Friday, July 27, 2018

Book Blogger Hop: July 27th - August 2nd




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews.


Do you agree or disagree with this statement: A blogger's first name should be in a prominent place on his/her blog.

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

Well, you should at least have your first name somewhere on your blog, that way an author or publisher can call you by your name when contacting you about reviewing a book.


Linky List:

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Summer Reads: Goosebumps Slappyworld: Escape From Shudder Mansion by R.L. Stine

Scholastic; $6.99; 154 pages; Amazon

Many children's books from the 1990s have quickly fizzled and disappeared, but that isn't the case for the popular Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. Since 1992, Mr. Stine has been scaring young readers with his Twilight Zone-like tales. The fifth book in the Goosebumps SlappyWorld spinoff series, titled "Escape From Shudder Mansion," just arrived in paperback last month.

The book centers around Riley Shiner, a twelve-year-old who is obsessed with the video game "Escape From Shudder Mansion," which he believes is based on an actual haunted house in his neighborhood. Though the house looks exactly like the one in the game, nobody believes him, not even his twin sister, Scarlet. He's seen the horrors in the game, so he wants nothing to do with the real house.

Unfortunately for Riley, he has to get over his fears of Shudder Mansion when his teacher splits his class into groups and gives them an assignment which involves the kids making an adventure documentary. Riley is paired up with his sister, along with Danitia, Carter, and Cheng. What is their assignment? There assigned to spend the night inside Shudder Mansion.

Despite objections from Riley, he follows his sister, her new weird friend Mia, and their classmates to Shudder Mansion. While their parents stay on the first floor, the kids take their GoPro cameras and explore the upper floors of the mansion. Riley is the only one who has played the video game, so he already knows what horrors are awaiting them.


Final Thoughts

Monday, July 23, 2018

I Like "Free" Dating Sites!




With this being one of the hottest summers, the last thing I want to do is go on a date. Luckily, for those like me, you don't have to leave the comfort of your home's cool air conditioning to meet your possible soulmate, as you easily make a new acquaintance on a dating website.

If you have been following this blog this year, then you would know that I've taken a slight interest in online dating. To tell you the truth, I still haven't rounded up enough courage to create an actual dating profile yet, thought I have worked a few "profile" drafts. My main problem right now is that I'm not very good at describing or talking about myself, which isn't a good thing when I'm trying to write the perfect dating profile. Plus, there's my procrastination issues, which is another explanation (or an excuse) of why I still have join a dating website.

Anyway, there are tons of dating sites and apps out there. Many of these are premium or otherwise known as "paid" dating sites, such as eHarmony, Match.com, and Zoosk. However, those singles who are on a budget (like me) would probably prefer to go with a "free" dating site, and trust me, there are plenty of them out there. Three free popular dating sites in the USA that come to mind are OkCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel, and Plenty Of Fish; though there are plenty of other "free" dating sites. Just do an internet search and you'll be able to find dozens of them with about any "niche" you can imagine.

Free dating sites appeal to me more than the premium ones because they have more women on there who are closer to my area. I did briefly test out a free dating website a few years ago. While my experience on there wasn't exactly the best, I did find several matches (and a few not-so matches) in my area.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

[Blu-ray Review] - Traffik (2018)

Lionsgate; R; 96 minutes; Amazon


Released to Blu-ray this past Tuesday from Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment is the thriller Traffik. And no, this isn't the Oscar-winning 2000 crime drama "Traffic" starring Michael Douglas. This film is directed by Deon Taylor and stars Paula Patton (who is also a producer), Omar Epps, Laz Alonso, Roselyn Sanchez, Luke Goss, Missi Pyle, and William Fichtner. The plot is about sex trafficking and not drug trafficking.

The film centers around Brea (played by Paula Patton), a journalist who has had a bit of trouble satisfying her editor (played by William Fichtner) with her recent articles. To cheer her up, her boyfriend, John (played by Omar Epps), takes her for a romantic getaway at a secluded mountain estate. Well, it was romantic before their friends Darren and Malia (played by Laz Alonso and Roselyn Sanchez) crashed their plans.

Things take a horrific twist when Brea realizes that a woman she bumped into at gas station restroom had accidentally put a satellite phone in her purse. Or was it on purpose? After solving the phone's password, Brea attempts to find the owners identity, but stumbles upon something terrifying!

