Movies Based on YA Books, TV Trivia, Space Opera, Ninja News, and More!

Today I’m making an appearance at the blog of Kim Van Sickler! find out why the Space Opera genre isn't just for science fiction fans.

To entertain you here with movies and books is Nutschell from The Writing Nut!

5 Movies Based on YA Books to Look Forward to This 2014

I’m looking forward to seeing tons of awesome new movies this year. Most of them are Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies and I’ll run out of space if I list all of them. So I thought I narrow down it down to movies based on YA (Young Adult) books, which I’m looking forward to watching.

Here they are in no particular order:

Divergent
Divergent is the first book in Veronica Roth’s best-selling trilogy. The books are all about a dystopian Chicago, where teenagers are forced to make a choice between five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. Each faction is meant to play a particular role in society based on their most distinguishing virtue. On her Choosing Day, 16 year-old Beatrice Prior chooses another faction over her family’s and discovers a dark truth behind their seemingly perfect society.

Mockingjay Part 1
Mockingjay is the final book in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games Trilogy. As with all big hits, the final book was broken into two parts. In this first installment, we’ll see how Katniss and the rebels begin the war against President Snow and the rest of the Capitol.

The Giver
Bases on Lois Lowry’s classic novel, “The Giver” tells of a future society that appears perfect—until the twelve year old protagonist Jonas uncovers its dark side. Jeff Bridges is set to play the Giver in this film adaptation.

The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner is the first book in James Dashner’s dystopian series. In this story, 12 year-old Thomas wakes up with no knowledge of his past. He finds himself in the Glades, an encampment at the center of a strange and frightening maze. Surrounded by other boys with memories of their previous lives, Thomas learns to survive, and soon finds out what lies beyond the walls of the maze.

The Fault in Our Stars
Shailene Woodley, who plays the lead in the YA blockbuster movie Divergent, also stars in this film adaptation based on John Green’s best-selling novel, The Fault in Our Stars. In this story, Hazel, a sixteen year-old with terminal cancer, falls in love with Augustus, a former basketball player whose right leg had to be amputated due to bone cancer. The two meet in a support group and quickly begin a relationship that is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching.

If you’re a fan of Young Adult books (or good stories, in general), add these movies to your “must-watch list.” You’ll be sure to enjoy all of them!

Super thanks for having me on your blog, Alex!

STORY SPROUTS: CBW-LA WRITING DAY EXERCISES & ANTHOLOGY 2013
19 authors – 10 writing exercises – 38 combined anthology entries!

Find it on Amazon
Learn more about Story Sprouts HERE
Join the Children’s Book Writers of Los Angeles HERE
And find Nutschell at Blog, Twitter, Linked In, and Pinterest

Ninja News

Today at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group we are featuring are very first guest, the super-talented and awesome Elizabeth S. Craig! She’s sharing the best practices for self-publishers – you don’t want to miss it.

Catherina Constantine revealed the cover for her upcoming book, Tallas.

Isn’t it awesome?

Road to Somewhere by Kelley Lynn and Jenny Morris
New! From Bloomsbury Spark, a sunny heartwarming story of discovery and sisterhood.

A road trip. A singing competition. And super-hot cowboys.

What could be better?

Available now – visit their sites for a giveaway!

Don’t forget the Online Marketing Symposium is on January 20! Sign up and let us know what has worked (or didn’t) with your online promotions. Open to everyone, not just authors. Hosted by Arlee Bird, Yolanda Renee, Jeremy Hawkins, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Cat Trivia Answers

Although some of your answers were awesome!

1 – How fast can a housecat run? 31 mph
2 – True or false – cats can drink seawater. True – their livers filter out the salt
3 – What’s the technical term for a hairball? Bezoar
4 – How many different sounds do cats make? One hundred
5 – Which pet is more popular in North America – the dog or the cat? The cat – 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs

TV Trivia!

Random questions!

1 -On The X-Files, what's Mulder's nickname?
2 -What show starred Michael Landon as an angel?
3 -On The Simpsons, who shot Mr. Burns?
4 -What was the name of the charter boat that shipwrecked in the 1960s show "Gilligan's Island"?
5 -What 80s show is Frasier a spinoff of?

What movie based off of a young adult novel are you looking forward to? Have you picked up Story Sprouts? Excited about the new books? Signed up for the Online Marketing Symposium? Get any of the cat trivia correct? And do you know any of the TV trivia…?

Don’t forget to visit Kim Van Sickler!

Frozen Movie Review and December Movie Preview!! Plus Curiosity Quills and the IWSG, and Some Awesome Ninja News.

I was asked to do an article about the Insecure Writer’s Support Group for Curiosity Quills! It’s up today at their website.

Movie Review

Frozen
Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, Frozen is the story of two princess sisters, Anna and Elsa. When Else’s secret powers plunge their kingdom into an eternal winter and she runs away, Anna sets off to find her and make things right.
This is a very sweet story, genuine and innocent. It’s not an epic story, but it’s really enjoyable to watch.
The animation is stunning, especially in 3D. The frozen ice is incredible. (And my wife now wants an ice castle.)
The strength of the story lies with the sisters, especially Anna. She is a true heroine. She’s also a combination of resourceful awkwardness, which makes for some humorous situations.
Olaf the snowman is a riot. Most of the humor comes from his optimistic sweetness and desire to experience summer. Sven the reindeer is also funny.
If you’re looking for a sweet story about love and family devotion, wrapped up with amazing animation and great humor, then this is your film. Highly recommended.

Ninja News

Roland Yeomans is this month’s featured Challenge participant at the A to Z Blog. His theme was “Words of Wisdom for Writers,” so check it out.

Those of you signed up with The Fussy Librarian - CassaStar is the featured science fiction book for Tuesday this week!

Cassie Mae’s Switched is out today – congratulations, Cassie!

CD Coffelt’s prequel to Wilder Mage, Out of Magic, is available for free on Tuesday, December 3.



Created by Pat Hatt of It’s Rhyme Time have been working on a project - Translate Your eBook. It’s really awesome, so visit his SITE for details.


Sean McLachlan is looking for beta readers for his next novel. Radio Hope is a post-apocalyptic thriller, sans zombies, and it comes out February 1. Details HERE. Also, check out his "How Can I Help You?" page for some cool stuff he offers.

Nutschell at The Writing Nut is raising money two ways to help the typhoon victims back home in the Philippines:

1. CBW-LA.ORG, my nonprofit group, is donating 50% of its book sales (for STORY SPROUTS: CBW-LA WRITING DAY EXERCISES & ANTHOLOGY) from Nov. 2013 to the end of Jan. 2014. Find it on Amazon HERE.

2. Doce Pares L.A., my Filipino martial arts group is raising money through the Payong Drive campaign. Basically they are selling shirts for $20 each. Up to Dec.15, if you have other friends/relatives interested in supporting our fund drive, send the number of shirts and sizes (Small up to 3XL) to: LADocePares@yahoo.com (Sizing Chart) You can make checks payable to "Erwin Mosqueda" or via Paypal: PayongFundDrive@gmail.com Local U.S. shipping and handling will be free (except Hawaii, Alaska & Puerto Rico).

David List has started a Kickstarter project for his upcoming novel, A Sawmill’s Hope:
 
Visit Kickstarter HERE for more information and to contribute. Good luck, David!

CheersFest 2.0 is one week away on December 9! We are roasting Lee ‘Arlee Bird’ of Tossing it Out.

The next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is this Wednesday.

There will also be a cool contest with some awesome prizes announced at the IWSG Website on Wednesday, so don’t miss it! 

December Movies

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

6 –

Out of the Furnace
When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement fails to follow through, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice.
Director: Scott Cooper
Stars: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson
It’s Christian Bale month – he also stars in American Hustle, coming out on December 20.

10 – DVD – Despicable Me II

13 –

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
Director: Peter Jackson
Stars:Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch
Despite the haters, I still thought the first installment was amazing and can’t wait for this one. Bring on Smaug!

20 –

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
With the 70s behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to take New York's first 24-hour news channel by storm.
Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell
The first one really wasn’t the funny, but I give them credit for hyping this one to the max.

Saving Mr. Banks
Author P. L. Travers reflects on her difficult childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt Disney during production for the adaptation of her novel, Mary Poppins.
Director: John Lee Hancock
Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson
Sappy, sentimental, and feisty – one heck of combination. Sure it will be really good as well.

