Friday, February 28, 2014

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p18

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 120, chapter 120

He crouched beside her, his head tilted to the side, licking his lips. He said nothing as he flopped down on the ground beside her, his arms around his knees. The ghost image stretched out just centimeters away from her, suddenly in wolf form. He rested his muzzle on top of her shoulder, no sound, no scent coming from him. The auburn wolf closed his eyes as he faded and was gone.

Nosferatu woke, looking around, seeing the bonfire still burning, the Seer sitting more then thirty feet away at the very edge of it, one of his bubbles glowing in front of him, a book floating inside it.  Reuben sleeping an arm's length from her.  Our heroine shivered as she got up, moving closer to the bonfire.

"You trying to runaway?" Reuben asked rolling over to look at her.

"You're awake?"

"Werewolf ears. I heard you move." he grumbled as he scratched then at his jaw.

"I'm freezing." her tone was flat. The male reached out grabbing her by the leg, dragging her back beside him.

"How can someone your size always be cold?" he wrapped his arm around her, his chocolate brown puppy dog eyes flickering the amber-grey of the wolf, as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip. The female continued to shiver for a few minutes having to move closer to him.

"God, this is rich." she mumbled.

"What?" the werewolf huffed.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

He grabbed her by the back of the neck, his fingers digging into her skull, as he sniffed, relaxing his shoulders. "I know what you were thinking. I know exactly what you were thinking. And you're right. Under different circumstances this would have been...interesting." he leaned over whispering in her ear. "But I'm never going to forgive you." he rocked towards her. "I'm never going to let you get comfortable. Every time I see you starting to, I'm going to remind you that you're the reason Dagan is dead." The female sucked in a sharp gulp of air as she felt his nails piercing the back of her neck. Reuben, then began licking the blood from his fingers, his eyes still flickering the amber-grey of the wolf.
Something in him had changed this last few weeks. All the time they had spent trapped in that maze, in the hall of doors. She'd seen him at his worst. Brutal, unforgiving, cruel and hungry. Whomever had kept them captive, had left them alone. They learned quickly that certain times of the day, a door would be unlocked leading to a room with nothing but a small picnic basket with a couple of bottled waters and some food. But the night of the full moon, there had been nothing.  Nosferatu figured that whomever had planned it, meant for her not to survive. That they must have believed Reuben would have slaughtered her, devouring her. Looking back on it, the fact that the full moon activated the ritual ended up saving her life.  She shivered again at the thought.
Reuben made a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a growl, as he moved closer, his right hand by her ear, his thigh hitting hers.

"What the hell are you doing?" she had to bite back fear suddenly.

"You said you were cold. And I'd personally like to get some sleep, but your damned teeth are actually chattering and it's really annoying with the super hearing." Reuben had rolled half way on top of her, his hair falling across her face. "It's either this, or I wolf out then you can get some real heat." he smirked, his eyes turned up to look at her under his lashes. The dream came flooding back to our heroine, bringing a blush to her pale skin. "Go to sleep. We've got a lot of ground to cover once the sun comes up."


tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Talk about a big bad wolf)

Year 3 Day 68

movie: The Crucible
starring: Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis
genre: Drama
year: 1996
format: DVD

plot: A group of girls in Salem during the witch trials, begin to accuse half the village of witchcraft in order to cover up their own lies and greed, after having been caught working a spell; in hopes of making many of the married men in the area fall in love with them and leave their wives.

Based on the stage play.

This film deals with staying truth to ourselves. It deals with the idea of mass hysteria, greed, and paranoia. All the things that ruled the Salem witch trials, as well as what happened during the 1950's.

One of the sub-plots is a twist of adultery, given that the Ryder character, has seduced a married man, ending up jealous and angry when he ends the affair. This prompts her to start the chain of events, pleading innocence on her end, till the very end when she runs away before he's set to hang.
It's seen as a double edged sword, given it's the one thing the main character is actually guilty of, but refuses to admit to, while he's willing to lie about the witchcraft, admitting at one point to a false confession.




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Year 3 Day 67

movie: Murder in the Hamptons
starring: Poppy Montgomery, David Sutcliffe
genre: Crime, Drama, Bio-pic
year; 2005
format; TV edit

plot: A woman is thought to have murdered her husband in their Hamptons home, in order to inherit all his money. She quickly remarries her lover, and is told she has cancer. As she decides to turn down treatment, her second marriage spirals out of control.

This is a made for tv movie. Based on a true story.

There isn't a lot to say on this. It paints the Montgomery character as a very unsympathetic character from the start, placing her as the lead until the last twenty minutes, where it then shifts gears focusing on the character of the second husband, played by Shawn Christian.

I can't say that I liked it, and I can't say that I hated it. It played like a typical made for tv crime movie. It's told from the point of view of the people who knew the main characters, and not necessarily from the leads, giving it a news-documentary feel.


