Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

When five people in the course of a week recommend a book, you better listen and buy it right away! This was the case for me.

Five of my friends raved about Gillian Flynn's new book, Gone Girl. It is an incredibly suspenseful thriller that is sure to keep you up all night, flicking through pages in rapt astonishment!

It is about a woman who has gone missing and her husband who is suspected of killing her. You will be amazed at how well done this story is. It is told from the husband, Nick's, point of view and through Ann's diary entries. You think you know how this will end. I guarantee you, you don't!

Trust me, this story, set in three riveting parts, is remarkable. You haven't read a book this twisted before. I will be picking up her other books ASAP. Sharp Objects and Dark Places are sampled at the end of Gone Girl, and I am already hooked.

This makes me wonder, should I be writing mysteries too? Well, Where's Katie and Dark Lake, my latest short stories are mixtures of horror and mystery. Dark Lake is up now and Where's Katie will be posted after the contest. Check out Dark Lake on my writing site. Http://www.Knlee.net

                                     

Anna Karenina!

Tolstoy's Anna Karenina has been revamped by director Joe Wright, and the result is incredibly intoxicating. Starring Hollywoods favorite period piece leading lady, Keira Knightly as Anna Karenina, Jude Law as her husband, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Vronsky, this movie is guaranteed to intrigue.

The cinematography was breathtaking. From the very first scene of the movie, the audience is pleasantly surprised by the excellent set which is constantly changing as if the movie took place on the stage. You go from one beautiful scene to the next with expert choreography. The actors move as if they are in an dance of some sort. It is both interesting and breathtaking in some scenes. Some may feel that this is distracting from the story, but I found it remarkably well done.

Now, the acting was also impeccable. Keira Knightly was a divine treat. She was able to convey her hesitation to fall for Vronsky, her love and passion for him, and her smothering feelings of misery with expert modesty. Her face can depict each emotion with such subtlety that the audience is left captivated.

Jude Law is also a treat. His muted personality and display of restraint in the face of betrayal is unnerving. He is wonderful and really captures the essence of that character. He really is a saint.

Now, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is adorable, yes, but he is not Vronsky. The only case of miscasting in this movie. Not only was it the ridiculous mustache but the very way he carried himself throughout the movie. It was painfully apparent that he was trying way too hard to be this character. We can kind of let this slide by, because of the superb acting of the rest of the cast.

Kelly MacDonald was lovely and had some of the best lines. Matthew MacFadyen was ridiculous in an excellent way! Emily Watson was a delight as well as a few surprise Downton Abbey appearances. Hello Mary Crawley!

It must also be noted that the parallel love story of Constantine Levi, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter) and his pure love for Kitty is a breath of fresh air.

If you have an adult attention span and an appreciation for classic literature and stupendous acting, then you will love this movie. It is a treat to the mind and the eye. Check it out in select theaters now, or wait until it is released on DVD. Either way, it is a must see!

This week in movies!

As we begin the race to Christmas and all of the wonderful movies that will be released let's go over what Hollywood has in store for us!

This week I will be reviewing the new rendition of Anna Karenina, Rise of the Guardians, and Lincoln! Hooray, The Hobbit is coming soon and I already have my ticket for its midnight release!

We can look forward to Django Unchained (Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Christophe Waltz), The Impossible (Naomi Watts and Ewan Mcgreggor), Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), and Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away!

Of course Les Miserables is coming soon as well! Very excited. Stay tuned!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt=The new Batman

Rumors claim that the amazing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played Robin in the new Dark Knight Rises, will portray Batman in the 2015 Justice League! Who is excited?!

I think he is an excellent choice and would love to see him put on the bat suit! However, there is a possibility that this rumor was leaked to promote sales of the blue ray/DVD release of The Dark Knight Rises. Hmm... cruel joke if it is just a publicity stunt. What do you think?

Best Teen/Chick Dramas...Thank you Netflix!

Teen/Chick Shows:

1. Gossip Girl
2. Revenge
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Pretty Little Liars
5. Heart of Dixie
6. Desperate Housewives
7. Make it or Break It
8. Jane By Design, a new favorite!

