RiffTrax Live! Plus Movie Reviews, Trivia, and News; Dragon and Cassa News, Battle of the Banned, and Ninja News

Back from vacation! I’m starting to really enjoy those…

RiffTrax Live!

Two more shows remain in this year’s RiffTrax Live line-up – Miami Connection and Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.

You’ve read my reviews of their shows – this is your chance to see them for yourself.

Miami Connection is October 1, live in Nashville, TN. Get your tickets HERE.

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is December 3 and you can get your tickets HERE.

If you’ve never seen RiffTrax live, you don’t want to miss either of these showings!

Movie News

JoBlo’s site announced last week: Regal Theaters announce bag-check policy in response to recent shootings.
About time!

Also from JoBlo’s Site: Blood & boobs run the red-band Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse trailer
Sorry, I was just drawn in by the blood and boobs! (And I assume there will be carnage…)

NetFlix Movie Reviews

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead
After losing his family during a zombie apocalypse, a man goes searching for his sister in the outback. This Australian film breathes a little new life into the zombie genre.
It’s high on style, but falls short of making sense.
Don’t let that stop you, though. It’s gory, odd, and occasionally funny.
Worth a free rental

Slow West
A young Scottish man searching for the woman he loves pairs up with a bounty hunter.
This film is aptly titled – this isn’t a fast moving, shoot-em-up.
It’s quirky, but very enjoyable. It was a unique take on the Western genre and a refreshing one at that.
It’s a distinctive role for Fassbender, who was also one of the producers. Both he and Cavendish (who will be the next Night Crawler) were excellent in the film.
Recommended

Ninja News

We have a HUGE announcement next week at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! You don’t want to miss this – out most ambitious project ever.

New Releases!

Fight the Time Flight by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

Hot Pink in the City by Medeia Sharif
Find it at Prizm Books and Amazon

Dragon and Cassa News

Thanks again to everyone who requested a copy of Dragon’s Destiny! I’ve already received some amazing feedback and even reviews at Beauty in Ruins and Edi’s Book Lighthouse.

Remember, it’s a short story that takes place after Dragon of the Stars and is free to anyone who’s read the book. Just send me an email – tell me what happened to Aden at the end and what format you want, ePub, Mobi, or PDF file.

There was also an amazing review of Dragon of the Stars from Jean Baldrige.

Finally, my publisher informed its authors that we had the opportunity to update one of our titles this month. I cringed, but I asked if I could update my first book, CassaStar. 
Now, I’ve never read any of my books after publication. And after going through CassaStar, I now know why. I have come so far as an author! The story remained solid, I just needed to word it better.
Now, I am happy to announce that an updated version is now available, both in print and eBook. (And for those of you who’ve read it, I will gladly share an ePub or Mobi version of the new one.)
I must say though – I still really like the story. My first one, it sparked my imagination as well as my career. Even if I never wanted to be an author…

Battle of the Banned

I am participating in Shady Del Knight’s Battle of the Banned. (Yes, Banned, not Band.) It pits two songs against each other and you vote for your favorite.

Today’s entry is a cool song called Powerslave. Originally done by Iron Maiden, it was also covered by Testament. I’m a big fan of both bands, so I’ll just let their entries stand on their own:

Testament

Iron Maiden

You know the drill – which one is your favorite?

Movie Trivia 

Comedy! Name the movie from the line. Answers next Monday.

1 – Where is your drill sergeant, men? - Blown up, Sir! - 1981
2 – In Mexico, you know what they call Twinkies? Los submarions. - 2009
3 – Wild Thing, you make my heart sing. You walk everything. - 1989
4 – Hey, get a room guys… Oh that’s not right! - 1999
5 – I’m going to call her Lunch. Hello, Lunch, hello! Ew! Avoid the green ones-not ripe yet. - 1988

Who’s going to the next RiffTrax show? Have you seen either of the movies? See any interesting news? Want a copy of Dragon’s Destiny or the new CassaStar? Which song version is your favorite? And can you guess any of the trivia?

Movie News and Reviews

DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude has a challenge today – six short excerpts/flash pieces based on a prompt from six different writers. Can you guess which writer wrote which piece based on their ‘voice?’ Let’s just say I already know one of the writers…

Elizabeth Mueller asked if I was some kind of Hollywood Ninja spy since I know so much about films. While I do harbor a lot of movie knowledge and see a ton of movies, there are a couple key sites I hit.

For information, release dates, and reviews, I visit Rotten Tomatoes and the IMDB.

