Monday, May 21, 2012

It’s All About the Movies – Author Jeremy Bates, Battleship Review, and Movie Trivia Answers

Triple movie threat for you today! First off, I have the awesome Jeremy Bates visiting. (Yes, I know a lot of awesome Jeremys – must be the name!) Jeremy’s new book, White Lies, is now available in hardback, paperback, and eBook formats. He’s here today to talk movies and plot contrivances. Take it, Jeremy!

First off, I’d like to thank Alex for getting me a spot on his blog! This place was one of the first blogs I found when I started blogging last year, and it’s my number one go-to for some good laughs and an update on anything happening in the writer’s blogosphere!

I love movies—a theme on this blog—and it kills me when I see idiotic plot contrivances. I mean, if a writer writes something screwy, I can forgive him or her because it’s one person on a budget of zero dollars putting thoughts to paper. Nevertheless, it’s mind boggling when Hollywood can’t put together a coherent script. Seriously, if you have a budget of fifty million dollars, splurge a hundred grand on a couple ambitious writers to proof read the script and brainstorm ways to iron out the wrinkles. Anyway, here are my top three movie idiocies of 2012!

· The Cold Light of Day: the protagonist and sidekick are chasing the rogue CIA woman in a massively long car chase to get a suitcase. They finally crash into her to get her to stop. She says something like “Now I’ve had it!” and pulls out her gun and begins to chase them in an equally long car chase! I actually laughed out loud in the theater at this disastrous lapse of logic. 

· Dark Shadows: Right at the end, the little girl turns into a werewolf and quips: “I'm a werewolf, let's not make a big deal out of it...woof.” No lead up, not even a hint; a complete deus ex machina. Come on, Tim, you can do better than this! 

· ATM: Three people trapped in an ATM booth. One crazy guy. There’s only one thing I can say about the entire premise here: It’s three against one! Attack him!

Wow. It actually feels good to get that rant off my chest! If you have can think of any ridiculous plot contrivances, post ‘em below! Would love to read some good ones!

Thanks, Jeremy!

Check out his Website and purchase his book on Amazon

Movie Review

Battleship
This is nothing more than a B movie with a massive budget. It out-does Michael Bay for over-the-top everything. The storyline is dumb. When they are calling out the locations of alien ships (B-19) I about lost it. And the missiles the aliens fire look like Battleship pegs – I kid you not! But you know what? It is a hell of a lot of fun! Acting not required, although everyone did all right in his or her part. The ships and the aliens are cool and the special effects nothing short of impressive. Watching large destroyers blow up is really impressive. It’s not art. It’s just a fun ride. I enjoyed it! Leave brain at door before entering theater and you will enjoy!

Movie Trivia Answers

“The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.” – Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
“You know, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see that you are intentionally screwing me.” – Dr. Grace Augustine, Avatar
“C'mon. Let's go see how much we're going for on eBay.” – Hamm, Toy Story III
“Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?” – Gimli, LOTR: Return of the King
“I may have had... briefly, mind you... stirrings.” – Jack Sparrow, POTC: On Stranger Tides

And I keep an eye on the Amazon.con rankings, but I totally missed the Amazon.UK rankings for CassaStar and CassaFire, both of which are in several top one hundred lists. Whoa! Thanks to Laura at the Daily Dodo, author of 100 Blog Prompts, for directing me to her review on Amazon.UK.

Following Jeremy or picked up his book, White Lies? Can you name any ridiculous plot contrivances? (He wants to know!) Have you seen Battleship? More likely to see it now? And did you know any of the movies? There were only ten possible answers not counting the Avengers…

159 comments:

Kyra Lennon said...

I honestly commend you for even trying to sit through Battleship! It sounds kinda awful lol!

Unknown said...

Kinda warned you about Battleship, whats up with Liams choice of films these days. There you go Jeremy...(are you really that good looking?) plots...Grey Wolf and Black Lady, with Mr. Harry Potter himself, two totally predictable and disappointing movies. Good luck with your book.

Ciara said...

Jeremy, I love this line, "because it’s one person on a budget of zero dollars putting thoughts to paper."

That is so true.

I hadn't even heard of Battleship. LOL, I guess I need to crawl out from under my mommy rock.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I have similar problems as Jeremy when watching movies. If the plot is silly, then I want to throw popcorn at the screen--good thing I don't eat popcorn.

I lol'd at your review of Battleship, Alex. I love things that go boom. If I expect nothing more, then it's ok. As long as there's lots of boom.

Brinda said...

I have no desire to see Dark Shadows. Thanks for confirming my good instincts, Jeremy. I haven't heard of the other two movies.

Unknown said...

Jeremys top link not working...just thought I would mention that...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kyra, it was fun! I will be buying it on DVD.

Ciara, that is a good line!

Lynda, there are LOTs of booms!!!

Siv, I'll fix it.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

It's great to meet you, Jeremy. I appreciate your views about Hollywood and the effort--or lack there of--at times to put together a solid story. So much is commercialized.

Old Kitty said...

