Text Tuesday: "Hell Train" by Christopher Fowler

Hell Train by Christopher Fowler
available in paperback or e-book format

Synopsis:
An American screenwriter is up for a job at Hammer Studio in 1960s England and to prove his talent he must write a new script for the studio. The movie must showcase the studios actors, notably Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, must have the requisite amount of horror, gore, and tantalizingly revealed young women, and must be finished in a week. What follows is the script, starting with its own prologue of a girl in Chelmsk finding an old board game in the attic called "Hell Train." The game depicts a train starting off in her small town which travels from stops with four passengers on a journey through their sins. The story then follows the four passengers and the tests they must face aboard the "Arkangel," a demonic train on a one-way trip to Hell. Each passenger faces mysteries and horrors created to bring out their worst traits. Along the way, the mystery of the train and its unholy passengers is revealed. How can they get off the train and where will it end? But the ultimate question is "Can the train be stopped?"

Review
The Story:
Early on while reading this story, it seemed like there was an awful lot going on in this story that didn't always fit together. First we start with a fascinating look at Hammer Studio in the 60s, just as their decline from the top of the horror film industry is beginning. Then on to this strange interlude with the girl and the board game. Then the game becomes the actual story, set during WWI in Eastern Europe and following an English married couple, a con-artist Londoner, and a peasant girl facing an imminent marriage and the invasion of her town by soldiers. By chance (or is that Fate?) all four end up onboard the "Arkangel," a train that at first seems normal, albeit unlikely, and then slowly reveals itself as demonic. This story is occasionally interrupted by chapters returning to the scriptwriter. The ending, however, begins to tie it all together, where the little girl with the game board is integral to the people on the train and the scriptwriter uncovers his own little mystery.

Once I finished the book and began thinking back to the early chapters, more facets became clear. Such as how instructions given to the scriptwriter show up through the story. Or how faithful to old horror movies the story is. And that I could see the characters Lee and Cushing would relish playing. What at first seemed a strange cobbling of different tales became a collection that tells a deeper story about the golden age of horror films. And I love it when books become better each time I think about them.

The Writing:
I knew the writing would be good, because I'm a fan of Fowler's Bryant and May PCU series and I enjoy his writing a great deal. I was not disappointed. I was drawn into each aspect of the story, even when questioning their relevance, and Fowler does a great job building suspense and then exploding it across the page in a horrific showdown of good and evil.

Recommendation:
I don't typically read horror as a genre, though some books I enjoy cross over into that genre. I picked up "Hell Train" because I've enjoyed Fowler's other books, and because it was set in WWI, which is a period I've studied. What I was happily surprised to find was a book that went beyond horror and WWI and into the business of movie-making in the 1960s. Having a husband and several friends who are connoisseurs of horror movies, I've seen a number of old Hammer films, and it was fun to envision actors from those films in the roles of characters in the book. I loved the homage paid to the old age of horror, which is still one my favorite periods of films. And I love that I continue to see depth in the book when I think about it even a week after having finished reading it.

For horror enthusiasts, especially those who love the old B-movies, I heartily recommend this movie. To anyone with an interest in the film industry of old, this is a fun read. Even WWI enthusiasts will find the setting unique. And if you like trains, well, the train is one of the most fearful characters in this book. Think Maximum Overdrive on rails. Pun intended.

Monday Matinees: "Immortals" and briefly "Hugo"

Immortals
Synopsis: Only tenuously based on mythology, the movie follows Greek hero Theseus, played by Henry Cavill, who I loved as Brandon in The Tudors miniseries and who will soon be the new Man of Steel. Theseus is chosen by Zeus (a stunningly good-looking Luke Evans) to stop King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke, convincingly creepy) from freeing the Titans to begin anew the war of the gods. With the help of the lovely Phaedra (Freida Pinto, she of the sultry eyes), an oracle, and Stavros (a humorous Stephen Dorff), a thief, Theseus must build and lead an army against Hyperion and protect the only weapon strong enough to free the Titans.

