Take this book if you want to get lost

To say that majority of the "secret" places in this book are awe-inspiring for the rookie and the newbie kind is an understatement because even if you're a non-traveler, I guarantee that you will feel that urge to grab the rucksack and start writing that list of places-you-want-to-visit-before-you-die. You read it right---you can take this book if you want to get lost, and mind-blown at the same time!

I'm giving this collection a rating of 4.5 stars because the authors & editors themselves deserved it. The Sumaguing Cave in Sagada is a worthy inclusion but I just wish they added more historically-relevant but less-known places in the Philippines like the Pandanan Island shipwreck diving site near South Palawan or the Bequibel Midden Shell site in a quaint location in Butuan.

 Bike tree in Vashon Island, Washington, USA

The world's quietest room in Minneapolis, USA

Devil's Marbles in Wauchope, Northern Territory, Australia

All images belonged to their respective owners.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Geography, History
Rating: Magnitude 4.5 

Rey, I am Your Cousin

It's a little bit loose if you describe Episode VII as a rehash of tried and tested formula. As long as the Force exists, the Skywalker family affair remains the center of gravity in leading the dark or the light side. But if it ever was intended then it is still understandable given the existing canon, given the same constellations in a far away galaxy 30 years after the Evil Empire was crushed. It's a big task on the shoulder of J.J. Abrams to deliver the goods and I think he just passed the test. The Force Awakens is better than A New Hope (Episode IV) and just below The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on my overall ranking of the Star Wars Episodes. It's just sad to see the brutal demise of a template space cowboy---an icon that span generations of movie geeks and nerds. Who would have thought that Han Solo is now gone? He has a higher magnitude of awesomeness than Chuck Norris and if legend tells that Chuck Norris cannot die (I feel sorry for the cobra that bit him) then I thought Han Solo can't also die but I was wrong.

Still, the force is strong in this one.

Farewell, Cowboy Bebop!

Genre: Fantasy, Sci Fi

Rating: 9 out of 10 death stars

Michael Punke's The Revenant

I was expecting an explosive slam-bang ending but the epigraph (Romans 12:19) stated it clearly albeit differently. It's basically a revenge story with a surprising kill-joy ending, but the commendable quality of this novel by Michael Punke hinges on the realistic and brutal depiction of a frontier life ever since the historical adventures of Lewis and Clarke. If you love scouting and surviving the outdoor life mostly within the winter-spring seasons, you will enjoy this book.

The reader may be treated with a story of one man's obsession for vengeance, but the author's effort in searching historical documents about the life of Hugh Glass and the history of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company while infusing them with legend aptly defined the novel. What stood out here is the balance between fact and fiction, history and legend.

Passing that balance category probably made the novel also pass the threshold of a film material, as the movie adaptation will be released by December this year with the main hero Hugh Glass being portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. The ending may be different from the novel and I'm looking forward to it.





Category: Historical Fiction, Survival, Action, Adventure
Rating: 3-foot hunting rifle

The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon

I just simply like how the story ended.
Imagine what happens to Sherlock Holmes years after his retirement in the business, service, and art of crime detection. This is that book.

It's also cool to catch a glimpse of life (beyond the cliched borders of deductive reasoning) reflected from the eyes of the legend himself:

 The application of creative intelligence to a problem, the finding of a solution at once dogged, elegant, and wild, this had always seemed to him to be the essential business of human beings--the discovery of sense and casuality amid false leads, the noise, the trackless brambles of life. 

And yet he had always been haunted--had he not?--by the knowledge that there were men, lunatic cryptographers, mad detectives, who squandered their brilliance and sanity in decoding and interpreting messages in cloud formations, in the letters of the Bible recombined, in the spots on the butterflies' wings. One might, perhaps, conclude from the existence of such men that meaning dwelled solely in the mind of the analyst. That it was the insoluble problems--the false leads and the cold cases--that reflected the true nature of things.

This is my second Michael Chabon read after Gentlemen of the Road and it's been a worthwhile journey.


Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5 alphabet songs

More than just a good laugh

You will never run out of things to learn by just watching an animation feature like this one. Not counting out that it remains one of the best animations produced by Disney and Pixar, this is indeed more than just a good laugh for an audience of all ages, and its noteworthy to reiterate or review the classic lessons we learned as children decades ago as we pass it on to the younger ones.

First, I like the idea that you can always be yourself giving your share of load by not just being part of a swarm. Second, the idea that there is no perfect individual but there exists a perfect team. And it usually begin in a very different and not so obvious setting (friends that usually start as strangers or enemies, and vice versa). Third, the idea that following your dream is just the first step, and even if you encounter a big roadblock, you can always make a detour and carve a new path towards that initial goal. In short, even at the face of defeat, don't give up. Lastly, you can be the light that guides the way so that you can never live in someone else's shadow. How cool is that?

sources:

http://www.babble.com/celebrity/monsters-university-10-life-lessons-to-learn-from-the-monsters/

http://collider.com/billy-crystal-monsters-university-interview/

Genre: Animation

Rating: 9 stinging glow urchins out of 10

If all roads lead to this...

This transition of a racing franchise into a mission impossible series happens at your very eyes at the speed of an instantaneous Nitro burst but we are not complaining. We are actually extolling it for the love of beautiful and fast machines, old-timer speed freaks.

And if all roads lead to this, then what is left to lead for the next part--the final part? The High Road? A car chase in hell, in space, or perhaps underwater? Letty's got a selective amnesia that's why she forgot about her family but not her racing skills. Ok, I'll take it. As the franchise will finally conclude starting with the big (but not so surprising) revelation of the final villain played by Mr Transporter himself--Jason Statham at the end credits, I think it's about time to finally roll the curtain if you don't want to run on an empty gas.

All good things must end to give way to a better one.



Genre: Action, Racing
Rating: 80%

Star Trek: Into Darkness

JJ Abrams' latest sci fi project before delving into the Star Wars expansion for years to come is a good sequel to the first Star Trek reboot. Trekkies were treated with a good origin story for Kahn but I think this is just for me being a late fan of the Star Trek universe.  

The tagline "Earth Will Fall" is a bit off I think, given the point that only a part of Earth faced an imminent danger from a supposedly terrorist attack. Even if most of the sequences are easily predictable, I saw no significant weak plots and subplots in the whole duration. This action-oriented sequel is a good treat for any sci fi fan and I think this is one of the better Sci Fi films this year--something you cant take for granted as a viewer.

Genre: Sci Fi
Rating: 8 photon torpedoes out of 10

Ender's Game Official Trailer 1

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

How catchy and outrageous can a title get?

More than you can imagine. On the surface, you would think that this is just one of those novels with the basic 'around-the-world-in-XX-days' premise or perhaps another adventure and romp through 'space and time.' But this one is an exemption deserving to earn the reader's attention, especially for somebody out there who loves history and travel. This is not just an adventure story of one person--a centenarian with a Masters in Explosives title in his proverbial "resume," but a story of a group--and how they were able to unite themselves like a family when only weeks ago they were perfect strangers to each other, some even wanting to kill another. What the F right?

It's so tempting to compare Allan Emmanuel Karlsson with Forrest Gump. I can see it from book reviews in Amazon, Shelfari, and Goodreads. But I refuse to compare the two even if they have something in common, and that is coming from the simple lifestyle in the suburbs. The two may be fruits, but you can't compare apples to oranges (or to lift a comparison from the book--you can't compare vodka to banana liquor). With or without being aware of it, Forrest Gump have done something for American history. But Allan Karlsson have done lots of things for World History in crazy and funny ways. If you love WWII stories, you will appreciate this book more. Allan Karlsson provided his expertise and antics in World History after meeting an all-star cast of characters like General Franco, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Soong May-ling, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, Kim Il Sung, the young Kim Jong Il, Lyndon Johnson, Charles De Gaulle, and Richard Nixon. And to top it all, there's an elephant, and a dog to join the party too.

As a novel I can say it's well-written by a Swedish author with a background in journalism. After Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo, the popular Nordic invasion of Western Literature rages on and it is here, surprisingly in the form of a funny story by Jonas Jonasson. It's a welcome and a cool departure too from serious themes of murder and detection by Larsson and Nesbo.