There are dozens of profile photos of women in the the exact same pose. Brea, John, and their friends come to the conclusion that the phone belongs to someone involved in sex trafficking. Before they can contact the police, the owners of the phones come knocking at the their door.

Special Features on the Blu-ray include:
  • Journey into the Depths: Making Traffik
  • Deon & Dante: The Look of Traffik


Final Thoughts

Friday, July 20, 2018

Book Blogger Hop: July 20th - 26th




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Cathy @ What Cathy Read Next.


What's your proudest blogging milestone or achievement?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

My biggest blogging milestone will be on April 1, 2019, which will mark the 10th anniversary of my blog.


Linky List:

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? - Double Feature DVD Review

Mill Creek Ent., Not Rated; 2 hrs 56 mins; $14.98

Do you remember back in the day when network television would air their weekly low-budget made-for-TV movies?

Unfortunately, I do remember watching a few of these movies during my childhood! Yes, there were a few decent movies once in a great while, but for the most part these films were extremely cheesy with horrible plots and really bad acting.

Now, the only reason why I'm talking about these type of movies is because I had recently watched the 1996 made-for-television movie Mother, May I Sleep with Danger and the 2016 horror remake, which are both currently available on a DVD Double Feature from Mill Creek Entertainment.

The original Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? Tori Spelling as Laurel Lewisohn, a college student who begins a romantic relationship with Kevin Shane (played by Ivan Sergei). Through her eyes, Kevin is a charming college classmate, but in reality he's a psychopath with a deadly past. Kevin easily convinces everyone in Laurel's life that he is the perfect boyfriend for her, well, everyone except for her mother, Jessica (played by Lisa Banes), who believes Kevin is dangerous. Despite her mother's objections, Laurel continues her relationship with Kevin, well, until, he becomes a little bit obsessed with her. By the time she tries to break it off with him, it might be too little, too late for her.

The 2016 version of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? is less of a remake and more or a reimagining with a horror twist. Produced by James Franco (who also has a small part in the film), the remake drops the "boyfriend is obsessed with my daughter" plot for a vampire-lesbian love story. This time around Tori Spelling plays Julie, the mother of a college student named Leah (played by Leila George). Similar to the original, the daughter falls in love, but this time it's with a vampire, Pearl (played by Emily Meade), and of course the mother believes Pearl is a bad influence on her. Unlike other vampires, Pearl only feeds on abusive males, and she is hellbent on protecting Leah from anyone that will hurt her, including her own Nightwalker clan.



Final Thoughts

Monday, July 16, 2018

Terminal DVD Review

RLJE Films; NOT RATED; 95 mins; Amazon

Recently released to DVD & Blu-ray from RLJE Films is the thriller Terminal. Directed by Vaughn Stein, the film stars Margot Robbie (who is also a co-producer), Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons, and Mike Meyers. The film received a limited theatrical run in United States earlier this year.

In this bizarre film noir, Terminal tells two different tales  about two hired killers (played by Dexter Fletcher and Max Irons) on an assassin job and a dying teacher (played by Simon Pegg) who starts a strange and brief friendship with a strange so-called waitress (played by Margot Robbie). Both stories are cleverly intertwined together at the "Terminal," where everything is never what it seems to be.

It turns out that the "waitress" is an assassin as well, who has deadly plans for everyone at the "Terminal"

Special Features on the DVD include: The Cast of Terminal, Building The World of Terminal, and From Concept To Creation.




Final Thoughts

Friday, July 13, 2018

Book Blogger Hop: July 13th - 19th




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews.


Does a cluttered blog have you not returning? By cluttered I mean too many columns, small type, too many photos, difficult to follow, etc. 

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

Sometimes a cluttered blog can be a bit of a distraction.


Linky List:

Monday, July 9, 2018

Big Hero 6: The Series - Back In Action! DVD Review


Disney; TV-Y7; 175 minutes; Amazon

I don't keep up with all the new animated series, so I had no clue that Big Hero 6: The Series even existed until I heard about the recent DVD release "Back In Action!".

Big Hero 6 was a 2014 Walt Disney computer-animated feature film which was based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. The movie centered around fourteen-year-old Hiro Hamada, who puts together a superhero team to stop a villain who stole his microbots. The team includes Fred, Wasabi, Go Go, Honey Lemon, and Baymax, an an inflatable medical robot that was created by Hiro's deceased brother, Tadashi.

The series debuted on the Disney Channel last November with a 43-minute episode Baymax Returns, which takes place directly after the events of film. The entire voice-cast returned, except for Damon Wayans Jr. (Wasabi) and T.J. Miller (Fred). Their voices were placed by Khary Payton (Washabi) and Brooks Wheelan (Fred).

The series recons the ending of the film with the major differences are Fred naming the team "Big Hero 6" instead of Hiro, the teams identities are a secret from the public, and Aunt Cass now knows about Baymax.

Big Hero 6: The Series - Back In Action DVD features the 43-minute pilot and six 22-minute episodes. As an added bonus, the DVD contains six bonus shorts: Baymax and Hiro, Baymax and Wasabi, Baymax and Go Go, Baymax and Fred, Baymax and Honey Lemon, & Baymax and Mochi.

The seven episodes on the DVD are:

  • Baymax Returns - Hiro rebuilds Baymax just in time to join Wasabi, Go Go, Fred, and Honey Lemon as Big Hero 6, a team of superheros who fight crime throughout the city.
  • Issue 188 - Two female villains calling themselves "High Voltage" terrorizes the city and it's up to Big Hero 6 to stop them.
  • Big Roommates 2 - The team faces off with their first super villain - Globby!
  • Food Fight - Krei seeks the help of Big Hero 6 in the retrieval of a gravity device that was stolen by Ninja-chef Momakase.
  • Muirahara Woods - Hiro, Fred, and Baymax get lost in the woods and encounter a hermit named Ned Ludd.
  • Failure Mode - The team tries to stop Globby from stealing the "City Rises" painting.
  • Fred's Bro-Tillion - The Big Hero 6 team helps Fred prepare for his upcoming Bro-Tillion.


Final Thoughts

Sunday, July 8, 2018

S.W.A.T.: Special Edition Blu-ray Review

Mill Creek Ent., PG- 13; 117 minutes


Does anybody even remember the 2003 action flick S.W.A.T?

Honestly, I didn't even know the film even existed until Mill Creek Entertainment released the Blu-ray earlier this year. With the star-studded cast o Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, Michelle Rodriguez, and LL Cool J, you would think that I would have remembered the movie being released back in 2003.

Based on short-lived 1975 television series, S.W.A.T. centers around a SWAT team of the Los Angeles Police Department. Well, more specifically, the film is more about Officer Jim Street (played by Colin Farrell), who has been in a rut ever since ex-partner and friend Brian Gamble (played by Jeremy Renner) disobeyed an order during a hostage situation, resulting in Street being demoted. Six months later, Street gets his chance at redemption when he's handpicked to join Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson's (played by Samuel L. Jackson) new SWAT team, which also includes Michael Boxer (played by Brian Van Holt), TJ McCabe (played by Josh Charles), Deacon Kaye (played by LL Cool J) and Christina Sánchez (played by Michelle Rodriguez).

The team is put to the ultimate test when they are assigned to escort the French drug lord Alexander "Alex" Montel (played by Olivier Martinez) to the FBI, but things don't go as planned when Montel puts a bounty of $100 million to anyone who can help him escape.



Final Thoughts

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Yor, The Hunter from the Future: 35th Anniversary Blu-ray

Mill Creek Ent., PG; 89 mins; $14.98

Have you ever watched a movie that is so stupid, that it's actually likeable?

Well, that pretty much sums up my thoughts on the 1983 fantasy film Yor, the Hunter from the Future, which is ripoff of Quest of Fire and Star Wars. Upon it's original release, the film received negative reviews from critics and was given three Golden Raspberry Awards nominations.

Yor, the Hunter from the Future arrived on Blu-ray earlier this year from Mill Creek Entertainment; just in time to celebrate the film's 35th Anniversary. Bonus Features include a brand new audio commentary from actor Reb Brown and the original theatrical trailer.

Loosely based on the Argentinian comic book Yor, the film was directed by Antonio Margheriti and stars Reb Brown, Corinne Cléry, John Steiner, and Carole André.

The film centers around a barbarian named Yor (played by Reb Brown) who arrives just in the nick of time to save innocent villagers from a bloody thirsty dinosaur. Before he can rest from the battle, the village is attacked again, but this time they are attacked by a group of bluish skinned cavemen. Everyone is either murdered or kidnapped during the attack. Well, all except for Yor and Pag (played by Luciano Pigozzi), who quickly go on a rescue mission that turns into a disaster, as all the villagers end up being killed, except for a cavewoman named Kala (played by Corinne Cléry).

The trio explore the prehistoric land in search for Yor's origins, as he doesn't know where he comes from, except for the fact that he has wears a weird medallion around his neck. Now this is where the film gets a little strange, as it jumps from being a "barbarian movie" to being a science fiction flick that steals a few things from Star Wars.



Final Thoughts

Friday, July 6, 2018

Book Blogger Hop: July 6th - 12th




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Megan @ Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest.


If you were stranded on a deserted island, which ONE book could you not live without?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

Great question! I'm not for sure what book I would want to have with me. Maybe... Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I have an old hardback copy.  However, it's over 1,000 pages and I've never had the time to read it.


Linky List:

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Summer Reads: House of Secrets by V.C. Andrews

Pocket Books; 400 pages; Amazon
It's no secret that I like reading a wide variety of authors and genres, which includes V.C. Andrews, the Gothic-horror novelist who wrote the bestselling Flowers in the Attic and its sequels. Though the author died in 1986, Simon & Schuster has continued to publish other novels, which have all been written by a ghostwriter (a.k.a.  - Andrew Neiderman).

The first book in newest "V.C. Andrews" series, titled House of Secrets, was published early this year. Pocket Books nicely set me a paperback copy to review on this blog. I read the book right away, but I kept putting off writing my review for it. I ended up rereading the book last month, so the story would be fresh in my mind when I eventually got around to writing the review.

House of Secrets centers around Fern, a teenager who lives with her mother at the Wyndemere House, which is owned by the Davenport family. Before Fern was born, her mother took a job as a nanny for the Davenports. After Mrs. Davenport died in a car accident, Fern's mother stayed on to help look after Davenport's son, Ryder. Years later, Dr. Davenport remarried to a woman named Bea Howell and they had a daughter named Samantha (named after his first wife). Things changed within the household when Bea arrived. Fern (who is two years younger than Ryder) was no longer allowed to play with him, as she was only the help's daughter.

Though they aren't supposed to have a relationship, Fern and Ryder find ways to be around each other, which makes things a bit awkward for them now that they are in their teenage years. Secretly, they find each other attractive and have romantic feelings for another. However, they wouldn't dare act on their feelings, as they fear Bea's wrath!

Final Thoughts

Jules Verne's Mysterious Island DVD Review

Mill Creek Ent., 171 minutes; $14.98

Do you remember watching those low-budget Hallmark-produced television miniseries?

Well, I do! I have fond memories of watching campy miniseries on network television and cable channels during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s (aka - during my childhood). Miniseries are pretty much a thing of the past now, though a new one does show up on cable once in a great while.

Anyway, the only reason why I'm talking about miniseries, is because I watched Jules Verne's Mysterious Island a few nights ago. It's a 2005 miniseries that aired on the Hallmark Channel, and as you can probably tell by the title, it's based on the Jules Verne's 1874 novel "Mysterious Island," which is a crossover sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the miniseries on DVD. There are no special features or bonus extras, but the DVD does come with a Digital code that can be redeemed at www.milcreekent.com/redeem.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander 1 & 2), the miniseries centers on Captain Cyrus Smith (played by Kyle MacLachlan), his ex-slave Neb (played by Omar Gooding), a nurse named Jane and her teenage daughter Helen (played by Gabrielle Anwar and Danielle Calvert), and a thief named Pencroff (played by Jason Durr) escaping a Confederate prison camp by stealing a hot air balloon. Eventually, the balloon crashes on a uncharted island in the Pacific, the exact same island that occupies the mad inventor Captain Nemo (played by Patrick Stewart).

To survive on the island, Cyrus and company have to outrun giant-size creatures and battle pirates who are searching for buried treasure.



Final Thoughts

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Tarot Being Used to Help Relationships


If you have ever wondered whether you are with the right person or if you are going to meet someone, it might be time to schedule a tarot card reading. Professional card readers are able to help people understand their relationships more effectively and tap into the mystical powers of the universe.

What is a reading?

A relationship tarot reading involves several cards being drawn. This can be done online or over the phone. This means that a person does not have to be physically sitting in front of the psychic who will be reading the tarot cards. It’s all based on the idea that the cards being drawn are meant for the person who is currently spiritually connected to the reader.

What can you find out?

Monday, July 2, 2018

DVD Review - Scared to Death: Horror Movie Collection

Mill Creek Ent., 22 hrs 11 mins; $14.98

If you're wanting some scary movies to watch this summer, then look no further, as you can now own the DVD set Scared to Death: Horror Movie Collection from Mill Creek Entertainment, featuring a mix of slashers, monsters, and aliens on 4 discs.

Basically, it's a repackaging of three separate DVD releases (Queens of Scream, Possessed by Evil, and Monster Movie Mix), but with a new slipcover. Queens of Scream was released in 2016 and features the horror films "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Vacancy," "When A Stranger Calls," and "The Cave." Possessed by Evil was also released in 2016. It features five movies: "Devour," "The Plague," "Wind Chill," "Insanitarium," and "Vinyan."

Now I've already reviewed Queens of Screams and and Possessed by Evil back in 2016, so I'm not going to go into any further details about them. You can read my original reviews here: Queens of Scream * Possessed by Evil

I'm not for sure if Monster Movie Mix is a re-release or not, but it features a mixture of old movies and television shows.

The titles on the Monster Movie Mix are:

  • The Corpse Vanishes - A 1942 film starring Bela Lugosi as a mad scientist
  • Night Fright - A 1967 science fiction tale about a mutated alligator that turns into an ogre-like creature that terrorizes a small town.
  • Killers From Space - A 1954 science fiction film starring Peter Graves as a nuclear scientist who gets tangled up with aliens.
  • Destination Space - A 1959 made-for-television movie about the first rotating wheel space station.
  • The Passage Beyond - A 1951 episode of the "Lights Out" anthology series. This episode focuses on the ghost of Lady Anne.
  • Blunder - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on a scientist working on a nuclear reactor in the Arctic.
  • Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - A 1955 episode of the "Climax!" anthology series. It's just another adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale.
  • Tales of Frankenstein - An unsold 1958 television pilot co-produced by Hammer Film Productions and Columbia Pictures. The pilot centers on Baron Frankenstein (played by Anton Diffring) creating a new monster.
  • Verdict From Space - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on an inventor named Gordon Kent, who is on trial for murdering a scientist.
  • Flash Gordon: Return Of The Androids - A 1954 "Flash Gordon" episode, which centers on Flash Gordon trying to protect the secret location of the Androids.
  • Captain Z-Ro: Meteor - A 1956 episode of the children's television series Captain Z-Ro, which centers on the Captain testing out a new spaceship.
  • Johnny Jupiter - An "untitled episode" of the ABC's 1953-1954 series Johnny Jupiter, which centers on Duckweather, a young employee at a TV repair shop who gets advice from a magical TV set.


Final Thoughts

Secrets and Lies: Season One DVD Review

Mill Creek Ent., TV-14; 7 hours 7 minutes; $24.98

Back during my pre-teen and teenage years, I would watch almost any new television series. As I've gotten older, my interests have changed greatly; to the point that I hardly watch any programs that air on network television. Many of today's scripted series are poorly written and all the so-called reality shows don't appeal to me. So if there's a good series, normally, it goes completely under my radar, which exactly what happened with Secrets and Lies.

Based on the Australian series of the same name, Secrets and Lies is an anthology series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 2015 to 2016. Season One arrived on DVD for the first time from Mill Creek Entertainment last year, featuring 10 episodes on a two-disc set. There are no special features or extras on the DVD.

The first season begins with Ben Crawford (played by Ryan Phillippe), a self-employed contractor, who stumbles upon the body of a five-year-old boy while jogging through the woods early one morning. It turns out that the boy is Tom, the son of his neighbors, Jessica (played by Natalie Martinez) and her estranged husband Scott. With Ben suffering from memory loss from the night before, he becomes the prime suspect in Tom's death; especially, in the eyes of Detective Andrea Cornell (played by Juliette Lewis), who becomes obsessed with solving the case.

After DNA test results confirm that Ben is Tom's biological father, his wife Christy (played by KaDee Strickland) and their daughters, Natalie and Abby (played by Indiana Evans and Belle Shouse), along with the media, begin to believe he's the killer! With no other choice, Ben begins his own investigation in the hoping of clearing his name.


Final Thoughts