New Movie Trailers, RiffTrax: Live, and Movie News; IWSG Anthology and Updates, CassaFire Giveaway, and Miles of Smiles

Movie News

First Black Panther teaser trailer is out!

New trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes that focuses on the girl, Nova:

Caught this on Blastr:
The clever folks at CineFix have chosen Michael Bay's lofty sci-fi spectacle to create a handcrafted, shot-for-shot remake of the main trailer using duct tape, cardboard boxes, twine, trash can lids, tissue paper, a filled bathtub, plastic army men and broccoli stalks:

There are now thirty films that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Three have even crossed the two billion mark – Star Wars: The Force Awakens @ $2,068.2, Titanic @ $2,186.8, and Avatar @ $2,788.0. So far two films have crossed that mark this year – Beauty and the Beast and The Fate of the Furious. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is closing in on that number.
Full list at Box Office Mojo.
How many of the thirty billion dollar films have you seen? (I’ve seen twenty-nine of them!)

Don’t forget - RiffTrax: Live is Thursday, June 15! It’s the Summer Shorts Beach Party:
Mike, Kevin and Bill return to the stage with RiffTrax regulars Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl, The MST3K Mads Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff and special guest Paul F. Tompkins, to take turns riffing shorts in various permutations. The live show will culminate in a RIFF-A-PALOOZA with everyone on stage at the same time!

Reviews were average at best for The Mummy, so we skipped it. Not looking good for the Dark Universe series the studio planned.
Since nothing else strikes my fancy until the end of the month, probably not many movie reviews until then.

Miles of Smiles Challenge

Hosted by Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore.

The idea behind it was for people to sign up and tell each other about the small things in their lives that always make them smile. You can use your blog, your Facebook, your Twitter or your Instagram to share your joys. #MilesofSmiles


What makes me smile?

A great practice session with a jamming song on my guitar.
A comment or email from someone who loves the IWSG or one of my books.
Mini-Alex and friends – the thoughtfulness of those who made them.
My wife’s smile.

What makes you smile?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Updates

Another great posting for the IWSG. The point of the group is to encourage others, so be sure to visit others on the list. Especially the new members – make those writers feel welcome. It’s sad when they only post once or twice and then give up because they receive next to no comments.

Many commented that they were looking forward to the IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit, but they didn’t feel they could contribute. Some mentioned being able to tell others what not to do. And that’s perfect! If you’ve tried something that didn’t result in sales or making money, write a short article about it and submit. We need to know what doesn’t work as well. Submissions are open to all IWSG members – monthly blog post members, Facebook, and Goodreads. Details here.

I’d also like to highlight two of our Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life authors who recently had book events. Way to go, ladies!

Yvonne Ventresca shows off her table here.

Jen Chandler poses with a book at her signing.

CassaFire Giveaway

My publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, is giving away an audio book every week. Through June 14, you can win a copy of CassaFire. You must retweet their pinned Tweet HERE to enter.

And the Penguins won the Stanley Cup last night!

What do you think of the trailers? Catching the RiffTrax show? How many of the billion dollar movies have you seen? What makes you smile? Submitting to the IWSG anthology?

I will be offline June 19-24 but still checking email and Twitter.

Writing About Morocco, The Wave Movie Review, Movie News, and Ninja News

Mason Canyon at Thoughts in Progress posted the most awesome review of my audio books – CassaStar and CassaFire!

Today I welcome Sean McLachlan. His book participated in the Kindle Scout campaign and was selected for publication by Kindle Press! The Last Hotel Room comes out on Tuesday, September 20.

Writing in (and about) Morocco by Sean McLachlan

Hello!
Alex asked me to stop by and chat about my career in the Middle East. I’ve been going to that region for 26 years, first as an archaeologist and later as a writer. One of my regular haunts is Tangier, Morocco.

