Synopsis~

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into a reluctant relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children.

Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. Katie must choose between a life of transient safety or one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven. — IMDb 

I was surprised at how well I liked Safe Haven. I would characterize the movie as a romance with a touch of suspense. I enjoyed getting to know Alex and Katie, watching them overcome their past and fall in love. It didn’t hurt any that Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel are absolutely gorgeous. 

Though the acting was fair, spots in the movie felt slow at times. And despite the twists, I found the movie to be a little predictable. Surprisingly, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

David Lyons did a fabulous job acting, coming off as determined and creepy at the same time. I don’t want to give away spoilers, so I’ll stop there. If you have a lazy afternoon and are looking for a satisfying romance, you might like Safe Haven.

Favorite scene: It’s a toss up between when Alex begs Katie to give them a chance and the snippets of Katie’s past.

Rating:  

I’m a fan of the ABC show Castle. Isn’t this picture gorgeous? I love true crime shows. Though this series is not always accurate, I enjoy the drama. I watched last weeks episode…well, the first seven minutes of it anyway, then I went to bed. (The rest of the show was recorded.)

Hubby finished watching the show. He didn’t understand how I could just go to bed without knowing how it ended. The next day he said I would never guess the ending. I took him up on it. For the next five minutes, I told him how I thought it would end. In detail. When I asked him how I did, he said I would have to watch.

I was spot on with everything.  Hubby was shocked. He says I always know how things end.

So that leaves me with three observations.

1) Shows are getting predictable.

2) I’ve been studying a lot of books/TV shows/Movies, and I my writing skills have sharpened.

I’d like to think it’s a mixture of one and two. But the more likely option is three.

3) I just watch way too much television and movie shows. hehe

Has this happened to you with the shows/movies/books you’ve enjoyed? Is it predictability or craft?

Did anyone else see the new movie previews out this week? I saw a quick glimpse of one, and I can’t wait to see it!

 Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. But Wanderer, the invading “soul” who occupies Melanie’s body, finds its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she’s never met. Soon Wanderer and Melanie-reluctant allies-set off to search for the man they both love.

The Host opens in theaters on March 29, 2013.

I have the book, but haven’t read it yet. For those of you who know me, I like watching the movie before reading the book, so I think I’ll wait.

What about you? Are you going to go to this movie? I might wait until it comes out on DVD.

Any other movies you must see?

These aren’t in the movie theatres anymore, but I can’t wait to see them:

What’s on your must watch list?

Synopsis~

A tormented zombie (Nicholas Hoult) experiences a profound transformation after entering into an unusual relationship with the daughter (Teresa Palmer) of a military leader charged with eradicating the walking dead. As the unlikely pair build a tenuous bridge between the living and the dead, those on both sides of the battle begin to sense that nothing in their world will ever be the same again. Warm Bodies is based on the novel by Isaac Marion. Rob Corddry and John Malkovich round out the starring cast. — (C) AMG

To celebrate publishing my book, I begged asked my husband to take me to a movie. I’m a huge fan of zombies, so when I saw a preview of Warm Bodies, I had to see it.

The show was not what I expected at all. I thought the movie was hysterical! My husband almost fell asleep. Go figure.

The actors were wonderful, especially Nicholas and Teresa. I loved this scene…he tells her to act dead. When she started moaning loudly, he turned toward her and said not that dead. lol

The storyline wasn’t that terribly good, a number of logic issues throughout, but there was something very moving about two people so opposite, with no hope of a happily-ever-after, falling in love.

This is not your straight-forward zombie movie. There is some violence (people do get eaten), some okay graphics (the boneys were awesome), but the zombies themselves were so very human-like that I was a little disappointed. You won’t have decay or body parts falling off. Warm Bodies tickled my funny-bone and landed purely in the romantic comedy category for me.

Favorite graphics: Boneys!

Rating:  

Synopsis~

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. — (C) Warner Bros. 

We had a chance to see this movie Friday. I was expecting something spectacular. Something to wow me. And some of the movie did…the rest of the story kind of fell flat.

One character did surprise me. Anne Hathaway played the perfect Catwoman. Not only was she gorgeous in the suit, she was the perfect prickly cat. And talk about hot! And those moves…yawza!

My biggest issue was Christian Bale as Batman. I didn’t think he cut it. Yeah, he had the brooding, tortured hero thing going, but his role in this movie just didn’t do it for me. He started okay, but things went quickly downhill.

I did liked the plot (although I guessed the end pretty quickly). The fighting was great as well. The special effects were nicely done. Unfortunately, the combination wasn’t enough to push the movie into a higher rating for me. I suspect this is a case of expecting more from a movie because of all the hype.

Favorite part of the movie: Catwoman.

Rating:  

Synopsis~

Marvel Studios presents ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes – Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Captain America (Chris Evans). When Loki and his army threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. 

Joss Whedon is the master, tacking on another winner to his long list of must see movies. How could he not with this huge cast of talented actors! I was surprised to find Scarlett Johansson played such a big roll in the film and so well!

The special effects were wonderful, not as overwhelming as I feared. It fit the movie without appearing ‘fake’. The plot was solid, and easy to follow.

What I liked about the movie and added to the chemistry was not all the characters got along. Who knew super heroes mixed like oil and water? There was a certain charm to watch these tough characters put aside their differences and do what must be done.

I was not a huge fan of all the heroes, so I was surprised to find they all did so well. The movie gave each their own screen time without feeling rushed.  I won’t go into the storyline as I’m sure you’ve all seen the movie before I had. The Avengers is a movie you can go back to again and again and enjoy it each time. There is action, adventure, drama, a touch of romance, not to mention some of the best action scenes I’ve seen in a while. If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?

 Favorite scene: When Hulk confronted Loki in Stark Towers. Hilarious!!

Rating:  

Synopsis~

The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death - in this gothic thriller. A brutal killing spree terrorizes 19th-century Baltimore and a young detective turns to notorious author Edgar Allan Poe for help getting inside the mind of a serial killer.

The previews quickly caught my attention. Edgar Allan Poe is a master in the art of writing, but I wasn’t sure how that would translate into the movies. Despite my reservations, I rented this movie.

Boy, am I glad I did! I’m into quirky movies, and this one fit right up my alley. All the characters were very well casted. See the yummy detective played by Luke Evans? Whowza! Superb acting.

The movie started out with Poe returning to Baltimore and the woman he’d left behind. We quickly learn that he’s deeply in love, but afraid to commit…everyone he’s ever loved has died.

They chose Alice Eve to play Emily Hamilton, Poe’s love interest. Not only was she beautiful, but she’s very clever as well. She was the perfect foil to the deeply dark Poe.

I had my reservations about casting John Cusack as Poe. Much to my surprise, his over the top acting suited the character.

Now onto the movie…I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. The characters were fantastic. I loved the scenery and the setting. The clothes and background were breathtaking at times. The plot was not what I was expecting either. A serial killer has latched onto Poe’s writing. With each mutilated body, clues are left behind…clues that lead to Poe.

The investigators team up with Poe, and they give chase to the killer. The stakes are raised when the next victim is Emily Hamilton. Poe has to figure out who the killer is before he loses the only person that matters to him.

Emily’s plyth was horrible. The ending of the movie has a few twists that I won’t give away, but if you are looking for a little bit of drama, something a little dark and entertaining, you might want to give The Raven a try.

Rating:  

STARTS:
Friday, October 26, 2012

ENDS:
Monday, October 29, 2012 @ midnight.

I love Halloween. The atmosphere. The haunted castles. Scary movies. Ghosts and the paranormal. The sheer fun of scaring yourself silly. Let’s not forget the candy. On this magical night, the veil between the living and the dead thins and anything seems possible.

Do you know the story behind the popular custom of Jack-O’-Lanterns? A light is inserted in a pumpkin to create a lantern then placed outside to guide lost spirits home when they wander free on Halloween. Is that both sweet and creepy to anyone else?

Now onto the contest: To be entered to win a $5 Amazon Gift Certificate, leave a comment and either tell me what kind of paranormal creature you would like to be if you had a choice or your favorite scary movie. Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can let you know if you won!

I love zombies, so my favorite zombie movies are Serenity (Hey, it counts, lol), Resident Evil and the TV series The Walking Dead. I could rattle off a few dozen more, but I’ll spare you. I can’t seem to get enough of them. As for for my choice of paranormal creature, I think it would be fun to have magic. In fact, a lot of my books include some sort of magic…along with vampires, shifters, witches, demons, angels and yes, even zombies. I’ve included a short excerpt below of The Demon Within if you’re curious.

Now post. I can’t wait to see what you’ve decided!

Don’t forget to visit other authors who are participating and giving away their own prizes: http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

The Demon Within Excerpt:

(First meeting with the hero)

Caly met the open-eyed stare of the stone man, forever captured in time. Caly’s lips parted, and her breath stuttered out of her mouth.

There was a God.

The man — and from her view kneeling on the moss covered ground, he was most definitely a man — was absolutely gorgeous. Not in the normal sense, not by Hollywood standards. Prominent cheekbones, a full, sharp nose and a strong jaw kept his face from being too feminine.

Desire twisted through her. A deep yearning tightened her chest, and a bubble of hope swelled. This was a man she could depend on to not let her down. When she looked at him, the chaos inside that defined most of her life settled.

She felt normal.

Then reality crashed over her.

Desire for a damn statue.