Monday, February 24, 2014

year 3 day 66

movie: The Proposal
starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
genre: Comedy, Romance
year: 2009
format: TV edit

plot:When an book editor is told she's going to be fired and deported back to Canada, she cons her male assistant into marrying her in order for her to get her green card. They then go to visit his family for the weekend, and try to keep them from finding out the truth.

Typical romantic comedy, all happy happy.  Bullock has become one of the queens of romantic movies, (is there a term equal to scream queen?) and Reynolds has proved he's able to play any genre and make them work.
This is another of those odd couple teams that works to perfection. Both leads seem to have a chemistry on screen that comes across as natural, which could have a lot to do with them both having perfect comedic timing.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Year 3 Day 65

movie: Two Weeks Notice
starring: Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant
genre: Comedy, Romance
year:2002
format: TV edit

plot: a free spirited lawyer, agrees to go work for one of the biggest companies she hates, in order to keep a building from being torn down. After a year of working 24/7 for her self centered boss, she quits, but agrees to train her replacement.

The duo of Bullock and Grant are like a throwback to the romantic comedies of the 1940/1950s. I wish they had done more together.

I think I find myself saying this most the time lately, but it's a buddy movie to a degree more then even a romance. The two leads make you forget your watching a fictional story, there are just moments of such pureness to them (like when they are eating off each other's plates)

It's a sweet movie, with a few sub-themes happening, like the idea of not knowing what you have got till it's gone, and how friendships really are the baseline for any long term partnership (romance or business) and standing up for what you believe in. (she stands up to him about the building, and in time, he stands up to his over-baring brother because he refuses to break his promise to her)

Friday, February 21, 2014

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p17

The Nosferatu Adventures 
page 119, chapter 119

Harker...

The sound of a woman's laughter echoed in the room, the noise of a piano tinkering from somewhere. Moving from the stale bed, Harker tripped over a small pile of empty bottles. He really must allow the maid in here sometime, he thought, as his foot tangled in something. Shaking it off, he realized it was a woman's corset. He then remembered he had let the maid in his room. That had been four days ago. Peaking over his shoulder at the female still sleeping in his over priced bed, Harker shuttered. He hadn't been this drunk in years, and given he was the captain of a fleet of ships, and a pirate at that; that was saying something. He moved to the wash basin dunking his face into it.

He felt sick. Physically and emotionally sick. He missed his brother. After all the years of traveling, he never thought he'd find the day when he truly missed Dagan. And the only thing he had to remember him by was the empty vile of blood he'd found in the female's leather bag, that had once held a few drops of Dagan's werewolf blood, and the diary entries in Nosferatu's notebook about him.

When everything went to hell that day on the ship, Harker found himself alone on deck, the soul survivor of the god's wrath. He'd quickly gone back to their room for some clue as to how to fix it, but all he had found was the vampire's leather bag.

Sitting now on the floor of the rented room, Harker did the same thing he had found himself doing every day for the last two months. Reading every word Nosferatu had written, examining every item in the bag and lunchbox. All the while, hunting for a clue as to how to bring his brother back.


Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story.  I know, I haven't written in a bit sorry folks)

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Year 3 Day 64

movie: 9 to 5
starring: Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda
genre: Comedy
year: 1980
format: DVD

plot: Three overworked office employees get revenge on their lying sexist boss, while improving the working conditions at their office.

Who doesn't dream about getting some sort of revenge on their boss at some point?   Almost 25 years after the release of it, and it's still funny, still relevant on a few levels.

I love that the Lily Tomlin character has this duality of being the "real boss" and having this dreaming fairy tale world to her. It shows a nice balance that most females have to manage.
Fonda's ability to do the physical comedy from the elevator gag to the chasing paper from the broken copier, sets the metaphor for how chaotic and fish out of water we all can feel when we find ourselves in a new environment, be it work or relationship.
There are some hints of Abbott and Costello gags in the middle of the movie, when the three leads are stealing a body from the morgue, which is the turning point for the story. Taking you out of the "fantasy" and into the reality of their situation.

What did I learn?  You shouldn't bother with those fake sweeteners, they'll kill ya.

Top 5 Fav Power of 3 movies

We see movies all the time that are duo based, from buddy movies to romantic comedies.  But what about movies that have three leads?

1.  Witches of Eastwick

2. 9 to 5

3. Hocus Pocus

4. The Craft (half the film is 3 against 1)

5. The Three Amigos

I admit, I came up with this because I was thinking about the upcoming pay-per-view this weekend WWE's Elimination Chamber, and the Shield vs Wyatt Family match, with the whole 3 vs 3 thing.

