Debbie Winkler

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Movie Review by Debbie Winkler

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Joss Ackland, Joshua Jackson, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling
Director: Stephen Herek
Series: The Mighty Ducks Movies Series #1
Release Date: 2 October 1992
Language: English
Length: 100 minutes
Movie Rating: PG
View Format: Streaming on computer
My Rating:

Synopsis:

“As punishment for getting a DUI, hotshot lawyer Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) is sentenced to community service coaching the pathetic Mighty Ducks hockey team. Initially reluctant, Gordon eventually transforms the ragtag band of outsiders and misfits (including a young Joshua Jackson) into the No. 1 team in the peewee league, overcoming his own childhood trauma in the process. The real-life NHL team was actually named after this movie.” — Netflix.com

Review:

I do enjoy a good Disney film. They really have the formula down to a science: create a sympathetic underdog, place some obstacles in his way, and let him achieve even though there are overwhelming odds against him. This movie meets all of the criteria and manages to tug on your heartstrings at the same time. Of course, there is nothing original or particularly memorable about this film, but it is still enjoyable and a pleasant way to pass the time. There is a little bit of something for every one in this movie. There are a lot of children in the movie, all with different personalities and strengths so children will be entertained and identify with someone in the movie. There is plenty of comedy as high end meets low end, adult meets child, underdog meets champion, so there are plenty of opportunities to laugh. There is plenty of sports-related action as there are several hockey games throughout the film. They only show you the highlights, which is just enough to move the plot along, but is also enough to whet your appetite if you enjoy hockey. There is a touch of romance between Emilio Estevez and Charlie’s (Joshua Jackson) mother (Heidi Kling). And the good guys win in the end against the big, bad, bully champions.

So what more could you ask for? Well, a bit of heart and soul, for one thing. This movie hits all of the right notes and stirs you while you are watching it, but the movie doesn’t stay with you. It has no lasting impact, but is a pretty enjoyable way to pass a few hours. If you are looking for a family-oriented film that children of all ages will enjoy, this is a good movie to select. If you are single and enjoy sports dramas or comedies, as I do, this is also a good movie to select. Again, this movie probably will not make into your top-10, but you will find a lot to recommend it, and then you will set it aside and forget about it as I did.

Content:

This movie contains some mild language, sports-related violence, sleazy lawyers and scenes of drinking, including a DUI. Appropriate for viewers of all ages.

Selling Used Books Online: The Complete Guide to Bookselling at Amazon’s Marketplace and Other Online Sites

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Author: Stephen Windwalker
Publisher: Harvard Perspective Pr (June 2002)
ISBN: 0971577838, EAN: 9780971577831
Page Count: 176 pages
Format: paperback

Target Age Group: adults
My Rating: , Some Excellent Advice for the New & Experienced Seller

Synopsis:

Stephen Windwalker has written a very good how-to guide on selling used books online, specifically on Amazon.com’s own website. He begins with a brief section that must be required for any author to write if they are writing about something entrepreneurial – is this business for you? and continues with a brief overview of the bookselling business in general. Then he walks beginners through setting up an account online so that you can begin selling. The middle section was one of the strongest with sections on suppliers & sources (who to buy from, how to find suppliers, mailing materials, etc.), building your inventory: where to get your books, which contains some interesting ideas as to where to go to buy the books (libraries, garage sales, dumpster diving, local churches, etc.), and what books to get, which provided some excellent advice, especially for beginners, on what books to avoid purchasing because they do not sell well or there is a big glut in the market for ($0.01 book, anyone?). I feel that these chapters in the middle would be a great reminder and resource for anyone who is already selling, as well. Still, take the author’s advice with a grain of salt because I have been quite successful doing some of the things that the author encourages sellers to avoid. The author then continues with basic selling advice including where to sell your books, grading & describing your books, and posting and pricing your books, all of which are pretty obvious to the experienced seller, but may be of use to newer sellers. Probably my favorite section was on book repairs, which was by no means extensive, but did provide some good, basic tips on what to do with books that are slightly damaged so that you can maximize your profit from them. The end section is mainly for serious sellers, as it contains sections on business organization, taxes, dreams of getting bigger, and some fulfillment & customer service advice.

Review:

Again, I would recommend this book to beginning sellers as it does answer quite a few questions that they may have and experienced sellers will find some value in there as well, but it is a pretty expensive trade paperback so if you already know what you are doing, you may not feel that you are getting your money’s worth. My only complaint with the book is that the author doesn’t deal with a few issues that I feel are very important if you are going to be selling on Amazon.com’s marketplace. The number one thing that he didn’t deal with is the shipping charges issues, as in Amazon keeping $1+ per transaction as “shipping charges” that the seller never sees, but the buyer is always complaining about. It would have been nice for him to go over this, or at least mention it, as it is one of the most difficult things for new sellers to understand. A few more specific tips would have made this book a 5 star instead of a 4.

Content:

Information based, this book is appropriate for any reader.

Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (1985)

Movie Review by Debbie Winkler

Starring: Bettina Bush, Pat Fraley, Peter Cullen, Robbie Lee, Andre Stojka
Director: Bernard Deyriès & Kimio Yabuki
Series: a Rainbow Brite Movie
Release Date: 15 November 1985
Language: English
Length: 85 minutes
Movie Rating: G
View Format: DVD
My Rating:

Synopsis:

“The dark princess is up to no good! She’s snatched the Spectra -- the universe’s sole source of light. Without Spectra in its rightful place, all will be plunged into gloom and dreariness unless Rainbow Brite and her friends can defeat the princess. In an animated cosmos of enchanted worlds, spunky Rainbow Brite and her magical horse, Starlite, confront evil by using color, magic, cleverness and joy as ammunition.” — Netflix.com

Review:

I can remember loving this movie when I was a kid and was expecting to enjoy it just as much now. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I mean, I still liked it, but not as much as I remember enjoying it when I was younger. I used to watch this movie all the time -- I can’t believe that I didn’t drive my mother crazy! I loved the colors, I loved Rainbow Brite and I loved that she was the one saving the day instead of the boys! Now, I realize that this movie really doesn’t have that much of a plot. And what little plot there is (see above) doesn’t really make that much sense. Still, these random pieces of plot allowed Rainbow to save the day many, many times and that is quite satisfying as Rainbow Brite is short, though she has a big head, which should make her smarter as she has a larger brain cavity. Now, I don’t really think she was smart so much as spunky and crazy. Crazy because she never realized that she was in danger and had complete confidence that her rainbows could get her out of any situations. As we see in this movie, that is not always the case, but hey, you live and learn, right?

So, as a precursor to female heroines the world over, Rainbow Brite has her place in history. Sadly, for my part, I wish that I had left her there! I found the voices to be irritatingly perky and high-pitched, the characters short, colorful, and pretty stupid (they have no concept of making a plan ahead of time!), and a really weird, rambling story. If you used to watch Rainbow Brite as a child, you probably know what I am talking about. There is something special about movies you watch as a child and you always remember them in a positive light, even if they weren’t that good. If you have a young girl at home, this would be a fun rental to pull out of the archives to show her what you used to watch, otherwise, I would pass and let the memory stay bright and beautiful.

Content:

This movie contains stylized, cartoon violence. No one gets hurt, but there are situations of peril. There really isn’t anything scary, though, so this movie is appropriate for viewers of all ages.

Stargate (1994)

Movie Review by Debbie Winkler

Starring: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Alexis Cruz, Mili Avital, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Roland Emmerich
Series: Stargate is the original movie that launched all the TV-series spin offs (including Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe)
Release Date: 28 October 1994
Language: English
Length: 121 minutes
Movie Rating: PG-13
View Format: DVD
My Rating:

Synopsis:

“Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader), a scholar of ancient hieroglyphics, signs on to help the Air Force (led by Kurt Russell) unlock the mystery of a stone archway that’s really a portal to another universe. There, they encounter a culture of friendly primitives and some not-so-nice dog-headed beasties armed with lasers. The Ultimate Edition of this visually creative space adventure offers a remastered director’s cut, audio commentary and a featurette.” — Netflix.com

Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie again. I remembered the basic plot from the first time I saw this movie years ago, but, now that I have been watching Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, I decided that I would like to see the original movie again to see what, if any, links there are between them. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the TV series have kept as much of the original Stargate look as possible. This includes the Stargate itself and the retrofitted nuclear-missile silo that houses the original Stargate. I must say that this movie still looks relatively modern and up-to-date. This is helped by most of the actors playing fashion-unaware scientists and uniform-clad military men. It is also helped by the fact that the special effects are really good! The trip through the Stargate and the spaceship contain most of the special effects scenes and they still look really cool! I was totally into it and really believed that this could happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this plot. I love Egyptian culture and history so I really enjoy watching movies that include these as well (Mummy anyone?). I think that I identified with James Spader’s character more than anyone, as he was so excited to be in an ancient-Egypt-like culture that he had a hard time remembering that they were there on a mission! So, because of these details, I found the setting fascinating and probably enjoyed this movie quite a bit more than I ordinarily would. I really loved the bad guys, who took on the persona of the Egyptian gods, complete with falcon and dog heads (Horus & Anubis). I also liked the lead bad guy because, while he looked like a human, he really had no human characteristics and felt nothing for anyone around him. I cannot imagine being the last survivor of a race of intelligent beings and so I am not sure what I would have done in his place, but I am sure that he saw humans as little more than beasts of burden like we see our animal pets today.

So, really, this movie is not a great film. The acting is not high quality and the story is probably not that original, but I just like it. I can’t really tell you why other than the fact that it captured my attention and gave me material for some great fantasies where I was able to ask myself, “what if?” and put myself in their shoes. I think that this movie has a kind of timeless quality among science-fiction lovers and will be enjoyed for years to come. If you enjoy science fiction or sci-fi action movies, then I highly recommend you take the time to rent this one -- especially if you are watching any of the TV shows!

Content:

This movie contains stylized science-fiction violence, including fighting, battle sequences and death. There are scenes with aliens, smoking, and some sensuality (though this is more hinted at than shown). Kurt Russell’s character has a child who accidentally shot himself and this is not shown, but is discussed throughout the film. Appropriate for viewers ages 13 and up.

Paladin of Souls

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Series: The Chalion Series Book 2
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: HarperTorch (June 2005)
ISBN: 0380818612, EAN: 9780380818617
Page Count: 482 pages
Format: paperback

Target Age Group: adults
My Rating: , Another Wonderful Chalion Adventure!

Synopsis:

Paladin of Souls picks up three years after The Curse of Chalion, when the dreadful curse that plagued Chalion’s rulers was lifted. Dowager Royina Ista is fed up with her padded prison at Valenda and is ready to live again. When her mother finally passes on, the 40-year old Ista seizes the chance to go on a religious pilgrimage around Chalion. Ista is not particularly interested in the gods, as they have so long ignored her prayers, but it soon turns out that the gods are not quite through with her and still need her to accomplish a task for them. Ista tries to resist becoming what she sees as a pawn, but the gods have ways of getting you to cooperate…

Ista soon finds herself in Porifors, a fortress on the border of Chalion that has long kept the enemy Roknari at bay. Ista cannot be comfortable there, however, as it is the home of the dy Lutez family, the family that Ista and her husband had so grievously wronged years ago. But comfortable or not, Ista finds herself embroiled in the dy Lutez family’s problems and finds herself strongly attracted to both Arhys dy Lutez, the dashing young commander, and Illvin dy Lutez, Arhys’ half-brother, who lies still and cold on his bed, stricken with some unknown malady. Seeing her chance to assist the dy Lutez family, as they had tried to assist her while she was the Royina, Ista reluctantly begins using her god-given gifts and finds that there are many sinister plans afoot in this forgotten corner of the Chalion empire…

Review:

Although Paladin of Souls is a sequel to The Curse of Chalion, it is not a traditional sequel in that the stars of The Curse of Chalion are mentioned only briefly here and the peripheral characters are given a chance to shine. Ista was a wonderful character to get to know and I felt that I understood the choice she made in The Curse of Chalion much better now that I have learned more about her personality. It was also fun to see Ferda and Foix, seen in the first book, pop up again and have a more prominent role. I also loved the fact that Bujold chose to write this story to help give closure to those who were wronged from the curse in the first book, specifically Ista and the dy Lutez family. It does a great job at wrapping up those little loose ends that otherwise would just be left alone. Although I still rated it at almost 5 stars, Paladin of Souls is not as good as The Curse of Chalion, but Bujold is such a wonderful author that I loved this book anyway. For whatever reason, I did not connect to the characters as strongly and the story dragged in a few places, but it was still a wonderful fantasy adventure!

Content:

This book contains some intense battle sequences with death and grievous wounds, but nothing is too explicitly described. Magic, religion, romantic liaisons, all factor into the plot. Nothing is inappropriate or too graphic to keep readers away, but I feel the book is best read by those 14 years of age and older.