Weekly Writing Update — November 15, 2023

Gandalf the Wizard from Fellowship of the Ring movie: text says: When you come back to finish your story after too long of a break. Text at bottom says: I have no memory of this place.
Image Source: https://www.autocrit.com/blog/12-writing-memes-brighten-monday/

Brandon Sanderson, the bestselling author, has a YouTube channel and one of the pieces of content that he posts to his channel is a short weekly update on the status of his writing projects. I’ve tried to do the same basic idea in the past on the blog, but let it slide because I could never replicate his process exactly . . . and I’m not nearly as consistent as I once was because of finishing the Ph.D. process along with the pandemic and other factors, I’ve moved away from blogging consistently. However, I’ve determined that is/was a bad move in that blogging helps to force me to be creative by making sure that I write creatively on at least a semi-regular schedule (or even, gasp 😱, a regular schedule). So, I’m going back to these weekly writing updates. I may use the same protocol that we use in our departmental meetings where if we’ve nothing to report on that week, we say “nothing to report,” or something similar, so if I’ve not made progress on a specific area from we to the next, don’t be surprised if there is a “nothing to report” or similar wording. The goal of this type of blog is to “encourage” me to focus on my writing as an avocation by cataloging a week’s worth of work (or to put it another way, to help me push forward on my writing goals one small step at a time and recording that journey weekly). I will generally focus on 3 main areas of writing: Short Project(s), Long Project(s), and Scholarly Project(s). There will likely be a 4th area every now and again called, Ideas, but I’m VERY good at generating ideas. For me, success (in writing) is moving a project beyond the idea phase into the drafting phase, finishing it, and get it published. While each “phase” is important (idea, drafting, finishing, submission/publication), I don’t consider a project a “success” until it is published.

Short Project = Project Uplift (Sci-Fi)

This is a project that I started seriously at the end of 2021 and worked on in 2022. I was able to do a rough draft that had 3 sections. When it came time for the working draft, I was only able to complete one section (the 1st section) of about 2500 words. I got stuck about halfway through the 2nd section at about 1500 words and finally put it away. This week, I completed a CHARACTER SKETCH for the main character/protagonist (currently named Vangelis). While the name might change, the character is locked in and should inform the next draft of the story. I did NOT have a character sketch while I was working on the working draft last year and it is possible that is why that draft faltered.

Also did some ruminating on the title. I’m not sure Uplift is the best title. In my story, “uplifting” has a definite meaning, but there is already a sci-fi concept of “uplifting” that is totally different from my usage of the word. I’m afraid editors/readers will confuse the already established use of “uplift” with my unique usage of it. It may be better to change the name of the project, but I’ve not yet come to a decision.

Long Project = Unhallowed Graphic Novel

This one was a bit of a mistake. I started writing two graphic novels based off the recent publications of two of my short stories (i.e., exercising my own copyrights by creating expanded derivative works on the short stories that I’ve already published). The two projects are Unhallowed and Childe Roland. I started Unhallowed, but put it down and started working on Childe Roland as I felt it would be the easiest of the two to adapt and as I’ve not adapted a completed story before/completed a full graphic novel (just one comic book story/issue), I wanted to something to practice with. However, when I grabbed the folders, I inadvertently grabbed the one for Unhallowed rather than Childe Roland. Rather than wait a week to go back and grab the correct folders, I just started on Unhallowed and will work on this one until completion.

I worked on a story map for issue 1 of the graphic novel (“The Warden”). This story map was fairly easy as it is mostly the short story adapted into 28-32 pages of comic book script. The challenge is going to come from mapping out the next 3 issues as I only have a vague idea where the story should go from there. I do want to include the main character’s (Arizona’s) backstory somewhere in the graphic novel, but I’m not quite sure where to put it. Feedback told me that the backstory slowed down the pace of short story, so I took it out. I’m thinking it needs to go in issue 2 or 3, but I’m not sure where to put it so that it doesn’t kill the flow of the story.

Scholarly Work

This week I made sure to complete a 150-250 word abstract for the Call for Papers for the Tennessee Philological Association as the deadline was November 18th. I try to attend their conference yearly–this year’s them is children’s literature–and this year I’d finally read a children’s book that I’d been wanting to purchase for a while now, The Girl with the Silver Eyes, a 1980s book about psychic powers. I created the rough draft for a paper about psychic powers in children’s literature. At the time of reading the book, I was also engrossed in a video game about psychic powers called Scarlet Nexus and I saw several overlapping similarities between the two mediums/stories. I’ve also seen/interacted with other psychic power stories over the years and it will be interesting to continue to develop this idea into a larger article should the conference paper prove viable.

Well that’s all that I have for this week. This was a productive week, and I was able to get a fair amount of writing done. I hope it continues! See you all next week.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (November 2023)

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Publisher, Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest, Finalist in LeVar Burton Reads Origins & Encounters Writing Contest
  • Science Fiction Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed
  • Fantasy Graphic Novel Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Prologue Completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

Movie Review — Smile (2022)

Smile movie poster. A young lady with an evil grin on her face and the title of the move "Smile" in red letters.
Image Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15474916/

Not going to sugar coat it–this is one of the only horror movies that I’ve watched in this past stretch of horror movies (Us, Nope, Meagan among others) that I’ve watched this semester that I did NOT care for. Yes, it had a few “jump scares” that I didn’t really like (I don’t really like “jump scares” in my horror, I’ve discovered, but rather rising tension as things ratchet up out of control). No, what really got to me was that the movie made the same mistake that Pitch Black did, it refused to let the protagonist, well, you know, “protag.”

