Blogfest: Best/Worst Movie Remakes

It's been said that there are no more original thoughts. No where is that statement more true than in Hollywood. Every time I visit the theater I see more and more trailers for movies that are remakes of previous films and some of the "original" films aren't even 10 years old (Did we need another Spiderman origin story?). Of course, some of these films end up being just as good as the original. Films like:

Quarantine (2008)

I first saw Quarantine while browsing the free videos that were On Demand from Verizon. I had heard of it before and, being the science geek that I am, I wanted to see exactly how they handled the "plague zombie" outbreak. Any quarantine is frightening. Nothing says panic like realizing you're being isolated from the outside world because you have been exposed to a deadly disease. Add to that horror the possibility of being hunted down by the infected at the same time and there is no chance of escape (for if you step outside the CDC will shoot you)... yeah, that says terror to me. So, I decided to give it a go, turned off all the lights and waited for the film to make me jump.

The jump didn't come until the end. I knew it was coming, I anticipated it and yet it still caught me off guard. Plus, the explanation for the disease wasn't too far off. Granted, they likened the disease to rabies in animals and while it does effect the brains of those mammals, humans are effected in a different manner. Still, if a disease could cause madness in us the way rabies does in animals - that's pretty frightening. All in all, when the movie was over I had a good scare and I was entertained.

Then, a few years later I discovered [REC] on the same On Demand queue. "Ah, that's the Spanish movie that Quarantine is based on," I said to myself and decided to see how close to the original Quarantine had been. I decided to judge it on how much it frightened me since I already knew the ending. I was surprised to find that I still jumped in my seat and my heart pounded in my chest. Quarantine was loyal to the original and still delivered the same scare. I would say that this film was a worthwhile remake of the original Spanish film.

I have a tendency to watch the remake before the original so sometimes I feel I have a bias towards the more modern version. That was not the case for the following remake.

I Am Legend (2007)

I know. I Am Legend has been spoken about numerous times on other blogs. And truly, it's not a bad movie. It does a very good job showing what the world would look like years after humanity (which prompted me to begin watching the Life After People on the History Channel). The science was a bit iffy but I was able to forgive that for the moment and just enjoy it for the action movie that it was showing. Of course, my husband then had to ruin it for me by uttering the most movie-killing quote of "That's not how the book ended."

I'm a stickler for book versions. I tend to love the book more than the film, mostly because you can get more out of a book whereas the film limits you in what you can see and you only know what the director is willing to show you. Yes, the ending is completely different but that's not the flaw I'm going to speak about, even though it's a valid flaw.

My husband informed me that I Am Legend was made into a film starring Vincent Price called "Last Man on Earth". I found the movie on Netflix and decided to give it a go. The tone was different. In I Am Legend you feel the utter emptiness of the city whereas in Last Man on Earth, you hear his thoughts through the day but at night he is plagued constantly by the walking vampires that bang on his house and call out his name. Most of the movie is a flashback of how he came to this point and the big twist ending, that was missing in I Am Legend, was far more effective.

If you have the chance (or Netflix) I suggest watching the Last Man on Earth. It's a good watch and is still eerie even after all these years.

Comments? Think I'm completely wrong? Have any suggestions for movies? Add them to the comments! I'd love to see what you have to say.

Don't forget to check out the other articles from the blogfest. You can find them here:
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

W is for Words

“Henri,” Justin said swiftly, giving Henri a concerned look. “I really think I ought to stay with you. I mean... look who Aidan brought with him.”

Toby felt everyone turn to stare at him and he looked away. Did he constantly need to be reminded of who he was? “Of course I do,” Henri replied. “Aidan brought with him his son, Toby and his friend Finnean.”

“Are you telling me that you don’t see-”

Henri lifted his hand, cutting off Justin’s words. “What I see are three people who are in need of a hot cup of tea and some rest. We can always discuss the circumstances of their visit later. In the meantime, your responsibility is to Laurie. I’ll make certain everyone else is settled.”