Till later

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Year 3 Day 63

movie: Martian Child
starring: John Cusack, Bobby Coleman
genre: Drama,
year: 2007
format: TV edit

plot: A sci-fi writer adopts a little boy after the death of his wife. He struggles with trying to write his latest novel while dealing with the boy's overactive imagination, and other problems.

This is based on a semi-autobiographical novel.

This was a sweet story. Almost too sweet for me. The idea that the kid believes he's from another planet because he was abandoned in an observatory and therefore, unable to fully connect with others, is seen both literally and metaphorically. 

I liked this film, but I just kept waiting for something to happen. I was half way expecting the kid to be proven right about being from mars, while also half way expecting some horrible ending.

Overall, it leaves you wondering what we would be like generally, if we didn't bend as often to the wills of sameness? If there were more people who just stood up for their weirdnesses. As pointed out in a scene where the Cusack character is being yelled at by his publisher for failing to write the book she demanded he write. He realizes, he's been doing the same thing, demanding his son act the way he wants him to, when it's just not in him.

As I said, this was a bit too hollywood happy for me.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Year 3 Day 62

movie: Minority Report
starring: Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton,
genre: Sci-fi, Film Noir
year: 2002
format: TV edit

plot: A police officer who works for a team of pre-crime, is set up and has less then 48hours to prove he's innocent. He ends up resorting to kidnapping one of the oracles who had the premonition, in order to learn who's behind it all.

This is based on the 1956 short story of the same name.

I really liked this film, and it reminded me of the tv show "Person of Interest" (which I'm wondering if Person of Interest is based on this movie?)  (the other thing I was thinking was that both Tom Cruise- Interview with the Vampire-  and Collin Farrell- Fright Night remake-  played vampires in two of the coolest vampire films)

The story is one of those cyber-punk themed stories that manages to blend just the right amount of gritty impossibility with serious cop drama.  We see a theme of premonitions being pulled out of the typical 'magical' element it's normally used for, and used with science, giving it some serious weight.
The themes of dream interpretation, water as a gateway (the scenes of the two main characters' recurring nightmares happen in pools) are usually, only used in the genre of horror-fantasy (like Charmed, Constantine, Nightmare on Elm Street)
The use of eyes being the windows to the soul, are used metaphorically and literally, as everyone is identified by DNA scans on the eyes. In order to change your identity all you have to do is have an eye transplant.  In fact, the whole story centers around the human eye and how we view the moments around us. From the oracles seeing the future, to how in one scene, the critical moment is revealed to have been an illusion on many levels.

I felt the ending was a bit too happy ending-ish for the rest of the film. I liked that it did have a tie up for all the loose ends, but I would have liked to have seen something a bit grittier then how it ended.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Year 3 day 61

movie: Dreamgirls
starring: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson
genre: Music, Drama
year: 2006
format: TV edit

plot: Following the lives of three women in the 1960's and 1970's as they dealt with the highs and lows of being an all girl group.

Based on the stage musical, and loosely based on the biographies of the Supremes.

It's no secret that musicals and westerns are some of my lest favourite type of movies, but that's what's been on tv lately. 
I have to say, I got a bit bored mid-way through this, I was honestly tempted to turn it off. It was too much of a musical for me.  I liked the first half of it, the parts set in the 1960's, but the last half just sort of fell flat for me. It just seemed like the second half was suppose to go in one direction but seemed to swerve back on itself. Again, and I know I say this almost every time there is a tv edit, but it might have just been the way it was chopped for television?

I found the characters to be one dimensional, but that might have more to do with the fact there were so many characters that they had to fit into the story to progress it.

All in all, I loved Jennifer Hudson in this, but this isn't something I'd sit through again any time soon.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Year 3 Day 60

movie: Austenland
starring: Keri Russell, J.J. Fields.
genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
year: 2013
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Jane, a thirty-something woman decides to spend her life savings on a Jane Austen themed vacation, after her ex-boyfriend dumps her then insults her by saying he's as good as she'll ever find at her age. The vacation promises an authentic experience from the Austen/Regency era, with a happily ever after the last night. While she's there, Jane ends up being the center of a love triangle, not sure if it's the real deal or just part of the act.

This is based on the book of the same name.

There are elements and scenes out of every Austen novel/movie adaption used here, from the poor girl being taken in by rich relatives, to the group putting on a play to kill time (Mansfield Park) to the quiet reserved gentleman who falls in love with the heroine while trying to keep her safe from the brash cad (Pride and Prejudice) to the endless match making of the seemingly wrong people some of whom are only in it for the wealth (Emma, and  Northanger Abbey)  to the misunderstanding between the young couple who are being kept apart by other people (Persuasion) to simple manners (Sense and Sensibility)

I'm going to say that I both loved and hated this film. As a Jane Austen fan, I thought it hit every note from her novels with bang on clarity. As someone in that age bracket, it hit just a bit too close to the nerve for me. It was almost too bang on.

