Posts

Showing posts from July, 2016

Restaurant Review: Brome Burgers, Dearborn, MI #WheninBrome

Image
*Disclosure: I received a meal at Brome in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This week, I had the pleasure of dining at Brome Burgers & Shakes, in Dearborn, MI, with a few blogger friends, and it was a very tasty meal. This was not my first time at Brome, but the first time I visited I was in a rush (I was in Dearborn for the Cinetopia film fest , at the Henry Ford Museum, and had limited time between films), so I was glad I was able to sit and enjoy my meal this time. We were able to choose an entree, side order of fries, and a milkshake off the menu . Dairy doesn't always play nice with me but their milkshakes looked fantastic, so I knew I had to try one. I chose the Brome Deluxe, which included beef bacon (yes, beef bacon - I had to look it up - it's bacon but from a cow), aged white cheddar, red onion, tomato, romaine, and dijonnaise - hold the romaine, because I'm a little kooky and I don't like lettuce on sandwich

Movie Review: Nerve

Image
I love movies that take modern technology and run with it, and  Nerve  is that, at its core - I'd describe it as  Gossip Girl meets Hunger Games meets The Purge , minus all of the killing - and as a millennial who uses social media a little bit too much, I really enjoyed it. Vee (Emma Roberts, TV's Scream Queens) is tired of living a sheltered life. Her best friend, Sydney (Emily Meade) just signed up for Nerve, a game that's described as "truth or dare, without the truth" - the game sends her dares to do, and if she does them, she gets money, as well as the chance to compete in the finals. Sydney wants Vee to sign up as a Watcher - part of what makes the game so popular, in that people record all of these dares in real time, and the person with the most Watchers advances - and Vee says she will, until an incident one day makes her rethink her life, and she signs up as a Player instead. Soon, the game pairs her with Ian (Dave Franco), and the two of them emb

GIVEAWAY: Baskin-Robbins Celebrates National Ice Cream Month with Launch of Polar Pizza {ends 8/1}

Image
*Disclosure: I received a Baskin-Robbins gift card to try its new Polar Pizza. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. It's been crazy hot in Michigan this summer (like 90 degrees, every day ... what's up with that?!) and I'm a huge fan of ice cream ... just in time for all this hot weather, Baskin-Robbins has launched a few new ice cream flavors as well as its Polar Pizza, which looks delicious (think a pizza shape, but with ice cream). More details: credit: baskin-robbins.com Baskin-Robbins recently launched a delicious new USO Patriot Pop® flavor, new July Flavor of the Month, OREO® Birthday Cake, and offers free Waffle Cone upgrade with the purchase of a double scoop throughout the month July is National Ice Cream Month and Baskin-Robbins is celebrating all month with the launch of its Polar Pizza, a donation program to support the United Service Organizations (USO) and the introduction of a new ice cream flavor, USO Patriot Pop®. The donation prog

Movie Review: Ghostbusters (2016)

Image
I hope I'm not judged too much for this, but I only just saw the original Ghostbusters (1984) a few weeks ago. I couldn't remember if I had seen it once, a long time ago, or not at all, so I rented it on Google Play (only $1.50 during a half-off sale!), and watched it. I found the first one to be campy but fun - a movie I might not watch over and over again, but one I enjoyed while watching it. The newest incarnation of Ghostbusters has been updated with modern special effects, and I actually enjoyed it more than the original. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is a professor at Columbia (NYC) and is up for tenure. A local resident comes to see her about an old book she published on the paranormal, asking her to investigate a historical mansion nearby that may be haunted. Erin wasn't even aware the book was on Amazon for sale, so she goes to find Abby (Melissa McCarthy), her co-author and former friend, to ask about it. Abby and her new partner, Jillian (Kate McKinnon), are s

GIVEAWAY: Miracles from Heaven Blu-ray, 2 winners {ends 7/22}

Image
I reviewed Miracles from Heaven   back in March , and gave it a Yes  review and 3.5 stars out of 5 - it was one of the most well-done (semi-)religious movies I've seen in a while. I now have the chance for two of my lucky readers to win a copy of the movie on Blu-ray. About the film: Miracles From Heaven is based on the incredible true story of the Beam family. When Christy (Jennifer Garner) discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers) has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter’s healing as she searches for a solution. After Anna has a freak accident, an extraordinary miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored, and their community inspired. {Click here  to purchase the film}

Movie Review: The Infiltrator

Image
I was looking forward to The Infiltrator because of its great cast, including Bryan Cranston ( Breaking Bad ) in the lead role, and I was not disappointed. The story of U.S. Customs agents taking down a drug cartel was a fascinating one, and it's also based on actual events . Robert Mazur (Cranston) works for U.S. Customs, and is currently going undercover as a drug kingpin/money mover. During his "real life," however, he still lives with his wife, Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey) and two kids, and he tries to keep his two worlds separate. He and his partner, Emir (John Leguizamo), get in close with the key players in the Colombian drug scene, and eventually he gets to meet Pablo Escobar, too. One such key player is Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt), and even though personally, Mazur likes Alcaino and Alcaino's wife, he unfortunately has to eventually catch them and bring them into custody.

