The dream
Was of flying and sometimes
Of crumbling teeth, falling
Like tumbling towers;
A world destroyed.
Freud would have a field day ...
I dreamed of home.
The time before adulthood –
It was time to grow up.
My adult mind remembers the lack
Of responsibility
Yet it still cries out for freedom ...
Now I fly again in dreams:
A supernatural with lead wings,
The enemy almost reaching up
High enough with grabbing claws
As I swoop away.
The old adage that signifies a need to run ...
Children in a classroom,
Not doing what they should
This, at least, I can equate to reality.
The day job. Life.
Fear of losing control.
It’s all so obvious I’m stressed ...
And so, the dream makes my
Perplexed and anxious mind
Create stories, bizarre and confused.
This, to relieve the
strain of thinking.
Or so we are told ...
By
Sam Stone
Monday, 25 May 2009
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Star Trek
Yesterday I went to see the new Star Trek film.
Well, this is the deal ... killer special effects but that didn't necessarily mean that this would be a good film. What it did mean though was that an incredibly well written script was supported by a huge budget. The effect was electric.
The Plot
Opening up immediately into action, we quickly learn that the USS Kelvin is in danger from a Romulan ship. On board is a brilliantly cast and likeable captain played by Faran Tahir and his second in command is George Kirk - soon to be father of James T Kirk. The Romulan Captain, Nero (Eric Bana), is on a vengence mission and looking for Spock. He rapidly disables the Kelvin, murders the captain and leaves George Kirk in charge. Kirk begins a rapid evacuation and then the worst happens. The Romulans fire again and the autopilot is damaged. Kirk realises he has to sacrifice his life in order to save the crew, his wife and his unborn child.
We were less than ten minutes in, and - I admit - I cried my eyes out as George Kirk died soon after his wife gave birth. And that is saying something. I really don't cry easily at films. But what the director had achieved here, in conjunction with the writer, was an incredibily believable and likeable crew, which was also extremely well cast. All credit must go to them. They established the characters so well and so quickly, you'd have to be inhuman not to be emotionally engaged.
From then on, it was one long thrill after another. The plot was never sacrificed for action (which often happens with modern films). I was on the edge of my seat all the way through. It blew me away so much that I didn't even mind the obvious paradox of both Spocks being in the same time and place later on.
Fans of the original Star Trek series (like myself) will love the humour and use of the typical character taglines all the way through. Sulu gets to fence, Scottie gets to say 'Dilithium' and Spock gets a 'Live long and prosper'.
Cast
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
I would never have thought in a million years that I'd actually accept anyone else as Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Chekov and Zulu ... never mind Simon Pegg as Scotty! That really was a surprise (and he lived the part too!)
Zachary Quinto (Heroes' villian, Sylar) was so completely Spock that I completely forgot he used to laser people's brains out in Heroes.
Chris Pine as Kirk? Oh yes! It certainly worked for me.
And the rest of the cast gelled so perfectly that I didn't even think about the original crew until later. Of course it was really great to see Scotty 'beam' people up and tell us that he 'cannie' get more out of the engines, when we all knew he would. But even that element of predictability was great.
Overall - 10/10 from me. An absolutely amazing and entertaining film.
Well, this is the deal ... killer special effects but that didn't necessarily mean that this would be a good film. What it did mean though was that an incredibly well written script was supported by a huge budget. The effect was electric.
The Plot
Opening up immediately into action, we quickly learn that the USS Kelvin is in danger from a Romulan ship. On board is a brilliantly cast and likeable captain played by Faran Tahir and his second in command is George Kirk - soon to be father of James T Kirk. The Romulan Captain, Nero (Eric Bana), is on a vengence mission and looking for Spock. He rapidly disables the Kelvin, murders the captain and leaves George Kirk in charge. Kirk begins a rapid evacuation and then the worst happens. The Romulans fire again and the autopilot is damaged. Kirk realises he has to sacrifice his life in order to save the crew, his wife and his unborn child.
We were less than ten minutes in, and - I admit - I cried my eyes out as George Kirk died soon after his wife gave birth. And that is saying something. I really don't cry easily at films. But what the director had achieved here, in conjunction with the writer, was an incredibily believable and likeable crew, which was also extremely well cast. All credit must go to them. They established the characters so well and so quickly, you'd have to be inhuman not to be emotionally engaged.
From then on, it was one long thrill after another. The plot was never sacrificed for action (which often happens with modern films). I was on the edge of my seat all the way through. It blew me away so much that I didn't even mind the obvious paradox of both Spocks being in the same time and place later on.
Fans of the original Star Trek series (like myself) will love the humour and use of the typical character taglines all the way through. Sulu gets to fence, Scottie gets to say 'Dilithium' and Spock gets a 'Live long and prosper'.
Cast
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
I would never have thought in a million years that I'd actually accept anyone else as Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Chekov and Zulu ... never mind Simon Pegg as Scotty! That really was a surprise (and he lived the part too!)
Zachary Quinto (Heroes' villian, Sylar) was so completely Spock that I completely forgot he used to laser people's brains out in Heroes.
Chris Pine as Kirk? Oh yes! It certainly worked for me.
And the rest of the cast gelled so perfectly that I didn't even think about the original crew until later. Of course it was really great to see Scotty 'beam' people up and tell us that he 'cannie' get more out of the engines, when we all knew he would. But even that element of predictability was great.
Overall - 10/10 from me. An absolutely amazing and entertaining film.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Waterstones signing Futile Flame
Date for your diary...Futile Flame(The Vampire Gene Book II) will be available on July 11th 2009
at
Waterstones
Level 1, 142 Mill Gate Shopping Centre, Town Centre, Bury
Tel: 0161 764 2642
Copies of Killing Kiss will also be on sale so don't worry if you haven't managed to buy a copy yet.
I'll be there from 2.30pm - 3.30pm to sign any copies you purchase on the day.
Hope to see you there!
Sam x
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