X-Men: First Class (2011) - Review

Michael Fassbender as Magneto in X-Men: First Class

Erik Lehnsherr AKA Magneto happens to be my most Marvel character of all time and Michael Fassbender makes a great Erik/Magneto. Both these factors combined makes this my all time favorite X-Men movie.

After X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), there were reports of 2 separate movies in development: one based on Wolverine and the other focused on the Master of Magnetism.

I was quite interested in the latter and while the resulting movie is called X-Men: First Class, it is quite obvious that the movie was originally intended to focus only on Magneto.

The movie starts with the first scene of X-Men (2000) featuring a young Erik being separated from his parents in a concentration camp in the 1940s. The officer-in-charge notices the young Erik's mutant powers on display and decides to exploit the same. The officer kills Erik's mother to force the boy to display his mutant powers and succeeds in permanently scarring the boy's psyche with vengeance and hatred towards mankind.

In upstate NY, young Charles Xavier takes in fellow mutant Raven Darkholme AKA Mystique into his manor and they grow up together.

The movie picks up later with a grown up Erik tracking down his mother's killer, who now calls himself Sebastian Shaw. Played by Kevin Bacon in the vein of a 60s Bond movie villain, Shaw oozes pure evil. His mutant power is to absorb energy and use it to increase his own physical attributes to finally overpower his opponent. He is assisted by Emma Frost, Azazel and Riptide.

Erik joins forces with Xavier and his band of fellow mutants (Beast, Darwin, Havoc, Banshee and Mystique), as they counter Shaw’s plans to start a nuclear war.

Competently directed by Matthew Vaughn, the movie erases the bad taste left  in the mouth by X-Men: The Last Stand. The presence of Bryan Singer as producer no doubt helped.

Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence are great as Beast and Mystique respectively. Other mutants with the possible exception of Banshee and Havoc leave no impression, mainly due to the lack of character development.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender share great chemistry as Professor Xavier and Magneto

James McAvoy is a great foil as Xavier. He is a suave ladies man and does not mind using his formidable mutant powers to make an impression. McAvoy radiates the calm demeanor and wisdom that will eventually make him the mentor for X-Men. He makes for a believable younger version of Patrick Stewart’s Prof X. McAvoy and Fassbender share a great chemistry as the two men who will eventually part ways, as their ideologies differ radically about the peaceful co-existence of mutants and non-mutants.

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Ian McKellen is one of the most accomplished actors and always excels in his work, whether he plays Gandalf the Grey/White or the Master of Magnetism. It is a great tribute to Michael Fassbender that he puts his own stamp as Magneto, despite the inevitable comparisons to McKellen.

Fassbender has a very magnetic screen presence (no pun intended) and exudes immense on-screen charisma as he puts his mutant powers to display, especially in the climax. The scene with Prof X where he learns to control his rage is a textbook example of Fassbender's thespian skills.

Michael Fassbender as Magneto

Fassbender single-handedly makes this movie a must-watch for Magneto Fans and/or X-men fans.

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Book Review: What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro

Joe Navarro does a splendid job explaining the intricacies of the body language.

The book starts with an example of how Joe solved a case by noticing a subtle change in the body language of a suspect under interrogation. He gives many examples from his career as to how lives were saved by observing and interpreting subtle messages AKA the body language.

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Joe takes a scientific approach to explaining body language by explaining how the brain works and has been instrumental in controlling our innate responses to external causes of stress/danger. His writing style is quite lucid, so that even the layman can understand the intricacies of the body language.

Highly recommended to people interested in reading Body Language books.

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Book Review: Peoplewatching by Desmond Morris

Desmond Morris has created a classic with his book Peoplewatching.

This book has and will stand the test of time as an enduring classic. One will be hard put to find any book on Body Language that does not cite Peoplewatching.

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Simply put, if there is only one book to be read on Body Language, this IS the one.

Desmond Morris, the author

Desmond Morris's book provides a wealth of information that deserves to be read and re-read.

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Book Review: The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz

This is a review of the Kindle version.

I have read the complete Sherlock Holmes Canon (56 short stories and 4 novels) and have watched different adaptations.

Coming to the book in question, this is an excellent effort by Anthony Horowitz. Not having read any of the author's previous works, I was not sure if the author would do justice to Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved creation. Having read the book, I whole-heartedly recommend the book to any Holmes fan/fan of the thriller genre.

Anthony Horowitz, the author of 'The House of Silk'

Horowitz captures the essence of Doyle's books, which are the foggy streets of London and the classic relationship between Holmes and Watson. Horowitz nails both of these to near perfection and delivers (what to this reviewer is) one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiches.

The story starts with an arts store owner paying a visit to 221 B Baker Street. As Holmes investigates the case, he finds himself (and Watson) involved in a dangerous game with a bunch of antagonists, hell-bent on keeping their criminal enterprise alive and kicking. The novel has 2 plots that come together for a stunner of a climax that is truly Vintage Sherlock Holmes.

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Besides Mycroft, couple more characters make their cameos. I will leave it to the reader to discover these, but rest assured, one of these cameos will knock any Holmesian's socks off.

What I liked best about the book: The settings, the atmosphere, the Holmes-Watson dynamics and the climax!

What could have been done better: The book lags little bit in the middle, despite a good start. But the killer climax offsets the lagging middle though.

I am eagerly looking to the (hopefully inevitable) sequel/next Holmes pastiche from Horowitz. 

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TV Review: Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes - "Acquaintance" (1979)

Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes

This episode is based on A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.

The opening shot is that of 2 men walking in the distance, approaching the camera. A man is explaining to Dr.Watson about the eccentricities of a prospective roommate. The man talking to Dr Watson is assumed to be Stamford (though we never get to know his name). They eventually meet up with the Bohemian resident of 221 B Baker Street and the rest is history! 

Coming back to the episode, Holmes and Watson discuss each other’s character traits. Dr.Watson proves to be the quiet and retiring one, with Holmes being the exact opposite. As Holmes opens up about his thoughts on astronomy, poetry and philosophy, Watson slowly comes to realize that his roommate is not your regular Joe.

The famous lodgings at 221 B Baker Street

A series of events, including a stranger entering Holmes’s room to never reappear, Watson’s breakfast interrupted by the Baker Street Irregulars, Holmes playing violin at unearthly hours that makes Watson highly suspicious of Holmes’ intentions and character.

He even shares his apprehensions with Stamford, who does not take him seriously. Returning to his apartment, he finds Holmes tinkering with the apartment locks and this proves to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Watson challenges Holmes to a boxing duel. Holmes proceeds to knock him out cold.

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After quickly establishing himself as the world’s only consulting detective to Watson, we immediately meet Helen Stoner from the The Adventure of the Speckled Band. The sequence in which Holmes questions Ms.Stoner and coolly lights his pipe is to me the one money shot that convinced me that I had found my Definitive Sherlock Holmes.

The rest of the episode very closely follows the The Adventure of the Speckled Band.

Sherlock Holmes gets a visit from the Baker Street Irregulars

What worked best: As always, the casting, music and direction. It was a very inspired choice to combine the initial parts of A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Speckled Band.  The transition from one story to another is flawless and will work fine irrespective of the viewer’s familiarity with the Canon.

The addition of Baker Street Irregulars and the boxing duel were nice touches as well. The background score for Helen Stoner is extremely well done and is probably the best in the series. 

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The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

Grizzly Bears at The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Montana

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have visited The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, situated at West Yellowstone, Montana. 

This is a paradise for all Grizzly lovers. As I entered the Center, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that 2 huge forms were lounging around in the hot sun. The size and magnificence of these creatures was truly jaw-dropping. To see a pair of immensely powerful creatures indulge in casual play is truly a sight to behold! I discovered these bears to be Sam and Illie, the twin brother-sister pair. Sam, weighing more than 1000 pounds and Illie, at 800 pounds, are truly giants in every sense of the word. 

In addition to Sam and illie, there were couple more set of bears that frequented the display enclosures. While I do not remember the names of the other bears, I do remember their playfulness and the amazing intelligence that makes these bears so curious about their surroundings. I remember the bears using their well-documented sense of smell to explore and analyze the world around them. 

It is a testament to the charisma of the Grizzly bear that I was so overwhelmed with awe at the sight of these magnificent creatures that I do not remember most of what I saw about their neighbors at the center: The wolves. 

My visit to The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center remains one of the cornerstones of my life-long fascination with Nature, as I discovered for the first time in person one of the most magnificent animals on Earth: Grizzly Bear. 

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Charlie Russell, The Bear Man of Kamchatka

Charlie Russell is a Canadian naturalist, who has had a lifelong fascination with Grizzly Bears. His father, Andy Russell was himself a renowned conservationist and author of many books, including Grizzly Country.

Charlie believes that man can peacefully co-exist with Grizzly Bears. In addition to using an electric fence around his house in the wilderness, Charlie uses just pepper spray to prevent any untoward encounter with the bears. To quote Charlie: “...they are not unpredictable..they are predictable..it's just that we just do not know how to predict them...”.

