Movie Reviews – Bloodshot, My Spy, Greyhound, and more! Plus You Beneath Your Skin Movie, New Release Dates for Delayed Movies and New Book Releases

Movie Reviews

A slew of new movies (and one from last year) for you!

Bloodshot
From the IMDB:
Ray Garrison, a slain soldier, is re-animated with superpowers.
One of the last movies to hit theaters this year before they all closed, it stars Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce, and Eliza González.
The first twenty minutes are predictable and nothing new. Ray’s wife is murdered in front of him, he’s killed, re-animated with no memories, then starts to remember her murderer’s face. But after he pursues and kills the man, the movie takes a unique twist, elevating it above just average.
The effects are good and there are some tense action scenes. Diesel plays his standard tough-guy character, but he had fun doing it – and we have fun watching.
Definitely worth a rental – recommended.

My Spy
From the IMDB:
A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.
An Amazon original movie starring Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Kristen Schaal, and Ken Jeong.
This film has all the potential to be corny and childish, but thanks to a sharp script, it never goes there. The characters have depth and real motivation, and the humorous scenes are genuinely funny.
Coleman excels as the precocious and very smart little girl. She succeeds where no one else ever has – she gets Bautista to care about other people, including his under-appreciated stakeout partner, Schaal.
This was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be – definitely recommended.

Greyhound
From the IMDB:
Early in World War II, an inexperienced U.S. Navy captain must lead an Allied convoy being stalked by Nazi U-boat wolfpacks.
An Apple TV original film starring Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, and Stephen Graham.
We get a few minutes of history, and then the action begins and never lets up. If you like sea battles, this movie is for you.
Tom Hanks is really good and believable in the role.
Some of the special effects are good, some not so much. It was a little hit or miss.
Overall it was really enjoyable though. Recommended.

The Old Guard
From the IMDB:
A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.
Based on a graphic novel series, it stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and Matthias Schoenaerts.
The science fiction – superhero aspect prompted me to check out this film despite a title that’s a bit lame. It’s more action–thriller–war than anything else.
It doesn’t offer us anything we haven’t seen before. The best I can say is that it’s serviceable and watchable.
Theron now has this badass, tough as nails, humorless character she likes to play.
There’s nothing really wrong with the movie but there’s nothing really great about it either.
Watch if you’re bored.
Or maybe go check out the graphic novels instead.

Rambo: Last Blood
From the IMDB:
Rambo must confront his past and unearth his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in a final mission.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Paz Vega, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Wouldn’t call it a mission but hopefully it is the last.
The movie centers on a tough subject – human sex trafficking – which made parts of it a little uncomfortable.
Stallone’s in his seventies but still in shape and still able to do action-hero stuff. His character does make some dumb decisions, though. As do some of the other characters.
It really doesn’t seem like a Rambo film until the end. Then, you do get a spectacular sendoff.
If you’re a die-hard Rambo fan or just curious and have time to spare, worth a casual watch. 

You Beneath Your Skin as a Movie by Damyanti

My debut novel You Beneath Your Skin has been optioned for screens by Endemol Shine, and to mark the occasion, it is on Free Kindle promotions till 11th August. To approximate the kind of movie this book will be on screen, here are five movies that are similar to the book and deal with the topics it discusses: conflicted parenthood, acid attacks, family secrets and corrupt cops.

So here are five movies that have similarities to You Beneath Your Skin:

1. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.

2. Chhapak
The trials and triumphs of Malti, an acid attack survivor. From the investigation of the attack to the court proceedings, the medical treatment to the emotional healing. Chhapaak is the story of the unquashable human spirit.

3. Mystic River
As the investigation of the death of a young woman tightens around three old friends, and ominous story unfolds that revolves around friendship, family and innocence lost too soon.

4. Night Falls in Manhattan
A newly elected District Attorney finds himself in the middle of a police corruption investigation that may involve his father and his partner.

5. Training Day
A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.

Damyanti's short fiction has been published or is forthcoming at Ambit, Litro, Griffith Review Australia, Pembroke magazine, Atticus Review, and other journals in the USA and UK. She serves as one of the editors of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her debut literary crime novel You Beneath Your Skin was published by Simon & Schuster in autumn 2019, and optioned for screen adaptation by Endemol Shine.
All the author proceeds from You Beneath Your Skin will support the education and empowerment of women at Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks.
Find it on Amazon

Delayed Movies

The virus has thrown the movie and theater industry into chaos. With so many theaters closed (and many will never reopen), the studios needed to shuffle their release dates, sending a ripple into the next three years.