That’s the scene for my latest novel, The Last Hotel Room, in which a suicidal, bankrupt American robs junkies in order to support a Syrian refugee boy.
No, I’m not writing what I know. Well, maybe a bit. While I’m not bankrupt, or suicidal (despite my editor’s worries), I have actually spent a fair amount of time interviewing Syrian refugees. One article, Video Games with a Refugee, written on assignment in Iraq, won the Society of American Travel Writers Award and inspired the novel.
My main concern was getting the setting right, communicating the atmosphere of Tangier, a busy port with a mix of Arabs, Berbers, West Africans, and Europeans. People have visions of the Middle East as a danger zone filled with terrorists, and since my “hero” Tom Miller lives with the lowlifes I had to make sure to show the more respectable majority too.
I found myself using my travel writing background a lot while writing this novel. When Tom watches the passersby in the medina or stands with hopeful immigrants staring across the Strait of Gibraltar towards Spain, that’s me looking. Even the scene where Tom gets rid of a pesky junky with the unwilling help of a machinegun-toting cop is taken from life, although perhaps it would have been better if it hadn’t been!
Some other scenes, like the heroin scenes, are made up. That’s just fine by me.
And at least my house in Tangier doesn’t have a squat toilet like Tom’s hotel room!

The Last Hotel Room – available September 20!

He came to Tangier to die, but life isn’t done with him yet.
Tom Miller has lost his job, his wife, and his dreams. Broke and alone, he ends up in a flophouse in Morocco, ready to end it all. But soon he finds himself tangled in a web of danger and duty as he’s pulled into scamming tourists for a crooked cop while trying to help a Syrian refugee boy survive life on the streets. Can a lifelong loser do something good for a change?
A portion of my royalties will go to a charity for Syrian refugees.

To find out more about Sean McLachlan’s work and travels, visit him at his Amazon page or his blog, and feel free to friend him on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. You might also enjoy his newsletter, Sean’s Travels and Tales, which comes out every one or two months. Each issue features a short story, a travel article, a coupon for a free or discounted book, and updates on future projects.

Movie Review

The Wave
This Norwegian film proves that formula disaster films are universal. However, it’s very well done, so if you like formula disaster films that aren’t cheesy, you’ll really enjoy this entry in the genre.
From the IMDB: Based on the fact that mountain pass Åkneset, located in the Geiranger fjord in Norway, one day will fall out and create a violent tsunami of over 80 meters that will crush everything in its path before it hits land in Greenland.
A geologist and his family are about to leave a small Norway town for a job in the big city when the geologist realizes what’s about to happen.
The film has solid acting from all involved. They bring realism to the film.
The story focuses more on the lead up to the disaster and the aftermath than the actual disaster, but the giant wave and the destruction it leaves behind are impressive and haunting.
It does have subtitles but that is always better than dubbing!
Norway puts out some fine films and this one is no exception. If you like natural disaster films in the style of Dante’s Peak, you’ll enjoy this one. Recommended.

Movie News

The next RiffTrax: Live show is Carnival of Souls on October 27!
Perfect crappy film to riff for Halloween.
If you live in the Nashville area, you can go see it live – if not, check their site for a theater broadcasting it near you.


The best part of Suicide Squad was the over-the-top, batcrap crazy Harley Quinn. And soon, she’ll have her own movie.
Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Quinn, who will be one of many DC heroines and villains in the film. The film is currently in the works.

A special version of Mad Max: Fury Road is being released – the Blood and Chrome Edition. This version is in black and white and will be available in two different DVD sets on December 6. See Blastr for details.

DVD Releases:
September 13 – Captain America: Civil War
September 20 – Star Trek: Beyond
September 27 – Central Intelligence
October 4 – X-Men: Apocalypse
November 15 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Ninja News

Don’t forget the IWSG Anthology Contest is now open – fantasy/hero lost is the genre/theme. See the site for full details.

