NovelSisters

watching, reading, and writing stories

Jul 29

The history of my love for history

by lydiamhill

I know I haven’t posted in awhile, and I finally have a bit of free time, so I decided to dedicate a post to something I care a lot about, but haven’t ever written about on this blog. By looking at the title, I’m sure you have a pretty good guess as to what I’m writing about.

Well here it goes, I love Civil War History. It all started with my older brother and my dad. They both love exploring old battle sites, quizzing each other on odd facts, and just reading about times long gone. They love most of American History, but what got me hooked was the Civil War.

You see this PBS special came on when I was little, you’ve probably heard of it, the Ken Burns one. Well some of it really caught my attention, and the music was very memorable to me. It wasn’t something I got excited about watching, but once I started, I found it was hard to stop.

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Civil_War_(TV_series)

Well, when I got a bit older, I was introduced to Gettysburg, the three-hour-long spectacle made in the 90s. At first I didn’t see the appeal, but as my brother and father watched and rewatched the movie, I started to get it. The characters were hilarious, all their banter and wit drew my affection and I found myself cheering for my favorites as they went into battle.

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_(1993_film)

Then the final straw happened; my family went on vacation and while we were exploring, we came across the battle site of Gettysburg. Before we left the on site gift shop, I purchased a book that would change my reading life forever: Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels. It was the book that spurred the Gettysburg movie. I was thrilled to find all my favorite characters from the movie, along with new dialogue and inner thoughts that the movie had no time to include.

Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682804.The_Killer_Angels

And once I finished that book, I found that Jeff Shaara had continued the legacy by writing a prequel and sequel to the Killer Angels. From that time on I couldn’t stop reading about generals and foot soldiers. Every book Jeff Shaara wrote, was soon in my hands. And I was thrilled when in the past couple of years he decided to return to the Civil War age and write another series about the major battles in the West.

So if there’s anyone out there who needs a good book to read, I would happily suggest any Shaara book. I myself will be starting his newest book “The Smoke at Dawn” shortly.

Image Source: http://wutc.org/post/shaara-s-smoke-dawn-novel-civil-war-dramatizes-chattanooga-battles#stream/0

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Jun 24

How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Identity

by lydiamhill

How To Train Your Dragon 2

So I want to start off this post apologizing for being absent for the past few weeks. I was caught up in Jury Duty, and then couldn’t make it to a theater until today. But now I finally got to see How to Train your Dragon 2! So get ready for a critique.

Here’s a preview for anyone who’s interested. 

The first How to Train your Dragon was an awesome movie. In fact I might even call it my favorite movie. There was a realness to the story and characters, and the imagery and music were beautiful. I can still stick it in the DVD player and watch it at the drop of a hat. (unlike a lot of movies I like but can only watch a couple of times).

Keeping all this in mind, you can see why I was super excited to see the sequel. Believe me it was hard to wait till today to see it, I’ve been hounding my sister, trying to get her to go with me for the past week.

But all that said, now I have to say what I really thought of it. It was not disappointing, I’m so glad the movie market has figured out a way to make decent sequels. This one dealt with a lot of varying themes, but the one that sticks out to me is Identity. This may be because I have identity on my mind, from my church’s sermons. But in any case, it is one of the prominent themes of the movie and I love how they dealt with it.

For everyone who’s seen the first movie, we have a basis for who everyone is, what their personality, relationships, and character look like. But the movie opens with Hiccup still struggling with who he is. His dad, and most of the village have the expectation that he will be chief. But he doesn’t feel adequate to that position. He is very different from his father, the current chief, and he knows nothing of who his mother was, so he feels at a loss.

The story continues with twists and turns, eventually leading Hiccup to find his long lost mother, and begin to grab hold of a new identity, one that fully embraces his dragon training abilities. But it’s not that simple, and after loss and heartache Hiccup must come to terms with the fact that he is going to have to be both a chief and a dragon rider. Not one or the other. While trying on his new identity as chief, he also has to hold onto the Hiccup we know and love. The one who is best friends with Toothless, and would do anything to save him.

The movie wraps up with a satisfactory climax and Hiccup is now firmly established as both the chief of his village and the same old dragon rider. His mother sums it up well, telling Hiccup, “You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon.” Hiccup has become a chief who protects his own and is willing to fight to keep peace in the world.

