Monday, June 29, 2015

July Movie Preview, Reviews – BoxTrolls and Transformers 4, and Ninja News!

Today I am visiting long-time friend, author Elizabeth Mueller! Want a glimpse into the life of a Ninja and how I balance it all? Visit Elizabeth to find out. (My guest post is live now!)

Movie Reviews

Caught up on some films that were released last year.

Transformers: Age of Extinction
A bounty hunter is after the Autobots… oh, who cares? This is the fourth movie in a franchise that has made close to four billion dollars. Plot doesn’t matter.
My expectations were really low. And the film really wasn’t bad. Over the top on occasion, both with story and melodrama, but otherwise a serviceable entry in the series.
Here’s where the movie tanks – its length. Just before the two hour mark, when a pivotal event signified the end of the film, I checked the time remaining. Fifty minutes. What? That’s right – this is the never-ending movie. Wow, could this have used some editing.
The special effects are really cool. If you are into Transformers, you will dig this. If you’ve got three hours to kill, worth a rental.

The BoxTrolls
A boy raised by underground collectors has to save his friends from an evil exterminator.
Based on a book by Alan Snow, this tale has all the qualities of a Roald Dahl story. It’s quirky and the adults are idiots while the kids are smart.
There are so many messages in this movie: accepting others, breaking out of your shell, the value of family, coveting, etc. None of them are slammed in your face, though.
The Claymation is amazing. Few studios use it anymore (like Aardman Animations) and the color and style here are amazing.
While the film isn’t a hundred percent, I guarantee it’s one of the most original animated tales you will ever see.
Recommended when you are ready to see something unique and odd!


Ninja News

Al Penwasser made a video for Bones: The Movie about his best friend. The man is a creative genius. Or completely nuts. Either way, it’s hilarious.

Indie Author Pride Day July 1st 2015 on Social Media! For details, visit Lyons Book Promotions.

Great opportunity for self-published authors – Self-E. Get your books into libraries. Visit Elizabeth S. Craig for details.

Reading Alley is now open! This site helps authors deliver their books to readers for reviews. They are having a grand opening special, so check it out.

Available now!

Masked Kiss by Christine Rains

Dice & Debauchery series

Find it at Ellora’s Cave Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads




July Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for July! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

3 –

Terminator Genisys
John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sarah Connor, but when he arrives in 1984, nothing is as he expected it to be.
Director: Alan Taylor
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke
The trailer looked awesome – sadly, the early reviews have not been good. Think it’s time to terminate this series.




10 –

Minions
Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
Directors: Kyle Balda | Pierre Coffin
Stars: Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton
The best part of the Despicable Me series gets their own film – prepare for silly fun and another onslaught of Minion merchandise.

Self/less
An extremely wealthy man, dying from cancer, undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause.
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley, Natalie Martinez
Been done before and considering the director’s track record, the stars will wish they’d been transferred into a healthy movie.

17 –

Ant-Man
Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Hayley Atwell, Michael Peña
Will this superhero be a hit or will someone step on him?



24 –

Pixels
When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
Director: Chris Columbus
Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage
Adam Sandler. Enough said. Dinklage needs to keep his day job, at least until Martin kills him.


Have you seen either The BoxTrolls or Transformers 4? Taking advantage of Indie Pride Day, Self-E, or Reading Alley? Looking forward to any of the movies in July? And are you ready for Wednesday’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group?

Don’t forget to visit Elizabeth Mueller!

116 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

As far as claymation goes (love that word) it is hard to go past Wallace and Grommit.
Congratulations as always to the authors with books out.
Off toe visit Elizabeth.

Elephant's Child said...

You haven't reached Elizabeth yet...

Jeremy [Retro] said...

T4 was a sleeper, at some point I found myself just not caring for any of it. Mixed feelings on T:G as I think that if they [Hollywood] give us another story [version] it will make buckets of the green [money]. Arnold used to only attach himself to the right projects, now like Nic Cage... any project will do. :)

Wait until King Conan or the sequel to Twins... comes a knockin'.


Ah' THANK YOU!

Jeremy

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Arnold back in movies, huh? I'm not sure but I'll probably end up seeing it with my husband. Pixel sounds interesting, since I think Chris Columbus is an amazing director and story teller.

