The Last Witch Hunter

Starring: Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood and Michael Caine
Directed by: Breck Eisner
Rated: PG13
Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Summit Entertainment

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I am not a Vin Diesel fan. I've only liked one movie that he's made and overall I find his acting to be wooden which worked when he played Groot (ba dum tish). This may or may not make me biased towards this film, but at least I'm being honest. Diesel plays Kaulder, a man whose purpose is to protect the world (*cough* United States) from witches.

We meet Kaulder way in the past when he and his fellow group of witch hunters are on their way to defeat the Queen. Kaulder is able to defeat her, but not before being cursed with immortality. Fast forward to now. Kaulder still hunts witches, but he no longer kills them. If they pose no immediate threat, he leaves them alone otherwise they are taken to the witch counsel to face judgement. If they are committed of a crime they are imprisoned. Dolan 36 (Caine) is about to retire as Kaulder's priest protector when he is murdered. Kaulder is suspicious of the circumstances and discovers that Dolan 36 has been killed by witches. Kaulder sets out to hunt those that killed Dolan 36 with the help of his new protector, Dolan 37 (Wood) and a dream walking witch, Chloe (Rose Leslie).

This isn't the most terrible film I've seen, but it's not okay either. I give it a solid "meh". Michael Caine is the standout performer in this film although the rest of the cast does try. Their performances weren't bad, but the script is awkwardly written. The romance between Kaulder and Chloe is forced, the twist ending is oddly underwhelming, attacks against Kaulder come out of nowhere, and it can get confusing with the dream sequences.

Overall I say you can skip this film.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" directed by JJ Abrams is a fun, thrilling ride.

Possible spoilers ahead. I'm going to try and review this without giving too much away, but if I do you can't say I didn't warn you.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the newest film the in the Star Wars saga. It reveals new things about the force and how it works. We are reunited with beloved characters while being introduced to some awesome new ones. George Lucas' creation gets new life breathed into it, and while it is so far getting more favorable reviews than the prequels, there are still plenty of fans who are disappointed with the outcome. Is the film an overly-hyped retelling of "A New Hope" or are fans never going to be happy with anything that is not the original trilogy?

There are plenty of things in the new story that can keep fans happy. The overall use of the force by a character who is not aware how much flows within them. An epic lightsaber fight between new characters. The Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca. The list goes on. However there are also a lot of similarities between this film and the original Star Wars film "A New Hope". The use of the force against a simple-minded Storm Trooper. A character who is destined for greatness despite a childhood of suffering. The death of a mentor.

Wow. Way to go JJ Abrams. Way to remake a film.

 Yet I find it to be more than that. Yes I see the similarities, but they don't bother me too much. Of course, that may be because while I like Star Wars, I'm not necessarily a huge fan. Harry Potter is my franchise, but I digress. I've seen all the films before this one and I think JJ Abrams and Disney decided to go back to the roots since that was the basis of the entire story. Could they have taken more risks in telling the story? Absolutely, but if they needed a firm base to build upon, that was the way to do it especially since it seems they now want to add episodes 10-12. This was the way to get fans excited for the story again, while bringing in the love of a new generation. Now if episodes 8 and 9 are just a rehash of "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" then we have a problem, but for now, I think the films are headed in the right direction.

Luke is missing. Foes want to find him in order to get rid of the Jedi once and for all, while friends want to find him in order to fight against the new threats of tyranny. The key to finding Luke is within BB-8. He is entrusted with a map to Luke after he and his friend, pilot Poe Dameron, are attacked while meeting with the one ally who is aware of Luke's whereabouts. BB-8 flees the attack and is then trying to reunite with those who need him.

The protagonist of the film is Rey, played by Daisy Ridley and she is fantastic. While there have been other females in the Star Wars franchise, this is the first time I was truly excited to see a female character in the saga and to find out she's the lead was the cherry on top. Rey is a scrap-metal scavenger waiting for the family that left her in Jakku to come back. She is strong, smart and not afraid to stand up for herself. The life she planned for herself changes when she meets Finn.

Finn (John Boyega) is a stormtrooper with a conscience. Despite being raised to believe that there is no other life to be had except that of a stormtrooper, he sees the wrong they are doing and decides he does not want to be a part of it. He flees his former life with the help of Poe Dameron. They steal a tie  fighter, but crash in Jakku after being shot. Finn makes his way to the nearest town where he meets Rey.

BB-8 is with Rey and since it is now known that he has the map to Luke, an attack on him, Rey and Finn ensues. They have to get off the planet and quickly. This is when we see the Millennium Falcon for the first time in years. They board and escape Jakku only to be captured by none other than Han Solo and Chewbacca.

The nostalgia continues as the fans are later reunited with Carrie Fisher, no longer a princess, but a general now. There's a lot more stuff that happens in between, but I don't want to give too much away.

JJ Abrams does a fantastic job of reuniting us with our favorite characters, while making it clear that the new films are not about them. The new story line is about Daisy, Finn and my personal favorite, Kylo Ren. Adam Driver is the perfect person to play the part. He transitions easily from emotion to emotion. He is commanding one moment, while struggling within himself the next. He is evil and it all culminates into a major moment.

The final lightsaber battle is spectacular and it involves two of my favorite characters. It's unexpected and kicks total butt. If you've seen the film, we can discuss the details of this battle in person, but just know that it is breathtaking for more reasons that great fight choreography.

Overall, I feel this is another way for fans to nitpick on the franchise. While more risks could have been taken, I think the filmmakers mainly wanted to bring Star Wars back to its core, wash the bad taste of the prequels out of peoples' mouths and start with a familiar slate. I'll start complaining that there is nothing original about these films if the next two films really are completely unoriginal.

The Good Dinosaur

PG 3.5/5

The Good Dinosaur is beautiful to look at. It's one of the first things you notice about the film. The other thing you notice? It's not as good as other Pixar films. It's not bad, it's just not as good. The story follows Arlo, a dinosaur who is afraid of everything. His dad tries to get him to get over his fears, but is unsuccessful. It isn't until Arlo is separated from his family that he has a chance to grow up and grow brave. It's a simple enough plot, but there isn't as much heart as there usually is. Seeing the dinosaurs farm and live as humans do is creative, but I'm not sure it worked in the film's favor. I think it worked in Cars mainly because, we had never seen it before and cars do need to get fuel to survive. Dinosaurs live off of planet earth and there is an abundance of food (especially since the humans in this film are more animalistic than the actual dinosaurs). I just found myself asking why there was any need to do that. Spot is by far the best thing about the film. Had he not been in it, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. I enjoyed the film and would watch it again, but it does have its flaws and especially when you have other Pixar films to compare it to, it's lackluster.

