“The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature” – new character posters!

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Denise

I love movie posters.  And I especially love cool character-driven movie posters.  So when The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature released their slew of character posters?  I got to drooling. Gotta admit that Will Arnet “Protect Your Nuts” poster?  I’m loving it.

Synopsis!

Surly Squirrel (Will Arnett) and the gang are back. We are once again in Oakton where the evil mayor has decided to bulldoze Liberty Park and build a dangerous amusement park in its place. Surly and his ragtag group of animal friends band together to save their home, defeat the mayor, and take back the park.
THE NUT JOB 2 also features the voice talent of Katherine Heigl (The Nut Job), Jackie Chan (Kung Fu Panda 3), Peter Stormare (Penguins of Madagascar), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Isabela Moner (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life), and Maya Rudolph (The Angry Birds Movie).

So feast your eyes on these great posters!  I’m trying to figure out how to get my hands on a few for my neighborhood animal shelter…because C’MON THEY’RE TOO CUTE. (Don’t forget to clicky on the images for their full high-res glory!)

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Elsewhere Review: Cats Laughing’s A Long Time Gone – Reunion at MiniCon 50

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Denise
Read the original piece HERE at Green Man Review!

“Achievement unlocked!”

I have to confess something to you.  The reason I asked to review this CD and DVD set wasn’t because I knew about the band.  It was because I like cats, and the band name is incredible.  So I was dumbstruck to find out that Cats Laughing consists of genre authors Steven Brust, Emma Bull and Lojo Russo.  Add group newbie Scott Keever and Adam Stemple as “Musician Guest of Honor”, and you’ve got a talented group of folks.  Sure you say; they Brust, Bull and Keever  sure can write, but are they really musicians?  YES THEY ARE.  Damn fine ones, too.  Anyone who enjoys folk-rock, roadhouse, or good ol’ Faire tunes will find their time well spent checking them out.

As my thoughts are fractured a bit, let’s break this down into three parts, shall we?  I break down the music and performance, the CD, and then the DVD.  Because while I adored the music itself, the CD and DVD had a few…well, let’s just dig in. Continue reading →

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“The Mummy” – action, monsters, and Tom Cruise

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Denise

Nutshell: More a “Tom Cruise Action Movie With Monsters In It” than a monster movie starring Tom Cruise.  The first act is a rock ’em sock ’em action extravaganza that leads into a very interesting peek at Universal’s “Dark Universe”.  But the second act and climax relies too heavily on clichés that were worn out when Karloff donned the bandages. Grade: B-

“No, you’re not dead.  But you’re going to wish you were.”

Story: While scouting for things to hawk on the black market, Advance Ops officers Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) literally stumble onto the long-buried sarcophagus of Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella).  But before Nick and Chris can say “is that gold?”, archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis) takes over…but as they transport the goods to London, the plane crashes, dumping cargo and killing almost everyone on board.  As Nick and Jenny try to find the sarcophagus and its contents, they soon realize there’s much more than bandages and dust hidden within.

Genre I’d put it in: “Dark Universe” Film Just Interesting Enough To Keep Me Up For The Next Installment Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “47 Meters Down”!

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Denise

Ready for the beach?  Got all that Jaws, Sharknado, Deep Blue Sea and The Shallows outta ya?  Well get ready to spend even more time out of the water, because I’ve got passes for the Baltimore area screening of 47 Meters Down.  Synopsis!

On the rebound after a devastating break-up, Lisa (Mandy Moore) is ready for adventure while on vacation in Mexico. Even still, she needs a little extra persuasion when her daring sister Kate (Claire Holt) suggests they go shark diving with some locals. Once underwater in a protective cage, Lisa and Kate catch a once in a lifetime, face-to-face look at majestic Great Whites. But when their worst fears are realized and the cage breaks away from their boat, they find themselves plummeting to the bottom of the seabed, too deep to radio for help without making themselves vulnerable to the savage sharks, their oxygen supplies rapidly dwindling. 47 METERS DOWN is a terrifying tale of survival set in the domain of the ocean’s fiercest creatures.

Ready to get wet?  Okay… Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “The Book of Henry”!

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Denise

Ready for a really cool family friendly thriller?  Well then, get psyched – I’ve got passes for the Baltimore area screening of The Book of Henry!  Synopsis!

Single mother Susan Carpenter works as a waitress alongside her feisty family friend Sheila. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own way is Susan’s older son Henry. Protective of his brother and a tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother, Henry blazes through the days like a comet. When Susan discovers that the family next door harbors a dark secret, she’s surprised to learn that Henry has devised a plan to help the young daughter.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Cars 3”!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Denise

Vroom vroom!  I’ve got passes for the Baltimore area screening of Cars 3, and I’m ready to drop ’em at the starting line.  Synopsis!

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

Continue reading →

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Con News: “Baby Driver” to screen at Awesome Con!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Denise

WHOA NELLY Y’ALL. Ready for some news that can only be described as…Awesome? Well, get ready, because director Edgar Wright will be coming to Awesome Con, and he’ll be bringing his newest film, Baby Driver, with him!

I absolutely love Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, so I can’t wait to see what he does with the heist film.  Plus, how can anyone not get psyched about a film with John Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Ansel Elgort?  Can’t wait to see how they play together.  Heck, the trailer already looks way groovy…dig that crazy-cool stunt driving!

Read on for the full details! Continue reading →

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“Wonder Woman”: the DCEU finally delivers a Wonder-ful superhero movie

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Denise

Nutshell: Director Patty Jenkins takes the DCEU reins from Zack Snyder, delivering a mighty blow for female superheroes, and single-handedly bringing the franchise back from the brink of death. As Diana Prince, Gal Gadot is a revelation as the fresh-faced badass. Your move, Justice League. Grade: A

“There’s nothing you can do about it…. Keep moving.”

Story: A sweet young girl unknowing of the ways of the world decides to journey far from her idyllic life in order to save the world.  Oh, did I mention the sweet young girl is an Amazon princess? No?  Well, she is.  Smackdowns ensue.

Genre I’d put it in: Amazons Doing It For Themselves

Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the DC Comics heroine.  Part of the current DC Extended Universe of films (DCEU).

Gotta say: For some reason I was very apprehensive about this film.  Okay, there are definite reasons.  The muddled mess DC seems to make of their DCEU (though I have to admit I enjoy the director’s cut of BvS).  That hideously sexist TV pilot that never got off the ground.  That terrible TV movie that was supposed to be for a TV show that never got off the ground. That horrific new TV pilot that never got off the ground. And, of course, my childhood love of Lynda Carter, fighting for our rights, and the ol’ Red White and Bloooooo-hoooo.

But the team of Jenkins and Gadot have made me a believer.

Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “My Cousin Rachel”!

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Denise

Ready to get your indie jones on?  Because I’ve got passes for the Baltimore screening of My Cousin Rachel, based on the book by British author Daphne du Maurier. Synopsis!

A dark and layered romance, MY COUSIN RACHEL tells the story of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious and beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian.  His feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling helplessly and obsessively in love with her.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “The Mummy”!

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Denise

I’ve been stoked for the start of the Universal Monsters Universe ever since I first heard about it.  So I’m just as stoked to share passes for the Baltimore screening of The Mummy, Universal’s first film in what I hope will be a long, awesome, series of glorious monster madness.  Synopsis!

Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.
From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

So, ready for monster mayhem?  ME TOO.  Let’s do this!
Continue reading →

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