Swooping on DVD on March 25th is DreamWorks Animation's Dragons: Defenders Of Berk, Part 1.

Based on the DreamWorks Animation Academy Award® nominated movie How to Train Your Dragon, DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 1 continues Hiccups journey along with his fellow dragon trainers as thy battle to protect their home. The series features original voice talent from the film including Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and will include, Zack Pearlman and more.

Defenders of Berk, along with the previously released Riders of Berk, is a must have for any Dragons fan and a great way to catch up before this summer's How to Train Your Dragon 2 hits theaters on June 13th!

All Things Hidden
By: Tracie Peterson & Kimberly Woodhouse
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: January 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764211195
Pages: 352

Review:

Arriving in bookstores earlier this year is All Things Hidden written by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse. I'm a fan of Tracie Peterson's Heirs of Montana series, so I eagerly signed up to review this book.

All Things Hidden centers on a young nurse named Gwyn Hillerman, who has been working at her father's clinic in Alaska.
Business at the clinic picks up with the Matanuska Project occurred, where 200 families were relocated to Alaska in 1935.

The novel jumps to Chicago and centers on Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan, who has just lost his medical license after the death of a patient. Shortly after losing his job, his fiancee calls off their engagement. Out the of blue, he receives a job opportunity from Dr. Hillerman to join his clinic in the Alaska Territory. Dr. Vaughan accepts the offer, as his career doesn't have any other choice.

Remember this is a love story, so it isn't too long after Dr. Vaughan's arrival that sparks fly between him and Gwyn.

How was everybody's weekend? My weekend was decent, though the weather was a little wacky. A few days of ago it was in the 70s and then there was snow on the ground yesterday morning. I wish Mother Nature would just make up her mind whether winter is over or spring is beginning.

Over the weekend, I finally watched all eight episodes of HBO's True Detectives on On Demand. I enjoyed the limited-series and maybe I'll watch the second season next year; depending on who is starring in it.

Some of my blog readers may remember my old weekly "Great Finds" post which I would list (or more like brag) the books I bought at a thrift store. I have cut back on buying books from thrift stores, mostly because I have way too many books, but occasionally I'll pick up an interesting title, which I don't normally mention on my blog. However, I did pick up a few titles over the weekend that I wanted to share with everyone.

The Book Thief
Director: Brian Percival
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nelisse
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00G15MFBU
Running Time: 131 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray last week was the American-German war drama, The Book Thief, based on the novel of the same name by Markus Zusak. The film is directed by Brian Percival and stars Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie Nelisse. Special Features include A Hidden Truth: Bringing The Book Thief to Life and deleted scenes.

Honestly, I had no idea the film the was set during WWII when I first saw the movie advertise last year. The only thing that caught my attention was the movie's title, as I am a huge book lover. I was aware of the fact that the film is based on a book, though I have never read the book before. I don't care to read books or watch movies set during this era, but I was still intrigued to see the film by just the title alone.

The opening and closing narration is by Death, who introduces the main character, a twelve-year-old named Liesel Meminger, who is sent to live with a German couple, Hans and Rosa Huberman (played by Geofrey Rush and Emily Watson) after her mother (a Communist) is no longer able to take care of her. The young girl is clutching a hold of a book (a gravedigger's manual) that she had found on the ground when her brother was buried. She is unable to read the book because she is illiterate.

Friend Me
By John Faubion
Publisher: Howard Books
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1476738727
Pages: 368
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jfaubion
Buy Link: Print, Kindle

Review:

When I sign up for a blog tour, I make it my mission to make sure my review, author interview or author guest post gets scheduled on the blog and posted, but for some odd reason I didn't get the blog tour schedule for Friend Me, as this was suppose to be published on February 14th. I must have accidentally deleted the blog tour email. I would like to apologize to the author, John Faubion, and to Liftuse Publicity Group for my lateness with my review.

It seems everyone these days has a smart phone, tablet, computer or some kind device to access the internet. In my opinion, we are all getting a little too lazy with all the advanced technology. That being said, the internet is full of online friend finders and dating sites. It can be a great place to find someone special and it can also be a place to find danger.

Friend Me centers on a troubled businessman, Scott, and his lonely housewife, Rachel, both of whom seek to find friendships on the world-wide-web through a website called Virtual Friend Me. At first neither one knows the other one is on the website, but that doesn't stop one dangerous woman, Melissa, from entering their lives.

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 Veronica!

 

What is the most creative thing you have ever done with a book?

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: 

Besides stacking books in bookshelves, closets and end tables, where they collect dust, I don't do anything creative with books, other than reading them.

The Jungle Book 2
Director: Steve Trenbirth
Starring: Haley Joel Osment, John Goodman, Mae Whitman, Bob Joles, Tony Jay Phil Collins, John Rhys-Davies, Jim Cummings
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00H2N44PK
Running Time: 72 minutes
Rating: G

Review:

In the early 1990s, Disney began releasing direct-to-video sequels to their animation classics, though the quality wasn't the same as the originals. Their direct-to-video (DVD) sequels have slowed down (except for the Tinker Bell movies) over the years, but a few of the past sequels have made their way onto the big screen, including the almost forgotten sequel, The Jungle Book 2, which is arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack for the first time this Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Bonus features include the deleted scenes "I Got You Beat" and "Braver," Sing Along Songs, Music Videos and The Legacy of The Jungle Book.

Critically panned for the cheap animation style, The Jungle Book 2 managed to take in over 135-million-dollars at the box-office. Sadly, all the original voice actors had passed away, leaving John Goodman taking over as the voice of Baloo, Haley Joel Osment as Mowgli and Bob Joles as Bagheera. The film has nothing in common with Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book 2 picks up shortly after the original, where Mowgli is now living in the "Man Village." It is not really stated if the family that took him in are his real parents are adopted parents. (I recommend watching the alternate ending of the first movie to see what I'm referring about.) Anyway, Mowgli sneaks into the jungle from time to time to hangout with his jungle pals Baloo and Bagheera.

In The Name Of The King 3: The Last Mission
Director: Uwe Boll
Starring: Dominic Purcell, Marian Valev, Raltsa Paskaleva
Studio: 20th Century Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00I01FUBA
Running Time: 86 minutes
Rating: R

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this week is In The Name Of The King 3: The Last Mission starring Dominic Purcell, Marian Valev and Raltsa Paskaleva. The only special feature on the Blu-ray is "The Making of In The Name Of The King 3: The Last Mission."

The first and only film in the series to be released to theaters was the 2007 (released in 2008 in United States) fantasy adventure In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which is loosely inspired by the Dungeon Siege video game series. With an impressive cast of Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Kristanna Loken, Matthew Lillard, Ray Liotta and Burt Reynolds and a budget of 60 million dollars, the film should have been a blockbuster, but the film is directed by Uwe Boll - one of the worst directors since Ed Wood. Despite an interesting premise, the film was a complete flop, mostly due to bad dialogue and horrible directing.

Even though a movie flops at the theaters, it doesn't mean you can't make a franchise out it, and that is exactly what happened when in The Name Of The King 2: Two Worlds went direct-to-DVD/Blu-ray. The sequel completely ignored the first film and stars Dolph Lundgren as a modern day soldier sent back in time.

Now we have another unwanted sequel, In The Name Of The King 3: The Last Mission, starring Prison Breaks' Domnic Purcell as a contract killer, Hazen Kaine, on his final mission involving a royal family. After touching an amulet, Hazen is transported back to the Middle Ages, where he must battle an entire army and a fire-breathing dragon.

Disney's Frozen: Collector's Edition
Directors: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Voice Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Retail: $44.99
ASIN: B00G5G7K7O
Running Time: 102 minutes
Rated: PG

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack on March 18th is Disney's smash-box-office hit and an Academy Award Winner for Best Animated Picture, Frozen, featuring cool bonus extras, such as "The Making of Frozen," D'frosted: Disney's Journey From Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen, deleted scenes, music videos and "Get a Horse" Mickey Mouse Short.

Inspired by the classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, comes Disney's newest princess animated film, Frozen, but unlike Disney's other princess' films, Frozen uses computer-animation.

Frozen tells the story Elsa the princess of Arendelle, who has the unique magical gift of creating snow and ice, but after accidentally injuring her younger sister, Anna, her parents, King and Queen of Arendelle, forbid her from using her magic again. A troll removes all Anna's memories of Elsa's magical gift. Since Elsa cannot control her magical powers, she shuts herself away in her bedroom. She hides from the outside world and from Anna.

After the King and Queen's sudden deaths, Elsa must take the crown, but her magical powers cannot be controlled, leaving her to be banished, but she leaves a winter blast over the kingdom.

Ounce of Prevention

Arriving on Blu-ray on March 25th is the 1983 film, The King of Comedy: The 30th Anniversary, starring Academy Award® Winner Robert De Niro*, Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard, whom all give mesmerizing performances in this "chilling black comedy" (TV Guide's Movie Guide).

The movie explores the painfully high and often hilarious price of fame. Robert De Niro stars as a struggling stand-up comedian Rupert Pupkin, who enlists the aid of his friend Masha (played by Sandra Bernhard) to kidnap talk show host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis). What is the ransom? Pupkin wants a guest spot on the talk show.


*Actor, Raging Bull, 1980; Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part II, 1974.

The Agony And the Ecstasy
Director: Carol Reed
Starring: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Enterainment
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Retail: $24.99
ASIN: B00HF98SNK
Running Time: 138 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Releasing on Blu-ray for the first time last week is the  1965 classic film The Agony and the Ecstasy starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and 2 Golden Globe Awards. There are no extras or features on the Blu-ray.

Loosely based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name, The Agony And The Ecstasy chronicles the four years it took the now legendary artist Michelangelo Buonarroti to create the Sistine Chapel's spectacular ceiling fresco, which depicts the twelve apostles.

Artists didn't have much freedom back them, especially when political religious figures are involve, so Michelangelo persuades Pope Julius II to allow him to paint the entire vault instead of just the ceiling panels.

Painting such a masterpieces came with several ups and downs, as Michelangelo was accused of blasphemy and heresy because of the Pagan-looking symbols in his painting. Plus, being exposed to lead paint caused the artist to suffer from blindness. Despite all the setbacks, he is determined to finish painting his masterpiece.