The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2) by Robert Galbraith

Great read of course! I bought this book eager to read it and follow Robin and Strike on more adventures.

What you may or may not know is that J.K. Rowling is the author of this book. She published the first novel without anyone knowing it was her until a few weeks after it was released. After the success of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling said she would be taking a break from writing youth novels and focus on more adult stories. The first adult novel she released is The Casual Vacancy, and it did okay critically. Even though she stated that: 
1. This was a novel for adults,
2. There would be no magic involved whatsoever,
people still expected this to be Harry Potter for adults. Critics gave the novel lukewarm reviews and the general public rejected it because it contained none of the magic of her previous books. It is for this reason I believe she chose to write her next series under a pseudonym. She needed to prove that she was an excellent writer capable of writing more than just kids' books.

“The whole world's writing novels, but nobody's reading them.” 

This is a mystery series which follows a private detective and his secretary. In the first novel, Strike must discover the killer of a famed model and in this one he has to find the location of a missing writer.

The Silkworm begins eight months after the ending of The Cuckoo's Calling. Cormoran Strike's private investigation is booming after solving the Lula Landry case. His assistant Robin has become his permanent secretary and is determined to be a detective like Strike. Both of these characters are fantastic. Robin and Strike have great chemistry and they are both likable despite the fact that they are completely different. Anyway, business is booming, but most cases are boring. Nowadays Strike is paid to find out whether or not people are cheating on their spouses. When Leonora Quine walks into Strike's office asking that he find her husband who has been missing for days, Strike readily agrees as it's the most exciting case he has had in a while.

“...writers are a savage breed, Mr. Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.”

I love J.K. Rowling and have loved all of her novels (including The Casual Vacancy). I could see why The Cuckoo's Calling became popular and this book is just as exciting, maybe even more so, than the first. I didn't want to put the book down whenever I had the chance to read it. I wanted to solve the mystery as quickly as possible. Being a clever writer, she milked Strike's theory about the mystery with our revealing it until the last possible moment. Way to keep me on the edge of my seat! Anyway, I think the novel was the right length although I actually could have done without the milking. I wanted to know how he solved the mystery. It began to annoy me how much longer I had to wait for it to be revealed.

“We don’t love each other; we love the idea we have of each other. Very few humans understand this or can bear to contemplate it. They have blind faith in their own powers of creation. All love, ultimately, is self-love.” 

J.K.. Rowling continues to prove that she is a great writer and I will never tire of reading her books.

“There are always loose ends in real life.” 

Her writing style is detailed that you get sucked into the story regardless of the content. Harry Potter has a huge fan base and Cormoran Strike is starting to get his own, too. I for one, will always be a Rowling fan girl and promote her novels. I may be biased, but overall I think she deserves it and there are not many authors I like enough to push their novels on people. Definitely check the book out yourself and tell me if you agree.

"You know, there's pride, and then there's stupidity.” 

If you think Harry Potter is too childish, check out J.K. Rowling's fiction novels. Don't let your pride keep you from a great story.

War Room

I'm slightly on the fence about this one. As a believer, I believe prayer is a powerful thing, but I do not agree with everything the film portrays. I appreciated the insight into prayer the film gave. I am working on my relationship with God and one of the things I am struggling with is prayer. I am not sure how to go about it or how to do it. I mean I know how to pray, but it always feels empty for me. Not because I don't believe in what I am asking for, but because it feels like I am not doing anything. I will be taking into consideration what the film says and I want to create my own war room. However, the ending prayer in the film showed school kids praying in the classroom. Unless it is a private Christian school, I disagree with this completely. I am aware of thee fact that others believe other things than I do, and I do not think my religious beliefs should be forced on them. School and religion should be kept far apart. Other than that I did enjoy the film.

The Perfect Guy

The Perfect Guy

Alright, so Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan) breaks it off with her boyfriend Dave (Morris Chestnut)  because they don't see eye to eye when it comes to their future. She meets Carter Duncan (Michael Ealy) and they hit it off. He's sweet, her friends love him, her parents love him, he really is the perfe  help until the moment they can and from there they want nothing more than to throw him in jail. He ruins her life and she is finally able to get her revenge.

There is nothing new here. If you've seen any films concerning a person obsessed with another to the point of stalking/threatening/ruining their lives, you've seen this one. This doesn't add anything new to that story line. It's predictable. It's not thrilling and at times, it's funny and trust me when I say it's not meant to be. The script was horribly written. There was nothing for the actors tow work with.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

4 Stars

The final installment begins where the last one left off. Katniss has a bruised neck and vocal cords after Peeta strangled her. Seeing Peeta hijacked awakens a new thirst for revenge in her. She wants blood. Specifically Snow's blood.

Katniss is shipped off to District Two, where the final resistance before the rebels can even attempt to overthrow the capitol can be found.  The district is overthrown, Katniss films the final propo and is ready to join the war from the front lines. When President Coin prevents Katniss from joining the soldiers in battle, she sneaks off to District One and joins the ranks on her own. Her plans are derailed with the arrival of Finnick, Cressida, Castor, Pollux and Peeta, but while she is not in the front lines she still experiences the horrors of war first hand.

This film could not have come out at a more perfect time. Of course, the studio upon choosing the release date had no way of knowing the events that would transpire in the weeks leading up to it, but it worked out.  While my intention is not to make this into a political post, especially given the events that have happened recently, this film is a great reminder that war is sometimes necessary, but it does come at a cost to everyone involved.

One of the things I admire about this series is that it is not afraid to have beloved casualties. We have grown to love the characters in this series and a few of them do die in the war. I admire an author that is not afraid to kill off the characters, no matter how beloved. After all that is life.

I still do not think Mockingjay needed to be divided into two parts, though. The first part was slow much like the first part of the book. They stretched it into two unnecessary hours and thus this last installment felt rushed at times. In spite of this though, Mockingjay part two was a great way to end the series. Those who have read the books knew what was coming, and the cast and crew did a great job in making these deaths as painful as reading them. Visually it was hard to see what happened to these characters and the acting kept the pain going when we would see others mourn the loss of their friends and loved ones. While this does have what I heard called "a Harry Potter ending", there is enough pain and sadness throughout to remind you that life is not always bright and happy.

Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Written by: Peter Craig and Danny Strong
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, and Julianna Moore
Classification: PG13
Genre: Adventure
Country: USA
Language: English

Follow me on Twitter: @lluvia_almanza

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)

4.5/5 Stars

There isn't much I can say about this film in terms of a review without giving too much away. I can say that this film was made with all the love and admiration in the world. Kurt Kuenne initially made this documentary in order to learn everything he could about his closest friend Andrew Bagby. Despite having known him for twenty-two years, he realizes that there is still so much he doesn't know about his friend. This tribute to his murdered friend changed course when it was discovered he was going to be a father. Kurt instead decided to make the film for Zachary, Andrew's son, so he could know his father in some way. No one could have guessed what would happen next.

