"The Passion of the Christ" - A Movie Review

The Passion of the Christ follows Jesus through His tortute, death and resurrection. With flash backs of His time here on earth.


First things first, this movie was amazing - amazingly heart-wrenching. It was detailed in every way. However, it definitely deserves its R rating, for this movie is very bloody. I do not recommend it for young children.
    There was no language. The entire movie is spoken in Hebrew, with English and Spanish subtitles. This factor definitely gave it an interesting quality.
    I can say that I enjoyed it, but, like I said, it is very bloody.
    The Passion of the Christ is just what it says in the title, a story of Christ's passion for us. It shows the torment that He endured just so that He could save us.
    I recommend this movie to any older teenager who can hold their lunch.

God bless,
Brian

PS: Goldarrow and Laura Elizabeth, your packages have been sent.

A Group For Debaters

Hey, all! I know I haven't exactly posted much recently. This is going to be a short post. I just wanted to let you all know that I just created a group on Facebook for people who would like to participate in conversations  on random - occasionally sticky, if you so wish - subjects. It is a friendly and mostly Christian group. So, if you aren't a Christian and are still interested, go ahead! I dare you! ;)

If you want to join, just send a request and I'll get to you as soon as I can!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/219863218133142/

Some thoughts

As you all know (or, rather, most of you) I finished my first book, The Paradox, at the beginning of the year and have been in the annoyingly slow process of editing it and have started book two in the series, The Eclipse.
    Now, here's a question I'd like to ask you: When or if (hopefully when, but it might be an if. anyway...) I publish The Paradox, would you buy it?
    This is something I really would need to know. Because publishing requires buyers, right? So if I don't have any potential buyers, then what is the point of publishing it?
    Anyway, there's the question. Just putting it out for you all to contemplate.

SYNOPSIS:

    Four troubled teens, two worlds, one God, one goal: to defeat the Darkness before it overwhelms Paragon.


When David, his twin sister Alicia, and their best friends, Jake and Hannah, stumble through a portal and into another world, Paragon, they discover that they were not who they that they were. They are descendants of an ancient race known as Starcrafters, and that they have special abilities.


And to top it off, they find out that they now have to defeat Darkness itself.


Their attack on the Dark Prince is interrupted when they are kidnapped by a group known as the Renegades who are after universal domination by means of an artifact known as the Paradox Stone.


Now, they must escape the Renegades, retrieve the stone, and defeat the darkness before time runs out; all while learning to trust one another and work as a team, and to put their faith in the One True God of all, Trand.

COMING FALL 2012 (this date is not final)

God bless,

Brian

And the winners are...

Yes! Today's the day! I will announce the two lucky winners of Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead!

Are ya read???

You bet you are! ;)

And the first winner is............ Comment-er number 9, Goldarrow!!! Congratulations!

And the second winner is.......... Comment-er number 4, Laura Elizabeth!!! Congratulations!

Now, to get your trilogies, all you have to do is email me at join_the_starcrafters (at) yahoo (dot) com.

What to include:

    Include in the email your mailing address and your name. If I do not hear back from you in three days time, I will select a different winner. Okay? Got all that down? Good!

Congratulations, Goldarrow and Laura Elizabeth,
Brian

"Race To Witch Mountain" - A Movie Review

    "Fasten your seat-belts for the thrill ride of your life in Disney's fun family action-adventure - Race To Witch Mountain, starring Dwayne Johnson.
    "Jack Bruno, a Las Vegas cab driver struggling to stay on the right path, gets an out-of-this-world incentive when two aliens, disguised as teenagers, suddenly appear in his taxi. In a race against government agents, an alien hunter and time itself, Jack must help the children recover their lost spaceship so they can return home and save their planet and ours. Breathtaking chases, close calls, and special effects make this an action-adventure the whole family will enjoy."


    This movie wowed me from the start. There was amazing action from beginning to end, the special effects were very realistic. The language was mild, and there were no thematic elements. In the way of scary images, the Siphon assassin was as scary as this movie got.
    I know this is a short review, but there's nothing much negative to say about this movie and I don't want to give too much away.
    In other words, this movie is rated WOW (5 of 5 stars) and I will definitely return to watch this movie. I fully recommend this movie to anyone interested in watching an action-packed sci-fi adventure.

5 of 5 stars

Brian

"Captain America: The First Avenger" - A Movie Review

Link to giveaway: here
Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

"Captain America leads the fight for freedom in the action-packed blockbuster starring Chris Evans as the ultimate weapon against evil! When a terrifying force threatens everyone across the globe, the world's greatest soldier wages war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix). Critics and audiences alike salute Captain America: The First Avenger as 'pure excitement, pure action, and pure fun!'"


*THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING REVIEW*
    The critics and the audiences were right when the described Captain America: The First Avenger as "pure excitement, pure action, and pure fun!", but they forgot one tiny thing that I think is very important: this film is patriotic all the way to its core.
    The main character, Steve, wants nothing more than to help to defend his country from "bullies", as he puts them. But his size prevents him from doing that, for he is not fit enough and does not meet the qualifications of an America soldier. Does that stop him? No. He doesn't give up and continues to try to get into the US Military by using different names all five times he applied.
    Then, while hanging out at a theme park with his buddy - a military officer himself - a professor sees Steve's true patriotism and zest for the defense of America. He recruits him and pushes him through training, even under the skeptical eye of his supervisors.
    At one point in the film, a fake grenade is thrown among a group of trainees and, while the others flee from it, Steve jumps over it in an attempt to block the explosion from hurting anyone.
    His ingenuity and resourcefulness is shown when, the group's commanding officer tells them to get a never-before-gotten-flag down from a pole. The captain tells them that if one of them succeeds, then they would get to ride the jeep the rest of the way.  The other trainees attempt to climb the pole, but fail.
    As they start to leave, running along the trail, Steve removes the small bars from the base of the pole, causing it to fall to the ground. He then proceeds to unstrap the flag, hand it to the commanding officer, and hop in the jeep.
    There is little violence. There is however a few "scary images". The appearance of Red Skull's face could be considered scary to young children, as well as the showing of a skeleton inside a crypt at the beginning of the film.
    Language is used frequently. Words such as: "d-mn", "son of a b----", "a-s", etc. No majore langauge, such as the S-word or the F-word, are used.
    Be forewarned as well that guns are used quite frequently and that there are some showgirls shown wearing skimpy skirts with patriotic colors. At one point in the film, a man is shown mooning Captain America, but the camera is turned away before any sensitive body parts are shown.
    From the beginning, this movie caught my attention. The main character's patriotism and selflessness especially. This is film is nonstop action and intrigue and I thoroughly enjoyed it, beginning to end.
    I do recommend this film to anyone searching for an action packed superhero movie, so long as you don't mind a little bit of language and violence.

5 of 5 stars

Brian

"The Seeker" - A Movie Review

Link to giveaway: here

    "Filled with magical characters, thrilling action and spectacular visual effects, The Seeker, is an epic fantasy the whole family will love!
    "During Christmas Break from school, a seemingly typical teenager discovers he's anything but ordinary. As the seventh son of a seventh son, Will Stanton is the Seeker - a chosen warrior destined to restore the delicat earthly balance between Light and Dark. Guided by ancient protectors of the Light, young Will must travel through time to gather the hidden signs that hold the ultimate power to protect the world."


    The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising is exactly what it claims to be, a fantasy with thrilling action and excellent visual effects.
    The main character, the seventh son of a seventh son, Will, struggles in a large family to keep the attention of his preoccupied parents.
    When Will finds out that he is destined to be the Seeker and find the Signs in order to save the world from the oncoming Darkness, he is at first in denial and ready to let the Darkness do it's thing. But when he realizes that he must save the world from the evil onslaught.
    His quest begins as he is sent to travel through time to various places in search of the Signs, the key to defeating the Darkness.
    At one point, Will gets exasperated with the responsibilities that he's supposed to take on and screams, his Seeker powers wreaking havoc.
    The language is mild, as is the violence. Several times, the Old Ones use their swords to destroy the attacking ravens, though no blood is shown. Upon their death, the ravens exploded into a cloud of black feathers.
    Scary images frequent the film. Two of the Darkness' agents transform into raven-like creatures. At one point Will stumbles upon a crypt containing a rotten skeleton, and, with his powers, uses the skeleton's arm to grab an evil snake - another one of Darkness' minions. And a girl is seen rapidly aging, then dying.
    At first, it took a while for me to get into the movie, but as it progressed I found myself more and more enthralled with the fantastic journey that Will was going through as he was learning to hone in his abilities as the destined Seeker.
    Lastly, the final showdown was - to say the least - epic and the ending was indeed happy!
    All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and give it a five star review.

5 of 5 stars

Brian

Book graphics

    I wanted to share some graphics that I made for my book. They're kind of amateur, but I like them. I'd like to thank Mirriam Neal for inspiring me to create me own, and I'd furthermore like to thank Jenny for that same reason.
    Also, if you haven't entered to win The Song of Albion Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead, click here to enter! Hurry up before time runs out! Entries are open until May 14.
    Anyways, here are the graphics:

David

Nienna

Alicia

Jake

Hannah

Jarush

Jake

Enjoy!

Brian

GIVEAWAY AND BIRTHDAY POST!

    The time has finally come! That's right, it's the giveaway post!! Yay! *holds for applause* I know I said I'd only do it if I reached 30 followers, but all of you have been loyal in recruiting people, therefore your reward for participating in spreading the word is a chance for two of you to win the trilogy!

