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Jenn -One season wonders. We all know them and at some point, we’ve all loved them, including me. "Forever" was one of those amazing one hit wonders where I’ll be left wishing for just one more season. This show premiered some time ago (2014 to be exact) but just wow. I guess for its time it just didn’t grab the audience that I think it could have grabbed today. Ask yourself this- would you want to live forever, never dying and leaving everyone you ever loved behind. Well, this show explores that and before you say it’s been done and that’s boring, nope not "Forever". It actually did this whole living forever trope right. This story follows Henry, our chief medical examiner who seems to be obsessed with everything dying. I mean he even carries a journal of every way he’s ever died. He's trying to figure out a way to break his curse, as he calls it, and finally be able to die. That is what Henry wants, that is until he meets Detective Martinez, and seems to find a reason to live again after two hundred years. What happens to these two? And what kind of problems arise? Well, you’ll just have to watch this one season wonder and see. Because although this show is old, it’s one that few have heard of, so no spoilers here. Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team! Dave -Take "Castle" and "Sherlock" and roll them together and you get "Forever". A cop and a medical examiner with a keen eye for details team up to solve murders. Some may be made to look like accidents or suicides, which the cops will want to close soon and blow off but the M.E. will look a little closer and see something most people would miss. He should. He has seen a lot in his 200 years of being alive. One mystery we have to tap into is what happened to his wife. We know she would have aged while he stayed young, or looking young, but there has to be more to it than that. And those layers will slowly be peeled back to reveal a little more as the story progresses. He can be a little more on the daring side even though he's not invincible. He can die. And has died. Several times. But then his body disappears and is reborn in water. That could make things a little harder to explain to his new partners. After all, if someone told you they have been alive for 200 years and died a bunch of times to come back again, wouldn't you think they were a bit crazy? Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" Melanie Here - Firstly let me say Forever got off to an amazing start - and Ioan Gruffurd is AMAZING in pretty much everything he does. Forever, as with many of the best "One Season Wonders" is currently streaming for free on CW Seed. I also highly recommend Harrow - 3 seasons currently streaming on Hulu. Trailers for both below. The Code Word For This Article Is Harrow! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
The One With Friends In The Spotlight - A Feature By Dave Christy and Melanie Newton (With Giveaway)5/27/2021 Dave -
"Six of One". "Insomnia Cafe". "Friends Like Us". All of these were early working titles for the hit sitcom "Friends". You could call it a comedic match made in heaven-- if heaven was a television set. September 1994 would bring a relative group of unknowns together for a new show. This unlikely bunch already had a handful of failed shows between them, so all bets were being placed against them since they were all involved in the same show. This little show that could had a very powerful motor as the driving force behind it. The Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions team had previously brought us a 6season run of HBO's premiere comedy series "Dream On". Being a big fan of that series, as soon as I read that in the new fall lineup edition of TV Guide I was immediately hooked. I knew I had to check it out.
Starting its run in the Thursday at 8:30 slot, sandwiched between "Mad About You" and "Seinfeld", "Friends" was off to a great start raking in over 20 million viewers. Episode 1x07 "The One With The Blackout" is the one that sealed the deal for me. I was tuning in every week anyway but this one remains one of my faves in part of the Blackout Thursday promotion that ran through 3 of the 4 NBC sitcoms that night. It bounced around the Thursday night schedule about halfway through the season moving to 9:30 with the second part of 2 episode arc before becoming the anchor of "Must See TV" to kick off its second season the following year.
Thanks to the juggernaut known as "Friends", Thursday nights at 8:00 became known as the place that shows went to die. If you have a veteran show that you want a reason to cancel? Put it here, ratings will drop like a lead balloon. I actually felt bad for some new series that would have had good potential if they were given half a chance. You can't try out a brand-new series up against that line up. Remember, this is the early and mid-90's. No internet, no on demand, no DVR. If you didn’t watch it live, you missed it. The only chance you had was recording it on your VCR to watch later.
Hey, you know I'm a bonus features guy, right? DVDs, making ofs, interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries, excitement! Well, one excellent thing the "Friends" DVDs did, which I really think more shows and movies should do, is featured extended episodes. Yes, you aren't just getting the same episodes you already watched all season. Some of them added footage back in that had to be cut for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s only a few lines sometimes it can end up being a few minutes. This is also helpful if you have only watched it in syndication. You know they trim those to make more time for commercials, right? "The One With the Thumb" ended up cutting the line "Maybe it’s like a contest? Collect all five." Very memorable line and sorely missed when I re-watched that episode in syndication. 10 seasons and well over 200 episodes later, it had a great run. Personally, I think it kinda started to lull a little bit around Season 7 or 8 but came back through on a strong note on the other side.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Friends! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Melanie -
Friends is a HUGE deal in this house. Even though the show went off the air before when Emily was only 5, that hasn't stopped her from binging, and rebinging every season! We often reference various episodes, and not just the super common ones either ... I mean come on ... I think EVERYONE knows PIVOT - Friends fan or not!
I can't really say when I started watched it exactly because I was living in England when the first seasons aired and I can assure you it was even harder then to keep up with what was popular in the U.S.
The first season my best friend Helen acquired for some reason on VHS. I can't even remember why, but we decided why the hell not ... and sat down and basically didn't get up other than for snack and bathroom breaks until we were done. I guess on some level I have always been a binger lol. As Dave went over the history, I will pretty much leave it here - with the compilation video of the Friends Advent Calendar that we had on the live show last year - that we ran out of shows for - I think the video speaks volumes!
Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Friends" Prize Pack featuring a makeup bag, socks, and stickers - all sent in by Jennifer Rhodes!! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Which Of The Friends Did You Like The Most? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on June 6th (and then posted here on the blog as well on June 7th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Jenn -
This show I found later, like WAY later. As in it had already been cancelled for a while later. "Pushing Daisies" was just wow. It never should of been cancelled! Wow, but you know how those things go. Mels first told me about this show and upon hearing about it I was like "What? How did I miss this?"
"Pushing Daisies" is about Ned, a pie maker, and the love of his life, a girl named Chuck. You’re probably thinking "oh no, not another romance". Well it is but with a comedic twist. Finding out as a boy that Ned could bring people back from the dead is shocking especially for a child.
Everything has a price though, right? And so does this. If he brings one person back then a minute later something close by will die. It doesn’t even have to be a person. Could be an animal-- bird, squirrel, fly, etc. There’s also the fact that if he touches them again, then they die again but this time for good. Confusing, right? Well not really but you just might have to watch the show to understand. Now, you’re probably wondering about Chuck, Ned's love right? Well my lips are sealed because spoilers! So if you’re dying to know more, than I highly suggest that you check out this underrated show because you won’t be sorry.
Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is DAISY! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Dave -
This one has been on my TBV (To Be Viewed) list for a while but I never got around to it Jenn submitted this article for me to review. Lucky for me, it was available a couple different ways on my Roku apps. It ran for 2 seasons but both are shortened seasons so it only totals 22 episodes, which is the length of a regular network season. So in a way, it could be lumped into the "one season wonder" category. I didn't catch it the first time around (2007-2009) because I don't watch a lot of tv, especially network tv. They get cancelled too soon. But that’s a rant for another time!
It really has something for everyone. This show has the comedy aspect, a murder mystery, crime show, and a little romance too. I would say its primarily a comedy/mystery since they have to solve a murder every episode. This small town also has quite a bit of secrets too so be careful who is lurking around the corner. They may overhear you.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Check out the trailer and don't forget to scroll down to enter the giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Pushing Daisies" Prize Pack featuring Pushing Daisies Season 1 DVD, from Dennifer Rhodes Christy, "Cuddly Toy" from Vicky Pond, and bracelet, ring, eraser, and sticker from Melanie's Muses Swag Hoard! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - If you could bring a loved one back but never touch them - Would you? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on June 6th (and then posted here on the blog as well on June 7th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Dave says-
A simple word - WandaVision. In my mind, (not a very simple place to place to live..... I overthink, overreact, over plan, and yes, I even overtype. Where was I again? Oh yeah.....) I always saw it as 2 meanings. Like television, but from Wanda -- WandaVision. Or simply as the 2 characters -- WandaVision.
I'm not going to go as into the whole plot in this one as I do with some other articles. There was definitely a lot of talk about this leading up the airing. Then there was a lot of confusion when it aired, especially after the first couple episodes. Also thrown in there, were a lot of mixed reviews. Some loved it. Some hated it. Some didn't know what to make it of it. The first 2 episodes were like contained sitcoms in 1950's style. This is actually one of the things that drew me in. Yes, I'm a huge Marvel fan anyway but I am also a movie/tv geek and loved watching sitcoms as a kid. So, I laughed at the classic sitcom gags and cheesy plots. Something a little different from the MCU but they did their research and teamed with all the right to people to make it happen and made sure it’s done right.
As the episodes progress, we learn a little more about what’s really going on but shhh. So much to say and so little time. Any Marvel aficionado with have an absolute joygasm over the well planted Easter eggs from the MCU and even from the comics. If you are more well versed in the comics history, you may already know how certain plotlines will play out. If you aren't that well versed and need a little explaining, there are plenty of videos on YouTube but since they explain things, they do give away a few things and plant theories which may or may not pan out also. So if you look things up as things are happening, you may get spoiled - and now you can't say you weren't warned.
WandaVision is a wild 9 episode ride, shot in front of a live audience for the sitcom parts. Pretty awesome, right? And actually, done with old school wire effects for the real 50's feel. Very cool! Yes, I am a giant nerd! After all is said and done, there is also the "Marvel Studios: Assembled" documentary on the behind the scenes to delve into. That’s only one episode but it’s nearly an hour long look into what was going on behind the scenes. Definitely a must watch for fans!
DAVE - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Jenn says-
I’m always on the hunt for something different and "WandaVision" definitely fits that description. When I first heard they were doing this show I was excited, because boy do I love Wanda and Vision together.
**SPOILERS - This note added by Melanie but she also recognizes that this is her own fault because she refuses to watch the last two Avengers movies and is probably one of only 10 or so people that haven't lol ** When he died in the "Infinity Wars" movie, I could definitely feel my heart break along with Wanda's.
Now, I know what you’re all thinking. These Marvel shows are being overdone, and it’s the same thing again and again but NOPE! Well at least not "WandaVision". It takes a spin on classic series and makes it its own. Now I won’t say which series because that’s part of the fun with each episode trying to guess what old show they’re mimicking now. I also had fun trying to figure out what’s really going on and who’s behind it. But after a few episodes for me it was pretty much obvious, so let me know if you figured it out too!
If you haven’t watched "Wandavision" yet or on the fence about it, don’t be. Trust me this is definitely a series that you’ll enjoy.
JENN - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie (Yes Again lol ) - Hmmmmm so I never watched this but now I think I might be tempted! Check out the trailer below and if you want to watch it is available on Disney+. Whilst Disney+ no longer has a free trial it is worth checking with your phone plan, or current TV subscriptions! (Ones that I am aware of - Many Verizon users have free Disney+ for varying lengths (6 Months - All Contract - and Hulu has a lot of bundle packages that include it so it is worth checking).
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Win It Wednesday - Pineapples - A Feature by Melanie Newton with introduction from Dave Christy5/19/2021
Intro From Dave -Pineapples. Sweet. Savory. Can make you bleed if you aren’t careful handling them. They also have a history in TV. From a random addition in “How I Met Your Mother” — in which the origin of wasn’t revealed until the series wrapped— to Easter eggs in every “Psych” episode. Watch closely you must but there is one everywhere, or at least a mention of one. That isn’t all though........ To our group of Musers, it means much more. About The Author - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" Feature From Melanie -It was almost a year ago this month that a pandemic was sweeping the globe, the future seemed uncertain, but Musers don't let a little thing like that get in their way of coming up with new fun things! Every week during Facebook live Greg and I talk about shows we've found, and we had just discovered "Staged" Staged is a Zoom type show, that although sort of scripted, basically had David Tennant and Michael Sheen "chatting" with each other, discussing roles, AND more importantly, how they were coping with being in "lockdown". David and Michael have an amazing chemistry, (if you haven't checked out Good Omens I highly recommend it) and season 1 of Staged was pure gold.
So check out the scene from Staged below (with the pineapple incident) and then scroll down to enter our Pineapple Themed Giveaway! Giveaway!GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Pineapples" Prize Pack featuring a pineapple coloring book, paperclips, necklace, earring, keychain & pen from Dennifer Rhodes Christy, Pineapple Cable Critter from Vicky Storch, & Muser sticker, Tinsel Pineapple, & Pineapple Bob 2 from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Would you say you were a "David" or a "Michael"? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on May 30th (and then posted here on the blog as well on May 31st. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Dave Says-
Food is a many splendid thing. That’s the saying, right? No? Well, it should be. We have a little bit of a departure for the Musers today and are tackling the subject of food. Everyone eats, so why not? We will be talking about some of our favorites to eat, to make, maybe some local favorites. So, sit back, whet your appetite and sink your teeth into this.
Being from Philadelphia, I couldn't pass up the chance up to mention cheesesteaks. And unless you have had one here, there is a good chance that it wasn't a real Philly cheesesteak. You would not believe how much trouble I have had being out of state and trying to get a cheesesteak. The stuff some people put on them, they should be embarrassed to still call them cheesesteaks. Here, there is always a debate about Pat's or Geno's for the best cheesesteaks. Personally, I have always preferred Jim's Steaks. The rolls are so soft and add some sauce and cheese whiz and it is to die for! Some other local places are good too but if I am on South Street, I go to Jim's.
I don't make much but I make some really good pigs in a blanket. I did this a while back because I was really in the mood for them but thought I'd take the easier way out and get them frozen and pre-made. Worst pigs in a blanket I ever had! I knew I could make them better than that. So, I did. Hillshire farms cocktail weenies, Pillsbury crescent rolls. Boil the weenies, rip the crescent rolls into strips and then wrap the weenies. They can burn easily if not watched. So, I normally put them on about 7-8 minutes and then flip them over for another 7-8 minutes or so until golden brown.
Also - Italian Kickin' Chicken. Took the name from 2 Zaxby's sandwiches by combining the 2 of them. Chicken fingers (or chicken patty, whichever you prefer), provolone cheese, marinara sauce, buffalo sauce, and a little bleu cheese dressing if desired. I always desire because it adds a little extra to it. I don't overdo it though. Just enough to blend a little flavor into it without overpowering it. And the key is to use Texas Toast.
About The Author - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Jenn Says -
This is something different. But hey, why not? We’re not your ordinary writing team.! Today I’m going to talk about candy and my three favorites, because I'm sure we all have a favorite candy. Whether it’s chocolate, gummies, or those hard candies you can buy, there's probably some that come top.
Let’s go back to my favorites from three to one, with Hershey bars coming in at number three. And yes, I love all kinds regular, ones with nuts, and cookies and creme. Coming in at number two is M&Ms. I could eat these every day and though I’m not picky my favorite of these is the ones with peanut butter inside. There’s just something about chocolate and peanut butter. Yum!
Now, with that it brings me to my number one candy, nothing beats this delicious candy, and that’s Reese's. I like Reese's a lot that whenever I see something new with the candy, I’m willing to try it. Although I didn’t care for Reese's with pretzels. So maybe pass on that one. There’s actually one more, yes, I said three but think of this as a bonus candy. It’s not chocolate but it’s so good, hard to find but good and that’s Wonka's Sweet Tarts. Now that I told you my favorites, do you have one? I’d love to hear them.