This documentary tears at your heartstrings. It's poignant and beautiful and everything a tribute to a loved one should be, but it is also infuriating and awful in the worst possible way. That's all I will say. Please take the time to watch the film. It is worth it and be prepared to cry. A lot. Although it was interesting to me to see my reaction versus my boyfriend's. I was more of a Kathleen and he was a David. You'll understand if you watch. But seriously, I still feel empty and even just watching the trailer I tear up. It's definitely worth the watch. 

Ant-Man

I was not looking forward to this film. I know, I know, is there any film I was looking forward to? Anyway, I was not looking forward to this film. A superhero that can shrink to the size of an ant sounded like an incredibly lame film. Especially considering that there are more interesting superheroes out there that are still waiting for their moment to shine.

Scott Lang is finally free from prison after three years for burglary. He has a daughter and wants to be straight edge for her. Due to his imprisonment, it's hard for him to find a job. As long as he has no apartment and no way to pay his child support, he cannot see his daughter. Desperate for money he turns to his friends for help. They tell him a rich man who is out of town and has a promising safe in the house. The safe holds nothing but the suit and the rich man is none other than Hank Pym, the original ant-man, who planned the break in all along. Out of options, Scott agrees to help Hank.

Hank was the original ant-man, but stopped after personal tragedy. One of the people he used to mentor, Darren Cross, is fascinated with the shrinking technology and since Hank won't share his secrets, Cross decides to figure out how to make his own suit. He is close to discovering it and he cannot be trusted since he is doing it recklessly and for profit. Scott must steal the yellow jacket suit in order to foil his plans.

Hank and his daughter Hope train Scott for this mission and when he is ready they put the plan into place.

Despite my reservations about the film, I ended up enjoying it. I thought it had its witty moments and I enjoyed seeing Scott change sizes in order to fight. I also enjoyed the ants. I found them quite cute and I promise not to step on them anymore. At least as long as they stop invading my house.

I will say some of the characters were one dimensional such as Darren Cross and Paxton. The actors did well with what they were given and it wasn't much which is a shame. I had the pleasure of seeing Corey Stoll in a staged reading over the summer in Williamstown. He was brilliant and I think had he been given more to work with, his villainous yellow jacket would have been cooler. Not Loki cool. No one will ever be that cool, but cool at least. I can't complain and say that he's the lamest villain I've seen because he's not, but he had no story arc.

I may not have wanted to see this film, but I'm glad I did. It was funny and there were some cool action sequences. If anything it was all worth it because of Michael Pena. He was hilarious and he's also a great actor. I hope we can definitely see more of him in future films.

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt

A Man for All Seasons is a politcal play that deals with the common man. It was published in 1960 and while it takes place in England during the reign of Henry VIII, the themes still ring true today.

Sir Thomas More is a man who sticks to his morals despite the threat of alienation and death. He believes that morals are the thing that make a person who they are and they should never be compromised. To compromise them is to lose a bit of who you are.

Every man believes More a fool for not saying what he has to say to stay alive. More's main argument is that morals are what keep people from becoming bad. By sticking to your guns no matter what you become closer to God than doing something you don't truly believe in and asking for forgiveness later. While there are religious themes in this play, even if you are not a believer, the circumstances in which More finds himself in are what make this play relatable.

You can find a brief history of the play in the preface written by the playwright, Robert Bolt. Henry VIII was to wed his brother's widow, but Christianity forbade them from doing so as Christian law stated that it was a sin to marry your brother's widow. As England and Spain wanted to keep their connection, they turned to the head of Christianity, the pope, for help. The pope agreed to dispense of the Christian law and allowed them to marry. When it was found the Catherine was barren and Henry VII had his sights set on Anne Boleyn, he once again turned to the pope to have his marriage annulled. He was refused and he began saying that the pope was nothing more than a Bishop of Rome and not the actual representative of God. Since bishops were under his rule he appointed an Archbishop who began the Church of England.

Thomas More refuses to accept the king's acts and decides to stand by what he knows as the law of God. While people try to get him to say that he accepts Henry VIII's while not actually believing in them, he sticks to his guns saying that would be a worse offense than going against the king.

This is an extremely political play and one of its main characters is the common man. He takes on the roles of different common men and serves as the narrator to the audience. His main purpose is to show the audience what can happen if commoners don't speak up for what is right.

A Man for All Seasons follows Thomas More as he stands by beliefs regardless of the outside pressures and threats he faces. He is a great example for the audience as to what the playwright thinks we should do in our day to day lives. We should stand up for our beliefs despite what others say and we should never sacrifice those beliefs as to do so would be to lose a piece of our identity.

If anyone else has read this play feel free to comment below and let me know what you think! I would love to discuss the events of the play in more detail.

Jurassic World

Jurassic World

Rated PG13, 124 Minutes, 2015

Before I say anything else... Yes, I barely saw this film! Don't judge me... Speaking of judging, time for the review! I am going to be honest. I can be harsh when it comes to the films I watch especially if it's a sequel to a beloved film. (Let's forget the existence of Jurassic Park 2&3. For all of our sakes.) Not only that, but in this day and age I believe there should be no excuse for lazy script writing. I also don't believe we should excuse films for such as being "just an action film made for entertainment", or "just another chick flick", etc. We should demand more. That being said, this film had a lot of potential, but there were too many plot holes that I, personally, can't ignore and the sad thing is they could have been fixed with minor changes to the script. We know the I-Rex is smarter and stronger than anyone anticipated. I would have believed it escaped from its enclosure more than the stupid humans (and the human characters in this film are INCREDIBLY stupid) actually aiding its escape. There was no need for the divorce plot line. It added nothing to the story. The arc of the characters were none to, really?! There has been some debate as to whether Claire's character is a strong female role model. My take on it: no. Sure she is a strong, powerful, business woman, but how is that represented? She is stuffy, cold, and uptight. Her arc goes from that to suddenly being more open because of a guy. She sees what her sister has and she wants it for herself now. That's fine. Some women go from not wanting families to wanting them, but I felt the relationship between her and Owen was forced and it's obvious the film believes all women end up wanting the same thing. In a conversation with her sister, the sister says "when you have kids" to which Claire says "IF I have kids", her sister replies, "WHEN". Seriously, NOT EVERY WOMAN WANTS TO BE A MOTHER! Get that through your skulls, please. Claire sees the dinosaurs as assets, I think her arc would have been more interesting if the realizes these are living, breathing creatures. It's hinted at, but her main story arc is still. "I'm stuffy I don't need a man. I'm not stuffy anymore because I have a man." The only characters I felt for were the dinosaurs and that one park attendant dude who is in charge of the gyro spheres. I feel you man! Customer service is a whole other beast. Speaking of which, whose bright idea was it to have the gyro spheres able to be driven by park attendants without the aid of a track or trail? It takes one person to prove this is a bad idea... Oh, right. Someone did prove that. *sigh*

My rating: 3 stars
Official Site: www.jurassicworld.com
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Producer: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Steven Spielberg and Thomas Tull
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Howard, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, B.D. Wong, Judy Greer, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Tee, Katie McGrath, Andy Buckley and Eric Edelstein

TL;DR All my problems explained in this little clip

Short Term 12

4 Stars

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Release Year: 2013
Rated: R

Brie Larson plays Grace, a counselor for troubled teens at Short Term 12. She is confident, caring and is willing to fight for all her kids. When she is not working however, she is nervous, and self-conscious. She is a woman with a past and while she advises her kids to talk about everything going on in their head she refuses to do the same.

This is a difficult role and Larson delivers it flawlessly. She does not fall into the trap of playing the emotions of the scene. I felt as though she was living and breathing everything her character was experiencing giving the audience a raw, truthful performance. She is only a year older than me and for her to be this in control of her character is astounding. Being the lead it is easy to remember her, but the rest of the cast does a great job as well. You feel for all the characters and are invested in their journeys from beginning to end.

Grace is a physically and mentally wounded woman. She is able to hide from her problems until the arrival of Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever). Everything seems to fall apart with Jayden's appearance and Grace shuts herself up even more from her boyfriend, Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.). 

Larson and Gallagher, Jr. are fantastic together. They react to each other and have believable chemistry. Mason is the complete opposite of Grace. He is open and willing to talk. He loves Grace and wants to help her, but she refuses to let him in. This aspect of the film gives additional insight into Short Term 12 and the teens that reside there.

The teen actors are also memorable. It is easy to make the characters obnoxious and unlikable, but they are not. You know why Kaitllyn Dever's Jayden acts up. Luis (Kevin Hernandez) and Marcus (Keith Stanfield) may not like each other, but there is also a sense of hurt and protectiveness that rounds them out as full, living characters. One of the most memorable parts of the film is when Marcus is sharing his latest rap verse with Mason. The camera does not change angles from the moment he begins to rap until he is done. I don't want to say what the rap is about or how he performs it, but it is heart wrenching.

The film may focus more on having a happy ending, but it doesn't feel forced. The topics in the film are heavy and after everything we experience, the audience does want to see everyone in a better place. Even so, it doesn't feel like a cop out. It's still though provoking and difficult to grasp. Brie Larson is marvelous and I am looking forward to seeing her in Room. Here's hoping I can be that good one day.

Trailer:

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3) by Deborah Harkness

This book was okay. This whole series was okay.

My mom and my brother's girlfriend both enjoyed this series and it seems like a majority of people did, too. I was more bored by it than anything.

I read this trilogy because my brother's girlfriend lent us A Discovery of Witches. She then told my mom that if she enjoyed that one, she would lend her the other two books in the series so she could finish the trilogy. I enjoyed that story. It wasn't one of my favorites, but I was interested in finding out more Diana and Matthew and their forbidden love. I wanted to finish the trilogy since I had already started it.

The second book was slow. Painfully slow. I didn't enjoy reading that one. My mom told me she felt the same way, but said the third book made up for the second one.

I began the third one and after the second one not very invested in the characters. I waited for the third one to pick up, but for me personally, it never did. I will now go into further detail. Possible spoilers may be revealed.

1. Point of view If I am not mistaken, A Discovery of Witches was all written from the third person point of view. The second one was written in the first person and The Book of Life was written from the first person point of view when dealing with Diana and in the third person point of view with the other characters. However, I feel that there were moments in which the author went into the first person point of view with the other characters and I was confused at times because I didn't know who was speaking.

2. Characters The author did focus on Diana and Matthew. She introduced us to other characters in the first two books and mentioned them often enough that we knew who they were by the third book. However, there were some characters that were reintroduced or mentioned for the first time since the first or second book and I could not for the life of me remember who they were. This wouldn't be so much of a problem, but after mentioning name after name and them seemingly now playing a part in one way or another it got to be bloating and confusing.

3. Secrets In the first two books, Diana and Matthew keep all their secrets to themselves. They are even reluctant to reveal some of those secrets to those closest to them. In this one, they have to reveal more in order to win the war that is going on. However, it was confusing because someone started revealing these secrets to Benjamin and other members of the congregation and they could not figure out who it was. They themselves are revealing secrets that will help boost their status in the war, yet it's bad that these secrets are falling into the wrong hands.

4. Corra Corra plays a major part in Diana's life once she is revealed in the second book. She is a part of Diana and suddenly she wants to be free to be with other familiars that may exist. She promises Diana that she can keep her strength, but she no longer wants to be a part of her. I couldn't see the purpose of this.

5. Plot  The first and second book build up to this war that Diana and Matthew have to fight in order to be together as well as the purpose the book of life in the outcome of the war. The war turns out to be nothing more than speeches Diana has to do for the congregation in order to get what she wants. Everything is resolved easily. There is no real fighting involved in anything. Diana and Matthew want something, someone resists and gives in easily after a few spoken words. This was utterly disappointing.

6. Blood rage From the beginning we get the feeling that blood rage is a terrible thing to have. Vampires afflicted with blood rage turn into monsters that have no mental state about what they are doing. They can kill their loved ones and only learn about it when their fit of rage is over. Diana helps Matthew control his blood rage, but it a process that takes time and risks. Jack, their adoptive child, has it and he has one of the worst cases of it. Any small argument can set him off, yet by the end of the novel he can control it after a few months. Matthew's blood rage reemerges as bad as ever after he is tortured and again he can control it no problem a few weeks after being saved. Maybe the author is trying to say that with love and tenderness anything can be fixed, which if that's the case why didn't anyone try to show this compassion to Benjamin?

7. The book of life The book is built up from the first book as being the thing that holds all the answers as to the creation of all the creatures. The book is found, but most of the answers are found through science rather than this all powerful book. This explanation would be fine, if the book hadn't been built up to be super important.

8. Pacing This book was not as boring as the second, but especially since it was supposed to be a book about this war they were fighting in, it was rather dull.

This trilogy is not something I am going to visit again. It seems popular amongst other people, and you may enjoy it, but it was not my cup of tea.

If the author writes more stories covering the backstories of other characters, I might give that a chance. Some were more interesting than Diana and Matthew.

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

“But to look back from the stony plain along the road which led one to that place is not at all the same thing as walking on the road; the perspective to say the very least, changes only with the journey; only when the road has, all abruptly and treacherously, and with an absoluteness that permits no argument, turned or dropped or risen is one able to see all that one could not have seen from any other place.” 

