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Book Review: How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
How to Sell a Haunted House Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook By Grady Hendrix Publisher: Berkley Release Date: January 17, 2023 If this book had a title like Coming Home Again, I'd probably be starting this review by saying something like, after her parents die in a car accident, Louise reluctantly returns to her South Carolina hometown to sell her parents' house and must face the childhood memories that have haunted her for years and some she's forgotten about... till now. But since the title is How To Sell A Haunted House, what haunts Louise aren't just her memories, but real entities that aren't too pleased with how she's handling her parents' estate. And they're gonna let her know it [...]
Seandps’s Top 10 Movies of 2022
Well folks, we did it. One more year has passed and things continue to move towards getting back to normal. Although the meaning of normal is still up for debate. For me, normal is a year full of movies that I got to enjoy in the theaters, and more than a few that I wished I had seen in a dark theater instead of my TV. 2021 was the year I hit 53 new movies watched, and I am happy to report that I doubled that in 2022, as I ended up with 112 new movies watched. And just for a quick reminder, any movie I see for the first time, no matter in theaters or on my TV, counts towards that total. If you follow my social media, you know locking in that #10 spot was a very tough decision. And as I was first writing this out, I ended up switching movies once more. Therefore, before we get to my Top 10 movies of 2022, I'd like to highlight a few honorable mentions that just missed making the main list [...]
404: Generation Loss – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is an aftershow podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the fourth episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "Generation Loss", as they ask: How did Teddy get to NYC? How does Christina figure into Teddy's larger plan? Who is the 'outlier' the Cause need to extract? And how did Maeve stay so fresh-looking after being buried all those years?!! [...]
Seandps Top 10 Movies Of 2021
We did it folks! We survived another crazy year, that had a few high moments as well as a few not so great moments. We were back in theaters (sort of), and then Omnicron variant hit, and we are still in theaters, although perhaps with a little hesitation. With my handy A-List status at my local AMC theater, I was able to increase the number of new movies I saw in 2021 to 53 (I hit 42 in 2020). What did I learn this year? Well, I missed the theater experience, thankfully I had a great experience with one of the movies in my top ten list. Streaming continues to be a dominant force; some movies don't necessarily need to be seen on a big screen, but still plenty new releases were enhanced by going to the theaters again. For 2020, I got a little crazy and added a +1 to my Top Ten list, because I had a hard time with picking the movie to grab that #10 spot. It did happen again this year, so I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my honorable mention, Mortal Kombat. It finally gave us the R-rated version with all of the violence and gore, with a story that was lacking at many angles, but not all movies need to be Oscar winners. So with no further delay, let's get to my Top Ten Movies of 2021 [...]
Remembering Phil Ochs – The Troubadour Who Tried To Be A Star
Today would have been the 81st birthday of Phil Ochs, the 1960s protest/folk singer who in many ways still stands as one of the most urgent, intelligent, and political spokesman of his generation, and who probably would have gotten a lot more adoration and respect if he hadn't lived under the shadow of his musical cohort Bob Dylan. 2021 also marks the 45th anniversary of the tragic death of Ochs, who died by hanging himself at his sister's house in Far Rockaway New York in April 1976. But it is Ochs's life that is going to get the spotlight treatment here, and with overdue good measure [...]
Book Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons & Treasures (Young Adventurer’s Guides)
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons & Treasures Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer's Guides Hardcover | Kindle D&D Accessory Wizards Of The Coast Release Date: November 1, 2022 Well met, readers. I hope Halloween treated you all well and you are gearing up for the holiday season in the near future. I was lucky enough to get a few items to review before everyone starts buying gifts for their loved ones and here is the first of that batch. Entitled Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons & Treasures, this is a new addition to the Young Adventurer's Guides that I have presented to you in the past, examples of that are here and here. If you have just a moment, let me give you a rundown of what you will find inside this new installment [...]
