Monday, June 12, 2017

New Movie Trailers, RiffTrax: Live, and Movie News; IWSG Anthology and Updates, CassaFire Giveaway, and Miles of Smiles

Movie News

First Black Panther teaser trailer is out!



New trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes that focuses on the girl, Nova:



Caught this on Blastr:
The clever folks at CineFix have chosen Michael Bay's lofty sci-fi spectacle to create a handcrafted, shot-for-shot remake of the main trailer using duct tape, cardboard boxes, twine, trash can lids, tissue paper, a filled bathtub, plastic army men and broccoli stalks:



There are now thirty films that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Three have even crossed the two billion mark – Star Wars: The Force Awakens @ $2,068.2, Titanic @ $2,186.8, and Avatar @ $2,788.0. So far two films have crossed that mark this year – Beauty and the Beast and The Fate of the Furious. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is closing in on that number.
Full list at Box Office Mojo.
How many of the thirty billion dollar films have you seen? (I’ve seen twenty-nine of them!)

Don’t forget - RiffTrax: Live is Thursday, June 15! It’s the Summer Shorts Beach Party:
Mike, Kevin and Bill return to the stage with RiffTrax regulars Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl, The MST3K Mads Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff and special guest Paul F. Tompkins, to take turns riffing shorts in various permutations. The live show will culminate in a RIFF-A-PALOOZA with everyone on stage at the same time!

Reviews were average at best for The Mummy, so we skipped it. Not looking good for the Dark Universe series the studio planned.
Since nothing else strikes my fancy until the end of the month, probably not many movie reviews until then.

Miles of Smiles Challenge

Hosted by Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore.

The idea behind it was for people to sign up and tell each other about the small things in their lives that always make them smile. You can use your blog, your Facebook, your Twitter or your Instagram to share your joys. #MilesofSmiles


What makes me smile?

A great practice session with a jamming song on my guitar.
A comment or email from someone who loves the IWSG or one of my books.
Mini-Alex and friends – the thoughtfulness of those who made them.
My wife’s smile.

What makes you smile?


Another great posting for the IWSG. The point of the group is to encourage others, so be sure to visit others on the list. Especially the new members – make those writers feel welcome. It’s sad when they only post once or twice and then give up because they receive next to no comments.

Many commented that they were looking forward to the IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit, but they didn’t feel they could contribute. Some mentioned being able to tell others what not to do. And that’s perfect! If you’ve tried something that didn’t result in sales or making money, write a short article about it and submit. We need to know what doesn’t work as well. Submissions are open to all IWSG members – monthly blog post members, Facebook, and Goodreads. Details here.

I’d also like to highlight two of our Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life authors who recently had book events. Way to go, ladies!

Yvonne Ventresca shows off her table here.

Jen Chandler poses with a book at her signing.

CassaFire Giveaway

My publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, is giving away an audio book every week. Through June 14, you can win a copy of CassaFire. You must retweet their pinned Tweet HERE to enter.



And the Penguins won the Stanley Cup last night!


What do you think of the trailers? Catching the RiffTrax show? How many of the billion dollar movies have you seen? What makes you smile? Submitting to the IWSG anthology?

I will be offline June 19-24 but still checking email and Twitter.

121 comments:

Annalisa Crawford said...

I love your list of smiles! I've seen trailers for The Mummy, and I'll be giving it a miss too, or watching the original again :-)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I've seen a lot of those movies, too (lots on video, though, and not in theaters). But I haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet!

Mason Canyon said...

Great trailers. I think I'll take a pass on The Mummy too for awhile. Congrats to the ladies on their book tour.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I've seen about five of the movies, with Jurassic World currently in progress (we had some problems with the DVD we borrowed from the library). Not surprisingly, three of the five are Star Wars movies.

Enjoy your time off!

Truedessa said...

I went to see Wonder Woman Saturday night and I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth the ticket price. I rented Beauty and the Beast from Red Box Friday night and I enjoyed that as well, I am such a sap for any kind of love story. I have seen many of the movies from the list.

Congrats ladies on your book tour. It must be a wonderful feeling!

Have a fantastic week and keep smiling!

The Cynical Sailor said...

I was surprised by how many of the billion dollar movies I have seen. I guess I get out more than I thought :-)

Stephanie Faris said...

I probably haven't seen many of those billion-dollar movies, since I'm not all that into action movies, and that's the majority of them. Or sci-fi... I like romantic comedies and they don't even really make those anymore. Just comedies!

Nicola said...

Thank you for the smiles :) I'd like to see the Mummy, but I'll probably wait until it's on Bluray :) Have a lovely week.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - Wonder Woman is on the cards for tomorrow. Love the what makes you smile blog hop - I spotted Annalisa had written hers ... but just being thanked and being there for people with the accompanying smiles - so important ... good luck to all new books and tours ... cheers Hilary

Pat Hatt said...

Seen 28 of the top 30, beat me by one. No Minions or Alice in Wonderland. 90 out of the top 100 too. Twilight blah, never, I'll stick with 90 lol Much can get a smile, little things really.

The transformers one sure shows what one can do without cgi.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, it was dark but good.

Sandra, those problems might have been a sign...

Truedessa, knew you would enjoy it. Beauty is the only film on that list I haven't seen.

Stephanie, there hasn't been a great romantic comedy in a while.

Pat, unfortunately I have seen Twilight.

Chemist Ken said...

If they serve popcorn at the movie theater, my wife will go see The Mummy. She'll lower her viewing standards for popcorn.

As far as the billion dollar movies go, I heard a statistic that it's really hard to get a movie green-lighted unless it either costs less than than $10 million or more than $70 million. ( I think those numbers are accurate) Midlevel movies just aren't going to me made much anymore.

Stacy McKitrick said...

What makes me smile? The Penguins winning the cup again! Oh, and my hubby. Totally my hubby. :)

I just scanned through those 30 movies. I'd say I've seen maybe half. I have seen the top 3, though.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Loved your list of what makes you smile. My dog, daughter, and boyfriend definitely put smiles on my face.

I'm trying to connect with more IWSG members. I haven't been good back about that since joining and haven't seen many new people stop by my blog either. We'll see how it goes, but you're right that it's discouraging if no one comes.

Erika Beebe said...

It's always good to reflect on what makes us smile. And the movies...all but the furious one.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Love what you said about your wife's smile! I always like it when I make my husband laugh. :)

Murees Dupè said...

I really like that it's the simple things that make you smile. That is cool. Enjoy your time off.

Andrew Leon said...

I've seen 28, but I have no desire to see the two I haven't seen.

Bish Denham said...

I saw the Star Wars movie and wasn't impressed. Saw Avitar and was disappointed that it turned into destruction...

Me and hubby waking up every day together makes me smile. So do clouds and birds and a good joke.

Christine Rains said...

Your list of what makes you smile is wonderful. I haven't seen any of those movies yet, but a few of them are already on DVD. They come out on DVD quick these days! Have a terrific week. :)

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats to Jen and Yvonne.
You've seen twenty-nine of the films? Wow, Alex. Star Wars definitely earned its spot didn't it.

Blogoratti said...

Cool list and those movie trailers look great.

Barbara said...

Hi Alex, I’m loving the handcrafted trailer! Wonderful stuff, thanks so much for sharing it. You made me smile twice today, both when I read the comment you left on my blog and when I visited you. Your posts are always entertaining, thank you.

Tonja Drecker said...

I was sure I hadn't seen many of those movies, but it came up to 28. I love your smile list (So I'll add a: :) ). Enjoy your time away!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ken, and that's sad, because some genres fall into that mid-section.

Stacy, that's making me smile as well!

Natalie, I think all of us need to reach out more. We forget that about blogging.

Karen, congratulations!

Christine, yes they do.

Sandra, yeah, I watch a lot of movies, don't I?

Barbara, thank you!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Have a great break/vacation, Alex!

A Beer for the Shower said...

I must live under a rock, because I've only seen about half of those billion dollar movies. I also haven't seen any of the Planet of the Apes movies. I'm excited for Black Panther, though.

And I absolutely love that homemade Transformers trailer.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Jen was so excited about that signing.

I can't wait for the Ape movie.

Chrys Fey said...

Congrats Jen and Yvonne!

At my book event, I handed out over 50 IWSG cards. :)

cleemckenzie said...

Smiles are so important. They immediately bring happiness to others as well as yourself. And they're a heck of a lot easier than scowling. I can't help but smile when I read a great story or stand at the top of a mountain.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I've seen most of them but not the Fast and Furious stuff. Not my thing. My kids were happy about the Penguins. Looking forward to Black Panther.

Birgit said...

Smiles are so important and I love your list. I also love my hubby's smile. Love my animals and all the cute animal videos-that makes me smile. Helping someone-that too. As for the Mummy...I will see it when it is on video..er...dvd. I think it might be better than we think but it will not be the big blow up they expected. Love to see Black Panther and the Apes flick looks really good. Congrats to the 2 gals who are showcasing their books!

alexia said...

Excited about Black Panther, but I've never been a Planet of the Apes fan. I've seen about 25 of the 30... I missed a few on the cartoon ones, and F&F 7, because I'm not a big fan of that series.

Arlee Bird said...

I've seen maybe 8 of those 30 billion dollar movies and probably won't see many more of them. I still like watching films, but don't get so revved up over the big films. Somehow a lot of them leave me feeling kind of empty in the end. I think I've overdosed on CGI.

It took me a few months before I started getting many comments on my blog. Giving up after one or two posts is not giving blogging enough of a chance. I figured I'd get lots of comments from my first post and then discovered that's not the way blogging really works.


Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brandon and Bryan, isn't the trailer priceless? Better than the actual movie.

Chrys, awesome!

Susan, your kids are awesome.

Birgit, it's probably not that bad, I just didn't want to waste twenty bucks.

Lee, maybe they'll figure it out.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

It's absolutely amazing how much money the big movies can bring in these days. I used to think a billion dollars was an unimaginable amount of money. Inflation and time has made it seem less so, even though (for me) it's still an unimaginable amount of money. I loved the trailer for Black Panther; it gets me excited every time I see it.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Yay for the Penguins, and much more - including Mrs. Alex's smile.
Happy new week, Mr. Alex.

Cherie Reich said...

Considering I don't get to the movies often, I've seen 15 out of the 30 movies that have made over a billion dollars.

Cathrina Constantine said...

You are so sweet!! I wonder if my hubby would say the same thing...My family and grandchildren make me smile.

The Black Panther trailer looks exciting.

Alex, have a great week.

Juneta key said...

Oh wow, did not think I would want to see the new Planet of Apes by title but the trailer just changed my mind. Cant wait for the Panther one either.
' Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Kyra Lennon said...

Excellent list of smiles, Alex! Thanks for taking part!

SpacerGuy said...

Black Panther is good. All that kick ass techno gadgetry, you just know who's side to be on. Smiling makes me happy, so when folks are having fun I want to join in. I'll have to go see War for the Planets of the Apes. There's something so right about it.

Jo said...

I've see three of the movies you listed above and I own a copy of Avatar even if it's not 3D LOL.

I didn't much like the very first Planet of the Apes so have never seen any more, don't like the concept.

I smile when I bowl well, when I give a successful dinner party at which my guests really enjoy themselves. When my hubby tells me he loves me.

stephen Hayes said...

What makes me smile? The sound of babies or small children laughing.

Elephant's Child said...

So many things make me smile.
Nature (hand-feeding the birds), rainbows, the garden, the people I love, quirky fun, discovering a new author/series, finishing a task...

Susan Kane said...


We went to BayWatch this wkend. No expectations at all. We laughed through the whole thing, despite frequent F bombs. Definitely an R movie, but it had a familiar plot and Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne Johnson.

J E Oneil said...

Black Panther looks awesome. I knew Marvel could have another winner if they just stopped making a movie with the same lead character.

Nick Wilford said...

