Monday, August 12, 2013

The Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest and Elysium Movie Review! Plus CK Reader Giveaway, Ninja News, Book to Movie Trivia Answers, and Mini-Alex at the Beach

Today is the Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest!

But first…

Ciara Knight has created the CK Reader Giveaway, and I have the honor of being the first author! Featured on both CK Readers Giveaway on Facebook and on her BLOG. it’s a mixture of my journey with the series and quotes from the books. And there are prizes! Check it out.

Vacation was great, although I did miss you guys! Especially after such an awesome IWSG. But the wife and I enjoyed ourselves and yes, we took Mini-Alex to the beach.


He was impressed but not crazy about the sand. Gritty sand and Ninja outfits don’t mix. It was also hot, which is why he left the scarf at home.


Ninja News

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group was a huge success last week! Special thanks to my co-hosts, M. Pax, Karen Walker, and Melissa Maygrove. I couldn’t have done it without you, ladies.

Here is the official prize package for my CassaStorm announcement blitz the third week of September! (Mousepad, mug, swag, and $25 iTunes gift card.) Sign up to help me spread the word HERE. You can leave a question or just your name.

Julia King’s book is out today - Félicité Found. She’s also on tour, so check it out. Congratulations, Julia!

Kelly Polark revealed the cover for her September release, Rockabet. Congratulations, Kelly!


Book to Movie Trivia Answers

Movie - Book

1 – Carlito’s Way 1993 – After Hours by Edwin Torres 1979
2 – Manhunter 1986 – Red Dragon by Thomas Harris 1981
3 – Vertigo 1958 – The Living and the Dead by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac 1954 (US title, originally Dentre les morts)
4 – Silver Bullet 1986 – Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King 1983
5 – Taps 1981 – Father Sky by Edward Streeter 1949

Movie Review

Elysium
In a dystopian future, Matt Damon is trying to reach Elysium, a paradise orbiting Earth.
While not an original storyline, it’s at least not a remake! It’s gritty with a similar feel as District 9. (Both directed by Neill Blomkamp.) It’s grounded in reality yet the ships and weapons were futuristic. Damon does a great job carrying the film. I was caught in the story and enjoyed the ride.
I did have problems with a few plot points and some things didn’t quite track. The usually solid Jodie Foster played a one-dimensional character with a weird accent. The have-nots were genuine, caring people while the haves were stock cardboard cutouts.
Hard-core science fiction fans, go support it – otherwise, it’s a good rental.

Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest

A blog hop in honor of Mr. anti-blog hop himself, Gary at Klahanie. He's the best Anti-Challenge Spokesperson ever!

Hosted by Mark “Madman” Koopmans, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, “Life is Good” Tina, Rockin’ Robyn Engel and Morgan “The Morg” Shamy.

The rules are *very* simple. Create the titles of three PG-13 rated blogfests you would never join - and then add a descriptive sentence or two.

Blogfests I would never join:

Best SyFy Channel Original Films
Counting down from crap to craptactular!

Weirdest Places I’ve Thrown Up Blogfest
If only you knew where I’ve spewed!



My Favorite Urinal Cake Flavors Blogfest
That’s not lemon!

Go ahead and join the fun!



Excited about the new books? Sign up to help with CassaStorm? (Five more weeks!) Get any of the trivia correct? Did you see Elysium? And what blogfests would you never join…?

Be sure to check out the CK Reader Giveaway!

148 comments:

Sean McLachlan said...

I saw the preview for Elysium when I went and saw the latest Star Trek movie. it looks good. Two other previews in the same show were also about oppressive groups of rich people getting their comeuppance. It's the zeitgeist.

Suzanne Furness said...

Glad you had fun at the beach. Nope, don't think I'd sign up for any of those blogfests either! Gary's going to love some of these hops though!

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congrats on your writing honor Alex! Glad you had fun at the beach. Ugh, "The Weirdest Places I've thrown up" brings back memories for me. Thanks for hosting the anti-blogfest for Gary!

Julie

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'll probably wait for Elysium's dvd release--not because I'm so-so for seeing it, but life's a bit crazy at the moment. I FINALLY got to see Oblivion and unexpectedly liked it.
Glad to hear you had an awesome vacation!!

