JamesRollins wrote:
Oh, I'm sure I'll see INVASION. The book that the movie (and the earlier ones), Jack Finney's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is one of my favorite books. In fact, I did an NPR "All Things Considered" segment about the book just last week. Here's a link to the page that contains the essay:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5432412
Jim
Thats an interesting article Jim. Love the..no threat of mom's meatloaf lol. The idea that one person can stand against the tide, well lets just say in this one. as with Ripley in the second Aliens movie, you dont mess with a MOTHER! They tend to get mean when you try to hurt their kids
. But there is another question raised in this movie at the end and throughout actually, having to do with resistance that is rather interesting. I dont know how to go into it now without saying what it is and that would ruin it. Let's just say that in the first movie, though I was really rooting for someone to get through this and find a way to fight back, this alien thing was not that scary to me as a kid, because they werent eating us, they werent killing us to take over earth, they werent making a work force out of us for some hideous beings. As a kid, I couldnt figure out what they were doing with us actually, other than making us boring versions of ourselves. As a kid, I guess you dont really think about the moral issues of having your individual choices and free will taken from you much and not in a horror movie. But it is a movie about free will and choices and its interesting to do that now, with all the things going on in the world today, that makes the ending on this a pretty good conversation piece. My friend and I talked about that aspect of it, the ..what would you do..aspect over dinner afterwards. So, dont know if it was the best movie or version but was one worth a look.How interesting too, that you would have written an article about it. Jim, I am liking you more all the time LOL. I think of something and you have some thoughts on it too, and even some where to read about it
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Stephanie wrote:
Jim,
I saw that original Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) on TV back when I was a kid- I can't remember how old I was, but I have this older brother who used to keep me continuously scared to sleep at night. Let us know if the new Invasion is appropriate for the faint of heart!
Stephanie, its no scarier than the first, more action but not any scarier. If the original Invasion scared you,lol, how did you fair with any of the Alien movies?
Vivian,
I suppose you can blame it on that brother, but I don't watch horror movies. Enough scary stuff in the real world for me. I have so little free time that I can't justify spending it watching television or movies, unless it's mindless television to help me get to sleep. Even then, I have my favorites.
I suppose you can blame it on that brother, but I don't watch horror movies. Enough scary stuff in the real world for me. I have so little free time that I can't justify spending it watching television or movies, unless it's mindless television to help me get to sleep.
Even then, I have my favorites.
JamesRollins wrote:
So I saw Invasion last night. I enjoyed it. It had some distinctly creepy sections, and I thought it did offer some interesting ideas about free will and our propensity as a species for violence. And I won't talk about the ending so as not to spoil anything, except to say I thought it was a satisfying ending.
As to Alien/Aliens....truly great horror movies. To me Alien is one of the best horror movies out there. Aliens is one of the best action movies. It's fascinating to see how TWO directors take the same material and what they do with it. And while I didn't like Alien 3, I do like that director's earlier work, City of Lost Children.
Jim
I agree with you totally on all three Alien movies lol. The first one was a really scary horror movie. The second was a really scary action film that I actually liked the best of all of them. I hated that they cut the part about Ripley finding out about her daughter when she was back on earth and being debriefed in the theatrical version. I felt there was an even stronger reason she was the way she was with the little girl Newt than what we saw and when I bought the DVDs and saw the directors cut where that part was still in there and you see her looking at pictures of her daughter grown up, grown old, dying, all that lifetime with her daughter that she missed, you really get that extra punch as to why she is so protective of Newt. And yeah, the third just wasnt as good. But I still have them all
Oh yeah btw, I have two cats, the older one's name is Ripley, the younger one's name is Newt LOL! I have been asked more than once...NEWT?? like for Newt Gingridge?? OH PLEASE PEOPLE!Yeah Invasion was pretty decent. what she was thinking at the end...decisions lets say...I had kind of wondered that one in the first movie because like I said before, they werent using me for food lol. And it does throughout, as you say, give some good ideas about man's propensity for violence. When I was a kid and watching all the Flying Saucer, Alien movies they were putting out..I was in grade school...they asked us once, as 4th graders or sometime about then, what did we think would make all men everywhere come together in peace. I said an Invasion from outerspace. At first these two teachers kinda chuckled (I guess they thought, this should be a cute kids answer coming) and they asked me why I thought that. I said well, from what I can see, the movies about aliens are true...the only time the whole world comes together is when we have a common enemy, otherwise we always fight each other and stay enemies. So we need a common enemy from somewhere else for us all to stop fighting each other. They went deadpan silent. OK, maybe I was a deep kid LOL, but it was the only time I saw it happen in movies and I DID notice that. Pretty sad thought tho huh lol, to me as an adult it is anyway that i said that as a kid. But I know as a kid, I didnt say it in a fatalistic way, just what I was perceiving as fact, I didnt think THAT deep about it then, but I think those teachers did.
