The Bad Influence Speaks

BIS Vacation: Chinocteague, VA

BISis and I recently took a trip to Chincoteague, VA, home of the Misty of Chincoteague stories. What can you do in a tiny island town in the middle of January? Well, not a huge amount, but it was a short trip (Friday-Sunday) so it wasn't bad. We spent most of our time in the wildlife refuge. This included the approximately 6.5 miles of Saturday hiking (with the last 1.5 miles on the beach). I am not in good enough shape for this. Note: In the off season, half the town is closed down. Also, they've got more, and better, bookstores than I do in BItown.

Where we stayed: Hampton Inn in Chincoteague.

It's consistently been rated the top Hampton Inn in the country and I can see why. The staff were fantastic, the views breathtaking, and the cost low (~$80/night). They were undergoing renovations to their breakfast area, but that didn't detract. Our beds were comfy and it's always nice to have a fridge and microwave in the room.I also love the fact they always have fresh baked cookies in the lobby.

View from the room

Sunset from the room's balcony

Where we ate:

Chincoteague Diner which was meh. Dessert was decent and the staff friendly, but based on the batter on my scallops, they were frozen.

Mr. Paul's Kitchen, Home Cooking which was great. It's only open for breakfast and lunch. We each had a burger. Mine was  a little dry, but very flavorful and the homemade applesauce was amazing (they add vanilla once it's done cooking). We also had a great time talking with our waitress (Love it or List it was on the TV and we all like the show).

Famous Pizza was our Saturday dinner. After all the walking on the beach, my ankles stiffened up too much to walk. I called down to the front desk and she recommended this place. They delivered right to the hotel room and in about half the time they said it would take. The crust had just enough 'snap' to it and the toppings were generous.

BISis wanted a little something more and ran out to Island Creamery. She called back to the room and read the menu out to me. Her choice was Birthday Cake and mine was Bourbon Caramel. They weren't kidding about the bourbon, but it wasn't as strong after a few dozen spoonfuls.

Additional pictures from the trip:

Our totally inadequate footwear (we forgot to toss boots in the car)

Misty of Chincoteague statue

Sunset on the beach

Lighthouse (because I'm a lighthouse freak)

Lighthouse again (that tiny white dot is the moon)

Sunset in the refuge

Wild Pony Overlook (see the horse shit?)

And most importantly, the ponies...

We saw the the wild ponies of Chincoteague on the first night as we were driving back from watching sunset on the beach. The car in front of us randomly stopped and we soon figured out why. They had absolutely no concern about the cars or people. The picture is dark because I didn't want to use the flash and startle them.

If it hacn't been for that, I would have assumed that there were no ponies and the rangers just scattered piles of horse shit all over the place (and I do mean all over). According to a friend, many go and never see the ponies.

BIS Movie Review: Parker

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Parker is part of the story of a thief who lives with a strict code where if you give your word you follow through. The character is based on a series of novels written by Donald E. Westlake, writing under the pseudonym Richard Stark.

Summary: Parker is finishing a job with a new crew that he had been introduced to by Hurley, former colleague and the father of Parker's girlfriend, Claire. The deal takes a sour turn though when the leader, Melander, decides Parker's stake is necessary for the next job and he leaves Parker for dead when he won't join in. As he recovers from his wounds, he plans how to get his money back from the gang and teach them not to go against their word ("it's the principle").

 

Like quite a few of Statham's movies, the plot is forgettable, but the action sequences are fantastic. They are beautifully choreographed and well executed. And our hero sustains injuries in the course of the fights and actually keeps them (yes, they remain visible and he shows that he is) in the film. I'm oddly excited about that fact. It comes across as more realistic.

The love story, or really lack there of, is a nice touch. Spoiler (highlight to read): [ He has a committed girlfriend, Claire (Emma Booth). He stays faithful to her through the film even though he believes she has no reason to stay with him. She, in turn, demonstrates she is committed to their relationship even though people are trying kill her to get even with him. The whole 'will they/won't they' vibe from Leslie (Jennifer Lopez) is all in her head. I like that it didn't turn into 'good guy gets the girl who helps him.' ]

Anyway, it was a fun movie, and much enjoyed by this action flick fan. And Patti LuPone was fantastic as Ascension, Leslie's sharp-tongued mother.

Parker...................Jason Statham
Leslie Rodgers..........Jennifer Lopez
Melander................Michael Chiklis
Carlson..................Wendell Pierce
Ross...................Clifton Collins Jr.
Ascension..................Patti LuPone
August Hardwicke...Michah Hauptman
Claire........................Emma Booth
Hurley..........................Nick Nolte

Related articles

First 'Parker' Clip: Jennifer Lopez Making Deal With Jason Statham

Sorry for all the delay

I've gotten massively backed up because of work and a class I'm taking. I promise we should return to regular posting soon.

On my To Do List, I have:

• Leverage: The First Contact Job, The French Connection Job, and The Gimme A K Street Job
• Warehouse 13: Season 4 episodes 1 to 4
• White Collar and Covert Affairs
• Finishing up Supernatural season 6 commentary
• Teen Wolf: seasons 1 and 2 (and I blame Tumblr for this).
• Sherlock series 1
• Wallander series 2
• Commentary and wrap up for Eureka final episode
• Movie reviews for The Bourne Legacy, The Expendables 2, and The Dark Knight Rises

 

Also, Dragon*Con is next week (holy frakking crap, Batman) and that will have a whole series of posts including costume posts, and panel commentary and photos. If you check out my tumblr and twitter, I'll try to do some posts while there. Everything will have a DragonCon 2012 tag.

BIS Book Review: Born of Silence

by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The League book 5

 

Darling Cruel has long lived a lie to protect those he loves and in doing so created dual roles for himself. In one life, he is the heir to a corrupt thrown; in the other life, he is Kere, a rebellious leader of the Sentella, who helps the resistance on his home world. Zarya, a resistance leader whose father was killed by Darling's uncle, is his only salvation, but she doesn't know his real identity.

Betrayed by the resistance, Darling must come to terms with all he has faced and Zarya's role in it. Will he be able to step into the light and be the leader he was born to be?

 

 

When I first picked this book up, I was wary. It's thicker than normal for her series which is not a good sign. Generally speaking, when Kenyon writes a long novel, it will be heartbreakingly tragic. Acheron is a great example of this fact. His early life is painfully brutal and destructive. Born of Silence follows in this tradition. Darling is subject to horrific torture at the hands of those he had considered friends (and this after a lifetime of cruelty* from his uncle). Sherrilyn Kenyon is about redemption though. Her protagonists learn to rise from the pain of their lives and move forward with, if nothing else, humor.

This book is a heartbreaker. You will gasp, cry, and be truly shocked by some of the content. It is still a worthy read. With each new book, Kenyon reminds me that no matter what obstacles or pain we face in our lives, we can keep on going. True, there will be days (or years) when we're merely putting one foot in front of the other, but in the end we can each prevail.

I started reading this in the late afternoon and finished around 11 pm or so completely missing dinner. I could not put it down. Be prepared.

 

*I couldn't resist the pun.

 

BIS Rating: 5 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

Purchase Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon on Amazon or Barnes & Noble today.

BIS Book Review: Not Even There

by J. Scott Sharp

 

"Betrayal is sneaky. Sometimes, a person doesn't know they've deceived someone until it's too late, or maybe they do and don’t want to admit to it. If a person betrays someone in front of their face, it's a safe bet that they never gave a shit any way. At least that’s what I thought."

 

In this short story by Sharp, sixteen year old Roger plays a dual role in a tragic incident of betrayal that is based on an age old triangle, two men who love the same woman. I can still remember all the days of uncertainty that made up the high school years. Every win is the highest peak. Every loss is the most devastating thing possible. Every reaction to it all will consume your entire being. Moderation isn't even in the vocabulary.

Sharp executes this tragic piece with precision and heart as he takes you back to the pains of high school and young love. I'm not sure whose part of the story hit harder, Roger's or David's. The end even has a "wait, did I just read that right" twist that you won't see coming.

I wouldn't recommend this for a young teen, but college age and up.

 

BIS Rating: 3 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

Pick it up for the Kindle on Amazon or  Nook at Barnes and Noble for $0.99.

 

Disclosure: The author provided a free e-copy to me for review.

BIS Book Review: The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey

Forever Girl series #1
by Rebecca Hamilton

Sophia Parsons is struggling to survive after college while working at a diner in the small, judgmental Colorado town where she lives in the house she inherited from her grandfather. Not only does she have to deal with a dead end job, but the leader of her mother's church wants Sophia to sell her the house and rid the town of her "evil" Wiccan ways. Each day is a challenge with the threats from Mrs. Franklin until Sophia meets Charles and discovers an unknown world where her talents are more than a disability.

Rebecca Hamilton is a new author on the supernatural scene, but on the basis of her first Forever Girl book, I believe she'll be here to stay. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey starts Sophia's journey into the supernatural world where the voices in her head have meaning and the drastic changes that will come to happen in her life. It is a Wiccan coming of age story with a love story and supernatural revolution rolled into the background. There is a good flow to the book and I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter. I'd suggest you don't start this late at night because you will struggle to put it down. I know I did and finally had to pause at 2 am when I starting taking long blinks and almost rolled my laptop off my lap.

While the protagonist, Sophia, is 22, this book is well suited for young adults. There is little swearing and the minimal sex and violence (which occurs more at the end of the book) is not graphic by any stretch of the imagination. The cover image, by the way, doesn't really express the feel of the books. Though the main character is a Wiccan, the book does not have a goth feel. It does have vampires (Cruor) and shapeshifters (Strigoi) and fans of the genre will enjoy it. It has the same feel as Lauren Kate's Fallen series though the supernatural elements differ. I'm looking forward to the second book, Come, the Dark: Cordovae's Journey, which is due out next year.

I plan on recommending this to a few friends with teenage daughters.

You can pick up a copy at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.

 

BIS Rating: 4 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

 

Disclosure: I was provided a free e-copy of the book by the author for review.

BIS Review: The Avengers

I can sum this review up with one word: a-frackin-mazing.

The Avengers lives up to all the months of hype. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. It’s funny. It provides deep development for the characters. It’s something you don’t see much: an action movie that makes you really think about who the heroes really are inside. In other words, it’s a true Joss Whedon project.

Thor is calmer and more thoughtful but you can still see the brash and impulsive youngster underneath. Steve Rogers is still lost in the modern world, but is finding his purpose. Tony Stark is more grounded because of his relationship with Pepper, but still as smart assy and brilliant as ever. Bruce Banner is a charming, if scruffy, wonder who accepts who he is and can be. Clint Barton is sarcastic and confident in his skills. Natasha Romanoff is intuitive, and gentle yet oh so deadly. Agent Coulson is decisive, smart, quippy, and totally fanboy over Captain America. Loki is the most nuanced villain I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie (and is brilliantly played by Tom Hiddleston).

There is a lot of Whedonesque humor here some of which has adult undertones. That part will go right over the heads of kids under 10 or so if the ~7 year old who was sitting next to me is any indication.

My recommendation is go see The Avengers as soon as you can but be prepared for a packed theater. It’s already broken the opening weekend records before Sunday was even half over. I plan on seeing it again in theaters.

Even at 2 hours 22 minutes the movie feels short and leaves you wanting more.

I'm not sure I could pick a favorite Avenger. They are all so good. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner surprised me. I haven't liked the Hulk in anything else and enjoyed him here.

I am, of course, still Team Loki.

The only negative (non-spoiler) part had nothing to do with the actual movie. It involved the theater experience. I went to the first Sunday (non 3D) showing and the theater was packed. Sitting next to me was a young boy who was probably about 7 or 8. He jerked and fidgeted for the entire movie and each time he did so it caused my seat to move. He also kicked and elbowed me several times. He shouted the names of the heroes the first time each came on the screen. He also talked and asked questions quite a bit. One of the adults who was part of his party (not sure if it was his father or not) told him to stop talking a couple of times, but other than that ignored him. The height of this distraction came during one of the fight scenes when he turned to me and said, "All the other things you laughed at weren't' funny, but this was." I find it hard to really get into a movie with things like this going on around me. I also think if a kid doesn't have the ability to sit through previews you shouldn't bring him/her to a movie that is this long.

 

More in depth comments to come that will include a spoiler "click to highlight" section.

 

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)

BIS Review: Cabin in the Woods

Staring Kristen Connolly (Dana), Chris Hemsworth (Curt), Anna Hutchinson (Jules), Fran Kranz (Marty), Jesse Williams (Holden), Richard Jenkins (Sitterson) and Bradley Whitford (Hadley).

Bless Joss Whedon. Cabin in the Woods is an homage to every horror movie ever made. Whedon takes all they classic tropes and gives them a slight twist. He must also love Evil Dead because there’s a strong ED vibe throughout the entire movie. A review I read called it “a horror movie within a comedy within a horror movie” and they’re right. It isn’t outright funny, but you will be laughing outloud (and some will be nervous “holy crap” laughs).

Being Joss Whedon there are also easter eggs scattered through the movie. You can find a listing of some at Viewer Discretion Advised (there are spoilers in the link so be careful). There are also appearances by various Whedon alums such as Amy Aker (Angel) and Tom Lenk (Buffy, Angel). I think there were others because some of the character actors looked familiar.

My mother chose to go along with me to see it which was surprising. She doesn’t like horror movies (and I hate to go to them with her because she asks questions). My sister and I have gotten her hooked on Joss Whedon works though including Firefly. We both loved the movie. When we left the theater we couldn’t stop smiling and talking about it. As mom said, “now that’s a happy ending.” And it was a typical Joss Whedon happy ending.

I still don’t get the unicorn though.

Spoiler section ahead. [ You can always count on Joss Whedon to create a smart, layered production that makes the viewer think while keeping them entertained. The first few minutes, while a little dull, gives contrast to later in the film when the characters are forced into their roles. Dana is very definitely not a virgin since she slept with her professor. Jules is smart and playful but not a sex kitten. Curt gives excellent recommendations for reading material for Dana's classes (and is apparently a sociology major) and not a sexist jock. Holden is an athlete but becomes the "egghead." Marty, while a pothead, is not the fool as he grasps the situation first and remains in control. Whedon takes what are generally not well fleshed out characters and gives them depth.

I'm a massive Evil Dead fan so I was thrilled that he pulled so much from it. Everything about the cabin screamed Rami and then on the betting board mentioned deadites. Whedon's nods to others movies from the genre are respectful with a touch of self deprecating humor.

I think this is going to be one of those movies that you can watch repeatedly and find something new each time whether a reference to another movie or a new aspect of the sociopolitical commentary that is scattered throughout Whedon's work.

Now I just need someone to explain what movie the unicorn was referencing. I still don't get that as a nightmare. ]

BIS Book Review: Infamous

Chronicles of Nick, Book 3
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

Nick Gautier's life becomes more complicated and unbelievable as he realizes he has the potential to become the most evil and destructive creature in the universe. And a few months ago, all he thought he had to worry about was disappointing his mom, wearing tacky shirts and getting beat up at school. Will he be able to keep hold of his humanity or will he lose it all?

 

 

I am a huge Kenyon fan. I'll be upfront about that. I've read her Dark Hunter series for years and became hooked on The League when it was republished. Even with all that I was worried when the first of her young adult series, the Chronicles of Nick: Infinity, came out a 3 years ago. I wasn't sure she would be able to incorporate everything I love about her work into a young adult format, but I was so wrong. All the humor, sarcasm, and style remain; all that is missing is the sex (and hey, he's a teen so it's not there yet).

 

From what I've read she intends to have a book in this series for every year of Nick's life up until he became a Dark Hunter, so 10 books to cover ages 14 to 24. I'm not sure she's only going to have 10 books to make that goal. The first 3 seem to cover from 14 to 15.

 

While I liked Nick in the Dark Hunter series, he was never my favorite. Now with his own series, you get to know him better and see the background and thoughts behind all the snark. I think he may end up becoming my favorite of all her characters. He is smart, has a great if self deprecating humor, and a good heart. That does seem to be her template for heroes though. They are all smart, good looking, snarky, and must overcome a horrible past to be able to accept love. Even with that template, the books never feel formulaic or repetitive. She brings a fresh feel each and every time.

 

She also generally has a lesson or moral to her tales. For parents, the underlying themes are great ones for kids to learn.

Life was so strange. Seldom did it make sense. As her brother would say, 'life isn't a puzzle to be solved. It's an adventure to be savored. Let every challenge be a new mountain to climb, not an obstacle to get in your way and stop you. Yeah, it'll be hard, but once you reach the summit of it, you'll be able to see the world for what it really is. And at the top, it never seems to have been as difficult a feat to climb there as you first made it out to be. Most of all, you'll know that you beat that mountain, and that you rule it. It does not rule you.'

 And, this one, which is in all of her writings. I wish more people thought of life like this.

People aren't just ants rushing around over a crust of bread. Every life, no matter how isolated, touches hundreds of others. It's up to us to decide if those micro connections are positive or negative. But whichever we decide, it does impact the ones we deal with. One word can give someone the strength they needed at that moment or it can shred them down to nothing. A single smile can turn a bad moment good. And one wrong outburst or word could be the tiny push that causes someone to slip over the edge into destruction.

Words matter as do even the smallest actions. Even when you're tired, smile, and share a few friendly words. Say please and thank you. Be kind. Everyone has bad days and your actions may be the only pleasant thing in that person's day. This is something that hits me whenever I read one of her books.

 

Every time I start thinking life might be looking up it knocks me down and kicks me. When I read one of Kenyon's books, it gives me hope because her characters face so many horrible things, but they keep moving forward through the pain and fear trying to be better people. They remind me that what doesn't kill you may hurt a lot, but it still makes you stronger.

 

BIS Rating: 5 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

Buy Chronicles of Nick: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon here through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Review: One for the Money

 

When I first heard they were going to be making a movie of One for the Money, I was wary about who’d they choose to play everyone. After all, how can you really hope to equal the mythos of Ranger in real life? I had nothing to worry about.

I went to the first showing on Friday with my mother (I got her hooked on the series). The theater was fairly full especially for mid-day on a work day. There were only 5 men in the theater who were there with their wives. For the most part, it was groups of women, elderly women. Listening to the conversation before the movie and during previews, I swear the theater was filled with Grandma Mazurs. Gods, I hope to be like these women when I grow up.

The movie was funny, but not falling out of my seat funny. Of course, the book wasn’t as funny and outrageous as later ones in the series are. It stuck fairly faithfully to the timeline of the book with the exception of combining the two major plot climax scenes.

Katherine Heigl was fantastic as Stephanie. She captured the irreverent and slightly insecure desperation that Stephanie was under wonderfully.She also looks great as a brunette and I want those boots.

When I saw the commercials I thought Jason O’Mara didn’t look like I had pictured Morelli, but he sounded just like I imagined Morelli would. Over the course of the movie, he really grew on me. He also has one hell of a smoulder. Whew.

Daniel Sunjata has all the attitude and moves of Ranger. Something felt missing though. As I heard a little 80+ year old woman say when we were leaving the theater, “Ranger should have been sexier.” Not that Sunjata isn’t sexy. He is. It’s just hard to compare with how Ranger is written in the series.

Debbie Reynolds was Grandma Mazur. There really was no other choice for that role. Vinnie (Patrick Fischler), Connie (Ana Reeder) and Lula (Sherri Shepherd) were well cast as well and fit with expectations of the characters.

All in all it was a fun movie that I plan to buy when it comes out on video though I won’t see it in theaters again. I hope they make more movies from this series. I’d love to see more car destruction and would love to see who’d they cast as Mooner.

So if you’re a Plum fan, get yourself to the theater.