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Showing posts from August, 2014

GIVEAWAY: win a Loot Crate {geek + gaming goodies}, ends 9/13

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Disclosure: Yes/No Films did not receive compensation for this post and is not responsible for prize fulfillment. I've partnered up with a group of bloggers to bring you this giveaway - looks like there could be some Transformers goodies in it! Hosted by: Queen of Savings , Dividing by Zero , That's Mashed Up & Something to Fill the Time Sponsor: Loot Crate Loot Crate is the monthly gear and swag club for those that live and embrace the geek and gaming lifestyle. Loot Crate is a product discovery box, connecting our subscribers, known as Looters, with the best new and emerging companies producing gear, snacks, toys, hardware, art, and other goodies for the geek and gaming market. Each month, Loot Crate handpicks 6-8 new items to include in the box, which are kept secret until the boxes are delivered!

Soundtrack Review and GIVEAWAY: The Identical, now playing in theaters {ends 9/5}

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*Disclosure: Thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing the prize for this giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and not influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Recently I was able to receive a copy of The Identical  soundtrack to review, and it's definitely a good listen. I wasn't a country music fan until recently, when I was able to travel to Nashville for Yelp Spring Break, and lately I have been listening to more country music; some of my favorites are country rock, which has both country and rock 'n roll influences. Singer and actor Blake Rayne signing blogger copies of the soundtrack The movie ( The Identical ) is currently playing in Michigan-area theaters, and will be released nationwide on September 5th. Official synopsis: The IDENTICAL tells the compelling story of twin brothers unknowingly separated at birth during the Great Depression. DREXEL HEM

Movie Review: The November Man

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The November Man  ended up being a highly entertaining spy film, and proves that Pierce Brosnan has still "got it." The movie hops all over the globe in order to take down a soon-to-be Russian president, and the acting and characters are superb. Peter Devereaux (Brosnan) used to be one of the most sought-after CIA agents, but after an accident, he retires to Switzerland. Five years later, one of his ex-handlers, Hanley (Bill Smitrovich), recruits him for one last mission, as a woman who is deep undercover in the Russian government has specifically asked for Devereaux, and only Devereaux, to extract her. Devereaux flies to Russia, only to find that the situation is more complicated than he originally thought; he also runs into Mason (Luke Bracey), his former CIA partner.

Movie Review: Moms' Night Out

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*Disclosure: I recently received Moms' Night Out on DVD in exchange for re-promoting this post. Review originally published in May 2014. I had the privilege of viewing a very early screening of Mom's Night Out when I was in Anaheim this past February for the inaugural ENMN conference. Sarah Drew, who plays Allyson in the movie, did a Q&A with us after the screening, as well as Kevin Downes (actor/producer) and Andrea Nasfell (writer). We also got to chat with Sean Astin the day after about the show. The film is a great homage to mothers everywhere, although it had its moments of greatness as well as moments that could have been better. Allyson (Drew) is a good mom, but is having a mini-meltdown. Her two kids are driving her nuts and she hasn't had a night out in forever. Her husband (Astin) is supportive, but is often traveling for work and isn't home. She decides to round up her friends (Patricia Heaton and Logan White) for a night out on the town. It doesn&#

GIVEAWAY: win a $15 Fandango gift card, ends 9/1 #LifeofCrime

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Life of Crime , the new caper comedy from legendary author Elmore Leonard starring Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins, Will Forte and Isla Fisher is coming to theaters, on demand and iTunes on August 29th! To celebrate the release of Life Of Crime , I have a $15 Fandango gift card for one of my lucky readers to win. Official movie synopsis: When a pair of low-level criminals kidnap the wife of a corrupt real-estate developer, they get both more and less than they bargained for in Life of Crime, a dark caper comedy based on legendary author Elmore Leonard’s novel The Switch. Starring Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes, yasiin bey, Mark Boone Junior, Isla Fisher, Will Forte and Tim Robbins , Life of Crime is packed with the outrageously eccentric characters, black comedy and unexpected twists that earned Leonard a reputation as one of America’s sharpest and funniest crime writers. Mickey Dawson (Jennifer Aniston), the wife of crooked real-estate developer Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins),

Movie Review: When the Game Stands Tall

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When the Game Stands Tall is the true story of Coach Bob Ladouceur (pronounced "lah-da-ser") who coached the De La Salle high school football time for 25+ years and led them to a 151-game winning streak. I love movies based on true stories, as well as inspirational sports films, and this combination of those genres was great. Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) is in the midst of "The Streak" - 151 wins for De La Salle, over about a ten year period - until, at the start of the 2004 football season, he's suddenly not: the team loses their first game. The players and seniors, especially, are understandably upset, but Ladouceur is not: to him, it's more of making "a perfect effort" than winning every game. Two games later, the team starts winning again, and there's talk of another "streak" starting to take hold, which Ladouceur doesn't like; freshman and sophomores at the school are even starting to dream of the number the streak will b

Movie Review: If I Stay

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If I Stay is based on the book by Gayle Forman. Based on the trailer and the book, which I have read, I was expecting a tearjerker of a movie, but it really wasn't that sad; most of it was a little overdone. However, it's the music in this film that really holds it together, and as a violinist, I loved the combination of cello and rock music throughout. Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) has been playing the cello since she was a little girl, even though her father (Joshua Leonard) was a rocker, and her mom (Mireille Enos) was his biggest fan. She's in the middle of auditioning for colleges, and is thinking of applying to Julliard, even though she lives in Oregon; her musician boyfriend, Adam (Jamie Blackley), wants her to stay on the West Coast. Mia and her family go out on a snowy afternoon to visit some family friends, and get hit head-on by a truck; they're all rushed to the hospital, but, soon enough,(semi-spoiler) Mia is the only one who makes it, though she's

GIVEAWAY: Family-friendly movie "Hero" on DVD, ends 8/30

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Hero  is coming to DVD on September 16th, and one of my lucky readers is going to win their copy early! Official synopsis: From producers of Alone Yet Not Alone , comes a heartfelt movie about legendary small town baseball coach, Joe Finn ( Burgess Jenkins, Remember the Titans, Nashville, The Shunning ), who after taking his shot as a scout for the big leagues returns home to discover the damage he's done by leaving his family behind. Now on a quest to rebuild his relationship with his son David, Joe forms a new baseball league to reinvigorate the underdog little league team his son had been coaching. Together, as father and son, they try to put away their differences and help bring their ragtag team of ball players, “The Gappers,” to victory. Burgess, who has a child of his own, was excited about the film. “This movie really reinforces the importance of fathers in a child’s life. Sports can be that vehicle to solidify the bond.” George Escobar, a producer of Hero , wa

GIVEAWAY: 5 pairs of tickets to The Maple Theater's Secret Cinema [8/21], ends 8/20

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Five of my lucky readers will get to see Secret Cinema at the Maple Theater this Thursday, August 21st  - but you have to act fast. So what's Secret Cinema, you may ask? Secret Cinema is The Maple's classic film series with a twist - you won't know what you're watching until the lights go down!   Join your fellow cinephiles every first and third Thursday of the month for another unnamed classic. We've split the series into two nights: Old Hollywood and New Hollywood, employing the pivotal year of 1967 as a historical and thematic dividing line.   If you want to buy tickets ahead of time, they're only $5 , and can be bought here . This Thursday's showing is at 7:30pm  and is "New Hollywood," which means that we know it's a film from 1967 or later . August's New Hollywood selection has been selected by Anthony Brancaleone, editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan magazine, and his selection is recommended for ages 12 and up. Moviegoers als

GIVEAWAY: End of Summer #giveaway, over $475 in prizes! Ends 9/5

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*I'm helping fellow blogger friend  Metro Detroit Mommy  promote this giveaway - make sure to follow my Facebook page ( facebook.com/yesnofilms ), where I post both my movie and book reviews, and it will get you an entry into the giveaway. Good luck! Our Featured Sponsors:  Jaimie Engle - Author -  www.jaimiengle.com Dickey's Barbecue in Ferndale   -  https://www.dickeys.com Restyle Child -  www.restylechild.com James and Olive -  www.Facebook.com/jamesandolive

Movie Review: The Giver

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Before you even ask: yes, I've read The Giver , but it was a while ago, probably in elementary or middle school; it's standard on most curriculums. The book was written 20+ years ago by Lois Lowry, and I'd classify it as dystopian, which is now extremely popular, so I'm guessing that's why it was now made into a movie. The film moves effortlessly between black and white to color scenes, and it's definitely unique compared to other dystopian films I have seen. Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) lives in a world without color - though he doesn't even know what color is - and without emotions. His world also has no war and no conflict, and everyone lives peacefully in the community, which is led by a board of Elders. Jonas has just turned eighteen, which means his childhood is over and he will be assigned a work assignment. He's given an unusual job, however: he will be the new Receiver of Memory, and will be trained by the current Receiver (Jeff Bridges), who ask

Movie Review: Calvary

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Calvary is probably one of those movies that critics - the type that like to dissect movies - will love; it has many underlying themes, most of which are made apparent near the end of the film. Brendan Gleeson does give a great performance in it, but the movie is extremely slow and very depressing. The movie starts off with Father James (Gleeson) at confession, and one of his parishioners says that because he was raped by a member of the church when he was young, he's going to take his anger out on James, and will kill him next Sunday, on the beach. James is, understandably, disturbed by this, and he does bring it up with the chief Father, who asks him if he knew who the parishioner was; he does, but doesn't want to say. He then goes about his week, and we see how he interacts with his other parishioners. His daughter, Fiona (Kelly Reilly), who has recently attempted suicide, also comes to visit his rural Irish town, and he sends her away on Friday. To top things off, James

Hey Detroit! Get your passes to see When the Game Stands Tall - Tues. 8/19 at Emagine Novi

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Do you live in the Detroit area? If you're interested in seeing a (free) advance screening of When the Game Stands Tall , read on below ... I have twenty-five admit-2 passes to see it this Tuesday, 8/19  at Emagine Novi (Novi, MI). Official movie synopsis: Inspired by a true story, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL tells the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. (TRISTAR PICTURES) This film is rated PG. Click HERE to get your tickets - first-come, first-served, so when the twenty-five pairs are gone, they are gone! Enjoy the movie if you go, and make sure to check back next Friday, August 22nd  for my review of it, as well. 

