Book 1 Project

for my first project I did a painting. As you can see its a hand with words coming out of the fingers. the  words even though they're unreadable are stories of crime a deception. the reason behind this is because John from The Dead Zone could feel and sense everything everyone was thinking just through touch (the reasons the words are coming from the fingers.) and mainly he uses his "power" to help stop crime and other peoples problems and darkest secrets.

Refiection 1/15/13

                 Book covers is what I look at first for a book. If the covers very creative I’ll always look at the book itself and decide whether it’s as interesting as the cover. A book cover for me is like a movie preview, it entices you and shows you what the book could be about for example Nicholas Spark’s book covers don’t give away anything they may have a dog on it or a simple scenery . But recently when a book is turned into a movie they use a movie cover. For example all of Nicholas Spark’s books that were turned into movies all have a couple on the front because it’s a love story. But for me the more creative the title the better I don’t want the basic lovers on the front I want a piece of art that will make you feel the main emotions about the book. For example last summer I read Perfection by Julia Metz , and the cover was a framed butterfly in a shadow box and It was fallen on the floor. Something so simple like a broken picture sends more messages to the brain than the usual love story couple cover. So to me book covers are important and when you’re deciding they’re the first thing you see and the only thing that provokes you other than the title to check out the book.

Review 1/10/13

If my book “The Vampire Lestat” , a novel about the beginning of the reign of a powerful vampire, who  became an icon after the first book “Interview with a Vampire”.  The movie will have many important parts to focus on, especially in the beginning. Also the actor choice is very important as well.

                For actors I would choose Robert Downey Jr. My reason being is the Robert is a very talented man who is very charismatic and that’s exactly what Lestat is, a very young attractive man who’s good with people. Another important actor that would be essential for this movie would be Anthony Hopkins. He would play Magnus who Is the elder vampire who seeks out Lestat to turn him into one of the living dead. Magnus may only be in the movie for a short time but he’s a very important character that influences Lestat in his future decisions. Another important character in the book is Lestat’s mother. She’s a key component in Lestat’s beginning. She influences him to make big decisions that change his life forever. She understands his more than his own father does. She would be played by Kirsten Stewart from twilight since she always looks likes she in pain or dying, which works well with her character because his mother is dying and sick.

                A few important scenes that need to be focused on during the beginning of the movie is when Lestat killed the pack of wolves that was attacking his people. This scene is important because it changes who Lestat is as a person in changes the way he sees things and the divide of his family is more evident afterwards.  Another very important scene is when Lestat and his new friend Nicholas escape to Paris to live out their dreams in the theater. And also Lestats turning into a vampire and his discovery of the new world through his vampire eyes.

Reflection 1/8/13

In my eyes a movie is just a short summary of a book. In most cases they summarize it savor all the good parts and toss minor details. But sometimes there are directors that know what they’re doing and they bring the book they’re “illustrating” to life. My top five picks of these movies are…

1.       The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

a.       The movie lights the book on fire the emotion just illuminates off of it. Some people are very skeptical about it because of some of the mature content. But the movie simplifies the book it makes it easier to understand and you get consumed by the beauty of it.

2.       The Da Vinci Code

a.       The movie gives the book a more exciting suspenseful taste. You’re on the edge of your seat wondering what the next clue is and how whatever it is will affect the whole world of religion.

b.      For the critics point of view: http://obscuredvixen.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/book-vs-movie-the-da-vinci-code/

3.       Angels and Demons

a.       The book does not send you into a frantic mystery as intense as the movie. The music, the small details and all the religious references that throw your brain into a whirlwind of excitement and suspense.

b.      Critics- http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11622

4.       The Notebook

a.       Nicolas Sparks masterpiece was just given more beauty than his words could ever weave, the movie follows the book page by page all the small things in the book are there and they make every moment more meaningful.

b.      Critics- http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=11622

5.       Shudder Island

a.       Followed the plot perfectly and the whole time your wound up just like the character  and your just as surprised in the end as he is.

b.      Critics- http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=12591

Review 12/13

This week I finished my first book, The Dead Zone. In the last chapters John is faced with many different challenges. He realizes his new safe house is compromised; his new talent leads him down a dark path.