25 –

47 Ronin
A band of samurai set out to avenge the death and dishonor of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun.
Director: Carl Rinsch
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kô Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano
Looks amazing. Now if I can just get Ted Theodore Logan out of my head…


Did everyone have a great Thanksgiving? Did you see Frozen? Anything in the Ninja News catch your eye? Ready for the IWSG post this week? And what movies are looking forward to in December?

Don’t forget to visit Curiosity Quills!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Plus Ayreon Review, Newscaster as Ron Burgundy, 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 CD Coffelt, Tina Downey, Isis Rushdan, and Michelle Wallace! Please be sure to thank them for their time and effort to make all IWSG members feel welcome.

Where am I at right now? Haunted by one question – do I continue writing?

I have a basic outline for another space opera. At this stage, it’s very straightforward and will need a lot of twists and some depth. I’m working on characters, arcs, and a deep, resonating theme.

Will I write it though?

If I do, some things will have to change. My life is already full with work, my band, my home life. There is only one area I could adjust at this point. My time online.

The most amazing part of this journey has been getting to know all of you. That was something I never foresaw when I began. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group website is also very important to me, and all of you who post every month for the group. I have an amazing group of admins helping with the site and the Facebook page. They will help me with its upkeep and growth, as we are still adding links to the site.

It’s the time I spend online that I’d have to scale back. Yes, I’m fortunate to do some of that from work. But what if I was writing instead? Especially in the evening? If I do decide to write another book, I will have to scale back the hours I spend here, and of course I’ll have to scale back my blogging days. (Because I refuse to blog when I can’t visit others.)

How would you guys feel if I was only around one day and the others were hit and miss? I don't want to let anyone down. Should I keep writing?

Visit other participants HERE.

Ninja News

Join the YA Revolution! Liz Fichera is seeking unique YA books – see her site for details.

Nutschell announced the release of the anthology she’s been putting together - Story Sprouts: CBW-LA Writing Day Exercises and Anthology 2013. A fresh take on an old classic, the Anthology uncovers the creative process in its raw form, celebrating the seeds of story generation. Framing the authors’ contributions are the 10 writing exercises that guided them along their journey, as well as tips and techniques shared at the workshop. Congratulations, Nutschell!

MJ and Tina are hosting The Holiday Food Drive Blogfest. This is your chance to give back to your local community. See their sites for details.

Kittie Howard’s Louisiana's A-Z Something Extra: Lagniappe is now available. Congratulations, Kittie!

Lydia Kang is holding a pre-order giveaway for her upcoming release, Control. Some cool swag – see her site for details.

Karen’s Annual Blog Awards are now open for nominations! Favorite blog, favorite new blog.. Visit her site to nominate someone!

And it’s not too late to sign up for the How I Miss You Blogfest this Friday!

Hilarious News Clip

For Halloween, Denver’s Channel 6 sports anchor, Paul Gerke, was Ron Burgundy from The Anchorman. Only he didn’t just dress like him – he stayed in character for the entire newscast! The result is hilarious. It’s over five minutes, but very funny, especially the end where they let him do a little of the weather…

Music Review

Ayreon – The Theory of Everything
Arjen Anthony Lucassen has created another progressive rock masterpiece.
If you like Ayreon’s The Human Equation (not only their best, but the most brilliant concept album ever) then you will dig this disc.
The basic storyline (as if anything about Ayreon was basic): a troubled young man with a brilliant mind locked within his head is the central character. His parents take him to a psychologist who suggests an experimental drug, but the mother says no. However, the father is working on the theory of everything and needs to unlock his son’s brilliance if he is to solve the equation. He starts slipping his son the drug, with consequences…
This is a true progressive rock album, so the music is intricate and not easily accessible. However, with every listen, new elements are revealed and the genius behind the concept and music grows. Plus there are so many great guest musicians!
And the Theory of Everything? There are forty-two songs on the disc – major homage to Douglas Adams.
Highly recommended!

What’s your writing insecurity today? Should I try to write another book? Excited about the new books, blogfests, giveaways, and awards? Did you watch a minute of the video? Anyone else an Ayreon or progressive rock fan? And two more days to Thor: The Dark World!!!

Norse God Blogfest! Bring on Thor and Secrets of the Ash Tree. Plus Ninja News and are Cover Reveals Still Effective?