New release!
Love Thyself by Pat Hatt
Pat stars in his own story – and he’s destined to save Earth’s brain.
Find it on Amazon

Ever been to Morocco? Want to help Syrian refugees? Seen The Wave? Going to the next RiffTrax: Live show? Picking up some DVDs? And are you working on your IWSG Anthology Contest story?

Chronicles of Shannara Review, RiffTrax’s Latest News, Fantasy Movie Trivia, Movie and Television News, and Ninja News!

The Chronicles of Shannara Review

Keep in mind, this is from someone who read these books as a teen and treasured them. Your perception of the show will vary according to how well you know the source material.

The series begins with the Ellcrys tree, which has held back the demon world for centuries, dying, and a band of people trying to find the magic to stop its death. The series begins with the second book in the original Shannara trilogy and no secret that Shannara is Earth far in the future. (Not sure why they didn’t begin with the first book. And it’s not until subsequent books that we learn this is actually Earth.)

I was terrified when I heard MTV was doing a series based on my favorite series. MTV? Really? But so far, after watching the first episode, I’m happy to say I’m enjoying it.

The main plot points of the show are accurate. They are following The Elf Stones of Shannara. However, the details have been altered to fit the younger, MTV demographic. The show contains a thousand times more angst that the entire series put together, but that’s to be expected.

The first episode moved at a breakneck speed. It sprinted forward over many scenes, probably just to bring the main characters altogether at the end. Now, maybe that’s the only way the MTV crowd can handle it, but I do hope they slow down and focus more on character development and at a leisurely pace. (Because at the current pace, they’ll burn through all the books in the first season.)

The casting choices overall are strong, especially Allanon. He plays the part well, and the actor even looks like the character on the original book. Will, the half-elf, is also well represented. He’s sweet, goofy, and very naïve. I also liked the inclusion of John Rhys-Davies in the cast. Can’t have an epic fantasy without him, can we?

For a television show, the special effects and makeup are both top notch. MTV certainly poured some money into the series.

The show is promising and not the train wreck I was dreading. If they can slow the pace a bit, it will be great. (The next couple episodes are available already online, but I’d rather wait and watch them on my HDTV. The next day of course, because 10:00 pm is my bedtime.)

And hopefully it will encourage people to read the books, because they are awesome!

Latest RiffTracks News

Some cool things happening with RiffTrax!

There is now a RiffTrax app! Available for both iOS and Andriod, this app will automatically sync RiffTrax ‘Just the Joke’ commentaries.
Just hit play on your phone or tablet and the app listens for the movie and automatically syncs everything, and keeps it synced. It will work with your TV, computer, DVDs, Blu-rays, Netflix, Amazon Video and other streams. The beta app is completely FREE, AND has all six Star Wars movies pre-loaded into it for FREE for you to try out! (That will be the ONLY way I can watch those prequels ever again!)

The Best of RiffTrax Live will be rebroadcasting two of its movies. Starship Troopers is on January 14 and The Room is on January 28. If you’ve never seen RiffTrax on the big screen, now is the time to catch it.

There is also a RiffWiki! Everything RiffTrax, including MST3K. With information, features, essential Riffs, and more.

And don’t forget, every Monday, there is a new MST3K title available.

Geek News

There are nine speculative fiction series debuting this month, including:
Legends of Tomorrow is the next DC series, taking a few characters from The Flash and Arrow, adding some new ones, and mixing them together for a superhero team. Premiers January 21.
The much anticipated X-Files miniseries premiers January 24, and creator Chris Carter promises we’ll get everything we loved about the original series.


Season six of Game of Thrones starts on April 24 – mark your calendars now.

JoBlo featured a list of Top Ten Greatest Movie Teasers of All Time. (And yes, I have seen all of the movies, more than once!)

TNT nixed the live-action Teen Titans series. (Damn you TNT!)

And Netflix announced season two of DareDevil will begin on March 18, and they released a trailer for the critically acclaimed show:

Ninja News

The winner of the IWSG Anthology Contest, L.G. Keltner, is a guest today at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with some awesome information and tips about anthologies.