Jane Austen's novels have inspired more then just wishful thinking, when it comes to love, they have created the baseline for almost all the romance stories and romantic comedies to come out in the last two hundred years.
This movie really points out the line of finding the balance between the man we want and the one we usually find, as well as the idea of keeping your own values while trying to compromise with the other person in the relationship/situation.

There is a scene at the end of the movie where the three main characters are hashing it out in an airport, the two men each pointing out the other's weak spots while trying to convince Jane that she should believe them.

At one point, we see Jane decide she has to take control of her "story" while on vacation, otherwise she's never going to find the happy ending she's been promised. This is the turning point for her in more ways then one, we start seeing her break from the role given her by the hostess, and in turn it gives some of the other guests permission to act more themselves. Not always with good intentions.


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Year 3 Day 59

movie: America's Sweethearts
starring: John Cusack, Julia Roberts
genre: Comedy
year: 2001
format: TV edit

plot: After a hollywood couple decide to get divorced, their publicist is hired to make the fans and press believe they are still a happy couple in order to sell their latest movie. But what no one counted on was that Eddie would fall in love with his ex-wife's sister.

Cute, typical of the romantic comedies. A lot of the romantic comedy powerhouses here, Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal. My attention was taken by the fact Seth Green and Stanley Tucci were in this, I just wish they had bigger roles.

For me, I was hoping it would stretch the ideas a bit more as to what a romantic comedy could be with cast it had, but it really played it safe giving a typical plot, for the genre and time it came out.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Year 3 Day 58

movie: The Three Amigos
starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short
genre: Comedy, Western
year: 1986
format: TV edit

plot: Three out of work actors are asked to go to Mexico to help stop a ruthless overlord from taking over a village, only they have no idea it's for real and think they are being hired to put on a show.

Back when SNL members actually had to have talent and be funny.  It reminded me of those spaghetti westerns to a point, but the musical numbers undid that pretty fast. It really does just end up being like one way too long SNL skit, but as I said back when they were actually (smart and) funny. 

To be honest, I'm not sure if it's meant as a backwards nod to those older style studio westerns, or if it's meant as a satire of them. I'm going to say both.

Chevy Chase rounds out the little group, but doesn't seem to have as much to do as Steve Martin and Martin Short. This clearly seemed to be designed to push Steve Martin at that time.

What did I learn?  The moral of the story is to stand up for yourself no matter how big the odds are.

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p16

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 118, chapter 118

The Seer sat by the bonfire, a large duck rotating on the spit. "Okay so Dagan died, breaking the line of command with the pack, and you are no longer his mate. Then Reuben claimed you as his mate during a full moon ritual." he scratched the back of his skull. "So explain to me, how none of that was felt? All of that should have been sensed by the rest of the pack. Speaking of...what happened to Rolf?"

Our heroine shrugged, closing her hazel eyes saying she didn't know. "All I know is that few nights ago instead of Reuben ripping my throat out he got weird. He cornered me in one of those endless hallways and was just mumbling over and over again that it was time. He was more then half shifted, like the stub of a wolf's tale and ears shifted, and then..." she covered her face blushing. "His eyes were like staring into the depths of nothing, just empty. Dead." she rubbed her abdomen. "Good thing, during one of his rampages he dug out Loki's experiment."  The Seer let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as he turned to look at her. The female moved closer to him kissing him.

"No.No!" he broke the kiss pushing her from him. "He will kill me! And I happen to like being alive. Like all my parts where they are suppose to be. Very attached to them."

As if on cue, Reuben appeared from behind a row of trees, his shirt missing, the upper half of his body covered in blood and feathers, leaves and dirt clumped in his long dark hair, and what looked like four large rabbits in hand. He was breathing heavy, his face glazed with sweat as he sat down beside them, tossing the dead creatures at the female.

"Make yourself useful and clean those. We've got work to do. We need to find our way back home..." he tilted his head to the side, closing his eyes for a second. "and you need to do a locator spell. Find Rolf. Dead or alive, he's coming home with us. Even if...even...if it's only for a burial."

Other then Nosferatu suddenly seeming to see better in the darkness, she had lost all traces of ever having been a shapeshifter. The female was once again nothing more then a banshee flavoured vampire. Back to all her vampire problems of not being able to eat or touch garlic, not being able to be around roses, not being able to cross running water. She'd also lost the werewolf ability to magic mist clothes. Without being the mother of Loki's baby, she was just another blood sucker.
But what hurt Reuben the most was seeing her hair. The female's natural auburn was back, the lack of the grey streaks a constant reminder she was no longer Dagan's mate, a constant reminder that he was dead. The werewolf's heart broke whenever he let himself think of it.

"Hey!" he turned again to the Seer. "Can you use your witchy telepaticness to talk to Ash and Leo?"

