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OBI-WAN SPOILERS

OBI-WAN SPOILERS

OBI-WAN SPOILERS

OBI-WAN SPOILERS

OBI-WAN SPOILERS

OBI-WAN SPOILERS

 Hello there…

Two words that have me bursting into tears for two days now.

I was one who never asked for an Obi-Wan series and approached it with caution and bated breath.

Over the past few years, Disney has brought us The Mandalorian, Boba Fett and now Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I’ve enjoyed the hell out of each and every one, though I never thought I’d watch any of them.

The Star Wars properties empire is mostly referred to as space opera or science fiction but certainly has its roots firmly grounded in horror (among other genres such as Westerns) and that’s likely one of the universal appeals of the franchise. And perhaps that’s why I’ve been a fan since I was a teen watching the first one simply called Star Wars on opening day.

The mini-series Obi-Wan currently playing on DisneyPlus is very much a horror story, especially the finale, and it’s great to wallow around in.

The Obi-Wan series had a lot of what some would call fan service but when you’re dealing with a prequel full of dearly loved characters, you really need to stay with the script. We saw what happened with the final trilogy of the main movies and what a mess they were as each director/writer attempted something new when something old would have worked far better. The mere existence of the series Obi-Wan Kenobi is fan service, so haters can go hate somewhere else.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series stuck to something old. We have Luke and Leia and their requisite adopted parents, we have Anakin/Darth Vader, we have the Emperor, and so on.

We also can finally figure out how everyone aged forty years in ten years; life on Tatooine is rough if you ever doubted it before! There was even a joke about aging fast in the final episode. Ewan McGregor is up on what the fans are saying!

And how many damn light sabers are buried in that desert planet!

In the first episode, I felt like we were going through the Boba Fett depression all over again, but luckily the story soon turned to adventure. Yes, all these guys have some serious PTSD from all the shit they’ve been through, but we tune into Star Wars for fun and games, not therapy.

I watched the show week by week so had lots of time to think about it, unlike when I binge-watch things. For the first few episodes, I was on board with what they were doing but a little frustrated it was turning into another Lone Wolf and Cub adventure that we just went through with Mandalorian.

However, little Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) was great and so I didn’t mind. We had a few storylines going which is always appreciated. Little Luke (Grant Feely) did a great job as well. Both children had huge boots to fill and both did so with flying colours!

Is Carrie Fisher channeling Leia into Vivien? It was uncanny how much they were one and the same.

I absolutely loved the character of Third Sister, Reva (Moses Ingram). She rocked. I loved her parkour scene in one of the early episodes. So badass! Her story was amazing and was pretty much what I had expected but that didn’t take my joy away. Moses Ingram did a fantastic job of playing conflicted Reva, especially as we hurtled towards the end of season one. Hate and revenge had her survive that death blow and her character arc worked really well. There’s a rumour she’ll get her own show and I hope so.

 The scene where Darth is unmasked like the Phantom of the Opera or Phantom of the Paradise in the final battle with Obi-Wan was both poignant and horrific. We can see Hayden Christiensen in there which is why I’m sure they made sure to unmask him a bit. After all, why bother bringing him back if we never actually see him as James Earl Jones is still voicing Vader. But we got to see and hear Hayden as Darth for a few minutes and that was very cool. That was one of my favourite scenes, how he was Vader and Anakin, his voice changing, his face changing, the lighting changing as Anakin somewhat forgives Obi-Wan (or at least relieves Obi-Wan of Obi-Wan's guilt) and embraces Darth Vader. That’s how I see it, anyway.

Obi-Wan is set free from ten years of angst by Anakin Vader’s revelations. Much like a parent who finally realizes their child is their own person and will not always make the choices we had hoped for them.

The flashback duel in the fifth episode was great as we got to see Hayden playing younger Anakin which was worth bringing him back for. I always liked him and never got the hate for him at all, but of course, I thought he was cute, even when or maybe especially when he was evil, but that’s my horror writer heart speaking again.

How cool was it to see Darth Vader kicking ass all over the place and pulling down that Star Destroyer?

And we finally learned why Jedis are always learning how to lift rocks! It sure comes in handy to know how to lift them, now doesn't it?

How cool was that fight scene?

There were lots of touches, fan service, easter eggs, whatever you want to call them. Lots for fans to delight in but a simple enough story that new people could enter the franchise and not be lost.

Of course, let’s not forget the music. Real Star Wars music for the finale with some of our favourite official John Williams themes in just the right places to make us all sob like babies.

There were a couple of timeline/wtf issues fixed and by the end of it all, I don’t think there were any plot hole issues going into A New Hope and yet, room for another season as well with the addition of Qui-Gon Jinn.

I’m keeping this short as I’m fighting deadlines but had to chime in on this. It’s been well over a day since I watched the finale but I’m still super emotional about it all.

Which is funny because I never ever thought I’d be emotional about this show. And especially after I got to see Luke being badass in The Mandalorian, I felt I could die complete. But I’m glad I’m not dead yet and can continue to enjoy these little Star Wars shows that I had always hoped for back when I was fourteen!

Sure, there are flaws and blahblahblah but who cares? This show delivered much more than I ever dreamed and I’m thankful Ewan McGregor put so much love and care into it as both an actor and a producer. 

Thank you, Obi-Wan Ewan, you have brought us all so much hope!

The Last Jedi SPOILERS and My Own Review

My FIRST The Last Jedi Review!

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Don't read any further if you've not seen The Last Jedi yet!
There are lots of spoilers in my comments. LOTS.

If you don't want the movie spoiled, don't read any further!!!!!!

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 16, 2017

Okay, it’s been a couple of days. I’ve had some deep thoughts. I’ve allowed myself to look at dozens of reviews by critics and fans alike.

It seems people are as deeply conflicted about this movie as Kylo Ren is conflicted about his emotions.

I am conflicted.

First of all, I liked it a lot. I may even grow to love it as I grew to love The Force Awakens after multiple viewings, despite its obvious flaws. I was very entertained with The Last Jedi. I had fun. I laughed, cried, cheered, and all of that and so did the rest of the audience at 6 pm on Thursday December 14 at the very first public screening in Toronto.

Yes, there are some things I did not like.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

What's Next?

And weirdly, I have no excitement or expectation for the next installment of the saga. There was no cliff-hanger as all the other movies had with the obvious example that we may or may not know who Rey is and a couple of things like that. George Lucas himself said way back in the seventies when I used to hang on every interview that I could find that he had based Star Wars off the old westerns, the cliff-hangers, with the very obvious good guys and bad guys, and lots of action. All the movies left you wanting more. Sure, they blew up the Death Star back in 1977 but the movie ended with Darth Vader hurtling through space while the heroes were being recognized (well, except for Chewbacca). Was Vader going to live or die? Would he be back for more villainry? We didn’t know. (And there's a homage to that scene with Kylo Ren spinning around in his ship.)

In The Last Jedi ending, there’s no real sense of urgency or wonderment about what’s going to happen next and with whom? There are no questions we are waiting to hear the answers about. Rey and the gang ran away from Kylo Ren who was still having a bad day as this is still the same day for some reason, or at least, going into the next day. I believe it’s supposed to be about 18 hours later and the whole nearly three-hour movie takes place over about ten or so hours.So we know Kylo will follow them and likely get crushed by the rocks when then come down. Or perhaps he'll force-hold them up himself. But it's more of the same and perhaps less urgent for the audience. Hopefully, he'll turn around, go back to the ship, and do something else. 

Since I’ve only seen it once, I’m writing this review with that impression. I’m sure after I see it again, some things will become more clear to me, and others will be less clear.

Star Wars Fan Leaves His Own Mark

I will say, it’s obvious that Rian Johnson loves Star Wars. It’s also obvious that he’s chomping at the bit to create new ideas, new characters, and new sagas.

I’m not sure that he respected the icons that those of us who were teenagers lining up for Star Wars in 1977 really wanted to see and deal with.

I’m just going to mention a few impressions and they will likely be out of order.

Luke and the Lightsaber

I’ve spent two years crying and wondering what happened to Luke. I’ve spent two years wondering what his first words would be, and how he’d train Rey, and how much like Yoda and Obi Wan had he become? Was he still brash and impatient and whiney or was he a mature, wise old guy who’s all screwed up because his nephew is a psychopath like his dad.

We see Luke, Rey gives him the saber, and he throws it away.

I laughed. It was startling. It was funny and very unexpected. However, upon reflection, it was more like a Saturday Night Live gag (think Undercover Boss with Kylo Ren) than the Next Chapter of Star Wars. And so the wacky high jinks began.

We all know I love comedy. And Star Wars has always had corny comedic moments but they are usually from Laurel and Hardy or rather, C3P0 and R2D2 and their new pal, BB8. The droids are the comedic touchstones or at least used to be.

However, the movie opens with Poe crank calling Hux and again, it’s like an SNL skit, not a real SW movie. Yes, I laughed, but setting Hux up as a doofus doesn’t make the bad guys seem really bad.

Milk Does a Body Good

My number one complaint: I HATED how they had Luke milk a creature in her breasts for his drink. Yes, I get that they were riffing on the blue milk from the first movie, but YIKES. That scene was horrible and I'm an erotic horror writer! I bet once Mark Hamill saw what they CGId in there for him, he was horrified too. That was NOT Star Wars. Not for Luke’s character. Maybe a minor character or a droid collecting the milk but not our Luke.

It also reminded me of the milk bar scene in Clockwork Orange, when Alex gets milk from a boob. Although, I guess it foreshadows Luke's dark side.

What's Your Age Again?

I didn’t mind Luke being a crusty old man even though age wise, he and Leia are supposed to be younger than I am right now but they feel like my grandparents in this movie. They are very old for late forties, early fifties. 

And how old is Kylo Ren in THIS movie? He aged backwards. They make him look like a teenager now. In The Force Awakens, I thought he acted about 18/19 but I figured he was late twenties since Adam Driver is now in his thirties. I didn’t think he and Rey could be twins because they looked about ten years apart in age in The Force Awakens. In The Last Jedi, Rey is almost older looking than Ben though it’s just the next day and it felt like they were setting them up to be twins like Luke and Leia. 

But of course, Rian won’t let us have that joy or obvious plot point. He had Kylo Ren tell her that she’s a nobody. I hope that Kylo is lying and I don’t doubt when Abrams comes back for 9, he’ll make Rey be who he had in mind all along, whoever that is. It still felt like that she is Leia and Han’s daughter in this movie though Ben Ren says no.

The Money Shot

I am torn about the shirtless Adam Driver scene. Of course, I loved it since Kylo Ren is my favourite character but it didn’t feel Star Wars, it felt exploitive even though I'm the target audience for that lovely exploiting. Also, when Rey was disgusted by his hotness, that threw out any Reylo romance some of us were wondering about in the back of our minds, but of course, she might be protesting too much, it's hard to say since Daisy isn't the strongest of actors. There is still something between them and that will be played out in 9. 

I don’t think any Star Wars character has been shirtless like that, I don't think, ever. Or maybe I didn't pay attention. The only main character I can think of that comes close is Leia running around in that bikini for a whole movie. But in the seventies/eighties, all movie women ran around in bikinis, so it wasn’t like it was a strange idea. But Kylo in his muscular hotness, whoa! 

Was hoping the doctor would come in and check on that lower hip wound...

I loved the mind stuff between Kylo and Rey. Love it so much. It was totally Star Wars and what I was hoping for.

Snoke

I was confused about the Snoke stuff. I guess Rian hated the character and killed him off. We never got to see what training Kylo was supposed to get or even what Snoke wanted at all? So bizarre to toss away a villain like that. Not good story-telling in my book! Unless THAT Snoke was a hologram as well and he'll be back in 9!

We never saw Maize tell us about Luke’s saber or anything else that we thought we’d see. She just appears in a bubble for a minute. Maybe she’ll tell us stuff in 9 but we won’t care by then because everyone is dead.

Oh, My Darling Luke...

I’m torn about Luke’s storyline. I think that drama should have been saved for 9. Much of what was in 8 seemed like it should have been dragged out for 9 instead of dismissed or ignored. I hope Luke comes back as a Force Ghost at least. Who knows? Maybe he’s not dead at all? Maybe JJ Abrams will figure out how to make him Not Dead. Maybe that was the plan all along, that we think he dies  and spreads the Force out into the Universe, or maybe he's not dead at all and comes back stronger. 

I agree with many fans that this is not how Luke should have died. This is not how Luke should have evolved. But it’s Rian’s movie and he gets to do what he wants regardless of us emotional old people who loved Luke since we first saw him run out of his hut on Tatooine in 1977 and our expectations.

Like seriously, it was weird.

Gotta Keep Killing in the Family

Luke was facing off against his own nephew. He couldn’t kill him when he was a child or so the convoluted storyline went which may or may not have been lies by Snoke or Luke or Ben so why does he do it now when Kylo Ren is an adult and even stronger? And why wouldn’t Luke go and try to talk to Ben instead of trying to kill him? Why didn’t Luke at least go see his sister and comfort her over the death of Han?

I have soooo many questions about that motivation of Hologram Luke VS Kylo and the Bad Guys. Yes, I heard Luke say he couldn’t go by himself in person and do it, yet somehow he could do it as a distant hologram? I don’t get it at all. There was no indication that Yoda and Obi Wan and perhaps even Anakin were mists in his cells who helped him battle.

Maybe I’ll figure it out better when I see it again.

Porgs and Others

 I thought I’d hate the porgs but I didn’t. They were used wisely.

Captain Phasma was wasted. I had looked forward to seeing her climb out of the trash pit and perhaps facing off against Finn but nope.

I teared up every time Carrie Fisher was onscreen. I didn’t really like the superman bit but I’m sure it will grow on me.

I really liked the mother/son connection stuff.

I was pleased to see Billie Lourd in there quite a bit. I wonder if they’ll expand her in 9?

I could have totally done without the Finn and Rose subplot. There were too many stories. I like Finn and Rose but man, it was too much when we want to see what’s going down with Luke/Rey/Kylo.

3D Rocks

I saw it in 3D with AVX sound and it was fantastic! But I love 3D so can’t speak for people who don’t love it. I thought it was well done. Certainly this was an amazing spectacle with tons of action and creatures, planets and ships. Very cool!

I was thoroughly entertained although, like I said, a few moments of boredom or “man this is taking too long.” I went to the bathroom near what I thought was the end, around the time they got to the sandy place. Dorian filled me in after the movie and I hadn’t missed any plot.

Suspense

There was a spot where I thought for sure they were going to end it, and I was going to scream and cry like when Rey held the lightsaber out to Luke in TFA, but then it kept going. I was happy it kept going but then was on edge because I knew it wouldn’t be long before it was over. But like I said, no real cliff-hanger.

Mark Hamill Had Great Acting

I thought Mark Hamill was amazing with some of the best acting of his career though I will admit I laughed at one spot inappropriately because his acting was so over the top in one tiny shot and that with the 3D it was like he was the Joker having a meltdown. I’m sure on my TV and not in 3D, it won’t look so manic though he certainly portrayed going mad with excellence!

So, I was conflicted when I watched the ending. I need to see it again because I was so overwhelmed with emotion and spectacle and 3D and see how I feel. I wanted Luke to hang around longer. I wanted him to train Rey, see Leia, give Kylo shit and so on instead of just hanging out on the mountain and dying. 

Or was he dead all along? 

Instead of giving us a side plot that wasn’t necessary with Finn and Rose, Rian could have spent more time with us watching Luke unravel after he tried to kill his nephew. 

So Many Questions

When did Ben leave the Academy? What did Ben do? Did he get up right away after he saw Luke standing over him and burn the place down? Did Ben come into Carrie-like rage powers and things blew up around him? When did he become Kylo Ren? When did he get his helmet? Will we see the metamorphosis flashback in 9? Maybe we’ll never know. This is, after-all the second part of a three-part story so there will still be unanswered questions and more mysteries.

Adam Driver was amazing. I was worried he’d overact or be too sucky or something, but he was spot on as the spoiled son with anger issues of Leia and Han.

Mark Hamill and Adam Driver play my favourite characters in the saga so it might be bias but I think they did the best jobs in the whole movie. They were really immersed. I never felt like they were just sitting around the Craft table moments earlier before stepping into their scenes, though they could have been, I don’t know.

I totally get why Driver isolated himself from the rest of the cast during filming. It's still the same day/next day/day after so Kylo is still angry and humiliated and now he's without a teacher and only partly trained  (whatever THAT means!) so he can't be joking around the Craft table with Hamill who had tried to kill him and then who will try to kill him again in an uncle nephew standoff. Kylo has to keep his rage intact and it totally shows on the screen. So good job, Adam Driver for staying isolated, it paid off.

If the story had gone how I had hoped, which was Rey spending weeks training with Luke and Kylo spending weeks training with Snoke, then that would be different. But this was all intensive, still the same day story stuff.

I was disappointed that there were no Knights of Ren. I wanted to know what had happened, who Ben left with and why and how they formed the Knights of Ren. I guess we’ll discover that in 9 since it’s only the next day. I’m sure when Kylo gets to make some kind of pompous speech to Rey, he’ll tell her about the Knights and we’ll discover if they are part of the First Order or what?

Science and Stuff

I’m not really nerdy enough to care about all the bad science and massive plot holes and logistics of space stuff. However, even I raised my eyebrow at a couple of things.

I’m going to wrap this up for now. I could go on forever about what I loved and what I’m conflicted about in The Last Jedi.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, it’s a great movie but merely one person’s vision of how the saga continues. If I hadn’t been looking forward to some answers, I would have enjoyed it more. If I hadn’t been losing my mind about what happened with Luke for decades, I wouldn’t have that sense of disappointment I have right now. I bet they edit that breast milk scene and it will never be seen again. I guess they have to smack us in the head that Luke is still a whiny baby. Jeeze, then everyone wonders why Kylo Ren is a whiny baby. Look at his uncle and grandfather.

Why did Snoke demand Kylo Ren get the map to Skywalker in TFA? What business did they have that they didn’t do? Or did he just want to kill him? Why? It seems like Luke is just sitting around doing nothing for the past couple of years or however long it was since Ben ran away. I’ll have to look up these timelines. Maybe Snoke's kid was at the academy and was killed and now Snoke wants revenge on Luke. I'm not convinced that Snoke is dead.

  

 The more I think about it, the more I’m sure that Kylo Ren is lying to Rey about her parentage. He’s just trying to put her down like when he sneered, “You…A Scavenger…” in TFA. That was my first thought when he said it in the movie as well. He's lying. Why should he tell her the truth?

I know that Rian is trying to change our vision of what The Force is and tells us, in true Disney fashion, that anyone can use it, but in the end, I think Abrams will take the story back to Rey being a Skywalker and Jedis being trained how to master The Force in a proactive manner.

That’s tonight’s musings. I’m sure I’ll change my mind in an hour.               

May the Force Be With You! 

Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Thoughts

I don't own copy right to any of these images. 

You may call them "Hollywood Royalty" but Debbie Reynolds was a real live working mom. If you've ever been on a film set, you know how long the days can be. Having your own kids on set must have been quite difficult yet glorious at the same time. Having your husband leave you for Liz Taylor...ouch!

Hard to believe how they were pretty much the same age when they starred in what would become popular beloved movies that would make them immortal or at least stars for several generations.

Debbie Reynolds had her hands full with that little bundle of energy, might as well wear her out with some dancing! Getting paid is even better! (Sound familiar?)

 They had an amazing bond. I've known a couple of other mother-child relationships that are similar. I can understand why Debbie had to continue to help Carrie even in the afterlife. They had interesting lives that were tragic, horrifying, happy, and amazing. No one can say that Aries and that Libra didn't grab life by the balls and live every day to the fullest, for better or worse.

 My heart aches for Billie Lourd who lost her mom and grandmom at the same time over Christmas. 

Billy Lourd is in The Force Awakens. You can see her standing behind General Organa in a few shots.

Billy Lourd has been working on her own rising star on Scream Queens where she plays Chanel #3 to Emma Roberts' Chanel #1.

For weeks I meant to write a blog about Billie Lourd and her ear muffs in Scream Queens and what a funny, quirky homage to her mom that is. I also was going to write about how cool it is that Billie is in The Force Awakens and the new untitled one with her mom, The Princess, The General! But I had a lot of work and kept putting it off and now, two ladies are dead.

It's been over a week yet I'm having difficulty getting motivated, difficulty doing much. But I'm getting there. After all, it's not like I ever met any of them. I never knew them or talked to them. However, like thousands of other people, both ladies played varied roles in the backdrop of my own life.

Pinball Wizard
One one level, I'm sad, devastated, torn apart. But on the other level, my brain is bouncing in a thousand directions, sad, mad, glad, excited, disappointed, like a giant pinball machine. My ADHD is really bad these past three months or so and these deaths are so bizarre, and sad, and yet not unexpected, but still...how short life is, and so suddenly we can just collapse when other times we wouldn't have. Like Bowie, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Huston, Jimi Hendrix...and so on, and those are famous people we thought would be around much longer. Then there are our personal friends and family and pets who have left us.

As a writer, I need to pull myself back together and gather more motivation than ever to finish my space opera and other novels. All these people got shit done, which is why we mourn, if not them, the loss of their art forever. We remember what they had created that became a touchstone to various parts of our lives and personalities and realize there will never be any new touchstones from them on our path.

Carrie Fisher was only six years older than me, five really...I'm fifty-four, almost fifty-five. She was sixty on her death.

I loved Carrie, obviously. For Princess Leia, for being a feisty author and screenwriter, and for surviving so long.

Good Morning
I loved Debbie Reynolds which many might not know. I loved Singing in the Rain and the tap numbers. I used to sing that "Good Morning" song to my babies every day, still do, decades later. In learning more about her personal life, I share more in common with Debbie Reynolds that I imagined. Her horrible divorces sound like mine. Her eternal optimism is like mine. She had to wrangle Carrie Fisher and more. She's a role model for sure.

I had posted this meme of Princess Leia and R2D2 before Debbie Reynolds died. We lost Kenny Baker in August. Mark Hamill was pretty shaken up about it when he addressed Kenny's death in his talk at Fan Expo. I can't imagine how he is right now over Carrie and Debbie. He must be in pieces.

I was going to write a blog when Carrie Fisher died but was too upset. And then Debbie Reynolds died as well. So I was speechless, as was and is, everyone still.


My Facebook Live babble about Carrie Fisher's death

My Facebook post on December 26, 2016
I'm one year older than George Michael and five years younger than Carrie Fisher. I don't blame the year 2016, (which is a nine which represents endings, btw) as we are all getting older and so people will fall ill and die. The day Carrie Fisher had her heart attack on the plane, a 10-year-old girl was flying from Canada to Ireland on Air Canada and she had a heart attack on the plane and died. Even though "the future is now," we can see that heart failure is still a huge thing.

My dad "dropped dead" on a Friday the Thirteenth two years ago, much like Carrie Fisher. He "died" for many minutes until they were able to bring him back and then they "put him on ice" for twenty-four hours to rest his brain while they tried to figure out why he collapsed and only a day or two later did they diagnose heart attack. I imagined that they put Carrie Fisher on ice in the same way and by Wednesday, we'll know for sure if she's going to make it, much as the timeline was for my dad who ended up with a triple bypass and was back to the gym within a few weeks.

Carrie collapsed on a plane, dad collapsed at the gym and they were able to receive aggressive help and with modern technology, return from the dead.

George Michael, from what I understand so far, had his heart attack while he was asleep, so no one knew nor could help him. It was too late to perform aggressive treatment on him.

I'm not sure what my point is, just that I'm sad about all these heart attacks. They are scary things, how they strike out of nowhere. My dad was the picture of health, no symptoms, never smoked, never did drugs, doesn't drink, works out every day for eighty years, eats very healthy, and boom, down he went. Of course, at 85, something is going to get you but he survived the operation and is just as vibrant and energetic as always as he single-handedly takes care of my mom who has Alzheimer's. But he had NO symptoms, no warnings, nothing. He just remembered one minute he's in the shower after a swimming workout, the next, he's strapped to a bed days later with a million tubes coming out of him. I'm grateful my parents are still here and I was able to enjoy them for Christmas by playing games on the Wii and making them watch a huge portion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens while we waited for my older son and his girlfriend to arrive.

I'm very sorry for everyone who lost loved ones this year, any year, and had a sad Christmas.

I don't think there are any more celebrities dying than usual, it's just that there are more of them and we are all aging.

I suspect Carrie Fisher will pull through and survive a few more years, she's one crusty strong woman. It's a shame George Michael left us so soon, of course, I'm of the age, his peer, who always enjoyed his music and antics.
I feel sad about that little girl who died on the plane going to Ireland for Christmas.

We never know when our number is up. People sometimes wonder why I'm living what looks to be a rather crazy life right now, but really, I've learned over the past few years really hard lessons about not putting up with narcissistic assholes, not putting up with alcoholics who are hell bent on destroying every holiday (I don't think they start off wanting to destroy the day but alcohol is an ugly poison that brings out hate and irrational emotions), not working at shitty jobs for shitty pay so that others get rich off my back, and focussing on putting my efforts into jobs that help people learn about themselves and their own skills (editing, tarot reading, patient acting, proctoring) and volunteer work that helps and encourages other writers to reach for the stars.

If I drop dead of a heart attack, and no doubt I will, I don't want regrets about how I meant to "do that later" yet "later" never came.

Later is NOW. Live your life authentically. You never know when you're going to drop dead. You can have all the money in the world but it means nothing when you're dead. All you have is your legacy and any children you may have had to carry on your memory.

January 7, 2017
I'm sad at the wars, terrorism, the hatred for refugees which shit, any one of us is but one step away from being a refugee in these modern times. Doesn't it make sense to help others? Pay it forward? Same with health care? Healthy people make for healthy citizens, soldiers, educators, scientists, and artists. Education helps people be informed beyond their tunnel vision interests, and affordable education puts it within reach of all of us.

I'm sad at toddlers shooting people. What a horrible way to begin a life.

I'm sad at so much racism and hate. At the horrific names so-called American people flung at their own President for the past eight years, how many of those same people worship the Golden Calf and will wonder why the oceans will flood us and fires will consume the earth. Hey, it's all starting all ready and I'm not even a Christian or Jew or believe that the Bible is no more than a cool story to keep the kids in line. I'm scared, people. Why is there snow in New Orleans but we still have grass in Toronto, Canada in early January? Sure it's minus 11 today and we WILL get tons of snow, we have been dumped on a few times this year. But it gets so weirdly warm in between. The birds don't fly away anymore. It's unnerving.

Utopia and The MotherShip
When I was a kid, I thought by the time I was an adult, we'd have world peace, no more racism, no more sexism, the bombs would have been dismantled, people could afford to live in nice places with plenty left over to raise families and go on vacations, and so much more. I even named my first cat, Utopian Hope.  But we went backwards. Like in Planet of the Apes. Goddamit all to hell,  we went backwards.

I heard there were close to 200 beloved celebrity deaths in 2017 not to mention personal friends and families. I think a lot of those people, like Carrie and Debbie, rushed back to the MotherShip before shit got real down here. The astronaut from some plant, Bowie, kicked off the year with dropping dead out of nowhere. Carrie ended it, on that plane, where she really died. She left for that MotherShip where the cool kids are and mom knew the party there is way better than here. Yes, I know the "pastor from MASH" also died. Does that tell you anything?

There was a year where a ton of horror writers died.

A lot of psychics and metaphysical people died within a few months stretch a couple of years ago. I knew a few. Very weird, sudden, and one youngish death. I felt that year that those New Agey people were dying to prepare the way for the rest of us for whatever happens next. Utopia? A Mother Ship? Heaven? Hell? New World Order?

2016 is a nine. Endings. So much ended last year. That leaves new things to open up in 2017, a one year. New beginnings for those of us left behind, not quite ready for that ship yet.

Scientology
And I sure as hell don't mean that Scientology Ship either, but that rant is for another time. I always loved Leah Remini and I love her even more now with her new show on A and E. So what if she gets money doing this. She was gaslighted her entire life by everyone she loved and trusted. She has to rebuild her life, her mind, after it was fucked over for most of her life. Anyway, good luck to her and I hope she's with us for a long time and that those Scientology freaks get dismantled. I had run-ins in my late teens with them and knew as a teenager they were a scary, dangerous cult, so why did it take my entire life for someone to blow the whistle on these con artists? Good for you, Leah! Hell hath no fury!

2017 is a good year for squashing cults and recognizing liars and when people are gaslighting you! Wake up and SEE and then take action towards building a safe, strong world for all of us.

And the United States, you are welcome to your New World Order. I want no part of it. And it's too bad because, in my personal life plan, I should be moving to Manhattan this year. Nope. Never.

May the Force Be With You, Always
Let's all live life to the fullest, maybe not QUITE as full as Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, but having a sense of humour and trying to get along, somewhat, would serve us all well.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Thoughts and Spoileramas!

Spoiler Alert

Here thar be spoilers!

Don't look!

Turn away now!

Or go rogue and read on!

On December 15, 2016 at 10:40 pm, one of my sons and me checked out Rogue One!

We were pretty excited! Well, okay, I was. Dorian is a good sport!

Oh, what a day it had been. Toronto had been slammed with a blizzard. I was supposed to work at the college for evening exams and they were canceled. They should have kept the school open since the snow stopped pretty much when I was nearing the college and most people had already arrived anyway. It's a difficult call for sure. I'm glad I didn't have to make the decision. But it was another hour and a half home in icy blizzard rush hour hell. I kept pretending I was in a Tie or X-wing fighter so I wouldn't have to worry about black ice. Since I'd pre-bought the ticket, there was no escape. I got my nerves calmed for an hour or so and then it was time to go see the movie. I picked up Dorian and we drove the hair-raising ice rink bridge (used in many big budget pictures that film around town) to the theater that wasn't very far or we wouldn't have gone. It's just that hell-bridge over the Gardner. Yikes.

Spoilers a-coming!

If you've not seen the movie yet, don't read on. I'm not giving a blow-by-blow by any means, but I will reveal plot points that will spoil the movie for you.

I enjoyed the hell out of the movie, yes. I'm a bit loathe to really review it as I need to see it another time to catch more of the story and dialogue. When I see movies in 3D with AVX sound, I am lost in the spectacle and sensation. We were near the D-box chairs and sometimes, especially near the end, we enjoyed the vibrations of ships hurtling around and bombs dropping. When I'm enjoying an amusement park ride, I lose track of the details required to share in review until I see it again with more focus.

Visuals
The visuals of this movie were stunning. They were all I hoped it would be. Of course, the odd scene had flaws, like the 3D or CGI didn't quite work, but holy shit, who cares?! I remember Star Wars when it was Star Wars, no 3D, and THX was invented for it. The experience was amazing, that crawl for the first time was overwhelming. Of course, you've heard that a zillion times from those of us who were teens when it came out.

Rogue One captured a lot of that awe, or at least, my own fifteen-year-old awe and I'm sure that's what a lot of the reshooting was about over the summer. I don't doubt they added tons more fighting stuff, amazing special effects, as it's a spectacle where every inch of frame is used and things happen quickly, most of the time.

Expectations Checklist
My head space when I entered the theater was that this was the story of how the plans for the Death Star made their way to Princess Leia, that Darth Vader was in some of it, there was a new robot, that it would be really fucking cool. I wondered if Jyn was related to Leia or what her role was besides the one leading the gang of whoever to get the plans. Would we get to see Leia as the Princess of Alderaan and a bit of what she did and how she put the message into R2D2 for ObiWan? So many questions. There were a couple of scenes from the trailers that I was really looking forward to seeing.

I didn't expect any familiar characters except for a couple of cameos. I had heard that John Williams did NOT write the score so wasn't expecting to hear the iconic music.

Music
I was jarred when the familiar "A long..." line came on screen in the old-fashioned way. Of course, we're all trained for the blast of the iconic Star Wars theme to follow. But it doesn't come. It's like an irritating itch because it never comes. Those of us who have been fans since the seventies have associated those words with that sound for forty years!

I guess I'm saying, it was jarring to have the words and not the music. I wasn't expecting the words so wouldn't have missed them as I knew this was a different story. But they had the words and then a totally different score which I had been expecting but now was startled because of the "A long time..." title card. There was no crawl and that was fine.

The score was fine. There were moments that our familiar themes were heard but they were more of a tease and I'm not sure they worked. Williams was a master at putting specific themes in to tell the story and as foreshadowing etc. when you pay attention. I'll have to get more familiar with this score but like I said, it was fine.

Planet Hopping
In the first few minutes of the movies, there is planet hopping all over the place. I still don't know what was what, and like I said, I'll have to see it again to get it all straight.

However, it disturbed me. I didn't like all that hopping around. It felt like going through the shuffle of a video game menu deciding which level to play. It didn't engage me into a story.

Jyn
I'm not sure what happened to Jyn. I mean, I get what we saw in the movie. Her life story was choppily revealed. I'm not sure we needed it. After all, we didn't need Rey's and we bonded with her fine. However, I'm not sure what I didn't get about Jyn. Felicity Jones was great. She looks great and acts well but her character was horribly flat. I know she's a depressed goth girl with a murdered mom and kidnapped dad but she was still very flat. Part of it was the script. I suspect that she had a much larger role before the reshoot. I suspect the story was altered in a few ways as the new special effects were inserted. I know for a fact that some of the scenes I had looked forward to in the long ago trailers were not in the movie because I was waiting for them.

Sadly, I couldn't connect to Jyn, so once again I was hanging in to see how they would handle Leis and if Jyn and Leia would meet and who would play Leia? I hoped it would be Billie Lourd, But it never happened.

Leia
We briefly see Leia at the very end. This wasn't the story I was looking for. It was weird, cool,  and jarring to see fresh-faced CARRIE FISHER for a couple of seconds.

Darth Vader
I wanted even more Darth but he kicked some great ass at the end! I was angry they gave him a "punch line" before he killed someone, a la Freddy Krueger. Darth is not a wise-cracking villain. He's evil and scary. He doesn't do jokes.

Robots
I really liked the new robot. Of course, he was just filling the comic relief C3P0 role. Our buddies, R2D2 and C3P0 were only in for a second. I thought they would have more as their roles are kind of different in a New Hope. I wanted to see more about getting the plans into R2 and Tatooine etc. But it wasn't the story I thought it would be.

The Trailers Lied
I saw some of the early trailers. I tried not to see the trailers but I think I saw them all. It was because of some shots and lines in the trailer that I was excited for the movie and expected it to be a bit different of a story than it was. I guess that was partly because of the reshoots and rewriting they did at the last minute. Too bad.

Star Wars Isn't For Kids
I was a teenager when I saw the first Star Wars. It was dark and scary and had moments of fun and funny. Darth Vader was terrifying. Obi Wan Kenobi dies early in the movie and it's very traumatic for the audience and Luke. Han shot Greedo, not first, he just plain out shot him.

I've bitched on this blog before about how I'm not sure how I feel about children celebrating Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. Mass murderers who will take you out with a saber. Darth tried to kill his own children repeatedly and amputated his son's hand. Kylo stuck a saber through his dad for no real reason except to prove he's a bad ass when he likely isn't.

So, with all those horrors in mind, Rogue One is right up there with dark, scary, depressing war reality.

I wouldn't take the kids to Rogue One. In my head, before I went, I wondered if the new characters would all die. And as you know, yes, yes they did. And it was very sad.

When the movie was over, I sat in the theater, stunned by the last fifteen minutes of insane action. And then I cried for the heroes who were never recognized, ever. Just like many real life war heroes.

Rogue One
Great movie! Don't take your sensitive children! The characters were forgettable. I liked the blind Force user, I thought that was a great part. Even though there were many interesting characters, somehow we never really bond with them or care too much. It's too bad. I'm not sure what happened with regard to that but that's how I felt when the credits rolled and that's what I see a lot of other reviewers saying as well!

I'll see it again at some point and write more thoughts.


What did YOU think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Luke and Kylo enjoyed Rogue One!

The Force Awakens Thoughts Update and Fan Expo Toronto

If you haven't seen Star Wars or The Force Awakens and don't want spoilers, leave now!

If you haven't seen Star Wars or The Force Awakens and don't want spoilers, leave now!

It's been a few months since I saw The Force Awakens in the theaters. As regular followers of my social media have noticed, I've grown fond of it for various reasons. I'm also still really mad at it. I'm also half-hopefully anticipating and half-dreading what is to come next year.

I keep accidentally seeing what may or may not be spoilers online. I just tell myself they are fan theories and that no one will know for sure what happens until the final editing is done. And they've only just finished shooting. Anything can happen to that story-line; there's time for re-shoots and tweaks.

Back When A New Hope was Star Wars...

To recap for new readers, I'm a Star Wars fan since Day One, literally. I was fifteen when I saw it opening day in London, Ontario with my brother. We both loved it. I proceeded to see it 28 times that year. In those days, that took some tenacity. 

Han Shot First...

I saw it dozens of times. The Memory Police have not claimed me yet! And I stand by the idea that he had to shoot first, it was perfect for his character, back when Star Wars was actually teenager and adult entertainment, not marketed to toddlers. Don't get me started on Kylo Ren sneakers for infants but not for adult women and Kylo Ren baby bottles but no sports bottles for mom! The original Star Wars is a Dark Story, a fairy tale in space, a western in space, which was one of the appealing things about it for me as a teen. But then they went and tried to make it for kids and changed some things. Han is and was and always will be an asshole. He's a narcissist who does for Han and only Han which is how he's survived for so long. He's the Rhett Butler of the Galaxy. And damn right he not only shot first, he was the ONLY ONE WHO SHOT AT ALL! 

Darth Vader is an evil psychopath, not a Saturday morning cartoon, but alas, he's now a cartoon character in these modern times. He was terrifying in the seventies.

Kylo Ren killed his own dad. He stashes his helmet in the ashes of his enemies. He worships a psychopath. He IS a psychopath. Yet you want your baby sporting his  image? (I'm just jealous, that's all. I think they missed a great market when they didn't market to adult women in Canada). We have Pinheads, Darths, and Jasons running around at Halloween, of course Kylo will now be in there. Just not sure how all these little kids know who these serial killers are! 

Incest is Best

I was pissed off as hell when Luke and Leia turned out to be brother and sister. Oh, was I mad. I nearly stopped watching the series right then and there. I wanted Luke to get his princess and go on to conquer the galaxy while she ruled the galaxy and have more adventures. Luke was my dude. Luke was the reason I watched the show. Luke was the reason I saw Star Wars when it was called Star Wars 28 times in its opening year.

Return of the Fangirl

But as angry as I was, I returned to the Star Wars movies sixteen years later. I had married, had two sons, divorced, and became a published mass market horror novelist in the years between the first round of Star Wars movies and the second. 

And boy was I excited for Darth Maul. Yeah, I could hardly wait til that one came out! When I saw the commercials, I was peeing my pants with anticipation!

And then I saw the movie.

And I was pissed off once more. 

I blocked out what happened. I need to see those prequels again. Maybe it wasn't so bad...

Then There was Jar-Jar.

Oh. My. God.

I will admit off the bat, and have many times before in this blog, I'm one of those people who finds most sidekicks annoying and stupid although there are some shows and movies where I like them. 

But they are rare.

So Jar-Jar made me angry. I hated how he was. I couldn't put my finger on it. Perhaps it had to do with my age and mood when I saw it in the theater. But now that we have internet, I see I am not alone in my Jar-Jar disdain.

The Trauma Awakens

So, as I've previously written, it was with great trepidation that I faced Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I think I still have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the ending.

The only reason I went was to find out what happened to Luke. I knew Han was going to die at some point but I didn't care one way or another as that character has never connected with me. I love Harrison Ford and he's perfect for Han Solo; it's the character I despise though he's necessary. A lot of Jack Nicholson characters grate on my nerves as well, which they are usually supposed to do.

I tried not to watch the trailers for TFA.

I was worried there would be more Jar-Jar.

I worried that that Kylo Ren dude was Jar -Jar in disguise.

I worried that Kylo Ren would be Luke in disguise and wondered how he got so tall and if they'd address it.

I hated Kylo Ren's light saber. I figured he would have metal hands for some sort of heat repellent because that cross blade would bbq his fingers and surely it has slipped over the years or however long he's had it. How come the cross beam is shorter than the other beam? So many things stressed me out about that saber from watching the commercials.

The Force Awakens Thoughts

It's been months now since I saw TFA in theaters (twice) and now I own it on DVD. I still freak out at the ending. I still cry every. single. time. in agonized frustration that Luke turns around and it's over. I would see Youtube videos whether spoofs, reviews, or even news and that scene makes me cry. When they had the trailer that shooting had begun and showed that scene again, I actually screamed with anguish and cried and then watched it again and cried again. I listen to the soundtrack, which I do several times a week at one of my jobs, and that ending music makes me cry while I'm working. I seriously think I was traumatized. I sat through that whole movie after, what, thirty years to see what became of my Luke and now I have to WAIT EVEN LONGER! 

and they better not fuck it up.

I fully expect a Luke and Kylo showdown especially once Luke discovers Kylo killed Han, or maybe he already knew Kylo would and had killed Han as he likely felt it in the force. Maybe that's why he was sad when Rey came to him. But I think he was sad because he saw that damn light saber and got all traumatized by the sight of it. And of course, Mark Hamill was likely sad because he didn't get any lines! Or get to fight with his light saber! Or do anything at all except make me cry and cry that I STILL don't know anything! Do they really think us aging Star Wars fans are going to be alive for all these sequels??!?!?!

I still think Rey is his daughter though whether Luke ever got to get laid ever is unknown to me. And where is Rey's mom? Was she a soldier or a Jedi who is now dead? Or is she Laura Dern, swooping in to reclaim her daughter now that Rey has grown up and is using Force Powers she had obviously been previously trained in, perhaps by daddy Luke before Kylo and the Knights of Ren took down the Academy and she was put on Jakku?

However, as I watch bits and pieces of the movie and listen to the music I have more theories. And of course, they are just fan theories. I know nothing for sure nor does anyone else.

Rey is Luke's daughter according to all the musical and visual cues. That is what we are subconsciously being told. But of course, the screenwriters can do whatever the hell they want as the story unfolds. But up until this point, I believe Rey is Luke's daughter and she has the force within but also was training as a child until Kylo went crazy and then Luke had to hide her and wipe out everyone's memories. I think Leia knows who Rey is. Leia might be auntie, she might be mom, she might just know who she is and that she had been planted on Jakku for future reference. The way Leia treats Rey, I believe she knows who Rey is whether she's met her before or not.

However, if Rey is Luke's daughter, then Kylo is even more icky because as I watch the movie without the 3D and jiggly seats, I see more about the characters and some of the nuances.

As many fan fiction sites declare and I have some great Reylo art on my Pinterest, Kylo has the hots for Rey. And she may very well have the hots for Kylo. After all, both Kylo and Rey are very good-looking people with magical powers. What's NOT to like?

"You need a teacher!" Ah, yes... what kind of teacher, Kylo?

Scenes I Obsess Over

I have a couple of favourite scenes besides the epic yet traumatizing final scene. I love the ending. I love the scenery, the music, the tension of Rey's walk, the sheer joy and excitement of spotting Luke, and then the big cliffhanger...which despite my rage about it all, is good story-telling. If only I hadn't had to wait DECADES for this moment, it wouldn't have been so upsetting. I'm crying in frustration again just thinking about it! But I think its one of the best scenes in cinematic history ever. Seriously. Even though I know it's just a Star Wars movie. 

Kylo Ren carrying unconscious Rey into the Bat-Ship is right out of any monster movie. It is a classic horror movie trope image and I love it. I love how Han sees his son carrying the girl and is horrified. What does a father do with this psychopath son? And now the psycho son has the girl that Han just met and likes. (or maybe she's his daughter as well? Or niece? Or someone else?). What the hell is Han supposed to do? Ground him? Kill him? As a parent myself (of two sons around Kylo's age), that image in that scene hits me very hard. As a woman, the scene hits me hard. As a writer, that image hits me hard. What will Kylo do with her? Does he lust for her as well as wants to know about the map? Or is he carrying his sister/cousin and hoping she will join him on his quest so that he doesn't have to hurt her? Does he want to have his way with her? In another way, he reminds me of a cat carrying a mouse to his master. His prize to deliver to Snoke. I can go on but I won't. A powerful image for me.

I love just before that scene when Rey is in the jungle. It's like Jurassic Park only it's Kylo Ren who appears, not a velociraptor. Although a velociraptor might be less dangerous. LOVE this scene!

My favourite scene of all is the epic light saber battle at the end. Kylo Ren is in so much pain. He's so fucked up from killing his dad, from being shot by Chewie, trying to battle these kids while thinking Rey is hot or he would have instantly killed her instead of toying with her, confused by Finn's ability to use a saber (as are we!) and turned on by Rey's powers. Amazing scene. So many emotions, so many little plot threads in what on the surface is just a sword fight. There is sexual tension, fear, pain, anxiety, confusion, strength, talent...so much is in this battle.

Is Han dead? I still say no even though I know Harrison Ford wants him dead and doesn't want to return. However, as a writer and fan, I still think there was some sort of trickery here to fool Snape Snoke into Kylo (seemingly) killing his dad to continue his training but I'm not convinced he really did. Kylo, who can stop laser blasts with his mind, could have easily force-healed Han as Han fell. We don't know where Han fell to, if he splatted on the ground or was caught in a net, or even suspended in mid-air like that blaster bullet until Chewie went to rescue him later. Or maybe Han is held prisoner somewhere not on Starkiller base as that blew up but somewhere else. Chewie could have killed Kylo easily but he was too fucked up to do it because he helped raise Kylo and is in shock. Or Chewie is in on the ruse so only wounded Kylo to throw off Snape Snoke and the others that Kylo and Han and Leia have a secret plan to overthrow the First Order.

Is Reylo a Thing?

Part of me wants to see a Kylo Ren and Rey couple. Part of me wants Kylo Ren to kill Rey. I've seen some theories that Rey turns dark and Kylo turns light. These two can go in almost any direction.

I guess also, if Reylo becomes a thing, I sure as hell hope they aren't cousins! But you know those Skywalkers and all their galaxy drama and incestuous ways! 

I hope they don't screw up Kylo Ren's character. I love how he's tormented. I love the music and visual cues that belie his angst. I hope he is tormented by the fact he killed his dad. I hope Leia gets to give him shit, more than a spanking, perhaps even killing him although I don't want him dead because I love the character. I hope they don't redeem him. The only way he can be redeemed is if Han isn't dead. Kylo Ren is a serial killer. He is evil. He is a bad boy which is why us ladies love him, not to mention Adam Driver is a hunk. Don't fuck it up, Disney! Keep scarring him up, that face wound is gonna be sexy. But don't kill him! Or make him good.

I love Luke because he was a bored teen looking for adventure and boy did he get sucked into an adventure! He should have gotten the princess. I will always be angry about that.

I love Kylo Ren because he's a wild card, an interesting character, and perhaps more evil than Darth Vader, though that's not likely possible. I will be angry if he turns into a good guy. You will see my own Kylo Rage.

Share Your Favourite Scenes!

What do YOU think about The Force Awakens now that it's been out for a few months and we've all had time to absorb it? I've written several The Force Awakens posts and you know I don't think it's perfect or anything. It's entertaining. Yes, they could have gone in a million different ways but the movie is what is right now and that's what we can discuss. What are your favourite scenes? What are your theories for number eight?

I know I'm missing a couple of thoughts I had and I'll have to update later when they return to me.

Mark Hamill in Toronto

In the meantime, I'm having a heart attack that I'll get to watch Mark Hamill at a presentation THIS FRIDAY at five o'clock in Toronto. I have my ticket. I'm worried I won't get in as I have to give a presentation before him in another part of the building and it will be hell getting through the comicon crowds. My lecture about The History of Witches and Warlocks in room 705 at 3:45 ends fifteen minutes before his show begins. I sure won't be getting a good seat unless my son is able to save me one. But it will be cool to see Mark Hamill in real life. In the flesh. And I'll get to see him every day when I walk past his booth to go to the bathroom or any other roaming I have to do! I'll make sure I take the path past his booth for all the things! I can't believe we're in the same building! I thought they would put him in the South so I'm out of my mind with glee. 

Don't forget to come and see me and Mark Hamill and so many others including some of the actors from American Horror Story: Freakshow at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto on September 1 - 4.

Booth Number 5425 in NORTH Building in Horror/Festival of Fear Section!

I'm also Mistress Ariana at Fan Expo!

http://fanexpocanada.com/horror-attractions/

Check out my profile on the Fan Expo site:


MORE ABOUT FAN EXPO SEPTEMBER 1 - 4, 2016
Sephera will have Booth 5425 where she'll be reading tarot cards in the horror section. Sephera who is also known as Mistress Ariana will be giving three lectures and is on a couple of panels.

Thursday September 1

Reading Tarot:Booth 5425 in North Building in the Horror Section



Friday September 2
Reading Tarot: Booth 5425

The History of Carnivals and Freakshows 11:45 Room 705

Tea Leaves and Tarot Cards 1:45 Room 705

The History of Witches and Warlocks 3:45 Room 705



Saturday September 3
Reading tarot in Horror Section Booth 5425

Sunday September 4
Reading Tarot at booth 5425

Horror Writers Association presents Horror in These Modern Times
Kelley Armstrong, Sèphera Giron, Tonya Liburd, Lou Rera moderated by Andrew Robertson
11:45 Room 705

Monsters Eternal with Nancy Kilpatrick, Kelley Armstrong, Sephera Giron 1:15 Room 703

You never know where a Pokemon is going to show up. This dude is just hanging out at the grocery store. Looking forward to catching Pokemons at Fan Expo as well!

Oh, and before you ask, No. I don't have a life! I'm single and my kids are gone so I have lots of time to think about Star Wars! Haha!

I'm also aware that my Star Wars obsession will likely ensure I'll be single for the rest of my life but at least I don't have any cats...yet!