Tag: Hollywood

The Black Ice – A Bosch Novel

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The Black Ice (Harry Bosch, #2; Harry Bosch Universe, #2)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Oct 08, 2021 


For me, reading a Harry Bosch novel is like inviting an old friend to dinner and catching up over beers. The Black Ice is the 2nd installment in Michael Connelly’s Bosch series, published back in 1993, but recently re-released as a paperback.

Whether it’s an old book or a new one, I can’t get enough of Harry Bosch. There’s still a few stories I haven’t read yet, but the television series has filled in a lot of the blanks. I think I’ve seen each episode at least five times now.

The Black Ice is a good story, about a Robbery/Homicide case that should have been assigned to Bosch, but he inserts himself into it anyway. The plot moves well and kept me interested throughout. And, if you’re a really sharp detective, you might pick up on a couple clues as to the major twist at the end.

I’ve rated this book five stars because it lacks nothing and is a great read.

Beverly Hills Dead – Stuart Woods

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn Book Reviews, EntertainmentLeave a comment

1426558._SX318_Beverly Hills Dead (Rick Barron, #2)
by Stuart Woods

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Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Jan 05, 2020


I’m glad I only borrowed this book from someone else’s shelf, it came nowhere near to living up to it’s promise of a fast-past sexy thriller full of nail biting twists and turns. The pace was okay but it took 3oo pages before anything really happened.
The story is an old Hollywood tale about the business side of things and how easy it was to get accidentally discovered and become a successful movie star. The only real jeopardy was pressure from the U.S. government who were pursuing communists in Hollywood at the time.
The was one clue as to who done it so there was no mystery involved. I came across no twists or turns and thought the plot fell flat.
The subject matter kept me interested enough to finish the book but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless you’re keenly interested in how a movie was produced in the 1950’s.

Rants, Raves & Reviews: Judy

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

imagesWhere were the new movie releases this past summer? And I don’t mean the remakes of superhero flicks. I’m talking about good drama or even action movies – blockbusters that used to debut in July or August, or even September. Are they saving all the good movies for November, just in time for Oscar nominations perhaps? It would seem so with the list of releases set for this winter season.

Cathryn and I couldn’t remember the last time we went to a movie so we were happy to get out and see Judy, with Renee Zellweger portraying the famous singer Judy Garland. The previews looked enticing and the reviews raved about Renee and the story.

I didn’t know much about Garland prior to the movie, other than her performance in the Wizard of Oz. The film is about her life during and after Oz, and it taught me a lot. Considering what the movie executives did to the young actress, it was no surprise that she died at the age of 47.

The story was bleak at times, but many hollywood biographies usually are. As she was in real life, the movie Garland was likeable and easy to root for. Zellweger nailed the part and will surely win some awards for her performance. I felt as though I was on an emotional roller coaster following this woman’s life. The ending was heart-warming and a tear-jerker.

Cathryn and I both enjoyed the movie. She gave it a 10. I gave it an 8.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

HollywoodI think Cathryn and I may have felt this way about the last Quentin Tarantino movie we went to see; it sucked and was one of the worst movies we’ve ever seen. The best part of the movie was the soundtrack – lots of great songs from the 60’s and 70’s. Those responsible for set locations and wardrobe did a great job in reviving memorabilia and the fashion of the time.

To be fair we enjoyed some of the acting and the interaction between Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Small parts or cameos by other big names weren’t enough to make this movie enjoyable. It started out slow and continued to painfully drag along right up until the explosive ending that was completely different than the real life events it mimicked.

Two other people in the audience left about half way through the yawner and we both considered following suit. I almost nodded off twice. Cathryn finally bailed about fifteen minutes before the ending which I thought was completely ridiculous. The whole movie was too long and drawn out.

In considering the little things we liked about the movie we’re each generously giving this flick a 2 out of 10.