I don't think anyone else could have brought the character of Molly Gunn into life the way Brittany Murphy did in Uptown Girls.

Molly Gunn was an uptown Sleeping Beauty fairytale princess who lived a charmed life. Though she was an orphan of a famous rock star Father, Molly had all the money, clothes, comforts, friends and luxuries any young woman could imagine ever wanting. But, her world crashed down while she was sleeping (not literally). Molly discovered the money was all gone. The bills had not been paid in months and her credit cards were all maxed out. Suddenly she went from princess to pauper.

The Uptown Princess has to get a Job

Molly works as a nanny for a little girl (Ray) who is her opposite in temperament. Ray's Father is dying and her Mother is always too busy, so Ray is also alone. It seems things will never work out but, they find common ground (both are afraid of growing up and facing the hard things in life) and become friends. Right about then the bottom drops out, again. Ray's Father died just after Molly encouraged Ray to sit with him for the first time in years. Ray rejects Molly and then runs away. Molly is also feeling heart broken because she had to sell all her Father's guitars (the last thing she had held onto from her Father and her old life).

You Won't Forget Molly Smiles

It all ends well, good fairy tales do. Sleeping Beauty Molly wakes up and becomes an uptown princess with a practical edge and some spine to stand up to life with. The final scenes of the movie are Ray dancing ballet to "Molly Smiles" the song Molly's Father wrote for her (sung by Molly's love interest in the movie who is an up and coming musician).

This is one of my favourite movies. I love Brittany Murphy and she really does create the movie, bringing it from a good story to that wonderful fairytale quality with her zest for life and real emotion. In spite of being a rich princess, Molly Gunn is very lovable.

Beware, "Molly Smiles", the song, will stick in your head for a very long time and likely won't ever really be forgotten either.

Brittany Murphy is Missed

Brittany Murphy (1977 - 2009) had poise, a sparkle and a joy for life which I don't see often in people on film. A shame because where else would such things be best used than the media where everyone can see, and feel good seeing, them.

Can you see yourself living your own science fiction adventure, road tripping all over the universe?

I love the idea of being far into the future, a space chick, running around the galaxies on a universe-wide backpacking trip. Best road trip ever!

I read The Hitchhiker's Guide when we had to, in school. I barely remember it from then. But, when the movie came out I was eager to see it. How can a series of books reach such popularity and not be great? Of course, popular is in the eye of the masses of beholders.

The movie based on the books was good, only good, not great. Too much was packed into one movie. As if they had to get the entire series of books in just one movie. Maybe someone knew the author, Douglas Adams, was not going to live to become a very old man. Maybe someone just felt the movies would be tough to sell or keep in budget or... who knows? I don't.

Welcome to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe

I found the movie good, but I thought it came from such great, original stories - it could have been better. The Hitcher's Guide to the Galaxy movie gives you a sense of the books, the type of humour and a snapshot of the story. It is not enough.

If the movie draws you in, pick up the series of books. Find a comfortable reading space and make your popcorn at home. The movie was like a spin cycle version of the books, your clothes get dry but you missed all the adventures of getting dirty clothes in the first place.

Don't Panic... Did you Bring your Towel?

Towel Day is May 25th!

It all began with Ardania...

Majesty, then Majesty: Northern Expansion and then Majesty Gold - I bought all of them new in early 2000 and onwards as each became available. I played with my nephew, Zack. He was a little boy then. Majesty was a game I didn't have to explain or apologize for. It was kid friendly without being one of those games Zack came to call "educational" as a code for Mother approved.

Now Majesty 2 is out. Has been out a few years actually. I'd love to see what they have done as an encore to a game I already rate as one of the best for fun and ease of play. A simple game which does not need an entire day to play a round or complete a few missions. Most games the downfall is length and finding a good place to stop. Majesty comes in a series of missions with definite beginnings and endings. Connected to a central story but not turn based where a game can be unending.

Majesty is the fantasy simulation game where you build your own kingdom. The problem is... your citizens don't just co-operate the way they do in other strategy, simulation and city building games. In Majesty they can decide not to help you at all.

