Feeding My Mind (Movies)

Aside from the books I’ve read, I’ve managed to keep up with the current summer (U.S.) season of movies. I’m still not sure, though, if I’ll watch “Captain America: the First Avenger” in the movie house.

When I watch movies in the theater, my mind-set is basically to leave my brain at the entrance, and go in with the intention to enjoy the movie. I actually enjoyed all of the movies below, no matter what the critics may say.

1. Kung Fu Panda 2

This is probably the best of the lot, so far. The movie is a wonderful blend of drama and comedy, with thrilling moments and insightful dialogue. Hands down, unless “Cars 2” or “Happy Feet 2” are any good, this is my bet for best animated feature in next year’s Oscars.

2. Thor

I didn’t realize until later on that this was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who’s better known for his Shakespeare than for superheroing. Branagh brought in a Shakespearean quality of story-telling in his interpretation of the thunder god. I wasn’t very taken with the movie when I first saw the trailer, but it’s a good rendition of Thor, and how he needed to learn humility.

3. X-Men: First Class

For this movie, I had to detach myself from what I knew of the X-Men from the comics and the first three movies, and simply watch the movie at face value. The inaccuracies to the comic aside, “X-Men: First Class” is a great introduction to the relationship between the two greatest mutants, Charles Xavier and Magneto.

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

The last of the “Harry Potter” series didn’t pack as much punch as I thought it would, but it’s still a stirring ending to the series which chronicled the adventures of the Boy Who Lived. I think that, given the length of the previous movies, more time could have been spent in developing the story in this one, which “only” ran a little more than two hours.

5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The last installment of the “Transformers” trilogy packed a lot of punch in terms of action and dazzling special effects, but, since Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were the closest in resemblance to the cartoon renditions, it was difficult feeling anything for the other Autobots and Decepticons who bought it in this movie. Still, it had its moments, and was still wonderful to behold on the big screen.

6. Green Lantern

While the special effects were great, admittedly, the story was on the lightweight side. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the movie, though I realize that pushing a sequel is going to be a big challenge, given the film’s paltry take at the box office. It’s a pity, though, I would’ve liked to have seen the development of Sinestro into a villain.

Feeding My Mind (Books)

It’s a lazy day, with school being suspended due to typhoon “Juaning”, so I thought I’d take time to take stock of my reading. Due to my current ennui regarding writing, I wasn’t able to come up with this year’s feeding my mind list over the summer, even though I had been reading quite a bit over the past few months. Hopefully, by writing this, I’ll be able to start up my writing muscles once more, and be able to go back to my regular (more or less) mode of posting.

So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been reading over the past few months (in no particular order), and my rating (out of 5 stars) for each book:

1. I Am Number Four – Pittacus Lore ****

2. A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness *****

3. Night Watch – Terry Prachett *****

4. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents – Terry Prachett *****

5. Thud! – Terry Prachett *****

6. A Song of Fire and Ice Series (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance With Dragons) – George R.R. Martin *****

7. True Story, Swear to God – Tom Beland *****

8. Amelia Rules – Jimmy Gownley *****

9. Making Comics – Scott McCloud *****

10. Battleships – Peter Hore *****

11. The Art of Discworld – Terry Prachett and Paul Kidby *****

Basically, the list is a mix of fantasy books and graphic novels, as well as two informative books.

The last book I read on the list is A Dance With Dragons, the latest book in the great series by George R.R. Martin. I’m hoping, though, that Martin doesn’t take another five to six years in writing The Winds of Winter, the next book in the series. It’s just too long a wait.

Currently, I have several books that I’m reading, depending on my mood. They’re all rereads, though.

1. The Wee Free Men – Terry Prachett

2. Hogfather – Terry Prachett

3. Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving

4. The Stand – Stephen King

It’s obvious that I’m a big Prachett fan. I love his colorful writing style, as well as the well-rounded characters.

And that is my reading list so far this year. I’m looking at my shelf, at books I’ve read, and wondering whether I should pick one off the shelf and revisit it. It’s been a while since I went through Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles. Maybe it’s time for me to visit my library, and see if there are any books I haven’t read yet.

Back for the Moment

Been a while since I've managed to get anything written down here. In fact, it's almost been a month, which is probably the longest stretch that I've not posted anything. There are just too many things to take care of, and too little time.

I'm still keeping track of the news, thanks to my RSS Feed. Some of the things I've been following are:

1. The punching incident involving Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and court sheriff. This has already been commented on by a number of people, and I would be interested in hearing what the President has to say about the matter. If he doesn't discipline the Dutertes, it would be clear that he favors his allies over the rule of law. While the Dutertes are much-loved in Davao City for their tough stance on crime, it should be noted that the rule of law has often been flaunted to get this done. Mayor Duterte's bashing of the sheriff shows how valuable the rule of law is to this political family. It doesn't help that her father, Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, has more or less stomped on the rule of law in defending his daughter.

2. The PCSO scandal involving the bishops of the Catholic Church. It's good that the bishops in question have returned the vehicles given to their dioceses; it shows that they still have consciences.

The other issue is that the PCSO was made into a private piggy bank by a number of politicians, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. How this will play out remains to be seen, as the case is still ongoing.

3. The continuation of the Maguindanao Massacre trial. At this point, the current issue is whether former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan is telling the truth about what he knows about the 2009 massacre and the 2007 elections, where several opposition senators got zero votes in Maguindanao. The government, however, isn't interested in making him a state witness, since he is likely to be complicit in the heinous crime. It hasn't stopped Ampatuan from making revelations ruinous to former President Arroyo. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

That's it for now. I'm not sure when I'll be able to go back to a regular posting schedule, but do drop by once in a while, as I will try to post more often.