It was a great blogfest. We all need more smiles. I've been thinking about submitting to the anthology - good to know that what not to do makes an acceptable topic!

Sarah Foster said...

Love your miles of smiles list! And Yvonne and Jen's photos!!
I've seen 19 of the 30 movies. I actually thought it would be less!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cathrina, I bet he would.

Space Guy, they have done right by the remakes.

Stephen, that makes me want to cry...

Susan, glad you enjoyed it.

Nick, it's open to admins as well!

Liz A. said...

I tried to tally the billion dollar movies I saw, but the list kept going (and I realized I couldn't remember if I'd seen some of the movies or not), so I gave up on coming up with a number. Less than half would be my guess.

Suzanne Furness said...

Hubby went to see The Mummy this evening - I was at a meeting so couldn't go! He thought it was average so maybe I will give it a miss for now. Always good to remember the things that make us smile.

Carrie-Anne said...

I'd be happy to submit to the next anthology as an example of what not to do. Sometimes the negative stories can be more helpful than the positive ones.

Cindy said...

Love the trailer for Planet of the Apes, but I still have to see the second one. Perhaps this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

DMS said...

I just saw dolphins in the ocean for the first time over the weekend and they made me smile. :)
~Jess

Joanne said...

Hey Alex. Your blog is a smile. I smile at Ray, pearls before swine comic, theater, flowers, ocean, and my dad plus siblings. Lots to smile for. I've probably hit 70 percent of that film list. I lack Hobbits and Transformers. Good luck to all writers this time of year. I admit that after work I am in the pool, not writing or marketing. Hence zippo results. I am okay with that! Cheers.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Suzanne, that's what I've heard others say. Average.

Carrie-Anne, please do!

Cindy, catch up before July!

Jess, always a cool sight.

Joanne, thanks!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Great list of smiles! I'm definitely looking forward to Black Panther! Cinefix rocks broccoli trees and just in general, too. :)

Have a great break!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Whoa - that list of top-grossing films is amazing. I've seen all but 8 of them in the theaters. Of those 8, I think I've seen 4 at home. So ... I've seen 71 of them.

Lynda Dietz said...

I'm not surprised that I've only seen 18 of the top 30. I really need to get out more! Or sit down more . . . I'm not sure.

So many things make me smile that it's tough to choose, but usually my hubby and kids are right in the middle of it, and making music of some type is almost always involved.

Anonymous said...

I haven't watched the Black Panther trailer yet. Hubby is currently playing video games and I want to see it on our TV and not my computer screen.

Trisha said...

Great idea for a blogfest, Kyra & Clare :) Things that make me smile are...

- enjoying an icy cold beer at the start of the weekend
- seeing one of my foster cats do some ridiculous but funny thing
- seeing my fave bands live
- listening to a newly 'song-ified' version of one of my songs done by my bandmate Billy

Hopefully more people will make submissions to the IWSG Guide now that you've clarified that 'what not to do' is just as valuable as what to do! In fact, maybe more so, as it shows the 'why' things didn't work that might have seemed like a good idea.

Helena said...

You've seen 29 out of 30 of these films? I'm impressed--and way far behind you. Maybe I've seen six or seven. But I'm seeing Wonder Woman soon and I really want to see that flick pass the billion mark.

nashvillecats2 said...

What makes me smile? well listening to Danny Boy, reading the post and comments here on line, and knowing that I have friends the other side of the big pond.

Great post Alex packed with news and reviews.

Yvonne.

kaykuala said...

Little things make me smile for adding up they turn out to be just as big eventually. Seen Star Wars but not many of the rest. Congrats to Yvonne and Jens on their book launch.

Hank

J.H. Moncrieff said...

What makes me smile? Animals, definitely, especially the antics of my cats. Time with friends and loved ones, good books, a really great horror movie, traveling.

Have a great break, Alex!

Rhonda Albom said...

I had no idea that there were so many movies that earned that much money. I loved the duct tape trailer, impressive that they could do that.

Shadow said...

I struggle to find a movie which captures my attention and glad you're around to 'sift' for me *biiiig sigh of relief*
Drumming makes me smile, my pups and parrot too, hubby only sometimes *grin*, ice cream, icy winter mornings, the sea, a lotta stuff actually, I'm a pretty happy person *smiles* *smiles* *smiles*
And have a happy time away.........

H.R. Bennett said...

I'm cautiously optimistic about Black Panther. Mainly, I'm worried that the content will just be mishandled and come off as incredibly racist in one direction or the other. As for the monkeys, I've still never seen the new planet of the apes films. Really should.

Yvonne Ventresca said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Alex!

Sandra Cox said...

Planet of the Apes looks intriguing though I haven't kept up with the series.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Love seeing the movie trailers. Thank you!

Children's art makes me smile!

John Wiswell said...

Ha, I love that Transformers trailer! I never thought about how charming live action fan films could get for that franchise.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Patricia, good call.

Trisha, exactly!

Helena, it deserves to.

Shadow, you're a drummer? Very cool.

Robert, they blow the old films out of the water.

Yvonne, you're welcome!

John, more so than the franchise itself.

Jen said...

Thank you so much for the book signing shout out! It was a lot of fun! And thanks for using the good picture of me 😉. Have a great week!

Karen Lange said...

Great smile list! And what a good idea. Smiles can be contagious, and we should pass them out liberally. :) Enjoy the break!

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Thanks for posting 'Meet Nova' trailer Alex. More excited than ever for upcoming movie. I'm waiting for the 3 billion dollar movie to appear. That will be epic. I really hope Guardians 2 will go over the billion dollar mark. Glad we had another great IWSG.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

The Black Panther railer looks promising, and the fan-made Transformers one is absolutely hilarious.

Patsy said...

Lots of things make me smile, but top of the list today is the fact that we're just about to set off for an adventure in our campervan.

mshatch said...

I've seen a lot of the big $ movies, but not all. My dog makes me smile :)

M Pax said...

I saw Wonder Woman last week. What an amazing movie! And I loved Guardians of the Galaxy. More please! Enjoy your time off!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jen, glad I picked the right one!

Sheena-kay, Avatar 2 has the best chance of that...

Mary, both great movies.

Sandra Cox said...

Miles of Smiles: What a wonderful idea.

YOU, have a great one.

C.D. Gallant-King said...

I've seen most of those movies, but it sucks that most of them are terrible. I can't believe that all three Hobbit movies are right around the $1B mark...

I don't think this is adjusted for inflation, so the older movies on the list are the most impressive, stuff like Jurassic Park and Titanic, which were released before movies cost $15+ for Imax screenings.

If they did adjust this for inflation, I would imagine Gone with the Wind would still be on top, and the original Star Wars would be much higher.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Congratulations to Jen and Yvonne. Thanks for sharing the movie trailers. I haven't been to a movie in ages. One day soon. Love your smile list.

Mason T. Matchak said...

Black Panther looks amazing. ^_^ And the idea of movies making billions still kind of blows my mind, considering how many times it happens. "Billion" still seems like an insanely high number.

(Not much is making me smile lately. >_<)

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Alex,

Hope this makes you smile.... After the wonderful and supporting comments I received from our wonderful IWSG members, I actually wrote a piece for the WEP blog hope on BRIDGES. This is the FIRST original piece I have written IN AGES. SO THANK YOU ALL AT THE IWSG. I did a thank you post earlier today to let everyone know...

As for movies, I actually got out this weekend and saw WONDER WOMAN in Melissa's honor. Now could I not? She was there with me, I just know it. SO many people are loving this movie and for good reason, but it's especially SPECIAL to all of us who loved Melissa and how much she wanted to see it before her passing.

Thanks so much for creating the IWSG. I know it has helped me through tough times and I know it has helped many others.....

What makes me smile? Sadly not much lately, BUT my Westie pup does on occasion when he does something so ridiculously cute....

Sharon Himsl said...

Hi. I like the Apes trailer. Have watched this series from the start and haven't liked all but this one looks promising. Animals and a child's laughter make me smile, but the best smiles are the ones you least expect.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

I didn't count how many, but in skimming over the movie list, I was surprised at how many of them I've seen. (I should get some kinda extra credit for the ones I've watched over and over and over again with the grandchildren...)

For those who sign up for IWSG and then complain about not any comments on their post? That's a shame, but maybe they haven't bothered to be pro-actively visited other blogs and left comment there first...? Sometimes, to get 'em, you've gotta give 'em.

Charles Gramlich said...

Looking forward to seeing War for the Planet of the apes.

Loni Townsend said...

Your reasons to smile are fantastic. :)

I liked the CineFix trailer. Pretty funny. I'm not going to be watching The Mummy either.

Magic Love Crow said...

Black Panther looks cool! What makes me smile? So many things! Feeding my chipmunks, the moon, the first snow flake, when someone smiles at me, etc. Congrats to Yvonne and Jen!

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

The trailers are great. I've seen one of the movies. Guess I should get out more. A lot of things make me smile. When I read about someone who has done a good deed for others. When Tiger takes a walk with me. When Patches doesn't attack him. When I see a child smile.

Have a great weekend.

Al Penwasser said...

Interesting...the girl who cannot speak was cradling an emblem for a "Nova."
The girl who could not speak in the original "Planet of the Apes" movies was called "Nova."

The speechless girl is riding behind someone on a horse along a shore.
Nova in the original "Planet of the Apes" rode behind Taylor on a horse alongside a shore.

The orangutan in THIS movie is called "Maurice."
The orangutan in the original "Planet of the Apes" movies, Dr. Zaius, was played by MAURICE Evans.

These things can't POSSIBLY be coincidences.

Yes, the nerd is strong in me that way.

Sandra Cox said...

Hope you have a wondrous week away.
And I find it so exciting that CassaFire is now audio.

Unknown said...

Do you know a longest word??? Its "Smiles"...ask me how??? It has a mile between two "s"!!! You smile at the situation and it suddenly appears so different! A smile soothes the aching heart...and it is the only curved line that makes the twisted things straight!!! Loved your smile list, specially the last one.
I was taken by surprise when I learnt about the group that supports the insecure writers..hahahha...It really made me smile!
------------------------------------------------
Anagha From Team MocktailMommies
Rewind

Fundy Blue said...

Somehow I missed this post, Alex! I hope that you are enjoying the beginning of your break. I try to always visit the newest IWSG members when I'm making the IWSG rounds on the first Wednesday of the month, for exactly the reason you stated. I was in Barnes & Nobles last week and picked up the website edition of Writer's Digest. It was awesome to see the IWSG in the top 101. Quite a thrill! And yesterday I finished "The Secret Garden," a book I would never have read without the bookclub ~ and I very much enjoyed it. Take care, my friend!

Tamara Narayan said...

I've seen 14 of the top thirty movies. Not too shabby.

Nicole Zoltack said...

I'm definitely passing on the Mummy.

Jay Noel said...

I skipped The Mummy too. I love the campy originals.
Wonder Woman was fantastic, so it would have been difficult to follow that up with a bad movie.
The Transformers movie has me worried, but I will probably end up watching it anyway. I'm just too much of a sucker for nostalgia.

Mark said...

Sweet, I retweeted! Come on audio book...be mine;)

Nilanjana Bose said...

Love your list of smiles! Wishing you many more.

Um...I haven't seen many of the billion dollar films, but I have watched all three two billion ones. Sometimes I surprise even myself :)

Have a blissful week.

Toi Thomas said...

Too bad I missed the Miles of Smiles challenge. I like what makes you smile.
My dog makes me smile. When my husband beats a video game, when I try a new recipe, and when I wake from a nap on a rainy day; all these make me smile.

Unknown said...

Interesting about the 2-billion $ movies. I'm not an Avatar fan. It‘s like they dumbed down SF. But at least it's not Twilight.Have a great vacay!

Yolanda Renée said...

Enjoy your break!!!!

Not seen a lot of movies this year, but will definitely avoid the Apes! Don't know why, but they have never appealed to me!

Happy Summer!

Crystal Collier said...

When I first saw the trailer for Black Panther, I was so stoked. I still am. It looks amazing!

The billion dollar films... There were only 3 I hadn't seen. (And for good reason.) Guess I probably watch too many movies, eh?

Anonymous said...

The more realistic the Planet of the Apes movies get, the better I like them. Hope you're having a great summer!

kimlajevardi.com said...

I've seen a number of the billion dollar movies, but not twenty nine.

What is currently making me smile is making progress on my WIP. Summer break allows me so much writing productivity.

mail4rosey said...

So many things make me smile. And did you say billion?? *cough* That's a lot. I loved Beauty and the Beast!

Anonymous said...

I hope you're off doing something fun and exciting, Alex. As always, I'm still anxiously awaiting The Dark Tower and It. I know, I know, how boring am I? :)

Elsie

Leovi said...

I love the use they have given to those broccoli stems.

Nigel G Mitchell said...

I love those homemade trailers, although they're still better than anything I could make. Congrats on the book signings and the giveaway!

klahanie said...

Hey Alex,

Yep, lucky you, you've finally have a comment from me. I hope you're sitting comfortably!

Loads of link and thanks for that. Intriguing trailers. Of course, in the UK, they call them caravans!

Seeing others smile makes me smile :)

Take care and yes, considered your post shared on all those darned social "notworking" sites.

Gary

J Lenni Dorner said...

I'm looking forward to Transformers and Planet of the Apes. I don't know what I like about those movies, but I keep watching them. Ha ha.

That's cool about the audio book giveaway. Those seem to be growing in popularity.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

CD, I liked the Hobbit movies.

Michael, glad it prompted you to write. And Melissa would've loved Wonder Woman.

Susan, they do need to visit! Most don't complain though.

Al, very strong...

Thanks, Sandra! And it's been a good week away.

Anagha, glad it made you smile!

Fundy, we made the top 101???????

Yolanda, I find the movies depressing but they are so well done, I have to watch.

Liz, I am!

Rosey, that's the only one I haven't seen.

Elsie, that movie will be awesome.

Gary, always good to hear from you!

Lidy said...

Oh I can't wait to see Black Panther next year. Saw Wonder Woman and loved it. Not sure I'll see the new Transformers, The Mummy or Spiderman. But the new Planet of the Apes? Justice League? You don't even have to ask. Definitely will see that one.

Sharon Himsl said...

Hero Lost is making great headway with all the book signings. Neat that audio books are still popular. Used to rent a lot at library for family road trips (when libraries were popular). Your high action books are perfect for this!

Sherry Ellis said...

Miles of Smiles sounds like a nice idea. I'll have to check it out. (Music and nature makes me smile.)

Fundy Blue said...

Hi, Alex! I've been busy chasing my tail and trying to catch up on important things. I didn't realize until you replied my comment on your last post that you didn't know about the IWSG making Writer's Digest 101 list. Or maybe you were teasing me. I already have a physical copy of Pat's "Purr Empire." I've been replaying Ayreon's "The Source" a lot, although I haven't actually sat down and followed along with the script. And I finally got to see "Wonder Woman" yesterday ~ She's my kind of gal! LOL. I don't think I'll get to RiffTrax ~ too much on my plate! I did get a big laugh out of a sparkling Bunnicula though ~ I love Bunnicula, having read Howe's books aloud to my third graders many years. Couldn't read Meyer's books aloud though, but I'll bet some of my third grade girls were trying to read her books at home. I hope that you enjoyed your mini-break from being on-line. I got my computer in last week and doubled my RAM to 8 GB which has helped. Pretty soon I'll want a new computer. Hope all is well with you! Take care!

Sandra Cox said...

Love the meme on War of the Worlds. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that hasn't changed too much.
YOU, have a wonderful 4th, my friend.

Michelle Wallace said...

Well, this comment may be late, but I'm all smiles at the moment...and why? I'm on three weeks holiday!