The D-Day Blogathon: TV Series Review: Combat! Season 1, Episode 11: "A Day in June"

Hello, everyone!

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day (which was yesterday), Hamlette (who blogs at Hamlette's Soliloquy) and Eva (who blogs at Coffee, Classics, and Craziness) are hosting a blogathon!

I knew that I wanted to participate in some way, but I wasn't sure how. I was rather slow so when I got there a lot of different entries were already claimed. Because of this, I am doing some thing that I have never done before... review something out of order! When I asked Hamlette what she would recommend, and she suggested an episode of her favorite TV show, Combat!.

There are some TV shows where you must watch them in order that they air, or else you would be confused, but there are others where you can watch them in any order. From what I understand, Combat! is like the latter one. Each episode has its own story that you can watch at any time. If you watch it in the order that it was made then you see it in the historical order too. It's up to you.

Update: Actually, as Hamlette pointed out to me in the comments, this was written as the pilot of the show, but decided later to use a different beginning. So, this could be the perfect one to start with!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Combat!: Season 1, Episode 11: "A Day in June" (1962):

Based on: The events of June 6th, 1944, known as D-Day.
"This isn't a pig pen, it's a chicken coop."

One rainy night, Sergent Saunders recalls the events of D-Day. He and his troops were waiting for weeks before they finally started the attack. Their job was to get to a farm house and find out who was staying there. If is was an enemy, they were supposed to report back. Each soldier is a little nervous, for good reason. When they have to change their plans, they all wonder, who will make it back alive?
"That's all anybody can do, try."

Genre: Action.

Length: approx. 47 minutes.

Costumes: 8, nothing bad, but nothing spectacular.

Script: 10, no bad words!

'"It's either fog or low hanging clouds."

"What's the difference between fog and low hanging clouds?"'

Crew:

Directed by: Boris Sagal.

Written by: Robert Pirosh.

Starring:
Rick Jason as Lt. Gil Hanley. "You're getting smart, lieutenant."
Vic Morrow as Sgt. "Chip" Saunders.
Steven Rogers as PFC "Doc" Walton. (He was my favorite, just to let you all know).
Shecky Greene as Pvt. Braddock.
Pierre Jalbert as Caddy.
Pat Dahl as Hazel.
Lisa Montell as Marcelle.
Dean Stanton as Beecham.

Cinematography: 8.

Music: 8, I feel like if I watched this a lot I would get it stuck in my head, but not for one time viewing.

Music by: Leonard Rosenman.

Quotes: 8. "Beautiful H2O is coming down in buckets."

Storyline: 7, there is some smoking, death, and fighting scenes. This is a war TV show called "Combat!".

Age Range: As I said, it does feature death, but I would say that anyone over 10 would be fine. Maybe not interested, but fine.

Overall Score: 8.

Bonus thoughts:
It was definitely interesting to see the different view points on D-Day.
This was a fun introduction to the show for me, and I hope that if you watch it then you enjoy it, too! I will be watching more episodes in the future.


(Sorry about the lack of photos, these are all that I could find!)

A huge thank you to Hamlette and Eva for hosting this! Make sure to go check out all of the other entries HERE.

Have you seen any episodes of Combat!? Let me know what you thought of them. Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Book Review: The Broken Prince - by Kara Linaburg

Hello, again!

Today I am going to be reviewing a book! It doesn't happen a lot on here even though this is supposedly a book review blog. Anyway, this book is also special because it hasn't actually been released yet, but is going to in two days!! This book is The Broken Prince, by the awesome Kara Linaburg! I was able to participate in the awesome cover reveal, here.

Just know two things:

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

And, I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

The Broken Prince - by Kara Linaburg:

Serena is one of the gifted, but besides that she has been able to find a life. When soldiers come to her village to take her little brother, Hunter, and others away to become one of them, she feels like her world has fallen apart. But, he's still safe and that's the important part. When he runs away, the cruel Prince Milosh follows him. Serena decides that the only way to keep Hunter safe is to get to him first, but when she runs into Milosh, she finds that keeping her secret, fire power, is harder than ever.

Genre: Fantasy.
Length: approx. 212 pages

Characters: 9, this book has such a wide array of characters and I love the character arcs!

My favorites:
Elston, hands down. He is awesome.
But, you have to love Serena as well.

Words: 8. 'Night fell, the stars hovering like little tiny candles far off in the blanket of darkness.'

Quotes: 8.'Warmer winds surrounded her, and above her head the trees creaked.

Serena used to think the small creaks were small kittens calling for help, stuck in the branches.'

Storyline: 8, there is some violence (shown as bad), and a few suggestive things, but I love the plot.

Good For: Anyone who feels broken, anyone who is struggling.

Age Range: It is perfectly fine for any age, but it is YA, so I think that you will really understand and appreciate it if you are over 13.

Overall Score: 8.5!

Bonus thoughts:
I had been in a bit of a reading slump before I read this. It was rare if I had actually liked one of the books that I had read in the last six months. This book is a gleaming ray of light! I read it really quickly and couldn't put it down. Kara's messages are deep and real and I think that everyone should hear them!


This book is being released on June 3rd! Check out the other reviews on Goodreads HERE.

And, make sure to go look at Kara's awesome blog, Beautifully Broken.

Thank you so much for reading!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Zootopia (2016)

Welcome back!

For my last movie review this May (I don't know why I have suddenly wanted to review mysteries), I am going to do another of Disney's recent films, and by recent I mean in the 2000's. I was very skeptical about this one when it came out, but when I finally watched it I loved it. Enjoy reading my review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Zootopia (2016):

(aka Zootropolis in some places)
"No one tells me what I can or can't be."
Judy Hopps has always wanted to be a police officer. When she finally joins the Zootopia Police Department, she is disappointed because no one will take her seriously because she is bunny! She knows that she can be helpful if they will only let her. She volunteers to take a missing mammal case that the ZPD hasn't solved in weeks. After convincing sly fox Nick Wilde to help her, they go all over Zootopia following leads. Will they find the missing otter, or will this case turn out to be much bigger than they could have imagined?
"Ma'am, I have a fake badge, I would never impede your pretend investigation."

Genre: Comedy, Mystery.

Length: approx. 106 minutes.

Costumes: 7, I mean, it is animated and they are animals, so nothing fantastic. There are a few scenes where some of the animals aren't wearing clothing.

Script: 8, they do take the name of the Lord in vain once or twice. They put a really hilarious joke in there with this line: "Life isn't some cartoon musical where you sing a song and all your insipid dreams magically come true, so let it go."
As you probably all know, "Let it Go" is the name of a song in the movie Frozen.

Crew:

Directed by: Byron Howard & Rich Moore.

Written by: Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston, & Jennifer Lee.

Starring (the voices of):
Ginnifer Goodwin as Officer Judy Hopps. "I'm not going to write 100 tickets...I'm going to write 200 tickets! Before noon!"

Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde.
Idris Elba as Chief Bogo.
Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser.

Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether. "And I sent it, and it is done so I did do that."
Shakira as Gazelle.
Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps.
Don Lake as Stu Hopps.
J. K. Simmons as Leodore Lionheart.
Octavia Spencer as Mrs. Otterton.

Tommy Chong as Yax.
Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton.
Raymond S. Persi as Flash.
Maurice LaMarche as Mr. Big.
Phil Johnston as Gideon Grey.
Jesse Corti as Manchas.
Leah Latham as Fru Fru.
Della Saba voices a younger Judy Hopps.
Rich Moore as Doug. "Doug is the opposite of friendly...he's unfriendly." (Sorry, I just really wanted to say that.)

Animation: 8, (here comes the rant) you all know that I'm not a fan of digital animation, but it is okay.

Music: 8, the song "Try Everything" is great!

Music by: Michael Giacchino.

Quotes: 9:
"Real life is messy. We all have limitations. We all make mistakes. Which means, hey, glass half-full, we all have a lot in common."

Oscars won: Best Animated Feature Film.

Notes:
At one point, there is a moose news reporter on the ZNN (Zootopia New Network). They used this in versions for the United States, Italy, France, Canada, Russia, the UK, and Mexico. But, in other countries they used local animals. For example, there is a koala (Australia and New Zealand), a jaguar (Brazil), a tanuki (Japan), and a giant panda (China). Pretty cool, right?

Easter eggs: I'm not the best at spotting them, but I definitely saw one pointing to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There are also references to other movies, like The Godfather.

Storyline: 9, there is some crude humor, but that's it!
"It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

Good For: Any mystery lover, any Disney fan.

Age Range: Disney movies are for everyone! There are some intense moments, but I can't imagine that it would be too much for anyone.

Overall Score: 8!

Bonus thoughts:

Now, to follow some advice:

"You wanna look smart, answer their question with your own question, then answer that question."

Do I like this movie? Yes, yes I do.

But, why?
I love the different messages of unity ("We cannot let fear divide us."), humility ("I'm not a hero."), and perseverance ("I like trying, actually."). Judy is so optimistic, it is catching! It also encourages each and everyone of us to: "Try to make the world a better place."


Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you all had a fantastic May, and that your June is just as wonderful! Have you seen this movie? Tell me what you think!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Hello all!

Today, I am going to review for you another one of my favorites! I just watched it a year and a half ago for the first time, but since then I have watched it at least thirty times.

Am I being mysterious? Good, because it's a mystery.

Are you curious to what it is? No, because you already read the title of the post.

Anyway...

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Sherlock Holmes (2009):

(Loosely) Based on: the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
"There is nothing more elusive than an obvious fact."
Sherlock Holmes and his retiring partner John Watson have solved a mystery where Lord Blackwood was arrested and hanged for murder. They think that it is now in the past, but when Blackwood supposedly 'rises from the dead', they reopen the case. With criminal Irene Adler seeking Sherlock's help as well, will they find out how Blackwood survived and stop him before it is too late?
"Watson, what have you done?"

Genre: Mystery, Action.

Length: approx. 128 minutes.

Costumes: 6, there is a scene where someone is wearing no clothing, and a few low costumes, but good besides that!

Script: 9, I think that they use a name in vain once or twice.

'"I've been reviewing my notes, of our exploits over the last seven months. Would you like to know my conclusion? I am psychologically disturbed."

"How so?" 

"Why else would I be continually led into situations where you deliberately, withhold your plans from me?"'

Crew:

Directed by: Guy Ritchie.

Written by: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, & Lionel Wigram.

Starring:
Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes.

Jude Law as John Watson. "Relax, I'm a doctor."

I know that this is the typical picture but I love it so I'm putting it here anyway.

Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler.

Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood.
Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan.

Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade.
James Fox as Sir Thomas Rotheram.

Hans Matheson as Lord Coward. (Great name, right?)

Robert Maillet as Dredger.
William Hope as American Ambassador Standish.
William Houston as Constable Clark.
Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson.

Cinematography: 10! The aesthetic of this movie is grungy, dirty, dark and light at the same time, with random blotches of color, but I totally dig it. 100%. It is awesome.

Cinematography by: Philippe Rousselot.

Music: 10! Oh, this music fits this movie perfectly! I can't imagine any other to replace it.

Music by: Hans Zimmer.

Quotes: 10! So, the reason that I don't have that many scattered through out this post is because they are so weird out of context. It is so quotable for anyone who has watched it, pretty much everyday my sister and I use a line from it, and whenever we watch it we are just saying the lines along with the actors. But, if you haven't seen it, it seems like we are all crazy.

'"More coal, doctor!"

"I see that you two are working hard."'

Notes: I'm not the ultimate Sherlock Holmes fan, but I did read the stories a few years ago, so I do notice a few things pointing directly to them:
The initials V. R..
In this movie Watson says to Mary, "Count those steps.", which is referring to one time in the stories (A Study in Scarlet?) Sherlock criticizes Watson for not noticing things, like how many steps there are.

Storyline: 6, there is a very suggestive thing where we see someone with no clothes on, drinking, smoking, use of drugs, murder, hanging, fighting, intense action, and general gruesome images. See more below!

Good For: Mystery lovers, Sherlock Holmes fans.

Age Range: My older sister, dad, and I love it. We watch it all the time. We convinced my little sister to watch it, and she hates it. She claims that it is super scary (see more below), and runs from the room anytime we watch it (when she saw me reviewing it right now she said "That's the scariest movie there ever was."). It is rated PG-13, so I'd go with that (my little sister is over 13, but still doesn't like it.) Just a heads up.
"How terrible is wisdom, when it brings no profit to the wise."

Overall Score: 8.5!

Bonus thoughts:
Now for all of that "see more below". This review is so hard to write without giving anything away! I'll try.

The reason that people fear Blackwood is because of his use of black magic. Don't run away! As a Catholic, I definitely do not like things that involve it, but remember, I love this movie. Watching it you will probably get freaked out a few times (I certainly did), but I cannot stress one thing enough: Watch it all the way to the end. I'm serious. This mystery is so awesome, you need to see everything to understand it. Some of Blackwood's ideas are Christian ideas twisted in a really bad way, so it shows that there are good ways to think about things, and bad ways.
Don't worry, just watch it and see what I'm talking about.


Thank you so much for reading! If you have seen this movie let me know so we can chat!

MovieCritic