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 January 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Diedre Knight, and Natalie Aguirre!
Welcome to 2024! Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.
January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?
I confess, I am not great at keeping up with BookBub. I follow back everyone though.
And #IWSGPit is on hold while we search for a new platform. We just don’t have enough admins to cover Twitter anymore and are looking at other social media platforms as well as hosting it on the main IWSG site. We will keep you posted.
Movie Reviews
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Directed by James Wan, Jason Momoa is back as Aquaman and Patric Wilson as his brother.
Critics have been hating on this film for months and still not sure why. The film as a whole is an enjoyable adventure. The second half is better, reeling us in for an adventurous romp.
It is a bit derivative, taking from a lot of other movies and offering no big plot surprises. And sometimes it’s a bit too much tell rather than show.
But if you enjoyed the first one, you will definitely enjoy this one.
Highly recommended.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Having pulled off an escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in.
Voiced by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi as Ginger and Rocky, now parents to Molly, this grand adventure is as fun as the original and featuring the same great characters.
Hard to capture the innocence of the first one, but this sequel comes really darn close. If you liked the first one, you’ll enjoy this one.
Highly recommended!
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire
When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, a mysterious stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival.
Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Sofia Boutella – take one heaping tablespoon of Star Wars, add another heaping tablespoon of The Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven, add a pinch of Firefly and a dash of Inglorious Bastards and you have Rebel Moon.
Having said all that, the film is enjoyable. It’s a fascinating mess to watch.
It certainly did not live up to my high hopes nor is it as dismal as the reviewers say.
If you’re in the mood for a derivative science fiction adventure with great production values, this is it.
January Movie Preview
Here are the theatrical releases for January. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.
5 –
Night Swim
Director - Bryce McGuire
Stars - Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle
A woman swimming in her pool at night is terrorized by an evil spirit.
It turns out it was just a Baby Ruth floating in the water…
12 –
The Beekeeper
Director - David Ayer
Stars - Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi
In The Beekeeper, one man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as "Beekeepers".
Sorry folks, not a lot of good BUZZ on this one…
19 –
I.S.S.
Director - Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Stars - Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr.
When a world war event occurs on Earth, America and Russia, both nations secretly contact their astronauts aboard the ISS and give them instructions to take control of the station by any means necessary.
Not sure why controlling the ISS makes any difference – you’re not going back to a nuked Earth!
26 –
American Star
Director - Gonzalo López-Gallego
Stars - Ian McShane, Thomas Kretschmann, Nora Arnezeder
An assassin on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck.
It’s not a Tom Cruise biopic…
Who do you follow on BookBub? Seen any of the movies? Looking forward to any movies this month?
