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Saturday, December 19, 2015

The Best of the Promotional Tour for 
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' PART II


This past Thursday I wrote about some of my favorite video clips of the promotional tour for 'Star Wars: Episode VII.' I found a few more memorable TV spots that fans of the science fiction series might enjoy.

'Star Wars' Toy Commercial



Jordan Schlansky Asks for an Autograph from Harrison Ford


Carrie Fisher and Ellen Degeneres Sell Tickets for 'Star Wars'





Friday, December 18, 2015

Free Redbox Rental


If all the showings of 'Star Wars' are sold out near you but you still want to watch a movie, here is a code for one free DVD rental at Redbox: LYP638PL
Please be advised that that code is good for today only! Have a good weekend!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

The Best of the Promotional Tour for 
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'


Unless you live under a rock, you are probably aware that the new 'Star Wars' movie is now in theaters. Disney really went all out with the advertising, marketing and promotion for the film. Look what this person posted to Twitter recently:

It seems like Disney really plastered 'Star Wars' over every product they could find. Look what a friend of mine posted to Instagram. Yes, the sequel is being shoved down our throats a little bit, but some of the publicity for the movie has been fun to watch. Below are some of my favorite video clips of the promotional tour for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens':


Carrie Fisher Talks 'Star Wars' on 'Good Morning America'




'Star Wars' or Florida?




A Cappella of 'Star Wars' Medley on 'The Tonight Show'

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

How does Redbox make money? They are constantly releasing promo codes for free movie rentals! Here is a code for one blu-ray rental or two free DVDs: GAMEON
This code expires tonight at 11:59pm CT and can only be used online. I just reserved 'Woman in Gold' starring Helen Mirren. I hope it's good!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

How to Watch (some of) the Nominated 
Movies & TV Shows for  Free!


The SAG and Golden Globe nominations that were announced recently were a reminder that I have a lot of catching up to do. Luckily there are several ways to check out some of the nominated movies and television shows without spending any money:


Hulu received its first ever Golden Globe nomination last week for its original show 'Casual.' You can watch the pilot for free on the streaming website, but in order to watch the rest of the first season you need to purchase a Hulu subscription that costs $7.99 a month. However, Hulu allows you to sign up for a free two week trial.


In that time period you can also watch season 7 of 'Modern Family,' which received two SAG nominations. Another way to watch Hulu programming for free is to sign up for Bing rewards. If you register for Bing rewards, you get rewarded points for using the Microsoft search engine. I usually redeem my points for Amazon gift cards, but there is currently a Hulu option that gives you access to the streaming service for a full month.


Netflix made Golden Globe history last week when its feature film 'Beasts of No Nation' received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Idris Elba.




A streaming membership to Netflix currently costs $7.99 a month. However, you can sign up for a free trial and then cancel your membership after you've finished watching what you want. In that period you can also check out season three of 'Orange is the New Black,' which received two Golden Globe nominations.


Renting a DVD or a Blu-ray from a Redbox kiosk is already quite cheap. But it's really easy to find codes for free rentals online. The blog Hip2Save  regularly posts codes for free movie rentals. You can use a promo code to rent the Disney movie 'Inside Out,' which got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Film.


Another way to earn Redbox codes is to sign up for Kelloggs Family Rewards. If you purchase a lot of Kelloggs products, this rewards program might be great for you. Inside Kelloggs cereal boxes are codes that you can redeem online for various rewards, including free Redbox rentals. In addition to renting 'Inside Out,' you can check out the comedy 'Trainwreck,' which received two Golden Globe nominations.







Thursday, December 10, 2015

Golden Globes Snubs

The Golden Globe nominations were finally announced this morning. Before I start complaining, let's talk about some of the nominations that I really agreed with. I loved that 'Trainwreck' got nominated for best motion picture in the comedy category. I saw the movie in theaters and it was hilarious. The crowd was laughing so loudly throughout the entire showing.  Although the sophomore season of 'The Affair' has been a bit disappointing, Maura Tierney deserved her nomination for her work on the drama series. But it's more fun to talk about the people and shows that did not get any recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press this morning. Let's take a look at a few of them:

Kyle Chandler for 'Bloodline'

Yesterday I wrote about how I thought Kyle Chandler deserved a SAG nomination for his work on the freshman series 'Bloodline.' Well, I'm writing about him again today! It's so nuts that after all these years he's never received a single Golden Globe nomination. Did those voters never watch 'Friday Night Lights'? I admit that the 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series' category tends to be quite competitive every year. Did you catch Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar on 'Narcos'? It's really hard to compete against that kind of mesmerizing performance. Oh well, maybe Chandler will get nominated next year since 'Mad Men' will finally be out of the competition.

'Bloodline' for Best Drama Series

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little behind on certain television shows in the drama category. It looks like I need to check out 'Outlander.' I don't think I even know what channel that show airs on. However, I was still rooting for 'Bloodline' to get nominated this morning. Is the premise of the show the most original thing ever? No. But I still enjoyed the crap out of it and thought it was well made. I look forward to watching season two in 2016.



Nicholas Hoult for 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

It's really incredible that the Hollywood Foreign Press nominated so much science fiction this year. 'Outlander' received three nominations this morning. I was also pleasantly surprised that Alicia Vikander got recognized for her work in the drama 'Ex Machina.' Science fiction movies generally don't get enough love during awards season. There wasn't much of a chance, but I was hoping that Nicholas Hoult was going to get nominated for 'Mad Max: Fury Road.' The action sequences and visual effects in the movie were incredible. But I also thought that his performance as Nux was quite memorable.






Wednesday, December 9, 2015

SAG Snubs


The SAG nominations are always a little hit or miss every year. They regularly ignore key players in the industry like Taylor Schilling from 'Orange is the New Black.' She has yet to be nominated in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor' category for the Netflix show. SAG also seems to ignore the performances in the Showtime series 'The Affair.' That being said, there have been some gutsy nominations throughout the years. Remember when they nominated Javier Bardem for his work in 'Skyfall'? Anyway, here are a few notable snubs from this year's announcement:


Oscar Isaac for 'Show Me A Hero'

For me, this is the biggest snub. Oscar Isaac's performance was heartbreaking in this HBO miniseries. However, I am going to assume he'll get some love from the Golden Globes for his work on 'Show Me A Hero,' so I'm not too concerned for the actor.

Kyle Chandler for 'Bloodline'

If you need a show to binge-watch, I highly recommend checking out 'Bloodline.' It was surprising to me that Kyle Chandler got snubbed in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor' category for the Netflix series. Was Jon Hamm's acting in six episodes of 'Mad Men' really more deserving than Kyle Chandler's work in thirteen episodes of 'Bloodline'?

Lena Headey in 'Game of Thrones'

Lena Headey has never received a SAG nomination in the 'Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series' category for her role as Cersei Lannister. Do these SAG people not have HBO? Did they not watch season five? I really thought she was finally going to get nominated this year. Maybe her time on screen is considered too much of a supporting role to qualify.



Saturday, December 5, 2015

Free Redbox Rental


If you're looking to watch a movie this weekend, you are in luck because here is a code for a free rental at Redbox: 22Y6LH49. The promo code will give you one free Blu-ray or two free DVD rentals. It should work through December 6.

I just used the code on 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' It was a pretty fun movie to watch. I also recommend 'Ex Machina.' Coincidentally, both movies star Swedish actress Alicia Vikander.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

More 10 Cent Movie Deals

It looks like the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 still has 10 cent movie deals going on right now. You can now rent 'Inside Out,' 'Magic Mike XXL,' 'San Andreas,' and several other films for only a dime!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

10 Cent Movie Deals!


If you're in the mood to rent a movie but don't feel like driving to a Redbox location, check out the Windows 10 store. There are a bunch of ten cent movie deals taking place today. You can rent hit movies like 'Jurassic World' or 'Pitch Perfect 2' for just a dime!



Friday, November 13, 2015

Get 2 Free DVD Rentals at Redbox


Here is a great Redbox promo code for you to use this weekend: PPU888XA

I just used it, and it took off $3 from my total. With this code you can get one free Blu-ray disk and have a little money leftover, or you can get two free DVDs. The code will work through November 15th. Please note that it will work on the Redbox website and mobile app, but not at a kiosk. Have a good weekend!



Friday, November 6, 2015

Recap: 'Project Runway' Season 14 Finale


It's bittersweet that this season of 'Project Runway' has mostly* finished. It was nice watching contestants who got along with each other pretty well. Sure there were some catty moments during the team challenges, but people had a generally positive attitude with one another, especially toward the end of the season. Remember how mean the designers were in season 8? If you don't recall, several people throughout that season treated Michael Costello horribly. And who can forget evil Ivy? That being said, last night's Finale, Part 2 wasn't the best. Here's why:


Candice's show was disappointing

It was tough seeing Candice crash and burn at New York Fashion Week. I knew her show was going to be trouble from the second she appeared on the stage. That skirt! What was that? Her collection was all over the place. Her opening dress just wasn't a showstopper at all. Her collection lacked excitement. I wonder if she should have left in that giant red dress with the hoop. It would have been more exciting to see that come down the runway than this boring number:


Edmond almost had it
It was a little painful watching Edmond's collection, because with a little bit of editing, I really think he could have been the clear winner. He had some great looks come down the runway. This dress is just so sexy:

However, like Candice, Edmond's opening look was not a showstopper. This is a perfectly fine black dress. But this is New York Fashion Week. If you're going to make a black gown, it better be the most unique thing ever! The dress was well made and the model looked good, but it wasn't a memorable creation.

I was rooting for Edmond from the very beginning of this season. I loved that he had auditioned for 'Project Runway' since season one. Although he had some awesome looks last night, he did have some misses. His white dress looked like it was made from toilet paper. 



I didn't love Ashley or Kelly's collections

As a Boston native, I would have been totally fine if Kelly had won Project Runway. Her final show had some very original looks. I have never seen anything like this before:


However, Kelly's collection didn't have enough 'wow' pieces to me. From the front, this green top is a little boring. I also just wasn't the biggest fan of how she combined prints and fabrics. This short dress is great from the front, but I'm not digging how it looks on the back. I wish she had made it from the same material. The dress looks expensive from the front, but cheap on the other side.


This brings me to Ashley, who ultimately won the competition. I'm happy for the young designer. I like that she took a risk and made a plus size collection. The plum dress that she made was fabulous:

That being said, I really thought there were some bad looks in her show. Why was there a model in a night gown?


I don't even have words for this one. I was shocked that Zac Posen liked this look:


To sum things up, I really didn't love any one show. I think that each designer had some stellar pieces in their collections, but that they each had some duds as well. But I'm fine that Ashley won because it was so great watching her father kiss Heidi Klum on the runway stage.



*Lifetime will air a reunion special next Thursday.


Friday, October 30, 2015


Recipe: Welcome Home Uncle Joey cake from 'Back to the Future'

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What You Need
8x10 cake pan



Cake Ingredients


3 cups cake flour 
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs



Frosting


half a box of Wilton Buttercream Icing Mix (7 oz instead of 14 oz)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of 2 % milk
yellow decorating gel
black decorating gel
red decorating gel (in the photo, you will see I used red icing writer; it didn't work too well on my cake, so I would recommend using a gel instead)
blue food coloring

cake directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees

1) In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Set aside.


2) In a medium bowl, beat the butter and the sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy
After about 4 minutes, it should look like this:


3) In a small bowl, mix together the four eggs.

4) Add the eggs into the medium bowl, and mix by hand for about 2 minutes.

5) Add the buttermilk and the vanilla into the medium bowl. Mix by hand for about two minutes,
6) Add everything in the medium bowl into the large bowl. Stir by hand until well blended.
7) Grease your pan with butter.
8) Add the batter to the pan.

9) Cook in the oven for about 35 minutes, rotating about half way through. If you are using a dark pan, your cake might only need 30 minutes to cook in the oven.

frosting
1) With a hand mixer, beat half the Wilton Buttercream Icing Mix with 3 tablespoons butter for about 3 minutes

2) Add the milk, and beat for another couple minutes until smooth

3) Take a tablespoon of the frosting and put it in a small bowl. Put two drops of the blue food coloring into the small bowl and stir.


When the cake has completely cooled, frost it with your buttercream frosting.

Use a toothpick to make an outline of the drawing. Fill in the blue frosting. Use the black and yellow gels to make the bird. Use the red gel to write the words: "Welcome Home Uncle Joey"