Ash-Matic said...

It's going to be a good month for movies... Well, a good month for anticipating movies, anyway. I'm looking forward to Ant-Man, Terminator and Self/Less.

I saw Transformers 4, and was horrified to find that even the giant robot dinosaurs didn't hold my attention. That's not a sign of a good movie, given how much I like giants, robots and dinosaurs and all the possible permutations of them.

Nilanjana Bose said...

I have so far managed to cleverly evade all Transformer films ever made :)

The Box Trolls sounds lovely, claymation is a favourite. To me unique, quirky and odd usually signal a great film..

kaykuala said...

A long 3 hours to sit out! That's pretty exhaustive. BoxTrolls highly recommended is a better option then!

Hank

Truedessa said...

Good Morning Alex,

I went visit Elizabeth's site, but you haven't arrived yet. I checked out the video for Bones - it certainly tickled my funny bone. Thanks for sharing the link.

Have a great week Alex! "You Rock"

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I'm going to check out those three links you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!

Huntress said...

Oodles of info.
Antman looks like another Marvel winner.

Just Keepin It Real, Folks! said...

Awe BoxTrolls looks cute. I don't really want to see a 67 year old Arnold as the Terminator.

Rhonda Albom said...

Lots of new movies. It's the Terminator one that sounds best to me, despite the bad reviews.

Natalie Aguirre said...

To be honest, I'm not looking forward to any of these movies. I think I'll just stick with Netflix.

Stephanie Faris said...

I'm always behind on my movie watching. Any time we think about going to the movies, there's either nothing on we want to see or the times are just way past my bedtime!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elephant, Wallace and Gromit are great! And sorry, guest post will be up soon.

Ash, that's not good, is it?

Nilanjana, wise choice to avoid them.

Truedessa, you rock!

Keepin it Real, I don't either.

Stephanie, that's why we always hit the early showings.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Can't wait to see The Minions!!! Probably won't go the day it comes out - theaters too crowded for me - but definitely within the week. :)

Saw the new Jurassic Park and thoroughly enjoyed it for the fun summer movie it is. Your review helped me not to expect too much and that was a good thing. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm going to the movies soon and will figure out what I'd like to see. I'll check out Elizabeth's blog.

mshatch said...

Minions would be my pick. I just love them.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hey, Alex,

Thanks for the reviews.... I've wanted to see BOXTROLLS for a while. Glad you enjoyed the film! Totally looking forward to the Minions movie... such fun! We can all use a good laugh from time to time.

Congrats to Christine with her new book! All the best!

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

I might see one of the movies, not sure which one. Off to follow the links now.
Have a great week.

A Beer for the Shower said...

As someone who is both unique and odd, I may have to check out Box Trolls.

Also, the trailer for Pixels makes me insanely angry. Old school video games have come to earth - wow, this looks awesome! As an old school gamer, I'm in heaven! Then... Adam Sandler pops up on the screen. Yep, this is gonna be absolutely terrible. Thanks for ruining even my childhood video games, you jackass.

Jo said...

Absolutely nothing appeals to me in this list of movies. Congratulations to the new authors and wishing them lots of success.

Tony Laplume said...

Wait, what do you even know about Tarsem? The Cell was well-received. Immortals was a hit, regardless of its reputation. Mirror Mirror is the only film that seems to fit your description. The Fall was a limited release, and most of the people who've seen it consider it to be a masterpiece. At worst, Tarsem is equivalent to Terry Gilliam, whose box office track record could certainly be considered troubled. But he has some very popular movies to his credit, including The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys.

Which is to say, barring people talking dismissively about Self/less before it's even released, it has every potential to be successful.

All of which is to say, Alex, don't use your big voice for ill. Tarsem has an excellent creative track record, if nothing else. He deserves better than what you just gave him.

Patsy said...

I'm ready for IWSG but not the films - still, I don't suppose we'll get them over here for a while yet.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

"Adam Sandler. Enough said. Dinklage needs to keep his day job, at least until Martin kills him."

LOL, funny! Thanks for the warning. I might have tried this on Netflix or On Demand, just to see if it was funny.

Tonja Drecker said...

