Reviews: The Northman and Doctor Strange, A to Z Challenge Favorites, and New Releases

This Wednesday, I’m visiting Shannon Lawrence!

Movie Reviews

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.
This is how the movie is being billed. This is not the movie at all!
Without giving anything away, it’s another solid if a bit underwhelming entry into the Marvel Universe.
I was a bit disappointed with the main villain. (No spoilers.) And for whatever reason, I just wasn’t as fully invested as I was in other Marvel films.
Sam Raimi directorial style lends itself well to this horror-tinged Marvel entry. He throws in a lot of Evil Dead references.
There are a ton of surprise guests that relate back to the Disney+ television shows. And even more than that. (And one Sam Raimi regular that will make you smile.)
There were not enough multiverses. They flash through dozens on the first venture, but there are only two they dwell in.
Overall I liked it, and everyone did a great job in their roles, but I didn’t love it.
Recommended for fans and for fun.

The Northman

An action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder.
This is the original Hamlet, based on a Norse story. (Shakespeare wrote his Hamlet after reading this story.) Alexander Skarsgård is Hamlet, Nicole Kidman his mother, Claes Bang his murderous uncle, Ethan Hawke his father, and Anya Taylor-Joy is Olga, his love.
If you know the works of director Eggers, you know this is going to be a bit strange. Go into it thinking art house meets action film.
Skarsgård is perfect as Hamlet. A hulking Viking figure. On a noble quest that goes horribly awry.
It really had the feel of an epic Viking tale. From the haunting soundtrack, the strange musical interludes, and the incredible cinematography. And a special mention to some of the camera shots which I have no idea how the director got them.
This is a film for anyone who is in the mood for something different, something other than the standard Hollywood fare.
If the above review hasn’t scared you away, then I highly recommend it.

A to Z Challenge

Those of you who participated in the A to Z Challenge, did you have fun? I participated the first year and for many years afterwards as an admin, but I know it would overwhelm me now. Life changes.

There were some fun themes though. In case you missed them, here are some I enjoyed. (Being the geek that I am.)

Diedre Knight’s posts focused on design, namely unique designs of buildings around the world. Every day was fascinating. Most of the places I’d never heard of but would love to visit someday.

J.S. Pailly did a series on Our Place in Space. In his words - I’ll be taking you on a partly imaginative and highly optimistic tour of humanity’s future in outer space. And it was a fun and educational adventure.

P.T. Dilloway posted his collection of action figures, which is impressive considering he covered every letter! Since I’m a DC guy, some of the Marvel character he posted were new to me.

Carrie-Anne paid homage to famous people from Ukraine, really giving in depth history into their lives. Amazing the talent that came from that area.

And Challenge founder Arlee Bird posted about his remaining vinyl collection. Want a trip back to the 60’s and 70’s? Check it out and thank him for starting the A to Z Challenge.

New Releases and More

Particular Passages 2: East Wing
Featuring The Killing Tree by Shannon Lawrence

15 Stories 15 Authors
Down another forgotten hallway lie more unexplored rooms.
Each room contains another world waiting to be discovered.
Some are wonderful and beautiful, others are dark and terrible.
You won't know which until you step inside.
So take a deep breath, and open the door...

Find it on Amazon

The Omen of Crows Nest by Cathrina Constantine

No blood. No body. No murder.
That's what the police found after Penelope spun her bizarre tale. In a hysterical state, she said her father was butchered and eaten by a mob of birds ~ in her bedroom.
They claim she's crazy.
That she suffers from delusions.
Penelope is dead set on proving them wrong.
After being institutionalized for eight months, Penelope is out and more determined than ever to find answers to her so-called hallucinations. With her father's untimely disappearance, she's convinced her family is hiding something sinister.

Find it on Amazon

And finally, the IWSG was asked to do a podcast and Diane Wolfe represented us. Check it out!
Voice America

Have you seen either movie and what did you think? What were some of your favorite themes during the A to Z Challenge? Picking up new books?

Be sure to visit Shannon Lawrence on Wednesday!

My final tour stop will be Friday, May 27 at Armed With a Book. Outside of that, I’ll see you June 1 for the next IWSG!

Picard, Freaks, and Color Out of Space Reviews, Plus Ninja News

Show/Movie Reviews

Picard

Seven episodes in (ten total) and I can at last do a proper review of this series.

This series is a love letter to everyone who enjoyed Next Generation. Picard is such a great character and it’s always joyous to see him return to the screen.

Some find the series slow but I think the pacing is perfect. It gives the story and characters time to fully develop.

The characters are great and they are allowing them to grow and be fleshed out over the course of the series. None are perfect—they all come with baggage—but that makes them real. Raffi especially is a damaged person, but she still tries to do her best and the right thing.

Slight spoilers:

Dahj and Soji the daughters of Data? Now that is just awesome.

Seven of Nine is basically a ranger now and needs her own show. (And yes, Jeri Ryan is still hot.)

The interaction between Soji and the Romulan was the weakest part, but now that he’s shown his true colors and she knows who she is, it’s kicked up into a higher gear.

Episode seven featured Picard visiting Will Riker, Deanna Troi, and their daughter. In another series (like Discovery) they would be bitter and hateful and bad things would happen because Picard visited them. But no, true to the pureness of Rodenberry’s vision and spirit, Riker and Deanna were happy and still in love. It was touching to watch.

Unlike Discovery, this is a show I will watch again. Highly recommended! And I can’t wait to see how it ends.

Freaks

Released in 2018, this small film stars Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Lexy Kolker, and Grace Park (Boomer/Athena/Number Eight from Battlestar Galactica.)

Young Chloe is not allowed to leave the house. Her father has barricaded them in, leaving only for food and supplies, telling her the world outside is very dangerous. But there’s something unique about Chloe and you wonder what is real and what’s not. What’s up with the ice cream truck outside? What happened to her mother? What is really going on?

This film is a unique take on the mutant genre. It’s small scale and intimate, and you can tell the creators and crew cared very much and made the most of their tiny budget. (The emphasis is on the characters, but the special effects are still well done.) While not a great film, that caring translates into a really solid film that will keep you guessing for a while.

Color Out of Space

An alien invasion movie based on a Lovecraft story of the same name.

The daughter is a practicing wiccan, the oldest son a stoner, the youngest son has security issues, mom has cancer, and dad (played by Nicolas Cage) is your typical bat-crap crazy Nicolas Cage. Oh, and they live on a remote estate, a hippie also lives on the land (Tommy Chong!), and they raise alpacas.

And things only get weirder when the meteor lands on their property and the alien entity starts to spread…

The movie is very trippy. It has elements of Annihilation and The Thing, and while the original story was set about a hundred years ago, this one is firmly planted in today’s time and modernized.

There’s not a lot I can say about it without giving the story away. That and the weirdness is difficult to describe. You have to see it to believe it!

If you like trippy films or just enjoy watching Nicolas Cage go even more bat-crap crazy, then this is an interesting movie to watch.

Ninja News

It was another great Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day! Thanks to all who participated and commented – and to those who offered to co-host. We are good to go the next two months.
We will also be announcing the genre and judges for the next IWSG Anthology Contest on April 1! You’ll have to wait until May 6 for the theme and the opening of the contest though. But the theme is really cool and we have seven awesome agents/authors/editors lined up as judges.

Write Club starts soon!
DL Hammons is looking for judges – see his site for more information and to contact him.

The A to Z Challenge starts April 1. (Which is also April Fool’s Day and the next IWSG post – it’s going to be busy in the blogging world!)
Visit the site to sign up and get the scoop on upcoming dates.




According to JoBlo, shooting will start soon for the Hawkeye series. Jeremey Renner will reprise his role as Hawkeye. The series is set to appear on Disney+.

Also on JoBlo, there is early praise for A Quiet Place: Part II:
The release of A QUIET PLACE: PART II is mere weeks away and one of the biggest questions leading up to its upcoming release is if it can possibly live up to the nerve-racking inducing horror and tension of the first film? It might be time for some of us to rest easy because the film recently screened for the first round of press and it appears that we're in for a sequel that isn't a shameless cash grab and it more than justifies its existence.

Have you been watching Picard? Seen either Freaks or Color Out of Space? Excited about the next IWSG Anthology Contest? Participating in either the A to Z Challenge or Write Club?
My next post will be March 23.

New Avengers: Endgame and Shazam Trailers, James Gunn and Guardians, In Flames Review, DIY MFA, and Ninja News

Movie News

Good news! James Gunn has been reinstated as the director-writer of Guardians of the Galaxy III.
Gunn was fired last year after some decade-old social media comments surfaced.
According to Deadline:
The social media messages were indefensible, but the filmmaker never did anything but blame himself for poor judgment displayed at a time when he was emerging from the Troma film factory and attempting to be a provocateur. There were no reports that Gunn ever engaged in the behavior he lampooned.
The entire cast of the film was outspoken in its desire to have Gunn back, saying that those satiric tweets did not match his personal actions.
Gunn didn’t murder or rape anyone, he didn’t abuse animals or people – he just said some dumb things ten years ago. This was mob mentality condemnation. Disney was wrong to fire him, but at least they hired him back.
And now we’ll get a third Guardians movie that doesn’t suck!

In case you missed the new Avengers: Endgame trailer last week:

There’s also a second international trailer for Shazam:

Despite being a DC fan, I was wary when I saw the first trailer, but a recent early screening revealed that this film knocks it out of the park.

Here is a tweet from @AshCrossan:
#Shazam was damn near PERFECT in my book. My FAVORITE DC movie (DCEU? What are we saying now?) by far. Pure of heart, incredibly funny, full of in-jokes and references. Brought me a childlike joy to watch. This role was MADE for @ZacharyLevi... & Jack & Asher & the entire cast

Read dozens of comments on the movie at JoBlo’s.

Review – In Flames: I the Mask

Every review I read regarding this band begins with a caveat explaining that the classic In Flames is gone and will never return. And while I don’t disagree with that statement, I appreciate that as a band ages and matures, their sound hopefully matures along with them.
So yes, the classic days of Colony and Clayman are gone. But I dig the new sound. Building on their Gothenburg, Sweden roots, it’s still heavy yet melodic and catchy.
It took a few listens for this album to grow on me, but I think it’s their strongest release in years.
Highly recommended.

Ninja News

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group will have some exciting news soon regarding this year’s anthology contest. Be sure to check out the site on April 3!

The A to Z Challenge is celebrating its tenth year. Ten years ago, a hundred of us made a commitment to post the alphabet daily for a month and at its height, there were over two thousand participants.
I stepped down as a co-host and no longer participate, but it’s still a great way to meet people and stretch yourself. Signups are open, so visit the site for details.



New Release:
Three Passports to Trouble by Sean McLachlan
Interzone Mystery Book 2
Back in the days when Tangier was an International Zone, the city was full of refugees. People fleeing Stalin. People fleeing Franco. People fleeing the Nuremburg Trials. Tangier offered a safe haven from the chaos of Europe.
The International Council had to keep a delicate balance, tolerating everything from anti-capitalist agitators to Germans with murky pasts. It was the only way to keep the peace, and it worked.
Until an anarchist was found dead with a fascist dagger in his chest.
And I got stuck with the case just when I had to smuggle a couple of Party operatives out of town.
Find it on Amazon

DIY MFA

We are partnering with DIY MFA this spring to bring you a great program for writers.

Before we announce details, we’ll be sharing several of their learning podcasts.

The next one is Episode 233: Crafting the Victorian Novel — Interview with David Morrell.

Check it out and be watching next month for details about the program.

Glad Guardians III has its writer-director back? Excited for Endgame and Shazam? Fan of In Flames? Participating in the A to Z Challenge? And want to guess on the IWSG anthology contest news?

A to Z Challenge: Ultroz, Vibra-Transmitter, Weightlessness, X Gun, Yeast Steak, and Zero-Ray! Plus Challenge Survivor Gear

A to Z Challenge!

My theme - Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More!

The term, its meaning (definitions from Technovelgy), and first book appearance / a movie that features this term / a blogger buddy who reminds me of that term.

I’m also the guinea pig for an experiment – A to Z Lite. I get between 100-170 comments per post in April during the Challenge. And it has just become too much to return that many every day, six days a week. The other A to Z Admins agreed to an A to Z Lite trial run. A to Z Lite means I will just be posting a handful of times this month and multiple letters at a time. I also won’t be visiting every single person every single day, although I will return all comments. Hope everyone understands.

Ultroz 
Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective.

This amazing substance appeared in Philip Frances Nowlan’s short story, Armageddon: 2419 AD in 1928.

The closest film I could think of to use this substance is 1979’s Buck Rogers. So many unexplained power sources from the Draconian Empire, not to mention on Earth. The movie was the prelude to the series and starred Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc, and Pamela Hensley.

Rachna Chhabria at Rachna's Scriptorium must have access to this material. She’s come in under the radar and accomplished so much with her writing and her knowledge. It will amaze you!

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Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation)
An early use of the notion of matter transmission.

(Teleportation is a favorite of mine and a key feature in my Cassa series!)

Telepathy and telekinesis appeared long before teleportation. Vibra-transmitter/teleportation was featured in Frank K. Kelly’s short story, Into the Meteorite Orbit in 1933.

A movie that featured all of that is X-Men: Days of Future Past. Wolverine is teleported into the past to save the future. Starring Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, and Peter Dinklage.

J E Oneil at Still Writing will teleport you back to a time when language was simpler – or not! Either way, you will learn a thing or two, and be amused in the process.

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Weightlessness (Kepler)
The notion that there could be a location with zero effective gravity

This appears in what it considered the first science fiction book, Somnium (The Dream) by Johannes Keplar in 1634. Written in 1608 in Latin.

A prime example of this is 2013’s Gravity. The characters spent the entire film in zero gravity and weightlessness. It starred Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.

Beverly Stowe McClure at The Story of a Writer makes this author thing look easy. She floats through it all with ease with numerous books and awards. But it’s her grace and attitude that makes it all possible.

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X Gun (X-Beam Projector)
A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition.

First appearing in Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles in 1937.

There are probably others, but the first movie that came to mind was 1983’s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. This is something that was probably employed on the planet where Spock’s body was laid to rest in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, as the planet was basically created by the Genesis Project. Starring the usual suspects – William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols.

Liz A. at Laws of Gravity probably wishes she had an X-Bean Projector. Then maybe she could figure out some of her crazy students. For an adventure in puberty and more, jump on for the ride.

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Yeast Steak 
Growing custom strains of yeast as food.

Yeast steak was first mentioned in a short story by Isaac Asimov in 1950, The Evitable Conflict. It also appeared in several collections, including I, Robot, The Complete Robot, and Robot Visions.

The movie that fits the bill – 2013’s Snowpiercer. Those in the lower class system aboard the Snowpiercer are fed a synthetic, Jell-O like substance grown on the train. This low-budget film was surprisingly original and starred Chris Evans, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, and Kang-ho Song.

Robyn Alana Engel at Life by Chocolate isn’t about to grow her own yeast steak. Unless it’s made of chocolate. Or men. Or maybe chocolate men? Either way, she’ll satisfy you!

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Zero-Ray
Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue.

We see the Zero-ray first in a short story by Clark Ashton Smith in 1931 – An Adventure in Futurity.

One movie fits the description perfectly - Despicable Me. Gru used his Freeze-ray gun to get ahead of the line at the coffee shop and to silence the Evil Vector. Released in 2010, it starred the voice talents of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, and Julie Andrews.

Deb at Just Keepin' It Real, Folks! will zap you every time! No topic is sacred. No subject too weird to tackle. She’ll freeze you every time, right down to your funny bone.

Ninja News

We’re almost at the end! Are you a Challenge survivor? Then tell the world.
Co-host Jeremy Hawkins has created a t-shirt and a mug so you can proudly tell everyone that you survived the 2016 A to Z Challenge!

Just released!
Seismic Crimes by Chrys Fey
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Wild Rose Press

Think it’s about time someone invented teleportation? Want to ride on the Vomit Comet so you can experience weightlessness? Want to snack on some yeast steak? Fan of the movies featured? Following those awesome bloggers? And did you survive the 2016 A to Z Challenge?

After a busy month and with the IWSG post day next Wednesday, I will be taking next Monday off! Don’t forget the IWSG’s anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, comes out next Tuesday, May 3.

A to Z Challenge - Optic Prosthesis, Parallel Universe, Quantum Power, Ray Gun, Shuttle, and Time Machine! Plus New Releases

A to Z Challenge!

My theme - Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More!

The term, its meaning (definitions from Technovelgy), and first book appearance / a movie that features this term / a blogger buddy who reminds me of that term.

I’m also the guinea pig for an experiment – A to Z Lite. I get between 100-170 comments per post in April during the Challenge. And it has just become too much to return that many every day, six days a week. The other A to Z Admins agreed to an A to Z Lite trial run. A to Z Lite means I will just be posting a handful of times this month and multiple letters at a time. I also won’t be visiting every single person every single day, although I will return all comments. Hope everyone understands.

Optic Prosthesis
A replacement for a damaged eye.

This first appeared in Roger Zelazy’s Changeling, published in 1980.

And the perfect example of that is found in Star Trek Generations. (Or any Next Gen Star Trek movie or show.) Released in 1994, this was the film that merged the original series with Next Generation, thus passing the baton to a new crew. It featured LeVar Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, a man without sight but able to see with the use of a VISOR that connects directly to his brain. Generations starred Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Johnathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Malcolm McDowell, and the rest of the Next Gen crew.

You want to meet someone who views the world a little differently? Gail from At The Farm is a creative, no-nonsense, animal-loving, and faithful individual. If you have a damaged view on the world, she will set you straight.

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Parallel Universe
An entirely separate realm or universe that exists along with our own; it may be wildly different or vary from ours by only a tiny degree.

No surprise – this first appeared in H.G. Well’s novel, Men Like Gods, in 1923.

There are many movies about parallel universes. (And the IWSG anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, is all about them!) One that weaves the worlds tight is Looper, a science fiction thriller about a man who kills those the mob sends back in time – until they send an older version of himself. That’s when the parallel worlds come into play – can you change the future or the past? And if you can, is it really a parallel world? Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, Looper came out in 2012.

Author J.H. Moncrieff just might give you that parallel universe. Want to see beyond the ordinary? Want to know the weird and strange that is in the world? Then JH is your gal.

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Quantum Power
Power generation through photon fission.

This didn’t originate with a book story, but from the video game Alpha Centauri by Sid Meier. Published by Fraxis Games in 1999, this game was a ‘sequel’ to Meier’s Civilization.

The best example of quantum power is found in 2015’s Ant-Man. Marvel’s smallest superhero battled a man bent on selling technology to the highest bidder in this hilarious and excellent film. Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, and Michael Peña, Ant-Man not only has a sequel in the works, but he appears in Captain America: Civil War.

Quantum power is what fuels Ann at so much to choose from. She tackles so many topics, only that could explain her energy source!

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Ray Gun
A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy

The first instance of this was in the 1916 movie, The Intrigue, and it was actually called an X-ray gun. The first ray gun appeared John W. Campbell’s story, The Black Star Passes in 1930. (Republished in 1953 as a collection of short stories.)

The ray gun has been used in hundreds of movies, so I decided to pick a unique one – Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Technically a two-part miniseries, this film came out over a year after the series ended and was intended to wrap up the cliffhanger and tie up loose ends. The key regular characters returned, played by Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, and Wayne Pygram.

Heather R. Holden from Welcome to the Edge owns a ray gun and more! This uber-talented artist shoots from the hip and she will zap you with her amazing web comics.

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Shuttle
A space craft that travels point to point in space.

Shuttles as we know them appeared in 1950 in Theodore Sturgeon’s short story, Stars are Styx, later released as a novel, The Stars are the Styx.

Like ray guns, shuttles have appeared in many films. One was used in the 2000 film Space Cowboys to get the men up to a Russian satellite to fix it. The movie itself is cheesy fun and features the talents of Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Southerland, James Garner, and James Cromwell.

Birgit at BB Creations is that shuttle. She will transport you to a time of simpler movies and dazzle you with her incredible homemade cards.

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Time Machine
A device allowing the rider to move freely in the temporal dimension, just as we ordinarily do in the two physical dimensions normal to gravity.

No surprises here! It appeared first in The Time Machine by H.G. Wells in 1895.

Time machines come in all forms. A very interesting one appears in the 1981 movie Time Bandits. A group of dwarves use a special map to locate time holes and travel in search of treasure they can steal. From director Terry Gilliam, it’s a quirky and fun film starring John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, and David Warner.

Fundy Blue at Standing Into Danger is the ultimate time machine. She will take you back many years to a time and place of harsh living and survival. The journey down this time trek will enthrall you.

New Releases!

Broken Angel by Sylvia Ney
Find it at Amazon

Love, Lattes, and Angel by Sandra Cox
Find it at Kensington Books

A Worange for Orange by Pat Hatt
Find it at Amazon

Through the Garden Gate by Patsy Collins
Find it at Amazon

Can you think of any other instances of optic prosthesis? Excited about the upcoming IWSG anthology? Fan of Ant-Man? Did you watch Farscape back in the day? Fan of Terry Gilliam movies? Following those awesome bloggers or picking up some new books? And have you learned anything on this science fiction journey…?

Unfortunately, I will be gone Wednesday through Friday for training. (Really glad I’m doing A to Z Lite.) Since I will only have a couple hours each night, I’ve decided it would be easier to just respond to comments, check emails, and continue to maintain the A to Z Challenge list. Hope everyone understands. Will miss you guys! Catch you Saturday.