Everyone is a Critic: My All-Time Favorites – Westerns

Posted: June 15, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Review, Western | Tags: A Fistful of Dollars, Everyone is a Critic, For a Few Dollars More, Movie Review, Review, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Quick and the Dead, The Unforgiven, Tombstone, Westerns, Writing to be Read, Young Guns | 5 Comments

There are some movies that I can watch over and over and never get tired of them because they are so fun to watch. I’m sure certain movies are the same for everyone, in this respect. For “Everyone is a Critic” in 2026, I’d like to talk about my all-time favorites, because if you haven’t seen them, they are worth watching, and if you have, maybe this will remind you how fun they are, and you’ll give one or two another go. I’ve categorized them by the values I find in them, or the reason that I watch them. Many of them, I have watched so many times, I can quote them word for word through many parts. (And, yes, I am old, but they really don’t make them like they used to.)

Now, here, I will share them with you in the hopes that you will get the same enjoyment I have from watching them. For those who have seen the movie, the quotes will bring certain scenes alive in their minds. And if you haven’t seen the movie and you watch it, when you see the scene, you’ll understand why I chose the quotes that I did.

Westerns – Always a Favorite of Mine (Yep. I like Clint Eastwood)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), with Clint Eastwood and Chief Dan George

Set during and after the American civil war, Eastwood plays Josey Wales, who looses his family to the Union red-legs, and joins up with Bloody Bill Cantrill with a vow to kill as many as he can in his vengeance. He becomes an outlaw after the war, when he refuses to surrender and runs from the Union troops, gathering a rag-tag following of colorful characters in the process.

This movie is quite long and there are too many great quotes to list them all here, but I’ve given you several.

I have this one in my personal movie collection.

Favorite Quotes: “I reckon in that war we all died a little.” – Fletcher (John Vernon)

“Get ready, little lady. Hell’s coming to breakfast.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)

“I’m pert as a rutting buck.” -Kid (Sam Bottoms)

“Cures just about anything. How is it on spots?” -Josey Wales (Eastwood)

“You gonna pull them pistols or whistle Dixie?” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)

“Dying ain’t much of a living.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)

“Reckon I’m right popular.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)

“All I have is this piece of hard rock candy. But it’s not for eating, it’s just for looking at.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)

“I’m glad you stopped me. I might have killed her.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)

Favorite Scenes: Josey Wales meets and talks with Ten Bears, chief of the Commanche, to bargain for his friends’ lives. (I can quote the entire exchange, but it’s too long to feature here.)

The Missouri Boat Ride

Josey Wales and Lone Watie on horseback: “Any time I get to liking someone, they ain’t around for long.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood) “I notice when you get to disliking someone, they ain’t around for long neither.” -Lone Watie (Chief Dan George).

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) & For a Few Dollars More (1965), with Clint Eastwood

In A Fistful of Dollars, Eastwood plays a man with no name, a drifter who blows into town, looking for an opportunity to profit. He learns that the town has two bosses, the Rojos and the Baxters, vying for control and he positions himself between them and plays them against one another.

In For a Few Dollars More, Eastwood plays a bounty hunter named Manco, and Van Cleef plays an old war hero named Colonel Mortimer, who are both seeking the notorious outlaw, Indio, and his gang.

I watch both of these on Pluto T.V. for free.

Favorite Scenes (Fistful): The offended mule scene.

The final shootout, when Ramon thinks he’s losing his touch and the man with no name won’t die.

Favorite Quotes (Fistful): “When a man with a forty-five meets a man with a rifle, you said, ‘the man with the pistol is a dead man.’ Let’s just see if that’s true.” – Man with no name (Eastwood)

“You mean the American government on one side and the Mexicans on the other, and me in the middle? Uh, huh. Too dangerous.” – Man with no name (Eastwood)

Favorite Scene (Few Dollars): The final gun battle between Colonel Mortimer and Indio.

