Lenni Reviews: "Sweet Lullaby" 1-4 by Al Scherkenback and J. Briscoe Allison

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Lullaby is an assassin working for an organization run by her father. To get to their targets, they go deep undercover; calling the operations 'dreams.' Lullaby is swift and precise but also in love. She wonders if a normal life is even possible and is torn between her loyalty to her father and the possibility of a civilian life.

The story is told by jumping back and forth between Lullaby's childhood and her present day assignments. We get to see why she decided to become a killer, how she works, and what her usual targets are like. The entire organization uses sleep terms as monikers (Catnap, Z, Forty Winks, and the like), which I'm still on the fence about if that's clever or silly. But it wasn't enough to be distracting to the story. As for the art style, it kinda reminded me of Gen 13 in style and the lines, color, and lettering are well done and fun to look at.

The way the narrative is structured, I found it hard to really sink into the story. The moment I felt engaged, the timeline switched again. Not to say the story is bad at all. Interesting if a bit scattered; I give this a 3.5 out of 5.

Dolphins and Sharks (Review)

Written By Justin D Williams

Last night I attended a play by Labyrinth Theater Company entitled “Dolphins and Sharks.” The play stars Tina Fabrique, Flor De Liz Perez, Ceasar J. Rosado, Chinaza Uche and Pernell Walker. The played is directed by Charlotte Brathwaite.

Story -  Yusuf studies philosophy. Xiomara is ambitious. Isabel keeps it real. These are the employees of Harlem Office, a neighborhood copy shop, where promotions are rare and raises are even rarer. But when one employee is given the chance to move up, friendships are tested and loyalty turns out to be less valuable than cold hard cash. Soon cutbacks and office politics have everyone fighting to keep their jobs and their sanity in this searing new play about clocking in, clocking out and rising up.

After leaving Dolphins and Sharks I was honestly amazed on how good and realistic the story is. The story follows a very simple premise of four co-workers Xiomara Yepez played by Flor De Liz Perez, Danilo Martinez played by Ceasar J. Rosado, Yusuf Nwachukwu by Chinaza Uche and Isabel Peters by Pernell Walker. Each co-worker has their own situations in life to deal with. Xiomara is trying to move up the corporate ladder at Harlem Office and become a manager. Danilo is trying to find a better job to provide better for his wife and incoming newborn baby. Yusuf is a recent college graduate but can’t find work in his field. Finally there is Isabel who is just  trying to stay above water. She is a character that is doing what she must to provide for her three kids and help her husband. The great thing about having such a small ensemble cast is there is plenty of room for character development. Dolphins and Sharks story does well in this department. Each character gets enough time for the audience to connect with their backstory and really invest in their situations. For the sake of spoilers I won’t go deeper into the plot or backstories. Dolphins and Sharks tackles a lot of issues many of us face today such as, working at job that pays you less than your worth. Dealing with stereotypes, dealing with a friend becoming more successful than you. However one of the underlining themes I took from this play is survival. When you look at each character and how they make their decisions it’s not based on any ill will towards each other. The decisions made by the characters are purely based on survival. Each circumstance that the characters face will have them choosing what is best for them over the relationship and loyalty of a co-worker. This premise left an engaging dynamic as I try to figure out which character was truly in the wrong or were their actions justify. This dynamic is mostly shown with Xiomara as she is put in position where it’s business over friendship. Xiomara is driven and is not going to let anyone or anything stop her from reaching her goals. Sometimes Xiomara has to make tough decisions that is not the most popular even if it means losing relationships. I love how Dolphins and Sharks paints the picture of confliction. I have to do this to survive but on the other side of the spectrum my decision effects everyone. The narrative is well done and by the end of the show you feel a touch of realism and critical thinking to the situations which every single person can relate too. The story has some very deep moments especially during the transitions where the character Amenze Amen played Tina Fabrique gives some really powerful dialogue and songs. My favorite transition scene was the rendition of a very underrated song from Nas. I won’t spoil it but when I heard those lyrics I couldn’t help but smile. Overall the story is solid and very grounded that anyone can relate to at least one of these characters. There is a meaning for the title of the play and you have to listen to Amenze dialogue to really get the deeper meaning of Dolphins and Sharks. It’s a story worth seeing.

Acting -  No play will ever succeed without the chemistry of the actors. The actors are  amazing and they all have great chemistry with each other. The way the characters interact with each other is so genuine you really do get immersed with the story. Xiomara and Isabel have a great relationship when we’re introduce to them. Flor De Liz Perez and Pernell Walker are awesome together as they play off each other very well. You really get this sense of sisterhood between their respective characters. Chinaza Uche as Yusuf was awesome to see. He played the by the book employee we all know so well. Watching Yusuf I couldn’t help just shake my head because of how by the book he was. That really put me more into the story is because how well the actors presented their characters.  Ceasar J. Rosado and Tina Fabrique also light up the stage with Danilo and Amenze. Amenze I like to think as the moral compass of the play as she tries to instill wisdom into the young folks working at Harlem Office. Ceasar’s Danilo had the audience laughing when he came on. His character is very witty and when the time came for him to get serious you really felt his passion when the conflict came with Xiomara. This is one talented cast who have great chemistry together and you can see the bond through their performances.

Final Thoughts: Dolphins and Sharks is a beautiful play with some terrific acting, great stage and production. The story has a very realistic tone tackling social issues without beating you over the head with one main perspective.  If you’re in NYC this is a play you need to check out. 

Dolphins and Sharks is running at the Bank Theater from February 9th to March 19th. For more information visit http://labtheater.org/events/dolphins-and-sharks/

Double Dragon 4 (Review)

Reviewed By Justin D Williams 

The next entry in the side-scrolling action game series Double Dragon is finally here! The story picks up after the elimination of the Black Warriors in Double Dragon II! Experience all-new exhilarating action with the original old-school graphics! Use the art of Sou-Setsu-Ken to rescue the kidnapped Marian! Plus, new enemy characters including ninjas, karate masters, and sumo wrestlers, none of which have been seen in Double Dragon before! There are lots of extra modes, too! Cool new features fans have been waiting for! Playable enemy characters, VS Mode, Tower Mode, and even more!

Justice League Dark Review

Hey O&G fans, DC has released another animation in the Justice League series. Justice League Dark is the continuation in the Justice League series (JL War, JL battle for Atlantis, and.....) Here is a bit about the story: All over the world, people suddenly begin panicking as they start to see everyone around them as demonic monsters and end up killing a good number of innocents before the members of the Justice League can stop them. Deliberating about this strange outbreak, most of the League's members come to the conclusion that magic must be involved in this. Despite his own past experiences with magic, Batman expresses his skepticism and walks out; but as he returns to Wayne Manor to rest, he is temporarily possessed by Deadman, before he regains consciousness and finds the word "Constantine" written all over the walls.

Note: The Justice League Dark originally featured John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade, the Changing Man and Zatanna. The team consists of the more supernatural members of the DC Universe, handling situations deemed unfit for the traditional Justice League.

REVIEW

First thing fans can get excited about is the return of everyone's favorite occult investigator Matt Ryan as John Constantine ( well atleast his voice ). This is perfect since the CW announced they'll be continuing his adventures as animated shorts. JL Dark is one of the few R-rated animated movies (don't know why it rated R not much other than language), which it hopes to gain more viewers. The Title is Justice League , but other than a few appearances, the only member throughout the movie is Batman.

The story opens when some really horrific crimes start happening in Gotham City and Metropolis. A woman mows down innocent pedestrians with her car. A guy holds his wife and children at gunpoint. A woman is about to toss her baby off a building. The thing is, all of them swear up and down that the things they’re mowing down, holding at gunpoint, and about to chuck off a roof are demons. The Movie is as dark as the title suggest, with mood, actions and back stories about the characters. That said, there’s also plenty of humor in the film, too. This is about John Constantine, after all, who never met a wisecrack he didn’t like.

