What happens when you send someone to kill a notorious mob boss? Well if you aren’t careful you end up getting “double crossed”. That is what happened when Nato “Hitman” Collins (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.) sends three of his assistants to kill the Las Vegas Mexican mafia Carlos Enriquez (Emilio Roso) because of a huge gambling debt.

Dixie (Noel Perris), Angel (Avnit Gordon) and Jazzy (Tamara Mitchell) all have something in common. They work for Nato as his hired assistants or should I say he gets them to kill people that Nato’s clients want dead. They are like the opposite version of the famous TV show, “Charlie’s Angels”.

Nato tells the girls that he wants Carlos dead because of a three million dollar debt that Carlos owes him. They head out to Mexico to find Carlos but once they find him they get caught and they are taken hostage. Carlos is amused that Nato would send Charlie’s Angel’s there to kill him.

He tells them he doesn’t owe Nato money, but it is in fact Nato that owes him the money. He tells them he wants to cut a deal with them. He gives Dixie and Angel back to Nato to get his money but only gives them 24 hours to get it or he will kill Jazzy, the one he holds there as a hostage.

From here on it is a game for Carlos and Nato to see who wins.

I won’t spoil the plot of the movie. You can click on the Amazon link above to get your own copy of this DVD, Double Crossed to find out who wins in this cat and mouse game.

Jan Barrett

I love this reviewing business, what could be more fun that listening to a band that you first heard of in 1972 and are still going strong 35 years later? The Strawbs have had many labels stuck to them. Prog Rock is the one that seems to adhere best, yet they are also denizens of the electric folk movement. For a period The Strawbs, Fairport Convention, and Steeleye Span were gentle rivals for the electric folk crown. If you look at the musicians involved they all appear on the same family tree. Live At Nearfest has actually been out for over a year, but recently got some great publicity when The Strawbs went on a long overdue and eagerly awaited North American tour. And a very successful tour it was!

There is no question that Dave Cousins is the glue for this eclectic band, and while his voice may have lost a little of the vibrancy over his 40 years of performing, it most certainly still is still ‘Dave Cousins’.

Live At Nearfest is an interesting CD, it is a great set that they play. Some old, and some not so old. My fondest memories of this band was when Rick Wakeman, mad scientist on the Moog was still part of the line up (yes I am really old!). However John Hawken does a fine job in his place. Alas the Moog is now merely a museum piece, but John certainly knows how to deal with these ‘modern’ electronics and make them sound like the real thing.

The rest of the band comprises of Dave Lambert (guitar), Rod Coombes (drums) and Chas Cronk (Guitar). These are all seasoned musicians and add to the aura of the Strawbs.

This CD is almost a historical footprint of this great group, while it vacillates between old (From the Witchwood) and new, you can listen to the gradual but insistent move from the electric folk side to prog rock.

The main musical creator is Dave Cousins, and he has a rich repertoire of abilities to pull from. He certainly has penned many songs in his long and industrious career, although I think have to be in agreement with Rick Wakeman, who in a recent interview said that Dave’s finest song is Cannon Dale which alas is missing from this concert. Mind you, Rick might have been a little biased, he was after all the keyboard player on it!

So what do you get for your price of admission? Well from the early days you get ‘Lay Down’ and ‘Remembering You and I’ and they are so well done you find yourself transported back in time. Hero & Heroine make an appearance as does Round & Round. Exploring the CD on the computer I also found two untitled tracks that when explored produced some very fine Moogish sounds.

The Strawbs PR contact tells me that Dave Cousins is about to release a solo album. I really liked his first solo effort ‘Two Weeks Last Summer’, and I am sure I will like this new one. I am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Throw caution to the wind and try some of the finest prog rock known to man, you can get it by clicking on the Amazon link above.

Simon Barrett

http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com

This is a guest review written by Shannon M. Douglas.

Genre: Horror, Science-Fiction, Dystopia

My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

I was expecting a horror book, but instead I got a book that, I felt, was preaching to me. The subject matter could be horrific providing it really happened, but it did not.

This book left me feeling ripped-off and praying for its end to near almost halfway through the book. I also found myself falling asleep, literally, during most of it.

