Wizarding World

I'm a couple days behind on this, but I don't think it's ever too late to share theme park magic especially because the Wall Street Journal got in trouble for posting the information too early. Anyway, Harry Potter Land is coming to Universal Studios, Hollywood. I bet the first question you're asking yourself right now is where the hell are they going to put it. Well, they're working on that. Through the theme park grapevine, I've heard that they'll either carve out a mountain or get rid of some of their back lot elements and put it there. Either way, it's going to be small and there will have to be separate transportation to get there, but it will still be as authentic as the original. Definitely exciting news for Harry Potter fans. Plus, it will add some new elements to the LA theme park because it does kind of lack pizazz. This addition will definitely add an exciting element and of course bring in more money. That's all they care about anyway. I still want to go to Florida though. Their theme park is an actual theme park and has way better rides. It will be interesting to see what they come up with here. Guess we're waiting til 2013 to find out.

The Games

Ok ok. I've given in. This trailer looks damn good.

Weekend Movie - The Help

I finally got to see The Help and it was everything everyone said it would be. I expected something awesome and it was definitely awesome. Emma Stone is amazing, Viloa Davis is amazing. All the other acting is amazing too. It kind of made me want to read the book, but not too much because I've heard the movie is very different from the book so I'll probably just stick with the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It's for guys too so all you guys out there shouldn't feel weird for seeing it. I'm not even sure what more to say. The plot is well displayed in the previews and the title. I can't believe that life was the way it was and it's still this way in Mississippi. I can't believe that people treat other people this way. It makes me sad, but the movie is uplifting in that you see people starting to stand up for themselves. Ugh! I always have a million things going through my head while I'm watching movies, but then when it comes time to write about them, I can't think of anything so forgive me for being brief. Just go see it for yourself.

The Dragon is Here

The full trailer is finally out for the American version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not what I expected, but at least it looks like it's going to follow the book pretty closely. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I kind of pictured Lisbeth differently so that's going to take some time to get over. See for yourself.

Hunger Games 2

Wow. No time is being wasted here. The second Hunger Games book has been signed up for a movie deal. Obviously, the books are doing well so the studios can anticipate the movies being a hit as well. I just hope the movie is as good as the book. Harry Potter has done a pretty good job and I can only hope this one lives up to expectations as well. The first movie is scheduled to be released in March of 2012. I’ve mentioned before my fear not only for the movie following the book, but the fact that Jennifer Lawrence is playing Katniss. That worries me a lot because I don’t like her style of acting. Maybe the directing will be awesome and I won’t even notice her lack of acting skills. One can hope right? If you haven’t read these books, I definitely recommend it. Very adventurous and keeps you on your toes.

Hackers

Wow, people can be such assholes. The Pottermore site has been hacked and it’s not pretty. The hackers are setting up links in search engines that lead people to sites that carry major viruses and they’re sending out fake early access accounts. Some people are even selling fake early access accounts for $100 on eBay. That really sucks because I’m sure a lot of the people interested in the site are young adults and what do they know about viruses and which emails you shouldn’t open, etc? Way to target a weak audience. I never understood hackers and their mindsets. I guess these are just bored kids who don’t have anything better to do on their summer break. The site of course can’t do much other than delete accounts they deem unfit to be a part of the site. I hope there aren’t any other issues because this site looks like it can be super awesome for big or small fans. I consider myself to be a small fan and this site looks amazing. Here’s to hoping stupid hackers don’t ruin it for everyone.

Good Friday

Yet another reason why I should have been an animator or need to work in that field. Ex-Pixar animator William Joyce heads the Moonbot Studios team who has created an iPad app called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It’s meant for kids, but I would totally buy this app and play with it all the time. The book is an interactive book, which I think are the best. I feel like it helps kids become one with the story. Very cool. You have to watch the video to know what I’m talking about. Now I need to go out and buy an iPad. Happy weekend all!

Final Installment

Harry Potter opens tonight at midnight and I’m a little excited. I’m interested to see how Hollywood decides to end this 7th movie. I’ve read all the books and the movies have been pretty close to the books and this last movie looks awesome and dark. So in honor of Harry Potter’s final installment, I’d like to take a look back and see how much these actors have changed. It’s kind of insane to realize how long it’s been since the first movie was made.

The Haunting Hour

I have been a long time fan of R.L. Stine. I used to read Goosebumps all the time and my brother had all the Fear Street books. I also have some of the books he wrote for the Goosebumps group who grew up. I got him to sign one of them too at some mystery book store in Burbank. He wrote a line in almost every book that will always follow me: I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Every book I read has a similar line in it and therefore R.L. Stine will haunt me for the rest of my life. Anyway, I digress. R.L. Stine has a new TV show coming out called The Haunting Hour. He had an awful Canadian show based on his Goosebumps books so I can only hope this show is better. It will be on the Hub TV channel and will be geared towards kids. The show premieres on Christmas Day with 2 episodes. If I had that channel, I would totally watch the show!

Someone asked R.L. why his storylines and other storylines with zombies and vampires were so popular and he had an interesting explanation:

I think the world is a really scary place, for real. And I think whenever the world becomes a really scary place, this kind of horror fantasy becomes more popular because it’s an escape. It’s sort of an attempt to deal with horrors where you know you can close the book at any time. You know you’re not going to lose. You know you’re safe. It’s one reason why everyone likes it. Every age, people like scary stories, because it’s a way to face fears and know you’re safe at the same time.

That’s very true and also why I love reading his stories. He scares me, but not too much to where I can’t sleep, but just enough to give me shivers. Here’s a little taste of his new show.

Good Friday

The long awaited JK Rowling YouTube count down surprise has been revealed and it sounds very awesome. She and her team have created a website for the fans as a thank you called pottermore.com. It won’t be activated until October of this year, but the video tells you all about it and like I said, it sounds kind of amazing. Not only that, but there will finally be e-reader versions of the books. I think the website will have some very awesome things just by the way the video looks. The moving animation in the pages is very telling. JK also talks about how readers can interact with the stories.

First, you'll choose a magic username and then begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you will read and share exclusive never before seen writing from JK and participate in Hogwarts just like the characters. You'll be able to visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup. The user experience is so interactive that you are actually sorted based on questions asked by the sorting hat. Same goes for the magic wand. Your wand is chosen out of 33,000 variations based on questions answered by you.

Like I said, the site isn't live until October of this year, but the first million people to register their email address with the site will gain early access. The first Harry Potter book will be the first interaction experience with the second book to follow in early 2012 and so on and so forth. I'm very excited to see how this site works. I have no doubt it's going to be amazing. Check out the video where JK talks about the site.

Book Review - Water For Elephants

I kind of want to join the circus. Call me crazy, but I think it sounds amazing. I just recently finished reading the book Water For Elephants and it was probably one of the best books I've ever read. I have a list of favorite books and this one definitely goes on that list. I saw the preview for the movie and knew I had to read the book. I'm more of a mystery, adventure book reader, but this one was just amazing. There was adventure of course. I mean it's about a traveling circus, but it was a different kind of adventure and I just couldn't put it down. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It will make you want to join the circus too. I haven't seen the movie yet and I'm not sure I want to. The entire time I was reading the book, I could only picture Robert Pattinson as the main character even though the book describes him as having red hair. It kind of sucked. Also, I know the movie didn't do well and that scares me a little. The book is on the best seller list so there must be something wrong with the movie, right? I'll probably see it out of curiosity at some point.

After, I finished the book, I researched all this stuff about the traveling circus during the depression. It's fascinating. To learn about all the disasters and just the history behind the whole thing. Yes, the book is kind of a love story and that might be a turn off, but that to me was just a very small part. The love story was secondary to the story of these circus workers and actors. I honestly couldn't gush more about this book. If you're unfamiliar with the story, Jacob lives with his parents and is taking his exams to become a vet when he receives news that both parents died in a car accident. Completely over taken by grief, he runs away and hops a train that happens to be a circus train. They find out he's a vet and they bring him on and the rest ensues from there. Very good story.

I might just have to join the Cirque du Soleil crew now just to feel the excitement of a modern day circus. Maybe I should start my own circus. Who wants to be the ring leader?

Book of Jobs

The Steve Jobs biography, iSteve: The Book of Jobs has started to hit Amazon for presale and it’s already a best seller. It still has 9 months to go before its release! That’s insane. The set release date is March 6, 2012. I’m glad that the cover picture is only temporary because it looks a little silly. I’m still interested in reading the book and my hopes are still high for many chapters about his Pixar days.

From bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In iSteve: The Book of Jobs, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs’ professional and personal life.

Drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs’ family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors, iSteve is the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation.

Are you going to read it?

Summer Reading

Everybody loves a little summer reading, right? I like to read year round, but the summer is when there are tables and tables of books everywhere. The LA Times even has a section dedicated to summer reading books. I was looking through it and other recommendations and I thought I would share what I found. I like the mystery adventure type books.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Room

In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary.

The Hypnotist

In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.

The Snowman

On the first day of snow, a child wakes up to find his mother has disappeared during the night. Outside, a snowman has appeared out of nowhere, the calling card of one of the most terrifying serial killers in recent fiction. A letter from the perpetrator draws Detective Hole further and further into the case, and together with his new partner, Katrine Bratt, he hunts the Snowman through twists and turns that become increasingly personal and may drive Hole to the brink of insanity. Brilliantly crafted, this credible and dark page-turner fully fleshes out the characters, especially Hole, a hardened detective with sharp instincts and real heart. What is the link between the victims? Is the Snowman a suspicious doctor, a notorious playboy, or one of Hole's peers on the force? The police keep thinking they've caught the criminal, but Hole's astute observations may steer him around the red herrings and right into the hands of the cold-as-ice killer.

Book of Jobs

I’m not going to lie, I’m a little excited by this. Steve Jobs has authorized a biography to be written about him. It will be called iSteve: The Book of Jobs. I might be excited because he was one of the founders of Pixar and there will probably be some really good stuff in there about the first days of Pixar. Otherwise, I might skip the rest unless it’s super interesting. Biographer, Walter Isaacson will be writing the biography, which is kind of awesome because he’s written about Einstein and Ben Franklin and many others so he knows what he’s doing. I’m sure the book will focus on Apple more than anything else, but I will definitely read those chapters about his days at Pixar. It’s scheduled to come out next year. I hope this doesn’t mean he has been given a short time to live…. That makes me sad to think about.

Bossypants

Yes please! Tina Fey has a book out this week called Bossypants. This is the description on Amazon:

Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Some of the funniest chapters feature the differences between male and female comedy writers ("men urinate in cups"), her cruise ship honeymoon ("it’s very Poseidon Adventure"), and advice about breastfeeding ("I had an obligation to my child to pretend to try"). But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off.

Sounds awesome. I really want to read it. I’m sure anything she has to say in here is pretty freaking hilarious. Sometimes I wonder though. People say that comedy comes from a dark place and this description makes me wonder if she’s just a super depressed person.

Weekend Movie - The Lincoln Lawyer

I was finally able to relax this weekend and see a movie. I don't even know how long it's been since I saw a movie in the theatre. It kind of felt good. So I saw The Lincoln Lawyer with the family and it was kind of awesome. My dad read the book because he loves Michael Connelly and he said it was pretty close to the book, which is hard to come by these days. The movie is about a lawyer, Matthew McConaughey, who defends the criminals and has a good reputation because he gets them back on the streets. He's handed one case that he knows is wrong and the movie is about him trying to finally make things right. It's twisted and good.

Matthew McConaughey always does stupid romantic comedies so it was kind of nice to see him in something serious. He never took his shirt off in this movie and that kind of surprised me. I swear it's in his contract somewhere. I did want him in some shower scenes though. He always looks so damn dirty. I know he doesn't believe in deodorant and what not, but you think he would at least look semi clean in a lawyer role.

I realized during this movie that Ryan Phillippe is not a good actor. I used to be obsessed with I Know What You Did Last Summer and I thought he was good in that, but when I look back on it, a monkey could have played his role. Ryan is the bad guy in this movie and there was one point where he was on trial and he was yelling and being all dramatic and he could make his bottom lip quiver like he was going to cry, but the close up was on his eyes and they were very dry. If you're going to pull the lip quiver, at least get some tears in those eyes.

All in all, the movie is good. If you're into lawyer, semi-action movies than you will enjoy this one.