Hello Netflix! Top Drama Shows

This category is a little tricky, there are a few shows on here that can also be considered comedies, crime dramas, and mysteries.

Drama:

1. Mad Men
2. Breaking Bad
3. Sons of Anarchy
4. Damages
5. Sherlock Holmes 
6. Lie to Me
7. Revenge
8. White Collar (It's also pretty funny)
9. Weeds
10. Law And Order: SVU
11. Law And Order: Criminal Intent (Only the ones with Vincent! He is my favorite!)
12. Vera
13. Inspector Lewis
14. MI5
15. Nikita

Hello Netflix! Top Comedy Shows

Comedy:

1. The Office
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. Glee
4. Rules of Engagement
5. Raising Hope
6. Frasier (Classic)
7. 30 Rock
8. Freaks And Geeks (Check out Seth Rogan!)
9. That 70's Show
10. Family Guy
11. Futurama

Hello Netflix! Top Sci-fi Fantasy Series

Netflix has definitely stepped things up with their available content. Here are my favorite TV shows, available now. Check them out! 

Sci-fi/Fantasy:

1. Doctor Who
2. Once Upon A Time
3. The Walking Dead
4. Being Human U.K. Version (George is amazing!)
5. The Vampire Diaries
6. American Horror Story
7. Legend of the Seeker
8. Being Human U.S. Version
9. Merlin
10. The X Files
11. Warehouse 13
12. Firefly
13. Eureka
14. Terra Nova
15. Heroes
16. Supernatural
17. Battlestar Gallactica
18. Yes, Star Trek is available as well!

Available for sale January 2013

Greetings everyone! I'd like to thank you all for the support and wonderful comments.

So, The Chronicles of Koa is my newest dark fantasy series and I am excited to share an annotated chapter each week for free.

Think of it as the trailer for the book which will be released in its entirety on Amazon in January 2013! Happy holidays :D

Read highlighted chapters now at www.knlee.net

Homemade pho

Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, made with a delicious beef broth, vermicelli noddles and an assortment of veggies, is a wonderful meal (and an excellent hangover cure).

Life of Pi!!!!!

I had to run home to tell you all about The Life of Pi.... Let me preface by saying that this movie had me crying like a baby. I don't want to reveal any spoilers because I want it to be as surprising to you as it was to me. 

So, this review is going to be difficult. The Life of Pi is about a young boy's life and his incredible journey of survival. Each actor that portrayed this character was great. Iffran Khan was Pi as an older man, Suraj Sharma is Pi as we see him during his journey, a young man, and finally, Ayush Tandon and Guatam Belur are Pi as an adolescent and small child. Each one actually looked like they were the same character at different stages of their life. 

We see Pi go through his childhood being teased by his name Piscine...those kids were relentless. His father runs a zoo and eventually they decided that they must move from India to Canada in order to start a new life. This is where the movie takes off. Of course, the ship sinks. Consequently, Pi is left on a small life boat with a zebra, an orangutan, a Bengal tiger and a hyena. 

I am afraid that I cannot give away too much, but Pi sees some pretty incredible things, and manages to survive. All I can say is that at one part of the movie, towards the end, I found myself stunned. I held my breath in shock for what seemed like minutes, trying to suppress the tears. 

I admit that I didn't expect it to affect me that much. I thought it was going to be a visually stunning movie with some inspiring moments, and that it was. What you don't know, is that there is more to this story, and be on your guard, lest you want to bawl your eyes out like I did. Lol, there were others with tears in their eyes, but I think I understood the deeper meaning of the story and couldn't suppress my emotion, although I did try. 

You must see it in 3D, or it will be a shameful crime. Ang Lee has to be in the running for best director in the Oscars. As James Cameron would agree with me, the 3D was stunning, but not only that, but this film was shot mostly on water, with animals. Do you know how hard that is? I'd like to thank Ang Lee for directing, Yann Martel for writing the novel, and David Mcgee for the screenplay. Go now. See it.