The documentary is shot in South Kamchatka Sanctuary, one of Russia's protected habitats and a true spectacle to behold. Misty mountains surround beautiful lakes and Charlie has set up his study center right in the middle of this beautiful oasis.

Charlie's study center

After the end of Cold War in Russia, hunters and poachers killed bears indiscriminately, resulting in lot of orphaned cubs. Charlie decided to launch a pioneering project to recover orphaned cubs in the wild.

The documentary focuses on the two five month old male cubs adopted by Charlie. His typical day starts with preparing their breakfast (mixture of sunflower seeds and sugar). This is followed by Charlie taking the cubs out to explore and indulge in some fun time. Charlie is an expert fisherman and teaches them the crucial skill of fishing that they need to master in order to be successful in the wild.

Charlie and his adopted cub sport fishing

Charlie’s love for these bears is evident in the way he patiently guides them to catch fish and protects them from dangers such as aggressive adult bears. Adult bears are a particular danger to the cubs and Charlie needs to be on his toes all the time to come to their rescue. This can be quite tough for Charlie, considering his advanced age.

What differentiates Charlie’s work with the bears from a Timothy Treadwell is the amount of respect and understanding, Charlie has for these giants. Charlie cares for his cubs, as a surrogate mother would for her offspring. He never takes the bears for granted and treats them with the necessary care, always having pepper spray handy, should things go out of hand. The documentary even contains an example of Charlie using the pepper spray to save his adopted cubs from an aggressive adult male bear.

Charlie Russell with one of his adopted cubs

Charlie's efforts have helped turned the South Kamchatka Sanctuary into a World Heritage Site. I am currently reading Charlie’s book Grizzly Heart. The book documents the efforts of Charlie in setting up his study center. I will post a separate entry to review the book.

Here’s wishing many more years of healthy life to Charlie Russell, as he continues his exemplary work with one of my most favorite animals on the planet: Grizzly Bear.

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Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey

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Book Review: Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey captures the essence of what makes the Mountain Gorillas a truly great species.

Dian was leading a relatively normal life in USA, when she made a short trip to Africa. She brought back some pictures and written descriptions of her experience with Mountain Gorillas. This eventually led to her being designated as one of “Leakey’s Angels”. She was chosen to study Mountain Gorillas, just as Jane Goodall and Birute M. Galdikas were chosen to study Chimpanzees and Orangutans respectively.

Dian studied Mountain Gorillas for more than a decade and she describes her experience in great detail in this book. She had great love and respect for these magnificent animals and this shines through in each page. Some of her favorite Gorillas include Digit, Rafiki, Uncle Bert and Macho. In addition to the Gorillas, she also had a pet dog, who she loved very much.

Dian with her favorite gorilla, Digit

Digit’s massacre by poachers led to Dian starting the “Digit Fund”, which is now known as “The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International”. Dian advocated “Active Conservation” efforts to save the Gorillas.

She also found “Karisoke Research Center”, which continues Fossey’s work in studying Mountain Gorillas.

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Dian was murdered in her cabin in 1985. Her murder still remains unsolved to this day.

Dian was not perfect. She was reported to be a heavy drinker as well as a different person to get along with. She was also not the first person to study Mountain Gorillas. Still, she will always be remembered for dedicating her life to studying Mountain Gorillas and ensuring that people all over the world know about the plight of these magnificent apes. Dian’s book is a rare insight into her awe-inspiring work.

Highly recommended to people who love Mountain Gorillas or are interested to know more about Dian Fossey.

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Image Source: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Inc 

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Book Review: Seed by Ania Ahlborn

This is a review of the Kindle version.

The author has a pretty good grasp on the story, dialogues and the settings, resulting in one of the best horror books out there.

One possible loophole could be that the family dog does not deduct the change in the personality of one of the characters. When the dog does so, it happens quite late in the book. I thought this to be significant, as the author makes quite a number of references to horror movies, X-Files and Stephen King's Stand.

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Another thing that stuck me is that towards the end of the story, police arrive at the family's house and question couple of the family members. One of the family members must have been in the police records for couple of killings that took place in the past. But the police never mention that and the author makes no indication of the fact that they know about that either. I won’t reveal anymore, but suffice to say that it struck me as odd...

Other than these minor gripes, I was quite enthralled by the book from start to end, with some parts being particularly gripping.

Definitely recommended for fans of Horror/Supernatural genre.

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