Y Is For Yes!

Yesterday was my 100’th blog post since I moved Avalon to WordPress, yeah!

So today, I am going to celebrate, by writing a list of things I absolutely love! Maybe at the end you can tell me some of the things you say Yes to!

1. walking/hiking – favorite form of exercise, but sadly I don’t have the opportunity to hike here. I do get to walk a lot every day, averaging about 3 miles a day
2. spicy foods – I love me some really good chicken wings! More so if my husband makes them (we used to own a restaurant, he is a fantastic cook), yummy
3. Books – no surprise here!
4. 30 Seconds To Mars – what is there not to love! I just can’t believe that Jared is older then I am, he looks like a twenty year old (sorry about the fangirl moment)
5. quiet – I love morning quietness, when the house is still silent before everyone else gets up, there is peace in this type of solitude
6. blogging – well duh – otherwise I would not do it. I have an opinion about everything, so this is the perfect platform to let some of that loose
7. Lake Garda, Italy – seriously the most beautiful place on the planet, that I have seen so far. I have been there 6 times, can’t wait to share that space with my kids
8. Museums – it does not really matter if it is modern art, history, or a local collection in a small town – I love visiting museums, and I was lucky to have grown up in a city where there were many of them, at least 7 large ones and a few smaller collections.
9. Gardening – there is something profoundly meditative about gardening, the entire process of preparing the soil, getting ones hands dirty, tending to what was planted and reaping the harvest, that is so primal, yet sophisticated, delicate, yet hardy.
10. Animals – not just my own (we have three rescues – a cat and two dogs), but animals in a broughter sense. We do not buy products tested on animals, and while not all of us are strict vegans, we do try to limit animal products, and honor those who have given their lives to nourish our bodies.

What do you say “Yes” to? What are your favorite things in the world? Share some in the comment section below!

 

Prized “Possession” – A Daily Prompt Post

My most prized possessions are neither objects nor are they possessions, which would indicate ownership. I have the privilege to share my space with my husband, two wonderful children and three amazing rescue pets. Everything else is just an object that can be replaced. Don’t get me wrong, I like luxury, probably more then the average person, but there are a side note, something that can and will be frequently exchanged for something else, a comfort, but not prized and cared for, just owned.

People, those few people I choose to allow into my inner space, my personal circle of existence, and with that I do include the animals in my life, those are irreplaceable, they are non-exchangeable, they are value, they are honored, they are “prized”.

Here are some of what other people thought of the subject:

http://knowledgeaddiction.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/jamming/

http://jitterygt.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/pride-and-joy-relationships/

http://abozdar.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/free-will/

http://abozdar.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/perseverance/

 

X Is For X-Men: Days of Future Past – News

The release of X-Men: Days of Future Past is drawing closer (May, 23rd 2014), but not while already drawing some unwilling attention, not because of bad reviews, but because  of Director Bryan Singer’s announcement, that he will not be attending any of the premier festivities due to the abuse allegations against him. While I will not comment here on the case, I do consider this a fair and wise move, as it will take away the attention from him, and refocuses it on the film.

One of the pictures from the movie does bring us some mystery – Quicksilver is holding a young girl on his lap, and even though Brian Singer has denounced the possibilities of Quicksilver’s sister Scarlet Witch making an appearance, it does make us fans wonder, who then this little princess is, if not her.

See for yourself:

 

I for my part will look forward to this installation of one of my favorite Marvel characters, with the high hopes to be just as entertained as I was with the previous creations of this franchise.

Are you looking forward to this installation of the X-Men? Which of the Marvel franchises is your favorite?

On a side note: Bryan Singer also credited as the producer of a very interesting drama, I just recently wrote about, and which premiered last week: The Black Box 

 

W Is For What Now?

The weird, wackiness of the A to Z Challenge is almost over, so it is time to contemplate what to write about in the wake of it, and most importantly how much.

With my head always in the midst of some kind of art form, may it be a really good book, or a movie I can hardly wait to share, there will be plenty to write about.

