#TheCrux Update February 11th, 2015

‪#‎TheCrux‬ update: Good news, Chapter 27 is done!  Bad news, may have to add two more chapters to finish.  In the meantime, 177K words typed on 383 pages.  Finished Sasha's back-story and a couple more cool tidbits.  Britt gave me some more updates on Feast vs. Penance.  Follow me on twitter @lostroadtohope and my author page www.facebook.com/lostroadtohope.

#TheCrux Update February 6th, 2015

#TheCrux Feast begins to form!

Just a Quickie Please: The Judge

David Dobkin, the director of such cinematic achievements as The Wedding Crashers and Fred Claus, tries his hand at serious, intense, well-scripted drama.  And if you were expecting the same results as I was, you will be pleasantly disappointed.   This is a flawless production delivering top shelf performances in a story that finds that rare cogent and fluent balance between humane comedy and authentic, engaging, sometimes heartbreaking tension.  We forget Downey Jr. is more than Tony Stark.  That he truly is a classic and sincere thespian who brings dimension and breadth to each character he portrays so seemingly effortlessly.  In many ways, he is the modern incarnation of a wondrous hybrid of Stewart and Grant.  Duvall is superb as the curmudgeon judge and harsh, unapologetic father.  The remaining cast is genuine, playing off of each other with a credible ease.   A tale of family, forgiveness, and facing regret that hits all of its marks as succinctly as Hawkeye's bow (you gotta give me that one).   Even the most stoic, stone cold stalwart will have to fight back the tears by credits roll.   5 out of 5 Kernels: lesson learned, never judge a director by his prior works because you never know when he or she will find and channel their inner Capra.

Just a Quickie Please: Dolphin Tale 2 Review

If they had used the documentary footage during the end credits of the film instead, this would have been a win.  Instead, we have the privilege of enduring one hundred and seven minutes of stale acting and poor story telling.  This uninspired, after school special production, attempts to pull on the heartstrings but only manages to produce incessant yawns and random wrist tuning for time checks.   I must have literally initiated the status indicator on my Blu-Ray at least every ten minutes hoping and praying more time had elapsed than it felt like with disappointing results with every click of the remote.   How can you make a movie about a dolphin rescue brutally boring?  Ask Charles Martin Smith because he did it with remarkable effectiveness.  Can you believe this is the same guy who brought us such classics as The Untouchables, Never Cry Wolf, and American Graffiti?  He also directed the original dolphin fare which was entertaining, engaging, and quite endearing.  Someone call Verizon because apparently no one can phone it in like Smith, based on this tedious and tiring outing.   0 out of 5 Kernels; a stellar cast and veteran director turn a story of hope and triumph into chum faster than Jaws' lower intestine.