Settled?

The thought came fast and confused from Finn. Toby glanced over at his friend to see the almost panicked expression on his face. “We aren’t staying,” Finn said frantically. “We can’t be! Gabe is out there. What if Luna and Harp don’t make it in time? What if they need our help?”

He turned to Aidan and Toby could see that Finn’s panic was working it’s way into a full blown hysterical outburst. “You,” he said, pointing an accusing finger at Aidan. “You promised that we would go after them. That we would get Henri’s help and follow them.”

“Calm down,” Aidan said. “There’s no reason to get upset.”

“Of course there’s reason to be upset!” Finn nearly shouted. “Gabe still has the Pearl! You said that it would kill him. If we’re not going after him with help then I’ll go after him myself. I’m tired of waiting. My brother is in danger and I have to-”

“Finn. Be quiet!”

Silence filled the room and it took Toby a moment to realize that the words had come from his own mouth. A strange, docile expression crossed over Finn’s face as he turned to Toby. It’s the bond, he thought sadly. He’s waiting for me to give him a command.

“Interesting.”

Henri watched the two boys closely, noting the strange behavior. It wasn’t difficult to see that events were back in motion. “Why don’t you three come with me into the parlor. Justin and Laurie have other things to do. Perhaps then you’ll be able to tell me what has been happening since last we spoke.”

“It’s a long story,” Aidan sighed.

Henri smiled. “I have plenty of time.”

Word Count: 8022

The end is close in sight! Not for the story but for my word count. I think I have a good start, although in May I might begin a brand new project just to see how far it will get me. It's not the story, it's me. I need a break - take a breath from the characters and story line. I need to remember why I love them and to stop thinking that the story could be good if only I was a better writer. I need to stop thinking too far ahead and living in the end result instead of enjoying the journey to get there.

All insecurities aside, it was a good day of writing complete so I'll chalk it up as a win.

V is for Voice

“This is Laurie,” Justin said with an amused sigh in his voice. “He’s Henri’s new apprentice.”

“Does this mean that you’ve finally outgrown your position?” Aidan asked with a chuckle. Justin’s face turned red for a moment, embarrassed before he regained his composure.

“Laurie, this is Finn and ... Toby,” he introduced, hesitating when he reached Toby’s name. The name ‘Caspian’ hung in the air unspoken and it did little to make Toby feel any more comfortable.

“Nice to meet you, sirs,” Laurie replied politely, extending his hand toward Finn first and then Toby. “I apologize about the kitchen. I didn’t know that the ‘clean oven’ spell would backfire.”

“Is that what you were trying to do?” Justin said, shaking his head. “The next time you want to try out a new spell without supervision, don’t. Just wait for me. I’ve been around enough wizards that I know a thing or two about spells.”

Justin’s words were odd to Toby and for the first time he noticed the amber color of Justin’s eyes. “You’re a Wolf,” he blurted out.

“That he is,” a familiar voice said as Henri slipped into the room, handing a paper bag to Laurie. “A member of the Main Pack, actually.”

“A disowned member,” Justin grumbled, although the red color was back and he looked uncomfortable. This was clearly not a topic that Justin liked to talk about.

“I wouldn’t say disowned. I would say ‘gracefully abdicated from the family’,” Henri grinned, ruffling Justin’s hair affectionately.

“That means the same thing,” Justin said sourly.

“But it has a better ring to it,” Henri chuckled.

Word Count: 7440

April is winding down fast! Just when I think I'll have more than enough time to finish my Camp goal the days rapidly slip by. I'm at the point where it's a love/work relationship with the story. I love it, I really do, but every time I sit down to write I think of only a few words before my mind wanders. I think it might be time to break out "Write or Die". It's what really helped me during NaNo last year. It's amazing how much I can spit out when I have a time limit.

U is for Ugly

“You are assuming that Seth is going to play by the rules. Knowing him, he has a card up his sleeve to keep him from following through with the deal,” Finn said with a frown. “The guy is a bastard. I’m going to guess that you have a plan B?”

            “Of course,” Gabe winked at them. “What good is a plan A without a plan B? We do have some leverage, considering he sought me out and the buyer will have his head if he doesn’t deliver on time. If it turns ugly, distract the goons and run. We’ll meet on the roof three buildings down.”

            “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were enjoying yourself,” Toby snorted.

            “Of course he’s enjoying himself,” Finn agreed. “Do you know my brother? He’s not happy unless the world is on the verge of falling and will only be saved by a last ditch effort completed by Gabriel.”

            “It’s part of my charm,” Gabe insisted. “And girls love it.”

            “Oh really?” Finn laughed. “When was the last time you had a girl around to even hint that she fancied you? I think maybe you were knocked on the head instead of Toby.”

            “Again, I’m going to ignore that you said that for the sake of time. Could we get back to the plan?”

            “It’d be nice to get back to something,” Toby murmured.

            “If it all goes to hell, run,” Finn said, prompting Gabe to continue. “Otherwise, you’re going to give the ball to Seth and hope that he leaves and that’s the last we see of him or that ball. Does that about sum it up?”

            “Brief and to the point,” Gabe grinned, clapping his brother on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you to read through the lines. I’ll go first, you both come in second. Wouldn’t want him to shoot you before I could stop him.”

            “Wait, he’s likely to shoot us?” Toby asked his voice tight with worry.

            “He’s about as likely to shoot you as I am,” Gabe said, although Toby had to admit that he wasn’t at all comforted by that. “Stick close and everything will be fine. Are we agreed?”
            “Agreed,” Finn and Toby said in unison just as they heard the distant chimes of the bell marking the top of the hour. It was only ten and yet the deep tone sounded ominous. Gabe shook himself from the dark thought and waved Finn and Toby along to follow him, walking the last block alert for any trouble.

Word Count: 7112

Today's selection is from the first book, The Raven's Pearl (formally known as The Wizard's Pearl). Stress at school and home is making writing difficult but it's still moving, albeit slowly. I just found out I'll only be teaching two sections of Chemistry next year which makes me sad. I'm looking into other school districts but I really wish there was a way they could keep me on full time. Whatever happens, happens and I'll keep hoping for the best. Who knows - maybe one of my Queries will be snatched up and I'll have an entirely different project to work on. It could happen!

T is for Toby

“Are you alright?” Finn asked softly as they followed Justin towards the back of the shop.

“Fine,” Toby said quickly before realizing that it wasn’t Finn’s fault and it was rude to snap at him. He remembered the exchange they had before and decided to see if Finn really could hear his thoughts.

I’m sorry. I just don’t like the fact that all anyone sees anymore is Caspian.

Finn started, nearly tripping over a chair leg as they walked across the store. I... I suppose no one would like being someone they aren’t. But, this is strange. Can you really hear me?

Toby looked back at Finn and nodded. As long as you direct your thoughts to me I can hear them. I’m not sure why you can hear me, though.

Perhaps it has to do with these. Finn gestured to the markings around his neck. The guilt rushed through Toby before he had a chance to block the emotions. He hadn’t meant for Finn to know how uneasy the markings made him feel. They still didn’t know how life would change now that Finn was a bonded soul. Clearly, hearing Toby’s thoughts and feeling his emotions were a part of the bond but how far did it go?

Word Count: 7090

I'm half tempted to include my Teaching Reflections in my Word Count today. If there's one thing that doesn't seem to go away it would be reflecting on my teaching style and writing up paragraphs on top of paragraphs on how I integrate technology in the classroom, not to mention describing what I feel an effective teacher looks like. Again, I am counting the days until summer vacation. It can't come fast enough. It will be lovely when I can sit down and focus on my own writing for more than 20 minute blips during the day.

S is for Shivers

The laughter started then, mean and cruel as he felt hands push him back hard. It wasn’t physical pain but something deeper, more visceral that radiated through him. There was someone else inside of him but where? And how could he have let this happen? He prided himself on being so careful, always on the look out for the wrong sort who were out to hurt him or his brother. He hadn’t realized that the person he had to look out for was inside him all along.

But it wasn’t him. He couldn’t think like that no matter what thoughts were rushing through his mind. Even in his most violent tempers he never considered harming his brother. Finn was the only family he had left and he’d be damned if he let anyone, let alone himself, destroy that. If it wasn’t him, then what was causing him to act like a monster?

The answer came as soon as he opened his mouth. The voice sent shivers down his spine and Gabriel reeled, pulling his own self as far away from the Other as possible. The words that the creature spoke were not his own and for the first time since he was a child Gabe felt real fear. Images ran together and it felt as though he had tried to close his eyes, stop his ears - not wanting to hear or feel anything that was going on. He only just felt the blow to his head, the pain radiating numbly through his body before he slipped happily into the darkness of unconsciousness.

He wasn’t alone. It was in this dark place that he met the Other. He wanted to run, to put as much distance between himself and the creature as possible but chains sprang out of the dark void and wrapped themselves around him. He was trapped in his own mind and no amount of shouting would save him. The creature’s rasping laughter filled the space around him and he could feel hot tears sliding down his face. Gabe had always prided himself on his strength and courage but those failed him now. All he had left was the hope that he wouldn’t be forgotten. That someone would find him and give him the ability to fight back. He latched onto that thought and it kept him from slipping into despair.

He clenched his teeth together, repeating the words that gave him hope over and over again until it drowned out all other sound.

This is my body. This is my mind. I will stop you.

Word Count: 6925

I've finished the prologue and moved back to Chapter 3. I'll need a few more words today to be back on track. I took a bit of a break this past weekend but it was well deserved.

Spring Fever has definitely hit my students. Notes on Chemical Bonds have sent them into giggle fits. It's either excitement for prom (which is this weekend) or information overload. Either way, it's definitely time for summer. I'm ready, they're ready - oh yeah. It's time.

33 days left! (I think that should be my new count down)

R is for Raven

All four races lived together in harmony along with the ancient Wyrms who lived high in the mountains. As time moved on, however, the fickle nature of Taia’s magic soon arose as humans began to view their magic far superior than the creatures around them. Soon war erupted between the god’s chosen, casting each race apart. The races became so engrossed in the fighting that they soon forgot the gods who had blessed them. It was then that a human wizard rose to power and proclaimed himself creator of Eirre and ruler of the Cradle of the Mountains. He declared himself Jax, the one true deity and that all other beings came after him and because of him. He was a cruel leader and his name resulted in waves of panic throughout the four races.

            As Jax’s followers grew in number, the Four gods knew that it was time to act. They met together, speaking for three days and three nights. On the fourth day, it was decided that four individuals from each of the chosen races would be called together. The Raven, the Cat, the Wolf and the Wizard – their names now lost in time – were given a Pearl by the Four gods to act as a perfect vessel in which to bind the wizard. Asen, Ger, Hek and Taia had each sacrificed their own living power to create the Pearl. They would exist as spirits, no longer able to influence the four races directly.

            The four chosen were to make their own sacrifice to trap the false god Jax in the Pearl. The Raven, the Cat, the Wolf and the Wizard would give of themselves to seal Jax, locking him forever in the Pearl. The Cat, the Wolf and the Wizard were willing to follow their gods but at the last moment, the Raven turned away. The seal became imperfect and the three were instantly destroyed leaving only the Pearl, Jax’s corrupted power seeping from the seals, and the Raven.

            The Raven, heartbroken at his own cowardice, took it upon himself to take the Pearl and protect it from any who would seek to claim its power. There the Pearl remains and there the Raven sits.

Word Count: 6522

Last night was opening night for my show, Nunset Boulevard. It was fantastic! My word count suffered but I think my book will forgive me. Last night was just what I needed. After the highly stressful week, being on stage was such a mood booster. I'm looking forward to tonight's performance. It will be a welcome distraction.