If you're a Filipino, just take it easy on the notoriety of formalin-induced Swedish meatballs made in the Philippines mentioned twice in the novel. Formaldehyde is of course, not country specific and anyone can do it anywhere but at least, it's nothing against the cardboard-filled Siopao buns made in China. Your choice--Bola-bola or Asado?


Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure & Comedy
Rating: 4.5 bags of Swedish meatballs from the Philippines

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

It's clear for people who read the books and saw the film adaptation of LOTR trilogy that the atmosphere is different compared to reading the book and seeing the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. If the former is more dark and serious, the latter is a bit more adventurous and playful. But there's nothing to complain about. Originally a children's tale, the magic is still there as this first installment of the 3 prequels is something that you cannot take for granted.

If watching LOTR feels like playing Diablo 1 and 2, watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is like playing Torchlight 2. And I mean it in a good way. The untrained eye can easily spot the CGI effects here since the landscape is more colourful, young, and lively in following the adventures of 13 dwarves, a wizard, and a halfling across the Middle Earth.

The pace is fast, and you will never run out of adrenaline rush. There's the classic shot of bird's eye-view again employed using the scenic landscapes of New Zealand. That scene of the dwarves toiling the day mining for gemstones and gold are simply mesmerizing. I love seeing the vastness of treasure here in the halls of Erebor that cumulates to the beauty of the Arkenstone. The destructive path of the dragon is like viewing a mad volcano spewing lava. The traditional dragon we know only breathes out fire but Smaug the Terrible here (even if you don’t clearly see the face of the dragon for reason of suspense) is not just throwing fire in exhalation but also spewing pure napalm bombs.

When you get to that part when Radagast the Brown played his share in the adventure, when you see how Thorin prove himself as heir to the throne of Erebor (and why his name is suffixed with Oakenshield) , how Gollum lost his magic ring to Bilbo through a game of riddles, how Galadriel treats Gandalf (Mithrandir) like a son, or how Gandalf saves the day for the nth time, you realize that there are lots of things to love here even if you're not a Tolkien fanatic but just a fan of the fantasy genre.

this Japanese poster is the best poster

img source

Genre: Fantasy, Film Adaptation, Trilogy 
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

The Truant Finds Home

I was actually looking for a special advanced screening of The Hobbit tonight but instead I ended up watching this live action film adaptation of an anime+manga classic originally screened in Japan by third quarter of 2012.

I tip my hat to whoever wrote the script that transmuted and amplified the magic of the anime series into the big screen for an estimated duration of 2 hours and 45 minutes. I believe that any Hollywood attempt of adapting this story can never surpass nor duplicate the feat. Hollywood scouts better stay away from this classic story, and they should be because for any Rorouni Kenshin devotee, it can be considered as blasphemy.

Presenting the background story in almost non-linear style is always a very effective method, it will keep you glued and always on the lookout for the next sequence as you remember the version of the story in the anime.

The fight scenes are brutally awesome, the characters complement each other, the cinematography is crisp and brilliant and even if there's no significant slapstick comedy scenes highly observable in the anime series, better ready yourself for unexpected and unguarded laugh-out-loud scenes.

Deeply taking its root from the actual Bushido code, the message of honor and redemption is never vague nor overused. Overall, a very inspiring work of art for a very cute love story. F*ck, did I just mention the word cute? Kaoru Kamiya has found a protector and Kenshin Himura has found a home; a Dojo instructor has found an experienced swordsman.

From now on like fire and ember, we all know that nothing can separate the two.

img source

Genre: Live Action, Film Adaptation
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

A Book For All Ages

If JRR Tolkien's intention in writing this book is to inspire and entertain his children then I would say he succeeded. The story is fast-paced for a children's novel and can still deliver the thrill of anticipation for the next scenes for an adult reader.