Thanksgiving Dinner @ The Liberty-Charlotte NC

As promised, I am glad to tell you all about my Thanksgiving dinner at The Liberty in Charlotte, NC. I was happy to book a reservation for my friends and I when I saw the three course dinner that they were offering. That third course, was a dessert bar! 

 First of all, I've been to The Liberty on numerous occasions and they have an awesome lamb burger. The location is in the lovely South End are of Charlotte and the interior decor is nice and chic, with a lovely dining area and separate bar area.

Ok, now, let's get to the food!

First Course: My guests and I enjoyed delicious pumpkin gnocchi, rock shrimp salad, and lobster and crab cakes. I particularly loved the sauce on the pumpkin gnocchi (my first time having pumpkin!) and the vinaigrette on the crispy rock shrimp salad.

 

Second Course: Prime rib with creamed spinach casserole and mashed potatoes with a mushroom gravy...yum! The pork was also delicious with smoked Gouda mac and cheese, bacon wrapped ham and sweet apple compote. Wow! It was the only dish that really looked like typical Thanksgiving fare, but it was definitely superb.

Third Course: Dessert!!! I was wary, since I am allergic to eggs, and it's rare that a restaurant has a dessert that I can actually eat. To my surprise, they had plenty for me to enjoy! I had the berry cobbler and apple crisp...amazing! They also had an assortment of chocolate cake, cookies, bread pudding with marshmallows, cheese cake with strawberry sauce, lemon meringue tarts, and a few other things that I can't quite name, since I've never tried them. Just know, there was a smorgasbord of sweets on that table!

It was an overall delightful experience and completely stress free, with no clean up! Yay! The service was wonderful and the owner even stopped by. He was very friendly and personable. I'd recommend The Liberty to anyone. If you're ever in Charlotte, please stop by. They have amazing burgers, salads, and a yummy, popular, fresh pretzel appetizer.

Thanks The Liberty!

Thanksgiving Eve

Good morning! Today is Thanksgiving Eve! It is quite lovely to have a week of relaxation. I've been writing nonstop for 2 days, but that's not work, that's fun for me! I am happy to report that I got some sleep last night. Bliss! So here's the schedule... tomorrow I will tell you all about my Thanksgiving experience at a local Charlotte restaurant. Shhh, the restaurant is a secret and shall be revealed tomorrow!

 They are offering a three course dinner and a dessert buffet! Yay, sounds awesome...except I am allergic to eggs, so there might be one dessert on there that I can actually eat! I seriously hope and pray that there is pie!!! Nonetheless, this will be my first restaurant review. Granted I've been to this place at least three times, and know their food is delicious (lamb burgers = mmmmm). 

Check in tomorrow for the Thanksgiving verdict. Yum yum, and have a great day!

Wuthering Heights (The New Version)

I am a few weeks late posting about the new Wuthering Heights, but I have to express my disappointment. I expected emotional, poignant, performances, but what I got was appalling. 

 Staring Kaya Scodelario, and James Howson, it hate to report that this was a dud. Just boring and ridiculous.

 Firstly, what was the deal with the camera shots. Here is a quick example of each scene: Fade out from bright sunlight...linger for about one minute. Next scene...stare at a random flower, or bug crawling up a window. Next scene...stare at Heathcliff's face for at least five minutes while he does nothing but look lost, or occasionally angry. There might be a stray tear rolling down his face.

  Ugh! 

So, it continued like that for the entire movie. I am a huge British literature fan. I enjoy almost every adaptation of the classics on film, but this was by far the worst! I think I need to brush up on my Bronte, because there were just too many sick instances where Catherine would pull out Heathcliff's hair or do something to physically harm him. Or, someone was hanging a poor helpless dog by their collar on a gate post.  

To be fair, Bronte did have a dark mind and there was a brief description of a dog being left to hang in the book. It just didn't make sense in this movie, because the development of the characters didn't support such behavior.

Not to mention, every time Heathcliff ran off in anger or sorrow, he would either lay in the grass while ran poured over his face (so melodramatic) or the camera would randomly switch to a body of a dead rabbit.

