"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Monday, July 13, 2020

Inklings // July 2020: The Silver Chair

Hello, all my readers!

The first "blogging event" that I participated in, was a monthly link up called Inkling Explorations. It was hosted by Heidi, and this is how it worked: Each month she would have a prompt and bloggers could join in talking about their favorite scene from a book or movie that involved that. I participated in July 2016, August 2016, and September 2016. After that, Heidi stopped doing them.

Well, my exciting news for today is that Heidi has started them up on her blog Along the Brandywine! I am so pumped to be joining again!

July 2020's prompt: A scene on the edge of a cliff

Naturally, I'll be talking about one of the books from my favorite series, The Chronicles of Narnia! This excerpt (copied exactly from my edition) is from book 4, The Silver Chair. I love this book, and in fact, it is the only book that I have read three times! Enjoy this scene!
Note: There aren't spoilers here, as the scene I am putting happens in the first chapter, but you'll probably be very confused if you haven't read the pages that come before this.


'Right ahead there were no trees; only blue sky. They went straight on without speaking till suddenly Jill heard Scrubb say, "Look out!" and felt herself jerked back. They were at the very edge of a cliff.
Jill was one of those lucky people who have a good head for heights. She didn't mind in the least standing on the edge of a precipice. She was rather annoyed with Scrubb for pulling her back---"just as if I was a kid," she said---and she wrenched her hand out of his. When she saw how very white he had turned, she despised him.
"What's the matter?" she said. And to show that she was not afraid she stood very near the edge indeed; in fact, a good deal nearer than even she liked. Then she looked down.
She now realized that Scrubb had some excuse for looking white, for no cliff in out world is to be compared with this. Imagine yourself at the top of the very hightest cliff you know. And imagine yourself looking down to the very bottom. And them imagine that the precipice goes on below that, as far again, ten times as far, twenty times as far. And when you've looked down all that distance imagine little white things that might, at first glance, be mistaken for sheep, but presently you realise that they are clouds---not little wreathes of mist but the enormous white, puffy clouds which are themselves as big as most mountains. And at last, in between those clouds, you get your first glimpse of the real bottom, so far away that you can't make out whether it's field or wood, or land of water: further below those clouds than you are above them.
Jill stared at it. Then she thought the perhaps, after all, she would step back a foot or so from the edge; but she didn't like to for fear of what Scrubb would think. Then she suddenly decided that she didn't care what he thought, and that she would jolly well get away from that horrible edge and never laugh at anyone for not liking heights again. But when she tried to move, she found she couldn't. Her legs seemed to have turned into putty. Everything was swimming before her eyes.
"What are you doing, Pole? Come back---blithering little idiot!" shouted Scrubb. But his voice seemed to be coming from a long way off. She felt him grabbing at her. But by now she had no control over her own arms and legs. There was a moment's struggling on the cliff edge. Jill was too frightened and dizzy to know quite what she was doing, but two things she remembered as long as she lived (they often came back to her in dreams). One was that she had wrenched herself free of Scrubb's clutches; the other was that, at the same moment, Scrubb himself, with a terrified scream, had lost his balance and gone hurtling to the depths.
Fortunately she was given no time to think over what she had done. Some huge, brightly coloured animal had rushed to the edge of the cliff. It was lying down, leaning over, and (this was the odd thing) blowing. Not roaring or snorting but just blowing from its wide-opened mouth; blowing out as steadily as a vacuum cleaner sucks in. Jill was lying so close to the creature that she could feel the breath vibrating steadily through its body. She was lying still beacuse she couldn't get up. She was nearly fainting: indeed, she wished she could really faint, but faints don't come for the asking. At last she saw, far away below her, a tiny black speck floating away from the cliff and slightly upwards. As it rose, it also got further away. By the time it was nearly on a level with the cliff top it was so far off that she lost sight of it. It was obviously moving away from them at a great speed. Jill couldn't help thinking that the creature at her side was blowing it away.
So she turned and looked at the creature. It was a lion.'
Source: Art by jet097
Found on Pinterest


There you have it! You'll have to read the book to find out what happens!
Heidi will link up eveyone's posts at the end of the month, so be sure to keep an eye out HERE.

Readers, what are your thoughts on The Silver Chair, the fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia (some say it is the sixth, but nope, don't read them that way)? Are you more like Jill or Eustace when it comes to heights? Thanks for reading, and stay safe and healthy!

MovieCritic

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Movie Review: Port of New York (1949)

Greetings, all!