Review: I knew this would be a movie with over-the-top fight choreography, lovely sets and costumes, and not the strongest plot available, but my expectations were taken new directions on each point while watching the film. The sets were incredible, as were the costumes. The actors were lovely and intense, with a nice part for John Hurt, and though one could say he seemed a bit out of place in this sort of film, he did very well with what he had to work with. There wasn't nearly enough depth to the story to truly showcase Cavill and Dorff, though both made the most of it. But what really blew me away was how explosive people apparently are in this movie reality. When hit by a weapon wielded by anyone remotely immortal, people tended to explode. Think watermelon facing a sledgehammer. After an hour of this, it just became funny and we snickered after every explosive smiting until the movie's end.

Recommendation: This isn't a movie that stands up well to plot deconstruction, and indeed, when I think about the plot too much, I find it unravels fairly quickly into a muddle. But this isn't a movie meant to be scrutinized in such detail. It is a movie to entertain with the story of an action hero coming into his own, with his plucky sidekick and best girl at his side, facing evil (and Rourke does evil well) in the name of good. And if that is what you are looking for in a movie, this one will suit. If you want something with more meat (and not the type flying in every direction from a well-placed attack), this movie will not satisfy. And while this isn't a show I'll add to my collection, I won't shudder in horror and skip by it quickly should it show up on Netflix. But I'm not likely to go looking for it again, either.

Hugo
Short commentary: I had the good fortune to catch Hugo before it left the theaters and I must say that I am not surprised to see it up for so many Academy Awards. I will say that, as the mother of an 8-year-old, I did not consider it a kid's show, but rather a movie for pre-teens and young adults. Saying that, however, I admit that I did purchase the book upon which the movie was based, and after I've finished reading it, I intend to do a more comprehensive review of both the book and the movie and the adaptation of one into the other.

Game Day Sunday: Archaeology the Card Game

Archaeology the Card Game by Z-Man Games
# of Players: 2-4 Players
Age Group: 8 years old and up
Length: 20-30 minutes

Components:
Archaeology contains 87 cards: 66 treasure cards, 8 thief cards, 6 sandstorm cards, 6 map cards, and 1 pyramid card. Each card except the pyramid card is marked with the number of that particular card in the set (8 thief cards, 4 Pharaoh Mask cards, etc.) The sandstorm cards are also marked with how many to use for the number of players in the game. The pyramid card tells how many treasure cards to "hide" within at each of the three levels and how many map cards it takes to "explore" the pyramid and capture that group of cards.

The value of each treasure and map card is marked at the top for in trade at the marketplace. Along the bottom is the worth of each card or collection of that type of card when sold to the museum. The worth is used at the end of the game to calculate the winner.

Game Overview:
Each player is an archaeologist on a digging expedition. The goal is to sell as many collections of treasures to the museum before the cards are gone. The more of the same type of card in the collection, the more the collection is worth (ex. 1 coin card is worth 2 points, but 5 coin cards are worth 30 points). Cards can be traded to the marketplace according to trade values listed at the top of the cards (ex. 1 talisman worth 3 can be traded for one coin worth 2 and 1 parchment worth 1). The game ends when the last card is taken from the draw, or dig, pile and all players have had one last chance to trade or sell. The player with the most number of points sold to the museum at the end of the game wins.

All the cards of the game, with the pyramid and marketplace set up.

Game Play:
This is a relatively simple matching-style card game with a few twists to make it more interesting. To start, simply shuffles all the treasure cards (not including maps, sandstorms, or thief cards). Deal out the number of cards to each of the three levels of the pyramid face down and set them around the pyramid card. Then deal a hand of 4 cards face down to each player. Last, deal out 5 cards face up for the marketplace. Then shuffle the remaining treasure cards, this time including all map and thief cards and the number of sandstorm cards required for the number of players. Set that deck face down near the marketplace. It is now the dig deck.

The players take turns, each first "digging" for treasure by taking the top card from the deck and adding it to his hand. If it is a treasure card the player may then trade a card or cards from his hand for cards in the marketplace and or sell treasures to the museum or pass. To sell to the museum, the player simply set the cards face up in a pile in front him. This now ends his turn.

