2016

American Ultra wasn’t quite the hot dumpster fire I’d feared it was going to be, but it wasn’t as enjoyable as I wanted it to be either. There was a definite sense of disjointedness to the story.

I wish they hadn’t discarded that original storyline of a woman loving a flawed man. That was some powerful stuff there. And those tiny morsels of it strewn through the Frankenstein monster of the rest of the movie made me sad.

As I was watching, I kept thinking “With some editing this could be a watchable movie.”

As it was, American Ultra was a dud.

KStew was charming as always. She did the best she could with some truly terrible dialogue.

Jesse Eisenberg left me cold. He’s always so glib. It takes away from whatever scene he’s in.

I can’t think of her name, but she’s a lovely lady in every TV show she’s in… Oh lordy. Someone needs to fire the makeup person, because that was definitely not some HD-ready foundation. And someone needs to yell at the editors for not smoothing the scenes up in post.

And then there’s Topher Grace.

Topher Grace.

Topher Grace.

Seriously, he’s got the role of sleazy badguy down pat. But he definitely should have pointed out how awful most of his lines were, and how they totally destroyed any credibility this movie might have had.

American Ultra is not a flaming dumpster fire. There are a few scenes that will hopefully be cut out and reused someday in a much better movie. But most of it does belong in a dumpster.

As you can see, a new section called Games has been added to the menu. That’s because I’ve begun making Visual Novels and CYOA games using Ren’py and Twine 2.

My first story written with Twine is complete. It’s called “Death and Layla Hanson” and you can play it for free.

Though I use the term “play” loosely, as it is a linear story with no choices. But I did figure out how headers, footers, and some customization in Harlowe* work while making “Death and Layla Hanson.”

Here’s the games page => Kimichee.com/gamelist
Here’s “Death and Layla Hanson” on Kimichee => kimichee.com/games/Death_and_Layla_Hanson.html
Here’s my itch.io page => harperkingsley.itch.io

“Death and Layla Hanson” begins with mentions of a death, but there’s no horror, gore, or anything terrible about it. Layla is simply dead and it’s a fact. The same with the presence of Death who has come to guide her to whatever comes next.

There are 20 screens comprising 2000+ words. And the story is COMPLETE.

* Harlowe is the format I’ve chosen to use with Twine 2. Some people prefer SugarCube, which followed from the original Twine.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I like The Legend of Mick Dodge. There’s been some really great and informative episodes.

Mick is super folksy, but he’s entertaining. He’s got a good voice to listen to, and he’s pretty much nice to everyone he meets.

His lifestyle might not be for most people, but seeing how he survives and thrives while living in the forest is survival edutainment worth watching.

I’ve seen him do some amazing things that I never would have thought of.

Title: Q. The wedding is already arranged
Collection: Intense Thoughts
Author: Harper Kingsley
Rating: Adult

“I masturbated furiously.
Then I smoked some weed.
And my thoughts became very intense.”

Q. The wedding is already arranged. The invitations have all been sent out. But it felt wrong to marry.

Not when she loved another.

It was so stupid. She’d been ready to get married. Then she’d met Shaun and he was everything she’d ever wanted. It was a case of bad timing.

Instead of meeting the man of her dreams and having a whirlwind romance, she resented him. If he’d moved to town six months earlier. If he wasn’t so head-over-heels for her. Anyway she looked at it, knowing him was going to hurt her.

Naomi stared at the blank diary page. Then laid the pen down and closed the book.

She’d thought smoking weed would open her brain and help her think. Cold logic was what she needed, to keep her parents happy and to ensure her future.

Except all she could think about was choosing him.

His future was so uncertain. It made her araid. The last thing she wanted was to live in her car.

Even if her parents disowned her, she didn’t think her grandmother would let her starve in the street. But she wasn’t 100% sure.

Which led to thinking of all his faults. Of the loudness of his angry-voice and how he’d made the server cry. Of how he’d taken his socks off the second time she’d met him and walked barefoot on her rug. Or how he’d cheerfully used her toothbrush without asking.

There were some mannerisms that she didn’t like. But he looked good to her, in the way of paintings or bodies she wanted to rub up against. She’d let herself think … Read the rest “PROMPT-FILL: Intense Thoughts: Q. The wedding is already arranged”

Hello darkness, my old friend,
here I am to gaze again
upon the beauty of thy cheek,
your loving Will dost make us weep.
To see you both so rudely parted,
our hearts were broken,
then restarted, with the fire of our yearning,
for "Season 4!" our hearts are burning.
--Hannibal