Benjamin Perez Blog: LMST 345

 Classes:  Mon Sep 7 (1 point) Mon Sep 14 (1 point) Mon Sep 21 (1 point) Mon Sep 28 (1 point) Mon Oct 5 (1 point) Mon Oct 12 (I missed this class) Mon Oct 19 (1 point) Books & Movies Frankenstein (6 points) Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (4 points) Interview with a Vampire (6 points) Nosferatu (1 point) Byzantium (1 point) Only Lovers Left Alive (1 point) A Wild Sheep Chase (6 points) Kwaidan (5 points) Annihilation (6 points) Akata Witch (5 points) The Hobbit (6 points) Labyrinth (1 point) The Night Circus (6 points)

The story itself is very fascinating. The characters and environments held my attention, each having their own identity unique to them so that they felt like real people rather than just imagined. Overall the story is so well written that it became a real page turner. The mysterious vibes the circus gave off the whole time. The circus felt like its own entity that had such a huge presence that at it almost seemed more fantastic even without too many fictional elements. The company Cirque du Soleil came to mind when thinking of The Night Circus, which is very intriguing to me with its sense of wonder and mystique.  The Night Circus brought a new and interesting view on the magical fantasy style genre with not only the realism, but also a drastically different type of plot. Two characters are being trained, each by their own teacher, so that one day they will compete against each other. Throughout the story, the two characters are not sure why they are supposed to compete, and instea...

 The Dark Crystal is a classic, although it is often overlooked. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the movie is the world building. The Dark Crystal features creatures and places not of this world. There are Gelflings, Mystics, Skeksis, Garthim, and many more. All existing in a new and imagined world. The story itself features a Gelfling, Jen, who embarks on a mission pressed upon him by a mystic. However, his journey does sway side to side and sometimes begins to seem like it is forgetting the plot. Jen meets another Gelfling, Kira, and faces off against the Skeksis, ultimately his mission is a success.  Although the audience generally agrees that the movie might seem slow, the movie contains so many new creations, from the creatures to the environments. Even the plants are bizarre and unique to that world. These elements expand the realm of fantasy immensely. Before there were creatures such as dragons, elves, dwarves, etc, all common in fantasy. But now there are new ...

 Labyrinth is a cult-classic film that is often over-looked, but indeed adds much to the world of fantasy. Often described as a coming of age story, it tells the story about a girl who is frustrated with her circumstances at home, and she wishes a character known as the goblin king, to take her little brother away. She ends up feeling like she made a mistake, and so she goes on a quest in a fantastical world to get her little brother back.  The story greatly, maybe too perfectly reflects individuals from life, perhaps everyone, as it shows a character trying to discover what they want in life. In this story, the girl simply wants to exist unbothered, perhaps reveling in her childhood. However, she is a teen who is getting older, and has to face certain changes. Her exploration in the labyrinth seems to be more so discovering what she wants in life and how she approaches things. Basically she gets over a hurdle and discovers herself.  The story itself is really a very deep...

 It only, perhaps, takes a reader a few paragraphs to realize when they are reading a J. R. R. Tolkien piece. The writing itself speaks volumes to the author's ability to craft an entire world that could be very believable. The story is a work of fantasy that contains many beings of different fantastical races that are quite common and even to be expected when viewing a work of fantasy. For example, the elves. Elves are perhaps the most unique individuals with the most elegant features. They are quite a significant being in Tolkien's works, and can be found in most fantasy today. Dwarves of this story have a similar resemblance to what we see every day of them, from long thick beards, and the fact that they are shorter than humans. Trolls, goblins, and dragons all exist in the story of The Hobbit. The Hobbit has added much to these characters, but also a new one, the hobbit, which is smaller than a dwarf, usually has curly hair, and big bare feet with tuffs of hair.  But it is...

 The Akata Witch was quite an engrossing read. Each turn of the page made me more curious as to what would happen next. Events in the novel continued to grow ever more fascinating. The story itself made me think a lot of the Harry Potter series, although obviously different in a lot of ways considering it takes place in Nigeria. The fantasy and lore of the novel makes it a story that is greatly a compliment to the fantasy genre, especially with it's viewpoint. The main character, a black albino named Sunny, deals with the every day struggles of a normal person, difficulties with the family, and with bullies. But she is also bullied just for being who she is, and looking different. Throughout the story, characters show their dislike for Sunny for a few reasons; Sunny is a "free agent" (she has natural powers that everyone else has to use items to perform), she is a girl, and because she is albino. Like Sabrina in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina , Sunny must overcome som...