 Looking at Tolkien's trademark style of world-building, it's fascinating to identify how diverse the element of "race" here and I even like this diversity better than the sequel saga War of the Ring (Lord of The Rings I-III). There are of course the race of halflings, dwarves, humans, elves, and goblins (progenitors of orcs). Add to these are the races of trolls, wild wolves (wargs), and avians (ancestral birds that can verbally communicate with men) including their subspecies (ravens, eagles, and thrushes). Not to forget the race of dragons but fortunately for the protagonists, they only need to tackle one member of that race---in the name of Smaug the Magnificent.

 In the upcoming trilogy films by Peter Jackson, I want to see cool characters like the thirteen dwarves, Beorn (the shapeshifter, or perhaps a druid?), Radagast the Brown, the Necromancer, The King of Eagles, the trolls (Tom, Bert, and Bill), the Goblin King, Bard the bowman, Dain the mighty dwarf, Roac the raven, and the thrushes. Of course, the recurrent roles of the major characters in LOTR series are already expected. Tauriel may not be in the book, but for obvious reason I can't wait to see her in the second or perhaps third film.

[Spoiler alert here, don't read further if you haven't read the book]

Zenith point (climax) of the novel belonged to the Battle of the Five Armies up to the unexpected death of a major character, while the nadir point (lowest point) belonged to the unbelievable death of Smaug the Dragon from a single arrow.

The central quest of the book is to recapture stolen treasures from the dragon but I like the author's message here that there exists something that weighs heavier than all the earthly treasures this world can provide, and it's called Peace. Letting go of the Arkenstone to the rightful owner is a very cool gesture by Bilbo. Of course, he got the mithrill, the sting, and the magic ring all saved for future resolution.

And the adventure has just begun.

Genre: Fantasy 
Rating: 4 tobacco-jars

Prepare for Battle!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer 2.0

Past VS Future

Sci Fi and film buffs remain skeptic this year after seeing average-to-below-average performances of highly anticipated Sci Fi features like Prometheus and Total Recall. For comic book junkies on the other hand, we have the best reason to celebrate after the success of Avengers  and The Dark Knight Rises.

Could this be the One? We hope so given the narrative and the concept that "look" legit enough. Time travel you say? Hmmmmm...

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, the film stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo and Jeff Daniels.

Synopsis from the Superhero Hype site:
"In the September 28 release, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination."

Teaser Poster

Mondo Poster

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

img source

Some books were created as if they were perfectly designed to be adapted into an action film. This novel is one of them. In an age of fiction reboots, mash-ups and reversions, the time is probably right to write a story like this since it's easy to make it commercially viable to the general readership.

Though categorized as a horror fiction, this novel by Seth Grahame-Smith is an entertaining read for readers of historical fiction and adventure. Some would sub-categorize it as historical fantasy, but I'm tempted to see it more as an historical parody--with a bite.

We've been allowed to review (or see for the first time if you're a complete novice of American History) the story of American Civil War from a different perspective, a playful view and reinvention of Abraham Lincoln's life. In the same manner as the author loved to play with history, I want to know how the Lincoln scholars feel about this novel,  as much as I want to know how Rizalistas in the Philippines would feel if somebody wrote a story about Jose Rizal: Aswang Hunter. It's more likely that I will never see it by the light of day.

It was indeed entertaining and an easy read. But since we were given with a mixture of historical facts and fiction, I find my reading phase a very careful and slow one due to mentally separating the actual from the invention. Abraham Lincoln is a very admirable hero for the modern world and I don't want to taint his good name. But since I dislike vampires, playfully I'm on his side eradicating the scum of the free world. The hero is not alone though, and the excitement rises when he finds his fellow hunters and an unexpected guide and benefactor from the ranks of the vampires themselves. This commando plot is a delightful scene comparable to Wolverine's Team X, or Avengers in the world of comics but it wont take long before honest Abe meet his end.

This novel is Read Philippines' Book of the Month for July.


Category: Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction
Rating: 3 sticks of "congreves"      

The Dark Knight's Fitting Finale

Before watching, I thought this final part of the Dark Knight Saga by Cris Nolan would be perfect if a major character dies. And us viewers were treated with it in an awe, five minutes into the film's end. In the second film The Dark Knight, the Joker played by Heath Ledger stole the show from Bruce Wayne but in this final part, Bruce Wayne took the limelight back, in a major way.