Here is a selection of films that have been bumped:

Avatar – moved from December 17, 2021 to December 16, 2022
A Quiet Place Part II – moved from March 8, 2020 to April 23, 2021
Black Widow – moved from May 11 to November 6, 2020
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – moved from May 7, 2021 to March 25, 2022
The Flash - moved from July 1, 2021, to June 3, 2022
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - moved from July 10, 2020, to March 5, 2021
Godzilla vs. Kong - moved from November 20, 2020, to May 21, 2021
The Matrix 4 - moved from May 21, 2021, to April 1, 2022
Minions: Rise of Gru - moved from July 3, 2020, to July 2, 2021
Morbius - moved from July 31, 2020, to March 19, 2021
Mulan - moved from March 27 to August 21 and then taken completely off the calendar
The New Mutants - moved from April 3 to August 28, 2020
No Time to Die - moved from April 10 to November 20, 2020
Shazam! 2 - moved from April 1, 2022, to November 4, 2022
Tenet - moved from July 17 to Labor Day weekend 2020
Wonder Woman 1984 - moved from June 5 to October 2, 2020

For a full list of movie releases affected, visit Vulture.

New Releases!

Mask of Ghosts by JH Moncrieff
No good deed goes unpunished.
Roxi thought the Balinese mask would make the perfect gift for her brother Jackson and his girlfriend Kate. Unbeknownst to her, a deadly curse was part of the package. A young woman slaughtered during a massacre haunts the mask. Her spirit wants revenge, and she's determined Roxi is the only one who can get it for her.
To free his sister from the mask's curse, Jackson must travel to Bali with Kate to solve the mystery behind the woman's murder. They've tangled with their share of angry ghosts in the past, but this one will pose the greatest threat yet.
Can they save Roxi from the vengeful spirit before more blood is spilled and Jackson's sister is lost forever?
This fifth installment of the award-winning GhostWriters series exposes the shadow lurking behind all that Balinese sunshine.
Find it at Amazon

Marly in Pieces by Cathrina Constantine
Marly refuses to believe her friend, Rae, committed suicide. Even though her wrists were slit, Marly knows her beautiful, vibrant bestie would never do that.
Even though the two had drifted apart, Marly and Rae made a blood promise long ago. Even in death, Marly intends to honor that vow.
Determined to find Rae’s killer, Marly faces a long list of potential suspects. It seems everyone has secrets or lies that they are covering up... including the boy she loves. Can Marly uncover the murderer’s identity before she becomes the next victim?
Find it at Amazon

The Happy War by Eve Gaal
After a successful blind date, Linda and Eric want to change the world.
Find it on Amazon

Molly Unplanned by Nicki Elson
Molly had a plan. But when her almost-fiance opts for a surprise Plan B, she’s left with no boyfriend, no money, and nowhere to live.
Find it on Amazon

And finally, this book is on sale! I read it last year and it is bat-crap crazy good.

Big Red On sale Aug. 10-14 for $2.99 Amazon eBook US,UK,CA, and AU


Have you seen any of those films? Picked up Damy's book? Bummed by the delay in releases? See any good books to pick up?

Quick update - I will see you all September 2 for the next IWSG post.

Best Ghost Movies, Bird Box and Love-Death-Robots Reviews, Monday’s Music, DIY MFA, and Ninja-IWSG News

Haunting a Cinema Near You…the Best Ghost Movies of All Time by JH Moncrieff

As someone who’s written a series about—you guessed it—ghosts, it should come as no surprise that Alex asked me to write about ghostly movies. Here are my highly subjective picks for the all-time top five.

5. The Awakening. In this little-known British flick, a published author with a reputation for exposing supernatural hoaxes is summoned to a boarding school that’s haunted by a murderous ghost.

4. The Changeling. After the death of his wife and daughter, a troubled composer moves to Seattle and rents a Victorian mansion. He quickly realizes he isn’t alone. What begins as playful turns sinister as the composer discovers his home’s unwelcome tenant is a bloodthirsty ghost bent on revenge.

3. The Woman in Black. Another tale of revenge, The Woman in Black revolves around grieving lawyer Arthur Kipps, who’s barely holding it together after his wife’s death. His boss gives him one last chance to save his job—travel to Eel Marsh House to settle a deceased client’s estate. Determined to succeed, Kipps ignores the townspeople’s warnings, only to find himself face-to-face with an emaciated woman in black. She isn’t an ordinary ghost, as he soon learns—every time someone catches a glimpse of her, a tragedy befalls the community’s children.

2. The Others. Nothing is what it seems in this atmospheric ghost story. When her soldier husband abandons her, Grace Stewart hires three servants who claim to have worked at the house before. Strange occurrences in the home increase with their arrival. But is the house haunted, or is Grace going mad? The truth is more terrible than you can imagine.

1. The Sixth Sense. (Aka the best ghost movie ever made.) After he fails one of his young clients, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe tackles his biggest challenge yet—a disturbed young boy who’s concealing an unspeakable, heartbreaking secret.

What’s your favorite ghost story?

J.H. Moncrieff’s new release, Forest of Ghosts, was inspired by her real-life experiences in Romania, including Hoia Baciu, the world’s most haunted forest.
Jackson Stone is sick of ghosts. With his love life in shambles, he heads to Romania for a horror writers’ retreat, hoping it will be a break from the supernatural and breathing space from his relationship with medium Kate Carlsson.
But as his fellow writers begin disappearing or losing their minds, he realizes he needs Kate’s help.
When Jackson loses his own memory, Kate’s love is the only thing that can bring him back. But she’s falling for the man responsible for the evil in Romania. A man who claims to be her soul mate. Will this master of wraiths forever break Kate’s bond with Jackson?
Available now!
J.H. loves to hear from readers. To get free ebooks and a new spooky story every week, check out her Hidden Library.
Connect with J.H.: Website / Twitter / Facebook

Movie/Show Reviews

Bird Box
Unseen invaders cause people who do see them to go insane and/or commit suicide. The movie opens with the final fourth of the story – Sandra Bullock and the two kids, blindfolded and in a boat on the river. It then alternates between the river and several years prior during the invasion when a pregnant Bullock sheltered with others in a house.
The movie is well acted and solid. However, two things hurt the film.
First, it’s basically the movie The Happening (although a thousand times better!) with a slice of A Quiet Place thrown in. We’ve seen it all before.
Second, there were no surprises. The story played out exactly as I thought it would.
If you’ve not seen the other two films, or you just want a decent NetFlix movie, then it’s certainly worth a watch.

Love Death and Robots
This is an adult animated anthology series on NetFlix, with each episode being 10-17 minutes long. There is a ton of language, violence and gore, and nudity. (If you want to call that ‘adult’ – not necessarily what I need in an animated film/show to enjoy it.) The common factor between each one is in the title, although I don’t recall much love…
Some of the episodes work, some don’t. A couple feature excessive gore and nudity/sexual scenes. (If it weren’t animated, it would be way beyond R rated.)
The animation is always intriguing though, as each one has its own style. Basically, if the movie Heavy Metal were made today, it would look a lot like this.
There have been some standouts. Three Robots was funny, Good Hunting had a unique story and great cell animation, Suits was a great story, and both Shape Shifters and Lucky 13 featured incredibly realistic animation. (Still not perfect with the faces, but oh-so-close!) And The Secret War was beyond amazing with its realistic animation, especially the snow.
If you can handle the “adult’ – and there are a couple you might want to skip – it’s worth a watch for fans of animation.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Xmas Dolly

This week is a freebie, so I’m jumping in!

I’m featuring Evergrey’s Weightless, taken from their new album, The Atlantic.

Ninja News

The IWSG Goodreads Book Club is hosting a giveaway.
Eligibility: This giveaway is open to members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club on Goodreads
Prize Given to Winner: Hardcover Copy of The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman
Giveaway Ends: April 8, 2019 12:00am Eastern Standard Time
Enter to win HERE

We’re about a month away from the release of the next IWSG anthology – Masquerade: Oddly Suited!
 
Visit the IWSG site for details and pre-order links.

And we just might have some news about the next IWSG Anthology Contest very soon…

New Releases: 

The Heart of Things by Joy Campbell
Book 2 in the In Medias Res series
Find it on Amazon

Luck of the Billionaire by Donna K. Weaver
Kayn never imagines a murder could lead him to love.
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 236: Writing Without Rules (or Pants) — Interview with Jeff Somers.

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

What do you think are the best ghost movies ever? Have you seen Bird Box? Watched any of Love Death and Robots? What music is moving you? Want to win a free book? And are you ready to read Masquerade: Oddly Suited?