Both of those movies are going onto our to see list. Transformers is just a must see, and the other will hit well with the kids. Why does IWSG always sneak up like that?

Pat Hatt said...

I was tempted to watch transformers 4 on netflix, but then looked at the length and figured it was never ending. Ant man is the only one I want to see for sure, Pixels is a great concept, but sandler, uggg. And yeah, Self/less has been done to death, when you have to rip off an Emilio Estevez movie, you've hit a new low. lol

M.J. Fifield said...

I liked the first Transformers movie a lot. I've been disappointed by the sequels, and so I haven't seen Age of Extinction. Don't actually plan to, either.

I am looking forward to the Minion movie and Ant-Man.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Madeline, glad you enjoyed it more then.

Michael, watch it!

Brandon and Bryan, that's exactly how I feel.

Tony, The Cell was all right at best and Immortals awful. But it's his track record with Rotten Tomatoes - all splats - which speaks for itself.

Dianne, I am here to amuse!

T, the month just flies by...

Pat, that's a good point!

Tony Laplume said...

Not good enough, Alex. Even aggregates can be wrong. In fact, consensus thinking is usually wrong. That's how movies that do big box office usually end up having bad word of mouth on the Internet, the difference of which determines if the next movie's a success. Your Transformers review is a perfect example. Because that's the kind of review all of them have gotten: "big dumb fun." Because if that specific combination weren't the consensus, the franchise would've been over after the first movie.

msmariah said...

Hi Alex! I too started to watch Transformers on Netflix since it's a new release but I stopped it at some point.

I was really looking forward to T5, but alas it was not meant to be. I guess they finally put the death nail in this series.

Antman is getting good reviews, so perhaps this film will surprise me!

Holy Ghost Writer said...

Terminator really got some bad reviews. Cameron hailed it as great though. Maybe too much time in Avatar?

H. R. Sinclair said...

I love claymation! It's a lovely art form. Pixels looks cute.

Congrats Christine.

Unknown said...

dying to see the Minions!! I feel so out of the loop when everyone talks about them lol

Joanne said...

I am looking forward to Minions. They are silly and crack me up. No doubt my husband and I will see Terminator Genisys - sounds like some new technology to make old Arnold meet new Arnold. And of course - there's Magic Mike XXL.......I have a date with a female friend for that one. For some reason, Ray said no. Happy July 4th week and weekend.
Oh, and Al's Mr. Bones video is crazy clever

Andrew Leon said...

Transformers 4 is one of the worst things I've ever seen. Talk about plot holes. Optimus drove through all of them.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Pixels has been advertised pretty heavily and boy does it look terrible. I saw Transformers: Age of Extinction in the theater and didn't think it was all bad. I also liked Box Trolls. I was in a mood for some real destruction porn though when I watched Transformers.

Chrys Fey said...

I'm not even interested in seeing Transformers: Age of Extinction. I liked the other movies but don't even want to see this one.

Ant-Man looks ridiculous but I think it will be popular with kids. I can imagine my nephews liking it.

Hart Johnson said...

I was fairly shocked to see Schwarzenegger coming back to movies after his time as Govinator. I love that series (other than the 3rd) so it is too bad if this one falls short. I also thought Self/Less looked pretty intriguing.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Al Penwasser is both incredibly creative and extremely nuts. I love his movie. It's hilarious, and I'm glad you spotlighted the film. He's one of the best.

Even though I'm not a movie goer, I do rely on, and fully trust, your reviews, Alex. Thank you.

Happy new week.

Blogoratti said...

Great reviews, I would surely get to see some of those movies this summer. Another terminator movie? I an unsure about that one, was there any need for it I wonder.

SpacerGuy said...

I think it was James Cameron who explained the reason why Terminator Arnie is getting older. All down to the skin coverings which age because they're organic. Pretty cool stuff for robots but we'll see how this pans out, for sure.

Times really flying, my commitment to Armchair Squids Star Trek blogfest has blown me away. Its tough being creative but hey thats what the Insecure Writers Group is all about. I'll have to join.

Liesel K. Hill said...