One thing I really loved about the movie is you find out how powerful Zatana really is! I'm trying not to give too much away, but damn! The introduction of characters like Deadman and swampthing shows fans DC is really expanding and not just using the same heroes and villians. The voice acting is always on point. Matt Ryan is just as brilliant voicing Constantine as he is playing him live action with Jason O'Mara reprising his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Overall this 115 min movie is worth the watch. The story and action  will keep you entertained through out, It does justice to the main cast of characters by telling their tragic origin stories and showing off their quirky personalities. I'm giving Justice League Dark4 stars out of 5.

by Sean Tucker

Lenni Reviews: "Counting to Zero" by A. J. Quinn

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

The NSA orders Dr. Emma Thorpe to put together a team of hackers - off the books - in order to help the US government fight cyber terrorism. One of the people tapped is Paxton James, currently in an Indonesian jail because she was set up for a crime she didn't commit. Paxton is willing to deal as long as it gets her out of jail and it doesn't hurt that Emma is hot. But trust won't come easy to the betrayed Pax or the hardened agent Thorpe and they must learn to deal with their mounting attraction and fight a cyber criminal with ties to Pax's criminal past.

If you like your romances a little slow, this is a good example of the main couple having an instant attraction but not the insta-love so many romance novels tend to use as a trope. The situation these characters are in gives them some real issues to deal with so the real focus of this novel is the cyber crime. Quinn has created some smart, interesting, and fun characters who are a pleasure to get to know but somehow, it all comes off a little rushed. Granted, they're chasing a cyber-criminal trying to kill people so it's not like they have time to sit around and have tea to discuss their feelings. There is enough here to enjoy a quick, romantic thriller with some strong female characters. If I had one real gripe, it's that Pax must be part terminator because every ten seconds she's getting injured and recovers unrealistically fast. 3.8 out of 5.

Press Release: "Windsinger" by A. F. E. Smith

Having  read and reviewed the first two in this series, I am super excited for the next installment! :D Here's the summary from the author:

"Ayla Nightshade prepares to meet with the Kardise ambassador to sign a treaty between Mirrorvale and Sol Kardis. However, negotiations are halted as the ambassador is discovered dead in his chambers, poisoned by the same bottle of taransey he and Ayla had shared the night before.

Ayla has been framed for murder and the peace between two kingdoms is at stake. Tomas Caraway and his Helmsmen must rush to prove her innocence before war destroys all they have fought for.

Along the way they discover the plans for a Parovian airship, the Windsinger, which reveal a chamber designed for a special cargo: a living one.

Together Ayla and Tomas set out to uncover their real enemies – a search that will lead them closer to home than they ever anticipated."

I am starting this book today and with the power of friendship I hope to have a review up for you guys before then! :D

Marvel has cast the live action Runaways series on Hulu

Marvel was moving forward on an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s comic series Runaways as a TV show for Hulu. Gossip Girl creators and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage would be handling the series, which is about a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are a cadre of supervillains known as “The Pride” and runaway only to discover their unusual birthrights.

Rhenzy Felix (Teen Wolf, Casual) as Alex Wilder, "a loud-and-proud nerd. Admittedly a bit of a loner, Alex spends much of his free-time playing video games, but deep down, what he wants most is to reunite his childhood group of friends."

Lyrica Okano (The Affair, Unforgettable) as Nico Minoru. "[She]–tough, intelligent, and independent–embodies teenage angst. A budding 'Wiccan,' Nico’s carefully crafted goth appearance isolates her from her peers and family, but maybe what she really needs is someone to talk to."

Virginia Gardner (Goat, Little Bitches) as Karolina Dean, described as "model-perfect exterior with a lot going on behind her professionally whitened smile, is burdened by the lofty expectations and responsibilities put upon her by her parents. Underneath her veneer of privilege and perfection, Karolina is experiencing a newfound eagerness to explore her identity and pursue her own desires."

Ariela Barer (New Girl, One Day At A Time) as Gert Yorkes. "[Gert] is a purple-haired, bespectacled, contemporary riot grrrl. Never passing up a moment to stand on a soapbox, Gert sometimes wields her persona as a brash social justice warrior to mask her true feelings."

