Dad of Divas' Reviews

Monday, July 4, 2011

Book Review & Giveaway - Chosen

About the Book

In Paula Bradley's heart-pounding debut novel Chosen, Mariah's faith, perceptions, and sanity are put to the test. After a suicide attempt, her powers can no longer be concealed. Mariah thought the woes of her powers would be extinguished by taking her life, but somehow a mysterious being saves her and sets her on a journey.

The supernatural rescue enhances Mariah's extrasensory power so much that she becomes a person of interest to the FBI, another government agency, and the media. She can't escape the intensifying outer turmoil and she quickly finds herself tormented by nightmares and an obsession of trying to find the ambiguous character that haunts her dreams.

This page-turning thriller is a trip for the reader as well as the gripping danger and unexplained happenings challenge their own beliefs on the nature of faith and the value of discovery. Is Mariah's

gift a blessing or a curse? You decide!

My Take on the Book

This book was a thrill ride from the beginning to the end. You are taken on a journey of revelation and acceptance, where the main character must decide whether the supernatural gifts that she has are a blessing or a curse and what she will do with these gifts. Also, through the use of her gifts she is taken on a journey herself in self-belief as well as to the brink of her abilities in her obsession to find a serial killer.

Doesn't this sound already like an exciting book, it is! You will be amazed at how quickly you will get through this book, and I already know that for me this will not be the last book I read of this author!

Well written and full of great characters, this book is definitely one that I would place on your must read list!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

DVD Review - Season of the Witch

About the Movie
Oscar© winner Nicolas Cage ('National Treasure', Best Actor, ‘Leaving Las Vegas’) and Ron Perlman ('Hellboy', TV’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’) star in SEASON OF THE WITCH, a supernatural action adventure about a heroic Crusader, Knight Behmen (Cage) and his fellow soldier, Felson (Perlman) who must transport a woman accused of being a witch to a remote monastery. The arduous journey across perilous terrain tests their strength and courage as they discover the girl's secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

Directed by Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish), SEASON OF THE WITCH comes to Blu-ray and DVD June 28 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and includes a shocking alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentaries (Blu-ray only) and more.

SEASON OF THE WITCH was released theatrically by Relativity Media and produced by Atlas Entertainment.

SEASON OF THE WITCH Blu-ray (Catalog # 2275600) U.S.
Street Date: June 28, 2011

Pre-book Date: May 18, 2011

Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio

Audio Format: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA; Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; French 5.1 Dolby Digital

Languages: Dubbed English, French & Spanish; Subtitled English, French & Spanish

MPAA U.S. Rating: PG-13

Total Run Time: 95 Minutes

SEASON OF THE WITCH DVD (Catalog # 2275593) U.S.
Street Date: June 28, 2011

Pre-book Date: May 18, 2011

Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio

Audio Format: English 5.1 Dolby Digital; Spanish Dolby Surround; French Dolby Surround

Languages: Dubbed English, French & Spanish; Subtitled English, French & Spanish

MPAA U.S. Rating: PG-13

Total Run Time: 95 Minutes

My Take on the DVD
Some of the movies I have seen with Nicolas Cage recently have been good, while others I would not go and see again. This movie for me is one that I have not yet made my decision on. There were good parts and ones that made me say, really?

Overall, the production was good and the special effects, costumes and makeup were very believable. The acting from some of the actors was ok, not oscar winning by any means, but entertaining never-the-less.

The director has done a great job at keeping the audience guessing on what will happen next and guessing at whether the main woman lead is a witch or not. I will not give anything up, but will say that you will want to stay tuned to the very end!

The movie does have a bit more gore and guts than I would have imagined. I knew that it would have some, but especially as the movie moves on past the war scenes, there is still a lot of bloodshed that if you are not prepared, you may be a bit surprised.
The movie did have some funny lines within it, though the humor could get a bit creas at times. I did appreciate some of the lines though that were provided as they helped to move the movie along at times.

Overall, this was a pretty entertaining movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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DVD Review - HAVE A LAUGH Vol. 3 & 4

Your Favorite Disney Characters are Back and Better than Ever!

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases HAVE A LAUGH: Volumes 3 and 4 on DVD! Classic shorts featuring Mickey, Donald, Goofy & Pluto are fully restored and re-mastered! Both volumes also include brand new "Re-MICKS" features, which are comprised of modern musical hits under classic cartoon clips!

Chef Donald (Vol. 3)

Pluto's Surprise Package (Vol. 4)

My Take on the DVDThis collection of classic Disney shorts was amazing and it brought me back to my days as a kid. I let my girls watch these and they were laughing up a storm. I do not think that they had ever watched these cartoons before, but I was happy to share them, and with our family being huge Disney fans this was a great addition. The only thing that I wished was that each were a little longer. Though they had about 4-5 episodes each, I wished for more, but I guess that is why there are different volumes to add to the collection at a later date.

If you are a fan of Mickey, Donald and more, these collections are a must have for your family's collection!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Book Review - In Transit

About the Book

Can a rookie cop survive the men who cross her path in the NYPD?

When a psychic in a shopping mall tells Rita Del Vecchio that she is "destined for greatness," and she will "marry a man in uniform," the restless, wet-behind-the-ears, 22 year-old decides to finally take control of her life. Rita sets out on a quest to become a New York City Police Officer. But can a spry, feisty, single woman thrive in the gritty world of New York's Finest?

