J.B. Sommerset

As promised in my review of Rebel Moon part 1 , I return with a review of Rebel Moon part 2: The Scar giver . So, strap on them Imperium uniforms and prepare for this Space-Viking-cowboy-Nazi-science fiction space opera.  This is the second part, and the thrilling conclusion of Rebel Moon... Wait, what's that, it made too much money, there's going to be a third? Maybe? We don't know yet... um okay. We'll just move forward with this review and cross that bridge when the enemy comes to shoot us all to crap. By now, you might have heard, or at the very least surmised there would be more rebel moons out soon, 4 more if old Zach has anything to do with it. However, I am not so sure the next one, Rebel Moon 3 has been greenlit. There are rumors it has, and also that it will start filming in 2025. If they make it, I will review it. For now, let just focus on Part 2. Don't want to get caught up in the assumption game and get taken out of context. I liked the first one, and

"Sun on the Tracks" (Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset (c) 2024 ) Sometimes we need a reminder that the only thing that keeps us from being ourselves is the fear that there will be a fair amount of judgement with that endeavor. If there were no fear in the becoming than there would be no value in it's lessons and self actualization would mean nothing. So, here's a good quote in that vein... "I'll be here waiting, just the other side of your fear. So, are you going to come find me? Who am I you ask? Well, I am you, the you that is waiting for you to become." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

When I was a kid I used to read every fantasy book I could get my hands on. Short stories, novels, comics, graphic novels, it didn't matter. Among those were some of the classics. I have posted a number of them over the years here on my site. But there is one author I can't seem to recall ever posting, and I really don't know why. If this is somehow a repost, I apologize. I don't think it is. This week we are going back to the The land of Narnia . I say back to, because most of you out there are very familiar with " The Chronicles of Narnia " by C.S. Lewis . If you haven't read the books, you most likely have seen one of the many film adaptations of them. My biggest disappointment was that only four of the books were ever made into movies, which is a shame because my two favorites were never even considered- " The Horse and his Boy " and " The Magician's Nephew ". I like " The Last Battle ", but it isn't my favorite. S

"Mud and Snow" (Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset ) Sometimes it pays to have a "down to Earth quote" one that's really note sophisticated or complex, one that is simple, but makes since in ways that the common man can understand. I have a whole section in my notebooks dedicated to this kind of quote. I call it "the simple man section". Given that this is another election year, I thought this one fit the bill, enjoy.  "If you are going to be lazy and cut corners, you probably shouldn't do it while wiping your ass." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

"Mushrooms on the Mountain" (Photo credit J.B. Sommerset 2023) Have you ever meant one of those people who is always stressed out and suffers from anxiety? It seems no matter how good they have it they will burn the village down because they don't feel like happiness is enough. Like there is something better and more important than being happy and content with things. I am not saying there is an issue with wanting more, I am saying, why would you destroy happiness to have more? Anyway, I thought this quote is apropos- "There are a lot of people who hate happiness despite what they might tell you, the majority of 'happy' people will gladly burry it under something else- anxiety, stress, disappointment. It can be irritating to watch these people. It's like they are trying to save their happiness and keep it locked away under all that bullshit, not even realizing that experiencing happiness is the point."  J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

Okay, for some reason this didn't post like it should have 2 weeks ago, so I am going to make up for it and post it now. Moving forward these will be on schedule, I am adding them to my workflow. Anyway, moving forward. We all know how much I loves me some Mark Twain , I have posted a lot of his works, form " Tom Sawyer " to " Huck Finn ", but for some reason I have never posted this one, which is weird, it sort of falls into his well known works. So, here it is, this week I am posting " The Prince and The Pauper ", Bon, appetite! Cheers!

