Remakes Blogfest, Murder on the Orient Express Review, Justice League, and New Releases

Movie Review

Murder on the Orient Express

Based on the novel by Agatha Cristie, Inspector Hercule Poirot must solve a murder on a luxury train.
The cast is outstanding. Kenneth Branagh stars and directs, handling both roles with ease. Also on board are Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Daisy Ridley, and many more. Everyone looks like they enjoyed slipping into their roles.
The cinematography is amazing. The train zipping through the snowy mountains – wow. Plus it boasted some quirky camera angles. The use of camera in a confined location such as a train are really interesting.
The story was a clever twist of clues and unique characters, plus there was some quirky fun humor and lines.
This film would’ve been a great entry for the blogfest today, but sadly I’ve not seen the original nor read the book, so I can’t make a comparison. It did keep me guessing until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Recommended.

Justice League

Comes out this week! And for once, I’m not waiting until Friday – I will be seeing it Thursday evening. Until then, enjoy the latest trailer.  *11-16 - And it was awesome! Loved the movie.

New Releases

Shades of Love boxed set
Featuring The Blind Spot by J.L. Campbell
Find it on Amazon

Available November 14:
Wrong Side of the Rift by Libby Heily 
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes


Plus today at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, our IWSG Show Your Writer Insecurity Contest winner, Ken Rahmoeller, talks about how to deal with writer insecurity.

Remakes Blogfest!

Hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh and Heather M. Gardner.

Remakes – most of them suck. Now and then, one comes along that is as good as, if not better, than the original. And after all of the bad ones we’ve endured, we want to know about some good ones.

Today, November 13, 2017, blog about your favorite remake: movie (or television show into movie and vice versa), song, or book – or all three! Post a YouTube video and links where we can find these treasures. Tell us why THIS remake doesn’t suck!

Sign up and visit others on the list below!

Two things came to mind immediately when I created this blogfest.


First, the song.

I am a huge Dream Theater fan. When I heard their cover of Elton John’s Love Lies Bleeding, I was amazed. Now, Elton John did an amazing job – he wrote the song. But Dream Theater’s version is just as good.
They captured the same vibe while making it a little more rocking. John Petrucci is just incredible with the guitar. And James LaBrie captured the vocals perfectly.

Here is the live version, which captures it all best:

I also have a move remake that blows the original out of the water.

The Thing From Another World is a 1951 cheesy science fiction/horror film. It’s still highly rated and regarded as a classic.

And then, in 1982, John Carpenter dared to create his version of a science fiction classic.

The result – John Carpenter’s The Thing, a chilling blend of science fiction and horror starring Kurt Russell. A group stationed in the Artic are infiltrated by the Thing, an alien creature who can imitate other lifeforms perfectly. The special effects were created by Rob Bottin and long before CGI was used in many movies. Despite the years, the effects still hold up. (As witnessed in the ‘sequel’ in 2011 – the CGI effects didn’t even look as good.)

Here’s a clip from the film. It highlights the tension, the effects, and the score which was done by Carpenter himself:

Join us and please visit others on the list:

Anyone else see Murder on the Orient Express? (Either version!) Ready for Justice League? What remakes do you recommend?

And I almost missed it - November 9 marked eight years of blogging for me!

I’ll be leaving the end of the week for Thanks giving with family, so I won’t be online beyond responding to comments and Twitter. To my American friends, have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. See you Monday, November 27.

* I'll post a review of Justice League when I return - but it was awesome! Loved it - great action, funny, and characters were perfect. Ignore the critics. I think Marvel paid them all off...

No Escaping Food Porn, What Are the Kargrandes, Battle of the Bands, Movie Trivia Answers, New Releases, and Ninja News

Please welcome fantasy author,L. Blankenship!

No Escape

When I was in the early stages of my fantasy series, Disciple, there was a joke going around about how GRRM’s Game of Thrones would turn into food porn whenever the characters sat down at a table.

So I foolishly said: I won’t do that! How silly! My story’s about war! and romance! and magic! No room for food porn!

For a while, it went fine. My characters ate humble fare: bread, potatoes, cabbage, the occasional hunk of roasted meat. Maybe even some infamous “stew.”

But then came the elk. There was a dinner at a countryside baron’s and there were kings and queens in attendance. Nobody would serve potatoes and cabbage to kings and queens unless there was a famine going on. Serving elk was perfectly reasonable. And then sure, they’d dress it up with a nice presentation -- that impressive rack of antlers -- and some tasty side dishes. Wouldn’t they?

That one dinner opened the floodgates. Next thing I knew, everything had fancy sauces and was being wrapped in pastry. There’s just something about fantasy stories that requires food porn. No writer can escape!

Disciple
The six-part gritty fantasy romance series is now complete!
Disciple, Part VI on sale.
Disciple Omnibus, the collection of all six books, is also available now.

What Are the Kargrandes?

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is clue number ten – new clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Tenth clue – can you guess? What are their powers? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

What are the Kargrandes? Are they connected to the Dragon? Solve the mystery by April 7! http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes

The Thunderclap continues! If you can help spread the word of Dragon’s release on April 7 through either Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr, please join the campaign. I just need a couple more people. Many thanks to those who have joined – it’s great to know I have some awesome and supportive friends.

My good friend Spacerguy has a blog dedicated to all things Star Trek. He also has a Wikipedia page, and I’m honored to say the Kargrandes are mentioned there!

Ninja News

Donna McDine is visiting the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site on Wednesday, discussing book festivals and their importance.

The A to Z Challenge kicks off in a few weeks! It’s not too late to sign up and join the mad fun. Don’t forget the Great Theme Reveal is next Monday, March 23. Think I can outdo my theme from last year? Not sure, but I did try! We also Twitter chats every Thursday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern and 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Eastern. Look for #azchat.

My buddy Jeremy Hawkins runs the website for Howlin’ Wolf Record’s Online Magazine. They feature movie soundtracks, video releases, interviews, and science fiction and horror conventions. Posting several times daily, you’re sure to find something fascinating there!

New Releases -

One Good Catch by Heather M. Gardner

Ignoring a recent trauma that is affecting her everyday life, ER Doctor Kate Maguire engages in some high risk activities, but putting herself in these dangerous situations isn’t enough to feed her edginess. She needs something more...



Heather's a full-time mom, works part-time from home, a chocolate enthusiast, coffee junkie, cat addict, book hoarder and fluent in sarcasm.

Of Blood and Sorrow by Christine Rains

Zodiac Killer: Newly Discovered Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer

Loyalty by Carrie Butler
Mark of Nexus Book III

Battle of the Bands!

Hosted by Stephen T. McCarthy and Faraway Eyes.

Back in the 70’s, Elton John did a song called Love Lies Bleeding.

Several rock bands have covered it since then, including these two prog bands. You know the drill – select your favorite. And with both, the singing doesn’t start until several minutes into the song.

First, Redemption:



Now, Dream Theater:

Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Ratt – Body Talk, 1986 The Golden Child
2 – Queensryche – Real World, 1993 Last Action Hero
3 – U2 – Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, 1995 Batman Forever
4 – AC/DC – Who Made Who, 1986 Maximum Overdrive
5 – Journey – Open Arms, 1981 Heavy Metal
6 – Guns ‘n’ Roses – You Could Be Mine, 1991 Terminator II: Judgment Day
7 – Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son, 1977 Heroes
8 – Extreme – Play With Me, 1989 Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Do you write about food porn? Figured out the Kargrandes yet? (Spacerguy thinks he has!) Ready for the Great Theme Reveal? Picking up some new books? Get all of the trivia right? And which band I is your pick…?
And sorry, having site issues I'm trying to solve, so some links have been removed while I try to find the problem.

Important A to Z Challenge Guidelines, My A to Z Theme, and Sad Songs Blogfest!

The A to Z Challenge starts Sunday!

