It’s Christmastime, and that means it is time for a very special holiday cereal review!
This year’s victim... err... subject is General Mills’ “Elf” cereal (branding based on the popular 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell).
“Elf” cereal follows a pretty standard pattern for these sorts of special edition cereals — sweetened corn puffs with marshmallows.
As is the case with a lot of cereals, the “marshmallow-to-puff” ratio is far too low. Stop being stingy with the ’mallows!
The three marshmallow-shaped pieces featured are a candy cane, a piece of candy corn, and the green round thing I can only assume is supposed to be a standard piece of candy (since those are all things that Buddy the Elf liked in the movie).
One of the more interesting aspects of General Mills’ “Elf” cereal is that the sweetened corn puffs have a distinct maple syrup flavor.
On the back of the box is a Buddy the Elf “Clausometer” with all sorts of activities kids and their families can do to help the community and enjoy the holidays — including organizing a food drive in your neighborhood and making “Buddy approved” recipes from bettycrocker.com.
While the General Mills’ “Elf” cereal might not be a magical experience for all, I found it to be pretty good. As I mentioned before, the maple syrup flavor set it apart from other novelty cereals I’ve reviewed.
As always, I’d like to thank those who enjoy these cereal reviews for their positive feedback and cereal recommendations throughout the year. I haven’t been able to track down all of the suggestions in the store, but keep them coming!
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See ya back here soon!
I remember the marketing for that film more than anything. I recall seeing commercials promoting midnight screenings. I also remember the chords of the soundtrack by Brian Eno (and his band Toto) feeling very distinctive.
As was the case with sci-fi movies in that era (that didn’t come from George Lucas or Steven Spielberg), it looked strange, bizarre, and (to a 12-year-old kid) glorious.
I didn’t see the movie in the theater. I’m sure the tepid reviews had an impact, but that hadn’t stopped me in the past (I recall seeing other oddball sci-fi movies like “Ice Pirates” at our local 99 cent theater — the Gemini 2 — during that era).
My mom and I rented the movie on VHS when my dad was away at a work conference. It felt like a confusing mess at the time, but the visuals and overall style of the film stuck with me.
I actually own that miniseries on DVD. It certainly didn't have the budget, scope, and visual effects of Lynch’s cinematic vision, but the story was given room to breathe, and the production’s look left an impression on me.
(The cinematographer for the miniseries was Vittorio Storaro, who brought a color-saturated “comic strip” look to the production — similar to the visual style he brought to the underrated 1990 film “Dick Tracy”).
By now you know that “Dune” has been reincarnated once again. It was one of the movies I was curious about in 2021 (it was originally slated for release in 2020).
Full disclosure: I didn’t feel a burning need to see another attempt to bring “Dune” to the big screen. But Denis Villeneuve is one of today’s best directors and I like his work.
I’ve reviewed two of Villeneuve’s movies on this blog — 2016’s "The Arrival" and 2017’s "Blade Runner 2049". The latter of the two had me excited to see where he could take Herbert’s sprawling tale.
His father — Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides — is ruler of the ocean planet Caladan. Early on in the film, we learn that he has been tasked by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (it’s a mouthful) to replace House Harkonnen as rulers of the desert planet Arrakis.
Arrakis is the universe’s only source of “spice.” The spice has all sorts of interesting benefits. It has mind-expanding effects and is key for travelers navigating space.
At play are various interests looking to control the flow of spice, including Fremen — Arrakis’s native desert dwellers.
The other key player is House Harkonnen, the previous rulers of Arrakis.
One of the narrative aspects that bogged down 1984’s “Dune” was the political web presented in Herbert’s novel. It can be a lot for a viewer to digest in a two-hour movie, and Lynch’s film had an early “info dump” that made it hard to get into the film.
Villeneuve does a decent job doling out these plot points in more digestible dribs and drabs throughout his film’s 156-minute runtime.
In addition to “Dune’s” spice-focused plot thread, a storyline involving Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) adds mystical elements to the overall plot.
Jessica is Leto Atreides’ concubine and Paul’s mother. She is also an acolyte of the Bene Gesserit — an exclusive order whose members possess advanced physical and metal abilities.
Paul is suspected by the Bene Gesserit to be the Kwisatz Haderach, a messiah-like figure who will bring balance to the Force... err... I mean... lead humanity to a more enlightened future.
All of the aforementioned plot points lay the foundation for the story moving forward. The prevailing challenge with “Dune” is that a screenwriter has to give enough exposition to hook those new to the story, but avoid going overboard and turning the film into a world-building slog.