JamesRollins wrote:
Stephanie,
I've arrived safely...and they have good Internet service, so I'll be able to touch bases. Day 1: settled into the hotel, ate a great fish dinner (grilled opa with rice and baby bok choy), and heading out to orientation for the teachers. Beautiful day: sunny amid huge stacked clouds, strong trade winds, and an afternoon downpour.
I also met Patricia Wood, who I've met here at Maui before as a student. Here debut novel hit shelves this month, titled LOTTERY. Logline: mentally-handicapped wins a huge state lottery. It's been getting rave reviews. I think Susan Tunis read this book. So for a direct commentary hopefully she'll chime in!
all the best,
Jim
Jim,
That first part really sounded like the journal of a writer.
OR Sargent Friday's opening on Dragnet...10 am Friday, warm outside, though it had been raining earler. hehehe, Remember those openings? Always a day time and description of the day. We are all glad to hear you made it safely, and ate much yummier than I had, I might say 
JamesRollins wrote:I also met Patricia Wood, who I've met here at Maui before as a student. Here debut novel hit shelves this month, titled LOTTERY. Logline: mentally-handicapped wins a huge state lottery. It's been getting rave reviews. I think Susan Tunis read this book. So for a direct commentary hopefully she'll chime in!
all the best,
Jim
Hi,
I spent my weekend away from the computer. I know, what a crazy idea!
Anyway, I did very much enjoy Lottery, and reviewed it on, um, another website. I gave it four out of five stars and wrote:
I'm trying to figure out why I enjoyed this novel so much. It's not the writing, which is fine, but ordinary. And it's not a page-turner of a plot--though it has to be said that I read the book easily in two days. It moves quite quickly and kept my interest at all times. But what I really loved about the novel was its first-person protagonist, Perry L. Crandall. It's hard not to fall in love with him!
I've heard the plot described as "high concept." I guess if you can sum it up in a sentence, it is that. Here's the sentence: a cognitively impaired (but adamantly NOT retarded) man wins 12 million dollars in the Washington State Lottery. From there the story is everything you'd expect it to be. There are good, kind people around Perry, and other terrible people who would take every advantage of his good nature. I laughed, I cried, I experienced the full range of human emotion. Really, it's just a very sweet book with a whole cast of incredibly endearing characters. It was simply a pleasure to read.
JamesRollins wrote:
Thanks for posting the review....I'll make sure Pat reads it. Did I every tell you how Susan and I met? She emailed me and trashed my novel EXCAVATION...we've been the best of friends ever since!
Jim
Oh, Jim, Jim, Jim, you lie like a rug.
I just looked up that first email. Our anniversary is next week. I wrote to you on September 7, 2000. In my second email I said, "Not to worry. I have no plans of being your new best friend and constant correspondent." LOL! Famous last words.
suetu wrote:
JamesRollins wrote:
Thanks for posting the review....I'll make sure Pat reads it. Did I every tell you how Susan and I met? She emailed me and trashed my novel EXCAVATION...we've been the best of friends ever since!
Jim
Oh, Jim, Jim, Jim, you lie like a rug.
I just looked up that first email. Our anniversary is next week. I wrote to you on September 7, 2000. In my second email I said, "Not to worry. I have no plans of being your new best friend and constant correspondent." LOL! Famous last words.
We have something in common then Susan. I emailed him and gave him heck about something in this book and when he explained to me in his own words, why it was , what it was,I told him, ok wow, I like that, now I really like that part too! LOL. Maybe he likes being taken to task on things about his books huh?
just kidding lol. How funny, you "trashed" his book LOLOL.
I am glad to hear that your future book/s will include Seichan. Particularly after reading The Judas Strain, I would even be interested in a book where she's the main character, delving into her past, her professional and personal background and, of course, whether or not she is a double agent. Her romantic past and future would also be very interesting. Don't mean to be pushy, just very, very curious.
I've also been meaning to ask -- have you been to all the places that served as settings for your books? Did the places inspire the books or did your story ideas prompt the travels?
I've also been meaning to ask -- have you been to all the places that served as settings for your books? Did the places inspire the books or did your story ideas prompt the travels?