How ironic she could be attracted to stone when living men left her cold. But here, in the middle of nowhere, she found a man who turned her on like nobody else, and he wasn’t real. It was enough to make a grown girl cry.

Little details filtered into her brain, and a thrill of excitement thrummed under her skin. The answers she sought about her condition were stuck in the past; she only had to uncover the clues. Since they’ve landed, he was the first concrete hint something was off.

This was why she came here. What quieted her protests against the mission. All for the chance to learn if there was a possibility for her to be fully human again and finally destroy the demon infection that had taken root and flourished in her body. Every day, it ate away her humanity. Relished the fighting a bit too much. Each time the darkness opened up in her, the more she wondered why she fought it at all.

The mission forgotten, Caly took her time to catalog the odd details. The statue wasn’t what she’d come to expect from this region. Instead of native garb, the grey stone man had chiseled, close fitted pants.

Two inch carved straps crisscrossed his chest, appearing to almost dig into the stone. His long hair, wild with waves, was tied back from his face. Her fingers twitched to run her hands over him. Though his complexion was tinged green with age, the fierce expression drew her gaze instead of repelling her.

The turn of his lips was anything but sensual, yet their fullness made her think of sex and what a man could do with a mouth like his.

Strong shoulders led down to a lean, sculptured chest. His open shirt did little to disguise his physique. The statue shouldn’t have impressed her, but it was as if the stone called to her. A streak of light filtered through the canopy, wavered a moment then illuminated him like an offering.

Something just for her. She had to curl her fingers into a fist to resist touching him.

As she watched, she swore his chest moved to breathe.

Synopsis~

A rambunctious group of five college friends steal away for a weekend of debauchery in an isolated country cabin, only to be attacked by horrific supernatural creatures in a night of endless terror and bloodshed. Sound familiar? Just wait. As the teens begin to exhibit standard horror movie behavior, a group of technicians in a control room are scrutinizing, and sometimes even controlling, every move the terrified kids make! With their efforts continually thwarted by the all powerful eye in the sky, do they have any chance of escape?

I’m a huge fan of Joss Whedon, so when I learned he had a new movie coming out, I had to see it. The Cabin In The Woods is a cross-genre show. It wasn’t really a horror story or a scary movie, but played to both genres. If you expected either, you might be disappointed. The less you know about the movie, the more you will enjoy it.

 

 

Whedon is a unique writer, so I knew not to expect the normal. He likes to add odd twists and turns to keep the viewers guessing. Don’t you love the two way mirror in the picture? Very creepy!

 

 

 

Like most classic shows, you have the jock, the good girl, the beauty queen, intellectual, and the stoner. As you might have guessed, the sexy Chris Hemsworth played the jock. I loved his character. Very masculine and macho. Co-stars Anna Hutchison and Kristen Connolly played equally sexy rolls for the guys to enjoy. Fran Kranz played a key roll in the movie and kept me laughing! Believe it or not, he’s the person you want with you if you ever get caught in a horror movie.

 

 

 

To give the show a little twist, all the characters are smart. Too smart. The people behind the scenes need them to panic and make mistakes, so they set the scene against them. Only things backfire, and the kids end up escaping into the underground labs. They witness things only seen in horror shows. Things that couldn’t be real.

  

 

To be truthful, I liked the movie. I liked the cast. The special effects were adequate. The only thing that put me off the movie was the last five or so minutes. They opted to give the movie a unique twist…the predictable twist. They had an option for an alternative ending, but they passed on it.  

 

I’m still debating if I want to purchase a copy or not. I’m leaning toward ‘yes’.

*Please see the comments for spoilers*

Rating:  

Synopsis~

In the epic action-adventure Snow White & the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart  plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) who was dispatched to kill her.

I had high hopes for this movie, but didn’t expect much. I purchased it when it was first released, then it languished on my movie shelf. This weekend, I finally cracked it open.

First, Charlize Theron did a fantastic job. Great acting. Visually stunning, she made the perfect evil queen.  She carried a large portion of the movie and did it effortlessly.

The main male character, Chris Hemsworth, the Huntsman did an equally good job. It didn’t hurt that he was something yummy to look at either. Big grin. 

I’ve never been really impressed with Kristen Stewart acting. It always seemed so wooden. What surprised me is that I didn’t notice it until later in the movie. I actually thought she did a pretty good job with only a few hiccups.

Overall, the story fell in the category of an epic fantasy. The stunning scenery quickly drew me in to the world. I loved the touch of fairytale and magic threaded throughout the movie. I liked that the story went dark instead of light and fluffy…it deepened the story and characters. Everyone had a great back-story, and the movie built on them. The battle scenes were well choreographed. There’s nothing quite like seeing a great sword fight. This was a wonderful new twist on the old fairytales. I hope to see other stories follow in a similar tone.

Rating: