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Movie Review "Million Dollar Arm"-- a Wonderful Family Movie with a Great Message

5/19/2014

Godzilla was Sold Out So we lucked into Million Dollar Arm

I'm normally not a big monster-movie fan. I haven't seen any of the Transformers or Marvel movies, for example, but there was something about Godzilla that made me (much to my wife's surprise) want to go see it. Maybe it was just nostalgia for those great ABC 4:30 Movies I watched as a kid that had such great intros.

Decades before Shark Week was launched ABC used to have weeks dedicated to themes like Godzilla and the Planet of the Apes. I recall that when I was a kid (a time when HBO didn't exist) I couldn't wait to get home to watch many of the movies.

So it was with that idea in mind I headed with my son and two of his friends to see Godzilla. My son recommended we buy tickets on-line in advance, but I assured him there was no way a 5 o'clock Sunday movie would be sold out. "We'll probably have the theater to ourselves," I said.

Well, suffice it to say that at 5:10 we were looking at the board for options. I like Jon Hamm as an actor (not as much as my wife) and I heard good things about Million Dollar Arm. It was from Disney and rated PG. A good alternative I thought.

But I was wrong. Million Dollar Arm wasn't just a good movie...it was a GREAT movie with all the elements that make movie making special. I was moved many times while watching it.

One of the things I liked best about the movie was the way it accurately portrayed the Indian culture. I have had the privilege of getting to know hundreds of Indian Americans throughout my career and have come to truly appreciate and value the Indian people and their culture. The Indians portrayed in the movie---kind, family oriented, humble, funny, and intelligent--reminded me of so many of the wonderful clients with whom I worked during the years. In many ways, Million Dollar Arm is a love letter to the Indian culture while being what I found to be a pitch perfect (no pun intended) representation of the Indians I know.

The movie does a wonderful job of weaving together multiple story lines as it builds to a dramatic conclusion. Hamm does a great job, but I think the movie was carried by the four Indian actors--Hamm's partner at the agency, the two pitchers, and their coach.

The cinematography and images from the India shoot were fantastic. Plenty of tension, dramatic twists, and lots of laughs. Just a wonderful "Disney-type" movie and as a father it was great that it was rated PG.

I give Million Dollar Arm five stars and my son and his two friends agreed. As a matter of fact, on the drive home we all said that while we still want to see Godzilla we were happy with the way our Sunday afternoon turned out.

If you're looking for a great family movie that will inspire you and give you some encouragement, I can guarantee you'll enjoy Million Dollar Arm. It was an unexpected treat that I'm sure anyone will enjoy.

Book Review Site "Men Reading Books" Reviews my legal thriller Hallways in the Night

5/9/2014

For Fans of Mysteries and Thrillers this is a Great Review Site run by Power Readers for the Benefit of Power Readers

As a self/direct-published author, one of the biggest challenges is establishing the credibility of my book. Obviously, while my mother thinks the book is great, I'm doubtful how much sway she's going to have to convince you to buy the book even if it is only $2.99 for the Kindle version (for the record, that's cheaper than a venti chai latte)

But, I have been, and continue to be, hopeful that the more 3rd party sites review the book, the more credibility the book will have in the marketplace.

Because of that, I have spent some time reaching out to some book review blogs and review sites. As a side note, every one of them, including those who did not have time or an interest in reviewing Hallways in the Night, has been really nice and gracious. Proving that what the great James Lee Burke often says is true: "Book people are the greatest people in the world."

In researching book review sites, I was very fortunate to come across a truly great one Men Reading Books. It's a review site that specializes in mystery and thrillers and is run by four power readers: East Coast Don, West Coast Don, Midwest Dave and Vegas Bill. They are four guys who have teamed up on this site which means readers get a steady stream of book reviews and suggestions.

As part of my process of approaching a blog reviewer to ask if they would be interested in reading and reviewing Hallways in the Night, I always spend some time reading their previous posts and then trying to learn a bit about their background. I find a much better "review" rate if I am able to make an approach that is personalized, targeted and shows I'm not just out there making random requests.

