Godzilla 2014

You know me, I am a hardcore Godzilla fan, and earlier this week, thanks to friend Skott Stotland of The Nerd Signal, I got to see an early showing of the new American Godzilla film.

You can read my spoiler-filled review of the movie over at Biff Bam Pop!, click here. I've got a lot to say.

And while you're in the monster mood, please check out Skott Stotland's review of Godzilla here, fellow Biff Bam Pop! staff writer J.P. Fallavollita on Gareth Edwards' Monsters here (and my review of that film as well), and good friend and fellow writer Becca Butcher's rebuttal to my review here.

And the Winner Is...

...Austria! "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst!

For my full report on the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, check it out here at Biff Bam Pop!.

The 2014 Eurovision Finalists

After Tuesday's First Semi-Final and today's Second Semi-Final, we now have the official line-up for Saturday's Final. The competitors for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest are, in order of performance, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Norway, Romania, Armenia, Montenegro, Poland, Greece, Austria, Germany, Sweden, France, Russia, Italy, Slovenia, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Malta, Denmark, The Netherlands, San Marino, and the United Kingdom.

The Final will be held in Copenhagen Denmark Saturday afternoon US time. My favorites are Poland, Austria, and Ukraine, but I doubt any of those will be the winner this year. Of course, the voting is a little different this year with 50% of it going to a judges panel as opposed to being subject to the whims of the people of Europe. Who will you be rooting for?

The Eurovision 2014 Finalists

This is the week, Eurovision happens this week. The First Semi-Final is tomorrow, with the Second Semi-Final on Thursday and then the big event, the Final on Saturday.

And on Saturday, the winners of the First and Second Finals will compete with last year's winning country, Denmark, and the original five countries. Here are those entries:

Denmark - "Cliché Love Song" by Basim



Spain - "Dancing in the Rain" by Ruth Lorenzo



Italy - "La Mia Citta" by Emma Marrone



Germany - "Is It Right" by Elaiza



France - "Moustache" by TWIN TWIN



United Kingdom - "Children of the Universe" by Molly

The Rest of the Eurovision 2014 Semi-Finalists

Here are the rest of the Semi-Finalists for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. There has been a lot of Susan Boyle-ish hype about Belgium's entry, although it does nothing for me. Poland definitely has the spirit of Eurovision with their risqué video. Latvia gets it too, even though apparently Montenegro doesn't. I'm kinda fond of Ireland, as with most years, it's one of my favorites, but this is a year of very fierce competition. Time will tell…

Azerbaijan - "Start A Fire" by Dilara Kazimova



The Netherlands - "Calm After the Storm" by The Common Linnets



Belgium - "Mother" by Axel Hirsoux



Poland - "We Are Slavic" by Donatan & Cleo



Latvia - "Cake to Bake" by Aarzemnieki



Montenegro - "Moj Svijet" by Sergej Cetkovic



Hungary - "Running" by Kallay-Saunders



Ireland - "Heartbeat" by Can-Linn featuring Kasey Smith

Even More Eurovision 2014

As the clock ticks down to the first Semi-Final on May 5th with competitions every day through to the Grand Final on May 10th, the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark's Copenhagen is looming closer and the competition is fierce.

Here is a quick look at some more of the entries this year, featuring more than a few vastly different musical styles:

Belarus - "Cheesecake" by Teo



Georgia - "Three Minutes to Earth" by The Shin & Mariko



Greece - "Rise Up" by Freaky Fortune featuring Ricky Kidd



Iceland - "No Prejudice" by Pollaponk



San Marino - "Maybe" by Valentina Monetta



Armenia - "Not Alone" by Aram MP3



Malta - "Coming Home" by Firelight

More Eurovision 2014

Here are several more of the finalists for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Coperhagen in just a few weeks, including the controversial Austrian entry by Ms. Conchita Wurst. Definitely some very tough competition this year...

FYR Macedonia - "To the Sky" by Tijana



Slovenia - "Round and Round" by Tinkara Kovac



Russia - "Shine" by the Tolmachevy Sisters



Austria - "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst



Sweden - "Undo" by Sanna Neilsen



Portugal - "Quero Ser Tua" by Suzy



Finland - "Something Better" by Softengine



Norway - "Silent Storm" by Carl Espen



Switzerland - "Hunter of Stars" by Sebalter

Eurovision 2014: Moldova and Estonia

Moldova - "Wild Soul" by Cristina Scarlat



Estonia - "Amazing" by Tanja

Early Eurovision 2014 Finalists

The finalists are quickly being named for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. The main event will take place on May 10, 2014, with two semi-finals in the days before then.

While there's question as to whether Russia and the Ukraine will be participating this year, as with any year in which war looms among the competing nations, there have been several finalists announced (including Ukraine).

Here are some of them:

Israel - "Same Heart" by Mei Finegold



Romania - "Miracle" by Paula Seling and Ovi



Lithuania - "Attention" by Vilija Matačiūnaitė



Some strong competitors here, looks like it's going to be a good contest this year...

Eurovision 2014 Is Coming

It's that time of year again. Eurovision season is here and the contestants are beginning to be chosen.

Here are the entries for Albania and the Ukraine, who will all be participating in the First Semi-Final on May 6, 2014:



"Zemërimi I Një Nate (One Night’s Anger)" by Hersi Matmuja



"Tick-Tock" by Maria Yaremchuk

The Godzilla 2014 Teaser Trailer

Every time I see the American version of Godzilla on TV (FX seems to run it relentlessly), I feel so sad that Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were unable to capture the essence of the legendary monster, or one of film's longest running franchises for that matter.

They certainly made a movie called Godzilla, but there was no Godzilla in it, any more than the Big G was in Gorgo or Cloverfield, they made a movie about a giant monster on the rampage, but it wasn't Godzilla.

The American Godzilla was and is much maligned in fan and genre circles. I don't know about you, but I know that I, and every other fan, cheer loudly whenever we see Godzilla obliterate the American doppelganger (whom Toho dubbed Zilla) in Godzilla: Final Wars.

It's at times like those above that I hope that the new American version of Godzilla from Legendary Pictures might get it right. Here's the first official teaser trailer:



At least the monster looks like Godzilla. It has promise. I will wait and see. Godzilla opens on May 16th, 2014.

The South Jersey Writers' Group 2014 Anthology

Welcome to the South Jersey Writers' Group!

About the Group

The South Jersey Writers' Group, founded in 2006, provides networking and development opportunities for local writers in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. The group meets regularly several times during the month for topic-based discussion about the craft of writing and the publishing industry.

The group welcomes writers of all ages, backgrounds, genres, and experience levels. Among the events offered by the group are Write-Ins, Topic Discussions, Critique Sessions, Book Signings, Author Appearances, and Blogfests. For more information on the group, visit the website, Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter.

The Next Big Adventure

In December 2012, the group published their first short story anthology, Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, which is available in paperback on Amazon, select local coffee shops, and other vendors. The book was a labor of love, but it's highly entertaining and showcases the diversity of our writers. It turned out to be a neat little book, and for being such a hyper-local focus, sales are still going really well, and it has generated a lot of interest in the literary community of South Jersey.

Now we're planning the next one, taking the lessons learned and building on success. The 2014 Anthology will feature longer, more intricate stories, aligned along a theme or within a genre. With the support of our backers, we'll be able to pay the authors and designers for their talents and skills.

We are doing this through Kickstarter, a terrific way to raise money for creative projects and also offer great incentives to those who donate. We are trying to raise $3000 by June 23. The details are here, along with the many incentives available depending on the amount of your donation.



Upcoming Book Signings

July 13 at Book Asylum in Blackwood NJ, 12-3 PM

September 14 at Authors on the Greene in Smithville NJ 11 AM - 5 PM

October 5 at the Collingswood Book Festival in Collingswood, look for our table.

November 2 at Bogart's Books & Cafe in Millville NJ 10:30 AM - 2 PM

Please see our schedule for added events and details.

Now Accepting New Members

The South Jersey Writers' Group is accepting new members through the end of June. The special discounted fee for half-year membership is $15, and then will be closed until October. Act now!

Contact Info

Amy Hollinger

Marie Gilbert

southjerseywriters@gmail.com

www.southjerseywriters.com