Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Low Water Release, December Movie Preview

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the December 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Liza, and Natalie Aguirre!

December 3 question - As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?

I really can’t think of any writing-related gifts. However, many, many years ago my wife got me an iPod. It only held three hundred songs or so, but just the ability to hold that many was awesome. It led to me finally getting an iPhone and holding even more music. And I picked that gift because music is such an important part of my inspiration and I listen to it when writing.

We have reopened the option for In-Person IWSG Writing Groups! Check it out here. Toi Thomas’ group is the first to join!

New Release!

Low Water by Jennifer Lane

Two lives marked by trauma. One chance to rediscover hope.
In the sun-drenched Lowcountry of South Carolina, a swim coach haunted by tragedy and a psychologist devoted to healing cross paths just as their lives unravel.
He once believed Olympic-sized dreams and awful dad jokes could get him through anything, but waves of grief threaten to pull him under. She has built a career navigating others through pain, yet she struggles to confront her own.
When their worlds collide, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD forces the question: is it possible to dive into the past without drowning? Neither expects the other to become a lifeline. But with connection and courage, they search for a way forward—one stroke at a time.
Striving, tender, and surprisingly funny, this is a story about resilience and learning that the best way out of the deep end is together.

Find it on Amazon or check out the Universal Book Link

December Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for December. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

12 –

Lone Samurai
Director: Josh C. Waller
Stars: Shogen, Yayan Ruhian, Rama Ramadhan
A shipwrecked 13th century samurai considers ritual suicide until captured by cannibals on a seemingly deserted island. His will to live awakens.
I knew a cannibal who ate a clown. He thought it tasted funny.

19 –

Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Sigorney Weaver
Jake and Neytiri's family grapples with grief after Neteyam's death, encountering a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.
We’ve had earth, water, and fire – so is the last Avatar the Last Airbender?

25 –

Anaconda
Director: Tom Gormica
Stars: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Hans Bauer
A group of friends are going through a mid-life crisis. They decide to remake a favorite movie from their youth but encounter unexpected events when they enter the jungle.
No Ice Cube? No Jon Voight’s terrible accent? No J-Lo’s butt? Pass!

Merry Christmas everyone! Christ is the reason for the season. I will be mostly offline the rest of the month as there are so many events and gatherings to attend. May you all be blessed and I will see you in January for the next IWSG post.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Movie Reviews, and November Movie Preview

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the November 5 posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Lane, Jenni Enzor, Renee Scattergood, Rebecca Douglass, Lynn Bradshaw, and Melissa Maygrove!

November 5 question - When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?

I certainly couldn’t have predicted any of this! I thought one book and not much would change. But multiple books (a couple best sellers) and the Insecure Writer’s Support Group? Not to mention all the friends I’ve made along the way? That completely surprised me. And in a very good way!

Speaking of friends, we lost Sue, Elephant’s Child, last month. There is so much I could say about Sue, but Hilary and Nils both said it better. I will miss Sue’s Sunday Selections of birds, kangaroos, and flowers and her Words for Wednesday.

Reviews

John Candy: I Like Me

I’d heard good things about this documentary and it didn’t disappoint. Through his friends, fellow actors, and family, we learn about his actor journey. He was also a genuine person who elevated his fellow actors’ performances and devoted husband and father. (And I learned that interviewers often asked the crappiest questions, especially about his weight.) Definitely recommend it.

Weapons

All but one kid in a classroom vanishes in the middle of the night and many suspect their teacher.
While I certainly did not see it going the direction it did, it wasn’t an original direction. (I recently reviewed a film with the same trope.) It’s also more drama than anything else. It kept me interested but there were a couple major plot holes. From the doorcams, they knew which way the kids went – the cops couldn’t draw a line to their likely location? They also couldn’t bring in dogs? (I watch On Patrol Live – police dogs can find anyone!) If you can ignore those items, it’s worth a watch.

November Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for November. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

7 –

Predator: Badlands
Director – Dan Trchtenberg
Stars - Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
The Reeces Peanut Butter Cup of cinema – Predator and Alien universes. (But PG-13? Come on, man!)

14 –

The Running Man
Director – Edgar Wright
Stars – Emilia Jones, Glen Powell, Colman Domingo
A man joins a game show where contestants, allowed to go anywhere in the world, are pursued by "hunters" hired to kill them.
No Schwarzenegger? No Dawson? Color me skeptical.

21 –

Altered
Director - Timo Vuorensola
Stars – Tom Felton, Aggy K. Adams, Daniyar Alshinov, Richard Brake
In an alternate present, genetically enhanced humans dominate society. Outcasts Leon and Chloe fight for justice against corrupt politicians exploiting genetic disparity, risking everything to challenge the oppressive system.
Please stop giving away the entire plot in the trailer!

26 –

Zootopia 2
Directors – Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Stars – Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan
Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.
Mel Brooks put it best – The Search For More Money!

What did you imagine your author/writer career would look like? Did you know Sue? Seen either of the movies? And what movies catch your attention this month?
For those in the USA, have a great Thanksgiving!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Television Series Reviews, and October Movie Preview

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

October 1 question - What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?

Difficult to pick one, isn’t it? All five of my books have a special place in my heart. And the short stories / articles I have written otherwise. I mean, CassaStar was my first. With CassaFire, I got better. Then there’s Dragon of the Stars, a standalone I am very proud of. And finally, CassaDark, the finale I didn’t realize my series needed but I so enjoyed creating it.

That leaves CassaStorm, the middle child of my books. And probably still my best effort ever.

I thought I was wrapping up a trilogy (before CassDark came along) and so I threw the kitchen sink at it. Three points of view. The possible end of all races in the galaxy. Main character Byron stands to lose everything. And I think I pulled it all off and in a way that satisfies fans – and me! Crafting a novel is hard but I really think I managed to score a winner with CassaStorm.

What about you?

Series Reviews

Alien Earth
Enjoying the show despite the fact that occasionally the characters do things that are jaw-droppingly stupid. Come for the alien, stay for the eyeball creature.

Wednesday
This show is delightful. All the great elements of the Adams family and Tim Burton rolled into one. Quirky, fun, and Jenna Ortga nails the roll of Wednesday. Season two did not disappoint!

Mobland
Great cast especially Tom Hardy. While the show is compelling it’s hard to root for anyone when they are all so terrible. If you like gritty and violent with no redeemable characters, then you should enjoy it.

October Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for October. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

3 –

The Smashing Machine
Director: Benny Safdie
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader
The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion, Mark Kerr.
A heavy film about drug addiction…welcome to the jungle.

10 –

Tron: Ares
Director: Joachim Rønning
Stars: Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges, Evan Peters
A highly sophisticated Program, Ares, is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission.
Fingers, toes, and anything I can cross - really hoping this is good!

17 –

After the Hunt
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Stars: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri
A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light. The movie's tagline: Not everything is to make you comfortable. Mission accomplished!

What’s your favorite that you’ve written? Watched any of the series? What movie catches your interest this month?

Movie Reviews and Updates! And News of Roland Yeomans.

First, a bit of sad news…

Last week I asked if anyone had heard from Roland Yeomans. I was informed he passed away last month. Roland lost everything in Katrina, relocated to another part of Louisianna, and became a rare blood courier. He lost his job earlier this year, which just devasted him. (He was in his early seventies.) He also had heart issues and went into a care center, which is where he passed away. Roland was a great writer, an IWSG anthology author, and a good friend. He was dedicated to writing and I invite those of you who never read one of his books to try one. You can find his books and audiobooks on Amazon. I think my favorite will always be The Legend of Victor Standish.

Movie Reviews

I’ve only been to the theater once this past month but I have multiple movie reviews for you.

RiffTrax Live – Time Cop

Got out to the theater for this one and well worth the price of admission.
Released in 1994 and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, and Ron Silver, it’s actually a decent movie. Not A-class material but fun to watch.
However, despite its lack of awfulness, the guys came up with some of the best riffs ever for this film. Looking forward to seeing it again.
Not a lot of pre-movie slides, but there were some good ones:

Thunderbolts

A group of antiheroes band together after coming together in a death trap, going after the woman who sentenced them to die. Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Julia Louise-Dreyfus.
This film was so much fun despite its dark material. Not a ton of surprises but you will enjoy the ride. Certainly one of the better Marvel films as of late.
And the father-daughter team of Harbour and Pugh was great to watch – definitely the best two characters.
Highly recommended!

Monster Summer

Set on Martha’s Vineyard, this film has a group of friends going up against a monster preying on children.
It’s definitely a throwback to 80’s movies with an innocent nostalgic vibe.
The kids are likeable (not annoying) but they do make some dumb decisions. (Like kids do!)
Mel Gibson is the retired police investigator the main kid entices into helping solve the mystery. Both Gibson and the kid (Mason Thames) have incidents in their past that have left them damaged and this helps bring them together.
Probably its only issue is the lack of development in some of the characters, but some of this can be blamed on its short run time. (1:37!) It was still a fun movie though.
Recommended

Greenland

An idea that’s been explored before (most notably in Deep Impact) this movie keeps it on a personal level, following just the family.
The scenes of comet pieces striking the earth are well done and realistic. The acting is solid and the actors fill their roles well. (And Baccarin is still hot at forty-six!) Overall, the movie is top quality production.
Where it failed was the stupid decisions by the leads and a complete lack of urgency. Hello, there’s an extinction level event coming in less than two days! Yet they stop and stare, take time for showers, long chats, more bad decisions – as the clock continues to tick. I’ve never heard my wife scream ‘Move!’ so many times at a movie.
If you can jet past the slow stupidity, it’s worth a watch, but I can’t recommend it.

Movie News

The Labor Day weekend box office was a bit of a surprise. Weapons retook first place but coming in right behind it was the fiftieth anniversary release of Jaws. Considering every streaming service is showing Jaws right now, it’s amazing so many would shell out the big bucks to go see it in the theater.

Sony is releasing a 4K Blu-ray version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, also for its fiftieth anniversary. The restoration is supposed to be amazing.

Twenty years after the first film, Christophe Gans is bringing us Return to Silent Hill. Coming out next January, there is now a creepy movie trailer to watch:

Have you seen any of the movies? If so, what did you think? Ever seen a RiffTrax movie? How many times have you seen Jaws in the past fifty years? And did you know Roland?