Villeneuve’s “Dune” only tells about half the story presented in the novel (a fact that won’t spoil anything for those who are unfamiliar with “Dune”). Which means this film is primarily focused on setting the scene.
I saw this at Aksarben Cinema with my friend Scott (who has also seen the 1984 film and the 2000 miniseries). He checked his watch at one point and said, “there’s a lot of story left to go... how long is this movie?”
Villeneuve has mentioned that his grand vision is to make a trilogy — with the first novel occupying the first two films and Herbert’s novel “Dune Messiah” being the basis for the third.
(A second film was green-lit shortly after the “Dune’s” opening weekend at the box office.)
Considering the fact that I was pretty familiar with the source material, I found “Dune” to be a bit slow at times (... my eyes got heavy at various points).
That doesn’t mean “Dune” isn't an expertly crafted film with a beautiful visual style. It simply means that there is a considerable amount for viewers to digest, and it is worth preparing yourself for before going in.
I couldn’t help but compare this to the new Apple TV+ series “Foundation” (based on works by Isaac Asimov). There are a number of similarities and some notable differences. The advantage that “Foundation” has is the fact that a multi-season series can take time to “deep dive” into all the world-building intricacies inherent in these types of science fiction properties.
The main performers in “Dune” were all solid.
Of note were a couple of supporting performances. Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa stood out to me. The reason I say that is because this territory can often find actors speaking lines in sort of a “regal monotone voice” that can be lifeless.
Brolin (who played Gurney Halleck) and Momoa (who played Duncan Idaho) both infused some personality into the material. I think the production benefitted from their performances (small as those roles were).
One aspect of the film I found to be less than stellar was the musical score by Hans Zimmer. All too often, Zimmer’s stylings in “Dune” felt more incidental than they did anthemic. I know that has become a trend in modern movies, but I do think a hummable soundtrack aids this genre.
Some have proclaimed Villeneuve’s “Dune” to be the best science fiction movie in years. The film has received a variety of critical accolades (and will likely get several Oscar nods).
I’ll be the first to admit that my criteria for what makes a movie “the best” varies quite a bit from high-brow cinema snobs out there. I don’t need art. I just want to be entertained and have a good time at the movies.
As I mentioned earlier, “Dune” is a competently crafted film — it looks and sounds terrific.
I’m not quite sure I’m ready to deify it at this point. I’ll see how the second part goes before I render my final verdict.
It certainly isn’t for everyone, and it does require a bit of patience. Some viewers will consider that a virtue. I tend to favor science fiction and fantasy films that are more accessible for casual viewers. As a result, I found “Dune” to be something of a mixed bag.
I just finished watching the new James Bond thriller "No Time To Die" at Aksarben Cinema. It was originally supposed to be released in April 2020.
I reviewed the teaser trailer for "No Time To Die" (read my review) in December 2019. It's a surprisingly detailed review (for a trailer) and includes lots of personal anecdotes and thoughts on the movie and the franchise as a whole.
In my discussion of the trailer, I wrote "I love what they've done with the 007 franchise since [Daniel Craig]'s played Bond."
That is true. "Casino Royale" reinvigorated the franchise. Some entries in Craig's Bond filmography have been received more favorably than others. (For me, "Skyfall" represented the high-water mark when it was released in 2012.)
Going into "No Time To Die," I wasn't sure what to expect. More than anything, I was happy the film had finally been released.
"No Time To Die" starts off with a tense "prologue" that finds a girl (a young Madeleine Swann, played by Coline Defaud) dealing with the death of her mother and trying to keep herself from getting murdered by the man who had tried to kill her father.
The challenge here is the fact that it's been nearly six years since "Spectre" was released. I revisited that film for a second time when I wrote my review of the "No Time To Die" trailer in 2019, but my recollections are somewhat foggy two years later.
One of the "evolutionary" aspects of Craig's stint as 007 is the fact that all the films felt more "serialized" in nature — a shift away from the close-ended Bond films of the past. The intertwined structure presents more opportunities, but it also creates potential pitfalls.
As I watched the early moments of "No Time To Die," I felt like the story relied a bit too heavily on Bond's past exploits.
Point in case, after the prologue, the story jumps to present day and finds Bond and Swann on a trip that appears to be a romantic getaway in Matera (a city in southern Italy). Some time has passed since the events of "Spectre."
But Bond is there to visit the tomb of Vesper Lynd, a character (played by Eva Green) who last appeared in 2006's "Casino Royale."
While Bond might still be attached to Lynd, it didn't feel right tonally.
It felt like the writers were trying too hard to reference loose ends from Craig's 007 repertoire.
Craig has made it no secret that he is done with the franchise, and news broke prior to this film's domestic release that this would be his final outing as Bond.