Thief, Sandstorm, and Map cards. Maps can be sold to the museum for 3 points a piece.

If, however, the player draws a thief, that player reveals it to the others and picks a player to steal one random card from that player's hand. The turn then continues as normal, with trade and/or selling to the museum or passing.

If a sandstorm card is drawn, the player reveals the card and then ALL players must discard half their hand to the marketplace. The player who drew the card now draws a new card from the deck and continues his turn.

The pyramid, where 1 map buys you 3 cards, 2 maps buys you 5 cards, and 3 maps buys you 7 cards.

A map card is treated like a treasure card until the player holding it wants to use it to explore the museum. After "digging," the player announcing that he will "explore" the pyramid. He plays the number of maps required for the level he wants to explore and takes the cards from that level into his hand. This can significantly boost a players points by completing collections to sell to the museum or trade for better cards from the marketplace. The map played is then discarded.

When all the cards in the dig deck are taken, the players have one more chance to trade, explore, and sell. Then the game ends and points are tallied.

My Recommendation:
Archaeology was one of the first new games we purchased after jumping into the board game hobby. It is still a favorite and one we break out to play when we want a fun, fast game. This is also a favorite of ours to give as gifts.

Though it is a simple matching game, the sandstorm and thief cards, and exploring the pyramid to gain more treasure cards, give it a nice strategy that it wouldn't otherwise have. The sandstorms are particularly devastating if you've been trying to build up a collection, only to see have of it end up in the marketplace for other players to try to get. Thief cards can hurt you, too, if that player should take a good card you've been saving. So weighing the risks between building up collections and facing possible loss of cards intensifies the game considerably, especially when once sold to the museum, collections cannot be added to. So to get 30 points for coins, the player has to lay down all 5 coins at once. Hanging on to that many coins in the face of possible sandstorms and thieves is tricky business.
This game is simple enough for our daughter to play, quick to teach, and entertaining enough for adults to enjoy. We take it with us on trips and to friends houses, pack it camping, and enjoy a game in the evening when we want to play something fast but still chat about our day. I highly recommend it.

A treasure card. Trade value is at the top, number of this treasure card in the deck is on the lower right of the image, and the worth for each collection of this type of card is listed along the bottom.

Saturday Outings: Ground Kontrol Arcade

Outing: Ground Kontrol Arcade
Details: An arcade featuring classic arcade games and a loft full of vintage and newer pinball machines. Open noon to 2:30am daily. Minors not admitted after 5pm. Snack bar open with limited food and beverage until 5pm, then open with full menu including beer.
Cost: As much as you care to spend. Games range from a quarter to fifty cents. Two nights a month free play parties and peak weekend hours have a cover charge, as do special events.

My husband found this arcade and fell in love with it because of its classic arcade atmosphere and large selection of pinball machines. He's been wanting to take our daughter and me there for quite some time, so when we found ourselves in downtown Portland, we made the trek.

It was an arcade just like I remember from my childhood. Rows of games, the beeps and dreedles of games like Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, the music playing overhead, and the sounds of the change machine spitting out quarters. No tokens used here, just good ole fashioned quarters.

I found my favorite old arcade game, Star Wars, and a couple of fun driving games. My husband wowed us by multiple free games on his favorite pinball machine, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and by getting the current daily high score on Ms. Pac-Man. My daughter got to try out games she'd only heard about and loved the driving games and the Spiderman pinball. We had fun watching her play our old favorites, like Star Wars and TRON. But the best was our three-player battle on the Pac-Man Battle Royale.

We took a break from gaming to have a couple of root beer floats and giant pretzels from the snack bar. We had been eager to try the nachos that my husband had been telling us about, but they don't serve it until after 5, and since we had our daughter with us, we wouldn't be staying until 5.

So we enjoyed a smaller snack, then got in a few more games. At my husband's encouragement, I visited the restroom before we left and found an awesome Pac-Man theme, with the game set in tiles on the floor and LED lights in the trench-like wall sink. And instantly wanted to convert our bathroom to that exact theme.

All told, I believe we spent about $12.00 for three of us to play video games for a couple of hours and $10.00 on food.