    However, before we move on to the giveaway part, I would like to announce - just for the sake of announcing ;) - that today is my sixteenth birthday!!! :D Yay!

    Okay, I guess I'll move on to the part that you're really reading this post to get to. ;)

This is the official giveaway post, with which you can enter to win the entire Song of Albion Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead. There will be TWO WINNERS. (I have two sets of the trilogy)

The Song of Albion Trilogy - Stephen R. Lawhead

The rules are quite simple:

1. You must be a follower of this blog via email, twitter (@Starcraft9), or blogspot.

2. You must comment below to enter to win. Within that comment must be the number that your post is. For example, if you are the first poster, your number is one (1), if you are the fifth poster, your number is five (5). Get it? Good.

Once you have completed those two easy steps, you have entered yourself to win The Song of Albion Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead. And you must also be a US resident.

Giveaway ends May 14 at midnight, Pacific standard time. I will announce the winners sometime in the following 24-hour window.

Good luck!

Brian

"Tooth Fairy" - A Movie Review

    "Dwayne Johnson stars as Derek Thompson, one of the toughest hockey players around - until he's sentenced to one week's hard labor as the world's most unlikely tooth fairy! Even though he must sport frilly wings and learn the magical tricks of the trade from his silver-winged superiors, Derek's determined to do the job his way and prove that he's got what it takes."


    First, I'd just like to say that this is one of the most hysterical family comedy movies I have seen in some time!
    Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson stars as a cocky, skeptical hockey player who learns that people do need dreams, after all.
    The film is rated PG for "mild language, some rude humor, and sports action".
    In the way of language, "d*mn it" was used a couple of times, as well as a couple other very mild words.
    In the way of action, the hockey games are as action-packed as this movie gets, and I still loved it!
    The acting was great, the story was incredible, and the cast was perfect. I will definitely return to this movie in anticipation of more laughs.

FIVE OF FIVE STARS

God bless and if you intend to watch this film, then I have one thing to say, enjoy!

"Thor" - A Movie Review

Yes! I finally got and watched Marvel's Thor. And... I absolutely LOVED it!!!

    "Thor is the arrogant first-born son of King Odin of Asgard, and the rightful heir to the throne. When Thor commits an act that could lead to war between Asgard and the Frostgiants, with whom they have a very shaky truce, Odin strips Thor of his powers and banishes him to Earth until he learns humility. On Earth, Thor is found by astrophysicist Jane Foster and her team as they study atmospheric disturbances in New Mexico."


    First off, like I said this movie was AMAZING. I loved the story and the cast.
    Thor, arrogant war-seeker, learns what it truly means to be humble and respectful.
     The acting was exceptional, the language was mild, and the violence was as well.
In the way of language, "d*mn" was used a couple times, as was "Oh, my g*d".
    As for violence, it was fairly mild. I would consider it worthy of but a simple PG rating. The Frostgiants' arms would transform into swords of ice, with which they would stab their victims, or slice them. Little to no blood was shown, however. The violence started to grow at the end as the final duel between Loki and Thor progressed, but it remained mild.
    I give this movie a 5/5 star review and I fully recommend it to fans of action-packed superhero movies with lots of special effects.

FIVE OF FIVE STARS

God bless and enjoy if you're planning on watching Thor by Marvel!

Another year gone by...

    Today, I finished school for the year. I found myself thinking of how at this time last year, I was in the middle of writing my first-ever novel, The Paradox. And now, it is finished and in the process of being edited.
    I was also thinking of my goals for this summer and the remainder of the year.
    These are what I came up with:

    1. Complete The Eclipse
    2. Start the Starcrafters' Saga spin-off, Welcome to Haven.
    3. Complete NaNoWriMo
    4. Get up to one-hundred followers on my blog.


    There were others, but I can't seem to think of them right now. (I'm very tired *yawn*)
    Another year's gone by. We've grown older, matured, accomplished goals that we've never before completed, become better persons, grown spiritually.
    But for some of us, we didn't accomplish all the goals we wanted, or do the things we wanted in the last year. Just remember, though that year's gone, a new one has come.
    Tell me if you wish, what are your goals for this summer and the rest of the 2012?

God bless!
Brian

PS: I know, this would've fit better on New Year's ;)

Six days left!!!

Hey, everyone! I know I've been absent for quite some time, but here I am! I am NOT dead!

I'd like to give a special shout out of thanks to my loyal followers for spreading the word about my upcoming giveaway. This blog has gained nearly ten followers, with only six more to go! Keep spreading the word!

I will post the giveaway post on May seventh. Comment then to enter yourself in to win The Song of Albion Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead.

Signing off,
Brian