In no way do I mean to sound tepid about the 25th entry in the James Bond series. There just seemed to be a few too many of those "trip down memory lane moments" strewn throughout the script.
Anyhow... Bond is ambushed at Lynd's grave (which results in the film's most entertaining action sequence) and believes that Swann has betrayed him. Despite her insistence otherwise, the two part ways at a train station, feeling lost and heartbroken.
The story then shifts ahead five years. Bond has left MI6 and is retired in Jamaica.
(It is interesting to note that MI6 boss M — played by the talented Ralph Fiennes — says they had trouble finding Bond because he was off the grid. While that might have been true, it didn't feel as if he was so remote that a robust intelligence agency like MI6 would have had trouble tracking him down over the course of five years... but I digress...).
Bond reunites with CIA counterpart Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and meets Leiter's new colleague Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen).
He also meets an MI6 agent named Nomi (Lashana Lynch) who has become the new 007.
Bond learns that kidnapped MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) has developed a DNA-targeted bioweapon (called "Project Heracles") that is lethal to selective targets — an appealing tool for surgical assassinations.
This exposition sets up the main narrative structure for the rest of the film.
A man named Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) wants to use the bioweapon for nefarious means. Malek is an interesting actor who seems to have range. I was curious to see how he ranked among various Bond villains.
"No Time To Die" moves forward as Bond works to stop the deadly virus, trying to juggle fresh plot elements while tying up loose ends from "Spectre."
It's a decent setup for a spy thriller, but the film can feel like it is being pulled in too many directions at the same time.
Ultimately, the mishmash of elements ends up giving short shrift to Malek's villain. There was too much going on to give his character the proper room to breathe.
There are some surprises along the way. I won't go into them, other than to say I think they worked pretty well.
This could have been one of the best entries in the Bond franchise. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga tried to craft a film that combined trademark 007 action sequences with the emotional heft seen in previous Craig entries like "Skyfall."
I'm just not sure the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
Even the score by Hans Zimmer (one of the best composers in the business) felt uninspired compared to the "Skyfall" and "Spectre" scores by Thomas Newman.
Although, I do give Zimmer props for including some of John Barry's wonderful "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" theme in the movie (among other nods to previous Bond scores):
There are several other references to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in "No Time To Die" (some obvious, others more subtle).
As I mentioned earlier, it has been reported that this is Craig's last outing as the venerable British spy.
I'm not going to go into the movie's ending here.
That said, there are multiple tracks the Bond franchise could take going forward.
Building on the franchise that's been developed the past 15 years could be a fascinating direction to go, allowing fans to experience a fresh 007 movie that sheds the vestiges of the past.
But that is not going to happen.
As the credits rolled on "No Time To Die," I told Bridget I thought a "full reboot" was the most likely direction for the future.
It is interesting how times have changed...
I was just rewatching 2018's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (read my review) on Paramount+, and was reminded how Tom Cruise's franchise has set the standard for the modern spy thriller.
Part of that success is due to the talents of director/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, but it is also due the fact that there is a consistency in the franchise that steers the decision-making process throughout (led largely by Cruise's guiding hand).
As it regards the 007 franchise, it is a shame they couldn't have landed director Sam Mendes ("Skyfall," "Spectre") again, along with scribe John Logan ("Skyfall," "Spectre"). Those two (in particular, Mendes) really understood what made a modern Bond film compelling.
Overall, I enjoyed watching "No Time To Die." Was it everything I was hoping it would be? Not quite. Do I think it could have been better? Absolutely.
While far from perfect, the filmmakers did a yeoman's job wrapping things up.
Craig's turn as Bond managed to infuse a lot of life into the franchise (that felt past its prime in the 1990s). Going with a grittier choice to play 007 reinvented the franchise for the 21st century. As a longtime fan of the series, I am thankful for that.
I'm excited to see where things go from here. The next Bond has a lot to live up to. I just hope we don't have to wait another six years to see the new iteration of "Bond, James Bond."
One thing that I enjoy about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how it can surprise you.
There are times when your high expectations don’t quite come to fruition. In other instances, there are movies in the series that come out of nowhere and pleasantly surprise you.
I think back to 2014’s "Guardians of the Galaxy" — one of my favorite entries in the Marvel movie lexicon. The early promotional material left me scratching my head. At that point, I had serious doubts.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a burning desire to see the latest Marvel tome “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
I figured it would be decent (each of the 24 previous movies in the MCU have at a minimum been entertaining), but I’m not a terribly big fan of martial arts movies, so I wasn’t sure how I’d react to it.
My initial qualms were unfounded. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!
“Shang-Chi” starts off with fairly typical origin story material. While I know this is standard operating procedure for movies of this ilk, I always hope filmmakers don’t belabor the point.
We are taken back thousands of years when Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) discovers the ten rings. They are powerful weapons that imbue a user with special powers and immortality. He creates an organization called “Ten Rings.”
In the mid-1990s, Xu Wenwu goes in search of a village that has magical creatures in order to enhance his powers (it’s a fantasy movie... just go with it).
He is ultimately stopped from entering the village by a woman named Ying Li (Fala Chen). The two fall in love, leave the village, start a life together and have two children — Xu Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing.
I appreciated the fact that they shifted some of the origin elements to a later point in the movie. We learn more about the family dynamic in flashback sequences throughout the film’s third act.
From here, the story kicks into present day. For me, this is where the film became a funny and engaging superhero tale.
We find a grown-up Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) who works in San Francisco as a valet (and goes by the name Shaun) with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina).
The dynamic between the two characters is really engaging. Both are at a point in their life where their friends are moving onto “bigger and better” things in life, leaving the pair feeling more than a little self-conscious about their place in the world.
I loved Awkwafina in “Crazy Rich Asians” (read my review), and she provides a welcome dose of oddball humor in “Shang-Chi.”
More than that, the relationship dynamic between Shang-Chi and Katy is intriguing. You can’t quite tell if the two have future romantic inclinations, or are simply good platonic friends. Whatever the case, it is a likable on-screen duo.
The main narrative focus gets going when Shaun and Katy are attacked by a group of his father’s Ten Rings thugs on a city bus. They are after a jade pendant Shaun’s mother gave him.
This entire action sequence was really entertaining.
In the aftermath, Shang-Chi and Katy travel to Macau to find Shang-Chi’s sister Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). The siblings are estranged from one another, and he wants to warn his sister that the Ten Rings organization is hunting them down.
This ultimately sets up a story about honor, revenge, and troubled family relationships.
There are a number of sequences I won’t get into because I don’t want to tread into spoiler territory.
I will say, though, that a modern-day martial arts movie wouldn’t be the same without “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s” Michelle Yeoh, and the talented actress is featured in “Shang-Chi.”
It’s not as if any of the narrative moments (in and of themselves) are particularly profound, but the likable vibe of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” makes for a surprisingly strong viewing experience (even if you aren’t a martial arts aficionado).
In a way, the tone reminded me of the 1986 movie “Big Trouble in Little China” — albeit with better visual effects and better martial arts sequences.
I’d definitely recommend “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” While it might not be a conventional superhero tale, it certainly has a lot to offer. The film’s strong leads create something that is much more than the sum of its parts.
The auditorium at Omaha’s Aksarben Cinema (on the evening I watched the movie) was about 75 percent full. It was fun to experience “Shang-Chi” with an enthusiastic crowd — something movie fans haven’t been able to experience enough of the past 18 months.
Be sure to stay for both a mid-credits “Easter Egg” scene and a scene after the credits.
The world is changing, and so is Mitch Rapp’s role in it.
We’ve seen a distinct evolution in Vince Flynn’s venerable special operator under the tutelage of author Kyle Mills.
Throughout his seven entries in the series, Mills has given hints of the “life changes” that could be coming in Rapp’s life. One of the more entertaining examples of a potential pivot involved Rapp’s brief stint as a celebrity security guard in 2019’s “Lethal Agent” (read my review).
In “Enemy at the Gates,” Mills takes things a step further, showing a world that has a very different geopolitical viewpoint than the era when this series began.
I had the opportunity to read the “Exclusive Mitch Rapp Ambassador Edition” of “Enemy at the Gates” as part of VinceFlynn.com's “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program. My wife and I have had the honor of being ambassadors the past three years, and we get to do fun things like my “unboxing” video, filmed when the advance reader copy arrived:
Or Bridget’s “TRACK DOWN THE TITLE” video from January to promote the novel’s official title reveal:
Most of the narrative of “Enemy at the Gates” takes place in Uganda. The early passages focus on Dr. David Chism, a man with revolutionary ideas in the realm of virus research. He is working on a vaccine that will wipe out the entire coronavirus category (something we could really use).
Chism is bankrolled by trillionaire Nicholas Ward. The successful entrepreneur oversees a foundation dedicated to solving the world’s ills (as written, Ward is sort of a cross between Bill Gates and Elon Musk).
It isn’t long before Chism goes missing. A sadistic revolutionary named Gideon Auma is to blame.
At the same time, a mole in the highest reaches of the United States government is accessing sensitive files about Nicholas Ward.
