Cleckheaton Writing Group - 24/6/19 - The Return

Hi guys

Well I had a day off work on Monday plus wanted to get back into writing.   Luckily it was the Cleckheaton Writing Group meeting.

So i plucked up the courage and went.  It was the first time in over a year since I'd been.  The last time was May 2018 when i took the above photo.

Karen is doing a great job at keeping the group going with some help from Pauline and newbie (to me) Gemma.

The group also had new additions in the form of Cassie and Mark who luckily lives near me.

There was also a group virgin in the form of Sam who was there for his first time.

I caught up with the members and chatting to the lads found we were into the same things. Namely sci-fi anf fantasy. 

It is good there is a mix in the group.

We went round the table discussing our WIP which sadly i haven't been actively doing since November 2018.

Karen has been editing two novels.  Pauline had written some bits on the three pieces of work she is working on. They all involved murders. 

Cassie has been doing crochet.

Mark had been working out his POV for his fantasy novel in which he shared chapter one which was dark and detailed.  It was very good. It is an industrial fantasy mesh up.

Sam had been working on chapter one of his fantasy novel. 

We also looked at upcoming events which included the Bradford Literature Festival which starts June 28th.

I also informed the group of Edge-Lit 8 which is on July 13th in Derby and thirty quid for the day and includes readings,  panels, awards ceremony and workshops.

Mark also offered Cafe 139 in Brighouse as a spot we could go and write in as he works there.

It was great to be at the writing group again sadly due to work times i can't go often but hope to solve this in the near future.

I think with newer enthusiast members including Gemma and Mark we could possibly pull off a finale in a trilogy of Cleckheaton Literature Festivals?

Anyway chat later folks!

Godzilla - King of Monsters - Film Review

Hi guys

Went to see the sequel to 2014 Godzilla film and follow up to Skull Island as they are all in the Monsters Universe.

This film was much improved than the first because in this one you saw the big G loads plus the action is visable and not in darkness like the last one.

The film follows Monarch the company searching for the old Titans and they have now found seventeen monsters.
These include Mothra (giant moth - watch your socks).
Rodan (prehistoric bird) and King Ghidorah (three headed dragon).

It also follows the Russell family who split up when their son got killed during the events of the first Godzilla film.  Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and her daughter Madison are kidnapped by Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) who is after a device Emma and her husband developed which can contact the Monsters called the Orca.
Alan is wanting to use the device to control the Monsters and kill some humans for environmental purposes.  Sadly he doesn't count on King Ghidorah wanting to take over as the Alpha monster and taking Godzillas crown.

Overall - A great film with improved special effects and plenty of monster fights and action. A better story than the first with a few twists as well and a post credit scene too.  Roll on Godzilla Vs Kong.


Score    -   9/10

Kids Film Reviews - Detective Pikachu/ Secret Life of Pets 2

Hi guys

Two quick film reviews which I saw with my daughter and her friends and the gf.
First up Detective Pikachu.
This is from the Pokemon world which I liked when I was younger and involves Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) who is a loner in the Pokemon world who hasn't even caught a Pokemon who live with us in our world.
He has lost his Dad and in searching his flat comes across his Dad's Pikachu which he can understand.  Brilliantly voiced by Ryan Reynolds.

This is a fun movie with great special effects, comedy and twists aplenty.  Although when you see Bill Night you can usually count on him playing a bad guy.

Overall   -  a fun film although slow in some places but is good how the world works.  Plus Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, I mean Pikachu you can't go wrong.


Score    -    8/10

We also saw The Secret life of Pets 2.

This follows on from the first and involves Max the terrier and Duke' s owner falls in love and eventually have a child called Liam.
At first Max isn't interested as he pulled all over by the baby but once Liam is older they become firm friends.  But Max is over protective and develops anxiety which causes him to scratch a lot.
After a fun trip to the vets Max' s owners are advised to take a trip to the countryside.  There he gets over his anxiety with the help of tough farm dog Rooster(voiced by Harrison Ford).

Meanwhile the rest of the pets in the apartment block are having their own adventures.  Max's girlfriend Gidget loses Max' s favourite toy in an old woman's apartment full of cats.

Cat Chloe and cute rabbit Snowball who thinks he's a Superhero set out with new dog Daisy to rescue a tiger named Hu from an evil circus.

The film is very funny and I laughed out loud a few times even though there are messages about anxiety and adult themes.  The plot itself was slightly thin but the gags and animation made up for it.

Overall  -  a very funny sequel better than the first movie and even funnier than Detective Pikachu.   With some good messages in there for good measure.


Score   -   9/10

June Writing Plans - Getting Motivated

Hi Peeps

Hope everyone is enjoying the sun?  Before it buggers off.

This is just a quick update of what I'm planning in the next few month's. 

Firstly want to get back to the gym and lose some weight for Edge-lit 8 in July.  Plus lose weight in general.

Secondly I'm hopng to finish The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell this week as started it in March and took too long.  Then can get into something else.

Thirdly I need to get writing in general even if is to finish the ghost story i started the other year.  Or a few chapters on my Novel Colony X.

Will post extracts in next few posts.

Lastly I need to blog more regularly. 

I've some film reviews coming up.  Plus with Edge-lit 8 in July I will do a few posts on last years Sledge-lit which I wrote notes on.  Also story extracts and my top ten books.

So hope you're all reading and writing well.  Till next time.

Neil x

Avengers - Endgame - Film Review (Spoilers)

Hi Guys

This review is a bit late but with over 3 hours of a film and such a lot going on in the film it has been hard to say what I feel about it.

I've now seen it 3 times.  The first time I didn't like it at all but with the other viewings it grew on me.

The problem I have is that the first part of the film is slow going.  It needs to be to show how the world and the heroes are coping after losing to Thanos but was a bit depressing.

The film starts a few weeks or months after the events of Infinity War.  Ironman and Nebula are trapped in space running out of resources .
The heroes on Earth are upset and looking at who has been clicked out of existence.

Luckily Captain Marvel arrives and saves them and they reunite with the other Avengers including Bruce Banner, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow.  Plus Rocket who has a touching moment with Nebula.

They find an energy source that matches the snap from Infinity War and follow it to Thanos who tells them he had the stones destroyed and nearly died.
This time Thor aims for the head and kills Thanos as the heroes realise they can't bring the people who vanished from existence back.

Fast forward 5 years to 2023 and the planet and heroes are still suffering from their defeat in their own way.
Thor has got fat. Hawkeye has gone on a rampage as he saw his family dusted.  Tony Stark has settled down with Pepper Potts and had a daughter.
Bruce Banner has merged himself with the Hulk to become Professor Hulk.
Black Widow is in charge of the Avengers and Captain America is holding support groups.

Along comes a mouse which brings back Scott Lang/Antman from the Quantum Realm where he has been stuck since the end of Antman and the Wasp and bingo they heroes have a way to time travel.

Once the group get together and Tony figures out time travel they go on a time heist to collect the Infinity Stones from the past and undo Thanos snap.
Obviously things don't go as planned when 2014 Thanos finds out about the plans.

Overall   - As I've said the first hour is slow going but once on the time heist you start having fun.  Plus there are hilarious moments involving fat Thor and Professor Hulk who grew on me each time I saw it but i wasn't too sure of at first as thought they took too much of the Hulk personality away.

There are also some wow factors including the final battle once Hulk has reversed the snap and all the heroes dusted come back to fight Thanos and his army which looks great but I wish we had another ten minutes of so could see more characters fight.
It is also very emotional with two big losses and a great ending to Captain America's story arc.
Although because time travel is involved there are quite a few plot holes which they try to cover up with their own rules.
Plus at the end when Captain America takes the Infinity Stones back to the past where they got them from it would have been awesome seeing him take the Soul stone back to Red Skull.

Score    9/10