Tag: Alex J. Cavanaugh

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Fun Hops Videos

Underrated Treasures Blogfest!

Hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanagh, this blogfest is sure to entertain you for days to come.

Everyone has a favorite movie or band that no one else has ever heard about. For whatever reason, they remain undiscovered and underrated. Now is our chance to tell the world about these obscure treasures!

Today’s the day I post about my favorite unknown:  MOVIE, BAND/ARTIST, TV SHOW, or BOOK. I can post about one or all four – my choice.

So here I go.

Movie– MirrorMask

Wikipedia

I like the movie MirrorMask. I’m not saying that it’s my favorite movie or even my favorite obscure movie, but I do think it’s worth mentioning and here’s why: Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, and Jim Henson.

There aren’t many around today who aren’t at least socially aware of the creative talent of Neil Gaiman. Whether or not people like his work or have even experienced it personally, most people in western civilization, at least, know who he is. I like Gaiman’s work. His influence and voice are clearly evident throughout this film.

Apparently Dave McKean wears many hats, including: Illustrator, photographer, writer, filmmaker, and musician. That’s all well and good, but I mainly know him from, Batman: Arkham Asylum, but have recently viewed some of this other work and am pleased with it. McKean’s signature artistic style shines in this film.

Then there’s Jim Henson. No need to talk this guy and his production company up. If people don’t know who he is, they can Google him. The Henson influence in this film isn’t huge, but it is significant. The Henson influence also isn’t its typically bright, high-spirited, more popular influence; it’s more along the lines of Dark Crystal and Labyrinth…which of course, is right up my alley.

When it comes to describing this movie there are three words that come to mind: weird, trippy, and complex. This isn’t a film that leaves you completely satisfied upon completing it, but that’s why I like it. It’s keeps you wondering, second guessing, and tilting your head. It’s a visual anomaly, having many clever and striking graphics, but there are also some that you’re just not quite sure are supposed to appear the way they do. This isn’t a comfortable film to watch, but for me, that challenge is part of the magic that makes this movie worth experiencing…And despite what critics say, the story is wonderful. It’s not completely coherent in places, but it’s unique and original, and that in itself is an accomplishment.

See the trailer here:

Song– Bohemian Rhapsody cover by The Braids (altering the category of BAND/ARTIST)

There’s nothing better than the original Bohemian Rhapsody by the band Queen. This is one of those times when you’ll really have to hear me out before you decide to hang me. There’s a very specific and important reason I want to feature this particular cover of this song, but first I need to explain why I chose it for this list.

Plain and simple, I chose this song because not many people know it exists. Being from the High School High soundtrack, I can’t blame them. I’ve never even seen this movie, but I’m pretty sure I don’t need to. I originally heard the song on the radio back in high school, which brings me to why I’m featuring this song now.

I think most people take it for granted that everyone kind of shares their options about certain things without taking into consideration cultural difference. One great Cultural Revolution I like at the moment is the mixture of musical genres. Now I do love my classics and can be a bit of a traditionalist, but I like that people are expanding their musical horizons.

There was a time, and in some places this is still the case, when music was strictly regional. Black urban youths had no idea who groups like Queen and The Ramones were. I’m sure there were other regions where groups like Digable Planets and Digital Underground didn’t exist either.

When I heard The Braids cover of this song, I was excited to finally have a way to talk about a song and band I liked with my peers by sharing and comparing this song to the original version. This isn’t a great cover, but it’s not a bad one either. It’s definitely different from the original, but that’s why it’s so special. I have several friends now who’ve experienced many different musical genres all because I found a way to reach them, initially, with this simple cover song.

Finding a sample of this song was more than hard. Unfortunately the only one I could find was from a You Tube video where the person who posted it, included a picture of the group Fugees. I’m not sure why this person did that, but this song is definitely not by the Fugees; it’s by The Braids.

Listen to (don’t watch) this song here:

TV show– Out of This World

Wikipedia

Every time I try to bring this show up in a conversation, people look at me like I’ve smashed together the languages of French and Stark Trek’s Klingon. I was actually amazed by how easy it was to find this with a Google search, but I guess it was because I knew what I was looking for. I know I can’t be the only sci-fi/fantasy fan who remembers this show from their childhood.

I distinctly remember the classic song, Swinging a Star popularized by Bing Crosby, being the theme song for the show, though it wasn’t his version that was used. As a kid, this show was right up there with Small Wonder, Alf, and Greatest American Hero (another underrated classic). If you don’t know these either, head to the Google machine.

This show had everything a young female sci-fi fan could ask for. It told the story of a girl who was half alien and had special alien powers. It was traditional silly, after school sit-con material, though it could also fit in well with Saturday morning shows like Saved By the Bell. I don’t think this show was ever in danger of winning an Emmy, but I liked it.

See the trailer here:

Well that’s it. It’s more than I meant to share, but hey, I was on a roll. I couldn’t think of a book to add, so you lucked out there. Be sure to drop by and visit other stops on this hop. Whether you liked what I posted or not, someone else is bound to have something just for you.

Click here to see the Linky list.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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IWSG

#IWSG September 2014: Transitions

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Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

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I often how well others handle transitions, those times spent in between one part of your life and other. I don’t think I handle them too badly, but I know I have room for improvement. I also wonder how one identifies whether they are in a place of transition rather than a consistent state of being. For instance, in terms of relationships, there the dating/courtship period and there’s marriage; the transition between the two is called an engagement. What do you call when you’re in a place somewhere between being a newbie/novice and being on top/an expert in your field? I feel like that’s where I am.

