Tolkien

Tolkien is pretty standard biopic fare, however, as a Tolkien fan I probably managed to get more out of it than most would. The film is at its best when it is touching upon inspirations for his later works. And even here, this only really works when the film is being subtle about it, less […]

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Its one thing to complain about the decision to make The Hobbit into 3 films for monetary purposes. But when that decision legitimately affects the quality of the films, its something else entirely, and that is just what has happened here. The third Hobbit film has an odd story structure which pretty much relies on […]

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I went into Desolation of Smaug with caution. After all, Unexpected Journey let me down quite a lot. There were a lot of problems I was worried would carry over. Some did, but some were fixed, making this a solid effort at an epic fantasy, even though it still pales in comparison to its big […]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Part 2)

Alright, I feel like I have to chime in on the visuals of this movie. Yes, the production values look very consistent with the first trilogy. Yes, the special effects are up to Middle Earth Par, especially the Eagles. Well, okay, the goofier stuff not so much (i.e. The Goblin King). But what I really […]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (part 1)

I’ve decided to split my review into two parts The first will focus on the story elements of the film while the second will look at the technical and visual aspects. Part 1 I have to admit that I went into this film skeptical, despite being a big Tolkien fan (or perhaps because of that). […]

The Blu-ray Files #006

On this special edition of The Blu-ray Files I will be looking at the newly released Lord of the Rings Extended Edition trilogy box set.  I will be talking about each movie individually, but I do want to make a comment on the overall packaging itself.  This box set is simply outstanding.  The box is […]

Lord of the Rings: True to Tolkien

I am a geek in many different ways; I am a film buff, a board gamer, a Star Wars fanatic, an X-Phile. I am also a faithful admirer of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. I will not go so far as to say that the Lord of the Rings is the best book […]

The Ten Greatest Works of Fantasy Literature

10. The Chronicles of Amber Roger Zelazny With the Amber novels, Zelazny created a very detailed and intricate fantasy universe. Fantasy fans have called this one of the most engrossing fantasy worlds they have ever read and remains a classic of modern fantasy. 9. The King of Elfland’s Daughter Lord Dunsany One of the most […]

The Ten Greatest Novels of the 20th Century

10. 1984 George Orwell Orwell’s dystopian novel of a world controlled by Big Brother has become the quintessential cautionary tale for the far-reaching arm of government and the dangers of totalitarianism. Orwell has designed every corner of this futuristic world and transports us to a place where we may not want to be, yet cannot […]