For hot-off-the-press news, I visit JoBlo and Blastr.

Now you too can be a Movie Ninja!

Battlefield Earth was easily the number one Worst Movie Ever in last week’s blogfest. After so many awful films, I thought I’d offer you some good ones:

Drive
Great reviews prompted me to see this one. Ryan Gosling is a stuntman/mechanic by day and a getaway driver by night. A man of few words, he befriends a neighbor and her son. When her husband returns home from prison, Gosling offers to help rob a pawnshop to pay back protection money. Things go wrong, of course…
If you remember my review of Hanna, this movie is similar – an art house action flick. Very slow paced and stylish, with great camera work and lighting, and a unique soundtrack. Think Michael Mann’s Heat and Manhunter. If you like that style of film, I highly recommend Drive.

The Warrior’s Way
I had no idea what to expect from this film but was pleasantly surprised. It begins with a ninja warrior, toting a baby he spared, seeking refuge with a circus group in an isolated Western town. As you can tell by the setup, it’s quirky! The entire film was shot on green screen and looks quite amazing, including a giant Ferris wheel under construction. It was like a comic book come to life and featured some bloody and intense action. Geoffrey Rush is excellent in his small role as a drunken former gunslinger. This movie isn’t for everyone, but I found it quirky and fun.

And this Wednesday Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is the featured film on Direct TV’s HDNet Movies! Last I looked, it was still a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with over thirty reviews.

Seen any good movies lately? Don’t forget to check out Cruising Altitude. And hey – less than three months to Christmas!!

Movies, Music, and a Humbling Surprise

I was stunned yesterday when looking through the blogs I follow – my book was featured at The Roads of Autumn Dusk!!! Thanks so much, Rogue Evolent. That really made my day. The cover is up at Prinkipria's site as well. Guess I need to get used to that, but it's kinda humbling.

I was also stunned when I hit 100 followers on Friday! Thanks everyone. I will draw a name soon and contact the person to be featured.

Saw this over at Jo Blo’s site - JJ Abrams is up to tricks again with his mystery flick, Super 8. Scariest Thing I Ever Saw is the website for this movie and there’s speculation that a trailer will appear on May 15. He got us with Cloverfield – and now he’s doing it again!

Everybody’s getting a reboot – look for a new Godzilla flick in 2012 and a prequel to Planet of the Apes called Rise of the Apes in 2011.

Arlee at Tossing It Out is hosting a Fifteen Fantasy Island Favorites blogfest. On Monday, May 17, we’ll be talking about our fifteen favorite albums. Arlee has a signup at his blog, so join in the fun.

For those of you looking for some interesting music with a science fiction twist – check out Star One.
One of Arjen A. Lucassen’s many projects, Star One was a tribute to some of the great science fiction movies of recent times. Some of the songs are a little goofy – “The Eye of Ra” a tribute to Stargate – and some are awesome – “Master of Darkness” a tribute to Empire Strikes Back. If you like progressive rock with a science fiction twist, check it out at Arjen’s site and have a listen.

Now, go enjoy your weekend!

Oh, and thanks to everyone who gave their input Thursday. I now have a rough outline for the sequel to CassaStar and will begin working on it soon.

Movies!

Continuing the A-Z Challenge from Arlee at Tossing it Out

Today is M - and one of my favorite subjects, MOVIES!

I am a die hard movie buff. I visit the theater several times a month, buy the latest & greatest on DVD, and I watch movies on NetFlix all the time.

Today I'd like to share with you where I get my movie information and updates, and what genre movies are my favorite.

For the scoop on the latest movies, I have three sources:

IMDB - Every fact, date, and box office total - it's the most complete movie database on the web.
Rotten Tomatoes - RT gathers all the top reviews and provides news & updates.
JoBlo Movie Network Movie and DVD releases, reviews, insider news - JoBlo has it all!

Now for my favorite movies...

Science Fiction

The Abyss

Aliens

Avatar

The Empire Strikes Back

The Fifth Element

Jurassic Park

The Matrix

Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie

Serenity

Star Trek First Contact

Horror

Blade II

The Crow

Evil Dead II

Jaws

A Nightmare on Elm Street

The Ring

Sleepy Hollow

The Thing

Underworld I & II

Zombieland

Fantasy

Conan the Barbarian

Hellboy I & II

Legend

Lord of the Rings trilogy

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Princess Bride

What are some of your favorites, particularly in the areas listed above?

And do you visit Dez's site? Remember, the Hollywood Spy loves you!