A Protagonist should “Protag”

Simply put, a protagonist should be allowed to complete a full character arc (i.e., understanding of their inner conflict as it applies to the outer conflict of the story) and have the ending flow from that realization. That’s the short version, but the longer version is the same, just with more verbiage. Essentially, a story is defined when a character has problem that they must solve (external conflict). However, something in their nature usually hinders them in some way (inner conflict). The story ends (is resolved) when the character discovers something (usually a truth about themselves) that allows them to overcome their problem. For instance, Luke Skywalker wants to leave the farm, but feels beholden to his uncle (and feels that the Empire/Rebellion conflict is too big/too far away for him to do anything about it). However, when the inciting event happens and Luke finds himself on an adventure, he must learn to put away his daydreaming and focus on trusting (by faith) on a power (the Force) that he can feel even if Han cannot. It is this faith that is put to the test when Ben tells Luke to turn off his targeting computer and trust in the Force. Luke does so and the rest is history.

This is NOT the case with Smile. No, with this movie, the character has a redemption arc and discovers that the (*spoilers*) “entity” is based around trauma. The “protagonist” faces her trauma and confronts it head on and even apologizes for hurtful behaviors, but it doesn’t matter–the entity still “wins.” So, I ask, what is the point of the story? Why, if the protagonist was ALWAYS going to lose, why did I have to waste nearly two hours of my time watching it? (*spoilers*) The movie had ONE job, to entertain, but because of faulty story construction, it couldn’t even do that.

Dark Doesn’t Equal Mean and/or Clever

When will the writers of “dark endings” (Pitch Black and Smile) learn that “darkness” doesn’t equate to an ending that is supposed to be mean spirited and/or clever. George Lucas, say what you will about the Prequel trilogy, managed to pull off one of the darkest endings for Episode Three. And he was successful with Anakin due to one thing that the characters in Pitch Black/Smile should have had, but didn’t — character flaws.

You see, to earn a dark ending, you need to have a character who has some major flaws. And these flaws have to be exhibited in the story and they are what keep the character from achieving their arc and this is what allows the audience to “buy” (suspend disbelief) for a dark ending. Anakin Skywalker has at least 3 character flaws that I can think of off the top of my head (probably more), but definitely three. 1) He listens to the wrong people, specifically Chancellor Palpatine, rather than Obi Wan or Yoda. Obi Wan is like an older brother and Yoda is like an uncle (sometimes kind and sometimes unyielding, but always with Anakin’s best interests at heart), yet Anakin allows Palpatine to fill his ears with poison agains the Jedi, 2) Anakin is impatient and wants every thing now. He bristles when made a Jedi, but not one of the council, 3) he forms attachments (he secretly marries Padme) and it is fear of losing these attachments that drive him to despair and 4) he has anger inside of him (he slaughters the sand people who stole and killed his mother). Palpatine uses this rage (and his fear) and turns him into a monster. Padme even says, “don’t go where I can’t follow.” Each one of these fatal flaws make it clear that the arc that Anakin is on probably won’t be successful (although, if he could overcome them, he could still find his way to a redemptive arc. And yes, I did find more than three (as figured I would).

Smile doesn’t do this. Rather than showing fatal flaws, it shows a character who does all the requisite things to have a redemptive arc (investigates why this is happening, formulates a strategy, executes the strategy and succeeds)–at least until the plot says she doesn’t and then she’s not successful. Her arc does not in success even though she does everything in her power to make it succeed. The Exorcist is similar in construction, except here, there is a character arc that is redemptive. The young priest must save Regan, a child, from the “entity.” Here, the priest does everything possible, and while it is costly, he succeeds. What happened if he failed and Regan was consigned to suffer the fate for the rest of her life? The movie might not have been nearly as successful. Writers really need to understand that this type of manipulation isn’t clever or new, it’s manipulative. The writer is making the audience care about the character all the while knowing that they aren’t going to fulfill their end of the bargain by giving us a fully completed character arc. When writers create these manipulative endings, they essentially rob the character of the agency to achieve their goals (or fail). No, other characters take over and take the agency from the protagonist. This type of writing/plotting is sort of a reverse Deus Ex Machina story, where they agency isn’t given to some “god” character/outside agency, but rather to some other character or entity in the story, to the detriment or negative of the main character.

I’ve seen it happen this way in too many movies to count, but most especially Pitch Black and now Smile. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I wish I could give this type of movie a 1-star rating as I detest it (and its ilk) so much, but I personally reserve 1-star reviews for something so fundamentally broken or bad that it has few, if any, redeeming qualities. This movie is technically strong (it is a solid Hollywood horror film) so there is some level of competence and technical achievement in the film. However, any good will that the movie had earned with me (which was limited as I felt it relied on too many “jump scares” for my liking), the movie burned away with the last 10 minutes of the movie. After the movie was over, I instantly was filled with regret and wished that I had watched another movie (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) that I’d picked up or the 2nd episode of Lawmen: Bass Reeves as I’d seen the first episode but didn’t get a chance to see the 2nd episode that they’d released. Regret is NOT the emotion that you want to leave your audience after watching the film and that ending . . . woof, that ending. Until the writer of the film (whose name was PROMINENT in the introductory credits) learns that “clever” still means that you have to adhere to certain writing conventions, I’ll be sure to avoid (or at least be more careful with reviews/expectations) next time. If you want a “dark ending,” please Mr. Writer of Smile, remember that’s what character flaws are for. Please don’t have the character spend (waste) two hours of our lives and then yank their agency from them.

Do I feel strongly about this–yes, I do! Time is a resource (just like money) and I’m resentful of the fact that I sat through a movie expecting a protagonist who would have a character arc to have agency only to find out that the outcome was “predetermined” from the moment the screenplay said “Fade In.” That’s a “trick” that the writer pulled and I most certainly feel cheated out of my two hours (1 hour 55 mins) where I could done something else. Or, to put it another way:

Sally from the Peanuts Halloween cartoon in a pumpkin field with Linus screaming "I was robbed!"