My Recommendation:
This was a fun outing and one we'll repeat. My husband is thinking about renting the place for his 40th birthday. I loved being back among the video games I loved playing as a kid and sharing the experience with our daughter. The cost of the video games was just right, with nothing over fifty cents. The snack bar was less than satisfying pre-5pm. The root beer floats were definitely worth the cost, but the pretzels were too salty. We couldn't always find the attendant on duty when we needed to (like to get into the bathroom). The place is pretty well packed with games, which makes it tight to get around in, especially given the number of folks coming in and out while we were there. But all of that was just like I remembered from old, so it was more nostalgic than annoying. It was a fun place to go for a couple of hours, and afterwards, it is in walking distance of Powell's City of Books, so we got even more out of the trip than I'd anticipated.

I highly recommend Ground Kontrol to anyone who has fond memories of arcades of old and want a chance to relive a little piece of childhood. This is not, however, a place for small children or anyone sensitive to crowds, confined spaces, or lots of noise and lights. But arcades of old weren't really either. Best of all, if you don't use up all the money you changed out, you go home with quarters and not worthless tokens in your pocket.

Fix It Friday: Oreo Cookie Balls

I made these Oreo cookie balls for Christmas for two years running and then again just last week for Valentine's Day. I always hear how wonderful they are. My mom made them last week to take into work and heard the same. So I thought I would post the recipe. They are easy to make, if a little time consuming, well worth it in the end. I always give lots away because I'd sit there and eat five or six in a row if I kept them and I just can't afford to buy new pants.

Oreo Cookie Balls
makes about 3 dozen

1 pkg cream cheese, softened (leave out for several hours to soften as it won't to to liquid like it will in the microwave)
1 pkg oreo cookies (double stuff oreos will make creamier centers)
1 pkg chocolate chips + 1 T shortening
OR
1 pkg dipping chocolate (I use Candiquik, which I find at Walmart)

With a hand beater, beat cream cheese until it is fluffy. Using a blender, crush oreo cookies into fine crumbles (I do handfuls at a time so the blender doesn't clog up). Mix crushed cookies and cream cheese until consistency of sticky mud (will look that way, too).

Melt chocolate. Form small balls of cookie cream, about the size of a bouncy ball, and roll in chocolate. Set on wax paper to hard. If using chocolate chips, coating will still be a bit soft, so do not stack cookie balls. Dipping chocolate will form a harder coating which are fine for stacking.

For the holidays, I melt white chocolate chips and, using a fork, string it over the hardened cookie balls for decoration. For Valentine's Day, I set conversation candy hearts in the chocolate when it was still soft. Sprinkles just after dipped would work well, too.

Thursday Three: New Television Shows I'm Watching

I don't watch much live TV. We only have basic cable, which limits possibilities. When I do watch live TV, it is usually PBS kids (I love Arthur, the boy loves Cat in the Hat, and the girl loves Wild Kratts). But I do watch Hulu Plus through the Xbox 360.

I've been following Castle since it debuted (I've been a fan of Nathan Fillion since he was on Buffy way back in the day) and will watch it every week, usually Tuesday afternoon when Liam is napping. I like to catch up on Bones when I remember it (again, I've been a fan of David Boreanaz since the Buffy days) and will watch several episodes in a row to catch up. But that's been about it for me for quite some time.

There are times I hear about a show just as it's ending (such as Stargate Universe, which was magnificent and I mourn its passing) or after it's already aired (like the first season of Downton Abbey, which I watched on Netflix).

Lately, however, I have come across three new, midseason starters that I have become quite enamored of. All are available through Hulu Plus (thankfully) and my husband and I are enjoying each show and watch them every week.

So for my weekly list of three, here is a little bit about each show and why I'm enjoying it.

Alcatraz
Fox, Mondays at 9pm

Synopsis: In 1963, over 302 inmates and guards vanished from Alcatraz Federal Prison. The disappearances were covered up by the government and no trace of the vanished was ever found. Until 2012, when inmates begin reappearing in San Francisco to continue their particular brand of crime. Det. Rebecca Madsen (played by Sarah Jones, who brings a nice sense of naivete to a gritty cop) is on the scene after one of the crimes and, through the help of Alcatraz expert and comic book shop owner Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto (played wonderfully by "Lost" alum Jorge Garcia), discovers a secret liar under Alcatraz ran by Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill, one of my faves) that is dedicated to tracking and capturing the "63's."

Review: This show is produced by J.J. Abrams, he of the "Lost" and "Star Trek" fame. I enjoyed "Lost," most notably after it aired so I could watch all the episodes in a row, since at the time of its showing, we didn't have Hulu Plus on the Xbox so it wasn't as easy to catch up each week. "Alcatraz" shares much with "Lost": the mystery that grows each week, a strong group of characters, many with hidden agendas, the use of back story to tell the whole story, and a place becoming as much a character as the people (in this case, Alcatraz, which, ironically, is another island). What "Alcatraz" has that "Lost" did not is a weekly formula for each show. We are fairly certain that each week a new inmate will reappear to commit crimes in the city of San Francisco and that Madsen and Soto will have to catch the criminal. And along the way, new information about Alcatraz from the 60s will be revealed and Hauser will be enigmatic about it all. The crime drama of catching the crook is interesting (mainly because I find Garcia's character great fun), but the real meat is the new revelations about Alcatraz and what happened back in '63 and how it is impacting the current time.

Recommendation: It is possible that this formula will get old after a while, but with compelling characters portrayed by competent actors (it is Sam Neill, after all, and he is just cool and I think I can safely say that I adore Jorge Garcia), so far I'm as intrigued by each new episode as I was from the first. I'd go so far to say that those who enjoyed "Lost," "Fringe," or a good crime drama will find this show interesting and worth the watch.

The Finder
Fox, Thursdays at 9pm

Synopsis: Walter Sherman (played by a very likable George Stults) has a unique gift he gained through a war injury: He can find things. Or people. Or places. He has never failed, and because of that gift and its record, he is hired by people of all backgrounds to find what they have lost. Aided by his legal advisor and friend, Leo Knox (the grand Michael Clarke Duncan), with some assistance from U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada (a very lovely Mercedes Masohn) and the occasion contribution of teen gypsy on probation Willa Monday (Maddie Hasson, who does eye-rolling, hard-knock teen very well), Walter sets out each week to use his "finder power" and occasionally solves a crime, rights a wrong, and usually gets in over his head.

Review: This show is a spin-off from "Bones" and that is how we first found it, as an episode of "Bones." It was great fun, with a wonderful connection between Stults and Duncan as Sherman and Knox, and we knew we wanted to check it out when it aired. Cut forward several month and we finally got to watch the first episode. Again, fun, with good chemistry between the actors, a bit of a gimmick, but an entertaining gimmick. Fast forward several episodes and now it feels like the show is rounding out nicely. The characters are interesting, with growing back story and relationships. The actors seem to fit into the characters' shoes with growing confidence and capability, and the story lines are entertaining and diverse. The weekly dream sequence that Walter experiences while finding is great fun, as are many of his lines and philosophies. The show is formulaic, but not as much as "Bones," and there is more humor and just as much eccentricity in the characters.

Recommendation: This is just a fun show. It has occasional moments of drama, but not enough to bring it down. It is fun to see what new off-beat phrases and comments Walter will make each week and how deep the characters get into the mystery of finding what was lost. It isn't a comedy or a drama, but a nice blending of the two. I like how each episode has gotten stronger and I'm eager to see where this show goes. Highly recommended (and, since it doesn't have weekly images of decaying corpses, usually fine for children, like my 8-year-old, who doesn't like "Bones" because, well, gross!).

The River
ABC, Tuesdays 9pm

Synopsis: For years viewers tuned in to Dr. Emmet Cole's nature show, which also starred his wife, Tess, and his son, Lincoln. Then while on a expedition in the Amazon, Dr. Cole (played by the wonderful Bruce Greenwood), his crew, and his boat, The Magus, vanished. Six months later, his son, now entering his residency as a medical doctor, is ready to bury his father. But Tess (Leslie Hope, who does driven wife with secrets of her own very well) is not willing to give up so easily. At the urging of the network that aired their show for so long, Tess and Lincoln (a very likable Joe Anderson), their crew, and the daughter of one of the missing crewmembers, undertake a journey to find The Magus, its crew, and Dr. Emmet Cole. Their journey, however, will take them out of the realms of the natural world and into the workings of the supernatural in ways they could never have anticipated.

Review: This is a new show, both for us and for the network. It aired just a few weeks ago, but after only three episodes I'm hooked. I would call this a suspense, light horror show. The suspense is definitely there, and quite often I was at the edge of my seat, knees drawn up, flinching for fear. Light horror in that the gore is kept to a minimum, but the terror level of the characters is definitely high.

It is filmed like a documentary in the styles of Blair Witch (minus the nauseating shaky cam) and Paranormal Experience (lots of set cameras in the ship catching the events). The format of the documentary adds great depth to the show, and also adds to the suspense. I like the use of cultural legends and myths as the background of the events. I had actually heard of the one in episode two (the episode with the creepy dolls).

Recommendation: This show is creepy enough for horror-movie enthusiasts to enjoy, yet not to so gory as to turn off those of us who don't enjoy gratutious death and maiming. It is creepy (best not watched alone at night if you are sensitive to those sorts of things) yet compelling. The mystery of Dr. Cole's journey and what he was discovering and how that is now affecting his family and their crew is very well done. I'm eager to see where this show goes and hope it gets picked up for a return season as this season it is only scheduled for 8 episodes.

What three shows have you been watching lately?

Wednesday Whimsy: Candy Heart Pillows and Surprise Balls

For Valentine's Day, I made two gifts for each of the kids: A candy heart pillow and a surprise ball. Both were quite easy (though you need basic sewing skills for the pillows).

Candy Heart Pillows

I found the instructions for the candy heart pillows at Sweetie Pie Bakery. I followed the instructions except for one step. When it says to sew the rectangle length of fabric that will make up the sides of the pillow into a ring, I did not, because when I did, the fabric did not quite match in a circle with the heart shape fabric. There was too much rectangle. So, instead, I omitted that step and went directly to sewing the rectangle to the heart, leaving two inches of the rectangle fabric overlapping off the edge of the heart and back-stitching a couple of times at the start and then again at the end, where I had an inch or two of fabric left over. Then, I following the direction up until the final end of sewing the opening closed. I tucked in the two edges of the rectangle, then hand-stitched them straight across, tucking the stitches in the folds as much as possible to keep them hidden.

I was very happy with the results. And the kids loved the pillows. They are big enough to actually use as pillows, too!

The little pillow I made by cutting out two heart shapes, then sewing on a piece of felt. I put right sides together and stitched all around, leaving a couple inches at the end  (back-stitching a couple times at the start and finish to the stitches wouldn't pull out when stuffing the pillow). I stuffed it, then tucked in the edges and did the same hidden stitch to sew it close. It's a great size for a doll pillow.

Surprise Balls

I found the instructions for the surprise balls at MetroParent Blogs. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'd seen these for sale in a catalogue and was thrilled to find instructions. I picked up two rolls of crepe paper, one in white and one in red. I picked up four or five little trinkets for each ball and a handful of chocolate coins and some candy hearts. Starting with the largest toy (for my daughter, a mini Rubik's cube, for my son, a plastic toy steamroller). Wrapping with one color, I tucked in a trinket or candy every three to four loops. Then, when I was out of things to tuck inside, I cut off the crepe paper and taped a new color to it. I wound enough of this color to mask the first color completely, then cut it clean and tucked the edge under. I taped the end, putting a sticker over the tape. Lastly, I tied a ribbon around the whole ball.

The kids had a fun time unraveling the balls. My two-year-old didn't quite understand the unwinding, so I did it for him, revealing each treat slowly. He ate the candy hearts as fast as they came out. My daughter was thrilled when the toys surprises began to appear. It was fun watching both of them reach the center of the ball. I'll definitely be making more of these for future holidays.