Review of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (2024)

ghostbusters frozen empire

© James Pyles

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I found the Blu-Ray of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) at the public library yesterday and thought it would make for fun Saturday night viewing. I’ve seen all of the Ghostbusters films at least once, apart from the 2016 gender-flip which died in the reviews, so I figured I owed myself a look at the latest movie in the franchise.

It was a fun film along the lines of Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) which I previously reviewed.

It continues the adventures of the Spengler family including the Mom Callie (Carrie Coon), oldest son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Mom’s boyfriend Gary (Paul Rudd) and of course the star of the show (even though she didn’t get top billing) fifteen-year-old Phoebe (eighteen-year-old Mckenna Grace).

Also returning from “Afterlife” are Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim). Add in the “originals” Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Ackroyd), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) and you have quite a crew.

That’s actually my main complaint about the movie: too many principles, too many Ghostbusters. Although the action mainly focused on Phoebe, it was a mess trying to keep track of that many people wearing proton packs.

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I See Dead People, Even On Vacation

gold hill

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

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“Oh, come on, Grandpa. Gold Hill is such a famous street and Shaftesbury is so beautiful,” said twenty-year-old Nell. “Try to enjoy it. How often do you get to go on vacation?”

“I’m retired so every day is a vacation and you know how I hate old places, especially old crowded places.” Chandler’s eyes kept darting around as if following a cloud of wasps.

“Crowds? It’s early in the morning. There’s hardly anyone around.” Her eyes widened with realization. “You mean them? That’s just your imagination.”

“No, Nell, it’s not. I really do see ghosts and this place is loaded.”

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Voyage to the Bottom of the Swimming Pool

pool

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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“A pool’s just a hole in the ground you pour money into,” groused Darren as he continued to vacuum algae which grew out of his neglect. “But not today.”

He heard the doorbell ring. “Honey, can you get that?” It would be Rob and the rest of the guys. By now, Carol would be rolling her eyes as she reached for the doorknob. She was gracious enough to smile by the time she opened it.

“Hey, bud. Not done?” Rob’s voice came from behind. He turned to see the giant, fully motorized Seaview model they’d brought over.

“Almost,” he grinned.

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Review of “Summer Knight” (2002), Book Four of “The Dresden Files” Series

summer knight

© James Pyles

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After getting a nasty flu bug last Thursday, I had plenty of time to power through Jim Butcher’s fourth installment of “The Dresden Files” series Summer Knight (2002). It’s just as exciting, compelling, and funny as the previous three books which I have also read and reviewed.

Some authors tend to cut back on the quality (probably not on purpose) as a series progresses, but not Butcher. He also seems very keen on adhering to a master plan, in which the elements of this story fitting neatly into what has happened previously. There’s also plenty of new mythos and adventure to be had.

As I tell my fifteen-year-old grandson who is also a fan of “Dresden,” it’s amazing our protagonist manages to stay alive. His life just gets worse and worse with the passage of time.

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“Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel, Volume II” Available Today!

guide to time travel

Cover art for the anthology “Rush and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel, Volume II

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This is it! Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel, Volume II is available starting today in both digital and paperback format.

The anthology contains my science fiction short story “The Joker and the Thief.”

Here’s a little something to whet your appetite for the whole story:

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At The End of Phaedra’s City

lisa's shoreline

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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Phaedra the fugitive approached the shore. Not what she expected after the anguish she had suffered.

“Where are you?”

Her bare feet shuffled across the cool sand as she walked toward the odd collection of driftwood. A seagull hung suspended in the morning sky while another one “coo-cooed” on the beach.

Hot tears welled up behind her eyes but she refused to cry.

“You were supposed to tell me the secret.”

The dawn above turned off like a desk lamp. Phaedra saw alien stars across the dome and then something else. Her world was not a world, but a spaceship.

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Book Review of “System Collapse” (2023), Book Seven in The Murderbot Diaries

system collapse

© James Pyles

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I’ve been reading Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries for a while now and found them to be a great science fiction series. I’ve reviewed them all on this blog if you want to do a wee search and take look.

That’s why when I read the seventh and latest edition, System Collapse (2023), I thought I’d missed a step or two.

The story started out slow and I felt like I was walking in at the middle of a movie. I read the last book only four months ago, but I still had trouble following who was who (in most cases) and what the heck was going on.

Murderbot is changing. He/she/it/they had some sort of spontaneous shutdown following a false memory where its leg was being eaten. I suspect that our protagonist is becoming a bit more human all the time whether they like it or not. This may be a setup for future stories, but given how flat most of this book was, I’m not sure I’m anxious to go on.

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The Sinking of the PS General Slocum

east river

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

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“I’m to receive a pardon, so I won’t kill myself breaking anymore rocks with this damn sledgehammer.” William Henry Van Schaick, former Captain of the riverboat PS General Slocum took a challenging stance in front of Sing Sing prison’s newest and most brutal guard.

“You’re not out yet, Van Schaick, and if it was up to me, you’d serve every day of your ten-year sentence. My sister, two nephews, and a niece were killed because of your negligence.”

“It’s not up to you. President Taft himself has said he’ll sign my pardon.”

“Not if you’re shot trying to escape first.”

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Coming Soon: Ann and Ruth’s Guide To Time Travel, Volume 2

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Coming soon! (Before the end of November)
Featuring a Foreword written by Henry L Herz.

With 30 stories written by:

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Utopia Lost

sara's wine bar

PHOTO PROMPT © Lori Wilson

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“Whatever you have on tap is fine.” William hoped he said that right. The woman behind the bar smiled and served him a light ale. Although he superficially recognized his surroundings, everything was different, especially in terms of how people treated each other.

He was served and paid what the man who sent him here told him to. He and his father Robert Owen were going to change the world starting with New Harmony, but that was two centuries ago. After utopia failed, he was granted a boon to see what the future held.

The 21st century wasn’t paradise either.

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