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (November 2023)

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Publisher, Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest, Finalist in LeVar Burton Reads Origins & Encounters Writing Contest
  • Science Fiction Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed
  • Fantasy Graphic Novel Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Prologue Completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

Movie Review: Uncharted (2022)

Uncharted Movie Poster -- Main cast staring out into the distance with blue sky, an island, and water as a background.

So, this semester, I’m teaching a movie class (Writing About Film). I’ve developed it around movie genres and for these past two weeks, we’ve been looking at Adaptations. Now, my class is looking at The Last of the Mohicans as there are several different versions of that movie (and the two older versions are free for them through our library’s database). As such, they’ve had the opportunity to investigate adaptions, so I thought I’d also watch an “adapted” film.

Uncharted is a game system that I have followed since its first inception during the beginning of the Playstation 3 era. I remember way back in the 2006/2007 era that Game Informer had done a piece on Naughty Dog’s (the game studio behind the Uncharted franchise) newest work taking advantage of the power of the PS3. I’ve played all the games and enjoyed most of the adventures (the game on the Sony Vita is the only game I never finished). I’ve put countless hours into the game series and franchise. So, I am very much the fan’s fan of the series. So, what did think of the movie.

In a word, meh.

Not My Nathan/Sully

The problem with the movie is that it really isn’t Uncharted. While we’ve discussed in class, the ways in which movies need to change to fit the medium, Uncharted was already a cinematic experience. Really, the only thing needed was to cast actors who fit the characters and craft a strong story that captured the experience of the game while understanding that it would be impossible to replicate the game in movie form. That’s not what happened here, for me. While I generally like both Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg in the roles that they play in other movies, both actors were attempting to play characters who are portrayed in the games as much older than themselves and it just didn’t work for me. Also, they used character traits from other movies/characters that they’ve already appeared in and didn’t disappear into their respective roles. Nathan Fillion was the obvious choice for the role, but any 30 something actor who has good screen presence could have probably done a stronger role for the movie. Sully is similar, as Sully is very “quippy,” but in a good natured sort of way — Wahlberg portrayed Sully in a very “grifter” way — there’s very little of the “father figure” in Wahlberg’s Sully, even though that’s very much evident from Sully and Nate’s interactions/first meeting. We get the feeling in the games that Sully, while definitely NOT a noble character, would probably take a bullet for Nate, if it came to it. There’s NONE of that in the movie — they can’t even trust each other long enough to execute a successful operation to steal a cross (macguffin), let alone being able to trust each other to give their lives for each other. It’s VERY hard to empathize with a grifter character, yet this is EXACTLY what the “Hollywood” execs who made this movie want me to do.

Not My Uncharted Story

Look, I don’t mind story elements being changed or rearranged — if it suits the overall narrative to create something more cohesive for the medium. I thought that Jurassic Part worked even better as a movie than a book because of the laser focus on Grant trying to get the kids through the park as the main plot of the movie versus what I remember to be an extended subplot of Michael Crichton’s book. However, why “Hollywood” denigrates writers so much and refuses to bring in “consultants” from the original writing team on the game (Amy Henning) is beyond me. The story was a hodgepodge of “greatest hits” of the games’ story beats without understanding what made them great and effective.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Even though I’ve mostly ragged on the movie, it’s fine, I guess. It’s competently made and, if you’ve not played the games, you’ll probably think it’s like a hundred other films you’ve already seen in the adventure genre (ALL the Laura Croft/Tombraider movies come to mind). It will likely be 2 stars for those who’ve played the games and enjoyed them in any capacity. This is one of those times where the movie does the Alien 3, Jurassic Park 3, Tombraider: Angel of Darkness, etc. thing of not being true to the characters or the story and expecting audiences to love it anyway because it has the names of the characters and that should be good enough for you. Note to “Hollywood”/”Sony,” yes, you can change things and still be successful (Jaws, Jurassic Park), but those changes must be in service of the story. Just changing them to “update” them, because you have a “hot” star, or because you think the original is too “niche” for “mainstream” audiences isn’t going to work. I know that Sony would rather that I not mention the 2018 Fan film for this franchise, but it bears mentioning: the fans were looking for something that this 2022 film could not deliver, but for 15 minutes, we got something that was at least close. Imagine what the audiences could have gotten if Hollywood could have gotten out of its way (i.e., focused on delivering a movie more in line with the characters, plots, and locations of the games) rather than something that was, essentially, in name only.

Just saying.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (September 2023)

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Publisher, Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest, Finalist in LeVar Burton Reads Origins & Encounters Writing Contest
  • Science Fiction Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed
  • Fantasy Graphic Novel Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Prologue Completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

Movie Review: The Faculty

Poster of several high school students with the words "The Faculty" beneath them in white lettering.
Image Source (and Trailer):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=praQkvivkUE

Wow! I’ve been on a bit of a run of terrible movies lately, and unfortunately, I have to say that the trend (while broken with Megan) was back to its old self this week with The Faculty. I wasn’t going to watch this movie, but because of streaming and wanting to make sure that I get my money’s worth from these (ever increasing monthly subscriptions), I’ve had to start just randomly picking the service that I subscribe to and then randomly picking from a set of movies that looked interesting on the service in order for me to consistently watch movies from week to week. Well, the “RNG Picker” (not AI, at least not yet, just a good ol’ fashion *RND command in web-format) picked this stale biscuit of a movie.

