Bloodlines (A Novel) by J. A. Pettis

Copyright © 2013 of James Pettis, III

Hey Bloggers, Happy New Year! I have some amazing news. I have finally published! My first novel Bloodlines is available for sale! It is about three guys that find out they are brothers, and that they are witches. It is about other things as well, but this is the major plot of the story. I plan on continuing this idea in The Bloodlines Saga. The official description of the novel is below.

Isaac, Jacob, and Cameron were just three Paterson, New Jersey residents who lived normal lives like everyone else...until they met each other. Dragged into a world of magic and darkness, the three must over come their own personal doubts and fears, and accept their new destiny together as Witches.

I am so excited about this book. It is most definitely an evolved version of my original series ideas, David Poral Series and The Quinity Saga. Many of the stories I had for those two series I have taken and reworked them into this new saga, and I hope that others will like it.

You may purchase Bloodlines @ www.createspace.com/4123421

BTW, I promise this year I am going to take better care of this blog. No more movie reviews are going to be drowning out my work. I am going to focus on putting my self and my works out there!

Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

My Movie Reviews: Oz the Great and Powerful

Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) and Theodora (Mila Kunis) in Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful is a fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi, produced by Joe Roth, and written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner.

The film is based on the Oz Series by american author L. Frank Baum and stands as an indirect prequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It was released on March 8th, 2013.

THE CAST

James Franco as "Oz" Oscar Diggs

Mila Kunis as Theodora / The Wicked Witch of the West

Rachel Weisz as Evanora / The Wicked Witch of the East

Michelle Williams as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South / Annie from Kansas

Zach Braff as Finley / Frank from Kansas

Joey King as China Girl / Wheel-chair bound girl from Kansas

Tony Cox as Knuck

Bill Cobbs as Master Tinker

Abigail Spencer as May from Kansas

Bruce Campbell as A Winkie Guard

SYNOPSIS

Oscar Diggs is a womanizing con artist and magician who travels with a Midwest circus, but he is soon swept away by a tornado that takes him to the Land of Oz. Once there, Oscar is assumed to be the Great Wizard the people have been waiting for, who is to save them from the ways of the Wicked Witch. Oscar knows he isn't the true Wizard, but with the help of Glinda the Good Witch, Finley, China Girl, and the people of Oz, Oscar finds the great man inside of himself in this prequel to the timeless L. Frank Baum series.

TRAILER

MY THOUGHTS

Yes, I know I late, thanks for reminding me (;-D JK). Anyway... wow, that's really all I can say for this one. I have always been a fan of The Wizard of Oz, and if I had to pick a movie I'd like to see before I die, The Wizard of Oz would definitely take the hat. I have been knowing that Disney had planned on doing this film since about 2011, and I was probably one of the first to be extremely excited when the first promotional poster surface online in 2012, see here. Besides that, I have always wanted to do my own adaption to the story myself, so if any other existed, I had to see.

I went on premiere night with a friend who was really a fan of the 1939 MGM film, but she too was very excited about the film (mostly because of James Franco, but anyway). I was slightly nervous that I wouldn't like, since I had seen reviews on the film that weren't very favorable. But I went into it excited and enthusiastic anyway. And I must say, I was impressed. The way they connected and linked things together was almost similar to the way that Gregory Maguire did in his Wicked series. SPOILERS: My favorite scene would have to be when Theodora bit the green apple that killed her heart ache and turned her into the Wicked Witch of the West. It was so powerful, and kind of creepy at the same time. SPOILERS END. Despite that, I wished the film would have explored other traditional aspects of the series, but I guess that's why there may be a sequel? 

The film was a great way to explore the Land of Oz prior to Dorothy's Arrival, and it kept me going all the way through. And the score... hats off to Danny Elfman again for his amazing talent in capturing a scene through music. Oz the Great and Powerful is a GREAT family film and is a nice addition to those die-hards who are Wizard of Oz fanatics (by the way, pun was intended).

That being said, Oz the Great and Powerful gets: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 Stars

"I don't wanna be a good man, I wanna be a great one!"

My Movie Reviews: Beautiful Creatures

Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) in Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures is a romantic fantasy starring Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert and it is based on the novel Beautiful Creatures of the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. 

The film was produced by Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Erwin Stoff, David Valdes, and Molly Mickler Smith while the screenplay was writted and directed by Richard Gravenese. It was released February 14th, 2013.

THE CAST

Alden Ehrenreich as Ethan Lawson Wate

Alice Englert as Lena Duchannes

Jeremy Irons as Macon Ravenwood

Viola Davis as Amma

Emmy Rossum as Ridley Duchannes

Thomas Mann as Link

Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lincoln/Sarafine

Margo Martindale as Aunt Del

Eileen Atkins as Emmaline Duchannes (Gramma)

Zoey Deutch as Emily Asher

Kyle Gallner as Larkin Ravenwood

Pruitt Taylor Vince as Mr. Lee

SYNOPSIS

Ethan Wate has been wanting to leave Gatlin, the small southern town he calls home. But when Lena Duchannes, a relative of the town's founding family known as the Ravenwoods, moves into town to live with her uncle, Macon Ravenwood, that changes. He continues to pursue her, feeling a connection with her only to realize that she and her family are Casters, a form of magical beings. The two fall in love with each other and fight to stay together, despite her family's displeasure. But before the fall too deep, she informs him that on her sixteenth birthday, she will be claimed by the light or the dark, due to a curse that has been with the female Casters for centuries. Will she be claimed for the dark or will their love for each other break the curse?

TRAILER

MY THOUGHTS

Wow. Just... wow. Let me start off by saying that I wish it wouldn't have come out on Valentines Day (I absolutely hate the holiday; couples are just too much for me). Besides that, Beautiful Creatures was amazing. I went to see it late on Thursday evening, expecting the theater to be packed for premiere night. To my surprise, I was the first one there and as the movie was starting, the theater wasn't even full. 

Once again, I meant to read the first book completely before the film came out (same thing I tried to do before the first The Hunger Games came out), and a failed yet again; I got close to the end, but still, I wanted to finish it first. I had heard several complaints about the cast choices and minor changes that were made to characters, but the film and the book can't be exactly the same, I think it may have something to do with copyright. The only thing I wish would have been more like the book was Ridley. She did so much more in the book to me, and the lollipop thing was tight.

While watching the film, it almost seemed nostalgic for a moment as I thought about Twilight (2008) when it first came out. Then I realized, that it wasn't like that at all, the acting was SO much better. The way things were connecting throughout the film keep the suspense up and kept my eye glued to the screen the whole time. I was extremely impressed with how the actors and actresses portrayed their characters also, the chemistry and those accents were amazing. I think Emmy Rossum was my favorite (although her screen time was limited). 

SPOILERS: There were I few things that I didn't get. In one of them, Ridley randomly had blonde hair once while showing Link how to magically make a bullet appear in his palm. OK. Cause that was necessary. My favorite scenes were between the dinner table scene when Lena expels Ridley from the dining area, when Ethan and Lena see the curse play itself out in the theater, and when Ethan feels the spell that Lena cast on him to forget about her break and the end and he cries her name. But I decided that above all of them, I had two favorite scenes. The first was when Ridley arrives in Gatlin and seductively introduces herself to Ethan and Link, and the second was Lena and Sarafine's "heart to heart" when Lena's claiming is halted and she goes half light and half dark. SPOILERS END.

The Score was done by my new favorite band, Thenewno2, and I must say, it's F-ing awesome! Despite what the critics and fans are saying so far, I loved Beautiful Creatures, and I look forward the future follow up installments.

I give Beautiful Creatures: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 Stars

"Which one of you lucky boys is Ethan Wate?"

My Movie Reviews of 2013

Hey Bloggers!!!

I know I've been absent for almost a year now, but I'm coming back! I have been working hard on four novels that I plan to release this year so keep your eyes open ;)

Anyway, I am going back to doing movie reviews again on a regular basis. I know there were several movies I was supposed to do reviews for and I didn't. But to be honest, 2012 was a very stressful year for me. This year its a new year and a new me, I'm not backing down anymore, and I'm not making promises I can't keep. So get ready, 'cause this year is mine, lol.

Below are some movies that I have checked out that interest me and that I will be doing reviews on this year. And as always, if you see a film that interests you and its not on my list, hit me up in a message or in the comment section and I will definitely accommodate you ;)

Here are the films that have definitely got my interest:

Beautiful Creatures

Oz the Great and Powerful

NOTE: All films on list are subject to change without notice :)

Happy New year everyone and may it be extremely awesome for all!

My Movie Reviews: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

From left to right: Bella Cullen (Kristen Stewart), Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) is a thriller starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner and covers the second half of the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. Part 2 covers Bella as a new born vampire and the quick growth of her and Edwards child, Reneesme.

The script was written by Melissa Rosenberg while the film was produced by the series author Stephanie Meyer. The film was directed by Bill Condon and it was released November 16th, 2012.

THE CAST

Kristen Stewart as Bella Cullen
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee Cullen
Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
Maggie Grace as Irina
Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius
Michael Sheen as Aro
Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen
Dakota Fanning as Jane
Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus
Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan
Lee Pace as Garrett
Christian Serratos as Angela Weber
Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen
MyAnna Buring as Tanya
Noel Fisher as Vladimir
Joe Anderson as Alistair
Cameron Bright as Alec
Angela Sarafyan as Tia
Aldo Quintino as Amazon Vampire
Rami Malek as Benjamin
Booboo Stewart as Seth Clearwater
Daniel Cudmore as Felix
Christian Camargo as Eleazar
Mía Maestro as Carmen
Ty Olsson as Phil
Alex Meraz as Paul
Judith Shekoni as Zafrina
Charlie Bewley as Demetri
JD Pardo as Nahuel
Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater
Lateef Crowder as Santiago
Andrea Powell as Sasha
Toni Trucks as Mary
Casey LaBow as Kate
Andrea Gabriel as Kebi
Austin Naulty as Werewolf
Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call
Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley
Bronson Pelletier as Jared
Marisa Quinn as Huilen
Omar Metwally as Amun
Valorie Curry as Charlotte
Tracey Heggins as Senna
Marlane Barnes as Maggie
Guri Weinberg as Stefan
Erik Odom as Peter
Lisa Howard as Siobhan
Bill Tangradi as Randall
Patrick Brennan as Liam
Amadou Ly as Henri
Janelle Froehlich as Yvette
Masami Kosaka as Toshiro

SYNOPSIS

After being transformed by Edward after a near-death childbirth, Bella begins her new life as a vampire and mother to their daughter, Renesmee, who is growing at an accelerated rate. But when Irina, a member of the Denali coven, mistakenly reports Renesmee as an immortal child to the Volturi, they set out to battle and destroy the Cullens for breaking the vampire law. To prove Renesmee is not an immortal child, the Cullens gather foreign vampire clans, including the Denali, the Amazonian, the Egyptian, the Irish, and Romanian covens, and also European and American nomads, to stand as their witnesses to the Volturi. Aro, however,  has ulterior motives for battling the Cullens. With their allies and the Quileute wolf pack, the Cullens defend themselves against the Volturi in this epic finale to The Twilight Saga.


TRAILER

MY THOUGHTS

Wow. I was not expecting to be so impressed with the final film. I have to say I was very shocked when I found out that they had altered the ending to Part 2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 was an amazing conclusion to the Twilight Saga film series. I must say, I definitely under estimated how they were going to execute the final film. But let's face it, Part 1 wasn't all that and a bag a chips. Of course, before I went to the premiere of the final installment, I watched The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and realized it wasn't as good as I thought it was the first time (which is why I gave that film a 3 out of 5). But I was hoping that with the alternate ending to Part 2, Summit Entertainment was heading in the right direction. And I must saying, I was right. But I swear, when it came down to the battle, I thought I was going to die. SPOILERS: When it first started Carlisle and Aro dash towards each other and Aro rips his head off. The Cullens' and their witnesses dash toward the Volturi and a battle ensues. Bella is using her shielding ability on Jasper as Jane tries to cause him pain. Alec sees this and knocks her over, which allows Jane to make Jasper feel pain. Shortly after, his head is pulled off by one of the Volturi. Then the same happens to Seth, and he is grabbed by one of the Volturi and his bones are crushed. Alec is then knocked off of Bella by Emmett who rips Alec's head off and crushes his body. Leah howls, alerting Jacob who is in wolf form carrying Renesmee off as they try to escape. Jacob slows down and his eyes tear up, but Renesmee calls out to him as one of the Volturi is catching up to them. Jacob then catches the Volturi member in his mouth ripping his head off as he and Renesmee escape successfully. Back to the battle things seem to be against the Cullens until Benjamin hits the earth causing an earth quake as Volturi members fall to their doom. Esme is being pulled down by a Volturi member until she is saved by Leah, who knocks the member off of her and falls to her death. Edward is also knocked into the earth but he leaps out, ripping off one of the Volturi members head. Alice then charges toward Jane who is trying to inflict pain on her but can't because Bella is shielding her. Alice grabs Jane and Sam bits her head off. Caius then joins the fight but is quickly killed by Kate, Garrett, and Tanya. Marcus is heard saying "finally" as Vladimir and Alistair charge toward him, ripping him to pieces. Aro finally stomps his way into the battle and he is faced by Bella and Edward who charge at him but are knocked back when Aro throws Bella at Edward. As Bella and Edward sit up the grab each others hands seeing Aro charge towards them. After a couple of kicks and knock downs, Bella and Edward snatch Aro's head off and it lands on the cold ice as flames engulf the screen. This is interrupted when the film goes back to before the battle starts and Alice releases Aro's hand saying, "That's your future, unless you change your decision." Epic. SPOILERS END. The film then goes back along the lines as it went in the book and the film concludes. I must say the end was by far the best part of the film. If you didn't know there was going to be a twist and you were expecting it to stay along the lines of the book, you were in for a big surprise. Over all, they really stepped up there game in the final installment of the Twilight Saga and it's definitely a treat for the Twihards.