Tattoo Gone Wrong

I recently bought a shirt from Threadless with the saying “Movies: Ruining the Book Since 1920.” I thought it was funny so now I wear it. I love my movies, but sometimes Hollywood thinks that completely changing already written storylines makes things better, but it doesn’t. The stories were written the way they were for a reason. Hollywood just ruins the books we love. So what I saw the other day made me stand by that shirt. I was sitting in a waiting room and I saw a very large magazine with a goth looking chick on the cover. She was holding her jacket open with her bloody hands and her chest was tattooed with the name “Salander.” I knew right away she’s the actress, Rooney Mara, in the American movie version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I loved the book and I was hoping that the American version would stay true to the book because the Swedish version doesn’t at all. Well, I was wrong. The American version will be just as skewed and off. The director, David Fincher, who is known for making crazy ass movies has already said that the ending is different and so are the characters personalities. Um, the book is as popular as it is because of the way the author wrote it. So why change that? Why would you change something so popular to be something that will probably bomb? These characters are likable the way they are so to even think of changing their personalities is insane to me. Plus, the plot is already amazing. Why change it? It makes me really sad. I didn’t really get a chance to read what the director was saying, but those few things stuck out in my mind and those few things are huge. I do have to say though that the other movies that David Fincher has directed are pretty damn good (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Se7en, Panic Room etc) so I can only hope that he does a damn good job with this movie. If I see the movie, I will probably wearing my new favorite Threadless shirt though. Hollywood can suck sometimes.

Skinny Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is probably one of my mom's favorites books. That and Winnie The Pooh. I love the story too. I remember having a large book version as well as a pocket sized version. I loved turning the pages and seeing the caterpillar eating through different fruits and vegetables. I saw party plates and what not with this theme at Target not too long ago and I was so excited. Anytime a new baby is born, this is the best gift. Get this book and the stuffed worm from the book and it's the best gift ever. Well, now pediatricians want to use this book to teach kids about healthy eating habits and of course the love for reading. I think this is kind of awesome. Since so many kids are either obese or on the verge of obesity, this book is perfect because it shows the caterpillar eating healthy foods before he turns into a butterfly. So next week, The American Academy of Pediatrics will send out 17,000 copies of this book along with growth charts and parent handouts on healthy eating to various schools. I kind of want one.

3-D Gatsby

I’m sure we’ve all read The Great Gatsby at some point in our high school career, right? I remember having to read it in AP English and I honestly only remember reading the words and retaining nothing. I think I was busy with other stuff and only read it because I had to. I should probably go back and read it again or at least read a synopsis so I can remember the jest of the story. I also remember one girl I was friends with leaning over in Trig class and telling me I reminded her of the The Great Gatsby because I was mysterious. It made me laugh then and it makes me laugh a little now. I think I’m pretty open…

Anyway, Baz Luhrmann will be directing a new film version of the book with Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire. Interesting cast. Interesting director. I can see this movie being pretty good, actually. The only thing is that he might make it in 3-D. That’s Baz for ya. He always takes simple things and turns them into something more. I kind of like that about him. Although, I’m pretty sick of 3-D. Over the weekend I was at Barnes and Noble and I over heard this one mother telling her daughter she was sick of 3-D and was hoping it was on the outs. Glad to know I’m not alone on that one.

Either way, I would totally see this movie, 3-D or not. Like I said, Baz has a very interesting way of making movies and they’re usually amazing. I can only imagine he can make this movie pretty good.

To Kill...A Mockingbird Of Course

I had an entire blog written for today, but I'm working from home and it's saved on my computer at work so I will do my best to recreate it.

I work a lot with writers and it really saddens me when I see spelling errors and grammar errors. Spelling errors bother me the most because our technology is now trained to tell us that we've spelled a word wrong. It shows us a little red squiggly line under the word we've spelled incorrectly. And if that fails, there's usually a little button that says "ABC" and that means spell check. So in my mind, there's no reason to spell anything wrong. Grammar mistakes make me even more sad because it shows how awful our schooling system is in the states. It just keeps getting worse and worse. I proof read an essay for someone not too long ago and I could have cried at how awful it was. The sentence structure was just atrocious and the essay began and started with 2 different subjects. So needless to say I ripped the damn thing apart. It also shows me that a lot of kids just don't read anything other than text messages, where there's nothing but slang and acronyms. I am good friends with a teacher and she said she reads essay all the time where kids use words such as "LOL" and "Cuz." Hurts my soul. Can these kids even tell you what their favorite book is? I'm sure they have to read books for school and I'm sure they only read the Cliffs Notes and never the full book.

And that brings me to my point in all this. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. If you haven't read it, you really should. Don't just see the movie because it only touches upon a small part of the book. Read the entire book. I had to read it twice. Once in middle school and one in high school. The first time I read it, I was so appalled by the language that I took a red pen and boxed every bad word. Kind of funny now that I think about. I read on AOL news that To Kill A Mockingbird is one of very few books that can appeal to all the ages. Kids can relate because the book is told through the children's eyes, Jem and Scout and adults can relate to Atticus. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the book and a new cover, which I think depicts the book perfectly. So amazing. So again, if you haven't read it, you should.

What's your favorite book?