I was interviewed by Nutschell for her Wednesday Writers Workspace feature. You can check out my writing spot and learn a little more about my writing process.

Norse Gods Blogfest!

To Celebrate the release of her book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, Siv Maria Ottem is taking the Norse Gods with her on a blog tour from October 7th- 14th. Make sure to stop by her blog and see what kind of Birthday Giveaways she is raffling off!

And today I am hosting Siv on her birthday for the Norse Gods Blogfest!

After much reflection, my choice can be none other than Thor.

He’s uber strong, has an awesome hammer for a weapon, he can fly, and he’s pretty much indestructible. The dude also knows how to party. Plus he likes to travel via the Rainbow Bridge, which is basically teleporting. I’m sold!

Secrets of the Ash Tree by Siv Maria Ottem

In the realm of the gods and fairy tales the mystery of life is an endless path with many secrets to be discovered. Some secrets are like dreams, just waiting in darkness hoping to get into the light.

‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ is the story about Liv, a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of hidden secrets. Her adventures begin when she digs up a chest that was buried by her father under the old ash tree in her garden. What she finds inside the chest changes her life forever. Liv discovers one secret after another and is thrown into a world full of dangerous and strange creatures, mighty Norse warriors and perils beyond her belief. What started out as a fairy tale in her father’s journal was to become her legacy, a guide line to survival, and a map to the world she was about to enter. Each day, each mystery, each encounter will ultimately reveal her true destiny and behind the edge of a sword awaits a young god who is willing to share that destiny with her.

Available in Hardcover, softcover, Kindle, find it here: Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.

Who is your favorite Norse God?

Ninja News

Today is also Roland Yeomans’ birthday! Happy birthday, my friend.

Nicki Elson’s Hans & Greta: a Zombie/Fairy Tale is now available! Available on Amazon Kindle, her novella will be only ninety-nine cents through Halloween. Congratulations, Nicki!

The next installment of Hart Johnson’s series is available Thursday - So This is War, Part III. Congratulations, Hart!






Curiosity Quills Press’ charity anthologies Primetime and After Dark are available now! 10% of all proceeds will be donated to no kill animal-shelters.

Purchase Primetime – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Purchase After Dark – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

And Sydney Aaliyah posted the most wonderful review of CassaStorm at The Peasants Revolt. She gave me one of the highest compliments I could ever receive – “This book reads like a movie.” One thing I’ve always admired about the authors Preston and Child was the way their books read like movies, so it was a great honor to have Sydney say that about CassaStorm.

Cover Reveals – Are They Effective Anymore?

In a recent post by Jessica Bell, she talked about book promo overload and it sparked quite the conversation. (I admitted I was guilty and she was kind enough to say the way I do it is different, since I personalize it, which strikes a balance.)

One of the items she mentioned was cover reveals. There are a lot of them these days. Is it too much? Is a cover reveal with similar information posted on many blogs effective, especially when it’s followed a month or two later by the same information for the release? Is it overkill?

My cover reveal for CassaStorm was six months before its release, which gave it some space. It was something I wanted to try, since I hadn’t done it with the other two books. I didn’t want the release announcements to be all the same, which is why I tossed in the unique interview questions and sent out different information and images to different people. (And they were spread out over a week – I learned my lesson after three hundred people announced CassaFire for me last year!)

But are all of these announcements, especially the cover reveals, effective anymore?

(And those of you that I’ve signed up to do a cover reveal, don’t worry – still happy to do that!)

Who is your favorite Norse God? (Be sure to wish Siv and Roland a happy birthday!) Picking up some new books and anthologies? And have we hit cover reveal overload?

Don’t forget to visit Nutschell!

Game On Time! Fearless! Ninja News! And the Director's Cut of Movie Trivia...

I am happy to host author Kyra Lennon today as part of her blog tour for Game On! Knowing I have a thing for music, Kyra wanted to talk about music and writing…

Some writers write to music, others find it a distraction. I fall somewhere between the two. When I first wrote Game On, I had no issues writing to music. In fact, if there was no music, I wasn’t getting anything done! The story first came together in 2006, and back then, the music that got me through was Fozzy. I’m not sure whether everyone has heard of them, but for those who haven’t, the band is fronted by WWE’s Chris Jericho. There is something kind of … hot about rock music, and playing their songs motivated me like crazy.

Another of my favourite musical inspirations is Maroon 5. Adam Levine’s voice and lyrics seem to hit me in places I didn’t know existed (minds out of the gutters please! :p) Levine writes such beautiful songs, it’s hard not to be inspired by it.

The problem I had when I was doing rewrites for Game On, six years later, was that I no longer have the same concentration levels I once had. Music became a distraction, not a motivator. I was a bit gutted, because I love my music. But I did what I had to do. Turned it all off and got the work done.

I put it down to my aging brain making me unable to do two things at once, but I hope that I can find a way to get music back into my writing process because I really miss it. Plus, Maroon 5 have an awesome new album out which is playing in a constant loop whenever my laptop goes off!

Do you write to music, or does it mess with your concentration? What music do you like to listen to while you’re working? Have any bands or singers inspired your stories?

Game On Synopsis
After swapping her small town life to work for one of the top soccer teams in the U.S, Leah Walker thought she could finally leave the ghosts of her past behind. However, when she meets serial womanizer, Radleigh McCoy, the memories of her old life come swarming back, and she is forced to ask herself whether she has really changed at all.

Game On Buy Links: Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback Amazon UK eBook Amazon UK Paperback Smashwords eBook

Fearless!

Christine Rains’ awesome book is available now!

I read parts of it during the A to Z Challenge, and every morning I looked forward to the next excerpt.

Christine is also hosting a blogfest to celebrate her books’ release, Who Was Your Childhood Monster? It runs August 7 – 9, so you still have time to participate. Tawa wants YOU!

Fearless is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. And you can find Christine at her Blog and Website.

Ninja News!

Roland Yeomans is holding another contest! You can win an autographed copy of Iron Man II’s Robert Downey Jr. OR Scarlett Johansson. See his site for details.

Cate Masters has a new book out – Death is a Bitch. Congratulations, Cate!

Siv Maria has been working on a book and the first chapter will be published as a short story in a Fantasy Anthology, Open Doors, on September 4th by Wayman Publishing. Congratulation, Siv!

Congratulations to Powdered Toast Man and LC Frost for winning copies of CassaStar and CassaFire from The Writing Nut. And special congratulations to Terry who won a bonus third book for her grandson Caden.

And big surprise!! Voting is now open for Diane's Supportive Blogger Extraordinaire Contest – and I was notified I'm one of the three nominees! Thanks so much, guys. You rock! Voting runs until this weekend.

Movie Trivia!

Ever played Director’s Cut?


Three clue words – name the movie:

1 – Broderick – Military - Chimps

2 – Holden – Newman - Ratings

3 – Costner – Protection - Singer

4 – Lobotomy – Fletcher - McMurphy

5 – Spielberg – Genetic - Dinosaurs

Big Bonus!! - Lucas – Automatons - Pleasence

Do you prefer silence or music? Picked up Game On or Fearless? Participating in Christine’s blogfest this week? Want to watch me grovel for votes? And any ideas on the movie trivia? Come on, a couple are really easy…

Ninja News, Eureka, WV, and How Do You Want to be Remembered?

Ninja News!

Today is another Special Participant Feature at the A to Z Blog. This time I interviewed author Marta Szemik. Her theme for the Challenge was “Changes Throughout History” and it was very cool.

Christine Rains is hosting a blogfest to celebrate her upcoming release, Fearless. Those of you who followed her during the A to Z Challenge know it’s an awesome story. For the blogfest, which runs August 7-9, she’s asking – What was Your Childhood Monster?

Jeremy Bates is hosting the Dog Days of Summer Blogfest from August 10-12. Visit his site for details and to sign up!

David Powers King hit seven hundred followers this weekend and he’s hosting a Magnificent Seven Giveaway! Congratulations, David!

Tips on acting professional as an indie author (or as a human being!) from Mel at Writings, Musings, and Other Such Nonsense.

Don’t forget the giveaway for CassaStar and CassaFire at The Writing Nut ends on July 31.

And since it is the last Wednesday of the month, you know what that means! Next Wednesday is another posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, and we have many new bloggers joining us.

No More Eureka

I’d failed to mention this last week, but after watching Warehouse 13 Monday night, I was reminded that another great series is gone – Eureka. It was one of my favorite shows and now it’s finished. No more mishaps at Global Dynamics. No more Fargoisms. And no more one-liners from Sheriff Carter, like the classic “Yeah, that can’t be good.” Soon the SyFy Channel will be nothing but wrestling…

Word Verification

I’m running into this a lot again, mostly on the sites of new bloggers. I believe word verification must be the default setting for comments. Unfortunately, the blog owner never sees it on his own blog. If you’re not sure or you want to turn it off, go to your dashboard, click on settings, and then click on posts and comments.

And on a serious note… (Because it’s not always about the snark)

How do you want to be remembered?

Many of us are writers and authors, and we want to be remembered through our books.

But when I really thought about it, my books don’t rate that high on my list.

I want to be remembered for being genuine. For being genuine in my support, attitude, and love for my fellow human being. I want to know I made a genuine, positive impact on this world, even if it’s just a little bit. I won’t always succeed, but it's what I strive to achieve. I want to get to Heaven and hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

How about you?

Ready for some blogfests and giveaways? Ready for the IWSG next week? Were you a fan of Eureka? Is your word verification on by accident? And how do you want to be remembered?

Be sure to visit Marta at the A to Z Blog!

Ninja News, Movie Reviews, and 80’s Trivia

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone who visited me at The Writing Nut last week. The GIVEAWAY for CassaStar and CassaFire is open through July 31, and the winner will be whoever writes the most compelling reason why he or she should win the books. Nutschell is the judge, which is good, because I couldn’t select just one.

I was also blown away by the comments on my guest post at Rachna’s Scriptorium. I really worried I’d mess up on that one, considering the topic. Thanks, guys!

And finally, thanks to Andrew at Strange Pegs for his encouraging and very fair review of CassaStar.

One of the best writer resources is the Writer’s Knowledge Base. Started by author Elizabeth S. Craig and Mike Fleming, it is FULL of information. If you’re a writer, be sure to check it out soon.

Don’t forget to save the date for my next blogfest on September 17. I’ll announce the topic the first full week of August.

Still working hard on CassaStorm. Wrote a scene this weekend that just might be my best ever! I’m sure later I’ll discover I was wrong…

And I won’t be posting again until Friday. But the Ninja will be lurking...

Movie Reviews

Ice Age Continental Drift
The fourth outing with Manny, Diego, and Sid find the boys separated from everyone else and adrift at sea. I’ll just be upfront and state that I am not a big fan of this series. First one was good, but the others have been just all right.
This one relies on a lot of juvenile humor and the scenes with ‘teenager’ Peaches reminded me of just about every bad sitcom I’ve ever seen. The message is the same – herd first – so it doesn’t tackle anything new there.
The animation is beautiful though. The 3D was effective without being overwhelming. Peter Dinklage does an amazing job as the voice of the ape pirate captain – I didn’t even recognize him. And Sid’s cranky Granny utters the funniest lines in the movie.
My wife, who loves these films, found the teen segments a little annoying. However, she giggled throughout the entire movie, and since I find her giggling adorable, I foresee an Ice Age V in my future…
For those of you with kids – go and enjoy!

The Three Musketeers
Reminded me a little of Battleship.
It was dumb, completely implausible, and threw history right out the window. That said, it was also a lot of fun! It tells the basic story and adds nonsense so over the top, you’ll be laughing along with it. Staring A LOT of people: Christoph Waltz, Milla Jovovich, Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, Matthew Macfayden, Mads Mikkelsen, and Logan Lerman from Percy Jackson. Leave brain at door and enjoy the visual feast of a ride.

Trivia Time!

At the request of more trivia, we’re going back to the 80’s for these questions:

1 – To avoid an X rating, ten seconds is cut from this movie staring Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet.

2 – This expansion team joins the NBA the same year as the (former) Charlotte Hornets.

3 – What was the last Bond film to feature Roger Moore as Bond?

4 – This computer company introduces its VIC-20 model personal computer in 1981.

5 – What movie contains the line “This is pure snow. Do you know the street value of this mountain?”

6 – Name U2’s first #1 single on the Billboard chart.

Be sure to enter the giveaway! Do you use the Writer’s Knowledge Base? Seen either of those films? Know the answers to any of the trivia questions? And who is ready for The Dark Knight Returns this Friday?