Not All Bad — Liked the Acting/Action

So, this movie is a train wreck, but I won’t eviscerate it completely. There were quite a few young adult actors (late teens/early 20s) who all did a pretty good acting job, including several actors who would go on to do some more important roles. Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett are probably the biggest names from this young cast, but there were several others including actors who were not necessarily big at the time, but who have become household names after this movie was released, such as Robert Patrick, Famke Janssen, and Selma Hayek to name a few. I didn’t really have a problem with the actors in the movie as I found the acting to be mostly okay based on what the script called for in the film. I also liked some of the directing. It was directed by Robert Rodriguez and while I didn’t always love it, I did think there were several shots that were fairly inventive. For instance, I loved the fact that Rodriguez chose to show how the “core” group of teens had become isolated at their school through the use of “close ups” on the eyes. The core group of kids eyeing everyone suspiciously and the rest of the school eyeing them back, knowing that they hadn’t been “turned” yet, was very effective in my opinion and made me sit up and take notice.

Too Cool for School

Unfortunately, the screen story and the script were truly dreadful. The movie was released in 1998 and the original Scream was released in 1996. It was if the writers so Scream and said, that’s a cool concept. Let’s do that, but with aliens instead of the classic “slasher.” It was referential to “alien invasion” movies, going so far as to mention Invasion of the Body Snatchers and plot elements from that book form the basis of the “core” group’s understanding of what to do to “defeat” the invasion. They reference a “queen” (as in Aliens–they even mention “Ripley” in dialogue) and [spoilers] they use a version of the War of the Worlds solution to ultimately defeat the aliens [/spoilers]. I HATED every minute of the screenplay when I couldn’t just focus on the actors. I thought the screenplay tried to do the Scream “thing” way too hard and the dialogue was just off. As someone who has worked in a school setting, faculty don’t call each other by their last names like students do (Mr. Hope/Ms. Coleburn), but rather by first names because they’re colleagues (so, Robert/Lucinda). Nope, that’s not how this screenplay handles it because — the writers have most likely never actually been on the “other side” of the teaching desk.

Creep, Much?

There are some truly “creepy” scenes to go along with the cringe-worthy scenes, and I don’t mean creepy in a good (scary) way. I mean innuendo with a teacher/student relationship at the end of the movie, drug use (even though they are mostly caffeine pills, but it is definitely implied usage), and other pretty creepy ideas/innuendos all through the movie. This is a pretty mean-spirited movie, masquerading its mean spiritedness behind a veneer of “Oh, it’s American high school — it’s just that way” (satire of American high school with a bit of parody as well). While not as awful as Shaun of the Dead, it isn’t that much removed. I’ve not looked at any reviews (if there are any available), but I suspect that critics probably didn’t like it all that much. Whereas Scream seemed inventive, this one just seems, well “creepy.”

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is actually a 2 star movie, that I’m bumping up to three stars based on the number of actors who used this as a stepping stone to actually achieve “stardom.” At least 3 actors (Hartnett, Janssen, and Wood) leveled up their careers after this film. And to see Robert Patrick chewing the scenery was pretty fun as well. However, that’s about the only good time I had. Outside of one really interesting sequence that Rodriguez had using closeups on the eyes, this one was NOT a good time for me. I HAVE to find a way to watch a movie a week, but I can’t face too many more of these pretty bad movies. At least I can say, I watched a film that had X in it before they became famous. That’s about all that I can say as a recommendation for this movie. Don’t do it unless you enjoy the actors/you like seeing the early work of famous actors/directors. This one is definitely not worth the time.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (September 2023)

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Publisher, Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest, Finalist in LeVar Burton Reads Origins & Encounters Writing Contest
  • Science Fiction Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed
  • Fantasy Graphic Novel Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Prologue Completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

Movie Review: Megan (Unrated Version)

Movie poster of Megan (Megan Doll looking out to the audience) with the word "Megan" in a stylized font.
Image Source: https://vocal.media/geeks/megan-2022-movie-review

So, I’m not really into Horror, per se. On the speculative fiction side of things, I’m much more of Science Fiction and Fantasy person. I dabble in the horror genre, but I don’t really delve super deeply into its offerings (at least not traditionally). I prefer the wonder and excitement of a well told science fiction or fantasy yarn, but don’t really enjoy the terror and dread that horror generally affords. However, I’m trying to expand beyond sf and fantasy, so I’ve been opening up myself to more horror works in the past couple of years. Megan is one of those movies that I thought I’d give a try.

Not Truly a Horror Movie

I think one of the things that I like the most about the movie is that it is not truly a “horror” movie, in the sense that it is not intended to terrify and be horrific all the way through. There is actually quite a bit of the movie that is build up and you can see where the escalation is occurring through bad choice after bad choice. Don’t get me wrong, the movie definitely lives up to its trailer and some truly horrific things do happen, especially if you watch the unrated version (essentially the “R” rated cut not shown in theaters which only got the PG-13 cut). However, the movie is a very clever examination of both grief, a child’s response to grief and loss, parenting, and the dangers of creating AI that borders on the edges of sentience. Yes, there are some horrific and scary elements, but it truly doesn’t all really get going until the third act of the movie.

Few Jump Scares

Okay, I’m going to go ahead and say it — I “hate” jump scares, which is probably a reason that I’m not as interested in horror as I am in SF and Fantasy. And to be clear, there are a couple of jump scares in the movie, but not nearly as many as there have been in more recent movies that I’ve had the misfortune to see. This one has a more of an “escalation” of horror as we watch an unintended “good” idea goes horribly off the rails. I think I enjoyed the movie as much as I did because I wasn’t just bracing for the next jump scare, but I could get really invested and involved in the movie. While I knew (from the trailer) that Megan wasn’t going to be the hero of the movie, she is so compelling as a character, I couldn’t help rooting for her and hoping that she wouldn’t go off the rails, even though I knew without a doubt (trailer) that that was going to be Megan’s ultimate fate. An extremely well done story and screenplay, but also well done acting on the part of ALL the performers including the actors (voice and physical) who embodied Megan.

AI — A Timely Look

I like that the movie integrated AI and the idea of grief and parenting into the mix. The AI component added a lot of wonder into the equation, while the examination of grief and what it means to be a parent added depth to the story and, in my mind, elevated the story far beyond just the ordinary. There were a couple of “bathroom” jokes early in the movie, but unlike my disdain for a movie like, Shaun of the Dead, the movie didn’t rely on them, but used them to put you inside the corporate world of children’s toys–in other words, the movie wasn’t trying to be gross, but to make a pointed commentary, and was smart enough to move on once the joke (point) was made. The inclusion of learning AI means that the movie could smartly ratchet up the tension under the guise of Megan’s “learning,” in some ways mimicking the “deviant” behavior of some of the generative AI in real life in the very early days of media coverage.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

If you can’t tell, I liked this one VERY much! I thought that nearly element of the movie was well done — from the smart script, to the incredible acting (sometimes over the top, intentionally so), but by the heartfelt acting of the two leads, and then the two actors (physical and voice) who brought Megan to life. I thought that the commentary on grief and the taking on of parenting by someone suddenly thrust into the role was impressive and I loved this particular iteration of the “AI gone rogue” trope very much! Great movie — well worth my (limited) movie watching time).

Sidney

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (September 2023)

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Publisher, Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest, Finalist in LeVar Burton Reads Origins & Encounters Writing Contest
  • Science Fiction Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed
  • Fantasy Graphic Novel Story (1st Draft)
    Status: Prologue Completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

3rd Worst Movie I’ve Ever Seen = Shaun of the Dead

Image Source: https://www.tvinsider.com/show/shaun-of-the-dead/

So, I’m not the one to slag off on a movie but in this case, I’m going to make an exception. I’ve seen movies that I didn’t enjoy. However, I can say that I really thought that Shaun of the Dead was going to be silly fun after all the praise that it has received. After watching it tonight, I can say that it does not even rise to the level of a “B” movie for me. It is definitely in the “C”/”D” territory and tipped itself over into the “F” category thanks to that “edgy joke” that Mr. Edgar Wright and/or Nick Frost thought was hilarious but one that I found took me out of an already boring movie that I was fast forwarding through even before that racist gaffe (and I never fast forward through a movie).

I Liked the Actors and That’s About It

When I say that I liked the actors, I mean it. I assume that some of the dialogue that they had to spout was intentionally cringing and the delivery was intentionally cringe inducing at times based on the script/material, but overall, I did mostly enjoy the work of the actors. It even had some of my Dr. Who actors (from the New Series) and I liked the work that they did. However, that was about the ONLY thing I liked in this movie. The sets were rough, the screenplay was corny (not this brilliant commentary on modern life that everyone seems to want to make it out to be), the satire was overwrought and had all the subtlety of a gong screaming “look at me, I’m being edgy and clever.” I never fast forward through movies and watch them out completely even when they bore me. Some movies might take multiple days to finish (or in extreme cases, weeks/months), but for me to fast forward through something–well, you know it MUST be bad.

The “N” Word in a British Zombie Satire–Really?

About the last place that I would expect a character to spout the “N” Word would be in a British satirical comedy. I mean, I watch A LOT of British shows (mostly comedies, but I’ve gotten into mysteries as well). I don’t remember Dr Who spouting the N Word, even though they’ve dealt with “racism” in the past. You would never hear Jean Pargeter say such a depraved utterance in the series As Time Goes By. Can you imagine Barnaby (either Tom or John) allow any miscreant (or a Detective Sergeant on the force) in Midsommer Murders to get away with such crassness? Now, from a quick internet search, apparently the movie is filled with “edgy jokes” according to Edgar Wright and this is its “edgiest.”

Mr. Wright, if this is what passes for humor (or humour as our British friends spell it), perhaps you might want to return to “charm” (aka “finishing”) school because, not only was your movie unfunny to an African American film scholar, but it was also crass. I know that Bill Cosby is currently Persona Non Grata due to his conviction, but if you’re going to use the N Word, then I feel it is appropriate to use Fat Albert’s NC (“No Class”) moniker for such a tasteless joke. It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t written in the script or was an actor choice–as director of the movie, Mr. Wright, you are ultimately responsible for the movie and should know better.

"Rudy, you're like school on Saturday." "How am I like school on Saturday?" "No Class!"

Watch a Real Zombie Movie Instead

I would have been incensed by this movie if I weren’t a film scholar and hadn’t already seen George Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead. Not only is the script paper-thin and there are ham-fisted attempts at satire, but there is also the Deus Ex Machina ending in which the army (yes, the literal freaking British Army) saves our remaining protagonists. Puh-leese! At least write a proper ending that figures out how to have the characters save themselves — and to all you who think this is a good movie and wrote reviews praising it, shame on you! How in the world can any movie that has a Deus Ex Machina for an ending receive the critical praise and commercial success as this one. Heck, I rate Jurassic Park 3’s Deus Ex Machina ending better than this one because at least they made it a plot point where they had to recover the satellite phone from the digested excrement of one of the dinosaurs (who ate the Black man who was holding the phone at the time). Yes, JP 3 killed a Black man and turned him into literal excrement, but at least they didn’t add to their sins by throwing the N Word in the mix.

While not the worst rated movie I’ve ever seen, it is definitely in solid 3rd position, behind two other movies which shall, for now, go unnamed. Rest assured, however, I will NOT be giving this one a second viewing. I would rather watch The Dark Knight before watching this one again–and long time readers of the blog know in what contempt I hold that particular movie–there is a review for it on this blog, if you’re interested (fans should probably turn away now). This movie, Shaun of the Dead was such a waste of my time!