Anonymous said...

Good luck with new book Alex,


Still unwell ,and lonely.
Yvonne.

Mark Koopmans said...

Ah man, you soooo beat me with that Urinal Cake Flavors Fest.

THAT was awesome... (and sadly, now I want to know where the Linky is? :)

PS... many of the 110+ questions for the CASSASTORM blitz are HILARIOUS... I don't know how you are going to be able to answer them all !!!

PPS: Mini-Alex makes it to the Beach !!!

Brandon Ax said...

IWSG has been awesome to a part of. I am really enjoying getting round to people's blogs.

I took my daughter to see the new Percy Jackson movie since she read the books. I wanted to see Elysium, but maybe I will just wait.

Unknown said...

I hope the beach was fun for you and that you got some relaxing time in. The list is growing large on the anti-blogfest!

J.L. Murphey said...

Mini Alex at the beach sounds painful. I say the previews for the flick but haven't seen it yet. Cardboard character...ick!
The Anti blog hop sounds cool. Blog hops I wouldn't join...
Proctologist Just Have Fun blogfest, Suicides R Us blogfest

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Glad you got to have some fun beach time with the wife. And I hope that Mini-Alex behaved himself out in the sand. You made up some interesting hops Alex. While I'd do the SYFY one, definitely count me out of the other two. Can't wait for the CassaStorm Blitz and these new books sound good.

Unknown said...

A holiday is needed from time to time. Beaches seem ok for some ninja training, but I;m not the expert here. Have a great week!

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I forgot about the Anti-Blogfest! Today is going to be especially busy, but maybe I can think of a few entries.

So, do ninjas surf when they go to the beach, or do they just attack sand castles?

Vidya Sury said...

Hi Alex! Came here on my tour of the Gary Fest! This is so much fun! :-)

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I will bee seeing Elysium this week. There have been a lot of sci-fi films this summer haven't there Alex? Much more so than usual. I love it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Julie, probably not good memories...

Lynda, Oblivion surprised me as well.

Yvonne, I'm sorry.

Mark, knew you'd like that one. And yes, some of the questions will be quite challenging to answer with a straight face.

JL, those are good.

Sandra, no sand castle was safe from Mini-Alex.

Optimistic, I'll take all the science fiction films they want to throw at me.

Jemi Fraser said...

Ewwww to your 3rd blogfest! :P

Glad you had a great vacation!

mshatch said...

I'm hoping to go see Elysium this weekend or next with my brother - it is scifi after all, so I HAVE to go see it!

Unknown said...

I'll have to wait to see Elysium, but thanks fro the great review!
I'm with you on the Best SyFy Channel Original Films Counting down from crap to craptacular!
At least they have a good show in Defiance.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad you had a fun trip. And thanks for the review of Elysium. I'll just rent it but I'd like to see it.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I was flipping through the channels the other day and saw a movie, I believe on the Syfy channel, called - Piranahconda, or something like that. It was just as bad as you think it is.... :)

Saw "Mud" with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. Really good.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That last blogfest is gross!

Looks like Mini-Alex had fun at the beach.

Sabrina A. Fish said...

I love seeing all the places you take mini-Alex! I am waiting for PPV to see Elysium, though I am looking forward to it.
That's some nice SWAG you're giving away. Definitely have to check that out! Good luck on the book promotion. And yes, I am participating in the Anti-blogfest. Love some of the awful bloghops people have come up with!

Karen Lange said...

Glad you had a good vacation! Heading over to check out your post. :)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Looks like the weather held up for your beach trip! Glad to hear that. :)

Elysium sounds like one to wait for.

Love your entries for worst possible blogfests!

Trisha said...

Ohhheeeewwwwwwww - that was sort of a shout of surprised ending in 'ew', just in case anybody wondered. hehe. Nice blogfest ideas to avoid ;) Thanks for the tips!

This is such a fun blogfest, and I've only visited 3 blogs so far!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jemi, you should've seen the images the Google search pulled up...

David, their shows are good and movies awful. What up with that?

Sabrina, thanks for joining us.

A Beer for the Shower said...

Without giving away any spoilers I enjoyed Elysium, but I too felt Jodie Foster's character was a little one dimensional. I also thought her character had a weird ending. Not a lot of closure. And what the hell was up with that accent? She was a British Australian New Zealander from America...?

Oh, and I'm not a very happy-go-lucky person, but I have to say, it was a little depressing that it was 2 hours straight of "let's just take a huge s**t on Matt Damon."

Unknown said...

LOVED, Alex. Especially the weirdest places to spew. Great one. Does SyFy have any "best" original movies?

Mini-Alex at the beach got a substantial chuckle. It truly did.

Thanks for hosting!

M.L. Swift, Writer

Stephen Tremp said...

Looking forward to the September release week!

Hey, I think I spewed there too.

Ciara said...

We are happy to have you at CK Reader Giveaways today!

I want to see the new Matt Damon film!

Wanda said...

I bet mini Alex caught the eye of many at the beach.

Brian Miller said...

ok you are breaking my heart a bit with the review of elysium...

the prize pack looks awesome alex...

mm urinal cake recipe blogfest, total flashback to american psycho...ha...

can you imagine sand in your ninja outfit...oh my

Liesel K. Hill said...

Love your anti-blogfests! Especially the third one. Made me chuckle. (And wince.) :D Thanks for the Elysium review. I kind of figured it would be more of a rental for me, but glad to get a review of it. :D I'll sign up to help you spread the word about CassaStorm.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit...While watching the worst SyFy on that Channel, I almost threw up when I read "My Favorite Urinal Cake Flavors".

Jennie Bennett said...

I should've known better than eat breakfast while reading your blogfest choices. I'll be in my bathroom spewing now :)

Huntress said...

*still laughing*

So far, you take the cake (blah) in the Anti-Blogfest, Alex.

I wondered about Elysium. Heard it was a little too political. Sounds to me like a 'been there, done that' kind of movie. Not like Inception for instance.

Al Diaz said...

Sand can be a terrible thing when it gets under tight clothes. I think Mini Alex should have taken the bath suit to the beach.

That prize package is AWESOME!!!! If I had bigger font I would use it and if I had other blogs in English I would sign them in just to get more chances. (I might have my dwarves create some just for the occasion, hahaha. Evil me.)

Ida Thought said...

Alex you are so good at packing so much info into one easy to read blog post...I have a lot to learn. I joined the honour Gary frivolites (better late than never) Going to check out CK reader Giveaways page now.. thanks and all the best

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Got to spend the day with my lovely wife on Sunday and got to see Percy Jackson II, it had a little "I know what is going to happen" kind of feel. Over all it was a good film.

Enjoying the ANTI-FEST today, some great choices and it seems many are going with gross icky things...

Elysium is one I will wait for, now the score is great and no I don't have any close ties to it either, wink... one of the best scores this year!

Tina said...

I guess we're both vomit-phobic. My youngest would give you a run for your money on weirdest places...
I plan to rent Elysium, and great to see Mini-Alex in the sand. Probably a good idea to leave the scarf at home...
Tina @ Life is Good

Pat Hatt said...

You'd get many drunks joining in with number 2. And after the beach, I'm sure mini alex can do one "weird places where I found sand"

Rusty Carl said...

Intended on seeing Elysium over the weekend and ended up watching Bar Rescue for 9 hours instead. Needless to say. I feel awful.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brandon and Bryan, her character was just blah all the way around. And the movie was a bit of a downer. So was District 9.

Mike, not in my book they don't.

Ciara, thanks again!

Wanda, he was very popular. Me, not so much.

Brian, go anyway - you'll probably like it.

Karen, no one wants to see that.

Thanks, Liesel!

IB, you should've seen the images I found with a Google search...

JA, sorry!

Al, glad you like the prize package. Make all the blogs you want.

Jeremy, a day with your wife at the movies sounds great.

Tina, I don't want to know...

Pat, that would've been a good one!

Luanne G. Smith said...

I don't know...I think I'd sign up for the Sy-Fy originals Crapfest Blogfest. You can keep the urinal cake one though. :P

Bish Denham said...

OMG! Your blogfest choices about made me spew my coffee!

I'm so excited for Kelly! Yeah, Kelly!

Libby said...

I had no plans to watch Elysium but now I think I might. It's gritty that got me.

Manzanita said...