Favorite Quote (Few Dollars): “Two hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money. We’re going to have to earn it.” – Manco (Eastwood)

“No, old man. Thought I was having a problem with my adding. But it’s okay now.” – Manco (Eastwood)

“I generally smoke just after I eat. Why don’t you come back in about ten minutes.” – Colonel Mortimer (Van Cleef)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), with Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach

A civil war tale of survival and greed. This is a lengthy movie, but well worth it. There are so many great quotes, it is difficult to pick favorites. I have this one in my personal movie collection.

Favorite Quotes: “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” – Tuco Rameriz (Wallach)

“You know when I take a job, I always see it through.” Angel Eyes (Van Cleef)

“Take a swig of this, Captain. Keep your ears open.” – Blondie (Eastwood)

“Such ungratefulness. After all the times I’ve saved your life.” – Blondie (Eastwood)

“It’s good to know you’ve always got a brother who won’t deny you a bowl of soup.” – Tuco Ramirez (Wallach)

Favorite scenes: Sad Hill Cemetery (Cool Fact: Sad Hill Cemetery was built specifically for this movie. The set was just abandoned when they finished, but it was restored after fifty-five years by a dedicated group of film fans in 2015.)

Bridge Explosion (Cool Fact: They used three cameras on the first take, and the explosion blew the cameras up, so they had to reconstruct and do a second take using nine different camera angles to ensure success. No computer animation back then.)

The Unforgiven (1992), with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman

When a bounty is posted to avenge a prostitute who is scarred for life, widowed pig farmer William Muney returns to his old killing ways to save his farm and feed his children.

An original and thought-provoking story line, accompanied by excellent acting from all players. I have this one in my personal movie collection.

Favorite Quote: “I ain’t like that anymore.” – William Munny (Eastwood)

“It’s a hell of a thing, killin’ a man. Take away all he’s got, and all he’ll ever have.” – William Munny (Eastwood)

“All right, I’m coming out. Any man I see out there, I’m gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I’m not only gonna kill him, but I’m gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down.” – William Munny (Eastwood)

“He should have armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.” – William Munny (Eastwood)

Favorite Scene: Confrontation between Munny (Eastwood) and Little Bill (Hackman).

The Quick & The Dead (1995), with Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio

This has to be Sharon Stone’s absolute best role as the strong female protagonist. A gripping storyline for her character necessitates our rooting for her to triumph. Gene Hackman plays Herod, the cruel villain through and through.

I watch this one on Pluto T.V. for free.

Favorite Quotes: “Today I am.” – The Lady (Stone)

“You need a bath.” – The Lady (Stone)

“Some people deserve to die.” – The Lady (Stone)

“The law’s come back to town.” – The Lady (Stone)

“Sorry, John. Changed the rules. From now on, all the fights are fair.” – Cort (Crowe)

“I’m so damned fast I can wake up at the crack of dawn, rob two banks, a train and a stage coach, shoot the tail feathers off a duck’s ass at 300 feet, and still be back in bed before you wake up next to me.” – The Kid (DiCaprio)

Favorite Scenes: The Lady puts the dirty old man in his place

Young Guns (1988) & Young Guns 2 (1990), with Emilio Estevez, Kieffer Sutherland, and Lou Diamond Phillips

This telling of the story of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War is brought to life by an all-star cast, in both the original movie and Young Guns 2. I have both in my personal movie collection.

There’s plenty of action and plenty of old west humor. Both are very quotable movies.

