Video games are inspiring some beautiful music. For those of you who don’t regularly play video or computer games, allow me to introduce you to Malukah.
She’s a singer and composer who gained a bit of fame on YouTube by recording game soundtrack covers.
I’ve picked three of my favorites to share today in this fantasy music feature.
This first song is called “Frozen Sleep,” and it’s from Halo 4.
The second song is “The Dragonborn Comes” from Skyrim.
This one is called “Reignite,” and it’s from Mass Effect 3.
Do you think video game and computer game music could become the classical music of our generation? Or will it be forgotten as soon as better games come along?
I’d love to have you sign up to receive my posts by email. All you need to do is enter your email address below and hit the “Follow” button. You can alsojoin me on my Facebook page.
And don’t forget that you can receive a copy of my suspense short story “Purple” by signing up for my newsletter. <–Click right there. You know you want to 🙂
My earliest introduction to superheroes came through the Saturday morning cartoon Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in the late 1980s. I looked forward to each episode where college students Peter Parker (Spiderman), Bobby Drake (Iceman), and Angelica Jones (Firestar) came together to fight villains and save the world (or at least the city). I dreamed of being Firestar because I wanted to be able to fly and warm up a mug of hot chocolate with only my hands.
So with my childhood love of Spiderman and His Amazing Friends, you can image how excited I was to learn about the Spiderman prequel aptly named The Amazing Spiderman set to release on July 3. Normally I would have been hesitant considering the Spiderman trilogy of movies starring Toby Maguire went into a death spiral as the series went on, but this new edition looks like it’s going to be a little dark, a little funny, and who can resist an actor who does his own stunts because he used to be a gymnast.
But the biggest draw might be the promise to delve into Spiderman’s backstory, revealing some of the secrets behind what happened to his parents.
In honor of the release of Snow White and the Huntsman this weekend, I came up with a quick quiz for you to see how much you know about the 1812 Brothers Grimm version of the Snow White fairy tale.
1. What were the names of the dwarves? a) Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick, and Quee b) Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Dopey, and Doc c) They didn’t have names
2. How many times does the Queen try to kill Snow White? a) one b) two c) four
3. How does the Queen convince Snow White to eat the apple? a) she disguises herself as an old woman b) the Queen shoves it down her throat c) the Queen eats part of the apple herself
4. What brings Snow White back to life? a) the prince’s kiss b) the death of the Queen c) the apple falls out of her throat
The answers are below the movie trailer.
The answers to all of them are c 🙂
1. The names in a) are from the 1912 Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the names in b) are from Disney’s 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2. The Queen makes four attempts on Snow White’s life. The first is when she sends the huntsman to cut out her heart, but he takes pity on her and brings back a boar’s heart instead. Next the Queen dresses as a peddler to sell Snow White stay-laces. The Queen laces Snow White up so tight she can’t breathe, but the dwarves rescue her in time. In the third attempt, the Queen disguises herself as an old woman and combs Snow White’s hair with a poison comb. The dwarves come to her rescue again. The fourth and final attempt with the poisoned apple is successful.
3. The Queen is actually dressed as a farmer’s wife when she brings the apple. She cuts a slice for herself and eats only the unpoisoned white part.
4. The prince’s kiss is a later addition. In the 1812 version, the prince falls in love with Snow White even though she’s dead, and asks the dwarves for the coffin. As his servants are carrying it away, they trip on a root and dislodge the apple from her throat.
How did you do on the quiz? Is anyone else looking forward to this movie as much as I am?
After a 10 year break, the Men in Black are back for a third movie. Agent J (Will Smith) learns that Agent K’s (Tommy Lee Jones’s) life is in danger from a time-traveling alien criminal. If K dies, the earth’s very existence could be in danger. Agent J must go back in time to 1969 to save Agent K, but he only has 24 hours to do it or he’ll be trapped in the past.
The original 1997 Men in Black was funny and innovative, but as with many series, we have to ask the question–when should it end? Is there a series you felt went on too long? Which series do you think got better with later installments?
Three things entice me to watch a movie in the theater–an amazing plot, connection to a book I loved, or a romance that gives me stomach flutters. Even better if you can put those things together.
But I’m going to watch Battleship in theaters. Why? For the same reason I watched Battle: Los Angeles in theaters. My husband is a man who loves to see things explode on the big screen. Doesn’t matter to him if there’s any plot at all as long as the movie is full of stunning pyrotechnics. Since I love my husband and he sometimes goes to watch movies with me that rank really low on his list, this is what I’ll be seeing in two weeks.
So here’s my question for you–would you rather play Battleship the board game (like me) or watch Battleship the movie (like my husband)?
Next weekend marks the release of another movie I’ve been waiting for–The Avengers!
Loki, supervillain brother of Thor, has assembled an army to take over the world. Regular forces can’t stop them, so Nick Fury decides to put together a group of superheroes. My favorite, Tony “Ironman” Stark (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), looks like he’ll bring some great humor to an action-packed movie.
Has anyone else been looking forward to The Avengers? Will you be seeing it in theater or waiting until it comes out on DVD? And the most important question of all–which Avenger hero is your favorite?
Set to release next Friday, March 30, Wrath of the Titans is the sequel to Clash of the Titans (2010) starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson.
Ten years after he defeated the Kraken, Perseus is trying to live in peace with his young son. Unfortunately, the gods have been so weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion that they’ve lost control of the imprisoned Titans. Perseus’ grandfather, Kronos, one of the Titans, plots to capture Zeus (Perseus’ father). Perseus must go on a quest to rescue Zeus, defeat the Titans, and save the world.
Does anyone plan to see Wrath of the Titans when it comes out next weekend?Do you think it will live up to Clash of the Titans?
Two reboots of the Snow White fairytale are set to release this year. And if the trailers are any indication, they couldn’t be more different.
Mirror Mirror (starring Julia Roberts) released yesterday, and while it’s a light-hearted comedic romp, Snow White and the Huntsman (starring Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart) has a darker, more epic feel to it.
Check out both trailers below. Which one would you rather see? Although Mirror Mirror looks fun, Snow White and the Huntsman is more my taste when it comes to bringing a fairytale to life. I like to see it as it might have been if the fairytale truly could play out in our world.
Writing can be one of the most confusing professions around. We’re told that agents and editors are looking for something fresh and unique–but not too fresh and unique. We go to our critique group or send out our manuscript to beta readers and what one person loves, another hates. And everyone wants to tell us how they think our book should end.
And we end up feeling exactly like this . . .
Have you ever been in a situation where none of the advice you’re being given makes sense and you start to suspect that the person giving it doesn’t have any more of a clue than you do? 😉