About The Author - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie Says -
Well those of you that come to live know I have very particular food tastes.
Let me start by saying for the most part I think American Chocolate is WEIRD - If you haven't had English chocolate you are missing out. I am very lucky because Vicky sends me care packages so I can enjoy my not American Chocolate. That being said, occasionally I will find a new American Fav .... which 99 times out of 100 is limited edition and then vanishes shortly after I find it FOREVER. My latest find is Hershey's Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Kisses! I have already cleared out our local supermarkets from them lol.
The other thing I find weird about American food is the insistence that other than things like "Pot pies", they seem to think that fruit is the thing that belongs in pastry - when any proper Brit will tell you that IT SHOULD BE MEAT! Dave talked a little about making "Pigs in a Blanket" - for the record if you ask for them in England you would be served half a chipolata (mini sausage - Preferably Walls) cooked in a strip of bacon - hence the blanket lol. They are fab - but no pasty things in sight. In this house the closest we get to the proper stuff is sausage rolls! For a country so big on convenience food I am still constantly in awe that there are none in the freezer section. But fear not - I have mastered this one skill! One sheet puff pastry (found IN THE DESSERT SECTION *Rolls Eyes*), one tube Jimmy Deans Sausage Meat, and 3/4 cup breadcrumb's! Roll out pastry, mix sausage meat and breadcrumbs together, put mixture in pastry, cut to desired size, and seal with egg-wash, bake for 30-35 mins on 350. BOOM!
(If anyone doubts the UK's obsession with Sausage Rolls - the Christmas number one was literally a song about them!
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But finally, on a positive note - despite all the controversy about "Thanksgiving" and what it represents - I am totally behind a HUGE turkey dinner any time other than Christmas! I LOVE a Turkey dinner with all the stuff - but you do need English roast potatoes (cooked in Lard) and English Gravy (preferably Bisto gravy made from granules). Trust me - you can't beat it!
No intro about Melanie - Because seriously if you don't know who she is WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN lol
Dave -
Here comes Dave with another one of his oddball movie recommendations. Have you heard of this one? This movie asks the immortal question you may have never even thought to ask-- "Where are all the good men dead? In the heart or in the head?"
"Grosse Pointe Blank" is one of those movies I kinda discovered from working in a video store. I'm pretty sure I heard of it before but couldn't wait until we got copies in to bring one home to watch. When I went in to work the next day, I begged the manager to let me buy a used copy as soon as possible. Remember-- these were the days of VHS and sell-through copies were not available to buy. It became one of the movies I would recommend to customers the most.
"Grosse Pointe Blank" is a black comedy and has an excellent cast consisting of John Cusack, Dan Aykroyd, Minnie Driver, Jeremy Piven, Hank Azaria, and Alan Arkin. It’s the story of a hitman considering going to his 10-year high school reunion even though it would involve seeing an old flame that he ghosted. The business is getting to him and he needs a getaway so he throws caution to the wind and goes anyway. The description alone does not do the movie enough justice. The cast and brand of humor-- sometimes dark and very deadpan-- nail every beat, even when you aren't expecting it.
Personally, I think the studio missed a golden marketing opportunity. Around the 10-year anniversary of the movie, there was Blu Ray released. No reunion of the stars, no commentary, and most of all, I think they should have had the cover (or at least the inner sleeve) mocked up like an invitation to the 10-year reunion like the movie focuses around. It would have been genius!
About The Author - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
And Now For The Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away an "Grosse Pointe Blank" Prize Pack featuring the dvd and stickers sent in by Dennifer Rhodes Christy and from Melanie's Muses Swag Hoard! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Which "Clique" Would You Say You Belonged To In Hight School? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on May 23rd (and then posted here on the blog as well on May 24th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Jenn -
I recently saw a movie that will stick in my head forever. No, it’s not fictional. Oh no, it’s about something that actually happened, the Holocaust.
