Sunday, February 12, 2017

DVD Review - Vice Principals: The Complete First Season



TV-MA; 269 minutes; $19.98; Amazon
Now available on DVD from HBO Home Entertainment is the dark-comedy Vice Principals, featuring all 9 episodes on a 2-disc set. Created by Danny McBride and Jody Hill (co-creators of HBO's Eastbound & Down), the series stars Danny McBride, Walter Goggins (Justified), Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Georgia King, Sheaun McKinney, Busy Philipps, and Shea Whigham.

The series is set around the North Jackson High School, where the current principal (played by Bill Murray) is retiring. The two vice principals, Neil Gamby (played by Danny McBride) and Lee Russell (played Walton Goggins), are both wanting the job as his replacement. Unfortunately, it's not up to the principal to decide who will replace him. Instead, the school board hires college professor Dr. Belinda Brown (played by Kimberly Herbert Gregory) as the principal.

While Gamby and Russell have always been enemies, the two vice principals make an alliance to take down Dr. Belinda Brown, so one of them can become principal.

Throughout the nine episodes, the series focuses mostly on Gamby as he tries to get the new English teacher, Amanda Snodgrass (played by Georgia King), to like him. When he's not at the school, he's butting into his daughter's life (played by Maya G. Love), as he tries to outshine her stepfather, Ray (played by Shea Whigham). The rest of the time Gamby is helping Russell with some to scheme to get rid of the new principal, normally ending with hysterical results.


Exclusive Bonus Features includes:

Friday, February 10, 2017

Book Blogger Hop: February 10th - 16th




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML


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 Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)!

What is your favorite Valentine's Day read?

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: 

 I can't think of any romance novels set around Valentine's Day. However, I did like reading the thriller Valentine by Tom Savage. The book was adapted into a horror flick in 2001, but the movie barely resembled the source material. I prefer to read the book over watching the movie.



Linky List:

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

DVD Review - Dead West


RLJ Entertainment;114 minutes; $27.97; Amazon

Arriving today on DVD from RLJ Entertainment is the crime-thriller Dead West. Edited, written and directed by Jeff Ferrell, the film stars Brian Sutherland, Megan Karimi-Nasar, and Jeffery Arrington.

The film centers on a charming outlaw (played by Brian Sutherland) traveling the back roads of Texas searching for his true love. Each time he believes that he has one the right one, he always finds some sort of flaw; disappointed, he ends up killing the woman with a pocket knife.

Unfortunately for the "ladykiller," one of his first victim's brother, Tony (played by Jeffery Arrington), is on the hunt for him, and will do anything it takes to get revenge!



Special Features includes:

  • Audio Commentary with Director Jeff Ferrell, Actor Brian Sutherland and Composer Semh Tareen
  • The Making of Dead West

DVD Review - Power Rangers Dino Charge: The Complete Season


Not Rated; 8 hours; $19.98; Amazon

Arriving on DVD today from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is Saban's Power Rangers Dino Charge: The Complete Season, featuring all 20 episodes and 2 holiday specials on a five-disc set. There are no special features or extras.

Power Rangers Dino Charge is the twenty-second season of the popular franchise. The season originally debuted on Nickelodeon in February 2016; introducing a new group of Power Rangers - Tyler Navarro, the Red Ranger (played by Brennan Mejia), Chase Randall, the Black Ranger (played by James Davies), Shelby Watkins, the Pink Ranger (played by Camille Hyde), Koda, the Blue Ranger (played by Yoshi Sudarso), and Riley Griffin, the Green Ranger (played by Michael Taber).

Together, along with their mentors, archaeologist Kendall Morgan (played by Claire Blackwelde) and the alien "Keeper" (voiced by Richard Simpson), the Power Ranger must battle the evil Sledge, an intergalactic bounty hunter, and his army of minions and monsters. They must find a way to retrieve all the Energems that were scattered across Earth 65,000,000 years ago, before Sledge gets his hands on them.

In the latter half of the season, two more Rangers were introduced - Sir Ivan of Zandar, the Gold Ranger (played by Davi Santo), and Prince Philip III, the Graphite Ranger (played by Jarred Blakiston) to the team. Later, Kendall bonds with the purple Energem and becomes the Purple Ranger.

The episodes on the 5-disc set are:

Unleashed: Vol. 1
Powers From The Past
Past, Present, and Fusion
A Fool's Hour
Return of the Caveman


Resurgence: Vol. 2
Breaking Black
The Tooth Hurts
Let Sleeping Zords Lie
Double Ranger, Double Danger


Q&A with Sarah Mathilde Callaway, author of The Tulip Garden





What inspired you to write a love story?

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always dreamt of writing love stories. That was my only possible destiny. But never would I have dared imagine that I would spend so much of my time so close to the place where the most famous love story of all time unfolded. Every morning, at dawn, I walk by the gate and look at the bronze statue of Juliet, then gaze at her balcony, thinking that love really has no limits.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day in Verona? What traditions are there surrounding Valentine's Day that are specific to Italy?

The atmosphere in Verona during San Valentino is absolutely unique. Verona is among the most visited European cities during the days of the “Verona in Love” festival, when it truly breathes happiness. It’s amazing to see all the people in love, smiling, it’s something that stays with you for a lifetime.

What advice do you give to someone looking for love this Valentine's Day?

I’d tell them what I’ve told myself throughout my whole life. Love can bring you many shadows, and lead you to very dark places, but you have to keep on shining. This is why I enjoy dressing in bright clothes so I can shine!

What sort of response have you had to your book from the Italian readers?

I don’t really worry that much about what my readers think of my novels. Of course, it’s very gratifying when they write to me to say that they spent the whole night reading my novel, unable to put it down. However, I feel my destiny is not to sit around waiting for people to judge my writing, but to keep building something greater instead.

Why do you think your book would make a romantic and thoughtful gift for your loved one this Valentine's Day?

This will actually become a reality on Valentine’s Day in Italy since the “Verona in Love” Festival will be gifting novels by Sarah Mathilde Callaway to some of its thousands of international visitors. The English version of The Tulip Garden will be released in paperback on that day, so it will be the perfect gift: like a delicate flower, but passionate, thoughtful and bright, like the book’s cover. The day the English translator received my novel, she also got a bouquet of tulips as a present from a friend. Her friend knew nothing about my book so my translator saw this as destiny.

What's the formula for a successful romantic novel?

Monday, February 6, 2017

Giveaway: Vice Principals: The Complete First Season DVD




Arriving on Blu-ray™ & DVD Featuring Digital Download Copy tomorrow from HBO Home Entertainment is Vice Principals: The Complete First Season.


Created by Danny R. McBride and Jody Hill (creators of HBO®’s Eastbound & Down®, along with Ben Best), this acclaimed new HBO comedy series tells the story of North Jackson High School and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals. McBride and Walton Goggins star as the school administrators, who are in an epic power struggle to become school principal. Heralded by Rolling Stone as “the summer’s best new comedy."

Exclusive Bonus Features on the DVD includes:

Deleted Scenes
Blooper Scenes
9 Audio Commentaries with Cast and Crew
(including Danny McBride, Jody Hill, Walton Goggins and more!)




Giveaway Details:

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Music Review & Giveaway: Kari Jobe's THE GARDEN


Sparrow Records; 75 minutes; Buy Links: iTunes; Spotify;
Now available to purchase today on CD, streaming, and MP3 from Sparrow Records (CMG Label Group) is the 4th album from the contemporary Christian singer Kari Jobe, titled "THE GARDEN."

Kari has sold over 1 million albums and has over  173 million career streams. Additionally, she is the most-followed female CCM artist on social media with over 3.5 million followers. Her previous album in 2014, the critically-acclaimed live recording Majestic, won a GMA Dove Award for Praise and Worship Album of the Year.

The 14 inspirational songs on "THE GARDEN" were written over a transitional period. During this time Kari married Cody Carnes and moved from her hometown of Dallas, Texas to Nashville. She gave birth to their first child, Canyon Carnes, last February. Kari's sister, Kris, was also pregnant at the time, but sadly gave birth to a stillborn daughter, James Ivy.

Through pain and heartache, Kari managed to write new songs for "The Garden," which happens to be first track for the album.

The songs on the album are:

The Garden
Let Your Glory Fall
Heal Our Land
Lover Of My Soul
Speak To Me
Fall Afresh
I Will Sing
Miracles
Closer To your Heart (featuring Cody Carnes)
Oh The Power
The Case of Christ
Here  As In Heaven (featuring Cody Carnes)
Come Alive
On The Throne