characterize it as one, this could be a straight up romance. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm sure others would. To me, it was a fantastic tale of a con-man on the lam, fighting to break out of jail again and again to get to whom he loves.

At the end of the day, don't let the homophobic reviews scare you - it's not all that in your face, and it's all in good fun.

Easily, 5/5.

The Tourist.

At least it knows what it is in the cinematic world - coming through to take a tour, and then leaving us well alone to be forgotten.

Where to begin. Jolie and Depp are two great actors. Two of the greatest of our time, some would say. They've made incredible films that have touched us, entertained us, and made us cry.

This, without a doubt, isn't one of them.

The Tourist has an utter lack of pacing. Whomever is responsible for the draft of this script needs a serious lesson in rising tension. The plotline holds too many secrets for too long - it's almost the one hour mark (in a 90 minute movie) before anything truly begins to happen. The references as to whats truly happening are so bland and obscure, I had absolutely no care for what happened to the characters. Once Jolie's character was truly revealed, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. When Depp's was revealed, I could have seen it coming from a mile away - although, that's only because I'm used to these films - the actual plot becomes rather broken with this revelation, and makes the entire film nonsensical.

This movie utterly fails to get the viewer to have any emotional investment in either the characters, the plot, or even the concept. Highlights for me were some pretty good scenes of Venice - but if I'm looking at the scenery instead of Jolie, you know we have a problem.

Save your time, save your money. There are better Jolie & Depp films out there.

1/5.

An absolutely incredible psychological horror film, I think this flick has the potential to reach classic status sooner rather than later.

First off, I absoluely loved the atmospherics of this film. The direction was absolutely fantastic, and I couldn't be happier with the way the film was realized from beginning to end.

The symbolism is spot-on - this is a film about a classic crisis with the Shadow in the Jungian sense, and it couldn't have been better. Portman is forced to face the darker half of herself in the most brutal way possible, and the cast and crew pulled it off magnificently. The use of mirrors to examine oneself in the most critical light was well done, as it wasn't thrust in your face but if you picked up on it early, you could certainly see what was kept in mind while filming.

Portman, representing the Id in this case, was fantastic. Her childish, controlled ways fighting to emerge so perfectly captured the psyche entering the realm of the crisis. Her mother, controlling these urges and repressing anything she found societal controls would disprove of, worked wonderfully to carry the point across. And Kunis - oh Kunis - her depiction of the shadow blending into the realm of the Id was just too good.

Well recommended - especially for a double-viewing. Watch once to take it in, watch again to examine.

5/5.

Well, I expected more from this cast.

First off, this is a fairly masked rip-off of Dan Brown. Symbology, professors and grad students saving the world (or something like it), and how intellectuals are really like you and I - only better.

The plot... wasn't bad. They get a star for that. The narrative moved along fairly swiftly, and the actual story was pretty engaging. However, the whole narrative centers around one cryptic series of symbols that Wood must decipher in order to stop a string of horrible murders. This leads him on a chase around Oxford, fighting to find the clues he needs to stop the horrible events from transpiring.

I won't give any more of the plot away, but when it all falls down, I personally was left a little more than disappointed. This plot had so much potential, and not even the fairly well-versed cast could save it when it started on a downward spiral.

Now, I know common movie review ettiqute points at the actors for not fulfilling the vision of the writer and director, but I don't hold much against the cast here. This was a writing problem, and the plot should have been addressed much more thoroughly before it headed to production.

In any case, it's good for a watch if you don't have much else to do, but don't bump anything else in your 'to be seen' pile for it.

2/5.

I've read many a review on this title, and I'm forced to agree with their statements.

This is what it promises - a fast-paced, jumpy, suspenseful novel. You get thrown into situation after situation with plotline after unrelated plotline. You turn pages frantically as each narrator switches into the next, desperately wondering what in God's name is going to bring them all together and play this out.

Then, something strange happens. You get more intruiged, and more frantically rip through the pages. Maybe he'll give something away in the next chapter. No? Maybe the next. Okay, come on - it's got to be coming soon.

The buildup is huge. You get set up for something truly monumental, and nearing the end you practically shake with excitement. He's going to do it! He's going to give away just what the hell this novel's all about!

Then... What? Did Koontz just get tired of writing this? Did any agent, editor or proofreader not catch this? Seriously, a five year old would be sitting on their haunches, begging the sky for an answer as to what was going through Dean's head when he came up with that ending. I won't ruin it, as you should probably experience it from beginning to end to get what I mean, but what a disappointment.

Aside from all of that, Koontz's opinions - and yes, the scientific material presented as fact are opinions, and easily disproved at that by any evolutionary theorist worth his salt - are horribly skewed. He chooses to preach his new beliefs instead of actually making you think, and it comes off as hokey and undercooked.

All in all, stay away from this if you're a serious Koontz reader. I have enjoyed a lot of his other series heartily, and really have a thing for the Odd Thomas series. However, this could have finally turned me off once and for all his writing, which makes me a tad sad. Had this been more well done, I think it could have been great.

But at the end, you still shake your head and ask yourself: "Really?"

I've read a lot of martial arts titles, focusing on everything from zen in practice to new age mumbo-jumbo, full to the brim with 'secrets' and 'wisdom.'

Finding this title to be devoid of all that is hokey, needless and senseless, I couldn't have been more impressed.

I met Mr. Norris back in the mid nineties (when I was extremely young) on his Kick Drugs Out of Canada Tour. I remember his imposing stature, but most of all I remember his passion for all things related to martial arts.

Picking up this novel a year or so ago, I was a tad worried. Anything these days boasting content guided to give you 'secrets' about success, happiness, etc - usually turns out to be a twelve-step program for something or other, essentially pointing you in the direction of the nearest store to buy all their products you need to achieve your goals.

But this, this was different.

An excellent documentation of Chuck's path into the martial arts, and his use of zen techniques in daily life, it's both inspiring and guiding without being forceful. He seems to relate his teachings in a 'this is what worked for me' kind of methodology, choosing to show you what can really happen if you apply the advice in the book, rather than a guide written by someone still seeking success but apparently holding all the knowledge.

A reccomended read for any looking for something out of the ordinary.

5/5.

First off, this is not a book for beginners.

While there are a lot of great titles out there to aid those in learning BJJ, this really can't be lumped in with that grouping. In reality, this book takes the proper approach, in that it speaks to intermediate / experienced BJJ practitioners, with the aim of diversifying their submission grappling skill set. It assumes you have taken some time on the mat to learn your craft - because as the Gracies know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not an art that can be learned simply by reading about it, and trying it out on your mates from time to time.

That being said, as a fairly skilled martial artist, I found this book to be incredible in helping show interesting escapes, lines and technique sets that I probably hadn't thought of, and the illustrations did a fantastic job in showing exactly what to do. Excellent for giving you more options to try out on the mat - some techniques are more difficult than others, so it's good to have a chance to try them out in a training scenario after reading.

All in all, Gracie and Peligro do the title justice - offering a wide array of knowledge on submission grappling from a man who's family created the craft. Highly reccomended for any out there struggling to take their ground game to the next level.

5/5, hands down.