So when it is over, and it is over soon, I have planned for you the following:

 

A book review of “The Hero” by Robin Carr

A more thorough dissection of the documentary: “The Artifact”

 

Flash Fiction – I will again participate in the Friday Flash Fiction, so watch out for new, exiting really short stories

A look at Joss Whedon’s “In Your Eyes”, which is currently available on Vimeo, a rather unconventional release, but we should expect the unconventional from Joss by now.

and I will be talking about a few projects that others are working on, but I am happy to support in any way I can, especially because they deal with some important issues, such as bullying.

 

What have you planned to write about, once the challenge has been completed?

Have a wonderful week!

V Is For Variety

Last night, a new show premiered by the name of “The Black Box” promising a unique variety to the usual drama shows, that currently are shown on the small screen.

“The Black Box” follows a young Dr., who despite her age is an expert in her field – neuroscience,  carrying within her a pretty big secret – she is bi-polar. With this unique point of view she seems to be able to connect with her patients on a deeper level, while desperately trying to hang on to her own life, as a professional, as a fiance, and as a mother.

The premier in my opinion was great! Unique, out there, a little surreal and over the top, but different, which is such a refreshing aspect. The main character, Catherine Black (played fearlessly by Kelly Reilly) is eccentric to say the least, but her out of the box thinking is exactly what is needed within the field she specializes in.

Mental illness is an important subject, that is often overlooked in the creative cinematic arena, unless it makes a convenient serial killer, or used to explain behavior. This show has the opportunity to go deeper, to show how the day to day aspect of a live of someone with mental disorder is effected, and how it effects those surrounding them. I am exited to see what the producers and writers of the show will make out of this opportunity. I will be watching, and I hope you will give it a try.

U Is For Udon

Udon Entertainment, not Udon the noodle (nothing against rice noodles, but we’ll talk about cooking another time)

Udon Entertainment is releasing a graphic novel origin story for the streetfighter character Akuma.

Title: Street Fighter Origins Akuma

Publisher: Udon Entertainment

Release Date: April 30th, 2014

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

ISBN: 9781926778785

I rarely have a chance to review a graphic novel, specifically one that contains a subject matter with such devoted and long time following. One of the most beloved characters (or hated, depending who you talk to), Akuma, finally gets his time in the spotlight, his origin story laid out before us in this volume.

Visually this book is exactly what I expected. Beautifully done artwork, with attention to detail in it’s perfect application of darkness, Joe Ng has done an amazing job on the illustrations. His work alone is enough to warrant a purchase of this graphic novel, even more so if you are a fan of the series, as he captured the essence of visual imagery Street Fighter is loved for, perfectly.

The story on the other hand, leaves behind the thought of a mixed potential, with plot holes, deep enough to distract. Yes, this is a graphic novel, but that is no excuse to not pay as much attention to the story line as to the visual aspect of the book. Many other graphic novels with less of a fan base capture that balance sincerely and powerfully, while Chris Saracini has not done us this favor. The potential is there, at times it delivers, at others it falls short of what could be.

As a fan of visual arts, video games and story, I would have loved to see this graphic novel deliver on all fronts. Street fighter has been a part of my gaming experience since the first time I stepped into  an arcade.

For the true fan, this book is worth a purchase, for the casual observer, not so much.

T Is For Two Of A Kind (Book Review)

Title: Two Of A Kind

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Author: Susan Mallery

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN-13: 978-0-373-77768-6

This book was my introduction to Susan Mallery’s series centering around Fool’s Gold, California. Looking for a romance that was engaging and filled with quirky characters, I picked up this book upon a recommendation.

Sadly, I was not impressed.

While laced with funny interludes, both main characters as well as most of the additional characters fell short of their potential, with little depth, despite the promise of interesting background stories. As a wife of a war veteran, I wanted to like Gideon, emphasizing with the drama that war, and in his case being a prisoner of war leaves behind. That drama is a a deep one, leaving behind scars that for some never heal completely.

With that background story in mind, I was ready to like the main character, with and despite his flaws, but Susan failed to execute that potential enough, to keep me from feeling disconnected. Maybe it is because I entered the series in its middle, but it has been my experience with other series, that this does not have to be the case. Felicia, the female lead comes across as annoying at times, her lack of social skills irritating. She reminded me of all the aspects that I do not like about a television show featuring a highly intelligent woman “Bones”.

To be fair to Susan Mallery, I will pick up the first volume of the series to see if my impression would change, with a more intended introduction to the series. I will keep you updated. But as a stand alone novel, I would not recommend this book.

 

S Is For Starstruck

While I admire many people in the creative arts, there are only two at the moment in who’s presence I would turn into a starstruck fan girl, should I ever had the good fortune to meet them. Mainly because I admire them further then just the creative endevour of their many accomplishments, but also as people, with a depth, and character qualities that I think of as high in value.

One of these people is probably not surprisingly Joss Whedon. As a creative artist, he has accomplished much, sometimes despite of what others might have thought. Perserverance has brought forth some of the most highly acclaimed television shows and movies. But beyond that, he has shown a care for others, specifically for women’s equality causes, which has earned him my admiration. Let me share as an example his “Equality Now” speech with you:

 

The second person I want to write about is Jared Leto. While his music through Thirty Seconds of Mars is widely acclaimed, and I am surely a fan of his songs as well as his acting skills, it is his thoughtfulness for his family and his dedication to both venues he chooses to express himself in, that inspires me the most. His documentary “Artifact” showing a deeper look into the music industry and how artists struggle to get fairly compensated for their art – fighting at times both ends, the labels who are obviously into making profit, and those who illegally download and share the hard work of the artists.

Here is the trailer:

It is currently available through itunes and Amazon, watch it, even more so if you are thinking about working with or in the music industry.

 

 

 

R Is For Retrospect

18th post for the A to Z Challenge! And what a challenge it has been so far!

I am using this opportunity to retrospect on the lessons learned from this marathon of blog posts, some of which are positive, others not so.

I shall begin with the positive:

1. Connecting – How wonderful it is to meet so many new people, bloggers from many different backgrounds and blogging themes, all united in this challenge! I appreciate every one of you, those whom I met only briefly as well as those whom I had more intense conversations with. This is absolutely my favorite part of this blogging challenge, and the reason I will try to be back for next years adventure.
2. New followers: I have gained quiet a few new followers, and I am so thankful for those of you, who chose to follow this blog over the last few weeks and days. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
3. Perserverance – There were sure moments where I wanted to stop, either because of all the other obligations that have to be done, no matter what, or because some letters where more difficult then others, specifically when I am trying to stick with the theme of film, television and books. But I did it anyway, and will finish all the way through to Z.

Lessons I learned along the way:

1. Planning ahead – I am usually a rather impulsive blogger, I tend to write whatever exites me at the moment in the world of cinema, television, or what has just arrived on my shelf to be reviewed, but I have come to see the benefits of planning ahead, specifically when a blog theme is a part of the challenge. It is a lot harder to stick with the set theme in this A to Z framework then I originally thought.
2. Set a word count limit – these are blog posts, not a novel, so instead of posting longer entries, I found that shorter blog posts are a better fit for challenges like this one.
3. Limit blog surfing time – it is so easy to get caught up in the wonderful and large amount of blogs out there that participate in these challenges, but it is impossible to read all of them – I tried, well not all, but it is easy to get lost in the sheer amount of participants. Limiting the time or amount of blogs to visit each day is a really good idea.

Overall I am glad I participated in the challenge. While I have no idea what next year will bring, and what my schedule will be like then, I will at least consider participating again.

What did you learn from this challenge? What did you enjoy? What did you dislike the most?

Q Is For Quotes

Quotes inspire us, uplift us, make us think, and allow us to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Quotes from those who we consider people that inspire us, can also give us the strength to move through our own trials toward our goals, take that extra step required, and not give up on our dreams.

Let me share some of these quotes with you, some related to film-making and writing, others more universal.

My three Ps: passion, patience, perseverance. You have to do this if you’ve got to be a filmmaker. – Robert Wise

What I always tell people is… Unless you are so passionate about filmmaking that you would rather live out of your car than not do it,find something else to do as a career and do filmmaking as a hobby. This industry is one of the hardest to break into and be successful. It takes a lot of passion and dedication for it to get anywhere – Ryan Connolly

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time – Jack London

Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dreams. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. – Lao Tzu