That being said, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 gets: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 stars. Guys, you deserve it! Excellent job and thanks for bringing one of my favorite books to life.

"Such a prize!"

My Movie Reviews: Snow White and the Huntsman

Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Snow White and the Huntsman is a remake of the classic German fairy tale Snow White by Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini. It was released June 1, 2012.

THE CAST

Kristen Stewart as Snow White

Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna

Chris Hemsworth as Eric

Sam Claflin as William

Lily Cole as Greta

Sam Spruell as Finn

Vincent Regan as Duke Hammond.

Noah Huntley as King Magnus

Liberty Ross as Queen Eleanor

Christopher Obi Ogugua as the voice of the Magic Mirror

MY THOUGHTS

OMG. This is hands down, the best Snow White installment I've seen so far. I was a fan of the 2001 Hallmark remake Snow White: The Fairest of Them All starring Kristin Kreuk and Miranda Richardson. Snow White has been one of my favorite fairy tales and I was excited to see this new spin on the story. I was a little skeptical when I found out that the role of Snow White was going to be played by Kristen Stewart (best known for her role as Bella Swan/Cullen in the Twilight Saga), only because she can sometimes seem a bit awkward. But I heart Charlize Theron and I am a fan of Kristen Stewart, so I decided that I would go and see the film when it came out. And I'm glad I did. Snow White and the Huntsman gives a different twist on the story, showing a more aggressive and head strong version of Snow White (which I liked). Kristen was excellent in the role as Snow White and I was so impressed with how she tackled the it (and her accent was pretty good too). And of course, Charlize Theron never disappoints me, I was also kind of cheering for her to win even though I knew in the end she wouldn't. SPOILERS: the only thing that I was a little upset about was the ending. Throughout the film you go wondering who Snow White will marry, the Prince or the Huntsman. When prince William kisses Snow after she eats the poison apple and she doesn't awake, its almost obvious that Eric is going to kiss her later and wake her, which he does. But after the evil queen is killed in the end, they crown Snow White as the new queen of the kingdom without allowing us the clarity on whether she will marry prince William or the Huntsman Eric. I mean... REALLY?!?!?! I think its imminent though that she will get with the huntsman though, but still... I would have liked to know. SPOILERS END. But over all, this was the best Snow White remake since the 2001 remake to me. And I commend Kristen Stewart for trying something new that she actually excelled in (And yes, I'm excluding The Runaways... um... yeah).

That said, Snow White and the Huntsman gets an outstanding: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 Stars

"Mirror, mirror... on the wall... who is the fairest of them all?"

My Movie Reviews: Dark Shadows

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins and Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in Dark Shadows (2012)

Dark Shadows (2012) is a horror comedy that is a remake of the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows by Dan Curtis the aired from 1966-1971. The screenplay was written by Seth Grahame-Smith while the film was directed by Tim Burton and was produced by Richard D. Zanuck, Graham King, Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The film was released May 11th, 2012.