Please, I implore ANYONE who is reading this blog post. Go watch George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead instead of SotD if you are looking for 1) a good zombie movie or 2) a good zombie movie with actual satire. I promise you, you’ll thank me when you realize that you don’t have to deal with not one “fart” joke (yes, that’s right–in addition to a Deus Ex Machina ending and the N Word, there are literal “fart” jokes in SotD).

Ugh! How critics and fans rate this one so highly, I’ll never know.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

  • Read Skin Deep (Science Fiction) for Free at Aurora Wolf
  • Read Childe Roland (Fantasy) for Free at Electric Spec

Currently Working On (July 2023): Currently Being Updated

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: Finalist in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award contest
  • Science Fiction Story
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Published!
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Out to Publisher!
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Published!

Sold a Story! Unhallowed by Sidney Blaylock, Jr.

Image Source: https://www.wattpad.com/296700758-fantasy-sub-genre-guide-weird-west (link appears to be nonfunctional)

Hi Everyone!

Sorry that I’ve not posted since before the new year (Happy New Year, by the way), but one of my “unofficial New Year’s resolutions” was to restart the blog/return to writing the blog on a regular/semi-regular basis. I have a block of time that I can use to write this semester, so that is what I’m doing starting today. Of course, it helps when you have big, exciting news to share, so if you haven’t read the title, nor looked at the thumbnail, I sold a story! Woo Hoo!

Unhallowed

The story that I sold was Unhallowed, my “Weird Western” short story. Obviously, I can’t go into a lot of specifics (I do want readers to actually read the story and not be spoiled), but I will be doing an “Author’s Note” blog about it once the story releases (so of a “behind the scenes” look at the creation of the story–similar to what movies and video games do when their products finally release). However, if you’ve been a long time reader of the blog, you’ll know that there is a blog entry where I’ve talked about the general formation of the story.

What’s interesting about this story is that it is the first story that I completed under my new focus on the “Writing Process.” For the majority of my other stories before this one, I just sat down and wrote based on the idea that I had in my mind. For Unhallowed, I actually followed a process (idea formation, character sketch, rough draft, working draft, and revision). I usually “skimp” on the character sketch elements, but this time, I really dove in and created a strong backstory for the main character, Arizona.

Actually, this backstory, while allowing me to create a strong character, actually hindered my selling of the story. I included the backstory in flashback scenes (in italics to set them apart) and put these flashbacks in-between the “main” story narrative (so main story, backstory flashback, main story, back story flashback, main story). However, time and again I was told that the backstory slowed down the action. I think I received that comment from three different editors. I removed the last two very early in the submission process, but it was only after the 3rd editor mentioned that the backstory was slowing everything down that I grudgingly removed the last backstory section.

It sold on the very next submission! Goes to show you that a lot of times revision just comes down to listening to the feedback that you’ve been given and acting on it, even if it is “painful” to hear or goes against what you think/want for the piece.

Underdog Press

I sold Unhallowed to Underdog Press, for their anthology called, Underdogs Rise. I will go into more details about the press when it gets closer to time for the anthology to release, but a lot of people ask (in real life, at least), how they can support me or my work. The easiest answer is to buy a copy of the anthology (or magazine) that my stories appear. As a short story writer, I don’t earn royalties on my works, even if they appear in books like anthologies. For me, it is a one and done transaction. However, I need places to actually send my work to. That can only happen if you support these small presses by buying copies of the books/issues that my stories appear. If people don’t support small presses, then I don’t have anyone to buy my work and then I can’t be able to produce my stories (because if there’s no one to sell to, then what’s the point?).

So, please, Underdog Press is taking preorders on their anthology. You can either place a preorder with them for Underdogs Rise or purchase a copy when it releases, but this is the best way to support me as a writer until I start writing (and selling) novels and other long form work. Your support of the small press doesn’t just help me out, but it helps out all of the writers in this anthology as well. So please, consider preordering or purchasing a copy if you can. You don’t know how much of a help it is to us (non-Stephen King level writers) to have a consistent place to submit work to that we know will be available to us when we finish our next stories.

Thanks so much and have a great day!

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

Currently Working On (December 2022):

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: In Revision
  • Unhallowed (2023 Revision) (Weird Western Story–4100 words)
    Status: Sold! Underdogs Rise Anthology for Underdog Press
  • Science Fiction Story
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Editing (Dissertation Director’s Comments/College of Graduate Studies formatting rules).
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Drafting
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Accepted for Publication (Forthcoming)

Playstation Corner — Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart (PS5)

Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/Ratchet-Clank-Rift-Apart-PlayStation-5/dp/B095T8C99C

Hi Everyone,

I’ll keep this introduction short. Apologies for being away for so long, but I haven’t really had the time (nor the inclination) to blog on a consistent basis in a while. I’m trying to rectify that, so hopefully, I’ll be producing blogs back on a more regular timeframe. However, I just wanted to get a short blog today, just to get my feet wet and get back into the routine so, to speak. So, here goes:

Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart

This is a PS5 game that I bought last year. I played it a little bit last winter and a tiny bit over the summer, but I really was get back into over this past fall and winter to help me through my first semester at my new job, teaching. I really enjoyed the humor and the storyline of the game and the characters were both refreshing and fun. Of course, being a PS5 game, the graphics and the sound in the game is absolutely amazing! However, I always enjoy playing the Ratchet and Clank games due to the fun, Pixar-like humor, along with the inventive weapons. The animations are always so detailed. The go-to response is that it is like playing a Pixar movie, and as the graphics get better and better on these games, I think that is an apt comparison. These games also remind me of some of my favorite childhood sci-fi books as a kid, such as the Dragonfall 5 books and the Norby the Mixed up Robot. Both of these series were a little goofy and not really representative of “real” sci-fi (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.), but were fun nonetheless and that’s what I get from the Ratchet and Clank games.