Hooorah for Jeremy!! Hoorah for CassaStar!! Hoorah for Toy Story 3 quote - cos I knew that, really I did!! LOL!!

Take care
x

Rusty Carl said...

Great guest post today. I hate the trivia from last week, because I knew as soon as you told me the answers I would be like, 'Oh no. I totally knew that.' And that's exactly what happened.

Congrats on the Cassa books rocking the international bestseller charts.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

When I grew up I knew no Jeremys, in the last year I know many more... great guest post, I am to agree on the take of Dark Shadows... it is like Tim Burton is getting too big for himself, just because it has his name on it doesn't always mean he has to top the weird or weirdo stuff. We get it Tim, you are a weirdo... it used to be sort of elegant when you would introduce something odd, now it's a slap in the face.

Sink that Battleship, I cannot find my way to be interested... except the little popcorn screen or the score by Steve Jablonsky... mostly because that pop singer is blobbed into the trailer... it's like everyone look she is her... she is in this movie, our movie. I have one thing to say before ending this comment...

Ma-halo,
Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]

Ps. Great post and guest!

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Nice to meet you Jeremy. Great post.

Aww so sad on Battleship. I won't watch it now, Alex, as you are my movie critic. :) Just saying.

Teresa

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm always seeing movies with plot contrivances. Annoying as anything.

Congrats on your Amazon UK rankings.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Hello Stranger, I have come back to find Google has completely changed along with my music.

Loved Jeremy's write.
I didn't attempt the trivia my brain is not in gear yet.
Great to be back.

Yvonne.

Christine Rains said...

I'll watch Battleship when it comes out on DVD, if only for the eye candy. And after Jeremy's reviews, I'm very glad I didn't see Dark Shadows. I only got a chance to watch Sherlock this past weekend, and it was awesome.

Anonymous said...

I haven't watched any movies lately, but I did find myself *this* close to shouting at the tv during a few season finales last week. "JUST SHOOT THE BAD GUY, DON'T CHAT" was my most frequent lament. Seriously, why are you wasting time bandying insults and quips with the psychopath? Shoot him now before he kills any more of your people!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, so glad you enjoyed Battleship. It was everything I expected it to be - big, dumb, loud and AWESOME! :)

The Angry Lurker said...

Damn, I should have known those quotes, Battleship will have to wait until DVD rental even if it's got Liam Neeson in it!

Tara Tyler said...

hey! how bout a spoiler alert warning! i havent seen dark shadows yet!

but i do agree that hollywood should be more selective! pick more books!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kitty, good for you!

Thanks, Rusty. Sorry the quotes stumped you last week.

Jeremy, Burton is just trying to out-weird himself now. And at least acting wasn't required for Battleship, so the singer did all right.

Teresa, I did like it though.

Welcome back, Yvonne!

Louise, that always seems to happen, doesn't it?

George, exactly!

Tara, sorry!

Juliana Haygert said...

Congrats on the UK ratings, Alex!

I have no desire to watch Dark Shadows ... it seems like a forced comedy and the trailer didn't help, in my opinion.
As for Battleship, I might watch it when it comes out in BluRay.

Rick said...

Battleship was "...big, dumb, loud and AWESOME."

Count me in!

jaybird said...

Congratulations on your continued success with Cassafire.

I have very little time to go to the movies, so I really appreciate all of your reviews! Sometimes, I'm not sure if I should waste my time to go see something or wait for it to come out on DVD. So thanks!

Think I'll wait for Battleship..

Jemi Fraser said...

I laughed all the way through your Battleship review! I think I'll wait for the download :)

LD Masterson said...

I'm sorry, it's Monday morning. My mind stumbles over little things. Re. the idiocy in ATM - two things: What's an ATM booth? In my neck of the woods an ATM is a window thing sitting in a wall somewhere. And if there are three people trapped inside and one's crazy, wouldn't it be two against one? It's early. I'm easily confused.

Heather Murphy said...

I follow Jeremy and look forward to reading White Lies.
As for Battleship, I thought I wanted to see it but I haven't heard many good things about it so I think it will be one to wait for DVD.

Karen Baldwin said...

Yeah, I'll pass on paying movie prices to see this one. Thanks for the review. The last movie I saw was Dark Shadows, and that was corny enough. Oggling Johnny Depp helped.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Been following Jeremy's blog for a little while now, but haven't read White Lies yet . . .
Plot contrivances - well, both in my family's current favorite cartoon show "Legend of Korra" and in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, my whole family and I have/had a problem with the hero(heroine) having amazing skills and abilities, beating up on bad guys right and left, and then having the major villain whip their rears in a final fight scene . . .especially in Ghost Protocol where the villain is out of shape and up against Tom Cruise . . .what's up with that? I mean if you want a final fight scene that is more tense, then give the villain some skills, or at least some muscle.

Julie Flanders said...

Congrats on the UK ratings, how awesome!! I cracked up at your Battleship review LOL.

Congratulations to Jeremy, White Lies looks fantastic. I'm going to have to add that one to my list as well.

Southpaw said...