Favorite Quotes (First): “I’ll make you famous.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“If we’re caught, we’re gonna hang… But there’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“Did you see the size of that chicken?” – Dirty Steve (Dermot Mulroney)

“Many nights while you were sleeping, I could have slit your throat. Glad I didn’t kill you, Steve.” Chavez y Chavez (Phillips)

Favorite Quotes (Second): “Stop napping on the job, Bob.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“Best dollar eighty I ever spent.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“It’s the real lynch mob! Skin out!” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“I shall finish the game.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)

“I’d rather drink turpentine and piss on a brush fire.” – Sheriff Kimball (Jerry Gardner)

“White Oaks, you can kiss my ass.” – Jane Greathouse (Jenny Wright)

“Let me tell you what you really are! You rode a 15-year-old boy straight to his grave, and the rest of us straight to hell… straight to hell! William H. Bonney! You are not a god!” Josiah ‘Doc’ Scurlock (Sutherland)

“You’ll get down below all right. You’ll get down below. You’re Billy the Kid, too, you know. You’re all Billy the Kid. Little Billy bastards.” – John Chisholm (James Colburn)

“Incumbered by idjits, I pressed on.” – Pat Garrett (William Peterson)

Tombstone (1993), with Kurt Russel, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton and Powers Boothe

This is a telling of the events leading up the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, October 26, 1881. The all-star cast brings the story to life, with Kurt Russell playing Wyatt Earp, and Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton playing brothers Virgil and Morgan. The notorious Doc Holliday is played by Val Kilmer and Curly Bill Brocious (Powers Boothe) and his cowboy buddies play the villains. I have this one in my personal movie collection.

Not historically correct on many aspects but entertaining none-the-less.

Favorite Scenes: The afternoon horse race & The faceoff between Doc Holliday (Kilmer) and Johnny Ringo (Michael Beihn)

Favorite Quotes: “I’m an oak.” – Wyatt Earp (Russell)

“You tell them I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me.” – Wyatt Earp (Russell)

“I’m your huckleberry.” Doc Holliday (Kilmer)

“You’re a daisy if you do.” – Doc Holliday (Kilmer)

“I’ve still got one good arm to hold you with, Ally-girl.” – Virgil Earp (Elliot)

About Author Kaye Lynne Booth

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” with Robbie Cheadle is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series andWordCrafter Press.

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Everyone is a Critic: Novocaine

Posted: May 11, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Action/Adventure, Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Movie Review, Novocaine, Writing to be Read | 3 Comments

Novocaine (2025), with Jack Quaid

We’ve all wished we couldn’t feel pain at one time or another, most likely, when we’re in a situation that makes us scream with the pain. But that old saying, ‘Be careful what you wish for’ applies here. Just ask Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), who has lived a life of caution due to a physical condition which sort circuits his pain sensors and makes him a danger to himself at times. But when the new girl in his dreary, humdrum life as a bank manager, is taken hostage in a bank heist, Nathan uses his affliction to turn himself into a superhero, as he singlehandedly chases down the bank robbers and dispatches them one by one. To do so, Nathan must go through some very painful stuff, and although we know he can’t feel it, the scenes are so visceral, that we almost feel it for him, as he turns his fists into lethal weapons by grinding them into crushed glass, or shoves his hand into a vat of hot oil to retrieve a gun.

What an interesting premise. What would you do if you couldn’t feel pain? At first, you might think you’d do whatever you wanted with no pain to stop you. The love interest in this movie, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), states it well, forshadowing what’s to come, when she says, “Wow! You’re a superhero.” And, while battling the bad guys, Nathan seems to be unstoppable. But there’s a dark side to the absence of your body’s defense mechanisms, because pain is there for a reason. He doesn’t feel the pain and so he just keeps going, but the question Nathan must ask himself is can he find the girl and save her before he does so much damage to his body that it shuts down completely? How much abuse can one man take, and survive?

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Read and Cook” with Robbie Cheadle is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

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Everyone is a Critic: The Running Man – Then & Now

Posted: March 9, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Review, Science Fiction | Tags: Action, Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Science Fiction, The Running Man, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

Today we’re going to take a look at two versions of the same movie: The Running Man, based on the novel by Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman. It’s been a long time since I read this book, since it was released back in the 1980s, but I can tell you now that the movie which just came out with Glen Powell and Josh Brolin is definitely closer to the original story line of the book. That puts it higher in my opinion than the 1987 movie with Arnold Swarzenhegger and Richard Dawson, although the first movie is a good story in its own right.

In the reality TV show The Running Man, the only objective is to stay alive.

This “slam-bang action suspense” (Gilbert Cruz, Vulture) from Stephen King is now a major motion picture from Paramount.

Ben Richards has no job, no money, and a young daughter who urgently needs medical attention. Desperate, out of options, he signs up for The Running Man, “the biggest show in the country.” It’s an ultraviolent competition where the stakes could not be higher. Ben must stay alive for thirty days while an elite strike force, trained to kill, hunts for him. If he can survive for a month, he wins a billion dollars. No contestant has ever lasted longer than eight days. Can Ben Richards win this ultimate game of life and death?

The Running Man (2025) with Glen Powell and Josh Brolin

Ben Richards is a man with a conscience and a family, and when he speaks out against the networks in this futuristic world where the networks run the show, he falls from the group of haves, into the category of the have nots. Blackballed from working for the networks, with a sick child to care for, he tries out for the reality shows as a way to earn the money for the much-needed medicine to save his daughter’s life, and is cast in a spot on the deadliest game of all: The Running Man. Contestants must survive for thirty days, evading the Network Hunters, with everyone in the city out to collect the bounty. The running man has no friends because to help him is to risk their own livelihood. The Network is everywhere and ratings are everything.

If you read my descriptions of these two films it may sound like the big difference between these two films is the fact that Richards is a willing contestant in one and is forced to play on the other. While this is one big difference, the 1987 film also differs in the game playing field. While the book and the 2025 movie play the game out in the real world and members of society may earn prizes by reporting contestants’ whereabouts, the 1987 film veers from the plotline with a contained playing field and sensational hunter characters to be cheered by members of the audience.

Author of the original story says the differences in the character of Ben Richards, played by the two actors is the biggest difference between the two films, in a U.S. A. Today article, “Stephen King, Edgar Wright explain why ‘Running Man’ is the new ‘Die Hard’ – Exclusive“:

“Arnold didn’t look like somebody who had been missing many meals. He was ripped,” King says. Also, “he doesn’t seem like an Everyman. He seems like Arnold. And Glen seems like a regular guy: You would believe him in this part. He’s handsome, but he’s not a Clark Gable, big movie star kind of guy. He’s a regular guy who’s just better looking than most of us.”

The Running Man (1987) with Arnold Swartzenhagger and Richard Dawson

Ben Richards (Arnold Swarzenhegger) is an ex-military good guy who defied orders and refused to kill innocent, unarmed people. When he is sent to prison for his alleged crimes and makes a spectacular escape, he catches the attention of Network Executive Damien Killian (Richard Dawson), who sees his rating potential. In this futuristic world, where the Networks run the show, (pun intended), you don’t sign up to be a contestant on the reality shows, and after his recapture, Richards is forced to play The Running Man, a reality game show, where the hunters play for keeps, and the networks will do anything for ratings.

I think the 2025 movie actually has more nonstop action than the 2005 film, each has its own merits.

Both versions are good stories. Both are entertaining. And both are full of surprises. As a huge fan of the story’s original author, I lean more toward the version that is closer to the storyline in the book.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

The Rockstar & The Outlaw and The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions

When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel

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Everyone is a Critic: My All-Time Favorites – Chick Flicks

Posted: February 9, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Review, romance | Tags: Chick Flicks, Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, romance, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

February is a month for lovers, what with St. Valentine’s Day and all, so I though it would be appropriate to begin this series in 2026 with the mushy romance stuff, so here are my all-time favorite chick flicks.

Chick Flicks – I may be an old chick, but I’m still a chick (Yep. I like Patrick Swayze)

Dirty Dancing (1987), with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey

It was the summer of 1963, and Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is spending it with her family at a Catskills resort. Bored and feeling out of place, she inadvertently discovers the underground world of dance through the resort’s entertainers. When one of the girls is unable to finish out their summer itinerary, Baby volunteers to train and take her place, putting her in direct contact and very close proximity of the lead male dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Parick Swayze).

This movie is total fantasy fulfillment for me. What I would have given when I was younger to be Jennifer Grey. This is a movie I never get tired of watching, even to this day.

Favorite Quote: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” – Johnny Castle (Swayze)

“Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours; you don’t go into mine. You gotta hold the frame.” – Johnny Castle (Swayze)

“I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.” – Baby (Grey)

“We’re supposed to do the show in two days, you won’t show me the lifts, I’m not sure of the turns, I’m doing all this to save your ass, what I really want to do is drop you on it!” -Baby (Grey)

Favorite Scene: The final dance & the lift on the log

Ghost (1990), with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze

When banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered, leaving his girl Molly (Demi Moore) grieving in their new loft apartment. But Sam doesn’t cross over and learns that his best friend, Carl, is behind his murder. Now he must find a way to warn Molly from beyond the grave, as Carl tries to move in on Molly.

This is another movie which I love. Of course, it helps that the male star is Patrick Swayze. I would watch it just for that reason, but it also has a original paranormal story line of a true love cut short, and the character of Oda Mea (Whoopi Goldberg), is so entertaining that both merit kudos in their own rights.

Favorite Scene: The pottery wheel scene, (of course) & the subway scene where he forces the other ghost to teach him to manipulate solid matter in his ephemeral form.

Road House (1989), with Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot

I watch this movie strictly because of the stars. I like Sam Elliot, but I’ve always had a thing for Patrick Swayze. A young Swayze is just eye candy that I never get tired of seeing, even at my age. He really shows it off in this one, which only adds to the story line of big guy pushing the little guy and the little guy pushing back, with some pretty great fights, mixed with a romance story line and some very hot scenes with Swayze. Winner all around.

Favorite Scene: Any scene with Swayze in it.

Pretty Woman (1990), with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere

What starts as a week-long business arrangement between a billionaire Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and a high-end hooker, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), turns into something more in this ultimate rags to riches romance, changing the way they both view life, and love. It’s funny and entertaining, and good for a laugh every time.

Favorite Scene: The bubble bath scene & the shopping spree

Favorite Quotes: “You and I are such similar creatures, Vivian. We both screw people for money.” – Edward Lewis (Gere)

“Do you have anything in this shop as beautiful as she is?” – Edward Lewis (Gere)

“I can do anything I want to, baby. I ain’t lost.” – Vivian Ward (Roberts)

“In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.” – Vivian Ward (Roberts)

” Did I mention my leg is forty-four inches from hip to toe; so, basically, we are talking about eighty-eight inches of therapy wrapped around you for the bargain price of three thousand dollars.” – Vivian Ward (Roberts)

“Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.” – Vivian Ward (Roberts)

“Oh, it was so good, I almost peed my pants!” – Vivian Ward (Roberts)

Thelma and Louise (1991), with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis

Thelma (Susan Sarandon) and Louise (Geena Davis) are friends to the end in this female bromance adventure. What starts out as a weekend road trip quickly turns into an adventure from which there is no turning back after a man tries to rape Thelma, and Louise comes to her aid and shoots him.

This is a story of female empowerment in spite of its tragic ending. An endearing tale of friendship that never gets old.

Favorite Scene: Outside the bar in the parking lot where Thelma is assaulted.

Favorite Quotes: “You shoot off a guy’s head with his pants down, believe me, Texas is not the place you wanna get caught.” – Louise (Sarandon)

“You’ve always been crazy, this is just the first chance you’ve had to express yourself.” – Louise (Sarandon)

“Well, we’re not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it from here.” – Louise (Sarandon)

“Hey Louise, better slow down, I’ll just die if we get caught over a speeding ticket.” – Thelma (Davis)

“I’m not sorry that son-of-a-bitch is dead. I’m just sorry it was you that did it and not me.” – Thelma (Davis)

“Good mornin’ ladies and gentlemen. This is a robbery. Now, if nobody loses their head, nobody will lose their head. Simon says y’all lie down on the floor, please, right away. Thank you. Ma’am, would you get down? Not you, sir. Let’s see who’ll win a prize for keepin’ their cool. Sir, will you do the honors? Take all the cash out of the drawer, put it in a paper bag.” – Thelma (Davis)

About Author Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming in March 2025

Everyone is a Critic: “Without a Paddle”

Posted: November 10, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Action/Adventure, Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies | Tags: Adventure Comedy, Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Without a Paddle, Writing to be Read | 2 Comments

Starring Seth Green, Mathew Lilliard, and Dax Sheppard, Without a Paddle is a 2004 feel-good, three-way bromance with self-discovery and male bonding themes. Sounds kind of kinky, huh? But seriously, this movie has all the makings of a good adventure comedy and the right combination in the leading actors to pull it off.

After the early death of school chum in a parasailing accident, the three high school buddies gather in their old tree house to reminisce and say good-bye to their friend, Billy. When they find a map Billy left there, supposedly leading to D.B. Cooper’s treasure, they feel they owe it to their friend to follow his lifelong dream and search for the treasure. They set out on a road trip and wilderness adventure together, with hopes of getting rich, but finding so much more.

This was a fun movie to watch. I couldn’t help but smile as these three unleash their ridiculous antics, proving that they are their own worst enemies. Once in the wilderness, they learn a lot about themselves in this hilarious adventure where they face wild animals and illegal marijuana farmers in their quest for the treasure of the infamous D.B. Cooper. They encounter hippie nature women living in a treehouse deep in the forest and make a new friend or two with just the right amount of comedy added.

Do they find the treasure? Hey, no spoilers here. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out. I was surprised by what happened in the end. I will say that.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” with Kaye Lynne Booth is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

Historical Western Women’s Fiction

Get Your Copy Today!

Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1

Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West

Marta: Coming in 2026

Everyone is Critic: “The Faculty”

Posted: October 13, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Commentary, Horror, Movie Review, Movies, Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, horror, Movie Review, The Faculty, Writing to be Read | 2 Comments

The Faculty is a 1998 science fiction/horror movie which I somehow missed until now. Reminiscent of horror classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the faculty and most of the student body at Herrington High School are being taken over by aliens, and it’s nearly impossible to tell who is still human. One group of industrious, survival-minded students has figured out what is happening, how to detect the aliens, and how to destroy them. Now they just have to find the head alien and destroy it before the whole school, and then the town, is taken over.

Although, not an original plot, it is fashioned after a classic. At least the aliens didn’t scream at each other whenever a human was detected. When the queen alien is revealed, I have to say I saw it coming, but they placed enough red herrings, so that I couldn’t be one hundred percent certain until the truth is unveiled.

Right to left: Elijah Wood (Casey), Clea Duvall (Stokely), Shawn Hatosy (Stan), Josh Hartnett (Zeke), and Laura Harris (Marybeth)

The special effects seem a bit primitive in this dawning age of technology, but for 1998, they’ve got a pretty cool queen alien monster. While some things, such as the method of beating the aliens, seemed a bit too convenient, horror movies, in general, are pretty formulaic, so perhaps that’s to be expected. At any rate, it held my attention, and I had to see how things turned out, which is basically the point, right?

The Faculty is everything a horror movie should be, using the aliens to keep our heroes boxed in, misdirection to keep viewers guessing, and plenty of tension to keep our attention. What more could you want from a horror movie?

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming in 2026

Everyone is a Critic: “Red Eye”

Posted: August 11, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Psychological Thriller, Thriller | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Movie Review, Psychological Thriller, Red Eye, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

Movie Cover: A woman looking out an airplane window with a man sitting behind her.
Text: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Directed by Wes Craven, Red Eye, Fear Takes Flight

I stumbled upon this movie on Pluto TV and thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know what I was expecting when I chose it. At the beginning, I thought I’d picked up a romance, when the protagonist, Lisa (Rachel McAdams), meets a man, Jackson (Cillian Murphy), at the airport and they have a drink together. This impression was reinforced for me when he ends up on the same Red Eye flight and he takes the seat next to hers. My mind was quickly changed when his true intentions are revealed and it becomes obvious that this story is actually a smashing psychological thriller.

Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy sitting at a bar chatting and smiling. — Scene from *Red Eye*

It is no coincidence that they met, or that they were on the same flight, for it turns out Jackson has been watching Lisa for quite some time, and his plans involve using her for his own dark purposes after making her his psychological hostage, threatening to do harm to someone she loves. It turns out Jackson is an international terrorist, making Lisa a vital part of his diabolical plan for a political assassination.

Jackson grasping Lisa's chin and holding her against a wall in confrontation. — Scene from *Red Eye*

Both the main characters play their parts convincingly and I was easily sucked in and swept away in this gripping thriller. Directed by Wes Craven, this movie exceeds the B list in both the writing of the story and in the performance of the actors. I was pleasantly surprised by my discovery of Red Eye and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will, too.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This post is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: Coming in October, 2025!

Everyone is a Critic: “The Island”

Posted: April 14, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, The Island, Writing to be Read | 2 Comments

I passed up the 2005 film, The Island, many times because it created incongruencies in my mind. The title suggested to me, something along the lines of Castaway, or Robinson Caruso, or maybe Lord of the Flies, yet the cover image suggested a futuristic civilization, with nothing tropical about it. It is, in fact, a dystopian science fiction tale set in a futuristic world. Whatever you think the island in this story is, I promise you it is not.

In a world of survivors from a catastrophic event are given the hope of a paradise on the island, but only those selected in the lottery are granted the privilege of going. But we soon suspect that something is amiss when one survivor, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewen McGregor), has the intelligence to see that some things don’t quite add up, and the curiosity to question what they are being told. Just as he discovers the truth about who they all really are, and the truth about the island, his friend, Jordon Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), is chosen in the lottery, and Lincoln is forced to race to prevent her from going and escape with the knowledge he has discovered.

The rest of the movie takes on the pace of an action thriller as the powers that be try to recover them before they can tell the world what they know. And the action is really pretty good. The story was engaging and entertaining holding my interest all the way to the quite satisfying ending. I was glad that I finally decided to give it a try.

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This post is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: Coming in October, 2025!

Everyone is a Critic: “Tale of Tales”

Posted: March 10, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Dark Fantasy, Everyone is a Critic, Fantasy, Film Review, Horror, Movie Review, Movies | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Fairytales, Movie Review, Tale of Tales, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

Three kingdoms. Three horrific tales, braided into one tragically horrendous fairytale in the classic tradition, Tale of Tales is a skillfully crafted triple fairytale. Fairytales were used to frighten children into behaving themselves in days of past. They are supposed to strike fear in readers, or in this case, viewers, so the element of horror is no surprise here. Everyone knows fairytales are tales of tragedy and don’t always have a happy ending. Even when they do have a HEA, the characters must face gruesomely frightening trials to reach that point.

A King (John C. Riley) and Queen (Selma Hayak) of the kingdom of Longtrellis are barren and will stop at nothing to have a son. The Queen summons a necromancer to make her wish come true. Upon his instruction, the King slays the sea monster, but loses his life. None-the-less, she eats the sea monster’s heart and bears a son, Elias Christian Lees, with alabaster skin and hair. At the same time as the cook bears a son, Jonah (Jonah Lees), who looks enough like Elias to be his identical twin, and the two boys grow up to become fast friends who are inseparable. Enraged after the boys fool her, the Queen sends the cook and her son away, but the boys’ bond is stronger, and when her son, Elias, fears his friend is in trouble, he runs away to go to his aid. Desperate for the return of Elias, the Queen summons the necromancer once more. She will have her son back, but at what price?

The King of the kingdom of Strongcliff (Vincent Cassell) becomes lustful when he hears a beautiful voice and must have the singer as his wife. But the singer is one of two sisters, aged spinsters, Imma (Shirley Henderson) and Dora (Haley Carmichael), who fool the King and he unwittingly takes Dora to his bed under her insistence that it be in complete darkness. Enraged upon waking and discovering her true appearance, the King has his guards throw her from the cliffside castle window, but Dora survives and is found by a witch who suckles her, giving her back her youth. The King and his hunting party found the beautiful young woman (Stacy Martin) laying on the forest floor and he falls in love and makes Dora his Queen. But Imma is lonely and longs to have her sister back with her, threatening to reveal Dora’s secret. Dora turns Imma away, leaving her alone to suffer a tragic end.

The King of the kingdom of Highhills (Toby Jones) becomes fascinated with a flea and makes it a pet that grows to gargantuan proportions. When his daughter, Violet (Bebe Cave), wishes to be married, he develops a plan to make her happy without risking losing her by placing the fleas hide on his wall and promising her hand to any suiter who can guess the creature that it came from. But it leads to the loss of his daughter when an ogre (Guillaume Delaunay) guesses correctly by smell, and he is forced to give Violet to the ogre, who takes her to his cave in the side of a high cliff. She’s recued by a family of acrobats, but the ogre slays them all and Violet fools the ogre and slits his throat. She returns to the kingdom, to find her father ill, and presents him with the head of the husband that he chose for her.

Official Clip: https://images.app.goo.gl/pAFnUmGSwCHFgcXo6

The three kingdoms and their tales are brought together at Violet’s coronation, where representing Longtrellis, Elias is in attendance, as well as the King of Strongcliff and his new Queen. But the witch’s magic wears off and Dora loses her youthful appearance and sneaks away unnoticed.

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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, her the first three books in her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends, her poetry collection, Small Wonders, and her writer’s resource, The D.I.Y. Author. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Everyone is a Critic: Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead

Posted: November 11, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Crime, Everyone is a Critic, Film Review, Movie Review, Movies | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Things to Do in Denver When Your Dead, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

The 1995 crime film, Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead. It’s an older movie, but I found it quite enjoyable to sit down and watch this movie.

A cross between a mobster movie and a tragic romance, this film carries both story lines well. Ex-mobster, Jimmy, The Saint, Tosnia, played by Andy Garcia, and his buddies are drawn back into the fold unwillingly by mob boss, “The Man With The Plan”, played by Christopher Walken, after his son, Bernard, played by Michael Nicolosi, is arrested for child molestation. When the plan goes terribly wrong, it becomes a death sentence for Jimmy and his crew. They are all dead and they know it, stalked by Mr. Shhh, played by Steve Buscerni, the hitman who never fails and shows no mercy. Jimmy is allowed a reprieve if he leaves Denver, but there are a few things to take care of before he goes. Jimmy has met a girl, Dagney, played by Gabrielle Anwar, and he’s trying to win her heart, but now he must walk away to protect her.

You’ve got to love the cast of colorful characters, who are made bigger than life by the actors who play them. Jimmy is making a new life for himself, running a faltering business recording the thoughts and messages of those who are terminally ill. Jimmy’s crew are all ex-mobsters, trying to make new lives for themselves: Pieces, played by Christoper Lloyd, who runs a x-rated movie theater and spends his days with porn running in the background; Easy Wind, played by Bill Nunn, runs a boxing ring; Critical Bill, played by Treat Williams, who has some definite rage issues to work out and finds rather unique and gruesome ways to do that; and Big Bear Franchise, played by William Forsythe, has a wife and kids to worry about.

Not surprisingly, this movie was filmed in Denver, where I grew up, and the familiarity of setting definitely added to my enjoyment of this movie, making it all seem more real to me. In the photo above, the crew is at Crown Hill Cemetery, where I have relatives buried, as do many other Denverites.

This is not your typical mobster movie, and there are no happy endings. The fun lies in seeing how it all plays out, with more than a few surprises. I never knew how many things there are to do in Denver when you’re dead.