My Platinum Journey

Longtime readers of the blog (those who are still here at least) know that the “Platinum Trophy” is the highest pinnacle of gaming achievement on the Playstation consoles. It means that you’ve “mastered” the game by finishing the game and then completing all the objectives set forth by the developer by earning “trophies” along the way. Luckily, these trophies weren’t too onerous–there are some games that want you to devote your life and 2 or 3 of your unborn children in order to master them–so I was able to complete them is fairly short order after completing the game. I earned the Platinum Trophy for the game about a couple of days ago or so and this trophy makes my 25th Platinum Trophy.

Image Source: https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2019/12/16/youtuber-breaks-record-by-earning-50-platinum-trophies-in-20-hours/

In Conclusion

While the Playstation 5 is still considered a “hot” item and a bit hard to find (although the situation appears to be improving), I definitely would suggest that anyone who is interested in fun, goofy, humorous sci-fi to pick up this game (no, I’m not sponsored by Sony nor am a “fanboy”). For me, this ticks the same boxes as say, a movie like Toy Story might, as the humor and the inventiveness of the storyline is really pretty cool. While not an origin story, this game is very easy to pick up and understand all the characters and relationships without needing to have played the others. Also, the game is very easy to pick up and play as the game teaches you all the mechanics that you will need to learn. I enjoyed my time with it immensely and hope that it isn’t the end Ratchet and Clank’s adventures.

Have a great day!

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

Currently Working On (December 2022):

Creative

  • The Runner (2022 Revision) (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    Status: In Revision
  • Unhallowed (2023 Revision) (Weird Western Story–4100 words)
    Status: Out to Market
  • Science Fiction Story
    Status: Section 1 of 3 completed

Scholarly 

  • Dissertation Completed
    Status: Editing (Dissertation Director’s Comments/College of Graduate Studies formatting rules).
  • Unnamed Book Chapter
    Status: Drafting
  • Blood on the Shield: African American Trauma in Falcon and the Winter Soldier
    Status: Accepted for Publication (Forthcoming)

I Finished a Book: Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers

Book Cover: A young African American girl walking in between two statues of African American Women with black combs against a starry night sky. The ground is gray and goes into the horizon. A drawing of the author is next to the book cover. Black and White art of an African American woman with thick curly hair, earrings, necklace, and a dark top staring off to the side.
Image Source: https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=e5defb1c-adb2-4126-99af-9a74fb4bf755

So, I have trying to be more conscientious about posting here when I finish various media. My last post, I Finished a Game talked about/gave a review of a game that I recently finished and this post talks about a graphic novel that I finished. It is one that I found at the Chattanooga Public Library and thought I’d give a chance. Normally, this isn’t the type of graphic novel/genre that I read, but as Visiting Scholar of African American Literature at Jacksonville State University last year, and as a (forthcoming) scholar of African American Literature (whenever I finish my dissertation and successfully defend it), I felt that I should go ahead and expand my personal reading outside my normal tastes.

African American Women’s Hair

This is an anthology of stories about the travails of growing up with black hair. There are diverse stories, some seeming autobiographical and deal with children and young adults dealing with what it means to have black hair and all the rites, rituals, and social etiquette that goes along with it. It also has stories that deal with growing up (young adults and college age people) with some of the trials and tribulations associated with black hair, especially when dealing with attitudes of others outside of the black community. African American hair, especially for women, is particularly important at the moment. Will Smith, unfortunately, was goaded into a particularly garish moment at 2022 Oscar Award ceremony due to tactless joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss by Chris Rock. As so many online have pointed out, Jada has been upfront about her struggles with Alopecia, which has caused her to lose her hair. While I won’t way in on the debate (other than to say I think both Will and Chris were wrong and this the classic “two wrongs don’t make a right situation”), I will say that this is an important topic to discuss and I feel that the graphic novel format was pretty strong.

The Art

My major problem with the graphic novel came from the art style. I know 1) art is subjective and 2) there is a “style” of art that seems to be pretty common to graphic novel autobiographies/semi-autobiographies. I first encountered it when my medical doctor let me borrow one of his graphic novels from Harvey Pekar. I didn’t like the art style there and I can’t say that I liked it any better here. I’m just not a fan of the R. Crumb style of artwork that seems to be employed by so many. Now, I would argue that Ebony Flowers artwork isn’t nearly as complex as Pekar and Crumb and utilizes more line work than “over-inking” that I associate with those other authors, but the effect is the same. For me, artwork draws me into a story, but Flowers artwork, just like that of most modern autobiographical graphic novelists, either keeps me at arms length or actively pushes me away. I have to say, even knowing the importance of “hair” in the African American community and being African American (male) myself, this one was a bit of a slog.

Overral Rating

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This one just wasn’t my (personal) cup of tea. I would definitely assign it in a class (Contemp. African American Literature or some sort of Graphic Novel class). I also feel that it would do well in my personal classroom library as a 6th E.L.A teacher (English/Language Arts) teacher. I feel like the girls in a 6th grade class would have really gravitated to this graphic novel and it would have been highly checked out and read by the young ladies in the class.

However, for me personally, it just didn’t have the resonance that I was looking for in a graphic novel (unlike Shadow Rock by Robert Love). Now, admittedly, Shadow Rock is much more of an action adventure in the style of an African American Goonies, but still, the artwork really helped me to get invested in the characters and enjoy the story. I’m afraid that, for me, that didn’t happen with Hot Comb.

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

Currently Working On (August 2022):

  • The Runner (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    2022 Revision; Out to Market.
  • Unhallowed (Weird Western Story–4100 words)
    2022 Revision: Completed; Out to Market.
  • Citizen X (Alternate History Science Fiction Story)
    Status: Drafting–1300 words (approx)

Scholarly

  • Dissertation Chapter 3 (Video Games, Empathy, Afrofuturism)
    Status: Drafting–6800 words (approx)

I Finished a Game: Outriders

image with three humans with sci-fi weapons and powers against an orange and purple background.
Image Source: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/outriders

I’m sorry for the continued absence on the blog–there are many reasons for this, but I’m not going to go into that for now. I’m just going to write. Something that I do a ton of now, but I just keep seeming to spin my wheels and get nowhere. At least, when I finish a blog entry and post it, I get to have some satisfaction of finishing a topic and moving on to the next one, something that I don’t seem to do well with these days.

Anyway, today I just want to talk about a game I finished a couple of days ago: Outriders by the developer People Can Fly and published by Square Enix. I was drawn to this game because of its initial trailer several years ago at the Video Game Awards hosted by Geoff Keighley. I had envisioned my own (very different) project with that name, so that caught my attention. Also, from all appearances, it appeared to be a 3rd person version of Destiny, with a mystery about a mysterious force called the Anomaly. I was intrigued by this game and I made sure to try it out. Having finished it a couple of days ago, this will be both an impression of the game as well as a “review” of it.

Anomaly

I won’t go too deep into the story as it is something that you can find out just by reading any coverage on the game or watching the trailer. Basically, you play as an “Outrider” (someone who has special skills and is tasked with finding potential landing sites for colonists–think “Pathfinder” from Mass Effect Andromeda). Something goes awry (The Anomaly) and things take a turn for the worst. That’s where you come in after this initial set-up. Again, I’m skipping many things in the story, but essentially that’s the gist of it. The story, after a strong set-up for the Anomaly and all that it does, fizzles at the end. Don’t get me wrong, the set-up is great, but a lot like many stories today (Millennials/Gen Z learning “story” from Lost/JJ Abrams and company?) the set-up completely falls apart (in my opinion) in the resolution phase. I won’t go into spoilers (I really wish that WordPress had a reliable and easy *spoiler* tag), but to say there is a fair bit of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to the resolution of the story would not be too far from the mark. I really dislike it when creators set up this insane “mystery” and then fail to deliver on an equally insane (but totally plausible) resolution. Quick digression (/digression on): I see this is in more and more media (TV, movies, games, even some comics/graphic novels) and I have to wonder if this really is a “Lost” phenomenon. To me, there’s no point in creating an “insane” mystery if you can’t deliver on an “insane” answer because it just leads to disappointment with the ending of the story(/digression off).

Game Mechanics

character item screen, showing the character, their items (guns, armors) and damage dealing capabilities.
Image Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/05/21/square-enix-says-outriders-is-a-hit-and-its-next-big-franchise/?sh=715b9529700a

For me, this was the saving grace of the game. As a 3rd person shooter, I felt it was above average in most instances. It was tight enough that I didn’t have to worry about aiming and being too inaccurate and the shooting felt good. While it advertised being available for three (3) players, I prefer solo games, and was able to do the entire game solo.

It used “difficulty tiers” so that you could customize your difficulty experience. If you wanted to make it rock hard and unforgiving (SoulsBorn people), you could, or if you wanted an easier, less demanding session, you could do that as well. I played it at a middle-ish difficulty, on the lower end and it was challenging enough there.

The secret is to choose and use the powers that match your play style (along with your Outrider’s class) and to maximize your equipment. As a 3rd person “looter-shooter,” the game forces you to constantly upgrade your gear and equip skills and powers in order to stay competitive, especially as you move to higher difficulty levels.

I’ve found I have a fondness for this, so even though the “grind” is sometimes repetitive, I personally didn’t mind as long as I was getting cool new gear. The legendary drop rate for items is probably a little too low at lower levels and even though I’ve read about Apocalypse Gear online, I’m not sure if that’s a thing because I’ve not yet gotten any even though I’ve done several Expeditions (endgame content).

Overall Rating and Conclusion (B)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is one of those games that I ultimately liked and was glad that I played. While its story is more like Destiny, it plays more like Tom Clancy’s The Division (1 & 2), and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon games. Unless done wrong/very badly, I tend to like those type of games (3rd person shooter, with RPG progression elements, and tons of gear/loot to change out to make your character better and more effective in combat. I had thought I’d spend more time in the endgame (Expeditions), but realized that it would just be a “time-sink” for me and that the time would be better spent playing other games on my backlog (free time). I did not get the Platinum trophy (100% of the trophies for the game). I ended up at about 56% when the credits rolled. However, they have a new endgame DLC called Worldslayer and I may revisit the game and purchase the DLC next year, when 1) I have more time (finished my dissertation), 2) the DLC is cheaper, and 3) when I’ve cleared some other games from my backlog. The only real disappointment for me about the game was the resolution of the story. The “hook” promised to be something extraordinary, but the resolution was something that was quite ordinary indeed, and really kept me from giving it five (stars) all around.

I hope you have a great day and if you’re into 3rd person looter shooters, you might want to give this one a try–as long as you’re not looking for an “amazeballs” story!

Sidney

Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

Currently Working On (June 2022):

  • The Runner (Fantasy Story–4100 words)
    2022 Revision; Out to Market.
  • Unhallowed (Weird Western Story–4100 words)
    2022 Revision: Completed; Out to Market.
  • Citizen X (Alternate History Science Fiction Story)
    Status: Drafting–1300 words (approx)

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