408: Que Será, Será – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is an aftershow podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week's podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the final episode of Westworld's fourth season, "Que Será, Será", as they ask: Will Westworld get a final season to finish its story?! [...]
402: Well Enough Alone – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is a recap podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew and Tosin deconstruct the second episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "Well Enough Alone", as they ask: What plans does Hale have “for our kind”, for humans, before she brings hosts into our world?, How do the “bot flies” control humans, and what is the black goo that replaces their brains?, What does Hale really want with the living MIB, that his host can’t provide?, and What is this mysterious Tower, and why does its “song” only affect certain people and birds? [...]
‘Westworld’ Season 4 Teaser Breakdown – Violent Delights
Violent Delights is a recap podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. Violent Delights has brought itself back online! On this special entry of our podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne break down HBO’s Official Season 4 Teaser for Westworld. Westworld returns for season 4 beginning June 26th on HBO! [...]
403: Annees Folles – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is a recap podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the third episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "Annees Folles", as they ask: What does Hale need with Caleb? Who are 'The Cause'?, and are all our protagonists in the same time period? [...]
401: The Auguries – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is a recap podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the first episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "The Auguries", as they ask: Is the exported host data from Westworld being hosted at Hoover Dam data storage?, Are there Hosts co-existing in our real world, whose narratives are secretly being controlled by “Christina” and Olympiad Entertainment?, What's Haleores' master plan with the host data?, and what's up with those flies?!! [...]
Halloween Reading List: Spooky Book Recommendations For Fall 2022
The spooky season is upon us, with Halloween coming up soon! Below are some appropriate books for the season, ranging from kid-friendly to super creepy to absolutely terrifying, including new releases from Stephen King and Clay McLeod Chapman and a new audiobook installment for Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. There's also a look back at some classic horror, such as Stephen King's Salem Lot, The Hellbound Heart, the source material for Clive Barker's Hellraiser, and more that are getting film adaptations. This Halloween Reads roundup is broken up into three sections: The first list has new books that were released this Fall; the next list has titles that came out earlier this year; and the final list contains older books that were recently adapted for the screen or soon will be. Each entry includes hyperlinks to the print, ebook, and audiobook editions (were applicable). Continue on to check out my Halloween Reading List: Spooky Book Recommendations For Fall 2022...
Holiday Gift Guide 2021: Music
So this is the "new normal?" Or is it a return to the "old normal?" Either way, regardless of how you spent this past year, regardless of your thoughts on the world, politics, and economics of the world, furrowing your eyebrows at this or that or embracing all the necessary and arguably unnecessary changes in the world, one needs a constant personal and universal soundtrack to keep going, to keep sane, to keep grounded and inspired. As the newest round of the holiday season gets ready to dawn upon us, music not only acts as the perfect and always obvious choices for even the most discriminating of tastes, but also something that brings much-needed relief and communion to end another challenging year and brace everyone for what lies ahead in 2022. So as always, here's my picks for some of the sonic highlights released this year, spanning all genres and tastes. Check out our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for Music [...]
Book Review: Possums Are Not Cute!: And Other Myths About Nature’s Most Misunderstood Critter
Possums Are Not Cute! And Other Myths about Nature's Most Misunderstood Critter Hardcover | Kindle Edition By Ally Burguieres Publisher: Quirk Books Release Date: May 10, 2022 Hello, I'm the person on your social media feed who shares memes that say "Hello, I'm an opossum, please don't hurt me, I mean you no harm" every two weeks. That's because the opossum, which is commonly referred to as "possum," the name of its distant cousins from down under, is so misunderstood. People often mistake these climbing critters for rats or raccoons who could carry rabies and consider them :::gasp::: ugly! Well, spoiler alert: They are none of those things! In Possums Are Not Cute!: And Other Myths about Nature's Most Misunderstood Critter, wildlife rehabber and advocate Ally Burguieres aims to dispel the myths about opossums, specifically the Virginia Opossum, which is the only native marsupial in the United States. If you see a white and gray little beast with a pointy snout rifling through your garbage pails or eating the food you leave out in your yard for the feral cats, that's the Virginia Opossum. And they are actually quite adorable ... and harmless, too! They're also here to stay, thankfully, because they happened to be very beneficial to our society, as this new full-color hardcover book delightfully explains [...]