Our very own Anti-A to Z Spokesperson, Gary at Klahanie, actually promote the IWSG last week! Of course, that might be because he thinks it stands for I Was Seeking Gary…

Cloaked by T.F. Walsh is out now.
The second book comes out in March and the third in May.



Book Goodies now allows authors fill out an interview form that is posted on their site, and afterwards, books can be added. My interview is HERE.

The Lost and Found: Valentine’s Edition blogfest takes place February 1. For details and to sign up, go HERE.



Version Sacrifice results, featuring the song Dead Souls:
Nine Inch Nails – 10
Joy Division – 10
My vote for NIN gave us a tie!

Movie Trivia – Fantasy!

All of these ‘fantasy’ movies (two with horror elements) take place mostly in a forest. Name the movie from the cryptic description.

1 – The first in a series that should’ve been seven films, the adventure begins in the snowy winter woods. 2005
2 – A trip to this forest turned out to be a game to feed an ancient beast. 2011
3 – This fable involved a tower and naïve young woman who wants to explore the world. 2010
4 – This epic tale has man joining a dozen others to battle a mysterious enemy that descends from a mountain lair. 1999
5 – The first of three films has an unlikely hero setting off with a group of dwarves. 2012

Answers Monday!


Anyone else watching the Chronicles of Shannara? Ready for some RiffTrax fun? Any January series catch your attention? Think the new X-Files will be a good as promised? Want to submit to some anthologies? And do you know any of the trivia…?
And found out this morning David Bowie died. How sad!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Plus RiffTrax Live, December Movie Preview, Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, MST3K Movie Trivia Answers, 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 Sandra Hoover, Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell!
 

First, I have to announce - CassaStar on sale! The first book in my Cassa Amazon best-selling trilogy is only .99 this week at Amazon. If you can help spread the word, that would be awesome.
Tweet:
Amazon Best-Seller CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh on sale for .99 cents http://www.amazon.com/CassaStar-Alex-J-Cavanaugh-ebook/dp/B0045Y261I/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= #99cents #scifi

I’ve been tossing around my next story idea. I’d like to take on a couple more short stories, starting with one set in either universe I’ve created. I could continue with stories about the Dragon or follow one of the many secondary characters in the Cassa universe. (Any requests?)

After that, I just might try a little fantasy…

Be sure to visit other IWSG members and be watching January 6 when we announce the winners of the IWSG Anthology Contest!

The Wizard of Oz: Book vs. Movie

Hello all! We’re the DMS¬ Fairday Morrow, Lizzy Mackerville, and Marcus “aka Brocket the Rocket” from the new middle grade book THE SECRET FILES OF FAIRDAY MORROW, and we’re here to talk about The Wizard of Oz, the movie vs. the book. There are a lot of differences between them. The slippers are the most obvious. Everyone thinks of them as ruby slippers, because that’s how they’re portrayed in the movie, but in the book, they’re silver. Isn’t that crazy! All this time you thought of them as red. ;)
FAIRDAY: I have my grandma’s copy of The Wizard of Oz, which is very special to me. I remember her reading me the story when I was little, and how she did the characters voices perfectly. I will always cherish the book, BUT I also really like the movie. I mean, it’s just so fun! Plus, my little sister, Margo, belts out the lyrics to the movie soundtrack when it’s playing in the Morrow family cruiser.
LIZZY: I like the movie more than the book. The power of the ruby slippers being divided between each shoe in the book was cool, but I loved the Emerald City in the movie. I thought that part was awesome when they first walk in and the horses change colors and everything is sparkly green.

MARCUS: I haven’t read the book, so I can only talk about the movie, and it’s the best! The flying monkeys are AWESOME, and so is the part when Dorothy throws the water on the wicked witch and she melts. You have to wonder what the witch was made of to fall to pieces just by getting wet.

DMS top 10 favorite things about The Wizard of Oz/ the movie
1. Ruby Slippers
2. Flying Monkeys
3. Awesome music
4. Munchkin Land
5. Toto
6. Flying over a rainbow in general
7. Hot air balloons and wizards
8. The Emerald City
9. The wicked witch¬ needs a shout out.
10.Traveling in a bubble like Glinda.

- Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson

Find The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow at Penguin Random House
Find Jessica and Stephanie: website, blog, and on Twitter - @DMSfiles and @mrsrobinson229

Ninja News

Don’t forget RiffTrax Live is December 3 with an encore on December 15!
Santa and The Ice Cream Bunny is one of the most bizarre and popular RiffTrax titles of all time and a cheesy holiday classic. This rare version of the film includes a never before seen Jack and the Beanstalk story as told by Santa for an as yet unknown reason. Join Mike, Kevin, and Bill as they present it live on the big screen for the very first time!

New Releases:

Lovelorn Spirits by Christine Rains
Find it on Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, and Goodreads

She also has a short story in the just released 9 Tales Told in the Dark. #7

The Reader, Rifters Book 3 by M. Pax
With the rift closed for the season and no more monsters to fight, Daelin Long gets bored as librarian in the podunk town of Settler, Oregon.
Find it on Amazon, iBook, Barnes and Noble, and more!

Guardians of Telesma by River Fairchild
Find it on Amazon

Aced (Blocked #2) by Jennifer Lane
Find it on Amazon

A Clueless Woman by T.B. Markinson 
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, and Goodreads

The Water Holds No Scars: Fly Fishing Stories of Rivers & Rejuvenation
Edited by Dean K. Miller
Find it at Tulip Tree Publishing

Beverly Stowe McClure’s story, A Tiger-Sized Heart, will appear in an upcoming anthology.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Cat will be published February 9, 2016.

Movie Trivia Answers

All have been riffed by MST3K:
1 – 1975, eight legged creatures, Alan Hale Jr. in the cast – The Giant Spider Invasion
2 – 1955, sequel to fish man hit, Clint Eastwood’s first role – Revenge of the Creature
3 – 1959, starring James Best of Dukes of Hazzard fame, featuring giant rodents that were actually just dogs with carpets draped over their backs – The Killer Shrews
4 – 1957, directed by Bert I. Gordon, and featuring a really big bald guy – The Amazing Colossal Man
5 – 1965, first in a series of many, this Japanese monster gave Godzilla a run for his money - Gamera
6 – 1957, another Bert I. Gordon classic, starred Peter Graves, featured really large insects – The Beginning of the End

December Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for December! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

11 -

The Big Short
Four outsiders in the world of high-finance who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s decide to take on the big banks for their lack of foresight and greed.
Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Finn Wittrock, Karen Gillan
If you’re not already disgusted by our lending institutions, then just watch this film.

In the Heart of the Sea
Based on the 1820 event, a whaling ship is preyed upon by a sperm whale, stranding its crew at sea for 90 days, thousands of miles from home.
Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw
Man versus Dick – the Real Story.




18 –

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
A continuation of the saga created by George Lucas and set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).
Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver
Wait, there’s a new Star Wars film? Why haven’t I seen any advertising for it?




25 –

The Revenant
In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Stars: Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
The director of Birdman is at it again to bring you a fascinating yet most likely bizarre film spectacle.

The Hateful Eight
In post-Civil War Wyoming, bounty hunters try to find shelter during a blizzard but get involved in a plot of betrayal and deception. Will they survive?
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Channing Tatum, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Tarantino on Christmas Day! Give the gift of gallons of bloodshed.

Concussion
In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.
Director: Peter Landesman
Stars: Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Stephen Moyer
I bumped my head on a cabinet and I honestly can’t remember what this movie’s about…

Whoa! So, what should I write next? Grateful for any help I can get promoting CassaStar’s sale. Which do you prefer - Wizard of Oz book or movie? Seeing RiffTrax: Live? Picking up some awesome new books? How’d you do on the trivia? And what movies perk your interest this month?