THE CAST

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins

Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard

Eva Green as Angelique Bouchard
Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman

Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis

Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins

Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters and Josette du Pres

Chloë Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard

Gulliver McGrath as David Collins

MY THOUGHTS

I know that I am only twenty years old, but in a world were the Internet exists, it is highly possible that one so young could be exposed to the awesomeness of Dark Shadows. I watched several episodes of Dark Shadows online and I fell in love with it. I'm not a big fan of soap operas, but Dark Shadows was different. In 2010, it was my first time hearing that there would be a remake of Dark Shadows. I was very exited. Since the 2004 revival series created for the CW (for the WB at the time) fell through, I was hoping that this remake would actually make it to the big screen. My expectations for the film were high, due to the cast used for the characters. But to be quiet honest, I think my expectations were too high. The film was good, but it wasn't great. I was impressed with the way the cast portrayed the characters and brought them to life in the modern times. One back side was that the film is considered a "horror-comedy." This I wasn't aware of prior to watching the movie. It had it's moments that were dark and serious (which Tim Burton is good at), but the comical scenes take away the darkness that is and was Dark Shadows. It doesn't completely put a damper on the entire film, but it slightly tainted it. To top that off, some characters were combined (which causes confusion at first), and then they threw in a random werewolf (nope... not Quentin). SPOILERS: The movie does end with an interesting cliff hanger, showing Dr. Julia Hoffman in the lake that Barnabas threw her in opening her eyes before the credits roll (indicating a possible sequel). SPOILERS END. The film lacks a lot of what the series held, but then again, remakes of TV shows, books, or movies like Dark Shadows cannot always be made as well as we would like them to be. Despite its downfalls, Dark Shadows (2012) delivers just enough to have you a little scared and make you laugh, all while staying family oriented. This film will probably be great to those new to the series, but to most fans of the original, it will probably be considered a disappointment.

That being said, I give Dark Shadows (2012): ★★★★★ 3 out of 5 Stars

Nice try... but try again.

"If I can't have you... No one can!!"

Do You Miss Me?

Hey Bloggers!

Do you guys miss me? Well I apologize for being very tardy lately, but with the potential release of 12 (A Novel) - Part I creeping up on me, I've been buckling down on getting it finished. But trust and believe that once I'm done with it, I will be back in full force doing movie reviews and telling you about my other ideas and new ideas that I've come up with since I've been off. So don't fret, I'll be back soon.

MindOfACreator91

My Movie Reviews: The Hunger Games (2012)

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) from The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a 2012 American dystopian science fiction action-drama filmdirected by Gary Ross and based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

The film was directed by Gary Ross and the screenplay was written by Gary Ross, Billy Ray, and the novel's author Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games was released March 21, 2012 in Europe and March 23, 2012 in the US.

THE CAST

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane

Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith

SYNOPSIS

The nation of Panem has risen out of the ruins of what was once known as North America. After an unsuccessful uprising by the thirteen districts of Panem, a reaping is held to pick one boy and girl from each of the twelve remaining districts to participate in a televised event known as the Hunger Games. This event is a competition where each "tribute" battles to the death until only one is left, resulting in the winner receiving fame and fortune. Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself in place of her younger sister Prim who was originally chosen to battle in the Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark, a baker's son, is the chosen young man to attend the Hunger Games. The two form a bond as their memories of each other come to their remembrance, forming a team in hopes that they will together show that they are not owned.

MY THOUGHTS

Oh my God... this has got to be the best movie I've seen so far this year. I am so glad that I went to see this because it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I became interested in The Hunger Games when the film was announced for an early 2012 release. And since other series of interest have ended or are coming to an end (i.e. Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga), I figured I might as well give this series a shot. By the time I had purchased the first novel I was nowhere near finishing it when I watched the film. I loved the book when I had started reading it and the suspense was amazingly real. I went to watch the film and was blown away by the amazing cast and the way the film was put together. Of course, like all films that become movies, there were some slight changes in the film from the novel, but it wasn't damaging to the film whatsoever. I was amazed by the performance of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss and Peeta. And their cemestry was incredibly believable. I feel no need to spoil a great movie, so I'm going to end this review by telling you all if you wanna see something epic, The Hunger Games delievers.

That being said, I give The Hunger Games: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 stars

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"

My Movie Reviews: Future Movie Reviews

Hey Readers!!

I hope you have enjoyed my movie reviews for the year (I know some were added and then taken away but I will do more next year). 2012 is gonna be a big year for films and  I will be doing movie reviews for several new upcoming films. And as I said before, if you'd like me to do a review on a certain movie (with the exception of a series if I haven't seen it before) let me know. Here are some movies I will be doing reviews for in 2012:

The Hunger Games (2012)

Dark Shadows (2012)

Snow White & the Huntsman (2012)

Red Dawn (2012)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

If you'd like to see more, leave a comment and tell me!