Pirates Review & Some Guest Post Tips

Saw the new Pirates movie this weekend (of course!) so thought I’d offer my views on the latest installment.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Our fourth journey with Captain Jack Sparrow is a stand alone adventure, although it references events before the first movie ever occurred. Everyone is after the Fountain of Youth – the Spanish, the English (led by Barbossa), and Blackbeard – with Jack along as his guide.

The movie is not without issues. It has some slow moments, especially in the first half of the film. The second half really picks up the pace and tension, throwing jungles and killer mermaids into the mix. Add a thick layer of lies and Jack’s squirrelly antics, and you have a fun romp of an adventure.

Depp is Depp. Geoffrey Rush is captivating and likeable. Ian McShane is evil in a subtle way and as cold as hell.

On Stranger Tides is ‘loosely’ based on a Tim Powers book of the same name. It’s been years since I read the novel, which did feature Blackbeard, the Fountain of Youth, and zombies, so I don’t remember how accurately they followed the book. But I feel confident saying that it's loosely (oh so loosely) based on the book.

This Pirates movie isn’t perfect, but it’s fun and worth a trip to the movie theater as long as your expectations are not sky high. It’s in 2D and 3D – I saw the 2D version and don’t feel I missed anything. Go – enjoy!

Guest Post Tips

I have some awesome guests appearing here over the next few weeks, which is really cool. This community has been so supportive of me, and I’m honored to feature my blogger friends.

Everyone has a different view on this, so I’ll just offer my own personal tips for acquiring guest spots.

* Contact me at least a month in advance. And please send me your book information (or whatever) or your guest post idea. Give me time to fit it into my calendar and know what I’m saying yes to!

* My focus is science fiction and fantasy, but I'm open to other ideas. Humor is a must, movie-related a bonus! And my blogger buddies get preference.

* I set my posts two – three days in advance, so I need your post a couple days before it’s supposed to go live. And I prefer short guest posts to interviews.

* I’ll Tweet your post and entice my Ninja Army to comment – but I need you to do the same. And while my Army is huge, I can tell when they are the only ones leaving comments...

* I don’t require a free book or anything. Really! I would rather support you by purchasing my own copy.

* Please have the courtesy to thank me when it’s over.  And you really need to thank my Ninja Army. Cases of Hot Tamales always welcome.

Do those rules sound fair? What are your guest post rules?

Alice in Wonderland review & actor updates

Finally caught Alice in Wonderland this weekend. I wanted to catch it while it was still offered in 3D.

Now, if you've never liked the storyline of Alice in Wonderland, nothing about this movie will change your mind. It's very familiar and offers nothing really fresh or new. I've never cared for the tale and after seeing this movie, I still don't. Lewis Caroll was on some serious drugs when he created this world.

Tim Burton's visual style is amazing. Alice in Wonderland is a beautiful looking film, full of atmosphere and lushness. The Jabberwocky is realistic and the battle scene well done.

Mia Wasikowska does a fine job as Alice, and she is the real star of the film. Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is a supporting character at best, and I was not impressed with his take on the role. He really wasn't that mad. The other characters did a great job and I especially liked the Cheshire Cat, voiced by Stephen Fry.

The 3D was cool, however... I think I am getting used to the effects now, so the 3D needs to be something spectacular. Now that Avatar has broken new ground with complete and total immersion rather than the sense of things simply 'being in 3D.' I'm looking for more of the same.

The movie had some fun moments, some dark moments, and was a visual feast - if you enjoy that sort of thing, you'll enjoy this trip into Wonderland.

Now, what really caught my eye was the number of interesting actors in this movie...

Michael Sheen was the White Rabbit, and he will be in the upcoming Tron: Legacy. He's also rumored to be in Underworld 4. (Fingers crossed.)

Alan Rickman was Abosolom and will of course return as Snape in the next Harry Potter movie.

Red Queen Helena Bonham Carter will also return in the next Harry Potter movie.

Crazy Crispin Glover's next project is Hot Tub Time Machine.

And Johnny Depp is of course making another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. (As long as they make money, Disney will keep pumping them out.) He's also rumored to be in Sin City 3.

And there you have it! Anyone know of other upcoming fantasy/sci-fi movies for these actors and actresses?