Saturday, February 7, 2015

DVD Review - Remake Rewind: D.O.A. Double Feature



Remake Rewind: D.O.A. Double Feature
Directors: Rudolph Maté, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Edmond O'Brien, Meg Ryan
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00QMWEHWW
Running Time: 181 minutes
Rating: NR/R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Mill Creek Entertaining is releasing Remake Rewind DVDs this month, featuring the original and redone of several movies. One of the DVDs features the 1950 classic film noir D.O.A. and the 1988 remake of the same name. There are no special features or extras on the disc.

1950 film follows an accountant, Frank Bigelow (played by Edmond O'Brien), taking a vacation a much needed vacation. One night he stops by the nightclub "The Fisherman," and unnoticed to him, a stranger swaps drinks with him. He wakes up the next morning feeling a bit ill, so he visits a local doctor who informs him that he has been poisoned. The doctor gives him even more grim news - he has about 48 hours to live. With time running out, he is determined to find out who poisoned him and why.


The 1988 remake follows a similar storyline with a few twists, the film now follows Professor Dexter Cornell (played Dennis Quaid) finding himself being poisoned at a nightclub. With less than 36 hours to live, he goes to visit his soon-to-be-divorced ex-wife, Gail (played by Jane Kaczmarek), but he arrives just as she is being murdered. The killer knocks him out from behind. When he wakes up, he is surrounded by the police, whom all are convinced that he killed his wife.

Blu-ray Review - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day


Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00O4ZC4TW
Running Time: 81 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment is the family-comedy Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The film is directed by iguel Arteta and stars Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and Ed Oxenbould. Special Features on the Blu-ray includes Alexander ...In Real Life; Snappy Crocs And Punch Roos: The Australian Outback Yard Party; Walkabout: A Video Diary; And The Delightful, Magnificent, Very Good Bloopers and the music video "Hurricane" by the Vamps.

Based on the children's book of the same name by Judith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day centers on 11-year-old Alexander Cooper (played by Ed Oxenbould), whom always has a terrible, horrible, no good, bad day, every single day. He wakes up at midnight on his birthday and wishes that his family could have just one bad day, so they would know what he goes through every day. To his surprise, his wish comes true.

His father's, Ben (played by Steve Carell), job interview doesn't go exactly as planned. His mother, Kelly (played by Jennifer Garner), works for a publishing company and she had arranged for a book reading with actor Dick Van Dyke, but it goes horribly wrong. Alexander's older brother, Anthony (played by Dylan Minnette), has even a more worse day when he gets expelled from school and he fails his driving test. His older sister Emily (played by  Kerris Dorsey), an aspiring actress, gets a terrible cold on the day she is to debut as Peter Pan in her school's play. And for some reason his baby brother Trevor (Elise and Zoey Vargas) has a green marker all over his face.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Book Blogger Hop: February 6th - 12th

Book Blogger Hop

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!

Is there anything that turns you off when you are reading a blog post? For example: two posts in one post such as answers to two memes.

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: 

Yeah, having two meme answers in one post can be a bit annoying as I feel like I have to comment on all the answers, even on the memes that I'm not participting in. Then again, I do understand that the blogger has limited time and putting two or more meme answers in one post can be a timesaver!

Linky List:

Blu-ray Review - 101 Dalmatians: Diamond Edition


101 Dalmatians: Diamond Editon
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Voice Cast: Rod Taylor, Cate Bauer, Betty Lou Gerson
Ben Wright, Lisa Davis, Martha Wentworth
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00OZLF4AG
Running Time: 79 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Getting the Diamond Edition Blu-ray treatment on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 is the classic Disney animation film 101 Dalmatians!

The film is based on the 1957 book by Dodie Smith, which was adapted to the screen by Bill Peet.  Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wolfgang Reitherman co-directed the film, which was original titled One Hundred and One Dalmatians. It arrived in theaters in 1961 to critical acclaim and was re-released several times to theaters over the years. A live-action version was released in 1996, followed by a sequel in 2000. A short-lived animated series aired in 1997 and in 2003 the direct-to-video sequel, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, was released.

101 Dalmatians centers on a male dalmatian, Pongo, and his bachelor owner, Roger, whom run into a single woman, Anita, and her female dalmatian, Perdita, while out for a walk on the streets of London. Roger and Anita fall in love and get married and so do their dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita. The dalmatians eventually have their own pups, fifteen to be exact - Patch, Lucky, Rolly, Penny, Freckles and Pepper. (The names for the other pups are never mentioned in the film.)

Anita's old schoolmate, Cruella De Vil, is wanting to purchase all fifteen puppies, but Roger and Anita decide to keep all the dalmatians. Everything seems to be perfect for the family until the puppies are kidnapped...

Bonus Features include:

Thursday, February 5, 2015

DVD Review - Poker Night


Poker Night
Director: Greg Francis
Starring: Beau Mirchoff, Titus Welliver, Michael Eklund, Ron Eldard, Corey Large, Halston Stage, Giancarlo Esposito, Ron Perlman
Studio: XLrator Media
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Retail: $14.99
ASIN: B00PV09C6M
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD from XLrator Media on Tuesday February 10, 2015 is the crime thriller Poker Night. The film is written & directed by Greg Francis and it stars Beau Mirchoff, Titus Welliver, Michael Eklund, Ron Eldard, Corey Large, Halston Stage, Giancarlo Esposito and Ron Perlman. There are no special features on the disc.

Poker Night is set in Warsaw, Indiana and centers on a rookie detective Stan Jeter (played by Beau Mirchoff) and his nearly underage girlfriend, Amy (played by Halston Sage), whom are kidnapped and tortured by a sadistic masked serial killer (played by (Michael Eklund). Stan must use the knowledge handed down to him by his veteran officers, Calabrese (played by Ron Perlman), Bernard (played by Giancarlo Esposito), Davis (played by Corey Large), Maxwell (played by Titus Welliver) and Cunningham (played by Ron Eldard), so he can outsmart the killer.

The film was released on VOD on December 5, 2014 and received a limited  theatrical release on December 20. It received mostly negative reviews from critics and holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

3 Simple Tips to Eliminate Distractions while Writing


As writers, it is our job to think. But in the age of distraction, finding the ability to focus is becoming a lost art.

I have worked as a writer for home for seven years. During that time, I’ve found a few tips and tricks that help me focus, eliminate distractions, and become a better writer.

Make Time to Think

As a writer, a lot of my job is in my head. I have to have periods of quiet reflection to plot out my words. My writing is 1,000 times better when I have had time to reflect and think about what I want to say.

I do a lot of thinking at night after the children go to bed. This planning time enables me to clarify what I need to do for the next day.

Disconnect

The Internet is amazing, but it is also the Queen of distractions. I don’t use these, but I’ve seen some pretty cool apps that you can download that will actually prevent you from accessing the Internet during certain periods.

I have to have online access for research, but I try to avoid time suckers like social media and e-mail during my writing time.

Don’t Skip Meals

You know what causes distractions from writing? Hunger.

Not only does your brain not function as well without food, but if you are hungry, you’ll be thinking about how you want a sandwich, not about your work.

I often have trouble with this one, because when I get into the zone, I want to keep going until I finish. However, if I equip myself with food in advance (and sometimes snacks while I’m working), then I won’t lose focus due to hunger.


Want more tips on how to stay focused while writing? Comecheck out my companion post at Daily Mayo!

Brenda is a fellow book-lover and coffee-addict. She is a freelance writer, punctuation nerd, and grammar enthusiast. Her favorite book genres are Science Fiction, Fantasy with a Twist, and Dystopian. Brenda blogs about books, writing and more at Daily Mayo. Find her here on CaW for Writing Tips Wednesdays the first Wednesday of every month.

Follow Brenda on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to updates from Daily Mayo to keep up with all the exciting things in her life; ranging from drinking coffee to get through the day to drinking coffee just for fun.

Petoyo™ Birds Flying Feather Cat Teaser Toy Review


I have been a cat lover all my life. I was given a male cat, Snuggles, when I was in the first grade and he lived for 14 years. I never thought I would own a cat until I took in a female calico cat, Gaby, on December 26, 2007 and in 2009 I took in a stray Tabby cat, Fred. Sadly, Fred passed away last summer.

Now, I just have Gaby, who is an older cat (I don't know her exact age). She's not a very playful kitty, but she does love any toys with catnip and she likes to the chase the laser lights.

This afternoon I received the Petoyo™ Birds Flying Feather Cat Teaser Toy in an oversize box from Amazon.com. I picked the "natural" toy that has feathers and a small bell that are attached to a fishing swivel. The swivel is attached to a black cord and the cord is attached to a 20-inch rod (flexible plastic). You are suppose to wave the cord back and forth in the attempt to recreate the movement of a bird. Though domestic cats are pretty tame, they are still felines, so deep down they still have hunter instincts in them, so this toy should get their attention.

"What Is This?"
Gabby inspecting her new toy!