OMG Each one is worse than the last. As far as the cake goes, you take it.

Mark Means said...

I'll be passing on Elysium...not a huge Damon fan. Those hops had me laughing, literally...especially that last one...wow! :D

Glad you had a great vacation, but now it's back to work Captain! :)

ilima said...

Glad mini Alex (and mega? Alex) had a great time at the beach. And that swag pack of prizes for CassaStorm...I want it! :) I should have stopped reading before the Urinal Cakes...ew.

Jay Noel said...

Looks like you had a great time at the beach. At least your mini you did.

Looking forward to seeing Elysium too. Gotta keep good sci fi movies coming out!

Mina Lobo said...

LOL and GROSS to that last one, Alex! :-D Meanwhile, I see you and Tina have similar ideas for #2.
Some Dark Romantic

Morgan said...

Oh my gosh, Alex. You are SO FUNNY... those blogfests are AWESOME. (And horrible!)

Seriously such a great idea. And so glad Gary is being honored today!

And love all of the other news. (GO Julia and CassaStorm!)

Hart Johnson said...

Best places you've thrown up---Ewwwww!

Unknown said...

Thanks Alex for posting about Felicite Found. You rule!

I'm glad you guys had a great vacation. I love the pic of Mini-Alex.

Enjoy your day, Sir Alex. :D

The Angry Lurker said...

I screwed on Carlitos Way as I thought Afters hours was a prequel or sequel?

The Happy Whisk said...

That's not a lemon, hahaha.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Rusty, I watched Bar Rescue for at least two hours last night! Might have to hit the road to find that Moonshiner's place.

Bish, my work here is done...

Jay, that's right - support them unless they really suck.

Mina, yes we did!

Julia, you're welcome.

Fran, not sure which...

Nancy Thompson said...

EWWWW!!!

Charles Gramlich said...

I like Matt Damon pretty well. He does good action films.

Andrew Leon said...

I'll answer the question you asked on my blog, here:

I don't know much about other serials. Most of what I have seen is people serializing novellas not a single, actual book. John Scalzi serialized his most recent book as an e-book. I think he did 13 parts, and, then, released the physical book. The serial pieces add up to about the same as the physical book. I'm sort of looking at what he did for how I'm re-structuring mine. Of course, he's an uber-popular sci-fi author.

Beyond that, I'm not sure how people using Amazon's serial division are doing releases, but it kind of doesn't matter, since those are all linked together. Of course, the serial division didn't exist when I started releasing Spinner.

Cassie Mae said...

I can not stop laughing!!!! OMGosh, those blogfests are great.

I'd totally join the syfy one. Though I'd have a tough time narrowing it down. lol.

Bevimus said...

I will go sign up for the September giveaway right now!

Congrats to you, Julia and Kelly!

And wait- you WOULDN'T participate in a worst scy fy original countdown? Are you sure? Cause that seems totally up your alley!

Mine are up now (sorry for the technical difficulties earlier).

Unknown said...

Oh, that gave me a good loooong laugh! I'm betting the SyFy Channel has a Urinal Cake-based program in the works:)
WriterlySam

Unknown said...

Hey Alex! Happy Monday. I wanted to mention what a great idea you had to let us ask unique questions for your book release. Can't wait to find out your answer to mine and post about Cassastorm!

Thank you for the heads up on Elysium. Sounds interesting. I'll probably rent it.

And as for blogfests you wouldn't join... I have to agree! No urinal flavors for me, thank you :)

Jo said...

I didn't even know there was such a thing as urinal soap!!! I certainly wouldn't join those blogfests.

Glad you enjoyed your break, I rather agree with Mini Alex about the sand, I like to look at the ocean from a pier and not go near the gritty stuff.

Johanna Garth said...

Hi Alex, mini-alex looks adorable on the beach.

Do you have any inclination to see the new Percy Jackson movie? We saw it last night and it was really good!

Al Diaz said...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh, dear dragon, thank you for the really loud laugh. I shall summon the dwarves and start the brain storm for blog names immediately!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

You did very well to pick blogfests nobody would join. Then again, ya never know what people are into these days. I bet some do brag about places they've puked at. As for eating that kind of yellow substance, let's hope they don't boast.

Thanks for all your contributions to this fest, Alex.

xoRobyn

Leovi said...

Yes, nice, Mini-Alex enjoying the beach, and do not need sunscreen for sun!

Anonymous said...

Great Anti-Blogfest titles. lol

SK Anthony said...

Awww Mini Alex at the beach, love it!

The price package is awesome, I just got back from vacation myself so I didn't see it before, but I just signed up ;)

Elysium, I want to see it! I'll probably have to wait to see it as a rental so I guess it works out if I agree with your review lol

Heather M. Gardner said...

I'm always so impressed with Matt Damon. He's so unassuming that I never know if he can pull off a part but then he does.

Glad you had a nice time away. I understand about the sand in weird places, though. :)

You know I'm a big fan of yours and will support you in most anything...but those blogfests...yeah, I'm skipping them!

Heather

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Andrew, time for you to be uber-popular then!

Cassie, I'd be hard pressed to pick one film.

Beverly, thanks! And if it were the worst ones, I would participate.

Samantha, no!!!!

Thanks, Emilyann. I wanted to do something different.

Johanna, I'll probably watch it on NetFlix.

Al, you need a good laugh!

Robyn, glad you could be one of the hosts!

Gwen Gardner said...

I'm loving the Gary-Fest! You guys are hilarious. I definitely would not join the urinal cake blogfest *gags*

klahanie said...

Ah Ninja-type dude. What's happening?

Briefly, yay to Ciara.
Glad you enjoyed your beach adventures and the thoughts of um "IWSG".....

Nice, one Julia.
Kelly reveals her cover.
Never mind "Elysium", I'm heading towards Uranus.

Thanks, I sort of suppose, in making mention of the irony of ironies, anti-blogfest, blogfest. Somebody pinch me!

Yes, I'm excited about everything.

Gary :)

Michelle Wallace said...

Mini-Alex looks like he had a blast!
The Urinal Cake Blogfest... a definite no-no! Ewwww!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Gary should love all those titles that I've read. Sigh. Being a blood courier sapped me of all free time to come up with a worthy entry.

I hate to hear that the Have's were one-dimensional -- especially wasting Jodie Foster's talent.

Happy to hear that you and your family plus mini-Alex had fun at the beach!

farawayeyes said...

Definitely some blogfests I would MISS.

Elysium sounds better than I thought, but it will need to be a rental.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. so pleased you both had a great time at the beach .. even if mini Alex was being the gooseberry .. may be that's why his scarf is missing .. lost in the door catching ..

I am so glad I didn't go your route for 'off' type of blog posts .. not funny and perfectly yughy ..

Cheers and welcome back .. Hilary

Robin said...

There is something about the words "urine" and "urinal" that make everyone back away quickly. I felt my gag reflex kicking in just reading it. Urinal and Cake do not belong in the same sentence. Gah!

Glad you enjoyed your vacay, even if the sand was annoying. Sand in all the wrong places = less than fun.

Elysium struck me as "meh" from the first time I saw the previews. What is up with Matt Damon's movie choices lately????

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SK, thanks!

Heather, wise decision.

Gary, it's your day - enjoy!

Roland, sadly she was wasted.

Robin, you should've seen the images when I Googled urinal cake...

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

HA! Great non-blogfests ideas. For that first one, it would be oh-so-hard to narrow it down. I mean, with such high standards set by sure-to-be-classic flicks like "Sharknado" how do ya pick? (Um, NO, I didn't actually watch that one... the title was more than enough.)

Thanks for co-hosting this blogfest. It was a sweet way to show Gary some appreciation.

Emily R. King said...

Mini Alex looks like he had a fab time at the beach!

Emily R. King said...

Mini Alex looks like he had a fab time at the beach!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Your anti-choices were hilarious. And mini-Alex looks... well, I'm not sure. Sand and ninja suits generally don't mix well. Glad you had a nice holiday.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Too bad mini-Alex didn't have a great time, but sand is why I hate the beach myself. That and I can't swim. When I went on my cruise my wife kept complaining about me sitting on the beach chairs. Still fun though.

Mousepad, mug, swag, and $25 iTunes gift card?! What a haul!

I'm disappointed that Elysium wasn't better but his next film will be more true to form.

Christine Rains said...

Glad to hear you had a lovely vacation. And hey, I would join a Best SyFy Channel Original Films blogfest!

Here are a few blogfests I wouldn't join:
The Toe Jam Blogfest (strictly non-fiction)
What is Your Favorite Tie Worn by a Celebrity Blogfest
What's the weirdest thing you've dug out of your belly button? blogfest!

Carrie Butler said...

I love that you took Mini-Alex to the beach. He needed a vacation, too! :)

Hah! You picked some real winners for the blogfest. The third one made me shudder. ;)

Oh, and congratulations to Julia and Kelly!

Anonymous said...

The SyFy marathon sounds like a winner.

I'll check out Ciara's blog.

Isn't mini-Alex hot in that outfit?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, I wish I hadn't watched Sharknado!

Maurice, I imagine where you live swimming isn't a necessity.

Christine, those are awful!

Medeia, he was a little warm...

Toi Thomas said...

I liked your feature and giveaway on that other blog. That was a nice little history of your series. Glad your vacation went well and that mini-Alex survived the heat.

This is the craziest blog hop I've ever seen. Don't think I'm cool enough, but it's cool to watch.

Cherie Reich said...

Glad you had fun at the beach! I haven't been to the beach in probably 10 years or more.

Carol Kilgore said...

I hope you took Mini-Alex to a tiki hut while you were at the beach :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Eternal, thanks! I bet you're cool enough.

Cherie, you need to go.

Carol, unfortunately I didn't see any. Too far north I guess.

SC Author said...

Oh gosh. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH SUCH BLOGFESTS?! AHH!! Nope. Never joining those. Maybe. (Just kidding. Maybe.)

Samantha May said...

Just spit water everywhere. Those sound AWFUL. I think SciFi network one might actually be kind of fun though...

SHARKNADO TAKES ALL :D

Donna K. Weaver said...

Aw, I love the mini Cap'n Ninja in the sand.

Congrats to Julia. So excited for her.

And, ewww! Yeah. I wouldn't join those blogfests either.

S.P. Bowers said...

First off, ewww on the urinal blogfest.

Sand in the ninja suit must be very annoying. I hope he shook himself out well.

Unknown said...

I'm not in Gary's blogfest, but I'm enjoying all these blog titles. Bloggers are so creative!

Unknown said...

I'm enjoying this blofest-- thanks for hosting it, Alex. The beach and little Alex look good together.

The Words Crafter said...

Hahahahaha, you win with the blogfest titles!!!! Those were hilarious!

Congrats to Julia and Kelly and wow, that's an impressive prize package!

Mini-Alex is so brave! I'm glad the high tide didn't come in!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SC, I planned for weeks...

Samantha, my job here is done.

SP, I made sure he didn't bring any of it home.

Jenn and Damy, glad you're enjoying it!

Livia Peterson said...

I'm so glad Mini Alex had a fun time at the beach. Haha on the blogfests you wouldn't participate in.

I'm seeing Elysium tomorrow! I just recently saw District 9 and I liked the movie. I have ridiculously high expectations for Elysium and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Awesome review, Alex!

Chuck said...

Nice tan on mini-Alex...like burnt toast!! Glad you had a good time and hope you got all the sand out of MA's cracks :)

Signed up and looking forward to the CassaStorm kick-off...nice prize pack there.

Ya know, I didn't know the names of any of those books!!

Def want to see Elysium. I really enjoy Matt Damon movies (just watched Rainmaker a week ago, loved it).

Welcome back from the vacay!

J.L. Campbell said...

Your blogfest choices are eeewy.
Your prize package is super awesome.

Ella said...

Whoa on the blogfest! I will have to stop by tomorrow and see what I missed! We had 2 thundershowers and lost the power-no fun!
Glad you, Mrs. AC and Mini Alex had fun~

Elysium...sounds great!

Anonymous said...

So many great new books... congrats to the authors. Lots of new books for me to go and check out:) Thanks for sharing the latest and greatest.

Carrie-Anne said...

I'd never join a blogfest that had anything to do with a love of Twilight or Harry Potter. I love your blogfests, particularly the SyFy one.

If I participated in the throwing up blogfest (since I have a long history with motion sickness and a generally weak stomach), my most interesting location would probably be Masada.

Unknown said...

It's a same that elysium didnt do better at the box office. I read that original movies tend to fare far worse finanically than franchises, reboots and adaptations, which is a shame.

Helena said...

I might go see Elysium 'cause I like Matt Damon and I trust your judgment.

Best Syfy movies? A single old episode of The Twilight Zone creams all of them.

As I recall I signed up for your CassaStorm announcement (I'm not always lucid). I'm so happy to spread the word for you.

dolorah said...

Wow, fun at the beach, I'm so jealous of mini Alex.

Looking forward to helping you with your launch.

....dhole

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Why I didn't even know urinal cakes came on flavors! (Though my husband about panicked when our son was little and wanted a piece of "ice" from the urinal. Soooo gross!)

Glad you had a great vacation!!

Misha Gerrick said...

Hahahaha this is a hilarious anti-blogfest. ^_^

Misha Gerrick said...

Hahahaha this is a hilarious anti-blogfest. ^_^

G. B. Miller said...

I saw the trailers for Elysium, but probably I'll wait for it to come to cable before deciding to watch it, and knowing cable, they'll probably overkill it in the process. And given how I watch popular movies on cable, which is watch the last 20 minutes to see if its worth my while to watch it from the beginning, it may take me a few months to actually watch the entire movie.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Livia, you'll probably enjoy it, although the similarities in feel between those two movies will be even more pronounced.

Chuck, that made me laugh!

Ella, we've had a lot of thunderstorms lately.

Carrie-Anne, I couldn't join those other, because one I don't like and the other I haven't read. Masada, huh? Bet there's a story with that.

Jamie, and that is a shame!

Helena, that made me chuckle. Old Twilight was better.

Elizabeth, that's disgusting.

GB, sometimes that's how I end up watching a film...

Unknown said...

Elysium looks pretty cool, looking forward to seeing it.

The giveaway package looks awesome, Alex!

Mina Burrows said...

Okay, the urinal cake one is hilarious. :)

I wanted to see Elysium too. Now I'm not so sure. I signed up for CassaStorm book tour. Do you have a button to put it on my blog yet?

Julie Flanders said...

Totally cracked up about the urinal cake, yuck! Glad you had a good time at the beach and Mini-Alex looks like he's having a blast in spite of the sand and heat.

Michael Di Gesu said...

YUK!!!!


Not the greatest topics for a blogfest! Thankfully I haven't eaten breakfast yet!


Alex, you surprised me with these...

Congrats Julia and Kelly! All the best ladies!

GREAT PRIZE PACKAGE ALEX!!!! AWESOME!!!!

jaybird said...

So happy you enjoyed your vacation with the wife. Sorry Mini-Alex didn't like the sand. My girls are not fans of sand either, since it tends to stick in unfortunate places. LOL

I loved your review of Elysium! I don't get to the movies much, so I have to really pick and choose which we go to see. I like getting an idea of what I'm in for before I shell out the cash for all five of us in the Bird's Nest to go. It's like a car payment! The movie has to be really, really good for us to want to make the trip. :)

Julie Dao said...

Glad you and Mrs. Ninja and Ninja Alex enjoyed the beach! Even if sand isn't the best when you're in ninja attire.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mina, you can snag the release button.

Julie, he was rocking the waves!

Michael, sorry! No idea where the urinal cake idea came from...

Jaybird, I'd wait on Elysium, especially if you're paying for five.

Leovi said...

Elysium looks interesting, I'll see if I have any problems with the plot!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I would never sign up for an Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest. :D

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

Love the photo of mini-Alex on the beach. What fun!!! Thanks for sharing.

Mary Montague Sikes

Deniz Bevan said...

Ew, puking! You guys all have the funniest anti-blogfest ideas.

Wish I could get to a beach. It's cold up here, mini Alex would definitely need his scarf :-)
Glad you had a nice vacation!

cleemckenzie said...

Nothing like a vacation at the beach!

Leigh Covington said...

LOL! I like the throw-up blogfest line you said. Hilarious.

Catherine Stine said...

Cute beach pix of "little Alex". I saw Elysium, and yeah, it wasn't as good as Distric 9, but I'm a sucker for great art direction. Loved the visuals and the vibe. In fact, I'd see it again for that alone.

Robyn Campbell said...

Signed my name on the list to help with CassaStorm! What a great prize package.

Hahaha. Great idea Gary had for an anti-blogfest. Too bad I missed it. I have a few. Trust me! ;-)

Congrads to Kelly and Julia. YaY!

Mini-Alex looks like he has sand in his ninja outfit. That's just sad. ;-)

Hopping over to Ciara's to check your responses.

Hannah said...

you know I don't see many movies in the theater, but Elysium's been on my list since day one. I'll be seeing that soon and in the theater. Just waiting for a quiet afternoon or evening...I shall see you, Elysium. There are not enough good scifi movies in the world. I need MORE!!

Also, I saw OBLIVION. I liked it, but it was the furthest thing from original. Sad.

Ray Rousell said...

Elysium does look good, I saw a clip at the Cinema the other day.

Tonja said...

I did not see Elysium. But I saw Planes. Worst movie ever.

As I thought those words while walking out of the movie theatre wishing I had my $18 and 1.5 hours back, my little guy screamed, "BEST MOVIE EVER!!!" I said, "But no one laughed." (During the movie, I did hear several kids whining, "WHAT IS HAPPENING???!!")

He said, "I laughed once." Then kids behind us screamed, "Best movie EVER!" I said, "I didn't hear anyone laughing." They said they laughed a little. And then my little guy explained to me the whole movie in detail for 30 minutes so I would get how awesome it was. *Sigh*

Melissa said...

Woot! for Mini Alex. Hang ten, little buddy.

And--gah!--I did NOT need that peek into the men's restroom. LOL Although, #2? That's a winner for sure. :P

Great bloghop entry, Alex. ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Patricia - zing!

Deniz, I'll trade you!

Leigh, I am here for your amusement.

Catherine, it was pretty spectacular as far as the visuals.

Thanks, Robyn!!

Hannah, go support your local science fiction film! Sorry, never saw the original Oblivion.

Tonja, you have my deepest sympathies...

Melissa, thanks!

Unknown said...

Elysium looks cool. Can't wait to see it. :-)

Your ideas for Gary's Anti-blogfest were hilarious! I totally forgot to post, but I'm going around commenting on those who did.

Anonymous said...

LOL at that blogfest! I also found Jodie Foster's performance weirdly lacking in Elysium :-( She is one of my favorite actors though.

Shell Flower said...

Thanks for the Elysium review. It's the first movie my boyfriend has wanted to see in the theater lately, so glad to know it would make a better rental. I LOVE your blogfest ideas. OMG, "If only you knew where I’ve spewed!" is quite original. Glad you, the wife, and mini-Alex had fun at the beach. Even though I live on Puget Sound, I really miss the actual surf.

Katherines Corner said...

I can't stop giggling from reading this post. The urinal cake took me over the edge, lol. xo P.S. I am looking forward to seeing Elysium I hope it doesn;t take to long to get to dvd.

Petronela said...

:)))))))))))))) I adore Gary...he's my hero :))) anti or not anti.

Yolanda Renée said...

Okay, so someones' mind was definitely in the toilet! :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Looks like Mini Alex enjoyed the beach holiday a lot :)

DMS said...

This blog hop has had me laughing all over the internet. So many hilarious topics. I can imagine the throw up hop would have some interesting comments! lol.
~Jess

Ella said...

JoBlo sounds amazing!
I think Mini Alex needs some new accessories. I might have something he would like. I will work on it and let you know, when it is finished :D

This was insane blog hop! I wish I had joined in-but sepia dust is part of my attic portal to another time n' dimension!

Happy Wedneday Captain...urinal cakes-oh, my-

Kirsten said...

I just wanted to stop by and say that Mini-Alex looks great on the beach! Too bad he's not keen on the sand, but I hear it's bad for guitars so I don't blame him. :)
Those blogfests? Ewww.
But funny. :)

randi lee said...

That anti-blogfest thing sounds like a lot of fun. I think I'm going to have to check it out. Thanks for sharing, and glad you had a great vacation, Alex :D

Bossy Betty said...

Stopping by to say ho and to thank you for your comment!