I like to be "organized" by reviewing books or movies on special occasions. Birthdays are one of those special times! Today, July 11th, would have been the 100th birthday of actor Yul Brynner! Because of this I watched a new movie of his (his first, actually), and am going to review it for you now. Enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Port of New York (1949):
A narrator opens telling about the port of New York, and how all the people who work there have to check for contraband items. This film is about one of the hardest cases where a very dangerous supply went missing. Detectives Flannery and Walters have to figure out who did it and find the goods before it is too late. With a crime empire rising, will they be able to stop who is in charge?
"We're really starting from scratch on this one, finding a guy that looks like ten thousand other guys."
Genre: Fiction, Film Noir, Crime.
Length: approx. 81 minutes.
Costumes: 7, no comment from me here, as they are just standard.
Script: 10, no bad words.
"You're also developing the irritating habit of not minding your own business."
Crew: Directed by: László Benedek. Written by: Eugene Ling, Arthur A. Ross, & Bert Murray.
Starring:
Richard Rober as Jim Flannery.
Scott Brady as Mickey Waters.
Yul Brynner as Paul Vicola.
K.T. Stevens as Miss Toni Cardell.
Arthur Blake as Dolly Carney.
Lynne Carter as Lili Long.
Chet Huntley as the narrator.
John Kellogg as Lenny.
William Challee as Leo Stasser.
Cinematography: 7, Film Noir is famous for its outstanding cinematography, but this one didn't have anything that caught my eye.
Cinematography by: George E. Diskant.
Music: 7, it was the usual intense in places, but nothing remarkable.
Music by: Sol Kaplan.
Quotes: N/A, as I just watched it today and don't know how much I'll quote it in the future. I'm guessing about a 7 here.
Content: 8, there is murder, fighting, and drug dealing, but all of it is shown as bad, and they are trying to stop the people who did it. There is also some smoking.
Originality: 6, I don't watch a lot of Noir because I don't often get the chance, but there wasn't anything new and exciting in this one. I just felt neutral the whole way through.
Good For: Noir fans, Yul Brynner fans.
Age Range: Though I mentioned the killing and fighting, it isn't gruesome, so any age could watch this. I will bet you that most would be bored with it, though, unless they really like the genre.
Overall Score: 7.
Bonus thoughts:
Well, as you can see, this movie didn't enthrall me, to say the least. I actually watched it while doing the dishes. A part that I thought was really relevant to today is that the smuggled items were some drugs and bacteria that was going to a hospital. When it got into the wrong hands it was said, "Bacteria to start a plague of violence and misery..." Right now we are going through a plague, and I was surprised to see it in there.
His first time!
But, I am glad that I watched it! Why? Yul Brynner! I've only seen a few of his movies, but I really liked his performance in it! I'm not used to seeing him as the antagonist, but he did such a good job, and in his first film, too! It was very strange to see him without his trademark shaved head, because he hadn't started doing that yet.
Yul in The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Why did I choose this film for today, his 100th birthday? At first I wanted to talk about The Magnificent Seven (1960), which is my favorite role of his, but I decided to save that for another day. When planning this month's blogging schedule out I realized that it is #CleanMovieMonth2020, hosted by Pure Entertainment Preservation Society!
I talked more about how I'm doing it HERE, but the quick run down is this: The challenge is to only watch American movies made from 1934-1954 in July. This film is the only one that Yul Brynner made in those years, so that is why I chose it! Once again, his performance was really great, just like all the other films that I've seen him in. I look forward to all the ones that I haven't seen yet!


There you have it! Even though Mr. Brynner isn't alive anymore, I wish him a happy birthday!

Thanks for reading! Tell me your favorite Yul Brynner movie, or if you've seen any Film Noir!

MovieCritic

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Ships, Secrets, and Survivors - by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George: COVER REVEAL!!!

Hello!

I know that I have been doing a lot of cover reveals lately, but this year so many awesome books are coming out! I am so excited for all of them. Today's cover reveal special is:

Ships, Secrets, and Survivors - by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George 
(Book 1 in the Pirate Hunter Chronicles)

I am really pumped for this one because I had a chance to beta read it and it is EPIC.
Start your scrolling!


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Well, what are you waiting for? How are you not at the bottom of this page already?

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Just joking! I know that I am the one in charge. Heehee. Soon now, I promise!

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Dun dun dun!:

An assassin trainee fleeing his profession.

A princess risking her reputation.

A talking ship with a mad captain.

Ravin should be dead. No one forsakes the assassin profession and lives. Attempting to evade capture and certain death, Ravin hides on a ship as part of the crew. Then his name is announced on Selection Day for the annual Scaera Dumeda, despite him never taking the entry test, declaring to the entire world—and the assassins hunting him for revenge—that he is alive.

Princess Adima Radi Kashinda dreams of more than someday ruling Antovan. She desires to make a true difference for her people. When her name is called on Selection Day, she throws away her title, despite the uncertain future ahead. This may be the opportunity she hoped for.

When some of the other selectees are murdered, Ravin and Adi are among the suspects. With the help of Ravin’s captain and crew, they sail away to hunt down the killer and clear their names. Can they catch the murderer when he always seems to be at least one step ahead?



Release date:

August 25th, 2020


Where to get it:



About the authors:

Sarah Rodecker and Helena George have done countless crazy things together since they first met in 2005. One such thing was write Ships, Secrets, and Survivors on a dare. It went so well, they decided to expand it into a series and publish it together.

Find them on:
Sarah's blog: HERE
Helena's blog: HERE

To sign up for The Pirate Hunter Chronicles newsletter, go HERE.



Yes, there is more! If you preorder you could get these goodies:

Physical (US only):
A bookmark
A sea dragon sticker
A map of the Red Wind
Tea

Virtual (open Internationally):
A PDF of Fearless, a Pirate Hunter Novella
And a phone wallpaper

Check that out HERE.



Well, thanks for reading! Do you love this cover as much as I do? Stay safe and healthy!

MovieCritic

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Movie Review: The Dark Mirror (1946)

Hello, everybody!

It is so fun to watch actors and actresses in different roles. You can compare the characters to each other and see how wide a range the actor or actress can play. Today I'm going to review a movie where an actress played TWO roles! That actress is the fabulous Olivia de Havilland who is turning 104 today!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


The Dark Mirror (1946):
Dr. Frank Peralta was murdered and two people undoubtably saw Miss Collins with him that night. Police Lt. Stevenson talks to her, but she has a solid alibi where three people saw her miles away at the same time. Lt. Stevenson is trying to get more information out of her when he learns that she is an identical twin! He knows that one of them committed the murder and one was out walking in the park, but they refuse to tell him who was where! And it's impossible to tell the difference between them. He gets a twin specialist to try to figure it out without either of them knowing what he is up to. Which girl did it, and more importantly, why?
'"What am I supposed to say to that?"
"I'm just waiting to see."'
Genre: Mystery, Drama, Film noir.
Length: approx. 85 minutes.
Costumes: 9, they weren't magnificent, but I really liked the way they really incorporated the clothes with the girls same outfits as opposed to when they have a T and an R on their jackets.
Script: 10, no bad words!
"For a policeman you sure spend a lot of time thinking about love."
Crew: Directed by: Robert Siodmak. Written by: Nunnally Johnson & Vladimir Pozner.
Starring:
Olivia de Havilland as Terry Collins & Ruth Collins.
Lew Ayres as Dr. Scott Elliott.
Thomas Mitchell as Police Lt. Stevenson.
Richard Long as Rusty.
Charles Evans as Dist. Atty. Girard.
Gary Owen as Franklin.
Lester Allen as George Benson.
Lela Bliss as Mrs. Didriksen.
Cinematography: 10, ah, black and white is so cool. There is such an awesome element here of Olivia de Havilland playing both of the girls, so the had to film twice and merge the two together. I could spot several of the transitions. As you would suspect from the title, the use of mirrors was fantastic!
Cinematography by: Milton Krasner.
Music: 7, it helped build the suspense and tension really well, but even though I just saw it this morning I can't think of what it was.
Music by: Dimitri Tiomkin.
"I don't get it, I just don't get it. It doesn't make anymore sense to me than Chinese music."
Quotes: N/A, I just watched this movie this morning, so I don't know how often I'll quote it, yet. I wouldn't suspect that I'd do it a lot.
"You know, there ought to be a state law against the sale of gloves to murderers."
Content: 8, there is murder and manipulation, but it is shown as being wrong. There is also a bit of smoking, but I think that's it!
Originality: 9, movies where there are twins are rare, so I love it! The plot was very original.
Good For: fans of Olivia de Havilland, mystery and film noir lovers.
Age Range: It is very clean, but I think the ages here are old based on the story. It seems that younger viewers just wouldn't be interested! I thought it was great, but it might be boring for a 12 year old.
Overall Score: 8.5!


This is my entry in Charity of The Sacred in the Secular's Olivia de Havilland Blogathon! As I said above, she is 104 today! That is amazing.
I loved seeing her play two characters in this! At the beginning it was hard to tell them apart, as it is meant, and I'm sure with a rewatch I would nail it, but at the ending the development was so vivid. Just subtle parts were so important. Ah, so good. I don't watch a lot of thriller or suspense movies, but this was good. I guessed what was going to happen at the end seconds before it did happen, but I'm still thoroughly satisfied with it. It shows how terrible manipulation is, and the difference in personalities.

Thanks to Charity for giving me an excuse to watch this! Check out the other entries HERE.


Thanks to all of you for reading! Happy Birthday, Olivia de Havilland! Readers, tell me your favorite of her roles!

MovieCritic
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles