I finally watched "The Village"

Well, I must stink as a movie critic, because I LIKED IT. So sue me.

I've read some pretty vicious reviews of M. Night Shymalan's The Village. Phrases like "complete and utter garbage," "heavyhanded to the point of amateurish," and "abysmal piece of trash" were just some of the phrases I unearthed.

Although admittedly it doesn't touch Shymalan's masterpiece, The Sixth Sense, I found it intriguing and interesting, and Bryce Dallas Howard (who happens to be director Ron Howard's daughter) was really wonderful in it.

(By the way, I was wondering when we'd get to see Howard in something else, and I understand that she's slated to play Mary Stuart of Scotland in "Mary Queen of Scots," planned for a 2006 release.)

So, my teen-age daughter says she figured out the twist early on. It took me a little longer. And although it won't go on my list of all-time favorite movies, I have to say I tend to agree more with this reviewer.

And you know what? It was kinda nice to watch a movie that wasn't a minefield of f-bombs and sexual vulgarity.

One of my favorite authors has started a fiction critique service

Lisa Samson, who has long been one of my favorite writers and bloggers, is now offering (for a fee) a fiction critique service.

What an invaluable service...makes me wish I had a work-in-progress now that I could shoot her way. Says Lisa: "...It includes help in areas such as plot difficulties, believability, character development and pacing.

"It will also provide a writing overview. Suggestions, when employed, that will help smooth out the rough places and help you submit a polished piece."

A drawing you may want to enter...



Feel free to use my referral ID number: 32111.

Has anyone else noticed this strange Blogger italics glitch?

I don't know if it's only with this template, but when you put anything in italics, it will NOT allow a space before the next word.

Like this:

I don't know if it's only with this template, but when you put anything in italics, it will not allow a space before the next word.

Anyone else noticed this? I've seen it in other Blogger blogs as well. Drives me crazy.



Must...have...fiction....

I haven't read a fiction book in a while, and I'm freaking out. Robin Lee Hatcher sent me Catching Katie and Beyond the Shadows; I read Catching Katie and have misplaced the other book! That's not surprising, since I'm in the midst of moving to another house, and I'm in that awful limbo.

So I guess this is my sign. Finish packing already, and stop taking time to read. Eeesh!!! Easier said than done. :)