The story follows fourteen year old John Grimes who is struggling to find his identity. He has to deal with his bully of a step father and what his family expects him to be.

He is expected to be a preacher, but is plagued with doubts as he experiences worldly thoughts.

Part of the problem is his stepfather, Gabriel Grimes. Gabriel prohibits John from reading anything other than the Bible and does not allow him to dance or enjoy any other pleasures as he feels this will lead John to a life of sin. Gabriel has his own secrets that riddle him with guilt and cause him to lash out in anger.

The novel is chock full of Biblical metaphors as John finds his identity. The novel is divided into three sections and it is in the final section entitles "The Threshing Floor" that John is saved.

Of course, the readers are faced with determining who the real sinners are and who are the ones that are actually saved:
“There are people in the world for whom 'coming along' is a perpetual process, people who are destined never to arrive.”

John finds refuge within his church community away from the violence from home. Gabriel who claims to be a holy man still struggles with his past:

“The morning of that day, as Gabriel rose and started out to work, the sky was low and nearly black and the air too thick to breath. Late in the afternoon the wind rose, the skies opened, and the rain came. The rain came down as though once more in Heaven the Lord had been persuaded of the good uses of a flood. It drove before it the bowed wanderer, clapped children into houses, licked with fearful anger against the high, strong wall, and the wall of the lean-to, and the wall of the cabin, beat against the bark and the leaves of trees, trampled the broad grass, and broke the neck of the flower. The world turned dark, forever, everywhere, and windows ran as though their glass panes bore all the tears of eternity, threatening at every instant to shatter inward against this force, uncontrollable, so abruptly visited on the earth.” 

When John is saved he is finally free from the resentment he feels toward his stepfather. We don't know if John will become a preacher as everyone wants him to, but with his new found community he is free to express himself and figure out his identity. He no longer fears what his stepfather thinks of him.

Structure
The novel opens on the morning of John's fourteenth birthday and ends on the threshing floor later that night. In between the opening and closing chapters are three chapters following Florence, Gabriel and Elizabeth. John's aunt, stepfather and mother respectively. We see insights into their pasts and discover why they act the way they do and how their relationship with God or lack thereof is changed.

Spoiler Alert
The next section has spoilers and if you do not wish to read them move on to the next section.

Florence's Prayer (John's step aunt) Florence has rejected God for many years. This is the first time in decades that she has stepped into a church. She has no reason to believe in God. Her husband was killed during the first world war and Gabriel was always her mother's favorite in spite of his sinful past. Her best friend Deborah was at one point married to Gabriel and she has kept one of the letters Deborah sent her illustrating Gabriel's sinful nature with another woman. She wants to give this letter to Elizabeth so Gabriel can stop tormenting Elizabeth and her bastard child. Florence is close to death and decides it will not matter since Gabriel will outlive her.

Gabriel's Prayer (John's stepfather) Gabriel gave in to feelings of lust causing him to impregnate another woman. He abandons her and her son for fear of judgement from his peers, he grows resentful of his wife and remains that way long after she, the woman he impregnated and his first son are all dead. His  guilt causes him to last out against his current wife Elizabeth and her illegitimate child. His anger and guilt all stem from his past and this causes him to lash out mainly at his stepson.

Elizabeth's Prayer (John's mother) Elizabeth is a kind, good woman who gave herself to her one, true love Richard despite not being married. Richard is arrested and tortures for a crime he didn't commit. When there isn't enough evidence to convict him he is released, but Richard, a proud, black man can't take the humiliation and fear of what he went through slits his wrists before Elizabeth has a chance to tell him that she's pregnant. She marries Gabriel to give her and her son a better chance at life and she truly believes it is God's will to do so. She loves her son John and knows he is destined for great things.

SKIP TO HERE. NO MORE SPOILERS James Baldwin
This is a semi-autobiographical novel as some of what John experiences were drawn from Baldwin's real life. Both were raised in an impoverished Harlem, both had problems with their stepfathers and both were saved at the age of fourteen.

Baldwin found his voice and escaped to France where blacks and gays were treated better than they were in the fifties United States.

Conclusion
This was my first time reading "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and while I have nothing in common with John and his circumstances, I was drawn into the story and was fascinated at what was going on. I wanted to know more about all the characters and what they were going through. I especially enjoyed reading the prayers as the backstories of all the characters were particularly intriguing. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves literature in general and to those who:
-love the rich language of the Bible
-struggle with their own identity with religion
-want to know more about the black experience before the civil rights movement
-identify with coming of age stories

I identified mainly with the women and their struggles with morality, religion and sin. I believe in redemption, but like the women in the novel it seems more difficult to obtain sometimes especially when the whole world tells you you have to behave in a certain way.

I think this novel is universally relatable whether or not you believe in God or not. You may not be able to relate to the characters and the color of their skin, especially if you've never been persecuted for the color of your skin, but it can at least give you insight into what it's like to fear for your life. To fear being attributed to something because just because you look like the person who did it. In that sense, I think we can all relate to it.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

I know that as a theater person I am way behind the times in reading this play. I can see why it is considered a classic, but I can also see why it is not popular among actors.

Arthur Miller is a good playwright and he definitely writes in a poetic manner. One of my favorite lines in the play is absolutely beautiful:

“Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven.”

Of course there are issues with this play. I read the preface to the play and while it was explained why Miller made the historical changes that he did, I'm not sure what the purpose was in doing so.

Miller keeps the story the same in that young girls are caught dancing in the woods and in order to prevent reprimanding they say they are possessed by the devil. The begin to accuse women in the town as having made pacts with the devils. The change occurs mainly in the character of Abigail who is now seventeen instead of being eleven or twelve as she was in real life. The girls are all older with the exception of Betty Parris.

Abigail is the ringleader of the girls and she begins the accusations mainly because she is seeking revenge on John Proctor and his wife. She used to work for them, but is fired after she and John begin an affair.

The main issue with the play is the time when it was written. 

John and Abigail begin an affair. Goody Proctor suspects it and does nothing about it except to fire Abigail. John is upset and when he confronts his wife she says that her behavior caused him to turn to the affair. Not many people nowadays would accept the fact that a woman is blaming herself for making her husband go astray. It was written in a different time and it takes place in a different time and perhaps this should give us the chance to forgive the play, but I know people that would not let that slide.

This aspect did not bother me so much. I was more bothered by the female characters. I did not find them interesting, but was frustrated by them.

Overall Abigail and John's relationship had no point to it other than to fuel the accusations. The real story is more interesting than this.