Book Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Adventures In Space
Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Adventures In Space Hardcover D&D Accessory Wizards Of The Coast Release Date: August 16, 2022 I must admit, I never expected to ever see a Spelljammer expansion ever again. I believe it was a holiday gift from some friends back when I was nineteen or twenty that I received the original one. We played the crap out of that with a lot of help from Dragon Magazine's add-on articles. Being a nerd in late 80s was not always easy but it certainly had it's benefits. I tried to find my old book, but it is most likely buried with all my AD&D 1E and 2E in my comic book room closet. These are the greatest days for tabletop roleplaying that I have ever experienced, outside of the creation of the original Chainmail in the early '70s. So, for all of you who might have some vested interest in playing D&D in space, I present to you Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Adventures In Space [...]
Remembering The Late Doug Kenney, ‘National Lampoon’ Cofounder And Possibly The Funniest Man Who Ever Lived
Today would have been the 75th birthday of the late Doug Kenney, who was possibly the funniest American satirist of all time, most remembered as the original editor and co-founder of National Lampoon magazine and co-writer on Animal House and for doing the same zany duty plus producing the film Caddyshack, two films which remain for many people, some of the funniest comedy films of all time [...]
Book Review: Dragons of Deceit: Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 1
Dragons of Deceit: Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 1 Dragonlance Destinies Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Publisher: Random House Worlds Release Date: August 2, 2022 Nostalgia is a fickle thing. I have fond recollections of reading the Dragonlance series as they were released starting with the very first one in the mid-1980s. I consumed everything authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman released along with everyone else who wrote pretty much anything about Krynn. Therefore, it should surprise no one that I was excited to review their newest novel, Dragons of Deceit, set as you can guess in the world of Dragonlance. This was a roller coaster of emotions for me as I made my way through this first book in a new series from two of my favorite authors of all time, though I did not love Dragons Of Deceit in its entirety [...]
‘In Search Of Tomorrow’: Last Chance To Preorder This Definitive ’80s Sci-Fi Documentary
The films speak for themselves. Back to the Future. Aliens. The Terminator. Blade Runner. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Empire Strikes Back. Robocop. These movies have stood the test of time, but they were part of a greater world of 1980s science fiction cinema. 80s sci-fi weaved worlds of the future, dealt with the current nuclear conflict, accurately predicted technological trends, created incredible practical creatures while dabbling with new CGI, and perhaps most important, kept our spirit of inquiry going. Fans of '80s sci-fi rejoice, as you can now help support and purchase the new almost 5-hour (!) documentary on '80s sci-fi: In Search of Tomorrow: The Definitive 80s Sci-Fi Documentary [...]
Holiday Gift Guide 2021: Dungeons & Dragons
Sorry for the last minute post here, folks. I know I am not giving you a lot of time prior to the holidays to grab any of these treasures, but I only have the excuse of...well, nothing. I have been forgetful of late. Therefore, please accept my apologies and I hope you find something in this list for the D&D player(s) in your life. Here’s the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide: Dungeons & Dragons Edition [...]
407: Metanoia – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is an aftershow podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the seventh episode of Westworld's fourth season, "Metanoia", as they ask: Are Maeve and Bernard really dead for good? Will Maeve ever be reunited with her daughter? How does Teddy know who Caleb is? If Christina “isn’t real”, as Teddy has told her, who (or what) is Maya? Who was Bernard dictating instructions to before he was shot? [...]
