Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Big News and a Call-Out

First, I've started writing movie reviews. I wanted to review the two Robin Hood movies I saw in my last post, but due to the post's already large size, I decided to seperated them in their own blog, which can be found here. Currently, the only reviews posted are for the above-mentioned Robin Hood films, but I plan on posting more, both classic films and new releases, in the near future.

Second, I managed to recover some files from my busted computer, including my own Robin Hood story, entitled Ghosts of Sherwood. I plan on continuing itrewriting it very soon, and may even post it up on the blog.

Third, I recently discovered, to my shock and horror, that nerdjedi and I hold very different opinions on Robin Hood. While I view the outlaw as a hero, nerdjedi describes him as a criminal and a terrorist. In an effort to better understand his point of view, I ask him here and now to send to me, in writing, the facts and reasons behind his opinion which I shall then post, unedited and uncensored, here on my blog.

Fourth, yes, I realise I have become obsessed with Robin Hood. Staying up all night watching a TCM Movie Marathon on the man will do that.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

One All-Night Movie Marathon Later...

LONG POST WARNING!!!

You'd have thought I'd have learned my lesson by now: staying up past midnight to watch TV is a bad idea. There are times, however, where I'll discard common sense and plop down on the sofa to watch something that lasts into the wee hours of the morning. (see here and here for details) Last night was one of those rare exceptions, as the Turner Classic Movie Channel was running an all-night marathon of Robin Hood movies.

I actually missed the first film, The Adventures of Robin Hood, entirely (not a problem as I have it on DVD, as well as the first half to two thirds of the second film, Sword of Sherwood Forest, but I did manage to catch the third film, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest, in its entirety. Unfortunately, Mom caught me just before the climax (she had no clue what I was doing up at 1:00 AM), so I had to tape the fourth an final film of the marathon, Rogues of Sherwood Forest.

Since I missed a good chunk of the film, I can't really give a complete review of Sword of Sherwood. From what I did see, however, I can say that it was a fairly decent film, although at times the acting was either a bit over-the-top or almost non-existent (they needed a better Friar Tuck) and the sound effects, particularly during the archery scenes, were somewhat sub-par. And Robin Hood himself was absent for most of the second half/last third of the movie. But since, as I've stated, I missed most of the movie, I can't make any comments about the plot or character development.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest, on the other hand, was (in my opinion) a much better movie than Sword of Sherwood. The acting was much, much better, as were the fight choreography, music (which was virtually non-existent in Sword), and plotline. There were, however, two faults I found with the movie. Firstly, it focused more on Robin Hood's son, Robert of Nottingham, than it did on Robin Hood himself. The movie actually takes place about 20 years after the original tales of Robin Hood end, so most of the old characters are just that: old. While this isn't so much a fault as it is a minor annoyance on my part, it can be confusing if one were to pick up halfway through as I did on a previous occasion. Seeing "Robin Hood" battling a corrupt regent and wooing the beautiful Lady Catherine (as opposed to Prince John and Maid Marian) was quite confusing and caused me to turn the film off the first time I viewed it. The one true fault this film has is its running time, or lack thereof. At slightly less than 90 minutes long, there is little time for any major character development. For example; one minute Lady Catherine despises Robert and his rather overt efforts to woo her, the next she's head-over-heels for him. Okay, I'm exaggerating and over-simplifying here, but you get the idea. A Robin Hood movie really doesn't work unless it's an epic picture, and you just can't pull that off in less than 90 minutes.

I have not seen Rogues of Sherwood Forest yet, but I'll get back to you on it as soon as I watch it. That is assuming, of course, that I don't fall asleep first (5 hours of sleep will do that).

What this whole experience has made me realize (besides the fact that I shouldn't stay up 'til 1:00 watching movies) is that it's time for Hollywood to make another Robin Hood movie, an epic film in the spirit of Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood. There hasn't been a decent Robin Hood anything since 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Kostner, which was (IMHO) a crummy film. Actually, the BBC did start a Robin Hood TV series last year, but since we don't have BBC America, I didn't get to see it. (curse you, Comcast! Curse you!) I can't decide who I like better to be Robin Hood: Ewan McGreggor or Orlando Bloom. Though after Lord of the Rings, putting Bloom in the role might seem a bit like typecasting him...

UPDATE:

I just finished watching Rogues of Sherwood Forest. To read my full review on it, click on the Movie Reviews link on the sidebar. It's under the heading "Other Things." I hope to have a review of The Bandit of Sherwood Forest up soon as well. Look for other reviews of classic films and new releases (Spiderman 3 comes to mind) to follow in the future.

All of the Robin Hood media I've exposed myself to has given me a strong desire to being writing/rewriting my Ghosts of Sherwood story. And since I was able to recover the file from my computer (more on that another time) it's a strong possibility that I will do so in the future.

UPDATE 2:

I just discovered that there is a new Robin Hood movie in production. It's called, Nottingham, and Russell Crowe has signed on to play the Sheriff of Nottingham. However, I must say that already I'm not to sure about this movie; from what I understand, Robin Hood will be portrayed as the villain and the Sheriff will be more benign and heroic. Don't get me wrong, if they can pull that concept off, it could be spectacularly awesome. But still, Robin Hood a bad guy? I just can't see that.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Unforseen Consequences

Hmm...

Somehow, the comment forum for my last post got turned into a debate over gun control. I figured my comment on Sam's blog might lead to some banter, but I didn't intend for an all-out debate. But let's put that little incident behind us.

I had a really great story that I posted a while back that I just got the urge to post, but since it was saved on my old computer, it's gone forever. I was in a depressed mood when I wrote it, so it's something of a tearjerker. I didn't recognize the similarities to the film Love Story until about a week after I wrote it.

Actually, there is one thing I have not tried to revitalize my dead computer. I'll give that a try soon and let you know how it turns out. And who knows; if my idea works, there just might be a whole lot of stories that get posted...

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Delayed Updates

I know it's been forever since I've updated Codename: White Knight. Chapter 4 is turning out to be very, very long, and it's been very slow going. It will be completed, I just don't know when. I will make an effort to finish it within a week. I had a great idea of what I wanted to have happen in Chapter 4, but since I stopped writing, I cannot remember what it was I wanted to write. It is slowly coming back to me, though, so don't worry.

Part of the probem is that I recently had a great idea for the ending of the third book in the trilogy, which is now (very) tenatively titled Guardian and Angel. I was originally going to have the climactic fight would be very fast-paced and very action packed and would take place inside David Pierce's house. Now, however, I'm thinking of setting it outdoors, making it a little bit slower-paced, and having be more suspenceful than action-packed (kinda like the ending of the movie Patriot Games.) Remeber how in More Than A Job I mention that Pierce was a Marine Sniper, both before and after he joined Force Recon? I've never really had a chance to play up those abilities, and this could be the perfect chance.

By the way, I'm also thinking of re-posting More Than A Job. Any objections?

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for additions to my Guide For How To Be An Evil Overlord, feel free to submit them.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Back In The Saddle

You should be pleased to know that I have resumed work on Codename: White Knight and The Hitman Chronicles. I don't have any new chapters today, but rest assured that they will be completed and posted very soon.

I know few (if any) of you actually care, but having re-accessed my resources and capabilities, I have decided that I will not be purchasing that airsoft sniper rifle after all. Simply put, I have nowhere I can shoot it. Our property is bordered on all sides by families with young children, meaning I can't take it in the back yard, and my basement isn't long enough (or clean enough) to use as a shooting range. So that means I'll have to go with a pistol. Fortunately, I've already decided which one:


Meet the Desert Eagle. Some of you might recognize this from The Matrix Trilogy as Agent Smith's weapon of choice. This airsoft pistol is, in a word, sweet. I could go on and on decribing its specs and specifics, but I doubt you'd care. Now, the only choice is this, normal (above) or chrome...

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Welcome Back... ?

Wow. Eight days and three posts without one comment on the blog. I'm pretty sure that's a new record. Don't break it.

Okay, I know I'm repeating myself yet again, but Codename: White Knight is back and the first three chapters are up.

I was working an Chapter 4 and a new addition to The Hitman Chronicles, but after the massacre at Virginia Tech, and given the fact that Chapter 4 and the new chronicle both contain major shootouts, I have not been able to bring myself to complete them. They will be finished, I just can't say when.

Speaking of The Hitman Chronicles, I found out something interesting about the narrator's preferred weapon (Glock Model 20, 10mm Auto) while researching for White Knight. While I won't go into detail about exactly what this fact is (Okay, I'm not really going to say anything), I will tell you that it is a major contributing factor to the action in the new chronicle, and it may have a large impact on the ensuing chronicles (particularly with the narrator's choice of weaponry).

I finally got Casino Royale on DVD last night, spent all day today watching the special features disc. Maybe I'll watch the movie later tonight. Or maybe not, depends on what's on TV. Wait, what's today, Thursday? *checks* Yep, it's Thursday. Nothing worthwhile on, except maybe some talk/news shows that my parents like, so I'll see.

I just found out that Random Sabers isn't going to be accepting any new orders until June 1st. Turns out they have a huge backlog of orders that needs to be dealt with before they can even think about accepting new work. On the positive side, however, this does (temporarily) answer the question of whether I should buy an airsoft gun or a lightsaber, and it gives me a month and a half to work on a design for my own personal saber...

UPDATE

Anyone remember my little list on how to be an Evil Overlord nerdjedi let me post on his blog a while back? Well, I found it, spiffed it up a little, and gave it it's own page. It's now entitled How To Be A Perfect Evil Overlord: Tips and Tricks on How to Pull Off Your Evil Schemes Without a Hitch. Check it out here, and send me any suggestions for additions you might have.

Oh, and Sam, I knew what I was doing. And I never said the guy playing against him was any good, did I?

Monday, April 16, 2007

Hello... Anyone There?

Wow... No one's commented on my blog for a week. Where is everyone?