Luckily, in doing my research, I found out that East Coast Don works at the Duke Clinical Research center. Because I'm a Duke law graduate, I mentioned that in my email query to Don. I knew he must be inundated with requests so I wanted to try and find a connection.

Don was kind enough to agree to read Hallways in the Night but he was told me upfront that Men Reading Books makes no promises when reviewing a book and has to, of course, adhere to their mission of "providing an honest appraisal from our standpoint as a member of the target audience of male fiction readers who favor political thrillers, police/legal procedurals, and some occasional historical fiction."

That was all I wanted and was (mostly) confident based upon other feedback and reviews that Hallways in the Night has received. I felt the stakes were a little higher here because of the site's profile and reputation, so I crossed my fingers when Don said he would review.

It was back in February/March (right around Jim Boeheim's first trip to Cameron) that Don and I communicated and I have been checking in on the MenReadingBooks site on a frequent basis. I was excited when I navigated to the site this morning and saw Don's review.

I was excited to see that the review was positive.

In the review, East Coast Don states "the setting and dialogue sings with authenticity" as well as that "the courtroom scenes crackle." He also writes a line I love when he writes "Remo Centrella is starting to decline a bit so he starts looking for a little help using the breakfast of champions.....steroids."

You can click through and read the full review here. Fair warning--just an fyi that this review does include a couple of spoilers with regards to who the "mystery" woman is in the car with Remo.

I feel very fortunate to get Men Reading Books to review Hallways in the Night and secondly to have received a positive review. Hopefully, it's another important step in the process of building credibility, awareness, and momentum for the book.

Check out the review and if you have not already, pick up a copy of Hallways in the Night at Amazon. The book does seem to be resonating with readers in a positive way and hopefully you'll be another reader who finds the book to be a good read that is absorbing and satisfying in a way that only a book can be.

And to my mother, who is the book's biggest champion: Happy Mother's Day!

Bruce Springsteen concert Review for May 1, 2014 Tampa Show

5/2/2014

Springsteen Puts On A Great Show In Tampa. Delivers Once Again On The Promise And Power Of Rock And Roll

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band rolled into Tampa last night and once again demonstrated the magic and transformative power of rock and roll. It was a night I'll always remember because I ended up taking my 11 year old son to the show when my next door cancelled at the last minute. it was one of those twists of fate that led to an unforgettable father-son memory.

We left the house around 7 o'clock to make sure we'd have plenty of time to reach our seats before showtime when I faced the first curveball of the night--Bruce took the stage at 7:45 PM. I hadn't realized he was going on so early. Maybe he figured he would accommodate the early bird diners in the audience, but I was surprised and we ended up having to jog from the parking lot into the Amphitheater, which doesn't have a bad seat in the house.

There was a strong energy from the crowd in the beginning and Bruce pulled out all the stops as he must have mentioned being in Tampa a dozen times. My son has never been a huge Bruce fan but even he could feel the magic coming from the stage. We missed Bruce's opening song Joe Hill (I was thinking maybe Stephen King--a part time Florida resident was in the house) but we reached our seats by Clamp Down which got us excited. He then moved into Badlands. The show was off and running and I could see my son instantly understood the power of a Bruce Springsteen show.

One interesting dynamic of the show was that I felt last night as if Bruce was being as uplifted from his music as the audience was. I've been to shows where Bruce steps on stage and you can tell he's already in the zone and a couple of others, like last night, where he depends on his audience to help him get to that level. Whether or not my read is correct, everyone in the audience was ready to do whatever was asked.

it was a great opening sequence of songs (full set list is here on one of my favorite blogs Blogness on the Edge of Town) and I was stoked when Bruce transitioned from Candy's room to a powerful version of Darkness on the Edge of Town.

After Darkness on the Edge of Town, we were treated to the E Street Band's first ever performance of Brothers Under the Bridge. I don't know why Bruce chose to play it, or why he never has in the past with the band, but it was delivered with such emotion that I forgot for a moment it was Bruce and instead was making a connection with the veteran in the song and the daughter who traveled to find him. Simply a beautiful song delivered in a way that was worth the price of admission.

"You're seeing history," I said to my son not knowing a little more "history" would be made because when Bruce got to the 18th song of his playlist--a rousing, fun version of "Pay Me My Money Down"-- he led a New Orleans style parade up the aisle away from the stage, out into the courtyard where the vendors are set up, and marched into the bar area where one Bruce fan bought him a shot of tequila. Because I had my son, and not my wife, with me, we actually left our seats to try and get a close-up view of the Boss.

It was crazy to see Bruce march up to an absolutely stunned barternder in the middle of a show to get a drink. For a moment, I felt 22 years old again as I had a chance to get a glimpse of what it must have been like back at the Capitol Theatre back in 1978.

When Bruce got back to the stage, he said it was the first time he had ever marched to a bar mid-show to get a drink. Very cool to see.

Once Bruce returned to the stage, we were treated to an other-wordly rendition of "The Ghost of Tom Joad." The two people who made this song so incredible were Tom Morello, of course, but also the cameraman who delivered an absolutely stellar close-up view of Morello's handiwork on the guitar. The dude is simply amazing.

I've always loved Tom's performance of the song and I did see him play it with Bruce at Wrigley Field, but last night's solo was the greatest one I have ever had the privilege of seeing. I think many people in the audience felt the same way if only based upon the huge ovation Morello received when Bruce introduced him near the end of the concert.

From there, the show maintained its intensity until the end with Bruce and the band once again proving they are the greatest band in the world. I don't think there's another organization in America--in sports, business, or music--that works together as a team better than the E Street Band. The chemistry, synergy, and camaraderie they have truly creates magic and it was on full display in Tampa last night.

After a great rendition of We are Alive, Bruce played Mary Don't You Weep. It's never been one of my favorite songs, but hearing it in person for the first time and then being part of a chorus when Bruce asked the audience to sing the verse back to him definitely made clear that the "Spirt" was in the house and having a jubilant time.

There's simply nothing I can compare to the experience of a Bruce Springsteen concert. It's a privilege to be part of the audience and the opportunity to attend with my son will likely go down as one of my great memories of fatherhood.

As we left the show and headed to the parking lot, I told my son that he had just seen an example of what a person can accomplish--and the positive impact they can have on the world--when you follow your passion and make a commitment to try and elevate the world around you. It was great to see that my son understood he had just witnessed something special.

As Bruce closed the show with an acoustic version of Thunder Road, we headed to the car to try and beat some of the traffic on a school night. As I walked to the parking lot, I felt the way I always do after a Springsteen concert: uplifted, grateful, and optimistic thanks to the rock and roll testimony that had been delivered with heartfelt conviction by Bruce and the band.

Book Review Via Marilyn's Mystery Reads Book Review Site

5/1/2014

This is a great website for those who enjoy mysteries. Marilyn was kind enough to review Hallways in the Night. Her review is here: http://www.marilynsmysteryreads.com/2014/04/12/hallways-in-the-night-by-r-c-oleary-book-review/

19 5 STAR Reviews on Amazon

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHAPTERS
1-5 FOR FREE

From Reveiwers: 

"the courtroom scenes crackle....the setting and dialogue sing with pure authenticity." MenReadingBooks.com 

Tampa Tribune:"this legal thriller is certainly hard to put down."

BookStory: "An edge of the seat legal battle. Unputdownable."

From Readers:

"I had a hard time putting it down."

"5 Stars Across the Board!"

"A cross between John Grisham and Tom Wolfe."

"Hard to Believe this is O'Leary's first novel."

"Great action!"

"Loved every minute of it. Great twist that had my jaw dropped"

Author

R.C. O'Leary author of legal thriller Hallways in the Night.