It's a fitting finale for Batman to complete his legend in the city of Gotham. He redeemed his name as a traitor at the end of the second film and he will be remembered as not just Gotham's hero but also its patron saint, after seeing his monument unveiling. It's a very awkward feeling [MAJOR SPOILERS HERE] seeing Alfred the butler crying his heart out in front of Bruce Wayne's grave. It's something the viewers and readers of the comic books never highly expected. But die hard fans out there need not despair, your hero just took a retirement vacation with his new kick-ass chick, as the role of a new Dark Knight in the end apparently given to the idealistic patrol officer John Blake aka Robin.

The plot has only one major flaw, and it's about fixing a broken spine with the aid of a rope, a lot of exercise, and agression. But I was never bothered about it, since this flaw is the only 'fantasy' element of this superhero movie. The rest remained faithful to the gritty and mind-fuck narrative of Cris Nolan. I never cared if Selina Kyle looked more like Batgirl than Catwoman here.  Also, I never bothered about the massive uprising by the League of Shadows that almost mirrors the real life activities of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The mass anarchy here is no doubt massive, but it's a hit-and-miss.

Highly recommended for mature viewers for it's storyline twists and turns, this finale earns my 90% rating.

Genre: Superhero Movie, Action, Crime
Rating: 90% 

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

Ben Mezrich may have garnished the real story of MIT Mechanical Engineering graduate Jeff Ma with fictional elements but the idea that blackjack as beatable game in casino is a good reason to enjoy this novel for any pro, amateur, or non-player. Even a mathematics or statistics major will like this book. This is a cool story of MIT students--the Blackjack team taking Vegas for millions by adopting the basic principles of card counting developed by an MIT professor named Edward Thorp in 1963.

Reading the story has the same thrill and wonder as watching Ocean's Eleven or Rain Man and it's probably the same reason that after reading the adapted story in Wired Magazine, Kevin Spacey produced (and even starred in) the film adaptation in 2008 that simply titled as 21. To be successful in blackjack, you never have to keep track of 312 individual cards in a game or memorize a pattern. You only need to follow a set of rules and bear in mind that the game is subject to continuous probability. The challenge actually lies in the synergy of specific rules, codes, and a lot of teamwork (and false identities).

What I like reading about this book is that I took a lot of time without any hassle at all. There was never a rush-to-finish situation, you just go with the flow of the narrative that switches from history (the main character's story in 1994-1998) and the present first-person narrative of the interviewer--the author. It's informative, rational, funny, and also scary at that part when they have to deal with the enemy and the mob. It's also cool to know that facebook has already been used as a term for criminal and cheater profiles by the FBI way before Mark Zuckerberg used and copyrighted the term as online domain for collecting personal data for free (yup, it sucks to be ignorant these days).

One thing is certain, blackjack is not gambling if you know how to play it. Because if you gamble, the probability of winning is a constant 50% at maximum. But if you're a player, the probability of winning is higher than that. That's enough for a brain food.

My favorite qoute:
'I don't know," Kevin said. 'It sounds kind of shady.'
'Shady?' Martinez broke in. 'We're freedom fighters, Kevin. We liberate money from the hands of the oppressors. We're Robin Hood, and the casino is the sheriff.'

Genre: Modern Thriller
Rating: 4 Pit Bosses

Sandman 2013

Next year, November 2013 will be the 25th anniversary of the official release of Sandman #1 (November 1988). The maestro creator Neil Gaiman will make it a memorable one by releasing a prelude story in a graphic novel length, sort of a "Sandman Zero." We know the story began in the original series with the Dream King captured in a glass prison. This upcoming issue will show events leading to his capture, and will try to explain why the Dream King (Morpheus) appeared exhausted from a very long journey, apparently dressed for a war (or from a war) in a very far galaxy.

Read the announcement from Vertigo here.

teaser art ©JH Williams III

This Imax Poster for TDKR...

is kinda creepy! Specially designed by Fandango for distribution on premiere eve.
'Nuff said!