Movie Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey

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I had the pleasure of attending a screening of The Hundred-Foot Journey in San Jose when I was there for BlogHer, and I'm so glad I got to see this movie. The film is similar to  Chef,  but in France, rather than Miami, and minus the food trucks, and you better make sure you have eaten a full meal before you go to see it; the dishes they create in the movie definitely look tempting. Hassan Haji (Manish Dayal) and his family end up stranded in France when their car breaks down. They end up loving the area, though, and decide to build their Indian restaurant there. There's only one problem: the small town already has a restaurant, run by the icy Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), who doesn't intend to compete with Hassan and Papa Kadam (Om Puri) for business. When the restaurant is built, it initially doesn't do well, but due to the tenaciousness of Papa Kadam and the family, it starts to succeed; at the same time, Hassan finds out that Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), the

Movie Review: Into the Storm

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Into the Storm was filmed in Michigan , so I was excited to see it - it looked a bit like Twister , except more extreme. The special effects in the movie were definitely fantastic, but the film lacks good dialogue, for the most part; it's a good thing that 90% of the movie is storms and storm-chasing, because that's where the film excels. Donnie (Max Deacon) and his brother Trey (Nathan Kress) are filming a "time capsule" video prior to Silverton High School's commencement. Their father (Richard Armitage) is the vice principal of their school, and commencement is happening that day; however, it looks like some bad storms may be rolling in. Meanwhile, Pete (Matt Walsh) is a storm chaser, and he and his crew, including scientist Allison (Sarah Wayne Callies), have been trying to get footage of a great tornado for over a year now, so they start heading towards Silverton as well. These two stories will eventually converge, and the "bad storms" that hit t

I'm attending: Walker Stalker Con, Atlanta, October 17-19, 2014

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Once upon a time, I hated horror movies and gory TV shows. There was a very popular TV show called The Walking Dead  that I had never watched, but had a rabid cult following, and many of my friends watched it. credit: ign.com Before I attended BlogHer '13 last year, it was announced that Gale Ann Hurd, one of the executive producers of The Walking Dead , would be speaking, so when I went to Savannah and Atlanta in May of last year, I told my friend Sarah that she had to introduce me to the show. I figured I'd get through a few episodes and see what the hype was all about, then forget all about the show. WRONG . So wrong. I immediately got addicted, because it's a great show with fantastic writing and characters, and it didn't help that it rained all weekend in Savannah and my friend had brought her iPad. We rolled through season 1 and went on to season 2, and I even signed up for Netflix just so I could watch the rest of it. Fast-forward to this October, wh

BlogHer '14 recap: the good, the bad, and the bizarre

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Me and my friend Jamie at the Shebooks suite. Credit:  @shebooks I've been putting off writing this post for the past week, which in itself is not a good sign. Last Sunday, I returned home (on a painfully early 7am flight from SFO) from my third BlogHer, which was held in San Jose, CA this year. I flew in and out of the San Francisco airport rather than San Jose (nonstop flights are always > those with one stop or more) so I was able to see a little of San Francisco my first day, which was fun. I arrived at SFO on July 23rd and my flight was about an hour late, cutting into my time in the city. My CA friend Jamie , who I met at the ENMN conference in Anaheim this year, had graciously offered to pick me up at the airport, since she was also heading to BlogHer, and we were able to sightsee for a bit and also attend a lovely dinner before heading to San Jose.

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

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Guardians of the Galaxy is a Marvel movie, but contains a different type of superhero than you may be used to - to be specific, five different types: a human (Chris Pratt), a green woman (Zamora), a tree (voiced by Vin Diesel), a raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and a large hulk of a man (Dave Bautista). I didn't know much about the comic book or the movie going in to see it, but it's a fun ride, even if it's not quite as fun as The Avengers and others in the Marvel universe. Peter Quill (Pratt) is "abducted" by a large spaceship when he's young, after his mother passes away. Flash forward to twenty years later, and he's a scavenger, one who finds objects that others want and sells them. The father of Gamora (Saldana) sends her to retrieve said object, but both Gamora and Quill end up in jail, with Rocket (Cooper) the raccoon and his tree sidekick Groot (Vin Diesel) along with them, since Rocket tried to kidnap Quill for ransom. The four must work