All in all, it was a great movie, and a worthy successor to the first Dragon movie!

Well hopefully I didn’t give away any critical plot points so if you haven’t seen it, you can still enjoy the movie.

Movies

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Jun 3

X-Men Days of Future Past

by lydiamhill

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Besides having a long title that almost made me laugh, I actually really liked this film. I haven’t seen all of the X-Men movies, but I have seen quite a few of them and this one is one of the best.

The story is set up with Wolverine traveling to the past and getting a chance to change the future. I really like going back to the time period of the 1970s and getting to see this new set of actors portraying the classic characters. They do a really good job with it and I especially liked the introduction of Quicksilver into the mix.

The story was a compelling one and I loved seeing how people were given second chances even after they’d made mistakes. Raven, Magneto, and even Professor X are all given a chance to change. It was a story of grace overcoming. And even though it’s a bit of a spoiler, I loved that in the end Professor X lets Raven choose what she will do. He didn’t try to control her any longer, but trusted her. And because he showed that faith in her, it resulted in the salvation of all the characters.

I also thought it was hilarious that when the film ends, the only person who remembers any of this is Wolverine.

So, anyway, that’s my last review for awhile, or at least till I have time to see another movie. Hope you enjoyed them.

Movies

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Jun 3

Free Birds

by lydiamhill

Free Birds

Because Netflix recently updated their available movies, I decided to watch Free Birds, the Holiday oriented film about turkeys trying to rewrite the Thanksgiving tradition. Though it inadvertently reminds me of a burrito, I had been interested in the film when it first came out. I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the ticket price, and never made it to the theater. Although I’m glad I didn’t spend the money on this fairly average family film, I still enjoyed parts of the movie.

The plot was mostly given away by previews, and the few twists were fairly predictable. Overall it didn’t have a very compelling story, and the humor was very childish, with many jokes simply repeated several times to make them more ‘funny’ or in this case annoying. There were a few good references to popular culture, such as the turkeys being called Angry Birds. And the visual quality of the film wasn’t bad.

I was also a bit offended at the treatment of the human characters, especially the Plymouth residents. Captain Standish was made into a obsessed villain and Governor Bradford into a selfish glutton who lied, and stole. I think the story would have been a lot more compelling if the villains were less flat and could be related too.

In the end, it was a decent family movie, however not one that needs to be watched more than once.

Movies

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Jun 3

The Railway Man

by lydiamhill

So I know I’ve been silent for quite some time, I guess the laziness of summer is kicking in a little early. But I have had the chance to watch several movies recently. So I’ll be giving a quick review for each one to make up for all my laziness. Enjoy!

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Railway_Man_(film)

The first movie I want to review is The Railway Man. I really wanted to review this movie because it’s not produced by a large studio and has not been advertised as widely. Plus it’s R rating will scare off most people, so I want to give it some attention, as it deserves.

This movie is a great example of the power of courage, honesty, and forgiveness. It tells the compelling true story of a Prisoner of War confronting his torturer and in the end forgiving him resulting in the two of them becoming good friends. A lot of references to faith and the Bible were woven into the film and though it was rated R, it really should have only been a PG 13. There was not too much language and even the intense scenes were not too graphic.

Colin Firth does an excellent job playing the elder Eric, as does Jeremy Irvine playing the younger. I was caught up in all the emotional turmoil of this man and deeply happy when he chose to forgive and live, not keep letting the past haunt him.

So if you want to enjoy a good movie, go support this film. It’s well worth it.

Christian Movies

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Apr 16

Captain America in the 21st Century

by lydiamhill

new-poster-for-captain-america-the-winter-soldier

I got to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier this past week. I’ve been holding off writing a post about it, since my sister doesn’t want me to spoil the movie for her. But I think I’ve thought about the movie long enough, that now I want to say something. Hopefully it doesn’t spoil anything for her or anyone else…

First off, this was a great movie. If you enjoyed any of the other Avenger movies, you’ll enjoy this one too. There’s plenty of action, intrigue, and still a few laughable moments that make it a classic Marvel movie.

However, what interested me the most in this movie, was how a person born in the early 20th century viewed all of the changes to the world. I think since we live in it and have grown up in it, the way the world works just feels normal to us. But to this character, several things popped out as strange or even wrong.

Some of the biggest wrongs had to do with national security, freedom, and protection. When Cap finds out that SHIELD is preventing threats by killing terrorists before they act he points out, “I thought the punishment was supposed to come after the crime.” He also states quite harshly, “This isn’t freedom, it’s fear!” when he finds out the extent that SHIELD will go to keep order and protect people.

I think if we took a step back and looked at what’s going on in the world, we’d also notice some things to be concerned about. I for one was quite surprised when I went to a college seminar about privacy in the 21st century and realized just how little of my life is really private. Advertisers can learn so much about me just from information found on the internet, that they can personalize all of the adds I see. Even doing a Google search of myself can result in some surprising finds.

Recently I’ve become more aware of the negative consequences of our digital age and how much time is spent interacting with screens. So many things are on screens now; TV, phone, computer, and tablets, just to name a few, that it can be hard to get away from the digital world and engage in real face-to-face conversation. Even if I do get some actual human contact, it can oftentimes be interrupted by texts, updates, or some other kind of message.

It can be a bit overwhelming when I really sit down and think about it, but most of the time I think this is just “normal,” and go on with life. But even if there’s nothing I can really do to change how the world works nowadays, I can still be more aware of what’s going on, and maybe more careful about what I post on Facebook, or how much time I spend with a screen.

So I know this was a bit of a rabbit trail, but it’s what I started thinking about after I saw this movie. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out, and if you have, let me know your thoughts.

Movies

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Apr 7

God’s Not Dead Review

by lydiamhill

 

Image Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2528814/

I’m happy to say that a lot of Christian films’ quality are getting better. In the past, most of these films would be released directly to DVD, or would be in select theaters for no longer than a week. But as the quality goes up, the success has also increased. The same goes for “God’s Not Dead.”

If you haven’t heard of this film, here’s a preview of it.

I was excited to see this movie when I heard the premiss. I didn’t go to a religiously hostile university, but I definitely felt the pressure to agree with whatever a professor said in order to get the best grade possible. So seeing a movie about a student standing up for their faith was exciting to me.

I finally got to see it this past weekend, and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed how the plot-lines of several characters were all weaved together. It wasn’t simply a story about a student standing up to a teacher, but also about their lives outside of school, and there were several other characters, including a successful businessman, foreign exchange student, pastor, and a Muslim Christian.

This film did a good job of showing the various ways people encounter God and why they act the way they do. There were also a few fun little jokes throughout the movie so that it wasn’t serious the whole way through. I found it quite enjoyable.

I also really liked how it showed the peer pressure that everyone feels, whether it’s from friends, significant others, family members, or peers. And how in the end, the only thing that can free us from this pressure is God. He already loves us, we don’t have to earn his approval.

So, if you have a free evening this week, I’d encourage you to check out this movie. Because of it’s success, a lot more theaters are showing it now, so hopefully there’s one near you.

Christian Movies

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Mar 25

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mr._Peabody_and_Sherman_logo.svg

I wasn’t sure if I would like Mr. Peabody and Sherman when I first saw the commercial for it. But one of my friends really wanted to see it, and as I saw more and more previews I became more intrigued with the storyline. I discovered that the movie was based on an old cartoon that used to show with Rocky and Bullwinkle. I never saw the show, but it sounded interesting, with each week going back to a different time in history.

But what interested me the most was the thought of a dog raising a boy. And I think this is what the movie centers around as well. At first Mr. Peabody assumes that raising a child won’t be too difficult. He’s accomplished so many other things that this task seems simple enough. And it’s funny how the classic boy and dog pairing switches so that Sherman feels like he is being treated like the dog in the relationship.

In the end however, each character learns something new, not just about history, but relationships with people. Sherman learns that it’s not the label that matters but the character of a person. He sees Mr. Peabody as loyal, courageous, and smart, and decides that even if he’s labeled as a ‘dog’ too, he doesn’t want to lose that relationship. Mr. Peabody learns that raising a child is difficult and is less about attaining a goal for the child, or providing for it’s basic needs and more about the close relationship that occurs. This can be seen as his terms of affection towards Sherman change from “I have a deep affection for you as well,” to “I love you.” Penny too learns that comparing herself to others is not what really matters, and that where she falls in the social ladder is less important than the presence of real relationships.

