Showing posts with label Remakes Blogfest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Remakes Blogfest. Show all posts

Monday, November 6, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok Review, Stranger Things 2 Review, Justice League, SciFi Month, IWSG, and Remakes Blogfest

Movie Review – Thor: Ragnarok

Hela, Goddess of Death and Thor’s sister, returns to Asgard to reclaim the throne and Thor must return in time to stop her.
The story rocks from beginning to end. It’s just a ton of fun.
And this is without a doubt the funniest Marvel movie yet! Yes, probably even funnier than the first Guardians. Every character has his lines and while the moment was hilarious, it was never silly. Korg (voiced by the director himself) was the funniest, especially the way he delivered his lines.
All the actors were great – Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Blanchett, Thompson, Urban… Elba gets to be a big hero and Goldblum does what he does best – be Jeff Goldblum. Some of the situations are actually really deep, but the light touch and humor keep this from being anything but a dark film.
The special effects are amazing. Some shots looked like straight out of a Frank Frazetta painting.
Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song rocks the first and last fights – and fits the action and movie perfectly.
Look for a couple big name actors in cameo roles. Also try to catch the 3D showing. And do stay for the double ending – don’t leave until the credits  are completely done.
Overall, it’s an incredibly fun time at the movies. Highly recommended!

Stranger Things – Season Two Review

Or how to do a review without giving away spoilers!
As hinted at the end of season one, they were not finished with the Upside Down.
Will struggles with visions. Nancy struggles with Barb’s disappearance. And Hopper struggles to hide and contain a powerful young lady…
Season two stays true to the first season. It’s lost a little now that there is no surprise, but the story line is just as great.
It’s also great to see the cast again. They are like family. Plus there are a couple new characters you will really enjoy.
The second season fleshes out the characters even more. They are real people, just like us. (Less the threat of the Upside Down of course!) But at a time when every writer is going for super damaged, edgy, and unlikeable characters, this cast is refreshing. You can root for them. They pull together and help each other. It’s very reminiscent of the time period the show is set in, the 80’s.
The only spoiler I will give (and stop reading if you don’t want to know) but the ending is definitely for the fans.
If you haven’t already binge-watched this on NetFlix…what is wrong with you? Watch it now! Highly recommended.

Movie and Science Fiction News

A DC heroine takes the crown! According to JoBlo:

WONDER WOMAN has officially become the biggest superhero origin movie ever, edging out the likes of IRON MAN and SPIDER-MAN. As of this writing, WONDER WOMAN has made exactly $821,749,588 at the global box office, narrowly beating SPIDER-MAN’s $821,708,551.



That leads right into these cool promo posters that were also featured on JoBlo:



Can you tell I’m a bit stoked for Justice League?


I also found out through Books Bones Buffy that November is Science Fiction Month.
It’s hosted by Over the Effing Rainbow and There’s Always Room for One More.
You can sign up there or just follow the Twitter account - @SciFiMonth

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Today we have special guest at the IWSG site - B. O'Malley from Screenplay Readers. Check out his article The Top Newbie Mistakes Made By Writers Adapting their Book into a Screenplay

The IWSG Anthology Contest closed last week – and wow, we have about as many entries as last year! We appreciate everyone who submitted. The admins are choosing the best ones this week and then those will go off to our official judges. We’ll announce the winners on January 3, 2018.

Thanks again to my co-hosts, the IWSG admins, and all of you who participated last Wednesday in the monthly blog posting. Those are some of the most thoughtful and honest posts I read all month.

Remakes Blogfest!

Coming next week! 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.
On 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!
Join us! Sign up HERE.


Who else saw Thor: Ragnarok? Binge-watched all of Stranger Things already? Stoked for Justice League? Celebrating SciFi Month? Did you enter the IWSG Anthology Contest? And who is ready for some good remakes next week?

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Insecure Writer’s Support Group. November Movie Preview, Remakes Blogfest, and New Releases

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 Tonja Drecker, Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass!

November 1 – last day to enter the IWSG Anthology Contest!

November 1 question - Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

I participated in NaNo 2010 right after my first book’s release. (And I totally missed it – October 19 marked seven years since the release of CassaStar!) I composed a crash outline based on a short story I’d written over thirty years ago. Total miracle, it was published – CassaFire came out February 2012.

While I’ve not participated in NaNo since, I jumped into June’s BuMo in 2012 to write the third book in my series. And while I just missed the 50,000 word count by 5000 words, I still finished it a few weeks later. CassaStorm was published September 2013.

Both books were better than my first and I still consider CassaStorm to be the best thing I’ve ever written.

So, if you’re considering jumping into NaNo or you are participating this month – go for it and good luck! What you write can become a published book.

New Releases

Full Dark: An Anthology
Publisher: Obsidian Books

What happens in the dark will come to light.

Full Dark is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that does many wonderful things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Mistakes of the Past by Patricia Josephine

Luc seeks atonement for the actions that banished him from his home.

Find it on: Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords


Spirits in the Water anthology
From Untethered Realms

A haunted journey on a riverboat, water sprites borne of pennies; preternatural creatures, ancient serpents and The Lady of the Lake lurk in dark waters. Raging storms and magical rainbow fountains. Water is spectacularly beautiful but also treacherous.

Find it on Amazon iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Kobo, and Smashwords

November Movie Preview

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

3 –

Thor: Ragnarok
Imprisoned, the mighty Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.
Director: Taika Waititi
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo
I heard it’s so laugh out loud funny, your sides will be Thor afterwards… (Oh! Bad pun. Movie is going to rock though.)

10 –

Murder on the Orient Express
A lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish & suspenseful mystery. From the novel by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express tells of thirteen stranded strangers & one man's race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Kenneth Branagh
Spoiler alert – halfway through, Branagh dies and his moustache 
is forced to take over the investigation.

17 –

Justice League
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher
I am a huge DC and Justice League fan. I have waited my whole life for this film…






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.

On 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 below. Post on November 13 and visit others on the list. Time to unearth those good remakes!




What has been the results of your NaNo projects? Picking up some new books? Any of the November movies interest you? And who’s up for some good remakes?

Review of Stranger Things – season two coming next Monday! Yes, I’ve already watched all of it…

And I won Heather Holden’s Halloween giveaway! Here’s Mini-Alex posing with the cool ACEO of Nicholas. Thanks, Heather!