406: Fidelity – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is an aftershow podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the sixth episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "Fidelity", as they ask: Why did Bernard scan C's data? Why would the hosts rather kill themselves than submit to Hale’s transcendence plans? What's Hale going to do with the next Caleb? [...]
Book Review: Dungeons & Dragons and Critical Role Presents: Call Of The Netherdeep
Dungeons & Dragons and Critical Role Presents: Call Of The Netherdeep Hardcover D&D Accessory Wizards Of The Coast Release Date: March 15, 2022 Greetings and salutations, folks. I hope you are also finding your way out of this not-so-lovely pandemic and are starting to be able to gather back around an undersized kitchen table loaded with books, miniatures, and dice. As things are beginning to get back to normal, the wonderful folks at Wizards of the Coast and the gang at Critical Role have teamed up to bring us a massive adventure set in the world of Exandria, Dungeons & Dragons and Critical Role Presents: Call Of The Netherdeep. I hope to give you a small glimpse of what to expect with this newest release [...]
Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Music
Jim Morrison once waxed on wax about how “the future is uncertain and the end is always near.” Well if that’s the true-be-all-end-all-whatsit statement folks, then it’s a good thing that music is always near to help with the confusion. No matter what the mood or attitude of the homosapien: mad, glad, depressed, morose, lively, ebullient, ragtag, etc., music is always a welcome addition regardless of what’s going on or what’s going down. This year's crop of sonic comestibles should take care of anyone feeling hi-fi or lo-hi; either way, all of them are welcome additions under the tree or near the menorah or whatever your late year holiday preference may be. Human beings have so many choices to choose from these days, and here’s some more below. Check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Music [...]
405: Zhuangzi – Violent Delights: A Westworld Podcast
Violent Delights is an aftershow podcast where hosts Andrew Sorcini, Dwayne DeFreitas, and Tosin Onafowokan discuss HBO’s Westworld, and the larger questions this ambitious show hopes to tackle. On this week’s podcast, Andrew, Tosin, and Dwayne deconstruct the fifth episode of Westworld‘s fourth season, "Zhuangzi", as they ask: What is "transcendence"? What’s the nature of Hale’s false relationship with Christina? Is Teddy real, and who sent him? [...]
Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Dungeons & Dragons
Welcome, readers! Once again, I am honored to be able to show off a few of the amazing Dungeons & Dragons releases that were made available this year. I know I may have omitted a few items, but these are the big ones that I think would make for amazing gifts this season. And I am going to start off with my favorite one, because who says you cannot have dessert first? In my eyes, it is definitely the sweetest! So, without taking up any more of your time, here we go! Here’s the 2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Dungeons & Dragons Edition [...]
Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Books, eBooks, and AudioBooks
Another holiday season is almost upon, which means another great reason to buy and gift all things books! And there are some truly beautiful offerings from the publishing world this year, such some new illustrated editions of J.R.R. Tolkien works and Game Of Thrones/House Of The Dragon tomes, as well as Star Wars box sets; tie-ins for Star Trek, Stranger Things, and the Marvel and DC universes; graphic novel collections; hard rock and heavy metal memoirs; book-related gifts; fun, pop-culture-themed cookbooks, and much more! Check out our Holiday Gift Guide 2022 for Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for our favorite holiday gift picks for the readers in your life [...]
Summer Reading List: Summer 2022 Book Recommendations
Summertime brings lots of fun activities, one of which is reading! The warm weather and later daylight hours give us the opportunity to sit and read on the beach, by a lake, in your local park, at a resort, your own backyard, and many more places. Below are some new releases that I personally am looking forward to reading this Summer. After the main list of new releases, I’ve included a "Read Before You Watch" of some older titles getting a TV/Film adaptation (such as Neil Gaiman's The Sandman coming to Netflix!), as well as some classic literature, like Dracula, which celebrates its 125 anniversary this year. Each listing has accompanying links to the print, ebook, and audiobook editions; the publisher's synopsis; and my quick thoughts. Continue on to check out my Summer 2022 Book Recommendations....