Category: Entertainment
My Upcoming Events
Started your Christmas shopping yet? Please support local
Local Authors Christmas Show
Mark your calendars and put this event on your Christmas shopping list. Don’t miss your chance to meet some of the many talented authors in our area and get a personally autographed book. Perfect Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers for any readers you’re looking to buy for. I’ll be joining my fellow authors at this event and will have all my titles available.
Admission is free. Early shoppers will be rewarded with free gifts, and there will be hundreds of gently used books to buy for a dollar, with proceeds going to charity.
Windsor/Essex County Local Authors Christmas Book Show
Please feel free to share this with any authors in the areal that you might know.
Elvis – The Movie
I can’t believe someone hasn’t done an Elvis Presley movie before this one. ‘Elvis’ is an in depth look into his life, starting with how he was drawn to music as a child, and later being ‘discovered’ by Colonel Tom Parker. I found it interesting that the rock legend’s story was actually told by the Colonel, a man who defrauded Elvis of much of his fortune.
Why is it that so many great and talented people fall for or trust the wrong person and get taken to the cleaners? Are they too focused on their career’s and assume life the finance will take care of itself. It doesn’t make sense to me, but then I’m no rock and roll star.
The movie seems to have the jitters at first, while it finds it’s footing, but you’ll be tapping your foot or singing along to the awesome music in no time. The flick is almost two and a half hours long but it moved along well. I’d never heard of Austin Butler but I’m sure plenty of folks will now. To me, his awesome performance was only overshadowed by Tom Hanks, who portrayed Elvis’ promoter, the Colonel Tom Parker.
No matter how much you think you know about Elvis Presley’s life and his music, I’m sure you’ll come away with at least a few new facts after seeing this movie. Cathryn and I did. I even learned of other black musicians where the King got some of his inspiration. And I didn’t know that he wrote some of his own songs or that he died at such a young age. Sad.
Cathryn and I saw the movie with her mother and a friend, who spent much of the film singing along with the music. The movie was good and we recommend seeing it. We both give it an 8 out of 10, not worthy of a perfect score from me only because of it was the Colonel’s perspective of the King’s life.
Jurassic World – Dominion
I lost track of how many sequels of Jurassic Park there have been but we’ve managed to see them all and have to admit they are fun to watch. We decided to see this latest instalment in Imax format for extra-sized fun. Add that to the bigger and badder dinosaurs that roamed the earth along with mankind, and this movie was a CGI extravaganza.
Dominion brings back the original cast – some almost dinosaurs themselves, and (spoiler alert) chooses not to have any of them eaten alive during the movie. But don’t fret, plenty of others are snatched up and become dino-food. It is quite amazing how they can blend real people and a gigantic computer-generated animal into the same scene.
And as with other Jurassic movies, there are bad guys and good guys – not the creatures themselves, but people who want to exploit the dinosaurs and our heroes who want to save them. Add in a greedy bio-engineering company and Dominion has all the makings of a scary but lovable family movie.
With nothing else on the big screen these days but superhero movies, Cathryn and I enjoyed the movie. She rated it a 9 out of 10, mostly because nobody really dies. I give it a 6.
Top Gun: Maverick
Bigger, better, louder, and more action-packed than the original, Top Gun Maverick will literally pound on your chest and rumble the floor beneath your seat. Tom Cruise pulled all the stops making this blockbuster, spending $11,000 an hour to use the navy’s F18 fighter jets. Yes, the jets, top gun pilots, and much of the arial action was real. Filmed live with special cameras, designed to fit the aircraft.
Cruise even put his cast of top gun actors through boot camp and had each and every one of them go up in the fighter jets so that they could experience what actual pilots go through. Their distorted faces are the real deal, while they experienced the G forces that would make most of us throw up.
This movie is a must-see on the big screen with surround sound, to truly appreciate the awesome power of the supersonic jets portrayed in this film. There is one scene with Ed Harris where a low-flying jet literally blows the roof off a small building. It was unexpected but really happened so they left it in for effect. There were several other times where the sonic booms and jet wash rumbled our seats.
The story is good, bring back an old flame of Maverick’s who’s referred to in the original. There are a few flashbacks, triggered by Goose’s son, Rooster, who is a Top Gun selected for a dangerous mission that Maverick is called on to lead. The two of them must resolve an unresolved issue between them to survive what awaits them.
Enough said, check out the trailers and behind the scenes clips to see how this awesome movie was made. It is one of a kind. Catherine and I give it 10 out of 10 and will probably see it again before long.
Audiobooks by Edmond Gagnon
Listen up Audiobook fans:
Some of you have asked for my books in audio format and your wish has been granted.
As of now, all my books are for sale at $2.99 or less, on Google Play. Click on this link or check the Book Page on my website for the direct buy link: EdmondGagnon.com
Edmond Gagnon Author in Melaque, Mexico
Greetings to my fellow Readers, visiting or living in the Costalegre, Mexico.
I’m currently staying in Melaque and will be selling my latest titles in the Norm Strom Crime Fiction series, ‘Border City Chronicles’ ‘Moon Mask’ and ‘Trafficking Chen’ at the Sunday (Feb 20th) Morning Market @ Viva Maria 1910, near Tito’s in West Melaque.
The Crafters Market starts at 10am…ish and runs through the morning. There are various crafts like jewellery and pottery, and homemade goodies like clam chowder and cabbage rolls to be had.
I have a limited number of books available so be sure to get your personally autographed copy before I sell out. Feel free to check my website for details on the crime series: www.edmondgagnon.com
Reacher – The TV Series on Prime Video
This is a shout to all you Lee Child and Jack Reacher fans. There is a new series on Amazon Prime, simply called, “Reacher”. And fear not Reacher fans, Tom Cruise is NOT playing the lead. As we all know, little Tommy is about half the size of the main character depicted in the thriller novels.
Alan Ritchson (formerly of Aquaman) fills the role of Reacher, literally. The man is huge, perhaps a bit too buff in my opinion, when you see his six-pack abs and bulging muscles. Reacher, after all, travels the country by bus, eating copious amounts of diner food, and yet we never see him working out. Unless it’s when he’s beating up someone.
The whole first season (8 episodes) is based on Child’s Killing Floor novel, and in my opinion, moves a lot quicker than some of the author’s sometimes excruciatingly over described narrative. There’s a little bit of nudity, both male and female, some profanity, and a fair amount of violence that doesn’t go over the top with gory details.
Cathryn and I both enjoyed the series and give it a 9 out of 10.
Life Written and Reviewed 