See you April 3 for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

Captain Marvel Review, Dream Theater: Distance Over Time Review, #IWSG Admins Highlight, New Releases, and DIY MFA

Captain Marvel Review

Despite good reviews, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a really fun film.
The narrative skipped back and forth between present and past, which worked well. Like Carol Danvers, we are trying to piece together who she is.
Brie Larson does a good job as Captain Marvel. She’s strong, subtle, and snarky. What’s really fun is to watch a younger Fury and Coulson. (And how much CGI and makeup was needed to make them look younger?)
There are a lot of things that tie this to other movies in the Marvel universe. Be sure to stay for the double endings. The second one is priceless. (And as I told my wife, I called that one!)
It’s a really solid entry into the Marvel universe. These movies balance humor, action, and suspense so well. Plus this film began with nice tribute to Stan Lee.
Why did I select the poster with Goose the cat? You’ll see!
Highly recommended

Dream Theater: Distance Over Time 

As a long-time fan of this band (I heard “Pull Me Under” from Images and Words in 1992 and was hooked), I await each release with giddy, childlike enthusiasm.
On their fourteenth studio release, Dream Theater continues to impress. This is a classic prog record even though all the songs clock in under ten minutes.
The album kicks off with Untethered Angel and those amazing John Petrucci guitar riffs don’t let up. This is one of their best releases and a must for prog fans.
As a guitar player, I’m always impressed with the musicianship and technical ability that these guys bring to the studio and concerts. Petrucci in particular is an incredible player and his effortless shredding is astonishing.
This is an album of big ideas, great musical chemistry, and catchy choruses and hooks. It gets better with each listen, and that’s what a great prog record should do.

And just to give you a taste, here’s a very catchy video with a science fiction twist: Paralyzed.

IWSG Admins Highlight

Many of you know the IWSG – but do you know the real people behind the group? Besides posting at the site and in the newsletter, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, finding guests, reading anthology entries, monitoring the #IWSGPit feed, and a whole lot more, they each have special duties. And they are each special people.

Michelle Wallace heads up our Facebook group. She schedules the posts and organizes everything. She’s been with the IWSG from the beginning, and I can’t say how much I appreciate her dedication.

L. Diane Wolfe takes care of the Self-Publishing page at the site and puts together all of the IWSG books through Dancing Lemur Press. She’s also been with the group since day one and I am eternally grateful to have such an expert on board.

Heather Gardner manages the Conferences/Workshops/Publications and Marketing pages, adding new material and keeping the links updated. Heather and I worked together on the A to Z Challenge Team and I was blessed to get her to join the IWSG Admins. 

Pat Hatt is in charge of the IWSG Twitter account. He knows how to rock the Twitter and build up an account and has done an outstanding job sending out great Tweets. Pat is reliable and consistent!

Nick Wilford manages the Contests page, keeping it updated as contests are ever-changing. Nick is a full time writer (freelance and his own) and he brings some great experience to the team.

C. Lee McKenzie is our PR person, which is a huge job. She searches for guests, sites for guest articles, places where we can connect, and coordinating partnerships with groups like WEP, Reedsy, Book Angel, and more. Don’t know how she does it, just grateful she does!

Shannon Lawrence puts together the IWSG newsletter, which entails guest articles, news, and many links. Like Lee, she’s also on the hunt for news and experts. Coordinating all of it is a big job, but she makes it look so easy.

Tyrean Martinson runs the IWSG Instagram, with daily posts and monthly challenges. Like Pat, she’s built it up and interacts daily. Tyrean is dedicated and I appreciate her refreshing spirit and positive outlook.

Elizabeth Seckman manages the Publishers/Agents/Queries page, updating and adding new links. She knows how to balance multiple things, and working with the IWSG Admins and the site is a breeze for her. (She raised four boys – I hope we are easier than that!)

So as you can see, we have an awesome team working to bring you the best the IWSG can offer!

New Releases

City of Ghosts by JH Moncrieff
It won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.
Jackson Stone is sick of ghosts. With his love life in shambles, he heads to Romania for a horror writers’ retreat, hoping it will be a break from the supernatural and breathing space from his relationship with medium Kate Carlsson.
But as his fellow writers begin disappearing or losing their minds, he realizes he needs Kate’s help.
When Jackson loses his own memory, Kate’s love is the only thing that can bring him back. But she’s falling for the man responsible for the evil in Romania. A man who claims to be her soul mate. Will this master of wraiths forever break Kate’s bond with Jackson?
To view all purchasing options, go HERE

Don’t Mess with Gracie by Carol Kilgore
In this third book, the mysterious Mr. Ott is trying to intimidate Gracie Hofner into being his internal spy at The Bastion Group. It takes Gracie and her growing support team to unmask him, but it’s what she learns along the way that shows readers the wisdom of the advice Don’t Mess with Gracie.
The third book of The Amazing Gracie Trilogy, it’s 99 cents through March 18.
Find it on Amazon

Being Neighborly by Meka James
Buy Links

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 videos.

The first one is Episode 234: A Master Class on Character — Interview with David Corbett.

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

Anyone else see Captain Marvel? Picked up the new Dream Theater? Eager to hear more about DIY MFA? And what do you think about what the IWSG do behind the scenes?

Best and Worst Video Games into Movies, Dark Tower and Justice League, Movie Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

I’m back from vacation and ready to talk movies!

Video Games into Movies – the Best and the Worst

With the release of the Tomb Raider reboot, I thought it would be interesting to check the track records of other video game to movie films and franchises. While a great video game movie has never been made (they’ve all had issues) the world wide box office success of some surprised me. And for a few, it was rather horrifying.

Middle of the road:

Mortal Combat - Paul W.S. Anderson directed what amounted to a good action flick that did decent at the box office in 1995 - $122.1 million. Unfortunately, the director did not return two years later for Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and its box office tumbled to $51.3 million due to a messy script.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was hailed at the first big breakthrough in realistic animation. Sadly, it wasn’t. Nor was it really anything like the video game. While it did take $85.1 million at the box office, it cost $137 million to make. Not good.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was to be the first in a franchise for actor Jake Gyllenhaal. And while this fun action flick raked in $336.3 million in 2010, it cost $200 million to make. And thus, no sequel followed.

The losers:

The first video game movie was Super Mario Bros. in 1993. It cost $48 million to make and this bomb of a film only earned $20.9 million.

Wing Commander came out in 1999. It cost $30 million – and only made $11.5 million. Ouch.

House of the Dead came out in 2003. Directed by the infamously horrible Uwe Boll, this $12 million dollar film only brought in 13.8 million.
But wait, it gets better!
Uwe Boll’s Blood Rayne followed in 2005. Costing $25 million, it only earned $3.6 million at the box office.
And now the icing on the cake!
Postal, his 2007 offering (which was a tasteless video game made into an even more tasteless movie) only earned $146,741.00. That’s $146 thousand, not millions!
Boll, congratulations for hitting the very bottom of the barrel.

The winners:

The first Lara Croft Tomb Raider came out in 2001. While it cost $115 million to make, it raked in $274.7 million, enough to greenlight a sequel. Sadly, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life only made $156.5 million.

Angry Birds cost only $73 million to make and brought in $349.8 million despite lackluster reviews.

Warcraft brought in the biggest single-movie total in 2016 with $433.5 million. Foreign audiences accounted for a large percent of its take, eating up the first incarnation of the World of Warcraft.

Resident Evil

The first film came out in 2002, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It cost just $33 million and made $102.4.
Resident Evil Apocalypse followed in 2004, making $129.3 million.
Resident Evil: Extinction was 2007 and it made $147.7 million.
Then Paul W.S. Anderson returned in 2010 for Resident Evil: Afterlife. It made $296.2 million.
The director continued with Resident Evil: Retribution in 2012, raking in $240.1 million.
The sixth film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, came out in 2017 to the tune of $312.3 million worldwide.
The franchise grand total – over $1.2 billion.

Any of those numbers surprise you? And how many have you had the (mis)fortune to see? I’ve seen all but a couple…

Movie Reviews

The Dark Tower

Now, I read the first book of the series and wasn’t impressed.
Having said that, the book was light years ahead of this film.
It seems like they tried to cram several of the books into one hour and a half long movie. It would be like trying to cram Lord of the Rings or even the Harry Potter series into one short movie. It certainly wasn’t the first book – I recognized the Gunslinger and the Sorcerer and not much else.
Even if you’ve never read the series, this film was very disappointing. Short on exposition, character development, and world building, it’s like a bad CliffsNotes version of what the movie could’ve been.
And while watchable, it’s also instantly forgettable.
Not recommended.

Justice League

I reviewed this film when it came out last November and you can read that review HERE. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lot of fun and this DC fan loved it.
Now that it’s out on video and I’ve seen it a second time, I wanted to add to that review.
I liked it even more on the second viewing!
There were a ton of humorous scenes and moments that I’d forgotten. Plus knowing the story, I could see there was a lot more character development than on the initial viewing. The action also just rocked.
And the scene after the credits has me very excited for the next movies. (Plus we should get Green Lantern soon as well.)
After the film ended, my wife turned to me and asked what film the critics saw. I still have no idea, either. DC hating, Zach Snyder hating – who knows? Or just people who don’t understand the difference between Marvel and DC films. Marvel gives us big-budget action-adventure films based on comic book characters. DC gives us comic books brought to life, and there is a difference.
Still highly recommended.
And early screenings of Aquaman say it’s awesome and a lot like Wonder Woman. (My wife is really excited about that movie…)

Ninja News

Please welcome new IWSG Admin Shannon Lawrence! She will be rocking the newsletter starting next month.

Last week while I was on vacation it was my turn at the IWSG site and my article was on lessons learned from really bad movies. Check it out if you missed it!

April – May IWSG Goodreads Book Club reading will be Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

Available now!
Return to Dyatlov Pass by JH Moncrieff
In 1959, nine Russian students set off on a skiing expedition in the Ural Mountains. Their mutilated bodies were discovered weeks later. Their bizarre and unexplained deaths are one of the most enduring true mysteries of our time.
Nearly sixty years later, podcast host Nat McPherson ventures into the same mountains with her team, determined to finally solve the mystery of the Dyatlov Pass incident. Her plans are thwarted on the first night, when two trackers from her group are brutally slaughtered.
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Movie Trivia Answers

Here are the answers to the animated movie trivia:

1 – Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, 2002 – Ice Age
2 – Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, 2012 – Madagascar 3
3 - Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, 2001- Shrek
4 - Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, 2011- Rango
5 - Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, 1998 - Antz
6 - Patton Oswalt, Brad Garrett, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, 2007 - Ratatouille
7 - Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, 2016 - Zootopia
8 – Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, 2006 – Over the Hedge

Have you seen any of those video game movies? Why do you think they can’t make a really great one? Watched The Dark Tower (or read the books) or seen Justice League? Get any of the trivia right? (Pat Hatt got seven right.)

Will see you on April 4 for the monthly IWSG posting – plus the April movie preview and a guest!

Fun RiffTrax Halloween Movies, Stranger Things and X-Files Trailers, Completing a Book Series, Monday's Music, New Releases, and Movie Trivia Answers

I need a IWSG co-host for November 1! If you can help, please leave a comment.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan is also here to talk about finishing a series, but first...

Fun Halloween Movies from RiffTrax!

The next RiffTrax: Live is Wednesday, October 25 - Night of the Living Dead!

We recently watched this one and the movie has not aged well. I don’t remember it being that bad. But that makes it ripe for RiffTrax fodder.

If you’ve not seen them live, you’re missing a great time! Check showtimes at RiffTrax for a theater near you.

If you’re in the mood for some scary movies, we recently watched a few from RiffTrax. Sadly, they will only scare you in how bad they are. Fortunately, Mike, Bill, and Kevin are there to bring intended humor to the films.

Arachnia
A cast of stereotypical misfits trapped in a house and surrounded by giant spiders.
Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion special effects will look high-tech compared to the effects here.
Yes, it’s a SyFy movie. Yes, it’s horrible. And yes, apparently they hate us.

The Bermuda Triangle
A cast of stereotypical misfits on a boat looking for…well, they don’t know what they’re looking for and neither do we.
Add creepy evil doll for creepy evil looking little girl. And John Huston. Someone must’ve had pictures of him with a donkey or something.

When a Stranger Calls Back
A cast of stereotypical misfits…just kidding! Just Charles Durning and Carol Kane, in it for the money.
Oddly enough, the stranger never calls. He just sneaks in and moves a few things around. Too bad he doesn’t clean while he’s at it.

Creepy Fun Trailers!

Season two of Stranger Things – October 27!

Season eleven of The X-Files – January 2018!

Thoughts on Finishing a Series

I came up with the core idea of the fantasy Season Avatars series—a quartet of women who have to work together to save their country from magical storms that mix up the seasons—about twenty-one years ago. I was single, between jobs, and living in another state. Since then, I’ve moved several times, worked four different jobs at two companies, got married, and had a son. The publishing world has also changed. Self-publishing wasn’t easy and was heavily stigmatized in the 90’s, but now it’s allowing me to fulfill a life goal: completing a series.

Finishing a series carries a lot of mixed feelings with it. There’s relief that the story will be complete before you die and that readers won’t be left hanging for a resolution. There’s definitely a feeling of accomplishment, even elation. If writing one book is a marathon, writing and rewriting five of them is an Ironman and a half. Plotting across a series requires even more forethought than plotting (or pantsing) a single book.

Certainly I’ll miss my heroines, but as I plan to write a spin-off series, they’re not gone completely. They’re adult children now, stopping back occasionally to visit and bringing new characters from their world with them. Writing “The End” is never truly the end, but another beginning.

Summon the Seasons

Kay might be the youngest, smallest, and least confident Season Avatar, but her weather magic makes her the most powerful of her group. Now that she also can contact the souls of dead Avatars, her quartet has a chance to end Chaos Season permanently. All Kay and her sister Avatars need are three more bones.
To obtain them, Kay’s quartet must travel across Challen, evading the King’s Watch and Selathens who want to protect their demigoddess, Salth, creator of Chaos Season.
Kay’s deepest beliefs about her God and her longtime rival, Dorian, will be challenged during the trip. If she loses her faith and newfound courage, she will fail, and the rest of the Season Avatars with her.

Pick up Summon the Seasons HERE

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan is the author of the SF Catalyst Chronicles and the fantasy Season Avatars series. She’s also a QA Representative, a wife, a mother, a Beatles fan, and a member of the 501st Legion, but mostly she’s very tired.
Sandra can be found online at the following links: website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Marie at Xmas Dolly.

This one is from Voyager, a pop-prog band from Australia. They are so underrated! These guys should be huge.

New Releases

Marked Beauty by SA Larsen - available October 17
Uncovering hidden secrets can sometimes kill you . . . or worse, steal your soul.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Find Sheri at her Website or Blog

City of Ghosts by JH Moncrieff
On the day the villagers were forced to flee Hensu, not everyone got out alive.
Find it on Amazon Barnes and Noble, and iTunes

Jalapeno Cupcake Wench by Carol Kilgore
A Hot and Spicy Taste of Murder – and Beyond
Jalapeno Cupcake Wench is the first book in The Amazing Gracie Trilogy, a story so big, it takes three books to tell it. 
Find it on Amazon

Swing Vote by Donna K. Weaver
An IED blew up more than Marc North's career as a Cobra pilot—it shattered his plans for marriage.
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Christian Bale, Taye Diggs 2002 - Equilibrium
2 – Michael York, Jenny Agutter 1976 - Logan’s Run
3 – Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich 1997 – The Fifth Element
4 – Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman 2014 - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
5 – Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman 2013 - Oblivion
6 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone 1990 – Total Recall
7 – Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux 1960 – The Time Machine
8 – Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence 1981- The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2)
9 – Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer 1997 – Starship Troopers
10 – Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman 2010 – The Book of Eli

Ready for some scary RiffTrax movies? Stoked about the next seasons of Stranger Things and X-Files? Have you wrapped up a series? Picking up some new books? Get the trivia right? And have you entered the IWSG Anthology Contest yet? You have until November 1. And let me know if you can co-host next month.

I’ll be offline this weekend but back on Monday with another guest and a slew of scary movie fun.

Pluto RiffTrax - MST3K Channels, Alien Covenant Review, New IWSG Admins and News, The Happy Whisk, and Ninja News

IB Nosey interviewed me last week and the results were hilarious! Please read and have a good laugh.

MST3K/RiffTrax Channels - Pluto

In case you didn’t know it, Pluto TV has an MST3K channel!

The Internet based platform features several channels, available online, through dish services, and as an app.

In April, they added a RiffTrax channel to the mix, including movies with guest riffers. (You really have to pay attention to the British dudes, but they are hilarious.)

Now, whenever you need a fix, you can flick to either channel or pull them up online and enjoy!