Leaving behind the suburbs of New Jersey and a job as an under-tipped waitress, Rita Del Vecchio hangs up her apron and ballet slippers for a bullet-proof vest. But will she wear it? And if she does, will it protect her on the mean streets of Manhattan? Can it also protect her from Cupid’s arrows if they should land amiss?

Rita is assigned to the New York City Transit Police Squad and gets more than she bargained for. Riding the Lexington Avenue Subway Line, Rita winds up meeting not one man in uniform, but many. Whom will she love?

IN TRANSIT is a woman-in-jeopardy story that delves into the ordinary lives of NYPD career cops and how their fates are often determined by people who hold secrets as dark and as labyrinth-like as the New York City Subway System.

AUDIENCE: Fans of PG-rated romance/suspense novels*

*Please note: IN TRANSIT is a PG-rated novel of romance and suspense - along the lines of a Lifetime TV movie. However, readers should be advised that there are a few emotional scenes of violence that some readers might find disturbing and/or offensive. Also note, the racially-charged, hard-edged grit (language, prejudice; alcoholism, drug abuse) of those in--and affiliated with--the NYPD is presented in an effort to lend contemporary credibility to a story that deals with real-world issues.

My Take on the Book
This book takes you on a ride through a New York you may not know. You are introduced to a police department and all of the integral parts of police work seem unfamiliar. The author has done a superb job at capturing a number of great elements in one book including action, romance, suspense and more.

If you enjoy books that keep you on the edge of your feet this book will do it, and you will find that the book itself is a quick and enjoyable read. The characters are well developed and the plot is great!

Overall a great book that all should read and enjoy!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Friday, July 1, 2011

DreamWorks' THE HELP - Social Media elements and new August 10th release date! #thehelpmovie

I have some very exciting news about DreamWorks’ THE HELP to share. You can now see the film 2 days earlier as the release date has moved up to Wednesday, August 10th.

But if you live in one of 10 lucky cities (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston and Dallas-Ft. Worth), grab your girlfriends, mothers, sisters, etc. and groups of 5 or more can purchase tickets to a special Tuesday night, August 9th, 7:00pm showing of THE HELP so you can see it first! Call 1-800-347-6396 for more information.

Also make sure that you “Like” THE HELP on Facebook so you can add your own voice through our THE HELP Social Player:http://www.facebook.com/#!/thehelpmovie?sk=app_190322544333196!

THE HELP Social Video player embraces the collaborative spirit of the story by allowing fans to share their voice. Users are encouraged to add comments and start a dialogue directly in the video player. THE HELP Community (www.facebook.com/TheHelpMovie) kicked off the launch of the player with enthusiastic posts about fashions, décor and key moments from the book. The player is shareable and embeddable, transporting the conversation to multiple destinations online!

Finally, DreamWorks Pictures has created an awesome “Helpful Book Club Kit” which contains everything you need to create a perfect THE HELPthemed meeting for your club! The Book Club Kit includes southern style recipes, drinks inspired by the characters, discussion group questions and can be downloaded from the relay link below.

https://www.relayit.net/pickup.php?c=nh795C2FMDs6FQJ2zBjDPzwvBhH9DRMrJwkh (This link expires in 7 days)

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Ride4Water - Something Greater

Last Saturday, Katie Spotz and her biking partner Sam Williams set forth to break a world record by biking 3000 miles in less than eight days for Ride4Water — that’s 1.3 times as long as the Tour de France and in one-sixth the time. Their journey, with the help of Levi's, also aimed to raise money for Blue Planet, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing safe drinking water to those without.

Above is the video that shows some of what Katie endured on her ride. After fracturing her pelvis, which forced her to use a handcycle, and dealing with a serious crash which landed her in the hospital, the race took on a whole new meaning. For Katie, it turned into something greater.

People can still help Katie and her team reach their goal of $100,000 by visiting their crowdrise donation page at http://crowdrise.com/ride4water. Levi's is also donating $1 for each tweet that includes the #Ride4Water hashtag for up to $5,000 in addition to their sponsorship, and we'd love if your readers could help spread the word. We think it's a great story of the inspiring American spirit and perseverance of Katie.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

Transformers Weekend! Fun Facts from Redbox

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is smashing box office records this week, so redbox decided to review the rental data for all its Transformers titles (movies and video games) to identify which states have the touch or the ultimate love of Transformers. Idaho, aka the Gem State, proved to hold the power of the AllSpark when it came to percentage of kiosk rentals dedicated to the Transformers franchise (2 movies on DVD and Blu-ray, and 2 video games across three major platforms). Hawaii is surrounded by the ocean, so justlike Megatron’s fate in the 2007 Transformers movie, it sank to the bottom of the rental rankings. The list of Autobots and Decepticons in the US according to rentals at redbox:

The Autobots: Most Rented
1)      Idaho - Optimus Prime
2)      Utah
3)      Kansas
4)      Oklahoma
5)      Illinois
6)      Washington
7)      Oregon
8)      Pennsylvania
9-10) Tie between Kentucky and Louisiana

The Decepticons: Least Rented
1)      Hawaii - Megatron
2)      Arkansas
3)      Massachusetts
4)      Montana
5)      Wyoming
6)      Washington, DC
7)      Alabama
8)      South Carolina
9)      South Dakota
10)   Minnesota

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.