The penguin edition of the play ends with an afterword. As it is written by Arthur Miller, I'm not sure how accurate it is and I am also not sure if it is meant to be included in the notes of the playbill as the audience would otherwise have no way of knowing what is written.

The writing is beautiful and I think this is the main reason as to why it is considered an American classic. It is a play that needs to be in an actor's repertoire as it is mentioned a lot in any circle, but apart from the language there was nothing to me that stood out.

Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos

Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos

This is the first animated film I've seen with a PG13 rating. This is a film in Spanish with English subtitles, and while in Spanish I guess it earns that rating, I'm not sure about the English translation. This is a funny film with double entendres as its main form of comedy, but I think the jokes would go over the heads of those who speak only English as I am not sure how well the jokes would translate.

"Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos", according to the subtitles, is something "Egg-cellent Adventure". I didn't pay too much attention to it since it made it sound totally lame. The title literally translates to "The Rooster with Many Eggs", but this is a PG-13 film so the translation should actually read as "The Rooster with Big Balls". Anyway, the story follows Toto (Bruno Bichir) who is an awkward little rooster trying to find his crow. The owner of the farm in which he lives recently lost her husband and is on the verge of losing her farm as well after going bankrupt.

Toto and his friends decide to enter a cockfighting competition (in this case cockfighting equals boxing roosters) in order to try and keep the farm.

Toto, his love interest Di, her father, the eggs and a piece of bacon all set out to get Toto ready for the big fight.

The film is written and directed by Gabriel Riva Palacio Alatriste. He does a good job balancing the film's comedy and heart. There are also a lot of fun pop culture references such as the egg who looks like the godfather and lots of visually interesting characters like the duck egg that is covered in tattoos.

The characters are part of the "Huevocartoons" or "Egg cartoons". Yes, they are literally eggs with arms, legs and faces. It makes absolutely no sense. I first saw the egg characters on stickers that my cousin from Mexico had on her door. I could not understand why anyone would want to watch eggs. Then my boyfriend recommended the first egg film and I reluctantly did so. I still could not see the appeal of those darn eggs. My mind did not change overnight. I found the film funny, but my mind could not get past the fact that the main characters were eggs. After watching this film I understand a little more. My mind has finally accepted these little egg people and I enjoy watching their personalities and their interactions with each other.

These characters are beyond weird, but if you go in prepared for them and you allow yourself not to overthink the fact that there is a Snoop Duck and a Duck Claude Van Damme you can fully enjoy the silliness that is this film. It is over the top and ridiculous, but that's what these eggs are. Pure fun and entertainment.

The only part of the film I was a little iffy about was the cockfighting, but that's more political on my part. At least these roosters weren't gouging and tearing each other open. Had I not seen the subtitles refer to the boxing roosters as cock fighters I might have been more okay with the context of the fights.

I glanced at the subtitles occasionally only because my brain wanted to read the words on the screen even though I don't need to. However, I was able to keep my brain from reading everything and I listened to what was being said. The jokes are risqué in Spanish and again, I'm not sure how well those jokes translated into English. I'm sure some them translated fine, but this film did not do well at the box office and I'm thinking it's mainly because the English translation is not going to capture the spirit of the Spanish language,

Overall, I enjoyed this film and I think more people will too, if they give it a chance.

Crimson Peak

Guillermo del Toro's latest foray into horror reads more as a gothic romance and this didn't bother me. Don't get me wrong. This film definitely has moments where you are creeped out by the surroundings and situations. Overall, though, this was not the scary film I had been expecting. It was creepy, romantic, wrong and breathtakingly beautiful. While it did differ from del Toro's other films as he focused completely on the gothic look of the film, his vision still shone through mainly with the physical appearance of the ghosts.

The film begins in Boston at the turn of the 20th century. Edith Cushing (Mis Wasikowska) is an aspiring author who lives with her industrialist father Carter (Jim Beaver). She struggles to get her stories published as she is a woman (what a world to live in).

Cue Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Thomas is in America to try and get Edith's father to invest in a contraption he needs to gather the valuable red clay found underneath his estate. Carter Cushing does not trust him and refuses to fund him. Lucille seems determined that they stay until they can get the funding and during their stay, Thomas and Edith fall in love. Carter is murdered and Edith marries Thomas. She leaves her life in America and her best friend Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) to move to her husband's English estate.

The appearance of the mansion is perfectly gothic. It is vast and beautiful at first glance, but then we see that the wooden floors are rotting due to the red clay underneath and there is a hole in the roof that leaves the house exposed to the elements. The pipes deliver red water before it turns clear, and the walls seem to bleed with the clay. During the winter the red clay is exposed underneath the snow making it look as though it is stained with blood, thus giving it the name Crimson Peak.

Then there are the ghosts. Each ghost is different in appearance, although it is hard to see the differences at first. Some ghosts are black while others the signature crimson color. Glimpses of how they died can be found on their bodies. All but two lack distinguishing facial features and while I was hoping to see more of them than I did, when they were on the screen they were worth it as they were beyond creepy.

The film is gorgeous to look at and of course del Toro knows how to keep his audience on the edge of their seat. The cinematography gave glimpses of the ghosts before fully revealing them and shots of walls full of insects (some dead, some not) added the perfect touch.

The script was well written and the actors all did a great job. Mia Wasikowska kept the film going while Tom Hiddleston was able to play all the emotions his character is feeling without giving too much away. The standout performer though, is Jessica Chastain. She has a coldness to her and while you suspect that nothing is quite right with her, some of the revelations did catch me off guard. The three main characters played off of each other well and were able to keep the audience invested in their story lines.

Overall raitng: 3.5

Everest

3.5/5

The visuals in this film are absolutely stunning and all the actors did an incredible job. It was hard to keep track of who was who, but I found myself engaged and worried about all the characters.

The film is based on a true story and follows guide Rob (Jason Clarke) and some of his clients. The Texan Beck (Josh Brolin), Doug (John Hawkes), and journalist Jon (Michael Kelly). Doug is eager to reach the top as he barely missed doing so the year before. Rob is a cautious guide as he has never lost a client and this causes him to clash with Beck. At this time in history, expeditions to Everest were being sold to wealthy clients. Since there are so many groups trying to reach the summit on the same day, Rob teams up with rival guide Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) to make the expedition easier on both teams. The teams are delayed by outside factors which causes them to lose precious time. By the time most reach the summit, they have to turn around immediately in order to make it back to camp on time. Unfortunately due to the setbacks they are met with a blizzard and some are trapped on various points on the mountain while others barely make it back to camp.

The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at and Baltasar Kormakur (director) does a good job in telling the story. The main problem with this film is that it is hard to remember who is who and what role they play in the film. Rob, Beck, Doug are the easiest to remember as the filmmakers focus mainly on them. Jake Gyllenhaal is easy to remember mainly because of his star power, I actually didn't know what his name was during the duration of the film. Jan (Keira Knightley), Peach (Robin Wright), Helen (Emily Watson), and Yasuko (Naoko Mori) also gave brilliant performances and being female they stood out in a sea of nameless male characters. Overall I enjoyed the film and found myself engaged in the events and rooting for everyone to make it out alive.

Watch the Everest trailer here:

Facts and Figures
Year: 2015
Genre: Action/Adventure
Runtime: 144 mins
Distributed by: MacGillivrey Freeman Films
Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Working Title Films, Walden Media, Cross Creek Pictures, Free State Pictures, RVK Studios

Reviews
Lluvia Reviews: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Fresh: 136 Rotten: 52
iMDB: 7.4/10

Cast and Crew
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Nicky Kentish Barnes, Liza Chasin, Evan Hayes, Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson
Screenwriter: William Nicholson, Simon Beaufoy
Starring: Jason Clarke as Rob Hall, Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer, Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers, John Hawkes as Doug Hansen, Sam Worthington as Guy Cotter, Robin Wright as Peach Weathers, Keira Knightley as Jan Arnold, Clive Standen as Ed Viestrus, Emily Watson as Helen Wilton, Mia Goth as Meg, Michael Kelly as Jon Krakauer, Martin Henderson as Andy Harris, Elizabeth Debicki as Dr. Caroline Mackenzie, Tom Goodman-Hill as Neal Beidleman, Vanessa Kirby as Sandy Hill Pittman, Naoko Mori as Yasuko Namba, Mark Derwin as Lou Kasischke, Thomas M. Wright as Mike Groom
Also Starring: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Nicky Kentish Barnes, Lisa Chasin, William Nicholson, Simon Beaufoy

Links
Everest Movie Site

The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince by Serena Valentino

This book was okay.

The story changes a bit in the sense that the enchantress has three older sisters that want nothing than to see the Beast fail. I don't really know why they're there other than the author is going to make them a permanent fixture in all her retellings.

I did enjoy getting a peek into the Prince's life before he became a beast and I thought the explanation as to why he has such a bad temper was clever.

I enjoyed the story and overall thought it remained true to the Disney story we all know and love.

This is a quick read and I think worth reading if you want more of an explanation as to why a prince had to become a beast in order to learn a lesson.

Minions

Minions

Minions: 3 stars

Directed by: Kyle Balda & Pierre Coffin

I have honestly never been a fan of these little, yellow jelly-beans.  I enjoyed the Despicable Me films, but while I thought their antics were cute, I was more interested in Gru and the girls. It seems I am on the unpopular end of this spectrum as Despicable Me 2 put more focus on the Minions which led to their very own film. I have no problem with them, but I saw them only as cute, comic relief.  

I thought Despicable Me had a lot of heart and a good story to go along with it. Despicable Me 2 annoyed me only because I saw less of Gru and the girls and more of these guys. Minions was cute, but that was about it. There was no real substance to it. It was the minions doing what they do best: messing things up, going bonkers over bananas, and speaking in the gibberish that they have become known for.

Minions follows Bob, Kevin and Stuart in 1968 as they search for a boss that they and the rest of their tribe can serve. They head to Orlando where Villain-Con takes place. There they meet Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), the first female super-villain.  She hires them to hire the Queen of England's crown. Of course, hilarity (I guess) ensues. I found myself smiling throughout the film, but I only laughed once and that was because I was hoping for (and got) a Beatles cameo. This film is filled with gags that are sure to make kids laugh, but nothing worth remembering. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfql_DoHRKc

"Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection" by Amnon Kabatchnik

"Blood on the Stage" is a series of annotated repertoires that cover the milestone plays that between 25 year periods. The one for 1975-2000 is the fourth installment in this series. Amnon Kabatchnik gives a brief summary of the plays, a biography on the author, cites critic reviews, number of performances, awards for the play and/or author and where you can find acting editions of the plays.

Some of the plays covered in this edition include: CHICAGO, TWELVE ANGRY WOMEN, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, EXTREMITIES, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, A SOLDIER'S PLAY, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, DRACULA, THE HOUNDS OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, FRANKENSTEIN, THE TURN OF THE SCREW, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEPP, TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, and MOOSE MURDERS. Kabatchnik also states which plays were based off of books or films and which plays were later adapted into films.

This is a great resource for any theatre artist to have in their collection as it provides insight and history to plays we know and plays we have not heard of.

"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is the first novel I've read by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and I am glad I did. I picked this book up as the "book that takes place in another country" part of my 2015 reading challenge. While this book mainly takes place in the United States, the characters are from Nigeria and we get a glimpse into their lives before and after living in the US and England respectively.

The description on the back of the book says that the main characters are separated after political unrest in their country. While this does happen, the book is much more than that. It mainly focuses on Ifemelu's life in the United States with the main issue being race. She never realized race was an issue until she came into a country where she was made to feel different because of the color of her skin. We also get small glimpses into her love interest's struggles in England being an undocumented immigrant.

After spending my summer in Williamstown, Massachusetts I have become more aware of the issue of race. I know this sounds strange especially since I am a woman of color, but growing up Latina in El Paso, Texas, is growing up the same as everyone else. We do have a small white community and a small black community, but the my people dominate the city. I have also, thankfully, never experienced any racism when I have traveled out of my city. I know it's there. I know it exists, but I never had to think about it before.

There are many insights into the life of a black woman in America. The difference being: Ifemelu is an "American-African". She is an African woman who emigrated to the United States. She sees the differences of being black in America (where she notices the color of her skin) versus being black in Africa (where she doesn't notice her skin color). She does point out differences between being black and coming to the United States versus being black and being born here. No matter what, she speaks with poignancy and I found myself relating to some of the things being said.

Ifemelu starts a blog about her observances and they are funny in their truthfulness. She is flawed, and you can see why. In Nigeria, she was smart and strong and she had a voice, when she came to the US she had to rely on others. She had to get used to being in another country while Obinze (her true love) and her parents are in Nigeria. She finds solace in her aunt who had to leave Nigeria years before and some school friends. She does not understand why they are acting different now than they did before. After experiencing some of the hardships she learns the reason. She now has to find her identity.

This book is mainly about race and yet it is also about so much more than that. This book gets you thinking. Whether or not you want to deny there are race issues, there are. Sometimes we are accidentally racist, sometimes we're intentional. We are all tired of speaking about race. We're tired of hearing about it, but it's important that we don't stop talking about it. That's how we're going to see changes. Real changes.

Adichie has created a beautiful story that makes you think. The characters are well written and you feel for them. You also get a glimpse into the life of undocumented immigrants. You find out some of the reasons why they go to another country and how much they truly struggle to find jobs. You read about the constant worry they feel about the risk of being deported and those that take advantage of them through the threat of deportation.