Gregg Sulkin (Faking It, Don't Hang Up, Anti Social) as Chase Stein, a "lacrosse-playing, high school heartthrob. "While many write him off as a dumb jock, Chase exhibits flashes of untapped brilliance in engineering, not unlike his wildly successful father’s."

Allegra Acosta (100 Things To Do Before High School, Just Add Magic) as Molly Hernandez (not Molly Hayes, as in the comic books), "the youngest and most innocent member of her friend group, is known for her peppy positivity and a deep yearning to belong."

"Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were?  Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe–their parents."

source: Newsarama

"Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives" to open the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open the 16th edition with the world premiere of the feature length documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives at Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday, April 19, 2017. The premiere will be followed by a special concert featuring performances by Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more, taking opening night beyond the screen to honor the legendary music executive and producer. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 19 to April 30.

 Based on Davis’ 2013 bestselling autobiography, the film chronicles the historic influence of “The Man with the Golden Ears,” who rose from humble beginnings, and in a compelling and riveting journey, became one of the music industry’s most iconic figures. Directed by Chris Perkel, the film is produced by Michael Bernstein of Scott Free Productions, with Ridley Scott and Mary Lisio executive producing alongside IM Global’s Stuart Ford, David Schulhof, and Deborah Zipser. Leading independent film and television studio IM Global provided financing for the film. 

 “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a fascinating exploration of his remarkable story and the impact that a great producer can have on artists and music,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of the Tribeca Film Festival. “We are excited to have this powerful film premiere on our opening night.”

“The Tribeca Film Festival has a wonderful tradition of artists supporting artists, so honoring Clive Davis and his unwavering commitment to music and creativity is the perfect way to open our 16th annual festival,” said Tribeca’s Paula Weinstein. “With special live performances by some of the most talented artists of our time, it will be an unforgettable night to celebrate the arts and Clive.”

“Directing this film provided a wonderful challenge because Clive Davis stands at the center of a culture-defining array of talent that has shaped the last half century of contemporary music. His is an inspiring story that's sure to leave you with a smile on your face, a tug at your heart and a playlist of hits forever stuck in your head,” said director Chris Perkel.

The film is an inspiring story of courage, resilience, talent, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. These qualities drove Davis - a child of early 20th Century working-class Brooklyn who lost both parents while a teenager - to full academic scholarships to NYU and Harvard Law School and a brief but impactful stint as a white-shoe lawyer.  His unrelenting drive to be the best and a twist of fate led Davis to assume the presidency of Columbia Records at just 35 years of age. It was only after the discovery of Janis Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival, and Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Santana and Aerosmith shortly thereafter, that it became dramatically evident that he had a previously unexplored natural gift that would command a career that has created the soundtrack for three generations of American culture.

The film examines how Davis rocketed to the top of the bare-knuckles music industry,

repeatedly building major record labels (Columbia, Arista, J), at times becoming the subject of great controversy while overcoming enormous professional and personal challenges and tragedies. 

Davis has signed, influenced and driven the careers of many of the most important music artists of the 20th and 21stCenturies.  In addition to those already mentioned, these include: Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Earth Wind & Fire, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Rod Stewart, Sean “Puffy” Combs, and, of course, Whitney Houston, whose explosive professional career is dramatically captured in a never-before-told story that will move and enthrall audiences. The Soundtrack of Our Lives features interviews with many of these iconic artists. His storied annual Pre-Grammy Gala, which just turned 40, is always the hottest ticket of the year, drawing the biggest stars across music, film, television, and politics as well as business leaders and glitterati from around the world. For the first time, there will be an inside look in the documentary at the musical and social heights reached by this legendary Gala.