Honestly in my opinion it’s a movie everyone should at least watch once. "Schindler’s List" is a movie I’d heard of before but never watched. I’d also heard of the actual man, but never the story behind him and how he ended up saving 1300 Jews from execution during that horrible point in our history. This movie is about three and a half hours long, but once you watch you’ll understand why. At first I couldn’t even think about watching, but in the end I did. Yes, I cried and cried but it also made me think about how even in bad times there can be good people and Schindler was one of those! Someone who gave up all the money they had to save people they didn’t even know. That’s unimaginable. Well at least to some but not to him. He understood that no matter how different someone is from you, their lives are still important. He was a German Nazi. Not so great in the beginning but as the movie goes on, you’ll see how his eyes were opened and that he may have learned the greatest thing of all. His sacrifice also ended up saving generations of Jewish families and at the end of the movie, you’ll get to see exactly what I mean by that. With all the hate in the world even now – this is something that should never be forgotten.
About The Author - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Dave - (Intro)
A brief into before we get into Jenn and Melanie's feature to give you a little background. The way I discovered Neil Gaiman was kinda.....well, odd. 1993. I was reading an article about Alice Cooper working on his new record, which would be a concept album "The Last Temptation". He enlisted the talents of Neil. I wanted a little sneak peek of what to expect from the story, so I started reading the Sandman comics. I was hooked right away and picked up the novel "Good Omens", co-written with Terry Pratchett. Two great minds working together. I loved the series too. There were a couple things from the book, I would have loved to have seen acted out but it’s still fabulous.
About The Author - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Jennifer -
If you know me and my love of shows and movies that are different then of course why wouldn’t I watch "Good Omens"? A Demon and Angel friendship plus trying to save the world? Count me in! When I first heard about this show I was intrigued even though I’d never read the book. Not saying I won’t because Neil Gaiman is an absolute gem, but for now it’s all about the show.
"Good Omens" starts off with the garden of Eden and that’s the first time you see Crowley and Aziraphale. Now they just tolerate each other at this point but as time goes on you see it becomes so much more than that. A kind of friendship neither really understand. Who would? An angel and a demon are supposed to be mortal enemies, but they just sort of embrace, throwing caution to the wind, and that ends up being what helps them save the world.
Sure, there's a lot of other characters we meet but trust me this show is really all about these two. Plus the casting couldn’t have been better! I mean David Tennant as Crowley, yes please. Now if you’re skeptical about this show, you shouldn’t be. It’s fun, has great gag involving a rubber duck (???? I know you are confused now) and a great watch that you’ll have binged them all before you even realize it.
About The Author - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie -
I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman for as long as I can remember, and I actually had the honor of meeting the late Terry Pratchett back when I was a teenager, so hearing that Amazon was going to make the book into a TV series was super exciting. I will admit that the first watch through I wasn't sure if I was completely in love with it. Don't get me wrong - any time David Tennant and Michael Sheen are on the screen even separately it's a good thing - and together they definitely have something special - but on the first watch through something didn't click for me and even now I can't really say what.
David Tennant is the perfect Crowley and his love of Queen music makes for a killer soundtrack. (That and anyone that knows me knows I will watch ANYTHING with David Tennant in it!) Michael Sheen as Aziraphale is about as far from his Prodigal Son character as you can get. The very fact that those roles were filmed so close together is definitely a testament to his acting skills for sure. These are both absolute legends. Since that first watch through, where I wasn't quite sure, I have come to watch it through I don't know how many times since. And each and every time I find myself noticing things that I missed before and I have to wonder what didn't click for me the first time. For those that like Easter Eggs, especially Whovian ones yo won't be disappointed. I mean with the 10th Doctor and one of the Doctor Who writers - how could there not be? I will say that I spotted some - but not all. If you want to see what they are (either before or after watching the series) you can click HERE to read them. Be warned there are OBVIOUSLY spoilers lol.