"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials"

3.5/5
PLOT: Thomas and his friends face new danger outside of the maze. PG13.
DISCLAIMER: If you're looking for a loyal adaptation of the book, this is not it.
CAST: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Rosa Salazar
LENGTH: 2 hours, 11 minutes

You could say "The Maze Runner" franchise was late to the game as "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" had already started their claim to fame as teen dystopian franchises. It also seems a little out of place is male instead of the strong, female leads we are getting used to seeing as the stars of these stories. Either way, this franchise definitely deserves to have a spot in the world of teen dystopias.

In the first film and book we are introduced to Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) as he wakes up in an elevator that drops him off in a glade surrounded by a maze. There are no females here and the boys have learned how to survive on their own. Eventually Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) shows up and the boys realize it is officially time to leave the maze. They escape and find out the maze has been an experiment, but they are now free from it and WCKD (the scientists who put them there).

"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" differs greatly from the book so the things I mention from here on out happen in the film. Thomas and the other gladers must now face the scorch. The scorch is a place surrounded by toppled buildings, heat and sand. They are headed to the mountains to hopefully join the rebel army, The Red Arm. On their way they have to fight the cranks (zombie type people).

I am a book purist. I get upset when the film adaptation is different from the book. Both films in "The Maze Runner" franchise have differed greatly from their source material, but I have been able to enjoy them either way. This film was so different from the book that it's hard to believe this is not an original film. While I still enjoyed it, this film has been suffering critically and I can understand why. The book focuses on Thomas and his journey. The reader knows nothing other than what he knows. The film seemed like it was trying to copy "The Hunger Games" films in which they give the audiences glimpses of what's going on in the capitol while Katniss is fighting elsewhere. We got glimpses into WCKD and their way of thinking, but had it been more loyal to the book I think it would have resonated more with a broader audience. While the first "Maze Runner" film varied from the source material, it was still close enough to it that it kept fans of the book happy.

Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and Brenda (Rosa Salazar) are great as are Minho (Ki Hong Lee) and Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster). All four actors did a fine job in bringing the characters to life and I enjoyed any moments they were onscreen. The film did an okay job with the mystery aspect of not knowing who you can and cannot trust. It's obvious who you're supposed to root for while in the book you're not sure. When it comes to Teen Dystopian franchises, "The Hunger Games" is still the best. I found the "Divergent" series to be just okay and because of this I haven't been a fan of the films (apart from the fact that they have their own set of problems). I think "The Maze Runner" series has a chance to go out with a bang. While I understand that when making a film adaptation they have to appeal to those that have not read the series, they have to keep in mind that fans of the book want to see their favorite moments on screen. If you change those moments too much, the fans become angry. I don't know what it is about these films, but I haven't gotten angry. Annoyed yes, but not angry. I know the power of an angry fan. I've been an angry fan and I bash film adaptations to no end and tell people not to watch badly adapted films. Director Wes Ball has directed both films and he has some good ideas and the visuals are stunning, but as we know those are not enough to keep anything afloat.

"The Scorch Trials" by James Dashner

I enjoyed "The Maze Runner", but I must say I enjoyed this one more.

Of course I rushed to read it since the film comes out in a week and I don't like being unread when I watch a movie based on a book.

Anyway, it did take me awhile to get into the book. Not that it was uninteresting, but I could put it down and continue with my life if I had things to do. When the book neared the end I blocked out the world and read until it was over. It gripped me.

I'm excited to start "The Death Cure" now. I also wish it was next week so that I could be in the theatre watching the movie.

This book is a quick read and I could have finished it sooner if I wasn't distracted by other books and life.

I give this book three stars. I enjoyed the relationship between Thomas and the gladers as well as the conflict between him and Teresa. I was rooting for Brenda and Jorge, the new characters we are introduced to. I am anxious to find out where the relationships are headed especially between Thomas and the person he feels betrayed him. I also enjoyed the parallel between Group A and Group B.

Now the only thing I can hope for is an ending that is well worth the build up that has reached until this point.

Here's to "The Death Cure"!

The Gallows

Reese Mishler and Pfeifer Brown in "The Gallows" | New Line Cinema

I will say that I have always wondered how scary my high school would be at night and "The Gallows" explores that.

The story takes place in Beatrice, Nebraska. A town where everyone knows everyone and the school is way too big for the small student population.

Of course the majority of this film takes place at night and with the maze of tunnels underneath, all I could think was, "This is what it must be like inside El Paso High School". I needed something to think about while my brain wrapped its head around the fact that this was yet another found footage film.

I don't like to be scared and I don't know why I still watch horror films. I need to calm myself down even if it's a film that isn't considered to be that scary. Thankfully, this film is one of those films where you can guess when something is about to pop out at you and I was able to prepare myself for them. I didn't think this film was anything surprising and new and I didn't particularly think that the plot twists at the end were clever.

The film opens in 1993 with some parents filming Beatrice High School's production of "The Gallows".

I guess they needed to make up a play since no other show includes someone about to be hanged for their crimes.

Charlie is playing the male lead at the last second and he ends up standing at the gallows with the noose around his neck when the trap door drops unexpectedly.

Twenty years later we are introduced to Ryan (Ryan Shoos), his girlfriend Cassidy (Cassidy Gifford), and his best friend Reese (Resse Mishler) who is currently the male lead in, of course,

"The Gallows".

Twenty years after Charlie's death everyone is okay with "The Gallows" being back in production. I don't know how this makes any sense, but things in horror films should never be questioned.

Anyway, Reese is a terrible actor and because Ryan is an obnoxious character, he convinces his best friend that the best thing he can do for the show is destroy the set so that the show will be cancelled and he won't humiliate himself. Since Reese has a crush on the female lead, Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown), this plan will somehow get her to seek comfort in him.

Cassidy, Reese and Ryan sneak into the school after hours and start destroy the set and props. Pfeifer shows up after she sees Reese's car parked outside the school.... They seriously thought that was a good idea? Of course, things start going bad at this point. They can no longer get out of the school and the real scares begin. This film uses more jump scares and sounds to scare the audience which again is great for someone like me who doesn't like to be scared. If you're looking for something that will scare the pants off of you, this is not the film.

"The Gallows" is a short film. It has a run time of 80 minutes. You get introduced to the characters and the plot early on which saves plenty of time for scares. The actors all did a pretty good job in their roles and the ending leaves it open for sequels. I'm hoping their won't be because there really isn't anywhere new you can take this story, but we'll see.

2 out of 5 stars.

New Line Cinema. Directed and written by: Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff. Run time: 80 minutes. Rated R (Disturbing violence and terror)