Mitch Rapp and Scott Coleman (along with the crew at SEAL Demolition and Salvage) find themselves protecting the trillionaire (and looking into the whereabouts of the missing Dr. Chism).
For me, the most intriguing aspect of the story is the aforementioned evolution of Rapp. We have a character who — in the book’s early moments — appears to be on the verge of hanging things up.
We see a man who is set to enjoy an extended stay in South Africa with love interest Claudia Gould and her daughter Anna — and he doesn’t seem unhappy about that fact. He is working on his cycling skills to participate in a 450-mile mountain bike race.
It’s the world we find ourselves in that has lead to Rapp’s disillusionment (as if he wasn’t cynical enough already), and a sense of relief being out of the hornet’s nest that is Washington, D.C.
“Views that only a few years ago would have been considered tin-foil-hat territory were now being discussed by straight faced, mainstream newscasters,” writes Mills.
I’m not sure what direction Mills plans to take Mitch Rapp in the future. The author has suggested this book is the first part of a three-book cycle, and that the stories will have an integrated feel.
A key new character introduced is 44-year-old President Anthony Cook. Cook (along with his wife Catherine) definitely has a different vibe from other “commander-in-chiefs” found in the Rappverse.
I also enjoyed the fact that Mills decided to set the novel’s main narrative elements in Africa. The continent adds a unique flavor to geopolitical thrillers, and a number of recent authors have crafted entertaining stories there (including Jack Carr’s 2019 thriller “True Believer” — read my review).
With “Enemy at the Gates,” Mills steers the Mitch Rapp series in a different direction, tossing aside the tried-and-true tropes as a means to shake things up. I’m intrigued to see where things go from here.
(There’s also a surprising twist at the end of the novel... that’s all I’m gonna say.)
It’s definitely worth following the official Vince Flynn Twitter account if you haven’t done so. In addition to the “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program, there are other fun contests and giveaways throughout the year.
“I have always had biscuit dreams” – Carrie Morey, “How She Rolls”
It’s fun to stumble upon tasty little gems as I'm perusing Apple TV.
The PBS series “How She Rolls” follows Charleston, South Carolina, entrepreneur Carrie Morey as she juggles family life and the future of her business, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit (named for her mother, whose biscuit recipe is at the heart of culinary hand-made items served up).
As I was perusing the PBS app a couple weeks ago, I discovered “How She Rolls” listed in the app’s “Featured Shows” section. I decided to sample a few minutes of an episode (I inadvertently selected the season finale, but it didn’t spoil anything).
I thought it looked like something Bridget and I would enjoy watching together. We donate to PBS, and a perk is access to all the content available via the streaming platform.
As small business owners ourselves for more than 25 years, we enjoy programs focused on the entrepreneurial life. Staples in our streaming diet are series like ABC's “Shark Tank” and CNBC’s “The Profit.”
“How She Rolls” shows the challenges Morey faces as Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit looks to expand its mail-order and brick-and-mortar operations. They also have a charming food truck called “Butter” that is launched during the first episode.
“It’s not a biscuit company,” says husband John regarding his wife's business. “It’s way bigger than that.”
Indeed it is. Viewers gain insight into the the small empire that Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit has become over 15-plus years.
In addition to the typical challenges faced by businesses in the food space, much of the series was filmed during — and highlighted difficulties caused by — the COVID-19 pandemic.
We breezed through the 10-episode season in a weekend (each episode in the debut season runs about 25 minutes).
The danger with watching a food-based series is that you inevitably want to sample the treats featured. As I’m writing this blog post, I'm craving one of the Sausage Biscuits featured on the Callie's Hot Little Biscuit menu.
We looked to see if we could purchase any of Morey’s items in or around Omaha (the closest store carrying any items is 100 miles away), so we’ll have to have something shipped here.
She pre-ordered the items and picked them up at the Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market (Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Oct. 10).
I enjoyed having the biscuits for breakfast over the next couple of days. You forget just how satisfying and comforting something as simple as a buttermilk biscuit can be.
“How She Rolls” is an intriguing look into the life of an entrepreneur, mixed with an ample helping of comfort food along the way.
It was nice to see the spotlight focused on a female-led business.
I’m hoping we'll get to see more seasons of “How She Rolls” on PBS (the first season left me curious about plans for future expansion). We had a terrific time learning about Carrie Morey, her husband, daughters, and extended family in the Palmetto State.
Check your local listings to see if “How She Rolls” is airing in your area. The series is also available via various streaming platforms — including PBS Living and to PBS Passport subscribers via the PBS app.
To learn more about Carrie Morey, the “How She Rolls” series, and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, visit www.calliesbiscuits.com.