Critical Role Fanfiction: "Dreamscape" Chapter 3:

Hello everyone. It has been a while since I have written Critical Role fanfiction. It has actually been a year which is crazy. Life is moving on fast. To tell the truth, my heart and mind had lost inspiration as of late. It happens. Everyone can get writers block from time to time. I recently got a surge of inspiration and I want to continue this story for as long as I can. Thank you all who have read the prologue to Chapter 2. I greatly appreciate the support. For those who are new and have no idea what story I am talking about and want to catch up, click here,

(http://www.otakusandgeeks.com/articles/2015/6/19/critical-role-fanfiction/author?rq=dreamscape) 

and here

(http://www.otakusandgeeks.com/articles/2015/6/26/dreamscape-chapter-2-a-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/author?rq=dreamscape%20)

Enjoy!

The dented armored man sits next to Vex and addresses the group with a low gravely voice. "Excuse me for staring. It's been a rough couple of weeks and as you all can gleen from my appearance, I barely made it out of there alive. My name is Andreus Fallform. I'm a guard in my sovereign's  army which has been torn asunder by the evil that has started to gather there. Unfortunately, this armor is the only article of clothing that I have on me for the time being, so pardon for my appearance. The reason for the sudden stares from across the room, you holy gnome, was in my vision." Pike looks at him with a confused look on her face.  "You had a vision too? I mean I had one and it seems that we've gotten different beginnings but the same ending: a feeling that something is wrong."

Andreus nodded his head. "I was told by the denizens of Imon that a person with your description was the one that I had to set out for. My lady who gave me the vision in the first place, said that I would find you here and also find the group Vox Machina. I assume these are they." He gestures to his eyes each and every member, including Grog who is over at the bar still drinking away. "I've heard some tales about this group of strange of heroes that have fought a dragon and lived to tell the tale as well as other hell spawn of the world. I need your help Vox Machina, and I would like to have your cleric come with me to help my soverign and people."

As Andrus was speaking, Vax was looking very closely at Andrus and was also taking in every word he said, including the inflections that he has made.  Vax notices something else on Andrus. On his face, he has a fresh burn mark. Vax speaks to Andrus. "Before we rush in the situation, as we usually do, what ails the land and your ruler? Also why in the hell haven't you went into detail about the fight that happened on the way to the forum. especially with the burn mark on your face?" Andrus looks at Vax with a stern glance yet the corners of his mouth move upwards into a mischievous grin. "Is there somewhere else where we can have this conversation?"

Back at the keep, Tiberius joins the group around the table and Pike fills him in on what happened. Tiberius snorts and says "Sounds to me that we are going to be dealing with some buttholes again, aren't we?" As everyone settled down at the table, Andrus looks at the group and at the latest guest. Andrus raises an eyebrow curiously at Tiberius. He still has that mischievous grin on his face. "A Dragonborn. Not everyday that I see one around these parts." Tiberius looks at Andrus and says in his own special greeting "Hello. I am Tiberius Stormwind of Draconia." Andrus grin turns into a smile that gives Keyleth shivers down her spine. She is sitting next to Percy and leans over to whisper in his ear, "Percy that smile. I got a bad feeling about this." 

"I am with you on this feeling, however if we don't show that we trust him up until this point, he will shut us out. That means no more information about a cause that we may not want to involve ourselves in." 

Keyleth gives him a resigned look. "Fine but after the whole Clarota fiasco and Lady Kima, I'm starting to get worried by the company we keep or attract. My instincts are out of it, I guess." 

Percy says, "You have every right to be nervous. Don't lose that sense. That just means your on to something."  

Andrus looks at everyone one more time and begins to tell the story.  

 "The kingdom that I grew up at is at the cusp of a forest called Lunaity. The kingdom has no name except for what outsidera call the Emerald City. We established the city about 4 years ago after moving from a desert near a city called Marcett. 

Baywatch Reboot Actor in Talks to play Black Manta

The Get Down actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in Aquaman as the villain, Black Manta, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor recently finished filming a role in the upcoming Baywatch reboot, which co-stars DC's upcoming Black Adam, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Little is known about the role on film, however in comic books Black Manta is a man from the surface world who now lives under the ocean and has sworn revenge on his former home.

Abdul-Mateen would join Jason Momoa in the title role, alongside Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master.

Aquaman is due out in theaters October 5, 2018.