All in all this was an enjoyable movie that I’d recommend to anyone who likes a good family film.

Movies

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Mar 18

The Son of God

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God_(film)

Recently a new movie about Jesus was released into the theaters. When I saw the preview I was intrigued. I’ve grown up as a Christian, and let me tell you, I’ve seen my fair share of religious films, documentaries and other such media.

Usually the quality was a little underwhelming, even if the content was pretty good. The only movie I remembered that had actually made it to theaters and done well was The Passion of the Christ.

But this new film looked different, it reminded me a lot of a book I read a couple of years ago: “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Philip Yancey. The book tried to take an honest look at the gospels and get an idea of what Jesus was really like, not all the things we’ve been told about him from media.

When I read the book, I discovered a Jesus with a personality, one who really cared about people, wasn’t afraid to offend people with the truth, and really enjoyed getting to the heart of an issue. He wasn’t distant and superior, talking in an elevated tone, he was down to earth, making complex things simple, and taking time to talk to anyone, no matter what society said about them.

So when I saw the preview for Son of God, I was intrigued, and wondered if this film actually would give a clear picture of who Jesus is?

Here’s a link to the preview in case you’re interested as well.

I finally made it to the theaters this past week to find the answer. And I can say that I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the film, and the message it tried to get across that Jesus really is the Son of God. I was glad to see how closely the script stuck to the gospel accounts, even though a few changes were made.

I didn’t mind the changes because they often helped save time, and create a better story arc for a film version, and I didn’t see them as vital to the message. But if you want an exact replication of the Biblical text, you will be disappointed and will be able to spot some errors.

All in all, I loved the way this movie was set up. The filmmakers used some scenes from the Bible Series that showed on TV this past year, which was pretty cool. They also set up a good background of the events surrounding Jesus’s life, showing what was happening in Israel at this time in history.

In conclusion, I would encourage anyone interested in Jesus to see this film. I think it was well done, and showed a fuller picture of who Jesus is, what He did, and why He did it.

Christian Movies

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Feb 25

The Lego Movie and “The Special”

by lydiamhill

the-lego-movie-poster

This past weekend I finally made it out to the theaters and got to see one of the films I was looking forward to: The Lego Movie. I played with these as a kid, although my brothers were more invested in the toy than I was. But I thought the film looked interesting, not to mention hilarious. I love Chris Pratt’s comedy and couldn’t wait to see the movie.

I don’t want to say I was disappointed, I really did love the movie. But I wasn’t overly impressed either. I guess the film met my expectations and that’s about it. A lot of the jokes that I’d seen in the trailers were there, and they were still funny. And I liked how the film dealt with not only Lego characters, but also the people who play with them. It seemed to categorize the types of people who play with Legos into two groups: those who follow instructions, and those who invent as they see fit to make their own creations. The film did a good job of showing the pros and cons of both. The characters who invented as they wished were often fighting with the other characters, trying to say their creation was the best, while the characters who only followed instructions were able to work together and accomplish bigger things as a team. But sometimes creativity was really needed, and being able to improvise instead of following specific instructions was especially useful.

If there was one thing I would complain about, it was the action shots. I had trouble keeping up with what was happening in these scenes. Maybe the camera angles were too wide and there was too much information, so I didn’t know what to focus on. Or maybe the “blockyness” of Legos made it harder for my eyes to understand what was what. In any case, several of the action scenes seemed to blow past me in a blur of motion.

But the biggest thing I liked from the movie was showing how much each person, even a blocky Lego character, wants to be special. The whole premiss of the movie is that “The Special” will save the Lego world. I think all of us long to be significant, and hope that our lives mean something. Not only our hero in the movie, but even side characters, longed to be special. And ultimately, this is how our hero, Emmit, saves the day. He realizes his own “specialness” and tells the villain that he is important too, that he is special.

This reminds me of what I have been learning in church recently; that God created each person uniquely with a specific way of reflecting His glory and a purpose that goes beyond themselves to affect others. I think this is something we all need to remember and be able to tell others around us. We all have a purpose, we all are “special” and we shouldn’t look down on others or ourselves as unimportant. We should encourage and remind each other that we all have value, we all are important, because we are all made in the image of God.

Christian Movies

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