Monday, August 24, 2015

RiffTrax Live! Plus Movie Reviews, Trivia, and News; Dragon and Cassa News, Battle of the Banned, and Ninja News

Back from vacation! I’m starting to really enjoy those…

RiffTrax Live!

Two more shows remain in this year’s RiffTrax Live line-up – Miami Connection and Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.

You’ve read my reviews of their shows – this is your chance to see them for yourself.

Miami Connection is October 1, live in Nashville, TN. Get your tickets HERE.

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is December 3 and you can get your tickets HERE.

If you’ve never seen RiffTrax live, you don’t want to miss either of these showings!

Movie News

JoBlo’s site announced last week: Regal Theaters announce bag-check policy in response to recent shootings.
About time!

Also from JoBlo’s Site: Blood & boobs run the red-band Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse trailer
Sorry, I was just drawn in by the blood and boobs! (And I assume there will be carnage…)

NetFlix Movie Reviews

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead
After losing his family during a zombie apocalypse, a man goes searching for his sister in the outback. This Australian film breathes a little new life into the zombie genre.
It’s high on style, but falls short of making sense.
Don’t let that stop you, though. It’s gory, odd, and occasionally funny.
Worth a free rental

Slow West
A young Scottish man searching for the woman he loves pairs up with a bounty hunter.
This film is aptly titled – this isn’t a fast moving, shoot-em-up.
It’s quirky, but very enjoyable. It was a unique take on the Western genre and a refreshing one at that.
It’s a distinctive role for Fassbender, who was also one of the producers. Both he and Cavendish (who will be the next Night Crawler) were excellent in the film.
Recommended


Ninja News

We have a HUGE announcement next week at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! You don’t want to miss this – out most ambitious project ever.

New Releases!

Fight the Time Flight by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

Hot Pink in the City by Medeia Sharif
Find it at Prizm Books and Amazon

Dragon and Cassa News

Thanks again to everyone who requested a copy of Dragon’s Destiny! I’ve already received some amazing feedback and even reviews at Beauty in Ruins and Edi’s Book Lighthouse.

Remember, it’s a short story that takes place after Dragon of the Stars and is free to anyone who’s read the book. Just send me an email – tell me what happened to Aden at the end and what format you want, ePub, Mobi, or PDF file.

There was also an amazing review of Dragon of the Stars from Jean Baldrige.

Finally, my publisher informed its authors that we had the opportunity to update one of our titles this month. I cringed, but I asked if I could update my first book, CassaStar. 
Now, I’ve never read any of my books after publication. And after going through CassaStar, I now know why. I have come so far as an author! The story remained solid, I just needed to word it better.
Now, I am happy to announce that an updated version is now available, both in print and eBook. (And for those of you who’ve read it, I will gladly share an ePub or Mobi version of the new one.)
I must say though – I still really like the story. My first one, it sparked my imagination as well as my career. Even if I never wanted to be an author…

Battle of the Banned

I am participating in Shady Del Knight’s Battle of the Banned. (Yes, Banned, not Band.) It pits two songs against each other and you vote for your favorite.

Today’s entry is a cool song called Powerslave. Originally done by Iron Maiden, it was also covered by Testament. I’m a big fan of both bands, so I’ll just let their entries stand on their own:

Testament


Iron Maiden


You know the drill – which one is your favorite?


Movie Trivia 

Comedy! Name the movie from the line. Answers next Monday.

1 – Where is your drill sergeant, men? - Blown up, Sir! - 1981
2 – In Mexico, you know what they call Twinkies? Los submarions. - 2009
3 – Wild Thing, you make my heart sing. You walk everything. - 1989
4 – Hey, get a room guys… Oh that’s not right! - 1999
5 – I’m going to call her Lunch. Hello, Lunch, hello! Ew! Avoid the green ones-not ripe yet. - 1988

Who’s going to the next RiffTrax show? Have you seen either of the movies? See any interesting news? Want a copy of Dragon’s Destiny or the new CassaStar? Which song version is your favorite? And can you guess any of the trivia?

144 comments:

Murees Dupè said...

Hey Alex. I'm not really good at the movie trivia. I guess I just haven't watched enough movies yet:) I like Testament's version better. Have an awesome week.

Elephant's Child said...

As always I am a fail on the movie front.
So glad you had a good mini holiday. And congratulations to all the talented authors out there.

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, Alex! A funny things happened a few years ago when I decided to collect music released by Iron Maiden and other bands that formed The New Wave of British Heavy Metal. I couldn't get into it because it seemed dated and a little too tame for my taste. I leapfrogged over the period and got into the thrash scene of the new millennium. Progressive metal and thrash are my favorite genres now. However, in this contest, I do prefer the 1984 original of "Powerslave" by Iron Maiden. The cover by Testament, recorded nearly 20 years later, doesn't have as much fire and spirit as the original. I vote for Iron Maiden!

Thanks, good buddy!

Just Keepin It Real, Folks! said...

Thankfully our local Regal theatre recently started selling wine. So, now I don't have to smuggle in my pony bottles of wine from the grocery store. Yeppers, that's why I would get busted when they search my bag!

Misha Gerrick said...

Slow West sounds like a good movie for me. I like westerns and I'm a Fassbender fan. :-D

Mason Canyon said...

Congratulations to those with new releases. Both movies sounds like they'd be a good watch. I'm never good at the movie trivia but I'm guessing 1. Stripes and 3. Major League and 4. Galaxy Quest.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Glad you enjoyed your vacation! I have to remember to e-mail you for the story.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I haven't seen any of these movies. I'm trying to get Netflix set up at my house for streaming. Awesome you have an updated version of your first book. I bet lots of people would like to tweak theirs.

Rhonda Albom said...

I probably won't see any of the movies you reviewed, but I do know some of the quiz movies - I love comedies. I see Stripes, A Fish Called Wanda and possibly a movie called Wild Thing (but I think the year might be wrong). Congrats on your book update. Glad you are enjoying vacations. I love travel!

Joanne said...

Welcome back from vacation. I'm not up on anything in this post today. Maybe I'm still asleep on a Monday morning. It's back to school time in TX and I have to face horrible traffic. Have a super Monday.

Suzanne Furness said...

It must have been interesting to update your first book. I'm glad to hear that you still loved and connected with the story and concept. Being able to see that you have grown as a writer too just shows that we are always learning.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shady, thanks for voting. And very cool - progressive rock is my favorite genre.

Just, that's funny.

Mason, very good - three right!

Sandra, thanks!

Rhonda, you got two right.

Joanne, sorry about the traffic.

Pat Hatt said...

Should be interesting to see what iwsg has in store. Yeah, if I were to pick one it would be my first too, I would need to reword a few things as I notice now I used just and seems a lot haha

Stripes
Zombieland
Major League
Ummm
Ummm

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Looking forward to the IWSG news!

I have absolutely no idea about any of the trivia. :)

Saw the movie Chef on DVD this weekend - a wonderful, feel good movie (even if a little long.)

Jo said...

Gosh I'm 11th, that's unusual. I loved your Dragon's Destiny as you know and recommend it to anyone who has already read Dragon of the Stars. I am, of course, hoping you will write more books Alex. Reluctant author you may be, but you seem to be able to make a great success of it just the same.

I am delighted to hear that at least one chain of movie houses is going to check bags for guns. Trust you to be attracted to the Blood and Boobs announcement.

Glad you enjoyed your vacation. Maybe you should take a longer one, one of these days, and really relax. I'd say go somewhere sunny but you are already there, how about an arctic trip??

Donna K. Weaver said...

I love your new banner. Can't wait to read the short story!

Cathrina Constantine said...

I never read my books after publication either. But now that I'm re-releasing them, I decided to re-edit. And like you, my story was good, but it needed rewording, lots of it. I couldn't believe how I've grown as a writer too.

Alex, Hope you had a wonderful vacation!!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Really cool that you've been able to update one of your books. I totally understand not wanting to read your own work. And I'll go with Iron Maiden. :)

kaykuala said...

You got to update your book. That is interesting, Alex. Perhaps one needs to. Don't imagine it is necessary for a poetry book like the one Hank had compiled. Any updates would invariably be a new book of the later and following year's posting. Oh well! Glad you had a great vacation!

Hank

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Wow, both those movies sound really different from the usual summer fare. And I haven't heard of either one! Thanks for keeping me up to date.

Cindy said...

You make me curious about what is coming for ISWG. I only know one of those trivia questions, but that's normal for me.

Christine Rains said...

I'd love to go to a RiffTrax show if I loved closer. I haven't heard of either of those movies. My Netflix watching was finishing off Attack on Titan, and then watching Fear The Walking Dead on AMC last night. Loved the anime, but not so much the new Walking Dead show.

Charles Gramlich said...

I didn't know testament was still making music.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

It is amazing to see how we've improved when we look at our first work.
Haven't seen any of the movies.
Congrats to Pat and Medeia.
Have a great week.

L.G. Keltner said...

Movie Trivia:
#3-Major League
#4-Galaxy Quest

It's cool that you got a chance to update one of your books. I've looked at some of the things that I wrote a few years ago, and I can see how my writing has changed. Growing as a writer is a good thing, though.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Pat, I used just a lot as well. And you got three right.

Madeline, glad you enjoyed it!

Jo, I would prefer someplace cold right now.

Thanks, Donna! You're the first to notice.

Cathrine, it's amazing to see.

Sheri, thanks for voting!

Hank, yeah, a new book from you would be a better move.

Christine, I only watched a couple minutes of it. And check the theaters showing RiffTrax - one might be close than you think.

Charles, they are still making music!

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Just because you feel you could write CassaStar better now doesn't mean it isn't a good book because it is. That's a great opportunity to redo, though.

I want to watch Slow West.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

William Faulkner said he burned to re-do his books as the years progressed and he grew as a writer, but as Teresa says: the original versions of yours and Faulkner's were great as is. :-)

I really want to see SLOW WEST. It is free on Amazon Prime which I have so I guess that is on my to-see list now!

Gail said...

Just stalking. Hoping I will gain knowledge...and I do every time. Thanks.

Bish Denham said...

First few notes of those songs and I... turned them off. Just not my cup of tea. Slow West sounds more my thing. :)

As for the movie trivia. The only one I know is the last one, a favorite of mine. A Fish Called Wanda!

Chrys Fey said...

Congrats to Pat and Medeia!

I still haven't read Dragons of the Stars. :\ When I do, I'll have to remember to ask you for a free copy of Dragon's Destiny. :)

Angela Brown said...

CassaStar was huge on it's own already. Seems to me all you've done is added to the enjoyment factor :-)

Congrats to all those with new releases!

And the trivia. Oy! I couldn't come up with anything lol!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Testament for the vote. I never even heard of those movies. I would go back and rewrite some of my early books if my publisher gave me the opportunity.

Tonja Drecker said...

Vacations can be addicting. Can't wait to see what the IWSG news is! I'm going to vote for Iron Maiden.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

LG, you got two!

Thanks, Teresa!

Thanks, Roland. And you'll enjoy it.

Gail, I like my stalkers.

Bish, correct!

Chrys, thanks and let me know.

Thanks, Angela.

Susan and Tonya, thanks for voting.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

You have a great publisher. I imagine that will be a growth experience to update your book. I cringe every time I read my book and find typos or repeated words.

Fun group of Trivia, and I have no clue. Smiles.
Cheers, Alex.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - I thoroughly enjoyed CassaStar - the story and characters took me along ... but that's good news from your publisher. I'm looking forward to seeing the new project over at IWSG next week now!

Films are coming back into season for me ... I'm going to see the Amy Winehouse documentary next week - I gather it's a very good take on her short life ...

Cheers Hilary

Holy Ghost Writer said...

I always thought of going back to my first few books. Amazing the progress we make

Catherine Stine said...

I think Powerslave wins it, though they are both kick @ss. And yes, I have been through the re-edit, re-issue novel thing. I just did newly edited and formatted editions of my Fireseed books. Worth it!

EEGiorgi said...

Talking about movies, did you see the new trailer for the Martian? Now, that's one movie I'm really looking forward to! :-)

Read your short story over the week-end and loved it! Thanks so much!

Carrie-Anne said...

I could see my little brother going to a RiffTrax show. He loves them, and has sometimes queued up a RiffTrax commentary to a film when we're over by our parents' house for a holiday or birthday.

Re-releasing an already published book can be a very good thing. A friend of mine was just telling me he discovered some book he liked had come out in a newly-revised version some years after publication.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tyrean Martinson said...

4 - Galaxy Quest. :)

I'll try to get a review up for Dragon's Destiny soon . . .

And thanks for the movie reviews.

Bag checks at movie theaters are definitely over-due. One of my daughters works at a theater and they have special training sessions for violence, weapons, and other not-so-nice stuff that could happen at the movie theaters. They even have "what to do if there's a riot" training sessions because our theater had one when it first opened. And I live in "semi-rural/sleepy suburbia" with a movie theater in the "upscale" part of the shopping area.

Sandra Cox said...

I have never heard of a publisher offering an update before. That's great! Congrats on all the wonderful reviews, well deserved.
Welcome back:)

Pat Garcia said...

Welcome back, Alex.
Thanks for the heads up on Slow West. I'll be watching for it to hit the German theaters.
Shalom,
Patricia

Andrew Leon said...

Did you just re-word or did you actually expand the text?

The Happy Whisk said...

Glad you're starting to enjoy your vacations.

Anonymous said...

Slow West sounds pretty interesting! I'll have to find it. You know, I think I like the Testament cover a little better.
I don't know but I think #2 is Zombieland. Dunno about the others.

Unknown said...

Let me try this again. I had a blonde moment this morning.

The drum intro to that song is killer and both drummers do it justice. I'm casing my vote for Testament because I like the vocals better. Also it has a deeper, darker sound that suits the song.

Arlee Bird said...

I really liked Testament's first album (or the first I know of) and I enjoy what I know of Iron Maiden. On this song I don't care much for Testament's version---seems kind of demonic.

Of course, Iron Maiden has a lot of demonic reference in their cover art, but I think their music is more musical, almost approaching the proportions of classical music.

I'll vote for Iron Maiden for better musicality. But I doubt whether I'll be listening to much more music by either band unless I happen to run across my old cassettes to listen to them. Probably not going to happen.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out


Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Holy Ghost, yes it is.

Catherine, cool!

EE, yes I did, and awesome!

Tyrean, thanks! And that is scary.

Andrew, mostly rewording, but I added some and slashed some.

Madilyn, correct! And thanks for voting.

Anne, your vote is noted.

Lee, your vote for less demonic Madien noted!

Cherie Reich said...

It's good to go back to those earlier works and see how far you've come as an author. Not all books should be changed, but sometimes the opportunity arises and it's a really good idea to jump on it and make a book stronger.

SpacerGuy said...

You know theres something in Nikes credo "Just do it!" All this time I thought writing a book was such a big deal, when really all you have to do - is just get off your butt and just do it! LOL. Congratulations on the book update and thanks for all these cool surprises.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Now they'll know I'm sneaking in a Snickers bar to go with my $10 bucket of popcorn. :D

Oh well, it's for the best.

Hart Johnson said...

The Netflix movies look pretty good. And I am going with Iron Maiden on the song. For starters, it takes me back... But Testement reminds me a bit too much of Ronnie James Dio or something... just trying a little too hard.

Sean McLachlan said...

I still listen to Iron Maiden. One of the greatest rock bands of all time. I listened to Testament for a while back in the day but they sort of faded from my personal soundtrack.

Kimberly said...

I've never heard of RiffTrax before. I'm so terrible at trivia.

S. L. Hennessy said...

I still love CassaStar. I gave it to my husband to read and he loved it too! Polishing it fine, but the story...it needs no changes. It's already wonderful as is!

And p.s. LOVED Dragon's Destiny too! I need to write my own review!

Jeffrey Scott said...

I'm bad at movie trivia. But I'm guessing the first one is Stripes.
As for the Banned songs, I'll give my vote for Testament.
I preferred the 'singing' better in that one.

Anonymous said...

I vote for Iron Maiden. I'm terrible at movie trivia. Thank you for featuring my book.

Liz A. said...

I have not heard of either of those movies, but I don't do zombies anyway. And I don't have Netflix. Alas, one of these days...

The trivia isn't ringing any bells.

Li said...

Iron Maiden.
I only know one movie quote - the first one from "Stripes".
As for bag checks, they're OK but won't stop anyone with concealed weapons under a jacket, in a waistband, etc. I'm starting to feel like I should invest in a nice suit of body armor to go anywhere. (Sarcasm with a grain of truth.)

Susan Kane said...

Total complete blank on the movie trivia. Must have been in another world/country.

RiffTrax-Dec. 3....I am ready to go. My husband can stay home.
Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny? This is gonna be great.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Well better late, then never...

Life is good, some of those films mentioned great stuff. Did you watch "Fear of the Walking Dead"... interesting, not sure if I am attached to the show yet... intrigued.

Great news across the board for all who have released books and the solid on your reads... all the best!

Jeremy

John Wiswell said...

There's nothing out that I want to see for my birthday this year. A shame. But The Visit comes out the weekend after. How foolish am I to want to see it...?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherie, that's what I hope I did - just made it stronger.

Elizabeth, yeah, no more sneaking in food.

Hart, voted noted!

Sean, I still listen to both.

Lauren, I didn't change the story!

Jeffrey, thanks for voting, and you are correct.

Lisa, thanks for voting, and there is a grain of truth to that.

Susan, it's going to be awesome!

Jeremy, watching it tonight.

John, go enjoy.

cleemckenzie said...

Slow West is a must see for me!

Birgit said...

Congrats on being able to update your book-I didn't know one could do that. It's nice to hear how much you still like it. For the movie Trivia I know the 1st one is Stripes and the 4th is Galaxy Quest but that's all I know. Now as for the Battle of the Banned-Oh I am not into this music at all. I feel I should be dressed in red, dripping blood and feeling all evil:) I did listen to both though and I prefer Iron Maiden over Testament. I like the guitar better and, strangely, his voice:)

Botanist said...

The only line I recognized was #5 - A Fish Called Wanda. Brilliant comedy, but then I have an innate preference for the British sense of humor :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations on the great review for the short story that takes place after Dragon of the Stars. Also, thanks for the Netflix recommendations. I love the art that's on all the Iron Maiden covers.

Anonymous said...

Glad you had a good vacation! Congrats to the new releases and on your great review! It's been a long time since I've seen the movies, but I'm guessing Stripes for #1 and Major League for #3. Looking forward to the IWSG announcement. Have a great week!

Debbie D. said...

Welcome back from vacation. Lots of info in this post. Congrats to the authors and their new releases. Best wishes to you as well with the update of your book.
I followed Shady Del Knight's link for the "Battle of the Banned" entry.
Iron Maiden has long been a favourite band, and I prefer the original.
Testament's version was okay, but it didn't hold my attention.

Nicola said...

I hope you enjoyed your vacation. I am looking forward to hearing the news from IWSG. Just popped over to see if the news is out and read an inpsiring article.A lovely way to start my day. Haven't had enough coffee yet in order to answer the trivia questions.... Have a great week.

Helena said...

I really enjoyed CassaStar, but I know what you mean about wanting to change or edit a story that you've already seen printed. I'm never completely satisfied with anything I've written, or I THINK it's good, but months later I look at it and cringe at this part or that. Sigh. The life of a writer!

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

1. Stripes.
2. Zombieland.
3. Major League.
4. Galaxy Quest.
5. A Fish Called Wanda.

I love all of these movies!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Birgit, you got two right. And Dickinson has a very unique and distinct voice.

Ian, you got it!

Michael, we have several framed on our wall.

Lori, you got it!

Debbie, thanks for voting.

LuAnn, perfect score!

Nick Wilford said...

Congrats on the great reception for your story! I think I have a little idea on some of the trivia. 2 - Nacho Libre, 4 - American Pie, 5 - A Fish Called Wanda. Probably wrong.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

I was utterly bored by Slow West. The only thing I appreciated about it was the acting. It's an overrated film in my book.

Shell Flower said...

One of these days I'm going to have to go to a Riff Trax show. I have been hearing a lot more about them lately. Congrats on getting the chance to edit your first published novel for re-release. I'm sure that will feel good now that you are such a pro. Some great looking new books coming out, too.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I don't read my books again after they're published, Alex. You were brave to do so and then take on revisions.

Fundy Blue said...

Congrats on the chance to update one of your titles, Alex! I keep telling you how much you've grown as an writer, but then I've had a chance to read all your books close together. Your improvements in each book bring out the cheering writing/editing teacher in me. Okay, so I worked with 3rd graders, but its fun to see growth at any age. And good writers must always have a solid story first! I have no idea what a Mobi is, but I'd love an ePub. Maybe I'll even buy the new copy, just for the fun of seeing what you've done! But after I'm home again in October!

Good grief! Pat has another book? I am in awe of how much he produces and would love to be four months ahead on daily scheduled blog posts too!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I wonder if this is something going around. I've noticed a few books on Amazon are announced as revised. Nice that you got a chance to make the first even better.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Hi ALEX!!!

I just saw the trailer for the Scouts/Zombie movie the other day. I'm sure there will be enough BBC for all!

I think I get to be a part of the big IWSG announcement cause I'm a co-host, right? I'm very excited and yet I don't know why!

I promise to read and review your books this fall. I already own them, I just have to get to the readin' part.

Iron Maiden. :)

Trivia!!!

1. Stripes?
2. Zombieland?
3. Major league?
4. Galaxy Quest?
5. That sounds familiar but I can't place it. DARN!!!

Have a good week!
Heather

Sandra Cox said...

Hi, Alex. Good for Regal. I hope all the theaters start doing the bag checks. Of course, there will probably be a lot of soda, candy and popcorn confiscated. Grin.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Aha! This is why you said you had the opportunity to go back and do some editing -- and found a POV error that you fixed.

If I had the chance to edit/revise my first book -- It would change A LOT! I know so much more now than I did then.

Unknown said...

I gotta go with Iron Maiden on this one! and so happy for all the ninjas, especially Medeia! I started reading her book last night and it's fantastic!

XmasDolly said...

Did I not do something? Did I say something wrong? Please tell me so that I may rectify this error! You do not stop by me anymore. Are you bored with my work.? I'm trying so hard to build up my stats and asking everyone what they would like to see or not see. Could you send me your opinion? thank you so much for your time.

Stephen Tremp said...

Alex, I understand about rebooting a previous work. Been re-editing my three Breakthrough books this summer for release in September. Like you wrote, it's great to see how far you've come as a writer. Good luck with everything.

Melissa Sugar said...

It seems I have some catching up to do on your book series. I just noticed the IWSG shirt on your sidebar. Cool. I signed back up and this time I intend to post each month. I didn't want to miss this month - I keep hearing rumors about some big news and I don't want to miss out.

Unknown said...

I THINK that second movie is Zombieland. If so, that would make it the first Cavanaugh trivia question I've ever gotten right :P

I'll vote for Testament.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nick, you got one right.

Shell, go!! You'll laugh until it hurts.

Patricia, good to know I'm not the only one.

Fundy, thanks so much! You rock.

Heather, co-hosts will get the scoop early! No worries about my books. And you got four of the trivia questions right.

Sandra, probably!

Beth, thanks for voting.

Marie, I visited on Monday! Will get by again this week, promise. You didn't say anything wrong.

Melissa, you don't want to miss it!

Michael, vote noted, and you got it!

Nicki Elson said...

How cool that you got the opportunity to get in and massage your first novel. I actually recently talked my publisher into letting me do something similar - I'm excited, but am having trouble organizing myself to do it. Was it fun? Do you recommend it?

I vote for Testament.

Congrats to Pat and Medeia!

Scribbles From Jenn said...

Welcome back! I hope other theaters follow Regal's lead.

Donea Lee said...

Hey, Alex! Good to hear from you - thanks for stopping by! It's been too long. I've missed your movie reviews - although, have to say your movie trivia has me completely stumped... any good SyFy original reviews I've missed? :)

Sandra Cox said...

Movie Trivia:
#3 Major League, one of my all time favorite movies.

Loni Townsend said...

It's great when you still like your story! :D And it's also cool that the publisher let you do revisions.

I'm going to vote for Testament. I like his voice better.

Toi Thomas said...

Another great action packed post. I think I know all but one of the trivia, but that first one makes me want to watch that. Good thing I own it.
It's funny, these two versions sound very similar, only the vocals really offer a major difference, to me at least. I guess I like the original by Iron Maiden better, but they are close.

Sherry Ellis said...

It doesn't surprise me that there's going to be a bag check at Regal theaters. They're probably going to have security checks at malls, too, after the recent mall shooting.

M Pax said...

It is tempting to go back sometimes. Good luck on everything!

Melissa said...

Ah, well... so much for sneaking in snacks. :P

I'm happy 'after dragon' has been so well received. I'm excited about your updates, too.

Can't wait for the news next week. You sure know how to keep a turkey in suspense! :D

Blue Grumpster said...

Fight the Time Flight... I wonder how the Cat is gonna pull that one off. Given the two million books he's written so far, something tells me he knows how you control time and just refuses to share that knowledge with us. Now, excuse me while I go and prove I'm not a robot.

Hi Alex. How is life?

Stephanie Faris said...

It's probably bad to say this but my husband was saying that we hadn't been to a movie in a while and we should go. My first thought is, "Why haven't we?" Then I remembered all the shootings (one of which happened in the Nashville area) and I decided maybe not...at least not until the Holmes stuff has died down.

msmariah said...

Hi Alex-- Thanks for recommending the Fassy movie. I've never heard of 'Slow West' before. I am going to watch that one since it's on Netflix! I hope you're doing well.

Mark Koopmans said...

Seriously looking forward to the news next week, especially as you returned my "newly minted" $18 bill.

PS: It was dry when it left my underground facility, so all I can say is blow it off.

mail4rosey said...

Well I at least know some of the trivia, usually. Today I don't know a one!! I'll def. be back to see what those answers were. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nicki, you'll cringe, but it will feel good to make that book better.

Donea, not good ones!

Sandra, correct!

Loni, thanks for voting.

Toi, vote noted.

Melissa, it's going to be good!

Blue, Pat controls time, I control clones.

MsMariah, and it just came out this year.

Mark, will do!

Lisa said...

I'm going to check out that "Slow West" movie. Sounds like something I'd like! I loved Dragon's Destiny (but it was too short!), almost as much as Dragon of the Stars!

Leandra Wallace said...

Congrats on the short! I haven't seen either of those movies. Zombies freak me out, though I still always end up watching The Walking Dead w/my husband. I'm a sucker for punishment! :)I do love Hell on Wheels though, it's a Western series about the railroad being built. So good!

Intangible Hearts said...

Congratulations on having a publisher. I thought you were Indie. Slow West sounds like a good one. Thanks for letting me know about it.

alexia said...

Oh man, I love Michael Fassbender. Yum, yum :) May have to check that out. Interesting you got to update CassaStar. I know what you mean about looking back at old writing!

SK Anthony said...

I cringe at the thought of rereading my first, although updating must have felt good, no?

Can't wait to see what IWSG's big announcement will be!!!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lisa, thanks!

Leandra, you'll be watching it at some point then...

Eve, nope, been with the same publisher since the beginning.

SK, it did feel good!

DMS said...

How awesome that you had the chance to go back and edit/update one of your books. I can imagine it was surprising to go back and read your first book- but awesome to see how much you have grown as a writer. So cool that you got to do that and now you feel the writing is stronger (and the story was still just as good). Yeah!
~Jess

Deniz Bevan said...

Slow West sounds intriguing.

Oh no! I just read CassaStar a few weeks ago! What did you change? *worries*

Hmm, I feel silly. I don't recognise any of those movie lines...

TBM said...

Glad you had fun on your holiday. I'm leaving in a few days for mine and I'm excited!

Bag checks for the movie. I know it's necessary, but so very sad.

You're a brave man for reading your first novel. But it's probably good to see how much you've grown.

Michelle Wallace said...

Welcome back from your holiday!
I have a paperback copy of Cassastar... and now it's been tweaked? I'm sure it's not drastic changes...
Medeia's cover is HOT!

Unknown said...

I know what you're saying--it's hard to read your own books--can't imagine you would have to change too much--it's a great story.

Rachna Chhabria said...

I love the title 'Dragon's Destiny. I am looking forward to reading it :)

Ellie Garratt said...

Slow West sounds fun. I'll have to watch it!

I can understand you feeling the need to update CassaStar (not that it needs it, in my opinion), because I'm in the process of tweaking my two short story collections ahead of them receiving new covers. It does feel good to re-visit old works. I'm sure you'll enjoy the process.

Unknown said...

Congrats to Pat and Medeia on their new releases!

It's great your publisher is letting you update. I know how you feel - I had to revise the 3 short stories I pubbed because they'd been written years ago and ... ugh!

Thanks for the movie recommendations. Now I'm wondering what the surprise is for IWSG...

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

The only comedy trivia I'm sure about is the first one. "Stripes." It's one of our favorites. ("Razzle-dazzle!) I think one of the other quotes might be from "Major League," but I dunno about the others.

I'm not real crazy about the song, but of the two choices, I prefer the version by Iron Maiden. I reeeeeeally like the way it sounds before the vocals start.

Belle said...

The review of Dragon of the Stars is great. I have to get that today. I love,"twists and turns," and "sweet humanity." I'm afraid I couldn't listen to the songs. Too creepy for me! It is very cool you updated your first book.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Good to be back! I am rubbish at the film trivia spend too much time away from screens :) Slow West sounds interesting.

I prefer the Iron Maiden version, though not sure if it's my kind of music generally.

T.F. Walsh said...

Haven't seen the Aussie zombie flick, but it's on my list to watch:) No idea about the trivia, though.

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

Slow West sounds like fun!
Congratulations on getting the chance to go back polish your super great book.
That is certainly a sign that it is loved by the publisher. Usually a book goes out and that is that. Is it challenging to change in small ways what you wrote? It is cool that you have such an open and honest perspective on it!
jean

PS: One of my sons recommended Mad Max (the new one to me) so that is the next movie I plan to see. I remember reading about it on your blog, too!

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

Thrilled your book is doing so well. I appreciate the recommendation of Slow West. Sounds like something me and hubby might enjoy. Heavy Metal is one of the few types of music I've never been able to get into.
Life & Faith in Caneyhead

kimlajevardi.com said...

I hope you enjoyed your vacation. Yay for getting to update your first book, but I bet it is tough as well. Enjoy the process as much as possible, and I hope the re-release is super successful.

Sandra Cox said...

I'm anxious to hear the announcement at IWG.
Hope you're having a perfect weekend, Alex.

Jeff Hargett said...

"Hey, get a room guys… Oh that’s not right!" Loved that line! Loved the movie. I've probably watched Galaxy Quest a couple dozen times at least. So, regarding CassaStar, will the update appear in Amazon's "Manage my Device" list of titles?

Beate said...

We love watching movies so I always love good movie recommendations :) Thank you for that! And I had no idea Pat published another book. Thank you for keeping us up-to-date about books :) :) I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Alex - thanks for the prayers and comments! It's slow going but I'm getting better. "Battle of the Banded"? Oh wow! Testament for me, please(smile). Dixie

Sandra Cox said...

Hey, Alex, did you see this:
http://www.startrek.com/article/trekclass-starts-sept-21-and-its-free-so-register-now

Mason T. Matchak said...

I liked both versions of the song, but I've been in a metal-ish mood because of what I'm trying to work on. ^_^

And the only quote I know is #4 - that's got to be from Galaxy Quest. Did you know they're turning that into a TV series?

Julie Dao said...

I can't wait to hear what your big IWSG announcement will be! You've made your mark on so many writers' lives and this new project will continue to do so, I'm sure!

Ava Quinn said...

1-Stripes
2-Zombieland?
3-Major League?
4-Galazy Quest
5-A FISH CALLED WANDA!!!
Finally some I knew! Woot!

Jenni said...

Can't wait to hear what the big ISWG announcement is! That's so great how you got to update your first book. It's always interesting reading over past stories. I often still love the story, but would definitely word it differently.

Jennifer Lane said...

Wow, I don't know ANY of those trivia questions!

Excited for the big announcement with IWSG. :-)

Unknown said...

I can really imagine that it's weird to go back and read a first novel after so long. I'm glad you enjoyed CassaStar still. I think I'd be holding my head in my hands if I had to go back and read Shallow Waters after a few years of writing!

Leovi said...

Welcome back Alex, I hope you had a happy summer. I've taken a vacation during the summer. Yes, my new publications will be on:
Limbo Delirium
Black & White Abstracts

Cherdo said...

For your Battle of the Banned - it's gotta be Testament. The vocals nail it.

The Happy Whisk said...

Congrats on the updated version. Neat to see how far you've come and grown as a writer. That's how it should be.

SK Anthony said...

That is AMAZING!!!!! Love the anthology idea :D

Unknown said...

this is AWESOME!!!!!!!! What an incredible opportunity...and Medeia's book was so good :) I loved it.

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for featuring my store! I'm really excited about Argentina :)