"Actually it's my sidhe telepathicness, and I can but I really need to feed first."

"I don't know how I missed it before?" our heroine said.

"What?" both males asked in unison.

"How frustrating it must have been having to let someone else have control of the pack. Clearly you're designed for it."

Reuben crouched in front of her, fixing his hair into his trademark too smooth to be human ponytail. "You don't know the half of it." he raised his eyebrow shaking his head, as he leaned in suddenly, one knee and arm beside her, the other knee pressing against her chest. He actually forced her to lean back on her elbows in the dirt. "Ash doesn't even know the whole story. But I'm done taking a backseat to everyone else." he twisted his knee for emphasis leaving a bruise near our heroine's boob.

"So you're saying you're more then just a ton of fur and hair?"

"Hey!" he practically straddled her, his weight crashing down on her stomach, his knees pinning her in place as he leaned over nose to nose with her. "You will respect me. You got that! I wasn't kidding earlier when I said I'll do anything I have to, to protect the rest of the pack. When I said we are no longer friends. I'm not letting anymore of my family, my pack, get hurt because of you. Even if it means having to live the rest of my very long immortal existence as your mate just to keep an eye on you."

"Then why didn't you just kill me?"

"He can't." the Seer said as he stood brushing off his clothes. "Otherwise he wouldn't have resorted to claiming you." he tapped his temple, a smirk on his face. "You can't hide everything from me for long. He can't kill you, not completely. Loki won't allow it." he shrugged as he gathered a few more pieces of firewood. "You're werewolf proof as far as being killed-killed goes. None of us can deliver that final blow."

Our heroine turned from both of them staring at the sky. "So, Loki still has plans for me." she flopped back on the ground "Groovy."


tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story.  Hello, big bad werewolves)

Year 3 Day 57

movie: There's Something about Mary
starring: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz
genre: Comedy
year: 1998
format: TV edit

plot: A guy hires a private investigator to track down his high school crush, only the sleazy investigator has other ideas.

For years, I have had people in shock when I say that I've never seen this movie. So when I saw it was on tv, I thought let's see what's so hot about it.  Ends up, nothing.  I just didn't get what people think is so great about this film? 

You have a chick being stalked by a bunch of guys, while lying to her about what they're up to.  It actually sounds flat out creepy and childish when you think about it in real life terms.

I get the point is don't judge a book by it's cover, love is blind, you never know what you're looking for till it finds you, but this movie left me feeling like I've seen this type of plot before and better.


Sunday, February 9, 2014

Top 5 fav Nerds

Don't even ask where I came up with this just go with it...

1. Robert Carradine as Lewis in Revenge of the Nerds

2. Gedde Watanabe  as Duncan in  Vamp

3. Ke Huy Quan as Data in Goonies

4. Anthony Michael Hall as Gary in Weird Science

5. Johnny Depp as Dean Corso in Ninth Gate

Short but sweet. till later

Year 3 Day 56

movie: The Pursuit of Happyness
starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith
genre: Drama, Bio
year: 2006
format: TV edit

plot: In 1981, after a rough year where his wife leaves him, his company goes under and he finds himself homeless, a young man raises his son alone while trying to prove he can rise above it.

This is based on a true story.

Right off, they explain why the film's title has a misspelling, it's on purpose, as the lead character points out to his son that some graffiti on their block is spelled wrong. The word "happiness" then becomes a theme throughout the story.

This is a tear jerker to say the lest. It's also one of those films you can't take your eyes off of, it draws you in. There is a sub-plot happening, as the character sells medical x-ray machines door to door (hospital to hospital) and while he's trying to break free from that particular job, he finds himself so dependent on the job, that after two are stolen he chases down the thieves more then once in order to get them back. He's literally locked into that part of his life until the last two are sold. Only then does he seem to have a break through in his life, leading to better things.

What did I learn from this?  Never give up on yourself.


Saturday, February 8, 2014

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p15

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 117, chapter 117

The Seer was standing in the middle of an open field, his hands covered in blood, a large bonfire burning, as he guided the smoke towards the wall. He chanted a spell to reveal the gates. It had taken him hours just to locate the building given the invisible barrier, and he was running out of energy.

"I'm here." our heroine's voice echoed in his mind. "I've made it to the front gates."

"I've nearly gotten the barrier unlocked." they'd been telepathically linked for hours, the Seer trying to help her make it through the maze.

"How nearly? I've had a really pissed off werewolf on my ass for the last few days."

"Going as fast as I can." the Seer replied, as he began to see images like a haze indicating he was breaking through. The gates were much larger then he first thought, and now he wasn't sure he'd be able to break them open. He felt a stabbing pain behind his eyes, forcing him to stop the spell. "What's happening?" his own voice screamed telepathically.

"God...Reuben." our heroine was gasping for air yet again as the werewolf caught up with her inside the gates.

