Jason Zapata

Category: musings

  • The Need For Objectivity In Fandom

    By Jason Zapata

    Wow. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has surpassed the $760.50 million record set by Avatar in just 20 days. This is an amazing feat that underscores the true fandom of this franchise. I enjoyed the film, but didn’t leave the theater nearly as enraptured as my fellow moviegoers. Having discussed the film with friends and fellow fans – they summed up their experience by saying:

    “Yeah, its basically a quasi-reboot of Episode IV. You just have to decide how the film makes you feel.”
    (more…)

  • Streams of Silver Casting Call

    Drizzt Do’Urden is one of my favorite fictional characters. A drow/dark elf born in the subterranean city of Menzoberranzan.  Drizzt’s adventures take place within the Forgotten Realms. These are settings made famous by Dungeons and Dragons. Sadly they don’t get half the recognition of Middle-earth or even Tamriel. This is a failing that Wizards of The Coast needs to correct. But that’s a post for another time. After all this is a casting call post about making a Drizzt movie – though Hollywood and the hero’s own fan base sometimes hinders such efforts.
    (more…)

  • Diary of A Madman – 01/22/14

    Progress typically comes at the price of pain. In this case it’s growing pains. Recently, I’ve endeavored to revamp many of the site’s older posts. I didn’t start this blog/website with the intention of actively growing an audience. Until fairly recently, I was utterly inconsistent with providing new material. And the articles I did post were thin on content and thick with proofreading errors. (more…)

  • My Castlevania Casting Call

    Castlevania is one of the most long lived and beloved video game franchises in existence. It debuted back in 1986. Since then it has captivated gamers with its ongoing story of the eternal struggle against Dracula. Castlevania is unique. It’s characters and stories have developed much further than other era specific titles like Zelda or Metroid. And with the success of the Lords of Shadow games – I’d love to finally see a movie adaptation. (more…)

  • Ten Years of Magic The Gathering

    Magic The Gathering (MTG) is very near and dear to my heart. It’s synonymous with good times and good friends. This trading card game has plenty to offer for anyone. It features amazing artwork and provides countless strategies. MTG has a rich lore that encompasses an entire multi-verse. No other game can boast having so many fantasy and science fiction themes. (more…)

  • How The Lords of Shadow Soundtrack Silenced Naysayers

    The Lords of Shadow official soundtrack is an epic piece of music. It was composed by  Oscar Araujo. He is a native of Spain whose developed music for movies and  advertisements. Oscar worked with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. These musicians were versed in many different genres of music – especially computer games.  These elements worked well together and created a memorable listening experience. (more…)

  • Diary of A Madman 11/26/2013

    As you may have noticed – the site has a new theme and layout! Nocturnal Wanderings is now displayed prominently throughout its various sections. Future projects will be featured the same way. Its exciting to have such a professional looking platform to present my work. (more…)

  • Blade’s Bum Wrap – A Trilogy Deserving More Recognition

     

    Why does Marvel’s first successful trilogy get such little recognition. I asked myself this question after recently watching all three movies. I bought the trilogy for a lousy $10.00 at Wal-Mart. I wasn’t disappointed. (more…)

  • Loki – November’s Villain of The Month

    Loki was originally a Norse and Germanic god of fire. He is infamous for being a mischief-maker, trickster, and shape changer. Loki is unique in his pantheon. He relies on cunning over martial strength. Though not inherently evil, Loki’s actions always grow progressively malicious over time. (more…)

  • Train wreck – NBC’s Dracula

    I’m all for clever re-imaginings and artistic license. But NBC’s Dracula is an odd take on Bram Stoker’s tale. I can’t make too many judgments about a show that’s just premiered. But watching this felt like a freight train full of quirkiness hitting a brick wall. With so many novels and movies starring fanged creatures of the night, this show needed to be distinctive. And it is…just not in impressive ways.  (more…)