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Showing posts from August, 2016

Q&A with Detroit native Adam Karell, on the movie Killer Party

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Killer Party , now available for streaming, features Adam Karell, a Commerce Township (Detroit area) native, who moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career after graduating from Kalamazoo College. The movie found distribution because Adam and the director, Alex Drummond, came to Detroit to screen the movie at Motor City Nightmares (the long-running genre festival), where it caught the attention of Bub Smith, founder of the Slack Jaws Punk podcast. Bob recommended the movie to Patrick Ewald, from Epic Pictures, and Killer Party  was able to find distribution. The movie is KILLER PARTY. So what's it about?  Adam Karell: It's a horror-comedy about a group of friends who get trapped at a baby shower when an outbreak starts turning people into homicidal maniacs. This is an independent movie and how it came together is pretty interesting. You made Killer Party with your friends.  AK: My day, or night, job in L.A. has been working at restaurants, and while I was working

Movie Review: Hands of Stone

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Hands of Stone tells the story of Roberto Duran, a Panamanian boxer who rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s. The movie told the story of his entire life, too, and seeing how he grew up in Panama was especially interesting. Duran (Edgar Ramirez) grows up poor in Panama, with U.S. forces occupying the country. He wants to learn to fight, even as a small child, and soon he finds a trainer and starts to train. Eventually, he becomes more widely known, and legendary trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), an American, wants to help train him. Soon, a fight against Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher, going by Usher Raymond here) is set up, and Duran will have the opportunity to prove himself against one of America's all-time greatest boxers.

Movie Review - Mechanic: Resurrection

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The Mechanic came out in 2011, and had a great cast - Jason Statham and Ben Foster as the leads, along with Donald Sutherland. In  Mechanic: Resurrection , Statham's character is back, but the plot is completely different and also definitely more muddled. Arthur Bishop (Statham) is "officially" a dead man, but in fact is alive and well. When Mr. Crain (Sam Hazeldine) finds out he's alive, though, he kidnaps a woman that Bishop has become fond of, Gina (Jessica Alba), in order to convince him to carry out three hits for him; these are complicated murders, as well, since two of the men are very rich and one is in an Alcatraz-like prison on an island. Bishop has no choice but to attempt and carry out the murders, though, otherwise Crain will kill Gina.

Review and GIVEWAY: Chocotelegram, the most delicious telegram {ends 9/3}

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*Disclosure: I received a Chocotelegram for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. At BlogHer '16 this year , one of the yummiest booths as the expo was definitely the Chocotelegram booth. Upon my initial "pass-through" of the expo, I briefly stopped there to grab a chocolate sample, but then when I came back through the expo another day, I stopped and chatted with the booth ladies there - and I'm very glad I did! Chocotelegram is a neat way to send someone a gift in the mail, either in pictures or with words. I was able to choose a sample "word" one to send to myself, and because I'm a dork I chose to say "HI LIZ" on mine: To be honest, I wanted that square of white chocolate too, hence the space between the words ... 

Review and GIVEAWAY: Love with Food subscription box {ends 9/2}

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*Disclosure: I received a Love with Food Deluxe box for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. At BlogHer this year , I was introduced to Love with Food, a subscription box that aims at providing healthy snacks - their motto is "Snack Smart. Do Good." I've been trying to eat healthier this year, but I'm definitely a snacker - I like snacking while relaxing at home, and also having desserts with my meals. Love with Food intrigued me because it's full of yummy snacks, but they are all "better for you" snacks.