And with that - I will say if you haven't seen it - Check out the trailer - and as you can literally watch for free with Amazon Prime (If you don't have it you can get a free trial) - there is no excuse not to at least check it out!
Watch for free with your Amazon Prime Subscription! Don't have one - click the picture to try FREE for 30 days - more than enough time to binge the WHOLE series and more. Or grab yourself the DVD or the book at the links below!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away an "Good Omens" Prize Pack featuring the 2 Good Omens Funko Pops, Copy of the Book, Emoji Clips and Stickers sent in by Dennifer Rhodes Christy and from the Melanie's Muses Swag Hoard! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - If You Could Choose Would You Be An Angel Or A Demon? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on May 16th (and then posted here on the blog as well on May 17th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Jenn & Dave -
We're doing this article a little different than most. Usually, Jenn would have her section and Dave would have his. We're kind of trying to intersect both our ideas into the same sections and see how this works out.
Follow us to a galaxy far, far away. I’m sure you already know what movie, well movies, we're talking about. "Star Wars"!
These movies that have traveled through time and generations to be still well loved to this day. We don’t want to talk about all the recent Star Wars movies, but the three that started it all-- the original trilogy. Now I (Jenn) wasn’t around when they hit theaters but boy am I glad about that. From what I heard about the shocking cliffhanger in "Empire Strikes Back", people liked to ruin it for those waiting in line to see the next showing. Knowing me if that would of happened, I’d have been one angry fan. For the record, I (Dave) was and didn't have this problem. I was only 8 years old at the time so I was probably in my own little world and not paying attention to anyone around me so I wouldn't have heard anything anyway.
"Star Wars" is a story about good vs evil, or in this case the light side and the dark side. Luke, Leia and Han are our three heroes that we the audience travel with along on their journey. This is where Luke begins his training to become a Jedi Knight. You also get to meet an array of different species from across the galaxy and then there’s the famous Millennium Falcon-- Han's ship that’s never hard to recognize even in the newer movies. These are the movies that made generations pretend that regular household items were lightsabers to wield around and generally knock things over with-- which would usually get us yelled at by our parents.
On the other side, we also have the villains. Not just any villains. THE villain. Arguably one of the most popular in all of cinematic history whose entrance theme is the most recognizable-- Darth Vader. He has a great screen presence and the power of the dark side behind him that he doesn't need much else. The Emperor is always at his side. To be precise, he is at the Emperor's side since the Emperor is the master and Vader is the apprentice. But let’s face it, Vader is doing all the work and is more popular. Emperor Palpatine is just kinda sitting there.
Melanie – Totally random fact here – When I was about 8 (so my brother was about 3), our local shopping center had a Darth Vader that people could meet (back then no cell phones snapping pictures). So my brother and his friend were so scared of this character that my mum (to show them it was OK) went up to say hi. Now my mum herself was actually petrified, and the guy in the suit obviously knew that – and so he then wouldn’t leave her alone! It was hilarious! OK back to the real stuff …..
The defining trilogy in this saga are "A New Hope" (1977) (yes, we are calling it by its proper name. It’s not just called "Star Wars"), "Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983). There were the prequels, and sequels, and a couple side films too, all to round off the story. But those will always be guaranteed to sound off an argument so we won't even get into those. These are the beloved films. The ones that fans hold nearest and dearest to their hearts. You can always catch a good marathon frequently. So if you have about 7-8 hours to kill, kick back, relax, and May the Force Be With You.
About The Authors -
JENN - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team! DAVE - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
And Now For The Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Star Wars" Prize pack featuring A New Hope DVD and 2 Star Wars Funko Keyrings from Jennifer Rhodes! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Who is your favorite character from the Star Wars Universe? (All Movies and Shows are acceptable) The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on May 16th (and then posted here on the blog as well on May 17th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
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