Tag: Reviews

Elvis – The Movie

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn EntertainmentLeave a comment

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

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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.

Gas of Tank – Todd Ternovan with Matthew St. Amand

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Gas of Tank: A Canadian Law Enforcement Odyssey 1979 – 2019
by Matthew St. Amand, Todd Ternovan

Edmond Gagnon‘s Review – Jun 07, 2022  

Best book I’ve read in a long time.
You might call me bias because like the author, I’m a retired police officer and also an author. But with the help of Matthew St. Amand, former O.P.P. Constable Todd Ternovan offers an emotional and insightful view of what policing it really all about. It’s about people.
If you want an honest and accurate picture of what it’s like to work the front lines in law enforcement, this is a must-read. Many of Todd’s stories brought me back to moments in my own policing career – the good and the bad.
Our paths crossed at least once or twice during our respective careers, somewhere in between 1990 to 2009 but I didn’t really know the man. Reading this chronology of his career made me realize we shared a lot of the same work ethic. He’s done an amazing job on his first book and is obviously a great story teller. His use of witty and colorful metaphors had me laughing out loud. His dry and sometimes sarcastic sense of cop humor showed through.
I thought the title was weird at first, but as Ternovan says, it is befitting the surreal, upside-down and unbelievable experiences police officers face every day.

Pop Goes The Weasel – M. J. Arlidge

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Pop Goes the Weasel (Helen Grace, #2)
by M.J. Arlidge

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Feb 27, 2022  

First off, after reading this book, I have no idea where the title comes from. There’s also a book of the same title by James Patterson.
One of the reviews says that M.J. Arlidge is the the next Jo Nesbo. I disagree.
I found the book a choppy read with a bit too much touchy-feely stuff for my liking, where we were told how the characters ‘felt’ at each and every turn. Perhaps that comes from the voice of female authors, since I find it more often than not.
I also think the author went overboard on female characters…the protagonist, antagonist, and most other characters, with the exception of two males. In any policing organization that I am aware of, that is just not the norm.
Other than those quirks, the story is a good read.

The Vanished Man – Jeffrey Deaver

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The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme, #5)
by Jeffery Deaver (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Feb 18, 2022  

I haven’t read much of Jeffrey Deaver but like his Lincoln Rhyme character. I’ve also see The Bone Collector movie. I wasn’t sure at first that I liked how the antagonist narrated his part in the story, but it was an important part of the plot and went to understanding the character’s motives.
The Vanished Man is the name of a particular illusion, performed by illusionists or magicians. And this story is all about magic and illusions – it has more surprises, twists an turns, than watching a motocross race on a dirt track.
The story is good and characters believable. I can promise that you’ll be fooled more than once reading this book and Deaver will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Reacher – The TV Series on Prime Video

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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.

Two Kinds of Truth – Michael Connelly

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Two Kinds of Truth (Harry Bosch, #20; Harry Bosch Universe, #30)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 27, 2022  


This was one of three Bosch novels I traded for while in Sayulita, Mexico. All are out of order, something that happens when you pick up cheap second-hand books to read while you’re away. If that’s not confusing enough, I’ve made it worse by watching all seasons and episodes of the Bosch TV series.
So, where it was nice to read the more in-depth literary versions of certain stories, it also had me confused at times where certain characters, partners and cases have been changed or condensed for the theatrical version. Either way, it’s all Bosch and it’s all good.
This story is typical Harry, where he won’t rest until he brings a killer to justice. Throw in an old case that comes back to haunt him, worry about his daughter, the usual politics that comes with police work, and you have another good Bosch novel.

The Night Fire – Michael Connelly

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The Night Fire (Harry Bosch, #22; Renée Ballard, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #32)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 25, 2022  

When will Harry Bosch be old enough to fully retire? It mentions in this book that he’s almost 70! That means he’s been chasing killers for over 40 years. That would be way more than enough for me to want something more out of life. But then who could we count on to fight for all those lost souls…the one’s that matter because they all matter.
Even though Harry is retired from policing it doesn’t stop him from teaming up with one of his old partners (Renee Ballard) to hunt down killers. And Bosch’s brother from a different mother (Mickey Haller) gets a bit of ink in this book, now that the two of them have found some common ground to get along.
I enjoyed The Night Fire but the Ballard character just doesn’t do it for me. As usual, Bosch is the anchor that holds Connelly’s ship fast.
Hopefully the author can get a few more stories out of our favorite cop character before he gets stuck in the mud at the bottom of the ocean.

The Footprints of God – Greg Iles

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The Footprints of God
by Greg Iles (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 20, 2022 


They say not to judge a book by it’s cover (and page count) but that’s exactly what I did with this novel, leaving it to linger on my ‘to read’ shelf at home for quite a while.
Now I’m glad I’ve read it and happily rate it five stars.
The intro had a bit puzzled as to plot and content but once I started flipping pages I was hooked. Greg Iles deserves kudos for keeping me interested for the whole 546 pages – the quick pace of the story never lagged throughout.
The story gets a bit complicated and deep at certain points but it was thought-provoking for me and I enjoyed the challenge.
Even the title was weird, I thought, but The Footprints of God is a good read that I highly recommend.

The Associate – John Grisham

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The Associate
by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 14, 2022 


I could find no reason to give this book any less than five stars. Considering the page count, it was a quick and easy read. The plot was a bit intricate but it moved well and held my interest throughout.
The story was like an action thriller, without all kinds of killing and mayhem. Instead, the author relied on suspense and intrigue to keep the pace lively and exciting.
A legal story that lacks Grisham’s riveting courtroom drama, it gives readers a whole new take on what it’s like for a hungry young wannabe lawyer.
My only minor disappointment was how the story ended so abruptly…I was waiting for a unique twist or turn of fait, but it just ended. Still, it was a great read.