Alien Covenant Review

Set ten years after Prometheus. Colony ship stops at uncharted planet. Xenomorphs ensue.
Critics claimed to those who hated Prometheus – this one is better. They were correct. I only disliked this one.
The set design is great. The film has a great feel to it. And it’s gory. Turn your brain off and you might enjoy it.
My brain would not shut off though. The plot holes wouldn’t let it.
Minor spoilers:
• Protocol would not allow the crew of a colony ship with over two thousand people on board to deviate from the carefully selected and perfect world to go explore another one just because it was closer.
• Common sense would not let people explore said world without spacesuits and masks. Airborne pathogens, people!! Have you never seen War of the Worlds?
• A company investing billions to transport people across the galaxy would hire trained people. A crew who knew what to do in a situation. Not a crew that went into panic mode and turned batcrap crazy at the first sign of trouble. Or deviated from protocol.
I’ll stop with spoilers and also mention that the ending twist was telegraphed. No tension, no surprise.
Michael Fassbender is good. So is Katherine Waterston and the rest of the actors. Just a shame the plot holes and lazy writing let them down. And the fact there really wasn’t much in this film that we haven’t seen before.
And it’s still been thirty years since we had a decent Alien film. James Cameron and Aliens ruined it for everyone…
Recommended only for diehard fans or casual fans who want some good gore and have time to waste.

IWSG stuff

In the past two weeks, the IWSG Admins have welcomed two new members. Nick Wilford will be manning the contests page and Pat Hatt will run Twitter - @TheIWSG. Please stop by both of their sites and welcome them!

Don’t forget our first Twitter pitch event, #IWSGPit, is on July 27. We have a lineup of publishers and agents who will be tuning in that day and more are added every week. See the site for details and start working on your Twitter pitch.

The IWSG Goodreads Group is in full swing and already read their first book. As a bonus, members got to ask the book’s author questions and you can read about it on Goodreads. This group is for writers only, focusing on the craft, so please join us.

The IWSG Newsletter is packed with great information and valuable links every month, so if you haven’t signed up, please do so.

And for those who don’t know it, we have an IWSG Facebook Group as well, with over 3600 members.

Finally, on June 7, the next IWSG post day, we are announcing another anthology! This will be similar to our IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, so tune in next month for details.

Special Blogger Buddy Feature

I’d like to introduce you to Ivy, also known as The Happy Whisk. I met Ivy several years ago and she never fails to entertain – and give everyone some good tips. She is an experimental chef due to allergies and comes up with some amazing stuff. She’s also into organizing, movies, and Bug. Just a special friend. Please welcome Ivy!

Favorite Recipes: This week I'm all about homemade rye bread with caraway seeds, cheeses made from plants and egg-free French toast. I'm allergic to eggs and dairy. Developing recipes is my way of telling my allergies to suck it.

Advice on decluttering: I've got gobs to share about ditching 95 percent of my crap. But today, I'll start with three words; I was ready. It's that simple. I wanted to do the work so I set aside four weeks to go through everything I owned. I sorted by category and began with the areas that made me the most uncomfortable, angry, frustrated and/or overwhelmed. This might not work for everyone, but I wanted to slay the biggest dragon first.
From there, I learned that people aren't things. Letting go feels amazing. Organized clutter is still clutter. And, I don't need 14 Pyrex bake dishes and 24 waffle makers.

Who is Bug? Her full name is Bogár which means bug in Hungarian. She's a loud mouth little brat and I love her to bits. She's half shepherd, half beagle. When I hurt myself in the kitchen, she makes a mad dash to check on me. Her hobbies include stealing Tim's hats, beating up paper bags and snuggling with her big sister.

Favorite Super Hero: As a kid, I twirled around the living room until I fell over and I wore my little Wonder Woman costume at the table during meal time. Hands down, BEST SUPER HERO EVER!!!!

Ninja News

JH Moncrieff just released two books!

City of Ghosts
On the day the villagers were forced to flee Hensu, not everyone got out alive.
Find on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes

The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts
Would you risk everything to save a stranger?
Find on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes

Are you a Rocket Raccoon fan?
Then you need to join the Raccoonatics!
Run by Leo Wyld, Raccoonatic Commander, it’s great place for fans to gather for news and discussions on all things Rocket Raccoon.
You can also follow on Twitter - @raccoonatic

Anyone else watching the MST3K Pluto channel? Were you suckered into another Alien movie last weekend? Participating in the IWSG groups and excited about the upcoming events? Following the Happy Whisk? And are you a Raccoonatic?

Don’t forget to visit IB Nosey!

Since next Monday is a holiday, I will not be posting and am taking the whole week off. Will check email and Twitter though. I’ll be back for IWSG post day, June 7.