Sounds interesting, I know. Trust me, it's not. It was just weird and annoying. My movie buddy and I kept looking at each other in horror during the movie, as if sharing the thought, "what is this?" "seriously?"

Well, that about sums it up. Honestly, I ran to the theaters to see this movie. The reviews said that it was the closest version to the book. I suppose I just don't like the book, if that's true. Bring me Tom Hardy back!!

P.S. Did I mention that in this version Heathcliff is black, or biracial? Well, nice twist on a modern classic, but the actor, James Howson, simply didn't live up to Heathcliffs notoriety.

Where have I been?

Greetings! It's been a long stretch since my last post about in May. I have been extremely busy, but I am happy to say that I am back and ready to share everything with you. This past year has been a constant effort to finish my book, Rise of the Flame. I am pleased to say that it is ready and in the process of being edited! 

Right now, while you're waiting for it to come out, I have provided tons of content for you to feast upon! My new writing website, www.knlee.net features short stories, excerpts from Rise of The Flame and a new fantasy series that is updated with new adventures each week. It's called The Chronicles of Koa. 

Stay tuned...because in the next couple of months, you'll also be able to purchase a few of my novellas on Amazon Kindle! I hope everyone is well, and ready for all that 2013 holds!

Top 5 Movies To See Right NOW:


1) The Avengers (obviously)
2)Cabin In The Woods (I'm serious...check it out)
3)Hunger Games (or Battle Royale *wink wink*)
4)Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol... Now on DVD
5)The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo... DVD release

Spring is here! Yay...it's 2012!
    
     Four years of waiting...and yes...The Avengers was AWESOME!!!!!
     No one can dispute this plain fact. I saw it twice over the weekend, Friday night and Sunday morning, and every showing was selling out and had long lines trailing out of the theater. Parking was nonexistent and there was such Avenger hysteria in the air, that it was palpable. I would be surprised if any other movies were seen this weekend.

                                   Why was it AWESOME?

1) The Hulk...aka...Mark Ruffalo. His portrayal of Dr. Banner was very believable and they made sure that he kept leaving hints about how cool the Hulk would be once unleashed. They delivered. My favorite parts were of the Hulk, namely in the epic conclusion of the movie.

2) Iron Man was witty as usual. Actually, everyone had pretty hilarious lines throughout the movie.

3) Tom Hiddleston. Sorry folks, I loved him in Thor as Loki, and I still love him, even though he keeps acting out. Poor boy just wants some love! Anyway, he is a great actor, and I love his character. He was a great foe for the Avengers, with just the right amount of evil and charm.

4) They are obviously spinning the idea of making a Black Widow movie. Scarlett Johansson was literally in almost every scene... and I love her!

5)Joss Whedon (The director/writer)... *silently bowing* Good job sir...good job.

                        What could they have done better?

1)I love Thor, but there could have been more character development for him. He kind of got upstaged by Iron Man.

2)Captain America...umm...can we please give him some more special abilities. I love his shield at all, but is that it? The captain was funny, and led the team well, but the captain had better have something else up his sleeve to make me want to see Captain America 2 (stay after the credits for a teaser for Avengers 2) I say this because one of my friends, who shall remain nameless, thought the villain in the scene was Red Skull, however it is actually Thanos who is a mutant member of the race of superhumans known as the Titanian Eternals...So there.

3) And I have nothing. 1 and 2 are it. Thank you.

So!!! Get up!!! Go see it tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after because it is THAT good.

Au revoir :)

Hola 2011!

Sooooo, it's been awhile! Looks like we've come full circle! I've been keeping up with the movies (of course) and doing quite a bit of writing and traveling. Guess what! The majority of my 2010 predictions were correct, as far as movies.

• Tron was awesome, I believe it's my favorite of 2010.
  
• Clash of the Titans was mediocre, it had so much potential!
  