The Seer got control of himself, restarting the spell, his eyes turning the amber-grey of the wolf as he began to shift, draining what energy he had left. Just then, the gates broke open, like a tear in the invisible material, Reuben dragging our heroine's lifeless body behind him. He collapsed at the Seer's feet, breathing deeply as the now setting sun cast him in shadows.

"I told you I was going to get you out before I destroyed you." he snarled as he dropped to his knees, his hands running through his hair, over his beard and face. He was coated in blood down the one side of his face and neck.  Sniffing, he turned his eyes up to glare at the Seer, springing to his feet again, he grabbed him hugging him tight.

A long ten minutes past before our heroine woke, a scream ripping from her throat. The whole time, the Seer had been going over and over in his mind the best solution to their lack of an alpha. He knew by this point, the others would be fighting among themselves, the natural instinct to dominate having taken over.
The female rolled over on the ground, pounding her fist into her chest trying to breathe. Another sound seemed to escape from her as she lunged for the Seer, sinking her teeth hard into his shoulder and collarbone. She drank greedily, her nails hooking into the flesh of his neck and back anchoring herself to him. He stumbled backward under the female's weight, knocking the wind out of himself, before telling her that was enough and pushing her off. 

"You need to let Ash claim you as his mate. That will secure him as the pack alpha." the Seer said as he gulped air, getting back to his feet.

"Why? I thought it's what you wanted all this time? To be the alpha?" she said reaching a shaky hand to his face before hugging him tight, her hands clutching at the back of his hair.

"It is. I do, but right now, Ash is a better bet. Besides..." he turned towards Reuben. "I'm not going to go up against him. He is my sire."

"Well, bud. I think it's a bit late for that." Reuben said sticking his tongue out eyes wide. "There was a full moon about five nights ago." he ran his left palm down his stomach, grabbing himself, his chocolate brown puppy dog eyes flashing the wolf.

"So you two..." the Seer looked from one to the other. "Damn it!" he threw his head back eyes closed, hands tearing at his hair. "I figured if you were locked away from it, that it wouldn't affect you." he swore as he began biting his nails.

"Not like we planned it." our heroine said meekly reaching for the Seer's arm. He shoved her off swallowing hard. "Trust me, if he hadn't been feeding off me, keeping me weak, I would have been able to either out run him or fight him off."

"Natural order of things my boy." Reuben commented as he took a step backwards swaying. "The difference is that I'm going to do what I need to, to protect what's left of the pack. I'm not going to let my emotions for you get in the way." he gestured towards our heroine. "Even though every time I look at you now, I want to kill you, even though every time I get two feet near you now, I want to rip you to shreds and chew on your bones, even though when I think of you now, all I see is Dagan being eaten alive by mermaids, even though..." he advanced towards her, his hand grabbing her by the back of the neck. "We were friends, now, now you're just my bitch!" he spat the last word. "And you know what, I'm going to enjoy making you suffer over it." he licked his bottom lip, the tip of his tongue dragging slowly across it, his eyes shifting to the amber-grey of the wolf. Reuben tightened his grip on her neck, sniffing her. "Your destruction will be my memorial to Dagan. And every time I use you, you're going to beg me to kill you." he wiped the back of his hand over his lips, a devious sparkle in his eyes.  "You want to know what it's like to be a werewolf huh?" he pressed against her, his hair falling between them, sticking to her face. "To really be the alpha's bitch? Huh? Look at me when I talk to you!" he grabbed her chin with his other hand. "There's no love here, I don't love you. Any friendship we had is over. Any tolerance, any emotions I had for you are gone. You're going to pay for Dagan's death every single time I get the opportunity. My loyalty to you is over." Reuben leaned over licking her cheek. "The last few weeks playing hide and seek in that hell..." he pointed towards the once again empty looking field. "are going to feel like a cake walk. You're going to look back on that point in things and think of it like a fond sweet memory." the werewolf growled, turning his attention on the Seer. "Understand this. You're my bloodline, my pack. And I know you two were having an affair before and frankly I don't care. But now, she's off limits. She's the reason Dagan is dead and she's going to pay for it. Every day for the next few hundred years, this bitch is going to pay for it."


tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Come on, we all knew Reuben had that in him)

Year 3 Day 55

movie: Old School
starring: Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson
genre: Comedy
year: 2003
format: TV edit

plot: after buying a house on the edge of a college campus, Mitch is talked into turning his place into a frat house by his two best friends. The group finds themselves the target of the school dean who they had bullied years before. They have one year to prove they belong on campus or face eviction.

This was much funnier then I thought it was going to be.

I'd love to say there is a deep meaning and moral to this movie, but there isn't beyond be yourself.

