Top Ten Movie Countdown

Huzzah! Today is Alex J. Cavanaugh's Top Ten Movie Countdown blogfest! I love making lists, and I haven't done my favourite movies yet, so this is perfect timing!

I am actually going to play strictly to the rules and only pick ONE movie per slot (e.g. I won't be cheating and mentioning the whole Harry Potter series, for example.) Most of my selections are geeky, but a couple of them are not (gasp).

Without further ado, here are my favourites:

10. The Italian Job

A clever heist, good acting, and car chases that are actually interesting. This movie is fun, and even appealing to the non-geek.

9. Pride and Prejudice

What? A girly movie on my list? Come on, I think I'm entitled to at least one... And yes, it's the long BBC version.






 
8. The 10th Kingdom

No one seems to have heard of this movie, but it's so good! A fantastic twist on the "lonely lass finds her way into fairy-tale land" story. It's so much fun. I might have to write a review on it to further convince you all.





 


7. Spirited Away

Miyazaki's finest. So weird and so good.






 

6. Back to the Future

 A classic.






 



5. The Avengers

 Joss Whedon can do no wrong, can he?

4. Sword in the Stone

 My favourite Disney movie. My family can quote this one backwards and forwards.





 




3. Serenity

What was I saying about Joss Whedon? So glad Firefly got a movie that tied some of the loose ends. And it's a fantastic movie even on its own.





 


2. Empire Strikes Back

The original trilogy is still the best. I like to pretend episodes I-III don't exist. Episode V is my favourite.




 



1. The Fellowship of the Ring

I was brought up on Lord of the Rings. It was so exciting when this came out, and it absolutely didn't disappoint. It's my favourite of the trilogy.








And there you have it. Whew. So hard to pick just 10. Honorable mentions go to Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, X-Men 2, and Tangled.

What are your top ten movies? Be sure to stop by Alex's blog and visit the other participants in the fest!

Guest Post - Alex J. Cavanaugh!

The ninja captain himself is here to talk about the April A to Z Challenge in geeky style! Welcome, Alex!

Geeky Topics for the A to Z Challenge

If you haven't heard about the A to Z Challenge, it's blogging the letters of the alphabet every day except Sundays. It's twenty-six days/twenty-six letters, starting with the letter A on April 1. You can go with a theme or wing it, but each day the post and/or topic must begin with the corresponding letter. You can get full details and sign up at the A to Z site or at my blog.

A theme isn't necessary, but it sure helps. (My first year, I winged it, and it was a struggle to come up with a topic for each letter.) Themes can be a lot of fun, especially for us geek types, as the topics are limitless.

Need some ideas? Here you go:

• Comic books - DC Superheroes, collectible issues, Spiderman facts, etc.
• Apps for smartphones and tablets
• Computer and console games
• Science fiction and/or fantasy - movies, shows, books, etc.
• Stars! Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Starcraft, etc.
• Role Playing Games
• Monsters and creatures - favorites from movies, RPGs, etc.
• Collections - posters, figures, memorabilia, etc.
• Models
•  Computer and tech stuff - just keep it simple for all to understand
• Cosplay, SCA, etc.

Think you could find a subject that works for you out of that list? I bet you can!

Are you participating in the A to Z Challenge? Can you think of any other geeky topics?

Alex J. Cavanaugh
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Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, Cassastar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Woohoo! I (Allison) am super excited about the A-Z Challenge, as it is my first time. I certainly plan on a geeky theme.

And as long as we're talking about Alex... Today is also the day to reveal the cover for his upcoming book, CassaStorm!!

 

Tadaaaa. I think it might actually be my favourite of the three. Here's a little more info to get you even more excited about the release:

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019

Congrats on the awesome cover, Alex, and thanks for stopping by!

Cheers Cavanaugh Blogfest

Today is the first day of the Cheers Cavanaugh blogfest, hosted by Mark Koopman, Morgan Shamy, Stephen Tremp and David Powers King. The point of the fest is for us bloggers to raise our glasses to our ninja friend Alex, who is a nexus in the blogging community. He was one of the first to follow and comment on my blog, and continues to be the first to comment on my posts. Thank you, Alex, for finding the time to comment and for caring about so many people.

I'm combining the answers to the questions in the following piece of flash fiction:

Cosbolt pilot Alex J. Cavanaugh looked at the doctor, his brown eyes filled with concern.

"So? What's the verdict, doc?"

Doctor Phil sighed. "I'm sorry, Cavanaugh, I can't clear you to go back into space. The IWSG radiation you were exposed to from flying near that supernova could have... unexpected... effects. I want you on Earth so I can keep a close eye on you."

Cavanaugh's expression just then reminded the doc of Nathan Fillion as Mal in Firefly, when he realized the Browncoats had lost the war. Doctor Phil felt a spark of pity for the man.

"But what am I supposed to do now?" Cavanaugh asked. "All I ever knew was flying."

"I don't know... take up a hobby. Write. Pick up the guitar. Fall in love and get married. Take your pick."

It was a year later that Alex realized, ironically, he had followed the doctor's advice to the letter. So far, the radiation hadn't had any effects on him that he could tell, unless it was the cause of his new-found ability to read and type at ninja-like speeds and take in the information of hundreds of blogs almost as soon as he clicked their links. 

Life on Earth, he discovered, was good.

And a special thank you to Mrs. Cavanaugh for allowing us to spend time with the ninja captain. I assume you rock as much as your husband does!

Cheers, Cavanaugh :)

Book Review: CassaStar

Author: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Pub Date: October 2010

Byron is a talented Cosbolt pilot, and he knows it. During his pilot training on Guaard, he is determined to prove his worth to everyone, including the hard-to-please lead instructor at Guaard, Bassa. Byron is forced to spend more time with the instructor when he discovers he has a special talent that needs developing. On his journey to complete his training and find a post, Byron faces war and loss, and something that scares him even more, friendship.

CassaStar is fast-paced and character driven. Its strength is not its explanations of high-tech gadgetry or world building (though I did enjoy the mental communication and the jumping techniques of the Cosbolts), but in the characters. Byron is withdrawn and cynical, yet somehow he is enjoyable to read about--perhaps because he seems so real. Bassa is older, wiser, and I found him more likeable than Byron at first. His persistence in befriending Byron is the heart of the story.

This is a good book to read if you want an introduction to science fiction. Sometimes, reading science fiction books, I find myself dragged down by the politics and the science jargon, but that wasn't the case here. If there wasn't some exciting Cosbolt flying or other action going on, there was interesting character development happening. Either way, it kept me reading straight to the end.

The only thing I found lacking was a female presence. I am not a huge feminist so I enjoyed it regardless, but I'm just saying, I would totally be a Cosbolt pilot if that was a career option for me! Why weren't there female pilots in this story? Perhaps this will be remedied in the next installment of the series.

This is a story about friendship, relationships, and fighting for what is right, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like science fiction and are drawn into a tale by the realistic characters, I recommend giving CassaStar a read.