Review and GIVEAWAY: Maxine "Free to be Crabby" set, from Hallmark #LoveHallmark {ends 8/29}

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*Disclosure: I received these products from Hallmark for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I have been a big fan of the Maxine products at Hallmark for a while now. Maxine is unapologetically crabby, and the Hallmark cards I used to peruse with her in them were always very funny. I recently received a "Free to be Crabby" Maxine set from Hallmark, and I have the opportunity for one of my lucky readers to win the same! The set includes: · Free to Be Crabby Maxine Socks : Join Maxine in showing her crabby pride with these decorative socks that are as comfortable as they are fun to wear. ($12.95) · Love It or Leave Me Alone Maxine Tumbler : Take your Maxine and American pride everywhere you go with this illustrated tumbler. ($12.95) · itty bittys® Maxine Stars and Stripes Stuffed Animal, Limited Edition: From her patriotic hat to her bunny slippers, there's no better way to show your love for the st

GIVEAWAY - 9/11 Inside the Pentagon DVD {ends 8/28}

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9/11 Inside the Pentagon  will be released on September 6th, but one of my lucky blog readers can win it here before that. I was a freshman in high school when the events of 9/11 happened, and I still remember the day vividly. This DVD focuses on the events that happened at the Pentagon that day, vs. the NYC events, and it looks like it will be very interesting. More about the movie: PBS Distribution announced they will be releasing “9/11 INSIDE THE PENTAGON” on DVD. America marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. with this new documentary which reveals new, first-hand accounts of the attack that took place at the heart of the US’ military headquarters – an attack in which 184 people from inside the building and on board American Airlines flight 77 perished. “9/11 INSIDE THE PENTAGON” will be available on DVD September 6, 2016. The run time of the program is approximately 60 minutes and the SRP is $24.99. The program will also be availa

Movie Review: War Dogs

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War Dogs is based upon a true story (actually, a Rolling Stones article about a true story) and it was a story I wasn't aware of, which made the film interesting to see. David Packouz (Miles Teller) is tired of barely getting by in life. He works as a massage therapist ($75/hour doesn't seem that bad ... just saying ...) and lives with his girlfriend, Iz (Ana de Armas), who has just found out she's pregnant. When his childhood best friend, Efraim (Jonah Hill), moves home to Miami, and invites David to join him as a business partner, David doesn't hesitate to say yes. Yet before he knows it, David finds himself involved in shady business deals and having to travel to Iraq and Jordan to make sure said deals are completed.

Movie Review: Kubo and the Two Strings

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"If you must blink, do it now. Pay careful attention to everything you see, no matter how unusual it may seem. If you look away, even for an instant, then our hero will surely perish." These are the opening lines of Kubo and the Two Strings , which definitely grabbed my attention. Kubo is a stop-motion film produced by Laika (for Focus Features), and it's really not a children's movie, even though it's being marketed as such; there were some scary scenes throughout, especially with the 3D effects, that I'd recommend for children no younger than 8 years old. Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson, Game of Thrones ) lives with his mother, who isn't quite right - during the day, she is wonderful and can speak with Kubo and tell him stories, but at night, she mentally "checks out." During the day, Kubo goes to the nearby village to tell stories using the 3-stringed instrument he has - he can make origami dance to illustrate the story, too - but he must

BlogHer '16 recap: fun in the sun in Los Angeles

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So it's been about a week and a half now since I returned from LA, for BlogHer 2016. I meant to write this post last weekend but then life got in the way and I forgot I pushed it back to this week. If you're a longtime reader of my blog, you may remember my long-ish recap of BlogHer 2014 , which was in San Jose, where I basically said that the conference had changed a lot and I wasn't a huge fan. Originally, I wasn't planning on going to BlogHer this year (and I skipped last year's, in NYC, which would have been a lot closer to me, since I live in Michigan!), but when Mayim Bialik, who I looooove on  The Big Bang Theory , was announced as one of the keynote speakers, I took the plunge and bought my "super early bird pass." (it also helped that I had a ton of Southwest miles to use this summer, too - LA airfare isn't cheap) photo credit:  @crunchymetromom I roomed with Sadie ( Slap Dash Mom ) and Judy ( Crunchy Metro Mom ), both of whom I had m

Upcoming: The Book of Mormon at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit (November 1-13)

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*Disclosure: I have an ongoing relationship with the Fisher Theatre. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. The Book of Mormon  will be coming to the Fisher Theatre (Detroit) this fall, and I'm excited to see it! I've heard a lot about the show but have yet to see it in-person. More information:  Back by popular demand, THE BOOK OF MORMON  returns to Detroit for a limited engagement November 1 - 13 at The Fisher Theatre. Tickets are now on sale at The Fisher Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, and online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com . THE BOOK OF MORMON is the winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Book (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Direction (Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker), Best Featured Actress (Nikki M. James), Best Scenic Design (Scott Pask), Best Lighting Design (Brian MacDevitt), Best Sound Design (Brian Ro

Movie Review: Anthropoid

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Anthropoid  ended up really surprising me, because for the first hour or so, it's a good movie, just very slow. Then, during the last 30-60 minutes, it becomes a faster-paced "shoot 'em up" film. The movie tells the true story of Operation Anthropoid, which occurred during WWII. Two Czech military men, Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan) and Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy), are assigned the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich, who was the Nazi's 3rd in command, and who also engineered the "Final Solution" to murder the Jews. This takes much planning, and they are able to seek refuge with a family while they plot the assassination. Kubis also falls in love with the young lady who lives there, and they become engaged. Soon, it's the day that Kubis and Gabcik have been waiting for, and they must put their plot into motion.

Movie Review: Pete's Dragon (2016)

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I had the pleasure of screening Pete's Dragon when in LA for BlogHer last weekend, and I was very glad I did - its special effects and great cast makes it a movie worth watching. Pete (Oakes Fegley) is on an adventure with his parents, when their car crashes; he's the only one who makes it. He wanders off into the forest, where he finds a large green dragon, whom he later ends up befriending. Six years later, Pete is spotted in the forest by a little girl, Natalie (Oona Laurence, Southpaw), and her dad and the forest ranger (Bryce Dallas Howard) try to get Pete reacclimatized to "normal living." However, Pete knows that Elliot (the dragon) is in danger now that their secret is out, and he tries to prevent the townspeople from harming Elliot.

Movie Review: Sausage Party

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The trailers for Sausage Party looked hilarious - I'm not opposed to raunchy movies, especially if they are funny, and I was hoping that was the case here. However, most of the funny parts in the film were in the trailer, and overall the movie wasn't that good. Frank (voiced by Seth Rogen) is a hot dog, and he has lived in a case at Shopwell's, a grocery store, his entire life. His girlfriend, Brenda (Kristen Wiig), a hot dog bun, excitedly awaits the day they can be together - when the Gods (aka a human) "chooses" them together - and it's almost Red, White & Blue Day (aka 4th of July) so they're thinking that it will be sometime soon. However, Frank soon learns what actually happens when the food in the store is "chosen," and he and Brenda must warn their fellow grocery-mates about the bleak future that lies ahead for them.

Restaurant review and $50 giveaway: Punch Bowl Social Detroit {ends 8/23}

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credit: Bonny Buckner *Disclosure: I received a free meal at Punch Bowl Social in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Last week, I was able to check out Punch Bowl Social (Detroit), which was a lot of fun - I had not been before but had heard a lot about it. Punch Bowl Social is a restaurant but also has arcade games, darts, bowling, and even a private karaoke room. The interior has a modern feel and is very nice. We were seated at a high-top area designed to seat large groups, and the table had a reclaimed wood type of feel. There are 2+ bars, as well, and lots of booths and other high-top tables.

UPCOMING and a GIVEAWAY: A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, October 4-16 at the Fisher Theatre (Detroit)

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*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. However, the opinions expressed here are my own. A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder  will be coming to the Fisher Theatre (Detroit) this October, and it sounds like it's going to be a fun time. Read on for more info about the show, and how one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets! About the show: The Tony® Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, will play Detroit’s Fisher Theatre, October 4-16, in its First National Tour, which launched in September 2015. Tickets are now on sale at The Fisher Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787 , and online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or box office,  www.ticketmaster.com . Gentleman’s Guide tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession, by any means necessary. All the while, he’s got to juggle

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

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*Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.