First congrats to Jeremy. I just read the premise and it sounds suspenseful!

I agree with the movie irritation. I wish I could think of some right now, but I can't get my brain working yet.

Unknown said...

It's disappointing about Dark Shadows because I was so looking forward to seeing it. Battleship looks like it would make Jeremy's list, but I'll trust you that it's actually entertaining and try it as a rental when i comes out.

Hart Johnson said...

Ha! jeremy-great point on the million dollar budget. I don't even like it in books, but when there are that many people involved, they definitely could do better.

Alex-congrats on the great numbers for your books!!!

Luanne G. Smith said...

It does drive me a little crazy that the big budget films can lack so much in logic and believability sometimes.

Doubt I'll be seeing Battleship, even on DVD later.

Jo said...

I knew the Avatar quote. Love that movie.

Good luck with the new book.

Gong to see The Exotic Marigold Hotel this week. Hope its as good as it looks.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Dynamite reviews and news Alex. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 37% which I don't believe. It can't be THAT bad.
@Jeremy Dark Shadows. LOL ATM sounds like my kind of movie! I loved "Phone Booth."
- Maurice Mitchell
The Geek Twins | Film Sketchr
@thegeektwins | @mauricem1972

Morgan said...

I've marked White Lies on my TBR list on Goodreads! Jeremy is great. I've enjoyed his blog posts! :D

Heather M. Gardner said...

Jeremy is quite funny. I do follow him and intend to read his book.

I'll see Battleship on Blu-Ray. I love stuff that explodes for no apparent reason!

Great movie quotes. I thought I had heard a few, just not where.

Thank you, Alex!
Heather

Karen Lange said...

Thanks for the intro to Jeremy! Thanks also for the info and links. :)

Ella said...

Nice to meet you Jeremy~ Good Luck on your book! Great post by the way~

No, way calling out B-19. I have been on a DDG and I can't imagine seeing them blow up, sounds cool! I'll wait for the Blu-Ray version!

Yes, I snuck in the theater to see a bit of Dark Shadows, after THE AVENGERS. I was not impressed~

Great movie quotes :D

Anonymous said...

Good luck to Jeremy with White Lies! I'll see Battleship but probably not for a couple weeks. Sounds like Transformers. Not much of a story but awesome special effects. Thanks for the review!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Juliana, good assessment of Dark Shadows.

Rick, it was all that!

Jaybird, I just try to give my humble opinion on all movies.

Jemi, I am here for your amusement!

LD, we'll have to ask Jeremy.

Em, we almost saw it for that same reason but I won.

Tyrean, true! Cruise is in damn good shape.

Thanks, Julie.

Michael, it would make his list big time! As I said, leave brain at door.

Thanks, Hart!

Maurice, it wasn't bad. Just keep expectations low and enjoy.

Heather, enjoy it on BluRay then.

Ella, you get to see several blow up - very impressive!

Katherines Corner said...

Nice to be introduced to Jeremy :-)

Darn I'm disappointed to read your review on battleship, that is one we have been waiting for ( of course we have to wait even longer for the DVD). But you did write that it was a fun film so we will still keep it on our list. Hugs and wishes for a happy week ahead

kjmckendry said...

I probably won't go see Battleship, maybe I'll watch it on Netflix so my son can enjoy the explosions.

I'll go check out Jeremy's book.

RaShelle Workman said...

My son wants to see Battleship. I haven't decided yet. Went and saw Avengers last week, and while I loved, loved the movie (I'll go see it again), one thing that bothered me was the Hulk being all "Rawr, I'm going to kill everyone," one second, and then suddenly "Rawr, I'm going to help the Avengers" the next. If you can explain that to me, I'll be so much happier. I just felt like we needed some sort of Aha moment for the Hulk.

Congrats on your UK listings. You. Are. Awesome! And so are your books, Alex!!!

Sarah Ahiers said...

I'm glad to hear Battleship was a lot of fun. That's kind of what i suspected it might be like

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Hmmm. Ridiculous plot contrivances? I can think of several James Bond ones. Like one comes to mind of a shark air pellet that is supposed to blow a shark up by filling them up with air. James Bond puts one in a guy's mouth and he floats up out of the water and bursts like a balloon.

So, I can't tell if Battleship is a must see or not from your review. Hmmm.

Cassie Mae said...

Oh man, it's too early for me to think! I like the crazy guy at the ATM, lol.

Mina Burrows said...

Loved Jeremy's movie rants. Very funny. I can't remember if I'm following him or not. I'll have to check. :)

Robyn Campbell said...

But I thought Battleship was slated for blockbuster status. Oh well. At least it's fun! I'll check my brain at the front door. Thanks for the review.

I think Jeremy is ultra cool and White Lies is on my 'gotta have' list when I mosey over to Amazon later this week. Yippee. Cannot wait to read it.

Plot contrivances? The Banger Sisters. Bleh!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Stephen, it's almost better than Transformers.

Katherine, go anyway! I really enjoyed it.

Thank you, RaShelle! And can't explain the switch in Hulk's attitude. Maybe he was just more pissed at the invaders.

Sarah, don't go in expecting anything more.

Michael, if you can leave your brain at the door it's a must see.

Robyn, think it will fall short, but it was still fun.

Arlee Bird said...

Not chomping at the bit to see Battleship. Have seen any of those films with bad plot contrivances and can't remember any off hand, but I've seen plenty of them.


Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out

Nancy Thompson said...

I know Jeremy! And he is so right. As writers of novels, we could never get away with what screenwriters do. I just had a long Facebook exchange with some writer friends about this same topic on Friday night. It's ridiculous! As for Batteship, as long as go in with low expectations, you're set. I just wish more movies were put together to exhibit smart thinking rather than the wow effect.

Pat Tillett said...

I don't expect to see an Oscar winning movie, but I really want to see Battleship.
Right now though, We are MANY miles away from the closest movie theater.
Dark Shadows is also on my list. Just out of curiosity and because Johnny Depp is in it though...

Johanna Garth said...

I so agree about Dark Shadows. Saw it last weekend and would have walked out if I hadn't been with friends.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Some of our Hindi movies (in India) have such gaping holes in the plot that the movie reviewers advice leaving the brains at home and watching the movie.

Thankfully, a new crop of movies by young directors are concentrating on fabulous plots.

DL Hammons said...

Jeremy's rant was spot on! And I wanted to see Battleship this weekend with my son, but I was in Dallas at a writers convention instead. Definitely this weekend though...poor reviews be damned! :)

D.G. Hudson said...

Yes, following Jeremy, (Hi there) and I want to see new suspense writers succeed.

Sometimes the action is the only focus in the story, with paper thin plots. We get sucked in by the effects. I haven't read White Lies yet, but expect it to be interesting since I like the premise - White lies, those little ones.

Jo said...

How odd, I posted a comment this morning and it appears to have disappeared into cyber space. I very rarely go to the movies - I wait for them to come to iTunes. I did recognise the Avatar quote though, its one of my fave movies lately.

I am going to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on Wed. Hope its as good as it looks and not material for Jeremy to rant about.

Nicole said...

'Grats on the CassaStar and CassaFire rankings! That's great news.

farawayeyes said...

I like and follow Jeremy. Downloaded 'White Lies' the day it came out and trying to get to it.

Couldn't agree with him more about 'Dark Shadows" what a downer. So much potential and they only went for the 'cheap shots'. You are better than this ~ I'm looking at you Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. I wonder if he will do better with the Lincoln/Vampire deal.

I have a 6 Y.O. friend staying with me for 5 weeks and she will be back for 4 more weeks at the end of the summer (changes). We just watched 'Avatar', 'Toy Story III" and everything else in my 'kip' repertorie. I had to sneak upstairs during Happy Feet this morning to watch 'Rum Dairy' to keep from going completely crazy.

Anyway...I should have known more.

Carrie Butler said...

"It’s three against one! Attack him!" Hah! :) Great guest post, Jeremy!

P.S. Sounds like you're well on your way to international fame, Alex! ;)

Unknown said...

Congrats to Jeremy on his book! I'll check it out now.

LynNerdKelley said...

I enjoyed Jeremy's rant. Best of luck to him with White Lies.
"Leave brain at door before entering theater and you will enjoy!" LOL! Congrats on the great UK ratings for your books, Alex!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Ridiculous movie blips drive me bonkers. I can't think of any; guess I've repressed them all.

Jeremy's great. Congratulations, Jeremy!

Thanks, Alex, and congratulations on your books' continued success.

xoRobyn

Sherry Ellis said...

I saw the trailer for Battleship, and there's just no way I'm going to be able to sit through that thing! I commend you for doing it, though.

M Pax said...

I saw a nice review for Cassafire by Cherie Reich, too.

There are some really dumb plots. I have to agree with Jeremy. Success to him on his new release.

Glad Battleship is fun. You didn't even have to explain B19. I just snorted.

The syfy version wasn't any better. I couldn't stay awake tho. Had gotten up at 5 to go to the Ren FAire that wasn't.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nancy, no smart thinking with Battleship. We'll have to wait until The Dark Knight Rises for that.

Pat, hope you get a chance because it is fun!

Johanna, that is a bummer.

Rachna, at least they are warned.

DL, go see it!

Jo, hopefully not! And sorry about your comment.

Thanks, Nicole!

Faraway, that's right - he is doing the Lincoln movie. Glad you got some adult movie time in though.

Carie, doubtful, but it's a nice thought.

Thanks, Lynn and Robyn!

Sherry, I knew what to expect and wasn't disappointed.

Mary, glad I missed the SyFy movie then. There will never be another Sharktopus.

Helen Ginger said...

Jeremy, I'm happy to say I haven't seen any of those movies. I did go see The Avengers and loved it. I'll probably go see Battleship, but I swear when I saw the previews, I thought it was a Transformer movie.

LynnRush said...