                While in hiding as a tutor for a wealthy family’s son, he becomes close to them almost like family. During his stay he emerges himself into politics, meeting the candidates and shaking their hands. Right at the touch he knows what going to happen in the race weather they win or lose. One politician sticks out more than the rest, Greg Stilson. Stilson is a loud politician who’s for the people his rallies are more like rock concerts than political rallies. Stilson runs around on the stage in a hard hat and casual clothes, and he’s heavily guarded by ex-bikers that he’s helped. John has a uneasy feeling about him he discusses this with his boss, the father of the child he tutors, he says to blow it off and the Stilson is just a pony show and people eat him up because he listens to him.

                Another person he discussed the politician about is the gardener, a middle age Vietnamese man who’s in the midst of getting his citizenship. He sees Stilson in the same light as John. He describes Stilson as a tiger. He tells a story of a game that people in his old village used to play called Laughing Tiger. The game consists of one child dressed in a tiger’s skin, he chases the other children growling and snarling but also laughing. He sees Stilson as the kid in the tiger skin.

                Once John begins to emerge himself whole-heartedly into researching Stilson, his student graduates from high school and during the after party John hugs him and then he has a vision of a fire at the restaurant the senior class as reserved for the night. John tells everyone and scares some parents into keeping their children home or sending them elsewhere.

Reflection 12/11

                A book is a gateway, a gateway to a new world, to a new point of view, to a whole new life. For me reading on a kindle or iPad is like reading on a brick I can’t focus, I can’t get comfortable, they’re awkwardly shaped, too big or to small and you have to adjust the brightness the word size. There are way too many distractions when using them who would to just read when you could surf the web, shop online etc.

                A book isn’t just words, it’s a perfect harmony of that sweet rain smell of the pages and however you sit it’ll fit perfectly in your lap. The only distraction maybe technology, music’s too loud, TV’s on. There nothing that can compare to that comfort, I especially enjoy getting into my favorite sweat pants and curling up on the couch with my cat and book in my lap. If your cat so much as sniffs your iPad you could lose your page, your whole book, or open a whole new browser and send the machine into a complete breakdown.

                So we don’t just read for the words we read for how those words make us feel, how comfortable we are when we read them. Nothing beats reading your book and your cat pokes his head over it. So no more technology reading.... for the sake of cats.

Review 12/4

John has come far, beginning in a hospital bed unable to move, under nourished, to working at home with his father. He’s recovering well, walking to the mailbox at the end of the drive every day is becoming easier and easier. The only problem is when he arrives there it’s stuffed to the rim with packages upon packages of peoples personal belongings. Since John’s “new talent” has become public against his will people are trying to reach out to him. Trying
to get him to answer they’re unsolved questions. John returns their belongings. He accidentally touched a scarf a woman sent him, she sent it wishing john would touch it and tell her where her brother is, and he disappeared on a camping trip. John’s feels that her brother died, he accidentally walked into quicksand. John felt every emotion and all the agony he went through during his last moments of life, after this john vowed never to do it again.

This happens today, people are eager to know everything that’s a mystery. Is there spouse cheating on them? Is grandma safe on the “other side”? People reach out at extremes to find out these small almost ridiculous requests and demands. They’re people who are assumed to be “psychic”, they milk every ounce of the curious mind. Using things like cold readings, palm readings, and tarot cards. Gypsies are very popular for this kind of trade. Most of them are just hacks but some seem too accurate to be just coincidence aren’t they?

John wants to stay out of the spotlight, but a cop seeks him out. He’s asked to help in a 5 year investigation. John is angry that one of his closest comrades told about his gift. At first John denies the officers offer. But once he looked into the murders he reconsiders and decides to humor the officer and joins him at one of the recent crime scenes. John is suddenly overcome by the killers emotions what he did to all the women. John tells the officer who refuses that the killer is a fellow officer. But once he looked into it turns out John was correct.

There is such thing as Psychic Detectives, there’s actually a TV show based on it,but they do paranormal investigations. They look at haunting's. So unlike john they deal with the undead.