So, yeah, Codename: White Knight is back. I've got the first three chapters up but havent really written anything else due to a family crisis and the ensuing lack of sleep. I'll get Chapter 4 up soon, I promise.

Soup's on, gotta go.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Locked, Cocked, Ready to Rock

As promised, the first three chapters of Codename: White Knight are up and ready for your reading pleasure. I've checked the chapters over, and everything appears to be formatted correctly. If I did miss anything, let me know.

I'm on a pretty good roll with the story so far: Chapter 4, currently entitled Gun and Run, should be up by Friday.

Since restarting White Knight, I'm going to be putting the rest of my story ideas on hold until White Knight is complete. Hopefully that will happen before I have to go back to school. But with my internship starting soon (I hope), I can't make any guarentees.

Tchaikovsky was a genius. Who else would be smart (or crazy) enough to put real cannons in the percussion section?

Okay, now that that random thought is over...

I suddenly have a strange desire to play Scrabble. How odd.

Okay, now that that random thought is over...

I was going to start a contest, but nerdjedi's doing the exact same thing, so I'm pulling mine. Darn it! Still too slow on the draw!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

At Long Last, a Triumphant Return!

It took a little longer than I anticipated, but as I promised you yesterday...

*Insert Trumpet Fanfare Here*

... Codename: White Knight has returned!!!

Currently, only the introduction is posted, but most of what I have written should be up by this time tomorrow. That is, of course, if I don't go overboard writing Chapter 4...

There is going to be one major change this time around, however. I am going to write the story into MS Word, then transfer the chapters over to Blogger once they are finished. This is primarily so I don't feel constrained to maintain a pre-determined chapter length, which is what really bugged me when writing More Than a Job and the first few chapters of White Knight. This does mean, however, that Chapters 3+ will most likely be quite long. Sorry if that's going to bother you.

Also, I'm abandoning the second new story idea mentioned in yesterdays post for the simple reason that, yep, you guessed it, someone already wrote it. Darn it, always too slow on the draw...

Monday, April 9, 2007

Lots of Literature

Just as a heads-up, Codename: White Knight will be back up very shortly. I'm making some revisions and a major addition to Chapter 3 (which should roughly double its length). Look for the introduction to go up sometime tomorrow, with the first three chapters to follow within 24 hours. I'd get 'em up sooner, but converting from MS Word format to Blogger format takes a fair amount of time, particularly if you've got a lot of material to convert.

I've got some ideas, actually a lot of ideas, for The Hitman Chronicles. Some of them are actually crossovers with the More Than a Job/Codename: White Knight universe. One I know I'm not going to write until the third book in the trilogy is written (yes, there is a trilogy) because it would include a major spoiler. The other I might write as it serves as a teaser of sorts for White Knight and its currently-unnamed sequel. The rest I'm going to write eventually once I decide which one to write first. *sigh* Decisions, decisions.

I also have a pair of book-length stories in the works:

  • The first one is a major rewrite of Legacy of the Swan (anyone remeber that one?). Don't worry, only the character names and the (very) basic plotline will remain intact, those annoying flashbacks are a thing of the past.
  • The second is a modern Cinderella story that takes place after the ball. Only this time, it isn't the Prince and a fancy shoe that find Cinderella. This time the task is handled by good old-fashoned detective work.

I'm considering giving Ghosts of Sherwood another shot (Robin Hood story I started writing it on my old PC a long time ago), but since I really don't really remeber what I wrote and I have a lot on my plate right now (even more once my internship starts), that's not going to be very likely.

No Random Saber today, as I doubt anyone really likes them anyways. Plus, I don't know if I'm voilating any copyright laws by posting them on my blog. Better safe than sorry...

Sunday, April 8, 2007

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter, everyone!


... umm... actually, that's all I've got right now, so at the risk of repeatimg myself,

Happy Easter.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Big News from Storybook Land

I have a couple of announcements for y'all:

First, I'm cancelling Star Wars: The Few and The Proud. Honestly, there's no way I can really make it different enough from The Merry Prankster's Enter the Strikers (see FanFiction.Net) to keep it from looking like plagiarism while simultaneously maintaining the level of realism and detail of the Marines that I had planned. So for those of you looking forward to The Few and The Proud, I offer my apologies.

Second, I'm considering bringing Codename: White Knight back to the blog. Since its removal, I've found myself lacking the neccessary motivation to complete it. (In other words, I haven't worked on it since I took it down.) Nothing is set in stone just yet, but keep your eyes open.

Third, I'm cooking up another entry for The Hitman Chronicles. I'm still working out the fine details for this entry, which is tenatively titled Those Oldies but Goodies. Unfortunately, I can't really say anything else without giving away the plot. Look for it to go up later this week.

Lastly, I've got a brand-new story in the works. It's still just a general concept floating around inside my head, not even a title to tantelize you with. I'm not really at liberty to say anything else about it at this point, but I promise to keep you updated on its status.

That's all for now, so feast your eyes on another Random Sabers custom lightsaber (they're ba-ack!")