I’m been writing and blogging for about four years now and I’m still no expert and definitely not on top, but I’m no novice either. Sometimes I count my goals to give me perspective, but lately I’ve learned that counting them isn’t enough. I also have to reevaluate to make sure to pursuing what truly best and simply chasing after something for all the wrong reasons.

I guess the point of all this is that I feel like I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things, but I’m just not there yet. So, do I continue down this path the same way I’ve been going, try something new, or try to stopping wanting so much? I seriously don’t see the latter as a viable option.

Do you feel like you are in a transition or have you been in one? How did you get out? I’d seriously love to know.

After listening to me ponder my own query, here’s something that you may or may not be interested in and that may put a smile on your face. I’ve just relaunched my You Tube channel with all new programming and just aired my first episode. You can check it out here if you’d like.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts: Laura, Mark Koopmans, Shah Wharton, and Sheena-Kay Graham!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #151).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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About Toi Other

Happy 2nd Blog Anniversary! – An Interview, Part 3

anniversayGreetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors. It’s my anniversary and I thought I’d interview myself and share it with you. I’ve come a long way as a writer, blogger, reviewer, and interviewer and I’d thought it would be nice to share some of the things I’ve learned and tell you a little about myself, in case you don’t already know. Today’s the day; it’s official!

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So what do I have to share today?

c2a7b-nocoverWhile I’m constantly trying to promote my shorts (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse, The Legend of the Boy, and Unexplained), my first novel Eternal Curse, and my blog, I realize that I can’t stop there. I’m currently working to release my second novel, a contemporary romance completely independent of my Eternal Curse Series, entitled It’s Like the Full Moon. I’m also working on the sequel to Eternal Curse and another fantasy novel independent of that series. I’m really hoping to have something else released by the end of 2014 or at least at the beginning of 2015.

So here’s who’s starring is my 2 dimensional script read of
It’s Like the Full Moon:

nofemaleThere are four main characters and a whole bunch of other characters that are worth mentioning, but I will stick to the main four.

The protagonist of this book is Rebecca. Rebecca has just turned thirty and is living a comfortably boring life, and will probably marry her longtime boyfriend Virgil, if he ever asks her. Luckily for her, Rebecca has friends and family who aren’t so content with the current state of her life.

Teddy is Rebecca’s handsome and fun-loving younger brother. He’s recently passed the Bar and will be graduating with a degree in business and law. Teddy has many interests outside of law and the great outdoors is just one of them.

Lisa is Rebecca’s almost perfect opposite and also her best friend in the whole world. She’s a successful business woman who travels the world, but never forgets about the people she leaves behind.nomale

And then there’s Paul. He’s new to this trio of friend/siblings, but he’ll fit right in. A recent graduate with a degree in journalism and working as a freelance writer, Paul has his whole life ahead of him, but these three people are about to shake up his future.

What’s so special about this story that’s going to reel in the readers?

Wikipedia

This story is simple and sweet, but also complicated…Wait, does that even make sense?

I’ve tried to pretend that I don’t care much for drama, but what I realize now is that I like certain kinds of drama. This story, It’s Like the Full Moon, will be my debut into the world of what I call “sweet drama”.  This story isn’t going to pull in those readers who crave infidelity, substance abuse, black market deals, and divas behaving badly, but it does have something for a different crowd.

This is a relationship book that tells a story instead of trying to teach a lesson. There’s a character whose been let down by a negligent father. There’s a character who’s lost his/her mother at very young age. There are characters who constantly make bad romantic decisions because looks are so hard to ignore, and there’s a love triangle, but it’s not what you’d image.

I admit and proclaim from the mountain tops that this story has been inspired by the films “Moon Struck”, “How to Make an American Quilt” and “A room with a View”, but this is something else altogether different at the end of the day.

Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to my writing?

I overthink things all the time. In some cases that really helps my writing process, but if I didn’t work on organization and time management, I’d never get anything done.

I’m an outliner. When I get an idea I write it down. I don’t believe in writer’s block. When I get stumped on one idea, I open up my vault of ideas and work on something else. I always eventually come back to the other thing I was stumped on.

Back to outlining; nothing that I write is spontaneous. The ideas may come to me like lightning, but the stories are developed from beginning to end through the development of outlines, timeline, and charts. I’m flexible on changes as the story develops, but I always know ahead of time, what I want the outcome to be. In the few rare instances where I don’t know the ending, I at least know every detail leading up to that point when a decision finally has to be made.

The development and writing process is a thrill, it’s everything that comes after that that becomes a chore, but I won’t bore you with all that right now.

What author(s) has most influenced my writing? Why or how?

I am influence by everything around me: blogs, movies, music, art, life. Every book I’ve ever read has left some kind of impact on my way, methods, and motives for writing. J.M. Barrie inspired me to want to create worlds and adventures when he made me fall in love with Peter Pan and Neverland, but he’s not my only inspiration. Unfortunately there are just too many to mention them all. I do however find that reading from modern, up-and-coming authors, as well as, those who are already established, is a good way to keep your skills sharp. That’s not to say that there isn’t still loads to learn from authors who’ve made their marks and have now passed on.

While everything I read is a potential learning experience, I find that when I let go and read for pleasure, I am more motivated to create and determined to be professional and accurate. Right now I’m enjoying the works of Stacey Rourke, Alex J, Cavanagh, Neil Gaiman, and George Mann.

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Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today…unless you have a question you’d like to ask me. 😉

Thank you for sticking with me these past two years. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for part four of this interview and hopefully enjoy some more of my insights.

This has been a

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords