Sunday, August 16, 2015

Blu-ray Review: Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection



Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 18, 2015
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00WU5B494
Running Time: 79 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this week is Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection, featuring 12 celebrated Disney Shorts, including Frozen Fever!

The only bonus feature is @DisneyAnimaton - An inside look at the process of developing and producing a short. Hosted by actor - T.J. Miller (voice of "Fred" in Big Hero 6).

Frozen Fever! is the sequel to 2013's mega-hit Frozen with the returning voice-cast of  Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad. The short centers on Elsa planning a big surprise party for her sister Anna, but there is a slight problem - Elsa is catching a cold. It features a new cute song - Making Today a Perfect Day.


Last year's Feast centers on Winston, a  Boston Terrier puppy that enjoys life with his bachelor owner James. He especially likes that he gets to eat all the junk food that he wants to that is until James gets a girlfriend and she forever changes their diets. It won the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject at the 42nd Annie Awards and an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 87th Academy Awards.


Mickey Mouse returned to the big screen in the 2013's Get A Horse! The short blends black-and-white hand-drawn animation and color CGI animation along with archival recordings of Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse. It starts out as a short from the 1920s and eventually Mickey pops out of the screen in 3D.


Paperman was the first Disney short to win an Academy Award in 43 years. Directed by John Kahrs, it blended traditional animation with computer animation. Set in the 1940s, the short tells the tale of a man who's trying to get the attention of a woman that is across the street in the another building. To do so, he makes paper airplanes and tosses out the window in the hope that it will go through the other building's window and land in her lap.

Summer Reads: The Patmos Deception


The Patmos Deception
by Davis Bunn
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: November 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764211393
Pages: 336
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I'm continuing my quest to cleanup my desk, which means reviewing the pile of books that have been collecting dust for several months.  One of these books is titled by The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn. Typically, I don't read adventure-type books, but I had heard great things about the author and I wanted to try one of his books.

The Patmos Deception centers on a young woman, Carey Mathers, whom travels to Greece to start a new job as well as a new life. She had studied forensic archeology and she is now using her knowledge to work at the Athens Institute for Antiquities.

Out of nowhere an old friend, Nick Hennessy, a Texas journalist, asks for her help in his investigation behind the disappearance of an invaluable Grecian antiquities, which leads them both to team up with Dmitri Rubinos. After unraveling all the clues, they find that the truth behind the mystery lies near the island of Patmos.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

DVD Review - Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Legendary Battle



Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Legendary Battle
Director: Charlie Haskell
Starring: Andrew Gray, John Mark Loudermilk, Ciara Hanna, Azim Rizk, Christina Masterson
Studio: LionsGate
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00YN6XAP4
Running Time: 55 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

While Power Rangers fans, young and old, are patiently waiting for new batches of the current Dino Charge season to air on Nickelodeon, they'll just have to settle for this month's DVD release of Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Legendary Battle, which is the combination of the last two episodes (The Wrath & Legendary Battle) of the Megaforce series. Included on the single-disc is the bonus featurette - Power Rangers: A Legacy.

Power Rangers Megaforce debuted in early 2013 and centered on five teens - Troy (played by Andrew Gray), Noah (played by John Mark Loudermilk), Emma (played by Christina Masterson), Gia (played by Ciara Hanna) and Jake (played by Azim Rizk), being summoned by the supernatural guardian Gose, so the can protect Earth from an alien invasion by becoming the Megaforce Rangers. The second season added "Super" in the title and a sixth ranger - Orion (played by Cameron Jebo), a young man that traveled from another planet to help stop the alien armada from destroying Earth.

After defeating Prince Vekar and his brother Vrak, the Ranger thought the battle was finally over, but shortly after Orion leaves Earth, Emperor Mavro attacks Earth with a bigger armada. He sends down Levira to destroy the Rangers once in for all. Emperor Mavro orders his fleet to destroy Angel Grove, which results in the Rangers' zords being destroyed.

The Red Ranger ("Troy," left) stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's POWER RANGERS MEGAFORCE: THE LEGENDARY BATTLE.
The only the way to defeat Emperor Marvro's army is for the Megaforce Rangers to teamup with the Legendary Rangers (played by Sean Cw Johnson, Alison MacInnis, Danny Slavin, Selwyn Ward, Patricia Ja Lee, Jason David Frank, Jason Faunt, Reggie Rolle, Melody Perkins, Hector David Jr. and Brittany Anne Pirtle) for one final battle of good vs. evil.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Book Blogger Hop: August 14th - 20th

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 @ Silver's Reviews!

Are you ever without 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: 


   When I was teenager I would have a paperback (Stephen King, John Saul, etc.) in my back pocket, that way if I get bored during class or lunch, I can just pull out my book and read. As an adult, I don't carry a book with me anymore, not unless I'm on a trip or something, but I hardly travel anymore.


Linky List:

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Review - The River by Beverly Lewis



The River
by Beverly Lewis
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: September 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764212734
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
I'm rounding out my summer by finally writing reviews for a few books that have been collecting dust on my desk for quite sometime. Yes, it's quite odd for me to delay reading an Amish fiction novel, but that's exactly what happened with The River by Beverly Lewis, which was published last September.

The River centers on two former Amish sisters, Tilly and Ruth, whom are returning to Lancaster County for their parent's wedding anniversary. Tilly is now married with children and has unresolved issues about going back home. At first both of them were going to decline the invite, but after hearing about their father's health issues, they decide to attend.

Once they arrive back in Lancaster County, the sisters must finally deal with their pasts. For Tilly, she must find a way to get over the death of their other sister that died by the river when they were young. Lastly, Ruth must deal with her unresolved feelings for an old flame.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

CoffeeCrazy's Organic & Fair Trade Colombian Roast Review




Yep, here I am again writing another review for a whole bean coffee brand! I guess you can say that I'm a coffee addict, but I can't help myself from trying out different coffees.

I received the Coffee Colombian Roast Crazy Passion about a month about a month ago to rest out and review. It's made by CoffeeCrazy, the same people that makes the SalsaCrazy DVDs.

A lot of coffee beans and grounds tend to have unwanted chemicals in them, so it's great that this brand is organic! The 12 oz. bag is currently available on Amazon for $14.95.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

DVD Review: Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection


Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection
Directors: Arch Oboler, John Brahm, Leslie Kardos, Anthony Bushell
Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Victor Jory, William Phipps
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00WV7TOPC
Running Time: 5 hours 13 minutes
Rated: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

As a kid, I looked forward to every October as AMC has their horror film marathons for Halloween, but this was back when the channel didn't have commercials and when they actually played classic films. For us diehard horror fans, we have to turn DVDs & Blu-rays to find the older flicks.

Recently released on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection, Featuring four nearly forgotten films - Five (1951), The Mad Magician (1954), The Man Who Turned To Stone (1957) and The Terror Of The Tongs (1961). There are no extras or special features on the two-disc set.

Far by the best on this two-disc set is the post-apocalyptic film called Five. Set directly after an atomic bomb has went off, the film tells the story of four men ( William Phipps, James Anderson, Charles Lampkin and Earl Lee) and a pregnant woman (played by Susan Douglas Rubes) trying to survive. While it was critically panned upon it's original release, over the years it has received praise for it's dark atmosphere.


Strange things are happening in a women prison in The Man Who Turned To Stone. After several suspicious inmate suicides, social worker Carol Adams (played by Charlotte Austin) seeks the help of psychiatrist Dr. Jess Rogers (played by William Hudson) to help unravel the mystery and discover the real murderers.


In a somewhat-remake of The Stranglers of Bombay, the 1961 Hammer Film "The Terror Of The Thongs" centers on Captain Jackson Sale (played by Geoffrey Toone) seeking revenge against the mysterious secret Red Dragon Tong crime family, whom murdered his daughter. This rarely-seen film is considered to be politically incorrect due to the fact that several Caucasian actors portrayed Asian characters, including actor Christopher Lee.