Battleship!! I'm torn. I have a post going up this week about this movie... Looks like the action will be great. But it seems like a lot of movies are going for ACTION as the plot line these days. :(

Anonymous said...

I heard Battleship tanked. No pun intended.

LOL!

Leigh Covington said...

Jeremy, I totally agree with your rant! Hate it when that happens in a movie. Nothing more annoying than spending my cash on a movie that sucks! Good to hear from you though and I'm excited about your book!

Alex - I'm kind of bummed that battleship has to suck in the areas it does. :( I'm going to have to decide if the action is worth the dumb stuff. Maybe I'll save it for a rental!

Angela Brown said...

Thoroughly enjoyed Jeremy's rant. And about Battleship, see, I never played the game. All I remember is the commercial and the silly kids going, "You sank my battleship". So I have that in my head and can't wrap my mind around one of the actors or actresses actually saying, "You sank my battleship." At least you're truthful in saying to "leave brain" in order to see the movie.

mooderino said...

I saw The Raid this weekend. Very simple plot, bunch of cops, building full of baddies with machetes, FIGHT!

mood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
The Funnily Enough

Cherie Reich said...

Congrats to Jeremy!

And I did recognize the quotes from The Dark Knight and LOTR: Return of the King. :)

Leovi said...

Very interesting the words of Jeremy, I liked what the ATM.

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats on your UK rankings, Alex!
I'm trying to figure out how on earth do 3 people fit in an ATM booth? Number one, Our ATM booths are not totally closed off... Secondly, it's quite a confined space... very small? I'm confused...
Jeremy's website is awesome!

Allison said...

I'm not sure if I'd enjoy Battleship. Lack of story irks me.

Helena said...

Illogical scenes or character reactions in movies drives me nuts too! How hard can it be to simply make sense in a scene?
And congratulations, Alex, on your continuing bestseller ranking.

Unspoken said...

Noooo. I was gonna love Dark Shadows. My hopes are dashed :(.
:)

Andrew Leon said...

Um... it is Bay. He produced it, at any rate. Or his company did. Something like that.

Carol Kilgore said...

I'm really looking forward to reading Jeremy's book.

Annalisa Crawford said...

I'm kicking myself on a couple of those movie quotes - the Toy Story one is so obvious!

Well done on your Amazon rankings - I once hit 35,000, and it went down hill from there lol

Michelle Gregory said...

if i'd played along sooner, i would have known them all except for Dark Knight, since i didn't watch that one.

Libby said...

So... that was the only thing you found idiotic about Dark Shadows, or were you just being nice?

Gossip_Grl said...

I have plans to find Jeremy's book. Since our book stores are all closed around here, I have to wait for until the end of the month. I love a good thriller book or movie.
I also hate stupid movie plots too which is why I now preview them from the $1/night Redbox before committing to buy.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I didn't see any of those movies and I'm sure I won't watch Battleship unless it's for free.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Helen, they are trying to capitalize on the Transformer franchise, but I thought Battleship was better. Not smarter, just more fun.

Lynn, some do it right, most do it wrong. This one did it right.

LB - funny!

Leigh, either way, disengage brain first.

Angela, I was waiting for that line but it never happened.

Jeremy probably means something different than what we are thinking, Michelle.

Thanks, Helena.

She Writes, you might still like it!

Andrew, he outdid himself.

Annalisa, that's still great.

Cate Masters said...

Congrats on your release, Jeremy! I hate it worse when the hype for a movie is way over the top, and all the best scenes are in the trailer.
Battleship wasn't on my list of must-see movies, but I sit through many such movies with the hubster so I can't rule it out. :) Congrats on the UK ranking!

Unknown said...

I figured they'd use the B-9 coodinates in 'Battleship'. I didn't see the movie, but when you base a movie on a game, well, I know what to expect. But hey, big booms are always good.

One extremely overused thing in movies is in the horror films. You know the ones, where the group is in the house, and they all split up. I mean, what's with that?

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Jeremy, I, too, thought the same thing about ATM. I usually do not like the current strain of horror. And when movies just remove a panel of reality or logic to make things come out right -- it just destroys my enjoyment of said film! I wish you great luck with WHITE LIES. I am off to purchase a Kindle version of it now, Roland

cleemckenzie said...

You've done a super marketing job! I just hope I can do half as well as you did with your books. Makes me jittery to think about it.

Really enjoyed Jeremy Bates post. I'm still in recovery over the idiocy of Dallas, and I was never a great fan of that thing. Fortunately, I missed the ones he listed.

Callie Leuck said...

I dunno about Battleship, then, if leaving brain at door is a prerequisite. I'm not very good at enjoying films for sheer awesome visuals. Maybe I just haven't seen the right one yet...

Melissa Sugar said...

I loved reading Jeremy's guest post. He is one of my favorite bloggers and I have been dying for his book to be released. I am off to purchase it now, if I didn't already pre-purchase it. I agree with his take on ridiculous plot contrivances. ATM was ridiculous. I still can't figure out what or who prompted me to sit through such a terrible movie. I kept screaming, "you out number him , just end my misery, please."

Congratulations, Jeremy. I am so excited to read, White LIes.

Unknown said...

Congratulations to Jeremy! I like the sound of his book!!

Krista McLaughlin said...

I completely agree with you about Dark Shadows. The ending... was meh. A werewolf? Oh, and they are now happy because he bit her mid-fall? It was weird.

Empty Nest Insider said...

It's a shame that Dark Shadows turned out to be such a disappointment. Great post Jeremy, and congrats on your book! Julie

Laura said...

I'm so going to have to see Battleship now! And thanks so much for the shout-out - it's great that your doing so well in the UK :)
Laura x

Unknown said...

I love to get away from it all when I go to the movies and just enjoy being entertained, so I am easily pleased.

I saw the shorts to Battleship when I went to see Dark Shadows, (which I thought was totally funny, and it looked really good!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cate, when you've seen it all in the trailer, that's a bummer.

Imogen, happens every time, doesn't it?

CLee, in the UK, I have no idea what I've done!

Melissa, the movie about the devil in the elevator comes to my mind...

Laura, thank YOU!

Cm, then you will enjoy Battleship.

Mark Koopmans said...

Battleship is *liked* by many over here in HI for the simple reason the Battleship USS Missouri (BB63) (would the REAL Battleship please pull away from the pier...) has a "cameo" role in the movie, which IMHO is pretty awesome.. I'd *love* to see that baby moving under her own power :)

Unknown said...

Best of the best of luck with White Lies, Jeremy! Congrats, Alex about your Amazon rankings!!!

And, I have to agree, a werewolf? Really?

Jeremy Bates said...

wow! ive never seen so many comments on a post ive done... crazy blog! anyway, thanks alex for giving my the spot! i was hoping i could reply to certain comments individually, but either im blogger impaired or there is no option! either way, thanks to everyone who's commented!

siv maria - i saw black lady but never finished it, and that's rare for me not to finish i flick!

ciara - that line about writers is so true though!

lynda - popcorn's fine... just don't toss ur drink lol

SA/journaling woman/ella - nice meeting all of you too!

old kelly - hooray back at you!

retro zombie - i knew only one jeremy growing up and it was always so strange... like seeing someone you think you should know lol

heather/morgan/heather g/ robbyn/ farawayeyes/carol/gossip girls/ clarissa/roland - you guys r great and thanks for the support!! hope u enjoy white lies :)

helen - i though the battleship trailer was for transformers too lol

and thanks to michelle/candilynn/empty nest/cate/ and damyanti!

if ive missed anyone, i apologize... it wasn't on purpose... alex is just too damn popular and has too many followers!! lol

Jeremy Bates said...

wow! ive never seen so many comments on a post ive done... crazy blog! anyway, thanks alex for giving my the spot! i was hoping i could reply to certain comments individually, but either im blogger impaired or there is no option! either way, thanks to everyone who's commented!

siv maria - i saw black lady but never finished it, and that's rare for me not to finish i flick!

ciara - that line about writers is so true though!

lynda - popcorn's fine... just don't toss ur drink lol

SA/journaling woman/ella - nice meeting all of you too!

old kelly - hooray back at you!

retro zombie - i knew only one jeremy growing up and it was always so strange... like seeing someone you think you should know lol

heather/morgan/heather g/ robbyn/ farawayeyes/carol/gossip girls/ clarissa/roland - you guys r great and thanks for the support!! hope u enjoy white lies :)

helen - i though the battleship trailer was for transformers too lol

and thanks to michelle/candilynn/empty nest/cate/ and damyanti!

if ive missed anyone, i apologize... it wasn't on purpose... alex is just too damn popular and has too many followers!! lol

Anonymous said...

I figured that about Battleship. Am totally prepared to leave my brain at the door and just enjoy the special effects.

The most disappointing movie I've seen lately was the most recent MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. I mean, please. The guy falls from a window, gets blown up, punched silly--and not a single facial bruise? Not to mention the movie was boring.

Julie Dao said...

Great interview! Agreed that Hollywood should be able to hire some fantastic writers with that kind of a budget. I'm also annoyed that so many sequels and remakes are coming out - can't they find ANYONE who can write something with an ounce of fresh creativity and pseudo originality?

Gwen Gardner said...

I seem to recall one of the Diehard movies. They're all sitting around the living room tied up, trying to figure out what to do while a bomb is ticking. I'm sitting there screaming, "hop your ass out of the house!" Sheesh!

Li said...

Since I remember the original Dark Shadows, I can't bear to see the new movie. As for Battleship - sigh.

Misha Gerrick said...

I knew 3 out of the 5 quotes. Haven't seen Battleship and not sure if I will.

Love Jeremy's blog and can't wait to get my hands on his book.

As for movies with plot contrivances... I'm going to not answer that one, because I'll name movies than many people like. :-D

Jack said...

I think I've heard of White Lies before, I'm going to look at his website to be sure.

And, since he asked about ridiculous plots, I will just say, BBC Sherlock TV show. Season 2 Episode 1. It wasn't even worth the hour and half I sat through it.

I haven't seen Battleship, but I think I kind of want to. I like Aliens, though I like British Aliens more. And sometimes one just needs a mindless, fun movie to watch with tons of special effects.

Talli Roland said...

Many congrats to Jeremy and White Lies! And as for plot contrivances... oh yes.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mark, at least in the movie you see it move under the power of special effects! And that is the exact battleship to which the movie title refers.

Candilynn, thanks!

Jeremy, you are welcome! Told you I'd bring the Army.

Julie, Amen!

Gwen,funny!

Miss Jack, it is indeed mindless!

Jennie Bennett said...

I was afraid dark shadows would end up that way. I have no desire to see it anymore! Thanks for the tips Jeremy!

Unknown said...

This is the second, "It's not all that bad." Battleship review I've read. We decided to watch the Avengers again over the weekend instead of seeing it, but maybe I'll make an excuse to watch it at some point.

Charles Gramlich said...

I just knew they were going to have taht crap in battleship. Glad I didn't see it.

nutschell said...

Congrats on the ranking, Alex! Don't know if I'll see Battleship, but I do plan to taking a peek at Dark Shadows.

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Leovi said...

Honestly, I did not notice if the night is darkest just before dawn. Can be awake by nightmares?

TerryLynnJohnson said...

Great interview, Jeremy!

I must say, I've heard nothing but trash talk about Battleship and I'm so disappointed. Think I'll skip. I've just finally seen Underworld Awakening and I can't take another letdown.
I can't wait for The Huntsman though.

Christopher Hudson said...

I actually thought Battleship was entertaining ... dumb, yes ... implausible, yes ... but also a little fun. I can't imagine going into the theatre for a movie like this expecting logic or Shakespearean acting, which lead me chuckle at some of the reviews I read ... it's about aliens , for the love of Pete!

Rek Sesh said...

Avengers seems popular here, bet Battleship would be too...atleast for the 'special effects is the greatest gift to mankind' gen.
I have seen movies with potholes sorry plot holes but can't pinpoint specific ones.
Congrats to Jeremy...with the rupee sliding down against the dollar, will have to wait before I buy books from Amazon.

Nicki Elson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nicki Elson said...

Yay, congratulations on all those top 100 lists!

This was a very fun guest post - seriously, it drives me INSANE to be treated like an idiot by movie makers. I'd say the entire plot of Larry Crown was a contrivance. Just really, really horrible.

Patsy said...

Congrats on your top 100 ratings, Alex!

Golden Eagle said...

Yup, I'm following Jeremy.

Congratulations on making BOTH top 100 lists!

Tonja said...

I'm just going to say no to Battleship. Life is too short.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

EJ, go for it! We'll be seeing Avengers again this weekend with Men in Black III.

Nutschell, thanks!

Leovi, possibly.

Terry, I watched that again the other night in 3D and confess I dug Underworld Awakenings.

Christopher, exactly!

Thanks Nicki, Patsy, and Golden!

Mark said...

I luv the Battleship review..."leave brain at door before entering." Classic:)

alexia said...

Ha, you made me LOL about the ATM movie 3 against 1. Quite true!

And yes, now I recognize the other movie quotes. I only got one without cheating the first go round.

Jeremy Bates said...

liz - i agree with the new mission impossible... every scene seemed to be Tom Cruise running like a madman in his super tight suit! (without breaking a sweat etc!)

Jeremy Bates said...

oh, and thanks Misha and Talli for the comments! :)

Unknown said...

Well, I have been DYING to see Dark Shadows and now I'm sorry I read that part. :) Great article all the way, though and I agree with Jeremy about plot contrivances. Twilight, I'm talking to you.

Battleship sounds like a great time, but I'll have to skip. MIB III, Baby!

Shannon Lawrence said...

For Jeremy, I know I've run into plenty of contrivances that had me laughing or groaning, but, of course, none come to mind right now. For Alex, I was worried when you started the Battleship review, but it ended the way I was figuring, so that is a relief. I love a good mindless action/special effects flick, especially in summer.

Elana Johnson said...

I haven't seen any of those movies, but the ATM one sounds really dumb!

I haven't seen Battleship either, but I think my son would love it. I don't think it's my kind of movie though.

I'm off to follow Jeremy's blog. :)

Unknown said...

Ha ha ha...I am so confused. This looks familiar. I need a life!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mark, only way to enjoy it!

Melissa, that's right - this Friday.

Shannon, despite the dumb cliches it's a lot of fun.

Siv, did I mess you up by not posting today?

PR said...

The many against one thing always bugs me in movies, just gang up and bang him on the head lol! And you know when people are ready to shoot, all they have to do is pull the trigger, but they decide to do something else instead, why don't they just bloody shoot! Great post Jeremy, and gratz Alex on your book being awesome :)

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Jeremy! Battleship is on my Netflix queue with "inconceivably long wait" posted beside it.

AuthorAlden said...

I've resisted seeing Battleship, though I'm starting to think that was a mistake. A movie this cheesy might only be enjoyable on a theater screen for me!

