From the creators of that one show which no one watched, comes a musical comedy show about a knight and his travails. It’s an interesting experiment to see if the TV audience will support the musical comedy genre. Musicals on television have not been welcomed since the Cop Rock fiasco. There have been fits and spurts of musical episodes (Buffy, Scrubs), but no one has tried to do a full on musical series until now. So, does it succeed?
Category Archives: fantasy
The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker
I’ve been in a bit of a book rut. Nothing I’ve read for the past two months made me want to review it (although I might muster up a review of the Stainless Steel Rat books). But then I started reading Helene Wecker’s debut novel The Golem and the Jinni. To find a novel that is so wonderful that I want to shout it from the rooftops is what makes me want to review books. The book is a wonderful look at New York in the early 1900s with its Jewish and Arab neighborhoods. The look at two magical souls that are lost and alone while trying to survive in the this time is just amazing. I can’t recommend it enough. So let’s take a look at what the book’s about.
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit movies have a real chance to be longer than a reading of the Hobbit would take. I went to go see the second of the movies, The Desolation of Smaug, this past weekend. Not only does it show almost everything that’s in the book, it brings in a significant number of scenes that aren’t even hinted at in the book, mostly with Gandalf when he leaves the party. Overall it’s a decent movie that tries to hard to be more than it is. Let’s check it out.
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
I first saw Peter Clines book Ex-Heroes a couple years ago. It looked interesting, but I had burned out on zombies at that point. The zombie craze has definitely gone too far for my taste. But, Ex-Heroes, isn’t really about zombies. It’s about superheroes and gangs in a zombie world. The zombies are definitely talked about, but they are the setting, not the story. So, let’s check it out.
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is well-known for his epic fantasy. He loves writing 1000 page books of swords and sorcery, so it’s always a treat when he dips his hand into another genre. And in his latest novel, Steelheart, Sanderson takes on super heroes…kinda. It’s difficult to say that Sanderson is playing in the superhere genre when none of the super powered folks are heroes. And that’s partly what makes this an interesting story. Let’s check it out.
Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
As I stood in the library looking at the graphic novel section, I realized that I had never read any Osamu Tezuka manga. So I grabbed the book sitting in front of me, Dororo. It’s not one of Tezuka’s better known stories (although it did win an Eisner award in 2009 (for an English translation). I dug in and started reading and enjoying the book and feeling a bit silly for not checking out Tezuka previously. Let’s check it out.
Netflix Rewind: Buffy Season 2
A long, long time ago (on a media platform far, far away), I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1. I had been warned off watching the movie, but, for whatever reason, never got around to watching the TV show. I heard all the good reviews, but just never started watching. Although the good reviews for Buffy and Angel did lead me to watch Joss Whedon’s next show. So one of the shows I decided to catch up on with my newly acquired Netflix account was season 2 of Buffy. It was a bit harrowing, since there were 22 episodes to catch up on. But, having watched it, I’m glad I did. Even though I know most of what happened (or will happen) from overhearing discussions, it was still a very enjoyable experience. Let’s check it out. (Spoilers ahead if that can be said about a 15-year-old show)
Warbound by Larry Correia
Most authors usually only work on one series at a time. Larry Correia is working on two separate series and both series are worth reading. Beside his Monster Hunter series, Correia also has the Grimnoir Chronicles, the latest is Warbound. This latest book finishes off the trilogy wonderfully, ending the story while leaving the readers wanting to see more of these characters. Let’s check it out.
Kill City Blues by Richard Kadrey
Richard Kadrey has made quite an impression with his Sandman Slim series of books. The main character is acerbic, violent, dark and yet heroic. His latest adventure in Kill City Blues shows our hero in a more laid back setting than when he was the latest Lucifer. The latest book isn’t as plot heavy as previous stories, but Kadrey makes up for it with a lot of characterization and keeps the reader invested in the story despite the slower plot. Let’s check it out.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters movie review
Three years after the original Percy Jackson movie, our half-bloods are back in the sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Most of the cast is the same (although Giles from Buffy replaces Pierce Brosnan as Chiron) as we pick up some undetermined time after the first movie. The first movie was decent, but not spectacular and this second movie continues in the middling vein. However, the movie has significant changes from the book. Let’s check it out.