I saw Transformers and I agree with your analysis. It wasn't bad by any means--quite entertaining at times--but I wasn't totally in love with it either. Sad that Terminator is getting bad reviews. I was super-excited for that one. Will probably still see it. Hopefully it's better than they're saying. BTW, I tagged you in a creative blog award. Just see my post today for details if you're interested. :D

Robin said...

I've not seen the Transformers movies, and I don't plan on seeing this one.

I've seen the previews for Ant-Man. That is going to be awesome or terrible. I don't see much room for in between there.

nashvillecats2 said...

As I don't go to the cinema have not seen the mentioned films, I do see films on TV thouh.
Quite a few books you have mentioned for reviewing, and such a newsy post altogether, Great to read, Are we cominh up to July alread??????
Yvonne.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Transformers 4 is free on either Amazon Prime or Netflix. Just watched it last week and I couldn't believe how long it was. No movies I really care to see. Pixels looks so dumb that it might be funny.
Susan Says

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

MJ, might as well skip it then.

Tony, that's why I state there will be snark.

MsMariah, hoping it will be good.

Holy Ghost, maybe he watched a different movie...

Joanne, can't imagine why he'd skip...

Andrew, I should've used that line!

Michael, and you did get destruction.

Hart, I liked the third one but not the fourth.

Blogoratti, just to make more money.

Spacerguy, please do!

Liesel, thanks!

Robin, that's what I'm thinking.

Bish Denham said...

I haven't seen any of the movies, but I kind of looking forward to seeing Minions. I'm also looking into Self-E.

Angela Brown said...

I enjoyed your post over at Elizabeth's blog. Still baffled by how you do it all :-)

I haven't seen eiher of today's movie spotlights, but Boxtrolls sounds interesting.

I've the seen the trailers for the upcoming movies and I'm not sure if any will stand out. Like you, just hoping Ant Man doesn't get stepped on lol!

Yolanda Renée said...

Might have seen T4 on video, if it's on video, see not much of an impression.

Terminator - not interested but the son will bring it home on video and will most likely watch it. It's getting a bit rediculous.

Time to see how the Ninja does it all! :)

Anonymous said...

BoxTrolls and Transformers 4 are on Netflix so I plan on watching them one of these days. Transformers probably with a drink (or two.) I'm looking forward to Antman, Pixels, and Terminator. I'm not setting high expectations for Terminator, but I think it will be enjoyable.

Cherie Reich said...

Wow! Transformers 4 is a long movie. The BoxTrolls looked unique and cute. I've enjoyed the trailers for the Minions movie as well as Terminator Genisys. It's a shame the reviews aren't good for Terminator, though.

Birgit said...

Doesn't it seem like the list of films is so...boring? It's like the executroids, who have no imagination anyway, just keep either rehashing or making yet another sequal. I want to see Terminator 15-when Arnie is in a wheelchair drooling while laughing at the next Minions movie. I might want to see the film with Ben Kingsley as he is an under-rated actor

Carrie-Anne said...

I love long films, but the story and genre have to fit with the length. A Transformers movie doesn't seem like a good fit at all for such a long length, as compared to a historical drama.

SELF-e sounds like a great idea, and better than personally approaching each local library to ask them to carry one's books. Living in Upstate New York, there are a lot of libraries within a 20-mile radius!

stephen Hayes said...

Our best friends' son-in-law works helped make Box Trolls, but I've yet to see it. It does seem odd, but I bet it's visually appealing. Have a great week.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Transformers 4 was terrible and the length just made it worse. If it had been an hour it would have helped. Ant-Man and Terminator are both movies I'm hopeful for but Ant-Man will win the June box office. I'll have to rent Box Trolls for my son.

Dixie@dcrelief said...

I enjoyed your post at Elizabeth Mueller's site! No to three hours of Transformers. I've never understood the reason why films want to make idiots of adults. I'll check out Self-E and Reading Alley. Thank you, Alex!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Elizabeth Craig has all the links to the best stuff on the web for writers!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, we had to watch it in two nights it was so long.

Angela, I somehow get it done.

Patricia, it's so long, you'll go through a whole case watching it.

Birgit, that made me laugh!

Carrie-Anne, they could've cut that film in half.

Stephen, that's wild!

Sherry Ellis said...

Minions has gotten a lot of hype. It will be interesting to see if it lives up to it.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I visited Elizabeth! You're teaching me the secrets of my lack of success, but I'm learning. One day, I will be a wonder! Or continue to be the scattered mess you know and love.

Not sure about Ant Man., but I had my doubts about Guardians of the Galaxy. Wow, was I wrong!!

Murees Dupè said...

I actually didn't like Transformers 4. Too much drama for me. My brother made me watch box trolls and it was okay. I'm on my way to Elizabeth now. Have an awesome week, Alex!

ediFanoB said...

Transformers - not my cup of trea.
Terminator Genisys - so far no good reviews
Ant-Man - hit or miss?

So I look forward to Pixels .... but after your comment :-((

Then I will read instead of going to cinema.

shelly said...

hi, Alex! Yup. Too much of a series isn't always a good thing.

Karen Lange said...

Wow, Wednesday is July 1st already, isn't it? Thanks for all the info - good way to start the week. Thanks also for the heads up on my post link. Heading over to Elizabeth's now.

Mason Canyon said...

Alex, you always have such interesting movie reviews. Can't believe they've made another Terminator movie. I haven't been around to say congratulations on your latest release. Hope all is going well.

Suzanne Furness said...

I love those little Minions! I just read your interview, it was interesting to learn a little more about how you manage all you do.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

I think if the Transformer eliminated the sexualized female roles for the first 3, I would SO love them. The last one I liked because the lack of. :P

As for the Terminator, yeah, I agree with you. Terminate the Terminator. xP

Thanks for hosting over on my blog! One asked when you arise as well as retire for bed? question of the century. ;)

have a great day, Alex!

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

Mary Aalgaard said...

There's so much going on! I wondered about Terminator. I don't think I'll see it at the theaters. I know what I want to write for IWSG day, just need to sit down and do it.
Play off the Page

S. L. Hennessy said...

Back to the land of internet, yay! I'm so excited about the July movies. All of them except for Terminator Genesis. As an AVID Terminator fan, I wish they would stop making new crappy movies that re-write the original two. But Minions, Ant Man, Self/Less...can't wait!

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm sure I'll see Genisys, probably not transformers.

J E Oneil said...

Three hours? No. There is nothing that could get me to sit through that. Doesn't look like there's anything good coming out this month either. The summer dry spell has begun.

John Wiswell said...

Nothing coming out this month interests me. Terminator seems like an excess of game-changing gimmicks to the point where it should be a funny self-parody, not a dramatic reboot. Fortunately I haven't seen Inside Out yet, so I'm still psyched to hit the cinema.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, you will be a wonder!

Edi, that might be a good idea.

Thanks, Mason!

Thanks, for hosting me, Elizabeth! I will go reply to questions now.

Lauren, glad you're back!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Transformers 4 definitely needed a content edit at the end - it went on forever. I haven't seen Boxtrolls yet, but plan to eventually.
Love your outlook on those July movies - couldn't agree more.

Thanks for all the links, Alex!

Leovi said...

Yes, full morbo the masked kisses!

~Sia McKye~ said...

I brought you some fresh bread Alex, lol! Turned out really good, not that there is much left of the first loaf after my guys got to it.

Oh Dan will be watching that new Adam Sandler movie. I think he's seen them all. Course my favorite was The First 50 dates with Drew Barrymore. I've watched several of his movies. I already know he will be watching new Terminator--he's watched them all. Some good info on Self-E and the Reading Alley. Sounds particularly good for Indie authors.

I've already visited Christine--yay Christine! Going to pop over to Elizabeth's blog. :-)

Have a great week

Sia McKye Over Coffee

Liz A. said...

I never got Transformers the first time around (in the '80s), so I've been ignoring the movies. Boxtrolls looks about my speed, though.

I suppose I should go and find some Minions hats knitting patterns. I think they're so cute, and they're definitely popular.

DL Kennedy said...

I like Claymation (favorite of all time is The Miracle Maker, which I watched shortly after becoming a Christian -- lovely movie). I need to take my nephew to Boxtrolls. He'd love it.

Lydia Kang said...

Ant Man and Minions. Those are the ones I'm waiting for!

Empty Nest Insider said...

Al's Mr Bones video sounds like more fun than these other movies. I'll have to head right over there. Spy was a cute movie and it had lots of action in it.

Julie

Helena said...

I believe you when you say the latest Transformers movie is okay, but I've never been able to watch this franchise for more than five minutes--it just drives me nuts! I'd rather catch a few well-written TV shows, which kinda emphasizes how much TV is pulling ahead of the movies in writing and story telling.

dolorah said...

Ha, I had the same thought about Transformers Extinction. Impressed with the CGI still.

Not a good movie month in my opinion.

DMS said...

BoxTrolls looks right up my alley! Minions also looks adorable. It has been a while since I have indulged in some good cartoon/claymation watching. Sounds perfect.
~Jess

Annalisa Crawford said...

Self/less sounds very interesting. And the Minions are just awesome :-)

Melissa said...

My son went to see Inside Out with a friend. That's the closest I've gotten to a movie lately. He said it was good.

I think hubby will enjoy Pixels when it comes out. It looks like one of those movies that will entertain multiple generations.

mail4rosey said...

I think I want to see Ant Man. I like superhero movies. We'll see on this one... Here's to hoping!

Unknown said...

Alex, I saw the Box Trolls with my girls. I didn't mind the movie- not one I want to watch over and over but I agree the animation they did is unique and just not done anymore. However- my kids liked it and that's what really matters for me- well that and the message my kidlets receive. :)
Thanks for links to new resources- I'm checking them out.

Unknown said...

Alex, I saw the Box Trolls with my girls. I didn't mind the movie- not one I want to watch over and over but I agree the animation they did is unique and just not done anymore. However- my kids liked it and that's what really matters for me- well that and the message my kidlets receive. :)
Thanks for links to new resources- I'm checking them out.

J.H. Moncrieff said...

BoxTrolls sounds awesome! I'll have to check it out. I really enjoyed ParaNorman.

Not ready yet for IWSG, but I'm sure I'll come up with something to say in the wee hours of the morning.

Toi Thomas said...

I am consistently amazed by how much you pack into each of your posts.

I don't care what you told Elizabeth. You may be human, but you're definitely well above average.

Glad you liked Box Trolls. I've been starring at it on my Netflix list for weeks now. I think I'm ready to give it a try.

I think I may have gone overboard in preparation for Indie Pride Day, but we'll see.

Jenni said...

My kids really enjoyed Box Trolls--and the people who made it are also local to us. Looking forward to ISWG! Off to read your post at Elizabeth's!

Karen Elizabeth Brown said...

Congratulations Christine on your new book!

I'm not much of a movie goer, but did see the previews for some of these. They look pretty good, for the most part.

I'm off to visit Elizabeth's site to read your post!

Ava Quinn said...

Box trolls was a little to odd for me and my Urchins. I very very rarely get to go out to see grown up movies. But I will be trying hard to see Pixels. The one coming out some time in the future that I really want to see is Ready Player One. Loved that book.

Dean K Miller said...

Box Trolls sound good. The others, well, not so excited. Great interview/blog at Elizabeth's site.

The Happy Whisk said...

I would love to hit the movie house again but with the corn in the air, I'm fudge out of luck. Maybe a drive-in. We still have one of those.

PS: My new Breville comes with a removable mini-chop and it makes the perfect single serving ice cream, in case you decide to give it a go.

Happy New Week, Alex and boogie boogie.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Age of Extinction was the worst in the franchise, but still watchable. Loved the Boxtrolls, though I expected more.

Can't wait for July! Wanna check out and review every single one of those movies!

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Glad to hear The Box Trolls was fun! My mom just told me that she and my sister didn't enjoy Inside Out at all. :-( It's been too long since I took my kids to a movie.

Jennifer Lane said...

I love Matthew Goode so I may need to check out Self/Less.

Intangible Hearts said...

Some of those movies sound fun. I'm looking forward to seeing Boxtrolls and maybe the Minions. Thanks for the reviews--claymation is so imaginative.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sia, that First Fifty Dates was cute. Airheads was funny as well.

Liz, you should!

Helena, television has the advantage of developing characters and story lines over a long period of time.

Kane, I wouldn't watch it again, but I'm glad I saw it once.

Thanks, Toi!

Jenni, that's cool!

Ivy, try the drive-in then.

George, and I'm sure you will!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Sorry for the late comment: I worked 24 of the 48 weekend hours, slept most of Monday to heal, and today was Chore Day! I'm looking forward to AntMan but I will wait for the DVD for the latest Terminator!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

I'm really curious about Self/less. It sounds a lot like Enders...at least the concept.

Gwen Gardner said...

I miss so much when I'm not blogging. Thanks for all the info, Alex.

Susan Kane said...

We did not see Box Trolls, but will. Treehouse Master had an episode where they built a Box Troll tree house for a boy with disabilities & wheelchair. That was awesome.

Ant Man--why would anyone create that? The comics were also questionable.

I cannot wait for Minions! I want my own minions.

Stephen Tremp said...

Alex, I liked Box Trolls very much. I'm a huge fan of stop motion films, going all the way back to Jason and the Argonauts and Sinbad vs. the Cyclops.

Looking forward to The Minions. Ant Man has stupid written all over it. I love the special effects from the first three Transformers and have yet to see the second. I'll have to check it out through Amazon Movies this weekend.

Just about ready to post for IWSG!

Rachna Chhabria said...

I want to see the Minions and the Pixels. Love the cover of the Masked Kiss.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I enjoyed the BoxTrolls. Wasn't a huge fan of Transformers. The only thing that redeemed it was that things exploded a lot.
I had high hopes for the new Terminator. I'm disappointed the early reviews aren't great..Phooey!!

Nicola said...

I can't think of anything worse than to have an Ant superhero. YUK!! I'd just want to stamp on him. Don't think I'll be going to see that one. Ironman is my favourite to date. Just watched the latest Mad Max. Hmmm.. not really my cup of tea, watching a truck on a dusty road trip. Very weak plot. Hope all is going well with you Alex and that the summer months are filled with success.

Michelle Wallace said...

Off to Elizabeth's place--------------------- *waving as she whizzes by*

Anonymous said...

I'm a fan of the first two Terminator movies, but not so much the third one. I may or may not pick the newest one up on Netflix when it comes out. I think the Transformers need to go back to the drawing board, or just go.
Thanks for the SelfE and Reading Alley links! I'll definitely check them out. And Elizabeth's link. Heading there now.

Cherdo said...

Commenting on every item might be sublime, but I'm going to go for the ones that jumps out at me.

1) I need to just buy your whole series...can I get it autographed, lol?
2) Self/Less sounds like a very interesting movie; I think I'll put that on my radar.
3) Paul Rudd is one of my favorites; I hope he doesn't tank in this movie. In general, I'll watch any and all super hero movies.

Thanks, Alex!

Cherdo said...

Commenting on every item might be sublime, but I'm going to go for the ones that jumps out at me.

1) I need to just buy your whole series...can I get it autographed, lol?
2) Self/Less sounds like a very interesting movie; I think I'll put that on my radar.
3) Paul Rudd is one of my favorites; I hope he doesn't tank in this movie. In general, I'll watch any and all super hero movies.

Thanks, Alex!

XmasDolly said...

3 Hrs. on the Arnold Schwartz? I dunno about that. Guess you gotta be a real die-hard fan. Pixels! I guess you can't believe everything you hear. I really wanted to see both, but I guess it's a toss up now. 3 hrs. that movie is crossed off my list. I couldn't sit that long any way. I stopped by to wish you a very happy Fourth & have fun & be safe to you and yours.

TBM said...

Oh the length of the movie would get to me. Movies seem to be getting longer and longer.

Hope you had a fab 4th of July.

DiscConnected said...

I had to go see ther Terminator film (had seen every Arnold film since "Conan The Barbarian" on opening night until the last one-was out of town)...

Sadly, while entertaining, it really falls into a "what's the point?" bucket-a blend of themes from the first two films (and the TV show), an actress in the Sarah Connor role that I just didn't buy, and overall falling way short of that original film.

Still worth a theater trip, if only for a lot of cool special effects (if you are into that), but the original remains the high water mark of the series (at least in my opinion), and if they try to squeeze out another sequel, maybe they should just combine it with the next Rocky sequel (didja see the preview for "Creed?") and the nest Planet of The Apes film to save us all money and time.

Larry