Showing posts with label IWSG anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IWSG anthology. Show all posts

Monday, April 19, 2021

Falcon and Winter Soldier, The Head, and New Mutants Reviews; Movie News; and Ninja News

Movies and Series Reviews


The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

From the IMDB - Following the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience.
Sam and Bucky are reluctant comrades but working toward the same end.
The plot revolves around the guys going after a terrorist group called the Flag Smashers.
They’re also at odds with the new Captain America, crowned after the Falcon put the shield in a museum and it was taken out and given to someone new. You can tell there is something off about the new hero.
It’s a little dark but really good so far.


The Head

From the IMDB - Winter has fallen on the South Pole. A small team, known as the Winterers, will remain at the Polaris VI Antarctic Research Station to continue their innovative research, a crucial part in the fight against climate change.
It puts you in mind of John Carpenter’s The Thing ( and they actually watch it!) What happened to those who stayed the long winter? What horrors did the lone survivor witness?
There’s a strong sense of isolation and claustrophobia.
Acting and effects are really good and it’s very tense.
I’m only a couple episodes into it but it’s really intriguing so far.


The New Mutants

From the IMDB - Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.
Released last year, this is a mutants film on a small scale. Almost all of it takes place on the grounds of the facility. So there is an intimacy to the film.
Not everything jived with me, but they did faithfully follow the comics, which I applaud. But it was a bit odd only one person was running the entire facility.
It’s not a great or memorable film, but it did not deserve the bashing it received when released. I enjoyed it.
Recommended



Other Movie and Series News

Finished the first season of Resident Alien and what a fun ride! Alan Tudyk is perfect for the role. And the ending guarantees a season two.

Just started watching The Nevers. Very interesting and I like the Victorian setting. Will review once I’ve seen a few more episodes.


According to JoBlo, the upcoming first season of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings cost $465 million dollars to make. Yes, you read that right!
They are planning on five seasons total and the other four will not cost that much as most of that went into costumes, props, and initial set design.
Still, that’s quite the gamble.

Production on Aquaman II starts later this year. In addition to Jason Momoa, it will star Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, and Pilou Asbæk.
The first film made over a billion dollars worldwide.


Ninja News


There were some great posts for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group on April 7.
One that was just awesome came from Lee Lowery - Trying to avoid controversy in your writing – good luck with that!
Little bit of language, but it’s hysterical.

Some new book releases:


Quilt-Ridden by Elizabeth Craig

Southern Quilting Mysteries | Book 14
Do good fences make good neighbors?
Miss Sissy is a talented member of the Village Quilters guild in tiny Dappled Hills, North Carolina. She’s also somewhat difficult to deal with as her new neighbor, Linton, discovered. Linton doesn’t understand why Miss Sissy’s house is almost entirely covered by thorny weeds like something out of Sleeping Beauty. Miss Sissy, on the other hand, doesn’t understand why that’s any of Linton’s business.
When Linton ends up very dead, Miss Sissy seems to be the obvious suspect. But Beatrice and the other Village Quilters are determined to discover the real murderer and clear Miss Sissy’s name—before the killer strikes again.



Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women by J.Q.Rose

Non-fiction eBook for Girls 10-13 years old
Empowering Girls to Dream Big!!


And don’t forget – Dark Matter: Artificial, an IWSG anthology comes out on May 4.
The same day we announce the new anthology contest!






Have you been watching Falcon and Winter Solider or The Head? Have you seen The New Mutants? Surprised by LOTR series’ budget? And do you want to hazard a guess what the next IWSG Anthology Contest will be…?
I will be mostly offline the last week of April. You nutty A-Z Challenge people have fun and I’ll see everyone on May 5 for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Wonder Woman Review, June Movie Preview, CassaFire Giveaway, and Ninja News

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.

My awesome co-hosts today are JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!


The optional June 3 question – Did you ever say “I quit?” If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

I’ve never said I quit. I just never intended to say I’d keep writing. That’s what happens when you only plan one book. (But more keep happening.) And believe it or not, during my week off – I wrote something!

Today we are announcing another IWSG anthology opportunity for our members:

The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit


Guidelines:

The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit--This will be a non-fiction book like our Guide to Publishing and Beyond.

What to write: Share experiences about making a profit as an author, what it takes to become a successful writer, the many skills a writer needs to learn other than writing, share the experience going from hobby writer to published author (without making it a self-promotion piece), the fallacies behind writing for profit, the little known facts learned along the way, what you wished you knew when you first started writing, or marketing tips based on experience of what has worked and what hasn't. Please include a title, your name, and a link to one of your sites. Send as an attached Word file or pasted into the email.
If you have any questions, email us at admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Word limit: 500-1000 words.

Submission eligibility: All members of the IWSG Blog Hop, IWSG Facebook group and/or members of our IWSG Goodreads Book Club. It's free to join any of these groups and a great benefit to be a part of these communities.

Deadline: July 31, 2017

Send your piece to admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com as an attached Word document and note which IWSG group you belong to. Please include your name, a one line bio, and one website link.

The one hundred best entries will be included in the book.

Wonder Woman Movie Review

The perfect superhero origins story. It will remind you of Captain America: The First Avenger but in a good way.
It’s a great blend of all the elements. It never gets too serious for long and there is an even mix of humor and lighter moments.
WWI is also a great setting. It adds unique elements to Diana’s integration into the world of man.
And Gal Gadot has found her role. She brings the perfect balance of wisdom, innocence, strength, determination, and devotion to the role. Diana sticks to her beliefs, and even when those are shaken to the core, she grows and adapts. Her evolution as a person is natural and captivating.
The action sequences are amazing. Diana’s run across No Man’s Land is spectacular. Her fighting moves – and those of all the Amazon women – are poetry in motion even as they are deadly. Perfect for 3D.
This is the DC superhero film I’d hoped for – strong, solid, passionate, and kick-ass. I think I enjoyed it even more than Guardians 2.
Highly recommended!


Ninja News


My publisher is doing a giveaway starting Thursday on Twitter for CassaFire on audio!
Tweet their Pinned Tweet to enter.

Toi Thomas announced the Reading Indie blog, featuring self-published and independent authors. They are looking for guests – contact her if interested.

Just released:
Chocolate Kisses by River Ford (aka – Charity Bradford)
Find it on Amazon




June Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for June! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

9 -

The Mummy
An ancient princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe
The beginning of a huge new project for Universal. If it sucks, then the end of a huge new project for Universal.

16 -

Cars 3
Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world.
Director: Brian Fee
Stars: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion
Still not sure why they dropped the subtitle – The Fiery Death of Lightning McQueen.

23 –

Transformers: The Last Knight
Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Laura Haddock, Mark Wahlberg, Gemma Chan, John Goodman
It’s call the Last Night because it will literally take an entire night to watch this overlong film…

30 – 

Despicable Me 3
Gru meets his twin brother Dru he never knew about.
Directors: Kyle Balda | Pierre Coffin | Eric Guillon
Stars: Jenny Slate, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Steve Carell
We know it’s just another consumer-driven cash-grab, but my goodness, aren’t those Minions adorable?


Baby Driver
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
Director: Edgar Wright
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx
Stupid title but great director – should be good.



Have you ever said you quit? Will you be contributing to the IWSG anthology? Did you catch Wonder Woman this past weekend? And what movies do you want to see in June?