"The Ocean of Cotton" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2023) Here's a literary quote for all you writers out there. For a while most of the things I was writing had a fair amount of satire in them. I don't put as much satire in my work any more, it's still there, but it has been toned down quite a bit and here's why... "The problem with satire is that the people whom it is intended for rarely understand it..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

While straggling through the wilderness of Netflix shows the other day I came across " The Three Body Problem ". I know of story, mostly of the Chinese novel   by the same name. It's on my reading list, I just haven't gotten to it yet. My list is pretty big, so I prioritize which ones I will read first. This one was high on my list, and that hasn't changed. I suspect there is more in the book than there was in the show. Normally I don't like to watch the show before I read the book, but in this case, I didn't see any good options- There's not much on Netflix I haven't seen, at least from a critical stand point. So when I see something new, I typically like to give it a spin. A lot of my friends recommended the book, so I knew something about it. It went on the old reading list when it was first translated. I decided to watch the show which made it to my plate first.  " The Three Body Problem " is an award winning Science Fiction book by

"The Dying Light" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2023) Sometimes it helps to remember that our habits and behaviors become us. It's hard to see it happening but we can become the things we hate in such a way. "Do not practice a thing that doesn't bring joy to your heart, for you might just become good at it..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

"Golden Tipped" (Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset 2024) This one is an oldie but goodie. It's a healthy reminder that happiness doesn't come from some outside thing, it is not to be purchased and it cannot be owned- only experienced. Lastly, that it is in fact a personal responsibility. "One of the secrets to happiness is not in the getting somewhere, or completeing something, it's in the being somewhere and doing something."  J.B. Sommerset (The Last of those who Walk) Cheers!

There are very few Adam Sandler movies I actually like. For the most part it's the same movie over and over again. It's okay sometimes. But I have to be in the mood to waste a couple of hours watching one of his movies. I guess you might say I have a love hate relationship with him and his work. Most of it, is very "Meh". There's only one Adam Sandler movie I will watch over and over again- outside of " Eight Crazy Nights ", which my family insists is a "Christmas movie". That movie would be, you probably guessed this one, " Happy Gilmore ". And it's really not even a good movie, it's just super nostalgic. There are some other movies he's in that are good, but they don't have a replay value- case in point " Reign Over Me ", " Punch Drunk Love ", and " Uncut Gems " among others. They're good movies, but they just aren't worth watching multiple times, especially Uncut Gems.  So when

"The Glow at the end of the World" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2024) Sometimes people are so reoccupied with doing something that they do not take the time to ask themselves if they should do something. Like playing in "gods toolbox", it's a bad idea. But people just keep doing it, and usually for all the wrong reasons. The quote this week kind of reflects that.  "Did we ever stop to consider that maybe the stars were put so high in the heavens so that man could not reach them..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

I was skeptical when I saw the trailer for " The Creator ", it seemed like it had been done a number of times before- from " Terminator " to " A.I. " In other words, I didn't think it could be original or even come across as authentic. I was wrong, and I will give this film more credit than most of the critics did. I think it deserves that, because it's hard to come up with anything that even has original paint. This movie has a crap ton happening, and while it's true that there are so many call outs and themes that appear to be stollen from other movies, I assure you this story is very much an original work. And those call outs are more tributes than anything else. The plot is one that I have addressed here many times and struggle with, especially right now. Artificial intelligence is something I am VERY cautious of. For the most part A.I. has been vilified in movies and stories, it's usually the big-bad-guy in most science fiction films t

"The Breach in the Sky" (Photo Credit JB Sommerset 2024 ) I dug back only a couple of years for this one. And it's oh so perfect for 2024- being that we are going into an election year here in the states. I not usually one to take sides on this matter, but this year is super important. If we have another 4 years with the "terrible tangerine" I am pretty sure all is lost and the apocalypse has begun. Well, anyway, here is the quote of the week. "The thing about treason and sedition is that it only really works out if you are the victor, not some bumbling idiot who just wants their own way." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

Before I get started, let me express that I have not seen all of Nicholas Cages movies so I can't say for sure if this is the strangest one, but damn, it's up there. Lets get started. Okay, I admit it, Nicholas Cage is one of my guilty pleasures. For the most part, I don't think his movies are good, in fact his acting is, well, something... The thing is his movies are fun. Very fun, even the ones that get " meme " status. He has a habit of not taking much seriously. In truth, he actually can act, well sometimes. I think he just operates a little differently than most of us. When he's on, he's on, and when he's not, he's still on- success even with his failures.  This last weekend I stumbled across a movie I didn't expect out of Nicholas Cage. It's a weird little film, like super weird, and quite possibly it makes it into the top 10 most awkward movies I think I have ever seen. That's right, squirm in your seat awkward, get up and pret

Every once in a while I like to put a title in here that I have not read and know nothing about. It keeps it fresh and I will most likely post more books that I haven't read before. This audiobook is a little outside of the bi-weekly range, but I have been busy and also "I caught a wee sniffle". I don't know anything about it and I am not really sure if it's going to be any good. But I am down to give someone a few extra likes, clicks, or subs. So here we go, this week is " A Hunt in Winter " by Conor Brady , apparently, its a thriller. We'll see about that. Enjoy! Cheers!

Rising Clouds on the Mountain- Photo credit to J.B. Sommerset (2023) Here's another great quote from my former life. One that has stuck with me for all these years. This one has a spiritual message in it's heart, a lesson I learned from long ago, in the "way back" of my child hood. I might have mentioned here in the past, sometimes I forget to check these things off as I input them. So I hope this one is fresh to all those readers out there and that it isn't a repeat, I am feeling this one today, but not for me, for a close friend.  "It seems to me, largely, that religion is a support group for those who lack faith. And like other support groups it's corruptible in ways a person doesn't see without the wisdom of spirituality." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

(Image credit: JBSommerset Copy write 2024) I was surprised when I first heard about this movie and how good it was. I am a big Godzilla fan, I love watching that monster tear a city down while he battles some ridiculous creature with super weird powers. However, lets face it, no one watches Godzilla movies for the plots and character development. Same with other Kaiju   films such as " Pacific Rim ", and " Cloverfield ". We watch them to see giant freak'n monsters have at one another while destroying everything in their path. Which is why I was surprised to see a lot of people saying that " Godzilla Minus One " was no ordinary Godzilla flick. That is was in fact a masterpiece. I did some research and found out that not only was this movie critically acclaimed, it has a 98% on rotten tomatoes, it's been nominated for several awards, and it's budget was only 15 million dollars. The budget is pretty standard for Godzilla movies. But the rest, ju

Since the invention of the digital format there has been an ongoing argument as to which is better, digital or analogue. Hardcore audiophiles will always argue that old vinyl will always be better than digital formats. Old school artists will always scoff at the digital facsimiles or photoshop drawings. And some writers look down on those who "first draft" on a computer, even though in this modern world most of us will have to type drafts for submission.  I am an old schooler and I see the value of first drafting with pen and paper, but thank god people don't have to read that drivel- I would be embarrassed. That being said, in a world of lazy A.I. driven art, music and writing, there is something very important to be said for original analogue.  The best contrast in this argument is Vinyl versus Digital. My wife and I recently bought some vinyl and a fairly descent record player. I instantly noticed how much better the sound was. I used to be a radio D.J. and I had forgo

Last week I went back to watch some old shows while I wait for " Godzilla Minus One " to come to streaming- Which I am really looking forward to. In the mean whiles, I decided to take a break from my murder porn (investigation ID true crime shows) as I am pretty sure the F.B.I. has me on some sort of watch-list by now.  So what else is there to watch when you have watched the good stuff and need a fix? Old shows, re-runs of course, those shows that are sitting on the back burner waiting for another shot, waiting for a second time to shine. Lonely shows hiding in the backs of our playlists, looking for some more love in their forgotten little slots where they are missing the lime-light.  I went through my list of favorites, a not too sizable amount. I looked at my usuals- Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, LOTR, Altered Carbon, Stranger Things, 1899, Vikings, and ad nauseum... I wasn't really feeling any of them. Then, there on the bottom of the play list I saw it. A sh