Movie Review: Wiener Dog

Image
It's rare that I give a middle-of-the-road star rating with a No review, but unfortunately that is going to be the case with Wiener-Dog , which showed potential from its trailers. Its A-list cast is also great, but the movie was ultimately too strange (and sad) to be likeable, for me. Remi (Keaton Nigel Cooke) is Wiener-Dog's first owner, and he gives her her name, simply "Wiener-Dog." Remi is a little boy who is a cancer survivor, and his father (Tracy Letts) thinks that the dog will be good for him; the mother (Julie Delpy) disagrees. One day, Remi feeds the dog part of a granola bar, which of course doesn't agree with the dog's stomach, and his father takes Wiener-Dog away to be put to sleep. The vet assistant, Dawn (Greta Gerwig), snatches the pup away, though, before he can be put under; and thus starts the life of Wiener-Dog and all of the owners that are to possess him.

GIVEAWAY: Summer Character Sleep Pants (PJ) Wardrobe {ends 7/29}

Image
A few bloggers and I have teamed up to offer you this giveaway. Good luck! Welcome to the Summer Character Sleep Pant Wardrobe Giveaway Event! Sponsored by: Richard Leeds International Hosted by: Southern Mom Loves With the summer heat in full force, we thought you could use some cool new PJ pants! These character sleep capri pants from Richard Leeds International are made of soft, 100% cotton to help keep you cool all summer long, and are available in  Mickey ,  Minnie ,  Ariel ,  Minions , Dory,  Eeyore , Hello Kitty,  TMNT ,  Batman , Wonder Woman, and  more . Holly from Southern Mom Loves reviewed these new sleep pants (available at Walmart.) You can see her full review here , and then enter to win a full summer sleep pants wardrobe below! 1st Prize: 1 (One) winner will receive one of each sleep pant design for a total of 11 pairs of sleep pants! 2nd Prize: 2 (Two) winners will each receive 5 pairs of sleep pants! 3rd Prize: 5 (Five) winners will each receive 3 pair

Movie Review: Secret Life of Pets

Image
I had been excited to see The Secret Life of Pets for a while now, because the trailer looked hilarious. Although the movie ended up being a bit different than I thought it would be, it was still entertaining, and it's one of those children's movies where there is a lot of humor for adults throughout. Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) leads a happy life in NYC with his owner, who rescued him from the street. One day, however, that perfect bubble is interrupted, when she brings home a new dog from the pound, Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a much larger dog who seems to be competing for her heart. Max has friends who live close by, including Gidget (Jenny Slate), Chloe (Lake Bell), a cat; Buddy (Hannibal Buress), and Mel (Bobby Moynihan), and every day when their owners are gone, they hang out. However, one day after the pet walker takes them out, they notice Max and Duke are missing, and Gidget, who has a huge crush on Max, leads the way to help them find both of the dogs.

Movie Review: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Image
I watched the red band trailer for Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates before attending the screening, and I was convinced that the film was going to be over-the-top raunchy and not that great. Although it definitely was raunchy, it was actually pretty funny, and I found myself enjoying it. Mike and Dave Stangle (Adam Devine, Zac Efron) are pumped that their baby sister, Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard), is getting married in Hawaii. However, their parents have a sit-down with them and say that both boys NEED to bring dates to the wedding, the reason being that every other wedding or family event that they've been to has ended disastrously, mostly because they attended solo and hit on all the women there. Mike and Dave decide to post an ad on Craigslist, which of course attracts thousands of women, since they are offering an all expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick) see Mike and Dave on The Wendy Williams Show after their Craiglist ad goes viral,

Movie Review: The Legend of Tarzan

Image
I'm not sure that I've ever seen a Tarzan movie where, at the beginning, Tarzan is back in "proper" society and has already made a life for himself outside of the jungle, but that is how this movie begins. Lush scenery throughout and a fantastic cast make this a very interesting film, however, and the concept works well here. John Clayton, aka Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard), is now Lord Greystoke, of Greystoke Manor, where he lives with his wife, Jane (Margot Robbie). George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson), an American, comes to him with an interesting proposition: he wants him to return to Africa and check out what is going on with some of King Leopold's investments in the Congo. Although reluctant, Clayton agrees, and Jane insists on accompanying him, as both of them grew up in Africa. When they arrive, however, danger awaits them, including a slimy agent of Leopold's, Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), who needs to deliver Clayton to one of the African t

Movie Review: The BFG

Image
I'm not sure if I've I read the book The BFG , by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , too), but you don't need to have read it to see this movie: the special effects and acting stand out on their own. Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) lives in an orphanage in London, and she's an insomniac: she sneaks in some reading time in bed while the other girls are fast asleep. One night, however, she hears a commotion in the street, and goes to the balcony to check it out; the Big Friendly Giant, aka BFG (Mark Rylance) sees her see him, and he plucks her out of the orphanage and brings her back to Giant Country. Sophie soon finds that the other giants who reside there are not as friendly as the BFG though, as they eat children, and they also make fun of the BFG for being about half the size that they are. Sophie comes up with a plan to get rid of the other giants and make Giant Country a safe place for the BFG to live.

Movie Review - The Purge: Election Year

Image
Every Purge movie I have seen gets creepier and creepier, and The Purge: Election Year is no exception. The first Purge , in 2013, surprised us all by being a massive box office success, and its follow-up, 2014's The Purge: Anarchy , was just as creepy as the first one. In Election Year, we do get one recurring character (Frank Grillo) but otherwise, per tradition, we get an entirely new cast in this film. Senator Charlie (Charlene) Roan is against the Purge, and always has been - the film opens with a clip of her younger self being held hostage on Purge night along with her parents and brother, and she was the only one to survive that night. She's now running for President, and is doing well in the polls; however, this year on Purge night, the rule that "level 10" political people cannot be murdered has now been revoked, so she's going to have to find a safe place to spend the night. Her head of security, Barnes (Grillo) is in charge of making sure her house