Monday, March 3, 2014

The Book Thief Blu-ray Giveaway

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS TURNED INTO MOVIES 


To celebrate the March 11th Blu-ray and DVD release of The Book Thief, the film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel starring Sophie Nelisse and Geoffrey Rush, we’re taking a look at some of the best young adult literature that has made the move to the silver screen in recent years.

Harry Potter

The mother of all young adult book franchises also became one of the highest-earning movie franchises in history. The films have grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide and launched the careers of young acting phenoms Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.

The Hunger Games

America’s reigning sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, was already an Oscar-nominee before landing the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in the adaptation of the outrageously popular book trilogy by Suzanne Collins, but the film’s success made her an international superstar.

The Twilight Saga

It’s hard to imagine a world where teens didn’t erupt in fits of excitement at the mere mention of Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner, but before the 2008 adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s tale of supernatural young love hit theaters, both were relatively unknown.

DVD Review - The Venture Bros.: The Fantastic Fifth Season

The Venture Bros. The Fantastic Fifth Season
Studio: Cartoon Network/Turner Home Enertainment
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Retail: $24.98
ASIN: B00GSSD73K
Running Time: 198 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Since 2001, Cartoon Network has had an Adult Swim lineup of animation and a few live-action series aimed for young adults and adults. One of the most popular series from Adult Swim is The Venture Bros., a spoof of Johnny Quest, which the sixth season is currently in product for either a Fall 2014 or Early 2015 premiere. Until then, fans can enjoy tomorrow's release of The Venture Bros.: The Fantastic Fifth Season, featuring all eight episodes and two specials. Special features include deleted scenes and commentaries from the series creator Jackson Publick and writer, director, and executive producer Doc Hammer.

The series focus on fraternal twins, Hank and Dean Venture, as they try to have a normal teenage life. They live with their father Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture at the Venture Industries, which was created by their late grandfather, Jonas Venture. Since their grandfather's death, the Venture Industries has slowly declined, though there is still a base on Skull Island and a space station called Gargantua-1.

Season five picks up shortly after the climax ending of season four, sending the Venture Bros. and crew to the steamy jungles of Central America, to the sands of the Greek Islands and to the jagged cliffs of By-Golly Glutch, as they try to out think their enemies.

Monday Morning Madness #40: Strep Throat, Oscars and Shaving

I thought I would go ahead and get this post written while I'm currently awake. I have strep throat and have spent most of today sleeping, but since I'm currently awake and feeling halfway decent, I thought I would write this post while I'm watching/listening to Comic Book Men. As long as I continue to feel better, I will try to get my workout in before midnight. I know I shouldn't be exercising when I'm sick, but I'm going to anyway.

While catching the first few minutes of Talking Dead, I finally realized the Oscars were on tonight. I don't even know who were nominate. To me, all the actors and actresses look a little too perfect, like they all received a Botox in South Jersey or liposuction in Philadelphia. If there was an actual good movie nominated, maybe I would watch the Oscars.

After my workout tonight, I'm going to brew some coffee, as I'm going to need an extra boost to finish some reviews that need to be posted tomorrow. Plus, while I'm writing I'll be watching/listening to The Venture Bros. Season Five, as I need to review it.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Review - Sunday God Willing by Yamina Benguigui


Trying to compensate for all the recent French ebooks I am not allowed to buy on amazon.fr because I live in the US [seriously, French authors would make much more money if anyone could buy them, whatever their country of residence], I went to look at my local College library what they had in French. Not much at all!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Blu-ray Review - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson,Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Pillip Seymour, Jeffery Wright, Jenna Malone, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin
Studio: LionsGate
Release Date: March 7, 2014
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B008JFUS8M
Running Time: 146 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Actress Jennifer Lawrence had a memorable 2014 by winning an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, staring in the all-star heist American Hustle (which she is nominated for best-supporting actress) and she returned to her role as Katniss Everdeen in 2013's biggest blockbuster, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire based on author Suzanne Collin's book of the same name. The box-office hit is arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on Friday, March 7, 2014. Special Features include filmmaker commentary, 9-Part Making-Of Documentary, deleted scenes and a sneak peek of the upcoming Divergent adaption.

Grossing over $850 million worldwide, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire once again stars the talented Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson as Petta Mellark, the winners of the 74th Hunger Games, whom have returned home to District 12 for a short visit before going on the Victory Tour.

Donald Sutherland returns as the wicked President Coriolanus Snow, who fears a growing rebellion within the districts over Katniss's actions during the Hunger Games. He is determined to have Katniss killed, therefore there will be a major twist to the 75th Hunger Games - all of the tributes will consist of former winners. Of course, Katniss name is drawn for the Games, while Petta volunteers.

Blu-ray Review - Homefront

Homefront
Director: Gary Felder
Starring: Jason Staham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth
Studio: Universal Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 11,2014
Retail: $34.98
ASIN: B00HEPCRLE
Running  Time: 101 minutes
Rating: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

It seems like a new action-film starring Jason Statham is released quarterly every year, when he isn't busy making another Expendables sequel. His latest outing Homefront sneaked into theaters at the end of November taking in only $31 million on a $22 million budget. For the moviegoers who missed the film because they were busy watching Hunger Games Catching Fire around Thanksgiving, now have a chance to see the film as it is being released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on March 11th. Special features include deleted scenes and a "Standoff" featurette.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Logan and it was adapted to the screen by Sylvester Stallone. After a DEA undercover drug-bust went terribly wrong, Phil Broker (played by Statham) retires from the law enforcements and moves to a quite Southern town to raise his ten-year-old daughter, Mandy.

Being a single-parent, Phil taught his daughter to always defend herself by teaching her a few fighting moves, which comes in handy when Mandy knocks down a school bully during recess. Mandy's actions tick's off the bully's meth-addicted mother, Cassie Bodine (played by Kate Bosworth), who enlists her drug lord brother, Morgan "Gator" Bodine (played by James Franco), to seek vengeance against Phil and his daughter. Phil has no other choice, but to fight back.

Review - Where Courage Calls

Where Courage Calls
By Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764212314
Pages: 336
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/tyWJH
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/joke

Review:

Author Janette Oke's novels cross my radar after I watched the TV-movie Love Comes Softly on the Hallmark Channel back in 2003. I ended up buying all the books on eBay, including the spinoff  Prairie Legacy books. Over the years, I have picked up a few other novels by the author. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to hear about her new novel Where Courage Calls, which she co-writes with daughter, Laurel Oke Logan.

Where Courage Calls is the seventh novel in the Canadian West series, written fourteen years after the sixth novel, When Tomorrow Comes. The first book in the series, When Calls the Heart, was turned into a TV-movie on the Hallmark Channel, followed by a weekly series.

Where Courage Calls was written as a companion story to the new series, which centers on Beth Thatcher as she leaves the life that she has always known and travels to western Canada for a teaching position, following in the footsteps of her aunt Elizabeth (main character from When Calls the Heart).