Dark Shadows: Year One
by Marc Andreyko, Guiu Vilanova, Patrick Berkenkotter
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Pub. Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1606904954
Pages: 128
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Ever since the original dark soap opera, Dark Shadows, ended in 1971, the franchise has continued to live in other medias, such as feature films, remakes, novelizations, merchandises, DVD sets, etc. The Collins family has even found their way into the comic book world over the years.

Last month, Dynamite Entertainment released the Dark Shadows: Year One graphic novel (featuring issues 1-6), which tells the origin of the vampire Barnabas Collins, who caused his family to suffer for generations. It only took one night of passion with the witch Angelique to ruin his life forever.

If you have ever seen the original series or the Tim Burton movie, then you know that Barnabas was engaged to Josette, but the maid Angelique was in love with him, leading Barnabas to have a fling with her, unknowingly at the time that she was in a fact a witch. Barnabas rejected Angelique, so she cursed him to become a vampire.

Rage
Director: Paco Cabezas
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Danny Glover, Rachel Nichols, Peter Stormare
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.96
ASIN: B00KBZZI10
Running Time: 98 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon


Review:

Arriving on DVD this Tuesday, August 12, 2014, is the crime-thriller Rage from Image Entertainment. The film is directed by Paco Cabezas and stars Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Danny Glover (the Lethal Weapon films) Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) and Peter Stormare (Fargo). Special features include: The Making of RAGE, deleted scenes and an alternate ending.

Nicolas Cage plays Paul Maquire, a businessman, husband and loving father, who has a deadly past. Late one night, the unthinkable occurs - his teenage daughter, Caitlin (played by Aubrey Peeples) goes missing. What looks like a kidnapping, turns into murder when his daughter's body is found near Tokarev Russian gun.

Paul shoves his wife (played by Rachel Nichols) away, as he reunites with his old buddies, Kane (played by Max Ryan) and Danny (played by Michael McGrady) to seek out who murdered his daughter, which includes starting a war with the Russian mob.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad / Fun and Fancy Free
Directors: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan
Voice Cast: Eric Blore, Pat O'Malley, Cliff Edwards, Edgar Bergen, Luana Patten, Walt Disney, Clarence Nash
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00K7BCWLW
Running Time: 68 minutes (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), 73 minutes (Fun and Fancy Free)
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack (3-discs) this Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the 2-movie collection featuring The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Fun and Fancy Free. As an added bonus on the Blu-ray is The Reluctant Dragon feature film.

WWII put a financial strain of film companies, as they created "war effort" short film projects. Walt Disney's next big blockbuster, Cinderella, wouldn't come out until 1950 and until then the company needed to create fast films that would make them money. Out this era came "packaged films," which featured two or three shorts compiled into one film.

Fun and Fancy Free was released to theaters in 1947, featuring Bongo and Mickey And The Beanstalk. Bongo is based on the story "Little Bear Bongo" by Sinclair Lewis and is narrated by singer Dinah Shore. It centers on a circus bear named Bongo, who dreams of being free in the wild. Mickey And The Beanstalk is Disney's version of Jack and the Beanstalk, which features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as poor, starving farmers, whom happen to acquire a magic bean that grows a beanstalk. It is is the last theatrical to feature Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks: Special Edition
Director: Robert Stevenson
Starring: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, John Ericson
Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00K5ZXKFM
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack this Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the 1971 Disney classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks, with an all-new digital transfer. Bonus features include Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers, Five Enchanted Deleted and Extended Songs, Eight Magical Deleted and Extended Scenes, David Tomlinson Recording Sessions, Song Selections and The Wizards of Special Effects.

Based on the book by Mary Norton, Bedknobs and Broomsticks was released to theaters in 1971, but was edited to fit into a 2-hour slot. The film was heavily edited for the 1979 re-release. In 1996, the film was reconstructed on VHS in its original intended 139 version.

Set during WWII, the film centers on Eglantine Price (played by Angela Lansbury) taking in three orphans, Charlie (played by Ian Weighill), Paul (played by Roy Snart), and Carrie (played by Cindy O'Callaghan). Just after arriving, they learn that Miss Price is an apprentice witch!

When I Fall in Love
by Susan May Warren
Publisher: Tyndale Publishing
Pub. Date: June 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1414378435
Pages: 400
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/swarren
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/z5Ijj

Review:

I think all my blog readers have heard me say that I don't care for reading contemporary romances, but on a rare occasion I do read a book with a contemporary setting. Sometimes the settings doesn't matter to me, as it is the author that draws me in. When I Fall in Love is written by the bestselling and award-winning author, Susan May Warren, which is the newest installment in the Christiansen Family series. I have loved reading her historical setting titles, therefore I gave this novel a chance. Plus, I did read the previous book in the series, It Had to be You, a few months back and enjoyed it.

When I Fall in Love centers on Grace Christiansen, a young woman who desires to have her own catering business in Deep Haven, but first she needs to go to culinary school. After not hearing a thing from the school she applied to, her family sends her on a culinary vacation in Hawaii. 

Pro hockey player, Maxwell Sharpe, happens to be going on the same three-week cooking retreat, where he gets paired up with Grace for a cooking competition. Of course there are sparks between the two, but their past fears and troubles may block the two of them from being together.

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!

Do you have a pet peeve about when someone posts a comment on your blog? Example: no link back to their 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: 

                   No Spam! And No Blog Awards!

The Three Musketeers
Director: Donovan Cook
Voice Cast: Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Russi Taylor, Tress MacNeille, Jim Cummings, April Winchell, Jeff Bennett, Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00K5ZXKTS
Running Time: 68 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time on Tuesday August 12 is the swashbuckling adventure The Three Musketeers starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Bonus Features include: New "Get Up And Dance!" - Be Stouthearted And Dance To The Song & "All For One" From The Movie, Deleted Scenes With Commentary - Learn Why These Scenes Were Deleted From The Movie, Sing-Along Songs and much more!

A Disney animation based on the famous novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père had been in the works for years before finally being released as a direct-to-video feature in 2004 starring Mickey, Donald and Goofy. In this version of the classic tale, Mickey, Donald and Goofy are the janitors for the palace, but they dream of becoming Royal Musketeers, even though Mickey is "too small," Donald is a "coward" and Goofy is "doofus" in the eyes of the Musketeers.




Meanwhile, Captain Pete of the Royal Musketeers and his goons (the Beagle Boys) are planning on kidnapping Minnie Mouse, the princess of France, before the opera The Pirates of Penzance, where Pete plans on taking the thrown for himself. Pete knows that there is no way to kidnap Minnie when there are skilled Royal Musketeers guarding her at all times, so he appoints Mickey, Donald and Goofy as Musketeers, knowing that they will fail at protecting her.

The Toothless Tooth Fairy
by Shanelle Hicks
Illustrated by Anca Delia Budeanu
Publisher: Mirror Publishing
Pub. Date: April 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1612251400
Pages: 28
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I don't accept very many book review requests from authors or publishers anymore, mostly due to the fact that I have little time to read and what time I do have is left to review books that I have signed up to review. That being said, when I saw the request to review the children's book, The Toothless Tooth Fairy, I agreed to review it, as the title alone caught my attention.

The Toothless Tooth Fairy is centered on a young tooth fairy named Bella, who is participating in the Miss Tooth Fairy Smile Contest that is being held on Cloud Nine. She is favor to win this year, but the meanest tooth fairy in the world, Zelda, has a plan on stopping Bella from winning.

After a presumed accident occurs, Bella looses a tooth and she can't win the contest without a perfect smile. With the tooth missing, Bella goes on the hunt for a new tooth. She plans on borrowing a tooth from a sleeping child that is scheduled to loose a tooth, but things doesn't go as she had planned.