I am extremely picky about my books and this one came highly-recommended. I gave this book two stars because it had the potential to be a great horror. The extra star came from the story not being bad, but it absolutely could not hold my interest for more than 4-5 pages at a time. I just do not like being preached to throughout a book that I bought to read for fun.

I really wanted to like this book, but it flopped to appease my expectations.

I recommend this book to vegans, vegetarians and those who are thinking about becoming either. D’Lacey preaches quite a bit about not eating meat.

I do not recommend this book to anyone looking for a good horror. This is a never-read. You will be disappointed.

A synopsis of this book can be found here.

Shannon M. Douglas

Do you like to sit back and watch a film filled with action and suspense? This film, The Quiet Arrangement was written and directed by David C. Snyder who is is an award winning short filmmaker and music video director.,

The cast of this film includes singer/actor Kyle Jason, Rob Stone, Kevin M. Hayes, Christina Simkovich, Julian Hicks and Joseph D. Lane. There is also a guest appearance by legendary Hip Hop icon Chuck D of Public Enemy.

We have a lawyer, Walter Briggs that comes home finding his phone ringing. When he answers he is being told by someone on the other end that his wife has been kidnapped and if he ever wanted to see her again he had to pay a ransom for her and no one else was to be told about it.

Characters in the film include, Detective Jack Simmons, who has been an undercover cop for a long time that needs only one more bust before he can resurface and take back his life.

Then we have Mr. Parks. He is a professional criminal who is all about business. He is a simple man always wanting to keep things simple although his personal life has some issues that threaten to derail everything that he is working on.

Rick Fields is a man that does odd jobs for questionable people. He is defined by a terrible incident in his past that weighs on him and everything that he does. He is responsible for watching over the kidnapped wife of Walter Briggs.

The Quiet Arrangement proves to be filled with love, betrayal, murder, cops and good and bad guys leaving the audience to decide who is who. It is considered a dark independent thriller that follows the exploits of criminals of varying stripes who are involved in a growing web of deceit and double-cross.

The Quiet Arrangement was filmed entirely in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas including Youngstown, Cleveland, and Canton Ohio.

You can get your copy of The Quiet Arrangement by clicking on the Amazon link above. You might actually enjoy it.

Jan Barrett

Everyone that knows anything about music, specifically Soul music will know just who the Godfather of Soul would be, none other than James Brown himself.

In 1969 James Brown made an announcement during a concert he had in Monterey that he had planned on retiring from the touring he had been doing but he actually didn’t give it up until 1975.

In the year 1979 three television producers managed to get him to come out of retirement in order to make a comeback performance. The concert was held but for some unfortunate circumstances the material in the videotapes that were made were locked up inside a vault for twelve years before anyone could see them.

James Brown has a way with his music. He has the ability to transform his gospel passion into the compelling intensity of rhythm and blues, combined with meticulous choreography and energetic showmanship which is demonstrated completely in this legendary concert footage.

You can listen to some of his hits like, Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Try Me, Sex Machine and Get Up Off That Thing.

The track listing goes as follows:

1.    Get Up Off That Thing
2.    Body Heat
3.    Try Me
4.    Sex Machine
5.    Georgia On My Mind
6.    Please, Please Please
7.    Hindsight
8.    Can’t Stand It
9.    Papas Got A Brand New Bag
10.    Jam

The DVD runs for about 60 minutes and it went on sale on March 22, 20111. You can get your own copy by clicking on the Amazon link above.

Jan Barrett

Your Personal Guide To A Cooperative, Out-of-Court Settlement

I have to admit that I was intrigued by the title of this book. The Secret To A Friendly Divorce seemed to run contrary to most peoples views on the subject. Divorces mostly seem to be acrimonious affairs with the spite and venom involved being directly proportionate to how rich and famous the people involved are.

I call it the Jerry Springer effect. Why settle a household dispute privately when you can make a complete fool of yourself on national TV? The finest examples of the Springer Effect are to be found in your local supermarket. The ubiquitous Tabloids that seem to exist on the shelves leading to every checkout in the known universe are rife with the sordid tales of misadventure by well known people.

Unfortunately the ‘Springer Effect’ is not limited to just the rich and famous, it operates at every economic and social level when divorce is the subject. Several times over the years I have been the unwilling recipient of season tickets on the 50 yard line to watch friends as they become Kamikaze pilots in the process known as divorce. Reason and logic is thrown out of the window, replaced instead with vitriol and narcissism.

That bitch is not getting one red cent of my 401k

I am going to take that b@stard to the cleaners

The battle rages. But like so many global conflicts, when the dust settles there are no winners, only losers.

The Secret To A Friendly Divorce advocates a far different approach. OK, I already hear you saying, ‘Oh just another self help book penned by an author who has no clue what he is talking about’. Well you are wrong J. Richard Kulerski is a well known and well respected Divorce Lawyer in the Chicago area. In a divorce, particularly a blood thirsty one it is the legal system that is the only beneficiary. As husband and wife launch cruise missiles at each other the legal costs mount.

As Richard so eloquently opines:

Who’s kid do you want to put through college? Your own or your lawyers?

It is because of this kind of ‘plain language’ that I have developed a great respect for Richard Kulerski. This book will not make Richard rich, quite the opposite. The Secret To A Friendly Divorce is all about avoiding many legal and social costs.

Few people in the heat of battle realize that divorce not only depletes the bank account, but also the friendship account. The more efforts are made to recruit people to your side of the battle, the more that troops go AWOL. Many people do not want to take sides.

The Secret To A Friendly Divorce makes perfect sense. Richard Kulerski bases his ideas in common sense, unfortunately common sense is often a commodity in very short supply when divorce is the topic.

This is a book that anyone contemplating divorce should read. However, it likely is not a title that you should leave on the kitchen counter or night stand in the bedroom. I discovered this at my own peril. My wife spotted the book, and stewed for a couple of days. Then finally exploded:

Is there something you want to tell me?

I escaped unharmed, she knows that I am a book reviewer. I had a cast iron alibi for having it in my possession, but it gave me pause for thought. If you are going to buy a copy, be careful where you leave it!

Richard Kulerski has a web site civilizeddivorce.com which is well worth visiting. Although a new site, it is clear that he will be adding more and more material over time. He also runs a very active column on ChicagoNow.

To order your copy of The Secret To A friendly Divorce just use the Amazon link above.

Simon Barrett

Autobiography Of A Maverick

Let me start this review with a story. As a reviewer of books, music, movies and just about anything you can dream up, I have my own rather bizarre code of ethics. I never ever read what others have said prior to me publishing my thoughts. Hell, I don’t even read the back cover of a book until I reach it!

A Simon review is one written starting with a clean slate.

I am a fan of autobiographies, Oh, not the the rich and famous, they make me want to reach for the Tum’s. I like books about real people. Everyone has a story inside them, and every story is different.

I had communicated with Dorcey Wingo a couple of times, even though his name is an unusual one, it was not one that registered in my brain. All I knew was that the book was about his career as a helicopter pilot, and as I love flying I thought I would enjoy the tales of peril that a pilot might have to share.

As I started to read The Rise And Fall Of Captain Methane a part of my memory nagged at me. I had heard the name Dorcey Wingo before, but I could not place it in context.

The chapter titled Twilight Zone revealed why the name Dorcey Wingo was one that I somehow had heard before. While making the movie Twilight Zone, actor Vic Morrow and two children lost their life as a result of a special effects scene that went badly wrong. They were killed by the spinning rotor blades of a helicopter out of control. The pilots name was Dorcey Wingo. Six long years of expensive litigation followed. Dorcey Wingo was exonerated of any blame, but it certainly took its toll on him.

In The Rise And Fall Of Captain Methane we get to take a journey behind the tabloid coverage of the Vic Morrow accident. Do not get me wrong, The Rise And Fall Of Captain Methane is not a cheap exploitation of the Morrow incident, in fact Dorcey spends a scant 40 pages on the subject.

Dorcey Wingo has had a long and industrious career in the Helicopter business, a tour in Vietnam, ‘crop dusting’ the opium and marijuana fields in foreign countries (I’ll give you a clue, he was not dusting with fertilizers!), several stints of being a heli logger and stringing high voltage cables for power companies merely scratch the surface of this pilots career.

In the 1980′s I spent 8 years working in the Canadian Oil Patch, I was the computer geek, and had to spend a great deal of time in the middle of nowhere troubleshooting problems. My mode of transport was Helos and small planes, all piloted by people like Dorcey Wingo. In the trade they were called Bush Pilots, guys who the word ‘No’ was not in their vocabulary.

I have a pretty strong stomach for flying, and that sure helped! They were not ‘wild men’ they just understood their equipment, they would take it to the edge, but they knew where the edge was.

Dorcey Wingo is the poster child for this style of aviation.

I love the no frills approach that Dorcey Wingo has taken in this book, and like all great pilots he tells the stories with a huge dose of humor!

One of my favorite episodes has to be the subject of ‘hook jumping’. This is a practice that is frowned upon by the FAA, DOT, and just about anyone who values their life. The world of Hook Jumping is found in Heli Logging. Some logging operations are in such remote and inhospitable areas that Helicopters are used to move the wood to a pick up point. This is done using a long line dangling from the helicopter that is attached to the bundle of fallen timber by some folks nicknamed Hookers! I am sure that more than one social gathering has been marred by someone asking the innocuous question “so what do you do for a living” and receiving the answer “I’m a hooker”.

I will not spoil the story by explaining what Hook Jumping entails, I will leave that to the reader to discover. But I will say this, it is not something that I want to try!

The Rise And Fall Of Captain Methane is a splendid read, it takes you to a world that few have been to. I am one of those strange people that read and think about every aspect of a book. My mother always told me ‘do not judge a book by its cover’. It took me sometime to understand the cover art of this book, however once I did, I sat and stared at it for several minutes. It is the perfect art work, it says far more than words can.

You can order your copy of The Rise And Fall Of Captain Methane by using the Amazon link above.

Oh, and in the book Dorcey explains how he achieved the nickname of Captain Methane. Once again, it would be unfair to share this information, but it has nothing to do with flying! It is a rib busting funny story though!

Simon Barrett

Today we received a press release announcing a movie that ABC Family plans to air on Sunday, November 28 at 8 Eastern/7Central.

If you love watching movies about animals becoming heroes saving the day, then you will love this one, filled with action. The Dog That Saved Christmas Vacation is one you won’t want to miss.

For Christmas the couple, George (Gary Valentine) and Belinda (Elisa Donovan) decide to take their family on vacation to a beautiful Rocky Mountain ski resort and they decide this year to take the family dog, Zeus. The plan was for the family to be able to enjoy an old fashioned snow-capped holiday together. Those plans soon fell apart when they arrived only to find Belinda’s obnoxious brother Randy (Casper Van Dien) and his son there along with their snooty pet poodle, Bella. The downfall to begin with in all this is the fact that George and Randy never really got along with each other and now they would be stuck spending the Christmas vacation not only together but under the same roof as well.

Now the one in all this that seems happy about this family get together is Zeus (voice of Mario Lopez). He is pretty attracted to the beautiful cultured Bella (voice of Paris Hilton) who doesn’t want to give him the time of day no matter what he does to try to impress her. Of course having the macho avalanche dog, Trooper competing with Zeus for Bella’s attention doesn’t help any.

Now Zeus’s arch enemies, Ted (Dean Cain) and Stewey (Joey “Coco” Diaz) are back after being released from jail only to arrive at the ski resort in pursuit of a diamond necklace that they steal which they hide in a gift shop til they can come back for it the next day, only to find it missing when they do return for it. The necklace was mistakenly taken as a dog collar and was bought and given to Bella.

With his desire to make an impression on Bella Zeus feels it is up to him to protect his family and Bella as well with Ted and Stewie close on their trail to get the necklace back. Zeus is determined to stop Ted and Stewie from ruining his family’s vacation. I think Ted and Stewie are in for a rude awakening when they messed with this bunch.

This is a hilarious film is filled with lots of action and laughs. You can view a trailer on YouTube here.

Be sure to tune in on Sunday and bring the family together in front of your TV to enjoy The Dog That Saved Christmas Vacation on ABC Family channel airing at 8e/7c. I know I plan to watch it here myself.

Jan Barrett

Final 24 A Dramatization

It is by luck not judgment that I chose today of all days to review this DVD. It was on this day 47 years ago that his father, president John F. Kennedy lost his life. There are few people of my generation that do not remember December 22/1963. What happened in Daley Plaza, Dallas resulted in the death of just one person President Kennedy. This is thousands less than the number that perished in 2001 and the dreaded 9/11, yet, it was equally devastating for the US.

A picture that is almost as famous as the stills taken from the home movie by Abraham Zapruder in Daley Plaza has to be the stark black and white picture of the then three year old John F. Kennedy Jr. saluting his father at the funeral. The day incidentally was his third birthday.

There are some that view the Kennedy family as a form of royalty, certainly the press have covered the family so closely that I am surprised that we do not have YouTube segments of the Kennedy family deciding what color socks they are going to wear.

The DVD John F. Kennedy Jr. His final Hours takes a very serious look at the life of that small child captured forever in the B&W photo from the funeral.

John Kennedy Jr. did not share his families passion for public office, instead, he decided to view politics from the written word. George magazine was launched.

The hoopla with the launch was amazing. But George was hardly the biting political rag that it might have been

But what happened in July of 1999?

How did John F. Kennedy Jr. lose his life on what seems a routine flight in a small plane?

I will leave that question to be answered by others. But, this DVD gives you some pause for thought.

You can order your copy from Amazon by using the link above.

I also recommend that you look at some of the other DVD’s in this series.

Simon Barrett

I grew up listening to great music in the late 60′s and early 70′s they are the best of my memories today. Some I can’t always remember but there are certain songs and bands that were unforgettable. When the name Jim Morrison comes up the first thing I think of is “Light My Fire” by The Doors. The moment I hear it, my memories go back to my younger years, and to me that is always a good thing.

Jim Morrison was a great rock star, considered one of the most famous rock singers in the world. On July 2, 1971 was the beginning of Morrison’s last 24 hours to live but no one at the time knew that. He was living in Paris. He was losing a lot of weight due to his years of drug and alcohol abuse. He moved to Paris because he was tired of the rock star image that he had become. He really wanted to be taken more seriously as a poet so he thought being in Paris he would have anonymity and be able to work on his poetry in peace.

Within those last 24 hours Jim spent time with his close friend, Alain Ronay. Morrison appeared to be suffering tremors, and he seemed to be really weak. It was fairly clear that the man should have been in a hospital, not out walking around. That evening he went out partying with his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. It was the next morning at about 5:00 am on July 3, 1971 the 27 year old rock star was found dead in his bathtub where he lived in Paris. There are reports that apparently he had snorted heroin just before he died, claiming this was his first time.

Jim Morrison – His Final Hours follows details of how his last 24 hours of his life were like. It also gives highlights of his life before anyone knew who he was and how he managed to rise to fame. Jim was at war with his own demons. You will see archive footage, dramatic reenactment and interviews with some of his closest friends as they take you through the last hours of his life and of the details of the events that led him to his tragic death.

Jim Morrison – His Final Hours is part of the series called Final 24 Hours that unlocks the hidden secrets, psychological flaws and events that result in tragic deaths of famed notorious and the iconic. Every episode maps out the final 24 hours of a different famous person’s life. They weave through the star’s back-story with events from their last day, which lays bare the threads of fate that led inextricably from childhood to the moment of death.

To get your own copy of Jim Morrison – His Final Hours just click on the icon above.

We have reviewed quite a few of the DVD’s in this series. In the event that you would like to read more, I have listed them below for your convenience to find them.

Sid Vicious – His Final Hours

Gianni Versace – Final 24: His Final Hours

Nicole Brown Simpson – Her Final Hours

Janis Joplin – Final 24: Her Final Hours

Keith Moon – Final 24: His Final Hours

Marvin Gaye – Final 24: His Final Hours

River Phoenix – His Final Hours – Final 24

Hunter S. Thompson – His Final Hours – Final 24

Anna Nicole Smith Her Final Hours

John Belushi – His Final Hours

Jan Barrett