Suze said...

“Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?” – Gimli, LOTR: Return of the King

See, now, that's the only movie I actually did catch. And I guess the quote did sound the most familiar!

Hope progress on Book Three is going well, Alex.

Very good of you to profile Jeremy's book. I wish him the best.

dolorah said...

Thanks for the laughs Jeremy and Alex :) I know what you mean about movie budgets with B-plot lines. I hate it when things are too coincidental, or contrived. And usually action for the sake of it rates on a par with gratuitus sex.

I'm sure, however, I will like Battleship, because the previews already made me think it was just fun. I read somewhere - here or perhaps at Cinemarvelous - a quip of: I don't remember any aliens (or was it transformers?) in the board games. I had that thought myself. But, the movie has some good eye candy in it too :)

I've watched all your movies, but I only remembered right off LOTR and Capt Sparrow.

I can't wait to get my copy of white lies. Waited a long time for this release. And congrats on the awesome rankings for CassaStar and CassaFire. Way cool Dude.

........dhole

Theresa Milstein said...

White Lies has a striking cover. Sometimes less is more.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Anna, yeah!

Milo, I can only imagine...

JW, it was good cheesy fun.

Suze, you can see him saying the line now, can't you?

Donna, I'd mentioned that I didn't remember aliens in my game as a kid. But it works in the movie. Thanks!

Mary Aalgaard said...

I could have gotten the Toy Story one. I'm not coming up with any bad movie plots on the spot, but there are plenty. Kills me to see it knowing how many fantastic writers are being ignored and the same old junk gets on the screen.

Jo said...

Not to mention that they get hold of good plots, i.e. books, and then ruin the whole thing anyway.

klahanie said...

Okay, relax, for I have finally arrived. Jeremy Bates guesting on the site of the kind and congenial Alex J.
I cannot really add much more than what has already been alluded too. So Jeremy, I shall duly check out your website and your book. And that's not a 'white lie' :)
Respect to you both.
In kindness, Gary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mary, like all of the remakes when there are so many new, amazing stories that could be told?

Gary, I was worried! Wouldn't be a post without you, man.

Cat Lavoie said...

Great post by Jeremy! The last movie I saw that made me cringe was Abduction. That movie could have used a good rewrite... or five!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hey, Alex,

I just dropped into to say HI... It looks like I am back... At least I hope so.

Thanks again for your support and caring. I actually visited about thirty blogger friends today. I finally made it down to you. Last, but certainly not least!

Congrats on your ratings... I am NOT surprised.

See you on Friday.

Anonymous said...

Hubby will really want to watch Battleship as soon as it hits here... so we'll probably go and watch it... Going to check out Jeremy's site... his books sounds quite interesting.

Anonymous said...

Jeremy's book is on my wish list.

I'm sure that with big budget films there are funds to hire writers to fix plot catastrophes. It's a shame and a waste when scripts aren't fixed.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cat, I agree!

Hey Michael! Glad you are back with us. And thanks.

TF, it's dumb but fun.

Medeia, you'd think they'd spend some money on the script.

Laura Pauling said...

Regardless, I still want to see Dark Shadows! I love the Tim Burton and Johnny Depp combo. :)

Leovi said...

White Lies like a novel full of action and excitement, interesting.

Cherie Colyer said...

I haven't heard anyone say they liked that movie. I totally agree with this comment, "splurge a hundred grand on a couple ambitious writers to proof read the script and brainstorm ways to iron out the wrinkles". You'd think Hollywood would do this automatically. :)

Michael said...

Battleship sounds like a riot, I'll have to check it out next time I'm in the mood for a bad but laughable movie!

Jeremy Bates said...

I would have subscribed to these comments so I knew when people posted but I was afraid my inbox might explode! lol

Elana - hope you enjoy the site!

Thanks for the comments to: Anna, Milo, Suze, Donna, Cay, abd tfwalsh!

Gary - cheers! I take it you're a bit of a celebrity around here :)

And a TY to Leovi for the words about White Lies!

Thanks everyone, and have a great morning/evening wherever you are!!

Jeremy Bates said...

*** Cat, not Cay!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherie, you'd think that would be a priority.

Matt, go enjoy!

Jeremy, we don't want anyone's inbox exploding.

Bryan Russell said...

The secret to battleship is secretly moving your ships around in the middle of the game. Or taking them off the board altogether while they keep shooting away.

Stephsco said...

Your blog has an insane amount of information (I say this with respect!). That you can convey it all so well is a credit to you!

I'm still weirded out that Peter Berg helmed Battleship - the same guy that did the arty, introspective Friday Night Lights. I mean, he made me care about a show about football (that's not actually about football). Battleship looks pretty bad, but I admit I want to see it for the FNL connections (Taylor Kitsch and the guy who played Landry, who I love), plus hot Eric from True Blood, Liam Neeson who never disappoints, and Rhianna, why not? It's probably just good actors running around with terrible dialogue while CGI monsters destroy the ocean, but ...

Thanks for the review!