The little characters in Majesty won't work unless you pay them

You may find Majesty is a bit more real than you like. The game play is pretty simple. You won't need to struggle to understand how the game works or what you need to do.

But, monsters will attack. They come from outside your kingdom, wandering in. However, they also come from right under your nose, the sewers inside your kingdom. At any time a big rat will step out right into your village and start destroying something. You aren't usually as prepared as you thought you were. Plus, your people may not be helping you when you need them.

In that way, the game of Majesty is not the light weight it seems.

From Caesar's Rome you can travel in time and space to China, Egypt or Greece.

Caesar IV (4) didn't live up to the greatness of Caesar III. My only real problem is just the way the game moves with the keyboard and mouse. It feels awkward. It looks great, it has fresh challenges and overall it is a good upgrade to Caesar games past. I just didn't enjoy it as much as other games in the Caesar series.

There are other games in the series which are not extensions of Caesar IV but individual games which can be played on their own. Each is based in a different time period. So, give them a try, become a time and place traveler while building cities and not getting picked off by armies, locusts and other problems.

I have played:

• Caesar II (I found it as a free download and was curious to see how the old version played)
• Caesar III
• Caesar IV
• Pharaoh (with the Queen of the Nile expansion)
• Emperor
• Master of Olympus

Of them all Caesar III is still my favourite for just the simple, easy game play. There was a strategy to figure out and the balance is tipped easily enough that you do have to adjust your strategy when you try to do things a slightly different way. I've yet to complete all the levels - which is a good thing because I don't want a game which doesn't give a challenge and is all over in a week.

I am the Extreme City Planner

What do you most enjoy about city building games? For me it is the time to play god, to arrange a city just the way I want it. I am the city planner. I design my city while the game tries to kill me off with advancing armies, sneak attacks, crime waves, poverty, lack of water or other resources, tributes to Caesar and Rome, a demand for frivolous things like entertainment and decorations and the mood of my workers.

Second to city planning I try to find the balance of conditions and resources which will create a thriving village, city or town. Caesar is a good game for changing the conditions and limiting or switching resources. This makes the game challenging just on the city building level.

However, city building is not enough. You can't neglect or take your military for granted. In the early levels you can manage but as the game progresses you really need to find the best way to quickly build up your city and your ability to protect your city too. All while not going bankrupt. Caesar doesn't like it when you run out of money and can't send him gifts and resources which he demands. If you fail... he sends his armies to attack you. Your city is destroyed and you - start the level over.

Aren't you glad it's just a game sometimes?

Stronghold is one of the most under rated games.

Stronghold has it all: city building, fighting and defence campaigns and it's a simulation of the Middle Ages.

Being great at city buildings, gathering resources and timing the growth of your cities will not be enough. If you've been a great war machine, fighting off armies on land, air and sea, that won't be enough either. Stronghold pushes you to become both a builder and a fighter.

To win at Stronghold you need to build, fight and thrive all at the same time. The early levels are there to show you how the game controls work and give you a mild taste of the challenge to come. I enjoyed the city building, it's my favourite part.

I'm not a great fighter

The trouble playing Stronghold (for me) were the military campaigns. I was happy getting my village set up but just as it began to thrive I'd need the fighting force which I had not given much attention to. Stronghold is more realistic that way. The battles don't wait for you to be ready.

I do have a mild god complex

One feature of Stronghold which I especially have fun with is the ability to choose to be a nice ruler or a mean and heartless rulers. In your kingdom you are the woman (or man) in charge. Do you build nice things, make the village and kingdom pretty and keep everyone happy or ... Do you build devices to discipline and torture your people and keep them working for you out of fear?

Don't think you have to be nice. These are not real people, just game characters created from code and pixels. No one is watching over your shoulder to tell about your mistreatment of your village. At any time you can change your ways and offer them some pretty flowers. At least for a little while. Just a tease or a little misdirection to get keep them from leaving the village, dying or other minor but annoying things which would inconvenience you.

Of course, just as you have your villagers in line there is an army camped outside your boundaries just lining up to attack your castle and destroy everything you have built up.