Vince Vaughn plays this loud over the top character, like he does in everything he's in. Which, after a few minutes you just want to roll your eyes. There were a lot of elements that reminded me of the original Revenge of the Nerds, which frankly I liked.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Year 3 Day 54

movie: Last Vegas
starring: Kevin Kline, Robert De Niro
genre: Comedy, Drama
year: 2013
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Four friends in their 60's reunite for a bachelor party in Las Vegas, as one of them is marrying a woman thirty years younger then him. When one of them decides to spend a few hours gambling, and wins, the hotel manager where they are staying believes them to be more important then they really are and gives them the penthouse for the weekend. Soon, they find themselves the center of attention and fighting over the affections of a lounge singer.

This was a cute film. I have to admit, given the fact it's been compared to the Hangover films, I wasn't sure I wanted to see this, but it ended up being completely on the other end of the spectrum. De Niro, Kline and Morgan Freeman work extremely well together and carry the story. The comedy comes from this dynamic, with the more serious element falling on the shoulders of Micheal Douglas.

The story is a nice balancing act between friendships and romance. What would you do for the people who mean the most to you? Would you let them make what you know to be the biggest mistake in their lives or would you step in?

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p14

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 116, chapter 116

Rolf leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, forehead against the smooth surface. He didn't want to face another day of this. His hand instinctively went to his chest, the large scar that ran from his right shoulder to left hip just would not heal. Ares made sure of that. Weeks, this had been going on. Every night he was ripped from his room, beaten, tortured, experimented on, then returned at dawn where he was treated like a king.
The familiar brush of a wet nose at his knee made the large male open his eyes. Of course, he got left  with the dog. Rolf had no idea why he'd been spared, if you want to call it that, on the ship. Just woke to find himself in this prison. The room didn't appear to be at first glance, with the oversized bed, velvet curtains, the wine, the food that never seemed to end. But that's what this place was, a prison. The werewolf had tried to escape more then a few times, each time Ares found him before he could get out. But last time, when he gave him this un-healing wound, the werewolf had made it to the gate before being captured. The building was like a maze, with nothing but carvings on the doors to mark them. Too bad they were all marked with the same thing. A tree. Each door had a tree carved into it.

The werewolf stiffened as he heard someone approaching his chamber. Tombstone whimpered, then growled as he circled the large male, half afraid half protecting him. It was the blonde again. Sniffing Rolf spat telling Tombstone to sit quiet. The creature did as he was told, waiting. Rolf moved just a foot and spat on the marble floor again, marking his territory. The blonde smiled as she entered the room, a larger then usual tray in hand. She was shaking as she placed it on the dresser. The male gave a low growl causing her to jump running for the door.

"Is there anything you...need?" her voice seductive.

Rolf raised an eyebrow flicking his hair out of his face, saying nothing as he stood waiting for her to leave. The siren stood for a few long seconds before turning towards the door.  He learned quickly that the sirens wouldn't actually come near enough to touch him, they were scared of him. 

"Tell Ares the next time he sends you or your sisters into this room, you won't be of use to him or anyone else when I'm finished with you, because you won't be recognizable as women." he sniffed again advancing a step, watching the blonde nearly run down the hall. Shaking his head, the werewolf let out a deep sigh, examining the tray of food. Everything smelled fine, but it wouldn't take much to poison or drug something. He gave the bacon and eggs to the dog, taking the fruit himself, examing the apples for needle marks and sniffing them for any traces of poison. Same with the oranges and nectarines. "I know so unnatural a vegan werewolf." he spoke to Tombstone. "But better safe then dead." the beast snorted as if he understood, then stopped eating, bolting for the door. He growled, barking, ready to pounce.

A guard was standing there looking panicked. "You need to come with me now."

"Na I don't think so." Rolf crossed his arms over his massive chest taking a stance.

"There's someone who is demanding to see you. And I don't think you should refuse." Tombstone licked his chops determined to follow the werewolf as he was led down one of the hallways towards one of the thousand doors with the tree symbol.
Stepping into the room, Rolf was taken aback to see Loki standing there.

"Playtime's over. I need you to do something for me."  Tombstone ran towards Loki, tail wagging. Rolf whistled, the dog quickly returning to his side. "I'm surprised and happy to see you looking after him. You've made him soft though. He's suppose to be a protector."

"He has been." Rolf nodded towards the creature. "He's been my food tester."


 Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. What, did you think Rolf disappeared?)

Monday, February 3, 2014

Year 3 Day 53

movie: A Perfect Murder
starring: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow
genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
year: 1998
format: TV edit

plot:A man finds out that his wife is cheating on him, and hires her lover to kill her and make it look like a robbery gone bad. When the plan fails, both men resort to blackmail and murder.

This is a remake of the 1954 film "Dial M for Murder"

This was one of those films that even though you have a rough idea what's going to happen, you can't take your eyes off it.  At lest I couldn't.  There was a great pace, enough suspense and chemistry that it seemed to zip past.
I thought the casting choice was perfect, given that 99% was one of three people carrying the whole story.  Douglas seems to be built for corporate bad guy types, and Paltrow even though starts off as the betrayer, slides effortlessly into a sympathetic role.



Sunday, February 2, 2014

The Nosferatu Adventures S4 p13

The Nosferatu Adventures 
page 115, chapter 115

The Fort...

He walked through the courtyard, his nose in the air, his boots and trenchcoat made of wolf fur, his blonde hair slicked back into a short pony tail. He all but strutted his way to the Queen's side, a magic mirror in hand. The Necromancer cleared his throat, lips pursed as he waited for both Jance and Biffy to move out of his way.

"I believe we've finally taken care of your little wolf problem." He smiled slick, his overly white teeth too perfect. The Queen nodded, suspicious of the timing. He'd agreed to marry the Necromancer's aunt if the Necromancer could get rid of the King. The Necromancer's solution, was to kill all the wolves in the kingdom, in case King Leo was living as a wolf.  Leo had not been spotted and presumed actually dead for the last few months since the Necromancer put his plan into action. There was no reason for the Queen to continue calling himself Queen. He could, rightfully become King, and that meant he could finally allow the Fort, the kingdom to end the ban on having wives and children.

This also meant the Necromancer would become his heir. Prince, and a handsome one at that. The guards called him the Peacock behind his back. The Queen distrusted the Necromancer just enough to miss the Seer. At lest when the Seer was under his rule, there was proof when a shapeshifter or wolf was captured. The front gate of the Fort bared the weight of his trophies. With the Necromancer, all they ever had was his word and a few new wolf pelts. Hardly real proof that the situation was taken care of in any real manner.
There was nothing to be done against removing the Necromancer from his spot of authority, given the Necromancer was as destructive as he was pretty. His magical abilities seemed to even outshine the Seer, who until the arrival of the Necromancer, seemed to be the most powerful witch in the kingdom.

Everyone in the Fort had begun to fear the Necromancer. Fear his temper tantrums, and personal agendas, because when he was overcome by them, people tended to disappear.

The Necromancer sat to the left of the Queen, one hand stroking the collar of his wolf fur coat, the other still holding his magic mirror as he spoke. "Everything is ready for the festival. All you have to do is be on time."   The Queen nodded, careful not to let any emotion show on his face as he silently wondered how far he really needed to go with his own plan?  He fully intended to have the wedding, and become King; and a widower if necessary. He'd yet to see this aunt the Necromancer spoke of. 
Nodding, the Necromancer stood up again, retreating back towards the former King's chambers, where he'd set up his own guards. Two of his undead soldiers were standing guard, with strict orders that he was the only one allowed even in the hallway near the chambers.
Once inside the inner rooms, he paced back and forth in front of a larger magic mirror that seemed to take up half the wall. A cloudy figure appeared in it's surface, a female dressed as if she were from the middle ages.

"What can I do for you?" her voice was filled with fear.  The Necromancer waved his hand as if to dismiss her then stopped, making a come here gesture as he continued to pace and pout.

"I need the location of the new alpha."  he said turning to stare at the only article he'd left from when the Seer still took care of the comatose king. The painting of Ash and Leo. He dared to move a step closer to the painting, placing both hands firmly on the stone wall, at either side of it, his face flat against it. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "By now Ash has to have reclaimed his spot as the local pack alpha. I need to know where he's hiding!"


tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story.  Thought it was about time to let the Necromancer breeze on in)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Year 3 Day 52

movie: As Good as it Gets
starring: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt
genre: Drama
year: 1997
format: TV edit

plot: A man suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, falls in love with the waitress at his favourite diner, and befriends his gay neighbour after he's injured. The three of them go on a weekend trip, strengthening their friendships.

This is a romantic drama, that sort of bends the rules and blurs the lines of how love is conventionally viewed. I don't want to call it a love triangle, but that is what it is in a sense.  The main character, Melvin, is so unsociable that he pushes people away with rudeness and blunt thinking. It takes a tragic situation with his neighbour Simon, for him to start admitting he's not the only person on the planet. Ironically, Simon becomes the reason for Melvin to get closer to Carole, when he asks her to join them on a short road trip. She in turn, helps Simon recover his desire to paint by getting him to discuss the attack and poses for a painting.
I liked the idea that the Hunt character sort of finds a "whole guy" in the sense that the two males, Nicholson and Greg Kinnear, are each able to supply differently what is missing in her life.  In a sense, they do the same for the Nicholson character by splitting up the emotion and security one normally sees in romantic movies, into Kinnear's character and Hunt's character. 

What do I think I learned?  You can't always find what you are looking for in one place. And you never know where you will find what you're looking for.