• The remake of Let the Right One In (Let Me In) was actually pretty good. Very surprising!
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: was visually stunning, with a great plot. It sets up the stage for the second part beautifully.
• As everyone knows by now, The Kings Speech, was remarkable. Colin Firth has always been a favorite, and he embodied that character like second nature. Its best picture Oscar, was totally deserved.
• Black Swan was a psychological thriller that perfectly displayed Natalie Portmans talents. She totally pushed herself past her limits and explored a new frontier of acting. She deserved her best actress Oscar!
• The Fighter. It was okay. Markie Mark was a little flat, but Christian Bale STOLE THE SHOW! Amazing, just amazing!

More to come! Stay tuned for:

• Movie reviews and predictions
• Cooking tips! Video and recipes for the everyday cook to the wannabe gourmet chef!
  
• Travel tips with video, pictures, and reviews
• Etc etc!
  

Let the Right One In

Ok... so there's going to be a remake of the 2008 Swedish vampire film which will be released this October. I actually saw this a couple of months ago on Netflix's horror section and was very enticed by it. I love foreign films for their take on genres that have been exploited over the years. The mighty vampire, one of my favorite mythical creatures, has been shown in a whole new light, however, it's not the sweet, attractive, sexy portrayal that Twilight likes to promote. 

"Drinking human blood is bad bad," so they say.
 
Anyway, the androgenous vampire girl named Abby in Let the Right One In, is thoroughly creepy and mysterious, and shall be replayed by the awesome Chloe Grace Moretz, who I just saw in Kick Ass, as 'Hit Girl'. I do love this little girls performances in that recent movie and 500 Days of Summer. She's obviously the new Dakota/Abigail Breslin. We will see her in more many films for sure.
 
Well, it's pretty much about a quiet, shy little boy , named Owen, who gets bullied from day to day, who meets a new neighbor who lives with her father. It's always at night time when he sees her, and even though he is in sweaters and Eskimo coats, she barely wears anything, and never seems affected by the cold. These two are fast friends and before you know it, people in their town are coming up missing, or found with their blood drained, sometimes hanging upside down from trees. After the disappearance of her father, Abby soon has to fend for herself and with that, Owen starts to feel that his new friend has a terrible secret. Does it alarm him? Not really, once his bullies start to experience terrible events.
 
I think it should be left alone the original was beautifully made, however, I am curious to see the American version. I just hope they don't destroy it, kind of how they did with Ju-On, the Japanese version of The Grudge.
We'll see October 1st 2010.

Clash of the Titans

Excitement for this movie was at an all time high, however, I hate to admit that I was less than impressed. The original version was visually revolutionary in it's time, so after a couple of decades it's expected for it to be remade with modern technology. With a wonderful cast including Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Sam Worthington, who is quickly becoming the new face of the silver screen, with leading roles in movies such as Avatar and Terminator Salvation, this movie was destined to be great. Liam Neeson in Zeus, king of the Gods, and is very angry with humans for not praying to him and turning against him. He thus listens to his brother, whom he betrayed at the beginning of their existence, Hades, whom he has sent to live in misery in the underworld. Something should warn him not to trust him. I sense some treachery here!

However, Zeus is not so insightful, he allows Hades to wreck havoc on humanity, in hopes that he will once again be blessed with their prayers and increase his strength. Of course, this is not the expected outcome, this only makes Hades stronger. All the while, Zeus's son, a demi-God, named Perseus has been sent by the King of Argos to stop the Gods. Wanting revenge on Hades for killing his family, Perseus accepts this quest with vigor. With a team of soldiers, and a woman who has been watching Perseus from afar, he sets off to complete a series of tasks that will ultimately help him conquer the notorious monster called the Kraken.

Nonetheless, after a plot that seems so promising, it fell short to produce the excitement I was looking for or live up to my expectations. The action sequences were so abrupt, the dialogue faulty. With that said, I am sure there will be those who are satisfied. The story has been changed here and there, characters added, and removed. It did feel a little rushed, I wouldn't have minded if the characters would have been developed a little further, sadly most of them die right after you begin to identify and like them.

There are substantial special effects that were nice to see, my favorite part being Medussa's lair. I admit, she was a pretty cool character, once again, killed way too fast. With what's in theaters right now, I would see Clash of the Titans if you are looking for a period piece with an interesting, yet flawed premise. It will quench your thirst for action.