10 Point-And-Click Adventures to Play After The Walking Dead

(Image taken from Complex-mag.com)

Hey, guys, check out my new article. It's about point-and-click adventures. You can find it here.

Review: Silver Linings Playbook [The Novel]

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Usually, if you've already seen the movie of something, I don't recommend reading the book. Screenwriters are wise to choose the best and most exciting scenes of every novel, so if you pick up the book later, you'll already know where the story is heading. You may even envision the actors from the film in the roles of the characters in the book, which is never a good thing. You're not getting the full experience.

But Silver Linings Playbook is different. Early on through the book (About page 100 or so), I was honestly going to make the bold statement that the movie was better than the book. The character of the father, played so deftly by Robert DeNiro in the movie, is almost entirely unlikeable in the book. DeNiro made him a character you could sympathize with. Same with the Danny character, played by Chris Tucker in the film. He doesn't appear in true form until toward the end of the book, I really missed him and didn't think he'd be in the book at all, other than as a mention.

But then, the book took wild turns the movie didn't even bother to. Let it be known, you can definitely read the book and see the movie, since they have an entirely different feel to them. The movie, while depressing at parts, never really feels it because of the witty banter and character dynamics that the director, David O. Russell, likes to bring to most of his films. But the book by Matthew Quick, is, while humorous at times, a thoroughly depressing story. It also delves much deeper into Pat Peoples' (The protagonist, played by Bradley Cooper in the film) head, as all good novels do. That said, it doesn't really give much spotlight into the other characters' heads, which is one of the highlights of the film.

So again, they're different. Kind of like One Flew Over the Coockoo's Nest if you've ever read that. The POV changes everything.

So, in conclusion, if you adored the movie as much as I did, then I highly recommend reading the book. Not to compliment the film, but to extend it. It's a very touching story, and a beautiful novel, but one that's nowhere near as upbeat as its film counterpart. Neither is better, and both are fantastic, so you'll definitely like it if you love well-written characters and good stories. Pick it up.



View all my reviews

Review: The Possession [Blu-Ray]

(Image taken from: Cinemablend.com)

Check out my review for The Possession here.

Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. is One of the Worst Reality Shows I've Ever Seen In My Entire Life

(Image taken from: sportsgrid.com)

Lazy. I can't think of any other word for the new TLC show, Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. Oh, and boring. Yeah, that's another word. The show is purely based on the premise that we'll watch it since it stars a disgraced baseball player and his 95% plastic fiance, but that's really all the show has going for it. Even the children seem disinterested, the daughter especially. How did this even become a show?

Honestly, I hate TLC for this very reason. Last night, I expected to see a new episode of Best Funeral Ever so I could see more of the tornado mourn.



But no. Just like with Extreme Cheapskates, I suppose that show will come on when TLC feels like putting it on. So instead of consistently putting on good shows, they've decided to settle on another middling to awful one like this one. TLC, get your priorities straight! You're pissing me off.

Dredd [Blu-Ray] Review

(Image taken from: cinemablend.com)

Dredd is my favorite comic book movie of all time. No lie. Find out why here.

Columbia Pictures Too Ashamed of Shyamalan To Even Mention His Name in The After Earth Trailer

(Image taken from: laineygossip.com)

It seems like Columbia Pictures, the company behind this summer's After Earth, is so ashamed of the director that they got for it that they don't even want to mention his name in their latest trailer. And I don't blame them.

The director in question is M Night Shyamalan, who is a running candidate for worst modern day director right up there with Uwe Boll. Now, that's not to say that I NEVER liked Shyamalan (Come on, The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were legitimately excellent films. Don't front), as we all were once enamored by his twist endings and Hitchcock-lite pacing. But no director has fallen farther from their perch in Hollywood than Shyamalan, and you don't need me to tell you that. Everybody already knows.

That said, when I heard that Shyamalan was given yet ANOTHER chance after directing the bombs that were The Last Airbender, The Crappening, er The Happening, and Lady in the Water (which I actually didn't hate), I was shocked to find that not only was it a big budget picture, but one that also starred Will Smith and his son, Jaden. Hollywood, it appeared, had forgiven Shyamalan for his sins.

Again.

But not so fast. Knowing all about After Earth since I follow movies religiously, when I saw the trailer for it while waiting for Zero Dark Thirty to start, I eagerly anticipated the collective groan of the audience when it concluded with, "Directed by M Night Shyamalan" like I heard when people found out that he wrote, Devil.



But nope, that didn't happen. And you know why? Because they didn't even mention his name at the end of it. Not even for a second. Not only that, but when the trailer ended, they didn't mention anybody who worked on the movie. Not a soul. Check it out below.



I actually sat next to my wife during the trailer, and, knowing that Shyamalan directed it, asked her what she thought about it. She said it looked interesting. When I told her who directed it, she made a face like she just stepped in puke on the theater floor, so I understand why Columbia Pictures wants to keep it a secret. But what I don't know is why they'd take him on in the first place if they know his very name is toxic. Hollywood doesn't normally give second chances. And this would be Shyamalan's, what, fourth? Fifth if you hated The Village, like I did. So what's the deal? Whatever it is, Shyamalan is the luckiest man in Hollywood to keep getting work. Let's just see how this movie does. If it's actually good, well, he still has an uphill climb. But maybe studios wouldn't be so embarrassed to put his name on the trailer. Only time (and Rotten Tomato scores) will tell.