For those of you participating, here are the basic guidelines:

Post on a topic or word that matches the corresponding letter of the alphabet, starting with “A” on Sunday, April 1, then every day except Sundays after that.

Visit fellow Challenge participants starting with the blog immediately following yours on the sign up list. Aim to visit five blogs a day; more if you have time.

Keep posts SHORT!

Turn off word verification. Make it easy for others to leave comments.

Make it easy for others to follow you.

Use the official A to Z button. Link back to the A to Z BLOG.

Have fun and make new friends!

My theme for the Challenge? I’ll get to that in a minute…

First, it’s the Sad Songs Blogfest, hosted by Spunk on a Stick’s Tips

Disappear by Dream Theater from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Song tells the unbelievably sad tale of a man sitting by his wife’s bed as she passes away. Song almost guaranteed to make me cry every time. (And I never want to be in that position. My wife is in big trouble if she dies first.)

After Me by Marillion from Season’s End

Song takes you to the depths of heartache before the uplifting ending. Saddest line – “There’s a stray dog she feeds that she found in the street and he loves her to hold him but he won’t let her keep him. And he claws at the door to be let out at night and she makes do without him and she worries about him.”

Collapse the Light into Earth by Porcupine Tree from In Absentia

It’s a song about someone who’s gone through a very traumatic event. It’s a metaphor for a breakup. The poor man sings about how the light has collapsed in the spot where his lover should be.

Losing it by Rush from Signals

The saddest song about aging you will ever hear. “The writer stares with glassy eyes, defies the empty page, his beard is white, his face is lined, and streaked with tears of rage. Thirty years ago, how the words would flow, with passion and precision, but now his mind is dark and dull, by sickness and indecision, and he stares out the kitchen door, where the sun will rise no more.”

Now, my theme for the Challenge!

Last year, my theme was featuring blogger buddies whose blog title corresponded with the letter of the alphabet. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it so I decided to put a little twist on it this year.

My theme – I have selected a word for each day and will present to you blogger buddies who fit that description, along with movies, music, etc. My theme is to give back, highlight some awesome bloggers, and have fun in the process.

The only downside is that I have a lot of blogger buddies. (Note sidebar which is still missing some blogs.) I won’t be able to mention everyone, but I will try to highlight some cool people.

I’ll also be posting short bits of Ninja News, so if you have anything exciting happen, new book release, anything – leave a comment and I’ll mention it the next day.

So, you never know who I will be highlighting on a given day!

Oh yeah, and I’ll be announcing my next solo Blogfest during the Challenge (first one since Worst Movies Ever – whoa!) and it’s really going to surprise you.

Any questions about the A to Z Challenge? Any sad songs on your list? Want to guess what my next blogfest will be? Do you like my theme for the Challenge? Care to share your theme? I’ve been hearing about some good ones…

If I Could Be Anyone...

Today we are celebrating Talli Roland’s new release, Watching Willow Watts!

Talli is a super awesome blogger buddy and the cutest Canadian English girl you will ever meet.

Watching Willow Watts is available as an eBook at Amazon and at Amazon UK - paperback coming in November.

She asked if we’d help her celebrate by answering the question, “If I could be anyone, I would be…”

I’d be John Petrucci, guitarist for Dream Theater!

I play guitar, but next to this man, I suck.

Petrucci has created his own unique style, coupled with technical expertise.

In my opinion, he’s one of the most talented musicians in rock history.

I’ve seen Petrucci play live, and it was both inspiring and depressing. (Yes, I really do suck as a guitarist!)

I’d love to know what it’s like to play with such effortless precision and musicality.

I have good days and bad days on my guitar, but even on perfect days, I can’t hold a candle to this man’s musical genius!

And...

Dream Theater’s new album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, came out Tuesday.

Time to crank the music to eleven!


Now, if you could be anyone, who would you want to be? Anyone else want to be a rock star? We’ll form a band! We’ll suck, but it will be fun…

Photo credits of Petrucci - #1 #2